Reposted from the magnificent Iran Press Watch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Contact: Ginous Alford | O: 202-833-8990 USBahaiMedia@usbnc.org

BELIEF BEHIND BARS: LAWMAKERS, PERFORMERS TO DRUM UP SUPPORT AT CAPITOL HILL RECEPTION FOR IRAN’S SEVEN IMPRISONED BAHA’I LEADERS

Remarks from special guests:
U.S. Senator Mark Kirk
U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kathleen Fitzpatrick
Iraj Kamalabadi, brother of imprisoned Baha’i in Iran
CSI Miami star Eva LaRue

Musical performances:
Grammy-award winner KC Porter with Badi and Momo Loudiyi

When: Thursday, May 12, 2011, 5:30 p.m. EST
Where: 902 Hart Senate Office Building WATCH LIVE! www.livestream.com/senkirklivestream
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BahaiUS
Twitter: @BahaiUS

WASHINGTON—Concern in the U.S. government is growing as the incarceration of the seven members of the Iranian Baha’i community’s former acting leadership group moves into its fourth year. The five men continue to be held in Gohardasht Prison under close surveillance, while the two women were transferred early Tuesday morning to a warehouse-like detention center where more than 400 female prisoners share just two bathrooms.

Meanwhile, the Baha’is of the United States – in upholding their faith’s teachings of justice, unity and equality for which their co-religionists in Iran are persecuted – invite all supporters of human rights to a reception marking the third anniversary of the unlawful incarceration of the seven “Yaran-i-Iran” (Friends in Iran).

The reception aims to foster stronger ties of friendship between the people of the U.S. and Iran, through song and words of supports from special guests including: Grammy-award winning musician KC Porter; U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (IL); U.S. Representative Michael Grimm (NY); Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights Kathleen Fitzpatrick; Iranian-American engineer Iraj Kamalabadi, brother of imprisoned Iranian Baha’i leader Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi; and CSI Miami star Eva LaRue.

Director of the U.S. Baha’i Office of External Affairs in Washington, Anthony Vance, will host the reception, the latest in a series of events on Capitol Hill to raise awareness among U.S. lawmakers and human rights groups about the continued persecution of the Baha’is in Iran.

“Our efforts to scrutinize and oppose human rights violations against the Baha’is of Iran and all the Iranian people will never cease or dissipate,” Vance said.

Iranian-American Iraj Kamalabadi, whose sister Fariba is one of the seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders, will make his third trip in three months to Washington on behalf of his younger sibling to deliver the closing remarks in the reception program.

“My sister has told me to tell the leaders of the world that if there is something that could be done, now is the time to do it,” he said.

Kamalabadi attended Senator Kirk’s May 4th press conference introducing legislation on human right in Iran.

“As Americans,” Sen. Kirk said in a press release following the introduction of his new bill, “we should speak directly to the people of Iran struggling for freedom and democracy and let them know we stand squarely by their side.”

Senator Kirk will open the program with remarks and the event will be webcast live on his LiveStream account. Following him in the program are Grimm, Fitzpatrick, LaRue and Kamalabadi, and a performance by Porter of a song he wrote for the imprisoned Baha’i leaders.

LaRue and Porter are Baha’i performance artists based in Southern California. As a woman and mother of a nine-year-old daughter, LaRue was moved by the courageous spirit of Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet, whose separation from their children is entering the fourth year and who continue to endure further deteriorating conditions of their incarceration.

On April 28, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2011 Annual Report. (http://iran.bahai.us/files/2011/05/USCIRF-Annual-Report-2011.pdf) The report describes – beginning on page 78 – several cases of the “severe” persecution the Baha’i community in Iran faced from April 2010 to March 2011. Iran is one of 14 countries USCIRF recommends that the Secretary of State name “countries of particular concern” or CPCs.

In early March, Kirk introduced S.Res.80 condemning the Iranian government for its state-sponsored persecution of Iran’s 300,000 Baha’is and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. The bill (and H.Res.134 in the House) calls for sanctioning Iranian government officials and other individuals directly responsible for human rights violations in Iran, including against the Baha’i community. (http://iran.bahai.us/2011/03/02/s-res-80-h-res-134/)

—

See PDF format of this press release here: Media Advis 5-12-2011 Washington Reception Iran imprisoned Bahais

Download invitation from here: http://iran.bahai.us/2011/05/05/may-12-reception-invitation/

Forgive me for simply laying out a sequence of random thoughts (on a single theme) that occurred to me a few hours ago, as I was swimming around in my morning cistern of coffee; but it seems to be all Im fit for just at the moment.

I remembered this morning that, a few weeks ago, I happened to mention here that I thought Max Beerbohms Enoch Soames," from his collection Seven Men, to be maybe the most amusing short story in English. If you have never read it (and, for that matter, even if you have), it is the tale of how an utterly talentless fin de siècle British poet" who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for a quick journey one-hundred years into the future, to the reading room of the British Museum, where he hopes to find that his writings have at last been granted the appreciation denied them in his own time.

Every scene in the story is hilarious. My favorite is probably Beerbohms account of his first conversation with Soames, and my favorite exchange in that conversation is this:

     Of the older men," as he called them, he seemed to like only Milton. Milton," he said, wasnt sentimental." Also, Milton had a dark insight." And again, I can always read Milton in the reading-room."
     The reading-room?"
     Of the British Museum. I go there every day."
     You do? Ive only been there once. Im afraid I found it rather a depressing place. It-it seemed to sap ones vitality."
      It does. Thats why I go there. The lower ones vitality, the more sensitive one is to great art. I live near the museum. I have rooms in Dyott Street."
     And you go round to the reading-room to read Milton?"
     Usually Milton." He looked at me. It was Milton," he certificatively added, who converted me to diabolism."
      Diabolism? Oh, yes? Really?" said I, with that vague discomfort and that intense desire to be polite which one feels when a man speaks of his own religion. You-worship the devil?"
     Soames shook his head.
      Its not exactly worship," he qualified, sipping his absinthe. Its more a matter of trusting and encouraging."
     I see, yes. I had rather gathered from the preface to 'Negations that you were a-a Catholic."
      Je letais a cette époque. In fact, I still am. I am a Catholic diabolist."

Anyway, thinking about the story again this morning reminded me that my eldest brother wrote a rather darkly satirical novella last year, principally for his own amusement and enlightenment, called Confessions of the Antichrist. It is the first-person narrative of a man who discovers late in a very successful life that he has been chosen by the devil to play the role of the Great Beast.

When he wrote it, my brother had gone through the wars, so to speak, spiritual and emotional, and it has a wry, nightmarish intensity to it, run through by deep veins of both withering cynicism and luminous faith, that I found fascinating and rather disturbing.

I can imagine how some readers might take offense at some aspects of the story (the devil presents himself as a Catholic cardinal, for instance), but only if they forget that they are reading an intentionally fantastic fable. In the end, the tale is about spiritual temptation, institutional corruption, and the frequent incompatibility of Christian faith and pragmatic" obligations.

In any event, my brother did not publish the book in print, but an acquaintance prevailed upon him to make a Kindle edition available , and so-if you care to-you can see what I mean for yourself.

Thinking of that, moreover, reminded me that, about six years ago, I too wrote a novella with a devil in it. (Let me emphasize: not the devil, but only a devil.) That tale is in fact supposed to appear in print, along with some other pieces, later this year, or thereabouts. It is more sedate than my brothers story and not nearly as entertaining as Beerbohms. But I can say of my devil that he is, to my mind, a very gifted raconteur.

And thinking about all of these things reminded me of a conversation I had, not long ago, with my friend the inimitable Ambrose dArcangeli (what a marvelous name that man has) about literary depictions of Satan, and how attractive, witty, glamorous, or appealing they often make the devil seem.

I doubt hes even very interesting," Ambrose observed. I mean, to the extent that the devil has any personality to speak of at all-even if the story is true and he was once an archangel or something of that sort-he must by now be a pretty sordid, unimaginative, and dreary little fellow. He would have to be so monstrously self-absorbed: not a brilliant conversationalist, not a philosopher and wit, not a bon-vivant or perverted aesthete, but just some tedious little troll, full of spite and resentment. Hes probably a monomaniac who talks about nothing but his personal grievances and aims, and in the bluntest, most unrefined language imaginable-the sort of person you try your best to get away from at a party."

Ambrose was right, of course. It is an old and delicate problem: How is any artist to make the diabolical appear diabolical without producing something merely boring and repellant? I made the rather trite observation that the supreme triumph or failure in this regard (depending how one sees the matter) is, of course, Miltons. His Satan appears at the beginning of Paradise Lost as a kind of Prometheus, so dauntlessly defiant of heavens laws that his damnation seems at first immeasurably more exhilarating than the staid beatitude of Miltons heaven.

The effect is so startling that many have concurred with Blakes verdict in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (though usually without Blakes irony): The reason Milton wrote in fetters when he wrote of Angels & God, and at liberty when of Devils & Hell, is because he was a true Poet and of the Devils party without knowing it!" True, as has often been pointed out, our last glimpses of Satan in the epic are in the forms of a toad and a serpent, but that is not how we tend to remember him. All readers of the poem recall his magnificent entrance onto the stage; few recall his final exit.

But even the post-Promethean, post-Romantic Satan is too engaging a character, too debonair" Ambrose continued. Dostoevskys devil in The Brothers Karamazov, for example, the one who appears to the fever-ridden Vanya, is a bit of an invertebrate and a sponge, who goes about in the threadbare guise of a member of the impoverished petty nobility; but hes still an enchanting talker, with a sense of humor, and considerable urbanity. If nothing else, writers always imagine the devil as well-read and something of a cosmopolitan, whos able to explain himself in terms of one or another perfectly coherent moral philosophy. But, of course, the devil is really just a thug."

I had to admit that it would be rather unlikely that the devil would have retained any sense of style after so many countless millennia in such squalidly reduced circumstances. Perhaps at first, remembering the glorious raiments that adorned his limbs when he walked among the sons of God in the stones of fire, Samael or Hillel ben Shahar or Lucifer (call him what you will) might have made an effort to keep up appearances, and played the part of the dandy, and squandered his resources on well tailored suits, and spent hours a day posing before his pier glass.

But by now, surely, like all those children of privilege who lose everything irretrievably, he must have gone entirely to seed, and resigned himself to shapeless polyester-cotton blends and plastic shoes. How then, I asked Ambrose, should one portray the prince of darkness?

After a pensive moment, Ambrose replied, A merciless real estate developer whose largest projects are all casinos."

And recalling this exchange brought Donald Trump to mind. You know the fellow: developer, speculator, television personality, hotelier, political dilettante, conspiracy theorist, and grand croupier-the one with that canopy of hennaed hair jutting out over his eyes like a shelf of limestone.

In particular, I recalled how, back in 1993, when Trump decided he wanted to build special limousine parking lots around his Atlantic City casino and hotel, he had used all his influence to get the state of New Jersey to steal the home of an elderly widow named Vera Coking by declaring eminent domain" over her property, as well as over a nearby pawn shop and a small family-run Italian restaurant.

She had declined to sell, having lived there for thirty-five years. Moreover, the state offered her only one-fourth what she had been offered for the same house some years before, and Trump would then buy it at a bargain rate. The affair involved the poor woman in an exhausting legal battle, which, happily, she won, with the assistance of the Institute for Justice.

How obvious it seems to me now. Cold, grasping, bleak, graceless, and dull; unctuous, sleek, pitiless, and crass; a pallid vulgarian floating through life on clouds of acrid cologne and trailed by a vanguard of fawning divorce lawyers, the devil is probably eerily similar to Donald Trump-though perhaps just a little nicer.

David Bentley Hart is contributing editor of First Things. His most recent book is Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies (Yale University Press). His other On the Square" articles can be found here. His brother Addison's Confessions of the Anti-Christ can be ordered here.

His sad exit from Punchestown this week has perhaps confirmed the end of the road for one of the greatest steeplechasers

It was shocking to see Kauto Star dropping out of the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown this week, on his way to being pulled up for the very first time. Setting aside the occasions when he has fallen or unseated, the great chaser has finished third or better in every single race for more than seven years.

Yes, he is better than this, even now, at the age of 11. But he is also made newly vulnerable by age and all our experience tells us that he will only get more so with time. If he returns to the track in the autumn, there must be every chance that he will do something similar.

We hope for the best, but in the meantime it appears that the glory days are behind him. It must be time, then, to look back on one of the finest careers any steeplechaser ever enjoyed and appreciate what he has given us.

There have been 21 wins and £2m in prize money, for a start. His four King George triumphs equalled Desert Orchid's record and he also managed two Gold Cups, two Tingle Creeks and two renewals of the Down Royal race which he may tackle once more in November.

He has been so willing and consistent, so apparently cheerful in his demeanour on every public occasion, it seems a terrible shame that his body should finally be letting him down. But he has had an excellent run, sustaining his brilliance over six years in this country and broadening the sport's appeal as he did so.

Here's my choice of the five races for which I'll most remember him.

1) Betfair Chase 2006

Kauto Star's early efforts in Britain did not immediately tell us he was a superstar. He fell at Exeter on his second run since arriving from France and was then beaten by four lengths by Monkerhostin, though he was carrying 4lb more. He won a Tingle Creek but, when he tried to follow up in the Champion Chase, he fell again.

The autumn of 2006 was when his reputation really took off, starting with his 21-length success in Aintree's Old Roan Chase. Few topweights win handicaps like that, but then he was only up against Armaturk, Inca Trail and Nyrche, so it was possible to believe he was flattered.

The Betfair Chase at Haydock ended any such possibility. It was his first try at three miles and he was allowed to start at 11-10 on the strength of doubts about his stamina but there was never so much as a moment's doubt. He eased 17 lengths clear of Beef Or Salmon, the winner of 10 Grade Ones, without having to be pushed.

Best Mate had died the previous year and Kicking King had injured his tendon. A horse with Kauto Star's pace who could stay three miles was surely going to clean up.

2) Tingle Creek 2006

Just two weeks later, Kauto Star was returned to two miles for the Tingle Creek. He had won it the previous year but that was when he was supposed to be a fast horse. Now, he had developed into a top stayer. What kind of animal could compete at the highest level over both two miles and three within a fortnight?

Though he threw in a dodgy jump at the second last, Kauto Star cruised round Sandown, just as he had done at Haydock. Without coming off the bit, he pulled seven lengths clear of Voy Por Ustedes.

The runner-up has had his problems since then but he wasn't a slow horse. He had won the Arkle the previous spring and was on his way to winning the Champion Chase later that season.

3) Cheltenham Gold Cup 2009

Two and a half years later, Kauto Star was established as a terrific chaser with many wins to his name, including the Gold Cup of 2007. But in the following year's race, he failed to land a glove on Denman, his stablemate, and was beaten by seven lengths.

Suddenly, he seemed hard to win with. Our Vic beat him at Aintree and he was already in trouble when unseating Sam Thomas at the last in the Betfair Chase won by Snoopy Loopy, letting down those who had backed him at 2-5. Doubts were not dispelled by another King George success, since he already seemed untouchable over that course and distance.

So he was allowed to start at 7-4 for the 2009 Gold Cup, bigger odds than had been offered about him in any race for three years. But, where he had been sloppy at his fences 12 months before, he was much slicker this time and travelled more strongly, eventually pulling 13 lengths clear of his rivals to become the first horse ever to win back the Gold Cup after losing it.

In second place, Denman was clearly not the same horse he had been the year before, since when he had had his heart problems and been sickened by the necessary treatment. You could speculate about what might have happened if his career had not been so interrupted.

But Kauto Star beat up 14 other horses that day, including the most talented staying chasers around. For me, this race represents the summit of his achievements. Given that most Gold Cup horses can only hold their position at the top of the game for a single year, it is astonishing that he could do this three and a half years after his first Grade One.

4) Betfair Chase 2009

This is possibly not a race that would feature on everyone's list of Kauto's best five performances, in that he was very nearly beaten by Imperial Commander, with only a nose between them at the line. It was a murky day and the photo-finish print was not terribly clear, allowing a certain amount of controversy over the result to persist for two or three days.

But this, for me, is a race to treasure, in which a pair of great horses gave their all. You very rarely see the momentum swing between two runners as many times as it did between them in that long home straight. One was two lengths up, then the other was as far ahead before they finished together.

There is nothing wrong with Imperial Commander but there is not much arguing with the proposition that Kauto Star has had the better career and, though it may not be entirely fair, my regard for him is increased because he somehow found a way to sneak this verdict, even though it was only on the nod.

5) King George VI Chase 2009

For many, Kauto Star's fourth King George was an unmatchable peak and it is undeniably joyful to watch him coasting round Kempton, doing his salmon impression at each fence. He ended up 36 lengths clear and it could have been further if Ruby Walsh had wanted that.

Of course, there were reasons why some of his rivals ran below form. Imperial Commander belted the second with such force that it might as well have ended his race. The winner was chased home by Madison Du Berlais and Barbers Shop, hardly the highest class of opponent he could possibly have met.

And yet Kauto Star achieved his highest-ever ratings on the back of this victory. Who could have guessed that he might never win another race in Britain?

"Swept clear, magnificent," is the ecstatic description in the normally sober form book. This was Kauto at his best, for the very last time.

Labour has been humbled in its traditional heartland of Glasgow as the the SNP's newly dubbed "magnificent seven" swept to victory.

What started out as a pitcher's duel between Dan Haren and Jon Lester ended in a rout as the Boston Red Sox hit three home runs in the 8th on their way to a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.

It's the Red Sox third straight win and sixth win over the Angels in as many chances this season. In fact, the Red Sox are now 15-1 against the Angels since falling to them in the ALDS back in 2009.

Sans one pitch in the second inning, Lester was magnificent. The only mistake he made came on a 0-2 pitch to Mark Trumbo who crushed it over the Green Monster for a solo home run. After that though, Lester was pretty much unhittable.

He had great command and velocity on his fastball which made his changeup and cutter even more effective. He painted the outside corner of the plate like he was Picasso and that helped him to a season-high 11 strikeouts on the night. He ended up striking out five of the last six batters he faced including getting all three outs in his final inning of work (7th).

There were some questions as to why skipper Terry Francona would take out Lester after 93 pitches through seven innings but Daniel Bard put any of those worries to rest as he got three ground ball outs to Dustin Pedroia. Jonathan Papelbon worked the 9th and allowed two runs.

The other question of the night was why Papelbon was in after the home run barrage in the 8th but my feeling is that since he had gotten hot the inning before, there was no sense wasting him. Had he not been used, there's still a chance he's not available tonight.

That before mentioned home run barrage came from the bats of Adrian Gonzalez and David Oritz who went back-to-back. Marco Scutaro would also add a home run later in the inning that was initially reviewed. For Gonzalez, it was his first Fenway Park home run. He finished with two hits on the night and two RBIs.

Ortiz (one RBI) and Scutaro (two RBIs) each had two hits as well as did Jed Lowrie (one RBI). Carl Crawford's average is creeping up towards the Mendoza line (.194) as he had his third straight two-hit performance and picked up his 5th stolen base of the season.

I'm not sure if anyone knows why the Red Sox have dominated the Angels as of late but I for one hope it continues. Since the season started, the Red Sox have not been at .500. They've come close once and tonight Josh Beckett will look to get them back to .500 on the season.

We'll be back later with tonight's lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day. But for now enjoy the overnight links by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

Adrian Gonzalez makes himself at home [Alex Speier - WEEI.com]

Lester and Red Sox come up aces [Boston Globe]

Positive spin from Wheeler [Boston Globe]

Gonzalez turns it all around [Boston Globe]

Sox come up aces again [Boston Herald]

More than win streak [Boston Herald]

Wheeler could use some relief [Boston Herald]

Digging in for a long haul [Boston Herald]

Gonzalez hits 1st Fenway HR [Boston Herald]

Red Sox beat Angels again, 7-3 [CSNNE.com]

Lester continues rare early-season roll [CSNNE.com]

Notes: Gonzalez breaks his homerless drought [CSNNE.com]

Rapid reaction: Red Sox 7, Angels 3 [ESPN Boston]

For Lester, it's finders, keepers [ESPN Boston]

Closing Time: Red Sox 7, Angels 3 [Full Count]

Dustin Pedroia Calls Epic 13-Pitch Battle With Jered Weaver a 'Fun At-Bat' [NESN.com]

Theo Epstein Convinced Red Sox Bullpen Will 'Be Fine' Despite Bobby Jenks' Recent Struggles [NESN.com]

Red Sox Send a Message With Success Against Premier Pitching [NESN.com]

Jon Lester Targeting Greatness With Dominance Early in 2011 Season [NESN.com]

Three in a row! [Nuggetpalooza]

Lester holds trump in battle of aces [Providence Journal]

After pursuing Downs, Sox built bullpen a different way [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Pedroia's will is just his way [Providence Journal]

Adrian savors first Fenway Park home run [RedSox.com]

Scutaro steps up with two hits for ill Youkilis [RedSox.com]

For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSNNE,  ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.

And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the LA Times, Orange County Register and LA Daily News websites. Also be sure to check out our Bloguin brother, Monkey with a Halo.

Photo credit: AP Photo

The decision-making process of The Weinstein Company within the past year has been exciting enough to watch with an oversize popcorn tub (with free refills!). After announcing they’d be cannibalizing their own library for remakes and sequels, they’re now announcing a new version of Akira Kurosawa’s iconic Seven Samurai. Sacrilege? Not exactly. The Magnificent Seven [...]

The Weinsteins have been talking up the idea of remaking one of the masterpieces of the cinema, Akira Kurosawa’s “The Seven Samurai.” It’s been redone as a series of Westerns (“The Magnificent Seven”) and as a sci-fi tale. And pretty much any movie where “the team” is assembled to do or die (“The Dirty Dozen,” etc.) [...]

Weinstein Company planning new version of Kurosawa classic directed by Scott Mann and set in northern Thailand

A remake of the classic Japanese film Seven Samurai has been given the green light by Hollywood, with British film-maker Scott Mann set to direct, Variety (paywall) reports.

The Weinstein Company, owned by Oscar-winning US producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, has been planning a new version of Akira Kurosawa's tale of heroism for at least three years. Now it seems the project is moving forward following the appointment of Mann, whose debut 2009 feature The Tournament starred Robert Carlyle and Ving Rhames. Young Guns writer John Fusco has been working on a screenplay.

Seven Samurai was notably remade as The Magnificent Seven in 1960 and arguably introduced a common Hollywood plot device that has been utilised for films from Ocean's Eleven to The Dirty Dozen: the recruitment and gathering of a set of heroes to accomplish a given goal. The three-hour epic was named in Sight and Sound's top 10 films of all time in 1982 and is a fixture on critics' best-of lists, as well as one of the first Japanese movies to have a huge influence on western film-makers.

Mann's version will reportedly relocate the action to northern Thailand, where a threatened town hires a crew of paramilitary mercenaries to protect it. The film-maker will also assist with screenwriting.

The Weinstein name may at first suggest a classy modern-day reworking, but optimists should be wary. As well as films such as The King's Speech, Fahrenheit 911 and Shakespeare in Love (the latter at their previous firm Miramax), Bob and Harvey were also behind Piranha 3D, Scary Movie 4 and three feeble sequels to The Crow.

Boston Celtics Down 0-2 to Miami Heat in Conference Semifinals

The Boston Celtics were supposed to be the favorite against the Miami Heat in the playoffs, their postseason experience proving to be too much for the newly assembled trio of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh to handle.

But the only team doing the handling two games into the Eastern Conference semifinals has been the Heat, and, boy, have they looked good.

After scoring 22 points, grabbing six boards and dishing out five assists in Game 1, James played even better in Game 2 against the Celtics, dropping 35 points on 14-of-25 shooting in the Heat's 102-91 win.

