Sponsor: Taproot Magazine, is a quarterly print magazine full of delightful stories and photos written by and for people living fuller and digging deeper. Each issue is created around a subtle theme, featuring amazing recipes, crafts, and tales, all with the intention of inspiring people who are interested in deepening their connections to their families, communities, and themselves as they strive to live locally and closer to the ground. The content in each issue consistently blows me away. It is fulfilling and inspiring. The most recent issue MYTH features a collection of wonderful finds as we step in Spring. With fermentation and jam recipes, stories, food myths, how to make a pan flute and Bristol Ivy's latest pattern the "Selkie Hat & Mitts". There is so much goodness in each issue. You can visit Taproot Magazine online at taprootmag.com and on Instagram @taprootmag.
Fiber folk: I've met very few people in life that match the passion, enthusiasm and joy of Anna Dianich and her infectious energy emanates from everything that surrounds her, including her shop, Tolt Yarn and Wool. It's easy to forget though, that amazing women like Anna, have someone equally amazing beside them, cheering them on and supporting them through their endless ideas and gumption. Anna's someone is her lovable and encouraging husband Greg. Together they've built a community, centered around this charming little yarn shop in the Pacific Northwest town of Carnation, Washington. You can find Anna and Greg and their super crew at toltyarnandwool.com and on Instagram @toltyarnandwool.
Sponsor: I want to thank Taproot Magazine again for sponsoring this week's episode. With the natural, easygoing and heartfelt focus of each issue, I find myself continuing to go back to it throughout the quarter, gaining a little something each time and looking forward to the upcoming issue. I highly recommend you visit taprootmag.com and subscribe.
Update: It's been a very exciting week on our farm, with the arrival of our first lambs! Our ewes Lucy and Alice both gave birth to twins last week when I was in San Francisco for work, and while I was so bummed to have missed their births, I'm looking forward to our other ewes Ethel and Louise who should be lambing any day now. There's speculation that Louise may even throw triplets…so exciting. I've been posting videos and photos over on Instagram, so follow me there to keep up with the going ons.
Giveaway: The winner of last weeks giveaway is Cathy B. You've won a copy of Helga Isager's book Room 606 and yarn for the Ghita Cowl pattern. Congratulations!
The giveaway this week is sponsored by Tolt Yarn and Wool and we're giving away a copy of Tolt's book Farm to Needle. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post.
So excited to hear Anna's story during tomorrow's commute! I found Tolt's Instagram through Woolful, and am constantly inspired by it.
Hope to read this book!
Hi Ashley! I was the lucky winner of your previous giveaway, but I don't really know what to do to retrieve the special gift. Did you get my email?
im excited that I am about to go listen to my first of your podcasts… I think it will quickly become part of my evening routine until I am caught up!
What a great team Anna & Greg make. Another fantastic episode!
I just went to Tolt Yarn & Wool for the first time a couple of weeks ago and believe it is, hands down, the most wonderful yarn shop I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot!
I'm obsessed with Snoqualmie Valley yarn!
I have just found your site. What beautiful images. Wish I could be there.
I love love LOVED this episode! Anna and Greg were such a joy to listen too – so gorgeous! THAT is the kind of relationship that dreams are built on! Couldn't stop smiling!
I love Tolt, can't wait to listen to the interview!
I have not gotten a chance to listen to the podcast yet but the book looks amazing, love the cover.
The book looks absolutely beautiful. Really looking forward to listening to the episode!
Tolt sounds like a wonderful yarn shop, wish it was on my continent!
I loved listening to this weeks episode and wish that I could visit Tolt in person! It is so nice to hear how people make their dreams, like opening a yarn shop, come true!
I loved hearing their story. I would love to visit their shop if I am ever out that way. Very inspiring episode!
I would LOVE to win a copy of this book! Can't wait to listen to yet another podcast on my commute. I look forward to them all week every week!
What a great podcast! I've been a fan of Anna Dianich since I first discovered her and Tolt on instagram. It was so inspiring to hear her story (and Greg's!) and to hear how Tolt came to be. Thanks for doing this interview. I already have the book and it's wonderful!
It troubles me to no end that I live nowhere near Tolt. Booooooo!
I loved this episode! Wish I lived closer to Tolt – it seems like such an inspiring shop!
This podcast is a blessing. Thank you.
I just started downloading knitting podcasts last week, why it took me so long I don't know. But, what a week of coincidences. My brother-in-law recently moved to Seattle and I've been running into a lot of yarn shops on my IG feed and they're all in the Washington or BC area!! It's definitely been a "ground hog" week for me as when I started the Woolful podcast it featured Tolt Yarn and Wool, a recent IG find, and then I receive a random email with a link-up to Tolt Yarn and Wool's website. All signs point to Washington lol.
I listened to this wonderful podcast while sewing. I am a quilter. Would love to win this book for my sister Debra who loves to knit and may teach me someday! Thank you and Happy Spring!
Love listening to the Woolful podcast with lots of interesting people. My daughter is doing a lot of workshops at the library these school holidays. I find myself a comfortable chair with my knitting and enjoy an episode or two of Woolful.
Thanks Ashley for another perfect podcast! Loved hearing about Anna and Gregs journey, truly lovely people. I hope Anna never stops dreaming up new and glorious ideas! Tolt yarn and wool is my community and my happy place!
What a great episode. It was lovely to hear Anna and Greg talk about their own journey from urban photographers, to country dwelling fibre folks.
They sound like such truly lovely people. Thank you for bringing us their story.
Great episode! Tolt is on my 'must visit' list and I love updates on farm life!
I would adore a chance at having this book in my hands. As always, a lovely podcast.
What an inspiring story showing what dedication and teamwork can do! Thanks for this podcast!
I just found your podcast and listened to the latest episode. I look forward to catching up with previous episodes. I would love to win the book.
Enjoyed the podcast, love to hear how people start and grow their businesses.
Love hearing the back-story….wonderful podcast!!! How fast can I get myself to the PNW???!
and Ashley for your weekly inspiration!
I already got the book, so this is not an entry to win it, but… I just want to give a shout out to Anna, Greg and all the people who help make Tolt what it is. I have only been able to visit Tolt in person once so far, as I live a fair distance away, and I went with a non-knitter so I couldn't stay as long as I wanted. There are many yarn shops with many different vibes, some where you feel welcome and some where you don't, some with stock you are interested in and some not. Walking into Tolt was like coming home. It immediately felt like I had found my community and I wanted to stay all day checking out every single thing. The people that helped me find what I needed seemed engaged in our conversation and even other customers sitting there knitting joined in with their suggestions. I only could stay that time for about an hour, but I can't wait to visit again. I think Tolt now carries about every yarn brand I already love or that I have ever wanted to try.! It's a jewel for the PNW and I only wish they were closer so I could join that community more often. Thank you, Ashley, for the podcast telling their story. Anna and Greg were charming and I loved their honesty. Also, they both have great laughs.
I feel so lucky to live just a few hours away from Tolt. It is too far to truly be my local yarn shop, but I can still go a couple of times a year!
Ah, another wonderful podcast. And TOLT. They are great!
Anna is such an inspiration! I hope I win the book!
We don't have Taproot magazine here in Oz. The samples shown in the photos make my fingers itch to get started on something!
Well done, as usual. So interesting to hear Anna's story. Hope to visit the shop one day-when I am not on the other side of the Atlantic!
Love your podcast. Was just in Tacoma to visit daughter. Have already told her Tolt must be a stop on my next visit and I am sure she will make it there soon. Thank you!
One day I will fly over and visit Tolt ! Thanks for the great story !
I usually listen before commenting, but I am pretty excited about this giveaway. I hope to have this book someday. I am too wishing to experience this journey, maybe next year. I was just in Moab UT and brought home some yarn and roving from a farm just down the road from the wonderful little yarn shop Desert Thread. I can't wait to get my hands on it.
Oh I loved this episode and all the laughs! Thank you so much! And the book? To live for!
Would love a copy of the book, as I've had my eye on it for awhile. Enjoyed listening to this one while on a work trip to the west coast (British Columbia).
Thank you for the time and effort to compile these stories.
Thank you once more for a truly inspiring story. Time just flies when I'm listening to Woolful!
What a wonderful interview this week! I'm inspired to finally visit Tolt Yarn and maybe I'll get to take one of their wonderful classes. I look forward to your next podcast.
Loved the podcast! Thank you.
I love the pictures with this post! Fingers crossed for your lambs!
Trank you for yet another inspiring podcast! It is so very encouraging to listen to stories of people who have fulfilled their dreams and ideas and still are so warm and happy together!
Thank you again for all your efforts in getting this out to us to enjoy!
I could have listened to Anna and Greg all day! Their story is so inspiring and I can't wait to knit from the book. New to this podcast and am truly enjoying it.
Have so enjoyed ypur last two podcasts and the wonderful reading adventures your links open up! The book sounds wonderful.
Loved this interview! I was lucky enough to visit Tolt all the way from Durango, Colorado, last September! Lovely place!
I love following Tolt on Instagram, so much northwest woolly inspiration. And the podcast was wonderful as always. I'm really hoping I'll get a chance to visit the shop sometime!
This makes me want to pick up some supplies and start knitting after work! Literally listen to your podcast everyday. I am a beginner knitter and truly admire textiles. I am fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful textiles at my archival job… but listening to the folks who make the work is amazing. I still work for a small business that manufactures soap and bath products. We're a tight knit (haha oh the puns) team as well. Love to hear about other small business across the country with a passion for their work. I admire what they're doing and wish them well. Lovely episode!
I enjoyed Anna and Greg's story so much. Their relationship is so inspiring. Another great podcast!
It was inspiring to hear Tolt's story, definitely hope to visit it in person next time I visit the States, and obviously I've been drooling on my screen when looking at the book , so I'd be delighted to own it!!
Ordered from Tolt last year, and they sent along what I called "yarn crack," a little sample of another yarn I might like. I like a good enabler. Really enjoyed learning more about Anna and Greg; Tolt is on my list of shops to visit.
Tolt is definitely on my bucket list. I keep telling people about it whenever I hear they are headed that way. I'm definitely planning a trip to the PNW at some point and I'm going to make sure I visit.
Hello, greetings from Australia. Just listened to the Tif Fussell podcast and now downloading more – great listening. Thank you. Taproot is a wonderful magazine – we can purchase it here in the land of down under. Will also check out the Tolt website and have a look at the new book.
I recently had the chance to experience Tolt yarn and wool in real life!! I visited my sister in WA and we packed up her babies and headed to the shop, 45 minutes away, it was a highlight of my trip and I can't wait to visit again!
I hope someday to visit Tolt! What an inspirational story!!
I really enjoy listening to your podcasts on my evening walks. Thanks so much for sharing all the fibre stories. I look forward to the day I get my hands on the Tolt book and visit the store!
I loved hearing Greg and Annie's story! Annie, you found the perfect guy to support and help all your wonderful ideas come to life. I hope to visit the store in person some day.
What a sweet couple! I loved listening to this episode. Thank you.
loved hearing the story behind such and I spring story and couple. Keep up the great work!
Loved this episode! What a wonderful couple and team. Hearing their story gave me the courage to move forward and take a risk in something I've been thinking about doing for a while in my own business. Thank you!
How inspiring it is to listen to your podcast. It is my treat in a busy schedule. I take the dog for a walk in the woods and just shut off from the world while enjoying the scenery and all the stories. It's not too long since I've joined the fiber folk community and it amazes me how much it evens me out. It's a pity I've got so many yarn, stories and inspiration to catch up to but this book would be so much treasured!! Thanks for all..
What a delightful episode! Really enjoyed listening to their story and how they work together as a team. Also appreciated the transparency in their story… the ups and downs, the stress, the doubts…real life stuff.
Thanks for another wonderful podcast episode.
After finding you on Instagram, I have really come to love listening to your podcast while spinning or knitting. Thank you for all your hard work in providing it to us!
I've been away so have had a lovely backlog of podcasts – really enjoyed catching up & listening to this episode.
I was so excited to listen to this interview after just having visited Tolt during Easter weekend trip north!
What an incredible place , it was everything I imagined, and then even more! I only had some stolen time away from awaiting sisters to run in, but I had my list, and this store is so well organized! and the women working there! So ready to help, and knowledgeable, I was able to do a fairly thorough look at everything, but sadly forgot about the book! I did purchase 4 amazing skeins from new to me producers that I look forward to working with! Thank you for the interesting interview, enjoyed it very much!
This makes me want to move & get a job at Tolt!
I've admired tolt for so long it borders on obsession.
Eeee! I've had my eye on this book and would LOVE a copy!! Really enjoyed this week's episode.
Ashley, thank you for continuing to enrich my fiber world. As was so evident in this episode, the fiber world is so much more than just about yarn and knitting. Thank you for all that you do. Love Tolt!
Every week is a wonderful treat!
Loved this weeks Podcast! It was so good to hear Anna's voice too. I'm also super happy I got to visit Tolt a few times while I lived there, but it was as we were prepping airstream traveling and I didn't know how to knit then. Oh how I would go a yarn shopping of I had a chance!
I'm really enjoying this podcast!
What a delightful and inspiring episode! I adore this podcast, thank you so much!
Another great episode! And oh my, I really want this book!!
Such a sweet couple. Enjoyed hearing them tell the story together. Thank you!
I absolutely loved the honesty and openness about what it was like to open a yarn shop. It was interesting to listen to the process of how it was opened and how each team member made their contribution to making it a better place. I'm in the planning stages of opening a business and this was just the podcast I needed for some encouragement and inspiration!
I loved listening to this! Thanks for another great story.
Anna and Greg — what a fun couple! Tolt sounds like a great yarn shop.
This book sounds AMAZING! Would love to win!!
How wonderful to hear the entire story of how Tolt came to be! Great episode.
I've visited Tolt twice and loved it so much each time. I am very excited to hear the story of how this shop can to be!
One of my very "fav's"… Loved the energy between these two!
What an amazing place and an amazing couple! Can't wait to listen.
I really enjoyed this podcast. I was interested in hearing it as from a mini swap, my swap partner gave me a tape measure from Tolt. This Tolt couple is so cute. They are lovely and what a fascinating journey they've had to creating and building Tolt.
loved this podcast . . such a beautiful couple.
This was an AMAZING podcast! I really need to take a trip across the country to go see TOLT! I loved hearing their funny love filled story. The realistic struggles & how they support each other have created this amazing shop! I love my Farm to Needle bag & the book I purchased online a few months back! I wish I lived closer so TOLT could be my awesome LYS!


