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Located in Bucktown/ Wicker Park, The Laboratory offers unique, unforgettable birthday experiences for children ages 5-14. Our individualized parties allow children to use the sciences to make magic, create moving creatures, or even become a Spa Chemist making their own products.
Our parties include 1.5 hours of space rental, use of lab coats and goggles, and 60 minutes of hands-on science. With our unique, customized themes, our birthday experience will be unlike anything you or your guests have done before.
Current themes include: Making Mini-Bots, a Frozen-themed party, Spa Chemistry and Making Magical Potions/ Harry Potter theme.
Learn more on our website. Join our Facebook page for examples, updates, and workshop announcements.


Kim Hyun Joong left jaws dropping with his new and improved figure as shown in a BTS photo!
The BTS photo was posted on his official Facebook with the comment, "At the photo shoot for the album jacket..", and showed Kim Hyun Joong's hard work and dedication to giving fans the best eye candy possible with his hard-pressed abs and arms of steel.
'Round 3' will be unleashed on the 22nd!


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D9 2A SB Semifinals: Watson Drives in Six as Cranberry Advances; Peterson Tosses Shutout for Johnsonburg Powered by North Washington Rodeo
WEST FREEDOM, Pa. – In a game featuring big-time hitters on both sides of the field, it was Cranberry's No. 2 hitter, Reyna Watson, who outshone them all.
Watson had a pair of bases-loaded, bases-clearing doubles to help third-seeded Cranberry vanquish second-seeded Keystone, 12-7, in the District 9 Class 2A semifinals at David L. Wetzel Memorial Park in West Freedom.
"(Those) were pretty big," Watson, who went 3-for-5 with three doubles and the six RBIs while being named the Allegheny Grille of Foxburg Player of the Game, said. "I like hitting. I was keeping my head down and swinging the bat."
Watson's doubles came in back-to-back innings – the second and third – and helped Cranberry open up an early 9-2 lead.
"It was very important (to get up early)," Watson said. "We needed this win."
With the game tied at two in the top of the second, Rylee Coe reached first on a strikeout wild pitch to start the inning, Lexi Reisinger doubled her to third with one out, and Oliva Plummer drew a full-count walk.
Watson then drove a ball into left field that left fielder Gabby Wolbert took a couple of steps in on only to see the ball take off in the jet stream over her head for the three-run double.
Kendall Findlay followed with a double to make it 6-2 Berries.
In the third, a pair of Keystone errors on the first two batters of the inning and a one-out walk to Reisinger set the stage for Watson, who came to the plate with two outs against Natalie Bowser, who took over in the circle for Leah Exley at the start of the inning.
Bowser fell behind Watson 2-0, and then Watson drove a ball into the left-field corner clearing the bases again and pushing the Cranberry lead to 9-2.
A pair of wild pitches in the fifth inning helped the Berries extend the advantage to 11-3, and they needed those runs because Bowser took over at the plate hitting a pair of two-run home runs in the final three innings.
Bowser's first shot came in the fifth with Wolbert on base and was a monster shot over the left-field fence to cut the Cranberry lead to six, 11-5.
Then, with the Berries leading 12-5 in the seventh, Bowser hit another home run. This was was a laser shot to straightaway center on a line drive that couldn't have been more than a foot or so above the fence.
With the two home runs, Bowser finished her junior season with 11 more dingers to give her 25 in her two-year career. She also hit .627 with 30 RBIs in 17 games.
But Bowser's power wasn't enough for the Lady Panthers, who dropped a third game this season to Cranberry.
The win means Cranberry is back in the District 9 2A title game for the first time since 2019 (of course there was no 2020 season because of COVID-19). It is the Berries' fifth trip to the 2A championship game in the past six seasons with titles coming in 2018 and 2019.
"It feels pretty good," Watson said. "It's good to be back. It clicked from there (the beginning of the season. We all got along pretty well."
Watch Watson's full postgame interview
In addition to Watson's big day, Alaina Hogue and Findlay each added a pair of RBIs with Findlay going 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and Hogue going 1-for-4 with a double. Hogue's double in the first inning gave the Berries a 2-0 lead.
Wolbert was 2-for-3 with three runs scored for Keystone adding to Bowser's offense for the Panthers.
Alisha Beggs got the win going six innings allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits, and a walk while striking out four. Watson went one inning allowing two earned runs on a hit and a hit batter. She struck out one.
Exley, who pitched the first two innings and the last two innings, took the loss allowing seven runs, three earned, on nine hits, and a walk while striking out three. Bowser, who pitched the middle three innings, gave up five runs, two earned, on three hits, and two walks, while striking out one.
Cranberry will take on top-seeded Johnsonburg in the title game Monday at Heindl Field in DuBois.
JOHNSONBURG 6, CURWENSVILLE 0
BROCKWAY, Pa. – Julie Peterson fired a seven-hit shutout to lift Johnsonburg into the District 9 Class 2A title game for the first time since 2018 with a 6-0 win over Curwensville in the semifinals at Brockway High School.
"I am just so excited," Peterson said. "This is crazy."
Peterson walked two and struck out seven while holding the Lady Tide off the board for just the second time this season.
"I threw everything," Peterson said. "They were definitely catching on to my changeup, but I just threw by screw. I worked with it and got it done."
Peterson worked through raindrops most of the game with Curwensville having two on and no one out in the first and the fourth, a runner at second and one out in both the second and third, and two on with two outs in the sixth.
"Not at all," Peterson said when asked if her approach changes at all with runners in scoring position. "I focus on my defense. I know I can pitch well. I have my defense behind me, and we get it down."
Peterson also played a big role in the Ramettes' offense going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
"Knowing I can do it on both sides feels great," Peterson said. "I have confidence not only in myself but in everyone else on the team to hit and make the plays."
Julia Jones also had a nice day at the plate for Johnsonburg going 1-for-1 with a triple, two walks, two runs scored, and two RBIs, while Natalie Duckworth went 1-for-3 with a triple, a walk, a run scored, and an RBI.
Joslynne Freyer was 2-for-4 for Curwensville.
Freyer took the loss allowing six earned runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out four.
Johnsonburg, the top seed, will take on third-seeded Cranberry in the title game Monday at Heindl Field in DuBois. It is a rematch of the 2015 title game won by Cranberry, 5-3.
"We have to do exactly what we have been doing," Peterson said. "We just have to keep practicing hard and deliver on the field."
Watch Peterson's full postgame interview
D9 1A SB Semifinals: Forest Area in D9 Title Game for First Time; Two-time Defending Champ DCC Wins Powered by North Washington Rodeo
May 26, 2022 D9/10 Baseball/Softball Schedule Powered by the BHL Sportsperson of the Year Award
ECC Boys; Punxsy Girls Top Second Edition of 2023 JB Graphics Rankings

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Big Think Declares August the "Month of Thinking Dangerously"
Had Copernicus been too terrified to publish his theory of heliocentrism, how long would it have taken people to realize that Earth, in fact, revolves around the Sun? Had U.S. Secretary of State William Seward folded to public scrutiny and not purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for two cents an acre, America would face a worse oil crisis today—and may have faced a nuclear threat on North American soil during the Cold War. In the spirit of those who are brave enough to advance seemingly radical ideas, Big Think presents "The Month of Thinking Dangerously."
Throughout the month of August, we will introduce a different "dangerous idea" each day. Brace yourself: these ideas may at first seem shocking or counter-intuitive—but they are worth our attention, even if we end up rejecting them. Every idea in the series will be supported by contributions from leading experts, from the world's top theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, to prolific legal scholar Judge Richard Posner, to Nobel Prize-winning economist Gary Becker, to linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky.
Kicking off the first week of the series is today's suggestion from bioethicist Jacob Appel that we Drug Our Drinking Water. When the government added fluoride to our drinking water in the 1940s, it was hailed as a great public health success. Why shouldn't the government add a trace amount of lithium—which has been shown to limit suicide—to our water as well? It may save 12,000 lives a year.


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Web series 'Physics Wallah' to map life journey of EdTech unicorn founder
Mumbai, Nov 30 (IANS): The inspiring entrepreneurial journey of the founder of India's only profit-making EdTech unicorn is the subject of a new web series.
The series, 'Physics Wallah', whose trailer was released on Wednesday, will be streamed on Amazon miniTV. It is inspired by the journey of Alakh Pandey, founder and CEO of EdTech unicorn Physics Wallah.
'Physics Wallah' is the story of a young and bright teacher's vision of an advanced, highly affordable education system and his entrepreneurial journey to bring this vision to fruition, fighting more than just financial odds to turn his passion for teaching into a successful business venture.
The series, which features Shreedhar Dubey in the lead role, chronicles a journey full of external challenges and internal battles. It has been produced and directed by Abhishek Dhandharia.
The six-episode series, according to the streamer, aims at encouraging viewers to follow their dreams, regardless of the challenges that may come up.
Title: Web series 'Physics Wallah' to map life journey of EdTech unicorn founder


