"What Norse god is known as a ""trickster god""?"

The Enigmatic Loki, a Trickster among Gods in Norse Mythology | Ancient Origins 21 December, 2014 - 22:29 Ryan Stone The Enigmatic Loki, a Trickster among Gods in Norse Mythology (Read the article on one page) The Norse trickster god, Loki is undoubtedly the most debated figure from Norse mythology to this day.  Though he appears to be a scheming, mischievous deity who has no real loyalties, scholars still explore what his purpose might have been in the ancient stories. Was he merely a plot device, a foil for the AEsir, the pantheon of gods in Norse religion? His character surely meant more to the non-Christian Scandinavians than can be gleaned now, and though that purpose cannot be fully realized due to a lack of sufficient sources, an overview of who Loki was and what he did can loosely be outlined. According to Gylfaginning in the Prose Edda , Loki was the son of Fárbauti, a jötunn (giant), and Laufey, a lesser known female god. His jötunn heritage does aid in explaining the complexity of his character, as the jötunns once went to war against the AEsir and are considered, in many ways, their enemies. Loki, as the son of a giant as well as a goddess, straddles the two warring factions, a trait which plagues his character throughout his mythology. He marries the minor goddess Sigyn, but has many affairs, his most notable with the giantess Angrboða, by whom he gives birth to Hel, the queen of Niflheim; Fenrir, the oversized wolf who is fated to kill Odin at Ragnarök; and Jörmungandr, the World Serpent banished to the seas. The trickster god also, interestingly enough, is the mother of Odin's great eight-legged steed Sleipnir, as Loki mated with a powerful male stallion while disguised as a mare.  As his parentage and his progeny are all outside the normal state of affairs even in the godly world, scholars believe that there must have been pertinence to his connection to so many dark and powerful figures in the Norse pantheon. Loki's relationship with the other gods is what causes most of the concern and confusion in modern scholarship. Loki is not shown as an outright evil god, though he does appear to take great pleasure in fooling or insulting the AEsir. One of the most notable examples is his fluctuating relationship with Thor, as recorded in two different poems both from the Codex Regius, which houses the Poetic Edda .  "Lokasenna" tells of when Thor comes to the great hall of the sea god AEgir and immediately becomes bothered by Loki and his antics. Three times Thor threatens to silence Loki with his hammer Mjölnir, and three times Loki proceeds to insult him and Odin.  At the end of the tale, Loki flees the scene, hiding from the AEsir for his harsh words, only to be found and captured, and bound to the rock where he will remain until Ragnarök. A depiction (1895) of Loki quarreling with the gods, as in the Poetic Edda poem Lokasenna. Public Domain For his mischief, Loki is hounded by the gods and bound to a rock where a serpent drips painful venom upon him. There he lies till Ragnarok. Painting illustrating Loki and Sigyn from Norse mythology. Public Domain "Þrymskviða", contrastingly, details Thor and Loki on friendlier terms, as it is Loki to whom Thor turns for aid when Mjölnir, his powerful hammer, goes missing. Loki is the first person Thor seeks out, and together they work to uncover which god or magical creature has stolen the weapon. Loki goes out of his way to travel to Jötunheimr, the home of the giants, to ask the jötunn Þrymr what he knows, only to uncover Þrymr himself has taken Mjölnir and will only return it if Freyja will agree to marry him. In this tale, Loki and Thor retrieve the hammer with a clever plan of disguise, and Þrymr is punished for his misdeeds. "Thor and Loki in the Chariot". Foster, Mary H. 1901. Asgard Stories: Tales from Norse Mythology. Silver, Burdett and Company. Page 41. ( Wikimedia Commons ) Though these are only two of many stories that describe Loki, these tales regarding his association with Thor reveal the wide spectrum of his personality and thus why his portrayals in the


"On what type of building would you be most likely to find a ""flying buttress""?"

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What is the only Great Lake that doesn't border Canada?

How many Great Lakes border Canada? | Reference.com How many Great Lakes border Canada? A: Quick Answer Four of the five Great Lakes border Canada: Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario and Lake Superior. Lake Michigan is the only one that does not border Canada; it is located completely within U.S. borders. Full Answer Lake Superior is the largest and westernmost of the Great Lakes and the second largest lake in the world. Its surface area is 31,000 square miles. Lake Michigan lies directly to the east of Lake Superior, and Lake Huron lies east of lake Michigan. Lake Huron is the fifth-largest fresh-water lake in the world, with a surface area of 23,000 square miles. The easternmost lake is Lake Ontario; its surface area is just 7,000 square miles. Lake Erie lies south of Lake Ontario and east of Lake Huron, and it has a surface area of nearly 10,000 square miles. These four lakes all border the Canadian province of Ontario.


What is either a popular sport or a type of insect?

Top 10 Extreme Insect Species - Listverse Top 10 Extreme Insect Species Victor Pintilie May 15, 2013 Insects represent more than eighty percent of all species. Currently, there are around 900 thousand different kinds of insects known to science, with estimates of at least a million still waiting to be discovered. Many of us find them disgusting or scary, while others are fascinated by their huge variety, as they have colonized most terrestrial environments in the most surprising and fascinating ways. This list reveals ten insect superlatives ranging from the smallest to the most dangerous to the most daring of these creatures: 10 Largest insect Little Barrier Island giant weta The giant weta native to the Little Barrier Island of New Zealand (Deinacrida heteracantha) proudly bears the name of the heaviest and largest adult insect in the world, the record weight for one being of 71 grammes or 2.5 oz and more than 8.5 centimeters or 3.4 inches in length. A relative of the grasshopper and of the common house cricket, the giant weta is nowadays a vulnerable species. 9 Smallest insect Dicopomorpha echmepterygis Fairyflies are tiny members of the wasp family and the smallest family of insects known to science. Dicopomorpha echmepterygis is a fairyfly native to Costa Rica, the males of the species being no more than 0.14 mm in length, about the same size—if not smaller—than the single-celled paramecium we normally find in lake waters. This species feeds on the eggs of other insects. 8 Most venomous insect Harvester ant The harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex Maricopa) is the world’s most venomous insect—however, it does not pose any threat to humans at all. Its venom is roughly 25 times stronger than that of the honey bee, but it is delivered in small doses, therefore rendering the harvester ant quite inoffensive. Most of you probably expected the Japanese giant hornet, the African killer bee or the bullet and of South America as contenders to this title; surprisingly enough, the winner turned out to be in your very back yard, as members of these species are generally found throughout the US. 7 Longest insect migration Globe skimmer The Globe Skimmer (Pantala flavescens) has recently been found to be the insect with the longest migration of all insects, its journey dwarfing that of the famous monarch butterfly. Using the monsoon, these dragonflies travel from India to East and Southern Africa and back again, which adds up to between 14,000 and 18,000 kilometers. Furthermore, the long migration of these insects renders them as an accessible food source for migratory birds, which means that if anything happens to this species, many species of birds would find it very difficult, if not impossible, to perform their annual migrations. 6 Fastest flying insect Southern Giant Darner This species of dragonfly (Austrophlebia costalis) has been clocked to a speed of 35 mph, which makes it the fastest insect in the world in terms of flight speed. Although there are previous claims that it would top 60 mph, most experts disagree on their veracity. Nevertheless, there are many who consider that the title of fastest insect remains disputed among dragonflies, hawk moths, and horseflies, with various unverified measurements circulating about each one of these species. 5 Most feared insect Migratory locust Locusta migratoria, or the migratory locust, is arguably the most feared species of insect known by humankind. Although the mosquito is responsible for the most human deaths, the locust is the one insect that has made men cry in horror throughout history. Although locust swarms are rare nowadays, locust plagues still occur in some parts of the world, as was the case in Madagascar, last year, or the 2004 locust outbreak that affected several countries in West and North Africa that resulted in losses of around $2.5 billion in terms of agricultural devastation. 4 Most resilient insect German cockroach I suppose few people will be surprised by the title of this entry. I mean, everyone knows the allegations that cockroaches are capable of survival nuclear


What type of collectible, featuring Honus Wagner, was sold for $2.8 million in 2007?

Honus Wagner baseball card sells for record $2.3 million Honus Wagner baseball card sells for record $2.3 million By By ANDREW GLAZER, Associated Press Writer February 27, 2007 A 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card, which sold in 2000 for more than US$1 million, is seen on display at a sports memorabilia show at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, N.J., in this file photo from July 2003. The "Holy Grail of baseball cards," the famous 1909 Honus Wagner tobacco card once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has sold for a record-setting US$2,350,000, the seller of the card Brian Seigel said. The anonymous buyer has only been identified as a Southern California collector. LOS ANGELES (AP) --                 The "Holy Grail of baseball cards," the                 famous 1909 Honus Wagner tobacco card once owned by                 hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has sold for a record-setting                 $2.35 million, the seller of the card said Monday. The buyer has only been identified as a Southern California                 collector. SCP Auctions Inc., a company that holds                 sports memorabilia auctions, said it bought a small                 share of the card. It is scheduled to be shown at                 a news conference at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. There are about 60 of the tobacco cards in existence                 featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, one of                 the first five players to be inducted in Baseball's                 Hall of Fame. The seller, Brian Seigel, in 2000 paid a then-record                 $1,265,000 for the prize card, which is in much better                 shape than the others. "This particular one was preserved in spectacular                 condition," said Joe Orlando, president of Professional Sports Authenticator of Newport Beach -- the company                 that certified the authenticity of the card. "It's                 the Holy Grail of baseball cards." Still, the Wagner cards are so rare that even tattered                 ones will sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars,                 Seigel said. The others "you could stick in middle of the                 street and let cars drive over it through the day,                 take it in your hand and crumple it up, and it still                 would be a $100,000 card," said Seigel, CEO of                 Emerald Capital LLC, an asset management company,                 who lives in Las Vegas. Gretzky and Bruce McNall, former owner of the Los                 Angeles Kings, bought the card for $451,000 in 1991. During his ownership of the card, Seigel displayed                 it at several sports collectible shows, showed it                 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum                 and at brought it to opening bell ceremonies for the                 NASDAQ stock exchange in New York. "The Wagner card gave me a tremendous amount                 of pride, excitement and pleasure," he said. "I hope the new owner will have the same satisfaction                 I enjoyed over the years." The tobacco cards used to be included in packs of                 cigarettes. Collectors believe Wagner's cards are                 rare because he stopped allowing the American Tobacco                 Co. to use his image, fearing it would encourage children                 to smoke. Nicknamed the "Flying Dutchman," Wagner                 was the National League batting champion in eight                 of hi


What creature from Greek mythology has a single eye on the center of its forehead?

