Saturday, December 1, 2012

Native American Art Origin and Different Traditions

No written records of Native Americans exist before the 1500s, when the European seamen discovered the American continent. The period before 1500s is considered by scholars as prehistoric. During that time and after, Native Americans had created their own states, history and art. Native American art is thought to be the link between natives and Europeans, the only way to communicate ideas between the two cultures. When the Europeans came, slight changes in Native American art resulted, due to the new way of life that native people had to take.

Native American art is our way to reach the native Americans views and history, to learn more about them. Thats why culture researchers explore Native American art and make it an object of many scholastic discussions. There exists a qualification of the Native American culture, branching off into five main culture districts or zones, which is done for easier interpretation of the works of art and culture. They are, namely, the East, the Plains, Southwest and Northwest coast, and the Arctic. The forms of Native American art differ considerably regarding different districts. That depends on the different weather conditions, various traditions among different groups of natives, natural environment, social order, different religious beliefs, and so on.

The difference of Native American works of art in different districts is so astounding that we may even wonder if they came from one continent. The basic reason for this is about the purpose of art in the lifestyle of Native Americans. Native American art served many purposes, and most of all it was meant to be the visual representation of different myths and religious beliefs. The mythological origin of Native American art gives some reason why the forms of art differ significantly in different parts of the continent: because of the different myths and religions that existed between tribes. Native American art is done to meet various needs; to be a traditional linkage between generations (like the carved totem poles); to serve practical necessities( Natives created beautifully painted pots, vases, utensils, woven mats, rugs, blankets, coverings, home-made clothes and jewelry in astonishing combinations of colours); to be a symbol of rituals (for example art was used in the ritual for rain, and in healing ceremonies, for which different masks and rich garments were produced.)

Native American art is so various and hard to categorize also because of the materials used for the creative activities. Many artists used materials, which they found in their natural surroundings. Feathers, porcupine quills, tree bark, wood, animal skins and hair were all combined in the artistic creation. Different artists used different technologies for the making of beautiful things. Native American art is composed of artworks, made by carving, painting, weaving, sewing, or building. And different technologies tend to slightly vary in different regions, so that artworks are not the same, even if the same materials are used for their making.

Many Native American artworks were intended both for ceremonial purposes and for home usage in the daily life of people. Garments and different bowls served many functions. Rituals and ceremonies were so various that many artworks were produced for their accomplishment. Native Americans had rituals for almost everything: and a large part of their works of art was used for different ceremonies. Totems from Pacific Northwest were a family value and represented the people from the clan, and a lot of effort was put into making those magnificent big poles. Masks were used for communication with the spirits in healing ceremonies. To serve its purpose to the point, a work of art was expected to be beautifully done, so that artists had to make the best they could to produce majestic artworks.

Nowadays there are two branches of Native American art- artists gone int o the mainstream of making contemporary art-like photographs, paintings on canvas or performances, and others who continue to work using traditional Native American art technologies.

Article by Robbie Darmona - an article writer who writes on a wide variety of subjects. For more information click Native American Art


Author:: Robbie Darmona
Keywords:: Native American Art, American Art, Native Art, American Native Art
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Gifts and Prizes from the Party Host: How to Save Money Yet Look Like You Went All Out

There are a million and one ways to spend Money in America, and unfortunately most of Americans use credit to do it, but for those of us who would rather not fall into debt for throwing a friend a Party, you have sought the right resource. So often we avoid Party hosting due to the financial burden it so often encompasses, but after these quick and helpful tips, you will find that the benefits of being a keen buyer will result in a great relief of gifting and Prize purchasing stress.

The first step is to declare who you are purchasing the gift for. Whether it is a Prize for the guest or a gift for the guest of honor, the gift would be best if it were pertinent to the event: Birthday age, baby shower, Anniversary, Holiday, or graduation.

In order to Save Money, the savvy shopper generally is always found lurking in a couple key areas year round. Keeping a gift drawer, closet or room is ultimately the best way to ensure that you will Save Money and have the ri ght gift at the right time. The number one sale purchaser usually digs to the very back of the shelves in the clearance aisle. Finding that Holiday leftovers, candles, end of season items and other unique little trinkets can make great Gifts is the key to saving Money as these items are generally halved in their price.

Utilizing the hidden treasures of the local discount dollar store or second hand stores if you tend to be a day and a dollar short is a great way to prove the old saying that time is Money. Taking some time to personalize the gift of choice can turn an original into gold when given the right touch. Even if your item I used, you can make something new out of it by adding a personal touch. Poetry or pictures integrated into candles, key-chains, and other common knick-knacks can turn memories into priceless memorabilia.

If you need a universal Prize you can also consider buying in bulk. Whatever you decide to do to Save Money, the key to the eve nt is that you cared enough about the guest of honor to invite friends and family together to celebrate. Maintaining a positive attitude and not spending massive amounts of Money is entirely possible with a little time and ingenuity.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible Party supplies (http://Partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette, and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of Party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free Birthday Party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes (PartyThemeShop.com) to fit your Birthday celebration, Holiday event, or just because parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, Holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.


Author:: Gail Leino
Keywords:: Gifts,Party,Present,Prize,Easy,Save,Mone y,Prepare,Plan,Creative,Holiday,Birthday,Anniversary,Toy
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

The Tiamat and the King last Half to Chapter 5 of 6 Chapters

The Shinning Ones

As the Sinning Ones appear at the request of the Tiamat (of which three out of the seven came), the Tiamat appeared to greeted them at the gates of Yort. As the Adversary looked from the tower within his Temple, by where the Rams Temple is located, onto the plaza and gates observing all the movements. Sinned, also was standing by watching the greeting taking place, and were a number of priests, and usual citizens. At there feet was laid many gifts: as they walked through the gates of Yort, as promised, for coming: twenty slaves presented them with offerings, great sums gold and silks, etcetera; and other wealth, to include, horses, and swords for their soldiers. But with the gifts came the request, which was: the to do a surgical job for the Tiamat, of which they were well known for, among other things, that being, medical experts on the anatomy of the human race, for they had been among them, and had watched them: the human race, mold into a civilization for the past 80,000-years.

As they are now standing in the Temple of the Tiamat, with Lucifer standing by a pillar, the Tiamat explains what he wants done; the King is nearby and so is the Cupbearer, whom is constantly wiping and cleaning the feet and brow of Lucifer. In addition, giving him air, by fanning him; at times they go behind the pillars where he makes his body naked for the Serpent Kings sexual diversities. Satan giving nothing more than a flat affect and watching the young man quiver over his powerful overbearing demeanor. Other women are lined up outside the temple for services he may wish to have at any given moment. His pleasures are many, and his patience is short.

Says the Tiamat, to Ra, one of the three Shinning Ones, which is his full title:

I want you to cut open the skull of Sinned, it has to be you, neither demon, nor angelic being, nor human can do the operation, if it were so, it would cause reprisals from the His Al mighty God, the one no one has seen, but grant you, he is powerful. I want you to cut away half his brain, put the other half of it in a glass for posterity, and put the Ram-gods half brain left into his head, so I can control him, at the same time, put Sinneds other half brain, connecting it to the Ram-gods brain, thus I will have control of both individuals, and domination of the body of the Ram-god, my will, will be twice as strong, and I will be three times as smart, and, and I will have no further interruptions with this Sinned person in my life, and Lucifer will be happy. Hence he will lose his reasoning [Sinned, and I will have access to his Gods wishes: which is a secret I must find; this can be done through his brain waves, oh yes oh yes. Matter-of-fact, of all involved I also I will have access to future information [pause, the Tiamat looks at Lucifer

Says Lucifer [destructively: Do you want to say, his God? because if you do, it is not what I expected; and that makes you a bigger fool than I anticipated. I want to be equal to Him, to Sinneds God. How do you think you would turn out if you had access to Gods brain wavesstupid! Think about it? He would never allow you to get one-filth of an inch in front of Him. You do not even have the slightest understanding what you are asking, or what you are talking about, this is not even applicableand you are nothing, nothing, and me you must not understand me eitheryou dare say, capable of knowing what he is thinking then, that is the dumbest statement Ive ever heard? No, no He is a jealous God, and if He seen you trying to listen in on his secrets, you would not be around to explain them. I thought you had some kind of good plan. You have nothing, seriously nothing at all. Plus, plus do you think God is a grasshopper, He is laughing at you right now, and you make me a fool in front of Him for I made a deal with you, He is most likely saying, Who is the dumb one you listene d to, the Tiamat, foolish as I was to do so (the Tiamat is starting to panic, almost froze with alarm).

Plus, spoke the leader of the three Shinning Ones, called Ra, We do not kill the will or the spirit of a person; it is forbidden, it is part of our heritage, left by our forefathers, who have been coming her for thousands of years; it would not be conducive to our faith, our belief.

Satans Thoughts:

Satan knows about this race of beings, but says very little, it is a mysterious one that doesnt get involved with the politics of another planet; for he has seen them on many other planets, if anything, experimenting, while trying to prolong their race.

In the eyes of Satan, the Tiamat was now becoming more useless, a liability if anythinga burden by the minute, and so he looked at the Tiamat with a startling glare, a challenging posture.

Says Satan in a harsh and offended voice:

you cannot force this to be done on Sinned without God crushi ng you and possibly me, along with you; it has to be done willingly, like giving him something he wants in return for something you have: a favor for a favor, if you will. No more foolishness, like the undertaking you just foolishly did, wasting my time, I want to know the secret Sinned holds within his head from the Almighty, the second part of the agreement, and for your sake I want to know it soon, and give to the Shinning Ones what you offered, and let them go, I do not want them involvedlest we disrupt the whole city and they start prying to Sinneds God, thats all I need. If you do not want to outright kill him, then find out the information. If you kill him, and I am not saying to, the blood is on your hands (Satan now washes his hands in a granite bowl filled with water) I will not dirty my hands in this, your god is me, my God, may possibly be me also, but one must remember as much as I do not want to, it is He who through me out of bliss through the universe t o this abode, not I Him. But I am no fool; I will leave that alone for now. You are a demon, a high and powerful one from the first race of Angelic Renegades, born from the seeds of angels that left their abode, I grant you that, but nothing more, I, and only I on this earth am a real, God of the Air, I am the live physical god, and dont forget it (the Tiamat shut up like a child who just got a whipping).