Now the question is, when the series moves to Boston, can the Celtics rebound from an 0-2 series hole and potentially even the series headed back to Miami?

READ MORE: 2011 NBA Mock Draft: Who Goes to the Chicago Bulls at the End of Round 1?

They certainly have the ability, and I actually think they will, but I think the Heat's home-court advantage will ultimately doom the Celtics in seven games.

The Celtics have looked older than ever recently while the Heat have been electrifying in their youthful exuberance.

Beyond James' magnificent performance in Game 2, Wade followed his 38-point output in Game 1 with 28 points on Tuesday. The Heat also outrebounded the Celtics, 44-38, and had 12 offensive rebounds. Seven different Heat players had at least one offensive rebound.

If that doesn't show the Celtics' age, I don't know what will.

I don't expect the Celtics to lie down, and this series should go to seven games, but ultimately the Heat's talent combined with their recent chemistry should put the nail in the coffin for the East's reigning superpower.

The Weinstein Company's remake of Akira Kurosawa's classic Seven Samurai (first announced for development nearly four years ago ) has signed a director. Variety reports that Scott Mann is set to helm the remake. Mann is best known for his 2009 action film, The Tournament . His take on the tale will update the storyline to present-day Thailand and will replace the Samurai with "paramilitary contractors," defending a village from would-be invaders. Released in 1954, Seven Samurai is generally considered to be among the greatest cinematic achievements of all time. It inspired the 1960 John Sturges western The Magnificent Seven and will also allegedly influence the upcoming Snow White reimagining, Snow and the Seven at Walt Disney Pictures.

Another pupil is needed at a primary school that will lose a teacher if the magic number slips below 20

"One more pupil please!" reads the appeal sent out by Rebecca Ridgway, desperate to find a young family prepared to move to one of the emptiest places in Europe to stop the school roll falling below 20 at her children's primary.

Ridgway – who runs the adventure holiday company founded by her father, the yachtsman John Ridgway – takes her two children, Hughie, eight, and Molly, 10, to school each morning in an open boat with an outboard motor from their home in Ardmore, in Sutherland.

"It is great on a nice day, but not so much fun when there is a howling wind." Once on dry land, the children take a school bus to Kinlochbervie primary.

Fifteen years ago, there were 57 pupils. But the fishing industry has declined and, like many rural villages, the picturesque little port has a second-home problem.

The falling rolls problem now threatens what the headteacher, Jill Bruce, describes as: "Fantastic educational facilities. We are right on the edge of the loch. Everyone who sees the place is wowed. There is just one problem – not enough pupils."

This coming year, the primary roll falls to 19, one below the magic number of 20 that guarantees two teachers. Rebecca is concerned about the impact on the children of being taught all in one room with tinies. "That will be really difficult, and the older children may not be pushed as much as they would otherwise."

The fact that no children are arriving in primary one this autumn also poses a threat to the fully staffed secondary on the site, currently employing 14 teachers for 65 children. "If the numbers continue to fall, that must affect the high school down the line." The secondary was opened 14 years ago. Prior to that, children had to board at hostels many miles from home after age 11, which parents would hate to see again.

However, Mervyn Benford of the National Association of Small Schools, criticises the Highland Council threat to cut a teacher and damage the education of the remaining 19 pupils based on an "arbitrary" number.

He says that across the UK, rural schools were getting squeezed. "The evidence is that small schools do a really good job. Councils just divide the running costs of the school by the number of pupils and say that's too expensive."

But he says they failed to take into account the real costs of big urban schools, with truancy and other social problems. "Big schools spend a lot of extra money on doing things like reaching out to parents that small schools do anyway. " He says the pupil premium in England will create an even greater disparity.

Although in 2009 the number of rural school closures in England and Wales had fallen to less than 12 a year, Benford predicts that will rise. "Many councils in England are looking at closing small schools."

In Scotland, the picture is similar, with strapped councils looking for cuts. Argyll and Bute last year threatened 26 small schools with closure.

Parents at Lochdonhead on Mull, whose campaign was featured in Education Guardian last year, are among those who have fended off closure. Among their efforts was a successful campaign for a 16-home affordable housing development they hope will make the school more sustainable.

At Ulva, a tiny community also on Mull that boasts spectacular scenery, parents have come up with an even more innovative solution.

Parents at the eight-pupil primary were "terrified" by the thought of a 20-mile round trip on icy roads in winter and the hole the school would leave if closed. They decided to found a community housing association. Caroline Charington says: "This is a great place to have a holiday home or to retire to, and that pushes the prices up. There just aren't places round here that young families can afford. We aren't looking for a short-term fix. We are working on a 20-year plan for our community."

Kinlochbervie primary's parent council has also decided on a campaign to attract new blood.

They may have their work cut out. Kinlochbervie is seven hours' drive from Glasgow and, with an average population of one person per square kilometre, Sutherland is a wild and lonely place.

It is the region where Scotland's last wolf was killed – and where the last witch was burned. It was also home to Scotland's last saint.

However, it is close to the magnificent beach of Sandwood Bay and also to the famous mountain Ben Stack.

"It is wonderful place to live," says Ridgway. "The children have freedom and an outdoor life and the community is really friendly."

Article first published as The Unanswered Calling on Blogcritics.

Arab Times

Mirza-led Kuwait win opener Arab Times KUWAIT CITY, May 1: Riding on a magnificent unbeaten 51 runs by captain Hisham Mirza Kuwait National cricket team secured a fabulous victory by 3-wickets win over hosts Botswana in the ongoing ICC World Cricket League Division 7 in Gaborone, Botswana. ... …Iqbal leads Germany to victory over Japan, as Kuwait beats Botswana on ...Daily Sun ICC World Cricket League Division Seven: Rana-Naved Iqbal's six sets up ...ESPNcricinfo.com all 3 news articles »

Simon Cowell has left The X-Factor. Britain's Got Talent has tanked. Is it time to give up on pop culture? No, says Stuart Heritage and here are five good reasons why...

Internet videos of babies At the moment, historians can divide the past into eras with a set of geological and societal markers. But soon they'll be able to do it based on what was popular on YouTube at any given time. "Ah, yes," a future historian will say as he examines an antiquated games console, "this seems to be an artefact from the Fat Men Dancing Around Like Beyoncé era. Although I may refer this to my colleague, a leading expert in the Zoo Animals Smelling Their Own Bottoms And Then Falling Over period." And, just so you know, we're currently living through the Babies Being Adorably Stupid era.

For this is the golden age of YouTube baby videos. There's one where twin boys have a furious discussion using only the phrases, "Da da DA da-da?" and, "Da! Da da DA-da DA!" There's an entire subgenre of videos where babies giggle at paper being torn in half. There's even one video of a baby screaming in terror whenever anyone blows their nose.

These videos are perfect – they're funny, uplifting and they shoot right to the heart of the human condition. One day, internet videos of babies will replace all established forms of media. I won't complain when that happens.

Impenetrable science fiction films Unless you like dead-eyed sequels and interminable superhero movies, which you don't because you're not an idiot, 2011 is a duff year for films. But last year's Inception (pictured) showed a glimpse of a better future. It proved how lucrative it is to marry flashy effects to a science fiction storyline that makes you sound like a mad-eyed toddler whenever you try to explain it to people. And where success leads, imitators follow.

Look at Source Code, a film with an ending so preposterously baffling it may as well not exist. When its star, Vera Farmiga, was asked to explain it, the colour drained from her face. Hopefully this trend will continue, with a procession of blockbusters so colossally opaque not even the actors can tell what's going on. You'd quite like to see Mark Wahlberg give himself a hernia as he attempts to explain the ambiguous final scene of a thriller that takes place across 17 different planes of reality, wouldn't you? Of course you would. We all would.

Factual digital channels Look, BBC4 is all well and good, with its Opera Italia and its The Beauty Of Diagrams, but what does it teach you? Nothing. It doesn't teach you what happens when a swordfish skewers itself through your throat. Or what the intestinal parasites inside one eight-year-old girl look like. For that, you need channels such as Discovery and National Geographic. Everything about these channels is stupendous. The freakish compulsion towards animals and DIY. The ingenious variety of Discovery channels (Discovery Knowledge, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Shed). The ridiculous show titles, such as Destroyed In Seconds and My Dog Ate What? and Man V Food (pictured). The latter is a work of genius – it's a travelogue about a bloke who tries to eat as much as he can without perforating his stomach. Yet still we give awards to things like Mad Men. For shame.

Louis Walsh Who cares if Simon Cowell leaves The X Factor? Louis Walsh's future is also in doubt and, by God, that's far more important. Without hyperbole, humanity needs Louis Walsh. Cowell may be X Factor's organ grinder – and Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue his ridiculously dressed, perpetually emotional assistants – but Louis is the delighted little monkey the show desperately needs. Without him, who'd shriek incomprehensible platitudes at contestants while the audience is still clapping them? Gary Barlow? Hardly.

Rihanna's hair The best thing about Rihanna isn't her singing, or her songs, or her sparky attitude. It's the way her hair perfectly matches the trajectory of her career. Back in the Pon De Replay days, her haircut was hopelessly generic. By the time she recorded Umbrella, she'd grown in confidence enough to experiment with – among other things – a 1920s flapper look and streaks of silver paint. Then she went blond and curly, but everyone makes mistakes.

Then Rihanna unveiled her masterpiece – a haircut she'll never top. You know the one. The one that made her look like Sideshow Bob. It was magnificent. It pulsated. It gave off a majestic wob whenever she moved. Staring at it for too long was like staring into a campfire. You'd see shapes that weren't there, tribal zoetropes of your dancing ancestors, abstract messages from the future that would be easy to decode if they weren't bright red and hairy. It was more than hair. It was art.

She's had it done like Paul McCartney now. I've gone right off Rihanna.

Plus five to avoid…

Natalie Portman's quality control Best Actress Oscar-winners are a competitive bunch, but the main competition seems to be over whose post-Oscar career can nose-dive the fastest. It took Nicole Kidman five years to make the execrable The Invasion after winning her Oscar, and Halle Berry three to make Catwoman. Now Natalie Portman has smashed all records. After turning in the performance of a lifetime in The Black Swan, Portman was so desperate to trash her legacy she immediately made No Strings Attached, a nightmarish romcom with Ashton Kutcher (pictured). But she messed up – No Strings Attached came out a month before the Oscars. That's why she had to make Your Highness, a sort of medieval Dude, Where's My Car? that's been called "a radioactive turd" by critics. Portman will next be seen as the useless damsel in distress in this summer's dopey-looking Thor. Then she'll probably make a direct-to-DVD remake of Mac And Me. Then a Morrisons advert. Then film herself on her phone poking a dog poo with a stick.

Internet speak I heard a man say, "LOL" once. Out loud. Instead of laughing. He heard something funny, and he responded – without a trace of irony – by saying, "LOL." He verbally used the acronym for "laugh out loud" instead of laughing out loud. A part of my soul died that day. But the slow spread of horrible internet speak didn't end there. Earlier this month, a group called LMFAO released a song called Party Rock Anthem. It reached the Top 10. LMFAO, if you need reminding, stands for Laugh My Fucking Ass Off. Imagine being a DJ, with fans who trust you, and having to say, "Coming up next, Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO" out loud. Imagine it. You'd hate yourself, wouldn't you? You'd go home and cry yourself into a pharmaceutically assisted sleep. Now that LMFAO have opened the floodgates, we're doomed. People will start saying, "Nom" when they eat. They'll describe their mood by saying, "I'm feeling quite colon open parenthesis today." When that day comes, I'll be sitting in my reinforced bunker, doing the opposite of whatever ROFL is.

The One Show It may be well past its "Are Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley really doing it? Really? Them? No. Them? Really? Really? With each other? No. Really?" peak, but The One Show still exists and you're right to feel sad about that.

Oh, sure, watch it for long enough and you might see something as startling as Matt Baker asking David Cameron how he sleeps at night, but you'll be watching for a long, long time. And what will you have gained by the end of it? You'll learn more pointless trivia about woodland animals, obscure pieces of regional architecture and ombudsmen than you thought possible, while discovering that most celebrities still don't know to truncate their dreary anecdotes.

But, as transparently awful as it is, there's no point fighting The One Show. Have you seen what's on other channels at the same time? Emmerdale? Repeats of Coast? News programmes about important things? Bleurgh. No thanks, grandad.

Olympic hype Now the royal wedding's over, we've just got one long, flat, funeral procession to the Olympics to look forward to. And if you think the hype has been bad so far – with news reports coming when tickets went on sale, when the games were 500 days away, when the countdown clock was unveiled, when the countdown clock broke, and at four-second intervals during West Ham's prolonged negotiations to take over the Olympic stadium – then brace yourself. Things are going to get worse.

There were even headlines when the Brazilian squad decided to base itself in Crystal Palace. Admittedly, it's quite funny – if only to imagine how disappointed they'll be when the crystal palace of their dreams gets replaced with the stark reality of the Penge branch of Cash Converters – but it's hardly news. Still, if the hype keeps growing exponentially, maybe the games will be fun. At this rate, Sally Gunnell's head will probably pop clean off during the semi-final of the triple jump.

Michael Bay You might think that being mean about Michael Bay is like shooting fish in a barrel. Well, you're wrong. It's like shooting a million fish, all wearing tight tops and miniskirts, in a mile-wide exploding barrel that's crashing through a computer-generated city, sending cars and glass and pedestrians and – just for the hell of it – several other exploding mile-wide barrels full of transvestite fish into the sky. With a bazooka.

Bay's shtick is fine if you like that sort of thing – incidentally, if you do like that sort of thing, don't you have homework to do? – but only in small doses. By the end of the summer, Bay will have unloaded around seven and a half hours of Transformers films on us. That's seven and a half hours of 2D female characters, genital jokes and crushingly dull scenes of indistinguishable robots punching each other, edited together so you never know what's going on. Hopefully, after Transformers 3, Bay will give up film to concentrate on something more suited to him, like whooping at diggers or something.

• Photographs by: youtube.com (2); AP Photo; Rex (3); Getty Images (2)

Adam: Another week of Idol, another night of hoping that the singers make it difficult to say goodbye to them. After saying farewell to Paul (something that caused us all tremendous grief), the magnificent seven finalists treat us to songs of the 21st Century. Thank goodness. But before we get to them, Jennifer is showing [...]

A 1986 self-portrait by Andy Warhol that was among the last of his paintings to be exhibited while he was alive is heading for the auction block, where it is estimated to sell for up to $40 million.

The stark red-on-black Self-Portrait is scheduled to be sold at Christie's post-war and contemporary art sale on May 11, the auction house announced Wednesday. The owner is a private American collector who purchased it in 1996 and wished to remain anonymous.

The piece, measuring 9 feet per side, is considered a landmark work by the American Pop artist. Created toward the end of his life, it shows the artist looking directly at the viewer, his trademark hair standing straight up.

"With his unique ability to fuse painting and photograph into an unforgettably iconic image, Mr. Warhol condensed all the recent themes of his art in this magnificent self-portrait into a single splash of color set on an inky black background," said Amy Cappellazzo, Christie's expert on contemporary and post-war art.

The acrylic and silkscreen on canvas was one of two 9-foot red-on-black self-portraits that were first exhibited in London in 1986, at the Anthony d'Offay Gallery, just six months before Mr. Warhol's death. The other one is at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, donated by Ann and Anthony d'Offay in 1992.

The painting is among seven monumental self-portraits that Warhol painted in 1986. The rest are in museums or in foundations. A purple Self-Portrait was purchased by a European collector last year for $32.5 million.

The auction record for a Warhol is $71.7 million, for Green Car Crash.

Mr. Warhol died on Feb. 22, 1987, at the age 58 from complications following surgery.

Where are Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen when you need them. The Arsenal villagers are trapped, they need a rescue that only Hollywood can provide, courtesy of The Magnificent Seven. Or at least that is how you would perceive the … Continue reading →

 

 

Date of Issue : 12 April 2011

 

Israel post has issued a magnificent butterflies  sheet of six different stamps this month. The sheet is with the tabs of butterflies and the gutter strip shows flowers. Lovely marginal pictorial tabs are specialty of Israeli stamps.

Butterflies’ vibrant colors and gentle flight overwhelm us with feelings of wonder and joy. These beautiful flying insects have inspired artists, poets and intellectuals alike. Their wondrous life cycle, called a “complete cycle”, is made up of four stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult. A complete cycle from egg to adult is called a generation. Some butterfly species produce one generation per year while others produce numerous generations within a single year. The lifespan of an adult butterfly varies among species, with adults of some species living for approximately one week and others for a number of weeks or even months. Some species are considered to be local while others migrate for distances of hundreds and thousands of kilometers.

To date, some 150,000 species belonging to the Lepidoptera order have been identified throughout the world, of which approximately 20,000 species are butterflies, and the rest are moths.

In Israel there are an estimated 2,300 Lepidoptera species, including 142 species of butterflies. Mt. Hermon is the richest butterfly species site in Israel, with no less than 100 different species! Mt. Hermon is the southernmost point of distribution for 30 of these 100 species, which do not fly to any other areas in Israel.

Overall, Israel’s butterfly population may be categorized into seven families. Five of those families are represented among the butterflies featured in the stamp series:

Swallowtail - Papilio machaon syriacus represents the Papilionidae family. Many members of this family display prominent colors, including black, yellow and red. These colors serve to warn birds and lizards that they are poisonous.

Red admiral - Vanessa atalanta represents the Nymphalidae family. Like many of the species belonging to this family, this butterfly remains camouflaged as long as its wings are closed because its underwings are dull in color, revealing its bold colors only when its wings are open wide.

Caper white - Anaphaeis aurota represents the Pieridae family of white and yellow butterflies. This butterfly’s white wings are decorated with black markings. This species migrates to Israel from Africa nearly every summer and it may be seen flying throughout Israel until early winter.

Plain tiger - Danaus chrysippus is the only representative of the Danainae family to be found in Israel. It migrates annually from Africa to Israel and belongs to the same scientific genus as the American Monarch butterfly, considered to be the most famous butterfly in the world thanks to the tremendous distances it migrates.

Common blue - Polyommatus icarus zelleri and Tawny silver-line - Apharitis acamas represent the largest family of butterflies in Israel – the Lycaenidae family. Like many of the males belonging to this family, the Common blue male is bright blue in color in order to attract females, while the coloring of the Tawny silver-line allows it to blend into its surroundings and remain camouflaged from its enemies.

Butterflies Assist in Biodiversity

Conservation

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently declared that the threat of extinction of animal and plant species has reached a level of global crisis. Within the framework of worldwide efforts to curb extinction, butterflies have been identified as effective bio-indicators of ecosystem changes and have become an important component in natural and environmental preservation. While constant and long term monitoring of butterfly species provides information regarding the loss and extinction of rare butterflies, no less importantly, a dwindling of butterfly varieties also indicates a similar dwindling of plant species and various other animal groups. Members of The Israeli Lepidopterists Society promote national butterfly monitoring in Israel, doing so throughout the country. The Society also initiated a bill to protect 14 endangered butterflies species and a law was enacted in 2009.

My recent Covers

Wolgang Beyer, Germany

Roland Montagne, France

[Duo "Tomorrow Kings from 3A Toys. There more of them, oh so much more…]
DELUSION IS A WONDEROUS THING: Thinking back to my heydays of yore as an "active" 12-inch figure collector, I must have been really deluded. I had "claimed" not to collect "military", when I have in fact a miniature ammo-bunker filled with military uniforms and weapons (of course I exaggerate but you'll be surprised). I had claimed to only collect streetwear and urban styled figures (that much is true tho), and I realized just the other day, I had claimed not to be a "team-builder", and instead promoted the virtues of collecting not more than 2 x similar figures at a time (so you could pose them in the display shelf - one standing and one kneeling with his weapon pointing the other way). - when in actuality, I do and like to build "teams"!

And hey, I even had plans for a hypothetical toyshow (which one day I WILL make happen) - and that works real well with teams! (and of course, "dioramas").

TEAM-PLAYER: And when I mention "team-building", it is specifically catering for 1/6th-scaled figure, which involve making multiples of similar-styled or themed figures which interact within a group dynamic, and not a group of Storm Troopers with differing production ranks - bought off the shelf - that is what I call instead "Collection Building". There is a very strong element of "kitbashing", or even "customizing" involved in team-building, and I do not mean going in a group of folks to summer-camp and taking turns sliding down a rope across trees, no.

OBSESS ME: The thing with "obsessions" (which I embrace and lay claim to now, since I "live" it everyday via my blog and memories of my "collecting past") is that once you admit to it and embrace it, that is one thing less that others have a hold over you. You will never be accused of being "deluded" or "self-delusional", or even "lying". I am obsessed with toys. I Like Toys. I LOVE TOYS!

(Okay, that was my schpeel for the day, the rest is up to you to how to face the world, can't help you more than that buddy!)

[I build so much more fashion / streetwear folks that I no
longer call them "teams", they are literal "neighborhoods" :p]
YOU BUILD, I BUILD, WE BUILD: The thing with "team building, is the tiring but weirdly exciting aspect of amassing the uniforms and similar weapons (of course they were mostly armed!) in multiples (depending on how many in your team), from all over the place (depending on price-point), to cater to a group of figures which represent your hopes and desires for human-kind (okay, that much is a stretch of any imagination, scarily so), with each build up as easy as an online bid or "add-to-cart", or as hard as sourcing for items not necessarily popular to be taken apart and sold - or even "too easily popular", they were be snatched up once they are parted!

PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW: When I mention "parted" or "loose", it literally means parts of a complete boxed-figure (aka "what you can buy off the shell") are taken off and sold separately from the box. The accumulation of the loose-parts are more expensive in cost combined, compared to a boxed figure, but sometimes you DO NOT want the whole box-fig, just the weapon, or shoes, or uniform etc - that's where kitbashing as a hobby, caters primarily to.

Sure, there were days when I thought to myself: "I can buy the whole box-figure, then take out what I want, and sell the rest for a price so I get my loose parts free!" - and that's why I used to lug around a mini-suitcase filled with loose-parts bagged and ready to sell - folks might have thought I was a bootleg DVD salesman instead!

But let it be known that the concept of kitbashing is both an adventurous everlasting hunt, and as well a hair-tearing task sometimes. Ever turn a corner into a shop filled from top to bottom with kitbashed loose parts? Ever discovered an online merchant who was clearing out stock of exactly what you were searching for? Ever had a friend fellow-collector snatch a piece right from your hand and head straight to the cashiers to pay?

u>HERE's an old post about the "Anatomy Of Kitbashing", for alla you folks who missed it the first time around (Disclaimer: Mind you, that was written in 2006 - so some details might have altered, but the principal remains the same).


[Old-skool Marvel comicbook War-buffs might recognize these trio of characters
which I have yet to complete but for a Medusa-headsculpt -recognize them yet?]
HOW MANY IS MANY?: How many is "enough"? Depends on each individual's preference, or tolerance to being poisoned by toys! I am personally stuck with a notion of a 5 or 6-man fire-team configuration, inclusive of a leader-type character, a comms-specialist ("communication"), a demolition-expert (most times off his/her rockers), a sharp-shooter, a heavy-arms specialist and another or two rifleman (blame my military-training for the roles lol). Most times the mix change along with themes, like a robot, a cyborg, a space-ninja etc (yes, I had a "few" teams!), and I heart me ninjas and cyborgs LOL

Figure-type is always an interesting notion for me, with numerous headsculpts fitting particular characters, or prone to customization (which I used to always say, but hell little done about them lol), as well as different body-types from various toy brands. Wouldn't it be boring to have ALL the figures in a similar body-type? Being able to afford them is one thing, but not everyone needs to be kit out in a 38-points-of-articulation-body, innit? IMHO, of course :)

DO I LOOK FAT LIKE THAT?: Sideshow always provided the tall lanky types, while Dragon provided a mixed similar-style of regular non-heavily muscled bodies, of which I could always depend on BBI-G3s for hunky-builds, and even bulky 21st Century bodies gave their awkward charm (I hear *gasps-of-disgust* somewhere behind there…). Never heard of brands beyond Sideshow Toys and Hot Toys? Can't really blame you if you're new to the the hobby in the past couple of years.