Here is the new video in our channel. This is the making video of kalank Nahi Ishq hai piya song sung by Arijit singh and music composed my pritam.
Hope you enjoyed this video if you did than like this video share this video everywhere.
Comment below if you arr arijit's Fan.
All credit goes to real Ower of this content.
We uploaded this video for just entertainment purpose.
-we present it in a beautiful manner.
-incase as being the Copyright owner if you have any issue with our content you can tell us.We will respond within 24 hrs!


text:
package com.skycloud.jkb.pojo.entity;

// Generated 2013-12-31 14:44:24 by Hibernate Tools 3.4.0.CR1

import javax.persistence.Column;
import javax.persistence.Entity;
import javax.persistence.FetchType;
import javax.persistence.Id;
import javax.persistence.JoinColumn;
import javax.persistence.ManyToOne;
import javax.persistence.Table;
import javax.persistence.UniqueConstraint;

/**
 * SysmapUrl generated by hbm2java
 */
@Entity
@Table(name = "sysmap_url", catalog = "skycloud", uniqueConstraints = @UniqueConstraint(columnNames = { "sysmapid",
		"name" }))
public class SysmapUrl implements java.io.Serializable {

	private long sysmapurlid;
	private Sysmaps sysmaps;
	private String name;
	private String url;
	private int elementtype;

	public SysmapUrl() {
	}

	public SysmapUrl(long sysmapurlid, Sysmaps sysmaps, String name, String url, int elementtype) {
		this.sysmapurlid = sysmapurlid;
		this.sysmaps = sysmaps;
		this.name = name;
		this.url = url;
		this.elementtype = elementtype;
	}

	@Id
	@Column(name = "sysmapurlid", unique = true, nullable = false)
	public long getSysmapurlid() {
		return this.sysmapurlid;
	}

	public void setSysmapurlid(long sysmapurlid) {
		this.sysmapurlid = sysmapurlid;
	}

	@ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.LAZY)
	@JoinColumn(name = "sysmapid", nullable = false)
	public Sysmaps getSysmaps() {
		return this.sysmaps;
	}

	public void setSysmaps(Sysmaps sysmaps) {
		this.sysmaps = sysmaps;
	}

	@Column(name = "name", nullable = false)
	public String getName() {
		return this.name;
	}

	public void setName(String name) {
		this.name = name;
	}

	@Column(name = "url", nullable = false)
	public String getUrl() {
		return this.url;
	}

	public void setUrl(String url) {
		this.url = url;
	}

	@Column(name = "elementtype", nullable = false)
	public int getElementtype() {
		return this.elementtype;
	}

	public void setElementtype(int elementtype) {
		this.elementtype = elementtype;
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Three-Way Ball Valves available with 'L' and 'T' Porting, in both screwed and flanged designs.
Single acting or Double acting actuators are available for many of the valves sold through Blupax in combinations to meet your needs.
We quote Pneumatic actuation as our standard, however we are able to offer electrically actuated valves on request.
Manufactured in Brass, Stainless Steel or PVC.
Manufactured in Stainless Steel, Brass or PVC.


