Ghost Handprints
My wife Jill and I were driving home from a friend's party late one evening in early May. It was a beautiful night with a full moon. We were laughing and discussing the party when the engine started to cough and the emergency light went on. We had just reached the railroad crossing where Villamain Road becomes Shane Road. According to local legend, this was the place where a school bus full of children had stalled on the tracks. Everyone on board the bus had been killed by an oncoming freight train. The ghosts of the children were reported to haunt this intersection and were said to protect people from danger.
Not wanting a repeat of the train crash, I hit the gas pedal, trying to get our car safely across the tracks before it broke down completely. But the dad-blamed car wouldn't cooperate. It stalled dead center on the railroad tracks.
As if that weren't enough, the railroad signals started flashing and a bright light appeared a little ways down the track, bearing down fast on our car. I turned the key and hit the gas pedal, trying to get the car started.
"Hurry up, Jim! The train's coming," my wife urged, as if I didn't hear the whistling blowing a warning.
I broke out into a sweat and tried the engine again. Nothing.
"We have to get out!" I shouted to my wife, reaching for the door handle.
"I can't," Jill shouted desperately. She was struggling with her seat belt. We'd been having trouble with it recently. She'd been stuck more than once, and I'd had to help her get it undone.
I threw myself across the stick-shift and fought with the recalcitrant seat belt. My hands were shaking and sweat poured down my body as I felt the rumble of the approaching train. It had seen us and was whistling sharply. I risked a quick glance over my shoulder. The engineer was trying to slow down, but he was too close to stop before he hit us. I redoubled my efforts.
Suddenly, the car was given a sharp shove from behind. Jill and I both gasped and I fell into her lap as the car started to roll forward, slowly at first, then gaining speed. The back end cleared the tracks just a second before the train roared passed. As the car rolled to a stop on the far side of the tracks, the engineer stuck his head out the window of the engine and waved a fist at us; doubtless shouting something nasty at us for scaring him.
"Th..that was close," Jill gasped as I struggled upright. "How did you get the car moving?"
"I didn't," I said. "Someone must have helped us."
I jumped out of the door on the driver's side of the car and ran back to the tracks to thank our rescuer. In the bright moonlight, I searched the area, looking for the person who had pushed our car out of the path of the train. There was no one there. I called out several times, but no one answered. After a few minutes struggle with her seatbelt, Jill finally freed herself and joined me.
"Where is he?" she asked.
"There is no one here," I replied, puzzled.
"Maybe he is just shy about being thanked," Jill said. She raised her voice. "Thank you, whoever you are," she called.
The wind picked up a little, swirling around us, patting our hair and our shoulders like the soft touch of a child's hand. I shivered and hugged my wife tightly to me. We had almost died tonight, and I was grateful to be alive.
"Yes, thank you," I repeated loudly to our mystery rescuer.
As we turned back to our stalled vehicle, I pulled out my cell phone, ready to call for a tow truck. Beside me, Jill stopped suddenly, staring at the back of our car.
"Jim, look!" she gasped.
I stared at our vehicle. Scattered in several places across the back of our car were several glowing handprints. They were small handprints; the kind that adorned the walls of elementary schools all over the country. I started shaking as I realized the truth; our car had been pushed off the tracks by the ghosts of the schoolchildren killed at this location.
The wind swept around us again, and I thought I heard an echo of childish voices whispering 'You're welcome' as it patted our shoulders and arms. Then the wind died down and the handprints faded from the back of the car.
Jill and I clung together for a moment in terror and delight. Finally, I released her and she got into the car while I called the local garage to come and give us a tow home.
lunedì 5 aprile 2010
giovedì 1 aprile 2010
Chaplins life in USA
Chaplin first toured the United States with the Fred Karno troupe from 1910 to 1912. After five months back in England, he returned to the U.S. for a second tour, arriving with the Karno Troupe on 2 October 1912. In the Karno Company was Arthur Stanley Jefferson, who later became known as Stan Laurel. Chaplin and Laurel shared a room in a boarding house. Stan Laurel returned to England but Chaplin remained in the United States. In late 1913, Chaplin's act with the Karno Troupe was seen by Mack Sennett, Mabel Normand, Minta Durfee, and Fatty Arbuckle. Sennett hired him for his studio, the Keystone Film Company as a replacement for Ford Sterling.Chaplin had considerable initial difficulty adjusting to the demands of film acting and his performance suffered for it. After Chaplin's first film appearance, Making a Living was filmed, Sennett felt he had made a costly mistake. Most historians agree it was Normand who persuaded him to give Chaplin another chance.
