fasttext_score
float32 0.02
1
| id
stringlengths 47
47
| language
stringclasses 1
value | language_score
float32 0.65
1
| text
stringlengths 49
665k
| url
stringlengths 13
2.09k
| nemo_id
stringlengths 18
18
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.019915 | <urn:uuid:01fb4f77-3cfc-4c03-abfd-98a513523259> | en | 0.964392 | 25 votes
Texas Police Hit Organic Farm With Massive SWAT Raid
I didn't see this posted here yet. Apologies if it already has been. This is an outrage
By Radley Balko
Continue reading
Comment viewing options
This is a the police would work in a free society
Isn't all this freedom just wonderful.
Do folks...
...in the local community stand up and publicly protest these kinds of abuses, or do they just let it slide? The People need to start making themselves seen and heard in mass numbers every time an outrage like this happens.
Agenda 21/ICLEI...
Arlington, TX is one of the cities that has adopted ICLEI. So I'm not completely surprised. AND Arlington, TX is one of the cities that the FAA has given the PD permission to use drones.
My favorite youtube gardener, John growingyourgreens
with 843 videos, had his house searched a few days ago because he's growing vegetables in his BATHROOM! Didn't they search his name? If they had done that, they would have known all they need to know about him. He goes into warning mode at the end, and shares some 'tips' when the cops goes after you, advising people to exercise your rights or else they'll take then from you. He also compares the cops to vampires - you never let them in your house either.
James Madison
Some lying citizen scragging a hated neighbor.
The criminal police department acted on false information and should be sued for trillions of dollars for being stupid and criminal.
The Police officers their bosses, the judges and any secretarial staff who failed to bloow the whistle.
Plus 10 years in the lockholes for being rotten and destructive apes.
Free includes debt-free!
Cops acting illegally
They should be brought up on charges of false imprisonment, at least! I wonder if there's some way to nail them for covering their name tags - they knew they were doing wrong, and did it anyway!
Yes, it's an outrage, this kind of crap needs to be nipped in the bud, if it's not too late.
Freedom is my Worship Word! | http://www.dailypaul.com/296126/texas-police-hit-organic-farm-with-massive-swat-raid | dclm-gs1-163550000 |
0.315077 | <urn:uuid:63f21705-d5e8-456a-92c6-50e4d372ce85> | en | 0.987811 | Comment: They're obviously not
(See in situ)
They're obviously not
trying to hide their presence. On the contrary, they're wearing uniforms. I don't find it odd that the city of Boston and/or the Boston Athletic Association would have hired them for extra security. But I think it's odd that the msm wouldn't have noted that, given what happened.
And related to these guys or not, I also find it odd that journalists aren't doing more to question the loudspeaker announcement in which someone told the spectators something to the effect of, to not be alarmed about the (unusual) law enforcement presence, as it was only a drill. Who made that announcement? And why?
~ John Muir | http://www.dailypaul.com/comment/3045755 | dclm-gs1-163580000 |
0.139028 | <urn:uuid:693c540c-681b-43e4-a174-6bca755ab232> | en | 0.975223 | David Crosby Biography
Claim to Fame: Singer (The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, & Nash)
DOB: August 14, 1941
Diabetes Type: 1
A pioneering member of the innovative and musically significant West Coast folk-rock sound of the 60’s, David Crosby’s career is a rich mosaic of noteworthy artistic experiences and culturally influential chance happenings. The iconic member of the The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, & Nash, like many of his contemporaries, became part of a generation characterized by tremendous creativity, social change, and relentless self-destruction brought on by drugs, alcohol, and a defiant, anti-establishment mentality.
Born in Los Angeles, California, David grew up in a highly artistic and creative household. The second son of Aliph Van Cortlandt Whitehead and Academy Award winning cinematographer, Floyd Crosby, he is the younger brother of Ethan Crosby, a fellow musician of lesser fame. David grew up in Los Angeles, but moved between schools until his graduation, never excelling academically. However, he was a talented singer and actor, performing throughout his childhood in various school and youth productions in the area.
Crosby still performs regularly, despite having type 1 diabetes. In an interview with Spinner.com, Crosby addressed his diabetes and spoke openly about his approach to managing his blood sugar while on the road, stating, “My son, James Raymond, plays piano in our band, and we spend a lot of time walking for my health…I gave up bread, and I've lost a bunch of weight, which is very good because I'm diabetic. I'm older than I'd like and I'm creaky, but I'm doing alright."
Find more famous musicians with diabetes.
Last Modified Date: November 28, 2012
Sign up for FREE dLife Newsletters
You are subscribed!
You are subscribed!
You are subscribed!
28 Views 0 comments
by Carey Potash
I was talking with one of the hockey dads while our kids skated hard and came to a stop in the corner of the ice – huffing and puffing frosty breath with hands on their knees. Meanwhile, I was pulling the Dexcom from my pocket every few minutes and glancing at it. "Diabetes?" "Yeah," I said. Other than the coach and the assistant, I didn't talk to any of the dads the whole season about Charlie's diabetes. I guess I figured they all had to know... | http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/famous_people/actors_actresses/david_crosby_biography | dclm-gs1-163620000 |
0.030089 | <urn:uuid:ab6a1a22-96cc-415b-b414-96a186ca6174> | en | 0.87624 | Hydra Rocket System Integration Information
Document Sample
Hydra Rocket System Integration Information Powered By Docstoc
Hydra-70 Rocket System
Integration Information
HYDRA-70 Rockets are free flight rockets which mate either unitary or cargo warheads with
the MK 66 Rocket Motor. The MK 66 motors use a longer motor tube (than the MK 40/MK 4)
fins are of a spring loaded, wrap-around design and are attached around the circumference of the
single nozzle. The propellant grain is longer and of a different formation than for the MK 40/MK
4, however, the stabilizing rod and igniter are essentially the same design. The MK 66 motors
have a substantially higher thrust, 1335 lbs, and a longer range. The current generation of the MK
66 in use by U.S. Armed Services are the MK 66 MOD 3 for the Army and the MK 66 MOD 2
The RF filter is mounted onto the igniter can and allows the aircraft’s direct current firing pulse to
May 1987 documents the HERO suitability of the MK 66 MOD 3 motor. A brass EMR shield is
used over the fin and nozzle to prevent the DC energy produced by electrical arcing encountered
inventory of available rockets.
MK 26 MOD 0 Initiator bridgewire.
Tabulated data:
Weight, shipped: 13.6 lb Igniter resistance: 0.7 - 2.0 ohms
Burn time: 1.05 - 1.10 sec Propellant Type: Extruded double base,
Average thrust (77 oF): 1300 - 1370 lb ethylcellulose inhibited,
Impulse (77 oF): 1472 lb/sec cartridge loaded
Motor burnout range: 1300 ft (397 m) Propellant Weight: 7 lb
Motor burnout velocity: 2425 fps Propellant Configuration: 8-point internal
Launch spin rate: 10 rps burning star
Velocity at launcher exit: 148 fps Temperature Limits:
Acceleration: 60-70 G (initial), Storage: -65 oF to +165 oF
95-100 G (final) (-53.35 oC to +73.15 oC)
Range, max @ QE 43o Operation: -50 oF to +150 oF
w/ MPSM whd: 11,407 yd (10,426 m) (-45 oC to +64.9 oC)
M151 Warhead
M229 Warhead
Both the M151 and M229 use the M423 Fuze, making them High Explosive Point Detonating
(HEPD) warheads. The M151 uses 2.3 pounds of composition B-4 High Explosive. The 10
pound warhead gains lethality from the nose section which is fabricated using nodular, pearlitic
malleable, or ferritic malleable cast iron. The 17 pound M229 uses 4.8 pounds of composition B-
4 High Explosive. The performance of the M229 is roughly a 50 percent increase in lethal area
over the M151. Temperature limits for storage and firing the M151 and M229 are -65 oF to +150
F (-53.35 oC to +64.9 oC).
The M423 Fuze consists of four major assemblies: firing pin and body assembly; fuze body;
safe and arming (S&A) device; and the booster assembly. The S&A device consists of a rotor
housing assembly and unbalanced rotor assembly, an escapement assembly and set-back weight.
The unbalanced rotor assembly houses the primer and detonator and is maintained in the unarmed
(out-of-line) position. When the rocket motor is fired, sustained acceleration permits the set-back
(inertial mass) weight to move rearward, releasing the unbalanced rotor, which in rotating drives
the escapement and gear assembly to the armed position. The rotor reaches the armed (in line)
position when the rocket has traveled 43 to 93 meters and then is locked into the armed position
by a spring-loaded pin. The rotor will return to the unarmed position if the minimum rocket
energy (product of acceleration and time) is not sensed throughout the arming distance. Upon
impact, the firing pin body walls are crushed between the target and the oncoming fuze body. The
firing pin contained in the firing pin body then impacts the oncoming S&A mechanism within the
fuze body, initiating the explosive train. The explosive consists of the M104 primer, M85
detonator, lead, booster and warhead explosive which are initiated in sequential order. The M423
is used for launch from low speed aircraft. The M427 is a variation used for launch from high
speed aircraft and requires 180 to 426 meters rocket travel to arm. The PD fuzes do not require
an umbilical connection to the launcher.
Tabulated data:
M151 HEPD Rocket w/ MK 66 MOD 3 Motor
DODIC: H583
Hazard Classification: Quantity-Distance Class 1.1, Storage Compatibility Group E
UNO Serial No. 0181
DOT Label "Explosive 1.1E", Proper Shipping Name "Rockets"
M151 Warhead w/ M427
NSN: 1340-00-725-8382
DODIC: H842.
M229 HEPD Rocket w/ MK 66 MOD 2 Motor
NSN: 1340-01-309-8300
DODIC: H642
UNO Serial No. 0181
DOT Label "Explosive 1.1E", Proper Shipping Name "Rockets with Bursting Charge".
an integral fuze, 9 submunitions, and an expulsion charge assembly. The nose cone assembly, a
of 80% M10 double base propellant and 20% Class 6 black powder. The expulsion charge is
stack of submunitions through the nose cone.
The primary cargo warhead fuze is the M439 Fuze. It is a resistance-capacitance electronic
variable time delay fuze. The time delay is remotely set for the desired functioning distance (time)
by charging the circuit from the fire control center, providing a variable range of 0.5 to 7.2
kilometers. The fuze does not have an internal battery; instead energy is supplied from by the
aircraft setter at the time of fuze setting. The energy is stored in a capacitor and will operate the
electronic timer and fire the M84 electronic detonator. The charging cycle takes place
approximately 50 milliseconds prior to rocket motor firing. The fuze begins timing at the first
motion of the rocket and will function at the prescribed time if the Safety and Arming (S&A)
device is armed. The S&A mechanism also prevents the fuze from being charged if it is in the
partially-armed or fully-armed position. The S&A is a mechanical acceleration integrator with an
unbalanced rotor holding the M84 electric detonator and a runaway escapement. An acceleration
greater than 27G is necessary to arm the fuze. The M439 Fuze is a base mounted, forward firing
fuze. The fuze connector cable extends from the fuze, through the warhead in a lengthwise
channel, and exits the ogive for connection to the launcher by an umbilical connector.
The HE, MPSM M73 Grenade consists of a steel body with a fragmenting wall filled with
Composition B explosive incorporating a shaped charge liner, LX14 booster, explosive lead
charge, M230 omnidirectional fuze with M55 detonator, wave shaper, and fabric drag device
(RAD). The fragmenting body produces 10 grain fragments with a maximum velocity of
approximately 5,000 feet per second. The shaped charge sprays lethal fragments nearly horizontal
360 degrees. The submunitions consistently impact within a 40-meter radius of each other.
Submunition self destruct has not been a consideration. EOD procedures obviate the need for self
destruct. Lethality (penetration) is classified and can be made available through licensed
agreement. The performance is roughly a 70 percent (SMCAR-CCH-A Memorandum, 23 Jun
1988) increase in lethal area over the M151.
Tabulated data:
M261 MPSM Rocket w/ MK 66 MOD 3 Motor
NSN: 1340-01-269-1447
DODIC: H165
Hazard Classification: Quantity-Distance Class 1.2, Storage Compatibility Group E
UNO Serial No. 0182
DOT Label "Explosive 1.2E", Proper Shipping Name "Rockets".
Temperature Limits:
Firing: -50 oF to +150 oF
Storage: -50 oF to +160 oF
The M255A1 Flechette Warhead is intended to be used against light material and personnel
targets. The warhead is also a cargo warhead, using the M439 Fuze, and functionally equivalent
to the M261 cargo warhead. At expulsion, 1,179 flechettes separate and form a disk-like mass
which breaks up with each flechette assuming an independent trajectory, forming a repeatable
produce the desired impact and penetration effect on the target.
Tabulated data:
M255A1 Flechette w/ MK 66 MOD 2 Motor
NSN: 1340-01-309-5799
DODIC: H462
Flechette: 60 grain, steel, phosphate coated
Hazard Classification: Quantity-Distance Class 1.4, Storage Compatibility Group G
UNO Serial No. 0191
DOT Label "Explosive 1.4G", Proper Shipping Name Rockets"
The M264 RP Smoke is also a cargo warhead. The warhead is used as a red phosphorus (RP)
filled smoke rocket propelled by the MK 66 motor and functions at a remote settable range from
1000 to 6000 meters. Upon functioning, the M439 Fuze ignites the expulsion mix which
rows of 4 each and are separated by felt pieces impregnated with a phosphine gas adsorbent
mixture, manganese dioxide/cuprous oxide.
Tabulated data:
M264 RP Smoke w/ MK 66 MOD 3 Motor
NSN: 1340-01-289-4719
DODIC: H184
RP: JXS-10 Smoke Composition Pellets, 0.035 kg/wedge (31.5 gms)
UNO Serial No.
DOT Label "Explosive 1.4G", Proper Shipping Name Rockets"
The M257 illuminating warhead consists of an ignition system, flare, main parachute, drogue
feet at 3000 meters downrange. The M257 candle descends at 15 feet per second, burns for
Except for the illuminent, the M278 is identical to the M257 warhead. At the aft end of the
Separation and Drogue Assembly is the Motor Adapter which is the threaded interface for the
launch rocket motor. Inside the adapter is the M442 fuze which initiates the firing sequence for
the M278 flare. The fuze must sense an acceleration of at least 17-22 G for about 1 second prior
to arming. Upon deceleration of the burnt-out rocket motor the armed fuze fires, directing its
output into a 9-second pyrotechnic delay column which in turn ignites a separation charge. The
separation charge produces a rapid increase in pressure inside the motor adapter which is reacted
by a pusher plate on top of the Drogue Housing. This shears 12 holding pins that are evenly
spaced around the circumference of the joint. The pressure also provides an accelerating force for
the flare and a decelerating force for the launching rocket motor with the Motor Adapter
attached. This ensures positive separation for the flare, and a Deflector plate pulls the expended
motor out of the flare flight path. When the Pusher Plate falls into the airstream it pulls the
Drogue Chute out of the aft end of the Drogue Housing. Attached to the shroud line bridle of the
Drogue Chute is a nylon cord which is attached to the Pull Wire “Quickmatch” of a 2-second
delay “Gas Generator.” The Quickmatch ignites the delay, which in turn fires a Secondary
Expulsion charge. This charge functions as the first, producing pressure that shears another set of
12 pins, evenly spaced around the circumference of the flare. Once again the pressure provides an
acceleration/deceleration force to the Drogue Housing and the Candle & Parachute Assembly.
Attached to the Pusher Plate is the cord for the Pilot Chute. As the Pilot Chute deploys, it pulls
the Main Chute assembly out of its housing (Parachute Insert) for Main Chute deployment.
Attached to the Main Chute support cable is a Lanyard that runs through an internal raceway in
the Candle and is attached to the Slider assembly in the Igniter assembly. As the main chute is
deployed, it pulls the Lanyard with a minimum force of 40 pounds. This force shears a shear pin
and moves the slider assembly into the firing position, cocks and releases the firing hammer and
fires the ignition primer. During launch of the Rocket, acceleration forces of at least 17 G for
duration of approximately one second withdrew the weight assembly of the “Zig-Zag” ignition
safe/arm mechanism from its saving position in the slider assembly, allowing Slider movement.
The output of the ignition primer is directed into a cavity containing boron pellets. The fire from
the boron pellets is directed on the forward face of the flare’s illuminant Candle and also on a
small propellant wafer which acts as an ignition booster. The Candle produces light in the near IR
spectrum for about 180 seconds. The main parachute allows for a descent rate of approximately
13 feet per second.
Tabulated data:
M257 Illumination Flare w/ M442 Fuze
Operating temperature limits: -25 oF to +140 oF
(-31.35 oC to +59.40 oC)
Candle composition: Magnesium Sodium Nitrate
Candle weight: 5.44 lb (2.47 kg)
Illumination intensity, visible: 817.19 CP (avg.)
infrared: 250.02 watts/sr (avg.)
Illumination duration: 197.38 sec (avg.)
Function time: 14.23 sec (avg.)
Shipping and storage data:
Storage class/SCG: 1.2 G
DOT shipping class: A
DOT designation: Rocket Ammunition with Illuminating Projectile
Field Storage: Group D
NSN: 1340-01-268-7175
DODIC: H183
UNO Serial No.
M278 IR Flare w/ M442 Fuze
DODIC: H154
UNO Serial No.
the 7-tube launcher continues to use a laminated stack.
experiences from the fire control is 0.06 seconds.
minimize the heat signature of the launcher after rocket firings.
RMS Display Unit RMS Operations Unit
The M138 Rocket Management Subsystem (RMS) is a pilot-operated subsystem that
interfaces with the wing stores subsystem in the helicopter. The RMS operates from power
supplied by the aircraft and consists of one Display Unit and four Operations Units. The RMS
enables the aircraft pilot to select and launch MK 40 or MK 66 rocket motors with the desired
warhead/fuze combination from two or four 7- or 19-tube launchers mounted under the aircraft
stub wings. The RMS automatically senses the quantity and type of launcher installed and
automatically sets its firing sequence to agree with the tube numbering of the launcher on board.
Should one or more launchers be disabled, the RMS will cause the corresponding launcher on the
opposite side of the fuselage to become inactive to maintain in-flight stability by equalizing the
load of unfired rockets.
Rockets are loaded according to type (warhead/fuze) in up to five loading zones, and the types
loaded in each zone are indicated by manually setting five 12-position thumb wheel switches on
the Display Unit panel. The switch positions are marked with two- or three-letter descriptors that
represent the available warhead/fuze configurations. When power is applied to the RMS, it
automatically inventories the rounds loaded in each zone and provides the pilot with a numeric
display of the quantities available for launching from each zone. By setting switches on the face
of the Display Unit, the pilot can select the rocket types to be launched, set the fuzes according to
the tactical situation, and determine the quantities of rockets to be launched in each volley.
Rockets are then launched when the pilot or copilot/gunner squeezes the trigger switch on the
cyclic stick. Should the trigger switch be released before the entire volley has been launched, the
numeric display on the face of the Display Unit is immediately updated to continuously reflect the
quantities of rockets remaining in each loading zone. Refer to TM 9-1090-207-13&P for
additional information pertaining to RMS components.
The primary objectives of the remotely settable fuze concept were to use very inexpensive
components in the fuze itself, eliminate any battery required to run the electronics during the fuze
run time, and accomplish the accuracy goals throughout the total environmental range. The
solution was to select a resistance-capacitance technique wherein relatively inexpensive, broad-
tolerance (+/- 20 percent) components could be used for high-volume production of relatively
inexpensive electronic fuzes. To accurately set the capacitance-charged fuzes for the desired run
time throughout the environmental range requires a compensating setter located in the aircraft.
The setter, immediately prior to launching a rocket, determines the amount of energy required by
the fuze timing capacitor for the component variations existing along with temperature effects to
run the fuze timing circuitry for the range selected. The setter then charges the timing capacitor
and the storage capacitor used as both the power source to run the electronics and the power
source to initiate the pyrotechnic train through initiation of the electric detonator in the fuze
safeing and arming device. The setter must be capable of compensating for 20 percent variations
in component value and for variations in fuze run time due to temperature effects on individual
fuzes. Since each fuze is unique, each fuze must receive a different amount of energy in its timing
sequence, whether it be singles, pairs, or quads, fuzes must therefore receive different amounts of
energy to accomplish the same set time. Therefore, just prior to firing, the individual fuze and its
setter compose an integral subsystem which must perform its function accurately across the entire
environmental spectrum, compensating for inherent errors in individual fuzes.
The Display Unit is a cockpit-mounted line-replaceable unit that presents the pilot with
controls and displays for inventorying and controlling the launching of aerial rockets. It also
contains the power supply and other common circuits necessary for the RMS components to
operate as a subsystem. The Display Unit transmits the electrical command signals selected by the
pilot to the Operations Units. One Operations Unit is used for each launcher and contains the
circuitry that sets the fuzes and the circuitry that provides the rocket motor squib firing pulses for
the rockets loaded into the associated launcher.
Additional description of the RMS is contained in enclosure 1. This is an early system
description as taken from material used for training (extraneous pages have been extracted) of
what eventually became the M138 RMS. It was originally fitted into the AH-1S model of the
Cobra helicopter. The weight of the display unit is 6 pounds and of the operations unit is 2
pounds each. The NSN for the M138 RMS is 1090-01-077-8939. A variation of this system
known as the Armament Management System was fitted into the AH-1G model of the Cobra
helicopter. It uses two zones and was intended as an interim solution for an eventual upgrade to
the M138 RMS.
1.1 & 1.2 Physical Characteristics of the rocket system. The lengths, weights, centers of gravity
and moments of inertia of the various rockets (MK 66) as measured are as follows:
The length of the M261 LWL was previously defined as 66.190" (max). The weight, CG and
moments for the M261 LWL are as follows:
M261 Lightweight Empty Loaded
Weight (lbs.) 82 596
CG aft of nose (in.) 35.8 28.3
CG above center line (in.) 0.78 0.14
CG left of center line (in.) 0.033 0.004
Pitch moment (slug-ft2) 7.12 54.37
Yaw moment (slug-ft2) 7.28 54.52
Roll moment (slug-ft2) 0.629 3.37
Weight, lbs CG from base Moments of Inertia, lb-in2
Rocket Length (inches) Live Fired
Warhead Live Fired (inches) Live Fired Axial Transverse Axial Transverse
MK66 Motor ---- 13.65 6.43 41.750 18.89 15.70 15.80 2032 9.30 1371
M151 9.30 22.95 15.73 55.125 29.96 33.55 26.20 6248 19.70 5008
HE/M423 PD
w/ MK66
M229 16.87 30.43 23.19 65.240 36.55 41.20 37.60 10479 29.60 7840
HE/M423 PD
w/ MK66
M261 13.50 27.15 19.93 66.100 35.26 40.02 29.40 9868 23.30 7595
w/ MK66
M255A1/M439 13.87 27.51 20.34 66.100 35.36 40.00 28.80 9848 22.10 7529
w/ MK66
M257/M442 10.57 24.22 17.00 70.400 34.75 40.04 27.60 10607 21.70 8383
w/ MK66
M264/M439 8.00 21.65 14.43 66.100 30.84 35.11 23.70 7639 17.00 6209
w/ MK66
Physical Characteristics of Rockets
The centers of gravity for the M261 LWL when fully loaded with the following rockets are as
Configuration CG (in. from front) Weight (lbs.)
Empty 35.8 82.0
M151/M423/MK 66 33.1 518
M229/M423/MK 66 27.2 660
M257/M442/MK 66 29.0 542
M264/M439/MK 66 32.4 493
M261/M439/MK 66 28.5 598
M255A1/M439/MK 66 28.4 604
1.3 Aerodynamic data of the M261. Please refer to excerpts of MIL-A-8591 at enclosure 2 for
calculation and modeling methods for aerodynamic loads. An example calculation performed by
Hughes Aircraft, the designer of the LWL, is attached at the back of the enclosure. Airflow
information would be unique to the aircraft platform and should be available from the U.S. Army
Aviation and Troop Support Command (ATCOM).
1.4 Qualification standards. Specifications which control the acceptance of rockets are listed in
the chart below. The specification for the LWL is MIS-34583. The RMS is per enclosure 3.
1.5 Environmental influence to the helicopter. The MK 66 motor can eject the ignition wire upon
launch. On more rare occasions, the MK 66 MOD 2 motor can eject the stabilizing rod upon
launch. Observance of this occurrence indicates that approximately 50 percent are just after the
rocket has left the launcher. The MK 66 MOD 4 motor has a more robust design for the
stabilizing rod that should preclude ejection.
Chemical and thermal effects are taken from IHSP 89-289. Theoretical combustion products
appear in Table IV of this document and is shown below. The exhaust-induced pressure
experienced in each launcher tube is 318 psi, measured near the aft end of the launcher.
2.1 Electrical Interface. The LWL electrical continuity shall be as specified in drawing 13048860
for the M261 launcher (Type II launcher). When a device that selectively simulates the electrical
characteristics of an electrically shorted motor of either the MK 40 or MK 66 type is loaded in a
launcher tube, the total circuit resistance from that launch tube connector pin in connector J1 to
the ground pin in the J1 connector shall not exceed 1 ohm with an applied current of not less than
1 milliampere or not more than 700 milliamperes. Resistance will be tested with both the MK 40
and MK 66 motors. The resistance of the electrical circuits between J2 and P, and J2 and ground
shall not exceed 0.20 ohm with an applied current of not greater than 700 milliamperes. The
insulation resistance between isolated circuits and ground shall be equal to or greater than
500,000 ohms at 500 volts direct current (Vdc). With the negative return connected to pin Z of
connector P, application of the system fuzing signal from the RMS to pins A through V of
connector J2 shall supply fuze set voltage to rockets loaded in tubes 1 through 19 respectively.
With the negative return of ignition circuit connected to pin Y and/or Z of connector J1, the
application of a fire signal of a minimum of 1 ampere for a minimum of 10 milliseconds from the
RMS to pins A through V of connector J1 shall supply ignition voltage to rockets loaded in tubes
1 through 19 respectively.
2.2 Description of the functional sequences. The pilot dials in the rocket type and quantity to be
fired on the RMS. The RMS designates this data to the Fire Control Computer (FCC) of the
aircraft, and the FCC selects the trajectory
data from memory. The electronic fuze setter
in the RMS will set the fuze when the pilot
depresses the firing trigger. The gunner in the
front seat of the Cobra sights in on the target
through the telescopic sight unit and lases to
obtain constantly updated range data. The
aircraft FCC processes this data along with
aircraft speed, relative wind, temperature and
flight characteristics of the rocket, and
computes the point at which the fuze must
function for the intended target. The
computer then presents a solution reticle
through the heads up display (HUD) to the
pilot in the back seat. The pilot must match the solution reticle to the boresight reticle on the
HUD by maneuvering the aircraft and firing the weapon system. The computer continues to
constantly update the solutions as the aircraft moves along. The pilot pitches the aircraft up,
aligns the boresight reticle with the solution reticle and depresses the firing trigger. The fuze
receives the latest ranging data about 50 milliseconds prior to the
rocket motor being fired. The following is a listing of Field Manuals
used in the employment of rockets:
Explosives and Demolitions FM 5-25
Ordnance General and Depot Support Services FM 9-4
Ordnance Ammunition Service FM 9-6
Attack Helicopter Gunnery FM 17-40
Attack Helicopter Operations FM 17-50
2.3 Power consumption. The rocket management system requires
24-28 VDC.
Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) Management, Design, and Test Requirements and
SARD-DO Memorandum, Subject: Army Acquisition Executive Policy Memorandum 91-3, Army
Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) Program Implementation establish design
requirements. As stated previously, the MK 66 MOD 4 Rocket Motor is HERO, 300 KV and 25
therefore do not present any E3 concerns. The M255A1 and M264 warheads are recent
the potential to be affected by E3. Naval Surface Weapons Center (H22-BF/RFM) Letter, dated
22 Jan 87, Subject: Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance Test Report of the Rocket
Management System showed that the M439 Fuze is “HERO SAFE ORDNANCE” and will not be
affected by the HERO environment during presence, handling and loading. The M439 Fuze was
tested for Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) susceptibility with an inert warhead and found to be
sufficiently hardened to personnel-borne ESD. As a result, there are no E3 concerns associated
with either warhead/fuze combination. While documentation does not exist for older designs,
similar results can be expected for warheads fuzed with the M439 Fuze. A fact to consider is that
the M439 Fuze is inherently shielded by the warhead case and by the motor when mated as a
3. Software Modification. Software modifications are conducted by the host aircraft and may be
discussed with the U.S. Army AMCOM. The ballistic tables are established for rounds as they are
developed by U.S. Army engineering centers and are submitted to AMCOM. Language and bus
interfaces are determined by the developer of the aircraft fire control computer.
4. Test Equipment. The Rocket Management Subsystem Test Set, M135 (RMS Test Set), is a
manually operated portable test set which automatically tests Line Replaceable Units (LRU) of the
RMS, using programmed test routines initiated, as applicable, by the test set operator. The test set
is used at the AVIM level to verify equipment failures that were detected by the built-in-test
circuits in the RMS LRUs and to isolate troubles in these units to a shop-replaceable assembly. It
is also used for verifying the performance of a unit after repair or at any other time. The
maintenance manual for the M135 is “Operator’s Aviation Unit, and Intermediate Maintenance
Manual with Repair Parts and Special Tools List for Test Set,
Rocket Management Subsystem, M135, TM9-4933-227-13&P.”
5. Rocket system electrical checks are performed in accordance
with the following procedures. | http://www.docstoc.com/docs/5791045/Hydra-Rocket-System-Integration-Information | dclm-gs1-163640000 |
0.04638 | <urn:uuid:98b32d31-d69e-488c-b067-e9d9683291c4> | en | 0.989162 | EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
September 9, 2006
Woman claims razor blade was in iced tea mix
By Rebecca Correa
LONDONDERRY - Mary Estabrook was celebrating the fact that her three children were heading back to school last week and scrambling to make a batch of iced tea for a breakfast with friends when she said she felt something funny.
"At first, I was shocked," Estabrook said. "I just opened the tin seal and it was fine, but then I poked around for the scoop and felt something with my finger."
That something turned out to be a 2-inch razor blade inside the container of wild raspberry Lipton iced tea mix she had purchased a week earlier.
Estabrook, who said she routinely buys the iced tea mix at Shaw's on Route 102 (Nashua Road), said she went to the store the next day to show them what she found.
Spokeswoman Judy Chong of Shaw's corporate headquarters said that within a day of Estabrook returning to the store, all of that product was pulled from the shelves of the Londonderry Shaw's.
Yesterday, Chong said the company is working closely with Lipton, which is launching its own investigation, but the company would not consider yanking the mix from all of the store's shelves until the investigation is complete.
Estabrook worries that more people - who have the product with an expiration date of Nov. 15, 2007 - could find a surprise in their iced tea.
"I don't know where (the razor) has been or why it's in there," she said. "You don't know if it's a disgruntled employee and they could've put 20 of them in cans."
Representatives from Lipton and the Food and Drug Administration did not return phone calls yesterday.
Estabrook said she hopes the investigation is a speedy one and recommends anyone who has the iced tea in their home to simply throw it out or, at the very least, sift through the powdered mix.
"Obviously, it's not Shaw's fault, I mean this thing was sealed," she said. "But by the time they do something, they could sell hundreds of these products and who knows what else is in them?"
Estabrook said she spoke with a representative from Lipton and was told a courier would arrive at her home today to pick up the 10-ounce canister - which still has a razor blade sitting on top of the pink powdered mix.
"(Lipton) was concerned. They said they'd send me gifts and gift certificates, and I'm thinking, 'I'm not looking for anything free,'" she said. "The fact that (the blade) was in the top quarter of the can and that my finger could've been cut is something people should know about."
Estabrook said she was shocked for the first hour after her discovery but didn't realize the danger of the situation until nine neighborhood mothers joined her for the previously planned breakfast. She said the group had coffee and hot tea instead - and she was not scared until she realized her children could have discovered the blade in the drink mix and cut themselves, or worse, made a pitcher of iced tea with a razor blade in it.
"A screw or something would be scary, but this is even scarier to find. You just never think it's going to happen to you," she said.
Estabrook said she hasn't bought instant iced tea since her discovery, but if she ever does again, she would sift through the powder before she let anyone drink it. | http://www.eagletribune.com/x1876264921/Woman-claims-razor-blade-was-in-iced-tea-mix/print | dclm-gs1-163670000 |
0.023815 | <urn:uuid:8057da31-5adb-4a6e-b7f6-a0e09350df20> | en | 0.883532 | Mascarpone cheese cupcakes
Newer Older
Made in flavours: lemon, strawberry, coconut, chocolate, blueberry and vanilla.
zaskyline, amaninachantal, and 139 other people added this photo to their favorites.
1. cry5tal 37 months ago | reply
These look SO good!
2. domjansara 37 months ago | reply
They were very good :)
Thank you!
3. nicolettesara 37 months ago | reply
recipe?? i came across this on tumblr!
4. thaismahara 37 months ago | reply
wow! would u give me the recipe? :) I also came across this on tumblr
5. domjansara 37 months ago | reply
Hello guys! Thanks for compliments.
So the recipe:
Muffins are made by the regular recipe for the Sacher cake only without chocolate if you want them white.
Mascarpone cheese cream is made obviously from mascarpone and I added different flavors or jams.
Strawberry = mascarpone cheese and strawberry jam (or you can add strawberry sauce freshly made when there is a strawberry season)
Blueberry = mascarpone cheese and blueberry jam
Chocolate = mascarpone cheese and melted milk chocolate Manner
Vanilla = mascarpone cheese and bourbon vanilla sugar
Coconut = mascarpone cheese and coconut liqur, coconut flour
Lemon = mascarpone chesse and 2 table spoons of lemon jouce and lemon peel
Give it a try ;) very simple and good!
6. thaismahara 37 months ago | reply
yeah, it's simpler than I've imagined :)
thanks for the recipe! I'll try it!
7. holly cromer 26 months ago | reply
gorgeous photograph! saw it on creature comforts today :)
8. Kleofea 26 months ago | reply
9. Rin Ohara 26 months ago | reply
oh, so yummy!
10. Jen Thomas {altered type} 26 months ago | reply
Mmmm.... the icing is just perfect.
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/59916176@N07/5475189242 | dclm-gs1-163730000 |
0.083997 | <urn:uuid:8028ce48-da48-4819-bb66-24d2717a15e3> | en | 0.957143 | Sir Hammerlock DLC just cheated me out of loot???
#1PrimenalPosted 3/7/2013 8:38:18 PM
I went through the DLC story. Took me a while, but finally beat Jackenstein. I go up to collect the loot, and realized my inventory is full, and I don't want to simply toss stuff out. Couldn't sell anything there so decided I'd go to the lodge to sell stuff. Emptied out, and realized I can't fast travel back to the ship even though they have a fast travel station.
SO, I was a bit mad, but ran clear back to the ship from another fast travel point. Had to fight JAckenstein AGAIN, at least beat him pretty easy this time. Went up to collect my loot, and now the room is BLOCKED OFF!
So let me get this straight... There is a huge room with loot, no place to sell any of my inventory so I don't just throw it away, I don't even walk in to the loot room, and since I didn't... Nothing for me? Bad enough the story was short, and not that great, but even if it's just 1 good gun I want it!
Any fixes?
#2youngunner2123Posted 3/7/2013 8:42:32 PM
Not a fix issue
It's a one time raid meant to b that way even if u don't enter it. That fast travel is exit only so it just saved like if u raided the room
Future advice never have a full backpack
Your arms are too short to box with GOD!!!
#3Primenal(Topic Creator)Posted 3/7/2013 8:49:42 PM
Thanks for the info. That really stinks. They could at least warn you with you fast travel from the location. a simple "you won't be able to return to the loot room after you leave" would be good. I can even see through the barrier.. All the unopen chests on the other side.
#4Shadow_Dragon_0Posted 3/7/2013 8:51:00 PM
You didn't miss out of much stuff. All I got was 2 chests full of money and eridium and a bunch of blue and green guns with a few purple guns.
PSN: dragon_fire01
Gamertag: Shadow Dragons0
#5youngunner2123Posted 3/7/2013 8:55:22 PM
Shadow_Dragon_0 posted...
Wait what?
Did u open ALL the chests?
On the top part there are about 20 that give money and maybe 10 more on the floor
But yeah w my 3rd character I got a conference call and a sham I think. Have 2 more to finish it with.
But pete is your go to loot man
Your arms are too short to box with GOD!!!
#6kinggoldfingerPosted 3/7/2013 10:06:20 PM
I was very excited when I pulled a Pitchfork out of one of those loot chests.
The Princess is in another Castle.
Punching trees gives me wood.
#7blacklabel357Posted 3/7/2013 10:49:47 PM
I ended up getting a lvl 50 orange grenade in that room.
Xbox live gamertag - TheurgicWraith
#8WretchedOwlPosted 3/7/2013 10:55:41 PM
I've found a binary thunderball fists in one of those chests as well. I think they're better than the treasure room.
#9DieRomantiicPosted 3/8/2013 7:32:47 AM
Easiest farm ever too. Damn shame
Before the Nightmare
#10Argyle_GargoylePosted 3/8/2013 7:38:13 AM
unfortunately, i didnt get any legendaries when i went through it.
only done hammerlock on one of my characters so far, so maybe ill have more luck on my others.
i get why they gave it a lockout, since if you could just go there and farm over and over, and it would just be a bit too easy.
i do wonder why they decided to give people a 2nd legit run for the treasure room, and not a 2nd chance for the ships armory though.
ah well. its a good thing i enjoy farming | http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/638784-borderlands-2/65638671 | dclm-gs1-163780000 |
0.208486 | <urn:uuid:d2425905-b1c0-4fa4-b1b0-99065058e116> | en | 0.944563 | In C1, where were all the bathrooms?
#1slit_your_gutzPosted 8/27/2010 1:59:46 PM
Hopefully Conduit 2 will have places where Agent Ford can take care of business.
#2UltimateFlame13Posted 8/27/2010 2:09:41 PM
The bathrooms were the first targets in the invasion sadly. Not even an outhouse left standing.
Playing: Batman AA, Borderlands
#3psychobrewPosted 8/27/2010 2:39:52 PM
His suit takes care of that need for him. It even wipes him if neccessary.
#4Sudsy86_Posted 8/27/2010 5:00:34 PM
Actually, that's what the ASE was for. In the early stages of the game, the ASE was thought of as "about ****ting easily".
He would poop/ pee into a compartment of the ase, press a button, *bee boo bop*, and would send it to one of the locations programmed on it.
This was originally the prominent effect on the relationship between ford and adams...
#57Nobody5Posted 8/27/2010 5:18:48 PM
they were all in the cut-scenes.
You have now read my signature.
#6The_ShaderPosted 8/27/2010 7:22:51 PM
Mr. Ford destroyed them all, along with another other place where water could come from. He did so in order to (SPOILER) reduce the amount of people controled by the polluted water Mr. Adams made.
#7LigersRulePosted 8/27/2010 7:29:30 PM
Well, there is a very nice plumbing system in infirmary. I'm surprised nobody had brought this up. They were probably one room away, through a locked door. Or, of course, the shower drains can solve half the problem.
The Conduit: Sychs
#8Aile_WingPosted 8/27/2010 8:57:56 PM
<<<Conduit 2 spoilers>>>
Prometheus will unlock a toilet function in the suit sometime during the game.
<<<Conduit 2 spoilers end>>>
Hebrew 13:3 (NIV)
#9Numbuh100Posted 8/27/2010 9:01:36 PM
lol @ this topic!
#10ChangliniPosted 8/28/2010 5:23:20 AM
they were all in the cut-scenes.
This is actually quite likely but personally, I'd like to know to why there is a helicopter curse going around games in this generation. | http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/991817-conduit-2/56152257 | dclm-gs1-163810000 |
0.768027 | <urn:uuid:794bf7a8-0711-482f-8d71-ffdb3c17e93b> | en | 0.885947 | Question from lightthewei
Asked: 4 years ago
How do you jump?
I know how to roll, but, how can I jump (the evading jump, not the jump from one ledge to another)?
Accepted Answer
From: wht_valentine 4 years ago
When you're in "panic mode"
which if you dont know what that is
its when you're running away from a monster
you have your back turned to it
Rated: +0 / -0
This question has been successfully answered and closed
Respond to this Question
Similar Questions
question status from
Jump teostra??? Open rulezbreaker
How can I get Jump Barrel Bombs? Answered llianjo
Is there a list of all the JUMP quest? Answered uline
Where can I find (Jump Barrel Bomb)? Answered rajang77
How do I jump onto big monsters like shen-garoen? Answered uniformed45 | http://www.gamefaqs.com/psp/943356-monster-hunter-freedom-unite/answers?qid=172093 | dclm-gs1-163840000 |
0.077798 | <urn:uuid:ff980a10-4b7d-4562-8979-7cb1825617d6> | en | 0.958011 | Icarus Review
Icarus may not bear the weight of predecessors like Galaga, but it's a worthy entry into the genre nonetheless.
Top-down space shooters were fundamental to the foundation of video games, requiring a complicated but mechanical ability to dodge bullets and shoot them at the same time. In the years since their introduction, space shooters have become less popular, but all the more difficult to pull off successfully. Icarus (no relation to the Kid) may not be a complex game, or one whose gameplay will bear the weight of predecessors like Galaga, but it's a worthy entry into the genre nonetheless.
Don't get burned, Icarus.
Compared with some of the more modern space shooters, Icarus is a very primitive game, with only the very basic shooter elements. You maneuver a ship through an environment that is being constantly propelled forward, among obstacles like space debris and asteroids. As you move, ships fly toward you, and you must take them out while dodging their projectiles. These projectiles, depending on their size, will inflict a certain amount of damage upon your ship until eventually it explodes and you're left with the option to quit the game with that score or continue with the score reset to zero. Most games in the genre are set up this way, with the overall difficulty level varying mostly with the maneuverability of your ship. Icarus is minimalist in this regard. It's not always easy to proceed through the level, but at no point does the complexity rival that of other major shooter franchises.
The game gives you only a few weapons to work with. Your main blaster can be set to automatically fire, which is useful, though maybe a little bit like setting the game to easy. You have three bombs on each level, and these devices effectively wipe out all the current enemies and bullets, but should be used only in case of emergency. There are also upgrades that can be picked up along the way that add missiles to your standard fire, or spread your bullets across a 45-degree range, for example. Points are awarded for every ship you kill--the bigger, the better--and if you have any bombs left over at the end of a level, you'll receive a point bonus for them. You can upload your high scores to a central server, which scores you either absolutely or relatively against other Icarus players. This feature is no longer that novel, as more and more mobile games are including scoreboards, but the competition still provides some additional replay value.
Icarus' graphics are well done but extremely simple, given the nature of the game and the abilities of the LG VX7000 handset. The game's music is pretty good, but it unfortunately loops after about 10 seconds of playing. It's a catchy tune, but you will likely turn it off after the first few times hearing it. The other sound effects are minimal and won't be missed if you turn them off.
The game may not be much more complicated than the space shooters that came out 20 years ago, but it is paced well and has some challenging gameplay to boot. If you like shooters and are looking for a simple diversion, Icarus is worth a look.
The Good
Well executed.
Competitive bonus.
Simplistic fun.
The Bad
A bit too simple.
Not innovative.
About GameSpot's Reviews
About the Author
Icarus (2004)
• Mobile
All Platforms
Average Score See all 5 Player Reviews
Please Sign In to rate Icarus (2004) | http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/icarus-review/1900-6116128/ | dclm-gs1-163870000 |
0.05603 | <urn:uuid:184aae2a-e6a0-4e4e-8146-01eeda412729> | en | 0.958805 | tissueshoe's Wander to Kyozou (PlayStation 2) review
A cinematic and epic experience unlike any other video game.
A lone hero approaches an ancient shrine and places his dead lover inside. A light speaks to him, telling him that he can gain the power to save her life if he can slay the 16 colossi scattered throughout the cursed land that surrounds the shrine. Upon their destruction, there must certainly be a happy ending for all involved: Wander will save his love and the land will be rid of the cursed giants. Shadow of the Colossus puts the player in control of Wander who, along with his horse Agro, must traverse a beautiful land and defeat the 16 monsters that inhabit it. Every battle is incredibly epic and creative, giving the player a sense of wonder unlike that in any other video game I have played, but Shadow of the Colossus' emphasis on experience is somewhat costly to it as a game.
As described above, Colossus' story involves a young man named Wander who sets out on a quest to save his lover by destroying the 16 colossi scattered throughout the land. Unfortunately there is no story development after the start, which places the story on the sidelines through almost the entire game. However, this allows the rest of the epic experience to sink in to a greater effect, so it can be viewed as a smart move as well. It also allows for a surprising and lengthy cutscene at the game's finale, which features several surprising twists and sheds light on other strange elements from throughout the game. Colossus' storytelling may be sparse, but in the end it allows for surprising twists and doesn't detract from the game's other fantastic elements.
The entirety of Shadow of the Colossus involves two basic actions: finding the colossi and fighting the colossi. The mysterious light at the shrine gives Wander a hint as to where the next colossus is, and Wander's sword also points to the colossus when it is held up to the light correctly. The sword's direction is mainly what is helpful in finding the colossi, but sometimes the world's massive size makes it hard to know where exactly the sword is pointing, which makes it easy to get sidetracked and can take up a lot of time. If the player doesn't get lost at all, though, finding each colossus can take about 5-10 minutes of exploring the vast, open, and beautiful world. Unfortunately there is no draw to exploring the world other than finding the colossi: there are no other enemies, no side quests, nothing.
However, Shadow of the Colossus' impressive visual design helps create a sense of wonder in the exploration despite the lack of available activities. The world is said to be cursed, but it sure doesn't look that way, as it is beautifully and vividly animated at every turn, sometimes looking very real. Its emptiness, sheer beauty, and massive size give the game a fantastic atmosphere. The rest of the game's graphics look very good, although occasionally characters and environments become blurry when viewed up close. The visual design of the colossi shows much detail, and it is always thrilling to watch them thrash about as Wander climbs all over them. Overall, Shadow of the Colossus is an impressive game in the graphics department, and is a remarkable achievement for the PS2.
Shadow of the Colossus is all about an epic experience, and that comes in waves as players battle each of the game's sixteen colossi. Simply looking at these monsters is a sight to behold, as their sheer size can easily make anyone watching gape in wonder and surprise. The size and fearsomeness of these beasts is powerfully translated on screen; but after a moment of initial alarm, it must be recalled that the colossus must be defeated. Actually fighting these colossi always involves locating and stabbing their weak points repeatedly until their health meter runs out, and while this simple task doesn't vary at all, the approach to climbing on top of the colossus is fresh and exciting in every battle.
The epic experience comes through very strongly in every single battle, as the concept of fighting these giant colossi in and of itself is naturally epic. Actually climbing up these monsters offers countless cinematic moments that often make the game feel more like a movie than a game, and the fact that the gameplay isn't incredibly deep also develops that feeling. But sometimes the cinematic appeal of Colossus doesn't come without making sacrifices to the actual video game, seeing as a helpful camera angle is often hard to find and the controls offer a steep learning curve. The game strives for realism so hard that the controls take a hit, and while it makes the game much harder to jump into they do eventually become second-nature, ultimately allowing players to enjoy Shadow of the Colossus for the epic, cinematic experience it is.
The moment of delivering the finishing blow on the sixteenth colossus can take roughly 7-9 hours to reach. The game isn't particularly lengthy but also not all too short, providing a decent length although the inclusion of other elements aside from finding and fighting bosses would have improved the game. The system may be repetitious in theory, but in action it just doesn't get dull. Fighting the colossi is fun all the way to the end, and I know that Shadow of the Colossus will be a game for me to replay many times in the future.
Shadow of the Colossus also features impressive sound design. Each music track is fantastic and strengthens the epic feeling in every battle; in fact Colossus' soundtrack may be one of my favorites from any video game I've played. The sound effects also contribute powerfully to the epic feeling of the game, with booming sounds of the colossi stomping, roaring, or otherwise trying to fling Wander off their back or obliterate him by other means.
In the end, Shadow of the Colossus provides an epic experience the likes of which I have never seen in any other video game. Its fantastic sense of atmosphere and visual appeal create a memorable environment, while the 16 boss battles provide unique, challenging, and epic gameplay. Even with a stubborn camera, rough controls, and no extra tasks, the epic experience shines brilliantly in this PS2 masterpiece. Despite its very tangible flaws, Shadow of the Colossus is a brilliant and epic experience of a game that should not be missed.
+ Story's finale features several brilliant twists
+ Visual appeal creates a vivid sense of wonder
+ Every battle is incredibly epic and well designed
+ Adequately challenging overall
+ Fantastic soundtrack and sound effects
- Exploration is forced and lacks much of a draw
- Camera and controls create unnecessary difficulties to overcome
Other reviews for Wander to Kyozou (PlayStation 2)
Ah, Nostalgia 0
Review/Rant: I feel a great sense of nostalgia whenever I think about this game. Few other game immersed me completely in their world as this game did. This an incredible feat considering that the main character only says one word over and over throughout the whole game (Agro). Other characters have very limited dialogue. The gameplay comprises of a series of boss fights, say HUUUGE boss fights, with a few platforming segments and horseback riding through vast environments to get to those boss f...
13 out of 13 found this review helpful.
This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:
Comment and Save
| http://www.giantbomb.com/shadow-of-the-colossus/3030-6522/user-reviews/2200-15437?review_id=15437 | dclm-gs1-163890000 |
0.023262 | <urn:uuid:1617542c-d975-4fdd-ae44-8d55035b64ba> | en | 0.990811 | Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon revisits his 'did not come here for this' quote
Jonathan Papelbon has been very vocal about the Phillies since he signed with the team in November 2011.
Over the past two seasons he has done everything from question the Phillies' leadership to saying after one of the team's longer losing streaks last year that he didn't come to Philadelphia to lose.
Monday afternoon, as he sat on a picnic bench along the left field foul line at Bright House Field, the 33-year-old closer changed his tone.
"This year, I'm definitely trying to be a lot more of a positive influence and be more upbeat," said Papelbon. "It starts from Ryno [Ryan Sandberg]. It starts from our manager in encouraging us to stay positive and be upbeat even though the last two seasons didn't go as expected for myself and the rest of the guys in that clubhouse. There is a lot more upbeat positivity. It's night and day, it really is."
His enthusiasm has also translated into his preparation for the upcoming season. Papelbon doesn't think he's ever come into camp feeling this good and put in some of the toughest offseason training in his career to get to that point.
Papelbon credited much of his new attitude to Sandberg and said he's completely buying in to what the manager is selling.
When asked, Papelbon said he bought in when Charlie Manuel was manager as well, but made it sound as though it was harder to do. He felt that everything was set, from the environment, to the personnel, to the way things were done when he arrived from Boston. He also mentioned they weren't winning, which could have been the biggest problem.
However, not buying into what a manager has in place should not have affected his velocity. Something did, and the drop in his velocity was talked about an extensive amount last year.
According to PITCHf/x, which tracks the speed of each pitch in all major league ballparks, Papelbon's fastball averaged 95 mph in his last season with the Boston Red Sox. Since coming to Philadelphia, the average speed of his fastball has dropped both years, first to 93.8 mph in 2012 and then down to 92 mph last season.
Papelbon said Monday he had some minor injuries last year and wasn't fully 100 percent. He noted that it's possible his loss of velocity could be attributed to his health but it could have also been because he lost interest during losing seasons.
"My role is an intensity-driven role, so on nights when the ballpark is full and it's a close game, that's what makes me tick and we're in a race," explained Papelbon. "That's the big reason I've always decided to be a closer is when the dial is turned up and there is something on the line, I just seem to be at my best."
Papelbon was 5-6 in 2012 with an ERA of 2.44, 92 strikeouts in 70 innings, and 38 saves. Last year, those numbers were 5-1, 2.92 ERA, 57 Ks in 612/3 innings and 29 saves.
