My Life in Books

The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone: Plain and simple, this was my favorite book as a child. It’s really a bunch of nonsense, but it kept me snickering until the last page. There is no significance to the plot since it is just the Sesame Street character, Grover, trying to stop the reader from turning the page and finding the monster at the end of the book. I remember reading this to my parents because I wanted to show off how I memorized it, and I would laugh hysterically at their faces because they acted terrified when I would warn them that I was turning the page…which is what Grover didn’t want me to do.

The BFG by Roald Dahl: I’m pretty sure this was the first book I wrote a book report on in elementary school. I stepped out of my comfort zone at the time because this was a pretty hefty chapter book. Despite the ghastly number of minutes it took me to finish, it remained one of my favorite books a young reader. The BFG got me into the groove of reading to spur my imagination. Roald Dahl painted fantastic pictures in my mind with the obscure characters, activities, and vocabulary sprinkled throughout the book. The Big Friendly Giant ate “snozzcumbers,” drank “frobscottle”, caught dreams and labeled them in jars, and even broke wind by “whizzpopping.” As a matter of fact, I loved this book so much that I reread it five or six times in grade school after giving my report.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo: Not only is this a fantastic book for any Christian, but also a nice conversation starter. This is about a young boy who takes a visit to Heaven while under the knife in emergency surgery. Colton Burpo describes the vivid images of Jesus and meetings he had with family members who were deceased and he had never seen pictures of. I enjoyed this book because it got me thinking about my life in the next world. Many people at my church read it and their awe inspired me to pick it up and give it a try. It is a great read for anyone struggling with their faith because it comes from an innocent child who happened to have a beautiful experience with divinity.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen: Taking time to find out who you are on the inside is something this book taught me- as Annabel Greene was outcast by her friends and discovered a special friendship with Owen Armstrong. Both of these characters have trouble with the idea of their appearance and reputations and together they realize the importance of music as well as the power of silence. This book thoroughly prepared me for high school because the themes spoke to me in such a way that I knew it was important to know who I was before I could become friends with others. Sarah Dessen also teaches the harmful effects of judging others without knowing them first. It is a great lesson for teenage girls who struggle with confidence and those who feel the need to live up to ‘social standards.’

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: To be honest, this was the first book I read in school that I actually enjoyed and found interest in. For some odd reason, the whole idea of being beautiful on the outside but corrupt on the painting thing turned on the light bulb for once. I think that this book has great historical information and shows that evil will eventually get the best of us, no matter how hard we try to run from it. It’s the first book that I didn’t mind reading, even though most other classmates found it utterly disturbing. I don’t have a super deep connection with this book, but I know that out of all the English novels I’ve endured, Oscar Wilde placed first in the “like” category.

OMG YOUTUBE!

Do you ever wonder why videos become popular on the Internet? Or what causes certain videos to start trending? Ever ponder about why you haven’t become the latest sensation like PSY, Jenna Marbles, or the members of that one parody of Call Me Maybe? Kevin Allocca, the trends manager at YouTube, takes a closer look at how videos go viral. There are a few simple steps that cause a snippet reaching popularity on the web. Any one of us can become famous in a matter of days, but that doesn’t seem feasible since almost 48 hours of video are uploaded every minute. Most of the time when videos are uploaded they do not become popular until months later. So, how exactly did Rebecca Black and Justin Bieber become super famous? Watch this TED Talk to find out more! http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_allocca_why_videos_go_viral.html 

Where The Sidewalk Ends

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And Then We Lived Happily Ever After?

                               

Wait, Marriages Aren’t Always Jubilant?

Once upon a time, a man and a woman loved each other very much; so they decided to get married. The wedding was beautiful, and everyone was so happy during the ceremony.  They bought a big house, had children, and lived (fill in the blank, it’s just three words). It’s how most stories are ended by, living ‘happily ever after’, but unfortunately, marriage is temporarily consumed of wedded bliss. Sonja Lyubomirsky’s New Love: A Short Shelf Life directly addresses the cold-hard reality that the euphoria experienced when two people gather in holy monogamy for the first time will not preserve. Lyubomirsky examines the perplexing challenge of sustaining a long-lasting, holy monogamy, designating this disheartening truth, in which no one wants to acknowledge as factual, as a straining cycle which never ends with the help from ample scientific evidence on how the brain functions during these times. Sad? Maybe, but it’s better to be informed of this information now than to shocked that your marriage isn’t so magical after all. So to all the lovebirds out there waiting to tie the knot, pause for a moment and think to yourself,  “I will be spending every single day with [him or her] for the rest of my life. Can I do this?”, and if the answer is no, then don’t get married.  

