From a Teacher's P.O.V: Reading Writing Listening Speaking- The ...

I know not much of language but I pray that this script of innocent information might help some.

ny language is difficult and easy. Language serves many purposes. Absence of language is mere dearth of communication. The role that language plays is immense, since time embarked. Identified as the need of the hour, the four necessities in language or commonly known as the four skills- Reading, writing, listening and speaking plays a vital role in any language learning quest? The four skills are the pinnacles of language which will take you to greater heights. They are separate yet bound together with an inseparable bond. The four skills as explained?(from what I feel and know?generalized too)
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?I've traveled the world twice over,?
Met the famous; saints and sinners,
Poets and artists, kings and queens,
Old stars and hopeful beginners,
I've been where no-one's been before,
Learned secrets from writers and cooks
All with reading
.
~ Anonymous ~
Reading is fun-way to knowledge hunt. We read or see innumerable?? quotes and proverbs on reading. How far is it true? It is true indeed- reading brings wisdom. Through reading, we learn a lot and it is the most prominent language skill. ?But the fact of making a reading habit or being good at it is the question here. For now, students, adults and even educators read very less. It is a well-known fact that when there were no televisions or computers or other forms of entertainment, reading was a primary leisure activity among the educated lot. People would spend hours reading books and travel to lands far away or enjoy love, cherish victorious moments and live history-in their minds. The tragedy is that, with time, people have lost their skill and passion to read. Reading has declined among every group of people in today?s world of technology and entertainment. There are many other exciting and thrilling options available, aside from books. And that is a shame because reading offers a productive approach to improving language- vocabulary and word power for example. When you possess rich vocabulary, you listen better as you understand more; then you can write better with more words to choose from; obviously you can speak better because of your intense word power. It is advisable to indulge in at least half an hour of reading a day to keep abreast of the various styles of writing and new vocabulary. Thus, the need to develop a habit to read is very important. Well, the skills will hopefully jump in automatically once the strong genuine habit has been established. The best and easiest approach is however, to make a small effort to read a piece a day? you will surely succeed. Writing is a gem to pick. A person with good writing skills is always victorious at expressing oneself. The writing skill is the ?hard copy? of your intellectual level or the level of your expression. The writing process is taught in schools and colleges. But, do you practice it in reality? Or Do you start to write as soon as the question is read. Pre Writing opens the doors to effective writing where you brainstorm almost anything under the topic or theme. You find a topic, narrow it, and consider the purpose, audience as well as the form of writing. ?You are not concerned with creating whole sentences or paragraphs at this point rather you should aim at defining an idea and getting it rolling. ?Then we write our first draft which is a compilation of our random thoughts. This is where our words form sentences and paragraphs. The third step is revision. Revision means ?Seeing again.? Here you refine the ideas in their compositions. Revising consists of three activities: rereading the rough draft, sharing the rough draft in a writing group/with anyone, and revising on basis of feedback. You can add or substitute thoughts and words. The same can be done with deleting and moving your words in the draft. Editing is the next big thing. The cleaning up process where the clutter is cleared and ideas are allowed to shine happens here. We tend to putting the piece of writing into its final form and you fine-tune your work by focusing on correct punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage, and paragraphing. The goal here is to make the writing ?optimally readable.? The last is publishing you final piece. Each step is interchangeable and can be done as many as you dare or till your writing perfects. I always tell my students to work out at least three drafts. So this is it with writing?easy? It would turn out simply simple if you make it a habit and practice like you practice your favourite song or dance. Tip: Avoid electronic English (u for you) Listening is yet another necessitate in language. The more efficient a listener you are? the more successful and satisfied you will be. In the words of Janis we find that Listening?is not merely hearing: it is a state of receptivity that permits understanding of what is heard and grants the listener full partnership in the communication process. We need to develop a keen interest in making ourselves better ears. The fact that we listen more than our ears and we listen far more than the sound is very true. As any member in a society, listening is one important skill to possess as good listening is an integral part of communication process. A good listener shows readiness and possesses an ability to manipulate the sound into words and their contextual meaning. Then the good listener relates given meanings to other experiences and he shares responsibility with the speaker.? Academically, listening skills plays a vital role in the teaching-learning cycle. A student learns better when he can listen better. A teacher is also in need of a good listening skill. All the way, listening should be enhanced in your life as to be a greater speaker. The attitude of the listener is another stepping stone to achieve this skill. Speaking is all special. This skill is as important as the others. When you have words read, ideas written and thoughts heard, all you need is to express- your speaking skill. What you speak will determine the expressiveness in you. Speaking has many masks- public, friendly or academic contexts are few from the lot. Each context has the same need for the skill. Statistics reveal that when you talk, you use about five syllables per second and there are more than forty different speech sounds. Thus, every time you talk, your audience must catch all the five syllables per second out of the air, must recognize the forty sounds in them, must translate the syllables into words and finally they must translate the words into thoughts- you got to help them succeed in doing so.? If you slur or muffle sounds, or project the sounds weakly, the listener will miss a lot, failing you as a good speaker. Therefore, proper pronunciation, diction and building a good vocabulary should be on your prioritized list.? Tip: Avoid one word answers or queries. As a student, the skills of language will make you academically sound and the miracle it will have when you enter the world as an adult is magical in an adventure. Mind you, the four skills never stand out as individual areas but they form a chain cycle, where you break one ring of the chain and the whole chain would collapse. In the changing competitive world, your command over a language and even more the level of your English can determine your life. Thus, it is so much imperative for you to understand the four skills and give it a consistent effort. The result will be astonishing!

