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As one of Lake Tahoe's top producing Brokers year after year, Jean Merkelbach continues to lead the profession, proving that experience and knowledge are a necessity in today's ever-changing marketplace.
"I am always extremely grateful to my clients and colleagues, who, without them, I would not have received this wonderful distinction," Jean said. "I truly appreciate the support from everyone. I have a strong commitment to give back to the community in which I live and work. That is why I have initiated programs such as our annual community service day, adopt a family program, and our Teacher's Fund, as a way to help make our neighborhood and quality of life better for everyone."
Similar in her devotion to the community, Jean employs the same dedication to her work with a tireless energy to achieve and exceed the desired outcomes for her clients. With negotiation skills that rival any top CEO, Jean utilizes her astute business sense in every transaction of which she is involved. Combine that strength with her creative and positive approach to every nuance of a real estate deal, and you have a consummate broker that gets results by providing extraordinary service and integrity.
"Jean has a way of bringing deals together and making them work for everyone involved. I am not surprised that she continues to blow out her competition year after year. She is a professional business woman that everyone can learn from and no doubt will continue to remain a leader in the real estate industry for a very long time to come," said Scott Webber, President Sierra Sotheby's International Realty.
With such strong qualities it is no surprise that Jean has maintained her position as the leading producer in Glenbrook and East Shore real estate. To complement this distinction even further, is her affiliation with Sotheby's International Realty, a renowned leader in the purchase and sale of luxury real estate worldwide. This exposure only adds to Jean's repertoire, helping bring buyers and sellers together in Tahoe's luxury market.
"My affiliation with Sotheby's International Realty is something that I take great pride in," Jean said. "In addition to Sotheby's global reach and unparalleled marketing efforts, we offer exposure in Reside magazine, a publication geared to the most distinctive properties around the globe. It is one of the many effective tools utilized in selling the fine homes we represent to buyers who are looking for truly unique properties in fabulous locations."


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About Us
FKCC Library Mission
The mission of the Florida Keys Community College Library is to provide materials, services, and instruction to all customers (students, faculty, staff, and the community) in an academically engaging environment that supports the curriculum and mission of the college.
FKCC Library/Gallery
The FKCC Library/Gallery exhibits the artwork of our talented students, faculty, and local artists. Exhibits are held several times during the year. Contact the library if you are interested in exhibiting your art work in our gallery. Visit our Twitter or Flickr to see images and information about previous and upcoming shows.
Research at the Centers
Please contact Professor Lois Wolfe Markham at (305) 942-1357 or firstname.lastname@example.com if you are located at one of the centers and need in-person research assistance.
Research help is also available via the FKCC Ask a Librarian desk: Mondays 2 - 3p, Tuesdays 2 - 3p, Fridays 10 - 11a.
Friends of the FKCC Library
The Friends of the FKCC Library is a group of people who wish to support library services to our community. Become a Friend today by contacting the Library at (305) 809-3194 or stopping by the circulation desk. Our friends help us with library services, programs, fundraisers, and donations.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tabitha Milam Fisher loves to write. So much that she is set to publish her first book, and its release is scheduled for May.
"We are in the editing phase of the book right now," Fisher said. "After you finish the manuscript, it takes about 180 days for the editing and the choosing of the cover of the book."
The name of the book is "The Chosen."
"It is written under the pen name T.J. Milam," Fisher said. "An author cannot write under two different genres in the same name. I wrote under the pen name because I also have four other manuscripts that I have wrote that are romance novels, and they will be published later on under my name, Tabitha Milam Fisher. They are fiction romance novels. I also write under a character on a role-play group on Facebook called BDB, and the characters are based on The Black Dagger Brotherhood series written by JD Ward."
Fisher said the book "The Chosen" is a fantasy, a vampire book.
"I wrote the book for my son Jayce, and my nieces Lexie Robison and Caitlin Skelton," Fisher said. "Jayce picked out the names of the characters in the book. He and Lexie sat with me and told me what kind of book they wanted. Lexie conferred with me about the plot of the book."
Fisher said it took her about a year to write the book, which contains 32 chapters, and 40,000 words.
Fisher said her son and her nieces love the Twilight movies and she always takes them to see them.
"Our tradition every year is to go see the new Twilight movies on the night of their release at midnight," Fisher said. "Lexie actually read the series with me."
Fisher is well known at Odenville Middle School by many students where Jayce is a seventh-grader.
"They all call me Ta Ta," Fisher said. "Since my name is Tabitha, that's what my nieces called me when they were little because they could not say Tabitha." And Ta Ta means aunt in Spanish. All of the students at OMS are sort of like my adopted kids."
Fisher said it would be great if her book were one day a best seller.
"But I didn't write it to become famous," she said. "My dad, Tim Milam, is a huge Stephen King kind of guy. He got me reading his books when I was a teenager. He is my favorite author, and I read all his books. I knew as soon as I read his book "Delores Claiborne" that I wanted to write. I have a vivid imagination. When I read, I can actually put myself in that book, be that character, and travel outside myself. I can be in that world, and it carries my imagination. I don't think any author could be a good author unless they love to read. Reading is my favorite thing to do. I do not even watch television."
When asked if there would be a sequel to her first book, Fisher said, "Oh yes, without a doubt."
"I have written the book as to where it ends, it does not close the book," she said. "It leads into a whole other world."
Publishing the book is Strategic Books & Publishing Rights Agency out of New York.
Fisher signed the contract with them last April 1. She will go to New York to confer and choose the book cover. She likes this publishing company because she gets to maintain all copyrights.
"I just want to do what I love, and inspire my kids a little bit," Fisher said.
Fisher also has a daughter, Grayce, 7, a second-grade student at Odenville Elementary School.
Fisher and her author's assistant, Elisha Kendrick Tipton, are in the process of setting up book signings in local bookstores as well as nationwide.
"My publishing company is partners with Barnes & Noble, and the book will also be available as an Ebook on amazon.com." Fisher said. "I will be traveling all summer with my kids, Elisha and her daughter Kyndall Tipton, who is in my daughter's class at OES. I will also be doing a lot of appearances in New Orleans, where we also have a home, because that is where my husband, Shane Fisher, works."


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Razor blades found on playground equipment in Delaware County
The razor blades were discovered Tuesday at Eaton Park, located at Maple and Mount Vernon avenues.
Man shot to death at West Oak Lane playground
The shooting happened at Morris Estate Recreation Center, on Chelten Avenue, as about 10 to 15 others, including some very young children, played nearby.
US soldier admits being 'purposefully obnoxious' while cavorting in Saddam Hussein's palace
As the war in Iraq drifted along after the fall of Saddam Hussein in summer 2003, the troops were restless. In an effort to keep them occupied, generals took a lucky few for some moments of luxury in one of the former dictator's opulent palaces.
Hot playground equipment can burn kids, parks advocacy group says
Parents should be cautious bringing their kids to playgrounds during this week's heat wave.
Queens man arrested after letting children use BB gun
A man in Queens was arrested after letting his child run around a playground with a realistic-looking BB gun.
Overbrook High student dead in playground shooting
An Overbrook High School student was fatally wounded and two other teens injured in gunfire at a playground near the school Thursday afternoon.
Sandy Hook victims to be honored with playgrounds in Hurricane Sandy towns
A New Jersey firefighters' union will build 26 playgrounds in towns that were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy in honor of Sandy Hook victims.