[Not exactly 1/6 "adults" but you get the picture :p]
ONCE UPON A 1/6-TIME: In the early-to-mid 2000s, the height of 12" figure collection hit Eastern collectors with an abundance of choice - with primarily Hong Kong-based makers struggling for action figure supremacy, while us collectors lapped it up, and were actually spoilt hard for choice. Those were heady times indeed!

Price-points were extremely compatible that SGD$50 per BBI-box with a foldout spread of weapons, was not unheard of. Imagine a nude body was parted out to around SGD$20-25, while an automatic weapon could go for between SGD$8 to SGD$15. Get a box, right? And so loads of us did, and we had parts to spare - at least I had!


[Pic circa 2006 - don't judge me…]
IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED: Things have changed so drastically thru the years, with beloved companies closing, and generic figure lines stopping production, and choices dwindling down to exclusivity. You might be able to find a Sideshow body loose somewhere, or perhaps even a Hot Toys. But brands like Medicom Toys cater specifically to brands and remain unparted, and the most DID (Dream In Dragon) does is separate the body and the uniform, and nothing else. There are of course other players of 1/6th out there, specifically "non-licensed" characters, which are currently proliferating yet again in the hobby, and with unbridled aplomb, no less! (More on them in another post about 1/6th).

LOOSE BUT PRICEY: For a period of time, certain brands popped up and offered uniforms and equipment, without the figures - Hong Kong brands like Saturday Toys and Very Hot veered dangerously close to Hot Toy's offerings (but without the weathering paintwork) with rumors persisting those days that they were in fact HT-manufacturers gone rogue (nothing would ever be substantiated or proved), until later when they came out with their own jackets and clothing. But they were no longer as affordable as before. And frankly, how many fireman figures would be enough? (Hey, there were considered a team-build too you know?).

QUALITY VERSUS PLAYABILITY: Know that "quality" was pedestrian at best in the "good old days" (compared to the lushness of Hot Toys, Enterbay et al these days) which frankly afforded loads of "play", and the notion and action of "kitbashing" - which aided especially well for the notion of "team-building". The current offerings of three-numbered prices deter the notion of taking figures apart somewhat (not necessarily true, as I have witnessed loads of DX Joker being parted out!), although there no doubt are other constant supporters and purveyors of the hobby on dedicated toy-forums (if which I used to be a fanatic, now no more).


[The name "Bravo-6" does not actually pertain to any until I have had served in while in the army]
INDULGE ME: So instead of yakking about the industry (which you probably already know of by now) - let me indulge on my OWN teams! I had a few team-builds going on: The largest number of folks kitbashed belonged to my Vietnam War-era team of soldiers BRAVO-6 (12 soldiers in all - mostly with different body-forms too / circa 2004), my S.W.A.T. team-turned-urban mercenaries (aren't they all? LOL) - and my S.W.A.T.-team would have been a 6-man team, if not for the advent of B.B.I.'s LAPD-SWAT release (then my boys needed to have a "upgrade" in uniforms - their TUAS uniforms no longer cut it lol).

"Upgrades" = the bane of all kitbashing attempts. Tis either you upgrade your boys with the latest gear, or create yet another team altogether - they can't be mucking about wearing different uniforms tho, innit?

I have a collector-friend, "Edwin", who collected and created meticulously different ranks for his Police Officer series, who all wear the same uniforms in the frist place. Now THAT, is dedication! And every year he holds a "change-over ceremony", whereby his advances his characters, and retires the old ones - now THAT, is team-building and cohesion!

Far be it I am making a mockery of anyone's action, for this is serious business we folks are saddled with, and this is a serious hobby involving time and money, and least mentioned of all: SPACE. (Display Space, in fact). Why have a team, when you can't display them together? (Sadly, I do not have space, but I've always just posed them together, snapped pics and boxed them up together afters anyways :p).


[I actually used to actively source out brown Jedi-robes! Hasbro might have
torrid figure-bodies, but they were the only affordable producers of props…]
A failed team that never got past three figures - that bugs at me until now - is my 3-man "Kerberos Panzer Cops" - JIN-ROH unit (with a female as team-leader, no less!) - featuring armor from Dragon Models (I couldn't really afford multiple Medicoms or Takaras tho), which one fine day I hope to make a 6-man/woman team. And the Jedi and Sith guys (shown above) did not really pan out (but they were blink-n-miss "stars" in a television opening once!)

What I had completed, and actually taken pictures of, were another trio of teams that did not thread the regular stores, for which I want to share with you folks now. You might have seen them before, or you might not (thanks for indulging me this far tho!) - Presenting: SCARLET SQUAD, RED HUNT and NEO-OPERA CLAN.


ORIGIN TOY STORIES: The Scarlet Squad was basically my upgrade of Captain Scarlet from the marionette-based science-fiction TV series of 1960s. I had loved the series (tho memories the actual episodes have faded with time) and had even written/planned up an entire story around the characters. The Scarlet Squad no longer policed the Universe. In it's place, the Darkness reigned supreme, and the squad is now a ragtagcollection of rebels found and recovered from around the outer fringes. Shown just above are "recruitment posters" featuring the series of characters I have amassed and kitbashed so far, including two characters I had featured on this blog before: PRIEST and RAVEN. Ironically enough, the genesis of the series was actually spurred on my a classic "Captain Black" figure I had in my humble collection.


I had actually trawled Ebay for old 12" Captain Scarlet figures, as it was their sleeveless vest I was looking for! Instead of getting someone to sew them for me (or even sew them myself), I bided for each figure individually online and won the ones I have put on my figures! (And somewhere in my boxes, is a series of naked "Captain Scarlet" figures, as well as the cap, and some scarlet boots :p).



As the notion of blogging about toys slowly crept into my lifestyle, I lightened up on the frenzy of collecting (believe you me, calling it a "frenzy" is being kind to myself) and started to concentrate on "story-telling" with my creations - if only to appease myself, and of the need to "create", even if with kitbashed figures. One of this series, was THE RED HUNT - a 6-man zombie-kill-squad squad (brought on by a myriad of zombie movies and comicbooks, no doubt - including Robert Kirkman's "Walking Dead" and possibly "28 Days Later"). I created an overall-synopsis of the story, I made individual character back-stories to the folks, and posted them with aplomb. Response was temperate at best, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself! And if checking out tagged posts on this blog is tiring (circa 2006, no less!), check out my dedicated-hobby blog at http://theredhunt.blogspot.com :)


[FatherX: Christmas-themed group kitbash for a toy-forum competition
for which I missed the dateline - with no particular story besides lol]
Yes, there is a master-plan for ALL of them, and I have had kept them pretty close to the chest, all these years - for fear of "theft", truth be told. And the reality is, they remained as a "hobby" for me, as I had not actively "shopped" them or the concepts around. And hell, they're not all "original" ideas to begin with in the first place. let's not over-kid ourselves and give phantom back-pats to ourselves besides their "creation" (even tho their characteristics resound within me). And why mention them now? Because I no longer want to play with myself .. eerrr… I meant, play with my own toys by myself … eerrr … aaaahhh you know what I mean! :p


One of the last "teams" I had ever built, was the "NEO-OPERA CLAN" (posted here in 2009 / Full-screen slideshow) - featuring a group of assassins themed with Oriental/Chinese wayang masks. "Neo" because I had always envisioned a world of abject commerce built out of desolation (yes, AKIRA is king in my mindscape!), and the guys (and girl) of NEO CLAN did what they did, to survive. And a little bit of Chinese heritage is interesting, for after an age of apocalypse, what would more folks attempt to grab ahold of? Money? A fancy car? Or a sense of past, which foretells their future? This notion I had, derived from reading Brian Wood's amazing DMZ. I had attempted to kitbash the characters of the series tho - but I reckon somethings should remain as they are, and not need to be manifested unto toys or products, IMHO.


[Unfinished series of kitbashes featuring characters from the Vertigo-book "DMZ"]

Thinking back, all of the ideas I had created, were based on characters that I could easily adapt to, or from, a comicbook (I grew up on comicbooks), and as well easily lend themselves to being animated. And perhaps that was what fueled me from the very beginning, the influences I have had - that made me build teams, with 1/6th-scaled action figures being the most accessible and workable or me.

Different people build teams for different reasons, and begin with their own "origin stories". Mine is just my own reason and not necessarily yours (But I am interested to know about yours tho! Can't be just myself geeing out here alone, ya'know? LOL). And as much as folks do share the hobby, it seems to be quite the solidary vocation as well. But know that YOU are not alone! (Second schpeel for the day, tired yet? Heh)

And I've always liked the concept of "teams" = especially a ragtag-collection of dark-horses from around the world, very Samurai 7, Magnificent Seven, Buckaroo Banzai, Star Wars (the early trilogy, not the later torrid prequels) and surprisingly "Battle Beyond The Stars (which affected more so than SW) - and yes, even Akira. The team structure has gone from Robin Hood sensibilities to Lord of the Rings-lore, gained regimentation in Battlestar Galactica and conquered worlds in more sci-fi films then we'll ever give credit for, IMHO.


FLASHBACK: The CyPunkX were perhaps my first ever "team-build" made public, all those years ago (shown here in an exhibition+competition at Heeren). Having debated to creating a singular figure (themed ala Akira, thanks), I had decided to create the four Lords of each Clan living in the same city, which has and is constantly being "developed" (I even had wanted to do a stop-motion series with the concept - so many dreams back then, eh?).

HERE+NOW: These days of collecting 1/6, a lot of emphasis is placed now on "licensed properties", with movie characters lining the road pathed with toy-gold, and folks would buy them and display them straight-out-of-the-box, alongside the "other" characters released from the series. There hardly is ever a need to kitbash anymore (specific hobby forums and hobbyists notwithstanding, of course), or even a "desire" for that fact. And "teams" might well be a small series of figures from the same series. Exceptions to team building come in the form of G.I.Joe or even Star Wars characters (ironically also from movie licenses) where folks can form entire groups or extended Universes, and a ready continous production of military personel (I only get the accessories from the P.M.C.s lol). Figures from 3A Toys had initially rekindled my passion for 1/6th, and they blast their way thru with ideas and concepts from one sole person - a unique abnormally in the arena of the 1/6-hobby.


[Tomorrow Queens by 3A Toys / Photography of Alice Adrenochrome]
WHAT'S IN A WORD?: And the word "kitbashed" was strictly kept in the 1/6-scaled hobby, but seems now it has surfaced as a description for a less-than-perfect custom of an art toy, which should not be the case.

And the word "kitbashed" sounds less satisfying than "custom", it seems. Someone slap a few paints unto a figure and call it a "custom" already - the line is so murky these days, I not longer subscribe to the public notion of, in lieu of my own private explanations.


[Pic circa 2006 - when there was more time for "play"]
IN THE END: But perhaps, besides being a "team-builder", I am also a "kitbasher" at heart. Never an opportunity of "loose parts" miss my attention, and frankly, with the amount I had spent on them, I would easily procure quite a few complete boxes of figures in the first place! But the reality is, they would not have been able to satisfy my need to kitbash, and create a world of my own, populated by characters I actually feel for - individually, or as a team.


And though I am not as "active" as I was in the 1/6-hobby, I have been creating yet another "team" of my own, in the art toy culture: A series of custom toys, all actually belonging to a similar story-concept! Sort of like an extension of the "Scarlet Squad", in colors and intent. Ironically I let them leave my side to go on for overseas shows and being procured by folks with excellent tastes (*cough*). Notice the similarities?

Perhaps I should blogyak less and make more toys, be it as "individuals", but always a space in my toy-lurving hearts for "teams".

So there’s this amazing book coming out in June that you need to know about.

Once Upon A Time…

…in the faraway land of Story, a Hugo-winning Editor realized that no one had collected together the fairy tales of the age, and that doorstop-thick anthologies of modern fairy tales were sorely lacking…

And so the Editor ventured forth, wandering the land of Story from shore to shore, climbing massive mountains of books and delving deep into lush, literary forests, gathering together thirty-three of the best re-tellings of fairy tales he could find. Not just any fairy tales, mind you, but tantalizing tales from some of the biggest names in today’s fantastic fiction, authors like Gregory Maguire, Susanna Clarke, Charles de Lint, Holly Black, Aletha Kontis, Kelly Link, Neil Gaiman, Patricia Briggs, Paul Di Filippo, Gregory Frost, and Nancy Kress. But these stories alone weren’t enough to satisfy the Editor, so the Editor ventured further, into the dangerous cave of the fearsome Bill Willingham, and emerged intact with a magnificent introduction, to tie the collection together.

And the inhabitants of Story, from the Kings and Queens relaxing in their castles to the peasants toiling in the fields; from to the fey folk flitting about the forests to the trolls lurking under bridges and the giants in the hills, read the anthology, and enjoyed it. And they all lived…

…Happily Ever After.

Contents:
Bill Willingham – Introduction
Gregory Maguire – The Seven Stage a Comeback
Genevieve Valentine – And In Their Glad Rags
Howard Waldrop – The Sawing Boys
Michael Cadnum – Bear It Away
Susanna Clarke – Mr. Simonelli or the Fairy Widower
Karen Joy Fowler – The Black Fairy’s Curse
Charles de Lint – My Life As A Bird
Holly Black – The Night Market
Theodora Goss – The Rose in Twelve Petals
Jim C. Hines – The Red Path
Alethea Kontis – Blood and Water
Garth Nix – Hansel’s Eyes
Wil McCarthy – He Died That Day, In Thirty Years
Jane Yolen – Snow In Summer
Michelle West – The Rose Garden
Bruce Sterling – The Little Magic Shop
K. Tempest Bradford – Black Feather
Alan Rodgers – Fifi’s Tail
Kelly Link – The Faery Handbag
Peter Straub – Ashputtle
Leslie What – The Emperor’s New (And Improved) Clothes
Robert J. Howe – Pinocchio’s Diary
Wendy Wheeler – Little Red
Neil Gaiman – The Troll Bridge
Patricia Briggs – The Price
Paul Di Filippo – Ailoura
Jeff VanderMeer – The Farmer’s Cat
Gregory Frost – The Root of The Matter
Susan Wade – Like a Red, Red Rose
Josh Rountree – Chasing America
Nancy Kress – Stalking Beans
Esther Friesner – Big Hair
Robert Coover – The Return of the Dark Children

Trade Paperback
978-1-59780-220-8
496 Pages – $15.99

That’s right — I’m in a ToC with Birthday Boy Jim C. Hines (Happy birthday, Jim!) and, once again, that pesky Neil Gaiman fellow. I’m not complaining at all. I mean, have you seen that cover? It’s GORGEOUS!I am so honored that John asked me to be included.

And if you like, you can preorder it now straight from Nightshade books.

Originally published at AletheaKontis.com. You can comment here or there.

A year ago today, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games came to a close and the Olympic flame was extinguished at BC Place stadium. Canada had just won hockey gold, sending the nation into raptures, and the Closing Ceremony had been an opportunity for Canada to poke a little fun at itself and celebrate 16 days of fantastic sporting competition. Yet, when the flame went out, the catalytic effect of the Olympic Games on Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada, did not come to an end. The legacy of these Games will live on for many, many years to come.

Athletic Achievement

At their core, the Vancouver Games were a stage for remarkable athletic achievement and cultural celebrations. The world was welcomed by the magnificent “blue jacket” volunteers, the warm wave of red mittens, and the glowing hearts of deep Canadian pride. Global television ratings were unparalleled, a record number of National Olympic Committees participated in the Games, and Canadian athletes won the most gold medals ever at an Olympic Winter Games. But for Canadians, the Olympic Games were much more than just about “owning the podium”. Vancouver 2010 left a great legacy for the city, region, country and Olympic Movement. Legacy planning is an integral part of the preparations for all Olympic Games, and Vancouver set a new benchmark in many areas.

Pre-Games Legacies

The sport venues in Vancouver and the nearby mountain resort of Whistler were finished well in advance of the Games. Most were completed two full winter seasons before February 2010, providing unprecedented time for athletes to train and compete in the lead-up to the Games. Indeed, some, such as Whistler Olympic Park and the Olympic Oval, were available so early that legacies were realizsed before the Games even began, with public and amateur athletes able to use the venues that would soon welcome the world’s finest sportsmen and women. There is no doubt that these venues will leave a substantial legacy for both amateur and elite sport in Canada. But just as important, each venue was designed responsibly and with a view to the future. Each one met the highest environmental standards and featured numerous sustainability highlights such as energy-saving features that captured and reused waste heat and rainwater. One year on, the venues continue to be well used and will remain valuable parts of the community long into the future.

More Than Just Green Games

The 2010 Winter Games were more than just green Games. Vancouver was the first host city to create a not-for-profit organisation specifically designed to develop community legacies — in sport, the arts, literacy, environment, accessibility, and volunteerism — before, during and after the 2010 Games. The work of the Vancouver 2010 Organising Committee set a new bar for future international events in the field of sustainability. Environmentally, the 2010 Games showed us how future events can reduce their carbon footprints and how partnerships can result in more responsible Games. They also showed us how the Olympic Games can be a catalyst for socially and economically disadvantaged groups that might not have otherwise had the opportunity to benefit.

Aboriginal Participation

The 2010 Olympic Games also created greater awareness of Aboriginal people and Canada’s cultural diversity. An Aboriginal Participation department was integrated within the Organising Committee ensuring significant economic, cultural and sporting opportunities and legacies for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. The partnership with the First Nations on whose traditional territories the Games were held — known collectively as the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) — was a Games’ first. The unprecedented participation by the Aboriginal people of Canada made the 2010 Games stronger and was another example of Vancouver’s commitment to inclusion.

National Pride

Canadians will not soon forget the snowballing sense of national pride that united them from coast to coast, while international visitors will likewise long remember the welcoming feeling of camaraderie that greeted them at the Games. The result was an unforgettable atmosphere that symbolised the true spirit of the Olympic Games. A year ago Vancouver hosted excellent and very friendly Games, providing future organizsers with an ideal example of what’s possible when a vision is achieved and when legacy is a priority. By heeding the lessons of their predecessors, future hosts – London (Great Britain), Sochi (Russia), and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) – can set their own benchmarks and deliver unforgettable events that will produce lasting legacies that will benefit their communities for many years to come.

VANCOUVER 2010

Vancouver and Whistler hosted the XXI Olympic Winter Games from 12 to 28 February 2010 and the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from 12 to 21 March 2010. The seven winter Olympic sports that were on show in Vancouver were luge, skiing, skating, ice hockey, biathlon, bobsleigh and curling.

Read more about Vancouver 2010’s legacy.

Beleaguered Sheffield United boss Micky Adams is confident of leading the club back to the npower Championship if they are relegated this season.

Adams has steered his hometown team to only two wins in 18 league games since being installed in late December and the Blades are currently seven points adrift of safety with five games remaining.

"I think I've known since day one that staying up was going to be difficult and I'll take my share of the responsibility if we go down," Adams said. "If we do go down I want to be the manager that brings us back up.

"I'll still be here at the end of the season and players also have a lot to play for because, for some of them, if their futures are not here then who will take them?"

Adams added: "I have to give our magnificent supporters a team to be proud of and all I'm looking for is for the players to put in a good shift and show they care about Sheffield United."

 
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Oakley school program resonates with deaf children - San Jose Mercury News Classroom 3 was a riot of color and noise as children happily practiced the usual motor skills exercises. Four youngsters busily cut up plastic straws with scissors, while nearby a small girl teetered on a balance beam inches off the floor as she tried to catch a ball. But this wasn't just any preschool class: A boy cradled in a sling that hung from the ceiling vigorously twirled himself, and there were four adults on hand to monitor the seven children, a far cry from the ratio elsewhere on campus. Differences are the norm at Oakley's Laurel Elementary School, where a small group of deaf students that includes 5-year-old Julianna Ortega are learning to make their way in a hearing world. The kindergartner earned a certificate this school year for reaching phonics goals, which she accomplished months ahead of schedule. "For her, that's really a big thing because it's a lot of work to figure out that 'A' makes this sound and 'B' makes that sound," said her mother, Linda Ortega. Oakley Union Elementary School District began offering specialized instruction for hearing-impaired children at this site nearly eight years ago to fill the void in East Contra Costa; until then, local public school students were commuting to Mt. Diablo Unified School District's Pleasant Hill and Concord campuses. Laurel Elementary now has 18 students from around East County and beyond -- one boy makes the daily commute from San Ramon --enrolled in preschool through fourth grade. The district plans to offer a class at one of its two middle schools in 2012-13 to accommodate current students who will be entering sixth grade that year, said Maryann Hussey, assistant superintendent of student services. The hope is to continue expanding until help is available through the eighth grade, she said, adding that Liberty Union High School District has indicated that it intends to offer services for these students once they leave middle school. Laurel Elementary was chosen as the site for the program in part because of its acoustics: The school has fewer windows and lower ceilings than others in the district, which reduces the reverberation of sound that can make it even harder for youngsters with a hearing loss to understand others. The three classrooms dedicated to the deaf and hard-of-hearing program are set up to maximize learning. In addition to having an aide, each teacher wears a microphone and FM transmitter that conveys the amplified sound directly into the ears of children with hearing aids. Both instructor and helper use Signing Exact English, which, although related to the more common American Sign Language, is better suited to teaching English syntax and the other all-important rules of grammar that hearing children typically learn simply by hearing conversations around them. Considered a visual representation of spoken English, S.E.E. employs specific hand gestures not just for every word but for subsets of meaning such as suffixes and prefixes, plurals and tenses -- and words are signed in the same order they would be spoken or written. Teachers also use hand signals as a way of showing children how to sound out the alphabet. The inclusion of audible instruction is important to Teresa Rivera, whose 6-year-old talks more than he signs despite a severe hearing loss. "We're trying to prepare him for a hearing world. He's going to be submerged into a hearing world, so we need to prepare him verbally to adapt," said the Oakley resident, who enrolled Andrew in Laurel Elementary's program when he was 3. *Starting young* Beth Matesi is multi-tasking as she introduces half a dozen first- and second-graders to an abstract concept. She's providing the narration for images the projector is displaying on the whitebeard, her voice as animated as her hands that are constantly in motion. "What is the bear eating?" Matesi says. A child pipes up with a correction. "Oh, I'm sorry -- it's a monkey," Matesi quickly responds, scratching both armpits to convey the difference. Most of her children, though profoundly deaf, have either hearing aids or cochlear implants that they've been using since they were very young. Early intervention has everything to do with how well a student learns to speak, Matesi said, noting that the state's goal is to have infants diagnosed within three months of birth and fitted with a hearing device by six months. Not every child gets that help out of the starting gates, however. Matesi pauses the lesson and points to a fidgety 8-year-old boy. "Sit down on your bottom," she signs. Although born with a severe hearing loss, the youngster didn't receive hearing aids or cochlear implants, and Matesi says he consequently will never talk. He came to Laurel Elementary in January from another school district where he was the only deaf child in his class and didn't know many signs, Matesi said. Frustrated by his inability to communicate with teachers and other students, the child would act up. Since he's been here, however, the temper tantrums have subsided, Matesi said. "His behavior is improving as he is developing a way to express what he wants, what he's feeling, so he doesn't have to act everything out," she said. When they're not learning directly from teachers, students get help through other avenues. Spinning on the classroom swings improves their balance, which often is compromised with a loss of hearing. Each child also meets with the school's full-time speech therapist at least three times a week. *Social interaction* Although deaf students spend most of their time together, they mingle with hearing children on the playground as well as in those classes where they're on an academic par with their peers. To foster that interaction, the school four years ago began holding weekly classes for hearing children who wanted to learn to sign. The goal was not only to equip these "sign language ambassadors" to communicate more effectively with deaf students but to have them share their new vocabulary with classmates. Fourth-grader Giselle Domantay knew how to sign dozens of words even before she began taking lessons. "I think it was like God wanted me to do this. He put me here to do this," she said, explaining that she was moved when she saw hearing students become impatient with those who were deaf. "People were saying, like, 'No!' and 'Stop!' They were doing it in a bad way," she said. Most of the kids she's taught are putting those skills to use, Giselle said. "Some people are magnificent with it," she said. The way this 10-year-old sees it, reaching out to the hard-of-hearing is an emotionally life-giving act. "They're breathing air into the deaf person, being so supportive of them and not doing bad stuff," she said. Laurel Elementary also offers after-school instruction in S.E.E. for parents who are learning to sign along with their child, classes that at times also have included yard duty supervisors, mainstream teachers and the school librarian. The connections that Oakley Union's services build between the hearing and deaf worlds is something Ortega doesn't want her daughter to lose. Like Rivera's son, Julianna talks more than she signs, and Ortega hopes she eventually will be able to hold her own in mainstream classes. But the Antioch parent also wants Juliana to maintain her fluency in sign language, and not only so she can continue communicating with students who don't talk. The knowledge will stand her in good stead years from now if her daughter wants to become an interpreter or work at a school for the deaf, Ortega said. "It's another language, and if you don't practice, you can't do it when you get older," she said.