The righty did discuss the comments he made last year, specifically about not coming to the Phillies to lose. Papelbon thought his remark was taken out of context and didn't portray exactly what he was trying to get across.
He did want to make it clear that he's not a bad teammate, something he felt people were characterizing him as after he made his statements.
Just because Papelbon is changing his tone at the beginning of this season, doesn't mean he's going to take back anything he's already said or watch what he says in the future — especially if the Phillies find themselves limping toward the finish line once again.
"If I say something, it's because I mean it and I'll become fiery and emotional," Papelbon stated. "That's who I am. If I say the wrong thing, then so be it. As long as I'm fighting for my teammates and going to war for them and doing everything I can to help my teammates win a ballgame, nothing else will matter."
Twitter: @SteveGrossMCall | http://www.mcall.com/sports/baseball/phillies/mc-jonathan-papelbon-phillies-20140217,0,7453853.story | dclm-gs1-164100000 |
0.277969 | <urn:uuid:7e1a9965-996f-457a-8700-e71955f34894> | en | 0.970201 | Formed Seattle in 1982, Metal Church consisted of vocalist David Wayne, guitarists Kurdt Vanderhoof and Craig Wells, bassist Duke Erickson, and drummer Kirk Arrington. Their 1985 self-titled debut album, recorded when the thrash/speed metal genre was still evolving, made a huge splash on the scene, as did its similar follow-up, The Dark. However, the band really hit its stride when Wayne left and was replaced by Mike Howe on 1989's Blessing In Disguise; Vanderhoof left after the album due to his dislike of touring and was replaced by Metallica guitar tech John Marshall. Vanderhoof remained the group's designated composer on 1991's The Human Factor, possibly the band's most socially conscious album. However, the advent of alternative rock and problems with their record label contributed to a loss of direction on 1993's Hanging in the Balance, and Metal Church ended up disbanding. In 1999, the group's original lineup -- Wayne, Vanderhoof, Wells, Erickson, and Arrington -- reunited and released the album Masterpeace. Live appeared early the following year. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi | http://www.mtv.com/artists/metal-church/biography/ | dclm-gs1-164170000 |
0.034347 | <urn:uuid:b5b9554f-2f96-454f-b509-eb35c2889a2f> | en | 0.946441 | Last updated: March 17, 2014
Last words from jet after systems shutdown
Crew members look outside windows from a Malaysian Air Force aircraft
Parents of Japan abductee meet grandchild
LA subway dig finds prehistoric fossils
Jet disappeared 'deliberately': Malaysia
World Breaking News
US scientists find meteorite from Mars
A rock from Mars that landed in the Sahara Desert.
US Scientists have uncovered a Martian meteorite which landed in northwest Africa. Source: AAP
SCIENTISTS from the University of New Mexico have confirmed the discovery of a surprising Martian meteorite, the first from the crust of Mars and which contains a large content of water that could enclose secrets about the history of the Red Planet.
Researchers have found that the meteorite, which landed in northwest Africa, contains more water remains than any other fragment from Mars, according to a communique from the university.
The sample dates back some 2.1 billion years, when Mars was at the start of its most recent geological epoch known as the Amazonian.
The statement said that the meteorite, dubbed NWA 7034 (for North West Africa), interacted with the Martian atmosphere some 2.1 billion years ago, which would explain the abundance of water molecules in the rock, some 6000 parts per million.
"Perhaps most exciting is that the high water content could mean there was an interaction of the rocks with surface water either from volcanic magma, or from fluids from impacting comets during that time," said Andre Steele of the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory.
"It is the richest Martian meteorite geochemically, and further analyses are bound to unleash more surprises," he said.
Researchers believe the meteorite's chemistry suggests that it comes from the crust of Mars or the upper mantle, something scientists have never seen before. | http://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/us-scientists-find-meteorite-from-mars/story-e6frfkui-1226548286660 | dclm-gs1-164220000 |
0.025967 | <urn:uuid:435dc2f9-ddba-4289-969c-e0da3427f675> | en | 0.954301 | Jim Salinger: Time NZ played its climate change part, even if it's small
Tim Groser. Photo / APN
Tim Groser. Photo / APN
A "voluntary emissions reductions scheme" is like asking me to pay voluntary taxes - I would probably not pay them! As I sit in my autumn perch in California I ponder why I should pay taxes to the New Zealand Government. My contribution is so small (less than 0.02 per cent) that it is insignificant, so why should I bother?
Today I learned that New Zealand has received two "Fossil of the Day" awards on the first day of international climate talks in Doha, Qatar, issued by the Climate Action Network (CAN) to countries that "performed badly" in the climate change negotiations.
New Zealand, unlike Australia, has decided not to put its target into the second commitment period of the Kyoto agreement, citing "spurious grounds when the reality is that it is just a massive display of irresponsibility", according to CAN.
More alarming to observers in the United States is that the New Zealand Government has completely misread American public opinion. Minister Tim Groser notes "there is zero possibility of the US joining Kyoto, so I think we're in the right space".
Individual states can also introduce their own schemes. Tuesday, November 24 was a red letter day for California, which issued the country's first broad-based cap-and-trade blueprint to reduce emission of planet-heating pollutants.
The pioneering effort of its landmark 2006 law caps emissions from more than 600 power plants, refineries, cement plants and other factories at 15 per cent below today's levels by 2020. It will allow companies to buy and sell emissions allowances among themselves as a way to meet the overall goal less expensively. The cap-and-trade programme will take effect next year, complementing strict rules to cut emissions from automobiles.
And this from a state which is the eighth largest economy in the world, if the states of the US were compared with other countries. As of 2010, the gross state product is about $1.9 trillion, giving it a lot of political muscle.
For example, Detroit car makers tried to block the cap-and-trade blueprint to reduce greenhouse emissions in court, but lost at every turn. California is responsible for the smart technologies that reduce energy use, and enable car vehicle emissions to be forced down. These regulations benefit us all because new motor vehicle technology has now radically increased fuel efficiencies, all due to the performance standards demanded by Californian legislators.
It's time for New Zealand not to welch on its global obligations. The announcement of a "voluntary emissions reductions scheme" is like asking me to pay voluntary taxes - I would probably not pay them!
If as citizens of a country we are required to pay taxes, even if those payments are minute, then New Zealand should be part of the second Kyoto Commitment period.
A second commitment period of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, to take effect on January 1, is the last opportunity for a seamless transition from one Kyoto period to another. At the same time, coverage needs to be extended to include the high emitting nations.
Even though New Zealand is a small emitter on the world stage, every small, legally binding emissions reduction target counts in reducing greenhouse gas levels. That's why I pay taxes.
Dr Jim Salinger is a visiting professor at Stanford University, California.
© Copyright 2014, APN Holdings NZ Limited
Assembled by: (static) on red akl_a2 at 17 Mar 2014 12:29:48 Processing Time: 711ms | http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10850605 | dclm-gs1-164260000 |
0.054192 | <urn:uuid:23535c52-4db1-4230-adf0-f15d1b0d5fd1> | en | 0.900095 | Central Pennsylvania
I am a female who is:
Finishing second cup of coffee
Pet owner, Green thumb, Retired, Bargain hunter, Suburbanite
I am retired from professional position, and doing my best to enjoy every minute! I love to garden (on a small scale), care for my dog, and enjoy our home.
Please enter a brief description of the content that is flagged.
characters left
What Have You Done Lately? | http://www.overstock.com/seniorsurfer2/38935246/profile | dclm-gs1-164280000 |
0.019558 | <urn:uuid:4f926d2b-16ee-45d5-95fa-291a485f6490> | en | 0.906948 |
Article |
Reliability key to GE choice of inkjet coders from RSI (sidebar)
Evaluating Bulk Ink Supplies to Drive Down Costs
Print Reprint
What are the options when you have longer packaging runs and run multiple shifts that need a robust coding ink supply? One answer is a bulk ink delivery system such as the RSI Print Systems’ Industrial Manifold System (IMS).
The reliable state-of-the-art system is built around a 350-milliliter ink supply that extends running time compared to the standard 42-milliliter ink capacity of
HP thermal inkjet cartridges. The bigger supply can offer cost advantages with reduced per-imprint costs and less operator attention in monitoring systems.
The bulk supply system uses a sturdy molded plastic cartridge to hold 350 milliliters of ink. It fits into an ink supply stall assembly that permits snap-in snap-out installation of the cartridge. The changeover is so fast that cartridges can be “hot swapped”—changed on the line by an operator while the line is in operation.
The IMS is engineered by RSI and jointly developed with HP. It uses modular components that permit it to be tailored to specific lines and specific needs. Key components of the system include the cartridges and cartridge stalls. It also includes the enclosed regulator assembly that allows the ink supply and the regulator itself to be mounted some distance from the packaging line. That way engineers can fit the application to a specific location and orientation of print heads.
The IMS utilizes quick-to-attach leak-proof connectors. They create a clean ink delivery system that is reliable and helps reduce the overall cost of printing. Electronic connection and components in the system allow integration into plant production management systems.
The modular components allow a range of configurations. The simplest could be one ink supply cartridge feeding one regulator which in turn delivers a single color of ink to as many as four print heads. The system could be as complex as a four-stall setup that feeds different colors of ink to four different print heads.
“The easy snap-in 350 milliliter cartridges can be replaced while the
production line is in operation” notes Jim Constantine eastern regional manger
for RSI. “This is a distinct advantage over other replacement methods which could only be done while the printer was off.”
Individual 350-milliliter ink supplies can hold a variety of HP-developed inks. Dye-based ink often produces brighter superior colors and generally adheres well to glossy stocks. Pigmented inks offer better light-fastness and water-fastness.
However generalizations about inks provide only guidelines. RSI recommends testing inks on the specific substrate to be printed. Drying time contrast and durability are factors that change with different substrates.
Contact RSI Print Systems
1-866-PRINT-HP www.rsiprintsystems.com
See the story that goes with this sidebar: Reliability key to GE choice of inkjet coders from RSI
Add new comment
Don’t miss intelligence crucial to your job and business!
New Issue Alert
Packaging World Magazine
Breaking packaging news
Packaging Insights
Pertinent packaging issues
Greener Package
Sustainable packaging
Shelf Impact
Package design strategies
| http://www.packworld.com/machinery/feedinginsertingcollatingplacing/reliability-key-ge-choice-inkjet-coders-rsi-sidebar?qt-videos=1 | dclm-gs1-164290000 |
0.023696 | <urn:uuid:ea20362f-8a39-44f1-89b9-e63167a013e3> | en | 0.980079 | Member Login
not a member? sign-up now!
Customize to your family and get personalized newsletters.
Wife bed-sharing with my 6 year old
Wife bed-sharing with my 6 year old
My wife falls asleep in my sons bed every night. He's 8 months into Kindergarten. When she comes to bed, he usually comes and gets her later in the night and she sleeps with him until morning. I worry that this is a problem for normal development. Please advise.
asked by ASensitiveDaddy 2 years 52 weeks ago
answers (5)
My son is a little younger (turning 4) but this is also our "arrangement". Even when I wake up earlier than the kids to get ready for work, when he wakes he says mom time to start our morning from the beginning - so I crawl next to him, fake like I'm stretching and pop up and say good morning. My thoughts are if he isn't interrupting her schedule too much by wanting her to co-sleep or she isn't completely exhausted from it, then what is the harm? Pretty soon they will be teenagers and they won't even look at us, let alone talk to us or snuggle with us! If it is stressing other areas, like your intimate life or his behavoir with others (shy, not socializing) then I would address the problem together with your child about getting older and being a big boy. Good luck, I'm hoping to stop sleeping in the boys room soon myself!
I don't think this is healthy. You're son needs to be able to sleep on his own. Granted a little snuggling time is fine, but when (and maybe I am reading your statements wrong) a mother is spending more time in bed with her son than husband..something is off balance. Is this an excuse she might be using to not be with you? How is the marriage going?
If that is fine than maybe your son had just made it a habit and your wife is not objecting. It is probably a comfort thing to him at this point and I suggest breaking him of this. I would start out slowly and stick to it until he can sleep without mommy.
not only is this unhealthy development for your son, it's getting to be innapropriate. at some point your son needs to sleep on his own, in his own bed. he's 6 and it's you need to get a handle on that crap now. can you imangine the tomrenting he would have to endure at kindergarden or god forbid 1st and 2nd grade when the other kids find out?
he shouldnt be sleeping with your wife not only can it make him have issues with being away from her but its not good for your marriage as a couple you need to sleep together in the same bed and be able to bond with eachother
Thank you all for your input. It sounds like most agree with me that it's not normal. Though I do see Amberia17's point too. They do grow up too fast but I always make sure to savor every moment and constantly remind myself of this as not to miss anything. I believe it's more of comfort thing for my wife than son. He's very well adjusted, has no fear of the boogie-man, thinks he's a Super-Hero in Training and is pretty much fearless. My wife argues that the last time we tried to make him fall asleep on his own, he cried. Most would say, "So. He'll be fine." Whats unusual is that he's not a crier. I can count on one hand how many times he's cried since he was 3 so he's genuinely heart-broken if he does. Regardless, he's old enough to understand and extremely easy to break of habits with little effort. OR maybe my wife is just sick of me or loves her iPod more than I. Either way, I will confidently fight this fight and break this habit. Thanks, all.
Post Your Answer
25+ iPhone Apps Kids Absolutely Love
| http://www.parenting.com/answers/q/wife-bed-sharing-my-6-year-old | dclm-gs1-164300000 |
0.02987 | <urn:uuid:df5a0852-f190-4252-a673-79701c279085> | en | 0.881914 | U.S. patents available from 1976 to present.
U.S. patent applications available from 2005 to present.
Icon_funbox Quotables
Ken Olsen, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corporation ; 1977
Newsletter PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
Class 324/207.18 - Differential type (e.g., LVDT)
Subclass of Class 324 - Electricity: measuring and testing
Definition: Subject matter wherein (1) a sensor measures two separate
No. of patents: 235
Last issue date: 09/24/2013
NumberTitleIssue Date
8542008Displacement sensor
A displacement sensor includes a primary coil (2), secondary coils (4a, 4b), and a movable magnetic core (6) movable with displacement of an object to be measured to cause voltages generated in the secondary coils (4
8502525Integrated micro actuator and IVDT for high precision position measurements
A single housing with a non-ferromagnetic piezo-driven flexure has primary and secondary coil forms of different diameters, one coaxially inside the other, integrated in the flexure. The cylinders defining the planes of the primary and secondaries do not spatially o...
8269485Linear variable differential transformer with digital electronics
Techniques for coupling with devices that convert displacements into differential voltages and improve the sensitivity of such devices. The disclosed system improves the accuracy and resolution of a transducers such as an LVDT by converting certain parts of the circ...
8222892Sensor for simultaneous position and gap measurement
An apparatus including a controller, a transport in communication with the controller having a movable portion and a transport path and a multi-dimensional position measurement device in communication with the controller, the multi-dimensional position measurement d...
8022691Microminiature gauging displacement sensor
A device for providing displacement information includes a housing holding a displacement sensor. The displacement sensor includes a coil and a captive core. An electrical measurement of the coil provides information about displacement of the core. The coil has an a...
7936166Quarter cycle waveform detector
A method for extracting peak information from an amplitude varying sinusoidal waveform output from a sensor is provided. The method includes gating a counter with a keying signal having a keying-signal period generated by a sinusoidal waveform associated with the am...
7893687LVDT acquisition device with dual demodulation subsystem
The invention relates to position sensors of the linearly variable induction difference type. When cost constraints prevent the use of transformers with guaranteed phase-shift tolerance to achieve an accuracy objective, it is advantageous to provide an independent d...
7764063Brushless resolver and method of constructing the same
A brushless resolver (10) comprises exciting signal transmitting means for transmitting a resolver exciting signal from the stator (3) side to the rotor (4) side in a noncontact way and a resolver part (7) for modulating the resolver exci...
7459904Precision position sensor using a nonmagnetic coil form
A position sensor has a moving coil part that is formed from a first coil form formed of a non ferromagnetic material, and a second coil that also has its form made of non-ferromagnetic material. The coil forms can be formed of non ferromagnetic adhesive. One of the...
7436173Measurement configuration
A movement distance sensor operates as a differential transformer with a primary coil, at least two secondary coils. A circuit configuration is connected to the secondary coils in order to determine a movement distance. The circuit configuration includes a multiplex...
7391202Linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) system using an inductance of an LVDT primary as a micro-power excitation carrier frequency to lower a drive power
A linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) system is disclosed. The system has an LVDT. A signal conditioner circuit is coupled to the LVDT. The signal conditioner circuit uses an inductance of the LVDT primary as a micro-power excitation carrier frequency to...
7372254Linear force detecting element formed without ferromagnetic materials which produces a resolution in a range of microns or less
A force detecting element is used to move a moving coil that is formed without ferromagnetic materials and is driven using a stationary coil that is formed without ferromagnetic materials, thereby producing an output signal which is more linear than the previous tec...
7367132Contact-type displacement measuring apparatus
A contact-type displacement measuring apparatus includes a first movable body that reciprocates in a first linear direction; a driving unit that drives the first movable body; a second movable body that reciprocates in a second linear direction parallel to the first...
7322744Temperature measurement device
A temperature measuring device includes a temperature-responsive element that mechanically moves a first inductive assembly component relative to a second inductive assembly component in response to temperature changes. The movement of the first inductive assembly c...
7321229Inductive position sensors with secondary windings with increased or decreased number of turns
A position sensor comprising a primary winding (26) for generating a magnetic flux, a first secondary winding (24.1) the number of turns of which increases in one direction, a second secondary winding (24.2) the number of turns of which increase...
7317371Linear variable differential transformer with complimentary step-winding secondary coils
A linear variable differential transformer comprising a coil form; a first primary coil; an optional second primary coil; a first secondary coil; and a second secondary coil; wherein the windings of the secondary coils create complimentary and preferably uniform ste...
7281432Displacement sensor with an excitation coil and a detection coil
To be able to detect a displacement amount of a moving object by a resolution of from micrometer to nanometer by a simple structure. An excitation coil 23 and a detection coil 25 are arranged to align and a magnetic body probe 27 in a con...
7282907Antifriction bearing unit having a sensor and a resolver
An outer ring is provided with the stator of a resolver, and a ring member with the rotor of the resolver. The stator comprises an annular core and a winding provided around the core. The ring member is provided at a position opposed to the stator with an eccentric ...
7271582Linear variable differential transformers for high precision position measurements
A linear variable transformer (LVDT) for use in a transducer. The LVDT has a non-ferromagnetic core which may eliminate Barkhausen noise and thereby improve the sensitivity of the resulting measurements. In one aspect, this system may be used in an atomic force micr...
7263453Shaft feedback sensor error detection
Methods and apparatus for detecting a sensor angle error in a system in which a measured quantity is determined on the basis of a phase of a signal. A signal derived from the measurement of multiple sensors is ascribed to a vector in a two-dimensional space, and a n...
7262592Linear variable differential transformers for high precision position measurements
A linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) is disclosed that has first and second coil is formed of materials that minimize the Barkhausen noise, and hence which produces outputs that are substantially independent of any Barkhausen noise. In an embodiment, th...
7257506Position detecting system and method
7242182Position sensor and corresponding method for detecting the position of a rotating element
A low-wear sensor with little structural outlay to detect a combined linear and rotational movement, such as in a print roller (10). In one embodiment, a PLCD (Permanent Magnetic Linear contactless Displacement) sensor includes a magnet (5) which can b...
7235966Resolver unit and resolver using same
A resolver unit having a structure in which the axial length is shortened to prevent the magnetic coupling characteristic between the rotary and stationary sides from being impaired, a winding generates more magnetic fluxes, and multiplexing is easily conducted, and...
7233140Position sensing assembly with sychronizing capability
A linear variable transformer, or LVDT, for use with the transducer, which has a non-ferromagnetic core that can eliminate Barkhausen noise. By eliminating the Barkhausen noise, the sensitivity of the resulting measurements can be improved. The LVDT is formed of mul...
7215129Multi tip clearance measurement system and method of operation
A multi tip clearance measurement system is provided. The clearance measurement system includes a sensor disposed on a first object, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of probe tips configured to generate signals representative of a sensed parameter correspond...
7215116Variable reluctance type angle detector
Provided is a variable reluctance type angle detector whose exciting winding resistance can be reduced to increase an exciting current without an increase in exciting power source voltage, thereby reducing an influence caused by a noise. The variable reluctance type...
7191754Position sensor apparatus and method
A control system having a housing with a bore formed within the housing. A valve member is associated with the bore for controlling the passage of a fluid medium through the bore. An induction sensor is aligned with the valve and facilitates determining the valve po...
7182063Assembly with non-contacting position sensor
An electronic throttle control system is described. The system includes a non-contacting sensor stator integrated into an electronic throttle body and is aligned to the sensor rotor attached to the shaft to properly set sensor air gap by assembly aids or by close fi...
7173558Charge comparator with low input offset
A Direct Current (DC) charge comparator that provides low input offset by feeding complimentary plus and minus charge inputs to a single amplification path via an alternate input path switch. Multiple sample and hold circuits at the output of the amplification path ...
7170208Connector with flux concentrator for electric motor
A connector for an electric motor including a magnetic ring which is the seat of a magnetic field tied to operating parameters of the motor. A magnetic flux conduction member forms a flux concentrator interposed, when a connector is fixed on the motor, between the m...
7171342Method for determining magnetization and the field radiated by a ferromagnetic plate
The invention concerns the field of devices and appliances for measuring the intensity and the direction of the magnetic field emitted by a plate or a structure, such as for example a ship's hull and it particularly concerns a method for determining the magnetisatio...
7157906Double variable reluctance resolver for a multiple speed resolver system
A double variable reluctance resolver in which a redundancy is given to a variable reluctance resolver to improve reliability. The double variable reluctance resolver also functions as a multiple speed resolver system. ...
7157913Re-configurable induction coil for metal detection
A device in which the receiver coil of a pulse inductive metal detector is capable of switching between a differential configuration (i.e., gradiometer configuration) to a non-differential or summing configuration under control of the operator or computer. ...
7154265Eddy current probe and inspection method
An eddy current (EC) probe for inspecting a component is provided. The EC probe includes a tangential drive coil configured to generate a probing field for inducing eddy currents in the component, where a portion of the eddy currents are aligned parallel to an edge ...
7148817Device for positional and/or length determination
A device for positional and/or length determination comprising a carrier unit with an absolute magnetic length coding and a measuring unit that co-operates with the carrier measuring unit and can be displaced in relation to the latter. The measuring unit has a magne...
7138794Detection of faults in linear and rotary voltage transducers
Systems and methods for detecting faults in RVDTs and LVDTs are described. In an exemplary embodiment, a sum of secondary voltages V1 and V2 from a transducer is obtained by adding the secondary voltages together, i.e.; V1+V2. This sum of secondary voltages theoreti...
7135855Simplified inductive position sensor and circuit configuration
Inductive position sensors and circuit configurations are disclosed for the measurement of linear, rotary, or curved position along a motion axis. The simplified sensor structures combine one or two parts of a movable core element with a simple planar substrate havi...
7132825Detection device
A device for detecting the displacement of an object comprising a ferromagnetic material, comprises a magnetic circuit generator provided with first and a second cores made of ferromagnetic material and an excitation coil and a measurement coil. The magnetic circuit...
Sign InRegister
forgot password? | http://www.patentstorm.us/class-patents/324/207.18/Differential_type__e_g___LVDT_/1.html | dclm-gs1-164310000 |
0.033431 | <urn:uuid:46c2296a-b425-473d-b090-364a5350ec85> | en | 0.913536 | U.S. patents available from 1976 to present.
U.S. patent applications available from 2005 to present.
Icon_funbox Quotables
David Sarnoff, American radio pioneer ; 1921
Newsletter PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
Class 239/211 - SIMULATIONS
Subclass of Class 239 - Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Definition: Apparatus having claimed features of external configuration
No. of patents: 131
Last issue date: 02/05/2013
NumberTitleIssue Date
8366019Faucet extender
A device and method for delivering water to a person who is unable to reach household or other types of water dispensing faucets. In some embodiments, the device comprises a trough for delivering the liquid and an attachment member for attaching the trough to a fauc...
7757965Display apparatus with scent disperse device
A display apparatus with a scent disperse device comprises a display, a stalk-like member, at least one leaf-like member and a vibrator, in which the stalk-like member is disposed on the display, the leaf-like members are positioned around the stalk-like member and ...
7407114Plant pot shaped air freshening apparatus and system comprising same
An air freshening apparatus comprises a plant pot-shaped main body, an end cap body and a scent-emitting composition. The plant pot-shaped main body has a cavity therein defining an open end portion of the plant pot-shaped main body and a closed end portion of the p...
7367146Liquid in motion advertising sign
The present invention represents a breakthrough in advertisement tools. The liquid sign uses a system of chambers and electrically powered pumps to produce a dynamic and visually appealing advertising sign. The advertising sign of the invention uses a liquid in moti...
7341203Fountain device
A fountain device includes a container including a reservoir to hold and retain circulating fluid within the fountain device, where the container includes an opening and a lip extending around at least a peripheral portion of the opening, a pump securable within the...
7246756Transverse axes oscillating water sprinkler with cam driven, oscillating nozzles
A water sprinkler for irrigating lawn and garden areas has two axes of movement, one transverse to the other. A barrel moves or oscillates on one horizontal axis to direct water spray from nozzles carried on the barrel across the length of the area, and the nozzle o...
7207503Chemical dispensing means for a travelling lawn sprinkler
7182477Illuminators for sprinkler systems
A device for providing illumination in conjunction with a sprinkler system has a body with an opening through it and at least one appendage extending from the body. The device takes on the appearance of a living thing, such as a flower, creature, or three-dimensiona...
7178746Shower comprising a lighting device
The invention relates to a shower comprising a jet-discharge disk (4). Behind said jet-discharge disk a flat water-filled chamber (7) is occluded on the side facing away from the jet-disk by a transparent to translucent bottom (2). The shower is...
7051892Water bottle for a dispenser
A plastic, blow-molded, disposable water bottle adapted for use with a dispenser, said bottle having a basically spherical or elliptical shape, a footed base portion, and a unique neck geometry. ...
6971586Water wall assembly for generating dynamically changing water patterns
A vertical water wall assembly (100) for generating dynamically changing water patterns in a contained channel (114) behind a viewing surface. The water wall assembly includes a translucent front sheet (110) directed toward a viewing space with ...
6971557Actuator for a pressurized material dispenser
An actuator orifice and an actuator for enhancing or creating a foam from a pressurized material dispenser. The actuator includes a skirt attached to the dispenser and a trigger movably mounted to the skirt. The trigger includes a flow conduit with a socket for rece...
6959838Toy water gun with distributor wheel
The present invention is directed to a toy gun system that may include a toy gun having a housing with a nozzle, wherein the toy water gun may be adapted to discharge an output stream of liquid through the nozzle. The toy gun system may further include a wheel fabri...
6953164Lawn irrigation system
A lawn irrigation system including a frame, a motor, a sprinkler arm, at least one drive wheel, and a cover. The motor is operably attached to the frame. The at least one drive wheel is operably connected to the motor. The sprinkler arm is operably connected to the ...
6945468Rainfall simulation apparatus
A rainfall simulation apparatus for a structure is provided, comprising a water source, an electric pump, a vertically oriented riser pipe, a perforated header pipe along the roof of the structure, a V-shaped aperture-containing trough connected to the roof, and an ...
6935760Ultrasonically induced plumbing-free controllable plurality of fountains and fog (ULIFOG)
The present invention provides a design of an apparatus that controllably generates plurality of fountains or fog. The apparatus comprises of a plurality of concave focused transducers that are immersed in a fluid with the focus located at the fluid surface. The app...
6918964Mechanized anthropomorphic car wash apparatus
An automated car wash system is provided comprising an anthropomorphic robot that serves to spray and clean cars prior to their entering into, or within, an automated car wash so as to remove surface dirt from the car, using a high-pressure spray gun. The robot is c...
6905388Water toy
A water toy is provided. The water toy includes a housing (15) and an inlet (54) for directing liquid into the housing. The water toy also includes a distribution assembly (30) disposed in the housing and coupled in fluid communication with the ...
6883722Portable relaxation and therapy device and kit
A portable relaxation and therapy device or kit includes a liquid retention basin having a bottom wall and a perimeter wall upstanding from the bottom wall to define at least one liquid chamber therewithin. A waterfall is provided having a reflecting surface extendi...
6857579Dispenser for scents or aromas
A dispenser for scents and aromas is disclosed. The dispenser includes at least one pad that is impregnated with a scent material. The pad is fitted in two opposing segments that fit together in a telescoping manner that form an airtight seal to prevent the scent ma...
6857582Vehicle windshield spraying and lighting assembly
A vehicle windshield spraying and lighting assembly (10) that includes a nozzle and light housing (12) that is designed to be attached to a vehicle's (80) hood cowling or hood (82). The housing (12) houses a rear facing adjustable ...
6848629Children's water toy
A children's water toy that has a base unit for directing flow of a fluid in a substantially vertical direction and a spraying unit configured to receive fluid from the base member and rebound the fluid to direct it out of the bottom of the spraying unit so that the...
6843428Fountain having lighted portion
A fountain having a substantially-rectangular fountain body having a dividing floor disposed horizontally therein, dividing the fountain body into a lower chamber open on its bottom end and an upper chamber open on its top end. A conduit, passing through the dividin...
6800015Scented waxed plush toys
A plush article is given a coating of wax which is imbued with a scent substance that diffuses slowly over time. That way, this coated scented plush article doubles not only as an ornamental accessory but also as a disguised air freshener. ...
6726118Water fountain support container
A water fountain support container for creating a water feature, comprising a base (5) having a bottom wall (9) and upstanding side walls (8) which together define a liquid reservoir (10), and, a lid (6) which locates on and is sup...
6698665Fragrance emitting apparatus
The present invention provides a fragrance emitting apparatus comprising: a container body containing an aqueous solution of a perfume composition; a sucking wick held at an opening part of a top of the container body and for sucking the aqueous solution;...
6695222Decorative fountain
A decorative fountain includes a hollow body having a recessed area provided with a nappe zone and a shower zone, and a reservoir defined in a bottom portion of the hollow body for receiving therein water. A water pump assembly is received in the reservoi...
6696116Device and method for flowing pellets
Pellets which may, for example, simulate snow are brought to a position such as the top of a tree from where they are dispensed. After falling to the bottom. the pellets are collected and re dispensed. The pellets are blown through a venturi tube and from...
6644560Fountain, kit, bracket and method of assembly
A fountain includes a container having a top with an opening therein, a bottom, and an interior for holding a liquid, such as water. An elongated, hollow support member is positioned within the interior and extending from the opening in the top. This supp...
6637679Lawn irrigation system
6607144Aquavision fountains pot
An aquavision fountains pot is constructed to include a pot body, a nozzle holder fastened to the pot body at the top, the nozzle holder defining a bottom water chamber and a light chamber and sealed with a bottom sealing plate carrying a set of LEDS, a w...
6592053Misting plant for evaporative air cooling
An evaporative cooling unit that sprays a water mist into the air to cool the air by evaporation of the water mist is disguised as to its function and purpose by including the misting nozzles and water supply conduits in a decorative structure, such as an...
6592049Water misting device
A water misting device has a hook and loop fastener connected to a nozzle mounting assembly. The nozzle mounting assembly has an inlet tube bore and a connected nozzle bore. A misting nozzle is attached to the nozzle mounting assembly. A water inlet tube ...
6578774Water sheeting manifold
A water sheeting manifold includes an enclosure having a hollow interior with a plurality of water-spreading chambers and a plurality of chamber-connecting passageways. The enclosure includes a water inlet that conveys a flow of water into the hollow inte...
6567772System for dynamic analysis of hydraulic performance in a CAD fire sprinkler system model
A processing system for dynamic analysis of hydraulic performance in a computerized fire sprinkler system model is provided to aid sprinkler designers in auto-peaking the system when at least one of the elements are in a flowing hydraulic state, the syste...
6530530Decorative fountain
The present invention provides decorative fountains, assemblies for fountains and decorative fountain kits. An assembly for a decorative fountain includes an overflow container defining a reservoir and an outlet in fluid communication with the reservoir, ...
6505782Aquavision fountains pot
An aquavision fountain pot is constructed to include a pot body holding an amount of water, a face panel mounted in the pot body, the face panel having separated waterways and top jet nozzles respectively disposed in communication with the waterways, a pl...
6491232Swinging garden sprinkler
A garden sprinkler includes a housing member, a driving member, a transmission member, and two spray members. The housing member is provided with a receiving space in which the driving member and the transmission member are mounted such that the driving m...
6439471Candle fountain
A candle fountain is provided which includes a base defining a reservoir therein which is adapted to hold a fluid, such as water. A pump having an inlet and an outlet is provided in communication with the base reservoir. A candle member is supported on th...
6431506Insert for gazing ball
An adapter assembly for mounting a hollow glass ornament such as a blown glass gazing ball onto a support structure, for example an upright sprinkler. The adapter assembly includes a cylindrical plastic body having a first end adapted to mate with a base ...
Sign InRegister
forgot password? | http://www.patentstorm.us/class/239/211/SIMULATIONS/1.html | dclm-gs1-164320000 |
0.021825 | <urn:uuid:5c1bf109-2c15-4309-85f8-802703828eae> | en | 0.911173 | U.S. patents available from 1976 to present.
U.S. patent applications available from 2005 to present.
Belt shifting idler pulley for reciprocating an abrasive belt
Patent 5830046 Issued on November 3, 1998. Estimated Expiration Date: Icon_subject October 28, 2016. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
Abstract Claims Description Full Text
Patent References
Belt stabilizing apparatus
Patent #: 4023426
Issued on: 05/17/1977
Inventor: Duryea, Jr.
More ...
No. 741018 filed on 10/28/1996
US Classes:
451/297, Belt tracking451/304, Reciprocating band carrier451/311, Tension device451/513, Including endless band tool holding member474/122, For shifting belt laterally474/133Guide roll mounted for movement of its axis along arcuate path to tension belt
Primary: Eley, Timothy V.
Attorney, Agent or Firm
International Class
B24B 021/20
The present invention relates generally to belt type abrading machines such as an endless belt sander or grinder. In particular, the present invention relates to idler pulleys that maintain tension on an endless belt trained between the idler pulley and a drive pulley. In even greater particularity, the invention relates to apparatuses that periodically move the idler pulley so that the endless belt periodically shifts on the drive pulley to distribute wear over the entire surface of the belt.
Long ago it was realized that by shifting the endless abrading belt relative to the workpiece in an abrading or sanding machine, the longevity of the belt could be increased. In a typical belt sander or grinder an endless abrasive belt is trained under tension between an idler pulley and a drive pulley. Some sanders have been manufactured that move one or both of the pulleys in a lateral direction relative to the other pulley so that the endless belt shifts position on one or the other pulley so that wear on the belt is evenly distributed over the entire surface area. Other belt sanders exist that periodically adjust the position and tension of the belt in response to sensors placed in proximity to the pulleys.
Numerous arrangements are known to accomplish the shifting of the belt. For example, Jakimcius, U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,684, discloses an endless belt abrading machine with a combined steering and tensioning roll which is mounted for up and down tilting movement and which is tilted alternately by oppositely inclined positions by a steering actuator so as to induce edgewise travel of the belt across the roll.
Rettew, U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,671, discloses an oscillating idler pulley-drive pulley column relative to a work piece holder table. The table also reciprocates relative to the column, and the speed and distance of movement of the table and column are variable.
Rasmussen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,510, discloses a three pulley arrangement belt grinder which has a plurality of work stations for grinding. A drive motor is mounted centrally within the machine head assembly which drives a large primary wheel. Tension on the abrasive belt and a V-belt is applied or released in incremental order with the revolution of a leveraged step cam. The arrangement includes hardware to evaluate machine dust, adjust V-belt and abrasive belt tension and adjust belt tracking camber.
Fuchs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,649, discloses a belt tracking adjustment mechanism for a belt type abrading machine. However, Fuchs' apparatus addresses a strategy for manual adjustment of the tracking of the belt over the pulleys.
While these references disclose some of the many available abrading machine arrangements, these arrangements are relatively complex and expensive. Moreover, none of the references disclose a simple, low-complexity combined tension and steering arrangement for continually shifting the abrading belt on the drive pulley with reciprocal idler pulley movement.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a low complexity idler pulley mounted on a tilting platform for shifting a belt trained around a drive pulley and the idler pulley.
Another object is to provide a combined steering and tensioning apparatus for an idler wheel for continually laterally shifting an endless belt trained between a drive pulley and the idler pulley.
In summary, the invention provides an apparatus for continually shifting an endless abrasive belt trained between a drive pulley and an idler wheel. The idler wheel is supported by an arm above a platform which reciprocally pivots transversely to the direction of travel of the endless belt. The platform is pivotally supported by a fulcrum mechanism at a pivot axis. A resilient member urges one side of the platform up while an air bladder below the other side of the platform continuously inflates and deflates, so that it alternately urges the other side of the platform upwardly or allows it to be urged downwardly by the resilient member. Alternatively, a second air bladder could replace the resilient member in a cooperative arrangement with the first bladder. A tensioning means biases the arm supporting the idler wheel away from the drive wheel to maintain tension on the endless belt between the idler wheel and the drive wheel. The bladder is continually filled with air and evacuated per a preselected time cycle to effect the reciprocal motion of the idler wheel.
Other features and objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description as well as a study of the appended drawings.
A idler pulley incorporating the features of the invention is depicted in the attached drawings which form a portion of the disclosure and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the idler pulley;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the idler pulley; and
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the idler pulley with the idler wheel in section.
Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of the function and structure of the invention, FIG. 1 shows the operational environment of the idler pulley 10. Drive pulley 11 is in operational communication with idler pulley 10 through an endless abrading belt 12 trained between the two pulleys. The abrading belt 12 rides on an idler wheel 13 which laterally shifts positions relative to the drive pulley 11 causing the belt 12 to shift positions on the drive wheel 14. The drive wheel is driven by a conventional electric motor 16, and a column 17 supports both the drive wheel and the motor in fixed relation to the idler pulley 10. As the belt 12 shifts positions on the drive wheel 14, any work piece held against the abrading belt in the optimal abrading contact area 18 will be abraded by most of the surface of the belt 12 within a short period of contact time. Due to the exposure of the full surface area of the abrading belt to the work piece, the useful life of the abrading belt is increased as well as increasing the effective friction.
Referring again to FIG. 1, idler wheel 13 is supported above an upper platform 19 with support arm 22. The lower end of the support arm 22 is connected to the upper platform 19 via journal bearing 21, which allows for pivotal motion of the support arm and idler wheel toward and away from the drive pulley 11. A rod 23 is orthogonally fixed to support arm 22 within a transversely oriented sleeve 25 formed on the upper end of the support arm. As more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, wheel 13 is rotatably supported by antifriction bearings on the end of rod 23 distal the sleeve 25 as indicated at 28. The rod is dimensioned to have the non-idler wheel end 26 extend through the sleeve 25. A linear actuator 24 has an upper end rotatably coupled to end 26, and a lower end pivotally attached to upper platform 19 at 27. The purpose of the actuator is to bias the upper end of the support arm (and thereby the idler wheel) away from the drive wheel 14 so that tension is continually maintained on the belt. While the lower end of the actuator 24 is shown attached to the upper platform 19, it should be understood that the lower end can be attached to any fixed support, relative to the drive pulley 11. For example, attaching the lower end of the actuator 24 to the lower platform 29, or a flat work surface 31 upon which the idler pulley 10 may be affixed would be suitable connection points.
To create lateral motion of the idler wheel 13, upper platform 19 is pivotally supported by a journal bearing 32 which has ends 33 rotatably attached to lower platform 29 via brackets 34. The upper platform 19 is pivotally supported by the bearing 32 at a selected point of pivot axis 36. The bearing is attached to the lower surface of the upper platform 19 to prevent movement of the pivot axis relative to the upper platform 19. The bearing is attached to the underside of the platform 19 by a weldment or brackets as is well known in the art. Pivotal motion is induced by an inflatable bladder 37 which is positioned between the lower platform 29 and the upper platform 19 to one side of the pivot axis 36. As the bladder is inflated, one side of the upper platform 19 is urged away from the lower platform 29, and concurrently the side of platform 19 opposite from the bladder side is urged toward the lower platform 29 due to the pivotal bearing attachment (See FIG. 3). Resilient biasing members 39 are positioned on the other side of pivot axis 36 between the upper and lower platforms opposite from the bladder position, and are compressed upon inflation of the bladder. Upon deflation of the bladder 37, the biasing members 39 urge their side of the platform 19 away from lower platform 29, thereby lowering the bladder side of the upper platform, to complete a full tilting cycle of platform 19. The biasing members also aid in deflation of the bladder by exerting compression force upon the bladder during the deflation stage of a tilting cycle. Alternatively, a second air bladder could be substituted for the biasing members 39 which would work in cooperative arrangement with the primary air bladder 37 to reciprocally urge the appropriate side of the platform 19. As the platform 19 tilts through a cycle, the support arm 22 and the attached idler wheel 13 also tilt relative to the lower platform 29 to create a reciprocal tilting motion of the belt riding on the idler wheel 13, which in turn causes a reciprocal shifting motion of the belt riding on the drive wheel 14. As is apparent from the figures, the parallel segments of the belt 12 trained between the drive wheel 14 and the idler wheel 13 define a vertical plane of travel between the two. To optimize the reciprocal tilting motion of the belt riding upon the idler wheel, pivot axis 36 should be kept in substantially parallel alignment with the aforementioned vertical plane. Continual tension is maintained on belt 12 with actuator 24 through the duration of a tilting cycle, as previously described.
FIG. 1 depicts the invention as including a lower platform 29 which also serves as a stand bolted onto a flat surface 31. However, it is not critical that the invention include a separate lower platform 29. As long as a supporting surface exists beneath the upper platform 19 so that the bladder can expand to urge one side of the upper platform up, a separate lower platform can be discarded. However, omission of the lower platform would require that bracket members 34 which support the journal bearing 32 be affixed directly to the supporting surface. Also, biasing members 39 would need to have one end affixed to the supporting surface in lieu of platform 29.
The mechanism for inflation of the bladder is most easily accomplished with a variable pressure timing valve connected with tubing to the bladder via a compressed air supply as is well known in the art. Alternatively, a pressure valve integral with the bladder may open for a preselected duration of time upon reaching a preselected pressure within the bladder. Furthermore, timing of the expansion and contraction of the bladder can be varied to control the period of tilting cycle for optimal wearing of various types of abrading belts. Although symmetric periods of shifting of the idler wheel would be typical, the apparatus contemplates irregular or non-periodic tilting cycles which may further improve belt-life. Non-periodic shifting can be accomplished with more sophisticated bladder expansion control systems.
While I have shown my invention in one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.
* * * * *
PatentsPlus Images
Enhanced PDF formats
PatentsPlus: add to cart
PatentsPlus: add to cartSearch-enhanced full patent PDF image
$9.95more info
PatentsPlus: add to cart
PatentsPlus: add to cartIntelligent turbocharged patent PDFs with marked up images
$18.95more info
Sign InRegister
forgot password? | http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5830046/description.html | dclm-gs1-164330000 |
0.104365 | <urn:uuid:b5ff1f87-eb45-4611-b2b2-5e35998d013d> | en | 0.941182 | People with Last Name of Jayeresquivel/1
PeopleFinders > People Directory > J > Jayeresquivel/1
If you're tracing someone with the last name Jayeresquivel/1, you are right where you should be. When you examine the results above, you will realize there are many people with the last name Jayeresquivel/1. In order to further your people search, you can restrict the number of results displayed by clicking on the link that contains the first name of the friend or relative you are in search of.
When you modify your search results, you will find access to a database of people with the last name Jayeresquivel/1 that match the first name you determined. You can also examine other people data such as date of birth, known locations, and possible relatives that will definitely help you to find the particular person you are hunting for.
If you have access to extra information about the individual you are trying to locate, such as their last known address or phone number, you can include the same in the search box above and further modify your results. This is an excellent way to pinpoint the Jayeresquivel/1 you are on the lookout for.
Popular People Searches
Latest People Listings
Recent People Searches
| http://www.peoplefinders.com/names/Jayeresquivel/1 | dclm-gs1-164340000 |
0.089135 | <urn:uuid:78bf6783-04e1-4bea-bdcb-36008162ff29> | en | 0.869111 | Beefy Boxes and Bandwidth Generously Provided by pair Networks Joe
There's more than one way to do things
Comment on
Usually, with a CMS, there come some predefined user groups and workflows.
You have different edit pages, and not everybody is allowed to edit all kinds of items. This usually means permission groups on the actions and items.
Usually, you have rules for publication approval of items, and maybe you can't publish your own items but have to have somebody else from a similar group approve that item.
Also, asset management like pictures of people, and a structure that keeps things that are used together available together, like a slideshow that accompanies are something I'd expect to find in a CMS.
In reply to Re^3: What does Mojolicious do exactly and is it right for me? (and CMS?) by Corion
and: <code> code here </code>
• Please read these before you post! —
For: Use:
& &
< <
> >
[ [
] ]
• Log In?
What's my password?
Create A New User
and the web crawler heard nothing...
How do I use this? | Other CB clients
Other Users?
Others scrutinizing the Monastery: (6)
As of 2014-03-16 22:39 GMT
Find Nodes?
Voting Booth?
Have you used a cryptocurrency?
Results (336 votes), past polls | http://www.perlmonks.org/index.pl?parent=1031395;node_id=3333 | dclm-gs1-164380000 |
0.119768 | <urn:uuid:1cda1da0-4d5d-4908-9577-0fccc5b9d1d0> | en | 0.975478 |
More like this: drinking, legends and the body.
Mary McCormack Bowles
The Well of the Dead, Culloden Moor - the body of Alexander MacGillivray of Dunmaglass the leader of Clan Chattan was found here. Alexander MacGillivray led his men on such a ferocious charge that he broke through the first line of defence of Cumberland's army before being killed. Legend has it that Highlanders are still seen drinking from the well...
Related Pins:
Stones at Culloden marking the site of the burial of various clans. These types of markers are scattered all over the moor. Legend has it, the heather will no longer grow where the graves are located... nor do birds sing over the moor.
St. James well drinking cup in Donohill, Tipperary County. Well water is believed to be most potent on the eve of a Saint's feast day
Jerusalem pub, Nottingham, England
Legend says that the pub was named the Last Drop because this was where those condemned to die by hanging would have their last drink! The menu is not very extensive, but come here for some Scottish cuisine like neeps and tatties or classic fish and chips and you won't be disappointed.
The oldest relic of the Armstrong clan. It stands 8 ft high and is carved from stone. It was erected (1320) in the memory of Alexander Armstrong, 2nd Laird Mangerton who was killed at Hermitage Castle by the wicked William de Soulis. Legends say this is the place where Armstrong's clansmen rested with his body overnight before taking him to Ettleton Cemetery (Ettleton Kirkyard) for burial - resting place for several other Armstrongs. Ettleton is a village near Castleton, Scottish Borders.
Sláinte is commonly used as a drinking toast in Ireland, literally translating as “health”.
The Nine Ladies of Stanton Moor, Derbyshire, England. Neolithic stone circle, (each about 3 ft. high, circle is 33 ft. in diameter), c. 2000-1000 BC; according to legend, the nine standing stones are witches caught dancing on the Sabbath to the sounds of the Devil's fiddle playing. Photograph copyright 1996. ... chinese johnny
in denmark, 1950, two brothers were digging peat to be used as fuel when they came across what is now known as the tollund man. he still had hair, skin, and a five o'clock shadow, so they assumed it was a recent murder victim and called the police. upon arrival, they noticed rope around his neck: this wasn't a recent murder victim. in fact, the body was from 300-400 BC, and was shockingly well preserved by the peat.
Scotland is home to the oldest tree in Europe (pictured), a twisted yew which has stood in Fortingall for 3,000 years. According to local legend, Pontius Pilate was born in its shade and played there as a child
Russian women and children recently liberated from a German concentration camp lay flowers at the bodies of 4 dead American soldiers. Russian eye witnesses reported the Americans were slain by German officers after they surrendered. Hilden, Germany 1945. | http://www.pinterest.com/pin/185280972141014806/ | dclm-gs1-164410000 |
0.034124 | <urn:uuid:ccab9512-a8dc-4538-8021-f51d70e4be97> | en | 0.875993 |
More like this: butterfly bush, plants and honeycombs.
Visit Site
Al Krismer Plant Farm
Buddleia X weyeriana ‘Honeycomb’ Butterfly Bush USDA Zone: 5-9 The fragrant, arching clusters of Butterfly Bush are irresistible to hummingbirds and butterflies. Really a shrub, plants are best treated like perennials and pruned back hard each spring, to maintain a compact, bushy habit. This vigorous selection has very long wands of creamy-yellow flowers, on a clump of grey-green leaves. Excellent for cutting. Removing faded flower heads will encourage plants to re-bloom
Related Pins:
Hyacinth For early spring perfume in the garden, nothing beats hyacinths. Plant them in fall in well-drained soil to enjoy their powerful scent the following spring. Flower colors range from purple to pink, red, white, and yellow
Buddleia davidii Nanho Blue buttefly bush mid summer mid fall 35-47 deer resistant grey green foilage
Aloe polyphylla- SPIRAL ALOE: Horticopia's Etsy
Butterfly Bush Honeycomb
Companion planting diagram
Miss Molly Buddleia Butterfly Bush
Buddleia davidii (Butterfly bush, Summer lilac)
Cut the bottom off a plastic pot to contain invasive plants & bury in the ground. Works very well for containing plants that tend to spread, This also works well for planting a plant in an area that tends to get filled with roots etc. from other plants. Use a larger pot so that the plant can spread its roots and grow deeper roots.
The stunning colors of the Dorothy Benedict Hosta....
Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ is a significant cultivar because, unlike the species, it is reliably winter hardy to the St. Louis area (USDA Zones 5b-6a). It is a compact cultivar that typically grows to 30’ tall with a dense, narrow, pyramdial-oval crown, and produces flowers and leaves that are approximately one-half the size of those on species’ plants | http://www.pinterest.com/pin/280208408036203164/ | dclm-gs1-164420000 |
0.074687 | <urn:uuid:788479e8-a91e-4961-afb3-efb33d4dec41> | en | 0.908368 | (03/17/1996 / China)
What do you think this poem is about?
Confused Mind......Confused Message.
My mind as empty as the blue sky cloudless and clear
as the rain starts to fall on my face it hits me like a spear
my clothes drenched with blood as the rocks rub againsted my body
like the bright red splotches of the war poppy.
the stars fall from the sky as the burst of fire leaves my eyes
numbing my body leaving my body paralysed
the hands piercing my head like knives
spinning in circles slowly taking my lives
drop low into the darkness and the flooding shadows
watching the devils eyes as the slowly follow
walking down the maze as dark as the blackness in a monster
searching for the mere answer
Submitted: Sunday, May 19, 2013
Edited: Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Read this poem in other languages
I would like to translate this poem »
What do you think this poem is about?
Poet's Notes about The Poem
Can you guess the message since i dont even know what it is and send me a private message. please read some more of my poems.
Comments about this poem (Confused Mind......Confused Message. by Cate Jade )
Enter the verification code :
There is no comment submitted by members..
[Hata Bildir] | http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/confused-mind-confused-message/ | dclm-gs1-164440000 |
0.997002 | <urn:uuid:0f6d6ca6-42c5-404a-bee1-e96c4ad2b964> | en | 0.962069 | you are viewing a single comment's thread.
view the rest of the comments →
[–]ProfSheaNexus 4 0 points1 point ago
We don't do that because it's considered in poor taste, but... that's a cultural thing with no real reason behind it. Jesus, we have white people tanning to make themselves darker and indian people using cream to make themselves lighter. When it comes down to it, It's all just a bunch of bullshit. | http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/16rrtq/make_me_asian_app_removed_from_google_play_store/c7z51oh | dclm-gs1-164500000 |
0.897398 | <urn:uuid:6804895e-ed09-4c5e-9d71-41edf61193c3> | en | 0.96552 | you are viewing a single comment's thread.
view the rest of the comments →
[–]DarkshiaraNathaniel James 2/7/2013 1:49am - 37 + 5 weeks 1 point2 points ago
Most likely, your body is going to go into labor naturally.