text: KJered Weaver Had A Pretty Generous Strike Zone During His No-Hitter 25,298g1 OPatrick BurnsProfileFollowUnfollow O Patrick BurnsFiled to: jered weaver Jered weaver no-hitter Mlb Baseball Umpires Mark Carlson Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Minnesota Twins 5/03/12 6:20pm 5/03/12 6:20pm eEditaDeleteiInviteBPromoteXDismissXUndismissbBlock for DeadspinbHideEShare to KinjajShare to FacebookiShare to TwitterrGo to permalinkSThe red squares were called strikes in Weaver's favor by home plate umpire Mark Carlson. The human element, everybody. [Brooks Baseball] 1 7Reply 7Discuss


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UL Announces New Program To Speed up LED Luminaire Certification
UL, a global safety science leader, announced today the introduction of the Type TL Program, which offers a set of certification guidelines designed to create a more efficient path for manufacturers in developing new LED luminaire products. Through the flexibility of the UL Recognized Component program, LED drivers, an electrical device which regulates power to an LED or string of LEDs, are often designed with varying constructions and are tested in a variety of ways. This approach helps ensure ... Read more »
Zhaga Appoints New Secretary General
The Zhaga Consortium is pleased to announce the appointment of Musa Unmehopa as its new Secretary General, effective from April 1, 2014. Musa replaces Menno Treffers, who has held the post of Secretary General since Zhaga was launched in March 2010. Read more »
Wacker and Technische Universität München Extend Partnership in Silicon Chemistry
Wacker Chemie AG and Technische Universität München (TUM) are extending their existing partnership in silicon chemistry for another six years. They signed an agreement to this effect. The Munich-based chemical Group is sponsoring the Institute of Silicon Chemistry, located on the research campus in Garching near Munich, with a total of up to Eur 2.5 million. This will finance doctoral positions and the associated material resources. WACKER and the TUM founded the Institute of Silicon Chemistry ... Read more »
European Energy Intelligence - Information About EU Activities in Respect to Energy at Your Fingertips
European Energy Intelligence has developed an new online service that taps into the information streams coming out of the key European Institutions, analyses them, organises and then presents them in a way that allows subscribers to access them. Simply, quickly and efficiently. Read more »
LED Lighting Controls - The Door to The Internet of Things in Buildings
The question, if the confluence of the Internet, Wireless Technology and LED Lighting creates the perfect storm that opens up the opportunity for the Internet of Things (IoT) to rapidly establish itself in buildings, arouses more and more attention. Read more »
Osram Warns That Ageing Street Lights Are Putting Lives in Danger
With more than three quarters of European city street lighting installations over 25 years old[1], Osram is urging local councils to put public safety first by upgrading to white lighting. Recent public surveys have shown that up to 80 per cent of us feel safer with longer lasting white solutions, like LED lighting over traditional installations[2]. Read more »
Annual Revenue of Sensors for Intelligent Lighting to Reach USD2.7bn by 2020
Worldwide revenue from occupancy sensors, photosensors, and lighting network control gear will grow from $1.1 billion annually in 2013 to nearly $2.7 billion by 2020 forecasts market intelligence analyst Navigant Research. Read more »
IET Announces "Code of Practice for the Application of LED Lighting Systems" To Be Released in March
LED lighting is a fast-developing technology that is becoming more popular as people begin to realize the advantages it provides, such as energy efficiency, controllability and longevity. However, poor quality installation of LED lighting systems could negate these advantages and result in inadequate lighting, failure to meet lifetime performance expectations, potential public health and safety issues or even interference with other technology due to poor systems integration. Read more »
IHS Report: Lighting and LEDs Trends for 2014
IHS Inc. has recently released its annual white paper on the lighting and LEDs trends for the year ahead. These predictions for 2014 and beyond, serve to provide insight into key trends and opportunities in the intelligent buildings industry. Read more »
Smithers Apex Report: Are we at the Tipping Point for Widespread Adoption of LEDs?
The promise of affordable LEDs for customers is inching ever closer. LEDs offer a number of advantages compared to traditional lighting methods, and although these advantages have been long known, widespread adoption faces the long-standing obstacle of purchase price. Now that this price is rapidly lessening, the benefits of LEDs are becoming more widely recognised. From security to health, there a number of applications which the use of LEDs could greatly improve. Read more »
Extended Driver Warranties from Harvard Engineering When Xicato LED Modules are Used
Xicato, a leading developer of superior light quality from LED modules, announced today that Harvard Engineering will now offer extended 5 year warranties on its LED drivers used with Xicato based luminaries that are thermally validated by Xicato. Luminaire Thermal Validation is a complimentary program offered to Xicato's customers. Validated luminaires already receive the industry's only 5 year color consistency and lumen maintenance warranty from Xicato and backed by Munich Re. This system ... Read more »
Alumage Advisors Reports 30-50% Price Reduction in LED High Bay Lighting
Alumage Advisors has released its latest product, LED High Bay Price Watch(TM), and is reporting a 30-50% year-to-year price reduction in LED high bay luminaires for industrial and architectural applications, between 2012 and YTD 2013. Read more »
Yole Développement "Status of the LED Industry" Shows that Low Price LED Solutions Are Pushing Technology Adoption Toward General Lighting
Yole Développement is pleased to announce the third edition of one of its best seller: Status of the LED Industry. In this 2013 edition, Yole Développement mixes technical analysis, market trends, forecasts, geographical analysis...and much more! With a first part dedicated to general lighting, and a second one focused on other applications, discover the different format of the report and choose the part you need! Read more »
Research And Markets Publishes LED Lighting System Technology Trends & Market Forecast
The LED lighting system market is expected to kick into high gear around 2013 and start to grow rapidly from 2015. In terms of revenue, the market is expected to reach $55 billion by 2020, from a mere $93 million (2012), with a high growth rate of 92.4% CAGR. Read more »
Markets for Smart Lighting Driver, Controller and Sensor Chips
The objective of this report is to identify and quantify the opportunities for electronics in smart lighting systems over the next eight years. It is designed to become required reading for firms in the semiconductor industry that want to better understand the opportunities in smart lighting electronics. It is also intended to provide guidance to firms in the LED and smart lighting systems sectors who need to better understand where smart-lighting electronics trends will take their ... Read more »


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We came across Eva Longoria gushing about her adorable pink heels recently, and we can't exactly blame the gorgeous American actress. Pink heels are irresistibly feminine, especially when paired with white tops and skinny jeans. If you're going out someplace nice or meeting the beau's fam, the pink heels will look divine with floral dresses or mini-skirts. We ask that you resist the urge to go pink from head to toe, though, because, as you very well know, that turf's already sort-of taken by Barbie and Elle Woods. Would anyone mess with the adorable Miss Elle Woods? We didn't think so. Anyhow, check out our favorite pink heels on a budget from Zappos.
What's your favorite outfit to go with your pink heels? Share with us in the comments!
Shop: Zappos


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Hawks Media
Hockey Sites
Tag Archives: Vermont
Back To School: Blackhawks Prospects In NCAA For 2013-14 Season
When the 2013-14 season starts, the Blackhawks will defend their Stanley Cup championship at the NHL level. Meanwhile, the Rockford IceHogs will have a talented group coming back to battle for an AHL playoff berth. A handful of the organization's … Continue reading
Posted in Prospects Tagged Anthony Louis, Boston College, Chicago Blackhawks, Chris Calnan, John Hayden, justin holl, Kevin Hayes, Miami Ohio, Michael Paliotta, Michigan, NCAA, NHL, Nick Mattson, North Dakota, Notre Dame, Ohio State, prospect, sam jardine, stephen johns, Tyler Motte, Vermont, Vince Hinostroza, Yale 6 Comments


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If you're a Taylor Swift fan or a Justin Bieber fan, then there's no doubt that you probably already have tickets to their concerts in Indy this year. However, if you are not from the Indianapolis area, then you might be looking for a place to crash after (or before) the concert. Or perhaps you're already in town, but want to make a weekend of it with a staycation. Our Indianapolis area hotel is the perfect spot, since we are centrally located downtown.
Here are more details about this year's big concerts at Bankers Life Fieldhouse:
- Taylor Swift - The Red Tour 04/26/2013 7:00 PM
- Justin Bieber - 07/10/2013 7:00 PM
Bankers Life Fieldhouse
125 S. Pennsylvania St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
You can visit the Bankers Life Fieldhouse's website to find even more details on each event, including ticket prices, ticket packages, suites and parking. No doubt Bieber's Facebook and Swift's Facebook pages will have updates leading up to the event as well.
Whatever your hotel accommodations Indianapolis needs are, we can probabbly hook you up. Are you traveling with a group? We can also coordinate your Indianapolis group travel needs.
Are you going to either of these concerts this year? What are you most excited about? Are you going to stay in a hotel too? Why or why not? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.