Source: http://snovu.blogspot.com/2012/08/reading-writing-listening-speaking-four.html

mt rainier national park rose parade mount rainier national park drop dead gorgeous ticket city bowl 2011 nfl playoff schedule cowboys vs giants

US Embassy Travel Warning | Iraq Business News

US Embassy Travel Warning

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all but essential travel to Iraq given the security situation. Travel within Iraq remains dangerous.

This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning dated January 19, 2012, to update information on security incidents and to remind U.S. citizens of ongoing security concerns for U.S. citizens in Iraq, including kidnapping and terrorist violence.

The United States completed its withdrawal of military forces from Iraq as of December 31, 2011. The ability of the Embassy to respond to situations where U.S. citizens face difficulty, including arrests, is extremely limited.

Some regions within Iraq have experienced fewer violent incidents than others in recent years, in particular the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). Although violence and threats against U.S. citizens persist, reported instances have lessened in the past six months.

U.S. citizens in Iraq also remain at risk for kidnapping. Methods of attack have, in the past, included roadside improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including explosively formed penetrators (EFPs); magnetic IEDs placed on vehicles; human and vehicle-borne IEDs, mines placed on or concealed near roads; mortars and rockets, and shootings using various direct fire weapons.

Numerous insurgent groups, including Al Qaida in Iraq, remain active throughout Iraq. Although Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) operations against these groups continue, terrorist activity persists in many areas of the country. While terrorist violence occurs at levels lower than in previous years, it occurs frequently, particularly in the provinces of Baghdad, Ninewa, Salah ad Din, Anbar, and Diyala.

Source: http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2012/08/13/us-embassy-travel-warning/

josh turner barnaby barnaby the cabin in the woods the cabin in the woods trace adkins the darkest hour

Highest Obesity Rates In The Southern, Mid-Western - Len Saunders

From The Washington Post?..

A new government survey shows 12 states now have very high obesity rates.

Overall, more than a third of adults are obese but rates vary by state. The latest figures are based on a 2011 telephone survey that asked adults their height and weight. For the first time, households with only cell phones were included.

State rates remained about the same although states with very high rates went from nine to 12. At least 30 percent of adults are obese in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

Colorado was lowest, at just under 21 percent, and Mississippi was highest at nearly 36 percent.

To read the full story?..Click here

This entry was posted in Health / Fitness Articles and tagged Len Saunders, Obesity, States by Len Saunders. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/?p=3226

standing rib roast its a wonderful life its a wonderful life rex ryan yule log ham recipes darlene love

Vatican orders butler to stand trial, charges second man

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Monday ordered Pope Benedict's former butler to stand trial for leaking documents alleging corruption in the Holy See, revealing the involvement of a second Vatican employee and details of secret nocturnal meetings with a reporter.

A complex 35-page document on a scandal which has rocked the Holy See since butler Paolo Gabriele was arrested last May showed that the butler saw himself as an "infiltrator" of the Holy Spirit who wanted to clean up the Roman Catholic Church.

The indictment, which could lead to the most spectacular trial in the Vatican in 40 years, said computer expert Claudio Sciarpelletti would also stand trial on lesser charges of aiding and abetting a crime.

Sciarpelletti, who worked in the Vatican's most important office - the Secretariat of State - was a close friend of Gabriele and investigators found a sealed envelope in his desk containing material published in a book based on the leaks.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi downplayed Sciarpelletti's role, saying he had spent only one night in jail in May and had been suspended from his job but not fired. If convicted, he would get "a light sentence," Lombardi said.

He said the investigation was only partially closed and would continue for "other people who appear to be involved in these crimes."

The long indictment offered clues to Gabriele's motives and state of mind.

He told investigators he had acted because he saw "evil and corruption everywhere in the Church" and wanted to help root it out "because the pope was not sufficiently informed".

In another section he was quoted as telling investigators that after he started copying documents and leaking them, "I reached the point of no return and could not control myself any more".

He continued: "I was always interested in intelligence and in a way I thought that in the Church this role belonged to the Holy Spirit, and in a certain sense I saw myself as its infiltrator."

BUTLER SAW CHURCH OFF THE RAILS

The butler told investigators he believed a shock "could be a healthy thing to bring the Church back on the right track."

