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Monday, March 19, 2012

A Spring Break with TFA

By Nina Gokhale
I spent my spring break in Memphis, Tennessee as a participant in Maximum Impact: Alternative Spring Break with Deloitte and Teach for America. Over a period of four days, I was able to witness first hand the struggles of this community. We spent our first evening exploring Memphis, where only 4% of students graduate college-ready. The next three days we worked with TFA members and school administrators at various schools. Following are my reflections on each day’s events.

Beale Street is like a smaller version of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. Bars with neon signs line the street. Live music pours from open doors. There was a fair number of people out for a Sunday evening, but as we ventured out, the scenery changed. Historic landmarks and office buildings are heavily interspersed with boarded up structures. Few cars drove by. For the largest city in the state, it seemed far too empty.
I spent my day doing landscaping and secretarial work. The work I did was mundane, but somehow, I’ve still come away feeling satisfied. I’ve long been troubled by the fact that the work I do does not seem to make a long-lasting difference. And I’ve heard it a lot, but I’m really starting to see that small amounts of time can help. One hour from thirty-five of us can greatly reduce a teacher’s work outside of the classroom. A morning in the dirt can create an environment where students are proud and excited to come to each day. The gratitude everyone expressed is truly remarkable and has shown me that my efforts can be the highlight of another’s day, week, or month.
We spent the following day at a middle school. Here I had the opportunity to work with small groups on math problems. For a few, it clicked. In other cases, however, I felt like I was merely speaking at the students, unable to tell whether they had any grasp of what I was saying. Only when I began to work on more personal levels with my groups of six, addressing individual issues, did I see any progress. But I struggled running around even with this small few. I cannot even begin to understand how teachers are expected to work with classes of 30 and address the various levels of students’ understanding. I always assumed that children slipping between the cracks was due to lack of care on part of the teachers, but I am seeing it’s a lot more complicated than this.

During a college Q&A, one student asked about paying for college. I gave the classic answer, about scholarships, financial aid, loans, etc. But it was difficult, giving them this broad answer, when many do not have the resources necessary to understand the complicated processes to finance their educations. And even with aid, there are still significant out of pocket expenses. A TFA corps member told us afterwards that he encourages his students to go to community college prior to attending a university. While a necessary move for many, this increasing long and expensive process will unfortunately make a college degree even less attainable for these students.
The idea of TFA terrifies me. Being the force that is supposed to motivate students and put them on track is an incredible amount of pressure. Yet for some reason, this new found fear is not driving me further from the idea of being a corps member, but closer to it. The hours of frustrations and failures are worth it, even if only a few achieve their potential. It’s scary, but the cause is worth fighting for.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

A Summary: The New Haven Experiment by Nicholas D Kristoff

By Paul Bucala

This article addresses the conflict of interests between teacher’s unions and school reform in America and how New Haven, a small city in Connecticut, has taken steps to make teacher unions part of the solution, rather than the problem. The author of this op-ed, Nicholos Kristoff, opens this article with a couple of anecdotes that illustrate how teacher unions prevent incompetent teachers from being fired by school administers. For example, Kristoff tells the story how an L.A. union helped a teacher keep his job after he allegedly mocked one of his students. But as Kristoff states “that’s what makes an experiment under way [in New Haven] so jaw-dropping. New Haven has arguably become ground zero for school reform in America because it is transforming the system with the full cooperation of the union. After all, as Kristoff states, good teachers are a must for reforming America’s ailing public school system but the current anti-teacher union sentiment certainly does not attract talented young people into teaching.  A few years ago, the New Haven school district established a “revolutionary contract” with teachers. In exchange for job security, pay and benefits would rise. A new evaluation system was  also established that would be based off standardized test scores and other measures of learning.  Evaluated teachers would be fully protected by a transparent process Last year, administrators fired 34 teachers (2% of teachers)  and this year is 50 more are scheduled to be fired. The surprising thing is that both Administers and Teacher Unions support this new contract. Davic Cicarella, president of New Haven Federation of Teachers states “ We all recognize that we need to do something. Tenured teachers who are ineffective- that is an issue. We want to do something about it. But it is not fair to blame all the teachers. “ Fair and transparent accountability is welcome, Cicarella states but notes that it is “Not ok any more to just spray and pray.”

Taking a Semester off: The Life of a DC Reads Non-Tutor

 By Caroline Seabolt

After tutoring for 2 straight semesters for DC Reads, accepting an Internship at the Phillips Collection made me feel like a sell-out.  Being in the classrooms helping teachers and students this fall brought me pure joy and I loved every second of it, so the decision was incredibly difficult to make.  I accepted the internship because it was in the Education Department and I would be working with grades K-12. I definitely miss tutoring, but I know that my involvement with DC Reads is going nowhere.  I still attend weekly Advocacy meetings, and am planning to attend some seminars this semester as well.

There is a common misconception that one cannot be involved in DC Reads without tutoring.  However our various committees are open to anyone with an interest in education on campus and the DC Community.

There are a lot of different ways to teach, and I am learning how to do that bye using art.  I plan to use the teaching skills that I am acquiring from observation and practice at the museum and apply them to DC Reads when I come back to tutor next semester.  I can’t wait to come back!

Monday, November 21, 2011

A little more sleep, a lot more education

By Caroline Seabolt

For the past month, I have been working with a kindergartener named Lynell who, at first, could not recognize his own name.  Lynell was incredibly sweet but was distracted and behind from too many absences at school.  He also does not sleep at night.  Constantly, the teachers in the classroom tell Lynell to “wake up” and to go to bed at a "good" hour.  But honestly, how much control does a kindergartener have over when they go to bed?  The other day when I was having trouble getting Lynell to focus, he responded that he was sleepy. I asked him what time he went to bed and he muttered “one in the morning.”  Unfortunately, I can’t tell whether Lynell is purposely not going to bed or his mother is keeping him up, but either way it is affecting his performance in school.  I’ve talked to some other tutors about this issue I’ve been having and they tell me that they encounter the same problem.  As DC Reads tutors, we educate parents on how to include literacy in their children’s lives outside of the classroom.  But what about getting enough sleep?  Do parents know how much sleep their child is supposed to be getting a night?  These types of facts are crucial to make sure children get the most out of their classroom experience.  I would suggest at our next literacy event, we stress the importance of sleep to parents so children, like Lynell, can finally come to school well rested and ready to learn.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Reflection on TFA Founder Wendy Kopp’s Visit to Georgetown

By Allyson Lynch

I managed to snatch one of the last available seats in Copley Formal Lounge, which was filled with people waiting to hear from Wendy Kopp, Founder and CEO of Teach For America.  As someone interested in post-graduation work in education, I was beyond excited to be present at this event.  One topic brought up over the course of the evening related to the fact that many TFA teachers do not end up pursuing teaching as their permanent career.  This comment immediately caught my attention, because, were I to participate in a program like Teach For America, I would most likely end up in this group.  I have wanted to become a doctor since I was 12, so imagine my surprise when I came to Georgetown, joined DC Reads somewhat casually, and ended up just as engrossed and fascinated by educational issues as much as I was by the prospect of going to medical school...
Therefore, for the past three years, I have struggled with my non-compatible interests in both fields and wondered how to reconcile them.  What would be the point of doing a program like TFA if not to become a teacher eventually?  I would end up in this former TFA “non-teacher” group.  And according to Wendy Kopp, that is great.  As she put it, having experienced teaching and its challenges, especially in the schools TFA teaches in, is a valuable experience that can go a long way in changing things in the future for education, regardless of whether you end up an actual teacher.  The people who have experiences like that of TFA under their belt need to be in all other sectors, not just education.  When people who know what post-TFA teachers know go into other professions, they can help articulate the scope of the issues that face our education system, leading to a more universal understanding of why change is necessary, which can only help fix schools in America.  It was an inspiring message, especially for those of us that may still be undecided about our future career paths; even having had experience as tutors in DC Reads gives us the voice to impart change in education regardless of where our future takes us.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Fall Fest!

By Caroline Seabolt

I love the idea of Fall Fest as a way for DC Reads tutors to strengthen our relationships with the children we help.  As a morning tutor, I do not have an individual tutee but have 20 incredibly cute kindergarteners at Kenilworth Elementary to call my own, so for me Fall Fest was more of a helping and observing experience.  The atmosphere was fun and celebratory of the fall and Halloween season. Kids dressed in full costume looks so genuinely happy with their tutors as they went to games, collected candy, and stopped at my booth.  I ran the table where kids would stick their hands in jars to determine which scary body part they were feeling, it was so fun to see their reactions!

Facts That Will Shock You

By Bisi Orisamolu

Yesterday DC Reads hosted a seminar with guest speaker Mr. Latham who had taught second grade for the past three years at Houston Elementary School. One thing in particular that Mr. Latham said was especially surprising to me. Someone asked the question of how and when it is determined whether a student should move on to the next grade level or repeat a grade. Mr. Latham revealed that in the DC Public School system, a student can only be retained in 3rd and 5th grade and only once. If the student has an Individualized Education Plan which is a program designed for special education students, then they cannot be retained at all. If a teacher would like to hold a student back in any other grade, there needs to be a special write up consisting of a lot of paper work that must be submitted and the consent of parents needs to be given. When asked how many kids he thinks are moved on to the next grade when they should be retained, Mr. Lantham answered all of them that are not at proficient. At Houston Elementary this would be about 60%. In a system where most of the kids are failing, it seems to only encourage the problem by making it so hard to fail.
It comes as no surprise that kids that are not on grade level are passing through to the next grade. However, the system is so imperfect that kids that do not know their letters or colors are passing through to middle school and high school. Holding 60% of a grade back might be impractical but holding back 0% also seems wholly inefficient. This causes there to be large discrepancies in the ability of the children in a single classroom. For example, Mr. Lantham said that in a 6th grade classroom the teacher may single out a group that is reading on a 3rd grade level and give them material on that level. Instead of creating an atmosphere of different grades under one teacher, it seems more logical to leave kids who are not passing in the grades that match their ability.