TALLADEGA, Alabama (April 12, 2011) – - After delivering an electrifying third place performance at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Win-Tron Racing has once again called upon Portland, Texas native Matt Merrell to drive the team’s No. 32 Toyota Camry in Friday afternoon’s 3 Amigos 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Given Merrell delivered a champion-like performance at Daytona is fitting for the second of 19 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races this season as Win-Tron Racing announced last week that Champion Brands has signed on as the primary marketing partner of the team’s No. 32 Toyota Camry for Merrell’s inaugural debut at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.

“To have another shot at victory at a superspeedway in the No. 32 Champion Brands Toyota Camry is a blessing for sure,” said Merrell, a former competitor in the USARacing Pro Cup Series. “We had such a strong race car at Daytona and we’re bringing that same car back to Talladega hoping for the same results.”

Merrell added, “It’s very humbling to represent a great company like Champion Brands. Win-Tron Racing, I know is one of the best in the ARCA Racing Series and I know Champion has found a great home with them. It’s my goal to go out there in the race and prove to them why it’s such a great home.”

Much like Daytona, Merrell, the 26-year old has never tested nor raced at the 2.66-mile superspeedway but the lack of track time isn’t a worry for him because of the faith that he has in his Lakeville, Minnesota-based team led by Win-Tron’s wizard crew chief Mike Chafee.

“To go to a place like Daytona or Talladega can be intimidating for sure, but I’m not worried,” Merrell sounded. “Mike (Chafee) and Mike (Resop) and the entire Win-Tron Racing team know what they are doing when it boils down to this restrictor plate racing, so I’m just going to Talladega this weekend and do exactly what I did in Daytona and hope we leave with the same or even a better result.

If we’re able to pull off a win at Talladega at Friday, I can’t even begin to explain the emotions and happiness it will bring to not only me and my family but for this Win-Tron Racing team. They’ve had a lot of faith in me over the years and have always put me in first class equipment; I would like to thank them with a win in the worst way.”

Nate Thiesse, co-owner of Win-Tron Racing is equally upbeat about having Merrell back at the controls for the 3 Amigos 250. “Matt did a magnificent job at Daytona and there’s no hesitation to think that he cannot do the same again on Friday. He showed at Daytona that despite very little experience in the draft, he tackled the finesse of the draft like a veteran. We know that he’ll race smart and put our No. 32 Champion Brands Toyota in contention when it really counts!”

The team’s No. 32 Toyota Camry is also aiming for its third consecutive top-10 finish on a superspeedway. Last April, Justin Marks delivered a ninth place performance after a late-race shuffle in the draft. In February, Merrell piloted the same automobile to a podium third place finish in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.

Merrell will make his 15th career start and first at Talladega in the ARCA Racing Series presented Menards this week. In his previous 14 outings, Merrell has six top-fives including runner-up finishes of second at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (August) in 2009 and seven top-10s. His best start position for Win-Tron Racing occurred at the tricky triangle of Pocono (Pa.) Raceway where he qualified his No. 32 CollinsHope.org Dodge Charger second in June of 2009.

The 3 Amigos 250 (94 laps / 250 miles) is the second of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 49th ever ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Thursday, April 14 with a three hour practice session planned from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 5:05 p.m. Coverage of time trials is available online through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com in collaboration with Alabama’s local WTDR Thunder 92.7 FM. A 45-minute final practice has been etched in on Friday, April 15 from 10:00 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. The event will take the green flag that afternoon shortly after 4:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional live broadcasting available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com in collaboration with Alabama’s local WTDR Thunder 92.7 FM. All times are local (Central).

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 952.469.1839.

Former scientist Raghu Dixit has taken the Indian music scene by storm. Now his sights are on the UK

It's just after 1am in Bengaluru, southern India, and the Shivratri festivities are at their height. A boisterous crowd is packed into a square where two large stages have been constructed. On one there's a polystyrene temple, complete with a duck pond with real ducks and a statue of Lord Shiva, but attention is centred on the second stage, where local musician Raghu Dixit is about to perform. "It's a religious festival," Dixit explains. "According to the legend, Shiva has drunk poison to save the world, and his followers have to make enough noise to keep him awake."

Bengaluru is Dixit's home city, and when he comes on stage Shivratri turns into a rock show. Dry ice fills the stage as he launches into Hey Bhagwan, "a prayer to the Lord to give us a second chance", strumming an amplified acoustic guitar. He could be a soulful Celtic folk-rocker if he wasn't singing in Kannada, the local language, and wasn't barefoot, wearing a traditional kurta shirt and a lungi.

Dixit is a singer-songwriter with a mission. This one-time scientist gave up a career in Europe to return to India and create a fusion of Indian themes and western pop that sets out to "represent what India is today . . . deeply rooted in our tradition but marrying influences that the internet boom and globalisation are throwing at us".

The aim, he says, is to bring new pride to those who speak Kannada. Bengaluru may be India's fastest-growing city, thanks to the boom in call centres and the IT industries, but the influx of Hindi and Tamil speakers looking for work means the language is under threat. "We have developed an inferiority complex about our own language," says Dixit. So he deliberately sings in Kannada, and updates the work of such local poets as Shishunala Sharif.

In Karnataka state, his campaign is clearly working; he is stopped wherever we go. So with all this local success, why is he trying to succeed in the west? "It's necessary for me to create sensational concerts outside India. It increases pride in the language if a Kannada speaker is getting standing ovations at British festivals."

Born into a conservative family, Dixit wasn't allowed to listen to western music, wear jeans, or play guitar "which was associated with Christianity". At Mysore university, he studied for an MA in microbiology, getting the highest marks in his year. It was while working in Belgium as a pharmaceutical researcher that his landlord heard him singing, and arranged for him to appear on a Brussels radio station. The response was so encouraging that Dixit returned to India, determined to become a musician.

It took him seven years to succeed, scraping together enough money to record an album of his own songs. Released in 2007 (last year in the UK), it made him a star in India. Since then, he has used much of his earnings to try to launch his career in the west. He was initially sceptical about performing on the BBC's Later, where he appeared on a show with Arcade Fire ("who I didn't have a clue about . . . but they were magnificent"), and admits, "I wondered why I had spent so much money coming just to play one song". But his album has since become iTunes's top world-music download.

Meanwhile, he's also been talent-spotted by the Southbank Centre's artistic director Jude Kelly, who invited him to become an artist in residence after seeing him perform in India. He is, she says, "savvy and clever, mixing folk themes and the contemporary". His wife Mayuri Upadhya runs a dance troupe and they plan to write a musical together: "It will be a magnificent sight," he promises. He is, one suspects, about to become one of the unexpected success stories of the year.

• Raghu Dixit opens the Southbank Centre's Alchemy festival, tomorrow, London SE1. Box office: 0844 875 0073. Then at Glastonbury, Latitude, Rhythms of the World and other summer festivals.

Chanel muse and Roger Vivier brand ambassador Ines de la Fressange has written a book, Parisian Chic: A Style Guide. Presented notebook-meets-scrapbook-style, Parisian Chic is filled with cute lo-fi illustrations, doodles and asides — a light-hearted mishmash of insider-y tips and recommendations on everything from what stores to shop in to what beauty products to wear and even what to put in your home (scented candles: good; curtains: bad.)

Ines' fashion advice is a true Parisian's sartorial road map that covers mixing and matching styles and separates, shopping in the mens' department at H&M;, and being sure not to worship any graven fashion idols. In a series of artsy street style photos, her daughter Nine D'Urso models the wardrobe basics Ines calls "the Magnificent Seven," as well as accessories to match. Click through a selection of these images in our slideshow.

Read more posts by Alex Rees

Filed Under: french dressing, chanel, designers, ines de la fressange, slideshow

watch Manchester United vs Chelsea live online 12-4-2011
Watch Manchester United vs Chelsea live online in the UEFA Champions League. Most of the people are waiting to watch this match “Manchester United vs Chelsea”.
Manchester United vs Chelsea Live Stream Free Online 12 April 2011
Manchester United vs Chelsea Live 12th April 2011

 Manchester United vs Chelsea Live

Apr 12, 2011 18:45 GMT UEFA Champions League

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Chelsea are behind leaders United in the Premier League by 11-points and have been knocked out of Carling Cup and the FA Cup as well. Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s only hope of winning silverware in this ingoing 2010-11 season depends on their Champions League game on Tuesday

Dimitar Berbatov is the club’s leading scorer this season with 22 goals to his name, but none of them have come in the Champions League.
United made eight changes for Saturday’s win against Fulham, but still won comfortably 2-0.

Chelsea have scored just twice in their previous three games.
The Blues' £50 million striker Fernando Torres has failed to score now in 11 games since joining in January.
Nicolas Anelka is this season’s second top scorer in the Champions League.
Last week’s home defeat against the Red Devils was Chelsea's first in the competition for seven games.
Chelsea have won just five of their 10 games that Torres has played in.

There will also be the final outcome of the game between Manchester United vs Chelsea at the end of the game, we also have the video of the highlights of the game on this website so that you will see absolutely free and the best moments, key plays, the most interesting observation , yellow and red cards.

If Manchester united losses in the Watch Chelsea v Manchester united Live Online Free Streaming Match, it Wont be of Great loss to Manchester united or Man utd, but It could be of Great benefit to Chelsea. If Chelsea Wins this, they Could increase their chances of Not getting kicked out of the Next years UEFA Champion ship

There must also be a possibility that Nani will get the nod ahead of Javier Hernandez, allowing Wayne Rooney to slot back into the lone striking role Ferguson prefers on occasions such as this.
Ancelotti, meanwhile, claims he is excited and not feeling any pressure ahead of the second leg.
Chelsea's season could hinge on Tuesday's game with a late push to win the Barclays Premier League - in which they trail leaders United by 11 points - now looking unlikely.

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Watch Manchester United vs Chelsea Live Stream HD TV 12 APRIL 2011 quarter Finals 2LEG Man utd vs chelsea fc Nicholas Anelka, a man who has marked seven times until now. To play yet in Stamford Bridge, determined a joint Chelsea will have to the field Wednesday, knowing full well that this season provides a fantastic opportunity to them to go a passage beyond which it did in 2008. CL Chelsea Chelsea v Manchester United: Which will be eliminated English power in the quarters? Possible eleven initial: (4-4-2) Cech Bosingwa Cole Terry Ivanovic Essien, Lampard, Malouda Ramires Anelka Towers Manchester United, equipment of the news Sir Alex has a tendency to touch to a mark a little more to the defensive of European soccer in the relations of distance of Manchester United, reason why it is not surprised if Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes to in center play a role more defensive of the field, to add a greater support to the defense of four. After to have fitted only twice during all the competition until now, United to be safe to maintain to the possible damages to the minimum, in case of being defeated this week. A worrisome factor for Sir Alex, is that its equipment has only marked nine times in eight parties, a statistic that requires a drastic improvement, if they have some desire to follow ahead and to gain this match. After to have appeared in this phase of the competition in 16 previous occasions nevertheless, United they are without a doubt conscious than it is needed to continue advancing. In fact, they have more than the record respectable in this stage, after to have advanced to the semifinals in 11 of the 16 occasions. The past season nevertheless, the finalists final the Bayern eliminated it to Munich in the end eight. Watch chelsea vs manchester united live online Free The UEFA Champions League 12/04/2011Justin , Freedocast , Veemi , Ustream ,Zonein , Limev , veedocast ,mips ,Espa , Veetle , Sopcast ,Webcaston watch chelsea vs manchester united live stream

Wayne Rooney’s goal six days ago ensured another game was added to Rio’s run, but the 32-year-old defender’s unflappable performance alongside Nemanja Vidic was the foundation on which United’s potentially decisive victory was built.

“That was probably one of Rio’s best performances in a United jersey,” Ferguson said. “He was absolutely magnificent.

“But I knew it would happen because all the incentives were there. The adrenaline of coming back into the team, the importance of the occasion, it was perfect for Rio.”
The defending champions could go four points clear at the top of the table if they beat Chelsea this weekend and fans will be desperately praying that their most consistent player this season will be available for selection in a game that could very well decide who will be lifting the title this season. Rooney twisted his ankle in United’s 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League with manager Alex Ferguson refusing to confirm whether Rooney will be available for the weekend.
Manchester United vs Chelsea 2011

Gorilla expert Andy Rose has been photographing these magnificent beasts for seven years in the Virunga mountains of northern Rwanda.

Lovely Pia Toscano has been sent home. PHILIP LIM takes a look at the others who are not so confident anymore about their chances of surviving IF American Idol Season 10 has been described by some as "lacking in substance and losing its lustre", it is clearly not short of surprises.

A surprising connection between jazz saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and cello legend Pablo Casals, who is seen above, has been uncovered by American reader Tim McCarthy. In the past Tim has taken us down other absorbing paths including one to Ravi Shankar and George Harrison's Collaborations box set, and his latest email captures the eclectic spirit of On An Overgrown Path perfectly, so here it is verbatim:

Bob: While reading the liner notes to the excellent double cd of "Coleman Hawkins: A Retrospective: 1929-1963" (RCA Bluebird 1995), I was surprised to discover that Bean played cello and loved Pablo Casals. Since I owe my appreciation of both Bach and Casals to OAOP, I thought I'd send you the following.

Excerpted from a conversation between Hawkins scholar James T. Maher and the liner note's author Bill Kirchner:

"In the late Twenties, Casals had begun to record some of the Bach solo pieces as well as a great variety of other material, from lightweight to esoteric. You can hear in his playing a vigor, a drive, a great richness in his sonority. As he works his way through the Bach, you hear, as with other great virtuosi, the improvisatory element in his interpretation. What a perfect influence for Hawkins, because you're dealing with two solo instruments, the cello and the saxophone.

"Of course, the problem that Hawkins had was on the cello, you can play double and triple stops and get some chordal feeling that can't be had on a single-note instrument like the saxophone. But Hawkins had this drive to get past the single note, and the way he did it, and brilliantly so, was by arpeggiations and chordal runs. Plus, there was his impatience with the bar line.

"Casals and Hawkins had the same kind of musical temperament. Playing the Bach solo pieces, Casals would dive into a low note with a breadth and tremendous vigor matched be few cellists. And in fact, Harry Lim talked about meeting Hawkins in Europe, and how excited Hawkins was by a recording of Schubert's Opus 99 by the Cortot-Thibaud-Casals trio.

"Also, Hawk was obsessed with vocal music, especially opera. He had a huge record collection, most of it classical. Very little jazz."

Additionally, here are the more interesting pages referencing Casals from John Chilton's "The Song of Hawk: The Life and Recordings of Coleman Hawkins": (BTW, flip up to page 354 for Hawkins' hi-fi set-up.) Unfortunately, the "Retrospective" does not contain Hawk's magnificent solo tour de force "Picasso" (available on "The Jazz Scene" [Polygram Verve 1994]) that Chilton compares to Casals' Bach and Joyce's "Finnegan's Wake" intriguingly: what food for thought!

(The references to opera reminded me of Miles Davis' love of Price's/Karajan's "Tosca" Decca LPs that he repeatedly wore out and desired to remake with Gil Evans. Sadly, it never happened. (The tantalizing Tosca/Stockhausen/James Brown troika can be heard on Miles' amazing "On the Corner" complete sessions box (or at least the Stockhausen/JB duo can) (OAOP has already covered Markus Stockhausen's connection to Miles.

Keep up the good blogging. Regards, Tim

My header image was taken from the 2008 post In search of Pablo Casals which takes me down another overgrown path. Previous posts have explored the links between Casals, who lived in exile in Prades in French Catalonia, and author, peace activist and Trappist monk Thomas Merton, who was born in Prades. Jazz was one of Merton's great passions and there are a number of references to this in the definitive biography The Seven Mountains of Thomas Merton by Michael Mott.

In one reference the book tells how when a schoolboy at Oakham School Thomas Merton visited Paris in 1946 and wrote enthusiastically in the school magazine about hearing Josephine Baker sing "J'ai deux amours, mon pays et Paris." Coleman Hawkins, who is seen in my footer image, had been in Paris before the outbreak of war and the musicians he worked with there included Django Reinhardt and Benny Carter. More on Casals' and Merton's shared love for mon pays Catalonia here and you can hear Casals' orchestral Bach, complete with instrument of the moment - the saxophone, together with a setting of Merton's poetry in my musical homage to that magical region here.

Also on Facebook and Twitter. Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report broken links, missing images and errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk

Jackson Browne’s solo show at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts Saturday night walked the tightrope between magnificent and mortifying.

The mortifying part had nothing to do with Browne, who delivered a wonderful, intimate one-man performance filled with high points from his formidable oeuvre. But although one delighted fan repeatedly shouted to Browne that Montreal loves him, you wouldn’t have known it by this most pathetic of turnouts: the 3,000-plus capacity hall wasn’t quite running on empty, but about two-thirds of the people who should have been there stayed home.

That was embarrassing for us and completely baffling for an artist of Browne’s stature.

Perhaps there’s no francophone crossover factor with the Los Angeles legend --- unlike, let’s say, Dennis DeYoung, who packed the same room Friday night. Or maybe the event wasn’t properly publicized.

Either way, the promoter, Evenko, can’t be happy. But the lucky ….. who sat in the parterre --- the balconies appeared to be just about deserted --- will have smiles on their faces for a few days. They were treated to an unforgettable evening that felt like a small club show.

After opening with The Barricades of Heaven, Browne informed the audience that this was a show with no set list, adding that he would play “whatever I feel like, whatever you feel like.”

And he wasn’t kidding. There was a spontaneity to the concert that is almost never seen. At some points, while walking toward one of the 18 guitars on stage, Browne would react to a shouted-out request and grab a different one. Many of the instruments, he explained, are in different tunings, hence the number of them. An electric piano was used for some non-pickable selections.

With the concept explained, the requests came fast and furious, and Browne deftly mixed no-brainers like Doctor My Eyes, Take It Easy and The Pretender with deeper-catalogue favourites like Your Bright Baby Blues, In the Shape of a Heart and You Love the Thunder. During the latter, Browne played Keith Richards-style chords while one-song guest Manny Alvarez, his guitar tech rattled off some bottleneck blues licks.

Only seven of the evening’s 25 songs were released after the 1970s, so golden-era material was the …. Some albums, including Lawyers In Love, I’m Alive and the Naked Ride Home were entirely bypassed, while Running On Empty, an obvious favourite with the audience, was the most heavily represented: Browne played all but two of its songs.

A good part of the concert’s magic was in the stripped-down vulnerability of Browne’s unplugged makeovers, which seemed to let his fans more casually into his world. This was the type of show where the only man on stage could truly mess up and lose his way a half-dozen times --- as he did in the obviously-unexpected Linda Paloma --- and still draw some of the loudest cheers of the night for reaching the end of the song.

If Browne ever returns to Montreal --- and after Saturday night’s grim attendance number, the smart money’s not on it --- let’s either get the word out or find the right venue. If he doesn’t, though, we'll always have Saturday night.

Songs performed:

1. The Barricades of Heaven
2. Cocaine (Rehab Version)
3. Looking Into You
4. Rosie
5. Live Nude Cabaret
6. Fountain of Sorrow
7. Doctor My Eyes
8. Giving That Heaven Away
9. Linda Paloma
10. Going Down to Cuba
11. Lives in the Balance
12. Rock Me On the Water

**** INTERMISSION ****

13. For Everyman
14. For a Dancer
15. Shaky Town
16. Somebody’s Baby
17. Your Bright Baby Blues
18. You Love the Thunder
19. Take It Easy
20. In the Shape of a Heart
21. The Pretender
22. Love Needs a Heart
23. Running On Empty

ENCORE:

24. The Load-Out
25. Stay

Photo of Jackson Browne by John Kenney/ The Gazette. See John's photo gallery of the show here.

--- Bernard Perusse (also follow twitter.com/bernieperusse) ---

The new IPL season has got off to a subdued start after the World Cup, but the impact of expansion is already being felt

Lalit Modi may be in exile thousands of miles away, but when it comes to the Indian Premier League, the house that he built, Modi and hyperbole are inextricably linked. As the clock ticked past 11pm in Chennai on Friday night, he tweeted: "back (sic) to last over finish. Love it".

A look at the scorecard and you might think this was a great game. Four needed off the last ball, and a superb yorker from Tim Southee – signed up as a replacement for the injured Ben Hilfenhaus – to ensure that the defending champions sneaked home. The reality was very different. This was a game of mistakes, of players looking fatigued and listless, a contest where a revamped Kolkata side suggested that losing might be part of the franchise's DNA.

Ever since the competition began, the Knight Riders have been the most hyped team, with the retinue of celebrity and pseudo-celeb groupies. They've also been unmatched in the ineptitude stakes, finishing sixth, last and sixth – the only team never to make a semi-final.

Shah Rukh Khan, one of the owners, was part of a spectacularly tacky opening ceremony here, dressed as though in urgent need of a new style consultant. At the player auction in January, he and Kolkata broke the bank to buy the likes of Gautam Gambhir ($2.4m), Yusuf Pathan ($2.1m), Jacques Kallis ($1.1m) and Eoin Morgan ($350,000).

A fresh start with fresh faces. And three-fourths of the way through, the owner who had borrowed MC Hammer's pleated trousers from the 1980s had reason to smile. Having restricted Chennai to 153, the Knight Riders were perfectly placed, needing just 66 from 54 balls.

But as with South Africa in the competitions that matter, Kolkata never seem far from the self-destruct button. It was Kallis that pushed it here, lap-sweeping a carrom-ball gone wrong from Ravichandran Ashwin to short fine leg. Until then he had batted with scarcely a care for 54, the only batsmen to appear completely at ease on a two-paced pitch.

Morgan's miserable night ended seven balls later. In the field, he had dropped the simplest of catches, allowing Srikkanth Anirudha – the son of Krishnamachari Srikkanth, the former Indian opener who's now chief selector – to finish with 64 rather than 39. With the bat, he struck one splendid stroke over cover before a headless-chicken charge that made Suresh Raina look more like Erapalli Prasanna than a part-time bowler.