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This quote is about suffering
Search on Google Books to find citations of this quotation.
Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr.) (April 2, 1939 April 1, 1984) was a pop, soul, and R&B singer, arranger, musician, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer who gained international fame during the 1960s and 1970s as an artist on the Motown label. His best records are still extremely highly regarded, and he is often cited as one of the finest singers of his era.


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Cascade Midi
Item# 04-1415
Eco-conscious updated T-shirt dress with cascading hem.
Special Offer: Free shipping on orders over $50 (final discount reflected in cart) (Details)
Gift wrapping available
color:color size
This spring's versatile midi features a cascading hem, rounded neck and lovely drape. Sustainable, medium-weight blend of 56% rayon from bamboo, 38% Sorona®, 6% spandex. Made in the USA.
Cascade Midi Features:
- Cascading hem longer on the sides
- Rounded neck with short sleeve
- Relaxed T-shirt styling
- Eco-friendly blend with a touch of stretch
- Made exclusively by Gaiam
Classic fit.
Front length from shoulder to hem: 43" (size M).
Machine wash cold.
Rated 5 out of 5 by 1 reviewer.
Rated 5 out of 5 by KailuaMom Nice quality, Beautiful dress! I wasn't sure about this dress when I purchased online, but am very happy with it! Bought Gray one. Nice thicker fabric which doesn't cling on your body. Asymmetrical hem is very elegant! Love it! February 3, 2014
1-1 of 1


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The Trailhead Queen was dead. At first, there was no overt sign that her long life was ending: no fever, no spasms, no farewells. She simply sat on the floor of the royal chamber and died. As in life, her body was prone and immobile, her legs and antennae relaxed. Her stillness alone failed to give warning to her daughters that a catastrophe had occurred for all of them. She lay there, in fact, as though nothing had happened. She had become a perfect statue of herself. While humans and other vertebrates have an internal skeleton surrounded by soft tissue that quickly rots away, ants are encased in an external skeleton; their soft tissues shrivel into dry threads and lumps, but their exoskeletons remain, a knight's armor fully intact long after the knight is gone. Hence the workers were at first unaware of their mother's death. Her quietude said nothing, and the odors of her life, still rising from her, signalled, I remain among you. She smelled alive.
The deception was made easier by the fact that in life she had never given orders or led them in activities of any kind—even though she could have performed all their tasks if she chose. She had taken the only initiatives she ever took all in a burst, at the beginning of her adult life, when she had abandoned the colony of her birth and, along with it, her mother and her sisters. First, she had spread her four membranous wings and flown into the air. There, she'd joined a swarm of flying males and other virgin queens. One of the males had caught her. He'd clamped his legs around her body, and the couple had spiralled down to the ground. On landing, he had used the large claspers at the rear end of his body to hold their genitalia together as he completed the insemination. Within five minutes, the act was finished, and the queen shook the male loose. All the sperm she had received flowed up into a special bag-shaped organ in her abdomen, where it would stay until called on to fertilize her eggs. It might last for years into the future. Each sperm was endowed with a potential life span equal to her own.
In contrast, the father of all her children was programmed to die almost immediately after the mating. The only thing that he had ever done was accept meals regurgitated to him by his sisters, as if he were a nestling bird, and wait, and wait some more, and finally take the one short flight from his home, followed by five minutes of copulation. In other words, the male was no more than a guided missile loaded with sperm, his life's work a single ejaculation. Afterward, he was left with only one instruction, to be enforced if necessary by his sisters: Don't come back. He had been issued a one-way ticket. He had no chance at all of survival. A delicate creature, he could not find food, or feed himself if he stumbled across some. He would die by dehydration, or crushed in the beak of a bird, or chopped into pieces by the jaws of an enemy ant, or, less quickly, pierced by the bloodsucking proboscis of an assassin bug.
To escape the same fate, the newly mated future Queen of the Trailhead Colony, full-brained and powerfully muscled, hurried to find shelter. She had to get back underground as quickly as possible. First, however, she had to take a few minutes to shed her wings. To do that, she simply bent her middle legs forward, pressed them against the base of the wings, and snapped them off. This mutilation caused no injury to the rest of her body; it caused no pain. The Queen was a parachutist who slipped her harness upon landing. Now she could move more quickly to avoid the ants, spiders, and other predators hunting around her in the grassroots jungle.
Soon she came upon an open space between grass clumps, a small clearing at the Lake Nokobee trailhead. By luck she had found an ideal site to build a nest. She began at once to dig a vertical tunnel in the sandy clay soil. Her movements were swift and precise, and within minutes she had deepened the shaft to more than her body length. This provided her some degree of protection, but she needed to proceed as quickly as possible. Her life remained in constant danger.
At a predetermined depth, which she measured by the time it took her to climb up and down the shaft, the young Queen turned to the side and began to excavate a wider space. She continued until she had fashioned a round chamber about three times wider than the vertical shaft. Her safety was now enhanced but not insured. Predators and marauding ants could still climb down the shaft to attack her. But at least now the enemies would be confined to a narrow space by the walls of the shaft and forced to confront the young Queen's thrusting stinger and snapping jaws head on before they could reach her vulnerable body.
Even with the excavation of the first chamber complete, the Trailhead Queen had heavy work ahead. First, she laid a small cluster of eggs on the earthen floor. These tiny objects she was compelled to lick continuously. It was an urgent task: to the peril from enemies above was now added the threat of bacteria and fungi teeming in the soil all around her. If the eggs were not regularly cleaned and coated with antibiotic saliva, they would soon be overgrown by an invading mold and consumed. From a single bacterium in the soil, millions could proliferate on any ant tissue left unprotected.
But the dice fell right for the Queen of the Trailhead Colony. As tiny larvae hatched from her eggs, she fed them food secreted from a large gland that partly filled her head and emptied through her mouth. This baby food was manufactured from her own fat stores and was created by the metabolism of her now useless wing muscles. From the reserves of her own body, the young Queen reared a dozen workers. All were female. They were tiny and weak, barely able to perform the work necessary for the little colony to survive. By necessity, they came into the world as midgets. If each had been larger, fewer of them could have been reared—too few to provide sufficient labor for the survival of the newborn colony.


