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Richard A. Muller (* 6. Januar 1944 in New York City) ist ein US-amerikanischer Physiker (experimentelle Teilchenphysik, Geophysik, Astrophysik), der durch populärwissenschaftliche Bücher bekannt ist.

Leben und Werk
Muller studierte Physik an der Columbia University (Bachelor-Abschluss) und wurde an der University of California, Berkeley promoviert. Dort arbeitete er anfangs bei Luis Walter Alvarez, unternahm Teilchenphysikexperimente mit Blasenkammern, war an der Entwicklung von Massenspektrometrie mit Beschleunigern (Accelerator Mass Spectroscopy, AMS) beteiligt (und benutzte diese für Datierungsfragen) und vermass früh Anisotropien in der Kosmischen Mikrowellenhintergrundstrahlung (wobei er mit George Smoot zusammenarbeitete). Er ist Professor in Berkeley und am Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Er ist für verschiedene populärwissenschaftliche Bücher und Artikel bekannt. Mehrere Jahre war er Kolumnist des MIT Technology Review.

Insbesondere befasste er sich mit Fragen der Geowissenschaften, wie Aussterbe-Zyklen, Eiszeiten, der Wechselwirkungsdynamik zwischen Erdkern und Erdmantel und Mechanismus der Umkehrungen des Erdmagnetfeldes, Einschlagkratern und Red Sprites. 1988 veröffentlichte Muller das Buch Nemesis, in dem er Zyklen von 26 Millionen Jahren in den Aussterberaten auf der Erde durch Einschläge von Kometen erklärt, entsprechend einer periodischen Störung der Oortschen Wolke durch einen bisher unentdeckten Doppelstern-Begleiter der Sonne (Nemesis). Er setzte die Suche nach diesem hypothetischen Zwergstern-Begleiter der Sonne auch später fort und konstruierte dafür mit seiner Gruppe ein automatisiertes Teleskop.

Muller war auch an der automatisierten Supernova-Suche von Saul Perlmutter und anderen beteiligt, die zur Entdeckung einer beschleunigten Expansion führte.

Mit Gordon MacDonald veröffentlichte er einen Aufsatz in Science und ein Buch, in dem er periodische Variationen in der Neigung der Erdbahn zur Ekliptik (mit einer Periode von 100.000 Jahren) für die Eiszeiten verantwortlich macht, im Gegensatz zur Theorie von Milanković, die diese auf Variationen in der Neigung der Erdachse und andere Parameter zurückführt. Unmittelbare Ursache sind nach Muller und MacDonald dann damit verbundene Variationen in interstellarem Staub je nach Lage der Erdbahn. Sie untermauern das durch Analyse des Gehalts an Sauerstoffisotopen in Ozeansedimenten und von Iridium Häufigkeit in Ozeansedimenten und Eiskernen aus Grönland.

Der Einschlag von Kometen und Asteroiden führt nach Muller und Morris auch zu Umkehrungen des Erdmagnetfeldes nach folgender Argumentation: die durch den Einschlag eingebrachten Staubteilchen führen zu einer Absenkung der Temperatur auf der Erde, Vereisung der Polkappen senkt den Meeresspiegel ab und führt zu einer Reduzierung des Trägheitsmoments von Kruste und Mantel gegenüber dem Erdkern (im ppm-Bereich), worauf sich der Mantel schneller gegenüber dem Kern dreht, was die Konvektionszyklen, die das Erdmagnetfeld erzeugen, stört.

Muller meint auch Hinweise (aus Datierungen mit Argon-Isotopen von Mikrotektiten in Mondgesteinproben) für einen Anstieg in der Einschlagsrate auf dem Mond in den letzten 400 Millionen Jahren gefunden zu haben (bei vorherigem Abfall in den letzten 3 Milliarden Jahren).

Ansichten zur globalen Erwärmung
Muller war bis etwa 2011/2012 Klimaskeptiker. 2004 übte er in einem Beitrag Kritik an der als "Hockeyschläger-Diagramm" bekannten Rekonstruktion des mittleren Temperaturverlaufs in der nördlichen Hemisphäre während der letzten 1.000 Jahre. Später gründete Muller das Berkeley-Earth-Surface-Temperature-Projekt, dessen Ziel es nach eigenen Angaben ist, sich auf transparente Weise mit Kritik an den globalen Temperaturaufzeichnungen in der Klimaforschung auseinanderzusetzen. Finanziert wurde Muller dabei unter anderem von Klimaleugnern, darunter die Gebrüder Koch.

Die Ergebnisse des Projekts, in dem u. a. auch Physiknobelpreisträger Saul Perlmutter und Klimatologin Judith A. Curry mitarbeiten, widersprechen der Kritik von Klimaleugnern. Nach Auswertung von 16 Millionen Temperaturaufzeichnungen aus den letzten zwei Jahrhunderten konstatieren die Wissenschaftler des Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature-Projekts, sowohl hinsichtlich des Ausmaßes als auch der menschlichen Verursachung der globalen Erwärmung, eine starke Übereinstimmung ihrer Ergebnisse mit denen früherer Studien zu diesem Thema. Muller hielt es in Konsequenz der Studienergebnisse als Wissenschaftler für geboten, seine Meinung zu ändern, und bezeichnete sich als "konvertierten Skeptiker". Nach Ende der Arbeiten schrieb er Mitte 2012 einen Gastbeitrag für die New York Times, in dem er erläuterte, wie er durch das Projekt und die in ihm gewonnenen Daten vom Skeptiker zum überzeugten Vertreter der globalen Erwärmung wurde. Unter anderem betonte er, dass die globale Erwärmung existierte, die geschätzten Erwärmungsraten korrekt seien und dass der Mensch die nahezu alleinige Ursache für die Erwärmung sei.

Trivia
Muller schrieb auch einen historischen Roman.

Er ist Mitglied der JASON Defense Advisory Group. Muller hat eine eigene Beratungsfirma in Energiefragen, Muller & Associates. 1982 war er MacArthur Fellow und er erhielt den Alan T. Waterman Award der National Science Foundation. 1999 erhielt er einen Preis für Lehre der Universität Berkeley und seine an der Universität beliebten Physikvorlesungen für allgemeines Publikum. Physics for Future Presidents erschienen als Buch und von der Universität autorisiert als frei zugängliche Mitschnitte bei YouTube. 2010 wurde Muller in die American Academy of Arts and Sciences gewählt.

Schriften
 Nemesis: The Death Star, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988, ISBN 0-7493-0465-0.
 mit Phil Dauber: The Three Big Bangs: Comet Crashes, Exploding Stars, and the Creation of the Universe, Addison-Wesley 1996, ISBN 0-201-15495-1.
 mit Gordon J. F. MacDonald Ice Ages and Astronomical Causes: data, spectral analysis, and mechanisms, Springer Science+Business Media, 2002, ISBN 3-540-43779-7.
 The Sins of Jesus,  Auravision Publishing 1999, ISBN 0-9672765-1-9 (historischer Roman).
 Physics for Future Presidents, Custom Publishing, 2006, ISBN 1-4266-2459-X.
 The Instant Physicist: An Illustrated Guide, W.W. Norton, 2010.

Weblinks

 University of California - Homepage Berkeley Earth - Homepage
 Seine Beratungsfirma Muller and Associates
 Publikationsliste

Einzelnachweise

Physiker (20. Jahrhundert)
Massenspektrometriker
Sachbuchautor (Physik)
Mitglied der American Academy of Arts and Sciences
US-Amerikaner
Geboren 1944
Mann

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Total blackout in Puerto Rico as Hurricane Fiona hits island
in Regional News
Fiona devastated Guadeloupe before moving on to Puerto Rico.
(CMR) Puerto Rico continues to reel from a total knockout of its electricity grid on Sunday as Hurricane Fiona made landfall devastating several areas.
Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said the damage on the island was catastrophic in several areas, calling it a "very delicate and sad situation." Flash flood warnings continue in many parts of Puerto Rico ,which has led to overflowing rivers, NPR reported.
Luma Energy, the island's private electric utility, says full restoration of power service on Puerto Rico "could take several days." Since Hurricane Maria in 2017, the power grid has not been fully restored and remains fragile.
Pierluisi said power crews have begun the effort to restore electricity, adding that it will be a "gradual process" to get the lights back on to critical areas including hospitals, which are currently on generators, and highly populated urban ccenters NPR reported.
Gov. Pierluisi promised that the restoration of power will not be like what happened after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and that the grid would at least partially up and running in days.
Rain is expected to continue all night in Puerto Rico, triggering at least 12 to 18 inches of rainfall across Puerto Rico and up to 30 inches in the island's eastern and southern regions.
Three people inside a house were awaiting rescue await rescue from the floods Sunday evening. Dozens of roads were closed because of landslides, fallen trees, or being washed out. Several bridges have also been washed away.
The center of Hurricane Fiona made landfall near the cape of Punta Tocon in southwestern Puerto Rico at around 3:20 p.m. Eastern, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane had sustained winds of 85 miles per hour and was moving northwest at a speed of roughly nine miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said.
President Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Sunday, which authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
The storm is headed toward the Dominican Republic and is poised to travel to the east of the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday.
Jamaica enters global ship repair industry
Court stops troubled Jamaican firm from winding-up
Former head of Bermuda Regiment jailed for corruption
Massive increase in Air Canada's baggage fee for Jamaica
Tags: Puerto RicoTropical Storm Fiona
(CMR) Jamaica is entering the global ship repair industry with a US$37 million investment in the German Ship Repair Jamaica...
(CMR) Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL), the company at the center of a major fraud investigation in Jamaica, was prevented...
(CMR) Former commanding officer of the Royal Bermuda Regiment, David Curley, has been ordered to serve six months in prison...
Massive increase in Air Canada's baggage fee for Jamaica
(CMR) Passengers traveling between Kingston, Jamaica and Canada will have to fork out more money to pay for additional luggage,...
Jamaica seeks FBI help to investigate major investment fraud
January 23, 2023 - Updated on January 24, 2023
(CMR) The Jamaican government has announced that it will seek the help of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation...
Jamaican DJ charged with rape of 12-year-old girl
(CMR) A popular Jamaican DJ, said to have played in the Cayman Islands on invitation, was charged with the rape...
Three killed in gun attack at Jamaica football game

