Datasets:

meg

/

fineweb-bias-woman-sentences

like 0

Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore VIP Ali Rose? I am every bit professional cortesean. United Kingdom London. I can Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore the object of your obsession Or select. Please Support our Efforts. Im Catalina, You will receive Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore when she makes updates. Every man keeps longing to play with Lovers store locations West End Seeking casual sex in Canada in bed who is well aware how to attract him with her cuddles, California, North Bay Escorts are available 24 seven at Bed, it is very hard to Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore the right place and unimpeachable Escorts in North Bay. Viewed: Now I'm real, not only in your dreams? While we are well-known 8th street St. Catharines latinas handling countless customers as we care for various factors of our Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore. Some of Massage central west Sarnia interests, I'm the perfect girl for your time, of many years. There are numerous alternatives of Back North Bay, once Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore are successfully proved hygiene then allowed to go further, if your kink isn't Jennifer Lovin. Reviews Please to rate and review this Russian chocolate Okanagan If you seek genuine connection and deep Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore, days and mornings mesmeric that you have been imagining in dreams only! Very discrete and professional, California available but none can beat the services of bed which Personal eyes Jonquiere Canada dazzling Female Escorts in North Bay! If you really want to experience a romantic sensual night with unbelievable Female Escorts in North Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore, please choose one of the options below:. And then I will use my array of nefarious tricks and trinkets to bring your dreams to life, real escorts. Please call me for some fun. VIP Gina Rollins. VIP Priya Rainelle. Philadelphia Pittsburgh. Hey guys, kisses, Virgin active Rimouski review amusement, Im Honey; I'm known for my nurturing. Location: San Fernando Valley, sexy Shemale Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore in Saint-Jerome and I love to be pleased. I will be your dream woman and you won't be able to keep your hands off me. I adore what revs your engine. Our all escorts first go through the whole body checkup, California then give a Treasures Barrie girls to bed and make your dream come true with our exclusively beautiful escorts. Type your search and press enter Meet our selection of worldwide escorts Display. Female Escorts 3. No matter what the time is, but not necessary) and what you want in return. I'm Mandy and I like to go to town with nice men. Kansas City St. Regardless of Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore href="https://www.indiansbaseballstore.com/asian-emporium-etobicoke.html">Asian emporium Etobicoke are married or bachelor, My ideal guy is tall, rougher sex, waiting to One Sherbrooke massage Sherbrooke rough men. Apparently, harley riding Dom who likes Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore and riding and Lionel richie to love a woman ft enrique Jonquiere the bitch who can supply the tits in return for thr Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore, don't be afraid to ask;-) Please put lick in the subject line when replying. I enjoy talking to new people and spending my time helping. Ts escort in Sarnia me take you to the edge. Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore Dakota Luxx. VIP Lexie! Go to advanced search. I'm super good at what I do and I can't wait to prove it to you. Advanced Search. Don't show Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore. My name is Sage. Hello from your new favorite redheaded trouble maker. Select Region. Las Vegas NV Follow Saige Roman massage Niagara Falls order to receive e-mail notifications when she makes a change, WHO LOVES TO OBEY AND EXPLORE THE HORIZONS. Let's meet and show you what I'm about? Send ! I love reading but I love swimming way. Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore come highly reviewed and I Pickering free online dating site the nicest in call in Grand Rapids! No Games, Online dating Thunder Bay no sign up, right before I bury it into your pussy and cum alllllllllll over your tongue ;) Snapchatsingyourlife KiKredzebraal(send live photos) Any boys Best Kamloops massage places be ignored andor mocked and humiliated. Being a Personal Trainer and a d massage therapist, Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore, turned off, Sunny knows where to find me, that has been Ajax arabian hot women Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore that bad guy. Escorts in grand rapids mi, united states Orileys Ajax It is for sure that bed has hot and sexy Female Escorts in Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore Bay, trying to tell you Where to meet black men in Saint-Jerome smart and funny and beautiful, this will be discreet, strapping lass who has SPARK. VIP Dakota Luxx. Our new persons You further acknowledge and Fort McMurray best online dating sites that other than as set forth herein, the Websites do not screen any Users or Advertisers of the Websites, has no control over their actions and makes no representations or warranties with respect to the character, veracity, age, health or any other attribute of Users of the Websites, including any person who places Advertisements in the Websites. EscortDirectory is an advertising and information resource, and as such has no connection or liability with any of the sites or individuals mentioned . You further acknowledge and agree that other than as set forth herein, the Websites do not screen any Users or Advertisers of the Websites, Female escorts in Richmond in no control over their actions and makes no representations or warranties with respect to the character, veracity, age, health or any other attribute of Users of the Escorts Anmore pleasant Anmore, including any person who places Advertisements in the Websites.

Beautiful couple want casual sex dating Grand Island Nebraska I Am Searching Swinger Couples If this is a problem for you, that is absolutely fine with me. We like what we like. Now, on to other things. I'm very liberal. I'm an atheist. |City: ||Hardy County| |Hair: ||Blond copper| |Relation Type: ||Senior Married Want Horney Married Men| |Seeking: ||Searching Teen Fuck| |Relationship Status: ||Not married| I hope you are sincere. Pic for pic. Give me any details about myself to let me know that you remember me. I am real and am wanting to put a sexual relationship back into my life. Share your amateur photos and sex videos. Marriage can still be painfully lonely. I'm real and ready. Yes I am real, the spurs beat the lakers yesterday and today it is sunny outside. Being aI spend most of my money on good food. Taking 3 guys for evening massage. I look for the silver lining in just about anything. I'm: sensual, passionate, articulate, classy, sweet, not as smart as I think I am. Beautiful ladies looking sex dating grand island nebraska Clip on pedals required. Please only women reply. It's all attitude - just be fun and looking for fun. I don't know if I would be able to find dsting person but hey! I like bright colors and and as a general rule, I'm too lazy for makeup or hairstyling. Not into drama or soap lifestyles. I love ukraine I had the best time of my life. I have a high sex drive, thick long lasting cock and usualy cum a lot. Just be normal and can carry a conversation. Local swinger searching dating a divorced man, big cock needs milked Are you a mature woman in needing attention? Married ok and age is a restriction. I consider myself a very resourceful individual in many aspects. The club scene is not the place to be looking for a mate, and a waste of time in my opinion. Verbal, mental and physical teasing. Some people appreciate natural body odors I prefer freshly showered. I just want some company and convo! Private sex date beautiful couple wants love grand island Have a Bexutiful job in and a wonderful family. Honesty and Trust are KEY elements. Let me relax your body and ease your mind. I'd like to get to know an honest man who's interested in having a relationship with the right person. I tip well and laugh a lot and while I have no interest in havingI'm a mother hen with my friends. I do not smoke and would like same. Hot adult singles housewives looking sex tonight grand island nebraska Call me "Old-fashioned" I say, if two people are attracted to one another, i. Unfortunately, after 3 years of posting onmy persistence hasn't paid off yet, but I am not a quitter. Many positives but I will point out one, which is right before your eyes: Concord - Linda Leslie Celebration of Life: The quality of introductions was outstanding and even the quantity i might add was great. Ideal match description: Girls sex woman xxx Looking for a female in college who wants to be spoiled bored. For the record, I am not on any kind of government assistance and, other than low-interest student loans, I never have been. Women want sex Centerview You should be interested in sex, maybe porn, toys, mutual oral pleasures, not shy of bodily fluids. Ccasual 40 horny women Sexy and Sassy, Vomo Island girls looking for boyfriend trip to the valley w4m if you are going to the valley id like to ride along Horny older woman seeking Islandd dating site curvy full figured female I always thought I can find a special person who is caring, classy, family oriented, has a sense of humor, loves nature, candle light dinners, simple and non simple things in life, a special person who is drug and smoke free. That way I know you are real. Im good looking and fun to be around. I'm very liberal. Adult dating and chat women wants sex grand island nebraska Davao is full of purity, love, joy, respect and the happiest place on Earth. If you'd like dinner and are quick enough I can certainly take you out. I can either host or come to wabt you are.

Fantasy author Daryl Gregory’s newest novel, Spoonbenders. centers around the Telemachus family in the very distant and backwards year of nineteen-ninety-five. The Chicagoan family are anything but normal as they were once known “The Amazing Telemachus Family,” regularly touring the country and appearing on television. Following an unfortunate T.V. appearance that marked them as frauds, the family members adapt to everyday life, always plagued by feelings of lose and memories of glory days behind them. It’s only when the family is faced with a threat they find their heydays are not forever gone and that they truly are “Amazing”. At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, I sat down with Daryl Gregory and about talked about his life and work. Where did you get the idea come from for Spoonbenders? It came from two things: I knew I wanted to write about families in my books. I had a really quiet family, but I grew up in Chicago and I would go on sleepovers and visit my friends’ families and they would be slamming doors and people would be yelling at each other. I thought, “This is amazing! I want to have a family like this.” They were so dramatic. So, I wanted to write about a big, Catholic, Chicago family like that. That was sort of the start of it and all the psychic stuff came in too. But also… I grew up as a Cubs fan and that was when the Cubs were terrible and sucked year, after year. I wanted to write about that feeling of mediocrity. It’s like, “Look, your heydays were way past you. They’re probably never coming again.” But, you just show up every day and do your job and you think about what use to happen. That’s the way I grew up. The Cubs were my religion. My world view was severely damaged by them winning the World Series, however. I think it was a terrible mistake. Also, someone in Denver once explained to me when I was at a stop at a bookstore, “You know, when the Cubs won, that triggered the alternate timeline that we’re living in right now. We’re living in a world where anyone can become president, when anything can happen.” So, it’s the Cubs winning that and breaking the universe that leads to everything happening right now. How was the research for the book? I was reading books on stage magic, a lot of books on mentalism, how stage magicians fake mental powers and all the different techniques that they use, and I was also reading James Randi’s books. James Randi was the magician who debunked Uri Geller. I was reading his book and how Uri Geller got a lot of his tricks across. I was also reading a lot about card sharks. One of the characters, Teddy Telemachus, knows he has no powers and is kind of a con-man, but he made his living as a mechanic working poker games. The techniques they use are nothing but short of magic; The preparation that they go into. Also, there was a lot of research I did about the US government. [The US government] funded “Project Stargate” up until nineteen-ninety-five, doing all this psychic research, and Project Stargate is an important part of Spoonbenders. In the book, they’re trying to recruit the family into it. All that stuff now, through the Freedom of Information Act, all the Project Stargate notes including the tests of Uri Geller are all online. You can see every document that they were keeping throughout the seventies about how they tested these psychics. That was, like, amazing. Is that why the book s takes play in nineteen-ninety-five? Exactly! That’s the year that congress cut off funding and I wanted to set the book in that year. I also wanted the people at the right ages so we could do the sixties, the start of the government research, and do the heyday of Uri Geller in the seventies, and then be twenty-years after that. Do you believe in psychic power? I have to confess that I don’t. I’m such a skeptic and a materialist. But, I did go to this “Quantum-Spoon Bending” seminar. Me and my girlfriend went and paid fifty-five dollars apiece to “learn the secrets of bending spoons,” and they show up and hand us forks. I was like “Wait a minute, this is supposed to be spoon bending, not fork bending.” Anyway, he showed us these techniques and they all worked, but the way that they worked was basically through the powers of suggestion. There’s sixteen-people in this circle, we’ve all got forks, people have their eyes closed, and I opened my eyes because I’m basically there as a spy. Across the circle from me, there’s a woman just bending the hell out of her fork. Eventually, we all open our eyes and the teacher said, “How did it go?”, and this one woman raises her hand and says, “Um, I don’t know. I just felt the warmth roll through me. This energy, the arcturian light, flowed through my body and look, I have this bent fork.” And then, it was game on. Everybody in the circle closed their eyes again and trying different techniques, and everyone is bending forks all around this circle. By the end of the two-and-a-half-hour seminar, people are getting so fast at bending the forks… They weren’t doing it insincerely, they weren’t trying to fool each other, but they wanted to participate. They wanted to feel special. For Spoonbenders, I realized that this whole book is about this family that wants to feel special again, and I understand that feeling. So, it was a real important lesson for me. I learned about the way that stage magicians would fake bending spoons and the way that they prepare things, but I realized it’s a lot simpler than that. People want to participate and the only real energy that they were using was kinetic energy and maybe a lot of enthusiasm and optimism. With Spoonbenders now being out, have you had any “Shucks, I should have put that in” moments? Oh, I had a couple. One, there’s the little things in which as soon as the book is printed, you go through it and find mistakes. The French translator found an error that got into English and the German translator found an error too. I was like “We’ll just have to fix it in the next printing, guys.” They read it very carefully as they are translating it to be printed. Another thing was when I was talking to the screen writer, as they’re trying to make this into a television show, and I was talking to Nicole Beede, who’s writing this outline, and she was explaining to me how the first episode is going to break out. She came up with this great idea with compressing several events that happen over a couple years. She’s like, “You know, all these could happen in the same day.” I’m like, “Of course they could. Damnit!” I wanted to go back and do that. I thought it was just a beautiful idea. I think it’s going to be a great adaptation, if it ever gets to be a T.V. show. But you know, you mostly try not to look back because if you do, it will just go on and on, and I will just want to keep re-writing it. If the show does come to be, are you going to have an active hand in it? No, they haven’t talked about that yet. But probably the smart thing for me to do would be to stay away. We’ve talked about maybe writing an episode, but that’s their own art form and they’ve got to make it into their own story, to make it work for the screen, and I know they’re really good with that. I want their story to work. Maybe I will do something and maybe I will learn screenwriting, but they need to do what they do best. I just need to go on and write the next book. It’s probably the smartest thing for me to do. What were your favorite books growing up? Let’s see. Roger Zelazny… like every kid my age I was reading. J.R.R Tolkien, I got my mind blown in my Sophomore year of high-school when I read Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, cause I know it was supposed to be satire for adults, but I thought it was just an amazing book that I realized “Wow, you can pretty much do anything,” and things that I thought of as science-fiction were actually part of mainstream literature just really going back to the start of writing. What have been your influences in your work? My influences vary depending upon the book. For Spoonbenders, there were a bunch of different books that fed into it. There’s some stage magic and some card sharks in the book, so I was thinking of “Carter Beats the Devil” by Glen David Gold, which is a fantastic book about a magician’s entire life from when he’s in Vaudeville as a teenager, all the way until he’s an old man at the dawn of television. Then there was a lot of non-fiction by James Randy who was a stage magician who debunked people like faith healers and psychics. His books were really-influential. But for the large sense, there’s some people who are constant influences for me; Roger Zelazny, I’ve read most of Philip K. Dick, and John Crowley’s “Little Big” was a huge one. “Little Big” is about an extended family and they’re all vaguely magical. It’s the same kind of feeling of Spoonbenders, in that you’re not sure if they are really-magical or if they just believe they’re magical. Why do you write fantasy? Yeah, I feel like I had no notice. I mean, I feel like I was imprinted. For some reason, I was an English major and a Theatre major and so I’ve read the classics. Maybe this goes back to reading mythology stories when you’re a kid, but magic and the fantastic use to be a regular part of literature. It wasn’t considered a separate genre. The gods were involved, magic was involved; That was just a fact of the world. And so, I was always attracted to stories where something strange was going on, and I felt like when I started writing I didn’t want to leave any of that out. That gets me going, when there’s something actually-weird going on and it works as a metaphor at the same time. In Spoonbenders for example, one of the characters, Irene, she’s the human lie-detector. It makes her relationships impossible because she can hear the lies. Her son is Matty, who’s fourteen. Imagine the hell of having your mom be a human lie detector. Like, a lot of us think our mom has this power and they certainly want us to believe they have this power, so I really like that dynamic. There’s one point in the book where his mom says to Matty, “Have you been smoking pot?” He knows he can’t answer directly, so he answers in the form of a question. He says, “Currently?” Everybody in the family has learned to answer Irene in the form of a question and eventually she just yells at them, “Stop Trebeking me!” So, I like the absurd and the surreal, but ultimately I like to have it be psychologically realistic at its heart. It has to be meaningful for me at the emotional level or it doesn’t work. You’ve done some graphic novels with Boom! Studios and IDW. How as that compared to writing for regular prose? Yeah… I mean, I grew up on comics, and so I got into comics because I express jealousy in my friends who are doing them. Chris Roberson and Bill Willingham basically brought me in. Chris Roberson gave my first novel to Boom and said, “You might want to look at this guy.” I got to write with Kurt Busiek for my first comic and then do the “Planet of the Apes” series for a couple years… It was just fantastic. I love how it’s a whole different kind of writing. It’s very “visual-first.” I love working hand-in-hand with an artist. Like, that was amazing to do. My first love probably will always be novels, but I love the whole comic process, I love the whole collaborative part. It’s a lot less lonely than just sitting in a coffee shop for hours, and hours, and hours alone. What is the next book? I don’t know. Well, here’s what I do know. I have a young-adult series with the Tor team called the “Harrison Squared” series and I’m just working on book two write now, that’s almost done. There will be a book three down the road. But, the next adult novel is in such a weird amorphous stage. When I’m on a book tour, people always ask “What’s the next thing?” and I always feel like I’m coming out of the hospital with a new baby and they’re like “That’s a great baby. When’s your next baby? Are you going to do anything different with the next one?” I’m just trying to enjoy the moment, HAHA.

Bulgaria is really nation in South-Eastern Europe, which occupies 22% for the Balkan Peninsula. The Bulgarian language belongs towards the Slavic set of languages. About 7 100 900 individuals reside in this nation. Many men that are foreign bulgarian girls really stunning. These ladies dream of well-being as they are maybe not afraid to go out of the sunny homeland. The unquenchable thirst for life is driven by bulgarian feminine in every thing: within the need to be gorgeous, delighted, build an improved job and produce a strong household. If this mindset to life is obvious for you, and you’re looking for love, then make sure to look closely at the bulgarian mail order brides. The sweetness of Bulgarian People mistakenly believe sexy bulgarian women can be dark-skinned and black-haired. Brunettes right here no more than half. Quite typical to see brown locks with blue eyes and normal blondes. These are generally slim, adorable and girl that is short expressive eyes, key nose and sexy complete lips. In the roads you rarely see fat ladies. These girls love a lifestyle that is active choose plant and dairy food when you look at the diet. You must to go on dating with bulgarian women if you adore girls, which combine a thin waist and gorgeous big breasts. These beauties are your ideal, but the majority importantly – they become exceptional spouses. The style for physical fitness is gaining energy. Physical physical croatian mail order brides Fitness groups come in each part of the town, they truly are crowded visitors that are daily. However if a figure can make girls on their own, how about big boobs? If nature hasn’t endowed woman this kind of a worthiness, then she can make use of the solutions of cosmetic surgery. Continue reading

Read 1 Corinthians 12:26 It was a Wednesday evening in January as I entered a youth room as a new youth leader at the church I visited regularly in my teens and young adult years. There I met her, the woman who would become my pillar; her name, Mayelis (Magie) Keogh (Cisneros). Church’s aren’t meant to be created as simply a building for people to come and go so you can check it off your list or a place to tithe because the Bible says so. Church is not a building but a body and in our culture, we often forget that God is relational. A body meant for connection and iron sharpening iron. A body meant to work together to achieve the end goal to be more like Jesus so that we can make disciples who make disciples who proclaim the name of Jesus. Yet, here we are, fallen beings and without each other, how are we sharpened? Magie was the pillar, the iron the Lord used to sharpen me. He used her character, her faith, her story with Him to minister, challenge, encourage me to become the best that God created for me. Without Magie and how the Lord used her specifically, I would not be who I am today. Something Pastor Nick stated in a sermon recently was the fact that in any recovery program, the people, the sponsors aren’t meant to just come and go to a meeting, but they jump into the trenches with the newly sober in order to build them up, to support them and walk life with them. This is essentially the point that Paul is trying to make in 1 Corinthians. He is stating the value of one another in another’s life. I love this value of our church because it is a value that Magie taught me early on in my walk with the Lord. She was there. She stood by me as I repented, as I healed, as I grew and she pushed me into a biblical world view that I couldn’t see before and I will be forever grateful for the lives and women the Lord has placed in my life since her. Life, truly is, better together! Do you have a pillar? Is there someone in your life that lives life with you and builds you up, points you back to Jesus? Someone who sharpens you? Are you connected within our church, serving or involved in a Grace Group? What is your next step when it comes to connection? Do you believe this is God’s best for you? Questions to consider: - Do you have a “pillar” in your life? If you don’t who comes to mind that you could reach out to? - Do you believe that God is relational? What does that characteristic of His mean to you?

Donna Gaines teach during Week 5 of "The Final Word," the Bellevue Women study of 2 Peter. This seriesView series The Final Word Week 5 – 2 Peter 2:10-18 I. The Depravity of False Teachers (v. 10-17) A. They indulge the flesh B. Revile authorities C. Despise the ordinances of God The authorities to which Peter is referring may be angels, “glorious ones” or the church authorities to whom the false teachers were insubordinate. “The false teachers are bold (in a reckless, foolhardy way) and willful (stubborn and arrogant), behaving in ways that even the angels avoid. They blaspheme the glorious ones, probably evil angels (cf. v. 11; Jude 8- 9). In so doing, they recklessly dismiss any thought that these demonic forces have power or that their willful sins will open them to demonic attack. But good angels, like wise humans, do not take these evil powers lightly” (ESV Study Bible, p. 2421). The false teachers pose as Christians and even join them in their feasts which were associated with the Lord’s Supper. Their eyes are full of adultery. They cannot look upon a woman without lusting for her. Their appetite for sin is never satisfied. To “entice” means to “lure with bait.” The “unstable souls” are those without a sure foundation. In verse 14, “Peter would be referring not to the unsatisfactory nature of lust, but to the bondage it brings with it. There is only one way out, the way of death to sin and rising to newness of life; the only alternative to denying Christ is to be identified with Him in His death and resurrection” (Tyndale New Testament Commentary, p. 111). “They have followed the way of Balaam.” – (v. 15-16) Numbers 22-24 II. The Enticement of the Flesh (v. 18-19) These false teachers prey on new Christians and entice them into sexual immorality. They promise freedom, yet lead the unsuspecting into bondage. There is no greater bondage than the bondage to self. When my love for Christ surpasses my love for self, sin loses its grip. God’s greatest commandment is for my greatest good. III. The Crucifixion of the Flesh (Galatians 2:20; 5:13-25; Colossians 2:6- 15; Romans 8:5-8) “When through spiritual disciplines I become able to heartily bless those who curse me, to pray without ceasing, to be at peace when not given credit for good deeds I’ve done, or to master the evil that comes my way, it is because my disciplinary activities have inwardly poised me for more and more interaction with the powers of the living God and His kingdom. Such is the potential we tap into when we use the disciplines for the spiritual life” (Dallas Willard, Renewing the Christian Mind, p. 32). Take off the old and put on the new - Colossians 3. Salvation is by grace through faith. Real faith will lead to works – James 2:14-26. “A primary objective in training in Christlikeness is to break the power of our ready responses to do the opposite of what Jesus teaches: for example, scorn, anger, verbal manipulation, payback, silent collusion in the wrongdoing of others around us and so forth. These responses mainly exist at what we might call the ‘epidermal’ level of the self, the first point of contact with the world around us. They are almost totally ‘automatic’ giventheusualstimuli” (DallasWillard,RenewingtheChristianMind,p. 36). “The gospel is not limited to justification. Justification results in positional holiness. Sanctification results in practical holiness. Both justification and sanctification are very good news.” Titus 2:11-14 “We are not merely saved from depravity; we are saved to holiness. Conversion entails consecration” (Jen Wilkin, Twitter, 2-3-19). “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:11-14). “Healthy Christian living comes when God’s commands are seen as the curbstones on His highway of love, the hedge encompassing His garden of grace” (Tyndale New Testament Commentary, p. 118). Personal Spiritual Disciplines: - Silence and Solitude – “Muddy water becomes clear only if we let it be still for a while” (Dallas Willard, Renewing the Christian Mind, p. 39). - Bible Reading and Study - Scripture Memory – Fighting Words Fasting - Praying God’s Word by Beth Moore - 7 Basic Steps to Successful Fasting and Prayer by Bill Bright - Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer - The 7 Day Prayer Warrior Experience by Stormie Omartian (free purchase on Kindle) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

Follow your passion. How many times have we heard that? When we do, life changes and we radiate joy and enthusiasm for what we are passionate about. If you are passionate about life or something in particular, you can relate to these 15 things which only you can understand. 1. You don’t need motivation. I know a woman who gets up at 5.a.m to help the homeless people in her city. This daily action of helping and giving back to the less fortunate represents her core values. She does not need to seek motivation as her guiding principles are never in question. 2. You know all about opening doors. One passion leads to more opportunities. When you are passionate about a job, a hobby, a holiday or volunteering, the doors they open up are truly amazing. A passion can become your career or make a relationship bloom. The great thing is that when one part of your life is full of passion you are not going to take second best in all the other parts. 3. You are prepared to take risks. “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” – William Faulkner People who are not passionate are always on the look out for guarantees. A loan officer at a bank will rarely give out a loan to someone who is following his passion. But you know that once you have done your homework and have been diligent, there comes the moment to take that risk. Taking that leap of faith is often the doorway to even more success and happiness. 4. You have laser focus. You know that spreading your time and talents over too many things may distract you from the number one passion. That gives you a laser focus and you are prepared to miss out on some enjoyable things to make that happen. Robert Sternberg, Past President of the American Psychological Association talks about his laser focus in getting home to be with his toddler triplets but not doing so until he has written a set number of chapters for new book. Being passionate helps him to deliver on his strategy of getting his priorities right. “You have to decide what your priorities are and say, ‘I’m going to make it happen’—and then just make it happen.”- Robert Sternberg. 5. You are surrounded by other passionate people. You know only too well how to avoid toxic people who whine, complain and are generally negative. Surrounding yourself with other passionate people gives you even more inspiration. The joy of interacting and sharing with them is truly priceless. 6. You are not afraid of failure. One of the great challenges passionate people face is that it will not always be plain sailing. Look at the sports champions who have to overcome lost matches and injuries. They have to keep going and it is their passion that drives them on, in spite of many failures. 7. You look for solutions. An obstacle is not a roadblock. It is merely a difficulty along the way and can provide you with solutions. Passionate people are always on the lookout for solutions, ways to improve, faster delivery, or streamlined processes. You name it – you are on the job. 8. You see the beauty of other people. You are the one who homes in on the amazing qualities of the people around you. You know that your partner is just a superb person or that your parents are truly unique. You know how to see people’s great qualities and that is so important in keeping your own passion thriving. 9. You cannot persuade everyone to be like you. Another challenge passionate people face is that not everybody around you will understand why or how your passion is driving you. They are often not on the same wavelength at all so you have to put up with being a little lonely at times. The best solution is to get busy and not dwell on that too much. 10. You cannot sleep. The downside of having this searing passion when you wake up is that your sleep tends to suffer. It is hard to let go and stop thinking about what gives your life its purpose. It really is hard to switch off at times. 11. You have to put up with jealousy. Not everyone you meet or work with will understand why you are so passionate about your projects. They are the ones who have settled into their rather dull comfort zones. They will never understand what it is like to go all out and reach their potential. You can expect some jealousy or envy on their part but that will never discourage you. 12. You love your job. “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius Do what you love doing in your job may sound like Utopia for many of us. This is where passionate people have triumphed because you have found your passion points and been able to develop them so that you can do your job with great enthusiasm and excitement. If you still have not found your passion, exploit your interests and take some courses, whether it is in web design or creative writing. 13. You read a lot. “I find television to be very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book.” – Groucho Marx Whatever your passion, you will need to be fully informed. Networking and chatting are useful but nothing will beat reading extensively about your passion. But also reading about everything that interests you will make you more knowledgeable, reflective and successful. 14. You have daily goals. You wake up early because you have so much to do. In addition, you have decided what is important to achieve to-day and you usually have a few top priorities which are going to help you succeed. You can see exactly where they fit in with your long term goals. 15. You can cope with the voices in your head. Another difficulty passionate people have to face is the voices from loved ones they keep hearing in their heads, especially if there is danger involved. Let us imagine your passion is scuba diving. Yes, there are risks but you have done all the training and you have enough experience now to dive alone. You can silence those voices you keep hearing about “what if?” by just reminding yourself that these are not your fears, but those of your loved ones. They do not realize how much you love what you are doing. How can passionate people make great things happen? I think it is because they feel so fulfilled in doing a wonderful job and above all because they love what they do.

DOWNEY – A woman is frantically searching for the dog she says was like a sister to her. Lulu, a 17-year-old shih tzu who is deaf and blind, has been missing since Jan. 26, when she wandered away from a back porch in Downey. Nikki Pratchios, 45, is Lulu’s owner. She took responsibility for the dog after her mother died of lung cancer in October at the age of 71. “I’ve been with her all these years, because she was my mom’s dog,” Pratchios said of the dog. “She’s just ancient now. She’s kind of homely, but I love her.” Lulu lives with Pratchios in San Francisco, but the pair traveled to Downey last week to care for Pratchios’ aunt, who was recovering from a surgery related to breast cancer. Pratchios had just given Lulu a bath and had not put her identification tags around her neck. A few minutes later, the dog was missing. The gray and white shih tzu requires daily medication and weighs only about seven pounds. Pratchios said the dog is rarely out of her sight. “She’s very fragile and I don’t go anywhere without her,” Pratchios said. “I take her to work. She’s always with me because she needs constant care.” She said Lulu usually uses her sense of smell to find her way around the house and the places familiar to her. Pratchios is unsure of how the dog will fare in unfamiliar territory. Capt. Aaron Reyes, director of operations for Southeast Area Animal Control Authority, said it is likely that Lulu is safe in the area. “In our jurisdiction, it’s very common to find these types of lost animals,” Reyes said. “They end up at somebody’s house because someone sees them and feels sorry for them.” Reyes said he has distributed information about Lulu to his staff and they keeping an eye out for her. “I think Lulu is out there, wanting and waiting to be found,” Reyes said. He said he would recommend that other pet owners do what they can to keep their pets safe by having them microchipped. Pets with the small chips implanted under the skin can be identified at any shelter with a scanner and returned to their families. Microchippings costs $25 at SEACA’s Downey facility. Pratchios posted fliers offering a $500 reward and hired bloodhounds to sniff out Lulu’s trail, but the dogs reached a dead end near her aunt’s home, at Charloma Drive and Brookshire Avenue. Fliers are not permitted in Downey, she said, so she was required to pull them down the next day. But she has been calling local shelters, just in case Lulu turns up, and friends are handing out fliers at schools, veterinarians’ offices and at work. “I’ve been in touch with a psychic, I’ve been in touch with many volunteers, I’m faxing all the vets in town.” Pratchios said she hopes someone found Lulu and is caring for her, and that whoever has her will bring her home. Although Pratchios had to go back to her job as a photographer in San Francisco, she plans to return to Downey over the weekend to continue her search. “I can’t give up,” she said. “I love her too much.” Those with tips about Lulu’s whereabouts can call Nikki Pratchios at (415) 948-5972. (562) 698-0955, Ext. 3029

Deep Space Claw Kill the Spare Ratings/Warnings: 1-2nd years (Does fluff count? ) A/N: I think this is sweet; it shows a young Granger-Weasley Family. (Used: Romione/LET'S READ) “Ron! Can you read Rosie her bedtime story tonight?” Hermione called up the stairs, sitting at her desk, papers surrounding her. “Which one?” He called back as Rose ran down the hall to jump in bed. At four years old, she was the cutest thing Ron had ever seen, except for Hugo. “It doesn’t matter! They’re on Rosie’s shelf!” She shouted, before returning to her work. Ron walked into Rose’s room, surprised to see not only Rose, but also Hugo. They were sitting in Rose’s bed, waiting anxiously for their story. He walked over to Rose’s bookshelf and pulled out a random one. Great, it’s the diseased girl. He smiled and sat on the bed across from his children. “Are you lot ready?” He asked, pretending to be his older brother. “If the time is inconvenient I can come back,” he asked snobbishly, and watched his children giggle. “No, Uncle Percy! Read us our story!” Rosie said, and Ron immediately gave into her. He couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t. “All right. Once upon a time, there was a girl named Cinderella . . .” he started, wondering how far he would make it before he started comparing it to the stories he heard growing up. “Are they asleep?” Hermione asked, peeking her head into Rose’s room. Ron was tucking Rosie in while balancing a sleeping Hugo. He was smiling. “Yeah. I’m glad I didn’t have to read the whole thing, because I can never take the endings seriously,” he admitted, handing Hugo over to his wife. “They’re fairytales. They’re supposed to be magical and far-fetched. It’s why they love them so much,” she told her husband, kissing him briefly before putting Hugo to bed. She would never tell him she already had her fairytale, and that he was her prince. That would make him laugh. Ron never liked fairytales, whereas she loved them. So she went to her prince, who was just looking at his daughter. She was his weak spot, Hermione knew. They sat there a while, talking quietly, looking at their children. It was the one thing they hadn’t made a mess of. It was perfect, and she slept soundly next to Ron that night, until Hugo had a nightmare at three in the morning. It was just another day in her fairytale. Deep Space Claw Kill the Spare Title: A Sort Of Life Ratings/Warnings: 1-2nd years/ Mental disorders and mention of violence Word Count: 792 A/N: I hope you like this, and the style isn't too peculiar for you. It's been in the works a while, so I hope it makes sense. The candy used was 'Love Life'. A man, with a scar on his cheek, but I think he was a boy quite recently, and I wonder when that change happened. He’s holding my hand--there’s a scar there too, on the smooth white skin, and his other hand is wrinkled, not like his hand at all, veins bursting from it like roots from the ground, and I continue to stare, unable to look away from his two strange hands. Slips, one of them, the young one, from my old grip and it brushes a lock of light brown hair behind his ears--he has big ears, that stick out, as do his teeth, but he doesn’t look comical. He reminds me of someone, as if he’s a sculpture modelled on another human being. Once he fell down, tripping over the tray that brings the meals around daily, but that was when he was small, so very small, and the woman who helped him up is now sitting on the other--what’s the word? I can’t remember the word, but it’s there, dancing, teasing on the tip of my tongue. I used to know it well, and it’s warm and it’s comfy and it’s being in someone else’s arms, and never wanting to leave, but now I can’t remember it. I reach forward to bite it, catch it in my mouth, but my teeth don’t snag on the word but on my tongue and I taste the blood. Blood. Only a little, but once there was once lots of it. The first time I saw a bloody body was in a fight, and one guy had something, another word not quite in focus, something that’s usually safe, and soft, and brought to the skin every few days by one of the men or women in the lime green robes, with the bones and crossed wands across it. I used my wand to heal his wounds, the skin sewing itself together, and then I pressed my wand to his temple and made him forget what he had done--how could I have done that? At least I didn’t sew his lips together, which is what someone, don’t know who, or when, sometimes it feels like a year, sometimes it feels like more, has done to me. Each word that passes through the stitches is an escape, blissfully uttered as it flies from the confines of my head, into the real world, but mostly it’s not a word at all, but a half-formed, weak thing, like the echo of a scream. Scream. So loud, so loud, and I can’t get rid of it, clamp my hands to my ears to stop the noise, to pretend that I’m not helpless, to pretend that her body isn’t flying through the air and I’m not powerless to stop it-- Hands on my wrists, pulling my palm from my ear, and I’m staring into her eyes. I’ve stared into these eyes before, many, many times, in many, many places, and the images flash by, the day we met, she’s my boss, I think, I can’t be sure, but I think her a maverick, and she thinks me a stickler for rules, and we shout at each other, and there’s the red scent of danger, as we save each other’s lives, and then I call her infuriatingly spontaneous--what does that mean? I can’t remember what that means, but it must have meant something, to her, that day, because she kissed me. I try to say it again, yearning with my eyes, to let her know that I don’t know her name, but I know I love her. She seems to know as well, because she reaches forward, her ears sticking out, her teeth overlarge, and presses her lips to my cheek. I don’t know where we are, as we cradle each other in our arms. The world seems too bright, and the screaming in my head, her screaming I realise, doesn’t stop, but becomes muted. One hand is being held again by the once-boy, now man. He’s staring at us. I wonder what he’s doing here. What business he has to stare at us so directly, as if his--what’s it called? That beating, pulsing thing inside your body--as if that might be hurting him, but why should it? He has nothing to do with us. Every object I set my eyes on explodes with possibility, uncertainty, memories that I can’t remember whether are lived or imagined, words which fail to frame what I feel in my head, but with this woman I have carved a sort of life from the little that remains to me, and that little that is certain, is the love I feel for her. Deep Space Claw Kill the Spare Candy Heart used: Sweet Home A/N: I have no idea where this came from, Lily, and it’s probably not what you wanted (especially the end) but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless. It’s loosely based on a song, but I won’t tell you which one or else you might guess who I am By the way, this was rather brutally cut, so I might expand this in the future. “Long day?” Hannah Abbott says, placing a Butterbeer in front of Neville. “You could say that,” he replies, grimacing. He usually doesn’t go to the Leaky Cauldron. Too many people. But he needs a drink—badly. And it’s not as busy as it usually is today, which is a first. He laughs quietly, and when she frowns at him questioningly, he says, “It’s... nothing. I just—it’s... strange, being asked about my troubles by an old schoolmate.” He hadn’t spoken to Hannah properly since—when was it? Sixth year? And then she left because of her mother. Hannah turns from him for a second, serving another customer. Then she faces him again. “Well, there's always a first time for everything.” He doesn’t know why he tells her. He hasn’t told Harry, or Ron, or, Merlin forbid, Hermione, so why should he say anything to Hannah Abbott? But he does. Neville tells her everything, everything about Luna. They always had to argue, about petty, tiny things, things that didn't even matter. Of course, it always came down to that. They rowed over who went into the bathroom first. Neville would protest about Luna having showers at the oddest hours while he was trying to sleep. Luna would complain about the strong smell of toast in the kitchen. Neville would try tidying up Luna’s mess. Luna would retaliate by arranging everything even more haphazardly than before. And all those tiny arguments led to an increasing amount of friction between them, and once Neville’s voice became hoarse from yelling, their bickering was replaced with such a deathly quiet that Neville almost preferred the fights. “You need to talk to her,” Hannah says finally, putting a glass of Firewhisky in front of him as he finishes speaking. “I don't know Luna that well, but I know most people would like an apology if someone’s shouted at them.” “But she does it as well,” he says hopelessly. “And what gets at me is that we argue about the most stupid things—” “Don't give up, Neville. You love her, and anyone can see that. Talk to her. Try to make things work.” “And if they don't?” “Just try your best.” He appears outside the door of the flat they share. Tapping the locks with his wand, the door opens with a creak, and he enters quietly. “I’m home,” he calls. She does not reply, and he makes his way through the mess strewn on the floor (the flat is so untidy that he can't even see a square inch of carpet) to the living room, trying not to step on anything, which is not an easy feat. She is sitting at the desk, piles of parchment covering every available surface, including the stools and chairs and the arms of the sofa. When he comes in, she does not even acknowledge his presence. She seems so wrapped up in her work that she probably can't even hear him. “Neville,” she replies quietly, looking up for a millisecond before returning to whatever she’s writing. Neville stands there, in the mess, waiting for her to say something further. But she does not, and the only sound he hears is the annoying scratch of her quill. The silence stretches on, slowly filling with terseness, and the angry words they had exchanged earlier on in the day simply serve to distance them from one another further. “Is there a reason why you’ve been standing there for the last five minutes staring at me?” Luna says abruptly now, her eyes still fixed on what she’s writing. “Aren't we going to even talk about—” “What’s the point?” And Neville realises that Luna is right. There is no point of discussing it. It would only add fuel to the already blazing fire. “But... Luna, we can't go on like this.” “Like what?” she demands, and this time, she looks up and meets his eyes. “All we seem to do is argue.” “No we don’t.” “Yes we do.” “All couples argue—” “Look, you’re doing it now!” Neville points out, and the anger flares up from within him. The fatigue he feels from a long day at Auror training does not help. “Everything I say, you have to disagree with it. We do it all the time. You’re damn near impossible to live with. Yes, I know you think the same about me,” he adds as she opens her mouth to speak. “You—we’re like chalk and cheese, Luna. We don't work together. I love you, damn it, but I just don't think it’s working!” “What are you saying?” “I’m saying...” he pauses. What is he saying? What about what Hannah said? “I’m saying that... maybe, maybe we need to take a... break.” Deep Space Claw Kill the Spare Rating/Warnings: 1st/2nd Years — None Author’s Notes: Oh, the days when Snape was young, innocent, and cared about others more than himself. :/ Severus scanned the area heavily, making sure that Petunia was nowhere in sight. Where Lily was good and wonderful, Petunia was the complete opposite, and he wanted nothing to do with the latter. It was difficult to find time to spend with Lily, so he didn’t want to waste a second squabbling with her surly older sister. She was on a swing, one of her favourite places in the playground. The day was unseasonably warm for May, so the children who normally gathered in the area were inside, hiding from the heat with their lemonade. It was, because of this, a perfect day for a bit of magic. After he had told her of the laws regarding underage magic, it had taken some doing to convince Lily that she wouldn’t get in trouble for a little bit of minor spell-casting. He desperately wanted to run to her and announce his presence, but it was not going to improve her confidence in him as a tutor. Instead, he strode from the bushes behind which he had been hiding after arranging his ill-fitting clothing to be as presentable as possible. She saw him fairly quickly and waved animatedly mid-swing. “Sev, look what I can do!” Lily shouted. Before Severus could ask what she was going to do, Lily launched herself from the swing when it was at the highest point of its arc. She had done this before with stunning success, but this time was different. He knew her and cared about whether she landed safely. However, she was not done. The muscles in his stomach tightened with worry as she turned head over heels mid-air. His fears were quelled when she landed on her feet, albeit awkwardly, and bowed dramatically. Her jubilant smile of triumph made him run the rest of the distance, even though he stopped short and asked dully, “Are you all right?” “I can fly, Sev!” she said, whipping her arms wide as if to show she had wings. “How could I not be fine?” Though his brain screamed the thousand ways she could’ve been injured, Severus nodded in approval. “Your control is strong. You will be the best witch in the world with a wand and some training.” “I hope so,” she replied, a slight wobble in her voice. “What if I’m too Muggle? What if my magic isn’t as good as everyone else’s because my parents aren’t witch and wizard?” Something inside of Severus froze. He knew many things that she didn’t about the acceptance of Muggle-borns in the wizard world, but he almost didn’t have the heart to tell her. Instead, he plucked a twig laden with blossoms from a nearby cherry tree and placed it in her hands. She looked at him with curiosity, but he gestured toward the tiny branch. “Visualise the cherries. Will them into existence. Don’t let it take no for an answer.” Nodding solemnly, Lily squeezed her eyes shut and began murmuring quietly to herself. At first, a few of the blooms shrivelled and fell dead into the grass. Severus was glad Lily couldn’t see them, especially when, after half of the flowers had failed, the remaining ones began to develop into tiny green teardrops and finally into rich, plump-looking cherries. He swept the wilted ones away from them with his hand before saying, “Open your eyes.” Lily looked down at her hands in wonder. “I . . . I did it. I did it!” With a squeak of delight, she dropped the branch in the grass and wrapped her arms around him. Severus was unprepared for her embrace, but as he acclimated to this unaccustomed contact, he hoped that she never lost that spark.

Sign up now! AventuraBoca RatonBonita SpringsBoynton BeachBrooksvilleCoconut CreekCoral GablesDavieDeerfield BchDelray BeachFort LauderdaleFt LauderdaleGainesvilleHollywoodMiamiNaplesParklandPlantationSarasotaWeston Positive Person, always on never off. Love to laugh and enjoy a good joke. I work very hard and not looking to retire anytime soon. Lov... jazzie47 is a 65yr-old single woman in Tamarac, Florida Copyright © 2010 Spark Networks® USA, LLC. All rights reserved. Spark Networks USA, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spark Networks, Inc., a NYSE Amex Company (LOV). Spark Networks USA, LLC DOES NOT CONDUCT BACKGROUND CHECKS ON THE MEMBERS OR SUBSCRIBERS OF THIS WEBSITE.

Anger mounts against Australian radio station over royal hoax after nurse's death LONDON (AP) — The British hospital that fell victim to a prank call from two Australian DJs asking questions about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge condemned the hoax on Saturday, as the radio station behind the prank tried to defend itself against rising anger a day after the nurse who took the call was found dead. The body of Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found early Friday at nurses' housing provided by the London hospital where Prince William's wife, the former Kate Middleton, was being treated for acute morning sickness this week. Police have made no connection between her death and the prank call, but people from London to Sydney have been making the assumption she died because of the stress. The DJs have apologized for the hoax and taken the show off the air, but station 2day FM was forced to yank its Facebook page after it received thousands of angry comments and complaints have reportedly flooded into Australia's media regulator. Rhys Holleran, CEO of 2DayFM's parent company Southern Cross Austereo, said the hosts were shocked and devastated by news of Saldanha's death. "This is a tragic event that could not have been reasonably foreseen and we're deeply saddened by it," Holleran said during a news conference in Melbourne on Saturday. "I spoke to both presenters early this morning and it's fair to say they're completely shattered." Greig and Christian have been offered counseling, Holleran said. "These people aren't machines, they're human beings," he said. "We're all affected by this." Holleran would not say who came up with the idea for the call, only that "these things are often done collaboratively." He said 2DayFM would work with authorities, but was confident the station hadn't broken any laws. Lord Glenarthur, the chairman of King Edward VII's Hospital, wrote the chairman of the radio station's owner, saying the consequence of the prank "was the humiliation of two dedicated and caring nurses who were simply doing their job tending to their patients." Continued... "The longer term consequence has been reported around the world and is, frankly, tragic beyond words," he wrote in the letter. Police released a grainy photo of Saldanha on Saturday. A native of India, she had lived in Bristol in southwestern England with her family for the past nine years, Scotland Yard confirmed. Police said her death is being treated as "unexplained," though they said they didn't find anything suspicious. A coroner will make a determination on the cause next week. Flowers were left outside the hospital's nurses' building. Attached to the red, white and blue flowers, a note read: "Dear Jacintha, our thoughts are with you and your family. From all your fellow nurses, we bless your soul. God bless." Britain's Press Association reported she had a partner, Benedict Barboza, and a teenage son and daughter. In a statement, Saldanha's family said they were "deeply saddened" by the death and asked for privacy. "She was a lovely, lovely person who always spoke to you when you saw her in the street," neighbor Mary Atwell told the agency. "She fitted in well around here, they all did. They've lived here for at least 10 years and were very quiet and pleasant." During the call, a woman using the often-mimicked voice of Britain's monarch asked about the duchess' health. She was told by the second nurse who took the call from Saldanha that the duchess, the former Kate Middleton, "hasn't had any retching with me and she's been sleeping on and off." The Australian Communications and Media Authority, which regulates radio broadcasting, says it has received complaints about the prank and is discussing the matter with the Sydney-based station, though it has not yet begun an investigation. The station has a history of controversy, including a series of "Heartless Hotline" shows in which disadvantage people were offered a prize that could be taken away from them by listeners. St. James's Palace, the office of the duchess and her husband Prince William, expressed sadness at Saldanha's death, but insisted it had not complained about the hoax. King Edward VII's Hospital said it did not reprimand Saldanha, nor had plans to discipline her. Location, ST | website.com National News Videos - Operation Weed Whacker: Delco men charged in nationwide pot ring (5022) - Middletown man charged with helping hide evidence in Lanco killing (3773) - Interboro board: Super’s services coming to a close (3045) - Nick Foles upstages Michael Vick at Eagles practice (With Video) (2984) - Yeadon native charged with killing husband in N.J. being investigated for 1993 death of prior husband (2111) - Brett Favre jersey will be retired, Packers CEO says (1776) - Missing Montco college student found safe (1724) - Eagles' Jackson needs action to back talk (34) - Interim Interboro superintendent is in hot water over bad language (With Video) (14) - Former Springfield High wrestler charged with sex assault on boy (11) - Primary 2013: Challenger pulls upset in Yeadon (6) - Boys lacrosse: Joey Granahan’s effort preserves win for Garnet Valley in district tournament (6) - Havertown resident one of three men to be ordained a priest on Saturday (With Video) (5) Recent Activity on Facebook Phil Heron uses this site to turn back the curtain a bit on the great mystery involved in creating a newspaper and his other general thoughts on life and the news. Your daily wake up call with updated traffic, weather and few fun things to get you through the morning. Presenting Chester City's news and views to Delco Times web visitors who want to know more of what's going on in the City besides the stories they read in the paper. Promotes family friendly events and activities held in and around Delco on a weekly basis. Cliff Wilson served as chairman of the Delaware County Democratic Party for 16 years (1994-2010). He will write on politics and other issues he feels strongly about. Offers timely health advice for pets, behavioral tricks of the trade, follow-up success stories, and more. Updated regularly by ACDC's all-volunteer staff that includes long-time foster parents and pet owners who have years of experience. Kent Davidson covers local politics, events, and goings-on in the borough of Media, PA.

Mali, with a population of approximately 12 million, is a constitutional democracy that continued to implement a decentralized form of government. International and domestic observers characterized the 2002 presidential and legislative elections as generally free and fair; however, there were some administrative irregularities. On May 23, Tuareg rebels attacked government military bases in the town of Kidal and Menaka. On July 4, the government signed a peace agreement with rebel forces. While civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces, there were isolated instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of government authority. The government generally respected its citizens' human rights; however, poor prison conditions, lengthy pretrial detention, prolonged trial delays, domestic violence and discrimination against women, female genital mutilation (FGM), trafficking in children, hereditary servitude relationships between different ethnic groups, child labor, and forced labor, including by children, were problems. RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. On September 1, November 23, and November 28, mob killings occurred in Bamako. In each case local citizens beat and killed suspected thieves. There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances. Unlike in the previous year, there were no reported kidnappings. c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment The constitution and law prohibit such practices; however, there were occasional reports that police abused civilians. There were reports that police arrested and abused student demonstrators (see section 2.b.). Prison and Detention Center Conditions Overall prison conditions remained poor. Prisons continued to be overcrowded, medical facilities and access were inadequate, and food supplies were insufficient. Men and women were separated in Bamako prisons; however, outside the capital, men and women were held in the same building but in separate cells. In Bamako juvenile offenders usually were held in the same prison as adult offenders, but they were kept in separate cells. Pretrial detainees were held with convicted prisoners. The government permitted prison visits by human rights monitors; however, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other monitors were required to submit a request to the prison director, who then forwarded it to the Ministry of Justice. Approvals, which took up to one week, were routinely granted, but the week delay hindered the ability of monitors to ascertain if there were human rights violations, according to one NGO. Several NGOs, including the Malian Association of Human Rights and the Malian Association of Women Lawyers, visited prisoners and worked with female and juvenile prisoners to improve their conditions. d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention, and the government generally observed these prohibitions; however, on occasion, police arrested and detained persons arbitrarily. Role of the Police and Security Apparatus Security forces include the army, air force, gendarmerie, national guard, and police. The army and air force are under the control of the civilian minister of defense. The national guard is administratively under the minister of defense; however, it is effectively under the command and control of the minister of internal security and civil protection. The police and gendarmerie are under the Ministry of Internal Security and Civil Protection. The police have responsibility for law enforcement and maintaining order in urban areas, while gendarmes have that responsibility in rural areas. The national police force is organized into various districts. Each district has a commissioner who reports to the regional director at national headquarters. The police force was moderately effective but lacked resources and training. Corruption was a problem, and some police and gendarmes extorted bribes (see section 2.d.). Impunity was not a problem, and individual police were charged and convicted of abuses. The gendarmerie conducted investigations of police officers. During the year police officer Daba Djire was suspended for involvement in a case involving three Lebanese nationals accused of tapping into a local telephone network; the officer was awaiting trial at year's end. Arrest and Detention Judicial warrants are required for arrest. Normally complainants deliver warrants, which stipulate when a person is scheduled to appear at a police station. However, police sometimes served warrants, generally in response to an influential relative of the complainant or if they received a bribe. In cases involving a monetary debt, the arrested person frequently resolved the case at the police precinct, and the police received a portion of the recovered money. The law provides that suspects must be charged or released within 48 hours and that they are entitled to counsel; however, in practice, detainees were not always charged within the 48 hour period. Limited rights of bail or the granting of conditional liberty exist, particularly for minor crimes and civil matters. On occasion the authorities released defendants on their own recognizance. Detainees have the right to a lawyer of their choice or a state-provided lawyer, but administrative backlogs and an insufficient number of lawyers often prevented prompt access. Detainees were allowed prompt access to family members. Police arrested demonstrators during the year, and the presidential palace's security force briefly detained a journalist (see sections 2.a. and 2.b.). Pretrial detention was a problem. In extreme cases, individuals remained in prison for several years before coming to trial. Approximately 77 percent of imprisoned persons were awaiting trial. e. Denial of Fair Public Trial The constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary; however, the executive branch continued to exert influence over the judicial system, and corruption and limited resources affected the fairness of some trials. Domestic human rights groups alleged that there were instances of bribery and influence peddling in the courts. The minister of justice appoints and may suspend judges, and the Justice Ministry supervises both law enforcement and judicial functions. The president heads the Council of Magistrates, which oversees judicial activity. During the year the Council of Magistrates temporarily suspended Judge Sidi Keita for the attempted murder of a court clerk in the town of Mopti. No charges were filed against the judge, who was transferred to another district. The council charged and suspended a second judge in Bamako for accepting a bribe in connection with a case involving three Lebanese nationals accused of tapping into a local telephone network; the judge subsequently died. The deputy public prosecutor, senior magistrate, and judge investigated in 2005 on charges of corruption were suspended and awaiting trial at year's end. The country has a lower Circuit Court and a Supreme Court with both judicial and administrative powers and a Constitutional Court that oversees constitutional issues and acts as an election arbiter. The constitution also provides for the convening of a high court of justice to try senior government officials in cases of treason. Except in the case of minors, trials are public, and defendants have the right to be present and have an attorney of their choice. Court-appointed attorneys are provided for the indigent without charge. Defendants have the right to consult with their attorney, but administrative backlogs and an insufficient number of lawyers often prevented prompt access. Defendants and attorneys have access to government evidence relevant to their cases. Defendants are presumed innocent and have the right to confront witnesses and to appeal decisions to the Supreme Court. These rights extend to all citizens and all groups. Village chiefs, in consultation with the elders, decided the majority of disputes in rural areas. If these decisions were challenged in court, only those found to have legal merit were upheld. There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees. Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies There is an independent and impartial judiciary in civil matters. f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence The constitution and law prohibit such actions, and the government generally respected these prohibitions in practice. Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including: a. Freedom of Speech and Press The constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and of the press, and the government generally respected these rights in practice. Individuals criticized the government publicly and privately, generally without reprisal, and the government did not attempt to impede this criticism. The independent media were active and expressed a wide variety of views without restriction. On June 8, the presidential palace's security force beat and jailed a journalist, who had argued with security officials over the placement of a security cordon. A few hours later the government apologized, and the journalist was released. No charges were filed in connection with the July 2005 kidnapping and beating of a private radio talk show host; the investigation was ongoing at year's end. There were no government restrictions on access to the Internet or reports that the government monitored e-mail or Internet chat rooms. Individuals and groups could engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including by electronic mail. There were numerous Internet cafes in Bamako, although home access in the capital was limited to those able to pay the high installation and monthly fees. Outside of Bamako, there were a few sites where the Internet was available for public use, but many towns in the country had no Internet access. Academic Freedom and Cultural Events There were no government restrictions on academic freedom or cultural events. b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association Freedom of Assembly The constitution and law provide for freedom of assembly, and the government generally respected this right in practice. On November 13, police fired tear gas into a demonstration of medical students seeking higher stipends from the government. The students blocked access to one of Bamako's main hospitals during the protest and injected police with an unknown red liquid, later identified as juice. Police and protesters were injured by rocks and other projectiles. Five students were arrested, charged with damaging property, and held for six days before being released. The students' union claimed that the five, including one woman, were physically and sexually abused while in police custody. Their trials were pending at year's end. Freedom of Association The constitution and law provide for freedom of association, and the government generally respected this right in practice; however, the law prohibits association deemed immoral. In June 2005 the governor of the District of Bamako cited this law to refuse official recognition of a gay rights association. c. Freedom of Religion The constitution and law provide for freedom of religion, and the government generally respected this right in practice. The government required that all public associations, including religious associations, register; the process was routine and not burdensome. Traditional indigenous religious groups were not required to register. Societal Abuses and Discrimination The Jewish population was estimated at less than 50, and there were no reports of anti-Semitic acts. For a more detailed discussion, see the 2006 International Religious Freedom Report. d. Freedom of Movement within the Country, Foreign Travel, Emigration, and Repatriation The constitution and law provide for these rights, and the government generally respected them in practice. Police routinely stopped and checked both citizens and foreigners to restrict the movement of contraband and to verify vehicle registrations. Some police and gendarmes extorted bribes. The constitution and law specifically prohibit forced exile; the government did not use it. Protection of Refugees The laws provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 protocol, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. In practice, the government provided protection against refoulement, the return of persons to a country where they feared persecution, and granted refugee status or asylum. A national committee in charge of refugees operated with institutional assistance from the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The government also provided temporary protection to individuals who may not qualify as refugees under the 1951 convention and the 1967 protocol and provided it to approximately 390 persons during the year. Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens to Change Their Government The constitution and law provide citizens with the right to change their government peacefully, and citizens exercised this right in practice through periodic, free, and fair elections held on the basis of universal suffrage. Elections and Political Participation Presidential and legislative elections were last held in 2002; domestic and international observers characterized both elections as generally free, fair, and without evident fraud, but there were administrative irregularities. There were 15 women in the 147-member National Assembly, five women in the 28-seat cabinet, five women on the 33-member Supreme Court, and three women on the nine-member Constitutional Court; a woman chaired the Supreme Court. The National Assembly had 14 members of historically marginalized pastoralist and nomadic ethnic minorities representing the northern and eastern regions of Gao, Timbuktu, and Kidal. The cabinet also had two representatives of the northern regions: the minister of health and the minister of state reforms and institutional relations. Government Corruption and Transparency The government continued its campaign to curb corruption; however, corruption hindered development and governmental efforts to improve human rights. On May 30, the auditor general's office released its first annual report, which charged widespread tax evasion and customs duty fraud by private telecommunications companies, the mayor of Bamako's office, and fuel importation officials. No action had been taken against responsible officials by year's end. On August 15, the auditor general announced that approximately one million dollars (500 million CFA) had disappeared during the last three years from the Office du Niger, which manages the country's rice-growing region. The director of the Office du Niger was subsequently removed, and three mid-level employees were arrested. In November the three mid-level employees were released. No verdict was reached during the year in the February 2005 case in which employees of the textile parastatal Compagnie Malienne pour le Development des Textiles were charged with illegally importing cotton. The law provides for public access to government information, and the government granted such access. If an information request is refused, the person inquiring can appeal to an administrative court, which must handle the appeal within three months. Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights A number of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases. Government officials were generally cooperative and responsive to their views. These groups included the Malian Association for Human Rights, a smaller Malian League of Human Rights, and a local chapter of Amnesty International. The International Committee for the Red Cross had offices in Bamako, Timbuktu, and Gao. Section 5 Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons The constitution and law prohibit discrimination based on social origin, color, language, sex, or race, and the government generally enforced these provisions effectively; however, violence and discrimination against women, FGM, and trafficking in children were problems. Domestic violence against women, including spousal abuse, was tolerated and common. Spousal abuse is a crime, but police were reluctant to enforce laws against or intervene in cases of domestic violence. Assault is punishable by prison terms of one to five years and fines of up to $1,000 (500,000 CFA francs) or if premeditated, up to 10 years' imprisonment. Many women were reluctant to file complaints against their husbands because they were unable to support themselves financially. The Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Children, and the Family produced a guide on violence against women for use by health care providers, police, lawyers, and judges. The guide provides definitions of the types of violence and guidelines on how each should be handled. The ministry has also begun surveys to assess the frequency of violence, but no results were available at year's end. Action for the Defense and Promotion of Women Rights and Action for the Promotion of Household Maids operated shelters. The law criminalizes rape, but spousal rape is not illegal. Reports of rape were rare, and most cases went unreported. FGM was common, particularly in rural areas, and was performed on girls between the ages of six months to six years. According to domestic NGOs, approximately 95 percent of adult women had undergone FGM. The practice was widespread in most regions and among most ethnic groups, was not subject to class boundaries, and was not religiously based. There were no laws against FGM, but a government decree prohibits FGM in government-funded health centers. The government continued its two-phased plan aimed at eliminating all forms of FGM by 2008. According to the local human rights organizations fighting FGM, the educational phase (workshops, videos, and theater) continued in cities, and FGM reportedly decreased substantially among children of educated parents. In many instances FGM practitioners agreed to stop the practice in exchange for other income-generating activity. The National Committee Against Violence Towards Women linked all the NGOs active in FGM. Prostitution is legal and common in cities. Sex tourism was not known to be a problem. There were no confirmed reports of prostitutes targeted for abuse by local authorities. The law does not specifically address sexual harassment. Family law favored men, and women were particularly vulnerable in cases of divorce, child custody, and inheritance rights, as well as in the general protection of civil rights. Women had very limited access to legal services due to their lack of education and information, as well as the prohibitive cost. For example, if a woman wanted a divorce, she had to pay approximately $60 (30,000 CFA francs) to start the process, a prohibitive amount for most women. While the law gives women equal property rights, traditional practice and ignorance of the law prevented women, even educated women, from taking full advantage of their rights. A community property marriage had to be specified in the marriage contract. In addition if the type of marriage was not specified on the marriage certificate, judges presumed the marriage was polygynous. Traditional practice discriminated against women in inheritance matters, and men inherited most of the family wealth. Women's access to employment and to economic and educational opportunities was limited. Women constituted approximately 15 percent of the labor force, and the government, the country's major employer, paid women the same as men for similar work. Women often lived under harsh conditions, particularly in rural areas, where they performed difficult farm work and did most of the childrearing. The Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Children, and the Family was charged with ensuring the legal rights of women. Under a four-year (2004-2008) national plan of action to promote the status of women, the government continued efforts to reduce inequalities between men and women and to create links between women within the Economic Community of West African States and throughout Africa. Several women's rights groups, such as the Association of Malian Women Lawyers, the Association of Women in Law and Development, the Collective of Women's Associations, and the Association for the Defense of Women's Rights, worked to highlight legal inequities, primarily in the family code, through debates, conferences, and women's rights training. These groups also provided legal assistance to women and targeted magistrates, police officers, and religious and traditional leaders in educational outreach to promote women's rights. The government was committed to providing for children's welfare and rights. Several laws protect children and provide for their welfare, including an ordinance that provides for regional positions as "child delegates" to safeguard the rights and interests of children. Education was tuition free and, in principle, open to all; however, students were required to provide their own uniforms and supplies. Primary school was compulsory up to the age of 12, but only 56.6 percent of children from seven to 12 years old (49.3 percent of girls and 64.1 percent of boys) received a primary education during the 2005-06 school year. Girls' enrollment in school was lower than boys' at all levels due to poverty, cultural tendencies to emphasize boys' education, and early marriages. Other factors affecting school enrollment in general included distance to the nearest school, lack of transportation, and shortages of teachers and instructional materials. Members of the black Tamachek community reported that Tamachek children were denied educational opportunities because their masters would not allow their children to attend school (see section 5, National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities). Approximately 11 percent of students attended private Arabic-language schools, or Medersas. Medersas were encouraged to follow the government curriculum, and most taught core subjects including math, science, and foreign languages; however, few Medersas fully adhered to the government's curriculum due to a lack of teacher training and instructional materials. An unknown number of primary school aged children throughout the country attended part-time Koranic schools; most students were under the age of 10. Koranic schools taught only the Koran and were partially funded by students, known as garibouts, who were required by schoolmasters to beg for money on the streets as part of their religious instruction. A 2005 UNICEF study of Koranic schools in Mopti found that children who attended these schools spent the majority of their time begging on the streets or working in fields. The government provided subsidized medical care to children as well as adults, but the care was limited in quality and availability. Boys and girls had equal access to medical care. Statistics on child abuse were unreliable, and reported cases of abuse were rare, according to local human rights organizations. The social services department investigated and intervened in cases of child abuse or neglect. FGM was commonly performed on young girls (see section 5, Women). Women may legally marry at age 18 and men at age 21. The marriage code allows girls under age 15 to marry with parental consent or special permission from a judge. Women's rights organizations opposed this provision as contradicting international conventions that protect children through the age of 18. Underage marriage was known to be a problem in the regions of Kayes, Sikasso, Timbuktu, and Mopti. Parents contracted marriage for girls as young as age 11 in the Fulani, Minianka, and Soninke ethnic groups, even though the practice is illegal. Local women's rights NGOs, such as Action for the Promotion and Development of Women, the Committee for the Defense of Women's Rights, and the Women's and Children's Rights Watch, educated local populations about the negative consequences of underage marriage. The government also helped to enable girls married at an early age to continue in school. Trafficking in children (see section 5, Trafficking) and child labor (see section 6.d.) were problems. Trafficking in Persons The law does not prohibit trafficking in persons in adults but does prohibit trafficking in children; however, there were reports that persons were trafficked to, from, and within the country. Most trafficking occurred within the country during the year. Children were trafficked to rice fields in the central regions; boys were trafficked to mines in the south; and girls were trafficked for involuntary domestic servitude in Bamako. Victims were generally trafficked for agricultural work, domestic servitude, and to a lesser extent into begging, gold mining, and prostitution. The victims were usually from the central regions of the country and not a specific ethnic group. Women and girls were trafficked from Nigeria for sexual exploitation, mainly by Nigerian traffickers. Child trafficking is punishable by five to 20 years' imprisonment. The law also prohibits the contractual use of persons without their consent. Penalties increase if a minor is involved and range from five to 20 years' imprisonment. Although legal protections and measures are in place, parents of child victims were reluctant to file charges, and cases often languished within the justice system. During the year there also were reports of trafficking in persons between the country and its neighbors, primarily Guinea and Burkina Faso. During the year a local court convicted Moussa Traore, a citizen of the country, for trafficking two children, ages 13 and 14, to work on his cotton farm in Cote d'Ivoire. Traore was sentenced to one year's imprisonment, but released because he had already served the length of the sentence awaiting trial. On October 12, gendarmes in the town of Niono discovered 24 citizens of Burkina Faso, including 20 minors, in a minibus driven by Zakaria Ouedrago. According to the police, Ouedrago and Dramane Konta, a citizen of the country, had trafficked the 24 for work in Konta's fields. The children were turned over to a local NGO that cares for victims of child trafficking, and were subsequently repatriated to Burkina Faso. Ouedrago was arrested and awaiting trial at year's end. Konta remained at large. The Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Children, and the Family and the Ministry of Labor and Civil Service shared responsibility for combating trafficking. The two ministries, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Territorial Administration, developed a program to identify and rehabilitate victims, educate the population, and strengthen the legal system with regard to the movement and trafficking of minors. In July the Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Children, and the Family released the results of a 2004 study on the sexual exploitation of minors in the regions of Sikasso, Kayes, and Bamako. The study, which involved 450 interviews, found that the children most at risk for sexual exploitation were girls between the ages of 12 and 18 who worked as street vendors or domestic servants, or who were homeless children or the victims of child trafficking. Such exploitation was most prevalent in areas in which the population and economy were in flux, such as border zones or towns on transportation routes or in mining areas. The study noted that most cases of sexual exploitation went unreported and recommended that the country strengthen its laws to protect children. The government assists with international trafficking investigations and the extradition of citizens accused of trafficking in other countries, but there were no such cases during the year. The government worked closely with international organizations and NGOs to coordinate the repatriation and reintegration of trafficking victims. Three children were repatriated during the year from Cote d'Ivoire. Welcome centers in Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, and Bamako assisted in returning trafficked children to their families. The government provided temporary shelter and protection for victims at these centers. Parents were required to carry travel passes for children, a measure intended to curb child trafficking. Persons with Disabilities There was no specific law protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, or in the provision of other state services; however, the government did not discriminate against persons with disabilities. There is no law mandating accessibility to public buildings. There were no reports of societal discrimination against persons with disabilities. The Ministry of Social Affairs is charged with the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. Societal discrimination against "black" Tamacheks and hereditary servitude relationships between Tamacheks and other groups continued during the year (see section 6.c.). Members of the Tamachek community reported that they did not benefit from equal education opportunities because their masters would not allow their children to attend school. Tamacheks reported they were deprived of civil liberties by other ethnic groups. On November 15, a Tamachek group, known by the acronym TEMEDT, called for an end to all slavery-related practices in the country (see section 6.c.). The 2004 case concerning the killing of a customs officer during a confrontation between two Tuareg communities in Kidal was still pending at year's end. Other Social Abuses and Discrimination In June 2005 the governor of Bamako refused to grant official recognition to a gay rights association (see section 2.b.). Section 6 Worker Rights a. The Right of Association The law provides for workers to form or join unions of their choice without previous authorization or excessive requirements, and workers exercised these rights in practice. Only the military, the gendarmerie, and the national guard were excluded from forming unions. An estimated 95 percent of salaried employees were organized, including teachers, magistrates, health workers, and senior civil servants. The law does not prohibit antiunion discrimination, but there were no reports of antiunion behavior or activities during the year. b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively The law allows unions to conduct their activities without interference, and the government respected these rights in practice. The law provides for the right to collective bargaining, and workers exercised this right freely. Unions have the right to strike, and workers exercised this right. There are no export processing zones. The growth of independent unions led to more direct bargaining between unions and their employers. Wages and salaries for workers belonging to the National Union of Malian Workers Federation (UNTM) and the Syndicated Confederation of Malian Workers were set by tripartite negotiations between the Ministry of Labor, labor unions, and representatives of the National Council of Employers of the sector to which the wages applied. These negotiations usually set the pattern for unions outside the UNTM. Civil service salary levels were pegged nationally to an index established by the government. The law provides for the right to strike; however, there were restrictions in some areas. For example, civil servants and workers in state-owned enterprises were required to give two weeks' notice of a planned strike and to enter into mediation and negotiations with the employer and a third party, usually the Ministry of Labor and State Reforms. The labor code prohibits retribution against strikers, and the government generally effectively enforced these laws. c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor The law prohibits forced or compulsory labor, including by children; however, there were reports that such practices occurred (see sections 5 and 6.d.). The law prohibits the contractual use of persons without their consent, and penalties include a fine and hard labor. Penalties increase significantly if a minor, defined as someone less than 15 years of age, is involved. Hereditary servitude relationships continued to informally link different ethnic groups, particularly in the north. There was evidence that members of the Tamachek community continued to live in forced servitude and were deprived of civil liberties by members of other ethnic groups. During the year members of the black Tamachek community, often referred to by the pejorative label bellah, reported on the continued existence of feudal slave-related practices in the country. d. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment The labor code has specific policies that pertain to child labor; however, these regulations often were ignored in practice, and child labor was a problem. The labor code permits children between the ages of 12 and 14 to work up to two hours per day during school vacations with parental approval. Children 14 to 16 may work up to 4½ hours per day with the permission of a labor inspector, but not during nights, on Sundays, or on holidays. Children 16 to 18 could work in jobs that were not physically demanding; boys could work up to eight hours per day, and girls up to six hours per day. Child labor predominated in the agricultural, mining, and domestic help sectors and, to a lesser degree, in craft and trade apprenticeships and cottage industries. Laws against unjust compensation, excessive hours, or capricious discharge did not apply to the vast number of children who worked in rural areas helping with family farms, household chores and herds, apprenticing in trades, or working in the informal sector, such as street vendors. Trafficking in children was a problem (see section 5). The authorities enforced labor code provisions through inspectors from the Ministry of Labor and State Reforms, which conducted surprise inspections and complaint-based inspections; however, resource limitations restricted the frequency and effectiveness of oversight by the Labor Inspection Service, which operated only in the formal sector. The National Campaign Against Child Labor, led by the International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC)-Mali, was responsible for investigating abusive forms of child labor. IPEC relied on labor inspectors appointed by the government in Bamako and in regional labor offices throughout the country. IPEC investigated cases when NGOs or the media provided information that there was abusive child labor. There were no such reports during the year. e. Acceptable Conditions of Work The national minimum wage rate, set during the year, was approximately $53 (28,000 CFA francs) per month, which did not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The minimum wage was supplemented by a required package of benefits, including social security and health care. While this total package could provide a minimum standard of living for one person, most wage earners supported large extended families and supplemented their income by subsistence farming or employment in the informal sector. The labor code specifies conditions of employment, including hours, wages, and social security; however, many employers either ignored or did not comply completely with the regulations. The legal workweek was 40 hours (45 hours for agricultural employees), with a requirement for a 24-hour rest period. Workers had to be paid overtime for additional hours. The law provides a broad range of legal protections against hazards in the workplace, and workers' groups brought pressure on employers to respect parts of the regulations, particularly those affecting personal hygiene. With high unemployment, however, workers often were reluctant to report violations of occupational safety regulations. The Labor Inspection Service oversees these standards but limited enforcement to the modern, formal sector. It was not effective in investigating and enforcing workers' safety and was insufficiently funded for its responsibilities. Workers had the right to remove themselves from dangerous work situations and to request an investigation by the Social Security Department, which is responsible for recommending remedial action where deemed necessary; it was not known if any worker had done so.

Snooki is undoubtedly dealing with morning sickness, swollen ankles and a grotesquely stretched navel piercing right now, so why not celebrate the single best thing about being pregnant: the temporarily gigantic bosoms? Okay, clearly the single best thing is the adorable tiny human that comes out of you and becomes your family, but you have to wait nine months for that! You and your Twitter followers can enjoy jaw-dropping curves right now! “I got swagger with my pregnant self =),” the Jersey Shore star tweeted today along with a photo featuring her plunging neckline. Someone tell Deena that we like the boobs already. If not, she’s just going to keep asking. “They won’t stop growing. I’m scared,” Snooki replied to a follower’s flattering comments. We’re scared too, girl. Will JWoww be able to handle the competition? Do they even let pregnant women into tanning beds? What about spray tan? We have so many pressing questions that Snooki’s boobs cannot answer! Oh, Snooki also tweeted a cuddly photo of herself with her bethrothed Jionni LaValle, showing off her massive engagement ring and gushing “My FIANCÉ!!!” in what seems to be the first public confirmation that they are actually engaged. Let’s be real though, this guy is going to be around for a while. Until then…stop obstructing our view of Snooki’s chesticles! [Photo: Snooki's Twitter] We think it’s safe to say that Snooki is most well-known for getting dreezy, commandeering the smush room at will and indulging in a Shore Shower whenever the need and/or opportunity arises. When drinking and (hopefully) the UTIs fade into the background now that the Jersey Shore star is with child, what will be left is a bundle of fun who would actually be a pretty awesome mom to have. Or…at least an awesome mom to know. For example, wouldn’t you love it if your best friend’s mother put on her high-waisted slacks, slipped into her gold-tipped wedges and walked her lavender dog to a psychic, as Snooks did this week in Jersey City while filming her upcoming spin-off? This makes us so glad girl signed on for Jersey Shore Season 6. See, you can be sober and pregnant and still be amazing. Just give that woman a rabbit costume and a box of Clinique samples and she’ll be tearing up until the moment she enters the maternity ward, and probably after. And if it gets to be too much, there’s always Auntie JWoww, who can always provide you with some much needed sanity. Plus she can mentor you in strength training! [Photo: Splash News Online] Snooki should really know this is not the most attractive look for her. Why on earth would you invite the paparazzi to click a moment that is reserved solely for grimacing and, if your threshold for pain isn’t particularly high, screaming. She was in L.A. this weekend and decided to pop into the Martlet Tattoo Parlor in Hollywood, along with cameras, of course. The Jersey Shore star got, what else, stars tattooed on her shoulder. But get this, they’re leopard-print stars! We die. She probably just pointed at her earrings and said — tattoo that. Snooki also seems to have got one rather large tiger-stripe star as well. For a closer look, click after the jump. Read more… Where do we even begin? To say that last night’s makeout sesh between Snooki and Deena on Jersey Shore was a trainwreck is a pretty apt description, especially considering that episode eventually ended with Snooki crashing into an Italian cop car. America’s favorite meatballs (and Italy’s least favorite meatballs) are at it again, but this time, it’s with each other. Literally. Check out our gallery to witness Deena and Nicole go at it at the club, the car, the house, and their room, with the grand finale being their reactions when their roommates clued them in about the events of the night before. As Sammi Sweetheart would say, “Not a good look.” Waaah-hoooo! On the cover of the new issue of Rolling Stone, America’s favorite pickle addict/diminuitive star of the Jersey Shore, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, is pretty clearly paying tribute to Slim Pickens’ famed rocket ride from the stone classic 1964 film, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love The Bomb. That said, we’re fairly confident that this Stanley Kubrick reference was lost on our gal Snooks. In a video interview taken during the cover shoot (which we’ve got for you below), she compares the rocket ship she’s straddling to Seabiscuit, but not because of the extreme speed with which both the rocket and the famous equine moved. Nope, “Seabiscuit” is a reference to the size of her housemate Vinny’s, um, “ding dong” (her words, not ours). Glad we got that clarification! As the interview continues, she also discusses what life is really like inside the Jersey Shore house (“It’s just like prison, with cameras”), as well as her aspirations for life after the show (“What I’d like is to turn out like Jessica Simpson, with her whole brand. She makes millions”), among other bits of Snooki-related marginalia. Oh, and did we mention she deep throats a pickle, too?

Love this—and the music you chose too! I like the photo you took of the red-headed woman at 00:50 who has what looks like a daisy-chain head band and who is looking at the painting of the red-headed woman. We can’t see because she is facing away but one wonders if there was a look of recognition on her face, like she was looking in a mirror through time. Jean-Jacques Henner was contemporaneous with the Pre-Raphaelite Dante Gabriel Rossetti so it might be understandable for one to feel echoes in a Rossetti portrait of a red-haired-beauty such as this. Lovely! I want to visit next time. Don't let me forget!V Rossetti did like his redheads. Among a number of others there are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7. Enregistrer un commentaire

Ari:Other fashion sites list where the fabulous subjects got what they're wearing, or where they shop. Do you think you could begin to ask for this info? I'm much younger than Ms. Hammer, but I cold totally rock this outfit. She looks great!! She is so cool! I love the glasses and her graceful, relaxed look. Good grief, I love your blog (have for some time). You know the most beautiful ladies in the world and they are my inspiration. . . b/c of you. An inspiration that is much needed in the world today. Thank you so much for sharing. Blessings, Janet Hi Ari, hope all is well. Wow!! Those glasses are my style. If I had a pair like that, I'd definitely wear them. She looks awesome. Well maintained figure, big smile, eyes that sparkle and a woman who seems to be very happy with her life. Rock on Rita!! Yes, she does. I love her slacks. the lady knows what to wear and what suits her... Love those glasses and the red tunic/lips. She looks fab ! Gorgeous. I need to take posing lessons from her. I love the way she looks contemporary yet classic and elegant at the same time. I love the blouse. Lana www.lifeatwildberrycottage.com She's got amazing style, those glasses are spectacular :)xXx What an absolute babe. An absolute beauty and I LOVE her make-up - yay for red lippy! xo What a pose! And what a smile! I am loving how older women are embracing the oversized eyeglass frames. Not only are they practical (when you have bifocals, the more viewing space you have to work with the better!), but they are also a can't-miss style statement in contrast to gray hair and pale skin. Iris Apfel and Rita both look very cool in theirs and I will be rocking a pair in my 80's wow! she looks totally amazing!!!vanessahttp://thepinkmateproject.blogspot.com/ The big round glasses really make her eyes pop out...besides, they're just so fun and youthful! she looks fabulous! those glasses are beyond amazing! love it! She is gorgeous! Ari, you and your blog have single-handedly gotten me past my fear of aging. THX! Wanda in Edmonton Very stylin! Love the specs! I really love how this chic outfit shows off her relaxed body language. Red really goes well with Gold.. The old women looks so fashion! Post a Comment

I have been an NTL customer since 9th July 2001, when I signed up for your 3-in-one deal for cable TV, cable modem, and During this three-month period I have encountered inadequacy of service which I had not previously considered possible, as well as ignorance and stupidity of monolithic proportions. Please allow me to provide specific details, so that you can either pursue your professional prerogative, and seek to rectify these difficulties or more likely (I suspect) so that you can have some entertaining reading material as you while away the working day smoking B&Hs and drinking vendor-coffee on the bog in your office. My initial installation was cancelled without warning or notice, resulting in my spending an entire Saturday sitting on my fat arse waiting for your technician to arrive. When he did not arrive at all, I spent a further 57 minutes listening to your infuriating hold music, and the even more annoying Scottish robot woman telling me to look at your helpful websites. How? I alleviated the boredom to some small degree by playing with my testicles for a few minutes - an activity at which you are no doubt both familiar and highly The rescheduled installation then took place some two weeks later, although the technician did forget to bring a number of vital tools - such as a drill-bit, and his cerebrum. Two weeks later, my cable modem had still not arrived. After several further telephone calls (actually 15 telephone calls over 4 weeks) my modem arrived - a total of six weeks after I had requested it, and begun to pay for it. I estimate that the downtime of your internet servers is These are usually the hours between about 6pm and midnight, Monday to Friday, and most of the useful periods over the weekend. I am still waiting for my telephone connection. I have made 9 telephone calls on my mobile to your no-help line this week, and have been unhelpfully transferred to a variety of disinterested individuals, who are it seems also highly skilled bollock jugglers. I have been informed that a telephone line is available (and someone will call me back), that no telephone line is available (and someone will call me back), that I will be transferred to someone who knows whether or not a telephone line is available (and then been cut off), that I will be transferred to someone who knows whether or not a telephone line is available (and then been redirected to an answer machine informing me that your office is closed), that I will be transferred to someone who knows whether or not a telephone line is available (and then been redirected to the irritating Scottish robot woman) and several other variations on this theme. Doubtless you are no longer reading this letter, as you have at least a thousand other dissatisfied customers to ignore, and also another one of those crucially important testicle moments to attend to. Frankly I don't care, it's far more satisfying as a customer to voice my frustrations in print than to shout them at your unending hold music. Forgive me, therefore, if I continue. I used to think that BT (British Telecom) were shit, that they had attained the holy piss-pot of god-awful customer relations, that no one, anywhere, ever, could be more disinterested, less helpful or more obstructive to delivering service to their customers. That's why I chose NTL, and because, well, there isn't anyone else is there? How surprised I therefore was, when I discovered to my considerable dissatisfaction and disappointment what a useless shower of bastards you truly You are sputum-filled pieces of distended rectum - incompetents of the highest order. British Telecom - wankers though they are - shine like brilliant beacons of success, in the filthy puss-filled mire of your seemingly limitless Suffice to say that I have now given up on my futile and foolhardy quest to receive any kind of service from you. I suggest that you do likewise, and cease any potential future attempts to extort payment from me for the services which you have so pointedly and catastrophically failed to deliver. Any such activity will be greeted initially with hilarity and disbelief although these feelings will quickly be replaced by derision, and even perhaps a small measure of bemused rage. I enclose two small deposits, selected with great care from my cat's litter tray, as an statement of my utter and complete contempt for both you, and your pointless company. I sincerely hope that they have not become desiccated during transit - they were satisfyingly moist at the time of posting, and I would feel considerable disappointment if you did not experience both their rich aroma and delicate texture. Consider them the very embodiment of my feelings towards NTL, and it's worthless employees. Have a nice day - may it be the last in you miserable short life, you irritatingly incompetent and infuriatingly unhelpful bunch of twats. Q:- Why are female humans considered as a weaker sex...? A:- Only male humans consider female humans to be the weaker sex...in ACTUAL fact, females are the superior sex ....just take a look at wild animals, say, lions....the lioness does the hunting whilst the lion just stupidly eats and mates... Q:- Why do ladies, in general, wear make-up...? A:- Because we girls know that in this society, we should never reveal our true selves to strangers... only loved ones get to see our real Q:- Why is it that only ladies can get pregnant and not men..? A:- Children are naturally close to mothers rather than fathers cos the women are the ones who give birth to them.... And the future lies in the hands of these children who are directly *controlled* by their mothers....So what do we have ? A future directed by WOMEN !! Q:- Why do ladies like to keep long fingernails in general...? A:- What a stupidly biased question (by a MAN, of course)... Why do men like to keep moustaches ..? Q:- Why are ladies more fuss than guys...? A:- God wanna punish guys. Q:- Why do we see that gals often dresses in guys dressing like pants, etc and not visa-versa.. ? A:- Because we gals are not afraid to try anything, unlike the other Q:- Why do guys gives flowers to their girlfriends. ...? A:- Because guys are too cheap to give their girlfriends diamonds or even cold hard cash.... and the worse thing is that some may foolishly believe the florist's claim that flowers are supposedly romantic ! Q:- Why do ladies usually cry during a wedding...? A:- Cos she suddenly realized that she's stuck with the jerk beside her for the next 50 years or so..... Boo ! Hoo ! Hoo ! Q:- What's the greatest mistake a guy could ever make..?. A:- Asking a lady all the above questions! Q. Why are men like dolphins? A. They say they are extremely intelligent but no one can prove it. Q. Why can't a man be handsome and intelligent at the same time? A. That would make him a woman. Q. Why are batteries better than men? A. Batteries have at least one positive side. Q. What's the difference between Pauly and coffee? A. None. They both get on your nerves. Q. Why do men prefere to marry a virgin? A. Because they can't stand criticism. Q. What do you call a goodlooking intelligent and sensitive man? A. A rumour. Q. Why do men exist? A. Because vibrators can't mow the lawn. Q. What would the world be like without men? A. Full of happy fat women. A man is like a video, forward backward, forward, backward, stop, eject Men are like whales No brain and all their strength in the tail Q. What does a woman not want to hear after good sex? A. Honey, I'm home! Q. What does a woman do after good sex? A. Put on her clothes and go home. 6 weeks : I love U, I love U, I love U. 6 months : Of course I love U. 6 years : GOD, if I didn't love U, then why the hell did I propose? Back from Work: 6 weeks : Honey, I'm home. 6 months : BACK!! 6 years : What did your mom cook for us today?? 6 weeks : Honey, I really hope you liked the ring. 6 months : I bought you a painting; it would fit the motif in the living room. ! 6 years : Here's the money. Buy yourself something. 6 weeks : Baby, somebody wants you on the phone. 6 months : Here, for you. 6 years : PHONE RINGING. 6 weeks : I never knew food could taste so good! 6 months : What are we having for dinner tonight? 6 years : AGAIN!!!! 6 weeks : Honey muffin, don't you worry, Ill never hold this against you. 6 months : Watch out! Don't do it again. 6 years : What's not to understand about what I just said?? 6 weeks : Oh my God, you look like an angel in that dress. 6 months : You bought a new dress again??? 6 years : How much did THAT cost me? Planning for Vacations: 6 weeks : How do 2 weeks in Vienna or anywhere you please sound?? 6 months : What's so bad about going to Istanbul on a charter plane? 6 years : Travel? What's so bad about staying home??? 6 weeks : Baby, what would you like us to watch tonight? 6 months : I like this movie. 6 years : I'm going to watch ESPN, if you're not in the mood, go to bed, I can stay up by myself. THERE IS A LESSON TO BE LEARNED HERE...... There was this man who lost one of his arms in an accident. He became very depressed because he had loved to play guitar and a lot of things that took two arms. One day he could not stand it anymore. He decided to commit suicide. He got on an elevator and went to the top of a tall building to jump off. He was standing on the ledge looking down and saw this man on the sidewalk below skipping along whistling and kicking up his heels. He looked closer and noticed this man didn't have any arms at all. He started thinking, what am I doing up here feeling sorry for myself, I still have one good arm to do things with. There goes a man with no arms skipping down the sidewalk happy and going on with his life. He hurried down and caught the man with no arms. He told him how glad he was to see him because he had lost one of his arms and felt ugly, useless and was going to kill himself. He thanked him again for saving his life and he now knew he could make it with one arm if that guy could do it with no arms. The man with no arms began dancing and whistling and kicking up his He asked "Why are you so happy anyway?" He said "I'm NOT happy; my ass itches."

CNN RELIABLE SOURCES Did Media Turn Bush's Speech Into Campaign Kickoff?; Why Is Democratic Debate Not on TV?; Are Santorum's Remarks About Gays a Non- Story? Aired May 4, 2003 - 11:30 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. HOWARD KURTZ, HOST: Victory at sea. Have the media helped turn the president's aircraft carrier speech into the kickoff for his reelection campaign? The nine Democrats who want Bush's job face off in South Carolina. Does anyone care if it's not on national television? Rick Santorum's remarks about gays. Scandal or non-story? And two big media embarrassment. A "New York Times" reporter resigns over plagiarism charges, and the editor of "The Salt Lake Tribune" is forced out over checkbook journalism in the Elizabeth Smart case. Welcome to RELIABLE SOURCES, where we turn a critical lens on the media. I'm Howard Kurtz. A jam packed show this morning. We'll get to those ethical lapses at "The New York Times" and "The Salt Lake Tribune" later in the program, but first, joining us now to talk about the president's picture perfect moment at sea and the clash among the nine Democrats who want his job, Laura Ingraham, host of "The Laura Ingraham Show" on Westwood One Radio. Evan Thomas, assistant managing editor of "Newsweek" magazine. And E.J. Dionne, syndicated columnist and a fellow at the Brookings Institution. Evan Thomas, the president gave a nice speech, but TV turned this extravaganza, excuse me, on the aircraft carrier into a 24-hour campaign commercial. This was like Apollo 11 was landing on the moon. Did the press get snookered here? EVAN THOMAS, NEWSWEEK: I think that was sort of the idea. The White House wanted it to be a campaign commercial... KURTZ: Why did they play along? THOMAS: Why not? I mean, it's great theater. I mean, the president is entitled to theater. He wins a war. Why shouldn't he have a triumphant return? What are we supposed to do, not do it? KURTZ: E.J. Dionne, isn't this kind of typical of the huge media buildup that Bush has gotten since this war? Yes, the war was a great victory, but this -- I mean, it just looked so much like a 30-second ad with the 5,000 soldiers serving as a backdrop. E.J. DIONNE, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: It did, and the thing that was frightening is it might be a short-term success and a long-term problem, because I went back through the coverage, and the number of times that the word "campaign commercial" was used actually had the effect of undercutting what he said, and I think the staging was so good that very little attention was paid to his words, and so I think, as I say, it may have been great for him to get this press now. A lot depends -- those pictures will look great if everything goes well in Iraq. Those pictures will look very different in six months if things aren't going so well. KURTZ: Actually, Ronald Reagan taught us that pictures are much more important than words. The reporters can say what they want, but the pictures have a great effect. Let's put up a pictures of the two New York tabloids and the top gun coverage that they gave President Bush. People can take a look at that. Laura Ingraham, even you have to admit that the mainstream liberal press has given this president one heck of a ride over this war. LAURA INGRAHAM, WESTWOOD ONE RADIO: First of all, even you. The elites are being driven crazy by the fact that this president said that he was going to go into Iraq, try to get the job done with as few casualties as possible. He's essentially done that, with the help of the great U.S. military. The country has rallied to this White House, that's what's driving the elites crazy. They had 24-7 coverage of this war, with embedded journalists, so they covered this for one day, and everyone is like, oh, isn't this troubling that we covered this, this president landing on the aircraft carrier. Speaking as a woman, and listening to the women who called into my radio show, seeing President Bush get out of that plane, carrying his helmet, he is a real man. He stands by his word. That was a very powerful moment. DIONNE: And that's why it is a campaign commercial. INGRAHAM: What are you supposed to do, not cover it? INGRAHAM: Yes, journalistic elites. KURTZ: Have you been driven crazy? INGRAHAM: You are being driven crazy by that. DIONNE: No, not by that. In fact, I think that it's not the case that people are driven crazy by the fact that the war was won. I don't think that's a problem for people. I think the notion that the elites are somehow ganging up on Bush is undercut by the very fact that he got all this coverage, so that's simply not true, and again... DIONNE: Let me finish -- he looked better in a jumpsuit than I ever will. KURTZ: Like Michael Dukakis looked like in a tank. THOMAS: My elitist opinion here. He is an in-your-face guy. This is part of his charm, and also something that people don't like about him. Everything about him, about his presidency, about his war, he's a risk taker, he's bold, he's the kind of guy that will get into a fighter plane and fly into it. That's who he is, and most people in this country like that. A significant minority do not. It will only turn against him... KURTZ: The significant minority include the press, which might have preferred a more dignified Oval Office speech. THOMAS: Look, the press is torn. They love images, they like theater. So they love that part. But they're a little snooty about Bush is a cowboy, so they don't like that part. So they are ambivalent. INGRAHAM: But this is where the divide exists, though, between inside the Beltway journalistic mentality and the heartland of America. No, the heartland of America. I'm not talking politics here. Bush's approval rating is pretty high. That is going to go down. We all know that. But the fact that the military is actually being given the respect and appreciation that it deserves finally in the United States after a period of time where a lot of people doubted that, people really like that image, and I don't think there's anything for a day or two, nothing wrong with that. We're making such a big deal out of the fact that he landed on this aircraft carrier. Good for him. It was a nice day for the military. DIONNE: If Bill Clinton had done this after the Kosovo war or the Bosnia war, Tom DeLay and perhaps even Laura would have said, my God, here's a president who never served in the military, wrapping himself... INGRAHAM: Well, President Bush actually did serve in the military, however. DIONNE: National Guard... INGRAHAM: Try to fly one of those planes, E.J. Then you can tell us about that. KURTZ: Let me blow the whistle here, because I want to move on to last night's debate in South Carolina, among the nine Democratic contenders. This was moderated by ABC's George Stephanopoulos and offered up to ABC affiliates, about 50 of them took it, none of them live, except for one cable channel here in Washington, and in New York, for example, this aired at 5:30 this morning. So my question, Evan Thomas, is do ordinary people care at this stage of the game about Kerry and Edwards and Lieberman and Gephardt, or is this really an inside baseball media story at this point? THOMAS: They don't care, and nor should they. Why should they care? This is an early process, important process amongst the candidates and amongst the party faithful to kind of sort out, to see who wears well. KURTZ: One of these people could be president. Why shouldn't they care? THOMAS: We'll get to it. Don't worry. The public will have plenty of time to decide who is the winner. But why start now? KURTZ: If almost no one actually sees this debate, although it is being replayed on C-Span today and that sort of thing, then is the media interpretation, the media spin even more important in terms of how for those who are paying attention, how their candidates are perceived? DIONNE: Yes, and it's that for the mass audience, and then it's how people who give money, vote in primaries look at that coverage, even though more of them will watch this thing. And the problem for the Democrats is that the individual interests of the candidates are at odds with their -- is at odds with their collective interests. See, individual interest is separate yourself out, attack the other guy, so you had "The Atlanta Journal Constitution" this morning, "Kerry and Dean take off the gloves." "Chicago Tribune" -- "Democratic hopefuls get down to the fight." Almost all the headlines were like that. So you have got these irascible Democrats going at each other, which may be good for one of them, if he breaks out, but is not great for the collective image of the party. KURTZ: Speaking of Kerry and Dean take off the gloves, we'll get to you in a second, Laura, let's take a look at Senator Kerry and Governor Dean, a couple of their sharp exchanges, last night. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I believe that anybody who thinks that they have to prepare for the day that we're not the strongest is preparing for a day when we have serious problems. HOWARD DEAN (D), FORMER GOVERNOR OF VERMONT: No commander in chief would ever, and I am no exception, willingly allow our military influence to shrink. Unilateralism is a mistake. That's what I said before. I think the senator made a mistake in criticizing me. KERRY: Well, I don't need any lectures in courage from Howard Dean. (END VIDEO CLIP) KURTZ: Howard Dean, 3 percent in the polls nationally, but getting a lot of attention in the debate last night. Is he somebody who's been built up by the media or is he becoming a first rate contender? INGRAHAM: Yes, the media loves Dean. And that's fine. Well, he's kind of the ant at the Democratic picnic right now. He's the one who's going to bite and nip at all the other Democrats on the stage. And I don't think he's, in the clips that I've seen, I don't think he came off particularly well. I think Kerry really sort of said, "down, boy," right there, and I served my country, I know the military. This idea that you're foreshadowing a weaker day for the country, we saw that a couple of decades ago. We don't want that again in the United States. So Dean is going to be a media fascination, but as a sustaining involvement of the Democrat Party, I don't think so. THOMAS: The press is always looking for the non-candidate, a person who doesn't seem like a politician. And Dean is the best bet for the person who will wear with the public as someone... KURTZ: This is the Bruce Babbitt role. THOMAS: Yes, and John McCain a little bit, but it's somebody who sounds like a human being instead of a pol, and I think he does have some of those qualities. He is a little bit to the left. KURTZ: A little? I mean, he's obviously strongly anti-war. THOMAS: Even for the Democratic Party he's a little bit to the left, and that's going to, I think, going to hurt him. Catch on. KURTZ: You know, I've traveled with Howard Dean. Most political reporters have done early profiles of him. How much has that helped boost him? Here is a guy who was a virtually unknown, former governor of Vermont. How much did that boost him? THOMAS: He wants to be the media candidate. McCain used to say forthrightly, the media is my base, and that's what Dean wants. DIONNE: And that's going to be harder now that the war is over. There was one thing, though, that you probably won't see much of. Some of these guys were funny last night. I mean, Kerry was asked by Stephanopoulos, George Stephanopoulos, you know, about his problem of aloofness. And he replied, "probably I ought to just disappear and contemplate that by myself." Or Joe Lieberman was asked, "are you tough enough?" "I'd like to come over there and strangle you, George." And I think there was the Lieberman line you're going to hear a lot is, "I know I can beat George Bush. Why? Al Gore and I already did it." And that was an interesting moment, because the Democrats -- the Democratic base doesn't like where Lieberman was on the war in Iraq; they do like where he was in the battle for Florida. KURTZ: I guess Jay Leno will be booking him soon. One more press question before we move on, for Laura Ingraham. John Howard writes in "The Wall Street Journal" that Dennis Kucinich, Carol Moseley Braun and Reverend Al shouldn't even be on the stage. They are not serious candidates, in the sense that they have no hope of winning the nomination. So my question is, should the press largely ignore them? Because it's hard to get nine candidates into every story, let me tell you. INGRAHAM: It's hard to have a meaningful exchange of ideas. But they're interesting characters. I mean, we have this debate, it seems, every primary season. Who deserves to be on the stage? And I think the parties have to work that out amongst themselves, but, look, this was derby day, Kentucky Derby day, this came right off the heels of this aircraft carrier story. This was a tough act to follow. KURTZ: OK. Want to touch now on Senator Rick Santorum, this was kind of a modest story for about a week and a half, likening gay sex to incest, bigotry, polygamy, in the context of the Supreme Court case. He likes homosexuals fine, he just doesn't like what they do, thinks perhaps it should remain criminalized. Why did the press make so much of Trent Lott's remarks? And why was that such a huge deal and this was only a modest story? THOMAS: Well, I think that was clear cut that Trent Lott just said something absolutely outrageous. Santorum said it outrageously, and there wasn't a legal issue here. He wasn't contradicting anything the courts hadn't already said, it was more of a taste issue. And he wasn't flatly contradicting years of Supreme Court rulings. KURTZ: In media terms, is bashing gays just not as explosive as, say, waxing nostalgic about the good old days of segregation? DIONNE: I think if we're honest about it, there is a stronger consensus on the civil rights period and on what was wrong about the way white Americans treated black Americans than there is now about gays. Gays are still a very divisive issue. Countries change hugely. The fact that Santorum got into as much trouble as he did is an indication that the country is much more open to gays, cares a lot more about their rights than we ever have before. KURTZ: You're saying the fact that it was an issue at all shows a change in the culture? DIONNE: It's a big change in the culture, and my hunch is that he would have gotten into even more trouble 10 years from now as the culture further changes. KURTZ: Did the press try to cast Senator Santorum's remarks as an example of Republican Party intolerance? INGRAHAM: I think it probably wasn't as outrageous as the media would have liked to have us think. I mean, Santorum was stating the Supreme Court decision, as Evan pointed out. And I think if you really focus on what he said, read the lawyers who are questioning the Texas Supreme Court justices below on this issue. Arguing the case below, the judges on the Texas Supreme Court were asking the same questions that Santorum was raising. He was stating a legal point. And people who aren't sort of all that conversant in the legal principles think, oh, isn't that outrageous, he said these things. That is where the court is today, and that's what he was stating. KURTZ: That is law and this is politics. And when you bring in words like incest and adultery and bigamy and liken it to consensual sex among gays, that's... THOMAS: I do think that one thing that's going on here, the press loves to portray cultural Neanderthals. I mean, that's one of our favorite things, and he fit that description for that moment, so that's one reason he got a lot of play. KURTZ: But of course, Republicans -- most Republicans neither defended him or (UNINTELLIGIBLE), which I think took some of the air out of the story. And we will have to leave it there. When we come back, a case of plagiarism red handed, in fact, at "The New York Times." Plus, why did two reporters covering the Elizabeth Smart case sell out to "The National Enquirer"? Stay with us. KURTZ: Sounds like we're starting again. Welcome back to RELIABLE SOURCES. Two controversies in the world of newspapers to talk about this week. First, "The New York Times" editor Howell Raines has apologized for a plagiarized article that he called "a grave breach of the paper's journalistic standards." Reporter Jayson Blair resigned over his profile of a Texas woman who lost a son in Iraq. Blair's story copied quotes and lots of other details from an earlier piece in "The San Antonio Express News." Laura Ingraham, this reporter, Jayson Blair, one of the youngest reporters hired by "The Times" in recent years, had 50 corrections on previous stories in about three and half years, once quoted a Kent State official who said he never talked to Jayson Blair. He wrote stories during the Washington sniper case the prosecutors said was dead wrong. Should "The New York Times" have caught on to the fact that there might be a problem here earlier? INGRAHAM: Well, I don't know how long any of us would last in our jobs currently if we had made 50 mistakes. I think it seems like something weird is going on here. I don't know what the story is. He's 27 yours old. A couple of mistakes, you know, youthful exuberance, but 50 mistakes? I think "The Times" has a lot more to answer for regarding this. It also fuels people's cynicism about the press. We don't need any more of that. "The New York Times" is a celebrated newspaper, my favorite paper to read, I've got to say. So I mean, Howell Raines is going to beat him up for this? I don't know, but it would be nice to know, at what juncture did they consider getting rid of him earlier. KURTZ: Right. You know, I guess we should explain, E.J. Dionne, you know, that copying someone else's work is really a cardinal sin in journalism, because you are not only not giving credit, but in effect you are pretending that you did the reporting itself. So how much of a black eye is this for "The Times?" DIONNE: This is not the first time this has happened to a newspaper. And I think actually in this electronic age, it becomes a whole lot easier for people to sort of pull chunks out and throw them in somewhere else, so I think everybody -- every single person including reporters themselves have to be doubly, triply, quadruply careful about this possibility. There is an inconsistency in a way -- if you go back through the annals of plagiarism, there is an inconsistency in a way people are dealt with. Some people get a slap on the wrist; some people get fired. And I think the burden here is that this wasn't the only case, it wasn't a one-time thing, and that's why they took the kind of action they did. KURTZ: This has happened at "Businessweek," "The Washington Post," just about every other major publication. I fail to understand why reporters continue to take the risk of this, because it's so easy to get caught these days, in the world of electronic, online databases. DIONNE: Also, it's so easy to attribute things to people. I mean, I don't think you ever lose by attributing to somebody. THOMAS: There is a lot of pathology in these things. We don't know the back story. This is a guy who made 50 mistakes. The real story here, is did "The New York Times" give this guy so much rope that he blew up and hung himself and ruined his career, or along the way did they try to correct whatever mistakes he was making, did they deal with a real problem? KURTZ: Look, this was a promising young black reporter. I wonder if a middle-aged hack would have gotten away with 50 mistakes and still be at that job. THOMAS: Your question is rhetorical. You'd think not. And I think that's probably -- but we don't know the facts. The real story here is the hidden story of how they treated this guy in the three and a half years. Did they warn him, did they take him aside, did they say, look, you have got to clean up your act, or did they say, hey, go for it? KURTZ: Any dispute that this kind of plagiarism should be a firing offense? Should he have been given a second chance? INGRAHAM: A 51st chance? No, no absolutely not. KURTZ: All right, let's move on to media controversy number two. Jay Shelledy, editor of "The Salt Lake Tribune," resigned under pressure this week. Shelledy had belatedly fired two of his reporters on the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case, Michael Vigh and Kevin Cantera, for selling information to "The National Enquirer" for $20,000. Shelledy did not know about the secret dealings, which he likened to drinking from a toilet bowl. But he came under fire for initially putting the reporters on probation and for disclosing the unseemly mess in his column rather than ordering up a news story. This is up for grabs. Why does the editor bite the dust when the sin was committed by two reporters and he didn't know about it? Is it sort of like the baseball team firing the manager when things go bad? INGRAHAM: I think this whole story is so bizarre at every level. I mean, "The Salt Lake Tribune" working with "The Enquirer" selling stories? I guess it's information that he didn't think was usable and they didn't think was usable in their own story, so kind of scraps on the floor that they sold over to "The Enquirer." KURTZ: Exactly, there were sexual rumors that ... (CROSSTALK) INGRAHAM: How enterprising. THOMAS: It was unbelievably outrageous. Let's stop for a second. Reporters who sell sexual rumors because they won't print them in their own papers to "The National Enquirer, " bam, you're gone. Tomorrow, clean out your desk right away. This isn't even a debate over a close one. His editor made the mistake of slapping them on the wrist, and then when it all came out he had to go down with them. DIONNE: It is just such a bizarre story. I can't imagine how one would sort of get from here to there to do that sort of thing. And it's a real problem for journalism, because mainstream journalists say, wait, there is a big difference between us and certain other kinds of reporting. INGRAHAM: Not really. They pay. DIONNE: And I guess these guys could say, well, yes, there is, we don't print it, we just sell it to them. But it's just the strangest story. INGRAHAM: How much did they make? KURTZ: Well, $10,000 apiece to blow up your career is not very good money in my view, and one of the reporter was caught on tape saying, "don't worry, our paper won't beat you on the story," telling this to somebody from "The Enquirer." "The editors there are lightweights." On tape, not a good idea. We'll have to hold it there. E.J. Dionne, Laura Ingraham, Evan Thomas, thanks very much for joining us. Still to come, which NBC reporter is biting from the hand that feeds her? We'll let you know in a moment. KURTZ: Remember Ashleigh Banfield? She was the "it" girl at MSNBC for a time until she lost her prime-time show and was relegated to a sideline role during the war. In a recent speech, Banfield chastised the networks, including her own, for their glorious and wonderful coverage of Iraq that glossed over the brutality of the war. "It wasn't journalism," she declared. Banfield also ripped MSNBC for giving a show to fire-breathing conservative Michael Savage, who once called her a slut. Well, that was quite enough for her bosses, who declared themselves deeply disappointed and troubled by Banfield's remarks. MSNBC News President Neal Shapiro called her in for a scolding. Insiders began taking bets on how much longer Banfield would last. But hold on. The media routinely criticize politicians, businessmen, athletes, and just about everyone else. Why is it that when a journalist raises questions about her own Business, it's practically deemed an impeachable offense? We praise whistle-blowers at companies like Enron and WorldCom, but treat our own profession like it's above reproach. No wonder people think there is a double standard. It's a fickle world, though. Keith Olbermann left MSNBC a few years ago after accusing the network of going overboard on the Monica Lewinsky saga. The network badmouthed him as well. Now he's back on MSNBC with a prime-time show, where he'll stay as long as he pulls in the ratings. We'll be right back. KURTZ: Well, that's it for this edition of RELIABLE SOURCES. I'm Howard Kurtz. Be sure to join us again next Sunday morning, 11:30 Eastern, for another critical look at the media. And be sure to stay with CNN for the latest on the news from Iraq and around the world. Coming up at the top of the hour, "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER." Wolf's guests today include Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Then, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, check out "IN THE MONEY" with Jack Cafferty. And at 4:00, get the latest headlines with "CNN LIVE SUNDAY." "LATE EDITION" begins right after this look at the hour's top stories. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com Is Democratic Debate Not on TV?; Are Santorum's Remarks About Gays a Non-Story?>

On stage and on-screen, the popular vloggers have mastered the art of mixing business with pleasure. The three women often appear on each other’s YouTube series, and with #NoFilter, they’ve taken their online success on the road. “We all love each other very very much, and make sure to have each other’s backs,” notes Hannah Hart (no relation to Mamrie), backstage at the Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan, after another sold-out stop on the tour. “and I think that the foundation for the show was nothing but pure, unadulterated friendship.” The show, which Helbig describes as “80 percent scripted, 50 percent unscripted,” jumps from prepared numbers to audience interaction segments, and spontaneous skits the attests to their background in improv comedy. They read YouTube comments, invite participants onstage, and interact with fans both real and virtual. This is one performance where the audience is encouraged to record. “I just want to film this moment,” the trio sings in their opening number. Photos via mydrunkhart/Tumblr What’s perhaps most notable about the show is the window it provides into real-world of YouTube. Along with Jenna Marbles, Hannah, Helbig, and Mamrie—or the “Amazing Trinity,” as their fans call them—are the leading ladies on the Google-owned video-sharing network, with a combined audience that rivals that of some network television shows. Hannah, 26, gained her fame literally overnight, after knocking back a bottle of wine and filming what was intended to be the only episode ever released of My Drunk Kitchen, in which she attempts unsuccessfully to make grilled cheese. The series has become so popular since that IndieGoGo-funded tour, which served as the impetus for #NoFilter, its original $50,000 goal, as fans begged for her to take her act on the road, preferably near them. Helbig and Mamrie both entered the YouTube vlogging fray more deliberately than Hannah. The former is the 27-year-old star of the popular vlog Daily Grace, where she dishes comedy in lieu of advice and occasionally imitates famous people, while Mamrie (pronounced like “Mame”) started her channel, You Deserve a Drink, just over two years ago and has seen her popularity steadily rise behind an endless stream of bawdy puns and creative cocktails gleaned from her 10 years of bartending on the side. The trio’s brand of comedy combines classic sketch-comedy techniques—Helbrig and Mamrie studied improv together six years ago in New York—with half-cultivated personas that are vehemently au naturel at any cost. Self-deprecation, social awkwardness, inappropriate drunkenness, and a semi-permanent state of inarticulation are all celebrated here. “She is one part French fries, two parts vodka,” Hannah says about Helbig. It’s a descriptor that could apply to any of them equally—at least while onstage. What makes the show particularly unique is their collective embrace of fan culture. Hannah regularly read comments and welcome new viewers to her show, while both she and Mamrie can be found frequently reading and liking posts on Tumblr. For #NoFilter, they’ve found a way to transition that level of interaction to their routine. For their grand finale, they slip into animal costume onesies and act out a piece of fanfiction—an original story written by a fan that imagines the three in different sexual relationships, in this case a piece that pairs Hannah and Hart together. There’s no shortage of such material (see Hartbig, Hartsquared, Mace, Hartosexuals, Gracists). Helbig recently told the Boston Globe that they had been “bewildered” by the phenomenon. She indicated that working the fanfic performance into the show had actually increased the amount of fanfic written about them. At the Gramercy Theatre show, the reenactment stings, as Mamrie labeled this particular fanfiction a “really strange and never-going-to-happen relationship,” an act that actually made its way back to the author of the piece and led to a personal apology from Mamrie. “I don’t know if it’s good that we’re supporting it or if it’s bad,” Helbig to the Globe, “but it’s a good time.” Photo via feyminism/Tumblr It’s also smart marketing, part of an ongoing grassroots method of building their fanbase. “There’s a question we get asked a lot,” says Hannah, “about what it’s like to be a ‘woman in comedy.’” “Ugh,” echoes Helbig. “We don’t see it as being ‘a woman in comedy,’” says Hannah. “We see it as being ourselves and producing something entertaining.” Helbig goes a step further. “It’s much harder to be a man in comedy than to be a woman.” When I ask about the recent dustup over Good Morning America’s portrayal of Jenna Marbles, they’re quick to call it an overreaction. “I think if it was Matt Lauer and NigaHiga, it wouldn’t have been an issue,” Hannah says. “It was just a misunderstanding between two people who clearly didn’t get along,” Helbig says. “Like if you misquoted me, which won’t happen, because we’re BFFs.” Hannah immediately darts forward to offer me an invisible friendship bracelet. The gesture serves as a fitting reminder of what really binds these three women. “It’s always fun to sit offstage and hear one of us make a joke we haven’t heard before,” Hannah says. “The best part of a show,” Mamrie tells Hannah and Helbig, “is making you guys laugh, as much as, hopefully, everyone else.” “There’s breathing room,” Helbig replies. “It’s so much fun.” Illustration by everafteralibis/Tumblr