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We're many and varied, but here are some gaming groups at SPSU. If you know of more, please let us know!
Our goals are:
Our inaugural meeting was held in 2008. In an auspicious start, we discussed randomness and choice, and their impact on fun in games. After a brief discussion of "Candy Land" and "Ricochet Robots," we launched into a nice game of "Citadels."
The student chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) has close ties to the gaming initiatives at SPSU.
On October 2, 2008, the ACM hosted a talk entitled "Neo-Shamans: Computing as Indistinguishable from Magic."
ACM is also about fun. In October 2009 the group met for a Halloween Party which included co-op play of Tripwire Interactive's Killing Floor (graciously donated by Tripwire) and we tested out the new Will-It-Blend blender on a computer mouse.
Other community groups related to gaming and computing are also being formed. Please check back for more information, including information on the upcoming group focused on game servers led by Roger Butler.


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Matrox Graphics Matrox Parhelia HR128- Français Free Driver Download
Hard Disk Controller, Display
See details of driver package which includes support for this device.
Device Name
Matrox Parhelia HR128- Français
126.96.36.199 (2003-04-18)
188.8.131.52 (2003-11-06)
Supported Operating Systems
Windows NT3.51, Windows NT4, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista
Uploaded By
DriverGuide (DG Staff Member) on 11/24/2005
Driver Package
2kxp_105_01_008.exe (9.3 MB)
Related Drivers
Reviews Summary
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Join these free bookclubs and receive chapters from popular books in your daily email.
Every day, Monday through Friday, you'll receive a portion of a chapter that only takes five minutes to read. After you've read two or three complete chapters, you'll begin receiving chapters from a new title. You can join one or more of our bookclubs. Just give us your email address and you can start reading tomorrow!
NonFiction Book Club
The NonFiction Book Club offers a wide variety of real life stories about people, places and things, with an occasional self-help book. If you prefer reading nonfiction, this is the club for you.
Teen Book Club
Our Teen Book Club features mysteries, comedies, adventure stories, and even some science fiction titles. Every day, a new five-minute read, every week, a new book. Reading was never so easy and so much fun.
Audio Online Book Club
Enjoy a daily dose of spoken word with audio books—fiction, nonfiction, self-help, business books and more—all delivered to your email address. Just sit back and listen, no reading necessary.
Good News Book Club
This club features books that "you could take home to Mom." They'll make you laugh, cry, and really think about what's important in your life. These are books you can share with the whole family.
Fiction Book Club
This club features a variety of fiction books. One week it might be a pre-release of a Tom Clancy book and the next, a mystery by a first time author.
Horror Book Club
Not quite awake in the morning? These stories will get your eyes wide open. If you enjoy ghosts, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night, you'll really enjoy this book club.
Business Book Club
This club delivers the latest ideas in marketing, management, customer service, and e-commerce. Start every day with ideas that you can put to work. Just five minutes a day and you're in touch.
Romance Book Club
Romance is in the air! We feature your favorite authors, introduce you to some new authors, and take a sneak peek at some books before they go on sale. Everyone needs a little romance.
Pre-Pub Book Club
This is your chance to start reading books before everyone else! Every other week, you'll receive "Advance Reading Copy" from a title that hasn't been published yet.
Mystery Book Club
Don't miss a single clue! Every week, an exciting new mystery title by famous and lesser-known writers.
Sci-Fi Book Club
The Science Fiction Book Club has all of the latest science fiction titles, rousing space operas, disgusting evil aliens, time travel, wizards, alternate history and more.


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Environmental Sweden in brief
The overall aim of environmental policy in Sweden is to pass on to the next generation a society in which all the major environmental problems have been solved. To achieve this, the Swedish Riksdag has adopted 16 environmental quality objectives relating to the quality of Sweden's environment, and most of them are to be achieved by the year 2020. Each environmental quality objective has between three and eight interim targets. Progress towards these objectives and interim targets is monitored and evaluated by the Environmental Objectives Council.
The 16 national environmental quality objectives are:
- Reduced Climate Impact
- Clean Air
- Natural Acidification Only
- A Non-Toxic Environment
- A Protective Ozone Layer
- A Safe Radiation Environment
- Zero Eutrophication
- Flourishing Lakes and Streams
- Good-Quality Groundwater
- A Balanced Marine Environment, Flourishing Coastal Areas and Archipelagos
- Thriving Wetlands
- Sustainable Forests
- A Varied Agricultural Landscape
- A Magnificent Mountain Landscape
- A Good Built Environment
- A Rich Diversity of Plant and Animal Life
Read more about the evaluation of progress, interim targets, measures proposed and the sharing of responsibilities at the Environmental Objectives Portal. These are also described in the Environmental Objectives Council's evaluation of the environmental objectives from 2008 Miljömålen- nu är det bråttom! (Environmental objectives- No time to lose) Environmental Objectives Portal.


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Memo Montenegro
Real Name
Guillermo Rodriguez
Date of Birth
June 26, 1988
Place of Birth
A lot of fans have noticed that Antonio Cesaro has been coming out to the ring in silence since joining up with Paul Heyman. While it has generated a little buzz for WWE, that is not the long term plan. Management is currently trying to find the right entrance theme for Cesaro. He is being given a huge push, so everything has to be just right.
April 17, 2014
WWE generally likes to put everyone to good use at their television and pay per view events. Last night at Wrestlemania 30, during the big entrance for Triple H, WWE NXT divas Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks, and Ashley Flair were used as background performers. The trio have been working in developmental for a bit of time now and are waiting for their chance to be called up to the main roster.
April 8, 2014
In a rather interesting bit of news, Shelly Martinez revealed that she used to impersonate Triple H and his entrance routine at a strip club. The former WWE star used to be a bartender in Los Angeles, and when things were slow, she would get the bartender to play HHH's entrance theme, so that she could mimic his water spitting routine.
March 26, 2014
After Monday Night Raw went off the air last night, John Cena told Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan that they stole someone's entrance. Almost immediately, the Undertaker made his way into the arena to attack the Wyatt Family. Cena and Undertaker managed to hit their finishers on Rowan and Harper, but Wyatt himself escaped.
March 18, 2014
Just to give you an idea of how valuable WWE considers Hulk Hogan to be as a marketing asset, the company has been plastering him everywhere, from Monday Night Raw to WWE Network to commercials. They are even posting this legendary entrance theme video on their YouTube account.
March 4, 2014
On Impact Wrestling, the mystery investor was revealed, and it turned out to be none other than former WWE star MVP. He showed up in a suit on the entrance ramp at the end of the episode with Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards by his side. The segment signified a change in TNA.
January 31, 2014
After Royal Rumble 2014 went off the air, Batista got into it with a fan on his way back up the entrance ramp. He threatened to snap the person in half, before the rest of the WWE audience turned on him. Batista then added further fuel to the fire by mocking Daniel Bryan at the top of the rant.
January 27, 2014
A compilation video, featuring the various entrance routines of New Japan star Kazuchika Okada.
January 15, 2014
Since it has been a while since he was starring in ECW and since he was never really a regularly featured performer in WWE, many fans have forgotten what entrance music Masato Tanaka utilized. In this video, you can hear the theme song that he utilized in ECW while he was feuding with Mike Awesome.
March 3, 2004
While the company will never admit it publicly, it appears that they are completely done with Memo Montenegro, a former developmental wrestler who also happens to be the younger brother of Alberto Del Rio. Since his older brother is not expected to remain with WWE for long, Montenegro does not have much of a chance of making a return after he gains more experience.
February 21, 2014