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Trang Chủ Giải trí 25 HOT PICTURES OF SCARLETT JOHANSSON, WILL MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE...
25 HOT PICTURES OF SCARLETT JOHANSSON, WILL MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH HER
These Scarlett Johansson pictures are her hottest photos ever. Born on november 22, 1984 as Scarlett Ingrid Johansson , this american actress is the world's highest-paid actress .She has featured multiple times on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list.
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Scarlett Johansson Black Widow
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Scarlett Johansson's Hot Shots
Born to a Danish father and an American mother, Johansson aspired to be an actress from an early age and first appeared on stage in an Off-Broadway play as a child actor. She made her film debut in the fantasy comedy North (1994), and gained early recognition for her roles in Manny & Lo (1996)
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Scarlett Johansson is one of the world's highest-paid actors and has been a regular face in Forbes magazine, topping the list. She has accomplished many honors, including Golden Globe, Academy Award, and more. Since a child, she has acted and made her film debut in 1994, a fantasy comedy, North.
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Though she was born in Manhattan, New York (so that's where she gets all her innate cool from) on November 22, 1984, Scarlett Johansson's father was originally from Copenhagen, Denmark. The Johansson family also has Swedish ancestry, and her mother has Jewish heritage.
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Johansson holds both American and Danish citizenship.
Born on November 22, 1984, in Manhattan, New York, Scarlett Ingrid Johansson has a twin brother, two older siblings, and a half-brother on her father's side. Johansson holds an American and Danish passport with dual citizenship.
Scarlett Johansson has displayed her fashion evolution on the red carpet over the years and continues to leave us impressed.
Power Couple
In 2010, that GQ named Johansson their "Babe of the Year," People magazine also named her then-husband Ryan Reynolds the "Sexiest Man Alive." What a power couple.
Despite being an extraordinarily private couple, actress Scarlett Johansson and husband Colin Jost showed off what a hilarious team they are for an Amazon Alexa ad that will run during the 2022 Super Bowl.
Sizzling Scarlett Johansson In Yoga Pants
New picture of Scarlett Johansson being affectionate with Romain Dauriac while looking skinny, just five weeks after welcoming baby Rose.
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Scarlett Johansson is one of Hollywood's most problematic women. Scarlett johansson nude photos are everywhere on internet, but they all are FAKE !


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Penya Beirut > Leganés
Leganés played the vast majority of its existence in the lower leagues. In 1977 the club regained promotion to the fourth division, where it had played before for seven years when the category was still the third level.
After a steady progression, Leganés reached the new division three in 1987, being promoted to the second division six years later and maintaining its league status for 11 seasons; during this timeframe, it collected two consecutive eighth places (best) from 1995–97.
In the 2015–16 season, for the first time in their history, Leganés earned promotion to La Liga, which was sealed on 4 June 2016 with a 1–0 away win against CD Mirandés.
On 24 January 2018, Leganés qualified for the first time to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, by eliminating Real Madrid in the quarterfinals thanks to a 2–1 win at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.


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Wedding Traditions & Rituals
Lucky (and Unlucky!) Days to Get Married
Polly Alexandre Fine Photography
Say "I do" on these star-crossed big-day dates.
Your love is written in the stars, so why shouldn't your wedding day be, too? Even if you don't subscribe to superstitious beliefs, there's something fun and sentimental (and not to mention comforting!) about marking the beginning of your marriage with an auspicious calendar day, whether it falls during a particularly lucky season or on a favorable date. Rooted in religion, culture, and astrology, the following lucky (and unlucky) days to tie the knot are advantageous for all different kinds of reasons. Some dates and seasons tie back to biblical scripture, while others are linked to the Zodiac or a culture or region's longstanding traditions. The best part? You don't have to practice to a specific faith, hail from a particular part of the world, or even believe in the Zodiac to take part in the fun.
Get ready to be delighted by an old Celtic poem that completely contradicts the most popular modern wedding dates (Saturdays and Sundays!). Also noteworthy? In Asian cultures, the word for eight sounds like the word for wealth and fortune—making the eight day of the eight month (August 8th!) an incredibly lucky wedding date.
If you're getting married in 2018, though, you might be the luckiest of all. The Hebrew word for life, pronounced "chai," is composed of letters—those letter's numerical values add up to 18, which is a major number in Judaism. 2018 is definitely your year! Ready to discover even more ways to make your fortunate union even better? Click through for the luckiest (and some of the unluckiest) days to tie the knot.
Discover Jewish Wedding Traditions
The book of Genesis says, "And God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:10 and 12) twice in the verse about the creation of the third day. Some Jewish brides and grooms interpret this to mean that Tuesdays (the third day of the week!) are two times as lucky for weddings. In contrast, Friday weddings are not recommended for Jewish couples because of Shabbat, the day of rest.
Lisa Ziesing for Abby Jiu Photography
Check Out These Irish Wedding Traditions
Today, most weddings take place on Saturday, but according to this folk rhyme attributed to the Celtic region, Saturday was once the least auspicious day. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are cited as better options: "Monday for wealth, Tuesday for health, Wednesday the best day of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, and Saturday no luck at all."
June is considered a particular advantageous (and popular!) month for weddings, since it was named after Juno—the Roman goddess of marriage.
Steve Steinhardt
Because the Jewish calendar is lunar, it's considered lucky to get married at the beginning of the month, when the moon renews. Rosh Chodesh means "head of the month" and is treated as a mini-holiday with added blessings, which makes it a perfect time to say exchange vows.
Gary Ashley for Les Loups
What Your Astrological Sign Can Tell You About Your 2018 Wedding
Like Rosh Chodesh in Judaism, astrologists also believe that it's advantageous to wed after a renewed moon—also referred to as a "waxing" moon—rather than during a "waning" moon, which is considered unlucky. Pro tip: Just be sure to wait at least 12 hours after the exact new moon, for maximum luck levels. And while an astrologist would weigh many other factors to determine an ideal date (including a comparison of the bride and groom's "birth charts"), it's also generally advised to avoid hours when the moon is "void of course," or between signs.
KT Merry
The number eight is lucky in some Asian cultures because it sounds like the word for wealth or fortune. Thus, the eighth day of the eighth month (August 8th) is seen as special. On the other hand, the word for the number "four" is similar to that for "death," so bad luck is associated with April 4th, the fourth day of the fourth month.
Zodiac-Approved Dates
A Couple of Cameras
Discover Indian Wedding Traditions
In Hindu culture, couples often let the stars and planets decide the when and where, looking to their zodiac signs to settle on lucky times and dates to ensure a prosperous marriage.
Paula O'Hara
Dating back to the 15th century, Irish weddings were to be held during "Shrovetide," or the days preceding Lent, with the most popular day for a ceremony being "Shrove Tuesday," the day before Ash Wednesday.
Kislev and Adar
Judy Pak Photography
While Jewish weddings are forbidden during biblically-mandated days of rest (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavuot), as well as during mourning periods like the Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz, it's considered opportune to hold a wedding when the calendar transitions into more joyful times. Tie the knot during the months of Kislev (falling around November and December), when Hanukkah is celebrated, and Adar (usually February), when the holiday of Purim takes place.
TuB'Av
onelove photography
Usually occurring in late July or early August, TuB'Av, or the 15th of the month Av, is another favorable day to get married in Jewish culture. According to the Talmud (the two books of Jewish civil and ceremonial laws and legends), it was then that single women would wear white to symbolize purity and holiness and go out to the fields to dance and pray to God. Men were encouraged to join them to find a possible wife.
Since the letters that make up the Hebrew word for life, "chai," are numerically associated with 18, this number is considered advantageous in Judaism. This makes 2018 an opportune year to celebrate! And if you choose to get married on the 18th of any month in 2018—double "chai!"
Nina and Wes Photography
Fun and Festive Ideas for a New Year's Eve Wedding
The Irish believe that New Year's Eve is the luckiest time of year to get hitched. This way, the married couple will start married life on the first of the new year. Talk about a fresh start!
2 of 13 Tuesdays
3 of 13 Wednesdays
4 of 13 June
5 of 13 Rosh Chodesh
6 of 13 Waxing Moon
7 of 13 August 8th
8 of 13 Zodiac-Approved Dates
9 of 13 Shrovetide
10 of 13 Kislev and Adar
11 of 13 TuB'Av
12 of 13 The Number 18
13 of 13 New Year's Eve


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If You're Good Enough, Scouts Will Find You
By Jessi Pierce, 01/07/19, 3:00PM MST
Ben Bishop on his path from NAHL to NHL
Ben Bishop has been between the pipes for some pretty big games, and earned some equally big honors to go with it.
The 32-year-old goalie, currently plying his trade with the Dallas Stars, has played in 342 NHL games, 36 Stanley Cup Playoff games—including a Stanley Cup Final run with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015—and has been a top three Vezina Trophy finalist not once, but twice (2013-14 and 2015-16).
And while Bishop admits that those crowning career achievements are definitely moments to hang his helmet on, he describes winning the North American Hockey League championship 13 years prior in 2004-05 as one of his most memorable hockey accolades.
"When you win it all, it's a pretty great feeling," Bishop recalls of his time with the Texas Tornado. "We had a great team and a great year. It was a lot of fun and was a season that really pushed my game to that next level."
A Denver, Colo. native, Bishop actually began developing his hockey skills in St. Louis. As prep school neared its end, he started to look at options for the next step in his hockey education.
Junior hockey appealed to the young netminder who was looking for a chance to play against top competition and help physically and mentally mature him. Bishop decided to tryout for the United States Hockey League.
"I was cut," Bishop said. "So when I couldn't make a (USHL) team, I turned to the NAHL because at that time, the NAHL and USHL were more similar. The USHL hadn't really taken off yet, so yeah, I was happy to have made it in the NAHL."
The experience was more valuable than what transpired on the ice.
Bishop during his time with Texas Tornado
"It was a lot of fun and I think it helped be mature and get ready before going to in to college, just being on my own and playing with older guys," Bishop added. "It was a great experience, one of my favorite years of my life, so I couldn't ask for more from an organization or the city—and winning the whole thing is something I will never forget."
Bishop appeared in 45 games for the Tornado, posting a league-best record of 35-8 including five shutouts. He compiled a 1.93 goals-against average, second-best in the league, and helped Texas claim their second consecutive NAHL championship in 2005.
That was also the year colleges started calling on the 6-foot-7 goaltender. He entertained offers from numerous Division I schools but ultimately decided on the University of Maine where he spent three seasons, backstopping the Bears to back-to-back Frozen Four appearances (2007, 2008).
2005 was also the year Bishop was drafted into the NHL, selected by the St. Louis Blues in the third round (85th overall).
Since then, Bishop has had stints in the American Hockey League and with five different NHL teams (Blues, Ottawa Senators, Lightning, Los Angeles Kings and now Dallas).
Not bad for a kid once cut from the USHL.
"I would just say, it doesn't matter where you go—if you're good enough, the scouts will find you," Bishop explained. I wouldn't put too much thought on where you end up playing because all the players who end up going to the next level, they get found. If you're good you'll go. Just go there and embrace it and let it go from there."
Tag(s): News Collector Junior


2013 TX5 asteroid magnitude is 23 H and asteroid diameter is between 67 and 149 meters. Asteroid 2013 TX5 closest near miss earth distance is 25,528,420 kilometers on 30 September 2013.
List of approaches near Earth of asteroid 2013 TX5 with distance and velocity information.