Mythography | Greek Creatures and Chimerae in Myth and Art home | greek | creatures | monsters Greek Monsters Argus | a creature with many eyes; Argus played a prominent role in one of the myths of the goddess Hera Cerberus | Cerberus was the guardian of the Underworld; in myth, he was portrayed as a dog with three heads Charybdis | in Greek mythology, Charybdis was a deadly whirlpool personified as a female monster Chimera | with a body that was one third lion, one third she-goat, and one third serpent, this creature was definitely one frightening beast Cyclops | giant with a single eye in its forehead; the plural form of this word is Cyclopes Echidna | this monster was half beautiful woman and half deadly serpent; she was the mother of many mythical monsters Geryon | the monster known as Geryon had three heads and three bodies; he was defeated by the hero Herakles Gorgons | this trio of terrifying females consists of the sisters Euryale, Medusa , and Stheno Graiae | these "old women" were the sisters of the Gorgons Hydra | the Hydra had a water-serpent body topped by numerous heads Ladon | dragon who guarded the area where the apples of the Hesperides were hidden Lamia | she was a frightening bogey-woman in Greek mythology


Why Does Santa Claus Give Coal to Bad Kids? | Mental Floss Why Does Santa Claus Give Coal to Bad Kids? iStock Like us on Facebook The tradition of giving misbehaving children lumps of fossil fuel predates the Santa we know, and is also associated with St. Nicholas, Sinterklaas, and Italy’s La Befana . Though there doesn't seem to be one specific legend or history about any of these figures that gives a concrete reason for doling out coal specifically, the common thread between all of them seems to be convenience. Santa and La Befana both get into people’s homes via the fireplace chimney and leave gifts in stockings hung from the mantel. Sinterklaas’s controversial assistant, Black Pete , also comes down the chimney and places gifts in shoes left out near the fireplace. St. Nick used to come in the window, and then switched to the chimney when they became common in Europe. Like Sinterklaas, his presents are traditionally slipped into shoes sitting by the fire. So, let’s step into the speculation zone: All of these characters are tied to the fireplace. When filling the stockings or the shoes, the holiday gift givers sometimes run into a kid who doesn’t deserve a present. So to send a message and encourage better behavior next year, they leave something less desirable than the usual toys, money, or candy—and the fireplace would seem to make an easy and obvious source of non-presents. All the individual would need to do is reach down into the fireplace and grab a lump of coal. (While many people think of fireplaces burning wood logs, coal-fired ones were very common during the 19th and early 20th centuries, which is when the American Santa mythos was being established.) That said, with the exception of Santa, none of these characters limits himself to coal when it comes to bad kids. They’ve also been said to leave bundles of twigs , bags of salt , garlic, and onions , which suggests that they’re less reluctant than Santa to haul their bad kid gifts around all night in addition to the good presents. Have you got a Big Question you'd like us to answer? If so, let us know by emailing us at bigquestions@mentalfloss.com .


Foie Gras...Diseased Goose Liver Foie Gras...See How It's  Made. Still Want to Eat it? Foie gras, from the French, means fat liver and pate is a "paste" made of a fat liver, specifically goose or duck liver.  As good as it may be, is it worth the cruelty that goes into its production?   To fatten up a goose liver, the bird is confined in such a way that its head protrudes through the bars of a restraining pen and it is force fed a mixture of corn mash several times a day.   Obviously it is an unnatural, painful and stressful experience for the bird and often results in heroic efforts by the bird to regurgitate the fluid that has been forced down its throat.   Gavage, the French word for forced feeding, produces a liver six to ten times normal size and typically presses on the lungs, making normal breathing more difficult. The Videos Tell the Story There is no shortage of videos, most of them taken undercover by animal welfare groups, and four have been selected to share below.   The one immediately below is from PETA, narrated by Kate Winslet, and is one of the best at showing what a duck or goose is put through to bring a diseased liver to the elites dining table.  If anyone should order goose liver, just know what it is that is being eaten and remember the scenes in these videos. Regarding the health issues of consuming an extremely fatty liver, there is a growing belief that it could be a cause of amyloidosis or the deposition of amyloid protein in various organs however it has yet to be confirmed. Due to the cruelty of force feeding, the production and sale of pate has been banned in many countries.  To date the production of force-fed goose liver is only allowed in five European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Spain and Hungary). Turkey and Israel have also banned the force feeding of animals. In the U.S., banning the force feeding of animals is a decision of each state.  California led the way by banning the force feeding of animals for the purpose of enlarging the liver as well as selling products that are produced by that method.  Unfortunately, politics and lobbyists succeeded in buying off enough legislators and judges that California has reversed the ban and some restaurants resumed selling it.  According to the Huffington Post, we can thank U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson of the Central District of California. Chicago banned the sale of foie gras beut later reversed the ban since they could not or would not enforce the ban.  Mayor Richard Daley reportedly called the ban the silliest law the city council has ever passed.  Oh well, if there's a wrong side of any issue, Daley will be there; it's the Chicago way. The book, Foie Gras Wars, shown above is a good read on the culinary wars that erupted in Chicago when they tried to ban the cruel delicacy.  Click on the book's image to review it or buy it. Custom Search The first video below is from Farm Sanctuary and documents production in Canada, the same lovely country that still allows the clubbing death of baby harp seals.  It can be found on the web at URL http://www.farmsanctuary.org/mediacenter/videos.html . The second video is from the Animal Protection and Rescue League and documents their investigative findings at the Hudson Valley Foie Gras farm.  This operation is not an anomaly; it is representative of the entire industry.  Watch "Foie Gras: A Decade of Cruelty Exposed" and then make your voice heard to stop this horrible practice. There used to be a video in this spot produced by Farm Sanctuary protesting Amazon.com selling foie Gras and urging everyone to call and ask them to stop selling the product.  Youtube took the video down and Amazon is still selling livers from tortured geese.  So much for free speech and public protest. Now after watching those videos, it’s time to be uplifted, filled with hope and see that there is a better way.  See, foie gras in itself isn't bad, it's the cruelty of the gavage and confinement that are bad.  Watch Don Barber, a well known chef and scholar who is passionate about sustainable, humane food sources, in


What is Judi Dench's title in the British honours system?

Judi Dench - Biography - IMDb Judi Dench Biography Showing all 115 items Jump to: Overview  (3) | Mini Bio  (1) | Spouse  (1) | Trade Mark  (1) | Trivia  (82) | Personal Quotes  (27) Overview (3) 5' 1" (1.55 m) Mini Bio (1) Judi Dench was born in York, England, to Eleanora Olive (Jones), who was from Dublin, Ireland, and Reginald Arthur Dench, a doctor from Dorset, England. She attended Mount School in York, and studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama. She has performed with Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and at Old Vic Theatre. She is a ten-time BAFTA winner including Best Actress in a Comedy Series for A Fine Romance (1981) in which she appeared with her husband, Michael Williams , and Best Supporting Actress in A Handful of Dust (1988) and A Room with a View (1985) . She received an ACE award for her performance in the television series Star Quality: Mr. and Mrs. Edgehill (1985). She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1970, and was created Dame of Order of the British Empire in 1988. - IMDb Mini Biography By: dh Spouse (1) ( 5 February  1971      - 11 January  2001) (his death) (1 child) Trade Mark (1) Known for often playing dignified, strong willed women in positions of authority who are sometimes opposed or criticised by those under her. Trivia (82) When Royal Shakespeare Company Director Peter Hall asked Judi Dench to play the title role in a staged, and then later televised, production of Cleopatra, Dench refused, saying that her Cleopatra would be a "menopausal dwarf." Director Hall was later successful in coaxing Dench into the role, of which she won rave reviews from both theatre critics and TV audiences. Her first stage appearance was as a snail in a play at her Quaker junior school. She made history in 1996 as the first person to win two Laurence Olivier awards (for British theatre) for different roles. Her 1999 Oscar was awarded for an six-minute performance in only four scenes as "Queen Elizabeth I" in Shakespeare in Love (1998). It is the second shortest performance ever to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, the only shorter one being Beatrice Straight 's five-minute performance in Network (1976). Mother, with Michael Williams , of Finty Williams . Created the role of Sally Bowles in the London premiere of the musical, Cabaret. She was cast to play "Grizabella" in the original West End production of "CATS", but she tore her Achilles Tendon and was forced to quit the musical. Elaine Paige replaced her. She was ranked second in the 2001 Orange Film Survey of the greatest British Film Actresses. Received the Film Actress Award for her role in Chocolat at The Variety Club Showbusiness Awards 2002. Unfortunately Ms Dench was in attendance at the Berlin Film Festival and couldn't attend the Awards ceremony, but was able to send a televised message congratulating the charity on its 50th anniversary. Awarded an honorary DLitt by Oxford University on 28 June 2000. Was awarded an honourary Litt.D. (Doctor in Letters) from Trinity College on Friday, 11th July, 2003. She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1984 (1983 season) for Best Actress in a New Play for Pack of Lies. She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1988 (1987 season) for Best Actress in a New Play for Antony and Cleopatra. Presented with The Society's Special Award for her outstanding contribution to British theatre at the 2004 Laurence Olivier Awards. [February 2004] She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1996 (1995 season) for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in A Little Night Music at the Royal National Theatre Olivier Stage. She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1996 (1995 season) for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in Absolute Hell at the Royal National Theatre Lyttleton Stage. She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1999 (1998 season) for Best Actress for her performance in Filumena. She was nominated for a 1998 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress of the 1997 season for her perf


What city was captured at the end of the First Crusade in 1099?