Making a Living (1914), Chaplin's film debut
Chaplin was given over to Normand, who directed and wrote a handful of his earliest films.Chaplin did not enjoy being directed by a woman, and they often disagreed. Eventually, the two worked out their differences and remained friends long after Chaplin left Keystone. The Tramp debuted during the silent film era in the Keystone comedy Kid Auto Races at Venice (released on 7 February 1914). Chaplin, with his Little Tramp character, quickly became the most popular star in Keystone director Mack Sennett's company of players. Chaplin continued to play the Tramp through dozens of short films and, later, feature-length productions (in only a handful of other productions did he play characters other than the Tramp).
The Tramp was closely identified with the silent era, and was considered an international character; when the sound era began in the late 1920s, Chaplin refused to make a talkie featuring the character. The 1931 production City Lights featured no dialogue. Chaplin officially retired the character in the film Modern Times (released 5 February 1936), which appropriately ended with the Tramp walking down an endless highway toward the horizon. The film was only a partial talkie and is often called the last silent film. The Tramp remains silent until near the end of the film when, for the first time, his voice is finally heard, albeit only as part of a French/Italian-derived gibberish song. This allowed the Tramp to finally be given a voice but not tarnish his association with the silent era.
Two films Chaplin made in 1915, The Tramp and The Bank, created the characteristics of his screen persona. While in the end the Tramp manages to shake off his disappointment and resume his carefree ways, “the pathos lies in The Tramp's hope for a more permanent transformation through love, and his failure to achieve this.” (Article 21, pg 112)
Mack Sennett did not warm to Chaplin right away, and Chaplin believed Sennett intended to fire him following a disagreement with Normand. However, Chaplin's pictures were soon a success, and he became one of the biggest stars at Keystone.
Making a Living (1914), Chaplin's film debut
Chaplin was given over to Normand, who directed and wrote a handful of his earliest films.Chaplin did not enjoy being directed by a woman, and they often disagreed. Eventually, the two worked out their differences and remained friends long after Chaplin left Keystone. The Tramp debuted during the silent film era in the Keystone comedy Kid Auto Races at Venice (released on 7 February 1914). Chaplin, with his Little Tramp character, quickly became the most popular star in Keystone director Mack Sennett's company of players. Chaplin continued to play the Tramp through dozens of short films and, later, feature-length productions (in only a handful of other productions did he play characters other than the Tramp).
The Tramp was closely identified with the silent era, and was considered an international character; when the sound era began in the late 1920s, Chaplin refused to make a talkie featuring the character. The 1931 production City Lights featured no dialogue. Chaplin officially retired the character in the film Modern Times (released 5 February 1936), which appropriately ended with the Tramp walking down an endless highway toward the horizon. The film was only a partial talkie and is often called the last silent film. The Tramp remains silent until near the end of the film when, for the first time, his voice is finally heard, albeit only as part of a French/Italian-derived gibberish song. This allowed the Tramp to finally be given a voice but not tarnish his association with the silent era.
Two films Chaplin made in 1915, The Tramp and The Bank, created the characteristics of his screen persona. While in the end the Tramp manages to shake off his disappointment and resume his carefree ways, “the pathos lies in The Tramp's hope for a more permanent transformation through love, and his failure to achieve this.” (Article 21, pg 112)
Mack Sennett did not warm to Chaplin right away, and Chaplin believed Sennett intended to fire him following a disagreement with Normand. However, Chaplin's pictures were soon a success, and he became one of the biggest stars at Keystone.
Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday in Britain
Pancake Day also known as Shrove Tuesday in Britain. Pancake day is the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. 'Shrove' - as in Shrove Tuesday - stems from old English word 'shrive', meaning 'confess all sins'. It is called Pancake Day because it is the day traditionally for eating pancakes as pancake recipes were a way to use up any stocks of milk, butter and eggs which were forbidden during the abstinence of Lent.
History
The earliest records of pancakes and pancake tossing appeared in the fifteenth century when the pancakes were a little thicker than the modern pancake; they would also often have added spices for a little decadence. It wasn’t until the eighteenth century and the influence of French cooking and their thin crepes that pancakes more as we know them now.
Pancake Customs in the UK and Ireland
‘Shroving’ was a custom in which children sang or recited poetry in exchange for food or money. ‘Lent Crocking’ was one of the many customs of the day when children would pass from house to house asking for pancakes. If they weren't given any broken crockery would be thrown at the door!
Other customs and superstitions included the belief that the first three pancakes cooked were sacred. Each would be marked with a cross, then sprinkled with salt to ward off evil spirits, then set aside.
In Ireland, Irish girls were given an afternoon off to make their batter and the eldest, unmarried girl would toss the first pancake. Success meant she would be married within the year.
In Scotland, special oatcakes called Bannocks were made using oatmeal, eggs and salt and cooked on a griddle. A charm would be added to the dough and if an unmarried person found it, would be married within the year.
Wales also had their own customs where people would pass from door to door begging for flour, lard or butter. In some parts of Wales children would kick tin cans up and down the streets, believed to be commemorate the putting away the pots and pans for Lent.
Today, Pancake Races are a popular event throughout the UK and Laura Porter, About's Guide to London has some fun pictures of races in London .
Around the World
In other parts of the world, Shrove Tuesday is celebrated differently In New Orleans it's celebrated with the Mardi Gras carnival, and in Rio de Janeiro with the equally raucous carnival.
History
The earliest records of pancakes and pancake tossing appeared in the fifteenth century when the pancakes were a little thicker than the modern pancake; they would also often have added spices for a little decadence. It wasn’t until the eighteenth century and the influence of French cooking and their thin crepes that pancakes more as we know them now.
Pancake Customs in the UK and Ireland
‘Shroving’ was a custom in which children sang or recited poetry in exchange for food or money. ‘Lent Crocking’ was one of the many customs of the day when children would pass from house to house asking for pancakes. If they weren't given any broken crockery would be thrown at the door!
Other customs and superstitions included the belief that the first three pancakes cooked were sacred. Each would be marked with a cross, then sprinkled with salt to ward off evil spirits, then set aside.
In Ireland, Irish girls were given an afternoon off to make their batter and the eldest, unmarried girl would toss the first pancake. Success meant she would be married within the year.
In Scotland, special oatcakes called Bannocks were made using oatmeal, eggs and salt and cooked on a griddle. A charm would be added to the dough and if an unmarried person found it, would be married within the year.
Wales also had their own customs where people would pass from door to door begging for flour, lard or butter. In some parts of Wales children would kick tin cans up and down the streets, believed to be commemorate the putting away the pots and pans for Lent.
Today, Pancake Races are a popular event throughout the UK and Laura Porter, About's Guide to London has some fun pictures of races in London .
Around the World
In other parts of the world, Shrove Tuesday is celebrated differently In New Orleans it's celebrated with the Mardi Gras carnival, and in Rio de Janeiro with the equally raucous carnival.
In a restaurant
Waiter: — Are you ready to order, sir?
Mr Ryefield: — Yes. I´ll have the beef stew for starters and my wife would like tomato soup.
Waiter: — One beef stew and one tomato soup. What would you like for the main course?
Mr Ryefield: — I´ll have the Cayenne Pepper Steak and my wife would like the Fried Trout with mashed potatoes.
Waiter: — I´m afraid the trout is off.
Mrs Ryefield: — Oh dear. Err... What else do you recommend?
Waiter: — The sole is very good.
Mrs Ryefield: — OK. I´ll have that. Do you have any coleslaw?