All of Gene Watson's Peers who were contacted during 2007 were most gracious with their time and words. It is here, within this special part of The Gene Watson Fan Site, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from Sarah Jory, which she submitted to this site on Monday 3 September 2007.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Sarah Jory who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
This quote was submitted on Monday 3 September 2007.
'I became aware of the music of Gene Watson when I was about 11 or 12 years of age.
It was through the song 'Farewell Party', which was written by Lawton Williams (Monday 24 July 1922 - Thursday 26 July 2007), and the steel guitarist on that song was my hero Lloyd Green and he played the most beautiful solo in the middle of the song and I really wanted to learn how to play it.
I had just gone from a few years of playing the Hawaiian steel onto the pedal steel guitar and Lloyd was one of my favourites and learning to play that solo was a landmark turning point for me.
I then went on to buy just about every album that Gene Watson made over the years because for me his voice did, and still does, demonstrate the true meaning of a perfect country sound.
He has made some of the very best country albums you will find anywhere and he not only can truly sell you the song on album, I have had the great pleasure of seeing him live many times over the years and he is just as amazing live.
Thank you, Sarah Jory, for your support of Gene Watson.
Sarah Jory, a native of Reading in Berkshire, England where she was born Sarah Elizabeth Jory on Thursday 20 November 1969, graduated to playing steel guitar at an extraordinarily early age; she got her first steel guitar when she was five years old, played her first concert when she was six years old and joined her first band when she was nine years old.
In 1978, Sarah Jory was a featured artist on BBC Radio 2's 'Live from Golder's Green' where she was backed by the group Poacher.
It was also in 1978 when Sarah Jory's Dad, Arthur James Jory (Friday 23 May 1930 - Friday 5 October 2012), noted an advertisement for a steel guitarist to join a four-piece band called Colorado Country.
Arthur Jory secured an audition and Sarah was subsequently hired; the band also changed their name to Sarah & Colorado Country. Sarah Jory worked with Colorado Country for four years, followed by an assortment of gigs while she completed her schooling.
As a result of 'Sarah's Steel Line' (Crow Records, 1980), Sarah Jory was invited to play the important Peterborough Festival of Country Music in the east of England.
In 1982, when she was thirteen years old, international success began with Sarah Jory's first visit to America; she appeared at the annual Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis, Missouri where she played a set with Buddy Emmons (Wednesday 27 January 1937 - Wednesday 29 July 2015), one of her biggest heroes.
Between 1984 and 1992, Sarah Jory played major steel guitar conventions in the United States on thirteen occasions and shared the same stage as Buddy Emmons (Wednesday 27 January 1937 - Wednesday 29 July 2015), Lloyd Green and Paul Franklin.
It was during these visits to the United States when Sarah worked with a number of country music artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Porter Wagoner (Friday 12 August 1927 - Sunday 28 October 2007) and Gene Watson.
Since 1997, Sarah Jory has been voted 'European Country Rock Entertainer of The Year'.
In 1988, Sarah Jory made her first vocal tape, 'No Time At All', and spent some time developing a new act around the pub circuit in Bristol, England. It was also in 1988 when Sarah Jory formed a new, fully professional band.
In 1991, Sarah Jory opened for Eric Clapton in Dublin, Ireland and undertook a nationwide tour in the United Kingdom with Glen Campbell (Wednesday 22 April 1936 - Tuesday 8 August 2017).
Sarah Jory's 'New Horizons' (Ritz Records, 1992) featured Sarah Jory on vocals, steel guitar and mandolin.
In 1994, Sarah Jory saw the release of a single, a version of Jackie DeShannon's 'When You Walk in the Room'.
On Sunday 2 April 1995, Sarah Jory was one of the female country artists included in an edition of the major United Kingdom television documentary/arts series, 'The South Bank Show', which was hosted by Melvyn Bragg.
'The South Bank Show' was produced by London Weekend Television (LWT) and was shown on the (Independent Television) ITV network between 1978 and 2010.
In 1995, 1996 and 1997, Sarah Jory was presented with the 'British Female Vocalist of the Year' Award by the British Country Music Association (BCMA).
Sarah Jory has a stunning vocal style, while she is also an accomplished musician whether on electric or acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, mandolin or banjo.
At the time of the acquisition of this Gene Watson 'Peer's Quote', on Monday 3 September 2007, Sarah Jory was playing pedal steel guitar, dobro and banjo for Van Morrison.
Between September 2006 and January 2010, Sarah Jory was a musician and backing vocalist for Van Morrison's touring and recording line-up (Exile Productions and Listen to the Lion Records).
Sarah Jory played steel guitar, on all tracks, on Van Morrison's 'Keep It Simple' (United Kingdom: Exile / Polydor Records, 2008 / United States: Lost Highway Records, 2008); Sarah also played banjo on 'Song of Home' (written by Van Morrison) and 'Don't go to Nightclubs Anymore' (written by Van Morrison).
On Monday 9 February 2009 (in the United Kingdom), and Tuesday 24 February 2009 (in the United States), Van Morrison saw the release of 'Astral Weeks: Live at The Hollywood Bowl' (Listen to The Lion Records, 2009), which was recorded during two 'live' concerts at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California on Friday 7 November 2008 and Saturday 8 November 2008.
Sarah Jory played rhythm guitar on Van Morrison's 'Astral Weeks: Live at The Hollywood Bowl' (Listen to The Lion Records, 2009), which was released on Van Morrison's record label, Listen to the Lion Records; the album was distributed by EMI.
A DVD of performances from the concerts, 'Astral Weeks Live at The Hollywood Bowl: The Concert Film' was released on Tuesday 19 May 2009.
The 'live' performances of the eight original songs which feature on Van Morrison's 'Astral Weeks: Live at The Hollywood Bowl' (Listen to The Lion Records, 2009) took place forty years after the classic 'Astral Weeks' (Warner Bros. Records, 1968) was first released by Warner Bros. Records in 1968. One of the original musicians, guitarist Jay Berliner, joined with the many other musicians on the revisited version of 'Astral Weeks'.
In 2009, Sarah Jory performed with the group Essence of Ireland on a major tour.
Between March 2010 and November 2011, Sarah Jory enjoyed a varied role, both as a musician and vocalist, in the Essence of Ireland Touring Production, and also on the touring management side. Sarah Jory made contributions on pedal steel guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, percussion and vocals; she also acted as band manager.
In August 2010, Sarah Jory toured with Gene Watson at various veenues in England, including St. George's Hall in Bristol, when she clearly demonstrated her fine skils on steel guitar and acoustic guitar.
Sarah Jory continues to perform, both as a solo artist, and as a guest band member at numerous festivals, and with her band throughout the United Kingdom.
Her musical ability, style and versatility also mean Sarah Jory is continually in demand as a session player on numerous albums.