Jerusalem captured in First Crusade - Jul 14, 1099 - HISTORY.com Jerusalem captured in First Crusade Share this: Jerusalem captured in First Crusade Author Jerusalem captured in First Crusade URL Publisher A+E Networks During the First Crusade, Christian knights from Europe capture Jerusalem after seven weeks of siege and begin massacring the city’s Muslim and Jewish population. Beginning in the 11th century, Christians in Jerusalem were increasingly persecuted by the city’s Islamic rulers, especially when control of the holy city passed from the relatively tolerant Egyptians to the Seljuk Turks in 1071. Late in the century, Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comenus, also threatened by the Seljuk Turks, appealed to the West for aid. In 1095, Pope Urban II publicly called for a crusade to aid Eastern Christians and recover the holy lands. The response by Western Europeans was immediate. The first crusaders were actually undisciplined hordes of French and German peasants who met with little success. One group, known as the “People’s Crusade,” reached as far as Constantinople before being annihilated by the Turks. In 1096, the main crusading force, featuring some 4,000 mounted knights and 25,000 infantry, began to move east. Led by Raymond of Toulouse, Godfrey of Bouillon, Robert of Flanders, and Bohemond of Otranto, the army of Christian knights crossed into Asia Minor in 1097. In June, the crusaders captured the Turkish-held city of Nicaea and then defeated a massive army of Seljuk Turks at Dorylaeum. From there, they marched on to Antioch, located on the Orontes River below Mount Silpius, and began a difficult six-month siege during which they repulsed several attacks by Turkish relief armies. Finally, early in the morning of June 3, 1098, Bohemond persuaded a Turkish traitor to open Antioch’s Bridge Gate, and the knights poured into the city. In an orgy of killing, the Christians massacred thousands of enemy soldiers and citizens, and all but the city’s fortified citadel was taken. Later in the month, a large Turkish army arrived to attempt to regain the city, but they too were defeated, and the Antioch citadel surrendered to the Europeans. After resting and reorganizing for six months, the crusaders set off for their ultimate goal, Jerusalem. Their numbers were now reduced to some 1,200 cavalry and 12,000 foot soldiers. On June 7, 1099, the Christian army reached the holy city, and finding it heavily fortified, began building three enormous siege towers. By the night of July 13, the towers were complete, and the Christians began fighting their way across Jerusalem’s walls. On July 14, Godfrey’s men were the first to penetrate the defenses, and the Gate of Saint Stephen was opened. The rest of the knights and soldiers then poured in, the city was captured, and tens of thousands of its occupants were slaughtered. The crusaders had achieved their aims, and Jerusalem was in Christian hands, but an Egyptian army marched on the holy city a few weeks later to challenge their claim. The Egyptians’ defeat by the outnumbered Christians in August ended Muslim resistance to the Europeans for the time being, and five small Christian states were set up in the region under the rule of the leaders of the crusade. Related Videos


Where do lemurs live? You can help support wildmadagascar.org by using this link to buy from Amazon.com. Beautifully illustrated with full color photographs throughout, Madagascar Wildlife is a celebration of the unique fauna of a remarkable island and the perfect accompaniment to Bradt's popular general travel guide, Madagascar . This portable guide offers a full survey of all Madagascar's mammals, both endemic and introduced, including many newly identified species. With vivid color photographs, line illustrations, and maps, Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide is an essential book for any visitor. GEAR Unless otherwise noted, all content and images are the property of Rhett Butler, content copyright 2004-2012. All rights reserved.


It takes a village to raise a child – Connected Principals About It takes a village to raise a child The traditional African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” has been widely quoted when examining the partnerships required during the maturation of our youth. Our “village” has never been more necessary than it is today. We live in a face-paced, instant information, and pressure-packed world. Today’s children are faced with a myriad of both challenges and opportunities. Navigating parenthood can be a daunting undertaking – partnerships and supports are welcome and necessary to prepare our students for tomorrow. We are blessed in Hilliard to have wonderful support, strong community partners, and a true village approach. It would be easy to spend time reflecting on all of the dangers that face our children today. It would be easy to want to build walls to keep our children protected from the world around us, but isolation won’t provide the tools to make future choice. We must work together, look out for each other’s children, and have the difficult conversations. It takes a village to share Maria’s Message – to educate young people about the dangers of distracted driving. Dom Tiberi’s powerful message is a reminder to everyone – http://www.10tv.com/content/embeds/2014/02/marias-message.html. It is easy to feel invincible – it takes a village to continually remind each other to give the road our full attention while behind the wheel. It takes a village to keep our children safe when they are playing in our neighborhoods, parks, and playgrounds. As neighbors we keep an eye out for the children playing outside, we build friendships and relationships with our neighbors, and we work with the local police to keep our community safe. We are proud to have great partners in our Hilliard Police Department and we work together to keep our young people safe. http://www.hilliardschools.org/get-outside-to-play/ It takes a village to have tough conversations about drug abuse and addictions with our teenagers. No one is immune from bad, life-altering choices. We must all look for potential dangers to our children. This means active listening to our children and always being aware of potential changes in behaviors, friends, and social activities. The recent Heroin Summit http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/04/29/heroin-summit.html provided sobering stories of the dangers facing young people today. As your school we are eager to be active partners; our mission is to prepare students for tomorrow. We are committed to active communication with our parents, to engaging strong partners within our city and in the central Ohio region, and to provide forums for education and sharing ideas. We can’t do it alone. You can’t do it alone. As a community . . . as Hilliard . . . we can work together to keep our children as safe as possible. It is the Hilliard Way. Follow me on Twitter @drjcm and http://www.hilliardschools.org/category/get-connected/


"What movie coined the phrase ""there can be only one""?"

There can be only one | Highlander Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia There can be only one There can be only one 1,066pages on Share "There can be only one" is the belief and motto among the immortals in the original Highlander film, its sequels and spin-offs. It implies that all immortals must fight and kill one another until only one remains standing; this "one" shall receive The Prize . Highlander (1986) Edit Connor MacLeod first heard these words from The Kurgan in the battle between Clan MacLeod and Clan Fraser when The Kurgan impaled him and was about to cut his head off. Connor was saved by his clansmen, who rushed up and stopped The Kurgan. Ramirez learnt of Connor MacLeod's "miraculous" survival, and tracked him down. He taught MacLeod everything about the immortals and the Quickening . He revealed that when only a few of them were left, they would irresistibly be pulled to The Gathering in a faraway land and fight for The Prize. He summed up by saying, "In the end, there can be only one." MacLeod was also told that an immortal was safe only on holy ground , and that immortals could not have children. In his search for the Highlander, The Kurgan met Ramirez in MacLeod's home instead. He overpowered Ramirez after a hard battle, and also repeated the phrase before beheading Ramirez. In 1985 New York City, Brenda Wyatt was suspicious of MacLeod and she was following him when The Kurgan appeared and attacked MacLeod on the street. The Kurgan taunted him with those words once again during the fight. They broke off and escaped when a police helicopter arrived. Brenda asked MacLeod what the phrase meant, but he bade her never to follow him again. MacLeod faced off The Kurgan one last time. After beheading his opponent, he finally exclaimed, "There can be only one." A Kind of Magic "There can be only one" is also part of the lyrics in Queen song " A Kind of Magic " which is the closing theme music during Highlander's closing credits. Highlander: The Search for Vengeance (2007) Edit In the animated film , in Rome, during the year 476 Marcus Octavius said "There can be only one" when he tried to behead Colin MacLeod . He didn't care about The Game . Marcus apparently always said this when he killed another immortal.


Books of the Bible - New and Old Testament Books Of The Bible Forgot password Password Assistance Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. Email address New Testament The Old Testament (also known as the Jewish Tanakh) is the first 39 books in most Christian Bibles. The name stands for the original promise with God (to the descendants of Abraham in particular) prior to the coming of Jesus Christ in the New Testament (or the new promise).             The Old Testament contains the creation of the universe, the history of the patriarchs, the exodus from Egypt,             the formation of Israel as a nation, the subsequent decline and fall of the nation, the Prophets (who spoke for God), and the Wisdom Books. Leviticus Leviticus receives its name from the Septuagint (the pre-Christian Greek translation of the Old Testament) and means "concerning the Levites" (the priests of Israel). It serves as a manual of regulations enabling the holy King to set up his earthly throne among the people of his kingdom. It explains how they are to be his holy people and to worship him in a holy manner. Judges The book of Judges depicts the life of Israel in the Promised Land—from the death of Joshua to the rise of the monarchy. It tells of urgent appeals to God in times of crisis and apostasy, moving the Lord to raise up leaders (judges) through whom He throws off foreign oppressors and restores the land to peace. Ruth The book of Ruth has been called one of the best examples of short narrative ever written. It presents an account of the remnant of true faith and piety in the period of the judges through the fall and restoration of Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth (an ancestor of King David and Jesus). 2 Samuel After the failure of King Saul, 2 Samuel depicts David as a true (though imperfect) representative of the ideal theocratic king. Under David's rule the Lord caused the nation to prosper, to defeat its enemies, and to realize the fulfillment of His promises. 1 Kings 1 Kings continues the account of the monarchy in Israel and God's involvement through the prophets. After David, his son Solomon ascends the throne of a united kingdom, but this unity only lasts during his reign. The book explores how each subsequent king in Israel and Judah answers God's call—or, as often happens, fails to listen.


