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Eastside Kyokushin Karate & Self-Defense

We will train our hearts and bodies for a firm and unshakeable spirit.

How do I join?

Just show up!

We always appreciate an email ahead of time, but feel free to come by during normal training time to check us out.

Regardless of your level of fitness or background, we are prepared to help you reach your full potential. There is no special equipment or clothing necessary, though a gi (traditional karate uniform) is encouraged. If you don't have a gi, just wear loose fitting clothing like sweats or shorts and a t-shirt. Please no tank tops as they tear easily during throws. We will also ask you to remove all jewelry (piercings, toe rings, rings, bracelets, necklaces etc) for your and the other student's safety.

Monthly dues are $66 ($60 + tax) per month - no contracts, sign-up fees, initiation fees, or anything else. You can pay your dues via check, cash, or credit card. We also offer financial aid for those who qualify - check with an instructor for further details.

Training Times

11332 120th Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98033
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Saturday, March 10, 2007

Soup-er day

Really long busy day today but a fab one! It started with a session making soup for the homeless shelter our church is supporting in London (I was there a while ago). Two of our older teens were part of the team serving there but I waned to offer the others a chance to help out too so we mae the starter for 30 people (which doubled up as a vegetarian/vegan alternative to the main course apparently!) in the form of a fresh vegetable soup. I'd gone to our local out of town vegetable shop and got a stack of seasonal veg for £7 and we spent a merry hour peeling, chopping and stirring - amusingly I'd forgotten to take a wooden spoon so we ended up stirring with a celery stick which was kinda funny!! Anyway it was good and we linked in at youth group (Pulse) by talking about homelessness and what it really means. We ended up with a load of volunteers to help out next year when we'll hopefully be running a shelter in Wycombe!

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Vietnam Luxury Beach Vacation

Vietnam Luxury Beach Vacation

Day 01:    Hanoi - Arrival (D)

You are warmly welcomed by our Tour guide at Noibai Airport and transferred to your hotel in Hanoi capital. Be free and relax after long journey. In the evening, attend Water Pupet Show and enjoy welcome dinner with traditional music or show. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 02:    Hanoi - Halong Bay (B/L/D)

Leave Hanoi at 08:00 for Halong bay, The World Heritage Site. Upon arrival, embark a junk cruising around Halong Bay. Enjoy seafood lunch on boat, then have a short excursion to Surprise Caves and swim, kayak if weather permitted. In the evening, enjoy the night fishing (if weather permitted), have seafood dinner on boat. Overnight on board.

Day 03:   Halong bay - Hanoi (B- Brunch)

In the morning, cruise more around Halong Bay and back to the Halong pier. Have lunch on boat before driving back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi

Day 04:    Hanoi halfday city tour - Danang - Hoi An (B/L)

Take haftday city tour to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, One pillar pagoda, Tran Quoc pagoda. After lunch, visit to Temple of Literature, the first university of Vietnam. Have lunch and take flight to Danang. Transfer to Hoian. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 05:    Hoian at leisure (B) Overnight in Hoi An

Day 06:    Hoian at leisure (B) Overnight in Hoi An

Day 07:    Hoian - Danang - Nhatrang (B)

Take early afternoon flight to Nha Trang, free at your own time. Overnight in Nha Trang.

Day 08:    Nhatrang at leisure (B) Overnight in Nha Trang

Day 09:    Nhatrang - Hochiminh city (B/D)

Morning flight to Hochiminh, pick up and take half day city tour to Reunification Palace, War Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral. Ben thanh market. Enjoy farewell dinner on Saigon River Cruise. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 10:    Hochiminh City – Departure (B)

Free time for shopping or optional visit before transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for departure.

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  1. Vietnam tours package, vietnam tours operator:

    Halong cruie:

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Happy 50th (Podcast) Anniversary to Played!

Come what may, my two co-hosts and I managed to record 50 podcast episodes of Played over the last few years. The anniversary episode went live last night if you're interested in listening to some geeks talk about video games.

It’s a entertaining episode where we announce the winners of the Haiku contest we ran last month. Included is a fun little ditty my co-hosts, Chris Remo, wrote which is comprised of all three winnings submissions. We also chat at length about Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War II, Killzone 2, King’s Bounty: The Legend, Fable 2 and Microsoft’s claim that gaming is health for kids (in the UK).

I imagine that it's probably a bit tacky to link to it here on my own blog, but it’s something I’m pretty proud of so please do check it out.

Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazzard

Within minutes of starting Eat Lead you will learn that Matt Hazzard was a big celebrity back in the 80s where he starred in a string of very successful video games. Since then he has unfortunately plummeted off the charts (due to making a Mario Kart type game) and been out of work. Destined for a comeback he is commissioned by "Wally" Wellesley to star in a new, next-generation video game. But not all is as well as it seems—Wally really wants to destroy him.

Allow me to explain: When Wally was a kid he bested every video game he played except for one—Matt Hazzards. Taken as a whole it is actually an intriguing idea for a video game as it leads to an unusual take on breaking the 4th wall.

For instance kicking off the voluntary tutorial leads to Matt Hazzard exclaiming, "Great--an in-game tutorial. God I hate these things!" and “Yeah Yeah! I know how to shoot a damn gun!”

During the beginning of one particular level--in habitual third-person/first-person fashion—the objectives start to appear in the upper right-hand corner. As they pile on they begin to cover the protagonist making him exclaim “Ok! Ok! Can we summarize this or something?” This prompts the list to be consolidated to “Shoot stuff that moves”.

It gets even more clever.

In one particular instance Matt Hazzard has to fight some of the enemies from his first game and they are literally 2-D sprites running around shooting at you. The real clever part is they purposefully become more difficult to hit by turning to their sides, thinning themselves.

But all this great material is simply overshadowed by the real issue--the gameplay. Though it replicates Gears of War in this regard, it fails to be engaging. The weapons have little-to-no kickback and lack any sort of originality. The AI is nonexistent and possibly inferior to the PB&J sandwich I had for lunch today. The quick-time events are slow and far too crude to be entertaining. The game is so unbalanced I completed 75% of a level using melee attacks that—when performed at the right moment--seemingly render you invincible.

It would be a bit trite for me to even mention to the readers of this blog that most video games expect you to slip into the boots of their protagonist. But in Eat Lead it’s just too difficult to do because the games foundation is so weak. It leaves Matt Hazzard to be possibly the most apologetic video game character ever. He consistently looks back at you winking and nudging his way through the levels in hopes that he will distract you from the real issues at hand.

No More Heroes is a similar game in that it’s self-aware (but to a much more mild extent). One of the glaring differences is the protagonist--Travis Touchdown. He is self-assured, hilarious and backed by an extremely robust gameplay model. In contrast I imagine Matt Hazzard would rather crawl out from the TV, sit next to you on the couch and entertain you with his knee-slapping humor. It ultimately makes for an awkward gaming experience that eventually falls prey to the same ridiculous paradigms it sets out to mocks.

King's Bounty: The Legend

Killzone 2 will astonish you with its deferred rendering engine that utilizes multi-sampled anti-aliasing to produce unbelievable graphical fidelity for a home console. Burnout Paradise will have you sweating at a blistering 60 frames-per-second as you soar over skyscrapers crashing through billboards (queue 80s rock DJ!) Madworlds protagonist, Jack, wants to violently seduce you as he chainsaws his way throughout a blood-spattered--Frank Miller enthused--world justly confirming that it really is a mad mad Madworld he lives in. But recently I was plucked out of the hardcore gaming stratosphere to be reminded that gaming isn’t always about boiling your blood with crazy gameplay antics or pumping your adrenaline over its procedural merit.

King’s Bounty: The Legend is here to say it is ok to slip back to a more classic style of gameplay and focus on strategy while having a good time. It's ironic that I initially found King's Bounty: The Legend to be precisely the game I wasn’t looking for. For the last two years I've been feverishly pushing forward at 180 mph playing everything I can get my hands on. To name a few, I've played through to completion F.E.A.R. 2, Mass Effect (five times), Far Cry 2, Fallout 3 (twice), Dead Space, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand theft Auto 4 (twice), leveled a Priest to 80 in Warcraft obtaining 4/5 of my Tier 7 gear, and really just about everything else imaginable. I consume games and love every minute of it (hence the name of this blog). But after spending some times with the game I realized I almost missed out on something special and now I'm here to inform my fellow gamers they might be too.

King's Bounty will be instantly familiar to anyone who's played the Hero's of Might and Magic series. That is to say it's a turn-based tactical RPG that takes place in a fantasy setting. You control one of three character classes (Fighter, Paladin or Mage) in real-time, traversing a map overflowing with treasures, monsters, and NPCs. These NPC bestow quests upon you which push you farther and farther into the recesses of the world. Sometimes you'll just fall into a wacky situation--I once chatted up a stump only to discover he ailed of distraught and was in dire need of help. How could one resist!

As you progress through the game your character will gain new abilities through the now ubiquitous skill tree, obtain new weapons and armor from merchants and treasure chests, and venture off to new lands. These lands are segmented by portals that whisk you to-and-fro consisting of super-green grasslands, dank mines, eerie swamps, chilly ice-lands, gloomy forests and scorching dungeons.

The turn-based warfare takes place in a completely separate battle-screen that essentially resembles a chessboard. Though this might sound a bit dowdy, the board is modified throughout the game to vary movement strategies.