Lombardi said a trial would not be held before the end of September and the pope, as the sovereign head of the Vatican City, could intervene at any time to stop it or pardon Gabriele.

"It is up to the pope to decide. If the pope wants to pardon Gabriele, he will probably do it after the trial," Lombardi said.

If found guilty, Gabriele, who worked in the pope's private apartments serving him meals, helping him dress and riding in the front seat of the popemobile at general audiences, could face up to six years in jail.

Since the papal state has no prison, he would serve time in Italian jail unless he is pardoned.

Gabriele, 46 years old with a wife and three children, has joint Vatican and Italian citizenship.

A trial would be the most spectacular at the Vatican since 1971, when several Vatican telecommunications workers were found guilty of stealing gold coins and other objects from the desk of Pope Paul VI while the pontiff was away.

"SPIRITUAL FATHER"

The indictment order also alleged that Gabriele gave copies of documents that he had already leaked to an Italian journalist to another person identified only as "B," whom he considered his "spiritual father".

"B" told investigators that he destroyed the documents because he knew that were linked to "an activity that was not legitimate and not honest".

Spiritual fathers are usually priests but the indictment did not specify this.

The Vatican document also said that various gifts to the pope were found in Gabriele's apartment in the Vatican, including a cheque made out to the pope for 100,000 euros ($124,000), a gold nugget and a 16th century book.

The documents leaked earlier this year alleged corruption in the Vatican's dealings with Italian companies, including the payment of inflated prices for services. They also spoke of severe rivalries between cardinals and clashes over the running of the Vatican bank.

Gabriele told investigators how he photocopied documents from the papal apartments, brought them home, and made more copies on his computer. He details secret night-time meetings with an Italian journalist in an apartment near the Vatican.

The indictment was so complex that it included a Latin passage by 13th century philosopher and theologian St Thomas Aquinas on the relationship between free will and personal responsibility.

(Reporting By Philip Pullella and Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Barry Moody and Giles Elgood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/popes-butler-ordered-stand-trial-along-accomplice-111724959.html

aaliyah jane fonda morgan freeman the express zappos hacked bit coin huntsman

Smelling a skunk after a cold

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 12-Aug-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Marla Paul
marla-paul@northwestern.edu
312-503-8928
Northwestern University

Brain changes after a stuffed nose protect the sense of smell

CHICAGO --- Has a summer cold or mold allergy stuffed up your nose and dampened your sense of smell? We take it for granted that once our nostrils clear, our sniffers will dependably rebound and alert us to a lurking neighborhood skunk or a caramel corn shop ahead.

That dependability is no accident. It turns out the brain is working overtime behind the scenes to make sure the sense of smell is just as sharp after the nose recovers.

A new Northwestern Medicine study shows that after the human nose is experimentally blocked for one week, brain activity rapidly changes in olfactory brain regions. This change suggests the brain is compensating for the interruption of this vital sense. The brain activity returns to a normal pattern shortly after free breathing has been restored.

Previous research in animals has suggested that the olfactory system is resistant to perceptual changes following odor deprivation. This new paper focuses on humans to show how that's possible. The study is published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

"You need ongoing sensory input in order for your brain to update smell information," said Keng Nei Wu, the lead author of the paper and a graduate student in neuroscience at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "When your nostrils are blocked up, your brain tries to adjust to the lack of information so the system doesn't break down. The brain compensates for the lack of information so when you get your sense of smell back, it will be in good working order."

For the study, Wu completely blocked the nostrils of 14 participants for a week while they lived in a special low-odor hospital room. At night, participants were allowed to breathe normally while they slept in the room.

After the smell deprivation, researchers found an increase in activity in the orbital frontal cortex and a decrease of activity in the piriform cortex, two regions related to the sense of smell.

"These changes in the brain are instrumental in maintaining the way we smell things even after seven days of no smell," Wu said.

When unrestricted breathing was restored, people were immediately able to perceive odors. A week after the deprivation experience, the brain's response to odors had returned to pre-experimental levels, indicating that deprivation-caused changes are rapidly reversed.

Such a rapid reversal is quite different from other sensory systems, such as sight, which typically have longer-lasting effects due to deprivation. The olfactory system is more agile, Wu suggested, because smell deprivation due to viral infection or allergies is common.

This study also has clinical significance relating to upper respiratory infection and sinusitis, especially when such problems become chronic, at which point ongoing deprivation could cause more profound and lasting changes, Wu noted.

"It also implies that deprivation has a significant impact on the brain, rather than on the nose itself," Wu said. "More knowledge about how the system reacts to short-term deprivation may provide new insights into how to deal with this problem in a chronic context."

###

Other Northwestern authors include Bruce K. Tan, James D. Howard, David B. Conley and Jay A. Gottfried, the senior author.