In what country would you be most likely to find a polder?

Exploring Holland's charming Polder Country - SFGate Exploring Holland's charming Polder Country Rick Steves Updated 3:26 pm, Friday, July 11, 2014 Photo: Frans Lemmens, Getty Images Image 1of/2 Close Image 1 of 2 Tranquil towns dot the landscape in the Netherlands' polder country, which was reclaimed from the sea in the 1960s. Tranquil towns dot the landscape in the Netherlands' polder country, which was reclaimed from the sea in the 1960s. Photo: Frans Lemmens, Getty Images Image 2 of 2 Windmills in a polder at sunset, Leidschendam, The Netherlands. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) NETHERLANDS - APRIL 08: Windmills in a polder at sunset, Leidschendam, The Netherlands. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) less Windmills in a polder at sunset, Leidschendam, The Netherlands. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) NETHERLANDS - APRIL 08: Windmills in a polder at sunset, Leidschendam, The Netherlands. (Photo by ... more Photo: DeAgostini, Getty Images Exploring Holland's charming Polder Country 1 / 2 Back to Gallery Today, my longtime Dutch friends, Hans and Marjet, are driving me to polder country - the vast fields reclaimed from the sea where cows graze, tiny canals function as fences, and only church spires and windmills interrupt the horizon. Hans is behind the wheel. He injects personality-plus in all he does, whether running a B&B or leading tours for Americans. And bouncy Marjet, with a head of wispy strawberry-blond hair, red tennis shoes, and a knack for assembling a Salvation Army -chic outfit for under $20, is the sentimental half of this team. On each of my visits, they show me a new slice of Holland. With each visit with Hans and Marjet, I renew my belief that the more you know about Europe, the more you'll uncover what's worth exploring. Hans catches me referring to his country as "Holland" and complains that many Americans call the entire country "Holland" when Holland actually comprises just two of the 12 provinces that make up the Netherlands. But in defense of those confused Americans, I remind him that most of our cliche images of the Netherlands come from the region properly referred to as Holland. The word "Netherlands" means "lowlands." The country occupies the low-lying delta near the mouth of three of Europe's large rivers, including the Rhine. In medieval times, inhabitants built a system of earthen dikes to protect their land from flooding caused by tides and storm surges. The fictional story of the little Dutch boy who saves the country - by sticking his finger in a leaking dike - summed up the country's precarious situation. (Many Americans know this story from a popular 19th century novel, but Hans says few Dutch people have ever heard of it.) In 1953, severe floods breached the old dikes, killing 1,800 and requiring a major overhaul of the system. Related Stories In flavorful Spain, jamón is a way of life We talk about all this while we are motoring into the country. It's amazing that about 10 minutes from Amsterdam or Haarlem, you can be in the wide-open polder land. It's early summer, and the landscape is streaked with yellow and orange tulip fields. Hans points out a quaint windmill along a dreamy canal. Old mills like this were used to pump the polders dry. After diking off large tracts of land below sea level, the Dutch harnessed wind energy to lift the water up out of the enclosed area, divert it into canals, and drain the land. They cultivated hardy plants that removed salt from the soil, slowly turning marshy estuaries into fertile farmland. The windmills later served a second purpose for farmers by turning stone wheels to grind their grain. This area, once a merciless sea, is now dotted with tranquil towns. Many of the residents here are older than the land they live on, which was reclaimed in the 1960s. The old-time windmills, once the conquerors of the sea, are now relics, decorating the land like medallions on a war vet's chest. Several other Dutch icons came directly from the country's flat, reclaimed landscape. Wooden shoes (klompen) allowed farmers to walk across soggy fields. (They'


Jack and Jill went up the hill - Nursery Rhyme - YouTube Jack and Jill went up the hill - Nursery Rhyme Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Nov 11, 2012 Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water Jack fell down, and broke his crown then Jill came tumbling after Enjoy our fun-full of rhyme - "Jack and Jill went up the hill" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRul73... . Small kids can learn a lot from watching nursery rhymes animations with educational video and music. It helps them learn through watching cartoon animals and interesting characters. Category When autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next. Up next Play now Mix - Jack and Jill went up the hill - Nursery RhymeYouTube Jack and Jill | Nursery Rhymes Collection and Baby Songs from Dave and Ava - Duration: 1:12:00. Dave and Ava - Nursery Rhymes and Baby Songs 14,167,957 views 1:12:00 Jack and Jill went up the Hill | 3D Animation English Nursery Rhymes for Children | Kids Songs - Duration: 25:48. KidsOne Nursery Rhymes 441,658 views 25:48 Johny Johny Yes Papa and Many More Videos | Popular Nursery Rhymes Collection by ChuChu TV - Duration: 1:06:05. ChuChu TV Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs 1,007,428,748 views 1:06:05 Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed | Part 1 - The Naughty Monkeys | ChuChu TV Kids Songs - Duration: 2:36. ChuChu TV Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs 61,432,176 views 2:36 Jack and Jill Nursery Rhyme | Children Songs with Lyrics | Went up the hill - Duration: 4:31. Flickbox Kids Songs and Rhymes 264,817 views 4:31 Jack and Jill Went up the Hill | Nursery Rhymes Collection | Kids Videos & Baby Songs by Po Po Kids - Duration: 1:01:38. PoPo Kids - Children Nursery Rhymes and Baby Learning Songs 9,809 views 1:01:38


The Biggest Caribbean Islands | USA Today The Biggest Caribbean Islands Havana is the capital of the largest Caribbean island. (Photo: Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images ) What Are Physical Landforms of the Caribbean Islands? The Caribbean region has hundreds of islands, spread out over an area that runs from the southern coast of the U.S. to the east coast of Venezuela. Some of these islands are so small that no one can live on them. All but one of the largest islands in the Caribbean are destinations that have good infrastructure, budget and luxury tourist facilities, convenient transportation options and a choice of activities that make your trip exciting or relaxing, depending on your preference. Cuba Cuba (gocuba.ca) is the largest island in the Caribbean at 42,803 square miles. Just 83 miles from Key West, Florida, it is also the closest Caribbean destination to the United States. The regulations of the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the U.S. Department of the Treasury govern allowable or licensed travel to Cuba. Due to long-standing U.S. foreign policies, the U.S. government does not permit American tourist travel to Cuba. Travel licenses that do not require a formal application include visits to relatives who are Cuban nationals, trips by full-time journalists and employees of specific nongovernmental organizations in which the U.S. is a member. OFAC does not require a license application for professional research and conference trips or business trips by employees of telecommunications, agricultural and medical device companies. Trips for educational programs, religious and humanitarian aid activities, freelance journalists, performing artists and athletics require an application for a travel license from OFAC. The Cuban government requires that licensed U.S. travelers obtain a visa before leaving the U.S. Hispaniola Hispaniola is the second largest Caribbean island, and it is home to two different countries. The Dominican Republic (godominicanrepublic.com) is the larger of this island's two countries, with an area of 18,792 square miles. Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Republic. In tourist areas, English is common. Haiti (haititourisme.org) occupies the eastern third of Hispaniola. It has an area of 10,714 square miles. The official language of Haiti is French; however, a Creole variation of French is the more common unofficial language. U.S. citizens and permanent residents need a passport to travel to both countries on the island of Hispaniola. Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (seepuertorico.com) is a U.S. Territory and the third largest Caribbean island at 5,324 square miles. The land area of Puerto Rico is only 3,425 square miles; the remainder of the island’s total area is water. U.S. citizens and permanent residents can travel to Puerto Rico without a passport. You still need a valid government-issued photo I.D. to board a plane or cruise ship to this destination. English is the official language, but Spanish is commonly the first language of most residents of this island. Jamaica With a total area of 4,244 square miles, Jamaica (visitjamaica.com) is the fourth largest island in the Caribbean. However, its total land area of 4,181 square miles is larger than Puerto Rico's land area. It is the largest English-speaking island in the Caribbean. Flights from the U.S. are available on major carriers and the country's national airline, Air Jamaica. Visitors also have a choice of cruise lines that travel to Jamaica. The Jamaican government requires that U.S. citizens and permanent residents present a passport at all ports of entry. The Bahamas At 5,359 square miles in area, the 700-island chain of the Bahamas (bahamas.com) is larger than Puerto Rico and Jamaica; however, these islands are in the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean Sea. Cuba’s location blocks this chain's access to the waters of the Caribbean. They are closer to the U.S. than Cuba, at 50 miles from the southernmost point in Florida. References