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YMCA YOGA AND MEDITATION CLASSES: Begin today at Camp Yomechas. The meditation class will be from 6:15-7:15 p.m. and the Yoga class (all levels) from 7:30-8:45 p.m. Both the meditation and yoga sessions are eight weeks in duration. The cost is $65 for members, $96 for non-members. For more information or to register call 508-947-1390 or visit www.oldcolonyymca.org.
"MIX AND MUSIC": Sponsored by Somethin's Brewin' Book Café in Lakeville and hosted by Kim Hill. Enjoy an evening of music, Open Mic 7-8 p.m., featured performers Sarah Tollerson and Dan Leksell from 8-9 p.m. Doors open and sign-up at 6:30 p.m.
GUITAR HERO OPEN PLAY: Sponsored by the Friends of the Lakeville Public Library, at the library from 3:30-5:30 p.m. (rated T for teen). The program is free and open to the public. Snacks will be provided.
DEMONSTRATION: The Middleboro Council on Aging will host a Wii demonstration beginning at 1 p.m. at the Leonard E. Simmons Multi-service Center (COA), 558 Plymouth St. There will be an occupational therapist who will discuss the benefits of the program.
AN EVENING OF MUSIC: Somethin's Brewin' Book Café, Lakeville, 7-9 p.m. featuring singer/songwriter Dana Atanian tonight from 7-9 p.m. Enjoy all styles of music, originals and covers.
FLICK 'n FLOAT: Sponsored by the Friends of Freelake Aquatics Program, 6:30-9 p.m., George R. Austin Intermediate School pool. Enjoy a swim while watching a movie. $7 in advance/ $8 at the door. Attendance is limited to 50 swimmers so please register in advance by calling Sandra at 508-333-5939 or visit friends.of.FLAP@freelakeaquatics.org.
SECOND ANNUAL CULTURAL FESTIVAL: Hosted by the Friends of the Middleboro Public Library and partnering with the Herring Run ArtsFest Group and the Middleboro Cultural Council, tonight and Saturday, Middleboro Public Library. The theme will be "South of the Border" and will feature various Latin American cultures. For more information visit www.midlib.org
CHAIR SEAT & BASKET WEAVING: Soule Homestead Education Center, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. with Susan Anderson. Chair seat weavers can bring their own chair or purchase one from the barn. Basket weavers will make a "Large Muffin Basket." Everyone should bring a lunch, all materials are provided. Class size is limited so call to register early. Tools are provided for weavers. Class size is limited. Fee is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Call 508-947-6744 for more information or to register.
QUILT MAKING WORKSHOP: Soule Homestead Education Center, 9 a.m.-3p.m. with Judy Rolt. Participants can work on theirr own project or learn how to make a lap robe. Everyone should bring a lunch, machine, and materials or use Homestead materials for a small fee. The fee is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Call 508-947-6744 for more information or to register.
SPAGHETTI DINNER: American Legion Julian M. Southworth, Post 164, of Carver, 6 p.m., Marcus Atwood House Nutrition Center in South Carver. The proceeds will be used towards scholarships for graduates of Carver High School, and Old Colony Voke Tech, the annual Boys State students, as well as expenses involved in honoring departed comrades and other annual benevolences. A donation of $8 for adults, $5 for children under 12 is requested.
HARRY POTTER BOOK CLUB: Meets at 10:30 a.m. at the Lakeville Public Library. This month the discussion and viewing will be "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (rated PG) The program is free and open to the public.
SUNDAY, MARCH 1
FITNESS, FUN and FELLOWSHIP: 10-week weight loss and fitness program starts today at the First Congregational Church, 6 Plympton St. The program will end on May 9 with participation in the Samuel Fuller 5K/10K walk/run race. Registration will continue through March 15. The cost is $20 per person with a $50 cap per family. Scholarships are also available. For more information call 508-947-1881 or secretary@fccmiddleboro.org
ACTING FOR SENIORS: Begins today and continues every Monday at the Leonard E. Simmons Multi-service Center (Middleboro COA), 558 Plymouth St., from 10-11:30 a.m. Peg Holzemer will instruct this fun and energizing class. Call 508-946-2491to register.
KIDS' NIGHT AT PAPA GINO'S: Children will try their hand at a little easy magic. Magic stretching paper, the "hole in your hand" and the disappearing dots are just a few of the tricks children can try to learn. Whether it's a card trick, a slight of hand or an optical illusion, there's bound to be something they can master, with a little practice. Kids' Night is held at Papa Gino's of Middleboro every Tuesday from 5-8 p.m. with crafts for all ages and abilities. Free. Located in the Stop & Shop plaza by the rotary on Rte. 28.
CALLING ALL SOULS: Group circle/support group meets from 7-9 p.m. for group spirit readings and support for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. The event is hosted by Diane Marie Ford, spirit medium, of Listen To Thyself, a holistic collaborative located at 48 Pearl St. Limit 10 per group, call 508-947-5348 to make a reservation.
BURGER KING FUNDRAISER: Troop 64 invites everyone to their monthly fund-raiser at Burger King on Rte. 28 from 5-8 p.m. A percentage of all inside sales (drive-through does not count) will go towards badges and activities the Troop is involved in. Troop 64 is sponsored by the American Legion Post 64.
ADVENT LUTHERAN CHURCH LENTEN MEAL AND SERVICES: Wednesday evenings during Lent. There will be a food drive to benefit the Conway House and collections will be made during Lenten celebration and on Sundays. This month's theme is "cereal." All are welcome to attend. The church is located at 62 East Grove St.
SECOND ANNUAL "NIGHT OF IRISH MUSIC": Coyle and Cassidy High School's McCarthy Theatre, 7 p.m., 2 Hamilton St. Taunton. Featuring Alfie O'Shea's Irish Band with special appearances by Aoife Clancy, Eddie Dillon and the Harney Academy Irish Step Dancers, Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children under 12. For more information call 508-823-6164, ext. 614.
THIRD ANNUAL "MARCH MUSIC": Dinner/live auction, Independence Harbor in Assonet beginning at 6 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the music program at Apponequet Regional High School. Tickets are $20 per person and include dinner, entertainment and live auction. Reservations are required and tickets must be paid for in advance.
MEET THE AUTHOR: Somethin's Brewin Book Café in Lakeville will host Norma Pimenta, author of "Smiling Eyes, A Cheerleading Coaches Personal Victory," an inspirational novel of triumph through her years following a bizarre accident that she was involved in and what she was able to accomplish with her second chance at life. The event will be held from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
ANNUAL CARITAS GALA & AUCTION: Sacred Heart High School in Kingston, on the school campus. This year's event will feature "Celebrity" alumni chefs, cocktails, entertainment, and a silent auction. Cost is $50 per person. This year's theme is "Art of the Heart" and proceeds will benefit the students and programs of Sacred Heart High School. Call 781-585-7511 for reservations.
CONTINUING CALENDAR
TAI CHI CLASS: Fridays at 3 p.m. at the Leonard E. Simmons Multi-service Center (Middleboro Council on Aging). The fee is $5 per class. Call 508-946-2490 to sign up.
HUGS (Hearts Understanding Grief) meets every Friday from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Leonard E. Simmons Multi-service Center (Middleboro Council on Aging). Transportation is available to local seniors, who should call the COA at 508-946-2490 by 1 p.m. the previous business day to reserve a ride.
QUILTING WITH JUDY: First and third Wednesdays, Leonard E. Simmons Multi-service Center (Middleboro COA), 558 Plymouth St. from 1-4 p.m. All ages welcome. $5 per class, must bring sewing machine. For more information call 508-946-2490.
CLOTHING CUPBOARD: Open on the first and third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for needy individuals and families, operated by the South Middleboro United Methodist Church. Location is next to the church on Rte. 28 in South Middleboro.
HANDI KIDS THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER: Non-profit organization located in Bridgewater helps children with disabilities. They are in need of volunteers to join their volunteer work force. There are several opportunities available. For more information call 508-697-7557 x11 or visit the website at handikids.org
YMCA YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT PROGRAM: this program is for 9th—12th graders to learn how to make a difference through the democratic process. Financial aid is available. Register now by calling Carol Longo at 508-947-1390.
ROBBINS MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY: 17 Jackson St., Middleboro, open Wednesday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors are asked to call ahead to 508-947-9005.
ADHD SUPPORT GROUP: Those interested in meeting monthly with other parents to share thoughts and information are asked to contact Cathy Tucker at 508-946-4899.
LOW VISION SUPPORT GROUP: Meets at the Leonard E. Simmons Multi-Service Center (Middleboro COA), located at 558 Plymouth St., usually on the third Monday of each month from 1-2 p.m. but call first due to holidays and visits to restaurants. Facilitated by Joe Correia. For more information, call 946-2490.
THE MIDDLEBORO GRIDIRON CLUB: Meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Middleboro High School cafeteria. Parents, alumni and friends are welcome to attend the meetings.
COMPUTER CLUB: Meets at the Lakeville Senior Center (COA) on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 1 p.m.
THE MIDDLEBORO SOCIAL DAY CARE PROGRAM: A supervised, structured day program, is offered at the Leonard E. Simmons Multi-Service Center (Middleboro COA), located at 558 Plymouth St., for seniors living alone or with families, five days a week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call Susan Adams, program director, at 946-2490.
MIDDLEBORO ELEMENTARY PTA: Meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the HB Burkland Media Center. All parents, teachers and administrators are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Michelle Donohoe at 923-6180.
MIDDLEBORO/LAKEVILLE RUNNING CLUB: Meets every Sunday, rain or shine, at 8 a.m. at the Bus Depot on South Main Street in Middleboro (next to the town hall). All runners are welcome.
ACTIVITIES: Lakeville Senior Center, Joker Rummy 10 a.m.-noon, and Mexican Train Dominoes 1-3:30 p.m. every Thursday. Every Friday there will be Creative Writing class 10 a.m.- noon.
ONE HALF-HOUR TO HEALTH: free community workshops on various topics, are held every Thursday from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Call Cranberry Chiropractic at 508-947-6455 to reserve a seat.
PARISH PLAYGROUP: Meets at Sts. Martha and Mary Parish in Lakeville each Monday morning from 9:30-11 a.m., in the Parish Barn, next to the Rectory. Parents are invited to bring their children to play while the adults explore their spiritual growth, share parenting experiences or just have some adult conversations. For more information, call Sister Carol at 508-947-2107 or Angela Doyle 508-946-9238.
ADULT BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: Meets monthly on the last Tuesday of each month at the Lakeville Public Library. A copy of the featured title will be available for checkout at the library at the beginning of each month. Sign-up is encouraged for your first attendance to ensure enough packets are available. For more information contact the Library Director Olivia Melo or email omelo@sailsinc.org.
THE MIDDLEBORO ELEMENTARY PTA: Meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the HB Burkland Media Center. All parents, teachers and administrators are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Michelle Donohoe at 923-6180.
MOMS CLUB OF THE MIDDLEBORO AREA: Group of moms offering moms support, holds its business meetings at the beginning of each month. For more information, contact Jennifer Jope, membership vice president at 508-946-3355 or e-mail thejopes@hotmail.com.
TOASTMASTERS GATEWAY GABBERS: Middleboro Chapter meets every second and fourth Wednesday at the office of Cirelli Foods, 30 Commerce Blvd. in Middleboro (495 Park near the Middleboro rotary) All are welcome to attend this meeting to improve communication skills. Call 508-946-8986 or 508-583-2579 for more information.
"REMEMBER OUR CHILDREN": New support group for parents who have lost a child. The meetings will be held the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Apazidis Restaurant, 194 East Grove St. Rte. 28, Middleboro. For information, call Lucie Brochu at 508-728-2925 or Pat McManus at 508-946-2363.
FRIENDLY SENIORS: Meet the first Tuesday of the month at 1:30 p.m. at the Lakeville Senior Center (COA).
NICHOLS MIDDLE SCHOOL PTSA: Meets the first Wednesday of each month in the Art Room at 7 pm. Parents are encouraged and invited to attend any or all meetings, and students are also invited. The PTSA meets monthly to provide parents, teachers, and students the opportunity to get together with the goal of improving the school. PTSA also assists Student Council with dances, brings the book fair to school, and coordinates guest performers for students. Parents may attend every meeting or just a few. Headmaster Kellett attends, bringing updates about NMS.
PARENT SUPPORT GROUP: For parents and guardians of children 10-20 years old meets Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Central United Methodist Church at 14 School St. in Middleboro. Call Rose at 774-259-1633 for more information.
BINGO: Saints Martha and Mary Church, located at 354 Bedford St. in Lakeville, every Thursday. Players can start buying cards at 5:15 p.m., and games start at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments may be purchased from the kitchen.
PARENTS HELPING PARENTS: Support group for parents/guardians of children in grades pre-kindergarten through 4th grade, to meet on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. This group is a collaboration between Assawompset School and Parents Helping Parents. For more information, call 1-800-882-1250.
TAI CHI AND CHI KUNG CLASSES: Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at the Wild Horse Healing Arts Center at 17 South Main St. in Middleboro. Beginners are welcome. For more information, call Chuck at 508-944-3073.
EASY, ECONOMICAL COOKING CLASSES FOR BUSY PEOPLE: Dinah's Kitchen at Listen To Thyself, a holistic collaborative located at 48 Pearl St. in Middleboro. Classes will be held every other Thursday evening from 6:30 — 8 p.m. and repeated again the following Saturday morning from 10:30 a.m. until noon. Call Diane Marie Ford, certified holistic health counselor at 508-947-5348 to reserve a spot.
JAIRUS TEEN 12-STEP: 12-step recovery and support group for teens is held Mondays from 3-4 p.m. at The Hub, Wareham Street in Middleboro. It's a safe and supportive place to get honest and real about challenges with addiction, anger and other issues. Free and open to the public. For more information, call the Jairus Agency at (508) 947-9258.
FREE BLOOD PRESSURE CLINICS: Leonard E. Simmons Multi-Service Center (Middleboro COA), located at 558 Plymouth St., on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m.
WOMEN INFANT CHILDREN (WIC): Office is located in Middleboro at 121 Center St., behind the Midtown Laundromat, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Individuals can find out if they qualify by calling 508-946-0632 during office hours, or the main office in Wareham at 508-295-0056.
TOPS (TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY) WEIGHT LOSS CHAPTER: Meets every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Municipal Light Building in Middleboro. The organization is nonprofit and dues of $5 a month are collected. For more information, call Debbie Donati at 508-946-4886.
THE NEARLY NEW THRIFT SHOP: Corner of Union and High streets in Middleboro, is open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS: Meets at 7:30 p.m. each Monday at the Lakeville United Church of Christ, located at the intersection of Rtes. 105 and 18 and Precinct Street. No phone calls should be made to the church.
MAINSTREAM SQUARE DANCING: Soft Plus and Phase II round dancing, each Monday at the Leonard E. Simmons Multi-Service Center (Middleboro COA), located at 558 Plymouth St., at 9:30 a.m. for Senior Citizens. Square dance instruction will be held the first hour for those interested in learning. For information, call the COA at 946-2490 or Bill and Carol White at 781-767-4754.
PROJECT BREAD'S FOODSOURCE HOTLINE: Open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information on free and low-cost food resources, and confidential food stamp eligibility screening, call 1-800-645-8333.
THE MIDDLEBORO COA BRIDGE GROUP: Meets every Monday at 12:30 p.m. at the Leonard E. Simmons Multi-Service Center (Middleboro COA), located at 558 Plymouth St. Beginners and intermediate players are welcome.
SHINE: (Serving Health Information Needs of Elders) services are available by appointment at the Lakeville Senior Center (COA), located at 1 Dear Crossing. Call 508-947-7224 for more information or an appointment.
CREATIVE WRITING: Taught every Friday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Lakeville Senior Center (COA), located at 1 Dear Crossing. Everyone is welcome.
PACE: (People with Arthritis Can Exercise) is held every Thursday from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. at the Lakeville Senior Center (COA), located at 1 Dear Crossing, and every Tuesday from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Leonard E. Simmons Multi-Service Center (Middleboro COA), and located at 558 Plymouth St. There are exercises for all ability levels. The first class is free and all are welcome.
LAKEVILLE/FREETOWN MOMS CLUB: Moms Offering Moms Support offers daytime activities, small playgroups, educational programs, organized kids activities and a monthly mom's night out. Call Kerrie at 508-923-4695 for more information.
THE LA LECHE LEAGUE of Wareham and Upper Cape Cod, a support group for mothers who wish to breastfeed their babies, meets the second Friday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at the Rochester Women's Club on Front Street (Rte 105) in Rochester. Children and babies welcome. Call Julie at 508-746-7573 for information.
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Home/Sports/Sevilla 0-4 Chelsea, Champions League: post-match reaction; notes
Sevilla 0-4 Chelsea, Champions League: post-match reaction; notes
Chelsea started off brilliantly and could have won two or three minutes in ten minutes. In fact, the Blues' lead was only one, after Olivier Giroud scored with the usual composure after a nice comeback from behind and an energetic run in the middle by a post-COVID Kai Havertz .
Sevilla eventually woke up and started playing too, and from there it was a much more open competition, although it was still quite wide. Chelsea survived a set-piece around mid-half, plus a few VAR checks for handball, then Pulisic missed a second good opportunity and the referee dealt a handful of yellows before blowing for the mid -time.
In the second half, Chelsea started off the better of both sides again and made that good start count again, Giroud once again scoring with even more usual cool. And that put the contest to bed, even with half an hour to go.
This gave us more than enough time to find Giroud's lead for his third of the night and Chelsea's, and even enough time for him to add a fourth from the spot, after being towed away by his defender. Glorious hat trick carry for the big man.
4 – Olivier Giroud is the first Chelsea player to score four goals in one game since Frank Lampard in March 2010 against Aston Villa, while he is the first to score four for Chelsea in a European Cup / League match champions. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/p3k9sdCz9k
– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 2, 2020
And it was a glorious night overall for the Blues, which secures the top spot in the group no matter what happens on the last day (thanks to the tiebreaker rules).
Carefree.
Almost a full and complete rotation of the starting lineup, with only Mendy on goal and Kovacic in midfield retaining their places from the weekend. First started ages ago for Pulisic and Emerson.
As for similar changes in Mount (for Havertz), Kante (for Kovacic), Ziyech (for Pulisic), Werner (for Giroud) and Gilmour (for Jorginho). Nice to see Billy G.
Giroud has more than doubled his total of goals for the season, giving him 5 in his last 2 Champions League appearances. He has scored 12 goals in his last 12 starts for Chelsea.
34 years 63 days – Olivier Giroud is the oldest player in Champions League history to score a hat-trick, while he is the oldest to do so in the European Cup since Real Madrid's Ferenc Puskás in September 1965 (38 years 173 days against Feyenoord). Glorious. pic.twitter.com/vNRBGACFm6
Help for Havertz, Kovacic and Kante
Chelsea have won 4 consecutive Champions League games for the first time since the 2011-12 season. No need for a better omen than that!
It's now 15 undefeated games and 8 clean sheets in our last 10 games in all competitions.
In the other match, Krasnodar beat Rennes, which gives them the place in the Europa League. We are playing Krasnodar at the Bridge next week in what will be purely a fitness exercise.
Next stop: Leeds United on Saturday evening, with 2000 participants!
KTBFFH
PLAYER RATINGS:
Gonzaga walks past Saint Mary's
NCAA basketball season continues because 'almighty dollar' trumps health
Taysom Hill and Latavius Murray likely won't play
Islanders 'Ilya Sorokin' hanging out to dry " in their NHL debut
Chilean second assist for Kyle Larson