Sleeping on a Cloud

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sleep for 2 full days? For Anna Sumner this is no longer a mystery but instead a frequent reality. Sumner has been suffering from the need of sleep. She is constantly craving sleep and is willing to give up fun, food, and friends in order to catch a few more minutes of sleep. She has visited many different doctors and has tested out many different treatments but nothing appears to be working. The medical staff is still doing research to figure out what causes Sumner’s mind to desire sleep so greatly. In general people tend to look forward to sleep and enjoy the relaxation time. In Sumner’s mind, it is a dreaded task. She lives in constant fear of sleeping for too long. Hopefully after the conclusion of the research she will return to normal sleep habits. 

If you are interested in reading the article, it can be found herehttp://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2012/11/22/re-awakenings/

Kittens

Goodnight Moon

A bath lacking water

One day Ludwick Marishane and his best friend were sunbathing in the sweltering heat in their native Limpopo, Botswana. Ludwick’s friend turned to him and brought up the idea of a water-less bath. Ludwick pondered on the thought of needing no water to cleanse oneself, and then thought of how the whole continent is in a state of emergency when it comes to needing clean water. It takes the normal person roughly two hours to fetch water for cooking, cleaning, and drinking. Even worse, almost half of all water used is contaminated, so the awareness of using this disease-filled necessity makes some people tremble. In order to save the little water that is safe enough to consume, Ludwick came up with a water-less bath that has the potential of bringing his nation partial ease, and the potential of bringing the Nobel prize to his doorstep.

Monkey Learns to Fly

On the Shelf Reading

1.       Scar Tissue – Anthony Kiedis

As the lead singer of my all time favorite band, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Anthony Kiedis takes his fans on a roller coaster of a ride with his personal memoir containing a wide gamut from the live accounts of his time as a heroin and marijuana drug addiction to the difficult path towards sobriety. Scar Tissue is a wonderful autobiography I have been able to pick up and was instantly attached to because I have always wanted to read more about his life and how he became a drug addict. Considering myself quite the avid fan of the historic band who continue to rejuvenate the widely considered, washed-up genre of punk rock. Only 23 pages in out of 464, this memoir is already considered at the top of my shelf.

2.       Rules For My Unborn Son – Walker Lamond

I live by the aphorism of “never judge a book by it’s cover,” but when I found this book, I had a feeling that cliché would be broken as it became an instant classic of mine. A short read of 206 pages, this coming-of-age novel covers all of the rules and guidelines in which ever young adult should follow as they eagerly approach manhood. There should be a federal mandate which requires each 17-year old to read this entire book before they turn 18 because it entails so many truths about life and how to succeed as a well functioning man. I was a boy at 9 o’clock in the evening when I turned to the first page, but I became a gentleman, a fellow contributing citizen for this great country after I flipped to the last page where the blank page was facing my eyes with a silent message entailing “welcome to adulthood.”

3.       No Country For Old Men – Cormac McCarthy

Instead of reading the book, I began to uncover this story from the Academy Award winning film at my home. The tale was quite riveting and powerful;  so I decided to then begin reading the book. Not only is the book more suspenful than the film itself, but I am often haunted by a panick attack each time I look out at my window each night. The paranoia that rises up inside of me troubles me as I often envision myself as Llewelyn Moss, the man who captures $2,000,000 dollars from a disastrous drug deal exchange who is chased after by a hired hitman, Anton Chigurh. This book should be read by anyone who is interested in a compelling story where the mystery keeps you on your feet for days.