Secretariat wins Triple Crown - Jun 09, 1973 - HISTORY.com Secretariat wins Triple Crown Publisher A+E Networks With a spectacular victory at the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat becomes the      first horse since Citation in 1948 to win America’s coveted Triple Crown–the Kentucky      Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. In one of the finest performances in      racing history, Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, completed the 1.5-mile race in 2      minutes and 24 seconds, a dirt-track record for that distance. Secretariat was born at Meadow Stables in Doswell, Virginia, on March 30, 1970.      He was sired by Bold Ruler, the 1957 Preakness winner, and foaled by Somethingroyal,      which came from a Thoroughbred line known for its stamina. An attractive chestnut colt,      he grew to over 16 hands high and was at two years the size of a three-year-old. He ran      his first race as a two-year-old on July 4, 1972, a 5 1/2-furlong race at Aqueduct in      New York City. He came from behind to finish fourth; it was the only time in his career      that he finished a race and did not place. Eleven days later, he won a six-furlong race      at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, New York, and soon after, another race. His trainer,      Lucien Laurin, moved him up to class in August, entering him in the Sanford Stakes at      Saratoga, which he won by three lengths. By the end of 1972, he had won seven of nine      races. With easy victories in his first two starts of 1973,      Secretariat seemed on his way to the Triple Crown. Just two weeks before the Kentucky      Derby, however, he stumbled at the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct, coming in third      behind Angle Light and Sham. On May 5, he met Sham and Angle Light again at the      Churchill Downs track in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. Secretariat, a 3-to-2      favorite, broke from near the back of the pack to win the 2 1/4-mile race in a record 1      minute and 59 seconds. He was the first to run the Derby in less than two minutes and      his record still stands. Two weeks later, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland,      Secretariat won the second event of the Triple Crown: the Preakness Stakes. The official      clock malfunctioned, but hand-recorded timers had him running the 1 1/16-mile race in      record time. On June 9, 1973, almost 100,000 people came to Belmont      Park near New York City to see if “Big Red” would become the first horse in 25 years to      win the Triple Crown. Secretariat gave the finest performance of his career in the      Belmont Stakes, completing the 1.5-mile race in a record 2 minutes and 24 seconds,      knocking nearly three seconds off the track record set by Gallant Man in 1957. He also      won by a record 31 lengths. Ron Turcotte, who jockeyed Secretariat in all but three of      his races, claimed that at Belmont he lost control of Secretariat and that the horse      sprinted into history on his own accord. Secretariat would race six      more times, winning four and finishing second twice. In November 1973, the “horse of the      century” was retired and put to stud at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Among his      notable offspring is the 1988 Preakness and Belmont winner, Risen Star. Secretariat was      euthanized in 1989 after falling ill. An autopsy showed that his heart was two and a      half times larger than that of the average horse, which may have contributed to his      extraordinary racing abilities. In 1999, ESPN ranked Secretariat No. 35 in its list of      the Top 50 North American athletes of the 20th century, the only non-human on the      list. More on This Topic


A Sitar Player On The Unique Instrument Shankar Made Famous : NPR A Sitar Player On The Unique Instrument Shankar Made Famous Embed Embed A Sitar Player On The Unique Instrument Shankar Made Famous A Sitar Player On The Unique Instrument Shankar Made Famous Embed Embed Email December 12, 20121:00 PM ET Sitar player Ravi Shankar died Tuesday at the age of 92. Brian Q. Silver, a sitar player with over 40 years of experience, talks about playing the unique instrument and how Shankar popularized the Indian musical style. NEAL CONAN, HOST: As you probably heard by now, the great sitar player Ravi Shankar died yesterday at the age of 92. His music arrived in most American ears thanks to George Harrison and the Beatles, whose interest triggered something of a sitar craze back in the late '60s. Harrison played the exotic instrument on a couple of tracks. The Rolling Stones followed suit on "Paint It Black." The electric sitar soon followed. But Ravi Shankar remained the unchallenged master. But what do I know? He's the only Indian-born sitar player I ever heard. So let's hear from the sitar players in the audience. What made Ravi Shankar so good? And is the sitar really as hard to play as it looks? Give us a call: 800-989-8255. Email: talk@npr.org. You can also join the conversation at our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. BRIAN SILVER is a sitar player of over 40 years, and he is here with us in Studio 3A. And well, as we begin our conversation, let's hear the beginning of Shankar's "Raga Jog." (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, "RAGA JOG") CONAN: Brian Silver, as we listen to that, what is he doing that makes him so special? BRIAN SILVER: Well, first of all, he is playing the sitar, which is a wonderfully expressive and challenging instrument. This particular recording is very meaningful to me because this was a recording that tilted my universe by about five degrees when I first heard it, checked out from the Denver Public Library in the late '50s, and sent me on my way to India. So what he is doing is playing the sitar. It is an instrument, unlike the Western string instruments, which usually play up and down the neck only; you can play up to five notes pulling the string to the side. So he's playing both notes with a special sound of the sitar up and down the frets, but he's also pulling the string to the side, which gives that fluid ornament. CONAN: Bending the note as some blues guitarists... SILVER: Exactly, and bending it up to five pitches or tones. CONAN: And what makes him especially good compared to other sitar players? SILVER: Well, the wonderful thing is there are many great sitar players. I have to go back to my origins in the 20th century. And he was one of a number of major sitar players, but he had a unique capability to engage his audience and to be what we like to think of as a musical ambassador. And so he would talk about the music and make it very dramatic, which would draw the audiences in. CONAN: So he had great charisma as well as great technique? SILVER: Absolutely. CONAN: The instrument itself, is it really that hard to play? SILVER: Yes. (LAUGHTER) SILVER: I mean it's easy to play simply. It's very difficult to play in a complex way. What, as I say, distinguishes it from the Western instruments is you play almost all of your notes in the upper two octaves on one string. CONAN: Really? SILVER: And so you have to go up from the left to the right rather than going across the fret board. CONAN: I have the advantage of being able to see you here in the studio. When you say going up, you're going way out with your left hand. SILVER: Right. Right. So I mean in the style of sitar that I play, and there was another tradition - the late-great Ustad Vilayat Khan, who had just four notes below the main playing string; he played almost all the notes on that main playing string, from a fourth to a double octave fourth and the other three notes below. (Unintelligible) Ravi Shankar had an octave below, so he had two more strings to play another octave on. CONAN: And we think of - the guitar, of course, has


Timeline — Central Intelligence Agency Battle of Midway victory due to US Navy's ability to break key Japanese naval code 13 June 1942 The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) replaces the Office of the Coordinator of Information; William J. Donovan appointed Director. 01 June 1944 Combined OSS and UK Jedburgh teams and Operational Groups stage sabotage campaign to hamper the German response to the D-Day invasion; massive Allied deceptions confuse Berlin. 06 June 1944 D-Day; Allies invade France, landing at Normandy 16 July 1945 First atomic bomb detonates at the Trinity site (NM); Soviet spies working in program keep Stalin informed 02 September 1945 World War II ends 27 September 1945 Virginia Hall, an OSS operative, accepts the Distinguished Service Cross awarded by the military for her exceptional heroism during wartime operations. 01 October 1945 OSS abolished; branches are distributed throughout the government:  Research and Analysis moves to the Department of State; Espionage and Counterintelligence become part of the War Department, where they are renamed the Strategic Services Unit (SSU). 24 October 1945 United Nations formed 22 January 1946 President Harry Truman creates the Central Intelligence Group (CIG) and the position of Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). 23 January 1946 Rear Admiral Sidney W. Souers appointed to be the first DCI. 15 February 1946 The Central Reports Staff of CIG publishes the first “Daily Summary,” an analysis of current events, for the President. 05 March 1946 UK Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill delivers “Iron Curtain” speech in Fulton, MO 10 June 1946 Lt. Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg appointed DCI. 23 July 1946 First Central Intelligence Group assessment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). 12 March 1947 President Truman announces the Truman Doctrine to aid nations threatened by Communism 01 May 1947 Rear Admiral Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter appointed DCI. 26 July 1947 National Security Act of 1947, signed by President Truman, creates the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Act also forms the National Security Council, the Office of Secretary of Defense, and the US Air Force. 18 September 1947 CIA formally comes into existence, replacing CIG. 17 December 1947 National Security Council authorizes CIA to perform covert action. 03 April 1948 President Truman signs the Marshall Plan to help rebuild Western Europe 01 June 1948 USSR blockades Berlin; resulting crises deepen worsening Cold War 01 September 1948 CIA establishes the Office of Policy Coordination under Frank G. Wisner to manage covert action. 16 December 1948 A federal grand jury indicts Alger Hiss for perjury. 04 March 1949 FBI arrests Judith Coplon; she becomes the first person prosecuted for espionage as a result of the successful “Venona” project’s detection of Soviet intelligence cable traffic. 23 September 1949 US announces that the Soviets have exploded an atomic bomb 01 October 1949 The People’s Republic of China is proclaimed in Beijing 09 February 1950 Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy brandishes his famous list of Communists allegedly working in the State Department; these charges, along with the recent perjury conviction of Alger Hiss and the confession of Klaus Fuchs, heighten official and public fears of Soviet espionage and subversion in the US. 25 June 1950 North Korea invades South Korea 07 October 1950 Lt. Gen. Walter B. Smith appointed DCI. 05 April 1951 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg sentenced to death for spying for Soviet Union 04 November 1952 President Truman creates the National Security Agency; Lt. Gen. Ralph Canine appointed Director. 26 February 1953 Allen W. Dulles appointed DCI. 05 March 1953 Soviet leader Joseph Stalin dies 27 July 1953 USSR secretly explodes its first hydrogen bomb 19 August 1953 CIA-assisted coup overthrows Iranian Premier Mohammed Mossadeq. 28 June 1954 CIA coup leads to the overthrow of Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz. 25 November 1954 President Eisenhower approves the development of the U-2 aircraft. 11 May 1955 Successful completion of the Berlin Tunnel (Operation GOLD), th


What is the Japanese word for freshwater eel?