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Home » Uncategorized » Why Are You Fiercely Opposed To Interracial Marriages?
Why Are You Fiercely Opposed To Interracial Marriages?
Posted in Uncategorized // 0 Comments
The question then is should someone who finds "true love" from another race, sacrifice it for the sake of his or her race?
The Emmanuel Eboue divorce from his wife Auriele in which he apparently lost all his assets in the court settlement have renewed an age-longed debate about interracial marriage, with several reactions and comments blaming the former Arsenal and Galatasaray defender as the cause of his own anguish for not sticking with someone from his race.
KEY FACTS ABOUT INTERRACIAL MARRIAGES ACCORDING TO THE PEW RESEARCH CENTRE:
One-in-six U.S. newlyweds (17%) were married to a person of a different race or ethnicity in 2015. It was 3% in 1967.
39% thinks interracial marriages are good for the society, it was 24% in 2010. University educated and under the 30s are more likely to agree to the positivity in interracial marriages.
The most common racial or ethnic pairing among newlywed intermarried couples is one Hispanic and one white spouse (42%). The next most common intermarriage pairings are one white and one Asian spouse (15%). Some 12% of newlywed intermarried couples include one white and one multiracial spouse, and 11% include one white and one black spouse.
Newlywed black men are twice as likely as newlywed black women to be intermarried. In 2015, 24% of recently married black men were intermarried, compared with 12% of newly married black women. The reverse is the case for Asian.
The most dramatic increases in intermarriage have occurred among black newlyweds. Since 1980, the share who married someone of a different race or ethnicity has more than tripled from 5% to 18%
Among black newlyweds, the gender gap in intermarriage increases with education: For those with a high school diploma or less, 17% of men vs. 10% of women are intermarried, while among those with a bachelor's degree, black men are more than twice as likely as black women to intermarry (30% vs. 13%)
The PEW research highlight above focused on the American population, but relatively applicable to the UK given the proportion of blacks to white in both countries.
Since the 1967 Loving vs Virginia court case, interracial marriages has increased dramatically, more so among younger people, urban residents, and educated population, although rate of divorce is higher in interracial marriages, likely due to cultural differences on top of normal marriage complications, but is the fierce opposition to interracial marriages among some "pro-black" advocates and activists justified?
Dr. Umar Johnson was on record that "you cannot be a pro-black and marry a white" person.
Emmanuel Eboue and former Wife Aurelie Bertrand
The disdain for Emmanuel Eboue decision to marry a white lady and somewhat glee-like comments on his divorce and assets losses among black folks particularly women demonstrate this opposition.
The best thing that ever happened to me. You are the red oil to my yam, the ogiri in my soup and the ube for my corn! Thank you for making this bold step five years ago! Happy anniversary dim oma! Afurum gi nanya 😍😍😍#igbo #igbokwenu #igboamaka #igbondioma #nwanyiocha pic.twitter.com/HGkOg29Z4l
— Nwanyi Ocha (@nwanyi_ocha) January 4, 2018
While Eboue's interracial union hit the rock, the blogger Nwanyi Ocha, a Swiss national who is married to an Igbo man from Nigeria recently celebrated their 5 years anniversary on her twitter page. Further look into her other posts showed how eager and willing in my opinion she is adapting and learning the Igbo culture.
Granted her attitude towards her husband's culture is probably not common but it shows that the main barrier to successes in interracial marriages is cultural differences and expectations.
However, while cultural differences may be responsible for the higher divorce rate, it seems though that understanding the reason for the opposition to interracial marriages among "pro-black" is a little bit more complex.
Some of the reasons are that going out of your race to marry ultimately reduce the pool of available singles in your own race, this is particularly poignant among blacks as male are twice more likely to marry a white person compare to female, hence reducing the available and "eligible" black males by half.
Another underlying factor identified in the PEW research is that the black males that marry white females are more likely to be the educated and more successful ones, hence leaving behind a "low-quality" pool of black males for black females, which is compounded by the fact that a significant proportion of the prison population both in the USA and UK are blacks as a proportion of the two countries population.
As interracial marriages gather pace, the long-term unintended consequence is that black communities will become more and more destroyed and diluted culturally to be replaced by a "less stable" mixed-race community with no or at best conflicting cultural identities and values.
There are some people with extreme "pro-black" views that have issues and will not accept a mixed-race person as being black. This is not only wrong, but dangerous too
Some anecdote gather from various online debates and comments suggest that it is not only an expectation on successful black males to stick with black females when marrying, it is also a duty to help preserve the black race, even though there are subtle differences in culture even among blacks, hence this contradict the cultural preservation argument as a reason to advocate all black marriage, for example, there is a wide cultural difference between a Jamaican and a Ghanian, even in Nigeria, there are cultural differences between Igbo and Yoruba.
This brings me to the last point- In my opinion, the fierce opposition by pro-blacks to interracial marriages is not down to the preservation of the black race, it is down to the difficulty of black folks getting over the past history, i.e. slavery and everything that came with it and the continuing racial prejudice either subtle everyday racism or open racial discrimination in the law enforcement, judicial, education, and the system as a whole.
Hence, it is taken as a distinct binary argument of race vs love. The question then is should someone who finds "true love" from another race, sacrifice it for the sake of his or her race? or is it deeper than this? a matter of survival?
EMMANUEL EBOUE
nwanyi Ocha