   On the E-Shelf – The Hard Life of an NFL Longshot – Charles Siebert

The dreaded date of April 28^th finally approaches a packed house of blue-collar inhabitants near the Elgin, Illinois surburbia with an unpredictable turn of events. A dream could become reality at any moment  on that tiny 20” TV in the crammed living room as Pat Schiller awaits for his name to be called by one of the 32  franchises in this year’s NFL Draft in New York City. With an entire town devotedly torturing themselves through a two-day, seven-round nightmare, they appear to emplify a greater form of dedication than the curly headed, die-hard,  Green Bay Packers fan from the “Discount Double Check” commerical. However, all of the Red Bulls and coffees drank in order to hear this hometown hero’s name on the big screen suddenly becomes a waste as he was never called, with his name behind the likes of Chandler Harnish, the very last pick of the draft. Schiller is crushed, his dreams remain a fantasy  as he is officially an undrafted free agent.But if one thinks the journey ends here, they would be called a fool. The dream never dies unless the dreamer decides to wake up, but Pat Schiller, an Outside Linebacker out of Northern Illionis University, remains asleep. 

Woman Walks On Water

On the Shelf

                I have been in the middle of multiple books lately. Mainly because I was in the mood to read but the book that I was currently involved in was not available at the time.  So I am in the process of reading three different books. The first is The Fault in the Stars by John Green. This book is extremely touching and heart felt. It describes the love story of two people, Hazel and Augustus. Hazel is currently battling for her life against cancer. She is terminally ill but there is a miracle drug that has given her a few extra years of life. Augustus also fought cancer but as of right now he is in remission. They connect with each other and try to make the most out of the life they have left. Although the book is fiction, the characters seem real and I feel a connection with each.  I am interested to find out the conclusion of the story. I was sitting in a doctor’s office and picked up another book while waiting to be seen. My selection was The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. I did watch the movie years ago but the book is reminding me of the countless details in the story that I have forgotten. The book shows the importance of friendship and portrays a group of friends who  purchase a perfect pair of pants. Although they are all different shapes and sizes, the jeans fit each perfectly. The book is a little too kid based for my liking but it was a great way to pass the time in the waiting room. I have not decided whether or not I am going to pick the book up from the library to finish it. The third and final book I am reaming is Delirium, by Lauren Oliver. The author writes of a dystopian world where love is a disease and the only way to survive is to have a surgical procedure when you reach adult hood. This procedure will prevent you from dying from love. The story revolves around Lena, a girl 95 days away from having the operation. The author fills the plot with many different twists and turns that leave the reader on the edge of their seat. This is by far my favorite book out of the three and I am waiting in anticipation to reach the end.   I am looking forward to the conclusion of each of my books.  

 Podcast Playlist

I was perusing the Ted Talks website when I came across an interesting video. Hannah Brencher talks about how her life has been affected by the writing of letters. Today’s society is so focused on the next new technological innovation that we have forgotten the meaning of a hand written note. Brencher shows the power that a single written letter can have on a person. Just having tangible evidence that someone cares about you is an extreme confidence booster. She has written letters to strangers that are struggling with depression or considering suicide. These notes show the depressed that someone cares about them. If society could begin writing thoughtful letters to others, we would be a better world. 

And That's How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Podcast Playlist

Everyone tells lies. You tell some, your best friend tells some, I bet even our teachers tell them sometimes. But how can people tell the difference between when we’re telling little white lies, or massive fibs? In a TEDxWinnipeg talk, Jeff Hancock takes a closer look at modern human communication and the problem we have developed with deception. He informs us that the technological era we live in has forever changed our modes of interaction. We all know it is easier to express disrespectful remarks about others over the Internet than it would be in a face to face confrontation, but could it possible that we are more honest over the digital social network we envelop ourselves in, day after day? Check out his talk @ The Future Of Lying

My Literary Hero

On a scorching July afternoon, I was transported to the scene of a front porch with the most beautiful garden below in the yard. I felt the spring breeze whisk across my cheeks and through my hair. I heard nothing but the fluttering of the most delicate wings of the hummingbirds roaming about the flowers, even though my siblings were wreaking havoc in the pool behind me.  Nicholas Sparks created these images in The Best of Me, my favorite read this past summer; a story of two high school sweethearts that take very different paths in life and unite twenty some years later over unique circumstances, and then become faced with the ultimatum of rekindling their love for one another.  Through several other novels by Sparks such as The Notebook, Dear John, The Last Song, and A Walk to Remember, I found a joy in reading that I hadn’t experienced before I stumbled upon his magnificent work. I read these books during the summer months specifically because I had the opportunity to examine my conscious on a deeper level, take a break from the stresses of school, and ponder what my life is really about. He books are inspiration for my future, since the majority of the characters find themselves in ambivalence toward others in terms of love, and their worries always end up working themselves out in the end; I know there is a happily ever after waiting for me somewhere. The intricate relationships and heart rending dilemmas he created in these stories demanded that I take a closer look into my life as an individual and find what I wanted out of my relationships with the people I surround myself with. Nicholas Sparks is my literary hero because he made me realize the strength I have in my heart and that there most certainly is a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how close I may be to the darkness.  This idea was demonstrated through a plethora of his characters who ride emotional roller coasters through their lives, and by reading his books I know I am not alone. He is my literary hero as I desired more of his stories because I enjoyed what he has produced, whereas with other authors I finished one book and was done with their collection forever. And even though most of his novels turn into motion pictures, I still enjoy reading these fictitious romance novels while simultaneously working on my summer tan.  

Hey You! Read This:

On the Shelf:

            In Schindler's List, a German businessman begins with a cheerful view of life as he has been gaining in income since Jewish people are being put out of home and work. Schindler is able to take over these businesses and use forced Jews for free labor has he makes an impeccable profit. After Oskar Schindler begins to view the genocide of the Jewish people across Europe during World War 2, especially during the raid of the Krakow ghetto, he begins to have a change in heart and belief. After some of these horrific visions, Schindler begins to save the lives of Schindlerjuden, or Schindler's Jews, by saying that they are his workers. Once they are passed off as workers, Schindler would smuggle them to a safe haven where they could live. I was inspired by the fact that this man risked his life several times in order to save others. I felt that the book had a slow start to it, but became more interesting as I read.

Surviving the Extremes is written by Dr. Kenneth Kamler, a hand surgeon from the Big Apple. Dr. Kamler writes about how to survive in the wild and he takes each chapter to a different region of severe extremities. In each of the six chapters, Dr. Kamler describes several different scenarios that are truly life threatening. Some of the chapters are stories of people who fell into the hands of Mother Nature’s angry rages, and were able to escape with their lives. For the normal person, these events probably will not ever happen, but for people who go to the extremes of life, this book should be read before the departure.

James Franco’s novel, Palo Alto Stories represents a collection of Stories centering on the lives and experiences of troubled California teenagers who were misfits and violent. Franco traces the lives of a group of teenagers as they experiment with life’s vices, struggle with their families, and self-destruct. All throughout the novel, Franco continues to depict characters that choose violence as an answer to their problems. By the end of this novel, Franco’s work reveals a compelling portrait of youth life and violence. This book definitely caught my eye as I passed by it, and once I began to read it I became engulfed in the fictional stories that made the book.

Podcast Playlist:

            Wheeling around in a wheelchair is all fun and games until the wheeler comes across a rough terrain. They are then brought to the question of “how am I supposed to make it across this terrain with my wimpy wheelchair?” To answer this question, Amos Winter and his elaborate crew of MIT engineers sat down at the drawing board to collaborate on ideas.

            Amos Winter and his crew travelled to several less fortunate areas of the world that contain handicapped people who are forced to travel across harsh terrains in order to get to school, work, or home. The MIT crew of engineers was then able to brainstorm possible ideas that would shorten the normal commute time. Several ideas included levers as handles, where the person in the wheelchair would push both levers back and forth to increase speed, and a mountain bike frame, which could withstand any landscape imaginable. Unfortunately, the handicapped testers were dissatisfied with the sample products, so Amos Winter and his crew went back to the drawing board to create an inexpensive, all-terrain wheelchair that would send Karl Benz back to square one. This podcast of TED Talks will definitely catch the eye of any engineer protégé.

What We're Loving

Leonid Meteor Shower This Weekend!! Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for a spectacular show in the sky. Grab those lawn chairs out of the garage, bundle up in your warmest blankets, and go outside to watch one of the coolest meteor showers the heavens has to offer. You won't regret it! -Madison

Almost every person who knows plenty about football will enter a Fantasy Football league. This is the time to show one’s expertise at choosing top-notch players, and to prove that they are superior to their friends. In August, I took on my first season of Fantasy Football, and I have to say that it has not gone as planned. I was given kudos, in the beginning by the other members, for choosing a phenomenal team. Now that the season is coming to a close, my team is falling apart, and I am slowly falling from the top of the leaderboard.  As the playoffs are in the distance, I am running out of time to regain a higher ranking since teams I need to win have been choking and losing week after week. Hopefully this once believed love, now turned to hatred, will regain its spot in my heart, but this can only happen if my teams begin to succeed, and my prized players begin to bring in the points. -Jake

November means two things in my house: Thanksgiving and college basketball! Now that the NCAA has started another season of basketball, I find myself watching games late at night instead of doing homework. ESPN is my new MTV. I love watching the Hoosier Nation and fans in Assembly Hall cheer on the #1 ranked team in the country. I also follow the Duke Blue Devils, who recently knocked off the Kentucky Wildcats who won the national championship in March. -Chris

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez: NO LONGER TOGETHER! I heard on the radio the other day that these two pop sensations called it quits. Of course this means only one thing; Justin and I can finally take the next step in our imaginary relationship. I will make him fall in love with me after I sneak back stage at one of his concerts, and the rest will be history! I can see the headlines now, “Bieber Finds New Boo Backstage.” 

( Just kidding … )-Nicole

Five Hour Energy, Anyone? We all have those days...the days that need a boost of caffeine to help us through. Well, you might want to think twice before you chug that little bottle of energy. The FDA shows the detrimental effects this product has caused the last few years. Just thought all you sports enthusiasts should be informed! -All

There Is No I In TEAM

The 2012 Lady Spartans Varsity soccer team played a season for the record books. We were undefeated in regular season with a conference and sectional titles for the third time in my career, and our unofficial record was 17-1-1. Although we slipped two years in a row in regional games to the Leo Lions, this years’ team proved to be the best team I’ve been a part of during my four years on the varsity squad.  We all got along effortlessly, all 21 of us, and became the best of friends in a matter of weeks. With seven seniors, four juniors, four sophomores, and six freshmen, we were the team that made for a nearly perfect season. Through scorching hot practices throughout the summer months to cold and dank practices in the fall, we won our way to the 6^th ranked team in the state. There was minimal “girl drama” because we were all so close and no one hated anyone else’s guts for the first time in four years. There were no tears of frustration unlike the insane amount of waterworks that flowed in previous seasons. And until our final bus ride together, no tears had been shed as only tears of laughter ran down our cheeks at pasta parties. The devastating loss to the Leo Lions this year in sudden death penalty kicks was the toughest loss I’ve endured on a high school team because we had the determination to advance to state since day one. Despite the emotional end to our record setting season, this team created lasting memories together and I hope this program continues to strive for excellence in years to come. 

Only One Month Away

                A cold and dreary day in the middle of December awaits me where my clammy shake with exhilaration as well as fear for what I am about to do. My stomach sickens as I approach the telephone to deliver good and bad news to those who invested a whole heap of time in me. In the next five minutes, their commitment, dedication, and efforts will either be rewarded or wasted based on what I am about to tell them. Last minute thoughts include ‘Oh no! How am I going to word this? How can I make the bad news not sound so horrible? What if I suddenly changed my mind after I hang up on him?!’ The realization; however, hits me that in only a few minutes, this state of anxiety and desolation will swiftly transition into a sense of jubilation and liberation from the nightmare of the college soccer recruiting process. A few minutes later……..’I’m free!....I’m FREE!’ I finally know where I’m playing and don’t have to worry about where I will be going to school at.’’ I take the first breath without any worries filling me head and rejoice to the fact that I am officially a (insert school’s mascot here).

                As everyone can see, it could not be more clear that I am ready to verbally commit to play soccer for a school, but complications keep coming up that are preventing me from doing so. With all of these issues arising, it doesn’t help to hear from coaches that I have a month to make my decision or else my scholarship and possibly, my spot on the team, might be taken away. The nightmare of screwing up by committing to the wrong school haunts me worse than the oppossum that climbed up on my leg when I was eight, traumatizing my youth with a everlasting fear of all animals existing in the rural habitat.  That moment will come when my conscience is telling me to choose one school will be the day that I call up the coaches and tell them the good or bad news. 