freshwater eels | Wild in Japan Wild in Japan 25 Jul Hi blog. As we hit mid-summer, suddenly maximum temperatures in Eastern Japan dropped below 30℃ and rainy days continued.  The media has been largely preoccupied with terrorism, various elections (somehow paying more attention to the antics of the Americans rather than the policies of their own – sometimes nefarious – electoral candidates) and the Olympics (I want to throw my TV away during Olympic season)  Today, however, this rather long but interesting article appeared on my news feed. From the Japan Times Is the eel industry on the slippery slope to extinction? Dwindling domestic population threatens a centuries-old tradition BY MARK JARNES SPECIAL TO THE JAPAN TIMES  JUL 23, 2016 As we approach the end of July, supermarkets nationwide are beginning to stock up on one of the nation’s much-loved summer fish: freshwater eel. In recent years, however, the cost of eel has risen sharply and consumers are now facing the upcoming Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Day of the Ox, a day dedicated to eel consumption) on July 30 in the knowledge that they’ll be expected to pay through the nose for a slab of the freshwater fish. Rampant overfishing and the scientific community’s overall lack of knowledge on the biology of eel has left the industry in a crisis. The dwindling domestic eel population has consequently pushed up prices and forced a number of specialist eel restaurants to close. So scarce is the fish in restaurants these days that it’s almost considered to be something of a luxury item. “I think that the soaring eel prices are truly unfortunate,” says Torami Murakami, chairman of the All Japan Association for Sustainable Eel Aquaculture. “If prices continue to stay at this level, an important part of Japanese food culture will remain out of consumers’ reach.” Murakami himself enjoys packing away what has become a delicacy, but realizes that increasing prices are making it more difficult for eel to remain on dining tables across the country. “Eel has been loved in Japan for millennia,” Murakami says. “It’s crucial that we continue this ancient Japanese food culture.” The eating of freshwater eel — or unagi — is a culinary romance that has lasted more than 5,000 years. Indeed, eel bones have been found in shell mounds dating back to the Jomon Period, which lasted from around 10,000 B.C. to 200 B.C. Today, eel is typically eaten kabayaki style, in which the fish is split down the belly, gutted and boned, butterflied, cut into fillets, skewered and dipped in a sweetened combination of soy sauce and mirin before being broiled on a grill. Eel kabayaki is often served on top of a bowl of rice (unadon), while a more extravagant form of this dish (unaju) is placed inside tiered lacquered boxes. The origins of Doyo no Ushi no Hi extend back as far as the Edo Period, when an eel restaurant owner sought the advice of a prominent inventor called Hiraga Gennai about the prospect of boosting the summer sales of his freshwater fish. Gennai instructed the restaurant owner to hang a banner in front of his shop that promoted Ushi no Hi and encouraged customers to order dishes that began with the letter “u.” Sales skyrocketed and other eel restaurants soon jumped on the bandwagon, leading to an interest in Doyo no Ushi no Hi that continues today. Boom to bust Although Japan has a long history of eel consumption, fishermen only started grilling the freshwater fish some time during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). The only seasoning available at the time was salt, miso or vinegar. This primitive form of kabayaki became the basis for what we know and love today. Eel consumption increased during the “economic miracle” of the decades that followed World War II. Consumers’ enhanced purchasing power, easy-to-eat fillets in modern packaging and aggressive price wars triggered by an increase in imports led to high demand. As a result of the growing popularity of eel both domestically and abroad, catches have drastically declined in recent years. According to a survey compiled in 2015 by the Ministry of Agricu


Punic Wars & Hannibal of Carthage - Ancient Rome for Kids FAQ, About Us Rome was growing.  It was starting to expand beyond the southern Italian peninsula.  At the same time as Rome was growing so was the city-state of Carthage.  Carthage was in North Africa and had sent out its ships and soldiers to many parts of the Mediterranean.  Carthage had conquered three islands off the coast of modern day        Italy. Rome felt that these islands should belong to Rome.  The two governments could not reach any agreement, so these two powers went to war.  Carthage had a great navy.  The Romans had a great army.  This war was going to be bad. The wars between Rome and Carthage are called the Punic Wars.  The First Punic war lasted for 20 years.  Neither side won.  Carthage could not beat Rome's army, but Rome could not beat Carthage's Navy.  The war causes many deaths and lots of destruction.  The First Punic war ended when Carthage decided to end the fighting by giving Rome one of the three islands. The Romans still wanted the other two islands, and Carthage wanted Rome to stop expanding towards Africa, so everyone knew that there would soon be a second war. There soon would be. At the end of the First Punic war, Carthage's decided to expand into Iberia (Spain).  They sent their best army with their best general Hamilcar.  Hamilcar took along his oldest son Hannibal to help him.  Carthage was doing really well in Iberia when Hamilcar got sick and died.  The Carthaginians wondered what to do.  The army had no such worries.  By popular acclaim, they made Hannibal their General. Hannibal: Hannibal was a great general.  He was very very tricky.  He won battles by using new and different ideas.  As an example, once while fighting at sea, he had his men throw live snakes on to the enemies' ship.  The snakes frightened the enemy so badly they surrendered. Carthage wanted to conquer all of Iberia and Hannibal set about doing just that.  Unfortunately, some of the cities in Iberia were allies of Rome.  When Hannibal attacked one of these cities Rome saw the excuse they needed, so they declared war on Carthage.  But they did not go after Hannibal in Iberia.  They sent their main army to attack Carthage.  Hannibal knew he had to do something to prevent the Romans from conquering Carthage, but what?  He was in Iberia with his army.  Rome was safe on the other side of the Alps, which were a very tall and steep set of mountains.  Hannibal didn't let that stop him.  In a feat for which he is remembered still, Hannibal decided to invade the Italian peninsula by going over the Alps.  He decided to bring his war elephants with him.  No one of the time believed that it was possible, and it almost wasn't.  Hannibal lost most of his elephants to the cold of the mountains, and he lost half of his men as well.  But he did cross the Alps and brought the rest of his army into the Italian peninsula to attack Rome. Because of his losses as he crossed the Alps, Hannibal's army was not strong enough to attack the city of Rome.  So Hannibal attacked other cities and towns throughout the Italian peninsula.  Hannibal and his army spent 15 years on the Italian peninsula fighting against the Roman legions.  Rome was worried and afraid.  They had to keep a large army near Rome to protect against Hannibal so they could never get enough troops out to catch him.  Rome settled on a new strategy.  Once again, they sent their army to attack Carthage itself. The leaders of Carthage panicked and called Hannibal and his army home.  Before Hannibal could return, the Roman army had Carthage surrounded.  The leaders of Carthage surrendered.  Carthage agreed to limit the size of its army and navy, to pay tribute to Rome, and to leave Spain and Italy.  When Hannibal got back, Carthage reneged on the deal.  Rome sent back its army and finally defeated Hannibal's forces.  They did not manage to catch Hannibal himself, but they made Carthage shrink its army and navy even more, and pay even more tribute. The war was over.  But the Romans were still after Hannibal.  Hannibal


What are French Fries? | HowStuffWorks What are French Fries? Do French fries have anything to do with France? ©Ramzi Hashisho Q. What are French Fries? A. Although French fries are quite common in restaurants in France, where they are called pommes frites, the origin of the term here in America is still something of a debate. In cooking terminology, frenching means to cut food in lengthwise strips. You're familiar with French-cut green beans? French fries are the same thing, only with potatoes. This is one school of thought. Up Next


Besides tennis, what sport can be played at Wimbledon's All England Club?

Wimbledon Championships Venue | All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club Wimbledon Championships Venue All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club For 130 years the all England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club has played host to the most illustrious tennis event in the world – the Wimbledon Championships . Each year in late June and early July the best professional tennis players in the world pit themselves against each other to claim the most coveted prize in the sport’s history, the Wimbledon Trophy for men, and the Rosewater Dish for women. The All England Club was forced to move from its original premises on Worple Street to Church Road in the 1920s due to the increasing pressure of the crowds who annually flocked in to support their tennis heroes. The new premises boasted 19 tennis courts, all composed of rye grass. There are two main show courts, the centre court and court one and these courts are used exclusively for the tournament. This will change in 2012 when the All England Club will host the tennis events of the 2012 Summer Olympics. The remaining 17 courts are used on a regular basis for other events hosted by the club. Centre Court & Court One The centre court is reserved for the semi-final and final events, but is also used in earlier rounds to showcase the top seeds or local crowd favourites like Andy Murray . It has a seating capacity of nearly 14,000 people and houses the Royal Box, where the royal family and other dignitaries can watch the matches. As with most outdoor tennis tournaments Wimbledon is affected by the weather , but unlike the Australian Open where extreme heat is a huge challenge, the tournament is nearly always affected by rain at the Wimbledon Championships venue, ALL England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. The center courts now boast retractable roofs that allow play to continue during incliment weather, however, smaller courts and the early rounds of the tournament are still subject to weather disruptions. Court one was entirely rebuilt in 1997 to expand spectator capacity. It can now seat over 11 000 people, but in the process has lost the intimate atmosphere of the old court one which appealed to both players and fans alike. Other Facilities Other popular viewing areas are court two and Henman Hill. Court two is said to be the “Graveyard of Champions” where top seeds like Pete Sampras , Andre Agassi and Martina Hingis have, in the past, been knocked out in the earlier rounds of the competition. To dispel this bogey and to increase the seating capacity to 4 000, court two has been rebuilt on the stand previous occupied by Court 13. For the dozens of fans who cannot get hold of a ticket , or simply cannot afford one, there is an enormous TV screen at the north end of the grounds which features all the top matches live. Officially known as Aorangi Terrace, the grass embankment has been given a range of names according to the current British tennis hope –“Henman Hill”, “Rusedski Ridge” and more recently “ Murray Mound ” or “ Murray Field ”. Free Bets


"What singer says ""you're gonna hear me roar?"""