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Sonnen launches smaller, more affordable home battery
By Sophie Vorrath November 25, 2020 Battery/Storage 0 Comments
German-based and now Shell-owned battery company Sonnen has launched a new "compact and affordable" 4.8kW/10kWh home energy storage offering in the US – and not, at this stage, in Australia – dubbed the sonnenCore.
Sonnen says the new battery, which it prices at $US9,500 ($A13,066 converted and installation costs presumably not included), aims to expand "and ultimately lead" the residential energy storage market as a high quality but affordable home battery "for any home," including the retrofit market.
Using its usual lithium iron phosphate chemistry, the sonnenCore includes a new sonnenInverter and a sonnenModule with custom energy management software that, beyond maximising solar self-consumption, allows for load shifting and emergency backup power.
The smaller-sized battery – described on the US website as "sleek, simple and sustainable" – is also talked up for its "one-size-fits-all" design, which sonnen says makes it ideal for large-scale roll-outs such as in new home developments or community-based clean energy programs. The website puts the unit's measurements at 27/68/11 in inches, and weight at just under 158kg.
This contrasts with the current offering in Australia, the sonnenBatterie 9.53 hybrid, which starts at 2.5kWh for just under $9,000 and can be scaled up to as much as 15kWh. According to retailer Natural Solar, most customers start on either 7.5kWh from $A12,000, or 10kWh from $14,000.
Specs include:
Continuous output: (AC) 4.8 kW
Peak output: 8.6 kW
AC specifications: Up to 6 kW solar inverter
Round-trip efficiency: >85%
Usable capacity: 10 kWh
Depth-of-discharge (DoD): 100%
The release of a smaller and cheaper offering is an interesting move from sonnen, which has previously positioned itself at the higher capacity, premium end of the market, alongside competitors like the Tesla Powerwall.
And in comments at the product's launch, sonnen chairman and CEO Blake Richetta goes some way to explaining the company's motivation.
"With the increasing demand for energy security and the continuing growth of solar installations across the country, we developed sonnenCore as a smart and affordable battery solution that works for every home," he said.
"sonnenCore is designed to be easy for home builders to specify, contractors to install and homeowners to use without compromising on quality and reliability. It is the obvious choice in home battery technology for customers looking to safely keep their lights on, reduce their carbon footprint and become part of a clean energy future."
And while a product like this would be welcome in the Australian market, a sonnen Australia spokesperson told One Step Off The Grid that sonnenCore was not being launched Down Under, but rather an "Australian version" was being released sometime in 2021.
Why battery system costs may fall 3x faster than solar PV
A tale of two (Australian) microgrids
W.A. gold miner claims Australian first with wind, solar and battery microgrid
Sophie Vorrath
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and deputy editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.


4:02 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Goode, VA, 31.2 miles ENE of Roanoke, VA, public reports of quarter size hail near goode virginia.
4:10 PM EDT Golf Ball sized hail reported near Forest, VA, 37 miles E of Roanoke, VA, spotter reports golf ball size hail in forest virginia.
4:10 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Lynchburg, VA, 40.2 miles E of Roanoke, VA, public reports quarter size hail near forest virginia.
4:15 PM EDT Golf Ball sized hail reported near Lynchburg, VA, 40.1 miles ENE of Roanoke, VA, public reports of golfball size hail southwest of lynchburg virginia.
4:17 PM EDT Golf Ball sized hail reported near Forest, VA, 36.9 miles E of Roanoke, VA, spotters reported golf ball size hail near forest virginia.
4:20 PM EDT Ping Pong Ball sized hail reported near Forest, VA, 37 miles E of Roanoke, VA, public reports ping pong size hail in forest virginia.
4:34 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Rustburg, VA, 48 miles E of Roanoke, VA, thunderstorm produced hail the size of quarters near rustburg.
5:58 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Scottsburg, VA, 69.2 miles N of Raleigh, NC, public reports quarter size hail at the exxon gas station in scottsburg virginia.
6:10 PM EDT Baseball sized hail reported near Bedford, VA, 18.6 miles ENE of Roanoke, VA, several minutes of one to two inch hail with a few baseball size hailstones on magnola drive.cars damaged.
7:03 PM EDT Baseball sized hail reported near Alton, VA, 57.7 miles NNW of Raleigh, NC, broadcast media station forwarded a report of baseball size hail that fell in alton va.
7:14 PM EDT Baseball sized hail reported near Alton, VA, 54.6 miles NNW of Raleigh, NC, public reports of baseball size hail on hwy 501 just north of the virginia north carolina border.
4:15 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Union, WV, 38.7 miles NW of Roanoke, VA, public reports quarter size hail near union west virginia.
4:51 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Corydon, IN, 27.6 miles NW of Louisville, KY, .
5:35 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Elizabeth, IN, 17.4 miles NW of Louisville, KY, .
5:33 PM EDT Ping Pong Ball sized hail reported near Graham, NC, 43.4 miles WNW of Raleigh, NC, .
6:25 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Pittsboro, NC, 31.9 miles W of Raleigh, NC, .
6:45 PM EDT Half Dollar sized hail reported near Bullock, NC, 52.3 miles N of Raleigh, NC, .
7:12 PM EDT Golf Ball sized hail reported near Roxboro, NC, 51 miles NNW of Raleigh, NC, .
7:14 PM EDT Baseball sized hail reported near Roxboro, NC, 54 miles NNW of Raleigh, NC, public reports of baseball size hail on hwy 501 just north of the virginia north carolina border.
7:24 PM EDT Tennis Ball sized hail reported near Roxboro, NC, 54 miles NNW of Raleigh, NC, report on u.s. route 501 just south of va state line. .
7:40 PM EDT Ping Pong Ball sized hail reported near Warrenton, NC, 44.4 miles NNE of Raleigh, NC, .
7:50 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Warrenton, NC, 49.7 miles NE of Raleigh, NC, .
8:25 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Franklinton, NC, 24 miles NNE of Raleigh, NC, .
5:20 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Louisville, KY, 13.9 miles NNW of Louisville, KY, .
5:30 PM EDT Golf Ball sized hail reported near Louisville, KY, 16.8 miles N of Louisville, KY, .
5:37 PM EDT Quarter sized hail reported near Taylorsville, KY, 20.9 miles E of Louisville, KY, .
2:50 PM CDT Quarter sized hail reported near Medford, OK, 56.8 miles SSW of Wichita, KS, relayed via wfo ict.
3:23 PM MDT Quarter sized hail reported near Las Vegas, NM, 64.3 miles SSE of Taos, NM, mostly nickel size hail but occasionally quarter size.


Question: How do you see the report's recognition of "secret pacts in a broad sense"?
Shii: Although the report acknowledges the existence of the "Record of Discussion," it fails to designate it as a secret agreement to exclude port calls of vessels carrying nuclear weapons from requirement for prior consultation. This is the biggest problem I see with the report.
However, the "Record of Discussion" itself is a secret pact on nuclear arms entry and is an official document comprising a part of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. As the 1963 discussion between U.S. Ambassador Edwin O. Reischauer and Foreign Minister Ohira Masayoshi made clear, "full mutual understanding" regarding interpretation of the "Record of Discussion" was made between the two nations. Therefore, it is unreasonable for the ministry panel to argue that the two governments had interpreted the "Record of Discussion" in a different manner and that it cannot be recognized as a secret pact on nuclear arms entry.
It also states, "There has been no clear agreement reached between the Japanese and U.S. governments" to exclude port calls of nuclear weapons-equipped vessels from prior consultation, and the report refuses to recognize the "Record of Discussion" as a secret pact. This is the biggest issue of concern regarding the report.
Shii: What happens if the government negates the existence of any secret agreement allowing nuclear weapons to be brought into Japan? It means that Japan will say nothing to the United States about the matter in the future. If the government honestly admits to the existence of secret agreements on the bringing of nuclear weapons into Japan, it will provide the government with the leverage with which to negotiate with the United States for the secret agreements to be abolished. However, the government negation of any such secret pact will rob the government of any rationale to negotiate with the United States. In other words, there is no reason to abolish anything that does not exist. In fact, Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya at his news conference today (March 9) repeated that he is not going to do anything when he was asked if he intends to take any action with the United States on this matter.
Unless the government clearly acknowledges that the "Record of Discussion" was a secret agreement on bringing nuclear weapons into Japan by regarding the calls to Japanese ports by U.S. vessels laden with nuclear weapons not a matter for Japan-U.S. prior consultation, the government cannot demand the secret pact be abolished. To not admit the secret agreement exists as such is the worst way to deal with the matter. Any response should start from clearly recognizing the secret agreement.
Q: When U.S. warships enter Japanese ports, Japanese people have no way to know about whether they carry nuclear weapons or not. Is that right?
Shii: Yes. Based on the recognition that the "Record of Discussion" was one of the official documents composing the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, the U.S. government regards that under the treaty, U.S. warships carrying nuclear weapons are permitted to enter Japanese ports without prior consultation. Japanese people, however, have not been informed of this arrangement.
Foreign Minister Okada at a news conference denied that the bringing-in of U.S. nuclear weapons to Japan will ever again take place by saying, "Since 1991, the U.S. government has stopped loading nuclear weapons onto U.S. warships." However the U.S. government still maintains the policy to load tomahawk land attack cruise missiles onto nuclear-powered attack submarines at anytime if necessary, though it eliminated nuclear weapons from its surface military vessels. In addition, the U.S. has announced that nuclear weapons will be redeployed whenever it declares an emergency. If the Japanese government refuses to abolish the secret nuclear pacts, Japanese people will never be notified of any nuclear-armed U.S. warships' entry.
After 50 years of deceit concerning an issue seriously affecting the security of the country and the safety of the people, the Japanese government has finally admitted to the existence of the "Record of Discussion." However, it still refuses to recognize the document as a secret agreement. The report argues that there was no secret agreement because the interpretation of the document differed between the two governments, and the present government intends to maintain the system allowing the U.S. to bring nuclear weapons freely into Japan.
Q: Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirano Hirofumi said that this is an accomplishment due to the change of government. Do you mean to say that it isn't an accomplishment?
Shii: By no means it is an accomplishment. Of course it is a change in the sense that the government admitted the existence of the "Record of Discussion." Since JCP Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo raised the issue in the Diet ten years ago, past governments have persisted in denying any knowledge of the existence of the "Record of Discussion". Such an attitude of denial no longer is possible.
However, as the government admits to the existence of the "Record of Discussion", it should recognize it as a secret agreement and abrogate it. This is the surest way to guarantee adherence to the "Three Non-nuclear Principles".
It was foregone conclusion that DPJ would be unwilling to speak up against U.S.
Q: What is behind this government attempt to come up with such a conclusion?
However, as long as the DPJ claims that there has not been any secret arrangement on the introduction of U.S. nuclear weapons into Japan, it will not have to say anything to the United States and Japan can continue giving tacit approval as successive governments did. Based on this premise, the report was made. This was the conclusion even before the report was to be written.
It was fine that the government ordered the "expert panel" as the first step to look into the Japan-U.S. secret agreement. Now that the panel report has been released, the government should thoroughly examine the findings and state an opinion by the government itself, not just that of the "expert panel". It is irresponsible for the government to leave everything to the panel. This is a matter concerning the security of the Japanese people.
Q: What do you think of the successive Japanese governments that have denied taken this issue?
Shii: As many U.S. documents indicate, "full mutual understanding" was made between the two governments regarding the interpretation of the "Record of Discussion" after the 1963 discussion between U.S. Ambassador Edwin O. Reischauer and Foreign Minister Ohira Masayoshi. However, successive governments denied the existence of the secret agreement. This is unforgivable.
Since the new government admits to the existence of the "Record of Discussion", it should recognize it as a secret pact on nuclear arms entry and abrogate it.