She remembered how Marduk beat her, killed her, and how the Adversary took Marduk down like killing a grasshopper; she wanted nothing of it, even though she had pondered the thought.

Said He [Satan, and Id like to tell you, time is very short for you Ms Tiamat!!!!!!!!!! (his roar echoed throughout the temple, and shook the foundation of the building like a hurricane.)

As they walked out of the temple, the King pulls the Tiamat to the side, by a pillar, says: I overheard the other day you have a short time to find out a secret or be killed, a secret of S inneds; killed in the since you will be cast into the pit. That Lucifer was talking about it to his lover the cupbearer, who of course told me.

[She moans as she stumbles walking out of the temple, still trying to adjust to the body of the Ram-god, stretching, and pulling the elasticity of the skin from face to toes.

See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com


Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: Chapter Story
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

The Amuc (a short story in English and Spanish)

The Amuc
(A short Story, Dedicated to Marissa Cardenas)

Forward: When Gilmore Anquist disappeared, no one knew quite where to start looking for him. That was a decade ago, I would say. I knew him quite well, that is, as well as anyone I suppose, for an American chap that isone that was wandering in Latin America for some two-years straight. He said he was looking for a mystery to be unfolded, unwrapped for his untrusting mind. Perhaps he was lying I thought at the time, and was up to no goodsome kind of hoax you know: something like that. It was, or is an exasperating riddle, and until I visited Copan, Honduras and Huancayo, Peru, so it would remain. Let me add, at this point, no one had uncovered the truth of him, but I did follow the faintest of rumors, rumors of a gringo (who could not be missed of course in an all Latin continent) who was seen in the jungles of the Amazonian, and Sierras of Los Andes; one that wore a Texas style cowboy hat, and a jean-ja cket, along with an Ethiopian cross, hooked on a gold chain. He was not hard to track, that is, from place to place, it just wore me out getting to and from all these locations he happened to visit; Huancayo being one of them and the last of a series of countries (Peru ((Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia)); and the one location he liked the most was in the area of Huancayo, so I heard from many of its residences thereabouts. Again, I tracked him to the Mantaro Valley, up to San Jeronimo, by the old 16th century church, San Sebastian. In the beautiful Mantaro Valley of Peru, I was led to a sinkhole, hidden from the common eye, and told there was a depthless abyss below my feet, as I looked into this ink dark hole, so it seemed it rightfully was. There I slept for three days...but I must let Gilmore (from his diary) tell you the rest of the story, lest I give it away, and you find no interest in it beyond this long paragraph.

The Amuc
(By Gilmore Anquist ((diary notes ))
English Version

Out of time and space was created the lost colossal salt cathedral in the underground maze of tunnels of South America; it was ten-thousand years ago, if not longer, when the fog on the orange timid moon gulfed the river, and across a cyclopean stone bridge came the Amuc people, and there they dug their kingdom to come: there, under the crust of the earth; thus, from here comes the moaning sounds of the ghouls, all coming from the ancient shadowy arches across the lost cathedral in the sunken salt river that once floated endlessly across the South American continentnow underground. Wherever it ends nobody really knows, yet steadily it flowed in ancient times, flowed silently crossing other rivers, valleys and mountains. This my friend is where I became lost, lost in this land of the Amuc. But I shall tell you a ting more before I give myself over to death, to the emptying of my last breathe .

This cathedral is hidden in the salt rock tunne ls under the Andes since time immortal, or so it has been saida cathedral it is now called, but it was at one time called an underground acropolis, and before that, cyclopean temples, which was above land at that time for the Amuc; and now, I repeat, now the cathedral. Yet this period I talk about is quite dim to the inhabitants of the world at large, if not even to the anthropologists, archeologists, and local inhabitants of this beautiful Valley, and mountain city; yet the Amuc live, and the tunnels are their roads, their paths, their oblivion. Quite dim I say, quite dim, but only to the seeker, not the Amuc (the little people of the tunnels). This is the land of Oblivion so I have named it. And in this naked dark earth smelling maze, resides the Great Cathedral carved out of salt...created by the creatures that inhabit this underground empire.

I shall tell you the story of my findings now, now that I have written them downas they are written down in this diarys hould someone ever find it; although I wish to forget such a place. For the tunnels run across the Andes, to Brazil, and all the way to Honduras, and then some; and to Bolivia and it surrounding countries, and I have walked them so much my feet have an inch of calluses on them.

While lost in these tunnels, with my bare hands I fought and was the slayer of innocent and evil alike to survive, and in the process become slain, for I am dying at this very moment, as you read these words.

So it was that I came upon this lethal and salty church, after exploring all over the cotenant, and all the way to Honduras for the right tunnel to enter. And so I found it in the Mantaro Valley of Peru. Here is where the vaults of the earth opened up wide to suck me in, and here is where I first met the little people, the Amuc.

I have roamed these tunnels for years, ate the worms, and the roots, insects that such an environment offers. The little people, the Amuc, are about t wo feet tall; they live in this land I call Oblivion for there is no end to its tunnels within the crust of the earth. And they can goit seemsanyplace, anywhere in the world. One told me once, he walked all the way to Mongolia.

The Sun, it does not exist in this underground world, nor did I ever find an exit, or a way up the long and endless abyss entrance to try and witness it again, hence, the world I entered so many years ago, was my world to be to the end of my days. It is a land of vapors and shadows, and mist; which replaces the stars, sun, and moon. It gave some kind of assurance of life to the Amuc; it gave me little hope of ever seeing daylight. I could not tell night from day, morning from afternoonthings the Amuc seem not to be bothered by. But when I came upon the Great Salt Church, I opened up the doors to this land of oblivion, it was a grimly sight and my spirit had no yearning to enter, yet I sought it did I not. And sometimes we ask for things we should not, for here I was with the grand prize of my life in front of me.

I saw the little people in solemn haste, quickly appearing and disappearing, like blowing out of a match, and relighting it. The church was high and narrow, heavily curtained for these were no windows. A funeral was taking place the first day I entered the church. I heard the music and the sound of bells. All were very faint, cutoff from humanity you might say, I heard them for the first time, so it seemed. And the sounds were of piousness to my ears.

Then a clanging came from overhead. I followed the shadows the curtains gave, odd shadows my mind told me, then I found out they were ghouls, the residue of tormented souls. Farther and farther down the center of the isle of the church I walked; I seemed to have lost myself in the momentthat particular day, in the bulk of this labyrinth, of this vague underground kingdom. These shadows gave off demonic configurations, sheer strangeness to my eyeballs. I saw a grand alter appearing before me, hence I plunged toward it and away from the shadowy figures, the moaning souls without peace trying to grab onto me, like a bee to honey. At this time I had no idea of the vastness of this underground empire, its over two thousand miles of tunnels, if not more.

Now that time has gone by, I have had ample time to think of course, time to think of the great cathedral, the maze of tunnels, the Amuc, the ghouls, but it dawned me that first day at the churchas catatonic fate, and I was completely fatigued; I had only a bottle of wine left, I drank it down, and grabbed one of the little people by the neck, said I , Where is the way out...? but the little man could only point to where I had come from, and that was a hundred miles back, and a few weeks ago.

The little Amuc smiled a sneering smile; I was a new creature to him, as he was to me. He spit out sounds I never heard, as I suppose I did to him, two languages that hung on smiles and body language. But I understood him to say, We have a kingdom down here, and you are welcome, yet I do not think you will be leaving. And of course he was right. And in his face and hand gestures, he implied: I must hurry along, the funeral was taking place, and like a candle blown out, he was gone. I cannot remember for the life of me when that was; I mean, was it a year ago, or five, or perhaps ten?

Conclusion:

As I look back now, at this one event that took place in my life, it changed my whole life, as often times single events do. Had I not taken this adventure into the forbidden roots of the crust of the earth, the question has come up: would I have had a better life? Perhaps, but then my soul would have broke away from the sequence of time, and found a silent and gloomy place to live and die in. Thus, no longer was I destined to be removed from the mist and shadows of the underworld, but then on earth would only have been what I c all deceptive oblivion for me. I had found a sunless secret, which had an endless drawing behind me, eerie and dull it may be, but it was all worth the trouble.

Note: written during the month the author traveled to South and Central America (Peru and Honduras), April 2005; all locations mentioned the author has visited.

El Amuc
(Un cuento, dedicado a Marissa Crdenas)

Traducido por Rosa Pealoza

Versin en Espaol

Avance: Cuando Gilmore Anquist desapareci, nadie saba dnde empezar a buscarlo. Esto sucedi una dcada atrs, yo dira. Yo lo conoca bastante bien, es decir tan bien como cualquiera supongo, para ser un muchacho americano que vagaba en Amrica Latina como por dos aos concisamente. l dijo que estaba en busca de un misterio para ser revelado, desempaquetado por su mente desconfiada. En ese momento pens que quizs l estaba mintiendo, y que talvez estaba en algo no bueno - una especie de broma pesada t sabes: algo as. Esto era o es un exasperan te rompecabezas, que permanecera as hasta que yo visitara Honduras y Huancayo. Djeme aadir, a este punto, nadie haba descubierto la verdad acerca de l, pero yo me dej llevar por el ms dbil de los rumores, rumores de un gringo (quien no poda ser echado de menos desde luego en todo un continente latino) quien fue visto en las selvas del Amazonas, y Sierras de Andes; uno que vesta sombrero vaquero al estilo Texas, con una chaqueta de Jean, junto con una cruz de Etiopa, enganchada sobre una cadena de oro. No era difcil de rastrearlo, es decir de un lugar a otro, solamente que me cans yendo y viniendo de todos estos lugares que l visit; Huancayo siendo de ellos y el ltimo de una serie de pases: Per; lugar que a l le gust mucho, o eso era lo que o decir a los residentes de all. Nuevamente, lo busqu en el Valle El Mantaro, y en San Jernimo, por la iglesia antigua San Sebastin que data del siglo 16. En el hermoso Valle del Mantaro, fui conducido a una especie de hueco, oculto al ojo comn, y me dijeron que debajo de mis pies haba un abismo profundo, cuando mir en el oscuro agujero, este pareca lo que me dijeron. All dorm durante tres das... pero debo dejar a Gilmore (desde su diario) decirles el resto de la historia, no sea que yo les narre, y usted no encontrar ningn inters ms all de este prrafo largo.