text:
entreentre
Ee 8.1 - text
Anne Pind, 2016
Deep into the Forest: the Black Cone and the White Lake
A tale from Finland by Anne Pind
To find Hvitträsk, you first have to pass through the pine forest; across the silent, bouncy forest floor, across grey rocks overgrown with clusters of fat moss and past an endless repetition of cracked, reddish pine trunks. This is a world of shades, with occasional sunlight filtering down between the trees, and cone after cone after cone dropping down from the sky.
Then you step into another world, into a magnetic field: somebody has created a different kind of nature; carved a hole in the forest, moved trunks around and laid out sweeping, gravelled paths that lead past delicate herbaceous borders towards the edge of a slope. Here, at the point where the ground dips abruptly towards the lake, lies Hvitträsk, a conglomerate of idiosyncratic building volumes, built from the forest's own materials. In this cross field, midway between forest and city, between high ground and slope, between the budding, nervous restlessness of fin de siècle and national romanticism, an opening appeared where a vibrant community could immerse themselves, live and work, contemplatively and ecstatically, giving form to everything around them, all the ingenious utensils of everyday life, dreaming of a new Helsinki.
'Finlandia', the tone poem by Sibelius, opens with a warning, beautiful and furiously blasted by the wind section: a pent-up force is unleashed, the sound resonating in all directions. The power-packed music is heavy with thundering timpani. And then the strings come sweeping in, gentle and airy, until the entire orchestra breathes all at once in a heroic, celebratory hymn.
Conceived at the turn of the century, this resistance piece challenged the Russian Tsar regime, which was intensifying its dominant position in Finland. Afraid of losing their autonomy, the Fins seek affirmation in music, arts, architecture and literature, and finding a shared cultural identity becomes a matter of principle for local artists. Consolidating, they look to the past and to the north. Beyond the Finnish/Russian border lies Karelia, a remote region which is unaffected by Swedish and Russian hegemony. This was the cradle of Finnish mythology, traditionally handed down from mouth to ear with rhythmical verses propelled by parallelisms and allitterations. The myths and legends are accummulated in the national epic The Kalevala, which has profound implications for the new cultural departure that manifests itself as Finnish national romanticism.
Karelia's traditional wood architecture 'reproduced by budding'. Step by step, extensions were added to the original building core as required. Being vulnerable to fire, the buildings were often short-lived. Entire villages burnt down and were rebuilt, but never according to the exact same pattern. The fire offered an opportunity for something new to happen.
This was where Saarinen spent the summers of his childhood.
My grandmother believed that ghosts are the accummulated presence of those who inhabited the spaces before us, felt them, pervaded them. I imagined the air in my grandmother's parlour in Ærøskøbing being saturated with their phantom bodies; that we inhaled their shadowy flocks. They tickled our noses as we played cards across Louis Seize.
The architects Herman Gesellius (1874-1916), Armas Lindgren (1874-1929) and Eliel Saarinen (1873-1950) studied together at Helsinki University of Technology, the three of them forming an alliance so strong that they decided to set up a joint office in 1897, and a few years later relocate together with their families to the lake in the forest.
In the beginning, the Kalevala myths were embedded in their work. Their first designs, in the middle of Helsinki, are massive, national romantic fantasies with medieval references. Rough troll-like gargoyles and trunk-like ressauts adorn the facades of the Pohjola insurance building., while foxes and ravens roguishly observe the street-life from their vantage point on cornices. This is a far cry from Southern Europe's sunny Art Nouveau with its crisp foliage and coquettish convolutions. Here, the raw, greyish-white building mass is heated from within.
The forest is an elastic space. There is a resistance in the forest, it refuses to be commanded. The forest points in all directions, like an eccentric. Saarinen, Gesellius and Lindgren stand behind the pine trunks, scratching the bark with their nails. Their sectional drawings of Hvitträsk have a sweet, smoky, moist smell. The outline of the building volumes is indicated by a thin line. Arranged within the contours of this line are the individual spaces, each of them painstakingly represented with vaults, fixtures and fresco paintings evoked in skin- and honey-coloured hues, as if these tiny, pulsating dioramas were already illuminated by the glow from the fireplaces.
The arrival at Hvitträsk is a carefully choreographed sequence. The place appears, not in its entirety, but via its beacon, the tower, from which a single window below the roofline watches every movement in the landscape. As in a medieval castle, you enter the courtyard, the peaceful and civilized interlude between the north and the south wings, which tower imposingly above the slope, and the small villa on the fringe of the forest. The studio lies as a hinge between the wings, with a door in either side. Saarinen designed the north wing, Lindgren the south wing while Gesellius hovered between the two, his domain was to be the small villa.
The base on the south wing is made of rocks with ragged, blasted edges. Above this is the plaster that forms a generic interval before the shingles soften the shape of the roof. The architectural idiom is still sturdy, but more sophisticated than before. The trolls and the animals have gone, the architecture is now more dynamic and broken up by a variation of platforms, balconies and terraces.
Saarinen increasingly works alone. Fist on Helsinki Central Railway Station, then on urban planning and his transatlantic ticket: Chicago Tribune Tower. Characterized by intermittent changes of style. Now he travels across Europe to meet with Peter Behrens, now he designs a tenth furniture suite for Hvitträsk. Now he thinks in glass and steel. And now he is alone, as his wife, Mathilda Gyldén, falls in love with Herman Gesellius. Herman's sister, the sculptor Loja, comes on a visit from her exile in Paris. Now she and Hvitträsk and Eliel fall in love with each other. Then Lindgren has to move on. He wants to remain connected with national romanticism, but not with all the fuss.
One day, Gustav Mahler arrives by boat from across the lake. He writes a euphoric letter to his wife, Alma, in which he compares Hvitträsk with Hohe Warte in Vienna: a place of ever-changing vistas. Mahler describes the architects as young and cheerful, and writes that, after having been married for one year, they have decided that life without variation is just empty existence, and so they swopped wives. Thus, yet another story is added to Hvitträsk's magic circle of anecdotes. When Gesellius and Saarinen terminate their professional collaboration, the split-up is manifested in a partition that runs right through the studio space. This partition prevents the fire from spreading as the north wing burns down. Only Loja's white pigeons perish in the fire.
The delight of having Hvitträsk all to myself is overpowering. A feeling of greediness sets in. I fantasize about taking possession of the fireplace. Of sitting there, quite unaffected, watching the museum visitors come and go. I want to stay there behind the iron doors. I want to sniff my way around the dark cave with my ears hanging down my back. I want to explore the space with my tongue, gather a ball of spit and dust and push it forward across the slabs and the cool copper, until it grows large and sticky. Then I will pick it up again and save it in my cheek like a squirrel.
Smooth wash basin. Flimsy curtain. Peeling paint. Tapering facets, leather back, watery glazing. Plum-coloured, dwarfish door, creaking stairs, tarry smell. Cool bottleneck, scaly base of a column, perennials flattened by hail-showers.
The air stagnates around the plants in Loja's room. Orchids, complete with leathery leaves and heavy flowers, stand in line on tall pedestals below the bay windows. Light filters through the gauzy curtains that Loja made herself. The whiteness of the room settles like powdery ashes across my eyes. Behind the woven material lies the yard, rough and unpredictable, with people coming and going. The exotic plants in the foreground, delicate and difficult, turn their backs on all the commotion. Their snake-like, pointy yellow tongues capture the pervading dampness of the room.
The photograph is black and white and mounted on cardboard. So are all the pictures in the drawer. The photo shows the gable of the south wing and the back facade. It is overgrown with thick layers of ivy, the architectural hierarchies completely hidden from view. Precise openings are cut around windows and doors, the rabbets throw shadows across the window glass. The wind seem to have rustled the outer leaves as there are blurred areas in the foliage. Loja has pencilled her name on the back and the year 1903.
All surfaces at Hvitträsk are differentiated. The objects seem to be posing, as if challenging each other's beauty and neuroses. The cummulative work goes beyond conformity, beyond probability and convention. The originality lies in its cohesiveness, in the mobility of the forest, the houses, the residents and ambitions, and the way these have been allowed to pervade each other. Hvitträsk is at once order-creating and pattern-breaking. The space is catapulted into the body via the senses. The ecstatic human being becomes one with the work.
The flow in Saarinen's house is like a weightless waterfall. Small changes of level put obstacles in the stream of rooms, one step up, three steps down. Then you are in a different world. The flower room. Grandfather's room. This is like walking in Helsinki where the rocky ground pushes the streets up and down below the sky.
I lie on my back in Eliel and Loja's bed. The headboard is decorated with Loja's emblem: the tower encircled by roses on stalks, folded to form an origami garland. The bedspread is dark brown and coarsely textured, smoothed down. I squeeze my fingers down into the narrow gap between the edge of the bed and the mattress until they they are stuck and tingling. I can hear the distant sound of dragging feet in blue shoe covers. A faint rustle that travels through the house.
A thick ryivy carpet slides from the foreground of the picture across the varnished wooden floor until it reaches the edge of the couch where it settles on the seat below the window. Dangling from the edge of the couch are two small feet. I see the shoe soles and, extending from these, a pair of legs dressed in leggings. The rest of the body tilts to the left, the head resting on a large velvet cushion. Eero looks at Loja. His lazy presence in the artwork is wonderful. Loja notices. Separated from the couch scene by a balustrade are six oak chairs around a dining table. The backlight from a leaded sunset window forms small, white empty areas in the picture. On the table are the remains of a meal.
The acoustics at Hvitträsk are said to be wonderful. Saarinen and Sibelius have coffee together in the living room. Saarinen says: the interaction between the mental space and the body's response, that is the human aura. Man carries his aura around, it influences places and other people. The essence of the room is its aura. The essence of a room can be either stronger or fainter than the human aura. It is up to man himself to modulate the essence of the room by means of a strong organic symmetry. Sibelius nods his assent. Nature is a constant variable. Doors to fireplace. Up.
First published in Entreentre pamflet 2 on the occasion of the exhibition Gegenstand, Halle (Saale), 2016.
Entreentre 2018.03.14

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Psychology Lab is a integral part of Faculty of Education. Psychology Lab has all equipments and apparatus required for B.Ed.Programme. Psychology Lab of the college will be upgraded time by time and equipments and apparatus will be purchased when needed.