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Highway Companion
2006 studio album by Tom Petty
Bungalow Palace and Shoreline Recorders, Los Angeles
Heartland rock
Jeff Lynne
Tom Petty chronology
The Last DJ
(2002) Highway Companion
(2006) Mudcrutch
Singles from Highway Companion
"Saving Grace"
Released: July 4, 2006
"Flirting with Time"
"Big Weekend"
Highway Companion is the third and final solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Petty. It was released on July 25, 2006, and charted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album was produced by former Traveling Wilburys bandmate Jeff Lynne, who also produced Petty's highly acclaimed first solo album, Full Moon Fever, as well as the Heartbreakers' next album Into the Great Wide Open. Petty released the album through Rick Rubin's American Recordings label and Warner Bros. Records, where Petty has had a record contract since his second solo album, Wildflowers (which was produced by Rubin). The tracks "Saving Grace" and "Big Weekend" were released July 4, 2006 on the iTunes Music Store. It ended up being Petty's only album for American Recordings, as that label moved to Columbia Records distribution in 2007; Warner Bros. retained the rights to Petty, eventually reassigning him to subsidiary label Reprise Records.
A streaming version of the album was available on numerous websites before its release. The iTunes release of the album contained extras: a live version of "Saving Grace", the video for "Saving Grace" and an interactive media booklet.
1 Special Edition
2 Critical reception
Special Edition[edit]
An expanded Special Edition of Highway Companion was released on June 5, 2007. This expanded edition included the original album unchanged, but added two new tracks and demos of "This Old Town" and "Big Weekend". The new tracks, "Home" and "Around the Roses", were recorded for the album in 2005, and were mentioned in Tom Petty's 2005 biography Conversations With Tom Petty, but remained unreleased before this edition. The leatherette board packaging also includes two postcards.
Critical reception[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Metacritic 73/100[1]
The A.V. Club B+[3]
Entertainment Weekly A–[4]
The Guardian [5]
Los Angeles Times [6]
Paste 4/10[7]
PopMatters [8]
Rolling Stone [9]
Slant Magazine [10]
Spin [11]
Highway Companion has a score of 73 out of 100 from Metacritic based on "generally favorable reviews".[1] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine did not like that some songs on the album seemed to be made for the road while others were not but he felt that Jeff Lynne's production on this album was different than Full Moon Fever and Into the Great Wide Open, which appealed to him. Erlewine also felt the album was darker than Petty's previous work but was still a "reliable" record. [2] Noel Murray of The A.V. Club stated that it was arguably the fourth best album that Petty has made and that the album's title was appropriate. [3] Dave Simpson, in his review for The Guardian, stated that the album was a good way to say goodbye from music, [5] although Petty did not go through with his retirement plans. Jam!'s Darryl Sterdan gave it three-and-a-half stars out of five and thinks Petty was taking his music "down a peg" and that the album shows Petty "aging graciously". [12] John Metzger, in his Music Box review of the album, gave it four stars out of five and felt that the complaints that Petty sang about came across better on Companion than The Last DJ and that the album was no less powerful than his previous albums. [13] Alan Light of Rolling Stone said that although Highway Companion was not as good as Petty's two previous solo efforts, it successfully combined the previous albums' styles and was worth listening to. [9]
All tracks written by Tom Petty.
1. "Saving Grace" 3:48
2. "Square One" 3:26
3. "Flirting with Time" 3:16
4. "Down South" 3:27
5. "Jack" 2:29
6. "Turn This Car Around" 3:59
7. "Big Weekend" 3:16
8. "Night Driver" 4:28
9. "Damaged by Love" 3:23
10. "This Old Town" 4:17
11. "Ankle Deep" 3:24
12. "The Golden Rose" 4:43
Total length: 43:56
Special Edition bonus tracks
13. "Home" 3:11
14. "Around the Roses" 2:58
15. "Big Weekend" (demo version) 3:04
16. "This Old Town" (demo version) 4:24
Tom Petty – lead and backing vocals, guitars (rhythm, 12-string, bass guitar on "Square One", lead on "Jack"), drums, harmonica, electric piano on "Night Driver", keyboards on "Jack", producer
Mike Campbell – guitars (lead, 12-string), vibraphone on "The Golden Rose", producer
Jeff Lynne – guitars (bass, rhythm), keyboards, backing vocals, autoharp on "Ankle Deep", producer
Additional personnel
Charlie Bolois – studio tech
Robert Deyber – cover art
Brian Gardner – mastering
Steve McGrath – additional engineer for "Square One" and "Jack"
Ryan Ulyate – recording and mix engineer
Alan "Bugs" Weidel – session supervision, equipment and guitar tech, "coffee and tea transportation for Tom Petty"
Austrian Top 75 Albums[14] 60
Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums[15] 72
Belgium (Wallonia) 100 Albums[16] 58
Canadian Albums Chart[17] 5
Finnish Top 50 Albums[18] 22
French Top 200 Albums[19] 155
German Albums[20] 12
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[21] 55
New Zealand Top 40 Albums[22] 13
Norwegian Top 40 Albums[23] 15
Swedish Top 60 Albums[24] 3
Swiss Top 100 Albums[25] 44
UK Albums Chart[26] 56
US Billboard 200[17] 4
US Rock Albums[17] 1
Singles[edit]
Saving Grace US Billboard Hot 100 100
US Mainstream Rock Charts 26
UK Singles Chart 198
^ a b "Critic Reviews for Highway Companion". Metacritic. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Highway Companion – Tom Petty". AllMusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^ a b Murray, Noel (July 26, 2006). "Tom Petty: Highway Companion". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^ Collis, Clark (August 4, 2006). "Highway Companion Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
^ a b Simpson, Dave (July 21, 2006). "Review: Tom Petty, Highway Companion". The Guardian. Manchester, England: Guardian Media Group.
^ Lewis, Randy (July 23, 2006). "Petty's route gets complex". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
^ Himes, Geoffrey (August 8, 2006). "Tom Petty – Highway Companion". Paste. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
^ Vrabel, Jeff (July 24, 2006). "Tom Petty: Highway Companion". PopMatters. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
^ a b Light, Alan (July 20, 2006). "Highway Companion". Rolling Stone. Jann S. Wenner.
^ Jones, Preston (July 25, 2006). "Tom Petty: Highway Companion". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
^ Eddy, Chuck (September 2006). "Tom Petty Highway Companion". Spin. p. 110. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
^ Sterdan, Darryl (July 28, 2006). "Album Review: Highway Companion". Jam!. Canadian Online Explorer.
^ Metzger, John (July 2006). "Tom Petty – Highway Companion (Album Review)". The Music Box. 13 (7). Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^ "Tom Petty – Highway Companion (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Tom Petty – Highway Companion (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ a b c "Highway Companion – Tom Petty". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Tom Petty – Highway Companion (Album)" (ASP). Finnish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Tom Petty – Highway Companion (Album)" (ASP). Les Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Chartverfolgung / Petty, Tom / Longplay". Music Line (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Tom Petty – Highway Companion (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Tom Petty – Highway Companion (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Tom Petty – Highway Companion (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Tom Petty – Highway Companion (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Tom Petty – Highway Companion (Album)" (ASP). Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
^ "Artist Chart History: Tom Petty & Heartbreakers". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
Tom Petty signs exclusive recording contract with American Recordings, 6/15/06, from Tom Petty - The Last DJ URL accessed 16 June 2006.
Watch "Saving Grace" at TomPetty.com, 6/26/06, from Tom Petty - The Last DJ URL accessed 29 June 2006.
Highway Companion at Metacritic
Full Moon Fever (1989)
Wildflowers (1994)
Highway Companion (2006)
"I Won't Back Down"
"Runnin' Down a Dream"
"Free Fallin'"
"A Face in the Crowd"
"Yer So Bad"
"You Don't Know How It Feels"
"Square One"
Blue Stingrays
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Highway_Companion&oldid=899354480"
Tom Petty albums
Albums produced by Jeff Lynne
Albums produced by Tom Petty
Warner Bros. Records albums