El Amuc
( Por Gilmore Anquist ((apuntes de diario))

Fuera del tiempo y espacio fue creada la colosal catedral de sal perdida en el laberinto subterrneo de los tneles de Sudamrica; hace diez mil aos, si no es mucho ms, cuando la niebla sobre la luna tmida anaranjada cay al ro, y a travs de un puente de piedra vino la gente Amuc, y all ellos abrieron su reino que vendra mas adelante: all bajo la corteza de la tierra; as vinieron los gemidos de los demonios, todos vinieron de los antiguos arcos a travs de la catedral perdida en el ro de sal, hundida que una vez flot sin parar a travs del continente sudamericanoahora subterrnea. Dnde esto termina, nadie realmente lo sabe, aunque formalmente este fluy, en tiempos antiguos, fluy silenciosamente cruzando otros ros, valles y montaas. Aqu es mi amigo donde me encontr perdido, perdido en esta tierra del Amuc. Pero te dir un tintineo ms antes de que yo me ofrezca a la muerte, a vaciar mi ltimo respiro-.

Esta catedral est oculta bajo los tneles de roca salada de los Andes, desde tiempos inmortales, o eso es lo que dicenahora es llamada la catedral, pero en cierta poca le llamaron la Acrpolis subterrnea, y antes de esto, los templos cclopes, cuando estaba encima de la tierra de los Amuc; y ahora, como repito, es la catedral. Este perodo del que hablo todava no es claro a los habitantes del mundo en general, inclusive ni a los antroplogos, arquelogos, y habitantes locales; aunque los Amuc viven, y los tneles son sus carreteras, sus caminos, su olvido. Bastante dbil digo, bastante turbado, pero slo al explorador, no a los Amuc, no a la gente pequea de los tneles . Esta es la tierra de Olvido eso es como lo nombr. Y en el laberinto de esta tierra desnuda oscura que huele, reside la Gran Catedral tallada en sal ... creada por las criaturas que habitan este Imperio subterrneo.

Le dir la historia de mis conclusiones, ahora, ahora que las he escrito en este diariosi alguna vez alguien lo encuentra; aunque yo deseara olvidar este lugar. Porque los tneles corren a travs de Los Andes, a Brasil, y todo el camino a Honduras, y ms all; a Bolivia y los pases circundantes, y yo he andado tanto en estos que a mis pies le han salido una pulgada de callos.

Mientras me encontraba perdido en estos tneles, para sobrevivir, tuve que luchar con mis manos desnudas y me convert en asesino de inocentes y malos indistintamente, y en el proceso me hirieron de muerte, porque ahora estoy muriendo, si, mientras usted lee este mensaje.

Despus de haber explorado por todo el continente y por todo el camino que conduce a Honduras, por el correcto tnel para entrar, fue entonces cuando encontr por casualidad esta letal iglesia de sal. Y entonces me encontr en el Valle del Mantaro de Per. Aqu es donde las bvedas de la tierra se abrieron ampliamente para extraerme, y es aqu donde primero encontr a la gente pequea, llamada Amuc.

He vagado por estos tneles durante aos, com gusanos, races, e insectos que tal ambiente ofrece. La gente pequea, los Amuc, son de aproximadamente dos pies de altura; ellos viven en esta tierra al que llam el Olvido porque no hay final a sus tneles dentro de la corteza de la tierra. Y ellos pueden ir - parece-a cualquier lugar, en todas partes del mundo. Una vez uno de ellos me dijo; que l anduvo todo el camino a Mongolia.

El Sol, no existe en este mundo subterrneo, tampoco nunca encontr una salida, o una subida a la entrada del abismo largo e infinito por la que entr muchos aos atrs. En esta tierra los vapores, sombras, y niebla sustituyen a las estrellas, al sol, y la luna. Esto dio una especie de fortalecimiento de vida de los Amuc; pero me dio poca esperanza de alguna vez ver la luz del da. No poda distinguir la noche del da. Pero cuando por casualidad encontr la Gran Iglesia de Sal, abr las puertas a esta tierra de olvido, fue con una vista de gravedad y mi espritu que no tenan ningn anhelo de entrar, aunque busqu esto, no?. A veces pedimos cosas que no deberamos, porque aqu me encontr con el premio magnfico de mi vida delante de m.

Vi a la pequea gente con prisa solemne, apareciendo y desapareciendo rpidamente, como apagando un fsforo, y prendindolo de nuevo. La iglesia era alta y estrecha, pesadamente cortinadas porque no haban ventanas. Un entierro estaba llevndose a cabo el primer da que entr en la iglesia. O la msica y el sonido de campanas. Todos eran muy dbiles, cortados de humanidad t podras decir, los o por primera vez, o esto es lo que pareca. los sonidos eran de compasin a mis odos.

Entonces un sonido metlico vino de lo alto. Como si me mente me indicara, segu las sombras que las cortinas daban, sombras raras. Camin lejos y ms lejos hacia el centro de la isla de la iglesia; parec haberme perdido en el momento, en el laberinto pesado de este vago reino subterrneo. Estas sombras emitieron demonios raros, hechiceros extraos. En aquel momento vi aparecer un magnfico altar, entonces me sumerg en l y me aleje de las figuras sombras, que como almas muertas sin paz trataban de agarrarse de m. En este momento no tuve ni idea de la inmensidad de este Imperio subterrneo, este tiene tneles de ms de dos mil millas.

-- Ahora que el tiempo ha pasado, he tenido tiempo para pensar desde luego, en la gran catedral, en el laberinto de tneles de los Amuc, de los demonios. El primer da que entre en la iglesia me sent iluminado estando tan fatigadoslo me quedaba una botella de vino, el cual lo beb de frente, y entonces agarr a una de las pequeas gentes por el cuello y le pregunt, Dnde est la salida ...? per o el hombrecito slo poda sealar el lugar por el que haba venido hace unas semanas atrs, y esto era como cien millas atrs.

El pequeo Amuc ri con una risa burlona; yo era una nueva criatura para l, como l era para m. l emita sonidos que nunca antes haba odo, como supongo yo lo hice para l, dos lenguajes que se tendieron sobre risas y expresin corporal. Pero entend que deca, Aqu tenemos un reino, y t eres bienvenido, aunque no creo que te marchars Y desde luego l tuvo razn. En su cara y gestos de mano l implic: Debo ir de prisa, el entierro est llevndose a cabo; y como una vela apagada, l se fue. No puedo recordarme cuando esto fue; quiero decir: sucedi el ao pasado, o cinco, o quizs diez aos atrs?

Conclusin:

Ahora que miro hacia atrs, veo que este acontecimiento que ocurri cambi mi vida entera, como a menudo algunos acontecimientos simples los hacen. Si no habra tomado esta aventura en las races prohibidas de la corteza de la tierra, la pregunta sera: habra t enido una mejor vida? Quizs. Pero entonces mi alma se hubiera separado de la secuencia del tiempo, y hubiera encontrado un lugar silencioso y sombro para vivir y morir. As, nunca ms estara destinado para ser removido de la niebla y las sombras del hampa, entonces en la tierra slo habran lo que llamo el olvido engaoso. He encontrado un secreto sin sol, y un dibujo infinito detrs de m, misterioso y embotado puede ser, pero esto vale la pena todo el problema.

Note: escrito durante el mes en que el autor viaj a Sur y Centro Amrica (Per y Honduras), en abril del 2005; el autor ha visitado todos los lugares mencionados.

Dennis Siluk is an author of many books, especially poetry. He is also a traveler of the world, and is presently in Peru sending back some poems and this here short story of the Amuc people, that legend has it, has been around much longer than we have. Rosa Pealoza


Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: Short Story
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

How To Write and Host Your Own Large Group Murder Mystery Party (For Parties of 20 or More)

Hello, fellow mystery lover!

Welcome to my world.

It's all fine and dandy that I sell mystery games but what if you want to write one yourself - just for your very special event?

Where do you start?

The answer is, right here.

This a how-to guide for mystery lovers and creative party planners like you who want to write and host your own personalized interactive murder mystery game.

If you want to create an unforgettable, personalized party your guests will be talking about for months to come then this is the guide for you. If you've tried those mysteries in a box and found them to be lacking, then this is the guide for you. If you're bursting at the seams with untapped creativity, then this is indeed the guide for you.

In this article, you'll learn how to write, cast and host your own interactive murder mystery game and you'll learn the basic elements that make up a good murder mystery plot.

Happy Reading, Writing & Sleuthing!

Susan Haley

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Writing it
2. Casting it
3. Guidelines for your prime suspects
4. Party Details
5. Plot and character samples

WRITING IT THE RECIPE FOR A PERFECT MURDER

Hints to help you get started:

* The setting, events and characters have to come alive for your guests.

* Tell a story! Don't just have a crime, a victim and a detective; give them a reason why they've been brought together other than the superficial solve a murder/crime.

* First step: figure out what the story is and how best to tell that story. * Second step: figure out what the crime is, who committed the crime and how the criminal will be caught.