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Hammered in Iron – 2LP

Hammered in Iron - LIVE Limited Edition Double LP

Out Now!

Limited to 100 copies worldwide, 2LP set on transparent red vinyl. For track listing and complete info see here.

Purchase comes with a download code which gives you access to the entire recording in the digital format of your choosing plus bonus tracks available nowhere else!

For our fans outside of the continental United States, please contact us for shipping rates and order info: Contact

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March Birchbox Review!

DSC00513 DSC00514 DSC00518

I recently took advantage of the Birchbox discount code for their March box, designed by Lulu Guinness. I’ve often considered signing up to a beauty box, but have always been put off by the high prices compared to the amount of product you get, and it does irritate me that they advertise a monthly subscription for £10, but charge P&P on top of that. As a student, Birchbox is probably one of the most pricey beauty boxes available and although they do have high end brands to justify this, I’m not sure I can fork out £12.95 a month for a few products that will a) probably only last me a couple of weeks and b) that I’m not guaranteed to even like. However, the £5 off discount code meant the box was only £7.95, and that was enough to convince me to give Birchbox the benefit of the doubt (at least for this month)!

Firstly, I should point out that the box did not arrive when it was supposed to. I waited two weeks after I ordered it (by which time it was well into April) until emailing their customer services. Thankfully I got an email back straight away saying they would send out a new one. I’m pleased to say the box arrived the following day, so I’m extremely impressed with their customer service! I also adored the packaging of the box itself. It came in a tasteful brown and white box with a really cute drawstring bag containing the products. The experience of having a parcel drop through the post box and unwrapping it was probably my favourite bit – subscribing would be like getting a little birthday present to unwrap every month! Definitely an attraction.

Now, on to the good stuff. I’ll list each product I received and tell you my thoughts on them individually.

English Laundry by Christopher Wicks Perfume – This is a gorgeously fresh scent. It’s really handy for keeping in my handbag for when I forget to put perfume on in the morning or just need a little pick-me-up.

Korres Citrus Bodymilk – This is also a fab little travel size for chucking in my wash-bag when I go away. I’m a sucker for citrus scents and this is no exception. It smells clean and fresh, and I know I’ll be getting a lot of use out of it! My only gripe is the packaging. The screw top lid means you have to turn the bottle upside down and shake the product out, which isn’t that practical because it limits your control over how much you’re applying  – and we all know that moisturiser is a greasy, nuisance when over-applied!

Dr Brandt Pores No More – From what I can tell, this is a cream you apply to hide pores and mattify oily skin, which I don’t have. I won’t be using this as it’s not right for my skin-type!

Benefit Stay Don’t Stray – This is an eyeshadow primer. I’ve only used it once, but it seemed to do the job! It’s a little more heavy than my Urban Decay Primer Potion, taking a bit longer to blend in than the UD version. There’s also a minuscule amount of product in the sample, but I guess that’s what you expect with a high-end brand like Benefit. Not a wow product, but I’ll use it up.

Molton Brown Rhubarb and Rose Hand Cream – Now this is something to rave about. The scent of this hand cream is probably the best-smelling thing I’ve purchased all year. I am in love with it. I can’t stop applying it. This is probably the only product out of the lot that I want/need to purchase in full size. The scent is hard to describe. It’s sweet but floral (which makes sense if you think about the name), and it’s the exact smell of a place I stayed on holiday several years ago and I think that’s why I love it so much – the memories! But seriously, go and test this hand cream. I’m intrigued to see if other people love it as much or if it’s just a weird Joanna thing (of which there are many).

Stick of Rock – Included in every March box was this stick of rock designed by Lulu Guinness. A nice novelty if you like rock, but it’s not really my thing. It just takes so long to eat! I can never get through a whole stick before getting bored and trying to munch on it, usually resulting in a broken tooth.

What do you think of Birchbox, or beauty boxes in general? Do you think they’re worth the price?

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Find below a Selection of the Works I have conceived over the years. Please also check out my studio for spatial, media-related design The Product, or have a look at my Curriculum Vitae.

Since I am also frequently teaching, you might be interested in a Selection of Student Works conceived in workshops and courses I taught, or maybe you want to learn something about my teaching activities as a professor for Interaktion und Raum at Hochschule für Künste Bremen.

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Vegetarian Lamb BBQ Ball

Ingredients: Mushroom stem, Calcium carbonate, natural vegetarian seasoning

Nutritional Information
Weight: 300g, 500g
Serving Size: 100g
Energy: 204kcal

Fat 9g
Saturated Fat 6g
Sodium  726mg
Carbohydrates  20g
Protein  11g
Sugar  4g

Product Description

Made with quality soy protein, mushroom and perfectly seasoned, this juicy creation is another favorite. Cook this in no time for a dish that is low in fat and sure to impress.


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Deputy Director of Command and Control, State Government of Rio de Janeiro

Edval Novaes studied law at Universidade de Caixas do Sul and journalism at Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC) de Campinas. Between 1986 and 1991, he was the first lieutenant of the Department of Armed Forces of Brazil. Later, he worked in public finance for the Court of Audit in Espírito Santo, Brazil. Novaes then joined Brazil’s Federal Police in 1996 and served on the Board for ten years, when he was invited to become the Undersecretary of Intelligence.

Beginning in May 2013, Dr. Novaes has been working with Secretary of Public Security to coordinate and integrate security initiatives from the Federal Police, Federal Highway Police, Armed Forces, Civil Police, Military Police, and Fire Department through the Integrated Command and Control Center. In addition to managing and monitoring the everyday actions of these public safety departments, the Center also includes a Crisis Management Office and a Major Events Monitoring Center. This Center and Dr. Novaes now face the challenge of using this technology to ensure the safety of Brazilian citizens and international tourists attending the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

SIPA | Columbia

420 W 118th St #1
New York, NY 10027


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Sunday, May 27, 2007

Practice with Soyo Wind Band (SMB,CG Unit)

On May 27th, SMB (Sagamihara Marching Band) and CG (Color Guard) Unit Sirius had practiced together with Sagamihara Shiritsu Soyo Junior High School's wind band. We had a good time.

Even though the members of the Soyo Junior High School's wind band had no experience marching, they enjoyed to challenge the marching while holding their instruments in position ! The rookies of SMB joined and started the marching basics from the beginning.

The gymnasium was crowded with over 100 players screaming with enjoyment. Finally we tried to play a part of the music and march together.

We are truly appreciative that the Yumeno-oka Primary school offered their gymnasium. We would like to thank all the people who supported us and who prepared for this opportunity.


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Catching Up With…Literary Stud

catchingupwithlogo  Literary Stud

In our feature, Catching Up With…, Sistahs on the Shelf is pleased to bring you updates on your favorite authors, ones who have new books or projects in the works.

literarystud1Revisit with Literary Stud, whose latest book, Maxi’s Place (Volume 1), binds up the first three installments (read reviews for Part 1 and Part 2) of the enthralling drama in an establishment that promises a good time to its patrons and a deeper look the lives of the employees. In this interview, Literary Stud talks about her upcoming plans for the series, what character she’s most like and being proud nerd.

Tell us what’s so special about Maxi’s Place – the restaurant and the book.
Maxi’s Place isn’t an actual restaurant. It is a completely imagined venue. Due to the lack of grown and sexy places to go in Dallas, at the time, I created a place I would feel comfortable in. My early twenties were spent slaving in the restaurant and hospitality industry so I’m familiar with the “family” dynamic among the staff. The book is special because of the ensemble of characters and plot. It’s not overused or a circle of friends stumbling through life, searching for answers. Every reader may find a character they relate to or they may have gone through the same situation.

Which character in Maxi’s are you most like?
My fiancée would tell you that every character is me. However, Cole is the most like me out of all of them. I can be a bit direct in my actions or responses and I’m definitely attached to my mother. I’m engaged but I did some skirt-chasing in my single days that proved very insightful. Cole runs her business like I would – with no excuses and watchful of everything. Even though she truly cares about her employees, a lot of people depend on the success of Maxi’s Place.

When and what can we expect in Volume Two?
Volume two will have the next three episodes of the series. Later this year, after I publishmaxisplacevol1 the episodes singularly, I’ll combine them into a printed volume by the beginning of 2015.

Maxi’s Place was first published as installments featuring Parts 1-3. What made you go the chapter route in getting your book out there?
I write Maxi’s Place as a dramatic television series would be, in episodes. They are short so it was better to distribute in E-book form. I combined them into a volume only for print. The volume is available as an E-book too.