text:
A Soldier's Duty
Jean Johnson - Author
- eBook - ePub eBook: $7.99
Ia is a precog, tormented by visions of the future where her home galaxy has been devastated. To prevent this vision from coming true, Ia enlists in the Terran United Planets military with a plan to become a soldier who will inspire generations for the next three hundred years-a soldier history will call Bloody Mary.
It was horrible. Terrible. No fifteen-year-old—and barely fifteen, at that—should have had to face such a frightening, unrelenting truth. But she had to. She had no choice.
Her eyes were open. She was sure of that much. But in the grey glow of pre-dawn, brightened occasionally by the usual morning electrical storm, her bedroom looked out of place: banal and slightly surreal compared to what she had just seen. Crowded, but banal.
There were actually two beds, a narrow one for herself and a broad one that her brothers shared in quiet sleep, with a meager aisle between them. A long counter underneath the window served as part desk, part bureau. Every toy, every book, every data chip was tucked in its place, because there was literally no room for a mess. Neat and tidy. Innocent.
Behind the evidence of her eyes, this whole building—her parents' small but prosperous restaurant—lay in smoldering ruins. Inside her head, she could see the broken plaster boards, scorched plexi tiles… and the body of her birthmother, sprawled and bloodied, eyes open but unseeing.
No… no! Covering her eyes, elbows braced on her knees, the girl on the narrower of the two beds tried to shut out the images. She couldn't banish them; she could only shove them aside. When she did… others took their place. Her elder brother fighting to survive, her younger brother dragged away by brute force, a laser bolt shaded in cruel dark orange arrowing for her own throat. No! No, no, no!
She shoved harder at the images, tried to force her way around them, but it was like wading through a muddy river, a hard, cold, murky struggle that swept her relentlessly downstream. It didn't matter which fork she chose, the flow of Time itself dragged her inevitably to the end. To the horrific images of an inevitable end, where rapacious invaders tore whole worlds to shreds. Her world, and the others. Choked by the roiling, cold waters, she couldn't see the right way to go, the best path to survive, a way to escape the lifeless, frozen wasteland lying ahead.
There had to be a way out. She refused to accept that this… this vision was unbreakable. That it was unstoppable, inevitable. Clasping her arms around her knees, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she forced her inner self to climb out of the waters sweeping inexorably onward to their ugly end. To climb onto the banks of the river—the banks of all the rivers in her mind, to stop herself from drowning in the ice-cold waters of Time itself.
There has to be a way out. There has to be.
Determined to find that way, some path that could be followed through the tangle of lives and possibilities, she searched through the stream-scattered plains. She didn't stop to check each creek; instead, she leapt from bank to bank, looking for the point where all the rivers turned into rivulets, where all of them ran into a dried, barren, hopeless desert. It was hard to see, though the more she moved and searched, the more light there was in this dark, grey, foreboding place inside her head.
Slowly, as the grey of twilight changed to the amber-gold of dawn, she found a thin trickle, a single stream… a thread of hope that led through a tiny hole in the barrier of the desert, expanding into an oasis of triumph and beauty beyond that frightening wall of inevitability.
Here—this is the path! This is what I want…
But when she looked back, the complexity of the path confounded her. It stretched well past anything she herself could affect in her own lifetime—and not just her own life-time, but her own life-place, tying into yet more rivers and streams that ran through fields beyond this single, visible plain. Cautiously tracing her way back, she found nodes of influence, little nudges, artificial canals and bolstering dykes, levees built up to prevent the flooding of failure, and aqueducts bringing in knowledge from other realms. Twists and turns, knots and braids artificially plaited into the naturally woven strands of what should have been reality.
Along every centimeter of the intertwining streams she followed, images flickered in the waters, showing her meager glimpses of the way to make that one slender stream of a chance survive. Make, not just help.
My god… This will take more than a lifetime to make happen. She hurried back toward her entry-point, only to stumble and fall to her knees, seeing the drastic changes wrought in her own future, just to make all of it possible. No… no… No, there has to be a better way. Some side-stream I could take… some other option!
Scrambling to her feet, straining to see through the shifting, flowing waters, she searched the currents in the meadows stretching out to either side. Time did not have the same meaning in this place as it had out there, beyond the boundaries of her mind—she knew her brothers were now awake, that they were quietly getting dressed for breakfast and for school, somewhere out there beyond the edges of her consciousness—but she couldn't stop searching. Couldn't stop looking for an escape. For a way out.
There wasn't one.
Not for everyone.
With eyes that were learning to skim the images rippling and shifting in the lengthy tangle of waters crisscrossing the plains, she saw there was no safe path for herself. No quiet life to be led. No escape from her fate; not from what she had to do, not with this radical of a departure from all of her childish dreams and expectations. No avoiding what would happen to herself, nor what would happen to her family, to her friends and neighbors if she ignored this single, meager thread of possibility.
Worse, when she turned to look back at the future, looking out across the other rivers and their subsidiary streams, the way they dried into curdled, cracked mud and crumbled into sand… there was no other hope for anyone else.
Not a viable one. Nothing that would bear fruit. Just the one, rivulet-sized chance to avoid that distant, inevitable, widespread desert of destruction. One chance to stop everything from turning into nothing. One chance to avoid annihilation.
But… if she redirected all those streams and rivulets, gouging out a new set of paths for the waters to take… If she changed the riverbeds of all those lives, both here and elsewhere, fighting to redirect the course of everything, there was hope. If she drastically altered the flow of her own life, she could have a chance at saving the rest.
…Most of the rest. Some could be saved, she realized; many, in fact. But not everyone.
Not everyone.
It was a horrible, terrible choice for a fifteen-year-old to have to make.
May 4th, 2490 T.S.
"Ia." Back straight, hands clasped in her lap, she waited for him to comment. She pronounced it EE-yah, and not the EYE-ah most people assumed. "Just like it says on my ident."
The brown-uniformed recruitment officer quirked his brow and sat back at that. Light from the glow strips overhead gleamed off his service pins for a moment, allowing her to read the badge holding his name. Lieutenant Major Kirkins-Baij. "I know what it says on your ident, young lady. But given how the Terran United Space Force has roughly two billion soldiers to keep track of, it helps to have more than one name. Usually, a Human has at least three: a family name, a personal name, and an additional name. Some even have two family names, like myself.
"So. What is your full legal name, meioa?" he asked.
"My full legal name is Ia. Capital I, lowercase a. Ia," she repeated. "Nothing more, and nothing less."
The corner of his mouth quirked up for a moment. "With a name that short, I don't see how you could have anything less." Glancing at the workstation screen displaying her stats, he frowned a little. "Independent Colony World Sanctuary? Where's that?"
"It's on the backside of Terran space, close to the border of the Grey Zone. Not quite thirteen hundred light-years from here," she told him. "It's relatively brand-new. I'm second-gen."
"We don't normally get recruits from any I.C., not here on Earth," the lieutenant major offered. "I'll presume your Colony Charter permits its citizens to join the Terran military, and that you're prepared to sign the necessary waivers, but if your Charter was sponsored by the V'Dan Empire instead, I'll have to get out a different set of forms."
"Sanctuary's Charter was actually sponsored by I.C. Eiaven," she clarified. "That cuts the paperwork down to almost nothing."
"That doesn't make sense. Eiaven is almost the exact opposite direction from here," he pointed out, lowering his brows in a doubtful frown. "Most sponsoring worlds are next to each other, not hundreds of light-years apart."
Ia didn't let his skepticism faze her. Rather, she welcomed it as a positive sign that she was doing the right thing at the right time.