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Travelers who've been longing for air travel to regain a little lost luxe have reason to be encouraged. In recent months a handful of stylish all-business-class airlines and routes have emerged, offering private-jet services and amenities in jumbo-size planes—and giving a major boost to what too often seems like a rapidly downgrading industry.
SERVICE Launched in October with daily flights between JFK and London's Stansted. Roundtrip, $6,500; 888-357-3677; www.eosairlines.com.
PLANES Reconfigured Boeing 757-200s holding 48 passengers in cabins originally built for 200.
ON BOARD The fully flat seats come with cashmere blankets, personal DVD players, and Bose noise-canceling headphones.
COMPETITIVE EDGE Eos's seats are the best of the bunch—longer than the rest, with a true podlike feel.
SERVICE Flies the JFK–Stansted route; Washington, D.C.–Stansted flights are coming. Roundtrip, from $1,360; www.maxjet.com; 888-435-9629.
PLANES 767-200ERs with 102 seats as opposed to the 205 on regular flights.
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PLANES A mix of Boeing Business Jet 737-700s and Airbus Corporate Jet A319s, each with 44 to 48 nearly flat seats.
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COMPETITIVE EDGE The new private jet service connects Frankfurt and Munich passengers to regional airports throughout Europe, handling all bags and paperwork.
SERVICE The year-old service flies between Newark and Zurich six times a week. Roundtrip, from $2,200; 877-359-7947; www.swiss.com.
PLANES Boeing Business Jet 2—a new extended-range version of the Boeing 737-800—with 56 60-inch pitch seats.
ON BOARD The amenities are nice, if not extraordinary: seats that lie almost flat, DVD players, Jack Daniels and Glenfiddich, and lots of in-flight shopping.
COMPETITIVE EDGE As the only Swiss Airlines flight at Newark, check-in is ultrafast. In Zurich, passengers can use the chic new Allegra and Business lounges.
SERVICE The new Amsterdam–Houston flight, aimed squarely at oil executives, flies six times a week. Roundtrip, $8,500; 800-447-4747; www.klm.com.
PLANES Upgraded Boeing Business 737-700s, equipped with oversize fuel tanks and specially designed wings for long-range flights.
ON BOARD Forty-four flatbed seats come with the usual cotton sheets, power outlets, and personal videos—along with a not-so-typical Delftware parting gift.
COMPETITIVE EDGE For anyone connecting to flights to the Middle East or Asia, only KLM's service makes timing and transfering this easy.
SERVICE MiMa (short for Milano/Manhattan) is a members-only service flying six times a week. Roundtrip, $4,000; 212-609-7074; www.mimaclub.com.
PLANES Airbus Corporate Jet A319 with 48 seats uses Linate: Milan's secondary airport, 15 minutes from the city center.
ON BOARD The leather seats are wired for e-mail, meals can be preordered, and once on the ground, immigration escorts help speed the entry process.
COMPETITIVE EDGE Extras include a 24-hour concierge as well as helicopter transfers and, of course, the most stylish fellow passengers in the sky.


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Political Op-Eds Social Commentary
4 ways Trump is trying to be king
By Julian Zelizer, CNN Political Analyst
Published 7:11 AM EDT, Fri May 17, 2019
Lemon: Trump wants to follow the lead of strongmen
Editor's Note: Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, and author, with Kevin Kruse, of the new book "Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974." Follow him on Twitter at @julianzelizer. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion at CNN.
This week the White House informed Democrats in Congress that they had no constitutional right to investigate whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice. It was the latest of Trump's efforts to ratchet up his claims of presidential power, and it prompted House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler to declare that the White House was trying to make the President into a king.
Responding to White House counsel Pat Cipollone's letter to Nadler saying that his obstruction investigation was "outside" the constitutional rights of the House, Nadler argued that the White House was taking a stance that is "unprecedented and unsupported by law, history and practice."
Julian Zelizer
When critics of the administration warn of the imperial way in which Trump is attempting to use his power, some defenders point out that other presidents have also flexed their authority extravagantly in recent decades. All presidents have acted this way toward Congress, they say.
The President's supporters have a point. It is true that the presidency has become much more imperial as an institution over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries. Even after post-Watergate reforms in the 1970s attempted to rein in what historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. in 1973 called the "imperial presidency," the executive branch has rebounded and continued to expand in strength.
But while the presidency is imperial, we have seen four major precedents that Trump is setting into place that could have enormous long-term consequences on the institution.
Precedent 1: Delegitimating oversight
What has taken shape in recent weeks is an argument suggesting that almost no oversight is legitimate unless the President agrees to a congressional investigation. Even without invoking executive privilege, Trump has been firm he will not cooperate with almost any of the investigations taking place.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a meeting with China's Vice Premier Liu He in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Thursday, April 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Donald Trump's week of utter chaos sends a message
Unlike previous presidents who have resisted specific oversight investigations – and who have tried to hold back specific sets of advisers and documents based on executive privilege – Trump has argued he has blanket authority to say no to the demands from all congressional oversight operations anytime he wants to do so.
Simply deeming an investigation to be partisan, a claim that most presidents have made when under the spotlight, in his mind appears to be sufficient to undermine the right of Congress to oversee his office.
This claim comes on top of an unprecedented campaign to obstruct a major investigation into Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. If Trump's posture is legitimated by Congress and the courts through their own inaction, this decision would constitute a major step in significantly eroding the ability of the capacity of the legislative branch to hold the president accountable.
Precedent 2: Using the bully pulpit for disinformation
Trump has also gone beyond his predecessors when it comes to using the bully pulpit to propagate disinformation. Of course, it is important to recognize that almost every president lies, as The Nation's Eric Alterman notes in his forthcoming book on the subject, "Lying in State: Why Presidents Lie and Why Trump Is Worse." Some of their lies have been small, and others have been big ones that led us into major wars such as Vietnam and Iraq. But Trump lies in a different, more sweeping and indiscriminate way.
According to The Washington Post, the President has made more than 10,000 lies or misleading statements. He spreads false information without any sense of shame and with a regularity that normalizes this action. His use of what Theodore Roosevelt called the White House's "bully pulpit" in this fashion is part of a political strategy. He spreads false information, conspiracy theories and outrageous accusations to confuse public debate, direct the national media focus and undermine the legitimacy of his opponents.
We saw this use of presidential power early on with Trump's false claims about the size of the crowd at his inauguration, and watched it grow exponentially into the realm of public policy. The reckless abandon with which he uses his presidential platform to pollute the public discourse with falsehoods is a brazen and aggressive use of authority.
Precedent 3: Legitimating conflict of interest
Trump has also used his power to legitimate a massive, unprecedented conflict-of-interest problem at the heart of this administration. One of the biggest dilemmas with the Trump presidency from his earliest days was his refusal to disclose tax information and then his resistance toward creating a serious firewall between his presidency and business. Rather than give up ultimate control of his company, he would only go so far as to put his sons in charge of the business, which meant little in practice.
While other presidents have been accused of conflict of interest (such as Lyndon Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, with the television stations that they owned in Texas), never has there been a conflict situation of this scale and scope. The President's ownings are directly related to major policy decisions that he makes on a regular basis, including foreign policy.
The use of Trump resorts for presidential weekends and the fact that Trump International Hotel in Washington is a favorite stop for overseas dignitaries from countries such as Saudi Arabia exposes the problematic structure he kept in place. The President's insistence that the business did not have to be broken up or placed far away from his immediate family was a raw assertion of power.
Precedent 4: Using national emergency power to replace legislating
Trump has been imperial with his power in other ways, such as his using executive power to roll back government policies and unilaterally withdrawing from international agreements, such as the Iran nuclear deal. Though this use of executive power is certainly not new among presidents, there have been instances when he has gone well beyond others who came before him. But the President's decision to invoke national emergency power to obtain funding for a border wall that Congress refused to fund several times is the most egregious example of how freely he is willing to flex his authority. If the courts don't strike it down, this will offer a model for future Democratic and Republican presidents to obtain monies that they want without congressional approval.
Every time that presidents expand the power of the office and Congress fails to respond, the institution of the presidency becomes stronger. Unlike the 1970s, currently strong partisanship has been offering Trump a clear playing field as he moves forward in his imperial presidency. There has been essentially no Republican pushback to this point.
The GOP's blind loyalty to the President has been a big disincentive for House Democrats to pursue impeachment proceedings, as they fear their efforts will be stifled in the Senate. Unless Congress figures out a way to push back, the presidency will be much more imperial when Trump is done with his time in office, leaving future Congresses to confront a White House that will be able to inflict much greater damage on other institutions without any sense of restraint.