Here's how I design my mystery games: They are all geared towards groups of 20 or more. To play the game, you'll need to provide 6-8 people willing to take part in the mystery as the primary suspects, victim(s), detective and killer. They'll have full knowledge of the scri pt, which means they'll know whodunit. The rest of your guests will take on the role of detective and it will be their job to solve the case. Essentially, everyone will have a crucial, interactive part in the mystery. Your guest actors won't have to memorize a lot of dialogue but they will have to be familiar with a sequence of events or timeline that will move the mystery through the clues, the murder(s) and the solving of the crime. They'll have to carry out certain actions (like arguments) and suspicious activities to set themselves up as suspects. I like to pack a lot of action into the mystery to get people active and involved unlike those mysteries-in-a-box where everyone just sits around reading their part and asking questions they get from a booklet.

PLOT. You need to come up with a plot, the cornerstone of the mystery. It will be your crime scene if you will. Why have the primary suspects gathered? What do they all have in common that brings them together to this soon-to-be crime scene? The stakes need to be high for all your primary suspects to give them a motive for murder. Most people murder for love, money or revenge. Sometimes pure insanity is the reason but mostly it's for love, money or revenge.

CHARACTERS. Add your characters, your primary suspects. I would recommend a minimum of 6 but no more than 8 because you want to have enough suspects to keep the mystery challenging but you don't want to have too many to make it confusing. Of those primary suspects, 1 or 2 will be victims. To keep everyones interest and make them really want to interact and get involved, these characters must be quirky and interesting love 'em or hate 'em types and ALL MUST HAVE MOTIVE. You must give your guests a stake in the primary suspects' lives. Give them a reason to hate the bad guy (usually the 1st victim); give them a reason to ally with another suspect (maybe he's a pathetic mama's boy? Women love to protect this type of character. Or maybe it's the vulnerable, innocent but stunningly beautiful woman?).

One of your characters should be your detective character. He or she doesn't actually have to be a police officer but he should be in charge of the investigation (and yes, he can still have motive). He will be the one who will strongly maintain control and be able to best deal with your guests' questions. NOTE: If you want, you can have your first victim come back as a detective character so they can be a part of the entire show. If not, they make great support backstage. They can prep the clues and the next victim for example.

MOTIVES. Select your victim(s) out of the primary suspect list. Why will they be murdered? Give your characters motives. As I said, all characters need motive or else the mystery will be too easy too solve or too vague for folks to follow. I like to make a chart where I list the 2 victims at the top of the page and the primary suspects down the side of the page. The n I fill in the motives: unrequited love, jealousy, in debt, feuding and rejection are just some examples of motive. Once you have this chart filled in, you can then proceed to filling in the action. Each character should have a motive-establishing scene with the victims. But more on that later.

THE ACTION. Write your sequence of events, with an action of some sort happening every 5 minutes or so. These actions should promote motives, provide clues, logically lead up to the murder(s) and cohesively lead the guests through the mystery. Make sure to add plenty of physical action (chases and fights for example). You don't need to write dialogue because in my opinion it will take away from your audience participation if your primary suspects need to recite and remember dialogue. It becomes a play and not an INTERACTIVE mystery. Simply set the scene and let the suspects improvise their dialogue as the scene unfolds. You should make mystery about 1 1/2 - 2 hours long (your guests' attention spans will start to wander after about 2 hours).

The sequence of action outline that I generally use as my template:

0:00 - 0:15 General mingling and introductions. All primary suspects begin to set up their motive to kill the first victim. Perhaps you can include a welcoming speech to establish the crime scene: why everyone is here.

0:15 Action or physical clue found to establish motive of one of the primary suspects. Actions can include arguments between the victim and the primary suspect; private conversations where the audience sees the interaction but can not hear what is being said - this looks secretive and suspicious; physical fights: water in someone's face, a push and shove match (make sure you practice these ahead of time for safety!)

0:20 Action or physical clue found to establish motive of another of the primary suspects.

0:25 Action or physical clue found to establish motive of another of the primary suspects.

0:30 Action, which is the cue for the 1st death. It could be a nasty speech by the 1st victim, in which she brings up more motives against the primary suspects, for example, or in which the victim reveals that she knows a secret that someone does not want revealed. This action should solidify why this person will be killed.

0:35 1st death. A non-identifying clue is left behind which will eventually lead to the killer. It could be a partial letter from the killer to the victim: Keep quiet or die. You never should have eavesdropped on my conversation with your father (Later, another clue can be found, perhaps a love letter to victim's father saying she doesn't want to hurt his young son with their affair. It goes to the killer being a male, which narrows down the suspects if people are paying attention.) In general, you can use a red herring or two but your clues should lead to your killer. You can even put a splash of blood on the killer (he can always say he got it when he touched the body but to the observant eye, he had the blood on him when he entered the room, before they found the body). Hint: Verbal clues are easily missed unless repeated. Most clues should be physical/visual.

0:40 After body is removed; your detective organizes a summation of the crime. Each of the primary suspects accuses another of the crime thus reaffirming each of their motives.

0:50 Action or physical clue found to establish motive for the 2nd victim.

1:00 Action or physical clue found to establish motive for the 2nd victim.

1:10 Action or physical clue found to establish motive for the 2nd victim.

1:15 2nd victim discovered. Clue found that leads to the killer. Be careful here not to give the answer away.

1:20 Final summation and motives; allow your guests to ask the primary suspects questions (you don't want them revealing anything that comes out in the wrap, in the killer's confession, however). All clues should be ac cessible to your guests as they fill out their solution sheet (on which they describe the victims, the causes of death, the clues, the motives and their theory on whodunit and why).

1:30 You wrap the show. The killer confesses in some dramatic fashion and is either taken down or taken into custody. End your show with a bang, not a whimper. A murderer confessing is one thing but having them take someone hostage as they try and make their escape is much more exciting for example. The more action the better - always!

CAST YOUR MYSTERY

You need to pick role players that are gregarious, creative, outgoing and trustworthy (you want them to take on the role with enthusiasm and you want them to show up on the night of the show.) They'll have full knowledge of the script and should receive the script ahead of time and be prepared to rehearse it at least once. I usually write a script based on whom I'm going to cast. For example, if you know that you have a gal who loves playing the sex pot, then write a character who's a sex pot take to the role with great zest and enthusiasm.

The rest of your guests will take on the role of detective and it will be their job to figure out whodunit. As you can see, everyone, from primary suspects to guest detectives will actively be involved in the mystery.

Watch my little mystery movie here to see what I mean: www.haleyproductions.com/movie.html. By the way, that's me playing Savannah Sugarbaker (in the bad prom dress and cowboy hat).

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR YOUR PRIME SUSPECTS

Include these guidelines with your script:

GUEST PARTICIPATION: Because it's your guests' job to solve this whodunit, you want to involve them as much as possible by allowing them to ask you questions, follow you, examine clues and do whatever they need to do to solve the case. Involve them whenever possible in your arguments & conversations with other suspects. When you're accused of murder, for example, you can use a guest as your alibi. Mingle and chat, as you would do in a normal social situation only this time you're in character. You're no longer Sue but Ingrid and don't let the guests tell you otherwise! Sue might never tell a guest who was accusing her of murder to go jump in a lake but Ingrid might.

HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF: First, highlight your part. Next, go through the script a few times to get familiar with what you're supposed to do and when you're supposed to do it. Then run it with the rest of the prime suspects so you get a feel for the other characters and how the sequence is supposed to unfold. Practice all physical actions (safety first!) Your audience, depending on how much they get involved, can distract you (in a fun way) because they're so enthusiastic to be a part of it all and solve the case.

WEAR A WATCH: Stick to the times. If you don't stick to the times then you'll find yourself rushing the sequence and soon you'll have no action left but the wrap and the guests are still getting used to the idea of participating in a murder mystery! Use a cheat sheet (small cue card) if you need to while mingling with your guests. I'd advise you not to take your complete Scripts out in full view of your guests. If a guest gets a hold of the script, the mystery is blown. DO NOT HESITATE TO LEAVE THE ROOM AT ANY TIME TO CHECK YOUR SCRIPT IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. That's the glory of improv: you can leave the stage if you need to and just pick up where you left off at any time!

CHARACTERS: REMEMBER, in a good mystery, everyone has to have motive, means and opportunity to be a suspect. Act like the suspect that you are!

ACCUSATIONS: Everyone should be clear on everyone else's motives so you can effectively accuse each other of murder.

ONE LAST NOTE: KEEP THE ACTION MOVING AROUND THE ROOM SO ALL THE GUESTS SEE AND HEAR WHAT'S HAPPENING. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU'RE ARGUING, STORM AWAY AND TAKE UP THE ARGUMENT IN ANOTHER PART OF THE ROOM.

Remember have fun, let go, be outrageous, and enjoy playing these parts and your guests will automatically follow your lead. More advice and tips are here: http://www.murder-mystery-game.com/mysterytips.html.

THE PARTY DETAILS

Invitations: When you design your invitations, lets folks know they're invited to solve a murder. Set the scene a bit. Big Daddy Sugarbaker, billionaire extraordinary, would like to invite you to attend a party in his honor. It may be his last party due to his ill health Encourage them to take on a character that befits the storyline and dress the part. Let them know if it's a period piece so they can find a costume in plenty of time. Get them excited about the prospect of participating in and sol ving a murder mystery. Build up intrigue.

The Detectives' Tools: On the evening of the party, you'll want to provide your guests with a program of some sort that identifies the primary suspects and sets up the crime scene. It will be an excellent guide for your detectives. Also, provide them with an evidence record (and pen) so they can record the clues and evidence, the victims and cause of death and who they think did it and why. I'd recommend collecting these solution sheets at the end of the mystery and before you reveal your killer. Give an Outstanding Detective Award to the person or persons who solve the case to recognize them for a job well done.