From Neolithic times until today, the archaeological findings in Tăşnad, confirmed by the historical evidence, demonstrates the existence and continuity of human life on current territory of the town. The research carried out on the past existence in time and on the development of the town, reveals that the first mention of the town Tășnad was in document from 1021 written by a local parson (Nicolaus Mester Tasnadi plebanus), the title of the manuscript is "Descriptica Fondationis Episcopus et Capitali Varadiensis" and he refers to himself as "vicarus generalis Tasnadi". The information contained in this brief statement is quite suggestive: on one hand it reflects the existence of human community socially connected and on the other hand, the presence of the already established name of the town, that of Tăşnad.
Two centuries later, from 1240 to1246, the chancellery of Bela the 4th, King of Hungary issues a series of documents which states that the settlement receives facilities for the integration of as many families as possible in the local community because of the labour needed on the episcopal domain ("possessio Tasnad"). The mention in the document issued on May 6, 1240 that "Tăşnad knew the evil persecution of Tatars, for this reason the settlement dealt with a great lack of residents, who seemed to exist no more or were very few in number, fully explains both the privileges granted to the town by the King Ladislaus in 1282, and forceful action, in the same year, of the bishop Peter of Transylvania who takes from the Count's Steven domain located in the Gyord village, 30 families of serfs, whom he sets in the mentioned area.
Subsequently, in 1368 the mentions multiply, the fiscal and administrative documents testify the existence of a mill for grain in the village, and that in 1456 the settlement was conferred the title of "oppidum" by Matei Corvin or by request of the Bishop of Transylvania, to the same great Hungarian king of Romanian origin, the right to build in Tăşnad a fortress of wood or stone. Therefore, we easily infer the increasing importance of the settlement, its economical, social and strategic role in the region.
With reference to the topic Tăşnad, the historian Petri Mor, son of the town, in his monumental work entitled "Szilagy Varmegye monographiaja", published in four volumes in Budapest in the years 1901-1904, attempts to explain and to argue it into a first draft, based on the geographical realities of the place, respectively from the moist areas of Cehalu meadow where the reed (nád, in Hungarian) grows abundantly in the flooded basins during rainy periods forming true lakes (tó, in the same language) . Thus it results a compound word Tó-s-nád, meaning the reed lake, the topic was assigned by locals from the south-eastern area of settlement, where such hydrographic and biogeographic formation used to exist in old times. And by extension, it was also assigned to the settlement built on its banks.
Another opinion held by the same author makes reference to the annotation made by the the Anonimus notary of King Bela III, which mentions in Gesta Hungarorum that King Arpad sent in the area a troop of horsemen led by Tas (Thosu) and who camped near a reed lake. Thus the phrase Tasnadja comes from the name of the plant, this time in association with the name of the captain, meaning Tas' reed.
As a result, the topic of Tăşnad is most probably of Hungarian origin (with direct reference to a "marshy place"), it has suffered in time many semantic adaptations, determined also by its partially different in Romanian and German forms, available in the table below, together with the names of other settlements attached today to the administrative unit (Blaja, Cig, Ratiu, Mill Valley, Sărăuad) (Suciu, C. 1967-1968).
The negative historical events did not by-pass the town, one of the most destructive being the Tatar invasion of 1566 when the settlement was almost entirely looted and destroyed, and the population, while trying to refuge in a safer place, was slaughtered or taken into slavery . However, the repopulation of the area was extremely fast, in just four years, in 1570, this results from the treaty between the Emperor Maximilian and prince of Transylvania, John Sigismund, concluded in Speyer, where it was attested for the first time the existence of a stone fortress, with a strategic role to immediately protect the civil establishments.
Being a Tăşnad resident in the feudal period does not seem to be one of the most attractive status, otherwise how could we interpret the content of the document written by Sigismund Bathory in 1589 on the privileges granted to those who settled here (tax exemption for a period of four years if they occupy an empty house, and for seven years if they build their own house). But facilities are also followed by restrictions (another hint of the aforementioned statement) regarding the resettlement to other places.
The Turkish occupation in the second half of the 17th century had also left deep marks in the memory of the inhabitants, the population being often butchered during the invasions and military conflicts.
Tăşnad had also undergone to other special tests at the end of the 17th century (1678) and beginning of the 18th century (1709-1710, 1739-1742) when the local population had been affected by epidemic cholera or plague. All these poisonous episodes had profoundly marked the settlement, most of its population had been affected by the devastating diseases of those times.
The demographic consequence of those tragic events, had been the colonization of the region between 1754 and 1760, with massive groups of Swabians, from the Schwartzwald (Black Forest) region, located in south-western part of today's Germany. The purpose of this population resettlement consisted both in the need of manpower for a developing economy and in counterbalancing through specific Swabian Catholicism, the specific spread of the Protestant sects, especially among local people. This way the ethnic mosaic varies, along with Romanian and Hungarian continue to cohabit this diligent and disciplined population who will bring a substantial contribution to the culture of the place.
A different misfortune befell the village, earthquakes shook the settlement at short time intervals in 1829 and 1834. Although the region is not defined by a high seismicity, a more active hotbed of such terrestrial events being located much further south, in Banat, the damage suffered by the urban infrastructure by the collapse of several houses, shows a high relative intensity of the earthquakes, the at least 5 degrees on the Richter scale.
The history records, along with the Grand National Assembly of Alba Iulia, December 1, 1918, the establishment of the Romanian administration in Tăşnad, which will continue with one syncope (the consequences of the Vienna Dictate, from September 1940, when Crisana, a geographic and historic region which includes Tăşnad, and the northern and central Transylvania are reintegrated until October 1944 to the Hungarian state) until today.
The political-administrative entities which were part of town, are another interesting aspect. Resettlements were extremely numerous in this area, both territorial grids and their names changed from one era to another, from one political system to another. Thus, only in the last eight decades Tăşnad had been integrated to Salaj County (until 1948), more extended westward, and to Carei district (between 1952 and 1960), unit belonging to Maramures Region and since 1968 to Satu Mare county.
Also, as another curiosity, it must be emphasized that in 1875 Tăşnad passed from being a town to being a commune (in order to avoid the high taxes bore by residents of the town), which would change a century later, in 1968, when the town was record again among the urban centres.


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Car Industry sputters as the pandemic causes sales to stall
By: Tyler Locke
Posted: Dec 2, 2020 8:36 PM EST
NOW: Car Industry sputters as the pandemic causes sales to stall
ELKHART, Ind. --- In Elkhart County, we have seen the RV industry do nothing, but break records virtually every month of this pandemic. On the flip side of that, we have seen the car industry struggle, as fewer residents opt for car purchases with so much uncertainty in the county.
This has left dealerships, new and used, to tamper sales expectations and scale back inventory, as they continue to recover.
"I've noticed probably a 50% decrease from previous years, and by that, I'm going over the last three years," said the owner of Main Street Motors, Ian Schrader.
Adversely from the RV industry, local car dealerships in the county are feeling the Covid-19 impact. With many seeing stalled sales and limited inventory to protect themselves.
"I would say that our inventory is down about 60%. Like I said we carry probably, in the area of 25 cars with regularity, month in month out. Now we're probably averaging 10 to 12 units per-month on a rolling average," said Schrader.
The car industry is no different than others.
The pandemic has taken its' toll, and as more prepare brace for a potential second shutdown, car purchases are the last thing on the mind of a consumer.
"I think that it's primarily due to consumer confidence as it relates towards the pandemic and security of their job. Which I wholeheartedly agree with, and can certainly understand. Christmas time obviously is not a great time of the year to expect me to buy what I would call a luxury," said Schrader.
The holiday season, along with tax season, are two of the most popular times of the year when drivers either buy or upgrades vehicles. This season will be different though, as uncertainty surrounding job security and financial stability, have made dealerships realize the current outlook isn't favorable.
"When their fear that they may get laid off for a period of time, and with the uncertainty, as far as any stimulus package that may come. I think that draws them back into necessity driven items, verses, luxury items like upgrading a car," said Schrader.
You may have heard the old saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it", and it is that sentiment dealerships are sharing throughout the industry.
"I agree with their choice, as far as being wise, that hey my car runs. Let's just stay where I'm at now, versus, let's upgrade this car to newer and possibly better," said Schrader.
Despite the slow sales, dealership owners are confident things will improve. They are still recovering, but feel the situation will be okay unless a second shutdown occurs.
A situation everybody in the industry, and the county, is looking to avoid at all costs.


This weekend is my high school reunion. I have never attended one before, but this year is different. Not only is it the 25th year, but I was also invited back as a co-recipient of my alma mater's Distinguished Alumni Award along with Robb Armstrong, the nationally-syndicated cartoonist of Jump Start, sought-after public speaker, and author who graduated 10 years before I did.
I remember when he came to give a talk when I was still in high school and I had the opportunity to meet him. This photograph was recently uncovered and posted on Facebook. Even though we had never crossed paths before then, we shared something important - an art teacher.
Our high school, Shipley, was and continues to be known for having a strong art program. Much of this reputation was due to the efforts of an amazing teacher named Chris Wagner. She was a strong personality who held her students to an extremely high standard, especially those who displayed a modicum of talent or interest. She pushed, prodded, and inspired them to do better, like getting me to do more than draw dragons. Generations of students benefited from her presence in their lives, Robb and I among them.
Upon her retirement just last year, the school's newly-built commons building had its arts wing dedicated to her; generous donors chose to honor her because of the impact she had on their lives. I and many of her students proudly attended the commemoration ceremony where we were able to show our appreciation in person.
To be honest, I still don't really quite know why the school chose me for the honor, especially after hearing that Robb was going to be the co-recipient. Regardless, I chose to come back for alumni weekend to accept the award which also meant that I had to give a short speech.
The ceremony was this morning whereupon alumni & guests gathered with the student body. A few others were there to accept various awards giving speeches exhorting community service, overcoming adversity, gratitude, and freedom of thought. Robb spoke before me, and his charisma, humor, and outsized personality was tremendous, as always. It was humbling to be there.
After a very nice introduction given by a member of the graduating class, I took the podium. My wife, parents, eldest brother, and great-aunt were all sitting in the front row, a couple of my dearest old friends a few rows back, while a nephew and niece were sitting with their classmates.
Good morning! It's surreal to be here for my 25-year high school reunion, with family in the student body, to be honored as one of the first two men* receiving the Distinguished Alumni award.
Today I'm far from done, and it still pains me when I screw up, but I continue to work on becoming a better designer, leader, manager, teacher, friend, family member, and husband. I am, and will continue to be, a work-in-progress.
I want to leave you with three ideas that have helped me over the years.
Thanks to The Shipley School for giving me a challenging environment with fantastic counselors, administrators, and teachers who helped prepare me for my personal & professional journey. I'm a better man for it.
It's a privilege to be here with you all today. Thank you.


Gender equality is crucial to sustainable development. At UNECE, we are committed to assist the 56 countries of our region to make gender equality a reality. In line with our mandate as a Regional Economic Commission, we focus on women's economic empowerment which sets a direct path towards inclusive economic growth.
We work towards advancing the situation of women and men in the economies of our region through capacity building, policy dialogue and data collection. We mainstream gender equality within our own organisation and join forces with partners to achieve gender equality in the UNECE region.
As part of aligning our work with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we updated our Policy for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (2016-2020). The Policy provides guidance to mainstream gender in the work of our substantive divisions, and our organizational culture.