The Father (or Mother) of the Church, also known as the Sovereign Patriarch or Sovereign Matriarch, is the O.H.O. of O.T.O. All official rites and ceremonies used within E.G.C. are subject to the approval of the Patriarch. The Patriarch has the sole authority to suspend, revoke, and reinstate the recognition of any person's clerical status as Bishop, Priest, Priestess or Deacon within E.G.C., and any person's Clerical or Advisory membership in E.G.C. The Patriarch has the authority to approve texts to be used in celebrations of the Gnostic Mass by Priests and Priestesses of E.G.C., modify the Gnostic Mass to suit special functions and occasions, to set guidelines for its proper performance, and to issue guidelines for the preparation of the eucharistic elements.
The Primate, or Presiding Bishop, is the National Grand Master General X° . The Primate shall in general supervise and control the affairs of E.G.C. within the U.S.A., subject to the ultimate authority of the Patriarch.
At this time, the Primate of E.G.C. within the U.S.A. is Sabazius X° , National Grand Master General of the U.S. Grand Lodge of O.T.O. Frater Superior Hymenaeus Beta has delegated, in full, his duties and authority within E.G.C. to Sabazius X° for exercise within the U.S.A. The actions and decisions of the Primate are subject to modification or reversal by the Patriarch upon appeal by any Bishop within the U.S.A.
Full Bishops within E.G.C. must be Sovereign Grand Inspectors General VII° of O.T.O. There are a number of Bishops of E.G.C. who were consecrated prior to the institution of this requirement, and who are not yet Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of O.T.O. Such Bishops are known as Auxiliary Bishops, and their authority is similar to that of E.G.C. Priests and Priestesses, along with any additional authority specifically given to them by the Patriarch or the Primate.
Bishops and Auxiliary Bishops of E.G.C. have the responsibility of serving as official representatives of E.G.C. within O.T.O. Any public celebration of the Gnostic Mass which involves the participation of a recognized Bishop or Auxiliary Bishop of E.G.C. as an officer is by definition an official O.T.O. event and is subject to all the policies of O.T.O. regarding official O.T.O. events.
The term "Bishop" does not carry the same meaning within E.G.C. as it does in Christian Churches or in the so-called "Wandering Bishops" tradition. Possession of a valid and documented Apostolic Succession does not make one a Bishop of E.G.C.; neither is a Christian Apostolic Succession necessary to the Bishops of E.G.C.
Gnostic Bishops of the Doinel Succession assume a Mystic Name prefaced by the Greek letter "T" or "Tau" upon their consecration. Bishops and Auxiliary Bishops of E.G.C. who wish to emphasize this part of their spiritual heritage may, at their option, follow this tradition. However, the Double Tau is reserved for use by the Patriarch and the Primate.
Novice status is not formally recognized by the Order, and is not included in the Order's records.
Bishops from affiliated or distant branches of the Gnostic Church with or without an historical connection with O.T.O. may affiliate with O.T.O. upon mutual recognition. Such Bishops shall affiliate as Advisory members of E.G.C., and shall be known as "Bishops in Amity."
Advisory membership in E.G.C. confers no clerical authority within E.G.C.


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kiko - Fotolia
An indie mobile app developer deals with Parse shutdown
Facebook's decision to shutter its Parse mobile backend as a service sent developers into a tizzy. With a year to migrate apps to another MBaaS, cooler heads are now prevailing.
Joel Shore, News Writer
Facebook's coming shutdown of the Parse open source mobile backend as a service came without warning. What started as a Twitter-fueled panic attack among mobile app developers facing Parse's looming Jan. 28, 2017, demise is now giving way to a calmer search for alternatives. To its credit, Facebook is helping to mitigate the pain.
Though not precisely a retread of Britain's retro-popular "Keep Calm and Carry On" wartime slogan, the prospect of moving apps and data to alternative platforms befits the update, "keep calm and migrate on." Who better to sort out the Parse shutdown anxiety than a U.K.-based independent developer of mobile apps.
Based in Wiltshire, west of London, Jason Kneen of BouncingFish is a freelance developer building cross-platform apps in native iOS and Android. He also does Node.js, .NET and Classic ASP Web development, counting the likes of Microsoft and Disney among his clients.
Like other mobile app developers worldwide, Facebook's sudden January 2016 Parse shutdown caught Kneen by surprise. "Initially, it was a total shock; completely unexpected," he said. "I was in panic mode, because I had apps that I'd just finished and released on Parse." Kneen also had three other major projects lined up that he planned to host on Parse.
Popular open source MBaaS
Kneen is far from alone in his dismay, according to Mike Facemire, a principal analyst at Forrester Research, who serves application development and delivery professionals. "When Parse came out, it offered ultimate back-end simplicity for building games or storing users' preferences," he said. "Parse was the perfect storm for indie developers -- it was a quick way to throw data up into the cloud, it had the ability to perform at scale and it wasn't prohibitively expensive."
MBaaS is still an important technology.
Jeff HaynieCEO, Appcelerator
Jeff Haynie, CEO of mobile backend as a service (MBaaS) provider Appcelerator Inc., one of many Parse alternatives, agreed. "I think Parse succeeded at what Facebook initially wanted to do: Provide tools and a disciplined approach that allowed developers to build apps that connected with the Facebook platform."
That standalone MBaaS model no longer appears to be a priority, and demonstrates how MBaaS has been assimilated into the larger cloud and mobile app development universe, Haynie said. "MBaaS is still an important technology, but today, it is just one part of the overall application stack that developers use to build their products." He added that apps are now more attuned to other technologies, including API enablement, microservices and containerization. "Think of MBaaS as part of a larger suite for building cross-channel, cross-platform mobile applications."
Two-step app migration process
After the initial shock of the Parse shutdown passed, Kneen realized he has nearly a full year to move his apps and data to another MBaaS platform. He also realized he was not alone. "The open source community really jumped on this quickly. Literally, overnight, we had blog posts on how to deploy the open source Parse server to other platforms. And within days, we had a button you could click off the sample Parse app that would deploy it somewhere else."
Though the Parse shutdown doesn't happen until Jan. 28, 2017, waiting until the last moment is simply asking for trouble, Facemire said. "Whether you set up your own Parse server or go with another MBaaS provider, it is never exactly the same. Code changes and API calls will likely need adjustment or rewriting, followed by testing."
Facebook itself is promoting a phased approach of migrating data from Parse to some other MongoDB database server before the end of April 2016, followed by redeploying apps to an independently hosted Parse server by the end of July.
To aid developers, Facebook posted the code for the open source Parse server on GitHub. The recommendation from the Parse website "is to use the open sourced version of Parse to deploy your own Parse back end for your mobile application." A separate application migration guide is also available.
Self-hosting the Parse server code may be an ideal approach for some developers. "Looking at other MBaaS solutions out there, they are either not simple to set up and use, or expensive from Day 1," Kneen said. "Parse was at least free to use up to a certain point -- and maybe that was ultimately the issue."
Parse shutdown ultimately good for developers
"Developers understand that they now have the means to instantly deploy the Parse server to Amazon Web Services, Salesforce's Heroku, Google and other destinations, such as Appcelerator's cloud platform," Kneen said. "More interestingly, this has sparked interest among developers and businesses to create alternative solutions. It has actually lit a fire under developers that wouldn't have happened if Parse had continued."
Another side of the Parse shutdown is that it forces developers to evolve from working on a mobile-only environment to interacting with a wider range of connected devices, which includes smartwatches and even home-automation Internet of Things appliances. "This advances developers into stream processing and real-time communications," Kneen said.
For Kneen, the perfect cloud-based MBaaS is one that provides breathing room for app development and testing. "What I need is an MBaaS solution that isn't geared toward being in production immediately." He said he prefers a platform where it is possible to get a mobile back end working fast, without incurring significant costs during the development phase. "Ultimately, I will hand any production costs over to the client."
In the long run, the Parse shutdown, and the need to migrate apps and data are likely to be seen as mere bumps in the road to the cloud, Facemire said. "Once you have a good understanding of the cloud, it becomes apparent that it isn't a big deal to pick up and move somewhere else." Developers of mobile apps will be doing a lot of picking up and moving before next January.
Alternatives to Parse MBaaS are plentiful
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Dig Deeper on Mobile infrastructure and applications
Mobile app architecture is nothing without MBaaS
How MBaaS architecture is reshaping enterprise mobility
With shutdown just weeks away, a Parse migration expert offers advice
By: Joel Shore
Firebase, AWS and more: A comparison of five leading MBaaS providers
By: Matthew David
Joel Shore asks:
To which MBaaS are you migrating apps and data from Parse? Why?
The Life of the Cloud Architect Part 1: Why Hybrid Multicloud Meets All Your ... –NetApp
The Life of the Cloud Architect Part 2: 3 Steps to a Hybrid Multicloud ... –NetApp
Parse migration: It's now or never for moving apps ... – SearchCloudComputing
Parse closure opens door to other mobile development ... – SearchMobileComputing
Parse shutdown: What now? – SearchCloudComputing
Joel Shore - 22 Feb 2016 5:10 AM


Brenau University's Master of Education degree in Elementary Education is designed to develop and enhance proficiency and professionalism among practicing teachers and those wishing to become teachers. Graduates will take active roles in planning, implementing, and evaluating effective teaching practices through reflective decisions relating to content, pedagogy and the learner. This 12 course, 34 credit degree program will provide the practicing professional additional depth of knowledge in the field of elementary childhood education.