However, there are things that RNs and my OB/GYN have told me not to do because they could potentially cause labor, thus for I would suggest not doing them.
• Expressing your milk
• Ankle massage (I still don't understand why I can massage my ankles...) | http://www.reddit.com/r/BabyBumps/comments/171z4l/hey_ladies_are_there_safe_ways_to_naturally/c81l66x | dclm-gs1-164510000 |
0.998715 | <urn:uuid:8252f378-3129-4798-886f-0dc7289ceeec> | en | 0.978754 | you are viewing a single comment's thread.
view the rest of the comments →
[–]MrKequc 0 points1 point ago
Well you've gone and gotten us onto the topic of theoretical physics. Good one.
I am not a theoretical physicist, however as a layman what I understand is this. We don't have any examples of "nothing", what people often point to as a reference as to how god must have created everything. There is no such thing as the "nothing" that they are talking about. They speculate that before the big bang even though there is no evidence of this, that there was literally nothing. The evidence which suggests that "nothing" is actually something is that the universe exists. Pretty damning evidence honestly. And if "nothing" literally is nothing and god had to make nothing become something then what is "god"?
The naturalistic model of the big bang has been fairly sturdily evidenced as being at least partially accurate. For example the introduction of the higgs boson which matches the naturalistic big bang theory suggests that bosons existed before the big bang. | http://www.reddit.com/r/DebateReligion/comments/12k9po/attention_everyone_can_we_start_at_square_1_please/c6wchas | dclm-gs1-164520000 |
0.432828 | <urn:uuid:3ed64099-84a7-46e4-8ff8-b9cf7d8418f0> | en | 0.966563 | you are viewing a single comment's thread.
view the rest of the comments →
[–]Nozphexezora 1 point2 points ago
I'm asking a serious question, since I don't know much about American history, but why was John F. Kennedy so great?! He's a huge icon in American culture, and I have no clue why. It couldn't have just been because of the bizarre assassination.
[–]giantcatbear99 2 points3 points ago
He was lucky - legacy wise - he died before he could fuck anything up and before the press got nasty. Plus being young and attractive, and having an attractive family helped.
[–]enzo32ferrari 0 points1 point ago
see "American Royalty" | http://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryPorn/comments/1rablz/john_f_kennedys_coffin_lies_in_state_in_the/cdlsyv1?context=3 | dclm-gs1-164530000 |
0.198734 | <urn:uuid:4a43779b-7ce4-4fae-a11c-bc73ac4d3911> | en | 0.981384 | you are viewing a single comment's thread.
view the rest of the comments →
[–]Have_A_Nice_Fall 2151 points2152 points ago
For me I will be voting for Obama. The reason behind that is because I consider myself a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. My studies of people have made me care deeply about individuals and their personal liberties and rights. I have personally lived perfectly well-off to have a family unit break down and have nothing. However, with hard work and help from others we got back on our feet.
I care more about the individual and Obama definitely supports personal rights of all citizens at a higher level than Romney, who supports corporate personhood.
Obama has been attempting to pass job bills in Congress only to be blocked by the opposing party. He also at least understands that more wars = bad news better than Romney.
Also, during the republican nominee process they pandered to some of the most racist and theocracy wanting people in the country for votes. I could never, ever, support viewpoints that trample others to legislate their own.
I would be terribly distraught if I voted third party to only see Romney win. Those people clearly don't give a shit about any other viewpoint than their own as exemplified by their treatment of Ron Paul delegates yesterday. They wouldn't give even half a shit about the portion of America who supports Johnson. It's all about the money flow for their personal pockets in the Republican party now. They outspend every Democratic president we've had and claim that they want to cut back on government spending. I'm just gonna stop now since I could go on for days.
TL;DR - I don't love Obama. However, the Republican party is so repugnant I have to show I'd rather support Obama
Edit 1: I will try and get to as many people's comments, questions, and rebuttals as possible. For now I have to go workout. I'll be on later though. Loving the discussion.
Edit 2: as pointed out by u/redpossum, I should have stated "social liberal" not "social democrat"
[–]tmh8901 4 points5 points ago
You basically just described yourself as a libertarian, yet you will not be voting for Gary Johnson. You are afraid of Romney winning so you vote Obama? Why don't you vote for the candidate who is most similar to your own views, like GJ. Voting for the lesser of two evils is never a good way to vote.
[–][deleted] 1 point2 points ago
Voting for the lesser of two evils is arguably the best way to vote. A vote for Johnson is totally pointless, if you know someone would be a bad president you should vote for the only guy who can beat them.
This happens a lot and is very effective. It was done int he Alaskan and Conneticut Senate races to keep in the current senator as a third party nominee when they were defeated for the party nomination. And when people fail to do it you get Mark Rubio as Senator from Florida. | http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/z0mt7/as_a_ron_paul_supporter_what_happened_at_the/c60htgo?context=3 | dclm-gs1-164540000 |
0.058202 | <urn:uuid:0c744221-d6d8-41ce-802a-1c8e6d432542> | en | 0.966422 | University of Waterloo :: reddit student and alumni-run Reddit for University of Waterloo community. of Waterloo :: reddit do you find out whats going on at UWaterloo?, 29 Jan 2013 18:06:52 -0800<!-- SC_OFF --><div class="md"><p>I see a problem at Waterloo that there are a lot of cool things going on that people don't know about. How true do you think this is? How are you currently finding out about what is going on?</p> <p>If enough people see this problem as a legitimate one, I'm willing to try to make it better. Any suggestions on how to go about it?</p> <p>Thanks!</p> </div><!-- SC_ON --> submitted by <a href=""> ubermatt </a> <br/> <a href="">[link]</a> <a href="">[8 comments]</a> on Where do you find out whats going on at UWaterloo? you mean events happening at UW? I rely mainly on The Daily Bulletin, Facebook groups and Twitter. Occasionally, bulletin boards across campus. But yes, I do end up missing events here and there for sure. on Where do you find out whats going on at UWaterloo? GGG to link to all of the above or a super GGG that imports all those to one page and embed on the /uwaterloo homepage on Where do you find out whats going on at UWaterloo?'re going to work on an Events tab on so people can search event content separately from web pages, but this will only cover events that are posted on Drupal sites. Members from our team and others on campus are going to be working on a Student Portal which could aggregate this sort of thing. Student involvement is always great, so if you would like to work on this problem with a team of campus IT staff please contact me. on Where do you find out whats going on at UWaterloo? is a perrenial project to implement some sort of centralized events calendar, but it runs into the problem of trying to be everything for everyone. I guarantee that only a small fractions of events are of any interest to a given individual, and that signal-noise ratio means that people check it once and never return. That is of course assuming that you make the submission process easy enough that anyone can submit. If you don't then you don't get any events. Unfortunately, this system requires moderation to prevent spam, which results in one of two things: * If the site is administration run, this leads to censorship and slow approval response times. * If it's run by volunteers/students, it dies out when they go on coop/graduate. Furthermore, unless they dedicate time to advertise, they never get events. A unified calendar for events on campus is clearly a desired service. It's been a part of many Feds campaign platforms over the years ([this year is no exception -Page 40](, not to mention the numerous independent and administration attempts. Examples: * - Users could submit free food events to a google calendar. No advertising done, so few events were posted. It switched to a [Twitter Account]( Appears to now be a spambot. * []( - Admin controlled. Used to be in a nicer format. Great example of signal to noise. There are some obvious attempts at dividing the events by interest group, but longstanding things like "Earth Sciences Museum Tours" are not really events, but just saying "Hey, we're still open!" * [OMGUW Events]( - Good idea, I thought that their active community would enable it to flourish. Lack of effort means it's now a empty page with some spambots. * [The Daily Bulletin's When and Where]( - Perhaps the best events calendar on campus, despite the site's switch from interesting UW news to marketing propoganada. * And there have been so many more... All in all, this is something that students crave. However, there are significant technical, social, and political issues that have prevented any one of them from being successful. on Where do you find out whats going on at UWaterloo? for the incredibly detailed reply! I never knew about those. The calendar and daily bulletin seem to be very focused on university run events. There are a lot of cool club and society events that are not included on both of these. I agree that there is an issue with the signal-noise ratio. However this could potentially be solved by some better tagging and filter options. Right now all clubs and society events must fill out a Feds club event form. By adding a few more fields to that form regarding online promotion, we could potentially sync it with the and have a centralized database. From there, someone could filter out events of interest. Thoughts? on Where do you find out whats going on at UWaterloo?**Edit: Fixed some grammar and a broken link.** Who should build a unified events calendar for all events that occur on campus? **The Federation of Students:** As I mentioned, Feds has wanted to do this for years. The problem with Feds is that they don't have the technical skills and resources to develop such applications/websites. (They have a small tech division, but they are generally busy with keeping things running internally) Because of this, the [Student Developer Network]( was started. Their goal was to harness the power of student developers to improve Fed's technical offerings. Their first project was supposed to be a replacement/upgrade of [the FedBus website.]( It's over [2 years late]( But that's not to bash on the SDN. The problem is that developers tend to prefer to work on their own brainchild projects. The SDN realized this and did a marvellous job of transforming into what they are today: a place for student developers to meet and showcase their work. This is all to say that I don't think Feds has the resources to achieve this goal. If not Feds, who should work on this project? **The University Administration:** The administration is another obvious choice. The user [kolafson]( who I responded to, is a member of the University's IST department (whom I respect since he is honestly attempting to improve this school). This is to say that IST has been recently looking for 'student experience improvement' projects. One team has been working for the past 6 months on an Android app for UW students (but that's another story). The problem with the administration developing and maintaining a central events calendar is very simple: censorship. Whether you realize it or not, the University's image is their #1 asset, and UW has a fairly powerful marketing team to ensure that this image remains untarnished. In recent years, the image they have been promoting can be summed up as ["Our [students] are totally focused [on academic success]"]( Anything that threatens that image will be suppressed to the best of their abilities. This is why when I was looking into having University resources help support [The Warrior Wiki](, I was warned by members of IST with the phrase "It won't be today, it won't be tomorrow, it won't even be next month; But by the end of the year the university's media department will be actively censoring the site". Maybe that was a bit too dark. Instead consider this: Imagine that the university administration had a wonderful, unified, central events calendar that had every event happening at the university. Anyone who wants to know what's happening on campus uses the site. Anyone could submit events or browse through the past events to gain inspiration for future events they might want to host. **Scenario 1:** Now imagine that some students decided that they [wanted to organize and host an 'Epic Sex Club Adventure']( Wanting publicity for the event, they submit it to the university's calendar. An event like this is likely to cause [some]( [ire]( in the community if the media got a hold of it, and directly contradicts the 'Our students are 100% academically focused.' line. I leave it as a thought exercise to you to decide whether this event would be posted to the calendar or not. However, I posit that it would not, or if it were, that it would be buried away under layers of filters (possibly with a modified title and description) and not given equal treatment as any other legitimate event. **Scenario 2:** The university has a falling out with the Federation of Students after news of a brawl at Bomber reaches headlines of the K-W Record. The university overreacts and [shuts down Bomber until they can address 'safety concerns']( Feds takes them to court claiming that they broke their contract to allow Bomber to operate. Do you think that after this sort of falling out, the administration will be as willing to post events run by Feds? I used Feds as an example since it **actually happened**, but the same goes for any group that draws particular ire from the administration. Speaking of which... **Scenario 3:** The University declares that it is not renewing the licence for Fed Hall. The students are not happy with this and plan a [protest to storm the Board of Governors meeting]( Do you think that the administration would make sure that such an event gets mentioned on the calendar that everyone is checking to “find out what’s going on at UWaterloo”? This is the problem with having the university host it. Events will not be treated equally. They will be censored or hidden. Further, this assumes that the university actually devotes resources into supporting such an endeavour. As anyone who has dealt with the administration can tell you, they are not quick to reply to emails (and often their devotion to their jobs ends at 4:30pm). Events submitted with short notice, events submitted after work hours, or events submitted on weekends, will just have to wait to be posted until someone gets around to it. So no, the university administration does not appear to be the best solution to this project. **Independent Student Group** This project could be taken up by an independent organization, one that doesn't care about politics or image, one that has a zest for improving things for students, and one with the technical know-how to handle it. The problem with independents is that they are almost exclusively students. Students are a problem for two reasons: * Time: UW is a tough school academically (When the university was designing its first engineering program, it looked to the hardest engineering school in Canada, UofT, and upped the work requirements of the students by 10%.). Students who have the technical know-how often feel that they don't have the time required to work on extra-curriculars. Student groups who are dedicated may be able to build the site, but it takes an extra degree of resilience to continue operating it when midterms/exams/assignments strike. * Graduation: Students are only here for a handful of years. Even if they are the most enthusiastic volunteers and care about operating such a website, they eventually graduate and stop caring. We see this with the [litter of websites]( that were created and have since been abandoned. We see this in the [thousands of clubs]( that have vanished into the lost pages of history. **Independent company** There are companies that specialize in running events websites. I'm going to rule them out for the following reason: * They need to make money to stay in business. Their revenue models are not necessarily in the students' best interests. In theory, there is nothing from stopping a benevolent corporation from running the calendar show (except lack of profits). But I wouldn't hold your breath. **Summary** There are many groups who could take the project of unified calendar, here is my breakdown: Admin: * Advantages: Here forever, large resources * Disadvantages: Censorship, Slow to react/respond Feds: * Advantages: Here forever, (Theoretically) Has the best interest of students at heart * Disadvantages: Not enough technical know-how, Some censorship for political and/or "legal reasons" Independent Corporation: * Advantages: Independent * Disadvantages: Needs money, Needs incentive to improve beyond basic needs Independent Student groups: * Advantages: Enthusiastic, Has the best interest of students at heart * Disadvantages: Limited resources **Closing Remarks** I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the best group (that I know of) for this is probably [OMGUW]( They have been operating successfully for over 3 years now, updates quite frequently at all times of the day, and has some (although limited) technical know-how. They have a dedicated group of volunteers and have survived the churn of generations of students. With a little bit of effort, I could see this becoming a real events hub for the students of the university. Please remember that although this post has become stupidly long, it doesn't cover everything about the topic. There are many reasons why such a calendar does not exist, and why the numerous attempts before it have all failed to grab the attention of the students. Any system will either have to have the buy-in of the various groups that will be submitting events, or will have to be designed to scrape events from the calendars that these groups create themselves. This means that until people can put aside their politic-ing, we are unlikely to see an events calendar on campus that contains all the awesome events that happen. That doesn't mean that we can't do a lot better than what we have today... on Where do you find out whats going on at UWaterloo? subreddit. on Where do you find out whats going on at UWaterloo?'ve found events through EventBrite before. | http://www.reddit.com/r/uwaterloo/comments/17j9nd/where_do_you_find_out_whats_going_on_at_uwaterloo/.rss | dclm-gs1-164550000 |
0.690628 | <urn:uuid:5a53a4a8-6c9a-4ad9-a10b-5770a69179be> | en | 0.942804 | you are viewing a single comment's thread.
view the rest of the comments →
[–]llamastolemykarmavegetarian 0 points1 point ago
I wouldn't eat leftovers more than three days after cooking. Any longer that that and I would consider freezing the leftovers first. Remember, just because you're a vegetarian doesn't mean you're immune to food poisoning.
If I were going to eat the same meal all week I'd choose something that could be changed up each time. For example chilli is good - you can pour it over corn chips, or use it in enchiladas/tacos/fajitas, serve it with rice or baked potatoes, or you know...just eat it out of the bowl...
Sometimes I like to make a whole lot of roast pumpkin, potato, parsnip, sweet potato, carrot, onion etc. Then later I can reheat and eat, chop it up and add to salads or pizzas, use in sandwiches, bake into a quiche, throw over plain pasta, blend into roast vege soup etc.
Curry stores and reheats well - try a lovely Thai coconut curry, or a tasty spinach and paneer curry. It also freezes well - at any one point I'll have a few curries stored in the freezer for "emergencies*"
Hope that helps!
*Not actual emergencies.
[–]PerryBernini[S] 0 points1 point ago
That's really helpful, thank you!
[–]joeyextreme 0 points1 point ago
3 days? Try 5-8. Just use a clean container and keep your fridge cold. Your nose can detect most anything that could give you food poisoning at home.
Source: I'm Servsafe certified and have never given myself food poisoning. | http://www.reddit.com/r/vegetarian/comments/1uem40/looking_for_meals_to_make_on_the_weekend_that/cehayco?context=3 | dclm-gs1-164560000 |
0.018142 | <urn:uuid:fe317dc9-e8e4-4467-8a13-3fd3bba996fa> | en | 0.957525 | reddit is a website about everything
powered by community, democracy, and you.
learn more ›
Performance socks and compression sleeves GIVEAWAY! 16 winners randomly selected [Mod Approved] by thirty48in Fitness
[–]lpaul001 [score hidden] ago
My favorite place to workout is my university's gym. But once it gets less icy I'm excited to get out and run the trail by the river! Running socks would be awesome.
[show replies]
Bad luck cranefly by BroscientistsHateHimin AdviceAnimals
[–]lpaul001 3 points4 points ago
They're super cute in their larval stage too.
What are you currently obsessed with? by mmm_donutsin AskReddit
[–]lpaul001 0 points1 point ago
I think that is the perfect way to describe it. S1E6 for me tonight!
MRW I do anything right. by gianlunchmeatin TrollXChromosomes
[–]lpaul001 0 points1 point ago
I think I watched it on hulu. It's really good.
What sentence are you most afraid of hearing? by [deleted]in AskReddit
[–]lpaul001 1 point2 points ago
I'm really dreading hearing these words. If they can't fix me I don't know what I'll do.
Fittit, it is Sunday. Tell us your Victory this week. by menuitemin Fitness
[–]lpaul001 1 point2 points ago
I've always been pretty self conscious about my body, mostly my legs. Yesterday my best friend came to the gym with me and she said she wanted help to get her legs more in shape and to make them look more like mine. Definitely a confidence boost!
Talk to me about quinoa by uptheboroin Fitness
[–]lpaul001 0 points1 point ago
Oh god I need to make that
People of Reddit, what tips can you give on how to lose weight and keep it off? by Gooflesin AskReddit
[–]lpaul001 4 points5 points ago
Just looking at what you normally consume in a day can make you say what the fuck. Writing it down makes you actually think about what you're putting in your mouth.
A Gym Etiquette Thread For New Year Newbies by boobieaficionadoin Fitness
[–]lpaul001 3 points4 points ago
But then how will everyone in the gym know to look and see how much you just lifted and be in awe of how awesome you are?
2013 New Years Megathread #2! by roastedbagelin AskReddit
[–]lpaul001 0 points1 point ago
That guy that I've been hoping would change his mind for the last month and a half? Fuck him. My resolution is to learn to be okay on my own. I'm a strong independent white woman and I don't need no man!
Most read books. An odd collection. by 32082in Images
[–]lpaul001 2 points3 points ago
I have at least three on my shelf
My parents thought it would be hilarious to put these on my plate for Christmas lunch. They were right. by All_Halein pics
[–]lpaul001 1 point2 points ago
As a college student I would be super disappointed. I miss brussel sprouts.
What is the best sandwich? And what are the ingredients to make it? by TheOnionBaggerin AskReddit
[–]lpaul001 3 points4 points ago
I visited Pittsburgh a couple months ago. Went to Primanti's one night for dinner and ended up going back the next day for lunch. I got a shirt just to be able to prove those delicious memories are true. I swear I can still taste the coleslaw.
HIFW my mom told me all of my other siblings are bringing their SOs with them for Christmas. by LittleEdiein TrollXChromosomes
[–]lpaul001 6 points7 points ago
Oh god. This is going to be me. "What happened to the guy you brought last year?" "We liked him." "But you're pretty how are you single?" "You'll find someone new soon!"
Winter is coming by H_Savagein dogpictures
[–]lpaul001 1 point2 points ago
Is this a doodle thing? My mom's does the same thing. She loves to just rub her face in the snow.
Procrastinating on Reddit when I hit the jackpot by elpeain AdviceAnimals
[–]lpaul001 1 point2 points ago
I needed an article on a recent smog event for a paper, so I went on reddit. It just may have taken me a bit to find...
Technically it's both by JonLucain funny
[–]lpaul001 0 points1 point ago
As someone from Western Mass going to school in the North Country I have to contantly tell people that New York isn't and never will be part of New England. I don't give a fuck about what they think.
Best. Hat. EVER! Thanks reddit by Harlemdowntrottersin aww
[–]lpaul001 18 points19 points ago
Bottle ax?
This sub is about to get VERY busy soon. We need to remind people who are seeking advice to state their GOALS, any physical limitations or injuries they may have and what, if any, type of exercise they enjoy doing. by DogPencilin Fitness
[–]lpaul001 4 points5 points ago
Oh god this guys at my gym too. I almost want to believe somethings wrong with his legs. They are absolutelt tiny for his huge upper body. He even takes the elevator the two floors to the exit.
What's your favorite fun fact? by North_Shore_Problemin AskReddit
[–]lpaul001 0 points1 point ago
Squirrels can tell the difference between acorns from red and white oaks.
Concerning your own phobias, what is reserved for you in your own chamber in hell? by Ehhtoobrutein AskReddit
[–]lpaul001 2 points3 points ago
That pit in the, I think, second Saw movie full of syringes. I can't watch that part.
One of my favorite games as a child. by nocluewhatimdoinin nostalgia
[–]lpaul001 4 points5 points ago
Holy fuck I love this game
Reddit, what do you want for Christmas? by AlbrightB2in AskReddit
[–]lpaul001 1 point2 points ago
Everyone in my family to stop arguing and telling each other what to do for a few hours and actually get along. That and some nice camping gear would make me very happy. | http://www.reddit.com/user/lpaul001/comments/?sort=hot | dclm-gs1-164570000 |
0.054249 | <urn:uuid:c7bb7129-1a1b-4052-8d31-9701dfb5062f> | en | 0.94723 | Workouts to Improve Lactate Clearing Rates
March 31, 2011
Ask most runners what causes fatigue, and the answer is almost always lactic acid, or its scientific cousin lactate. The mere mention of the word conjures up memories of intense pain, struggle, and the infamous butt lock during the final stretch of a race. Contrary to popular belief, however, lactate is a runner's friend, not foe. Instead of being an evil substance that causes the elephant to jump on your back in the finishing stretch of a race, lactate is a key fuel source when you run fast.
What gives lactate its bad reputation? As you run faster, your rate of lactate production and consumption rises, but as a well-trained runner, you can "clear" the lactate as quickly as you produce it. At some point, however, either because of running faster or because of holding a fast pace for too long, you produce more lactate than you can clear from your bloodstream. When this happens, the hydrogen ions associated with producing lactate turn off the enzymes used to produce energy and may interfere with your uptake of calcium. As a result, your muscles' ability to contract is reduced and you're forced to slow. In other words, all the sensations commonly associated with "lactic acid" appear when you can no longer process lactate as quickly as you produce it.
Tempo runs and cruise intervals are the traditional training means to address this issue. By improving your ability to clear or tolerate lactate as it's increasingly produced, these training strategies allow you to sustain a faster pace for longer. While conventional tempo runs and cruise intervals work fine, elite coaches and Kenyan athletes have added a new wrinkle that may help runners increase the use of lactate during a race and therefore help clear it and all the corresponding fatiguing products out much quicker.
Renato Canova, an Italian coach who works with many of the world's best runners, believes one factor that sets East African runners apart is that they're better able than their Western counterparts to clear lactate at race speeds. Most runners are able to clear lactate quickly at speeds up to threshold or tempo speed, or somewhere between 15K and half marathon race pace; faster than that, our clearing mechanisms are overwhelmed and there's an increasing stream of lactate pouring into our blood.
To get around these shortcomings, two workouts can be used. Both work on the principle that instead of keeping lactate steady, it should undulate, meaning that a segment of faster running to increase lactate production should be followed by a slower segment that allows for clearance of the previously produced lactate to take place.
The first method is what Canova calls alternations. Alternations consist of a continuous run where segments of slightly faster running are alternated with periods of slightly slower running. For half marathon and shorter races, the goal is to have one segment at race pace and one slightly slower than a traditional tempo pace. A good rule of thumb is to begin the season with the slower segment at 20 to 40 seconds per mile slower than your normal tempo run pace. Over the course of the training period, gradually speed up this segment so that the gap between the paces of the two segments decreases. When training for the marathon, race pace should be alternated with a pace that's initially 15 to 20 seconds faster per mile, as this will train the body to use lactate as a fuel source at marathon pace.
Detailed below is a progression through a series of alternations leading up to a half marathon.Half Marathon Alternations Progression
In the 10 weeks leading up to a half marathon, do this series of workouts to improve your ability to clear lactate at race pace.
HM = half marathon goal pace per mile.
10 WEEKS TO GO: 6 miles alternating 400m at HM +5 seconds/mile with 1200m at HM +40 seconds/mile
8 WEEKS TO GO: 7 miles alternating 600m at HM with 1,000m at HM +35 seconds/mile
6 WEEKS TO GO: 7 miles alternating 800m at HM-5 seconds/mile with 800m at HM +35 seconds/mile
4 WEEKS TO GO: 8 miles alternating 1,000m at HM-10 seconds/mile with 600m at HM +30 seconds/mile
2 WEEKS TO GO: 8 miles alternating 1,000m at HM-10 seconds/mile with 600m at HM +20 seconds/mile | http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/workouts-improve-lactate-clearing-rates?page=1 | dclm-gs1-164630000 |
0.034376 | <urn:uuid:e079b8f5-9c02-4563-8575-76c811324865> | en | 0.944769 | The wielder is immune to Ground-type moves.
Type Tier
Electric / Grass RU
Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
Min- Min Max Max+
- 241 304 -
149 166 229 251
225 250 313 344
221 246 309 339
225 250 313 344
187 208 271 298
The often-overlooked middle child of the Rotom family, Rotom-C is outclassed for the most part by Rotom-W in the OU metagame, as the latter sports both better STAB coverage and defensive typing. Rotom-C's dual STABs are resisted by both Grass- and Dragon-type Pokemon, which are very common. While it does have a resistance to the ever-present Water-type moves, it is weak to Ice attacks, common coverage moves for these Pokemon.
However, Rotom-C manages to create a niche for itself as an excellent member on VoltTurn teams thanks to its ability to defeat most VoltTurn counters. It separates itself from Rotom-W by being able to beat Gastrodon and opposing Rotom-W easily, as well as resisting Electric-type moves. Its dual STABs, while otherwise redundant, make sure Ground-type Pokemon that would normally switch in to block Volt Switch do not dare to do so in fear of a STAB Leaf Storm. Overall, Rotom-C is a very niche Pokemon, but it performs its role well. Do not expect it to easily fit onto a team, however.
Name Item Nature
Leftovers Calm
Moveset EVs
~ Volt Switch / Thunderbolt
~ Leaf Storm
~ Will-O-Wisp
~ Pain Split
252 HP / 68 Def / 188 SpD
This is the only set Rotom-C can run without being outclassed, utilizing its favorable typing, high defenses, and good resistances to common moves. It sets itself apart from other Rotom formes by being able to beat certain Pokemon that VoltTurn teams—and Rotom-W in particular—have problems with. Examples include Gastrodon, which would normally easily come in to block Volt Switch, as well as opposing Rotom-W. Rotom-C also has a resistance to Grass- and Electric-type moves, which Rotom-W lacks, allowing it to be a decent check to Breloom and Choiced Thundurus-T locked into an Electric-type move. While it is weak to Fire- and Ice-type moves, Rotom-C resists common Water-type attacks, such as Politoed's Hydro Pump, and can threaten there users with STAB Leaf Storm or gain momentum with Volt Switch.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Other Options
If your team has a Celebi weakness, Rotom-C can use Signal Beam to quickly KO it. Rotom-C can run Rain Dance to back up Politoed's Drizzle. A Choice Scarf set is usable but is outclassed by Rotom-W. A dual screens set can be used with Light Clay, but there are generally better dual screens users, such as Espeon. Confuse Ray can provide confusion support, but confusion is generally not the most reliable status.
Checks and Counters
Rotom-C is walled by many Pokemon, such as Blissey, Chansey, and specially defensive Heatran. While it can run Trick to attempt to cripple these counters as well as other members of stall teams, the three will have a field day against Rotom-C that attempt to stay in and battle. Latios and Latias are also problematic as they resist both Rotom-C's STABs and can become deadly sweepers after just one turn of setup. They also have access to Roost, preventing them from being worn down by burn.
Grass-types, such as Ferrothorn, Virizion, and Celebi, give Rotom-C a lot of trouble due to resisting its STAB moves. While Rotom-C can run Hidden Power Fire, Ferrothorn can switch in on those that don't run it—or even those that do provided rain is up—and set up entry hazards. However, it is crippled by Will-O-Wisp and cannot recover with Leech Seed due to Rotom-C's Grass typing. Celebi is another great counter to Rotom-C because of its high Special Defense. It can take anything Rotom-C can throw at it and retaliate back by either gaining momentum via U-turn or attacking with Hidden Power Ice or STAB Psychic. Virizion is an unconventional yet effective answer as it can also use Rotom-C as setup bait due to its great typing, high Special Defense, and access to Calm Mind, Work Up, and Swords Dance.
Ice-types, particularly Kyurem, Kyurem-B, and Abomasnow, give Rotom-C trouble as they resist its STABs due to their Dragon or Grass typings; Abomasnow is able to revenge kill Rotom-C with Ice Shard as well. Numerous Fire-type Pokemon can also effectively check Rotom-C due to their resistance to Leaf Storm; these include Volcarona, Victini, and Ninetales. Ninetales and Volcarona both have naturally high base Special Defense, and the latter can set up on Rotom-C easily.
Last but not least, faster Pokemon that pack a strong super effective move can easily revenge kill Rotom-C; one such example is Mamoswine with STAB Icicle Crash. | http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/rotom-c/ou?level=100 | dclm-gs1-164690000 |
0.025236 | <urn:uuid:2a4a3e37-d5c1-47e7-bcfe-23510aa8d770> | en | 0.990347 | Oil Talks in Istanbul as Erbil-Baghdad Reportedly Close to Solving Row
"We have never been this close to a deal," the Reuters news agency quoted him as saying. "The issues that caused an impasse have been identified. There's been quite a bit of progress made," he told the agency in an interview. | http://www.stockhouse.com/companies/bullboard/v.wzr/westernzagros-resources-ltd?postid=22213457 | dclm-gs1-164700000 |
0.1856 | <urn:uuid:d0d236ac-43df-4377-8edf-f9fe9fab5630> | en | 0.896236 | Umbria's slow pleasures
A taste of Italy A family food adventure in Italy Top tips for flying to Europe
Izmir is a turn for the best
tURKEY If you're up for a slightly harrowing series of road trips, the southwest Turkish coast is a fantastic place.
A resort for the famous
Saint Tropez The ocean takes on a soft colour, like an actress taking off her makeup and revealing her face.
Tour de plonk
wine A few generous glasses make a picturesque trip even more interesting.
Twenty reasons to visit Prague
Prague Prague does a fabulous job of acting as an introductory course to architecture.
Thirty-five degrees of difference
DO NOT USE - WAS ONE TIME TRAVEL USE ONLY The question is often asked, "When is the best time to go to Paris"?
The height of luxury
At Courchevel, it all comes down to the richer you are, the higher you stay.
Brushes with fame
Paris and its freewheeling ways
Expat tales: Little Italy
Lerici, Italy Melissa Farrell lives in a quaint town on the stunning Ligurian coast.
Walking up an appetite
Find the heart of Rome
Rome on a budget
Rome in three ways
Wandering the Eternal City provides sumptuous historical architecture and insights.
Munchen ado about winter
Munich There's nothing like a white Christmas in Europe.
Beautiful Nuremberg
Reminders of Nuremberg's golden age, as the heart of the Roman Empire, are everywhere.
Expat tales: Germany
Europe's 'poor but sexy' city
A trip through time
In the ancient city of Kassel, two men began collecting local folk tales. | http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/europe | dclm-gs1-164720000 |
0.025905 | <urn:uuid:a6d5bcea-ee42-42db-92e7-a50a20b0ba07> | en | 0.94348 | The Yahama TMAX is the latest super sports scooter from Yamaha, and it is difficult to ascertain whether the Yamaha TMAX is a scooter or a bike.
The TMAX is an electronic injection system bike with
four-valve-per-cylinder engine and ceramic-composite plated cylinders. A fuel-efficient bike, the TMAX has a tank capacity of four gallons and its gas fuel tank emission system is specially designed to reduce air pollution. The Yahama TMAX will cost around $8,490 and is expected to hit the road in February this year. | http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yamaha-tmax | dclm-gs1-164930000 |
0.050148 | <urn:uuid:128d4c6f-b435-4013-83cf-7b2a68ec7fc3> | en | 0.846746 | First: Mid: Last: City: State:
Clara Andaya
Find the most recent information on Clara Andaya by browsing USA-People-Search.com. Our detailed database of public records and online tools make it simple to find who you're looking for. Find out Clara Andaya's age, year of birth, prior addresses, aliases, and more.
Expedite your search for the right Clara Andaya by accessing all of the public records available in our thorough database. Find the correct Clara using info like previous residences, age, and relatives. Access further information, including background checks, criminal profiles, and email addresses on USA-People-Search.com. If this Clara is not the person you're looking for, refer to the list of people with the last name Andaya below. This list could include name, age, location, and relatives.
Include even more details into the search fields on the left for relevant results. A first name, middle name, last name, city, state and/or age can be the missing piece to locating Clara Andaya. Use the map to get a visual sense of their whereabouts. When you find the Clara Andaya you need to locate, you can then access any public records info we have on Clara Andaya. Our reliable database makes gathering information about anyone quick and easy.
Name/AKAsAgeLocationPossible Relatives | http://www.usa-people-search.com/names/p/Clara-Andaya | dclm-gs1-164950000 |
0.039637 | <urn:uuid:30481c40-056c-4f36-b167-d2e3ffbb058e> | en | 0.974279 | CHICAGO - Major League Baseball remains undecided whether it will expand instant replay in time for the 2013 season, but vice president Joe Torre believes a decision will be made by next spring.
"The commissioner has made it known that balls down the line and fair or foul down the line past the bag, and trapped plays,'' Torre said, "are the only thing we're looking at. We're looking into what the best way to go about it is. We're not hiding from the fact there is an outcry for this.
"The thing that disturbs me - I'm of a mind that the game is run pretty well - but a game with new technology coming aboard, you certainly have to pay attention to it. The thing is our game is a little unique. There's not a lot of time stoppage, so to make sure that if we do implement replay … you're [not] going to slow this game down and you're going to upset the rhythm of the game.
"We're gathering all of the information, were looking at technology that we tested, were not ready to come out and talk about what our plan is at this point in time.
"Whether we do something for next season or not, by the time that we start next season, I'm confident we'll have a plan.''
Commissioner Bud Selig says that he is open for expanded replay, but only on fair or foul balls and trapped balls in the outfield.
"Look, I am a traditionalist at heart,'' Selig said, "but I'm not unwilling to talk about things. So we'll just pursue that. We'll spend a lot of time this winter talking about it. I'm not adverse to that.'' | http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2012/11/15/mlb-instant-replay-2013-bud-selig/1707097/ | dclm-gs1-164960000 |
0.672211 | <urn:uuid:24b9565a-38cc-4c5b-9d23-1cc953a5b750> | en | 0.8377 |
*Free return shipping only for online orders
E-mail a friend about...
1. From:
Your name:
Your e-mail:
2. To:
Write a review:
Your name:
of 2000 character maximum.
Waterford® Lismore Votive with Candle
Click image to zoom
Waterford® Lismore Votive with Candle
Admired for graceful form that defines tradition even as it transcends it, Lismore continues to this day with fresh shapes, styles and interpretations of this striking diamond and wedge cut. The Lismore votive adds warmth and elegance to any table while the candle light reflected dances through the crystal. A wonderful housewarming gift. Tealight candle included.
Department: Gifts
Style: 107610
Selected Color:
Selected Size:
Ratings & Reviews
Be the first to Write a Review
Be the first to Write a Review
Close the Window | http://www.vonmaur.com/Product.aspx?ID=11852&Sale=n&pg=1 | dclm-gs1-164990000 |
0.489249 | <urn:uuid:98e3e451-0139-4309-bf4d-ca14d63e644d> | en | 0.792561 | Skip directly to content
TopicRepliessort descendingCreatedLast reply
why did yhur mom let yhu smoke with her??? 0 n/a
University visit? 0 n/a
booking 0 n/a
wiz khalifa to winnipeg,mb canada? 0 n/a
mix tape 0 n/a
Clothing line for teens? 0 n/a
Concerts 0 n/a
does any 1 has a contact with wiz?????? 0 n/a
What does DDD stand for on Wiz's hat? 0 n/a
supp 0 n/a
Help me ask my girl to Prom! 0 n/a
Wiz Khalifa at Longwood 0 n/a
worcester set list 0 n/a
SAY YEAH refix 0 n/a
California 0 n/a
how to upload pic 0 n/a
Backstage passes to the concert @ new meadowlands stadium..? 0 n/a
Wiz, your expert advice is needed 0 n/a
My College Wants You To Perform! 0 n/a
TGOD 0 n/a
What is his name?? 0 n/a
North Carolina 0 n/a
Watz yo favorite Wizkhalifa song? And why 0 n/a
come to canada 0 n/a | http://www.wizkhalifa.com/forum/396?page=15&sort=asc&order=Replies | dclm-gs1-165010000 |
0.200889 | <urn:uuid:ef39c6fc-815a-4a42-9db9-2a0e56739c05> | en | 0.936684 | The Valiant's Challenge
Speak with Squire Danny to summon your opponent. Once you have defeated the Argent Champion, return to Eressea Dawnsinger at the Argent Tournament Grounds.
You are nearly ready to compete in the grand melee. To prove yourself worthy of this honor, you must defeat a champion of the Argent Crusade.
You will also receive: | http://www.wowdb.com/quests/13731-the-valiants-challenge?cookieTest=1&criteria-of-sort=name | dclm-gs1-165040000 |
0.037172 | <urn:uuid:d561de85-f7f5-4f63-855e-4eb7f5b798b5> | en | 0.733202 | Server:Quel'Thalas US
100,028pages on
this wiki
Battlegroup info
Spell holy vindicationBattlegroup »
Vindication (US) »
Latin American servers
This article is an information page for the Quel'Thalas US realm (server)
Quel'Thalas is a PvE Latin American server in the Vindication battlegroup. The realm takes its name from the blood elven kingdom of Quel'Thalas.
History Edit
Blizzard opened three Spanish-language servers for its Latin American localization on July 25, 2008: Quel'Thalas, Drakkari, and Ragnaros. While Ragnaros was a transfer destination for characters on English-language realms, Quel'Thalas and Drakkari were initially only open for new characters.
The server's time zone is set to CST, like all other Latin American servers.
External Links Edit
Advertisement | Your ad here
Around Wikia's network
Random Wiki | http://www.wowwiki.com/Server:Quel'Thalas_US | dclm-gs1-165050000 |
0.142791 | <urn:uuid:3000f2c3-1361-4869-8ba9-c82aa18b6d93> | en | 0.946342 | Protecting astronauts from the Van Allen radiations | ZDNet
Protecting astronauts from the Van Allen radiations
Summary: An international team of scientists has explained the activity of the two Van Allen radiation belts and this will help protect astronauts and spacecrafts.
The Van Allen radiation belts are two regions of space located about 20,000 kilometers above the Earth and filled with energetic particles coming from solar winds. The high energies of these particles, trapped by Earth's magnetic field, can reach millions of electron volts, and can represent a hazard to satellites and humans in space. Now, an international team of scientists has explained the activity of the two Van Allen radiation belts and this will help protect astronauts and spacecrafts. By studying the solar storms of 2003 which disrupted GPS and communications satellites, they found that the old theory, which stated that the electrons within the belts were accelerated by radial diffusion, was wrong. Instead, they discovered that very low frequency radio waves caused the particle acceleration and intensified the belts. With this new information, it will be possible to take measures to protect astronauts, according to the researchers.
You can see below the evolution of the waves of electrons on October 31, 2003, as observed by one of the four Cluster spacecraft (Samba) (Credit: British Antarctic Survey).
Solar storms from October 2003
The wave electric field Ey, transverse to the ambient magnetic field is shown in (a), and the wave magnetic field By in (b). The colour bars on the right give the calibrated wave powerspectral density for the wave electric field (a), and relative wave power spectral density (in dB) for the wave magnetic field (b).
And here are more details given by Dr Richard Horne.
This research work has been published by Nature in its September 8, 2005 issue under the name "Wave acceleration of electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts" (Volume 437, Number 7056, Pages 227-230). Here are two links to the editor's summary and to the first paragraph of the paper.
As a final note, I understand that these scientists have found the mechanism behind these big waves of energy. But I don't really see why it will help to protect astronauts and spacecrafts. Any clues?
Sources: British Antarctic Survey news release, via EurekAlert!, September 7, 2005; and various web sites
You'll find related stories by following the links below.
Topic: Nasa / Space
Log in or register to join the discussion
• What I want to know is...
...will hanging around in the Van Allen radiation belt give me Fantastic Four-style super powers?
John Carroll
• Flame On!
Oh, wait. Darn near everybody that posts in the ZDNet forums has [b]that[/b] power.
Stretchiness? Evoryone has the ability to stretch a point beyond all plausibility.
Hardened skin? Everyone can ignore facts and counterarguments with total impunity.
Invisibility? When an argument has completely collapsed, everyone can disappear by not continuing to post.
With all these powers, who need to go into space?
• No.
But as the radiation breaks down your DNA and your cells begin to turn into so much organic pudding you will develop the super power to melt. Not sure if that appeals to you much, though.
Unfortunately the idea of radiation supercharging living organisms as if they were some sort of battery has gone the way of the 1950s. Back when fortifying your water with Radon was considered healthy.
Following link is worth a laugh[cry].
• Ok so how did they get to the moon?
Since the average distance to the moon is 384,402 km, that from the center of the earth to the moon. Now the earth is 12,756.3 KM in diameter so the radius is 6378 KM which you subtract from the distance to the moon to get the distance one would have to travel.
So if the Van Allens belt is 20,000 KM and to get to the moon you have to trave 378,000 KM then you'd have to pass through it twice. This would effectively kill, not quickly but you might get lucky and live a year afterwards.
So how did they land on the moon? I dumb luck? I mean were they just plain lucky and the belt just was pumping out radiation all over the place that day?
• How to get to the moon
Checkout http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Allen_radiation_belt#The_Van_Allen_Belt.27s_impact_on_space_travel
As far as how this new information could be helpful, they may be able to use some sort of interference pattern of low frequency radio waves on board the spacecraft to counteract the effect of the radiation belt, but im just speculating.
• They didn't spend much time there
The astronauts going to the moon didn't spend enough time in the Van Allen Belts to accumulate a large dose of radioactivity. They were travelling very quickly when passing through them and any orbital maneuvers were timed for minimal exposure.
It will however, be a problem for a space elevator, when one is built because they would travel much more slowly. This is probably one of the biggest remaining issues surrounding the feasibility of a space elevator
• Space Elevator - power generation
Actually the radiation can be blocked. But the magnetic lines fo force should generate impressive eddy currents in the cables. A conductor passing through a magnetic filed or stationary with a moving magnetic field is a generator.
• Belt Radiation
Protection in this case is about avoiding or limiting exposure. Inner belt from 650KM (400 miles) out to 6300 KM (4000 miles). We spend nearly all of our time in space in LEO (Low Earth Orbit) 150 to 200 miles. Sattelites, especially geosynchronous, are built to withstand radiation and designed to shut down when it exceeds certain levels. The Apollo cabins were built with extra sheilding and minimum transit time. The Internations Space Station has multiple layers and the astronauts spend most of their time in the inner most sections. | http://www.zdnet.com/blog/emergingtech/protecting-astronauts-from-the-van-allen-radiations/14 | dclm-gs1-165080000 |
0.077845 | <urn:uuid:380509a9-5cd3-4ee8-8764-447c791950d3> | en | 0.98096 | Blair was wrong in invading Iraq, says his spin doctor
London: Former British prime minister Tony Blair committed a mistake by sending his country to war in Iraq, according to Lord Mandelson, a former Labour cabinet minister.
Mandelson has been Labour party's former king of political spin, who helped mastermind Blair's three consecutive victories at general elections, the Daily Express reported Tuesday.
He said the former prime minister believed victory over Iraqi president Saddam Hussein would be a "short, sweet success" rather than the eight years of bloodbath that claimed the lives of 179 members of Britain's armed forces.
In an interview with this month's Esquire magazine, Mandelson also sought to blame the US for the invasion.
"He (Blair) expected it, obviously, not to be a walk in the park but to be a short, sweet success with the downfall of Saddam... It didn't turn out like that, which was more the Americans' fault than his."
"But, I think, he should have gone into it with his eyes wider open," Mandelson remarked.
In 2003, Blair had to face big street protests over Britain's involvement in the Iraq war and was dogged by accusations that he had shown blind subservience to the administration of the then US president George W Bush.
The Iraq war was an armed conflict which consisted of two phases. The first was an invasion of Ba'athist Iraq by the US and Britain, commencing March 20, 2003.
The second was a longer phase of fighting, in which an insurgency emerged to oppose coalition forces and the newly formed Iraqi government. The war officially ended Dec 18, 2011, when the US completed its withdrawal of military personnel. | http://zeenews.india.com/print.aspx?nid=809736 | dclm-gs1-165110000 |
0.039969 | <urn:uuid:6c5ab1df-d8b8-49c9-9646-53d5ce917e8a> | en | 0.989637 |
Add to Cart
The Year of Living Scandalously
In 1792, the village of Hadley Green executed a man for stealing the Countess of Ashwood's historic jewels. Fifteen years later, questions still linger. Was it a crime of greed--or of passion?
Author Information
Julia LondonNotify me of new titles added by this author
Customer Reviews
Product Details
• Published by
Pocket Books
• Publish Date
October 01, 2010
• eBook ISBN
• Filesize
1.70 MB
• Number of Print Pages*
• Format
Adobe DRM EPUB
Excerpt from The Year of Living Scandalously by Julia London
West Sussex, England
Each summer in the village of Hadley Green, the residents looked forward with eager anticipation to two significant events: the first was the week in June in which the vicar put his gout-ridden body into a borrowed coach and took leave of his flock to call upon his aging sister in Shropshire. That was the only week of the year the pulpit could be pried from the vicar's bent hands, and the young, visiting clergyman's delivery of the gospel was markedly more succinct.
The second event was the annual gala at the end of summer given by the Earl of Ashwood. It was a celebration of a good harvest and good tenants, and an opportunity to raise funds for the poor orphans of the St. Bartholomew Parish. It was a day-long festival, replete with enough food and ale to feed the king's army, as well as goods for sale made by the more industrious villagers. There were games for children and adults alike, and a small band that entertained the happy guests who elected to sit under umbrellas at tables festooned with streamers and flowers from the earl's enviable hothouse and gardens. There was a small lake with a pair of boats that young men employed to court young women as they rowed them about.
Traditionally, members of the Quality came down from London to attend the gala and stayed on as the guests of the earl and his lovely--and strikingly younger--wife, Althea Kent, Lady Ashwood. The Quality partook of the crafts and food and ale alongside the residents of Hadley Green, although perhaps less of the crafts and more of the ale. Inevitably, late in the day, the legs of lords and common men were lashed together for three-legged races, the winners promised a kiss from the countess herself.
Given Lady Ashwood's uncommon beauty, most mortal men were keen to try.
It was likewise tradition that when the sun began to slide behind the towering elms, the village residents wobbled home in their carts and their wagons, and the lords and ladies retreated inside the earl's colossal Georgian home to settle in for a night of debauchery.
Those evenings were the stuff of legends. More than one marriage had been threatened by the evening's activities, and more than one marriage made on the heels of compromising events.
In 1793, a torrential late-summer storm ended the outdoor festivities in the early afternoon. The villagers and the orphans were hurried home to meaner shelter than Ashwood, and the earl's illustrious guests were hurried inside to waiting servants who handed them towels and stoked the hearths in their rooms.
A steady rain continued to fall throughout the day, cooling the air and filling the rooms with a damp scent. The guests, trapped inside like well-groomed beasts, began to seek entertainment. They were modestly diverted by drink, gaming, and flirting through the long stretch of afternoon into evening. But as evening fell, the stakes at the gaming tables grew dangerously higher, as did the number of men and women disappearing from the salon, only to return a half hour later with wigs askew.
Above the gambling and assignations in the darkened rooms of the main floor was a nursery, and in that nursery was Miss Lillian Boudine, Lady Ashwood's ward and niece. Lily was an eight-year-old orphan who had been adopted by Auntie Althea when her parents were taken from her at the tender age of five, both of them succumbing to a wasting fever within a fortnight of each other. One might have hoped that the lord and lady of Ashwood would have changed their ways to accommodate the moppet of a girl, but that was hardly the case. Their soirees and balls and gatherings continued, and Lily grew accustomed to seeing shadowy figures embracing in darkened stairwells, and the sound of doors being shut and locked. She'd heard many feminine giggles and the quiet hush of masculine voices. She could detect the scent of women's perfume lingering in the corridors amid the smells of beeswax candles and blazing hearths.
That evening, Lily was relegated to the nursery with Nurse. Nurse had sampled the earl's ale in great quantities, and could not keep her puffy eyes open. She slept noisily in a chair near the hearth.
Lily was rather eager to leave the nursery and have a peek at the adults. She stepped past her sleeping nurse and into the corridor, taking care to shut the door quietly behind her. She ran lightly to the stairwell and hurried down to her perfect hiding place, where she could watch the comings and goings of the adults.
But when she reached the first floor, she found it darker than usual. The rainy weather had led to a shortage of candles, and only two were lit in the long hallway. It was so dark that Lily did not, at first, detect the embracing couple until one of them whispered low. The sound startled her, and Lily quickly stepped behind a console table and crouched down.
She could just make out the shadowy figures through the legs of the console. They were kissing. Lily leaned out a little to see better, but in doing so she lost her balance. She caught herself with both hands before tumbling onto the carpet, but panicking, she gasped softly and quickly pushed back, pressing her back to the wall, stifling her breath with one hand.
Several moments passed before Lily dared to look again. She was disappointed to find that the couple had evaporated into the darkness. Lily stood up, carefully looked about, then darted down the corridor toward her hiding place.
But as she reached the top of the very ornate, curving dual staircase that led to the floors below, a hand clamped down on her shoulder. Lily cried out with alarm as she was twirled about and forced to look up into the lovely face of Aunt Althea.
Althea was none too pleased. The ruby of her lips matched the ruby of her velvet gown, and the color in her cheeks was quite high. "What do you think you are doing, Lily?"
"Nothing, Auntie! I meant only to see the ladies' evening gowns!" Lily had used that excuse before with success, but tonight, Althea would not accept it. She put both hands on Lily's shoulders and gave her a gentle shove into the corridor. "Honestly, what am I to do with you, darling? Go back to the nursery! You know very well I am to Scotland on the morrow. I must be able to depend on you to be good whilst I am away."
"I will!" Lily promised earnestly.
"No, Lily, no more of your empty vows," Althea said sternly. "There is nothing that will displease the earl more than your bad behavior, and if he grows weary of you, what will become of you then?" She sank to her knees, so that she could look Lily in the eye. "Your mother, my dear sister, is dead. Another sister is ailing. That leaves only my youngest sister in Ireland to take you in. Do you really want to be Irish, Lily? I'll be gone for an age, and when I come back, it had best not be to my husband's complaints and demands that you pack your bags. You really must stop this spying and skulking about!"