"That's true for most worlds, but most heavyworlds are sponsored by Eiaven. Sanctuary is merely the latest to prove itself viable. Article VII, Section B, Paragraph14, subparagraphs c, g, h, and j of the Sanctuary Independent Colonyworld Charter—duly registered with the Alliance—state that, as a Sanctuarian citizen, all I have to do to join either the Terran or the V'Dan military is to take the Oath of Service as a recruit, and my citizenship will automatically transfer to the appropriate government. We're not so much an independent colonyworld as an interdependent one. Life on a heavyworld is tough enough without adding political troubles, and both Human governments recognized this long ago. Eiaven and its sponsored colonies are legally considered joint neutral territory.
"If I choose to serve in the Terran military, I automatically become a Terran citizen, with all the rights, responsibilities, and privileges thereof, and disavowing all rights to V'Dan citizenship, should I choose to do so. Which I do, which is why I am here," she said.
"And you came all the way to Earth, almost thirteen hundred light-years from home, just to do so?" he repeated, still skeptical. "Exactly on your eighteenth birthday?"
"Yes, meioa," Ia admitted, reminding herself to be patient. "Provided I am a full, legal adult—which I now am—I can join up at any Recruitment Center anywhere across the Terran United Planets. I just happened to pick Melbourne, Australia Prefecture, Earth. I'd also like to join the TUPSF-Marine Corps in specific, which is why I'm sitting here in front of you, meioa-o, instead of one of the other officers at this facility," Ia stated patiently. "You are the local recruitment officer for the TUPSF-MC," she reminded him, pronouncing the acronym tup-siff-mick. "Now, may I please do so?"
"And your name is just… Ia?" the lieutenant major asked dubiously. "The military needs more than that to be able to identify you, meioa."
"I have an ident number, duly registered with the Alliance," Ia reminded him, nodding slightly at his workstation, which still displayed her civilian profile. "Ident # 96-03-0004-0092-0076-0002. All I need to join any branch of the Space Force is a name and a valid ident number, both of which I have provided, and to state which Branch I wish to apply for. My name is Ia, you have my ident number, and I would like to join the TUPSF-Marines."
Sighing roughly, the lieutenant major typed a command into his workstation. "It's not quite that easy to get into the Marines. Your background check hasn't turned up any legal troubles yet, but we'll still need to place a vid-call and confirm your citizenship status with the authorities on Sanctuary. You'll also need to take the Military Aptitude Test. You can apply for a preference in Service Branches, but depending on how well you score in the various categories, you might end up in the TUPSF-Navy, the Army, or even the Special Forces… though you shouldn't hold your breath on that last one. Very few are selected to join the elite Branch of the Service."
"Oh, I'm willing to take the test," she assured him. "I'm ready right now, in fact. I also know I'm well-suited for the Marines."
"…We'll see. There is a twenty credit non-refundable processing fee, whether or not you pass recruitment standards, Meioa Ia," Lieutenant Major Kirkins-Baij told her, his tone just flat enough to reassure her he had said this part to a hundred recruits before her, and would recite it to a hundred more once she had gone. "On the plus side, your MAT scores are transferrable when applying for a government job, should you choose to look elsewhere."
The look he slanted her said he thought she would be smarter to look elsewhere, being a strange, one-named woman who probably wouldn't fit into the orderly categories of military life. But he didn't actively try to dissuade her. Instead, he typed in a few more commands, accepted the two orange credit chits she dug out of her pocket and handed over, then rose from his seat.
"The testing booth is this way." A gesture of his hand showed her which way to turn as they left the small room that served as his office. "I'll be placing that call to your government while you are undergoing evaluation. If you need to visit the bathroom, now is the time to go. Be advised that you will be tested for illegal substances from this point forward."
"I understand." She followed as he showed her to the facilities, leaving her alone for a few moments.
If I didn't have to go to a specific Camp at a specific point in time, I would've picked a more congenial recruiter… but this one needs to fill his recruitment quota. If I can antagonize him just enough, prick his pride, push the right buttons, he'll not try to push me into a different path, based on my testing. Using the facilities, she scrubbed her hands at the sink, knowing they would be subjected to sensors determining her stress and reflex responses via her sweat glands, impulse-twitches, blood-pressure, heart rate, and other detection means. A more congenial soul would be eager to help me, ruining everything I have planned.
I cannot let him get in my way.
That was an old mantra. A familiar one, if not necessarily a comfortable one for her conscience to bear. To it, she added a new, fresh thought. I cannot let these tests place me in the wrong Service path, either. That would be a disaster of unforgivable proportions.
Not that it would be an easy thing. She had practiced at home with a makeshift testing center, thanks to the help of her brothers and the local chapter of the Witan Order. But the Kinetic Inergy machines the Witans had loaned her were old and most likely less sensitive than whatever the military could afford; at least, the military here on the Human motherworld. She would have to rely mostly on rote memorization to pass if she didn't want to trigger the wrong sensors.
Squaring her shoulders, she emerged from the refreshing room and followed the lieutenant major to the testing booths. There were three of them, hatchway-sealed rooms with their doors standing open, each one looking in on a bulky, sensor-riddled chair ringed by view screens and the like. Outside each door, a quartet of helmets hung on a hook.
"Please pick the headset size which fits most comfortably on your head, and seat yourself in the chair inside this room," he instructed her, his tone reverting to that bored, done-it-a-thousand-times tone he had used before. "Follow the instructions you are given at all times to the best of your ability. You are expected to be proficient at reading and listening to Terranglo; if you are unable to do so, you must indicate which languages you are proficient at on the tertiary second screen. Inability to follow orders in Terranglo both written and verbal will affect your placement scores.
"You will be subjected to audio, text, and spatial questioning, your reflexes and strength tested, your ethics probed, your mind monitored for KI strength and other hallmarks of psychic ability, and you will even undergo timed testing at certain steps along the way. The entire testing session will last between two and a half to three hours, depending upon the untimed portions. If you are thirsty, you may access bottled water from the dispensary, but otherwise you will not be allowed a break from the testing procedure.
"If you have any questions about the equipment, the tertiary fifth screen, the one on the lower far right, contains a diagram of what to touch and when to touch it. The pertinent equipment on the diagram will light up with arrows when you are to touch it." Gesturing, the lieutenant major pointed at the screens. "These vidscreens are arranged in the standard Terran pattern: primary is in the center, flanked to either side by secondary left and secondary right. Below them from left to right are the tertiary first through fifth screens. Please remember their positions, as they will be critical for some of your testing.
"You will also be subjected to pain threshold tests, and gravity stress tests. Please do not exit the booth during the gravity stress tests, as the gravity shear forces may cause undue injury. If you wish to end the testing at any time, simply repeat three times in a row, 'End the test, end the test, end the test,' and wait for the screens to fall dark and the door to open before exiting the equipment. Your twenty-credit fee is non-refundable, and incomplete MAT scores are not admissible for military, civilian, or government jobs. Do you understand these things as I have explained them to you?"
Plucking one of the helmets from the rack lining the outer edge of the alcove, Ia nodded. "Yes, Sir, I understand them."
"Your placement in the Service, if any, will depend almost entirely upon the machine's evaluation of your performance coupled with the current needs of the military. Some of the questions you answer may direct your career path, but placement is not guaranteed. I myself can make certain recommendations if an ambiguity shows up in your testing profile, but the Space Force has invested a lot of effort and experience in these testing centers to gauge your abilities with great accuracy. If there are no true ambiguities, I cannot sway the testing center's decisions for you. Good luck," he wished her, "and don't hold your breath. Unless the test asks for it, of course."
Ia knew he was expecting her to laugh. Most applicants did. She also knew he was serious. Settling the helmet on her head, she fastened the chin strap and climbed into the testing chair. The primary and tertiary fifth screens lit up, the former with a greeting and a list of instructions on how to strap into the equipment, and the latter with sections of the depicted chair displayed, lighting up as each point scrolled up the screen. Once her legs and right arm were strapped in, she inserted her left arm with its ident bracelet into its slot as directed, and waited while the machine pulled up her information file.