I do not remember the last time I played a game that possessed such a vibrant, colorful, hand-drawn palette. When I saw the menu screen for the first time I just sat there staring at the beautifully drawn image analyzing its absurd level of detail. Unfortunately, once in the game, the game loses that level of impressiveness and moves to something more similar to the Warcraft series. But that’s not to say it isn’t a good looking game. Although clearly inspired by Blizzard’s work, there does seem to be just enough of a departure from it to tell the two apart. Overall it is a very visually appealing game.

If there is going to be a downside to King’s Bounty it will probably be that it really does nothing new in this particular genre, and some might perceive it as borrowing heavily from the above mentioned Heroes of Might and Magic series. The interesting twist is that the original King’s Bounty came out in 1991—four years before the Heroes of Might and Magic series. For me personally this was never an issue, but I suspect that this will be a source of contention for some.

The dialog that carries the story can be a bit monotonous at times as its standard fantasy fare. It’s worth noting that the Russian developer, Katauri Interactive, tried to inject some comedic value into the dialog to liven things up.

With King Bounty I realized I was letting a small portion of the gamer in me miss out on something special just because I was caught up in the mix of things. If you’re looking for something to change that up you should give this game a chance--it’s worth your $30.

GTA Phone Calls Have Me Lost and Damned Damned Damned!

On the whole I would say that the GTAIV: Lost and Damned DLC is a triumph. It offers a respectable amount of debauchery, hog ride'n, Arm Westle'n, F-bomb drop’n and even brings a new-fangled episode of Republican Space Rangers for all of us to enjoy.

Unfortunately there still remains one absurd design choice that drives me to shouting at my TV in I hopes that Sam Houser will take notice--scripted phone calls.

They have got to stop.

Actually the calls wouldn’t be so bad if Niko or Johnny didnt stop running to answer these intrusions. But in regards to this game in particular, I don’t know of anything else more frustrating than the inevitable phone call once you've completed a mission. The likelihood that one is involved in a car chase in GTA involving a insane amount of munitions had got to be high. Not only are there bound to be 37 cop cars hot on your trail, but you are most likely going to be running from your burning charriot thereafter. To have the protagonist suddenly stop running while trying to get away is maddening. It got to the point where I would try to find an alley to run and hide in so Mr Turtle wouldnt get killed. It wouldnt be so bad if the save system was a little more logical, but after a long tedious mission this is the last thing we want to have happen.

I understand Rockstar wants to slow things down a bit so you can focus in on the narratives progression, but there has got to be a better way of handling this.

what's more is the run ability is shared with the hang-up button? How many of you have hanged up on a caller while mashing the run button trying to get away from a burning vehicle?


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Chocolate Truffles with Pecans and Dried Cranberries

  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup or light corn syrup
  • ½ cup pecans
  • Powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons frozen concentrated cranberry juice cocktail
  • + 2 more ingredients
    • ¾ cup whipping cream
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Stir cream, butter, syrup, and cranberry concentrate in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture comes to boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted. Mix in cranberries and pecans. Pour truffle mixture into 11x7-inch glass dish. Freeze until firm, about 50 minute...

View full recipe at Epicurious

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Saturday, April 25, 2009

Around the Globe!

HI All.

I wish I could travel a bit and see who is Eating Clean around the globe. What fun!!

Anyone else who is following from afar? I would love to hear from you. Who knows we could probably work something out!!

Love and hugs around the planet.
I am always listening.

Anonymous said...

Calgary, Alberta loves you Tosca - wish it were more exotic though! lol

Julie134 said...

A visit to Oz would be GREAT! and you could stay at my place - plenty of room when the renovation is done - a brand new kitchen is awaiting its final touches and then there's no stopping me! My clients and students could meet this wonderful woman I keep raving about! and there's NO SNOW where I live - sunny Central Coast of NSW! Beautiful place! beautiful people! are you convicned yet? hey even Jen Hendershott brought PHAT CAMP to Sydney in 08 - maybe a team venture? Thanx for all you do and all you are!

Shelly said...

I am a newbie to your plan and due to the military I live in Germany. The 2 people who stand by and recommend your book live here also. One is my personal trainer as of tomorrow I am excited about this new adventure and WILL SUCCEED. Also I laughed when I read Tosca's info as that is me I am a Frumpy, fat housewife but 1 year from now maybe less that label will not fit well.

Maari said...

Hi and greetings from sunny Finland, where I am trying to spread the clean eating message around. i have all your books in my office for anyone to borrow. And of course, I have my personal copies at home. I buy Oxygen from the newsstand when possible, but since December i have not been able to find it - I guess I need to order.

I just turned 50 and I will be a goodlooking, sexy, fit girl, to whom age is just numbers. Thanks to eating clean, exceersising and having a POSITIVE attitude. Thank you Tosca!

KRISTIN said...

NORWAY! You're welcome anytime :)

Katie said...

I'm reading you from the (at least today!) Sunny Jersey Shore! We love you here!

Anonymous said...

Come and visit the UK and spread the eat clean news! You have many fans over here - check the message boards. Luckily my local Borders stocks Oxygen and your Eat Clean Diet Cookbook but I know many others don't. With so much obseity and junk food over here we need someone as inspirational and passionate as you to spread the clean eating message.
p.s: Make sure you send your new Eat Clean Diet for Men across the Atlantic our way. My boyfriend and I can't wait until it hits shelves near us!!!

Flip said...

We love you on There are at least two forums devoted to your Eating Clean. I am on both teams and will join any others I find :)

I am 55, started watching my calories and working out in Jan. When I discovered Eating Clean, the pounds really started to melt off.

I've lost 25 pounds, but more than that, I am healthier than I have EVER been.

Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Another Finnish lady here :).

Anonymous said...

Thank you Tosca for writing the Clean Eating Diet, Cookbook and book for families. I'm living in Ireland and even though I haven't seen any of your books or your fabulous Clean Eating magazine here, I'm loving eating clean. I got all my books on Amazon and ended up subscribing to the Clean Eating magazine. I'm feeling so much better and healthier since I started to eat clean. Come visit Ireland!

Anonymous said...

Sunny greetings from Poland :) !

Anonymous said...

i'm a canadian in the UK eating clean!

Anonymous said...

Im from the West Island of Montreal, Qc!!!

Wendy said...

Clean eating in Ottawa here and RESISTING the timbits somebody brought in! Thanks for all you do Tosca!

Monique Thompson said...

I am following your clean eating in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. I also subscribe to the Clean Eating and Oxygen magazines. To me this is not just the latest diet, it has become my lifestyle. I have my husband following along too and my mother and daughter are learning as well! Thanks for all the good work you do. I am in my late 40s too and you are inspirational.

Anonymous said...

Hello from Blue Rock, Ohio ;)

I can't wait to see you at the 2010 Arnold!!

Erin said...

A Canadian also in Norway! Norway needs you DESPERATELY Tosca!!! All they eat here is hot-dogs and frozen pizza and tons of cakes! I'm doing what i can to spread the word as a nutritionist and personal trainer, but it would be awesome if you came to Norway!!! :)

the6chapmans said...

Hi Tosca!

My name is Crystal Chapman and we are Americans living in Swaziland, a country in Africa. We are here to help children who are left orphaned or vunerable from the HIV/AIDS crisis. I have four active and beautiful boys! I have had two of those babies here in Africa and after this last baby born and my mother died last year (she is from Nova Scotia) I have dedicated my life to exercise and clean eating! I have always loved to workout and eat whole foods but your book has given me the inspiration I needed to make that complete leap for the rest of my life. It is not easy all the way over here! I long for Whole Foods and ready available clean food items. If anyone visits it is the most important thing I ask them to put in their suitcases for me and of course all the oxygen mags and clean eating mag! If I can eat clean and exercise here in Africa anyone can do it. Thank you for your books, blog and faithfulness to bring us your passion to inspire and help us even in Swaziland! You have a fan across the ocean!
By the way South Africa (next door to Swaziland) would be a wonderful venue for introducing clean eating! Just saw an oxygen magazine, April edition and jumped for joy. My sweet husband bought it for me-$10.00! But so worth it!!
Thank you Tosca you are welcome here anytime to this beautiful country!
Crystal Chapman
(check us out at

Anna said...

Hi Tosca,
Russia is there too :)
I have about 5 friend who follow the Eat-clean diet, you rock!


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Xmas is on it's way...

...and I have yet to barely think about what I'm making!!! Right now, all I know for sure is that I'm doing roasted red potatoes with rosemary, field roast, macaroons, and cookies! I still need to think about making a few more side-dishy type things. I'll get back to you soon and let you know what the final outcome is.

In other news, everyone at the cafe I manage got me a gift for xmas. They adopted two turkeys from Farm Sanctuary for me, Echo and Phoenix! You too can adopt a turkey by going to www.adoptaturkey.org. Farm Sanctuary is a great organization and facility doing A LOT of good for the animals! I just won tickets at the Humane League of Philadelphia's fundraiser holiday event to stay for a weekend this summer. I can't wait!!

Here's a photo of Echo...

and Phoenix

Thanks Amy, Rebecca and Leslie!!!

Should have a new podcast out soon, I swear! Also, if you're on twitter please vote for me in the Shorty Awards for the food category. We need a vegan to represent at the acceptance ceremony, where I'll have the opportunity to speak for the animals in only 140 characters? What should I say when I win??