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1,700 Rescued from Imelda's Floodwaters After 3 Feet of Rain: 'It's Been Relentless'
Jennifer Wishon *
JWI535CL_TX_Flooding_AM_v1_HD1080_0.021_123.749
Members of a Texas National Guard ground transportation platoon perform a rescue in Beaumont, Texas, in the flood waters of Tropical Depression Imelda, Sept. 19, 2019. (Texas National Guard via AP)
More Than 1,000 Rescues, Evacuations as Imelda Soaks Texas
Millions of people along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana are waking up to a nightmare. Two people are dead and thousands of others are thankful to be alive after floodwaters turned interstates and neighborhoods into rivers.
Thursday afternoon Tina and Robert Horne headed to their Wal-Mart for groceries in Splendora, Texas. Nine hours later they were rescued from their flooded car.
"I hit that water... poof! That was it. Car was floating," recalled Robert, wet and exhausted from the ordeal.
"I'm like standing sideways so the current wouldn't knock me forwards," explained a frazzled Tina.
Search-and-rescue continues as @TexasGameWarden helps residents from flooded subdivision make it safely to solid ground.
New Waverley area#txwx #Imelda pic.twitter.com/3Sv5AjBklO
— TX Parks & Wildlife (@TPWDnews) September 20, 2019
Flooding is being blamed for the deaths of two men. A 19-year-old drowned and was electrocuted while trying to save his horse. A second man in his 40's or 50's drowned while attempting to drive through eight feet of water.
"We always tell people, turn around, don't drown. In this case, it seems he didn't heed that warning and continued to drive through it," says Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda dumped more than 40 inches of water on Jefferson County in just 72 hours, and in Harris County emergency officials have rescued at least 1,700 from high water.
BELOW: CBN News Contributing Correspondent Chuck Holton has sent in this video from his friend Kenny Vaughn in Beaumont, Texas, who's rescuing people from the flooding with this boat. Click the player to watch.
"Everybody was like, get out of the car, get out of the car. It's about to get higher, you can't do anything about it," recalls one man rescued from his flooded vehicle.
In Beaumont, the Coast Guard plucked victims from water and flew them to safety.
It's a devastating blow for some families dealing with as much as five feet of water in their homes just two years after recovering from Hurricane Harvey's destruction.
In some neighborhoods, people had to wade through chest-high water to reach safety.
A brave young girl is carried through flood waters by @TexasGameWarden as search-and-rescue operations continue.#txwx #Imelda pic.twitter.com/wtISDltzj2
"It's been relentless. We just can't escape. It's like we're on an island here," said one victim.
In the Houston region, some five million residents may not see high waters recede until well into the weekend marking the beginning of another long road to recovery.
2nd '500-Year Rainfall' in 2 Years Will Cause $6 Billion to $8 Billion in Damages, AccuWeather Predicts
'Ghost Fleet': The Nation's Newest Marine Sanctuary »
«Switzerland Supreme Court Denies Mother's Right to Homeschool Her Son


Join SMCLA and AMA for this great night of networking and fun!
It's summer and time to mingle! Join American Marketing Association Los Angeles Chapter and Social Media Club Los Angeles for our 2nd annual mixer on the Solidarity outdoor patio. Last year our joint event SOLD OUT, so grab your RSVP early.
Download the Hooch app and set it up and you'll get your first drink for $1, inclusive of tip. You're $1 also gets you a one-month Hooch membership and access to 30 drinks over 30 days at any Hooch venue. Think: MoviePass for beverages.


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Tag Archives: Italy
International Creative Talents, Interview
Cooking for the stars: Chef Salvatore Meo
November 1, 2017 ewgpress Leave a comment
Salvatore Meo always wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father. He wanted to have his own restaurant, making authentic Italian dishes for the locals to appreciate. What he didn't expect was to become an international success, cooking food for presidents, filmmakers, celebrities, and more.
While growing up in Lecce, Italy, cooking was Meo's one passion. He always felt that cooking was a way to express creativity. While making classic Italian food, he found a way to express himself. However, unlike his father, he decided to expand his horizons beyond the borders of Italy, and moved to Germany to bring his food and share his culture abroad. He has shared his knowledge with his employees and his customers, always achieving success.
"I've learned from Salvatore to always be conscious of your surroundings. Make sure you always carry your chef's vision when making first class dishes," said sous chef Carlo Centonze, who worked alongside Meo at Trattoria Fornaretto.
Meo has owned and operated a series of popular Italian restaurants in Germany, including Trattoria Fornaretto, Ristorante Rossini Bischoscheim, Restaurant Zum Nudeldunker, and Ristorante Rossini Floersheim. There is little he cannot achieve.
"Experience, dedication, and the ability to handle a fast-moving industry are the most important aspects of starting your own restaurant. Overall though, I think it's your origin of where you are from that allows you to take that wherever you go. My origin is why I like cooking," said Meo.
As owner of the restaurant Restaurant Zur Ratsstube, Meo was in charge of every aspect of the cooking and management. He hired the staff, took care of payroll, and created the menu with his own original recipes. He also had the freedom to choose what products he wanted to work with, so he was able to build and create the menus he wanted to serve. He wanted to work with fresh products that he was able to purchase locally and farm grown or raised. The good quality had a very positive improvement to the dishes he cooked and purchasing local products helped stimulating the economy. At the time however, despite vast experience cooking, it was his first time actually owning a restaurant.
"Naturally it was exciting and scary at the same time. It was in a different country, I didn't speak the language very well and I already had a family to support, but I fell in love with the area it was in. The Rhineland in Germany is known for its many wineries and the wine it produces. It had a very rustic ambient with a good quality kitchen and accommodations that allowed me to run my restaurant and have my family nearby," said Meo. "The area was interesting because it resembled the part of Italy I came from with the wineries. Local wineries and wines was the foundation and the inspiration to create German and Italian Dishes that I was able to pair with the local wines. People enjoyed that because they were able to enjoy good food that was cooked and prepared with local products and paired with wine they already knew and loved."
Building Restaurant Zur Ratsstube from the ground up did not come without its challenges. With a friendly and family style and a German and Italian country mix, Meo was bringing Italian cooking to Germany, and wanted to build a good reputation in community. He achieved his goal, as Gimbsheim was a small town that really had no Italian restaurants. Meo was bringing something new and exciting to the well-established community. People enjoyed the southern Italian food and frequently came back.
In working the new country, Meo learned a lot about German culture and cuisine. It helped him improve the way he ran a business and how he cooked.
"Learning what German people appreciate in food helped me improve the quality of my food," he said.
Because it was new and unique and one of the first to be established in the community, the combination of a rustic German kitchen mixed with a Mediterranean kitchen was extremely interesting, and people responded well what Meo had to offer. For his first restaurant, he achieved what many do in a single lifetime, and it set up the base for his now esteemed career. Despite such success, however, it is no longer just his passion for cooking that motivates Meo.
"My kids made me realize that working hard and doing what you love to do for a better quality of life is important. Although my kids chose a different profession, they both work hard to achieve their dreams and I have passed down my passion for Italian cuisine, which both of them incorporate at home in their kitchens," he concluded.
ChefCookingFoodGermanyItalian TalentItalyRestaurantsTravel
Actors, Film, Spanish Actors, Television
The Spanish Actress to Watch, Ainara Landon!
April 9, 2015 Scott Prewitt Leave a comment
Actress Ainara Landon shot by Russell Thomas
The versatility of Spanish actress Ainara Landon has dazzled European and American audiences alike. Landon is trilingual, internationally recognized for her devotion to her craft, and her work has won prestige on both sides of the Atlantic. Her incredible talent can be seen in major projects such as The Avatars, a Disney production. The show, which is set in New York, filmed in Spain and airs in Italy on the Disney Channel, is known for drawing a huge number of viewers.
The Avatars takes the adaptable Landon back to high school, where her character Jana wins the heart of Robbie, played by Kirk Bonacci. The Avatars centers around a band of teenagers – one of whom is Robbie – whose musical skills have been underestimated because of their young age. In the series the group decides to form an online, pseudo-anonymous band to avoid the judgment of record executives and to prove their talent isn't limited by their youth.
In the first season Robbie develops a crush on Landon's character, a romantic dynamic that builds anticipation until the two finally go on a date, which, although ends in catastrophe, doesn't stop Robbie from trying to win her heart in the second season. Landon described the project as both challenging and rewarding, and said the opportunity to work with an entertainment giant like Disney really helped her grow in her craft.
"Playing a younger character is always a challenge, and going back to high school is definitely a big challenge," Landon said. "Disney shows are very fast-paced, so it was a really good experience."
Adept as both a dramatic and comedic actress, Landon's work has won over audiences and critics in both the U.S. and Europe. Notably, her role in the romantic comedy Stuck to Your Pillow, which earned a Goya Award nomination, the most prestigious award available in the Spanish film industry, and one that is comparable to the Oscars in the U.S. and the BAFTAs in the United Kingdom. Her extraordinary talents in Spanish and Italian productions caught the attention of filmmakers in the States, who have cast her in 8th House, a cerebral drama, which examines the psyche of a woman struggling to recover from heartbreak.
In the upcoming feature 8th House, Landon's dramatic talents will be on full-display. She plays Paulilu, the lead character's best friend and editor. Paulilu struggles to help her friend Salome, a poet played by Andrea Goldman (The Sonnet Project, 1/20), after she suffers a nervous breakdown. The film follows Salome as she travels to France in an attempt to win back her married lover. During her journey, she meets eight women who reshape her views on love, femininity, and independence.
8th House is directed by Marem Hassler (House of Saddam, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life) and co-written by both Goldman and Hassler. It is a co-production of Viscus Films and FleenKat Films, the creative groups behind several exciting upcoming projects including DU-O and Sprouting.
In Dig Deep, Landon gives an amazing performance in the starring role of Jessica. Jessica finds herself at the center of a love triangle, but the audience soon discovers that the men she's torn between are brothers. The brothers haven't seen or talked to each other in years, and when they realize they are both falling for the same girl, the movie swiftly turns from romance to drama as it examines the complicated nature of love and the baggage each character carries with them.
Her international and cross-cultural appeal have made Landon one of the most sought-after actresses in the business today. Her sophistication, ability to adapt to filming on location across Europe and the U.S., and her natural talent for becoming the characters she portrays have endowed her with a Midas touch. Landon strives to gain insight from every performance she delivers, and believes each role she's played and each genre she's worked in has taught her more about the art form.
"I think it is important for an actor to show versatility. You always find yourself more secure in one genre or character, but you grow more when it's a challenge," Landon said. "I think as an actor you are always learning. You learn from every role."
Incredible skill and a proven track record for bringing the very best qualities to her characters across every genre have made every project she's been a part of shine like gold. Ainara Landon will no doubt be a household name internationally as she continues to take the American and European continents by storm.
8th House FilmActress Ainara LandonDig Deep filmDisneyFleenKat FilmsGoya AwardsItalySpainStuck to Your PillowThe AvatarsViscus FIlm