Setting the stage: Of course, depending on the theme of your mystery, any additional atmosphere you can create via props and staging will only add to the mystery. If you already have enough on your plate, don't worry about it. Your primary suspects and your story will create the atmosphere. When my professional troupe performs our mysteries, 9 out of 10 times we're in a boring hotel function room. Never have I had anyone complain about the dcor or lack thereof. They get so involved with the actual mystery, the only thing they're paying attention to are the primary suspects.

The Menu: Another element you might want to consider when creating your mystery evening is the menu. If you're doing a country and western mystery, then it might call for a BBQ for example. Or if you're doing a Hawaiian luau, then more tropical dishes would fit the bill. Again, it's only a consideration but it's not necessary. We have some recipes posted on our web site (http://www.murder-mystery-game.com/murder-on-the-menu.html).

The Evening's Set-Up: I suggest you work the mystery around your dinner and its courses (and no you do NOT need to include a full dinner if you don't want to but do provide beverages and finger food of some sort). It always works best to create the drama and intrigue rig ht away. Your guests arrive excited about the mystery evening ahead of them so don't make them wait until after dinner (besides their mental energy level will be a lot lower after a meal and you want them ready, willing and able to participate). Upon their arrival, your cast should already be in character, setting the scene. Give your sleuths a program (remember it's their guide to the mystery), solution sheet and pen as they arrive. Wrap your whodunit during coffee and dessert. (NOTE: In order for your guests to enjoy both the meal and the mystery, you never want anything too dramatic happening during the actual courses or while your guests are in a buffet line.)

SCRIPT SAMPLES.

I have script samples of all my mystery games on my web site: http://www.murder-mystery-game.com/murder-mystery-games.html#samples. Check them out for plot and character guidance and writing inspiration.

Thanks for reading!
Susan
Haley Productions' Murder Mystery Games
susan@murder-mystery-game.com

Article may be reprinted as is with contact info intact.

My name is Susan Haley and I design interactive murder mystery games for large groups. It's been my business, my career and my passion since 1983.

by Susan Haley 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Susan Haley, is originally from Massachusetts - where she started her company back in 1987. In 1993, she relocated to Northern California with her two very large Maine Coon cats, Sherlock and Watson. She still goes back to Cape Cod to visit her family but California has become her home, especially since May of 2001 when she married her husband Bill, a corporate advertising photographer and a native San Franciscan. From the time she was a very young girl, Susan has always loved acting and creative writing. She graduated Summa Cum Laude and has a BA in Theater Arts with a minor in Business Communications from Salem State College in Salem, Mass., where the witches are. To Susan, th ere's nothing like doing a job about which you're absolutely passionate. Her passion these days? Creating inspiring and creative do-it-yourself murder mystery games, scavenger hunts and team building activities.


Author:: Susan Haley
Keywords:: murder mystery games, murder mystery dinner party games, murder mystery game, large group, Scripts
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Friday, November 30, 2012

RipTail Roarers Clever Sayings and Brags

Life is short and full of blisters, sighed the elderly southern gentlemen as we exchanged confidences about our various problems.

That seemed to sum up our mutual outlook on the vagaries of human existence, so we shook hands and went our separate ways.

That succinct sentence has returned to memory often since I first heard it several years ago - partly because of its homey philosophy, but mostly because it is a draught of cool water to this writer who has wandered long in a language desert searching for oasises.

I have come to realize that the colorful language of my youth in the South has nearly disappeared from the American scene. We speak in precise phrases, short sentences, business-like declarations. Efficient, but drab.

When I was growing up down home it was common for folks to sprinkle their conversation with colloquialisms. Shoveling smoke, or Money thinks I'm dead, or A day late, and a dollar short, or If they put your brains in a jaybird, it'd fly backwards.

What we need are more inventive talkers - like my Uncle Hooky Brown. He appreciated the fine points of discourse.

Hooky dearly loved clerking in the general store at Bradford, Tennessee. He built up a big trade because he was the best Entertainment that side of the Mississippi.

At the conclusion of each sale, while sacking items purchased, he rattled off - in one breath -- a long list of improbable commodities the customer might have forgotten to order. It was a symphony of dialog in a minute waltz:

Thank you kindly, Miz Boone, and will there be anything else today?

Lampwicksaxehandleshorsecollarscorsetstaysblackeyedpeasprunessealingwax beeswaxcarpettaxfignewtonssunbonnetscoaloilshoepolishfurniturepolishsilverpolish bakingsodasodacrackerssodapoppumpwasherspeppermintstickcheeseclothneedles flowerseedssidemeatbuckshot or button hooks?

The spiel varied - depending on the customer's sense of Humor. It was fun to try and figure out what he was trying to get you to buy. You figure it out.

Once in awhile he would get caught by his tomfoolery. A sly customer would reply, Why, yes, now that you mention it. I'll have a dozen corset stays.

Yes, Mam, Hooky would say without hesitation. We're fresh out just this morning. I'll have a box of them for you tomorrow. Would you care to make a ten-dollar deposit?

* * *

Salty talkers in the olden days abounded everywhere. Hey-day of Rip-tail roarers had nearly vanished in my childhood as regular fare. Nonetheless, we kids in small, southern towns could still coax old-timers to recite the Brags and yells they learned as young ranch hands, lumberjacks or riverboat stevedores.

Roars once were the fashion among rough, hardworking men. They made a dent in my youthful memory.

When I was nine, at Caruthersville, Missouri, my father would take me to the levee at the foot of Main Street to watch the Mississippi cotton boats tie u p for cotton bales.

When there was loading, the good old boys -- who usually whiled away the time around the courthouse -- came down to the levee to watch the goings on.

Dad always took along a plug of chewing tobacco to pass around and loosen the tongues of the old-timers. It didn't take much. I got to keep the little, tin, brand tags on the plugs - such as Tin Star, Red Coon, and Bull of the Woods. They were prized collectibles.

You boys remember any of the old Brags? Dad would say, as he stuffed in a chaw of terbakker. Then I snapped to attention. One Brag I remember went something like this:

I'm half horse, half alligator, with a little touch of snapping turtle, clumb a streak of lightning, slid down a locust tree a hundred feet high, with a wildcat under each arm, and never got a scratch. Whoopee-yip-ho!

I come to this country riding a catamount, whipping him over the head with a forty-five and picking my teeth with a rattlesnake, using a c actus for a piller. Whe-e-e! I'm a two-gun cuss and a very bad man, and it won't do to monkey with me. Whoopee!

I was raised in the backwoods, suckled by a grizzly bear, got nine rows of jaw teeth and holes punched for more, a double coat of hair, steel ribs, boiler tube intestines, a barbed wire tail, and I don't give a damn where I drag it. Whoopee-wee-a-ha!

* * *

Frontiersmen took great pride in their personal yells, or Brags, elaborating on them through the years. Generally they were given preliminary to good-natured tussling or roughhousing.

Brags also were a way of announcing their presence at a strange saloon where they wanted to make friends quickly. A creative Brag usually was rewarded with a free beer.

A bar room sally went something like this:

Hey, look at me! I'm the genuine article, a real double-acting engine. I'm a hard customer that can lick any man here. If you don't believe it, step up and try me. I can out-run, o ut-jump, out-swim, chaw more tabaccy and spit less, drink more whiskey and keep soberer, than any man in these localities. Come out some of you and die decently, for I'm spieling fer a fight.

* * *

The best roarers were river men who drifted up and down the Mississippi without calling any place home until they got too old to haul a hawser. Once I heard this magnificent boast at the Caruthersville levee:

  • Yah-hoo! I'm the old original iron-jawed, brass-mounted, copper-bellied corpse-maker from the wilds of Arkansaw. They call be Sudden Death and General Desolation.
  • Sired by a hurricane. Damn'd by an earthquake. Half-brother to the cholera. Nearly related to the small pox on my mother's side.
  • Look at me! I take nineteen alligators and a bar'l of whiskey for breakfast when I'm in robust health, and a bushel of rattlesnakes and a dead body when I'm ailing. I split the everlasting rocks with my g lance, and I squench the thunder when I speak. Whoo-op!
  • Stand back and give me room according to my strength. Blood's my natural drink, and the wails of the dying is music to my ears. Cast your eyes on me, gentlemen. Lay low and hold your breath, for I'm bout to turn myself loose.

* * *

How I cherish the character descriptions of my youth.

  • Pretty as a new soda fountain.
  • Fidgety as a cat on a hot tin roof.
  • If brains were dynamite, he wouldn't have enough to blow his nose.
  • She eats like there is no tomorrow.
  • Knee-high to a grasshopper.
  • He drinks like it is about to go out of style.
  • Tender as a mother's heart.
  • He doesn't care any more about a nickel than his right eye.
  • She's tighter than bark on a tree.
  • Butter won't melt in his mouth.
  • Busy as a one-armed paper hanger.
  • His m outh is so big that if it wasn't for his ears, the top of his head would be an island.
  • Big as life and twice as handsome.

Compliments in the old days were enhanced by an imaginative choice of words. Insults were tempered by a touch of Humor.

Perhaps life today wouldn't be so grim if only we had the knack of speaking colorfully. Give us more Rip-tail roarers and salty talkers.

October 21, 2001

Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at:

LinWms@earthlink.net

LinWms@lindseywilliams.org

Website: http://www.lindseywilliams.org with several hundred of Lin's Editorial & At Large articles written over 40 years.

Also featured in its entirety is Lin's groundbreaking book Boldly Onward, that critically analyzes and develops theories about the original Spanish explorers of America. (fully indexed/searchable)


Author:: Lindsey Williams
Keywords:: Humor,Sayings,Entertainment,Histo ry,Americana,Brag,Whopper,Rip-tail,Insult,Linguistic
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

How Did It Happen?