text:
NFL Power Rankings: Heavy Hitters Hail From Continuously Dominant NFC
The top four teams come from the same conference, though choice No. 4 may shock you. Plus, how the postseason picture is taking shape.
Greg Bishop
A full thirteen weeks into the first-ever 17-game NFL season, the postseason picture is starting to take shape. And yet, after another Sunday of surprises, the shape that's emerging is different than expected, even when compared to last week.
To that end, this week's MMQB Power Rankings features a few trends that are not likely to hold in a year that's even stranger than usual.
1. The NFC continues to separate as the dominant conference, to the point where some pundits—raises hand sheepishly—believe the top four teams hail from the same conference. My list includes the usual contenders—Arizona, plus the Bays (Green and Tampa), along with a potentially controversial choice at No. 4, plus the return of an early-season favorite to the top six. This means the rankings are top heavy, not lacking AFC teams overall in the top half. (Can I use "top" more times in one paragraph?)
2. What I'd label the second tier is AFC heavy. The contenders in that conference, outside of the Patriots, land there because significant question marks remain for all. Whether it's the up-and-down play of the Titans, Bills, Chargers (this week's biggest jump) and Ravens (this week's biggest drop); the Chiefs flummoxing/continued offensive struggles; the Colts' start (and, on some level, their quarterback); the landscape is complicated, everywhere and ever-changing.
3. I'd put the streaking Washington Football Team in a third tier, by itself, as a playoff hopeful heading in the right direction. I put Washington a slight level above the bunch of teams below it. But Washington is also not at the level of the 12 teams that I think have a legitimate shot to win a playoff game in January.
4. The muddled mess starts at No. 14. There, it's an exercise in throwing darts at teams with potential (Bengals, depending on the severity of a crucial injury), flawed teams on the upswing (Eagles, Dolphins), teams that continue to whipsaw between just maybe and no way (49ers, Broncos, Steelers) and a gaggle of bottom feeders near the end. Perhaps it's a good thing that there's an extra week to sort everything out.
1. Arizona Cardinals (10–2)
Last week: Win at Chicago, 33–22
Next week: vs. Los Angeles Rams (Monday)
There's a lot to love about this Arizona team. Like the return of Kyler Murray (without any apparent rust, with four touchdowns scored) to the starting lineup, and just in time for a difficult final slate that includes big games against the Rams (next week, Monday night), Colts and Cowboys. Like the defense, which intercepted Andy Dalton four times on Sunday. Like the roster depth, after an expert reshaping by general manager Steve Keim and his personnel staff. Like Isaiah Simmons, defender of many purposes. Like Chandler Jones, sacker of quarterbacks. Like Kliff Kingsbury, remover of strong doubts. Like games remaining against the Lions and Seahawks. The Cardinals are formidable on both sides of the ball, and balanced, and primed for a real run. Oh, and game-changing wideout DeAndre Hopkins is back, too, after scoring in his first game back.
2. Green Bay Packers (9–3)
Last week: Bye
Next week: vs. Chicago
The saga that is the 2021 NFL season for the Packers took a well-deserved interlude in Week 13. That meant rest for Aaron Rodgers and (in theory) healing for his broken toe. That meant time for the rest of the roster to recover and reset, time for offensive wizard Matt LaFleur to spend in his laboratory cooking up schemes and time for Green Bay to figure out how to navigate the rest of its season. Due to the well-timed bye, and performances in other recent weeks, there's no reason to move the Fighting Lombardis this week.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9–3)
Last week: Win at Atlanta, 30–17
Next week: vs. Buffalo
In some ways, the Bucs gained from the Packers not playing, if only because the Bucs did more than might have been expected of them in a resounding trouncing of the Falcons. Ageless Tom Brady threw four touchdowns against Atlanta, including a pair of scores to tight end Rob Gronkowski, which bolstered a significant point: Tampa is better when Gronk is in its lineup, both from a passing perspective and from a run-game one thanks to Gronk's blocking prowess. Brady and Gronk have now connected for the second-most regular-season touchdowns (90) from any one pair in NFL history. The Buccaneers will also welcome back Antonio Brown soon, after the wideout's latest misstep with a fake vaccination card. The franchise's continued embrace of Brown, despite the if-he-makes-one-mistake-he's-done comment from Coach Bruce Arians, marks one of the low points of the 2021 season. But his return, from a strictly football perspective, gives Tampa a complete offense for much of its stretch run, which features only one likely playoff team, the Bills, next week.
4. Dallas Cowboys (8–4)
Last week: Win at New Orleans, 27–17 (Thursday)
Next week: at Washington
Imagine there will be some disagreement here. But, in fitting with the theme for the week, I'm moving the Cowboys from No. 10 into the top tier. Yes, I realize that Dallas has lost two of its past three games. The counter: every team from No. 4 to No. 12 is flawed, and, if we're considering things like top-end potential and schedule, the Cowboys win in both respects. Their banged-up offense is getting healthier. Their defensive (biggest trouble spot) played well on Sunday against injured New Orleans with Dan Quinn replacing Mike McCarthy (COVID-19 protocols) on the sideline, and their schedule, other than a date with Arizona on Jan. 2, features four other games they will be favored to win. Combine those factors, and Dallas should challenge for higher seeding in the playoffs, which could lead to an easier path to the Super Bowl. That is, of course, barring another letdown.
Friendly reminder that Dak Prescott predicted a run to Sports Illustrated before the season started—and how his story highlights just how much the Cowboys, and, in particular their quarterback, have already overcome.
SI Recommends
Sunday's Exciting, Head-Scratching Wild-Card Schedule
By Gary Gramling
Bills Exorcise Demons By Demolishing the Patriots
By Conor Orr
AFC Divisional Scenarios Set Depending on Chiefs-Steelers
By Joseph Salvador
5. New England Patriots (9–4)
Last week: Win at Buffalo, 14–10 (Monday)
Next week: Bye
Has a 14–10 victory ever felt more dominant? Watch the Patriots in winds that gusted up to 55 miles an hour, as Buffalo kept it close, and as rising quarterback Mac Jones threw only three passes—including a single attempt in the first half—and, still, the outcome of an important AFC contest never seemed in doubt. Just as Tom Brady proved in winning the Super Bowl last season with—and in—Tampa, the whole Brady-Belichick credit debate was never fair to either, let alone telling in regard to their spectacular, two-decade run. The answer, all along, was both of them, as evidenced, once again, by the twist Belichick put on his team's seventh-straight win, not to mention his brilliant off-season that repositioned the Patriots. We could argue whether the Rams deserve this slot more, or whether the Chiefs do. But it would be foolish—now, or at any point in the near future—to doubt what Belichick has up his, well, um, the shoulder parts of his cut-off sweatshirts. With Jones playing capably, the defense playing better and a bye week ahead, here comes New England, in fast pursuit of what would be an all-time Super Bowl match-up. Do we even need to say who would play in that scenario? It's not time to lock it in yet, but it sure seems like one of the more likely possibilities.
Stephen Lew/USA TODAY Sports
6. Los Angeles Rams (8–4)
Last week: Win vs. Jacksonville, 37–7
Next week: at Arizona (Monday)
What to make of the Rams? has become a regular, potentially NFL-season-defining inquiry the past few weeks. I went back and forth on this one. The loss of wideout/team leader Robert Woods will continue to hurt down the stretch, but that could be mitigated by an increased role for Odell Beckham Jr., who scored again on Sunday. Difficult games remain on the schedule; Arizona and Baltimore, not to mention three other problematic contests with two division rivals (Seattle, San Francisco) that tend to play LA tough, and a Minnesota team that keeps it close every week. But if I'm looking specifically at how the Rams relate to the teams that are ranked right below them—Kansas City, Tennessee, Buffalo—I'm betting on L.A.'s firepower over any of the others, at least in combination with a defense that boasts two of the NFL's best players in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. There's not a ton to take out of the Rams blowout victory over the Jaguars, beyond Matthew Stafford throwing for three touchdowns and taking better care of the football. No, I have the Rams this high based on what I'm predicting lies ahead.
Also of note, per the NFL: Cooper Kupp became only the fourth wideout in NFL history to surpass 100 receptions in the first 12 games of any one season. (Others: Michael Thomas, Marvin Harrison, Julio Jones.) Of that group, only Kupp also grabbed 10 touchdown passes in the 12-game stretch. In more fun with Cooper Kupp numbers, the wideout also became the third-ever NFL receiver with more than 1,350 receiving yards in the first 12 games of any one season, joining Calvin Johnson and Torry Holt.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (8–4)
Last week: Win vs. Denver, 22–9
Next week: vs. Las Vegas
Rather than writing "don't look now," the accurate phrase here is "please, look now." When I put together these power rankings before heading into the glorious, diaper-changing existence that is paternity leave, the Chiefs were being written off, their defense too porous, their normally high-flying offense in a Super Bowl-hangover funk. I wrote then that I believed coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had the chops and the talent to turn things around. I heard from many on Twitter who disagreed. But … he has. Since Tennessee blew out Kansas City on Oct. 24, the Chiefs have allowed: 17 points (Giants), 7 points (Packers), 14 points (Raiders), 9 points (Cowboys) and 9 points (Broncos, last Sunday), while winning all five of those games. Example of impact: a 20-play Broncos drive that netted no points just before halftime. Or: "Dirty" Dan Sorensen's Pick-Six in the fourth that sealed another win. In fact, the Chiefs D surrendered its first touchdown since the Raiders game against the Broncos, and after the Sorensen turnover, when the game was all but decided.
And, despite the Chiefs continued—and continually perplexing—offensive struggles, in terms of scoring offense, they're tied for 13th (25.3 points per game), and that's accounting for their sluggish start. Kansas City will need to bring that ranking up to make another run, but it's worth noting that when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl two years ago, their defense played far better in the second half the season, carrying an offense that was still rounding into top form. Sound familiar? (Tyreek Hill catching the ball would help, as would fewer turnovers from Patrick Mahomes and additional cohesion from a new offensive line.)
8. Tennessee Titans (8–4)
Next week: vs. Jacksonville
I considered dropping the Titans a little lower in this week's rankings. Instead, they moved up one slot, after taking the week off but shifting ahead of Buffalo based on the Bills performance on Monday night. That's because even though a few teams (Cowboys, Rams) surged above them, Baltimore also lost, and, despite statement wins from the Chargers and the Colts, for now I'd still keep the Titans above both based on their body of work. Plus, I moved the Ravens below the Titans (more on that shortly). Why? Tennessee has a get-right game against Jacksonville this week, which follows the recovery inherent in its bye, and it doesn't face another true contender the rest of the regular season. So even though the Titans will be without stud running back Derrick Henry, and even though I think the Ravens ultimately have a better team with Henry out, when I considered factors like roster depth, division strength and upcoming schedule, I gave Tennessee the slight nod, and then still went back-and-forth about it.
9. Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
Last week: Loss at Pittsburgh, 20–19
Next week: at Cleveland
For a team with depth, talent, coaching and, always, quarterback Lamar Jackson, I remain unsure of just what to make of the Ravens. For proof, consider Baltimore's last six games. Since blowing out the Chargers on Nov. 17, when many tabbed the Ravens as the class of a conference with several teams vying for top-contender honors, they have been blown out by the Bengals, narrowly won a thriller against the faltering Vikings, stumbled against the rising Dolphins, eked out a win over the scuttling Bears, barely topped the beat-up Browns and lost, last week, in a close game with the Steelers. All of which is to say, there's little evidence from the past six weeks to indicate that Baltimore deserves a higher slot, even in the what-to-make-of-it AFC. One dominant performance would change that quickly, but for now—RIP Twitter mentions—in this week's rankings, the Ravens endure the steepest fall. The schedule doesn't get any easier, with the (healthier) Browns, Packers, Bengals, Rams and Steelers remaining. Props to John Harbaugh for going for the end of regulation, though, even if the decision was based, in part, on losing cornerback Marlon Humphrey for the season. Consider that injury, one of many the Ravens have suffered this season, a big one moving forward.
10. Buffalo Bills (7-5)
Last week: Loss vs. New England, 14–20 (Monday)
Next week: at Tampa Bay
Consider the Bills last six games, an even split between three wins and three losses. There were dominant victories over subpar (NY Jets) or banged up (New Orleans) teams, along with a solid win over Miami. The losses—to Jacksonville, period; a beatdown suffered against Indianapolis and Monday's ran-down-your-throats affair with New England—were more perplexing. An argument could be made that the Chargers should be here, or the Colts, especially given their 41–15 victory. The choice here is to split some hairs, and I'll give the Bills the edge based on the strength of their overall roster, its depth, and the experience of quarterback Josh Allen, which is especially important as Buffalo chases a playoff bid—and position—against Justin Herbert and Carson Wentz. That said, future angry social media poster, I acknowledge that you are right, in whatever capacity you take issue with this pick. The teams ranked 9–12 this week are all pretty close for me. And, even then, the Bills may finish the entire season the way the last six weeks have gone, as the schedule features Tampa and another date with New England, along with three winnable games in Carolina, Atlanta and the New York Jets. Wonder if those teams will run the ball …
11. Los Angeles Chargers (7–5)
Last week: Win at Cincinnati, 41–22
Next week: vs. New York Giants
The Chargers find themselves in a similar position to all the teams ranked around them, up or down, in the immediate vicinity. Fresh off an emphatic drubbing of the Bengals, they must lean on a budding superstar at quarterback (Justin Herbert), a running back likely to win more than a few fantasy football playoffs (Austin Ekeler), a defensive guru in Coach Brandon Staley, and a talented roster that sometimes plays to its potential—and sometimes looks more like a pretender. A meh upcoming schedule should help cement a playoff bid. Also of note: Herbert became only the third signal caller in NFL history with at least 25 touchdown passes in his first two seasons (others: Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson), per the NFL.
Katie Stratman/USA TODAY Sports
12. Indianapolis Colts (7–6)
Last week: Win at Houston, 31–0