All the while, Gambhir, who usually bats in the top three, had been watching from the pavilion. Two balls later, that was where he was headed, caught short by a superb throw from Scott Styris. Six days after attaining legendary status with a World Cup-winning 97, he looked a little bemused as he trudged back with more than 30,000 cheering.

The full-throated affirmation had been reserved for the other hero of that run chase, MS Dhoni, who walked out to bat with his name being chanted from every corner of the ground. For Chennai, he isn't just a World Cup winner, but also the man who led the most consistent team in the league to the IPL and Champions League double last year.

He was relatively subdued on Friday but for one massive six over long-on, and his game-turning moment came in the field – a magnificent chase, pick-up and throw with only one stump to aim at that caught Pathan short of his ground.

The fans in canary-yellow with their Whistle Podu [Blow the Whistle] song went home happy, even though it had been a quiet night by their usual raucous standards. Prior to the match, several fans at the gate admitted to being emotionally spent. They seemed to be there out of habit more than anything else.

They'll find that easier to do in Chennai than at other venues because the Super Kings are the only franchise to have retained the core of the team that tasted so much success last year. Muttiah Muralitharan may have moved on to Kochi and the Tuskers, and Matthew Hayden hasn't been invited back, but the rest of the cast isn't very different.

Contrast that with the likes of Bangalore Royal Challengers, with not one big-name local player, or Delhi Daredevils – only Virender Sehwag of the stars has roots in the area – and it's easy to see why Chennai can expect sizeable crowds throughout the season. There were empty seats today, especially in the hospitality boxes, but after a fortnight or two to recover from the high of 2 April, it should be back to whistling as usual.

Kochi, where Murali is unlikely to play the early games after hobbling through the final stages of the World Cup, is another centre that can expect capacity crowds. There, the key factor is novelty. The city has hosted the odd one-day game down the years, but it's never been a regular stop for the Indian cricket caravan.

Some would argue that it isn't cricket country either. Even a decade ago, the Nehru Stadium would be packed to the floodlights for football games. Had Argentina visited, as they will Kolkata later this year, they could have sold out the 60,000-seater thrice over.

Since then though, with the emergence of Tinu Yohannan – whose father was a long jump gold medalist in the Teheran Asian Games of 1974 – and Sreesanth, the balance has tilted towards cricket, aided by the football team continuing to swim in extremely shallow waters.

On Saturday, they will come from as far south as Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital, and from as far north as Kannur to watch Kerala's first IPL game. Sreesanth is the token Malayali in the XI, but the Tuskers' chances of doing well will rest largely on the batting of Mahela Jayawardene.

If the IPL and the team, mostly owned by folk with no ties to the state, grow roots, it remains to be seen how the other sports that were once such a big part of Kerala's sporting landscape react. The football talent pool has shrunk to a puddle, volleyball hasn't seen someone of Jimmy George's stature – he was playing in Italy when he died in a car crash in the mid-1980s – and the athletes haven't come close to matching what PT Usha did in the same era.

Sadly, with so much media focus on the IPL, the one ray of light is likely to be missed. Geethu Anna Jose, the centre for the national basketball team, has already played three seasons in Australia (2006-08, for the Ringwood Hawks). Later this month, she leaves for trials with Chicago Sky and LA Sparks in the WNBA. Despite the cricket being in town, one can only hope that people sit up and take notice.

Ahhhh, here he is everyone. Melvale.

From Time Masters Book Two, The Prophecy, chapter seven.

"Shona, Shona wake up."

The voice was familiar, but Shona couldn't quite place it. She opened her eyes to a familiar face as well, but found she still could not attach it to a name.

"Are ye all right, lassie? Can I gets ye a cup o' something … er … ah … well, does ye needs anything?"

Shona wondered at the obvious hesitancy of the question as she sat up and looked around. Angus MacNab and Lany Mosgofian were hovering over her like a couple of mother hens. They were in a medium sized room all of white. Just four walls and the odd white cot she found herself on. It was the only piece of furniture to be found. No wonder Angus was hesitant in his offer. Where would he get a cup of anything?

"What happened to me?" She asked.

Lany let go a heavy sigh. "You were brought here after passing through the … ah … gates … I guess we could call them, and Jaireth brought you here to wait for Dallan with us."

"Dallan!" She immediately tried to rise.

Angus gently pushed her down. "Nay, lass. Best ye waits until ye get some o' yer strength back." He reached into a small knap sack he had draped over one shoulder. It was adorned in the same odd markings that had covered the blankets which covered the Muiraran's mounts. What ever they were. At this point Shona had no idea.

"Here," he began as he pulled out an apple and gave it to her. "Eats up. I have a feeling ye'll be needing yer strength." He pulled his lower lip between his teeth a few times. Shona recognized the action. The man was nervous.

Lany caught the concern in her eyes. "Don't worry. Dallan will be along shortly. Eat what you can."

Shona stared at the shiny red apple in her hand, a flash of Snow White and the poisoned apple handed to her by a dangerous foe engulfed her briefly. A subtle reminder they were still quite possibly in danger. "Thank you." Was all she said before she took a much needed bite.

"When Jaireth brought you through the, ah …" Lany waved a hand in the air, trying for the right word. "Oh living stars, we'll just stick with calling them gates, you passed out."

Shona chewed a little faster, and swallowed. "What gates?"

Angus shifted his feet about a bit. "Tis the entrances into the city here. I've been through several times, but never through the ones used today."

Shona stopped chewing, swallowed, and stared at Angus. "What is wrong with the gates?"

"D'ye remember anything, lass? D'ye remember passing through the wall o' rock?"

Shona almost choked. "Wall of rock?"

"Aye." Angus confirmed as he and Lany now peered at her intently as they waited for her answer.

She thought hard a moment as she tried to remember what had happened. She and Jaireth and been speeding along across a flat plain, she did remember seeing some sort of high wall of rock ahead. Like the wall of a plateau one might see in the desert. But the wall was not the red rock of Arizona like she'd seen in books at the library. No, this was grey and sharp looking, with streaks of black in it. Rather bleak and foreboding against the bright sunshine and dusty flatness of the plains over which they rode. But then the thing flying above them had screamed that horrible scream, and she in her terror had screamed right along with it.

"Oh dear." She said.

Lany peered at her more intently.

She merely looked at him, and then to Angus whose eyes were as round as saucers. "I remember heading straight for a wall of rock. Jaireth, he … covered me with his body, just before we …" she looked at the two men, puzzled. "Just before we hit it?"

"Aye." Angus again confirmed as he pulled a cloth handkerchief from his coat pocket and swiped it across his brow.

Shona shook her head as if to clear it. "We rode through a wall of rock?"

Lany shrugged. "As far as we can figure. We're not any more sure of it than you are. We were hoping you could tell us something else other than what we already know."

Shona again thought back. "I remember it becoming suddenly very cold, then nothing. I woke up here." She looked around again. "Where are we?"

"Some sort of waiting room or holding area." Lany answered.

Angus snorted. "Try a holding cell, laddie. I've been left in one o' these before. Have ye not noticed there are no doors?"

"Angus, how can I not notice?" Lany chastised.

The apple forgotten, Shona stood and looked around the room. It was perfectly square and a bright white color. What was interesting was the fact there were no visible lights in the room, yet what light there was was of an unusual soft brilliance. And the men were right. There were no doors, windows, or even a seam in the walls, ceiling, or floor. Sterile was the word she would use to describe their surroundings. Sterile and with no escape. So how did they get there? She threw the silent question at Lany who saw it coming in her raised brows.

"We don't know how we got here either. The two of us woke up not long before you did."

"I see." She walked to the nearest wall and touched it. It seemed to quiver slightly in response.

Angus backed up a step. "Best not touch anything, lass. We dinna ken what might happen!"

A slight humming noise permeated the room, as if it soaked through the walls and into the space around them. All three suddenly realized the room had changed with the noise. Shona gasped. The room had gotten bigger.

Lany looked around nervously. "That was certainly interesting." He swallowed hard. "Shona, do us a favor and don't touch the wall again."

She shrugged in helplessness, her heart suddenly aching with hunger. Her knees weak, she slumped to the floor.

"Lassie!" Angus rushed to her as did Lany.

"Your quick attendance to my daughter is most appreciated, gentlemen."

Shona, Lany and Angus all stared at the sudden appearance of Jaireth Shamaelon and the several guards who followed him into the room. An open corridor of white was behind them. But where had it come from?

Shona struggled to her feet with the help of Lany and Angus. "Where is Dallan?" She demanded.

Jaireth offered her a face full of compassion. "Did you honestly think I would let any harm come to him, daughter?"

Shona was taken aback at the question. What had she thought he would do? Especially after the stunt he'd pulled on the journey here. Where ever here was. "I do not know at this point. Where is he?"

Jaireth simply looked at her, and then moved to the side.

Dallan's still form was held up by a Muiraran guard on either side of him. They had obviously dragged the Scot down the corridor and into the room.

"Ewwww, it's not going to be pretty when he wakes up." Lany mumbled under his breath.

Shona pushed past her father to get to Dallan. Jaireth's lips formed into a tight line at the action, but he said nothing.

She knelt next to her husband as the guards gently lowered him face first onto the floor. One of them smiled at her before he turned the big Scot onto his back. "He'll be all right, your highness. Do not worry."

Shona looked at him, ignoring how he'd addressed her, and nodded her thanks.

The two guards stood and joined Jaireth along with the others whom had entered. Belatedly Shona sensed another person and turned to stare at the tall, cloaked Muiraran Melvale, who stood behind her in the corridor's entrance. She didn't quite know how she knew it was him. She just did. He must have taken in her expression as he bowed slightly before her. He then casually stepped over Dallan's unconscious form and entered the room.

"Melvale," Jaireth began. "You know what to do for my daughter and our guests. See to their needs will you?"

Melvale merely bowed slightly to the Muiraran Ruler then turned to his charges. Lany and Angus both stared blankly back.

Jaireth smirked slightly before he and the guards left them. Shona started as the room again quivered and hummed as before. The corridor suddenly disappeared and only the wall remained. She quickly looked to Lany and Angus, who looked just as shocked as she did. All three of them slowly turned their attention back to Melvale, who merely stood and said nothing.

Dallan groaned.

Shona repositioned herself and cradled his head in her arms. "Dallan?"

His eyes slowly opened. He blinked a few times before consciousness and recognition dawned. He reached up to Shona and cupped her face with a large hand. "Weel, Flower, this is different, is it no?"

She held the hand closer to her face and smiled. To touch him was bliss. To hear his voice, heaven. She now knew he was all right. "I do not think you fainted as I did. But then, we are not sure of a lot of things right now." She tried to smile at him. "Such as how we got here."

"Och, aye." Dallan said as he pushed him self up to a sitting position, gave Lany and Angus a curt nod, then leapt to his feet pulling Shona up with him. He staggered somewhat and grabbed Shona for balance until he could right himself. He was shaken. Very much so. It had been one wild ride to get here. And in more ways than one. Ways he wasn't ready to share with anyone just yet, lest they think he'd become addled in the brain. But where was here?

She supported him as best she could. "I felt the same way when I woke up too."

He straightened. "Saints," he began as he took in their surroundings. "What's happened and where are we?" Dallan shifted his gaze to the hooded Muiraran who stood nearby. "Well?" Dallan cocked his head slightly before a quirky smile formed on his lips. "Melvale?" What other Muiraran could it be? The arrogant stance was a dead give away.

The ever cloaked Melvale shifted his position and began to move along the wall behind him. The rest of them shifted naturally with him. Soon the four were lined up in front of him, all of them realizing what they'd just done. Angus, Lany, Shona, and Dallan all stood and waited as their tall host now stood as if he were looking down his nose at them. Bloody hard to tell though, Dallan thought, what with the hood he wore to cover his face.

He briefly wondered if dear Melvale didn't have some hideous deformity he was forced to hide and moved a little closer to Shona. Just in case. He didn't want her frightened.

Melvale took note of the slight action. "Hmmmm." came out in a rather sing-songy way. Beginning on a higher note and dropping in pitch slightly. Dallan narrowed his gaze and waited. He tensed as Melvale suddenly put his hands on either side of the hood he wore. All four sets of eyes widened, knowing what was coming.

Angus groaned and nodded knowingly to himself. "Here we go." He mumbled flatly.

Lany glanced slightly in his direction but didn't move at the odd statement as Melvale just as suddenly threw back the hooded cowl he wore.

Shona actually gasped. "Oh!"

Dallan and Lany on the other hand stood in silence, their mouths dropped completely open. Angus just groaned aloud again and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Melvale stood in all his splendid glory. And splendid it was too. Even Dallan had to admit that. The creature standing before them was magnificent. He'd even go so far as to describe Melvale as beautiful. His face seemed as if it had been chiseled to perfection, his mouth as equally well formed as it pulled up slightly into a satisfied smile. The Muiraran man's eyes were of a steel grey, hard and intelligent. Very intelligent, Dallan noticed, and framed by inquisitive dark brows that were in sharp contrast to his hair. Beautiful hair of thick white silver tresses which cascaded down his back and over his shoulders. Dallan had to admit it. The man was breath taking. He quickly moved closer to Shona and put an arm around her small frame, pulled her close, then glared accordingly at the god-like looking specimen standing before them.

Melvale turned his body ever so slightly, raised one hand to shoulder level, his thumb and middle finger tips touching, pinkie finger out. Dallan wondered if it were some sort of Muiraran greeting. But then when Melvale didn't move further, he realized it was just a natural posture for the man. A slight tremor of familiarity and revulsion raced up Dallan's spine. He'd been around Melvale's kind before in France in his own time. But that couldn't be. Could it? Melvale couldn't possibly be a ….

"Welllllll" escaped Melvale in the same sing-songy manner as before though much louder this time.

Melvale, thought Dallan, most certainly could be.

"You all look as if you were expecting something else, hmmmm?"

Saints! He was! A dandy, a fop! Dallan had run into enough of them in France to know one when he saw one. He had to control himself to keep his mouth from curving up into a smile.

Melvale sauntered over to Angus. "Wellllllll Angus! How long has it been?" His words came out overly punctuated and still all over the octave scale as he poked at the aged Scotsman.

Angus could only groan in response.

Melvale tapped Angus on the forehead. "I know someone who's just dying to see you! AH HA!" His last two words burst from him rather than emerge a light laugh. His whole body moved with the sounds.

Dallan's tell tale twitch began its dance, but not in annoyance or irritation. Rather, it was with the effort it took to hold him self together and not fall into complete hysterics at the man's mannerism.

Melvale moved to Lany next. "And you Lord Councilor." He exclaimed as he poked Lany playfully in the chest. "First time to be allowed into the main city? Hmmmm? HA! Ohhhhhhhhhhh but what fun you'll have and the sights you'll see! I bet the missus will be sooooo jealous when she finds out." Melvale suddenly straightened as he turned from him, his face and voice flat as he made to move down the line. "If you're ever allowed to leave that is."

Lany stiffened at the statement.

Melvale froze. He took one step backwards. Two, and put himself directly in front of Lany again. He stared hard at the new Lord Councilor, his eyes narrowed to two, dark grey slits. "Hmmmmm …."

Dallan watched as Lany began to sweat. One droplet slowly trickled its way down his temple as Melvale continued to examine him.

Lany cleared his throat. "You have no right to keep us here as prisoners."

Melvale's eyes popped wide open at the statement. "HA!" he exclaimed then shoved at Lany in a playful gesture. "Oh stab me! Prisoners? Prisoners you say?" his voice bounced around from one octave to another, causing Lany to grimace almost as if in pain. Dallan thought he might be in the same uncomfortable position he was. That of trying not to laugh at the foppish mannerisms of the pretty dote.

But suddenly Lany wasn't laughing, if he'd had been that is, silently or otherwise, as Melvale's entire expression changed to one of near malice. He leaned into Lany's face and got nose to nose with him. "Hmmmm." Melvale's head tilted slowly from one side to the other as if he was reading the Lord Councilor, examining his very core. And perhaps, Dallan thought. He was.

Melvale leaned to Lany's ear, and though the words he spoke were whispered, Dallan heard them all the same. "Secrets, eh?" Melvale then moved away from Lany, a smug look on his overly handsome face, and approached Shona.

Shona leaned into Dallan and he tightened his hold on her to bring her even closer to his side. Melvale totally ignored the action and instead looked Shona right in the eye, his manner now that of servant as he bowed before her. "Your highness." He stood erect again and looked at her with what Dallan thought was compassion. "I am at your disposal. Anything you want, anything you need, anything, OH!"

Shona jumped.

Melvale's mouth formed a perfect "O" as he slapped both his hands to the sides of his face. He then pointed an accusing finger at her. "What is that awful thing you're wearing, your highness? Why it's utterly loathsome!" he made a great show of his disdain for the drawing of 'Tweety' which adorned her tee shirt as he threw his head to one side and brought the back of his hand to his brow in an obvious show of dramatics. At least Dallan hoped it was just dramatics. The man couldn't possibly be that far over the edge of … well, foppishness?

Shona looked blankly at him a moment, both brows raised, then began to blink a few times. She tried to push back a laugh as her body tensed against Dallan. But after a brief second, she looked from first Dallan, then to Lany in silent question. Finally, as if she could stand it no longer, she simply blurted out. "Gay?"

There was dead silence for the briefest of moments before Lany lost it. Dallan hadn't heard such high pitched cackles since the day of the "Kitty incident" which had nearly destroyed Angus's weapons shop. Angus himself was shaking in silent laughter, as if not quite able to let his own suppressed cackles fly.

Melvale stood completely erect, once again his voice flat. "I say your highness, are you referring to the twentieth century term which would dictate my choice of a mate to be one of my own gender?"

Shona, knowing her foot was in her mouth, could only shrug and nod before speaking. "I am so sorry. I just did not realize that there might be such things here. I…"

"Think nothing of it, your highness." He quickly interjected. "No offense taken." He moved down the line and stood in front of Dallan. He then made a show of looking the new Time Master up and down like he was a piece of candy to be rolled about on the tongue and savored. Slowly.

Dallan's free hand balled into a fist.

Lany and Angus immediately put some distance between the Scot and themselves. If he was going to take a swing at Melvale, they didn't want to deter him in any way.

"Ohhhhh come now, you big brute. Stop looking at me like that. Do you really think that if I was in such a state I'd even consider you?" He turned to Shona. "Not when there is such beauty to be had. Ohhhhhh just look at you, your highness. You've grown into a true treasure!" He clapped both hands in front of him. "And I can't WAIT to dress you!"

Dallan scowled. "That's it!" He let his balled fist fly.

Melvale ducked gracefully and dodged the blow. "There's no need for violence, Time Master!"

Dallan seethed. "Stay away from my wife ye bloody … ye …" Saints! What does one call a thing like him?

"Oh STAB me! You mean to say you can't come up with a proper insult on the fly?" Melvale broke into complete hysterics, his laughter bounced around a musical scale like a symphony trying to sound bad.

Dallan lunged.

Melvale quickly stepped aside to spin out of Dallan's grasp. Lany and Angus grabbed Shona and jumped onto the cot with her to get her out of the way.

"Oh stop you big smelly brute! DO calm yourself!" Melvale screamed as he ran around the perimeter of the room, Dallan in hot pursuit.

Lany, Angus, and Shona stood atop the cot in amazement as the mighty Time Master of Muirara chased the screaming Melvale in circles around the room. "Stop! Desist!" the Muiraran screamed after the fourth lap before he finally stopped and turned. Dallan plowed right into him and almost toppled them both over, but Melvale stood firm. "Really, if you insist upon taking your pent up anger issues out on someone, why not take them out on Kwaku? After all, you've got plenty to settle with him but no real argument of any substance here with me. All I merely intended was to gown and bejewel your wife properly as is befit her station. Not to do to her what you were obviously thinking, you BIG OAF!" Melvale poured out.

Dallan stood still as he took in the words of Melvale's quick yet calmly voiced entreaties, and could only stare back. Saints, was this fop of a braggart for real?

Melvale stood his ground and looked down his nose at Dallan. "Apologize."

Dallan shook himself. "What?!" Ye want me to give you a bloody apology?"

"Of course I do, you big smelly brute!" Melvale huffed.

"For what, I might ask?"

"Insulting me," Melvale began as he held up one finger. "Attacking me!" he held up a second finger. "Insinuating I would do dire, not to mention nasty things, to her highness!" Three fingers. "And …"

"Shut up!" Dallan hissed. "And, and … get us out o' here!" he added as an almost after thought.

Melvale turned to Shona. "I dare say, your highness, but is he always in such a bad mood?" He asked as he shoved his way past Dallan to stand before the cot where Lany, Angus, and Shona were still perched.

Shona stood speechless on the cot, her growing hunger drowning out the hilarity of the situation. She wondered if there were other Muirarans like Melvale to be found. She shook her head and sent a pleading look to Dallan.

"Out o' the way!" Dallan pushed Melvale aside and took Shona into his arms.

"Welllllll! You don't have to be so brutish about everything, Time Master!" Was Melvale's retort.

Dallan shot Melvale a warning glare before turning his attention to Shona. "She needs to feed." He stated more to himself than anyone else.

Lany now looked to Melvale. "You'd best see to our needs then as Jaireth told you."

. Melvale huffed as he turned to the wall opposite the one he, Jaireth and the others had entered. "You humans are so impatient. Always rushing here, running there." He shot them all an annoyed look. "Well don't just stand there you ninny twits! Bring her highness along and follow me!"

And with that, Melvale walked through the wall in front of him, and disappeared.

From Time Masters Book Two; The Prophecy



June 27,1702 ... blast! 3698
Today I plan on killing the blasted good for nothing
for bringing so many new villagers in! One more reason
to hate the auld rattle bag!
DKM




TWO

Dallan softly shut the door of his cottage, stared at the aged wood a moment and pondered if he should fashion a lock for it. There had been no need all the years he’d spent in Genis Lee during his trainings with Kwaku. No one would have dared entered, well, except for the heathen himself. But with all the new people occupying the village, and Shona now so often within the tiny haven, he thought it might be for the best to keep her better secured. The lingering affects of what happened to her back in her own time with Philip Brennan were still too fresh in his mind to be pushed aside. He would take no chances with her and that was that.
He turned to her as she sat on their bed and smiled shyly at him. He smiled back, but his mouth and eyes held no shyness towards her. Indeed, they were full of something much bolder and he let his eyes wander over her as she sat looking at him, waiting.
Dallan stepped away from the door and went and stood in front of her, his hands held open. She took them, and he pulled her up to stand before him, her small form barely reaching his shoulders. He pulled her hands up and she stood on tip toe as he bent to kiss her, the tiny signals they gave each other to do so quickly well learned by both.
The kiss was gentle, long, and within moments, consuming. Dallan had learned in the last few days that it was at times easier to simply lift her into his arms to take possession of her, and so he did, and then sat with her on the bed, the kiss still unbroken.
He finally lifted his lips from hers and stared long and hard into her eyes as the twitch in his jaw began its dance.
Shona reached up and touched his jaw to still the movement. “What troubles you?”
Dallan sighed. “I dinna really ken. The people I suppose. I dinna like the fact they’re here, nor that there are so many.”
“There were people here with you before, were there not?”
“Aye, Flower, but mayhaps only half of what there is now. I dinna like so many strangers about and I especially dinna like being able to feel all o’ them.”
Shona wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. “Neither do I, it is such a strange sensation. Will it always be like this now?”
“I dinna ken, Flower, I’ll ha’ to ask the heathen about it. There are too many questions now not to start asking some.” He rested his cheek against her head a moment and simply held her, his body naturally rocked slightly back and forth as he did so. Closing his eyes, he reveled in the simple feel of her, so soft against him, so lovely, so very much his. Dallan smiled with the thought. Yes, she was his. Completely and undeniably his. And he would have all of her. Dallan lifted his cheek from her, let his head fall back, his eyes briefly glimpsing the ceiling before he closed them again, and ever so softly, began to sing.
The song was gentle, loving, and in Gaelic. He couldn’t help himself, and did not yet understand what propelled him into the action. He only knew that next to making love to her with his body, this was beginning to be the next best thing. It had almost happened several times over the last few days, yet he could not bring himself to give into it. Thinking it rather foolish, but after their afternoon at the stream today, and seeing how Shona reacted to his words and voice, he decided to see what would happen if he gave into the urge to sing to her.
She arched in his arms and moaned. But it was not full of breathless passion. No, it was beyond that, it was different and Dallan stopped singing to look at her.
“Please,” she began, “do not stop.”
“Have I that fine a voice then? I wilna ha’ to take any lessons for ye?”
She slapped at his shoulder playfully before she grabbed him by a lock of his hair and pulled his face down to hers and let her eyes capture him. “Sing to me.”
And he did. Softly, gently, his gaze locked upon hers as song again poured from him in a breathless wave of sensation that touched not only Shona, filling every fiber, but filling him as well. The phenomenon was almost unnerving, too new as yet to understand, yet too fantastic not to partake of. His voice was deep velvet, and he noticed he enjoyed the sound of it almost as much as his wife did, yet for her it was so much more than sound, it was food. Life. Survival. Like air and water, he sensed she would not be able to survive without it. No, not that she now had a taste and knew what it felt like. She would want more, and he would need to give it, the action of doing so feeding him in some way. Strengthening not only her, but him as well. He understood none of it and in the back of his mind told himself to ask Zara what it might be. Better to leave the heathen out of this one, if he hadn’t guessed it already. Or perhaps he should, as he thought earlier that afternoon, keep it to himself awhile. There was no need to let anyone else know, and no rules saying he had to anyway. If Kwaku did know, he hoped the heathen would respect him enough to keep his mouth shut about it for a time. A warmth began to spread through his chest, pushing any thoughts of Kwaku aside.
Dallan threw his head back and moaned into the music which flowed now so naturally from him, Shona’s voice now joined with his, filling him, feeding him…

***


“What are you doing, Dallan?” A somewhat sleepy voice asked him.
The soft lilting sound made him smile. He put down his quill and turned to his wife still a bed across the room. “Writing, Flower,” he began as he looked back to his private journal, one of many, and closed the book on the brief entry he’d just penned. He put the quill in its resting place, covered the inkwell and gave his attention back to her. “Tis something I got into the habit of doing many years ago. To write early in the morning…” He paused, glanced out the window above the small table that served as his desk and rubbed his jaw. His next words were mumbled. “Before the heathen got the chance to knock the sense out o’ me for the day …” he continued to rub his jaw and noticed the roughness of it beneath his fingers. He would need to shave, for Shona’s sake.
He turned back to her as she sat up in bed and looked at him. What a grand sight she was, Dallan thought to himself. The peace of sleep was still around her eyes and the sun shining in through the window above the bed cast a halo about her head, shoulders, and hair. The rays highlighted the unruly auburn mass of long curls which was often untamable when she first woke up and today was no exception. There seemed to be no end to it and she would often braid it during the day in a vain attempt at keeping it under control. But at night he insisted she wear her hair down for him. All for him.
Shaving then, was the least he could do for her.
Clad only in his Sark, he stood and crossed the small cottage in a few quick strides and sat upon the bed, his weight causing a loud creak. Shona raised a single eyebrow at him. He shrugged and smiled. “’Tis old, Flower. I’ll ha’to build us a new one soon. I ken we’ll be needing the room.”
“Room?” she began, “What ever for? This serves well enough, does it not?”
Dallan laughed. “Aye, if ye dinna mind sleeping in a bed barely big enough for the two o’ us. Not to mention living in a one room cottage the rest o’ yer time here wi’ me. I ken well enough ye’ll be wanting something a wee bigger, will ye no?”
Shona merely looked at him, sleep still quite evident in her features. She wasn’t a fast riser like himself, and he knew it would be fun to tease her a little, before her wits were about her. She rubbed her face against the short sleeve of the thin cotton knee-length garment she wore and blinked a few times to get the sleep from her eyes. She called what she sometimes wore to bed, a tee-shirt. Some of which had odd drawings on them, such as the one she wore now. The large gawky yellow bird she affectionately called, “Tweety” stared at him with its overly large blue eyes, making him glad the thing was merely a drawing, and nothing more. “What do you mean, the rest of my time here?” She asked.
He laughed again. “I plan on building ye a house, Flower. Or would ye rather stay in this?” He waved a hand to take in their meager surroundings. Surroundings which had served him well enough in the ten years he was held prisoner in the village. But he was a prisoner no longer, and didn’t particularly want Shona living in what could well be considered his old prison cell. Not if he could help it. She deserved better. Much better.
“A house? You mean one with rooms and everything?” She asked as if bewildered he would even suggest such a thing.
He laughed again then reached over and tweaked her nose. “With rooms and everything, Flower.”
She raised both brows at him now. She was waking up. “And would that happen to include running water and electricity?”
Dallan cocked his head slightly. He hadn’t thought of those things. He was quite used to living without them, and although they were nice to have during his brief experience with them a few weeks ago while rescuing Shona from Philip Brennan in her own time, they were not things he absolutely had to have. Shona, on the other hand, had lived with them all of her life. How was he going to provide for her such things here?
Dallan scooted towards his wife and took her in his arms. “If it is at all within my power to get them for ye, Flower, I shall.” He kissed her then, knowing it would serve to wake her fully. He knew she had to be hungry, and in more ways than one.
He too was hungry. Also in more ways than one. The question every morning, however, was what would she be hungry for? Her music, food from the cook house, or him? He always hoped it to be the latter first, but that wasn’t always the case.
She wiggled out of his hold long enough to stretch her arms above her head and yawn. She then looked him right in the eye.
Ahhhh, he thought to himself. He may well be the first item on the day’s menu. Too bad he hadn’t had time to shave.
As if reading his thoughts, Shona reached up and traced his jaw with a finger. “You need to shave.”
He took her hand from his face and kissed the tip of her finger. “Aye” he whispered.
She swallowed hard, her voice also dropped to a whisper. “Would you like me to get the pitcher and wash bowl for you?”
He kissed her finger again, then nipped at another finger tip, his own voice like a silken blanket wrapping itself around her. “Only if ye wish it, M’eudain.” He took her hand and placed it upon his cheek. “Only if ye wish it …” He lowered his face to hers, and kissed her then, his hunger now building. But again, not to make love to her. It was the other thing. What ever it was. The same as the day before.
“I ought to get the pitcher for you then …” she stammered as he went back to teasing her fingers with his tongue.
“Aye, as ye say,” he mumbled into her hand.
Shona reluctantly pulled her hand from his grasp and tried to escape him. Rather than allow her to do so, Dallan laughed at her efforts and pulled her more tightly into his arms. “What are you doing?” she said as she vainly squirmed to free herself. “Let me go.”
He laughed again. “And where d’ye think yer going, Flower?”
She stopped suddenly and squared her shoulders as best she could, engulfed as she was between two huge arms, and glared at him, one eyebrow raised in defiance. “To get the pitcher and washbowl for you.” Her voice had gone rather flat. Too flat as far as Dallan was concerned.
“I didna think ye’d want me to stop what I was doing.” He cooed, his voice dropped in pitch again. Just to see what she would do.
“I have decided I do not want to go about my day with a set of red cheeks.” She stated rather matter of fact.
Dallan’s brow furrowed. She was speaking with very little emotion. She had not been this way since before their joining nearly two weeks ago. Was this normal? Or was something wrong with her?
To test, Dallan suddenly pushed her back down upon the bed and tickled her.
Shona shrieked with surprise and without warning, dealt him a solid blow to the jaw to rival one of Kwaku’s. Dallan rolled off her and onto the floor with a thud.
“OH!” She jumped from the bed and instead of helping him up, scurried to the other side of the cottage. She stood warily, as if not knowing what to do next as Dallan got up and stared at her, dumbfounded.
He rubbed his jaw gingerly and looked her up and down in disbelief. “Ye dealt me a might fine blow, lass. What brought that to mind?”
Her eyes widened. She was unsure of what to do and was probably as surprised at her reaction as he was. “I am so sorry, Dallan! I do not know what happened. It was rather automatic.”
Dallan noticed that she trembled slightly. Her so called automatic reaction had truly frightened her. He cursed to himself in Gaelic as he realized what probably caused her to react the way she did. “’Tis all right, lass. No harm done.” He stepped in her direction and caught the slight tensing of her body as she took in the movement. He took another step and stopped. “There now, M’eudain” he spoke gently. “I tell ye, ‘tis all right. No harm done. Now hand me the water pitcher before I ha’ to tickle ye again.” He told her with a smile and a wink.
She let go a breath, as her shoulders fell slightly forward. She was even more tense than he’d first noticed. He continued to smile at her gently, not moving, and waited for her to hand him the pitcher.
Phillip Brennan, he silently seethed, had perhaps done more damage to her than anyone knew.
Shona placed a hand on the pitcher and again eyed him with a slight hint of caution. “You will shave now?”
He smiled at her and cocked his head. “Aye.”
She raised a single eyebrow in accusation as she took the water pitcher from the table. “And you will not tickle me again?”
He chuckled slightly. “Och, aye, Flower. I wilna tickle ye again.”
The water pitcher now in hand, she eyed him suspiciously. “You promise?”
He laughed gently, so as not to startle her and simply answered, “I promise.”
She stood straight in triumph. “Good.” She then promptly stuck her hand in the pitcher and threw a generous handful of water at him.
Dallan jumped aside but wasn’t quick enough. “Och! What d’ye think yer doing?”
Shona giggled and dipped her hand in the pitcher a second time. She then looked at him, her brow furrowed in warning.
“Now lass,” Dallan began as he eyed the dreaded pitcher. “What say we call a truce and ye hand me the water so as I can see to yer comfort.” He ran the back of his hand across his jaw and winked at her.
She giggled, and showered him a second time.
Dallan calmly stood as several droplets of water slowly trickled down his face. He smiled just before he lunged. She twisted and spun away from him, jumping up onto the end of the bed with agility he, or she for that matter, even knew she possessed. She bounded to the center of the mattress, the pitcher held poised to fling the remaining water at him, and laughed musically.
Dallan side stepped to stand in front of the cottage door, never taking his eyes off her. “Nice move, lass,” he commented as he thought best how to extract the pitcher from her without getting too wet. He faked another lunge and suddenly ducked to one side, knowing her automatic reaction would be to let the water fly. And she did.
Just as the door to the cottage opened.


AUTHOR BREAK IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


OK, OK, here's the rest of it just because Cathi asked!

Let us continue with the story!



RESUME STORY!








THREE


Shona gasped as the water arced then began its rather forceful decent straight for the doorway, and the man standing in it. It hit him square in the face. Or at least the lower half as the other half was covered by the cowl of his long dark cloak.
Dallan grabbed the nearest weapon, his dirk, and spun toward the door and the unexpected guest standing in it. Only now there was more than one man in the doorway. Now there were at least three, and more coming as they began to make their way into his little house.
“Who are you?” Dallan demanded as he immediately placed himself between the intruders and the bed upon which Shona still stood, water pitcher in hand, clad only in the white and far too short cotton tee-shir,t Dallan reminded himself, looking quite shocked. For a brief moment he wondered what the stranger thought of “Tweety” staring back at him then quickly pushed the thought aside.
A small, rather weak, “Oh dear,” escaped Shona as Dallan took his stand.
“I’ll ask ye again,” he began, his voice laced with obvious warning. “Who are you and what are ye about?”
The man standing at the forefront of what Dallan now noticed to be a rather large assembly behind him, wiped droplets of water from his face from beneath his cowl. “I have come to seek audience with someone,” the man stated with an odd accent.
“Then I shall speak with you outside, sir.” Dallan said sternly as he studied first the watered down intruder, then the two men standing just behind him. They were tall. Quite tall. Tall enough to match his own height. Their leader slightly shorter. And wetter, Dallan now surmised with satisfaction. His gaze narrowed at them. How dare they enter his domain unannounced! He side stepped to the end of the bed, reached for his kilt which he’d slung over a chair the night before, and deftly wrapped it about him self. Dallan eyed the intruders with contempt. “I’ve asked ye to step outside, sir. I suggest you comply.”
The leader raised his face slightly, his cowl yet hiding his features, but not the water which still dripped from them. “Did I say it was you with whom I wish to speak?”
Dallan stared hard at the assemblage, then at its leader. He then sensed a small movement from Shona behind him, still standing on the bed …. half clothed in her cotton tee-shirt. He reached behind himself, grabbed a folded blanket he knew sat at the foot of the bed and without taking his eyes from the strangers in front of him, tossed it at her. Dallan felt a slight rush of air behind him as she shook it out and flung it about her shoulders, covering herself. Shona taken care of, he took a threatening step toward the men in the doorway. “Outside.” He commanded.
The leader of the men chuckled lightly. “So quick to think it’s all about you.”
Dallan was about to take another step but stopped up short. The stranger had raised his head, more of his features evident, enough so that his eyes shone from beneath the cowl like two brilliant blue diamonds. Diamonds aimed right at Shona. Dallan looked from the man, then to his wife.
She was staring hard at the stranger now, her face in incredulous mask. But only for a moment, as all its color slowly drained away. She sucked in a quick breath and collapsed to her knees upon the bed, the blanket still wrapped tightly about her shoulders. “Who are you?” escaped her, barely a whisper.
The stranger took a step toward her, ignoring Dallan completely, his eyes intensely fixed upon her, as he slowly removed his cowl.
“Oh …. My …. God ….” still a whisper, still barely audibly. But everyone in the cottage heard it escape Shona’s lips.
The resemblance was unmistakable. Jaireth Shamaelon, Shona’s Muiraran father, took another step toward the bed. “Daughter,” was whispered just as softly.
The word sliced through the air like lightening, and Shona, now fully fluxed, began to weep, the blanket now clutched about her so tightly Dallan thought she might tear it. He looked between the two and was immediately caught up in the charged emotions which passed between father and daughter in the form of light and sparkle. It was an odd phenomenon and Dallan wondered if he was seeing things. But he knew he wasn’t and braced himself just in case he needed to come between the two for any reason, Shona’s weeping louder now.
Jaireth reached the bed and held a hand out to his daughter, palm up, in an obvious invitation.
Her tears engulfed her vision and Dallan knew she was probably having trouble seeing the man which now stood before her, gently, proudly, and Dallan noticed, sadly. A man full of regrets and sorrows. Years worth which had engraved them selves into the lines about his eyes.
Shona, the blanket held about her by one hand, covered her mouth with the other in a vain attempt at bringing her now racking sobs to a halt. But it didn’t work. Dallan wanted to hold her but strongly sensed the action would disrupt the scene taking place. He forced himself to stay where he was and continued to watch as his wife fought to bring herself under control while her true father stood before her. His hand still extended in invitation and now obvious longing as a single tear escaped and slowly rolled down one cheek.
All but one of the other Muirarans removed their cowls from about their faces and now stood as braced as Dallan, also not wanting to disrupt the father patiently awaiting his daughter’s answer to his invitation. They stood proudly, regally, used to being looked upon as royalty. And, Dallan reminded himself, that was exactly what they were if they were from the Muiraran royal houses that John had mentioned. None the less, he tightened his grip on the dirk in his hand and waited with the others as Shona began to gulp for air now, her sobs somewhat lessened.
She looked to Dallan and he responded immediately, though he still did not move. “Shhhh, lass,” he whispered, his voice laced with as much reassurance as he could muster. “‘Tis all right. He wilna harm ye. And I’m right here.” He then nodded to the man still standing in front of her and the bed.
Shona wiped her face with a corner of the blanket and took a few more gulps of air. She then stared blankly at the man before her and studied him, unable to speak. If Shona had been born a man, and was now grown, she would look as the man who stood before her. The resemblance between father and daughter was hard to miss. Though his eyes were a brilliant blue, they held the same look as hers. A fierceness and innocence all intermingled within the deep flecks of color. His hair was a dark brown, not the auburn red of his daughters, but their skin tone, lips, and the slight curve and rise of the cheek bones were definitely the same. There was a beauty about them that Dallan could not describe and it wasn’t a physical beauty so much as a presence. Like the kind of beauty Zara Awahnee had. A beauty that shone forth from deep within. As if the heart was on display. And though as beautiful as this man’s heart obviously was, surrounding it, no encompassing it, was such a fierceness that for a brief second Dallan felt compelled to step between father and daughter. For this was a man, Dallan thought, capable of killing if need be to protect the ones he loved. Or in this case, a people he ruled. Just as a Scottish Laird would do for his clan. As his very own grandfather had done. Only too late ….
“Why are you here?” Shona whispered through the last of her tears.
Jaireth smiled at her, his eyes brightening to a blue so brilliant they all but glowed. “Is it not time I was here? Would you bid me farewell so soon, my child? I admit we were planning on giving you more time. But I could not wait, you see. Nor could your mother. And even if able to do so, circumstances would still have forced us to come.”
Oddly accented, his voice was like silk yet hard as stone. It seemed to cut through the air and held an authority in it. One used to giving commands. Shona shook. “My mother?” was more mouthed than spoken. She tightened the blanket about her once more as a chill raced up her spine. “My … mother?”
Something in the air brushed past them and seemed to travel beyond the cottage walls. Within seconds the party standing in the doorway and beyond, parted to let a lone figure pass between them and into the room.
Much smaller than the rest, and just as heavily cloaked, the figure walked toward the bed to stand beside Jaireth. Shona shook with renewed emotion and began to weep again as the woman slowly removed the cowl to reveal a face with eyes already full of tears. Eyes just as brilliantly blue as her husbands.
“Shona …” the woman croaked in the same odd accent as her father. Her knees gave way beneath her. Jaireth grabbed her to his side to keep her from falling and she clung to his arms for support, never once taking her eyes from her daughters.
She was small, as small as Shona at least, her hair a cascade of soft white. Like a silver angel clothed in black, she leaned against her husband and gasped once before more tears escaped her. “Shona!” she cried and ignoring the hold her husband had on her, flung herself onto the bed with her long lost daughter.
Shona in turn flung herself in Dallan’s direction leaving the woman at the center of the bed where she’d landed, arms still outstretched in invitation. Arms that were still quite empty.
The Muiraran who had yet to remove his cowl emitted what sounded like a disgusted snort. Jaireth glared at him briefly before motioning to his wife to get off the bed and stand next to him. With a sob she complied and sought comfort in her husband’s arms. No one said a word as a heavy silence suddenly blanketed the room, the only sounds that of Shona and her Muiraran mother’s soft weeping. Jaireth looked to Dallan first, who now had a protective arm around Shona, then to Shona herself who was clinging to Dallan from her awkward position at the end of the bed, eyes still full of tears, speech beyond her at this point.
Jaireth took a calming breath through the nose, glanced at his still-hooded-companion and then again faced the young couple. He tightened the hold he had on his wife, almost as if the action said he was about to have a face off with the pair.
Dallan stiffened.
What sounded like a high pitched hiccup broke the building tension between the two men. All eyes suddenly turned toward the source of the sound. Jaireth’s hooded companion stood fanning himself as fast as he could with one hand. Almost as if he was trying to keep himself from fainting.
Dallan raised a curious brow but said nothing.
Jaireth on the other hand rolled his eyes. “Melvale!” he barked. “Remove yourself.”
Another high pitched hiccup, this one louder than the first, erupted and was quickly followed by another, and yet another.
“Now!” Jaireth added curtly.
“Welllll … HICUP.” Came Melvale’s high pitched retort before he quickly covered his mouth with both hands to squelch any further eruptions, his features still well hidden by the dark cowl of his cloak. He spun on his heel gracefully and quickly exited the cottage. Several Muirarans tried to hide smiles as he made his way past them.
Jaireth also looked as if he was trying not to smile. He took another deep breath, popped his neck, and locked eyes with Dallan. “You will bring her to the city immediately.”
Dallan stiffened further. “And for what reasons, sir, should I? She belongs here with me.”
“She belongs with her own kind.”
Dallan’s eyes narrowed as he sucked a quick breath through his nose. “I ken who ye are and I understand yer wanting to see her. But ye canna just spring yerselves on the lass like this. She’s not ha’ enough time to adjust to the village yet alone deal with ….” He paused as he took in the assemblage which seemed to spill out of the cottage and into the yard. A rather large assemblage, he reminded himself. “Deal with all of you.”
“The required seven days for adjustment have been met.” Jaireth simply stated.
Dallan responded with a Scottish snort. “Och, aye! But we’ve no been alone nor had much privacy. And especially not now!”
Jaireth was about to comment when a slight rustle of activity caught his attention. His escort had again parted to let someone pass. John Eaton entered the cottage looking none too happy with an equally unhappy Lany in tow. They two Lord Councilors bowed before Jaireth giving him the respect due, but still looked like they’d both just eaten sour grapes. Even Dallan raised a brow at their puckered expressions.
John attempted to speak first. “Your Highnessssssssssssssssss ….” He sputtered then began to cough.
Jaireth’s jaw tightened as his lips pursed together. Again he looked as if he was trying his best not to start laughing. He straightened his shoulders and gave them his full attention. “I take it you two gentlemen have sampled the wine I brought?” He looked from one contorted face to the other, an immensely satisfied look on his own.
John shook himself as if chilled. “Lovely as always.”
“I’m so glad you’ve found it to your liking.” Jaireth said with a smirk.
“And obviously you’ve found our tasting it to yours.” Lany retorted with his own smirk.
Jaireth, to Dallan’s amazement, actually grinned in satisfaction at the Lord Councilor Lany. His grin slowly faded however as the assemblage blocking the doorway again parted, some of the Muirarans looking as if they might bolt. And no wonder.
“Good day to you, Magnificent One!” Kwaku bellowed as he pushed his way into the cottage. “Tell me, how do you fare?”
Jaireth’s grin quickly left his face to leave a decisive scowl in its place. Maybe Shona’s father had at least one redeeming quality. He obviously disliked Kwaku. Dallan smiled at the thought.
Jaireth again straightened himself. “Kawahnee, how nice of you to join us. Tell me, did you get a chance to sample the wine I brought for my new son-in-law?”
Kwaku gave him a wide, knowing grin. One Dallan had seen many times while training with the big Azurti warrior. Kwaku would grin that way right before landing Dallan in the dirt.
“No Magnificent One. I did not have de chance. Besides, it is de Boyeee you brought it for. Not de odars. Why do you not let him taste of it?”
“He need not taste of it now. He has other matters to attend to at the moment.” Jaireth calmly answered.
“Such as?” Kwaku asked.
“Such as transporting my daughter to Mishna.”
Kwaku scratched his head. “Hmmmm ….” Was all he offered.
“So if you will excuse us, Time Master Kwaku,” Jaireth began in a voice devoid of patience, “We should all be on our way back to the city.”
Kwaku waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Go den if you must, Magnificent One. But I do not dink de Boyeee has any plans to go wid you.”
Dallan looked from Kwaku to Jaireth. What was the heathen doing other than stating the obvious?
“And de Boyeee does what he wants to do. Not to mention what he dinks is best for his mate. So you see he will not be accompanying you back to de city today.”
Now it was Dallan who tried to hide a smile. At least the heathen was on his side.
“There are things not yet known to you Kawahnee. Besides, the boy has no choice in the matter. I am ruler.”
“De Boyeee does not know dis. Nor will he recognize you as such.” He glanced at Dallan and gave him a wicked grin. “Yet.”
Dallan immediately returned a scowl.
Jaireth obviously had had enough. “Guards!”
Three rather large and heavily cloaked Muirarans forced their way into the cottage. Kwaku held out an arm and wagged one long dark finger at them. They stopped up short and looked to Jaireth whose skin color was quickly turning an interesting shade of red. He stepped forward and looked up into Kwaku’s grinning face. “How dare you challenge my authority.”
“I do not challenge Magnificent One. I merely make a point.”
“What point?” Jaireth spat.
Kwaku’s grin got even wider. “Did you dink to ask your child what she wanted to do?”
Jaireth all but growled at Kwaku and his question then pushed out. “She has no idea what is best for her right now and cannot make that decision for herself.”
Kwaku began to laugh.
“Guards!” Jaireth barked.
The three guards shoved past Kwaku toward the bed, one of them pulling a small pair of manacles from beneath his cloak. Dallan immediately shoved Shona up against the wall behind him.
“Enough!”
All heads turned to the small form of Shannell Shamaelon who now stood between the three guards and the bed. She had pulled a dagger out from beneath her own cloak and held it somewhat loosely in her hand. “No one touches my child.”
Silent until now, John and Lany did their best to keep quiet. Lany failing by coughing into one hand. An obvious attempt to hold himself together. Apparently the two were enjoying the chance to see Jaireth get somewhat backed into a corner. It was a well known fact among both races that one did not come between an angry mother and the child she was protecting. Not even if he was the father. And right now, Shannell Shamaelon was angry.
“Leave us. All of you.” She commanded.
“Shannell …” Jaireth began in warning.
“Especially you!”
Jaireth narrowed his eyes and took a threatening step towards her. She quickly met him and put her hand on his heart, her face suddenly awash with compassion. “Men are not fit for such things as must now be done.” She told him gently.
Jaireth took the hand against his heart and held it a moment. “I was only thinking of what is best for her.”
“As am I beloved,” she whispered to him but Dallan caught the words well enough. “And sometimes a mother is needed to carry out what is best for a child. Especially in this case.”
Jaireth gave her hand a squeeze and took a deep breath to calm himself. “You are wise as always. Do what you think is best.” He released her hand and motioned to his escort. “Let us leave them then.” He then turned with the rest to leave. “Bring the boy, Kawahnee.” He said as he brushed his way past the big Azurti warrior.
“Of course, Magnificent One.” Kwaku said with a half bow. He then motioned to Dallan.
Dallan merely scowled accordingly.
“Tell me Boyeee. What harm can a mo-dar do to her long lost child whom she loves? Will we be not but feet away? Leave your weapons and let us go.”
Dallan had to admit one thing. He trusted Kwaku with Shona’s safety. The heathen had proven himself at least in that area. Well, sort of. Hesitantly Dallan peeled Shona from his side, set his dirk upon the bed just in case she needed it, and made to leave the cottage. John and Lany having already exited with the others. “We’ll be right outside the window, lass. Dinna be afraid.” He glanced quickly at Shannell who stood patiently. “She wilna harm ye.” He took one of Shona’s hands in his own and gave it a gentle pat before glancing once more to Shannell. With an approving nod to the woman he left the cottage. Shona was now alone with her Muiraran Mother, Shannell Shamaelon. Also known as the Queen of Muirara.