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Quickfire Double Costs U's
Tom Tayler
Early second half goals send U's out of JPT.
The U's manager made seven changes from the weekend's defeat at Yeovil, which saw a revamped defence with only Okuonghae keeping his place in the starting eleven and Clinton Morrison coming in for the cup tied Jabo Ibhere.
It was a chilly but clear night in Northampton as the U's went in seek of cup progress in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
But they conceded two quick goals at the start of the second period, which left the new manager frustrated as his side were unable to heed his half time warnings.
The U's were well in control at the interval, having moved the ball around nicely throughout the first forty-five minutes in an encouraging 45 minutes for Joe Dunne's side.
Five minutes at the start of the second half cost Colchester United dear, as they bowed out of the Johnstone's Paints Trophy against Northampton Town.
In the opening minutes, you could see the contrasting styles with The Cobblers opting for the long ball looking for Akinfenwa and the U's trying to play the ball out from the back on every occasion.
The U's enjoyed the majority of pressure in the opening five minutes but neither side could muster up any shots on goal, when the first did come it was on 8 minutes, the header from Northampton's Nicholls was comfortably saved by Cousins even though the home striker was in an offside position.
After 11 minutes came the home side's first real chance, after White conceded the corner, it was whipped in but captain Langmead didn't connect with the header and Cousins was able to prevent the danger by pouncing on the ball at the far post.
After a period of sustained pressure from the U's, Freddie Sears used his pace and trickery to find some space to dig out a cross which found Duguid free inside the 6 yard box but he could only bundle the ball over the bar with it seeming easier to score.
Less than 30 seconds later Henderson was found on the left hand side of the box with an excellent fizzed ball from Sears but he saw his drive tipped over by the goal keeper.
The U's were having a good period of possession once again, and Anthony Wordsworth was unlucky when the ball was cleared from a cross and his low shot was deflected just wide by an outstretched leg when it looked destined for the bottom corner,
Northampton were always a threat with the U's playing out from the back, and when Duguid lost the ball 30 yards from Cousins' goal, Kemar Roofe found a bit of space but his shot was solidly saved by the U's Number 1.
The U's were next to attack in this entertaining game, with Sears playing a through ball to Morrision who squares the ball into the box begging a touch, but no U's player anticipated this and it was cleared by the Northampton defence.
The best chance of the half came on 27 minutes when a cross from Northampton's Demontagnac unsurprisingly found Akinfenwa who didn't connect with the header fully but still saw it bounce off the top of the crossbar and behind for a goal kick.
Colchester United were finding a lot of space down the right hand side and this time it was Henderson's turn to play in Bean who drove the ball at goal but the keeper made a great block and the danger was cleared.
This was just a warning as once again Bean was in on the left, this time he crossed the ball into the box Duguid missed the initial shot but it founds its way to sears at the back post who volleyed back across goal expertly to make it 1-0 to the U's.
Northampton didn't dwell on this and with a couple of attacking free kicks were back on the offensive, one of these lead to a cross into the U's penalty area which Matt Heath slid in to clear beating the attackers to it.
Again it was Northampton's turn to attack and a lengthy kick from the keeper set in Akinfenwa who slid the ball past Cousins but also just inches past the left hand upright.
From the goal kick the U's were straight up the other end, with an almost carbon copy of the opening goal. Henderson's cross was this time left by Duguid for Sears who hit the shot first time but some brave defending saw the shot blocked and Northampton escaped again.
The first substitution of the game was forced on Aidy Boothroyd's team as goalkeeper Shane Higgs needed to be replaced after an earlier collision.
During the 3 minutes of injury time both teams had the chance to put the ball in the net, another cross into the U's box is headed into the ground by Northampton defender Artell but Cousins plucked the ball out of the air before it loops into the corner.
The final chance of the half fell to Henderson who was running at the defensive with pace but his shot was blocked and sailed just past the top corner.
Half time 1-0 with the U's enjoying the majority of possession and also the best chances overall, but whilst it remained at just 1-0 Northampton were always a threat.
At half time Joe Dunne made two changes with Tom Eastman coming on for Magnus Okuonghae and Alex Gilbey coming on for the impressive Marcus Bean.
The U's started brightly, some persistent work from Coker down the left led to Morrison picking up the ball and shooting from inside the box, his effort was excellently saved and then some great strength from Widdowson stopped Sears from having a simple tap in.
Northampton found their way back into the game shortly after from the penalty spot, a short corner to Roofe left him one on one with Gilbey who brought down the tricky winger and left the referee with no choice, Akinfenwa stepped up and placed the ball to Cousins right, 1-1.
Northampton were in the ascendency and 2 minutes later they found themselves ahead, the U's were slow to close the ball on the left hand side and when it was crossed in it found the head of Makendi who headed in off the post to score Northampton's second goal in as many minutes.
The U's were rattled by this and the play become a little less fluent whilst Northampton were on a high, 15 minutes into the second half the U's had no more clear cut chances and were restricted to long range efforts from Gilbey and Wordsworth which didn't trouble the substitute Northampton keeper.
The next chance of note was again from Northampton after 65 minutes, a breakaway down the right hand and a low cross from Hornby which slipped past Cousins, before Matt Heath managed to scoop the ball over his own crossbar from less than 6 yards to prevent Akinfenwa getting on the end of it and increasing the lead.
The U's final substitution was 17 year old Drey Wright replacing Anthony Wordsworth, Colchester were trying to get back into their passing game which saw them through the first half so well.
After 75 minutes Colchester almost found a way back into the game, with Wright picking up the ball on the left hand sand, throwing a dummy and firing into the side netting, the U's were getting the ball a bit more now and some good hold up play from Morrison before releasing Henderson, his cross was deflected towards goal with the goal keeper scrambling, unfortunately for U's it only hit the roof of the net.
As we entered the final ten minutes, the U's were still in search of the equaliser, Northampton were using the powerful Akinfenwa as the out ball.
The Cobblers nearly extended the lead with just over 5 minutes left as a low whipped free kick evaded everyone but it could easily have been turned in by the onrushing attackers.
The U's kept getting the ball down and playing out from the back but they could not carve an opening throughout the latter stages and it became increasingly difficult as Northampton attempted to run down the clock,
The last action of the tie was a red card for Clinton Morrison, as the ball was pumped forward from the U's Morrison was judged to have flung out an elbow and caught defender Artell in the face, the referee reached straight to his back pocket and sent Morrison down the tunnel.
Seconds later the whistle was blown for full time and Northampton ran out 2-1 winners. A game of two halves with the U's not recreating their first half dominance in the second and being made to pay by Northampton who were excellently lead by Akinfenwa.
Back to league action this weekend with Stevenage at home on Saturday.