Lily felt frightened and guilty. "Yes, Auntie, I promise with all my heart." She was very sincere. She never meant to be bad; it just seemed to happen.
Her aunt softened and smiled, cupping Lily's chin. "My, how you remind me of Maria," she said, speaking of Lily's mother. "She was an imp, just like you. Not as pretty as you, I think, but just as spirited. I miss her so. And I shall miss you desperately." She smiled and kissed Lily's cheek. "Now show me how good you shall be and go back to the nursery and stay there." She came to her feet, ran her hand over Lily's crown. "Go before the earl sees you."
Lily ran down the corridor and up the servants' stairs to the second floor. She walked into the nursery and shut the door behind her. Nurse started, but then shifted in her chair and snorted in her sleep. With a roll of her eyes, Lily climbed onto the window seat. It was dark and wet outside; the only light was that which came from the house. She traced a line down the cold, wet pane, leaving a fat trail like that of a snail.
The nursery was never warm. It was far too big for the single fireplace, and Lily was always cold here. She thought it would be lovely if she had a companion, someone to share these interminably long and boring nights.
A movement outside caught her eye. Lily pressed her face to the window and peered out. It was a rider; she could see him trotting past by the light of the house, moving away. Lily suddenly sat up. She knew the rider--or rather, she knew the horse. It was the big gray with black spots on his rump that belonged to Mr. Scott, the woodcarver. Lily had seen him here many times before tonight, as he had crafted the dual staircase that curved up and around the main entry to the first floor.
Why should he be at Ashwood tonight? He was not Quality. What woodcarving would he be doing on the day of the gala? And why was he riding away in the rain across the park instead of the main road? Had he not left when the other villagers were instructed to go home?
But ride away he did, disappearing into the dark night.
Lily wrote her name in the condensation on the glass, then realized she was shivering and found her bed.
She was awakened sometime later by a lot of shouting, the cries loud enough to wake even Nurse. "Glory, it must be fire!" Nurse cried, and rushed Lily downstairs--Nurse, in her nightclothes, Lily still in her evening frock--to the main floor.
They were greeted by general bedlam, as the guests were all shouting at one another, and at least one lady was crying. The earl was scowling at the lot of them and Althea was pale.
Nurse nudged a footman and whispered loudly, "What is it, what has happened?"
The footman, an eyewitness to the tumult, was eager to deliver the news. "The Lady Ashwood was playing loo, but the earl refused to give her a purse, for he'd warned her not to carry on, but you know the Lady Ashwood, she did all the same. She lost a bloody fortune. When it came time to pay her debt, she went to fetch the Ashwood jewels to put up as collateral. But they come up missing."
"What? The old ones?" Nurse asked, horrified.
Even Lily knew of the Ashwood jewels; everyone knew of them. They were large, priceless rubies, given by King Edward IV to the first Earl of Ashwood for his loyalty during the War of the Roses. The rubies--set in a heavy necklace; in big, teardrop ruby earrings; and the largest in the coronet--were kept under lock and key in the earl's private study.
"Aye, the old ones," the footman grimly confirmed.
It was at this moment that Althea spotted Lily and Nurse in the crowd and began moving toward them.
"'Twas one of them, I'd wager, what with all the carrying on behind closed doors," the footman quickly added, for he, too, saw Althea approaching. "But mark me, Annie, 'twill be one of us who is blamed for it."
"Annie, are you mad? What if the earl sees you?" Althea whispered harshly. She glanced anxiously over her shoulder at the earl, almost as if she feared him. Lily didn't blame her--he seemed very mean. Her aunt looked back at Lily and she smiled thinly. "Go," she said to Annie.
Nurse grabbed Lily's wrist in a painful grip and dragged her up the stairs, but Lily struggled against her, turning back to watch until she could see the adults no more.
The next day dawned bright and blue. There was a lot of commotion around the countess's planned departure for Scotland--everyone knew that she and the earl had argued about the missing jewels until the sun rose.
While the guests were suitably occupied with breakfast or heavy sleep, the servants were assembled in the servants' dining room. Lily had sneaked in through the kitchen and saw her aunt leaning against the sideboard, pale with exhaustion.
The earl was standing between his secretary and solicitor, his neckcloth tied crookedly and his thick brows uncombed. His hands were clasped behind his back as he informed the staff of twenty-four that he would find the thief, and the thief would hang.
The servants watched the three men warily.
The earl's secretary, Mr. Bowman, conducted the interrogation. Lily's governess, Miss Penhurst, so dear to Lily, was shaking. Nurse was crying. When Mr. Bowman asked Miss Penhurst how he might possibly trust her word that she had not taken the jewels when she was sleeping just below the study where they were kept, Lily could bear it no more and rushed forward. The earl tried to shoo her away, but Lily would not go, clasping his hand. "I think I know who took them!"
All eyes turned to her. Lily's knees began to quake. The earl grabbed her elbow, his fingers digging painfully into her flesh. "Is this one of your tales, lass?" he snarled.
Lily shook her head.
"How could you possibly know who took the jewels? Did you see the thief in the act?"
"No, my lord." Her voice was shaking now and her breath had deserted her.
He made a sound of disgust and pushed her away.
"But I saw him riding away," she gasped as tears burned her eyes.
The earl and Mr. Bowman slowly turned to look at her. Aunt Althea stood as still as a statue, staring at her.
"It was the woodcarver. M-Mr. Scott," she added, in case the earl didn't know who the woodcarver was. "I saw him last night, riding away from Ashwood in the park, long after the villagers had gone."
The earl's eyes narrowed.
"It was too late for him to be working," she added.
The earl's black gaze shifted to Aunt Althea. "Working? Working on what?" he asked.
"A repair," Aunt Althea said coolly. "To a wardrobe."
Mr. Bowman eyed Lily skeptically. "How can you be certain it was him, Miss Boudine?"
"It was his horse," Lily said, and instantly feared she was mistaken. "It was the gray, with the black spots around his tail," she said aloud, to convince herself.
"Oh no, darling--" Aunt Althea said, but was silenced by a look from the earl.
And then the earl suddenly smiled at Lily and moved to her side. "Let us have a spot of tea, shall we, Lillian?" he asked, and Lily tried to remember if he'd ever uttered her given name before that moment.
Within hours, Mr. Joseph Scott was taken from his wife and three children to an outbuilding on the Ashwood estate, where he was held until the magistrate could be summoned.
Word spread quickly through Hadley Green and whispers soon followed. Did a thief live among them? Hadn't Mrs. Rollingwood recently reported the theft of her chickens? Hadn't Mr. Clark complained of several bags of flour taken from his dry goods shop? And wasn't it really unsurprising that it was Mr. Scott? Everyone knew his wife was desperately ill, but the doctors in London were not free, were they? And why should he be so silent as to his whereabouts that evening? He said he did not take the jewels, but he would not say where he was the night of the theft. His poor wife was pressed to tell the truth lest they interrogate her children: her husband had not come home until after midnight.
The magistrate, a man with a reputation for swift and stern justice, arrived in Hadley Green within the fortnight. The trial was held in the village commons hall. Mr. Scott, the woodcarver, most likely knew before he was brought before the magistrate that he would be found guilty, for he could not offer a satisfactory answer for his whereabouts on the night the jewels went missing. Nevertheless, a procession of his friends and neighbors tried with all their being to convince the magistrate of his good character. They were followed by a string of witnesses to the events of the night of the crime.
The entire village gathered outside to hear the case of the missing jewels put before the magistrate's bench. Just after noon, two ornate Ashwood coaches appeared: one, for the earl's convenience; as the injured party, he'd attended Mr. Scott's trial all morning. The second carried Lily and the countess, whose trip had been postponed indefinitely. Lily did not know why.
She looked out the coach window at all the people gathered, many of them clamoring for a look inside the coach. "There are so many people," she said nervously.
"Not so many," Althea said reassuringly. "They only seek diversion. They mean no harm. And there won't be so many people inside."
Lily was not convinced of that; she suddenly felt light-headed and clammy. "I don't want to do it, Auntie," she said, shrinking back against the leather squabs. "Can't the earl tell them what I saw?"
"No," her aunt said with a sympathetic smile. "You must tell them in your own voice, darling."
Lily's stomach twisted uncomfortably. "But I don't know what to say!"
"You need only tell the truth," Althea said, then suddenly leaned forward and put her hand on Lily's knee. "But you must be very certain of the truth, Lily. That is the most important thing--you must be certain about what you saw that night. Are you? Are you quite certain?"
Lily thought back to what she'd seen. So many things had been said since that night, so many people had come and gone from Ashwood. Still, she'd seen Mr. Scott's horse, and the figures in the hallway. She nodded solemnly. She meant to please Althea, to assure her she could repeat what she'd seen.
But Althea seemed strangely sad. She shifted back, her hands in her lap once more. "Entirely certain, dearest? It was so dark that night, and there were so many people at Ashwood. Are you certain you saw Mr. Scott?"
There had been a lot of people about. But Lily felt as if she were the cause of all this ruckus, that the people were gathered here today because of what she'd said, and she didn't want to embarrass Althea or make the earl angry by being afraid to say it now. "I'm certain," she said again.
Her aunt smiled at Lily, but her eyes glistened with tears.
The coach halted; Lily felt the jostling of one of the coachmen climbing down. A moment later, the door swung open, and people crowded in, craning their necks to see inside. Althea reached across the coach, gathered Lily in a hug, and held her tight. "Remember to speak only the truth, love. And don't be afraid--no one wishes you harm." She kissed her cheek and let her go. "Go on, then. Mr. Bowman will see you in."
Lily realized that Althea was sending her in alone. "Aren't you coming, Auntie?"
Her aunt shook her head. "Not this time."
"But you must come!" Lily cried, truly frightened now.
"I cannot," Althea said, and a tear slid down her cheek. "I am so sorry, darling, but my husband ..." She looked down, and Lily heard something that sounded like a strangled sob. Althea looked up and smiled at Lily. "My sister needs me now and I have been too long delayed. Go on, Lily. It will be over before you know it, and I will come back to you as soon as I can, I promise."
"Miss Boudine!" It was Mr. Bowman, standing at the door of the coach with the curious throng behind him. "Come along, girl, the magistrate is waiting."
Lily looked at Althea, desperate for her aunt's arms. But her aunt smiled and turned her toward the coach door. "You are a brave little girl. You can do anything. Now go."
Lily reluctantly stepped through the opening and was instantly surrounded by footmen who shepherded her through the crowd.
"Let us have a look at the lass!" someone shouted at them, and the bystanders pushed against each other for a better view. The footmen kept moving, guiding Lily into the commons room behind Mr. Bowman.
Inside, it was terribly crowded. Those people who could not find a seat were pressed against the walls. The ceiling was low, making the room seem even more cramped. The footmen had to clear a path through the crush of bodies. Frightened, Lily shifted so close to the Ashwood footman that she could smell the wool of his livery. He clamped his hand on her shoulder, holding tightly, steering her forward.
She was led to the front of the room to stand before a thin, wiry man. He was seated behind a table in his judicial wig and robe. He peered at Lily over the tops of his spectacles, assessing her and frowning as if she were not to his liking. The earl was seated in an ornate chair to the magistrate's right, and to the magistrate's left, in what looked like a hastily constructed box, stood the accused. Mr. Scott's clothes were unkempt and he had the growth of a beard on his face. Lily could smell him--he looked and smelled as if he'd been living in a cave.
She avoided his gaze.
"Come, come," the magistrate said, gesturing for Lily to come closer. Mr. Bowman pushed her forward. The magistrate pointed to the edge of his table, where Lily supposed she was to stand. She was directly across from Mr. Scott, and behind him sat his family. His wife held their youngest child in her lap, and she was weeping. Her daughter sat glumly, and beside her was Mr. Scott's oldest son, Tobin, who stared darkly at Lily.
Lily had seen the Scott family when Mr. Bowman had driven her to Mr. Scott's cottage to identify the horse she'd seen the night of the gala. They'd all spilled out of the cottage to look at her then, and Mrs. Scott's eyes had been red and swollen, just as they were now. Lily was acquainted only with Tobin, as he often accompanied his father to Ashwood to assist him in the construction of the staircase. On a few occasions, Tobin had been sent outside to watch over Lily when Althea desired to speak to Mr. Scott in private.
Tobin was a few years older than Lily, perhaps as old as thirteen, and he'd always been very kind to her. Today, however, his dark brown eyes were staring at her as if he would very much like to strangle her.
"Miss Boudine, do we have your solemn vow that what you will say here today is God's honest truth?" the magistrate asked.
Lily made the mistake of glancing to her right, and saw all the faces peering intently at her. She swallowed hard and nodded.
"Yes, my lord," she said. Her knees were shaking. She feared she would faint in front of all these people. The earl would be so angry with her--he would make her be Irish. She could feel the old man's gaze boring through her back, just as Tobin's gaze was burning through her front.
"You may proceed," the magistrate said, and suddenly, Mr. Bowman was standing before her.
"Miss Boudine," he said, gazing down at her. "Please tell his lordship what you saw the night of the summer gala."
It was a wonder Lily found her voice at all. She scarcely realized she was speaking. Her voice trembled almost as hard as her knees as she told the magistrate about the shadowy figures in the hallway, the rider on the gray horse with the black spots.
"Have you identified this horse?" the magistrate demanded. | https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/julia-london/the-year-of-living-scandalously/_/R-400000000000000286390 | dclm-gs1-165150000 |
0.082029 | <urn:uuid:f5229487-34b6-441b-b31e-e56ddb8e5e3f> | en | 0.956982 | Shared publicly -
The #Samsung Galaxy phones are so much better than the over priced, over hyped #Apple #IPhone in my opinion. I'm looking forward to seeing the Samsung #GalaxyS3 in action!
Richard Swartz's profile photoKaysavan S's profile photoChris Cho's profile photoFaruq Typist's profile photo
I've always felt this way and have always felt that Apple products, though good quality, are way over priced. Also, from looking at this chart, shouldn't the iPhone4 be called the Stone+?
You forgot one more position and it's shockproofness: Stone - yes, iPhone 4 - no, Galaxy S 2 - yes. And it's the one and only thing where Galaxy S 2 fits the Stone well.
apple still make the smoothest interface out there though.
After looking at this chart, I think I will definitely take the stone.
The iPhone 4s has widgets (in notification center), Wireless Sync, a customizable homescreen, DLNA (via the App Store), Gorillaglass, full HD video recording, and HSPA+ (on AT&T).
Stick to the old iPhone 4 and you only lose full HD video recording and HSPA+.
You should probably get your facts straight if you are going to say anything at all.
It doesn't matter what phone you use at the end of the day. Use what you like. Just don't lie to try and win a worthless argument.
Galaxy S II also has a bigger screen
i honestly have to say, i only purchased an apple ipod and iphone because of the hype and "thats what everyone has and says is the best". the iphone is by far the worst phone i ever owned. the fact you NEED itunes to transfer music is rediculous. the fact i cant plug my iphone into a computer a transfer files [music, movies, pdf's, documents] freely is also redic. by the way out of the 40 apps i installed 15 of them never worked from the get-go. I purchased a samsung galaxy s2 skyrocket, and i will buy all my smartphones from samsung on the droid platform for the rest of my life. apple = slavery, droid+galaxy s2 = freedom.
My iPhone got me a girlfriend, what stone, or Samsung has ever done that?
Stone does have rock solid build quality.
by all fairness, i think the stone does have drag and drop ;-)
Samsung people beat apple in technological excellence not in advertising....... nothing can beat iphone and especially samsung.
True, it is harder to break the stone than any of the other two. Of course if you drop a stone call you might hurt your foot.
the chart describes a 3GS, not a 4 as +Alan Allie describes.
iPhone 3GS: released 2009
Galaxy SII: released 2011
also, 3GS runs iOS 5.0, but the SII doesn't have enough RAM to run android 4.0. would be nice if you'd add that to your chart.
Would hate to see how quickly the battery would be drained with Flash and true multitasking. Wireless sync is actually available on the iPhone.
iPhone has wireless sync. Who needs widgets when you have millions of great apps. We are moving to HTML5. Thus you shouldn't need flash. I personally hate Apple as a company but I have to admit that they made a great phone.
got lots of spare cash to buy your apps? you'll need it!
Love my Fascinate... Time to upgrade soon though and I want the Note... Verizon better get it!
The iPhone can run all the apps I've already bought. Checkmate.
wait til the istone2 comes out!
has anyone actually owned both phones? or are these all comments biased?
Anything with an i in front is nothing but overhyped crap, just like the stock of the company that makes it (or at least markets it). I've had two such products both of which were absolute garbage toys. No more for me. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus gets my vote any day.
I bought myself an iStone a while ago and at first it was great, having some difficulty making calls though.
+Paul Rothrock - I find it interesting that people are still using their 'app investment' as a reason to not switch platforms. How much of an investment do you really have in your apps?
(This is meant as an honest question, not a dig)
And the first gaming app released for stone guessed it.... Rock, Paper and Scissors.
I'm so printing this out for all my iphone using friends.
Actually The iphone has quite a few of those things
+Frank Lopes, thanks for the comment! I'm pretty sure alot of the IPhone users haven't actually experienced how good android is! They've probably never even used Android before.
The dealbreakers for me are iPhones requiring that I put iTunes on my computer, and Apple taking a 30% commission from developers on Apps (and the rest of their policy when it comes to treating developers). The former is completely unnecessary and self-interested, the latter is borderline bullying.
+Joshua Lyon Probably a couple hundred dollars. Plus I have my music, which I keep in iCloud so I have space on my device for pictures, and the upcoming integration between my Mac and my iPhone. All the widgets and FM radios in the world can't beat that.
no difference between the i phone and the stone , both of them are touchable !!!
Nice one +Justin Evans I'm sure they will all cry and trade in their iPhones for Samsung's and swap their girlfriend's for nerds with level 80 WOW accounts.
but samsung service SUCKS !!!!!!!!!!! I own a broken Galaxy nexus and Samsung is unable to repair (unwilling might be a better word)
Both phones are excellent, so this is really a personal choice as to which one is better. The iPhone has wireless sync (via iTunes) and Gorilla Glass. The 4S added *21MBbps HSPA+ to the mix.
My mother has a Samsung galaxy note. Hmmm, I may use it wrong, because Why I do not feel good. I feel the galaxy note just okay, a little bit hard to use. Is this going to be a lot better?
does it have temple run? temple run is awsome!!!!!!!!!
victim of marketing. Well I can decide for myself
(pipes in uselessly) I had an iPhone4 for a few hours after upgrading from the iPhone 3G, then took it back and got a Samsung Infuse 4G. Why? I can work (do my job) on the Infuse, between widgets and apps constantly and seamlessly. My screen is the biggest, clearest, sharpest thing ever and... It's brilliant. This is coming from a former iPhone devotee! This was around Sep/2011 so I'm not sure of the changes since then but the same apps on my iPhone were in the Droid store, music through Amazon MP3 is cheaper, shareable, syncable, all that. I can type some of this message, stop to check my email, take a call, read>schedule>share> an article between Google Reader, HootSuite, and FB, and check my calendar, THEN reclick G+ and continue where I was typing. I use my phone all day, and still manage to have the battery last well into the night. Ahh, I obviously love it :)
That's good! Can't the iPhone have an FM-Radio with the headphones?
That is the most biased comparison I have ever seen. Plus a lot of it is wrong.
I always thought the apple iphone4 would outbeat any other smartphone... my bad..!
When i was a kid i always would call my mom on my rock... OH MY BACK
You can customize the home screen of an iPhone now? what all does that entail?
<in my overbearing jock voice> GALAXY S2 RULES! ALL YOU APPLE DUDES CAN SUCK IT! LOL
I also don't know how it's changed, but buying a song on my iPhone, account, then trying to share the song with my husband, on one of his devices or phone, was like unimaginable sorcery. I seriously don't miss that!
Love how you assume pro-iPhone comments are biased, +Danny Wood
I own a GNex, and I don't need to lie about how bad the iPhone is to feel better about my phone.
sorry I've owned both and android is fubar. Too many implementations, bugs etc... its like when apple used to allow clones. The clones worked... sorta. I want to like android but it just unpolished and cumbersome to use. If google made more phones themselves it would be better. Problem with android is support. Phone makers don't care about upgrading your phone to the latest OS because they have already made 10 more phones by the time the next version of Android is released so you are stuck with an old phone that will never get the latest features of the operating system. I could go on but, you get the point.
They should have added build quality to that list.
I'm really not like that though lol. I could care less honestly. A phone is a phone and will always be a phone lol
+Dennis Caldwell I didnt make the image myself, anyway it's more of a statement than truth. My "opinion" is that the IPhone is overpriced and overhyped, I found this image, and thought it really represents my view.
All devices can do different things. It looks to me, in that picture, you put just what the Galaxy has.
Should i get iphone 4s or evo 3d
If by "quite a few" you mean they added wireless sync, yeah.
Golly L
Retina display for iphone is produced by Samsung.
+Esa Edvik you can check my G+ profil, I got a public post with video. basically, some day when I tap the GN on the back it turns off. This is a problem but Samsung "fix" was to re-install OS... which is stupid. I have been fighting for weeks to have it replaced and all they do is ask me to send it back again to service. Their service is horrible. They do not talk to customers, they lost my phone for about a week even if they told my it was shipped back. overall experience is horrible. I am NOT an iPhone fan but at least Apple has great support.
Bought the galaxy s2 for the fiance though she loves it so I guess it is that spam <yes the delicious meat> spam meaning good
+Brenda Harjala, nice to see someone that actually wants a "useful" phone. Good on you! Not sucked in my the status symbol.
You can both Drag and Drop a stone... just saying ;)
Dude... iPhone has gorillaglass, full HD recording and wireless sync... at least get your facts right before starting a flame war
ok, I am listening: But can it do the following: Connect to Google? Connect and Sync with OutLook Mail and Calendar? And most important: What level of Windows (lowest) does it need to do these things AND doe it have a desktop application so I can download video and pictures etc. My current phone is a SamSung Solstice and though it THEORY it was suppose to do all of the above, NONE of it worked despite many attempts by myself and others to set up. Can't be fooled again....
+CL Holly What's the point in adding build quality, when both phones are effectively made by Samsung? :)
this comparison is skewed...
The stone has many features not mentioned here:
screen wont crack if dropped
fits easily in pocket
can double as a weapon
makes a great pet
no need to recharge
scratch resistant
solid state
environmentally friendly
not manufactured in countries with human rights abuses
low in cholesterol
I could go on and on
Take that Iphone and galaxy!
Love Apple's computers, but when they design the iPad without a USB slot? Sorry, no.
hmm I am not seeing anything about 'alarm clock' on there....
sticking with my flip phone......
the galaxy is a much better buy and if you know how utterly expandable""
tbh iphone 4 does have wireless sync and a customisable homescreen, and social networks integrated (twitter) and full HD video recording and true multitasking, infact, I like many other hate S2 multitask it just runs it in the backround killing ur ram and battery life but iphone truly multitasks ur apps, and about the radio, people dont use that anymore. oh and also u can get widgets and flash from cydia even though flash is becoming pointless since the release of HTML 5
Completely inaccurate. my iPhone does most of those things. You don't need widgets nor Flash player.
Haha, +Danny Wood thanks! I guess it's cool that the iPhone can kind of do 'now' what my Samsung has been able to do since 'last summer'...
I still like the stone as it would beat the crap out of the other two idiots. ... and has proven its worth to this world for centuries. Cheers!
What sort of feature is Drag & Drop? What are you dragging or dropping?
yep all of the i devices are pricey....but have you ever heard the saying, "you get what you pay for"? I've owned both, and android is garbage. Very buggy. I'd rather spend more money to get something that's quality.
you think you dont need widgets because you dont have them to know what they can do. i sold my 4s and got the galaxy nexus. best decision i ever made. and yes this is accurate. I so glad im no longer an isheep. i used to drink that apple cocktail but im free now and loving android
That's the ticket for me Steve Ross. I have to use and support both iPhones and Android phones and the fragmentation and non-elegance of the Android operating system is the deal-killer for me. Look, centralizing on the Apple ecosystem like I do personally in my design work has always been about the elegant interface and the ease of meshing together my phone, iMac, and iPad. Apple has been fighting this battle since the early days of the PC. Both platforms have advantages. Everyone should just use what works for them and quit bitching about it and bad-mounting others.
+Danny Wood I have both, and yes I do like my iPhone better, but thats not the point... your facts are wrong and you are clearly and android fan... when you start a flame war with half your facts wrong you instantly loose... attack the fact that the batter life is shorter, the bluetooth range sucks and that the color range sucks on the iPhone screen. so many things for you to go after and yet you choose to post incorrect information. It just makes you look dumb and un-informed.
the picture is already known and circulates in the www for weeks. I don't understand the bad attitude towards any of smartphone manufacturer whether apple or samsung or blackberry and it's a kind of childish point of view to me. as long as we take it with humor, it's quite OK, but as long as it is used as a serious argument, I don't follow.
Ignorance must be bliss for Android people. #iphone
I am using SCH-B119 is satisfactory
Its so easy to get a rise out of Apple consumers... Its like you're making fun of their religion when you joke about an iProduct.
The Samsung Exhibit II is a pretty awesome Android phone for under $200.
Made my day.
Android <3
Funny how as I am reading this I look down and my first gen Galaxy S is frozen with the screen lit up, does this 4-5 times a week. Time to pull the battery again.... sigh.
despite all of those features I'd still choose the stone, hell the phone i have now is from the stone age...
iPhone camera has flash. Apple doesn't support Flash and never will because of their HTML5 platform so iPhones suck.
It is an interesting comparison. Humorous
there is no device that can multitask like iphone
+Eddie Del Real my opinion of what true multitasking may be different to yours but I honestly prefer iPhone's and if u mean backgrounding the same way S2 does then this should be a disadvantage not an advantage.
+Alan Allie stop been a fanboy, as you may notice this is a joke. Also you forgot to mention that the rock is not a phone, so stop worrying about features that the iPhone 4a copied from android and get a real phone.
Your check-list is perfect for nerds. For that vast majority those items are meaningless.
+Chris Holt download pauses? App Store, iTunes and Cydia continue downloading even when u switch away from the app
"wireless sync" on a device doesn't matter if you use Google+ and Google Play.
LOL +Abinadid Mendez that's why apple just won the latest case...stating that android was copied from the iphone platform. we all know iPhone was the first smartphone with a touch screen and multi-touch screen. so don't be another troll trowing around the stupid ass fanboy word. if anyone is a fan boy is all the android users that attempt to say they are unique because they don't have iphone like everyone else. but they forget to mention that android copied iphone.
iphone 4 is still the best , Jailbreak = combination of ALL phones .
hm... according to the image i see i guess my buddies blackberry = stone ?!
Whatever, Apple is fine with size and once Cydia is installed, its better then the rest... Samsung is bit oversized to hold it every time..
Yikes....these iphone people really get their panties in a's a phone!!
+Eddie Del Real i have done such stuff before, its up to the app developer to enable that type of multitasking cuz i have definitely done this before
LOL iPhone is not nearly the first smartphone with touchscreen, but only first that did it very user friendly
Funniest thing I've seen all week. #KUTGW
The onky thing thats gets me is its so difficult to find things on the android market (now called the play store) and the android operating system is made by google. It kills me. Hopefully they improve the search function.
i still prefer Apple's multitasking not cuz of my interest in Apple, but cuz I just prefer using it, but seriously u can multitask apps fully, like if u mean the ipod app u can multitask it so u listen to music and browse the web and download an app at the same time
+Danny Wood You are a stealth troll. Once you were called on your comments and were presented with facts that debunked the entire post, you claimed it was a joke as damage control. Then later +Frank Lopes jumped on your bandwagon, and you congratulated him and went on to pretending as if there was any truth your post.
I've never owned an iPhone, I've always owned Galaxy S phones, and this post is highly inaccurate. iPhone 4 has many of the features listed, on top of many that a Galaxy S phone does NOT have (like a single integrated player for all media like iTunes that exists on your phone, desktop, laptop, tablet, and TV).
You championed wireless synching (which every recent IOS device can also do contrary to your false image), but what would you synch to wirelessly in Android? DoubleTwist? Windows Media Player? Both are broken in comparison to iTunes and often won't recognize your device, sync or update playlists, or in DoubleTwist's case, will fail to overwrite files that are already there, creating dozens of duplicates within a weeks' time.
You mentioned that most iPhone users know nothing about Android, and that's why they're iPhone users, but here you've proven you don't even know the most common of facts about Apple's devices.
Like someone else said, get your facts in order before you try to compare ANYTHING.
Apples iPhones are the best in my opinion. There cool, you need to get one
That's cool.. Enjoy your Android phone and I'll be over here using all the apps you don't have access to on my iPhone.
Shut up, Samsung copied of iphone first eg. Tablet
+Keith Lawson Yes, I've heard the expression that you get what you pay for, but Apple's profit margins would suggest that you aren't getting what you pay for. :)
the iphone is as usefull as a stone? windows phones are beast. xbox live ftw
except the iphone 4S does most of those things, as well as the iphone 4
lol some people really need to lighten up :D
It's all good .. they will come out with the "new" iPhone soon which will be 0.25 grams lighter but cost twice the price. Apple fanboys .. start masturbating about now ..
I have had a Samsung phone before, and it was a terrible piece of junk. Just about everything at it worked in a half-baked manner, if at all. Then the middle part of the touch screen became unresponsive. I would not use a Samsung again if the thing was free of charge.
+1 Danny. Bravo. Now just step back and watch the iSheep spit all over their screens with red hot rage.
I Love my Samsung Inspire.................... Droid ROCKS!!
yes, but a rock can be dragged, dropped, and played with!
I'll take the rock over my windows 6.5 phone. Phreaking worthless.
I got Galaxy S and upgraded the Firmware to 2.5.3
Although I do no completely agree, the 'stone' thing is funny...
and social clients integrated... :/
Shouldn't the stone have a check mark on "drag, drop and play"?
Edit: If you have the Samsung you can get the stone for free, use the stone to knock the iPhone user's head open and take the iPhone.
This chart is really deceptive... I'm also assuming outdated since they're comparing their latest to the last gen iphone....
Outdated yes, but on both phones. They both came out around the same time. the next comparison should be the next iPhone with the Galaxy S III
Yes, compare the two next gen phones alongside a cut gemstone listed as "Rock 2.0"
I recently move for iPhone 4S to Galaxy and it feels good. But the usability is still and issue in the Android platform.
Doesn't iPhone get credit for being the first phone of its kind that people actually wanted? It's a good thing Apple is around to constantly be at the cutting edge. As for the could literally crush any phone.
Are all you IPhone users who dislike #Samsung aware that there are lots of Samsung parts in an IPhone? They buy parts from samsung electronics for the manufacture of the IPhone.
Customizable home screens is not an option on the iPhone. Being able to move your apps around doesn't count. Wireless sync is available on iOS, ie Gmail, but it is not nearly as seamless as on Android. I would not consider ITunes syncing an asset, but that's my personal opinion.
Social integration is not a strength of iOS. With Android you can share media with any app, including Twitter. Above any other feature, iOS's limited social integration is a deal breaker.
IOS is falling behind the curve. It's a smooth OS, but Android 4.0 is pretty darn smooth as well.
It really comes down to personal choice. WP7 may be a better option for some. The kernal of truth in this joke post is that the iPhone is no longer the only game in town.
Really, Danny? That's neat, I didn't know that. Why is Apple suing Samsung, then? So weird. Btw, I hate Apple. Overpriced proprietary crap that can't be upgraded easily or affordably and their marketing is elitist and arrogant.
Funny, Marketing can paint any picture they want. What does this mean as far as usability? Only time can tell. Let us know how it works out if and when you get it.
Bottom line: if you're DIY, get Galaxy. Not DIY, get iPhone.
I would rather have a stone than WP7.
+Tonia Addison-Hall, it is true, they do use #Samsung parts. They are suing Samsung because they believe Samsung have copied the design of the Apple IPhone and IPad. But they do still buy their parts from Samsung, strange isn't it!
Not sure where people get the over priced bit from. I paid $199 for the 32GB iPhone, I've paid that or more for my Samsung Epic, Palm Pre, Palm Treo and every phone for the last 10 years or more. Oh, Marketing working again. Some people can't like anything without hating something else. Truth is I hadn't see a gadget that was perfect yet; they all have pros and cons. Do away with the high horses!
What I miss most, switching from Android to iOS, is SWYPE. Apple's autocorrect works great, but I miss Swype. I can't wait until Apple steals Swype and say they invented it, LOL. I also miss the Google navigation; I like being able to step through a directions list. I do love the free Waze app for navigation (which is available on both), but it lacks the ability to step through the directions..
You can make any product better than the other when you make an image like this
+Ferdowsy Qureshi... have you not noticed the "stone"? You IPhone lovers are hilarious! It's all obviously just for laughs!
+Matias Lehtoranta You can DIY with iPhone, it is called Jailbreaking. All of my Apple devices are Jailbroken, even my AppleTV. My Samsung was "rooted" which is the same thing.
Plus some obviously do not even understand what a widget is...they have it confused with an icon.
Its true, not much as a stone though, still better :)
Difference between an iPhone and a rock? A touchstone
Hilarious to see iPhone users not even know what a widget IS...
+Ferdowsy Qureshi Please show me how you can view your upcoming calender events, your gmail inbox, the 5 day weather forecast, your twitter feed, and your current music track all without having one app open.
I've used both quite a lot and I have to say I really rather dislike samsung and much prefer the iphone, but I prefer the top end htc phones to either. Also the credit for the galaxy doesn't really belong to samsung as much as to google, android is awesome not samsung.
Should i get evo 3d or iphone 4s?
Iphone ... You dont know... I think use iphone
+Kaysavan S I am not saying it is perfect but I have seen a friend entering an Apple store with defect phone and they replaced it on the spot... I am not going to buy an iPhone just for that but that just one least thing to worry about. I had the worst experience with Samsung and I am now buying an HTC ONE X so I can have a phone for the time I will send the Galaxy nexus back to service. Hopefully they can do better this time and actually fix the damn thing so I can sell it afterward. It is the last time I buy any samsung product. It is a shame as I was loving my Galaxy nexus...
Let's stop this madness right now. Before we keep posting comments about which phone is better please watch this video Clearly the picture was a joke, but some people got their panties in a bunch, because an outdated chart, so here is a more up to date comparison. Cheers!!
Video again:
I've reported this as abuse, as I am a stone and I do not wish to be compared to an iPhone or a samsung galaxy
hai brother what do you do yar
Add a comment... | https://plus.google.com/+dannywood/posts/QRGoFdNM9uB | dclm-gs1-165200000 |
0.090132 | <urn:uuid:7c629163-b124-41f8-a0a9-8e681f4d9ed6> | en | 0.993442 | A/N: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I DO own the entire series on DVD and assorted Kenshin paraphernalia, so please don't sue, I'm a loyal merchandise customer.
The Ninja and the Samurai
(A Soujiro/Misao Romance)
Soujiro looked around for the third time. There it was again, a fleeting sense of someone following him. He'd felt it first as soon as he left the last village he'd come to. Now the feeling lingered for a moment longer than it had the previous two times.
Soujiro turned to continue walking along the road. He decided it was time to find out who this stalker was. After all, if they wanted to catch up to him that badly he could at least oblige them and if the situation was something he couldn't handle he'd simply run away.
It was amazing. He had never used his running ability to run away from a conflict before meeting Himura. Now he used it to avoid conflicts that would have required him to kill again. He hadn't made any vows like Himura had; he still wasn't convinced that killing was totally unnecessary in all situations. It was just that killing someone, as a last resort, hadn't actually presented itself in any of his conflicts. There was usually another way.
Soujiro felt the presence once more, it was in front of him now and it was coming fast. He looked around desperately for some sign of an attacker before finally looking up just as a flash of blue collided with his chest sending him sprawling to the ground.
He suddenly couldn't breathe very well. That was when he noticed that someone had a hold on his wrists and they were straddling his chest pinning him down. He had managed to draw his sword, but it was laying a few centimeters from his fingertips. Soujiro looked up into the face of his attacker and into the most stunning set of emerald eyes he had ever seen. He lay there stunned for a moment, not from any injury, but from the realization that there was a beautiful green-eyed girl on top of him. Oddly, she looked familiar.
"Ah ha! I've got you now Tenken!" she said staring down at him with an almost evil glee in her voice.
"Oh, really?" Soujiro said with his usual smile on his face. "I was just curious then how you're planning on killing me or tying me up without letting go of my hands."
The young girl looked at Soujiro's sword and was obviously not prepared for such a dilemma. This gave Soujiro a moment to think. He could easily curl his legs up and kick her off of him, but that would mean hurting her. He normally didn't care about whether or not he hurt people who attacked him, not even Himura was that bad. However this girl didn't radiate malevolence of any kind, and well, hurting pretty girls just wasn't equated with his new way of looking at things.
The girl still hadn't made up her mind as to what to do then, so Soujiro opted to try overpowering her. With a sudden rush of strength, he grabbed her wrists pushing them around her sides until he had them pinned behind her back with each of his arms curled around her. He rolled and tried to sit up as well as the girl struggled against him. After a few moments they managed to stand, her with her arms still pinned behind her. It was then that Soujiro realized he had managed to pull her body against his and their lips were now in VERY close proximity. The things one thinks about when attacked by pretty women.
"I'm sorry about this miss…" Soujiro started.
"Misao. Misao Makimachi." The young woman glared at him a moment as the two of them stood there. Soujiro realized this was the closest he'd ever been to a girl. It made him very nervous.
Misao apparently had misread the nervousness. "So, realized who you were dealing with?" She said smugly. "Or are you just coming to realize that now YOU can't go anywhere without releasing me."
Soujiro stopped and thought for a moment. She was right. If memory served this was the girl that had accompanied Himura the first time they'd fought and she was reported to be a pretty good aim with those kunai of hers. There didn't seem to be a really good way out of this situation. Not that he was complaining about the current situation mind you.
Soujiro's thoughts were interrupted as he heard a cart coming up the road they were standing on. Acting quickly he kicked his sword off into the grass and lifted Misao. "You pervert!" she yelled at him as he picked her up and ran behind a tree. It wasn't until he put her down with her back to the tree that he realized his head had been resting against her bosom. "Sorry." He said lamely.
The two of them stood there for a few minutes as the cart came rolling into view from behind the tree. An old man guided an ox that pulled the cart, which was apparently full of rice barrels; it just HAD to be rice barrels. The old man stopped and stared at the two of them before shaking his head.
"You kids need to find some other place to go and do your business. This is a public road after all!" The old man said disdainfully.
Soujiro was blushing furiously. Looking down he noticed that Misao was as well. Without thinking he quickly let go of her arms and stepped back scratching the back of his head. "Uh, sorry sir." He flashed a smile at him hoping to placate the old man and shuffled his feet a little.
The old man snorted and started his cart moving again. Soujiro and Misao waited until the old man was well out of sight. Soujiro looked at Misao, who was still blushing, and thought for a moment. "Why didn't you cry out for help?"
Misao looked at Soujiro as if noticing him for the first time. "He was only and old man. He couldn't have done anything about it anyway and I'm not about to involve somebody in one of my battles especially against a murderer."
Soujiro bent over and picked up his sword. Without looking he buried it into the wood next to Misao's head as she reached for her kunai. It had the desired result as she stopped dead still. She looked a little startled as she said, "Are you going to kill me now?"
"I've gotten out of the habit of killing pretty young girls." Soujiro said bluntly. "What are you doing following me anyway?"
Misao was blushing again but managed to regain her composure. "I was sent to find you."
"By who, I didn't think Aoshi wanted me dead that badly."
"He doesn't." Misao said hotly. "My Aoshi doesn't hire out the Oniwaban group as assassins! I was sent to find you and bring you back!"
"Sorry Misao, the end result is the same whether it's by an assassin's blade or a firing squad, I still end up dead." Soujiro said bluntly.
"No, no. Nothing like that." Misao said exasperatedly. "A short while back someone came to the Aoiya looking for you. It was that freaky guy Kamatari. He said that he had been to see Anji and that Cho thought he could get him out by bribing the right people. Normally, I don't agree with bribing government officials, but Anji was an OK guy. Anyway, Kamatari said that he was looking for Shishio's hidden stash of money to get the money necessary to spring Anji. The only problem was that the only people who might have known where it was happened to be either dead or wandering; namely, Yumi or you. So, Aoshi-sama sent me to find you since we had reports that you were somewhere near Tokyo."
"She." Soujiro said distracted.
"What was that?"
"She. Kamatari prefers to be thought of as a woman."
Soujiro tuned out the rest of the conversation as she went on about how easily she had found him, how great her Aoshi-sama was, and how he was now her prisoner and would be coming back with her to Kyoto. Shishio-sama's fortune. Now THAT was something he hadn't expected. Everybody thought that Shishio had spent nearly all of the money he had on buying the Purgatory. Soujiro smiled about that. Actually, the money had originally been Himura's. One of Shishio's ironic plots on revenge. He and Himura both had earned a great deal of money killing during the Bakumatsu. Himura had refused the money when he had become a wanderer. Shishio however had accepted his and Himura's both. He didn't have the heart to tell Himura that it had been HIS money that had funded Shishio's rebellion.
"Hey are you listening to me!" Misao had moved in front of him holding a kunai up to his throat. "I said you're my prisoner! So get moving!"
"OK, this way then." Soujiro turned, sheathing his sword and started walking.
"Kyoto's this way you JERK!"
"I know. We have to get the money first though. That, and I have to ask someone's permission before I use it." It was only fair after all. Since the money wasn't really his to give away, he would give what was left to Himura-san. It was only fitting since Shishio had taken his money.
Misao ran to catch up to Soujiro. She settled into step beside him as the two started out for Tokyo.
"This isn't good." Soujiro said looking at the policemen standing around the temple near the Kamiya dojo. He moved back from the edge of the bushes to crouch next to Misao. "There are police everywhere. I can't get to where I buried the money."
"What do we do now?" Misao whispered.
"Let's get out of here for now and find out what's going on. We can try to dig it up after the police are gone." Soujiro said as they moved further into the bushes.
The two of them slipped past the sentries standing at the stairs and froze there in the shadows. In the torchlight they watched as a carriage stopped in front of the temple. The door opened and out stepped Hajime Saitoh. "Saitoh! What's he doing back from Kyoto so soon?" Misao gasped as she ducked down next to Soujiro. There wasn't much room to hide so she found herself pressed closely to Sou's back as they lay on their stomachs in the underbrush.
Misao watched as Cho came walking down the steps carrying something and stopped in front of Saitoh. It was pitch black so Misao fumbled around to get close to Soujiro's ear so they wouldn't be heard whispering. She cupped one hand over his ear on the opposite side of his head to cover any background noise and leaned close to whisper as softly as she could. She could just feel the skin of Soujiro's ear against her lips as she whispered trying to make it so faint no one would hear. "We have to get closer to Saitoh to hear what they're saying."
She felt Soujiro nod under her hand and the two of them moved close enough to hear Cho's conversation.
"Yeah, seems like somebody must have had it in for all these guys. We found most of them cut to ribbons behind the main building." Cho was saying to his enigmatic boss.
"Were there any tracks anywhere?" Saitoh said taking a long draw off of his cigarette.
"No, but the boys found this on one of them." Cho reported tossing something to Saitoh.
"Hmmm. I'm willing to bet the Battousi has something to do with this."
"Frankly chief, I know the Battousi is a good swordsman and all, but I don't think he really has the stomach to chop up these guys like that." Cho snorted.
Misao was shocked to hear Saitoh chuckle in spite of himself. "The Battousi can surprise you sometimes. During the revolution, such scenes were his trademarks." He said almost admiringly. "But in this case I know this area a little better than you do. Believe me, if there's anything strange going on around here you can believe that Kenshin Himura knows something about it. Besides, he practically lives next door to this place. If he didn't hear anything then he's slipped worse than I'd hoped."
Saitoh looked over in Misao's direction and she could swear he smiled directly at her. Nonchalantly, he flipped his cigarette over into the bushes near Misao. Soujiro gasped and Misao clapped her hand quietly over his mouth. Soujiro started to squirm a little and Misao moved to whisper in his ear again. This time she was practically nibbling his ear lobe. "Do you want to get us caught? Be still!"
Saitoh and Cho began speaking about Kyoto. They mentioned Aoshi and Kamatari for a few moments and then started discussing other things. Misao could feel something wet falling over her hand clamped over Soujiro's mouth and she started to smell something. Was it smoke?
Misao looked around to see a small curl of smoke coming from the cigarette. It was sitting dead center of Soujiro's back. Misao quickly reached over and flicked it off into the weeds and leaned close to Soujiro. "I am soooo sorry, Soujiro. I'll make it up to you."
Saitoh and Cho were winding up their conversation. "So did you see any sign of the Tenken?" Cho asked conversationally.
"No, he is particularly elusive. I imagine it will be quite some time before we're able to catch him." Saitoh said.
"Kamatari seems to think he knows where Shishio's treasure is hidden." Cho said as well. "I hope she's right. That would be a great help to the government if it were found. I'm sure if I were able to bring that in to the government that they'd give me a really big promotion, and then maybe I could help Anji get out of prison."
Misao began to feel just a little bit uncomfortable. Something smelled funny, and it wasn't Soujiro's burnt gi. Saitoh just looked at Cho for a few long moments and then shook his head. Misao could swear she heard Cho snicker as he got into the carriage. Saitoh stayed in the street.
"Yes, getting that money back should be our first priority. We can track Soujiro down later. I'm going to stop off at Himura's dojo and make sure he knows I'm back in Tokyo before I go back to the station. I'll only be a few minutes."
The carriage pulled away and Misao watched as Saitoh turned to walk down to the dojo. She could have been mistaken, but she could have sworn she heard him say something like 'morons' before he disappeared from sight.
Soujiro and Misao slipped away from the temple. They followed Saitoh to the door of the dojo and then went to climb a tree and wait until he left.
From their perch they could see the porch of the dojo. Kenshin and Kaoru were sitting there with Yahiko and Sanosuke as Saitoh entered the gate.
"What are you doing here Saitoh," Kenshin hissed. "I thought you weren't due back from Kyoto for another two weeks."
Saitoh's eye twitched imperceptibly. "The investigation into the whereabouts of Seta Soujiro stalled. We though we had him, but it turned out to be a false lead."
"Then what does that have to do with us?" Kenshin asked impatiently.
"Nothing, I was coming in reference to the incident up on the hill. You know, the one you can see quite clearly from here. It appears someone carved up some street thugs behind the temple." Saitoh actually sounded hopeful.
"I heard about it." Kenshin nodded. "We were on our way back from the Akabeko when the police went storming into the temple."
"So, you were at the Akabeko during the attack?" Saitoh asked.
"I don't know." Kenshin said plainly. "I don't know when the attack occurred. We left this morning to go shopping and then we ate lunch at the Akabeko. If it happened today, we could have been anywhere."
Saitoh snorted with disgust before continuing. "It was done today, and not many hours ago. One of the men apparently bled to death from his wounds and was still warm. Some of them were armed, and didn't even have time to draw their weapons. That doesn't leave many people in Tokyo that could have done it."
Saitoh turned and started for the gate. "Oh, by the way, Battousi. You may want to be careful. The fugitive Soujiro has been seen in the area. He is reported as having been seen in the company of that weasel-girl Misao. He's nothing but trouble so you might want to tell her that it wouldn't be smart taking up with the likes of him."
Soujiro had heard the majority of the conversation. It had been his turn to cover Misao's mouth at the comments Saitoh had made about her being a weasel. It had been all he could do to grab her arms before the kunai started flying. He was fairly certain Saitoh had known they were there, but had kept up the charade for the sake of his men. He wanted Shishio's treasure and was willing to let them run free if it meant getting it.
His back still smarted like crazy so he was glad when Saitoh finally disappeared. He hopped down with Misao and walked into the dojo behind her.
"Hello everybody!" Misao cried running over to hug the girl that Soujiro remembered being described as Kaoru, Himura's woman. He recognized Segara as well, but the boy was a mystery. Did Himura have a son? He stayed at the edge of the light for a moment before he heard Kenshin's voice. "I thought we might be seeing you shortly Misao," Kenshin said to the girl, "I am glad to see you as well Soujiro-san, I was sorry I did not have the chance to speak with you before you left Kyoto."
Soujiro planted his trademark smile firmly on his face. "It seemed the more prudent course of action." Soujiro said happily. He was a little amazed at the gathering of people around the dojo. Himura was undoubtedly the oldest, but the rest of them were all fairly close to his age with the exception of the young boy.
"Soujiro's my prisoner!" Misao cried happily. "I'm taking him back to Kyoto with me as soon as we find his treasure!"
"Treasure?" Everyone said in unison turning to Soujiro with questioning eyes.
"Actually it isn't my treasure. It was what was left of Shishio-sama's money after the Kyoto project fell through." Soujiro said politely.
"Anyway," Misao continued, "Lord Aoshi sent me to find Soujiro so I could bring him back to Kyoto with the treasure. Aoshi-sama will be so happy when I bring him back."
"You mean Aoshi actually let a weasel girl like you out of his sight to go chasing after one of the most deadly assassins in all of Japan?" The young boy said snorting. "If I remember right you're the only one of the Oniwaban group other than Aoshi himself who actually knows what Soujiro looks like!"
Before he could stop her, the kunai went flying and the kid was pinned by his sleeves to the wall of the dojo. "Yahiko, you jerk!" Soujiro was surprised to see no one else seemed to notice the attack, except for Yahiko of course.
"Please come in Soujiro, Misao. We'll have some more tea before bed. I think I may need a little bit more than tea the way this day has been turning out." Kaoru said in exasperation.
"I think I'll pass little missy," Sano said as he pulled the kunai pinning Yahiko to the wall out and tossed them back to Misao, "I'll take the squirt and head back to my place for the night. It looks like you're going to have your hands full of guests."
The young boy immediately latched onto Sano's head and started biting into his spiked hair. Soujiro watched stupefied as Sano merely started walking carrying the young boy off with him.
Soujiro went inside and had a seat next to Misao. He smiled at Kaoru as she served him tea like he was a normal guest. It was quite disturbing. The silence filled the room for a moment before Kenshin finally spoke. "Soujiro, how long have you been in Tokyo?"
"Not very long at all. As soon as Misao and I got here, we went to the temple to get something I left there and found the police all over the place. I promise you, I had nothing to do with the slaughter that happened up there."
"I believe you, but Saitoh is right. There aren't many swordsmen in Tokyo that could have killed a large number of men before they could draw their weapons. Misao, could you get word from Okina to find out if there are any other swordsmen in Tokyo right now that could have done it?"
"I'll be sure to pass that along to him and our leader." Misao said seriously. "I'm going to send him an intelligence report tomorrow of everything that's going on in Tokyo. I'll be certain to include it. Aoshi may even wish to come here himself to secure Shishio's treasure."
"I thought YOU were the new leader Misao," Kaoru said looking at Misao suddenly.
Misao actually blushed. "I was, but Okina said that it might get Aoshi out of his depression and get him out of that stupid temple if he had some real work to do. I stepped down, and now Aoshi is leading us again." Misao said brightly.
"How are things between you two then?" Kaoru said hopefully. Soujiro was amazed at the speed at which Misao's mood shifted. HE definitely couldn't move that fast. Misao began sobbing uncontrollably. "Oh Kaoru, it's even worse now! Now he actually has business to do that keeps him away from me. Before it was just his stupid meditation and I at least I could serve him tea. Now he doesn't even have time for that of a morning. It's almost like he's avoiding me."
Kenshin nodded sadly and then turned to Soujiro while Misao composed herself. "So you are looking for Shishio's treasure?"
Soujiro looked at Misao worriedly before turning to Himura. "Actually, Himura-san, by rights it's YOUR treasure." Soujiro was quietly pleased that this time everyone turned to look at Kenshin in surprise.
"Ma… My treasure?" Kenshin said in disbelief.
"Yes, Himura-san. I had quite forgotten about it after Kyoto. Nearly everything was lost when the Purgatory sank. Nearly all of what Shishio-sama had was used to purchase that battleship on the black market. Then it was gone." Soujiro said still wearing a smile; after all, it hadn't been HIS money.