There's an argument to be made that the Colts belong higher up this list. It's not one I'm willing to make yet. The 1–4 start remains a factor. As does the lack of a signature win beyond Buffalo—Miami? San Francisco? Indianapolis plays New England and Arizona in its next two games, which should help the sorting out process. First question: is Indy becoming the team many expected it to be? Most pundits picked the Colts to make the playoffs based on the overall strength of their roster, which remains. The question, as always, will be at quarterback. Let's not diminish how well Carson Wentz has played this season (starting with 22 touchdown passes compared to only five interceptions)—or how well the line has protected him (at 22 sacks allowed now, compared to 50 last season). But let's also not ignore his risky style of football, and how that might sink a playoff game for the Colts in January. Verdict: none yet, jury's still out.
13. Washington Football Team (6–6)
Last week: Win at Las Vegas, 17–15
Next week: vs. Dallas
Who's not here for the Taylor Heinicke show? We'd like a word. Part fill-in, part folk hero, Heinicke continued to bolster his easy-to-like legend as the season went along. He has completed more than 70 percent of his pass attempts in each of the last four games—all wins—while throwing seven touchdown passes, against two interceptions. With a telling stretch upcoming—Dallas, Philadelphia, Dallas, Philadelphia—Heinicke and the WFT will either continue to separate from the rest of the muddled mess below them, or fall right back into the quagmire.
14. Cincinnati Bengals (7–5)
Last week: Loss vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 41–22
Next week: at San Francisco
Sometimes, NFL seasons hinge on something as small as a pinky finger. The Bengals understand that better this week, after their quarterback, Joe Burrow, finished out the loss to the Chargers with a digit so swollen that it was visible even on TV, without requiring a zoomed-in angle. Cameras never missed an opportunity to show Burrow—on the sideline, in pain; warming up, still in pain; shaking his hand, in pain; throwing passes, in pain; or sitting while holding his hand, in pain, and all afternoon. His default facial expression was: grimace. That the injury happened on pinky in his throwing hand only made it worse, both last week and in weeks upcoming. While Burrow played every snap last week, the health of the Bengals playoff hopes will rest on his dislocated right pinky, and how quickly it can heal, with contests against formidable defenses—49ers, Broncos, Ravens, Chiefs—next on the schedule. Still, if the postseason started today, the Bengals would be in.
15: San Francisco 49ers (6–6)
Last week: Loss at Seattle, 30–23
Next week: at Cincinnati
Like the Bengals, the 49ers would be in the playoffs if the postseason started today. Like the Bengals, their chances moving forward will hinge on quarterback play. But, unlike the Bengals, there's no injury—not this week—to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. It's not that Jimmy G played terribly in a brutal loss to Seattle; he threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns, while re-cementing his connection with George Kittle (12 targets, 9 catches, 181 yards, two scores). It's that Jimmy G's role specifically is to not screw up games, to keep his team close, and to let the rest of San Francisco's talented roster win around him. The two picks he threw against Seattle were especially harmful, and they reinforced the notion that the Niners will not be dynamic enough offensively to do any more than remain on the playoff fringe. Enter Trey Lance? We'll see.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5-1)
Last week: Win vs. Baltimore, 20–19
Next week: at Minnesota (Thursday)
Mike Tomlin deserves much credit for all he has helped Pittsburgh weather the past several seasons, from Ryan Shazier's scary neck injury, to Antonio Brown's insubordination, to Le'Veon Bell's messy exit, plus last season's injuries at quarterback. That the Steelers remain in the postseason mix in 2021, despite some brutal, head-scratching losses, and a statuesque quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, speaks to Tomlin's vast influence and quality as a coach. But even with a big upset of the Ravens last week, Pittsburgh remains in a Flip A Coin City, along with every other team around them in the power rankings. If the Steelers manage to sneak into the playoffs, don't expect the run to last that long. Also of note: with a career-high 3.5 sacks on Sunday, T.J. Watt set a season career-high, with 16 total sacks—and five games left.
17. Denver Broncos (6–6)
Last week: Loss at Kansas City, 22–9
Next week: vs. Detroit
The Broncos simply have too much offensive talent to turn in the putrid efforts they have slogged through in recent weeks, as evidenced in recent losses to Philadelphia (13 points scored) and Kansas City (9). It's not fair to put the blame squarely on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. With a loaded receiving core, and the emergence of speedy back Javonte Williams, Denver has enough offensive punch to put up points. They have done just that, in fact, several times this season. Just not enough to inspire confidence in a playoff bid. Not with a unit that ranks 20th in total offense (343.9 yards per game) and 22nd in points scored (19.8 per game).
18. Philadelphia Eagles (6–7)
Last week: Win at New York Jets, 33–18
Considered placing the Eagles higher this week, if only because they've piled up points in three of their last four games, all of which they won, with a clunker against the Giants thrown in to cast some doubt. What's obvious: Jalen Hurts can play, and the Eagles do not need to find his successor this off-season, not with other, more obvious holes to fill, and a high-level backup already in the building. What may soon be obvious: Philly's offense, as a whole, is rounding into form. With Gardner Minshew behind center against the Giants, the Eagles put up 33 points—and put the Giants stumble behind them momentarily. With three winnable games following a bye week, there's reason to believe Philadelphia can make a run. Just don't confuse "reason to believe" with "likely." And, if you want to feel better about the world, just watch this video of Minshew embracing his father after the big win. Makes me want to hug my kids a little tighter.
Bill Ingram/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network
19. Miami Dolphins (6-7)
Last week: Win vs. New York Giants, 20–9
It's odd, consistently, how quickly we anoint, or give up, on young NFL quarterbacks. It's like their development is viewed only in straight lines, all the way up, or all the way down, always "disaster or euphoria" to paraphrase Bill Parcells old quote on playing football in New York. As the Dolphins rattled off their fifth-straight win on Sunday, their young QB, Tua Tagovailoa, played at a level reminiscent of his Alabama stardom days, while reminding the world of pro football, once again, that quarterbacks develop at vastly different paces, while beholden to factors like injury and offensive line play that exist outside of their control. The Dolphins will need Tua's consistency to make a run, especially with games against New England and Tennessee in the final two weeks. And who said the AFC East was the worst division in football? (Again, raises hand sheepishly.)
Watch NFL games online all season long with fuboTV: Start with a 7-day free trial!
20. Cleveland Browns (6–6)
Next week: vs. Baltimore
It's safe to say that no team has endured quite as much turmoil in the 2021 season as the Browns, who traded their star wideout (Beckham Jr.), dealt with COVID-19 positives and a rash of injuries, and have staggered forward with quarterback Baker Mayfield in both peak-petulance mode and far from full health. A run, while still possible, seems improbable, especially with five teams at .500 or better remaining on the schedule.
21. Las Vegas Raiders (6–6)
Last week: Loss vs. Washington, 17–15
Next week: at Kansas City
In regard to the most turmoil in 2021, the Raiders would like to say, wait, hold on a second. After my buddy Ken Belson broke the Jon Gruden emails story in The New York Times, Gruden was fired. Emerging wideout Henry Ruggs III was eventually charged with four felonies after a drunk-driving arrest for a car crash where the other driver was killed. The look-at-how-much-the-Raiders-are-overcoming pieces were head-scratching the past few weeks, and even then, their play started to match the dramatic, chaotic mess that is their season in a loss to Washington last weekend. Feels like a tipping point in the wrong direction, an understandable one at that. Plus, Las Vegas just lost Kenyan Drake to a broken ankle suffered in Sunday's game.
22. New Orleans Saints (5–7)
Last week: Loss vs. Dallas, 27–17 (Thursday)
Next week: at New York Jets
The Saints have a better team than their place in these power rankings indicates. But they're simply too injured to consider a playoff hopeful. Whether it's quarterback Jameis Winston, or quarterback Taysom Hill, or running back Alvin Kamara, or wide receiver Michael Thomas, or any number of others, a team with a deep roster has encountered too much damage to make a realistic push.
23. Minnesota Vikings (5–7)
Last week: Loss at Detroit, 29–27
Next week: vs. Pittsburgh (Thursday)
The Vikings are one of the NFL's most befuddling teams. Maybe the most befuddling. Over the course of the season, Minnesota narrowly lost to some of the league's top contenders (Arizona, 1 point; Dallas, 4 points; Baltimore, 3 points). The Vikings haven't dropped any of their seven losses by more than 8 total points, and five of those defeats came by four points or fewer. Even then, Minnesota's victories have mostly resulted from similar margins, and their last game—Detroit's first and only win this season—only proved how far the Vikings have to go. With the Steelers, Rams and Packers remaining on the schedule—along with two games against the Bears—they'll have to move forward without wideout Adam Thielen who suffered a high ankle sprain on Sunday, adding injury to insult. Star running back Dalvin Cook already missed last week with a shoulder injury, and he's not likely to play this week, either. But, hey, at least Vikings fans can debate whether Justin Jefferson is now the best receiver in all of pro football.
24. Atlanta Falcons (5–7)
Last week: Loss vs. Tampa Bay, 30–17
Next week: at Carolina
Matt Ryan isn't having a bad season. Yes, his yards-per-attempt (6.9) is down and his interceptions (11) are up. But those dips are due, in part, to losing Julio Jones (traded to Tennessee) and Calvin Ridley (stepped away to tend to his mental health). The question that must be answered over the season's final weeks is whether the Falcons should move on from Ryan and start anew. It's not his fault that the answer seems to be, yes.
25. Seattle Seahawks (4–8)
Last week: Win vs. San Francisco, 30–23
Next week: at Houston
There's not a more optimistic franchise in the NFL than the one in Seattle led by Coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson. But the sunny-side-up outlook being peddled after a single, close victory over the 49ers is a little much, even with those familiar rose-colored glasses being placed back on so many faces. With games against the Rams and Cardinals remaining, optimism in Seattle is really a delusion in disguise, which sets up a big question for the off-season: is Pete Carroll gone? Is Wilson? Are both? That's the bet here. Regardless, it's worth watching down the stretch, if only to see how a remarkable era wins.
26. Carolina Panthers (5-7)
Next week: vs. Atlanta
The Panthers have shown flashes this season. But with running back Christian McCaffrey shelved, offensive coordinator Joe Brady fired, quarterback Cam Newton adjusting in his return and games remaining against the Bucs (twice) and Bills, Carolina seems more likely to continue its freefall than to right its season.
27. Chicago Bears (4–8)
Last week: Loss vs. Arizona, 33–22
Next week: at Green Bay
The best thing that can be said about the Bears 2021 season is … at least Justin Field flashed some tantalizing potential when he was both healthy and starting. Otherwise, six losses in seven games say all that's needed, as the Bears edge out the teams below them based simply on the four games they have managed to win.
Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com/USA TODAY NETWORK
28. New York Jets (3–9) (starting to play a little better, relative; Wilson back)
Last week: Loss vs. Philadelphia, 33–18
Next week: vs. New Orleans
Maybe it's simply life as a former Jets beat writer, but I watch this team, through loss after loss, and still, somehow, manage to see progress. In this case, it's relative, but from quarterback Zach Wilson to slot receiver Elijah Moore to some (small) offensive improvement, and … ah, who am I kidding? The J-E-T-S are still J-E-T-ing, but were bumped above the Giants for that very (again, relative) improvement.
29. New York Giants (4–8)
Last week: Loss at Miami, 20–9
Next week: at Los Angeles Chargers
Pity the professional football fan in New York in 2021. Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has worked some of his typical magic in this downtrodden season. But for an offense with this much money and draft capital put into players like quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay, who injured some ribs this week, among many others, there's simply no good explanation for how truly bad the offense is.
30. Houston Texans (2–10)
Last week: Loss vs. Indianapolis, 31–0
Next week: vs. Seattle
Shut out this week, fortunate to have not been shut out of the win column this season. That's the Texans, more or less. They are what we thought they were, which is to say really bad.
31. Detroit Lions (1-10-1)
Last week: Win vs. Minnesota, 29–27
Next week: at Denver
Lions get a one-slot bump for their first—and understandably emotional, after the nearby Michigan school shooting—win on Sunday. Written without snark, in all seriousness: given the circumstances, and the lack of talent throughout the roster, it's laudable how Jared Goff has performed this season. That's not to say the Rams should have stayed put, rather than trade for Stafford. It's to say that Goff has shown some enviable mettle this year—and his resolve, coupled with his team's character, netted that last-second triumph. If that's the highlight of the 2021 season in Detroit, it's not an insignificant one. Also of note: this marked the 26th time this season that a game was decided on the final play, per the NFL. That's the most such games ever through Week 13.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (2–10)
Last week: Loss at Los Angeles Rams, 37–7
Next week: at Tennessee
The most important question that remains in this Jacksonville season should sound familiar: is it time for another extreme makeover? Meaning: another one. And, related question: will the franchise ruin Trevor Lawrence before one reclamation project or another finally takes hold?
More NFL Coverage:
• Breaking Down the NFL Playoff Picture With Five Weeks to Go
• Breaking Buffalo: Belichick Sends Bills Back to the Drawing Board
• MAQB: Jared Goff Deserves to Feel Good After First Win With Lions
• MMQB: T.J. Watt Explains How the Steelers Did Just Enough to Beat the Ravens
Sports Illustrated may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.
Why did Steelers-Chiefs get primetime treatment? Plus, DeMeco Ryans's tough task, the Bucs run D, Indy tries to escape Wentz, award winners, and more.
Djokovic Awaits Deportation Appeal Verdict as Australian Open Nears
The nine-time Australian Open champion's legal battle to participate in this year's tournament is nearing a conclusion.
The offense never let up, the defense protected its identity and several records were set on a jubilant night in Buffalo.
Extra Mustard
NFL World Reacts to the Bills Dominating the Patriots
Buffalo demolished New England in Saturday night's wild-card matchup, and the football world had plenty of takes.
By Nick Selbe
Here are the divisional round matchups depending on the final AFC matchup of the weekend.
NFL Wild-Card Takeaways: Josh Allen Took the Patriots' Souls, Again
Plus, Joe Burrow won't stop, disastrous officiating, sad fake spikes, and much more!
Bills Set Playoff Record for Consecutive TDs in Rout of Patriots
The Bills won the game 47–17 in what turned out to be a revolving door of touchdowns.
Julian Edelman's Big Bet on Super Bowl Teams Doesn't Pay Off
The former Super Bowl MVP placed six figures on the Patriots and Buccaneers meeting up in Los Angeles, but the Bills had other ideas on Saturday night.