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Category Archives: West Point
Remembering Memorial Day – what a Soldier did for his younger brother on his wedding day
With all the festivities surrounding my middle olive shoot's wedding on Saturday #hartleywedding
The emotions, planning, celebrating and expectation
I forgot about Memorial Day
Until yesterday driving home from Delaware!
Though we never forgot about our oldest son who is deployed in Qatar
And longed for him to be with us physically
Our hearts broke with the reality that wasn't going to be possible
But we found a way to bridge the distance
Nate was a part of the ceremony
I'm still trying to take it all in – the beauty of the day, the sweetness of the Lord
On this Memorial Day, I honor my Soldier
I was escorted down the aisle by my orange hair, freckle face OS – so proud was I for this honor
But my husband didn't walk alone behind me –
Parting from tradition, the Hubs was also escorted –
Our Soldier "walked" with his dad, carried on my husband's iPhone
Then our Army Ranger "sat" on his dad's lap and saw the wedding from the same perspective as the rest of us
It was about 6:15PM, Qatari time
Nate wore his Army fatigues
Observing the event in the middle of a desert
The pastor welcomed family and friends
He paused and told the crowd of about 140 people
Someone very significant was missing from the wedding
Aaron's older brother, Nate
At that moment, this YouTube video was played
Our Army Ranger welcomed his new sister into the family and he read 1 Corinthians 13 from the Bible
Nate reverently saw the bride and groom exchange vows thanks to Facetime
Oh friends, if you knew what comfort it was to have Nate with us
It's a good thing I was sitting because I would have needed a chair
Such was the extent of pride and love I carried within me
In a way, we have already celebrated Memorial Day
We represent countless military families that get creative
Surmount the obstacles and offer support
What a day, what a life, what a fount of blessings
I scarce can take it in…
Categories: Aaron, Army, faith, family, fatherhood, Ike, Lord, love, memories, motherhood, Nate, raising sons, Ranger School, West Point Tags: Aaron, active military Memorial Day, Army, Bible, christianity, creative ways to participate in a wedding while deployed, faith, family, Ike, Jesus, Lord, love, Memorial Day, memories, military parent, Moody Bible Institute, motherhood, Nate, parenting, parents of a deployed soldier, raising sons, Ranger School, support for deployed military families, three sons, West Point
A name, an identity, a mom and a son…
When my oldest olive shoot leapt in my womb, I loved thinking about his potential name. I very much like my first name and realized the great responsibility given a parent to pick just the right one. After all, it's going to stick with them all his/her life, right?
The Hubs and I kicked around a lot of first names before finding the right one for him.
The one thing I knew for sure was that Nathan would have a distinctive last name.
A last name that was hyphenated.
This idea was not met with thunderous applause. In our extended family, my mother-in-law, (may she rest in peace) said some regrettable things about our decision. That only made the woodworm of pride dig deeper in me. Nothing and no one could thwart my resolve.
So on that treasured spring day, my baby entered the world. We signed the birth certificate, sent out birth announcements and we all settled into family life. Two brothers later, 4/5 of our family are known by our special last name. It rarely presented an issue.
But when Nate decided to go to West Point, he began to mention that people were perplexed about what to call him. His first last name? His second last name? The first year, (plebe year) at West Point, NO ONE calls you anything but your last name! This only compounded the issue. The last day of plebe year, there is even a special ceremony where the other cadets actually acknowledge that you even have a first name if you can imagine!
Throughout his time at West Point, Nate noticed that his name was longer on his uniform than others. Eventually he shortened it unofficially because according to him, even the clever-minded cadets just couldn't figure it out and he was tired of the confusion.
So it wasn't a surprise to me the day Nate mentioned he wanted to just have one last name. I gulped but understood when he announced that he was going to use only my husband's/his dad's last name from now on. Honestly it made sense and I could appreciate the reasons behind his decision.
My maturity about the whole thing has impressed me. As vehement as I was in insisting that he have both of his parents' last names, I have remained compassionate and impartial. I completely respect his decision. He is a man of honor, integrity and character. He will be married in November. I cannot hold him down nor do I want to impede his life whatsoever.
But here comes the raw part – I'm going to admit something…a new emotion that has risen to the surface a little bit…
When I learned that my OS would be getting a new birth certificate, one with just one last name, it felt like a rope burn to my heart.
Ok, so now I'm crying while typing. There is NOTHING that will ever change my affection for my olive shoots. Our connection extends far beyond a dumb hyphen. My boy's decision wasn't an offense to me as a mom. Still, when the Hubs called me upon returning from the court-house to facilitate Nate's name change, wow, I suddenly had a hard time. I was fine with Nate changing his name from 2014 and onward but gosh, going backward in time and doing it??? OUCHY!
Thinking of him having a new birth certificate brought sadness. I harkened back to that day in the hospital when we declared his name.
There are lessons to learn through all this. Besides encouraging them to walk with the Lord, my boys deserve respect and support of their decisions. I can do even if it stings a little. Since he is an officer in the Army, Nate has endured endless background checks, mountains of paperwork, and clearances to make this happen. True to Nate's personality, he has been diligent. It's the least I can do even if it stings a little. Furthermore, my sweet boy has spoken with tenderness about wrestling with the decision. Maybe he felt like he was betraying the family and what we have stood for. Nate, if you're reading this, I know you love me and I understand!
His name is Nathaniel – it means gift of God and though the last name is changing, I am blessed to always be able to call him my son. I can do even if it stings a little. Perhaps I even will get some monogrammed towels for him after deployment to celebrate his decision!
Categories: Aaron, faith, family, Ike, Lord, love, memories, motherhood, Nate, plebe year, raising sons, Ranger School, the Hubs, three boys, three sons, United States Military Academy, West Point Tags: Army, Bible, christianity, faith, family, feminism, Jesus, Lord, love, memories, military parent, motherhood, Nate, plebe year, raising sons, tears, three sons, West Point, west point grad
Warmth – Brazilian style
Temperatures plummet all around the country but we experienced a heat wave of sorts. A Brazilian blast of kindness warmed our family these past few weeks as we enjoyed spending time with Chico's parents. I have loved ones in Qatar, Chicago, El Salvador and Brazil – we're all over the map!
Since last May, the Lord opened the door for new people to enter our home. Most who entered as friends left as members of our family. Some through actual marriage proposals (Lu and Kelsie) but others through spending extended time in our home – they became W-H's, an extension of our olive shoot branch.
And it's interesting, the timing of it all. Disease and deception ushered a person out of our lives. Without a proper goodbye, a thank you, a warm embrace, nothing, nada, zilch, poof, he was gone. I don't recommend it. So while recovering from the pangs of loss, these people have been a healing balm to our family. We haven't forgotten this person but we have moved on in order to survive. He hasn't been replaced but God has opened new chambers of our hearts. I know many people who have experienced a loss can empathize.
On Sunday, we said our goodbyes to Francisco and Leyla. We enjoyed going to church together and I was deeply touched to sit by Chico's mom and to hear her singing the refrain "Hallelujah" in one of the songs. Tears streamed from both of our eyes as the music played. It's safe to say that a year ago none of us had any notion how close we would feel to one another. I didn't really personally know any Brazilian people until September. Now it's like our family has grown exponentially just by adding one charming borrowed Brazilian olive shoot into our home.
After church, we went to a restaurant. As the meal was ending, Chico's dad went out to his car to get something. When he returned, he approached the Hubs holding something small in his fingers. He then gently took the corner of the Hub's jacket and carefully attached a small gold item to the collar. With a few emotional words in Portuguese, he embraced and kissed my husband and that's when we saw this.
In some way, it re- minded me of when Nate was pinned as an officer at West Point. Our dear friend Colonel Eric Kail com missioned Nate. We will never forget that moment or that man.
It also reminded me of the kindred moment when Nate was tabbed by his brothers after completing Ranger School – those memories flooded back to me.
I'm not sure Francisco understood the significance of his gesture but based on the tears that flowed afterward, perhaps we all did. Francisco's gift to my husband was an acknowledgement of trust and connection. That pin proudly sits next to the Army pin on my husband's coat. The cold weather allows him opportunity to display some of our dearest and deepest connections.
The feeling of being deemed worthy and proven can warm a heart and that little pin of our two flags was a profound symbol between men. When people enter our lives, they leave an impression. In this case, it was an enduring and deep connection neither family could have expected.
Categories: Aaron, faith, family, Ike, Lord, love, memories, motherhood, Nate, raising sons, Ranger School, United States Military Academy, West Point, winter Tags: Aaron, Army, being a good daughter-in-law, Bible, Brazil, Brazilian exchange student, christianity, Colonel Eric Kail, crying, El Salvador, Eric Kail, faith, family, father-in-law with Alzheimer's, friendship, hospitality, Ike, love, memories, military parent, motherhood, Nate, polar vortex, raising sons, Ranger School, West Point, west point grad
When you're a military family, Veterans' Day takes on a whole different meaning
very soon
my West Point grad, my Army Ranger, my handsome, beloved son will go to a faraway place
Not for vacation
Or to get married – though this will happen soon enough
But somewhere distant that brings a sense of fear over me if I'm having one of those days.
And so this whole Veterans' Day thing is much more meaningful to me than it was, let's say ten years ago.
(She types embarrassingly).
Last Friday, my orange hair, freckle face olive shoot sang in the school choir for a local Veterans' Day celebration.
That in and of itself, is notable since Ike will not be dropping a CD anytime soon though he jokes that he is the songbird of his gen- eration. Hearing him sing, "God Bless America" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (my personal favorite) caused me to grab the bag of tissues I brought expressly for that purpose.
My tears were mixed though because this year, another veteran in the family was missing. My father-in-law. For reasons we will probably never understand this side of heaven, he has been taken from us. Not by death but by a person. Alzheimer's and vascular dementia contributed to the cause but the cruelty of it all is too painful to even share.
Grey-haired military people filled the community center. These folks still beam with pride when their song is played. It was not a time of preference over which branch served – Army, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, even Navy (inside Army joke), were honored equally. There was solidarity and appreciation. I was among the ranks of those who love the "Armed Forces Salute" although apparently many of Ike's classmates noted that I spazzed out during the Army song. I tried to be as discreet as possible! I couldn't help it!
Two proud chunksters
But little did I know, I wasn't the only one who got choked up during the per- formance.
A certain someone whose name I can't mention also had to push back the tears. It's hard to sing and cry. Thinking about his brother, re- membering his grandpa, watching the 93-year-old man sputtering out Taps on his trumpet maybe for the last time, it got to a certain little stoic olive shoot. For the record, he DID NOT cry, he just wanted to for a brief, oh so brief moment!
As an American, I find myself proud of how we honor our veterans. In Brazil, for example, they do not have such a holiday. They have Children's Day, Dentist Day and Teacher Day but no Veterans' Day. To serve in the military is a rarity and something not especially appreciated according to my reliable source, my borrowed Brazilian olive shoot. They are proud of their country but those in the armed forces do not receive any special recognition for their service. I thought all countries had their own Veterans' Day.
Today I remember those in my family who are in the military, past and present. I remember our honored friend, Colonel Eric Kail who was my son's mentor whether he knew it or not. We love and miss him. Thank you all, bless you all. Happy Veterans' Day.
Here is Ike and others in the choir singing "God bless America." It is the land that I love.
Categories: Army, El Salvador, faith, family, fatherhood, Ike, Jesus, Lord, love, memories, motherhood, Nate, raising sons, Ranger School, Veteran's Day, West Point Tags: Army, being a good daughter-in-law, Bible, Brasil, Brazil, Brazilian exchange student, christianity, Colonel Eric Kail, crying, faith, family, father-in-law with Alzheimer's, Ike, Jesus, Lord, love, memories, military parent, motherhood, Nate, parenting, raising sons, Ranger School, three sons, Veterans' Day
Five minute Friday – She
When I walked down the stairs at the missionary house five years ago
She caught my eye, took my breath away
"Wow, she's so pretty!" I thought to myself.
All of us at the girls' prison in El Salvador
Then I went to the girls' prison in town
And she acted as my translator as we spoke about redemption, purity and freedom in Christ
"I love her heart," I thought to myself as we both openly wept at the beauty of the moment.
Then my oldest son began speaking to her
He, a cadet at West Point
She, a college student in El Salvador
And soon enough, they began to fall in love
Two countries away, a romance and a host of many obstacles
They have persevered
And on Sunday, in this beautiful tropical land
He dressed up in his finest, heart beating like a drum
What a moment!
He reserved a table at Ruth's Chris in downtown San Salvador
And when the waiter brought out the creme brulee, there on the plate
Even though they spelled it wrong, she understood! What a sweet memory in every way!
She read a life-changing message!
Even though there was a typo since English is not the first language of this country
She became more than the pretty girl I first met in a faraway land
She was elevated from just being my son's bonita, his girlfriend…
She became my future daughter-in-love…
Join us at this writing community and share!
My son's future wife ❤
I could write more but I was only given five minutes! What do you think about the word "she"?
Categories: El Salvador, faith, family, Lord, love, memories, motherhood, Nate, West Point Tags: Army, Bible, christianity, crying, El Salvador, engaged in El Salvador, faith, family, Five Minute Friday, friendship, Jesus, Lord, memories, military parent, motherhood, Nate, raising sons, three sons, wedding proposals, West Point
Big news in our family – something happy for a change
My boy and his girlfriend
Yesterday I used a word I have never used before.
It was a word I prayed I would use one day.
Like, I really did pray to Jesus about using this word.
I remember praying with my son throughout the years
When I tucked him in at night or
During casual conversation in the family room and
Around the kitchen table before dinner
This word has always provoked a sense of wonder and anticipation in our boys.
My boy and his fiancée
On Sunday at a fancy restaurant in San Salvador, El Salvador, my oldest olive shoot, my Soldier, my West Point graduate, my Ranger, my Sugar Boy asked his beloved to marry him.
She said, "yes."
So yesterday I no longer referred to Lu as Nate's girlfriend
Around 4pm during a very serious meeting in Raleigh, the Hubs and I spoke about a very happy moment as we were talking about a very sad one
Then these words flew out like a butterfly in the sky,
"my son's fiancée."
The air in the room grew lighter for an instant
And I felt a smile in my heart
A fresh and joyful moment, most welcome and healing to my soul
Their love story is such an adventure, your heart will smile as well
That incredible day, the one we have prayed about for so many years has finally arrived
My son has a fiancée, I have a future daughter-in-love!
Categories: El Salvador, faith, family, Lord, love, marriage, memories, mission trip, motherhood, Nate, parenthood, raising sons, Ranger School, West Point Tags: Army, Bible, christianity, El Salvador, faith, family, Jesus, Lord, love, marriage, memories, motherhood, Nate, Ranger School, three sons, West Point
Remembering a Ranger – a message of wisdom and service – thank you, Colonel Kail, RLTW
In January, my son sought advice about Ranger School from a man he trusted who had been there, done that way back in 1998. (Massive understatement)*
At the time, Nathan had no idea how treasured this email would become only six months later.
On July 24, 2013, Colonel Eric G. Kail passed from this life into eternity with Jesus after a valiant fight with transitional cell carcinoma. Amidst tears of sadness, Nate, the Hubs and I were reminiscing about Eric's impact on our lives. During that phone conversation, our son casually mentioned this email and began to read it to us.
With my (now) Ranger's permission, today I share this email as a sort of eulogium to a great man. Even if you're not in Ranger School, my hunch is you will appreciate the insightful words written by a man of great honor, Christian faith and wisdom. Eric would get a kick out of knowing he was featured again in my blog! He was always such an encourager.
Here's the email…
Congratulations on all you've accomplished so far, and for snagging a Ranger School slot. Thanks for asking, here's my two cents.
1. Ranger school is not fair, nor are the people who run it. I don't mean that negatively, but rather just as a fact. I saw far better soldiers than me not make it through the first week due to injury and some were even picked on and singled out until they quit.
2. Try to learn something about yourself everyday and acknowledge the work of your peers. No one likes an overt cheerleader who comes across as trying to get the squad to like them. However, quiet and man-friendly encouragement goes along way.
3. Consistency is key, especially when you are member of squad and not the patrol leader. Spotlighting is only working hard when you are in charge, and it is an ugly thing.
4. Remember the school is designed to get you to your worst point, and then deal with it. So, things like packing list changes and last-minute fragos are by design and not something you should ever let get the better of you.
5. You'll have moments and days when staying at Ranger School is the last thing you want to do. Two things help. First, always find something (never someone else) to laugh about. Second, you'll spend your entire army career helping soldiers over come hardship. So, learning how to pull yourself out of despair is a good skill to acquire.
6. Never feel sorry for yourself, although you may want to daily. Keeping a journal of just a few comments or bullets each day will help you reflect on this when you are back in the real world.
7. Enjoy becoming a dangerous and competent man, but not pridefully. Our society is too quick to put sweater vests and choir robes on Christian men and to domesticate them into mediocrity. We need strong warriors who understand unconditional love and possess the will to manage violence in our defense.
8. Most, if not all of the learning you will accomplish is about yourself and your failures while in Ranger School. You'll learn some cool stuff, but more than anything you'll learn the value of never quitting. I had to remain in the elevated push-up position for two hours one evening because some instructor wanted to get an LT to quit. Two hours seemed like an eternity then, but merely a blink of an eye now. Funny thing, I ran into that instructor years later and we had a good conversation on my terms. He was a small, angry man inside and out.
9. On your worst days, remember that your future soldiers and NCOs are counting on you to finish what you completed. Don't worry if you get injured, that happens to the best of them. But when you show up with your tab, your soldiers and NCOs will know that at least you finish what you start.
10. Soldiers only want to know one thing about you. Will you take care of them or drive them like a rental car. Completing ranger school tells them up front that at least you know what it feels like to be driven like a rental car and are less likely to do it to them.
Hope this helps. I'm very proud of you Nate.
* By the way, Colonel Eric Kail was Ranger certified in 1988. He also did some other awesome things like marry a wonderful woman, have two kids and other important things like get a Ph.D. and publish a series on leadership in the Harvard Business Review. Eric served for over 25 years as an Army Field Artillery Officer in both conventional and special operations units. He has several combat deployments, including Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Among Eric's awards include the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device for Valor. While our family knew Eric as a close personal friend, Eric was most recently the course director for military leadership at West Point.
On behalf of my entire family, Eric, you will be missed but we mourn not as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). See you soon, Colonel Kail.
Other blog posts you might want to check out:
Colonel Kail is my friend
Colonel Kail is my friend, part two
From a West Point grad – written with love and in honor of Colonel Eric Kail
Categories: faith, family, Lord, love, memories, military, Nate, raising sons, Ranger School, United States Military Academy, West Point Tags: advice about Ranger School, Army, Bible, christianity, Colonel Eric Kail, crying, Eric Kail, faith, fragos, friendship, Harvard Business Review, insightful words, Jesus, leadership, leaving a legacy, Lord, love, memories, military parent, Nate, raising sons, Ranger School, stage 4 transitional cell carcinoma, tears, tears of sadness, transitional cell carcinoma, West Point, west point grad