"But not all of his money?"
"Actually, when you left Kyoto after the revolution they didn't know what to do with your fortune so master Shishio claimed it and added it to his own. He used your money and his to finance the Grand Fire Project." Soujiro hated to do this to Himura, but honesty was also becoming part of his new life philosophy.
All things considered Kenshin took it quite well. He looked down at his tea and his eyes grew distant. Soujiro decided it was best to get this over and done with quickly. "Master Shishio had only one thing left to do with the money he had left. He sent me here with it when, ahem, we first met. I was supposed to frame you for the assassination."
Kenshin didn't look like he was hearing a word that Soujiro was saying until after he stopped. Finally he looked up. "Why didn't you?"
"I couldn't. You left Tokyo too quickly, and I was forced to leave the money behind in order to get back to master Shishio ahead of you." Soujiro removed the smile from his face.
"Now Kamatari has shown up enlisting the aid of the Oniwaban group to find the money to supposedly pay for getting monk Anji out of prison for his role in the uprising. Misao and I also heard Cho and Saitoh mention the fact that they were looking for the money as well. I thought that the most proper thing to do would be, since it isn't my money, to give the money back to you, since Shishio-sama had stolen it from you in the first place, and to ask you if we could use the money to free monk Anji." Soujiro didn't like speaking so much, but he preferred laying all the cards out on the table for Himura.
Kenshin thought for a long time before he answered. "I have no desire to possess the blood money the government tried to give me for the killing I did during the Bakumatsu. I didn't want it then, and I still don't. If it will help get monk Anji out of jail, then use the money any way you want. It is the least I can do for him since he saved Misao in Kyoto and to help atone for the money I left behind being used to finance the uprising."
"Thank you, Himura-dono." Soujiro said respectfully. From what he knew of Himura it was the reaction he had expected. He bowed deeply to him nearly touching his head to the floor when he heard Misao gasp.
"Soujiro, your back! I didn't realize the burn was that bad!" Soujiro had actually forgotten about it. His back still stung whenever he moved too much. "Ms. Kaoru," Misao said seriously, "do you have a room I can have for the night. I'm not letting Soujiro out of my sight. He's my prisoner, and besides I need to tend his wounds."
Kaoru smiled. "Certainly, Misao. We can put you Yahiko's room." Soujiro realized why Himura had stopped wandering. Frankly, the more he thought about it, he was surprised he left Tokyo to go fight Shishio. The lady was beautiful, her deep eyes and dark hair made her smile seem even more attractive. Soujiro thought he was in trouble for staring too long when he heard Kenshin clear his throat. Fortunately, he hadn't noticed.
"One of them can take my room Kaoru-dono. I'll sleep out on the porch in front of your room, in light of the things that have happened tonight." Soujiro caught Kenshin glancing in the direction of the temple before continuing. "Soujiro, I need to know one last thing. Where is this money that you left in Tokyo?"
Soujiro nearly fell backwards, he'd almost forgotten. "That's a problem actually. I buried it."
"That's OK, we can get Sano to help us tomorrow and we'll go dig it up."
"I don't think so Himura-san," Soujiro said almost wincing. "It seems I buried it behind that temple where all those men were killed."
Soujiro watched the display. Kenshin slapped his forehead, Misao fell backwards, and even Kaoru looked perplexed. He was totally lost. "Well, at least Lord Aoshi will have time to get here before we get to the treasure." Misao said hopefully.
After that, Soujiro and Misao were taken to Kenshin's room. Kenshin laid out a second futon for Soujiro since Misao wouldn't let him out of her sight, and took his things outside, promising to discuss it more in the morning so that they could come up with a plan. Misao asked Kaoru if she had any burn medicine. Kaoru brought the medicine to Misao who thanked her.
Soujiro sighed in relief as he finally peeled out of his burnt gi. It still throbbed a little and he had no idea how badly he was burned. Pretty badly if Misao was to be believed. "It's a good thing that Kaoru-dono had some salve for the burn." Soujiro said trying to take it from Misao.
"Oh no you don't. You can't even reach the place on your back. I promised to make it up to you and I meant it. Take your shirt off and lay on your stomach. Anyway, Kaoru probably got it from Megumi when she and Kenshin were training in the kitchen."
"Is Kenshin really that bad a cook?"
"No, Kaoru is. HE was trying to teach HER."
Soujiro stared at Misao in disbelief for a moment. Surely she couldn't be serious.
"Are you going to lay down or what?"
Soujiro lay down on his stomach. "Yes ma'am. I'll try not to make my jailer too angry with me." Soujiro winced as Misao poked his burn.
Misao looked down at Soujiro's back. She tried not to stammer as she looked at him. She had never seen this much of Aoshi's chest and back but she hoped it was half as toned and muscular. Soujiro really was a beautiful young man. What was most remarkable was the fact that he was perfect. Except for the burn on his back, which wasn't that bad now that the burned gi had been removed. It was totally unblemished. Nobody's ever been able to hit him before. She thought to herself. This actually scared her a little. That would explain the butterflies in her stomach. Even Aoshi and the other late members of her beloved Oniwaban group had some sort of battle scars. They even bragged about them. Soujiro was perfect.
Misao gulped involuntarily. If he had wanted to, he could have easily killed her when she had attacked him. Aoshi had told her only to find him, but she had determined to bring Soujiro in trussed up like a goose to impress her Aoshi. Misao changed her opinion of Soujiro. He was friendly, and kind from what she had seen so far. It just didn't add up.
"There. You deserved that." Misao said impishly. "You know you don't act like a cold-blooded assassin. It's almost unbelievable to hear you talk about it with Himura." Misao took out some water in a bowl and some cloth and started cleaning Soujiro's wound tenderly. Soujiro had to admit it made it feel a LOT better.
"Don't be deceived. Everything you've heard is probably true and more."
"You don't seem so bad though, Sou-chan." Misao said dipping the cloth and returning to cleaning. Soujiro didn't think the wound had been that big, but then he hadn't seen it either.
"Sou-chan?" Soujiro asked stupidly.
"Well it sounds better than Soujiro-san." Misao said plaintively. "I'm sorry you got burned. You didn't even move after I grabbed your mouth."
"I didn't want to get caught. I learned to distance my self from all kinds of pain a long time ago." Soujiro tried to make his voice his usual cheery self, but somehow this time he failed. Misao stopped washing his back for a moment. "What kinds of pain?" She said softly as she went back to washing his back.
Soujiro tried to hold it in but found he couldn't. He'd never really talked about it with anyone. He wasn't comfortable talking about it with anyone. For a long time he shut it out completely while he had become the emotionless assassin for Shishio. It had become increasingly hard since meeting Himura to hold it in, now with this gentle woman touching him tenderly and speaking to him softly it burned within his chest to come out. "You really don't want to know Misao. Someone like you doesn't need to be stained by the presence of people like me."
"Sou-chan no baka!" Misao said poking his side. Soujiro jumped in spite of himself. He'd never realized he was ticklish; no one had ever dared try. "You and Kenshin are two of a kind, you know that. Kaoru keeps trying to get him to open up to her and he keeps telling her pretty much the same thing. Well, I'm here to tell you buster, I'm not Kaoru!" She started again with the side poking. "Finding out information is what I do best so you better 'fess up." Misao voice actually dropped back down to a soft and gentle whisper again almost instantly. It amazed Soujiro how she did that. "I only want to help."
Soujiro lay there for a few moments more before he spoke. "I learned early to block out all kinds of pain; emotional, physical, and mental. My mother was a courtesan and I was the illegitimate son of a rice merchant." Soujiro felt Misao go back to washing him. The water felt like it was soothing more than his burn. "When my mother grew tired of me she took me to my father's house. You can guess how my new 'mother' greeted a bastard child. I was shunned until my father died when I was about five. After that I became a slave to my father's real sons who were grown men. I worked every day carrying rice barrels. I wasn't allowed to stop until I had done all the work they had given me to do. It usually took me all day and most of the night as well."
Misao had stopped washing and now started patting his back dry with a towel as Soujiro continued. "I was beaten, exhausted, and hurting. I started smiling so that they would get tired of beating me and leave me alone. I would hurt so bad I finally started shutting it all away. The physical pain, my heart's anguish, all of it. That was when master Shishio found me. He spared my life in exchange for sanctuary from the police. I helped him and he was taken aback by the fact that I always smiled at him. That was when he gave me his wakisashi. I think he expected me to kill myself, or maybe he pitied me. Regardless, he told me that the strong survive and the weak die. He then waited to see which one I was. I hid the sword, and finally had resolved to give it back to him, but by that time my family learned of what I had been doing and they tried to kill me. I ran at first, but when they caught up with me I had nothing but master Shishio's sword." Soujiro felt the tears rolling down his face. He sobbed a little as he went on. "I killed them. I killed my entire family. The pain was so much that I couldn't bear it; I was only eight years old. So I did the only thing I could do. I shoved the pain away like I had for so many years already and tried to forget about it. That was what Shishio taught me. I killed anyone Shishio asked in order to pave the way for his new order because I believed in what he told me 'The strong survive, and the weak die'." Soujiro felt Misao's gentle arm on his shoulder and felt her towel wipe away his tears as he closed his eyes.
"It's alright Sou-chan. I'm here. What do you believe now?"
"I still don't know." Soujiro managed as he regained his composure. Misao moved back to his burn. He felt the cool touch of the salve as she poured it onto his back and began to spread it over the wound. "I had hoped to wander until I discovered the answers that Kenshin found. From what I understand he has similar problems. I just wish I could get a grip on life like he has." That was the best way Soujiro could put it. What he wanted to say was, I think Kenshin wandered until he found Kaoru and she was his answer. Soujiro felt Misao's gentle hands caressing his back. He had never felt anything like it, unless you counted the flirtatious passes Kamatari was always lavishing him with. This was different though. He remembered the feel of Misao's lips against his ear at the temple, and the feel of her hand on the nape of his neck as she pulled his head close. He had thought then that the pain of the burn had been almost worth it, now he knew for sure.
Soujiro groaned contentedly as tension he never knew was there left his body. It was then that he realized something. He hadn't burned his shoulders and Misao was straddling his backside. "Uh, Misao? I didn't burn my shoulders."
"Shut up silly. I told you I would make it up to you and I am. Just relax and be quiet." Misao scolded him but the gentleness in her voice betrayed her.
Soujiro wondered about it. Was this what it had been like for Kenshin? This girl whom he had known for but one day had managed to pry more of his secrets out of him than he had ever shared with anyone. Her gentle touch and voice had been a balm to his aching soul even as the salve had been a balm to his burn. Did Kaoru give this to Kenshin? Redemption. Someone who could look at the darkness in his soul and still find it in them to say 'It's all right. I'm here.'
Soujiro had never been this close to a woman before, emotionally or physically, and he drank in the experience gladly. Still something had been left behind by what Misao had done. There was a new burning in its place. He didn't know enough about emotions yet to put a name to it… but he could definitely call it… curiosity. Why was Misao like this for him? What made her so special, that she could do this to him within a day of meeting him? He tried to think of a way to find out and finally chose the only common subject he could think of.
"Misao, what is Aoshi like?"
Soujiro nearly cursed himself as her gentle massage suddenly stopped. He didn't draw an easy breath again until she started again. "Why do you ask?"
Soujiro couldn't really think straight so he defaulted back to what he already knew of Aoshi. "Well, I didn't get to know him at all when he came to join up with Shishio. I met him and all, but I really didn't get a feel for what he was really like."
Misao seemed to relax a bit before she continued. "He's strong, quiet, and so calm he's icy. I've known him all my life, and I know I love him, it's just…"
"Just what?" Soujiro asked, honestly curious.
"He never seems to pay attention to me. He's always pushing me away. He's always protected me, like a big brother, but he won't look at me like I'm a woman."
"Oh, that." Soujiro said absently. He added 'needs glasses' to his mental list of traits about Aoshi.
"What do you mean 'Oh, that'. You don't know anything about Aoshi and me do you?" Misao sounded almost pleading.
"No, no, no, it's not that." Soujiro said quickly. "I was just curious about something."
"Like what?" Misao said suspiciously. She had stopped rubbing Soujiro's back and lay down next to him so she could look into his face.
"Well, I kind of thought Aoshi was well, you know, gay." Soujiro said. The response from Misao was electric and immediate.
"What!" Misao squeaked as she managed to flip Soujiro over and land on top of him. One of her kunai flashed angrily under Soujiro's chin. "You better explain yourself."
Soujiro swallowed slightly and waited for Misao to calm down. When she finally slowed down her breathing Soujiro tried to explain. "It was when Aoshi was with us in the Juppon Gatana. Nobody really gave him the time of day except for Kamatari."
Misao's eyes were threatening to escape from her head so Soujiro pressed on. "Kamatari likes to flirt with men. Honestly, I think she might prefer women to men, but no one in the Juppon Gatana REALLY wanted to get close enough to ask that question. Anyway, Kamatari liked playing flirting games with all the men to unsettle them. Even I was uneasy when Kamatari decided to play with people. She would rub up against the rest of us and say things I won't repeat. She even did it to Aoshi when he got there."
Misao sat up. She looked extremely dangerous in that moment. Soujiro looked at her sitting on top of him and tried to stay focused on the story. He had to admit thinking of Kamatari helped quell such thoughts. "The thing that caught my attention was that Aoshi didn't flinch. He didn't run, he didn't shrink away; he even talked to Kamatari about things within the Juppon Gatana. The rest of us thought that he must have enjoyed it not to run for cover when he saw Kamatari coming."
Misao didn't respond for a little while. Finally she shrugged. "Lord Aoshi is icy. He ignores everybody it seems. Nothing can faze my Aoshi."
Finally, Misao slid off to the side of Soujiro and lay there looking up. "I guess we had better get some sleep, huh?" Soujiro said finally.
"Yeah, I guess." Misao said dejectedly.
The two of them lay there for a long while until sleep finally took them. Soujiro slept better than he ever had in his life, with dreams of deep green eyes and dark braided hair comforting him where once his nightmares lingered.
The morning was warm and sunny, even for an autumn day and Kenshin had managed to finish the laundry early, so he sat on the porch and considered the latest problem that had invaded his life. It was possible that these men had simply run across one of his enemies at the wrong time. The hill where they had been killed did overlook the dojo. It would be the perfect place to spy on someone's daily activities.
The problem was it could be anyone. He had made some pretty powerful enemies in his past. It could be anyone from old rivals from the Bakumatsu all the way up to the more recent remnants of Shishio's army looking for revenge. Kenshin leaned against the wall. Soujiro had also been numbered among Shishio's men but he couldn't really hold the boy responsible for his actions. He had killed because that madman Shishio had warped his sense of self and reality. He only hoped that Soujiro found the answers he was looking for. Kenshin felt Soujiro getting closer. He and Misao had gone out early to the Oniwaban agent here in Tokyo to have a message sent to Aoshi. Kenshin actually smiled. Soujiro was the only 'prisoner' he'd ever heard of that was allowed to carry his sword.
Soujiro and Misao came in through the gate walking towards the dojo with Megumi bringing Dr. Genzai's granddaughters. Kaoru was keeping them today because the good doctor had an operation to perform. All of them were smiling, talking and laughing. I guess a man can be taken prisoner by more than just chains.
Kenshin looked at Kaoru who was playing with the little girls. He was definitely her prisoner. He didn't think after everything they'd been through together he could leave her again if he wanted to.
"Uncle Kenny!" the girls cried as they raced over to tackle Kenshin. Kenshin felt happier than he had before. Concern tended to melt away in the embrace of happy toddlers. Kenshin's smile faded slightly as he looked at Soujiro. The young man looked serious and his smile was only barely visible. He was looking back at the gate before he met Kenshin's eyes.
"We're going to the Akabeko, Uncle Kenny!" Ayame was squealing. "Oh?" Kenshin said looking up to the others.
Kaoru was wearing her usual happy expression. "Dr. Genzai gave me some money for taking care of the girls. I promised them we'd take them to see Yahiko at the Akabeko today."
"YAAAAAY! We get to see Yahiko!" They both cried in unison.
Megumi looked around. "We'll probably run into that rooster on the way. I swear that man can smell a free meal in the next prefecture."
"Sanosuke is checking on something for me with his reporter friend, Ms. Megumi." Kenshin said innocently. "I'm sure I could go find him if you wanted me to." Megumi's reaction was her typical nonchalant shrug. Kenshin flashed his own smile he liked to call 'stupid innocence'. He used it when he wanted to taunt people without offending them. They simply thought him too simple to be mocking them.
Soujiro had recovered from his bout of seriousness and was smiling as well. He had the innocence part down pretty well, always had, but he was still lacking somewhat in stupidity. Contrary to popular belief, it was a fine art that required about ten years of serious practice.
"Well I've finished the laundry, so why don't we go there now." Kenshin suggested. The girls squealed and ran off towards the gate with Megumi, Misao, and Kaoru in hot pursuit. Kenshin fell back to walk beside Soujiro as the young women skipped on ahead with the girls.
"Something's bothering you Soujiro, what is it." Kenshin said as he fell into step with the younger swordsman.
"Someone followed me and Misao to the dojo this morning. I started not to return with her, but I didn't want to leave her alone and she would have tried to catch whoever it was if I had told her." Soujiro said. The two of them suddenly stiffened almost in unison. The presence was back and it was following them.
"I'm sorry I brought you into this Himura-san," Soujiro said as he started to turn away. Kenshin grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him back into step. "What makes you think that you're the one that brought this on?"
"Ever since Kyoto all the enemies I made while working for Shishio have been coming around trying to find me since I wasn't captured or killed. Add that to all the people who want to make a name for themselves by bringing down the 'Tenken' and it pretty much sums up how I've had to live for the past few months." Soujiro tried to turn again, but Kenshin put a fatherly arm around him and inconspicuously pulled him back.
"It may not be your enemies Soujiro. After all, you forget, my past comes back occasionally too." Kenshin said seriously while pretending to point out something to the young man.
"I would have thought that you'd have gotten rid of all your enemies one way or another by now." Soujiro said seriously.
"Don't underestimate the amount of blood I have on my hands. I'll probably be dead and gone and still have men showing up at my grave to fight." Kenshin said with a little note of sadness in his voice.
"Then why did you do it?" Soujiro said stopping for a moment to face the man. "I mean, why have you stayed with Kaoru all this time when it just gives your enemies some place to find you. I mean, when I went to find you at Shishio's orders it was simple for anyone who knew who they were looking for to find you."
Kenshin smiled as he answered the question he'd asked himself many times before. "No matter where I go, or how hard I try to hide, I'll always have someone trying to kill me. It doesn't matter if I stay or go; it will always be the case. I have always needed a purpose. I thought that purpose was to change Japan at one time, but now I see that a man's reason to fight has to be something more important to him than simple political change. It has to be something he feels worth fighting for. I found that here. Whether it's because of my enemies or because of something else I have friends worth dying for here and I will not leave them again. As long as I am alive I will do everything in my power to protect her, that I will."
Soujiro continued walking beside the man and looked distracted. "You said 'her'. It's more than just that isn't it?"
Kenshin smiled and nodded to himself. Soujiro didn't miss the smallest slip. "Yes, I think it would kill both of us if I were to leave again. If someone like Shishio shows up again he may very well be facing me with her following along behind."
"Doesn't that put her in danger too?" Soujiro asked.
"Yes." Kenshin said seriously. "She is a good fighter in her own right and it helps to know she isn't defenseless. She tends to get angry if I try to protect her too much. I'll never stop worrying about her, but I guess all men worry about the women in their lives. Wouldn't you agree?"
"What do you mean?" Soujiro said perplexed.
"Why haven't you left before now, with Saitoh looking for you and now someone following us. You could have left the moment you found out about him instead of coming back to the dojo. Misao knows where the money is, and Aoshi should be coming soon to get it." Kenshin said seriously.
"I told you I didn't want to leave her alone." Soujiro said suddenly finding the ground in front of them very interesting. "I didn't want her to get hurt trying to stop one of my enemies."
"Misao can take care of herself pretty well, that she can." Kenshin said casually. "She's traveled alone all across Japan and done things most girls her age would've never even considered. For what's its worth though, you'll never stop worrying about her. Just like I never stop worrying about Kaoru."
THAT got Soujiro's attention. His head snapped up and he actually blushed. "Am I THAT obvious?" He said trying to cover his embarrassment.
"Only to me. I can read your emotions now, where I couldn't before Kyoto." Kenshin said quietly.
"Anyway, it doesn't really matter. She only cares about Aoshi." Soujiro said sadly.
"Maybe." Kenshin said. He felt like a parent giving advice to his own teenage son. The ages were nearly right, and Kenshin did feel responsible for the boys development now that he was beginning to take on a life that he himself had in part, inspired. "I've spoken to Aoshi about it before too. He's doesn't seem to be returning Misao's feelings, at least not to the extent that she was hoping for. It might be better for her if she moved on and found someone closer to her own age."
"Misao deserves better than to get someone stained with so much blood." Soujiro said stubbornly.
"Where have I heard that one before?" Kenshin said to no one in particular. "Soujiro, I'm going to make a guess here. You like Misao not only because you find her attractive, but she also makes you feel better about yourself. You can't understand why she can still stand to be around you knowing about your past much less how she says things like 'It's O.K. I'm here'. Is that correct."
Soujiro looked at Kenshin sharply. "Were you spying on us?"
"Well, yes, a little, but that's beside the point. I didn't like the idea of you two staying in the same room, and the fact that you used to be an assassin had nothing to do with it. Two teenagers left alone can get into plenty of mischief without either of them being capable of fighting. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that this is one way you and I need to be different. Let Misao decide what she does or doesn't need in her life."
The two of them finished talking as they neared the women who were already standing in front of the Akabeko. As they approached, Kenshin could feel the presence following them abruptly cease. Apparently they were no longer interested.
True to Megumi's suspicions, Sanosuke came walking up the street as Kenshin and Soujiro joined the women in front of the restaurant.
"Hey Kenshin, I thought I might run into you guys." Sanosuke said with a grin.
"Hello Sano," Kenshin smiled. Megumi already looked uncomfortable. "Ms. Megumi said you might be joining us."
"Yeah, Dr. Genzai said she told him to let me know you guys would be here." Sanosuke said while looking around.
Kenshin stared at Megumi for a moment, who pretended not to notice the conversation. She was obviously avoiding the situation. There was another couple that needed advice. Kenshin however decided to leave that one alone. Sanosuke wasn't much older than Soujiro, but he had a more bull headed approach to taking advice.
The group entered and immediately saw Yahiko bustling about helping Tsubame. How Tae managed to get him into that apron was anybody's guess. Tae was of course tending her customers and looked over at the group as they entered.
"My, my, back again today?" Tae said as they all came in. "And with a cute new addition to the family I see." Soujiro was doing his best to turn redder than a radish as Tae ran a finger through his hair. Kenshin glanced at Misao to see steam practically rolling out of her ears. Kenshin decided the only part of 'my prisoner' he believed was the part that involved 'mine'.
Thankfully no one else seemed to notice as Tae escorted them to a back room for large dining parties. Eight people were quite a stretch for the normal booths, and that was if Yahiko didn't join them.
Soujiro was in seventh heaven. He had never had an opportunity like this one before. He was actually sitting down to a meal with people. When he had been with Shishio, meals were lonely affairs. He often ate alone or on the few occasions he had eaten with Shishio and Yumi, they seldom talked about anything that didn't involve somebody dying. Here it seemed that there was an entirely different aura about the place.
Yahiko had joined them with a young girl and the two of them were apparently taking a break from working here. The entire table was engrossed between two or three different conversations. Soujiro looked around and the only people not engrossed were himself and Kenshin. Kenshin ate quietly, but Soujiro could tell he was enjoying the conversations as much as the people talking and laughing.
Everything seemed to be going great. Soujiro was beginning to relax when he saw Kenshin stiffen. Then he felt the presence too. It wasn't the same one from before, but with all the different spiritual energies of so many people close together it was hard to read it until it was practically on top of them.
Soujiro heard the owner in the next room. "They're right in here Mr. Fujita!" Tae was saying to someone who had apparently just entered the restaurant.
Kenshin was up in a flash and pulled Soujiro into the kitchen. He had just regained his seat to the amazement of everyone there when Saitoh entered the room. "I thought I might find you here." He said around the cigarette he held in his lips.
Kenshin nodded and smiled at Tae as she left letting her know it was OK. Soujiro moved out of sight and bent close to listen. "You could have waited until I got back to the dojo Saitoh." Kenshin said with an air of annoyance.
"I wasn't referring to you Battousi." Saitoh said smugly. "I was referring to the weasel girl." Soujiro wished he could reach in and grab Misao, but she was able to keep her temper in check for once.
"You're looking for me?" Misao said innocently.
"Yes, the Oniwaban agent here in Tokyo is a paid police informant. It's my way of doing business with Aoshi. He told me you had been there this morning inquiring about swordsmen who might be in the Tokyo area, information I am also interested in purchasing. However, he apparently is unwilling to sell me the information unless he is given permission from you. Is that correct?" Saitoh said bluntly.
"The Oniwaban don't sell internal information." Misao said shortly. "If I requested it first, it means you'll have to deal with me to get it."
"I see. Well then I hope to hear from you as soon as you get word, understand?" Saitoh said.
"What makes you think I'm going to sell you the information you want?" Misao said hotly.
"Not sell. Give. Another informant told me you had come in this morning in the company of a young man matching the description of Seta Soujiro. You said something about him being your prisoner I believe. If you do have Soujiro in custody you will surrender him to the police at once, or you will be arrested as well as one of his accomplices." Saitoh hammered the words into Misao with each syllable.
"If Aoshi wants him for some other reason it isn't my concern, he's a wanted man. If, however, you co-operate and give me the information I want then I won't have to assume that it was Soujiro that killed all those men and I can pursue the other leads you give me." Soujiro could practically hear Saitoh's smile.
Misao let out an explosive breath and Soujiro nearly cried for the trouble he was causing her. "Alright, I'll bring you the information if you want it that badly."
Saitoh was apparently getting ready to leave when he turned to say something else. "Oh yeah, weasel girl, if you want to carry your boyfriend around everywhere claiming he's a prisoner you really should take his sword away. He attracts too much attention with it."
Soujiro did hear Misao go for him then. He closed his eyes and hoped she wouldn't get hurt and prayed that Kenshin would protect her. Apparently Kenshin had stopped her. "Saitoh, that is enough! I think you need to go now, but before you do I have question."
"What is it?" Saitoh said impatiently. He sounded closer to the door where Soujiro was standing than before.
"Have you or any of your men been following us today?" Kenshin asked seriously.
"No we haven't." Saitoh said after a long pause. "I figured if I did I'd have to bust the weasel girl's new boyfriend and then I wouldn't find out where Shishio's treasure is hidden. Soujiro strikes me as a man that would be somewhat, difficult, to interrogate."
Soujiro was ready to step into the room and stomp some serious manners into that cop when Tae stepped up behind him. She gently put her hand on his arm and pulled him away from the door. She carried Soujiro upstairs as Saitoh walked out through the kitchen into the back alley. She then brought him back in to the rest of the dinner party.
"I'm sorry Misao." Soujiro said miserably. "I really should go. You have everything you need to get the treasure. I'm just causing you problems now."
"What are you talking about? I'm not about to let that over grown wolf in cop's clothing get away with this. We're going to find out who's doing this and then we're going to catch them!" Misao said excitedly.
Soujiro looked at her as if she'd gone mad. "What are YOU talking about? Didn't you hear Saitoh? If he catches me around you he'll arrest both of us just for giggles, if he ever giggles mind you."
"That doesn't matter. If we can find out who's doing this and you bring them in to the police, I'm sure that we can get the authorities to forgive your past and then you can do whatever you want to do without being hunted all the time." Misao smiled as if she had everything already planned. Soujiro suddenly got a sinking feeling in his stomach. Why did he suddenly feel like he didn't have a vote in this matter?
They all ate and returned to the dojo. Soujiro was still worried about Misao getting hurt and Himura's words weren't helping. You'll never stop worrying about her.
It would just be so much simpler if he just slipped away and out of this girl's life forever. Just because Himura thought she'd be better off being with someone her own age didn't mean that it had to be him.
Of course, that would mean that she'd have to find someone else and for some reason that stung Soujiro nearly as badly as remembering his family. He had been looking for answers since he left Kyoto and now the possibility of finding some rested on the slim shoulders of a green eyed girl named Misao Makimachi.
He was sitting on the dojo porch watching Kenshin play with the children when Misao came and sat down next to him. "I need you to stay here Sou-chan. I'm going into town for a little while with Kaoru."
Soujiro looked at her worriedly, but she continued without letting him say anything. "It'll be alright I just need to get a few things. We're going to have to find this guy, and I got some money from our agent here in Tokyo."
Soujiro nodded. He finally couldn't contain his curiosity. "Misao, why are you doing this?"
Misao didn't say anything for few moments and Soujiro thought she must not have been listening, it wouldn't have been the first time, when she finally spoke. "I've seen you these past couple of days and I know no matter what kind of person you where back then that you're someone different now. I can't stand to see you have to run away all your life or to wander around lost. It's partially my fault you're in this mess anyway. If I hadn't dragged you here and showed you off around town you wouldn't be in this mess. It's my way of making it up to you."
Soujiro remembered how she'd made up to him when he got burned. This caused him to blush slightly, but fortunately Misao wasn't looking. "You don't have to Misao."
"Yes I do, you idiot." She said with harshness that didn't reach her voice. "If I were to just let you go away without trying to help, I'd be just like Saitoh. He doesn't care about what you've been through. All he cares about is getting his job done and taking you in."
Soujiro thought about it for a moment. "Weren't you doing the same thing when you captured me to take me to Aoshi?"
Misao looked down at the ground. "At first, but now that I've gotten to know you these past couple of days I realized I couldn't turn you in."
"Why not?" Soujiro asked softly.
Their conversation was interrupted as Kaoru came out of the door behind them. It wasn't until he leaned back from Misao that he had realized he'd been leaning closer and closer towards her. Kaoru came out with Megumi and Sanosuke and the three of them stepped out into the yard as the girls came running up.
"Are you ready Misao?" Kaoru said sweetly.
"Yeah, I was just talking to Soujiro." Misao said quickly. She gave Soujiro a look that told him that the conversation wasn't over.
Sanosuke picked up the two girls and swung them up on each shoulder. "Are you two little ones ready to go home?"
The two girls giggled as Sano bounced them around. I'll walk you ladies to the market while I'm escorting the fox home with the girls." Sanosuke said amiably.
Soujiro felt relief wash over him knowing Sanosuke would be near if anything happened. He cringed when he heard Kaoru. "That's alright Sanosuke. We'll be all right; it'll be out of your way. Misao and I are just going…" Soujiro noticed Kaoru glance in his direction, "…shopping."
The young women and Sanosuke headed for the gate as Kenshin came to sit next to Soujiro. "Would you like to help me prepare dinner, Soujiro?"
Soujiro looked up at Kenshin. "Aren't you worried about Kaoru with everything that's been going on?"
Kenshin actually smiled. "Of course. You never stop worrying. That's why I'm going to sneak out to go check on them later. For now though I need to do something to take my mind off of it, and you look like you need the same distraction."
Soujiro smiled and got up to follow him to the kitchen. "You really are an evil man, you know that?"
"Old habits die hard…" Kenshin replied enigmatically.
Misao could hardly contain herself until Sanosuke and the others left down the street that would carry them back to the clinic. It was late afternoon, and she and Kaoru were in a hurry to get what they needed before dark. That was only part of the reason she wanted to come with Kaoru though. She needed advice.
The girls around the Aoiya tended to be a little, well, overt in her opinion. Even when she was most desperate for Aoshi's attention she wouldn't have done HALF the things Omasu did on a regular basis. Strategically picking up things and leaving ones clothing slightly open for any man to see down her shirt was out of the question. No wonder Okina was such a dirty old man.
No, she needed the advice of someone more like herself. A woman who was not only able to fight and be feminine, but was able to do so without throwing herself at men like her friends at the Aoiya. She still remembered Hiko's visit there when Shishio's men had attacked. It had been absolutely dreadful. Ochika and Omasu had been running around nearly half dressed trying to catch his attention, with the only person really noticing being Okina.
Finally she and Kaoru were at the shop they had been headed for and Misao had her chance. "Uh Kaoru, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure Misao, what is it?" Kaoru said as she looked through the list they had made of things to buy.
"How did you know when you were in love with Kenshin?" Misao asked bluntly.
Kaoru nearly fell backwards before getting her composure. "Why that question, Misao?"
"I'm starting to wonder if I'm really in love with Aoshi." Misao said sadly.
"I think it was the second time he saved me from Gohei." Kaoru said getting a distant look in her eyes. "I think I was probably about to be killed or worse by Gohei and his men. Remembering it still makes me shudder. Then all of a sudden, Kenshin was there. He stopped Gohei and his men, and then he stayed with me there at the dojo. That entire time he was a perfect gentleman, and never tried to take advantage of me. Knowing how powerful he is, he could have done anything he wanted to me at anytime and no one could have stopped him, but he never did. He's saved me from harm, protected me, cared for me, and even taken beatings from me when I got angry. I can't imagine what my life would be like without him anymore."
Kaoru shook herself out of her daydream and picked out a few of the things they were looking for before they went to the next stall at the market. "Why are you starting to doubt your feelings for Aoshi, is it Soujiro."
Misao tried unsuccessfully to hide her blush. "It's just that all this time, I've never gotten any indication that Aoshi actually returns my feelings. I know he cares for me, because he helped raise me and taught me to fight, but I don't know if he loves me. Now Soujiro has wandered into my life and I keep looking around to find him there. He's kind, and he's always so considerate. I know what type of past he's had, but it all seems like it was a different person."
Kaoru smiled as she took the package they had purchased from the vendor and walked over to sit down on a bench under a tree. "I know. Kenshin is the same way. Wanderers have a way of coming into a girl's life when they least expect it. I guess no one could possibly become as strong as they do without having some sort of past. It actually makes me love Kenshin all that much more knowing that I'm safe even though I live with potentially one of he most deadly men in Japan."
Misao sighed as she looked around. The market had cleared out and everyone was hurrying home as the sun was setting. Kaoru stood up and turned to Misao. "I'm sorry if that doesn't help you much Misao. You'll just have to make your own decision. We better get home before much later or Kenshin will start to worry and will probably come looking for us."
The two women started for the dojo as shadows began to deepen on the streets. They had not gone far when Kaoru stopped and Misao looked up to see a dark figure standing in the roadway. He didn't move as Misao and Kaoru slowly started to walk towards him and tried to go around. It was after the other shadows started detaching themselves from the alleyways and the street behind them that Misao started to get worried.
"Pleased to meet you young ladies." The first dark figured said as he stepped forward from the rest of them. Misao couldn't read his features, but she knew the sound of a malevolent voice when she heard it. Kaoru was getting out her wooden sword and Misao pulled out some of her kunai.
"Who are you?" Kaoru asked without any fear in her voice. Misao envied her that.
"You really should know better than to ask silly questions like that. Let's just say that I'm someone who knows that you're Kenshin Himura's woman, and that this girl is Seta Soujiro's. I have no intention of having them interfere with my plans, so I'm taking out an insurance policy." The dark figure stepped forward again and Misao had to fight an urge to run like crazy. There were at least thirty, maybe even as many as fifty men.
Misao looked toward Kaoru and Kaoru nodded. The two of them readied their weapons. They may be out numbered, but at least a few of these thugs wouldn't be in any shape to bother two young women again for some time.
The first of the men attacked and Misao tucked away her knives for use later. It wouldn't make sense to waste ammunition on street thugs. She jumped into the center of three of them and threw a few kicks around to open a circle up as Kaoru charged in behind her. Kaoru ducked and wove in and out of the attackers spinning that wooden sword of hers around liberally handing out concussions. Misao punched and kicked, jumping out of reach of the ones with swords. Kaoru kept up behind her cracking the would-be swordsmen over the head as she passed. She and Kaoru had fought side by side before, so few words were needed as they fought their way towards an alley the offered their only avenue of escape.
Misao was nearly crushed by a press of about ten men as they rushed her all at once. Still there wasn't any sign of the dark swordsman. Misao narrowly avoided the men as they were swinging their swords for her head and she darted for the alley. There's too many of them! She thought as she turned to look back for Kaoru. She couldn't see her anywhere and stopping nearly cost her life, as she ducked under a swing meant to take her head off.
Misao ran for a short distance down the alley before she realized it was a dead end. This guy thought of everything. She thought as she looked around. Men were charging down the alleyway after her and a huge stack of barrels blocked the only way out.
Misao looked around for some other route of escape, when she heard the scream.
At first her heart leapt up to her throat as she remembered Kaoru back in the street, but then she realized it was a man screaming. The men running after her stopped just a few feet in front of her and looked back to the mouth of the alley.
Misao could just make out Soujiro standing at the street. He wasn't smiling, either. "Let her go."
The men around Misao started towards her again trying to grab her as the alley came alive. Dirt billowed into the air and it seemed as if pieces of debris were flying everywhere.
Then suddenly Soujiro was there, standing in the center of the cloud of dust. His arms swinging faster than Misao could follow. His sword was a blur of activity as he danced among the men attacking her. These weren't ordinary thugs either. Most of them had swords and were fighting back.
Misao looked up as suddenly one of them grabbed her while she was watching Soujiro. He held her up by the neck and was turning back towards Soujiro when something Misao couldn't see happened. He suddenly started thrashing around as if trying to defend himself from blows he couldn't see. He staggered, and Misao felt herself being caught and set down gently on the ground. She caught only the briefest glimpse of Soujiro as he set her down and turned to face the remaining men.
Misao looked to the other end of the alley and saw Kenshin at the other side working his way towards them with his own sword beating rather than carving a path towards them and Kaoru was with him. Misao stood transfixed as she watched the two wanderers start beating the survivors to a bloody pulp. Misao almost felt excited when the dark figure appeared next to her.
He was clad in black and his face was covered, but his voice she'd remember for the rest of her life. "This isn't over yet girl. Give my regards to Shishio."
Misao stood there gaping as the man drew his sword and slashed through two of the barrels behind her before leaping onto one of the buildings. She stood there transfixed as she looked up at her death, as it was about to fall on her. Somewhere behind her she could hear Kaoru scream and Kenshin swear.
In the end it had to have been Soujiro. No one else could have moved fast enough. She felt herself grabbed just as the barrels filled her entire vision and some one was throwing her. She blinked as she crashed into somebody, while the roar of falling barrels and breaking wood filled her ears.
Slowly, Misao looked up to see Kenshin, but he wasn't looking down at her. He was looking up the alley. Misao looked back to where she had been standing and all she could see was the dust settling and Soujiro's arm sticking out from underneath the pile of broken barrels. "SOUJIRO, NO!" she screamed.
"He's lucky to be alive." Megumi said as she finished her examination. "He took a bad blow to the head, he probably has a concussion, and he's bruised a few ribs, but other than that he should survive."
Misao sat with Soujiro's head in her lap. They had called for Megumi as soon as they got Soujiro back to the dojo. Kenshin was off explaining things to Saitoh, a version that didn't include Soujiro. Megumi put her things away and stood up. I'll come back tomorrow to take a better look. Someone needs to stay with him tonight and watch over him.
Misao nodded numbly. He had been hurt saving her. If she hadn't spaced out looking up at those barrels he wouldn't be hurt like this. I'll make it up to you somehow Sou.
Megumi left and Misao was alone with Soujiro. They had taken off his clothes and he was now in bed with nothing but his loincloth on. Megumi had checked everywhere for broken bones. Soujiro never stirred the entire time. Now all Misao could do was pull her mat over to his and wait until he woke up. She gently laid his head down and covered him with a blanket, before she lay down next to him. Most of the bruises were on his back, and she looked at him while he slept.
Quietly and softly Misao reached over and kissed his cheek before she put her hand on his shoulder and cried herself to sleep.
The young man woke in the dark and was hurting all over. The worst part was he couldn't remember anything. His chest ached, and he was vaguely aware that he was undressed. He looked around, which caused new waves of pain to wash through him. He looked to his side and saw a beautiful young girl sleeping next to him in the moonlight. All things considered it would have been a nice vision to wake up to if it hadn't been for the pain.
He tried to get comfortable and tried to sleep again. Well apparently SHE knows me. I'll ask her who I am in the morning. With that he fell back to sleep with visions of the beautiful young woman next to him filling his emptied mind.
Misao sat on the porch outside the Yahiko's room and waited not-so-patiently for Megumi to get there. What's taking so long? The sun's been up, what, ten minutes? She sat there thinking about Soujiro. She had awoken to find him snoring softly next to her. She took that as a good sign.
She also awoke to find herself draped across him. Apparently she had gotten cold in the night and had somehow found her way from her blanket to his. She had been lying there with her head on his shoulder, her arm around his waist, and her leg draped over his. The scary part about was how good it had felt to wake up with someone warm next to her she genuinely cared about.
That was the part that had her up at dawn sitting on the porch. She had, for as long as she could remember, dreamed about Aoshi. Last night, all she could think about were the barrels coming down to kill her and being pulled aside by Soujiro only to have him take her place. She did care about Soujiro, at the very least as a friend, but last night she couldn't get him out of her thoughts even after she started dreaming.
She dreamt of him awakening to find her there and him telling her all the things she had always wanted to hear from Aoshi. The only difference had been that she didn't have to imagine what Soujiro's smile would look like. She still felt warm thinking about it even after she had left Soujiro's side.
Misao was still lost in thought when Sanosuke arrived. "Hey weasel, Kenshin up yet?" Sanosuke said with his usual friendly obnoxiousness.
Misao barely noticed his presence as she waved towards the kitchen. Sano was probably there to mooch breakfast anyway.
"Man, you're pretty out of it. I heard there was some sort of street fight that went on last night. You have anything to do with it?" Sano said seriously.
Misao looked at Sano for a moment before looking back out at the garden. "Yeah some guys attacked us as we were on our way back home. We would have been goners if Kenshin and Soujiro hadn't shown up. There were nearly fifty of them."
Sano grinned for a moment. "Forty eight, or so I hear."
Misao looked at Sano as if for the first time. "You know something about it?"
"Yeah Dr. Genzai got called out early this morning to the jail to tend to what has come to be called the "Battousi Syndrome"; large numbers of men beaten to a bloody pulp lying in the streets. Let's hope it isn't catching. Megumi said something about being by later once she's done helping Dr. Genzai." Sano said off-handedly. "They went down pretty hard, so what's eating you?"
"Soujiro was hurt last night trying to save me. There was one more guy, their ringleader, who tried to kill me as he left. He tried to bury me under a bunch of barrels and Soujiro pulled me out of the way. But then the barrels landed on him instead. I was with him all night making sure he'd be all right. He still hasn't awakened though." Misao said as she went back to moping.
Sano whistled around the fishbone he had stuck in his teeth. "Well, Misao I guess your boyfriend must really love you to stick his neck out for you like that."
Misao was already on her feet to give Sanosuke a few lessons in keeping his mouth shut when the shoji opened behind her and she heard a faint voice. "Uh, Misao?"
The young man woke up alone. Not exactly what he was hoping for after seeing the young woman next to him last night, but he noticed that her blanket and things were still in the room. What was she doing here? Was he married?
He slowly tried to sit up despite the pain lancing through his chest. He was nearly naked, and his clothes were nowhere in sight. He could hear voices outside and one of them sounded female. Time to get some answers.
He slowly stood up and wrapped his blanket around him. He'd find out where his clothes were and get to the bottom of this.
As he neared the door he started making out the conversation.
"Soujiro was hurt last night trying to save me. There was one more guy, their ringleader, who tried to kill me as he left. He tried to bury me under a bunch of barrels and Soujiro pulled me out of the way. But then the barrels landed on him instead. I was with him all night making sure he'd be all right. He still hasn't awakened though." It was the girl who was talking. Since he was definitely hurting, she was probably talking about him. That meant his name was Soujiro.
The male voice made some sort of whistling noise. "Well, Misao I guess your boyfriend must really love you to stick his neck out for you like that."
Soujiro's head snapped up, painfully. Boyfriend? Soujiro looked back at the two mats side by side. That would definitely explain a lot of things. He had been hurt protecting his girlfriend from street thugs more than likely. Her name was apparently Misao. Well, he had better find out what she had done with his clothes.
Soujiro opened the door to look at the two people outside. One was a scruffy looking street fighter, and the other was the beautiful young woman he had slept with last night. His girlfriend. Just looking at her stirred up emotions within him. Yeah, that would explain a lot of things.
"Uh, Misao?" Soujiro said as he leaned against the door.
"Sou-chan! You shouldn't be up and moving just yet." Misao raced to his side and tucked her head under his arm and gingerly put her arm around his waist to help support him without hurting his ribs. She failed, but he didn't really want her to move.
"Way to go there, buddy! Way to make the save last night, Misao would've been in pretty big trouble if you hadn't saved her." The big man was saying appreciatively.
"You be quiet Sano, Soujiro nearly got killed." Misao was saying next to him.
"Uh, Misao. Where are my clothes?" Soujiro tried to get in.
Misao gasped as she looked down and realized he was standing there wearing nothing but a blanket and his loincloth. "I almost forgot about them! Try not to move, I'll be right back!"
Misao darted off before Soujiro could speak another word. She went running into another part of this place, wherever it was, screaming "KAORU!"
Soujiro shook his head, slowly mind you, and looked up at the big man across from him. "Can you tell me exactly who you are and where I am?" Soujiro said politely.
The big man looked at him for a moment, as his eyes got nearly as big as the knot Soujiro could feel on the back of his head. "You mean you don't remember anything?"
"Nothing. I wouldn't have known my name or Misao's if you hadn't mentioned them when I opened the door." Soujiro said honestly. The young man took a step back nearly falling off the porch. He then recovered and started running for a different section of the house.
Misao came walking back up to Soujiro as the large man with "bad" on his back went running into a different part of the house. "I wonder what got him so worked up. Anyway, here are you some new clothes that Kaoru and I bought you yesterday. It's what we were doing when we were attacked."
Misao pushed him back into what was apparently their room and shut the door. Soujiro moved out of her way as she knelt down away from him to open a large package with some clothes in it. He dropped the blanket, no sense in being shy apparently he was living with this woman, and started to move closer when she spoke.
"I just wanted to tell you how glad I am you're all right Sou-chan. If anything had happened to you I don't know what I would have done." Misao began to softly cry a little.
Soujiro felt his heart melting. No wonder they were together, he obviously felt deeply about her. He felt deeply enough to risk his life for her apparently. Soujiro smiled and knelt down behind Misao. He gently placed his hands on her shoulder and then felt something more was in order. She was upset, and she loved him, he should be more affectionate.
Misao cried a little thinking of how close Soujiro had come to dying for her. If he hadn't been there she didn't have any idea what would be happening to her right now and she didn't really want to think about it.
She felt Soujiro touch her shoulders. It was just like him, concerned about her when he was the one that was hurt. Misao was totally unprepared for what happened next.
Misao was stunned as she felt herself lifted up and pulled back into Soujiro's lap. His arms circled around her waist and his warm hands rubbed her stomach as he brushed aside her braid and kissed her softly on the back of her neck.
Misao's heart was going faster than Soujiro had been the night before as he kissed her softly and held her close. She knew she needed to move, but somehow her limbs weren't responding. All she could do was sit there stunned as he held her close.
"I'm just glad you're safe. That's all that's important to me. As long as I live, I'll never let anyone hurt you, Misao. I love you." Soujiro whispered to her.
Misao sat there stunned for a moment taking in the situation. How long had she waited to hear those words from Aoshi, only to be disappointed time and again? Now she was with Soujiro, being held, no, being loved and told all the things she'd ever hoped for.
Misao began to cry again, but not from fear or pain. She moved her hand behind her to caress Soujiro's cheek. It was just like her dream. She was waking up to him and feeling his warmth near her. Misao finally snapped out of her trance remembering where the rest of that dream had lead to and blushed. She wasn't that kind of girl.
Misao gently got up turned to face Soujiro. "Here, you better put these on." Soujiro started to say something, but Misao covered Soujiro's mouth and then kissed him softly on the cheek. "We can talk more about it later." She said winking to him. "I've got to go get the report from our field agent here in Tokyo. The news from Okina should have arrived this morning by carrier pigeon." Misao got up and left him to dress as she practically floated out the door. It was going to be a great day.
Kenshin and Sanosuke stopped in front of the door of the room Misao shared with Soujiro as he stepped out in the new clothes that the girls had bought for him the night before. It was a stately deep green outfit that looked like it had been bought at one of the best stalls in the market.
Soujiro was humming to himself and his smile was unusually broad as he stepped out to face the two men.
"Oh my god!" Sanosuke said. "You jumped her didn't you!"
"Now Sano, we don't know that for sure, that we do not." Kenshin said testily. "Soujiro, Sano tells me you can't remember anything."
Soujiro looked from one to the other perplexed. "No, I can't remember anything sir, and what I do with Misao is my own business."
Kenshin looked at Soujiro with a horrified expression. "What do you mean, 'it's your own business'."
"Well when I came out this morning this guy said that I was her boyfriend, and apparently we spent the night together last night. Not to mention she bought me these clothes and I was apparently injured while defending her life. I'd say that means we must have a pretty intimate relationship." Soujiro said defensively, but his reaction seemed to waiver. "We DO have a pretty GOOD relationship don't we?"
Sano slapped his forehead and looked ready to pass out. "I was joking with her. She supposedly 'captured' you a couple of days ago and was going to turn you in to her REAL boyfriend Aoshi." Sano said desperately.
Kenshin watched the look of horror and shock wash over Soujiro's face. "I don't understand. She seemed to be pretty happy when I kissed her just a few minutes ago."
"WHAT? You kissed the weasel girl?" Sanosuke said in disbelief. "Oh man, Kenshin. Aoshi's gonna kill us."
Soujiro looked like he was getting angry. This startled Kenshin since he'd only seen the boy get angry once in his life. Soujiro was suddenly acting normal for a boy his age. That was when it struck Kenshin that the pain of his childhood had been erased. He was seeing what Soujiro would be like if the past had never happened to him. Kenshin reached up and touched his scar involuntarily. If only all scars could be wiped away as easily.
""I wouldn't count on that Sano." Kenshin said seriously. "Misao and Soujiro have been becoming quite close here of late, that they have. It is possible that Misao may be returning Soujiro's affections."
Sanosuke looked at Kenshin as if he had sprouted horns. "As long as Aoshi doesn't show up at the dojo demanding Soujiro's head on a silver platter, I'm OK with it. Whoever Misao decides to shack up with his her business."
"Hey that's my girlfriend you're talking about." Soujiro said angrily. "Could someone please tell me exactly what's going on here? Is Misao mine, or this Aoshi guy's girlfriend?"
"I guess that will be a question for Ms. Misao, that it is." Kenshin said seriously. "Anyway, we'd better get you caught up on what's going on."
Kenshin and Sanosuke escorted Soujiro into the dojo for breakfast. It was going to be a long day.
Soujiro sat there wild eyed as he listened to the story. Operas weren't this melodramatic. "So let me get this straight. I'm trying to get my hands on a lost treasure that was originally supposed to belong to you that I buried somewhere behind this temple on top of the hill. I buried it there because I didn't have time to use it to frame you for the assassination that I committed the last time I was in Tokyo. I need this money in order to rescue a friend of mine from prison who was one of my co-conspirators to overthrow the government by bribing a government official to let him go. I am currently on the run from the law, namely this guy named Saitoh, who you teamed up with along with Sanosuke here to stop our plans. You and I have fought before and I was defeated. Misao is actually working for another person who helped foil our attempt, she was raised by him, was apparently in love with him, and he sent her to track me down. She took me prisoner, but has been helping to protect me, along with the rest of you, from this Saitoh. Misao also apparently has started to have feelings for me and I for her. Is that pretty much it?"
"Basically, yes." This guy Kenshin said uneasily.