How did it happen that my face has gotten so many Wrinkles?
We look at ourselves in the Mirror everyday, but we really don't see ourselves. We seem to always look the same. Then one day it hits us right in the face, and I mean, right in the face. There are Wrinkles on our forehead, there's some in the middle of our face right between our eyes. They, whoever they are, say Wrinkles come from worrying. I guess those Wrinkles got there from worrying about getting older. Of course Wrinkles appear for different reasons. Some come from being in the sun too much or worrying where the kids are when they are late getting home, some families are just wrinkled, and I am sure there are other reasons I haven't thought about. If you don't have Wrinkles, you must of had a facelift.

How did it happen that my ha ir turned Gray overnight?
I looked in the Mirror one morning and was shocked to see that overnight my hair had turned Gray. Why, just yesterday I didn't have even one Gray hair, much less a whole head full. Well, maybe I had one or two Gray hairs but that was all. What happened? This I can't explain except to say the years have gone by so fast that I just didn't realize I was old enough to have Gray hair. Of course there are people who start getting Gray when they are young, but not me, I waited so I could be surprised.

How did it happen that I can't do the things I used to do?
As we Age our bodies change, little by little. We move slower but don't realize it until we see the turtles passing us. Our minds are much slower to go than our bodies and that makes life more difficult. Age brings man y changes to our body and our mind during our lifetime, some good and some not so good. Even though we have learned many things over the years, there are some things we have a hard time grasping. Our minds tell us we can do everything we used to do, the same way, maybe even better and our bodies tell use they can't and won't work that much or that hard anymore. What a sad day that is.

How did all these things happen and I never realized it was happening?
Well I guess we have such a good time when we are young that we just didn't realize it doesn't last forever. Fifty seems to be the magic Age to start getting parts replaced and going to the doctor with a pain here and a pain there. And of course your AARP cards shows up in your mailbox. My AARP card? I'm too young for that. That's for old people. Your AARP card is a wake up call for what lies ahead. Who started that saying about the golden years. What is golden about getting older. The folks around us don't seem to realize we can still hear, don't yell at us. We don't have to have someone to help us get around, not yet anyway. We can still do our jobs, we don't need to be forced into retirement. Aging is a process we have to go through, even if we don't like it. But let me say this, it is not all bad, you get a senior citizen's discount in many places.

How did it happen that I have had such a great life?
I had to work at it and it is not over yet. I plan to keep computing and writing until.......

All of these are my thoughts on how it happens.

About the author Rita Tate is the webmaster and editor for the website My Pal's Place, http://www.mypalsplace.com/ [Re-print is permitted if a clickable link to http://www.mypalsplace.com/ is included with the article


Author:: Rita Tate
Keywords:: Wrinkles, Age, golden years, Gray, Mirror
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Romancing San Francisco (Chapter #3 (Part two): Karate Test)

Tienes hambre? the mother said to me, and George translated it to Are you hungry?

No, I said, but thanks. George showed me my bed on the porch; --by the looks of things Id have to find another place soon, it had screens and windows all around the porch, but it didnt have any heat ventilationI told myself, first things first.

Do you play chess, George asked, and I assured him I did, but wasnt too good, but felt I could beat a ten year old. Ill play a game as soon as I get settled, ok. He smiled.

It didnt take me much to get settled. The mother showed me where the bathroom was, which amounted to me having to leave the porch area, and walk through a doorway into the kitchen and the bathroom was to the right. I had to use it at that moment, and when I shut the door to take a leak, you could hear every drop, I felt funny, as if the whole house could hear. But the place was temporary, and it only cost $5.00 a week. And I was making $70.

As I left the bathroom and met George, he introduced me to his father, his fathers brother, and four kids, not sure who they belonged to, and another woman about thirty-five; --then George and I went to play a game of chess.

The game lasted about two hours, he beat me. I think he could have beaten me in about twenty-minutes, but it was I who had to do all the thinking, and he sat quietly as I moved my chessmen. I got the feeling he knew I was going to be easy pray. But I was happy I had a place to stay. People are given gifts in life, when you do not appreciate them, it becomes part of your attitude, and life can be quite hard on you. That person who was going to help could be lost in the wind. And so I tried to show as much respect as I could, and appreciation.

As the weeks went by, they had me in a few times for meals, but I didnt eat all that much; --I worked at Lilli Ann Company, and in the meantime, played chess with George, and of course he beat me all the time . At night Id go up to the Castro district and get drunk, usually stopping at least for an hour or so at Sammies.

One time at Lilli Ann, I met Adolph Shuman on more human bases, other than work. He had stopped in the caf up the street; it was a small Chinese place. He brought in his small white dog, I think it was a terrier, a few people by me were complaining, but I paid them no heed. The manager of Lilli Ann, spotted me, and had me come over and meet Mr. Shuman, for some odd reason I was quite scared, but played it down, and he looked at me as if I was not recognizable, but said hello, and I went back about to eat, and the manager said again, sit with us. And so did, and I just kind of froze and tried to eat, but my hands were a bit shaky; or so they seemed. The rest of the group at the table, which was a blond assistant to the manager, a pretty young lady about five foot six inches, --reserved looking always, a calm voice, and a sensitive manner; --then the man ager himself, Mr. Rosenberg, who started talked. I found my head bobbing up and down to smile but I didnt know what to say, so I started thinking about the first small novel I had bought and started to read, about a relationship between two Italian lovers. And then they got up and left, all saying their good-bys, and Adolph waving his hand somewhat, as a goodbye jester to me, since he could not get to saying it directly; although he did mumble something under his breath. I suppose, I thought, power and money can do many things to a personality. He seemed a busy sort of fellow, and tried to show his human side, and/or equality side. But you could see the guarded side of him. And of course, owning a big business, people always try to take advantage of you, not really knowing who's really on your side, and his fooling around with the models at work. I suppose Id be a little restless.

On weekends Id walked down by the Golden Gate Bridge a few times, even across it. At night when I was down there I loved seeing the patched clouds in the evening, looking over the Golden Gate, I loved to watch the sun go down, with its bright yellows fading into its red and gray background. It was like the clouds wanted to hide it, so I couldnt see. I suppose when youre alone a lot you think the sun follows you; one takes things on a more personal level.

Sometimes along the shores out by the Cliff House by Sutro Heights you could hear the sounds of the expiring waves that seemed to sooth my hot blood. I had no complaints, matter of fact, no one back home would believe me if I told them my story, all inclusive, for the most part. To include, meeting and befriending Goesi, and working for a dress designing company for Adolph Shuman. I had not met him on a personal note yet, that but indirectly I did, he was being chased by a beautiful model throughout his dress factory, and she had a giant pearl on her finger I noticed, I guess it was a gift from the millionaire. He told me to hold a door for him so she would not be able to get to him. I did for a moment, and then let the door open again, thinking this was foolish. She was quite tall, but beautiful, with a very healthy looking body. Later on that day my boss Mr. Blair, also showed me his Rolls Royce in the garage next to the building I worked in.

٭

The Karate Test and the Dentist

Another few weeks went by and my teeth were starting to hurt, I had two huge molars in the back, and I needed to do something soon, they seemed to be hurting more everyday; --at work my boss had told me I had a red line going down my neck and it was starting to get infected, I was scared it go to my heart. They told me to take off a week of work, and get taken care of, but really could not afford to, but I did.

Lorenzo at the dojo gave me the phone number of the San Francisco State University Dentistry, I called them and made an appointment. It was a free clinic and the students worked on you. I had to wait until Monday, it was Friday now. I was starting to get a little fever over this also. I was getting a bit restless on my free week off, and doing a lot of resting. I even bought my first novel, it was only 109-pages, but it was interesting. It was about this Italian man who found this woman, and she had breasts that fit perfectly into his palm. I got thinking, she was real thin, or he had big hands. Never read anything like that before. As I waited for the day to come at for the dentist I finished reading the book, took me all of four days.

As Saturday came, I walked up Castro Street to the dojo, it was kind of a big day, and I was a little under the weather, but ok. We had a test today, an endurance test. As I got ready putting on my white karate jacket, I stood bowed to the Master, and did some exercises to get ready for the test. Then Gosei called us all to order, and he an Buck stood at the end of a li ne of which thirteen karate men were standing in line; --some black belts, brown belts, green belts like me, and a few white belts.

Tom the banker was there, he always seemed a bit rigid, his body that is and so I was quite surprised he ever made 3rd degree black belt, but he did, he also kept the books updated somewhat, for the dojo to my understanding, but I could be wrong, it just seemed he was involved in that manner, and from what I heard; and I think some of the degree titles were given out for longevity and for services rendered, other than for outstanding skill, but then do we not do that for the sake of love, and regard to those who have devoted themselves in one way or another to your cause, I have seen it more than once at my young age, it is not the unpardonable sin, if a sin at all; I told myself how many colleges have given out a mess of Ph. Ds because they got a donation here or there, or for that matter, for lesser things done in the name of higher ed ucation. I am not saying he wasnt worth his belt, but his skills never impressed me; --incidentally, he is one of the judges today.

Ok, Tom told everyone, you will fight for three minutes sparing, free style, ---pull your punches from the face, well be able to see if you hit or not, it takes more skill to actually pull your punches than to have physical contact [hit. And you will get a ten-second rest, and when I say next, you will shift to your next opponent.

I started out fairly good; I had to fight another green belt, which I was twice as good as he, and a lot faster. But then I had been a green belt for two years, and normally you are only one for a year. I was hoping to get my Brown Belt after Gogen comes to San Francisco, for the Tournament, we would have to do another test and then wed be able to upgrade our belts.

Next, Tom said. I now had this young Black Belt, that is, he was my age, and we went in circles for a minute, and then our hands and feet went into a fast pace, he was quite impressed with me, I blocked everything he threw at me, and countered his with a good offensive three step attack.

How long you were practicing Karate, he said as I shifted into a Cat Stance, as we settled down for a moment, we usually didnt talk, I smiled, Three years, I said.