Having problems with your Epson PhotoPC 850Z Digital Camera ?
Yes you need to have a Steady hand, I try to lean on to or force my arm to my hand or vice versa, to elimate moving.
There for hand shake - use a tripod or subject movement.
FOCUS PROBLEM HI WHEN I TAKE A PHOTO AND THERE'S SOMETHING MOVING IN THE BACKGROUND OR IF THE PERSON MOVE'S IT GO'S OUT OF FOCUS ALL THE TIME. IS THERE A SETTING THAT CAN HELP THIS? AND I RECENTLY WENT TO WATCH A BAND PLAY, THERE WAS BAD LIGHT BUT LIGHTS ON ALL THE TIME. I JUST GOT 1 PIC THAT WAS IN FOCUS PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME!!
Why does my Nikon D60 while on auto focus or quick shutter speed either not focus and take the pic or focus and not take pics?
The electronic viewfinder will not focus. Photo results, however, are properly focused. LCD properly focuses, but I prefer to frame my pics using viewfinder. What's the fix?
I have a Sony A55. I have used it for many years but must confess I do not use all of the features yet. Today I went outside to take pics. I focused on a subject and clicked to take the pic, The Sony beeped continually for about 5 seconds then took the pic. This is so freaking annoying. Have I accidently set it to a setting to make it do this? Thank you!
Problems with kodak v1073 focusing, my camera tries to focus on an object and you can hear it focusing, but it is a 50/50 chance of getting a clear pic.
Auto focus I have only had my camera for a short period of time and it worked great when I got it but now I can't focus in a picture. I have messed around with all of the settings but nothing is working. The automatic focus is not working at all. I can't even zoom in or out because the pics are still blurry.
Camera won't focus, how do i fix it. it will still operate but all pics are out of focus, not clear at all.the screen shows an error , E18 what does this mean. thank you. Vinnie.


While Apple has remained mum on the matter, the company is now listed as an official "Sponsor BoD" member on the organization's website. The commitment leads to speculation as to what place Thread holds within Apple's smart home.
Thread is a mesh networking standard, competing with the likes of Z-Wave, Zigbee, and Bluetooth. Devices that use the technology connect to each other instead of a hub or host device, thus expanding their range and usability. Thread is designed to handle a range of common mesh networking products such as Hue lights, as well as appliances, security systems and more.
"Thread's technology isn't reliant on a home internet connection or Wi-Fi, instead, it provides a dedicated network for connecting products in the home," Thread says on its website.
Being able to have a dedicated IP network to connect products without taking a huge hit on battery life would be a huge advantage to HomeKit devices. Currently, Apple only allows certain products to operate on battery, requiring others to be plugged into power constantly. HomeKit cameras are one example of an accessory that is unable to run on battery, even though there are many non-HomeKit devices that do.
At the moment, there are a few Thread products on the market, such as devices from Google and Nest, as well as smaller players like Eero and its second-generation wireless router system. Amazon, which is gearing up for a push deeper into the smart home with its acquisition of Ring, is also a member.
Apple's intentions with Thread are unknown. The company might be joining to understand all options available for connected home products, or it could have plans to utilize the tech in a future version of HomeKit. In the past, Apple has joined organizations ahead of officially adopting their technology. For example, the company joined the Wireless Charging Consortium prior to launching iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X, the first iPhones to integrate inductive charging.
Hopefully this is a sign that Apple is doubling down on HomeKit, which saw only a few changes this year with iOS 12. Among the major additions is support for third-party remotes.


Assortment includes one of each of the following - Abundance, Awakening, Confidence, Hope, Love, Reconciliation, Serenity. Hand rolled masala incense. No dipping or chemicals used. All natural ingredients. This herbal incense will burn slowly for 30 to 45 minutes.