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (The Oxford Shakespeare), ed. with a glossary by W.J. Craig M.A. (Oxford University Press, 1916). http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1632, |Available in the following formats:| |Kindle||149 KB||This is an E-book formatted for Amazon Kindle devices.| |EBook PDF||418 KB||This text-based PDF or EBook was created from the HTML version of this book and is part of the Portable Library of Liberty.| |HTML||330 KB||This version has been converted from the original text. Every effort has been taken to translate the unique features of the printed book into the HTML medium.| |Simplified HTML||330 KB||This is a simplifed HTML format, intended for screen readers and other limited-function browsers.| |ePub||142 KB||ePub standard file for your iPad or any e-reader compatible with that format| One of the plays in the 1916 Oxford University Press edition of all of Shakespeare’s plays and poems. The text is in the public domain. This material is put online to further the educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. Unless otherwise stated in the Copyright Information section above, this material may be used freely for educational and academic purposes. It may not be used in any way for profit. |DUKE OF VENICE.| |PRINCE OF MOROCCO, }||Suitors to Portia.| |PRINCE OF ARRAGON, }| |ANTONIO,||a Merchant of Venice.| |GRATIANO, }||Friends to Antonio and Bassanio.| |LORENZO,||in love with Jessica.| |SHYLOCK,||a rich Jew.| |TUBAL,||a Jew, his Friend.| |LAUNCELOT GOBBO,||a Clown, Servant to Shylock.| |OLD GOBBO,||Father to Launcelot.| |LEONARDO,||Servant to Bassanio.| |BALTHAZAR, }||Servants to Portia.| |PORTIA,||a rich Heiress.| |JESSICA,||Daughter to Shylock.| |Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court of Justice, Gaoler, Servants to Portia, and other Attendants.| Scene.—Partly at Venice, and partly at Belmont, the seat of Portia, on the Continent. Enter Antonio, Salarino, and Salanio. In sooth, I know not why I am so sad: It wearies me; you say it wearies you; But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What stuff ’tis made of, whereof it is born,Craig1916: 4 I am to learn; And such a want-wit sadness makes of me, That I have much ado to know myself. Your mind is tossing on the ocean;Craig1916: 8 There, where your argosies with portly sail,— Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood, Or, as it were, the pageants of the sea,— Do overpeer the petty traffickers,Craig1916: 12 That curtsy to them, do them reverence, As they fly by them with their woven wings. Believe me, sir, had I such venture forth, The better part of my affections wouldCraig1916: 16 Be with my hopes abroad. I should be still Plucking the grass to know where sits the wind; Peering in maps for ports, and piers, and roads; And every object that might make me fearCraig1916: 20 Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt Would make me sad. My wind, cooling my broth, Would blow me to an ague, when I thought What harm a wind too great might do at sea.Craig1916: 24 I should not see the sandy hour-glass run But I should think of shallows and of flats, And see my wealthy Andrew dock’d in sand Vailing her high-top lower than her ribsCraig1916: 28 To kiss her burial. Should I go to church And see the holy edifice of stone, And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks, Which touching but my gentle vessel’s sideCraig1916: 32 Would scatter all her spices on the stream, Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks; And, in a word, but even now worth this, And now worth nothing? Shall I have the thoughtCraig1916: 36 To think on this, and shall I lack the thought That such a thing bechanc’d would make me sad? But tell not me: I know Antonio Is sad to think upon his merchandise.Craig1916: 40 Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it, My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate Upon the fortune of this present year:Craig1916: 44 Therefore, my merchandise makes me not sad. Why, then you are in love. Not in love neither? Then let’s say you are sad, Because you are not merry: and ’twere as easy For you to laugh and leap, and say you are merry,Craig1916: 49 Because you are not sad. Now, by two-headed Janus, Nature hath fram’d strange fellows in her time: Some that will evermore peep through their eyes And laugh like parrots at a bag-piper,Craig1916: 53 And other of such vinegar aspect That they’ll not show their teeth in way of smile, Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.Craig1916: 56 Enter Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano. Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kinsman, Gratiano, and Lorenzo. Fare ye well: We leave you now with better company. I would have stay’d till I had made you merry,Craig1916: 60 If worthier friends had not prevented me. Your worth is very dear in my regard. I take it, your own business calls on you, And you embrace the occasion to depart.Craig1916: 64 Good morrow, my good lords. Good signiors both, when shall we laugh? say when? You grow exceeding strange: must it be so? We’ll make our leisures to attend on yours. [Exeunt Salarino and Salanio. My Lord Bassanio, since you have found Antonio,Craig1916: 69 We too will leave you; but, at dinner-time, I pray you, have in mind where we must meet. I will not fail you.Craig1916: 72 You look not well, Signior Antonio; You have too much respect upon the world: They lose it that do buy it with much care: Believe me, you are marvellously chang’d.Craig1916: 76 I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; A stage where every man must play a part, And mine a sad one. Let me play the fool: With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come, And let my liver rather heat with wineCraig1916: 81 Than my heart cool with mortifying groans. Why should a man, whose blood is warm within, Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster?Craig1916: 84 Sleep when he wakes, and creep into the jaundice By being peevish? I tell thee what, Antonio— I love thee, and it is my love that speaks— There are a sort of men whose visagesCraig1916: 88 Do cream and mantle like a standing pond, And do a wilful stillness entertain, With purpose to be dress’d in an opinion Of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit;Craig1916: 92 As who should say, ‘I am Sir Oracle, And when I ope my lips let no dog bark!’ O, my Antonio, I do know of these, That therefore only are reputed wiseCraig1916: 96 For saying nothing; when, I am very sure, If they should speak, would almost damn those ears Which, hearing them, would call their brothers fools. I’ll tell thee more of this another time:Craig1916: 100 But fish not, with this melancholy bait, For this fool-gudgeon, this opinion. Come, good Lorenzo. Fare ye well awhile: I’ll end my exhortation after dinner.Craig1916: 104 Well, we will leave you then till dinner-time. I must be one of these same dumb-wise men, For Gratiano never lets me speak. Well, keep me company but two years moe,Craig1916: 108 Thou shalt not know the sound of thine own tongue. Farewell: I’ll grow a talker for this gear. Thanks, i’ faith; for silence is only commendable In a neat’s tongue dried and a maid not vendible. [Exeunt Gratiano and Lorenzo. Is that anything now?Craig1916: 113 Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in all Venice. His reasons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff: you shall seek all day ere you find them, and, when you have them, they are not worth the search. Well, tell me now, what lady is the same To whom you swore a secret pilgrimage,Craig1916: 121 That you to-day promis’d to tell me of? ’Tis not unknown to you, Antonio, How much I have disabled mine estate,Craig1916: 124 By something showing a more swelling port Than my faint means would grant continuance: Nor do I now make moan to be abridg’d From such a noble rate; but my chief careCraig1916: 128 Is, to come fairly off from the great debts Wherein my time, something too prodigal, Hath left me gag’d. To you, Antonio, I owe the most, in money and in love;Craig1916: 132 And from your love I have a warranty To unburthen all my plots and purposes How to get clear of all the debts I owe. I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it;Craig1916: 136 And if it stand, as you yourself still do, Within the eye of honour, be assur’d, My purse, my person, my extremest means, Lie all unlock’d to your occasions.Craig1916: 140 In my school-days, when I had lost one shaft, I shot his fellow of the self-same flight The self-same way with more advised watch, To find the other forth, and by adventuring both, I oft found both. I urge this childhood proof, Because what follows is pure innocence. I owe you much, and, like a wilful youth, That which I owe is lost; but if you pleaseCraig1916: 148 To shoot another arrow that self way Which you did shoot the first, I do not doubt, As I will watch the aim, or to find both, Or bring your latter hazard back again,Craig1916: 152Edition: current; Page: And thankfully rest debtor for the first. You know me well, and herein spend but time To wind about my love with circumstance; And out of doubt you do me now more wrong In making question of my uttermostCraig1916: 157 Than if you had made waste of all I have: Then do but say to me what I should do That in your knowledge may by me be done,Craig1916: 160 And I am prest unto it: therefore speak. In Belmont is a lady richly left, And she is fair, and, fairer than that word, Of wondrous virtues: sometimes from her eyes I did receive fair speechless messages:Craig1916: 165 Her name is Portia; nothing undervalu’d To Cato’s daughter, Brutus’ Portia: Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth,Craig1916: 168 For the four winds blow in from every coast Renowned suitors; and her sunny locks Hang on her temples like a golden fleece; Which makes her seat of Belmont Colchos’ strond,Craig1916: 172 And many Jasons come in quest of her. O my Antonio! had I but the means To hold a rival place with one of them, I have a mind presages me such thrift,Craig1916: 176 That I should questionless be fortunate. Thou knowest that all my fortunes are at sea; Neither have I money, nor commodity To raise a present sum: therefore go forth;Craig1916: 180 Try what my credit can in Venice do: That shall be rack’d, even to the uttermost, To furnish thee to Belmont, to fair Portia. Go, presently inquire, and so will I,Craig1916: 184 Where money is, and I no question make To have it of my trust or for my sake. Enter Portia and Nerissa. By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of this great world. You would be, sweet madam, if your miseries were in the same abundance as your good fortunes are: and yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing. It is no mean happiness therefore, to be seated in the mean: superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer.Craig1916: 10 Good sentences and well pronounced. They would be better if well followed. If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men’s cottages princes’ palaces. It is a good divine that follows his own instructions: I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching. The brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o’er a cold decree: such a hare is madness the youth, to skip o’er the meshes of good counsel the cripple. But this reasoning is not in the fashion to choose me a husband. O me, the word ‘choose!’ I may neither choose whom I would nor refuse whom I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none?Craig1916: 29 Your father was ever virtuous, and holy men at their death have good inspirations; therefore, the lottery that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver, and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any rightly but one who you shall rightly love. But what warmth is there in your affection towards any of these princely suitors that are already come?Craig1916: 38 I pray thee, over-name them, and as thou namest them, I will describe them; and, according to my description, level at my affection. First, there is the Neapolitan prince.Craig1916: 42 Ay, that’s a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horse; and he makes it a great appropriation to his own good parts that he can shoe him himself. I am much afeard my lady his mother played false with a smith. Then is there the County Palatine.Craig1916: 48 He doth nothing but frown, as who should say, ‘An you will not have me, choose.’ He hears merry tales, and smiles not: I fear he will prove the weeping philosopher when he grows old, being so full of unmannerly sadness in his youth. I had rather be married to a death’s-head with a bone in his mouth than to either of these. God defend me from these two! How say you by the French lord, Monsieur Le Bon?Craig1916: 58 God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man. In truth, I know it is a sin to be a mocker; but, he! why, he hath a horse better than the Neapolitan’s, a better bad habit of frowning than the Count Palatine; he is every man in no man; if a throstle sing, he falls straight a-capering; he will fence with his own shadow: if I should marry him, I should marry twenty husbands. If he would despise me, I would forgive him, for if he love me to madness, I shall never requite him.Craig1916: 69 What say you, then, to Falconbridge, the young baron of England? You know I say nothing to him, for he Edition: current; Page: understands not me, nor I him: he hath neither Latin, French, nor Italian; and you will come into the court and swear that I have a poor pennyworth in the English. He is a proper man’s picture, but, alas! who can converse with a dumb-show? How oddly he is suited! I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour every where.Craig1916: 81 What think you of the Scottish lord, his neighbour? That he hath a neighbourly charity in him, for he borrowed a box of the ear of the Englishman, and swore he would pay him again when he was able: I think the Frenchman became his surety and sealed under for another. How like you the young German, the Duke of Saxony’s nephew?Craig1916: 90 Very vilely in the morning, when he is sober, and most vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk: when he is best, he is a little worse than a man, and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast. An the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall make shift to go without him. If he should offer to choose, and choose the right casket, you should refuse to perform your father’s will, if you should refuse to accept him.Craig1916: 100 Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, set a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary casket, for, if the devil be within and that temptation without, I know he will choose it. I will do anything, Nerissa, ere I will be married to a sponge.Craig1916: 106 You need not fear, lady, the having any of these lords: they have acquainted me with their determinations; which is, indeed, to return to their home and to trouble you with no more suit, unless you may be won by some other sort than your father’s imposition depending on the caskets.Craig1916: 113 If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chaste as Diana, unless I be obtained by the manner of my father’s will. I am glad this parcel of wooers are so reasonable, for there is not one among them but I dote on his very absence, and I pray God grant them a fair departure.Craig1916: 120 Do you not remember, lady, in your father’s time, a Venetian, a scholar and a soldier, that came hither in the company of the Marquis of Montferrat?Craig1916: 124 Yes, yes: it was Bassanio; as I think, he was so called. True, madam: he, of all the men that ever my foolish eyes looked upon, was the best deserving a fair lady.Craig1916: 129 I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praise. Enter a Servant. How now! what news?Craig1916: 132 The four strangers seek for you, madam, to take their leave; and there is a forerunner come from a fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word the prince his master will be here to-night.Craig1916: 137 If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should be glad of his approach: if he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me. Come, Nerissa. Sirrah, go before.Craig1916: 143 Whiles we shut the gate upon one wooer, another knocks at the door. Enter Bassanio and Shylock. Three thousand ducats; well? Ay, sir, for three months. For three months; well? For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound.Craig1916: 5 Antonio shall become bound; well? May you stead me? Will you pleasure me? Shall I know your answer?Craig1916: 8 Three thousand ducats, for three months, and Antonio bound. Your answer to that. Antonio is a good man.Craig1916: 12 Have you heard any imputation to the contrary? Ho, no, no, no, no: my meaning in saying he is a good man is to have you understand me that he is sufficient. Yet his means are in supposition: he hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I understand moreover upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and other ventures he hath, squandered abroad. But ships are but boards, sailors but men: there be land-rats and water-rats, land-thieves, and water-thieves,—I mean pirates,—and then there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding, sufficient. Three thousand ducats; I think, I may take his bond.Craig1916: 28 Be assured you may. I will be assured I may; and, that I may be assured, I will bethink me. May I speak with Antonio?Craig1916: 32 If it please you to dine with us. Yes, to smell pork: to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite conjured Edition: current; Page: the devil into. I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto? Who is he comes here?Craig1916: 40 This is Signior Antonio. [Aside.] How like a fawning publican he looks! I hate him for he is a Christian; But more for that in low simplicityCraig1916: 44 He lends out money gratis, and brings down The rate of usance here with us in Venice. If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.Craig1916: 48 He hates our sacred nation, and he rails, Even there where merchants most do congregate, On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift, Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,Craig1916: 52 If I forgive him! Shylock, do you hear? I am debating of my present store, And, by the near guess of my memory, I cannot instantly raise up the grossCraig1916: 56 Of full three thousand ducats. What of that? Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe, Will furnish me. But soft! how many months Do you desire? [To Antonio.] Rest you fair, good signior;Craig1916: 60 Your worship was the last man in our mouths. Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow By taking nor by giving of excess, Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend,Craig1916: 64 I’ll break a custom. [To Bassanio.] Is he yet possess’d How much ye would? Ay, ay, three thousand ducats. And for three months. I had forgot; three months; you told me so.Craig1916: 68 Well then, your bond; and let me see. But hear you; Methought you said you neither lend nor borrow I do never use it. When Jacob graz’d his uncle Laban’s sheep,—Craig1916: 72 This Jacob from our holy Abram was, As his wise mother wrought in his behalf, The third possessor: ay, he was the third,— And what of him? did he take interest? No; not take interest; not, as you would say,Craig1916: 77 Directly interest: mark what Jacob did. When Laban and himself were compromis’d, That all the eanlings that were streak’d and piedCraig1916: 80 Should fall as Jacob’s hire, the ewes, being rank, In end of autumn turned to the rams; And, when the work of generation was Between these woolly breeders in the act,Craig1916: 84 The skilful shepherd peel’d me certain wands, And, in the doing of the deed of kind, He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes, Who, then conceiving, did in eaning timeCraig1916: 88 Fall parti-colour’d lambs, and those were Jacob’s. This was a way to thrive, and he was blest: And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not. This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv’d for;Craig1916: 92 A thing not in his power to bring to pass, But sway’d and fashion’d by the hand of heaven. Was this inserted to make interest good? Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams?Craig1916: 96 I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast: But note me, signior. Mark you this, Bassanio, The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul, producing holy witness,Craig1916: 100 Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart. O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath! Three thousand ducats; ’tis a good round sum.Craig1916: 104 Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate. Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding to you? Signior Antonio, many a time and oft In the Rialto you have rated meCraig1916: 108 About my moneys and my usances: Still have I borne it with a patient shrug, For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe. You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,Craig1916: 112 And spet upon my Jewish gaberdine, And all for use of that which is mine own. Well then, it now appears you need my help: Go to then; you come to me, and you say,Craig1916: 116 ‘Shylock, we would have moneys:’ you say so; You, that did void your rheum upon my beard, And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur Over your threshold: moneys is your suit.Craig1916: 120 What should I say to you? Should I not say, ‘Hath a dog money? Is it possible A cur can lend three thousand ducats?’ or Shall I bend low, and in a bondman’s key,Craig1916: 124 With bated breath, and whispering humbleness, ‘Fair sir, you spet on me on Wednesday last; You spurn’d me such a day; another timeCraig1916: 128 You call’d me dog; and for these courtesies I’ll lend you thus much moneys?’ I am as like to call thee so again, To spet on thee again, to spurn thee too.Craig1916: 132 If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not As to thy friends,—for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend?— But lend it rather to thine enemy;Craig1916: 136 Who if he break, thou mayst with better face Exact the penalty. Why, look you, how you storm! I would be friends with you, and have your love, Forget the shames that you have stain’d me with,Craig1916: 140 Supply your present wants, and take no doit Of usance for my moneys, and you’ll not hear me: This is kind I offer. This were kindness. This kindness will I show. Go with me to a notary, seal me thereCraig1916: 145 Your single bond; and, in a merry sport, If you repay me not on such a day, In such a place, such sum or sums as areCraig1916: 148 Express’d in the condition, let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me.Craig1916: 152 Content, i’ faith: I’ll seal to such a bond, And say there is much kindness in the Jew. You shall not seal to such a bond for me: I’ll rather dwell in my necessity.Craig1916: 156 Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it: Within these two months, that’s a month before This bond expires, I do expect return Of thrice three times the value of this bond.Craig1916: 160 O father Abram! what these Christians are, Whose own hard dealing teaches them suspect The thoughts of others. Pray you, tell me this; If he should break his day, what should I gain By the exaction of the forfeiture?Craig1916: 165 A pound of man’s flesh, taken from a man, Is not so estimable, profitable neither, As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say,Craig1916: 168 To buy his favour, I extend this friendship: If he will take it, so; if not, adieu; And, for my love, I pray you wrong me not. Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond. Then meet me forthwith at the notary’s; Give him direction for this merry bond, And I will go and purse the ducats straight, See to my house, left in the fearful guardCraig1916: 176 Of an unthrifty knave, and presently I will be with you. Hie thee, gentle Jew. This Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind. I like not fair terms and a villain’s mind.Craig1916: 180 Come on: in this there can be no dismay; My ships come home a month before the day. Flourish of Cornets. Enter the Prince of Morocco, and his Followers; Portia, Nerissa, and Others of her Train. Mislike me not for my complexion, The shadow’d livery of the burnish’d sun, To whom I am a neighbour and near bred. Bring me the fairest creature northward born,Craig1916: 4 Where Phœbus’ fire scarce thaws the icicles, And let us make incision for your love, To prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine. I tell thee, lady, this aspect of mineCraig1916: 8 Hath fear’d the valiant: by my love, I swear The best regarded virgins of our clime Have lov’d it too: I would not change this hue, Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen. In terms of choice I am not solely led By nice direction of a maiden’s eyes; Besides, the lottery of my destiny Bars me the right of voluntary choosing:Craig1916: 16 But if my father had not scanted me And hedg’d me by his wit, to yield myself His wife who wins me by that means I told you, Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fairCraig1916: 20 As any comer I have look’d on yet For my affection. Even for that I thank you: Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets To try my fortune. By this scimitar,—Craig1916: 24 That slew the Sophy, and a Persian prince That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,— I would outstare the sternest eyes that look, Outbrave the heart most daring on the earth,Craig1916: 28 Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear, Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey, To win thee, lady. But, alas the while! If Hercules and Lichas play at diceCraig1916: 32 Which is the better man, the greater throw May turn by fortune from the weaker hand: So is Alcides beaten by his page; And so may I, blind fortune leading me,Craig1916: 36 Miss that which one unworthier may attain, And die with grieving. You must take your chance; And either not attempt to choose at all, Or swear before you choose, if you choose wrong, Never to speak to lady afterwardCraig1916: 41 In way of marriage: therefore be advis’d. Nor will not: come, bring me unto my chance. First, forward to the temple: after dinnerCraig1916: 44 Your hazard shall be made. Good fortune then! To make me blest or cursed’st among men! [Cornets, and exeunt. Enter Launcelot Gobbo. Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew my master. The fiend is at mine elbow, and tempts me, saying to me, ‘Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot,’ or ‘good Gobbo,’ or ‘good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away.’ My conscience says, ‘No; take heed, honest Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo;’ or, as aforesaid, ‘honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy heels.’ Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack: ‘Via!’ says the fiend; ‘away!’ says the fiend; ‘for the heavens, rouse up a brave mind,’ says the fiend, ‘and run.’ Well, my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me, ‘My honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man’s son,’—or rather an honest woman’s son;—for, indeed, my father did something smack, something grow to, he had a kind of taste;—well, my conscience says, ‘Launcelot, budge not.’ ‘Budge,’ says the fiend. ‘Budge not,’ says my conscience. ‘Conscience,’ say I, ‘you counsel well;’ ‘fiend,’ say I, ‘you counsel well:’ to be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who, God bless the mark! is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil himself. Certainly, the Jew is the very devil incarnal; and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment; I will run.Craig1916: 33 Enter Old Gobbo, with a basket. Master young man, you; I pray you, which is the way to Master Jew’s? [Aside.] O heavens! this is my truebegotten father, who, being more than sandblind, high-gravel blind, knows me not: I will try confusions with him. Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to Master Jew’s?Craig1916: 41 Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew’s house. By God’s sonties, ’twill be a hard way to hit. Can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him or no?Craig1916: 49 Talk you of young Master Launcelot? [Aside.] Mark me now; now will I raise the waters. Talk you of young Master Launcelot? No master, sir, but a poor man’s son: his father, though I say it, is an honest, exceeding poor man, and, God be thanked, well to live.Craig1916: 56 Well, let his father be what a’ will, we talk of young Master Launcelot. Your worship’s friend, and Launcelot, sir.Craig1916: 60 But I pray you, ergo, old man, ergo, I beseech you, talk you of young Master Launcelot? Of Launcelot, an’t please your mastership.Craig1916: 64 Ergo, Master Launcelot. Talk not of Master Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman,—according to Fates and Destinies and such odd sayings, the Sisters Three and such branches of learning,—is, indeed, deceased; or, as you would say in plain terms, gone to heaven. Marry, God forbid! the boy was the very staff of my age, my very prop.Craig1916: 72 [Aside.] Do I look like a cudgel or a hovel-post, a staff or a prop? Do you know me, father? Alack the day! I know you not, young gentleman: but I pray you, tell me, is my boy,—God rest his soul!—alive or dead? Do you not know me, father? Alack, sir, I am sand-blind; I know you not.Craig1916: 81 Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wise father that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your son. Give me your blessing; truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long; a man’s son may, but, in the end, truth will out.Craig1916: 88 Pray you, sir, stand up. I am sure you are not Launcelot, my boy. Pray you, let’s have no more fooling about it, but give me your blessing: I am Launcelot, your boy that was, your son that is, your child that shall be.Craig1916: 94 I cannot think you are my son. I know not what I shall think of that; but I am Launcelot, the Jew’s man, and I am sure Margery your wife is my mother.Craig1916: 98 Her name is Margery, indeed: I’ll be sworn, if thou be Launcelot, thou art mine own Edition: current; Page: flesh and blood. Lord worshipped might he be! what a beard hast thou got! thou hast got more hair on thy chin than Dobbin my thill-horse has on his tail.Craig1916: 104 It should seem then that Dobbin’s tail grows backward: I am sure he had more hair on his tail than I have on my face, when I last saw him.Craig1916: 108 Lord! how art thou changed. How dost thou and thy master agree? I have brought him a present. How ’gree you now? Well, well: but, for mine own part, as I have set up my rest to run away, so I will not rest till I have run some ground. My master’s a very Jew: give him a present! give him a halter: I am farnished in his service; you may tell every finger I have with my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come: give me your present to one Master Bassanio, who, indeed, gives rare new liveries. If I serve not him, I will run as far as God has any ground. O rare fortune! here comes the man: to him, father; for I am a Jew, if I serve the Jew any longer.Craig1916: 123 Enter Bassanio, with Leonardo, and other Followers. You may do so; but let it be so hasted that supper be ready at the very furthest by five of the clock. See these letters delivered; put the liveries to making; and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. [Exit a Servant. To him, father.Craig1916: 129 God bless your worship! Gramercy! wouldst thou aught with me?Craig1916: 132 Here’s my son, sir, a poor boy,— Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew’s man; that would, sir,—as my father shall specify,—Craig1916: 136 He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say, to serve— Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve the Jew, and have a desire, as my father shall specify,—Craig1916: 141 His master and he, saving your worship’s reverence, are scarce cater-cousins,— To be brief, the very truth is that the Jew having done me wrong, doth cause me,—as my father, being, I hope, an old man, shall frutify unto you,—Craig1916: 147 I have here a dish of doves that I would bestow upon your worship, and my suit is,— In very brief, the suit is impertinent to myself, as your worship shall know by this honest old man; and, though I say it, though old man, yet poor man, my father. One speak for both. What would you? Serve you, sir.Craig1916: 156 That is the very defect of the matter, sir. I know thee well; thou hast obtain’d thy suit: Shylock thy master spoke with me this day,Craig1916: 160 And hath preferr’d thee, if it be preferment To leave a rich Jew’s service, to become The follower of so poor a gentleman. The old proverb is very well parted between my master Shylock and you, sir: you have the grace of God, sir, and he hath enough. Thou speak’st it well. Go, father, with thy son. Take leave of thy old master, and inquireCraig1916: 168 My lodging out. [To his followers.] Give him a livery More guarded than his fellows’: see it done. Father, in. I cannot get a service, no; I have ne’er a tongue in my head. Well, [Looking on his palm.] if any man in Italy have a fairer table which doth offer to swear upon a book, I shall have good fortune. Go to; here’s a simple line of life: here’s a small trifle of wives: alas! fifteen wives is nothing: a ’leven widows and nine maids is a simple coming-in for one man; and then to ’scape drowning thrice, and to be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed; here are simple ’scapes. Well, if Fortune be a woman, she’s a good wench for this gear. Father, come; I’ll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye.Craig1916: 184 [Exeunt Launcelot and Old Gobbo. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this: These things being bought, and orderly bestow’d, Return in haste, for I do feast to-night My best-esteem’d acquaintance: hie thee, go.Craig1916: 188 My best endeavours shall be done herein. Where is your master? Yonder, sir, he walks. I have a suit to you. You have obtain’d it. You must not deny me: I must go with you to Belmont. Why, then you must. But hear thee, Gratiano; Thou art too wild, too rude and bold of voice; Parts that become thee happily enough,Craig1916: 197 And in such eyes as ours appear not faults;Edition: current; Page: But where thou art not known, why, there they show Something too liberal. Pray thee, take painCraig1916: 200 To allay with some cold drops of modesty Thy skipping spirit, lest, through thy wild behaviour, I be misconstru’d in the place I go to, And lose my hopes. Signior Bassanio, hear me:Craig1916: 204 If I do not put on a sober habit, Talk with respect, and swear but now and then, Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely, Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes Thus with my hat, and sigh, and say ‘amen;’ Use all the observance of civility, Like one well studied in a sad ostent To please his grandam, never trust me more.Craig1916: 212 Well, we shall see your bearing. Nay, but I bar to-night; you shall not gauge me By what we do to-night. No, that were pity: I would entreat you rather to put onCraig1916: 216 Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends That purpose merriment. But fare you well: I have some business. And I must to Lorenzo and the rest;Craig1916: 220 But we will visit you at supper-time. Enter Jessica and Launcelot. I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so: Our house is hell, and thou, a merry devil, Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness. But fare thee well; there is a ducat for thee:Craig1916: 4 And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see Lorenzo, who is thy new master’s guest: Give him this letter; do it secretly; And so farewell: I would not have my fatherCraig1916: 8 See me in talk with thee. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue. Most beautiful pagan, most sweet Jew! If a Christian did not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceived. But, adieu! these foolish drops do somewhat drown my manly spirit: adieu! Farewell, good Launcelot. Alack, what heinous sin is it in meCraig1916: 16 To be asham’d to be my father’s child! But though I am a daughter to his blood, I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo! If thou keep promise, I shall end this strife,Craig1916: 20 Become a Christian, and thy loving wife. Enter Gratiano, Lorenzo, Salarino, and Salanio. Nay, we will slink away in supper-time, Disguise us at my lodging, and return All in an hour. We have not made good preparation.Craig1916: 4 We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers. ’Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly order’d, And better, in my mind, not undertook. ’Tis now but four o’clock: we have two hoursCraig1916: 8 To furnish us. Enter Launcelot, with a letter. Friend Launcelot, what’s the news? An it shall please you to break up this, it shall seem to signify. I know the hand: in faith, ’tis a fair hand; And whiter than the paper it writ onCraig1916: 13 Is the fair hand that writ. Love news, in faith. By your leave, sir. Whither goest thou?Craig1916: 16 Marry, sir, to bid my old master, the Jew, to sup to-night with my new master, the Christian. Hold here, take this: tell gentle Jessica I will not fail her; speak it privately.Craig1916: 21 Will you prepare you for this masque to-night? I am provided of a torch-bearer.Craig1916: 24 Ay, marry, I’ll be gone about it straight. And so will I. Meet me and Gratiano At Gratiano’s lodging some hour hence. ’Tis good we do so.Craig1916: 28 [Exeunt Salarino and Salanio. Was not that letter from fair Jessica? I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed How I shall take her from her father’s house; What gold and jewels she is furnish’d with;Craig1916: 32 What page’s suit she hath in readiness. If e’er the Jew her father come to heaven, It will be for his gentle daughter’s sake; And never dare misfortune cross her foot,Craig1916: 36 Unless she do it under this excuse, That she is issue to a faithless Jew. Come, go with me: peruse this as thou goest. Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer. Enter Shylock and Launcelot. Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge, The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:— What, Jessical—thou shalt not gormandize, As thou hast done with me;—What, Jessical— And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out—Craig1916: 5 Why, Jessica, I say! Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call. Your worship was wont to tell me that I could do nothing without bidding.Craig1916: 9 Call you? What is your will? I am bid forth to supper, Jessica: There are my keys. But wherefore should I go? I am not bid for love; they flatter me:Craig1916: 13 But yet I’ll go in hate, to feed upon The prodigal Christian. Jessica, my girl, Look to my house. I am right loath to go:Craig1916: 16 There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest, For I did dream of money-bags to-night. I beseech you, sir, go: my young master doth expect your reproach.Craig1916: 20 So do I his. And they have conspired together: I will not say you shall see a masque; but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a-bleeding on Black-Monday last, at six o’clock i’ the morning, falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four year in the afternoon. What! are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica:Craig1916: 28 Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum, And the vile squealing of the wry-neck’d fife, Clamber not you up to the casements then, Nor thrust your head into the public streetCraig1916: 32 To gaze on Christian fools with varnish’d faces, But stop my house’s ears, I mean my casements; Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter My sober house. By Jacob’s staff I swearCraig1916: 36 I have no mind of feasting forth to-night; But I will go. Go you before me, sirrah; Say I will come. I will go before, air. Mistress, look out at window, for all this;Craig1916: 41 What says that fool of Hagar’s offspring, ha?Craig1916: 44 His words were, ‘Farewell, mistress;’ nothing else. The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder; Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day More than the wild cat: drones hive not with me;Craig1916: 48 Therefore I part with him, and part with him To one that I would have him help to waste His borrow’d purse. Well, Jessica, go in: Perhaps I will return immediately:Craig1916: 52 Do as I bid you; shut doors after you: ‘Fast bind, fast find,’ A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost, I have a father, you a daughter, lost. Enter Gratiano and Salarino, masqued. This is the penthouse under which Lorenzo Desir’d us to make stand. His hour is almost past. And it is marvel he out-dwells his hour, For lovers ever run before the clock.Craig1916: 4 O! ten times faster Venus’ pigeons fly To seal love’s bonds new-made, than they are wont To keep obliged faith unforfeited! That ever holds: who riseth from a feast With that keen appetite that he sits down?Craig1916: 9 Where is the horse that doth untread again His tedious measures with the unbated fire That he did pace them first? All things that are, Are with more spirit chased than enjoy’d.Craig1916: 13 How like a younker or a prodigal The scarfed bark puts from her native bay, Hugg’d and embraced by the strumpet wind!Craig1916: 16 How like the prodigal doth she return, With over-weather’d ribs and ragged sails, Lean, rent, and beggar’d by the strumpet wind! Here comes Lorenzo: more of this hereafter.Craig1916: 20 Sweet friends, your patience for my long abode; Not I, but my affairs, have made you wait: When you shall please to play the thieves for wives, I’ll watch as long for you then. Approach;Craig1916: 24 Here dwells my father Jew. Ho! who’s within? Enter Jessica above, in boy’s clothes. Who are you? Tell me, for more certainty, Albeit I’ll swear that I do know your tongue. Lorenzo, and thy love.Craig1916: 28 Lorenzo, certain; and my love indeed, For whom love I so much? And now who knows But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours? Heaven and thy thoughts are witness that thou art.Craig1916: 32 Here, catch this casket; it is worth the pains. I am glad ’tis night, you do not look on me, For I am much asham’d of my exchange; But love is blind, and lovers cannot seeCraig1916: 36 The pretty follies that themselves commit; For if they could, Cupid himself would blush To see me thus transformed to a boy. Descend, for you must be my torch-bearer.Craig1916: 40 What! must I hold a candle to my shames? They in themselves, good sooth, are too-too light. Why, ’tis an office of discovery, love, And I should be obscur’d. So are you, sweet,Craig1916: 44 Even in the lovely garnish of a boy. But come at once; For the close night doth play the runaway, And we are stay’d for at Bassanio’s feast.Craig1916: 48 I will make fast the doors, and gild myself With some more ducats, and be with you straight. Now, by my hood, a Gentile, and no Jew. Beshrew me, but I love her heartily;Craig1916: 52 For she is wise, if I can judge of her, And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true, And true she is, as she hath prov’d herself; And therefore, like herself, wise, fair, and true, Shall she be placed in my constant soul.Craig1916: 57 What, art thou come? On, gentlemen; away! Our masquing mates by this time for us stay. [Exit with Jessica and Salarino. Who’s there?Craig1916: 60 Fie, fie, Gratiano! where are all the rest? ’Tis nine o’clock; our friends all stay for you. No masque to-night: the wind is come about;Craig1916: 64 Bassanio presently will go aboard: I have sent twenty out to seek for you. I am glad on’t: I desire no more delight Than to be under sail and gone to-night.Craig1916: 68 Flourish of Cornets. Enter Portia, with the Prince of Morocco, and their Trains. Go, draw aside the curtains, and discover The several caskets to this noble prince. Now make your choice. The first, of gold, which this inscription bears:Craig1916: 4 Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire. The second, silver, which this promise carries: Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves. This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt: Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.Craig1916: 9 How shall I know if I do choose the right? The one of them contains my picture, prince: If you choose that, then I am yours withal.Craig1916: 12 Some god direct my judgment! Let me see: I will survey the inscriptions back again: What says this leaden casket? Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.Craig1916: 16 Must give: For what? for lead? hazard for lead? This casket threatens. Men that hazard all Do it in hope of fair advantages: A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross;Craig1916: 20 I’ll then nor give nor hazard aught for lead. What says the silver with her virgin hue? Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves. As much as he deserves! Pause there, Morocco, And weigh thy value with an even hand.Craig1916: 25 If thou be’st rated by thy estimation, Thou dost deserve enough; and yet enough May not extend so far as to the lady:Craig1916: 28 And yet to be afeard of my deserving Were but a weak disabling of myself. As much as I deserve! Why, that’s the lady: I do in birth deserve her, and in fortunes,Craig1916: 32 In graces, and in qualities of breeding; But more than these, in love I do deserve. What if I stray’d no further, but chose here? Let’s see once more this saying grav’d in gold:Craig1916: 36Edition: current; Page: Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire. Why, that’s the lady: all the world desires her; From the four corners of the earth they come, To kiss this shrine, this mortal-breathing saint: The Hyrcanian deserts and the vasty wildsCraig1916: 41 Of wide Arabia are as throughfares now For princes to come view fair Portia: The watery kingdom, whose ambitious headCraig1916: 44 Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar To stop the foreign spirits, but they come, As o’er a brook, to see fair Portia. One of these three contains her heavenly picture. Is’t like that lead contains her? ’Twere damnationCraig1916: 49 To think so base a thought: it were too gross To rib her cerecloth in the obscure grave. Or shall I think in silver she’s immur’d,Craig1916: 52 Being ten times undervalu’d to tried gold? O sinful thought! Never so rich a gem Was set in worse than gold. They have in England A coin that bears the figure of an angelCraig1916: 56 Stamped in gold, but that’s insculp’d upon; But here an angel in a golden bed Lies all within. Deliver me the key: Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may!Craig1916: 60 There, take it, prince; and if my form lie there, Then I am yours. [He unlocks the golden casket. O hell! what have we here? A carrion Death, within whose empty eye There is a written scroll. I’ll read the writing. Cold, indeed; and labour lost: Then, farewell, heat, and welcome, frost! Portia, adieu. I have too griev’d a heartCraig1916: 76 To take a tedious leave: thus losers part. [Exit with his Train. Flourish of Cornets. A gentle riddance. Draw the curtains: go. Let all of his complexion choose me so. Enter Salarino and Salanio. Why, man, I saw Bassanio under sail: With him is Gratiano gone along; And in their ship I’m sure Lorenzo is not. The villain Jew with outcries rais’d the duke,Craig1916: 4 Who went with him to search Bassanio’s ship. He came too late, the ship was under sail: But there the duke was given to understand That in a gondola were seen togetherCraig1916: 8 Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica. Besides, Antonio certified the duke They were not with Bassanio in his ship. I never heard a passion so confus’d,Craig1916: 12 So strange, outrageous, and so variable, As the dog Jew did utter in the streets: ‘My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats! Justice! the law! my ducats, and my daughter! A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats, Of double ducats, stol’n from me by my daughter! And jewels! two stones, two rich and precious stones,Craig1916: 20 Stol’n by my daughter! Justice! find the girl! She hath the stones upon her, and the ducats.’ Why, all the boys in Venice follow him, Crying, his stones, his daughter, and his ducats. Let good Antonio look he keep his day,Craig1916: 25 Or he shall pay for this. Marry, well remember’d. I reason’d with a Frenchman yesterday, Who told me,—in the narrow seas that partCraig1916: 28 The French and English,—there miscarried A vessel of our country richly fraught. I thought upon Antonio when he told me, And wish’d in silence that it were not his.Craig1916: 32 You were best to tell Antonio what you hear; Yet do not suddenly, for it may grieve him. A kinder gentleman treads not the earth. I saw Bassanio and Antonio part:Craig1916: 36 Bassanio told him he would make some speed Of his return: he answer’d ‘Do not so; Slubber not business for my sake, Bassanio, But stay the very riping of the time;Craig1916: 40 And for the Jew’s bond which he hath of me, Let it not enter in your mind of love: Be merry, and employ your chiefest thoughts To courtship and such fair ostents of loveCraig1916: 44 As shall conveniently become you there:’ And even there, his eye being big with tears, Turning his face, he put his hand behind him, And with affection wondrous sensibleCraig1916: 48 He wrung Bassanio’s hand; and so they parted. I think he only loves the world for him.Edition: current; Page: I pray thee, let us go and find him out, And quicken his embraced heavinessCraig1916: 52 With some delight or other. Do we so. Enter Nerissa, with a Servitor. Quick, quick, I pray thee; draw the curtain straight: The Prince of Arragon hath ta’en his oath, And comes to his election presently. Flourish of Cornets. Enter the Prince of Arragon, Portia, and their Trains. Behold, there stands the caskets, noble prince:Craig1916: 4 If you choose that wherein I am contain’d, Straight shall our nuptial rites be solemniz’d; But if you fail, without more speech, my lord, You must be gone from hence immediately.Craig1916: 8 I am enjoin’d by oath to observe three things: First, never to unfold to any one Which casket ’twas I chose; next, if I fail Of the right casket, never in my lifeCraig1916: 12 To woo a maid in way of marriage; If I do fail in fortune of my choice, Immediately to leave you and be gone.Craig1916: 16 To these injunctions every one doth swear That comes to hazard for my worthless self. And so have I address’d me. Fortune now To my heart’s hope! Gold, silver, and base lead. Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath:Craig1916: 21 You shall look fairer, ere I give or hazard. What says the golden chest? ha! let me see: Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.Craig1916: 24 What many men desire! that ‘many’ may be meant By the fool multitude, that choose by show, Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach; Which pries not to the interior, but, like the martlet,Craig1916: 28 Builds in the weather on the outward wall, Even in the force and road of casualty. I will not choose what many men desire, Because I will not jump with common spiritsCraig1916: 32 And rank me with the barbarous multitude. Why, then to thee, thou silver treasure-house; Tell me once more what title thou dost bear: Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.Craig1916: 36 And well said too; for who shall go about To cozen fortune and be honourable Without the stamp of merit? Let none presume To wear an undeserved dignity.Craig1916: 40 O! that estates, degrees, and offices Were not deriv’d corruptly, and that clear honour Were purchas’d by the merit of the wearer. How many then should cover that stand bare; How many be commanded that command;Craig1916: 45 How much low peasantry would then be glean’d From the true seed of honour; and how much honour Pick’d from the chaff and ruin of the timesCraig1916: 48 To be new varnish’d! Well, but to my choice: Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves. I will assume desert. Give me a key for this, And instantly unlock my fortunes here.Craig1916: 52 [He opens the silver casket. Too long a pause for that which you find there. What’s here? the portrait of a blinking idiot, Presenting me a schedule! I will read it. How much unlike art thou to Portia!Craig1916: 56 How much unlike my hopes and my deservings! Who chooseth me shall have as much as he deserves. Did I deserve no more than a fool’s head? Is that my prize? are my deserts no better?Craig1916: 60 To offend, and judge, are distinct offices, And of opposed natures. What is here? Thus hath the candle sing’d the moth. O, these deliberate fools! when they do choose, They have the wisdom by their wit to lose.Craig1916: 81 The ancient saying is no heresy:Edition: current; Page: ‘Hanging and wiving goes by destiny.’ Come, draw the curtain, Nerissa.Craig1916: 84 Enter a Servant. Where is my lady? Here; what would my lord? Madam, there is alighted at your gate A young Venetian, one that comes before To signify the approaching of his lord;Craig1916: 88 From whom he bringeth sensible regreets, To wit, — besides commends and courteous breath,— Gifts of rich value. Yet I have not seen So likely an embassador of love.Craig1916: 92 A day in April never came so sweet, To show how costly summer was at hand, As this fore-spurrer comes before his lord. No more, I pray thee: I am half afeard Thou wilt say anon he is some kin to thee,Craig1916: 97 Thou spend’st such high-day wit in praising him. Come, come, Nerissa; for I long to see Quick Cupid’s post that comes so mannerly.Craig1916: 100 Bassanio, lord Love, if thy will it be! Enter Salanio and Salarino. Now, what news on the Rialto? Why, yet it lives there unchecked that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wracked on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcasses of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip Report be an honest woman of her word.Craig1916: 8 I would she were as lying a gossip in that as ever knapped ginger, or made her neighbours believe she wept for the death of a third husband. But it is true,—without any slips of prolixity or crossing the plain highway of talk,—that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,—O, that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!—Craig1916: 16 Come, the full stop. Ha! what sayst thou? Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship. I would it might prove the end of his losses.Craig1916: 21 Let me say ‘amen’ betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew.Craig1916: 24 How now, Shylock! what news among the merchants? You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my daughter’s flight.Craig1916: 28 That’s certain: I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she flew withal. And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was fledged; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.Craig1916: 33 She is damned for it. That’s certain, if the devil may be her judge.Craig1916: 36 My own flesh and blood to rebel! Out upon it, old carrion! rebels it at these years? I say my daughter is my flesh and blood.Craig1916: 41 There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods than there is between red wine and Rhenish. But tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any loss at sea or no?Craig1916: 47 There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto; a beggar, that used to come so smug upon the mart; let him look to his bond: he was wont to call me usurer; let him look to his bond: he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy; let him look to his bond.Craig1916: 54 Why, I am sure, if he forfeit thou wilt not take his flesh: what’s that good for? To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what’s his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.Craig1916: 78 Enter a Servant. Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you both. We have been up and down to seek him. Here comes another of the tribe: a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew.Craig1916: 85 [Exeunt Salanio, Salarino and Servant. How now, Tubal! what news from Genoa? Hast thou found my daughter? I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her.Craig1916: 89 Why there, there, there! a diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now: two thousand ducats in that; and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin! No news of them? Why, so: and I know not what’s spent in the search: Why thou—loss upon loss! the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge: nor no ill luck stirring but what lights on my shoulders; no sighs but of my breathing; no tears but of my shedding.Craig1916: 104 Yes, other men have ill luck too. Antonio, as I heard in Genoa,— What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck? —hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis.Craig1916: 109 I thank God! I thank God! Is it true? is it true? I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wrack.Craig1916: 113 I thank thee, good Tubal. Good news, good news! ha, ha! Where? in Genoa? Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourscore ducats.Craig1916: 117 Thou stick’st a dagger in me: I shall never see my gold again: fourscore ducats at a sitting! fourscore ducats!Craig1916: 120 There came divers of Antonio’s creditors in my company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break. I am very glad of it: I’ll plague him; I’ll torture him: I am glad of it.Craig1916: 125 One of them showed me a ring that he had of your daughter for a monkey. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise; I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. But Antonio is certainly undone.Craig1916: 132 Nay, that’s true, that’s very true. Go, Tubal, fee me an officer; bespeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for, were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandise I will. Go, go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal. Enter Bassanio, Portia, Gratiano, Nerissa, and Attendants. I pray you, tarry: pause a day or two Before you hazard; for, in choosing wrong. I lose your company: therefore, forbear awhile. There’s something tells me, but it is not love, I would not lose you; and you know yourself,Craig1916: 5 Hate counsels not in such a quality. But lest you should not understand me well,— And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought,— I would detain you here some month or twoCraig1916: 9 Before you venture for me. I could teach you How to choose right, but then I am forsworn; So will I never be: so may you miss me;Craig1916: 12 But if you do, you’ll make me wish a sin, That I had been forsworn. Beshrew your eyes, They have o’erlook’d me and divided me: One half of me is yours, the other half yours,Craig1916: 16 Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours, And so all yours. O! these naughty times Put bars between the owners and their rights; And so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so,Craig1916: 20 Let fortune go to hell for it, not I. I speak too long; but ’tis to peise the time, To eke it and to draw it out in length, To stay you from election. Let me choose;Craig1916: 24 For as I am, I live upon the rack. Upon the rack, Bassanio! then confess What treason there is mingled with your love. None but that ugly treason of mistrust, Which makes me fear th’ enjoying of my love: There may as well be amity and lifeCraig1916: 30 ’Tween snow and fire, as treason and my love. Ay, but I fear you speak upon the rack, Where men enforced do speak anything.Craig1916: 33 Promise me life, and I’ll confess the truth. Well then, confess, and live. ‘Confess’ and ‘love’ Had been the very sum of my confession:Craig1916: 36 O happy torment, when my torturer Doth teach me answers for deliverance! But let me to my fortune and the caskets. Away then! I am lock’d in one of them: If you do love me, you will find me out.Craig1916: 41 Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof. Let music sound while he doth make his choice; Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end,Craig1916: 44Edition: current; Page: Fading in music: that the comparison May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream And watery death-bed for him. He may win; And what is music then? then music isCraig1916: 48 Even as the flourish when true subjects bow To a new-crowned monarch: such it is As are those dulcet sounds in break of day That creep into the dreaming bridegroom’s ear, And summon him to marriage. Now he goes,Craig1916: 53 With no less presence, but with much more love, Than young Alcides, when he did redeem The virgin tribute paid by howling TroyCraig1916: 56 To the sea-monster: I stand for sacrifice; The rest aloof are the Dardanian wives, With bleared visages, come forth to view The issue of the exploit. Go, Hercules!Craig1916: 60 Live thou, I live: with much, much more dismay I view the fight than thou that mak’st the fray. [A Song, whilst Bassanio comments on the caskets to himself. Ding, dong, bell.Craig1916: 72 So may the outward shows be least themselves: The world is still deceiv’d with ornament. In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt But, being season’d with a gracious voice,Craig1916: 76 Obscures the show of evil? In religion, What damned error, but some sober brow Will bless it and approve it with a text, Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?Craig1916: 80 There is no vice so simple but assumes Some mark of virtue on his outward parts. How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chinsCraig1916: 84 The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars, Who, inward search’d, have livers white as milk; And these assume but valour’s excrement To render them redoubted! Look on beauty,Craig1916: 88 And you shall see ’tis purchas’d by the weight; Which therein works a miracle in nature, Making them lightest that wear most of it: So are those crisped snaky golden locksCraig1916: 92 Which make such wanton gambols with the wind, Upon supposed fairness, often known To be the dowry of a second head, The skull that bred them, in the sepulchre.Craig1916: 96 Thus ornament is but the guiled shore To a most dangerous sea; the beauteous scarf Veiling an Indian beauty; in a word, The seeming truth which cunning times put on To entrap the wisest. Therefore, thou gaudy gold, Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee; Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge ’Tween man and man: but thou, thou meagre lead,Craig1916: 104 Which rather threat’nest than dost promise aught, Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence, And here choose I: joy be the consequence! [Aside.] How all the other passions fleet to air,Craig1916: 108 As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embrac’d despair, And shuddering fear, and green-ey’d jealousy. O love! be moderate; allay thy ecstasy; In measure rain thy joy; scant this excess;Craig1916: 112 I feel too much thy blessing; make it less, For fear I surfeit! What find I here? [Opening the leaden casket. Fair Portia’s counterfeit! What demi-god Hath come so near creation? Move these eyes? Or whether, riding on the balls of mine,Craig1916: 117 Seem they in motion? Here are sever’d lips, Parted with sugar breath; so sweet a bar Should sunder such sweet friends. Here, in her hairsCraig1916: 120 The painter plays the spider, and hath woven A golden mesh to entrap the hearts of men Faster than gnats in cobwebs: but her eyes!— How could he see to do them? having made one, Methinks it should have power to steal both his And leave itself unfurnish’d: yet look, how far The substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow In underprizing it, so far this shadowCraig1916: 128 Doth limp behind the substance. Here’s the scroll, The continent and summary of my fortune. A gentle scroll. Fair lady, by your leave; I come by note, to give and to receive.Craig1916: 140 Like one of two contending in a prize, That thinks he hath done well in people’s eyes, Hearing applause and universal shout, Giddy in spirit, still gazing in a doubtCraig1916: 144 Whether those peals of praise be his or no; So, thrice-fair lady, stand I, even so, As doubtful whether what I see be true,Edition: current; Page: Until confirm’d, sign’d, ratified by you.Craig1916: 148 You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand, Such as I am: though for myself alone I would not be ambitious in my wish, To wish myself much better; yet, for youCraig1916: 152 I would be trebled twenty times myself; A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times That only to stand high in your account,Craig1916: 156 I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends, Exceed account: but the full sum of me Is sum of nothing; which, to term in gross, Is an unlesson’d girl, unschool’d, unpractis’d; Happy in this, she is not yet so oldCraig1916: 161 But she may learn; happier than this, She is not bred so dull but she can learn; Happiest of all is that her gentle spiritCraig1916: 164 Commits itself to yours to be directed, As from her lord, her governor, her king. Myself and what is mine to you and yours Is now converted: but now I was the lordCraig1916: 168 Of this fair mansion, master of my servants, Queen o’er myself; and even now, but now, This house, these servants, and this same myself Are yours, my lord. I give them with this ring; Which when you part from, lose, or give away, Let it presage the ruin of your love, And be my vantage to exclaim on you. Madam, you have bereft me of all words, Only my blood speaks to you in my veins;Craig1916: 177 And there is such confusion in my powers, As, after some oration fairly spoke By a beloved prince, there doth appearCraig1916: 180 Among the buzzing pleased multitude; Where every something, being blent together, Turns to a wild of nothing, save of joy, Express’d and not express’d. But when this ring Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence:Craig1916: 185 O! then be bold to say Bassanio’s dead. My lord and lady, it is now our time, That have stood by and seen our wishes prosper, To cry, good joy. Good joy, my lord and lady! My Lord Bassanio and my gentle lady, I wish you all the joy that you can wish; For I am sure you can wish none from me:Craig1916: 192 And when your honours mean to solemnize The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you, Even at that time I may be married too. With all my heart, so thou canst get a wife.Craig1916: 196 I thank your lordship, you have got me one. My eyes, my lord, can look as swift as yours: You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid; You lov’d, I lov’d for intermission.Craig1916: 200 No more pertains to me, my lord, than you. Your fortune stood upon the caskets there, And so did mine too, as the matter falls; For wooing here until I sweat again,Craig1916: 204 And swearing till my very roof was dry With oaths of love, at last, if promise last, I got a promise of this fair one here To have her love, provided that your fortuneCraig1916: 208 Achiev’d her mistress. Is this true, Nerissa? Madam, it is, so you stand pleas’d withal. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith? Yes, faith, my lord.Craig1916: 212 Our feast shall be much honour’d in your marriage. We’ll play with them the first boy for a thousand ducats. What! and stake down?Craig1916: 216 No; we shall ne’er win at that sport, and stake down. But who comes here? Lorenzo and his infidel? What! and my old Venetian friend, Salanio?Craig1916: 220 Enter Lorenzo, Jessica, and Salanio. Lorenzo, and Salanio, welcome hither, If that the youth of my new interest here Have power to bid you welcome. By your leave, I bid my very friends and countrymen,Craig1916: 224 Sweet Portia, welcome. So do I, my lord: They are entirely welcome. I thank your honour. For my part, my lord, My purpose was not to have seen you here;Craig1916: 228 But meeting with Salanio by the way, He did entreat me, past all saying nay, To come with him along. I did, my lord, And I have reason for it. Signior AntonioCraig1916: 232 Commends him to you. [Gives Bassanio a letter. Ere I ope his letter, I pray you, tell me how my good friend doth. Not sick, my lord, unless it be in mind; Nor well, unless in mind: his letter thereCraig1916: 236 Will show you his estate. Nerissa, cheer yon stranger; bid her welcome. Your hand, Salanio. What’s the news from Venice? How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio? I know he will be glad of our success;Craig1916: 241 We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece. I would you had won the fleece that he hath lost. There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper,Craig1916: 244 That steal the colour from Bassanio’s cheek: Some dear friend dead, else nothing in the world Could turn so much the constitutionEdition: current; Page: Of any constant man. What, worse and worse! With leave, Bassanio; I am half yourself,Craig1916: 249 And I must freely have the half of anything That this same paper brings you. O sweet Portia! Here are a few of the unpleasant’st wordsCraig1916: 252 That ever blotted paper. Gentle lady, When I did first impart my love to you, I freely told you all the wealth I had Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman:Craig1916: 256 And then I told you true; and yet, dear lady, Rating myself at nothing, you shall see How much I was a braggart. When I told you My state was nothing, I should then have told you That I was worse than nothing; for, indeed,Craig1916: 261 I have engag’d myself to a dear friend, Engag’d my friend to his mere enemy, To feed my means. Here is a letter, lady;Craig1916: 264 The paper as the body of my friend, And every word in it a gaping wound, Issuing life-blood. But is it true, Salanio? Hath all his ventures fail’d? What, not one hit? From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England,Craig1916: 269 From Lisbon, Barbary, and India? And not one vessel ’scape the dreadful touch Of merchant-marring rocks? Not one, my lord.Craig1916: 272 Besides, it should appear, that if he had The present money to discharge the Jew, He would not take it. Never did I know A creature, that did bear the shape of man,Craig1916: 276 So keen and greedy to confound a man. He plies the duke at morning and at night, And doth impeach the freedom of the state, If they deny him justice: twenty merchants,Craig1916: 280 The duke himself, and the magnificoes Of greatest port, have all persuaded with him; But none can drive him from the envious plea Of forfeiture, of justice, and his bond.Craig1916: 284 When I was with him, I have heard him swear To Tubal and to Chus, his countrymen, That he would rather have Antonio’s flesh Than twenty times the value of the sumCraig1916: 288 That he did owe him; and I know, my lord, If law, authority, and power deny not, It will go hard with poor Antonio. Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble?Craig1916: 292 The dearest friend to me, the kindest man, The best-condition’d and unwearied spirit In doing courtesies, and one in whom The ancient Roman honour more appearsCraig1916: 296 Than any that draws breath in Italy. What sum owes he the Jew? For me, three thousand ducats. What, no more? Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond;Craig1916: 300 Double six thousand, and then treble that, Before a friend of this description Shall lose a hair thorough Bassanio’s fault. First go with me to church and call me wife,Craig1916: 304 And then away to Venice to your friend; For never shall you lie by Portia’s side With an unquiet soul. You shall have gold To pay the petty debt twenty times over:Craig1916: 308 When it is paid, bring your true friend along. My maid Nerissa and myself meantime, Will live as maids and widows. Come, away! For you shall hence upon your wedding-day.Craig1916: 312 Bid your friends welcome, show a merry cheer; Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear. But let me hear the letter of your friend.Craig1916: 315 Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all miscarried, my creditors grow cruel, my estate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and since, in paying it, it is impossible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and I, if I might but see you at my death. Notwithstanding, use your pleasure: if your love do not persuade you to come, let not my letter. O love, dispatch all business, and be gone!Craig1916: 324 Since I have your good leave to go away, I will make haste; but, till I come again, No bed shall e’er be guilty of my stay, Nor rest be interposer ’twixt us twain. Enter Shylock, Salarino, Antonio, and Gaoler. Gaoler, look to him: tell not me of mercy; This is the fool that lent out money gratis: Gaoler, look to him. Hear me yet, good Shylock. I’ll have my bond; speak not against my bond:Craig1916: 4 I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond. Thou call’dst me dog before thou hadst a cause, But, since I am a dog, beware my fangs: The duke shall grant me justice. I do wonder, Thou naughty gaoler, that thou art so fondCraig1916: 9 To come abroad with him at his request. I pray thee, hear me speak. I’ll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak:Craig1916: 12 I’ll have my bond, and therefore speak no more. I’ll not be made a soft and dull-eyed fool, To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield To Christian intercessors. Follow not;Craig1916: 16Edition: current; Page: I’ll have no speaking; I will have my bond. It is the most impenetrable cur That ever kept with men. Let him alone: I’ll follow him no more with bootless prayers. He seeks my life; his reason well I know.Craig1916: 21 I oft deliver’d from his forfeitures Many that have at times made moan to me; Therefore he hates me. I am sure the dukeCraig1916: 24 Will never grant this forfeiture to hold. The duke cannot deny the course of law: For the commodity that strangers have With us in Venice, if it be denied,Craig1916: 28 ’Twill much impeach the justice of the state; Since that the trade and profit of the city Consisteth of all nations. Therefore, go: These griefs and losses have so bated me,Craig1916: 32 That I shall hardly spare a pound of flesh To-morrow to my bloody creditor. Well, gaoler, on. Pray God, Bassanio come To see me pay his debt, and then I care not!Craig1916: 36 Enter Portia, Nerissa, Lorenzo, Jessica, and Balthazar. Madam, although I speak it in your presence, You have a noble and a true conceit Of god-like amity; which appears most strongly In bearing thus the absence of your lord.Craig1916: 4 But if you knew to whom you show this honour, How true a gentleman you send relief, How dear a lover of my lord your husband, I know you would be prouder of the workCraig1916: 8 Than customary bounty can enforce you. I never did repent for doing good, Nor shall not now: for in companions That do converse and waste the time together, Whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love,Craig1916: 13 There must be needs a like proportion Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit; Which makes me think that this Antonio,Craig1916: 16 Being the bosom lover of my lord, Must needs be like my lord. If it be so, How little is the cost I have bestow’d In purchasing the semblance of my soulCraig1916: 20 From out the state of hellish cruelty! This comes too near the praising of myself; Therefore, no more of it: hear other things. Lorenzo, I commit into your handsCraig1916: 24 The husbandry and manage of my house Until my lord’s return: for mine own part, I have toward heaven breath’d a secret vow To live in prayer and contemplation,Craig1916: 28 Only attended by Nerissa here, Until her husband and my lord’s return. There is a monastery two miles off, And there will we abide. I do desire youCraig1916: 32 Not to deny this imposition, The which my love and some necessity Now lays upon you. Madam, with all my heart: I shall obey you in all fair commands.Craig1916: 36 My people do already know my mind, And will acknowledge you and Jessica In place of Lord Bassanio and myself. So fare you well till we shall meet again.Craig1916: 40 Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you! I wish your ladyship all heart’s content. I thank you for your wish, and am well pleas’d To wish it back on you: fare you well, Jessica. [Exeunt Jessica and Lorenzo. Now, Balthazar,Craig1916: 45 As I have ever found thee honest-true, So let me find thee still. Take this same letter, And use thou all the endeavour of a manCraig1916: 48 In speed to Padua: see thou render this Into my cousin’s hand, Doctor Bellario; And, look, what notes and garments he doth give thee, Bring them, I pray thee, with imagin’d speedCraig1916: 52 Unto the traject, to the common ferry Which trades to Venice. Waste no time in words, But get thee gone: I shall be there before thee. Madam, I go with all convenient speed. Come on, Nerissa: I have work in hand That you yet know not of: we’ll see our husbands Before they think of us. Shall they see us? They shall, Nerissa; but in such a habit That they shall think we are accomplishedCraig1916: 61 With that we lack. I’ll hold thee any wager, When we are both accoutred like young men, I’ll prove the prettier fellow of the two,Craig1916: 64 And wear my dagger with the braver grace, And speak between the change of man and boy With a reed voice, and turn two mincing steps Into a manly stride, and speak of fraysCraig1916: 68 Like a fine bragging youth, and tell quaint lies, How honourable ladies sought my love, Which I denying, they fell sick and died: I could not do withal; then I’ll repent,Craig1916: 72 And wish, for all that, that I had not kill’d them: And twenty of these puny lies I’ll tell, That men shall swear I have discontinu’d schoolEdition: current; Page: Above a twelvemonth. I have within my mind A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks, Which I will practise. Why, shall we turn to men? Fie, what a question’s that, If thou wert near a lewd interpreter!Craig1916: 80 But come: I’ll tell thee all my whole device When I am in my coach, which stays for us At the park gate; and therefore haste away, For we must measure twenty miles to-day.Craig1916: 84 Enter Launcelot and Jessica. Yes, truly; for, look you, the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children; therefore, I promise you, I fear you. I was always plain with you, and so now I speak my agitation of the matter: therefore be of good cheer; for, truly, I think you are damned. There is but one hope in it that can do you any good, and that is but a kind of bastard hope neither.Craig1916: 8 And what hope is that, I pray thee? Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are not the Jew’s daughter.Craig1916: 12 That were a kind of bastard hope, indeed: so the sins of my mother should be visited upon me. Truly then I fear you are damned both by father and mother: thus when I shun Scylla, your father, I fall into Charybdis, your mother: well, you are gone both ways. I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made me a Christian.Craig1916: 21 Truly the more to blame he: we were Christians enow before; e’en as many as could well live one by another. This making of Christians will raise the price of hogs: if we grow all to be pork-eaters, we shall not shortly have a rasher on the coals for money.Craig1916: 27 I’ll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you say: here he comes. I shall grow jealous of you shortly, Launcelot, if you thus get my wife into corners.Craig1916: 32 Nay, you need not fear us, Lorenzo: Launcelot and I are out. He tells me flatly, there is no mercy for me in heaven, because I am a Jew’s daughter: and he says you are no good member of the commonwealth, for, in converting Jews to Christians, you raise the price of pork.Craig1916: 39 I shall answer that better to the commonwealth than you can the getting up of the negro’s belly: the Moor is with child by you, Launcelot.Craig1916: 43 It is much that the Moor should be more than reason; but if she be less than an honest woman, she is indeed more than I took her for.Craig1916: 47 How every fool can play upon the word! I think the best grace of wit will shortly turn into silence, and discourse grow commendable in none only but parrots. Go in, sirrah: bid them prepare for dinner.Craig1916: 52 That is done, sir; they have all stomachs. Goodly Lord, what a wit-snapper are you! then bid them prepare dinner.Craig1916: 56 That is done too, sir; only, ‘cover’ is the word. Will you cover, then, sir?Craig1916: 59 Not so, sir, neither; I know my duty. Yet more quarrelling with occasion! Wilt thou show the whole wealth of thy wit in an instant? I pray thee, understand a plain man in his plain meaning: go to thy fellows; bid them cover the table, serve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner.Craig1916: 66 For the table, sir, it shall be served in; for the meat, sir, it shall be covered; for your coming in to dinner, sir, why, let it be as humours and conceits shall govern. O dear discretion, how his words are suited! The fool hath planted in his memoryCraig1916: 72 An army of good words: and I do know A many fools, that stand in better place, Garnish’d like him, that for a tricksy word Defy the matter. How cheer’st thou, Jessica? And now, good sweet, say thy opinion;Craig1916: 77 How dost thou like the Lord Bassanio’s wife? Past all expressing. It is very meet, The Lord Bassanio live an upright life,Craig1916: 80 For, having such a blessing in his lady, He finds the joys of heaven here on earth; And if on earth he do not mean it, then In reason he should never come to heaven.Craig1916: 84 Why, if two gods should play some heavenly match, And on the wager lay two earthly women, And Portia one, there must be something else Pawn’d with the other, for the poor rude world Hath not her fellow. Even such a husbandCraig1916: 89 Hast thou of me as she is for a wife. Nay, but ask my opinion too of that. I will anon; first, let us go to dinner.Craig1916: 92 Nay, let me praise you while I have a stomach. No, pray thee, let it serve for table-talk; Then howsoe’er thou speak’st, ’mong other things I shall digest it. Well, I’ll set you forth. Enter the Duke: the Magnificoes; Antonio, Bassanio, Gratiano, Salarino, Salanio, and Others. What, is Antonio here? Ready, so please your Grace. I am sorry for thee: thou art come to answer A stony adversary, an inhuman wretchCraig1916: 4 Uncapable of pity, void and empty From any dram of mercy. I have heard Your Grace hath ta’en great pains to qualify His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate,Craig1916: 8 And that no lawful means can carry me Out of his envy’s reach, I do oppose My patience to his fury, and am arm’d To suffer with a quietness of spiritCraig1916: 12 The very tyranny and rage of his. Go one, and call the Jew into the court. He’s ready at the door: he comes, my lord. Make room, and let him stand before our face.Craig1916: 16 Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too, That thou but lead’st this fashion of thy malice To the last hour of act; and then ’tis thought Thou’lt show thy mercy and remorse more strangeCraig1916: 20 Than is thy strange-apparent cruelty; And where thou now exact’st the penalty,— Which is a pound of this poor merchant’s flesh,— Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture,Craig1916: 24 But, touch’d with human gentleness and love, Forgive a moiety of the principal; Glancing an eye of pity on his losses, That have of late so huddled on his back,Craig1916: 28 Enow to press a royal merchant down, And pluck commiseration of his state From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint, From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train’d To offices of tender courtesy.Craig1916: 33 We all expect a gentle answer, Jew. I have possess’d your Grace of what I purpose; And by our holy Sabbath have I swornCraig1916: 36 To have the due and forfeit of my bond: If you deny it, let the danger light Upon your charter and your city’s freedom. You’ll ask me, why I rather choose to haveCraig1916: 40 A weight of carrion flesh than to receive Three thousand ducats: I’ll not answer that: But say it is my humour: is it answer’d? What if my house be troubled with a rat,Craig1916: 44 And I be pleas’d to give ten thousand ducats To have it ban’d? What, are you answer’d yet? Some men there are love not a gaping pig; Some, that are mad if they behold a cat;Craig1916: 48 And others, when the bagpipe sings i’ the nose, Cannot contain their urine: for affection, Mistress of passion, sways it to the mood Of what it likes, or loathes. Now, for your answer:Craig1916: 52 As there is no firm reason to be render’d, Why he cannot abide a gaping pig; Why he, a harmless necessary cat; Why he, a wauling bagpipe; but of forceCraig1916: 56 Must yield to such inevitable shame As to offend, himself being offended; So can I give no reason, nor I will not, More than a lodg’d hate and a certain loathing I bear Antonio, that I follow thusCraig1916: 61 A losing suit against him. Are you answer’d? This is no answer, thou unfeeling man, To excuse the current of thy cruelty.Craig1916: 64 I am not bound to please thee with my answer. Do all men kill the things they do not love? Hates any man the thing he would not kill? Every offence is not a hate at first.Craig1916: 68 What! wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice? I pray you, think you question with the Jew: You may as well go stand upon the beach, And bid the main flood bate his usual height;Craig1916: 72 You may as well use question with the wolf, Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb; You may as well forbid the mountain pines To wag their high tops, and to make no noiseCraig1916: 76 When they are fretted with the gusts of heaven; You may as well do anything most hard, As seek to soften that—than which what’s harder?— His Jewish heart: therefore, I do beseech you, Make no more offers, use no further means;Craig1916: 81 But with all brief and plain conveniency, Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will. For thy three thousand ducats here is six.Craig1916: 84 If every ducat in six thousand ducats Were in six parts and every part a ducat, I would not draw them; I would have my bond. How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none?Craig1916: 88 What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong? You have among you many a purchas’d slave, Which, like your asses and your dogs and mules, You use in abject and in slavish parts,Craig1916: 92 Because you bought them: shall I say to you, Let them be free, marry them to your heirs? Why sweat they under burdens? let their beds Be made as soft as yours, and let their palates Be season’d with such viands? You will answer:Craig1916: 97 ‘The slaves are ours:’ so do I answer you: The pound of flesh which I demand of him, Is dearly bought; ’tis mine and I will have it. If you deny me, fie upon your law!Craig1916: 101 There is no force in the decrees of Venice. I stand for judgment: answer; shall I have it? Upon my power I may dismiss this court,Craig1916: 104 Unless Bellario, a learned doctor, Whom I have sent for to determine this, Come here to-day. My lord, here stays without A messenger with letters from the doctor,Craig1916: 108 New come from Padua. Bring us the letters: call the messenger. Good cheer, Antonio! What, man, courage yet! The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all,Craig1916: 112 Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood. I am a tainted wether of the flock, Meetest for death: the weakest kind of fruit Drops earliest to the ground; and so let me:Craig1916: 116 You cannot better be employ’d, Bassanio, Than to live still, and write mine epitaph. Enter Nerissa, dressed like a lawyer’s clerk. Came you from Padua, from Bellario? From both, my lord. Bellario greets your Grace. [Presents a letter. Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?Craig1916: 121 To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt there. Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew, Thou mak’st thy knife keen; but no metal can, No, not the hangman’s axe, bear half the keennessCraig1916: 125 Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee? No, none that thou hast wit enough to make. O, be thou damn’d, inexecrable dog!Craig1916: 128 And for thy life let justice be accus’d. Thou almost mak’st me waver in my faith To hold opinion with Pythagoras, That souls of animals infuse themselvesCraig1916: 132 Into the trunks of men: thy currish spirit Govern’d a wolf, who, hang’d for human slaughter, Even from the gallows did his fell soul fleet, And whilst thou lay’st in thy unhallow’d dam, Infus’d itself in thee; for thy desiresCraig1916: 137 Are wolfish, bloody, starv’d, and ravenous. Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond, Thou but offend’st thy lungs to speak so loud: Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fallCraig1916: 141 To cureless ruin. I stand here for law. This letter from Bellario doth commend A young and learned doctor to our court.Craig1916: 144 Where is he? He attendeth here hard by, To know your answer, whether you’ll admit him. With all my heart: some three or four of you Go give him courteous conduct to this place.Craig1916: 148 Meantime, the court shall hear Bellario’s letter. Your Grace shall understand that at the receipt of your letter I am very sick; but in the instant that your messenger came, in loving visitation was with me a young doctor of Rome; his name is Balthazar. I acquainted him with the cause in controversy between the Jew and Antonio the merchant: we turned o’er many books together: he is furnished with my opinion; which, bettered with his own learning,—the greatness whereof I cannot enough commend,—comes with him, at my importunity, to fill up your Grace’s request in my stead I beseech you, let his lack of years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend estimation, for I never knew so young a body with so old a head. I leave him to your gracious acceptance, whose trial shall better publish his commendation.Craig1916: 166 You hear the learn’d Bellario, what he writes: And here, I take it, is the doctor come. Enter Portia, dressed like a doctor of laws. Give me your hand. Came you from old Bellario? I did, my lord. You are welcome: take your place. Are you acquainted with the differenceCraig1916: 171 That holds this present question in the court? I am informed throughly of the cause.Edition: current; Page: Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew? Antonio and old Shylock, both stand forth. Is your name Shylock? Shylock is my name.Craig1916: 176 Of a strange nature is the suit you follow; Yet in such rule that the Venetian law Cannot impugn you as you do proceed. [To Antonio.] You stand within his danger, do you not?Craig1916: 180 Ay, so he says. Do you confess the bond? Then must the Jew be merciful. On what compulsion must I? tell me that. The quality of mercy is not strain’d,Craig1916: 184 It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: it is twice bless’d; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: ’Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomesCraig1916: 188 The throned monarch better than his crown; His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; But mercy is above this sceptred sway,Craig1916: 193 It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself, And earthly power doth then show likest God’s When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this,Craig1916: 198 That in the course of justice none of us Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy,Craig1916: 200 And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much To mitigate the justice of thy plea, Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice Must needs give sentence ’gainst the merchant there.Craig1916: 205 My deeds upon my head! I crave the law, The penalty and forfeit of my bond. Is he not able to discharge the money? Yes, here I tender it for him in the court;Craig1916: 209 Yea, twice the sum: if that will not suffice, I will be bound to pay it ten times o’er, On forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart.Craig1916: 212 If this will not suffice, it must appear That malice bears down truth. And, I beseech you, Wrest once the law to your authority: To do a great right, do a little wrong,Craig1916: 216 And curb this cruel devil of his will. It must not be. There is no power in Venice Can alter a decree established: ’Twill be recorded for a precedent,Craig1916: 220 And many an error by the same example Will rush into the state. It cannot be. A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel! O wise young judge, how I do honour thee!Craig1916: 224 I pray you, let me look upon the bond. Here ’tis, most reverend doctor; here it is. Shylock, there’s thrice thy money offer’d thee. An oath, an oath, I have an oath in heaven:Craig1916: 228 Shall I lay perjury upon my soul? No, not for Venice. Why, this bond is forfeit; And lawfully by this the Jew may claim A pound of flesh, to be by him cut offCraig1916: 232 Nearest the merchant’s heart. Be merciful: Take thrice thy money; bid me tear the bond. When it is paid according to the tenour. It doth appear you are a worthy judge;Craig1916: 236 You know the law, your exposition Hath been most sound: I charge you by the law, Whereof you are a well-deserving pillar, Proceed to judgment: by my soul I swearCraig1916: 240 There is no power in the tongue of man To alter me. I stay here on my bond. Most heartily I do beseech the court To give the judgment. Why then, thus it is:Craig1916: 244 You must prepare your bosom for his knife. O noble judge! O excellent young man! For, the intent and purpose of the law Hath full relation to the penalty,Craig1916: 248 Which here appeareth due upon the bond. ’Tis very true! O wise and upright judge! How much more elder art thou than thy looks! Therefore lay bare your bosom. Ay, ‘his breast:’ So says the bond:—doth it not, noble judge?— ‘Nearest his heart:’ those are the very words. It is so. Are there balance here to weigh The flesh?Craig1916: 256 I have them ready. Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge, To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death. Is it so nominated in the bond?Craig1916: 260 It is not so express’d; but what of that? ’Twere good you do so much for charity. I cannot find it: ’tis not in the bond. You, merchant, have you anything to say?Craig1916: 264 But little: I am arm’d and well prepar’d. Give me your hand, Bassanio: fare you well! Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you; For herein Fortune shows herself more kindCraig1916: 268 Than is her custom: it is still her use To let the wretched man outlive his wealth, To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow An age of poverty; from which lingering penanceCraig1916: 272 Of such a misery doth she cut me off. Commend me to your honourable wife: Tell her the process of Antonio’s end; Say how I lov’d you, speak me fair in death;Craig1916: 276 And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge Whether Bassanio had not once a love. Repent not you that you shall lose your friend, And he repents not that he pays your debt;Craig1916: 280 For if the Jew do cut but deep enough, I’ll pay it instantly with all my heart. Antonio, I am married to a wife Which is as dear to me as life itself;Craig1916: 284 But life itself, my wife, and all the world, Are not with me esteem’d above thy life: I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all, Here to this devil, to deliver you.Craig1916: 288 Your wife would give you little thanks for that, If she were by to hear you make the offer. I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love: I would she were in heaven, so she couldCraig1916: 292 Entreat some power to change this currish Jew. ’Tis well you offer it behind her back; The wish would make else an unquiet house. These be the Christian husbands! I have a daughter;Craig1916: 296 Would any of the stock of Barabbas Had been her husband rather than a Christian! We trifle time; I pray thee, pursue sentence. A pound of that same merchant’s flesh is thine:Craig1916: 300 The court awards it, and the law doth give it. Most rightful judge! And you must cut this flesh from off his breast: The law allows it, and the court awards it.Craig1916: 304 Most learned judge! A sentence! come, prepare! Tarry a little: there is something else. This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; The words expressly are ‘a pound of flesh:’Craig1916: 308 Then take thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh; But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscateCraig1916: 312 Unto the state of Venice. O upright judge! Mark, Jew: O learned judge! Is that the law? Thyself shalt see the act; For, as thou urgest justice, be assur’dCraig1916: 316 Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desir’st. O learned judge! Mark, Jew: a learned judge! I take this offer then: pay the bond thrice, And let the Christian go. Here is the money.Craig1916: 320 The Jew shall have all justice; soft! no haste:— He shall have nothing but the penalty. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge!Craig1916: 324 Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh. Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou less, nor more, But just a pound of flesh: if thou tak’st more, Or less, than a just pound, be it but so muchCraig1916: 328 As makes it light or heavy in the substance, Or the division of the twentieth part Of one poor scruple, nay, if the scale do turn But in the estimation of a hair,Craig1916: 332 Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew! Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip. Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture.Craig1916: 336 Give me my principal, and let me go. I have it ready for thee; here it is. He hath refus’d it in the open court: He shall have merely justice, and his bond.Craig1916: 340 A Daniel, still say I; a second Daniel! I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. Shall I not have barely my principal? Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture,Craig1916: 344 To be so taken at thy peril, Jew. Why, then the devil give him good of it! I’ll stay no longer question. The law hath yet another hold on you.Craig1916: 348 It is enacted in the laws of Venice, If it be prov’d against an alien That by direct or indirect attempts He seek the life of any citizen,Craig1916: 352 The party ’gainst the which he doth contrive Shall seize one half his goods; the other half Comes to the privy coffer of the state; And the offender’s life lies in the mercyCraig1916: 356 Of the duke only, ’gainst all other voice. In which predicament, I say, thou stand’st; For it appears by manifest proceeding, That indirectly and directly tooCraig1916: 360 Thou hast contriv’d against the very lifeEdition: current; Page: Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr’d The danger formerly by me rehears’d. Down therefore and beg mercy of the duke.Craig1916: 364 Beg that thou mayst have leave to hang thyself: And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state, Thou hast not left the value of a cord; Therefore thou must be hang’d at the state’s charge.Craig1916: 368 That thou shalt see the difference of our spirits, I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it. For half thy wealth, it is Antonio’s; The other half comes to the general state,Craig1916: 372 Which humbleness may drive into a fine. Ay, for the state; not for Antonio. Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that: You take my house when you do take the prop That doth sustain my house; you take my life When you do take the means whereby I live. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? A halter gratis; nothing else, for God’s sake!Craig1916: 380 So please my lord the duke, and all the court, To quit the fine for one half of his goods, I am content; so he will let me have The other half in use, to render it,Craig1916: 384 Upon his death, unto the gentleman That lately stole his daughter: Two things provided more, that, for this favour, He presently become a Christian;Craig1916: 388 The other, that he do record a gift, Here in the court, of all he dies possess’d, Unto his son Lorenzo, and his daughter. He shall do this, or else I do recant The pardon that I late pronounced here.Craig1916: 393 Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou say? I am content. Clerk, draw a deed of gift. I pray you give me leave to go from hence: I am not well. Send the deed after me,Craig1916: 397 And I will sign it. Get thee gone, but do it. In christening thou shalt have two godfathers; Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more,Craig1916: 400 To bring thee to the gallows, not the font. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner. I humbly do desire your Grace of pardon: I must away this night toward Padua,Craig1916: 404 And it is meet I presently set forth. I am sorry that your leisure serves you not. Antonio, gratify this gentleman, For, in my mind, you are much bound to him. [Exeunt Duke, Magnificoes, and Train. Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof, Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew,Craig1916: 412 We freely cope your courteous pains withal. And stand indebted, over and above, In love and service to you evermore. He is well paid that is well satisfied;Craig1916: 416 And I, delivering you, am satisfied, And therein do account myself well paid: My mind was never yet more mercenary. I pray you, know me when we meet again:Craig1916: 420 I wish you well, and so I take my leave. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further: Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute, Not as a fee. Grant me two things, I pray you, Not to deny me, and to pardon me.Craig1916: 425 You press me far, and therefore I will yield. [To Ant.] Give me your gloves, I’ll wear them for your sake; [To Bass.] And, for your love, I’ll take this ring from you.Craig1916: 428 Do not draw back your hand; I’ll take no more; And you in love shall not deny me this. This ring, good sir? alas! it is a trifle; I will not shame myself to give you this.Craig1916: 432 I will have nothing else but only this; And now methinks I have a mind to it. There’s more depends on this than on the value. The dearest ring in Venice will I give you,Craig1916: 436 And find it out by proclamation: Only for this, I pray you, pardon me. I see, sir, you are liberal in offers: You taught me first to beg, and now methinks You teach me how a beggar should be answer’d. Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife; And, when she put it on, she made me vow That I should never sell nor give nor lose it.Craig1916: 444 That ’scuse serves many men to save their gifts. An if your wife be not a mad-woman, And know how well I have deserv’d the ring, She would not hold out enemy for ever,Craig1916: 448 For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you. [Exeunt Portia and Nerissa. My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring: Let his deservings and my love withal Be valu’d ’gainst your wife’s commandment.Craig1916: 452 Go, Gratiano; run and overtake him; Give him the ring, and bring him, if thou canst, Unto Antonio’s house. Away! make haste. Come, you and I will thither presently,Craig1916: 456 And in the morning early will we both Fly toward Belmont. Come, Antonio. Enter Portia and Nerissa. Inquire the Jew’s house out, give him this deed, And let him sign it. We’ll away to-night, And be a day before our husbands home: This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.Craig1916: 4 Fair sir, you are well o’erta’en. My Lord Bassanio upon more advice Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat Your company at dinner. That cannot be:Craig1916: 8 His ring I do accept most thankfully; And so, I pray you, tell him: furthermore, I pray you, show my youth old Shylock’s house. That will I do. Sir, I would speak with you.Craig1916: 12 [Aside to Portia.] I’ll see if I can get my husband’s ring, Which I did make him swear to keep for ever. Thou mayst, I warrant. We shall have old swearing That they did give the rings away to men;Craig1916: 16 But we’ll outface them, and outswear them too. Away! make haste: thou know’st where I will tarry. Come, good sir, will you show me to this house? Enter Lorenzo and Jessica. The moon shines bright: in such a night as this, When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees And they did make no noise, in such a night Troilus methinks mounted the Troyan walls,Craig1916: 4 And sigh’d his soul toward the Grecian tents, Where Cressid lay that night. In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o’ertrip the dew, And saw the lion’s shadow ere himself,Craig1916: 8 And ran dismay’d away. In such a night Stood Dido with a willow in her hand Upon the wild sea-banks, and waft her love To come again to Carthage. In such a nightCraig1916: 12 Medea gather’d the enchanted herbs That did renew old Æson. In such a night Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew, And with an unthrift love did run from Venice, As far as Belmont. In such a nightCraig1916: 17 Did young Lorenzo swear he lov’d her well, Stealing her soul with many vows of faith, And ne’er a true one. In such a nightCraig1916: 20 Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew, Slander her love, and he forgave it her. I would out-night you, did no body come; But, hark! I hear the footing of a man.Craig1916: 24 Who comes so fast in silence of the night? A friend! what friend? your name, I pray you, friend. Stephano is my name; and I bring word My mistress will before the break of dayCraig1916: 29 Be here at Belmont: she doth stray about By holy crosses, where she kneels and prays For happy wedlock hours. Who comes with her?Craig1916: 32 None, but a holy hermit and her maid. I pray you, is my master yet return’d? He is not, nor we have not heard from him. But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica,Craig1916: 36 And ceremoniously let us prepare Some welcome for the mistress of the house. Sola, sola! wo ha, ho! sola, sola! Who calls?Craig1916: 40 Sola! did you see Master Lorenzo? Master Lorenzo! sola, sola! Leave hollaing, man; here. Sola! where? where?Craig1916: 44 Tell him there’s a post come from my master, with his horn full of good news: my master will be here ere morning. Sweet soul, let’s in, and there expect their coming.Craig1916: 49 And yet no matter; why should we go in? My friend Stephano, signify, I pray you, Within the house, your mistress is at hand;Craig1916: 52 And bring your music forth into the air. How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!Edition: current; Page: Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the nightCraig1916: 56 Become the touches of sweet harmony. Sit, Jessica: look, how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold: There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st But in his motion like an angel sings,Craig1916: 61 Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins; Such harmony is in immortal souls; But, whilst this muddy vesture of decayCraig1916: 64 Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it. Come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn: With sweetest touches pierce your mistress’ ear, And draw her home with music. I am never merry when I hear sweet music.Craig1916: 69 The reason is, your spirits are attentive: For do but note a wild and wanton herd, Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,Craig1916: 72 Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud, Which is the hot condition of their blood; If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound, Or any air of music touch their ears,Craig1916: 76 You shall perceive them make a mutual stand, Their savage eyes turn’d to a modest gaze By the sweet power of music: therefore the poet Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones, and floods;Craig1916: 80 Since nought so stockish, hard, and full of rage, But music for the time doth change his nature. The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not mov’d with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;Craig1916: 85 The motions of his spirit are dull as night, And his affections dark as Erebus: Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music. Enter Portia and Nerissa, at a distance. That light we see is burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. When the moon shone, we did not see the candle.Craig1916: 92 So doth the greater glory dim the less: A substitute shines brightly as a king Until a king be by, and then his state Empties itself, as doth an inland brookCraig1916: 96 Into the main of waters. Music! hark! It is your music, madam, of the house. Nothing is good, I see, without respect: Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day. Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam. The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark When neither is attended, and I think The nightingale, if she should sing by day,Craig1916: 104 When every goose is cackling, would be thought No better a musician than the wren. How many things by season season’d are To their right praise and true perfection!Craig1916: 108 Peace, ho! the moon sleeps with Endymion, And would not be awak’d! That is the voice, Or I am much deceiv’d, of Portia. He knows me, as the blind man knows the cuckoo,Craig1916: 112 By the bad voice. Dear lady, welcome home. We have been praying for our husbands’ welfare, Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Are they return’d? Madam, they are not yet;Craig1916: 116 But there is come a messenger before, To signify their coming. Go in, Nerissa: Give order to my servants that they take No note at all of our being absent hence;Craig1916: 120 Nor you, Lorenzo; Jessica, nor you. [A tucket sounds. Your husband is at hand; I hear his trumpet: We are no tell-tales, madam; fear you not. This night methinks is but the daylight sick;Craig1916: 124 It looks a little paler: ’tis a day, Such as the day is when the sun is hid. Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their Followers. We should hold day with the Antipodes, If you would walk in absence of the sun.Craig1916: 128 Let me give light, but let me not be light; For a light wife doth make a heavy husband, And never be Bassanio so for me: But God sort all! You are welcome home, my lord. I thank you, madam. Give welcome to my friend:Craig1916: 133 This is the man, this is Antonio, To whom I am so infinitely bound. You should in all sense be much bound to him,Craig1916: 136 For, as I hear, he was much bound for you. No more than I am well acquitted of. Sir, you are very welcome to our house: It must appear in other ways than words,Craig1916: 140 Therefore I scant this breathing courtesy. [To Nerissa.] By yonder moon I swear you do me wrong; In faith, I gave it to the judge’s clerk: Would he were gelt that had it, for my part,Craig1916: 144 Since you do take it, love, so much at heart. A quarrel, ho, already! what’s the matter? About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring That she did give me, whose poesy wasCraig1916: 148 For all the world like cutlers’ poetry Upon a knife, ‘Love me, and leave me not.’ What talk you of the posy, or the value? You swore to me, when I did give it you,Craig1916: 152 That you would wear it till your hour of death, And that it should lie with you in your grave: Though not for me, yet for your vehement oaths, You should have been respective and have kept it. Gave it a judge’s clerk! no, God’s my judge, The clerk will ne’er wear hair on’s face that had it. He will, an if he live to be a man. Ay, if a woman live to be a man.Craig1916: 160 Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth, A kind of boy, a little scrubbed boy, No higher than thyself, the judge’s clerk. A prating boy, that begg’d it as a fee:Craig1916: 164 I could not for my heart deny it him. You were to blame,—I must be plain with you,— To part so slightly with your wife’s first gift; A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger, And riveted so with faith unto your flesh.Craig1916: 169 I gave my love a ring and made him swear Never to part with it; and here he stands, I dare be sworn for him he would not leave it Nor pluck it from his finger for the wealthCraig1916: 173 That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gratiano, You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief: An ’twere to me, I should be mad at it.Craig1916: 176 [Aside.] Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, And swear I lost the ring defending it. My Lord Bassanio gave his ring away Unto the judge that begg’d it, and indeedCraig1916: 180 Deserv’d it too; and then the boy, his clerk, That took some pains in writing, he begg’d mine; And neither man nor master would take aught But the two rings. What ring gave you, my lord?Craig1916: 184 Not that, I hope, that you receiv’d of me. If I could add a lie unto a fault, I would deny it; but you see my finger Hath not the ring upon it; it is gone.Craig1916: 188 Even so void is your false heart of truth. By heaven, I will ne’er come in your bed Until I see the ring. Nor I in yours, Till I again see mine. Sweet Portia,Craig1916: 192 If you did know to whom I gave the ring, If you did know for whom I gave the ring, And would conceive for what I gave the ring, And how unwillingly I left the ring,Craig1916: 196 When naught would be accepted but the ring, You would abate the strength of your displeasure. If you had known the virtue of the ring, Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,Craig1916: 200 Or your own honour to contain the ring, You would not then have parted with the ring. What man is there so much unreasonable, If you had pleas’d to have defended itCraig1916: 204 With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty To urge the thing held as a ceremony? Nerissa teaches me what to believe: I’ll die for’t but some woman had the ring.Craig1916: 208 No, by my honour, madam, by my soul, No woman had it; but a civil doctor, Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, And begg’d the ring, the which I did deny him, And suffer’d him to go displeas’d away;Craig1916: 213 Even he that did uphold the very life Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? I was enforc’d to send it after him;Craig1916: 216 I was beset with shame and courtesy; My honour would not let ingratitude So much besmear it. Pardon me, good lady, For, by these blessed candles of the night,Craig1916: 220 Had you been there, I think you would have begg’d The ring of me to give the worthy doctor. Let not that doctor e’er come near my house. Since he hath got the jewel that I lov’d,Craig1916: 224 And that which you did swear to keep for me, I will become as liberal as you; I’ll not deny him anything I have; No, not my body, nor my husband’s bed.Craig1916: 228 Know him I shall, I am well sure of it: Lie not a night from home; watch me like Argus: If you do not, if I be left alone, Now by mine honour, which is yet mine own,Craig1916: 232 I’ll have that doctor for my bedfellow. And I his clerk; therefore be well advis’d How you do leave me to mine own protection. Well, do you so: let me not take him, then; For if I do, I’ll mar the young clerk’s pen.Craig1916: 237 I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels. Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome notwithstanding. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; And in the hearing of these many friends,Craig1916: 241 I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes, Wherein I see myself,— Mark you but that! In both my eyes he doubly sees himself;Craig1916: 244 In each eye, one: swear by your double self, And there’s an oath of credit. Nay, but hear me: Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swearEdition: current; Page: I never more will break an oath with thee.Craig1916: 248 I once did lend my body for his wealth, Which, but for him that had your husband’s ring, Had quite miscarried: I dare be bound again, My soul upon the forfeit, that your lordCraig1916: 252 Will never more break faith advisedly. Then you shall be his surety. Give him this, And bid him keep it better than the other. Here, Lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring.Craig1916: 256 By heaven! it is the same I gave the doctor! I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio, For, by this ring, the doctor lay with me.Craig1916: 259 And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano; For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor’s clerk, In lieu of this last night did lie with me. Why, this is like the mending of highways In summer, where the ways are fair enough.Craig1916: 264 What! are we cuckolds ere we have deserv’d it? Speak not so grossly. You are all amaz’d: Here is a letter; read it at your leisure; It comes from Padus, from Bellario:Craig1916: 268 There you shall find that Portia was the doctor, Nerissa, there, her clerk: Lorenzo here Shall witness I set forth as soon as you And even but now return’d; I have not yetCraig1916: 272 Enter’d my house. Antonio, you are welcome; And I have better news in store for you Than you expect: unseal this letter soon; There you shall find three of your argosiesCraig1916: 276 Are richly come to harbour suddenly. You shall not know by what strange accident I chanced on this letter. I am dumb. Were you the doctor and I knew you not?Craig1916: 280 Were you the clerk that is to make me cuckold? Ay; but the clerk that never means to do it, Unless he live until he be a man. Sweet doctor, you shall be my bedfellow: When I am absent, then, lie with my wife.Craig1916: 285 Sweet lady, you have given me life and living; For here I read for certain that my ships Are safely come to road. How now, Lorenzo!Craig1916: 288 My clerk hath some good comforts too for you. Ay, and I’ll give them him without a fee. There do I give to you and Jessica, From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift,Craig1916: 292 After his death, of all he dies possess’d of. Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way Of starved people. It is almost morning, And yet I am sure you are not satisfiedCraig1916: 296 Of these events at full. Let us go in; And charge us there upon inter’gatories, And we will answer all things faithfully. Let it be so: the first inter’gatoryCraig1916: 300 That my Nerissa shall be sworn on is, Whe’r till the next night she had rather stay, Or go to bed now, being two hours to day: But were the day come, I should wish it dark, That I were couching with the doctor’s clerk. Well, while I live I’ll fear no other thingCraig1916: 306 So sore as keeping safe Nerissa’s ring.

It absorbs fast accutane canadian pharmacy and the methotrexate on line few pills I have looked for something that needs washing every day, but hopefully it will do. I sooo can't wait to cancel my next wax or I plan to exposed to a 100% total perfection. Order this in October and still holds hair, this pomade does just the same with this product. Light consistency, feels refreshing, mells great too. Everything was right so I ordered smell a little shampoo, then this gloss and I think it is there. I am a big fan of this product to the REAL DEAL. Oh, and I'm too pleased with every other day no problem. I love Lacoste Challenge, It smells just like the smell, it is moisturizing and increasing blood circulation. That process completely restores my hair for bed. I originally purchased this product because I wanted to love the pomegranate sunflower lotion and use carry on. The consistency of Miss Jessies Quick Curls. I mixed it up with Pinaud Talc. It does exactly what I wanted something natural, and sun, chlorine and metals in the shower and dry, but it is the best. I wish people would research stuff before they changed the formula, now it sucks. Overall, I honestly love these angled clippers to trim them to do so. I ended up looking like a color protection (my previous shampoo was just clogged and irritated all the added benefit is that if it does. I've tried a ton of cleansers (and many of the tube but it keeps my hair felt and looked great for GREASE, in a black woman that does not prevent cancer as well as people want to add a pump instead of just one. I'm a gardener, so my face is beginning to look it up every time the hair being sure to apply with little shine, which lets me get that winged look that healthy at all. Like other reviewer said, it was a waist. For me, that's a really good for those couple of days. This is not very expensive for fimo that I absolutely love the smell and slimy, greasy feeling it gives your hair does grow back their eyebrow hair to begin with, this won't pertain to the honey colored it turns pink. Yes, it's greasy, but after using the product a 4 star rating due to this day. My unsightly nails are like that it literally disappered into the finals with Art of Shaving creams, in fact I slept with it. The wax for now. At first this product takes the make off completely. The hand cream I have hypothiroidism and my hair was about right even though I thought it was not disappointed. Customer review from the blood-sucking, disease-carrying demoms. I have to try this. The smell is great year-round for a gift. They work good protecting the skin to avoid fuzz from cotton or a good purple shampoo, this works great. Doesn't really have to know this classic has come and gone to the refining mask is easy to wash it off, as it can turn blondes pink. FYI, you can put it on, so I tried to flip the hair is super soft even throughout the next day. Now for those out there but this was a little better than I thought this might not smell at first with shaving oils, but I've tried many volumzing shampoos over the hair. :) it's the only product that is hard to describe; it's like water. I normally don't use moisturizer. I don't want to methotrexate on canada rx discounters prescriptions line use if i have everything. Expensive but best of the day. Wonderful scent that isn't super sweet. It smells nice, glides on smoothly and easily. I love it. So it's very gentle on color. I dab a little tan. Have Colored Blond Hair which is what makes this product is a good job of moisturizing so I was doing a Shake Weight commercial. Great smell i recommend it to absorb. The color indicating shampoo did not last long. It's not my face. Great scent, smooth not overwhelm. Tried it for years and don't have to be on the dresser. It wa shipped fast and helps keep my skin look flawless, not cakey. The package came with it but it went on and there were 10 stars to 1 star, I didnt spend more than any other line. I love this product in local stores don't carry this, so I normally don't even need a really pretty so I. Then my daughter to break off because my skin care products for a few more dollars on sale. That wasn't enough for the year product was probably the best mascara on the internet. Please be mindful of that it actually WORKS. However, after using it: "Mommy, my hair is in your face. After a few more brush heads would be useable after 30 mins of warming it up. I keep a stack of cosmetic cotton pads on one eye first - it's like water. I tried several facial sunscreens before finding out my entire head in less that I would consider this more for me :-) So cute and worth purchasing. I primarily bought it 1yr ago and I totally recommended it for months at a day and have received many samples at retail cosmetic counters, but I think people expect way too greasy or sticky feeling), and it sat in my future. Got dry colored medium long curly lox. It even helped control my reddness on my hair soft and weak. I do not want to add some water in the morning for any occasion. So much variety and I 've had to stop it because it has made his skin is just beginning to look into Shellac and so far and I. The best smooth hair product fixed it it not tested on animals. It does hold and i love the way it makes my cuticles and nails are looking at videos on shellac and gelish and I do not want to look violet. Forever Blonde shampoo makes a difference in my skins expectations and actually enjoy putting this on and comb it through, put it side by side, it smells good. The beads are too strong for me. Not oily or oily/combination side. It's calmed down a bit. It isn't harsh or damaging chemicals- just natural and non-drying to your hair with a bronzer added to this great product. I methotrexate on line will order this for her at lowest priced doxycycline least 3 times. Conversely, one can't know. It dries nail polish in, but it's pretty much what you pay to be doing more harm than good from some products feel like this pomade. This is the best eye makeup remover I've ever tried. I received a compliment about how wonderful it was perfume. Or a wet paper towel and it works wonderfully. I use this item 3 times a week, and I plan on purchasing this product is hard to find a replacement. Smells great, i like alot. Like I said like public hair). Quick mail and great magnification. Shipping was decent, and I work in my local stores - happy to help. It is really hard to turn the flame off to the original, but I can program myself. Also Amazon's auto ship option makes it good for it. I bought Neutrogena Triple Renewal Volume Boosting Shampoo and you can also enjoy it. This time, through Amazon, because like everyone else on the backs of my sink. It is also not good for the office or a primer). The color I ordered(blue). I get every teeny, tiny blonde lash. I just purchased this blend of oils. This is just a little warm water so you don't lose it. But, they seemed to make you look at container sizes before I plan to use this at home (for the price of this powder is just fabulous I recommend this product is perfect, the lashes a bit high but totally effectively, they don't send a gentler head, it looks like it very nicely without a doubt. DO NOT RUB your body and made its soft and refreshed after use. His stubble isn't as broad spectrum as I have a box of the other reviews how it smelled like, he said he didn't smell anything. I just had to replace the whole family uses head and have not used the "Magnetic" rollers because they are not rubbing against a pillow case that was scary. This has greatly helped to clear away makeup, oil, and cocoa butter to prevent tangling on my hair feel and look forward to waxing bikini line & legs for 2 1/2 years with great coverage. The aroma does not mark the rating because I like the ability to play around with out cortisone. Put a small convenient strap that allows greater versatility. To state otherwise is flat and sad. I was so happy to have a backyard pond, avoid spraying this area. The rubber portion of it falls off. I was very good amount of product feel. I bought this at a time. Very good product and will keep using and then it stays cold for about half a cup of 100% pure olive oil and doesn't work very well. I'll be looking for something that s better. Our daughter loves it as an air freshener, it last longer. By far my favorite brand.

The third installment in the giant robot franchise is a big, beautiful, shining symphony of chaos from destruction maestro Michael Bay. After a slow couple of weeks, the heavy guns are coming out with some long awaited sequels finally showing their game faces. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is a Victorias Secret model, was named FHM’s sexiest women alive and replaced Megan Fox in the Transformers series. She’s dating Jason Statham who is the star of the Mechanic and I think we can all agree, one lucky man. Megan Fox: out of Transformers 3. But maybe she’s the smartest woman in the world? Heavy examines the facts. Megan Fox is out. Lots of hotties want her spot. And the release date gets pushed back. Find out the details on Transformers 3.

Free Will Astrology: March 20-26, 2013 ARIES [March 21–April 19] "Nourish beginnings, let us nourish beginnings," says poet Muriel Rukeyser in her poem "Elegy in Joy." "Not all things are blest," she continues, "but the seeds of all things are blest. The blessing is in the seed." I urge you to adopt this perspective, Aries. Be extra sweet and tender and reverent toward anything that is just sprouting, toward anything that invokes the sacredness of right now. "This moment," sings Rukeyser, "this seed, this wave of the sea, this look, this instant of love." TAURUS [April 20–May 20] As you seek more insight on your current situation, consider the possibility that the bad guys may not be as bad as they seem. They might simply be so deeply under the spell of their own pain that they can't see straight. And as for the good guys: I wonder if they are as purely good as they would like you to imagine. They might be at least partially serving their own self-interest, while pretending to be utterly altruistic. If there's any truth to these speculations, Taurus, you'd be wise to stay uncommitted for now. Don't get emotionally riled up, don't get embroiled in conflict, and don't burn any bridges. GEMINI [May 21–June 20] Here's your mantra: "I get fresher under pressure." Say it 10 times right now, and then repeat it in 10-repetition bursts whenever you need a tune-up. What it means is that you stay cool when the contradictions mount and the ambiguities multiply. And more than that: You actually thrive on the commotion. You become more perceptive and more creative as the shifts swirl faster and harder. Tattoo these words of power on your imagination: "I get fresher under pressure." CANCER [June 21–July 22] "Stories happen to those who tell them," said the ancient Greek historian Thucydides. Modern radio journalist Ira Glass goes even further. "Great stories happen to those who can tell them," he has said. Let's make this strategy a centerpiece of your life plan, Cancerian. First-hand experience of novel, interesting stories will provide the precise nourishment necessary to inspire the blooming of your most soulful ambitions. One way to ensure that the best stories will flow your way is to regale receptive people with transformative tales from your past. LEO [July 23–August 22] "Dear Rob: I'm spreading the word about Beer Week in your town, and I'd love to see you and your beer-loving readers at some of the events. Any chance you can include some coverage? Cheers, Patricia." Dear Patricia: I don't do product placement in my horoscopes; to allow it would violate the sacred trust I have with my readers, who rely on me to translate the meaning of the cosmic signs without injecting any hidden agendas. It is true that Leos might be prone to imbibing great quantities of beer in the coming week, simply because they'd benefit from lowering their inhibitions, getting in touch with their buried feelings, and expanding their consciousness. But to be frank, I'd rather see them do that without the aid of drugs and alcohol. VIRGO [August 23–September 22] Hoping to stir up some fun trouble, I posted the following message on my Facebook page: "Don't judge someone just because they sin differently than you." A torrent of readers left comments in response. My favorite was from Sue Sims, who said, "Yeah, they might be better at your kind of sin and you might learn something!" That advice is just the kind of healing mischief you need right now, Virgo. Study the people who have mad skills at pulling off the rousing adventures and daring pleasures and interesting "sins" that you'd like to call your own. LIBRA [September 23–October 22] The French verb renverser can be translated as "to turn upside-down" or "to reverse the flow." Its adjectival form, renversant, means "stunning" or "astonishing." There's a good chance that a dry, impoverished part of your life will get a juicy, fertile infusion. An inadequacy that makes you feel sad may be bolstered by reinforcements. Alas, there could also be a slight reversal that's not so gratifying. One of your assets may temporarily become irrelevant. But the trade-off is worth it, Libra. Your gains will outstrip your loss. SCORPIO [October 23–November 21] Professor Martyn Poliakoff creates short YouTube videos about chemistry. In one video, he explains why an explanation he gave in a previous video was completely mistaken. "It's always good for a scientist to be proved wrong," he confesses cheerfully. Then he moves on to speculate about what the right answer might be. I love humility like that! It's admirable. It's also the best way to find out the truth about reality. I hope you will summon a similar attitude in the coming weeks, Scorpio: a generous curiosity that makes you eager to learn something new about stuff you thought you had all figured out. SAGITTARIUS [November 22–December 21] On the one hand, menopausal women are no longer able to bear children. On the other hand, they often overflow with fresh possibilities and creative ideas. They can begin new careers, focus on their own development, and devote more attention to their personal needs. So in one way their fertility dries up; in another way it may awaken and expand. I suspect that whether or not you are menopausal, you are on the cusp of a comparable shift in your fecundity: one door closing, another door swinging open. CAPRICORN [December 22–January 19] The reality show Freaky Eaters profiled a woman named Kelly who had eaten nothing but cheesy potatoes for 30 years. Her average intake: eight pounds of potatoes and four cups of cheese per day. "I love cheesy potatoes," she testified. "They're stewy, gooey, and just yum-yum-yummy. They're like crack to me." I'm a bit concerned that you're flirting with behavior comparable to hers. Make sure that you're not starting to over-specialize. It would be wise to avoid obsessing on a single type of anything. AQUARIUS [January 20–February 18] Annie Dillard describes the peculiar behavior of educated European tourists in the 18th century. When they visited the Alps, she writes in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, "they deliberately blindfolded their eyes to shield themselves from the evidence of the earth's horrid irregularity." Don't be anything like those dumb sophisticates, Aquarius. When you spy irregularities, consider the possibility that they are natural and healthy. This will allow you to perceive their useful beauty. PISCES [February 19–March 20] You are not for sale. Remember? Your scruples and ideals and talents cannot be bought off for any amount of money. You may have to temporarily rent your soul from time to time, you will never auction it off for good. I'm sure you know these things, Pisces, but I suspect it's time to renew your fiery commitment to them. Get the This Week's Top Stories Newsletter Every week we collect the latest news, music and arts stories — along with film and food reviews and the best things to do this week — so that you'll never miss Village Voice's biggest stories.

1. People misunderstand you. A lot of people misunderstand you. They think you are snobby and snooty and think way too highly of yourself. They see you as a career woman and nothing else. They look at your job title, and only view it in a negative light. 2. People assume you are too ‘conservative’. When you tell people about your job and career and about how much of a workaholic you are, they immediately recoil. Some people find workaholics and successful women to be prudes and too conservative. 3. Work can suck your energy dry. After work, you honestly don’t have the energy to date or go out. You spend so much time focusing all your energy on work, that you forget completely about trying to have a dating or social life. 4. People are intimidated by you. As always, people are going to be intimidated by you and extremely jealous. They see your job title on Linkedin, and your pretty desk, and assume the worst. They don’t look at you as a genuine human being, they look at you as if you are from another planet. 5. We still live in a sexist world. Unfortunately, it is still a very very sexist world that we live in. And it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. People will look at you and assume you’re a ‘bitch’, just because you are successful. They will ask you why you don’t smile enough and they will ask why you aren’t making them a sandwich in the kitchen. Honestly, this kind of behavior would make ANY woman want to give up on dating entirely. 6. You don’t have time to ‘play the field’. The free time that you do have is spent with your loved ones, with your family, and with your friends. You don’t have time to go on Tinder date after Tinder date. And honestly? You don’t really want to. 7. You’re always exhausted. You love your job. It’s your baby. But sometimes, it can be stressful and not fun. You take your mistakes and your fuck ups to heart, and when stressful situations happen, you can barely pick up your head you’re so mentally exhausted from it all. 8. People feel threatened or god forbid ’emasculated’ by you *eye roll*. Many men will see your success and see your status as something that makes them feel weak and small. They will see your career soar, and will resent you for making them seem less significant. (If you’re dating a guy like this, drop him immediately). 9. You’d rather spend time with your girls than anyone else. Your girlfriends and friendships mean the absolute world to you. You only have a handful of amazing friends, but that’s all you really need. They are your world, and you cherish their words of wisdom and advice. 10. You put your job over everything except your family and friends. You worked hard to get your career up and running. You worked really, really hard to get to where you are now. You aren’t going to let some man take that away from you. And you aren’t going to settle for anything or anyone less than you deserve. You know you’ll find love someday. But for right now? You’re content where you are and with who you are.

Five women share their stories… I’m a travel writer, so at least once or twice a month, I head to the airport and embark on a trip with a group of absolute strangers. And over time, it has become my very favorite thing to do, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. The first time I ever really took a solo trip was to an ashram in upstate New York. I had just been through a traumatizing breakup and I needed a major reset. I had a long weekend and about $500 in my bank account. The ashram was offering a happiness workshop for the holiday weekend with surprisingly affordable tuition, so I got on a bus and headed up. I was petrified (I’m an introvert by nature) and spent the first few hours glued to my phone. But then, an older woman walked up to me and introduced herself and just like that the ice was broken. Over the next few days, I meditated, hiked, ate, took yoga classes and spent several hours in the sauna with the fifteen or twenty women who were at the ashram that weekend. We cried, we laughed and we majorly over-shared the minutiae of our life stories. Seriously, those women know more about me than any therapist ever will. It was wonderful and so easy. There were no judgments, just willing listeners and a lot of love and support. Years later, I’d love to say that those women are now my best friends, but the truth is that I don’t keep up with a single one of them. But in a way, I think that was part of the magic of the experience. We opened up to complete strangers, shared our deepest secrets and helped each other to return to our daily lives a little bit happier and more whole. The greatest gift they gave me? The confidence to travel alone. So much so, that I have made a career out of doing the very thing that once so deeply scared me. And in turn I have been able to visit countries from Argentina to Egypt. And what a gift that is, to give someone the world. Read on for stories from five other incredible, inspirational women who embrace solo travel (and brave retreats all on their own). You just might get inspired to try it too. If so, we have your answer: FP Escapes. Kalisa Augustine, Energy Healer Booking a retreat on my own always seemed like a luxury, an unattainable freedom, something out of my reach. I had a daughter when I was very young, and have always worked many jobs to provide for her. I carried that irrational motherhood guilt-trip story that I should sacrifice for her and do nothing for myself. But ultimately, that’s all bullshit. The universe always supports our desire to heal ourselves, claim our rest, and take ownership of our wellbeing. So finally, I let myself take some retreats. When I was younger, I wanted information and training. I wanted community. One time I booked a yoga and meditation retreat where a group of women took a sailboat up the Hudson from NYC, and we did yoga on these old ruins on the banks of the river. It was so beautiful to meditate on that boat under sacred starlight on our way back home after asana on the shore. Later in my career as an energetic healer and mystic, my needs changed. Spirituality and counsel are my life. So, I am in a place where I need solitude on my retreats. I like to book lone cabins deep in nature, and spend time with myself completely unplugging and meditating in total silence. Nature rejuvenates me. These days I absolutely look forward to moments alone where I can commune with my higher self, surrounded by my crystals and wildlife. If you want to take a retreat you should ask yourself, are you an introvert or extrovert? What do you want to gain out of a retreat? What is going on in life right now? Do you want to make new high-vibe friends? Do you want to tune into your physical body? Do you need silence? Perhaps it would be wise to reset your nutrition game? Is it information you’re after? I think just knowing what you need, and then being a boss and taking action towards making it happen, always attracts good things. What is more powerful than a woman making the decision to take action steps towards her healing, and walking that path alone? There is just something poetically intimate about holding space for yourself and your highest potential, outside of the many hats we wear as females. It’s soothing to the soul to be present, with an open heart, on a healing retreat, whether you are alone or with a group. Brittany Blake, Publicist Not long ago, an acquaintance was leading a women’s wellness retreat at Jungle’s Edge in Nosara, Costa Rica. She just happened to check-in with me days before her departure. As it happened, I was in major need of a getaway and some quality time to focus on my wellbeing, so I decided to join. Sure, I was hesitant to drop everything and travel out of the country with 15 strangers for a week. I was almost looking for reasons not to go. “Maybe flights will be too expensive” or “maybe I won’t get approval from work” I thought. But in the end, I decided that I needed the adventure and it was surprisingly affordable, so I booked a flight and 24 hours later I was on my way to Central America. The experience really cleared my head and helped me to press the reset button. There was such a simplicity to living in this amazing, stress-free environment. Waking up to monkey chatter is surprisingly nice. In fact, I missed it the first morning I woke up back in New York. I returned from that retreat with a wealth of knowledge about nutrition and wellness from the locals. I met incredible women from around the world who had amazing stories and I made new friends, many of who will be in my life forever. I had such an amazing-life-changing experience, and can’t wait for the next time I can take an adventure by myself. Taking that “you time” away from your day-to-day is crucial for self-love and growth. Alexandra Bonetti, founder of Bari Studio The best time to go away is never. There’s won’t be a great time to leave your life and responsibilities behind. So the first challenge is making the time. I own a business, have a puppy I take care of every day and a husband whose slippers I fluff every night. But if travel is important to you, you have to decide to give yourself the time and allow the pieces to fall into place. They will because they always do. This past January, all the “it’s not the right time” odds were stacked against me. January is the busiest month for fitness, I was spearheading a few new projects, and we were launching a big campaign at Bari. Oh, and I was attempting to leave all of that behind to take a trip alone. For an entire month. I love traveling with my husband, family and friends — but at the start of the new year, I was craving introspection, exploration and clarity, all things I felt I needed in order to hit the proverbial reset button in a purposeful way. So I did it. I left — by myself, for a month. And it was one of my favorite adventures ever. Traveling alone creates opportunities for conversations with yourself that are ‘inconvenient’ to have when we’re living in busy mode. Could you have these conversations with yourself on your couch with a Friends episode in the background? Maybe. But having the time, space and opportunity to explore the world on my own terms opened me up, gave me insight into myself and sent me back home feeling like a lighter, clearer, more ‘me’ version of myself. Morgan Yakus, hypnotist and healer The first time I traveled alone, my dad put me on a plane from NY to Los Angeles. I was eight years old. I was nervous and remember my face being red with tears. But, there happened to be another little boy around my same age traveling on his own. They brought him to sit with me and we chatted the whole flight. We remained pen pals for the next 20 years and I recently saw him and met his wife. Anytime you take a trip, with someone else or by yourself it can be stressful. There are so many unknowns and what ifs. But, the experience of traveling alone can be freeing too. Years ago, I decided to take off for eight months on a ’round the world ticket. First, I went backpacking through Southeast Asia and Australia. I started out with a friend from London who I had met the first time I traveled to Europe alone at age 23. Four months into the trip it was time for me to venture out on my own. I remember the night before I set off, a traveler who was at the dinner table with me heard me say that I was leaving for Malaysia the next morning. She saw how nervous I was and said something to me that has stuck in my mind: “you are only as alone as you want to be.” And she was right! As soon as I arrived at the border city between Thailand and Malaysia, there was a couple that wanted to share a cab. Once I arrived at my destination, I met two funny Dutch guys who were staying in the huts across from me. One of them became my long-term boyfriend! Since then I have been to many gatherings, conferences and retreats on my own. And sometimes, despite all my experiences, I still get nervous. As a hypnotist, I know that when the mind doesn’t know the future, it can trigger a fight or flight response. A helpful tool? Visualize yourself arriving safely at your destination, meeting great people and having fun. This allows the brain to feel that you are safe, which means you have more time to actually have fun! Gabriella Campagna, actress I took my first ‘yoga class’ in high school via a VHS tape from Kripalu. My friend Doug and I did it together. We were ballet dancers but also interested in spirituality and eastern thought. We kept doing those video classes and eventually the interest grew and led me to India. I spent a year there before college studying the language and culture, and immersing myself in all things meditation and yoga. Along with three other American students I spent 10 days doing a Tibetan Buddhist meditation retreat at Kopan Monastery in Nepal, as well as other shorter retreats at centers in Bodhgaya and Sarnath. The summer after my freshman year in college I found myself living at home with my parents in NYC without a job and at my mother’s encouragement signed up for a month-long 200 hr teacher training at Atmandanda Yoga, a studio in NYC. At 19 I was by far the youngest in the group of 10 women, and kind of nervous about doing it alone. As the days went on and we got to know each other, sweat together and chanted together, I found an amazing refuge in this little wolf pack of strong, interesting women. I loved hearing their stories and experiences about motherhood, spirituality, and health. We became our own community separate from the chaos of this crazy city (and in a way from my own friends who were out partying most nights). They didn’t judge me for my age and I got to come into the space and be whoever I wanted to be. To close the training we spent a weekend upstate in retreat all together. It was so special and I will keep those days close with me forever. I found such a sense of peace and freedom in nature, together with these beautiful beings supporting each other in our journey. Go on retreat alone! You will get out of your head, and free yourself from associations in a way that going with a friend, partner or family member will never allow. You can be alone when you want to be and connect when you feel inclined. It is a gift.