The research was supported by grants R01DC010014 and K08DC007653 from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health and grant M01-RR00048 from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 12-Aug-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Marla Paul
marla-paul@northwestern.edu
312-503-8928
Northwestern University

Brain changes after a stuffed nose protect the sense of smell

CHICAGO --- Has a summer cold or mold allergy stuffed up your nose and dampened your sense of smell? We take it for granted that once our nostrils clear, our sniffers will dependably rebound and alert us to a lurking neighborhood skunk or a caramel corn shop ahead.

That dependability is no accident. It turns out the brain is working overtime behind the scenes to make sure the sense of smell is just as sharp after the nose recovers.

A new Northwestern Medicine study shows that after the human nose is experimentally blocked for one week, brain activity rapidly changes in olfactory brain regions. This change suggests the brain is compensating for the interruption of this vital sense. The brain activity returns to a normal pattern shortly after free breathing has been restored.

Previous research in animals has suggested that the olfactory system is resistant to perceptual changes following odor deprivation. This new paper focuses on humans to show how that's possible. The study is published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

"You need ongoing sensory input in order for your brain to update smell information," said Keng Nei Wu, the lead author of the paper and a graduate student in neuroscience at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "When your nostrils are blocked up, your brain tries to adjust to the lack of information so the system doesn't break down. The brain compensates for the lack of information so when you get your sense of smell back, it will be in good working order."

For the study, Wu completely blocked the nostrils of 14 participants for a week while they lived in a special low-odor hospital room. At night, participants were allowed to breathe normally while they slept in the room.

After the smell deprivation, researchers found an increase in activity in the orbital frontal cortex and a decrease of activity in the piriform cortex, two regions related to the sense of smell.

"These changes in the brain are instrumental in maintaining the way we smell things even after seven days of no smell," Wu said.

When unrestricted breathing was restored, people were immediately able to perceive odors. A week after the deprivation experience, the brain's response to odors had returned to pre-experimental levels, indicating that deprivation-caused changes are rapidly reversed.

Such a rapid reversal is quite different from other sensory systems, such as sight, which typically have longer-lasting effects due to deprivation. The olfactory system is more agile, Wu suggested, because smell deprivation due to viral infection or allergies is common.

This study also has clinical significance relating to upper respiratory infection and sinusitis, especially when such problems become chronic, at which point ongoing deprivation could cause more profound and lasting changes, Wu noted.

"It also implies that deprivation has a significant impact on the brain, rather than on the nose itself," Wu said. "More knowledge about how the system reacts to short-term deprivation may provide new insights into how to deal with this problem in a chronic context."

###

Other Northwestern authors include Bruce K. Tan, James D. Howard, David B. Conley and Jay A. Gottfried, the senior author.

The research was supported by grants R01DC010014 and K08DC007653 from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health and grant M01-RR00048 from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-08/nu-sas081012.php

portland weather clintonville battlestar galactica blood and chrome my morning jacket roger goodell psychosis dianna agron

Learn How To Succeed In Commercial Real Estate | Lab247

It is true that commercial investment tends to be more profitable than residential property investment. Sometimes it can be difficult to find the appropriate opportunities. The tips presented below will help you understand the different uncertainties in commercial real estate, so you can make smarter purchasing decisions.

Take a tour of properties you are considering. It may be a good idea to take a professional contractor with you when you check out properties you are interested in purchasing. Begin negotiating and the process of offers and counter offers. Don?t decide on anything without careful consideration.

Take your time and read the fine print if the owner asks you to sign lease forms. Larger real estate firms are known to slide additional requirements and covenants into their leasing documents, which might prove hard to find due to document length. If you read the whole document carefully, it is possible for you to avoid the pain that a lease can bring your way.

You must absolutely confirm that your real estate?s asking price is realistic. Most appraisers can?t take all factors into account because there are an infinite number of variables involved in determining the value of a piece of property. These variables can all make your property worth less than the appraisal claims it is worth.

You have to ensure that the terms on rent roll and pro forma match up. If you concentrate on these points, you can find an issue with the property.

It is easy to get emotional when you are venturing into the commercial real estate market, but is is very important to stay patient and remain calm. Do not rush into investments, or make decisions impulsively. If the property turns out to be wrong for you, you will regret your decision. Realize that it can sometimes take at least one year for the proper investment opportunity to present itself.

It is essential that you become aware of any environmental issues associated with properties you are considering. Hazardous waste materials emitted from property can be a real headache for property owners, so identify the problems before they start with a thorough inspection. Once you own the property, any problems, hazardous waste related or otherwise, are yours to deal with.

Now you know how to go about investing in commercial real estate. Don?t get into a rut, and always be ready to respond to the shifting sands of the commercial property markets. When you position yourself like this you can make sure you make the best decisions possible, and you can maximize your profit ability as well as give yourself a better reputation.