1 comment:

  1. Aww, I don't know how anyone could think that turkeys are ugly, especially based on those adorable pictures! Congrats on the adoption, it's such a great cause. :)

    Happy holidays!

Propaganda propelled by a gay vegan.


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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Undercover Boss - TaylorMade

I don't watch a lot of TV, but one show that I do enjoy is CBS's Undercover Boss.  In two weeks time, they'll be airing an episode any golf enthusiast will enjoy...

CBS has announced that TaylorMade CEO Mark King will be featured during Season Three of Undercover Boss. In case you’re unfamiliar with the show, Undercover Boss is where business executives from top companies around the country go undercover within their own company and work as a regular employee. As you might imagine, this often leads to the boss discovering many things about their company that they never would have known about otherwise, and oh does it get interesting.

If you’re familiar with Mark King, you know that his personality is um….a little vivacious (that’s putting it lightly). He speaks loudly, firmly and with passion (see video of him introducing the TaylorMade R11 Irons below, he’s like a rock star), so watching him undercover will certainly be entertaining.

It’s certainly great publicity for TaylorMade and the golf industry as a whole, and no doubt will provide some memorable moments. The airdate of the TaylorMade episode will be Friday April 6th.  Get those DVRs ready.


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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Golf Drones

Article by Matthew Rudy, originally posted on Golf Digest

Sneaky fun with the most control you'll ever know on a golf course

Laird Small has seen most everything, at least in golf.

The longtime director of the Pebble Beach Golf Academy has supervised the swings of tour players and celebrities and presided over the range at Pebble's U.S. Opens and National Pro-Ams. He also helped design and outfit the Academy's sleek new campus—which looks like a place you should get a lesson before spending $495 on a round of golf.

The shingled, Craftsman-style teaching facility is the nerve center for a double-sided range with turf more plush than the big course's.

It also has what might be the most sophisticated collection of instruction technology in North America—including the arresting new $150,000 RoboGolfPro machine, which physically moves your club in the same pattern as any model golfer you choose while you hold on. Pebble has the first two in the United States.

But when a Frisbee-size, four-blade mini-helicopter makes a lazy pass downrange before returning and hovering 20 feet over his lesson, Small and his student can't help but do a double take.

Small's aerial stalker is a drone—named after the remotely piloted military reconnaissance and attack vehicles that patrol the skies in trouble spots around the world. Even though the copters are evolutionary descendants of the gas-powered balsa-wood model airplanes hobbyists flew in the 1960s and '70s, they have more in common technologically with their military namesakes. You can buy a consumer drone outfitted with four battery-powered motors and a gyro-stabilized video camera for about $1,000, and control it on your smartphone or tablet with a GPS-based system that was once available only to the military.

Our drone's pilot traces a route on the Google Maps-based app on his tablet screen, starting at the parking lot of the Golf Academy and cruising over Pebble Beach's Lodge and down the beach adjacent to the 18th hole. The drone rises briskly to its pre-set altitude of 100 feet and departs, sounding like an amplified jar of agitated bees.

Four minutes later the copter returns, landing gently at the exact GPS-tagged spot from which it left. The tiny GoPro Hero3+ camera mounted to the drone's belly recorded the spectacular mile-and-a-half oceanside trip in pristine high-definition without a hint of shake.

A 10-year-old could confidently fly the type of drone we're using. Ask it to hover in a certain spot, and it uses GPS to lock itself in a loitering position, adjusting each of its four motors like a hummingbird to compensate for wind. From there, you can use the remote-control joystick to nudge the copter in any direction, or use a second stick to pivot and pan the camera.

Our pilot is decidedly more experienced. As 3D Robotics' design director, Jason Short's job is to figure out how to adapt the company's copters to suit the ways consumers will use them. The wind is coming in hard off of Stillwater Cove, blowing straight into the par-3 seventh. It's 106 yards, but today, a caddie tells a strong player that 7-iron is the club. Short's mission is to hover the drone above the surf boiling the rocks at the base of the green, then fly it toward our photographer. The drone ably cuts through the 25-mile-per-hour wind, drawing stares from the foursome walking to the green. They can't hear the drone's motors in the wind, but it sure stands out from the seagulls.

The goal is to get the photograph on the first pages of this story—the drone flying against one of the most famous backdrops in golf. Short leans the drone into the wind to keep it steady for a few clicks of our camera, and then a fierce gust shoves the copter hard. One of the rotors catches the edge of the camera's lens guard, and the drone pinwheels to the ground. The carbon-fiber propeller is a casualty, sheared off at the stalk.

The most popular consumer drones are all aimed at the same sweet spot of the market—a copter that's intuitive to fly right out of the box and easy to upgrade with various cameras. Sturdiness is also important when you're spending upward of $1,000 on a hobby vehicle. "I've crashed these things hundreds of times in testing," says Short, surveying the underside of the drone. "They're pretty durable. All of the money is in the middle: electronics, power supply, camera. I've never broken any of that stuff."

Thanks to a vibrant aftermarket (and affordable 3-D printers), replacement and custom drone parts are easy to get—and getting more inexpensive by the month. The broken propeller is held on by a single bolt, and Short has a stash of $25 replacement pairs in the back of the cart. "The only thing you don't want to do is go down in the water," he says. "You won't be getting it back."

Most hobbyist fliers use drones as platforms for amateur videography, so it will be interesting to see the uses golfers dream up. The allure of seeing your swing from above is obvious, as is making passes over your home course to get radically different perspectives. (Think filming your club's member-guest playoff. An eye in the sky would not only preserve but intensify the drama for those not used to playing under pressure.) Flight time, however, must be a consideration. The hover feature built into the newest drones' control software allows you to record about 10 minutes of a practice session from above. Of course, you've got know what to look for. Laird Small glances at the camera's screen after the circuit above his lesson and laughs. The image reinforced his message—that the student's club was laid off at the top. Networks like Golf Channel have already caught on, using industrial-strength drones to carry cinema-quality cameras on hole flyovers. It's much more interesting to see that bunker 275 yards off the tee from the ball's perspective. Even our basic low-level pass down the Pebble Beach range provided mesmerizing video of balls cycling through the frame on a green carpet of grass.


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And-still-they-come department

March 2009

Talking to Damien Pignolet, I opined that I wouldn’t want to be opening a new restaurant at the moment. “But we are,” he said mildly. I’d forgotten that he and his business partner Ron White picked up the infamous Baron’s site in Roslyn Street, Kings Cross, which they hope to open in six months. “It’ll be new and shiny and Sydney loves that — at least for a little while,” he said archly. Indeed.

Meanwhile, under the ASTC heading, another shiny new joint opened late February — Pyrama (56 Harris Street, Pyrmont, Ph 9692 8844) — with part-owner Jim Larcan at the stoves. Half Greek, half Italian, Jim has been at W in Woolloomooloo, Ripples Café in Milsons Point and Kables at the Four Seasons. He’ll be using organic poultry and as much sustainable produce as he can. We’ll drop in for a meal and let you know how it goes.

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Project Management

All of our Project Managers are certified Prince 2 Practitioners and work within ITIL Frameworks.

This means that we have the skills to ensure that your projects are managed to provide the best possible chance of success.

We have managed many projects from small office moves to multi-national transformations.

Please contact us if you would like to discuss your requirements.


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florida > The Florida Election Code > Voting Methods And Procedure

§ 101.731 Short title.

Sections 101.731-101.74 may be cited as the “Elections Emergency Act.”

s. 1, ch. 92-16.

Definition [Emergency]

Any occurrence, or threat thereof, whether accidental, natural, or caused by human beings, in war or in peace, that results or may result in substantial injury or harm to the population or substantial damage to or loss of property to the extent it will prohibit an election officer’s ability to conduct a safe and orderly election.


text:
Aliases Korash Khaar
Size Small City
Country Droaam
Government Despotic feudalism
Local Ruler Xor'chylic
Population 6,300 (5,800 in Graywall; 500 in the Stone Pit)
Races Bugbears, Gargoyles, Gnolls, Goblins, Hags, Half-orcs, Harpies, Hobgoblins, Kobolds, Medusas, Minotaurs, Ogres, Orcs, and Trolls
Religions The Dark Six
Source Eberron Campaign Setting, pg. 168
Dungeon Magazine #368, pg. 19
4E Droaam

Graywall is a small city in the monster nation of Droaam. It lies on a House Orien trade road leading from western Breland, and is usually a visitor's first stop when entering Droaam. It is the second largest settlement in the region after the Great Crag, which serves as the nation's capital. Graywall is run by Xor'chylic, its illithid mayor.[1]

Ten thousand years ago, the Dhakaani Empire built the fortress of Korash Khaar at the base of the Graywall Mountains, with the purpose of defending the valley between the Graywall and the Byeshk Mountains. The fortress stood strong for a thousand years; at least, until the Daelkyr War erupted. Western Khorvaire was overrun by the daelkyr and their servants. Dyrrn the Corrputor, one of the more powerful daelkyr, set his sights on Korash Khaar. The daelkyr overran Korash Khaar, and some say that the defenders' blood was absorbed into the walls of the fortress, turning the stone to blood red. Korash Khaar fell, though the daelkyr themselves were pushed back. Many of the invading daelkyr were trapped beneath the ground, in cells in the Khyber created by the Gatekeepers.

Over the next nine thousand years, the ruins of Korash Khaar turned hands many times, with the goblins, then the gnolls, then the ogres, and finally the gargoyles all taking turns using the ruins as their home.

During the latter days of the Last War, monstrous warbands were seen in western Breland, causing chaos amongst the citizens of the nation. In 987 YK, King Boranel of Breland evacuated the remaining Brelish settlements east of the Graywall Mountains. Soon after, a trio of hags calling themselves the Daughters of Sora Kell came forward, and announced possession of all Brelish lands west of the Graywall Mountains. They announced this land as a new sovereign nation they called Droaam: a nation where the unwanted creatures of the world, such as gnolls, hags, ogres, and the like can find home.

The city of Graywall

The Daughters of Sora Kell established a basic feudal system that passes for government in Droaam. A rudimentary form of civilization sprang up in the wake of this new government. Graywall was one of the first new cities to be founded. Rumor has it that one of the Daughters of Sora Kell, Sora Teraza, found one of Dyrrn's servants trapped beneath the ruins: an illithid named Xor'chylic. Xor'chylic was freed, and pleaded loyalty to the Daughters of Sora Kell. Sora Teraza ordered Xor'chylic to take over the ruins, and from the ruins of Korash Khaar came the city of Graywall. Xor'chylic used the medusa masons of Cazhaak Draal, combined with brute ogre strength, soon built the second largest city in the new nation of Droaam.[1][2][3]

Graywall sits at the foot of the Graywall Mountains, built atop the ancient Dhakaani ruins of Korash Khaar. While Graywall was built by the hands of ogre and goblin laborers, it was designed by the mind flayer Xor'chylic. He designed the layout of the city with subliminal patterning, which cause newcomers to the city to feel dread and apprehension. Locations are marked with basic pictorial signs, since most of the inhabitants of Graywall can't read. Buildings are designed to fit creatures both large and small. Graywall also has a network of tunnels underneath the city, called the Khyras.[2]

Inside GraywallEdit

The blood sports of Graywall

Graywall is divided into four distinct districts, with an additional two areas outside of these districts.[2][3][4]

Called Sorghun in the goblin tongue. Bloodstone is the largest of the four districts. The district takes its name from the crimson coloring of the stone used in many of its buildings; stone that was recovered from the shattered walls of Korash Khaar. Bloodstone is the home of the Arena, where the people of Graywall perform in blood sports every night. Inns in the district include the Hydra Halls and the Labyrinth; taverns include the Bloody Tooth, the Broken Sword, and the Venomous Voice; and the district is home to the Street of Shadows, where followers of the Shadow pay homage.

The KennelsEdit

Called the Calabas in the goblin tongue, the Kennels are where the non-monstrous races reside. The House Tharashk enclave resides in the Kennels, as does operations by the other dragonmarked houses. Inns in the district include the Gold Dragon Inn (by House Jorasco), the House of the Nine (also a temple to the Sovereign Host), and the Twilight Palace (jointly run by House Ghallanda and House Phiarlan); taverns include Dorn's Flagon, the Cracked Keg and the Merry Marcher. Other locations in the Kennels include the Roar (a plaza), Vorgath's (an orc supplier), the Kundarak Vault (home to a Kundarak vault and the House Sivis enclave), Far Davandi's haberdashery, the Silenced Stage (a playhouse), Hahlo's House for healing, and Veils (a doppelganger brothel).

Little GraywallEdit

Called Sar Kuraath, this district is home of the goblins and the kobolds of the city. Little Graywall is designed entirely for size small creatures. Most of this section is comprised of clan warrens, with no real businesses.

The ThroneEdit

Also called the Karda, the Throne is home to the mayor and the Flayer's Guard. The Throne is also home to the Znir Pact, the biggest of the gnoll tribes in Graywall. The Throne is also home to the Last Tower, the courthouse of Graywall, where Xor'chylic's word is law.

The Deep DoorsEdit

Called the Khyras in goblin, the Deep Doors are the network of tunnels beneath the city. They weave through the old Dhakaani ruins beneath the city.

The Stone PitEdit

East of the city, there are huge quarries, where miners help unearth the stone needed for continued growth of the city. Though some laborers may live within the city, most of them make their homes in the pits as well, in a tent city outside the great pit. Typical labor within the Stone Pits are 11-hour shifts, with an hour of militia training each day.

For the past four years, the mind flayer Xor'chylic has been the governor of Graywall, and holds the power of life and death over its inhabitants. Though Droaam does not follow the Code of Galifar, Xorchylic has no patience for monsters that kill without reason, and the people of Droaam know better than to provoke his wrath. Still, a large number of outlaws and exiles make their home here, and substances illegal in the Five Nations are frequently peddled here.

Xor'chylic enforces his rule with the Flayer's Guard, a group of monsters with full allegiance to him and the Daughters, thanks to his psychic influence. The Flayer's Guard is led by Korgel Blackblade, and is comprised of a force of ogres, orcs, and minotaurs supplemented by harpies, gargoyles, and a squad of war trolls trained by Sora Maenya. In addition, Xor'chylic can call upon the 100 gnolls of the Znir Pact stationed in Graywall, and his allies in House Tharashk to help support any defense of the city necessary. Although it has the trappings of a border town, Graywall is also a military outpost that stands ready to defend the pass against Brelish aggression, or to launch a raid, if needed. All workers in the Stone Pit undergo basic militia training and can take up arms if necessary.[2]

Since Graywall is one of the few locations in Droaam where the tribes of different creatures all intermingle, there is no singular religion for the city. The city's populace revere many different deities: The minotaurs have shrines to the Horned Prince; the Last Dirge harpies worship The Song of Passion and Rage while the Stormsingers worship The Stormsong and other Harpy Flights worship yet other deities; the gnolls raise pile of stones to reflecht the idols destroyed by their ancestors and the doppelgangers worship the Traveler.

Some religions are practiced throughout the nation. The largest of these is the worship of the Shadow, whose priests and priestesses call themselves the Voices of the Shadow. These priests, primarily medusas and oni, preach that the Shadow created the monstrous races, granting them powers that Aureon and the selfish Sovereign Host denied the other mortal races. The Voices of the Shadow support the Daughters of Sora Kell, and act as the community leaders of Graywall. A smaller subset of cross-race worshipers follow the Mockery. They are known to be more violent than the followers of the Shadow, frequently inciting violence against people of the east.

Most of the inhabitants are indifferent towards the Sovereign Host and their worshipers. They consider the Sovereigns to be weak and selfish gods, and will either pity or laugh at any that follow them. Some few consider the Sovereigns to be evil, seeing in their banishment of the Dark Six many similarities to the disdain with which the "civilized" races treat them. The Silver Flame, on the other hand, is actively hated in Droaam, as their crusaders have been invading Droaam ever since the Purge. Inside the city, chances are high that any obvious worshiper of the Church of the Silver Flame will be attacked on sight.[2]

The Dragonmarked HousesEdit

The only major Dragonmarked House with a presence in Graywall is House Tharashk, with smaller presences from House Orien and House Sivis. other houses have a smaller presence: Deneith, Ghallanda, Jorasco, and Phiarlan.

House TharashkEdit

House Tharashk overseeing dragonshard trading in Graywall

House Tharashk is a powerful force within Graywall. Under the oversight of Lord Khundran d'Torrn, House Tarashk has reached out to creatures across the town. Through his generosity and feats in the challenge rings, Kundran has also earned the respect of many of the inhabitants of Graywall. The Graywall House Tharashk enclave oversees a number of different operations, including dragonshard prospecting within the region, and employing and training monsters to serve as mercenaries and hunters to compete with House Deneith. Xor'chylic fully acknowledges House Tharashk in an official capacity, and has given Kundran police powers over the district of Calabas, where most of the non-monster races dwell.[1][2]

House OrienEdit

House Orien has a small enclave in Graywall, where it oversees Orien caravans heading from Breland into the Great Crag.[1]

House SivisEdit

House Sivis also has a small enclave in Graywall, where it hosts a speaking stone outpost that allows Graywall to maintain communications with greater Khorvaire.[1]

House DeneithEdit

While House Deneith does not have an enclave in Graywall, Deneith guards often pass through the city acting as guards to House Orien caravans. While passing through Graywall, House Deneith may try to recruit Graywall inhabitants.[1]

Notable InhabitantsEdit

The Roar, within the Kennels of Graywall

  • Xor'chylic is the mayor of the city, and the most powerful creature within the city's walls.[1][2][3]
  • Xor'chylic oversees a number of members of the Flayer's Guard, which is led by war troll Korgel Blackblade. Other members of the Flayer's Guard include harpy Jalira Stormtongue and wererat Salan[2]
  • Lord Khundran d'Torrn oversees House Tharashk operations within Graywall. Other members of House Tharashk within the city include Kel'Ashta, the mercenary coordinator; Mor'Ashta, commander of the house guard; Jana d'Velderan, chief inquisitive; and Lagraa the priestess.[2]
  • Jabra the alchemist is a distant relative of the Daughters of Sora Kell. She has a small shop in Bloodstone.[2]
  • Zerasha is a medusa worshiper of the Shadow that oversees the Street of the Shadow in Bloodstone. She is more loyal to her queen, Sheshka, than to the Daughters of Sora Kell.[2]
  • Szalas Jal is an oni blacksmith that runs Tooth and Steel, a shop in Bloodstone. He outfits the armor and weapons of the Flayer's Guard.[2]
  • Kalakhesh is a goblin inhabitant of Graywall; however, he is secretly a member of the Shaarat'khesh clan of goblins of Darguun.[3]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Eberron Campaign Setting. Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, and James Wyatt (2004). Wizards of the CoastISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 "Backdrop Graywall" (October 2008) by Keith BakerDragon Magazine issue 368.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Queen of Stone. Keith Baker (November 2008). Wizards of the CoastISBN 978-0-7869-5009-6.
  4. Seekers of the Ashen Crown. Chris Sims and Scott Fitzgerald Gray (2009). Wizards of the CoastISBN 0-7869-5017-X.
Cities of Droaam
Cazhaak Draal · Graywall · Graywall Outpost · The Great Crag · Grimstone Keep · Karthoon Tor · Lost · Mordain's Hall
Shaarat Kol · Stonejaw Keep · Suthar Draal · Thrakelorn · Turakbar's Fist · Tzaryan Keep · Vralkek · Znir

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An orrery is a mechanical device that illustrates the relative positions and motions of the moons in the Eberron centric model.

Wizards of the Coast has developed an online orrery that will show the relative positions of the planes.

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Shigure is a Human Sorcerer, and she comes from The Shadow Marches. She has an owl familiar named Achava.

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Saturday, February 5, 2011

Fallen Arise new EP release party !

The Greek symphonic metallers Fallen Arise  had a party last night to celebrate the release of their new promo-EP "Eternal", at Rainbow Rock Bar Gazi, Athens, Greece.
All the members of the band were present at the party, with many friends and fans. I spotted a few members of other Greek metal bands there too. After listening to the entire EP , Fallen Arise gave five EPs to five lucky winners from the people that were present at the party and then Gus and Evelyn performed live the ballad "Never Forget Me".

The track-list of the "Eternal" EP is:
1.) Intro
2.) My Fall
3.) Eternal Sins
4.) Never Forget Me
5.) Heaven's Away
Recording & Mastering @ CNF Studios
Cover art by Art of Sin Design
You can order it from here.
They have recently announced also their brand new official web-page, you can visit it here. Lots of news, band and members biography, photos from live performances etc. Of-course you can listen to samples of their EP at their official MySpace page. You can find them on Facebook from here, and on their YouTube channel here.

Taken from their recent live on 18 December 2010 at 7 Sins Club, Athens, my favourite track (yet) from Fallen Arise, "Heaven's Away"

A taste from their new EP "Eternal", the track "Eternal Sins"

Both videos are taken from their official YouTube channel.

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European Union

On the 8th of September, Catherine Ashton (High Representative of the Union of Foreign Affairs) and John Baird (Foreign Affairs Minister) signed a joint strategic partnership agreement. This is definitely a great step when it comes to the partnership between Canada and the European Union. The signed document outlines several […]

Partnership Between Canada and the European Union Keeps Getting Stronger


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more news

Linköping and Enschede connect in Smart City topics

ECIU Network

University of Twente

March 3, 2017

Linköping’s initiative

This visit fits in the long standing relationship between Linköping and Twente. This time, the visit was initiated by students of Linköping University and a delegation of Science Park Mjärdevi. The students were eager to learn more about how we in Twente work together with companies and what roles students play in this cooperation. The Student Union & University Innovation Fellows were happy to host the Linköping students.

Scientific cooperation

The cooperation in large European Research projects takes a major part in the Enschede-Linköping relationship. Currently nine projects are active. One of the examples is the SHERPA project, in which ground-aerial robots help improve rescuing activities in Alpine environments. Another project is the SATORI project, in which philosophers work together to assess the ethical impact of research and innovation.

Science for regional impact

The University of Twente and Linköping University also work together in the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU). Recently the project called RUNIN ‘The Role of Universities in Innovation and Regional Development’ started, funded with 3.7 Million Euro by the EU. Seven universities (6 ECIU universities) and nine regional development organizations are partners (including Regio Twente), and a total of seven European countries.

This project fits the ambition of ECIU perfectly: being the leading international consortium of research intensive universities, with collective emphasis on innovation, creativity and societal impact, driving the development of a knowledge-based economy.

Working together towards smart future cities

The two municipalities of Linkoping and Enschede took part in the program. Linköping was represented by Niklas Nåbo (Vice Mayor) and Christian Gustavsson, and Enschede was represented by Eelco Eerenberg (Vice Mayor), Toon Bom, Richard Kokhuis, and Dayenne Smolders. In the public administration domain were striking similarities between the cities: a great interest for Smart City related topics, such as mobility, sustainable energy, waste management, housing, etc.

 In the near future cooperation is explored in the context of EUROCITIES, in which Netwerkstad Twente and Linköping take part. Inspired by earlier organized hackathons and creathons, the starting point is to use these kinds of events to develop practical collaborative programs. Both Enschede and Linköping have a close relationship with Palo Alto, USA, and further international collaborations will be explored.

Other highlights during the day were the site visits to LOPES Rehab Robot, the Experimental Center for Technical Medicine (ECTM), and spin-off companies like SciSports, Xsens and Demcon.

Innovation in Europe

The Mjärdevi science park in Linköping supported the student initiative for a visit and asked Novel-T (Kennispark Twente) to organise a visit. The relationship between these two organizations results from the ECIU European Consortium of Innovative Universities.

Please contact Wilbert Pontenagel (Novel-T / University of Twente) or Toon Bom (Gemeente Enschede) for further information.

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University of Twente

University of Twente is a university located in Enschede, Netherlands and partner of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU).


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Monday, May 2, 2011

So many moments.  Pivotal moments, ordinary moments, moments that linger forever, and those that go by all too fast.

My pregnancy with Anwen was a series of interwoven moments I may have hoped for but never expected to have...learning I was unexpectedly pregnant, allowing myself to trust in my body's ability to carry a pregnancy to term, approaching labor and attempting a VBAC...

...Overcoming obstacles (breech presentation, going past my due date, heart decelerations) and succeeding at a VBAC.

Succeeding at a VBAC.

I woke up a week after my due date with a nagging feeling.  I hadn't felt Anwen move much (at all?) over night.  I tried to get her to move.  I drank orange juice, pushed on my belly, changed positions again and again.  Nothing.  Flashbacks to Rhys and Quin's birth started running through my mind.  We called the midwife, and her instructions were simple: "get here now."

At the hospital, we were relieved.  They found the baby's heartbeat.  They checked my fluid levels.  Everything looked good.  Except.  The baby was having some heart decelerations after contractions.  The midwife was afraid she wouldn't tolerate labor.  They couldn't let me go home, at 41 weeks pregnant, knowing I was having contractions, with a baby whose heart rate was dipping.  They could fit us in for a c-section at 3:00pm.

I cried.

I called our doula.  Instead of attending the birth, would she be willing to instead provide postpartum support?  She would.

The doctor came in.  She confirmed what the midwife had told us: a c-section was likely.

Would we like to try a trial of labor?  We'd be on a short leash - IV, constant monitoring, and a first class ticket to the OR at the first sign of distress - but she was willing to let us try a pitocin induction.

A window of opportunity.

They started my pitocin around noon.  Early labor was lovely.  My pitocin dose was low (2 milliunits) and the contractions were bearable.  Kyle and I walked around the unit, we had tea, we listened to music.  (Live harp music, at that, from a musical therapist visiting the unit!)

At four the OB came in to check my progress.  A centimeter and a half.  We discussed having her break my water.  It would allow my body to kick in to help, and I was already on a time frame because of the induced VBAC.  I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Water broken.  Contractions coming in waves.  I felt suddenly disorganized and panicked.  Pain.  Relief.  Pain. Relief.  But instead of feeling like a rhythmic pattern, my contractions felt tangled up with each other, with my mind.  Kyle brought me a hot pack for my back.  Helped me get into a more comfortable position.  I regained composure, found a rhythm.

I lose track of time.

Pitocin up to six.  Want hot water.  Into the tub.  In a rhythm.  Waves of pain.  Relief.  Laughing.  Pain building.  Cresting.  Dissipating.  Hot water is amazing.  Again and again.

The pauses between the waves get shorter and shorter.  Contractions build, peak, and dissipate...and build, peak, and dissipate.  Relief slips through my fingers before I can grasp it.  I feel panicked.  I had planned not to use any medical pain relief.  I also had planned not to use a medical induction.

"I want to talk about pain meds."  As I'd requested months earlier, Kyle and my doula try to talk me out of it. The doctor checks me.  I feel like I'm in transition, and yet I know, I KNOW, that I am nowhere near that point.  I tell Kyle and our doula, "if I'm seven centimeters I'll go on without meds".  I say seven.  I mean eight or nine.

The doctor checks me.  Almost three centimeters.  I am not discouraged.  I am relieved.  "Get me an epidural."  It's all I can say, again and again, until I'm laying in bed savoring sweet relief.

Two hours later.  4 centimeters.  Okay.  It's okay.  I'm not in pain.

Two more hours pass.  It's time to push.

At first I can't feel when to push.  The nurse has to cue me.  But then I can tell.  I'm not in pain.  But I can tell.