Waiter: — No, I´m sorry, we don´t.
Mrs Ryefield: — Just give me a small mixed salad then.
Mr Ryefield: — Same for me.
Waiter: — Certainly. (...) Would you like something to drink?
Mr Ryefield: — Yes, please. May I see the wine list?
Waiter: — Certainly. Here you are.
(...)
Mr Ryefield: — A bottle of Chablis ‘99, please.
Waiter: — Excellent choice!
Mr Ryefield: — Yes. I´ll have the beef stew for starters and my wife would like tomato soup.
Waiter: — One beef stew and one tomato soup. What would you like for the main course?
Mr Ryefield: — I´ll have the Cayenne Pepper Steak and my wife would like the Fried Trout with mashed potatoes.
Waiter: — I´m afraid the trout is off.
Mrs Ryefield: — Oh dear. Err... What else do you recommend?
Waiter: — The sole is very good.
Mrs Ryefield: — OK. I´ll have that. Do you have any coleslaw?
Waiter: — No, I´m sorry, we don´t.
Mrs Ryefield: — Just give me a small mixed salad then.
Mr Ryefield: — Same for me.
Waiter: — Certainly. (...) Would you like something to drink?
Mr Ryefield: — Yes, please. May I see the wine list?
Waiter: — Certainly. Here you are.
(...)
Mr Ryefield: — A bottle of Chablis ‘99, please.
Waiter: — Excellent choice!
venerdì 12 marzo 2010
Porta Portese Flea market
Porta Portese is one of the largest, most diverse and popular flea-markets in Europe. On any given Sunday up to 4,000 stalls open shop to sell all imaginable merchandise, including antiques (as well as a lot of junk), second hand clothes, books, magazines, decorative items and food products
It has been one of the most important commercial arteries as it was used for supplying Rome's markets.
Porta Portese, even today, hosts Rome's flea market which takes place each Sunday morning and extends all the way up to Viale Trastevere.
On Sundays from 7am to 1pm, every peddler from Trastevere and the surrounding Castelli Romani sets up a temporary shop at the sprawling Porta Portese open-air flea market. The vendors are likely to sell merchandise ranging from secondhand paintings of Madonnas and termite-eaten Il Duce wooden medallions, to pseudo-Etruscan hairpins, bushels of rosaries, 1947 TVs, and books printed in 1835. Serious shoppers can often ferret out a good buy. If you've ever been impressed with the bargaining power of the Spaniard, you haven't seen anything till you've bartered with an Italian.
Due to the market's soaring popularity, finding bargain deals is becoming increasingly difficult, but it is still possible. All you need is some patience and a good hand at bartering and then you're bound to leave Porta Portese with at least one or two unique acquisitions.
By 10:30am the market is full of people. As at any street market, beware of pickpockets.
Porta Portese is one of the largest, most diverse and popular flea-markets in Europe. On any given Sunday up to 4,000 stalls open shop to sell all imaginable merchandise, including antiques (as well as a lot of junk), second hand clothes, books, magazines, decorative items and food products
It has been one of the most important commercial arteries as it was used for supplying Rome's markets.
Porta Portese, even today, hosts Rome's flea market which takes place each Sunday morning and extends all the way up to Viale Trastevere.
On Sundays from 7am to 1pm, every peddler from Trastevere and the surrounding Castelli Romani sets up a temporary shop at the sprawling Porta Portese open-air flea market. The vendors are likely to sell merchandise ranging from secondhand paintings of Madonnas and termite-eaten Il Duce wooden medallions, to pseudo-Etruscan hairpins, bushels of rosaries, 1947 TVs, and books printed in 1835. Serious shoppers can often ferret out a good buy. If you've ever been impressed with the bargaining power of the Spaniard, you haven't seen anything till you've bartered with an Italian.
Due to the market's soaring popularity, finding bargain deals is becoming increasingly difficult, but it is still possible. All you need is some patience and a good hand at bartering and then you're bound to leave Porta Portese with at least one or two unique acquisitions.
By 10:30am the market is full of people. As at any street market, beware of pickpockets.
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