Source: http://www.lab247.net/wedding/learn-how-to-succeed-in-commercial-real-estate

trump 2012 groundhog day groundhog phil pee wee herman ketamine tracy morgan ground hogs day 2012

Serenity

AN: Just this dark fantasy idea I had been playing with. Its been sitting my flash drive for over a month now. I feel that if I was to really put my all into it, I could create this kind of lurid, surreal, psychological\emotional experience. This is just kind of a tidbit of text I had written when the idea was spinning around in my head. All of the names were thought of on the spot. I wrote it all within a few hours.

Serenity. That is what I saw in that moment. The sun in her hair, the moon in her skin, a sadness in her eyes? a purity in her soul. I was captivated in that moment. The room was littered with corpses. My sword and my armor were stained with it. But my mind did not see that. It saw something else. A gateway into the past. Hope. Solace outside of killing. And I knew at that moment that this vision was my salvation, that there was no path to follow but hers and death. I swore an unspoken creed in madness at that moment, to follow serenity to the ends of the Earth, and to protect her always.
My eyes were locked on her. My mind was sent spinning by her. On one plane I saw a sad little girl, looking on at me and my comrades frozen and horrified, her young mind desperate for escape, yet none was given. On another, I saw a distant bliss brought to the forefront of memory by this vision. And on the farthest plane, one entirely separate from reality, I saw an angel to cleanse me of my sins and revive my humanity.
While shrouded in my incoherent musings I caught the sight of one of my compatriots moving towards the girl. I was struck back into reality. I knew very well what would happen to her if she was to be taken by the good men who serve the crown. She would in all likelihood be sold when we made our way back to the capital, and that road is a terrible and sad one. I could not allow it. In one fell swoop I sealed my fate. I drew my sword, and ran the man through, quickly and concisely, making haste to remove my sword from his back so I could attend to my two stunned brothers in arms. Their eyes were filled with shock for a moment, then with fear, and finally with anger. They were men loyal to the crown, stupid, mediocre swordsman, but loyal. Battle doctrine states that any man who slays a brother has committed a deplorable sin, and must be put to death. The larger of the two belched out a forceful, ?Prophet help you Sir, you will die for this.? I did always love how men liked to posture just before they died. It was somewhat sad though, not even stopping to scrutinize the situation, just charging in like the wild dogs they had been trained to be.
They charged at me. I dodged the attack of the first one, blocking the incoming attack of the second and countering by knocking the man off his balance. I caught the first just as he came in for a low thrust. I pinned his sword to the ground with my own and kicked him dead in the chest, sending him reeling backwards onto his arse, and making sure to arm myself with his blade. The second one came at me again with a heavy overhand strike, poor fool left himself wide open, I skewered him through the gut with his own body weight. I then casually kicked him off my blade, still somewhat alive, and no doubt slowly, painfully, correcting the fact. I ended the conflict swiftly thereafter by silencing the disarmed, disoriented man on the ground with his own weapon.
Then I turned to Serenity. She was afraid of me. Thinking back I must have looked like evil personified in the form of a man. My comrades and I had massacred our way through the keep in our quest to bring Lord Windsor to justice. I was an ominous figure, shrouded in dark steel covered in maroon. But I suppose when all looks grim even a demon can seem like salvation, because when I went to the girl, outstretched my hand, met her eyes with mine and said to her in a most sincere voice much unlike myself, ?I can help you, if you come with me, I can protect you,? her fear subsided some, and she looked up at me, speaking no words, perhaps they were scared away by the monster before her, but somehow probing me with those... piercing green eyes. A child desperately looking for someone to save her? She needed a hero, and I was not one, but perhaps I would suffice.
And in that moment came from her, a gesture which seemed so poignant to me, almost soul-shattering in its power, she began to outstretch her small pale hand to meet my dark blood-stained hand. A hand which had brought so much death, hands red with the blood of the innocent an the guilty alike, to be touched by something so pure. But why was I seeing this child as such? It struck me then, my thoughts came together, and her face was connected to the face of my sister? my dead rotting sister, whom another dead boy had cared for so.
The snow white hair, a universal mark of her Legasian heritage, her eyes were that vibrant green I knew so well, and her facial features were the same frail, delicate, childish features embedded in my mind, suddenly revived, when time had ravaged their image. It made me feel? happy, but in a distant sense, as if it was not I who was feeling the pleasant emotion, but someone else, someone so close to me I could feel their joy radiating into me. Yet unlike how my waning memories pictured my long lost sister, her face was so sad, so hopeless? That image cut at me deeper than any blade ever had.
Before her hand reached mine I was stricken by a voice I had come to know by a certain disdain that I could associate with no other. My dear friend, and fellow knight Sir Hollos of Westerfield. He was arrogant and vile, yet dutiful, just another dog, and how I hated him.
?Balstone! Windsor has escaped, stop prancing around, waving your sword like it?s your prick, and get back down here!? a gravelly repugnant voice, lacking any real finesse or pleasant qualities to speak of, came booming up the stairwell, to the back of me and the girl.
Obnoxious fool. I?d wanted to cut his throat since the day I met him, if for no other reason than to shut him up. I wanted to finally indulge that desire, but I knew Sir Hollos, for what little good I could say about the man, he could handle a blade. He was one of the few men I wasn't entirely sure whether or not I could best in combat, and I was not sure I wanted to know just yet.