I push for an hour.  The baby's heart rate starts getting low towards the end.  Into the sixties.  The midwife talks about the vacuum.  It doesn't scare me, just motivates.  We don't end up needing the vacuum.  Kyle is by my side, holding my hand.  We are doing this.  We are in the hospital, we've been induced, I have an epidural, but we are doing this!  The lights are dim.  We are surrounded by flameless candles and beautiful music.  The doctor is in the room next door, so we're back with the midwife.  Does Kyle want to help deliver the baby?

And then she's out.  Anwen.  She's tiny and warm and wet.  She has an amazing strong cry.  She's crawling up my belly and all I can see are her beautiful big eyes - blue and deep and so, so new.  She has matted dark hair and I'm already in love.

(Photos by Allison Connor, our wonderful doula)


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Saturday, July 2, 2011

Cheesecake for Breakfast???

Has it really been a whole month since I've written anything?  Well, most of school is in storage, most of our kitchen is in storage, and life is teetering and tottering right now.  We have our 4-H Record Books to keep us busy for a few days and I keep catching dd-14 working on her Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 book so she can finish the school year.  Wow, she's driven!

What's Schoolin'?

Jackpot!  I was at a homeschool store the other day checking out (with a used DIVE Biology CD that we will try this year) and noticed a stack of Three Cousin Detectives books by the cash register.  I called youngest dd over and she picked out the ones we didn't own yet.  They were each $1 or $1.50 - my kind of sale!  They are a second grade reading level (or third? I can't remember) and she read them quickly but they are such sweet mysteries.  Even the olders read them :).  Each centers around a fruit of the Spirit (or a Bible verse).  The three cousins actually get along and don't bicker the whole time like in some books that we've read.  This is the first one in the series:

What's Cookin'?

This was fun to watch:  Middle dd was watching Paula Deen on the Food Network at my mom's house when we stayed the week last week.  She missed the beginning AND the end of the episode but scribbled down the ingredients.  Then she set out to make it without even knowing what it was.  I figured you couldn't go wrong with ingredients like butter, graham crackers (we used Annie's graham bunnies; cinnamon or honey), cream cheese, eggs, chocolate chips (we used Enjoy Life), and only 1/4 C sugar...

It turned out to be a cheesecake and was super delicious.  Unfortunately for her... she doesn't even like cheesecake :).  She ended up liking this one though!

As she made it in the evening and it wasn't ready by bedtime (and they had been waiting and waiting and I'm such an ol' softy) I actually let them have it for breakfast the next morning.  But wait!  My standards got even lower because I let them have some the NEXT morning for breakfast as well before we packed up to leave, lol!  We don't even eat boxed cereal for breakfast and donuts, cinnamon rolls, or pancakes are rare treats.  Oh wait... we're eating boxed cereal almost every morning this week - yes, the standards sink even l-o-w-e-r :).  I think they are enjoying that part of our transition.  It was a struggle to find cereal that, although still a processed compromise, wasn't laden with artificial dyes, flavors, petroleum, high fructose corn syrup, genetically modified organisms, etc, etc, etc, but I settled on Cascadian granola oats and honey; and Barbara's Puffins.

Here is our tentative menu with limited cookware/resources:

- Baked chicken thighs.  I had to buy a baking dish but it was worth it.  Near the end I had to hide a few thighs for a later meal.

- Chicken-a-la-king (but made with 2 small pastured pork chops instead of chicken for a family of 5 so it was a ssstretch meal) using homemade cream of mushroom soup from the freezer and frozen peas served on Afgan flatbread I grabbed at the last minute of packing up the freezer food for travel ($1.99 at Kroger if you're local!  Ask at the bakery counter if you don't find any and they'll pull some from the freezer for you)(that's a long sentence!).

- Beef tacos using the following veggies sauteed from the local farmers market and then mixed with the precious cooked grass-fed hamburger meat:  bell pepper, sweet pepper, round zucchini, a round yellow squash, and tomato.  Served on regular white tortillas for dh and on Ezekiel's sprounted tortillas for dc and me.  I'm laughing at myself because I never noticed until posting the link that they do not have wheat.  You would never know (obviously!).  Garnished with lettuce, sour cream, and salsa.

- Quiche using regular store eggs and some very super precious pastured pork sausage [note to self: get some flour and baking powder].  I'll saute more of the above veggies to include also.

- Chicken pseudo-stir fry over rice or vermicelli (using the rescued chicken thighs and frozen veggies sauteed in lots of butter and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), maybe even some coconut oil if I can find it in my mom's garage.

- Baked chicken (again) using Sanderson chicken that was on sale for $1/pound.  I hope to have leftovers for sandwiches or a chef salad.

- Frozen pizzas... yes, frozen pizzas.  I stood there at the store freezer for a while, sighed, and got Newman's Own brand hoping that it would have less additives; but I wouldn't really know because I chose to not even look.  I need to stock up on those Afgan flatbreads for homemade pizzas that we can make with our limited kitchen.  It's white bread but has very, very few ingredients.

I told the olders I would help them type their 4-H Record Books (we only have 3 more days to finish and polish them) so I'm off to be productive... or read an old Agatha Christie book I found on one of the rental's bookshelves :).

  1. What's Schoolin' might want to check out this little book, "Gimpy's's what's missing." It's fun to read and has a great, positive message. for more information.

  2. Cathy,
    Thanks for the link! It looks great and has great reviews on amazon.


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Nienow doesn’t mind being vocal in the minority

On this particular day, Sen. Sean Nienow, R-Cambridge, was scurrying through the halls of the State Capitol thinking about education issues.

Education and Health & Human Services are two areas Sen. Sean Nienow, R-Cambridge, has followed closely during his three terms in the Minnesota Legislature. Photo by Howard Lestrud
Education and Health & Human Services are two areas Sen. Sean Nienow, R-Cambridge, has followed closely during his three terms in the Minnesota Legislature. Photo by Howard Lestrud

Nienow, who represents most of Chisago and Isanti counties, had his first look at a $15.6 billion Senate education bill, which was presented to the E-12 Division of the Finance Committee. Nienow, a third-term lawmaker, is the ranking Republican on the committee. A committee vote was scheduled this same day.
A supporter of putting more education money on the base rather than on all-day kindergarten, Nienow said, “Let the schools and community decide.”

Nienow’s terms in the Minnesota Legislature have been non-consecutive, twice in the minority and once in the majority. He has gained more visibility this session in his willingness to take on Gov. Mark Dayton regarding Minnesota Vikings stadium funding issues.

He has even been mentioned as a potential Eighth District congressional candidate.

“No, I’m not running for Congress. You never say never, but I’m not running for Congress,” he said.

Nienow, between legislative terms, worked for Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, directing a district office of constituent services. Bachmann recently appeared with Nienow, both supporting one another’s efforts to improve Medicaid payment issues.

Acknowledging his minority status, Nienow said, “We (Republicans) can help.”

He has been working with E-12 Division committee chair Chuck Wiger, DFL-Maplewood, and Sen. Teri Bonhoff, DFL-Minnetonka, on language for an amendment to the education bill.

Often shedding his suit coat while conducting business on the Minnesota Senate floor, Nienow is not bashful about challenging other lawmakers.

“If you would go back and view Senate floor tapes, you would see I talked much less when I was part of the majority than in the minority,” Nienow said.

Gov. Dayton apparently thought Nienow was talking too much, “shooting his mouth off,” the governor said, about his legislation asking for a delay on Minnesota Vikings stadium bonds until sufficient revenues were realized from electronic pull tabs and other revenue sources.

Nienow says financing the Vikings stadium is not the role of government. Nienow opposed the Vikings stadium last session, saying he was working for the best deal for the taxpayers and he also believed that the funding mechanism was not going to work. He said he has been proven correct on both counts.

Where will the money come from to pay for the state’s stadium obligation? “That’s the problem,” Nienow said. “Once, we burn the front money from the Vikings, it comes out of the general fund.”

Dayton promised this would not happen, Nienow claimed. Nienow said his actions on this issue have elevated discussions. Funds would then come from Health & Human Services, the schools and bridges and roads, Nienow said.

It is incumbent upon the governor to “get engaged” on the Vikings stadium dilemma. “So far, he has been at arm’s length,” Nienow said.

While serving in the minority, Nienow says a legislator’s strongest attribute is “to message and get out there and talk to the people.” He says his legislative style is different serving in the minority than it was serving in the majority.

In the minority, Nienow said he is typically on the defensive, trying to stop what he terms bad legislation.

Nienow used a sports analogy of a hockey game: “You go flying down the ice and you see this guy give a devastating body check into the boards and people go, ‘Ooh, that was a hit.’ Or, a player will raise his stick, poke someone in the eye and people will say that’s dirty and that’s wrong.”

Nienow is energized by playing hard in politics.

“We’re down here to win in a debate of ideas and I would hope that the ideas I support prevail,” he said. “I don’t mind the full contact experience, but I really try to avoid any cheap shots.”

If someone presents a bad bill with bad policy, Nienow said he will point it out and “will beat it up, but I don’t need to get into the personal, cheap shots.”

During his time in the Legislature, Nienow has radiated to Health & Human Services and education issues. Current legislation authored by Nienow includes: Medicaid overpayments; Second Amendment affirmation; drone privacy protection; Internet password privacy; educational choice scholarships and education general education disparity aid eligibility.

Nienow is not shy in espousing his opinions on controversial legislation. On proposed gun legislation and same-sex marriage bills, Nienow doesn’t believe either will pass this session.