"And I'm a GUEST here?" Soujiro said in disbelief. "I can't believe I'm listening to this! That is the most ludicrous story I think I have ever heard in my life! What kind of warped and twisted mind could possibly come up with such an outlandish chain of events?"
"Truth is stranger than fiction, they say." Kenshin said enigmatically.
"Strange, yes. I'll even buy a little weird. But man, that's just down right freaky." Soujiro said finally. "I've got to question this Saitoh guy."
"You can't, you'll be captured." Sanosuke said.
"Then let's kidnap him, heck, I seem to be some sort of terrorist!" Soujiro said explosively.
"Now, now Soujiro it's not like that. Trust me, things will all become clear as your memory returns. Once you've had a chance to rest and get some of your thoughts collected you'll start to see how things have conspired to work out like I've said. There's a lot about this situation and we simply can't tell you all of it. There's too much. It will all make sense in time. In the mean time, we need to decide what to do about Misao. She thinks you've professed your undying love to her." Kenshin said desperately.
"After the story you just told me, THIS is a problem?" Soujiro said exasperated. "I don't know what I remember, I just know what I feel. Misao is beautiful and she's sweet." Not to mention her neck smells like jasmine…whoa, stay focused. "If I was already having feelings for her and she's apparently OK with it I don't see a problem."
Sanosuke snorted. "Man, you sure don't know women do you. If weasel girl finds out you've lost your memory and that you were coming on to her because you didn't know any better she'll go ballistic."
Soujiro smiled. "I'll just explain it to her. She seems like a wonderful, rational, young woman."
Kenshin and Sanosuke looked at Soujiro for a moment before breaking out into fits of laughter. "Man he really DOESN"T remember anything does he?" Sano said fighting back the tears. "Trust us on this one buddy, you need to keep this one to yourself."
"Keep what to himself?" Misao said as she entered the dojo. Soujiro watched as she came and sat down next to him. Misao leaned close and looked him over and at the new clothes he was wearing.
"My, but you look handsome in that Soujiro." Misao said blushing furiously. "So, what were you guys talking about?"
The silence in the room became oppressive. Kenshin and Sano looked ready to bolt any minute. Soujiro sighed. He couldn't lead this girl on. He had to tell her the truth no matter what the outcome. "Misao. I've lost my memory." Soujiro said quietly.
"What?" Misao said with confusion apparent in her voice. "But this morning you said…"
"Misao, when I woke up I heard you and Sanosuke talking. I thought he was being serious. I can't remember anything. I thought that you and I had an intimate relationship. I'm sorry…"
The look on Misao's face burned into Soujiro. He didn't know why, but it killed him to see that look of pain on her face.
"So you're telling me that everything you said was…" Misao said as tears started to roll down her cheeks.
"Misao I do feel as if I care about you, but…" Soujiro tried to stem the tide, but it was too late.
"SOUJIRO, YOU JERK!" Misao cried as she smacked Soujiro across the face and ran from the dojo.
"You should go after her, that you should." Kenshin said as he helped Soujiro to his feet.
"Are you kidding? She's running as hard as she can and I can't remember anything about this place. She'll lose me in no time!" Soujiro said desperately.
"Oh no, you mean you've forgotten your running technique?" Sano said desperately. "You do remember how to use a sword don't you?"
Soujiro looked at the sword that was apparently his and shook his head. He couldn't remember any of it. Everything was happening so fast, he couldn't react.
"Great, there's a maniac on the loose carving people up and Misao may be the next target and you don't remember how to handle him. Great!" Sano said exasperated.
"Sano, I'll try to catch Ms. Misao. You make sure Yahiko and Kaoru don't go anywhere today." Kenshin said as he darted out the door to try to catch up to Misao.
Misao cried as she ran out of the dojo. Everything she had ever dreamed of had been a lie. Well, not exactly a lie, but enough so that it hurt terribly. Soujiro didn't mean all the things he had said earlier. I must be the biggest idiot that ever lived. First I fall for a guy who doesn't know I exist and then I fall in love with a man who doesn't remember me.
Misao heard Kenshin calling after her but she didn't care. She just wanted to be left alone for a little while to nurse the hurt in her heart. She ran and dodged through buildings. Kenshin could probably catch her on open ground, but she was an Oniwaban ninja and catching her through alleys and rooftops was out of the question. She ran until she didn't hear anyone behind her anymore and then she went to find a tree to sit under and weep.
Misao sat there for along time listening to the wind blow through the trees until she heard someone approaching. She really didn't care anymore; whoever it was could just go away.
"Fancy meeting you here."
Misao looked up at some man she didn't recognize. He was tall and lean, and his sword was currently pointing to her throat. "I guess today is my lucky day. I'm surprised you survived the alleyway, but I guess it'll just be that much sweeter when I kill Soujiro's woman in front of him."
Misao couldn't help it as she looked down and started to cry again. Buster, if you only knew…
It was a couple of hours later when Kenshin finally arrived back at the dojo. Soujiro stood up as he walked in. He could tell as he walked in the gate that he hadn't been able to catch Misao. Kenshin looked down and shook his head and then went inside.
Soujiro sat down on the porch and felt numb all over. He wasn't in too good of a mood at the moment so he really didn't want to talk to anyone. The dojo gate swung open again and another man that Soujiro didn't recognize stepped in. Not that it came as much of a shock; Soujiro didn't recognize anybody right now.
Soujiro sat on the porch and watched as the man strolled up puffing on his cigarette. "Am I to take this as you're giving yourself up?" Soujiro looked up to notice the man was wearing a police uniform. Great, JUST great.
"You must be Saitoh." Soujiro said mirthlessly.
Saitoh stepped back and looked down at Soujiro. "Yes I am. You should know that Soujiro no Tenken. We've met before."
"So Kenshin tells me." Soujiro said dryly. "You'll have to excuse me. I just found out this morning I'm on the run from the police. I took a shot to the head last night and managed to loose the girl I didn't know I loved."
Saitoh looked down at Soujiro. Doesn't this guy's expression ever change?
Soujiro looked up at Saitoh. "So were they serious about everything?" He said seriously. "I mean it's a pretty far fetched story Kenshin and Sanosuke told me this morning. Am I really that bad of a person?"
Saitoh looked around the empty dojo yard and sighed. "If you tell the Battousi this I'll make certain you hang." Saitoh said seriously.
"Please, they think I'm delusional right now." Soujiro said, his mood not getting any better.
"If Himura tells you something, you can pretty much bet it's the truth or else he has a really good reason for lying to you. During the revolution he was one of my most bitter enemies, but we were always honest about it. If he tells you something believe it. So am I right in assuming that this bump on the head you received, it wiped out your memory?" Saitoh asked expectantly.
"Pretty effectively. I didn't even know who I was when I woke up this morning." Soujiro said.
"Then I'll tell you this. You had better get your memory back and soon. I've been turning a blind eye to your being here in Tokyo so I can find Shishio's treasure. Apparently the guy that attacked you last night is after it too. I went by Misao's agent here in Tokyo this morning and he gave me this guy's name. It's Arei Masagawa. Apparently he's been looking for this treasure and knows you and Misao are traveling together. I was hoping the name would mean something to you." Saitoh said flatly.
"I wouldn't remember if I'd ever heard it before or not. If I remember anything I'll let you know." Soujiro said seriously.
"You do that. Misao's been working hard to get your name cleared and she thinks that having you to bring in this treasure and stop this murderer will do it. Personally, I don't care what happens to you. As long as you're loose I still have a chance of finding the treasure and catching this guy. If I lock you up, he'll probably get to it first and I'll miss out on both of them." Saitoh leaned close enough for Soujiro to smell the smoke on his breath. "Do NOT disappoint me."
Soujiro watched as Saitoh turned and stepped out of the gate as quietly as he came in. He looked back towards the kitchen where Kenshin and Kaoru were preparing dinner while Sano and Yahiko were fighting.
Dinner was a very quiet event for once in the Kamiya dojo. No one really wanted to say anything. Soujiro ate in silence. He wanted to talk to Misao. He wanted to tell her that he really did mean all the things that he had said. When he said those things to her they felt right, and seeing her hurt only made him realize that he was in love with her.
Soujiro jumped as a rock came flying in through the window of the dojo. Kenshin walked over to it and pulled off a note that was attached to it. Kenshin read it silently for a few moments and then handed it to Soujiro.
My dearest Soujiro,
I must say I am intrigued that you have seen fit to side with our enemies, but no matter. I have something precious to you. Get the treasure and bring it to the place where our master and I used to train, you know the way. Come alone, or the girl dies. Be here by midnight, or else I might have to see what it is you like about this girl myself, and then she will die.
Soujiro's heart sank as he read the note. He had no idea what this guy was talking about. He couldn't remember what connection there was between them, where to meet him, or even how to get the treasure he wanted in exchange for Misao. Soujiro crumpled the note and dropped to his knees.
"We'll get started searching immediately." Kenshin said finally.
"No. This guy has men with him. If he sees all of you out looking he might hurt Misao. This is something I have to do alone. I've got to remember who this guy is if I'm going to save Misao. There are still a lot of things I've got to tell her."
"Well shouldn't we at least go dig up the treasure?" Sano asked.
"How?" Kenshin asked in return. "Soujiro is the only one who knows exactly where it's buried. It would take us days to dig up the whole area behind the old temple."
Kenshin and the others looked at him with pity. Soujiro turned and walked toward the dojo gate and the uncertain night. He only had a few hours to remember.
Soujiro walked for a while after he left the dojo, hoping that something would spark his memory. Nothing worked. He was terrified of what might happen to Misao. He was more worried than he had ever been.
You never stop worrying. Soujiro looked around thinking that maybe Kenshin had followed him. No one was there. Was he remembering something Kenshin had said to him?
Confused, Soujiro walked until he reached a warehouse. All of the crates and barrels had been moved inside for the night, so he went to take a look inside through the window. You never know, I might get lucky.
Soujiro looked inside at the large crates and the rice barrels.
Rice Barrels. Great, it just HAD to be rice barrels. Soujiro sat down and looked around. Wait a minute, what's wrong with rice barrels. Soujiro sat down and thought about it, he was totally unprepared for the explosion that rocked through his mind.
The rain. He remembered the rain. He was standing there smiling as he watched the rain wash the blood off his hands. He had just killed his family. They lay around him cut to ribbons by his own hands. Pain. Indescribable pain. Emotions tore at him and he couldn't control them. Finally he had to forget them or he'd have gone insane.
Soujiro curled into a ball on the ground as the memories came flooding through his mind. My God, how could I have done that? How could Misao ever love a man like that?
The memories came flooding in faster now as Soujiro struggled to stand and to walk. He staggered about remembering the killing. He remembered every face. They were all there, hidden inside his mind. He could see their eyes as he killed them. They all looked, confused. Was it his smile, or his youth that had surprised them? Soujiro didn't think he would ever know the answer to that one.
Soujiro staggered on in a fog. He remembered Misao. He remembered seeing her the day he fought Himura for the first time. She was beautiful even then. He'd stolen glances at her while everyone was focused on Himura. He had never been around girls his own age while working for Shishio so she had been something new to him. Warmth spread through him as he remembered her.
Soujiro remembered the tree. He'd never been that close to a girl before. She was soft against him, and he had hoped that the old man was going to take forever in passing. He could feel her breath as he held her close to his chest. He could still smell the jasmine from when he had held her and told her that he loved her. Yes, he loved her. As the pain of his past ripped suddenly at his psyche, the only thing that he could do was loose himself in memories of the short time they had been together. Her braid, her deep green eyes, her laugh, her smile, it was all that helped him cling to his sanity.
Soujiro didn't realize he had passed out until he awoke looking up at the stars. Oh no, it's nearly midnight! Soujiro looked around. No time to waste, Arei was holding Misao and Soujiro had to save her. There was so much he still needed to tell her and he wasn't going to rest until he did. He didn't have much time to get to where she was being held; fortunately he remembered how to run…
Misao looked down at the water, or rather up. She was dangling feet first over the side of a ship from the mast. The latest whacko-with-a-chip-on-his-shoulder was standing on the mast with his sword ready to cut the rope that would send her plunging into the cold waters below. Normally she could have gotten out of the ropes, but being dangled with weights tied around your angles tended to be a rather difficult trick. She was gagged, wrapped like a mummy, and she was hurting. Soujiro couldn't remember this guy. She was certain that from what he had said about Shishio that he must be connected to Soujiro somehow, but he doesn't remember anything.
Misao looked at the upside down panorama underneath her. A virtual horde of goons was lined up along the docks to prevent Soujiro from getting on board the ship, as if they were necessary.
"Well, I guess our guest of honor has decided not to show his treacherous face little one." Arei said from the mast. "I guess you'll be joining Master Shishio after all."
"Not so fast, Arei." Soujiro said stepping out onto the dock from the shadows. "Let Misao go."
"Ah, young Master Soujiro, I'm so glad you could join us. I trust you brought Master Shishio's treasure?" Arei said lightly.
"No Arei, it's over. The Grand Fire Project failed. That money was stolen from Himura and now we're going to use it to free Anji." Soujiro said seriously.
"Feh. I never had a use for that arrogant monk anyway, and it's not over. Not while at least one of us is still alive to carry on the designs of our master. I may not have been good enough to be one of the Juppon Gatana, but I know a few things that make up for it." Arei said smiling menacingly. "Your speed is useless up here Soujiro, and your running speed will do you no good in the water. This girl will drown before you reach her. My men will see to that, they're all trained warriors like me. You'll never be able to defeat all of them, reach me, and still save her in time."
One of the brutes on the docks snickered and pulled his sword. "C'mon guys, let's show this goody-two-shoes rurouni what happens when he messes with us!"
"I'm sorry," Soujiro said smiling as he menacingly drew out his blade with agonizing slowness, every inch of it's steel scraping against the scabbard, "you must have me confused with a different rurouni."
Misao watched as the first few men suddenly stopped in their tracks. Apparently these guys had been spoiled rotten by the idea of, Hey-Let's-Go-Fight-The-Rurouni-And-If-We-Lose-He'll-Spare-Us and were suddenly becoming acquainted with the idea of Oh-My-God-I'm-About-To-Die and I-Can't-Believe-I'm-Doing-This.
That one moment of hesitation was all Soujiro needed. As Misao watched he darted through the men flashing his sword around more as a menace for them to get out of the way rather than actually trying to kill. Arei realized this as well and went to cut Misao's rope. She felt the rope give way as she fell. She closed her eyes and waited for the water but it never came. Suddenly she was in the arms of Soujiro rocketing upwards to the mast. Soujiro landed gracefully on the mast in front of Arei, as he was getting ready to run.
"Good plan. Next time get some better minions though." Soujiro said with his usual aplomb that he used while fighting.
Misao could just barely make out the last of Arei's men as they ran for the docks as fast as their legs could carry them.
"I'll have to hire some better one's then." Arei said distractedly.
"I finally figured it out Arei." Soujiro said. "Those men you slaughtered. They were the local Yakuza weren't they? They found out you were trying to dig up the old temple where I buried the treasure and caught you in the act. You killed them and that brought the police into the picture. You never were too bright."
"I may not have been Lord Shishio's greatest ally, but I was there during the war while you were still in diapers you little twit, so show some respect." Arei hissed.
"Well I guess it comes down to this then. I don't suppose you'll surrender?" Soujiro said hopefully.
"Hardly." Arei spat.
Misao watched the upside down battle taking place just beyond her posterior. It was pretty clear that Arei wasn't as good a swordsman as Soujiro, but he didn't have to be. Soujiro couldn't use his incredible speed, Soujiro's ribs were obviously still hurting, and Arei wasn't fighting with a sixteen-year-old ninja girl thrown over one shoulder.
Things weren't looking good for either of them as Soujiro fought bravely to keep her from getting hit by one of Arei's slices. Soujiro nearly lost his head as Arei slashed for Misao and Soujiro moved to block it only to have the stroke turned towards him.
Misao decided it was time to act. Misao Makimachi was NOT an ordinary damsel in distress and she was NOT going to be carted around through this whole thing looking like an idiot in front of the man she loved.
Arei moved in for the kill, as Soujiro was unbalanced from nearly getting his head taken off when Misao attacked. She was tied, but they had both overlooked one minor detail, her legs with the weights attached were facing Arei. She doubled herself up as tightly as she could and lashed out as Soujiro parried the blade from Arei. Unable to stop both shots at once, Arei caught Misao's kick squarely in the chest. This wouldn't have done much damage had he not been balancing on the beam of the mast at the time.
Misao watched with satisfaction as Arei yelled all the way down to the deck below and made a quite satisfying THUD. He didn't move for quite a while and she could tell he wouldn't be going anywhere but to a clinic after that.
Misao felt the ropes around her being cut as Soujiro released her and sat her down on her feet. He steadied her for a moment until she could get her own balance. Misao pulled her gag off and looked at Soujiro.
"Please Misao. Let me say this before you say another word. I finally remembered. I remember everything. I remembered my past and all the pain that came with it. It nearly drove me insane, but there was only one thing that kept me from going mad and it was remembering you. This morning I said a lot of things to you and I know now why I said them. For the first time, I was actually able to tell you what was on my heart without my head getting in the way. I'm sorry I hurt you. I do love you. I love you more than anything else in this life, and I can only hope that you love me too." Soujiro said in a rush looking down in to Misao's eyes.
Misao looked up into Soujiro's eyes. The light of the full moon reflected in them. "How do I know this is the real you and that you really have remembered everything?" Misao said quietly.
"Yesterday you promised to tell me why you were risking so much to help me. We never got a chance to finish that conversation." Soujiro said smiling down at her.
Misao nearly crumpled into his arms she couldn't hold it in anymore. "It's because I love you." Misao tilted her head back as they both shared their first kiss.
The past few days had been bliss. The only part about it that Soujiro didn't like was after coming home with Misao he had been moved into the room with Yahiko and Misao was sleeping in the room with Kaoru. Both of the teens had protested loudly over that point, but Kenshin and Kaoru had been adamant. Soujiro felt like a delinquent teenage son being sent to sleep with his younger brother rather than a top-notch swordsman who had just saved the woman of his dreams. Oh yeah, and he was pretty sure he could kick Kenshin's butt to prove it to… well, maybe.
The day was getting on and Misao and Soujiro were sitting on the porch of the dojo together holding hands. Saitoh had come by earlier to announce that the treasure had been right where Soujiro had put it. Soujiro had started to protest Saitoh taking the treasure; until he found out that HE was the guy that Cho had intended to bribe to get Anji released, police retirement benefits being what they were and all.
Everything was coming up roses as the two young lovers watched Kenshin playing with the children and Yahiko training with Kaoru. Everybody was busy with something else which left the two of them to be busy with each other.
Anji would soon be released from prison with a pardon for his crimes, and Saitoh even said something about Soujiro being listed as deceased. Either that, or he said something about him being deceased if he every caught him around here again. Soujiro couldn't remember which; he had more important things to contemplate.
Soujiro looked up as the gate to the dojo opened one more time. Soujiro watched as Cho, Kamatari, and Aoshi of all people strolled inside. The three of them walked up to Misao and Soujiro. "It looks like you were able to get everything cleaned up here rather well, Misao." Aoshi said in his usual emotionless tone.
Kamatari giggled. "Yeah, Anji should be free soon. We're planning a party to celebrate!"
Cho just shook his head. "I just hope the boss decides to retire soon. Then I'll be up for that promotion."
Soujiro smiled to himself. There really was life after rebellions-gone-bad. He looked up and noticed that Aoshi seemed to be staring at something. Then he realized that he and Misao were still holding hands.
This apparently wasn't lost on Misao either as she looked up to see how Aoshi would react. Soujiro had to admit that it worried him a little too. Fighting Aoshi would be a tricky business if he took it badly.
What happened next would result in the Kamiya dojo and Misao in particular marking the day for future reference in the years to come. Aoshi smiled. "I'm glad to see you've finally found someone for your own, little sister." Aoshi said warmly.
Misao was speechless. All she could do was blush and hold onto Soujiro's arm. He felt like he was ready to take on the world. He later guessed that's why he had to go and do something stupid that would spark Misao's next great adventure and his own. He just had to ask, "Aoshi, are you gay?"
The End? | https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2756651/1/The-Ninja-and-the-Samurai | dclm-gs1-165220000 |
0.242756 | <urn:uuid:6553c889-7c07-443f-8a29-cdd8ce9dd71c> | en | 0.966104 | A/N: I've been addicted to PJO lately, so I just had to write this. It's similar to my other story, Who Would Win in a Duel?, but it's not duels, it's just 'Who is your Favorite?'. Out of the choices, of course. I'll let Hera/Juno explain how it works. : )
Fyi, this takes place in between The Last Olympian and The Lost Hero.
Percy Jackson was happily kissing his girlfriend, Annabeth Chase, when suddenly, he was jerked out of his world.
"What the-"
Before Percy could cuss as bad as Arion, Jason Grace appeared, which disappointed him as he had been eating dinner.
"Who are you and why am I here?" Jason drew his sword as he asked this.
"I could ask you the same thing! I just appeared here after… er…"
"Answer my question!"
"Alright, don't be so pushy! I'm Percy Jackson, and I don't know why you're here!"
"…Oh. Well, I'm Jason Grace, and-"
"Yeah, so?"
"Like Thalia Grace?"
"My sister died years ago!"
"What? No she didn't!"
Jason looked at Percy like he was an enemy- trying to hurt him.
"If she died, then how is she one of my best friends?"
"You must have come from the Underworld, or else you've been asleep many years and you thought she was alive…"
"No, I was definitely kissing my girlfriend before I suddenly appeared here, and you appeared a second later!"
"Too much information. I just want to know why in Rome's name we are here!"
"Yeah. Aren't you a demigod?"
"Yeah, a son of Poseidon… Rome fell centuries ago."
"Yeah, but I'm a son of Jupiter, so I think I know that Camp Jupiter, the Twelfth Legion, whatever you wish to call it, still exists!"
"There can't be a Roman camp! I'm from a Greek camp, Camp Half-Blood!"
"The Greeks died out years ago! Well, Octavian doesn't think so, but he's nuts…"
A beautiful woman wearing a simple white dress appeared in the room with them.
"Lady Juno," Jason said, bowing.
"Jason Grace, and Percy Jackson… I'm sure you are wondering why I've brought you here."
"You brought us here? No wonder… er, never mind."
"Wise choice, Percy Jackson. I did bring you here, with the simple intention to bring the Greeks and the Romans together. I fear there will be a long, hard battle coming up soon. Yes, Greeks and Romans are still around."
"So, you expect this… Greek… and I to sit and this room and do a game show?"
"You will film every other day, and once a day is completed, you may go back to camp."
"Okay… what do we do?" Percy could handle this Roman if he still got to see Annabeth, Grover, and all his other friends.
"You must simply banter or chat among yourselves for a few minutes, then ask who the audience's favorite is, between two demigods, mortals, gods, or creatures. You must also choose one yourself. Each of you."
"Sounds easy enough."
"Yes, indeed. Now, get to it!"
"Alright, Lady Juno."
"Technically, Jason, I'm Hera right now."
"Oh, excuse me…"
Hera vanished.
"So… um… Jason, what's it like being Roman?"
"Perfectly normal, fun, and difficult."
"Sounds like being a Greek demigod."
"Greeks are supposed to be the enemy."
"Romans are supposed to be dead."
"But you don't seem that bad…"
"And you don't seem to be dead."
"And you seem to be Greek."
"Yeah, well, Greeks are pretty awesome."
"Perhaps, but no one beats Romans."
"Oh, really? You'd be surprised, Grace."
"Speaking of which… is Thalia really alive?"
"Yeah, and she's Greek. But she turned into a tree, then came back as a human, and joined the Hunters of Artemis."
"You can just Iris-message her."
"I can what her?"
"Oh, you don't have Iris-message? Well… I'll see if I can ask Thalia to Iris-message you, it should show up."
"So, I bet my friends are worried sick… I mean, I disappeared in the middle of a kiss…"
"Yeah, I was eating dinner."
"Dinner? At this time of night?"
"I'm from California."
"Oh, okay… Where do you think we are now?"
"I have no idea, but there's no windows or doors in this room, just a bunch of war statues and maps. Oh, and that old prophecy."
"Yeah, the Prophecy of Seven. 'Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, and foes bear arms to the doors of death.'"
"How do you know Rachel's prophecy?"
"It's centuries old!"
"Rachel just gave it last month!"
"She might have recited it, but the Romans have known it since… way before my time."
"We'll have to talk more on this another time. I need to get going."
"Same here. So… er… who's your favorite, Reyna, or…"
"Alright, why aren't we disappearing…?"
"Camp Half-Blood!"
Percy disappeared.
"Why didn't I think of that…? Camp Jupiter!"
A/N: Yeah, so part of the reason I wrote this is because I finished the Son of Neptune… it was AWESOME. I am so glad the imminent prospect of death for Percy, Frank, and Hazel ended up not happening… Well, I knew Percy would live, but the others I was worried about!
I don't know if Jason knew about Thalia before TLH, but I'll just say he did.
Also, the underlined names are the choices, so readers, you can say, in a review, who your favorite of the two is! :) Mine is Bianca. | https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7478546/1/Who-is-your-Favorite | dclm-gs1-165290000 |
0.062847 | <urn:uuid:3d9b9f92-0e98-4aa5-aeef-decec40ccb23> | en | 0.977475 | COVER OF DARKNESS By David Edgerley Gates COVER OF DARKNESS David Edgerley Gates Copyright© 1998 DAVID EDGERLEY GATES Published at Smashwords McElroy got off the plane at Gatow at 2100 hours Berlin time. Kim Adrian was there to meet him. The two men shook hands. “Why all the hugger-mugger?” McElroy asked. Adrian smiled apologetically. “We find ourselves captive to informed sources,” he told him. “We’re on our own patch here, of course, but the Americans supplied us with the operational intelligence.” “Does that mean we have to play by their rules?” McElroy asked. Adrian shrugged. “A small price to pay,” he said. The face of the airfield was greasy in the drizzle of light rain, the runways vacant and granular under the glare of the approach lights. Blue halogen lamps hissed along the perimeter fence, and the clang of metal striking metal carried clearly across the vault of open space, as sound travels over water. The two men crossed the wet tarmac into the lee of the hangars. A black Mercedes touring saloon with the motor running was waiting in the shadows, showing no lights. It was flanked by two lorryloads of Tommies in battle dress, British Army of the Rhine, posting automatic weapons. Berlin in March of 1965 was still an occupied city under the authority of the four wartime Allied powers---Great Britain, the United States, France, and the Soviet Union---but with nominal German civil administration. The divisions of the Cold War had taken on a brutal material shape with the building of the Wall four years before, and the No Man’s Land it created, a death strip patrolled by armed guards. Adrian glanced up at the fretful weather. There was a kinetic charge about his person, as if he were a lightning rod for the static electricity in the air, or an excitement he couldn’t quite contain. He opened the door to the car, and McElroy ducked inside. There were two men sitting in back. The U.S. Air Force major surrendered his place to McElroy, taking one of the two folding jump seats opposite. Adrian got aboard, tugging the door shut behind him, and adjusted the blackout curtains. He took the second jump seat, put on the dome light, and rapped on the polarized glass that separated them from the driver. The Mercedes oiled into gear, the trucks fell in convoy fore and aft, and they picked up speed sharply as they left the air base. The four men sat in the back of the moving vehicle as if for a rubber of bridge. Kim Adrian made the introductions. “Commander Jimmy McElroy, Lieutenant Commander Gwyn Owen, casename BRINE.” McElroy studied the Welshman on the seat beside him. Thick and dark, weight about thirteen stone, dressed in dark worsted pants and an Appledore jersey, a naval tunic stripped of service insignia, and rope-soled boots. Bare of jewelry save a heavy diver’s watch on a synthetic band. BRINE, McElroy thought to himself, fishing for the association. “Deepwater search and rescue,” the Welshman said, smiling. “We haven’t met.” “I’ve heard the name,” McElroy said. “I’ve heard yours,” BRINE said. “You headed the dive team that went after an American B-52 that crashed in the Med off Algeciras, reportedly carrying nuclear weapons.” “It was a joint operation, US/UK,” McElroy told him. They both turned their gaze toward the Air Force major. “Major Jacobson is with us in the office of liaison with the American defense intelligence effort,” Adrian explained. “Major, why don’t you do the honors? We can all benefit from your experience.” If he read condescension in Adrian’s tone, the major didn’t acknowledge it. He leaned forward, unzipped his documents case, and extracted a green vinyl folder, opening it on his lap. “This briefing is classified CODEWORD, with a restricted command channel,” he announced. McElroy offered BRINE a cigarette, which was declined. McElroy lit one for himself, and sat back, watching the smoke eddy in the currents of the air conditioning. “This morning at first light, Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces began an air defense exercise,” the major said. “Russian bombers took the part of aggressor aircraft and drew fighter reaction throughout Poland and East Germany. We’ve been monitoring the exercise since it started.” He glanced up from the material in his folder. “Berlin is a hundred miles inside East Germany,” he remarked. “Russian and East German units are stationed all around it, some of them quite close to the city. We intercept their military radio traffic on a regular basis, and this kind of readiness exercise is fairly routine. It’s a dress rehearsal, simulating an actual attack on Soviet forward defenses by NATO forces.” He took an eight-by-ten photograph out of his folder and handed it to McElroy. The black-and-white glossy was in an acetate envelope. It showed a radar screen, a grey circle spattered across with white pips and bars. Superimposed on the screen was a grid of the civil air corridors leading out of Berlin to the West German border. The radar targets being tracked ran in a line down the middle of the screen from north to south. “At the top of the screen is the Baltic coast, and the bottom is the Czech border,” Major Jacobson went on. “In the middle is Berlin. You can seen that the flight path of the attacking bombers takes them right over the city, even though they’re flying at ten thousand meters.” McElroy passed the photograph to BRINE. “The point is that the Russian bombers taking part in this mock attack flew in from bases in the Soviet Union, and then they flew home again,” the major said. “But under cover of the bombers, flying directly below them at an altitude of eight thousand meters, six aircraft of an unknown operational profile were deployed into East Germany.” “How do you know they didn’t go back?” McElroy asked. “At about 1030 hours this morning, local time, on approach to Gross Dölln airfield right outside Berlin, one of those six planes developed an apparent instrument malfunction and crashed,” Major Jacobson said. There was a cone of silence in the car. The air conditioning rustled. Radial tires wheezed over wet asphalt. “Where?” BRINE asked. “Here,” Kim Adrian said. “In the British sector of West Berlin.” The intercom popped. McElroy blinked. “Sir?” The driver spoke from the front seat. “We’re alongside the Havel now.” Adrian depressed the squawk bar. “Thank you,” he said. “Flash the truck ahead, and we’ll have a look.” The Mercedes slowed down. Adrian switched off the dome light. McElroy parted the side curtains, peering out. BRINE crouched on the floorboards by the window. The darkened Mercedes rolled by a bank of woods along a half frozen river. The weather had turned to a fluff of snow that fluttered against the windows of the car and sifted away into the gloom. McElroy’s breath condensed vaguely on the inside of the glass. He made out figures in the woods stationed about every thirty meters along the riverbank, patrolling the edge of the trees. They were obviously standing guard and were armed with assault weapons. He saw the flare of a match as one of them lit a cigarette, cupping the flame. “Russians,” Kim Adrian said, speaking softly at his left shoulder. They drove in silence past an omnibus and an armored personnel carrier. A hooded sentry loomed up and fell away in the night. Adrian rapped his knuckles on the glass partition behind the driver, and the Mercedes picked up speed. Adrian secured the blackout curtains and turned the dome light back on. McElroy lit another cigarette, keeping his face blank. “Berlin is governed by a Status of Forces agreement,” Adrian said. “The four military powers accommodate each other within those limits. Following the crash, the commandant of the Soviet garrison sent over two busloads of troops to guard the site. The commandant of the British sector assigned his units to flank the Russians. Late this afternoon, when a Russian salvage team attempted to clear the checkpoints, they were refused entry. The salvage team will be allowed in when the Russians withdraw their men.” “It’s a stalemate,” McElroy said. “We can stall them until daybreak,” Adrian said. “Which gives us no more than seven hours.” The car drew to a stop. Major Jacobson zipped up his documents case. Adrian turned off the dome light, and one by one the four men got out of the car, McElroy last. He stepped out into snow gusting in a falling wind and blowing off a body of water he could sense close at hand. They were standing next to a large communications wagon with US AIR FORCE stenciled on the side panels and the warning RESTRICTED AREA lettered on the door. “We’re at this point just half a kilometer north of the nearest Russians,” Adrian said. “Which puts us approximately eleven hundred meters from the crash site.” “Which is where, exactly?” McElroy asked, turning slowly to get his bearings. “At the bottom of the river Havel in about sixty-five feet of water,” Adrian told him, gesturing into the drifting snowflakes. The wind died away, and McElroy heard the chuckling of the river and the thin creak of the skim ice in the darkness. The interior of the communications van was painted the color of tinned peas. One end was laid out as a Ready Room, with a teletype and a scrambler terminal. The near wall was a bank of monitoring and recording devices, hooded screens, computer readouts, and calibrating equipment, manned by U.S. Air Force personnel. The opposite wall was given over to an eight-foot-square display map of northern Europe and the Baltic, sandwiched in plexiglass and backlit. There was a radar grid laid over the map to a radius of two hundred nautical miles out from Berlin, at the center. The plexiglass was criss-crossed with dotted lines in colored grease pencil, red, yellow, blue, and green, aircraft headings marked with numbers and times. The colors were fluorescent. McElroy understood that the map board showed the course of the Air Defense exercise up to the time the Russians had lost their plane. The route of that aircraft was indicated in black, with an X in the river. Major Jacobson led them to the far end of the operations area where a small work station had been set up. “Aircraft carry electronic systems with specific signatures,” the major said. “An onboard radar, for example, sends out signals of a certain frequency, and we can analyze those characteristics to identify it. Before the crash we were able to record some signals from the aircraft, but they don’t indicate anything we recognize. That plane is equipped with a new radar, perhaps being tested for the first time.” “Which might explain why it crashed,” BRINE said. Jacobson smiled. “It just might,” he said. He took a diagram out of his folder. It was a three-view schematic perspective of an aircraft---side, top, and full-face views---with dimensions to scale and a block of text elucidating technical data running along the margins. “This is a Yakovlev prototype Soviet fighter-bomber,” the major told them. “The airframe has been adapted to long-range, all-weather interceptor capacity and given the interim NATO designation FIREFLY. We believe this is the aircraft that crashed, but we don’t have an accurate profile. We know next to nothing about this plane, and it appears the Russians have dropped one right in our laps.” Adrian switched on a high-intensity drafting light and positioned it over a large graph. “This is a chart of a four mile stretch of the river Havel,” he said. “Point of impact, here. The width of the river is from five to six hundred meters shore to shore, but fifteen hundred or so meters downstream it narrows to a bottleneck with an attendant Bernoulli effect. The current picks up rapidly. Russian troops are stationed on both banks of the river some five hundred yards north and south of the crash site. Our present position is a little over a thousand meters upstream.” McElroy pursed his lips and let out a deep breath. “You want us to thread the needle,” he said. “Support personnel?” BRINE asked Kim Adrian. “We’ve brought in an underwater demolition team from Malta,” Adrian told him. “You’re to brief them only with regard to the job at hand, not its significance.” BRINE consulted his watch. “Best get to it,” he said. McElroy shrugged. The two men went outside and crunched across the frosted ground in the eddying snow to the canteen, marked with the broad A of the British army. An infantry corporal drew them strong, scalding tea from a spigot into paper-thin tin cups. The metal conducted the heat and scorched their palms, and both of them passed their cups back and forth from hand to hand, blowing off the rising steam. “What do you make of it?” BRINE asked him. “Could be worse,” McElroy said. “Tricky stretch of water, that,” BRINE remarked. McElroy nodded, sipping his tea thoughtfully. “You want to throw for who goes first?” BRINE asked. McElroy smiled. “I’ll go,” he said. “I’m wondering now what kind of fish we’ve got on the line.” “Mind you’re not the bait,” the Welshman said. McElroy made the dive from a point on the riverbank a thousand yards upstream from the triangulated position of the wreckage. The skin of ice sighed as he slipped under it, and the dark water closed over his head like a shroud. The air expelled from his underwater breathing apparatus flailed away downstream. He rehearsed the operation of the waterproof infrared spotlamp strapped to his left forearm and paid himself out on the towline into deeper water. There were two thousand meters of cable on the reel, six-ply monofilament and sheathed steel. A second reel hung from his work apron. Like flycasting gear, the reels were equipped with friction locks. The rewind was mechanical. He slipped the drag on the cable, quartering across the current. The bones in his wrists shivered as he picked up speed. He set himself like a hook in the throat of the river. The mass of water crowded down on him, both a physical pressure and a slough of sound. The pulse of the channel accelerated along the rivercourse and drew him down it like a trawling lure. The beam of the infrared torch picked out striations in the silt. Shadows flitted across tumbled-smooth stones and industrial litter. There was a high level of turbidity in the water, limiting his range of vision. He took up slack in the line, tightening the drag. At either hand now, as he plunged along the dark watercourse belowdecks, the Russians stood topside watch in the dirty weather. Downriver, the UDT had strung safety netting across the narrows. Beyond that was the Wann See, the locks of the canals, Potsdam. McElroy steadied himself on the axis of the line, trying to correct for his yaw as he swung in a wide traverse across the riverbed. He paid out more cable, a little at a time. The dull bulk of the aircraft came up at him out of the river like a kraken, lying belly-up on the bottom. His first pass took him by just short of the antenna mast on the nose. He unreeled another few meters of cable and overshot the fuselage on the return sweep, grounding precariously on the underside of the port wing. He dogged the reel and dropped to three points of contact, still wobbly from his plummet downriver, but the airframe didn’t settle as it picked up his nearly negligible mass. McElroy recovered his balance and hugged the metal surface, flattening his body so the water slipstreamed past him. They hadn’t prepared him for her size. The aircraft seemed enormous. He estimated the wingspan at ninety feet and the length overall at about a hundred and thirty. Upside-down in the silt, with the canopy and vertical stabilizers half-buried, the height of the wreck was still almost eighteen feet. It was an inert, ungainly artifact, lit only in unsatisfactory fragments by the narrow focus of the electric torch. McElroy secured the towline and slipped over the leading edge of the wing, set at a severely raked angle to the hull. The water tugged at him, and the fuselage afforded little friction for purchase. He was wary of handholds, the crash having ruptured stress points, leaving sharp, ridged fissures in the skin. He studied a break in the hull plates. It looked like a reinforced honeycomb. He worked his way delicately to the nose. The bow section was metallic and opaque. He ducked down and put his face mask to the cracked canopy, peering into the tangle of the cockpit. The instrument panel was obscured by a snarl of wiring harness and by a large mass of twisted upholstery. He realized it was the underside of the pilot’s command seat. The pilot had stayed with his aircraft and had only fired the ejection mechanism when it was too late. The explosive charge had driven him through the canopy, head-first into the riverbed. McElroy eased up onto the starboard wing. He unhooked the dragline reel from his kit and threaded the cable through the intake of the starboard engine. He felt an itch travel across the airframe from the set of his cleat on the opposite wing. It was the upstream towline binding against steel and vibrating under load. BRINE and the Maltese team were on their way down with the oxyacetylene gear. He took a grip on the reel and pushed off into the current, slipstreaming over the ventral tail stabilizers. He let off the drag, and the line played free. The river bore him away downstream. The plane wreck swept back in the murky water and faded into darkness. The current swelled, gathering force as the banks of the river drew together. McElroy tightened the drag, slowing down. Plastic collars on the cable told off distance in metric increments, and he brought himself to a stop five hundred meters downriver from the wreck. He screwed a piton through the silt into the clay underneath and snubbed the safety line to a snap-ring. He locked the cable reel, leaving it to bump against the bottom. Calculating his position at about two thousand meters above the safety net, McElroy checked his watch to clock his return against the river and paced himself hand over hand up the dragline. It took him four and a half minutes to make the distance, which meant a little under a minute for every hundred meters gained. He estimated it would take ten minutes to get up the towline from the wreck to the staging area, where they were free to surface, and figured his margin of working air at twenty minutes. The aircraft wreckage swam up out of the dusky water like coals rekindling under ashes. McElroy scrambled aboard the starboard wing and crab-walked across across the body of the plane to port, hands flat on the plates, treading water downstream to steady himself as he skittered over the bump of a ventral fairing between the engine intakes. BRINE and a backup diver had manhandled the oxygen and acetylene cylinders into position, the tanks depressed into the bottom sediment and silting up on the upstream face. McElroy scooped up the towline reel, made sure of the set of his cleat, and swam forward with some effort across the nose, letting the reel pay out surplus cable from the hitch. He kicked over and down, trailing line, and took a tuck around the body of the aircraft. He locked the reel, passing it up to BRINE. BRINE passed the reel between his legs and set his feet against the fuselage, straddling the cable. It acted as a breeches buoy, leaving the Welshman with both hands free. He took up the blowtorch, fending the hoses clear, and lit it off. A hot, brilliant flare incandesced at the cutting head of the torch in a lather of pressurized bubbles. They boiled away furiously up out of the light, spending themselves in the dark, restless tumble of water, and were carried off downstream. BRINE started his first cut on the port side of the radome, two feet aft of the tip, it being his object to clip the nose of the plane off like the top of a soft-boiled egg. The infrared-sensitive faceplate of McElroy’s diving mask did little to filter out the visible light spectrum, and he shielded his eyes with his left hand, not looking directly at the hot spot where the metal honeycomb oxidized grudgingly into smudge. The torch bit in with a rush of steam, and a purling line of alloy glittered liquidly along the cut, fusing to the edges. Powdery detritus congealed immediately in the cold running water to flakes of sediment blown off by the rush of gas. The bright glare at the cutting head sparkled in a clouded halo of grit, impurities precipitated out and iron particles introduced into the oxygen flow to facilitate combustion. The divers were counting on the current to dispel the stink and high volume of exhaust gases attendant on subsurface salvage. BRINE made laborious progress. The skin of the airframe had been designed to withstand the high temperatures of atmospheric friction. McElroy checked his time. He was already on his reserve air. He straightened, backpedaling, and hovered near the wreck a moment. Then he went up the towline for fresh tanks. It took him nine minutes and change to make the distance. The drizzle had turned gusty and ice-laden when he broke water at the shoreline. McElroy scrambled up the slippery bank and sat down facing the river. He stripped off his mask and diving hood and let the mouthpiece dangle. Two ratings took the duty of changing his tanks. One of them brought him a mug of tea with a dram of rum in it. McElroy sipped at it gratefully. The flat and muted sounds about him were hesitant in the thinner medium of air, a hollow chime against the disequilibrium of his inner ear. The hiss and mutter of the river at his feet, the throbbing generators on the communications wagons, the movement of people in and around the vehicles, all seemed heard from a great distance. He could see nothing of the far bank in the darkness and the raw wet. The men scattered about the staging area nearby were close to silent, trading short courtesies, smoking, drinking tea or coffee, waiting on the event like guests at a wedding before the bride arrives. The second rating brought him the underwater camera. McElroy slithered down the bank. The two divers of the relief team were waiting in the shallows. McElroy steadied himself against the towline, the cable angling into the water from the drumhead on the winch, and squirmed back into his hood. He spat in his face mask, rinsed it in the river, and settled it over his eyes and nose. He cleared his mouthpiece, put it between his teeth, and slipped underwater. The relief divers followed McElroy’s lead, sliding down the cable. The hot blur at the nose of the aircraft grew sharper and brighter as they descended into the gloom, their movements bullied by the tug of the current. BRINE was bent to his work with the torch. He’d finished the cut circling the nose and was shearing the rivets. McElroy moved alongside, signaling to one of his divers to take over BRINE’s post. The two men accomplished a brief exchange with hand signals, and then BRINE wagged McElroy the thumbs’ up and hauled off topside with his diving mate. McElroy straddled the fuselage and indicated the next cut, a ventral incision the length of the radome, a distance of almost ten feet straight back. The diver with the torch set to work, the second diver taking up the slack in the gas feedlines to keep them from fouling. They duck-walked back from the nose, paying themselves out on short stops of cable. The alloy panels split under the hammer of the blowtorch, the job going faster because they were separating a seam in the hull. Bits of glittering debris fused together and spun away downriver. McElroy prowled aft with the camera, photographing the salient features with a strobe attachment. The otherwise aerodynamically clean surfaces of the hull were interrupted by missile pylons well inboard, large bulged fairings on the underside of the fuselage, clusters of electronic vanes, and asymmetric dielectric strips, nonconducting. At the tail, just forward of the jet exhausts, the heavy panels of the air brakes jutted out, deployed on their hydraulic struts. A panic response maybe, or a last-minute maneuver to ditch the plane on its belly with minimal damage. McElroy had a sudden unbidden glimpse of what it must have been like to experience the crash firsthand, the whistle of the air brakes and the shudder of the laboring engines, the abrupt jibe in the airframe as it dropped to stall speed, losing lift, the controls unresponsive, and the top-heavy plummet of inert mass into the river, the turbines inhaling water instead of air, sucking the aircraft to the bottom as the turbine blades cracked with the violent drop in temperature. The reflexive ejection release, the concussive plunge, the quick death from a broken neck, or suffocation in the muck. McElroy drove ahead again, hand over hand, pushing with his flippers to counter the pull downstream. He took hold gingerly of a horizontal stanchion and propelled himself forward, swimming up under the port wing and shoving his way through the soupy water, murky with particulate matter, disturbed sediment, and debris. Hot and brilliant, the bloom of the cutting torch flared erratically, a spastic iris leaking and occluding light. McElroy felt trapped for a moment in the airless press, but then he collected himself and moved on up the fuselage. The nose of the plane was split, and the diver with the torch was making a lateral cut across the ventral surface of the hull to finish a pattern in an elongated H, like dissecting a frog. BRINE and his diving mate came back down the cable, relieving the divers with the torch. They went up the line, but McElroy stayed behind. The three men began jimmying up the plates, using heat and breaker bars to snap the welds. They peeled back the alloy sheets and broke off the nose of the radome. The assembly exposed inside the sprung plates was about the size of a small automobile engine block, cased in some kind of composition material similar to Bakelite. The divers peered in at it. The components made up an interlocking clutter, and the housing was locked into the circular steel ribs of the hull frame, sides and top. Color-coded wires twisted back into the shallow recesses behind the instrument panel. Squinting past the blistered steel, McElroy squeezed the camera into the gap and took a couple of shots from different angles. He could see that the radar module incorporated a bayonet mount, for repair or replacement. If the frame weren’t warped too far out of true, they could extract the whole assembly, depending on its weight. He directed BRINE to burn through the second framing rib aft so they could spring the jaws of the severed struts, twist the radar casing, and thread it between them, like drawing a piston out of its sleeve. BRINE tapped his forefinger on the crystal of his watch. McElroy nodded and swam up the towline with the camera. Stripped out of his wetsuit, McElroy hunkered bareheaded in the open door of the van. He was dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, his feet in insulated slippers, wrapped in a wool blanket, drinking black coffee from a dented tin cup. Behind him BRINE rummaged around in their stores, hunting dry socks for the next dive. This smaller vehicle served as their support inventory, bare of communications equipment, the floor chalked off into sections for different instruments and gear. They hadn’t been assigned a security guard. The rain had let up briefly, and looking up, McElroy could make out a faint starshine. There was no moon, but he took that for an omen. Parked in front of the van was a late-model American Ford sedan, the body and brightwork masked off in flat camouflage drab. The windows and windscreen were non-reflecting glass, and the license plates were lettered in Cyrillic. The car was attached to the Allied Military Mission. The rear suspension of the Ford hiked the differential up a good six inches higher than the front end, which was just the fashion for running heavy contraband goods over bad roads at high speeds, McElroy figured. The driver, a U.S. Army Spec/5, lounged on the hood of the car smoking a Camel; he had what the Englishman pictured as a rangy Appalachian Piedmont cast to him, the look of a family history rich in hot cars and moonshine. McElroy knew he wasn’t far wrong. The high-powered, heavily-sprung Mission vehicles regularly played hare-and-hounds with Soviet military personnel and East German Volkspolizei, traveling under diplomatic cover and taking photographs of restricted installations on the other side of the wire. The back seat of the Ford, hung with blackout curtains, doubled as a darkroom. The rear door opened, and the Air Force major, Jacobson, got out, followed by Kim Adrian. The major had a manila enbelope with him. McElroy didn’t see who else was in the back of the car. The enlisted man, ignoring Major Jacobson, flipped his cigarette away and got behind the wheel of the Ford. He drove away. Jacobson and Adrian came over to McElroy. BRINE came to stand in the doorway of the van at McElroy’s shoulder, their shadows thrown out sharply on the wet ground like those of a primitive family group huddled in the mouth of a cave. “We’ve got photographs of the landing at Gross Dölln,” Major Jacobson said. “Taken together with what you’ve given us from the river, we have a definite identification. We can confirm the downed aircraft is a FIREFLY.” The two divers moved out of the doorway, and the other two men stepped up, halfway into the light. “We’re short of time, Jimmy,” Adrian said. “I’m short a man,” McElroy said. One of the divers on the Maltese team had been injured, not seriously but bleeding badly. BRINE had brought him back to the surface. The other two divers were below and due up. “Can we do it?” Kim Adrian asked him, impatiently. “That’s the immediate question.” McElroy smiled through his fatigue. “Is that the Royal We?” he inquired. Adrian ducked his head. “We need breathing room, Jimmy, a space to fold our tents and steal away,” he said. BRINE glanced at his watch. “Two hours until daybreak,” he said. “I’m not going to risk the men,” McElroy said to Adrian. “One team, one more dive.” Adrian nodded. “It’s your responsibility,” he said. He and Major Jaobson left the trailer. McElroy and BRINE looked at each other. “A tired man gets careless,” BRINE remarked, “and a careless man makes mistakes.” McElroy turned away, flexing his back and shoulders in an effort to shake off his stiffness and jitters. “You don’t strike me as a careless man,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking of myself,” BRINE told him. “Good,” McElroy said. “I wouldn’t want to push my luck. We’ve had it fairly easy, barring accident.” “Knock wood,” the Welshman said. The two divers gathered up their clammy wetsuits. Now he was chilled and tiring and running against the clock. The dark moving water muttered against him fretfully as he made his way down the humming cable to the wreck, ill at ease and out of sorts. He was irritated, for no good reason, by the orange glare of the infrared lights. He felt short of breath, and realized he was experiencing nervous symptoms similar to oxygen deprivation. Checking his descent, McElroy hooked a leg over the cable, gulped a lungful of air, and passed the hoses and mouthpiece over his head. He shucked one arm out of the tank harness to swing the tanks past his shoulder and tapped the regulator gently. Air streamed through the hoses at a steady pressure. He shrugged the tanks back into place between his shoulderblades and took the mouthpiece in his teeth again. These second thoughts told him next to nothing about the condition of his equipment but said a good deal about his state of mind. He resumed his slide down the line into deeper water. The fear that had touched him briefly took up silent watch in his colon. His nerves steadied as he settled feet-first at the ruptured bow of the wreck. The broken nose of the aircraft looked like a radish rose. The rivets and retaining bolts had been burned through and the framing sprung and pried apart. McElroy recovered the dangling reel and snugged up the cable, playing it free of snags as he unwound it from around the hull, kicking up and over the wreck and riding the line centrifugally like a rock on a string. He worked his cleat loose from the wing and took in more line, pulling himself back even with the opening in the nose section. He hitched a loop in the cable and felt into the cavity, looking for a purchase point on the radar casing. He took a bight around the antenna pins, drew the knot tight, and tied it off. Giving himself a little slack, he looped the cable a second time and then a third, like trussing a roast. He hooked the reel to the towline and retreated up the cable some ten meters, giving it room to bind. If the line parted or came loose under the strain, it would snap back on itself like a whip, which could take off a couple of fingers or even a hand. The towline traveled back upriver a thousand meters to a winch on shore. BRINE was waiting in the shallow water for signals. They’d rigged a basic comm link, two switches at either end of the low-impedance static line in the cable, to buzz each other back and forth. There wasn’t enough current in the circuit to give either one of them a shock, just a faint tingle when the switch was depressed, once to warp cable onto the drum, twice for full stop, and three for slack line. McElroy squeezed the rubber bulb with the switch inside. The line shivered in his grip and began to twist as it came under the pull of the winch ashore. The length of cable stiffened out under load. The crank of the winch paused, but the vibration of power in the line was still there. The cable strummed against the heel of his hand. He squeezed the switch again and held the beam of his torch fixed on the jagged crack in the fuselage. The winch began to pull again. The radar housing ground forward between the ribs. McElroy quickly squeezed the switch bulb twice. He slipped down the cable to check the clearance. There wasn’t much play, but the radar seemed to be sliding straight ahead without shifting its weight. McElroy backpedaled up the cable and squeezed the switch bulb again. The winch operator picked up the strain. The heavy casing shrieked against the frame, inching along. The towline was as tight as a bowstring. The front end of the radar worked its way free of the fuselage, jarring against it slightly. McElroy tensed. The radar wobbled and dug forward. The back end pitched to one side, binding against a strut. He pinched the switch bulb twice, and then pinched it again three times. He slid down the cable. The radar was caught between the broken ribs of the frame like a bear’s shoulders stuck in a hollow log. McElroy eyed the dimensions of the casing against the space available to move it in. He swam back up to the switch bulb, signaled the winch to take up slack, and then a full stop to hold the radar steady. He slipped down to the nose again. Using a long breaker bar, he tried to buck the casing back and forth to clear the ribs. It was jammed too tight. He backpedaled and squeezed the switch bulb three times, then three times again. The cable sagged. McElroy braced a short crowbar against the framing rib just behind the radar housing to act as a stop. He took the long breaker bar and poked into the open seam from above on the port side and got a purchase, but the housing didn’t move. He drew the bar out and laid it across the housing, hooking it under the lip of the opening in the fuselage and putting his weight on it to force the radar down. The casing torqued a little, easing the bind, but there was still friction. McElroy slipped the bar in forward and managed to wiggle the assembly back a fraction, straightening it out. He blinked back the sweat in his eyes. There was a light condensation on the inside of his faceplate. He put his head and shoulders inside the cavity. The neoprene wetsuit squeaked against the corrugated steel, and McElroy winced. He shifted his grip on the long bar and jimmied the casing away from the broken framing rib. It settled, and he pulled himself out. Paddling forward, he snagged the cable and positioned the breaker bar under it to span the gap in the nose of the aircraft. Under power from the winch the bar would act as tackle for the line, lifting the radar casing past the frame. McElroy felt out the slack in the towline and stood on it. His negative buoyancy didn’t count for much. He clambered astride the nose again and let himself down into the hole, warily. The cable sideslipped a touch. The casing wavered. He tried to adjust it with a flippered foot. It moved an inch, and McElroy lifted his feet in a hurry. He swam past the crimped edges of the cut and regained the towline, giving the signal switch one pinch and then two. The cable tightened and then stopped pulling. McElroy dropped back to the nose and reached in it to push the radar casing into a better position. The assembly jerked suddenly. The scrape of the casing carried up the cable. McElroy kicked off but missed his footing. The radar rocked in place and tipped. There was too much slack in the line. McElroy jackknifed his legs as the back end of the radar came loose and tried to use his lower body as a lever, but the force of the current trapped him against the fuselage, stuck like a fly on a windowpane. The forward end of the radar caught his left arm, grinding it against the struts. He felt both the bones in his forearm crack like lath. He was choking on inhaled water because he’d bitten through his mouthpiece retainer and the hoses danced against his sternum in a high rolling boil. He made a grab at them with his free hand. The current dragged his body back against the fuselage, his weight taken by the arm pinned in the wreck, and the pain nearly made him faint. He flailed at the current, kicking desperately, trying to shovel the crippled mouthpiece back between his lips, coughing and losing it, catching it again, trying now to clear his windpipe and the mouthpiece, water rattling in his lungs with a deep and unbearable ache, as though he were breathing lye. He managed to grab a handhold and gulp some air. McElroy trembled with cold. He kept his breathing shallow and regular, hoping not to go into shock. His blood, smoky in the water, slipped away thinly downriver. He quite expected to die. The swimmer seemed to sink into the hot bruise of the orange lights with the classic, undernourished grace of a predatory fish. It was the Welshman, tobogganing down the cable with the river at his back, coming to see what had gone wrong. McElroy’s heart rose in his throat. BRINE swung out on the cable and kicked free, skating alongside the hull to McElroy and treading water downstream. He took McElroy in a close embrace, holding his weight gently to relieve the pressure on his forearm. BRINE felt along McElroy’s upper arm, down to the elbow, and then moved his hand across the face of the heavy casing. Still pinning McElroy to the wreck with his hip, he cocked his knee and unstrapped the scabbarded knife from his calf. He wrapped the strap around McElroy’s bicep, drawing it tight enough to cut off circulation, and twisted the scabbard, coaxing it under the tourniquet. McElroy had already lost most sensation below it. BRINE made sure McElroy’s breathing apparatus was secure and then shifted him carefully into a more comfortable position, guiding McElroy’s free hand to the upper edge of the frame so he had a better grip to support his own weight. BRINE ducked under the cable and retrieved the breaker bar. With the cable tight across his shoulders, he got a purchase on the radar housing and levered it forward. The housing grated in the rib. McElroy felt it, not in his arm but as a nausea of the inner ear. BRINE put his weight on the bar again, leaning back into the cable, and the housing tilted off McElroy’s arm. The wound stuck to the metal for a second, and then McElroy pulled free. BRINE reached out to steady him. The bar slipped in the notch, and the radar casing dropped against it. The casing twisted, twitching the cable. BRINE bounced against the hull. The bar rotated out of his grasp and flipped up in his face. It snapped his head back, and the cable caught him in the throat as it stiffened and sprang tight again, snatching him across the windpipe and hooking his chin back sharply. There was a gout of expelled air from his regulator. McElroy batted weakly at the current with his good arm and grabbed at the cable, but it held fast, pinching BRINE in the wreckage like a snare. McElroy, near despair, struggled to work him loose. BRINE was inert, his limbs flaccid, and McElroy realized it was too late to save him. The Welshman’s neck was broken, and his faceplate was filled with blood. McElroy knew he didn’t have the strength to pull himself up the towline on his own, and there was nothing he could do now to help the dead man. His air was already running low. That left downstream. He figured he didn’t have much choice. He let go the towline and began a scrabbling progress down the lee side of the wreck, lurching from one handhold to another in the headlong current, his grip skidding on the slippery plates. He steadied himself at the leading edge of the starboard wing and caught up the dragline anchored to the engine intake. He hung fire, treading water for a minute and working up his courage. Then he slid down the dragline, beating a painful and ungainly traverse along the river bottom, guided by the cable strung another five hundred meters downstream. Where the cable was made fast to the spike in the clay, McElroy was able to brace himself tenuously. He fumbled with the snap-ring and was able to gain control of the friction locks on the dragline reel with his single hand. His breathng had become hoarse and irregular. He let the current swing him downstream, holding the cable reel in his left armpit while he undid his equipment harness and weight belt and let them sink to the bottom. He took a long, shallow breath and made himself slip the locks on the cable reel. The mass of dark water swept him up and drove him down the funnel, churning into the sluiceway of the narrows. The steel and monofilament ran out unchecked, and he hurtled downriver, the reel chattering, barely able to maintain his hold on it. The skin was peeled off the palm of his hand and the muscles of his one good arm felt watery. His eyes stung from the sweat condensing on the inside of his faceplate like a prism of tears. He knew the length of cable would run out some fifteen hundred meters below the anchored belay, something less than a quarter mile short of the sleeper net. He also knew the undercurrents could play him false. He had to have buoyancy, to rise up so as to catch in the net and not be keelhauled on the bottom, pressed down by the rush of water until his air ran out. He was losing control of his relative attitude, too, and beginning to tumble. He was taking on the spin of a projectile down a rifled barrel, which imparted a spiral to the cable and might kink it. McEroy tried to turn end for end, bearing down on the friction locks and reversing himself as he kicked for the surface. The cable played out without warning, jerking the reel out of his grip, and he was abruptly shaken loose, out of control and caroming head over heels down the channel, unable to check himself. The river bore him away. He couldn’t fight the current, but he managed to right himself and slipstream. Then his velocity was checked with a sudden tug as he ran aground in the net. Up on deck, standing duty at the shoreline, the senior NCO caught the quick lunge in the line of phosphorescent floats, like the strike of a salmon, punching into the net at a point just right of center. “Look alive, Tommy Atkins,” the sergeant-major sang out, and gave off two short blasts on his whistle. Floundering underwater, vertiginous and disoriented, McElroy tucked his body and rolled along the net. The water pressure had him pasted against it. He pulled himself along, the open weave of the net too pliable and forgiving. His feet slithered on silt, then pebbles. He struggled upslope and broke water in the shallows, without even the strength to stand. He pushed the mouthpiece out from between his locked teeth with a furry tongue and stripped his mask off. He called out in the darkness, croaking uselessly against the slicker of the river in the broken ice. No sound came from his bruised throat. McElroy pawed at the water, helpless and exhausted. His lungs ached. Men loomed on the riverbank above him, calling to each other and signaling. McElroy drew himself out painfully onto the stones and mud of the riverbank. Soldiers were sliding down the embankment. They were speaking to him, but he had no sense of what they said. They pulled him up the bank. They were careful of his broken arm, although to McElroy it was numb. The sergeant called for a stretcher. In the last hour before daybreak the night had cleared. McElroy lay on his back, looking up at the stars, smelling the wet stones, the damp soil and crushed grass, a doggy musk of men in sodden woolen clothes. He listened for the sound of the river clearing its throat and the breeze that came at first light, for the compacted breathing of the earth beneath him. He longed to hear the familiar. The water rattled over the stones at the river’s edge, clucking insistently. By late morning, when Kim Adrian saw McElroy off at the airfield, a Soviet salvage crew had been given permission to enter the British zone and set up a floating derrick on the Havel to raise the aircraft wreckage from the bottom of the river. BRINE’s body had been recovered by the two divers on the Maltese team, but the radar stayed where it was. The Russians already smelled a rat and had lodged a vigorous protest with the Allied Control Commission. None of this was of much concern to McElroy. He was taken across the tarmac to the waiting Trident in a wheelchair with a British army male nurse in attendance. McElroy’s color was good for a man with his left arm in suspended traumatic amputation. It was under local anesthetic block and wrapped in a vinyl cold pack like those used to ship dressed meat. Adrian’s mood was surprisingly cheerful. “We got a man killed,” McElroy remarked quietly. “We know what the risks are, Jimmy,” Adrian said. “It’s our stock in trade.” The male nurse had gone up into the plane to see to their accomodations. He appeared in the doorway at the head of the ramp and descended. McElroy got unsteadily to his feet, with Adrian’s help. “He traded his life for mine,” McElroy said. “And it could have been the reverse,” Adrian said. “You aren’t to blame.” “There’s enough blame to go around,” McElroy said. “Ready when you are, Commander,” the male nurse said. Adrian touched McElroy lightly on his good shoulder and turned away. McElroy watched him walk off aross the tarmac toward the terminal building in the spare and chilly sunlight with his hands in his pockets. Leaning on his escort, McElroy mounted the ramp. They made it safely aboard and felt their way carefully down the aisle to a window seat. They were the only passengers on the flight. The nurse went back to fetch the wheelchair and stow it aft. He returned to fasten McElroy’s seat belt, strapping himself into a seat on the aisle one space away. They taxied to their assigned runway and went through final checkout, each engine revving up in turn, before they took off. McElroy imagined the Trident fading up on radar, a dusty pip on a grey-green scope, and thought of reels of magnetic tape recording their inflight communications. The aircraft banked in a wide loop and began its climb to corridor altitude. The NO SMOKING light went off, and McElroy asked the enlisted man to light him a cigarette. He inhaled gratefully, leaning back in his seat to watch the smoke as he blew it out. It reminded him he was still alive, evidence of his own breathing. There but for the grace of God, he thought, and a sudden shame clutched at him, like the hand of a drowning man. | https://www.smashwords.com/books/download/176934/6/latest/1/0/cover-of-darkness.txt | dclm-gs1-165370000 |
0.226266 | <urn:uuid:60002429-d3cd-4a77-a52a-7167a397532f> | en | 0.960439 |
NC’s ban on gay marriage poses threat to unmarried couples
Photo by Associated Press.