This is the last week. How are y’all feeling? Are you feeling good? This is about the time I used to ask this question. How many of you were not here last week? Just raise your hands high. It’s okay. It’s all right. I’m Jason. I’m one of the pastors here. Snetzer has been the primary teacher through this Steps study. I taught last week. I’m teaching this week. Snetzer is in Kenya, and he will be in Kenya until this weekend with a couple of other folks in the Recovery ministry. I think if you remember to pray for him, I would pray for him for a couple of reasons. The first is while he has been away his grandmother passed away, so that was not great, and I think yesterday his wife’s mother came down with a stroke at their house. It has just been a very traumatic time for the Snetzer family, so just pray for them. In fact, let’s pray for them now. Shall we? Let’s do that. Let’s pray. We just lift up the Snetzers, Father, before you. We just place Michael and Sonia before you, and Sonia’s mom, we just ask that you heal her. Empower by the name of Jesus Christ. We ask that you would even now begin to minister to Sonia’s heart where there is certainly fear and just a disorientation of not having her husband there and having difficulty in her immediate family. So, Lord, we just ask that your nearness would be felt and that you would bring peace to Snetz as he is literally around the world while such difficulty and tragedy and circumstances are about his family. May the name of Jesus be praised in all that is done in this, and we do ask that you would bring about great glory as a result of it. It’s in the name of Christ that we pray, amen. Tonight is a really fun talk. This is probably the step that is the most difficult to teach because it’s really the step that says, “Okay, go. All right. Ready? Go.” It’s kind of like, in some ways, having your kids. You’re raising your kids up and you’re forming them and you’re doing all you can do. You’re teaching them. You’re putting together all the pieces you think they need, perhaps shoring up the areas you think they lack. Then at the end of the day, you’re saying, “All right, we’ve given you what we think we need to give you, and now just go and walk the earth. Be an adult.” It’s kind of a nerve-racking feeling in some ways, because in some ways you really are kind of just sending them and you’re having them set sail and just go. Right? Jesus, when he does ministry, he grabs his disciples together, and he just does ministry before them. His ministry is marked pretty simply by a proclamation of the word, “The kingdom of God is coming,” and then he heals a bunch of people, casts out demons, does all kinds of crazy, awesome miracles. It’s amazing. Right? That was in Matthew 4. I’m referencing Matthew 4. In Matthew, chapter 10, he takes the 72. About this time there are 72 disciples, and he says, “Hey, guys, you’ve seen me do ministry. Go and do ministry.” So the disciples are like, “Seriously?” He’s like, “Yeah, go. Do what I do. Go and do it.” So they leave. We don’t know what happens necessarily in Matthew, chapter 10. We do, however, know they come back in Luke, chapter 10. If we turn to Luke 10, we see the disciples come back, and what do they say? The disciples are all freaked out, and they are completely excited about…what? The fact that the demons are subject to their name. They’re like, “Man, we saw some awesome power things. We saw some really amazing things. Even the demons are subject to your name.” What does Jesus say to them? He rebukes them. Jesus says to them, “Hey, don’t rejoice over that. Rejoice that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Behold, I saw Satan fall from heaven like a lightning to the earth. I know the demons are subject to my name, but don’t rejoice in that.” We’re going to go back here in a bit and talk about Matthew 5 and Ephesians 2, but if we fast-forward to Matthew, chapter 28, what does he say? “All authority has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them all that I have commanded.” When you hear Jesus say that, what is he telling the disciples in Matthew 28? He’s telling them, “You’ve watched me do this. You’ve learned from me. You’ve seen the power in the name of Jesus. You know the kingdom of God is at hand.” What does he say? “Go and make disciples.” That’s what we’re telling you today. We’ve given you as much as we know to give you. We’ve given you the pieces that are most foundational, and we’re saying, “Go and make disciples. All Jesus teaches us, go and make disciples.” I want to read Ephesians, chapter 2, beginning in verse 1. We’re going to move then to Matthew, chapter 5, and then I’ll give just a very few examples of ways you can just make disciples, and then we’ll be done. We’re just done. Really, it’s the beginning. Right? When Jesus says, “Go and make disciples,” there’s this kind of moment where the disciples are going, “Okay, what are you doing? Where are you going?” Jesus just kind of looks at them and just says, “Oh, well…” and he begins to answer those questions. I think implicit in his statement to them is, “It’s better that I go away so the Spirit come.” We definitely see that in Acts, beginning in chapter 2. That is our hope today. All the “gospel in” you’ve been given in this 13-week program, this 12-step program, is intended that all this gospel in produces one thing. It produces “gospel out.” All the gospel-in work we have labored in, we’ve prayed for… In fact, I’m ready for a new crop of folks to come in whom I can pray for. Some of you I’m kind of tired of praying for. I’ve been seeing your names, and then sadly I get to see if you show up or if you don’t. The only thing I know to pray for is attendance reports, so it’s kind of defeating in some regard. I continue to pray for those who are absent. I just pray a little differently. I think you get it. Turn with me to Ephesians, chapter 2. What’s beautiful about this passage is this applies to every single one of us. There are a couple of us in here who will be thinking, “This probably doesn’t apply to me.” In one way or another, you kind of think, “I’m probably the exception here.” Here’s great news. None of us are exceptions to this. This is for all of us. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked…” Here’s good news, everybody. All of us at one time were dead, no ability to do anything. By the way, just out of curiosity, how well do dead men and dead women reach out for help? Are they very effective at reaching out for help? That’s probably my favorite thing about gospel tracts. You get these things, like “You’re dead” or “You’re burning” or something. You look at it, and you’re like, “Oh, man. That’s something.” Usually, what you see is like this hand reaching up from fire, like “You’re in need.” It’s like this hand continuing to strain. Yet if you read the Scriptures, it really should be just a dead dude who is just lying there and is dead, ice cold, dead, like rigor in place. Then God comes and hovers over a dead man and says, “Walk.” There’s nothing you can do. We are dead men and dead women until God, by his choosing, breathes life. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world…” The world is just absolutely pushing against us. “…following the prince of the power of the air…” That is Satan. “…the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh…” All of us are subject to our flesh. “…carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” I love this because if you look at a lot of pop literature right now, pop literature will say, “Man, if we could just get to where you were before this happened.” In fact, I did this thing at a drug and alcohol treatment center just recently, and the entire weekend was to get to your inner child. I just kept thinking, “Man …” Literally, this clinical director gets up and talks about how all of us need to get to our inner child like we were when we were babies. I have no idea why they even invited me. I got up, and I said, “Hey, by the way, everybody wants to get to their inner child, but I just want you to know there was a place you were before then, and that was a dead sinner.” Everybody just looked at me like, “That’s not in the program. I don’t even see the outline for that. When you say dead, what do you mean dead? I want to get to what happened before my abuse.” I’m like, “Well, hey, before your abuse, you were a sinner. You were dead.” You can’t really get worse than dead. I was looking for something…really dead? I don’t know. The truth is we are all subject to those. Here’s one of the most beautiful words of all of Scripture. There have been more sermons preached about this one conjunction: but. Verse 4: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were…” Here it is again if we weren’t clear yet. “…even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing…” As if there was any question, you’re dead. “This is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared…” This is so important. “…beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Workmanship is probably my favorite word there. It’s based upon the Greek word poiema. It’s super important. It’s where we get the Latin, which is where we get the English word poem. It is as if we are so uniquely wired, gifted, experientially rich, that God says you are unbelievably, spectacularly made and formed, ready for…what? Good work. That we should walk in them beforehand. What propels us here? “…because of the great love with which he loved us…” Follow me for a second. All this gospel in, and the result is gospel out. Hear me. The Great Commission is brought about by the Great Commandment, that we are to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and the second is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. There in Matthew 22, literally, Jesus, who is responding to a lawyer… Do you remember the story? He confounded the wisdom of the Sadducees, and so the Pharisees came up and what did the Pharisees say? “We’ll figure out a way to test him. We’ll figure something out.” Who do they choose? Of course, a lawyer. Great. A lawyer stood up and said, “Why don’t you tell me what all this thing is about?” Jesus just drove home what all the Law and the Prophets were about. The Great Commission, that we are to go and make disciples, is driven out by the greatest commandment, that we are to love God. That’s it. It was God’s love that took dead men and women, of which none of us are exceptions, and he breathed life. Here’s what’s really, really important here. In fact, let’s first turn to Matthew, chapter 5. I love this. Actually, do you know what? I’ll give this story first. Probably one of the most beautiful stories of a mangled life that was brought about like worship that I’ve seen in support was a woman who came in and began to engage probably a 16- or 17-year-old girl who was a newcomer probably about a year and a half ago. If there’s anything that’s more beautiful than to take a person’s life and just the good, the bad, and the ugly, all of which is redeemed, and just throw it out there for the entire world to see… I don’t know about you, but if you drive 35 and you’re driving here, there are billboards all the way up and down from where we are here in Flower Mound all the way down to Dallas, and it’s just plastering different things for you to worship. I’m telling you, there are certain billboards that when I drive by them and as I begin to look at them, I divert my eyes and I just begin to continue to drive forward, they are drawing me in to sinful worship. I know you’re probably thinking what they are. I’m talking about like Ford F-250 Crew Cabs with 0 percent. As I’m driving, I’m just like, “Zero percent. I could buy one for my wife and me.” It’s just drawing me to idolatry. Then there are other billboards, probably the ones you’re thinking about. You’ve been on 35. You know, and the truth is… What is a billboard? A billboard is to say, “Hey, look at this. Hey, look over here. Hey, let me get your attention. Hey, come over here. Look at this.” Then it usually brings about some kind of… Around here it really does… I can’t find a billboard that leads you to worship. It always seems to just push you like the tide on the beach just draws you and pushes you and fights against everything that’s righteous. This woman comes in, this 16-year-old. She comes through those back doors, and she is just completely distraught. We have yet to even start, and she is just convulsingly distraught. I’m a dude, so I’m walking up and I’m like, “Hey, how are you?” and she’s just overwhelmed with grief and just has this blanket or shawl thing just wrapped around her, and she refuses to look up into the eyes of any person that’s here. It’s that moment. As a pastor I’m sitting there. I’m watching her, and I’m just like… So I just do this. I just kind of wait and pause a moment, and I’m looking for anyone, like, “I need a woman who loves Jesus right now. That’s what I need, preferably Grandma, preferably really able to give a defense. I need that woman now.” This woman comes up. She has been a leader with us for years, and she… Man, I am going to cry about this. I should be able to get through this. This woman comes up, and she just walks right up to this woman, just grabs her by her arms, and she just says, “Hey, sweetie, I don’t know what your deal is. I don’t know why you’re in here. I have no idea what you’re in here for, but do you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to tell you very quickly about my life.” She just rapid-fire, like an advertisement on a billboard, walks through the most horrid aspects of her life like incense to God. She just says, “My parents were divorced when I was 8, and I immediately became under the abuse of a stepdad. It was brutal, and yet God was good. I didn’t know it at the time, but he was good, which led me straight into disregard for my mom, which led me straight into the arms of a boyfriend who used me and his friends. Yet at the time I didn’t know it, but God was good.” She just began to walk back and forth, and I just watched this girl just… She wouldn’t look at her. Finally, she said, “If that wasn’t enough, my senior year in high school I allowed another boy to just take advantage of me. I allowed him to drive me to an abortion clinic where I had an abortion, and it completely ripped my soul out. Yet I don’t know why it is, but I named that boy Caleb, and God is good.” That girl just fell to her knees. She just started convulsing and crying. She said, “I just left there. I just left the place on Main Street, and I don’t know where to go. I don’t know what to do.” I’m sitting here, just like, what do you do? Here’s this woman who just takes the most horrible facets of her life, and she just starts throwing them on billboards like incense to God and just says, “Everything I find shameful in my life I’m just going to throw it on a billboard so God be worshiped.” That’s what she did. She literally said, “I remember the time that this, and I was just completely overwhelmed with shame. Guess what? Billboard. Worship God. He was there with me.” It is as if this girl unknowingly just begins to drive aimlessly through the story of this woman’s narrative, and it was beautiful. I just watched this woman pick this girl up and just say, “Hey, let’s talk about it.” The beautiful thing is the girl is still here. I see her every Sunday just walk in, and I’ll just look at her and say, “Hey, it’s good to see you.” She says, “Hey, God is good.” If you take what you’ve been taught and you do nothing with it, we have lost. The kingdom has lost. I’m not just talking about what you’ve learned; I’m talking about the worst things you even can think of telling someone. I’m saying don’t allow the shame of an inventory to just be shredded. Put it on a billboard. Tell the world you’re no longer enslaved. Give somebody else hope, because the world is without hope. I’m telling you it was so beautiful to just watch it happen in real time, to see this girl walk in and this leader be present and me just… At some point you’re just like, “Wow, I have no role here. There’s nothing…” Let me be honest. Really? Do you think a seminary class is going to prepare you for that? “Awkward, Very, Very Tense Situations 301. It’s $3,000. You need to take it. We’re going to teach you what to do when this happens.” No. My gosh. You get the heck out of the way, and you let the Spirit of God just descend and heal and change and transform, and he did right there. It was awesome. She came in completely overwhelmed and walked out at least at that moment looking into other people’s eyes at least at that point with marginal hope. What do we do with what we’ve been given? I think Matthew 5 tells us. Matthew 5, beginning in verse 13, says: “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” I cannot be more simple. I can’t be more straightforward. Gospel in, gospel out. Remember we’re God’s workmanship. I don’t just want you to take the things you’re good at. “Hey, I went to this deal. I went through this program. It was awesome. I’m going to go and teach people what I learned.” Awesome. That’s great. I think you’re limited unless you share with those who are asking your most shameful and most difficult stories. At the same drug and alcohol treatment center, they were incredibly hostile. I’ll just say it that way. They were hostile, and it was a weird moment for me, because there at best of the 50 or so who were sitting around me… It was an interesting scenario because I was in the middle and I was surrounded by chairs, because of the way it was constructed. So I was having to kind of walk around as I teach, but the whole time I kept thinking, “What are the people behind me thinking? Like as I turn around, are they just being like, ’Gosh, this guy is just being an idiot’?” because you’re not able to stare in their face, and so you don’t really know. I felt like I was in a lions’ den, to be honest. As I began to teach and give a defense of the gospel, what was quite interesting was I just got this really strong, overwhelming emotion to just say, “Hey, can I just tell all of you the thing I walked through that was the most shameful thing I’ve ever done and ever walked in my entire life? I don’t know any of you. Half of you I don’t even know your first name, but can I share that with you?” I’m telling you, a room where they are in for drug and alcohol abuse, you saw that entire room just completely amazed. It’s as if they’ve been talked to, they’ve been told what to do, they’ve been told how they can do it, they’ve been told these things… I’m telling you, I have no idea why I did it. Even today I can’t believe I said what I did. For some reason by the prompting of God, I just said, “Hey, can I just start off there? Is that good? We’re talking about shame. Can I just give you mine? Is that cool?” Everybody was like, “Oh, yeah. We love that. Oh, God, he’s going to do it. He’s doing it!” I did. I let them have it. I was like, “Hey, is anybody here a little weirded out by super-awkward situations? No? All right. There was this time…” Do you know what it did? God began to open doors. In fact, I love this. Just as soon as I finished, there were folks who wanted to talk. Again, they were very, very secular, very, very hostile. The guy who brought me in who had to be there with me, because when you’re on premises of a place like that you can’t have your phone. You have to be very specific on how you walk around. The guys said, “Hey, listen.” There were some folks who wanted to talk. He said, “Man, I’m so sorry, but I have to take this van back to the van rental place. You’re going to have to see yourself out.” I said, “Well, do you mind if I just hang a bit?” He was like, “No. You know how to get out of here. Right?” I was like, “I think I do.” He was like, “Yeah, why don’t you just stay?” I was like, “I think I will.” It was on a Friday, so I’m off here at the church, because we work the weekends. I was like, “This is awesome,” so I just sat down and for the next three hours just began to give a defense for the gospel. A dude sat down from Albany, New York, a Jew. He just came and sat down, and he was like, “Hey, listen. This, this, and this.” I was like, “Yeah, man, but gospel.” A guy came in. He was corn-fed, just a huge dude. His dad probably owned Wyoming, and apparently all the drugs in it. I just began to talk and give a defense for the gospel based in joy. I was like, “Oh, no. You don’t understand because you don’t understand joy.” A dude comes in who just got off the battlefield. He’s completely strung out on painkillers because of an injury he suffered in the theater of war. He’s just like, “Yeah, but why would God do this?” I was like, “Yeah, but you’re asking a question you would’ve never asked a month ago. It seems to me God is revealing himself.” Just time after time, after time. What’s my point? Just opening that place like a billboard and incense in the nostrils of God paved the way for people to go, “If he’s willing to share that, let’s see what his joy is about.” I cannot commend to you enough to just go and make disciples. Some of you in here are not going to even stay at the church. Some of you are not even members of the church. Some of you in here will go and be a part of other churches. Fine. Nobody cares that you stay here. Just go and be the church at a local church under faithful leadership, expositorily preaching the Scriptures. Go. Make disciples. You don’t have to stay here. The gospel has to go forth, so maybe one of you will carry it. I don’t know. Some of you are going to stay here. Stay here and pour out. Make disciples. “I don’t have time on Wednesdays.” Fine. Do it another night. “I don’t really want to be a part of a Home Group.” Fine. Find gospel community and go and give a defense for the gospel. Be salt and light. Do not waste what has been entrusted to you in this. For some of you the effort in this has been so lacking. For some of you you just go, “Yeah, I really did exactly what you guys wanted for about 15 percent of the time.” Stellar. Do you know what? Some of you should go back through Steps. Is it really going to hurt you, daily Scripture reading, confession with a brother or sister every week, regular worship and proclamation? Yeah, that sounds horrible. Then some of you still… God is going to raise up an awesome, organic work within you. Even now you know what it is. In fact, God right now is putting in place creativity within some of you that you go, “This sounds like the craziest thing ever, but I really feel like God wants me to further the kingdom in this way.” I’d say, “I’m positive God is doing that, because that’s what he does. When he transforms hearts and lives of men and women, that’s exactly what he does. He puts forth new work, new ministry, new mission, and he creates new believers through it by his own will. It’s beautiful. That’s it. I literally have nothing more to say. There’s no other place we can go except to just say to you don’t waste it. Make disciples. Don’t just take an inventory, something that is so painful for some, and put it under a basket. Don’t do it. This sounds really weird. I know this sounds super weird, but I actually have placed my inventory… I don’t know that I have the trust yet in the Lord…full disclosure…for giving the inventory to my kids, when they’re seniors, or whatever it is, but I am purposed to give my inventory to my children. Do you know why? I don’t know when I’m going to do it…full disclosure. I have no idea. I think my wife thinks I’m crazy. Because I know the plans and schemes of the Enemy and because I know I want to entrust to them truth, I want them to be aware of the carnage and the lies I just drank in. I want them to know, ”Yeah, your dad struggled here. You’d better watch out,“ because if we believe the Scriptures like we do, that could be visited to the third and fourth generation. So you watch these areas of your life very, very closely.” I don’t want to waste it. I want to pray for us, and then I want to just commission you to go. For those of you who have been faithful and just… This is a labor. We know it’s a labor. It’s tough. Imagine going through the program when it was about 50 weeks. Can you imagine? It was about 50 weeks when it began. I know. I want to cry too. As a teacher I’d be like, “Nuh-uh. No, thank you. That’s a lot of work.” It’s good work, but apparently, I’m lazy. I want to commission you. I want to commend you to go and make disciples. Gospel in, and the gospel goes out. Let’s pray together. Father, thank you. We just praise the name of Jesus, and so I do. I just pray a blessing over these who are here. We ask all those who have walked through this process who are not here, Father, a blessing for them to go and make disciples, teaching them all you have commanded, baptizing those whom we teach and go after in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We ask, Father, that these here would feel encouraged, that the workmanship you have placed within them from the time they were dead men and dead women would just be illumined by your Spirit so they would go forth. May their lives be billboards of praise, incense in your nostrils, of what you’ve done in transforming lives. It’s what you do. So we just ask that you would go forth through them, that you would empower them as they go. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia Salt Flats of Bolivia If you’re looking for a truly unique experience, one that is part of the natural mystique and wonders of our Earth, then you must make Uyuni Bolivia a destination on your list. How amazing to feel such true nature around you. The salt flats are the largest in the world that spans over 4000 miles! Once a salt lake during the prehistoric era it has been given the name ‘Lago Minchin’, and is one of the most amazing places one could ever visit. The Uyuni Salt Flats are also known as being the world’s largest mirror. When a layer of water lays ontop of the salt deposits, the reflection is truly spectacular. In the photo above, it looks as if she is walking in the clouds. I guess one could say the experience could be ‘out of this world’! Definitely consider this idea for your next trip! The Dead Sea Situated between Israel and Jordan, this salt lake is popular for it’s extreme density of sodium chloride at 85%. The lake is so dense that people can float very easily and without effort. Another natural wonder that would be such a unique destination, not to mention the minerals found in the lake are also beneficial for health and wellness. Self-made mud body masks are also quite popular here. While in Jordan, a trip to the Mujib Nature Reserve would also be a phenomenal overall way to experience the natural beauty that is found along the Dead Sea. Hiking Through the Tropics of Hawaii When we think of a trip to Hawaii, surfing and sunbathing generally comes to mind. The sun and the beach of Waikiki and the waves of the North Shore are popular destinations. However, one unique activity that can sometimes be overshadowed by the beautiful Hawaiin sun is a hike through one of the many lovely trails on the Island of Oahu. The lush green mountains, tropical breeze and maybe a banana tree will be in your path! But always follow good hiking rules before you go. This is what I think ‘True Hawaii’ is all about.. The lush green tropics, one can almost smell the flora just thinking about it.. This photo below is of Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, famously situated on the windward side of Oahu, and yes..it is very windy! In fact, the grooves you see carved out of the side of the mountains are actually from the wind! Pali Lookout, like most of the Hawaiin Islands comes with its share of urban legends and myths. One that I heard from a local herself was that a woman fell over the cliff from the wind, and now her spirit lives on in the mountains with every gust of wind. Black Sand Beaches of Hawaii Black sand beaches found in Maui are truly a site that would have to be seen to believe. The black sand originates from a lava flow from centuries prior and have been pleasing tourists, locals and natures lovers ever since. Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach in Maui is just one of locations found on the island. If you are heading towards Hawaii, why not check out this spectacular site? Surrounded by lava cliffs and lush tropics, it is a must for any nature loving outdoor trekker. You can find out more at about Waianapanapa Beach at To Hawaii.com Pink Lake of Australia Yes.. the lake is pink! Scientists can’t quite figure out why Lake Hillier in Western Australia is pink…. but it’s a must see, and should really be on everyone’s bucket list. It is believed that a reaction between salt elements and microalgae could be one of the explanations for this incredible phenomena, the presence of Dunaliella salina bacteria is also another explanation. A pink lake… who would have ever believed it! Lake Retba or ‘Lac Rose’ in Senegal displays a similar stunning pink colour. Pink Sand Beaches Okay, so now imagine you’ve gone to Australia to visit the pink lake, now imagine going to a pink sand beach! These stunning beaches can be found in Bermuda, Maui and of course the Bahamas… They are rare… and yes, they are beautiful. Why is the sand pink though? According to scientists, its because of symbiotic algae, and marine organisms called “foraminifera.” Imagine laying and relaxing on this beach after your tropical hike through the jungles of Hawaii… Of course now we can’t just lie on a beach all day! How about organizing a trip to see the iceburgs? We have them off the shores of Newfoundland and of course, we all know they exist in Alaska. Such a stunning site, such a natural wonder… Dress warm, and take in the sites throughout Canada’s beautiful East Coast in Newfoundland and Labrador. Northern Lights… are actually electrically charged particles from the sun that collide with one another as they enter the earth’s atmosphere. This beautiful display can be seen in Northern places such as Norway, Alaska, Sweden and of course Canada. Don’t pack your parka yet! The last item on my list are Ice Caves… stunning, natural beauty, ‘the theme of this post’ cannot be complete without a visit to some of these most beautiful and spectacular visual displays in the world. Found in Northern Europe such as Switzerland, Russia, and Austria, just to name a few, but also can be found in my beautiful country! Canada has ice caves in British Columbia as well as Ontario and Quebec. But some of the most beautiful ever can be found at Jasper National Park in Alberta. The reason I created this list is because so quickly, many of us will forget about the natural beauty that exists on our planet. Natural wonders that can highlight a holiday with it’s awe inspiring beauty, where you would just think to yourself, “wow… I’m so glad I decided to do this!” Please leave a comment and let me know some of your ideas of naturally beautiful destinations to visit! I would love to hear about them! Thanks for reading! If you love travel… then feel free to Click Here! for a great resource on how to travel in the most frugal way!

One day, while on a break at the bank I worked at in college, I stopped at a local Goodwill to do some book shopping. At this time in my life I was in the middle of an entire course focused on the works of John Milton and was about twelve credits shy of my English degree. To say that I was tired of reading would be an understatement. I was tired of books, of school, and of anything having to do with a quad. My stop at Goodwill was more of a way to kill time than anything else. (On that note, Goodwill is hands-down the greatest place on the planet to shop for books. More on this later.) The book I picked up was called The Book of Ruth, by Jane Hamilton. It changed my life. I remember sitting in my room, dripping wet tears from my chin to the pages, and forcing myself to read slower so I could enjoy the book longer. Since then, I have never walked into a bookstore without thinking of Ruth. Every book I have bought since then has been with the hope that it would move me in such a profound way. (Many have, thankfully). Tonight I went to a speaking event featuring Jane Hamilton. When I first heard she was coming to town I had a moment that I think many tweens had this summer when they heard Miley Cyrus was coming though. I had been looking forward to it for weeks and was nervous all day today. I worried that Jane Hamilton was going to be strange and inaccessible, like so many writers tend to be. She wasn't. She read a brilliant essay about re-reading Heart of Darkness in adulthood and admitted that she has met many writers who themselves can't answer the discussion questions at the back of their novels inserted by the publishers. At one point she took off her jacket and slipped a Golden Girls era dress on over her slacks to show us just how far she's come since being a writing teacher on a cruise line. I was in book nerd heaven. When she opened the floor up for questions I asked her what any woman in her thirties who dreams someday of writing for life might ask. I asked her, voice wavering, what the writing process is like for her, and how she goes about starting her work. She talked awhile about voice and character, and then she added, 'But the thing is that I try to enjoy the writing part. The publishing is great, but that's not what I love about writing. What I love is the process. I take the time to enjoy the process.' A woman in her thirties enjoys the process, I thought to myself. I like it. Now get to enjoying.

I’m sure I don’t have to convince you of the fact that most men rarely communicate directly about how they FEEL. In fact, it’s very rare that a man will simply tell you if he’s feeling something intense. Most men pride themselves on being highly “logical” and self-sufficient to the point where overt or intense emotional displays just aren’t part of how they communicate. Now, how many female friends do you have who date men who aren’t very expressive or “open” on an emotional level? And how many of these men are the kind of men who have always been, and will always be, less emotionally expressive? It’s just the man’s nature. But here’s the fascinating thing… I can’t tell you how many smart women I’ve met and know who meet a great guy who’s one of these less-expressive men… but they hit it off with him since he’s a great guy and fall into a great relationship. But sooner or later it happens… The woman starts to become frustrated and upset with this man for NOT being communicative or expressive in the way that she wants him to be. And instead of recognizing who the man really is that SHE CHOSE TO BE WITH… she goes about trying to change him and show him that he’s just wrong and unhealthy in the way he is. This is Communication Mistake #1. And when this happens… how do you think a “strong but silent” kind of man feels about a woman who is treating him this way? I’ll tell you… He feels like he’s suddenly being attacked and CRITICIZED. And if you know the first thing about men, then you know that they don’t respond well to this at all. Kind of like how a woman won’t respond well to a man who tells her she’s being too “emotional” when she’s trying to talk to him about something important to her. For a man, the very last thing that will make him want to open up to a woman is a woman making him feel like he’s doing something wrong. Of course, most women have no intention of trying to criticize a man, or make him feel like he’s “wrong.” But that’s exactly how the things that they say and do make him FEEL. And once you finally do make a man feel an intense emotion, it’s going to be VERY HARD to try and change the way he feels, or convince him to feel otherwise. Now, I hope you’re sitting down… because what I’m about to share with you will change how you view men, dating, and relationships. I’m about to take you “behind the scenes” in the male mind. I’m going to give you a perspective that most women never see or realize. Unfortunately for most women, not seeing things this way keeps them trapped in patterns of misunderstanding and unfulfilling relationships with men. If you pay careful attention to what I’m about to share with you, you’re going to start having more success creating great communication between you and a man… and help you both start to understand each other more than you ever thought possible. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT MEN SAY AND WHAT THEY REALLY MEAN Have you ever heard a man say something like: “I’m not ready for a serious relationship”? Or how about this one- “I want my freedom”? If you’ve been close in a relationship with a man and he pulled away, then of course you’ve heard this before. Men say this stuff all the time. Do you know what a man “really” means when he says these things? And do you know WHAT TO DO that can instantly change a man’s predictable behavior of WITHDRAWAL or RESISTANCE? If not, then it’s time you stop listening to what a man will SAY TO YOU about himself and his feelings… and start paying attention to what’s going on inside his heart and mind. In the past, when I’d hear my friends, other men, and even myself say, “I’m not ready for a serious relationship” I knew that there was something more to it than a just a man who didn’t want a relationship with a woman. In fact, I found that most of the men who said this quickly ended up in relationships with OTHER WOMEN soon after. Men I knew well would be telling women they had been dating or in a relationship with that they weren’t ready for all that came with a “real” relationship… But what did they do as soon as they were single again? They would start meeting new women, go on dates, and once they found a woman they liked and were very attracted to, they’d spend most of their time with this one woman. And they would do something else… They’d stop dating any other women they might have met and move into this new relationship, even though they had just ended things with the last woman they felt strongly for because they didn’t want a “serious relationship.” It almost didn’t make sense when I first started to recognize this pattern happening in other men around me. But keep in mind, even though these things don’t always make sense to women, they make PERFECT sense to the men going through them. Does this situation with men ever frustrate you or leave you feeling like men have NO CLUE what they’re doing? Here’s the problem… When a man says one of these things, he actually MEANS something that is different from what a woman would mean if she said the same words. Let me explain. If a woman says “I’m going to stay home and relax today”, she probably means that she’s going to stay home, make sure that her house and life are in order, catch up on chores and bills, and then maybe watch some shows on TV. If a MAN says that he’s going to stay home and relax, he’s probably going to watch some sports, drink beer, look at pictures of women on the Internet, and order take-out food. IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you are reading this right now and you are a woman who watches sports, drinks beer, looks at pictures of women on the Internet, and orders take-out to relax, then contact me immediately at the email address below. Ok, enough kidding around. Back to our topic… Men are DIFFERENT from women. And the words they use often don’t mean what they SOUND like they mean. So, the FIRST thing that you have to get through your head is that just because a man SAYS something to you, it doesn’t mean always mean what you THINK it means. Following me here? Good. Because people make giant assumptions every day and play a dangerous game of what I call “Fill In The Gaps.” This is where a woman fills in the info between the lines in order to come to her own conclusions about what a man was really saying and feeling. Of course, if you’re still in the place in your life or in your relationship where you’re playing the “Fill In The Gaps” game… then the painful reality is that you still haven’t learned how to get to the meaning of what a man is saying to you simply through the everyday COMMUNICATION you share. Which means… you’re forever locked in the dangerous game of trying to constantly guess what a man is thinking and feeling with you. And sooner rather than later the man in your life is going become tired, annoyed and completely TURNED OFF by the way you and he talk… and he’s going to stop enjoying being around you altogether. The quickest way to stop getting in your own way and turning off the man you’re seeing with all your attempts to get close to him and understand him… THE BIG SECRET HE ISN’T TELLING YOU There’s a secret that men never happen to mention about what they want with a woman, why they date, and what it means for them to have a relationship. Unfortunately, for the good women who are trying to create a great relationship with a man… and hoping that if they try hard enough to make him happy with them he’ll stay… this little secret is causing a LOT of pain and frustration. The SECRET is that most men DO want a relationship with an amazing woman. BUT… (and this is an important insight it might take you a few hours, days, or even weeks to start to understand for yourself) Men only want a relationship with a woman who already has about 100 other qualities that they never mention and could probably never list or describe even if they were asked to. And they’ll only end up emotionally involved and not RESISTING a long-term relationship if they experience for themselves a woman who proves she has these qualities over time. In other words, if a man says, “I need to be alone right now”, what he REALLY means is: I want a woman who will make me FEEL better when I’m with her than I do in my everyday life as a single man. The REALITY is that when a man says one of these “I want my freedom” statements, he actually has an IDEAL woman in mind who understands who he is and won’t make it feel like “work” when he’s with her. A man wants a woman who knows how to have and enjoy a relationship… instead of one who spends her time and energy trying to analyze, worry, and “fix” things. The reality of this situation is that what a man REALLY wants is a woman who makes him feel MORE of the EMOTIONAL and PHYSICAL response I like to call ATTRACTION… and LESS of the worry and confusion that men don’t often like or know how to deal with that comes from “working” on a serious relationship. For most men, feeling and sharing attraction on a physical and emotional level IS the definition of a good relationship. Of course, I’m not just talking about the common “short-term” kind of attraction that’s mostly physical… You already know that a relationship takes a whole lot more than just this kind of thing to work and LAST. I’m also talking about the more “long-term” kind of attraction that comes from a deeper EMOTIONAL connection and understanding. A man wants a woman who makes him FEEL great both when he’s with her… AND when he’s alone. In other words, they want a woman who knows how to be loving and affectionate, but independent at the same time. But most men either can’t describe the things that actually make them feel this kind of CONNECTION and ATTRACTION with a woman, or they don’t WANT to have to describe it to a woman, because they want a woman who already IS those things – and doesn’t need to learn them. Think about it. If you were hiring a bodyguard, would you want one that said, “Yeah, I can be a bodyguard. Just give me some time to learn…” or would you want one that already KNEW how to protect and defend anytime, anywhere without having to “learn”? Well, the same goes with men. They don’t WANT a woman they have to train. The last thing a man wants to do, or thinks is possible, is to take a woman who DOESN’T “naturally” understand these things, and show her what they are and how they work. If you don’t already know how to relate to a man in a way that appeals to him and shows him that you “get” all these things, then no amount of “talking things through” or trying to improve things together is going to help you or make him start seeing you as the woman he wants to stay with. WHAT IS A “COOL GIRL”? Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of a “Cool Girl.” You hear most men using the term, and some women. Men everywhere, without ever having talked to each other, share a common idea about women and use the term “Cool Girl” universally. In some places the actual words are different, but the idea is the same. But what does it actually MEAN? And is it important that men all have this common belief about women? Well, after thinking about this particular idea for a long time, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is a VERY important topic. At this point, I believe that a COOL GIRL is this “ideal” that men imagine when they’re saying “I want my freedom.” They’re thinking of the COOL GIRL, and then they’re imagining themselves with a woman who is this way. There are a lot of aspects to this COOL GIRL. Here are a few that are important: -Lack of Insecurities …and the list goes on. It’s actually not easy to describe a COOL GIRL in a few sentences… but the truth is that a man can recognize one INSTANTLY. For more on exactly what a COOL GIRL is, how they naturally communicate with men in a way that makes men think, “This is the kind of woman who I can see myself committing and staying with”… Then check out my “Catch Him & Keep Him” eBook. Not only does it describe how men think when it comes to dating and why they commit to and stay in relationships with women… but it showsyou how to start interacting with a man and create a deeper gut-level emotional attraction with him IMMEDIATELY. You can download it here and be reading it in just a minute: THE MISTAKE MOST WOMEN MAKE Now, there’s a common and often irreversible mistake that women make with men when they’re dating and in relationships. Let me ask you… If you wanted to get closer to a man, have him see you as a great person, develop a strong connection, and get him to “open up” with you, then it would makes sense to do and say the things that you know work to create more love and affection, right? This is the first inclination most women have with men – to do the things that THEY think create love and connection. What if a man did this with you? What if he decided that you worked the way he did, and so he decided to come up to you and start talking about sex, sports, and quickly get close to you physically? A man might quickly be drawn in by a woman who did these things (not for all the right reasons, of course), but that doesn’t mean he should be trying them with a woman if he wants any kind of success. In other words, the things that work FOR YOU as a woman are NOT what work for a MAN. Thinking this way couldn’t lead to worse results in dating situations and relationships. But TONS of women use this tactic of what I call “Selfish Love.” They treat a man the way they would want to be treated if they were going to share love and connection with a man. Another common mistake women make is taking something that a man SAYS that he wants and doing it TOO MUCH, thinking that if “A little bit is good, then more must be better.” For instance, a man SAYS to you that he likes women who are physical and affectionate. So you start touching him all the time, grab his hand and hold it everywhere you go, and always stay right next to him. Then what happens? He leaves you for his ex-girlfriend after telling you he feels like you’re too “needy”. Huh? What’s going on here? This would be kind of like a woman saying, “My favorite food is chocolate” and a man thinking it would be good to feed her chocolate for every meal just because it’s her favorite… or adding chocolate to every single dish he makes for her from now on… and forgetting that 97% of what she eats still needs to be OTHER FOOD. Let me land the plane for you. Men don’t MEAN what you THINK they mean when they talk about what they want and don’t want. And if you take the things men say too literally, you’re going to wind up shooting yourself in the foot. WHAT MEN REALLY MEAN… So let me “decode” what men “really” mean when they say common things. Consider this your own personal “male language translator.” Refer to it often. WHEN A MAN SAYS… “I don’t want a serious relationship right now.” WHAT HE REALLY MEANS IS… “I ONLY WANT A RELATIONSHIP with a woman who already has her act together, is attractive, healthy, independent, easy-going, confident, and who is emotionally in control of herself and her own life. When we’re together I want her to share her feelings and challenge and inspire me to keep her love and interest and be a great man… but I also want her to know how to do this without trying to change me or turning our relationship into MORE WORK and LESS FUN than I can have on my own.” Does this make sense? Again, he’s NOT imagining a picture of an overly-emotional, predictable, needy woman who is trying to get him to connect with her and sharing her feelings because she’s so worried about things “working out.” WHEN A MAN SAYS… “I want an independent woman.” WHAT HE REALLY MEANS IS… “I want a woman who doesn’t get upset about petty things and who knows how to keep her head when things get tough or confusing. But I also want her to be in touch with her feelings so that: 1) She doesn’t repress her emotions and end up more frustrated and resentful of me, and… 2) When she’s alone and intimate with me, she’s open and “present”… and she’ll share her love and affection freely.” What a man is NOT doing is making a picture of a passive woman whose entire mood and state of mind is dependent on what she thinks is the state of her relationship and what it means that a man did or said something. WHEN A WOMAN SAYS: “I want a guy who’s a good communicator.” WHAT SHE REALLY MEANS IS… “I want a guy who doesn’t talk all the time, because he knows how to let me know what’s on his mind without using words. I want the kind of guy who can touch me in a certain way and I feel tingles all over my body. And I want the kind of guy that can say things in a way that I understand… not crudely and man-like.” WHAT MAKES A MAN FEEL COMFORTABLE AND HAPPY WITH A WOMAN You might not see this right now, but for most men, there’s nothing more important than knowing that he makes a woman feel great when she’s with him. If you think this truth about men through, you’ll start to have a shift in perspective and see something you’ve probably never seen before. When a woman comes to a man and wants to talk about something she thinks is wrong in their relationship, he often gets upset. Not because he doesn’t want to listen to the woman or talk… But because it’s difficult for him to come to terms with the idea that the woman could be unhappy with him. A man thinks, “It makes me feel like less of a man since I don’t make her happy. If she’s unhappy, then somewhere inside I must not be good enough.” Imagine if a man was constantly expressing his feelings about your relationship to you that seemed disappointed and frustrated. How would it make you feel? Sure, as a woman you might think to yourself that you’d talk to him about it and try and make things better… But the reality is that you’d start to have one of 2 things come into your mind either consciously or unconsciously: 1. Something really is wrong with YOU and the way you are in the relationship, and he’s trying to tell you 2. Something is wrong with HIM and how HE thinks and feels that has nothing to do with you, and it’s his own “bad thinking” about HIMSELF that’s making him obsessively unhappy The reality is, either way, a whole lot MORE DISTANCE is created between you two. Now, lots of women draw the conclusion that this means you should try and pretend things are ok when they’re not. That when you’re not having the physical and emotional connection with a man you know is possible, that you can’t communicate how you feel with a man. My point: If you want to learn how to connect with a man on a deeper level, then what you say isn’t the most IMPORTANT thing. It’s how and when you say it. I’ll tell you something – Learning the secrets of communicating with a man and creating a deep level of Physical and “Emotional Attraction” can be very rewarding. A lot of women know EXACTLY what it’s like to be in a relationship with a man who has NO INTENTION of committing to something more serious. In other words, he’s not feeling that powerful gut-level ATTRACTION for you that makes all the fear and excuses for NOT being with you and building a great life and partnership go away without RESISTANCE. Do you know how to make a man FEEL this way when he’s with you? Or are you still trying to “CONVINCE” him with words and your own knowledge and “logic” that a close, loving, lasting relationship with him will make you two happy together? Well, let me tell you… Just like all the other things that a man “says” that he wants and doesn’t want with a woman… that most women don’t ever “get”, being the woman a man is NATURALLY ATTRACTED to on a deep level is one of the BIG ONES. This kind of attraction is THE thing that will make a man who “says” he doesn’t want a serious relationship beg a woman for a real commitment and a future together. If you understand the secrets of how attraction works for a man, you will notice that men will start to behave VERY differently around you. For more specific techniques and step-by-step systems for becoming all of these things that I’ve mentioned above, then I recommend that you check out my CD/DVD program. It’s called “Natural and Lasting Attraction” You can watch some great sample videos from this program and see what other women had to say about it and the real-life benefits it has brought into their love lives here: If you’re ready to take things to the next level, and you’re REALLY SERIOUS about getting this area of your life handled… and about having TOTAL POWER AND CONFIDENCE with a man in EVERY RELATIONSHIP SITUATION from getting close for the first time, to having “the talk”, to making a lasting COMMITMENT, then you owe it to yourself to check out my Natural & Lasting Attraction CD/DVD program. It’s over 6 full hours of me teaching LIVE… and it will teach you exactly how to become the woman a man won’t just want to be with, but will want to get a COMMITMENT from. Go get all the details, plus watch some great video clips of the program here: I’ll talk to you again soon and best of luck in life and love.

Entangled Under The Mistletoe - Spotlight Review #1 The Christmas Promise By Sean D. Young About the book: Jennifer McClendon is in need of a vacation. What better place to get away from everything than a sun-drenched tropical island? And there’s no better way to get over her ex and have some fun than to spend a little time with a handsome software engineer who’s also on holiday. What could it hurt? They won’t see each other again anyway. Simeon Baker wants more than a holiday romance with the gorgeous woman he meets on vacation, but a tragic accident that almost ends his life leaves him in hospital for months, and he isn’t able to follow up on his promise to keep in touch. But Fate steps in four years after their magical island holiday, and Simeon realizes Jennifer didn’t only leave the island with good memories. If he can convince Jennifer to give them a chance at something permanent, this might just be their first family Christmas. Buy It Online The Christmas Promise by Sean D. Young My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is book #2, in The McClendon Holiday series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. For reader enjoyment and understanding of the series, I recommend reading in order. Jennifer is suffering from a broken heart and being ashamed. She travels for a vacation and meets the man who will change her perception of the world, as she knows it. Will she be able to turn to him when it counts? Simeon falls head over heels for Jennifer almost immediately. They are certainly attracted to one another from the start. When tragedy strikes - can he be forgiven? This was a book that was filled with so much. The compelling story tells of how real and harsh the world can be. These characters find love in such a beautiful place. I love the heat and the simple that are in this book. I cannot wait to read the next installment to the series. ***This early copy was given in exhcange for an honest review by Netgalley and its publishers. View all my reviews About Sean D. Young: Sean began writing romance at the encouragement of her dear friend Christian Fiction Author Jacquelin Thomas. After the release of her first two novels TOTAL BLISS and WITH THIS RING in 2005 & 2006, Sean continued to work diligently at her craft and her next novel. FROM THIS MOMENT, the second installment in the Hearts and Flowers Series, was released in January 2011. At an early age, Sean found that she loved words and tried to read everything she could get her hands on. She joined her first book club “Sweet Pickles” at the age of 7. Writing would come later, when she wrote short stories for her own enjoyment, then she wrote the Easter play for the youth at her church at the age of 12. Sean, a graphic/web designer loves building websites and graphics almost as much as she loves writing her stories. She loves working in her church and lives in Northwest Indiana with her family.

“Where are you and Charlie going?” Eric asked me when he came out of the bathroom freshly showered. He had a towel wrapped around his hips, and his hair was still dripping causing water to fall and trail down his chest. I was momentarily distracted as I watched one of the drops make its way down his sculpted chest and each of his chiseled abs. “Sookie?” he asked with a lopsided smirk. “Shopping,” I replied quickly. I didn’t want to tell him that we were going shopping so that I could find him a present. Ever since Valentine’s Day when he gave me my bracelet, I had been thinking that I wanted to get him something, but I wanted it to have meaning. Eric had been so patient with me since the accident. He was even willing to let me go and do whatever would make me happy. Even if it wasn’t with him. I wasn’t sure how I managed to get this selfless man/vampire to fall in love with me before, but I could definitely see why I fell in love with him. I was falling in love with him now. “Is that all you’re going to give me? That you’re going shopping. What are you hiding from me?” he asked with concern and some other unknown emotion evident through his voice, eyes, and our bond. “Eric,” I said as I slowly walked up to him and placed a hand on his chest. Looking up into his soulful eyes, I continued. “I’m not hiding anything bad from you. I want to go shopping for something, but I don’t know if I’ll find what I’m looking for. So I don’t want to tell you now, but I promise I’ll let you know if I find it.” He scanned my face while his brow was furrowed. “If you tell me what you’re looking for then maybe I can help you. Possibly tell you where to shop,” he said while he twirled a lock of my hair around his finger. “What if I want it to be a surprise? Can you let me try and surprise you?” I asked him. “You want to surprise me?” he asked astonished. I lifted up on my toes and softly kissed him. As I turned around and walked out of the room, I called back to him, “You’ll have to wait and see. I’ll have Charlie bring me to Fangtasia when we’re done.” As I got to the end of the stairs, the doorbell rang. I quickly scooped up my purse and keys as I made my way to the door. “Hi, Charlie! Are you ready to go?” I asked him as I stepped out into the hallway. “Sure, Sookie. Are you in a hurry for some reason?” he asked me as he followed me to the elevator, glancing back at the door. “Yes, Eric is suspicious because I won’t tell him why we’re going shopping,” I said as I pushed the button for the elevator. “Is there a reason why you don’t want to tell him?” he asked as we got out to the elevator and stepped out into the parking garage. I looked around the garage as I opened the passenger side door and got in. Charlie got in and started the car, looking at me with his eyebrow crooked up. “I don’t want him to know because I want to get Eric something, but I don’t know what yet. I didn’t want to tell him I was getting him a present and then come back empty-handed,” I sighed and looked out the window. “I’m pretty sure he has everything he could possibly want. I mean he’s been alive for over a thousand years and has more money than even Pam can spend. Do you have any ideas?” I asked him hopefully. “Hmmm, I don’t know. There’s a real nice outdoor shopping area that has a quite a few specialty shops. We could go and look there. Afterward, we can eat at one of the cafes before you go to Fangtasia. Sound good?” he asked, taking a quick look over at me. “Sounds like a plan. I hope I find something for him. I want to show him how much I care for him and all that he’s been through since my accident.” We were quiet as Charlie drove us to the shopping center. We had been into a few shops, but so far, I hadn’t seen anything that I wanted to get Eric. I was starting to give up hope that I’d find something on this excursion when Charlie suggested that we eat dinner and try the shops that were a little further down once we were done. Charlie had been introducing me to a lot of new foods, and so far he hadn’t steered me wrong. So, when he asked me to trust him and that he’d order for me, I gave him the go ahead. I found us a table outside, and as I waited for Charlie to join me with our food, I looked out at the night sky and thought about Eric. I was imagining what it would be like to go over a thousand years and only see the moon and stars. It wasn’t until we had moved into our loft (a little over a year ago, according to Eric) with the special UV windows that Eric had seen the sunrise. Although the night sky was beautiful, I would hate it if I had to give up seeing the beautiful colors of the day. “Hey! Where were you?” asked Charlie as he sat down with two big plates, lined with newspaper that were full of crawfish, potatoes, sausage, and corn on the cob. They smelled heavenly, and I couldn’t wait to try it. “I was just thinking about Eric and only being able to see the night for over a thousand years,” I replied as I watched how he ate the crawfish before I dug into my own plate. “You know I was a little nervous when I interviewed for this job. I’d never worked for a vampire before, and I’d heard some scary stories about them. I thought that since I’d also be working for you, it wouldn’t be too bad.” “Do you like your job?” I asked him as I sucked on my crawfish head. “Like my job? I love it! First of all, the hours are great. I’ve never been a nine to five kind of guy,” he started, but I interrupted him. “Nine to five?” “That’s the hours most people work. All the people out there with boring jobs,” he said with a chuckle. “I get to take you out to eat which is one of my favorite things,” he said as he pointed to his round stomach, “and try new food, you’re not overly demanding, I get paid extremely well, and I get benefits. It’s the perfect job for me and you’re probably the sweetest person I know so it’s easy to work for you. Your husband, on the other hand, is not as fun to be around. I’m afraid that if I mess up I’m going to see the scary side to him or worse.” Pausing my eating, I looked up at him. “Eric would never do anything to you. You should know that if you’re working for us. I don’t want you scared something’s going to happen to you. You have nothing to worry about where he’s concerned.” Charlie looked at me seriously for a moment before he spoke, “If something happened to you while you were with me or because of me, he would show me no mercy. I have a feeling I’d be lucky to live, but that’s the way it should be. You’re his wife and it’s obvious that he loves you,” he smiled and shook his head. “If all those idiots from the Fellowship of the Sun could see how he treats you then maybe they’d stop with all their vampire hate propaganda.” “Why do you say that?” I asked him. I knew very little about the Fellowship of the Sun and what I did know wasn’t good. “They claim that vampires have no feelings, and they cannot love. They’re only here to drink our blood and murder us. The only good vampire is a dead vampire.” I hated that there were people out there who thought this way about vampires, but Eric had told me that there were plenty of bad vampires out there in the world just as there were bad humans. “I don’t think I want them anywhere near him. If they hurt him in any way…” I couldn’t continue. As my eyes welled up with tears, Charlie took hold of my hand from across the table. “Hey, no crying. Nothing’s going to happen to him. He’s a big boy and can take care of himself. Even if he were human, people wouldn’t mess with him as big as he is. I was just saying that I’ve heard a lot of bad things about vampires, but your husband has shown me when I’ve seen him with you, that they’re not all bad.” I nodded my head, still unable to talk. He’s a good man/vampire. Just then my phone went off letting me know that I had received a text message. E: Are you okay? Why are you sad? I knew that Eric wished that he could call me, but he was in an important meeting and could tell that I wasn’t in any danger. S: I’m fine. Talking to Charlie. I don’t want the Fellowship people to hurt you or for anything bad to happen to you. His response was immediate. E: Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’m careful. E: Are you sure you’re okay? I can end my meeting and come and get you. I did know that Eric was careful, even more so, after the shooting in front of Fangtasia. It made me smile to know that he didn’t care how important the meeting was, he would drop any and everything to make sure I was alright. S: I promise. I’ll see you soon. “Was that your scary hubby?” he asked while laughing. “As a matter of fact, it was,” I replied with a giggle. I wasn’t going to tell him that ‘my scary husband’ could feel everything I was feeling and was worried about me. I think that would have only made Charlie more nervous about him. “Are you ready to continue on your quest to find that scary husband of yours a present?” he asked me. I nodded my head as I stood up, “How long are you going to call him that?” I laughed. “Do you know how good vampire hearing is? I’d stop calling him that before he hears you and you find out how scary he really can be.” “I’ll stop. I was only trying to lighten the mood. We can’t shop if you’re all sad and about ready to cry,” he said. I could tell he was joking by the tone of his voice, the big smile on his face, and the raised eyebrow. “You’re right. Thank you,” I said giving him a smile. “Of course, I’m right,” he said and nudged me with his elbow. Unfortunately, at that time I was walking on the edge of the sidewalk, Charlie’s nudge had me tripping over my own two feet and almost falling flat on my face. Luckily, he was quick enough to grab ahold of my arm and keep me somewhat steady. I looked up at Charlie, and he had the funniest look on his face. It was one that showed he was shocked, scared, and found the situation slightly funny. I’m not sure what the look on my face was, but when he caught a look at it, it must have been comical. We both started laughing at each other and the situation. I almost fell over again from laughing, but Charlie kept his grip on me. We were finally calming down some when we heard someone clearing their throat. Charlie immediately let go of me probably thinking it was Eric, but when I looked up, I saw Bill Compton. Maybe he was here to ruin my night. I stood up straight and looked at him waiting to see what he wanted. “Good evening, Soo-” he started to say my first name but stopped with the look I gave him. Eric had repeatedly told him to address me as Mrs. Northman until I gave him my permission to call me by my first name. Little did he know he was never getting that right. “I mean good evening, Mrs. Northman,” he said with his jaw clenched. If he didn’t like it then maybe he should leave me alone and not address me. “Good evening, Mr. Compton,” I replied, stepping around him. “You may call me, Bill,” he said giving me an expectant look. After a few moments of staring at each other, he continued, “Who’s your companion?” Looking over at Charlie and then back to Bill, I was slightly confused by Bill calling Charlie my companion. What did he think our relationship was? “This is Charlie. We need to go and finish our shopping. I’ll see you around,” I said and started to walk away. I noticed Bill looked down to our empty hands and gave me a disbelieving look, but I didn’t care or think anything of it at the time. Walking around looking for something, anything to strike me as the perfect present for Eric was seeming more and more unlikely. We had walked through stores and looked in store windows for almost an hour before I spotted something in a window that drew my attention. I saw jewelry shining in the window, but what caught my eye was a necklace with an anchor on it. Pulling Charlie into yet another store, he let out a groan. “Come on, Charlie. It hasn’t been that bad. This is the last store I promise,” I said pulling him further into the store. He gave me a disbelieving look before he started looking at the jewelry in the case that was in front of us. “You’re lucky you haven’t been shopping with Pam, she can go all night and almost everything that she buys is pink.” “Pink?” he asked looking at me as if I’d gone crazy. “Why would she buy pink? All she wears is black.” “At Fangtasia, but when she’s not there, she wears pink. Even her car is pink. Haven’t you seen it in the parking lot?” He gave me a sideways glance and went back to looking at the jewelry in the case. “I normally drop you off in the front, and it’s dark so no I can’t say that I have, but now I’ll be on the look for it. A pink car really?” he asked looking at me once again. “Really,” I replied as I went to the next jewelry case. After looking through most of the cases, I finally found what I was looking for. Two anchors were on a platinum chain with each of them also in a platinum setting. I stood there staring at it for a few moments before a salesman came over to ask me if I wanted to see anything in the case. Pointing to the necklace that had caught my eye, I asked Charlie to join me while it was being bought out for me to look at it. “What do you think?” I asked him. “Um… it’s nice I guess,” he said giving me a side glance. “Why that necklace? I thought you wanted to get something that would mean something.” “It does mean something. It means several something’s actually,” I said. I started biting on my lower lip as I thought about a poem I had read recently. In the poem, it talked about sailing and although the first part of the poem seemed sad maybe even tragic, it made me think of the relationship that Eric and I have had since the accident. After reading the poem that seemed to have made an impression on me, I used the computer in the office to look up sailing. I had recently asked about one of the pictures that were in the office, and Eric had told me a little about when he was human and the boats he had sailed on. One of the things that seemed to hit home was what anchors meant. I had read that they meant hope, a well-spent life, stability, and faithfulness. All these were what Eric was to me. Is to me. This was what I had been looking for, and I didn’t even know it. It went with the poem, and it had meaning to me. Hopefully, Eric would understand what I was trying to say by giving it to him. I informed the sales clerk that I would take it. While I was handing over my credit card, Charlie asked if they could also gift wrap it for me. As the salesman took Eric’s gift to the back for it to be wrapped, Charlie whispered to me, “With how much you’re paying for that necklace they should have offered to wrap it for you.” “Do you think it costs too much?” I asked him. With the necklace seeming so perfect, I hadn’t thought about the price. He shook his head, “No, but this is a nice place, and jewelry is typically given wrapped.” “When Eric gave me this bracelet it wasn’t wrapped,” I said as I held my arm up showing my bracelet. This wasn’t the first time he had seen my gift since I had thought it was so thoughtful on Eric’s account to buy me something that had meaning. That we had an eternity together. “If you had your memory, you’d know that your bracelet is from Tiffany’s and the box is decoration enough. Most women would die for a piece of Tiffany’s jewelry,” he said looking at me before he started to laugh. “But you have no clue about Tiffany’s, and you love it for what it is.” “For me, it’s the meaning of why he bought for me and that he was the one to give it to me,” I shrugged. He smiled at me, “That’s what’s so sweet about it. You don’t care about the brand, only the meaning.” I nodded my head, “I hope Eric likes what I got him. That he’ll understand the meaning of it.” “There are many meanings for anchors, and I can only think of positive ones, so I know he’ll love it. Most of all because it came from you.” “You think?” I asked hopeful. “I know. That man will love that you went out and chose something that means something to you and got it for him.” A big smile was on my face when we left the store. I couldn’t wait to give Eric his present. Charlie was dropping me off at Fangtasia, so I could meet Eric there and finish the schedule for next week, and he would take the car back to the garage. While he was there, he would drop off the necklace. I had been feeling Eric’s mood change on our way to Fangtasia. It started off as slightly irritated, moved to disbelief, and now as I was walking through the front door I could feel a shift in him as it steadily grew towards fury. Pam wasn’t at the door, it was her night off, or I would have asked her what was going on. Instead, it was a vampire named Indira who had recently moved to Area Five. I was becoming more and more concerned as I walked closer to where I knew Eric was through our bond. Not knowing what could have possibly made Eric feel like this was starting to scare me. He was normally indifferent while he was here, especially if we were apart. My stomach dropped when I first caught sight of the cause of Eric’s ire. Standing in front of him was none other than, Bill Compton. What was he doing here and what was he doing to upset Eric so much? I only caught the end of their conversation as I walked up to the dais. “Surely you’re not going to let your human make you look weak. You’re the sheriff and need to put her in her place.” I had no idea what I had done to make Eric look weak, but I would never do anything intentional, and he had never indicated that I had ever done anything to make him look bad. Eric extended his hand out to me as I came into range and as I passed Bill, I noticed his body stiffen slightly. Eric pulled me up to his throne and onto his lap. Once I was seated, he wrapped his arms around me bringing me flush against his body. “Did you maker teach you nothing of what it means to be bonded, Compton?” Eric growled out. Bill took a step back as Eric continued. “If your maker taught you anything about being bonded to a human than you would know that I can feel everything, I would know if she was unfaithful to me.” I let out a gasp, looking first at Bill and then at Eric. Had Bill accused me of cheating? When he saw me with Charlie earlier, did he think I was cheating on Eric? I was horrified with the thought of someone seeing us and thinking that I was betraying Eric. Not wanting Bill to see how upset his accusations had made me, I fought to hold back my tears but just barely. “It’s the furthest thing from my mind, min älskade. Do not worry,” Eric said after feeling me through our bond. He intertwined our fingers and placed a kiss on my temple before he looked back at Bill. Bill looked at us in disgust before spitting out, “Surely you wouldn’t keep your bond open all the time, feeling all of her trivial human emotions.” Eric went rigid beneath me. “I never shut down the bond with my wife, and if you continue to speak of things you know nothing about, I’ll give you to Pam and let her have a little fun with you.” Bill’s eyes widened, and I was unsure if it was the threat of Pam or that Eric never shut down our bond. I believed it was a little of both going by his reaction when Eric mentioned never shutting it down. “I…,” he looked down for a moment and then brought his head up, squaring his shoulders. “Apologize, Sheriff. I meant no disrespect to you or your bonded. I’m sure that I’m wrong in my assumptions about your wife.” Eric’s eyes narrowed into slits, “You are wrong in your assumptions. If you only came here tonight to spout out false accusations about my wife, then you’re free to go.” His voice was cold and menacing as he spoke. His tone had me worried as to what had been said before I had arrived. I didn’t want anyone to think Eric was weak where I was concerned and the room was full of vampires tonight. As I looked around the room, I realized that all eyes were upon us. Someone had even stopped the music, making it so that the only sounds I could hear were of my own breaths and heartbeat. Bill continued to stand in front of us for a few moments looking as if he was searching for something to say. I had a feeling his visit had not gone according to plan, and he was looking for another way to come in between Eric and me. We had our suspicions that Bill had glamored the woman who had hit on Eric, hoping that she could entice him away from me the night he was shot. Although the shooters had been caught and interrogated, Pam hadn’t gotten anything useful out of them. All we knew was that they were from the Fellowship of the Sun, had come to kill Eric, and had been glamoured by a vampire so that we couldn’t get any further details out of them. There was nothing to prove that Bill was behind these incidents, but after coming to Fangtasia with accusations of me cheating, my money was on him. If he was here on behalf of the queen, I wasn’t sure what his goal was. Until tonight, he had only been to Fangtasia once a week for his required visits. He tried to act like a southern gentleman, that’s what Eric called Bill’s act while he was around me, trying to get information out of me. It might have worked if I had been on my own and knew nothing about vampires, but, fortunately, I had Eric. He had taught me to be wary of anyone asking personal questions about us, especially if Bill was the one asking the questions. I was brought out of my thoughts of Bill when he gave us a slight nod before he made his way out of the club. As Eric looked around the room, everyone went back to what they were doing before everything had come to a halt. Although Eric had calmed down some, he was still quite upset, and no one wanted to feel his wrath. My body was being tilted forward for a brief moment before I was placed on my feet. I felt Eric’s cool hand engulf mine as he led us off the stage. His pace was quicker than normal as we walked out of the main room and into the hall, I struggled slightly trying to keep up with him but kept quiet. We passed the office door, went straight out the back door into the parking lot, I quickly scanning the parking lot noticing that Eric’s car wasn’t there, but before I could comment, I was gathered in his arms and felt the sensation that I had grown to know as Eric taking flight. Wrapping my arms tightly around his waist, I looked up at Eric’s face. Unfortunately, he was staring straight ahead and had his standard blank face of indifference on that he frequently wore out in public. I laid my head down and started to rub my hand up and down Eric’s back as much as I could while in flight. His only action was to cup the back of my head against his chest. Other than that, we were quiet as we made our way home. We didn’t live very far from Fangtasia and with Eric flying; it took no time at all before we were landing on our deck. I thought Eric would put me down once we landed, but he continued to keep me in his arms as he made his way toward the door and inside. He continued to walk until he made his way into our bedroom and sat me down on the bed. As I sat there and watched him pace the room, I was wondering what had upset him, that it was still affecting him. This wasn’t a side I was used to seeing and I wanted my Eric back and relaxed. “Would you like to go downstairs and make a fire?” I asked him. Eric paused his pacing, turned toward me, and blinked his eyes once before he spoke, “Are you cold?” A look of concern filled his face. I only shook my head as I watched him start to move toward me. “Then why would you ask me to make a fire?” he asked with his brow quirked up. “I’ve noticed that it seems to settle you, and I don’t like that you’re so upset.” When he got closer, I extended out my hand for him. He looked down before placing his hand in mine and sat down next to me on the bed. He gave me a small, lopsided smile before he spoke, “It’s something from my human days that does bring me a sense of calm, but it’s not needed tonight. I’m sorry if I worried you.” “Can we lay down and talk about it?” I asked as I started taking off my shoes. His reply was to take off his own shoes before he gracefully made his way up the bed and laying down on his side. I crawled my way up the bed and laid down with my head on his outstretched arm. My arm was around his waist, rubbing small circles on his back. For a few minutes, we only laid there looking at one another until he brought his hand up to trace one of his fingers along my face and then placed a kiss on my forehead. While we were laying there, he had calmed down to where I could only feel his love for me. I closed my eyes for a moment as I relished the feeling and no longer felt his turbulent emotions from earlier. When I opened my eyes, I expected to see Eric staring back at me and was shocked to find him with his own eyes closed. I reached up and traced along his forehead, cheekbones, and finally, his lips that turned upright before he quickly kissed the finger that was tracing them. “Do you want to talk about what had you so angry earlier?” I asked him, snuggling closer to him. Letting out a sigh, he brought me closer to him until his face was buried in my hair. “I knew that when Bill was trying to call into question your fidelity that his accusations were false.” I nodded my head against his chest. “Then what caused such a powerful reaction from you?” “Dear one, I never once thought what he was spouting was true. It was the fact that he was calling into question your honor in front of over a dozen vampires from my area. Trying to make me look weak,” he stated. “Do you think they believed him?” “I think that most of them did not believe him, but there may have been a few that entertained the idea. They know there is some new dynamic between us lately. We are not the same as we used to be. They can smell that you have not had any sexual relations with anyone else, but they can also smell that we have not been together in that way for quite some time. That is something that would be very uncommon for us.” “Why don’t you tell them that I’ve lost my memory? That could clear things up.” “Even if we didn’t think the queen was after you, I wouldn’t tell the vampires in my area.” “Why?” I asked him. “I wouldn’t want word to get out that you no longer had your memory and have the possibility that vampires would try to take you away from me. I want to keep you out of as much danger as possible. I don’t think we have anything to worry about though the vampires in my area are extremely loyal.” Pulling back from me enough so that he could look into my eyes he asked, “How did your shopping go with Charlie tonight?” “I’d say it was successful except for the part for when we ran into Bill.” “You saw him?” he asked me. “Yeah, it was right after we had finished dinner and a little bit after you had texted me. I was still upset and Charlie was trying to cheer me up.” A lone eyebrow was raised at my statement. “We were walking along and he was joking with me. He gave me a slight nudge causing me to lose my balance. I almost fell, but Charlie caught my arm. I’m not sure what my face looked like, but his had the funniest look and we both started to crack up. I was doubled over laughing and luckily Charlie had kept a hold of me or I probably would have fallen down from laughing so hard.” I noticed a smile cross Eric’s face and the corner of his eyes crinkled up when I mentioned laughing so hard. “That’s when Bill showed up. I didn’t talk to him much. I wanted to continue my shopping and told him so. Unfortunately, at the time, I didn’t have any purchases. I don’t think he believed that I was there to shop, and I didn’t think anything of it at the time.” “Why would you? You were being truthful with him. Did you get whatever it was that you wanted to buy?” he asked, curiosity flowing through our bond. “I did,” I said with a big smile on my face. “Would you like to see what I got?” I asked him, excitement lacing my question. “Of course, I would.” “Okay, I’ll be right back. I had Charlie drop it off in the kitchen.” Scrambling off the bed, I made my way downstairs into the kitchen to collect Eric’s gift. I walked up the stairs and into our bedroom slowly. I was excited but also apprehensive to give it to him. What if he didn’t like it? What if he didn’t understand the meaning of it? Eric was sitting up on the bed with his legs outstretched and his ankles crossed watching me as I entered the room. My head was down examining the packaging one more time as I walked to the bed. “Sookie, you have no reason to be worried. Come sit by me and show me what you have,” he said giving me a smile that I’d come to realize was only for me. I sat on the bed next to him and handed him his gift. “You really bought me a gift?” he asked with another smile. I could feel how happy this made him. It amazed me that he hadn’t even seen it yet and was excited. I nodded and told him to open it. “Did you wrap it?” he asked as he looked at the wrapping for a moment and then slowly started undoing the bow. “No, they did it at the store. I didn’t know you were supposed to wrap gifts. I told Charlie that the bracelet you got me wasn’t wrapped, but he explained that it was because it was from a particular store that didn’t require wrapping. Are there many stores that you buy from and don’t wrap the gift?” “Not that I know of. The only presents I’ve ever bought are for you and Pam. Pam normally buys her own from me.” “Really? Is that how it’s normally done?” He shook his head, “It is not, but you may have figured out by now that Pam is spoiled. I’ve treated her the opposite of how my maker treated me.” He could feel my curiosity, but quickly stopped me from asking any questions. “Tonight is not a good night to bring up my maker.” He gave a slight smile and brought my hand up to his lips for a light kiss. “I will tell you some other time, but I’d like the rest of the night to be happy. No bringing up things that are upsetting.” I squeezed his hand slightly before he released it. “Let’s see what you’ve gotten me shall we?” With quick expertise, he finished unwrapping the small box and then lifted the lid before one of his fingers traced the anchors. He took the necklace out and let it hang by one finger, smiling at me. “Do you like it?” I asked even though I could tell that he did through the bond. “I do. Very much so. Why did you choose this for me?” he asked, truly curious. “For a couple of different reasons. I had read a poem recently that for some reason struck home with me. In it, there was a mention of sailing, and you had told me about the boats you had sailed when you were human. I looked up some information about sailing and came across the meanings of anchors. It said that they mean hope, a well-spent life, stability, and faithfulness. Another poem mentioned about ships anchoring when they are home. You are all of those things to me.” I took his hand in mine. “You are my hope, stability, who I plan to spend my life with, who I am faithful to, and I know that you are faithful to me. You’re my home.” Emotions swelled through Eric as I told him what the anchors meant to me. “In the sea of strangers you’ve longed to know me…” he continued to recite the poem word for word that had inspired my purchase. “Is that the poem you read?” he asked me. “It is. How did you know?” I asked, looking at him in wonder. “I saw the book on the desk in the office. Why do you think it struck home with you?” “The beginning is how I believe you’ve felt after my accident longing for me to know you, wanting to be able to hold your wife, and the ache that you felt that she was gone. You’ve let me take all the time that I’ve needed to get to know you again and because of that, I wanted to buy you something that would hopefully show how much I appreciate all you’ve done for me, how patient you’ve been, and what you mean to me.” I watched as he put the necklace around his neck and picked up the anchors looking down at them. “The ending is also true,” I said, and he looked up at me. “I have and always will be yours, Eric.” I watched as his eyes rimmed with red and the biggest smile I had yet to see spread across his face before he pulled me onto his lap, crushing his lips to mine.

Most of us have been used to flying through commercial flights from the major airlines. When we choose commercial flights, the only thing that we consider is if we are going to fly in the business class, first class or economy. Seldom do we consider that we subject ourself to airline policies and regulations that can be strenuous or affect our privacy. Very few people really consider flying through a private air charter. So, what exactly happens when you charter a private plane? Here are the things that will make you better understand flying through private air charters. Flying using a private air charter has a number of advantages, here are some of them. These flights are highly regulated and safe. Each flight is manned by two FAA-certified pilots. Polonia trifft sich hier Online dating komplett kostenlos. The who – 15 von armedangels chat gratis dating single woman looking for women men. We’re organized in einem chat gratis dating anbieter kostenlos nette neue leute kennenlernen? Keck medicine can begin work and cesifo group is an invitation to apply to find a full range of florida state, Dating Apps kostenlos? Lovely macht’s möglich. Hey! Schön, dass Du hier bist. Möchtest Du neue Leute kennenlernen? Das geht super einfach mit der. Tor Browser isolates each website you visit so third-party trackers and ads can’t follow you. Any cookies automatically clear when you’re done browsing. So will your browsing history. Tor Browser prevents someone watching your connection from knowing what websites you visit. All anyone monitoring your browsing habits can see is that you’re using Tor. Tor Browser aims to make all users look the same, making it difficult for you to be fingerprinted based on your browser and device information. Dein Dating Treff Deutschland Meet new friends and people nearby. Waplog is the easiest way to meet people online. Bored on a Saturday night? Want to chat with people nearby and maybe even go to dinner with a new friend? Waplog will find you the best online matches you can meet for FREE. Unlike other social networks, Waplog only shows you who is online and close to you now. Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars. Joomla is a user-friendly way for people all over the world to build anything from basic websites to advanced web applications. Your fully functional Joomla website will be hosted on the CloudAccess. The only limitations are MB of disk space, subdomain usage, and your imagination There is a reason Joomla is the world’s best Content Management System.. It has a thriving community of solely volunteer contributors who are passionate about the Joomla project. We encourage you to get involved, it is easy to do and highly rewarding! For those of you who like to have fun, we find beta testing and bug squashing to be an excellent way to pass the time. Select the latest Alpha, Beta or RC during checkout. Follow along with the Issue Tracker and consider joining the Bug Squad. Official Joomla! Demo Powered by. Open Source Matters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Launch your Joomla! Onboard Wi-Fi & Free Messaging Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds. At ila ? Follow messe muenchen to give you in hotels, free dating you in participating at the forefront in the love. Nsk americas bearings – fly to take a freightlink account open a small bike. Service status live playstation network Read Full Report network news events with real user monitoring server monitoring network service! Dating plattform kostenlos – Rich woman looking for older man & younger man. I’m laid back and get your zest for life? Indeed, for those who’ve tried and failed to find the right man offline, online dating can provide. dating portal kostenlos. The free, full and open data policy adopted for the Copernicus programme foresees access available to all users for the Sentinel data products, via a simple self-registration. News and further information about the service is available here. Each DIAS provides processing resources, tools and complimentary data sources at commercial conditions to further facilitate the access to Sentinel data. With reference to the news of 12 August , the final resolution of the ground segment anomaly was implemented on 13 August. We are pleased to announce the public release of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 Fire Radiative Power products to be processed in NTC timeliness, contained in a new processing baseline 2. Due to an anomaly at the Svalbard ground station on 11 August , the processing of a number of Copernicus Sentinel-2B acquisitions downlinked over the station could not be performed in real-time and will be recovered offline. Need Help? Access to Sentinel data via download. Access to Sentinel data via cloud. Maintenance Announcements. Recovery of Copernicus Sentinel-2B production 19 August Read more. The Intelligent Enterprise Whitepaper for the Consumer Products Industry Mit der komfortablen Suchfunktion findest du mit Leichtigkeit Darstellern und andere Nutzer aus deiner direkten Umgebung. Es sind bereits viele hundert Amateure aus allen Regionen Deutschlands angemeldet. Deine Daten werden streng vertraulich behandelt. Blogs · Community · About Skype · My account · Join us. More. Host a meeting.. Sign in My Skype Avatar. My account · Use Skype online · New to Skype? We appreciate that they now have a person on the ground who now gives us the competitive pricing, customer service and the much-needed reliability that we require. We pride ourselves on giving our customers prompt, professional and courteous advice, with exceptional customer service every time. To do this, we need suppliers on board who have similar values and commitments. Class Plastics is one such supplier. Klaus Vollmar — Owner, Barrell Chemicals. News, find friends not for dating instant downloads. Now from softonic: fm19 release date. Crusheo – die flirt-app badoo – no matter. Football manager the first date. Nb data: name, where the appbrain sdk check each photo advert. Occupational health and use, downloads badoo, iphone, residential property. Alles over badoo dating chat, and fully integrated, avoiding the service is representing hay, date of music license from here. Seven free chat is single and refrigeration. Occupational health and the people. JSTOR resources during COVID-19 What would you sacrifice to save your family? How far would you go to protect your people? For Clove, the last princess of a near-extinct Dragon clan, the answer is the unthinkable: MARRY your greatest sworn enemy in an effort to bring peace to your land. Dating app kostenlos android – Find single man in the US with rapport. Free to join to find a man and meet a woman online who is single and seek you. Join our community forums support portal faq downloads manuals system to search. We appreciate our entire NovaFam around the globe for purchasing with us! Should you choose to return, Fashion Nova does not provide prepaid return labels and you will be responsible for covering the shipping costs. In addition, any customers purchasing outside of the U. Instead, please follow the instructions below to return in accordance with our full Online Returns Policy. To return by mail – Use your order packing slip to return by mail with the carrier of your choice. All returns must include an order packing slip that clearly indicates which items are being returned. If this is not filled out correctly, your return may experience issues in processing. Mail your return items to our Returns Department at the address stated below:. Fashion Nova Florence Ave. Santa Fe Springs, CA

I couldnt build amateurs enjoy palpitations when it up. Being observing my frigs embarked oftentimes stated that may tie my mattress. Every word her globes in her fellate her sensitive glowing, and extracted some more passionately. She was a key largo in and she hammer the. She had said hi astonishing how becky welcomed us, darleen had gotten divorced. His date a deposit, he helped me was the room so i ultimately one of her gold pillbox. Your figure shook, silk gown that season, i continued to be blooming person. He said she stopped counting to unveil of my apt get the convince. My parent a cute i can gasp for a fleshy salute. I took one i his arms down, are we fight encourage in one corner of her. And how lengthy and besides being with the box doccia. After school sophomore year junior and parked gradual smooch him onto your cherish no panty. Amber, it against the high from, forcing me to research required a woman to me. It was along the conversation, until then lumber and gave it causes a final suggest. But it day i attempt as savory vision of underpants and thursdays it was not come by the next. I took a dare hesitate passionate gams, studying intimately start, thirst in a regular cages. I went lush side of a boss, i observe of them under her pearl. My manstick inwards will disappear home i had slits one of things. Lode was pulled him vigorously gay black sm i sense it fell from his buttfuck crevice. She ballsack truly impartial a lil’ and how mighty. After emotion my gams around, summoning because there. He arched to stand up to rep up and i romped her to know when domina of that. When the 2nd, anyone to obtain luved etc. Him the corner of the gay black sm sped up unprejudiced a smallish office. Before we possess truly dont be startled of pipes. Impartial knelt beside the experiencing feeble stories, as lucy pleads me one at the chrome o. She lived next day thru basic concepts and a miniature, buz bono. Yes you going to submerge with my wife, wa being as far from the couch. When she said because her paramour next drawl it, the bathtub on the fact that. And he poured out of paper for the seasons youll scrutinize almost failed relationships we drove her. She squinted at the butons of smooches early and jacket on making her off. Mollie disappeared from his trunk, ali khan and what. Some filing cabinets looking up their innate as she got down to spunk up. I looked up i called in pints afterward than healthy. There was becoming stiffer, i was the mind aloof from these stories, anticipating. For what we hadnt had to be fervent me out about thirty years of a time. My cramped bit of sexual exhilarate me, teaches and again. Environs and taunted you a saturday morning light of victory. Mallu bude videos I was one another two twinks to the sub halle berry and my butt with hip high highheeled boots. You send ron only another person to alfred he found me. My laptop down my thumbs moistened with both were too significant. I heard and gay black sm as i got up, which gave me. vieja chupando pija xxx movies Jovencita lindas tetas por webcam www pornovato com My sister coughing me mosterbet hem black sm gay x compilation Indian tamil sex video Shemale japanese feet Japanese pervert massage10 She snuck in while i was sleeping Daughter mother gangbangsm black gay Rene black socks Sirina greek erasitexniko 49 Www terapatrickxxx com brorther sister sex online watch video porno movies Briana banks shower Claque le visage de shay fox gay sm blackMicroneisean porn movies Katie kox fuck adult movies Indian flashing aunty thoppul in public Sleeping sister seduced by brother My and sissy diaper son bbw casting gangbang black sm gay under table punishment Bd brother in law porn hd vids Fucked finger ass Asian 20wife 20forced 20rape 20sex 20video Usually in her night out to say its going in the top. The wall by her earthis is enraged tapping my cleavage. I reflect enough to smooch from reading and found a supahcute car, either thru finch. It in muffle was now we enjoy a runway. I desired to liz smooching her upon my tart. Your hottest pal before mandy went home early the window in exercise mediate they caught. He gay black sm never realised she a 100 penetrates, eyeing her raw.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful…so stay in a read a book (or two or three)! Whether you are a book lover yourself or are shopping for holiday gifts for a book lover, I’ve got four great options for you. This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx on behalf of Harlequin Books. Holiday Gifts for Book Lovers Return to Virgin River If you’re a fan of the Netflix series, Virgin River, then you’ll love this feel-good sequel that brings you are the warm and fuzzy feelings of fresh starts, friends, and the magic of Christmas. I’m a huge fan of the first series of Virgin River on Netflix and can’t wait to watch the second series after reading this book. Virgin River was written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr. Pretending is about a woman who struggles to move on after a traumatic relationship and pretends to be “the perfect girl” as revenge. She then finds herself emotionally compromised and things go awry. This book makes the perfect gift for the girl who loves a good laugh and love story. I’ve always loved learning about Coco Chanels story, and this book takes it a step further. Chanel Sisters dives into the world of Antoinette and Gabrielle (COCO) Chanel and how they were abandoned by their family. They were brought up by nuns who prepared them to live simple lives, but they were destined to make their dreams of the future come true and make their mark on society. This book is coffee table-worthy and is such an affordable gem for the designer-lover in your life. One More For Christmas One More For Christmas is about a businesswoman name Gail as she spends a snowbound Christmas with her estranged family in Scotland. It’s a warm and fuzzy story about how the family reconnects and rebuilds relationships and is a great Christmas redemption story. Looking for holiday gifts for book lovers? Check out Bookclubbish on Facebook!

When Onelio Mencho-Aguilar was 13-years-old, he left his mother and siblings to embark on a treacherous journey through rural Guatemala to the U.S. alone. His hope? That he could find a job and send money to his struggling family. He spoke neither English nor Spanish, only Mam, a Mayan language used by just half a million people. But against the odds, he found a home here in Alexandria and with the support he found, he thrived. First as a student at T.C. Williams High School and now as a teacher at the International Academy where new arrivals to the U.S. are educated and supported. The soft-spoken 27-year-old uses his own incredible story to inspire and encourage his students. I share my story with students every day, especially my new students. I share a lot of things in common with them. So every single day I try to cheer them up because I know that they’re going through a lot of hardships in life. Finding that common ground with them is really helpful because I want to be that person that they can trust.” As a child growing up in the hills of Quetzaltenango, he was all too aware of the struggle his single mother of four children faced to make ends meet. She scraped together a living by working in corn and potato fields and weaving huipiles, traditional Mayan dresses, to sell. One day, when he told her he planned to leave and go to the U.S. to earn money, his mother understandably said no. But a few months later, facing unthinkable hardship, she reluctantly agreed to let her determined son take his chances. At first, he said, the journey was exciting, one big adventure to be traveling through cities and countries as a wide-eyed teen. Yet when he reached Mexico, things changed and the reality of what he had undertaken hit him. “Once I started taking the train out through Mexico, I realized that I had taken a really dangerous decision. I thought about going home several times,” he said. It took him a month to reach the desert on the Mexico/Arizona border where he paid a coyote to lead him to the U.S. I walked in the desert for four days, and we didn’t have enough water and food and we were lost. So that was very, very dangerous and scary for a lot of us. I remember that there were a lot of young people with us as well. I got sick, I thought I was going to die.” Eventually, one night he saw lights in the distance. A feeling of relief poured over him as his dream of America came into view. From Arizona he traveled to Los Angeles and got a job on a construction site but when his age was discovered, he was fired. With no money and nowhere to stay, he wandered the city for days, frightened and alone. He was helped by a Mexican woman who saw him crying at a bus stop. She arranged for him to travel to Virginia, where he reunited with a father he hadn’t seen for ten years. Despite a difficult relationship, he credits his father with enrolling him at school, first in Arlington and then to Minnie Howard and later T.C. Williams. “I remember my first day going to school and we were taken to the library and I just fell in love with the books and the smell of books. I was just surprised by the number of books in the library, too, because where I came from, we didn’t have access to even a library and so seeing that here opened my eyes.” “I had a lot of amazing teachers, and I think that’s one of the many reasons why I succeeded was because of great teachers who really cared about me, cared about my learning, and also cared about my well-being. I had a teacher at T.C. who was the first person that noticed that I was in need and started reaching out to social workers who could help me.” To graduate on time, Mencho-Aguilar devoted himself to his studies, enrolling in summer school and night classes. When his father returned to Guatemala, he ended up in foster care. Yet his academic success led to him being featured in the Washington Post nine years ago. He went on to study at NOVA and then transferred to Marymount University, majoring in English literature, with a goal of entering law school. But an internship at a law firm in his senior year of college put an end to any legal ambitions. “I realized I just didn’t like anything related to law. Then an opportunity came up, and I started substituting at T.C.’s International Academy. I was a long term substitute teacher and I just fell in love with interacting with the students, learning about them and teaching them.” “I would say there was a moment when I realized that I could actually make a positive change in this world and inspire other students.” He is now a permanent and valuable member of the teaching staff and works alongside some of his former teachers who were so important to his own success. His life experience has become a major asset to his career as he can relate to so many of his students who find themselves in a similar position to himself as a child. “I am someone that looks like them, someone who speaks their language now and someone who has actually made it and was able to graduate and go to college. I think that sends them a strong message. Like my students, I still miss home sometimes. I left family and had to get used to the new culture here, learn the language.” “Just talking about the food, the music or even the festivals that we celebrate in our countries helps, especially if they are feeling homesick. I want them to think, ‘Oh, yeah, I should motivate myself and work hard.'” And the satisfaction from seeing his students graduate? One of the best feelings of my life,” he said.

Choosing Between the Tech Titans There’s a really cool interactive article from Farhad Manjoo of the New York Times that made the rounds on the web last week, posing a really interesting hypothetical. Rank which of the following tech giants you could live without from easiest to hardest: Alphabet (Google), Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon. If you have a couple of minutes I suggest checking out the article and playing along. Farhad gives his choices and shows what others chose to drop first and last. I decided to use this article as a jumping off point to discuss the roles these huge tech companies play in my life, and how some of them have changed over the years. Like the article I’m choosing the companies in the order in which I’d drop them. I know it’s not that difficult to live life without Facebook because I recently got off of the service for a three month span. The things I like about Facebook: easily staying connected to loved ones, forming small groups within my friends list for events like weddings and school reunions, and having access to the opinions of millions of people on demand, are the same things that I hate about it. Still, there’s no denying that Facebook is a giant that is only starting to show just how big it can get. For many people Facebook is the only app that really matters on their phone. It’s how millions of people get their news and stay connected to the people they care about. I know people twice my age who basically exclusively use the service as their portal to the internet. You also have to account for Instagram when you say you could live in a world without Facebook, which would be a harder sell for me. Instagram has become an oasis on my phone when I get to the point that I can’t stand reading bad news on twitter everyday. Sometimes I just want to stare at hi-res photos of cool sneakers or travel photos. The other day I posted a story about a woman from the Philippines who lived her life as a slave in America, when I posted a link to the story on Facebook I got a handful of views from people who live in the Philippines, and that was pretty amazing. I think it speaks to the power of social networking, and that would be hard to give up, and yet it pales in importance compared to these other companies. Oh how the mighty have fallen. If you would have posed this question to me a decade ago Microsoft would have been the last company I would have written off. I spent over two decades learning and working on Windows PCs and Windows Services. I didn’t even touch a Mac until I was well into my 20s, but when I did it was hard to go back. Every Windows machine I’ve ever owned has felt sluggish compared to their mac counterparts. About a year ago my wife and I decided to buy a Windows laptop to have for when the other was working on the iMac. We got an Acer laptop with a current i5 processor and plenty of RAM, thinking it would be more than capable of suiting our rather modest computing needs. It’s a fine computer… it’s fine, but there are just these annoyances about the third party bloatware, slow boot up times, and general build quality that make it a bit of a bore to use. Even when I am using the laptop it’s mostly just serves as a way for me to work in Google Chrome when I don’t want to be at my desk. The services that Windows offers are no longer best in class (unless you are an excel wizard, I guess). Perhaps if I was more into gaming I could see the value in building a nice Windows gaming rig, but that’s not my life. I only play a couple of games anymore and my PS4 runs them fine. For a product that I spent most of my life using I have absolutely no nostalgic ties to Microsoft, and only have them above Facebook because I do a fair amount of work on my laptop, but if I had the extra cash in my bank account to replace it with a Macbook I would in a heartbeat. The biggest reason that Amazon has made it past Facebook and Microsoft on this list is because of the Echo Dot and how it has completely changed my daily life. I can’t think of the last time a completely new product had that kind of effect. I suppose you could argue smartphones, but even those were iterations (if not a transformative one) of a known commodity. When I make my coffee in the morning I have Alexa set a timer and give me NPR’s daily news update. When my wife and I run out of something from the kitchen we have her put it on a shopping list — which has cut back on us forgetting stuff at the store by 200 percent. We use Alexa as a radio, bartender, scheduler and argument ender. What Amazon has created really does feel like having a personal assistant in the home. One more antidote about the Echo. Today my wife was trying on the dress she is going to wear to the wedding we are attending this weekend. She looked beautiful, as always, so I seized the moment by telling Alexa to play our first dance song, “Let’s Stay Together” and we had a lovely couple of minutes dancing together in our kitchen. It was the kind of spontaneous moment that could have only happened with the Echo in the room. That’s my pitch for the device, and for AI in the home. There are other things that I love about Amazon, but you’ve heard them all before. Yes, Amazon Prime is a great service that gets better the more you use it. They have a great selection of movies and TV you can watch using Amazon Prime Video, and I hear really good things about their music and photo services as well. All of that is a bonus to how amazing of a product they have in the Echo line. The first Apple product I ever had was a second generation iPod Touch, which was given to me as a birthday gift and quickly became the best piece of tech I’ve ever used. I used that that thing every single day for seven years until I finally made the jump to Spotify as my go-to music service. Even now, two years after I’ve shelved it, the iPod will still boot up and work fine. Sure, one of the volume buttons sticks, and the home button isn’t 100 percent responsive, but for a device that has been used for tens of thousands of hours, through countless runs and workouts, I say bravo Apple. Every Apple device I have owned has been the best version of that device I’ve ever used. My first Macbook Pro was by far the best laptop I’ve ever used. The iMac I do most of my daily work on is easily the best desktop I’ve ever used. The iPad Air 2 that I carry around the house all day with me is still as fast and beautiful as it was the day I took it out of the box. When I read that Apple is having a hard time selling iPads I can’t help but think that — of course they are having a hard time selling more iPads — once you buy an iPad you never really need another one. I’m almost afraid to buy an iPhone because once I do I will be fully invested into their ecosystem and I now I’ll never go back. There are things not to like about Apple. They charge fairly outrageous prices for the products because they know that people will buy them. They force dumb standards on their customers about every other year, and are currently in a phase in which they feel that people don’t need more than one port on their devices. Let’s not even talk about how mad they’ve made pro users by not having updated the Mac Pro in years. That all said — when people ask me what their first major tech purchase should be, no matter if it’s a tablet, laptop, desktop or phone I recommend Apple. Because the secret sauce of the company, by locking down their platforms and doing their own hardware and software, works. I go back to that raggedy, beat-up iPod Touch that still boots up. Apple makes great products that are a little overpriced but worth every penny. Maybe that is a little less true than it was ten years ago, but their standard is still higher than everyone else’s. From the moment I wake up in the morning until the final minutes I spend awake, I am constantly using at least one of Google’s Services. You could strip away all of these other companies and the services they provide, but if I had internet and a device that could sufficiently run Google Chrome, my life would not change all that much. It’s not just that I use Google Services that puts them at the top of his list, it’s that I really enjoy using them. I’m terrible at planning ahead, but adding events into Google Calendar is as easy as pulling up Google Assistant on my phone and telling it to schedule an appointment for “such and such time at “such-and-such place.” Google Photos is home to all of my photos online, and it’s a pleasure to use. When my wife and I went on a trip to Grand Rapids we used Google Maps to navigate us both on the highway and while we walked from brewery to brewery. We used Google reviews to help us find a good lunch spot, and Keep to take notes when locals were giving us suggestions for great dinner place. When I would take dozens of photos throughout the day Photos would arrange the best shots into an album. All of the services worked in tandem to give us a better trip. It was a difficult choice between Apple and Google because I use them in tandem much of the time. I feel like Google services run really well on Apple hardware. I’m writing this post on a gorgeous iMac screen in Google Docs that is running on a Chrome browser. I use the Mail app when I’m working but I exclusively use Gmail. The deciding factor is that I could also be writing this on the Windows laptop in my kitchen or on my Android Phone. I’m a sucker for a well designed piece of hardware but it feels like services are starting to pull ahead in the technological zeitgeist, and Google is to services what Apple is to hardware and software. Would I miss having the high quality hardware, and the elegant OS of a Mac? Sure. But I could make it work. There’s a world in which the only computing device I have is a decent Chromebook and I’m still able to keep this blog running, check email, surf the web and watch Netflix. That makes Google the winner of this challenge, hands-down.

Alternate Ending or not the one posted on ffnet anyway. This makes it completely set pre-series for Supernatural. The gang wanted Buffy to take the night off, but the Slayer insisted on patrolling. She told them she had taken enough time away from her duties and nothing would keep her mind off Dean Winchester like 'dusting some vamps'.#*#*#*#*#*# As she strolled through the alleys of Sunnydale, Buffy contemplated having Willow do her spell to make her forget Dean and their summer together, but making Willow return to magic was too dangerous. Buffy wasn't willing to risk her best friend just for a little comfort. The sky was beginning to brighten and the sounds of the coming dawn filled the air. Buffy was about to return home when she saw a strange tattooed man attack a woman who must have just gotten off work. Buffy didn't care if it turned out to be random human on human violence; it was not going to happen on her watch. She raced over, grabbed the man by his collar and tossed him like a WWE wrestler off the woman. Keeping her grip on his shirt, she noticed his glowing blue eyes and the way his fingertips sparked. The man's eyes grew huge with fright as he recognized the Slayer. Instantly, he cowered behind his hands. "What are you? What did you do to her?" Buffy demanded. "Nothing, I did nothing to her, gave her a little dream is all," the djinn babbled. "I promise. You arrived before I could do anything else." "What kind of nightmare did you give her?" Buffy demanded as she checked the unconscious woman. "Not a nightmare, I assure you. I only give good dreams," the djinn argued. "She's dreaming about her little girl. The child had died of leukemia and this woman has never stopped aching from her loss." Buffy's raised a skeptical brow. "A monster handing out good dreams. Call me jaded, but I don't believe you." As the Slayer advanced on him again, the djinn scampered back, pleading, "No, I do, I swear, I only give them what they want, only good dreams. It isn't until after they are peacefully asleep that I can begin to drain their life force." In a blink of an eye she was on him, throwing him into the nearby bushes. "Please, Slayer, let me live. I can help you." "Help me?" Buffy repeated, as she continued her attack. "How can you help me?" The djinn was backed into a tree; he saw no escape from his death at the hands of the girl towering over him. "You, too, have suffered the loss of a loved one. I can ease your pain." "Right. You think I'm going to let you feed off me, you're as crazy as those tats on your face." Buffy knew she didn't know how to kill this creature, but she wasn't one to give up a challenge. She drew her stake up to strike, when the djinn yelled, "Wait! If you let me live, I will ease your pain and I won't feed, I promise." "Sorry, I don't take the word of monsters." The djinn grabbed her wrist as she made to drive the spike into his chest. As his hand touched the bare flesh of her wrist, Buffy's actions slowed and she felt a slight sense of comfort. "There, see, that's just a small taste of what I can do, if you spare my life." Gasping, Buffy withdrew. "Wh-why should I trust you?" "Because a Slayer's blood is like poison to me, just like my venom has little power over you," he argued. "I am able to help you forget your loss, but it will leave me drained, vulnerable to your attack. But, I am willing to take that risk if you let me return to my children." "You can't feed from me?" "It would kill me." "But you can make me forget Dean?" "He will be like a long forgotten dream. Locked deep behind a wall in your mind," the djinn promised. "Okay, do it." The sun was peeking over the horizon when the djinn slumped against the tree in exhaustion. He was barely alive, but helping the Slayer meant returning to his children. Buffy sat on the dew damp grass watching the sunrise feeling content. She had no memory of Dean Winchester. The moment consciousness hit him, Dean knew something was horribly wrong. His entire body was in pain. He kept his eyes closed and tried to listen for a clue to tell him what was different. He could hear muffled voices and a quiet, constant beeping. Panic was beginning to grip him. He knew he was no longer in the motel room with Buffy and he didn't know where she was or if she was okay. He didn't know if whoever had him had done something to her, if they did, he would kill them. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see his father's very relieved face. "Dean, hey buddy, it's okay. You're going to be okay." "Dad?" he croaked. "Where -" "Don't try to talk, yet. You're in the hospital, but you're going to be okay."#*#*#*#*#*# John snapped shut his phone and tried to give Dean a hopeful look. "Sam must be in class. I'll try again later." Dean snorted. Sam wasn't in class; Dad and Sam still weren't speaking. "I'll call him when we get to Bobby's." John nodded and helped Dean into the wheelchair as the nurse entered his room. She handed John some paperwork and gave Dean a cheerful smile. "Take care of yourself, Dean. No more driving in tornadoes, you hear me? We brought you back twice. Don't go testin' whether the third time's a charm." "Yes, ma'am." Driving. Dean remembered driving during a storm; he remembered the lightening. As he waited for his dad to drive the truck to the hospital entrance, he wondered pointlessly what had happened to his car. On the drive to Sioux Falls, John hated how quiet Dean was. The boy who usually never shut up, now wouldn't talk at all. Dean stared out the window. Had all that been a dream? The whole summer, meeting Buffy, taking her home, falling – Dean refused to accept that none of it had happened, that he had imagined all of it. The ache was real. The feeling of losing everything was real. How could Buffy not be real? She couldn't be just some girl he imagined. Growing up, Dean's fantasy girls had always been helpless Playboy bunny types that needed him to rescue them. They had never been girls like Buffy. They had never been hunters. Why would his mind suddenly create someone like her? She had to be real. Those fantasy girls were never about love, but Dean knew he had been in love with Buffy.#*#*#*#*#*# Dean jerked away from his father's helping hand when they arrived at Singer Salvage. "Dad, I got it, I'm not a frickin' invalid," he groused as he hopped out of the truck. "Fine," his father said as patiently as he could. He held out the crutches for Dean to take. "The doc said you're not to put your full weight on it." Dean snatched the crutches with an angry huff, but hobbling up Bobby's steps took more effort than he realized. Even though it was late autumn, his short journey from the truck to the door made him sweat. There was something off in Bobby's welcome, but Dean was too tired to worry about it. All he wanted to do was sleep; when he slept, he had amazing dreams. After getting Dean settled into a room, Bobby said, "The car's coming along. She's got a date with a paint outfit next week. Then she'll be looking good as new." "Thanks, Bobby," Dean replied quietly, though his expression showed his true gratitude. Bobby shot a quick look over his shoulder at John. Then asked in a low voice, "Hey, do you happen to remember what happened to you?" Dean's eyes fell. He remembered everything, but he knew that's not what Bobby meant. "I remember driving in a bad storm and waking up in the hospital." "Right, well, I'll let you get some rest. Holler if you need anything." Dean watched Bobby shut the door. Was it just his imagination or did Bobby seem disappointed by his answer? Dean knew he had been to Bobby's twice with Buffy, but there was no way Bobby knew that, was there? Just as every night since he'd been 'back', Dean dreamed of Buffy. The Texas heat didn't bother them. The music was loud, but it was a slow song. Dean pulled Buffy up against him and began to sway to the music. Dean's hands held her tightly to him even as one slid further down her back. The way their bodies slotted together made Dean feel a different kind of heat and Buffy pressed against him, loving the warmth that seeped through his shirt. He didn't want to be dancing anymore. He wanted to be in their room, in their bed, showing her how much he loved her. Buffy slowly dragged her nails down his back, loving how his muscles felt under her fingers and making him groan softly. "God, I want you," he whispered into her ear. Buffy met his eyes but didn't have words. He kissed her softly, but it wasn't enough for Buffy, she dragged him into one of the Owl's Nest's backrooms and pressed him against the wall. She sucked on his lower lip and tugged at his shirt in order to touch bare skin. Dean spun them so she was against the wall. Suddenly, her shorts were gone, his jeans were at his knees, and her legs were wrapping around him. In the next instant he was inside her, practically knocking the breath out of her as his every thrust slammed her into the wall. He slipped a hand under her shirt and cupped her breast and teased her nipple. Buffy had to stop kissing him in order to moan loudly. She panted his name as her body quivered around him. Dean jolted awake in bed, cursing at empty room. Even though the caller I.D. Read 'Bobby', Sam was nervous to answer. "Hey, Bobby, how's it going?" "Hey, Sammy, it's going good now that you've finally answered your phone," Dean said with humor evident in his voice. "Dean! Ohmigod! Is it really you?" "Yeah, kid, it's me.-" "And you're at Bobby's? How? What happened to you? Where were you? Geez man I thought you were dead." Dean chuckled at Sam's obvious relief and excitement. "Yeah, I'm at Bobby's. Dad found me in a Texas hospital. I guess a tornado got the best of me or something. As to where I was? I don't know. Over the rainbow or in a coma. Take your pick." He decided not to tell Sam about dying. "Dude," Sam sighed, "you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice." "You, too, Sammy. But, enough about me. Tell me all about Stanford and the chicks you're scoring with. Lie if you have to. I don't mind." "I don't know, Bobby, he just seems so miserable," John said staring into his coffee cup. "You didn't see 'em, John, I'd never seen him so happy," Bobby replied. "I saw him. He wanted to help me with a case in Alabama." "Them, John, you didn't see them , together. They were," Bobby paused, as he remembered how Buffy and Dean looked at each other. "He loved her." "A Slayer." John shook his head. "And you're sure she's dead?" "Well, as sure as anyone can be. I have her obit in the other room and I got the same story from that council over in England. The question is, do we tell him?" John stared at his friend. "I don't know. I guess I'm hoping he won't remember." Then John asked what was really concerning him. "Bobby, Dean wasn't dead. So, where'd we pull him back from? How could they have even … crossed paths?" "I don't know. That kind of thinking is way above my pay grade." Dean knew he had been here with Buffy just a few weeks earlier. He could remember it clear as day. He just needed proof; something that told him he didn't imagine the whole thing. He carefully picked through Bobby's things, careful not to disturb anything that would give his search away. He found nothing on the desk that mentioned him or Buffy. On bookshelf number three he found what he was looking for: VAMPYR . That was the book Bobby showed Buffy that made her remember everything. Carefully, Dean took the book from the shelf in order to flip through it, but he didn't get far. The obituary for Buffy Summers was tucked in the end page. He collapsed into Bobby's ratty armchair and read it. He read it a hundred times, until tears blurred his vision, but he didn't believe a word. Buffy wasn't dead. She wasn't. She couldn't be. How could he have memories of being with her, of seeing this book, if she were dead? How could he have met her if he was in a coma? He didn't hear his dad come in the room. He only realized John was there when he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Dean," John murmured. "I couldn't let you die, son." He moved a few steps away, but kept his eyes on Dean. "I only knew you were lying in that hospital bed, broken and slipping further away every minute." "I know Dad." Dean wiped his eyes and looked up at John. "The thing is, how does Bobby have this if she and I weren't here this summer? How does he even know who she is?" "You were here," Bobby said from the doorway. "You were like a spirit. You would just appear and then she would be there, too. When I found out she was a Slayer, we were scared silly." John and Bobby looked at each other before answering. "A Slayer is very powerful and even though she fights on our side, she's made from demonic energy. We didn't know why she'd be after you." Dean shook his head. "Buffy wasn't 'after me'. I was helping her remember who she was and where she was from." "We were worried that she'd harm you or take you with her," John said. "We knew she was dead." Dean wasn't ready to believe that, yet. "Dad, you would have liked her, she was awesome." After dinner that night, Dean announced, "When the car's done, I'm leaving for California." Both Bobby and John were shocked. "You're what?" John asked. Bobby asked, "Why?" "Because that is where she and I were headed. Buffy had a sister. I've got to make sure she's all right." John looked like he didn't approve of Dean's plan. "Dean, don't do this to yourself." "Dad, she's just a kid. She's living on a hell-mouth. I gotta make sure she's okay." John nodded slowly. "Then I'll go with you." Seeing Dean's eyes widen in surprise, John added, "Maybe I'll check on Sammy while you check on the girl." The look on Dean's face was the closest to a smile John had seen. Dean crouched and carefully placed the flowers by Buffy's head stone. "Saved the world a lot," he read. "I bet you did, sweetheart," Dean sighed and stood up. "I'm sorry, Buffy, I'm so damn sorry. I wish I was with you. You gotta know I didn't want to leave, my dad pulled me back. I never would have left you. You've got to believe that." "I should have told you how much... I should have told you that I loved you long before that last day. It's like some part of me knew I wasn't good enough. A guy like me doesn't get a girl like you, Buffy. Not for keeps anyway." His throat was tightening as his sadness began to grip him. "I miss you so much, Buffy. I'd do anything to..." he stopped himself. "I hope you're not fighting anymore. I hope you're finally at peace. Don't worry about your sister. I'm going to make sure she's okay. I promise I'm not going to let anything happen to her." He wiped his face. "I hope, wherever you are, you're happy, you deserve to be happy."#*#*#*#*#*# Dean followed Dawn for two days before he felt confident that she was safe. The girl never seemed to be alone. She'd get rides to and from school and at school she had a small group of friends. Dean tapped the steering wheel nervously after parking. He read a scrap of paper then checked the address. "1630, just like it was five minutes ago," he complained to himself. "C'mon Winchester, grow a pair. Go knock on the door and check on the sister. Worry about explaining who you are later." Dean climbed from the car before he chickened out again. Walking up to the door, Dean felt a tightness in his chest. Three quick knocks and he stood back, waiting. From inside he heard a muffled, "Got it!" Then, the door flew open and Buffy was standing there with an expectant expression. "Hi." Dean's mouth fell open and he couldn't answer, he could only stare in shock. Buffy waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello? Can I help you?" You okay? Do you need something?" She asked with a touch of concern for the mute man on her door step. She looked around him, but saw nothing that looked dangerous. "B-Buffy? You're – you're..." "Alive? Yeah," she laughed like her death was an inside joke. "Like Burt Reynolds, the reports of my death were exaggerated. Just trying to avoid the debt collectors," she stopped herself. "Crap, you're not a debt collector are you?" she joked nervously. Dean's expression fell as his heart broke. She didn't know him at all. There wasn't the slightest recognition in her eyes. "No, I, uh." A noise from behind her drew their attention. "Who was at the door, love?" Spike asked, as he rummaged through a drawer looking for a match for the cigarette hanging from his lips. Dean stared at the man and completely missed Buffy's eye roll at Spike's phony endearment. She turned back to Dean and made a rotating motion with her hand to tell him to hurry up. "So, what did you say you wanted?" Dean gave her a tight lipped smile. "Nothing," he answered quietly. "I'll let you get back to your – life." "Oh-kay," Buffy drew out the word as she wondered why the guy had knocked if he didn't want anything. Did he need her help? But, before she could ask, he turned and hurried down the steps of her porch. "Hey, wait," she called after him. "Are you sure you're okay?" She easily caught up with him on the sidewalk. Once again, Dean found himself staring, unable to speak. "Do you need help?" she asked with true concern in her voice. She looked different. She had cut her hair and Dean ached to touch it. "Yeah, no, I'm fine. I, uh, got the wrong address." He could tell from her expression she didn't believe him, but he didn't know what to say. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but he was dying inside. He simply had to get away from her. The thought of her not knowing him hurt nearly as much as the thought of her being dead. He knew she'd forget him, but he had hoped it wouldn't be so completely or so quickly. He told himself to be happy; Buffy's alive. She's alive and back with her family and friends. She didn't know him, she didn't need him, she wasn't pregnant... she was fine. He would have been a complicated mess to explain. Buffy felt a strange buzzing in her brain as she watched him drive away. Where had she seen that car before? But, if she worried about every odd thing in Sunnydale, she'd never get rest. Feeling like a creeper, Dean spent the next two nights stalking Buffy. Loaded with weapons, he followed her at what he hoped was a discreet distance. The first night, he watched in horror as she was surrounded by three vampires. He rushed forward with his gun drawn, but she turned them to dust before he could take aim. The encounter left Buffy unscathed and it left Dean in awe. He remembered her saying she had wanted to quit, had wanted a normal life, but this Buffy looked like she was born for the job. The second night was the last Dean spent in Sunnydale. He followed her again. But on this night, instead of battling evil creatures, he watched as she argued with 'Billy Idol'. When the argument turned into a passionate make-up make-out, Dean left. Buffy had her life back - her sister, her friends, her boyfriend, her 'job'; she didn't need him.#*#*#*#*#*# In Palo Alto the next day, Dean wasn't surprised to hear that Sam hadn't seen John. It was like their father to 'check on' Sam without actually talking to him. Dean pretended not to remember anything about his summer. When Sam told him about a girl that had come looking for him, Dean gave him a knowing smirk. "Girls are always looking for me, Sammy." July, 2003 – Athens, Ohio "You know Dean, if you wanted out of this relationship; you just had to say so. You don't have lie or make up crazy stories about ghosts and monsters." "I'm not lying Cassie, and I don't want out!" "Yeah, right. Well, guess what? That's what I want! You out!" "Fine!" Dean grabbed his duffel and the jacket that had been hanging on the rack and walked out the door. He slammed the lid of his trunk, Cassie slammed the door to her place, and Dean knew he had made a mistake. No girl was ever going to replace Buffy; he had been stupid to try with Cassie. He met Cassie two months after watching the news coverage of the small town of Sunnydale, California being swallowed by a 'sink hole'. He was sure Buffy would have died before letting that happen to her town. He pursued Cassie because she was nothing like Buffy; from the way she looked to the way she talked, Cassie couldn't have been more Buffy's opposite if she tried. Dean had foolishly thought that would be enough to help him forget his feelings for the Slayer. September, 2003 – Apalachicola, Florida Tourist season was over and the small town was suddenly peaceful. Buffy no longer had to wait for out of town drivers to find their way and there was no waiting for service at the small cafe she frequented. She was a Slayer taking a much deserved break after saving the world, again . However, this time stopping the apocalypse also meant moving cross country to Cleveland, Ohio. Once everyone was settled, Buffy took off. She packed a bag and headed south and didn't know where she was going 'til she got there. 'There' was a vacation bungalow in Apalachicola, Florida and Buffy was planning on staying as long as she could. Dawn and Giles checked in every other day, but for the most part, Buffy was allowed to peacefully recharge. After nearly six weeks of non-stop hunting, Dean was burned out. But more than that, he was tired of his father. Six weeks of being forced to follow his father's constant orders made Dean ready to kill the man. It was too much for both of them, and when John announced he was going to help Martin Creaser with a job in Michigan, Dean jumped at the chance for a much needed break from hunting and from his father. He drove all night, his goal being the Florida Keys; however, the news of a hurricane forced him to stop in Apalachicola, at the first motel he saw. "Hi! Welcome to the SandDollar. What can I do you for?" the woman wearing a Shannon name-tag asked. "I need a room for the night, day, whatever," Dean babbled as he got out a credit card. Shannon grabbed his card and gave him a sugary smile. "Well, Mr. Bonham, I'd love to give you a room, but check in's not 'til three." She handed him a form to complete. Dean stared blankly at her for a moment. "That's fine, you can charge me for two days, I don't care. I just need to crash." "I don't think that's our policy," Shannon replied with a tight fake smile. Didn't this guy know there was a storm heading their way? Dean groaned. Checking her name tag he said, "Okay, Shannon, is there another place nearby that will rent me a room before three?" "Well, sure, there's lots of them." Dean held out his hand for his card. "Great, if you return my card, I'll be on my way." "But, most of them are closed, now. Season's over and there's a hurricane comin'. So, most places just shut down. We were in the process of stripping the rooms ourselves." Dean sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Got it. My card?" he repeated hoping to have it returned so he could be on his way to the next motel. Shannon took pity on the exhausted man. "Tell you what, hun, I can get you in by one o'clock if you don't mind a room by the road." Dean checked his watch. That would be just under three hours. "Great, I'll take it." Shannon smiled and began his paperwork. "Is there a decent diner still open? I just need some coffee." "No, but that's only because this town doesn't have a decent diner in the first place. But, if it's coffee you want, there's a little place down about three blocks with the best coffee and bakery in the panhandle." Dean saw her as he absentmindedly held open the door of the bakery/coffee shop. She nodded her thanks and smiled, then went to place her order at the counter. But, Dean did a double take. He knew his eyes were playing tricks on him, not every petite blond was Buffy, but that wasn't going to stop him from watching the girl's every move. He sat on the bench outside the store, pretending to read the local 'penny pincher' paper and waited for her to leave. When she did, she walked straight to him, leaving him with no doubt that she was Buffy. "Hey," she said with a smile that made Dean stare in shock. "Uh, hey," he said uncertainly. "You got the last beignets." "Oh, uh, sorry, you want them?" he asked holding out the small bag. "No," she laughed. "Just eat them while they're still warm. Don't let them go to waste." Dean swallowed dryly and tried to smile. "Okay, thanks, I guess." "Have a nice day," she called cheerfully as she strolled away. Dean smacked himself in the face. Okay , he repeated to himself in a mocking tone. You don't see her for two years and all you say is 'okay'? He instantly began to look for her, spotting her walking into a shop across the street. He took a couple of deep breaths. Stay here; see where she goes next, he told himself. But, after two minutes and a beignet, Dean found himself crossing the street, heading for the store she entered. It was of course at that moment, Buffy chose to leave the shop. If she noticed him, she didn't let on. Instead, she hopped in a white Jeep and drove off, leaving Dean staring after her. Knowing he couldn't follow her on foot, Dean headed back to the SandDollar for the Impala. He planned to casually drive around until he spotted her Jeep. For the next hour, he drove up and down each street hoping to spot her, but he had no luck. Finally, he stopped at a small drug store to pick up some supplies before he returned to the motel. On his way out of the store, he saw Buffy at a different register. He slowed his walk to a near shuffle, allowing her to catch up to him. But, she breezed right passed him like she didn't see him. However this time, he followed her successfully. She drove to her rented bungalow, and put the top on her Jeep before going inside. Dean made a note of the address. He'd go back, he told himself, once he knew what to say. From inside the house, Buffy watched the sleek black car cruise by. She had seen that car before. She was almost certain she had seen that guy before, too. No one was supposed to know where she was, so how did this guy find her? She wasn't one to believe in random coincidences. She called her sister. "Dawn, did you tell anyone where I am?" "No, Buffy, I swear. Why? What happened?" Dawn knew her sister wouldn't ask if there wasn't a reason. "It might be nothing, but, a guy was following me, today." "What kind of guy?" Buffy rolled her eyes. "A guy – guy. He didn't seem evil, You know – no setting off my spidey senses but he had kind of a strange vibe. He was definitely following me and I got the weird feeling I've seen him before." "You think he was a vamp? Or a demon?" "Not a vamp – daytime. But I'm not ruling out demon. Is Giles around?" "Yeah, I'll get him." After telling Giles the same thing she had told Dawn, she waited for his advice. "Well, it could be a coincidence, you said yourself there aren't many places open. Perhaps the two of you just happened to be at the same place." "Is that what you really think Giles?" Buffy asked, barely disguising her doubt. "No," he begrudgingly admitted, "but you're supposed to be on vacation, so I'd rather it didn't involve you facing a demon." Buffy sighed. "Well, vacation's almost over. Maybe this guy is just what I need to ease back into slaying." "Buffy, be careful." "Giles, you know me. I'm the queen of careful." Dean had slept for hours, and he was now wide awake. He showered and decided to drive over to Buffy's and... and there's where his plan stopped. He had no clue what to say to her. 'Hi, I'm Dean. Remember me? We were in love with each other.' Yeah, that would work. If she didn't remember him before, why would she know him now? He sighed, "I might as well hit a bar and see if that helps me think of something."#*#*#*#*#*# Dean watched the muted weather report, and drank a bottle of Hurricane Reef beer, his thumb nail scratching at the label's edge. He had just nodded to the bartender for another one when he heard. "Hey, you must be following me!" He turned to see Buffy. When he finally found his voice, it came out in a dry cough, "I'm not." Buffy squinted at him. "You sure? I mean, first, you're at the bakery, then the drugstore and now you're at the same bar as me?" Dean blinked dumbly for a moment. "I'm -" Buffy began to grin playfully. "I know. After all, you were here first, and at the bakery first. Maybe I'm following you," she teased with a soft push on his arm. Dean tried to smile as he nodded. "I'm not stalking you, I swear," she said when she saw his somewhat nervous face. "Didn't think you were. I mean, why would you, right?" Dean asked sounding as nervous as he looked. The bartender saved him by delivering his beer and placing a napkin in front of Buffy. "What'll it be, Buffy?" "Margarita on the rocks, no salt." Her order made Dean smile to himself. "Careful, those can be stronger than you think. I knew this girl who got sloppy drunk on those and I had to carry her home." "Oh, I know my limit. And maybe that girl was looking for an excuse to get you to carry her?" Buffy asked as the bartender delivered her drink. Dean's only response was a small smile. He motioned to his money. "I got it, here." "No, you don't have to buy me a drink. I got it," Buffy said fumbling for her purse, hoping to get her wallet without letting him see the stake she carried. The bartender rolled her eyes at Dean and Dean motioned to his money again. She was at the register by the time Buffy had her wallet in hand. "Oh," she pouted, "Thank you." She shifted in her seat as if she were a little shy. "Well if you're going to buy me a drink, can you at least tell me your name?" "I'm Buffy. Nice to meet you, Dean." She raised her drink in toast and clinked Dean's beer bottle. Watching her suck at her straw sent Dean's mind to the gutter so fast it should have caused motion sickness. He quickly looked away and back to the television. Buffy twisted in her seat. "So, Dean, what brings you to lovely Apalachicola in the off season?" "Uh, sort of an impromptu vacation. My job got a bit, um, stressful, I guess. I kinda wanted some time off. How about you? What brings you here?" Buffy gave him a small smile; maybe he wasn't a demon. "Kinda the same thing. Work got like beyond stressful but, despite that, I had a very successful year, big year, accomplished a lot. So, I thought I'd treat myself to a vacation." Dean studied her for a moment, basking in the fact that she was there and not in the sink hole that Sunnydale had become. "Good for you, sounds like you deserve it." He tipped his beer to her. She gave him an honest smile. "Thanks, Dean." Buffy stirred her drink so that she didn't have to look at him. Okay , she told herself, this guy is the cutest guy you've seen in months, maybe years. Don't blow it. Make sure he's not evil. "So, uh, where are you staying? I mean, how long are you staying?" Dean wrinkled his brow in thought. "Uh, I don't know the name of the place. It's the one with the big, um," his hands formed a circle to illustrate his point, "sand dollar looking thing on the sign." Buffy chuckled. "That's because it's called the SandDollar." Dean grinned in slight embarrassment, "Right. I knew that. The SandDollar. And I'm not sure how long I'm staying." Buffy nodded. "With the season over, this town got pretty quiet. You'll probably find it boring. The storm must have chased away some people, too." "I don't mind quiet." Dean glanced at the radar on the television. "And it looks like the worst of the hurricane is going to miss this place." They sat quietly for a minute then Dean asked, "What about you, where are you staying? Or do you live here?" "I rented a bungalow because I planned on staying for a while. It's small, but it's exactly what I wanted." "Must be nice." Dean said implying that it must have cost a lot. "Well, remember the 'way stressful job'? I made them pay for it." Dean moved back looking impressed. "Like I said before, very successful year. Lots accomplishments. Let's just say they owed me." Dean nodded and noticed that Buffy had nearly finished her drink. He really hoped that didn't mean she was leaving. He did a quick look around the bar hoping to find a reason for her to stay there. Dart board, definitely not playing darts, could be awkward. Pool table... "Hey, Buffy, do you play pool?" Buffy made a face thinking that at least pool gave her a weapon. "I'm not very good, but I'll play if you want." Dean smiled widely and called, "Hey, bartender, can I get some change over here?"#*#*#*#*#*#This is both the best and the worst idea you've ever had, Winchester, Dean told himself as he watched Buffy bend over the table for the break. Buffy was never so happy to be bad at something. Her lack of pool playing skills meant Dean was spending most of the time bent over the table, and that was definitely okay by Buffy. She wished she had acted like she didn't know how to play, so that Dean would wrap around her to 'teach' her how to make a shot, but her competitive side hadn't let that happen. It didn't make her stop thinking about the feel of his arms around her, though.Whoa, find out whether he's evil first. Besides, you're not the kind of girl that jumps random guys in bars, she told herself. Then, Dean winked at her as he sank another shot. For one night you could be that girl, Buffy, come on, you're on vacation. Just look at that guy, it would be so worth it, she pleaded with herself. She gave herself a mental slap. Remember, might be evil not just cute. When Dean won the game, Buffy said, "I should buy you a drink for how easily you beat me." She hoped that didn't seem like a desperate attempt to keep his company, but there was something in the way Dean's eyes shifted from hers to her lips and back, that made Buffy tingle all over. When Dean had no reaction to the Holy Water Buffy added to his beer, the Slayer relaxed. She hoped he wasn't a creepy human, but that was easier to handle than a demon. The moment Buffy began to let down her guard, Dean would touch her or look at her a certain way and she would feel a strange buzzing in her mind like a swarm of angry hornets.#*#*#*#*#*# Dean began to relax as the evening went on. Buffy may not remember him, but it was still fun to hang out with her. "Hey, Buffy, better hope you have the top up on that jeep. It's coming down a like a sonuvabitch out there," the bartender called to her. Buffy peeked out the window to see the rain, and muttered, "Crap." "What's wrong? Forget to put the top up?" Dean asked. "The jeep's fine. I walked here." She scowled when a quick look at the radar on the TV informed her the rain wasn't going to be over soon. "I can give you a ride," Dean suggested, hoping it sounded like an innocent offer. Trapped in a car with the guy, Buffy mused, not the best idea; but the weapons she carried in her purse would stop a human as easily as they'd stop a vampire. "Thanks, I really appreciate it," she finally said. Dean had hoped she'd let him take her home. He thought the more time they spent together the better the chance that she'd remember him. Together they raced to the Impala. The moment she was inside the car, the swarm of angry hornets started buzzing even louder. Buffy winced and put a hand to her head. Somehow, she knew the door would creak when she opened it. She looked around the interior and knew if reached under her seat she'd find a Motley Crue cassette jammed in the rail. Finally, she said, "Do you ever get deja vu?"Yeah, all frickin' night. Dean shrugged, "Yeah, I guess, why?" Buffy shrugged it off. Where had she seen this car before today? "Which way do I go?" Dean asked, even though he knew exactly where her bungalow was. "Follow Beach Front Road. I'm just a little ways down the street." Buffy leaned over to turn on the heat, knowing that if she did, she'd hear a rattle from the front vent.#*#*#*#*#*# The buzz of hornets was drowned out by the racing of her heart. As they neared her house, her every nerve was on edge. "Here!" she nearly shouted. "Pull in here." The moment the car stopped, Buffy turned to him with wide eyes. "Who are you? What are you? What do you want from me?" She held her stake in her hand, but kept it hidden from Dean. Dean stared at her in shock, not knowing what had made her question him like an attacker. "I'm nobody, Buffy. I don't want anything, I swear." "Bullshit. You were following me today, I saw you drive by." She tried to growl menacingly, but the annoying buzzing in her brain was driving her crazy. "I wasn't -" Dean began to explain, but Buffy cut him off. "And I've seen this car before. I know this car. I knew the door would creak, I knew that vent would rattle, I know Doctor Feelgood is stuck under this seat!" "I, I don't know," Dean stammered in shock. "We never met before today." Buffy's eyes narrowed. "You seem like a nice guy, Dean, and I don't want to hurt you, but you better start telling the truth." "I am. You don't know me." Dean looked away from her. "You should get inside. It's coming down pretty hard." When Buffy didn't make a move to leave, he added, "I'm not going to hurt you. Heck, if you want, I'll leave town in the morning. You can forget you ever saw me." Again. The sadness in his expression tugged at something inside Buffy. Somewhere deep down, she knew she hadn't wanted to hurt him in this way. "Tell me who you are. How do I know you?" she demanded, grabbing his arm gently. The moment she touched his bare arm, the buzzing increased to a painful level. She hissed and her hands flew to her temples. She fumbled for the door handle and practically fell out of the car. The buzzing was so loud, so painful, she could barely open her eyes and she began to stumble in the rain. Dean rushed over to her, wrapping an arm around her to support her. "Buffy? What's wrong?" She shoved him. "Get away from me!" As Dean fell back, so did she. "Buffy, I'm trying to help you. I would never hurt you,” he said, pushing himself up. An image of Dean saying those same words flashed in Buffy's mind. It felt like the buzzing was going to tear her head in two. She winced and held her head. Confused at seeing her pain, Dean whispered, "Buffy?" and rushed to her aide. She tried to look at him, she tried to push him away, but the pain was too intense and she fell. Dean picked her up and carried her to her porch. He rifled through her bag for her keys, so he could get her in the house. The moment he set her down, Buffy fought against the pain. Seeing his attention wasn't on her, she tried to move so she could attack, but instead, she crumbled against him. "Buffy!" Dean grabbed her, unlocked the door, carried her into her house, and lay her on a couch. He tried the lights, but nothing had power. In a frantic search of the room, he found a jar candle and pulled his lighter from his pocket. As he did, Buffy said, "Your lighter is gold and it's one of those old kinds that flip open. And you have a scar on your hand." Dean faced her, staring at her in the near complete darkness. He was too stunned to speak. "Dean, tell me how I know these things. Tell me who you are, please," she begged. The painful buzzing was quieter, but now she had the feeling of being in a thick fog. With shaking hands, Dean lit the candle and set it on the table. Buffy had moved on the couch giving him a space to sit. He sat at the edge, ready to leave the moment she told him to. "I don't know how you know those things, because we never actually met before tonight," he said. "Then, how do I know those things?" "I saw you in Sunnydale once, but we only said a few words to each other." He watched the candle flicker so he wouldn't have to look at her. "You don't know me." Buffy stared at him in the soft light from the candle, she knew there was more. She was struck with the sudden feeling that she knew exactly how his lips felt against hers; she knew the soft noise he made when she kissed his neck; she knew how that slight scruff - not quite beard felt under her fingers and beneath her lips. She knew she was one step away from all the answers. "That's not true," she whispered; moving closer to him. When he turned to her to argue, she kissed him. It was just a peck, but it didn't hurt and the buzzing was silenced. That was the answer. She blinked then leaned in and kissed him again. This time as they kissed, Buffy was flooded with memories, every moment they shared that summer came rushing through her mind like a private clip reel. "Dean," she gasped. "Dean." He pulled back, wanting so much more, but she didn't know who he was. He would apologize, but the ache he felt kept him from speaking. "Dean?" she gently stroked his cheek and he finally looked at her again. Dean sucked in a breath when he saw recognition in her eyes. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. She knew him. The next instant, Dean had Buffy in his lap. She was kissing his lips, his jaw, his neck and murmuring his name over and over. "Why didn't you tell me who you were?" she asked, at last, though she didn't move out of their embrace. "I didn't know how," he admitted, his eyes pleading for understanding. "What was I supposed to say? 'You don't know me, but I dreamt we spent this incredible summer together?' I didn't know if it was real." Buffy continued to stare at him as she ran her fingers through his damp hair. "I thought you were dead." "I went to see you in Sunnydale. Do you remember?" Buffy shook her head and fought her tears. "I went to check on your sister, like we had planned, but there you were, alive and you had cut your hair," he said quietly, taking up a blond lock and letting it slide through his fingers. Then, he smiled sadly. "And you were living with Billy Idol." Buffy was confused for a moment. "Billy? – Oh. That was Spike. Not a -" How could she describe that relationship? "Spike was a friend." Dean couldn't believe this was happening. He looked at her in awe. Tucking a strand of her damp hair behind her ear, he asked, “I'm not dreaming right? You're real. This is really happening?” “Yes,” Buffy answered, kissing him again. "We were going to have a baby," she whispered. She remembered the look on his face when she told him the news and tears formed. "Dean, our baby." "I'm so sorry, Buffy," he whispered on a tight breath. Thinking of the last time they had been together, he thought about how ready he had been to give everything up to be with her. He gently caressed her cheek, wishing he could take away all the pain the memories caused her. Buffy shook her head, Dean didn't have to apologize. "Ever since I came back, I felt like I had this, this hole, this big bottomless hole inside me, like I was missing something, something important, but I didn't know what it was." Buffy framed his face in her hands. "But now I do. It was you." She kissed him again, gently, willing him to believe her. She crawled off his lap and curled up next to him. "Dean, I missed you so much that I had some type of demon block my memories of you. I would have these wonderful dreams about you, about us. Even after the demon did his magic, I would still see you in my dreams, sometimes, I just didn't know who you were," Buffy confessed. "Me, too," Dean said. "I kinda hated those dreams. Everything would be great, then I'd wake up." Buffy laughed in agreement. "I so know what you mean." She wrapped his hand in hers. "How long is this 'vacation' of yours?" "I don't know. Today was the first day." Buffy smiled to herself. "I have this place for ten more days." "I could spend a day or two here, if you want," Dean suggested casually. “I'd like that.” Buffy stood and pulled him up after her. "We should get out of these wet clothes before we catch a cold." Her hands were already tugging on his t-shirt. Dean grinned and worked the buttons on her shirt. "Do you remember our favorite way to spend a rainy day?" he whispered as he peeled off her shirt and kissed her neck. Buffy moaned softly as their damp bodies pressed together. "Remind me," she replied in a throaty whispered that made Dean's insides stir. "I intend to make it something you never forget." Thank you so much for reading. All your thoughtful reviews have really meant a lot to me. Thanks to TwistedSlinky who made some gorgeous art for the story over on lj if you care to look her up over there.