I thought so, then he threw a back kick but I caught it, and he was on one foot, but I let it drop and went in for an eye contact with my fingers, I knew it was forbidden but I did, and just touched his eye lids, and pulled my fingers back. I had hands faster than lightening. Id practice daily in front of the mirrors for two hours my fingers poking at eyes; I visualized eyes in the mirrors all the time, --I felt if a man could not see you, he could not fight you, and it was working. Most of my fights were quickly dispersed to a stop once I did that. Touch his eyes and do a back kick, and the man was out, --and if you happen to hit him in the g roin without a cup on, down he went, that happened three times, meaning, I did it to my opponents.

Next, now I was fighting with a wild white belt and just trying to avoid his swinging wildly. I figured if I went in for a sold punch or kick, and missed Id look bad, and he was looking bad enough now, for the most part.

NextnextnextI now was on my last opponent, I could hardly hold up my hands, and my feet under me were becoming noodle like. My reflexes were down, and I just wanted to get it over with, but I needed to keep a good show and so I become extra, or overly defensive, allowing the other person to be more aggressive, --I could block most anything anyone could throw, so I felt safe doing that. Once I went into an offensive action, he could counter me, and Id be off balance, and I was too weak to allow myself to be put into that position.

Ok, STOP! Tom yelled.

Very good, everyone was very good Gosei said, but I knew he was being extra kind. This was no time for decision making, and wed all find out how we did later.

As we all were dismissed I went and sat in the open area where the sofa and counter was, it was kind of a gathering area.

Did you call the University, Lorenzo asked.

Yaw, Monday theyre going to check me out.

I hope so, the red line is at the end of your neck Chick, and youre looking a little more worn than usual. He was right, I was. My fever was getting worse, and most likely this work out might have help it along.

Gosei came by and said hello, and gave me his powerful smile, asking how my new living quarters were. I told him fine, but it was getting a little nippy, and there really was no privacy. But he did more than his share to help me; so I left it alone. I think he just marveled at the fact I would come 2000-miles to learn karate from him, and respected me or that. Plus, I was a green-horn in a big city I was not used to. He was kind of a father figure for me.

٭

That day I asked Goesi if I could free-fight him. He looked at me shocked.

You do not know what you are asking, he said, and gave me that smile, then asked Buck to take a picture of him and I standing in a stance looking solidly at one another as if we were going to fight. Then he gave me the picture. I then turned around and took another picture of him, after asking him how high he could kick. As years would go by, I would hold on to them pictures as if it they were a treasure, and to me they still are. But as Goesi walked away, with that smile again, Buck came to explain to me, and he also was like a big brother, Chick, Goesi meant no disrespect when he said what he said, but what he meant is/or was, you could not block his combinations, or anticipate them; I have a hard time doing it, and Im a 4th degree. I think he does want you to get hurt.

I said:

Thanks Buck, with a little sigh of relief. I never complained, and I th ink that is what Buck and Goesi like about me. On one hand I was simple, and on the other, carelessly too brave for my skills. But I loved them both.

٭

The Nippy Porch

Well, it was Monday morning, I had my alarm clock go off, and when I got out from under the warm blanket, I rushed to get into the bathroom, it was a bit chilly, and damp, but not bad --and then I put my cloths on. The Spanish mother and sister were sitting in the kitchen having coffee, they could see me through the doorway, and it was attached to the kitchen. Actually there were two doors to the porch, one to the kitchen and one to the outside, so I wouldnt have to bother going through the kitchen should I just want to leave unnoticed. I went to the bathroom, smiled at them as I came out, Im sure they heard the water-falls again, I hated that, then quickly went back into my outside den, and put on a light jacket.

I caught one of them big-electric busses called street-cars, I actually liked them. Down on Market Street they were digging underground, it was all torn up, building some kind of transit system. As I sat on the street car, I felt my face, --it was getting puffier than I had notice before, and it was starting to sweat.

Next stop, the campus I got off, and found my way to the dentistry department. They took me right away. The young man who situated me in his medical chair, waited for another man who was working on a client next to me to come over. Then the older man looked me over, pin pointing what had to be done. He recommends that the lower tooth be cracked, so you can get into it to pull out, because it was too large, and the upper one would simply come out straight without cracking it. Both teeth were pushing the rest of my teeth into a crooked state. He told him to be careful, he didnt want the poison in my system to shift, and gave me a shot of something in fear of whatever big words he was using, it meant seriousne ss if it was done wrong, for me that is.

A long time seem to have gone by, and then one by one the two molars came out. When it was all over, the apprentice-doctor told me not to go to work for a week, but it would be wise to rest, and absolutely no karate, or wild activities. He wanted the infection to just goooo away. I thank them both, and left. But I was in route for Sammies bar, I needed a drink, but first I called Lilli Ann, and tried to get a hold of my boss, Mr. Blair, I always liked the way he talked, like he came out of Scotland Yard, in London, but the secretary said he was out to lunch, then I asked for the Manager, Mr. Rosenberg, he was a Jew, like Mr. Shuman, who had help him out with this job a few years back. He was a bit worried these days though, he told me Mr. Shuman sometime ago had put a friends son into college and he was graduating soon, I think in June, and had promised him a managers position, and felt his job was the one he was giving away.

I didnt say anything because Mr. Rosenberg was always quite fare. And he wasnt asking for advise, rather he needed to talk, and someone simply to listen, someone that is that didnt cost $100 an hour like a Psychologist. He was in his early thirties, possible about 33-years old. When it got hot in the departments he would get a wheel barrel and fill it with ice, and sodas and go all over the floors of the building, and across the street to the other one story building, giving them away to all the workers. He was a little odd, but I always felt, who was I to be calling anyone odd, I mean, it has been suggested a few times already in my short life here on earth, I can just imagine when I am older.

See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com


Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: Chapter Stories
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Drowning in a Pool of Shadows Mescaline Take One

Mescaline is something I only did a few times. I imagine I only did it a few times because it was so hard to come by. For those of you that don't know, mescaline is also referred to as micro-dots. It's a wild drug for a wild mind.

I believe it was a thursday...the baseball team was on a road trip and I was stuck in the apartment with a bad foot injury. As I sit there sinking into the couch wasting yet again another beautiful day, I hear a knock at my door. It's my old roommate, Mike. He walks in with this big shit eating grin on his face. He said he had something new for us to try out. I, of course, was very interested. If I had only known what was going to happen later that day...I might have told Mike to go back home.

After sitting on the couch for probably only a second or two, Mike then began explaining to me all about mescaline. He explained how it works and tried comparing it to mellow acid as far as the visuals go. He then proceeded to tell me that he ha d already snorted one and swallowed one. So, I of course had to top that. I swallowed two and snorted two. I guess Mike felt the need to be on the same level as me so he swallowed two more.

After roughly thirty minutes I started to feel a body buzz like I had never felt before. It was kind of like being drunk, but not exactly. It was kind of like being on acid, but not exactly. Whatever this new feeling was that my body was experiencing was something I felt extremely comfortable with. If you thought acid and shrooms made you laugh a lot you've never experienced anything yet. Mescaline makes you laugh to the point where your stomach and face both lock up and begin to hurt but there's nothing you can do about it except laugh harder.

A couple hours into our trip my phone began to ring. Guess who? It's my father...and guess where he is? Oh, he's only staying in a hotel room four miles away. He came up to surprise me. YES, THIS WAS A HUGE SURPRISE! Hey, Tanner, it's y our dad. I wanted to know if you would like to meet me for an early dinner? Meet for an early dinner?!?! Oh sweet Jesus. How the hell am I going to get through this? I can't say no because if I did he would come straight to the apartment for sure. If I do meet up with him I could blow my cover. Yes, at this point I was in 007 mode. Where can we meet up to at that's dark? How I managed to pull Outback Steakhouse out of my ass is beyond me. It's the perfect setting for dilated pupils.

He got there before me and was already sitting at a table. I sat down trying to milk my leg injury the best I could so maybe it would take some of the focus away from my eyes and face. So, here comes out waitress. Are you gentleman ready to order? I thought to myself, eat?...is she f*cking kidding me?....there's no way in hell I could eat anything right now. I ended up ordering the first thing that came to mind.....cheese fries. My dad said we'd share them cause neither of us were very hung ry....me for obvious reasons stated above. The conversation was dull because all I talked about was my leg. At this point in the trip it became harder and harder to focus on anything. My senses were off the charts. You can literally hear a mouse fart from a thousand yards away on mescaline. I could hear all the conversations taking place around us....not to mention I was also hallucinating.

As soon as the cheese fries got to the table my dad began to dig in. I, however, wasn't having an easy time. The cheese fries looked like snakes and eels. When I finally got the nerve to eat I had to look away from the plate to grab the fries. This was horrible. Here I am tripping balls trying to eat god damn cheese flavored snakes and eels with my father. I consider this a child's worst nightmare.

Believe it or not, my dad never suspected a thing. Somehow through all my random babble and odd table behavior, I made it through the dinner from hell. He asked if I wanted to go ba ck to his hotel room for a while to hang out and watch a movie or something. I then came up with some bullshit excuse why I couldn't go. We then parted our separate ways and left.

I walk into the front door of my apartment to find Mike pacing back and fourth chain smoking around my living room. He had been frantically waiting for my arrival. He couldn't believe I didn't get caught. The entire time I was gone he was freaking out. He said he was worried my dad would catch me and that he would have to spent the next eight to ten hours of this trip alone. I could see how someone would go mad being alone on mescaline. It's the ultimate mind f*ck.

After getting settled back in the laughing began happening again. I described how people looked in the restaurant. How the food looked. How I could hear EVERYTHING going on in the restaurant.

I don't really do drugs anymore. I can count on one hand how many times I've smoked pot in the past three years or so. But, I wou ld consider doing mescaline again. That's the most complex and fun drug I have ever done.

Tanner Rhoden


Author:: Tanner Rhoden
Keywords:: article submission, Articles, Writers, Writing, Publishing, Ezine, Email marketing, Email newsletter, Email
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Home School Decisions

Just thinking about taking your kids out of the traditional public or private school is terrifying, isnt it?