University of Indianapolis student-athletes Shanese McGregor, Kristin Turner and Nicole Duncan are now primed to carry the torch for women in athletics. Lee Morrison, NACWAA member and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, sponsored the three women to attend the 2011 Women of Experience Brunch, co-hosted by NACWAA and the Women's Sports Foundation April 4 in Indianapolis. Attendees young and old were inspired by stories, memories, experiences and laughs over brunch. Additional photos from the brunch can be found at the NACWAA Facebook page. Testimonials from the student-athletes: Shanese McGregor "First off, I would like to thank you for choosing me to attend this magnificent gathering of women who value women's spots.  I was amazed by all of the stories that the women told.  I was blown away when Dr. Sue Wiley told us all of the jobs she had in the start of her career. She and other women who were coaches stated that they drove to games, they coached many different sports, they had to schedule games on their own and other obligations. I was really saddened by the story from Anucha Browne-Sanders.  But I was also happy that she overcame her obstacle and she was victorious in the end because she stood firm in what she believed in.  Overall I really enjoyed the time spent at this gathering because young women like me really need to hear inspiring stories from women who went through the same situations, but met their goals. This brunch was a great experience for me." Kristin Turner "During my time at the Women of Experience brunch I learned many things about the history of women's sports.  Women had to go through tough times on a regular basis and these struggles are what it took to get women's sports where they are today. The older women spoke of their hard times trying to make it in the sports world and being looked at as a competitive athlete. They went through many struggles in order to do this such as men not taking them seriously, not getting scholarships for school and being paid the minimum for coaching multiple sports and teaching at the same time. Some women had hard times making it in the administration side of sports, while others were looked down upon by being mistreated and sexually harassed by men in the workplace.  All of these situations are why women come together and talk about their experiences. They try to explain to younger generations the history and why we should not stop fighting to keep women sports on the radar. It was very eye-opening to hear some of the ways the older athletes played their sports and how much the sport has evolved in today’s time. I was very thankful for this opportunity and I plan on continuing the fight for women’s sports." Nicole Duncan "I do not think I have been more inspired than I was at the brunch. It was incredible to see how far women’s sports have come since the beginning. I think hearing from people who were around when girls were simply not allowed to play sports is something that every female athlete should hear at some point in time. When we began talking about contracts and how some women had to coach seven sports along with teaching, it just makes me realize how far women have come. Some portions of the brunch were funny; such as when I saw the penny that women had to wear for sports back in the 60’s and 70’s was brought out, it was just incredible. Some portions of the brunch were also very inspiring; such as when the Knicks sexual harassment suit was brought up, it is just inspiring to see how women have overcome obstacles to be where we are today. I think, in a sense, it is comforting to know that there are women fighting for Title IX every day and I know they are fighting for my ability to play college sports. I do want to join this organization in the future; because I felt like everybody there was connected to each other under a common cause and I would love to be a part of something like that. I hope that in 20 years, I can be sitting at that brunch talking about my experiences. I do think that one of the major differences, though, is that when I am talking about my experiences I won’t have to mention as many struggles and obstacles I have had to overcome, because these women have already paved the way for me to have a gateway into the collegiate sport world. I am forever grateful and indebted to all of these women."

Unless the run is extended, you probably won’t be able to secure tickets for God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse currently at Karamu, since the remaining dates are virtually all sold out. But if enough people call and ask — nay, make a demand for tickets — the run just might be extended… and well it should. Your soul will be the poorer for it if you miss this magnificent, moving and multi-faceted theatrical experience.

Director Terrence Spivey seemingly has topped his last year’s production of this 34-cast member (backed by a dozen musicians, choreographers and stagecraft professionals) extravaganza… creating the illusion of a cast of thousands as the packed stage explodes in joyful celebration of James Weldon Johnson’s 1927 paean to Black spiritual life and interpretation of Gospel.

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KELBURNE Hockey Club’s gents first-XI have been popping the Champagne corks after winning their SEVENTH consecutive National Division One Championship title.

Launching on Monday April 4, GOOD and the 2011 Ford Explorer will be devoting five weeks to the Reinventing the Outdoors Contest, which showcases amazing organizations like this one that are redefining the way we live, work, and play outside. Check in every day for a new story about the people, celebrities, and programs behind each organization. Help your favorite group win the $50,000 grand prize by voting for them starting Monday, May 9 through Friday, May 13.

Italian-born, but Kenyan by choice, Luca Belpietro first visited Africa with his father as a small child. He never forgot his love for Africa and in 1996, he left the world of financial consulting and followed his heart to Kenya. He and his wife Antonella Bonomi are the founders and owners of Campi ya Kanzi, the Maasai community eco-lodge.

GOOD: Why did you choose to work with the Maasai?
LB: The Maasai are probably the most iconic tribe of East Africa. They live in balance with nature, and all the safari happening in East Africa take place in land that either was or still is Maasai. The community owns the land, and I manage it for and with them.

G: What are the most pressing issues facing the Maasai?
LB: Land and water. In the past fifty years, the population of Kenya has quadrupled, from 10 million in the 1960s to more than 40 million today. And seven million Kenyans depend on the Chyulu Hills for their daily water needs. More people equals a greater demand for land, which is taken away from Maasai pastoralists (and consequently from wildlife) and given to farmers. More land for farming means more demand for water, usually through unsustainable and destructive ways (diversion of rivers) and it means destruction of wildlife (farmers kill wildlife to protect crops or to feed themselves if crops fail).

G: How exactly do you help the Maasai preserve their wilderness?
LB: As they earn economic dividends through the ecotourism joint venture of Campi ya Kanzi and through MWCT programs, they have a very strong motivation to keep the land intact and benefit from it.

G: Can you tell me a little more about how Campi ya Kanzi adds to your efforts?
LB: Campi ya Kanzi was the first step toward involving the Maasai community in self-preserving their wilderness and wildlife. The camp still provides 20% of MWCT’s yearly budget through conservation fees charged to tourists. Guests have a very exclusive and personal experience with protected African wilderness, with the unmatchable involvement and genuine connection with the Maasai community.

G: Can you explain the Simba project to help save lions?
LB: There are now more Polar Bears in the world (24,000 to 30,000) than lions (14,000 to 20,000). The Maasai cannot tolerate great carnivores going after their livestock, and with less land for more people, humans and their livestock are competing with wildlife for land. The conservation fees charged at Campi ya Kanzi are used to compensate the Maasai for their livestock losses. This has stopped the killing of lions.

G: How does this particular area impact the rest of the world?
LB: 90% of plain game of Amboseli needs this Maasai land in order to survive. The world without Maasai pastoralists roaming on their land with lions and other wildlife would be a much poorer place.

G: Any new, ambitious plans for the next few years?
LB: We would like to create a $50 million endowment to secure a network of conservancies within the ecosystem and paying economic dividends directly to the Maasai landlords, to make sure key wetlands and grasslands are protected. We have already established the Kanzi Conservancy with 5,000 acres of grassland, and the Motikanju Conservancy, with 7,000 acres of wetland and grassland. Farming and grazing are not allowed; this is now land solely dedicated to wildlife.

G: What would you use the money for if you won this contest?
LB: We would buy a Land Rover to let the doctor serve the Maasai community better. It will enable him to easily move about the 280,000 acres and visit the four dispensaries in it, instead of just manning one dispensary as he does now. He needs to provide his services to the entire community, hence need of transport.

G: What’s your favorite part of your job?
LB: That I contribute to preserve a magnificent part of our planet, with its people and animals.
 

Images from Campi ya Kanzi

 

 

Leonardo lost his voice after Inter’s 5-2 defeat and admits “it has been a terrible week. It was impossible to imagine it would end this way.”

The Nerazzurri had started with a magnificent Dejan Stankovic volley from the centre-circle in the opening 25 seconds, but it all went downhill after the break as Schalke emerged 5-2 winners.

“It has been a terrible week,” croaked the Coach just three days after a 3-0 Milan derby defeat in Serie A.

“We started so well, it was impossible to even imagine it would end this way. Schalke had six or seven shots on goal, scoring with five of them.”

Having been in the running for three trophies up until Saturday night, the season seems to be slipping away from Inter.

“We had to arrive at this moment the way we have done. Then, after that, many things happened and for a number of reasons some elements did not work. Theoretically we played in a manner that covered the defence to spark counter-attacks, but at a certain stage we lost our balance for many reasons.

“It’s a bit unrealistic to try to overturn this result in the second leg, but we have to play and see what happens.

“Whoever plays football must always be optimistic. I make my choices, do my work and put in my spirit. We took the right approach today, then in the second half those two goals changed the game.”

(WWW.FOOTBALL-ITALIA.NET)

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell The women Huskies weren't able to add another National Championship to their already rich history but the men took care of business. The Connecticut Huskies (32-9, 9-9) capped the season with an 11-game win streak and a National Championship. Thanks, in large part, to freshman guard Jeremy Lamb, who had a magnificent game in the second half. Lamb ended the game with 12 points and seven rebounds on 4-of-8 (50%) shooting from the field. UConn as a team made everything hard for Butler on offense. The Bulldogs turned in a National Championship low 18 percent from the field and a half-court heave wouldn't even help their cause this time around. Butler had one player in double-figures, led by Shelvin Mack's 13 points on 4-of-15 (26%) shooting from the field. For more CoHoops news follow us on Twitter (@Collegiate_Hoop) or subscribe via email

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Chivas D.C. United MLS Akron's English assistant coach Oliver Slawson discusses their SEVEN MLS draftees from last season with Simon Williams. The MLS Draft 2011 proved to be a pivotal moment for seven of Akron’s student-athletes. It’s no coincidence that Akron made all the headlines after dominating the draft and that ‘magnificent seven’ member Chris Korb made his debut appearance for D.C.

Source : tribalfootball.com

Explore : Football, Sport

Akron's English assistant coach Oliver Slawson discusses their SEVEN MLS draftees from last season with Simon Williams.

 

The MLS Draft 2011 proved to be a pivotal moment for seven of Akron’s student-athletes.

It’s no coincidence that Akron made all the headlines after dominating the draft and that ‘magnificent seven’ member Chris Korb made his debut appearance for D.C. United on Saturday.

Although it came in the form of a 2-1 defeat at New England, there is much to be said about this crop of young talent that has prevailed from Akron.

Who better to inform tribalfootball.com about the newly installed MLS rookies than Oliver Slawson who guided all seven youngsters through their time at Akron as Assistant Coach.

The Zip’s right-hand man started from the beginning, “It was a fantastic way to cap of what had been a tremendous season and nothing less than what the seven boys drafted deserved. They are all excellent players and fine young men and we know they will represent themselves and the program exceptionally well in Major League Soccer and hopefully beyond.”

The ‘magnificent seven’ is made up of Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United), Zarek Valentin (Chivas USA), Kofi Sarkodie (Houston Dynamo), Michael Nanchoff (Vancouver Whitecaps), Chris Korb (D.C. United) and Anthony Ampaipitakwong (San Jose Earthquakes).

Coach Caleb Porter’s assistant is positive about their futures in the professional game, “I am sure all seven of them with time and remaining injury free will enjoy long careers in the MLS and maybe one or two can make the jump to a more established or recognized league in Europe.

“Each has their own attributes and areas of strength in the game, along with areas for improvement as any player does. We had five of the first eight picks in this year’s draft, so that gives some indication of the level of these guys. They’ll each have their own learning curves moving up a level but I’m sure their grounding here at Akron will put them in a position to compete within their respective squads from day one.”

He continued, “We are just excited to watch all seven, along with our past players who are currently playing in the MLS develop, grow and continue to push the league forward.”

Slawson explained how the coaches weren’t too surprised by the professional deals that were offered to their golden group.

“Going into the year we knew we had some special players’ who had the ability to make an impact on college soccer. We knew the better the year we had and the deeper in the tournament we went, the greater the exposure our players would receive. We had a good year in 2009 reaching the final and lost 3 guys to the draft then, so forecasting what we believed would be another championship type of season, we had an idea we would be losing some guys to the draft.

“Coach Porter always says, that in-season it is what’s best for the team that matters and out of season it’s what’s best for the individual. All the guys received fantastic deals that will help them focus on achieving their potential in the professional game and it made sense for them to pursue their dream.”

Ultimately, the Zip’s have a reputation attached to their programme which is something to be admired.

“From a programme stand point we believe it shows we are a good breeding ground for players who have the talent and aspirations to someday play professional football and that when the time comes and the situation is right, we will help our boys pursue their professional aspirations.”

Highgate Cemetery located just north of London, England it is on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. It is quite different than cemeteries as we know them in the United States and a interesting spot to visit on your vacation in London.

It was designed by Stephen Geary an entrepreneur in the field. The cemetery is divided into two sections — the east and west cemeteries. It opened in 1839 as part of a plan to have seven large modern cemeteries around the outskirts of London and would be called the Magnificent Seven.

Highgate is a fashionable place to be buried and is much admired and visited. Because of the Victorian attitude towards death the creation of a wealth of Gothic tombs were constructed. It is on a spectacular hillside that is slightly downhill to the cemetery itself. The cemeteries still have burials. The newest section has few graves on it at this time though.

Take time to stroll through the cemetery and note the names and dates on the tombs with your tour guide. You will find that Karl Marx is resting there as well as other notable people such as the actress Sheia Gish and her actress daughter Lou Gish, Claudia Jones - a black Communist, and George Jacob Holyoake - a social reformer. There are many others such as poets, authors, scientists, performers and government officials resting there.

Visiting the cemetery and listening to you tour guide is a wonderful learning experience and something to talk about when you get home.

Highgate Cemetery address and hours

Highgate Cemetery
Swain's Lane
London
Highgate
N6 6PJ
United Kingdom

East Cemetery
Open: from 10 am weekdays, 11am weekends Closing Time: 5pm British Summer Time (last admission 4.30pm) 4pm British Winter Time (last admission 3.30pm)
Tickets (cash only): £3 per adult / £2 for students with valid NUS card or equivalent

West Cemetery
Admission by guided tour only.
Tours: Weekdays at 2pm from 1st March to 30th November (please book by telephone 10am-5pm Mondays to Fridays only) Weekend tours are hourly from 11am - 3pm british winter time and until 4pm british summer time (no advance booking).
Tickets (cash only): £7 per adult, £3 for children aged 8 to 16, £5 for students on production of a valid student card. There are no other concessions.

Photos by meddie and magnetstudio on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/highgate-cemetery-london/

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Who wants to succeed who are optimistic, pessimistic, always obstacles to success, only the positive sentiment will make life better, that tomorrow will be better than today, as long as you work, the society must be fair, Do not complain about life, otherwise you can only prove that no real effort. four: good people with a thinking girl to make friends twenties, it has to start a purpose to jimmychoocheap.com/:jimmychoocheap.com/]choose friends and social contacts in the very important, and you shoesjimmychoos.com/:shoesjimmychoos.com/]choose to join the Friends your life cycle will also have a great impact, if your friends are all positive and optimistic person, you will also be their infection,todsstore.us/:todsstore.us/]buy tods, if your friend is a pessimist, complain about life all day long , but not down to earth work, a long time, You will also be infected. When in their choice of friends is very important, and sometimes if you want to know a person, his friend from what kind of person to understand his behavior. Do not make friends easily, but also pay attention to what people choose to make friends with. a good friend can make your life has changed dramatically, and he makes you optimistic. After the girl to the twenties, how many more friends and selfish that is, to pay more of their helpful friends, you can learn something from them, but make friends, you need them paid in good faith, not just to want to use their contacts with them before, no one is a fool, You made a good or bad, others are clearly visible. With their own faith with those who thought it best to make friends! five: the bubble away from the girl to the idol twenties, it has to start from the false idol, the television in the Prince Charming and Cinderella are all life long for a boy or girl , it does not really exist, like the emergence of some drama in the plot sometimes deeply affected people's ideas, such as some TV shows will appear in the vicious mother in law, or even find people who love their own pro-siblings, etc. These circumstances is to make people's mood swings, and it does not link with real life, it is beyond the life of a girl should not indulge in such false fairy tale atmosphere, and have time seeing a few more to help their own programs. want to understand the social and foam idol who can not, they are toxic, some people were poisoned deep, it will allow them to directly influence their outlook on life and values, like get rich or destitute in the life of a night may be, but not as those who played the television show simple and direct, there is no love and affection that will never be in the film and cruelty, drama affect people's ability to judge the community, so please stay away from the bubble idol . I believe a good girl, should not spend a lot of time indulging in idol dramas in the. Six: girls learn patience and tolerance to the twenties, it has to slowly learn patience and tolerance, and society is not a capricious place, the eldest of the temper that the convergence of a slowly because there may be some time because you care about to make you lose self-esteem, to be blamed for uneducated women. Good friendly people who smile, that is able to shame the other side, and can leave a generous and considerate to others a good impression. Patience is not weakness, nor is Shangzi Zun, but tolerant United States. Please put down the righteous bad temper, at the appropriate time to step in, not only reflect your virtue, but also make you a popular girl. life will encounter a lot of unfair things, will encounter many people who can not accept you, we can not try to change others, very angry with the behavior of loudly accusing others, better understand the mentality With give each other a smile, no one person will not hurt a good person. Hoarse arguing with others and can not win the so-called self-esteem, but you lose self-esteem. seven: a healthy mind, body girls focus on their own to the twenties, it has to learn to adjust their mentality, and properly protect their body. The body is the most important, I believe everyone knows, but when done really is not a simple matter. Twenties girl has been in the diet should start to pay attention, it is recommended to see more books about diet. Any girl, do not order this or that reason not to take care of their health, no matter how good tomorrow, and you always a sick attitude to meet it, it does not feel it's better . Eight: Let beauty be your girl to the capital twenties, it has to start to play a role in your beauty, and at the appropriate time to hold enough of your beautiful voice. Good looks are not every girl has, let your good looks to become the capital, when needed with the use of it and it can open a lot of difficulties in your life, although sometimes people say that girls are beautiful vase However, if placed in a vase right place, it is art. Young girl beauty is only a short few years, so to make good use of your beauty. but the girls can not because of beauty into complacency, has a beautiful appearance but also has the inner wisdom is the good woman, please girls and rational use of its beauty, do not because of their beauty and the short Let yourself sink. Nine: left any one man, you will live well into their twenties girls, we must deal with their feelings sensible, a lot of girls, because a man alive and painful and negative,birkenstocksonline.com/:birkenstocksonline.com/]birkenstock insoles, Who can grasp the feeling things are not won, and why to be a man and let yourself in an unpleasant mood as well? One does not know how to appreciate your man, you are not eligible sad sad for him, every girl is beautiful, she was waiting for a man who appeared to understand her, a man of the left, can only say that a man who understands you has not yet appeared,nikedunkscheap.org/:nikedunkscheap.org/]dunk shoes, a man not a girl who lives all I thought I left him I could not live, then I asked myself a hundred times: to leave him, I can not live? Results One hundred twenty times the answer is: I will live well. The girls do not trample on their own, do not think that compromises will be able to return a man's love, love is beautiful, the girls are beautiful, and no desecration of a man! Appreciate you leave the men do not understand, this is the most magnificent turn, though unwilling, but it hurts, but so have no energy to operate your work or study. Ten: with financial motivation, learning investments to business twenties girl, we must learn to financial management, and do not think they will not be rich to spend money, but also do not think tomorrow is not earned End of the money, and make today should not spend money on the place. There are many on the market today books on financial management, are good, the girls have time to look at, to develop good financial habits, money begets money, you can read some more books on investment and operation, they are intangible wealth. Girls, no matter how much your income now, we must plan a future for you, the wise woman should know how to spend money, how money is actually an art. Marry's husband is a very wealthy man, there are times she told me that he husband, she said: Sometimes my husband would rather spend a lot of money to buy something, but regardless of the time in Hua Xiaoqian. At that time do not understand, then think about only to find his money is the reason why her husband because he knows how to spend money, to spend money on something useful, no matter how much you can under the eyes without blinking, and life, some extra money you could save on the province. Some rich people will be shown in life mean, this is the habit they have been, otherwise, they will not become rich. XI: Love and marriage is jointly owned girl to the twenties, we must face the pressure of the marriage, and some people will say Love and marriage are two different things, a man married woman is able to live together , not necessarily their true love, a woman to marry is to give yourself a warm and comfortable home, but does not have to be that their true love. Faced with these words, like a lot of people are married to marriage, family and social pressures, in order to get married and get married. Some people marriage is a purpose may be to make themselves a place to stay, it may be helpful to the cause of the future, there may be what your body from the other side. ask those sweet wedding, you know sometimes love and marriage is jointly owned, the so-called marriage is the tomb of love, can only say do not know how to operate the two sides of love, I believe when two people decide to get married , the two sides must have feelings for each other, just days after marriage for love become dull. This is just because after marriage, men and women have laid down their love of romance, into the work. Those who do not marry the girl, do not get married away for certain purposes, marriage is a very simple thing, Do not get so complicated, I believe that every girl is eager to love. When the girl met the man when his beloved, you will find, want him, it may not matter rich or poor, does not matter of life and death. Do not marry the girl to get married, and do not want a life to get married. second: Who says women than men and girls to twenties, we must firmly believe that whether in life or in the workplace, not only men could have done some, and now a trendy women's thoughts , a successful woman in all walks of life have emerged, as long as women work, she can also shuttle in the world of men. Women have a lot of capital, in the workplace, women slightly advantage in some industries, the women will play their own unique strengths to Pinbo with, they are beautiful, capable of temperament, the attitude of tough, can make a man surrender. Women do not always think about the development in the kitchen, the ability of the female talent that allows men to appreciate, the role of a housewife now unfashionable, the wonderful world out there waiting for a lot of women to pursue. Women do not want to attach a man in this society, no one will be no reason to care who. How to attach a man a woman, she did not own thoughts, compulsive in this environment, men also like to have personality and capable woman. Who says women than men? To it, as long as you have your own piece of the sky, you afraid of this piece of sky without clouds it? As long as you are a talented woman and a man not afraid to enjoy the good you? Thirteen: to find a husband can help you aghdcheapstraighteners.com/:ghdcheapstraighteners.com/]chieve your dream girl to the twenties, it has to have a clear dream,toryburchcheap.us/:toryburchcheap.us/]discount tory burch shoes, and then to fight for this dream, when you do identify after a dream Do not change, just like when you find that can help you aghdhairsoutlets.com/:ghdhairsoutlets.com/]chieve your dream of a man, do find ways to make him as your husband. 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How'd you like to be aiming for a podium spot at Saturday's Rohto Ironman 70.3 California if you had to compete with these guys? Vegas spots for the Ironman World Championship 70.3? Good luck. The men's 45 to 49 age group includes seven men who all seem ready to break the 4:30 barrier. It could be the most competitive race of the day. (Photo of last year's winner, Paul Gompers, courtesy ASI.)