Nienow admits to enjoying his political career and interacting with people. “In politics, on a good day, 40 percent of the people don’t like what you’re doing. If you can get 60 percent on board, you are doing a good job.

Every question has a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ answer when it comes to a bill. The population will break it down as to whether it should be ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ You can’t vote both. There’s no yellow button, ” he said.

As citizen Sean Nienow, he said he is a family guy. He and wife Cyndy have seven daughters and one son. Nienow grew up in the Stacy area, attended North Branch schools and the last two years were in Cambridge. Since 1989 when he moved to Cambridge, Nienow has watched the area, “from growing corn to growing houses,” he said.

Nienow keeps in constant contact with his constituents, by personal interaction and by his District 32 Connections newsletter.

“If you think I need to know something, don’t assume I know it; send me an email, pick up the phone, or send a letter,” he said. “I don’t know what I don’t know.”

Howard Lestrud can be reached at [email protected]

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Monday, March 23, 2009

End of Day 3/23

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…

But difficult to keep your eye on the ball. It’s tough to stay focused on what’s real through all the government actions, media hype, and 500 point bear market rallies. Just remember that 7% rallies DO NOT HAPPEN IN BULL MARKETS. They only happen in bear markets when volatility and emotions are running high.

Today the DOW finished up 497 points (6.8%), the S&P gained 7.1%, the NDX lagged with a poor boy performance of only 6.1%, and the RUT raced to a 8.4% gain. Long bonds were down, the dollar was down, gold was down, and oil was up.

The XLF zoomed a buck thirty-three to finish up an amazing 16.4%! But guess what? It didn’t break the high from two days ago! Same with IYR which rocketed 15%. Give me a break! If you are feeling in a panic to buy, like you are going to miss it, then you most likely did miss it. If you haven’t gotten long yet, you definitely should be waiting for a meaningful pullback before you do. And if you happen to be one of those who never sold and wished you had. You are getting very close to possibly the best exit you are going to get. There may very well be more, but this is already getting extended.

We have “professionals” on teevee who couldn’t find a trendline with both hands claiming that since we have rallied 20% off the bottom that we have now entered a new bull market! What bull! It took a 23.6% SPX rally, which is where we finished today (an exact fib extension of 666), just to get to within 15 SPX points of a 61.8% retrace of the last wave! And it finally caught the S&P back up to where the same time was during the Great Depression! AND, we are still not even close to making a new high! So keep it in perspective, we certainly have not received any long term buy signals.

Here’s Doug Short’s Four Bad Bears and Four Mega-Bear Quartets just to keep it in perspective:

But to be fair, yes, it’s been one hell of a two week rally. And it’s killed the idea that we’re in wave 4 as we have now invaded wave one’s space and that would be a no-no for EW rules. Thus we are doing something more bullish. My guess would be that we are working on wave A of an ABC. McHugh believes that this is wave C of a larger ABC… while I don’t see how he’s able to produce that count, I defer to him as he is far more knowledgeable than I when it comes to Elliott Wave and he actively tracks every wave, I do not, but I do know that not all EW experts agree on where we are in the count. This count does mean that the next leg to a lower low is probably a ways off. How far will depend on a lot of factors, I know a lot of people are looking at the end of April and some are even looking as far out as the Fall. I am very skeptical that we can hold it all together that long.

And regarding Geithner’s plan, I heard it best described as “money laundering,” and that’s exactly what it is. It is the opposite of transparency, and it is galling to say the least. But the most egregious thing I heard all day was someone on CNBS saying that they plan on creating a MUTUAL FUND out of the toxic waste so that regular Americans can invest their retirements in it! That is truly the epitome of shame, it is like doubling down and then doubling down again. Regular people who have lost a large chunk of the value of their homes and have had their 401K’s pounded into the ground are the very last people who should be investing in these assets TWICE, because they already are as taxpayers!! And Obama says he wants to create a sustainable, non-bubble economy moving forward? That is NOT how you do it.

Okay, let’s talk internals… Wildly bullish, panic buying. Ten to one issues advanced on an insane 97.5% upside volume on the NYSE. That’s the type of panic buying that can mark a top. On the Nasdaq the up volume was ‘only’ 93.6%. The NYSE had 8 new highs and 8 new lows, the first time in many months that they have been at least equal.

While I’m thinking about it, Doc found a good article on Theta, the time decay of options. It’s short, has some good charts, and will keep you mostly out of front month stuff when you see the exponential curve that theta resides upon: Know Your Options - Theta.

Let’s start on the charts with the 20 day SPX. I was forced to redraw my channel lines that are actually not a channel, but a rising wedge. It’s very difficult not only to count this deformity, but it’s also hard to channel it. Again, that’s what happens when the entire market is just pure manipulation from start to finish, nothing natural about it. You can't see it here, but we did partially fill the gap from Feb. 17th and are just a couple points from a complete fill. Not a lot else to say about this other than the stochastic is overbought on all timeframes up to the WEEKLY, which by the way, is already half way up the scale and the daily is very overbought as you’ll see. I keep seeing small divergences on the RSI. If you look at the peaks on this chart since the 11th, you’ll see that the peaks are generally lower, but then you look up at the price and see it going to the moon:

Here’s the same chart of the NDX. It’s also hard to channel but really looks like a good rising wedge that finished just outside the top. We’ll see if there’s more or not, they are going to have to keep throwing trillions out the window every week at this rate:

Next batter is the SPX daily... +7.08%!? Wow. That’s quite a candle, and you can see that it closed OVER the upper Bollinger and over the 50dma as well (the 100dma is at 842). The next pivot point is just over the 100dma at 848. Here you can see that the daily stochastic dipped just a little and is now coming back up into deep overbought territory. The slow is getting to a height normally reserved for the C wave of an abc, showing how strong and persistent this rally has been:

The DOW daily also closed above the upper Bollinger and the 50dma (100 is at 8,175). What’s striking here is the volume pattern. Lower volume on a monster up day? Well, that’s only on the DOW and Transports, but not in the ETFs or futures which is peculiar. Is there a shift in the type of people who are buying? Are the bears just conditioned to sit back? Where’s the volume? The DIA had slightly higher volume today, but not much, same with the SPY. Sometimes bullish momentum dies on extreme volume, which today was not, but the internals certainly were extreme:

The XLF and IYR were insane (SRS lost 30% today and closed beneath $50). Here you can see that the XLF is trapped between the 50dma and the upper Bollinger. It was on higher volume than yesterday, but not much higher. This volume pattern is certainly more bullish than the DOW, however:

The Put/Call ratio came down again and is now sitting at .70 which is pretty low:

As I looked around the P&F charts I see a few strange things. First of all, the target on the S&P has been adjusted way the heck up there, like 1,065, which seems odd because it hasn’t broken any other major technical resistance areas that I can see on that chart. In fact, we’re just now running into solid overhead volume resistance. The other indices are still on the same bullish targets as before.

The XLF P&F, however, on Friday’s pullback triggered a new sell signal with a target of just 2.5, which is even lower than the old target of 3.5. The interim target was quite a bit higher. The REITS did the same thing, and neither tripped bullish signals on today’s monster move. The real unexpected P&F for me is the VIX. It tripped a bullish target today with a target of 64 despite falling nearly 6%. That’s opposite the direction of the indices targets, so somebody’s wrong. Of course it is a volatility index and could have held as high as it is simply due to the volatility. We’ll see what it does when the price swings settle down a little:

Overall a superfragilisticexpialidocious day if you were a bull in Turbo Timmy land. I don’t see that Timmy’s plan actually changes the fundamentals of the situation. The debt is still there and it must be serviced. Good for the bankers, bad for the people and bad for America as it will add to our debts eventually. Forget about profits, that’s laughable. While I know I told Frank the Tank and others that I wouldn’t do any more Styx for awhile, this just seems too good an opportunity to pass up. Call me a liar if you want, heck, these are the worst of times, these are the best of times…

Styx – The Best of Times:


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17 April 2011

Great and Holy Week

Holy Week (Latin: Hebdomas Sancta or Hebdomas Maior, "Greater Week"; Greek: Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, Megale Hebdomas) in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter. It includes the religious holidays of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) and Good Friday, and lasts from Palm Sunday (or in the Eastern, Lazarus Saturday) until, but not including, Easter Sunday, as Easter Sunday is the first day of the new season of The Great Fifty Days. It commemorates the last week of the earthly life of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels.

Holy Week in the Christian year is the week immediately before Easter. The earliest catholic allusion to the custom of marking this week as a whole with special observances is to be found in the Apostolical Constitutions (v. 18, 19), dating from the latter half of the 1st century. In this text, abstinence from flesh is commanded for all the days, while for the Friday and Sunday an absolute fast is commanded. Dionysius Alexandrinus in his canonical epistle (AD 260), refers to the 91 fasting days implying that the observance of them had already become an established usage in his time.

In an ordinance attributed to Constantine, abstinence from public business was enforced for the seven days immediately preceding Easter Sunday, and also for the seven which followed it (Bright Week); the Codex Theodosianus, however, is explicit in ordering that all actions at law should cease, and the doors of all courts of law be closed during those 15 days (1. ii. tit. viii.). Of the particular days of the "great week" the earliest to emerge into special prominence was naturally Good Friday. Next came the Sabbatum Magnum ("Great Sabbath", i.e., Holy Saturday or Easter Eve) with its vigil, which in the early church was associated with an expectation that the second advent would occur on an Easter Sunday.