You describe yourself as a “proud nerd” in your bio. What’s your latest nerd obsession these days?
Yes, I’m a very proud nerd. I have a habit of saying I like to be entertained and educated. Unless I’m reading, my downtime is spent watching the educational channels on history, biographies, and true crime.

Your writing delved deep into the lives of its characters. What are your best and worst personality traits?
That’s a difficult question. I think my best and worst traits crossover here and there. I’m very meticulous, a nice word for anal retentive but it comes in handy for editing. Even though I can be a bit hard, I’m also very compassionate and sensitive to others emotions.

So what else do you have coming up bookwise?
I have two more print books for this year: an anthology of short stories and a novel. As far as E-books, Maxi’s Place episodes four through six will be published this year as well. Even though it’s not a book, I’m in the process of producing a web series based on Maxi’s Place. I’ve completed casting calls for the main characters and plan to start filming this summer.

Interviewed April 2014

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Saturday, October 25, 2014

10/20/14 Week 32

Elder Craig A. Carden
Elder Carden of the Seventy came and visited our mission this week! It was soooo amazingly awesome! We had conference with him from 9am until 4pm. In my pre-mission life if someone would have told me that I was going to be in a church meeting for 7 hours I probably would've passed out and then skipped anyways and gone swimming, but I could not have been more excited to be in this meeting! He is without a doubt a man called of God:)  The spirit was so strong it even made me shed a tear..which for me that's a pretty big deal.

In preparation for this meeting we all had to write a short talk on recognizing the spirit and then Elder Carden was going to call on some of us to give our talks - ahhh scary! So of course guess who do you think got to give their talk? Yep, me!  Ahhhh!  But it went super bueno:)   Then afterwards President Ames picked a few missionaries to go and have interviews with Elder Carden and guess what?! He asked me! Yayayayay! It was one of the #1 most amazing experiences in my whole life.  The things he told me are changing the way I do missionary work.  For reals.  He is called of God!

Sisters Carden, Limon, Bonny, and Ames
In other sad news....Maria is not getting baptized...YET! We aren't giving up on her. She knows it's true, she just decided to go to the wrong source for answers and came across tons of anti-mormon stuff online and it scared her:( Satan does not make these things easy. From the day this amazing girl decided to be baptized I have never seen the adversary working so hard! It has seriously been a battle, but Hermana Limon and I are NOT letting him win!

Being a trainer is still challenging.  Hermana Limon and I have had our ups and downs.  She is a great missionary.  Some of the most spiritual times I've had on my mission have been when she's sharing her conversion story to investigators.  It's powerful stuff!

The other day we were brave enough to stop a party going on downstairs full of big black guys so we could sleep.  ...scariest thing I've ever done!  We went and prayed for bravery in the bathroom, because it was the only place the music wasn't pounding.  Then we marched downstairs and pooped on their party.  Haha!!
Feliz Cumpleanos!

The Skyhawk 5!  One high school, one mission.
I feel like I am finally learning how to listen to the spirit.  It's about time right??   I've realized  that growing up in Utah definitely has it pros and cons.  When you grow up in a home with the spirit and friends that are always doing good things, its harder to recognize the spirit because you never really had to learn how.  Many of my choices were kind of already made for me most of the time.  That's why its so amazing to see these people we're teaching, many of them kids or teenagers, WANTING to be at church.  I don't think I had that attitude when I was their age.  They inspire me!  We seriously live in a bubble in Elk Ridge/Salem, not realizing what it's like to live without the gospel around us!

Anywho I'm just gonna send a bunch of pics because I don't have tons of time today!  But pretty much this week was AMAZING! THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

Love Hermana Bonny

Tacos de Lengua (tongue tacos) - Yum!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks, Sierra, for being such an enthusiastic missionary. And thanks, James, for doing such a great job on her blog!


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Excellent Post With Lots Of Fantastic Tips About Health And Fitness

When it comes to improving fitness, many times people don't know how to get started. You can feel confident about reaching your goals by using this article's advice. If you value success, follow the advice laid out here in order to heighten fitness and get the most you can for your health.

When beginning a fitness routine start out slowly. If you try to start out at a high intensity, chances are you'll burn out quickly and stop exercising all together. It's also possible you could get hurt by doing something your body isn't ready for and then it will be impossible to exercise.

One way to maximize your fitness routine is to change the order in which you count. Doing so will result in positive thinking, and push you to do better. It will be almost a "downhill" effect for your brain. Pushing yourself is all about positive thinking and tricking your brain to work for you.

Having a routine, limits the stimulation of the brain. Studies have shown that changing or breaking a routine, will promote stimulation and in turn, staves off dementia. Instead of driving the same route to the grocery store, change the route and drive a different way. These small steps will improve your brain's stimulation and reduce the chance of getting dementia.

Schedule your time to workout the same way you schedule your important appointments. Your health and fitness are just as important to your life as your next doctor's appointment, so treat it the same way. Setting your workouts in your calendar will make you more likely to take the time and do them.

If you find yourself with an injury on one side of your body, continue to work out with the other to see benefits for both. Your body will send muscle building supplies to both sides, even if only one is working. You will see less of a build on the injured side, but a gain is a gain!

If you are recovering from a muscle injury, you should aim to begin exercising it as soon as possible. You should start out at very low intensity for only a few minutes. When you feel pain, immediately cease the workout. Ice the area for around twenty minutes after the workout. Eventually, you should feel the area become stronger and stronger, as time progresses.

Practice balancing on a sofa cushion to improve your body's overall balance. Stand on it with one leg, and move a medicine ball, jug, or something else a tad weighty, from one hand to the other, side to side, and behind your head. When you have this down, challenge yourself by doing it with your eyes closed.

No matter which type of workout you choose to do, you need to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water before, during and after exercise helps to replace fluids that are lost during your workout. Staying hydrated means that you will have more energy to go that little bit further, and you will feel better overall.

When you stretch, you should aim to spend about twice as long stretching tight muscles as you do flexible muscles. The reason you should do this is because you need to have flexibility in all parts of the body. Otherwise, you have a greater chance of injury. For men, these areas often include shoulders, hamstrings, and the lower back.

Exercising with a weight belt on is not as helpful as commonly thought. While you may think that you are increasing your strength by wearing a weight belt, you are actually doing just the opposite. It's been found that consistently wearing weight belts while exercising actually weakens your lower-back and abdominal muscles.

Walking 30 minutes a day can help increase bone mass. Many studies prove that individuals who do just 30 minutes of walking, a few times a week, have a higher bone mineral density than those who don't. Experts often suggest it takes high impact activity to see an increase in bone mass, but with a little bit of walking, you can work to increase your bone mass.

If you are an avid rock-climber, buy uncomfortably tight shoes. While this may seem counter-productive, it actually gives you the ability to feel every nook and cranny you may have otherwise missed, and your grip will be better. You should be able to stand in the shoes, but not walk in them.

If gaining muscle is your fitness goal, you will need to consume more calories than you burn and lift heavier weights for fewer repetitions. So, determine how many calories your body needs to maintain its weight, then make sure you are consuming more than that. As for the weights, aim for six to eight repetitions per set.

Exercising is a great way to boost not only your mood, but also your self-confidence. Studies have shown that exercising makes you feel better and can reduce feelings of depression or sadness because of the endorphins which are produced by exercise. Being strong and active helps you to feel sure of yourself and more self-confident.

Be careful not to let misinformation mislead you. There is a lot of stuff out there floating around about how to become a fit person, but take it from the experts who put together the tips you have just read -- real information is the key to your success with anything in life, especially fitness.

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Oleg Cooley foto

Dr. Oleg Cooley

Physician assistant

Dr. Oleg Cooley - Physician assistant in Johnstown, PA and he works at Memorial Medical Center. Graduated in 1985 (33 years in practice).

Certifications:Physician assistant
Graduation:Hahnemann University College Of Medicine
Grad. year:1985
Associated:Memorial Medical Center
Organization:Western Pennsylvania Orthopedic And Sports Medicine, Inc.
Adress:2 Celeste Dr
Johnstown, PA, 15905
Phone:(814) 255-6781

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Lotus Spa San Diego

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culture, politics, commentary, criticism

Monday, January 27, 2003
Another lesson in free market economics, from jilted Enron suitor Dynegy. We've got a gusher! The slippery stuff keeps pouring out of Houston (
Houston Chronicle):
A former Dynegy trader has been indicted on federal charges of reporting bogus data to a publication that puts out a benchmark widely used to set natural gas prices.

Michelle Marie Valencia, 32, who was recently fired by Dynegy, was arrested by FBI agents this morning [1/27/03] at her Houston home.

The indictment cites three separate times -- November 2000, January 2001 and February 2001 -- that Valencia allegedly fabricated natural gas trades for submission to a trade publication called Inside FERC's Gas Market Report.

All told, the indictment alleges, she made up 43 natural gas trades. Those trades were said to have been done in the western United States, including New Mexico and California.

When she was called before U.S. Magistrate Calvin Botley, her hands were handcuffed to a thick chain that wrapped around her waist.

Outside the courtroom, Valencia's attorney, Chris Flood, said his client was the "victim of a political prosecution by the current administration trying to do something to rid itself of the stain they have from the energy industry."
Stains, stains, everywhere stains. There is an unintentional stain theme in today's posts. Go figure. More:
"Our markets are the bedrock of the U.S. economy," [U.S. Attorney Michael] Shelby said this morning.

"The market works only when there is a free flow of truthful information among its members and we intend to hold criminally accountable any person who attempts to manipulate the market by knowingly disseminating false information."

Inside FERC's is one of several publications that compile so-called indexes, which are used as benchmarks to price billions of dollars in natural gas contracts in this country.

Manipulating indexes can skew the prices consumers ultimately pay for their natural gas or electricity. But because of the energy market's complexity, it's difficult, if not impossible, to quantify potential consumer harm.
The consumer harm may be difficult, if not impossible, to quantify, but the plunder is not. One measure might be the net worths of energy markets geniuses Lay and Skilling and Fastow of Enron and others of their River Oaks McMansion class. The value, if not the location, of those assets can be calculated with considerable precision.

In November 2002 we wrote about Dynegy and the travails of whistleblower Ted Beatty, who reported Dynegy's bogus round-trip trades, here. And over here is the case against the Dynegy 401(k) plan, yet another breach of duty by yet another upper management cabal in yet another Texas energy company.

Greatest Hits · Alternatives to First Command Financial Planning · First Command, last resort, Part 3 · Part 2 · Part 1 · Stealing $50K from a widow: Wells Real Estate · Leo Wells, REITs and divine wealth · Sex-crazed Red State teenagers · What I hate: a manifesto · Spawn of Darleen Druyun · All-American high school sex party · Why is Ken Lay smiling? · Poppy's Enron birthday party · The Saudi money laundry and the president's uncle · The sentence of Enron's John Forney · The holiness of Neil Bush's marriage · The Silence of Cheney: a poem · South Park Christians · Capitalist against Bush: Warren Buffett · Fastow childen vs. Enron children · Give your prescription money to your old boss · Neil Bush, hard-working matchmaker · Republicans against fetuses and pregnant women · Emboldened Ken Lay · Faith-based jails · Please die for me so I can skip your funeral · A brief illustrated history of the Republican Party · Nancy Victory · Soldiers become accountants · Beware the Merrill Lynch mob · Darleen Druyun's $5.7 billion surprise · First responder funding · Hoovering the country · First Command fifty percent load · Ken Lay and the Atkins diet · Halliburton WMD · Leave no CEO behind · August in Crawford · Elaine Pagels · Profitable slave labor at Halliburton · Tom Hanks + Mujahideen · Sharon & Neilsie Bush · One weekend a month, or eternity · Is the US pumping Iraqi oil to Kuwait? · Cheney's war · Seth Glickenhaus: Capitalist against Bush · Martha's blow job · Mark Belnick: Tyco Catholic nut · Cheney's deferred Halliburton compensation · Jeb sucks sugar cane · Poindexter & LifeLog · American Family Association panic · Riley Bechtel and the crony economy · The Book of Sharon (Bush) · The Art of Enron · Plunder convention · Waiting in Kuwait: Jay Garner · What's an Army private worth? · Barbara Bodine, Queen of Baghdad · Sneaky bastards at Halliburton · Golf course and barbecue military strategy · Enron at large · Recent astroturf · Cracker Chic 2 · No business like war business · Big Brother · Martha Stewart vs. Thomas White · Roger Kimball, disappointed Republican poetry fan · Cheney, Lay, Afghanistan · Terry Lynn Barton, crimes of burning · Feasting at the Cheney trough · Who would Jesus indict? · Return of the Carlyle Group · Duct tape is for little people · GOP and bad medicine · Sears Tower vs Mt Rushmore · Scared Christians · Crooked playing field · John O'Neill: The man who knew · Back to the top

. . .


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Read Soul Song by Marjorie M. Liu Online

Against her will, Kitala Bell foresees the future. Now her own future is in peril. From the ocean’s depths rises an impossible blend of fantasy and danger, a creature whose voice is seduction incarnate, whose song can manipulate lives the way that Kitala herself manipulates the strings of her violin -- even to the point of breaking. He is a prince of the sea, an enigma --Against her will, Kitala Bell foresees the future. Now her own future is in peril. From the ocean’s depths rises an impossible blend of fantasy and danger, a creature whose voice is seduction incarnate, whose song can manipulate lives the way that Kitala herself manipulates the strings of her violin -- even to the point of breaking. He is a prince of the sea, an enigma -- a captive stretched to the limit of his endurance by a woman intent on using him for the purest evil. And when survival requires he and Kitala form a closer partnership than either has ever known, the price of their bond will threaten not just their lives, but the essence of their very souls...

Title : Soul Song
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 9780843957662
Format Type : Paperback
Number of Pages : 331 Pages
Status : Available For Download
Last checked : 21 Minutes ago!

Soul Song Reviews

  • Eliza
    2018-12-06 15:42

    Let me preface this by saying I have liked all the other books in this series. Not loved all of them - one of them I found disturbingly like a pro-furry manifesto - but I quite enjoyed the first one, and I downright loved Artur's story. This one? This one fell somewhere in between the first one and the scary pro-furry manifesto. I enjoyed most of it, but there were a few little bits were I was all, "Dude, Marjorie M. Liu, what crack are you smoking?"The best part of the book for me was Kit. I love seeing a non-white heroine treated like any other heroine, without making it all, "Look at me! Look how EXOTIC she is ZOMG." The heroine was also just so... sensible. Well, for the most part.If you're a die-hard paranormal fan, or a die-hard Marjorie M. Liu fan - and who could blame you? She's awesome! - then I'd definitely recommend you get this book. And if you have any leanings toward being a furry, well. Please don't tell me, but go get this book. Otherwise, I'd start with the first in the Dirk and Steele series.

  • RondaTutt
    2018-12-07 17:41

    Nothing like a singing Merman to catch your soul!Wow this book was Much Much Much Better than the last one in the series. I definitely enjoyed the read, maybe because I have a thing for Mermen - LOL The story was very creative. M'cal was a beautiful Merman that had a siren's call that could make them do what ever he wanted them to such as kill themselves or shoot other individuals. M'cal could suck individuals souls right out of them leaving just their shell to eventually die. Enslaved by a witch, M'call was her slave and she used him to hunt and bring her souls in order for her to gain more knowledge. I have to say I hated that witch and was so looking forward to her being tortured or killed brutally but that doesn't happen.Actually the way things ended with that witch kind of confused me because she was the bad guy and then all the sudden she is trusted and is treated good - I mean WTF. Hence one of the reason for 4 stars.The connection between M'cal and Elsie was awesome though and the author hooked me with their musical connection - M'cal with his voice and Elsie with her violin. They both sung music mentally to each other which was very unique. The sex scenes are gracefully described but very hot. One moment I thought she might even attempt a menage but it turned out innocent. LOLThe interaction with the Wales was beautiful and the describable scene was so visionary I could actually feel the intense thrill of riding on the back of one. There was a little action with the Dirk & Steel organization and I wish there would have been more because of all the interesting shape shifters. We did get more with Roni (Bird Shifter) here and there.Overall, very interesting story.

  • Ruby
    2018-11-28 22:53

    While I'd love to be able to loan this book out to anyone who was interested, I don't want to give it up - so get your own!The latest in the Dirk & Steele series, SOUL SONG starts with a bang and doesn't stop until the last page. It's so packed with action it literally left me feeling breathless - and so sympathetic for poor Kit (a concert violinist who has the power to forsee violent deaths) and M'cal (a merman enslaved by a soul-stealing witch), who were thrown from one thing to another with no downtime as they race to stop the witch, free M'cal, and save Kit's soul.Sounds like a pretty tall order, but Liu has a great way of balancing a big, action-packed plot with delicate character development and tasty romance without ever going over the top. While the female lead of her first Dirk & Steele book TIGER EYE reminded me of a certain Touched By An Angel actress, the entire series is just as well done as SOUL SONG. If you think paranormal romance might not be your thing, I encourage you to start with Liu - there really is something for everyone here.

  • Jennifer Leighton
    2018-12-08 20:59

    ***3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 for originality***

  • K.K. Summer
    2018-12-12 20:29

    1.5 Sterne. War leider nicht das was ich mir versprochen habe - irgendwie war alles etwas überstürzt und es wurde alles einfach ohne großes Nachfragen akzeptiert.Auch die Charaktere waren meiner Meinung nach eher Stereotypisch und leider war auch die "Liebesgeschichte" irgendwie eher auf Sex begründet als alles andere. Schade hatte mir davon wirklich mehr erwartet.

  • Catherine
    2018-12-14 18:38

    One thing I’ve learned while reading the Dirk & Steele series is that defeating the bad guy doesn’t necessarily mean that things are over. Storylines and characters are interwoven throughout the series and things have a way of coming back around. Such is the case with Soul Song. When we meet M’cal his situation seems eerily familiar. We have to wonder, is it coincidence or is history repeating itself?Imagine falling in love and opening yourself to a person. But instead of happiness you find yourself made a slave; your will stripped. You are compelled to do unspeakable things, and over the years you find yourself emptier and emptier. You have no relief from the torment—the only pleasure you are allowed to feel is from the touch of the woman who enslaved you, and that in itself is a form of torture. That is the M’cal we are introduced to in the beginning of the book. He is a man lost and my heart broke for him. Watching him find happiness gave me a warm feeling inside.I really appreciated having a book with Kitala Bell in it. Ever since being introduced to her in Tiger Eye I’ve been curious to get to know her better. I was very surprised to find that she is more than just the good friend of Dela, she has a hidden magical ability of her own. She’s gone out of her way to avoid further developing her abilities, so she’s stuck in a plateau. She can’t avoid seeing how these people will be killed, but she can’t seem to change anything and is frustrated by her inability. When she meets M’cal, suddenly she finds out that she has been living in a world filled with supernatural people, just like her, and never even knew it. She’s helplessly fascinated by him and his deadly music and can’t resist the urge to feel his music and add to it. Her abilities unwittingly compliment his own and give them both the opportunity to try to defeat M’cal’s captor and survive. There are still twists and turns to be found here, but on the whole it’s a lot smoother than the previous book was. I didn’t have any of those odd moments of disorientation, where I wasn’t really sure if I had missed something or not. The plot unfolds smoothly and sucks you into the joy and helpless despair M’cal and Kit find in their situation. Once again Liu has managed to provide complex characters who will leave you questioning yourself as the details are revealed. Does personal tragedy make what the villain is doing okay? What exactly are you willing to forgive? Can one good act change your feelings about a lifetime of neglect? These are all things I asked myself as I read the book. Nothing is clear cut, and sometimes you’ll find yourself uncomfortable with how easy it is to sympathize with the villain. I really enjoyed Kit and M’cal together and thought that they were both exactly what each other needed. I still winced a little over how quickly they fell for each other, but that was easily swept aside as I was sucked into the rest of the book. At times I found Kit’s actions a little idiotic, but she’s a steady enough character for the rest of the book that I didn’t hold it against her too much. My favorite crow, Koni, is back in the action and I am really hopeful that we might one day have a story about him. Sometimes he’s the only (much needed) voice of levity in a very serious situation. We also got to see some of the other previous Dirk & Steele characters, which gives us a nice character refresher before we head into the next book. Favorite Quote:”Keep your hands above the covers.”“Give me a break,” Koni replied, staring at the ceiling. “I am not a total pervert. Although, to be honest, consider the night we’ve been having. First handcuffs, and now this? Way more kinky than I expected.”“Please,” M’cal said. “Do not talk.”“You like the strong and silent type, huh?”“If you do not shut up, I will kill you with my voice.”“I love it when you talk dirty.”“Fine. Which do you prefer to lose first? Your soul or your testicles?”“You know, you’re just a bit obsessed with chopping off balls. Do you have issues with your masculinity?”

  • Kim~Fantasy~
    2018-11-21 21:46

    LOVED LOVED LOVED it!! Oh Kit was amazing! And M'cal was so perfect for her, with his voice to go with her music! I loved how I got more of my man Koni....he is too friggin hilarious with his smart ass comments! Did I mention sexy?? OH YES HE IS!!! LOL!! I was shocked in the end by the witch, and Kit's granma was serious mojo! The characters as always were great, I love them! And how lucky was Kit to be in that delicious sandwhich to escape hypothermia...OMG I was salivating and giddy to imagine it!!Aahhhhh Koni naked....mmmmm it happened alot in this book, which was FANTASTIC!!! I hope that Kit and Alice stay friends...I think it would be fitting considering the history! It was great though, even through it all I was suprised in the end...I can't wait to see how things go...and what will happen to the guys at the agency next!! I can't to the next one!!

  • Christie
    2018-11-16 22:31

    I liked this story until the very end where it took a rather violent turn that I didn't care for. The extra characters who keep reappearring in the Dirk & Steele stories are fun to read about and help keep you interested in reading more about D&S.

  • adrienne
    2018-12-11 18:36

    A higher 3.5 just because Kit is a woman of color and a musician and I understood all of the descriptions of music so deeply. Otherwise, still insta-lust and nothing hurts!

  • Paranormal Romance
    2018-12-10 19:38

    To the heroine, her gift has always been unwanted and completely uses. What's the point or seeing violent death on the faces of those around her is nothing she ever says or does will change the outcome? But when she sees a woman at her concert one night, this feeling comes over the heroine and for the first time in a very long time, she feels compelled to at least try to save this womans life. With that one fateful decision, the heroines life will be forever changed. She is witness to a kidnapping as the woman she tried to save is taken violently by armed men and the heroine herself is kidnapped because she saw it. She begs the men let her go, offers to bribe them, nothing. Just when she thinks this may be the end, she is saved by a tall dark man who brutally kills a few of her attackers and badly injuries others. This man, however, is not as he appears. If she was under the impression he is there to help her, she is sadly mistaken. Rather, the hero has been sent to steal her soul on the orders of the witch that has control of him. He is tormented every second by he acts forced upon him by this bracelet which the witch uses to owned him. He's tried many times to cut his arm off to free of the compulsions but the magic is strong and he can never succeed. Prostituting himself for the souls she demands, he's never before had a specific target....and he's never before laid eyes on a woman such as the heroine. The love which he thought he could never again feel towards a woman, especially another witch, washes over him like he beloved ocean. He can't kill this woman and he'll do whatever he can to save her. Something about her, her soul that resonates in his body, something manages to gift him the freedom to let her go. This woman has given him the gift of hope, hope that through her his connection with the witch could be severed. The heroine is torn by her instant love for this powerful, beautiful man and his obvious slavery. He is honest when he says he's been ordered to kill her but she can't bring herself to think of him as an enemy or even as a man to be feared. She feels too deeply for him and so, she is determined to see he is set free. Together, the woman who denies her magic but puts forward into the world such powerful music and the man who's had everything taken from him but still finds the way and means to fight against his chains, search for the source for a way to defeat their enemies. This book was what I always associate with a Dirk and Steele novel. Instant character connections, powerful and moving love stories and constant non stop actions. This book delivered. I was swept away into the pages until I couldn't stand the thought of having to put it down. The scenes, especially the action and the love scenes, were so vividly written that I felt as if I was there with the characters and that takes a very special kind of author. What can I saw about these characters? I was absolutely in love with both of them as well as the appearances from other Dirk and Steele agents. The heroine was strong and worthy of respect as she fought so desperately hard to save another women whom she didn't even know but knew who die without her help. The heroine denied her magic but throughout the story, her soul would rise up and be used to either sooth the hero or take action against those who seek to hurt him. She was a passionate woman who never complained about all the chaos and fear now in her life because she also discovered a once in a lifetime love with this hero. He He was amazing. He had such a hard go of it. The witch who he thought he love betrayed him, enslaved him. He's been forced to kill people and other horrible things without the ability to stop himself. When he meets the heroine, he is in love. Her song momentarily frees him and he envisions her like a Madonna but still a woman he desires. He was so freaking strong and able to heal from everything thrown at him. A gunshot to the neck, a knife wound to the chest, a knife wound to the heart? Nothing could stop him from protecting the woman he loves. They had an amazing relationship. One built of an instant connection and one strong enough to see them through all the pain and the terror they experienced. I was in love with both of them. I was in love with this book. Marjorie Liu is a very special author and one I look to when I want a passionate and action pact PNR adventure and this book did not disappoint.

  • Angel
    2018-12-06 21:41

    M'cal is a gorgeous Merman who has been held captive by an evil witch who forces him to steal people's soul and give them to her. He has the ability to control others with his siren's song. His next victim is Kitala, a woman with magic in her music. He intends to take her soul, but instead she steals his heart, something he never expected. Together they battle and defeat the witch and other evil characters. This is a beautiful love story filled with lots of action, great sex and a wonderful love shared by two people who had never known love and true happiness.

  • Samantha Thacker
    2018-11-28 18:31

    What maddness is this?! we're FINALLY getting some answers to all the shadowy plot line that's been bandied around for 6 books now

  • Erin ☕ *Proud Book Hoarder*
    2018-11-27 21:53

    I want to make a note that I haven't read other books in the series, so a comparison isn't possible. It's easy for those who haven't read any books in the series to jump right in, as nothing is really mentioned about previous installments, and this story is all the own of its characters. Plot-wise it's a unique piece; a merman of sorts (although that's not his official name) has been enslaved by a witch he trusted years ago. Using his incredible voice, he's forced to steal the souls of victims for his mistress, not able to resist her twisted calls. When she then instructs him to find and bring her two more people - one Kitala, another witch, and the other being Robin (whom is a mystery I won't reveal), he is forced to obey yet again.Plot-wise, it's a unique piece. A merman of sorts, M'Cal has been tied by a witch for many years, forced to use his awesome voice to steal souls for his demented mistress. Hatred of her makes his life an eternal misery, but he is not strong enough to break their bind. She orders him to bring him the bodies of two others next, Kitala and Robin (a mystery I can't reveal without ruining the book.)When he crosses Kitala, however, he is able to temporarily fight the urge to deliver her to the witch for slaughter, and together the two continue solving the mystery of finding Robin, trying to figure a way to unbind him from the witch, and ultimately surviving the day alive. From every corner comes a different sort of villain, including the witch, another unseen enemy and her cohorts. Tension is packed tightly, with every chapter having something majorly substantial on the line. From the first page things are constantly in motion, evolving into knuckle-biting suspense, keeping the pace up full-fledged. Scenes of suspense are expertly written, bringing out the highest level of anxiety possible.Kitala as the main heroine is likeable, haunted by her morbid gift of forseeing the death of others, not familiar with her own great power, accompanied with the slightly irritating trait of ignoring good advice and getting herself in trouble. M'Cal is vicious when he must be (biting off the nose of an enemy, even), yet tender with others when he has the choice. Their romance blossoms quickly, with a sweet endurance that's simply moving. Not mushy or overdone, their relationship helped propel the central story onward, as together they stood taller than apart.The villains were multi-dimensional as well (big brownie points!) with surprisingly degrees of character. The witch was someone you loved to hate, yet the ending revealed a small surprise. I'm guessing the wereanimals, etc., were part of the rest of the series. None were explored blatantly, yet they were interesting specimens who provided the right background to keep the story plausible. Romantically Soul Song is strong, with erotic tension and undertones, yet no on-the-page errr, grouping.A downfall of the story was the complex scenarios with the witch. Her motivations didn't make 100% sense at the end, and the 'switching' almost felt like a mini cop-out. It's also unrealistic that Kitala could suddenly pick up on what powers she needed within 48 hours. Coming as second nature is one thing, but every ability needs fine-tuning and practice. Even Superman learned that lesson the hard way.Marjorie M. Liu penned Soul Song with flair, her writing style fitting as comfortably as a well-worn shoe. Ultimately Soul Song sings itself as a mystery sort of story, something other-world without seeming too off-the-wall. Dark and deliciously paranormal, with enough twists to make a pretzel envious, Soul Song is a book worth reading anytime.

  • Jm
    2018-12-14 17:56

    Kitala Bell est une violoniste de talent et qui joue d’une manière presque magique. Elle a également la particularité de voir la mort des personnes qu’elle croise. Une noyade, un étranglement, s’il s’agit d’une mort violente, Kit est capable de voir sur le visage de la personne quelle sera sa mort. Cette faculté l’a peu à peu mise à l’écart des autres et à part quelques tentatives, elle ne prévient plus les gens qu’elle croise à propos de ce qu’elle voit.M’cal est un triton de la race des Krackeni, capable d’ensorceler les gens avec son chant et de leur voler leur âme. Il peut vivre dans l’eau comme sur terre. Malheureusement, après être tombé amoureux d’une femme, cette dernière l’a enchaîné grâce à une malédiction. Pour elle, il doit chasser les âmes de personnes qu’il choisit au hasard et les lui rapporter pour qu’elle y puise jeunesse et pouvoir. Jusqu’à ce qu’elle lui demande de lui ramener l’âme de Kit.Lors d’un concert, Kit aperçoit une femme, Alice, avec un couteau dans l’œil. Poussée par son instinct, elle décide de la prévenir qu’elle risque de mourir. Elle se retrouve alors embarquée dans des événements violents et dangereux. Kidnappée, violentée, elle est sauvée par M’cal, un homme mystérieux et intriguant qui lui annonce qu’il a pour mission de la tuer mais qui finalement la laisse partir. Mais Kit n’est pas décidée à laisser tomber et choisit d’essayer de sauver Alice de ses ravisseurs. Pour l’aider, elle appelle son amie Dela (héroïne de L’œil du tigre) qui lui envoie des membres de Dirk & Steel, dont son mari Hari, pour la protéger et l’aider à retrouver Alice.Les descriptions de l’auteur sur la musique qu’entend Kit dans sa tête ou sur les sons de la vie sous-marine de M’cal nous permettent de ressentir pleinement ce qu’éprouvent les personnages. Kit et M’cal se complètent et sont en parfaite harmonie. Et malgré le fait que M’cal doive tuer Kit, on souffre avec eux des obstacles qui se dressent sur le chemin de leur bonheur et on souhaite les effacer pour qu’enfin ils puissent être ensemble. Le rythme du récit nous entraîne de plus en plus vite dans l’histoire comme une accélération de tempo dans une partition et on suit les personnages à travers les épreuves en espérant que la note finale clôturera cette symphonie de la meilleure des manières.Il n'est pas nécessaire d'avoir lu les tomes précédents pour comprendre l'histoire, il suffit de lire les résumés pour resituer les personnages de Dela et Hari.

  • Mystique Reviews
    2018-11-22 15:34

    The Dirk and Steele detective agency takes a back seat in the latest installment of Marjorie Liu's and allows us to see what it's like for two magical people, lost souls without the support of others like them. Like the title implies, this is a beautiful romance that pulls the heart strings and stays with you long after the book is over.M'cal is a tortured hero. Trapped by the mistakes of his past, his reckless youth and false love. He is also Krackeni, a mean bad ass merman with attitude to spare. Kitala Bell is strong, independent and struggling to make the right choices. She has a terrible gift. She can see how people will die, if the death is a violent one. In the past she has been able to look away but when she see's the violent death of a young women she is compelled to act. This one good deed leads her down the road to M'cal.The return of my favorite shape-shifting crow, Koni is a welcome treat as he makes another appearance, again threatening to steal the story. We also are given a wicked witch who eats peoples souls and Ivan, the creepiest vampire I have every read about.I really enjoyed this book very much. It was a great read to curl up with and I plowed through it in one sitting. Unlike the other books in the series this one can be read as stand alone.Five Mystique Moons. (Outstanding)Class Three sensuality. (Standard Romance)

  • Jasmin
    2018-11-18 14:46

    Der deutsche Titel ist etwas irreführend, das ganze hat nur wenig mit Sirenen zutun, obwohl Musik eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Zum einen geht es um Meermann M'Cal einem Krackeni, der von einer Hexe mehr oder weniger versklavt ist und für sie Seelen stehlen muss, ob er nun will oder nicht. Dabei nutzt er die Macht seiner Stimme. Zum anderen geht es um die brilliante Geigerin Kitala, die über die Fähigkeit verfügt, den Tod anderer Menschen vorrauszusehen und unversehens in lebensgefährliche Dinge verstrickt wird.Dass die beiden schon alleine durch ihre Musik voneinander angezogen werden ist klar und M'Cal und Kitala passen auch ganz wunderbar zusammen. Wir treffen auch andere Charaktere aus der Reihe wieder, z.B Koni.Das Buch war prima Strandlektüre für heiße Sommertage allerdings war das Ende wieder ziemlich gestresst und verworren, das war schon bei "Geliebte des Feuers" so und ich musst ich die letzten Seiten mehrfach lesen um zu verarbeiten was da alles genau passiert.Außerdem fand ich ganz interessant, dass diese Dämonen Sache irgendwie eine ganz nette Brücke zu der Hunter Kiss-Reihe geschlagen hat, ein Cross-Over wäre doch mal toll :)

  • Gina Briganti
    2018-11-19 17:59

    I can empathize with Kitala Bell, who we first met in "Tiger Eye," book 1 of the Dirk & Steele series. If you have to have an extra sense, why would you want to foretell death? Most people I've spoken to on the subject want to see lottery numbers or the location of buried treasure.This is my favorite Dirk & Steele novel yet. Why? I really enjoyed the twisty plot and seeing characters from previous books in the series. That's part of why I read series and not just single titles. I like to see those characters again after I read their story. It's also my first merman romance. Before I saw this book I never thought about the possibility. There are a lot of dark scenes and plots to this book, and to the Dirk & Steele series. If you're looking for a light read, this is not it. And if you're looking for a knock your socks off romance, this is also not it. There is a romance, but there is so much action and adventure that it takes a back seat. At least in my opinion. I found both characters likable and I wish them all the best.

  • Katy
    2018-12-15 17:46

    This is now the 5th Dirk and Steel I're read, and I've only just now realized that these are actually romance novels. Duh, I guess I wasn't paying attention to the covers since they were on my nook! But the romance is just done so tastefully in each book that it is not so overt. I really liked the idea of this book, I liked the mermaid and the musician. It was a great combination to get them together. However, I really hated that his name was M'Cal. It bothered me the whole time. I got past it by just calling him Michael in my head, but I still did a slight cringe whenever I saw it. Also, there was one point where Kit is getting whisked away by the bad guys, and I thought "Oh geesh, not again! Hasn't this already happened like, 3 times at least!" So it almost seemed a little repetitive in some ways.All in all, though, it was an enjoyable read.

  • Nicole
    2018-11-21 16:42

    I really enjoyed this book! It was fast-paced, and despite the fact that the characters fell in bed together pretty quickly (typical of the genre), their speedy romantic attachment did not feel forced. The dialogue felt like things that real people would say. The characters who seemed like bad guys...well, it's not that they weren't, but they had pretty solid, understandable reasons that they did what they did, even if you didn't agree with their methods. It was also nice to have a main character that was a person of color. This is the first book I've read by Liu, but I plan to read many more.

  • Brenda
    2018-11-30 14:39

    I've loved this series, but for some reason Soul Song didn't grab me the way the others did. Ms. Liu's writing was excellent as always, but I really couldn't connect with the hero, M'cal. The heroine was Kit, who we've met previously in the series. I really loved her character, but there was something missing in the story for me. I loved the action, and the outcome of the book. It actually bothered me enough that I waited a few days to write this trying to figure it out. I think it was the lack of humor from M'cal. I understood why he was that way, but it made it fall flat for me. I'll read the rest of the series with no hesitation because I love Ms. Liu's writing.