It recorded her homeworld of Sanctuary without commentary, unlike the recruitment officer. It also revved up the gravity weave built into the alcove with the warning message, "Adjusting gravity to native homeworld standards of 3.21gs for physical stress test. Please stand by, and do not exit the testing chair during the enhanced gravity phase."
It'd be rather hard for me to "stand" by and not exit the chair, Ia thought, letting her rare sense of humor surface for a moment. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled, accompanying a faint hum from a new machine. Damn. They've turned on the KI sensors sooner than I expected. Clamping down on her mind, she blanked it of all stray thoughts, and all stray abilities. Now was not the time to go off into an involuntary temporal fit. Not with the machine off to her left ready to record just how much Kinetic Inergy she might use, and what kinds.
Now is not the time for the military to find out I'm a psychic. Not for a long, long time, if I can help it.
"Meioa Ia. Are you ready to begin the Military Aptitude Test?" the pleasant audio voice of the testing unit asked.
"I am. Begin," she instructed it.
"Section One: Physical Aptitude. Grasp the blue handles and pull them down as fast as you can," the recorded voice instructed. On the secondary left screen, a question flashed in white text. "Section Two: Military Knowledge. 1) When was the Space Force founded?"
Grasping the overhead handles, Ia yanked them down, pulling hard and fast despite their pneumatic resistance. "April 14th, 2113 Terran Standard, by order of the newly formed Terran United Planets Council."
"Place both feet on the green pedals and push them far away from you," the voice instructed, while the secondary left screen printed another question. "What is the primary difference between the Space Force and planetary Peacekeeper forces?"
This one, she also knew. "Peacekeepers are civilian organizations with jurisdictions limited to a specific city, region, Prefecture, space station, and/or planet. The Space Force is a military organization with a jurisdiction limited only by the interstellar boundaries of the Terran United Planets, its sovereign territories, and its duly authorized activities."
Text and voice switched, with the voice asking the next question and the text directing her to grasp the orange handles and twist from side to side. She complied, glad she had practiced taking verbal and written directions at the same time. The cuffs on her right arm and legs measured her physiological responses to the efforts, recording without surprise her overall strength and speed. Those two things were key to survival on a heavyworld, where bodies fell faster than expected and landed harder than preferred.
Those were qualities the military liked to see, both V'Dan and Terran. Strength and reflexes were bred into the survivors of heavyworld acclimatization. For as long as she could remember, Ia had seen recruiters from both the Terran Space Force and the V'Dan Imperial Military visiting her homeworld, most with their lightworlder bodies wrapped in gravity webs so that they could withstand the pressure of being planet-side long enough to try and encourage her fellow colonists to join the military of either government. Sanctuary was more than twice as far from the V'Dan worlds than the rest of Terran space, but the First Human Empire still sent their recruiters each year, scouting for the most physically impressive soldiers they could find. Heavyworlder soldiers, preferably from the heaviest gravitied world.
Strength and speed weren't enough, though. They helped, but they weren't enough. It would take far more to make a civilian into a competent, disciplined warrior. For the sake of everyone else, Ia had to try.
Lieutenant Major Kirkins-Baij studied the data pad Ia had just signed. He glanced up at her twice, each time returning his gaze to the results of her tests, then sighed and set the pad on his desk. "Well. Congratulations, Recruit. You have just signed up for a three-year attempt at becoming a Marine. If your test scores translate into the real world, and if you can pass the training, you'll make a good soldier. But only if.
"There is a mandatory twenty-four hour Terran Standard cooling period. If at any time in the next twenty-four hours you wish to change your mind, you may contact me and sign the appropriate release forms." Tapping his military-issue wrist unit, he nodded at her civilian one, which chirped. "I've beamed you my contact information if you wish to do so. If you do not change your mind immediately, be advised that changing your mind after the twenty-four hour grace period will require you to reimburse the Space Force for any and all expenses incurred for your processing, transportation, training, housing, and so forth, up until the point of your discharge, as well as being liable for any other potential legal ramifications.
"Twenty-six hours from now, if you have not changed your mind, you have an obligation to be on the suborbital commuter shuttle to Darwin, on the north side of the continent. Your ticket will be downloaded to your ident half an hour before boarding begins—you will, of course, have the costs of the ticket and all other transportation, housing, equipping, and other sundry needs deduced from your recruit pay, starting twenty-four hours from now. The Space Force doesn't give free rides; we even charge the Premiere of the Terran United Planets. She gets a discount," the lieutenant major allowed, "but she still gets a bill.
"In Darwin, you will be met at the terminal by one of the instructors from Camp Nallibong. He or she will be clad in the brown uniform of the Marines, and will be easy to spot. Do not delay in looking for him or her. Once you have reported in, you will then be given transportation to the base, where you will begin your training." Rising, he offered her his hand. "Good luck, Recruit. You'll need it."
Standing up, Ia squared her shoulders and lifted her hand to her brow in crisp salute, just as she had practiced for the last three years in the bathroom mirror. "Thank you, Sir."
The lieutenant major quirked his brow, but returned the salute, giving her permission to drop her arm. Then he held out his hand again. "No, thank you. Thank you for being willing to serve."
Hiding her distaste, Ia clasped hands with him. She tried to clamp down on her mind, but caught glimpses of his future anyway. Snippets of his family, of him driving his hover car, of his offer to re-enlist in active duty… She retrieved her hand the moment he released her, glad to note that he didn't seem to have noticed what she had just done. Nodding politely, she turned and left his office, exiting the recruitment center.
The burning heat of early afternoon pressed down on her head and shoulders the moment she stepped onto the sidewalk. Turning left, she started wandering back in the vague direction of her lodgings. It wouldn't take her long to return to the salle if she went there directly, but she knew she would have to get used to the Australian heat sooner or later.
Twenty-six hours, she thought, looking around at the angular buildings of the city. She wasn't far from the spaceport; every few minutes, the bone-deep thrummm of some transport shuttle taking off could be felt, now that she was outside. Twenty-six, and I'll be living the life I need. Praying every step of the way for success. God… how am I going to get everything done?
The city looked as banal as her bedroom once had, three years ago. Blissfully ignorant, most of the people around her went about their business with mindless happiness, or at least a facsimile of content. Hundreds of millions of people. Billions and trillions who didn't know the horrors lying ahead.
No. I don't have time to wander. I have to prepare. Languid steps turning to purposeful strides, Ia headed up the street and turned right at the corner. She could have called for a hover cab, but physical exercise was as much preparation as anything mental. She had a lot of mental preparation left to do.
The moment she entered the salle several minutes later, she headed straight for the water fountain. Drinking water was a must on such a hot day. Only after her thirst was satisfied did she hear the sounds of bodies hitting mats in the training rooms off to the right. Some of the monks were giving lessons. Or maybe just practicing against each other, given the lack of vocal instructions. To her left, the chapel was an island of quiet.
What she wanted to do was retreat to the chapel and stay there, where no one could touch her. Where she had nothing to fear regarding unwanted visions of nonessential futures. What she knew she had to do was join the monks in their practices, to train her body and her mind to work together.
A few minutes in the chapel, first. Then I'll join them, she decided. Taking another mouthful of water, she left the fountain and headed for the domed hall. Like most Afaso chapels, it was based on the Unigalactan faith, which had sprung up after Terrans had reached out to the stars and found similar beliefs among the other races. Beliefs in some sort of divine Creator, beliefs in being good and kind toward one another, and the underlying tenets of wisdom stored and revered by each sentient race.