Being intimidated by moving forward to something new isnt really about doing the new. It is more a fear of leaving the comfortable behind.

An old pair of shoes

Do you have a really comfortable pair of shoes? They may be slippers or tennis shoes. It doesnt matter what kind of shoes, just so comfortable that you can slip into them like an old habit. These are the kind of shoes that you cant wait to get into after a hard day of work. Like Mr. Rogers slipping on his blue pair of Keds. Wont you be my neighbor?

I have a pair of shoes like that. They are so comfortable that I could probably fall asleep in them. And that may be the problem.

A new pair of shoes.

Do you remember when you were a kid and got the new pair of tennis shoes? I bet you felt like you could run faster and jump higher when you put them on. We recently bough t my son a new pair of Batman tennis shoes. He took off! I didnt even have to wind him up.

Comfortable habits like comfortable shoes are nice to have, but I want to encourage you to try on a new pair of shoes every once in a while. Trying something new, like a new pair of shoes, may be uncomfortable at first, but it will make you feel like you can run faster, jump higher and be just plain invincible.

The decision to Homeschool is not as trivial as putting on a new pair of shoes. It may be one of the most important decisions you have ever made. Please carefully consider your options. Is it right for your children? Is it right for your Family? I just want to encourage you NOT to make the decision based on comfort.

If Homeschooling stretches your comfort zone and challenges your children, do it. If you know that Homeschooling is the best option for your children, but you are pushing back because it might be uncomfortable, do it.

No one ever grew by staying put and staying comfortable. No parent ever raised their children to become excellent adults by taking the easy way. Go get a new pair of shoes today.

Steve Brummet is a communication expert, writer and speaker who works with all types of organizations to increase understanding of communication styles.

Better communication can help you and your organization reduce stress and increase productivity. For more information on one of our workshops, please feel free to call or write.

http://www.communicationspeaker.com

steve@stevebrummet.com

972-548-6048

214-578-4172


Author:: Steve Brummet
Keywords:: Family, Homeschool, home school, Education, Parenting, Families, personal growth
Post by History of the Comput er | Computer safety tips

Thursday, November 29, 2012

A Short Story About Fighting For Fish Reinventing The World

Max is Passionate. He has the type of personality that one once thought all really wealthy people must have, part crazy and part genius, each part keeping the other under control. He tries to reinvent the world. He is the type of person that will not be contained or controlled. He is hard charging, aggressive, fearless, and sometimes stupid as a result. Yet still, he is one to admire.

He has no respect for rules or authority, though he has become an authority himself. What are they going to do? he would say. He has been shot at five times. He was hit only oncein the calf. He still got away from the shooter.

He was in the air force, and loved the exhilaration of flying. He would push the envelope in both the F-16 and his, much less equipped blue and tan private plane. He would do things in his small private plane about which other pilots would comment The plane just wasnt built for that as they shook their head and looked down towards the stable ground.

Hi s theory of crossing streets is that if a car hit him, the collision with his soft and supple flesh would dent the car, and thus damage his aggressor. He would walk out into traffic, unafraid of the fast moving automobiles.

Max is a man of learning. Once at the age of 14 he read the encyclopedia straight through. He also put himself through college and law school.

Maxs style of practicing the law is surely an aggressive one. He would fluster people. Max is a tall man with a good build. This, especially when he really gets going, is extremely intimidating. I have heard stories where he got a witnesses so flustered in cross-examination that when the witness was told to go back to his seat, he angrily stood up, pouting, and briskly walked directly into the wall behind them.

* * *

On one of his Fishing trips Max got in a fight with nature. He went to a Ranch in the Truchas peaks, at the base of the rocky mountains to catch his Fish. The two day trip consisted of standing in the river, trying to reclaim his fly Fishing line from a tree, diving on top of grasshoppers in order to use them as bait, sliding down a steep hill into the river, breaking bRanches off of trees to start a camp fire, having his tent collapse on him in the rain, catching several whoppers of Fish, losing blood, and of course getting smelly.

At the end of the journey on his way home he stopped by the Ranch house with the Trout he had caught in a light bl ue cooler. He smelled of Fish, smoke, dirt, grass, tree, mud, and rain. He was inside the immense, dark, creaky, and musty smelling Ranch house when the Dog of a Ranch hand smelled the Fish. Max was learning about how many coyotes were recently caught on the Ranch when the Dog cleverly discovered how to open the cooler. The Dog started to eat the Trout only when Max was on his way back out of the house.

Max was not pleased by the state of his hard won Fish. He started yel ling, whooping, and waving his arms around. The Dog, confused by this, decided to move its meal to a quieter location. It pulled its ears back and looked at Max, completely confused as to why he was leaping around. The discovery of fresh Fish was not a time to panic. The Dog picked up the Trout he was eating and started to turn around.

The Dog was part dingo, from Australia. It would often try to follow people all over the Ranch. It had a condensed build, one that could handle a lot of abuse without too much trouble. The Dogs fur was a thick brown on the sides and head with touches of white on the back. Living on the Ranch the brown fade d to black, and the white to tan.

Max was not willing to let the Fish go, and dove for it. The sliding caused dust to fly up into the air. The thick plume turned all the colors into pastels of brown, in the sharp New Mexican sun. When the dust finally cleared, Max lay belly to the ground, looking up at the Dog. The Dog looked down at Max, even more confused than before. At this point the Dog realized that Max had the tail of its Trout in his right hand. Max would not have eaten the Fish now; it had Dog slobber all over it. However, Max was willing to fight for the Fish with all he had.

Both the Dog and Max pulled on the Fish. Neither Max nor the Dog made progress, though both growled. After a short scuffle, the contenders were completely covered in a thin tan dust. Max was able to gain the upper hand by standing up. He then proceeded to lift the Dog off the ground by lifting the Fish. The Dog flailed its legs about, as if it were running straight upwards, and def iantly growled as it dangled there, refusing to let go of the Fish. Max took his other arm and put it around the Dog. He held the Fish in one hand and the Dog in the other. Then Max whispered to the Dog as he used his negotiation skills to get the Dog to release the Fish. The Dog was not persuaded and made a powerful rebuttal by shaking its head vigorously.

This continued until one of the Dogs legs got within pushing distance of Maxs thigh. The Dog placed his paw on Maxs leg and pushed off with enough force to jump completely out of Maxs arms. In flight, the Dog was able to twist the Fish out of Maxs hand. Max was so surprised by the Dogs move that he didnt react. He just stood there in the same position, arm still curled as if it held the Dog, and hand still held out as if the Fish remained in its grasp. The Dog, however, miscalculated its landing and landed Fish first, then nose, leaving a fin of dust over its landing strip.

The Dog stood up, unwilling to accep t that its Fish now had rocks embedded in it, and marched off triumphantly. Max collected his remaining Fish together, put them back in the cooler, and bought the Dog.

Thad Guy is a writer from Northern New Mexico. If you like this story, tell others about it. If enough interest is shown, we might be able to convince Thad to post some of his other short stories.

Feel free to check out Thad's Blog: http://thadguy.blogspot.com/


Author:: Thad Guy
Keywords:: New Mexico, Trout, Dog, Truchas, Passion, Fish, Ranch
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Chess Set Design What the Cook Jaques Duopoly Did

I wonder if Nathaniel Cook and John Jaques ever realized that the staunton Chess Design would be so dominating as 'the' style of Chess Sets and 'the' Design chosen for global Chess tournaments. What would Bill Gates have done? Sold a license for each Set, and each game played? The re-boot functionality would be useful for my poorer games - a handy technique for Doh! We'll have to start the game over again. I bet Bill plays a mean game in practice, no doubt with many similari ties to a computer.

Before the days of Cook and Jaques the Design of Chess Sets was rather different than todays. Whilst weighting has been the predominant improvement since those days, previously there was a wonderful array of resplendent Design, unharnessed by the restrictions messers Cook and Jaques imposed. A look at those Designs gives an insight into the imagination of our ancestors. And why not? What a perfect medium for expression. The church could provide Biblical figures, the Romans could add their political and military heroes, the Eastern empires could Design Chess Sets based on their rich heritege and monarchies. The Cook Ja ques duopoly put a dampener on all this. Now we have to have the Knights with a strong horse metaphor, the Bishops have to have their mitre, the Queen has to have her Coronet and the King his cross. The pawns are plain the rook is dominated by it's distinctive ballistrade.

But we have a secret weapon to overcome the dampeners placed upon us, the binding upon our imagination and the rules restricting our expression. Here horsey horsey... let's make you pretty! With some occasional diversion, the Knight has become the focus of Chess Design such that it stands out in many luxury Chess Sets as the end result of a craftsmans (sorry ladies...) thought, talent and skill. And there are many outstanding examples of Chess Set Design that enable the modern craftsman to regard the Knight as his palette with awe inspiring results. Wanna see some?

Here's a Design called the Ultimate Knight. And what about this bespoke Design - this belongs in a museum display huh?. The third example is one where the craftsmen take two days to create just one single Knight - the Bridled Knight - also known by other names.

Tournaments worldwide use the staunton Design for matches using the most traditional of Designs. Can't have our little Chess prodigies mistaking a pawn for a bishop - can we? D on't know about you - but I can't warm to theme Sets: mickey mouse, star wars, lord of the rings, etc. Staunton has fulilled a need, just like Bill's operating system, Henry's car and my litte pink pencil sharpener. Thank you guys. But thank you also for leaving us a little area for expression. Now, where's my riding saddle...?

Author: Baron Turner of ChessBaron USA, France and UK - Innovative Chess Sets, Chess Boards and Chess Pieces


Author:: Baron Turner
Keywords:: 'Chess Sets', 'Chess Set', Design, Set, 'Chess board', 'john jaques', 'nathaniel cook', Chess
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips