Mes: abril 2023

To begin with, my children already lived here with their mother and stepfather. The varsity football team, the Stephenville Yellow Jackets, was the winningest Texas football team in the 90’s and my sons, along with their stepfather, urged me to come and see these kids play. «They are phenomenal!» I was assured. I went to watch them play as they won the Texas State Championships in 98 and 99. They WERE phenomenal! My youngest son played football at Stephenville High. His underclass teams won district and he played Varsity ball on a team that went to the Bi-District finals his Senior year. This was enough to get me to criss-cross the wide open spaces of Texas from Arlington, chasing after my son’s football games for four years, including quite a few contests right in his home town of Stephenville.

Game by game, the town was growing on me.

Some unusual things were happening there that caught my attention from my apartment in Arlington. For starters, on a Christian radio show I used to listen to, the host, Dawson McAllister, mentioned he would soon be speaking at a rally in…where else? Stephenville! Hmm. Intriguing. Turns out, my kids attended that rally. I found out later, most EVERYBODY’s kids attended.

Another happening that the Holy Spirit used to lure my attention to Stephenville was the war against prayer in the schools, particularly at sporting events and graduations. The reports were on virtually every nightly newscast. I noticed during my brief visits to town that there were many kids wearing a bright yellow t-shirt with the words «I Pray before I Play» emblazoned boldly upon the front. Following are some pieces of articles I found on the Internet, the likes of which I seemed to be hearing regularly back in the late 90’s. They speak for themselves, painting an accurate picture of the climate of those days:

«…the athletic field is rapidly turning into a culture war battle zone, as it did Friday night at a game in Stephenville, Texas, over the issue of school prayer. Education boards and school principals across Texas are struggling with federal guidelines on religious activities, including the ban on official school prayer. Earlier this year, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that some religious references were permissible at school events like graduation ceremonies, but were inappropriate — not sufficiently sacred — during other activities like athletic contests. Jurists ruled that the hootin’ and hollerin’ of a down-home football standoff lacked the «singularly serious nature» of other functions, such as a graduation event.

«That didn’t stop a small group of 15 students on Friday night, though, from smuggling a portable public address system into a high school game in Stephenville, Texas, to lead supporters in public prayer…

«One of the «prayer warrior» students at Friday night’s game told the Stephenville Empire-Tribune paper, «This was not about football, it was about God. We decided to pray for God (sic).» According to an Associated Press report, local high school superintendent Larry Butler said that the impromptu prayer rally did not have support of authorities from the district. «With that being said,» added Butler, «I applaud them for doing something that they feel really strongly about. I think the entire community of Stephenville believes in school prayer.»

«So far, there are no other reports of spontaneous prayer outbreaks at weekend football games. News accounts suggest that most school district throughout Texas are abiding by the Circuit Court guidelines…»

FROM ANOTHER ARTICLE…

«A number of «spontaneous» protest at football games have taken place in Stephenville. Last week, the Board of Trustees of the Stephenville Independent School District grappled with a policy which would permit a student selected by popular vote to deliver a pre-game «message,» provided certain rules were observed. The local Empire-Tribune newspaper noted: «The rules are that the purpose of the message is to encourage good sportsmanship and student safety and to promote the proper environment for the competition… The message may also be used to welcome or greet fans and the opposing team and/or to commend them for their achievements.

«While one board member mused that the new policy «would legally create an open forum for a period of time designated for the message and designate a place for the student message,» another member saw through the obfuscation. Referring to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court decision disallowing pre-game prayer, he told fellow board members: «This is the law today whether we like it or not. Until this is cleared up, I personally think we go against the law if we allow student prayer, or any prayer, before the game…» «

HERE’S ONE MORE FROM ’99…

Students Defy Federal Judge on Prayer at High School Game

Stephenville, TX – The August 27th football season opener for the Stephenville High School Yellow Jackets was not only memorable for the lop-sided victory they had, but also for the courage shown by the student body and the fans in the crowd. A district federal judge had issued a decision forbidding prayer at public school gatherings, even if initiated by students. The students of Stephenville High believe this is a violation of their constitutional right to freedom of religion. The student body not only takes pride in being the defending 4A state champions, but in exercising their constitutional rights.

Before the opening kickoff, one of the students of Stephenville High grabbed a microphone and led a «spontaneous» prayer. Several students joined the young man on the sidelines, but what was even more powerful was the fact that not some, but all of the people in the stands stood up, removed their hats and joined in the prayer. Local news stations were there to cover the game and questioned the police and high school administrator as to what they planned to do about the «illegal» praying. There was no response from the police, but the high school administrator simply said that no actions were to be taken against the students. School officials also pointed out that since the school had not officially sanctioned the action, it could not be held legally liable for what happened.

The federal judge, upon hearing about the public prayer, said that the prayer was in violation of the constitutional separation of church and state. Some supporters of the students pointed out that the Constitution does not demand separation of church and state, but guarantees that there will be no laws made establishing any official religion or prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Students interviewed said that they planned to pray publicly at their next game.

One thing that most local reports on the event failed to mention was that it was not just the Stephenville students and supporters, but their football adversaries as well that stood up to be counted. The Weatherford High School Kangaroos, and all their fans, honored the brave individuals that dared to challenge the edict of a federal judge by standing with them during the prayer. With reporters scouring the crowd for an opposing view, not one person was found whom the prayer offended. Still the judge finds this act illegal and irresponsible!

What happens going forward from here depends on how determined the judge is to force his will on the people, and how determined the citizens of Stephenville are to defend their constitutional rights. For one night at least, this was seen as a victory for Texans in the exercise of their rights. As for Weatherford High, it was the one bright spot in a night that resulted in a 34-7 loss to the Yellow Jackets.

AND ANOTHER…

MORE SCHOOLS IGNORE FOOTBALL PRAYER BAN

North of Dallas, Celina high school football fans prayed before a football game with a Christian school. The apparently coordinated prayer by fans, football players, cheerleaders, and band members violates the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ban on school football prayers because football is not properly solemn enough for God.

Rev. John Mark Arrington, pastor at Lighthouse Full Gospel Church in Garland distributed 250 T-shirts with the slogan, «Celina Bobcats Pray Before They Play.» Arrington want students to obey «God’s law,» which justifies the growing rebellion of evangelicals against the U.S. Constitution.

In Stephenville, students brought their own sound system to football games and delivered a religious message using the equipment. There was no report that school officials took any action to prevent it.

In Midland, student-led prayers at football games still happen. School officials said the prayers would continue until someone filed a lawsuit to make them stop.

FINALY, THIS FROM U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT…

To pray–or not to pray» by Robert Bryce.

U.S. News & World Report, Sep 13, 1999 (Vol 127, No 10). Page 26.

Joel Allen and Alan Ward, two Stephenville, Texas, high school students, refused to be denied the tradition that surrounded their school’s football games. So to circumvent a federal court order barring use of a school’s public address system for prayer before high school football games, the two students borrowed a small speaker system and led the crowd in prayer, much to the fans’ delight.

The court ruling that affects Stephenville, Texas, handed down in February 1999, by the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has revived a national furor over the place of prayer in public school events. The court’s decision stated that student-led prayer during graduation ceremonies is allowed, but prayer during events such as football games is not since they do not represent a «solemn» enough occasion.

This latest ruling is one of several conflicting federal decisions on school prayer in recent years. In July 1999, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an Alabama school district could not ban student-initiated prayer at school activities, even when attendance of the event is mandatory.

The Fifth Circuit Court’s decision will most likely be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the meantime, some school districts in Louisiana and Texas say they will hold a moment of silence in lieu of prayer. Others vow to ignore the ruling altogether.

YOU GET THE PICTURE.

I was fascinated, waiting with baited breath for the next act of civil disobedience to come from the kids from this li’l ol’ town in Texas I’d never heard of until my kids moved there.

Finally, I became very ill and was faced with a difficult decision. I had to leave Arlington, a place I’d lived for 14 years and a Church of which I was a Charter Member and Assistant Pastor as well as a good-paying job where I held a prestigious position. But I couldn’t bend over to load my dishwasher, walk a flight of stairs or carry groceries to and from my car. I needed my children’s help.

Stephenville, here I come!

Crippled and in pain, finding a job was nearly impossible. I came very close to filing Medicaid papers and becoming a ward of the state. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Where God guides, He provides and He regularly sent ravens to take care of my needs. My old college roommate lived in Dublin just 12 minutes away. He directed a publishing company to contact me as they needed an illustrator for a series of children’s books. That job alone, a job I could do from my kitchen table or even from propped -up pillows, was enough to help me make ends meet. Between chapters, recipients of my weekly email Bible broadcasts would occasionally come through with a love offering.

I was living from miracle to miracle until I received a call from my old college pal informing me that the local Chamber of Commerce was in need of a receptionist. I did not even know what a Chamber of Commerce actually did but I was feeling miraculously better, well enough to have applied for work at a local dairy reading the ear tags on cows just the day before. Funny, I can’t recall a job interview where a prospective employer asked if I’d mind occasionally getting «splattered with manure.» (I replied that it sounded like my last job. He didn’t laugh.) Any way, I went right to The Chamber and I’ll be there 5 years this July 7th. It’s a great job and the Lord has allowed me numerous opportunities to tap into the spiritual roots of the community from my position.

UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY

At the Chamber, I’ve been privileged to work for and with wonderful Christian people. Several years back, one lady I worked with had the idea of putting on an event that would give teens something to do after school ended in may. as we brainstormed, the event evolved into «The Extreme Thing.» In no time, other church members and ministers jumped on board. In the end, we had 29 churches involved, 9 bands, bouncy toys, organized games, 1,000 attendees and several ministers. The event was closed by a wonderful Church of Christ choir and their pastor. It was awesome!

In 2002 and 2003, I organized a July 4th parade entry which I called «The Declaration of Dependence.» I designed a T-shirt and matching banner and about 50 Christians suited up and took part. The next year, over 150 Christians took part from 11 different churches – including Hispanic Churches. We had the largest entry in the parade that year.

One day, a man from the Assembly of God Church took me to lunch. He had an idea for a door to door prayer ministry he called «Operation Jesus.» I designed a logo for a T-shirt and, in the past two years, hundreds of participants have prayed for virtually every dwelling place in town. We’re about to start over and the numbers of participating churches is increasing every time we go out.

A young Youth Minister from the Disciples of Christ had the vision to organize an event he called «The Unity Conference.» In the end, hundreds of believers attended from various denominations to listen to seven different ministers speak on a variety of subjects and worship together in song with several church worship teams. I was honored to have been one of those who ministered. Just a few months ago, I actually preached the Sunday morning services in that same church on two consecutive Sundays.

My own ministry has expanded to include opportunities to speak at the high school and the local college where I recently participated in a panel discussion on homosexuality in a grad level counseling/psych class. Last Sunday, I completed my 6th and final week of teaching at the First United Methodist Church. I’ve been invited back. The Pastor called me at work just today to thank me for «sharing my gift» with his congregation. Nice man.

The pastor from the local Cowboy Church – a Baptist group that has blossomed to 500 members in its first year – has asked that I come and teach the Cowboys about the cults. Though I’m not Baptist, I have taught too many times to count at the Sunday meetings of the local Baptist Ministry. I attend a weekly house church meeting that includes several Pentecostals, some Baptists and a couple of Catholics. We’ve prayed together and ministered to others and have seen miracles and spiritual gifts in operation.

Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one. Unity commands a Heavenly blessing.

THAT’S MY STORY…

That’s how I got to town and what God’s shown me in the mean time. Has it been without its trials? Hardly. Aside from hate mail via my computer, I once visited a woman in the county jail and even helped arrange her release. She later accused me of a crime and filed a restraining order against me. Not only did that case never make it to trial, but that woman has been sent to the state jail for another crime. On top of that, there have been a few people who wouldn’t allow their kids to sit under my teaching because they learned I’ve been divorced. At least no one’s shooting.

Oh, one last bit of good news is this: I moved to a cabin in the woods and, when I met my wonderful wife, Barbara, we not only moved here and love it, but we bought a Victorian home in town that my parents moved into from Las Cruces, New Mexico and are managing as a rooming house. We call it Vanderbilt Place. Barb is a registered nurse and got a job at the hospital located just 2 blocks from my downtown office at The Chamber. I see all 4 of my kids, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren regularly. I can recall the times that I was always so all alone and sickly.

I’m not sure what it is the Lord is doing here in this wonderful little town but, knowing Him, I know it’s gonna be great! I encourage anyone reading this now to grow where you’re planted, regardless of circumstances. I’ve learned that anything we can see with human eyes is subject to change. Even at my sickest, I was mailing Christian Gospel tracts to Middle Eastern-sounding names from the phone book on the chance the recipients might be Muslim. I made it to the letter «J» as I recall. My stamp-licking tongue wasn’t broken, after all. Later, a dear friend gave me a good used computer and my email ministry was on its way. I STILL only type with one finger (40 wpm, not bad, huh?).

Now, scroll down and FORWARD the message. Rate it if you like.

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Con una economía estrechamente ligada a la minería, el turismo y la ganadería de Sudáfrica, la República de Botswana es predominantemente plana. Es el hogar de una gran cantidad de parques nacionales y reservas de caza y tiene una gran cantidad de vida silvestre y humedales. Anteriormente un protectorado de Gran Bretaña, limita con Sudáfrica al sur y sureste, Namibia al oeste, Zambia al norte y Zimbabue al noreste.

El turismo juega un papel importante en la economía del país. Uno de los principales destinos de safari en África, Botswana es la ubicación de la película de 1980 The Gods Must be Crazy. El deporte más popular en Botswana es el fútbol y es miembro asociado del consejo internacional de críquet.

Se sabe que Botswana tiene una de las densidades de población más bajas del mundo. Con estrictas políticas de turismo, la naturaleza siempre ha sido una atracción para muchos extranjeros. La Reserva de Caza de Moremi y el Parque Nacional de Chobe son el hogar de varios animales salvajes, incluidos leones, hienas marrones, guepardos, leopardos, perros salvajes y antílopes. Estas manadas de vida silvestre se encuentran deambulando por todo el país, principalmente en las zonas turísticas del norte. El país también es conocido por tener la mayor población de elefantes del mundo.

¿Recuerdas el Kalahari? Bueno, el desierto de Kalahari cubre la mayor parte de Botswana en un tramo de arena arrastrada por el viento y es el hogar de muchas criaturas adaptables. Sí, la palabra desierto es un nombre inapropiado ya que el Kalahari está cubierto de vegetación y pastizales. En medio del desierto se encuentra el delta interior más grande del mundo, el Okavango es un laberinto de lagunas y lagos y es un imán para diferentes animales que necesitan agua. Un antiguo súper lago, el Makgadikgadi cubre un área casi tan grande como Portugal. Durante la temporada de lluvias, este lago se llena de agua hasta el borde y se convierte en un hogar temporal para diferentes tipos de aves y vida silvestre. El área alrededor del Kalahari tiene varios alojamientos y campamentos de safari para que los visitantes puedan experimentar esa auténtica aventura sudafricana. Los frondosos bosques y el delta albergan más de 400 especies de aves y es considerado un paraíso para los amantes de las aves, durante la temporada de lluvias, las aves migratorias se suman al colorido espectáculo.

Botswana también tiene una rica cultura e historia, el centro de la literatura y las artes visuales. En el oeste del delta del Okavango se encuentra el sitio de arte rupestre más rico de toda Sudáfrica, también conocido como Tsodilo Hills. Este es un sitio sagrado de la Edad de Piedra y está lleno de numerosos mitos y leyendas.

A diferencia de sus países vecinos, Botswana es relativamente más pacífico y seguro. Ahora es el principal destino para vacaciones, vacaciones y aventuras al aire libre. La gente es hospitalaria, pasiva y contenta, y a medida que prosperan más comunidades, el turismo se generaliza. El turismo aporta los mayores ingresos al país.

Si está buscando una aventura en Sudáfrica, Botswana es el mejor lugar para usted. Es la puerta de entrada a las criaturas más magníficas del mundo y un almacén de paisajes maravillosos.

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1. La mayoría de la gente sabe que los estadounidenses celebran el Día de Acción de Gracias, pero no están solos. ¿Qué evento se celebra en Islas Vírgenes el 25 de octubre?

A. Un Día de Acción de Gracias para regocijarse por el final de la temporada de huracanes

B. Un Día de Acción de Gracias para celebrar el final de la temporada de cosecha

C. Un Día de Acción de Gracias para marcar el comienzo de la temporada de cosecha

D. No existe tal evento excepto en la imaginación de QuizQueen.

A. Un Día de Acción de Gracias para regocijarse por el final de la temporada de huracanes

QQ: Las Islas Vírgenes celebran el Día de Acción de Gracias el 25 de octubre para celebrar el final de la temporada de huracanes. Eso es sin duda algo para celebrar bien!

2. ¿De dónde vienen los pavos?

Un pavo

B Europa

C. América del Sur

D. Antártida

C. América del Sur

QQ: Los pavos no se introdujeron en Europa desde las colonias españolas en América del Sur hasta 1523. Sin embargo, en 1524, los pavos, importados de América del Sur, se comían en la corte del rey Enrique VIII de Inglaterra.

3. El Día de Acción de Gracias también es un feriado legal en Canadá. ¿Cuándo cae?

A. Segundo lunes de octubre

B. Segundo jueves de octubre

C. Segundo lunes de noviembre

D. Segundo jueves de noviembre

A. Segundo lunes de octubre

QQ: Debido a que Canadá está al norte de los Estados Unidos, su cosecha llega antes en el año. En consecuencia, el feriado de Acción de Gracias cae antes en Canadá que en los Estados Unidos. El parlamento canadiense reservó el 6 de noviembre para las celebraciones anuales del Día de Acción de Gracias en 1879. En 1957, la fecha se cambió a un día aún más temprano, al segundo lunes de octubre.

4. ¿Quién domesticó originalmente al pavo?

A. Los turcos

B. Los mexicanos

C. Los chinos

D. Los Vulcanos

B. Los mexicanos

QQ: El pavo fue domesticado originalmente en México. El pavo ocelado es originario de la península de Yucatán en México y de las zonas adyacentes de Guatemala y Belice.

5. ¿Qué mes es el Mes Nacional de los Amantes del Pavo?

A. Mayo

B junio

c noviembre

D. diciembre

B junio

QQ: ¡Ja, apuesto a que mucha gente se equivocó en eso! Junio ​​es el Mes Nacional de los Amantes del Pavo, después de todo, junio es el mes de los amantes, ¿no es así?

6. Benjamin Franklin, quien propuso al pavo como ave oficial de los Estados Unidos, quedó consternado cuando se eligió al águila calva en lugar del pavo. ¿Por qué?

A. Le encantaba comer pavo y quería que a todos les encantara también.

B. Pensaba que el pavo era mucho más respetable.

C. Dijo que el águila calva tenía un mal carácter moral.

D. El pavo era un verdadero nativo de América.

E. Todas son verdaderas

F. Ninguna es cierta

G. A, B y C son verdaderas

H. B, C y D son verdaderas

H. B, C y D son verdaderas

QQ: Puede que le encantara comer pavo, pero después de que se hizo la selección, Franklin le escribió a su hija, refiriéndose al «mal carácter moral» del águila, diciendo: «Desearía que el águila calva no hubiera sido elegida como representante de nuestra país! El pavo es un ave mucho más respetable y, además, un verdadero nativo original de América «.

7. ¿Qué imagen del Día de Acción de Gracias se remonta a las antiguas fiestas de la cosecha?

Una vela

B. Cornucopia

C. Sombrero de peregrino

D. Turquía

B. Cornucopia

QQ: La cornucopia (una canasta en forma de cuerno rebosante de frutas y verduras) es un emblema típico de la abundancia del Día de Acción de Gracias que data de las antiguas fiestas de la cosecha. Muchas de las imágenes comúnmente asociadas con el Día de Acción de Gracias se derivan de tradiciones mucho más antiguas de celebrar la cosecha de otoño.

8. ¿Pueden volar los pavos?

A. Solo los domésticos

B. Solo los salvajes

C. Todos los pavos pueden volar.

D. Ningún pavo puede volar

B. Solo los salvajes

QQ: Los pavos domesticados no pueden volar. Los pavos salvajes pueden volar distancias cortas de hasta 55 millas por hora y pueden correr a 20 millas por hora.

9. Aunque los EE. UU. son los primeros en lo que respecta al consumo de pavo (quién sabe si es el Día de Acción de Gracias lo que nos coloca en la cima), ¿qué país ocupa el segundo lugar?

A. Francia

B. Italia

C. Alemania

D. Reino Unido

A. Francia

QQ: Esta fue una pregunta difícil, porque según el USDA, los franceses, los italianos, los alemanes y los británicos siguen el consumo estadounidense de pavo (en ese orden).

10. Aunque a menudo se relaciona con la Navidad, Kwanzaa en realidad está más relacionado con qué festividad?

A. Día de San Patricio

B Halloween

C. Acción de gracias

D. Día de San Valentín

C. Acción de gracias

QQ: ¡Vamos, incluso si no sabías que Kwanzaa significa «primicias» en swahili, este es un cuestionario con el tema del Día de Acción de Gracias! Kwanzaa tiene sus raíces en las antiguas celebraciones africanas de la cosecha de las primicias de las que toma su nombre. Sin embargo, su historia moderna comienza en 1966 cuando fue desarrollado por el erudito y activista afroamericano Maulana Karenga.

11. Cuando Neil Armstrong y Edwin Aldrin se sentaron a comer su primera comida en la luna, ¿qué contenían sus paquetes de comida?

A. Pavo asado y todos los adornos

B. Espaguetis y albóndigas

C. Perros calientes y frijoles

D. Mantequilla de maní y mermelada

A. Pavo asado y todos los adornos

PQ: ¡Si se equivocó, consulte el título de la prueba!

12. ¿Qué festividad judía podría estar asociada con el Día de Acción de Gracias?

A. Shabuot

B. Pascua

C. Jánuca

D. Yom Kipur

A. Shabuot

QQ: Shabuoth o Shavuoth, también Fiesta de las Semanas o Pentecostés, se celebra a fines de la primavera durante el mes hebreo de Sivan, siete semanas después de la Pascua. En tiempos bíblicos, la fiesta era una acción de gracias por la cosecha de cereales. La tradición posterior asocia la fiesta con la entrega de la Ley en el Monte Sinaí.

13. ¿Quién engulle en la familia del pavo?

R. Todos

B. Solo pavos adultos, no pollitos

C. Solo pavos tom

D. Solo pavos hembra

C. Solo pavos tom

QQ: Solo los pavos tom engullen. Los pavos gallina hacen un chasquido. Hacer clic. Hacer clic.

14. La costumbre de ver partidos de fútbol en el Día de Acción de Gracias también evolucionó durante las primeras décadas del siglo XX. Muchos estadounidenses digieren su comida festiva mientras ven partidos de fútbol en la televisión. Tradicionalmente, ¿qué dos equipos de la Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (NFL) organizan partidos el Día de Acción de Gracias?

A. Leones de Detroit y Vaqueros de Dallas

B. Carolina Panthers y Miami Dolphins

C. Jaguares de Jacksonville y Bengalíes de Cincinnati

D. Houston Oilers y Cleveland Browns

A. Leones de Detroit y Vaqueros de Dallas

QQ: La alta audiencia de estos juegos navideños ha convertido al fútbol en una tradición estadounidense de Acción de Gracias. ¡Otra huelga minorista más contra Estados Unidos! Y para su trivia de fútbol americano, los Panthers de Carolina, los Jaguars de Jacksonville y los Oilers de Houston no podrían ser parte de ninguna tradición de larga data, ya que los Panthers y los Jaguars fueron parte de la expansión de la NFL en 1995 y los Oilers se mudaron a Tennessee en 1997 para convertirse en los Titanes.

15. ¿Qué es el trote de pavo?

A. Un baile ragtime

B. La marcha de un caballo

C. Un juego de cartas

D. La forma en que corre un pavo

A. Un baile ragtime

QQ: El baile ragtime del trote de pavo se caracteriza por un andar elástico con los pies bien separados y un movimiento oscilante de los hombros hacia arriba y hacia abajo.

Camisetas de fútbol baratas Tienda online, Comprar Camiseta futbol precio más barato y envío rápido. En nuestra tienda de camisetas de futbol baratas. Un jugador muere por un golpe en un partido de fútbol. EFE. Javier Tebas acompaña la cena de Nochebuena de Cruz Blanca Huesca.

Se está haciendo tarde en la temporada regular de fútbol de fantasía, pero todavía hay jugadores ampliamente disponibles que pueden ayudarlo a darle ese impulso adicional a los playoffs. Uno de esos jugadores podría ser el WR de los Jacksonville Jaguars, Mike Thomas, quien ha llamado la atención incluso antes de su bonanza de 8 atrapadas/149 yardas/1 TD el domingo pasado. El hecho es que Thomas ha sido un jugador sólido durante toda la temporada y se ha convertido en un activo valioso para el fútbol de fantasía, especialmente en las ligas PPR. Anteriormente desconocido antes de esta temporada, muchos se preguntan si Thomas puede seguir así o si es solo un destello en la sartén. Vamos a desglosarlo a continuación.

Para empezar, Mike Thomas fue una selección de cuarta ronda en el draft de la NFL de 2009 e hizo bastante bien su temporada de novato al recopilar 48 recepciones para 453 yardas con un touchdown. Thomas demostró su valía ante el cuerpo técnico y fue nombrado titular para 2010. Bueno, comenzó con un golpe al atrapar 6 pases en la Semana 1 para 89 yardas y, como dije, ha sido sólido durante toda la temporada. No especialmente rápido, Thomas hace su mejor trabajo por debajo en un rol de posesión para los Jaguars, mientras que Mike Sims-Walker maneja los pases más profundos.

Sims-Walker también es la principal amenaza de TD en la zona roja y no Thomas, como lo demuestra el hecho de que este último solo ha anotado dos veces este año de 41 pases capturados. Busque más de lo mismo a medida que se desarrolla el resto de la temporada de fútbol de fantasía, lo cual no es malo si juega en una liga PPR. Aparentemente, los Jaguars se han convertido en una ofensiva aérea de gran potencia de la noche a la mañana, ya que el QV David Garrard ha lanzado 6 TD locos para él en los últimos dos juegos. Claramente, algo está haciendo clic en el juego aéreo y, por lo tanto, las oportunidades deberían continuar para Thomas.

Parece que a Garrard le ha gustado tirarle la pelota, por lo que esta es una prueba más de que Thomas seguirá aportando valor. Una vez más, Thomas no lo iluminará semana tras semana en sus estadísticas de fútbol de fantasía, pero en general será un arma agradable de bajo valor para los propietarios a medida que nos preparamos para la campaña de los playoffs. Recójalo en PPR y déjelo en configuraciones pesadas de TD ahora mismo.

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Temporada tras temporada nacen estrellas en la liga más prestigiosa y glamorosa del mundo. Ya sea la máquina de gol Cristiano Ronaldo o el prolífico goleador del Chelsea Didier Drogba o el delantero del Liverpool Fernando Torres, todos juegan por una razón. La fama, el dinero y la sustancia siguen a los mejores de la raza.

Ahora echemos un vistazo a los jugadores que son favoritos para esta temporada de Barclays Premier League:

1 – Cristiano Ronaldo

Club: Manchester United

Posición: Extremo

La mejor y más segura apuesta para poner tu dinero es Cristiano Ronaldo. Ha sido el rumor del verano con respecto a su transferencia al club español Real Madrid. Y por qué no, hablamos de un jugador que marcó 42 goles en una temporada, ganando a su equipo tanto la Premier League como la UEFA Champions League. Con la noticia de que se mantendrá al tanto una temporada más en Old Trafford ManU, los fanáticos pueden esperar su tercer título consecutivo de la Premiership esta temporada.

Si bien Sir Alex Ferguson aún no ha fichado a un delantero para el equipo (el delantero más probable del Tottenham, Dimitar Berbatov), ​​Ronaldo, junto con Wayne Roonay y Tevez, forma una de las alineaciones delanteras más letales a las que enfrentarse. Si continúa con su racha goleadora, seguro que es lo mejor que puede ofrecer la Premiership esta temporada.

2 – Didier Drogba

Club: Chelsea

Posición: Delantero

Lo ha hecho antes y lo puede volver a hacer. Ganar partidos importantes para el Chelsea. Didier Drogab, un prolífico delantero del balón, es el único jugador cuya presencia le da al Chelsea alguna esperanza de ganar títulos esta temporada.

Con la derrota de la Premiership y el Campeonato de la UEFA ante el Manchester United muy cerca, Drogba estará acompañado esta vez por el ex-Barcelona

El creador de juego Deco para llenar los vacíos. El entrenador ganador de la Copa del Mundo, Luis Felipe Scolari, también los acompañará por los títulos de esta temporada.

3 – Fernando Torres

Club: Liverpool

Posición: Delantero

El hombre correcto en el momento correcto en el lugar equivocado describe al as del Liverpool, Fernando Torres, como el mejor. Después de su maravillosa temporada en 2007/08, el Liverpool no podía permitirse ningún título ya que carece de jugadores en otras secciones del campo.

Este año, con Robbie Keane acompañándolo hacia el poste de la portería, el Liverpool puede esperar algún milagro. Pero Torres es el jugador clave, y si marca más de 40 goles y Keane agrega algunos, quién sabe, podrían lograr algo. Después de todo, el fútbol no siempre es una predicción.

4 – Cesc Fábregas

Club: Arsenal

Posición: mediocampista central

Joven y refrescante, Cesc regresará al Arsenal con recuerdos ganadores de la Eurocopa. El Arsenal ha perdido a sus mejores jugadores este verano, pero la inclusión de Samir Nasri en el equipo podría hacer algunas maravillas para el Arsenal.

El rendimiento de Cesc Fabregas, tanto en el fútbol internacional como en el de clubes, ha sido prometedor, pero compararlo con Thierry Henry es como esperar mucho de las jóvenes piernas.

5 – Jo

Club: Manchester City

Posición: Delantero

Este internacional brasileño no es un cliente fácil de tratar. Con 21 años, producto del gigante sudamericano del fútbol Brasil, Jo tendrá que desempeñar un papel muy importante en Man City debido a sus problemas financieros para traer buenos jugadores.

6 – Pedro Crouch

Club: Portsmouth

Posición: Delantero

El jugador más alto de la EPL con 6’7 «, Crouch es considerado por muchos como un jugador infravalorado. Con una proporción de goles por partido de 2 para la selección de Inglaterra, su presencia en Liverpool no fue más que un suplente. Seguro que tiene encontró un lugar adecuado para jugar.

Esta fue nuestra lista de algunos jugadores a tener en cuenta esta temporada. Háganos saber qué jugadores encontraron un lugar en su lista de favoritos.

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MARIA CALLAS AND ARISTOTLE ONASSIS

The career of Maria Callas had already begun its downward slide when she was introduced to Aristotle Onassis. It was 1957 and she was 35 years old. She had been married to the elderly, short, squat Giovanni Battista Meneghini for ten years.

Maria found some comfort for her diminishing artistic success in high society. Elsa Maxwell gave an elegant party for Maria in Venice. Before she knew it, Aristotle Onassis had managed to inveigle the seat next to hers at the dinner table. For the next seven days, wherever she was he appeared next to her as if by magic. She found it flattering and pleasant, but for the time being, nothing more.

Then the morning before a gala charity concert for a Legion d’Honneur in 1958, Maria received a huge bunch of red roses, with good wishes in Greek, signed Aristotle Onassis. Another huge bunch of red roses arrived at lunch, also with good wishes in Greek, signed Aristotle. And just as she was about to leave for the opera house came another bunch of roses, also with good wishes in Greek. This time there was no signature on it. Maria knew who had sent it…

On June 17, after a performance of MEDEA at Covent Garden, Maria and her husband attended a reception at the Dorchester where they met Aristotle Onassis again. This time Maria was ready….

Next he organized a party for her which literally left her gasping. The Meneghinis were millionaires, but compared to Onassis, they felt like a poor relatives. He invited forty people to come as his guests to the opera and then one hundred and sixty to a party at the Dorchester. It was more lavish than any ever given for Maria before, even by Elsa Maxwell. The ballroom was decorated entirely in orchid pink and overflowing with matching roses. She had often heard the expression, «Your wish is my command,» but this was the first time in her life she had seen it in action. Aristotle never left her side and no request of hers was too small for him to grant. When she casually mentioned she liked tangos, he rushed up to the bandleader with fifty pounds in his hand. After that nothing but tangos were played all evening. They didn’t leave the Dorchester until after 3 o’clock in the morning. In the foyer, the Meneghinis and Onassis were photographed in a hug, Aristotle on one side of Maria and Meneghini on the other. The shot turned out to be prophetic.

Ari kept inviting her all evening to come and cruise with him and Tina on the Christina. He was hard to resist and poor Meneghini didn’t offer much competition. For a little girl from a lower middle class neighborhood in Washington Heights, it was a fairy tale, a dream come true. In spite of Meneghini’s impassioned protests, they were going cruising on the Christina.

Maria went shopping in Milan, where she spent millions of lire on bathing suits, vacation outfits, and lingerie. A sophisticated friend later told Maria that a woman always buys new lingerie when she is about to have an affair. She was right, but Maria didn’t know it yet; she told herself she just wanted to look nice on the trip.

On board the three million dollar sea palace as large as a football field were Winston Churchill and his wife and daughter, Gianni Agnelli and his wife, and many other well known Greek, American, and English personalities. Maria ran about the ship like a school girl, exclaiming at each new discovery, now the solid gold fixtures shaped like dolphins in each bathroom, now her enormous, beautifully decorated cabin and marble bathroom with adjoining boudoir and limitless closet space for all her beautiful new clothes (a suite, incidentally, which she never used later unless Ari and she had a fight), now the real El Greco in Ari’s study, the fabulous jeweled Buddha, the swimming pool decorated with a mosaic reproduction of a fresco from the Palace of Knossos, the huge oak paneled lounge with a majestic grand piano at one end and a lapis lazuli fireplace at the other, and Ari’s private bathroom that looked like a temple, and the bath, inlaid with flying fish and dolphins, which was an exact copy of the one in King Minos’s lost Palace of Knossos in Crete. Ari, who had fussed like a housewife over every detail, was in raptures over each of Maria’s enthusiastic outbursts. The ship boasted a crew of sixty, including two chefs, one French, one Greek. The guests were given a choice of menus, but Maria, who had lost a great deal of weight, was still eating mostly raw meat and salads. But since she had a habit of sneaking bits of food from everyone else’s plates, she got at least a sampling of the fine cuisine.

The trip was literally an eye opener for her, a staid Italian matron who believed in fidelity and monogamy. She was shocked to see many of the guests sunbathing without any clothes on, and some of them openly playing around with other people’s mates on deck. Aristotle was one of those walking around naked. He was very hairy, like a gorilla, Battista said. Maria’s reaction to his nudity was the second sign that she was becoming another person. She had always been a bit of a prude. She wouldn’t sing the Dance of the Seven Veils in Richard Strauss’s SALOME because she had to take off her clothes. But when she saw Ari walking around like that, she giggled like a school girl. She had never seen a nude man besides Battista.

For Maria, it was a magnificent three week voyage. Their plans were to stop first at Portofino, a toy port on the coast of Italy, and then go on to Capri for sight-seeing. Then they would sail from the Mediterranean through the Aegean Sea to the Gulf of Corinth. From there they planned a sight seeing trip of Delphi, sailing on to Izmir, the Turkish name for Ari’s boyhood home, and then on up to the Dardanelles to Istanbul and home again.

Maria’s enthusiasm was not shared by Meneghini. He got crabbier and crabbier the further along they got on their voyage. He was interested in neither the ship nor the other guests, and spent his time whining about the way they were slighting him. Maria found his griping and endless criticism of Aristo increasingly irritating. She kept comparing his sluggish demeanor with Ari’s vigor and passion for life, and Battista fell far short. He was only nine years older than Ari, but Maria felt but he acted like his grandfather.

Maria was drunk with the fresh sea air, the cloudless blue skies, and the company of Onassis. By the time they reached Piraeus, the weather became so stormy Meneghini and most of the other guests took to their staterooms, leaving Aristo and Maria practically alone. They sat in the deserted games room basking before the fire in the lapis lazuli fireplace. The sparkle of the flames lit up the deep blue of the lapis, and was reflected in his eyes, which were black and round as Greek olives. The room was dimly lit, and once in a while it was brilliantly illuminated by a flash of lightening. Once during such a flash Maria saw her own eyes mirrored in his. She took it as an omen. His eyes, her eyes, it was all the same to Maria.

The motion of the ship on the stormy seas rocked them back and forth, so she was almost in a trance as they sat there talking all night long. They talked mostly in Greek, or, rather, Ari did. He told her all about his boyhood, where he came into the world seventeen years before Maria in Smyrna near the coast of Turkey. Later he had the captain stop the ship there so he could show her the house where he was born. He spoke about the Greek quarters where he was brought up, and of his father and uncle, who were flourishing merchants of cotton, tobacco, and anything else that would grow in the Anatalyan area. Then without making a play for sympathy, he described his mother’s death during a kidney operation when he was only six. He told her of his father’s subsequent remarriage to his aunt, and of his beloved grandmother. He also said he had been a choirboy and boasted with a beguiling smile that he, too, had a good voice. She found him enchanting, and knew other women did, too. He had been a ladies’ man from the time he pinched his English teacher’s bottom and was suspended from school. He was incorrigible from the beginning, and made love for the first time when he was only thirteen. When Maria thought she was twice that age when she had her first sexual experience, she was embarrassed!

He also told her of the horrors in his life that surpassed Maria’s experiences during the Second World War. He had lived through the Turkish attack on Smyrna and had seen thousands of Greeks tortured and killed. At age sixteen he rescued his father from the cruel Turks, who massacred one million Greeks in Turkish Asia Minor between 1918 and 1923. Then he told Maria of crossing the sea in a filthy boat crammed with a thousand immigrants in steerage until his arrival at Buenos Aires on September 21, 1923. It amazed Maria that six weeks before she was born, Ari was already an experienced man on his way to success. He soon started his career with the telephone company and, by the time he was twenty-four, had become Greek vice-consul general in Argentina. Shortly after he found the two Canadian ships with which he began his stunning career.

On August 4 they dropped anchor at the foot of Mount Athos, where an incident happened that was to change Maria’s life forever. They were received by the Patriarch Athenagoras, and knelt side by side to receive his blessing. Speaking in Greek, he called them «the world’s greatest singer and the greatest seaman of the modern world, the new Ulysses.» When he thanked them for the honors they had brought to the Greek world, Maria’s eyes filled with tears. It was as if he were performing a solemn marriage ceremony. Somehow she felt he brought her God’s permission to be together with Ari, and her last resistance crumbled. After that they were man and wife in their minds, and a few hours later, in their bodies.

That night there was a party at the Istanbul Hilton for the guests of the Christina. Meneghini said he felt too tired and weak to attend and remained on board the ship. When Maria returned at five in the morning, he was waiting up for her and demanded to know why she was so late. Maria knew she couldn’t keep up the farce any longer. «I am in love with Ari,» she said.

A week after the Christina had docked in Istanbul, the Meneghinis left the ship on one of Onassis’ private planes and flew to Milan, and then promptly left for Sirmione. Maria wore a bracelet with the initials TMWL (To Maria With Love) engraved on it.

Parting from Ari left a hole in Maria’s heart, which she filled by fantasizing the whole night long he would come get her. To her great surprise, to say nothing of Battista’s, at nine o’clock the next morning they heard a voice outside her window singing, «Maria, Maria!» It was Aristo. He told Battista, «I’ve come to marry your wife.»

At four o’clock in the morning, she left with Aristo for Milan. He then flew to Venice to discuss divorce with Tina.

For the first time in her life, Maria was madly in love with a man in love with her. It was too much to take in all at once. She was flooded with so much feeling she felt she couldn’t bear it. Then she would remind herself that despite the blessing of the Patriarch Athenagoras, she was having an affair with a married man, and this would calm her down a bit. Then she appeased her conscience with the knowledge that she and Ari would try to get divorces and marry as soon as possible.

People said Callas’ whole personality changed, that her sharp edges had melted and she had become a softer, gentler person. Even poor Battista said she was a different woman. For the first time in her life she was happy. She had the feeling of being kept in a cage so long that when she met Aristo, bursting with vigor and zest for life, she became another woman. Even Antonio Ghiringhelli, the taciturn and enigmatic manager of La Scala, succumbed to her new temperament. The iceman actually smiled with his whole face when he asked Maria to return to La Scala on her own terms and to sing anything she wanted. She arrived in Milan on September 2 in wonderful spirits to begin rehearsals for the new recording.

Her happiness was somewhat flawed by the press and photographers, who persecuted her mercilessly. The throngs were so numerous and unruly she needed physical protection to keep from being mauled. On one occasion they caught Ari and Maria dining tete-a-tete at the Rendez-vous in Milan, and at three o’clock that morning they were photographed going into the Hotel Principe e Savoia arm in arm. In order to increase Maria’s chances of getting a divorce by mutual consent, her lawyers insisted she issue a statement to the press saying: «I confirm that the break between my husband and myself is complete and final. It has been in the air for some time, and the cruise on the Christina was only coincidental….I am now my own manager. I ask for understanding in this painful personal situation,» she said sweetly. «Between Signor Onassis and myself there exists a profound friendship that dates back some time. I am also in a business connection with him. When I have further things to say, I shall do so at the opportune moment.»

Maria despised living a lie, which she knew no one believed anyhow. Aristo was also attacked by reporters, but he was more honest than Maria. «Of course,» he said, «how could I help but be flattered if a woman with the class of Maria Callas fell in love with someone like me? Who wouldn’t?»

On September 10, as soon as the GIOCONDA recording was finished, Maria rushed to the Milan airport to board the private plane Ari had sent for her. From there she flew to Venice, where she excitedly boarded the Christina. Aristo was exuberant and triumphantly marked her arrival by setting off the loud, blasting siren announcing the departure of the Christina. Only two other guests were along this time, Ari’s sister, Artemis and her husband Theodore Garoufalidis.

Tina was not on board. She had taken her children a few days before and fled to Paris to the home of her father, the respected Greek shipowner, Stavros Livanos. Aristo, who was upset about the children, followed her in his private plane to make a half-hearted gesture of reconciliation. But Tina was not about to forgive him for the public humiliation to which he had subjected her. This left Ari free to do what he really wanted, to sail on the Christina with Maria Callas.

What a dream voyage it was, with both of them relaxed and at peace with themselves! Their love was just what the Good Doctor ordered. They soaked up the sun all day long, swam for hours in the sun drenched Mediterranean, and were free to make love all night.

Luxuriating in her new happiness left Maria unwilling to give up one moment of it. She was so immersed in the timelessness of the present she paid no attention to her career. She was sick and tired of being a sexless nun, and was relieved to leave it behind her. Nevertheless, she was shocked when a newspaper compared the number of appearances she had made pre and post-Ari. In 1958, she gave twenty-eight performances of seven operas in six cities all over the world. In 1960 she gave only seven performances of two operas in two cities, and in 1961 her schedule showed just five performances, all of MEDEA at Epidaurus and La Scala. The decline continued even more rapidly in 1962, when she sang MEDEA twice at La Scala. And in 1963 she gave no performances at all. In 1964, sadly enough, Maria Callas made the last stage appearance of her life.

But like most heavenly sojourns on earth, Maria’s utopia was short lived. Or perhaps it would be nearer correct to say it became sporadic, as a new phase of their relationship began. Like many men, once Ari had Maria for his own, he became much more difficult. Now he played the one hard to get. Gone were the days of the Dorchester when every wish of hers was his command. Now his pleasure became primary to both of them. To Maria’s despair, he spent time with his wife, trying to woo her back. He began to date other women. He behaved like a typical Greek man and Maria a typical Greek woman, whose philosophy is that a man cannot really change himself, but a woman must be able transform herself to suit her man.

Now he became withdrawn and difficult, now staying away for as much as a week, not even phoning when he didn’t feel like it. Nor would he answer her calls. She would be in a panic for days at a time. He had all the power in the relationship: She could only sit and wait for his call.

Then suddenly, for no reason she could understand, he would begin to phone again every day and send her flowers. Or he would show up unexpectedly or send for her. She was so happy to see him she overlooked being hurt and angry. Each return was like another honeymoon.

They talked a lot about getting married. When Ari said once more he would marry her, Maria made an announcement to the press. Ari told reporters it was just a childish prank and purely Maria’s fantasy! She was a good little girl again and said nothing. How she had changed from the Xanthippe who was married to Meneghini!

Ari behaved like a pasha, and when he didn’t want Maria along on the voyages of the Christina, he had no compunctions about kicking her off. No excuse was necessary.

Meanwhile, Tina was going about getting her divorce, in spite of Aristotle’s pleas for a reconciliation. Maria was overjoyed when he agreed to look at a chateau with her in Eure-et-Loire. The divorce came through a month later. The chateau never did.

Maria had agreed to give two performances of NORMA in August in Greece. It had almost a religious significance for Ari that his mistress score a triumph at historic Epidaurus. He put everything else aside for her those weeks, and they were deliriously happy again as they spent almost all their time together. When he loved her everything seemed possible. And, indeed, the performance on August 24 turned out to be one of the peak experiences of her life. Maria loved Ari as he was and accepted all his weaknesses along with the qualities she admired in him. He, on the other hand, was constantly trying to change her. He didn’t like the way she dressed, and actually phoned Biki, one of Milan’s most important fashion designers, during Maria’s fittings to make sure her new clothes would be to his taste. He said she looked plain in her glasses. Since Maria was unable to tolerate contacts, she walked about the ship half blind, holding her glasses in her hand. He didn’t like her long hair either, which had always been her glory. So he sent her to Alexandre in Paris, who cut her hair while she kept her hands over her eyes. To her surprise, she loved the short, bouncy hairstyle he created, and thought it made her look younger and more sophisticated.

Thus the years passed, with Maria ever hopeful and Onassis ever more brutal. In 1963, Lee Radziwell, Jackie Kennedy’s sister, who was on board the Christina, left to fly to her sister’s bedside, where she had just given birth to Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, who died two days later. When Lee returned to Athens, she told Ari and Maria how desolate and distraught her sister was. Ari immediately offered Mrs. Kennedy the use of the Christina for her convalescence. She eagerly accepted, although neither the president nor Maria shared her enthusiasm. President Kennedy objected to his wife’s cruise because Onassis had been indicted during the Eisenhower administration for conspiring to defraud the American government of taxes on surplus American ships. He had to pay the government seven million dollars to get off the hook. And Maria – she had vague anxieties she didn’t understand. She only knew she felt desolate and lonely at the thought of Mrs. Kennedy’s presence on board, and strangely enough, found herself trembling with fear.

Her voice continued to go down hill. Just when she needed him the most, Aristo became impossible, and in 1967 they had their worst summer together yet. Ingse Dedichen, his lover during World War Two, told a friend Ari had beaten her up until she looked «like a boxer who has lost a fight.» He told her afterward every Greek without exception beats up his wife. «It is good for them,» he said. «It keeps them in line.»

He never beat Maria physically – he probably knew that was the one thing he couldn’t get away with – but his treatment of her was almost as brutal. No curse was too vile to hurl at her, no words of abuse too insulting. She was told to shut up because she was only a stupid dame whose nose was too big, with glasses that made her look ugly and legs that were too fat. He was not above saying she was just a cunt with a whistle in her throat who was good only for fucking. And always in front of people, to make her humiliation that much more painful.

Aristo was having his own difficulties, both with his old friend Vergottis, who later sued him and lost, and with Prince Ranier, who was trying to unseat Ari as the person with the controlling interest in the State of Monaco. Ari loved his power over the principality, and gloried every time he took a step into Monaco. For him, it was the crowning jewel of his life. In a brilliant move, the prince created 600,000 shares in the company, and offered to buy out any shares of the existing shareholders at the market rate, thus giving him and his stockholders complete power over the destiny of his country. Ari appealed to the courts and lost. A defeated man, he left Monaco, not to return until shortly before he died.

Of all the possible times of her life it could have happened, Maria picked the moment when their relationship was at its lowest point to become pregnant. She couldn’t wait to tell Ari about it. She wanted to have a baby more than she ever wanted anything in my life besides him, and the thought of bearing the child of the man she loved filled her with tenderness. But Ari had other ideas.

«Why should I want another child?» he said. «I already have two.»

«But Aristo,» Maria pleaded, «I have always wanted a child. It is a miracle I’m pregnant at all at the age of forty-three. If I don’t have this baby, I will never have another.»

«Have it then,» he said, «and it will be the end of our relationship.»

Maria had the abortion. But it marked the end of their love affair, even though they stayed together for a few years longer.

Maria didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t live with him and she couldn’t live without him. She was forty-three years old and had never had a place of her own. So she compromised and got her own apartment in Paris.

The turning point came when Ari’s servants, George and Helen, told a friend they had been ordered to spend an entire evening in their rooms while Ari entertained and cooked for a «special guest» himself. Maria knew Aristo had been having affairs all along. But she knew intuitively that this incident was different. She remained agitated and anxious and began to find it impossible to sleep without taking pills.

She soon found out who the «special guest» was. The newspapers reported seeing Ari and Jackie Kennedy dining together at El Morocco, 21, Dionysis, and at Mykonos with Christina, Nureyev, and Margot Fonteyn. Gossips were already listing him among Jackie’s possible suitors.

The crisis occurred when Maria returned to the Christina and Ari instructed her to go back to Paris and wait for him there.

«Go to Paris?» she said. «Nobody stays in Paris in August. You must be mad.»

«You have to go,» he insisted.

«I have to? What are you talking about?»

«I’m having a special guest aboard and you can’t be here.»

«Who could be so special that I can’t be aboard?»

He didn’t answer, but it didn’t matter. Maria already knew the answer.

«Then I’m leaving you,» she said.

«Don’t be silly. I’ll see you after the cruise is over in September,» he said.

«No, Ari. You don’t understand. I said I’m leaving you. You will never see me again.» And she left, never to return.

Then on October 20, 1968, Maria got the news she had prayed she would never hear. Ari’s butler called to tell her Aristotle and Kennedy were going to be married.

Maria did what she could to pass the time. She attended the opera next to Ghiringhelli, made a movie, taught a master class at Jiulliard. In the meantime, Ari was becoming disillusioned with Jackie’s lavish buying sprees of jewelry and clothing and he was beginning to realize she was taking him for a fool. He kept calling and sending Maria flowers, but for a long time her pride was too hurt and she refused to talk with him. Finally in 1969 they met at a party and little by little, began to see each other again.

The climax came after they had spent four nights together when he took her to dine at Maxim’s for the whole world to see. Maria was ecstatic, and believed Jackie was just another paramour to be forgotten. But the lady had other ideas. When she saw the newspaper photos of her husband and Maria dining together with blissful smiles, she was furious and flew immediately to his side. She insisted he repeat the drama of the day before at Maxim’s with her in Maria’s place. The next day Maria was admitted to the American Hospital at Neuilly with the diagnosis of «overdose of barbiturates.»

For the first time since Ari’s marriage, Maria returned to Greece, this time as the guest of Perry Embiricos on his private island of Tragonisi in the Aegean. Perry was a friend of Onassis, who had introduced Maria to him. To her surprise who should show up on the island but Aristo! He greeted Maria with a kiss, and from then on they resumed their relationship.

Thus, surviving his marriage, Maria was able to hang on by the tips of her fingernails until March, 1975, when Onassis became critically ill with incurable myasthenia gravis.

Maria had been getting daily reports about his progress from the American Hospital in Paris, where he had gone for surgery. He never recovered consciousness, and was kept alive for five weeks by a respirator and intravenous feedings. Maria knew he was dying and she was not allowed to be by his side. The doctors said it could go on for weeks or even months. Her suffering was unendurable.

On March 12, she received her last report from the American Hospital. Aristo was dead.

Maria was slowly dying from the loss of her career. He had flashed into her life like a bolt of lightning across a dark summer sky; where there’d been nothing suddenly there was Aristo. Her friends and staff were considerate, thoughtful, and loving. But it meant nothing, nothing. He was her core, her life. How could she live without him?

On September 16, 1977, at the age of 53, Maria Callas was found dead in her bed. The official story was that she died of a heart attack. But no autopsy was permitted, and her cremation took place almost immediately. Heart attack? Perhaps. But there are those of us who believe Maria when she said, «I’ve played heroines who die for love – and that’s something I can understand.»

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