  • ~Leslie~
    2018-11-16 19:35

    I am wavering between 3.5 and 4 stars for this one. This is such an interesting and different series to read. The world M. Liu has created is intriguing to say the least, and this book is no different. In this one, we meet M'cal who is a Merman. And they are a little different than one would expect. Kit, who is a fiddle player, extraordinaire, sees how people are going to die, and this unusual gift leads her into some bad stuff, but she gets M'cal at the end, so it's okay! I loved both of these characters and that's what saw me through some places in the book that got a little overly drawn out and confusing. But overall, an entertaining read.

  • Yodamom
    2018-11-27 22:35

    It was worth the .50 cents I paid for it. It was cheesy, predictable, with a weak plot.- Yet I read the whole thing ? I really can't explain why. I was so miffed when the bad guys did the comic version of to tell the truth. They told their whole plot to the good guys, in the middle of the evil deed they were participating in at the time ??!?!??! I was totally twisted up at how the story jumped from one point to another abruptly, never going back to finish up several points. So why did I not give up on it ? I just had to see how it turned out. What a disappointment that was-dull. I could se the potential it was there is was just on the next page, just one more...not.

  • Loretta
    2018-11-25 19:48

    This is the first book I have read in this series. I enjoyed the suspense and the drama. It is a well formed story of a girl with the magic of music and blood-line meets a man of mixed ancestry and enslaved by a witch. I would have liked to see more meat in the story surrounding them in their trek to save a complete stranger that Kitala Bell (our heroine)meets at her own concert, as well as the freedom of the enslaved M'cal. Even in the midst of its climax, the story is over too quickly and leaves one waiting for more.I think I will gather more complete introduction to this series by going back to book 1. My interest is definitely piqued. A good afternoon read on a quiet day.

  • CatBookMom
    2018-11-29 19:56

    Of the 4 books in this series I've read to date, this is by far the weakest. M'Cal and Kitala Bell are great characters, fascinating abilities, but oh, the blah-blah-blah you have to get through (there was a lot of skimming done!) to get to What Happens Next. And the Big Bad, known for most of the story only as 'the witch', is one sick babe. Somehow she's got her hooks into a couple of the local cops (also pretty sick types), and how that happened could have been an asset to the story; as it is, Officer Yu and her cronies are just there, chasing after Our Heroine, kidnapping her and shooting M'Cal.

  • Kim
    2018-12-05 17:49

    Against her will,Kitala Bell foresees the future. Now her own future is in peril. From the ocean 19s depths rises an impossible blend of fantasy and danger,a creature whose voice is seduction incarnate,whose song can manipulate lives the way that Kitala herself manipulates the strings of her violin -- even to the point of breaking. He is a prince of the sea, an enigma -- a captive stretched to the limit of his endurance by a woman intent on using him for the purest evil. And when survival requires he and Kitala form a closer partnership than either has ever known, the price of their bond will threaten not just their lives, but the essence of their very soulsI loved this story.

  • Lakisha
    2018-11-24 19:53

    Disclaimer: I received no compensation from the author or publisher for this honest review.Secretive heroine meets even more secretive mystery man. Sounds like a recipe for intrigue and sizzling byplay while watching the two dance around each other.It was nice to see some of the characters from other Dirk & Steele novels being used in this one. The blend of paranormal with reality is always a plus and adds spice to the Dirk & Steele universe.I like that both MCs were flawed but that didn't keep them from growing as characters throughout the story.Would I recommend this book? Yes, this is another good read from the Dirk & Steele series.

  • Christina
    2018-11-17 22:34

    (view spoiler)[ I thought the ending was fucked up in profound ways. Too much (almost gratuitous, imo) misery, no real catharsis, some inherently wrong messages to take away. Also the complete and lasting helplessness of both of the protagonists throughout the story bothered me: Why did it take another person for Kitala to come into her own power? And why was it, in the end, a three-second cop-out? What was with the contrived semi-sympathetic characterization of the witch? There's more, but I'm feeling drained. *I just cannot grasp the fact that they gently, almost affably sent away M'cal's rapist and longtime abuser. I cannot fucking believe it. Wow. Wow. (hide spoiler)]

  • Heidi
    2018-12-08 20:53

    The story:A mixed race musician reclaims her magical background and rescues an enslaved shapechanger. The enslaved shapechanger is redeemed in more ways than one as she reteaches him the value of freedom and teaches him hope and forgiveness.The author:Marjorie M. Liu is a paranormal romance writer. And a sci-fi fantasy writer and reader. Her stories include powerful women, people who have experienced pain and recovered to become stronger individuals and some interesting and fun plots. The characters strongly define the stories.

  • Siria
    2018-12-16 18:38

    Soul Song has a much more tenuous connection to the universe of the 'Dirk and Steel' books, and the plot arc doesn't advance very much. What plot there is is also cracktastic in a typical Liu manner, and I am growing a little tired of the OTT/vaguely gender-skeevy villains, but there is still some good stuff in here, and it all makes for a pleasant read—multiracial heroine! her southern, black grandma who is clichéd, yes, but not nauseatingly so! body parts are bitten off! (What? My work day was stressful.)

  • Kendrawesome
    2018-12-15 19:44

    (view spoiler)[Mad props to the author for actually putting MERSEX in this book. It definitely delivered on that front--and I'm not talking about the merman transforming into a human, or something like that. No, there's definitely scaly manparts that emerge from merman parts, and yeahhhhhh.However, as lulzy as that sounds (and the fact that our mermanly hero sings his foes to death), the actual plot is pretty random, and all the constant 'SOUL MATE' stuff is a total turn-off. Sex scenes are so-so.(hide spoiler)]


text:
Miss Gypsy…where have you been?!

I have been getting that a lot lately and so this morning while I have a spare minute or two, I thought I’d share some of the happenings going on in my life right now. All good! 🙂

First off, as anyone who knows me well knows that I am more and more disenchanted with social media lately. I have decided to do most of my social sharing right here on my blog. Social media has become a cesspool of drama which I just don’t have room for in my life. So…if you wanna take a peek into the life of a Sleeping Gypsy, look no further than this place right here.

vardo camp

That being said, hubby and I have been busier than little beavers! We decided a while back to sell our house in St. Augustine and move south to Daytona Beach! This means a lot of work. We are relocating our store to the Daytona Flea Market late this year or early into 2016. This is a definite step up up UP! We are so excited to be making this advance you have no idea just how excited we are!

Daytona Beach and surrounding areas are experiencing a tremendous amount of growth right now and all sorts of good things are going on down there! I will still be doing readings on a regular basis, but the retail side of my business will be on hold until we get settled. In the meantime, we will be moving to our new abode very soon!

I will be sure to keep you all posted as things progress and develop. Our lives are just so full of blessings and work and business right now that it is really hard to keep up on the cybersphere end of things, so I do apologize for not being more active online. Real life calls! But I have not forgotten you guys…my friends and customers and clients that make my life so bright and full of meaning and joy!

And rest assured…I will be contacting each and every one of you personally with updates as to my contact information so that everyone will be in the loop and on the same page!

Wishing everyone a wonderful day! 🙂

…Gypsy. <3


text:
Wednesday, 24 December 2008

Happy Christmas everybody

Well it's nearly here, I hope you're all being good.

I went to the workshop briefly today, where there were parcels waiting for me, how exciting! A package from the States from Becky, that contained two of her lovely little birds. Thank you so much Beck, how special.

and one from Hannah, inside, this beautiful snowflake, now hanging on my tree. Thank you H.

There was a little pot from my apprentice Jess and another parcel, yet to be opened, but containing something ceramic, from and made by my friend Matt's mother. I'm a lucky man, thank you all.

Thank you too to everybody who have sent me cards.

As I write this, the boys are wrapping their Mum's presents. They're full of excitement which is lovely to see as they're getting to be big lads now. Joe's quite a chef, so we're going to make some spicy pumpkin soup in a minute, for tomorrow's starter.

We'll be having a quiet day, maybe meet a few friends for a drink before lunch in the pub and maybe a walk through the lanes in the afternoon to burn off some of the Christmas pud.

Kipper and Spratt have been getting into the spirit of things and are hoping for a little something containing catnip or perhaps a sardine - I think they may just be lucky.

A big thank you to everybody who has helped me get through this year, folks who have bought my pots and those who have supported me through this blog. It's been wonderful meeting so many people all over the world through this virtual network, learning about your work and getting a window on your lives.

I'll sign out by wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, I hope Santa's kind to you and brings you everything you could desire.

Peace and love

Happy Christmas!!!

Friday, 19 December 2008

Been trying to get back into it today. This puzzle jug took ages. I enjoy making them, but with so much stuff stuck on the outside I start to go a bit mad. Two more under wraps that'll need finishing next week. I wish I'd got everything finished so that I could stop, but I'll need to go in for at least one day next week.

Hil and the boys finished school today. Luke performed with his band for his year group. Joe had to watch Mamma Mia, which it transpires is not what a thirteen year old boy wants to be doing with his time.

One good thing about living with a teacher is that every Christmas there are lots of goodies around. Hil brought a big box home full of chocolates and bottles of wine. Lots of smelly things too for the bath tub.

In a week's time it'll be all over - we haven't even got a tree up yet. Tomorrow we're going to go and face the crowds in Exeter to do some crazy Christmas shopping, then we'll try and get this place looking a bit more festive.

My little boys are suddenly young men, Father Christmas' true identity has long been exposed and they don't long for toys any more like they used to. They do still get excited though and I'm sure they'll still be hanging their stockings up, full of expectation bless 'em.