“It’s the South. What do you expect?” is what 20-year-old Dustin Seamster from Roxboro had to say in regards to the outlawing of same-sex marriage. Tues. North Carolina passed an amendment defining marriage as solely for a man and a women in a 61%-39% margin.
But we really should expect more from the South. How is it possible bills like this pass in an nation where we pride ourselves on our equality? Calling yourself “pro-marriage” is still being discriminatory of to gay people. You’re still denying the them the same rights other couples have.
The passing of the amendment doesn’t just pose threats to same-sex couples and their benefits, but it will also affect unmarried couples who live together. Disputes such as child custody and domestic violence prosecution can be brought new consequences.
Think about what you are doing North Carolina. The passing of this bill is going to set a dangerous precedent for other Southern states, and the ramifications will be negative for a lot of people.
Andrew Regan
One Response
1. Secession is my Concession says:
We should have let them secede way back in the day, too bad cotton and tabacco were so important then. I see no reason now to include them in our country when all they do is try to ruin it with bills and laws like these. Let them go off and create their own “christian” nation, like a mini modern Iran of the West. Maybe they can try to sensor the internet, as well, while they’re at it. | http://blog.timesunion.com/highschool/ncs-ban-on-gay-marriage-poses-threats-to-unmarried-couples/31477/ | dclm-gs1-165510000 |
0.027017 | <urn:uuid:cd57d7fa-b3c3-4262-9b47-5c7a86071d14> | en | 0.974125 | Supreme Court rejects Jose Padilla case - East Valley Tribune: Nation / World
Supreme Court rejects Jose Padilla case
Font Size:
Default font size
Larger font size
Posted: Monday, April 3, 2006 12:28 pm | Updated: 4:42 pm, Fri Oct 7, 2011.
WASHINGTON - A divided Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Jose Padilla, held as an enemy combatant without traditional legal rights for more than three years, sidestepping a challenge to Bush administration wartime detention powers.
An appeals court panel had all but called for the high court to deal with the case, saying it was troubled by the Bush administration's change in legal strategy - it brought criminal charges only after it looked like the Supreme Court was going to step in.
Justices first considered in 2004 whether Padilla's constitutional rights were violated when he was detained as an "enemy combatant" without charges and access to a lawyer, traditional legal rights. Justices dodged a decision on technical grounds. In a dissent Justice John Paul Stevens said then that "at stake in this case is nothing less than the essence of a free society."
Justices are reviewing a second case arising from the government pursuit of terrorists, an appeal by a foreign terrorist suspect facing a military commission on war crimes charges at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Arguments were last week.
Padilla's case was different. It asked the court to clarify how far the government can go when its hunt for terrorists leads to Americans in this country.
Based on the vote breakdown, it appears the court would have agreed to hear the appeal had Padilla not been charged.
Andrew Patel of New York, one of Padilla's lawyers, said: "I think there is a message here, saying if the government tries to do this again it's not going to take another four years for them (the justices) to straighten it out."
Viet Dinh, a former Justice Department lawyer in the Bush administration who teaches law at Georgetown University, said now the government can "go full-steam ahead with the criminal trial."
Padilla, a former Chicago gang member and a convert to Islam, was arrested in 2002 after a trip to Pakistan. The government alleged at the time that he was part of a plot to detonate a radiological "dirty bomb" in the United States.
The Bush administration has maintained since 2002 that it had the power to detain him without charges. However, in an abrupt change in strategy, the government late last year brought criminal charges against Padilla. His appeal was pending at the Supreme Court at the time.
The charges do not match the long-standing allegations that Padilla sought to blow up apartment buildings. Instead, he was charged with being part of a North American terrorism cell that raised funds and recruited fighters to wage violent jihad outside the United States.
The strategy shift angered a panel of 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., which had ruled last September that Padilla's constitutional rights had not been violated by his detention.
Judge J. Michael Luttig, a conservative who was named to the bench by President Bush's father, wrote in a decision late last year that the administration's actions left the impression that Padilla had been held in military custody "by mistake."
Ginsburg said Monday that although Padilla is charged in civilian court "nothing prevents the executive (branch) from returning to the road it earlier constructed and defended."
"This case, here for the second time, raises a question 'of profound importance to the nation,'" she wrote.
Padilla pleaded innocent in Florida to the criminal charges and is scheduled to be put on trial this fall. A federal judge refused to set bail for Padilla after a prosecutor said he had a history of arrests and convictions for violent crimes - including murder as a juvenile.
The case is Padilla v. Hanft, 05-533.
• Discuss
Junior reporters explore RenFest
Your Az Jobs | http://eastvalleytribune.com/nation_world/article_ad9267aa-d7be-5893-907d-46d3adc2aaf9.html | dclm-gs1-165650000 |
0.027427 | <urn:uuid:4f4ce4f5-bee9-4a3e-8d4d-017ee5601139> | en | 0.925087 | Log in • Sign up • Subscribe feed icon
Fun Fashions:Top 10 Most Fun & Strange Hats!
Strange Hat #10. The Strawberries 'N Cream Hat
Can't get your sweet tooth off your mind? Wear it on your head instead! The strawberries and cream hat is fun, flirty, and not as tacky as you might expect! Before toting it to a fashionable event, I would double check the dresscode - but this is a fashion statement perfectly suited to bake sales!
Strange Hat #9 - Unicorn Hat
Probably not quite Kentucky Derby material, the Dueling Unicorn hats aren't for those flying solo, unless their unicorn hat must exert her independence from her partner. These unicorn hats are the stuff fairytales are made of; that is, until they butt heads over who gets to reside on each side of the rainbow.
Strange Hat # 8. The Pretzel Hat
Does this lady know she's wearing a gigantic red pretzel on her head? Considering her prim and proper wardrobe choice, this is without a doubt a bold fashion statement. Perhaps she just couldn't resist her grandaughter's pout when asked why she wasn't wearing the crafy hat she made her for the fashionable event.
Strange Hat #7. The Yummmm, Candy Hat!
Another fun fashion hat for the candy lover, but this time it's edible. The ideal gift for the hostess who just doesn't have enough hands when serving her party. This candy bowl hat is hands free and fashionable!
Strange Hat #6. The Martini Hat
This woman has tried to make her martini hat look a little more classy by strategically placing a few fake flowers, but we all know she whips it out at a late night party when hoping for a refill. | http://inventorspot.com/articles/fun_fashionstop_10_most_fun_strange_hats_26101 | dclm-gs1-165820000 |
0.045968 | <urn:uuid:90b1ee3f-e6a7-4b83-9ea4-b42c9c8debbf> | en | 0.963588 | Guild Wars 2, Log Four: Ten-and-a-Half Lessons I Learned From My AdventuresS In my weekly summaries of Guild Wars 2, I've looked at exploration, combat, and crafting. I've been chasing vistas, leveling slowly, and getting sucked into events as they pop up around me. I've even been cautiously exploring the big, boisterous, overwhelming experience that is world vs world PvP.
In total, I've learned a lot of things about Guild Wars 2. The full, formal review will be coming next week, so for this, my last log, I leave you with a list of all the miscellaneous things I've learned, experienced, and decided in Guild Wars 2 this week.
1.) There are several very kind players in the game who will wander by and resurrect you after you have fallen off a cliff.
1a.) Don't log out standing on the edge of a cliff. You'll pay for it when you log back in.
1b.) Also, if you happen to have a number of combat arts that involve "shadowstep" or other wide, leaping changes in position, don't use them next to a cliff either.
2.) There are jerks in the game who will train a half-dozen over-leveled mobs onto your sorry under-leveled self, and then will not only not help you fight them off, but will in fact stand right next to your corpse and not even toss a revive your way afterward. When this happens almost immediately after encountering kind souls at the bottom of a cliff you have unexpectedly and fatally traversed, the difference is rather jarring.
3.) There's just no good way to do underwater levels. Every game has them. And in every game, they're flawed. I do like that Guild Wars 2 allows players two switchable sets of underwater weapons in addition to two switchable sets of land-based weapons, but neither the spear nor the harpoon gun I have is as elegant and useful as the daggers and pistols I am accustomed to use. The harpoon gun also makes it easy to get in a lot of trouble with adds without meaning to.
Maybe it's just me. In theory I like the freedom of the Z axis but in practice I tend to find it cumbersome and awkward to navigate. And my thief swims so very, very slowly.
4.) I know it's called Lion's Arch, but I will forever call it Tortuga, at least in my head. Also it's my new favorite city. Like, ever. Anywhere. The whole thing is made of ships! Gorgeous ships! I want to live there. No, I don't care how structurally unsound it is.
4a.) There are PIRATES in Tortuga. Actual pirates. I would like all of their clothes now, please and thank you. Can I run away with them later (the pirates, not their clothes)? Oh, I hope so.
5.) It took a while for my character's personal story to get meaty. Now, I'm digging it, but that has a lot to do with the introduction of various world factions. And when given the chance to pick among scholars (the Durmand Priory), soldiers (the Vigil), and spies (the Order of Whispers), it turns out I will pick spies pretty much every time. Although should I ever get my Engineer alt high enough, I can see her as the Priory type.
6.) I only rarely get kicked to overflow now. Tortuga Lion's Arch is always busy, and whenever I hit the plaza with the Asura gates I can count on an overflow message. But aside from just once or twice at peak play times, I haven't gotten dropped in overflow while popping around the world. The combination of early-launch-rush on the player side and ArenaNet working out population loads on their side seems to have hit its balance point.
7.) The queues for World vs World, on the other hand, can be nuts. The first time I decided to go into the Mists, I had a five-minute wait. Tuesday night, I wanted to go in and the queue was so long that when I got the pop-up a half-hour later asking me if I was ready to travel, I had completely forgotten I ever signed up for the queue.
8.) The server-wide World vs World bonuses are really very nice. I am not particularly great at playing through the Borderlands zones; I find them overwhelming, if intriguing. But apparently folks on my server, in general, are. The bonuses applied to the characters I level have just been increasing for the last week, and now sit at the point where I am accustomed to getting four pulls from every harvesting node, and significant XP bonuses for every kill. Should our red and blue rivals (my server is green) sort themselves out anytime soon, I think I will notice the loss of the benefits rather sharply.
9.) The best way to get good screenshots in the Mists is to be dead. It's a surprisingly good vantage point.
I didn't spend very much time dead, honestly; I got fairly good at dodging attacks, and my teammates were lovely about quick revives. (I tried my best to provide the same service in kind.) Hitting F to finish off your opponent, meanwhile, is more satisfying than it probably should be. Sorry, red guys. I really did take joy in your demise. That wasn't very nice of me but, you know, war.
10.) Even the PvP zones need exploring. There are vistas in the Borderlands WvW zones. This means I need to explore them all. Thoroughly. I managed to branch off and grab a few already, but the ones in the heart of enemy territory are going to be... challenging.
Overall, I am not particularly driven to level quickly, even as more and more of my guild-mates get characters to 80. Guild Wars 2 is encouraging me to take a careful, thorough approach to my playing. I tend to want to bring a map to 100% before I move on to the next, though sometimes I do overlap. (I started exploring Gendarran Fields at level 21, because I like getting in trouble.)
In short, the world is too much fun for me to want to race through it. Sometimes you just need to stop and smell the roses. Or, better yet, go swimming.
| http://kotaku.com/5944624/guild-wars-2-log-four-ten-and-a-half-lessons-i-learned-from-my-adventures?tag=guild-wars-2 | dclm-gs1-165850000 |
0.045166 | <urn:uuid:f5fe44e9-9c6c-4f55-880d-b88ec4a02e6f> | en | 0.97945 | High: °
Low: °
Chance of precipitation:
Teen left brain dead after tonsil surgery
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A 13-year-old Northern California girl is brain dead after going into surgery to remove her tonsils.
KGO-TV reported Sunday that Jahi McMath's family is demanding Oakland Children's Hospital conduct an investigation after she went into cardiac arrest and died, before being brought back by hospital staff. Jahi is brain dead and on life support.
Doctors said the surgery would help with Jahi's sleep apnea, but there were complications during her recovery last week. Her mother Nailah Winkfield said Jahi had "actual clots" sliding out of her mouth, which her mother was told to catch in a cup for hospital staff to measure.
A hospital spokeswoman said in a statement that any surgery is risky and that the hospital would investigate what happened. She didn't provide details on the surgery.
Associated Press | http://m.seattlepi.com/life/healthzone/article/Teen-left-brain-dead-after-tonsil-surgery-5069526.php | dclm-gs1-165930000 |
0.142403 | <urn:uuid:c19bc801-53e1-416a-a5ae-01bb7f1e485c> | en | 0.688931 | Subject: pkg/30338: acroread7 package doesn't work right on x86
To: None <,,>
From: None <>
List: pkgsrc-bugs
Date: 05/25/2005 19:28:00
>Number: 30338
>Category: pkg
>Synopsis: acroread7 package doesn't work right on x86
>Confidential: no
>Severity: critical
>Priority: high
>Responsible: pkg-manager
>State: open
>Class: sw-bug
>Submitter-Id: net
>Arrival-Date: Wed May 25 19:28:00 +0000 2005
>Originator: Perry E. Metzger
>Release: NetBSD 3.99.5
Perry E. Metzger
System: NetBSD hackworth 3.99.5 NetBSD 3.99.5 (HACKWORTH) #0: Tue May 24 13:32:09 EDT 2005 perry@hackworth:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/HACKWORTH i386
Architecture: i386
Machine: i386
acroread7 installs just fine. Unfortunately, when it tries to
a pdf, I get the following spew just before it crashes:
(acroread:10447): GdkPixbuf-WARNING **: Error loading XPM image loader: Image type 'xpm' is not supported
Note that I'm using the suse9 linux compat stuff.
I'm not sure why it dies, but I suspect some linux compat
library or executable is missing.
cd /usr/pkgsrc/print/acroread7
make install
cd somewhere
acroread foo.pdf | http://mail-index.netbsd.org/pkgsrc-bugs/2005/05/25/0047.html | dclm-gs1-165950000 |
0.998446 | <urn:uuid:1e00eaa0-755e-422c-ba89-6043af9d5234> | en | 0.762201 | Take the 2-minute tour ×
Proof that $\sqrt[3]{3}$ (Just need a check)
Let $\sqrt[3]{3}= \frac{a}{b}$ both a,b are integers of course. $\Rightarrow 3=\frac{a^{3}}{b^{3}}$ $\Rightarrow$ $3b^{3}=a^{3}$ $\Rightarrow$ 3b=a $\Rightarrow$ $3b^{3}=27b^{3}$ and this is a contradiction because the cubing function is a 1-1 function. Does this work?
share|improve this question
Why is that $3b = a$? – Makoto Kato Sep 27 '12 at 5:10
add comment
4 Answers
No, $3b^3=a^3$ does not imply that $a=3b$. In fact if $a=3b$, then $a^3=(3b)^3=3^3b^3=27b^3$. What $3b^3=a^3$ does imply is that $3\mid a^3$, which then further implies that $3\mid a$. Then you have $a=3m$ for some integer $m$, and $3b^3=a^3=(3m)^3=27m^3$. Divide through by $3$ to get $b^3=9m^3$. Now $3\mid b^3$; what does this tell you about $b$? If you had begun by assuming (as you certainly may) that $\frac{a}b$ was in lowest terms, how would this be a contradiction?
share|improve this answer
add comment
Let $n \ge 2$ be an integer. Let $m \ge 2$ be a square free integer. I claim that $\sqrt[n]{m}$ is irrational. The claim that $\sqrt[3]{3}$ is irrational follows immediately.
Suppose $\sqrt[n]{m} = \frac{a}{b}$, where gcd$(a, b) = 1$. Then $b^n m = a^n$. Let $p$ be a prime number such that $p|m$. Since $p|a^n, p|a$. Hence $p^n|a^n$. Since $m$ is square free, $p^{n-1}|b^n$. Since $n \ge 2, p|b^n$. Hence $p|b$. Since gcd$(a, b) = 1$, this is a contradiction.
share|improve this answer
add comment
Below are a few ways to prove $\,3^{1/3}\,$ is irrational.
By the Rational Root Test, any rational root of $\rm\:x^3 - 3\:$ is an integer, contradiction.
$\rm\,3^{1/3} = a/b\:\Rightarrow\: a^3 = 3b^3\, $ contra unique factorization: the number of $3$'s in $\rm\,a^3\,$ is a multiple of $3$, versus one more than a multiple of $3$ in $\rm\,3b^3.$
Irrationality proofs for cube roots follow from irrationality proofs for square roots!
This inductive proof generalizes to higher-degree.
share|improve this answer
add comment
Supposing $\sqrt[3]{3}$ is a rational solution of an equation, we can assume $x=\sqrt[3]{3}$ and $x^3=3$. But $x^3=3 \Rightarrow x^3-3 =0$. The rational-root theorem tells us that for a polynomial $f(x) = a_nx^n + a_{n−1}x^{n−1} + \ldots + a_1x + a_0$ all of whose coefficients ($a_n$ through $a_0$) are integers, the real rational roots are always of the form $\frac{p}{q}$, where $p$ is an integer divisor of $a_0$ and $q$ is an integer divisor of $a_n$. In this equation the possible rational roots could be $3,-3,1,-1$ and there wasn't any $\sqrt[3]{3}$. So $\sqrt[3]{3}$ is an irrational number.
share|improve this answer
add comment
Your Answer
| http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/203274/proof-that-sqrt33-is-irrational | dclm-gs1-165980000 |
0.023609 | <urn:uuid:a077305d-12b2-48e7-b615-baad085d12e6> | en | 0.970043 | Michelle Pfeiffer: De Niro is a great influence
Movie Description(Click Here To Hide)
November 30th, 2013
'The Family' actress was pleased that her co-star didn't have an ego on the set of their new film together and believes his easy-going nature helped the cast and crew work together harmoniously.
Meanwhile, co-star Dianna Agron, 27, praised both Michelle, 55, and Robert, 70, for being welcoming and not displaying any diva behaviour.
| http://movieroomreviews.com/family/michelle-pfeiffer-de-niro-great-influence-184319 | dclm-gs1-166100000 |
0.227174 | <urn:uuid:20549f2f-09be-4694-87c4-85dd6cd4713f> | en | 0.964096 | I appreciate your resistance shawty
I wouldn't fuck with me either
Wale appreciates the fact that she is playing hard to get, saying that she is smart for not messing around with a guy like him
| http://rapgenius.com/1035908/Lloyd-all-of-me/I-appreciate-your-resistance-shawty-i-wouldnt-fuck-with-me-either | dclm-gs1-166280000 |
0.348431 | <urn:uuid:26ee8de9-3ce9-4bad-9024-2b2d2548a6c2> | en | 0.854049 | Take the 2-minute tour ×
I have a windows Server 2008 that need to automatically autologin on startup, i've added this registry key :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\DefaultUserName String Administrator
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\DefaultPassword String PASSWORD
but in the key DefaultPassword is stored the Administrator password and a normal user on the server can view this password, i've tried to create a policy on the key Winlogon of the registry but if i deny the permission to view this key to a normal user, the user can't login, receive permission denied ...
Can i insert the encrypted password on the DefaultPassword key ? Can i disable the access to this key to a normal user without broke the windows access of the user ?
share|improve this question
add comment
3 Answers
up vote 1 down vote accepted
Try Autologon.
share|improve this answer
Work correctly, Doy know where Autologon save the encrypted password in the registry ? What key ? – aleroot Apr 24 '11 at 8:54
add comment
Why are you worrying about the user seeing this password in the registry when you are logging them in as that user? They can just reset their password as that user anyway and change it to whatever they want. You can't worry about security on one hand and then give the user an open door on the other.
I would evaluate what you are really trying to do in the first place. For example, can you autologon a user in as non administrator then elevate their permissions to do something they need to do? This seems like a more reasonable approach.
share|improve this answer
add comment
+1 for Autologon but I would go one step further if you can.
If this server is in a domain, I would recommend using a Domain User service account to autologon not the (domain) Administrator account.
Even though Autologon encrypts the password in the registry someone with permissions to the string/key could decrypt it. I believe Autologon stores the information under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY which users do not have access to by default but running under a service account is usually pretty quick to configure and adds another layer of security.
The encrypted password is stored under: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY\Policy\Secrets\DefaultPassword
share|improve this answer
add comment
Your Answer
| http://serverfault.com/questions/262810/windows-server-2008-autologin-permission-on-winlogon-key | dclm-gs1-166350000 |
0.051022 | <urn:uuid:d5085503-b3b1-44dd-a235-78d7d6aa8539> | en | 0.940203 | Take the 2-minute tour ×
I have never used D3.js before, but fell for the examples right of the bat. I am to make a diagram representing systems/servers and company projects. The diagram will function as a report for the systems communication and integration status. We want the user to get an easy intuitive visual on how the systems commuicate, what is communicated, and to be able to click on a "communication line" to get a detailed status. The backend is under control, but we need to build a frontend which sparkles.
My first thought was that a forced-directed layout was perfect for this, but I am not sure. The following example would be perfect, except it is made in a framework I do not wish to use (too expensive), and it does not contain any event handling. But the presentation in this example is what we are looking for.
Can I get any community input? Is the example I provided possible to make in D3.js (I would be surprised if I get a no on this question)? Can I get any tips which would kickstart me on this project?
Thanks in advance to all you brilliant people out there. :-)
share|improve this question
add comment
1 Answer
up vote 2 down vote accepted
In case you want the data to be visualized using some lucrative animations using the power of d3.js the above mentioned example would look good in forced-directed layout. Following this example http://bl.ocks.org/1377729 One could replace the node values with images and get it. Well, on the other hand if one wants just the statically visualized data to be presented that could be done in various no. of softwares or even flash. Thus choice totally depends on how lucrative one wants to make. Hope this could help. Cheers.
share|improve this answer
So, you're saying that d3.js would be overkill for this project? I've come to understand that d3.js would provide an easy way to make this graph possible, due to it's simple yet dynamic api - and I've actually already sold this in as the "cheap" alternative to flash. Cheap as in less hours to create something useful. It's not the animations I'm looking for. It's the opportunity to visualize event driven data from a server/system/project point of view. The physics in the animations are of course a bonus. – Øystein Amundsen Nov 1 '12 at 7:59
I went for a force directed layout. This is way cooler than I first imagined... – Øystein Amundsen Nov 20 '12 at 20:08
add comment
Your Answer
| http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13110430/network-diagram | dclm-gs1-166430000 |
0.340957 | <urn:uuid:e7080269-b25f-42b0-9ebe-ed956315646c> | en | 0.957169 | Take the 2-minute tour ×
So I am a hardware engineer turned software engineer due to recent job duties. I have a very strong understanding of procedural programming (mainly in 'C' and 'bash' scripting) but I only have a passing knowledge of what OOP is.
I look around and just about every modern language has very firm roots in OOP (C++, java, python, ruby etc.). I now feel that I'm ready to flex my brain to new concepts and OOP is a necessity to have now-a-days in your tool belt. My question is, with a strong background in 'C', would C++ be the logical next step to learn OOP or would I be missing out from some useful constructs that only other languages offer, say java for example?
Thanks all.
share|improve this question
Dupe of stackoverflow.com/questions/1608914/… among many others. – anon Dec 7 '09 at 19:33
Err, I don't think you know quite what functional programming, since C doesn't really have mechanisms for functional programming. I think you meant procedural programming. – Ibrahim Dec 7 '09 at 19:33
Could there possibly be a more subjective and/or argumentative topic than this? Can we please put this question out of its misery? – Jonathan Feinberg Dec 7 '09 at 19:35
You beat me to it, I was just about to change that. Thanks – SiegeX Dec 7 '09 at 19:35
@Jonathan: Sure, I could have simply asked "what language should I learn next?" But I think it's a fair question to ask if C++ (which would seem to be the logical progression after C) offers all of the most commonly used constructs that are used in OOP today. – SiegeX Dec 7 '09 at 19:39
add comment
6 Answers
up vote 5 down vote accepted
Personally I would pick either C# or Java, as they force you to use Object Orientated programming rather than being able to fall back on a imperative style, which is a bonus over multi-paradigm languages like Python. They are also useful languages with a lot of real world applications (and jobs) and have large communities which is important when learning.
I am also a strong believer in the "learn something different rather than more of the same" school of thought when picking a new language to learn. If you were looking for a similar language to C, C++ is the obvious choice. The downside is it is very easy simply to use C++ as a slightly better C which would not be beneficial to grasping the object oriented concepts fast (Speaking from personal knowledge).
share|improve this answer
Either one of these are great choices. My personal preference is C#, but Java's checked exception handling is pretty darned awesome. – Crowe T. Robot Dec 7 '09 at 19:34
Please comment when giving -1 – Yacoby Dec 7 '09 at 19:56
add comment
I would venture to say that you shouldn't dive immediately into a language due to the fact that you can still fall back on previous programming knowledge, even in an OO language. It might be more beneficial to read and understand OO before trying to get into the semantics of a language.
With that said, Smalltalk is a language I have found very helpful when learning to understand OO concepts.
share|improve this answer
add comment
Looking at your background I'd say go with C++. It's a little complex, yes, but its alot more lower level than Java and the likes - and I think you'll appreciate this being an engineer. This is basically how I feel myself, I dislike Java for being too high level, and feel like C++ is the better choice. It also enables just about any OOP technique.
The language is also in broad use and can be utitlized for hardware related issues as well (embedded systems for example). Another point is that its performance is only matched by c/assembly :)
share|improve this answer
Thanks for tailoring it to my background, very helpful. My main concern is that since C++ is over a decade old, it may not provide some new whiz-bang feature in OOP that is all the range now. Since I'm starting from a clean slate, might as well start with the language that encompasses all the latest constructs. – SiegeX Dec 7 '09 at 19:44
C++ has an upcoming new standard called C++0x, it will make the language feel alot different with many new constructs. C++, despite being a little mature like you say, is constantly being developed and the concepts introduced to it are very new. There's very little you can't do with C++. For very advanced uses of the language (most of it is OOP, naturally) you can check out www.boost.org – rmn Dec 7 '09 at 19:48
C++0x is an interesting tidbit I wasn't aware of. Wikipedia says that the standard will be published by the end of 2011, but I wonder if gcc will have some preliminary support before that time, or does it have some support already? After all, C99 has been out for a decade and there are still ~6 features that have yet to be implemented in gcc. In anycase, if I start now, by the time C++0x becomes official, Ill have a better appreciation for the additions to the language methinks. – SiegeX Dec 7 '09 at 20:08
add comment
C++ doesn't have the greatest object model. It's got crappy exception handling, weird syntax, etc. While it's very powerful and, like most things, pretty easy to use once you get over the learning curve, it's not my favorite language.
You need to decide what platform you're targeting. If you want to develop for the web or Windows desktop, stick with C#. The syntax is C-based, but with some pretty sweet extensions and a wonderful object model. Also, it's one of the most prevalent languages in the dev world today. IMHO, avoid PHP as it just creates bad habits. (Please don't start a flame war, guys).
If you're still focused on embedded development, C++ is just about the only game in town that's worthwhile, unless you're going with an embedded OS such as Linux which will provide some other options.
share|improve this answer
In regards to a target platform, all of my development has been in Linux, both self-learning and "professionally". I know my way around gdb which seems like a big plus for C++ but I don't want that tidbit to handicap me from branching out to other languages. – SiegeX Dec 7 '09 at 20:03
add comment
Try Java or C#. I started with Pascal (Dont ask ;)). Perhaps even Python.
Introduction to OOP in Python
share|improve this answer
add comment
I would recommend C#. There are many blogs examples online to provide you some great information.
There is a book on amazon that will help. Search for Beginning C# 3.0: An Introduction to Object Oriented Programming.
Microsoft provides a free version of SQL Server (express edition) and Visual Studio (express edition) to give you something to start with.
Chris http://chrisbarba.wordpress.com
share|improve this answer
add comment
Your Answer
| http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1862328/what-language-to-use-to-kickstart-my-learning-into-oop/1862636 | dclm-gs1-166470000 |
0.019457 | <urn:uuid:cbdf17d2-dbfd-41e2-88cf-6682be424214> | en | 0.836213 | Take the 2-minute tour ×
Below is an abbreviated query I am trying to execute against LDAP using a linked server:
select * from openquery(ADSI,'')
The query runs fine, except when I change the "Domain controller: LDAP server signing requirements" security setting to "Require signing" on the LDAP server. When I do that, I get the following error:
Msg 7321, Level 16, State 2, Line 1
An error occurred while preparing the query "" for execution against OLE DB provider "ADSDSOObject" for linked server "ADSI".
The linked server ADSI is created using a domain account. Also, we would prefer not to use OPENROWSET if we can help it.
share|improve this question
add comment
1 Answer
Are you using TLS/SSL?
If you "Require signing", then the LDAP data-signing option must be negotiated unless Transport Layer Security/Secure Socket Layer (TLS/SSL) is being used.
See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823659 for more information.
May be unrelated, but I noticed there is no explicit 'SELECT * FROM "LDAP://DC=MyDC,DC=MyOtherDC"' in the query portion of OPENQUERY
Good luck
share|improve this answer
add comment
Your Answer
| http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7741528/linked-server-ldap-msg-7321 | dclm-gs1-166520000 |
0.449506 | <urn:uuid:106eb275-d0f8-4aed-9b41-2bcdbf5c1ea7> | en | 0.930227 | Take the 2-minute tour ×
I have a UIImageView subclass and I need to have a pan gesture so I added the following code:
UIPanGestureRecognizer * panRecognizer = [[UIPanGestureRecognizer alloc]initWithTarget:self action:@selector(handlePan)];
[self addGestureRecognizer:panRecognizer];
but my handlePan selector never gets called.
Is there something else i need to do?
share|improve this question
add comment
2 Answers
up vote 3 down vote accepted
If your object is UIImageView subclass, you have to enable user interaction. It is set to NO by default for UIImageView.
self.userInteractionEnabled = YES;
share|improve this answer
OMG, YES, I remember reading about that... thank you, thank you, that worked!!! – LilMoke Mar 28 '12 at 11:40
You are welcome! I have faced this problem several times :) Please check my answer as correct to close this issue. – Martin Pilch Mar 28 '12 at 11:47
Yes, I tried to accept it, but it told me I had to wait 5 minutes... geez your fast, please answer all my questions!!! -:) – LilMoke Mar 28 '12 at 11:48
I get it, no problem :) I will try it – Martin Pilch Mar 28 '12 at 11:50
add comment
I had EXACTLY the same problem using the StoryBoard - I created a sub-view in my main view, dropped a Pan Gesture Recognizer on it, created an action and joined the pan to it, and it didn't work.
My sub-view had User Interaction Enabled on it and it didn't work. Frustrated, I deleted my Pan Gesture, added it back, everything seemed hooked up and it still didn't work.
Finally, I looked at the SUPERVIEW and its User Interaction Enabled was checked off. Checking it on and it worked.
So as a caveat, if it's not working, look at the parent views too!
share|improve this answer
add comment
Your Answer
| http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9906594/uipangesturerecognizer-in-ios-4-3-not-working/14428488 | dclm-gs1-166530000 |
0.0293 | <urn:uuid:49cfc05c-5327-44ae-8358-4dc30b297746> | en | 0.960882 | Help this game get on Steam!
Cell HD: emergence
alloplastic [developer] Jan 30, 2013 @ 10:11pm
the future of voxels
Figured I'd try out this discussion feature... and see what wisdom can be drawn from the Greenlight community.
To refactor a topic from the comments -- we are keenly interested in the ultimate role voxels will play in gaming, having just built a voxel-based engine. The (unexpected to us) release of Minecraft during the development of Cell has turned cube-based games into a fad and now even something that's becoming a little tired. Do these games have more places to go, or have the killer concepts mostly been uncovered?
We promote our colored boxes as "dynamic voxels" because we think that they are different from the voxels used purely as a rendering technology, or as "destructible" geometry. We're shooting for gameworlds in which every speck of color is a simulated material: air, water, metal, fire, blood; etc., running at many frames a second. We're itching to leave DX9 and the Xbox 360 behind in order to build a very high-res environment with compute shaders. One possible game might be a straightforward space combat game (something a little more comprehensible to players than Cell) but one in which ships' hulls melt, asteroids crumble, nebulae swirl; etc.
Would per-voxel dynamic behaviors add enough to a game like that? Or would they be just too much detail, when equally satisfying -- and probably more understandable and predictable -- behaviors can be simulated with standard techniques?
This sets aside the notion of player-generated content -- e,g, deisgning your own ship, or engineering a weapon by arranging colored boxes. This was our initial impetus behind pursuing "cellular automata." We have to agree that it's the key to the explosion of games like Minecraft, and should be core to anything we do in the future. But what other game types are people looking forward to? Would Mineraft be any better if the lava and water were made from infinitesimal voxels running at 30 FPS? Would Call of Duty be more fun in such a space?
Showing 1-5 of 5 comments
< >
Gorlom[Swe] Feb 1, 2013 @ 9:22pm
I'm eagerly awaiting the day when voxels are used to mimic 16 bit pixle graphics (but three dimensional). Doesn't sound like what you want to do with it though :p
I'd like to see a JRPG (like Breath of Fire 2 kind of thing) with voxels. ^^
alloplastic [developer] Feb 2, 2013 @ 5:57am
Yeah, I guess I'm dreaming of the photo-real voxel world because I've found that the blockiness of "Cell" is barrier for a lot of players. The engine is "update bound," meaning that it's the calculations of gamestate for every voxel that limits how big the world can be, but high-minded descriptions of "massively reactive" gamestate are not an immediate selling point for the general public.
That said, what I'd like to build is a fully open, customizable platform where anyone could build a world, characters, weapons, items; etc., which would enable "dynamic voxel"-based RPGs.
Sgt.Psycho Apr 24, 2013 @ 4:07am
I think you're really onto something here. I've just played the demo through several times, and I'm really impressed with the dynamic nature of the automata engine. Yes, I'm sure you've seen nearly enough voxel based games that feature destructible props and environment. There's at least two space-based voxel construction games in Greenlight that I know of.
Still, if you'd like to have a go, and add you own spin on it, then go for it.
What I think you bring to the party (so to speak) is more advanced particle interactions, and iterations. The first play or too, I failed, because I was too busy watching the engine, to see what it would do next.
I think this has great applications for organic microcosm-style games, where there may be multiple species that act and interact in different ways. The three-dimensional control is also quite unique and this lends itself to all sort of play styles, with the player helping, hindering or channeling species in order to achieve game goals. Imagine instead of simply zapping 'bad cells', your instrument was able to add or remove microorganisms from a palette of many.
With this, you could do a Darwinia-style puzzler, where you don't get to affect enemies, but must use proxies you can't control directly, A Waking-Mars-style gardening project, but in three dimensions, a Populous-style god game, or (my favourite) a mind-boggling 'micro' RTS, where each voxel is it's own unit, and reacts to those around it. Imagine how much improved the greenlight game Growth would have been if it used something like this engine.
Beyond that, the material becomes more esoteric, you could create simulations and puzzlers based upon three-dimensional, dynamic organic 'locks' that operate in natural rhythms, and are affected by nutrients, disease and damage. Moving on from there you have an excellent ability to demonstrate Brownian motion , fluid dynamics, turbulence and so forth.
alloplastic [developer] Jun 29, 2013 @ 10:01am
Hi, Sgt. Psycho.
Thanks for the thoughts... and sorry for my slow reply.
Yeah, the RTS space was where I was headed when I started making the engine -- a game type involving just a little more strategy and planning. I knew that this stuff would start to get really interesting only when players could create their own tools, structures; etc. I have plans to open up the engine in that way... probably as a game creator first and then games second. The sooner I can get other people involved, the faster the potential will be realized, I think. Just need to find the time to take those initial steps to create a platform...
Sgt.Psycho Jun 30, 2013 @ 3:12pm
No problems, I hope you get a lot of success with Cell HD. I suspect that many punters won't 'get' it and just take it as a basic 3D shooter or write it off as 'yet another MInecraft clone.' This would be disappointing as it's quite innovative in it's own right, and has the potential to lead to some quite groundbreaking gameplay.
This is one game for which the often over-used term 'emergent gameplay' actually applies.
Showing 1-5 of 5 comments
< >
Per page: 15 30 50 | http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/discussion/123635439/846944052746334529/ | dclm-gs1-166540000 |
0.052335 | <urn:uuid:262fa8c5-2441-481a-862d-1b63c537b436> | en | 0.851276 | Take the 2-minute tour ×
I cant get in BIOS to my Toshiba laptop. Probably I turned on the fast boot or because of Fn key.
How can I get in bios BIOS?
share|improve this question
The BIOS key is F2. - Spam this whilst booting up your computer or if you see the Toshiba logo start to press it then. – Samuel Nicholson Nov 4 '13 at 10:51
I tried but it does not work now... does it have to do with fn key ? – Vahagn Nov 4 '13 at 10:56
add comment
1 Answer
The Toshiba Hardware utility (HWSetup) can also be used to change some of the settings if F2 or F12 does not work. This method may be the only way to access the BIOS settings on some laptops. Select the Start button. In the search, type in "HWSetup." In the search returns select HW Setup to open. Make changes as necessary and select "Apply." Reboot the computer if not prompted to do so. If not already installed, the Toshiba Hardware utility can be downloaded from http://support.toshiba.com after clicking "Downloads" and selecting your computer information.
share|improve this answer
add comment
Your Answer
| http://superuser.com/questions/669275/toshiba-satellite-l850-key-for-bios | dclm-gs1-166580000 |
0.117521 | <urn:uuid:80fd54b6-e062-4744-8285-90e1ece1d895> | en | 0.858325 | Take the 2-minute tour ×
In the new Mozilla Thunderbird email client, is it possible to search in the current folder only?
share|improve this question
add comment
migrated from stackoverflow.com Dec 30 '09 at 20:06
This question came from our site for professional and enthusiast programmers.
1 Answer
Right-click on the folder and choose Search...
share|improve this answer
add comment
Your Answer
| http://superuser.com/questions/89509/thunderbird-search-current-folder-only | dclm-gs1-166590000 |
0.057398 | <urn:uuid:01aa9fe1-c891-4b37-854c-bdff34056504> | en | 0.963872 | The HillTube
Burr: Shutdown over defunding ObamaCare 'dumbest idea' ever
Blocking a government funding bill over ObamaCare is "the dumbest idea I've ever heard," Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said Thursday.
Burr argued stopping ObamaCare's funding is not going to be achievable as long as President Obama is in the White House, and that Republicans risked taking the blame if they forced the government to shut down over the issue.
"I think it's the dumbest idea I've ever heard," Burr told journalist Todd Zwilich on Thursday. "Listen, as long as Barack Obama is president the Affordable Care Act is gonna be law.
"I think some of these guys need to understand that you shut down the federal government, you better have a specific reason to do it that's achievable," Burr continued. "Defunding the Affordable Care Act is not achievable through shutting down the federal government."
Support is building within the House and Senate GOP for using a continuing resolution to fund the government to take a stand on ObamaCare.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been among the loudest voices arguing Republicans should not fund ObamaCare through a government-funding measure.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is spearheading the effort and has rallied a number of Tea Party Republicans and members of Senate Republican leadership around the proposal.
House Republicans are also putting pressure on their leaders over the issue.
On Wednesday, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) also expressed opposition to the proposal.
"I think holding the debt limit hostage to any specific thing is probably not the best negotiating place," Blunt said. | http://thehill.com/video/senate/313673-sen-burr-sen-lees-proposal-to-defund-obamacare-dumbest-idea-ive-ever-heard | dclm-gs1-166620000 |
0.190951 | <urn:uuid:fcd1d61b-2604-40a8-90bd-ca25b5adb1ee> | en | 0.966989 | Previous 21 - 30 Next
I am so disappointed in this president.