There are other Scriptures that refer to the traditions of the Early Church, most notably The Pilgrimage of Etheria (also known as The Pilgrimage of Egeria) which details the complete observance of Holy Week in the early church.

In the Orthodox Church, Great Lent ends on the Friday before Palm Sunday, though the faithful will continue fasting until Pascha (Easter). The day before Palm Sunday is called Lazarus Saturday and commemorates the resurrection of Lazarus. On Lazarus Saturday wine and oil are allowed (and, in the Russian tradition, caviar). Palm Sunday is considered one of the Great Feasts of the Lord, and is celebrated with fish, wine and oil. Because it is a Great Feast of the Lord, the normal Resurrectional elements of the Sunday All Night Vigil are omitted; however, these resurrectional elements are inserted into the Lazarus Saturday service with its theme of anticipating the Resurrection of Jesus.

Holy Week is referred to as "Great and Holy Week". Orthros (Matins) services for each day are held on the preceding evening. Thus, the Matins service of Great Monday is sung on Palm Sunday evening, and so on. This permits more of the faithful to attend, and shows that during Holy Week the times are out of joint—Matins ends up being served in the evening, and in some places Vespers is served in the morning.
Fasting during Great and Holy Week is very strict. Dairy products and meat products are strictly forbidden. On most days, no alcoholic beverages are permitted and no oil is used in the cooking. Friday and Saturday are observed as strict fast days, meaning that nothing should be eaten on those days. However, fasting is always adjusted to the needs of the individual, and those who are very young, ill or elderly are not expected to fast as strictly. Those who are able to, may receive the blessing of their spiritual father to observe an even stricter fast, whereby they eat only two meals that week: one on Wednesday night and one after Divine Liturgy on Thursday.

In Eastern Orthodoxy the day begins at sunset, so the first service of each day is Vespers, at which stichera are chanted commemorating the theme of the day.

The Orthros services of Palm Sunday are through Tuesday evenings are often referred to as the "Bridegroom Prayer", because of their theme of Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church, a theme expressed in the troparion that is solemnly chanted during them. On these days, an icon of the "Bridegroom" is placed on an analogion in the center of the temple, portraying Jesus wearing the purple robe of mockery and crowned with a crown of thorns (see Instruments of the Passion). The same theme is repeated in the exapostilarion, a hymn which occurs near the end of the service. These services follow much the same pattern as services on weekdays of Great Lent. The services are so laid out that the entire Psalter (with the exception of Kathisma XVII) is chanted on the first three days of Holy Week. The canon that is chanted on these days is a "Triode", i.e., composed of three odes instead of the usual nine odes (the canon of Holy and Great Tuesday is a "Diode", having only two odes).

Towards the end of the Tuesday evening Bridegroom service (Orthros for Great and Holy Wednesday), the Hymn of Kassiani is sung. The hymn, (written in the 9th century by Kassiani the Nun) tells of the woman who washed Christ's feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee. (Luke 7:36-50) Much of the hymn is written from the perspective of the sinful woman:
O Lord, the woman who had fallen into many sins, sensing Your Divinity, takes upon herself the duty of a myrrh-bearer. With lamentations she brings you myrrh in anticipation of your entombment. "Woe to me!" she cries, "for me night has become a frenzy of licentiousness, a dark and moonless love of sin. Receive the fountain of my tears, O You who gathers into clouds the waters of the sea. Incline unto me, unto the sighings of my heart, O You who bowed the heavens by your ineffable condescension. I will wash your immaculate feet with kisses and dry them again with the tresses of my hair; those very feet at whose sound Eve hid herself from in fear when she heard You walking in Paradise in the twilight of the day. As for the multitude of my sins and the depths of Your judgments, who can search them out, O Savior of souls, my Savior? Do not disdain me Your handmaiden, O You who are boundless in mercy."
The Byzantine musical composition expresses the poetry so strongly that it leaves many people in a state of prayerful tears. The Hymn can last upwards of 25 minutes and is liturgically and musically a highpoint of the entire year.

On Great and Holy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated, at which the faithful may receive Holy Communion from the reserved Holy Mysteries. This service combines Vespers with a Communion Service. Each of these services has a reading from the Gospel which sets forth the theme for the day.

In many churches, especially Greek Orthodox, a service of Anointing (Holy Unction) is held on Wednesday evening, following the Presanctified Liturgy. This is in commemoration of the anointing of Jesus, and a preparation of the faithful to enter with Christ into his death and Resurrection. Those who wish to receive Holy Communion on Great and Holy Thursday, are encouraged to receive the Holy Mystery of Unction.
Orthros of Great and Holy Thursday does not follow the format of Great Lent (with the singular exception of chanting Alleluia in place of God is the Lord), but is celebrated as outside Lent, having a complete canon. Also, beginning at this service there will be no more reading of the psalter for the rest of Holy Week, with the exception of kathisma XVII at Orthros of Great and Holy Saturday.

Divine Liturgy of the Last Supper is held on the morning of Great and Holy Thursday, combining Vespers with the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great. There is a custom among some churches to place a simple white linnen cloth over the Holy Table (altar) for this Liturgy, reminiscent of the Last Supper. In cathedrals and monasteries it is customary for the bishop or hegumen (abbot) to celebrate the Washing of Feet. When it is necessary for an autocephalous church to consecrate more chrysm the primate of that church will consecrate it at this Liturgy.

Great and Holy Thursday is the only day during Holy Week when those observing the strict tradition will eat a cooked meal, though they will not do so until after the dismissal of the Liturgy. At this meal wine and oil are permitted, but the faithful still abstain from meat and dairy products.

Matins of Great and Holy Friday is celebrated on the evening of Holy Thursday. During this service, twelve Matins Gospels are chanted, from which this service derives its name of "Matins of the Twelve Gospels". These Gospel lessons recount in chronological order the events from the Last Supper though the Crucifixion and burial of Jesus. At one point, when we reach the first Gospel which speaks of the Crucifixion, there is a custom for the priest to bring out a large cross with an icon the crucified Christ attached to it, and places it in the center of the nave for all the faithful to venerate. This cross will remain in the center of the church until the bringing out of the plashchanitza the next evening.

On Great and Holy Friday morning the Royal Hours are served. These are a solemn celebration of the Little Hours with added hymns and readings.

Vespers of Great and Holy Friday (Vespers of the Deposition from the Cross) is held in the morning or early afternoon of Great and Holy Friday. The figure of Christ is taken down from the Cross, and a richly-embroidered cloth icon called the Epitaphios (Church Slavonic: Plashchanitza) depicting Christ prepared for burial is laid in a "Tomb" decorated with flowers. At the end of the service all come forward to venerate the Epitaphios.

Compline of Great and Holy Friday contains a Canon of Lamentations of the Theotokos (Mother of God).

Matins of Great and Holy Saturday is held on Friday evening. The service is known as the "Orthros of Lamentations at the Tomb", because the majority of the service is composed of the clergy and faithful gathered around the tomb, chanting the "Lamentations" interspersed between the verses of Kathisma XVII (Psalm 118. At a certain point the priest sprinkles the tomb with rose petals and rose water. Near the end of the service, the Epitaphios is carried in a candlelit procession around the outside of the church as the faithful sing the Trisagion.

Vespers joined to the Divine Liturgy is served on Great and Holy Saturday morning. This is the Proti Anastasi (First Resurrection) service, commemorating the Harrowing of Hell. Just before the reading of the Gospel, the hangings and vestments and changed from dark lenten colors to white, and the entire mood of the service changes from mouring to joy. However, the faithful do not yet greet one another with the Paschal kiss, since the Resurrection has not yet been announced to the living.

If there are catechumens who are prepared for baptism they will usually be baptized and chrismated following the Liturgy of Great and Holy Saturday.

On Saturday night, the Paschal Vigil begins around 11:00 pm with the chanting of the Midnight Office. Afterwards, all of the lighting in the church is extinguished and all remain in silence and darkness until the stroke of midnight. Then, the priest lights a single candle from the eternal flame on the altar (which is never extinguished). The light is spread from person to person until everyone holds a lighted candle. Then a procession takes place circling around the outside of the church, recreating the journey of the Myrrh Bearers as they journeyed to the Tomb of Jesus on the first Easter morning. The procession stops in front of the closed doors of the church. The opening of these doors symbolized the "rolling away of the stone" from the tomb by the angel, and all enter the church joyfully singing the Troparion of Pascha. Paschal Orthros begins with an Ektenia (litany) and the chanting of the Paschal Canon. One of the highpoints is the sharing of the paschal kiss and the reading of the Hieratikon (Catechetical Homily of John Chrysostom) by the priest. The Divine Liturgy follows, and every Orthodox Christian is encouraged to confess and receive Holy Communion on this holiest day of the year. A breakfast usually follows, sometimes lasting till dawn. Slavs bring Easter baskets filled with eggs, meat, butter, and cheese—foods from which the faithful have abstained during Great Lent -- to be blessed by the priest which are then taken back home to be shared by family and friends with joy.

On the afternoon of Easter Day, a joyful service called "Agape Vespers" is celebrated During this service the Great Prokeimenon is chanted and a lesson from the Gospel (John 20:19-25) is read in as many different languages as possible, accompanied by the joyful ringing of bells.

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