Uncle is a sofa which combines the straight forms of modern times with the soft curves of the past. The external layer transmits a stable appearance, while the cushioning acts comfortable and inviting. The selection of the material adds a sensitive ingredient by characteristic, Nordic approaches.
The Uncle sofa consists of an upholstered frame with additional cushions. The highly upholstered sofas of the 1950s were the inspiration source for Uncle. To connect both really different looking worlds, the back cushion has been integrated in the frame. The material of the Uncle sofa creates an interesting dynamism by the contrasts between the uniform frame, the differently coloured back and seat cushions and the colourful lacquered frame. All materials have the same colour; this offers a coherent appearance to the sofa.
Uncle is designed in a recognizable Nordic design. The sofa is available in four colours.


The Pink Fairies To Release First New Album "Naked Radio" In 3 Decades!
London - The legendary Pink Fairies will be releasing their new album titled "Naked Radio" on Gonzo Multimedia. It is the first studio recording by this line up of the band since "Kill Em and Eat Em" in 1987. Fronted by Andy Colquhoun (The Deviants), the band reformed in 2013 and played a number of successful UK shows through 2014 and 2015.
The Pink Fairies are an English rock band initially active in the London (Ladbroke Grove) underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970's. They promoted free music, drug taking and anarchy and often performed impromptu gigs and other agitprop stunts, such as playing for free outside the gates at the Bath and Isle of Wight pop festivals in 1970, as well as appearing at Phun City, the first Glastonbury and many other free festivals including Windsor and Trentishoe.
After various line-ups through the years, now fronted by Andy Colquhoun (The Deviants), the band reformed in 2013 and played a number of successful UK shows through 2014 and 2015! And now much to the excitement of Pink Fairies fans worldwide, the new album 'Naked Radio' is scheduled for pre-order on October 14, 2016.
"Naked Radio" will be available to pre-order only on PledgeMusic together with other exclusive merchandise and experiences, go to this link http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/pink-fairies to find out more.


Cherryville - Mrs. Ann Wall Burchfield, 52, of 313 White Street, passed away on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte.
Ann was born on October 18, 1966 in Gaston County, NC a daughter of the late James Wall and Lina Mae Pilkington Wall. She was employed by Bojangles in Cherryville.
In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband, Dan Burchfield and a brother Paul Wall.
Survivors include three stepsons, Chad Burchfield, Robert Burchfield and Timmy Burchfield; a stepdaughter, Sharon Burchfield; a sister, Judy Hester of Cherryville; four brothers, Joey Wall of Lincolnton; Randal Wall, Terry Wall and Billy Wall all of Cherryville and also surviving are four grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 12:45 to 1:45PM on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at Cherryville Missionary Methodist Church.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00PM on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at Cherryville Missionary Methodist Church with Rev. Bobby Holtsclaw officiating.
Stamey-Cherryville Funeral Home & Cremation Service is serving the Burchfield family.
To plant a tree in memory of Ann Wall Burchfield, please visit our Tribute Store.
"Email Address" would like to share the life celebration of Ann Wall Burchfield. Click on the "link" to go to share a favorite memory or leave a condolence message for the family.