In response to:
The War Against Achievement
Deborah269 Wrote: Nov 19, 2013 10:35 AM
Sowell RULES!! He never disappoints.
What a waste of news time. Oh, I forgot ABC doesn't have a real news broadcast.
The day she runs for president will be a sad day for Native Americans. It's bad enough she claims to be Native American, for her to drag Native Americans through the mud nationally would be horrible! I have more Native American blood than she does and my thimbleful is shamed every time someone mentions her name. Have politicians ever read that verse in Revelations that says "all liars will have their place in the lake of fire"? Oops, forgot "separation of church and state". Bibles are just props and have no value for them.
The government sends billions to countries all over the world and the money and or supplies almost never go to the people who need it most. No wonder they hate Christian groups who do more for less, and get the items in the hands of those who are in need. God forbid the almighty U.S. government learn something from Christians! Christians who (if you read the New Testament) have been giving unto others since the First century. Before then (if you read the Old Testament) the Jews did a good job of Charity and caring for widows and orphans. Are any Charities perfect? No, but check out the differences in the pay for the head of the American Red Cross, and the pay for the head of the Salvation Army. Things tend to be different when it's a calling and when it's "a career".
I've figured it all out!!!! Obama and others will make the U.S. worse than anything imaginable and thereby solve the immigration problem!! What do they care if Americans die just as long as the Emperor Mr. O. can play golf and shoot hoops. I try so hard not to be bitter towards the POTUS or Congress or Holder or Hillary, but the truth is the lies, cover-ups, and "I know what's best " attitudes are wearing thin.
How the humanists stole Christmas. I wish the people who pull out the "separation of Church and State " to punish Christians really understood the freedom of religion amendment of the Constitution. That amendment was so if you were atheist you would not be forced to go to church (or be fined, or imprisoned) as you would have been in England and other European countries, and so if you practiced ANY religion you would have the FREEDOM to practice that religion in any state of the union. So, Catholic founded Maryland, could not force protestants to go to Mass, and Quaker founded Pennsylvania, could not prohibit atheists to live in or own land in Pennsylvania. It is the Government who (run by lawyers and more than a few idiots) has said that schools and other entities getting federal money can not give to religious charities. Why? No person is being forced to give to anything. No government money is being diverted. People need to understand the history of this nation and the history of the world at the time it was formed. You need the full picture. Then again try to tell people that the democrats wanted the continual enslavement of blacks pre-civil war and there are some who will tell you not only that you are a liar, but that Lincoln was a democrat. The truth will stand while the world burns.
Nancy is a good tap-dancer, wish she would just give a straight answer.
Amen Dr_Zinj ! Kick the insurance company in the tush,too! They had to know the law.
In response to:
Baby Angel
Deborah269 Wrote: Nov 14, 2013 11:03 AM
Condolences on your loss. She's never really gone you know. You'll see her in her favorite flowers, your children's expressions, and sometimes when you look in the mirror you'll see her in yourself. God Bless.
Government always messes things up. That's why Keep It Simple Stupid, should be government's mantra instead of Spend, Tax, Obfuscate, Politicize. People would respect government more and more people would be able to prosper.
Previous 21 - 30 Next | http://townhall.com/social/deborah269-365410/comments/page/3 | dclm-gs1-166630000 |
0.089015 | <urn:uuid:9fb1c2f0-9a0e-47fb-9df1-dd4dd014a3c7> | en | 0.969741 | In response to:
Twisting the Internal Polling Knife
jafo2me Wrote: Nov 13, 2012 1:35 AM
AND a rotten economy, 16 trillion in debt, a totalitarian mentality and on and on it goes!! This was an IMPOSSIBLE election to lose and the National GOP still found a way to lose it!! Take from that what you will but do not blame those who didn't vote, those who voted for the 3rd party, the war on women, Obamas neg campaigning or anything but the Parties Core issues which the Majority of America DOES NOT LIKE!!! It was theirs to lose and they lost it and now they want to pretend like they don have any clue why it happened!!! It's a lie, they completely understand but will NEVER admit to it!!!
| http://townhall.com/social/jafo2me-489028/twisting_the_internal_polling_knife_cmt_5811080 | dclm-gs1-166640000 |
0.294416 | <urn:uuid:c1c3cbce-7c23-4e34-b9d9-58a1353d0070> | en | 0.968406 | In response to:
Obama Likely Won Re-Election Through Election Fraud
snutt Wrote: Jan 17, 2013 10:16 AM
If you took a buyout for retirement of four hundred thousand and up in lieu of regular retirement check, guess what? You are a part of that 1 percent that Obama hates and he will take more of your retirement money through higher taxes on dividends that are paid on your investments! Surprise, you thought he was for the working man! Just like he loves children just not when they are fetuses, then they are garbage!
| http://townhall.com/social/snutt-588384/obama_likely_won_reelection_through_election_fraud_cmt_6217748 | dclm-gs1-166650000 |
0.068042 | <urn:uuid:5283d71b-0964-4977-a992-4d71a620ea2e> | en | 0.970364 | Nikita Season 4: Aaron Stanford Previews Big Birkhoff Episode
Access Hollywood
Aaron Stanford as Birkoff and Maggie Q as Nikita in the 'Set-Up' episode of 'Nikita' -- The CW
View photo
Aaron Stanford as Birkoff and Maggie Q as Nikita in the 'Set-Up' episode of 'Nikita' -- The CW
"It's tough, because it's like -- it's a reveal so I don't want to tell you too much. But they do bring you back to the origins of Birkhoff, and there's a big reveal," Aaron said, when asked him about the twist after Warner Bros. flew us up to the show's Toronto set, where they made us their guests earlier this year.
Aaron explained that one difference coming to Friday night's episode is Birkhoff won't just explain things to the audience. He'll drive much of the storyline.
"Anytime that I read something on this show where I'm given something to delve into, I'm very, very happy about it, because a lot of the time, my character, his function is to spit exposition out. I explain to people what's happening, you know," Aaron said. "So whenever I'm given something to do, I'm really happy. So this was really cool and the interesting thing is, it's sort of -- in the reveal -- it poses the question of whether or not the Birkhoff that you think you know is really the Birkhoff that you know."
PHOTOS: 'Nikita's' Maggie Q
"It is like a high school experience or a college experience. You're forced together and you see each other every day and you're working together and yeah, you develop some pretty deep relationships," he said. "In this business, there's a lot of moving on. You kind of get used to it, but when it's something [that] lasts as long as this has -- like four years -- it's hard, it's hard to move on."
"Nikita" airs Friday nights at 9/8c on The CW.
-- Jolie Lash
View Comments | http://tv.yahoo.com/news/nikita-season-4-aaron-stanford-previews-big-birkhoff-214709548.html | dclm-gs1-166680000 |
0.020137 | <urn:uuid:03e95315-258d-4747-acc3-1fbc3edd3e89> | en | 0.963026 | 5.3.2 The Universality of the Family
George Peter Murdock (1949) who has studies 250 societies across the world, both traditional and industrialised, has defined the family as follows:
"The family is a social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults."
[Cited by Haralambos & Holborn, 2000, p.504]
Murdock has also claimed, based on his findings, that the family is a universal institution, that is, the family exists in every society worldwide in one form or another. He acknowledged the variations in family structure, but he also asserted that the nuclear family, as described above, forms the basis of every other form of family structures.
As an initial definition, we can note three points that derive from the above:
a) The concept of family is not necessarily linked to the concept of marriage.
In the above view, it is the social relationship between individuals that is important, not the legal framework to their relationship.
b) Family groups can involve any number of adults who maintain socially-approved sexual relationships.
This means that families may involve a number of men related to a single woman (or vice versa) and the "sexual relationship" does not necessarily have to be heterosexual (between people of the opposite sex), since children may be adopted into the family group.
c) The family group involves both adults and children. This means, presumably, that a husband and wife, for example, who do not produce children are not considered to be a family.
Many sociologists have questioned this notion of universality, in particular the definition of the family provided by Murdock.
Nowadays and in the past, there have been households with only one parent raising the children. This is what we now commonly term a ‘single-parent family'. Yet, Murdock's definition does not include such types of families. Single parenthood can be a result of separation, divorce, the death of a partner or pregnancy out of marriage (for example, teenage pregnancy).
Another type of household that is excluded from Murdock's definition of the family is a gay or lesbian household. Such households contain adults of only one sex that may be raising children and their sexual relationship may not be socially approved in all cultures. Yet, we find that the number of gay and lesbian households is on the increase, with some countries now legally accepting a marriage between adults of the same sex. The children of the couple may be from a previous heterosexual relationship, they may have been conceived through new reproductive technologies or they may be adopted (even though it is still hard for homosexual couples to be given adopted children).
Kathleen Gough (1959) has also described the Nayar society as contradicting Murdock's perception of the family. In her research, she found that the Nayar women did not have a husband who met the criteria of "common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction." Nayar girls are ritually married very early but have no duty towards their husband apart from that of attending his funeral. But the woman later has a number of ‘visiting husbands' who do not live with her, do not participate in the economic life of the household and need not assume responsibility for any child born.
We have seen some of the existing types of households that do not fit into Murdock's definition of the family and may be tempted to conclude that the family is not a universal institution. On the other hand, relationships are universal and if the definition provided by Murdock is broadened, we may well decide that the family can, after all, be considered as universal. This implies that the universality of the family depends upon how it is defined. | http://vcampus.uom.ac.mu/soci1101/532the_universality_of_the_family.html | dclm-gs1-166730000 |
0.040633 | <urn:uuid:554c5575-cc6e-49cd-a37d-1bce934ce0ed> | en | 0.842021 | Surplus bottles from things like: My kids cough syrup, vitamin pill bottles, mouthwash bottles, bread machine yeast bottels (220mL- perfect for storing developer for my single reel size of steel reels tanks).
Yes, pop/soda bottles. Low air permiability to keep the fiz in keeps stray air out when repurposed for the darkroom. Remove original labels, and re-label clearly. | http://www.apug.org/forums/viewpost.php?p=1235172 | dclm-gs1-166840000 |
0.877131 | <urn:uuid:9aab5f36-c7d3-4f38-853b-d05379003f98> | en | 0.976075 | There are lots of free guides on the WWW. Google phrases like "composing photos" and start reading. Then start taking pictures and studying them.
This is where a digital camera can be very handy. Having immediate feedback on a compostion idea you had in your head makes for fast learning. You can see the results and often reshoot to get what you had in mind. | http://www.apug.org/forums/viewpost.php?p=468964 | dclm-gs1-166890000 |
0.367656 | <urn:uuid:5db1f287-a321-4b6c-bbe3-99dc1f9b479b> | en | 0.912781 |
How do you determine someone's birth arcana?
Is it by their Zodiac sign or birth month + day or birth+ the first and last to numbers of the year? While both methods give me the devil, I just want to know the correct method.
Report as
First, take your date of birth and add the day, month, the first two numbers in the year as well as the last two numbers in the year. If it turns out to be a three digit number, then it needs to simplified. To do this, you take the 1st two digits and add it to the last digit.
Helpful Fun Thanks for voting Comments (1)
Report as
So your saying the numbers are the correct method?
Report as
Add a comment...
Do you have an answer?
Answer this question...
Did you mean?
Login or Join the Community to answer
Popular Searches | http://www.ask.com/answers/362523001/how-do-you-determine-someone-s-birth-arcana?qsrc=14106 | dclm-gs1-166910000 |
0.028147 | <urn:uuid:ebf01426-f386-4e36-a181-731ce8ce3a37> | en | 0.939233 | Music Appreciation And Human Factors
Success is not based on "record" sales, but on the success of evolved safety cultures.
Let me explain. If you don’t like classical, opera, folk, rap or hip hop music, when you hear those genres of music you can’t differentiate among the artists or identify an era of the recording. Because you just don’t care.
However, when you like a certain genre of music, you know the name of the artist, whether the tune is old or new. You appreciate the subtleties because it’s your kind of music.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the analogy to music appreciation helps explain why individuals say that all human factors initiatives are the same and have gone unchanged. They throw around comments like “HF is more than the Dirty Dozen, PEAR or the Swiss Cheese.” They know just enough buzzwords to discuss the topic, but they don’t appreciate the artists, can’t identify the subtleties of interventions, and generally are not big fans of “human factors.” But they do present a potential new market that must be convinced of the value of HF programs.
Is there a solution?
But that’s not the same situation with regards to human factors. The industry needs everyone on board. Success is not based on “record” sales, but on the success of evolved safety cultures. That includes such programs as:
• voluntary reporting systems;
• detailed root cause analyses to determine HF contributing factors;
• initial and recurrent HF training for all employees including HF trainers;
• fatigue risk management programs;
• addressing the issues associated with failure to follow procedures;
• continuing to participate in government/industry HF forums.
Music stars cater to their fan bases. They are also always trying to attract new listeners. They do that by establishing websites, Twitter accounts, newsletters and other media. They get out on the concert tours to meet the loyalists. They release new albums to ensure continued fan loyalty. They may record a duet with an artist from another musical genre. These activities may also help grow the fan base.
Let’s compare that to the promotion of human factors activities:
First, there must be an ongoing flow of fresh information.
The FAA HF website, for example, has been around since 1995, and since then it has been in a continuous state of update. Currently, it contains more than 1,700 human factors specific reports dating back to the initial series of human factors conferences in 1988. In fact, it serves as the sole online source of a handpicked (by John Goglia, retired NTSB official and Ground Support Worldwide blogger) collection of human factors-related aviation accidents dating back to the 1950s. The site contains a variety of HF training media, and even fatigue assessment software that is updated practically every month. In fact, the site is currently undergoing a complete interface revision, which will likely be launched by the time you read this article. (Log on to or
In addition, there are many other sources for current material. For example, the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, along with the FAA’s Flight Standards Service, publishes a quarterly human factors newsletter. It is one click away from the FAA HF home page.
The Chief Scientist/Technical Advisor program, working with CAMI, conducts an annual small workshop to identify challenges and solutions related to human factors. That multidisciplinary group, including HF naysayers, has consistently said that the industry needs help with HF issues in the following areas:
This content continues onto the next page...
We Recommend | http://www.aviationpros.com/article/11249535/music-appreciation-and-human-factors | dclm-gs1-166940000 |
0.067704 | <urn:uuid:ac1b104c-9ea0-4d2a-89ea-3185002283b8> | en | 0.780437 | no image
Lot 381G
George III, Sovereign, 1820, laureate head right,
Sold for £324 (US$ 537) inc. premium
Lot Details
George III,
Sovereign, 1820, laureate head right, R.St. George and dragon (S.3785C). Generally fine. (1)
Lot symbols
1. John Millensted
Specialist - Coins and Banknotes
Montpelier Street
London, SW7 1HH
United Kingdom
Work +44 20 7393 3914
FaxFax: +44 20 7393 3905
Similar items
A pair of late Victorian mahogany card tables in the George III style A George III and later mahogany, rosewood crossbanded and inlaid breakfront secretaire library bookcase George III and Wellington: a rare creamware jug, circa 1810 CHESTERTON (G.K.) Autograph draft signed ("G.K. Chesterton") of his poem 'The March of the Black Mountain'; autograph manuscript of his article 'The Saint and the Dragon'; and eleven autograph letters, Overstrand Mansions, Overroads and elsewhere, 1907-1913 where dated CARICATURE, ROYALTY and EPHEMERA Album containing approximately 20 items of printed ephemera, 60 large hand-coloured caricatures, by James Gillray (4), George Cruikshank (10), William Heath, Henry Bunbury, Thomas Rowlandson and others, 40 smaller hand-coloured caricatures, and upwards of 50 uncoloured engraved fashion illustrations, [mostly 1810-1830] A George III carved and gilt gesso oval mirror | http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19940/lot/381/?page_lots=5 | dclm-gs1-167020000 |
0.074732 | <urn:uuid:83005812-3afd-4b83-ac0d-cd9ec5ebb4b9> | en | 0.857045 | Nice Speech, Mr. President, But...
You are being redirected!
This page is a legacy redirect to this article: Commentary: Nice Speech, Mr. President, But....
The Epic Hack
(enter your email)
(enter up to 5 email addresses, separated by commas)
Max 250 characters
blog comments powered by Disqus | http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2002-07-15/nice-speech-mr-dot-president-but-dot-dot-dot | dclm-gs1-167090000 |
0.693801 | <urn:uuid:ed0021ea-c92c-4be8-b130-d38950157b85> | en | 0.742565 | Force question
0 pts ended
The position of a 2.75 \times 10^{5} \, {\rm N} training helicopter under test is given by\vec{r} = (0.020 \;{\rm m}/{\rm s}^{3})t^{3} \; \hat{ i } + (2.2 \;{\rm m}/{\rm s})t \; \hat{ j } - (0.060 \;{\rm m}/{\rm s}^{2})t^{2} \; \hat{k}.
Find the net force on the helicopter att =5.0 s. (Express the vector F_vec in the form F_x, F_y, F_z, where the x, y, and z components are separated bycommas.)
So to find the force, you have to integrate twice to get acceleration:
Then I plug in 5 s into it
Then to find the force for each component,
But when I enter it into the program, it says I'm wrong. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and would appreciate any help,thanks.
Answers (4)
Rating:4 stars
View this solution... try Chegg Study
Start Your Free Trial | http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-answers/position-training-helicopter-test-given-find-net-force-helicopter-att-50-s-express-vector--q5712 | dclm-gs1-167170000 |
0.252851 | <urn:uuid:3d0febe7-aee2-4964-bbe5-8c1b092c96f1> | en | 0.950231 | Why does this watch cost $1.3 million? It's complicated
Text Size
Published: Friday, 13 Sep 2013 | 11:33 AM ET
Robert Frank By: | CNBC Reporter and Editor
This watch is so valuable it needs its own bodyguard
Friday, 13 Sep 2013 | 10:55 AM ET
In medicine, business and relationships, complications are a best avoided. But in watches, complications are better than jewels.
As if to prove the point, Patek Philippe, the storied 174-year-old watch-maker, is releasing its most complicated watch ever. And that's saying something, since Patek is considered the master of fine watch complications.
The watch is called the Reference 6002 Sky Moon Tourbillon. It's got 12 complications—making it a "Grand Complication," including a tourbillon, minute repeater, sky chart and perpetual calendar. The sky chart on the back of the watch shows the evening sky in whatever region you happen to be in, while the moon-phase display shows you whether the moon that night is a crescent or full.
(Read more: Ultra-luxury accessories)
The watch took seven years to develop and make, and the engraving alone takes more than 100 hours. The minute repeater has a chime that's tuned to sound like cathedral bells.
The price for all those complications: $1.3 million. But money alone won't get you the watch.
The Reference 6002 is what Patek calls "an application piece," meaning you have to apply and prove that you have a track record with Patek and that you appreciated the artisanship of fine watches.
(Read more: A $690,000 watch is now part of Nadal's game)
"Even if you offered $6 million for the watch, we wouldn't sell it to you unless you're approved," said Larry Pettinelli, president of Patek North America.
Patek won't say how many of the 6002 it will make, but Pettinelli said "it's very few."
| http://www.cnbc.com/id/101032912 | dclm-gs1-167210000 |
0.065178 | <urn:uuid:d7397d81-a1dc-489b-bd8a-c6ac996413d4> | en | 0.96387 | IN RESPONSE: State's ID law is working
Somehow we need to put common sense into the debate about Indiana's mandatory carding law.
Virtually everyone who shops for liquor drives an automobile to get to the store whether it is a grocery, big box chain, convenience store or liquor store. Driving should involve having a license on your person and likely in your wallet. And virtually every customer gets out a wallet for a credit card or cash.
I've been a package store owner since 1973 and I can tell you this is a law that is working.
Without mandatory carding, our clerks carded everyone under some arbitrary age. But judging age is very subjective and you anger the customers that are slightly under or over the required legal age, especially if they are regular customers or look young for their age. Consequently, clerks can let younger customers slip by, allowing the system to fail.
How do we know this?
Before the carding law was implemented, the Indiana State Excise Police did a statewide survey to check on who was illegally serving minors. Every industry sector that sells and serves alcohol failed the test.
If we go back to carding people under a certain age, history tells us that industry will start having problems with serving minors. Is a minor inconvenience worth keeping alcohol from minors?
When the mandatory carding law was first implemented, it was not pleasant for any retail clerk. But now our customers accept the law and we are having virtually no problems.
We also used to be inundated with minors trying to be served. When asked for an ID, the minor would say that it was in their car and would not return. Now, they don't even try to purchase alcohol because everyone must show their identification.
The carding law was done for some very important reasons. Unlike other retail associations who opposed the measure, our industry has always supported mandatory carding.
I find it incredible that legislators are considering changing a good law because of an occasional minor inconvenience.
I am 63 years old, and my ID is at the ready every time I make a purchase.
We're asking our customers to get behind the law and most are not complaining about it.
Randy Zion is legislative chairman of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers based in Indianapolis.
• Discuss
• Print
Related Topics
Comments » 5
whatIsee writes:
I have no problem with this law. It could save some clerk's job and save some kid's life. Any inconvenience to me is truly minor.
fatdad writes:
Another useless law enacted by useless politicians. Stop this madness.
egotripus writes:
Is it really necessary to card an individual who is obviously older than 21? I watched a 19 year old cashier refuse to sell a six pack to a 58 year old man because he left his wallet in his hotel room. Seriously now the ignorance of our laws are getting out of hand.
whatIsee writes:
Not really necessary,but do you want to put your life in the hands of a 19 year old kid,who is guessing the age of a buyer? The law simply takes the possibility of guessing wrong out of the equation. Besides,a 58 year old man that can't remember to put his wallet in his pocket,might not have any business buying alcohol in the first place.(not to mention,where's this guy keep his money?)
whatIsee writes:
I should also add to "Where's this guy keep his money?":
(I hate having an imagination!)
| http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/oct/24/states-id-law-is-working/ | dclm-gs1-167230000 |
0.181776 | <urn:uuid:d2b26527-518e-42c6-8e44-365f7f310fd6> | en | 0.972139 | -34 votes
Update: Paul's response.
I didn't believe it either...
Thanks all! Remain vigilant for Liberty.
Comment viewing options
deacon's picture
grow a brain?
seriously? if he said what he did,then he did say it an armed drone taking out one who has not been tried in court,but i guess he/she got their just desserts the AMERICAN WAY of justice,just like them newspaper delivery women who got their truck shot up in cal?
yeah they had a truck sorta the same color as the dude they were searching for(theres your american justice system at work
and then tell me to have faith !! in what exactly? a politician?
another politician who stated armed drones,yeah i have faith
i have faith them drones will be used without a court order
all one needs is to declare eminent threat,and the const and the bill of rights is out the window (as if it does any good now)
people of all walks of life use words,some more effectively than others
words have meanings and they get used to mean and convey the intent of the one who spoke them
politicians use them and then twist there meanings into what they really mean
and as crooked as our court system is the drone use wouldn't matter if it was legal justified or even warranted
i can see robosigning judges and magistrates just rubber stamping their use,as they will not get charged if it went wrong
nothing happens to cops now who shoot innocent bystanders,except for paid leave
they are immune to the very laws they say they uphold
some of you need to look at the bigger picture,and also look at what has been done by the law enforcers
what happens when another shoots a cop,or their family?
here is a scenario that played out,they blamed another cop,he was guilty in their eyes of crimes he never went to court over,this rogue cop ended up getting burnt to a crisp,yeah there's that american form of justice at work in all its glory
guilty until proven guilty
i am glad you decided to answer instead of just down voting a question
setting your expectations to high,can cause depressiuon
If he is able to get into office and get his dad in there
If he is able to get Ron Paul in a position of power in the U.S government, oh the things that could be done. Lets not give up on Rand. Remember he must play the game of corruption to get into power like everyone else. Don't be so naive that we can win against the corporations and government pawns without getting our hands dirty.
Rand endorses
Rand endorses Mitt and now drones!I'm done with this political hack traitor!
I think he simply misspoke
I think he misspoke. No one is so stupid as to intentionally flip flop on something like this. It would be like Barak Obama saying tomorrow that the government is too involved in healthcare markets, even though EVERYONE knows about obamacare.
I agree, WHAT was he
I agree, WHAT was he thinking??
Rands facebook page
Rands facebook page is being trashed today!
I've seen worse. It's not
I've seen worse. It's not that bad.
The right is trying to make Rand Paul look bad
The Drudge Report is one of them. All they are trying to do is make Rand Paul not have any one follow him. As soon as it gets close to the election, the right will make it look like he is a kook. They don't like the fact that he is against giving money to Israel and the fact that he is the son of Ron Paul.
Rand is in a Jam
Don't even put rand paul articles on this site anymore!He's a POS!
He was just trying to make a point
He's saying that if a person is an imminent threat going around killing people then it's ok. I think he was just unclear, he probably meant that the guy with a gun coming out of a liquor store killed the clerk or whatever.
What Rand said was NOT ok was to surveil just anyone. He really is on our side on this one. Not sure why people go to such lengths to nitpick what he says just because he doesn't use the exact words as Ron.
I am Ron Paul
His example sucked.
I agree with Rand. If you're
I agree with Rand. If you're swinging a gun around in the act of comitting a crime, you're warned to drop the weapon if possible, I don't care if a sharpshooter, a drone gun, or a police officer takes you out. If my personal property is searched without a warrant with any kind of electronic device and I am charged with a crime, all that evidence is invalid and will be thrown out in court.
What are the odds a drone will get to the liquor store before the armed robber is taken out by a cop? Having to use a drone in this case is a stretch.
According to your logic
it would be ok to drop an A-Bomb, ICBM, or other high explosive yield weapon? You did not say that but if excessive force is not relevant then that is the logical conclusion of your position.
Using force comes with a responsibility and if you do not want that responsibility then ...
The people who are
The people who are collaterally damaged in that situation can sue the cops for poor judgment and excessive use of force.
So the point that it is ok
to use excessive force without fear of criminal wrong doing and just the mere possibility of a civil sanction covered by government insurance and pawned back off onto tax payers is utterly conceded?
I sure hope....
he made sort of slip here.
That's pretty harsh to say the least. A drone strike (OR A COP for that matter)to kill a suspected robber, Death penalty for a suspected person of robbing someone or store of $50.00, without due process. A drone can't or isn't about to ask a suspect to STOP, DROP YOUR WEAPON, you're under arrest. The drone will just execute him, by remote, controlled by some stooge who is who knows where.
Last thing, what about collateral damage, innocent bystanders being maimed or killed, and property damage. I don't like this way of thinking one bit.
Should not be used on Americans. I really do not like Rand on this one. Should they be used for something? Maybe protecting our borders? I don't know. These drones are dangerous. These are like spaceships!
deacon's picture
rand says
the military are fighting for the const....and he believes them?
which const does rand think they are fighting for?
he says about a liquor store..he doesn't care if its a cop or a drone
so like i have said before..drones will be armed,and used against americans
rand knows them drones will be armed,i think they are already armed just waiting to be used on the population
what does rand think when giving the fed gov an inch? they always take that and the mile
we cannot according to the fed gov,record them..but they can record us
even without a court order...and seeing there are judges and magistrates on retainer for robo signing,this will appear to be legal for them,and still illegal for us
setting your expectations to high,can cause depressiuon
Criticism is too dogmatic
Rand didn't paint a great picture on this one, but this was not worthy of jumping ship.
1. Federal Gov't really shouldn't have say in affairs of local policing and Rand is suggesting that local jurisdictions have leeway when it comes to use of drones - fair point.
2. The question posed by Cavuto related to technology, so in context Rand was saying that it's not the technology which makes the difference, it's the method in which it's used - due process still intact.
3. Rand did not suggest taking human judgment out of the equation in the "liquor store" example (yes, it was a poor example) but stated the technology could be used for apprehension or killing the suspect if he/she poses a deadly threat.
I have to say that personally I don't agree with Rand and it's not the first time. However, this changes nothing about my personal view that he should be the next POTUS.
He'll have to articulate this example much much better in the future as it was too easily taken out of context to be a change of opinion from his March filibuster.
It's great that we're holding him accountable, but some of the comments and criticism of this live interview are bordering on cultish, which is where I have to draw my line.
Deadly threat to whom? The
Deadly threat to whom? The drone? its operator?
Drones don't apprehend.
Taking a human officer out of this situation maybe safer for the cop but not safer for freedom. If we let them remove the humanity from their enforcement we are doomed.
Drones cannot nullify or provide human judgement. Yet...
Is anyone thinking Terminator here yet?
IMO he was making a broader point about technology
The question from Cavuto was about the surveillance technology in Boston, so I really don't see how this is all just limited to drones.
Nor should it be.
Again, I'm not saying I agree, but Rand's comments were in response to how much technology is appropriate for law enforcement. It's debatable.
I think drones and other unmanned devices (red light cameras, photo radar, etc) should be off the table for local law enforcement, but I'm taking that up at the state level, not Federal.
It was a poor example by Rand and one he's going to have to clarify or admit he made a mistake.
I don't understand.
On point #2 you don't make sense. The whole point of drones is to be rid of due process. I mean, what are they going to do? Put someone on trial, convict them, give them death by drone, release them, and then randomly kill them with a drone?
again it wasn't articulated very well
There is still a human element to controlling a drone's activity, as far as I know. Warfare and law enforcement also have different rules, so you can't lump them together that way. A drone's mission in warfare is mainly killing, but there's no due process in that scenario and never will be.
I don't agree with local law enforcement using drone technology to track down suspects using surveillance or kill them with weaponry, but I don't believe that they're able to operate free from human judgment, especially in the example Rand gave.
It was a bad example and he's obviously going to have to clear up the confusion.
He meant that if a person is
He meant that if a person is an imminent threat -ie running around with a gun shooting people etc - then it's doesn't matter what or who takes that person out. Citizen, cop, drone....whatever.
A nation of sheep breeds a government of wolves.
Bootlick rand
I have no respect for rand paul.He's a bootlick republican playing the game with the big cheese in DC.Rands dad had balls but rands balls were clipped as soon as he got elected to the senate.
Over reacting
You guys are over reacting.
Watch the video and Rand is saying he is ok simply with using a drone just like police use helicopters today with FLIR cameras.
He is not suggesting missile armed drones.
Drones prove that cops are lazy and want to play video games with your lives.
Cops are being trained to be
Cops are being trained to be drones. We have gone from Andy Griffith to Robocop in less than half a century. This drone thing fits the mold. When we do have real cops we are seeing militarized mercenaries who police for dollars and power with an attitude of everyone is a danger. Instead of the reality still today that a 99.8% of the people are good folks. This behavior and callous attitude is creating domestic blow-back in attitude if not yet wide spread action between the people and those that should remember they are our servants, literally.
deacon's picture
so how then
would an unarmed drone kill the liquor store robber?
with FLIR?
he stated right out,they would be armed
setting your expectations to high,can cause depressiuon | http://www.dailypaul.com/283117/rand-paul-calls-for-drone-strike-on-exiting-liquor-store-suspect?page=6 | dclm-gs1-167250000 |
0.021712 | <urn:uuid:e315b57a-5bf2-46d0-ac47-dcba250136de> | en | 0.953019 | Ruling Class and Ruling Ideas
Document Sample
Ruling Class and Ruling Ideas Powered By Docstoc
Excerpt from The German Ideology by Marx and Engels (1845-1846)
Ruling Class and Ruling Ideas
composing the ruling class possess among other things consciousness, and therefore
proves to be the dominant idea and is expressed as an "eternal law".
itself their chief source of livelihood), while the others' attitude to these ideas and
two parts, which, however, in the case of a practical collisio n, in which the class itself is
endangered, automatically comes to nothing, in which case there also vanishes the
semblance that the ruling ideas were not the ideas of the ruling class and had a power
distinct from the power of this class. The existence of revolutionary ideas in a particular
period presupposes the existence of a revolutionary class; about the premises for the latter
sufficient has already been said above.
If now in considering the course of history we detach the ideas of the ruling class
ourselves to saying that these or those ideas were dominant at a given time, without
if we thus ignore the individuals and world conditions which are the source of the ideas,
concepts honour, loyalty, etc. were dominant, during the domina nce of the bourgeoisie
be so. This conception of history, which is common to all historians, particularly since
the eighteenth century, will necessarily come up against the phenomenon that
increasingly abstract ideas hold sway, i.e. ideas which increasingly take on the form of
opposed to a class, not as a class but as the representative of the whole of society; it
appears as the whole mass of society confronting the one ruling class. [2] It can do this
because, to start with, its interest really is more connected with the common interest of all
other non-ruling classes, because under the pressure of hitherto existing conditions its
interest has not yet been able to develop as the particular interest of a particular class. I ts
victory, therefore, benefits also many individuals of the other classes which are not
winning a dominant position, but only insofar as it now puts these individuals in a
position to raise themselves into the ruling class.
When the French bourgeoisie overthrew the power of the aristocracy, it thereby made
it possible for many proletarians to raise themselves above the proletariat, but only
insofar as they become bourgeois. Every new class, therefore, achieves its hegemony
only on a broader basis than that of the class ruling previously, whereas the opposition of
the non-ruling class against the new ruling class later develops all the more sharply and
profoundly. Both these things determine the fact that the struggle to be waged against this
new ruling class, in its turn, aims at a more decided and radical negation of the previous
conditions of society than could all previous classes which sought to rule.
This whole semblance, that the rule of a certain class is only the rule of certain ideas,
comes to a natural end, of course, as soon as class rule in general ceases to be the form in
which society is organised, that is to say, as soon as it is no longer necessary to represent
a particular interest as general or the "general interest" as ruling. | http://www.docstoc.com/docs/52991107/Ruling-Class-and-Ruling-Ideas | dclm-gs1-167300000 |
0.252594 | <urn:uuid:4f6f699f-1e63-45a4-973b-1c2d1a982a37> | en | 0.953218 | IF you're the kind of business traveller who loves flights—especially super-long ones—I have some bad news: Singapore Airlines' flights 21 and 22, the longest commercial services in the world, are scheduled for cancellation. The two all-business-class flights, which operate between Singapore and Newark, New Jersey, take around 19 hours and cover 9,525 miles (15,329 km). But late last month, Singapore airlines announced that it would be cancelling the services, along with another between Singapore and Los Angeles that is almost as long.
The title for the world's longest flight, reports Ben Mutzabaugh of USA Today, will now shift to Qantas, which operates a 8,576-mile service between Sydney and Dallas. Singapore Airlines is scrapping its record-holding services as part of a massive new deal with Airbus. Under the terms of the agreement, Singapore will get five new A380s and 20 new A350s, and the manufacturer will buy back the A340-500s that the airline uses on its super-long-haul routes. But those explanations will do little to comfort the business travellers and long-haul-flight enthusiasts who will now be missing out. CNN spoke to one of them:
As CNN notes, high fuel prices are the underlying force that's driving these cancellations. As prices have risen, twin-engine planes such as the A350, the Boeing 777 and the new 787 Dreamliner have come to dominate super-long-haul routes, displacing gas-guzzling four-engine planes. (The A340, which Singapore Airlines was using on the Newark route, is a four-engine plane.) For 19-hour flights to return, America's Federal Aviation Administration would probably have to do away with a longstanding rule that requires two-engine planes to stay within a certain distance of runways where they can land in case of trouble. (Four-engine planes are not subject to this rule.) Engines are leaps and bounds more reliable than they were decades ago, and modern two-engine planes can fly on one engine without too much trouble. It's worth taking another look at the rule. | http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2013/11/singapore-airlines?sort=3 | dclm-gs1-167340000 |
0.695794 | <urn:uuid:586546e8-82c2-4c61-adb1-439223f7d47f> | en | 0.803542 | Newer Older
dwhaynes74, mrod1108, wmongo, and 2 other people added this photo to their favorites.
1. just a fan 28 months ago | reply
Pretty red toes
2. sammyft [deleted] 27 months ago | reply
very pretty feet
3. mrod1108 26 months ago | reply
I like her feet.
4. old man23 25 months ago | reply
very pretty toes !!!
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/21878284@N06/6465684731/in/photostream | dclm-gs1-167430000 |
0.173833 | <urn:uuid:158b43e6-5709-4b28-ad3d-c324019ef7d2> | en | 0.848982 | Prev Next
garu-garu, Night Bear Foto, { tcb }, and 6 other people added this photo to their favorites.
1. garu-garu 41 months ago | reply
ha aha aha ha,
so cool so green and so realistic
2. I need a break Be back later but not as CB [deleted] 41 months ago | reply
Excellent. : D
3. Narco Polo 41 months ago | reply
dude Fuck yeah!! that is awesome!! sick stencil!!
4. blacklodge!! 40 months ago | reply
HaHa! OK now we're talking. great stuff man.
5. garnatha 39 months ago | reply
you and me have a lot in common dude! i have something very similar in mind :-)
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielmulder/5143955347/in/faves-thebadseed/ | dclm-gs1-167440000 |
0.399721 | <urn:uuid:8a74b309-b902-4255-89ad-b0f7df56263f> | en | 0.672372 | Comp-sci cat
Newer Older
1. marssy 33 months ago | reply
So freaking adorable!
2. tedd4u 33 months ago | reply
Missing SICP, K&R and the Dragon book. And the baseball stuff? But the cat is nice.
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/maggie1000/5867789511/in/photosof-sappho1000/ | dclm-gs1-167450000 |
0.107071 | <urn:uuid:48c6ced8-34ce-48bf-a34a-6a11f69368a3> | en | 0.842698 | blown color channel
Newer Older
how can you prevent this from happening when shooting flowers?
see discussion in the FLOWERS group
see discussion in the technique group
This picture is part of the set "pictures to learn from" see other ones here
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/willemmasman/2776231636/in/photostream | dclm-gs1-167460000 |
0.682242 | <urn:uuid:af22d4ce-9413-4996-bf30-76132208aca1> | en | 0.782625 | A simple reminder for @warrenellis
Newer Older
I AM your filthy assistant.
For you other guys:
warrenellis, robert mohns, and 1 other people added this photo to their favorites.
1. jb.atwood 60 months ago | reply
the new green screen challenge
2. Kristin Brenemen 60 months ago | reply
I need to use the power of these walls for good!
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/wyldkyss/3450722350/in/photostream/ | dclm-gs1-167470000 |
0.056282 | <urn:uuid:01aa7dab-d101-43fa-ada7-3ee2b3710526> | en | 0.955875 | • People, hard to see, but there were some mountain bikers. There is a trail to hike down into the gorge.
Newer Older
The second stop on my motorcycle adventure was at Whirlpool State Park. I hadn't been along the US side of the Niagara River since I was probably 10 years old. This is a picture of the upper whirlpool, which is much easier to photograph.
Note: This is the natural color of the river. I only adjusted the white balance because I was using a circular polarizer to get rid of glare.
mysticalmaven, Linden Tea, and 14 other people added this photo to their favorites.
1. Eye Phunky [deleted] 71 months ago | reply
Gorgeous! Color of the water is stunning!
2. jeffrey.mills 71 months ago | reply
nice shot, zac. i am a little disturbed by the color of the water. i've been there, so i know that the color is accurate. as a scientist, i'm disturbed by *why* the water is that color. does anyone know? did you see blinky swim by? it does look nice though :)
3. flyingdutchee 71 months ago | reply
Ali peed in the water, which explains the toxic color ;)
4. +David+ 71 months ago | reply
Excellent shot of this exciting area. I am still try to get someone to take the Spanish Areo Car across. At least one person said she'd wait for me if I wanted to take it. Yes, the water there is pretty much that color all right. I live much closer to the American side of the falls, but have only been to the Canadian side for decades.
Seen on your photo stream. (?)
5. MJ² 71 months ago | reply
stopping while riding?.....that's so hard to do....even to shoot ;)
6. Dregster 71 months ago | reply
Wonderful blue!!...
7. History 2 [deleted] 66 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Nature of Niagara, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/zhenneman/2467732607/ | dclm-gs1-167480000 |
0.037338 | <urn:uuid:46eb5852-481e-466c-82c8-d1aebda513cc> | en | 0.983867 | King County Sheriff Dave Reichert (search), the law enforcement officer who spent two decades trying to catch the Green River killer (search), is running for Congress.
Reichert, 53, made the announcement Thursday at a news conference. He is the first Republican to enter the race since fellow Republican Jennifer Dunn (search) surprised the party last week by announcing she wouldn't run for a seventh term in the heavily Republican 8th District.
Reichert told reporters he hasn't raised any money and doesn't have a campaign organization yet. He said he first wants to speak to people in the suburban district east of Seattle so he can accurately represent their views.
He cited Dunn and former President Reagan as two strong influences.
"Those are two people I will pattern myself after," he said.
Reichert earlier turned down a party draft to run for governor this year.
"His whole life has been about character enforcement and values," said County Prosecutor Norm Maleng, who is endorsing the sheriff's congressional bid.
Reichert has spent his entire 32-year career at the sheriff's department, and was among initial investigators in the Green River slayings. He became sheriff in 1997, a few months before the county switched from appointed to elected sheriffs. He won the nonpartisan election later that year and was re-elected in 2001.
His department arrested longtime suspect Gary Ridgway in 2001. Ridgway pleaded guilty last year to 48 killings, most of them in the early 1980s, becoming the deadliest convicted serial killer in U.S. history. He was spared the death penalty in a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for confirmation of victims' fates and help in finding remains. | http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/02/06/green-river-killer-sheriff-running-for-congress/ | dclm-gs1-167490000 |
0.020696 | <urn:uuid:cab6c992-faab-4415-b87e-f2ecc523983c> | en | 0.900977 | Create PSD, revisions as per spec, then provide sliced so client can make his Joomla Template
Avg Bid (USD)
Project Budget (USD)
$30 - $250
Project Description:
See attached for URL, but this is a subcontact job for a developer and design agency, who have to use a different designer as their current one is unable to complete the brief, because their client fired him for being too argumentative.
Its actually a pretty easy job though, just create a template for this listing webiste, I have included some URLs of differnet pages. the layout of the content is already mapped to the correct areas, it just needs a skin, a template.
Its not actually Joomla but something based on Joomla.
This is a subcontract job, so access to the cleitn will be thru me via emails.
look forward to your quote. Client and I are based int he UK, and can give skype, Emial phone access to discuss.
Skills required:
CSS, Graphic Design, HTML, Joomla, Photoshop
Additional Files: example+URLs+for+design.txt
Hire truggles
Project posted by:
truggles United Kingdom
Public Clarification Board
$ 250
in 12 days
$ 150
in 4 days
$ 200
in 5 days
$ 250
in 7 days
$ 175
in 5 days
$ 300
in 7 days
$ 200
in 3 days
$ 200
in 1 days
$ 130
in 7 days
$ 199
in 6 days | http://www.freelancer.com/projects/Graphic-Design-Joomla/Create-PSD-revisions-per-spec.html | dclm-gs1-167510000 |
0.043934 | <urn:uuid:6333f889-0ea1-478a-a282-609ce54879b5> | en | 0.895544 | 11 titles
Sort by: Release Date Rating Votes
1 Dexter (2006 TV series)
Episode: Popping Cherry
After the dead body of another of victim of the so-called "Ice Truck Killer" is found on the ice rink at Miami's Hockey Dome...
8.4/10 2,057
2 Animaniacs (1993 TV series)
Episode: Yakko's World of Baldness/Opportunity Knox/Wings Take Heart
In "Opportunity Knox," Pinky and The Brain travel to Fort Knox to steal the nation's gold supply. Later, a moth's love for a beautiful butterfly sweeps him away on an incredible and comic journey in "Wings Take Heart."
8.1/10 32
3 Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
8.0/10 37,000
4 The Invaders (1967 TV series)
Episode: Vikor
David Vincent, using an assumed name, gets a job as a chauffeur in order to infiltrate a manufacturing plant and find proof of alien activity.
" 51
5 Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)
Episode: The Trial
Briggs poses as an American tourist and subjects himself to a show trial in order to discredit a public prosecutor attempting to seize absolute power in his country.
7.4/10 77
6 A Crime Does Not Pay Subject: They're Always Caught (1938 short)
Shows the role the crime laboratory plays in the solving of cases, and how even the smallest detail can become a major clue.
7.0/10 76
7 Driving Lessons (2006)
6.9/10 8,507
8 Tara Road (2005)
6.0/10 1,296
9 Junk: Shiryô-gari (2000)
A team of jewel-thieves fight for their lives in a zombie-infested factory.
5.6/10 905
10 AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (2007)
4.7/10 74,510
11 The Hidden II (1993) 2.6/10 922
11 titles
Something Missing?
Please help us improve our keyword tags.
| http://www.imdb.com/keyword/car-key/ | dclm-gs1-167660000 |
0.055581 | <urn:uuid:24b1a87b-f5f9-4ef1-b284-86cf1ea6c7c0> | en | 0.931206 |
World Class Jugglers Invade Sioux Falls
Bookmark and Share
An unlikely type of athlete will soon overrun Sioux Falls. The World Juggling Federation is holding its 8th annual conference and championship this week. And as many as 70 world class jugglers will be tossing their clubs and rings high into the air hoping to be crowned a champion.
A flick of the wrist and a steady eye, a trick used to impress royalty in the medieval times by jesters.
But while some admit there maybe some ancient magic used to keep these beanbags high in the air.
“At some point you just have to use the force.”
Jason Garfield won't be called a clown or a street performer. He's an athlete.
“Juggling requires just as much coordination and endurance and stamina as just about any other sport,” said Garfield.
The founder of the World Juggling Federation feels the sport he dominates requires a skill set that far surpasses the ability of any circus or street performer. Saying the chainsaw and burning torch jugglers only use basic skills.
The trick to tell the difference between the pros and wannabes, don't look at the hands.
“Next time you see a juggler watch how much they move their feet because that’s how you can tell how many imperfect throws are being corrected,” said Garfield.
The sport of juggling is evolving. While the balancing tricks maybe impressive a solo performance can get dull for an audience.
Enter Major League Combat.
“If you are not so much interested in the Olympic style juggling people always like seeing people attacking other people and that’s what Major League Combat is. It's teams of five jugglers attacking other five jugglers while juggling,” said Garfield.
While for some the moves Jason Garfield showcase seem unbelievable, others may find it hard to believe that juggling is a sport.
“It might sound like a joke to begin with juggling as a sport, juggling in the Olympics, but then when you see it you see what these athletes are doing with it,” said Garfield.
< Prev Story Back To Top Next Story >
Athlete of the Week Archive
Back To Top | http://www.kdlt.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19531&Itemid=155 | dclm-gs1-167710000 |
0.169588 | <urn:uuid:d65ef187-4c3a-4a93-ac8b-03dd5911ef8b> | en | 0.969097 | Avatar image for getsmart
( getsmart )
Comments made by getsmart
Rants and Raves: Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas
what a joke, wealthy Mexicans, opening movie house in North O.C., 22 dollars, all they want is more money, so they could keep on fueling their, egos, while the poor in their country, stay poorer, and they continue, to be indifferent, with their own, why don.t they fix their country, instead of coming to the U.S. to "dupe", Americans, so they could keep on laughing all the way to the bank !
I'd never give them a penny !
These people, don.t care about anyone but their pocketbooks, in sustaining their, egos, and trying to be what they are not! just a bunch of third world wannabees, trying to take advantage of the Americans, like they have been doing all their lives in Mexico !
September 26, 2013 at 8:37 a.m. ( | suggest removal ) | http://www.kpbs.org/users/getsmart/comments/ | dclm-gs1-167720000 |
0.024751 | <urn:uuid:ef0591eb-84fd-4f7b-80a2-675c1d3b00e0> | en | 0.901205 | Soldiers at War (Windows)
Published by
Developed by
100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
5 point score based on user ratings.
Not an American user?
Sequel to Wages of War, Soldiers at War is a squad based tactical game based. Lead a squad of American soldiers in WW2, performing covert operations against the Nazis.
Similar to the first two X-Com games, Soldiers at War is a turn-based, isometric game that enables your soldiers to run and crawl over a decimated European landscape that includes tanks, trains, and ground airplanes.
For each mission, you will pick from the thirty-two men in your platoon, each skilled in a variety of abilities. The men gain experience and grow between missions and can also be wounded or killed. Their weapons include most of the popular pistols, rifles, and explosive devices of WWII and you can even scavenge enemy weapons if you prefer them.
Soldiers at War Windows choose a scenario
Soldiers at War Windows play a campaign
Soldiers at War Windows Main screen
Soldiers at War Windows give your orders
Part of the Following Groups
User Reviews
Good Game with a few flaws that keep it from greatness. William Shawn McDonie (1152) 3.83 Stars3.83 Stars3.83 Stars3.83 Stars3.83 Stars
The Press Says
Gaming Entertainment Monthly 1998 89 out of 100 89
GameSpot Jun 08, 1998 8 out of 10 80
PC Jeux Mar, 1998 79 out of 100 79
GameStar (Germany) May, 1998 67 out of 100 67
Adrenaline Vault, The (AVault) Jun 15, 1998 3 Stars3 Stars3 Stars3 Stars3 Stars 60
PC Action May 20, 1998 60.5 out of 100 60
PC Player (Germany) May, 1998 60 out of 100 60
PC Games (Germany) May 06, 1998 42 out of 100 42
Computer Gaming World (CGW) Aug, 1998 2 Stars2 Stars2 Stars2 Stars2 Stars 40
Attack Games Nov, 1998 1 out of 10 10
There are currently no topics for this game.
The developers at Random Games got a lot of mileage out of their work on their first title, Wages of War. They tweaked the WoW design to make Soldiers at War. Later, they would update it yet again for their game Squad Leader.
Ray Soderlund (3500) added Soldiers at War (Windows) on Aug 15, 2000 | http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/soldiers-at-war | dclm-gs1-167860000 |
0.019946 | <urn:uuid:3c67b0b2-acb5-47e6-a988-3edd47e46e55> | en | 0.914667 | Display Settings:
Send to:
Choose Destination
Genes Cells. 2000 Feb;5(2):111-25.
Close kinship of human 20alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase gene with three aldo-keto reductase genes.
Author information
• 1Department of Medical Chemistry; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizono, Moriguchi, Osaka 570-8506, Japan.
20alpha-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) is a member of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily and catalyses the reaction of progesterone to the inactive form 20alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. Progesterone plays an important role in the maintenance of pregnancy, and, in rodents, plasma progesterone levels decrease abruptly just before parturition. The induction of 20alpha-HSD is thought to be responsible for the decrease in plasma progesterone at term. High homology between human 20alpha-HSD [AKR 1C1] cDNA with other AKRs had caused difficulty in gene isolation and expression analysis. Thus, the metabolism of progesterone in the human reproductive system remained unclear.
By hybridization with rat 20alpha-HSD [AKR 1C8] cDNA and high-stringency polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with gene-specific primers, we were able to isolate the human 20alpha-HSD, bile acid-binding protein (BABP) [AKR 1C2], prostaglandin F synthase (PGFS) [AKR 1C3], and dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (DD) 4 [AKR 1C4] genes. These genes had similar exon-intron organizations and shared a high homology. The four recombinant enzymes encoded by these genes showed distinct substrate specificity. By reverse transcription-PCR analysis, human 20alpha-HSD, BABP and PGFS mRNAs were expressed ubiquitously, while DD4 mRNA was restricted to the liver. Promoter activities of the 20alpha-HSD, BABP and PGFS genes were high, both in ovarian granulosa cells and hepatocytes. Radiation hybridization analysis revealed that all these genes were located close together in chromosome 10.
The human gene encoding for the progesterone-metabolizing enzyme 20alpha-HSD in the female reproductive system was cloned, and its expression and gene localization were elucidated. BABP, PGFS and DD4 genes, which were highly homologous to the 20alpha-HSD gene, were also cloned, and their structure and function were characterized.
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances, Secondary Source ID
PubMed Commons home
PubMed Commons
How to join PubMed Commons
Supplemental Content
Icon for Blackwell Publishing
Loading ...
Write to the Help Desk | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10672042 | dclm-gs1-167910000 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.