'I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar': Defiant Katy Perry sings about learning from her mistakes in her latest single Roar | Daily Mail Online 'I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar': Defiant Katy Perry sings about learning from her mistakes in her latest single Roar She burst on the pop scene in candy-coloured wigs and costumes. But Katy Perry has a dark side, and she's ready to show it off to the world. The 28-year-old is looking to stir up some trouble with her latest single Roar, the first track off her third studio album, Prism. Scroll down to listen... Making some noise: Katy Perry's new single Roar was released on Saturday, the first track off her forthcoming album Prism The tune was slated to premiere on Monday, August 12, but inevitably hit the internet a few days early and according to Billboard could start spinning on radio stations this weekend. Since the release of her last album Teenage Dream in 2010, Katy married and divorced British comedian Russell Brand, and in the months leading to the release of her latest album has ditched her trademark wigs for an inky black hair do. Her new venture is her first opportunity to address her shattered past through her music, though the break-up did come up in her autobiographical tour film Part of Me last year. New woman: The tune is a dramatic departure for the 28-year-old pop star Eye of the tiger: The track introduces fans to a defiant and changed Katy Roar is her most grown-up song yet, the lyrics painting the tale of a determined woman eager to learn from her mistakes. The new single takes a sombre turn for the singer, known more for her saccharine music videos such as California Gurls and Last Friday Night and fun and flirtatious tunes like I Kissed A Girl and E.T. Kicking off with an uplifting drum beat, the track introduces fans to a defiant and changed Katy, culminating in a repeat of 'roar, roar, roar, roar' before fading out at 3-minutes and 42-seconds. AUDIO: Listen to Katy Perry's new single Roar Due soon: Katy's fourth album Prism will be released on October 22 She opens: 'I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath/scared to rock the boat and make a mess. 'You held me down but I got up/get ready 'cause I've had enough.' The rousing chorus launches into a battle cry, affirming that the new Katy is a force to be reckoned with. 'I've got the eye of the tiger, the fire/dancing through the fire, 'cause I am a champion/and you're going to hear me roar.'  Burning her past: Katy lights her Teenage Dream wig on fire in new promo video for her upcoming single Roar By her own light: Perry is enveloped in darkness before she strikes her lighter into flame Roar marks the first single off her upcoming album Prism, which will hit shelves on on October 22. Katy revealed last year to The Sun that her album will be a departure from her previous sound. "My music is about to get real f---ing dark,' she said. The California-born singer has reportedly been collaborating with on/off again boyfriend John Mayer as well as with Diplo, Sia, Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Greg Wells. Katy has also been taking some artistic cues from Lady Gaga, whose album Art Pop is also due out in the fall. '@ladygaga what a WILD weekend so far.... claws out, paws up! Looking forward to puttin my hands up & making them touch too,' she wrote the pop star on Saturday night.


'Smokejumpers': Firefighting's elite - YouTube 'Smokejumpers': Firefighting's elite Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jul 2, 2012 CNN's Gary Tuchman follows a team of elite group of firefighters who parachute into the front lines of wildfires. For more CNN videos, check out our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/CNN Or visit our site at http://www.cnn.com/US Category


What type of animal is said to never forget?

Is It True That Elephants Never Forget? | Mental Floss Is It True That Elephants Never Forget? ThinkStock Like us on Facebook Elephants are incredible creatures. The largest land mammals on earth, they show a wide range of behavioral and emotional patterns in their up-to-60-year lifespans. They grieve over the bodies of dead herd members, and can even recognize their own  reflections  in a mirror. And, of course, there's that old saying: "Elephants never forget." While it may be an exaggeration, there's more truth to the adage than you might realize.  In the wild, an elephant’s memory is key to its survival—and its herd’s. Each herd has a matriarchal structure, with one older female in charge. When younger males in the group reach sexual maturity—usually around 14 years of age—they leave the herd to roam solo or occasionally form groups with other males. Proof of elephants' long memories lies in their behavior: When confronted with an unfamiliar elephant, matriarchs will huddle in defensive positions because they realize that those elephants could pose a threat to the herd's safety. Science has also proven that elephants have great memories. In 2007, researchers at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland placed urine samples in front of female elephants at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya; according to Scientific American , the elephants "acted up" when they smelled urine that didn't come from an elephant in their herd. The researchers concluded that elephants can recognize and track as many as 30 of their companions. "Imagine taking your family to a crowded department store and the Christmas sales are on," said psychologist Richard Byrne, one of the scientists who participated in the study. "What a job to keep track of where four or five family members are. These elephants are doing it with 30 traveling-mates." Elephants “almost certainly know every [member] in their group,”  Byrne  said, and exhibit cognitive abilities “far in advance of anything other animals have been shown to have.”  Elephants don't just remember companions they've spent long stretches of time with, either. A pair of captive elephants have shown that these animals can recognize other friendly elephants even when they had only spent short periods of time together. At The Elephant Sanctuary —a non-profit organization based in Hohenwald, Tennessee, that is the U.S.'s largest natural-habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered elephants—in 1999, an elephant named Jenny became very animated when a new elephant named Shirley arrived. After looking into the animals’ backgrounds, workers at the Sanctuary  found that the two had performed with the same circus for only a few months—22 years earlier. Their superb memories help elephants stay alive in ways that go beyond just recognizing threats. Matt Lewis , a Senior Program Officer with the World Wildlife Fund ’s Species Conservation Program, tells mental_floss that one of the best examples of elephant cognition “comes from desert-adapted elephants, where the matriarchs remember where reliable water can be found and are able to guide their herds to water over very long distances, and over the span of many years. This is a pretty clear indication that elephants have a great ability to remember details about their spatial environment for a very long time.” Studies have also shown matriarchs who have lived through dry spells before will lead their herds to more fertile land, while younger matriarchs who haven't experienced a drought are more likely to stay put. The elephants are able to use their whopping 10.5-pound brains to encode identification and survival details, imprinting the key data to their memory to be recalled later. But an elephant's amazing memory comes only with age and experience—and older, larger elephants are often a target of hunters. “The tragedy," says Lewis, "is that when one of these [elephants] is lost to poaching, the information dies with her,” leaving the rest of the herd at a disadvantage—and having severe consequences for the species as a whole. More from mental_flos


What country executes more people than any other?

Readings - Why Is Texas #1 In Executions? | The Execution | FRONTLINE | PBS WATCH SCHEDULE TOPICS ABOUT FRONTLINE SHOP TEACHER CENTER There are many legal and cultural explanations for why Texas executes far more people than any other state and is doing so at a pace that has no parallel in the modern era of the death penalty in the U.S. What follows is a summary of the analyses. Texas has become ground zero for capital punishment. Between 1976 (when the Supreme Court lifted its prohibition on the death penalty) and 1998 Texas executed 167 people. Next in rank was Virginia which executed 60 during the same period. Why do capital murder cases proceed through the Texas state court system with a speed unimaginable in other parts of the country? Brent Newton, in an article entitled "Capital Punishment: Texas Could Learn a Lot from Florida," [1] argues that there are three procedures unique to the state's judicial system that enable it to execute convicted murderers with astonishing frequency: 1. Texas' appellate judges are elected to office and hence serve according to the pleasure of the public. Not surprisingly, they require a record of toughness on criminals in order to win re-election. Also, there are many indications that elected appellate judges generally are of a lesser quality than their appointed counterparts in other states. Newton even claims that these elected judges do not carefully consider the complexities of each specific death penalty case. As evidence, Newton argues that "[e]specially during the past few years...the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has refused to publish most of its decisions in death penalty cases, including many cases that discuss important issues of first impression. Often these opinions take positions entirely inconsistent with prior decisions by the court and fail to mention the conflict. Generally speaking, there is a hit-and-mostly-miss quality in the Court of Criminal Appeals' death penalty decisions. Only a few judges during the past decade have been capable of or willing to write thoughtful, scholarly decisions, whether granting or denying relief." Additionally, Newton notes that these judges tend to dismiss habeas corpus appeals even in cases where there appears to be glaring unanswered questions about the defendant's guilt. 2. Texas does not have a public defender system for indigent defendants, and instead relies upon court-appointed lawyers who likely do not have experience in capital murder defenses or appeals. Newton notes that incompetent defenses in capital murder cases are legion in Texas, and that, even in a death penalty appeal, bad lawyering is hard to prove. One decision, which turned down a defendant's habeas appeal due to bad lawyering, concluded that "[t]he Constitution does not say that the lawyer has to be awake" during trial proceedings. Furthermore, Texas was not obliged to provide lawyers free of charge to post-conviction habeas appeals until September 1, 1995, and the amount the state is willing to pay lawyers for these appeals is sufficiently low that most defendants still do not receive counsel for their appeals. 3. Until the early 1990s, Texas did not permit jurors to adequately consider mitigating evidence in the sentencing phase of a trial. Thus, there are a number of people currently on death row that may well not be there had information about their mental illness or youth been weighed. In addition, some other features of the Texas judicial system streamline the process between conviction and execution for death row inmates. Texas gives the bulk of clemency power to its Board of Pardons and Paroles and not to the governor. Indeed, the Board must vote to recommend commutation in order for the governor to grant clemency. Stephen E. Silverman examined the impact of this procedure on the frequency of executions. In a law review note, entitled "There is Nothing Certain Like Death in Texas: State Executive Clemency Boards Turn a Deaf Ear to Death Inmates' Last Appeals," [2] Silverman argues that the Supreme Court appears to affirm the cons


"What type of doors did the DeLorean in ""Back to the Future"" have?"