Active-x blocker activated? This page (only) uses a special effect boxing-away script.
Fallen trees in my local park after the Great Storm of 1987 and Winter Gales of January 1990.
Freedom of choice! Commuter Rail and heavy rush hour traffic on the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, Canada.
Most references to "the environment" on this site refer to urban environments & air pollution caused by internal combustion engines. However of equal importance are issues which relate to the wider global (or "planet-wide") environment and for this solutions would include reducing the burning of fossil fuels and an urgent programme of re-afforestation (remembering to use the correct type of tree for the location) which would not just be undertaken in equatorial rainforests but everywhere globally - including Britain.
Our planet is alive with people on the go. Whether the travel is for work, education, shopping or leisure, humankind is a species which cherishes the freedom to travel where and when the individual chooses.
To reduce the accident rate pundits often suggest slower vehicle speeds, even though our safest roads are also our fastest and experience has shown that when speed limits are reduced previously safe (rural) roads can start having fatal accidents.
For pollution the problem is that there is too much money to be made exploiting finite 'natural resources' for anyone to seriously address the issues (for instance: we could switch land currently used to grow noxious substances - both 'legal' and 'illegal' - to growing crops which actually benefit people, eg: fuel and food). Tearing down the rainforest just to grow crops for liquid fuels represents a disaster of the worst possible magnitude. Apart from anything else the rainforests are our planets' lungs, without them we (mankind) might have some more fuel, but we effectively will be signing the death warrants (through asphyxiation) of just about every oxygen breathing living being on the planet. The present-day policies of reassigning crops destined for human consumption for conversion into liquid fuels (such as ethanol) is a perversion - even though the EU and US administrations seem to favour it; it is making food unavailable, unaffordable and creating starvation... and helping fulfill ancient warnings of a global famine which affect all people of every nation.
That leaves congestion. Much to our horror some people actually see solutions in limiting or curtailing our freedoms to travel (mostly Luddites or undemocratic wannabe politicians in the Pol Pot mould); while others suggest that new technologies (such as tele-commuting) will so reduce the need to travel that congestion will just fade away, perhaps, like the Cheshire Cat, leaving the big grin until last!
Britain may be in what is called the "free" world but for better (or for worse) by summer 2007 it had as many as 4.2 million CCTV camera systems "watching" its people. This equates to one for every 14 people - and more than the rest of Europe combined - and the tally is still increasing!
It is said that a fifth of all the CCTV camera systems globally are here in Britain.
The average person is reckoned to be caught on film as much as 300 times daily. But, who watches them, watching us??? And, as with ID cards how can we be sure that the data is not misused to our detriment?
Also related to the concept of Freedom To Travel is the importance of not having big brother keeping tabs on you; with electronic 'smartcards' poised to revolutionise road tolling and public transport fares & ticketing systems there is a need for a legal right for travellers to have the option of 'smartcard' tickets which - like paper tickets - do not record the holders' identity. Naturally these tickets should cost the same as any other ticket. One only has to look at the past 70 years of history - especially in Germany and Russia - to understand how countries with 'internal passports' (which is what 'smartcards' are destined to become) usually stifle personal freedom - and not just within their own borders.
In the English speaking world we are not (currently) required to carry our 'papers' at all times - (in Britain) we had them during WW2 and experience afterwards when the police used just checking your ID as a cop-out excuse for stopping and harassing innocent people (especially motorists) points to why we really are better off without them.
More and more we are discovering evidence that our global climate really is changing, unfortunately many so called 'environmentalists' see human activity and especially the private car as the major culprit... yet 900 years ago when the climate of Greenland changed (became colder) and it was no longer able to support farming nobody either blamed human activity or convened intergovernmental conferences that say much and do little (witness some real problems - such as destruction of the rainforests) - it was just a natural climatic change such as happens from time to time.
Whilst air pollution caused by the burning of finite fossil fuels is certainly exasperating the situation (and poisoning this planet so seriously that eventually it will cease to be able to support life 'as we know it') the real causes of present-day climatic changes (aka: global warming / cooling) include: that the sun is going into a quiet phase known as a Maunder Minimum which will result in us experiencing another mini-ice age (as per about 500 years ago); our solar system is moving to a part of 'space' where the natural energies are different; increasing energies coming from the Central Sun in our Galaxy; the effects of little known energy waves approaching this planet from deep in space and that there has been a significant increase in volcanic activity spewing out so called 'greenhouse gases' (mostly under the sea - so unseen) plus other reasons. Climatic changes of one sort or another are affecting most planets in our solar system! This planet will also soon be reversing its magnetic poles, and quite possibly its rotational direction, its rotational axis and orbital distance from the sun, causing the length of the day and number of days in a year to change, a little; but these topics and how I've come by this information are not for this web site to explore.
These pages are best viewed on 1024 x 768 screens. Unless otherwise stated all images are mine, and I retain copyright. In an effort to be kind to dial-up modem users and speed the time it takes them to load all images have been reduced to about 12k in file size - unfortunately this slightly affects their 'quality'. If you wish to use my images elsewhere please contact me in advance - as for most of them I can supply larger versions (video stills excepted).
Click animation to continue your journey through these pages.
in addition, most pages have been modified to reflect that the year is now 2018.


Titan Travel, the award-winning tour operator which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2018, has come a long way from selling UK coach tours from a shop in Reigate back in 1978.
The company has grown to offer a worldwide programme of over 300 individual itineraries incorporating travel by coach and rail, ocean and river cruise, visiting more than 70 countries and all seven continents. An escorted holiday with Titan really can take you to any corner of the globe.
Despite its size Titan still maintains its "customer first" philosophy whether it be on a tour of Venice or Vietnam, Alaska or Australia. These special touches include direct schedule flights, quality hotels and cruises, the services of a Titan tour manager throughout and door-to-door transfers with the VIP Home Departure Service from all across the UK.
Renowned for value for money tours, passengers can be assured that the earlier they book, the less they pay thanks to the company's price promise, and early bookers also benefit from securing their holiday with a low deposit and the option to pay the balance by instalments.
On water Titan works with a number of operators to offers a programme of river and ocean cruises for both escorted groups and independent travellers.
One of their main river cruise partners is Uniworld, with whom they have an exclusive partnership in the UK to offer a world class collection of luxury cruise options on their fleet of floating boutique-style hotels to some of the grandest and most scenic waterways of Europe, Russia, Egypt and Indochina and China.
The deluxe vessels are well suited to the independent traveller, offering flexible departure dates throughout the year and make an ideal 'homes from home' presenting countless opportunities to relax as they sail serenely from city to iconic city, with scenic panoramas unfolding at every turn.
The majority of vessels in the Uniworld fleet have been designed by Red Carnation Hotels and include original works of art, antiques and elegant furnishings. Each one has an average capacity of 130 guests, the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry and is now rated as a Six-Star experience with guaranteed river-view staterooms and exceptional award winning fine dining throughout.
Titan has also launched a Luxury River Cruise Collection featuring the cruises of leading operators Scenic, AmaWaterways, Volga Dream and the Spirit of Chartwell, as well as Uniworld.


text:
Why Married Men Are Less Antisocial
By Belinda Luscombe @youselessDec. 07, 2010
Groom lifting bride on dance floor
A good marriage civilizes men. At least, that's what it looks like, since fewer married men are antisocial. Married men are more responsible, less aggressive, less likely to do something illegal and more mentally healthy than single ones. This has been documented in a bunch of studies and chronicled in such great works of art as Jane Eyre and Failure To Launch. But it's never been clear whether it's the marriage that makes men antisocial or whether fewer antisocial men get married.
A new study in the Archives of General Psychiatry suggests it's both. S. Alexandra Burt, a behavioral geneticist at Michigan State University, looked at 289 genetically identical male twins to ascertain what difference getting hitched made to these otherwise very similar men. (More on Time.com: Photos: Love and Marriage in Prime Time)
"Our results indicate that the reduced rate of antisocial behavior in married men is more complicated than we previously thought," said Burt. "Marriage is generally good for men, at least in terms of reducing antisocial behavior, but the data also indicates that it's not random who enters into the state of marriage." (More on Time.com: Marriage, What's It Good For?)
The study, which looked at the twins when they were 17, 20, 24 and 29, found that men who had fewer antisocial behaviors at 17 and 20 were more often married by 29. Once the men had gotten hitched, their antisocial activities decreased even more. That is, the married twin was less likely to be doing something obnoxious than the unmarried twin.
So it's chicken and egg: men who are less antisocial get married and then become even more civilized after they get a wife. (More on Time.com: Were You Born This (Un)Happy, or Did You Marry Into It?)
Of course, Burt acknowledges, this may not be the marriage talking. It may be that a guy who has a wife doesn't hang out with his ne'er-do-well friends so much or that he's learned, by dating, to bond better. Or that he knows that if he drives drunk/gets in a fight/gets arrested again and manages to escape unscathed, his wife will kill him. Which leads to a different question, how much is the fact that we are getting married later contributing to, or a factor of, our prolonged adolescence?
People Are More Helpful to Others Who May Envy Them
One Person's Divorce Is Another's Investment Opportunity


Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east. Maryland was the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution, and three nicknames for it (the Old Line State, the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State) are occasionally used.
If you want to investigate a cell or landline number, to find the name and address of a specific person who lives within Maryland, then you can enter the number you want to investigate within the search box on the top right of our website (below the twitter button). Enter the Maryland area code first, along with the remaining 7 digit number into the search box, press search & allow a few seconds for the free Maryland location report to display. You will then have access to premium tracer reports, if required.


I am a very communicative and friendly person, I think that I am a positive person and also I like to laugh and to have fun. I think that I am a caring, devoted and responsible person. I am polite, intelligent and I can find something good in every situation. I have a good family and I hope to create my happy family. I love pets and nature, I enjoy being with the people I love. I believe in honest and strong friendship, in serious and special relationship with the only one man, who will be with me all my life. I want to find this special man very much and that is why I am here on this site. And also I think that I have a strong personality. I am ready to achieve my goals that to create the life I want and dream about.
I like doing useful things. I like to be active and to do different kinds of things. I do sports regularly and I like swimming and fitness very much. Also I like ice skating and dancing. I enjoy travelling and visiting my friends, I like to do things at home and cook something new and interesting. Also I like different kinds of movies, reading different kinds of books and discovering something very new and interesting for me. I love car racing. I enjoy driving very much.
I want to meet a man who will see me one day and say "this is a girl I want to marry!" I want to meet a man who is noble and honest, a man who is goal oriented and reliable. I hope to be with the man who is caring, romantic and has a good sense of humor. I want to feel that I am important for him, and for my beloved man I will do everything that he feels with me like the happiest man in this world!!


text:
June 2013 (Issue 9)
This month, we have original fiction from Lynda E. Rucker ("The House on Cobb Street") and Carrie Vaughn ("Fishwife"), along with reprints by Laird Barron ("Shiva, Open Your Eye") and Joe R. Lansdale ("God of the Razor"). We also have the latest installment of our column on horror, "The H Word," plus author spotlights with all of our authors, a showcase on our cover artist, and a feature interview with Robert McCammon.
Cover art by Soufiane Idrassi
In This Issue: June 2013 (Issue 9)
Editorial, June 2013
The House on Cobb Street
by Lynda E. Rucker
The house itself was razed, its lot now surrounded by a high fence bearing a sign that announces the construction presumably in progress behind it as the future offices of Drs. Laura Gonzales and Didi Mueller, D.D.S. The principal witnesses in this case did not respond to repeated enquiries, and in one case, obtained a restraining order against this author. And the young woman in question is said by all to have disappeared, if indeed she ever existed in the first place.
2013 Original Fiction
Author Spotlight: Lynda E. Rucker
by Lisa Nohealani Morton
The story came from a few different places. One was an actual hypnagogic hallucination I had—which I am normally not prone to. I "woke up" but was frozen and I could hear creepy little girls whispering behind me, and could picture them as well.
Shiva, Open Your Eye
The human condition can be summed up in a drop of blood. Show me a teaspoon of blood and I will reveal to thee the ineffable nature of the cosmos, naked and squirming. Squirming. Funny how the truth always seems to do that when you shine a light on it.
Stefan Rudnicki
http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nightmare-magazine.com/podcast-files/podcast_shiva_open_your_eye_laird_barron.mp3
Author Spotlight: Laird Barron
by Sean Patrick Kelley
In a horror story, there's always the choice to reveal the monster, or monstrous, or leave it to the imagination. I chose the latter as one's imagination will often supply a far more dire vision than a cold description on paper. If nothing else, whatever is under the tarp signifies the narrator's connection, and obeisance, to a dread and awful power.
The H Word: Lovecraftian Horror
by W.H. Pugmire
When we think of Lovecraftian horror, or the Lovecraft Mythos (as it exists in Lovecraft's works alone), we need to differentiate those stories from what has come to be called the Cthulhu Mythos, a name invented by August Derleth. Lovecraftian horror incorporates aspects of the Cthulhu Mythos (which oozed forth from Lovecraft's influence), but Lovecraft's horror fiction is much more than cosmic entities that filter to our planet and corrupt our dreams and sanity.
God of the Razor
by Joe R. Lansdale
Richards arrived at the house about eight. The moon was full and it was a very bright night, in spite of occasional cloud cover; bright enough that he could get a good look at the place. It was just as the owner had described it. Run down. Old. And very ugly. The style was sort of Gothic, sort of plantation, sort of cracker box. Like maybe the architect had been unable to decide on a game plan, or had been drunkenly in love with impossible angles.
Author Spotlight: Joe R. Lansdale
by Erika Holt
You can choose to ride the train, and once on it seems impossible to get off, or you can turn away from the depot. But the God also represents the darker desires of humanity, a kind of built in self-destruct. From what I can tell, we don't learn much from history, or at least we seldom learn.
Artist Showcase: Soufiane Idrassi
by Julia Sevin
Soufiane Idrassi is a twenty-two-year-old freelance digital artist from Meknes, Morocco. Four years ago, Soufiane began teaching himself Adobe Photoshop—still his weapon of choice for his creations—and has become expert enough that his technique was explored in the January 2013 issue of Advanced Photoshop Magazine. He is currently expanding into 3D character creation and 2D concept art with his startup company, CG Pro Technology.
Fishwife
by Carrie Vaughn
The men went out in boats to fish the cold waters of the bay because their fathers had, because men in this village always had. The women waited to gather in the catch, gut and clean and carry the fish to market because they always had, mothers and grandmothers and so on, back and back.
Susan Hanfield
http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nightmare-magazine.com/podcast-files/podcast_fishwife_carrie_vaughn.mp3
Author Spotlight: Carrie Vaughn
by E.C. Myers
The story owes pretty much its entire existence to the Stuart Gordon film Dagon. While watching it, I felt like I finally got what Lovecraftian fiction was all about, a feeling I hadn't gotten from any other story, or even any of Gordon's other Lovecraft-inspired films. It really is horrifying, it never quite crosses that line into gross or silly, and the resulting madness the main characters fall into feels genuine rather than contrived. I just loved it. But of course, given my own quirks, I wasn't interested in the main characters' story, I was interested in the villagers, and how they got to where they are from what they had been before.
Interview: Robert McCammon
by Lisa Morton
My inspirations were books about supposedly true hauntings and the fact that there was a "haunted house" in my neighborhood . . . right next door, as a matter of fact. But I actually was a big fan of science fiction, and I was doing those kind of stories too, as well as "war stories" starring kids in my classes. Those made me fairly popular because everybody either wanted to survive or die as heroes, and I had their fates in my hands.


text:
673 feral hogs removed from public and private lands in Arkansas
Posted: Mar 4, 2020 / 05:34 PM CST / Updated: Mar 4, 2020 / 05:34 PM CST
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – More than 670 feral hogs have been removed from lands across the state.
The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC) posted details on Facebook Wednesday about the 13-day, 68-hour helicopter operation.
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services, in cooperation with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, removed several hundred feral hogs from national wildlife refuges, wildlife management areas and private lands in the state," the post stated. "Crews were able to remove a total of 673 feral hogs from more than 376,000 acres.
The AGFC says areas flown over included Big Lake NWR, Dale Bumpers White River NWR, UA Pine Tree Experimental Station WDA, Trusten Holder WMA, Big Lake WMA, St. Francis Sunken Lands WMA, Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA Deer Research Area and Cut-Off Creek WMA as well as 52 private lands.
"The aerial operations are the result of planning and coordination of multiple partners, condensed into several days of actual operations. The AGFC, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and USDA APHIS would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding while the activities were underway and apologize for any inconvenience related to the operation," the post continued.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The latest data released by state officials shows more coronavirus vaccinations are being given but the number of new active cases continues to grow.
Date from the Arkansas Department of Health released Saturday shows that 131,390 total doses of the COVID-19 have been given in the state, which is 40.5 percent of the 324,400 vaccine doses available thus far.
A lawsuit alleges Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge misuses her office to promote her political aspirations and illegally used taxpayer money.
The lawsuit filed Friday in Little Rock cites Rutledge's support of failed lawsuits seeking to overturn presidential election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and advertisements in which she discusses her office's services.
by Bill Smith, Mitch McCoy / Jan 15, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C.- A federal judge in D.C. reversed an order for Richard Barnett to be released on bond tomorrow.


First of all, I am not yet a parent. I don't have any experience raising a real child but being a teacher somehow gives me an idea how difficult it is to be one. I mean, not just an idea but I feel the pain, hardwork and happiness with almost the same feeling as a second parent. I know that the feeling will never be the same; there is always a difference between a real parent and a teacher as a second one.
Usagi Drop didn't really intend to target young audiences. It has a very mature approach for those who are big enough to understand things in this world that can't be taught using our own mouth. Like things that are taught based on our experience, wisdom and decision making.
I am so proud that would always be proud to be an Usagi Drop fan. But you know, I would be more proud if Usagi Drop would have a season 2. Just another spin-off will do. My hope as a fan will never die, if the second season would come then be happy, if not then be happy still.
usagi drop was very intresting ..


Prepared foods in c-stores, supermarkets and fast-casual restaurants are driving growth in their specific channels.
New products contain 10 to 13 grams of plant protein per serving.
McNair, former c.e.o. of MaMa Rosa's, tapped to lead company.


text:
Downtown L.A.: Insurance broker leases 23k square feet
JLL represented Worldwide Facilities in a 23,389-square-foot lease renewal for its headquarters at Ernst & Young Plaza, a Class A, 41-story 915,316-square foot office building located at 725 S. Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles. Worldwide Facilities will remodel and modernize the space to make it more efficient for its team.
JLL's Darren Eades, Tony Morales and Maureen Hawley represented Worldwide Facilities. The landlord, Brookfield Office Properties, was represented in-house by James Malone.
"After an extensive review of top properties in the downtown area with our real estate partner JLL, we decided to stay in our current location because of the economics, location and extraordinary service from Brookfield," said Davis Moore, CEO of Worldwide Facilities. "We plan to modernize our space by updating its overall appearance, making it more efficient based on our needs today, and creating an even more enticing work environment for our employees and guests."
"It is important for companies to evaluate their real estate on a regular basis because it plays a key role in efficiency, employee recruitment and retention, and overall economics of a business," said Eades. "Worldwide Facilities was able to position their firm for current and future growth while managing costs.
Worldwide Facilities is a national wholesale insurance broker and managing general agent that has been in business since 1970. Its seasoned brokers and underwriters are industry leaders in providing expertise in a wide range of specialty lines, and offer extensive contacts with carriers domestically and overseas.