How To Hit A Home-run in Slow Pitch Softball

1.   Be born a girl. Have your best friend convince you to join Aboite Softball League. Make your parents go out to buy a miniature bat. Begin in the t-ball division. Have the coach set up a tee short enough for you to hit a ball (This will be about 3 feet tall). Swing the bat and focus on hitting the ball. Swing the bat and hit the tee instead of the ball. After failing to hit the ball in multiple games, come out one day a swing the bat extremely slowly so that you are guaranteed to hit the ball. You have hit the ball but it was so soft that it only travels a few feet. Quickly outrun the player who gets your ball and beat them to first base.

2   2.   Practice, practice, practice! Begin hitting the ball every time you swing. Move up to the 2-3 division. The coach will pitch to you in this division. He will be about 8 feet away from you and will toss the ball sluggishly in your direction. Although the ball is moving about 2 miles per hour it seems to be flying at you. Swing with all your might and completely miss the ball and fall flat on your face. Do this a couple of times then give up. During the games you will have three chances to hit ball thrown by your coach. If you miss the ball all three times then you will get one chance to hit the ball off the tee. Use the tee to your advantage and miss every single ball the coach throws at you. With all your practice hitting off the tee, you have become quite talented and can hit the ball fairly accurately.

3   3. Move up to the 4-5 division.  Play catch with one of your team mates. Miss the ball and have it hit you right in the face. Run off the field crying and yelling that you quit softball forever. Muster up the courage to come back to play the game the next week. In this division, other girls will begin to pitch to you. They will stand at the pitcher’s mound and throw an arched ball that will land behind the plate. If they do not throw a decent pitch, you do not have to swing. If you swing three times at the ball and still do not make contact, the coach will come and give you one chance to swing at his pitch. Don’t worry if you miss, the coach will always blame himself for not throwing a hittable pitch.

4 4.  Finally you have made it too the big leagues.  It’s time to move up to the middle school division. In this league you only have 3 strikes and you’re out. You have to learn to pay attention to the difference between balls and strikes. In order to make this easier the league has placed green mats behind home plate. The concept is easy, if the ball hits the mat it is a strike, otherwise it is a ball. This is the division where you will begin hitting into the outfield. You need to become more consistent and strike out as little as possible.  Although you think you are hitting with all your strength, have your ball always land into the infield.  Figure out mid-season that if you use a bigger bat, you can hit the ball further. Start hitting most every ball to the outfielders.

5   5. The final stretch is on the horizon. After 3 years of middle school, you have graduated to the high school level.  This is your chance to hit the home run. Step up to the plate on your second game of the season. Grind your cleats into the dirt. Slowly crouch and zone in on the ball. Watch the ball come towards you and swing the bat as hard as you can. Hit the ball at the exact right moment so you hear a perfect “CRACK” when the two make contact. The ball will fly over the fence as you are sprinting to first.   Realize that you hit over the fence and slow down to complete your victory laps. Continue to hit home runs every time you get the chance. 

Coaches

Coaches: when a person utters this word, some are overcome with happiness as their coach-player relationship is one of joy, but some are overwhelmed with the sense of pure hatred as they have wanted to obliterate their coach since day one. Everyone has one of these feelings towards his high school coach as the coach has caused the player utter joy, or total agony. Throughout high school, I played soccer under Paco and Houser, and I have to say that these four years did not play out as I believed they would. I pictured my four years, three on varsity and one on JV, to be the heyday of high school, but I was wrong. After two years of decent fun, the downhill slide began to occur as seniors became full of themselves, or the coach seemed to be carefree about winning. In my senior year, the downhill slide became steeper as I saw my playing time come to a complete stop. After an ankle injury, I came back, expecting playing time, to be greeted by the bench. To make my senior year worse, I did not play at all on senior night which was a total mood killer. Game after game, I slowly began to lose all care for playing and participating. Finally, the last game came around and I was excited for the season to be over, yet I wanted to win state. We lost a hard-fought battle to DeKalb during Regionals; and at that moment I felt all of the built-up emotions overcome me and I began to tear up, knowing that my soccer career came to an abrupt and sad ending. In the end, I realized that I hung around not for the much demised coaches, but for the brotherhood I had with my teammates.