DeLorean DMC-12 | Futurepedia | Fandom powered by Wikia History Note: The following section is considered non-canon or is disputed in canonicity. In 1984 , Doctor Emmett Brown purchased a used DeLorean that was advertised in the Hill Valley Telegraph . Later that year, Douglas J. Needles insulted Marty McFly because he didn't have a car, which embarrassed him as he was afraid that Jennifer would reject him over someone who had their own vehicle. After deciding against stealing Doc's DeLorean DMC-12 to try to impress Jennifer, he took Doc's advice and asked her out. They then went on a date to see a Clint Eastwood film. Non-canon or disputable information ends here. Doc Brown used the DeLorean he purchased to create his DeLorean time machine in 1985 . Behind the scenes A De Lorean DMC-12 with the gull-wing doors closed. In October 1976 , the first prototype DeLorean DMC-12 was completed by William T. Collins, chief engineer and designer (formerly chief engineer at Pontiac). Originally, the car's rear-mounted power plant was to be a Citroën Wankel rotary engine, but was replaced with a French-designed and produced PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) fuel injected V-6 because of the poor fuel economy of the rotary engine, an important issue at a time of world-wide fuel shortages. Collins and DeLorean envisioned a chassis produced from a new and untested manufacturing technology known as Elastic Reservoir Moulding (ERM), which would contribute to the light-weight characteristics of the car while presumably lowering its production costs. This new technology, for which DeLorean had purchased patent rights, would eventually be found to be unsuitable for mass production. These and other changes to the original concept led to considerable schedule pressures. The entire car was deemed to require almost complete re-engineering, which was turned over to engineer Colin Chapman, founder and owner of Lotus. Chapman replaced most of the unproven material and manufacturing techniques with those currently being employed by Lotus. The backbone chassis is very similar to the Lotus Esprit. The original Giorgetto Giugiaro body design was left mostly intact, as were the distinctive stainless steel outer skin panels and gull-wing doors. The DMC-12 would eventually be built in a factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland, a neighborhood a few miles from Belfast city center. Construction on the factory began in October 1978 , and although production of the DMC-12 was scheduled to start in 1979 , engineering issues and budget overruns delayed production until early 1981. By that time, the unemployment rate was high in Northern Ireland and local residents lined up to apply for jobs at the factory. The production personnel were largely inexperienced, but were paid premium wages and supplied with the best equipment available. Most quality issues were solved by 1982 and the cars were sold from dealers with a 12 month, 12,000 mi (19,300 km) warranty and an available five-year, 50,000-mile (80,000 km) service contract. The De Lorean Motor Company went bankrupt in late 1982 following John DeLorean 's arrest in October of that year on drug trafficking charges. He was later found not guilty, but it was too late for the DMC-12. Approximately 100 partially assembled DMC's on the production line were completed by Consolidated International (now known as Big Lots). The remaining parts from the factory stock, the parts from the US Warranty Parts Center, as well as parts from the original suppliers that had not yet been delivered to the factory were all shipped to Columbus, Ohio in 1983–1984. A company called KAPAC sold these parts to retail and wholesale customers via mail order. In 1997 , De Lorean Motor Company of Texas acquired this inventory. [2] A total of about 9,200 DMC-12s were produced between January 1981 and December 1982. [3] Almost a fifth of these were produced in October 1981. About 1,000 1982 models were produced between February and May 1982, and all of these cars had the VIN's changed after purchase by Consolidated International to make them appear as 1983


According to over 250,000 online petition signers, what singer should be deported to Canada?

» Crimes and U.S. Immigration Archive | Nolo's Immigration Blog Justin Bieber’s Immigration Woes. Again. (Sorry.) Justin, please tell me you didn’t get into legal trouble again. I say that not because I’m in a moralizing mood, and not because I’m worried about what kind of example you’re setting for your fresh-faced, adoring fans. No, I say that for one, much simpler reason. I thought I was done writing about whether your various run-ins with U.S. law enforcement make you, as a non-citizen visa holder, deportable. Intellectually and emotionally, I am over it. But now readers are asking, “So, is he deportable this time? The LAPD are going after him for attempted robbery! How ‘bout it? ” Alright, here goes. Justin’s latest “oops” was apparently grabbing a woman’s cell phone in order to erase photos that he suspected she had taken of him. (‘Cause who wouldn’t want to snap photos of the Biebs?) If that doesn’t sound like robbery to you, read Nolo editor Micah Schwartzach’s analysis, “ Breaking Down Bieber’s Alleged Attempted Robbery .” Noncitizens of the U.S. can be deported if they commit certain types of crimes, found in Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.). Although some crimes are named on that list, attempted robbery isn’t one of them (nor is regular robbery.) However, his lawyers would also want to look at whether the robbery conviction (if it indeed happens, and depending on the details) meets any of the following criteria for deportability found in the I.N.A.: a crime involving moral turpitude that was committed within five years ) after the date of U.S. admission and is punishable by a sentence of at least one year one of two or more crimes involving moral turpitude that took place at any time after U.S. admission, where the two crimes did not arise out of a single scheme of misconduct, or an aggravated felony committed at any time after U.S. admission. As explained further in the links provided above, the short answer is that, once again, he’s probably not deportable. Unless, that is, he gets a one-year sentence for grabbing a cell phone. Stay tuned! Wait, no, don’t stay tuned to hear it from me. That’s it. My last blog on Justin Bieber. I swear it. Written on May 15, 2014 at 11:30 pm Bizarre New Enforcement Practice — Arresting Departing Nationals of Mexico I nearly drove my car off the road yesterday listening to NPR’s report on “ The Curious Practice Of Bringing Immigrants Back — To Deport Them .” This is truly something new in the world of immigration enforcement. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are not only questioning people coming into the U.S., but addressing questions in Spanish to those driving or riding buses out of the U.S. into Mexico. Their main goal is apparently to check for evidence of drug trafficking, such as transporting large sums of illegally obtained money. But apparently CBP officials have decided that, while they’re at it, they might as well arrest a few folks who were living in the U.S. without documents — even ones who’d committed no crimes and were minutes away from returning to Mexico anyway! No one interviewed for the report, regardless of political affiliation, thought this was anything more than a waste of money and time. It’s especially bizarre at a time when — due to the government’s limited resources — the administration has specifically instructed immigration officials to follow a policy of “ prosecutorial discretion ,” focusing on deporting only those people who present the greatest risk to U.S. society. And there’s been plenty of political talk of promoting “self-deportation,” too, which it appears some of the departing Mexicans were in the very process of doing. Hard to say whether this new arrest pattern is misguided, mean-spirited, or simply motivated by some local CBP officers’ wish to get their arrest numbers up and then call it a day. Written on April 24, 2014 at 4:47 pm Do the Signers of the “Deport Justin Bieber” Petition Really Want the White House to Have Such Power? As widely reported, the petition to the White House to deport pop-s


A Tour of France’s Cave Homes   |   Travel | Smithsonian Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Use A Tour of France’s Cave Homes In France’s Loire Valley, domesticated cave dwellings, known as troglodyte homes, offer a history as rich as the region’s chateaus The Demeure de la Vignole Hotel has underground rooms in caves. (Atlantide Phototravel / Corbis) By Kristin Ohlson smithsonian.com May 18, 2009 I tip the torchlight and examine a wall in my hotel room. From a distance, the wall looks like vanilla frosting roughly applied. Up close, I see nuggets of caramel-colored stone, faint brown streaks…and an oyster shell. The wall before me is 100 million years old, the raw edge of a cave scraped into a cliff above the Loire River. The oyster was a much earlier guest here, a fossil left from the sea that once covered this part of France and left behind a thick bed of white stone called tuffeau. Many buildings in the Loire Valley are constructed from this stone. On a trip to France four years ago, I stayed in an elegantly restored farmhouse near Tours, its walls made of tuffeau blocks, stacked like irregular sugar cubes. The farmers of long ago probably dug their own tuffeau. It’s just under the surface--unplanted fields gleam with tuffeau churned to pebbles by the plows. However, the serious quarrying was for the signature chateaus and other monumental architecture of the Loire Valley. At the time, I was among friends who wanted to visit all the chateaus. The first few exhausted my taste for opulence. Then, near the chateau in Amboise, I noticed caves in the cliff, some with brightly painted front doors, windows, shutters and flower boxes. As we drove around the Loire Valley, I spied more of these domesticated caves, some with chimneys thrusting through scruffy vegetation at the tops of cliffs or new facades and courtyards. Oh yes, someone finally explained: after widespread quarrying of the tuffeau began in the 11th century and created cavities in the hills and plains, people moved in. Some to escape warfare, others because the caves made convenient, low-rent dwellings. Until the early 20th century, many people lived in these so-called troglodyte homes. Entire villages were underground. Some people still live in the caves, I was told, and others are finding new uses for them. From that moment on, I was determined to find my way inside. Three years later, I finally found my entrée to this version of the French underground. I returned to France at the end of last summer to let Robert and Annette Bonnell, computer programmers from Berkeley, California who now live in a cave home in Saumur, guide me through the Loire Valley’s mysterious underside. Before reaching Saumur, I stopped in the village of Rochecorbon for a night at the luxurious Les Hautes Roches Hotel. Twelve of the hotel’s guest rooms are in a honeycomb of cliff caves where monks from the nearby Marmoutier Abbey hid during the 16th century Wars of Religion. No one at the hotel could tell me much more about the monks, but it was difficult to imagine an atmosphere of terror there. Softly illuminated by the light from a glass-paned door, my room was womblike, the silence of the tuffeau mysterious and absolute. I knew the monks hid in deeper tunnels, that my room likely occupied only the mouth of one of their caves. In wakeful moments, I imagined their ghosts stirring deep inside the stone. In the morning, I headed toward Saumur on old highway N 952, along the Loire. An hour or so later, I arrived in Saumur—not just where Bonnells live, but the epicenter of troglo life in France. There are hundreds of miles of caves in and around Saumur, some bored into the hillsides, some under the plains. Most are abandoned. Others have been revamped as troglo hotels, restaurants, museums, artist galleries, wineries, farms for mushrooms, silkworms and snails, a rose water distillery and a disco. Even a troglo zoo, where large animals live in open quarries and enclosed caves display bats and other lovers of dim light. The Bonnells live in a neighborhood of caves on a cliff along the south