Happy weekend all

Tits like coconuts

........and so do nuthatches

Hello all and welcome to anybody who has come to visit my blog via Gary Rith's Pottery blog in New York.

If you're not familiar with Gary's blog, I recommend you check it out - it'll put a smile on your face, it does that for me daily - he's a man who knows how to have fun.

I've been feeling pretty poorly this week, hence my absence - a really nasty migraine's really taken it out of me. I still feel rough now, although I did get to the workshop for a few hours this afternoon. The firing I had planned for mid Jan is looking unlikely, so I'll postpone it for a couple of weeks I think - I'd rather do that than rush things.

Here are a couple of pots I'm working on at the moment............

and a picture of my friend Different Dave. We're going to do some work together next year, he's a painter and has been collecting the various coloured clays to use as pigments - tasty.

Sunday, 14 December 2008

A weekend in Cornwall

Just got home after a lovely weekend visiting my old school mate 'Frank' - he's not really called Frank, that's his nick name from school days, I have no idea why. He's actually called Andrew Grundon and he's a very talented signwriter. He paints the signs for St Austell Brewery. This is him in Saturday's Western Morning News.

And here is their slide show of his remarkable work

He lives right in the heart of some beautiful Cornish countryside - china clay country. This is what you'll find just below the surface of the soil not far from his house.

These big chimneys are part of some huge drying sheds, now derelict, that were used for drying out the china clay after it was mined from the hillside.

His house is one of a remote terrace of old clay workers' cottages, at a place called Claylands, a few hundred yards from Michael Cardew's Wenford Bridge Pottery. The pottery is now no longer operating and has become a private residence, however I know the guy who owns it so got in there this weekend.

I went there once nine years ago and Seth Cardew gave my boys a lump of clay to play with. Ever since, Joe has questioned whether his milk jug ever got fired.

Would you believe it, there it was, along with a load of bisc fired pots from the last ever firing, sitting on the shelf.

Fancy that, he's thirteen now, he was four when he made it. He was really chuffed to get his pot after all these years.

Friday, 12 December 2008

Cheers my dears

Just been helping my mate Cookie deliver one of his amazing tables to a lucky customer. It was beauty. Obviously this isn't it, he has some extraordinary and wonderful things in his workshop, this throne being one of them.

Off to Cornwall now, have a great weekend everybody.

Thursday, 11 December 2008

Pots from the last firing

I picked up these pictures tonight from my friend Johnny. They're all pots from my last firing.

Cheers Tim

I had a visit today from Tim from Croyden, the chap who gave me the cemetery clay to try. He very kindly gave me this beautiful William Fishley Holland bowl and some really useful kiln shelves - you can never have too many of those. The bowl's a beauty and has given me some good ideas for when I start making bowls and platters next week, thank you Tim.

You can find out more about Fishley Holland in this excellent book by John Edgeler. John's responsible for some magnificent publications which make great Christmas presents. You can find out more about

This is one of a series of puzzle jugs that I'm working on at the moment. They take ages because of all the parts, but I enjoy the challenge of making them. They'll stay under wraps until next week as we're away for the weekend to my mate Frank's place in Cornwall.

'twas frosty again this morning in Devon

Cold but beautiful.

Later it thawed, leaving glistening droplets of water on the delicate grasses.

Ah, poor Dave

Life's so tough sometimes Dave, I feel for you.

For Angela

Dear Ang, guess what!

My mate Ron

These are some great mugs made by my mate Ron Philbeck.

Here's a link to his on-line gallery.

Wednesday, 10 December 2008

Clay, beautiful clay

Jessica digging clay this afternoon. We processed it all, so it should be ready for her to make with when she comes next week.

Here are a couple of beauties that Alex has made from Hollyford clay. I think these are going in the next firing in January.

Busy times here. Luke's doing his GCSE exams, so we've been up late every night helping him revise. I've been doing some painting with him and guitar work - the Maths and Science is Hil's territory.

Lots of pots coming through in the workshop. Forgot to take pictures so I'll do that tomorrow.

Cheers my dears.

Tuesday, 9 December 2008

Handled yesterday's jugs today..............

.......and made bigger versions. Also tankards and some tall, narrow jugs. Jars and flatware next.

Jessica's with me tomorrow so we're off to dig clay in the morning. I want to teach her the whole process, from taking the clay from the ground, through to firing it with wood.

Have good Wednesdays my lovelies.

Oliver Postgate RIP

Oliver Postgate died yesterday. He was a product of the progressive Dartington School in South Devon, where Bernard Leach briefly had a studio.

I grew up with Postgate's amazing creations, The Clangers, Noggin the Nog, Pogle's Wood to name but a few and there were many. The warm tones of his voice take me right back there.

His shows were made with basic equipment and technology in the days before computer animation, when things were less 'slick' and to my way of thinking, more magical - but then I suppose I was only a kid, so they would be.

Monday, 8 December 2008

Another chilly morning in Devon.

Today I made 4.5lb jugs, 1.5lb jugs and more mugs. I want to have at least fifty mugs in the next firing, maybe even a hundred.

I also decorated the jugs I made last week. This one has a design inspired by deer footprints I saw a while back.

Sunday, 7 December 2008

The sale went well - particulary as I was so useless at publicising it(one small poster in the village Post Office). In fact more people in the States knew about it than over here, thanks Ron!

Thank you to people who bought pots. I still have plenty left that will be here in the garage until the next sale if anybody would like them.

It was great to see Blogger Andrew, who's been staying with Nic recently, helping to fire the kiln. The potter's life seems to be suiting him. Here he is with Hil and me in the garage.

Lots of pots to make this week. Have to go out collecting wood too for the January firing. Busy times, particularly as my chum Marky Mark's away in Mexico visiting his in-laws so I'll be doing it on my own.

Have a good week all.

Friday, 5 December 2008

Nic Collins' on-line show goes live tonight

Nic's on-line exhibiton goes live this evening. He has selected the twenty best pots from the firing for his first on-line show, all of which will be available to purchase from his site.

You'll be able to view the exciting new work by clicking here after 6pm UK time. Be prepared to see some beautiful things.

My Pottery Sale is Tomorrow, Saturday 12noon - 4pm and will be in my garage nextdoor to my house. If you need directions, give me a call. There are going to be lots of great bargains, including big jars, huge baluster jugs, large platters, big bowls and a whole range of smaller stuff too. It's going to be a good old clear out, I hope some of you can make it.

The Garage
Rosemary Cottage
Cheriton Fitzpaine
EX17 4JH

(01363) 860183

Thursday, 4 December 2008

This week's news

I've been a bad blogger this week, so here's a load of rubbish all in one big lump.

Been at work this evening.

I've enjoyed throwing loads of mugs in the past few days with this soft clay - it makes for soft looking pots. It's too soft to make anything bellied though, so simple, wobbly cylinders are ideal.

Digging enough clay is no problem and then processing it to a slip, but I don't have the space or facilities to dry much of it out to become usable, plastic clay. The little shed will sort out that problem, it'll take a day to finish it, so I'll wait for a sunny one, then do it. After that, racking, drying trough and away we go, Hollyford clay on tap - well in lumps anyway.

As it turns out, I need lots of small stuff for some forthcoming events, so the limited amount of readily usable clay has forced me to get on with that rather than making even more big jugs that I don't really need at the moment.

I just keep wanting to stick stuff all over my pots - this clay is so smooth to the touch, it can be rolled and modelled much more easily than the old stuff that used to split because of the grit. Hmm, interesting mugs,I think I might be going crazy, but who cares? I'm having a laugh. These have had a white slip and a good blast of copper carbonate right in the face poor chaps.

The stuff in the countryside continues to fire me up, particularly the structure of some of the dead foliage, these teazles are incredible.

The surface of these pumpkins is really interesting. There's a pile of them in the farmer's barn just up the track from the workshop. Gentle texture is something I'm going to explore. I want to use some naked clay in the top of the next firing, in the hot spots, so I'm starting to look around at surfaces for inspiration.

This is remarkable, it's a picture of the ice on the roof of Cookie's car earlier in the week when he gave me a lift to work. There's so much beautiful stuff around, whatever the season and whatever the weather.

Tomorrow I'm off into the city to my friend Johnny's place to drop off more pots to be photographed in his studio. Some of the images are for use in a couple of books that are coming out next year that are being written by two very fine potters, one is by Linda Bloomfield and the other, John Mathieson

Johnny's taken quite a few pictures of pots from the last firing, I'll put some on here next week when I get them.

Other news:

Jessica, a family friend, who came to me earlier in the year on work experience, is going to be training with me a day a week. I'm going to teach her all about the slipware process and materials.

I've been offered an exhibition in January, at the Burton Art Gallery in Bideford, the site of the bottle kiln we fired earlier in the year. There's a very fine collection of North Devon slipware at the Museum, so it's a great venue for my pots which are distant descendants.

Today my acceptance letter came for Earth & Fire at Rufford - phew.

The exhibition of slipware, Good things for the table is still ongoing in the Long Room Gallery, Winchcombe. Thank you to those folk who have kindly bought my pots.

Oh yes, and by the way, my sale's on in the garage this Saturday, from 12 noon until 4pm, many bargains to be had. I'll post more info tomorrow - wow, this publicity machine's white hot.

Bath,bed,bye xx