Standing at a magnificent 5 foot 8 inches and weighing a stubby 208lbs or so, Safety Bob Sanders is the definition of "undersized" for NFL players. In a defensive secondary that is already a bit small, how will Sanders fit on this Chargers team that was one of the best in both run and pass defense come the 2011 (or 2012) season? That's what we'll hope to learn in the following article.

Drafted in 2004 by the Colts, Demond "Bob" Sanders has accumulated 291 tackles and 3.5 sacks along with a whopping 2 forced fumbles and 6 interceptions in his 47 games (over 7 seasons). These are some real "playmaker" stats. (Note: if you haven't turned off your sarcasm detector, now is a good time). But will Bob Sanders be able to make a positive impact for his new team? After some limited (due to injury plagued seasons) film study, We will have learned that Bob Sanders is, in fact, a good player. But is he Eric Weddle good? Or worse, Troy Polamalu good?

Ron Meeks and Larry Coyer both ran a somewhat similar defense, so there isn't much to throw around as far as scheme variances and responsibilities. Instead, let's look at how well Bob Sanders was able to perform during his time on the field. Originally, I thought Bob Sanders was awesome and could keep his awesome outside of San Diego. I was ready to write why he didn't fit on the team. Instead, here's why he doesn't and does at the same time. 

Plays fast and aggressive.

Good because:

• Some think the current Charger defensive secondary is a bit slow
• Some think the current Charger defensive secondary is a bit soft.
• Will match well with Eric Weddle, who plays smart. He's faster than he gets credit for, but he'd rather get there effectively that get there first. 

Bad because:

• Aggressive play leaves him vulnerable to injuries.
• Sometimes runs full speed at the ball-carrier, who calmly jukes and continues running for positive yards.
• Bites on play action more than you want him to. 

Watching Sanders, he definitely brings a new personality to the team with his attitude, however, it may tone down a bit since he probably wants to play more than half a season. Also, he's not playing in a Tampa 2 defense anymore. At Indy, he could throw himself into a pile and act like the ball carrier couldn't possibly still be on his feet. That won't work here. Greg Manusky likes individual effort and well-positioned help more than he does gang tackling. You can't really teach speed, but you can teach proper tackling form and pursuit angles. Moving on...

Being small isn't always bad

Good because:

• Plays low naturally, and can move through traffic well.
• Doesn't get pushed down easily.
• Is harder to locate from the quarterback's perspective.

Bad Because:

• Occasionally gets lost around the big guys.
• Can't fight for a jump ball unless he's covering Darren Sproles or MJD.
• A good throw will zip over his fingertips for a catch, assuming he lets a receiver get behind him.

Bob Sanders plays so high he rarely lets someone get past him. He can't bait a QB that way. He only has 6 career interceptions over 7 years. Cromartie once did that in a 7 game span. Bacon is awesome, but only if you get to actually eat it. On a side note, Manusky likes having safeties that can trail one on one, so how he plays Bob Sanders may affect his philosophy on certain playcalls. 

Sanders spends a lot of time as the deep safety. He seems just average as an in-the-box safety, which worries me a bit. Is Weddle going to move to Strong Safety? Will Manusky run an unconventional formations that have more high coverage? Lots of cover-1? Playing in a 3-4 may make it easier for Sanders to play in the box, however. With a 5 man front, he'll have a bigger area to roam in, so he just might play better as a box safety here than he did in Indy.

One of the things I noticed, Bob Sanders spends a lot of series on the bench. He doesn't seem to have top tier stamina or endurance. It's not a deal breaker, because it just means more time for Darrell Stuckey to develop, but it's disappointing. He spends enough time on IR and inactive game day rosters, but playing only 7 of the 12 defensive series in a game? Weddle plays every defensive snap, and overtime on special teams, and he's not even a pro bowl alternate. I wish he had a little more to give come gameday. 

Run Support

Bob seems to benefit from a front seven that is unselfish and and leaves room for him to play his way. The Charger front seven is more of a "I'll stuff this guy like an autumn turkey and you can have him when I'm serving him for dinner". By that I mean, the first guy usually wants to handle it and not leave the responsibility to someone else. In any case, Bob might play well behind Burnett and Butler/Siler/Cooper. Sure, maybe because he'll play mostly as a deep safety or because he'll have an assist added to his tackle total when a linebacker is bringing a guy down. He just might find himself a little less relevant in these situations and he may not mind if it makes him more durable.

Sanders also prefers to line up in under sets, or on the weak side. This is less of an issue on a 3-4 defense where you can disguise your over/under sets better, so teams planning against him will have a harder time guessing where to go. This is always a plus, so no complaints there. However, he struggles shedding blocks on tight ends or stronger receivers. Two tight end sets with opposite motion may expose him, as will last second flips where no defensive call is made in time. Since Jammer and Weddle play support incredibly well, you can overlook this a bit.

Versatility

Bob Sanders is definitely versatile. He can play both safety spots, but he's better at free safety than strong. Unfortunately, that's also the case with Eric Weddle. That's why I didn't think he would fit well in the Charger's defense. However, that's under Ron Rivera's style. I still have to scout Greg Manusky, and that article is coming next, so more details on compatibility later. Unlike Weddle, though, Sanders can't play nickel. He's not a man coverage player, instead he's a true safety. He reads the play as a whole, better than an individual route runner. That's enough for him to be effective though. And now, the bottom line...

Bottom Line

Bob Sanders could be considered overrated, or over appreciated. I'd say he's more over analyzed. He's definitely good. Just not as fantabulous as some people think. His weaknesses stand out almost as high as his strengths. But he plays his strengths so well that you ignore everything else a bit. You should know by now, that I ignore almost nothing. Be excited that Bob Sanders will add a new character to the Charger defense. Don't get mad when the former #1 defense is no longer in the top 5 by next season's end. Be mad that the 2007 Bob Sanders was kind of a one year wonder. Don't get excited if he comes back strong, as he has a great supporting cast to make him look good, or at least valuable. Don't expect him to play all 16 games. Do expect him to play well. I'm certain Bob Sanders will play 100%, and he'll do it knowing he should, too. I'd like to sugar coat it, but I don't know if Bob Sanders being a Charger is as much of a star player signing as much as it is proven publicity and depth value signing. Evil emperor AJ Smith knows this, which is why he didn't throw a multi year deal at him. I expect Bob Sanders to be offered a 3 year bare minimum deal after his one year is up, if he isn't just let go. Either that or something I can't predict because I'll look like a psychic. If it seems like I haven't made up my mind on whether Bob Sanders is a good thing or bad thing for the team, make up my mind with some good comments. 

Poll

What kind of year do you think Bob Sanders will have?

• Pro Bowl worthy season
• Pro Bowl alternate season
• Average season
• "Fire Norv Turner" season

  1 votes | Results

The Playoffs and golf courses are almost upon us. While I am curious which member of the Florida Panthers (my bet is on Stephen Weiss since he has never played hockey in May) has the best tee shot, I am more interested in who is most primed for a long post-season run, and what aspects of each team's game may help or hinder their pursuits.

I feel that it is only right for the Western Conference to be featured first. They are the vastly superior conference, as their inter-conference dominance clearly proves. They are 57 games over .500 against the East this season, while the East is only 15 games over .500 against the West. I know I know, those overtime games through all these calculations off, but the numbers are still telling. Also, the top ten teams in the West would qualify for the Eastern Conference Playoffs, despite having to play against each other consistently.

So without further ado:

1. Vancouver Canucks: How on earth is this team under the salary cap?!?! They have the most explosive top two lines in the NHL, a defence corps that is six deep with actual talent, (not overpaid checkers that were popular in Montreal and subsequently rewarded a five-year contract with a no movement clause by a rival team) and one of the best and most expensive goalies in the NHL.

Strengths: Their depth. Nobody has been more crippled by injuries on the back end than the Canucks. Sami Salo, Alex Edler, Kieth Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, and Dan Hamhuis have all missed at least 15 games this season, and they still have not missed a beat. On the offensive side, they have top end talent that only the Capitals, Sharks, Lightning and Blackhawks can match. (Will the Pens ever get Malkin and Crosby to play a full season together again?). Roberto Luongo has proven in the Olympics that he has the ability to be a big time goaltender and on this team, it looks like he just will have to ensure that he doesn't play a brutal game. Their greatest strength though is obvious: the telepathic connection between their dynamic twin pack.

Weaknesses: Luck. Injuries have decimated their defence and their checking forwards, and have taken a significant toll on this team. Luckily, aside from Alex Burrows missing the first ten games of the season, none of the top tier offensemen have missed any time. But with the luck they have been having, you simply never know.

On that note, I would like to wish Manny Malhotra a speedy and healthy recovery. We are all rooting for you.

2. Detroit Red Wings: The most experienced team in the NHL simply never goes away. With the longest streak of playoff appearances amongst the four major sports, this team defines consistency. While they have a lot of has-beens like Modano, Bertuzzi and Kris Draper, they do possess a lot of young talent that provides the spark of energy that keeps those old legs running. (It also helps that Modano hardly played this season. Maybe with the fresh legs, he will be a difference maker for the first time since 2006. Shh, don't let him in on the secret that he is washed up, he may be the only one that has not noticed).

Strengths: Experience. They have done it so many times before. To put this in perspective, Nicklas Lidstrom, Thomas Holmstrom and Draper won a Cup for this team when Jeff Skinner was five years old. He had not even started elementary school! Also, they have so much goal scoring firepower from the offence and the defence,\ that it is very difficult to stop their attack when everyone is healthy. Another strength of this team is their coaching and management. They are coached by perhaps the best coach in the NHL by another Detroit legend, Scotty Bowman.

 Weaknesses: Simply put, their goaltending is more than suspect. Jimmy Howard, the number one goaltender by default, has not shown that he is reliable in pressure-filled situations. Even with such a strong defence in front of him, none of his peripheral statistics are amongst the top thirty-goaltenders. It would be hilarious, yet not surprising, if we ended up seeing Joey McDonald in the Playoffs. (Update: Not gonna happen after tonight's performance, where he let in seven goals!)

3. San Jose Sharks: Remember how awful this team was for the first half of the season? The only players on the team that were showing up were Ryan Clowe, Logan Couture and Anterro Nittymaki (where did he go?!?) and they were treading in tenth place in the Western Conference. Since the first forty games of the season, this team has been the hottest in the NHL and after last season's trip to the Conference Final, they look primed to make another deep run into the playoffs.

Strengths: The importance of peaking at the right time in the NHL season should not be underestimated. Just look at the Flyers from last season for a perfect example of this. They got hot at the right time and went all the way to the Finals, only to lose at the hands of the least dramatic Cup-winning goal of all time. The Sharks have only lost four times in regulation since January 15th and have been winning because of their combination of strong goaltending and the semi-rejuvenation of their once-unstoppable top line.

Weaknesses: The Sharks have gone through significant stretches where Marleau, Thornton and Heatley have done absolutely nothing. Heatley will not even crack the 30 goal plateau (he is at 24) after having at least 39 in every full season he has played since he was a rookie. If the big boys choose not to show up in the Playoffs and Joe Pavelski, Clowe and Couture are leading this team, count them out first round unless Anti Niemi can continue his strong play since his 15.36 GAA (that number might actually be an understatement) in the first twenty games. Wouldn't Hawks-Sharks be the most intriguing first round matchup? Remarkable!

4. Phoenix Coyotes: They did it again! Kieth Yandle, Ilya Bryzgalov, Shane Doan and who else?? On paper, they may be tied with the Panthers and Thrashers for the most dull lineup in all of hockey. They buy into the system that the coaching staff has instituted, and they execute it to perfection. Their success should be a ray of hope for teams that cannot afford to spend to the salary cap, or just simply have no talent.

Strengths: They have a phenomenal grasp on the team game and a goalie that has proven throughout the last two regular seasons that he has the ability to stand on his head. While the offence on this team looks anemic (on the surface, but the sum of their parts is much better than they are individually), they have an extremely deep defensive team. Yandle, Adrian Aucoin, Derek Morris, Rotislav Klesla, Ed Jovanovski and Michal Roszival is as good a defensive group that you will find outside of British Columbia.

Weaknesses: Special Teams is going to kill this team. They rank only 22nd in the NHL on the PP and are 26th on the PK. For a team that will probably have a more difficult time scoring goals in the Playoffs then most, it will be necessary for them to improve on these numbers. Also, they have been shorthanded 284 times this season, which is the 11th most in the NHL, a number they definitely need to improve on.

5. Los Angeles Kings: At the beginning of the season, people would have been surprised to see the Kings this low on the conference seedings. Until the last six weeks, things have not gone according to plan for this team. Jon Bernier has not taken the starting job (Quick has been a great goalie this season) Wayne Simmonds and Jarret Stoll did not provide the offence that most were hoping, and most significantly, Doughty did not have the big breakout season that everyone expected. All in all though, this team has the talent (or had with Kopitar and Justin Williams) to make some noise in the playoffs.

Strengths: They play a fantastic defensive game. With Doughty and Jack Johnson leading a talented backend, they are 4th in penalty kill and 6th in goals against respectively in the NHL. While they have not received the offence from d-men that they may have expected, their coverage in their own zone has been outstanding.

Weaknesses: Injuries. Kopitar is done for the rest of the season and the playoffs. This is a huge blow to their chances at playoffs success. He does everything for their team. When he got injured he was leading the team in goals, points, shots, GWG and perhaps the most telling statistic, +/-. He is an impossible piece to replace, and combined with the injuries that Williams sustained, it will be almost impossible for them to overcome these losses.

On the positive side, look for this team to be the second best team in the West next season, with a more experienced lineup. You read it here first

6. Anaheim Ducks: This team has shown a remarkable amount of resiliency all season. They lost Getzlaf for an extended period of time with what essentially was a broken face injury. Their All-Star goaltender Hiller has been injured for the last six weeks with vertigo and fatigue. Yet, they have continuously stayed in the hunt, due to the magnificent play of Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne. If they can get Hiller back, they can cause some serious noise in the first round.

Strengths: They have fantastic firepower at the top of their lineup. Selanne, Perry, Getzlaf and Ryan, may be the best group of four forwards on any team in the NHL. Also, they have a very solid combination of offence and defence from the backend. Toni Lydman, in what may be the biggest surprise of the season, has the highest +/- in the league, and Lubomir Visnovsky has the most points in the league as well with 62. And with Fowler and Beauchemin on the second line, this team is better defensively than most people give them credit for.

Weaknesses: The top six forwards on this team are, Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan, Selanne, Koivu and Blake. Name one of their bottom six forwards? (They just picked up Jarkko Ruutu, so not sure if I count him).......... I would venture to say that only 20 percent of hockey fans outside of California are able to do it. They are absolutely awful. Against some of the powerhouse teams out West, those lines will get completely exposed. Don't feel embarrassed to look up their bottom six forwards, since nobody else knows them either.

7. Nashville Predators: This team is built in a similar fashion to the Pheonix Coyotes. Very good goaltending, a star defenceman surrounded by a very strong group around him, and a bunch of no-name slightly above average forwards. Surprisingly this team has made it to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, and has never won a playoff series. Barry Trotz runs a remarkable system, in which he maximizes value from his players in the regular season, but it seems like he just never has enough talent to win in the playoffs. I am not sure their luck will change if they end up drawing the loaded Sharks in the first round this year either.

Strengths: They have fantastic defensive play. Pekka Rinne has been the most underrated goalie in the NHL and should finish as the runner up for the Vezina behind the remarkable Tim Thomas. Shea Weber and his fantastic linemate Ryan Suter, lead a young and talented group of defenceman that allow the third fewest goals per game in the NHL, and have the sixth best PK. Another strength of this team is their play on home ice. They are only one of three teams in the NHL along with Boston and Vancouver, to have less than ten losses at home. If they can sneak into the fourth seed, maybe they will be able to finally win a series!

Weaknesses: One word: offence. They are the only team in the NHL (not including the Senators which frankly are not NHL caliber), that does not have a player with 20 goals or 50 points on their roster. For them to have any extended success, they need to receive more production from their top players. Mike Fisher has not provided that spark this team has needed since he came to Nashville to play for this team (maybe he came just to be close to Carrie Underwood). On the positive side though, Martin Erat is playing the most inspired hockey of his career, and leads the team in points despite missing fifteen games.

P.S. David Legwand, the world is still waiting for you to prove that you are more than a massive bust.

 8. Chicago Blackhawks: The Stanley Cup champs are in the eight hole, and with the prospects of facing the best team in the league in the first round, the all-difficult repeat will be a daunting task. After the Marty Turco experiment was a colossal failure, they decided to return to their formula of success: a random old rookie goalie that comes out of nowhere and plays well. So far it has worked for them. Corey Crawford is one of the main reasons this team will even be in the Playoffs in two weeks from now.

Strengths: Star talent. With Toews, Kane, Hossa, and Sharp on offence and Kieth, Seabrook and Campbell on the backend, this team has the stars to match up with anyone. Also, they all are Cup winners, and know exactly what it takes to get to the finish line. For the new guys that do not know what the experience is like, I am sure they can just ask Hossa, after he had spent the previous three seasons searching for that Cup.

Weaknesses: The salary cap robbed the Hawks of a dynasty. The loss of Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg and Byfgulien were all a product of the new era that we live in. The replacement players have been playing pretty well, but have not provided that secondary spark the stars were accustomed to receiving. Unless guys like Michael Frolik, who has only 7 points since coming over in a trade from Florida, can elevate their game, Lord Stanley's mug will not return to downtown Chicago. Other than that, this team has strong talent, and their main weakness is their seeding due to their poor play in the beginning of the season. I do not think that Vancouver would be particularly enthralled with the idea of playing the Hawks in the first round of the Playoffs.

All of these eight teams, possess either remarkable talent, or remarkable team play, and whatever the match-ups turn out to be, I can guarantee one thing: no series will be easy for any team. I cannot wait for the games to begin!!

Hope you enjoyed this!!

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There are two kinds of movie fans: people who embrace spoilers and people who avoid them like the plague. This post is for the former. IGN just put up a detailed description [1] of the first act of Cowboys & Aliens, having visited director Jon Favreau and editor Dan Lebental in the editing room last November. Scheduled for release on July 29, Cowboys & Aliens stars Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde in a sci-fi spin on the Western genre that follows a mysterious stranger who realizes he's the only person who can save a town from attacking aliens. Favreau has become one of the most fan-friendly directors out there, always willing to show fans [2] just enough to whet our appetites [3] for his films and Cowboys & Aliens is no exception. If you don't mind spoilers, hit the jump to read what happens in the first 40 minutes of the movie. A big thanks to IGN [4] for posting about this footage. A month or so after Favreau had them in the editing room, he then showed the same footage to the crowd (including Peter) at Harry Knowles' Butt-Numb-A-Thon. Here's a little taste: The movie opens with outlaw Jake Lonergan (Craig) waking up in the middle of nowhere with a strange, futuristic gauntlet on his arm and no idea of how it got there. Jake is one bad hombre; this is immediately established when he adeptly takes out a few riders looking to do him harm. Moving on from there, Jake arrives in the town of Absolution where he intervenes to help a meek saloon keeper, Doc (Sam Rockwell), who is being harassed by young thug Percy Dolarhyde (a scene-stealing Paul Dano) and his cronies. Going into Doc's saloon for a drink, Jake is approached by a beautiful, enigmatic jezebel named Ella (Olivia Wilde) who knows a helluva lot more about Jake than she possibly could. But before Jake can get answers as to how, Sheriff Taggart (Keith Carradine) and his deputies arrive to take Jake into custody. Turns out Jake is quite the wanted man who, although he has no memory of it, allegedly stole from powerful local rancher Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford), who is -- you guessed it -- Percy's badass dad. Before the Colonel can take Jake away to mete out punishment, distant lights hearken the sudden and violent arrival of alien invaders. The brutal attack on Absolution plays out like an Old West Pearl Harbor. The alien ships destroy the town and abduct some of its inhabitants, before Jake is able to down one of the spacecraft with that strange gauntlet of his. This otherworldly threat forces enemies Jake and Dolarhyde to ally for the greater good. Most of this can be seen in the trailer for the film and chances are we're going to see a new one fairly soon. Check it out again, right here. The footage ended after the big alien attack, but here's what Favreau told IGN [5] about what happens next: What happens next is that it becomes a road movie as they band together and try to track this thing and find where all the people are being held. All the people they meet along the way and all the different groups coming together, this ragtag group finally confronting this unapproachable enemy. That's also what's fun about a good western, like The Magnificent Seven, is how are they possibly going to defeat this enemy? It's just through heart and faith. How can you make it that they can face these odds and it doesn't feel like bullshit? It's guiding the audience through each step so that they believe you and have them get invested in the characters. Head over to IGN [6]to read more about their impressions on the footage, the tone of the film [7] and what Favreau said about working with the actors. Our own Russ Fischer also visited the set of the film and really enjoyed his time there, and you can read his in depth write up by clicking these blue word you're reading right now [8]. In such a crowded summer [9], do you think Cowboys & Aliens is going to be able to compete? [1] http://www.slashfilm.com/cowboys-aliens-set-visit/ [2] http://www.slashfilm.com/comic-con-impressions-footage-description-and-new-photo-for-cowboys-and-aliens/ [3] http://www.slashfilm.com/cowboys-aliens-super-bowl-commerical/ [4] http://movies.ign.com/articles/115/1158107p1.html [5] http://movies.ign.com/articles/115/1158107p1.html [6] http://movies.ign.com/articles/115/1158107p1.html [7] http://www.slashfilm.com/jon-favreau-talks-cowboys-aliens/ [8] http://www.slashfilm.com/cowboys-aliens-set-visit/ [9] http://www.slashfilm.com/jon-favreau-calls-summer-2011-box-office-bloodbath/