Sir Hollos came up the winding stone steps to the dim cobblestone room littered with corpses, which had once been a fairly extravagant bed chamber, where me and the girl resided, his armor clanking with each dreaded step, his boot-clad foot carried him over the last step and into our view. He was an unsightly creature, receding gray hair, the unkempt makings of a beard clinging to a weak jutting jaw covered in worn leathery skin, a mouth filled with nothing but broken and yellow teeth formed into a permanent scowl, pale blue eyes, filled with bitter disdain, for what, I never knew, perhaps everyone, perhaps himself. It was all brought together by a battered collection of plate and leather that he would call armor. My friend? I had fought together with him on the battlefield, now we served our king together, called upon to silence a disobedient lord, and how I loathed him.
Clearly he scared the girl as much as he scared me because she was desperately trying to use me as a barrier between her and Sir Hollos, yet making a point to stay a certain distance from me, still not by any means trusting me, yet I believe desiring to. Those eyes of his surveyed the room for a moment, silently assessing the situation, his expression still as if someone had laid a cow pie at his feet. ?What happened to your men Balstone?? he hissed inquisitively. ?Few of them were killed by men that had tried to defend the little lordling.? Our attentions both turned to four men clad in chain and sky blue tabard with a dove holding a golden chalice seemingly soaring across their chests, sprawled out in their own blood, one with his head missing, another with a mace lodged in his breast just missing the dove. My eyes turned back to him, and his locked with mine ?The others? I killed.?
Without pause he drew his sword from its scabbard. ?Let?s get on with it then. We both know how it goes.? He came into a defensive stance watching my movements. I stood at attention trying to find what my next move would be in this predicament I had so readily thrust myself into with no hope for reprieve. ?You know, I never liked the look of you. A little boy looking on at everyone around him like they were no better than the vermin skittering in the shit? Draw your sword so we can see what color your insides are.? His eyes flicked to the girl behind me, and he smiled a ghastly smile. ?Who?s the little cunt?? he said as if amused by the situation. He seemed to think for a moment and then let out a soft chuckle. ?So, that?s it. That?s what gets you hot, Balstone? The demon of Erihall with his smoky grey armor and his blood red raven, has a soft spot for little girls. Well Balstone, I promise when I cut you down I?ll sell her to pleasure house for a few coppers, get me self a nice meal and a woman to wet my cock, and I?ll thank you by pissing on your grave.?
I don?t know why he thought such things would work. I suppose he never knew me to show compassion, and was trying to exploit that, trying to make me stupid. Man was an oaf, his tongue never stopped wagging with venomous drivel, but he knew how to kill, and he knew how to intimidate. That much could be said for him. I needed to kill him, or debilitate him, but I could not die, not yet, not until she was safe. I knew I didn?t have to worry about the rest of the flock. They would stay put for quite some time. Every man who has ever been in Sir Hollos?s service has always been terrified of him. He told them to stay put, so he could come up here and play his games with me. Windsor was probably long gone as is. A coward, left his spoiled boy to die while he slipped out in the night. He should have known, this king was not like his father, he shouldn?t have tried to fuck him.
A new thought came screeching to the forefront of my my mind, shattering all others in the process. It was cowardly a thing to do, but I had no honor, and Sir Hollos was not fast, with a blade maybe, but not with his feet. My armor was a light mesh of studded leather and chain. I had never liked being slow. I was always seeking balance, but Hollos?s armor was heavy, he was my senior as well, by how much, I never cared to remember, but he was certainly older than me. A simple thought, pickup the girl, just run. There was only one way out though, behind Sir Hollos. Merathi spice smoke, I had always kept a pouch on me, it had saved my life once, when my sword snapped in two, almost taking my head off in the process. It gave me just what I needed to gather my head and? improvise.
I knew what I needed to do. I drew my sword slowly, leisurely, and locked eyes with Sir Hollos. ?So this is how it ends?? I said in a macabre matter of fact manner. ?Aye,? he said in agreement. I looked back at the girl, she still looked so scared, so unsure, so vulnerable. I was mad, but it felt nice to fight for something, something other than my own petty need for blood. We charged at each other, sword in hand. And when we met, I did something Sir Hollos didn?t expect. I ducked in for a low thrust, he went to counter it, but then I changed my fighting style from Arturan to Merathi, using a movement designed for a curved blade, but a straight one would have to do. I came into an upward vertical motion, he was taken aback for a moment, but managed to block. I carried the energy all the way through and turned my entire body in a revolution as fast as I could manage, coming back in for another strike, knocking him back some with it. I did it again. I did it once more. And on the fourth a red plume shot from my hand into Hollos?s face, bring him debilitating pain and momentary blindness, while bringing me a gateway.
I looked back to Serenity, and promptly said, ?Come with me? please, if you stay here? bad things will happen,? my voice quivering at the thought, an echo of the past, reminding me what fear was. And what was I? I was a mad man and a killer, exploiting a fearful child, so I could feel? something else, something pleasant, something human. But she wouldn?t die that day, she wouldn?t be a slave. I would defend, not slaughter for my petty bloodlust, but kill so this child may live, one good deed, perhaps that was my true desire, something worth fighting for.
And she came, when I called she came, through fear, delusion, or hope? Innocence maybe. Was I to be her knight on the valiant white stead? Perhaps so. Sir Hollos?s howling was so far away to me, a muddled cry beneath an ocean of much louder sounds, filling my mind to the brim, with their echoes. There was something running towards me, something, disruptive, as if the mere sight distorted my distinctions between reality and fiction, a glow, a subtle aurora of white light, a snow-haired child, a frilly dress stained with dirt and blood? Serenity.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/ASnT_XKr5Js/viewtopic.php

alshon jeffery miami heat bulls red dawn california earthquake california earthquake tyson chandler

Urban Sun Corridor 4 degrees warmer?

ScienceDaily (Aug. 12, 2012) ? According to the United Nations' 2011 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects, global urban population is expected to gain more than 2.5 billion new inhabitants through 2050. Such sharp increases in the number of urban dwellers will require considerable conversion of natural to urban landscapes, resulting in newly developing and expanding megapolitan areas. Could climate impacts arising from built environment growth pose additional concerns for urban residents also expected to deal with impacts resulting from global climate change?

In the first study to attempt to quantify the impact of rapidly expanding megapolitan areas on regional climate, a team of researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research has established that local maximum summertime warming resulting from projected expansion of the urban Sun Corridor could approach 4 degrees Celsius. This finding establishes that this factor can be as important as warming due to increased levels of greenhouse gases. Their results are reported in the early online edition (Aug. 12) of the journal Nature Climate Change.

Arizona's Sun Corridor is the most rapidly growing megapolitan area in the United States. Nestled in a semi-arid environment, it is composed of four metropolitan areas: Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott and Nogales. With a population projection expected to exceed 9 million people by 2040, the developing Sun Corridor megapolitan provides a unique opportunity to diagnose the influence of large-scale urbanization on climate, and its relation to global climate change.

"We posed a fundamental set of questions in our study, examining the different scenarios of Sun Corridor expansion through mid-century. We asked what are the summertime regional climate implications, and how do these impacts compare to climate change resulting from increased emissions of greenhouse gases," says Matei Georgescu, lead author and assistant professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The authors utilized projections of Sun Corridor growth by 2050 developed by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), the regional agency for metropolitan Phoenix provides long-range and sustainably oriented planning. Incorporating maximum and minimum growth scenarios into a state-of-the-art regional climate model, the researchers compared these impacts with experiments using an urban representation of modern-day central Arizona. Their conclusions indicate substantial summertime warming.

"The worst case expansion scenario we utilized led to local maximum summer warming of nearly 4 degrees Celsius. In the best case scenario, where Sun Corridor expansion is both more constrained and urban land use density is lower, our results still indicate considerable local warming, up to about 2 degrees Celsius," Georgescu said.

An additional experiment was conducted to examine an adaptation where all of the buildings were topped by highly reflective white or "cool" roofs.

"Incorporating cool roofs alleviated summertime warming substantially, reducing the maximum local warming by about half," Georgescu said. "But, another consequence of such large-scale urbanization and this adaptation approach include effects on the region's hydroclimate."

The cool roofs, like the maximum-growth scenario without this adaptation approach, further reduce evapotranspiration -- water that evaporates from the soil and transpires from plants. Ultimately, comparison of summertime warming resulting from Sun Corridor expansion to greenhouse-gas-induced summertime climate change shows that through mid-century the maximum urbanization scenario leads to greater warming than climate change.

However, pinning precise figures on the relative contribution of each effector is difficult, the authors state.

"The actual contribution of urban warming relative to summertime climate change warming depends critically on the path of urbanization, the conversion of natural to urban landscapes, and the degree to which we continue to emit greenhouse gases," said Alex Mahalov, a co-author and principal investigator of the National Science Foundation grant, "Multiscale Modeling of Urban Atmospheres in a Changing Climate," which supported the research.

"As well as providing insights for sustainable growth of the Sun Corridor and other rapidly expanding megapolitan areas, this research offers one way to quantify and understand the relative impacts of urbanization and global warming,"said Mahalov, the Wilhoit Foundation Dean's Distinguished Professor in ASU's School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences.

The group conducted their numerical simulations using an "ensemble-based" approach. By modifying their model's initial conditions and repeating their simulations a number of times, they were able to test the robustness of their results. In all, nearly half of a century of simulations were conducted.

"By incorporating differing Sun Corridor growth scenarios into a high performance computing modeling framework with MAG projections, we quantified direct hydroclimatic impacts due to anticipated expansion of the built environment," added Mahalov. Simulations were conducted at ASU's Advanced Computing Center (A2C2).

Georgescu said that one take-home message from this study is that the incorporation of sustainable policies need to extend beyond just greenhouse gas emissions. He also stressed the importance of extending adaptation strategies beyond the focus on mere average temperature.

"Truly sustainable adaptation, from an environmental standpoint, must extend to the entire climate system, including impacts on temperature and hydrology," he said.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Arizona State University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. M. Georgescu, M. Moustaoui, A. Mahalov, J. Dudhia. Summer-time climate impacts of projected megapolitan expansion in Arizona. Nature Climate Change, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1656

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/gLEWQ6XGTB0/120812151708.htm

hazing colton harris moore hurd hurd christopher hitchens ron paul 2012 zynga stock

India's new president: focus is on prosperity, not terrorism

Pranab Mukherjee's acceptance speech highlights how India sees its?sharpest threat as slower-than-expected economic growth, not Pakistan and its Islamic militant proxies.

By Ben Arnoldy,?Staff writer / July 25, 2012

India's new President Pranab Mukherjee, right, in a traditional horse driven carriage, waves to the media as he arrives at the Presidential Palace, in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 25.

Manish Swarup/AP

Enlarge

India?s new president, Pranab Mukherjee, took the oath of office and described his nation as so focused on achieving prosperity that it would not be distracted by ?noxious practitioners of terror? and, by unstated extension, the long-running rivalry with Pakistan.

Skip to next paragraph Ben Arnoldy

Deputy International Editor

Ben Arnoldy is the Deputy International Editor at The Christian Science Monitor. He has served as the Monitor's bureau chief in India and Northern California.?

Recent posts

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

He described terrorism as a ?fourth world war? that followed the cold war, and said that India faced it long before many other nations understood its scope. Yet, President Mukherjee also appeared to be declaring victory and nudging India off a war footing, laying out peaceful prosperity as the challenge ahead and describing terrorism as a ?trap? for those who overreact.?

?Peace is the first ingredient of prosperity,? Mukherjee said in a speech before Parliament after ascending to the mostly ceremonial post. ?I am proud of the valor and conviction and steely determination of our armed forces as they have fought this [terrorism] menace on our borders; of our brave police forces as they have met the enemy within; and of our people, who have defeated the terrorist trap by remaining calm in the face of extraordinary provocation."

He added: "India is content with itself, and driven by the will to sit on the high table of prosperity. It will not be deflected in its mission by noxious practitioners of terror."?

The speech fits well with how India interprets its current place in the world: The longtime rivalry with Pakistan has essentially been won, with India pulling ahead in terms of economic development and global stature. And, in this view, the sharpest threat comes from the slower-than-expected economic growth of late, not Pakistan and its Islamic militant proxies.

With Pakistan slipping into pariah status internationally and making little economic headway, the country has by most objective measures been left behind by India. But whether Pakistan?s insecure military establishment will quietly accept that position and stay in peaceful dialogue with New Delhi remains an open question.

Mukherjee?s reference to ?extraordinary provocation? no doubt includes the 2008 Mumbai massacre, which India blames on Pakistan, with growing evidence to back it up. The Indian public has stoically avoided pressing political leaders to exact revenge, allowing New Delhi the chance to portray itself as the responsible player in South Asia by resuming peace talks and to further isolate Pakistan with intelligence dossiers on the attacks.

However, Pakistan still has cards to play in Afghanistan and Kashmir. As the US troop presence in Afghanistan draws down, Pakistani support for the Taliban could draw India into military support for the Afghan government. And while Pakistan has largely desisted in recent years from encouraging Islamic militants to infiltrate Indian-controlled Kashmir, that policy could change ? especially given festering Kashmiri frustration over the lack of any political settlement there.

Where's the accountability?

It?s in India?s handling of domestic uprisings in places like Kashmir where Mukherjee?s comments become far more patriotic than truthful.

?Violence is external to our nature; when, as human beings, we do err, we exorcise our sins with penitence and accountability,? he said.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/CqstRTFj858/India-s-new-president-focus-is-on-prosperity-not-terrorism

st louis blues rueben randle mike trout ryan broyles jerel worthy alshon jeffery miami heat

Video: Romney, Ryan debut ticket in Virginia

NYT: Sick doc is surprising face of assisted suicide

When several states legalized assisted suicide, critics feared the poor without health insurance would feel pressured and that who qualified would be a slippery slope. But those who actually choose it are like Dr. Richard Wesley, educated and financially comfortable.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/48630325#48630325

vanessa bryant vanessa bryant adam lambert incendiary floyd mayweather winter solstice x factor finale