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The 20 Best Multiplayer Video Games Ever Released
If friendships are ruined in the course of gameplay, so be it.
By Cameron Sherrill and Brady Langmann
Before you, dearest Esquire reader, log off for the holidays, the weekend, or the night—hell, whenever you're reading this—you should know that you're valued by the members of the Esquire Gamer Zone. We can't speak to how your friends and family feel about you. That's your business. But we think so highly of you that, after compiling the final boss that was our 2021 Gaming Awards, we sat down and realized that we hadn't given enough. You deserve more.
So, as a chaser to the awards—which you really should read, if only to see who won Best Himbo—as well as our ranking of the 35 best video games released in 2021, we put together our favorite multiplayer games of all time. This is the season when we spend more time with our loved ones, right? We figured this was an appropriate list, in that case. It is by no means comprehensive, but yeah, there's a Mario Party on here. It's just a small gift from us, to you. We'll see you online.
Oh boy, you melee nerds have your fingers ready to type. That's right, I love Smash Ultimate. In fact, I'm a dirty casual who always gravitates toward the newest Smash game. But Smash Ultimate is just that: the ultimate smash. With a roster that is incomparable to any video game crossover we've ever seen, chances are even the most casual gamers will find a character they love and can play. Smash is and always has been a party game for everyone, although the internet may want you to believe otherwise. —C.S.
Clap 'em cowboy. It's Fortnite time. I played this game when it first came out, then hated it on account of all the dabbing, and am now firmly in bed with it. I love Fortnite. You hear me? I love it. I play it constantly. I never thought I'd get here, but here I am: playing Fortnite, clapping noobs, and getting those sweet, sweet victory royales. My squad kicks your squad's ass, and because of that this is one of my favorite multiplayer games out there. Until we're losing. Then this game absolutely blows. —C.S.
Mario Party Superstars
I know I could have picked one of the classic Mario Parties, but why would I do that when Superstars is the best and the brightest and so much more accessible? Mario Party Superstars is the Mario Party we've been waiting for for years. Classic boards, the best minigames, all in an updated package with tons of quality-of-life improvements. Don't worry, the Mario Party bullshit is still here in droves, and it's just as infuriating as you remember. You'll love it. —C.S.
Ever want to gang up with a bunch of your friends and absolutely destroy the fun time of an unsuspecting fellow gamer who just kinda wants to ride their horse around? Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode is here for you. Sure, you can play any number of co-op adventures helpfully provided by the game. But really, you're just there to survive. Which is when things get… fun? Scary? Both? We're still not quite sure. —B.L.
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy
If Gauntlet isn't one of the OGs of four-player co-op, I don't know what is. Dark Legacy took this top-down, hack-and-slash title to a whole new level with tons of characters, costumes, a progression system, and some of the best damn music and announcer lines in any game ever. There's nothing like hearing a booming voice claim, "You are greedy" when you know you've been playing like a rat hoarding food. Plus, there's a big, white-bearded sorcerer, so I'm immediately in. We need a remake or successor to this game stat, as no Gauntlet has held a candle to it since. —C.S.
Yo ho ho, Captain Sherrill here to tell you that if you thought Mario Party was a friendship ruiner, wait until you've tried to sail with your compatriots. Someone's always screwing up and pissing me off on my ship, but I'm also always having a blast. Sea of Thieves is one of those games where I can genuinely say nothing comparable exists. It's the perfect pirate game with adventures, krakens, ship battles, and a beautiful aesthetic that could only be accomplished by Rare. Sea of Thieves isn't just one of the best multiplayer games out there, but one of the best games of all time. It's also free with an Xbox or PC Game Pass, and available on Steam, so you've got no excuse to not get sailing. —C.S.
WarioWare: Get It Together!
This is certainly the most frantic multiplayer experience on our list. It's fast-paced but extremely easy to control, making it great for gamers of any level. And there are tons of multiplayer options ranging from co-op to versus, all equally fast-paced and hilarious. WarioWare is just genuine, unadulterated fun. —C.S.
Monster Hunter has got to be the greatest online co-op game in existence. Sure, some argue that title goes to Rainbow Six or any other nonsense tactical shooter. But why shoot people when you can have the thrill of hunting a beast? Monster Hunter Rise is the easiest Monster Hunter to pick up to date—not that that's saying much, as the game is still wildly complicated. The series sees players crafting gear and a variety of weapons to become stronger hunters, while balancing strategies and teamwork to cooperatively take down some golaithes. It's an absolute romp, and few other games offer the same teamwork-inspired satisfaction. —C.S.
Grand Theft Auto V Online
Fine, we'll put Grand Theft Auto V's 77-year-old online experience on here. Plenty of gamers love it. We do, too. It gives us a chance to play new adventures in our favorite McDonald's play place for adults, after all, running and shooting and driving until we tucker out and go to sleep. We just need Grand Theft Auto VI. Please, Rockstar. Stop messing around. You're hurting us. —B.L.
TimeSplitters 2
Most of these games are new, but TimeSplitters 2 still takes the cake for me. Whenever I feel like playing an FPS, this is the one I want. With wacky characters, insane levels, and mechanics that are the closest thing we've got to a fully refined GoldenEye, it's a near perfect multiplayer shooter. Beyond that, it has a killer co-op campaign. With TimeSplitters (very vaguely) announcing its return, it's high time to brush up on the lore. —C.S.
Broforce
Some objective truths about Broforce, just for you. It's a 2D, side-scrolling platformer-shooter. Broforce is a love letter to '80s action movies, but also a devastating roast of them. Characters in the game: Rambro, Brommando, Bro Hard, MacBrover, Bro In Black, Brominator, Brobocop Indiana Brones—you get it. Oh. And you very much want to play this game. With your bro. Bro. —B.L.
Best part about Shovel Knight is that you can buy it and pretend you did so for the truly fantastic co-op, and then, after taking a hard look in the mirror and realizing you're alone in perpetuity, you will acknowledge you also have a great single-player campaign on your hands. I mean, hell, co-op is a pain anyway; they can jump on your head and steal your life. You're better off stag. Go get 'em, tiger. —C.S.
What ruins friendship? Money? Drugs? No. Overcooked ruins friendships. Quickly. If you're blissfully unaware of this cursed, chaotic game, it sees you pilot a cute little animated chef alongside your buddy's cute little animated chef. The goal: Take food orders from customers. Maybe it's a burger. Sushi, even. Then, you have to work with your friend to cook the damn thing before the next order, and the next order after that. If your buddy biffs an ingredient, or is too slow, I promise you will hate them like you've never hated anyone in your life. —B.L.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
Cowabunga all you turts and turtettes. It's shell time. I love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I love their games even more. Turtles in Time remains the single best arcade beat 'em up, at least until DotEmu gives us Shredder's Revenge. I mean, it's a team of four crime-fighting, karate-kicking turtles, and you can play as them. What more do you need to hear from me? —C.S.
Minecraft is one of those weird games where, depending on your settings and your crew, can either be the most therapeutic, deeply relaxing game out there, or can be a freakishly chaotic, fit-inducing time. Needless to say, Minecraft is a blast with friends, or even lovers. Or just friends. Build your town, survive the night, and stare longingly into each other's eyes before taking on the Ender Dragon. —C.S.
A friend of mine is convinced Jackbox organized the whole pandemic to pave the way for its rise to fame, even though we had played Jackbox long before the big sick. Bioterrorist theories aside, it's a great online party game, because it only requires that its players understand basic rules and own a smartphone. It's extremely easy to pick up and play, and it is pure lunacy. —C.S.
You know Mario Kart. Everyone knows Mario Kart. Haha, funny blue shell, eat shit Nathan. This one is the new Mario Kart, which is the slightly older Mario Kart revamped. You can fly and go underwater, and there are bikes. It did almost lose out to Mario Kart Wii on this list because it left out Coconut Mall, but that's a separate issue entirely. —C.S.
There are games out there that when you talk about them, you say, "Yeah, I remember when I played BLANK game." Other ones? You get a look in your eyes,and say, "There was a time in my life when I played nothing but that game." Left 4 Dead 2, without a doubt, fell in the latter camp for a generation of gamers who loved to kill zombies. It provided the relentlessly fast-paced, undead shoot-em-up that probably induced the same amount of adrenaline as an actual zombie invasion would. We think. —B.L.
Wii Sports
I run several Wii Sports fan accounts. Major Wii Sports stan here, even Wii Sports Resort. Tennis, boxing, that glorious sport bowling, and so much more—Wii Sports is one of the best multiplayer games simply because everyone, and I do mean just about everyone, loved playing it together. Wii Sports is the only thing that soothes my busy brain, and the fact that they have not ported it to Switch is a crime that, even with my limited legal background, I'm fairly certain violates several conditions laid out in the Geneva Conventions. —C.S.
Listen, there's photographic evidence of the time I had a group poop with my best friend in Animal Crossing. Do I need to say anything else about why this game is fun to play with other people? —B.L.
Cameron Sherrill Cameron Sherrill is a designer and writer for Esquire.com, where he covers technology and video games.
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Pro Basketball Records: A Guide for Every Fan
by Matt Chandler
This comprehensive look at pro basketball records covers everything from Wilt Chamberlain's list-topping 100-point game to the lowly Charlotte Bobcats mark for fewest wins in a season. Among the record highs and lows, budding fans will find loads of epic accomplishments and eye-popping numbers. And discovering basketball's record book only multiplies the fun and wonder of following the game.
Compass Point Books
Pro Football Records: A Guide...
by Shane Frederick
Pro Hockey Records: A Guide for...
Pro Baseball Records: A Guide...
School Library Journal, Series Made Simple - Abby Bussen, Muskego Public Library
"Breaking down each sport's stats by individuals, teams, and postseason records, this series lets readers take a gander at true athletic excellence. Each chapter begins with a story of individual achievement, followed by lists of various records. Athletes who are still active are indicated with asterisks, so readers can see who is still on the hunt for first place. . . .Sidebars interspersed throughout the lists are simple and easily digestible, so they don't detract from the data. A quality, browsable addition for statheads." - School Library Journal, Series Made Simple
Matt Chandler is a freelance journalist and former newspaper editor. His newspaper work earned six New York Press Association awards. He has written more than 25 non-fiction books for Capstone Press, and his book, "Side-by-Side Baseball Stars: Comparing Pro Baseball's Greatest Players" was named the 2015 Outstanding Young Adult Book by the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). Matt lives in New York with his wife Amber and his children Zoey and Oliver.
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Ninjas: Japan's Stealthy...
Pro Baseball Records: A...
Baseball's Greatest...
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Daring Escape From Alcatraz