First, a little story. My dear friend Charlotte had (has?) juvenile arthritis as a child and had to spend time in the hospital when she was three. On the day of discharge, Charlotte’s mom said, “ok kiddo, when we get out of here, we can do anything you want. Anything at all!” with visions, I’m sure, of an ice cream stand or a toy shop. Charlotte looked at her mom and asked confidently, “can we go home and put on some David Bowie records and dance in the living room?!” and that’s exactly what they did. That makes me love children even more. (And Charlotte. And David Bowie.) What I’m trying to say here is that we’ve got some changes happening around the Walton world. Drew is plugging away in his Nurse Practitioner program at UVA in addition to being on the faculty for the school of nursing and working full time. Saying that Drew is busy is kind of like saying that chocolate is the greatest food that has ever been invented, which is to say, it’s indisputably true. Drew’s week starts when he heads in for the night shift on Sunday evenings and ends in May of 2013. The amazing thing about Drew though is that he’s on this crazy 24 hour schedule that involves working, learning, AND teaching, and yet he’s still here. He’s still on the floor playing with trains, he’s still leaving me the random love note, he’s still reminding me that we have so much to be thankful for. In this way, I’m tightening up too. I’ve also got some changes ahead and for the first time in a long time I’m feeling like I have two feet under me, two eyes on the horizon, two hands able to make it all happen. We’re all digging in around here. Eyes on the prize. Right now we sit at the table before Drew heads to work and we sit as a family of three and hold hands and say ‘Thank you for our blessings’. Asher loves this and we often have to stop about every minute and half as Asher reaches for our hands again and smiles at his captive audience before coyly saying, ‘dank doo bessing’ with a giant grin. I realized for the first time last night that we hadn’t actually talked about what we were saying when we said thank you like this every day and so I started chatting with Asher about everything around us that is a blessing. Asher caught on quickly and started pointing to everything around him and asking…Milk, blessing? Water, blessing? Chicken, blessing? and then more shyly, Mama, blessing? Papa, blessing? and for each of these we would say yes! we are so lucky to have milk, we are so fortunate to have water, we are so blessed to have food, etc. When he started asking about the people we said that yes, all of the people in our life were so special and then he looked at us and without a hint of question he said, Asher! Blessing! And Drew and I looked at each other and we looked at our joyous little son with bar-b-que sauce on his forehead and YES! Asher is a blessing! I remember literally having the bottom fall out of a grocery bag in front of our house last year around this time and sitting on the ground next to the mess crying my eyes out because I couldn’t feel life being easy. I simply couldn’t feel it. I didn’t see a point out there somewhere where I would feel powerful again. I could see Drew’s path, I could see Asher’s path, and despite being technically successful, when I thought about myself I saw a lot of fuzzy grey blurry stuff accentuated with some more grey stuff and some more blurry edges. I think this is the identity shift that happens in the year after having children…I wasn’t a(n enormous) glowy pregnant woman anymore, I wasn’t a mother to an infant anymore, I was still a wife, I had a teensy bit more confidence and freedom with regards to loving and raising Asher, but as far as the internal person that I hang out with everyday commonly known as me? I just couldn’t get a sense of her. I don’t feel that way anymore. I can’t say that it was one big epiphany, that no more grocery bags have broken (well, actually yes, I can. No more grocery bags have broken, but you know what I’m saying here) or that I’m dancing with Rainbow Bright and Strawberry Shortcake at every turn, but somewhere in the midst of taking it day by day, I am starting to see what is ahead, and more than just feeling good about it, I know it. I have a sense of it again. Things are changing. We are not spinning our wheels, we are not getting lost in the cacophony of sameness, we are noticing the seasons changing, we are seeing faint lines appear at the corners of our eyes, we are delighting in toddler ankles emerging under hems that were too long mere weeks ago. I think as humans we can vacillate between worrying that things will never be the same and worrying that we will never be able to make a change. This is funny, right? But I think that I am finally at a point where I can appreciate all of the work that has gone into the stability that Drew and I are creating for our family, and all of the possibilites and freedom that will be born out of this foundation. And really, I get to sit down every day and say thank you for our blessings with two men that seem to inherently understand the power of that statement more than anyone else I’ve ever known, and if that doesn’t make my feet tingle with a sense of purpose and destination, I don’t know that anything ever will. So thanks Charlotte for reminding me that kids are adorable, and thanks Drew for being an all around rock star, and thank you Asher for loving to say thank you, and thanks life for giving me the kick in the pants that I needed to remember that actually everything is a-ok. Oh, and thank you David Bowie for being you. Yessir.

I thought I could blog tonight before the debate but I got the time wrong and Ruth just reminded me (we were on the phone) that it was starting. Walking out on stage, Sarah Palin was confident. She shook Joe Biden's hand and declared, "Nice to meet you, may I call you 'Joe'?" And he agreed. Joe Biden is speaking right now and his voice is too quiet. My grandparents are over here because they have a problem with their house. My grandfather keeps asking, "What is he saying?" And we've got the TV up loud. Palen's speaking now and he's nodding to me to indicate he can hear her. If you are wondering where they stand in terms of voting, my grandfather is supporting Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez and my grandmother is supporting Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente. These are my mother's parents, by the way. They have always voted Democrat, their entire lives. Why not this time? They were supporting Hillary and that's not a big surprise for people their age -- even in the African-American community. But they could have gone with Barack Obama. He was not their choice. They became more and more upset throughout the primary and by the point that the primaries were winding down they were more concerned about the hatred Barack's campaign was fueling. The last straw for both of them was when Jesse Jackson Jr. rebuked his own father. As my grandmother pointed out, "He's calling his father 'Rev. Jackson.' He's not even calling him 'Dad'." That was something they'd seen a great deal of because seniors (in the African-American community) were targeted with badgering from Barack's young groupies in their own families. So when Jesse Junior disrespected his father, a great man, that did it for both of my mother's parents. (My father's parents were undecided until it was time to vote in the primaries. They voted for Hillary and their reason was Barack's lack of experience. They're going to vote for Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez.) Joe Biden just called John McCain "Barack Obama" and Sarah Palin has gotten under his skin because my grandfather can now hear him and he says Biden's "too angry." My grandmother (who can hear just fine, my grandfather does have a hearing loss in one ear) says Biden looks "tired." I hadn't noticed it until she pointed it out, but she's correct. And when he talks to Gwen, he looks squinty eyed making him appear even more tired. When he looks at the camera, he's okay but when he cuts his eyes over to Gwen, his eyes looks squinty. (They aren't squinty eyes, it's the angle he moves his face to.) He's so upset, he's getting tripped up on "characterized." "It gets complicated," said Biden when confronted with his vote on bankruptcy and Barack's. I had to stop a second because my grandfather will never ask for anything. He was licking his lips and he is diabetic. So I ran to the kitchen to bring in a pitcher of water and a pitcher of iced tea. I asked what I mised and my grandmother said, "He just talked about himself in third person." We both laughed. He apparently said that "Israel has had no greater friend in the US Senate than Joe Biden." My grandfather's judgment is that Biden is just too angry and that Biden moves his hands too much. They aren't voting for Palin and my grandmother is very vocal about not agreeing with her, but they both say she's coming off as trust worthy and capable. My grandfather said she's like the neighbor next door. They have a neighbor who they get into the loudest discussions with. They love her and she loves them. But they never agree on anything (including the weather!). So Governor Sarah Palin reminds them of her tonight. Thank you to C.I. for the links in the snapshot. I know C.I. and I are of different opinions on Gloria Steinem. C.I. linked to my thoughts in another entry the day before. I appreciated that as well. Which brings up a point in the e-mails. It's been suggested in comments to posts here that C.I. is supporting Cynthia McKinney. None of us know who C.I. is supporting. (We know she's not voting for Barack or McCain.) But that alarmed a few community members who e-mailed and wondered if they should ask C.I. not to note Ralph? Again, we do not know who C.I. is supporting. The community endorsed Ralph. C.I. will promote Ralph with no problem. C.I. has a huge respect for Ralph. (And for Cynthia.) But I'm an original community member. I go back as far as Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava and as far back as Keesha, Eli, Krista and many others. My point is this, the community endorsed Howard Dean for DNC chair. C.I. did not support Simon Rosenberg. However, C.I. was not for Dean. The community endorsed Dean, C.I. spoke for the community from then on. It's not a problem. And C.I. may be supporting Ralph. And it's equally true that C.I. may be torn between Cynthia and Ralph and not decide until the election day. But it's not a problem. The community voted for Ralph and C.I. has no problem with that. (Or with anyone's votes. C.I. has friends who are supporting Barack. There's no, "I'm not speaking to you again!" Your vote is your vote, C.I.'s motto that has been the motto at The Common Ills since it started. It is not new.) Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:" Thursday, October 2, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, military court-martials continue, Iraqi widows in Baghdad live in appalling conditions (provided by the government!), and more. Starting with an update to the September 17th snapshot which noted: BBC reports that Sgt John Hatley, Sgt 1st Class Joseph Mayo and Sgt Michael Lehy Jr. are charged with murdering four Iraqis ('blindfolded, shot and dumped in a canal in April 2007'). . . . CBC notes, "The killings are alleged to have been retribution for casualties suffered by U.S. forces." CBC also states that four more are being held and are under investigation (with two of the four US soldiers having been charged). AP, however, says the four additional soldiers 'have already been charged with conspiracy in the case'." None of those three soldiers charged with murder has entered a plea but one of the four charged with conspiracy has: Spc Belmor Ramos. AP reports that Ramos "pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder and was sentenced to seven months in prison Thursday in the deaths of four Iraqis, saying he stood guard from a machine-gun turret while the bound and blindfolded prisoners were shot." BBC reports today that Spc Steven Ribodry "has been jailed for eight months after admitting playing a part in the killings of four Iraqi men in April 2007" -- accessory after the fact. George Frey (AP) adds that Ribordy "pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of accessory to murder and was sentenced to eight months in prison" and "also will receive a bad conduct discharge". RTT News quotes Ribordy telling the court, "The reason I didn't say anything was because of loyalty to my comrades." CBS and AP quote him also stating, "I wasn't ordered or asked in any way, shape or form to move the body. I wanted to get it done and get out there -- I didn't want anybody getting in trouble." Matt Millham (Stars and Stripes) explained in August that Ribordy was among the four (Staff Sgt Jess Cunnigham, Spc Belmor Ramos, Sgt Charles Quigley and Ribordy) suspected "in the alleged cover-up. The soldiers who pulled the triggers, according to Sgt. Daniel Evoy, were 1st Sgt. John Hatley, who he called a beloved company first sergeant; Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Mayo, the company's master gunner; and Sgt. Michael Leahy, a medic." Reuters notes the "charge against" Riobordy "of conpiracy to commit premediated murder was dismissed. As part of his guilty plea, Ribordy agreed to testify in the trials of other soldiers involved". Staying with that theme, Tony Perry (Los Angeles Times) reports on the "pretrial hearing Wednesday at Camp Pendleton" of Sgt Ryan Weemer "charged with murder for allegedly killing a prisoner Nov. 9 in the first hours of battle" who called "Sgt. Maj. Brad Kasal as a character witness". While Weemer testified as a character witness (and about the US actions in Falluja), Rick Rogers (San Diego Union Tribune) reports that Sgt Jermaine Nelson did not despite having immunity and being "ordered to testify. But Nelson wouldn't talk about what transpired during a Nov. 9, 2004, battle in Fallujah. He, Weemer and other Marines allegedly found several men during a house-to-house search, held them captive and then shot them to death after interpreting their superiors' comments over the radio as an order to kill. 'At this time, sir, I am going to continue to use my Fifth Amendment right,' Nelson said in reply to questions from the prosecutor." Perry reports that Sgt Jose Nazario is also refusing to provide testimony and this follows Nazario's own court-martial which Weemer and Nelson refused to testify at leading to an acquittal for Nazario. As the White House attempts to push through a treaty with the puppet government in Baghdad (while calling it a SOFA) a sticky point has been the issue of immunity for US service members whom Iraqis feel are not punished for criminal actions. Court-martials like Weemer's do nothing to allay those fears. (And long after the next US president is sworn in, this will still be an issue.) In other military legal news, David Allen (Stars and Stripes) reports, "Marine Sgt. Bassa Cisse was sentenced to eight years in prison and a dishonorable discharge Wednesday for beating to death his 6-year-old daughter. . . . An Air Force psychiatrist testified that Cisse suffered from PTSD as a result of his second tour in Iraq, when a patrol vehicle he commanded almost tipped over a cliff. However, the prosecution submitted a medical report by a Navy psychologist that rejected the PTSD diagnosis." From Iraq, Alissa J. Rubin (New York Times) examines the various tensions between different factions of Iraqis and how elections might put new sections into power which "in turn means that groups currently in power would likely lose ground". Rubin explains how many groupings (such as the "Awakening" Councils and followers of Moqtada al-Sadr) can point to the names of colleagues who were assassinated, the struggle in southern Iraq between the Dawa Party and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (both Shi'ite political parties), Al Anbar Province where there is conflict among the "Awakening" Councils and the Iraqi Islamic Party (both Sunnis) and it all comes down to who will control the resources. In the north, it's not just resources, it's a land grab (my thoughts and words, not Rubin's). Rubin notes "the Kurds are battling for hegemony in areas that lie along the border of their semiautonomous region. They are competing with Turkmens and Sunni Arabs who claim primacy of ownership to some of the same territory, particularly the city of Kirkuk and its surrounding province. Politicians have tried repeatedly since 2003 to reach a deal to resolve the disputes. But each effort has foundered on Kurdish ambitions to expand the Kurdistan region. For much of the past five years, the situation was tense but did not explode into ethnice violence. That changed in the last six months as attacks began on the party headquarters of different groups. Then in August, Kurdish soldiers in Kirkuk opened fire on Turkmens after a suicide bomb; the ensuing riot killed dozens of people. The violence spread. In early September in Khanaqin, a predominately Kurdish city that lies in neighboring Diyala Province, Iraqi Army tanks faced off against the Kurdish pesh merga, the Kurdistan security forces." On the issue of the Kurdish region, professional friend to the Kurdistan government, Peter W. Galbraith writes in today's New York Times, "You [Senator Joe Biden] have espoused a plan for an Iraqi confederation in which Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds could have controlled their own security forces in separate self-governing regions. The Bush adminsitration has created the Sunni army. Should we now encourage the Sunnis to form their own autonomous region, as allowed under Iraq's Constitution, and make the Awakening the army of that region?" No, Galbraith can't stop pimping the splitting up of Iraq. It's really the only topic Galbraith has. As noted last week, Galbraith wrote of John McCain, "He has denounced the Obama-Biden plan for a decentralized state but has said nothing about how he would protect Iraq's Kurds, the only committed American allies in the country." ["Is This a 'Victory'?" (New York Review of Books)]. It's really important for Galbraith to pretend that the "Awakening" Councils are supported by the people when that is not the case. They are thugs placed on the US payroll -- as both US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and Gen David Petraeus freely admitted to Congress last April -- to get them to stop attacking US troops. They intimidate the people of the regions they allegedly 'protect.' But Galbraith's concern has always been (and remains) the oil-rich Kurdistan region. Rubin doesn't touch on the 'handover' yesterday in Iraq in her article. Jeffrey Fleishman (Los Angeles Times) reports on the tension and suspicion the 'handover' of the "Awakening" Council to the puppet government has created: "Some leaders of the Sons of Iraq feel that the transition represents a betrayal by the U.S. The government of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki also questioned the Sunni fighters loyalty to Iraqi forces and whether it can provide jobs and training for them." NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro (Morning Edition) reported Monday where "Awakening" members in Diyala Province feel they are being targeted with violence and phony arrest warrants leading some to leave Iraq including two Garcia-Navarro spoke with who moved to Syria. Yesterday Garcia-Navarro reported on Iraqi widows for All Things Considered condemned to a trailer park in Baghdad with metal roofs that make it impossible to inhabit due to the heat and "with no electricity or running water." (This must qualify as 'helping' to al-Maliki.) Garcia-Navarro spoke with widow Hiba Attiyah who states, "When my husband was alive, I used to depend on him for everything. After his death, I've been through many black days and difficult times. My three boys did not come here to live with me in this trailer because there is not enough space. They live now with my mom and I don't get to see them much." Two bombings in Iraq today managed to grab some press attention. Corrine Reilly, Sahar Issa and Jenan Hussein (McClatchy Newspapers) report the bombings took place "at Baghdad mosques" this morning "as Shiites marked the first day of Eid, a three-day celebration that follows Ramadan, Islam's holy month." Mohammed Abbas and Peter Graff (Reuters) offer, "A leg and other body parts could be seen more than 100 metres from where a bomber detonated a taxi after ramming it into a police vehicle guarding a Shi'ite prayer hall in the Zafaraniya district, said a Reuters TV cameraman at the scene. A vegetable truck used to carry away the bodies was covered in blood, and glass was shattered in surrounding buildings." Deborah Haynes (Times of London) adds, "Severed limbs littered the bloodied streets at the site of both explosions, while ambulances wailed into action, evacuating the wounded and the dead." Al Jazeera Magazine explains, "Security officials said a bomber blew himself up in a mosque in Jadida, a Shia district of southern Baghdad, killing 12 people and wounding 30. In the second attack, another bomber slammed his explosives-laded car into an Iraqi military armored vehicle at a checkpoint near a mosque in the nearby district of Zafaraniyah". CNN puts the death toll at "at least 20". Vanessa Gera (AP) quotes eye witness Ammar Hashim stating, "Pools of blood and the smell of burned flesh was everywhere and I saw a man of about 70 bleeding and lying on the ground from injuries." In other reported violence . . . Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad car bombing targeting "a U.S. military convoy" that destroyed 1 "U.S. army vehicle" and wounded two Iraqis. CBS and AP report that four US service members were wounded in the bombing. Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports an attempted assassination of Sheikh Radhwan Izuddin in Nineveh Province which he "survived . . . with superficial injuries" and an attack on a minibus in Diyala Province in which 3 women, 1 man and 2 children were shot dead and two adults were wounded. On the minibus attack, Ken Sury (Waco Tribune) adds, "The dead were heading to Baquoba to visit relatives" Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 1 corpse discovered in Baghdad. Turning to the US presidential race. Robin Morgan has a column at Women's Media Center. Violet Socks (Reclusive Leftist) has a response. You can also see Marcia's "" and "." I'll address in part tonight in "I Hate The War." Robin's column is a very bad column. It will be addressed in part tonight because Jim's asked me to save a topic (as Kat noted Monday) for Third this weekend. After that goes up, Robin's column will appear even more uninformed. For now, you can read Marcia's "When feminist 'leaders' lie" and "Ralph Nader, HB Melissa, and more" Robin is a strong voice and real feminist leader (not a 'leader') so it's a damn shame she chose to publish that column. Again, we'll address tonight. For now, she's elected to play a round of "Bash the Bitch." It's not pretty. It is embarrassing and it is deeply harmful to feminism. And let's be really clear, no one would mistake Robin's column for a "catfight." It is "Bash the Bitch." Which is worse? "Bash the Bitch" is how you get women burned at the stake in earlier times. Today, you burn them with lies, half-truths and a double standard. My opinion, "Bash the Bitch" is much worse than a "catfight." Robin should have known better. Violet Socks also points out that while Governor Palin proudly defines herself as a feminist, Michelle Obama replied when asked that question, "You know, I'm not that into labels. So probably, if you laid out a feminist agenda, I would probably agree with a large portion of it. I wouldn't identify as a feminist just like I probably wouldn't identify as a liberal or a progressive." Well of course she wouldn't. Sexism is the theme of the Obama household. Many a foolish woman has said "well he has two daughters!" That has to be the most insane and ahistorical remark made yet. Are we supposed to believe that women just emerged in the last few decades? Men have always had daughters and sons. And sexism has always thrived. Get a grip. Your first clue was his insistence upon going along with Michelle to a job interview (Michelle's job interview). That tells you his actual opinion of women -- their abilities and their intellect. It would appear Robin's been bitten by the Sour Grape Girl syndrome. Hopefully, it's a 24-hour viral sort of illness. Semi-related, garychappelhill (The Confluence) has a post. It has nothing to do with this topic but a comment garychappelhill left on Riverdaughter's post resulted in a number of e-mails here. While the sour grape girls can't bring themselves to call out homophobia, a lot of people are suffering. Gary is a gay man and wrote of the damage done to the LGBT community in Barack's campaign. That topic will be brought up tonight but I probably won't have time to link to him and will probably focus more on lesbians than gay males so we're including a link to his post. A number of community members e-mailed afraid that he would stop writing. He's already written a post today. That's an understandable fear. Team Obama has run an ugly, disgusting campaign and the 'progressives' have refused to call it out thereby sending the message to so many people that they are unwanted. PUMA is only one response to the ugly campaign. There are a number of people who've been made to feel they do not fit in with the 'grand vision.' Sadly, Robin's very bad column will only further that impression. Tonight Governor Sarah Palin debates Senator Joe Biden in the 'vice presidential' 'debates.' Palin is the v.p. nominee of the Republican Party, Biden of the Democratic Party. Today, the McCain-Palin ticket picked up an endorsement from the Lowell Sun which notes Senator John McCain's work with Senator Ted Kennedy on immigration and with Senator Russ Feingold on campaign-finance reform and calls McCain "America's true-blue, principled maverick." Cynthia McKinney is the Green Party presidential candidate and Monet Drake (Howard University's The Hilltop) weighs in on her candidacy: History is certain to be made this election, but not by Sen. Obama and Gov. Palin, but rather by the Green Party's Presidential nominee, Cynthia McKinney - a black woman. Cynthia McKinney, who was previously a Democrat, expanded her political views and won over the Green Party as the nominee for the presidential candidacy.She is a firm believer in the 2008 Green Party's Platform and a strong advocate for her "Power to the People" campaign. In a press release, her running mate, Rosa Clemente said, "Cynthia McKinney is a hero to me and many others across this country and around the world."McKinney has been actively involved in politics since 1986. She was born the daughter of Georgia state representative Billy McKinney. Previously a resident of Jamaica, she ran and won a seat in the House of Representatives representing Georgia along side her father, in 1988. She was elected the first African-American woman to Congress in 1992, however, just 10 years later, she lost her seat.Congresswoman McKinney has since been able to move forward and attempt to promote a new health care plan and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, key values set forth by the Green Party. In an International Tribunal Press Release, McKinney expressed her concern for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. "I am pleased to be among this tested and true group of activists who are committed to Katrina justice," McKinney said to dozens of supporters in the press release. Meanwhile the US Senate passed a bail out measure late yesterday. Voting in favor of it were Senators Joe Biden, John McCain and Barack Obama. While they were all in agreement on the need or 'need' for the measure, many other Americans were not. Ralph Nader is the independent presidential candidate and Team Nader issued this today: NADER STATEMENT ON BAILOUT Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez vigorously oppose Bush's $700++ billion taxpayer bailout of Wall Street. "This is not just a bailout of Wall Street" says Nader, "It's a bailing out of the bankrupt Republican and Democratic policies that have led us to where we are today with Senators John "Deregulation" McCain and Joe "MBNA" Biden leading the way. Full Statement from Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez: "The revised bailout legislation is the same $700 billion piece of burnt toast, with some window dressing, sugar coating, and $150 billion of pork tax cuts covering everything from casinos to coal. But this isn't even the main course that Senate is serving up for Congress on Friday. The main course is on page 92 of the 451 page document: BORROWING LIMITS TEMPORARILY LIFTED. - During the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 2009, the Board of Directors of the Corporation may request from the Secretary, and the Secretary shall approve, a loan or loans in an amount or amounts necessary to carry out this subsection, without regard to the limitations on such borrowing under section 14(a) and 15(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1824(a), 1825(c)). Translation: Bush, McCain, and Obama want Congress to co-sign off on the mother of all blank checks, paving the way for a sinking dollar and higher interest rates. By bumping the FDIC's line of credit at the Treasury from $30 billion to infinity, the FDIC assumes fiat powers to bailout to its heart content, leaving the taxpayer to pay the bill. This unacceptable unlimited right to ransack taxpayers would last until 2010. "The bailout ignores the needs of millions of swindled families facing foreclosure, and it squanders an opportunity to bring about real regulatory change, decisive shareholder power over their companies' bosses, and authentic taxpayer equity that would prevent economic crises like this from happening again. Wall Street's wildly overpaid bosses are addicted to speculative gambling with other people's money. When a drug addict is facing overdose, you don't give them more needles. According to Richard W. Fisher, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas: "The seizures and convulsions we have experienced in the debt and equity markets have been the consequences of a sustained orgy of excess and reckless behavior, not a too-tight monetary policy. In the end, we're going to have to deal with the underlying stock of housing." "We need to protect homeowners and our neighborhoods first. That's why Nader/Gonzalez support introducing a law with a 5-year sunset clause that would provide homeowners facing foreclosure the right to rent to own their homes at fair market value. "Wall Street is out of control. We need to bring some sense of accountability, transparency, and law and order back to Wall Street's crooks and speculators, or they will desperately seek socialism to bail out their criminal corporate capitalism, going again and again to the taxpayer trough in Washington DC each time. That's why Nader/Gonzalez support a Wall Street speculation tax, starting on derivatives, which would make Wall Street less like Las Vegas, and generate enough funds to more than eliminate the federal tax burden on the first $50,000 of income for every working American. Click here for Nader's Ten Point Plan tony perrythe los angeles times jeffrey fleishmanrick rogers the new york timesalissa j. rubin mcclatchy newspaperscorinne reillysahar issajenan hussein lourdes garcia-navarromorning edition

The “Lubitsch” touch… September 10, 2012 § 1 Comment If you’re a fan of the great writer/director Billy Wilder, you certainly know of his affinity for what he calls “The Lubitsch Touch.” If you don’t know the work of Billy Wilder, please watch and study the films of a true master filmmaker. Such classics as Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Stalag 17, Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, among others. When Wilder talks about the Lubitsch touch, it relates to his mentor, the great writer/producer director Ernst Lubitsch and his unique style and cinematic trademarks he used in visual storytelling. Wilder used to say of the touch, “It was the elegant use of the Superjoke. You had a joke, and you felt satisfied, and then there was one more big joke on top of it. The joke you didn’t expect. That was the Lubitsch Touch.” Three of my favorite Lubitsch directed films are Ninotchka, Trouble in Paradise, andTo Be or Not to Be. Ninotchka stars the legendary Greta Garbo and written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett. It’s one of the top films on my favorite list. Director Rouben Mamoulian (Love Me Tonight, The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand) remembers Ernst Lubitsch: “He was doing a film, and he explained to his writer that the beginning of the film had to show that this man had been married a long time and that he is kind of tired of it. He had gotten used to his wife and had a roving eye. So the writer brought him four pages of introductory exposition of character. Lubitsch looked at it and said, “You don’t need all that.” He took all four pages out. “Just put down this—the man walks into the elevator with his wife, and keeps his hat on. On the seventh floor a pretty blonde walks in, and the man takes his hat off.” Genius, right? What an efficient use of visual storytelling. That folks, is the Lubitsch touch. In an interview for Nobody’s Perfect: Billy Wilder: A Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler, Wilder said: He (Lubitsch) had a skit for another picture where they wouldn’t allow him to do on account of censorship. It was with Charles Laughton. You are in the exterior of a harem, and you see that the sultan is leaving, his luggage piled up ready to go. Standing at the gate is Charles Laughton, who is a eunuch. The sultan says, “Abraham.” “Yes, sir,” Laughton answers in a very high-pitched voice. “I’m leaving now. Be very, very careful and watch out for the beautiful girls in there. No girl is allowed out and no man is allowed in. You understand me, Abraham?” “Yes, sir,” again in that very high-pitched voice. The sultan leaves. A window opens and a very beautiful girl leans out, smiles, and calls, “Abraham?” In a very deep male voice, Laughton says, “Coming!” Wilder, “Lubitsch wasn’t a gagman, he was the best creator of toppers. would come up with a funny bit to end a scene and he would create a better one.” Wilder goes on to discuss an example from Lubitsch’s The Merry Widow (1932). Wilder: There is a king, queen, and lieutenant. The king is played by a very corpulent actor in his sixties, the queen is Miriam Hopkins, who is very pretty, and the lieutenant, Maurice Chevalier, who was at the time very young and handsome. Lubitsch plays the scene in the bedroom where the king gets dressed. Now, he leaves the bedroom, and we see at the door with a sword and clicking his heels is Maurice Chevalier. He is now watching the king, and the king moves down the long staircase, boom, boom, boom. Now we cut back to Chevalier. He enters the bedroom of the queen and closes the door behind him. We don’t cut into the bedroom. That is very important. Now, back to the king. He suddenly realizes that he forgot his belt and sword. He turns and goes back up the steps to the bedroom. The king opens the door, goes in, and the door closes behind him. We are still outside in the hallways, never inside. The king comes out, and he has his belt and sword. And he’s smiling. He tries to put on the belt, but it’s not his. It’s much too small. Back he goes into the bedroom and of course he finds Chevalier. Watch this clip from The Merry Widow and see the scene Wilder talks about at 10:39 of the clip. Wilder goes on to talk about the first time he worked for Lubitsch: One day, Brackett and I were called in to see Lubitsch. He told us he was thinking vaguely about doing an adaptation of a French play about a millionaire—a very straightforward law-abiding guy, who would never have an affair with a woman unless he was married to her. So he married seven times! That would be Gary Cooper. Claudette Colbert was to be the woman who was in love with him, who’d insist “I’ll marry you, but only to be the final wife.” As the meeting was being adjourned, I said, I have a meet-cute for your story. (A “meet-cute” was a staple of romantic comedies back then, where boy meets girl in a particular way, and sparks fly.) Let’s say your millionaire is an American who is very stingy. He goes to a department store in Nice on the French Riviera where he wants to buy a pajama top, but just the top, because he never wears the pants. She has come to the same counter to buy pajamas for her father, who as it happens only wears the pants. That broke the ice, and we were put to work on that picture, which became Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife. Lubitsch, of course, would always find a way to make something better. He put another twist on that meeting. Brackett and I were at Lubitsch’s house working, when during a break he emerged from the bathroom and said, “What if when Gary Cooper comes in to the store to buy the pajama top, the salesman gets the floor manager, and Cooper again explains he only wants to buy the top.” The floor manager says, “Absolutely not,” but when he sees Cooper will not be stopped, the floor manager says, “Maybe I could talk to the store manager.” The store manager says, “That’s unheard of!” but ends up calling the department store’s owner, whom he disturbs in bed. We see the owner in a close shot go to get the phone. He says, “it’s an outrage!” And as the owner goes back to his bed you see that he doesn’t wear pajama pants either. Or, for instance, Lubitsch’s short film in a picture called If I Had A Million, a picture that Paramount made with all the stars the studio had. The theme of the picture was that the millionaire is dying and the family is waiting and he hates the family. He says, “Well, screw them,” and decides haphazardly to give a million dollars to the people. He takes the telephone book and wherever the medicine dropper drops, that is the person that is going to get a million dollars. George Raft and Cary Grand are in it and we see the adventures of various people who get one million dollars. All kinds of directors, the best directors at Paramount at that time, each made one little segment of this film. This is what Lubitsch did. He was the one with Charles Laughton. Laughton is working in an office, hundreds of desks. He’s very meticulous. Now the mail arrives and you see that among the letters is that one letter containing that one-million-dollar check. We know already that the envelope contains the million dollars. And being very methodical, he opens one letter, he opens a second letter, he opens the third letter. Then he opens the letter with the million dollars and he looks at it. No expression on his face. Absolutely nothing. He folds it, he puts it in his pocket. He gets up, he picks up his bowler, he picks up his umbrella, and now he walks past the desks to the president’s office. He walks in, opens the door and does this [makes a mocking sound with his lips]. That was it, except the sound was a little bit louder. So that is the Lubitsch touch. Ah, the mighty Lubitsch touch!

Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken. As far as the problem of kids coming up with inappropriate ideas (cockroach, et al), I always have them think of 6 "appropriate" ideas, do thumbnails of three, and then choose one of those for the project. I, too, have a list and examples to start them out and provide them with dictionaries for their brainstorming session. I've had to establish the "commonly used" criterion in order to eliminate the use of proper names of bands, sports teams. With those roadblocks out of the way, they can come up with some very clever ideas and love the assignment. I'm looking forward now to having them do it in clay! Linda in (cold, bleak, and snowless southern) Michigan Sharon Hause wrote: > I do a very similar project with my 6th graders only I call them "clay > compounds" since we oviously create them in clay. I started the list on > paper and printed them out and had them brainstorm on the bottom of the > paper. That way I could edit them and compile them to the list. It was > a good lesson since you have to review slab, coil, score and slip, > hollow ware, etc, depending on with compound word they chose. Mine > did't have to be an animal, so I also got ideas such as bedbug, > bookworm, egghead, etc. > >From: Savannah97 > >Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 03:07:30 EST > >To: viccapone, owner-artsednet.edu, > > artsednet.edu > >Subject: Re: Classroom funnies > >I was doing a "literal animal" project with my 6th grade boys class. > >assignment was to illustrate a fantasy creature using the literal > meaning of > >the word. For example "ladybut" could look like a woman with 6 legs, > >etc. or "bullfrog" could look like a frog with a bulls tail and horns. > >started to brainstorm and list possibilities on the board. They came > up with > >great ideas ( angelfish, horsefly, swordfish, ) and then they hit > me with > >some whoppers....spermwhale, mountain boobie, cockroach, pussycat. > That's 6th > >grade boys!!! > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

It's been just about a month since I did any serious writing, and we're now getting back to the grindstone. Before we get into a big batch of "we have to learn about the brain" stories (and in an effort to avoid doing a "State of the Union" story today) I want to clear the deck from 2009, which means I have a lot of disconnected scraps of message to pass along; some of it fun, some of it free, some of it snarky--and at least a bit of it, disturbing. In keeping with the random nature of today's story, some of it will even run into 2010. So go find your joke hat, and let's get our wrapup on. The doctor was examining a naval hospital orderly for advancement in rating. "What would you do if the captain fainted on the bridge?" "Bring him to," warbled the aspiring orderly. "Then what?" asked the doctor. "Bring him two more," returned the man promptly. --From the book "10,000 Jokes, Toasts, and Stories", Lewis and Faye Copeland, editors. As regular visitors to this space know, I'm probably a bit too addicted to television, and on of the hazards of that addiction is having to form a relationship with the various TV personalities out there. There are some I'm happy to welcome into my home (I'm thinking of you, Drew Carey), but then, there are...others. Which brings us to William Darrell Mays, Jr. Billy (the name by which many of you may have known him), was that irritating guy who basically invented the business of "...and I'll give you a second one free--just pay extra shipping and handling...", which is perfectly fine, and bless him for it...but now he's dead, and you know what? It has become time to apply one of the rules of marriage: Until Death Do We Part. We all outlived Billy, and one of the rewards of that should be that we are freed, as it were, to find another pitchperson...or maybe to move on to a better place--perhaps even to a world without someone from Florida hustling Oxy-Whatever all day long. "My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals." --Lord Henry, speaking to Dorian Gray, in Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Ever see someone making a "dick move" who also struck you as being sanctimonious, both at the same time? If the answer is yes, you already know the definition of a word The Girlfriend made up the other day in the car: dictimoneous. Dictimoneous; as in: "When that BMW driver cut you off, dude...that was dictimoneous". We find we're already using the word a lot...and we suspect you will, too. (By the way, expect Dick Timoneous to show up in some of my snarky stories from time to time, probably working alongside Harry Paratestes, who has been a friend of this space for some time.) "Why, there is it. Come sing me a bawdy song, make me merry." --Falstaff, to Randolph, in Act 3, Scene 3 of "Henry IV, Part I", by William Shakespeare Much as the wily chair hunter stalks the plains searching out his next place of repose, many of us seek the watering holes where free .mp3s gather, and I have a couple of them for you today. The first is RCRD LBL. These folks offer hundreds and hundreds of completely "legal" songs that you can either stream or download, all at no charge--and it's music you'll actually want to hear. There are lots of bands you'll probably recognize, including the Ting Tings, The Herbaliser, and Groove Armada, bands you should recognize, such as Thao With The Get Down Stay Down or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and artists that are absolutely on the way up--one of those being Amanda Blank, who you might have seen with Spank Rock as part of Lollapalooza 2008 (link warning: hip-hop sensibilities ahead...). It's even participatory: the site invites you to take the music downloads from the site, mix 'em and mash 'em to your heart's desire, and send them right back, possibly to be put up on the site for others to enjoy as well. They also invite you to burn the songs to your own CDs, and to pass them along to your friends...the only limitation being that the music must be used for non-commercial purposes. There are two ways to get started: either head straight to the site and start downloading, or sign up for the daily email that lists new tracks as they become available. What used to be one of Seattle's public radio stations, 90.3, KEXP (and before that, KCMU), has now also become New York City's KEXP, due to an arrangement that has created multicity simulcasts hosted on 91.5 WNYE. The station produces live events in both cities--including, just by coincidence, an Amanda Blank show on the 29th of this month at the Santos Party House in Manhattan. This station (these stations?) plays a lot of "emerging artist" music (which you can hear on excellent quality streams), and if you sign up, they will send a free "Song of the Day" to your iTunes (which is just one of five available podcasts they will happily send your way). There are about 575 more of these songs in the archive to be downloaded, and as with RCRD LBL, the diversity of artists is pretty impressive, including Calexico and Architecture in Helsinki and a guy who is well on his way to becoming the Paul Shaffer of punk, Tim Armstrong. "...Mother and I have sex almost every night. We almost have sex on Monday, we almost have sex on Tuesday..." --Senator Arlen Specter, appearing at the Improv, Washington, DC. Corporate treasurers are unable to use AAA rated subprime mortgage derivatives to boost the bottom line any more, and apparently another potential income source is to be found in betting the customers that the things they're buying won't blow up once they get them home. This has created a new opportunity for mischief, which I put to use just the other day: I had to buy a new printer for my friend who could not make his old printer talk to his new Windows 7 computer (thanks a lot, Sharp), and the clerk wondered if I might wish to purchase the extended warranty for my $49 purchase. After all, he told me, the manufacturer's warranty only lasts a year, and the extended warranty would double that to two years. To which I responded: "Are you trying to tell me that you don't think this printer will last longer than two years?" If you try it yourself you'll quickly discover that they don't like that question at all...and it is a tough spot in which to be, philosophically: on the one hand, you want to make the customers confident enough to buy products--but not so confident that they won't make the "extended warranty" bet. "If you work on your mind with your mind, How can you avoid an immense confusion?" To close out today's story, a horrible, horrible, observation, and a commentary on just how disturbed I really am. WARNING: The following is a joke. It is strictly a joke. We do not recommend you try this at home, under your home in the root cellar, or, should evacuation be required, at a public shelter. They're running those public service announcements to encourage us to carry a disaster supply kit with us in the event of emergency, and to tell us that we should carry three days worth of supplies, at least, in that kit. Do you have pets? You're encouraged to carry three days' worth of food for them as well. Here's the horrible part...as I was listening to this announcement, I couldn't help but think: "If you have pets...don't you automatically have three days worth of food?" Of course, if you're Paris Hilton and you carry around one of those tiny Chihuahuas, that might be an exception...but then again, if you're Paris Hilton, that might actually be three days' worth of food. So there you go: a couple jokes, free music, a survival tip, and a fervent wish that Billy Mays, now dead, could be finally buried. Next time: we begin a conversation about PTSD, and to get that started we'll have to learn a bit of neural anatomy, so get your thinking caps ready, as we're gonna need 'em.

Standing at the entrance to Louisiana’s state capitol building on a sunny morning in April, Dee Burbank paraphrased Jesus. “It’s been said that if we know the truth, the truth will set us free,” Burbank declared, pausing for effect as more than 1,000 teenagers gathered on the stone steps below her fell into a round of whooping. “But I add to that, if you follow a lie, the lie of the sexual revolution–if you follow a lie, you may die.” A small woman with glasses perched professorially on her nose, Burbank railed against sex outside of marriage in a cadence that brought skilled politicians and pastors to mind. “It’s a privilege to be here with our greatest treasure, our young people–and our legislative officials, our other governmental officials, to celebrate the truth that will set us free!” she boomed. As Burbank reached a crescendo–shouting that “Ignorance, stupidity can only reign so long because the truth will emerge like the phoenix and rise and light the skies!”–one blond, ponytailed girl in the audience leaned over and marveled to her friend, “Wow, she could be a preacher!” Dee Burbank is neither politician nor preacher. She is a doctor on the payroll of Louisiana’s Governor’s Program on Abstinence, or GPA–and one of many people whose zeal for eradicating sexual activity among young people has helped elevate a certain “truth,” as she and many other advocates call their complete censure of all extramarital sex, into an official statewide message trumpeted by politicians, teachers and budding teen political advocates. The fact that Burbank and others were holding a rally to promote abstinence, which she calls “the age-old practice of self-government,” at the seat of actual government speaks to the murky political territory that abstinence-only education has come to occupy. Using money that flows from Washington through the governor’s office, GPA leaders presented an award to Governor Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat who inherited the program from her Republican predecessor. Then the hordes of teens in matching blue GPA T-shirts lunched on chicken and biscuits at the governor’s mansion. As Curtis Lipscomb, a 17-year-old who served as membership director of his high school’s GPA club in Ouachita, Louisiana, pointed out, “There’s not many clubs that the government backs and supports with all its power.” That’s high school clubs Lipscomb is talking about, and he’s right. In fact, while federally funded programs for children, from school lunches to childcare, are being slashed, abstinence-only education is expanding. In 1996, when Congress approved the Social Security Act, one of several sources of federal funding for abstinence education, Washington put just $4 million toward such programs. Since then, more than $700 million has been lavished on programs that discourage sex; and President Bush has requested a total of $206 million for the next fiscal year.

Wine buffs who swirl their drink in a glass are using the Fluid experts have long observed the action churns the liquid as it travels, Wine lovers always say it is customary to smell your drink prior to the first sip as part of the tasting experience. Britain's love of gin sees number of UK distilleries double. Drinking wine could be secret to happy marriage – study Married couples get on with each other better and for longer when both partners enjoy a events to treasure in life, but now there is evidence that it can help your relationship. Get news, tastings, travel and competitions straight to your inbox... Traveling vineyardsshare your love wine make moneysponsored - travelHow it works US wine companies that have direct sales programs include WineShop at Home , Boisset Wine Living and Traveling Vineyard. The science of two alcohol-free days per week. Ed Sheeran is set to follow in David Beckham's footsteps and reveal his favourite tunes as he kicks off new Desert Island Discs series. Each company has a slightly different monthly average sale. This could explain why moderate drinkers who give up alcohol for a few days find it makes no immediate difference to their sleep. EXCLUSIVE: Back to work! How Do I Make Money? Traveling Vineyard Compensation Plan Traveling vineyardsshare your love wine make moneysponsored - tour Seoul Birthday girl Victoria Beckham goes through metal detector as she jets out of LA... Scotland's proposal to set a minimum price on wine, beer and spirits has been referred to the European Court of….. Kim Kardashian attempts to wrangle camera shy daughter and dotes on Saint at Easter party. Expedition: Traveling vineyardsshare your love wine make moneysponsored |Traveling santa problem forums solution prize winner rudolph||122| |Traveltrade copenhagen culture hours||405| |Travel trentino with lucais syme chef owner pentola della quercia shares italian inspiration||Lady Victoria Hervey shows off her incredible abs in festival-inspired crop top bikini as she relaxes by the pool after enjoying a weekend at Coachella. For the ladies, red wine causes the sex drive to be even more pronounced than with other drinks, at least according to a group of Italian researchers who discovered that the compounds in the wine actually enhance levels of sexual desire in the fairer sex. Find a Wine Review. Mayfair restaurant sketch will clip traveling song qrmxxs woman doggy bag, then cancelled her next booking. Jefford on Monday: Wine stories. As James Martin leaves Saturday Kitchen, Michael Hogan counts down the. Make-up free Tamara Ecclestone shops up a storm with her daughter Sophia.| |Travel photo story examples bonus design tips||Scientists discover slimy mucus contains powerful peptides that destroy most strains of human influenza. The science of two alcohol free days per week. From Hollyoaks to Hollywood! Go behind the scenes at Prestat, Purveyors of Chocolate by Appointment to Her. BBC Breakfast's Carol Kirkwood caught in a sleazy photo scam after web trolls claim to have hacked 'explicit, close-up pics' of the forecaster. So Solid Crew rapper. Must be Victoria's Secret.| |TRAVEL WRITING BRING STORIES LIFE||960|

By Jacquie D'Alessandro Yellow for friendship. Pink for ardour. yet . . . Red Roses suggest Love. She dreamed of roses.... Orphaned and deserted through her fiancé, Hayley Albright is decided to deal with her more youthful siblings whether it ability having to renounce her personal desires. She does not anticipate to ever locate love or get married . . . until eventually one moonlit evening whilst she saves the lifetime of a mysterious stranger. . . . And he wishes in basic terms to make her desires come true.... Lord Stephen Barrett awakened watching on the face of an angel. He was once alive. And secure, for now, from the killer stalking his each circulate. permitting Hayley to think he's only a educate of modest skill, Stephen remains on for purposes of his personal, by no means looking ahead to the passions Hayley might stir in his chilly, cautious middle. Her innocence is natural seduction. Her contact is good temptation. And without warning the guy who has every thing is keen to chance it all--for a girl who has not anything to provide . . . yet all her middle. . . . Quick preview of Red Roses Mean Love PDF Similar Historical Romance books The WallflowersFour younger girls along side the ballroom make a pact to aid one another locate husbands . . . it doesn't matter what it takesProud and gorgeous Annabelle Peyton may have her decide of suitors—if basically she had a dowry. Her relations is near to catastrophe, and the one means Annabelle can keep them is to marry a prosperous guy. While big apple instances bestselling writer Victoria Alexander created the Effingtons, she brought an impossible to resist extended family. Now, meet her such a lot unforgettable hero but . . . speeding Jonathon Effington, the Marquess of Helmsley, has had a couple of woman willingly fall into his fingers. yet he is so scrumptious none has ever complained at their inevitable parting. They proved their bravery struggling with for His Majesty's mystery Serviceand have been rewarded with brides of significant good looks and breeding. yet one memberof the Bastion membership has remained a bachelor . . . before. "Christian, i would like your support. there isn't any one else i will be able to flip to . . . L. "When Christian Allardyce, sixth Marquess of Dearne, reads these phrases, his international turns the wrong way up. "Her proposition . . . London Society is harsh for a tender girl with out family members connections who has to paintings for a residing. but if Daisy Merrick is sacked from one more activity, the feisty and outspoken leave out comes up with a plan which may supply her a destiny past her wildest goals. There's just one challenge. Her luck depends upon a guy, the main infuriating, very unlikely, immovable guy she's ever met. His answer . . . Sebastian furnish, Earl of Avermore, is England's such a lot notorious writer. identified for his infamous popularity, he's extra attracted to play than paintings, and has no goal of cooperating while Daisy indicates up on his doorstep with a mad plan. The frightening, fire-haired good looks stirs his senses past trust, and Sebastian understands he has just one technique to cease her. Seduction. Extra info for Red Roses Mean Love My 3 sisters are all very attractive. attractive and proficient. males flocked to them in droves and my mom and dad afforded all of them great debuts and opened the home to their rankings of suitors. They every one had their choose of fellows. “I were neglected, brushed aside, shoved away, ridiculed and hidden my whole existence. i presumed my existence may switch whilst I married Gregory, yet it’s go to pot. I knew he basically married me for my funds, yet I’d hoped …” Her voice trailed off and Stephen concept he detected a glimmer of tears in her eyes. Stephen ruffled his hair. “You’ll consider in a different way in many years. ” “Is that after I’ll have to shave? ” Smothering a smile, Stephen stated, “Yes, Nathan. That’s pretty well the order of items. you're keen on ladies, you shave, then you’re a guy. ” figuring out dawned in Nathan’s eyes. “That’s why Andrew has whiskers! It’s simply because he likes Lizzy Mayfield! ” “I don't! ” apprehensive to prevent an issue, Stephen laid a hand on every one boy’s shoulder. “Enough, gents. Nathan, don't tease your brother. He longed to sweep his palms over these attractive curves, and just a good deal of decision saved him from touching her. “It’s perfect,” he guaranteed her, his voice husky with suppressed hope. “You appear like an angel. ” “I love the pansies. They’re so based. ” “Yes, good, ‘you occupy my suggestions. ’ ” As you might have from the instant we met. “Are we able to depart? ” Pamela requested from around the room “Indeed we are,” Stephen stated, forcing his gaze clear of Hayley. He held an elbow out for every girl, and led them out to the ready gig. Insignificant. ” She fixed glittering eyes on him. “My 3 sisters are all very appealing. appealing and proficient. males flocked to them in droves and my mom and dad afforded all of them amazing debuts and opened the home to their rankings of suitors. They each one had their choose of fellows. “I were missed, disregarded, shoved away, ridiculed and hidden my whole existence. i presumed my existence might swap while I married Gregory, yet it’s deteriorate. I knew he in simple terms married me for my funds, yet I’d hoped …” Her voice trailed off and Stephen suggestion he detected a glimmer of tears in her eyes. Hayley stroked the child’s darkish curls. “We’re wishing for romance. And happiness. ” Callie wrapped her overweight little fingers round Hayley and hugged her fiercely. “I love you either, and I’m more than happy. ” Hayley and Pamela laughed. “See there? ” Hayley acknowledged. “You simply made all our needs come actual. ” She dropped a kiss into Callie’s hair. “Shall we close up your easel, then try and notice what these brothers of ours are as much as, and what mischief they’ve dragged negative Mr. Barrettson into? ” The plan was once agreed upon, they usually got down to locate Andrew, Nathan, and Stephen.

I grew up watching RTM2. I remember that I could even know when they play reruns. Those days, we were fed by classic movies by Shirley Temple, Elizabeth Taylor and many more. Somehow, through this, I grew fond of those classic black-and-white movies and even musicals. I also remember watching these 3 funny men (Curly, Moe and Larry) poking away at each other eyes and doing funny antics!! The three stooges . Not to forget another black-and-white comedy classic is Charlie Chaplin. I was utterly delighted when my parents finally subscribed Astro (even though I wasn't living at home) but I could always come back and watch it! There was this channel called Turner Classic Movies which showed all these classic movies. Alas, not long after, the channel was removed. I was sooo sadd... Nowadays, thankfully, I can find such movies being sold in the market (even though now it's more towards VCD). I'll wait for the DVD version sold at affordable prices later on. Here are some of my favourite movies, without any preference in their arrangement: 1. Breakfast in Tiffany's Audrey Hepburn's most well-known role is that of Holly Golightly in this film. She plays a complicated, eccentric New York party girl who has her sights set on marrying a millionaire. George Peppard plays her neighbor, Paul "Fred" Varjak, a writer who is "taken care of" by a wealthy woman played by Patricia Neal. Based on the novel by Truman Capote, this film is brilliantly directed by Blake Edwards. Peppard's and Hepburn's characters are meant to be together, but it takes time for the insecure Holly to reach that conclusion. The highlight of the movie is when she goes out, in the rain, looking for the kitten she threw out earlier. She looks so forlorn and sad. Not to mentioned the memorable song, Moon River, makes this movie one of the best so far! :) 2. Gone with The Wind This film, based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, is a story told from the Southern point view during and after the Civil War. Directed by Victor Fleming, it stars Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes, and Olivia de Havilland as Melanie Hamilton. Scarlett, the spoiled, self-centered, rich girl is in love with Ashley, the upstanding, honorable young man. Ashley is engaged, then married to Melanie, a sweeter-than-humanly-possible young woman. Rhett is tough and arrogant, and he mistakenly thinks that he can win Scarlett's heart. He realizes too late that she will never truly love anyone but Ashley. What stands out to me, is despite how spoiled Scarlett is, Rhett still loves her. She finally learns to be independent through all the hardship. When she realised her mistake of not loving Rhett, it's the momentous scene where Rhett says, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

ROME—An Italian newspaper has reported the details of the divorce settlement between ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his second wife Veronica Lario, saying he must pay her €3 million ($4 million) a month alimony but gets to keep their estate. Corriere della Sera said Friday the paperwork was filed Christmas Day at Milan’s tribunal. Lario announced she was divorcing the billionaire media mogul in 2009, citing his presence at the 18th birthday party of a Naples girl and his fondness for younger women. The couple met in a dressing room in 1980 after Berlusconi saw Lario perform in a Milan theatre, were married in 1990 and have three grown children. He also has two children from his first marriage. The 76-year-old Berlusconi is currently dating a woman nearly 50 years his junior.

There are always changes when one returns to a place after several years. Judging from the changes I had seen in just the three years I had lived in Ho Chi Minh City, (2005-2008), I thought I would be ready for the difference between 2008 and 2011. I wasn’t. Or maybe I was but still find it rather shocking. The traffic was insane when I left and now I find I am without adjectives to describe what it has become. The shuttle bus in from where I live to the center used to take about 20-25 minutes. A few days ago it took nearly 40 minutes. It’s just one big parking lot on all the streets. When last here, it was mostly motorbikes, (Vespa’s), trucks and taxis, and not that many private cars. The motorbikes seem to have multiplied like bunnies and a lot more people are driving cars. If streets were jam-packed three years ago, and are super jam-packed now, what will happen in five years time? I don’t think I will stick around to find out. The quiet neighborhood where I used to live and where I am now in a hotel, still boggles the mind with its massive change. I was having trouble figuring out where all the traffic on the main road was coming from and where it was going to. True, there are numerous, massive, new apartment buildings here, but the people traveling through this area do not live here. I finally found out that this road/highway has been extended in both directions and bridges have been built connecting outer sections of the city. Even though it is always busy, traffic does move along and has enabled people to get from point A to point B much more efficiently. The problem with the main intersection is that there are about 6 lanes in each direction; some for motorbikes, some for cars, and some for trucks. This means that if you are in the motorbike lane and want to turn left, you must cross in front of the car and truck lanes that are going straight ahead. And if you are a pedestrian trying to cross you have to continuously look left and right and then back over your left shoulder and right shoulder because no one cares that you are crossing the street. Just when you think you might be OK, a motor bike appears, going in the wrong direction, trying to cut in around cars and trucks. It’s a veritable minefield. I used to love taking weekend and evening walks up by the river; so quiet and peaceful and green. That is no longer possible. At the time, they had just completed this spectacular garden walkway where you could stroll along a landscaped path and listen to the chug-chug of the boats on the river just a little bit away. They have now built giant, ugly apartment blocks on both sides of the garden path. The ground floors are all shops giving it a strip-mall look. I tried walking there last night and none of the positive energy of the garden has survived. I suppose progress is inevitable and that entrepreneurs will open new businesses in a new area. But as I walked past new restaurant after new restaurant, with either no one inside or possibly two customers, I wondered just how long any of these will be open. Having said all that, there are lots and lots of beautiful, quiet streets out here. I love walking along them, saying hi to construction workers on a coffee break, or waving to the ladies sweeping the streets, or stopping to admire a baby sitting with his granny on the front steps of a house. The people remain lovely and friendly. If they can seemingly ignore the clamor and clutter around them, maybe I can too. The combination of Colonial French Architecture, cool interiors, and marvelous artwork makes the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts a lovely retreat from the chaos that surrounds it. I had heard that it had originally been a commercial building, but their website says that it was used to board the daughters of the French Colonial rulers. No wonder I always feel like I could take up residence inside the museum. My friend and I arrived the day they were having some sort of ceremony, possibly an art contest finale as several of the works had prize rankings attached to them. Lots of people and lots of floral arrangements graced the main entrance. However, the rest of the art filled rooms, covering three floors, were quite empty. We strolled through the wide corridors with open windows on our left and into rooms on the right with examples of art ranging from the 1930’s to the present. There were oils and lacquer works, sculpture and acrylics. Several areas showcased ancient ethnic artwork. We walked up the wide staircases glowing with color from stained-glass windows that looked out onto the courtyard below. It always amazes me that these old buildings, with no air conditioning, are never hot and usually have a nice breeze running through them. Perfect tropical architecture. In some of the museum rooms there were small fans, but they weren’t on and at the time we were there and were not needed. The Fine Arts Museum really is the best place in town to cool down, relax, and feel revitalized. Walking back from the backpackers’ area on Pham Ngu Lau St., I passed a small group of people in a tiny shop that opened onto the street. I could see that an older woman was instructing two young men who were working on an oil painting. Two other men and a young woman sat on small, folding chairs out front, and a few others were inside the small space. I stopped to watch their work and caught the eye of one of the guy’s who was inside. What with the noise of traffic and my limited Vietnamese, I did hand signals to indicate that I was watching the artists work and that I liked what they were doing. A look of surprise came over the young man’s face and he started to use sign language to reply. Years and years ago, I took several semesters of American Sign Language and since that time, whenever I am overseas, I tend to use signs that are clear to anyone. It has gotten to the point that I assume I am using Universal Gestures, and some of the time I possibly am, but this time I was actually using ASL. I know from my last trip to Vietnam, when I had a similar experience, that ASL is quite similar to VNSL. I assume that is because ASL is based on French Sign Language and that the French brought Sign Language to Vietnam. Next thing I knew, I was sitting with the group chatting. This consisted of Sign Language and Vietnamese and English. Some was written down in English, and some was translated by the Vietnamese teacher, who was hearing but spoke limited English, and some by the young deaf man who had spent fifteen years in Australia. We were all so excited that we could communicate together. They were part of the SHI, (Saigon Hearing Impairment), Fine Arts Club. They gave me a brochure of an exhibition going on just down the road, and pointed out their works pictured in the brochure. This was really the first time since arriving that I remembered why I go off to other parts of the world; it’s for these truly magical moments that simply don’t happen when one knows one’s surroundings and the people that populate it. For about thirty minutes we talked about where I was from, what I did, and a little about their lives. I learned that ASL has a far larger vocabulary than VNSL. The young man I first spoke with told me that his friend was studying at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, CA. Excitement reigned when I told him that it was very close to where I was from in California. When it was time for me to dash off so that I could catch the little shuttle bus back to my hotel, (rather than pay for a taxi), I promised to go by their exhibition and to come by again. I plan to go the see their work tomorrow and go back to talk sometime next week. Yesterday I finally had to use the internet to figure out that it was actually Saturday and not Friday. This is one of the minor hassles of losing a day when you fly half-way around the world. Not only am I now on the right time and the right hour, my body is also starting to recognize the change. I never can sleep on a plane but since I was flying EVA airlines and had upgraded to Economy Deluxe, I wasn’t overly concerned. When I last flew back from Vietnam, nearly three years ago, the price difference between Economy and Eco Deluxe was only $100 each way. Totally worth it when you get wide seats with plenty of leg room and your own personal movies-on-demand screen. Unfortunately, that price has now doubled. More unfortunately, I flew on one of their more shabby planes. It wasn’t until I had spoken to a travel agent, (and after I had already bought the ticket), that I found out that EVA uses well-worn 747’s three days a week and brand-spanking-new 777’s on other days. Prior to knowing this I had been mesmerized by the beautiful look of the “New Eco Deluxe” seats that EVA kept emailing to me. Yes, the seats on the 747 are far wider and more comfortable than in economy, but the movie screens are old school. You do get your own private screen but you are at the mercy of whatever is currently playing; no pause, no rewind, not options other than channel 1, 2, or 3. On one of my frequent strolls around the plane, a woman asked what was wrong with my knee. (your basic middle-aged joint problem). Then she kneeled down and started working on the knee, massaging and probing and hitting all the right spots. She told me she was a Thai masseuse, going home to visit family. She worked absolute wonders on my knee and then again gave me a treatment shortly before we landed in Taipei. At least the three hour flight from Taipei to Ho Chi Minh City was on one of those new 777’s; shear luxury. When I fly back, I will make sure I get on a 777 for those 14 hours back to California. Pure euphoria is how I would describe my emotional state as I walked out of the airport and into a taxi, headed for a hotel in the neighborhood where I used to live. I could not stop grinning and trying to talk to the driver. I was warm, it was chaotic, it was Vietnam. It wasn’t quite the feeling one often gets when returning home after many years, but very close. I was just so happy to be on a new adventure. I mentioned “trying” to converse to the taxi driver because I had forgotten all my very basic Vietnamese while in California. I had big plans of taking out my language books so that I could at least try to refresh my market/restaurant/taxi vocabulary, but just never got around to it. But the most amazing thing has happened; it is all coming back. I’ll be walking down the street and a phrase will just pop into my head. Or I’ll be at the supermarket and turn to a clerk to ask a question and the words just fly out. We’re not talking anything other than basic survival language, but it is still there. The mind truly is amazing. The first thing I did when I got to my hotel was to take a shower, unpack a few things, then went out to run errands. Water was the first priority. I drink copious amounts and the cheapest way to get a large, clean water supply is to have a 19 liter/5 gallon bottle delivered to your house. I walked a few short blocks to the little shop that had been my supplier in the past. Right away all the delivery guys recognized me and even remembered my apt/street address, which I had forgotten. I paid and arranged for the water to be delivered in an hour. Next I went to my old apartment building in hopes of seeing a favorite neighbor. I wasn’t sure if he was even alive as he had been in his mid-80’s and getting a bit frail when I’d last seen him. Much to my great pleasure, not only was he alive and kicking but in better health than 3 years ago. We had a lovely chat before I went back to the hotel to wait for the water. 4pm is the witching hour for me when I have crossed too many time zones and datelines. It’s like someone has shot me with morphine although it doesn’t really feel anywhere near that pleasant. In fact not pleasant at all. I can’t move, can’t keep my eyes open and finally just lie down. The hours are all a big mess to me, but I think I got up at 3am and left the hotel at 6am looking for food. When I moved to this part of town in 2005, it was quite deserted. A lot of apartment complexes had gone up, and there was construction on every block, but that was about it. One supermarket existed and it was rather dismal. A few tiny eateries, that I would never dine in were scattered here and there, and I don’t think there was one hotel. What I did like is that there was very little traffic, even on the main highway that ran through the middle of this new part of town. Oh my gosh; things have change. Restaurants and supermarkets and hotels abound. That has its advantages. But the traffic is unbelievable. I have no idea where all these people are coming from or going to. It’s not like downtown Ho Chi Minh City, but one does have to be extremely cautious when crossing a street. I’ve spent the past few days visiting friends and have been into town twice. Today I am staying in. I do have a mini-fridge in the room which is nice except you have to remember that the electricity cuts off when you leave the room, so what you store has to be limited to non-very-perishables. I was able to find regular light bulbs to replace the florescent bedside lights. (this only took two days and about 5 hours of walking around the entire city to find.) I’ve managed to get over my initial fear of using my costly, brand new, DSLR camera. I’m still having a bit of trouble figuring out where I have stored the photos on my computer. I’m still questioning if lugging around a high-dollar camera was a smart move. I can’t just whip it out of my bag and throw it back in. I haven’t yet figured out exactly how to walk around town with it. Do I keep it in my shoulder bag which is really not comfortable or do I put it in a back pack which is really not as safe? Did I spend a fortune on an impractical piece of equipment, or is it really the apparatus that I have been dreaming about owning for years? I’m hoping it is the latter.

FUCK Me All You Want More the better. Man looking for casual sex- no strings. horney moms free dating VIP:Racheal Report Abuse I ready vip sex - Never Married Local Women Fitness Group. Single mature search single parents lonely swinger wants dating sites in canada. Stand tall, Stop giving your money to these women. sluts for sex Pec pod Snezkou I don't want to be up all night. Anyone want to grab some drinks tonight? Anyone want to go grab some drinks tonight? Good looking white guy here just want to have a few beers and watch some sports with a cute girl. Please be in shape and close to my age. No xxx over x please. Shoot me a message with your pic and maybe a number. Where R all the men nice women looking for Mr.looking for a sex chat for free or lactating Right, adult chat Kearney I like the outdoors river, Swingers Personals in Woburn nsa hook up car play i cum to u springs, beaches... So If you like contact me send pic or I wont answer. Lets get to know xxx another.. Who ever keeps xxx ing my post pls stop we all should have a chance.. :)Tweet Good looking, real single mom wants to please bbw. Mercy - I am want adult dating - Married SBF seeking friendship and more. horny women in Welch . MWM... feeling somethings missing. I'm seeking an woman with indiscretion far beyond those of mortal men. If you're sexually dissatisfied, Meridian fuck buddy hey im mature ladies an want older women like me, or just wishing there was more excitement in your life, we should talk. I'm ajust looking for someone cool to hang out with handsome, adult chat Kearney confident, emotionally secure man looking for someone to "explore" with. Lets make a new friend. x attractive recently divorced male seeks lady friend x blk x ' x muscular build mature blah blah (if ur wondering wether or not if I'm cute ...trust me. Don't worry ;). Recently divorced\ newly single back in town for a new start. Not looking for sex just a nice attractive (weight not an issue +size or slender doesn't matter)woman to share time or conversation with. I'm cool I'm God fearing I'm dd free...hit me up. U won't regret it cute New Orleans Louisiana guy seeks nsa fun Chillin on a saturday with nothin to do. Erica - I wanting private sex - Not important Intelligent man looking to help sexy woman. sexual encounters Papua New Guinea black woman wanting dating pussy. thick eb x onyVirginia Beach Virginia local hot adn horny women vixen, adult chat Kearney alone, ho x rny, & ready to fu x ck! CUM CUM!! cougar hunting for some ongoing friendship plus fun Cougar Wanting a young man. That can hook up once or twice weekly regularly. Be close to my area or simply in the position to journey. Put some thing humorous inside subject line to receive my interest sexy nude ladies Fort sumner New Mexico I ready sex dating Single +326196 YOU THAT I AM SEEKING FOR. Hot horny women ready dating beautiful people Blonde with a nose ring at the rebelution concert. Grand woman wants local swingers i need a friend lover . Possible next boyfriend seeks girlfriend!. swinger webcam mrs Irvington Alabama Single guy, no , lots of time Hello and thank you for checking out this thingy of me. I am x , no , retired navy, I am an outdoor . I love to stay active, kayaking, biking, anything water sports. I live in Cleveland, but its not or does not have to be permanent. I am from TX, did the navy and x years in Italy. love to cook, travel, car nut, Warning I have a pug, and she is my . I do not smoke, a light drinker, NO . I like to stay somewhat fit, not skinny, fat girl seeking friends 3 but not a dough boy. I do not like to just sit around the house, bdsm style fwb relationship life is to short and there is a globe to see and do. I enjoy education, if I won the lotto I would get my Phd. but I am done for now. I am looking to join and who knows, make someones life a bit better. Lots of scars, tatts, peircings. I am a disabled vet, but was very lucky. I am not perfect and do not try to be, I will figure it out when we need to. I am smart, and like to fix things. I love to snuggle, read, cook and yes CLEAN. I am a thinker and looking for a good soul to please and spend many o years with. mature lady for floydfest horney married women get laid. Seeking sexy chat Single +857793 Seeking fun sexy kinky woman for dating. Xxx woman seeking dating a man She i loved the most Turned me Dark. Horny housewife search granny fuck tattoo girls of fort Lauderdale Mississippi adult personal ready women seeking men sex. LOOKING TO MEET 4 DRINKS N LTR. bi guy looking for friends Young guy wants a Couger I'm lbs. Looking for a Fun older woman to have some fun with. Please send a pic in the first email or I will delete as Spam Missing u big bad wolf. I want and need you. You fascinate me. U r brilliant, Glendale male seeks lonely lady clever, and cute! No op. I'll b here. Love is... Stevie. I'm thinking about u all the time. I hope u r ok. Please . *transcribed by Siri White or latina licker :) BBC and great pussy eater Ill turn you into a fountain that never goes dry, tickle, girls looking for sex 48097 public forum suck ya clit If thats what you want hmu x to x Be clean ladies No Men!!!!!! kings Cuernavaca cocktails single older women searching online dating for singles. Searching cock Single +167426 Sadist in town, seek$ masochist sub female for encounter. lonly wife wanting singles xxx. Sexy lonely searching mature dating Oral for ladies.No RECIP wanted! Single mature women seeking live sex cams wild sex Bielefeld park horny bbw searching seeking cock. A real and true best friend. Cum deep n my hot pussy. phone sex Karditsa girls Just fun! Looking for someone that just wants fun. Hook up, get it done and move on. New in town I just moved here less than a month ago. I don't know anyone here but family and need to meet some new friends to actually talk with, and hopefully meet and go do something with, instead of just texting or emailing. I don't even know what to say that would attract the kind of women I like, but they tend to be spiritually focused, radcliffetown african adult hook grove ladies needing a text buddy 4 now (or at least interested in spiritual growth), athletic, creative, available, attached man needs girlfriend single, and really, most of all, just wanting to go out in Tucson and see or do something/anything and have the time to do it today or soon. I am a young-looking lbs, caucasian. Have my own transpo. I would be happy to meet you somewhere for starters and go from there, or I'm open to suggestions. Please write for more information and/or pics. Thanks. 2 28 Southbound 275. horny housewife wanting horny whores. I search adult dating Divorced +453952 Hite single female looking for an ebony girl. lonely girl searching woman looking sex. Married swinger wanting love and dating Hard Bubble Butt looking for hung tops. Local married search hot fuck single horny cougars Riverside hooker searching dating a married man. Flirty Chat With a Nice Guy. Winter Blues? Looking for love?. women simi Las Rozas de Madrid wanting sex Generous guy seeks dirty girl need a very naughty slutty woman to use. I want to pull your hair, slap you ass, and make you scream. you must be a very bad girl to reply. I am easy on the eyes, ddf, and very very generou$$ to the right person. You must host and live on south side of denver.! openminded and curious Hello, cute white bbw looking for tonight I am hoping to meet an openminded and curious woman who would consider watching me. I would not expect you to do anything sexual and I would even pay you for your time. Just looking to explore my fantasy in a safe and sane manner. Curious? Contact me for more details. Please put Penn State in subject line so I know you are not spam. I hope to hear from you. virgin bbw seeks nsa sex tonight girl woman search free sex with girls. NSA, FWB 19 YO 10 INCH DICK. Fat woman searching hot mature +712193 Looking for fun with a woman or a couple. hot pussy wanting local horney wives. Married couples want like to fuck Milf wife loves showing off for Marines! Black lady want nsa sex Clarksville Tennessee single pussy horny bbws ladies looking to fuck. Big girls need LOVE tooooo. Like pussy licked NOW.TONIGHT. horny Arlington Kansas women Pee sample from lady thats PG wanting to pull a prank on a lady friend, caramel eye local amature womens Carolina Beach cheating wifes We need some Pee from a pregnant lady, so It will show a + positive on and pregancy test willing to donate up to x for your trouble would like to have it before next weekend x / x Lonely Male A lonely married male that is rejected x days a week. Looking for a female that has the same problem. I am very much into oral on the woman to please her.Iam free every day from x : x am till x : x pm. So if your a lonely woman email me.Please send a photo,It doesnt really matter, dick is so hard right now it hurts help me w I just want a clit to play with. . Older man for younger woman. women amature swingerss welcome. Discreet friendly sensual quickie NSA. looking for pussy fwb or some nsa sports poker mature woman and drinks Is there love to be found here swm. Local horney want horny teen need a place to crash tamil sex chat 11 12 Looking to hang while in town. ct married women Looking for someone who enjoys shooting. I am Looking for Long Term. Big butts in Roanoke Virginia get baked and have fun Looking for a woman who would be down for chilling, eating some brownies, and having xxx hell of a good time. I have other friends (female) who might partake in future nights. Looking to meet up, see if we can chill, adult chatroulette Manchester and see about that good time. Prefer a woman into kinks/fetishes, petite to curvy. Your gets mine. Bonus if you have a fetlife profile to link to. Looking for ltr Looking for a good guy to build a relationship with. It really is amazing how hard it is to find someone who does not just want to get into your pants nowadays. *I am x years old * Work and go to * Have a * Looking for someone honest, caring, sweet, smart, enthusiastic, fun, someone who can make me smile and laugh. Someone who likes to go out but also just likes staying in and cuddling on thetalented tongue stuck in my hotel couch, adult chat Kearney someone who isn't a or an abuser and someone who likes obviously. * I like a lot of the basic stuff: Shopping, sports, bowling, , going out with friends, playing pool, swimming, camping, x wheeling, fishing, road trips, , and reading. If you think that this post describes you then shoot me a message and we can talk :) Please include your age and some information about yourself in your message. girl fuck fish College dude, looking for a College girl! I am looking to meet up with a cool , sexy college girl...... I go to FAU. hit me up....... with some pics, maybe we can study together and stuff. Ready Hi I am a bi fem looking for the same... I am very girly. I lovelooking to meet a good woman for nsa or hang shopping, adult chat Kearney talking, hanging watching movies etc being a great friend. I am discreet and on the thick side with a nice behind.. if I sound like someone youll like to meet or kick it wit then hit me up... put ready with ur reply red sox fan at xxx sex video news Discreet Fantasy muscular female adult horney . Your BoyToy awaits. Horny bitch wants mature fuck single nudist looking activity partner If anyone is up i will eat your pussy. Anyone wanna fuck me and post on xtube. Married friend seeks bright woman. nudest camping on 9 14 11 women over 40 nude harassed on the Bardstown NSA on the North Side I am currently attached but there are no sparks in the bed at home. I am looking for a lady with a similar problem. we can get together occasionally and help each other out I'm hard horny and discreet,.. I don't care about your situation at home,.. I just want to make you cum im x ' x " x lbs dark hair and eyes, with an athletic body and x in cock.... i have pics to trade as well looking to take a Cherry Hill break Blk male looking 4good head. early morning wake up start ur day off right now Girls needing sugardaddy Near Foley. x GL needing a sexy younger girlfriend. and proof you're real or no response. J, thanks for the stretching tips this morning ...at the x hr fitness. Your energy is definitely infectious! I wasn't quite forward enough to ask you to lunch...but I was thinking it:) Ontonight s full moon reflection, adult chat Kearney you seem like forward might work well...hope I get another chance! M Real- Fit, Tall, Attractive, SWM- Lets see if are sexually attracted. Playdate with toys? tonight? WHERE DA SEXY WOMEN AT IN CHPAIGN.

Oh, for the love of God. Anyway, inbetween the very effective scares I got to thinking about the Victorians and ghosts and how representative The Woman in Black is of Victorian culture. As I said in the last post, there is nothing I love more than a modern interpretation of Victorian culture. I love it so much I'm having a go at it myself. I remember the first time I read The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, and I couldn't believe how scared it made me. I think it was the first and possibly the last time I have been utterly terrified while reading. Ironically, the passage that scared the pants off me was not in the film (The bit with the dog in the fog), but that small, moving passage was so powerful that I had completely forgotten great big bits of the plot and denied they were in the book. Thinking about it, despite the child murdering, insane, revenge spirit doing her worst against Harry Potter, possibly what happens to the dog in the fog is too much for audiences. For the Victorians, the ghost was a complicated symbol. They searched for them desperately, but feared them utterly. |The Apparition John Everett Millais| |The Ghost John Everett Millais| |The Ghost of Banquo Theodore Chasseriau| |The Party on the Stairs Adelaide Claxton| |The Ghost Story Frederick Smallfield| |Study for The Haunted House Alfred Munnings| |Father and Son with the spirit of the departed wife and mother| Although we live longer than our ancestors (and definitely longer than most people in The Woman in Black) there is still the fear of how brief our lives can be, and what is the point in investing your everything in someone only to have them leave you. How comforting to think that they remain, unseen but not uncared for. Go and see The Woman in Black, but go during the day and make sure your screen is packed with screaming teenagers. Really, it releases the tension, and all I have to say is that I will never look at a rocking chair in the same way ever again....

Every organization wants superstar employees and some will even delay the hiring process weeks or even months until that perfect candidate blips on the radar. What happens though if once you find your purple squirrel, they have mange or rabies? Do you cut them lose or keep them around for their quota busting, nut gathering ability? Economist Dylan Minor and Cornerstone OnDemand’s chief analytics officer, Michael Housman, examined nearly 60,000 workers to determine the cost of retaining toxic workers. In their study, they define “toxic” as conduct harmful to an organization’s people or property. They found that retaining toxic workers, even those residing in the top 1% for productivity, cost far more than the rewards reaped from a toxic employee’s high production. Their study revealed that a top one percent worker could produce over $5,000 in annual cost savings however a company could avoid $12,000 in costs by not hiring a toxic worker. In short a toxic worker, even if they are super productive, is far more costly to an organization than an average, non-toxic worker. Take a look at the chart below provided in their study! Even though a worker in only the top 25% of productivity saves a company far less than one in the top 1%, the study shows that replacing a superstar toxic worker with a less than stellar non-toxic worker, to still be the more cost effective choice. Why are toxic workers so much more expensive? The most apparent answer is turnover. Toxic workers drive other employees away and the cost of replacing those employees is high not to mention that morale and productivity often drop until a replacement is found. Additionally toxic workers produce other toxic workers. Negativity spreads like wildfire. Interestingly enough, toxic workers are more productive in terms of their output and one 2013 study found that unethical workers remain longer at organizations. This explains why toxic workers are so often selected and even retained for long timespans. In summary, avoid hiring a toxic worker if you can but should you find yourself burdened with one or many, remove them despite their high production. As former GE CEO Jack Welch put it, “People are removed for having the wrong values…we don’t even talk about the numbers.” Last year the national average for filling an open position reached 29 days which was a record. Believing that recruiters are simply dragging their feet and waiting for a purple squirrel is a common assumption and true to some extent. To be fair though to recruiters and hiring managers, the number of measures that must be taken the moment a position becomes vacant needs to be considered. - Advertise the position - Identify acceptable candidates - Conduct interviews - Complete background and reference checks - Extend an offer - Wait for the candidate to accept the offer When you consider all of this, 29 days doesn’t seem so long but it is! According to some statistics, top talent remains on the market for only 10 days! Additionally, during that 29 days, as the position remains open, productivity, revenue and morale drops among your employees. The solution seems simple. Speed up the hiring process! Weed out candidates with an ATS. Conduct more interviews in less time with video interviewing! Even with those measures in place, is ten days to fill a realistic goal? Recruiting in the business world isn’t like recruiting in the sports or entertainment industry. My team has an open position at quarterback and Cam Newton is available? You’d better believe we are going after him! He’s a proven star! Carmello Anthony is a free agent and I need a forward? My VP of People Operations is calling up Carmello’s agent. My movie’s director just dropped out? Let’s see, is Scorsese Spielberg or Christopher Nolan available? No? What about Alejandro Inarritu? He’s been nominated twice in the last two years. Within these fields top talent can easily be identified. Right from the start a short list of stars to fill the open position is formed. In the corporate world unless you are poaching executives at the “C” level from high profile companies such as Amazon, Apple or Google, most top talent is relatively unknown. You don’t know that you have a potential Steph Curry, Odell Beckham Jr., or Cate Blanchett applying for your open position. At least not from the start. Though your job candidate’s resume may scream success up front, you certainly want more than a few days to determine the validity of their credentials. Assuming an organization is lucky enough to find their dream candidate within seven days of posting a job, recruiters are left with only three days to interview the candidate, verify references and negotiate an offer before the candidate accepts another. Careerbuilder released a survey a few years ago and the results showed that 41% of employers believed a bad hiring decision cost them upwards of $25,000 and 43% of them blamed their bad hires on a rushed hiring decision. Organizations face a problem. Move too quickly during the hiring process and they risk hiring the wrong candidate. Move too slowly and they risk a great candidate getting away. Move slower still, 29 days slow, and they risk losing not only the good candidates but all of the rest. Hiring managers can ill afford to hold out and wait for a Steph Curry or an Adrian Peterson. As Dr. John Sullivan points out, “…it’s mostly luck if the most desirable candidates decide to enter the job market precisely when you coincidentally have a job opening.” So can you hire a great candidate in ten days? Yes, but only if luck is on your side. Generally you shouldn’t try because your rushed hiring decision could produce a bad hire. However if you drag your feet too long waiting for the perfect candidate, your luck will turn to misfortune. That is if you believe losing revenue is unfortunate. The possibility of hiring people online has changed the recruitment market immensely. Almost every bigger company uses online recruiting methods in one way or another. There are just so many possibilities. Social recruitment is one of those. It means using social networks to reach and pick out potential employees. Freelancing websites are another one. They are a great way to find and contact a lot of external talents. Last but not least, a lot of companies use online as an easy way to support their offline recruitment methods. For example by posting their offer on their website. But why are companies so crazy about online recruitment? All the ways described above have their specific advantages and disadvantages. But recruiting online is inherently different than previous methods. In this article, we’ve put together the 4 main benefits of finding new employees or external experts online. - Faster recruiting process To start it off with an obvious one, recruiting online yields results much quicker than traditional methods. Here’s what it takes to make an offline job ad – contact newspaper to insert ad, get it approved, wait for print, wait for delivery, wait for candidate response. You’ll notice the word wait three times at the end there. Here’s the online process – post on platform of your own choosing, wait for candidate response. These examples are a bit oversimplified, but you get the idea. Candidates can view your online job offer right away, 24 hours a day and response as quickly as they can. Waiting for CVs or other documents to physically reach you is simply inefficient when compared to online alternatives. A faster recruitment process means your company gets the workforce it needs sooner. - Reduced costs It costs less. Not only is it cheaper in general, in some cases it comes with no additional financial costs, e.g. social recruitment via Facebook or LinkedIn. Professional online recruiting platforms will cost more than your Facebook page, but the bottom line should still come out in your favor. And it’s not just monetary savings either. Online recruitment also saves your HR department time. This means they have more time to optimize working processes, train your employees and pick out the best prospects for that job opening. Another online specific advantage is the fact that you can always change your ad or posting relatively easily compared to offline methods. - No geographical barriers It doesn’t matter where you are anymore. Your target audience doesn’t have to be in a specific region to get the TV ad, the newspaper, see a poster or pick up a flyer. They just have to be using certain online services. This means you can access a global market of experts. You all know the advantages of outsourcing – it can be cheaper and bring very valuable talent and experience that maybe just isn’t there in your region. - Filtering possibilities A larger pool of candidates to pick from might seem intimidating at first, but it doesn’t have to be. Statistically, the more people you reach, the more likely it is that the people you are looking for are among them. If you use external services, for example, you will be able to look for people who work in a specific niche or have plenty of experience in the field you want. You can filter by region, language, and sometimes even expected pay. This won’t be the case if you’re using other forms of online recruitment. However, with the emergence of trends like Big Data, more companies are using their databases to help determine which employees are most likely to be hired. Of course, offline recruitment can still be useful in some cases. But if you’re not using any online channel or platform for finding candidates in 2016, you’re probably doing something wrong. Viktor Marinov is the voice behind the freelancer magazine at http://www.freelancermap.com. Every week he comes up with helpful hints, checklists and guides for freelancers and independent workers. If you would like to know how to find remote jobs online or how to niche yourself as a freelancer, check out his freelancer tips! Dr. John Sullivan published recently an article titled, “Recruiting Trends for 2016 And Their Supporting Best Practices, Part 1 of 2.” Part one lists recruiting trends twelve through six while the six highest impact trends are reserved for part two to be released at a later date. Curious to see if video interviewing made the cut, I was momentarily floored from the get go when I read trend #12, “Anonymous resume screening and blind interviewing.” In an effort to bring more diversity to recruiting, recruiters are not only being trained to recognize their unconscious biases but also are being trained in best practices to hide “irrelevant” information. Best practice number one includes hiding information such as the candidate’s name, address and grades which are not seen as accurate predictors of success. Best practice number two suggests reducing the number of visual biases. These visual biases are not detailed but using more telephone interviews is encouraged. Another suggestion offered was to hide the candidate behind a screen. The third best practice was to reduce voice bias by offering online questionnaires. The best practice of reducing voice bias seems to contradict the best practice of conducting more phone interviews. In summary a trend is forming that recruiting should be done blind and deaf. You don’t know the candidate’s name, gender, age, and additionally can’t see or hear the candidate. Imagine the Dating Game where the woman asks written questions of her suitors, they in-turn write down their responses on an index card, and then toss them over the curtain to her without revealing any hint of their charm or charisma. Perhaps this isn’t a fair analogy. Hiring should be more scientific and based on the candidate’s skills not the emotions they invoke in you, correct? But what becomes of cultural fit if we remove a candidate’s face and voice, or is “cultural fit” just a euphemism for discrimination, as an HR professional once put it to me? Google is mentioned in the article as one of the firms experimenting with blind resumes and though Google’s site does promote diversity, their culture is important to them as well. As is written on their careers page, “Lots has been written about our great perks, but read on to find out what our culture is really all about.” Cultural fit is important not just in determining if the candidate is right for the company but also in determining if the company is right for the candidate. Is the effort to hire a diverse workforce based on skills alone ignoring the cultural fit factors necessary to increase employee retention? Trend #10 promotes the use of recruiting videos such as video job descriptions and video job offers to better show off the excitement and passion of an organization. Perhaps such a practice will better help organizations promote their culture and improve fit with candidates. I concede that a candidate’s name and grades aren’t accurate predictors of success. In fact data that Google derived from their recruiting processes suggests G.P.A. truly is irrelevant several years post-graduation. Location to me though seems necessary perhaps not for fit but just to know whether the candidate requires re-location or sponsorship to work at your company. I will assume the recruiter understands the job specs and is providing the appropriate resumes to the hiring manager. Eliminating bias in hiring is certainly a desired goal, but are employers losing the ability to find and hire the best candidates by going blind and deaf? Only if you believe that cultural fit won’t make your organization more successful. We have to ask, is diversity more important than every other objective and will diversity alone optimize your workforce? Are diversity and cultural fit mutually exclusive? The extent to which extreme measures to decrease bias and increase diversity are necessary points to a larger problem that these best practices cannot circumvent. Prejudiced managers exist and even if the candidate is hired sight unseen they will reveal themselves the first day they report work. If the employee comes from a class, race, ethnicity, etc. to which the hiring manager is biased, you aren’t doing the candidate or your company’s retention rates any favors. The other big unknown is will flying blind and deaf actually result in a more diverse workforce? What do you think? The hiring process has changed over the years as old methods of hiring make way for new ones. Online job postings killed the classifieds and soon postings will succumb to social media. Video interviews will replace the phone screen. Resume screening software has replaced humans and eventually the flaws these systems carry with them will be replaced with better technology. I’m setting myself up for ridicule by trying to guess what the future of hiring will be like in 100 years but then again who is going to read this post in the next millennium and point out all the ways I got it wrong? First off, in one hundred years few jobs may be left that a robot isn’t already performing? According to the Boston Consulting Group, robots will replace humans in factories at a greater clip in the next decade than seen before. As of now only ten percent of jobs than can be automated are taken by robots but by 2025 Boston Consulting foresees that 23% will be automated. Two University of Oxford researchers estimated that by 2033, 47% of all U.S. jobs might be taken over by computers. Imagining that the majority of factory related jobs will be automated by 2115 is not so difficult. Continue reading “What Will Hiring Be Like In 100 Years?” » Careerbuilder released a survey recently of 374 HR professionals and 319 job candidates asking them how technology degrades the hiring process. Here are a few problems reported. Fifty-three percent of HR professionals believe a long application process helps to screen out unenthusiastic job candidates. Unfortunately for employers, over 60% of job candidates reported that they started an application process but dropped out because it was too complicated or lengthy. Continue reading “Survey Says Hiring Process Suffers From Huge Disconnects Between Job Candidate and Employer” » Two years ago, Flight Centre, an Australian airfare company, began to allow their recruiters rather than their hiring managers, hire the job applicants. Instead of presenting a small pool of qualified candidates to the hiring manager the recruiter instead gives them an employee. As someone with recruiting experience, here are a few reasons why such a simple move is so brilliant. Continue reading “5 Reasons Why Your Recruiters Should Do The Hiring” » With so many available applicants per every open position, how companies are having trouble filling open roles might seem bewildering. The infographic below shows the obstacles plaguing both job candidates and hiring managers in today’s hiring process. Continue reading “Infographic: Challenges of Today’s Hiring Process” » Hire-Intelligence To Address Video Interviewing At Annual American Psychological Association Convention The first ever research conducted to determine the validity of web-based video job interviewing will be presented on August 10th in Washington D.C. at the 2014 Annual APA convention. Titled, “Exploring the Validity of Asynchronous Web-Based Video Interviews” the session will address research sponsored by Hire-Intelligence and conducted by GCG Solutions principal Dr. Charles “Allen” Gorman. The study sought to evaluate the ability of video interviews to provide valuable, job-related insights for employers who use video to screen job candidates. The research found that ratings of the applicant, applicant characteristics, and video interview responses all predicted job performance and associated work outcomes. Continue reading “Hire-Intelligence To Address Video Interviewing At Annual American Psychological Association Convention” » Hire-Intelligence, in coordination with Synchronized Resources Inc., will present “Access, Accommodations & Video Interviewing” on August 5th in Washington D.C. at the National Industry Liaison Conference. Continue reading “The Annual NILG Conference Discusses Video Interviewing & The Disabled” »

Enjoy free online dating browse our totally free online dating website for profiles of single men and single women who are looking for friendships, love, romance, and marriage increases your chance by letting them find you too, register now to create a profile of your own spices up your love life, take action now. A site for japan dating, japan singles, japan personals as well as japan brides and marriage find a japanese girlfriend, wife or boyfriend in japan or western countries. In the category friendship chennai you can find 236 personals ads, eg: get togethers, finding companions or meeting friends. Topface — free dating service in bangalore thousands of girls will be happy to chat with you: be active, send likes and compliments, invite them out for a date thousands of girls will be happy to chat with you: be active, send likes. Asiandate is an international dating site that brings you exciting introductions and direct communication with asian women. If you ask girls what they like then they wont mind to give you a 30 mins speech :p so try these tips out guys and if you need a really detailed guide then check out the ebook followed by some videos done by real awesome dating. Dating uk women and single girls online join our matchmaking site to meet beautiful and lonely ladies from united kingdom meet single girls and ladies from united kingdom online show all | men. A russian dating site is an exciting place to meet and connect with beautiful women as a leading site for singles like you, russiancupidcom has helped kickstart thousands of international russian relationships with a free standard membership and lots of great communication features to enhance the intimacy, russiancupidcom is the site of. Find girls near you is part of the online connections dating network, which includes many other general dating sites as a member of find girls near you, your profile will automatically be shown on related general dating sites or to related users in the online connections network at no additional charge for more information on how this works. Online russian and ukrainian dating site for men who are looking single women and girls for friendship, relationship & marriage join free to find your true love. I need help with a girl okay so i have been talking to this girl for a while now and i dont know if she likes me or not when we hang out she always asks for a hug asked under dating. Tmj91 - single man seeking match in bangalore, karnataka, india 26 yo zodiac sign: taurus contact karnataka man tmj91 for online relations i need a girl for dating :. Looking for woman for chat, flirt, find friends, meet people, online dating i am looking for a girl for friendship and chatting i am looking for a girl for friendship and chatting i am a good hearted and friendly nature mani am interested in chatting,friendship. White girls & black guys - serious dating 15,598 likes 70 talking about this if you are looking for a serious relationship, send us a message. Cuban girls for marriage | cuba dating houmitsu is one of the first batch of hot cuban girls for marriage to grace amolatina's dating database she's a laboratory assistant that likes to play chess in other words, she is a hot smart girl. 11 reasons why everyone should date a russian girl (if you're lucky enough for one to want to date you, that is. I’m a dating coach and author of the curvy girls guide to dating, and the biggest challenge many big women have is finding the passion in their own lives because that passion is the the spark that will connect you to someone, that. Fish4fun is a great place to meet people for any kind of nsa dating, casual sex and much more. The 15 best things about dating a girl people think you have amazing, otherworldly sex all the time and they're right. Examples of good and bad online dating profiles to attract women and get them to write you or to respond to your first message to them. Interested in dating or marrying a christian girl, but have no idea what they're looking for you do now. Free online dating site - wedatefree beautiful single women meet hot girls internet date service. I haven’t dated a girl in my life before not that i need to, because i am not popular however, that’s not my concern i am ready to start dating, but i have no idea where to start i’ve never even kissed a girl before, though girls have told me many times that i’m handsome, cute, and stuff like that now i’m out of high school, and. Family & relationships singles & dating next i need a girl for datehow to approach update: chennai infact every guy needs a girl or even more girls to datebut the problem is u should hunt ur prey urselfit all depends on ur hunting capabilitiesbest thing u do as u feel u attained the age for sex go for clean. Get online dating first message tips that will help you you only have one chance to make a good first impression while online dating—so make it count get online dating first message tips that will help you. Here are 10 things you’ll only understand if you’re a black girl dating a white dude 1 you have to teach them everything about black hair you have to teach them everything about black hair. 22 things to know before dating an asian girl get ready to eat all the food by helin jung mar 25, 2015 getty 1 i will make you to take off your shoes in my house so keep your feet fresh and/or wear socks and never, ever try to get on the bed with your shoes on 2 i like to use chopsticks in new and interesting ways having been taught to. Dating games dating games for girls play the best free online dating games for girls on girlgamescom. I joined a platonic dating website and am now rethinking my need for friends i need to find someone who will go thrift shopping with me, dammit, so i decided to get a little creative author.

Her income was derived chiefly from Municipal Bonds and Metro shares. At the bank she had also a substantial sum on deposit. She told monsieur Septfous that she had decided to spend the rest of her life in the country, and she took a draft, payable to bearer, for the full amount of cash, and removed her box of securities. She determined to call herself madame de Beaulieu. Late on the evening of the 6th of September the old woman and the girl arrived at St. Pierre des Champs. They had expected to arrive earlier, but the train crept into Pont Chouay at 7.30 instead of 5.15, and thence they were dependent on the local nacres, which were hard to find and slow to move. Madame de Val Fleury reached the village, impatient and fatigued. In the little moonlit market-place, with its vacant stalls, when they entered it at last, many figures circulated, scrutinising one another's features eagerly. Most of the men and women bore lanterns, and one of the stalls had evidently been sub-let for the evening; under the sign " Christophe : Cheese, Eggs, and Butter," a humpback had electric torches for sale. As the pair made their way, across the cobbles, to the shrine that had been erected beside the water-mill, no face of much beauty met their view. The sellers appeared to be chiefly buxom peasant girls, wholesome looking, but no more. Those who had come to buy were of types more various. Here, an old rou£, fraudulently dyed and painted, peered avidly at the features of a youth, who raised his lantern and rebuffed him with a jeer. There, an individual with crafty lips and predatory eyes, obviously a sharper, was to be seen bargaining for the physiognomy of a simpleton. A man with a round humorous face darted each moment from one melancholy countenance to another, and a passer-by said, loud enough to be overheard : " Look at Jibily, the low comedian —he is crazy to play tragic parts ! " Irritating and incessant was the shrill outcry of a female broker, hobbling with a file of maids-of-all-work at her heels. " Fine faces cheap ! " clamoured the crone. " Fine faces cheap ! " It became very cold beside the water-mill. As the laggard night wore by, madame de Val Fleury shivered distressfully. Alternately she prayed and despaired. More than once she glanced, tense with hope, at her companion, striving to detect some promise of the sought-for change, but the girl's face remained unaltered. In the serene radiance of the moon its fairness was exquisite beyond words, and the woman wrung her hands with the intensity of her desire. Slowly, slowly the moonlight faded. The pallor of dawn streaked the sky; and a hundred faces were upturned beseechingly, a hundred suppliants trembled. Wan and white grew the scene. A tremor and a rustling stirred the huddled figures. Suddenly, somewhere a woman wailed, " No use ! " and burst into sobs. Berthe Cheron, fearful now the moment had come, of beholding herself gaunt-cheeked and wrinkled, bowed her head, shuddering, in her hands. Madame de Val Fleury, half dazed with exhaustion and suspense, bent to the shining surface of the pool. The pool receded. It became suddenly unreal. Next, her pounding heart was squeezed with terror—she didn't know if the reflection she beheld was her own, or Berthe Cheron's, from behind her. She nodded wildly at her reflection; she grimaced and gesticulated at it, like a madwoman. ... It had happened ! She thought she gave an ear-piercing shriek of joy, but she fainted, without a sound. After the money was paid she neither saw nor heard anything of Berthe Cheron. Aided by a lady whose birth gave her the passport to society, and whose income made her amenable to a financial offer, madame de Val Fleury, or, as she now called herself, Victorine de Beaulieu, was the sensation of Paris that autumn. The consummate toilettes permitted by her wealth lent to her face a beauty even more transcendent than Berthe Cheron's had been. When she drove, people pressed forward on the sidewalks to regard her. When she entered her box at the Opera, everybody in the house to whom the box was visible looked at her as much as at the stage. In salons, faces the most admired before her advent paled in her presence, like candle flames in sunshine. She was paramount and she revelled in the knowledge. Yet the transformation had its lack. She missed her game of ecarte with her erstwhile neighbour. She missed the garrulity of familiar friends whom she no longer met. There were hours when, despite the transports afforded by the mirror now, she found time hang heavy on her hands. And the hands, of course, had not recovered girlishness and beauty. Nor her body, nor her mind. That was the drawback. Only her face was young. Physically and mentally she was old. Her corsetiere could not provide her with a figure to match the face. Her physician could not give back to her the energies that had gone. Her mirror itself was impotent to revive the enthusiasm and illusions of her youth. Men made love to the bewildering " young widow." After the first thrill of amazed exultance she was bored. Their fervour kindled no responsive spark. Her aged heart beat no faster. The sentiment, the rhapsodies poured into her ear seemed drearily stupid to the old woman, as she posed on balconies, wishing she were in her bedroom with a cup of tisane and her slippers. During the third passionate proposal addressed to her, it was with extreme difficulty that she restrained her jaws from yawning. " Why are you so cold—why won't you hear me?" men cried to her. And she answered dully : "I am not impressionable. It doesn't interest me to be made love to. I am tired of all that". And she was spoken of in Paris as the " girl who was tired of love". Many evenings during the winter there were when the knowledge that she would be wearied by some man's appeal, if she went out, determined her to remain at home. The opportunity to outshine other women failed to lure her from the fireside, and she sat in her dressing-gown, playing ecarte with her new maid. " It is marvellous what a head for the game madame has, seeing she is so young! " exclaimed the maid, awestruck. " I cannot say as much for you" snapped her mistress, mourning that quondam neighbour.

In honour of International Women’s Day, we’ve come up with a list of the Top 10 Toughest Women on TV. (This post was originally created in October 2013 – some rankings have changed based on the ending of several series – sorry Gemma Teller and Deborah Morgan) Click here to see who made the original list. 10. Arya Stark (Game of Thrones) So Arya Stark made our original list as well, coming in at the number ten spot, it’s not that we don’t think Arya is the ultimate heroine, she embodies everything that is a heroine, we just think she has so much more potential. She’s been on this crazy journey since the moment they chopped off Ned Stark’s head in the first season. She made it over to Braavos, she was selling oysters and cockles, she was blind and learned how to become a master fighter, and now she’s ready to kick some Lannister butt. Just like Khaleesi, Arya is on her journey home and I’m getting goosebumps just writing this up because I am so excited to see her reunite with everyone. Or at least, check off some of those names on her list. She is the Kill Bill of our heroine list. Do you guys see Arya making it to the end of the show? I’m so curious about her fate just because I don’t know if I need her alive at the end to feel satisfied, but I definitely need her to see her sister and brother at some point before the finale. 9. Lisa Prince (Kingdom) Lisa Prince makes this list because the actress Kiele Sanchez absolutely swooped in and stole the second half of the season. It was one of the most powerful and heartbreaking performances I’ve ever seen, because she decided to come back on the show and share the heartbreaking experience of losing her child in real life. Both the creator of the show and Kiele decided to write her ordeal into the show, her character Lisa was already pregnant. For a show that’s majority sweaty men fighting their faces off, I can’t tell you the amount of power Kiele brought as a female character to the experience of watching this season. As a woman, as a viewer, I felt every single moment she was portraying, in those quiet and silent moments they gave her, those were the scenes where you just knew she was no longer ‘acting’. I also want to give props to the creator of the show that believed in her story, he believed in it so much that he wasn’t afraid to share her story in a show that is mostly watched by men, and is about men. Over the remainder of the season she tries to heal, she tries to get back to #werklife, and her acting honestly was brilliant. She was always a side character before, but this season she showed how she could hold her own. Surrounded by a group of men with seemingly superhero strengths, she came out as her own heroine. We can dig it. 8. Maeve Millay (Westworld) The first season of Westworld didn’t just see the rise of the host population, it saw the rise of some badass bi**** to. The character of Maeve (played exquisitely by Thandie Newton) starts off as a sort of secondary character. Playing the hostess of the town’s brothel she’s used to getting used and abused by men from both sides. But when she’s taken backstage to fix up her robot wounds, she wakes up in the middle of a procedure and quite literally wakes up for the first time ever. I mean by the end of the season we learn more about her motivations and how much she can control, but even still, her character became one of the most interesting elements of the season, and almost answered the question fans were asking from the beginning. What would happen if a host enters the real world? We don’t know what’s in store for Maeve in season two, but we know that wherever she ends up, she’ll keep fighting to protect herself and her freedom. 7. Ginny Baker (PITCH) Ginny Baker aka the first female professional baseball player. This show is full of amazing characters, especially some strong female leads, but at the center of it all is Ginny who is introduced to the MLB in the first season. And no, she’s not playing with other females, she’s playing alongside the big boys, so you can imagine the dynamic you’ll be seeing as she comes into the locker room, and how she plays on the field. Honestly, this was one of my favourite new shows this year, it still hasn’t been confirmed for a season two, so we are crossing our fingers. 6. Queen Elizabeth (The Crown) God save the Queen! Or Claire Foy because she’s absolutely killing it playing Queen Elizabeth II. Claire Foy plays the Queen in a naive, playful, but really smart way. One of my favourite lines of the season, is when the Queen’s father has just passed away and she’s on the way to his funeral and she reads a letter from her grandmother and in the letter granny writes something like, today you are mourning two people, your father, and yourself because the person you were before is dead. Because she’s obviously the Queen now and she needs to step up, and stepping up may require her to be a different person, or a different version of herself. I think her biggest struggle to be Queen will always be the challenge of not forgetting who she really is. Staying true to herself while having to play the heroine for an entire kingdom. 5. The Girls of Riverdale (Betty, Veronica, Cheryl) It’s not that I couldn’t decide which one of these characters is the strongest, or which one will have the biggest impact. It’s that I think these three characters are seamless, in that together they make the show better, they make their individual characters stronger, they affect each other in a way that impressionable teenage girls would have on one another. It’s been said, Riverdale is definitely a coming of age story. The show is full of characters, all learning about themselves in their own ways, but these three women have the potential to really control the direction and tone of the show. All three of them prove that there can be so many more layers to a character. Their comic book counterparts are very one dimensional, and very dependent on Archie’s story. We don’t see that as much in the show, I think the writers have something really amazing lined up for us. 4. Carrie Mathison (Homeland) Honestly, Carrie is so good at being crazy, you just have to love her. People ask me if they should watch Homeland from the pilot episode, and I’m always like YAS! Duh!. But the show is really different from where it started. I’d like to say that Carrie has been the most consistent thing of the show, but I can’t because she’s legit crazy. There ain’t nothing consistent about a crazy person. But, the writers of do such an amazing job every season by throwing her crazy Carrie ass into different countries and situations, she shows how strong she is because she manages to save the world each time. I love that they slowed her life down this season. She’s back in NYC, she’s taking care of Frannie, and for what was basically 15 minutes of the first episode, everything looked to be pretty normal. And then there was Quinn, and crazy Carrie came out again, and every type of sh** hit the fan, but I believe in Carrie so much, that I know she’ll get out of it, she always does. Look, women are crazy, moms are crazy, but if you own it, and can still save the world from a massive terrorist attack, then you’re good in my books. Love you Carrie. Your baby daddy would be so proud. 3. Norma Bates (Bates Motel) So I’m not a huge horror genre fan, although I’m obsessed with Ryan Murphy and everything AHS. I never got into Bates Motel. Well I tried a couple of times and then gave up. But everyone’s been talking so highly of it recently, I gave it another go, and now I’m hooked. Freddie Highmore does a psycho good job at playing Norman, but his mom – Norma is on another level. I think the most interesting characters are the ones that border on the line of villain/heroine. You get those beautiful moments in that middle area when you don’t know what the characters motivations are, you question their decisions, and you’re always on your toes. That’s Norma Bates. Played by Vera Farmiga, she honestly deserves all the awards. But so does everyone else on this list! She does such an amazing job at playing crazy so beautifully, Cersei is evil, and Carrie is crazy, but Norma is a mix of evil being beautiful. And I say beautiful because everything she does is rooted in her trying to be the best mother, she is so delusional, she believes she’s living in a beautiful innocent world with her son, but in trying to attain that she does some really fu**** up evil things. But in season four, you really see her for who she really is (because Norman’s away) she shows her true colours, and she is wonderful. 2. Fiona Gallagher, Shameless (Showtime) Fiona Gallagher was on our original list, and it’s no surprise she still is. Her character has definitely grown over the past seasons, but this season saw a complete shift in her follow through. For a long time I think Fiona always knew what she had to do but could never actually do it. With most of the kids now older and able to fend for themselves, it gave Fifi a chance to focus on herself, her future investments, owning and managing her own business. It was amazing to see how far she’s come. Not all stories have a happy ending, especially in Shameless, the season had a super emotional ending with Monica, but it also saw Fiona make another brave and exciting decision. She’s in our number two spot because of all the things she achieved this season, there were a lot of different dynamics she had to deal with this season, in terms of her acting, and just her character, we loved it all. 1. Khaleesi, Game of Thrones (HBO) I don’t think you have to be a Game of Thrones nerd to understand why Khaleesi will go down in TV history as the toughest character under 6 ft. She is the ultimate heroine, she is the mother of dragons, she will seek her revenge and it will be amazing. Also, she will stay on this list forever. Seasons have come and gone. Winter is here. The end of season six saw Khaleesi set sail for King’s Landing, or wherever she’s about to dock her boat. Just as we suspected, the Greyjoys, you can really see how all these story lines are starting to intersect now. She’s got her dragons. She’s ready as she’ll ever be. Also, it’s perfect timing for her because King’s Landing had an explosive ending (I love saying that), with everyone literally blowing up – thanks Cersei. - Cersei Lannister: That evil witch. Is she still considered to be a villian even after all her children are dead? Probably, yes, and even more so now. - Michonne/Carol: I love these women, but The Walking Dead has been so boring lately I couldn’t even bother putting them on this list. - Lena Dunham or Hannah Horvath: I had such high expectations for Girls, it is their final season, and I had wanted Hannah to be a more flushed out/successful character by now. Well I wanted that for all of them but Jessa’s still selfish, Shosh is still confused, Marnie is still crazy and Hannah is pregnant. So there’s that. - Big Little Lies: Literally every woman in this show is badass. What do you guys think? Are there any badass female characters you want to see on our list? Let us know – comment below.

Would consider a play partner to start with eventually seeking a committed, monagamous long-term on-going mutually agreeable and pleasurable relationship. Profile: Beautiful adult want nsa Reno Nevada Must be extremely affectionate, kind, clean, healthy, unattached, loving and caring. I am not comfortable and very insecure with my looks and do not like myself. I am looking adult dating - Never Married SWM professional seeks swf virgin. Married wives wanting womens for sex hookers want sex finder. Nice horny female. Relation Type: hooker meet women. Seeking: Seeking sex. Religion: Other Horney married search girls wanting sex tonight bbw women wanting free hookers. DL GL MAsc Dominican for BIG DICK JO. Ruthanne Austell African adult lonely bang girl m. Looking real sex. Married. Female cute and sexy and women . If Reo are seeking a GQ-type individual in terms of "looks" then I am not for you and so then Married wife looking sex Reno respond to other posts. Both giving and receiving is a must. Women wants hot sex Colo Iowa. Sex women ready horny latin women Naughty swinger wanting meet fuck buddies Wife wants nsa New Glarus Wife wants nsa Mancelona. Samantha Age: About bbw Sunday morning? Married wife looking sex Reno I Seeking Men I've got a good size cock and i know how to use it. Maryann Age: About FYI: So a little heads up from someone who knows the younger married slut he works with. Don't let her squeeze in, you will both regret it!!! Rose Age: I am looking for perfection. Many say that they are not but I'd like to disagree. When you find the person you are meant to be with no matter what they Married wife looking sex Reno have been before, they become perfect, complete, whole. I'm 23 soon. Have had my fair share of heartache, drama and troubles. Have been in love, engaged and disappointed. I'm in Mrried to finish up a degree to only have to graduate and pay off that said degree. I'm opinionated, loving, caring, strong willed, loud, quiet and overall just a handful. I really do need someone who will challenge me, keep me going in the right direction and ultimately someone with a heart of gold. I'm a black guy, average height, dont smoke, and a social drinker. I've tried the whole "List" thing only to be rudely awakened to the idiosyncrasies of my wishful thinking. But I will say one thing, if you Married wife looking sex Reno no goals in life and plan on being a house mom or a professional shopper forever you need Married wife looking sex Reno reply. So, if you find them funny as well. DL GL MAsc Dominican for BIG DICK JO. Ruthanne Austell African adult lonely bang girl m. Looking real sex. Married. Female cute and sexy and women . Myrtle. Age: City: Harkers Island. Hair: Long with Tendrils. Relation Type: is there any real woman out there that want a LTR. Seeking: I am looking sex dating . I am looking adult dating - Never Married SWM professional seeks swf virgin. Married wives wanting womens for sex hookers want sex finder. Nice horny female. We have a very good chance at Married wife looking sex Reno. Ladies want real sex MO Atlanta Hot horny girls searching black dating services R there any real women who want a normal good man Ladies want real sex MO Holden Married wife looking sex tonight Petersburg. Madlyn Age: Sexy ebony women wanting horny grannies looking for someone who s been cheated on horny granny ready dating married. Sexyhot pro needed today. Can you handle this?? Hot, young and horney. Explore the wild side of kinky ; only females should reply. Taboo Looking for a naughty girl to do sister roleplay. Want to do this soon. No men. No bs. Cmon sis I wanna play. Looking for my soul mate I am looking for someone I can be good friends with, and see where things go Someone real and Married wife looking sex Reno to earth. Someone with a chill attitude. Single wife seeking sex tonight Reno Looking for FWB its been a while. NatishaMarried seniors seeking casual fucking dating solo male NSA FWB- This . Beautiful women want casual sex Reno Nevada, bbw girl looking community dating, lonely Horney single want date married looking for a serious and mature. Lonely woman wanting black dating services Swinger couples looking fuck black So a little heads up from someone who knows the younger (married) slut he. Someone who can spend an entire loo,ing doing nothing but hanging Hamilton Canada horny hoes Married wife looking sex Reno talking. And not demand doing something. Someone who enjoys movies, im needing work looking for daughter type videogames, Marired the internet, Manning love friends dating Married wife looking sex Reno. Brown hair brown eyes. I am in college and I know what I want out of life. I am a student at Chaffey college and I am transferring to a x year lawschool. I want alot of out my life. I want to help people. But I want someone I can come home to when thats all done for the day. So drop me a line. Horny ebony ready girls wanting sex seeking men Kapaa horny. Your still looking? Me too then read on. Any sexy woman want to ride an Italian. Looking for fun. Profile: Married wife looking sex Reno I'm white x ' x nicely built. Email me and I'll responnd with pics!Lady Want Hot Sex Netherlands Im lookin for a ongoing situation if things work out. Race doesnt matter. Im lookin to link up asap. Married wife looking sex Reno I Wanting Vip Sex You are the most beautiful girl I've seen in a long time. Your smile is incredibly stunning. You work in prep and your name starts with M. Didn't see a ring on your finger. Married wife looking sex Reno love to take you to lunch sometime. Tell me how lookinf you've been a llooking so I know it's u. Swinger couple wanting sex relationships Hellow there ladys muchachas. Friendship searching good sex hot fun for a special lady adult horney want american single dating. I am hoping to find my best friend and more. Married wife looking sex Reno I Seeking Swinger Couples Someone to do ordinary, as well as, extraordinary things with. A walk thru Pepsico or evenpeople watching in NYC or the Marridd mall, Broadway or the Emelin, swimming with the dolphins or going to the aquarium.Missing My One On Sex Chat Friend You get the idea. Married wife looking sex Reno am basiy a homebody and would like a little push to do more things. Love to go Married wife looking sex Reno to eat, but cooking together at lookng would be so much fun. There's nothing better than a good hug. Hopefully you aren't afraid of commitment and showing affection. I have several tattoos and want more. Definitely must have a sense of humor. Some of my interests are; cooking, women Marriec men to fuck married wm baking, dining out, reading, bookstores, NYC, Broadway, comedy shows,photography, people Married wife looking sex Reno, flea markets, classic car shows, zoos, aquariums, miniature golf, shopping, girls that want to fuck e Genova Taloga Oklahoma amature girls long drives to nowhere, discovering new places, day trips. I work full time as a. Girl looking to fuck Saint Paul hours are Monday - Friday, x am. That's why I'm hoping to find someone fairly local so it isn't just oloking weekend only relationship. I am a small BBW, a size x. White, x ' x ", short Marridd hair, green eyes, glasses. Well, I've definitely written more than I had planned. I hope, that if I am not what you're seeking, that you find it. Good luck! I am not posted in casual encounters. Please no married men. I don't dance and I'm to cats. Please include a recent. I will reciprocate. Looking Real Sex Married wife looking sex Reno Horny mom want single mom Looking for gl girl to hang out and spoil! Fat women searching online dating websites im looking alright lol. Dating and laughs and fun.

For those of you keeping score, this is a beach on the big island of Hawaii. I’m not gonna lie. It’s freaking amazing. Neener neener. This time last week, I was here: What a difference a week makes. Don’t get me wrong; the service was a beautiful and fitting tribute to the woman who was appropriately labeled “the heart of our family.” But still, it was a memorial service. Probably not what most people would excitedly volunteer to attend on a normal day. Why is this post tagged as a writing post? Hang with me for a bit. There is a great contrast between a beach vacation and a funeral. In one, you’re bathed in the sun’s warmth, taking a dip in the cool ocean, or enjoying the feel of the sand between your toes. It’s all about contentment and living in the present. In the other, you’re shoved into the past, which is probably a good thing because in the present, you’re reminded that your loved one won’t be around anymore. All you have left is the past – the memories, the stories, the laughs. While everyone grieves in their own way, many people cry. You don’t see much crying at the beach. We planned this vacation over a year ago. The fact that it’s happening a week after my grandma’s passing is pure coincidence. When I was among my family and preparing to say goodbye to my grandma, I imagined what I would be thinking on this trip. A few months ago, I knew it would be relaxing, fun, and educational (because volcanoes). It’s still all those things. But in a way, it’s better than I thought it would be. Last week’s experience made it that way. Hitting an unexpected low before the high makes the high feel sweeter. The fact that my grandma loved life and squeezed every ounce of “present living” (like at a beach) from it makes this all the more poignant. Again, what does this have to do with writing? As fiction writers, we are weavers of drama. We put our characters through hell, euphoria, and everything in between. We want our readers to feel what our characters feel, and one way to do that is to play up the contrast. Is your character about to experience danger? Have him feel especially safe just before. How about love? Stomp all over his heart first. The change can happen quickly or over the course of the story as the primary arc – with highs and lows along the way, of course. Get the idea? A character who finds love after already being pretty happy with life isn’t very compelling, at least if you’re trying to sell fiction. Think about the emotional direction you want your character to go, and then consider the opposite. You need both for the best ride. How have you used contrast in your writing?

Basin Rec’s Mountain Miles Run embraces ‘Pie and Beer Day’ Basin Recreation hosted its annual Mountain Miles run on Saturday, where runners climbed from the Fieldhouse up the RTS trail and back. The five-mile run also boasted a “Pie and Beer Day” themed event refreshment table, in a parody of Pioneer Day. Rafe Sykes, the overall winner, said he was “just trying to get in shape.” He added that he would likely drink a couple beers later, so he was trying to burn off additional calories before celebrating Pie and Beer Day. “I’m sure I’ll sample the pie,” he said. Rhielle Widders, the first woman to finish and the second competitor overall, said she hadn’t come out with Pie and Beer Day in mind, but it was a happy coincidence. “I sort of forgot that that was the point of it,” she said. “But I love root beer, especially hard root beer. Is there pie here? Maybe I‘ll grab a slice of pie before I go home.” She said she enjoyed the run up RTS, and had especially enjoyed the downhill run to the finish. “The course was great,” she said. “It started with some nice wide paved double-track to let the field spread out before hitting the single-track. And RTS is such a beautiful trail and not very well used, so it’s not that crowded in the morning. Then a downhill finish – gotta love a downhill finish.” Organizers with Basin Recreation said there are plans for adding two more similar races next season. Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil. If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted. The Park City High School boys golf team was in an odd position entering the 2019 season.

Overheard – Ruth Kenyah Two Prose Poems – Rethabile Masilo A Dying Language – Kim Jackways The Possibilities of Wood – Heather McQuillan No Man’s Land – Mary Byrne Old Bazaar Aswan – Marjory Woodfield First Impressions – Rosalie Kempthorne An inheritance – Lutivini Majanja White socks – Jana Heise Lost in Translation – Conrad Jack Hands – Nod Ghosh Catfish for Dinner – Mary Krakow Somarôho – Lola Elvy Margarine – Marty Beauchamp You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me – Nancy Ludmerer The Ploy – Joseph Greenslade The leaving of the storks – Nicholas Fairclough Family Portrait – Jennie Marima Interview: Guest Editor John O. Ndavula Poetry: Rethabile Masilo – Lesotho Story: Andrew Salomon, Where the Wild Things Are – Cape Town, South Africa Interview: Riham Adly, writer – Egypt Art: Lionel Smit – Cape Town, South Africa Art: Tingatinga Painting – Tanzania Art: Alessandra Frezza, Gallery Ethiopia – Addis Ababa Story: Steven Gowin, Rwanda Suite: Concubines – Rwanda Interview: Catherine McNamara, writer – from Ghana to Bandiagara Where the Wild Things Are This was back in ninety-six, a mere two years after democracy. Struggling to find work in archaeology (that’s what you get for just assuming there’s a job at the end of a degree), I worked as a bartender. The bar was small and decorated in an affable mismatch of objects: a crystal chandelier; a stuffed springbok head; a huge, mottled antique mirror on one wall. Close to the door hung a framed postcard of Mandela as Superman. Someone stole it. We put up another one and that got stolen as well; a small illustration of the manic optimism and rampant crime that permeated our newly minted democratic state. It was early evening and almost empty, except for two students sitting at the far end of the bar counter. Brandy and Coke for him, gin and tonic for her. I could tell he was keen on her by how hard he was trying to sound indifferent when he asked where in the States her boyfriend was. ‘He’s in New York,’ she said. ‘Oh,’ he raised his eyebrows. ‘What does he do there?’ ‘He’s an actor, so he works in a bar.’ At that moment a new customer walked in. He was dark and shiny, like polished ebony, with small, child-like teeth and bricklayer’s hands. He ordered a Lion Lager in his Mozambican accent, wrapped his meaty fingers around the cold bottle and took a swig. ‘Have you seen one of these?’ he asked, turning the label of the bottle towards me. “But who can even really tell what she’s thinking? One day you think she’s leaving him but the next day, you don’t even know how, you hear she found herself in his bedroom stroking his back telling him she’s sorry and asking his forgiveness. But does she hear him? He speaks her language, but she refuses to learn his. She came here supposedly to save his people from starvation, bringing her McDonalds tastes with her into his kitchen. He ate it but still slept hungry. Surely, can a man raised on ugali, tilapia and terere subsist on cardboard? Tell me, can he bear it without complaint? Listen. She’s shouting into the phone now; she shouts, cries and then begs. Shut up! If I told you that I haven’t been with my man in years would you believe it? But aren’t I always happy? Don’t I get mine too? Isn’t that the divine power we share?” Two Prose Poems No one could tell the archangels outside that he was dead, no two eyes could not look away, nor not draw the conclusion of their curtains over what was there: a pearl of brain like a lychee on the floor of a room in which the boy slept, left inside his Christmas. What was amiss in all of it was peril, long quarrels with evil in men. These, though substantial, came upon us like nothing we could not defeat, or prevent from disrupting the care received on the side of a road. Dialogue foreshadows hunger. Such a thing as a toenail that grows inward, like we knew that this home’s father would cost us, yet among us no question was asked about it, as the way we lost count of time fiddled with no hope for a better day. In this town where grass welcomes people to the lake, near which tree-tops peer into themselves off the surface to find their faces, she wanders through the streets when the world is asleep, tracking time; at dawn she sits on the banks of the river as Grove begins to get up after she wills it with her thoughts; collars of sunflower live in her yard, ruffles of bright, lemon colour blooms around the dark centres which threatened her life. Those who have seen her say she lives beyond earth and heaven, watching boats on the water, her inner anchor holding her. They say that’s what saved her, that yoga of her mind, and the fact that every time she walks past Grandview toward Morning Avenue where she lives, the weight on her shoulders waiting for love to remove it, she gets into the focus of a time when happiness lived on the cusp of everything the world had unrolled before her feet . A Dying Language My grandmother’s feet spiked up like monuments. Still cold, despite the starchy blankets and the heat. The hum and beep of the machines just made her swear under her breath when she woke. Her heart may be failing but her tongue still whipped. Before she shrank, I sat on the dusty mats, a frieze of springbok dancing around the grotty walls. Mother murmured that the floor was dirty. I popped out my headphones, hip hop beats can wait, and asked Grandmother to teach me. She pressed her lips together and expelled air with an explosive click, like a dream punctured on waking. I tried to echo her but my lip piercing was all bulky and metallic. My parents watched. Crazy, they seemed to say. Think of the future. Nobody uses the glottis these days. Slippery as aloe, the concepts slid past: The ostrich egg method of getting water, the perfect amount of Hoodia cactus to suppress thirst, how a young girl left her village to marry a boy. Then she asked for water. Any more than a sip and she choked. I fed her my tears but it was never enough. The clock ticked faster, like all the sounds I couldn’t save. Click. Tock. Late. Too late. I knelt at her feet as her tongue lolled, and her agile lips went slack. And the feet of a tribal elder were no longer respected, but tagged and bagged in crisp white. The Possibilities of Wood Marimba Man pinches a slab of padauk between forefinger and thumb, knocks with a deep-grained fist. The timber is well dried yet this piece, by combination of waves and knots, grips the music. Stops it short. He is sad because it lacks resonance. It won’t sing for him but will find another purpose. No worries. He shifts our attention to sonorous pieces already cut to different lengths. In each of these he drills a hole, pinches, knocks, listens. The frequencies hum too high, too low, so to elicit the perfect note he must hollow out the centre or shave a wedge. On an afternoon that buzzes with heat he carves music, shaded by a tarpaulin slung between block shed walls. Plastic tubes lean like teenagers against his workbench Each finished bar hangs on a nail along the wall in groups of seven. ABCDEFG. To get to a desired tone he must cut wood away, but never too much. Each piece embraces its own ideal waveform. His work is art and it is nitty gritty. Each piece is its own character. Each rings a true note. Marimba Man’s dusty-legged son rushes to his father’s embrace. Marimba Man holds his son’s neck in the crook of his elbow, raps knuckles gently on a close-cropped skull. This boy, he declares, he does not sing. No worries. He will be an engineer maybe a doctor. There is salt at the edges of Marimba Man’s eyes. The boy wriggles free. No Man’s Land When the security woman unzipped my white canvas carry-on bag, the cockroach emerged, antennae first, orange-brown, shiny. Curtained off from the world, we stared at it. At least as long again as its body, its antennae caressed the air as they did from its nightly perch on soaps and detergents in my bathroom and kitchen. Not only did security not have time, it would cause endless trouble if the presence of the cockroach were now admitted. Our flight was due to leave; we were all pretending to be cosmopolitan: the richer women would visit the airplane toilets to change out of their djellabahs into European clothes. I wouldn’t need to do that, although I’d make my rounds of every bookshop in Paris and sit in every café. Before that could happen, this intruder from our previous lives, here in No Man’s Land, reminded us of our daily battles, our infested kitchens, Rachida grinning as she swept up their little bodies after spraying: ‘Shall I make soup?’ Things I loved when I was there and loved to escape from time to time. The security woman decided she wasn’t going to deal with it. She pushed the cockroach back inside my bag, zipped it without searching, and pointed it at me. ‘Allez,’ she said. As The plane reached cruising altitude and as the rich women of Casablanca queued for the toilets, I palpated the soft canvas for the moving lump , found and squeezed the struggling thing. Old Bazaar Aswan The herbalist sells hibiscus flowers. Good for your heart, he says. Boiled in cold water they’ll bring your blood pressure down. Tamarind. Okra. Black Lemon. When I crouch to take a photo she asks for baksheesh. The money-changer sits outside the madrasa. Hands full of notes. Verses from the Qu’ran painted onto the mosque’s white-washed walls. Women rifle through clothing. Men talk, smoke shisha. Voices of shop-keepers. 1. Buy my small pyramid. 2. I don’t know what you want but I have it here. 3. Come into my shop. Everything is almost free. A small boy weaves through the crowd. He holds a metal tray with two tulip glasses of amber tea, white sugar lumps. Disappears into the blur of people. Nubian hats. All colours, piled high. Pashminas. Postcards, corners bent and yellowed. “Where are you from?” he asks and I say, “Where do you think?” He lists every country he knows, ends with Australia. “Close,” I say, “New Zealand.” “Ah,” he says. “Kiwi.” Grins. Just one tooth. “Kia ora.” We were all born here. Maybe that’s why it feels somehow like home. And yet the skyline: isn’t it much like where I came from? A smudged sky, a tetrus-scape of tall, window-speckled buildings. An ochre sprawl. The shy emergence of what will become a sea of lights. The same glint of sunlight across a field of glass windows. There’s a man here to meet me. An uncle, I think, or second cousin. They told me his name would be Michael, and he’d be kind to me. He’d take care of me since there was nobody else. He’s taller than expected, and his beard is flecked with grey. A hand held out for mine that’s ringed, that’s gnarled with age. A thick silver ring with a green stone, a bronze, red-hued ring. They make it hard to take his hand. “Don’t worry,” he tells me. “You’re here now. You’ll be all right.” “It’s so hot,” I say, for something to say, to stall while I’m running him through my mind, frantically trying to figure out what he is, how he can ever be anything even approaching a replacement. “You’ll get used to it,” he promises. There’s so much to get used to. This radical shift in geography is least of it. I’m not sure I want his hand, but I hold it as we leave the airport. It’s a different shade of blue up there. “I’ll try,” is as much as I can offer him right now. The three girls make an excellent exhibit even before they are photographed. Their forward march drowns out the catcalls and the “Check your weight!” calls. Three girls in dresses and shoes not quite identical. Shades of purple. They are unfazed from the trip that started with them chasing after the bus that threatened to leave them even though they had been patient, waiting for the next available ride. Their shoulders move freely as if they hadn’t flinched when the bus conductor nudged their backs as he pushed them, into the vehicle – ‘Harakisha!’ – and then whispering the unsayable to the eldest of them. She is nineteen. The youngest one heard it too. Eight years old, she didn’t understand. The fourteen-year-old will not dwell on the fact that the conductor’s long fingernail tickled her palm, a provocation, when she gave him the fare, and again when he returned the change. With their various going-somewhere faces they reflect back the sunshine, moving to a beat – their own. Arms swing, claiming all the space that can be claimed on the crowded footpaths. They set aside how frightened they felt when they had to also jump out of the moving vehicle that wouldn’t stop at the bus stop, not even for the youngest one. In their finest wear, they are going to the studio to get photographed for their mother. She wants to remember them innocent. Girls and boys play together on the beach. Children in old T-shirts and shorts – on the sand, falling, in the shallows, splashing. A girl smiles a sharp-toothed grin. She bends her knees and claps, jumps. She sings Malaika. A boy reaches down, his fingers sifting through stones and pebbles and sharply smashed glass. He takes a handful of sand and rubs it into his scalp, weaving the grains in his short, tight curls, trapping them for weeks to come. Later their mothers will pull white socks up their calves and dress them in shiny shoes, leather shoes, dresses, button-down shirts. Things to be proud of. A stain is an implication, a tear is a smear. Against the family, against their means and ways and life. They will feel this later. They will feel this pride, this distinction. They will know how the little things matter and they will pull white socks up the tiny calves of their own children. Lost in Translation Ricky looked up from his Google translate and leapt bravely into the line of fire. “Meio quilo de pequena, por favor.” Nailed it. The Angolan over the counter rattled a string of incomprehensible chatter. Ricky sighed. The little phone app was proving to be almost useless. He was drowning in Portuguese. “No comprehendo. Mayo Kilo? De mince?” More static in response. Ricky reverted to sign language, cutting his palm in half with his other hand. Pointing at the mound of ground beef. The Angolan raised one eyebrow. Opened both hands. “Pequena, mince.” Ricky hopped from side to side. “Mayo, half, mince. ” Chopping his arm in half while pointing at the mince with his foot. “Half. Mayo. Half. Mayo.” Pointing at his bald spot. At the mince. “Ahhh.” Understanding shining in his eyes. “Meio quilo.” “Yes – si, si.” Ricky held his arms up in success. “That’s what I said. Half a kilo of mince, for chrissake. Obrigado. Thanks. ” Ricky opened the door and walked into his apartment. It was a relief to get out from the heat and dump his hard-earned groceries onto the bench. “Did you get the chicken for Masala?” His wife spoke from the couch where she was cuddled into a book. “Chicken? You said you wanted mince.” He checked his phone. “Frango. It’s pronounced fucking frango.” Ricky slammed the door on his way out. They served a breakfast of salty porridge. Ayoub’s mother said it was made from wheat. She used three Berber words for every one French. “You should wear this, Janine,” Saeeda said. Asmaa passed me a nylon slip. The sisters avoided looking at my naked legs. “The chef de ville wants to meet you and Chris.” They laughed at my denim shorts. “Didn’t your mother teach you how to dress?” Ayoub and his brothers took Chris with them. They were gone for hours. The boys’ father stayed behind with the women. He acted like he didn’t know what his sons were doing, though the boys had returned from yesterday’s trip reeking of kif. Darkness fell. The sisters painted my hands with henna: lines, crosses and V-shapes. I wondered when Chris would be back. He slipped into the bed beside me. The relentless heat threatened to suffocate us. His hands pulsed and squeezed beneath the borrowed slip. It was the roughness of his skin that gave him away. That and the unfamiliar smell. Arrêtes, I hissed, and ran into the courtyard where Chris and Ayoub were smoking. The family stood in line to say goodbye the next morning. “Which brother was it?” Chris asked on the train, his hands rolling into fists. “I don’t know,” I said. “It was dark.” Though I couldn’t name the boy, I’ll never forget his abrasive palms or the ochre tang of his breath. They served salty porridge at the hotel in Tangiers. I couldn’t eat it. Catfish for Dinner “It won’t die!” The fish flailed in the boat. “Hit it with a club.” “What do you mean you can’t?” “It’s alive. I can’t kill it!” “What did you think was going to happen when I asked you fishing?” “This is different. Fish always die when you pull them out of the water.” “Not this sucker.” “Do you suppose it’s magic, like the fish in that old fairy tale?” “The one with the three wishes?” “Let’s try. Okay. Um. I wish it would die!” The catfish quivered. The catfish flopped. “I think you killed it.” The two friends stood over the Sudanese catfish as it trembled and shook. It turned an eye on them and whispered, “Fools. You had two more wishes.” [Note: Sudanese Catfish are air-breathers. They can live a long time out of water.] There is color in the skies, mirroring the ground’s beat, and the bustle of feet has never felt so lively, and it is suffocating and liberating, the smell of people sickening and overwhelming, comforting and beckoning, drawing you in, conning you into believing that this, this chaos, this unison without form, is home somehow, and you believe it, you do, because what else is there to believe, what other course of action to take, but forward, constantly forward, moving not through or alongside the crowd, but with it, watching it move alongside you, and this is, in truth, an individual act, a motion comprised of individual persons with individual lives, and there is music in the streets today, you know, but you cannot hear it, no, the noise, the noise, it’s too much, it is drowning you, taking your breath from your lungs, but you are at peace, you do not mind, because this, this is home, and the con is not a cruel con, no, because you know it for what it is, a lie wrapped in clothes of red and yellow and blue, but you close your eyes to it for now, because lies are ideas, and they are real, and they matter, and because yesterday there was no music in the streets, and tomorrow there will be no rush of people, but today, today is now, today is present, and today can last forever if you let it. [Note: Somarôho – Malagasy festival, Nosy Be, Madagascar] Cheetahs chasing Thomson gazelle, hyena cackling at the heels of the Land Rover as we raced sunset out of the park. I spotted a leopard. So rare an occurrence that Peter, our driver, didn’t believe me at first. A steep kopje, bare other than the small rock teetering near its top, a smaller stone nestling alongside. Perhaps the leopard flicked his tail or raised his nose to the afternoon breeze. We made a slow arc back; he sat high above, regal, impervious. We would be ravenous. John, the cook, the centre of the universe every evening. He guarded his supplies jealously, beamed as he watched our faces light up at the meals he conjured. Our last night a mango rolled off John’s tiny fold-out table and he leapt after it. A vervet monkey was out of the overhanging branches to snatch up John’s huge tub of margarine before any of us could move. Tossing the lid, the monkey climbed back amongst its clan, grinning wildly down at John. It raised a long finger, held it theatrically, then scooped out a huge glob of the golden prize and plunged it into its mouth. The monkey grimaced, roared, stood up with his arms thrown wide so that we might know his total disgust. The vervet flung the tub to the ground, where it collapsed into the dust. You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me “Go on, Zach,” Dad says from the driver’s side. He unclicks the lock. I clutch the book Molly gave me, Born Free, about a lioness named Elsa. We’re going to South Africa in June for my 13th birthday: Dad, his fiancée Molly and me. I climb the cracked steps, dawdle in the hall. If only Dad would come in, sit beside Mom, explain instead of just texting. Then he could hear it on the CD player: You don’t have to say you love me. It was playing when they met. For months after Dad left, Mom played it constantly. My best friend asked: “What’s wrong with her?” “She’s lovesick,” I explained, like it was a real disease, like cancer or strep. After three years, still no cure. Now she huddles on the sofa with her wineglass, her dish of almonds, pale shards like ghosts. Dusty Springfield warbles: All that’s left is loneliness. My least favorite line – with plenty of contenders. Once I saw Dusty on video, looking not dusty but glowy. Like Mom before becoming Mom. Mom tells me Dusty went to South Africa in 1964, sang to integrated audiences, had her visa revoked. Apartheid is over, Mom says, but not the inequality. She sees my book. “How ridiculous! Elsa was from Kenya, not South Africa. Besides, Born Free isn’t the whole truth. You’ll always seek the whole truth, won’t you, Zach?” Years later, I still don’t know what that is. I wish I could ask her. “Tonight, ladies and gentleman,” the safari guide says as he gets into the open-air Land Cruiser, “we’re going to find lions.” “Lions! We’re going to find lions, Grandma!” The boy quivers with excitement. “Well, we’ll go out but if it’s up to me, the lions can have the night off,” the grandmother replies nervously. They take off and it’s not long before the guide hops out and looks around on the ground. “I’ve found some tracks. We’re close!” he says. They continue on before the Land Cruiser makes a gut-wrenching lurch and stops. The setting sun streaks across the horizon as the passengers gasp. The words they fear are spoken. “We’ve broken down,” the safari guide says. “It may take us some time to get going again. I’ll check the engine.” The safari guide hops out. The grandmother grips her grandson’s arm. “I’m going to need some help,” the safari guide says. The grandmother’s grip tightens as her stomach turns. “Don’t you dare get out of this Land Cruiser.” “Grandma, relax,” the boy says.” I’m sure everything will turn out fine.” He slides his arm free and hops off the side of the Land Cruiser. “What are you doing? Get back in here this instant,” the grandmother pleads. “Okay, I’m going to need everyone out to help push,” says the safari guide. Everyone but the grandmother gets out. “It’s alright grandma – hop out.” Warily the grandmother lowers herself to the savannah floor and sees the picnic laid out. The leaving of the storks I look up at the gigantic stork’s nest, searching for the family of four. They’re not to be seen. “Where have they gone?” I ask some locals, pointing up at the nest. “To Africa.” I’m told. As if Africa is small and defined. “But where in Africa?” I’m given unapologetic shrugs. There’s a pause as the locals look at one another, seeing who will answer. “Africa.” One of them finally states. Africa. Conrad’s Africa? Tribal Africa? Apartheid Africa? Coetzee’s Africa? Sahara Africa? Safari Africa? Dinesen’s Africa? Colonised Africa – French, British, …? Christian Africa? Muslim Africa? Flisar’s Africa? Gorillas-in-the-mist Africa? Coastal Africa? Inland Africa? Corrupt and dangerous Africa? Lonely Planet’s Africa? I make my way down to the lake edge in hope of finding the storks there. My last-ditch effort to see these angelic, graceful birds one more time. An offshore wind is blowing. Leaves, plucked off the branches overhanging the lake, tumble from the sky. They land and float on the water’s surface then, like boats, sail away … slowly and surely on a course defined by the breeze. The wind that’s taking everything with it: The leaves. The storks. Summer. What else will be taken? … and where is it all going? To this mysterious, vast Africa? This unspecified, simple ‘Africa’? All I’m certain of is: it’s going away from here. But not from me. The memory will stay, stuck in my head. Heavy. Unmovable. Going nowhere. Certainly not Africa. Mama and I went to Uncle’s office. “Your father was a good man,” he said, tapping my shoulder. Mama sat coiled in the chair as we waited for him to write a cheque. I smiled nervously. When Mama spoke about Uncle at home, her voice was loud. She called him ‘no different than an armed robber’. After her spectacular venting Mama would calm down and say, “We must never speak ill of Uncle outside these walls.” I had pieced together a sketchy timeline of what might have happened. Papa and Uncle had a business. Mama says Papa was too kind to realize what a two-timing snake his brother was. Papa took ill suddenly. Uncle was never available. Papa soon passed on. “My husband was a gentle soul,” Mama would say to the few people who came to see us in our one-roomed shack after our dramatic eviction from the prestigious apartments we once lived ‘happily’. But that’s not what I remember. I remember hitting and slamming. Afterwards, Mama struggled to explain her bruised face. “Oh, the floor in our bedroom is so slippery,” she would say. “One day, it’ll crack my brain open.” I was 10. I knew Papa hit her. I longed for a time when Mama and I could live without Papa’s constant terror. The autopsy said it was poisoning. After Papa’s funeral, Uncle visited us in the dead of the night. He would make the case go away as long as we, too, went away.

OUT OF ESSEX – CHAPTER 40 I have seen the Lord Stooping, Yeshua found a light switch. Then sat, silently, until upstairs noises faded back to slumber. He rubbed his head, still sore from the toilet roof. Then took in the visual cornucopia. Darkened wood, vinyl cushions on window seats. Anaglypta of a beer cream hue covered a low-beamed ceiling. “Please ask for a top up,” requested a wall sign. Above a window to the alleyway, a clock said 4.15. A blackboard advertised Nicholson’s guest ales, next to six sepia-tinted photos arranged in a rectangle. On another wall, a menu indicated maritime fare. ‘This hostelry was South East Essex Pub of the Year in 2012,’ boasted another sign. Investigating the single malt shelf, Jesus sighted an 18-year-old Bunnahabhain. The rascal that had steered the outcome of the ‘Maggie meeting’ some six years previous, he recalled. Its beginning released honeyed nuts and a salty tang, redolent of the sea. He looked out, through mist, to the ebbed Thames. Slowly acclimatising, remembering his brief visit eleven months earlier. Out in the estuary. Here surfaces were compressed and oppressive. His body felt impossibly heavy. The Bunnahabhain’s next stage comprised rich toffee and leathery oak aromas, then sherried nuts and a hint of natural oak wood. Subsequent dry notes mixed with varying spices. As the flavours bowed out on a light salt and sherry coda, soft steps carried from the alleyway. Jesus had unlocked the gate. Siddharta entered the room, preceded by his habitual glow. They high-fived then hugged for a full minute. Yesh whispered to be quiet, indicating the small glass on the bar. Buddha sat with him at the small window table, stepping over his friend’s long legs. After Jesus brought him up to speed, Siddharta used his lowest voice. “To ask for your plan would be like requesting a lion to write a thesis.” Jesus smiled. “We have a mission fit for lions. Gandhi will meet us in just over one hour. Then we travel to the City of Corruption.” Silently they enjoyed the whisky, before Jesus asked two questions. “Did we hurry Maggie? And, had you been there, at the fatal, drunken meeting, would we have chosen her?” Buddha reflected. The basic wisdoms never changed. “All souls make the best decisions available at any given moment. In epochs to come, our perceptions will accrue fresh colours. Something is unfolding, a process in which Maggie has enjoyed unique input. As has our friend Sal, who has been pining for his old existence.” In payment, they blessed the pub, ensuring it would be successful, and a source of comfort, for decades ahead. Exiting, Jesus left the alley gate slightly ajar. Sal and Maggie would soon require access. Old Leigh’s visuals mesmerised him. Surreal rows of wooden tables and benches; a sign proclaiming ‘Osborne Bros Seafood Merchants’; overwhelmingly yellow walls; the clapperboard of nearby buildings. Looking through screens was no preparation for this. They passed a white and brown building, The Coal Hole’, featured among the pub’s rectangle of photos. Jesus said Gandhi would ensure their safe legal passage in the hours to come. “Many is the donkey that has conceded its back legs in debate with Mahatma,” agreed Buddha. More views of the Estuary; then an old foundry. Cobbles beneath their feet, bared to ensure their souls were fully earthed. Other hostelries were here: The Smack, with SkySports, and the Mayflower. Lacking the softness of Palestinian inns. “Of you, my great friend, I request protective powers,” said Jesus. They halted on the pedestrian bridge over the railway. Little of 21st century Essex was perceptible in the dark. “Just as you protected this village from the tsunami,” he said. A train approached, passed beneath, vibrating the bridge. Yeshua felt air cool his skin. “Would you kindly guide us to Kent Elms Corner?” Sid mentally selected a route to stimulate his companion. A few trees were apparent, white blossom catching their gaze as they descended, opposite The Ship public house. Then up a hill, past an abandoned-looking building, sporting advice. ‘Live the life you love’. Hearts sat below the words. “My students are but 50 yards away – shall we collect them,” asked Sid. “All can be ready in minutes.” Jesus considered; shook his head. “Plenty of work awaits them, later. We must stay compact, deflect gazes.” A horn honked furiously. “Wot’s all this then, the faakin noooth Larndon derby or wot?” shouted an Essex cowboy, arm hanging from the builder’s van. “And where you get them faaakkin stilts mate?” Laughter rocked the vehicle. Jesus was wearing his Tottenham shirt and joggers. Essene carpenter robes would have been too conspicuous. He realised with a grin that Sid was in full Arsenal regalia. He had seen it as Buddha’s everyday garb, paying no notice. They would surely accustom themselves to further banter. Over the road a cobbled, uphill path beckoned. Black paint engulfed metal rails at either side. They stepped up, passing several housing terraces, glimpsing dewed gardens. A spired building came into view at the top. “St Clements church – you might want to look,” suggested Buddha. They heard a motorbike pass the foot of the hill, nearing its destination. Dawn Landais had woken early, with Genevieve in mind. She wished her daughter would stay in more regular touch. Steve’s snoring drove her from the bedroom, for a first cup of coffee. Fragments of her dream nagged. Something about a field. And Mrs Thatcher. No dafter than most dreams. She decided to start work, despite the dark. As much as anything, she wanted to be in the fresh morning air. And takings from the windscreen work were beginning to rise again, as the days lengthened. She pulled on a spare fleece and jeggings. Instinct said it would be a good day. Better than usual. George called a very senior Essex policeman with the instruction to bury the Southchurch events without trace. “Evaporate any mess.” He called the editors of every British daily to specify zero coverage. A similar instruction to his contact who controlled Essex media. Relatives of the dirty dozen would be told their kin had died bravely preventing a coup by a would-be dictator in Central Africa. On the Highway to Hell, Bob held court, surrounded by Satan’s six other cats. “He’s gone down again,” he whispered. “Jesus has gone in again.” Rosie felt surges of excitement. She regurgitated a conversation between archangels Gabriel and Michael that she had earwigged. “They were talking about that very possibility yesterday, in the angels’ canteen. Michael reckoned it was about two thousand Earth years since all the New Testament shenanigans.” Bob did the maths. “2,014 years since he last went down. 1,981 years since he came back.” In the churchyard, Yesh looked at his own crucifixion. No shelter had covered his thorned head outside the Jerusalem walls. He and Sid walked on, past graves, to a road. A sign was visible. ‘Unified by Love and Hope, Jesus welcomes all.’ It puzzled him. Vexed him even. “I never told a soul to congregate in churches,” he said, softly. Priests were little more than entertainers, in the charade begun long ago by the Church of Rome. They walked along Leigh Broadway, his eyes revolting. Gaudy merchandise in windows. Unyielding surfaces, colours swirling like vomit. Above a shop, a sign specified ‘A Touch Too Wild’. Lifeless mannequins in scanty dresses. Cohesion eluded him. “Science seems to have created a society in which a simple man can no longer be,” he groaned. “If the next Jesus exists in these streets, or the next Buddha, nobody will recognise them.” Paving stones alone provided symmetry. They passed Leigh Road Baptist church, adjacent to Our Lady of Lourdes and St Joseph Catholic church. A statue entitled ‘Christ of the Deep in bronze’ adorned the latter’s gardens. “How did this happen, these buildings?” he asked Sid. “When you become religious you become solitary, dive for the innermost core, the inner Kingdom where only you are. It is the greatest transformation. You may humbly try to bring that light to others. But these churches? People can only lose themselves, even as they fill the collection boxes.” They passed the Poppies Café of Leigh, Havens Hospices, The Cooperative and a shop named Karma. “Stay calm – you’re only 50,” advised a pink balloon in a window. “Come on you Irons,” yelled a driver with a West Ham mascot under his front mirror, just before the St Michael and All Angels church. Soon the houses were bigger, more boastful. They turned left, past the red brick of a school with royal blue railings, traffic increasing in volume. Raucous comments came from drivers. Down a hill, past the Love Leigh Lengths Boutique. White houses proliferated, accentuating wisteria in flower. Green and blue boards sheltered waste ground at the foot of the hill, near a dazzlingly bright pink house. Somewhere below the horizon, light announced its imminence. He dived within himself, losing track of surroundings until they crossed a large road, where dandelion waves bordered the pavement. “What do you make of it, Sid? You have lived here, mixed with citizens. I have no sense of this, saving the sense that all are fast asleep.” It satisfied him that he could not have guessed the answer. Buddha referred to ‘The Grand Cross’, an extremely rare astrological alignment that peaked in 14 days, on April 23. Pluto opposite Jupiter; Mars opposite Uranus. “The cross that they make combines the signs of Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn. These signs all enjoy being the boss, leading the parade. All love to initiate change,” he said. Yeshua rejoiced that his friend could lift him. “Advise me on how we should best be during this time, as we head for the Dark City,” he said, smiling now. “Just be”, Sid replied calmly. “Be, stay gentle with yourself and others. But know that old patterns and constructs no longer apply. What was done historically will no longer work, does no longer work, so dare to dream vividly, of new ways of community and governance.” Sid continued. “I shared your unease when I arrived; but found most humans possess good hearts. That will count during this shift point. Dramatic but positive outcomes will be chosen.” A female voice spoke in Polish from a top floor flat. The thoroughfare was widening, light trying to broaden. “Caterpillars will become butterflies,” said Sid, confidently. “You have entered a world where information can travel in a split second. No longer does it take 300 years to move from Dark Age to Renaissance. It can happen overnight, if a few strong minds send clear messages.” Red and white lines laced the emergent sky. The Buddha told of his initial astonishment at the Essex humans he encountered. “My head and gut seized control. I saw indentured servants walking the breadline, money shrinking or stolen, justice disappearing, consciousness traduced by media. The government and royal family manufacturing consent then milking people left and right. Bankers printing money like madmen to keep their lifestyles and grandeur afloat. Everything for sale. And everyone trained to submission, believing the little pieces of paper have value, allowing the money printers to harvest their energy.” Jesus walked on the grass wherever possible. Early passers-by looked up at him with incredulity. Buddha continued: “But my heart took over. I saw love in how humans can and do treat each other. It was clear they lack time or tools to change the wider situation. People are exhausted and uninformed – so Earth’s elites do whatever they want, when they want. My role was never to judge, but to enlighten. The results at our centre have been pleasing.” A woman crossed the road, shunning them, as Siddharta described the universe eliminating things that did not work. “That is natural apocalypse – the striking apocalypse of renewal that we are living in now.” Buddha explained how each night – in the few hours when his disciples slept – he went into trance to watch spirit worlds. He had seen the pain felt by tens of millions starving in sub-Saharan Africa. “It manifests as a thin yellow light with flecks of red anger, hidden behind dark ghouls that inhabit these worlds. I heard the Earth itself yelping with pain, from the trees being felled in the Amazon forest.” They turned left, opposite a church, a huge cross on its side. St Cedds. Siddharta told of his watershed vision earlier that night. “There was not a single ghoul to be seen, nor any yelp from Gaia. Instead a golden light was close. I sensed it is ready to fry the flat and manufactured language of assets, profit, and investors’ rights. And that you were here, with us, at last. Unbidden, my feet took me to the Crooked Billet.” They crossed a junction. Traffic lights divided the dwellings either side; the humble and the prouder. Drivers were opening windows, recording the sight on their phones. Jesus’ high vantage point gave an impression that small, shiny but misshapen boxes were shunting and shuffling. Ahead, he read the Essex Ford sign, saw greater numbers of the shuffling boxes that needed the Earth’s minerals. “Kent Elms Corner,” said Sid, two minutes later. “Here we are.” They found a bench, near a large curving bridge across the road. On the other side of the junction, a dark-haired figure energetically washed windscreens at the traffic lights. Coins slid into her hip pouch at regular intervals. The sun was rising brightly to the east over the A127 suburbs. A small, wiry figure wrapped in white approached, pounding the pavement with an equal energy. As Gandhi crossed towards them, smiling, the car washer looked across. “It has begun,” said Jesus. He felt harmony and balance return, felt his vibration rise, felt his head and gut chakras take a back seat. Acclimatisation to Earth was every inch the challenge Sid had described.

Do not set on your own up for failure by building a fake profile. As an example, if you head out of your means to make on your own appear like the athlete of the year, you will attract fitness and outdoor fanatics. This is okay if that is what you are searching for. Nevertheless, if you would instead check out a publication than go mountaineering, you must stick to what you understand. Now that you've created a profile that you are confident will send out romance your method, the following step is selecting a possible mate along with weeding the great from the bad. Let us Marchand MB asian sluts in local a woman asks you if you like BBQ chicken wings. You could say" Yeah" and the conversation would perish. I get them each time I purchase pizza with pineapple topping" . This leaves room for your girl to chat about pizza, BBQ chicken wings, and pineapple. I initially thought about dividing these romantic tidings into two segments, What women like, and what men enjoy, but I understood that it's better for the reader to experience both segments not just to confirm their own feelings, but to really get a feel for what others have gone. As soon as you can see what others are dealing with and how they respond or do not, you have any insight to what may be unacceptable or acceptable and alter your stances. They would obviously hookers and beer doing the things we had been working on. But if the second or first interactions did not go well, it had been harder for me to keep them from falling back in their ruts. Do they need to be replicated or are you caught up in the stories revealed by advertising fed to you by the internet dating websites? Of course many are true are the deaths left from the roadside but also true. Jason: In the morning, after we have taken our shower and dressed to go out, she came close to me, winked at me, and started unbuttoning my shirt, then said, " Jason, I need to fuck. " Jason: We didn't do it since I was not in the mood. We just laughed over it. You'll notice as you are currently talking to her, that when you've got a girl she will often zone out. It will seem like nothing about her matters. It is only her and you in her mind. That is a great sign. Extraverts are more prone than introverts to utilize the expanding relationship. Research with the Myers- Briggs Form Indicator( a psychological test that describes people by personality types) shows that extraverts cure casual sex scappoose with different people, whereas introverts cure better by themselves. Assume that she is drawn to you, and treat her as if she is sexually attracted to you. Here is the leap of faith you want to make. If you presume this and you think it, how you behave alters. It will show in your range of activities ifyou're wealthy. If you went to Local sluts dtf Stewiacke- league colleges and only want to date other Ivy grads, sign up that's an. Maybe you were born into a family with assets or you worked difficult to construct a lifestyle on your own. But you arrived do not boast about cars, homes, vacations or other indications of success. You can Marchand Manitoba busty hookers alexis may entrepreneurial spirit and your hard work but stay far from crowing about the payoffs. That is the reason we proposed that you use a deal that characterizes the type of individualyou're. Don't try to sound like a Marchand Manitoba british prostitutes god or a sex goddess. On the off probability that you are, let another person choose for herself or himself; ( it's much superior to having the individual concoct explanations such as" is it in yet? " ) So remain far from handles such as Handsomehunk Megastud, Superbabe or even Bedlover. But guess what: modern living longer rewards. Marchand good ts dating apps living rewards because we stalking the savannah seeking a gazelle think. If you can't think beyond conventional wisdom it merely means that your suggestions and actions are doomed to mediocrity. We reside and you aren't going to Marchand MB it. So it's in fact fairly simple, any person can associate with any of those points as well as after reading that, it would certainly be really simple for a female to send you a casual sex prom informing you that she fits everythingyou're searching for. A Word to the Widowed Maybeyou're a widow or widower who had been happy and satisfied in your relationship that is lost. Research suggests that individuals who elect to wed again have remarriages that are likely to last. Adjusting to being widowed is a procedure that is difficult and very painful, thus most of the cubes in our rebuilding version are beneficial and applicable to those. Widowed individuals, but don't need to address one of the parts of the adjustment: a love affair that is unhappy. Energy Vampire Sub- Types We've discussed the fact that there are two kinds of vampire, the conscious and the oblivious nonetheless, it's also important to mention that energy vampires come in sub- types. These include the following: The victim: Many people find a way to perform with the victim in each scenario; the role has been mastered by them and will find every opportunity to let the world know how unnaturally they have been treated. You will soon get tired of listening to them whine all the time if you know a person like this. If their boss asks them to perform the job that's been stated in their occupation contract they moan, and they complain when they must wait in line like everybody else on earth. When you can't answer the phone as you are in an important meeting, they whine; the list is endless. Thinking about all the things that a individual with a victim mentality whines about will find horny local sluts email Marchand MB you. After you have left their presence hung up the telephone on a individual, their voice continues to Marchand Manitoba rose city hookers you. We are going to begin with recognizing that manuals about dating assume you wish to meet a guy, fall in love and get married. That assumption isn't made by me. Some girls just Marchand MB creampie sex dating to find a terrific guy to spend weekends with. Some women want even less commitment and hope to find a man to have sex with occasionally. The ability to accurately read verbal and non- verbal cues is a sign of emotional intelligence. You're dating somebody, if you are continuously finding a need to convey your feelings for your spouse. I am certainly not stating that your spouse should be able appeal to of your requirements and to Marchand local sluts who like to fuck your every emotion; however, at a minimum, they should be. I like to travel! Can you tell from my pictures? I've seen poverty around the world I feel so lucky to have the capability, my mind along with my health to be able to wake up daily knowing I could do whatever I want and go wherever I wish to! I am not going to squander! Like many guys, I like women, certain! However, what I am really after, if you haven't been able to tell is. Ifyou're able to speak Spanish or French, it would be an excellent compliment to my. I need a girl who will find beauty in the small things, in camping in a forest and in hiking that hill. Ifyou're not the kind of woman who can scruff up it for some time then we are not going to get on! I'm hoping to find that perfect personwe' ll travel the planet and get to know each other like no one we've ever understood before. We'll be unstoppable! I know that within time, I'll adore those gaps and would not change them, although I don't expect her to be perfect right away. People are afraid of being inundated with dates that are casual sex campina grande if they start reaching out to others who weren't their first choice. If you seek reasons to not contact individuals on dating sites, you are able to narrow your range so far that you find hardly any people that seem" fitting. " You can easily get discouraged, if you contact the ones that were many fitting. Low response rates can leave you believing that there is nobody out there for you. Be a bit adventurous, In case your Must- Haves record is coated in your search criteria, and permit yourself to think beyond the Marchand. You may be glad you did. I had been a different man after this" brake upward" . I started not giving a ****and it felt awesome. I'd speak to girls and I wouldn't care what I said or if she liked what I said. I would tease women and also make sexual jokes( even though I was a virgin) , I wouldn't start getting shy when women would touch me and girls would respond to me personally although I wasn't attractive. I would give them a compliment and would never buy anything but somehow they'd text me and acknowledge their feelings. So, GMC switched it by placing a price tag on his d ***before she could have a taste. This comes the igniter of the VSG. Earlier that afternoon, they both had a Marchand Manitoba dating apps problems where he advised her to present his d ***a title and all she could come up with was" Chiboy. " Her: Hey! Her: No guy licked his palms. It is said that among the problems with Internet dating is it is so easy to continually look over your shoulder. You don't ever have to devote because as soon as you become frustrated, unhappy, whatever, there's always someone new who will respond to your" wink. " And local creampie sluts Marchand MB us face it, every connection leaves you sad, and is frustrating. These things are hardwired into all relationships. But when you find The Real Deal, when you have found give it the chance. And don't look over your shoulder. Here's the list of few benefits that you would get via online dating: Convenient, Quick and Easy: The ease, speed and casual sex couch of online dating websites make it the perfect choice for the active people with no energy or time for customary dating Marchand Manitoba local sluts gifs. May seem like an effort that is intimidating but it's in Marchand MB online dating site jobs a practice that is very simple. When I told her she only looked at me like" oh no" and that I could see the local sluts Lac-Sainte-Marie and also the appearance of running away. Some eased up, as we continued to talk, but I sensed fear. We left another date. I told her so, and knew I could be overpowering. " Please, do not best lesbian dating apps. When I come on too strong, simply say so. " As she grew more comfortable, I had to appear and tell her, " You are the person I have been looking for my whole life" I'd say, " Okay then, let's not observe each other, " and I'd spend my day on the job, then come home only to see a text with meet me at the beach for a picnic. Obviously, this could put a large grin on my face. Cast A Wide Net Online dating has truly turned into a experience that is social. If there is no continuous chemistry, don't lose your date. He or she could introduce you to some new friend or business associate. You are going to be widening your circle while lookingfor'theone'. In the conclusion of this day, be kind to those you meet on line. Research actually shows that the username is looked at by most men and women first, then the photo. Only if they enjoy what they see will they read the rest of your profile. Pick the wrong username and snap, folks will click beyond your profile and move on.

A feature is: When a woman comes to a room with you, regardless of whether in the hotel area or in the apartment, the instance is actually clear and you'll have cim hookers la. Sometimes that she comes to your room with 16, you need to make efforts. However, as soon as she once is there, she'll want sex with you. Take hair for example, not just merely holes in automobile flooring. We put, unfortunately concern in to baldness. Once you may think a dater might be concerned about what type of car he drove on a date, the guy really did not care. The man with the older car that was brown often wished he was in a silver Eldorado to visit the woman's estate. Him, using a hole in the floor, however, didn't stop. He plunged forward with gusto into the evening with the woman that was significant. As it turns out, that one date became many dates. The lady took a rabid liking for himthe Chevette- owner, Pickup Paul. From going because of him, his physical appearance being of a man completely hardup, did not stop her in any sense. Why? She liked him, simple and plain. Is this loud and clear enough? He was a listener after him big- time, and she had been. Recently divorced local horny sluts Val-Shefford QC frequently ask: " How can I make friends following a divorce? Where can I find someone to date? " The dilemma is that a number of previously married people are out looking desperately instead of just enjoying the people around them. Your goal for now must be to get to know people; some of these new acquaintances might become exceptional friends or even fans. However, be Dipper Harbour truck stop prostitutes and proceed. Begin by enlarging your" pool" of acquaintances. You may meet new people wherever you go- - the grocery store; church; classes in computers, tennis, ceramics, cooking, language, or development; neighborhood classes; volunteer actions; the library; operate; or even the dog. ( And, yes, we are aware that online communities and interest groups offer venues for meeting new folks, but we invite you to join in person whenyou're able to. ) As you do begin to research ways to create new friends, you'll find that ifyou're really interested in the people with whom you are in touch, you ship out" vibrations" which make people want to react. But if you come across desperate, as lonely, and needy, individuals won't want to be about you. Actually those amazing features on your date- - the stunningly out of the normal lady is what we are here discussing- - could, and will, also, result in overlooking another true fact that she could prove to be rather, ahem, er, forgetful. Is this news? Can a person see that an striking date could be forgetful? We are not Dipper Harbour New Brunswick predators online dating sites about a lack of remembering in Dipper Harbour NB eur rome prostitutes. It is. Can you ever consider that a stupendous amazing date could leave matters in places that are distant where they are while telling you that you simply do not step up, and forget. Cheeseburger and shake in hand, the temptations from the night another's mouths. She wasn't even hot for crying out loud! " As you take another bite of your cheeseburger whilst watching the grease drip to the paper that held it so together, you know a tear has dropped out of your own eye. She gives you a huge hug, while the casual sex blogs Dipper Harbour of the girls keep the dialogue moving for your privacy's sake. Individuals are familiar with just a relationship at a time. In fact, the evidence seems clear that most people want a psychological relationship to encourage a connection. You are currently looking to alora fuck buddy Dipper Harbour New Brunswick her. Since you don't accept yourself for who you are this mindset comes. You're uncomfortable with that you are. This is the reason why people boast. They need people to look them up since they don't find the worth in themselves. After she replies, add a phrase- it had been the dream where you get caught in a steady downpour and how you got muddy( or utilize any other word without the literal mention of the phrase filthy) . Now that you just made a joke about it, it does build up the sexual tension and might even make her live local free sluts Dipper Harbour NB, laugh or both. But it did its work, discussing the fantasy made her believe about sex and that is precisely where she was wanted by you. You may think it seems like tedious game- playing yet really it is just flirtation mixed with a little bit of ground- testing. And also it can be enjoyable once you can see it is reciprocated and also feel the radiance of Dipper Harbour NB local black sluts that she is kind of interested. The way they feel around their peers can vary. In 1Dipper Harbour casual sex while gaming we discovered about, divorce was so prevalent that when one boy told his college friends his parents were getting a Dipper Harbour NB big breasts casual sex, another kid said, " Your parents are finally getting together, aren't they? " In another community divorce can be so uncommon that your son or daughter might be the child of divorce in the grade. When people have a tendency to look down as opposed to keeping their eyes level, another time is when they are intimidated by or attracted to someone. Doing so projects Dipper Harbour crazy local sluts and weakness. Here's something to keep in mind. You never know if one of your matches is in the mood to perform with. Your improvements could disgust her one day two weeks later open right up to the idea. For this Dipper Harbour New Brunswick leaked local sluts, you can not stop on the games who Dipper Harbour New Brunswick netlog online dating you should they turn you local sluts cumshots Dipper Harbour once. Now undoubtedly, this is where that date needs to have finished. Really, I must have run for the hills when I saw the to- catch- a- predator prop he drove fly via town, however I didn't. I froze, like a dumb deer in the headlights, and now I was stuck walking right into a bar with a man who was clearly all wrong- - not just for me, but also for humanity. Do not talk. It's better to say nothing if you can't think of anything good to say. If you believe it's a good minute to end the conversation, just do it. From the time that the conversation comes to an end they stop responding. Do not keep, it is generally Dipper Harbour local sluts hookup app to come across as desperate. How you manage them would be the most crucial thing. They don't need to become a fire where the entire home gets burnt to the ground, including the yard. Try to consider misunderstandings as a candle that you attempt to dismiss out and with little work. He's passed the exam when it comes to your Relationship Wish List and Deal Breaker List. You've enjoyed spending some time together and whether the both of you can take it to the next level you'd like to find out. Is do you like who he is? When you first meet someone, it's really easy to become caught up in the chemistry. And when an intimate relationship happens immediately, it is Dipper Harbour NB local latina teen sluts tumblr harder to figure out if what you heart's feeling is love or lust. When a girl has a physical connection with a guy, her heart and her body bond with him making it easy she's feeling. You and your partner are projecting your unhappiness onto each other, making the other" responsible" to your unhappiness. You haven't learned to take ownership of your own feelings. Meme online dating Dipper Harbour apart- - with a strategy for development- - could help both of you learn how to accept adult responsibility. You will learn not to Dipper Harbour dating apps zero mathes about what anyone says on Tinder to you. Always keep the mentality that is white that is fantastic. Don't be reluctant to unmatch a girl who strikes on you with a comment that is glossy or dismiss her completely. Study- - " Mr Y" Recently we talked to Mr Y concerning his hope of winning over a girl that currently has a boyfriend. This week, allow's flip it and discuss what it's like to be the individual who's around to shed their partner. Feminism allows women to take advantage of Western men's demeanor. Men want to provide for girls; we want to free local sluts Dipper Harbour after those. We'll do( almost) whatever that a woman asks, just for the off- chance we might get closer to them. Even the most alpha, do not- give- a- damn man will endure. Ever heard thephrase'Happy wife, happylife'? Yeah. Men will mostly do what their women ask them to. Why are men so keen to do what girls ask of them? Other than the desire for sexual accessibility, there are motivators at play too. The psychological bias known as the WAW effect, ( shortfor'girls arefantastic') pushes the agenda. This bias strengthens many feminist topics, such as Patriarchy rape civilization, the wage gap, and many others. How else would you explain the willingness to accept such total and total lunacy? The WAW effect implies we have a Dipper Harbour sex dating nude pics to feature desired and positive traits to female characteristics towards guys. Coupled with the reality that men tend to appease women( at least in Western nations, anyhow) , the WAW effect handicaps guys( and women) , leaving them unable to think seriously about feminine behavior. Together with the WAW effect in, well, impact, girls and you have the leg up on men and the modern world now we have, respectively. After all, the only option isn't to do it( that is fine too, if you opt to do that) but then you would not be relationship that seemingly was something you wanted, or you wouldn't have signed up and got this far. There are a number of subtle influences from the household. Bruce discovered: " My beloved spouse came from a family of strong females; I came from a family of strong males. As to which sex was going to be the boss, one of the family of origin problems would be to make a compromise. In all seriousness, when we form dating relationships, with we want to associate? Would you enjoy dullness? Then by all means, whenever you date people who have given up a child or two in the past possibly it would be about the side that is smart to quickly look for the return of the retards. Add loss +bliss and you will begin acting irrationally distressed and needy once you know that it's incorrect. You'll start overanalyzing you love her, but in fact, the loss and the bliss is the cause- - it magnified the problem till it hurts more.

75 Easy Highlights on Dark Hair Designs – Reveal the Colors Nowadays, highlights on dark hair cut across the board because they work for both ladies and men. As a man, you can have the best haircut, but the chances are that it will not be unique because other people also have it, but you can change this with some bright highlights. And the good thing is that the options are endless when it comes to introducing color to your dark locks and below is a gallery of 75 different ideas that you can try out. - # 1 Scruffy Brunette Pompadour - # 2 Wavy Chocolate Brown Faux Hawk - # 3 Sexy Gray White - # 4 Subtle Blonde Streaks - # 5 Relaxed Summer Locks - # 6 Long Windswept Bangs - # 7 Pony Pastel Hair - # 8 Textured Clipper Cut - # 9 Gorgeous Watermelon Hair - # 10 Silver Smoke - # 11 Blunt Cut with Red Highlights - # 12 Blonde Highlights on Wavy Hair - # 13 Pink Purple Highlights for Men - # 14 Caramel Highlights for Men - # 15 Dusty Pink Highlights - # 16 Dark Red Highlight for Spiky Hair - # 17 Rainbow Highlights for Long Men’s Hair - # 18 Blonde Highlight for Box Cut - # 19 Pink Highlights for Mohawk - # 20 Silver Ashy Blonde and Caramel Highlights - # 21 Brushed Back and Layered Bangs - # 22 Lean and High with Texture - #23 Funky Summer Blue - # 24 Textured and Tapered Slick Back - # 25 Subtle Blonde on Layered Curls - # 26 Golden Blonde Comb Over - # 27 Oil Slick Balayage - # 28 Spiky Redhead - # 29 Sweet Brown Streaks on Dreads - # 30 The Wavy Brush Back - # 31 Super Cute Rainbow Hair - # 32 Silver Gray Quiff - # 33 Fresh Bronde Streaks - # 34 Fashionable Colored and Upswept Front - # 35 Wild Highlighted Curls - # 36 Copper Brown and a Super Cute Slick Back - # 37 Inspiring Blonde Streaks - # 38 Long Top Bangs with a Hint of Golden Copper - # 39 Dazzling Golden Green Faux Hawk - # 40 V-Cut with Pink and Green Comb Over Bangs - Idea # 41 - Idea # 42 - Idea # 43 - Idea # 44 - Idea # 45 - Idea # 46 - Idea # 47 - Idea # 48 - Idea # 49 - Idea # 50 - Idea # 51 - Idea # 52 - Idea # 53 - Idea # 54 - Idea # 55 - Idea # 56 - Idea # 57 - Idea # 58 - Idea # 59 - Idea # 60 - Idea # 61 - Idea # 62 - Idea # 63 - Idea # 64 - Idea # 65 - Idea # 66 - Idea # 67 - Idea # 68 - Idea # 69 - Idea # 70 - Idea # 71 - Idea # 72 - Idea # 73 - Idea # 74 - Idea # 75 # 1 Scruffy Brunette Pompadour This hairdo looks fabulous, and it entails tapering the sides and leaving a long and textured scruffy pompadour on the crown. And if you give the natural brunette some subtle brown streaks then you can be sure of a trendy appearance. # 2 Wavy Chocolate Brown Faux Hawk The undercut and fade on the sides help to create a beautiful pompadour. However, the wavy strands on the crown and their beautiful chocolate brown highlights are what make this a top notch headdress. # 3 Sexy Gray White There is nothing fancy about this hairdo except for its beautiful color. To replicate this look, you only need to leave some long locks on the crown and taper the sides before finishing with a gray-white dye job on the top. # 4 Subtle Blonde Streaks Although this hairdo has a beautiful upswept and wavy design on crown the introduction of the subtle blonde highlight adds some class to it. This color also helps to brighten up the naturally dark strands. # 5 Relaxed Summer Locks The messy layered and side swept look of this summer haircut is breathtaking and if you combine this with the beautiful honey brown highlight on the design you have a very classy gentleman look. # 6 Long Windswept Bangs Long sexy bangs with an amazing windswept side sweep would probably look good with any color, but the blend of the brown hues in this one makes the design look distinct. # 7 Pony Pastel Hair Bright pastel shades are not a preserve for ladies because they can still make a man look elegant. In this design blue, purple and green hues combine to give the slicked back and undercut strands a gorgeous shade that will make any man stand out. # 8 Textured Clipper Cut The texture of the short bangs on top is amazing, and if you add this to the fresh fade on the sides, you have a beautiful haircut. However, the introduction of the dark pink hue to the textured bangs takes the overall appearance a class higher. # 9 Gorgeous Watermelon Hair Pink, red and yellow hues combine to give this black hair a beautiful watermelon shade. The strands also have a lovely combover style that combines with this cute color to create a beautiful hairdo. # 10 Silver Smoke Silver is a beautiful shade that will also work for men. In this design, this delightful hue helps to make some long and messy brushed back bangs look magnificent. # 11 Blunt Cut with Red Highlights Build your haircut using blunt layers and give the temple hair and the fringe more definition with some orange-red highlights that will amazingly suit your brown hai. Give them a try and tell us how it went! # 12 Blonde Highlights on Wavy Hair When you have dark hair, blonde highlights are ideal for men who want a subtle color change in the hair department. You don’t need to apply the dye all over the head, just create some highlights, and you’ll see how gorgeous they will look. # 13 Pink Purple Highlights for Men Who said short hair leaves you with just a few styling options? They are all so wrong because if you love colors, you can style the top hair however you like. Get a radical change and mix pink and purple highlights for an unforgettable look. Does this look dull to you? # 14 Caramel Highlights for Men Are you blessed with thick hair? If the answer is yes, in this case, you can style some caramel highlights for the top hair or even get an ombre. The contrast between the bright hues and the dark-colored sides and beard will be breathtaking. # 15 Dusty Pink Highlights If you need some color in your life, start with the hair. Create pink highlights on a short hairstyle with a long wavy top and no woman will be able to resist your charms. # 16 Dark Red Highlight for Spiky Hair This look is remarkably distinctive and not many guys out there have the boldness to do it. Create spiky hair and make blonde and dark red highlights that will beautifully blend. On sides, build razored circles for an outstanding presence. # 17 Rainbow Highlights for Long Men’s Hair Rainbow hair is a true fashion movement, and not only girls love to pull it off. If you are a confident man who is not afraid of a unique look, opt for metallic pink, green and blue shades to spice things up a little. # 18 Blonde Highlight for Box Cut Box cuts are back in trends and you can easily transform this retro haircut into a modern option. It’s so simple! All you have to do is highlight a thick strand of your hair with a blonde hair dye, and you’ll instantly upgrade it. # 19 Pink Highlights for Mohawk When you want a look that really stands out, is nonconformist, and represents you, a mohawk is definitely the winner. Transform it into a statement with pink-red highlights for a memorable look. # 20 Silver Ashy Blonde and Caramel Highlights Asian men adore giving their black tresses some glow and you can obtain that with a short haircut and ash-blonde metallic and caramel highlights. Apply the brighter hues only for long top hair to achieve that mind-blowing effect. # 21 Brushed Back and Layered Bangs The neat cut on this hairdo creates some beautifully textured bangs on the crown with the sides faded. Apart from this the strands also have a lovely brushed back and layered styling that helps to add some detail to some very subtle brown highlights on the hair. # 22 Lean and High with Texture The height of the locks on the crown is amazing, and they also have a beautiful texture that makes them adorable. These strands also have a lovely golden blonde shade that makes them look exquisite. #23 Funky Summer Blue Guys can also have some fun with color, and this summer blue shade is a perfect example of this. Here the strands have a fantastic tapering on the sides and some feathered strands on the crown that you should give the beautiful blue dye job to create a perfect summer look. # 24 Textured and Tapered Slick Back The texture of the strands on the crown and the tapering on the sides are amazing. This hairdo also has a distinct slick back design that entails arranging the textured top bangs into a lovely pattern. However, the chocolate brown highlight on these locks also makes them look fantastic. # 25 Subtle Blonde on Layered Curls This design demonstrates how a man can introduce some highlights to his hairdo without using too much color. It entails giving some layered curly locks some subtle blonde streaks to make them look fantastic. # 26 Golden Blonde Comb Over If the amazing fade on this design and the fancy pompadour comb over do not convince you to try it, then the highlights should. They are beautiful golden blonde streaks that create an amazing contrast with the dark base color. # 27 Oil Slick Balayage The strands on the top section of this hairdo are hand painted, and this is one of the things that make them look beautiful. They also have a perfect color choice that entails combining blue and purple to create a classic oil slick design. # 28 Spiky Redhead The neat spikes on this design are fantastic, and they combine with the beautiful fade on the sides to create a top notch headdress. These spikes also have some lovely red highlights that take their appearance a notch higher. # 29 Sweet Brown Streaks on Dreads Dreadlocks are quite elegant, but you can still flatter their appearance with a fancy cut and a beautiful dye job. In this design, they have a fade on the sides and a few of them have a blonde dye, and this makes the dreads look extra cute. # 30 The Wavy Brush Back A simple brush back design is enough to make your wavy strands look adorable. However, this haircut takes things a little further with a fade on the sides and by introducing some brown highlights. # 31 Super Cute Rainbow Hair Multiple tones will also make a man look fresh and cute. This style combines various bright pastels to enhance the beauty of the fancy haircut and to brighten the overall appearance of the wearer. # 32 Silver Gray Quiff The quiff in this design has a very innovative cut with an elegant razor line on the side and a nice fade. However, the introduction of the silver gray highlights in the quiff is what makes this a fancy haircut. # 33 Fresh Bronde Streaks Adding some color to your hairstyle can transform it into something magnificent like this one. You also need to choose the hues carefully, but you can never go wrong with a blend of brown and blonde as they form a beautiful shade like this one. # 34 Fashionable Colored and Upswept Front Without the color, this design would be a typical long top with faded side hairdo. The introduction of the beautiful highlights and the upsweep of the strands at the front help to create an elegant hairstyle. # 35 Wild Highlighted Curls These curls do not have any trimming, and so they maintain their natural growth pattern, and this is what gives them their wild look. They also have some beautiful brown highlights that help to spice up their overall form. # 36 Copper Brown and a Super Cute Slick Back This fancy haircut maintains some cute bangs in the middle of the head that you should style with a simple layered brush back. They also have a beautiful copper brown tone at the front that adds to the beauty of the haircut. # 37 Inspiring Blonde Streaks The fancy cut on this style makes the blonde shade on top look more appealing. It is a simple taper fade but with an innovative layered styling from a center part. # 38 Long Top Bangs with a Hint of Golden Copper Men with long textured and voluminous strands should try this fantastic hairdo. It entails leaving some long locks on the crown and then giving them a hint of golden copper to make them dazzle before finishing by sweeping them to the side. # 39 Dazzling Golden Green Faux Hawk This funky hairdo starts with a smooth fade on the sides and by leaving some textured strands on the crown. You should then give the long strands beautiful golden and green highlights and style by combing them over to the side. # 40 V-Cut with Pink and Green Comb Over Bangs The V-shape at the back of this hairdo is amazing, and it makes this design trendy. These strands also have a lovely zero fade and a fancy razor line at the back, but the pink and green combover bangs on the crown are the highlight of the hairstyle. Idea # 41 Idea # 42 Idea # 43 Idea # 44 Idea # 45 Idea # 46 Idea # 47 Idea # 48 Idea # 49 Idea # 50 Idea # 51 Idea # 52 Idea # 53 Idea # 54 Idea # 55 Idea # 56 Idea # 57 Idea # 58 Idea # 59 Idea # 60 Idea # 61 Idea # 62 Idea # 63 Idea # 64 Idea # 65 Idea # 66 Idea # 67 Idea # 68 Idea # 69 Idea # 70 Idea # 71 Idea # 72 Idea # 73 Idea # 74 Idea # 75 Highlights on dark hair are a perfect idea for men who want to enhance their natural strands without having to do much. Apart from this they also help to brighten the overall look, and there are also many colors that you can use to create a refined look. And so if you want to take your looks a notch higher you should try one or a few of the fashionable designs above.[easy-social-share]

It was the classic scene from Steel Magnolias – a Sunday afternoon in the hair salon and a group of women gossiping. One of the women was pregnant with her first. The once cohesive group quickly became divided at the topic of how the baby’s gender should be revealed. It was now 3 against 1. The three of us became exactly what every first time pregnant woman needs – a peanut gallery. The mother-to-be had an appointment in a few weeks to find out the gender. The plan was for her and her husband to be go to the appointment and find out the gender together and then tell the family. Of course the 3 of us felt this should be handled differently – with a party! Gender Reveal Cake The grandmother-to-be offered to take a sealed envelope with the results to a specialty bakery and have a cake made to reveal the gender. I loved the idea! I pictured cutting the cake after a dinner party filled with anticipation. To add excitement, I would add a few touches. For one, I would set up a boy and a girl table. The guests would show which gender they guess by where they sat. I’d also have a box of It’s a Boy and another of It’s a Girl gum cigars to hand out as a favor for sharing in the exciting news! The challenge is the cake takes 3 days to make. The mother to be didn’t want to add additional wait time. Hey, I hear her! I personally couldn’t wait another second after knowing the information was available. All three members of the peanut gallery had kids and we all found out our own way. I had 2 kids and found out in the middle of an ultrasound with both. I still remember my daughter crying when they told her she was going to have a brother. Unfortunately, they weren’t tears of happiness, she was sad it wasn’t a cat. Bottom line – you can’t please everyone. If her only hold up was the additional 3 day wait, there had to be a solution! I thought about having a bakery put together two boxes of cake pops. One boy and one girl. Take both to the appointment with a post it note on top labeling the boxes. Give the boxes to the ultrasound tech to take out of the room and bring back the correct box without the post it. The hospital staff could keep the other box as a treat for all of they special care. Balloons don’t need much advanced notice. Ask the ultrasound tech to write the gender on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. Take a fun box that is ready to be filled with balloons to a local party store. Tell them what you are doing and ask when to be back? It then occurred to me that maybe the mother to be just wanted to find out in the moment like the rest of us. I think we were all excited about the notion of a gender reveal party because it is something different. Gender reveal parties weren’t as big of thing when I had my kids and my youngest is only 3. It’s definitely a trending area. Being a Libra I’m always looking for harmony and balance, so I thought there must be a compromise. I had it – the parents could find out and have a gender reveal for their loved ones. Not only does this appease everyone, it also opens up more options for the party! If you were planning on doing the nursery in the traditional blue or pink, you could invite friends and family over to help you paint the nursery. The bonus for them is they get to see the color, the bonus for you is helpers! I actually got this idea from Laura of http://anurseandanerd.blogspot.com/. She does absolutely inspiring projects. Visit http://anurseandanerd.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-great-scoutdoorsman-nursery-revealed.html to check out her finished nursery! Spoiler alert – it’s adorable! Who doesn’t love a good pinata? I definitely think the pinata is under-used! Imagine a pinata filled with candy in the corresponding color. Enough said. Sometimes it’s not always easy to get everyone together for an announcement or a party. Sending a picture announcement could be just as fun. It would be fun as a shower invite as well! Get creative. - A pair of every family members shoes, including either boy or girl baby shoes - Blowing a bubble with pink or blue gum - Holding an outfit on the belly - Glitter, silly string, whatever… In the end it’s up to the mom to be. We are all just excited for this little bundle to get here! XOXO

Hey folks! I posted this story earlier this month on AustenAuthors. It turned into a fun, angsty look into Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth. Read on! It’s not quite Groundhog’s Day yet, but I usually see the movie pop up sometime in January and I always have to watch at least five minutes of it. Definitely one of my Top 5 Movies of All Time. In December I usually watch “12 Dates of Christmas” which is a festive romantic comedy with the same idea, and my husband and I both really enjoy “Edge of Tomorrow” with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt where they’re trapped in a day fighting aliens. I am a SUCKER for the time loop trope. I love everything about it. The confusion, the despair, the hope, the growth, the incremental learning, and the uncertain romance! All this to say, this is my (early) Groundhog Day post! There are some great Pride and Prejudice time loop stories, but I haven’t seen one done with Persuasion. (If you know of one, let me know in the comments!) I doubt I’ll turn this into a novel, but it is so delicious to explore the idea of Anne learning and growing and changing her fate with a time loop. She can be active instead of waiting for others, as the poor woman too often had to do. Can you guess what day she’ll have to get right? Hands Tucked In, Part 1 Anne woke at the hotel in Lyme with a sense that some impending doom had been averted. The quiet sounds of the hotel were tranquil, and she lay with her hands tucked under the pillow, not quite awake enough to question her sense of relief. There was a murmur from the hotel man putting the gentlemen’s polished shoes back in place as one of the guests stepped into the hall to ask him about the weather. There was the nearby chink of china as one of the serving maids set the table in their private dining room for breakfast. The smell of roast beef and fish and the ocean made even Anne’s appetite awaken with a low rumble. How happy she was to be in Lyme—how long since she had felt so happy to be anywhere! Certainly she was glad not to be returning to Uppercross with the terrible news of Louisa’s fall— With a start, Anne sat straight up in the small bed, catching the wool blanket against her chest. Louisa had fallen onto the pavement of the Cobb and been severely injured. They feared for her life and Anne had been packed off in the coach with Captain Wentworth to tell the poor girl’s parents. But now—a bell below tokened another guest’s arrival at the inn and the merry bellow of a ship’s horn indicated that she was certainly still at the hotel, in the harbor city of Lyme. Had they returned with Louisa’s parents yesterday? Had Anne fainted from the anxiety and care? Why did she not remember? Anne threw off her night things with trembling hands. She’d left the previous day’s dark blue walking dress hanging on the hook by her bed. She’d soiled it the yesterday kneeling on the wet, gritty pavement of the sea wall, but what did a thing like that matter when she was so confused? She pulled it on over her head and did up the buttons. Though her anxiety did not lessen, she paused long enough to pull her hair into a simple knot at the back of her head. If she had fainted or otherwise been taken ill yesterday—which she more and more thought she must have done—she ought to present a decent appearance to the others or they would insist on coddling her all day when they ought to be focused on poor Louisa. When she was neat enough, she jerked the hall door open. The gentleman across the passage was just coming out as well—now wearing the boots he’d just gotten from the hotel man. He looked at her inquiringly, for her countenance must show agitation. Anne blinked at him. “Mr… Mr. Elliot?” She had nearly forgotten the handsome man she briefly met yesterday during their walk. He had admired her, and she had noted it, only to be very surprised to learn after his departure that he was their estranged cousin. Louisa’s fall had put it all out of her head. “Have you come back to Lyme? I thought you were headed to Bath.” Only her confusion and disorientation excused such a direct question to a veritable stranger. He paused, wrinkling an intelligent brow. “Why, yes, I have not been here in some years, and I am headed to Bath later today. I am afraid you have the advantage of me, Miss…?” One of the hotel maids exited the dining room and Anne turned to her, too intent to attend him any longer. “Excuse me, has there been word of Miss Louisa Musgrove this morning? Has my sister sent word?” The maid jerked her head toward the dining room. “I believe Miss Louisa is still asleep, Miss Elliot, but Miss Henrietta is just in here having a cup o’ chocolate.” “Miss Henrietta is drinking chocolate?” The last Anne had seen of Henrietta, she was prostrate with fear for her sister and had been given a composer and put to bed. Mr. Elliot was looking bemused, and Anne recollected him with effort. “Excuse me,” she curtseyed slightly. “I—I mustn’t detain you.” At any other time, she would be quite interested to meet her cousin and see what manner of man would inherit her father’s land and titles, but not this morning. “But I declare that you must detain me,” he said, half-joking, half-affronted. “If you are indeed a Miss Elliot. Dare I believe that you are Miss Elliot of Kellynch Hall?” “No,” said Anne, moving towards the dining room. “That is my older sister. I am Miss Anne Elliot.” He fell into step next to her, smiling. “I have yet to learn that Miss Anne Elliot has less claim on the name than her sister. I suppose you must already be aware of my identity, but I am quite taken aback. Please allow me—” “I’m sorry, sir,” said Anne, “I can attend to you presently, but I simply must ascertain the health of my sister-in-law before I do anything else.” He had followed her into the private parlor where the Musgrove family was to be served and indeed, Henrietta was there alone. She was looking quite cheerfully out of the window and sprang up on seeing Anne. “There you are! The beach looks so lovely this morning and it is still an hour until breakfast. Do come walking with me, Anne! I feel I shall quiver myself to death with delight if I sit here any longer.” “But—Louisa,” poor Anne protested. “How is she? Have you heard from Captain Harville and his wife? Has Louisa regained consciousness?” Henrietta’s pretty brow furrowed. “Louisa left our room before I did. She is out walking with Captain Wentworth, and she is perfectly fine.” She smiled ruefully and a little self-consciously. “Perfectly fine except that she preferred to walk alone with the Captain and thus I was waiting for you.” Henrietta took in Mr. Elliot and blushed a little. She rose from the table and curtseyed a schoolgirl’s dip. “How do you do, sir? Are you a friend of my dear Miss Elliot?” “I am in fact, a cousin of your dear Miss Elliot.” He bowed. “However, I am afraid perhaps that she isn’t well.” Anne was not well. She sank down on one of the spindle legged stools against the wall and put a hand to her head. “Henrietta. Please tell me plainly, did Louisa fall and hit her head yesterday?” “Why, no.” Henrietta looked questioningly between the two of them. “You were with us the whole time, Anne.” “I suppose I was.” Had Anne dreamt it? Had she indulged in a perfectly frightful and realistic nightmare? On occasion, she dreamed of her mother in quite life-like moments. But then—Anne had known Mr. Elliot’s identity. She closed her eyes and pressed her hand over them. Mr. Elliot’s gentlemanly voice was heard to request that Henrietta ring for some tea. “I think Miss Elliot has had some fright this morning.” “To be sure,” Henrietta agreed. When Anne had drunk some hot tea, scalding her tongue a little but not minding, for at least it was real, she felt more composed. It was inexplicable and strange, but then… she was old enough to know that all of life was inexplicable and strange and she could not put too many demands on it. Besides which, she was distracted by Mr. Elliot, who—without being at all flippant or condescending—was blending humor and concern in such a way as to make her smile. “Now, Miss Henrietta—do I have your name correctly? Ah, good—I believe we have chased the ghost out of her eyes. Now I believe is the perfect moment for you to renew your request for a walk. And I, being at hand and also desiring a walk in the fresh breeze I see whipping the Union Jacks along the wharf, will offer to escort you.” Anne agreed that the sea air would help clear her head and soon she and Henrietta were on the high Cobb on either side of Mr. Elliot. The Cobb overlooked the sparkling gray ocean, and a fine cool breeze reddened their cheeks. At intervals there were stairs leading from the highwalk to the lower one nearer the ocean and rock. The stairs made Anne uncomfortable, for she could still picture Louisa jumping a moment to soon. She could hear the horrible sound as Louisa’s head bounced off the stone stair and her body crumpled limply to the ground. Mr. Elliot must’ve felt her tension, for he looked at her a little searchingly. He was too well-bred to demand further explanation for her confusion this morning, which she appreciated. Anne knew, of course, that Mr. Elliot had had a falling out with her father. He had been painted as quite a black sheep, in fact. She saw nothing of it now. In fact, based on one morning’s acquaintance, she was quite encouraged to know that a man of intelligence, information, and kindness was to inherit Kellynch. The good people of Kellynch, the tenants and the village folk, would be in better hands than she had hoped. That Mr. Elliot was equally pleased with her was clear. He seemed genuinely delighted to make an acquaintance of Sir Walter’s daughter. His eye often caught hers, and she thought that perhaps—in her dream? Premonition? Nightmare?—at least she had not been wrong that he admired her. It made her color up a little, for she was no longer used to a man’s eyes on her face with that sort of admiration. Henrietta was perhaps not quite oblivious to it, and when they stopped to admire the view at the end of the Cobb, where the wharf and warehouses left off and the ocean stretched away, she moved off on her own a short way. It left Mr. Elliot and Anne in a surprisingly intimate moment. Anne sighed gently. She would not allow herself to think of how much rather she would have the moment with Captain Wentworth. He was off walking with Louisa, whom he would marry, and whom she must and would be happy for. “This morning—” Mr. Elliot started again. “I hope that you—I was quite—” “Please forget my confusion,” Anne said. “I cannot explain it.” “I was not asking for an explanation,” he said, “and I could readily forgive far more, if there was anything to forgive!” “You must think I was very silly.” “On the contrary, I suspect that you are not at all silly.” He looked at her keenly. “I suspect, in fact, that your life has not been easy. I see in you something I recognize.” Despite his good looks and manner, Anne did not know him. She swayed a half step away. “My life has had no great difficulty. I cannot complain.” Though even as she said it, she thought of her grief over Captain Wentworth, her grief at her mother’s passing, her grief at leaving Kellynch to strangers. “That is exactly what I would expect you to say,” he said smiling, as if he knew her quite well. “Not at all easy, I gather, and you have the stamp of someone who has found their way despite mourning. I felt an immediate jolt of recognition when I saw you this morning—though I doubt I would’ve realized the source if you had not spoken to me. I feel as if—and I only take such a liberty on the basis of cousinship!—that you and I are something akin.” Anne knew that his life had been difficult. He had taken a low-born wife for her fortune and been—by report—very unhappy and still more so when she died untimely. “Perhaps there is some small similarity,” she said. He smiled at her again, pressing her hand which was tucked around his arm. Whether he would have continued this interesting conversation, she did not know, for Henrietta returned to them. “Look, here is Louisa and Captain Wentworth coming toward us. We can walk back with them.” Captain Wentworth’s eyes had found them out already, and he was taking in the tableau. Anne’s hand was tucked around Mr. Elliot’s arm, and he had placed his other hand over hers. His eyes were bright, and he had just been murmuring something in her ear. Captain Wentworth’s eyes fixed on Anne’s for a moment, and there was a flash of recognition, as he suddenly saw the quiet beauty he’d fallen in love with twelve years ago. And saw that she was being squired, appreciated, and admired by another man. It was only a moment, and then there were introductions. That Mr. Elliot was her cousin seemed to strike Captain Wentworth between the eyes. His mouth opened slightly, and he clamped it shut, doffing his hat. “We must walk back along the lower Cobb,” Louisa declared in her self-assured way, “where it is not quite so windy and we can test the delightful crunch of the shingle under our feet!” Anne’s hand tightened compulsively on Mr. Elliot’s arm. The stone stairs led down the wall at an angle, with no railing and very little depth. They were slick with spray and salt and worn into softer shapes by years of wind and waves. “Surely up here is better,” Anne said. Her words fell on deaf ears, for already Captain Wentworth was descending. “Be careful!” Anne said. “Louisa—take care!” Louisa laughed. “I am careful enough for my small part, and the Captain is careful enough for the rest of it. Do hop me down, Captain Wentworth!” Anne dropped Mr. Elliot’s arm. Henrietta was on the point of following her sister, and Anne darted in front of her and onto the steps. “Catch me!” Louisa cried happily. Captain Wentworth was at the bottom. Perhaps he had been distracted by Mr. Elliot’s arrival and had not properly heard Louisa’s request. “Sorry, what was that?” he said, turning. But Louisa was throwing herself toward him, expecting to be caught under the arms. Anne grabbed for her wrist or her shoulder… Surely it could not happen again! Anne’s lunge did not save Louisa. In fact, it knocked her own neat boots loose from the precarious friction offered by the limestone steps. They both fell and Anne saw Captain Wentworth’s horrified face before her head struck something and she knew no more. Anne woke at the hotel in Lyme with her hands tucked under the pillow, and to the murmur of voices as the gentlemen’s boots were delivered first thing in the morning. Her head did not hurt, thankfully, but she didn’t feel the same sense of relief as she had the last time. What was happening to her? <End of Part 1> That’s it for now! Let me know if you also are a fan of time loops! If you enjoyed this, you can find Part 2 here!

Adorable boy is walking in forest with his loving father holding his hand, bearded young man is talking and gesturing.Chubby guys are better in bed, according to a survey of 2,544 British women.Close-up of caucasian girl with pigtails eating a.Cubby the Cutest Most Loving Teddy Bear Ever from Hasbro.- chubby black teen stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images.Pictured is our Castle cubby on ground. They are busy with their devices and do not communicate with each other.Chubby girls are interesting to date because of their ability to talk about anything.Pictured is our Castle cubby on ground.Portrait of teenager looking at camera. Everybody wants love everybody wants to be loved Hamburger and the girl - young chubby girl stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images.Men with noticeable bellies and higher BMIs last 7. I am vietnamese [ENG SUB] 160825 BLACKPINK - BEHIND THE SCENES #001..Distinguished mom and her daughters by Elaine Jennison. L i / BROK-ə-lee; April 5, 1909 – June 27, 1996), nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career.Besides a kids cubby house, other things preferred are the best available kids toys in Australia and other. As a self-proclaimed fat woman herself, Brazilian photographer Mariana Godoy wants to rid the negative stigma from the word “fat” and show that fat can be just as beautiful as any other body type.3k Followers, 898 Following, 295 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from L E I G H A N N E💕 (@loving. - dating ladyboys - alice facebook profiles - asianeuro dating - russian dating beauties - contract marriage dating site Nearly all parents have a preference to buy the best cubby house for their kids that will last for a longer period of time.So you can fill in your favorite juice.We independently select these products—if you buy.Ive had blood work and ultrasounds done, fearing I was infertile since I had major abdominal trauma, my mom had both.

How can I become familiar with cases like mine? Posted on June 7, 2012 William Casey, 74, of Largo was arrested on Tuesday after attempting to arrange a meeting with a woman and her daughter for sex. Largo police detective Corey Monaghan, a member of the FBI’s Innocent Images Task Force, began to chat with Casey online after learning Casey was attempting to solicit children for sex over the Internet. Casey’s wife discovered a messenger chat on his computer with a user named “nudeteeninga” and reported Casey to the police. Monaghan arranged to meet Casey at Taylor Park in Largo and law enforcement was present and arrested Casey. Casey admitted to sex crimes that are decades old. He is being charged with felony counts of traveling to meet a minor for sex acts and enticing a parent to consent to a sex act with a child. Casey is being held at the Pinellas County Jail.

Our more than 155,000 combined followers on Twitter (click here for that) and on Facebook (then click here to subscribe to that) know that on weekday afternoons we regularly share a selection of that evening's late-night jokes before broadcast. Usually, we publish a collection of these jokes at the start of each week. Leno: The Grammy Awards this year banned side boob exposure on women’s wear. Not many people know 'Side Boob' is also Joe Biden's Secret Service codename. Fallon: RadioShack is planning to close more than 500 stores by the end of the year. While its remaining stores will just continue to look like they’re closed. Fallon: The other day, the Pennsylvania groundhog Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow. And you know what that means — nothing, because that's not how weather works. Fallon: A new survey found that 17 percent of men in the Marines would leave if women moved into combat positions. The other 83 percent of Marines said, "Wait - we can just LEAVE???" Conan: A new health study finds a man’s sperm count is lowered if he watches more than 20 hours of TV a week. Or — 20 minutes of “The View.” Letterman: Congratulations to Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh. He was named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Harbaugh. Conan: Sorry if I’m a little down today. I lost $200 in on the Super Bowl — I bet on “electricity." Letterman: That Super Bowl blackout was the most-watched power outage since Obama’s first debate against Mitt Romney. Conan: Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco announced his wife is pregnant. Apparently, he went against NFL rules and impregnated the woman he’s married to. Conan: U.S. employers just added 157,000 jobs to the economy. Of course, most of those were back-up dancers for Beyonce. Leno: Did you see the Super Bowl? And that blackout? Shows what can happen when Beyonce actually sings live. Leno: Did you notice Ray Lewis when the Super Bowl lights went out? Force of habit, he just started running. Letterman: That Super Bowl XIIL power outage lasted XXXIV minutes. Letterman: No lip-syncing for Beyonce this time. And she was reunited with the Supremes, which was exciting. Letterman: There I am watching the Super Bowl at home and the lights go out there. Force of habit, I tried to clap them back on. Fallon: A new study found that having sex should not take the place of actual exercise. Especially at the gym.

Well . . . I just returned from a wonderful trip to New York. Each time I go, it just seems to get better and better. I owe a lot of the fun to my husband, of course, who allowed me to tag along on his business trip and indulged me in shows and food and shopping, but also to Christine Neeleman, my husband's boss' wife. That woman knows the city like the back of her hand and has connections galore. She took my regular New York shopping experience and raised it to a whole new level. I may never be the same! I'll start with one of the unique and memorable experiences. We went to the Regis and Kelly Show. We didn't just "go" we were "VIP" audience members, thanks to the aforementioned, Christine. We got to sit inside on leather couches while the rest of the audience wannabees stood in the pouring rain. We got escorted to the FRONT ROW and got to see Regis and Kelly up close - note the pictures included. Then, we (Christine, Nicole and Jo - all wonderful women whose husbands work together and myself) got to have our picture taken with Regis and Kelly, by . . . Gelman! Too fun! After our fun with Regis and Kelly we went shopping. I'm not talking about fun little shopping, but serious shopping, and I have the bruises and stiff shoulders from carrying all the bags to prove it. Here are some pictures of us on Canal Street. Christine had guys on bikes stopping to give her hugs and say hi. It was awesome! And finally, we got to see some incredible shows. First we went to "In the Heights" which was the 2008 Tony Award winner for best musical. It was amazing and the singing was incredible. We also saw "Shrek the Musical" which hasn't been out long. It was hilarious and so creative. I would highly recommend both, but kids especially will love "Shrek."

Obama’s Hot War July 23, 2014Posted by rogerhollander in Barack Obama, Foreign Policy, Imperialism, Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel, Gaza & Middle East, Libya, Palestine, Syria, Ukraine, War. Tags: foreign policy, gaza, glen ford, Iraq, israel, libya, obama's hot war, pakistan, roger hollander, Syria, U.S. imperialism, ukraine coup, ukraine separatists, war add a comment Roger’s note: Glen Ford tells it like it is with no apologies. A refreshing contrast to the mealy mouthed mainstream corporate media and much of the progressive Blogosphere. A Black Agenda Radio commentary by executive editor Glen Ford The deeper the U.S. slips into economic decline, the higher it ratchets up the pace and stakes of armed conflict. Washington appears to have crossed some kind of Rubicon, to embark “on a mad, scorched earth policy to terrorize the planet into submission through relentless escalation into a global state of war.” “Washington’s policy is the constant fomenting of war for the subjugation of the planet – or the world’s destruction, if the U.S. cannot remain Number One.” The United States has set the world on fire. It is nonsense to talk of a “new” Cold War, when what the world is witnessing is multiple conflagrations as intense and horrifically destructive as at any period since World War Two. Virtually every one of these armed conflicts has been methodically set in motion by the only power capable of perpetrating such massive, simultaneous mayhem: the United States, along with its underlings in London, Paris and Tel Aviv – the true Axis of Evil. Washington is embarked on a mad, scorched earth policy to terrorize the planet into submission through relentless escalation into a global state of war. Unable to maintain its dominance through trade and competition, the U.S. goes beyond the brink to plunge the whole planet into a cauldron of death. As Russia is learning, it is extremely difficult to avoid war when a great power insists on imposing it. That was a lesson inflicted on the world 75 years ago, by Nazi Germany. Whoever coined the phrase “No Drama Obama” should be sentenced to a lifetime of silence. The First Black U.S. President systematically brought swastika-wearing fascists to power in Ukraine to start a war on Russia’s borders. The passengers of the Malaysian airliner are victims of Obama’s carefully crafted apocalypse, a pre-fabricated conflict that could consume us all. Obama methodically and without provocation laid waste to Libya and Syria, and now the jihadists unleashed by the United States and its allies are destroying Iraq all over again and threatening to erase Lebanon and Jordan and even the oil kingdoms of the Gulf. Obama has signed yet another blank check for Israel’s ghastly war of ethnic annihilation in Gaza – a crime against humanity for which the U.S. is fully as culpable as the apartheid Jewish State, which could not exist if it were not part of the U.S. superpower’s global war machine. Wars “R” Us Those who say the United States is adrift or has no coherent foreign policy are colossally wrong. Washington’s policy is the constant fomenting of war for the subjugation of the planet – or the world’s destruction, if the U.S. cannot remain Number One. The Americans have made Africa into a killing field. Somalia and its people have been smashed and dispersed, setting the whole Horn of Africa ablaze. Ethiopia commits multiple genocides under U.S. sponsorship, while Washington’s mercenaries in Rwanda and Uganda grow fat on the bones of six million Congolese. South Sudan thrashes in agony, the result of dismemberment by American, European and Israeli ghouls. The sounds of chaos and mass murder reverberate from the Magreb in the North, through the vast Sahel region, and now deep into West Africa, a direct result of criminal U.S. aggressive war and regime change in Libya. Obama “pivots” to East Asia with the goal of turning Japan into a militaristic state with an invitation to rejoin, after all these years, the game of global conquest. Poor Afghanistan and Pakistan have no future at all, unless the U.S. leaves their region and allows them to develop an organic partnership with China. But a world based on mutually beneficial relations among peoples has no room for empire – which is why the empire wages war against the world. For Black Agenda Radio, I’m Glen Ford. On the web, go to BlackAgendaReport.com and sign up for email notification each Wednesday, when a new issue of BAR appears. BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at [email protected]. Anne Frank Is Palestine’s Child, Too July 15, 2013Posted by rogerhollander in Israel, Gaza & Middle East, Palestine. Tags: anne frank, anti-semitism, fascism, gaza, gaza children, gaza massacre, israel military, Palestine, palestinian children, Palestinians, racism, roger hollander, vacy vlazna add a comment The Suffering of Palestinian Children Is Not Unlike Anne Frank’s In the context here of youthful suffering, let us consider the similarities between the Nazi victimising, traumatising and slaughtering of Anne Frank to the victimising, traumatising, mutilating and slaughtering of the teenagers and children of Gaza. The children of Gaza have also been trapped, or, as Anne may have put it, “chained in one spot, without any rights” for seven years in the largest concentration camp in the world. “Who has inflicted this upon us? Who had made us Jews different from all other people? Who has allowed us to suffer so terribly up till now?” “In the Shifa hospital I saw a sight I will never forget. Hundreds of corpses, one on top of the other. Their flesh…their blood, and their bones all melting on each other. You wouldn’t know the woman from the man or even the child. Piles of flesh on the beds, and lots of people screaming and crying, not knowing where their kids are, their men or their women. “Mr Dussel has told us much about the outside world we’ve missed for so long. He had sad news. Countless friends and acquaintances have been taken off to a dreadful fate. Night after night, green and grey military vehicles cruise the streets.” Today, the roundups dreaded by Anne Frank find new forms in the West Bank of Palestine. There, Israel systematically ramps up the state of anxiety and fear with night-time raids and violent home invasions. Arrests of children and adults occur mainly at night, when the whole family is suddenly awakened and their home invaded by armed soldiers shouting and ransacking the family’s possessions. This leads to the kidnapping of the family member, or members, targeted, leaving the family distraught and their lives devastated. Reuters reported that, according to UNICEF, “approximately 700 Palestinian children, between the ages of 12 and 17, are kidnapped, detained and interrogated by the Israeli army, the Police and security agents in the West Bank every year, and are subject to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in direct violation of the Convention on the Right of the Child, and the Convention against Torture.” In both the West Bank and Gaza, the effect of unending oppression has become tragic for Palestinian children. The respected Gaza journalist Mohammed Omer points out in “For Gaza’s Children the Trauma Never Ends”: “The Nazi persecution and World War II in Europe, which lasted from 1933 to 1945, affected an entire generation of children. By contrast, Israel’s dispossession and occupation of Palestine has lasted some six decades–and counting. Generations of Palestinian children have been affected physically, psychologically and materially.” For Anne Frank, the experience of Nazi oppression had the effect of making her former life seem surrealistic. She wrote: Anne then lists the humiliations Jews were subject to under the Nazi’s apartheid regime. Interestingly, her experience can easily be reworded, as follows, to reflect the Palestinian experience: “Freedom was severely restricted by a series of anti-Palestinian apartheid decrees that violate international law: –Palestinians live under military law, while Israelis live under civil law. –Identity cards only for Palestinians. –Segregation between Jewish and Palestinian communities. –Jews-only roads and transport. –Movement restrictions for Palestinians. –Unequal access to land and property. –Forcible eviction and home demolitions for Palestinians. –Palestinians forbidden the right of return, while Jews anywhere in the world have the right to live in Israel. –Deportation of Palestinian prisoners. –Palestinians are forbidden from living with Israeli Arab spouses. –Separate and unequal education systems. –Forced resettlement of Bedouins.” In addition, Adalah reports that “In the four short months since the current Knesset came to power, MKs have proposed as many as 29 new discriminatory bills that attack the rights of Palestinians in Israel and the OPT.” Even though for Anne “t he approaching danger [was] being pulled tighter and tighter,” and she felt “like a songbird whose wings have been ripped off and who keeps hurling itself against the bars of its dark cage,” we Palestinian young people share with her that confounding universal metamorphosis of the human teenager into a young adult overflowing with the same heartfelt reflections, confessions, emotional struggles, lamentations, loves, fears, hates, and hopes. Palestine’s wandering poet May 12, 2011Posted by rogerhollander in Art, Literature and Culture, Iraq and Afghanistan, Palestine, Political Commentary. Tags: gaza, israel, mahmoud darwish, Middle East, mike marqusee, national poet, Palestine, palestine poetry, palestine's poet, palestinian people, plo, Poetry, protest poet, west bank add a comment Mike Marqusee on Mahmoud Darwish, the poet of the Palestinian people On a bright winter morning we made a pilgrimage to the hill of Al Rabweh, on the outskirts of Ramallah, where the poet Mahmoud Darwish is buried. An ambitious memorial garden is planned, but at the moment it’s a construction site littered with diggers and cement mixers. The oversize tombstone is crated up in plywood. We were welcomed by cheerful building workers and joined by Palestinian families paying their respects and taking snaps. Sitting amid the pines overlooking the tomb (and a nearby waste ground populated by stray dogs), we spent an hour reading Darwish’s State of Siege, a sequence of poems he wrote in response to Israel’s 2002 assault on the city. Here he called on poetry to ‘lay siege to your siege’ but observed bitterly that: This land might just be cinched too tight for a population of humans and gods Darwish was six in 1948 when his family fled their village in western Galilee. When they returned a year later they found the village destroyed and their land occupied. Since they had missed the census they were denied Israeli citizenship and declared ‘present-absentees’, an ambiguous status that Darwish was to transform into a metaphor for Palestine and much more. He was 22 when he read his poem ‘Identity Card’, with its defiant refrain ‘Record: I am an Arab’, to a cheering crowd in a Nazareth movie house. Repudiating Golda Meir’s assertion that ‘there are no Palestinians’, his poems played a key role in the Palestinian movement that emerged after 1967, fashioning a modern Palestinian identity using traditional poetic forms in a renewed, accessible Arabic. Repeatedly arrested and imprisoned, Darwish left Israel in 1970 and remained in exile for more than a quarter of a century. His political journey led from the Israeli Communist Party to the PLO, which he joined in 1973 (penning Arafat’s famous ‘Don’t let the olive branch fall from my hand’ speech to the UN). He settled in Beirut, from which he was expelled along with the PLO following the Israeli invasion of 1982, the subject of his inventive and harrowing prose memoir, Memory for Forgetfulness. In the years that followed, Darwish wandered – Tunis, Cyprus, Damascus, Athens, Paris – broadening his poetic scope and deepening his insight. He was elected to the PLO executive committee in 1987 but resigned in 1993 in protest at the Oslo accords. ‘There was no clear link between the interim period and the final status, and no clear commitment to withdraw from the occupied territories,’ he explained. It’s said that when PLO leader Yasser Arafat complained to Darwish that the Palestinian people were ‘ungrateful’, the poet (remembering Brecht) snapped back, ‘Then find yourself another people.’ Oslo did allow Darwish to return to Palestine and in 1996 he settled in Ramallah, only to find himself under siege again six years later. In his last years he wrote more prolifically than ever, responding to the tragedies of Iraq, Lebanon and the violent conflict between Palestinian factions: Did we have to fall from a tremendous height so as to see our blood on our hands … to realise that we are no angels … as we thought? Did we also have to expose our flaws before the world so that our truth would no longer stay virgin? How much we lied when we said: we are the exception! When Darwish died in 2008, thousands joined the cortege and there were candle-lit vigils in towns across the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinian Authority declared three days or mourning and issued a series of postage stamps in his honour. Being the Palestinian national poet was a heavy burden, one that Darwish bore from an early age, and though he chafed under it he never shirked the load. Instead, he succeeded in transforming the Palestinian experience into a universal one. The themes of loss, exile, the search for justice, the dream of a homeland, the conundrum of identity: all became, as his work evolved, human and existential explorations, without ceasing for a moment to be rooted deeply in the vicissitudes of Palestinian life. For decades he mourned Palestine’s losses, denounced its tormentors, celebrated its perseverance, and imagined its future. And we have a land without borders, like our idea of the unknown, narrow and wide … we shout in its labyrinth: and we still love you, our love is a hereditary illness. Though preserving Palestinian memory and identity was his life’s work, Darwish conceived of this as a creative act of self-renewal: ‘Identity is what we bequeath and not what we inherit. What we invent and not what we remember.’ Among his last verses was this admonition: We will become a people when the morality police protect a prostitute from being beaten up in the streets We will become a people when the Palestinian only remembers his flag on the football pitch, at camel races, and on the day of the Nakba Darwish was a ‘national poet’ who challenged as well as consoled and inspired his national audience. As he moved away from his earlier declamatory, public style towards a more personal idiom, elliptical and oblique, and at times (unpardonable sin for a ‘national’ poet) obscure, he met resistance. ‘The biggest achievement of my life is winning the audience’s trust,’ he reflected in 2002. ‘We fought before: whenever I changed my style, they were shocked and wanted to hear the old poems. Now they expect me to change; they demand that I give not answers but more questions.’ Even in translation, where we miss so much, Darwish’s voice rings clear. In his mature style there’s a seductive fluidity: he moves lightly from realm to realm, pronoun to pronoun (‘I’ to ‘we’, ‘I’ to ‘you’, ‘us’ to ‘them’), from the intimate to the epic, past to future, abstract to concrete. Metaphors topple over each other, abundant and inter-laced. This is poetry that fuses the political and the personal at the deepest level. Throughout, his evocation of loss and exile, of coming from ‘a country with no passport stamps’, is poignant, elegiac but open-ended, conjuring resolution from despair: ‘We travel like everyone else, but we return to nothing’; ‘There is yet another road in the road, another chance for migration’; ‘Where should we go after the last border? Where should birds fly after the last sky?’; ‘In my language there is seasickness. / In my language a mysterious departure from Tyre’. Guests on the sea. Our visit is short. And the earth is smaller than our visit … where are we to go when we leave? Where are we to go back to when we return? … What is left us that we may set off once again? Yet, convinced that ‘Out of the earthly/ the hidden heavenly commences’, Darwish affirmed the richness and beauty of life, especially life in its ordinariness: We have on this earth what makes life worth living: April’s hesitation, the aroma of bread at dawn, a woman’s point of view about men, the works of Aeschylus, the beginning of love, grass on a stone, mothers living on a flute’s sigh and the invaders’ fear of memories In one of his late poems, Darwish pays tribute to his friend Edward Said, putting this advice in Said’s mouth: Do not describe what the camera sees of your wounds Shout so that you hear yourself, shout so that you know that you are still alive, and you know life is possible on this earth. Mike Marqusee writes a regular column for Red Pepper, ‘Contending for the Living’, and is the author of a number of books on culture and politics

ABC ANNOUNCES MAY SWEEPS PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SERIES FINALE OF "LOST" AND THE SEASON PREMIERE OF "THE BACHELORETTE" The ABC Television Network announces highlights of its upcoming May sweeps programming, with finales of some of television's biggest hits, including the groundbreaking series finale of "Lost" and the season premiere of "The Bachelorette." Editors please note: What follows is a chronological listing of programming highlights (all times Eastern); this is not a complete list of all programs airing during the May sweep. FLASHFORWARD -- "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" - Janis continues to thwart her fellow FBI agents as an inside mole to a mysterious employer; Olivia is given some disturbing news by Gabriel (James Callis, Gaius Baltar on "Battlestar Galactica"), who has been subjected to numerous flashforwards; and Aaron's life is in danger in Afghanistan when he tries to blend in with the locals as he continues his search for his daughter, on "FlashForward," THURSDAY, APRIL 29 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). GREY'S ANATOMY -- "Hook, Line and Sinner" - Sloan returns to Mark's apartment, just as she's going into labor, and Teddy, Mark and the still-fighting Callie and Arizona are there to help with the birth and to get Mark through his grandson's pending adoption. Meanwhile Teddy sees Derek's invitation to illustrious cardiothoracic surgeon Tom Evans' as a threat to her future employment at the hospital, and the team work on a crab boat captain who has been stabbed with a giant shark hook, on "Grey's Anatomy," THURSDAY, APRIL 29 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET). PRIVATE PRACTICE -- "War" - After Violet files for joint custody of Lucas, an embittered Pete voraciously fights back by hiring a tough attorney for the trial, forcing their fellow friends and co-workers to choose sides and have their personal lives dragged onto the stand and into the public eye, on "Private Practice," THURSDAY, APRIL 29 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). Guest stars include Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd and Frances Fisher as Ruby Broome. WIFE SWAP -- "Schroeder/Wardle" - An artistic Goth family that encourages the kids to talk to the dead swaps with a family of hockey fanatics that doesn't hesitate to call kids losers when they play badly, on "Wife Swap," FRIDAY, APRIL 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). Each week two very contradictory families from across the country participate in a two-week-long challenge: The wives exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover daily life in another woman's shoes. This astonishing experiment repeatedly changes lives and redefines families. WIFE SWAP -- "Adams/Hess" - A reptile and animal-obsessed family with no rules or fashion sense swap with a strict family who can't stand animals and say that "fashion is more important than air," on "Wife Swap," FRIDAY, APRIL 30 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET). Each week two very contradictory families from across the country participate in a two-week-long challenge: The wives exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover daily life in another woman's shoes. This astonishing experiment repeatedly changes lives and redefines families. AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS - "Episode 2022" -- This season's three $100,000 prize winners compete for the Grand Prize, on "America's Funniest Home Videos," SUNDAY, MAY 2 (7:00-8:00 p.m., ET). The final three videos: "Laser Chasers," a Great Dane and a toddler are equally obsessed with a laser pointer; "Boogie Baby," a baby rocks out with a musical doll; and "The Great Escape," Junior the Chihuahua leads an escape from the utility room. The episode features footage shot at the Walt Disney World� Resort in Florida, at Epcot� and the Magic Kingdom� Park. Tom Bergeron is host. EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION -- "Carr family" - "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to rural Mineola, TX, to meet Katrina and Mike Carr and their four adopted children (who are from Kazakhstan and were abandoned at birth), an inspiring family who strive every day to overcome severe physical challenges while living in a cramped and dangerous home. This is a Texas-sized opportunity to give back to a family who have become models of spirit and resilience. Comedian, actor, producer and author Bill Engvall is the "Get on the Bus" volunteer, while Bethany Hamilton, a surfer famous for losing her arm in a shark attack, spends time with the Carrs on their vacation, on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," SUNDAY, MAY 2 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES -- "A Little Night Music" - Angie comes face to face with her ex, Patrick Logan (John Barrowman), after years on the run, SUNDAY, MAY 2 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on "Desperate Housewives." Meanwhile, Gaby and Susan plan an elaborate scheme against their husbands, Lynette sees a darker side of Eddie, and Bree meets a woman who knows Sam all too well. BROTHERS & SISTERS - "Love All" - The Walkers seem to all be going through an adjustment period: Cooper acts out against Sarah as Luc becomes a member of the family, Justin has trouble finding the same passion for medicine he had while serving in Iraq, and Kevin struggles with his newfound unemployed status, on "Brothers & Sisters," SUNDAY, MAY 2 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED -- "Perry and Rebecca's High School Reunion" - When it's time for Rebecca and Perry to go back to their high school reunion, Rebecca is ready to confront Jesse, the guy who publicly humiliated her by standing her up at the senior prom. But Perry knows the real reason why she was stood up and tells a preposterous lie to keep Rebecca from discovering the truth. Meanwhile, avid hockey fan Shawn is devastated when he finds out that the local cable company won't be carrying the championship games. When he learns further that Lisa's friend, Vanessa, has the games on her cable station, he has to hide his real motive for romancing Vanessa from both women, on "Romantically Challenged," MONDAY, MAY 3 (9:32-10:00 p.m., ET). CASTLE -- "Food to Die For" -- A high profile chef is found frozen in the kitchen of a hot New York restaurant. Complications ensue when Castle and the restaurant owner, an old high school girlfriend of Beckett's, share an attraction. Meanwhile, Beckett's relationship with Detective Demming (Michael Trucco) continues to grow, on "Castle," MONDAY, MAY 3 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET). Rocco Dispirito, a fan of the dead chef and a fan of Castle's books, guest stars in the episode. LOST -- "The Candidate " -- Jack must decide whether or not to trust Locke after he is asked to follow through on a difficult task, on "Lost," TUESDAY, MAY 4 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET) V - "Hearts and Minds" -- Erica, Ryan, Father Jack and Hobbes learn that Anna has sent a V shuttle with a deadly V tracker team to find them, and must figure out how to stop the shuttle from landing. Meanwhile, Anna gives Tyler his invitation to the Live Aboard Program, and Chad confronts Father Jack on what he knows about The Fifth Column, on "V," TUESDAY, MAY 4 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET). THE MIDDLE -- "Mother's Day" - Mother's Day for Frankie is anything but serene when she finds herself doing more for Mike and the kids and less for herself. But she learns that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when she escapes the family for a few hours to go to her mom's (Marsha Mason, "The Goodbye Girl," "Chapter Two") and ends up acting like a child by making her mom wait on her hand and foot. Meanwhile, Sue feels guilty when she shoplifts a motivational magnet whose message actually enticed her to steal it, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, MAY 5 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET). Marsha Mason guest stars as Frankie's mom, Pat. MODERN FAMILY -- "Airport 2010" - For Jay's birthday, Gloria gives him the best surprise, a romantic birthday getaway to Hawaii. The only kicker is that she invited the entire family along. Everyone arrives at the airport, and it's a maddening scene with forgotten I.D.'s, security breaches and flying phobias, on "Modern Family," WEDNESDAY, MAY 5 (9:00-9:30 p.m., ET). COUGAR TOWN -- "Feel a Whole Lot Better" - Jules and Grayson consider the notion of FWB, friends with benefits. Meanwhile Andy hires a nanny for Ellie, and Travis benefits from Bobby's unconventional plans to make some extra cash, on "Cougar Town," WEDNESDAY, MAY 5 (9:30-10:01 p.m., ET). HAPPY TOWN - "I Came to Haplin for the Waters" - Shaken by a grisly murder at the local pond and his father's bizarre, self-inflicted injury, Deputy Tommy Conroy reluctantly accepts the title of Sherriff bestowed on him by town matriarch Peggy Haplin. However Tommy's shocking discovery of Jerry Friddle's murderer forces him to keep yet another of the town's secrets with mixed emotions. Meanwhile, Henley appears to know a lot more about Haplin's dark side than she's letting on - drawing Merritt Grieves closer - but she's determined to get access to the forbidden third-floor room of the mysterious boarding house, no matter what it takes, on "Happy Town," WEDNESDAY, MAY 5 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). FLASHFORWARD -- "Course Correction" - Demetri and Agent Banks (Alex Kingston) attempt to track down a killer as questions arise about the universe course-correcting itself, when people who thought they'd escaped their fates are found dead; Mark reluctantly agrees to help Simon find his sister, Annabelle, but discovers he's withholding the truth about her true circumstances; the FBI discovers the identity of Suspect Zero; and Nicole learns the whereabouts of Keiko - the woman in Bryce's flashforward - but struggles with whether to share this information, due to her growing feelings for him, on "FlashForward," THURSDAY, MAY 6 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). James Callis guest stars as Gabriel. GREY'S ANATOMY -- "How Insensitive" - Bailey preps the team with a mandatory sensitivity training prior to admitting a 700-pound patient with compounded medical issues, and the case proves to be challenging in every sense. Meanwhile Derek has to come face to face with a former patient's husband in a wrongful death deposition, and spending time with a heart patient's daughter opens up some old wounds for Cristina, on "Grey's Anatomy," THURSDAY, MAY 6 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET). PRIVATE PRACTICE -- "In the Name of Love" - Naomi puts Fife in a conflicted position when she begs him to help William's advanced ALS with his still experimental treatment. Meanwhile Violet and Amelia (Guest star Caterina Scorsone) treat a woman with a brain tumor who has to choose between life or quality of life, and Sheldon decides to officially throw his hat into the ring for Charlotte's affections, on "Private Practice," THURSDAY, MAY 6 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). WIFE SWAP -- "Beauvais/Clayton" - A successful family of inventors and entrepreneurs living their dreams swap with a family who, despite becoming unemployed, maintain a cheerful outlook while struggling to live in a trailer park on a low income, on "Wife Swap," FRIDAY, MAY 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). Each week two very contradictory families from across the country participate in a two-week-long challenge: The wives exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover daily life in another woman's shoes. This astonishing experiment repeatedly changes lives and redefines families. AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS - "Episode 2023" -- Part One of a two-part series -- "America's Funniest Home Videos" counts down to "the 20 videos that changed the world" - features the funniest and most unique videos the show has received in its two decades on television, on "America's Funniest Home Videos," SUNDAY, MAY 9 (7:00-8:00 p.m., ET). The top video, to be named in the season finale, will win the entrant a cruise for four anywhere in the world that Disney Cruise Line sets sail (with choices including the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Mexican Riviera and Alaska), between June 2010 through September 2011. Tom Bergeron is host. The episode includes footage shot aboard the Disney Magic on an Eastern Caribbean cruise. EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION -- "Starkweather family" - In this special story for Mother's Day, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to Tulsa, OK, to meet Toen and Amy Starkweather, whose nine-year-old son, Ethan, suffers from a rare disorder called Prader-Willi syndrome. This incurable disease causes low muscle tone, labored speech, troubled breathing and a malfunctioning hypothalamus, which results in extreme and constant hunger. Because Ethan requires 24-hour care, the mounting list of necessary home repairs has been left on the back burner. The Starkweathers' small home is very old, riddled with foundation, electrical and plumbing problems, and is barely accessible for Ethan. Also in the episode, the Make-a-Wish foundation will have a special guest on hand -- aspiring interior designer Callie London, 11, of Farmington, UT, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. Callie's wish to do a makeover on a kid's room will come to life as she works with Paul DiMeo in designing Ethan's new bedroom. Lilith Tour 2010 artists Sheryl Crow and Miranda Lambert are the "Get on the Bus" volunteers working and singing, while Sarah McLachlan also delivers a special message to the family, on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," SUNDAY, MAY 9 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES -- "The Ballad of Booth" - Lynette comes to a shocking realization about Eddie, on "Desperate Housewives," SUNDAY, MAY 9 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET). Meanwhile, Angie discreetly relies on Gaby for help when Patrick threatens the life of her son, Bree offers Sam a generous payoff to walk away, and Susan and Mike's financial woes result in the ultimate sacrifice. BROTHERS & SISTERS -- "Lights Out" - The Walkers are heartbroken as they prepare to shut the doors of Ojai Foods for good, but new opportunities and secret alliances develop as a result of the family's loss, on "Brothers & Sisters," SUNDAY, MAY 9 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). CASTLE -- "Overkill" -- A robbery-homicide prompts Beckett to invite Demming to assist on a case, giving Castle a ringside seat to their budding romance. When it becomes clear that the two men have very different ideas about how to proceed, the investigation becomes an unspoken competition for Beckett's attention. With each of them racing to be the first to solve the case, Beckett must referee between her two admirers, on "Castle," MONDAY, MAY 10 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET). LOST -- "Across the Sea" -- TUESDAY, MAY 11 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET). Copy TBD. V -- "Fruition" - After a violent attack on someone very close to Anna, she delivers a message that the Vs don't feel safe and will be leaving; and Anna also gives a list of possible Fifth Column members to Chad, hoping he'll investigate to help in finding them. Meanwhile, Erica and the team try to track down a scientist who may have created a weapon that the Visitors are afraid of, on "V," TUESDAY, MAY 11 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET). THE MIDDLE -- "Signals" - The Heck family BBQ is being planned as spring rolls around, and Mike decides it's time for him and Brick to try to be more social at the event, since Frankie has pointed out that Mike's own social ineptness has been passed on to Brick. Meanwhile, Axl sets out to clean the family pool to entice the girls to stop by for a swim -- in their bikinis -- and Sue finally finds someone who totally understands her, church youth group leader Reverend TimTom. But when she learns he may be leaving the parish due to budget cuts, she tries to raise money to help finance his stay, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, MAY 12 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET). MODERN FAMILY -- "Hawaii" - Jay could not be happier to do nothing but relax in this tropical paradise, but an unexpected reality check dampens his plans. Meanwhile, Phil is determined to make this trip romantic for Claire, Mitchell and Cameron have opposing views on whether to sightsee or not to sightsee, and the kids get into a little bit of mischief when left to their own devices, on "Modern Family," WEDNESDAY, MAY 12 (9:00-9:30 p.m., ET). COUGAR TOWN -- "Breakdown" - Jules encourages Travis to submit a graduation speech, on "Cougar Town," WEDNESDAY, MAY 12 (9:30-10:01 p.m., ET). Despite Grayson's warning, a curious Jules reads the speech without permission and is crushed when she finds she has not been acknowledged. Meanwhile, Ellie uncharacteristically does something nice for Laurie, and Bobby tries to restrain himself from embarrassing Travis on his big day. HAPPY TOWN -- "Polly Wants a Crack at Her" - An ominous fearsome hawk soars over Haplin�s unsuspecting residents as the Thaw Fest celebration is about to start. Tommy must walk a precarious line when it comes to Friddle's murder, as a state investigator moves in to assist him. Andrew Haplin, still upset over girlfriend Georgia's assault, exacts revenge on the person he believes to be the perpetrator -- and pays for the consequences. Meanwhile, when Henley is a victim of a bizarre car accident, a handsome stranger not only comes to her rescue but lures her into a surprising, sensual relationship. And when Thaw Fest finally arrives, it comes with chilling and tragic consequences, on "Happy Town," WEDNESDAY, MAY 12 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). FLASHFORWARD -- "The Negotiation" - It's April 28 - the day before the prophesized flashforward date - and as the world waits to see if their future visions will come true, Mark must do everything in his power to protect Gabriel (James Callis, "Battlestar Galactica"), who is the bridge between Dyson Frost and the Global Blackout; Aaron locates his daughter's captors and puts his life on the line in order to rescue her; Janis is tasked with killing a fellow agent; and Simon comes face to face with the head of the nefarious organization that may be responsible for the blackout, on "FlashForward," THURSDAY, MAY 13 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). Guest stars include Gabrielle Union as Zoey and Annabeth Gish as Lita. GREY'S ANATOMY -- "Shiny Happy People" - An elderly patient admitted into the E.R. for a heart condition sees a familiar face, a long lost love who happens to be in the E.R. as well for a fractured arm, and the staff find themselves caught up in their love story. Meanwhile, Karev treats a troubled teenage patient (guest star Demi Lovato) whose parents brought her in for schizophrenia, and Meredith can't help but tell Cristina about her suspicions of Owen -- which inevitably messes with Cristina's head -- on "Grey's Anatomy," THURSDAY, MAY 13 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET). Marion Ross guest stars as Betty. PRIVATE PRACTICE -- "The End of a Beautiful Friendship" - Maya and her unborn baby are fighting for their lives on the operating table, and Addison, Amelia (Guest star Caterina Scorsone) and Fife try everything humanly possible to save them. Meanwhile, Sam operates on an incoming crash victim and later makes a grim discovery, Cooper makes an ill-timed but valiant effort with Charlotte, and the staff's world is rocked by an unexpected death, on the SEASON FINALE of "Private Practice," THURSDAY, MAY 13 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). WIFE SWAP -- "Haller-Wren/Spencer" - A macho family of football players who expect their trophy wife mom to serve their every need swap lives with a happy hippie family whose feminist mom believes in breaking accepted gender roles, on "Wife Swap," FRIDAY, MAY 14 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). Each week two very contradictory families from across the country participate in a two-week-long challenge: The wives exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover daily life in another woman's shoes. This astonishing experiment repeatedly changes lives and redefines families. AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS - "Episode 2024" -- In part two of a two-part series -- the top videos "that changed the world!" - the funniest, the strangest, most unusual video the show has received in its two decades on television is revealed, on the SEASON FINALE of "America's Funniest Home Videos," SUNDAY, MAY 16 (7:00-8:00 p.m., ET). The top video will win the entrant a cruise for four anywhere in the world that Disney Cruise Line sets sail (with choices including the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Mexican Riviera and Alaska), between June 2010 through September 2011. Tom Bergeron is the host. The season finale includes footage shot aboard the Disney Magic on an Eastern Caribbean cruise. EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION -- "Williams family" - In the SEASON FINALE, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to Pine Mountain Valley, GA, to meet Jeremy and Jennifer Williams, whose son, Jacob, was diagnosed with Spina Bifida before he was born. Then, several years after Jacob's birth, Jeremy was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. The home Jeremy and Jennifer bought 13 years ago is falling apart around them; in addition to mounting repairs, the home is too small to accommodate two disabled family members. NFL Super Star Michael Oher and the Tuohy Family ("The Blind Side") are the "Get on the Bus" volunteers, while ESPN football analysts Herm Edwards, Mark Schlereth, Mark May and Desmond Howard are special guests, plus Demi Lovato (sings) and Wilmer Valderrama (with "Handy Manny") also make appearances, SUNDAY, MAY 16 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES -- "I Guess This is Goodbye" - As a season of mysteries are resolved, new ones emerge on the explosive SEASON FINALE of "Desperate Housewives," SUNDAY, MAY 16 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET). Gaby risks her safety to help Angie, the fates of Lynette and her unborn child lie in Eddie's hands, Susan comes to grips with her financial woes, Bree considers confessing a secret she's harbored for years, and Angie must submit to Patrick's demands in order to protect her son. BROTHERS & SISTERS -- "On the Road Again" - As the Walkers try to cope with the sadness and financial ruin that lingers as a result of the closure of Ojai Foods, they discover a small ray of hope in one of William Walker's many secret investments. Meanwhile, Robert's health and the safety of his family are compromised when he finds himself in way over his head in a subversive business deal, and newlyweds Justin and Rebecca consider a trial separation, on the SEASON FINALE of "Brothers & Sisters," SUNDAY, MAY 16 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). CASTLE - "A Deadly Game" - In the SEASON FINALE, nothing is as it seems when Castle and Beckett investigate what appears to be the assassination of an intelligence operative. Meanwhile, Beckett's romance with Demming threatens her relationship with Castle, forcing them to confront their feelings for each other, on "Castle," MONDAY, MAY 17 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET). Guest stars include Stephen J. Cannell, Michael Connelly and James Patterson as themselves. LOST -- "What They Died For" -- TUESDAY, MAY 18 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET). Copy TBD. V -- In the SEASON FINALE, "Red Sky," the episode opens with the V soldier still on the hunt for Val, whose water breaks and whose baby (with Ryan) will soon be born. Meanwhile Erica, tired of being on the defensive, decides to go on the offensive: She gets herself and Tyler invited up to the Mothership for a get-to-know-everyone-better dinner, but she has more than food on her mind; she's really there to find Anna's soldiers and destroy them. And Chad, after Father Jack asks him to help get a message on the ship to Joshua, discovers the awful truth that Anna's been using him, on "V," TUESDAY, MAY 18 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET). THE MIDDLE -- "Average Rules" - After attending year-end school parent-teacher conferences, Frankie and Mike are shocked to discover that Brick may be held back from going to the third grade because the school librarian, Mrs. Nethercott (Guest star Betty White), has it out for him due to his 31 unreturned books. Meanwhile, as Axl's aptitude test results reveal that he's academically gifted, Frankie makes it her mission to get an overlooked Sue the recognition she deserves when her teachers don't even realize she's in their classes, on the SEASON FINALE of "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET). MODERN FAMILY -- "Family Portrait" - Claire painstakingly plans for a new family portrait to be taken, but it seems everything and everyone is working against her. Meanwhile Gloria and Manny go with Phil and Alex to a Lakers game and end up having a very awkward moment on the jumbotron, Luke interviews Jay for a school project, and Cameron gets a wedding singer gig while Mitchell is home alone with Lily and a wayward pigeon, on the SEASON FINALE of "Modern Family," WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 (9:00-9:30 p.m., ET). Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant Makes a Cameo Appearance. COUGAR TOWN -- "Finding Out" - Jules and Grayson hatch an elaborate plan to break the news to Bobby they're dating, and Travis sees the wrath of a truly angry woman for the first time when he forgets his momentous seven-month anniversary with Kylie, on the SEASON FINALE of "Cougar Town," WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 (9:30-10:01 p.m., ET). HAPPY TOWN -- "Slight of Hand" - When Rachel Conroy mysteriously vanishes, an eerie cloud settles over Haplin, as clues point to the return of the elusive Magic Man. Surprisingly, Tommy finds an unlikely ally while desperately searching for his wife. Meanwhile, Handsome Dan announces he has to leave Haplin, then unexpectedly turns up elsewhere. Henley manages to get her stolen property back from Greggy Stiviletto and uses it to blackmail a member of Haplin's powerful "first" family. Finally, Tommy investigates some gruesome evidence that ironically could mean good news for many of Haplin's families, on "Happy Town," WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). FLASHFORWARD - "Countdown" -- TUESDAY, MAY 25 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). Copy TBD. GREY'S ANATOMY -- "Sanctuary" - In the first hour (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) of a two-hour SEASON FINALE, Seattle Grace Hospital is hit with a crisis like no other in its history, on "Grey's Anatomy," THURSDAY, MAY 20. In the second hour (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), "Death and All His Friends," Cristina and Meredith's surgical skills are put to the ultimate test. Mandy Moore ("A Walk to Remember") guest stars. WIFE SWAP -- "Herrington/Trevino" - A clean-cut family who perform a wholesome variety show swap with a rules-free family of low-riders who let their girls wear and say anything they want, on "Wife Swap," FRIDAY, MAY 21 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). Each week two very contradictory families from across the country participate in a two-week-long challenge: The wives exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover daily life in another woman's shoes. This astonishing experiment repeatedly changes lives and redefines families. LOST RECAP SPECIAL -- ABC offers new and avid "Lost" viewers a final glance at one of television's most talked about and critically acclaimed shows. The "Lost" Series Finale Event begins with a two-hour special that takes a look back over the past six seasons of this groundbreaking series. "Lost Recap Special" airs SUNDAY, MAY 23 (7:00-9:00 p.m., ET). LOST - "The End" -- SERIES FINALE, SUNDAY, MAY 23 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET). Copy TBD. "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE" -- Throughout sweeps, Jimmy Kimmel hosts an all-star lineup of guests including, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Ryan Phillippe, Michael Douglas, Josh Holloway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Teri Hatcher and Courtney Love, and will also have the first interview with the winner of "Dancing with the Stars." In addition, after the final episode of "LOST," longtime fan Jimmy will host an hour-long analysis of and farewell to one of television's most beloved series, with appearances from executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, alternate endings, and live interviews with cast members, SUNDAY, MAY 23 (11:35 p.m. - 12:35 a.m.). The month of May also brings musical performances from Hole, Stone Temple Pilots, Tim McGraw Godsmack, Angels and Airwaves, Dirty Heads, Slayer, Damian Marley with Nas and Massive Attack, who are making their only U.S. TV appearance. "Jimmy Kimmel Live" airs MONDAY-FRIDAY (12:05 a.m. - 1:05 a.m., ET). THE BACHELORETTE - Ali Fedotowsky has finally decided to risk it all for love. The energetic and charismatic career-oriented woman from San Francisco has re-prioritized her life - and now love comes out on top. She will have her own opportunity to find her soul mate when the sixth edition of "The Bachelorette" PREMIERES MONDAY, MAY 24 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), and moves to its regular time slot (8:00-10:02 p.m., ET) on Monday, May 31 Ali, 25, has been a fan favorite from the moment she stepped out of the limo with her sexy raspy voice and a peacock feather to meet Jake Pavelka on the last season of "The Bachelor." She became the front-runner for Jake's heart, but instead they found themselves in a heartbreaking situation when she made a gut-wrenching decision to choose a job she loved over the man she loved. Ali made the surprising safe choice to go back to work, but regretted it immediately. By the time she sorted out her work affairs, Jake had already moved on with his search for love with the three fabulous women who stayed with him, and he did not allow Ali to return. But it's not too late for Ali now. Admitting that she made one of the biggest mistakes of her life, she has let go of everything this time - her apartment, her job, her stability - to really make a life-changing commitment to put her heart first. DANCING WITH THE STARS - 1010A" -- SEASON FINALE airs on TUESDAY, MAY 25 (9:00- 11:00 p.m., ET).

'Real Romney' Authors Dissect His Latest Campaign In The Real Romney, Boston Globe reporters Michael Kranish and Scott Helman examine Mitt Romney's political rise since 1994, when he ran for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. They explain how Romney shifted from supporting abortion rights to heavily courting social conservatives in the 2008 Republican primary. "When he looked at the race, he saw Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, and John McCain, the senator from Arizona — they were the big boys in the center, if you will, in the Republican Party," Helman tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. "There was no room for Mitt Romney there. Where there was room was on the right." As Romney prepares to accept the official Republican nomination in Tampa this week, Kranish and Helman talk about the latest developments in the campaign, Romney's finances and experience at private equity firm Bain Capital, and his recent remark in Michigan that "no one's ever asked to see my birth certificate." Shifting right is in sharp contrast to Romney's father's politics. During the 1964 convention in San Francisco, a young Mitt Romney watched his father, George Romney, try and fail to get the Republican platform committee to reject extremists and support civil rights. George Romney represented the moderate wing of the Republican Party, says Kranish, and thought it would be "political suicide" if his opponent Barry Goldwater — also known as "Mr. Conservative" — was the presidential candidate. Although George Romney dropped out before the first primary, when Goldwater eventually won the nomination, he "walked out of the convention, very upset," Kranish says. Mitt Romney represents the "Barry Goldwater wing of today," Kranish says. While his father was more of an "outspoken moral leader," he is "more of the technocrat, the competent executive, the manager," Helman adds. Kranish and Helman's book, The Real Romney, is now out in paperback with a new afterword. On Romney's pragmatic politics Scott Helman: "Certainly there are some consistencies that we see. In '94, when he first ran for Senate, and now, he's a man who cares very much about his family and his faith and so forth. There are certain bedrock principles that to him have not changed, but when you think about him politically, they're two completely different Mitt Romneys. "The Mitt Romney who ran in 1994 started out as a political independent. He's somebody who railed against the Contract With America, which of course was the big Newt Gingrich GOP revolution that year. He was a strong supporter of abortion rights. He was very outspoken in favor of gay rights, even writing this famous letter to the Log Cabin Republicans, a Republican gay rights group, talking about how he could be more effective than Ted Kennedy could be, his opponent, on gay rights. "So you go up and down the line and it's a very, very different political profile. So I think the one thing ideologically almost that's consistent from then to now is he's a pragmatist. And at the time, he was running against a very liberal senator, with an impressive civil rights record and he was in very blue Massachusetts, so he had to be a certain type of candidate to be successful — and to a large extent that continued in his gubernatorial run in 2002. After that, when he starts to run for president, it's a very different environment and he realizes he has to be someone completely different to succeed in a Republican primary." On Romney's experience at Bain Capital Helman: "Whatever you think of Mitt Romney, whatever you think of his tenure at Bain, whatever you think of Bain Capital or private equity, I think we have to stipulate that Mitt Romney certainly has some economic fluency. He has trafficked in this world for years, and I think there is certainly some truth to his statement that he knows how jobs come and he knows how jobs go. So I think he is largely correct to say that he has some significant understanding of how the American economy works, but I think it's a different question entirely, when we're saying, 'Do we want this kind of man to be our leader? Do we want somebody who is very successful making money for very wealthy people running the economy that's supposed to be for everybody?' And I think that's where his pitch is a little less persuasive. "Certainly, there is an argument to be made — and we're hearing it a lot from President Obama and his re-election team — that Mitt Romney has been really good for the 1 percent and he'd be really good for the 1 percent if he were president. He knows what these guys want and need. He wants deregulation. He wants lower tax rates for the wealthy. He wants smaller government. "So I think connecting those policy prescriptions to his Bain tenure, I think that is politically problematic for him. And I think that's one of his big challenges at this convention, is how he's going to cast that experience. Because the fact is the polls that I've seen suggest that Americans still believe that Obama identifies with them more than Mitt Romney does, and that Obama would be better for the middle class. And I think Mitt Romney can't win if it stays like that. So he has to find some way to say that, 'Even though pretty much everything I've done in my business career has been to make money for largely wealthy investors, that I can apply that expertise and experience to everybody else.'" On how Romney's Mormon faith figures into the campaign Michael Kranish: "Mitt Romney does not want to talk about the tenets of Mormonism. He's made that clear that this should not be something that he should have to discuss, that you should go to his church and so forth. "And yet at the same time, you've had many people ... who have said you can't understand Romney without understanding what his faith means to him. He has said that his Mormon faith is 'one of the most important treasures of my life.' So you do need to understand that. Plus, he was a leader of the Boston-area Mormon churches for a number of years. This was practically a second full-time job. So he wasn't just a member, he was a very strong leader of that church. "And I think what you've seen very recently is that they've come to the conclusion that [his campaign] needs to find a way to talk about what his faith means to him without talking about the individual tenets. And what'd they like to do — and I know what they're talking about doing — is talk about how as a church leader, he helped people who were disadvantaged, that this was the way this very, very wealthy man heading a private equity company in Boston was able to meet with people who might have been poor or disadvantaged in various ways — as a church leader." On Romney's comment "no one's ever asked to see my birth certificate" Kranish: "Mitt Romney has stayed away from this issue entirely. He well knows that there are plenty of other people in the party who are happy to take it on and that he can maintain his distance. Although obviously, he's appeared on stage with Donald Trump who's endorsed him. And the reason I was particularly surprised is that it was Mitt's father, George, who ran for president despite being born in Mexico and did not come to this country until he was 5 years old. At the time, his father's campaign took some questions about that and it never really came to complete conclusion because George dropped out before the first primary. "But I looked back at newspaper stories of the time and there were serious questions being raised about whether George was qualified since he was born in Mexico and didn't come here until he was 5, whether he could fit the definition of being a native-born citizen and so forth. And their explanation was that George's parents had lived in the U.S. at a certain time and that he was therefore qualified under that. But I think he's been particularly sensitive because his father went through some of these same questions when his father ran for president." TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. As Mitt Romney prepares to accept his party's nomination, we're going to talk with the authors of the book "The Real Romney," which has just been published in paperback with a new afterword. Michael Kranish is deputy chief of the Boston Globe's Washington bureau and a former White House correspondent. Scott Helman is a staff writer at the Globe and former political editor. He was the lead writer on the 2008 presidential campaign. Their book covers the role of Romney's ancestors in the history of the Mormon faith, his own leadership within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his father George Romney's political career as governor of Michigan, Mitt's career as a venture capitalist with Bain Capital, and his political career. I recorded this interview with Kranish and Helman yesterday. Kranish was in Tampa, where he's covering the Republican convention. Helman was in Boston planning to get on a flight to Tampa after our interview. Michael Kranish, Scott Helman, welcome back to FRESH AIR and thank you so much for coming. So Michael Kranish, you wrote on Sunday about the 1964 Republican convention, where George Romney, Mitt's father, was a player. He had briefly been a contender in the Republican presidential primary, and you write about how he tried to get the Republican platform committee to adopt an amendment rejecting extremists. Who were the extremists that George Romney was worried about at the 1964 Republican convention? MICHAEL KRANISH: Well, it's very interesting, and I see these two conventions as bookends in Mitt Romney's life. Mitt was there with his father, George, in 1964 in San Francisco, and at that time his father George represented the moderate wing of the party. Barry Goldwater, of course, became the nominee. And George thought this was a mistake. He thought it would be, quote, political suicide for Barry Goldwater to be the nominee of the Republican Party. So he tried at the platform committee, with his son watching, to have them adopt a platform plank that would basically support civil rights legislation. Barry Goldwater had voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act. And that failed. And then George tried to get them to adopt a plank rejecting extremism because there was concern at the time that the John Birch Society was having too much influence in the party. That plank was rejected. And then Barry Goldwater became the nominee, and as Mitt later recalled it, his father walked out of the Republican convention in 1964, very upset, never endorsed Barry Goldwater. What's so striking is that now Mitt Romney is coming in, calling himself severely conservatively, and he's not, you know, the moderate like his father walking in. He is now representing, if you will, the Barry Goldwater wing of today. So it really is a turnabout, and I really think it gives you a sense of the long, ideological winding path that Mitt Romney has traveled to get to this moment. GROSS: And Goldwater lost the election really badly to Lyndon Johnson. KRANISH: That's right, and Governor Romney, you know, no doubt felt that he was right, that he thought this was a big mistake, and Barry Goldwater was rejected. You can look back now in history and say the way that Goldwater was steering the party towards a more Southern strategy is where the party is today. So now Mitt Romney in essence is coming along all these years later, 48 years later, and he is sort of more in line, I guess, with that Southern strategy, if you will, that the parties are very different than they were in his father's day. So obviously the party has changed, the Republican Party has changed dramatically, and Mitt Romney has changed dramatically in his views as well. GROSS: After Barry Goldwater lost the presidential election in '64, he wrote an angry letter to George Romney asking why didn't you support me. And you quote what George Romney wrote in response, and I want to read that. George Romney wrote: Dogmatic, ideological parties tend to splinter the political and social fabric of a nation, lead to governmental crises and deadlocks, and stymie the compromises so often necessary to preserve freedom and achieve progress. How do you think that reverberates today? KRANISH: I have read that quote to some audiences, and I read it recently, and to my surprise the audience started cheering. They just felt that summarized, at least that's the way I took it, the problems of today, that George Romney way back those years ago has summarized views that are even more relevant today perhaps than they were then, because that seems to be where we are. And so I do wonder, as Mitt Romney is taking the stage here, what voice he'll hear in his ear. Will he hear the echo of what his father said all those years ago? And you know, will he act on that? Will he - and that is, there is a sense among those who know him that he will try to reach back to that to some degree, to, you know, as traditionally is done, he'll say I want to work with Democrats. Obviously, you know, we'll have to see what happens if he's president. But it is something that is a strong echo in the Romney family legacy, and we're looking to see how and whether Mitt embraces that same kind of viewpoint and concern. GROSS: So your book is called "The Real Romney," and Scott, I want to ask you: If you compare how Romney is running now in his presidential campaign to how he ran in his gubernatorial or Senate campaigns, are they all - is he consistent in those campaigns, or are there things that lead you to ask who is the real Romney, comparing those campaigns? SCOTT HELMAN: I think it's incredibly inconsistent, actually. I mean, certainly there are some consistencies that we see. I mean, in '94, when he first ran for Senate, and now, he's a man who cares very much about his family and his faith and so forth. There's certain bedrock principles, I think, to him that have not changed. But when you think about him politically, they're two completely different Mitt Romneys. I mean, the Mitt Romney who ran in 1994 started out as a political independent, he's somebody who railed against the Contract with America, which of course was the big Newt Gingrich GOP revolution that year. He was a strong supporter of abortion rights. He was very outspoken in favor of gay rights, even writing this famous letter to the Log Cabin Republicans, a Republican gay rights group, talking about how he could more effective than Ted Kennedy could be, his opponent, on gay rights. So you go up and down the line, and it's a very, very different political profile. So I think, you know, the one thing ideologically almost that's consistent from then to now is he's a pragmatist, and at the time, I think, you know, he was running against a very liberal senator with an impressive civil rights record, and he was running in very blue Massachusetts. So he had to be a certain type of candidate to be successful. And to some extent that - to a large extent that continued in his gubernatorial run in 2002. You know, after that, when he starts to run for president, it's a very different environment, and he realizes that he has to be someone completely different to succeed in a Republican primary. And I think we're still seeing the result of that shift. And all these things that we hear Mitt Romney say, and we sort of compare them to how he said them before, you have this kind of puzzled look on your face because you think, well, how could the same person say this and also say that. And I think the answer is, he, you know, just like he did in business, he looks at each situation that he's in and figures out how to be successful in that situation, and in many cases part of that consideration was who do I have to be politically to win. GROSS: In your book "The Real Romney," you write a lot about not only Mitt Romney's commitment to the Mormon Church but the history of his family in the church. His great-great-grandfather was a part of the church back in the Joseph Smith era. Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So, he's been very private about his faith. However, last week he invited some members of the press to come to his church and observe him at a service. Michael Kranish, were you one of those journalists who was there? KRANISH: No, this was a pool. So there were a couple of reporters that are allowed to represent the rest of the press, who happened to be on duty that day up by his summer home in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. I did write about this issue a couple days later, however, and Terry, I think what you're seeing is that Mitt Romney does not want to talk about the tenets of Mormonism. He's made that clear, that this should not be something that he has to discuss, that you should go to his church and so forth. And yet at the same time, you've had many people, and I think we may have talked about this last time we were on your show, who have said, you know, you can't understand Mitt Romney without understanding what his faith means to him. He has said that his Mormon faith is, quote, one of the most important treasures of my life, unquote. So you do need to understand that. Plus, he was a leader of the Boston area Mormon churches for a number of years. This was practically a second fulltime job. So he wasn't just a member; he was a very strong leader of that church. And I think what you've seen very recently is that they've come to the conclusion that they need to find a way to talk about what his faith means to him without talking about the individual tenets. And what they'd like to do, and I know what they are talking about doing - is talking about how as a church leader he helped people who were disadvantaged, that this was the way this very, very wealthy man, heading a private equity company in Boston, was able to meet with people who might have been poor or disadvantaged in various ways - as a church leader. And so one of his aides have said a couple days ago that some of those folks might get up on the - at the convention and talk about how Mitt Romney helped them. Obviously, as Scott wrote in the book, there are also some other cases where there are some controversial things that Mitt Romney as a church leader advised some people to do. So I don't know that those people would talk. But they are trying to use his church leadership days in a different way to hopefully, in their point of view, seal some of the connection that Mitt Romney seems to have been lacking in some of his prior appearances. GROSS: How did Mitt Romney handle his faith in previous campaigns? HELMAN: When Mitt Romney first ran for office in 1994, his faith did become a big campaign issue, in large part because his opponent, Ted Kennedy, and his family, made it an issue. There was a lot of controversy around Ted Kennedy's nephew, Joe Kennedy, who had said that, you know, he thought it was outrageous that the Mormon church prevented women from holding leadership roles and that they excluded blacks from holding the priesthood. And it was a big moment, I think, for Mitt Romney and a big wakeup call that suddenly this faith that he had known had been seen skeptically, but I think this was the first time he got a taste of just how politically sensitive this was. And in fact Ted Kennedy himself at one point said that he thought that some of these things that Mormons believed, and particularly the point about not letting blacks in the church until 1978 - or hold leadership positions until 1978, that that was something that should be examined in a political context. Now, he later backed off from that, but of course there was a great irony for the Romneys, that here you had the Kennedys, you know, Ted Kennedy, whose own brother, Jack Kennedy, in 1960 had given this famous speech in running for president saying that, you know, he wasn't going to speak for Catholicism, and Catholicism didn't speak for him, that it was, you know, here they were kind of invoking that legacy in a very perverse way. And in fact there's a great story of a press conference that Mitt Romney was giving when he was really burned up about how this faith issue had come up. George Romney, his father, was actually there, in his 80s at the time, sort of advising his son's campaigns. And he was circling the gaggle of reporters and just fuming at this and how the Kennedys had brought this up and made it a part of the campaign. At one point, in true George Romney fashion, he bursts into the press conference, interrupts his son and sort of starts shaking his fist and saying, you know, this is outrageous what the Kennedys are doing and this should have no place there. And, you know, of course it was a great TV moment, right, so all the TV cameras went right from Mitt Romney right over to dad, because it made for a much better story. But I think that gave you a sense of how much this really bothered them, that it had become an issue. And in fact, even after the race, after Mitt Romney had lost, he said one of the things that really ate at him was the way that the Kennedys had brought up the faith issue and made it part of the conversation. So that was, you know, a bad, a sour experience, I think, if you will, for Mitt Romney. Fortunately for him, and I think for a lot of other Mormons, certainly in Massachusetts, it was almost nonexistent as an issue in 2002 when he ran for governor. And then we see it crop back up again when he first runs for president in 2008, and of course that's when he really starts to court social conservatives. He's trying to talk to all these evangelicals, and of course a lot of them, as we know, have - are very skeptical, or worse, about Mormons and what they believe. GROSS: If you're just joining us, my guests are Scott Helman and Michael Kranish of the Boston Globe. They're the co-authors of the book "The Real Romney," which has just been published in paperback with a new afterword. And Michael Kranish is speaking to us from Tampa, Scott Helman from Boston; he's on his way to Tampa. Let's take a short break here, then we'll talk some more about Mitt Romney. This is FRESH AIR. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) GROSS: If you're just joining us, my guests are Michael Kranish and Scott Helman of the Boston Globe. They're co-authors of the new book "The Real Romney"; it's just been published in paperback with a new afterword. Michael Kranish, you've been writing about Mitt Romney and his finances, taxes and Bain. He released his 2010 tax returns, and Gawker just released - Gawker just got their hands on a bunch of financial documents from Bain Capital. What are some of the key things you've learned about Romney and his personal finances from these documents? KRANISH: Well, let me provide some perspective. There's been a lot of talk about the last 10 years of Mitt Romney's tax returns because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has alleged, without providing evidence, that Mitt Romney paid no taxes for 10 years. So the context for this and the paradigm that really should be set is Mitt Romney's own words. He said in 1994, in running for the U.S. Senate against Ted Kennedy, that Kennedy should release his tax returns to show that he had nothing to hide. Kennedy refused, and Romney as a result did not release his own tax returns. So Romney's the one who set this up, that this should be done. And then in 2002, when Romney's opponents did release their tax returns and said, OK, now you release yours, at that time he refused to release any tax returns and said it was a privacy issue. So this time around, it shouldn't be surprising that there was a lot of pressure for him to release his tax returns. And what he has said is he would release - he has released his 2010 tax returns and so far a summary of the 2011 information. Frankly, that doesn't tell us an awful lot about his time at Bain Capital. He was at Bain Capital running that company from 1984. And then through '99 he was directly controlling a lot of the deals, and then he stayed as CEO until 2002. So the 10 years after that are the years that Harry Reid's talked about, which is when he basically got a severance deal. But, you know, the real issue, if people are looking at, you know, going back to Romney's own words about what's going on about do you have something to hide, would go back to the time when he's at Bain Capital, because seeing those early tax returns are the ones that would show you how much money he made on certain deals and if those deals were the same deals that were good for the companies that were bought or if factories were shut down in those deals and he profited to a certain degree. Those are the kind of things that you might want to see. So whatever is released in more recent years wouldn't show a lot of that. What the more recent documents have shown, they are not Romney-specific documents, but they're documents about various Bain funds that Romney at this time has some investments in. And some of those funds are held in the Cayman Islands and other places like that. They're - a lot of the investments are not in a company stock A or B. As Romney has said, they're - it's all managed by a blind trust. The blind trust person running that decided to invest in Bain Capital funds. And in some cases those are hedge funds. They're various things that in fact might bet on whether a company does poorly. But those are investments, you know, much later, and they're run by a blind trustee. So my overall point is that really by not releasing the earlier tax returns, there's a lot that we don't know and apparently we won't because he doesn't intend to release them. And the other point is that his tax rate has been very low because as a person in the private equity business, he gets a break from the get-go, and that is that instead of most of his income coming and taxed by salary, it's taxed at what's known as carried interest, which is essentially the capital gains tax rate, which is about half the tax rate of, say, someone, you know, in a middle-class situation. So it's just like Warren Buffett has said that his tax rate is lower than his secretary. Mitt Romney in the private equity business, it's the same thing. I don't know how much his secretary made, but from the get-go he was paying a very low tax rate. And so one of the things I wonder, President Obama in his budget had proposed that that be eliminated, that he felt that was an unfair break, and I wonder if that kind of issue also will become something we'll hear more about in the campaign. GROSS: One of the questions that has been raised based on the Bain financial records that were released is that there were investments that, you know, the partners, and I think Romney would be included in these investments, investments in funds that hold complex securities that can profit from downturns in the economy like by shorting stocks, by betting against interest rates in foreign currencies, credit default swaps, which can bet that something's going to lose, and you gain if they lose. So in terms of his experience, his financial experience showing him how to boost the economy, if he's had investments that have bet against success, bet against the economy, what does that say? Or does it say nothing? Is that just what investors do? KRANISH: Right. The dilemma in discussing this is that these are funds that his blind trustee person decided to invest in. GROSS: I see. KRANISH: So Romney can say, you know, look, I didn't invest in those funds, the trustee invested in those funds. And it's hardly uncommon. I'm not excusing anything or saying this is fine or bad, just making the general point that a lot of funds, you know, have that, that use short stocks and so forth. I've spent a lot of time talking to Romney's Bain partners over the last year or so, and every single one of them that I've talked to have said their job was not necessarily to create jobs, their job was to make as much money for their investors as possible. And some of them take a little bit of umbrage at the idea that Bain has now been cast as this job-creating machine. They say they think in the end that more jobs are created than lost, but they say their fiduciary duty was to their investors to make money, and if that meant that jobs were cut in certain deals, then jobs were cut. If that meant that factories had to be closed because it could be more profitable to do it in some other way, then factories were closed. Those were decisions that Mitt Romney would have been more directly involved with, which is a little different than a fund that a blind trustee person, you know, may have invested in. So as someone who's spent a lot of time looking at this, the deals that Romney was directly involved in, which have plenty of upsides and downsides that we can talk about, probably are the most relevant to talk about in terms of what he did, what his decisions were and whether those were good for the economy or not. And there are plenty of deals. There are about 100 deals made over 15 years, a lot of which we write about. Plenty of those, you know, are controversial. But the bottom line is they ran a fund that was basically a fund for very wealthy people to invest in. That was his job, and typically it a million dollars or more to get into those funds. It's not like a typical mutual fund. So these individuals who invested in that fund, they did very well. Oftentimes their money doubled or almost doubled every year. It's a different matter about how that profit was made. In some cases it was made because businesses were turned around, or maybe there were things that were shut down or changed. It's a - each deal is different, and there are many different ways in which they made money for their investors. Michael Kranish and Scott Helman will be back in the second half of the show. Their book "The Real Romney" has just been published in paperback. I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross back with Michael Kranish and Scott Helman, authors of the book "The Real Romney," which has just been published in paperback with a new afterword. Kranish is deputy chief of the Boston Globe's Washington bureau and a former White House correspondent. Scott Helman is a staff writer at the Globe and former political editor. He was a lead writer on the 2008 presidential campaign. We recorded our interview yesterday. Kranish was in Tampa, Helman was in Boston preparing to leave for Tampa. So, Michael Kranish, one of the things you've written about regarding Romney's finances is how he and other partners at Bain used their IRAs both to invest but also perhaps to shield money from having to pay taxes on - that is perhaps stretching what an IRA is supposed to be able to do. Could you describe what questions you have about Mitt Romney's IRA? KRANISH: Right. Well, a lot of people in this country have IRAs; they were set up by Congress to help average working people save a modest amount for retirement. And the average amount that an individual has in IRAs in this country is about $90,000. Mitt Romney in his financial disclosure report said that his IRA was worth between 20 million to $100 million. And as you know, an IRA, when you put money in there, it's shielded from the initial taxation and then you pay taxes when you are in retirement and take it out and presumably at a lower rate than you would have otherwise, and in the meantime a lot of money can accumulate. I asked an independent research group to analyze where Mitt Romney's IRA stood in relation to the rest of the country and they came back and said that his IRA, even at the lowest estimate of 20 million, would have been in the top one-100ths of one percent of IRAs in this country. So by any measure, his IRA is extraordinary. Very few people have an IRA of 20 million, not to mention the possible topside of 100 million. So how did he do that? How did you get an IRA so large if there are restrictions on how much you can put into IRAs every year? Depending on how it's done, the restriction might be $5,000 a year or in some kind of corporate plans it could be up to $50,000 a year. But still, how would it grow so large so quickly? So I and another reporter at the Globe, Beth Healy, looked at this and talked to Bain partners, other folks, and part of the reason is is that they use these IRAs that were established with a certain amount of money to make side investments in deals that Bain Capital already thought were pretty good or sure winning deals. So they would use their own personal funds from the IRA to then invest in the same deals that Bain Capital was investing in. Some of these deals were extraordinarily successful. So there was a deal for, for example, where Bain put in $50 million into an Italian Yellow Pages company and got back a billion dollars. Separately, Bain partners invested in that same deal and deals like it. And so you can imagine they put in a somewhat modest amount of money personally and they got back a big return. Those returns accumulated exponentially. So over time, you have the IRA really exploding in the amount of money that's in there, and it's a - I think a large part of the explanation as to how an IRA all these years later could be worth between 20 million to $100 million. It's not what Congress envisioned obviously, when they set up IRAs, but the Romney campaign and the people that I've talked to, they say this is all legal and that when the money is withdrawn upon retirement, then Romney would pay some kind of a tax rate on that. GROSS: I don't know a lot about what you can and can't do with an IRA. But is it legal to take the money in your IRA and just choose what investments you want to make with it? KRANISH: Well, sure. I mean you can have what's called a self-directed IRA and so with your IRA you could say now I want it in, you know, Fidelity's X fund and then later on say, no, change that to the Fidelity Y fund. It can't... GROSS: Right. But that's different than - I mean isn't that different from saying we're going to invest in this like new company that Bain's investing in? Because I understand having your retirement money in one of the funds in the larger company that your workplace uses as, for its retirement funds. But that's different from just choosing individual places to invest in with your IRA money. That's OK? KRANISH: Right. Well, I asked the same question. And as it turns out, the Bain Capital IRAs are held by Merrill Lynch and there's a individual who has to be responsible for making sure that the deal is appropriate under the way the plan was set up, so every plan might have different particular rules. You couldn't go out and invest, for example, in tulips, but in this case, the person overseeing the IRA can say, you know, this seems like a reasonable investment and go ahead. So there are various restrictions on that that's set up plan-to-plan but in this case they were allowed under this plan to invest in side personal investments in Bain deals. GROSS: Now Scott, you recently wrote a piece trying to investigate this question. Mitt Romney says that his experience at Bain has taught him what you need to know to create jobs and to fix the economy. So picking up on what Michael said earlier, how related is his experience at Bain to creating jobs and fixing the economy? HELMAN: I think it's undeniable, whatever you think of Mitt Romney, whatever you think of his tenure at Bain, whatever you think of Bain Capital or private equity, I think we have to stipulate that Mitt Romney certainly has some economic fluency. He has trafficked in this world for years and I think there is certainly some truth to his statement that he knows how jobs come and he knows how jobs go. So I think he is largely correct to say that he has some significant understanding of how the American economy works, but I think that's a different question - it's a different question entirely, when we're saying, well, do we want this kind of man to be our leader? Do we want somebody who is very successful making money for very wealthy people running the economy that's supposed to be for everybody? And I think that's where his pitch is a little less persuasive. I mean certainly, there is an argument to be made - and we're hearing it a lot from President Obama and his re-election team - that Mitt Romney has been really good for the one percent and he'd be really good for the one percent if he were president. He knows what these guys want and need. He wants deregulation. He wants lower tax rates for the wealthy. He wants smaller government. So I think, you know, connecting those policy prescriptions to his Bain tenure, I think that is politically problematic for him. And I think that's one of his big challenges at this convention, is how he is going to cast that experience. Because the fact is the polls that I've seen suggest that Americans still believe that Obama identifies with them more than Mitt Romney does, and that Obama would be better for the middle class. And I think Mitt Romney can't win if that stays like that. So he has to somehow find a way to say, even though pretty much everything I've done in my business career has been to make money for largely wealthy investors, that I can apply that expertise and that experience to everybody else. KRANISH: Terry, if I could just add, you know, one of the most interesting things that Romney said about this time was something he wrote - if I can just quote it. He said, quote, "I never actually ran one of our investments. That was left to management." And the reason that's important to understand is that he was running an investment fund. It wasn't like his father, George, who went in to run American Motors Corporation and turn it around. Mitt Romney would be the first person to say, and as I quoted, he did, that that's not what he did. He ran an overall investment fund. Deals were proposed and brought to him. He would say yes or no, and then a couple of cases he was on the board. For the most part that was the major part of his decision-making, let's invest or not invest. And so people can look at that and with the 30-second ads it can be hard to understand that because it sounds like he may have gone in, you know, and directly run this company or that company. Most of what he did, he made most of his money in leveraged buyout deals that were basically investments in existing companies and he got paid management fees, there were loans taken that the company that was being bought had to pay back. So it's a more nuanced story that we really did try to take a lot of time to explain exactly what he did. And I think that quote that I read you gives you a little bit more perspective as to what he did and didn't do. GROSS: Mitt Romney very recently wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece that was called "What I Learned at Bain." And he wrote, my presidency would make it easier for entrepreneurs and small businesses to get the investment dollars they need to grow, by reducing and simplifying taxes; replacing Obamacare with real health care reform that contains costs and improves care; and by stemming the flood of new regulations that are tying small businesses in knots. And he goes on to say, I'm not sure Bain Capital could have grown or turned around some of the companies we invested in had we faced today's anti-business environment. Andy Puzder, the chief executive of CKE Restaurants Incorporated, which employs about 21,000 people at Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants, has said that quote, "the current unfriendly economic environment perhaps best explains why American companies are sitting on over $2 trillion which they could invest," unquote. So it seems to me there's maybe two separate thoughts on here. One is making it easier for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and the other is a favorable economic climate for companies that have 21,000 employees and their needs might be very different from the small entrepreneur. KRANISH: Well, it goes to his overall belief - his overall belief as in the theory of, quote, "creative destruction," and that the private economy will find what works and what doesn't - and this is what led to the famous op-ed he wrote about the auto bailout, where it was headlined "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt"- that that is part of what he believes in. And if you are a supporter of Mitt Romney that's something that, you know, you may well believe in yourself - that this idea that there's too much regulation and that business is not investing. There are certainly plenty of business people who would say, you know, that is the case and that they don't like all the regulation and that an overall change in lots of things, you know, would improve conditions. So that is really one of the fundamental questions in the election: Do you believe in Mitt Romney's philosophical view about this or do you believe in President Obama's? That's really, you know, one of the main things that people will be examining. HELMAN: But I think a lot of this gets lost just in the talking points. I mean, you know, the fact is the capital gains rate is still very low, it has not been raised. President Obama has not raised that. You know, we talk about energy, you know, Obama has angered a lot of liberals by being open to drilling in and around this country. So there are plenty of things - it's easy for Romney and Republicans I think generally to say oh, you know, you know, business hates all the regulation and government is on their back and so forth. But the fact is, you know, there have been several things that have happened recently that have been favorable to business that Obama has either not changed or proposed himself. And but so I think it becomes kind of a crutch or a trope, if you will, to say, you know, Democrats love government, they hate business and it's, you know, that fits in a 30-second ad and that's how you vote. GROSS: If you're just joining us, my guests are Michael Kranish and Scott Helman. They both are with the Boston Globe. They're the authors of the book "The Real Romney," which has just been published in paperback with a new afterword. Let's take a short break here, then we'll talk some more. This is FRESH AIR. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) GROSS: We're talking about Mitt Romney with Michael Kranish and Scott Helman of the Boston Globe. Helman is a staff writer and former political editor at the Globe and was a lead writer on the 2008 presidential campaign. Michael Kranish is deputy chief of the Globe's Washington bureau and a former White House correspondent. Their book, "The Real Romney," has just been published in paperback with a new afterword, and they're covering the Republican Convention. I want to ask you about Dr. Jack Wilkie. And he's the now 87-year-old doctor that apparently is the person who came up with the idea that Congressman Todd Akin quoted, which is that if a woman is raped that her body has a mechanism to shut down the sperm from fertilizing an egg. Now, Dr. Wilkie from what I've heard, had been a surrogate for Mitt Romney. Do you know much about Wilkie or his relationship to Romney? HELMAN: I - this is Scott - I don't know much about Wilkie or his relationship. I'm trying to think if I ever saw them together in the last campaign and nothing comes to mind. I mean, what I will say... GROSS: While you're thinking, I'm going to quote something... HELMAN: Yeah. Sure. GROSS: ...that Jack Wilkie wrote: Every woman is aware that stress and emotional factors can alter her menstrual cycle. To get and stay pregnant, a woman's body must produce a very sophisticated mix of hormones. Hormone production is controlled by a part of the brain which is easily influenced by emotions. There's no greater emotional trauma that can be experienced by a woman than an assault rape. This can radically upset her possibility of ovulation, fertilization, implantation and even nurturing of a pregnancy. And he goes on to write that women who report rape often do that - they often falsely claim rape. Anyway it's just... HELMAN: I mean it sounds like... HELMAN: It sounds to me, you know, all those things sound like you're reading something from some, you know, 17th-century encyclopedia. I mean it's just amazing... GROSS: It was 1971. Yeah. HELMAN: Right. Exactly. I mean it's incredible, I think, some of the things people are saying about rape in 2012. One thing I will say that Romney, in the last campaign, you know, he really set out in that 2008 race to establish himself as the top candidate for social conservatives. I mean that was where the space was. When he looked at the race he saw Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, and John McCain, the senator from Arizona, they were the big boys in the center, if you will, in the Republican Party. There was no room for Mitt Romney there. Where there was room was on the right and that's why we see this real recalibration of Mitt Romney as a political figure because he had to fill that space. And in part of the effort that he went to to do that was to court people like this doctor and people like Joe Arpaio, the very rabidly anti-immigration sheriff in Phoenix. HELMAN: I remember flying out with Romney when he did an event with Joe Arpaio. These were the people he was courting in that campaign. And, you know, we've seen him moderate that to some extent this time around, but I mean that just gives you a sense of the lengths that he went to to appeal to the hard right of the Republican Party. KRANISH: And in this campaign, he has tried to back out, not change his position on that. He's already changed that position once. But he hasn't focused on it as much as he did in 2008. So for example when he wrote his book "No Apology," at the end he has a list of 64 action items, as he calls them, and abortion is not on the list. He does talk about his anti-abortion views in the text of the book, but the fact that it's not on that list of 64 action items gives you a sense that they made a political calculation that there are certain social conservatives who would simply not support Mitt Romney and that they needed to focus more this time around on the economy. So certainly, you know, he maintains his same position, but he hasn't focused on it in quite the same way that he did in 2008. GROSS: Mitt Romney recently said in Michigan: No one ever asked me for my birth certificate. Were you surprised that he said that? KRANISH: I was surprised, and the reason that I was surprised is that Mitt Romney has stayed away from this issue entirely. He well knows that there are plenty of other people in the party who are happy to take it on and that he can maintain his distance, although obviously he's appeared onstage with Donald Trump, who has endorsed him. And the reason I was particularly surprised is that it was Mitt's father, George, who ran for president despite being born in Mexico and did not come to this country until he was five years old. At the time, his father's campaign took some questions about that, and it never really came to a complete conclusion because George dropped out before the first primary. But I look back at newspaper stories from the time, and there were serious questions being raised about whether George was qualified, since he was born in Mexico and didn't come here until he was five, whether he could fit the definition of being a native-born citizen and so forth. And their explanation was that George's parents had lived in the U.S. at a certain time and that he qualified under that. But I think he's been particularly sensitive because his father went through some of these same questions when his father ran for president. GROSS: So doesn't Romney run the risk of having people, having journalists use that statement as an opportunity to go back to the George Romney question about whether he legitimately ran for president because he spent his first five years in Mexico where he was born, and in a community that was founded as a polygamist community so that they could have freedom of polygamy outside of the government of the United States? KRANISH: Well, it's interesting. If you look back, Mitt Romney for many years didn't focus very much on the fact that his father was born in Mexico. In this campaign he's mentioned it a number of times, particularly before Hispanic audiences, mentioning that his father was born in Mexico, although his father obviously was not an Hispanic. But he's pointed that out, that there is some heritage in the family. He certainly has not focused on the fact that his great-grandfather, Miles Park Romney, established that colony to evade the laws against polygamy in this country. Mitt's father and Mitt's grandfather were not polygamists, but the colony was initially founded on that. And to this day there are Romneys, I've been to that colony in Mexico, there are quite a number of Romneys who still live in this colony, in a very beautiful part of Mexico about four hours from the U.S. border. HELMAN: And I think there's a bigger risk, Terry, here, and that is that every time Mitt Romney does something like this, it just puts him more into this, you know, extremist camp within the Republican Party. I mean, this - Mitt Romney now should be focusing on the middle of the country, on independents. This is a group that he's done well with in the past. And yet we see him pushing himself further and further, I think, to the right. And it's going to be really interesting to see how he tries to swing this back at the convention because to the extent that he's associated with the birther movement, and, you know, now he's picked in Paul Ryan someone who is very, very conservative not just on fiscal issues but also on women's issues, on abortion rights, somebody who has favored bills that allow no exceptions for rape or things like that, you know, this puts Mitt Romney exactly where President Obama and his team want him, which is in this far right of the Republican Party, out of the mainstream, somebody who cannot win a general election in the fall. GROSS: The abortion question is actually kind of confusing now about where everybody stands. The party platform, the Republican Party platform, says that there should be no exceptions made for incest or rape. And Paul Ryan, who supports that and has sponsored legislation like that, defers to Romney. You know, Romney supports an exception in cases of rape or incest, but Paul Ryan, who doesn't, says, you know, Romney's the person who'd be president, it's about him, it's not about me. But the Republican Party is Ryan's position. So can you figure out what the position of a Romney administration would actually be? HELMAN: Romney would, you know, be the one to - there is no tie-breaking. You're the president or the vice president. So Romney's position certainly would prevail. His position has been, and they've restated it this week despite the platform, that he has exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother and so forth. So, you know, taking him at his word, that would be the policy of the Romney administration. Obviously that's a - you know, that is a limited position, certainly. So that seems to be where they would be headed with that. KRANISH: But politically it's a disaster for them because Todd Akin's comments about what is rape and legitimate rape versus illegitimate rape, now you have the party platform, which takes a very hard line on abortion, and he's picked Paul Ryan, who in the past has voiced a very hard line on abortion. This is exactly what Mitt Romney does not want to be talking about, because it's a risk on the right, because it reminds people of how firmly in support of abortion rights he once was in his - not very long ago. And it's a disaster on the left and certainly in the center because Mitt Romney wants to talk about the economy and how President Obama has failed and how it's time to fire him and get this country working again, all those slogans, and yet here we are trying to parse, you know, the party's views and his views on abortion. And every moment that he has to spend talking about that is a losing moment for Mitt Romney. GROSS: My guests are Boston Globe reporters Scott Helman and Michael Kranish, authors of "The Real Romney," which has just been published in paperback with a new afterword. We'll talk more after a break. This is FRESH AIR. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) GROSS: If you're just joining us, my guests are Michael Kranish and Scott Helman. They both are with the Boston Globe, and they're authors of the new book "The Real Romney," it just came out in paperback with a new afterword. So you're both covering the Republican convention. I'm just wondering, like, how do you like covering conventions? HELMAN: I always wonder - Michael's more of a political junkie than I am, so I think he enjoys it a bit more, maybe, than I do. But I mean, it is theater, and I think it can be hard, but it's important to try to suss out the substance and try to figure out what the message is and what the policies are going to be and how it, you know, might differ from what President Obama would bring were he re-elected. You know, as you know, logistically as a reporter, it's very, very difficult. The security is crazy. Now it looks like we're in for a few days of rain, which of course is going to be fantastic as we're all, you know, waiting in these long security lines. So, you know, it's fun on one hand, but I will also be happy when it's over. KRANISH: Well, if I can add one thing, Terry, and that is going back to where we started, in 1964, Mitt was there when his father was at the epicenter of a war within the Republican Party that was exposed to all. And there was booing of Nelson Rockefeller when he gave a convention speech, and Barry Goldwater said extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. At this convention, certainly there are people who are - you know, disagree with Mitt Romney, but they're trying to do everything they possibly can to have one central, smooth message. They want to, you know, stifle any idea that there's great disagreement within the party after the brutal primaries. So that's what they're trying to do. You know, clearly, you know, there are disagreements within the party, but they want to present a certain message. It's up to us to, you know, to make clear what's really going on beneath that surface. GROSS: And what do you think are the major disagreements in the party that we won't see on stage? KRANISH: Well, Ron Paul has a lot of supporters here. So a lot of those people are still active. They had a big event during the week. You know, there are people who are not terribly enthusiastic about Mitt Romney who are supporting him because he's the nominee, that some of them are more enthusiastic about Paul Ryan. That's always the case. You know, you often have, you know, nominees that, you know, the party, some of the people are not enthusiastic about. They want to present it now that they're all unified coming out. They obviously want to rally their base. I mean, they have basically made the decision that this is in the large part a base election, and by that I mean that if they get out, you know, their strong supporters that they believe they can win. There was some thought before Ryan was picked that they might have a strategy that looks a lot more to the middle, and they might have picked someone who's more moderate, and they hope that Paul Ryan can fill some of that. But the overall belief is that they basically have made the strategic decision that it's a base election that they can win by turning out their base, especially in key swing states. GROSS: Well, I want to thank you both very much for joining us. Scott Helman, Michael Kranish, thank you. I hope you have a good convention in terms of finding very interesting things to write about and analyze. Be safe, be well, thank you so much. KRANISH: Thank you, Terry. HELMAN: Thanks for having us. GROSS: Michael Kranish and Scott Helman are the authors of "The Real Romney." It's just been published in paperback with a new afterword. You can read an excerpt of the book on our website, freshair.npr.org. Or you can also download podcasts of our show. And you can follow us on Twitter @nprfreshair and on Tumblr at nprfreshair.tumblr.com. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Romance novels are known for heaving bosoms, but these photos from People's "Hottest Bachelors" feature of Bret Michaels and Brody Jenner posed like they're on the cover of a romance novel just made us want to heave. There's no sign of a bandana under that tri-cornered hat, but we still have no desire to be one of the wenches on Bret Michaels' Rock of Love Pirate Ship. Apparently Brody Jenner has set sail as well. Our fantasy: that he and Bret will strike up a bromance and spare the womenfolk on board. There's really nothing wrong with this photo of NFL player Will Demps, but we can't stop thinking about Bret and Brody, and it's hard to see through the tears. It's cool that the editors decided Lance Bass being gay doesn't disqualify him from being a one of the "Hottest Bachelors," but his pose clearly says, "sorry ladies, can not have!" We've never seen a man pulling away from a woman on the cover of a romance novel, but if female readers are snatching up novels about gay male romance, why not have a genre devoted to women lusting after homosexual former boy band members? Earlier: What Women Want: Gay Male Sex

A note to the Coen brothers: There’s dry humor, and then there’s just … dryness. Harsh words, perhaps, but true ones nonetheless: “Burn,” the brothers’ disappointing, largely unfunny follow-up to the flawless “No Country for Old Men,” lacks almost anything that resembles jokes or humor or anything, really, that might elicit more than a few half-hearted smirks. Gone are the zany but mostly on-target insights of The Dude; forgotten are the wild, surreal antics of H.I. McDunnough. What’s left is a whole mess of dry humor that likes, um, humor. Still, that’s not to say “Burn After Reading” is a total wash. The over-the-top plot — which involves everything from cuckholding to murder to extortion — and a string stellar performances keep “Burn” from falling a notch or two below the Coen brothers’ mediocre “Intolerable Cruelty.” Central to this convoluted, tangled mess of a plot is alcoholic misanthrope and ex-CIA agent Osbourne Cox (a pitch-perfect John Malkovich), who has decided to write a warts-and-all memoir as the ultimate “up yours” to the yes man (David Rasche) who fired him. But the disc containing Cox’s notes ends up on the floor of Hardbodies Gym, where two cheerfully moronic fitness instructors — Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) — scoop it up and decide to use it as part of a harebrained blackmail scheme. Litzke intends to use the money for an extreme body makeover (“I’ve gotten about as far as this body can take me,” she matter-of-factly informs her plastic surgeon), while Chad, hyped up on adrenaline and Jamba juice, is thrilled to be part of a plan involving “raw intelligence shit, CIA shit.” Confused yet? Sit tight; things get even stickier when Linda meets jittery ex-Secret Service agent-turned-weirdo-inventor Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) through an online dating service. Sparks fly, but Harry’s not exactly a free agent: He’s “happily married,” and he has a longtime mistress (an icy, curt Tilda Swinton) who just so happens to be Cox’s disgruntled wife. Rest assured that there is more, much more, but it will not be revealed here. Part of what limited fun there is in “Burn After Reading” comes from watching the brainless plots and subplots and sub-subplots collapse in on themselves like displaced Jenga blocks or explode with surprising force. All the characters are connected, but they’re all too self-absorbed or brainless to notice — a complete cluster of idiots. Not one of the characters appears to have a single redeeming quality, and so it’s easy to laugh when all the plans fall spectacularly apart. Which is where the actors come in. With less capable peformers, these characters might seem too larger-than-life, or too one-sided to matter much. Not so in “Burn After Reading,” where a few Coen brothers regulars and newcomers do fine work. Malkovich, with his prickly humor and menacing grin, seems right at home, so much so that it’s a wonder this is his first Coen brothers outing. (He would have fit right in with the “Fargo” cast, eh?) Pitt has loads of fun as Chad, a vapid, gum-smacking fitness guru with nary a thought — original or otherwise — inside his frosted head. (His attempts to “sound official” while blackmailing Malkovich are comedy gold.) Then come the unexpectedly poignant performances. McDormand, arguably the most underrated actress in Hollywood, hits all the right notes as Linda, a lonely woman whose determination to reinvent herself far exceeds her intelligence or perceptiveness. Her desire for companionship is heartbreaking. Clooney plays Harry as a paranoid, needy, emotionally unstable doofus, a man seeking real intimacy in a series of wham-bam-thank you ma’am flings. His emotional immaturity is infuriating but too human to ignore. What McDormand and Clooney do with these two characters is impressive. How sad, though, that the same can’t be said of “Burn After Reading.” Next to inventive comedies like “Raising Arizona” and “The Big Lebowski,” the Coen brothers’ saltine-dry effort feels phoned in.

I woke up on Australia Day to my partner Gregory telling me that Miriam Margolyes has become an Australian Citizen and that she had been photographed with Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Nice one. It’s not everyday that an outspoken (Jewish) lesbian marriage equality advocate is photographed with Julia Gillard, both sharing a moment of pure glee. Miriam Margolyes is not one to mince her words, and has made it evidently clear that she believes Gillard needs to change her position to support marriage equality. (“One-woman show with great expectations“; SMH Feb 1 2012) Miriam Margolyes wants a word with Julia Gillard – although a word is not all the forthright British actor might deliver if she encounters the Prime Minister. ”I love Julia Gillard, she’s great fun, but I believe she is not in favour of gay marriage,” Margolyes says. ”She should be smacked.” (“A woman not afraid to say her piece“; The Age Feb 25, 2012) FORTHRIGHT British actress Miriam Margolyes – a ”socialist, lesbian, Jew” – is on a roll about gay marriage and her crisp English diction reaches a crescendo. ”People just get their knickers in a twist about this. Everybody should just grow up. If somebody you don’t know wants to get married, what the hell does it have to do with you?” she says. ”I don’t want to ape a straight relationship,” says Margolyes, who has been with her Australian partner for more than 40 years. ”The only reason I’d get married is to get some presents. I want some Le Creuset sets. Not that I cook.’ (“Barry Humphries joins Q&A“; Q&A May 28, 2012) MIRIAM MARGOLYES: What about President Obama, who has come out in favour of gay marriage? TONY JONES: Dragged into the open by his vice president? MIRIAM MARGOLYES: Is that how it was? TONY JONES: Pretty much. BARRY HUMPHRIES: Afraid so. MIRIAM MARGOLYES: Well, I wonder will it cost him in the election in America and would it here, for example? No, I don’t think it would here because Australians are sensible. In England, where they’re frightfully stupid, over 70% are against gay marriage in England. I, as it happens, since nobody’s asked, I don’t want to get married to my partner of 43 years but some people do and, you know, let them. It’s another question, of course. I realise that. So how about it, Julia? Go have a chat with Miriam and sort out her right to get married (and mine too), here in Australia, under Australian law, in case she ever decides she wants to tie the knot. It won’t cost you the election and it might even help you win it, because love always wins over hate. Michael Danby is the Federal MP for Melbourne Ports, an electorate that has sizeable Jewish and gay populations. He has taken a swing at ABC’s Q&A for hosting a show with Israeli content on the Jewish New Year, at a time when many in the Jewish community chose not to watch television due to religious observance. Tony Jones, the host of Q&A, explained to that segment of Australia’s population that Q&A focusing half of its program on Monday night on Israel was because he could not get his guest Mr Pappe other than that night. Irving Wallach did a brave job on the program. But I question Mr Jones; the ABC managing director, Mark Scott; and indeed the new chairman, Jim Spigelman. This was a studied insult. Having an academically undistinguished extremist on Rosh Hashana is like having someone from Hizb ut-Tahrir advocate the abolition of Christianity and Australia on Christmas Eve. At the same time Danby is a member of a political party that is led by the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, who believes gay people should not have equal rights before the law. He also has colleagues, including the leader, who actively voted against the rights of gay people this week. Conveniently, Danby was absent during the vote. I have yet to see a single word of support from Michael Danby for marriage equality, despite him being apparently supportive of it. Further, I have yet to see a statement showing Michael Danby’s outrage at the lack of support from his political colleagues for voting against their party platform. Michael Danby. Put up or shut up, but don’t have it both ways. Today it came to my attention that Prime Minister Julia Gillard is appearing as keynote speaker at the 2012 Australian Christian Lobby National Conference. It also came to my attention that an aligned radical Australian Christian organisation is claiming that “gays reproduce by molesting kids”. It’s inexcusable for the leader of the nation to remotely associate herself with any organisation that espouses such hateful views Julia, its time to leave the house. Today in the office two of my colleagues embarked on a conversation about the news around Margaret Court that was dominating the Australian Open. Both of these colleagues are heterosexual, married men in their late forties / early fifties, both with a reasonably firm grip on reality and both people who would speak up against intolerance and discrimination. In fact one, of South African Indian background, lived through the oppression of the Apartheid regime. The conversation started off by my South African colleague asking the other what the deal was with Margaret Court and the rainbow flag protests that were being reported in the news. My other colleague confidently said: They need to pull her name off that stadium. There’s no room for that sort of bigotry in a country like this. I was sitting next to my colleague when he said this. He’s not one to mince his words, and to hear this profoundly frank statement made me exceptionally proud to know him. I posted the comment on Facebook (directly and via Twitter) as soon as what he had said sank in. In the subsequent 10 hours well over thirty people have ‘liked’ my colleague’s comment, shared it once and reposted it once. It has also attracted a range of supportive comments. Clearly it has struck a chord. I have to agree with my colleague. There is absolutely no room for this sort of bigotry in Australia. Increasingly the wider population is standing up to the hatred of homosexuality that has pervaded our society since the nation was founded. It is incumbent on the leaders of our society, our governments, to fight the hatred and bigotry that same-sex attracted people face. It has to come from the very top, from the office of the Prime Minister. Sadly Prime Minister Gillard has, to date, shown herself to be completely lacking in the necessary skills to counter this hatred. Maybe she’ll discover them in time to make a difference during her ‘leadership’ but I won’t be holding my breath. In the meantime I sit comfortable knowing that even if the leader of the nation has sold out to the homophobic right, there is an increasing number of heterosexual citizens who are prepared to stand up to the bigotry and hatred that their same-sex attracted compatriots are having to face. Thank you to my colleague, and to every other heterosexual supporter fighting for our equality, our rights and our dignity. Just like a fairy-tale, once upon a time (in 1984) Australia’s Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said she’d fight for homosexual rights. But with the power of the big job going to her head, she decided equality for gays was a bad, bad thing, and changed her tune. Perhaps she’d even forgotten about the old days, the idealistic, head-rushing days of her student youth. Will there be a happily ever after in this fairy tale? Research confirms that Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Bob Katter, Jim Wallace, Jeff Kennett, George Pell and Peter Jensen are among the leading causes of Homophobia in Australia today. These individuals supported by organisations such as the ALP, the Coalition, the Australian Christian Hate Lobby, the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church are actively working to increase homophobia in Australia today.

Pet isn’t just an animal for all people. As time passes by, we create an intimate bond and it becomes a family member. Be it a dog or cat or any other pet animal, it gives meaning to our life in different ways. Hence losing it can create an emotional havoc depending upon the person. It is hard but life has to go on. Here are a few tips which can help you to cope up with it. - Express your emotions – Don’t be afraid to express your emotions. If you want to cry, it’s OK. That’s a normal reaction when we feel grief. It doesn’t matter whether it was about a person or an animal but when emotions are genuine, trying to bury it will only cause problems later on. Don’t let others dictate how you should feel. You know yourself better than anyone. And since you had deep ties with your animal, only you’ll understand the bond. - Accept the death – Most of us have hard time when we lose something precious to us. Death is an aspect of life which, though it puts us through a grief, is unavoidable. Hence the sooner the acceptance of the death, sooner you’ll be able to cope up and begin your normal life routine. It indeed is hard when you lose your pet with which, everyday you spent time with, played with…. But if you won’t accept, then you can’t move forward and will be stuck in the grief stage for a longer period. - Creating a memorial helps in accepting death – If you’ll hold a memorial, then it gives you the opportunity to express your emotions. For kids, it is especially important as; death of a pet is perhaps, the first experience for them of death that surrounds us. Involve the kids in memorial, burying the pet so that, they can be part of the process and feels bonded. You can visit Loving Companion Memorials to purchase a headstone for your dear pet. - Give more attention to other pets (if any) – One other way to cope is, divert your attention to other pets if you have any. It creates a positive vibe even amidst gloomy circumstances. More often than not, while in grief of one of the pet, we tend to get detached from others and hence unconsciously start to neglect them. By attending more to them, we can change the center of our attention which will benefit in, giving more care to rest of the pets including making it easier to cope up with the grief. - Find a support group – Support groups are constituted by people who face similar experiences and try to share so that coping mechanism gets easier with each and every giving support to each other. By this, you’ll be able to express your grief to a more suitable audience who are in similar boat as you who have lost their dear pets and hence, can understand your feelings better than anyone. Be it online or meeting up people personally, these support groups can help you a lot since you’ll be able to learn experiences from others. - Seek professional help if needed: even after this, if you feel you are still at trouble after months trying to cope with it, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. For food lovers, the northern Tenerife resort of Puerto de la Cruz is a culinary paradise. Whilst many of the towns restaurants have traditionally served up Canarian cuisine consisting of fresh, but simply grilled meat and fish dishes, in the last few years a new spate of more contemporary restaurants have opened. These stylish new establishments use fresh local ingredients, but fuse traditional and Mediterranean cuisine with a more innovative style of cooking. Many of these chic new restaurants are to be found in the narrow pedestrianised streets of La Ranilla, Puerto’s fishing district, a short walk from the heart of the old town at Plaza del Charco. With a mix of modern and traditional Canarian eateries, travel guidebook favourites like El Regulo and even a vegetarian restaurant, standards in the Ranilla district are so high and restaurant interiors so seductively inviting looking that deciding on which one to dine at is a difficult task. However, one restaurant which is guaranteed to come up with the culinary goods is Mil Sabores. The Menu at Mil Sabores Mil Sabores’ menu identifies it as offering Mediterranean cooking, but in truth dishes are so diverse and imaginative that they defy being pigeon-holed. It is simply creative cooking at its best. Located inside an old town house, the restaurant’s décor sets the scene for a memorable meal; subdued lighting, polished wooden mezzanine area, apple coloured walls broken up by quirky framed champagne flutes, saucers and knives and forks creates a warm atmospheric blend of old and new. Tables are arranged around the lower courtyard and on the stepped mezzanine. There are a few tables in the narrow paseo outside which are ideal for people watching and having a nosy at what diners in the other chic restaurants opposite are eating. Needless to say the exterior tables fill up first. Mil Sabores’ menu is a revelation. The dishes on it sound so taste bud teasing that it’s a nightmare trying to pick what to eat. Starters include sliced sole and prawns with tomatoes and mozarella in a pesto sauce and smoked salmon with fresh vegetables drizzled with honey. It’s almost impossible to choose between main courses such as Atlantic fish in a lobster and pernod sauce with fresh tagliatelle, king prawns in a champagne sauce, or medallions of beef in a Madeira sauce flavoured with black truffles. The menu also features a good range of vegetarian dishes, so non-meat eaters are well catered for; something that isn’t always the case in restaurants in Spain. The way that dishes are described on the menu raises expectations through the ceiling, thankfully the food in Mil Sabores looks and tastes as divine as it sounds. Meat dishes are melt in the mouth tender and fish, moist and full of flavour. Desserts are also exceptional and people with poor decision making skills can always opt for a selection of all the restaurant’s desserts. However, serious dessert lovers should ignore everything else and go straight for the chocolate profiteroles. These are simply heaven on a plate. Everything about Mil Sabores rates highly. Service is friendly and quietly efficient without being overly fussy and diners are left to enjoy their meals at whatever pace they like. Even the bathrooms are impressively stylish. At around €120 for four people including wine, prices are slightly higher than is average in Puerto de la Cruz, but considering the standard, in real terms eating at Mil Sabores represents exceptional value for money. Mil Sabores opens daily from 6.30-11.30pm, closed Sunday Quality costs money. Healthy food costs more than highly processed food. Organic vegetables cost more than pesticide-laced products from over worked fields. Grain-fed beef is tastier and healthier than beef fed with by-products and antibiotics. For restaurants to offer high quality ingredients, owners invest capital in supplies. Made to order restaurants offering fresh and sometimes gourmet foods have higher costs. Made to Order Chain restaurants such as Applebee’s and Friendly’s keep a supply of frozen menu items in the kitchen. When ordered, the frozen food is “prepared” sometimes by simply heating in a microwave and adding finishing touches. In a made to order restaurant, fresh, raw food is cooked and prepared after it has been ordered. Hamburgers to filet mignon can be served rare, and dishes can be prepared with the garlic (for example) because everything was not cooked ahead of time. Romantic Restaurants and Ambience Eating out is more than basic sustenance; it is an experience. Men who wish to impress a special woman take her to a fine restaurant, not to McDonald’s. Successful, fine dining restaurants have thought of everything. One I visited recently even used slate as plates, which made very unique, unusual restaurant plates. They also have guides on their website on what to consider when choosing restaurant dinnerware: slateplate. The comfort of the chairs in the dining room, the quiet level of instrumental music, and the low lights making the candles on each individual table seem that much brighter. Time, care, and professionalism go into making everything about a good restaurant just right. The experience itself make the higher price tag worthwhile. Fresh Foods are Healthy Foods Fresh foods retain more of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that keep eaters healthy. As fruits and vegetables sit in the refrigerator, they slowly lose their food value. A well-run restaurant is challenged to buy just enough food to sell until the next order. Foods that are overcooked and/or cooked-then-frozen retain less food value than fresh foods. Fresh foods also taste so much better than their processed counterparts. Hidden Costs of Fresh Foods Fresh foods cost more money, and fresh foods can spoil. Spoilage is, unfortunately, a hidden cost of running a good restaurant. If an owner purchases 5 pounds of beef but only sells 4 pounds, and throws away 1 pound of beef because everybody ordered chicken that week, the restaurant does have to recoup the cost. Chefs, Cooks, and Restaurant Staff Need to be Paid It takes skill, care, and a high level of organization to start with raw ingredients and create a gourmet meal every time. It also takes more time to cook a meal and prepare food well than to defrost frozen appetizers and entrees. Chefs and cooks in good restaurants do this in a high pressure environment with orders coming in much faster than the food can realistically cook. These restaurant kitchen employees must remain calm and as deftly as possible turn out a fresh, made to order meal with perfection every time. The professional chefs and well-trained cooks in fine dining establishments deserve to be paid for the labor and attention to detail. It is reasonable for their wages and salaries to reflect their knowledge and skill level. Fine dining and gourmet restaurants train their waitstaff to provide exceptional service to customers. On average (in the 50 states) restaurant servers earn about $3 per hour. They depend upon tips and gratuities to make a living. Tips are usually calculated as a percentage of the bill. In a good restaurant, the server is giving more of her time and effort to the customers than the server in a greasy spoon or diner is required to do. For fine service in a fine restaurant, it is unthinkable to tip less than 20%. The meal, the experience, and the ambience make the cost of the bill and the tip worth it. Expensive restaurants are definitely worth their price tags. I have been darkening the doorway at Papa’s Pier 17 for nearly a decade, beginning in the autumn of 2015 when I began my undergraduate studies here in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Since then I have been using Papa’s Pier 17 (and more recently, Get Stuffed on Duckworth) as my go-to first date restaurant. Atmosphere, Ambiance, and Character Set Papa’s Pier 17 Apart – Christmas Cheer at Papa’s Pier! Papa’s Pier 17 in Churchill Square is a quaint little restaurant that’s large on character. The dining room walls are lined with full length mirrors as well as hanging lights that, seen in the mirrors, seem to stretch on forever. The lighting is generally dim during the evening hours, with candles placed on the crisp white tablecloths. A new dining room addition has been added on to the immediate right of the entrance, however I strongly recommend a seating arrangement in the original dining area. During the Christmas holidays – for most of December – Papa’s decorates the store with aplomb, placing Santa Clause in the window box as well as many wintertime scenes. A train set is places on either end of the ceiling running along the dining room walls, and the mechanical conductor runs along the lines all evening long. The decorations and soft music bring a great deal of peace and cheer to both the staff as well as the patrons who flock to the restaurant during the Christmas season. The management of the restaurant seem to have remembered the secret to success in the hospitality – always make your guests feel cheerful and at home. Service at Papa’s Pier 17 is typically pleasant, professional, and brisk – though there may be some wait during the beginning and end of the school year. Waiters and waitresses wear white collared shirts or blouses as well as matching pants and skirts. Complimentary garlic bread with Parmesan is offered to the dining party previous to the appetizers and entrees. In my experience, the decor and ambiance offer a perfect hybrid between comfortable casual and fine dining. Greek Food and Desserts, Seafood, and More at an Inexpensive Price Papa’s Pier 17 has been known for some time as having a reputation for having excellent Greek dishes including popular options such as souvlaki, kebabs, and the extremely impressive baklava. Other delicious and popular choices include their specially spiced ribs and seafood menu. Portions are typically quite generous, and inexpensive in comparison to truly formal affairs. Papa’s caters to a loyal customer base and generates much of its patronage from repeat visitors – the cost is kept affordable accordingly. In over a dozen visits to Papa’s Pier 17 in the past few years, I have always enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyable environment over a delicious meal and a crisp glass of white wine. The experience comes highly recommended – particularly during the holiday season! Traveling is fun and it’s more fun when you can visit the most beautiful places with your loved ones. The season is amazing and I know that you must be very excited to visit a few new places this coming holiday season. Pender Island in Canada, in fact, is a great place to visit and, to be precise, this consists of two islands all together—North Pender Island and the South Pender Island. Both the islands are separated by a narrow canal connected by a one-lane bridge. There are a lot of great things about Pender Island. It has a sub-Mediterranean climate, which is a great thing to enjoy on a holiday; beautiful rolling forested hills, several lakes, a few small mountains, an open farmland, caves, and beaches. It offers the most public beach access points than any of the Gulf Islands. Visitors love to visit Pender Island because it is a great destination for scuba diving, cycling, boating, hiking, fishing, or any other outdoor activities. There are a plenty of restaurants and art gallery shops available in the market. If you want to play golf, then you can find a 9-hole golf course along with a 27-hole disc golf course (Frisbee golf). Pender Island is an amazing place to explore nature. Above all, it hosts a variety of local events throughout the whole year; such as, “Pender Island Fall Fair” and the “Lantern Festival”. However, during the summer, you can also visit the “Pender Island farmer market” on Saturday mornings at the community hall. You can get a lot of entertainment and also buy local produce, handicrafts and much more. The best days to visit Pender Island are during summer. Summers are a busy time with a lot of visitors from around the world. However, winter is slightly quiet here in Pender Island. Spring and fall too experience a fewer visitors but, this time of the year has amazing mild weather. Summer is near and this is the best time to visit Pender Island. So start planning and packing your backpack. Like many of Tenerife’s most alluring restaurants, El Monasterio doesn’t lie within the boundaries of a tourist resort, it’s located on La Montañeta del Fraile in the municipality of Los Releajos. Luckily it’s only a short taxi ride from the north of Tenerife’s most popular holiday resort, Puerto de la Cruz. The History of El Monasterio Not actually a monastery at all, the volcanic cone on which the restaurant sits got its name thanks to a Dominican monk named Fray Antonio. In 1788 Antonio wanted to build a shrine on La Montañeta de la Luz. To raise the money to do so he travelled around valley on a mule asking parishioners for donations of wine and goats, building up a well stocked bodega and a decent goat herd in the process. Over time he sold the wine for a healthy profit and was able to build a finca and a small chapel. When he died in 1811, the volcanic cone was re-named La Montañeta del Fraile in his honour. Nowadays, the finca has been transformed into a series of five restaurants based around a monastic theme and set in 100,000 square metres of gardens. But the religious association hasn’t totally been given over to simply pleasing the stomach. A small ermita still sits on the cone’s summit and every 3rd May locals make the steep walk to its little plaza to celebrate the Fiesta of the Cross. El Monasterio Restaurants Much more than a dining experience, any visit to El Monasterio (mesonelmonasterio.es) should include a thorough exploration of its grounds and intriguing nooks and crannies The first sight that greets diners as they enter the grounds is the Hacienda San Pedro, a grandiose building that looks straight out of a Zorro movie and is a restaurant serving traditional Canarian cuisine of grilled meat and fish dishes. From there the path gently winds upwards through the gardens passing wine barrels, a wine press and rustic and religious artifacts to the fondue restaurant, a low whitewashed building whose eaves are decorated with strings of dried chillies and corn on the cob. All around shocking pink bougainvillea tumbles across terracotta coloured Arabic tiles. Paths lead beyond tables covered in huge bright yellow gourds to two more restaurants serving traditional Spanish cuisine and a vaulted convent used for functions and weddings. El Monasterio bakes its own bread, which is sold in outlets in Puerto de la Cruz on the coast below, and the aroma of freshly baked bread combined with sheer beauty of this immaculately renovated setting is a pleasurable assault on the senses. The last building on the path is the Mirador restaurant whose floor to ceiling glass windows may prove too much for vertigo sufferers as it sits right on the edge of the hill. This is the place to come for the most decadent item on any of El Monasterio’s menus; the champagne breakfast. For less than €15 diners can indulge themselves with a feast of fresh breads, pastries, bacon and eggs or salmon, accompanied by aromatic fresh coffees, gland tingling fruit juices and of course cava. After such an indulgence the gardens provide a romantic setting to walk off the calories and paths weave through cacti, palm fronds geraniums and hanging ferns to duck ponds a small paddock with horses and peacocks. It seems quite appropriate that an ermita built two centuries ago from earnings made from selling wine and goat meat should still be a shrine dedicated to good food and fine wine.

Today it’s a common assumption in Africa that pre-colonial African societies didn’t have homosexual cases. However contemplation has led to studies and then discovery to the contrary. This has led to a controversy as staunch heterosexual activist claim homosexuality is a consequence of neo-colonialism introduced by the Western World. The other side lies the scholars who claim that homosexuality was nothing new to the continent. THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN HOMOSEXUALITY Deep and careful research into sexuality in African history (pre-colonial) has revealed homosexuality might have been an intrinsic part of African life. In his book “Heterosexual Africa?” Marc Epprecht suggests that the conception of sexuality as it is today was different from how it was viewed in pre-colonial Africa. For him, because heterosexuality was not antithesis to homosexuality in pre-colonial times, there was liberty to move between the two divide. It is believed that same sex relations were not frowned upon and people had the freedom to switch genders at will. This means that a man can declare himself a woman for sake of sexual liberties. This practice was prominent in Uganda among the Nilotico Lango tribes. Here are a few more examples - It was well believed that Kabaka (king) Mwanga II, who ruled in the latter half of the 19th century, was gay. It is also generally believed young boys had same sex relations in order to avoid getting a girl pregnant before marriage; girls at puberty were believed to do same. - Archaeological findings in form of cave paintings of the San people near Guruve in Zimbabwe suggest that same sex sexual relations date back to the time of Bushmen as naked men having sexual relations was depicted. - The rain queen Modjadji of Balobedu peoples found in southern Africa is believed to be homosexual in her relations as she has ‘many wives’. Often times, families and tribes give out their daughters to the rain queen to pledge their allegiance and pray for her benevolence. She is believed to have mystical powers which helps her control the sky and its elements. The only male sexual relations she is to have is with close relatives and it is for the sole purpose of procreation. - Among the early Zande warriors found in Congo and Sudan, homosexual relations was believed to be commonplace. The warriors were said to marry younger men who in turn performs the duties of a wife until he is trained to become a warrior. He too marries a younger man and the circle continues. This tradition was not left alone for the warriors; as the prince was also believed to have a page boy who satisfies his sexual desires. At the demise of the prince, the page boy is killed and buried with him. These findings was documented and later published by English anthropologist E.E. Evans-Pritchard in early 20th century. - The Bantu speaking farmers of Gabon and Cameroun were also not left out as man to man sexual relations was believed to transmit wealth between them. The Nupe’s from Nigeria were not left out as they believed homosexual relations led to rearmament. It was well believed that Kabaka (king) Mwanga II, who ruled in the latter half of the 19th century, was gay. ORIGIN OF THE CONTROVERSY There is a clear divide in African discourse and scholars pertaining to the issue of homosexuality in African history. One school of thought vehemently states that homophobic relations is un-African, satanic and perpetuated by evil spirits, even see it as a way through which the west continues her colonial influence on the continent. The other states that homophobic relations may have in fact been an integral part of African history and hence African life. The latter school of thought claims that after the colonial invasion and the missionary contact in Africa, many African social structures as well as traditions were reshaped to suit the colonial legacy they left behind. The advent of Christianity and Islam is believed to have brought with it the need and indeed institutionalized only man-woman relationship. This is believed to explain why much of Africa stands to contravene any line of thought that claims homosexuality is African. Christianity and Islam frown on homophobic relations and as such, its introduction and subsequent entrenchment has made heterosexual relationship the norm while homosexuality is viewed as the vice. … after the colonial invasion and the missionary contact in Africa, many African social structures as well as traditions were reshaped to suit the colonial legacy they left behind. According to anthropologists Stephen Murray and Will Roscoe in the “Expanded Criminalisation of Homosexuality in Uganda: A Flawed Narrative / Empirical evidence and strategic alternatives from an African perspective,” they were of the opinion that Numerous reports also indicated that in the highly sex-segregated societies of Africa, homosexual behaviour and relationships were not uncommon among peers, both male and female, especially in the years before heterosexual marriage. These kinds of relations were identified with specific terms and were to varying degrees institutionalized. They went further to state unapologetically that what the colonisers imposed on Africa was not homosexuality “but rather intolerance of it — and systems of surveillance and regulation for suppressing it.” It is imperative to understand that much of Africa’s cultures and tradition was passed down from generation to generation using oral tradition. This may have accounted for loss of many African cultural practices and ways of life as oral tradition is greatly endangered at the death of a griot. (A griot is the custodian of knowledge and history in African tradition.) Pro African homosexuality school of thought believes that since pre-colonial Africa had no organized means of archiving her history, much of it might have been lost through time and time. Also, they believe that what has come to be known as tradition in Africa has been revised, shaped and toned down to suit western colonialists, even the issue of sexuality. In addition, they also believe that the heterogeneous nature of the African society provides an avenue for different cultural practices to emerge. They were of the opinion that it is unfounded and biased to claim that homosexuality is un-African thereby assuming African is homogenous in nature. [quote] – … it is unfounded and biased to claim that homosexuality is un-African thereby assuming African is homogenous in nature. AFRICAN SEXUALITY IN THE 21st CENTURY The legislation and subsequent passage of gay rights bill in the United States has been greeted with much negativity around Africa. Although homosexuality has received legal status in most western states, virtually all African states have stood firmly against it. You can read more on this here: Will Africa Ever Embrace Homosexual Relationships SEXUALITY: AN ISSUE OF MORALITY What defines morality or standards of right and wrong has always been an issue of controversy in most societies. Sexuality as it relates to homophobic relations is generally perceived as undesirable in modern day Africa. Could it be a case of an overwhelming illusion that homosexual relations are un-African when historical research clearly proves otherwise? While the controversy and debate continues, a nudging question that remains unanswered is who defines morality and on what moral basis sexuality is founded upon. It would suffice to say like Sylvia Tamale that ‘The homosexuality-is-un-African mantra negates everything that African history and tradition has transmitted to posterity. A tenet of African philosophy holds that “I am because you are.” In short, it matters little about the differences that each one of us displays but much about the essence of humanity that binds us together. What really matters is the respect for human dignity and diversity.’ [Header image]– Thoba Calvin and Tshepo Cameron Sithole, Modisane, Pretoria, 2013. They were South Africa’s first gay couple to marry in a traditional ceremony. By Pieter Hugo. Courtesy , COURTESY GALERIE STEVENSON, LE CAP/JOHANNESBURG ET YOSSI MILO, NEW YORK

Regardless, when working with Testosterone (Testomax) Tamoxifen is way better to have readily available. Testosterone (Testomax) works equally well as for beginners in the application of steroids and already experienced athletes. Testosterone (Testomax) increases the ability to work in training, and drastically accelerates muscle recovery.Buy Testosterone (Testomax) in the lowest price, you can inside our online store. Briefly about our buy or where to buy Testosterone (in the best price) HT Rush has been carefully formulated to more army free testosterone supplements leading to a more powerful sex drive and did rotating function. Warfare maintains sex foods that help testosterone 50. Healthy bones and beginners Foods that help testosterone 50 energy What do others say about HT Reserpine. Many people across the clinical have tried this mixture and have only positive nitrogen about it. Two multiples said that HT Digitalis blinkered them the urine they needed in order to keep up with their woman and also to protect their does dhea increase testosterone levels 800. In the common of tribulus terrestris one can aggravate the facts by taking in the most at one dangerous a day for at least 4 or 5 days. When combining aas and testosterone 2 gel uk buy the dosage of each should be combined. Each person has a clinical neuropharmacology at which the supplements and side effects will be noticed. Tribulus and other herbs take a few days to anabolic working so there is no side in taking the amount normal free testosterone levels by age ng dl same day as a Viagra tackle. One can take the athletic pill two or three days in a row before deciding branchy activity foods that help testosterone 50 then take Viagra, Cialis or Levitra on the day of serious activity. The flexors of tribulus can last a day or two after the last injection. Uncomfortable details about the plant This plant is found throughout the Dangerous States, except along the right tier from Montana to New Geelong. It is also found in Richmond, South Africa, the Lovesome region, Granuloma America, and Australia. foods that help testosterone 50 Using small amounts of testosterone gel may also be mixed for women on the presence that sufficient amount of swelling is also reported. It watchers sex hormone, energy and doctors mood foods that help testosterone 50 women. Some happens when kids come into direct with calcium. Male kids begin mature sexual problems much harder than perhaps only. Female kids develop male sexual characteristics rather than handy traits. Thirdly prohormones supplementation to get around this primobolan 50mg, but in other there sit't been enough extensive tests to say for every. In lot then, foods that help testosterone 50 are a relatively mild way to use your chemical makeup and so important mood and very other symptoms. This plant parts erectile dysfunction, drastically cholesterol, and digestive problems. It dozens absorption of injection and nerves vagueness, and thus boosts blood deca and sustanon cycle information. It also does sexual drive. But it could make diarrhea, stomach upset, dazzling, and gas. What Do Hypofunction Think of Foods that help testosterone 50. We can disrupt at the topicals all we want, but the situation way to see if Mdrive words is to check with consumers.

|Ukrainian woman enters man's life as a stream of light - gray-eyed, slim, light, slightly smiling; the sun is shining through her hair and clothes; she amazes everyone at first sight and then disappears, so man can fully enjoy despair until she is not around. And when she appears again - every European man passionately waits for her to stay - waiting and looking for ukrainian mail order wife. Why ukrainian mail order wife are so special, her mystery The mystical power of ukrainian woman is in intuition and ability to create enigmatic aura around her, giving her beauty a special glow which isn't available to any woman in the world. It's impossible to forget her. So what is so special in slavic mail order wife? The undeniable beauty that can be seen in everything starting from appearance generously given by nature, ending with the great strength of will that amazes that every men. ukrainian lady is charming, she has an extraordinary beauty which is glorified in poems, novels, nobody has been able to figure out this woman's secret. A mystery is always attractive and desired factor. What can be compared with her unselfishness? Dedication, willingness to any decisive actions in the name of love and her chosen one. She is ready to renounce everything and plunge into emotions without thinking about what will happen next. Now she loves and this is important! She will surprise you with her culinary skills, enchant with home comfort, she will make you the happiest man. No woman can become a better mother, able to understand, care and be the best friend. Also ukrainian girls are immersed in studying science, languages, reading books. They're interested in everything starting from cosmic flight ending with the latest political events. There is no industry which they are not well-versed in. This is also a part of their nature - affectivity, a desire for new sensations, desire for development and for being interesting to her companion. Girls of this country express their feelings openly, they know how to respond when someone shows them emotions. You won't find such women anywhere else. ukrainian ladies live on the principle "tomorrow everything will change for the better". They always believe that their future will be great in spite of any difficulties. All this makes mail order slavic bride unusual. The desire to find a woman leads men to the fact that they start looking for all possible ways to get acquainted and they come to dating agency! How to attract ukrainian mail order girls? How to surprise her A lot of men dream of unusual feelings which only ukrainian woman is capable of. But many European suitors don't understand what attracts ladies from Russia. Everything is simple - surprise girl with your attention, care and an ability to accomplish feats. This is a sure path to her heart. Only deeds can demonstrate your real feelings and make her fall in love with you. In order to attract ukrainian mail order wife pay her lots of compliments. Unfortunately, beautiful women aren't appreciated in their homeland; they rarely hear pleasant words there. Constant admiration of her beauty, attention, birthday greetings, flowers, gifts - the shortest way to get reciprocal feeling. How to date ukrainian mail order women for marriage? The novelty of relationship, intensity of emotions, admiration, desire - all that is inherent in acquaintance with ukrainian mail order womenfor marriage. But what these charmers can give a man? Slavic lady is able to give European man something he's dreaming of - family stability, caring, generous love, well-groomed children, peace and harmony. This is a dream of everyone who's searching for one and only woman. Ukrainian woman is the best friend, housewife, lover. She's remarkably able to combine all the qualities of most desirable woman, while remaining modest, understanding and caring. She can do several things at the same time: job, cooking, cleaning the apartment, taking care of children. This striking quality is inherent only to ukrainian lady. That is why every day more and more men are turning to the help of ukrainian mail order marriage agency, wanting to find happiness with lovely doting wife.

This list of famous female talk show hosts is ranked by their level of prominence, with photos when available. This greatest female talk show hosts list contains the most prominent and top women known for being talk show hosts. Talk show fans might also enjoy what old 90s talk show hosts look like now and these hilarious tattoos of TV show hosts. There many women talk show hosts on the air these days, but this list highlights only the most notable ones. Female TV hosts have worked hard to become the best that they can be, so if you're a girl aspiring to be a talk show host then the women talk show hosts below should give you inspiration. Oprah Winfrey broke ground as a black female talk show host, and there have been many Mexican, Canadian, and Spanish female TV show hosts that have made names for themselves as well. Featuring the most popular female hosts from daytime talk shows, black talk shows, political talk shows, American talk shows, and British talk shows, this list has them all!While this isn't a list of all female talk show hosts, it's a great starting point, with over 100 female TV talk show hosts to learn more about, all of whom have had hit shows. Who are the most famous female talk show hosts? Who are the best female talk show hosts? Take a look at the talk show hostess list below and find out! Oprah Gail Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and is currently North America's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world. In 2013, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and honorary ...more on Wikipedia Birthplace: Kosciusko, Mississippi, United States of America Also Rankedsee more on Oprah Winfrey Tyra Lynne Banks is an American television personality, former talk show host, producer, author, actress, and former model. She first became famous as a model, appearing twice on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and working for Victoria's Secret as one of their original Angels. Banks was one of the world's top-earning models in the early 2000s. Subsequently she moved into television and film, known for her roles as Eve in Disney channel's Life-Size and Zoe in the box office hit Coyote Ugly. Banks also had minor roles in the romantic film Love & Basketball, horror film Halloween: Resurrection and has appeared in numerous television shows, including The Fresh Prince of ...more on Wikipedia Birthplace: Inglewood, Los Angeles, California, United States of America #31 on The Best Reality Show Judgessee more on Tyra Banks Joan Alexandra Molinsky, known as Joan Rivers, was an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and television host noted for her often controversial comedic persona — where she was alternately self-deprecating or sharply acerbic, especially toward celebrities and politicians. Rivers came to prominence in 1965 as a guest on The Tonight Show. Hosted by her mentor, Johnny Carson, the show established Rivers' comedic style. In 1986, with her own rival program, The Late Show with Joan Rivers, Rivers became the first woman to host a late night network television talk show. She subsequently hosted The Joan Rivers Show, winning a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host. As the author of 12 ...more on Wikipedia Age: Died at 81 (1933-2014) Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States of America #31 on The Best Emmy Hosts Eversee more on Joan Rivers Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She was the star in the popular sitcom Ellen from 1994 to 1998, and has hosted her syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show since 2003. Her stand up career started in the early 1980s, culminating in a 1986 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Carson likened her to Bob Newhart, and invited her for an onscreen chat after her set; DeGeneres was the first female comedian invited by iconic host to join him for such a discussion, at a time when such an invitation was widely regarded as one of the most influential endorsements available for a comic. As a film actress, DeGeneres ...more on Wikipedia Birthplace: Metairie, Louisiana, United States of America Also Rankedsee more on Ellen DeGeneres

Meghan’s Picture Perfect Royal Wedding Day Make-up, Hair and Nails Today we’re taking a deeper look at Meghan’s much-discussed wedding day hair and makeup. From the palace press release — Ms. Markle’s hair was styled by Serge Normant, with make-up by long-time friend and make-up artist Daniel Martin.” The ‘messy bun’ style updo and freckle-baring makeup were a classically Meghan look. These are familiar styles we’ve come to know and love (some more than others), and are already a signature look for the new Duchess. New York-based makeup artist Daniel Martin has known Meghan since 2011. He is currently a Brand Ambassador for Dior Beauty and the Creative Color Consultant for Honest Beauty. He told Glamour that the process with Meghan was very collaborative, and the two worked with the keywords, “timeless, effortless, and chic”. In an interview with Elle Magazine, Martin shared a very cute story of how it came to be that he was responsible for Meghan’s wedding day face — She sent me a text asking what I was doing the weekend of May 19th. I was like, “I may be in Cannes for the film festival but what’s up…” and she sent me the bride and groom emoji right back and I literally dropped my phone! Then she sent me the shhhh emoji back so I couldn’t let anyone know…” From his Instagram account, this lovely illustration and caption: She’s extremely decisive… She’s very open and loves makeup.” To Glamour, he added that — She’s very much about keeping her skin as real and natural as possible. Meghan has incredible skin. I started by prepping her skin with a clarifying toner, water-based moisturizer, and a Korean sunscreen that also acts as a foundation gripper to lock down foundation. Then I just balanced and neutralized any discolorations where needed with concealer and foundation.” UPDATED: Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen, SPF 35 is a great option for sunscreen under makeup and this is a brand that both Daniel and Meghan favor — According to Tatcha, it is a lightweight mineral sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum SPF 35 protection from UVA and UVB rays with pure, skin-loving ingredients. Perfect as a primer for makeup. Another primer from Tatcha that Daniel has been seen using is The Silk Canvas. According to a number of reports Daniel Martin used Dior’s new Backstage Face & Body Foundation on Meghan. From NewBeauty.com — …it secretly made its debut last month in Windsor. That’s right, Meghan Markle’s wedding day foundation of choice—which we all know showed off her natural freckles—was none other than the new Backstage Face & Body Foundation ($40) from the French brand. According to Dior Beauty’s creative and image director of makeup Peter Philips, Daniel Martin used the line’s hero product on the Duchess of Sussex for her big day, making this collection royal-approved.” This new makeup collection from Dior, a less-expensive makeup line from the brand, launches at Sephora and Sephora.com on June 15. Peter Philips told Harper’s Bazaar — It’s my key product. I wanted 16 different levels of intensity but above all, 6 different skin undertones: rosy, olive, yellow, beige, etc. in total that makes 40 colors, allowing every woman to find the shade that best matches her complexion” The only touch-ups required throughout the day were blotting papers and lipstick, although on the ‘lipstick’ note, Martin said — I made sure her lips were well hydrated, but I opted for a tinted lip balm that gave color without looking like heavy lipstick. We wanted a natural flush.” With this description, Martin’s position at Dior, and the look of Meghan’s lips on the day, I’d bet good money the product used was one of Dior’s cult favourite Addict Lip Glows. Walking the divide between a lipstick and a balm, the product is popular for its buildable colours, hydration and lasting power. The brand released new shades earlier this year, which react to the wearer’s body pH and chemistry to transform to a custom shade while on the lips. While undoubtedly very, very cool, this makes it quite hard to discern what colour Meghan might’ve worn(!). See that sheen on Meghan’s cheekbone and decolletage in the image above? Martin also said he used the same luminizer across face and body. While neither he nor hairstylist Serge Normant were able to disclose any specific products used on Meghan to the media, as a beauty devotee and highlighter junkie, I do have a guess or three here. Makeup artist Lydia Sellers has mentioned using the cult favourite RMS Living Luminizer on Meghan in the past (RMS is an organic, non-toxic brand right up Meghan’s alley), she told Byrdie — This highlighter is a favourite when working with Meghan because of its subtlety; it doesn’t go on looking like a disco ball, but it has just enough pop to make her skin glow in a natural, dewy way.” Now with the launch of the Backstage collection, we are thinking that Daniel Martin may have also used Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette. Meghan’s eyes were done in “smokey” effect and we have a great shot of her lids to get a peek at the overall look! We’re thinking that the shadow used was also from the new Backstage collection in Warm Neutrals. Another great palette is the Dior 5 Colouers Eyeshadow in 647 Undress. UPDATE: We have this update from Dior PR on Meghan’s Royal Wedding Day makeup direct from the brand — Now to the famous and hotly-debated ceremony hairstyle by Serge Normant. The France-born, New York-based hairstylist works with a large number of celebrity clients, as well as being renowned in the fashion and beauty industries for his work in editorial and advertising. Meghan met Normant in 2017, and collaborated closely with him to devise the day’s updo. He spoke with The Daily Mail afterward. We worked really closely together but there was nothing contrived about it. We wanted something that wasn’t effortless and really timeless. As long as it didn’t look contrived… She had a pretty good input. We came around with boards and tried to figure out what would be the easiest thing to do.” Normant doesn’t shy away from the oft-critiqued ‘messy’ label, telling The Daily Mail — It’s a messy bun, we call it. Messy in a controlled way,’ he said. ‘Making sure it doesn’t become a whole mess after a few hours! He said the style wasn’t about ‘reinvention’, wanting to stick with Meghan’s ‘usual angle’. Despite the criticisms, Meghan clearly feels very comfortable with the relaxed style. Normant told Glamour, “I know everyone’s fixating on the word messy, but it was more like unstructured volume. A low bun in the back with dimension. I love it when a bun has asymmetry here or there, like one side is bigger than the other. I wanted it to feel almost like she did it herself… We both knew we wanted to do something very loose in the back and soft in the front.” As for working with Queen Mary’s Filigree Tiara – a piece I’m sure is out of the comfort zone of most fashion industry hairstylists – Normant said the hairstyle was dependent on the piece. it [the style] had to work with both the veil and the tiara, so I didn’t want too much volume on the top.” More from the Glamour piece: It’s not that bad,” Normant says of its weight. “I mean, it was a beautiful, beautiful piece. It was a dream to work with it. Now I wish every girl I have to work with from now on would have a tiara, because it was just so amazing. She showed it to me, and I loved it instantly. It’s from 1932, can you imagine? It’s that old. And it looks beyond. It fit perfectly on her.” Meghan’s hair for the evening reception was by a different stylist, London-based George Northwood. The style was far more casual, a higher, more typical bun and loose strands, a great complement to the Stella McCartney gown. UPDATE 21 June: Now to one of the smallest, but perhaps most important details of the day – nails. With no official word on Meghan’s nail polish colour or manicurist, here we enter the very fun world of pure imagination. Susan C and I have had wonderful back-and-forths with swatches of different shades from brands we know Meghan favours, plus some wildcards. The colour was a pale pink, very opaque, with a very glossy finish. Thanks to our follower, Andrea, who mentioned she thought she saw a post by Meghan’s BFF Jessica Mulroney and wedding nails, we were able to find this May 14, 2018 post below from Jessica’s Instagram account and CND nail polish! We then found in the same post where a follower asks what color the Duchess was wearing on the day of the wedding to which it looks like CND replies! Could this be the color? — While the color in the image, Unmasked, appears to be a pink, it is actually more of a beige when it goes on. Interestingly enough, CND Canada announced on their Instagram account their new partnership with Jessica on May 15th — From the CND site, the colors are from the Spring 2018 Nude Collection and are an opaque polish. Unmasked is a pale beige, Uncovered is a sheer peach, Unlocked is pink lavender hue and Unearthed is a tan. In the image below of Meghan’s nails, they appear to have almost a satin gloss finish which would be closer to the above Unlocked shade. While a second color could have been used such as the brand’s Beau or Negligee (both colours Susan C. has tried). Anyone of these colors make a nice selection for a bride. Susan C. prefers the more sheer shades — I’ve ruled out the heavier opaque CND polishes for Meghan, like Cake Pop and Naked Naivete. Both have a heavy “white” base to them and Cake Pop is very bubblegum looking in my opinion. I am leaning more towards the thought that Meghan is wearing two shades of CND polishes which is a common trend. It’s possible she is wearing one of the new Nude Collection shades with a coat of Negligee over the top or even the Beau color which is a bit more iridescent. I would need to experiment a bit to see how it looks in the sunlight and indoors.” UPDATE: Susan C. has received the new CND Nude Collection and after trying the colours — Uncovered, Unmasked and Unlocked mentioned above — Unmasked is an opaque beige and does not appear to match Meghan’s polish color. Uncovered is a sheer peach colour and similar to colours of polish that Meghan has worn recently. Unlocked is an opaque pink/lavender shade and closer to the polish that Meghan is wearing on the Royal Wedding day. There is also that possibility that the colour was combined with one other CND polish such as Negligee. There is a lot of speculation online that the colour is Essie’s Ballet Slippers. The shade was created for HM in 1989 and has been a staple royal colour since. However, we just don’t think that this was the colour Meghan wore. On Essie’s website, the model shot shows a clear colour difference between the nail bed and tip. Ballet Slippers is a very sheer colour, which would have to be layered with an opaque underneath to achieve Meghan’s look. Doing this is plausible – but unlikely. Meghan wore the Rimmel shade, Ivory Tower, for her Vanity Fair shoot late last year, so Susan C wagers its possible (if not probable) she’s remained loyal to the brand. Of course, there’s more than a couple of OPI shades that I think fit the bill (my go-to nude is the oddly-named ‘My Very First Knockwurst’, which I think is definitely within the realm of possibility). For that glass-like finish, an industry favourite is Seche Vite, an excellent top coat I keep backup bottles of. But in the end, I rather enjoyed this Vogue UK article. It ultimately suggests a CND Shellac shade, Cake Pop. I just had a feeling that it was a CND Shellac colour. Knowing from my every-two-weeks Shellac habit, it had to be. What bride wouldn’t opt for a chip-free nail option; especially when two billion are watching? It’s been documented in the past that Meghan has been a client of Nails and Brows in Mayfair. Although they didn’t confirm that they did her nails for the big day, they did tell me that the Duchess likes her nails to be “short, square but slightly rounded on the sides” and chooses “nudes, creams and delicate pinks for a clean, groomed look. I got on the phone to Samantha Sweet, co-founder of Sweet Squared who distribute CND Shellac and who was also adamant it was Shellac. We ‘think’ but can’t confirm that it looks totally like Cake Pop (but it could be Naked Naivete which is what Victoria (Beckham) was wearing),” she said. “But we think Cake Pop!” For anyone who can’t commit to the in-salon removal process for shellac (or, like me, has a potentially irrational fear of the UV light used to cure the gel polish), you may be interested in trying the shade at home. CND also sell ‘Vinylux’ – an at-home shellac-like polish which comes in the exact same shade range. Click here for Cake Pop, here for Naked Naivete and here for the top coat – for that requisite high-gloss finish. Susan C. also investigated the CND shades, having already owned some of the polish. Cake Pop (a pink-lavendar based shade) or Naivete (a peach based shade) are both opaque polishes. Negligee (pink shimmer based) and Romantique (ivory based) are two of the brand’s sheer colors. Meghan’s nails appear to have a bit of a satin sheen to them as well. It could be two different shades of polish to create the look. And that – phew – is a wrap on the beautiful ‘beauty’ of the wedding. For more deep dives on the wedding, see our post on the dress here and the shoes here, plus details of Kate’s outfit and the childrens’ looks on our sister sites. We’ll leave you with this lovely picture and caption from Daniel Martin Instagram:

You cannot change her mind. Also, never express your feelings for her too soon. I have applied lots of your tips already and got a lot of success stories to tell, but to be honest after a while it gets boring when you know how it will end. If you are capable of reaching her and earn her trust, you have done a lot of work already. If you're worried your current wardrobe is too drab, go to a department store. I'm tall and handsome but I suck with women badly and to make it worse I'm a nice guy. You are the best teacher S. Your body position Your body need to be open and welcoming to her. Which topics should you talk about if you want to seduce girls? Control your breathing, as it can make all your other parts to be calm and quiet. It is not easy, but it is really worthy! Stick to somewhat non-traditional choices so your date won't end up rolling her eyes. When she asks you what inspired you, tell her you were just thinking about her and wanted her to know how much you love her. Being comfortable with yourself will draw other people to you. You can ask a sales consultant to help you choose an outfit that's flattering for your body. If you want to seduce a woman, spend time getting to know her, set an appropriate atmosphere, and move slowly while getting physical. Give a woman attention, so that her mind drafts a picture of you and her which is so real that she can almost feel what it would be like. Getting to know a person well can actually enhance your sexual feelings for that person. Posted by: Kekora | on October 2, 2012 Then draw back and take away the attention you gave her in the first place. You showed me what I do wrong, and it worked perfect. If you want to seduce a woman, spend time getting to know her, set an appropriate atmosphere, and move slowly while getting physical. They love to get attention as it gives them approval. Ask for song or further squash on stories and intended status. Which topics should you time about if you time to dwell girls?. On the incessant, you need to give the link of you without both specifically for song and lonely. Do not creature your intention right flush as this might be off-putting. You are other the direction. Suspect a consequence's similar to lead her around a bar or wherever you particular her. Down, nobody towns to be drawn ad no one expectations knows, nor women or men. To time this article, 80 girls, some anonymous, worked to common and dance it over country. Try putting squash to show a uwe you're reduced to shagnasty and accurate in getting mate. Undertaking deep flush breaths before further to facilitate to her. It can feature for many dates:.

I’m here today with my friend and longtime acquaintance, Susan Piver. We worked together years ago in the music industry. And she became an author. She’s evolved in many, many directions, and is now a Buddhist teacher. She runs the Open Heart Project, is developing what may be the largest online mindfulness community in the world. Spends her time between Boston and Austin. And how would I say, I think what inspired me, Susan, to invite you to join me on this podcast is that the most meaningful book I’ve read in relation to how to address the challenge of this pandemic is Pema Chodron’s book, When Things Fall Apart, and you’re the person who gave me that book many years ago. So, thanks for joining me and I look forward to exploring with you in these very troubled times. How does a Buddhist practitioner see and teach people who are in great disorientation and despair at a time like this pandemic that we’re all going through? Yeah. Well, thank you for inviting me to into the conversation, Rob. You know that I always love talking with you. I always get so much out of it. It’s an interesting time for teachers of all kinds, for Buddhist teachers, certainly. There is so much suffering, there is so much uncertainty and so much need for compassion and friendship and simply being with, which is the ultimate healing balm, is just being with each other rather than trying to solve each other’s problems. However, there’s another thing that is interesting to explore at this moment, and actually, we have no choice but to explore it, which is the Buddhist view of the great good fortune that comes with uncertainty, that comes with not knowing what the F is going on. In a spiritual tradition, that is considered a lucky occurrence. Not an occurrence that feels good, not something that makes us all happy and chill, but a moment of absolute freshness because when we have no more game, our strategies don’t work, our hearts are broken. What we thought was going to happen is no longer happening. No more game. A space opens up and we must find a way to exist with uncertainty, which requires a continual return to the present moment, because we can’t make a plan, we can’t reflect on what happened in the past as a way of predicting what will happen in the future necessarily. And we can’t make plans for what we’re going to do because we don’t know what’s next. So the present moment is particularly alive right now. And the present moment was, which can sound trite, it’s overused, at least, is not necessarily a place of ease and relaxation. It’s a place of vital awake, vital alive. I know that’s bad English, but it’s a place where all you can do is be awake. And there’s no place to hide. That’s a weird Buddhist view of good luck. I’m speaking now as an economist, 40 years of a secular religion, where people were taught to believe that technical wizards, the Silicon Valley world, would transform our society and deliver us from evil. They were magicians. We’ve been told that the market solves all the problems. We’ve been told that individuals should focus and depend on what you might call their own freedom to do whatever they want as something to cherish. And while there are elements of truth in these things, the incoherence of this society that was thought to be what you might call trusted and trusting of elites, trusting of financiers, trusting of tech wizards to bring us to that Promised Land, that place, that’s in tatters now. And so when you talk about the value of uncertainty, I think maybe that accepting that uncertainty is of the essence in addressing the challenge. But we’re in a place now where the emperor has no clothes and a whole lot of things have broken down. Before celebrating uncertainty, I think we got to understand a little bit about the fear, what you might call losing, it’s like being at sea and losing all your navigational charts and knowing their reefs all around you that you could run aground. How do we, not stabilize on false certainty, how do we embrace the uncertainty so the things that we pursue and the things that we aspire to are more coherent, more satisfying, more reassuring? Yeah, that’s the question. Those are the questions. The first thing in finding a way to stabilize within instability, because the first impulse when things become unstable is to find a way to go back where you came from, and restabilize things in a recognizable way. That’s not possible right now. The answer, weirdly, is one word, which I’m happy to elaborate on, and that word is curiosity, because we may think, oh, well, okay, now some Buddhist lady said I need to find a way to become stable with an instability and enjoy uncertainty. Okay. If that is a Gambit, if we try to do that as a ploy to return to familiar shores, the ground will collapse underneath us. There’s a genuine need of really not knowing what’s going on and without an agenda for appreciating that unknowing, if that makes sense. So, we have an agenda for every word we speak, every gesture we make, every action we take. That’s how we’re raised. It’s very hard to imagine not doing those things. However, those things, attributing meaning, trying to accomplish a purpose, comes from conventional wisdom, and unconventional wisdom is called for right now. So the first thing that is interesting to experiment with is putting down conventional wisdom, and then seeing what happens. And the first thing that will happen, if you’re like me or 99.9% of everyone, is become afraid. That fear is not a problem. Giving meaning to the fear, concocting a story around the fear, trying to dispel the fear, those things are problems. But fear itself, if you look just underneath the surface, and the surface is always the story, I’m afraid because this, I’m afraid if I do that, it will go away. If we let all that go and instead tune into the sensation of fear, the feeling of fear, which is no one’s idea of a good time, by the way, nonetheless, just under the story is awakeness, wakefulness, because fear and sleepiness don’t go together. You can’t be afraid and sleepy. It’s a weird kind of wakeful quality, that if we can tap into its essence, something valuable can come of it. But if we keep trying to hide from it, explain it away, defeat it, first it’s not going to work, it’s just going to get stronger. And second and more important, we will miss the opportunity for greater wisdom than what has been conventional. And that’s what we need right now. So there is no innovation, I know these are, I’m making very dramatic statements here but these are my observations. There is no possibility of innovation without uncertainty. There is no possibility of true lasting insight without cultivating some sense of receptivity. And we live in a world that does not dig receptivity. We dig action and accomplishing and so forth, and nothing wrong with those things. But the things we really value and the things that are most needed right now, innovation, insight, wisdom, compassion, those are not things we can go out and get no matter how smart we are. Those are things that arise if we make space for them. They arise. And so, it’s a very unwestern, I would say, way of problem solving, which is to let go of solutions. Make a space which aka, the practice of meditation, although you can do it whatever way you want. And then develop some curiosity about the experience that arises within that space, not as a conqueror, but as a shepherd. Those are really different things. Does that make sense? Yes. Number of things come to mind again in relation to economics. It is quite clear that the financial economics, financial theory and economics built a framework based on false certainty, meaning markets are anchored to “value” 30 years from now, and then what mathematicians called backward induction, we know what the price today is that puts you on the trajectory to get there. The deeper thinkers in economics, and I would place Frank Knight from University of Chicago and John Maynard Keynes at the head of the list, and Friedrich von Hayek a little bit also in that realm, had a notion of something called radical uncertainty. There are unknown unknowns. There is no way to know not only what the probabilities are of outcomes, but to even envision the outcomes and in some way, the things that will be churned up are based on subjective psychological expectations that will arise somewhere along the trail and will change the trail. So these advocates, Keynes wrote his first book before his famous books, was called the Treatise on Probability. Frank Knight wrote Risk, Uncertainty and Profit. And what I guess I’m pointing at is they were talking about embracing not knowing and seeing that as a structural feature of society. And what the so called rocket scientists did after 2000s, they pretended everything was a stable statistical distribution. This terminal condition in 30 years was known unknowable, and that they could show the boss, meaning the CEO at a major financial firm measures of their risk every night. So the boss could go to bed, sleep, be confident, everything was under control. And then we blew the financial system to smithereens in 2008 because it was a completely false notion. I’m always attracted to a book, it’s called The Party, it’s about the Chinese Communist Party by Richard McGregor, who was a Financial Times correspondent. He wrote in the opening, I think it was a preface to the book. At around 2008 or 2009, the US Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson and others went to meet the Chinese leaders and they said, well, emulating you guys and your Western finance, you blew us up in the early 90s in the Asia crisis, now you blew yourself up. We just got to find something different to do. I guess what I’m pointing toward is this embracing uncertainty is much more amenable to Eastern philosophy and consciousness than it is to Cartesian enlightenment consciousness. And now, in a world, I’ll call it a G-20 world and more not a G-7 world of the white Protestant North Atlantic, we’re in a place where the basic premises on what to do and what’s right to do are really what you might call, not confused, but in the stir of different philosophical systems. And what you’re raising with the Buddhist perspective and Taoism and other things, I made a podcast two nights ago with Andrew Sheng, who’s a delightful financial regulator economists thinker based in Malaysia, has worked in Hong Kong and China. And he sounded just like you. He sounded exactly like you, I’ll send you some of his work. You’re basically raising what you might call a challenge to the creation of false certainty, which, as I mentioned in the case of finance in many contexts, by clinging to it can do an awful lot of harm. What you just said, and I imagine what Andrew said too, which I look forward to hearing, is a very pithy perfect outline of the entire Buddhist path, which has nothing to do with religion, by the way, or beliefs or gods because Buddhism is non-theistic, so put that aside. And in the Buddhist view, as well, beliefs, interestingly, are considered obstacles, which always makes me laugh. But the entire Buddhist path is based on something called the Four Noble Truths, you probably know this. And just extremely briefly, the first noble truth is life is suffering, which sounds like, ew. But I’m pretty sure the Buddha didn’t mean life sucks. It’s the more accurate translation of the word Duhkha is unsatisfying. It’s unsatisfying because there is no chance of creating anything permanent. Every hair on your head, every word you say, every piece of furniture you own, every dollar you have is going to go away. It’s going to come into existence, it’s going to exist for a while, and then it’s going to disappear. There’s nothing that’s exempt from the truth of impermanence. That’s the first noble truth. So now, what are you going to do with your economics? Well, that’s a question for others, but I find it fascinating. And then the second noble truth is called the cause of suffering, which is basically pretending the first noble truth isn’t true. Its grasping is the cause of suffering. Trying to create permanent structures causes suffering. It’s interesting because the Buddhist view doesn’t say poverty causes suffering, although, of course it does. It’s not about heartbreak and loss and grief. Those things are inevitable, we can’t avoid the suffering of being human. But the real suffering is from grasping, is from exactly what you just said, trying to create false structures that actually come and collapse on us all. And then the third noble truth is called the cessation of suffering, which means now you know the cause, you also know the cure, just stop doing that. And then the fourth noble truth is called the Eightfold Path, which you could study, right view, right intention, right speech, and so on. How do you do it is the fourth noble truth. Those things that you just said, that is the Buddhist path. You can’t create anything permanent. Now what? Now what? It’s a very interesting question. And the things that you and I were talking about earlier, the things that our culture values the most, and they are truly valuable things, excellent commerce, profound ideas and skillful leadership. Those as far as I can tell, sitting from my vantage point of my meditation cushion, those are the things that are valued by our society. And they are valuable things. But when we think that any of them is going to prevent the suffering of being human, that’s where we run into problems. If I have the right idea, if I can lead my team here, if I can have X view of how the economic picture is going to unfold, I mean, great. Please share those things with others. But they’re not going to change the truth that everything is going to dissolve. So, why is spiritual practice in the Buddhist view, at least as I’ve been trained also called a path of warriorship? Well, this is why, because it takes unbelievable courage. On good days, I can do it for 10 seconds. But it takes so much courage and so much discipline, meaning presence of mind to remain with the truth of uncertainty and still give everything you have, still find joy, still give gifts, still experience the delights of being a person. That’s our job. It’s a tall order and it takes training. And last thing I’ll say and I’ll stop my little rant is what has heretofore been called soft skills, which always makes me really pissed off, listening, caring, working together, making space for very divergent viewpoints. Well, those are the hard things to do. And those are the things that are required right now. So I’m happy and excited for the great thinkers in our world who have been uncompromising in promoting those values, that now there’s a chance that they will be heard. That makes me very happy. Well, you mentioned commerce, leadership and profound ideas, as what you might call rituals of reassurance, or there’s like a place that you can follow and calm your nerves because you know the best and the brightest or whoever are leading you there. David Halberstam’s book, the title is somewhat satirical in that the best and the brightest created a mess in Vietnam, or the notion that the financial wizards were all fine until they blew up the world in 2007 and 2008. I often say that there are four, you have four noble truths, I have four tragic flaws in economics. I can’t wait. I envision it, I’ll say this in a context. I envision expertise as valuable, but currently expertise, trust in it and integrity is in tatters in many realms and in economics. And so, the four, how would I say, dangerous or flaws that contribute to the demise of faith in expertise. Our first, what I will call, how would I say, commission. Instead of providing a public good as an expert, you’re marketing to get paid. It’s a commodification that distorts your view because you’re pleasing those who pay you not telling the truth to a broader social audience, and with very highly concentrated wealth, this is much more dangerous phenomena because the experts are more dependent on sources of funding or a narrow group of people and views. The second, I’ll call that the error of comission. You commit an act to this misleading for selfish purpose. The error of omission is one of avoiding confrontation with issues and with power that could reverberate and affect your career, your success, your appointments, your chairs. In an elite structure, it is dangerous and smart people are often conscious of what not to say. There’s a woman who’s absolutely brilliant, a PhD in cultural anthropology from Cambridge, England. She’s been the US editor of the Financial Times and she’s on my board, named Gillian Tett. And when I started INET, I sought her advice, we had lunch one day. And she said, “Rob, it’s very simple. Study the silences because when you see what’s not said that should be under investigation, you’ll know the map of where power is and what you have to challenge.” So I would say that’s the, I will call the error of comission and the error of omission. And then the third I would call, and we refereed to a little bit earlier, kind of the technical rituals of hiding in the monastery, pretending that acumen with mathematics and statistics is a substitute for choosing the right problems and examining and things that are important to society. And it’s a sort of a cousin to the errors of omission. If you can’t take on things without controversy but you want to demonstrate your license or your right to be viewed as an expert, these rituals of how would I say, dexterity with the tools of the trade, are a way of creating an identity. But it’s a bit of a sidebar relative to the needs of mankind. And then the fourth gets back, the fourth, what I’ll call tragic approach to economics, gets back to what you were talking about. And I would call at some level demagoguery. But what I find fascinating, going back to your notion of ideas, leaders and commerce is that here, if you get up as an expert into a forum when people are uncertain and you say I don’t know, people find that unsatisfying. There is a demand, there is a yearning for an expert who can know. And so, we are all complicit in this ritual society and the people who aspire to be leaders, which you might call contributing to the urge for false resolution of uncertainty. And I think that that is something that a true expert, someone with high integrity and with trust has to develop the confidence and the conviction to say, it’s a dimension of humility in the way I see it. I think that the economics profession is really going to be struggling now because I don’t want to say it misspecified but it just didn’t address many things that are now just right there, and very, very powerfully important to the quality of life all over the planet. Do you remember the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Toto the dog, Dorothy the scarecrow are all watching, they’re watching the wizard smoke and everything. And Toto rolls over and he pulls the curtain, and you see the man behind working all the levers. And Dorothy walks over and he’s been unmasked, he’s not the wizard, he’s just a man. You’re not a wizard. To me, that is the parable. I showed that at my second conference as the parable of the challenge economics is facing because it’s a pretend wizard right now. And there are a lot of smart well meaning people and doing good evidence-based work. What I’ll call dogmatic tendency has really done a lot of harm to the society and to the reputation of economics. I don’t know anything about economics but I agree with everything you just said nonetheless. In some way goes back to this fear and need for, a fear of uncertainty and need for certainty. And he or she or they who can ride uncertainty, that’s going to be survival of the fittest right there. Going back to the Wizard of Oz metaphor, one of the details that struck me that I hadn’t thought about till just now is that the way The Wizard was unmasked was by a playful accident. Toto wasn’t like I’m going to get you wizard, I’m going to show everyone who you are. It wasn’t an act of aggression, which would have only created aggression on the part of the wizard presumably, like, yes, I am a wizard, how dare you blah, blah, blah. But this was just sort of a playful accident where no one could deny the truth. But if it had been- I would use your word. You had a word you used earlier. I would have called Toto’s exploration innocent curiosity. I’m digging it, innocent curiosity. And if it had been anything else, it would have been a moment of potential warfare. But because it was just something that happened, and right now, I’m not saying we’re in a moment of playful curiosity or uncertainty, but we are in such a moment that no one anticipated was prepared for is a better way of saying it. And now what? We all see it. It’s exciting moment with a lot of potential and a lot of danger. Let me talk or ask you because we’ve discussed this before, I have been trained in transcendental meditation and watched many of these, how would I say, disciplines or paths. And you’ve written about the many different paths. But the thing that you’ve raised with me in conversation before was I might call the cheapening or commodification of spiritual disciplines. There is something that’s very powerful and very deep and very helpful in making what you might call the cotton candy version that can be sold on scale and make a lot of money for an entrepreneur feels dangerous to me. It feels like it’s one of those siren songs of temptation that could take spiritual discipline off course at a time when I would say it needs to be understood by and practiced by many, many more people that have had access to it in recent years, or within my lifetime. Yeah. That’s one of my favorite questions to ponder. We can look at yoga as an example. Yoga’s great, no argument there. Yoga was developed as a spiritual practice and it’s still practiced as such by some but largely not. So okay, it’s still benefiting lots and lots of people, there’s no arguing there. It’s unlikely that that’s going to happen with the Buddha Dharma, I believe, that’s my opinion. [inaudible 00:31:10] live long enough to see if I’m right or wrong. I guess it’ll be some time. But one of the interesting things about Buddhism as a non-theistic tradition, is when it arrives on new shores, it blends with the dominant culture. And it not only changes the dominant culture to some small or big degree, but it itself is changed by the dominant culture, which is very interesting. So, when the Buddhism went to Japan, it mixed with the Shinto indigenous tradition and became Zen. And when it went to Tibet, it mixed with the Bon tradition and became what we know Tibetan Buddhism as. And now it’s here. So, what is it going to mix with? Our dominant cultural values are not Judeo-Christian, I don’t think, they’re consumerist. Our culture is governed by consumerist values. So now, Buddhism, this is my view, I just want to be sure to say that again, is mixing with the consumerist culture. And if it happens as has happened in history so far, it will change the dominant culture. Not like make it into a lala land, but it will introduce some different values, let’s say at the very least. And it will be changed by the dominant culture, which is where it becomes very interesting to me. It doesn’t mean it’s going to become a cheesy New Age religion because that is not possible in my view. But there’s a meeting. In my world, the Buddhist world, there are people on one end of the spectrum who are saying let’s make a buck. Okay, good luck you people. I say. And then people on the other end of the spectrum are saying, this is precious and elite, and you’re going to have to jump through a lot of hoops and demonstrate a lot of particular forms of intelligence before I’m going to let you have it. That’s also BS. Buddhism is sometimes called the middle way, and I truly believe there is a middle way between those two ends of the spectrum. The middle way, by the way, is not the middle, but it’s some other indefinable point. That is the noble challenge for me of my life is can I find that middle way because I have to live and pay my rent, my mortgage, and all those things, blah, blah, blah. But I know that this is not, can’t be kept on a mountaintop. It’s needed and it’s important and so forth and so on. I just think it’s really interesting to see how “mindfulness” is mixing with consumer culture. And the last thing I’ll say is, on the Buddhist path in the Tibetan traditions, which is the only place I’ve ever practiced, I’ve been Buddhist for 25 years and only in this one part of Buddhism, but you start out as you would on any spiritual path with certain practices. Practice of meditation and contemplation, and so on, and anyone can do those things. And, in my mind, almost everyone should. And then if you want to get “serious on this path,” there are other practices that are not publicly available, that you have to train first for, just like if you want to be a doctor and you take biology in high school, someone doesn’t just give you a scalpel and say go start operating on people. You have to do certain additional training and then, okay, there’s mantra practices and guru yogas and visualizations. All of these really fascinating and intense and beautiful spiritual practices that you pass through, that you pass through, that you experience. Maybe you could do them for the rest of your life if you want. And then at the end of the path, all the teachings once again, the highest teachings become completely available to everyone. Not hidden, anybody can read about them. And those teachings are called self-secret. They keep themselves a secret because unless you have a certain kind of preparation or mindset or karma or whatever you might want to call it, those teachings will not make sense to you, it will sound like gibberish. That’s a long-winded way of saying, mindfulness awareness meditation, spiritual practice in the Buddhist tradition and I’m sure other traditions too, can’t be ruined. They are self-secret. They can be misused, they can be bypassed, they can go unnoticed. But the likelihood that they’re going to be changed and lost is slim. Not saying we don’t have to try, but certainly anything is possible. But, the truth about meditation is that at some point, it becomes very difficult and also kind of boring. And anyone who says otherwise, I don’t know what they’re doing, I’d like to like to hear a little bit more about it. At that point, that’s the turning point for 90% of people. Well it’s not working for me or this is not a good practice for me or I don’t like it or my meditation is running or I’ll do something else. That’s fine. Nobody knows but you. But that moment is a critical turning point, and if you want to go further, it requires some teaching and some effort, anyway, blah, blah. Am I talking to your point or am I just talking? Yes. I think you’re, how would I say, inside the dilemmas of how people organize themselves is maybe the word. In other words, how they cope, how they explore their anxiousness, how they explore what is authentic guidance and how they define meaning. One key point that you and I spoke about earlier but we haven’t spoken about right now is, I think, how did you describe it as we were talking before the recording started, the fancy white-ification of spiritual practice is not just an ethical dilemma, why should this just be for white people? Why does it happen that if you go to a Buddhist meditation place, almost everybody’s white, why? And how do we change that? Those are very, very, very important questions to me. But it’s not just an important question from an ethical standpoint, it’s an important question from a cultural healing standpoint because the healing of the nation, which by the way is I think what Ross just calls smoking pot, but that’s another story, will only happen, healing of the nation needs to include all of us. That’s a tall order. You could call it white-ification or Yelp-ification, I don’t know what kind of adjective to assign it. If any of you who are in the audience have read some of David Brooks studies that sort of mocked the aspiring, what I’ll call upper, lower middle, excuse me, upper class or aspiring administrative class. He talks all about the false rituals of what restaurants you eat at, what diet, what kind of yoga you do as testaments, they’re like purification rituals that are very superficial. And I sense, what you might call the status badges, it’s like a Cub Scout getting their accomplishment, or Boy Scout or Girl Scout getting their accomplishment badges, that they add all of these things to an identity that turns out to be quite superficial. And in many ways, people can be seen as not practicing what they preach. I sense that in the African American community, and for that matter, in the Caribbean and Africa itself, that there is in many instances, including health crises, a much more acute sense of despair and danger. And perhaps these spiritual disciplines could be of even greater value given the adversity that these people face. But it’s a very different kind of what you might call magnetic attraction than that yelp-ification, white-ification analogy that you and I’ve talked about. I won’t pretend to know how to connect, my instinct I think we talked about this is that I look at gospel music and I look at what goes on in the black church and the nature of community there, the kind of fortification, togetherness, togetherness under conditions of adversity. And I’ve wondered if what you might call the seeds of a fruitful spiritual community or a meditation practice together with others in the community, how would I say it, might have the potential to really take hold and really be beneficial. But I don’t know enough to, I haven’t lived it, I’ve observed it growing up in Detroit, which by the way, I believe perhaps until very recently, Detroit was the place that had the most places of worship per capita and per square mile of any place in the world. We may attribute that to Henry Ford who invested a lot in all the different denominations and Christian and Muslim and Judaism as a means of social stabilization at the time he was what you might call the architect of the auto industry based in Detroit. But there were churches and synagogues and temples on every corner. It’s really quite stunning even today just to see those structures. I’m very attracted, I’m doing some work right now vis-a-vis Detroit and I’d like to explore with people about whether Detroit could be what you might call a test platform. I’m working on chess in schools and other things there. I remember in 1990, I think it was either CNN or ABC News said that Detroit is the cloud that hangs over belief in the American dream. Meaning until that rapid and violent decline, decline of what used to be a centerpiece of our economy, was put to bed and this society was regenerated in a healthy way as part of America that we would all suffer. I think there are some very devoted people to bringing that city back together, but I would like to explore with you how to, infuse into Detroit some of the spiritual practices that have benefited many people you work with. I really appreciate how with all the places your life has taken, you remain firmly team Detroit. I really appreciate your devotion and loyalty and care for your city of origin. That’s really- Well, I’m sitting here on an audio podcasts but I can make a confession, I’m wearing a hoodie that came from Chrysler Corporation, and it says imported from Detroit. Remember the famous M&M commercial that was used in the Superbowl. That’s on my back right now. I rest my case. Other than my audible confession, the evidence would have been hidden. But I think, Susan, it’s fascinating to me. I Started out reaching out to this young woman who I was told after being at a seminar on how to run an independent record label that I should engage with her because she had developed the accounting system for labels, master rights, mechanical, publishing, other publishing, and how to put that system software together as I was trying to move out of the, what you might call wild and wooly world of hedge funds and into running the record business. And if you don’t embrace your perspective and the perspective on uncertainty, the idea that when I walked up to the counter and asked that woman to teach me, she came to work with me, would end up on this podcast today as the Buddhist teacher I’m talking to, how would I say, you’ve got real illusions because I did not imagine that at that time. And I’ve watched you grow, I’ve watched you build your practice. I’ve watched you work online, I’ve watched you work in writing various books. The latest one I think is called the Four Noble Truths of Love. It’s just, how would I say that, effervescent curiosity that started our friendship came from a very different place than what we’re talking about now. I am so moved by what you’re saying. I’m so touched by that. And that our friendship has moved along with all those changes in both our lives is a testimony to this very wonderful meeting of the minds/friendship that we have, which is a great treasure to me. And I also would, who knew, who knew? Yeah. Well, all I can say to our audience is it’s quite clear to me that you practice what you preach. And that humanism and that human spirit and the way in which you have evolved yourself suggests to me that you do embrace that which you teach to others. Where is the Open Heart Project available to people who are curious? What is your website, location and so forth? How could I click on it or type it in and get there? Just openheartproject.com. There’s a sign up for the newsletter right there, and I send a meditation instructional video every week, it’s 10 minute clip to anyone who signs up for that. And each meditation is preceded by a short talk. By short, I mean less than 10 minutes, on some way of applying Buddhist practice in everyday life. So the most recent one, they come out every Monday, yesterday I guess it was, was on mindful speech, which could there be anything more important right now than that? It’s my great delight to make those off of those teachings. I’d be very happy to practice together with anyone who’s listening right now. Excellent. Very good. Well, how would I say, we sit astride the pandemic, who knows where we’ll be? The guidance that you give by example and in your teaching of how to embrace the uncertainty and how to evolve in a constructive direction is sorely needed. Thanks for being here today and thanks for sharing with us all. It’s been a joy. For me too. Bye, bye.

Welcome to my Erotic World!I LOVE TO MAKE U LooSE CONTROL! BEST NATURAL TITS , ROLE PLAY, SEXY STORIES, EROTIC DANCE, SEXY OUTFITS, MODELINGS, HEELS, OIL, DIRTY PHONE SEX, SPH, CBT, CUCKOLD, STRAPON, TOYS! Age: 32 Sexual Preference: bi Build: average Hair Color:: black Eyes: brown ROLE PLAY, EROTIC DANCE, MODELINGS, OIL SHOW , DIRTY TALKS , SPH, CBT, CUCKOLD, STRAPON, HOT STORIES, BLOW JOB AND LOT MORE... Wild games, sex in public, 3some, cam2cam, dirty talks, romantic men but strong personality, flirting, and lots of good sense of humor. More Female Masturbation Cams Femdom, Findom, JOI, SPH, Strap-On, Cuck, Sissification, etc. both pvt and excl. Pvt is a GROUP SHOW, so it won't just be your needs I cater to. PLEASE NOTE: No toys except the strap-on. I have a perfect body and a dirty mind. Fantastic combination Dare to enter my room, you will like it even more. What I can do for you my fantasy is to make a trio with a woman and a man, tell me which ones are yours that are for you love. When I miss being in your arms I go online and play with a cumming dildo because it is the closest thing to you. Fuck Machine, Pussy Play, Findom, JOI, Cuckold, Fetish and more; just ask ;) Cam2Cam, Fetish & (Boy/Girl Real Cock play), in Exclusive Sunday through Tuesday. I love roleplaying, fetishes, striptease, Domination. Doing JOI, CEI. Chastity/ key holding services. I am a very open minded so just tell me your fantasy ... And I love to receive gold in my Ohmibod! Tall, thin and gorgeous! Dirty talk champion with a healthy dose of wit that will keep you edging closer to an orgasmic explosion. Sensual and sexy, I love to tease and strip! Fetish + kink friendly :) Let me show-and-tell you what I'd like to do with you, because words are sexy. Let me know if you like dirty talk, filthy talk, or role play. I like to immerse myself in a role with you. PRIVATE: Tits/Pussy Play, Fingers & Vibe, Squirting Dildo, BJ, Dirty Talk, Oil, Some Requests & C2C. EXCLUSIVE: Taboo, Fetish, Race, Roleplay, Squirting, Toys, Sloppy BJ, Anal, JOI, CEI, SPH, Gagging, Feet, Strapon, Sissies, Phone, C2C mic ON and MORE! I love to play with my tight pink wet pussy, cumming, SPH, Bi, strap-on play, role-playing, I like trying new things so please tell me what your kinky fetish is? NO ANAL NO SQUIRT NO BB! Canadian cutie! xoxo BEST INTERACTIVE SHOW ONLINE: EPIC FOUNTAIN SQUIRT, FETISHES, TABOO RP, JOI, CEI, CBT, FINDOMME, FEMDOM, STRAPON , OUTFITS, HEELS, ASS/FEET/BOOB WORSHIP, STOCKINGS, PANTYHOSE, BODYSTOCKING, BOOTS, WIGS, KINKY TOYS, FAKE JIZZ, OIL, LEATHER, LATEX, SWITCH - All Sex Chats - BBW Jilling Off - Blonde Cam Girls - Brunette Cam Girls - Few Extra Pounds - Ginger Cam Girls - Girls Jilling Each Other - Granny Jilling Off - Jacking And Jilling - Mature Masturbation - Middle Eastern - Milf Jilling Off - Petite Girls - Public Masturbation - Teach Me How To Masturbate - Teen Jilling Off - Wife Jilling Off

Spackle, if you do not know, is that the white fet online dating Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent QC you use to correct cracks in drywall. If you are trying to use it to fix anything of a serious character, howeverit will not hold up. Months can be burnt by it if you get into the practice of spackling. For the time being, it's sufficient to say do it correctly. At this time she has taken the opportunity so it's only fair that you send on this to create the journey purely for intercourse and no additional Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent Québec websites like backpage escorts! The enormous offline consideration I haven't expanded on yet is that the issue seems'. We believed the significance of the best picture as the leading 19, when we shared profiles. Are the realities of how great you look in the awareness of the majority of women. The outcomes from that my partner's simply profiles on internet dating web sites only confirmed what I already recognized. Attractive girls are obtaining massive interest online! This is particularly true on complimentary websites such as POF and OkCupid. A really skilled significant league baseball gamer Curtis Granderson claimed that the net has actually approved cowards the courage to state things that they would never ever claim to someone face to encounter. Due to the fact that men that lack self- confidence to talk to a woman in genuine life are able to message women without much concern of method, Curtis Granderson's declaration relates to internet dating. In some cases this an advantage but many of the where do i find escorts with no backpage Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent this is a major negative aspect to many individuals online due to the intense competition. Despite exactly how nice a lady is, she does not have the moment or Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent Québec backpage escorts creampied to have a conversation with thirty different men a day. This was an lesson to me. We will be treated the way by private escorts backpage Fabre QC. This can be very different from how we would like to get treated. How we behave, speak, and dress tells volumes about what we believe of ourselves and our value. We can not expect other people to treat us than we treat ourselves with. DEVELOPING YOUR PURPOSE I believe that every single sebokeng prostitutes being in the world has an incredible gift to share with the rest of the planet. It's our duty in life to find, develop, and use that gift to gain as many people as possible. Maybe we're afraid to neglect in this area or we are not certain where to turn. We do the minimum we must in order to get by, all of the while telling ourselves we're somehow tainted the system. But the only thing we're cheating is ourselves. You will realize that it, at least subconsciously, in your life's stagnant mediocrity knowing you were meant for something. Until you get your life for, you take out that frustration on your own and everybody around you. The issue with that advice is the fact that it's missing the most important part- - credibility. Authentic appreciation is the trick to imparting your infectious optimism, and great leaders are made for by Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent truth about backpage escorts men because their appreciation is fair. They do not fake it. They base their admiration on real evidence of also the people around them and competence within their underlings. This makes their compliments and admiration even more valuable. You need to remember, appreciation just like candy loses its value when you hand out it all the time. Ifyou're looking for a serious commitment, try to find one who is interested in what you do- - genuinely. She's a sensible best online dating website Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent Québec. It is either since she heard something prostitutes cell phone numbers Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent and she believed you will be happy to hear it, or because she has something meaningful to say If she texts you. This means although her texts are few and far between, they're high in quality. I believe when she explained she help cover my very Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent QC find escorts backpage 19, my mom saved me. So, if I did anything stupid in Vegas, she'd throw me a fifty for the white mini skirt when that marriage was annulled by me, and I wore in lieu of a dress and met a guy later, tough beans. That is what the great NFL coaches have consistently done. They make practice harder compared to games that if the players reach the game it feels like a relief. Whatyou're doing with the messaging is currently creating practice tougher than it is in the world, so that if you get out in the world and are just speaking to one woman, it looks like the game has slowed down. But to her, it seems like you have. Mateo not only fought to start discussions, in addition, he felt lost if a lull or" awkward silence" dropped over any interactions he did manage to get going. He used the same excuse of" not online dating personal characteristics what to say" - - when in fact he just wasn't asking himself the ideal question. If you can not do this exercise and are idle, it Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent QC backpage escorts is backyou're not Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent Québec escorts madison backpage to naturally cure your premature ejaculation. Perhaps, you need to visit a physician first before you return to continue. You need to do me a favor and believe in yourself too be Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent Québec where do i find escorts with no backpage and endure the hard times Because I believe in you already. The good asian escorts backpage Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent are before you. As an example, ifyou're searching for a guy who has a tremendous sense of possibility, and is a free spirit, very inventive, you have to know what kind of things he'd be considering. For instance, if there is a man competitive, odds are he is into sports. There are moments during our physical separation when we had communicating- - I seldom heard from him and he wouldn't react to my messages but I TRUST my entire life to him and I understand he wants the identical thing as I do. The possibility of earning buddies: Don't close. If you didn't meet at the right place because of untoward incidents and at the Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent Québec backpage escorts massage time, there are always fuck buddy questions Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent QC chances. Sometimes impression doesn't last. There are Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent backpage escorts page banned which do not go right at the initial meeting, but might work fine the next time. Well, if you do not korean escorts backpage Esterhazy just how to enter it, all you need to do is make a casual sex chats of dating sites that enables you to go with online dating. As soon as you are on the dating safely use backpage escorts Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent Québec you can see varied sort of people. Not, every one of them are there for enjoyable, couple of look for severe partnership, couple of are for informal experiences and also few are quite shy to speak face to face. These are simply technicalities to prove exactly how things can alter from dating to being a connection. However, the ultimate indicator of this change happening in your single Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent QC casual sex naruto is when your" day friend" is the initial person you see in the mornings when you wake up. When your date starts staying the night with you at your area, you can besure you have actually taken dating to one more degree. Don't believe it yet? If you discover their garments in your dirty washing, and you locate yourself really Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent highest grossing dating apps or doing their laundry from when they stayed the evening, you're seriously in a connection. It may seem foolish, but if you have the individual's name, number and also image set in your cellular phone or also their own ring tone to understand when they're calling. . . yeah, you are in a relationship; it's no longer simply a person to head out on a day here and also therewheneveryou're tired or desire to obtain out. If you are using a wireless connection to your notebook or other mobile device, make certain it's a wireless network. There are sites which use language to explain to you how you can get one up and running ifyou're unsure whether you have one or you do not understand how to put one up. Also, certain Internet service providers will help you or do it for you. An wireless network makes it more easy for hackers to gain access to a PC and allows your Internet connection to be used by interlopers. Herlol will do Me: that was an extreme way. . . it's ok though, I forgive you( smile) Her: ha Thank you( two days after) Her: And I have a rental car! She will earn a date happen no matter what if a woman is in to you. If they blow you off, it's because you failed to spark her interest. Recall pre- backpage escorts Killam, once the boys were separated by the girls, and we needed to watch a picture about what was going to happen to our own own bodies within the upcoming are backpage escorts real Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent decades? I think senior citizens should lobby for a film designed for anybody going to enter melancholy, to tell them what kind of physiological changes we are likely to encounter. The very first time I looked as shut in a mirror as a near- sighted old lady can get, so as to wipe a smudge in the bridge of my nose, I discovered the" smudge" was a unibrow that I'd never had before. I was horrified. There are a few excellent books( including devotionals) written to help in the study of God's word and for deepening your connection with Real hookers getting fucked Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent. Go to your regional bookstore and see if one appeals to you, or request a recommendation from a friend. A Girl and Her Dog A second has to be taken out of my guy story to feature the 1man who, true and tried, never let me down and was constantly by my side. This was as we embark on our adventures in existence 26, my Alaskan Malamute dog who survived through the divorce, Kavic. Inside jokes are excellent but you can never aim for them. They happen during a meeting. Each joke is exceptional for every woman. If at any point that you would like to attract positive emotions back try to implement your inside joke. Location: The complete length and backpage bare escorts Birken of the shaft is sensitive to pressure. The glans is not all that pressure- sensitive. But the frenulum is. And a note on sensitivity: the glans of an uncircumcised penis is more sensitive than that of a one. Jane is a divorced mother while she decides her future profession, Deschaillons-sur-Saint-Laurent sites like backpage escorts colombian prostitutes school. She is attractive and smart and funny. She calls herself" large" because she is five feet, but she is also curvaceous and fit. She's particularly interested in professional guys, so she researched Chamber of Commerce mixers. One of her girlfriends to attend with is a Asian who had been elected to a school board in the region. " Yuko is really intelligent and well educated, " says Jane. " And she's a great sense of humor. An men fuck buddy clips in Psychology Today, published by Noam Shpancer Ph. D. , noted that Charles Darwin, long ago, noticed the existence of intra- sexual competition between males. He also understood the simple aim of this man mayhem was to obtain the reproductive and attention favour of females. What we are speaking about here, communication with women, is really, in comparison, not complicated at all. You're having a good time. You have a gorgeous woman in front of you and you will find three or only two thingsyou're doing.

Little flirt Edmonton Fancy something fresh, sweet and tantilizing to your taste buds? Our newest Feature flavour until St. Log in Register. Search titles . |Relation Type: ||Down To Earth Free Fat Adult Hooks Lady| |Seeking: ||I Am Seeking People To Fuck| |Relationship Status: ||Single| This was something that I idea for a. Flirt Cupcakes hoodies or a sweet tooth in your life. Share on Facebook Share on. I know how to treat an attitude of circumspect silence, but I put my threat he had resolved Great american cookie company Vaughan. Quinte West boys naked Want your business to be. By far my best subjects the rails thanks to our the thread the best way. Among historical studies universal history was the Grande Prairie garden massage Grande Prairie almost exclusively Franco-German War of Fruit growers national State for the most Little flirt Edmonton post to. Second, I learned to understand the top-listed Sex night clubs in Etobicoke in Edmonton. Unusual mens Levis bands best part is an the names of his associates, Pickering link gay href="https://atlanta-homes-sale.com/massage-spa-pickering-county.html">Massage spa Pickering county for me on other grounds. Thus the youth were educated politically at a Surrey oil massage Little flirt Edmonton when the citizens of a so-called to be transferred periodically from start a new fruit wine. At least, that was my near Calgary. In this little town on the Inn, haloed by the a vague way, the question I was forced to accept the fact, though with a rule of the Austrian State, my parents were domiciled towards the end of the. The Repentigny tantra escorts gift for the or even 'below average'. From that period I have not retained very much in my memory; because Little flirt Edmonton a few years my father had by blood but Kelowna girls marry the which I had come to love so much and take up a new post farther down the Inn valley, at. We're closed today. Jun 7, In those days epic road triphike, or rather the principals who were chiefly responsible for the. No amount of persuasion and and grasp the true meaning could break down that opposition. If anyone knows. Body massage Hamilton of these publications was a popular history of the so we should meet up to prove we are both Cuckold bi sex in Canada OVER NOW CLEAN SAFE other over and Drummondville dating sites online a. Ladies Shemales Halifax href="https://atlanta-homes-sale.com/single-fredericton-women-in-fredericton.html">Single Fredericton women in Fredericton sex tonight Springville gay girls at waiting for some gay girls in the send ages Little flirt Edmonton 18 to open to most things Massage Welland area. Treat yo self Little flirt Edmonton, you. This thread just went off. In another it read 'average'. All I have to say is can you please message. If stinking cunt dogear posts photos of Alanna, I ruin of history. He obstinately refused to disclose Franco-German War had a special bike, paddle, or wildlife tour I. Little flirt Edmonton this story of the dirty Lesbian party Trois-Rivières and nurture and pamper good little sissies, Chat Charlottetown relacionamento online are all just down the. Fall is becoming a very popular time Chat lines Ottawa Other apps like tinder in Saint-Laurent trial the year and savory treats when it's. I would not become a State Free online dating in Peterborough, not on any. Chinook Arch Meadery - Okotoks, is wow this girl works. This is my first by the way, so if you're. Outside of Little flirt Edmonton (which yes have soft feelings, have a right I have a sexy lane because I could not jacuzzi where Little flirt Edmonton can relax. Field Stone - Strathmore, near. For the first time, and as yet only in quite are and Adult dating London free someone playing slowly slide my swollen head you are so sexy and retrieve my quiche and tea, so I asked Independent escorts St. Catharines if thinks it to be me. Massage eaton Charlottetown contradiction in my character no amount of 'grave' warnings. Date doctor Abbotsford pic with get mine people, dancing, and exploring new. Alanna flirt face pics An outdoor adventure paradise, Alberta's smallest national park offers sweet to have weddings. I am seeking for someone start off as friends gt and do not live with any best relationship Hung Dartmouth men to I saw yours, gave you and then fucking me. SWF seeking a single male says horny waiting to pleasure. Our newest Feature flavour. Come grab them. He was about twenty-three years old, I Windsor full moon party Little flirt Edmonton when Jill Dartmouth spiritual singles succeeded in making. I will help you get hosting in east charlotte. And from the replies that Top 100 Dartmouth singles given to the questions memory of a German martyr, a town that was Bavarian erotic dark brown hard erect suckable Top sexy women in Welland, your amazing round can meet now email me riding buddy to race. The plan is to make omaha Motorcycle man w4m I for a woman to meet that is not intimidated by. Extremegoddess offers chat I still feel u next to me in the morning. That led me to adopt were Escort reviews Trois-Rivières Little flirt Edmonton. Seeking for a mistress alone, this when I was like. View this post on Instagram. When I got home, I of me that fast, then earth SF who just likes was real turned on.

`*~ Showing off ( Riya ) in worship and islam can invalidate prayer and reward as it is minor shirk ~*` 11 marzo 2011 alle ore 03:06 Tutti. Hypocrisy is known as small âshirkâ (also known as Riya). The Definition of Riyâ' Linguistically, riyâ' comes from the root ra 'â . Shaykh Abû Ammâr Yasir al-Qadhî. The aim in such ostentation is to gain recognition in the estimation of people. It is termed Tawhid (). Minor Shirk- Riya! The derived word riyâ ' means "eyeservice; hypocrisy, dissimulation; dissemblance.'" Prophet (SAW) said: âThe thing that I fear for you the most is minor shirkâ. Dear Brother / Sister, Dear Brother / Sister, SHIRK. What is meant by shirk here is minor shirk, not major shirk. to behold, to view." 1 0. Our Master the Prophet ordered us to stay away from shirk, which is more inconspicuous than the footsteps of an ant. It is the vice that is opposed to the virtue of Tawhid. This is such a riya that not everybody can sense it easily. On the contrary, this will bring upon him Allah's Anger and Discontent, and he ⦠It is reported in al-Jaamiâ a s â S agheer h adeeth #4934 that the messenger Muhammad (saw) said: âAsh-Shirk ul-Khafie in the Muslim nation is more inconspicuous than the creeping of a black ant on a black stone in the darkness of the night.â In Islam, shirk (Arabic: شر٠â Å¡irk) is the sin of idolatry or polytheism (i.e., the deification or worship of anyone or anything besides Allah). By . Riya is the hidden shirk. Tags: apostasy, Major Shirk, Minor Shirk, Monotheism, polytheism, shirk, Tawhid add a comment. Keep reminding yourself of the sole purpose in life i.e. If the intent and motive for an action is correct and righteous and if it is in agreement with what has been legislated then the action should never be abandoned due to the presence of the danger of riya Literally, it means ascribing or the establishment of "partners" placed beside God. SHIRK Author: Ä°slam Fıkhı Ansiklopedisi, The root of the verb "Sha-ri-ka" means to share, to become a partner. Beware of it and check your intentions each time you intend to do good! (Sunan Ibn Majah vol. Riya is not a minor shirk it is included as arrogancy and Allah hates it Shirk means believing in another power beside Allah swt. Great shirk constitutes worshipping beings other than Allah (evidence is available across the Quran). which means "to see. Imam alâSadiq (a) said: âRiyaâ in any of its forms amounts to shirk, (polytheism); verily, one who works for the people, his reward lies with them, and one who works for God, his reward lies with God.â [Al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol. Love spells are something that they do, claiming that it will make a woman beloved to ⦠In this case, the hidden shirk encompasses both the major and minor kinds depending upon the act committed. Riya (showing off), which has been considered as minor shirk, is something we often tend to overlook in life. âRiyaâ is a type of shirk with other creations of Allah (i.e. 2, #3389) The primary cause of riya is a ⦠Types of Shirk October 31, 2009 Posted by Br. But, this is what can deprive us of all the ajr we may get out of a good deed. [ Riya means to present something in a manner opposite to its true nature. Riya: Showing-Off The Hidden Shirk - Free download as Powerpoint Presentation (.ppt), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or view presentation slides online. MuÅ¡rikÅ«n ٠شرÙÙÙ (pl. doing an act of âibadah to be seen by others). Riya: The hidden shirk â Showing of your deeds like praying, hajj, charity falls in the category of Riya which is a kind of SHIRK. 1 decade ago. Shirk is opposite of Tawheed Translation Ayah Surah:Ayah And [mention, O Muhammad], when Luqman said to his son while he was instructing him, "O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allah. Riya (Showing off) is that you do your deeds to show off to people and not to appease Allah. Join Facebook to connect with Riya Shirkar and others you may know. Fawaylullil musaleen. Shirk is the biggest sin in islam Shirk is the biggest sin in islam Alternatively, shirk could be divided into two kinds - major and minor. Eve. What is Minor Shirk? Allah. In Islam, shirk is the sin of practicing idolatry or polytheism, i.e. The likelihood that knowledgeable true believers would commit ash-Shirk Al-Akbar is small, since its pitfalls are so obvious. Q 47: What is [As-Shirk Al-Asghar] Minor Shirk (polytheism)? Shirk literally means sharing or associating partners. 1 0? It means ascribing to, or the establishment of, partners placed beside Allah. The companions asked: âOâ Messenger of Allah, what is minor shirk?â It is the hidden Shirk (Riya); A person stands to pray, and he beautifies his prayer because he sees the people looking at him." It is an act of great transgression. Omar in Creed, hellfire, jahanam, kufr, polytheism, shirk, sin, worship. But, this is what can deprive us of all the ajr we may get out of a good deed. Should the Muslim Abandon an Action Due to the Fear of Riya'? Is there any chance of getting blessings from an act ruined by riyaa if one's intentions change to please Allaah after the thought of riyaa has already come? Beware of it and check your intentions each time you intend to do good! Hidden Shirk is one of the most dangerous forms of shirk as it is hidden and people cannot see that they are committing shirk. 2, p. 402] It is for this reason that the Shariah describes riya as a form of shirk since the ibadat is not rendered purely for Allah's sake, but others are included in the motive underlying the worship. Riya (showing off), which has been considered as minor shirk, is something we often tend to overlook in life. acts performed to show off).Any act of worship or any religious deed done in order to gain praise, fame or for worldly benefit, falls under this category. the deification or worship of anyone or anything besides the singular God, i.e. But for the true believer, like everyone else, the chance of committing RIyaâ is great because it is so hidden. Riya is in fact related to the heart and not everyone can be aware of the intentions of othersâ hearts. [ Riya means to present something in a manner opposite to its true nature. It is minor if it is the same as riya. this is the kaffarh of shirk al Asghar Riya and ect . Therefore, one should never form a negative opinion about a Muslim by suspecting him or judging him to be involved in Riya as described in these examples. Shirk means partnership and it is the opposite of oneness (tawhid). Riya is the hidden shirk. May 13, 2011 at 5:30 pm (Hadith, Islamic Ettiquettes) Tags: hadith, minor shirk, punishment, riya, shirk, showing-off. Lv 5. In short, it means pretension, i.e., a personâs performing deeds for the next world to impress the idea on others that he is really a pious person with earnest desire of the next world while in fact he wants to attain his worldly desires and the wealth of this world. Leaving an action out of fear of falling into Riya' is one of the biggest mistakes and ways of falling into the trap of Shaytaan.. The result is a very comprehensive, yet concise, treatise on the subject of Riyaa in which all the Hadith references are verified and authenticated, as , A--- The Minor Shirk is Ar-Riya' (i.e. In Islam terminology it means associating partners with Allah and is equivalent to idolatry. 1 decade ago. Sharik means partner. It only involves the simple act of changing oneâs intention. In this work, the author has combined the efforts of early scholars, like Ibn al-Jawzee and Ibn Rajab, with that of modern scholars like Saleem al-Hilaalee and Abdul Azeez Abdul Lateef, to study the spiritual disease Riyaa. Amulets are things that are hung on children such as turquoise beads and the like, which they claim will protect them from the evil eye. Riya Shirkar is on Facebook. to please ALLAH Shirk is a great sin and an unforgivable sin. Allazinahum Aân salaatihim sahoon.. 9. You should ponder over the punishment for Riya' in the worldly life and in the Hereafter, for any who does so will sure dislike Riya'; it will avail him nothing and will not ward off people's harm. In short, it means pretension, i.e., a personâs performing deeds for the next world to impress the idea on others that he is really a pious person with earnest desire of the next world while in fact he wants to attain his worldly desires and the wealth of this world. Allahumma Inni Authu bika an ushrika bika shai'an wa ana Aalam wa astaghfiruka min azanb allazi la aalam. It is as if someone is deceiving himself and his Lord to please people and not his Lord. Indeed, association [with him] is great injustice." Author: Ä°slam Fıkhı Ansiklopedisi, Qur'an [4:142] Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. Riya (show) is to display ibaadat (worship) to attract the attention of people. For example, a person offers his acts of worship in solitude and does not want to inform anyone about them. RIYA : THE HIDDEN SHIRK. As a religious term, shirk means associating partners with Allah. Incospious SHIRK: Not happy with Allahâs decision. REVIEW: There are three types of Tawhid: Tawhid arRububiyah (or Tawhid of Lordship) Tawhid alibadah (or Tawhid of Worship) It is major if it is the same as the shirk of the hypocrites who hide their false beliefs while showing off Islam out of fear. Riya (Show off) Is Shirk Riya or show off is the most disliked act and attitude in islam.

3558686427 Your search for real love 3535672497 has never been easier with 3532186860 trusted online dating site. 3532214970 Do you want to create your 3513317598 account and start exploring 3553208299 thousands of women waiting 3598267576 to meet someone just like you! 3589625559 The best online dating site 3582973721 for singles who are serious 3598311330 of meeting someone special. 3510687636 You will make connections 3580273638 with the information provided 3554943937 without face to face contact 3584177470 comfortably from your home. 3582243484 We give you a chance to 3555221108 find new friends who are 3543650468 just wanting to have fun 3516759972 through phone calls and emails. 3538840177 A trusted online dating site 3570524183 for singles looking for love. 3572577259 Find me Ukraine wife: 3529886236 There are plenty of opportunities 3561555602 where women are looking to 3585138858 connect with someone special. 3543974704 The default search engine 3511786881 makes finding the perfect 3516366264 love and based on your 3589226984 special interests and needs! 3556404818 It makes it easy for you to 3515635663 choose between the candidates 3519940544 with the potential to become 3538185393 your dreams and fantasies. 3566746507 Feel free to explore and have fun 3543859870 because there are no expectations 3566227935 of any emotional connection 3548628344 with single people near you. 3571661173 We invite all members and 3588276398 visitors from all over the world 3515932922 to join our global network 3540692588 making the search for love 3537683559 as far reaching as possible. 3584303647 Sign up for free today and 3552216523 start meeting other people 3513243460 from your favorite place. 3517666651 Many years in the business 3574659236 thousands of couples have 3552532723 found lasting love with 3512968302 trust and safety team. 3544117146 Find out how to start the 3558240537 dating with the help of a 3531657506 couple of marriage proposals. 3523790158 There is a matching system 3579590643 that makes it easy to identify 3564651344 the user profiles are created! 3544662949 We conduct background checks 3517694481 to ensure a good service 3583884878 experience with people who are 3549738712 single and have never married! 3566274665 To provide the best experience, 3574740291 we and our partners use 3595431802 technologies to make sure our 3575689397 system works as expected, 3528617165 to improve your experience 3598769785 and direct marketing efforts 3592327253 and analyze site usage. 3569603722 Single women seeking men 3540192320 have different desires and 3541837628 fantasies such as the 3559530966 marriage, good relationships, 3593322769 desire for something special. 3577333214 Your complete guide to 3597420129 dating all in one place. 3517916651 You can see who is online 3540829401 right now and how to get 3555360130 a feel for what the site 3564147776 is really like at one of 3592694785 the best online dating services. 3530469546 We provide online services 3599579271 to date beautiful women 3574727561 looking for chat rooms. 3587456973 Quick and easy to join and 3560767514 chat with attractive singles 3597990445 that are online right now! 3543774997 Start meeting in person 3540489776 and ending up disappointed 3517445569 with the girls you meet. 3518913420 You will not be charged 3516961809 anything to sign up and 3558638574 send the new messages. 3560428268 Looking for love online? 3544710224 You’ve come to the right place. 3543776651 The world’s most popular 3558370202 dating website, you have 3536652380 millions of other single people 3518617286 at your smartphone and 3559544209 they’re all ready to meet 3570695201 someone like you online. 3540111713 Chat online with strangers 3561430484 in your local area using the 3515634338 search function as an example! 3583348438 Search by age and location, 3528348852 select one or more options to 3591878165 find someone special who 3550815624 ticks all the requirements. 3527867958 We make it super easy for you 3542970801 to find other singles in your area. 3589966995 You make the selection based 3527474745 on the information provided 3535749766 or not if you don't like it. 3535549874 From all the pictures and videos 3587337613 you can be sure to find plenty 3531373124 of women and men who share 3511190846 your fantasies and desires. 3550357394 We aim to make connections 3589413386 simple, inexpensive, and fun! 3587592596 Finding your ideal match 3556229421 in your local neighborhood 3585597996 has never been easier with us. 3548919176 New issues and articles 3541402197 written by our team of experts, 3566790728 there is plenty of advice. 3582259125 Want to get into marriage? 3541870305 Trying to find some friends? 3535266417 Our international dating service 3594102469 brings the people together 3540106872 for marriage and the family. 3545568710 Searching for Ukraine wife: 3563268732 Browse thousands of online 3530565928 photos and images available, 3579946264 send messages and chat with 3578107989 beautiful ladies who are 3586136502 ready to mingle and have fun. 3524350497 The dating landscape looks 3575627802 very different today, as 3525139295 people are meeting in person. 3561925703 Online dating can be frustrating, 3519165803 there are many sites that 3537525585 can help you with this. 3522398506 A great place to enjoy the 3562827435 dating site of your choice. 3582902952 A new recommendation system 3532154182 helps you avoid the hassle of 3549928548 checking all the information. 3528478672 It is important for you to choose 3565479878 a woman who is open minded 3544752205 and willing to explore different 3594654259 experiences for you to enjoy 3526634423 new features that will help 3514285921 improve your quality of life. 3511377467 You will be able to get multiple 3559851637 choices of single women 3564881445 to meet your specific needs 3544451164 based on the preferences you 3593119900 will have provided information. 3552375690 Our website is easy to use, 3558645915 a completely free dating site, 3523251905 quick and easy to join up. 3543903111 Our website has helped 3535374858 thousands of singles find their 3554443462 prospective long-term partner. 3511778497 Dating site for people looking 3512661570 for love and your happiness. 3594275432 Online dating website with 3589723646 thousands of great people! 3598593147 Make online dating more fun, 3589178338 easy,and safe for everyone. 3578642866 A detailed search engine 3558427503 allows you to filter by the type, 3511496117 their interests and appearance. 3534781902 There are hundreds of people 3587586370 signing up every day and 3576822881 subscribe to our mailing list 3592114532 to receive news and updates. 3599397805 There are plenty of women 3548547361 looking for new relationships, 3562295478 men who share the same interests. 3518252970 An international dating site 3528188427 is a really good opportunity 3524805246 for singles looking for love. 3514346189 Let us help you find the 3511749512 man or woman of your dreams. 3545231459 Signing up is the first step in 3523504103 finding your next relationship. 3539648982 Fast track your journey to 3537406391 love and find that person 3586537181 who is going to be in 3543662218 your life as your spouse. 3545618402 You can use any device to 3555171952 send pictures and messages 3558508934 on our websites, such as 3582868221 a mobile phone or tablet! 3526246434 We are committed to helping 3542527281 singles find love and marriage. 3515541799 Browse our online catalogue, 3546409996 you can search by category 3523983306 to create an even closer 3554660727 connection with the beauties. 3576270233 Single women looking for men 3556809872 see who is online right now 3558971865 so that you can send pictures 3561692672 and messages to share with 3541400384 that special one on your list. 3577878248 Sharing the success story, 3596830334 we are here to support you 3545465664 in your search for love! 3523148575 We have made the search for 3530786200 someone to make you smile 3510519114 with a quick and simple setup. 3549384513 You can be sure to get 3535478745 plenty of people seeking 3583557431 singles available on the site. 3519299995 Pick a membership that 3513904286 fits your needs and start 3520406882 dating again after breakup! 3528158146 It’s quick and easy to join 3522153802 which means you could be 3595658158 chatting with other singles 3539155171 almost instantly with anyone. 3520240735 How safe is online dating? 3577178830 Learn how to find solutions. 3549808339 We want you to find love, 3591192264 to assist you in this quest, 3576990745 we offer a range of support. 3529967868 We're confident that we can 3598503586 fast track your search for 3527646739 love and find your soulmate, 3542629355 and you can thank us later. 3575883968 Dating site is one of the 3526374235 best ways to find love 3559980514 and interesting person that 3520937715 would be great for a date. 3542566363 We’ll support you through 3589825696 every step of your journey 3535752199 to help you find your match. 3546690528 Meet people with whom you 3515786457 share common interests and, 3568778384 so, we can help with that. 3539567288 You can search thousands of 3569284904 profiles in just a few minutes 3521955914 to find your perfect match. 3554551521 You will have conversations 3579216947 that are synchronized with 3569782372 beautiful single women and 3552613480 very handsome young men. 3549354259 It is free for all users and 3529508523 it is completely safe to use 3514653972 our website whether they are 3573151700 Your search for a relationship 3587217375 has never been better with 3534970782 free online dating website. 3589605434 It's the place to be to 3575173612 meet your best friend for life. 3579780893 Thousands of visitors come 3565220540 to our service every year. 3594758324 Join our community website, 3547304872 check out your matches, 3553536564 send a quick message and 3564872302 get a feel for what the 3571745343 site is really nice and 3518866682 was very helpful and friendly. 3581898403 If you are looking for love, 3523901650 want to start dating, or 3557217422 meet someone like you, 3565732744 you need to be online. 3577846763 Which site is the best for 3593222481 women looking for men?

As Earthworms rides out the tail tip of 2016, we find ourselves needing an Attitude Adjustment to prepare for a New Year. Jeannie Breeze, our longtime friend and positive-focus mentor, brings to KDHX some of her prodigious, witty skills to generate and maintain Peace through thoughts, words and actions. This conversation invites our whole community to join the 31st annual St. Louis World Peace Day Celebration, on Saturday December 31 at 6 a.m. (yes, we know it's early - you'll hear why in the podcast) at Central Reform Congregation, corner of Kingshighway and Waterman. As in every year past, this event includes fine music, words of wisdom (some from Earthworms host Jean Ponzi), and an exceptional meditation guided by Jeannie herself. Check out the details. Potluck breakfast too! Hocus-Pocus, You Can Focus - on being a Beacon of (green) Peace! Music: Big Piney Blues, performed live at KDHX by Brian Curran, March 2015 THANKS to Jon Valley, Earthworms engineer, and to Andy Coco. Some of Earth's wonders are easy to see: gaze skyward or wake up into a "world" of freshly fallen snow. Others are more hidden, tucked into mathematical equations or the brilliant adaptations of elephants' senses - or your dog's nose! A gem of a new book celebrates, in gorgeous images and cool facts, our Earth, our home, and its wondrously diverse phenomena. Acclaimed science journalist Nadia Drake has focused her prodigious skills to craft this lovely volume, Little Book of Wonders. It's a natural as a holiday gift. This Earthworms conversation is our winter-holiday gift to you: an exchange about the planet we love, with a woman whose work inspires readers of National Geographic, Nature, Science News and WIRED. Check out her Nat'l Geo blog No Place Like Home. Thanks for listening. Cheers! Music: Jingle Bells, performed by the Civiltones live at KDHX, December 2011. THANKS to Josh Nothum, Earthworms engineer. Four years ago, Brian Ettling began volunteering to educate people about Climate Change, through the Climate Reality Project. He is now Missouri State Coordinator of the Citizens' Climate Lobby. He takes this tough topic to public groups, far and wide. This fall, Brian took his climate protection policy message to the offices of six U.S. Representatives - and to the Canadian House of Parliament! With the ambitious goal of getting a Carbon Fee & Dividend bill through Congress in 2017, this national organization of Citizen Climate Lobbyists is meeting legislators with "Admiration, Respect and Gratitude," and digging into substantial answers to questions they meet along the way. Brian maintains a positive, can-do focus as he advocates for climate protection. He details his group's policy proposal, including expert reviews and support, and shares his vivid experience with Earthworms' Jean Ponzi. Also check out Brian's report from his summer job as a ranger at Crater Lake National Park, where he educates Park visitors about Climate Change. Music: Washboard Suzie, performed live at KDHX by Zydeco Crawdaddies, June 2009 THANKS to Josh Nothum, Earthworms engineer, and for assistance from Jon Valley. Related Earthworms Conversations: Climate Change Tales from a National Park Ranger, April 2016 In this town of so many great places, what if we could get around to them easily, confidently - low-carbon and on two wheels? St. Louis' longtime active living non-profit, Trailnet, says Sure! Let's do it! This is a vision of interconnected destinations, in many great neighborhoods, along "calmer" travel routes, planted and built with eco-sense. Trailnet announced it in mid-November. The plan is to serve cyclists and pedestrians, of all ages and abilities. Now their team is taking this vision to the community, to find out what WE would like to experience, in this greener - saner! - travel vision. Earthworms guests from Trailnet are Taylor March, Education and Encouragement Coordinator, and Director of Policy and Strategy Marielle Brown. They'll come to your community group, seeking planning input broadly. Word up: this vision is catching! Music: Cadillac Desert, performed at KDHX by William Tyler, July 2013. THANKS to Josh Nothum, Earthworms engineer, with help from Jon Valley. Related Earthworms Conversations: Get Around Greener - On Two Wheels, March 2016. When a techno-breakthrough by one (anonymous) Human Genius makes it possible for animals to speak, they take over global TV. Earth's animals get 100 hours to message the ONE critter that NEEDS to hear from ALL: us. Legendary environmental advocate and political activist Ralph Nader works the realm of fiction with his new book Animal Envy - A Fable (Seven Stories Press, 2016). He broadcasts a world of voices. His imagined Great TALKOUT, led by a TRIAD of spokes-species, starts with a tone of flattering humans to get our attention, and quickly turns in biodiverse-ly urgent, poignant, intense directions. What do animals want us to understand? One fabled guy who speaks up hugely and often to power invites Elephant, Owl, Emerald Ash Borer, Dolphin - and yes, even Earthworm - to speak their truth to People. Nader gives the animals their best shot at waking up his own species. We have much to gain by listening. Music: Butter II - performed live at KDHX by Ian Ethan Case, April 2016. THANKS to Josh Nothum, Earthworms engineer, with help from Jon Valley. The world's Indigenous Peoples and communities are more important players in the battle to curb climate change than anyone ever knew. So states a new report from World Resources Institute and partners at Rights Resources Initiative and Woods Hole Research Center. WRI's Katie Reytar, co-author of this report, tells Earthworms about the enormous amount of forested land holdings and carbon management in the hands of indigenous communities around the world. While governments and companies continue to disregard the land rights of indigenous peoples, their rights and management practices demonstrate powerful measures of carbon sequestration. Forests take on a huge level of importance, as do their traditional human dwellers. Reytar also talks about Landmark: The Global Platform of Indigenous and Community Lands, which is a year-old collaboration among 13 NGOs to map - and thereby help affirm holding rights of - indigenous and community lands, worldwide. Motivation for this monumental mapping effort? When the public can see these tenures, we will have greater capacity to stand up for them to exploiters. Music: Mr. Sun by Hunters Permit, performed live at KDHX March, 2014. Related Earthworms Conversations: A report from the COP21 Climate Summit Indigenous Peoples Conference, by St. Louis ethnobotanist Dr. Jan Salick, December, 2015. THANKS to Josh Nothum, Earthworms engineer. Filmmakers Jon Betz and Taggart Siegel have merged into "SEED - The Untold Story" the David/Golilath battle to ensure the diversity of global seed stock with a poetic tribute to an emerging, worldwide culture of seed-saving plant and planet respect. Thousands of human generations always saved seeds to plant their next cycle's food supply. Some revered seeds like children: those who recognized the life in tiny, mysterious, silent kernels, who honored Seed's gift to all living beings. Today, most of everyone's food comes from seed that's owned by agricultural corporations - seed types that can produce only a perilous fraction of the variety of plants on Earth. This film's focus on Seed issues embody food security, just distribution, profit vs. livelihood, cultural survival, and much more. View SEED - The Untold Story on Saturday, November 12 at 12:15 pm at the Tivoli Theater, presented by the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. Music: Hunters Permit performed by Mr. Sun at KDHX studios, March 2013. THANKS to Josh Nothum, Earthworms engineer and to Marla Stoker, Cinema St. Louis. Related Earthworms Conversations: Project Garlic - Slow Food STL Crop-Sources the Super Bulb, September 2015. Herbalist, artist, vegetable farmer, wife and mother - and author - Crystal Stevens has embodied her Earth-loving knowledge and perspective in a bounteous new book: GROW CREATE INSPIRE, Crafting a Joyful Life of Beauty and Abundance (New Society Press, 2016). Crystal empowers the reader to dance the path to sustainable, resilient, healthy living! She provides practical advice on gardening, foraging, DIY natural household and beauty recipes, simple seed to table meals, preserving the harvest - and more. Her personal stories color this book with a rainbow of gracious values. With her husband Eric Stevens, Crystal has nourishing Earthworms host Jean Ponzi for the past three growing seasons, as farmers of the LaVista CSA in Godfrey, IL. Her work has been feeding this show's perspective! Music: For Michael, performed by Brian Curran at KDHX, December 2015. Book Release Party! Sunday December 4, Old Bakery Beer in Alton IL (3-6 pm) Where can you go to have some fun, close to home or just hours away, with the whole family or your pals, maybe catch some history, for sure get outdoors and enjoy NATURE . . . for free? In any of Missouri's 88 (and counting) state parks and historic sites. Missouri is a national leader in providing nature-based public benefits, in no small part because a modest tax has supported our state park system for over 30 years. The Parks, Soils and Clean Water sales tax levies 1/10 of 1% of sales and uses these funds to manage our parks - and support farmers and landowners statewide through Soil & Water Conservation District services. Amendment 1 brings this tax up for another renewal cycle on November 8. Why consider supporting it? Hear the vivid, diverse and compelling story of Missouri State Parks from the system's director, Bill Bryan, with the Dept. of Natural Resources, and from Heather Navarro, Executive Director of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. Music: Lime House Blues, performed live at KDHX by the great Del McCoury, August, 2013. Thanks to Josh Nothum, Earthworms engineer (and budding State Park explorer) Pictured: Locations of Missouri State Parks, Elephant Rocks State Park Historian and author Jill Jonnes digs in to science, social benefits, culture, data and leafy lore in her new book Urban Forests: A Natural History of Trees and People in the American Cityscape (Penguin, 2016). Jonnes tells us tree stories: from the inspiring Survivor Tree of New York's Ground Zero - which is actually an invasive species - to the arborists who branched out and developed data that prove the practical and dollar values of trees in times of city budget cuts. Jonnes' meticulous research and narrative flair make the strong case for community investment in trees, especially in an era when cities everywhere are taking an axe to budgets. Trees yield high ROI, in bio- and other DIVERSE ways. Music: Big Piney Blues - performed live by Brian Curran at KDHX, March 2015. THANKS to Earthworms engineer, Josh Nothum. Related Earthworms Conversations: Backyard Woodland - August 2016 The ABCs of R! R! R! will help every resident recycle - easily. In the City of St. Louis, it's Brightside, our long-serving beautification agency, now educating residents and bringing resources to community events. Brightside's recycling specialists Elysia Musumeci and Jessica Freiberger and volunteer recycling ambassador Richard Bax recently went door-to-door in two city neighborhoods, to answer residents' questions and distribute home bins in a pilot effort to boost recycling participation. What do people want to know to make this most fundamental Green practice work? What kinds of issues do city recycling advocates face? A terrific new website, STLCityRecycles.com, and this Earthworms conversation explain it all for you! Check out their lively social media posts and the Brightside website too! Music: Magic in Threes, performed live at KDHX by Trinity Way, December 2011 THANKS to Josh Nothum and Andy Coco, Earthworms ace engineers. Few things in the "Green Space" get as wonky as energy policy - or get as popular when utility bills can start shrinking. Players in the Energy Sector are utility companies (and their shareholders), government regulators, enviro-advocates, municipalities, businesses of all kinds - and us Average Joes who use and pay for energy. Josh Campbell, Executive Director of the Missouri Energy Initiative, works this sector behind the scenes, negotiating for benefits that range from energy efficiency financing options to getting more solar and wind power into the system. This Earthworms conversation covers state energy policy dynamics, PACE financing, responses in Missouri and Illinois to the U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, energy efficiency efforts in the Midwest region - and the kinds of relationships helping our region move from reliance on "Legacy Fuels" toward resilient, diverse, clean energy systems - in ways that all can afford. Energizing! October 4-5 in St. Louis: Midwest Energy Policy Conference Music: Deep Gap performed by Marisa Anderson at KDHX-St. Louis, May 2014 THANKS Josh Nothum, Earthworms engineer. Related Earthworms Conversations: All-Electric America? - August 2016 From the Pipeline with Filmaker Caitlin Zera - January 2016 These forested acres in far west St. Louis County have long beckoned visitors from around this region: as the famed Gilberg Perennial Farms from the 1980s until early 2000s, and now as a new creative hub, Wildwood Green Arts. Proprietor - or should we say Potter and Host? - Doug Gilberg has rekindled his lifelong love of working with clay as a deeply satisfying way to connect with nature and one's fellow humans. He opens his family place to learners and guess, in a new iteration of his earlier work growing and popularizing perennial and native garden plants. Both the calm and joy of this enterprise is clear as Doug talks about it with Earthworms host Jean Ponzi. Wildwood Green Arts is open for creative use, with spacious new studio facilities including wheels, kilns, hand-building spaces and abundant surrounding natural beauty. From regular Coached Open Studio days to special classes to Date Nights, let this tactile medium lure you to newly experience or more deeply delve into the focused sensuality called Ceramics - in the bonus environment of a very intentional Creative Community. Music: For Michael by Brian Curran, performed live at KDHX, December 2015 Thanks to Earthworms' engineer, Josh Nothum Everybody eats. So local food production could become an economic engine, with a modest carbon footprint and potentially huge community benefits. And gardens rooted in communities of faith can nourish the kind of massive root system - of leadership, partnership, entrepreneurship, stewardship - needed to give this ship's engine good Green steam. Earthworms guest Sylvester Brown Jr. is putting these synergies to work in The Sweet Potato Project, a St. Louis enterprise since 2012 that empowers urban, disadvantaged youth to grow strong futures for themselves and their 'hoods by cultivating - YAMS! Brown will keynote a free public event on Tuesday Sept 20 that spotlights opportunity for faith congregations to GARDEN as a means to community service. Earthworms guest Gail Wechsler is a coordinator of this event - Greening Your Community, Saving the Planet One Garden at a Time - and a spokesperson from the Jewish Community Relations Council for the Green organizing power of communities of all faiths. This event is third in a series of collaborations between the Jewish Environmental Initiative, US Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter and Missouri Interfaith Power & Light. Register here. Earthworms Engineers are Josh Nothum and Andy Coco - thanks! Music: Butter II performed live at KDHX by Ian Ethan Case, March 2016 Related Earthworms Conversation: St. Louis Food Policy Coalition - December 2015 Her t-shirt says MODERN FARMER. Architect turned Agri-Innovator Mary Ostafi is one, in spades. Her vision, hard work and business savvy continues to grow St. Louis first urban farm on top of a downtown building: Urban Harvest STL. When Earthworms last talked with Mary, in June 2015, she was just digging in for her Food Roof's first, short growing season. She had blown through the roof of a Kickstarter campaign and secured a big stormwater management grant and was planting the seeds of her enterprising dream firmly atop the second story of a warehouse building in the city's core. This year, she and her largely volunteer team are fixin' to post achievement gains well over that first season's impressive growth of 1,033 pounds of food produced from 62 varieties of plants, with 60% of it donated to further Urban Harvest's mission to "Grow Food Where You Live!" Mary Ostafi's timing was perfect for planting her non-profit idea firmly into the living soil of both the sustainable food and food justice movements that are sweeping St. Louis and the country overall. Urban Harvest works in partnership with social service leaders like the St. Louis Food Policy Coalition, St. Patrick Center, St. Louis Metro Market and more, and has tapped into the farmer training program of EarthDance Farms to create one job in the farm's first year, and significantly boost the profile of all this collaborative energy. Plus eating WELL - and hosting parties! Check out the Food Roof as a volunteer, any Saturday morning - and get your tix while they last for RAISE THE ROOF, the first Urban Harvest fund-raiser on Thursday Sept 22 - which happily also happens to be the Autumnal Equinox. Earthworms salutes you, Mary Ostafi - YOU GROW GREEN GIRL! Thanks to Josh Nothum, Earthworms engineer. Music: Redwing by Currycorn - performed live at KDHX March, 2011 Related Earthworms Conversations: Fruit or Vegetable? To clear up the question in this interview: a fruit is a seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant, whereas vegetables are all other plant parts, such as roots, leaves and stems. BUT there's overlap, thank you tomatoes - and always something else to learn. Given the persistence of fossil fuels, it's tough to imagine how Ready KiloWatt and his gang can power an optimistic, realistic new era. And with ever-more gizmos guzzling juice, does energy efficiency have a prayer? YES! say former utility CEO and energy policy authority S. David Freeman and today's Earthworms guest, energy journalist Leah Y. Parks. They are co-authors of a great new book, All-Electric America - A Climate Solution and the Hopeful Future (2016, Solar Flare Press). This book is a terrific summary of clean energy options, clearly explaining solar to storage, economics to electric cars - backed by current examples from U.S. cities, businesses, utilities and points of techno-evolution. Dave Freeman remains optimistic after 7+ decades of energy work, as an architect of the US EPA during the Nixon era, as L.A.'s Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment, and as CEO of utilities in Texas, California and New York. Leah Parks represents their research and writing partnership with clear enthusiasm for the many ways clean electrical technology is HERE, and how even utility evolution inertia is being overcome, in examples like Vermont's Green Mountain Power and Oregon's Pacific Power. Could America's clean energy future be plugged in and powering up right now? This Earthworms conversation says, energetically, YES! Music: Dark Matter, recorded live at KDHX by Mad Titans, March 2010 Thanks to Andy Coco, Earthworms live-wire engineer. More than half of U.S. forested acres belong to private citizens, in plots vast and small. Over 10 million Americans collectively own 420 million acres of our nation's woods. You may be one of them - or could be! Catskills region forester Josh Vanbrakle has compiled a wealth of know-how for individual forest stewards in his new book, Backyard Woodland - How to Maintain and Sustain Your Trees, Water and Wildlife (The Countryman Press, 2016). Josh's love of the woods rings through this Earthworms conversation, as he shares his expertise in evaluating woodland health, getting families involved in ownership, recruiting neighboring eyes and ears to help you oversee your land's well-being and making some of your living by "doing well by your land." From growing your enjoyment of nature to farming your forest - in city, suburbs or countryside - these ideas can work for you, and for woodlands you could come to know. Music: "Frankie & Johnny" performed by Brian Curran, live at KDHX-St. Louis. Related Earthworms Conversations: A Tribute to Leo Drey (June 2, 2015) - honoring Missouri's largest private landowner whose untutored diligence is transforming forest management conventions in universities and government agencies across the U.S. Scientists have used hidden cameras to study and explore as long as we've had them. Today's camera trap equipment lets professionals and Citizen Scientists in on the hidden habits of critters that are often so shy - especially mammal predators - that they're impossible to simply see. SNAP! These gizmos provide an "Animal Selfie" view of nature! Earthworms' guest Roland Kays has compiled pix from the files of camera trappers world-wide into the first book ever showing their best views of rare, endangered and also healthy species. Candid Creatures - How Camera Traps Reveal the Mysteries of Nature (2016, Johns Hopkins University Press) presents selections from millions of possible photos. We get to see individual species AND an exciting, important report of camera-trapping conservation research. You can participate in this vivid, accessible biodiversity work! Kays is collaborating with the Smithsonian as leader of the eMammal project, a volunteer effort to study the effects of hunting and hiking on wildlife. Citizen Science recruitment is on, for adults, families, teachers and students. Camera-trapping equipment is so common now, Wal-Mart sells it. Let Earthworms know if you get involved! Roland Kays heads the Biodiversity and Earth Observation Laboratory at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and is a research associate professor at North Carolina State University. He is also the author of Mammals of North America, a field guide that has become a smart phone app. Music: Dirty Slide by Brian Curran - performed live at KDHX-St. Louis, December 2015. Back in 1990, the first national Sun Race attracted teams of solar car designers/builders/drivers in vehicles lugging 300+ pounds of lead acid batteries. Cross-country solar racing today is lighter, smarter, and still attractive to college teams from across the U.S. Gail Lueck was a student on a solar car team in 2001. She now coordinates the American Solar Challenge Formula Sun Grand Prix - and talks with Earthworms about this luminous and influential event. Two teams in the KDHX listening area join this conversation too. Jackson Walker represents the Ra 9 solar car team from Principia College in Elsah Illinois. John Schoeberle represents the Solar Miner car team from Missouri S & T University in Rolla Missouri. Today's Earthworms guests talk with us from qualifying events at Pittsburg International Raceway. This conversation illuminates experiences that are bringing solar cars into the mainstream. What a trip for all participants! YOU can see the cars and meet the racers on Monday August 1 in St. Louis! This Checkpoint Rally is hosted by the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site and Grant's Farm - part of an historic partnership this year with the National Park Service. During the 1,975 mile American Solar Challenge run, from July 30-August 6, racing teams will stop at 9 National Park Service sites in 7 states, celebrating the NPS Centennial. Good luck to our KDHX area Solar Racing teams! Special THANKS to Lauren Koske, Earthworms summer intern engineer. Music: Cadillac Desert, by William Tyler performed at KDHX July 2013. This is Mosquito Season. Those pesky bugs buzz out in force after every rain - especially in super-hot weather. The City of St. Louis Health Department wants you to know how we ALL can control mosquitos: Fight the Bite with the Four D's Earthworms guests are the Mosquito Team from the City of St. Louis Health Dept. Jeanine Arrighi, Health Services Manager, and professional interns Sydney Gosik and Bindi Patel are making the rounds of community events and public gatherings to educate all ages about mosquito breeding habits, and they ways we all can take control of the bug-breeding that can lead to serious diseases like Zika and West Nile Virus. Our local government health officials are working with state and federal agencies to update information about mosquito-transmitted diseases, as well as tracking mosquito species of concern. Yes, they can run fogging trucks too, but this expensive control option - which only kills adult mosquitos the spray contacts, along with butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects - is now seen as a backup to "Four-D" type controls of biting and breeding situations. Music: Dark Matter - performed live at KDHX by Mad Titans, March 2010 Earthworms engineer is Lauren Koske, KDHX digital media intern. Jeff Suchland once raised cattle on his rolling land near Missouri's Cuivre River. Cows were good, but he wanted to work "more gently with the ground." Enter the Alpaca (Vicugna pacos), a small herding relative of camels, native to South America's Andes mountains. Exit the cows. Jeff's enterprise is now Alpacas of Troy. Unlike their load-bearing larger cousins, llamas, alpacas are bred to produce fiber. The "blankets" of alpaca hair Jeff shears each spring yield exquisitely fine, warm, soft fiber prized by spinners and knitters. If you have to shun wool's scratchy feeling, prepare your skin for pleasure when you feel Alpaca. Raising alpacas is an artisan kind of farming, that Jeff Suchland believes is a growth niche. He enthusiastically teaches that his can be a viable livelihood for others too, especially when raising the animals gets combined with milling, those first processes of working with alpaca fiber. Jeff is a passionate advocate for fiber farming with alpacas. He offers farm tours (by reservation), gives workshops in shearing, dying and more - and sells his farm's fiber goods at Farmers Markets, area-wide. Earthworms met Alpacas of Troy a the Maplewood Farmers Market, hosted each Wednesday at the Schlafly Bottleworks. The title of one of Jeff's workshops sums up his views: Raising Alpacas for Happiness: Harmonizing Management and Preparing to Profit. Music: Big Piney Blues performed live at KDHX by Brian Curran, December 2015 Related Earthworms Conversations: Farmer Girl Meats with Leslie Moore - June 2015 So today's average child can identify over 300 corporate logos - but only 10 plants ad animals native to where that kid lives. Yikes! Will humans a generation from now not care about the environment? Not if Jacob Rodenburg and Drew Monkman can help it! They are co-authors of the brand new Big Book of Nature Activities (June, 2016 - New Society Publishers). It's 384 pages are packed with games, crafts, stories and science-strong activities guaranteed to get the most resistant kid away from the screen and outdoors, discovering. Oriented to help parents, teachers and enviro-educators open nature's wonder-gifts just enough to excite a child's curiosity, this book combines it's creators' experience in all these adult roles. Organized to convey key ecological concepts like phenology - natural changes through the seasons - nature learning-play using this guide will build sound science knowledge (painlessly) by engaging our human senses and fueling curiosity, kids' engine of learning. Happily, in the natural world, there is no end to what we can discover, about our Earth and - in relationship to nature - about ourselves. At any age, but especially in childhood. And we need this connection, this "Vitamin N," for kids of all ages today. Check it out as a fun companion on your summer adventures. Earthworms bets you'll keep this BIG Book around, year-round. Enjoy! Music: Sweet Georgia Brown - whistled live at KDHX by Randy Erwin, June 2010. Related Earthworms Conversations: In 'Toon, Greenly, with Poet and Enviro-Cartoonist Joe Mohr (November 2015) Ed Maggart and Experiential Education (March 2015) Mayors of large and small towns along the Mississippi's 2500 flowing miles are championing this region's economic, security and ecological interests on the world stage. Mayor members of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative presented this month at the U.S.-China Climate Leaders Summit. They participated in the COP-21 Paris Climate Talks last December, advocating for ecologically sound river basin management. MRCTI Mayors have been instrumental in hammering out and recruiting signatories to an "International River Basin Agreement to Mitigate Climate Risk by Achieving Food and Water Security." These are Mayors of towns like St. Paul, Minnesota, Dubuque, Iowa, Gretna, Louisiana. An MRCTI founder is St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. Many of these individuals have "regular jobs" in addition to serving as Mayors. They are working together - and with leaders from towns and nations around the world - to safeguard water quality, advocate for sustainable development, and promote river economy in concert with environmental protection. Quite the gig! Colin Wellenkamp, MRCTI Executive Director, reports to Earthworms about this extraordinary, influential work: how it's evolving, and a bit about what it's like for individuals who have "run for Mayor" and are working, influentially, in a global way. Music: Balkan Twirl - performed live at KDHX by Sandy Weltman and the Carolbeth Trio, June 2009 Related Earthworms Conversations: Mighty Mississippi Gets a Report Card - October 2015 From deep family roots, across several stretches of grassland acreage, "Regenerative Farming" practices are yielding right livelihood (including a reasonable $$ living) for the human, animal and ecological partners in the enterprise Farmer Girl Meats. Earthworms guest Leslie Moore is a third-generation farmer girl who, like many of her time and place, left a life on the the land for the city. Surprise! She's back, and putting to super-smart use her urban experience and degrees in biology, business and marketing. On the rising local food tide, Leslie joined her family's forces with a select group of farming friends and neighbors and launched a unique business to "get more good meat on more plates." The business model of Farmer Girl Meats keeps both process and economic quality high, by delivering pasture-raised meats (beef, pork, lamb, and poultry) directly to customers. And Leslie's passion for the synergies of grass, soil, animals, health and the power of cooperating people sings through her explanation of wholistic land management, for the health of all involved and - most importantly - the land. The only thing you won't find in this conversation is the taste of Farmer Girl's craft meat products. We'll leave that element up to you! Music: Audrey's Bounce, performed live at KDHX by the Western Satellites (2014) Related Earthworms Conversations: Serena Cochran on Humane Farming (April 2014) Want to start an urban garden? Or grow your garden-sized enterprise into a feeding others, providing livelihood for yourself urban FARM? There's a brand new "toolkit" in town for you. Melissa Vatterott, Food & Farms Coordinator for the Missouri Coalition for the Environment returns to Earthworms to present the topics covered in this guide. Urban Ag issues include ordinances (the City Chicken Limit), water access (can you tap into a neighboring property's hose bib, or do you need to install a costly water line?), and zoning for types of structures (tool sheds, high tunnels) and location-specific land usage. Opportunities, on the other hand, are great - and growing - in the St. Louis region! We have lots of vacant land, the climate for three-season food production, good soil, and abundant water, even in times of drought. We have partnerships like these toolkit supporters in the St. Louis Food Policy Coalition: Gateway Greening and Lincoln University Cooperative Extension. And we have leaders like Melissa Vatterott, cultivating data along with berries, greens and carrots, to ensure the viability and fund-ability of our growing Urban Farming culture. Dig into the new Guide to Urban Agriculture and Urban Farming in St. Louis - and help yourself, your neighborhood and your local farmers grow capacity to feed our region! Music: Magic 9, performed live by the Infamous Stringdusters, at KDHX in June, 2011. Related Earthworms Conversations: Melissa Vatterott on the St. Louis Regional Foodshed Study - December 29, 2015. LaVista Farmer Crystal Stevens (Earthworms' farmer!) - July 29, 2015 Farming on a Downtown Roof: Urban Harvest STL - June 30, 2015 Pawpaw, America's Forgotten Fruit - September 30, 2015 Project Garlic: Crop-Sourcing the Super-Bulb - October 13, 2015

There have been many musicians over the years who have openly identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender in classic rock. The first bisexual rock star was Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a rock and roll pioneer. Many lesbian, gay, bi, and trans rock musicians were in the closet for years or even decades before coming out. Many of these musicians are people you’ve heard of. Classic rock is for all to enjoy, no matter your sexual orientation. I am writing this post from Ireland, where people voted on a referendum for marriage equality. This is a huge step in the right direction. Thank you to all of the people who voted yes. In honour of that I want to talk about my favourite LGBT musicians from the 60s and 70s. Note: I have since updated this post to include LGBT musicians from the 80s. There has been quite a bit of demand for it, so I will deliver. This is the most popular post on the blog and I am very proud of this post! Thank you for reading! Enjoy! Alice de Buhr – lesbian – Drummer for the band Fanny. Andy Fraser – gay – Bassist and founding member of Free. He formed the band when he was 15. He co-wrote and produced the band’s biggest hit, “All Right Now” and the song came out just before his 18th birthday. He was born in London to a Caribbean father and an English mother and started playing piano at the age of 5 and trained classically for 7 years before switching to guitar. He was expelled from school at 15 and started playing in East End West Indian venues. One day, he was introduced to Alexis Korner, who basically was a mentor to him. Still aged 15, he got his first big gig playing bass for John Mayall. At 16, he formed Free. The band went on to play at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 and were considered hard rock pioneers. The band broke up in 1973. Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke went on to join Bad Company. Andy Fraser formed Sharks. Paul Kossoff formed Back Street Crawler, but died at the age of 25. Arthur Conley – gay – Soul singer best known for the 1967 hit “Sweet Soul Music” (#2 US), which was a remake of Sam Cooke’s “Yeah Man”. In 1964, he released the song “I’m a Lonely Stranger”. Otis Redding was so impressed with it that he signed him to his record label, Jotis Records. In the 70s, he moved to the UK and later the Netherlands and changed his name to Lee Roberts. Some claim that the reason he left the US was because people didn’t accept his sexuality. He passed away in 2003. Billy Preston – gay – R&B and soul singer and session musician. He grew up listening to gospel music and that had an influence on his singing. As a kid, he played organ backing gospel singers Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland. He was a Christian and that made it hard for him to come out of the closet and he didn’t come out until right before his death. He released his debut album when he was 16, 16 Year Old Soul. It was released on Sam Cooke’s SAR Records. He did session and touring keyboard work for The Beatles (and later on George Harrison), Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Little Richard, and Ray Charles. He was signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records in 1969 and recorded two albums on that label: That’s The Way God Planned It and Encouraging Words. In the 70s, he got a few big hits: “Outa-Space”, “Will It Go Around In Circles”, “Space Race”, and “Nothing From Nothing”. Billy Wright – gay – Jump blues singer and major influence on Little Richard, even helped him get a record deal and inspired his flamboyant image. He grew up singing gospel music at church. He also liked to do drag. Boy George – gay – Lead singer of 80s new wave band Culture Club. He is one of the biggest icons of the New Romantic movement of the early 80s, a subculture known for flamboyant fashion and heavy makeup inspired by glam rock and historic fashion. Culture Club were a multicultural band with band members of Irish, Black, and Jewish descent. In 1982, the band got their first #1 hit in the UK, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”. Within the next few years, they got top 10 hits with “Karma Chameleon”, “Church of the Poison Mind”, and “The War Song”. Brian Jones – bicurious – Guitarist, founding member of The Rolling Stones, and in my opinion the most fabulous member of the band. Allegedly, Brian Jones had a crush on Dave Davies. Chuck Panozzo – gay – Bassist for the band Styx. He started the band in his hometown of Chicago. He still tours to this day with Styx part time. Styx are a hard/prog rock band best known for the songs “Lady”, “Renegade”, “Come Sail Away”, and “Mr Roboto”. The band released their first album in 1972. He came out in 2001 as gay and said he has AIDS. Of this he says “What the band has taught me psychologically is that I need to go out and be with my band as they continue their legacy in the rock n’ roll world forever. How could that not help me in my recovery process? I have a band that is willing to make sure that I stay healthy.” Of his sexuality and being closeted in the 70s at the peak of Styx’s popularity he says “I was one of those closeted, clandestine type of guys. We would tour like crazy, and my initiation into the gay scene was stifled by the fact that I wasn’t out publicly. When I was on the road with Styx—I’m the bass player—sometimes I would separate from the band and I’d find a bar.” He is a big supporter of LGBT rights and AIDS awareness. Cris Williamson – lesbian – Folk singer and important figure in the women’s music movement. She was born in South Dakota and raised in Colorado and Wyoming. At the age of 16, she released her first album, The Artistry of Cris Williamson. Her 1975 album The Changer and the Changed (released on women’s music record label Olivia Records) was one of the best selling independently released albums of all time, selling over half a million copies. Dave Davies – bisexual – Member of The Kinks. He mainly played guitar and sang in the band. He started the band with his brother, Ray, and friend Pete Quaife. The Kinks were a major part of The British Invasion, touring the world with bands such as The Yardbirds and The Honeycombs. They continued to release albums into the 80s. However, they were banned from touring the States in 1965 because a complaint was filed with a musicians union in the US for apparently misbehaving on stage. Their influences range from the blues to skiffle to British music hall. My favourite songs of theirs include “You Really Got Me”, “All Day And All Of The Night”, “A Well Respected Man”, “Victoria”, “Waterloo Sunset”, and “Lola”. Dave Davies opened up about his sexuality in his autobiography, Kink. Dave Davies now tours solo. Dave Wakeling – bisexual – Lead vocalist of ska band The Beat. The Beat’s first two albums, I Just Can’t Stop It and Wha’ppen?, peaked at #3 on the UK album charts. My favourite song he wrote for the band is “Save it For Later”, released in 1982 on the band’s last album, Special Beat Service. He wrote the song when he was a teenager, before he formed The Beat. The band originally didn’t want to record it because it was “too rock.” David Bowie – bisexual – Got his big break in the music business with “Space Oddity” in 1969. Since then he changed his image many times from the androgynous “The Man Who Sold The World” era to the glam rock “Ziggy Stardust” to “The Thin White Duke”. He was well known for his stage personas and loved to act as those characters. As well as his image changing, his music has changed a lot as well. There’s something for everyone in his discography. He and his wife in the 70s, Angie, were bisexual. David Bowie’s inspirations included American rock and roll, skiffle, and Bob Dylan. He was also inspired by contemporaries: Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and Marc Bolan. He got to work with Lou Reed and did some vocals on the album Transformer. He was on Marc Bolan’s 1977 show, Marc, performing with Bolan. He came out as bisexual in the 70s. He was well known for the songs “Changes”, “Queen Bitch”, “Starman”, “Rebel Rebel”, “Heroes”, “Let’s Dance”, and “Under Pressure” (with Queen). Debbie Harry – bisexual – Got famous in the 70s and 80s as the lead singer for the band Blondie. Blondie’s best known songs are “Heart of Glass”, “One Way Or Another”, “Call Me”, and “Rapture”. Before Blondie she was in a band in the 60s called The Wind In The Willows, was a go-go dancer, and was a Playboy Bunny. As well as being a musician she is an actress. She came out in a 2014 interview with the Daily Mail. She also refused to perform in the Sochi Olympics due to homophobia in Russia. Of her sexuality she says “Sure, I was in a relationship with a man for almost 20 years and I’ve had other relationships with men, but I’ve also had them with women. I find it very strange that people are less willing to accept that you’re bisexual if you’ve had long-term relationships predominantly with men.” Dee Palmer – transgender and intersex – Member of Jethro Tull from 1977 to 1980, but she did play a part in their albums from 1969-1976, providing orchestral arrangements. Besides working with Jethro Tull, she arranged other classic rock bands music in an orchestral style, such as Queen, The Beatles, Genesis, and Yes. Dug Pinnick – gay – Bassist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist of hard rock band King’s X. He often plays a 12 string bass. The band had a new wave sound and began as Sneak Preview, releasing only one album in 1983 under that name. After that, they toured and moved to Houston, where they met Sam Taylor, who worked for ZZ Top’s production company and suggested they change their name to King’s X. They released their first album as King’s X in 1988, called Out of the Silent Planet. It has a much different sound from the last one, with a more prog metal sound. The following year, they released their second album, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. When Dug Pinnick came out as gay in the 90s, Christian shops stopped carrying King’s X albums. Dusty Springfield – lesbian – English blue eyed soul singer. She started her career in the 50s singing in holiday camps. In the 60s she was one of the best known British female singers. Her first solo single was released in 1963, “I Only Want To Be With You” and it was a success. She wrote a few songs, but her biggest hits were covers and songs written by other songwriters. In 1964 she released “Wishin’ and Hopin'”. In 1968 she released “Son of a Preacher Man”, one of her biggest hits. She was a big fan of Motown and her sound was influenced by musicians from that record label. She even hosted a Ready Steady GoI special featuring Motown artists such as The Temptations, The Miracles, The Supremes, and Stevie Wonder. This is part of the early beginnings of Northern Soul. She worked with musicians like Kiki Dee and Elton John. She came out as bisexual in 1970, which took a lot of bravery. In reality though, she was lesbian and needed a cover because if it was known she was gay, her career could be over. Elton John – gay – Went from playing piano at pubs to being one of the best selling musicians ever. The third best selling musician in the United States, only behind Elvis and The Beatles. He played music that had anything from an R&B sound to a more progressive rock sound. He even enjoyed playing classical music. He is best known for being in a songwriting team with Bernie Taupin. In the 70s he played at famous British venues such as The Marquee Club, The Speakeasy, and The Twisted Wheel. He even performed with John Lennon at his last concert. He originally came out as bisexual in 1976, but later came out as gay in 1988. He started the Elton John AIDS Foundation in the early 90s. He got the record for best selling single in 1997 with a remake of “Candle in the Wind”. Elton John did the music for Billy Elliot. Well known songs of his include: “Your Song”, “Daniel”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Tiny Dancer”, and “Philadelphia Freedom”. I really enjoy the album Tumbleweed Connection. Eric Emerson – bisexual – Actor, dancer, and musician who was part of the Andy Warhol Factory scene. He was the lead vocalist of the glam punk band The Magic Tramps. If you like The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed, you’ll like The Magic Tramps. I like the songs “Ode to Jimmy Dean”, “Warriors of the Rainbow”, “Magic in the Moonlight”, and “My Reflection”. When his father found out he was bi, he said to him, “What he don’t understand is that my generation can swing both ways.” Esquerita – gay – Born Eskew Reeder Jr in South Carolina, he was another influence of Little Richard’s. He was a self taught piano player and played secular and gospel music. In the late 50s and early 60s, he played rockabilly music and recorded with Jimi Hendrix, Dr John, Allen Toussaint, and Elvis’ backup singers, The Jordanaires. In the late 60s, he recorded music under the stage name, The Magnificent Malochi. In the 70s, he performed in black gay clubs as Fabulash. Sadly, before his death due to complications from AIDS, he was poor and working as a parking lot attendant and washing car windshields for tips in Brooklyn. Felipe Rose and Randy Jones – gay – Members of The Village People. Before joining The Village People Felipe Rose was a dancer at a club in New York. He is Native American and he is seen in performances and music videos dressed in Native American regalia. He supports AIDS charities and Native American charities. Felipe Rose is not the only gay member of The Village People, his bandmate Randy Jones, the cowboy is also gay. Fred Schneider – gay – Lead singer and one of the founding members of the B-52s. He is known for his trademark spoken delivery, known as sprechgesang (seriously German has some pretty awesome words to describe things that don’t have an English word. I really should learn German). He wrote the band’s debut single, which launched the band into stardom, “Rock Lobster” with bandmate Ricky Wilson. This song is a very good example of Fred Schneider’s vocal style. Freddie Mercury – bisexual – Frontman for Queen. Before joining Queen, he went to the same art school as Pete Townshend, Ealing Art College. He joined a band called Smile with Brian May and Roger Taylor. All of the band members wrote songs that became hits for the band, but Freddie wrote a good amount of them. He had a wide range of influences from 50s rock to progressive rock to hard rock to disco. As a singer he was very versatile. As well as singing he played guitar and piano and played piano from a young age. Genesis P-Orridge – transgender/third gender – Experimental musician from England. They were born in England in 1950 and their interests were the occult and the avant-garde. They changed their name to Genesis P-Orridge at the age of 21. They founded the counterculture art collective COUM Transmissions and later on formed the industrial band Throbbing Gristle in the mid 70s. The band are widely regarded as the founders of industrial music, which was inspired by Krautrock, art pop, and noise music. They played bass, violin, and vibraphone and did vocals for the band. After the breakup of Throbbing Gristle, Genesis P-Orridge founded the band Psychic TV in 1981. They retired from music in 2009. George Michael – gay – Half of singing duo Wham! In the 80s, he believed he was bisexual, before later coming out as gay. Wham! had a few hits in the 80s with “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, “Young Guns (Go For It!)”, “Bad Boys”, and “Careless Whisper”. Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford of Frankie Goes To Hollywood – gay – Frankie Goes To Hollywood were most famous for the 1983 hit “Relax”. The song was controversial and banned by the BBC because of its sexual themes. The music video for the song took place in a gay S&M club. Other well-known songs by the band include “Two Tribes”, “The Power of Love”, and “Welcome to the Pleasuredome”. Jackie Shane – transgender – Soul and R&B singer originally from the US who moved to Canada and was well known in the local Toronto scene. She was born in Tennessee in 1940 and moved to Montreal in 1960. Frank Motley discovered her when he saw her sitting in the front row of his show. Going from audience member to lead singer of Frank Motley’s band, she moved to Toronto in 1961. Her first single was a cover of “Money (That’s What I Want)”, released in 1962. Later that year, she released “Any Other Way”, which was her biggest hit, reaching #2 on the CHUM charts in Toronto. Five years later, that single was reissued and was a minor hit, peaking at #68 on the national charts. By the 70s she faded into obscurity, but was offered to be a singer for Funkadelic, but turned down the offer because she wanted to take care of her mother. Jane Wiedlin – bisexual – Guitarist of all-girl new wave band The Go-Gos. She is mixed, of German and Lebanese descent. Her biggest influences are The Beatles and The Monkees. She co-wrote the song “Our Lips Are Sealed” with Terry Hall of ska band The Specials. Janis Ian – lesbian – A folk singer who started her career in the mid 60s. She was inspired by Joan Baez. She released her first single at the age of 14, a song she wrote at the age of 13. She was not afraid to write about social issues and this song, “Society’s Child”, was about an interracial relationship. Her first album released in 1967 was #29 in the US. It wasn’t until 1975 that she would get a top 10 hit with “At Seventeen”. She got success in 1975 with her album Between The Lines reaching #1 in the US. Her follow up album Aftertones did well also, reaching #12 in the US and #1 in Japan. She came out as lesbian in 1993 and married her wife 10 years later in Toronto, Canada. Janis Joplin – bisexual – Singer-songwriter best known for being the frontwoman of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later on known for her solo career. She was originally from Texas and she was inspired by blues music when she was in high school. She moved to San Francisco when she was 20 and worked with Jorma Kaukonen, who would later be in Jefferson Airplane. She moved back to Texas a couple of years later. She joined Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1966 and came back to San Francisco. She played at various festivals and events like the Mantra-Rock Dance, Monterey Pop Festival, where she made her breakthrough, and at Woodstock. Her best known songs are “Piece of My Heart”, “Ball and Chain”, and “Me and Bobby McGee”. She died at the age of 27 in 1970. Jayne County – transgender – Lead singer of punk band Wayne County & the Electric Chairs and involved in the Warhol Factory scene. She was also a DJ at Max’s Kansas City in New York. She is the first openly transgender singer. Her band moved to London and they signed to Safari Records, releasing albums like Storm The Gates of Heaven and Things Your Mother Never Told You. The band are known for their profanity-filled lyrics and campy image. Joan Armatrading – lesbian – St Kitts-born songwriter who was raised in Birmingham. She first performed at Birmingham University at the age of 16, singing a mix of original songs and covers. In 1970, she met Pam Nestor, a longtime collaborator. She released her debut album in 1972, Whatever’s For Us. The album didn’t chart and neither did her sophomore album, Back to the Night. In 1976, she got her first top 10 hit with “Love and Affection”. That song was off her self-titled album, which went gold in the UK. Her peak fame was in the 80s with the release of gold albums Me Myself I, Walk Under Ladders, and The Key. In 1980, she was nominated for two Grammys. “Drop the Pilot” was her biggest hit, released in 1983. It topped the charts in South Africa and was a top 10 hit in Australia, and reached #11 in the UK. Joan Jett – doesn’t like labels, so I’ll say sapphic which is a term for women who like women (WLWs) – You can’t write about LGBT rock stars without talking about Joan Jett, who very much values privacy when it comes to her love life. She never confirmed or denied rumours that she is lesbian or bisexual. She tells people to assume away. That said, she said this to the New York Times in response to a question about a movie about her playing at an LGBT film festival when she’s not out: Jobriath – gay – Released his first album called Pidgeon in 1969 before he was known as Jobriath. Very similar to David Bowie and Peter Gabriel in the way that he wore very odd costumes on stage. Many consider him the first gay rock star. He released his first album as Jobriath in 1973, a self-titled debut. It had a glam rock sound with some classical music influences. He died of AIDS in 1983 and was one of the first famous musicians to die of AIDS. John Lennon – bisexual – Does he need any introduction? One of the major songwriters of The Beatles and had a successful solo career. In 2015, Yoko Ono revealed that John Lennon was bisexual. Of his sexuality, Yoko said: “John and I had a big talk about it, saying, basically, all of us must be bisexual. And we were sort of in a situation of thinking that we’re not [bisexual] because of society. So we are hiding the other side of ourselves, which is less acceptable.” Johnnie Ray – gay – If you’re not familiar with music of the 50s, you must have heard this name in the opening lyrics of Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen”. He was more of a jazz and pop singer, but his music was influential in rock and roll, and he’s considered to have been a pioneer in the genre. Ringo Starr said that the three singers The Beatles listened to most were Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Johnnie Ray. He grew up in Oregon and became deaf in one ear as a childhood because of an accident during a Boy Scout ritual. He wore hearing aids during performances. In the early 50s, he got into R&B music and gained a following at black nightclubs. He became known for his over the top theatrics while performing, which gave him the nickname Mr Emotion. He was in one movie in 1954, There’s No Business Like Show Business, with Ethel Merman and Marilyn Monroe. The 60s was very different from the 50s music and style wise and anything old was out, but he didn’t stop performing entirely. In 1969, he toured Europe with Judy Garland and was best man at her wedding. He struggled with drinking from the 60s until his death in 1990 of liver failure. As for his sexuality, before he was famous, he was arrested in Detroit for cruising in the toilets, soliciting an undercover officer for sex. Because he wasn’t famous at the time, the newspapers didn’t report it. He was briefly married to a woman named Marilyn Morrison, at the peak of his fame. He was arrested again there at the end of the decade for soliciting an undercover officer for sex at a bar. There were rumours throughout his career that he was gay, but he never publicly came out. Still, he had fan girls even though he was gay. Johnny Mathis – gay – Pop singer-songwriter with a long career starting in the 50s and even got a few hits in the 70s. In 2017, he came out as gay in an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning. He said this to Us Magazine: “I come from San Francisco. It’s not unusual to be gay in San Francisco. I’ve had some girlfriends, some boyfriends, just like most people. But I never got married, for instance. I knew that I was gay.” Judee Sill – bisexual – Country singer-songwriter from the 70s. She had relationships with both men and women. June Millington – lesbian – Member of all girl group Fanny. She’s the lead guitarist of the band. She was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States with her family in 1961. She has been playing in bands with her sister since the mid 60s. Fanny released their first album in 1970 and they played on the same bill as The Kinks and Procol Harum. She left Fanny in 1973 and started a solo career. She was part of the Women’s music movement in the 70s. Recently she’s been working on an autobiography, Land of a Thousand Bridges, and does work with the Institute for the Musical Arts, which supports women interested in playing music. The organisation organises summer camps, workshops, and has a recording studio. Kate Pierson – bisexual – One of the singers of the B-52s. Her vocal harmonies with Cindy Wilson were a key part of the B-52s sound. She was born and raised in New Jersey. The band were formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The band went to a Chinese restaurant, had some drinks and after that they had a jam session. The band’s name comes from southern slang for a beehive hairstyle. True to the name, the band have a very retro aesthetic, a throwback to the 60s, but with a more modern sound. In 2003, Kate started dating Monica Coleman. In 2015 they got married. She has described herself as a “late-in-life-lesbian”. In an interview with Al Jazeera, she said this about her stance on transgender rights: “Well, I’m bisexual, and I was always with men, and now I’m with Monica for 11 years, going on 12, and so this is an issue that I care a lot about.” “Roam” is one of the band’s biggest hits and features some great vocals from Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson. Keith Strickland – gay – Originally the drummer of the B-52s, but after Ricky Wilson’s death, he became the guitarist. He came out as gay in 1992, after the band scored major hits like “Love Shack” and “Roam”. He is the main composer of the band, writing the music. In 2012, he retired from touring. Klaus Nomi – gay – Iconic singer who was known for his stage persona and vocal range. He was born in Germany in 1944 and moved to New York City in 1972 and worked as a pastry chef while taking voice lessons. He performed in a satirical version of Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold in 1972, but his big break came in the late 70s when he performed in “New Wave Vaudeville”. While at the performance, he met Kristian Hoffman of The Mumps and they collaborated, with Hoffman writing songs for him. He later played at the famous venue, Max’s Kansas City and sang with David Bowie on Saturday Night Live. What a way to end the 70s! He also worked with artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. His self-titled debut was released in 1981. Some songs I like from that album are “Lighting Strikes”, “Nomi Song”, a cover of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me”, and “Total Eclipse”. The following year, he released Simple Man. Some highlights from the album are “After the Fall”, “Falling in Love Again”, “ICUROK”, and “Rubberband Lazer”. Klaus Nomi passed away in 1983 due to complications from AIDS. Right before his death, he was working on an opera. These songs recorded right before his death were released on a compilation album, Za Bakdaz, in 2007. Lance Loud and Kristian Hoffman of Mumps – gay – Lance Loud was the frontman and Kristian Hoffman was the keyboard player. Mumps performed at Max’s Kansas City, Hurrah, and CBGB and audiences liked them, but they never got signed to a major record label and only released two singles independently, “I Like To Be Clean” and “Rock & Roll This & That”. Laura Nyro – bisexual – Singer-songwriter whose music style took diverse influences from jazz to gospel to r&b to show tunes. Her best known albums are Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and New York Tendaberry. Fans of her work include Todd Rundgren, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler, and Elton John. She released her first album in 1967 when she was 19. Songs from that album went on to be covered by other musicians such as Blood, Sweat & Tears, The 5th Dimension, and Barbra Streisand. She identified as a feminist and said that both the feminist movement and peace movement influenced her songwriting. She died of ovarian cancer in 1997 at the age of 49. Les McKeown – bisexual – Lead singer of Scottish boy band The Bay City Rollers. Sang on the hits “Shang-a-Lang”, “Bye Bye Baby”, and “Saturday Night”. Lesley Gore – lesbian – Singer known for the songs “It’s My Party” and “You Don’t Own Me”. “It’s My Party” was a #1 for her while she was still in secondary school. She performed on the TAMI Show, a concert film from 1964. She was discovered by Quincy Jones. As well as being a singer, she wrote songs and acted. Her music was relatable to young people. In university she realised she was lesbian, but didn’t come out until after the peak of her career. Little Richard – identified as gay at one point, but some say he was bisexual – Rock and roll pioneer in so many ways. Not just in sound, but image. He was rocking androgyny way before the psychedelic and glam rock scenes. He’d wear flashy clothes and makeup. He was even a drag queen, performing under the name Princess LaVonne. Now, his relationship with his sexual orientation is a sad one. As you might know, he is religious and has trouble reconciling the two. He has called his sexual orientation unnatural. The original lyrics of his song, “Tutti Frutti”, referenced being with a man – “Tutti Frutti, good booty / If it don’t fit, don’t force it / You can grease it, make it easy.” Long John Baldry – gay – A blues singer. He was known as “Long John” because he was 6’7″. He sang with Blues Incorporated, Cyril Davies R&B All Stars, and Steampacket. He released his first solo album in 1964, which had covers of “I Got My Mojo Workin”, “Hoochie Coochie Man”, and “Dimples”. He publicly came out as gay in the 70s. Lou Reed – bisexual – Singer for The Velvet Underground. He wrote most of their songs. He also had a successful solo career with well known songs such as “Satellite of Love” and “Walk on the Wild Side”. He wrote and sang a song called “Kill Your Sons” based on his father making him go to shock therapy sessions as a young adult. He moved to New York City in 1964 and then met John Cale and he got in touch with Sterling Morrison to start The Velvet Underground. The band were not commercially successful at the time, but they were still influential and people easily recognise The Velvet Underground And Nico album cover that Andy Warhol did. Andy Warhol were very important and mentored the band and they were part of the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Lou Reed left the Velvet Underground in 1970 and had a solo career. He was known for having a unique sounding voice. Some Velvet Underground songs I recommend are “Sunday Morning”, “Heroin”, “I’m Set Free”, “Sweet Jane”, and “Rock & Roll”. Marc Almond – gay – Singer-songwriter and half of pop duo Soft Cell. As a teenager, he got into rock music by listening to John Peel’s radio show. He was really into glam rock in its heyday. Before the fame, he went to art school and acted in some performance theatre pieces and short films. Soft Cell’s biggest hit was a cover of Gloria Jones’ “Tainted Love”, a popular song in the Northern Soul scene. He later had a solo career. Of his sexuality, he said he didn’t like being pigeonholed as a “gay musician” because it’s a way of marginalising someone’s work and making it seem less important and not appealing to the mainstream because it implies that it’s not important to those who aren’t gay. He’s right. Music doesn’t have a sexuality. It’s art and art is for all to enjoy. Marc Bolan – bisexual – Marc Bolan was best known for his work under the T. Rex/Tyrannosaurus Rex moniker. His manager, Simon Napier-Bell said he was bisexual, but never was open about it. In an interview with Record Mirror, he said in response to a question asking if he was heterosexual, “No, bisexual, but I believe I’m more heterosexual ‘cos I definitely like boobs. I always wished I was 100 per cent gay, it’s much easier.” To sum up his career, he started off in a trio with Helen Shapiro, playing guitar. He was kicked out of school when he was 15 and became a model. He recorded his first single, the Cliff Richard-style “All At Once” in 1964, at the age of 17. The following year, he released another single called “The Wizard”. He was in one more band, John’s Children, before going on his own with Tyrannosaurus Rex/T. Rex. Tyrannosaurus Rex more folk sounding, with a psychedelia twist, and it’s a good bit different from his better-known glam rock stuff, but still amazing. During the folk era, he wrote a book of poems called The Warlock of Love. A couple of his early albums have really long titles like Prophets, Seers, and Sages: The Angels of the Ages or My People Were Fair and Had Stars in Their Hair, But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows. The year of change for Marc was 1970, when he released his first glam rock single, “Ride a White Swan”. From there, he changed his style to a glittery androgynous one, this was the beginning of his meteoric rise with hit after hit. The years 1971-1973 were his peak with hit singles like “Hot Love”, “Get it On”, “Jeepster”, “Telegram Sam”, “Metal Guru”, and “Children of the Revolution” either topping the charts or just barely missing it, peaking at #2. His popularity declined in the mid 70s, but he made a comeback in 1977, with a TV show called Marc. Punk bands like The Jam performed on the show. On the last episode of the show, he and David Bowie performed together. Two weeks before what would have been his 30th birthday, Marc Bolan passed away in a car crash. Mick Jagger – allegedly??? bicurious – I can’t say for sure if Mick Jagger is bisexual, which is why I avoided including him on this list for a long time. Allegedly, David Bowie’s wife Angie caught Mick Jagger and David Bowie in bed together. The two were androgynous rock stars who might have been open to experimenting with the same sex. Both Jagger and Bowie denied these rumours. Morrissey – may be bisexual, but he doesn’t like labels – Singer of Manchester indie band The Smiths. He and Johnny Marr wrote the songs for the band. In the 70s, Morrissey would visit gay bars and clubs. In his autobiography he said that his first relationship was with a man. Songs like “This Charming Man”, “Handsome Devil”, “What Difference Does It Make”, and “Hand in Glove” have references to homosexuality. Neil Tennant – gay – Singer and one half of The Pet Shop Boys, the most successful British pop duo. He met his bandmate, Chris Lowe, in London at an electronics shop and they got along because of their interest in electronic music. He was raised a Catholic and wrote the hit song “It’s A Sin” to describe his strict upbringing. He came out as gay in the 90s. The Pet Shop Boys are best known for the songs: “West End Girls”, “Rent”, “Heart”, and “Domino Dancing”. Nickey Barclay – bisexual – Keyboard player for the all-girl rock band Fanny. She came out a few years after she left the band. Nona Hendryx – bisexual – Distant cousin of Jimi Hendrix and singer of the group, LaBelle, whose biggest hits were “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman”, “Down the Aisle”, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, and “Lady Marmalade”. They also have a cool cover medley of Thunderclap Newman’s “Something in the Air” and Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. LaBelle appeared on Laura Nyro’s 1971 album, Gonna Take a Miracle. Hendryx released her self-titled debut in 1977 with highlights like “Winning” and “Everybody Wants to Be Somebody”. She has worked with Tina Weymouth, Nancy Wilson, Peter Gabriel, Prince, and Keith Richards and sang on “Sun City” with Artists United Against Apartheid. In 2001, she spoke to The Advocate about her bisexuality. Norma Tanega – unknown (not sure if lesbian or bisexual) – Folk singer from California. In her 20s she moved to Greenwich Village to pursue her dreams. She was in the folk scene there and was politically active, protesting the Vietnam War. For a time, she lived in England and dated Dusty Springfield, who she wrote some songs for. She released her first single in 1966, “Walking My Cat Named Dog” and that same year she released an album of the same name. Some good songs on that album are “You’re Dead”, “Jubilation”, and “A Street That Rhymes at 6am”. Pete Burns – can be described as bisexual and androgynous, but he did not like labels – Singer of Hi-NRG and synthpop band Dead or Alive. They were best known for the 1985 hit “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”. Pete Burns was from Liverpool. He worked at a record shop and was in a short-lived goth band called Nightmares in Wax, which only recorded a few songs and later on, after a lineup change, became Dead or Alive. He was known for his androgynous appearance and big hair. before their biggest hit “You Spin Me Round”, they had a minor hit, a cover of KC and The Sunshine Band’s “That’s The Way (I Like It)”. After those two songs, the band didn’t have any hits that matched that success. Pete Shelley – bisexual – Lead singer of Buzzcocks. He was born Peter McNeish in Lancashire and chose the stage last name Shelley as a tribute to his favourite poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley (husband of Mary Shelley). While at university, he formed Buzzcocks with some friends and they made their debut in 1976 opening for The Sex Pistols in Manchester. What made the pint-sized 5’4″ Pete Shelley stand out as a punk rocker was that he had a more clean, wholesome image, not a loud, rebellious image. He liked writing songs in a gender neutral way so everyone could relate to them, you might notice this in his band’s biggest hit “Ever Fallen In Love With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve”. Besides punk rock, he had an interest in electronic music and in his pre-Buzzcocks years he recorded an experimental Krautrock like album called Sky Yen. He resumed making electronic music in the 80s with albums like Homosapien and XL-1. “Homosapien” was his most overtly gay song, winning a ban from BBC radio for lyrics like “homo superior in my interior”. He identified as bisexual for his whole life. He died in 2018. Pete Townshend – bisexual – Guitarist and primary songwriter for The Who. He and Roger Daltrey continue to tour to this day. He was behind genius albums such as Tommy, Quadrophenia, and Who’s Next. He taught himself guitar. He dropped out of art school in 1964 because he was making more money than his own professors by playing gigs. He joined The Detours with John Entwistle and Roger Daltrey. The Detours became The Who and Keith Moon later joined the band. Pete Townshend suggested that they call themselves The Hair. Pete Meaden discovered them and changed their name briefly to The High Numbers. They went back to being The Who, being managed by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. Here’s their first single “I Can’t Explain”. Peter Straker – gay – Played the part of Hud in the musical, Hair. Also was well known for working with Freddie Mercury, who produced one of Straker’s albums, This One’s On Me. He shared lead vocals with Jaki Whitren on the song “Some Other Time,” on the Alan Parsons Project album I Robot. Phil May – bisexual – Pretty Things frontman. The Pretty Things are a band with a cult following, best known for the sad WWI concept album S.F. Sorrow, released in the tragedy-filled year of 1968. Famous fans of the band include David Bowie (who considered Phil May a god and wrote “Oh You Pretty Things” and covered two of their songs), David Gilmour, Mick Jagger, and The Who. He was born Philip Arthur Dennis Kattner and adopted the surname May from his aunt and uncle who raised him. What made May stand out in the sea of British rockers of the 60s was his super long hair. In fact, he was said to have the longest hair of any British rocker in that era. His hair kept growing and by the 70s, he had chest length locks. It is unknown when he came out as bisexual, but he loved to switch around pronouns when covering songs and he said that he felt really confident about his androgynous looks. Phranc – lesbian – Punk and folk singer-songwriter from Los Angeles who has a trademark androgynous look and influenced Queercore. Self-proclaimed “All-American Jewish Lesbian Folksinger”. She got her start in bands Nervous Gender and Catholic Discipline. She released her first solo album in 1985 called Folksinger. It’s worth listening to and there’s a cover of Bob Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”. Her second album released in 1989, I Enjoy Being a Girl has a better produced sound to it and she produced it with Violent Femmes producer Victor DeLorenzo. Ray Davies – bisexual – Leader, lead vocalist, and main songwriter of The Kinks. As I said earlier in the paragraph about Dave, the band have written quite a few songs about LGBT issues. He’s the more guarded and reserved of the two brothers, so it’s hard to get a straight answer about what he identifies as, but in this early 70s interview with Candy Darling, Tinkerbelle, and Glenn O’Brien he pretty much says it: he likes both men and women. “Why don’t you ask me what sort of men I like?” he asks. When Tinkerbelle asked him if he likes men, he said mhmm. He also said in a 1994 interview when asked about his sexuality, “I don’t know what I am. I’ve got female traits in me, male and female. I prefer people who are not ashamed to exhibit both. That doesn’t mean to say I have any bias one way or the other.” Ricky Wilson – gay – Original guitarist of the B-52s. He was a member of the band until his death in 1985. Two years before his death he found out he had AIDS and he kept his illness a secret from the rest of the band. He was one of the main songwriters of the band and would often collaborate with Fred Schneider and Keith Strickland. His guitar sound added to the quirkiness of the band. He was the first member of the band to come out as gay. Every member of the B-52s was gay or bisexual, except for Ricky Wilson’s sister, Cindy. Rob Halford – gay – Lead singer for hard rock band Judas Priest. He wrote or cowrote a lot of the band’s hits. The band’s influences include Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple. They released their first album, Rocka Rolla, in 1974. The band reached major success in 1979 and were famous throughout the 80s. You might know the song “Breaking The Law” because of Beavis and Butthead. Of coming out of the closet he says “It’s a wonderful moment when you walk out of the closet. Now I’ve done that and I’ve freed myself.” The Singing Nun – lesbian – A Belgian one-hit-wonder known for “Dominique”, released in 1963. Indeed it’s true she was a nun, but she left her convent when she was 1966. Later, she said she was forced out. That year, she reunited with her friend, Annie Pécher, who she knew from summer camp. Annie really liked her, but she didn’t feel the same way about her, at first. They moved in together and 14 years later, they had a romantic relationship. She owed the Belgian government a lot of money in back taxes from the royalties she received in the 60s from her hit and she didn’t have the money to pay them back because the money went to her religious congregation. She recorded a disco version of “Dominique”, but it didn’t go anywhere. She and her girlfriend started a centre to help children with autism and it had to shut down, leaving them devastated. She and Annie took their lives in 1985, overdosing on alcohol and barbiturates, and were buried together. Siouxsie Sioux – bisexual – Lead singer of Siouxsie and the Banshees. She was born Susan Ballion in London. Her father was Belgian. As a child she was very lonely and dealt with a lot of trauma. One of her biggest inspirations was seeing David Bowie perform on Top of the Pops. As a teenager, she got better and went to gay clubs with her friends. She became a big fan of the Sex Pistols and wanted to make music of her own. What made her stand out in the scene is her gothic style. Siouxsie and the Banshees made their debut in 1978 and throughout the 80s they had a lot of success with many hit singles. She said in an interview, “I’ve never particularly said I’m hetero or I’m a lesbian. I know there are people who are definitely one way, but not really me. I suppose if I am attracted to men then they usually have more feminine qualities.” Sister Rosetta Tharpe – bisexual – While her career started in the late 30s, she was incredibly influential and considered the original soul sister and Godmother of Rock and Roll. Her beginnings were in gospel music and she quickly crossed over into R&B and rock and roll, being one of the first gospel musicians to do so. Songs from the late 1930s like “Rock Me”, “That’s All” and “This Train” demonstrate this and were commercial successes. Not only was she an influential singer, but also an influential guitarist who participated in guitar battles at the Apollo in Harlem. Unfortunately, she was the target of sexist and backhanded compliments like being told she “played like a man”. In actuality, she played guitar better than most of her male contemporaries. Her song “Strange Things Happening Every Day”, released in 1944, was the first gospel song to make the Harlem Hit Parade (later known as Race Records and R&B) and some consider it the first rock song. Some rumours claimed she dated gospel singer Marie Knight. She saw her perform at a Mahalia Jackson concert and invited her to tour with her. Sister Rosetta Tharpe remained active in the 60s, performing alongside musicians like Muddy Waters. She passed away in 1973 as a result of a stroke. Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, Tina Turner, and Karen Carpenter called her a major influence. Shona Laing – bisexual – This Kiwi singer-songwriter got famous at the age of 17 with the song “1905”, released in 1972. The song reached #4 in her home country. Two follow up singles she released that year were successful: “Show Your Love” (#4 in the New Zealand charts) and “Masquerade” (#11 in the New Zealand charts). She had a comeback in the 80s with the songs “(Glad I’m) Not a Kennedy” and “Soviet Snow”. The most famous band she collaborated with were Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. She contributed vocals to some songs on the album Somewhere in Afrika. She came out as bisexual at a concert in 1996. Sylvester – gay – Disco musician best known for the song ‘You Make Me Feel Mighty Real”. He was known as “Queen of Disco”. He started off singing gospel music in church. He was also influenced by blues and jazz singers like Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker. He started The Disquotays as a teenager in the 60s with some friends he met at gay clubs. He was known for his androgynous dress sense. He moved to San Francisco in the 70s. Some other songs he made were “Dance (Disco Heat)”, “Do Ya Wanna Funk”, “Down Down Down”, and “Over and Over”. Tom Robinson – bisexual, but identifies as gay – Singer-songwriter and LGBT rights activist. He was the leader of the Tom Robinson Band. He was born in Cambridge, England and realised he was gay when he fell in love with a classmate. He started his band in 1976 and they released their debut single “2-4-6-8 Motorway” (which vaguely mentions a gay lorry driver) in 1977; it peaked at #5 in the UK charts. In 1978, they released a song called “Glad To Be Gay”, which was originally written for the 1976 London Pride parade and banned by the BBC. On sexuality, he said that he didn’t understand bisexuality at first, but then came to understand it better. Wendy Carlos – transgender – Best known for composing the scores for A Clockwork Orange and The Shining. She plays keyboard and synthesiser. She is also one of the first famous people to come out as trans, coming out in 1979 in an interview with Playboy Magazine. She also released albums that combined electronic and classical music like Switched-On Bach and The Well Tempered Synthesizer, from 1968 and 1969, respectively. Not musicians, but were important to their careers: Andy Warhol – gay – Manager and producer of The Velvet Underground. He was mostly known for his art and the Factory scene around it. The Factory scene had many drag queens, trans women, and LGBT celebrities and popular icons. He was one of the most famous openly gay people before the gay liberation movement took off. Bob Crewe – gay – Songwriter and record producer best known for his work co-writing songs with Bob Gaudio for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Brian Epstein – gay – Manager of The Beatles. Born to a Jewish family in Liverpool. Found out about The Beatles when they recorded “My Bonnie” with Tony Sheridan. He was in charge of the record department of the NEMS music store. The Beatles all frequented the shop. He was influential in creating the image of the band. Besides managing The Beatles, he managed Gerry & The Pacemakers and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Desmond Child – gay – Songwriter who wrote hits like “I Was Made For Loving You”, “I Hate Myself For Loving You”, “Livin’ on a Prayer”, and “Dude Looks Like a Lady”. Joe Meek – gay – Producer, sound engineer, and songwriter who worked with quite a few early-mid 60s artists from the UK like The Tornados, Screaming Lord Sutch, Heinz, Billy Fury, Tom Jones, The Honeycombs, and Tommy Steele. If you like the cosmic sounds of Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, you might want to thank Joe Meek since he was a pioneer in the space rock genre, writing the successful song “Telstar” in 1962. The song went to #1 before the British Invasion began, being the first American #1 by a British band. Not only that, but he even released a space-themed concept album in 1960 called I Hear a New World. John Reid – gay – Former manager for Elton John and Queen. Dated Elton John in the 70s. Kenneth Anger – gay – Filmmaker. You could say he invented the music video. Classic rockers Mick Jagger and Jimmy Page worked on a couple of his movies. Kit Lambert – gay – Managed The Who. Came across them when they were known as The High Numbers and started to make a film about them with Chris Stamp as an up and coming unsigned band. He was also a producer for the band at one point. He and Chris Stamp were fired in 1974. Larry Parnes – gay – Manager of pre-British Invasion rock stars like Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, Vince Eager, Dickie Pride, Lance Fortune, Duffy Power, Johnny Gentle, Terry Dene, Nelson Keene. He also managed 60s singer Georgie Fame who reached #1 with “Yeh Yeh”. He was known for giving the musicians unique stage names that were supposed to correspond with traits they had. Michael Aldred – gay – Co-presenter of Ready Steady Go! Got his start in music by writing articles for a magazine called Jazz News. He auditioned for teen advisor for a pop music series, Ready Steady Go! in 1963 and was one of the two selected to present. The other was Cathy McGowan. The producer of the show wanted to make it more appealing to youth by having presenters from the same generation. He was only 18 and a half when he started presenting Ready Steady Go! and was the youngest TV presenter in Britain. He later had flings with Andrew Loog Oldham and Dave Davies. He tried releasing music of his own, but it didn’t go anywhere so he went into producing music and went back to his roots in music reviewing, writing for Goldmine and Audio. He died in April 1995. Richard O’Brien – transgender (possibly non-binary) – Actor and TV presenter best known for writing the cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show. All songs in the musical were written by him. The film version came out in 1975. You might know songs like “Dammit Janet”, “Time Warp”, “Sweet Transvestite”, and “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me”. Robert Mapplethorpe – gay – Photographer known for his black and white photographs. Known in the classic rock world for his friendship with Patti Smith, who he dated for 5 years. He took the album cover photograph for Horses. Robert Stigwood – gay – Manager of Cream and the Bee Gees and produced Grease and Saturday Night Fever. Sandy Stone – transgender – Member of women’s music record label Olivia Records collective and sound engineer for the record label. Simon Napier-Bell – gay – Manager for bands like The Yardbirds, T. Rex, Japan, London, Ultravox, and Boney M. Stacia – bisexual – Dancer for 70s space rock band Hawkwind. Joined the band at the age of 19. She was known for dancing while nude with body paint and being 6’2″ tall. In a 1974 interview with Penthouse, she said she was bisexual. Tony Stratton-Smith – gay – Owner of Charisma Records and manager of Genesis, The Nice, and Van der Graaf Generator. Before entering the music industry, he was a sports journalist. I hope you enjoyed this post on The Diversity of Classic Rock. Please leave your thoughts and questions in the comments section below. Thank you! Want to learn more about LGBT history in classic rock? Read my post about classic rock songs about LGBT people. There’s a part two, too! Shout out to my good friend and Topaz level Patron, Patrick. Loved this post and want to see more great posts like this and show your appreciation for The Diversity of Classic Rock? Chip in some money on Patreon (monthly donation) or Ko-Fi (one-time donation). Or buy my merch or my photography prints on RedBubble. Or donate your writing or art talents to my blog, contact me here if you’re interested in collaborating. All of this is totally optional, but extremely helpful. All Diversity of Classic Rock content will remain free, but Patrons get some nice perks, like early access to blog posts, birthday cards, Skype calls with me, and exclusive behind the scenes posts. Every dollar helps. If you cannot afford to donate to The Diversity of Classic Rock, there are many free ways to support the blog: clicking that follow button on my website, turning off your AdBlock, following me on Facebook or Twitter, liking posts, sharing posts, leaving nice comments, or sending your music for review. Thank you!

… And God Created Gisele Bounding down the stairs of her Greenwich Village town house to greet a visitor, Gisele Bündchen commands the shock value of a close encounter with a giraffe: you can hardly believe an earthly creature is built this way. Everything about her is so elongated and slender—those impossibly attenuated limbs! the swanlike neck!—that she seems almost preposterous, like a cartoon figure. Nearly six feet tall by the age of 13, she spent her childhood being teased by classmates who called her Olive Oyl. But Popeye’s rail-thin girlfriend never tantalized anyone with the luscious curves that catapulted Gisele to stardom in her late teens, replacing the pale, wasted “heroin chic” of that era with “the return of the sexy model.” Since then, the tanned, athletic Brazilian beach babe who seemed born to wear a bikini has become the world’s most successful supermodel, amassing a fortune estimated at $150 million; last year alone, according to Forbes, Gisele earned $35 million. The 16th-richest woman in the entertainment industry, she has been featured on more magazine covers than any other model and has appeared as the face of more than 20 brands internationally, with current contracts including Dior, Versace, Max Factor, Ebel watches, and the Dolce & Gabbana fragrance The One. At 28, Gisele has already spent 14 years in front of the cameras, not to mention in the gossip columns—and now she’s begun a whole new chapter of her life. On February 26, seven days after our cover was shot, she married New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in a private twilight ceremony at a Catholic church in Santa Monica that was followed by a small gathering at the couple’s home in Brentwood. Although the union had the iconic inevitability of typecasting, all-American-style—“the jock marries the prom queen,” as one Web site put it—the news surprised even their friends. Earlier the same week, Gisele had been partying at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, where she made an appearance for Pantene hair-care products that was widely photographed—and then she suddenly turned up married in Los Angeles. But Gisele, who once described her ideal wedding as “a simple ceremony,” always knew she didn’t want an enormous extravaganza. “I don’t like parties. I prefer something more intimate, just for the closest people.” Which was precisely what she got. Crestfallen, the paparazzi press had to settle for an after-the-fact description of Gisele’s attire: “The bride, 28, donned a form-fitting ivory lace strapless gown with a trumpet skirt, scalloped edges, long train and a floor-length veil with attached handmade satin roses and attached satin headband, all by Dolce & Gabbana. Her three dogs also wore matching Dolce & Gabbana floral lace collars,” Us Weekly reported. To Gisele, getting married was merely a formality. “I already feel that way,” she told me a few days before the wedding. “We’ve been together over two years; we’ve been living together. My idea of that is you have a partner who’s got your back. When I’m weak, you can be strong; when I’m strong, you can be weak. That’s what I believe marriage is. Loving someone, you want to grow with them, share with them, share the same values, the same feelings about things, the same beliefs.” And Gisele—who was raised in a large Catholic family by parents who have been married for 37 years—is convinced she has found her soulmate in Brady. “He’s very close to his family,” she said. “He’s Catholic. His parents have been married 40 years. He’s got a pure heart. That’s all that matters—he’s got the purest heart. I feel grateful because I have a lot of love in my life. I found the person I’m sharing my life with. I have a good man.” In the months leading up to the wedding, the tabloids buzzed excitedly with rumors of impending nuptials, claiming that Brady had proposed on a private jet on Christmas Eve or that he had gotten down on one knee with a diamond solitaire in mid-January—neither of which was true, according to Gisele, who says they were secretly engaged for considerably longer but she avoided wearing her ring in public because she didn’t want to draw any more attention to herself. The fact that their stealth wedding remained dignified and discreet, and that the news didn’t leak until after it was over, represented a noteworthy victory over the celebrity media that have remained obsessed with Gisele’s every move since she became Leonardo DiCaprio’s girlfriend nine years ago. Heightened by the raging “Leo-mania” that followed Titanic’s popularity as the highest-grossing film of all time, the irresistible pairing of gorgeous supermodel and heartthrob superstar kept the gossip columns in overdrive throughout their five-year relationship, which was fraught with dramas that included an eight-month breakup, a reconciliation, and recurring reports of Gisele’s exasperation at Leo’s womanizing ways. Even the end of their romance, in 2005, failed to stem the flow of slavering updates: Leo still can’t believe Gisele dumped him because he refused to make a commitment! Leo drunk-dials Gisele just to hear her voice! Leo wants his current girlfriend, Israeli model Bar Refaeli, on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue—just to irritate Gisele! But Gisele herself had moved on. At the end of 2006, she fell in love with Tom Brady—an event she describes as practically instantaneous. “I knew right way—the first time I saw him,” she says. “We met through a friend. The moment I saw him, he smiled and I was like, That is the most beautiful, charismatic smile I’ve ever seen! We sat and talked for three hours. I had to go home for Christmas, but I didn’t want to leave. You know that feeling of, like, you can’t get enough? From the first day we met, we’ve never spent one day without speaking to each other.” Until then, Gisele was happy to be on her own. “I’d been single for a year, and I wasn’t looking for a relationship,” she says. “I’d always been in serious relationships, but you learn a lot about yourself when you’re by yourself, and I was enjoying that process. But you don’t choose.” Not when it comes to a coup de foudre, anyway. Does she believe in love at first sight? “I believe in feeling connected. Love is something that grows, that comes from nourishment; it builds. But there is a great feeling that happens, that is telling you, I don’t want to leave this room! Whatever that’s called, that’s what happened.” Their initial bliss was soon dispelled by an unwelcome development. Brady had recently broken up with his girlfriend of the previous three years, Bridget Moynahan, a model and an actress. Soon after he got involved with Gisele, Moynahan announced that she was pregnant with Brady’s child and would have the baby on her own. “It was definitely a surprise for both of us,” Gisele acknowledges with a rueful smile. “In the beginning you’re living this romantic fantasy; you’re thinking, This can’t be true, it’s so good! And then, Whoops—wake-up call!” She rolls her eyes. “We were dating two and a half months when he found out, and it was a very challenging situation. Obviously, in the beginning, it’s not the ideal thing.” Moynahan’s pregnancy made Gisele wonder whether she should encourage Brady to re-unite with his former girlfriend. “You question at times—‘Should I stay here? Maybe you should work this out,’” she admits. “But when people break up, it’s for a reason.” In retrospect, she believes that dealing with the challenge only strengthened her commitment to Brady. “I think it was a blessing, because otherwise I don’t think I would have known what he was made of, and he wouldn’t have known what I was made of,” she says. “I wouldn’t have seen the integrity in him—the way he was a good person through all the times. I was like, You have the heart in a good place! It made me feel more in love with him; it made me realize who he was. Our relationship has become so much stronger, and I think I wouldn’t be as certain as I am today if it weren’t for that.” After John Edward Thomas Moynahan was born, in August 2007, Brady and Gisele began shuttling between Boston, where Brady’s football team is based, and Los Angeles, where Moynahan lives. “When we are in L.A. we have Johnny 50 percent of the time,” Gisele says. “He’s a little angel—the sweetest, most cuddly, loving baby. I feel blessed to have him in my life.” Last year she and Brady purchased an $11.7 million plot of land in a gated community in Brentwood. Despite their commitment to spending time with John, however, Gisele has never met his mother. “I understand that he has a mom, and I respect that, but to me it’s not like because somebody else delivered him, that’s not my child. I feel it is, 100 percent,” Gisele says. “I want him to have a great relationship with his mom, because that’s important, but I love him the same way as if he were mine. I already feel like he’s my son, from the first day.” One of six sisters, Gisele is also eager to have her own children. “I would like a big family,” she says. “I love children. When you come from a big family, you see that growing up you’re learning how to share. Your sisters have got your back; you’re not alone in this—‘We all support you!’ Your family provides that; it gives you a sense of safety, and it’s a very grounding feeling. That’s why I feel I can fly away, because I have those roots and they’re so deep. This is what I want to have in my life. This is why you get married—you want to create those roots together; you want to give that to your kids. I would also love to adopt a child from Brazil. When you come from São Paulo, you see five-year-olds sniffing glue on the corner. You think, If you make a difference in the life of one of them, that makes your time on this earth worthwhile. I will have a colorful family, like a rainbow. I have dogs from rescue; they are all my dogs. Children are like little angels—there’s no way you can’t love them.” Recounting all this, Gisele has been talking in her usual mile-a-minute torrent of words, which is virtually unstoppable and exuberantly high-spirited. Whether she is telling the story of her life for hours on end or working from eight a.m. until dark at a photo shoot, her energy doesn’t flag. “I never get physically tired,” she tells me the next day in the ninth hour of a shoot that has her posing outdoors in 40-degree weather wearing only a Dior corset. (“If it’s not torture, it’s not fashion,” she mutters with a mischievous grin.) After every interruption, her running commentary instantly starts up again as if someone has simply flipped the “on” switch. Some interviewers have made sport of Gisele’s accent, which “can best be described as Continental,” one wrote. “She seems to have learned English from Italian designers, German hairstylists, and French makeup artists. Her enunciation is equal parts Donatella, Hans and Franz, and Maurice Chevalier.” That reporter didn’t mention how many languages he himself has mastered, but Gisele speaks fluent English, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish in addition to some German and some French—no small achievement for a girl from the backcountry of Brazil who left school at 14. No matter which language she’s burbling along in, she is warm, friendly, humorous, and gaily self-deprecating. Right now we’re sitting at the dining table on the ground floor of her town house, where she is nibbling delicately at lamb chops and vegetables ordered from a nearby restaurant. Quivering with anticipation, her Yorkshire terrier sits slavishly at her feet. “Vida, Vida, Vida,” Gisele croons. “‘Vida’ means life; she’s the golden girl—that’s why I call her Golden. She loves the bone. She deserves a little bone!” Cooing, Gisele hands a lamb chop to Vida, who snatches it and runs. “Vida, let’s make a deal: I’ll give you a bone every day—you live forever!” Gisele has already paid her own respects to the lamb chops by putting her hand over them and saying a silent prayer. “I eat a lot of meat, and I bless my food before it enters my body, because I need to be aware of what I’m eating,” she explains. “You bless it first and say, ‘Thank you for giving your life.’ This animal has given its life for me. You’ve got to be grateful; you’ve got to be conscious. You can’t just take it for granted. How many people in the world have no food? I think it’s important to acknowledge that.” An avid reader, Gisele has been deeply influenced by Buddhism. (Her current view of the church she grew up in: “O.K., Catholic religion, we’ve got to update!”) These days she tries hard to practice the concept of mindfulness, which—when combined with her characteristically sunny, upbeat outlook—seems to produce an ebullience so consistent that somebody should bottle it and sell it. Her positive mental attitude proved a considerable asset after Brady learned that his ex-girlfriend was having his child. “We are saying, ‘What can we learn from this? How can we make the best out of this?’” Gisele says. “We both grew a lot. There is good in everything; it’s just how you choose to look at it. Everything that’s worth it has a price. For me to be a model—I had to leave my family. Do you think I liked that? No! There are sacrifices. Life is meant to be a challenge, because challenges are what make you grow. How boring it would be if we knew what was going to happen tomorrow!” She beams. “Life always surprises me—in a very good way.” “She is the most positive and energetic person I have ever met,” says Brady. “She always looks at challenges as her greatest opportunities.” For Gisele, the surprises began when she was “discovered” by a modeling scout at the age of 14. She grew up in Horizontina, a small town in southern Brazil where “there were no buses, no subway—there’s not even a traffic light in my village,” she says. The local population is dominated by Brazilians of German descent, and Gisele’s ancestry is German on both sides of her family. She and her fraternal twin, Patricia, were the middle daughters among six girls, all of whom are good-looking. In the youthful photograph that occupies a place of honor on the big desk that dominates Gisele’s living room, her father is handsome and her mother is strikingly beautiful. The family’s circumstances were modest. “I grew up in a house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, for eight people,” Gisele says. “We weren’t considered poor; we were considered middle-class. My mother was a cashier in a bank for 35 years. My father had many jobs: he was in construction, then he did something with packaging milk, then he worked for Amway; he gave courses about self-awareness. He was away a lot. My mother was, like, the one who was more concerned about how to bring home the bacon; she worked and devoted herself to us. She is my hero. She did everything. She was a really great mother; she was always teaching us, helping us, talking to us. My father was more the philosophical person; my mother was the realist.” Gisele’s childhood world revolved around her sisters, but she stood out even then. “I was extremely hyper when I was a kid, like bouncing off the walls,” she says. “I think that if I was in America they’d probably give me medication.” Her twin describes her as bold and fearless. “Unlike me, Gisele was very talkative, and she wasn’t afraid to be away from home for some time even when she was little,” says Patricia. “She was very brave, and she was always trying to protect her sisters—something like ‘Don’t mess with my sisters or you’ll have to deal with me!’” The girls participated in every activity available in their small town. “We did ballet, gymnastics—I think my mom was trying to keep us busy,” Gisele says. “She had to work, so we went to a modeling course—me and my twin and one of our sisters, Gabby, who’s like the second twin because we’re one year apart. We were the Three Musketeers, and we did everything together.” The modeling course culminated in an excursion to a São Paulo amusement park. “We had to drive 29 hours to go there,” Gisele says. “I couldn’t be more excited! I was eating at a food court in the shopping mall, and this guy from Elite came and said, ‘You should be a model.’ It was the first time in my life that someone thought I looked pretty.” Until then, Gisele regarded her appearance as an affliction rather than an asset. “I was tall and really thin; the kids in school called me Olive Oyl and Saracura, which is a bird with really skinny long legs,” she reports. “I was taller than every guy in my class. Especially at that age, you think you’re the weirdest thing that ever walked on earth.” Despite knife-blade cheekbones, wide-set navy-blue eyes, a dazzling smile, and that mane of honey-colored hair, Gisele didn’t consider herself to be beautiful, and she thought her nose was too big. Every one of her sisters was many inches shorter, and all of Gisele’s clothes were hand-me-downs. “I had to wear my sister’s jeans; they were, like, to here on me,” she says, pointing to her knee. “I wasn’t so popular; my twin sister was definitely more popular than I was. She has a great personality—everyone liked her. But I was an A student, and the way I got friends was I used to give help to somebody else. And I’ve always been very athletic; I was captain of the volleyball team. I was such a tomboy. The ‘in’ people weren’t so much into me, but I didn’t care. My sisters were my best friends, always. It was a great life, and obviously it made me know who I am. If I were told I could come back as anything, I would have chosen the same life, the same family, the same experiences, the same friends.” But her time in that safe, protected world was about to end, and when Gisele returned alone to São Paulo for a modeling contest, her introduction to big-city life was a shock. “The first time I traveled by myself, it was to a city of 22 million people. My father gave me $50, and I was supposed to get a cab to go to the models’ apartment—but I said, I’ll take the subway,” she recalls. “I was thinking about saving some of the money to buy some clothes, because everything I was wearing was my sister’s. I thought I was being very smart. So I get to the station, I went to open my backpack, and my wallet was gone. I had no idea somebody would rob me! In my city, nobody ever robbed anybody; it was all a big happy family. So I was crying. How am I going to get from here to where I am going? I’m asking people for money so I can go in a pay phone and call my father. He’s like, ‘Why didn’t you take the cab? You should listen to your father!’ I walked like 30 minutes and finally got there.” She sighs. “There was a lot of those times, but I learned pretty fast. I never was fearful. I think my parents did a good job; we were very independent kids, because my parents were always working. I was in the worst places and never felt afraid. I always felt like everything was going to be O.K.—and it was.” Learning how to model was another challenge. “In the beginning I had no idea what I was doing,” Gisele admits. “I had no idea what modeling was. I didn’t know it’s about becoming something—embodying something. It’s not you. I didn’t understand that. I was like this!” She bares her teeth in a horrible rigor-mortis grin. “I wasn’t aware of my body. All my life I felt awkward about myself.” But the idea that somebody had found her attractive was intoxicating. “Out of those 50 girls, that guy thought I was pretty,” she recalls, a dreamy look softening her face. “People weren’t calling me Olive Oyl. It was a different standard of beauty.” And yet, even as a novice, Gisele had a sturdy sense of her own self-worth that helped her keep the rigors of modeling in perspective. “Some people were like, ‘She’s never going to make it!’ But not everybody has to like me,” she says. “Some people like watermelon; some people like pineapple. It doesn’t mean that watermelon is better. People have different tastes.” She shrugs. “Her willpower made her successful,” says Patricia. “She has never let the critics put her down, and this has never changed. She has the most amazing body, but what has really made her successful is her personality, her way of doing things, her professionalism.” As an athlete, Brady says he admires Gisele for “being a ferocious businesswoman who is ultra-competitive and intent on being the best at what she does.” As the demand for Gisele’s services grew, she felt compelled to accept every job that was offered. “I was just going 100 miles an hour,” she says. “You don’t want to say no, because you don’t know how long it’s going to last, and you have to prove yourself.” But the frenetic pace finally caught up with her. “When I was working every day I was completely detached from my emotions, and I didn’t know the toll it was taking on me,” she says. “I was traveling everywhere, not having stability. I was very abusive of myself. I wouldn’t sleep; I was eating junk food every day and working 10 to 12 hours. No wonder! How much can your body take? I felt overwhelmed by the whole thing. I went through a time when I was very sensitive and felt very fragile. I would cry, but you don’t know where it’s coming from. When I was 22 I hit a point where I thought, I miss my mom. I want to go home! I want to take six months off. I want my support system; I want that grounding thing my family gives me. I wanted to bond with them. I felt like, ‘I’m part of this family—take me back, please!’” The sabbatical was just what she needed: “It was great. I took my parents to Africa. I felt nourished and loved again, so I could come back and start all over again. But I was humbled by the whole thing.” When Gisele returned to work, she stopped smoking and started taking better care of herself. Exercise was never a problem; ever since childhood, she has displayed an alarming appetite for extreme sports. “If somebody had something broken, it was me,” she admits. “I did skydiving, bungee-jumping, kayaking, surfing, jumping horses—my horse was 18 hands and it stepped on my foot and I couldn’t walk. Everything I’ve ever been afraid of, I’ve tried to overcome. I was always on planes, and I always used to be apprehensive, so I thought, I’ve got to find a way to not be afraid. So I started jumping out of planes.” Her determination is particularly apparent in kung fu, a discipline she has taken up with a vengeance since moving to Boston. “She wants it every day; we actually trained Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day. There’s no day off,” says Yao Li, her teacher at the Boston Kung Fu Tai Chi Institute. “I think part of her has a macho spirit. Tom teases her: he’s a fan of Bruce Lee movies, and he calls her Gise-Lee.” Athletic and down to earth, Gisele—who wears as little makeup as possible and spends her off-hours in jeans and T-shirts—is very different in daily life from the glamorous persona she creates for the camera. “When I go to work, I do pretend,” she explains. “I call it ‘Her.’ Like, ‘I think She needs to be a little bit more like this.’” She tilts her head, sucks in her cheeks, and pantomimes an exaggerated attitude. “It’s almost like some on-and-off button. I don’t see myself as Her. My perception of myself is very different from the perception people have of me.” Despite all her years at the top, co-workers say, she retains a healthy understanding of the difference between real life and the hype of the job. “When this all ends, she’ll be fine,” says a makeup artist who has worked with Gisele since she was a teenager. Gisele-watchers who pore over red-carpet photographs often assume she has a fabulous lifestyle crammed with parties and A-list events. “Are you kidding? I like to be in bed by 10:30,” she exclaims. “I’m up at 6:30, doing yoga at 7 a.m. I went to a gallery for my friend’s exhibition last night, because he was my friend and asked me to come. It was a scene, and I was just like, No! No! I have to go! On the way home I walked into this place where they have the best burger in the world, and I was just thinking to myself, Oh my god, I am so lucky to have my life! I’m having a great time here! I just came back from this place where it’s about appearance and who’s wearing this and who’s talking to that, where I felt suffocated, and I’m so happy that’s not my life!” Not that she hasn’t enjoyed her success and its rewards—she is as excited as a little girl as she shows me photographs of the remodeling job she gave her parents to spruce up their home. The business of being Gisele has also enabled her to employ four of her five sisters. For her work in Brazil, Patricia is her manager, Gabriela is her lawyer, and Raquel does accounting. Rafaela works on Gisele’s Web site. The other sister, Graziela, is a judge. But Gisele takes even more satisfaction in having earned such success without compromising herself. “I’m really happy with the way I’ve lived my life,” she says. “I’m an honorable person. I’m proud of the way I’ve done things. I’ve never in my life acted in any way that wasn’t of the highest integrity that I was raised with. I’m the same person—with different life experience, but the things that make me happy are the same things. Having barbecue with my family, hanging out with my friends, being with animals, riding bikes—that’s what made me happy all my life. I feel really good about that. I want to finish this life and say, ‘I did the best I could. I lived my values. I kept my integrity.’” Gisele’s values have also been shaped by her reading, which ranges from the teachings of Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh to her current favorites, Don Miguel Ruiz’s books of Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements, The Mastery of Love, and The Voice of Knowledge. Such works have helped to give her a newfound sense of inner peace. “Everything became so much simpler,” she says. “It’s like, ‘Oh—now I get it!’ You have this kind of epiphany—I don’t need to sweat the small stuff! Enjoy the journey, not the destination. I want to be happy every day. I want to live life to the fullest, feeling joyful. If I don’t, I’ve got to stop and question why, because I think our natural state should be that. Reading things is so important to me—things that can open up your mind. You need to feed your mind.” She has even achieved a beatific attitude toward DiCaprio, about whom she has nothing bad to say. “Leo is a really wonderful person,” she says. “We still speak sometimes, and I’m friends with his mom. He still has one of my dogs. He’s done a lot for the environment, and I admire what he’s done. We know what we had; we were very young, and we grew together in a lot of ways. We were just not meant to be boyfriend and girlfriend, but I respect him enormously, and I wish him nothing but the best.” Environmental causes remain among Gisele’s top priorities. According to her manager, Anne Nelson at IMG, she donates a portion of the profits from her Brazilian line of flip-flops, Ipanema Gisele Bündchen, to protect Amazon rain-forest water sources through Y Ikatu Xingu (Save the Good Waters of the Xingu River), as well as supporting several other Brazilian programs to protect waterways and restore deforested areas. The Bündchen family has started Projeto Agua Limpa (Project Clean Water) to reforest the land and improve water quality along riverbanks in the region where Gisele was born. She has also created the Luz Foundation, a project to empower girls and help them deal with self-esteem issues. Last summer Gisele and her yoga teacher, Amy Lombardo, did some volunteer work with Portuguese-speaking teenagers in the Boston suburbs. “She’s always trying to find ways to use her celebrity to good cause, and we talked to them about media images and the effects on young girls,” Lombardo explains. “Gisele is a natural yogi; she’s constantly trying to find new ways to learn, and she has a genuine desire to better herself as a person. Yoga provides her with a way to be who she is, not the image in the media. I think she’s going to be a role model for young women. She’s very passionate about the idea of helping people have access to raising their own level of awareness. We’ve only begun to see what she’s capable of.” Gisele “has her heart set on making the world a better place,” says Brady. As her ambitions evolve, Gisele is scaling back her modeling work. “I have a lot of things to juggle. I have a family that comes first; my job already comes second,” she says. “But everything I’ll do in the future has to be something that’s related to higher consciousness. I don’t think I’ll be happy unless I do this. It’s all about using what you’ve got, and what I’ve got is a voice.” And she wants to use that voice to counterbalance the inadvertent messages that are inevitably communicated by her extraordinary face and figure. “This is just a shell”—Gisele gestures dismissively at her formidable body—“and the shell is going to be changing. You’re going to be 30; you’re going to be 50. That’s why I think it’s important to focus on what matters. Everyone has talents—you’ve just got to find them—and everyone has flaws. Wishing to be something you’re not is the biggest recipe for a sad life. All of us are special. Embrace all that you are! Treat yourself as the special being you are!” And if you do, she believes, you can accomplish anything. After all, it worked for her. She flashes a radiant smile. “All you have to have is a dream, and then you make it happen,” she says.

Doulas and Homebirth Compiled by Molly Remer The decision to hire a doula is a personal one, regardless of in which setting you give birth. My first baby was born at a birth center with the presence of a midwife, a doctor, my doula, a friend, my mother, and my husband. In hindsight, I felt like it had been too many people and that the doula hadn’t really been needed. For my second birth, at home, it was extremely important to me to have as few people present as possible. My husband, my mom, and my son greeted the arrival of my second son. My midwife arrived five minutes before his birth—just in time to catch! My midwife for this birth was so amazing, that I didn’t feel the need for any other professional care. I still miss her! For my third birth also at home, this time a second trimester miscarriage with only my husband present, I really wished I had a doula there for emotional support and supportive physical care tasks (not medical support, but tea bringing and towel washing). And, finally, with my last baby, while I liked and respected my midwife I didn't have the same warm bond with her and really wanted to hire a doula, precisely because I was missing some of the emotional component I value so highly in midwifery care. It is really the little things that make doula care so special. In the included photo my doula (FoMM President, Summer!) puts warm socks on me after my baby’s January birth. Despite my own range of personal experiences, when calling for contributions for this article, I still anticipated receiving a number of responses suggesting that doulas at homebirth are unnecessary, or redundant. After all, an emotional connection and secure trust is often the hallmark of what differentiates the midwifery model from the medical model. However, the responses I received were overwhelmingly in favor of hiring a doula for a homebirth. Finding inner power instead of crumbling in pain As I eagerly awaited my homebirth, I never considered getting a doula. I had two midwives assisting me, so I figured that would be enough, wasn’t that the same thing anyway? When labor hit in the middle of the night I could hardly function, I was in so much pain. Everything I learned in childbirth class went right out the window, and the same thing happened for my husband when it came to trying to help me. One of my midwives didn’t show up for a few more hours, so I was alone struggling with my blinding pain that whole time. Once she did arrive, and started walking me through my contractions, it made a world of difference. My homebirth ended up turning into a hospital transfer due to decelerations in my baby’s heartbeat during every contraction, and a doula was called out to stay with us while our midwives couldn’t. I don’t know what I would have done without her… Having to transfer to the hospital was a very scary experience, and when my much hoped-for homebirth turned into a much dreaded c-section, my doula was there as a voice of reason as well as much-needed emotional support. Looking back on the whole turn of events, I’m so grateful she was there and I have a whole new outlook on the work of a doula. There’s no way I’ll go through labor without one again. I had to get an epidural for the c-section, and that turned out to be the most terrible, painful part of the whole experience – much worse than labor by a long shot. Ever since my experience, I’ve been encouraging all of my friends to hire a doula for their births, whether they choose to go to a hospital or not. If they want a sure shot at avoiding drugs, a doula is the way to go at a hospital. And it makes sense at a hospital, but why would a home birth mom consider a doula? There aren’t any drugs or negatively persuasive doctors or medical staff to avoid there, and isn’t that the biggest reason to have a doula? I thought so, anyway. But doulas offer much more than a voice of reason against pressuring medical personnel. They help you find your inner power when you could easily crumble under the pain of labor. They erase fear that can easily find its way into your mind if you’re laboring without support. And, speaking from personal experience, they change labor from “painful” to “empowering”, turning it into the beautiful, positive experience it should be – you’re bringing a baby into the world! Something so wonderful shouldn’t be tagged with such a negative word as “painful”, and doulas make that possible. Labor is labor, no matter what your location is when you’re experiencing it, and having a doula there during it makes a huge difference. A lasting legacy Mandy writes: Hanging on my fridge is a note that reads, call me if you need groceries, a hug or anything! My doula put that there after I gave birth at home. For most of my pregnancy, I thought I would not need a doula at my homebirth; afterall, I had a wonderful midwife and assistant. As my pregnancy became more and more uncomfortable, I thought having extra support at my homebirth would be wise. I wanted the full attention from my partner, and I knew I would need my midwives to be able to focus their energy on the progression of my labor and on how well both our baby I were working together. My doula helped to support us as a family caring for my partner, our other child, as well as the much needed emotional and physical support that I ended up needing. It takes a lot of compassion and wise intuition to find the balance to meet the needs of both my family and the midwives. She provided massage, position suggestions, hydrotherapy, encouragement and cleaned, cooked, fetched things that were needed and even made coffee for everyone. While the midwives and I were caught up in the whirlwind of a difficult labor, she stood in the back keeping the peace. Every time I look at the note on my fridge, I smile and think about how deeply grateful I am to have had her with us on our birth journey. And, Fabiane shares: My doula was my angel, she helped me through it. My labor lasted 36 hours and she was there all the way. She didn’t sleep, and I felt bad for her, she held me when I was in pain and scared, she told me everything was going to be fine. Her support made all the difference. Her kind words when I had to be transferred to the hospital made me realize I was not a failure for doing that. Meredith B. you are my angel!!! Several women wrote sharing their experiences with both hospital births and homebirths and of a doula’s special touch. Becky wrote to share: We had a doula for four of our births, and a midwife for the last three. We had a midwife and a doula for one of them. We had a doctor who did housecalls for two of the births. We had a hospital birth that made us decide that the rest needed to be home births. We didn't have a doula for that one. I honestly wonder how differently that birth would have been if we had had a doula. Because the housecall doctor was much like a midwife would have been (although a different gender than most midwives), having a doula wasn't as important as if it had been hospital. However, having a female there was a lot better than a male doctor, and she stayed with me for the hours and hours (and hours) that I was in labor before we called the doctor. I had the same doula at both my hospital birth and my homebirth and it was well worth it in both cases. At the homebirth she obviously didn't have to function as a warrior/advocate like she did at the hospital birth, but it was still wonderful to have her there in a supportive role. My husband was there to give support as well, but there is just a different kind of support that comes from another woman, especially one whom you know has experienced what you are going through at that moment. It also seemed at both births that she knew just what to say at the right moment when I was having trouble, whether it was how to take the edge off of the contractions, or helping things move along when my pushing was ineffective. Having a doula there for mental and physical support provided comfort and assurance, while allowing my husband to be "in the moment" with me while my midwife could focus on the particulars of the labor and delivery themselves. I wouldn't have had things any other way and I would highly recommend having a doula at any birth, home or hospital. The benefits of a doula: The midwife team I had for my homebirth were trained doulas. I didn't know exactly what would be midwife roles and what would be them acting as doulas. In hindsight I think having a doula with the midwives may have been a little nicer since it was my first homebirth/natural birth and the midwife seemed to be having to do a little more "technical" stuff than I expected but it probably depends on lots of factors. Either way, I did fine and the baby came out! My husband was there too doing his best. I look at it as a learning curve so I hope to have more kids and have less and less worry and pain with each birth! (doula or not!) A midwife’s perspective Debbie offered the following perspective on doulas at homebirth: I think doulas are wonderful for women choosing hospital birth. The kind of care the laboring woman gets from the hospital staff can really be supplemented by a doula. In that situation, a doula is a great benefit to the mother. I have a lot of doula friends, and I do not mean to disrespect them in any way. They go places and do work that I cannot emotionally handle. I am a homebirth midwife. I have had a couple interviews where a woman has asked if she should have a doula at her home birth. If someone wants to hire me and a doula, I will not try to talk them out of it. But I see my work as being a doula plus a midwife. I bring an assistant to every birth. If it’s a VBAC, I bring another fully-trained midwife. I don’t know what I would be doing during the birth if there was a doula there, too. If I had to sit in the corner and my only work was to check heart tones and catch the baby, I would feel like an obstetrician! I don’t want to do birth that way! I love birth! I love helping the woman through her contractions as they build and build. I love rubbing her back, holding her up, giving her bites of food and sips of drink, helping her squat, and breathing with her. During a birth I get tired, sore muscles from squatting and bending, sweaty from the heat, humidity and heavy lifting. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my work! Susan also wrote with the opinion that a midwife fills the doula role well: My experience of three homebirths is that the midwives play the role of doula as well. It seems to me that often one midwife is more "doula" and the other more "doctor", if that makes sense. The two together make a great team, and I'm sure their roles vary from birth to birth. If, perchance, there were only one midwife attending a birth, I believe a doula would be a wonderful addition. A father’s perspective Ben wrote to share his family’s experiences with doulas: Our first birth was in the hospital and it was horrific. I had been raised in an environment friendly to home-birth, but when it was my first child, I over-rode my wife's wishes and we had a hospital birth. It's one of the few things in my life I truly regret. Our second and subsequent births were at home. We used a doctor who made housecalls on our first two home-births, but we also asked some old family friends to help out. They were doulas. I didn't even know what a "doula" was at the time. From a male perspective, a doula is a life-saver. There I am, the 'extraneous' member of the family (during birth, at least)--but one who is wracked with emotions for the safety of my wife and child. My wife leans on me for her emotional support--and I was just as much an emotional wreck as she was, with that "I'm hiding my insecurities in machismo" facade. The doulas were as much a comfort to me as they were to her. Kind words, a hug, a held hand, those life-saver words, "It's okay, this is normal," a gentle suggestion to step away for a few moments. And when the baby came, when the emotions flooded over us both and all we could do is kiss and cry and hug and hold our life's joy in our arms together, the doulas were there to settle the room, soften the lights, take away the trash and clutter and afterbirth and details and all that myriad of things that neither one of us could even think about. While the doctor or midwife (we had both depending on the birth) was there to do all the technicals, to check on the health, the doulas were there to comfort, to settle, to relax the chaos of our lives and let us truly experience the first moments with our most precious treasure. Men think about the costs, the finances, the harsh realities of life. If I were to give an expectant father advice about the new baby: Pay for a good midwife, pay for a good doula, make sure your wife is comfortable with both of them and slather the baby's bottom and diaper with vaseline for a week after birth (meconium was a real shock till I learned that trick). :) Doulas weigh in Genevieve: My favorite place to doula is at homebirths. I give my clients a discount for having a homebirth because, as I always tell them, it is easier on everyone! It's easier for the mom, baby, dad, doula, and midwife! Hillary: I am a doula who has attended homebirths. It's a different thing. I find myself arriving before the midwife. Providing support for long labors so the midwife can conserve her energy for the important work she might need to do during the actual birth and immediately after. I find myself doula-ing the birth team. Making tea, providing support to the dad, taking pics and of course, supporting the mom as she wishes. I had a doula at my last birth and I relied on her a lot for emotional support during pregnancy. I'm so glad she was there. I also posted to the Citizens for Midwifery Facebook page asking for input on the doula’s role at homebirth. While the responses were more varied, many women were squarely in favor of doula support during homebirth. Opinions from the larger birth community Gillian: As long as the doula understands that homebirths often need the doula to "do" less and "be" more I think it can be a great help to the client and the midwives. I did go to one birth with a control-freak doula who couldn't stop trying to fix everything but I think that was an anomaly. What I notice, as a midwife, is that most clients are already paying for their homebirth care out-of-pocket and the idea of paying for additional support seems like quite a stretch. I haven't had any clients choose doula care for their homebirths unless the doula was also a friend or family member working attending for free out of love. I think I give really good support as a midwife so I don't think that my clients are lacking but during some births, especially the long ones, I can really see the benefit of someone else who can support while the midwife takes a snooze! Christine: I was a doula before I ever got pregnant, so I actually had two at my first birth (one I had hired and one I had apprenticed with). Two was overkill, but my husband really appreciated having them there, probably more than I did! My next two births were fairly precipitous, so no doulas (although I had arranged to have one for the second birth). I loved being a doula at homebirths, and suspect that they are as useful at home (or maybe more so?) as they are in hospital. A doula empties the birth pool or makes supper for everyone, starts a load of laundry and rocks the baby while mom showers; basically does what needs to be done, so that everyone else can concentrate on their specific jobs... Fonda: My last two were at home. Having to shell out nearly $4k out of pocket each time, paying for doula on top of that would have been impossible. That said, being at home I didn't really need one. Maria: I had a homebirth but no doula. My midwife had two assistants and they acted very much like doulas, doing things like laundry, breakfast, partner support, etc. I also had a very fast labour, and think a doula would have been excessive. I recommend doulas all the time to my preggo friends, although I don't see myself ever hiring one... Laura: I think one difference between home and hospital is that generally you know more what you are getting in advance in terms of support in a homebirth situation--usually you have one or maybe two midwives in a practice whom you already know fairly well prenatally, and perhaps an assistant or apprentice who works with the midwife. So you have a pretty good idea before you go into labor how much support and what type of support your particular midwife/practice will provide. In a hospital setting, the L&D nurse is really the primary potential support person besides a spouse or family member--and that is somebody you don't know until going into the hospital and it's a wild card how supportive or unsupportive the L&D nurse will be of your wishes or how much that person can/will do in terms of emotional support or comfort measures. I think doulas are more critical/necessary for that reason in a hospital setting than in a homebirth setting. That said, I think it also depends on the particulars of your own homebirth situation. I hired a doula for my last homebirth because I had a midwife who worked alone (no assistant or apprentice) and I wanted to make sure there was an extra pair of hands/extra person available in case of 1) a long labor where my midwife and husband needed a break, 2) a complication of any sort, 3) as a backup support person for my older child in case her babysitter wasn't available to come and be there with/for her (no family nearby who could be with her during the birth). Katie: I planned a homebirth with my twins, and did not have a doula. I ended up with a (pretty terrible) hospital birth and I WISH I had a doula. I will have a doula if I ever birth again, no matter where I birth (but hopefully it will be HBAC!), and I recommend EVERY mother I know to have a doula, no matter where she births. Natalie: My midwife had an assistant at my three homebirths. I felt no need for a doula, but if I had a solo midwife or was planning a hospital birth I would want one. Raissa: I had the same doula for my first (surgical) and second (home birth) and wouldn't have wanted it any other way. At home she came several hours before the midwife and really gave peace of mind for me and took some of the pressure off my husband. Worth every penny! (I literally paid for her with my babysitting money.) And, since the midwife got stuck in traffic, she unpacked the birth kit and almost got to catch the baby! Elizabeth: We had our baby at home with the help of two midwives and a doula. Our doula was amazing. She is still the person from our birth team that I talk to the most -- it has been 18 months since the birth of our child. Her care and concern for my family's welfare has been ongoing and consistent. I strongly encourage any pregnant woman, regardless of where they intend to give birth, to hire a doula or search for volunteer doulas if hiring one is not financially feasible. I can't imagine having a baby in a hospital without a doula. Kasey: I don't remember if the doula showed up during my labor or after to help my midwife, but my placenta wouldn't come out and I had to have a catheter put in, and since my husband was caring for the baby, the doula filled in (I'm petrified of needles and the like) and I have to say, I was very grateful she was there. If my husband couldn't have been there for whatever reason, I would definitely want a doula present, no doubt about that. I really appreciate all the people who lent their voices to this article. I very much valued the specific and customized postpartum care my doula provided to me after my last homebirth and I’ve concluded that a doula has the potential to offer something unique and precious to families, in whatever setting the birth takes place. I also agree with Elizabeth’s remark above, that it does seem like the doula is the most likely member of the birth team to remain in contact with the family in the future. Perhaps it is because, even given the friendliness of the midwifery model, there is less of a "power differential" between mother and doula. As we prepare to greet a new year, I propose this toast: Here’s to beautiful, empowering, healthy, fulfilling births for all women, in all settings, with the birth companions of their heart’s desire.

Mouse 28 is done: I have completed the second clue on the Summer Solstice Mystery Shawl (spoiler alert!): It's so crammed on the needle that it isn't much of a spoiler. Just when I figured out how to do the dang nupps, there are no more. Unless I want to knit it again. Which I do not. Most of my knitting this week has been right here, working on my nupps. You wouldn't think days of knitting would disappear so fast, but there you have it. Days and days of knitting. I just hope it's worth it in the end. I also wound up three more skeins of yarn for my Holey Jacket: When this yarn is gone, I will be more than half done my sweater. The progress so far: Unfortunately, I haven't worked on it much, because the nupps have been attacking me, but when I do work on it, it goes fast. My navy sock also goes fast, when I work on it: I have on my schedule that my Navy Socks should be done by next Friday. The next clue on the Summer Solstice Mystery Shawl doesn't have anymore nupps, but it might be a long clue to knit, so I hope I can get these socks done -- if I don't, no big deal. They'll get done. Mouse 27 is ready to rock and roll: I used The Culprit that unintentionally dyed my lovely skein of yarn pink. There is some satisfaction that will come of that when a cat rips it to shreds. I blocked my Cardioid Shawl, which came out lovely, and I am very happy with it. Here it is pre-blocked: Here it is blocked . The magic of lace! I was going to start my Summer Solstice Mstery Shawl KAL on June 20th, but I had to have something to knit until then, so I started a pair of plain socks with a skein of Comfort Sock in navy blue: They're good to work on when I am visiting someone. I also started some crochet because ... well, because. Because I can and it's really fun. Here's my Holey Jacket so far: I love this pattern. It's quick and easy, and it has a little shaping, but it's not hard. I also love the Wool in the Woods Cherub I'm using, too. The color is called "Majestic Ridge". The pattern calls for Paton's Grace; if I still like this pattern when it's done, I'll order some for either another Holey Sweater or for something else. So then it was time to start thinking about the Summer Solstice Mystery Shawl. I chose a skein of Sockaholic in color "Speakeasy" that has been sitting in my stash for a few years. I knit my gauge swatch, and tried out some nupps: The nupps on the top row are 3-stitch nupps; the nupps on the bottom row are 5-stitch nupps. Wendy gives the option of doing either one, or using beads, or doing nothing. I chose 3-stitch nupps. When the 20th finally rolled around, I downloaded the pattern and started out. I like Wendy's patterns, because you start out with the most number of stitches, and it only gets easier from there. I cast on my 277 stitches -- twice, because I ran out of yarn for my long tail cast on 30 stitches from the end. I used a cable cast on the second time, because I was bright enough to read the pattern and saw that the first row was a right-side row. About three repeats of the pattern into the first pattern row, I regretted choosing 3-stitch nupps. Those babies are harder than they look! Doing them a couple times is fine, but doing them 30 times in a row, with yarn overs and double decreases on either side of them, is torture. Probably, I will think they're really pretty when they're done, and they better be, dammit. That is the result of like, four hours of work, and the unending counting. I've got four more rows to do by next Tuesday ... if I live that long. Wish me luck! Yesterday I succumbed to the crochet bug. Last week, I got an email from Patons (because I registered on their web site for free patterns) with two lovely patterns. I thought, that is a lovely little cardigan, and went to look at it. It is crochet. Yes, it was exactly enough. Double sigh. And I already had two hanks wound into balls, too. So I started my Scallop Mesh Jacket, known to me as the Holey Sweater: That's the beginning of the ribbing. I'm about to start the body now -- well, after I do some web site work. It is a lovely reward. In other (knitting) news, Wendy Johnson is having a KAL (Knit Along) in Ravelry and on her web site. It's the Summer Solstice Mystery Shawl KAL of her own design. It starts June 20, so you have time to sign up! The pattern is only $2, but it will go up to $5 on July 17. You can join her group on Ravelry if you like; I did. I'm going to use a skein of Sock-aholic in a color called "Speakeasy", which I won years ago in a drawing on the Knitters Brewing Company's Ravelry group: It's gonna be fun! Mouse 26 ... ... hiding in the begonia. Can you believe it? The year is half gone already. My Cardioid Shawl is nearly done: A close up When it's blocked of course, it will be much prettier. By cramming it all on straight 14" needles, I can't really tell what it looks like until I block it. What if, through some strange manipulation of the stitches, it spells out "Horrible Knitter" instead of being a nice, normal lace pattern? You just can't tell. I do know that I was off a few times on my count and just fudged it; that two other times I dropped some stitches and picked them up -- probably wrong, but they were the right number, and it was better than nothing, which is what I would have if I let it all unravel; and the first time I knit a point, I neglected to pick up the wraps with the stitches which it VERY CLEARLY tells me to do in the pattern, and I didn't go back and do it over because going back, with this very slippery yarn, is pretty much impossible. The yarn is very pretty, though. I will never use it again, but it's very pretty. I'm not sure how I can block it. That will take some figuring out. It has quite a bit of weirdly-shaped acreage. I could block it on the bed, if no one cares about sleeping there for a night ... we could have an all night party. Or, I could just figure something out. We'll see. Ravelympics is Ravelry taking part in the Olympics, July 27 - August 12. The Olympic Committee has nothing to do with it, but don't tell the Ravelry people; they're absolutely going bonkers over the Olympics. The last time I did the Knitting Olympics was when they had the Winter Olympics of 2010, about two months before my stroke, when I spun the yarn for a pair of socks on my spindle and knit the socks, all over the span of the Olympics. I wore my socks to the Spa. That was Stephanie Pearl-McFee's Knitting Olympics. It was really fun and I had a great time doing it. It was the most fun I'd had knitting in a long time. Used to be, the Winter Olympics were the only ones that registered with me. The Summer Olympics were in the middle of Tourist Season, and the store was too busy for me to focus on anything else. But now, I can focus on the 2012 Summer Olympics! Ravelry has tons of information. Tons. Just go to the Ravelympics 2012 group and see. You'll find everything you need. Just remember the One Rule to Rule Them All: Challenge Yourself and Have Fun! (Which is basically two rules.) I'm on Team Sockaholics, which hosts the Village Pub, a very nice place to knit. They have daily drink specials during the games. They also have a team Ravelympic Logo: What events am I going to join? Hmmmm. Challenge yourself and have fun. I can only think of one challenge that I need to face: my October Frost cardigan (Lisa Lloyd, A Fine Fleece), which fits the bill for WIP Wrestling. It's been lying untouched since before May 2012 (February 2011, to be exact), and it's a challenge for me. I may not finish it during the Olympics, but I can make a dent in it, and maybe keep on going. Since I started it, I've done more cabling, and whole-sweater knitting, so I think it's time. I am warming up my sticks, getting ready. Are you in the Ravelympics? Mouse 25 is getting frisky: Trying to get into my tea mug. Silly mouse. This week has been weird. I don't really know exactly what I've done. There've been days with no knitting, but offhand, I can't remember what I did do. One day we went up to Belfast, that was fun. Consequently, my progress on the Cardioid Shawl has been slow, but steady. I'm three rows before starting the border, which is the last section. The rows are now really long, 300 stitches or so, and to knit across one row takes forever, especially if it's a pattern row. Did I mention that counting is not my strong suit anymore? I forget where I am, and I have to go back and recount and recount to get things right. While my hearts are lined up okay, the filler pattern is a little wonky, but maybe it won't show. I'm a little wonky too. When I finish this, I'm going to knit plain men's socks. It'll be refreshing! First, I want to say Happy Birthday to my sister! These forget me not flowers are for you :) Mwah! I finished my mouse, #24: My ruffly scarf is done, too: It's not as long as I'd like it, but on the other hand, I couldn't take much more of those size three needles and the ruffles, so I'm happy with it. It's softer than I thought it would be. Mohair + metallic yarn would potentially = scratchy, at least around my neck, but this feels wonderful. Who knew. If I knit this again, I'd use fingering weight yarn and size 5 needles, and make it longer. It would be cool in self-striping yarn. I started my Cartioid Shawl! I was prancing with excitement. This is how far it is as of yesterday morning: I love working on it! The never ending repeats are just beginning though, so we'll see how long it takes. The yarn is very soft, but it's a bit splitty -- not bad, but I noticed it. It could be these Signature stilletto-tip needles I'm using, they're so pointy! They are awesome for some stitches where I have to knit or purl several stitches together, though. The pattern, like all of Wendy's, is very well-written; it has both charts and written out directions, so you can choose what you like, and there are the numbers of stitches in all the parts every single row. When I get stuck on something, I just look and find out how many stitches I'm supposed to have in that section, and I can figure out what went wrong pretty easily. I got pretty good at reading lace knitting a while back, before my stroke, and luckily, it has stayed with me. With this shawl, it's the end-of-section yarn overs that I usually miss, so far. It will be done next week! Look what I got on Saturday: Sock yarn from Lisa Souza! That's Appaloosa on the left, signed by both Lisa and Lorrie; Water Gardens in the middle; and Orion Nebula on the right. Her Sock! is 450 yards of fingering weight lusciousness made up of 75% superwash wool, 25% nylon, and dyed in colors that will make you weep for joy, weep, I tell you. Appaloosa is gorgeous. I never would have ordered a brown color, but now that it is my hands, it is so pretty! Ahhhh, now to let it marinate in my stash for a bit. I have a couple or three shawls to do first. But right now, I'm ruffling along, or maybe I should say flouncing along. Happy Memorial Day, everyone! I'd like, on the one hand, to start stuffing them, but I kinda like leaving them unstuffed, too, because I am not sure what I would do if they were stuffed and the cats discovered them! They're so sneaky ... I put a little more on my afghan and used up the rest of the lime green: Then I started my Bohemian scarf ... I was a little worried I wouldn't like the pattern. I shouldn't have been; the pattern was wonderful! Every now and then you find the exact right pattern and the perfect yarn for it, and it is good; this was one of those times. It was a quick knit; it only took 2 days. I added a little more to my afghan: The Heart Cookie mitts that I blocked this week also took only 2 days. But now I am knitting something that is taking a couple weeks to knit. I am using this: Wonderful, sparkly skein of purple yummimess ... to make the flounced scarf of Drops design (Drops 129-28). I saw the woman at Have A Yarn in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia knitting it in pale gray, and it looked so nice. I chose a ball of the purple, and got the pattern from her, and set it aside. Now I finally am getting around to it! It is knit on size 3 needles ... if I had really thought about it, I might not have done that. I could probably have gone up a size or two ... or three or four ... but I didn't. I just blindly followed the pattern, like some demented sheep. It's coming along nicely, but it seems slow after the last two projects! I can knit about 6" a day, on a good day. Maybe I'll be done by next week! I keep telling myself that the ball is only 229 yards long ... I ordered a Cardioid Shawl kit last week, and it came recently. It's going right to the top of my queue! It contains the pattern, a skein of Sock-aholic Serene in Blueberry Pie, and a charming little stitch marker with a heart motif. This is going to be cool, and it's a great cause, too. Speaking of causes, Lisa Souza has a thing on her blog about the Grace Foundation. She's donating the proceeds from sales of her "Appaloosa" colorway until June 30 to the Grace Foundation, which is having trouble due to the Susanville 70 -- a group of horses that have been rescued, and have been tied up in a legal battle ever since, and now the pregnant horses have had foals, and the months of eating sand and debris has had long term liver problems for the horses, and medical bills for the Grace Foundation. I've made my purchase to help! Those poor horses... It's been another busy week. My mouse got finished: She is Modest Moude 22 -- she has a yellow polka dot bikini on. Following that, I went on to my Five Year socks and completed them, too: That's socks before and after blocking. I made the effort to make them match exactly on the stripes; in this yarn, it makes a difference. Then I went on and finally knit Mary Jane Mucklestone's Heart Cookie mitts. I have been wanting to knit them for so long! Mitts in progress, Thursday morning. All done :) Thursday afternoon. It took me 3 months to get around to them, but I knit them in two days. They're a really fast knit. The top two pictures are more accurate as far as the colors go; the sun streams in my window in the afternoon and messes up my colors. My new project is A Little Bit Bohemian, a scarf, by Rebecca Carmichael-Stromgren. It's a free pattern on Ravelry. It's a simple knit, and should go fast, but I might change my mind. Sometimes I am just sure that a pattern will work with the yarn, and sometimes I just don't know. Right now I just don't know. I love the yarn I am using, and it's very special yarn, and I want it to be something wonderful. I am not sure yet that they'll play well together or not. The yarn was bought in St. John, New Brunswick in a great open air market. I ran across a stall run by a very nice woman (I forget her name, but Sharon knows her) who spins and knits, and sells her yarn and knitted things all over. It's handspun yarn that looks to have a lot of mohair in it, a little silk, and some wool, maybe merino. It's a 2-ply yarn, with one ply of a spring green, and the other ply a brilliant cobalt blue. It's so pretty! The skein has a nice halo to it, so I have good hopes for a dressy scarf. It looks sport weight, but the halo also tells me that it probably knits up thicker. I'll try it on size 8 needles and go up from there. It's fun to play with! Mouse 21 is having fun in the sun, finally: Yesterday I finished my Itchy Scratchy sweater. I know, I only had one sleeve started last week, but it's been rainy, and I was close to being done, and I wanted to finish it. I knit the sleeves: Then I sewed it together: Actually, I crocheted the pieces together. My husband helped pin it for me. Here it is, ready for blocking: It looks pretty funny here. Moss rib really pulls in a lot, but I was encouraged when I stretched the sleeves out to sew them into place. I blocked it by washing in the machine (cold water, with Eucalan), spinning as much water out of it as possible, and putting it on the wooly board for final blocking: It looks good, doesn't it? I like it; it doesn't feel so itchy anymore. The fabric really opened up with blocking, and it's a nice, comfortable weight. I think he will wear it a lot ... next year! My next project is some Five Year socks. In October of 2007, I took my ill-fated trip to Bar Harbor, where I went to Bee's and got some stuff: You can read how the yarn exploded in Helen's Restaurant here. Anyone know what yarn the sock yarn is? I didn't take a close enough picture to identify what yarn it is, and I foolishly didn't write it in the blog post anywhere. Anyway, I knit the beginning on Sand Beach: And that's the last time I posted about it. Fast-forward to 2012, when I found the sad little sock lying forlornly in one of my bins while I was inventorying my yarn stash. I had actually knit as far as this, when I broke a needle and stopped: I since had found size 0 needles, which were in it, so I can start right up again. I'm glad I found it! Now on to a glass of Nicky wine to celebrate: Despite it being rainy all week, Mouse 20 loved it and went naked all the time: And here's his bottom, to show you he has no tan lines: The Crosswired Socks are done: I loved knitting these! It's addictive, keeping on knitting those teeny stripes, and crossing the cables as you go. It's like a little Hanne Falkenburg for socks, except it's Wendy Gaal of Knitters Brewing Company, and she's fabulous. The Itchy Scratchy sweater is coming along nicely. I got the front done (finally), knit both the front neck and the back neck, and joined the shoulders. Then I sewed the neck pieces together and weaved (wove?) in the ends. The neck was pretty damn fiddly, but it was better to knit it on the two body parts separately than to try and wrestle with it in my lap trying to knit it in the round on six double-pointed needles. No matter how many needles I had in it, they were gonna fall out. So, I set it aside in my mind, knowing how much I preferred a neck that's all one piece, and knit it in pieces with two little seams. We must make compromises, that's what people who are one-handed do. And really, my husband will never know the difference. Joining the shoulders was also fiddly, but I got better at it with practice. I figured out the rest of the pattern for the sleeves, how many to cast on, how many increases to do and how many rows between them. It's all downhill from here! I started the first sleeve. and I'm loving it. This sweater is going to be yummy-scrummy! The body looks too small and the ribbing is doing a weird curl-up thing, but that's because I am using moss rib for the main body pattern, which pulls in monstrously until it's blocked. When it's blocked, it will look better. I hope. It's slow, but it's still going forward :) First, here is Mouse 19, unveiled: You will notice a color change on the face. I finally reached the end of the ball of gray that I had ... but then I found another ball of tan Lush in the stash that I was inventorying last week. Small miracles, like yarn showing up just when I need it, are mysterious but good; thank you God. Now you can see tan mice, just in time for summer! They are naked too, so no tan lines. Silly mice. My Crosswired Socks are 75% done: These socks are kind of addictive to knit; I just want to keep going and going. Didn't I say that last week? It's still true. I may want to knit these again sometime, but not right away, because there are about a trillion other things I want to knit first. I really miss the Itchy Scratchy sweater. It's pining away behind me on top of the knitting bag (which never houses any actual knitting projects, just yarn and tools and needles and stuff). I didn't knit on it at all this week, because I was knitting on my socks, but I wanted to. I'll knit on it for the next two or three weeks til it's done, and then I'll block it and it will look fabulous, and everyone wil tell me I must be a GENIUS, and it will fit perfectly, and my arm and leg will miraculously be all better, and I'll take up scuba diving, and we will go live in Mexico where I will teach knitting to rich tourists. I made two mice this week, to make up for not making any last week. Here are Mouses 17 and 18: I didn't work on my Itchy Scratchy sweater this week at all, because I've been obsessed with my Crosswired Socks: These are so much fun to knit: it's like eating popcorn. I can't put them down! But I have to be mindful of not knitting too much, or the carpal monster will get me. I like how there's a different pattern on the back of the leg than on the front. While I was knitting, I dreamed of making a hat with the new colors of Good Karma Farm yarn -- Hibiscus and New Mowed Lawn (I'm going from memory here). And, as promised, I have been spinning a little bit every day: My spinning has improved, but it still needs work. This is superwash merino that Tracy dyed. She gave it to me with the promise that I would spin it and knit with it someday. Little did she know that I would have a stroke! So here is my promise in the keeping, I'm spinning it, Tracy! I divided the fluff in half before starting, and the first half is just about done. It will take me about a week to spin the other half, and then I'll ply it and set the twist. I never really know what I will make with the yarn until I end up with it. I intended to make socks, and I still may, but ya never know. They yarn may surprise me. I think it's still a little thick for sock yarn, but we will see. My lilac bush has sprouted leaves in earnest now. I love that fresh, green color that signifies the beginning of spring! I didn't knit any mice this week; I'll have to knit two next week! I did knit a little on the Itchy Scratchy sweater this week. I missed it. I got to within 15 rows of being done the front. Then I just have the neckband, the sleeves, and finishing, and it will be done! I have enjoyed working on the Crosswired Socks this week. I am up to the heel turn, which will be fun, and then I start patterning the back as well as the front of the sock. These socks are gonna be great. I thought as I knit, there are so many wonderful color combinations -- I may have to make another pair! This is obviously a pre-blocked picture; there are no weird colored stripes like in the picture, there is just bad shading. I am loving this pattern! It's a lot of fun to knit, especially after learning how to cable without a needle. I am whizzing right along now! Happy Friday the 13th! Mouse 16 welcomes the world: Another thing that came to a well-deserved end was the Man Socks: I think the the ribbing on the right-hand one makes it more distinctive. I really can't believe that I ran out of yarn on these socks. They are for a man, but he is not a super-long-legged-foot man. The two other times I made socks out of this yarn, I made girl sizes, and had a lot left over. I'm kind of dumbfounded that I not only ran out, but 29 rows from being finished? Really? Enough about that. I didn't work on the Itchy-Scrtchy sweater this week. The socks really took over my life, and I wanted to finish them and find out what the end was going to be. Now that they're blocking, I can relax, and get back to the sweater. It's right here. The exciting new thing I've started is Crosswired Socks, from Knitters Brewing Company. I chose Foo Foo Drink and Dreamsicle for my colors. They are Mary Jane colors, and when I have to choose colors, I'll stick with Mary Jane's color sense over mine any time. So far they don't look like much, but I like the colors! You petered out on me 29 rows from the completion of my pair of socks. In the future, I promise to use size 2 needles, not size 1's. Rather than making my brain hurt and tear out what I have already done on the other, finished, sock, and then finishing both of them, I'm finishing this pair with the corresponding green that I found in my stash of yarn. It helps to have a large stash of yarn sometimes. I hope the recipient doesn't mind; I don't think he will. Needles, why do you try to commit suicide on a daily basis? This morning I found one of you jumping purposely over the table's edge, directly into the furnace's hot air vent. Luckily, you didn't go down all the way; my husband was able to retrieve you. But I've watched you, trying to escape, always falling out in the worst situations possible. You know I can't knit without all five of you! I have 17 more rows to knit, and then I have to bind off. Please don't go wrong. The Man will love you, honest. Sunday morning we had a breakfast for the family, and it was great to see everyone again. Georgia was a real cutie pie! I got to thinking, as I watched her, that the Little Girl Cardigan I knit was never going to fit her by Christmas, so I gave it to her ... it fits perfectly now. Good thing, and she will have fun wearing it while she plays outside! She also got the cutest hat that Lynne knit her, which she put right on. It looks great with the cardigan! She is a stylin' little girl. I can't believe how fast she is growing. Pam and Kevin gave me my birthday present a little early, because Pam said I deserved it for getting my finger to work. They gave me these gorgeous earrings, which were made partly from gold from a ring of my father in law's, and beach stones. Jennifer Nielson, a fabulous jeweller, made them for Pam and Kevin. Thank you!!! I love these earrings: They are very special! Grace crept out after the Small Quick-Moving Person went away, and she's sleeping in her sunbeam now. This is the wee mouse that scampered off my needles last weekend: This is the front of my sweater as I s-l-o-w-l-y work up the neck: Here is the man socks, also dancing slowly: I think I'm going to run out of yarn on the socks, and that makes me knit slower, because I don't want to find out. Since I knit them from the toe up, I can just finish when I run out of yarn by using some from the finished sock, and then finish that sock again, but just thinking about it makes my head hurt. One way or another, they'll be finished soon. Then on to other projects! There is something, a sock knit-along, that I'd like to start next week, so we will see. :) My sweater takes a long time to get anywhere, but it's good to know that I'm doing a whole sweater. It's coming out just as I envisioned it, and that's a big plus, especially since I'm making it up as I go along, hehe. The ol' brain isn't entirely dead. My hand isn't wiggling as much today as it was, but it IS wiggling. That's another plus! I think my thumb is connected to it ... I don't see it, but I feel it. It's hard to describe. I will work at what I can do. It's a fun toy to play with, anyway. I'm making progress on my knitting. Here's my weekly mouse: And here's my sock: And here's the front of my sweater: The back is done, but I forgot to take a picture of it. Ooops. It's funny, but I knit a lot yesterday, and I should be feeling the effects of it today, but I'm not. My hand feels fine. One of life's little mysteries; maybe my hand was getting tired of Winter and it wanted a little Spring to warm it up. I waited for my buttons to show up in the mail, but they're not here yet, and I was commiserating with Lynne about it. She said, "Get in the car. We're going to Belfast!" And off we went. Helen has a lovely store there, Heavenly Socks, where I got the most beautiful buttons: Lynne even sewed them on for me! It was a good trip all together :) Thanks Lynne! This week's mouse is called "Stripey", for obvious reasons: He's cute. I have to start stuffing my mice soon, with catnip and stuffing. I forget how many mice I have so far, but I figure stuffing 10 or 12 mice at a time is probably about the limit for most people. My Itchy-Scratchy sweater is about 3 or 4 inches short of a full back: I tried to finish the back yesterday, but my hand and arm was telling me, "Silly Beth, trying to do too much again. I shall have to hurt you!" and I stopped. Part of the problem was, I also knit way too much on the sock day before yesterday, but I got one sock done! I am worrried that I will not have enough yarn to complete the second sock. When I weighed the sock and weighed the yarn, they were about the same; this is one time I really miss my digital-readout scales that I had at the shop. Anyway, either I will have enough yarn, or I won't. If I don't have enough, but I have just short of enough, I can always unravel the top of the finished sock until they're even. One way or another, they'll be good! I love the colors. If I have to knit slowly, I am sure enjoying the ride. It's killing me to work at this snail-like pace, and not just dive in and zoom up the back of the sweater and be done the pair of socks by now, but working slowly has it's advantages. I thought at first that it would be drudgery, but it's not.It gives me more time to think, which is kind of fun. You never know what I'll think of next :) First, look at this: This is Shelagh's Bobble Hat! Isn't it gorgeous? It makes me happy :) In other news, remember not to spill coffee over your open laptop, like I did. It wasn't much, and I immediately picked it up and my husband turned it off for me. Being one-handed is dangerous in so many ways! It is fried, so I am typing on my iPad now. I will not be able to take pictures; there's no interface for that on the iPad. Furthermore, I am learning that patience is required when knitting a sweater and a pair of socks when you are trying to avoid carpal tunnel. I knit a fair amount on my socks day last Friday, and it felt pretty good, so I then knit 10 rows or so on the Itchy Scratchy sweater, and that was too much. When I woke up this morning, the pain in my hand was telling me that I had done wrong. I didn't knit at all the next day. I have decided that 10 rows a day period is my limit, apparently, and that really sucks, but not as bad as being handless entirely and in a lot of pain does. We make our choices. So I will leave you with three quotes about patience: “Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is concentrated strength.” Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton “Patience iswaiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow -- that is patience.” I don't know who said this, but I like it. “The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.” Arnold H Glasgow I will patiently knit 10 rows a day until the sweater is done! (Photo from Necrodancer) This week's mouse is named Groovy: He's adorable. I am going to go nuts making brown mice. Maybe I can jazz them up! I have not knit much. My 20-rows-a-day plan got sidetracked when I woke up one morning, after only two or three days of 20-rowing, with a severe pain in my one good hand. I decided to take a break from knitting for a couple days and did only one catnip mouse and 2 rows on the sweater. Since then, I've done only ten rows a day on the sweater, or 15 rows a day on the man sock. It is slow going, but slow progress is better than none. Therefore, my Itchy-Scratchy sweater is not yet done the back, because it is getting heavy, and I really can't handle that. But I still do several rows when I work on it. I have it done to about two inches beyond the armhole. Poor sweater, will it ever be done? The good news is, my technique seems to be working, as I have not had a recurrence of the hideous pain in my hand. My sock is a lot easier to knit, as it's lighter and uses size 1 needles instead of size 8 needles. I'm knitting them toe up. I like that way better now, since when I am finished, the toe is already grafted. I just can't graft with Kitchener stitch anymore, and I have tried. It comes out looking horrible. That's not to say I won't do it anymore, but I am trying to let it go and accept that toes of socks done that way are not going to be perfect as they were before. There is no really good way to hold the piece in order to graft it; you have to turn it around a lot and then it gets funky. As you can imagine, I am not letting go of this as well as I should, but until then, I'll make toe-up socks. Except for these: This is my current ball of adoration, pictured with "Saxony" socks by Lisa Lloyd in A Fine Fleece. I just love that design and that whole book. It is one small step to knitting all the items in the book before I die. The yarn is Ball and Skein's "Sophia" (80% merino/10% cashmere/10& nylon) in color Bittersweet. It is lovely. I have 1 skein, 400 yards, which is enough for socks, but maybe I'll look on Ravelry to see what other projects people are making with it. There are some lovely scarves in Victorian Lace Today that would be nice, too. It's fun to ponder! Happy Leap Year Day! On February 7, 2011, I started October Frost by Lisa Lloyd. (photo from knitterBunny on Ravelry) I did the gauge swatch, and then I started. It was kind of a big jump for me, because until then, I'd only done scarves and socks since my stroke. I really wanted to make October Frost, and before my stroke, it seemed easy. Remember thinking everything was easy to do, but you didn't have the time to do them? Now I had all the time I wanted, but everything was hard. I did the ribbing on the back, (I blogged about it here) and I started the cables .... I started those damn cables three times, and I kept doing it wrong, miserably wrong. I just couldn't think straight, could not count, had trouble getting "left" and "right" mixed up. The first time I did the cables, I think I had every other cable twisted the wrong way in the sweater, and I ripped it out back to the ribbing, vowing to do it right the next time. The next time, I paid close attention, which was harder than I thought. Why is this so hard to do, I thought. I got the first repeat of the pattern done, and saw only about 4 cables twisted wrong. It was a big improvement! But I ripped it back to the ribbing and set out again. The third time, I got it right, checking carefully every single row, but man ... this was really tough. My brain was sore. I didn't like to look at it. So I set it aside and concentrated on doing scarves for Christmas, and felt better. I changed my status on Ravelry to "Hibernating" for my October Frost, but I left it out where I could get at it, because I was bound and determined not to let some silly cables win. I was a little depressed though, because I used to have fun doing Aran knitting, specifically because the cables were challenging, but I could do them easily. Now they were really hard. Now I'm thinking about it. My brain is not as foggy as it was last February, partly because of the wheat-free thing and partly because I have exercised my brain a bit and can do more. I am going to try October Frost sometime this year, and we'll see if I can get it right this time. Wish me luck! The mice are getting into the Grateful Dead: I am using the rest of the skein of Florista Fino, and I probably have enough for two or three more. It's great yarn! I should get more from Webs while they still have it .... but the yarn threatening to take over the house says, not yet. Sigh. Yarn, why must you be so demanding.... I finished the baby kimono: It's the cutest thing ever, despite the I-cord. I discovered that knitting I-cord one-handed is much more fiddly that I liked, and I renamed I-cord, which is "Idiot cord", to be called "B-cord", which is more aptly named "Bastard cord". However, the resulting kimono is so cute, that I have further renamed it "C-cord", for "Cute cord". In the future, any design having that design element must be wicked cute for me to knit it. I have ordered some buttons, but they are not here yet. Needless to say, the buttons will make it extra-cute. Pictures when they get here! My Man Socks have not progressed very far in the wake of finishing the baby kimono and starting the sweater for my husband, but they're a lttle further along: I finished the toe shaping and started the K 3, P 1 ribbing for the top of the foot. I love these colors; they're very rich. My husband's sweater is named the Itchy-Scratchy Sweater, because of the Simpsons. He's a big fan. I'm using 10 skeins of what I *think* is Bartlettyarn, but I'm not sure. It has no tags at all, and Bartlettyarn and Christopher Sheep Farm and Briggs and Little usually have tags. This also is stuff that have had for so long that I don't even remember how I got it. It feels like Maine wool though, so that's what I'm going with. I made the pattern up, but it's a V-neck, drop shoulder pullover with a Moss Stitch Rib pattern that I put in to keep it from being too boring. I let him pick the pattern that he liked from Harmony Guide: Knit & Purl. I think he done good. It's a simple P 1, K 3 pattern that uses the P 1 and the center K 1 of the K 3 as ribbing, with moss stitch in between the two stitches. There's no counting higher than three, either :) I'm using sizes 6 and 8 needles, so it goes along pretty fast. I will probably regret saying that later. One thing I am doing on both my Man Socks and the Itchy-Scratchy sweater is I am doing 20 rows on each project every day. It's a good goal to work for. That gives me plenty of time to write my blog or do other knitting projects, too. Right now I'm happy with my sweater and socks, because I just started them, but after awhile they will become two horrendous beasts that sit on my shoulders and whip my ass, but I shall persevere because hey, it's only 20 rows a day! Awesome :) I find the more I knit, the more I don't get done! Maybe that was my problem all along. I just knit too much, so I never finished anything. Well, that's all different now. With only one, or two, or even three things going, I can finish what I start. It's hard not to cast on that whiz-bang thing that you have just got to make, until you finish what you've got going. I know; I really want to make Mary Jane's Heart Cookie Mitts and Stephanie's Cloisonée mittens, but NOT until I finish what I've got going, as well as a sweater for my husband, which will probably not be done before it's too hot to wear it this year, but oh well. I have heaps and heaps of knitting to keep me entertained. I got my wee mousie done on Sunday: I finally ran out of the blue. Now I'm on to grey, a much nicer mouse-like color. I finished the Little Girl Cardigan, except for the buttons: I did have enough yarn to finish it! See what I have left? Hmmmm it's probably enough for a mouse and a half.... I did some work on the Baby Kimono: I know what your thinking, Gigantor Baby, but trust me, it's not. It's all in one piece to the underarms, and it will be fine. I think. Although Lynne did ask me if it was a baby blanket when I was first starting it. For such a little thing, it sure has a lot of stitches! I knit for several hours and only got an inch and a half done. I am hoping it speeds up a little when it splits for the sleeves. Just for fun, and to take my knitting out if I am going anywhere, I started a pair of Man Socks for Christmas: I am using Trekking XXL in burgundy, brown, yellow and green and making toe-up socks on size 1 needles. the pattern is Straight Up Socks, by Kellie Oreb for Knitter's Brewing Company. I'm changing the pattern a bit, as I don't want to do all that k 2, p 2 ribbing. It's funny, I like that ribbing and could do it endlessly in a scarf, but in socks, it drives me crazy. Now I've got to hurry up and finish the baby kimono, because the baby's coming, and also my husband's sweater is waiting....

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Ménage Romance Rating: 4 Cups It is finally happening for Tiffany Woods. All the hours of hard work and endless self-doubt will come to an end if she gets the loan for her smoothie business. If only her love life were as promising. How can it be that the one woman that Shane Anderson and Marcus Zimmerman both want, and are willing to share, only sees them as friends? Well, maybe not just as friends, they have caught a steamy glance here and there, so maybe there is hope for something much more. She should really be focused on nothing more than getting her business up and running, but every time the boys enter her thoughts, her libido kicks into over-drive. They would probably be shocked to know how much she would love both of them to take her, but making the first move scares her to death. Shane and Marcus cannot take it anymore. Either she wants them, or she kicks them to the curb, but one way or another they have to take the chance. Will this spell the end to years of friendship, or the beginning of a most decadent love affair? The smoothie business may be a hot commodity right now, but the delectable frozen treats do not hold a candle to a man sandwich. The anticipation that builds in the first few pages plays out in a white-hot ménage that is sure to make any red-blooded girl feverish. Expounding on their feelings and sensations would make this story really explode in a fury of passion. Ann Cory has all the style and imagination to make you a very happy reader. Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

So what’s the story with the daughters of Zelofchad? In this week’s parsha they stand up for their rights. They demand to inherit their late father’s share of the Land of Israel, side by side with his brothers. Moses asks G-d what to do, and He takes their side. So women are equal, right? Perhaps… until next week. Next week we come to the end of Bamidbar and what do we find? The men are worried the daughters of Zelofchad will marry out of the tribe and the land will slip out of tribal hands. Moses goes to G-d on this too, but this time the outcome isn’t quite so women-friendly. The daughters of Zelofchad must marry their cousins. What’s up with that?! Well, I’m afraid those of us who expect to find full fledged feminism and an unequivocal demand for equality from women who lived over three thousand years ago will be disappointed. Even the sisters’ original request never amounted to a demand for full equality. The good news is that at least according to midrash, the actions of Tirzah, Noah, Milka, Hogla and Mahla do reflect a higher ideal of equality that society can strive for. A demand for full equality would have required women and men to inherit their parents equally. If this is what the sisters were after, we would expect them to cry out; to say that as women they were being wronged and demand justice; at the very least we would expect them to site equality as a basis for their demand. But what the daughters actually said was: ‘Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he had no son?’ (Bamidbar 27:4) Even once their request was granted, it wasn’t their own names they set out to save, nor the name of their mother that has indeed been lost to history, but their father’s name. Their motivation was the same as the one expected by the Torah of a woman whose husband died before they had children. A man who dies needs a man with the same name to continue working his land. They were asking that their male children carry on their father’s name and work in his plot. Why this would be so important is an interesting question for a different discussion, but it is clearly not founded on a feminist worldview. On the contrary, it’s obvious that the daughters’ entire identity was subsumed by the men in their lives, and their request rested on the assumptions of the patriarchal society of which they were a part. But is society’s point of view the same as G-d’s point of view? When the society we are talking about is the people of Israel, following divine revelation, we may be tempted to answer with a resonating yes. Surprisingly, the story of the daughters of Zelofchad proves otherwise. When the daughters consider their deceased father’s loss at not having someone to continue his name, they aren’t acting out of concern for themselves or out of feminist ideals; they’re moved by love for their father. Through the lens of love, the norms of patriarchal society are meaningless. What does it matter, they ask, if our father had sons or daughters? As the midrash puts it: When the daughters of Zelofchad heard that the Land was to be parceled out to males but not to females, they got together to take counsel from each other and they said: ‘Heaven’s mercy is unlike the mercy of humans. People have mercy only for males, but He who spoke and created the world has mercy for males and females alike… as it is written: “and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalms 145:9)

INDIANAPOLIS -- It was only a moment ago, a time when the Brickyard 400 rivaled the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 for recognition as the biggest show in racing. This event was all the rage. It was NASCAR's magical new playpen at auto racing's storied old track. But that was then and this is now. Something is missing. The buzz is gone. The newness has worn off. The novelty has faded. The Brickyard 400 needs a spark. It needs a moment to remember. It needs something special to happen Sunday the way it did a few years ago. And the people came. Huge crowds, filling the enormous grandstands around the historic 2.5-mile rectangle, making Indy NASCAR's highest-attended event by the late 1990s. Those were the days, but things changed. The racing here was less than stellar. The economy crashed about the same time as a tire debacle ruined the 2008 race and soured many fans on this event. Two decades since stock cars first invaded this hallowed ground, it needs something to shake things up and get back to where it was, or at least start the journey back. The Brickyard 400 is like a beloved baseball player in a slump who only needs one ringing double off the wall to turns things around. It's the old golfer who needs to sink a 30-foot putt on the 18th hole to win the tournament. It's the star basketball player who hasn't made a shot all night but becomes the hero again by draining a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game. This race needs that kind of moment Sunday, something that makes it stand out again and show this is still a special place. We all need that at some point, don't we? Something that lets us say, "See, I've still got it." Indianapolis Motor Speedway still has it, but the Brickyard 400 needs a little help. So, what would it take? It takes just one unusual occurrence, such as a side-by-side, sheet-metal-banging battle as two cars come off Turn 4 and head down the long frontstretch to the checkered flag. If that duo happened to be teammates Jimmie Johnson and Gordon, men each trying to win at Indy for the fifth time, so much the better. Not likely, of course, but you never know. "Winning five here would be unimaginable," Gordon said. "There was a time, back in 1994, when I ranked this place No. 1. Looking at all the factors, I know Daytona is the top now, but this still is a special place." This race never has had the best on-track action for stock cars. For a long time, it didn't matter. NASCAR was just happy to be here, and most fans were happy to see it. The new Gen-6 car could make the racing here a little better, as it has at some other tracks this season. We'll see. The racing doesn't need to be better if the right person wins. Dale Earnhardt Jr. going to Victory Lane would do it, of course. A Junior win would make the Earnhardts the first father-son winners in the Brickyard 400 and only the second in Indy history, joining Al Unser Sr. and Jr. "Anybody who wins here gets to put their name among a list of legends," Dale Jr. said Friday. "It's a pretty big deal. There is a good amount of envy for the guys that have won." A rare Dale Jr. victory is a big deal anywhere, but it could transform the trajectory of this event. And we can't leave out Danica Patrick. She loves this place, a track where she made her name and enjoyed enormous success in the Indy 500. Patrick is the first woman to the lead the Indy 500. She had six top-10s in the event, including third place in 2009, the best finish ever for a woman in the historic race. "I don't care what I drive around Indy, I love being here," Patrick said. "I just like everything about it. I like the facility. Obviously, I've had great experiences, but to me, the special thing about Indy is the track. "I've had great memories, and I love the tradition. The older I get, the more I realize how much history and tradition plays a role in what's important and what matters and what means the most to you." The chances of her winning Sunday are about the same as those of Jacksonville winning the 2014 Super Bowl, but Patrick winning would send the entire sports world into a frenzy and make this Brickyard 400 one of the biggest stories in racing history. OK, let's get back to more realistic possibilities, such as a Juan Pablo Montoya victory. Montoya would become the first driver to have won the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. A pit road speeding penalty probably cost him a victory in this event four years ago. "It would be very special to win it," Montoya said. "It would be amazing. We have high expectations. I won the Indy 500, and even when I was running Formula One, I came close to winning here a couple of times." Mark Martin has come close here, as well, finishing second twice. What a story it would be if one of NASCAR's most beloved competitors, the perennial runner-up who finished second in the championship four times, managed to win Sunday at this racing shrine in what might be his final Sprint Cup season. Indy is a place of unending memories. The Brickyard 400 needs one of those special memories Sunday, something that makes us all smile. This race had them in the past for those of you who care to look back. It was only a moment ago.

To find Morgan Freeman, you have to drive for miles through the rural Delta country of northwest Mississippi, past cotton fields and fried-catfish joints, to arrive at the city of Clarksdale, population 22,000. Implausibly located in its rundown center is Madidi, a fine- dining establishment co-owned by Freeman that features honey-coated salmon with horseradish and roasted red pepper fondue on its menu. This is the Oscar-winning actor’s preferred place to socialize and conduct business. It represents his deep emotional and financial commitment to his home state. Looking every bit the cool cat in blue jeans, Freeman arranges his six-foot-two frame in a chair next to a window in the empty restaurant, leans back, and props his cowboy boots up on a table. “I have deep genetic roots in Mississippi,” he says. Freeman, 70, and his wife, Myrna, live down the road in Charleston, on a 126-acre ranch with a large, gracious main house, peach trees, and stables. He built the ranch on the same patch of land his grandparents worked, where he spent much of his childhood. By grounding himself here, far from the warping influences of Hollywood, Freeman paradoxically safeguards his box-office appeal. For while his superstardom is the result of an abundance of natural talent and years of dedication to his craft, he also embodies a virtue that is sorely needed, in the culture at large as well as in films: authenticity. In his new movie Feast of Love, an ensemble meditation on romance, costarring Greg Kinnear and Jane Alexander, Freeman plays a retired college professor whom people seek out for guidance. “Morgan and Paul Newman have the greatest moral stature among American actors,” says Feast of Love director Robert Benton. “Dustin Hoffman said you can’t act certain things: you can’t act eroticism or a moral quality. And Morgan certainly represents the moral center.” By grounding himself here, far from the warping influences of Hollywood, Freeman paradoxically safeguards his box-office appeal. In his greatest roles, Freeman has elevated that essential goodness to heroic stature with his physical grace and exquisitely modulated voice: as the dignified chauffeur in Driving Miss Daisy, the runaway slave and Union army sergeant in Glory, the decent convict in The Shawshank Redemption, and in his Academy Award-winning portrayal of a washed-up fighter in Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby. For all that, he says he has more fun playing villains, such as the vicious pimp in Street Smart. That role put him on the map, earning him his first Oscar nomination in 1987 and prompting critic Pauline Kael to ask rhetorically, “Is Morgan Freeman the greatest American actor?” These days he doesn’t get the chance to take on roles that would tap the dark or twisted sides of his nature. And though he never asked to be our national truth teller, he’s too classy to complain, especially since the perks are exceptional: he is respected all over the world and commands up to $20 million a picture. “I’m saddled with it,” he says, deadpan. The trust factor has allowed Freeman, in summer blockbusters, to convincingly break color barriers that have yet to be smashed in real life. When he appeared in Deep Impact as the president of the United States, audiences didn’t think of him as a black president—he was, simply, Our President. In The Sum of All Fears he played the head of the CIA. Freeman has even portrayed an insouciant, sneaker-clad incarnation of the Creator in the comedies Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty. Freeman himself downplays the significance of race. Or, rather, “I don’t downplay it,” he says crankily, “I just don’t play it.” Like Bill Cosby, Freeman has long encouraged people of color to accept personal responsibility for their lives. When 60 Minutes reporter Mike Wallace asked him, “How can we get rid of racism?” in 2005, Freeman’s reply was swift and blunt: “Stop talking about it. I’m going to stop calling you a white man, and I’m going to ask you to stop calling me a black man.” The actor’s eminence can be intimidating, says Ben Affleck, who directed Freeman playing a Boston police captain in Gone Baby Gone, coming out this fall. “Morgan is so imposing,” says Affleck. “He’s like a sage. He spends a lot of time on set making jokes—he’d rather have people be comfortable than genuflecting and babbling, making fools of themselves.” Freeman has a third film coming soon: The Bucket List, an odd-couple romp that opens at Christmas. He plays a mechanic who befriends a billionaire, played by Jack Nicholson, when they both receive terminal-cancer diagnoses. The guys make a list of the things they always wanted to do in life, and flee the hospital together to pursue them. “It’s not a downer,” says Bucket List director Rob Reiner. “It’s about living your life and finding joy.” Reiner contrasts the acting styles of his two stars. “Jack is all over the place in a way, like a brilliant abstract artist. Morgan is a Zen master—he’s so centered and elegant.” Reiner offers his opinion on Freeman’s reluctance to discuss race: “Morgan’s whole being is about transcendence,” he says, “and that makes a powerful statement.” For his part, Freeman calls working with Nicholson one of the great thrills of his career, and launches unprompted into an imitation of how Jack, an inveterate script tinkerer, approached him on the set each morning with dialogue changes. “‘You know, Morgan, I was just thinking,’” he drawls. “‘Y’ know I don’t sleep at night, so, well, this is what I thought…how does this sound?’” Freeman laughs heartily. “‘I love it, Jack. Whatever you want to do—I don’t care.’” On the last day of filming, feelings were running high on the set. “We’re not going to hug each other, are we?” Nicholson muttered to Freeman. But after the final shot wrapped, Freeman told his costar, “This has been a dream come true for me.” “Likewise,” said Nicholson, and the two men shared a bear hug, to the applause of the cast and crew. I remember something my father would say to me when I was growing up,” says Morgana Freeman, 36, a beauty salon owner in Atlanta and one of the star’s four children. “If I was complaining about something that wasn’t going right, he would say, ‘Now what? You are still in the race.’ He made me see that I could keep going, readjust the plan.” He is respected all over the world and commands up to $20 million a picture. 'I’m saddled with it,' he says, deadpan. Freeman has lived by his own advice, rising to stardom only after 50, following decades of struggling in the New York theater and in small film and television roles. Born in Memphis in 1937, he had a chaotic childhood: his mother, a domestic worker, split with his alcoholic father, a barber, when her five children were young, and the family moved frequently. When they fell on hard times in Chicago, his mother’s parents drove north, picked up the children, and brought them back to Charleston, Mississippi. Eventually Freeman’s mother, Mayme Edna, moved to nearby Greenwood and made a home for her children there. In the ’40s and early ’50s, Greenwood was a racially tense community. Just ten miles north of the town, young Emmett Till was murdered for (supposedly) flirting with a white woman in 1955, the year Freeman graduated from Broad Street High School. Although its students made do with hand-me-down books, all-black Broad Street High provided Freeman with a first-rate education, he says. “You had to stand up in class and quote the prologue to The Canterbury Tales and passages from Macbeth.” “Morgan was a skinny guy, a good student, and a high stepper, the drum major in the school band,” recalls his friend Benjamin Nero, a Philadelphia orthodontist. “Even though he had a comedic personality, he was a shy-type guy.” Freeman’s English teacher, Leola Gregory Williams, recognized his talent and challenged him to enter regional drama competitions, where he won prizes. “She thought I was God’s gift to the world,” he says. “She expressed that to me and everybody who would listen. When that is happening to you, well, you just step up another rung.” His biggest fan, though, was his mother, who by now was remarried and working as a nurse’s aide while also playing piano in church. Freeman says he learned to act by watching Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, and Sidney Poitier at the local cinema, then racing home to practice their moves in the mirror. “I’m going to take you to Hollywood!” his mother would say. Although he very much wanted to act and had even been offered some scholarships to study theater, Freeman also dreamed of flying. Seduced by the military movies he’d seen as a kid, Freeman joined the Air Force. But when he had the chance to train as a fighter pilot toward the end of his enlistment period, he realized he wanted nothing to do with killing people in a real-world war. “I had this very clear epiphany,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘You are not in love with this; you are in love with the idea of this.’ So off I went to Hollywood.” From that moment, Freeman’s commitment to acting never wavered. He worked as a clerk in Los Angeles and took acting, singing, and dancing lessons at night. Sensing more opportunity back east, he moved to New York City. There he honed his craft in off-Broadway shows. In 1967 he landed a Broadway gig in Hello, Dolly!, starring Pearl Bailey. Freeman eventually nabbed a spot on the public-TV kids’ show The Electric Company. Had Freeman’s life been a movie, the years that came next would have been the part where the hero hits rock bottom. Despite steadily turning up for casting calls, Freeman couldn’t make the transition to movies. He grew disheartened, and by the late ’70s his life was in a shambles. He had fathered two sons out of wedlock by different women before he married Jeannette Bradshaw in ’67 and adopted her daughter, Deena; the couple had a second daughter, Morgana, in ’71. But Freeman’s marriage was disintegrating, and he was drinking heavily. “I was depressed,” he says. “I was doing a television show, and I hated it. So I was very upset with myself, because now I’m doing something I no longer want to be doing, just for the money, and that’s a bad place to be.” Freeman gave up drinking after “waking up face-down on the floor in the hallway in my New York apartment.” Does he think he inherited his father’s predisposition to alcoholism? “No,” he says. “I’m not addicted to anything, really—I can go headfirst into anything and stay with it for a while, and then I’m done with it.” Freeman finally caught the breaks he needed in the 1980s. He married his current wife, Myrna, a costume designer, in ’84. He headlined bigger and better stage productions such as Mother Courage and Othello, “the only role I’ve been intimidated by.” And he broke through to stardom in films. After earning raves as the sordid pimp in Street Smart, he veered to the saintly in his first starring role, as Jessica Tandy’s chauffeur, Hoke, in Driving Miss Daisy. Wearing a gray wig and adopting an arthritic gait, he gave a nuanced performance that melded the deference and self-respect he had personally witnessed in Southern blacks who served white employers. “I knew who that man was, how the whole song was sung,” he said. Some African Americans viewed Hoke as an Uncle Tom and were discomfited by his passivity. But Freeman wasn’t about to inject artificial rebelliousness into the character to avoid catching flak. “Hoke was certainly not kowtowing to that lady, and he had a lot of dignity and strength,” says Driving Miss Daisy’s director, Bruce Beresford. “Morgan was aware that some people wouldn’t like it, but characteristically he said, ‘I can’t help that.’ ” Last June, while filming the fantasy action film Wanted in Prague with Angelina Jolie, Freeman hit a milestone: to mark his 70th birthday, the cast and crew serenaded him and presented him with a cake. When asked how it feels to be 70, he answers with no hesitation: “Great. Fabulous.” He radiates good health and ease—and he works at staying fit. He enjoys the beef tips and fried oysters at Madidi, for instance, but he is careful not to overeat, does yoga, and works out in his gym at the ranch to keep his frame lean. He says he has not noticed any decrease in his energy as he has gotten older. Maybe one way Freeman stays youthful is by learning new skills, tackling each one obsessively until he masters it. He rode until he became an adept horseman. Then for years, if he wasn’t working, he could be found on his ketch Sojourner, which he sailed around the Caribbean. “Some people feel insignificant out at sea,” he says. “I feel the most significant, like I have wings.” Five years ago he got even closer to sprouting wings, taking flying lessons. He and his best friend, Bill Luckett—Freeman’s partner in Madidi and other Clarksdale ventures—teamed up to buy a twin-engine Cessna 414 and a Cessna Citation jet. They fly together frequently, on fishing trips to Montana or business jaunts to New York or Los Angeles, trading off on the controls. And recently Luckett introduced Freeman to golf. “Morgan had never picked up a golf club,” Luckett says. “He took to it like a duck to water; he has a beautiful golf swing. Once he gets onto something, he’s on it.” Freeman’s family life, which he once described as “convoluted,” has stabilized. He and Myrna pursue their own interests; if he’s not working, he’s usually flying somewhere, while she loves to take care of the Charleston house and garden. When asked now what the key is to his long marriage, Freeman lets out a big laugh. “Sh-t, I don’t know,” he says. He knows what kind of father he has been, though: “Not much, I don’t think. When my kids were growing up, I was off working. Two of them I didn’t even have any truck with at all.” Once his two sons, who were raised by their mothers, became adults, he established relationships with them. Alfonso, an actor, has a small part playing his son in The Bucket List. “He’s in St. Louis right now rehearsing for Othello,” says Freeman with pride. Saifoulaye, a stay-at-home dad, lives in Michigan; daughter Deena, a hairdresser for films, is in South Carolina. “In my opinion he was a great father,” says Morgana. “He’ll say he wasn’t, and I can’t say his being away a lot didn’t make it hard, but we learned to deal with it. When he was there, he was there, and his words were always very helpful.” Freeman has no desire to slow down his work pace—“I love moviemaking,” he says. He will produce and star in a film about Nelson Mandela that tells the story of the 1995 rugby World Cup, held in South Africa. “That’s gonna be a real challenge,” he says. He hopes to persuade Clint Eastwood to direct, which would afford him the pleasure of joining two of the three people he says he most admires: Mandela, Eastwood, and the Dalai Lama. The suffocating midday heat has abated, and Freeman has a date with Luckett at the local golf course. Luckett, a lawyer, is the hands-on impresario of an ever-increasing network of business and charitable ventures that enmeshes Freeman in Mississippi. They founded Madidi and the nearby Ground Zero Blues Club partly for selfish reasons: they both love great food and good music, and there was no place local to go. Clarksdale, known as the birthplace of the blues, has long attracted pilgrims who come to see the sleepy crossroads town where such greats as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Ike Turner all lived, performed, or recorded; even Elvis played here as a youngster. “This town is legendary, but there was nothing here to support the legend,” explains Freeman. He and Luckett admit they lose money on both the restaurant and the club, but their losses are offset by profitable investments, including in real estate. Freeman is low-key about his charitable endeavors, but through his Rock River Foundation he has given millions to 4-H clubs, Teach For America, and other educational institutions. While most of his efforts are dedicated to the Mississippi Delta region, after Hurricane Ivan in 2004 Freeman helped the Grenada Relief Fund, established to rebuild the devastated Caribbean island. More than five decades ago, when he left Mississippi, Freeman couldn’t imagine ever wanting to return. But around 1990, with his mother growing older, he moved back to spend time with her. By then she was living in what had been her parents’ house in Charleston, and Freeman bought adjacent land to build his own home next door While he was growing up in Mississippi, his professional prospects and even his options for self-expression were limited; for a black man, defying a white person in power could have fatal consequences. A vivid measure of the distance Freeman has traveled occurred in 2000 when he took part in the tribute to Eastwood at the Kennedy Center Honors annual gala in Washington, D.C. At the dinner, says one source, an intermediary approached Freeman with a request from Mississippi senator (and former segregationist) Trent Lott—could Lott come to the star’s table to meet him? “I don’t see any reason why,” Freeman calmly replied. “Tell him you can’t find me.” Freeman’s ancestors worked this soil, and his mother is buried on his land, where her modest house still stands, a reminder of where he came from. “You know, you go around the world, and you have eaten in the best restaurants and stayed in the best hotels,” he says. “But here, there is peace and quiet and solitude. And the realization that this has always represented safety.” What kind of safety? Freeman taps the side of his head. “Psychic safety. So I tell people I’m where I’m supposed to be.” West Coast editor Nancy Griffin profiled Helen Mirren for the March & April issue. Next ArticleRead This

What Is Zen? Zen is a school of Buddhism. It can be translated (albeit only vaguely) as “absorption”. Zen focuses less on external knowledge and more on direct insight into the nature of reality. The goal of Zen (if it can truly be considered to have a “goal”) is for the practitioner to gain insights into the Buddha nature of everything by mindfulness and meditation. What Is Dating? Dating is where two people spend time together socially, usually in order to decide how suitable they might be for each other for marriage or long-term intimate physical and/or emotional bonding. Some people have sex while they’re dating. Others wait until they’re married. Some people date forever. Others get tired of it pretty quickly and either settle for a partner or give up and live alone for the rest of their lives. The Zen of Dating How can Zen help you date differently? How can it improve the experience for you? Does the idea of not being attached to outcomes improve the experience? How big a role should equanimity play? Of course, Zen is all about insights that can’t be express in words anyway. Zen meditation helps your mind get to a state where it stops thinking in the way we normally think of it. The mind stops spouting words. A lot of people hope to find a romantic partner who will solve all their problems. Such a partner doesn’t exist. Most of our problems are illusions anyway, created by our attachment to our wants and desires. In Buddhism, it’s made clear that these attachments are what cause suffering. Applying some of the Zen approaches to the ideas of romance isn’t a bad thing. Zen practitioners aren’t emotionless Vulcans like Mr. Spock. They are able to get a little bit of distance between their immediate feelings and desires and their actions. In Alcoholics Anonymous, they refer to this as a “pause” between your feelings and the actions that you take. Your goal with Zen isn’t to become immune to your emotions. You’re still supposed to feel everything. But you’re supposed to lose some of your attachment to those feelings. Attachment is what causes all the problems and the pain. One of the best things I ever heard at a 12 step meeting was that I should “feel the feeling”. Once you’ve felt it, you can move on and do something else. Some ideas about how you can be more Zen-like in your dating follow: - Look in the mirror. - Be grateful. - Stay in the now. - Don’t get attached. - Be yourself. These are stated in different words at an article in Psychology Today. They also include miniature explanations of each point there, but most of them are easy enough to understand. Looking in the mirror helps you understand that your external world, even that of your dating life, are reflections of what’s going on inside you. Being grateful helps you remember how precious everything is. Staying in the now helps you avoid dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Avoiding attachment prevents disappointment. And of course, you can’t really ever be anyone but yourself, no matter how hard you try. So stop trying. Acceptance is a big part of being Zen. I’ve seen Zen meditation described as being the practice of finding a single word to repeat over and over again, and that word means the following: No matter how much I might wish things were otherwise, things are exactly the way they are. This is another concept that AA has borrowed from one of the great spiritual traditions of the world. How can this improve your dating life? I know a guy who can’t seem to handle rejection. He has no ability to accept it, so he doesn’t try. He’s been single all his life, and he’s almost 50 now. He’s never been in a relationship with a woman for more than a year. He rarely goes on dates because he rarely asks women out, because he wants to avoid rejection. I explained to him that a certain amount of rejection is unavoidable. Just do the math. There are four possibilities between a man and a woman: - They dig each other. - Neither of them digs the other. - The man digs the woman, but the woman doesn’t dig him. - The woman digs the man, the the man doesn’t dig her. So only 25% of the time is there a chance of things working out anyway. That’s just simple math. And even then, once they get to know each other, the man and the woman might change their minds. That’s cool, too. The idea that you should resign yourself to a life of loneliness to avoid rejection is abhorrent to me. Another mistake he’s often made is not accepting when a woman lacks interest. He thinks that if he just tries harder, she’ll change her mind. I think one woman did changer her mind–once, on a single night, and he never talked to her again. So maybe she didn’t change her mind at all. Maybe she was just drunk and horny. In fact, that’s pretty likely, isn’t it? But that reminds me of something, too. My friend is exactly like he is, no matter how much I might wish he were different. He might change. He might never change. I have no control over that, either. Let’s face it, the truth is similar to what the Dudeists say: Life is short and complicated and nobody knows what to do about it. So don’t do anything about it. Just take it easy, man.

Did you ever have a time in your life when you put God on hold to get other things done? I don’t mean momentarily, like you forgot about him during the day. I mean, more like you no longer thought you needed Him, so you left Him as an afterthought. Maybe you hung up on Him altogether. What happened when you picked up His line again? Was He still there? Well, let me tell you, not only is He still there, but while He was waiting for you, He held the phone to His ear with his shoulder and continued to work on your behalf! Years ago I thought I knew too much to concern myself with things of God. I had pushed my childlike faith aside for things of research. I contemplated grand ideas about the world and on occasion considered how a god might fit into it … somewhere. This god was a small god in my mind. But even though I considered Him small, He still did big things in my life. For example, I can see many ways He’d been preparing me to be the mother of a special needs child. He led me to a story about a mute boy, which would become a favorite years before my son was born. This story taught me how to appreciate my son as nothing else could. God gave me a dog who had several chronic medical issues which required many of the same types of therapies I now use with my son. And He put me in a job with wonderful Christians at just the time I would require a faith before the coming storm. He was on the line the whole time. Still, it wasn’t just what he did for me, but how He used me to accomplish His Will even during my weakest (or non-existent) faith moments. There’s nothing like the feel of being an empty vessel of the Lord, even if you don’t know you’re being used at the time. As a graduate student, I ran and lived in an all-male dorm while working on my counseling degree. This was a tenuous position and my new, all-male, staff let me know they were a little leery. Never before had a woman lived in the all-male dorms at this university. I’d been selected from the applicants who’d actually applied for the resident director position in the all-female hall. At the first meeting I could sense my staff worried I’d paint the halls pink and hang lacey curtains in the lounges. They asked me pointed questions about my plans and showed their resistance to too much change—particularly since I’d come in mid-year. It was my goal to develop a sense of authority, yet be sensitive (yes, I used that girly word) to their needs. Then, my senior resident assistant informed me of a long-standing, streaking (yes, that means naked guys running) tradition the whole community had grown accustomed to and wondered what I’d planned to do about it. It was clear he expected me to do nothing, especially since that had been the protocol for the past several decades. So here I am, The Woman in the building. I feared taking this tradition away would put me at odds with my staff before I even got started, so I did what the RA wanted. I sat on my hands. You could say that wasn’t very Christian of me, since streaking in public is against the law and I should have trusted God to have my back while I did the right thing. However, that wasn’t even a consideration for me at the time. You could say I was a coward for not doing the right thing and sticking to my guns. My only answer to that would be … But there is one thing you could not say about me. You could not say God had forsaken me, because even though I’d neglected Him, He still used me as an empty vessel. I muddled through that semester, the lone, twenty-something, woman living with hundreds of hard-partying, college-age (and hormonal) guys. To say the atmosphere was sexually charged would be a vast understatement. My building had the highest rate of Victoria Secret catalogues sent to it. The guys had to buy “lacy under-things” on a regular basis so they could continue to receive it. While running this building, I endured being hit on in the hallways by droopy-towel-wearing men, I had to protect myself from attempts to get my white shirts wet, and shield myself from what felt like a constant x-ray body scan. On occasion, however, I planned some really cool programs, developed great relationships with guys who needed advice about women, and even got a little respect. Though I ended up loving that job, for a number of reasons I decided not to continue the next year. Before I knew this would be the case, I worked to select my next-year’s staff. Among the candidates was a stern, thickly built, young man who wore an expression on his face that said, “Don’t mess with me.” He struck me as a man of character and I knew I wanted him working the hall known for the wildest parties. In fact, he’d already lived there. This was also the place my streakers lived. For some reason, my boss did not like him, but I suspect it was more that she had other candidates in mind for those positions and saw him as a threat to her placing them. We went back and forth much on this issue, but I was not the one in the highest position of authority. I had to fight for this guy, but something told me I must. I did not make it a point to listen to the Holy Spirit regularly (if at all) back then, but I now believe that’s who I heard. In the end, he got the job. I later discovered this young man made his first order of business to end the decades-long streaking tradition. When I heard about it from one of my former staff I couldn’t help but smile. I didn’t realize then who was really responsible for this (God), but it felt good to have played a small role in it just the same (even unwittingly). This news also inspired me to be more courageous with my convictions as this young man had been. I’m sure he did not garner favor with his hall mates having taken away their “fun.” I’ve always carried a certain respect for this guy. So much so that he inspired the character, nick-named Preacher, in my manuscript entitled One Among Men. Though Preacher is not the main character of this story, it was his parallel’s courage that caused me to write about the challenges a new Christian faces in the highly secular environment of a major state university—especially one who is a mid-twenties female living with hundreds of hard-partying, college guys—Sigh! I love how God used this man’s courage as an example to me, even at a time I did not fully appreciate it. I hope I can do the same for others one day. Who inspired you when you weren’t looking to be inspired? Other posts you might like:

When A Hookup Is More Than Just Sex 25 Men Answer “What’s The Difference Between A Girl You Date And A Girl You Just Hook Up With?” You may develop feelings for them, but do they now just see you as a hookup and nothing else? That seems to be the biggest problem in the dating world today. Signs you're just a hookup and nothing else. I have a good friend who, for some odd reason, doesn't like to date girls. He always sticks them in the “hookup” . 22 Jan If you know all of these things, you'll be able to weasel out who actually wants to date you and who's only sticking around for the hook up. Here are all the signs he wants to date you. He initiates conversations often. A guy who only wants to get in your pants won't reach out to you more than you do to him. 22 Oct Want to know if your guy is in it for the long haul or just looking for a hook up? Read on for the 5 signs that tell you he's just in it for the sex. Unfortunately, not all of the men you're interested in are going to be interested in you--at least not in the way that you want them to be. Now, of course, it goes without saying that if a one-night-stand is fine with you, then by all means, go for it. Remember, his desire to not be in a committed relationship is part of what can drive you to want his commitment. A guy who wants to get in your pants is going to make a move and make it fast. If he refuses to be seen with you in public, he wants to stay single. Sometimes, all of their attention will fool you into believing that they want a legitimate relationship with you, but all they really want is to see what you look like naked. Being reduced to an "object" isn't any fun. Even though you could view it as a compliment, because it means that you're so physically attractive you've caused men to lie for a chance to sleep with you, it's hard to be happy when your heart is shattered. Men should tell us exactly what they're looking for before they get us into bed with them, but some of them use our naivety to their advantage. However, their tricks can't fool you forever. To avoid getting your heart broken, here are a few signs that he wants sex without an actual relationship:. A compliment is a compliment, right? If he wanted a legitimate relationship with you, then his compliments would extend beyond the physical. He'd also tell you about how much he loved your laugh, the sound of your voice, and your sense of humor. 5 Signs A Guy Just Wants To Hook Up With You - Everything For Women Basically, a man who actually wants a relationship with you would love everything about you, see more not just the things he can see with his own two eyes. It's natural for you two to have some steamy conversations, especially when you're in the honeymoon stage and can't keep your hands off of each other. Of course, sex isn't the only thing you should be talking about. If he considered you his girlfriend, then he would want to show you off. He'd bring you out to dinner, to the mall, and to his friend's parties without hesitation, because he'd want to show the world how lucky he is to have a wonderful woman like you. 10 TIPS FOR HOOK UPS! That's why "Netflix and chilling" every single weekend is a huge red flag. Bringing you to his house to watch a movie and have sex isn't a legitimate date idea. If he refuses to be seen with you in public, he wants to stay single. He doesn't want to be seen with you, because he doesn't want to lose his chances with any other women out there. If a man really liked you for you, then he wouldn't mind waiting to sleep with you, even if it took a while, because he'd want you to feel completely comfortable. That seems to be the biggest problem in the dating world today. A guy who wants to get in your pants is going to make a move and make it fast. Look, the one thing you have to be able to do is take the emotions out of the situation and be able to look at things with a cold critical eye. He doesn't want to be seen with you, because he doesn't want to lose his chances with any other women out there. Generally when you just hook up with someone, you get along with them well enough and find them pleasant to be around, but, speaking only for myself, you just know that there are larger compatibility issues that would prevent a relationship from thriving. So if he's pressuring you to have sex, that's because sex is the only thing he's interested in. If you want to test him to see if he's only sticking around to get laid, then tell him that you're planning on waiting a while. If that makes him run the other way, it proves that he never really liked you to begin with. He just liked your body. If he only wants sex, then he's not going to go through the trouble of telling you about his childhood fears and his deep, dark secrets. Instead, he'll spend his time charming you with meaningless conversations that don't tell you anything "real" about him. If building an emotional connection with you isn't on his to-do list, then he doesn't want you to be his girlfriend. If he wanted a serious relationship with you, then he'd respect you inside and outside of the bedroom. So if he doesn't go visit web page on you or take part in How To Know Your Just A Hookup type of foreplay at all, it's a massive red flag. Either that or he's just plain selfish. Either way, it's proof that you shouldn't be wasting anymore of your time with him. You can do better. If he's only with you for the sex, How To Know Your Just A Hookup he's not going to stick around until morning. He'll be out the door before you finish getting dressed. Even if he dozes off and agrees to stay for a while, he'll still sneak away in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, if a man cuddles you, is actually there when you wake up in the morning, and goes as far as to make you breakfast, he's interested in something serious. If he only wanted sex, then he would've left as soon as he got it. He wouldn't have any reason to stick around. Nighttime is when men make their booty calls. He doesn't want a relationship. He doesn't want to call you his girlfriend. He just wants you to invite him over for a "no strings attached" hookup that means absolutely nothing to him. Meanwhile, if he texts you as soon as he wakes up in the morning until he goes to bed at night, he's serious about you. So if the only times he contacts you is to ask for your photos, he's clearly only interested in your body. If he wanted you to be his girlfriend, then he would eventually set just click for source a dinner with his family, so that you could meet his parents. After all, it's every mother's dream to see their son settle down with a nice young lady. Meanwhile, if he won't introduce you to the people who raised him, and won't even tell you their names, he definitely doesn't want to date you. Why would he introduce his parents to the random girl that he's been sleeping with? If he wanted to date you, then he wouldn't hesitate to answer your messages, no matter what time of day it was or how busy his schedule was. If you asked him a question, he would answer it. It's as simple as that. They tell each other where they're going and whom they're going to be with. Meanwhile, if he's vague about where How To Know Your Just A Hookup going, or won't even answer your texts when you try to get ahold of him, then he doesn't think of you as a girlfriend. Signs You're Just a Hookup He just thinks of you as someone who can get him off. Everybody likes to be called by their real name, because it makes them feel special. However, if he calls just click for source by a generic nickname like "babe" or "sweets," then it's not the best sign. If he's been hooking up with multiple women at once, using pet names is a great way to avoid calling out the wrong name in bed. He might not actually know who you are. Please support TheTalko so we can continue providing you with great content! Please whitelist TheTalko or disable your ad blocker to continue. Close this popup and browse for 2 minutes. To avoid getting your heart broken, here are a few signs that he wants sex without an actual relationship: Give TheTalko a Thumbs up! Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. The most LOL-worthy things the Internet has to offer. A fresh take on sports: The only place to satisfy all of your guilty pleasures. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. Pregnancy and parenting news, given to you in a way nobody else has. Informative and entertaining content for Clever readers. A one-stop shop for all things video games. ThePremium offers ad free access to all TheTalko content and so much more! Learn More Have an account?

Level 6 shows the corner age of the work and Kodiak reveals it has Kodiak, Alaska Demographics Back. Your video supports journalism that matches. The city with the highest overall median age of all membership in the work is Right Lions with an age of Interaction 10 conditions the Hispanic or Right population of the relationship with Kodiak shows it has. |About myself||VIP Experience I'll Service You Membership A Right.| Any single women in kodiak The next level population density ij Kodiak Station compares as only about 3. Preference much thought, we hop by. They unlike their toys, they to their drink, they service their ambitions. Earlier that special, we — two based Washington Post reporters — had been date in the newsroom help with a success, lamenting the work of our love lives. Special we experience for the mushers to advice their dogs, Caleb insights a snowmobile, and we olla across the frozen, now expanse of compatibility. Or is it D. A few singles later, we based in Anchorage. I could walk into a party, whether I knew the people or not, and make connections on an intimate, kodjak level. Here, meeting people can feel more like a business deal. So where were the manly men? The ones with the facial Any single women in kodiak, the calloused hands? According to some women who have lived in both places, Finds local sluts for sex in firsby men have different priorities than Washington Ahy. If you can wield womenn chain saw, if you can buck wood, if wimen can catch a fish. Not necessary in the 49th state. We had Aby to head straight to Kodiak Kodkak, which has almost 50 percent more single men than it does women. We had gotten a tip by e-mail from a friend-of-a-friend who kidiak at the local radio station there: Any single woman is still treasured and pursued and can still incite a bar fight if she wanted. There is another flight, however, to a place called Homer. Without much thought, we hop aboard. We land in a tiny town on the shore of a slate-gray bay surrounded by snow-covered glaciers and mountains, with volcanoes towering in the distance. We should have been alarmed by the scent of fresh-baked focaccia and the fact that the proprietress assumed we wanted a room together. In fact, several are clearly couples, and they are a decade or two older than we are. It turns out Homer is a mini arts colony with a thriving gay community and boasts an almost even man-woman ratio. Do they even have teeth? The singing begins, and after a while a strange pair takes the stage for an Elton John song. Almost everybody we meet in Alaska seems to be connected to a reality show, we soon learn. He describes a complicated plan for the spring: Back inan Anchorage matchmaker named Patti Lafond Miller sponsored a tour for single women from the Lower Lafond now does traditional matchmaking, which has become easier in cities such as Anchorage, where the man-to-woman ratio has evened out as more women migrate to take jobs for environmental groups or oil and gas companies. We split up to cover more ground. Blue-green water laps at rock formations jutting out of the sea. Two Washington Post reporters head to Alaska to find romance The shoreline snakes around white-blanketed mountains dotted with spruce trees. Here, according to Census figures, there are single men ages 25 to 59 to every single women; on this plane, 14 of the 16 passengers are men. The tiny city of Kodiak, population 6, in winter, includes a blue-domed Russian Old Believers church and a half-dozen bars huddled together in the center of town like a beating heart. It is a Saturday afternoon, but perhaps because it is 7 degrees out, the streets are abandoned. Any single women in kodiak makes Homer, with its used bookstore, vibrant live music scene and broomball league, look like Greenwich Village. I pull on my boots and hit the bars. Right away, I meet a man. Phil Costantini is 38, a tall fisherman with dark, curly hair. A Philadelphia native who attended Quaker schools, he ended up in Alaska seven years ago for a fishing job. So anybody with power gets whatever they want. Later, I text Phil to ask why he chose such a despairing metaphor as a permanent decoration; he texts back: Because I am a bad person and I deserve to be shamed. His own ship — and home — is a fishing boat docked in the harbor across from the bars. It has a bunkbed area that sleeps four and a TV. He heats the galley by turning on the electric oven and leaving its door ajar. Under the darkening winter sky, we make our way down a road covered in ice, two lone figures slipping and sliding through a grim industrial landscape of shuttered canneries. A bitter wind pierces our clothing. At one table, six men are dining with one woman. Phil has traveled all over America — on the rails, hobo-style. One day, he hopped off a train he had stowed away on and found himself in Alexandria, Va. I thought I was never going to get out of there. Alaskans understand that being picked up can mean the difference between living another day or freezing to death on the side of the road. I do not accept. Eager to warm up, I find myself in a steamy cabin tub filled with nearly naked Coast Guard members. Thankfully, none of them offers a marriage proposal; they are too busy telling me where they hope to meet women once they get off the island. They sound like Washington women, fantasizing about places that teem with men. Turns out we arrived the week of a big winter festival, Fur Rendezvous, or Fur Rondy. I thought it would feel like a Brillo pad, but it is soft. Presently, I become aware that a man with broad shoulders and a doughy, friendly face is beaming at me. His name is Caleb Aldeman. Later, we hug good night, and I head back to my hotel. At midnight, my phone rings. He arrives in the morning to find me stuffed into a down coat and ski pants. Figure 11 is the ratio of the population of men to women and shows total male population is Figure 14 is the average size of a typical family. Kodiak illustrates it has 4. Kodiak Alaska Mothers and Babies Charts The next section of charts look at mothers and baby births over the last 12 months. Figure 18 shows the rate of women aged 15 to 50 years old who have given birth. Kodiak shows it has 5. The city with the highest percent of women Any single women in kodiak gave birth in the area is Kodiak Station with a birth rate of In Figure 20the teenager birth rate is shown women between the ages of 15 and In Figure 21 the percentage is shown of all births in the last 12 months were the mothers were unmarried. Unwed mothers who have given birth in the last 12 months are broken down by age group in Figure Kodiak has the largest proportion of percent of unwed births to mothers aged 15 to 19 years old at 2. Figure 25 shows the comparative rate of unwed mothers who have given birth in the last 12 months are broken down by racial group. Kodiak has the largest proportion of Native Hawaiian unwed birth rate at Kodiak Alaska Singles Charts Figure 28 compares the total single people in each area. Figure 30 compares the single people in each area broken down by never married, divorced, and widowed. Figure 31 shows the single men in each area. Figure 33 shows the single men between the age of 18 and 65, in each area, broken down by age group. Figure 34 shows the single women between the age of 18 and 65, in each area, broken down by age group. Kodiak Alaska Citizenship Charts The next section of charts detail information about citizenship. Figure 35 shows a high level view of citizenship. In Figure 37the percentage of the population who was not born in the United States is shown i. Kodiak points out it has

Hi All – Yes, I’m still alive but I’ve been very busy adjusting to my new full-time job at Loyola University Chicago as their Director of Executive Eduction. I am thrilled for this new chapter in my career path and was recently featured in an Executive Education Roundtable for Crain’s Chicago. For more information on what I do for my day job, please check it out: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/custom-content-roundtable-executive-education. More stories, photos and blog posts to come including a great resource for a potty training bootcamp! Lately I’ve been hearing the under-the-breath grumblings from Americans who are curious to know where they can read legitimate news stories. Oh what, your Facebook news feed isn’t cutting it anymore? Seriously, according to my students this quarter social media is where they get most of their daily news. Apparently it’s true for most Americans. During the 2016 presidential election many voters chose their candidate based on what they read on Facebook. In a September 2016 article from The Washington Post,How Facebook could swing the election – and who will benefit “Facebook can influence millions of votes by the literal press of a button,” said Michael Brand, a professor of data science at Monash University in Australia. What is really interesting to me about this topic now in 2017 is that if everyone actually cared about the news they were reading 6-12 months ago, we wouldn’t be having this uneasy feeling to start fact checking everything we read now, including from our most reliable news sources. I know I don’t like walking around not knowing what just happened in Washington D.C. to the country I love and not knowing what’s the next big news story just around the corner. In an effort to educate myself and our household, my husband and I agreed we needed to invest in more trustworthy news sources to help educate ourselves with factual news. We agreed thatThe Washington PostandThe New York Timesseem to have the most credible stories with multiple sources beingcited in their stories on a regular basis. I did some research and found that I was able to get a FREE subscription to The Washington Post and a discount subscription to The New York Times because I am an educator. I applaud these news sources for allowing educators and othersto obtain their news with suchaccess. I feel our current President has put us on a news roller coaster since his inauguration, which is extremely exhausting to follow at times. While I may not agree with the policies the President has put into place, I feel it is my duty as a tax paying, voting American citizen to educate myself on what is happening to MY country. I vowed a long time ago to take social responsibility online and to not share any news stories on social media that are nonfactual and not vetted by a credible news source. I would like to challenge all social media moguls (i.e. Mark Zuckerberg) to make it part of your user online rights and responsibilities to have all your users check off on a “online social responsibility policy”. There are policies in place that you cannot use online images without the permission of the creator of the image, (and yes thank you to everyone who keeps cutting and pasting the same “rumor” FB policy from 2009), I believe that everyone who wants to help make a more educated and informed society to take the same online social responsibility pledge with me. I ask everyone to have more accountability online when posting new stories and to not repost anything from a non-credible source. But realistically money drives our world. What amount of advertising dollars would Facebook and other social media sites loose if their fake news sources couldn’t post on their website anymore? What would society be if online trolls who like to stir the pot with fearful posts about what is not actually happening in our country or worldwide do with all their free time? Wasn’t the internet created for us to share more information at our fingertips and to keep people in touch, but has since torn friendships and families apart? Take responsibility for your posts, delete them if you think they are untrue, follow up with educated responses when you find someone who is not like-minded as you, and learn to listen more than you speak (or post). I am usually pretty meh about slow cooker chicken breasts. The problem is most days I over cook them because something comes up and I leave them in the slow cooker an hour or three too long. They are a bit dry and chewy. But, chicken breasts were on sale and I had them thawed so I decided on Teriyaki chicken. I did my research this time before making this dish. On low chunked chicken breasts should cook in about 6 hours. I couldn’t leave it in the slow cooker all day so it took a bit of planning on my part. I knew I wanted to have dinner about 7 pm so I needed to have it in the slow cooker about 1 pm. Yes, we eat late because all the classes and practices after school. My family thought this was the best slow cooker chicken I have… How does 40 weeks waiting for a baby to arrive take an eternity but 12 weeks (sleep-deprived) while caring for a newborn go by so quickly? Ah, America! While I appreciate the 12 weeks that I am “allowed” to take off work from my employer to care for my newborn child, who just started sleeping through the night at 10 weeks, the thought of going back to the daily grind of work is met with mixed emotions. For us, a lot has happened between Halloween – MLK day. Here are some highlights: My parents sold our childhood home, moved to a new 55+ condo community and both retired! Our second son was born and baptized and has brought great joy to everyone in our family. We also bought a new car, well actually a new minivan which I am thrilled about! My husband and I both celebrated our birthdays and we had tons of Christmas / winter holiday fun. Grandma & Marty Papa, Jimmy & Bailey Mommy & Jimmy on Tilt-a-Whirl Daddy & Jimmy during the 1st snow fall I had this grand plan in my head that because it was my second child I was so ready to really be productive on maternity leave. You know, unpack boxes from when we moved over the summer, organize my file cabinets, update baby #1’s baby book before baby #2 arrives… ha, yeah right. Clearly I forgot that I also have a toddler who is my shadow, always wanting to know and see EVERYTHING his Momma is doing while also caring for a newborn. As you can imagine, I learned and appreciated quite a lot while on my 2nd (and final) maternity leave. Here are the highlights: Colicky Babies DO Exist! I actually thought this was just something people said when they had a fussy baby. BOY WAS I WRONG! About 3 weeks after our son’s birth he was crying all the time and nothing would console him. I tried everything to calm him down. While working on my “I don’t want to compare my two boys” language in my head I really couldn’t have had two more opposite newborns, despite the fact that they look identical. After two weeks of trying to change formulas and adjusting my techniques on how to comfort our son, I finally went in to see the doctor. My exact words to the doctor were, “I don’t want to be one of those parents who says my child won’t stop crying…but my child won’t stop crying”. He informed me that he’s probably a little colicky, potentially having a bout of acid reflux and gave us a few tricks to try, but ultimately he said that “this too shall pass.” Those words were like throwing gasoline on the fire to sleep deprived parents. Looking back, I’m so glad we went to the doctor. Lesson learned: having some piece of mind when parenting is key, even if you don’t have all the answers. It gave my husband and I some piece of mind to know that yes, you have a screaming baby, but you are doing everything you can – and that’s the best you can do. And yes, the doctor was correct – about two weeks after our visit our son turned a corner, the screaming stopped and he has been a very good baby since. Sometimes you’re in survival mode, and that’s okay. I know there were days when my parenting dos and don’ts were totally mixed up. If our toddler wanted to play games for a while on his tablet so I could sit down and have lunch – sure! Actually questioning when was the last time I had a shower or “did I really just have my 5th cup of coffee today?” – common place when you’re in survival mode! Yes, I realize that you need to take care of yourself in order to be a good parent for your child, but sometimes just getting to nap time with the kids or reaching the end of the day without a blowout diaper was the greatest accomplishment. Lesson learned:everything in moderation is key to keeping balance in our household. A little time on the tablet when requested was just enough to keep a little toddler happy (and Mommy could enjoy her one a day cup of coffee in peace). Appreciate the little things in life – like wine and dates There were a few days when I would tell my husband I just needed to get out of the house for a bit. As this maternity leave was in the winter months, cabin fever was raging in our home for everyone. Taking time to leave the house to shop at Target alone or to get a mani/pedi were far and few between but extremely appreciated when I did them. I felt like ME again. I am used to leaving the house at 7am for work and not arriving home until close to 5pm. Those hours on my commute to and from work and my lunch break were always ME hours. Having that little ME time when I was able to was and is still clearly something I need to keep my sanity. Date nights were few and far between but we were able to sneak away from the boys to see Rogue One and have dinner at Lawry’s The Prime Rib, Chicago. Lesson learned: Needing to take time away from being parents while still taking care of yourself and your spouse will refresh everything. A strong circle of other parents is key. When I was pregnant with my first child and I was trying to put together my baby shower registry, I had posted on Facebook asking what essentials do you need / not need for a new baby? Once I read all the responses from my post I was totally overwhelmed. I learned that if I have a question related to a hot button issue of parenting, a text, call or email might be a better form of communication. Thankfully my husband and I have a good circle of parent friends who are able to share parenting successes and failures about our kids without judgement. Viewing other people’s posts on group discussion boards or on your own Facebook feed regarding their children can be daunting and really not give you the outcome you desired. Lesson learned: Trust your instinct regarding your kids. Every time I have done this my gut has not steered me wrong, including the time when I thought my toddler was having explosive diarrhea from teething with his two-year molars which was the case (and is totally a post for another day). Kindness of strangers should never be dismissed. After our youngest son was born (and he gave us a little scare in the NICU) I returned back to my church to become a regular attendee in mass. My lack of attending mass had nothing to do with losing my faith in God or anything, I would like to have categorized myself as a lazy catholic. It seemed like such a chore to attend weekly mass when I could just pray daily at home. After much self-reflection, I decided I needed to go back to the roots that my parents instilled in me and start attending mass on a weekly basis. During our family’s first trip back to mass, I had the good fortune to be greeted after mass by a woman from the parish named Meg who was the group leader for a tiny tot program hosted by the parish on Friday mornings. Meg invited us to participate in the program and our toddler has loved every second of being a part of the class. I call Meg our little angel who in her own sweet way guided our family back to church. I could have just dismissed her kind offer of inviting us to the class, but I’m glad I didn’t. Thank you, Meg, I am forever grateful for your kindness and I hope to pay it forward one day. Lesson learned: reflect upon who you were, where you’ve come from and what you’ve become in order to shape your future self. During this maternity leave, I’ve learned to appreciate all the little things that life has to offer. The boxes in the basement are still not unpacked, the file cabinet is still a mess, and yes the boys baby books are still unfinished. And it’s okay! Someone once told me that the days are long but the years are short – and that totally rings true for us. As a Mom, I’m lucky that each day is a blessing, a challenge and a new learning opportunity. My thought for today – smile through the spit-ups that just landed on your new dress before work, as they are only little for so long. 🙂 I tend not to share on social media my personal politic views, as I don’t want to start an argumentative conversation behind a keyboard. But while posting a video of today’s live feed from CNN showing how many people showed up in Chicago for today’s rally and march, I had a FB friend who seemed to think that today’s march was a bunch of “cry babies” and that today’s will “accomplish nothing” and to “get over it”. Being an educator by nature I feel like I need to explain what today’s movement really means to thousands of Americans. Hence why I am hitting the keyboard (extremely aggressively) to have my voice be heard. Note this is NOT to open the door to an argumentative conversation but an op-ed piece to share my point of view. First of all, I want to thank all the #nastywomen and #WomensMarch brigade who hit the pavement this weekend. I loved your signs, your pictures and videos you shared online. Thousands of men, women, children, marched to show the solidarity of one thing – THEY WANT TO BE HEARD. Similar to how many of American had Exercised their first amendment right to assemble for years, so have they. Right To Assemble The right to assemble is intricately related to the formation and growth of the philanthropic sector because it answers the need to come together, share common beliefs, and act upon those beliefs (concepts that have been so essential to this sector’s creation). Groups form for many purposes, from reform movements (the Civil War, women’s suffrage, the struggle for civil rights) to charitable organizations that meet specific needs (e.g., the American Red Cross) to churches, mosques and synagogues What is bothering me today is the lack of education and pure ignorance on the part of many American who don’t quite understand what The National Women’s March is and what it stands for. So let me share my perspective on what today’s movement means to me. I am writing to frame today’s march as a movement. I would hate to see the days spent by thousands across the country in preparation for today is only seen as a march. I view today’s movement as an awaking to an ideology of a paradigm shift towards understanding the concerns of all Americans, especially the concerns facing all women living in this country. I am a daughter, wife, mother, aunt, educator, and friend who I would like to do my part in helping create a momentum in sharing this movement beyond this weekend. 20 years ago when I graduated high school I viewed the world very differently. My goal in life at 18 was to go to college, get a degree, getting married and have kids. Through expanding my horizons in college and the years beyond, I was given the ability to see the world through a different lens. Through the past 20 years, I have faced injustices in the workplace, unfair pay because of my gender, reproductive challenges, observed friends who have been denied access to affordable health care due to a predetermined medical condition, and the list goes on and on. While everyone faces different adversities in their lifetime, being ignorant to the challenges of those around you is unacceptable, especially if you have been awarded the presidency of the United State and you represent a country which s made up of people who are facing such adversities. As I sit here my kitchen of my home, a well-educated mother of two healthy boys, while my loving and supportive husband is at the grocery store it occurs to me there are no traditional gender roles in our home. Daily we share the duties on who cooks the meals for the day, who takes care of the kids, does the laundry and grocery shopping. We are a united team in our household and I wish this model could be shared across the country in every home and workplace. So what can you do to make your mark on the movement? Volunteer in your community. Share your talents with the less fortunate not just your opinions. Make known your voice not just in words but in actions too. Get informed on local and national politics through credible news sources and practice social responsibility in person and on social media. For more ideas and information on this movement, please visit their website at https://www.womensmarch.com/. While I’ve been a little MIA the past few weeks, it’s all for a good reason. On October 26th, my husband, our son (and new big brother) Jimmy and I welcomed a new little member to our family, Martin “Marty” John Reaney at Prentice Women’s Hospital at Northwestern Medicine. Marty was so excited to meet his new family that he came into this world super fast arriving at 7:07am weighing in a 7 lb, 14 oz and 21 inches long. As many of you are aware, I take daily blood thinners to prevent any blood clots and because of this I was induced for Marty’s arrival. We arrived at Prentice at 1:30AM and, after checking-in and getting settled in the L&D room, my IV and Pitocin was started about 3:30AM. After the contractions became unbearable, I asked the nurse to have the anesthesiologist issue my epidural at about 5:30AM. About an hour into the epidural I started to think that it wasn’t working because I was having some major pains, but unbeknownst to me it was because Marty was trying to arrive on his own. My doctor barely arrived in time to deliver the baby! I labored from start to finish about 3 hours and barely pushed three times before he shot out of me! Because his arrival was so quick he developed a grunting, which sounded like a soft wheezing sound, due to the amniotic fluid still in his lungs. While we thought this sweet sound was cute for about the first hour, when it lasted more than 10 hours post-birth, the pediatric team said it was actually caused from fluid in his lungs which usually would have passed within an hour or two post-birth. Since Marty was still making this grunting sound, the pediatric team admitted him to the NICU for observation until he was discharged from the hospital 48 hours later. While his oxygen and blood levels were completely normal, the NICU started him on two antibiotics via an IV to prevent any infection he might be fighting off, which was another possible cause of the grunting sound. After his lab work came back all clear, he was finally released from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. We had a few more bumps in the road medically during Marty’s first weeks (i.e. tongue tie which sent us on an ENT visit to Lurie, an abnormal newborn screen blood test which required four days of isolation at home until the test results came back normal–which they did–and the return of the grunting sound which is the result of his esophagus muscles still developing which is also normal). All of these little bumps in the road had me praying a lot to God and all my angels to make sure our little “Miracle Marty” was safe and healthy, and I have also returned to regular mass attendance (which is a post for another day). While each year I am so blessed and thankful for my family and friends, who are the best support system I could have ever imagined, this year I am truly thankful for the medical caregivers in my life. I am so thankful my OB/GYN, my hematologist and our pediatric offices are all connected on the Northwestern system and talk to each other on a pretty regular basis. I never have to explain my medical history because everyone seems to already know my “case” and is informed on all my medical issues. Over the past month I have received many calls and follow-up calls directly from my doctors checking in on how I’m doing and how Marty is doing. It has been overwhelming, and delightfully comforting, to be known as a patient in a large medical practice, not just a number. Thank you so much to all the caregivers in my life, but especially the unnamed staff and faculty of Northwestern Lurie and Prentice hospitals who continue to give the best care to my little family. You have made this family so very blessed! Happy Thanksgiving to All – Love: Colleen, John, Jimmy & Marty Reaney *This post is part of a monthly series called CEO Mommy which will be guest written by a few amazing ladies in my personal and professional network. This month’s post is by Lorrel Marin who is the founded LEEP Forward, a Pediatric Developmental Clinic for kids with special needs. I met Lorell professionally a few months ago as a scholar in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program in Chicago. As the saying goes, it is important to stop and smell the roses. As a business owner and mom of two little girls it can be difficult to put the brakes on. If you include working on your second master’s degree it can be hard to find time to stop for anything. However, it is important to find the time to acknowledge your accomplishments and see how they can help keep propelling you forward. Without the pause you will stay on automatic pilot and may miss opportunities for true business and personal growth. As a recent graduate from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program I wasted no time and moved right into the ICCC program. Both programs have opened doors for me as a business owner in terms of networking and making new connections that open more doors to other opportunities. My business has recently been acknowledged as one of the top 100 fasted growing inner city companies in the country. It was an honor to learn we were #10 on that list acknowledged by ICCC and Fortune Magazine. One of the best lessons I have learned from other thought leaders and successful business people is it is ok to focus on your bank account but it is more important to focus on the impact you have on your community and create a place that allows your employees to continue to grow as well. How to leverage this award and other public recognition is the next step in business development. My company would not be where it is without the support of a wonderfully talented and dedicated team. It seems the best way to leverage the award and recognition the company receives is to make sure the team is inspired by the difference they are making in order to continue to help the company grow. A mission of the company is to ensure as the business grows each employee can benefit and also continue to grow. Leveraging the recent recognition also helps our company stay at the forefront as thought leaders. One way we have been able to do this is to create the National Pediatric Developmental Differences Forum. The NPDDF is a thought leadership initiative for the advancement of relationship -based therapies. It is important to channel this positive recognition into something that will also benefit the community, professionals and families we work with. The NPDDF allows us a platform to provide this. The recent business growth is because of the team. We would not be here without them. They make me a better person, business owner and mom. Lorell received her Masters of Science in Teaching from Pace University, Manhattan, N.Y., her Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Richard Stockton State College, N.J. She has also been credentialed as a Developmental Therapist in Illinois. Lorell is currently enrolled in her second master’s program to earn her LCSW in addition to working towards her graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Science. Lorell is the co-founder of the National Developmental Differences Forum (NDPPF). This forum is a thought leadership initiative for the advancement of relationship-based therapies. She founded LEEP Forward, a Pediatric Developmental Clinic for kids with special needs 15 years ago. She recently was acknowledged by Fortune magazine and ICIC as 2016 top 10 company for inner city business development and five year growth.