Promoted as an adjunct to every faith, The Book of the Wise had been at first reluctantly examined by the leaders of various religions. Philosophers and theologians had argued and debated every point being made, but could not deny that many of the words of their own holy texts were repeated in the wisdom of other beliefs. Now the Unigalactans were everywhere, promoting peace and understanding.
It was true that many practitioners of a specific faith tried to proselytize that theirs was the only true faith, and attempted constantly to argue that other beliefs were utterly wrongincluding the chosen faith for about half the colonists who had settled on her own homeworld. In turn, the Unigalactans had always responded with the words of wisdom culled from their opponents' very own texts, countering such arguments.
It was very hard to maintain a religious war against people who agreed with the core tenets of one's faith.
Not that it doesn't stop the Church of the One True God, back home, she acknowledged, passing the padded pews edging the room. Her goal was one of the large floor cushions arranged around the hologram slowly rotating in the center under that beautifully arched dome. The isolation of being on the backside of inhabitable space, coupled with the difficulties of lightworlders visiting such a heavy-gravitied planet make it an ideal breeding ground for fanaticism to flourish without day-to-day disruption from the saner elements of overall society.
Sinking cross-legged onto the cushion, she didn't look up at the rotating stars of the spiral galaxy overhead. Instead, she propped her elbows on her knees and slouched her chin into her hands. Thinking of home, I should take a look at how things are going back there.
Closing her eyes, Ia turned her thoughts inward, then out, like a gymnast flipping around a bar. She had always been able to see glimpses of the future, and sometimes even peek into the past, but as a young child, the ability had been sporadic and rarely under her control. But once she had understood that she was seeing the future, her younger self had struggled to control her psychic abilities. She had even sought instruction, what little there was of it on her far-flung, backwater, recently settled homeworld.
The clergy of the Witan Orderwho, like the Afaso, were affiliated with the Unigalactan movementhad done their best to train her, since the Witan were one of the duly registered institutions for psychic instruction in the Alliance, as well as being a religious order. The PsiLeague was more popular, more funded, and more capable, but they hadn't made it to Sanctuary yet, mainly because of the heavy gravity problem.
That had been a lucky break for her; Ia had already seen what would happen to her carefully laid plans if the League found out what she could do. At least, if they found out any time soon. Being clergy, the Witan had sworn to keep her abilities a secret at her request, and they had kept their word.
But their training had only gone so far. For most of her other abilities, yes, they could and had helped her greatly. For this… no one could do what she could do. Not to her extent. Her precognition had remained mostly untrained until that fate-filled morning when she was fifteen. Now, flipping her mind in and out, she climbed out of the timestream of her own life, hauling herself onto the grassy bank of existence. Willpower and concentration were all she needed now.
The timeplains shifted under her feet, then stilled. Dropping to her knees, Ia peered into the waters of four streams. The first stream belonged to her biomother, Amelia Quentin-Jones. Ia only skimmed the surface of the water; she could have immersed herself in her mother's future, living it as if inside her mother's head like a silent observer, but she didn't need to do that. Instead, she watched her mother working in the kitchen of their restaurant, cooking for the hardworking colonists who didn't want to bother with fixing their own meals at the end of each day, struggling to carve a home for themselves on a too-heavy, slightly inhospitable world.
She watched as the curly-haired woman smiled and chatted, serving up dishes filled with meat, vegetables, and the ubiquitous Sanctuarian topado, aqua blue and vaguely potato-like, but far more tasty. There would be some dark looks sent toward the shop, but Amelia herself wouldn't receive them. Not in the near future, at any rate.
Mom will be fine… so let's see about Ma. Switching her attention to the next flow of life, Ia watched her mother's wife, Aurelia Jones-Quentin, smiling with too many teeth at certain of her neighbors. Ia smiled, too, albeit with more humor. And there she goes, being polite when she doesn't want to be polite. It'll get her in trouble if she's not careful. The Church's members are slowly moving into our neighborhood, infiltrating business districts and taking over council positions. But she's always polite. Always finds the right way to tell someone to go to hell and still be socially acceptable in language and demeanor.
Bu… I can't see any trouble she'll get into in the next year. That's good. Thorne is next. Her half-twin, as she liked to think of him. They had the same father, of course, and had even been born half an hour apart, though Thorne had been born to Aurelia and herself to Amelia. There he is… ah, great. Getting into a fight on the school grounds in a few days' time. A pity he couldn't just take the scholastic tests and graduate early like I did, but then he doesn't have the advantages I had.
At least this fight isn't his fault, and I can foresee him handling it carefully, so he doesn't hurt the other kid. And the year's almost over. Two more local months, and he can move on to business college. Most of it on the Nets, since Sanctuary is still so small. He'll need to know how to run a business, if he's going to be the anchor-stone for Rabbit's underground revolt against the Church.
Fyfer… She sighed mentally as she turned her attention to her younger brother. Fyfer was still young, four years younger than Thorne and her. He was her half brother, since they shared the same mother, but not the same father. Amelia, wanting another child and having Aurelia's permission to beget one, had dallied with an entertainer visiting from Parker's World, an equally new, equally heavy-gravitied colony. Fyfer had inherited his father's dark hair, good looks, and charm. Front-man to Thorne's bedrock support. I'd warn him about the fights he's going to get into… except I can see that they'll teach him how to use his tongue rather than his fists to get out of conflicts. Rabbit will need his charisma in the years to come.
A shift of her knees, a sway of her body, and she leaned over the other girl's life-stream to make sure she would be all right. Rabbit was five years older than Thorne and Ia, and already she had gotten into trouble with the law. Nothing warranting a severe punishment, but the petite girl had a habit of exploring places the government and her high-ranked, Church-fanatic parents didn't think she should. Like the caves under the capital city, where the Space Force had dug bunkers for the brand-new settlement just a couple decades ago, back when the Terrans and the Dlmvla had briefly gone to war. Rabbit's predilection for amateur spelunking would serve Ia well in the years to come, as would her keen insight into what was going wrong in the local government.
Her parents were members of the Church, on Sanctuary, but Rabbit didn't subscribe to their beliefs. It would cause conflicts in the future, but Rabbit would be well-placed to hear of the Church's xenophobic plans toward the few non-Human settlers on the planet. Well-placed to warn them to get off-world before it was too late. Well-placed to sort out the nonbelievers from the believers when the Church decided to go to war against the other half of the planet.
There's that incident at the subway station she has to watch out for, but . . . yes, in the most probable time-path, she does reread my notes to her in advance, instructing her on what to do and what not to do at that moment in time. Satisfied, Ia rocked back on her heels, letting the wind of the timeplains play with her hair. I took great pains to convince them of what to do, and when to do it. The time for action isn't now. But it will be, soon enough. I have faith they'll be able to carry out what needs to be done to protect and preserve our world for the Future.
It was a mantra she kept repeating to herself, to stave off her doubts. She didn't have the energy to spare for those doubts, not when her own tasks would take up most of her time and attention. Dropping out of school and passing her scholastic tests early had given her some of the time she needed to prepare for the future. The rest of it, she would have to handle on the run.
So. Back home, everything is fine. I guess I should go work on my battlecognition with the monks, if they're not too busy. Unfolding her body, she rose and stretched, filling her lungs as she refilled her senses with the here and now. Thank you, Grandmaster, for believing me, and for believing in me… and for spreading the word to all the chapters of your Order. Without the Afaso, my goal would literally be impossible. No one else can train the Savior, and I need you to do what I myself cannot.
Then again, when I put my mind to it, I can be pretty damn convincing. At least, to a fellow being of faith. I have a plan for convincing the Command Staff, bu…. well, they're a tougher and far more skeptical lot. Everything she had to do, everything she needed to remember, she had to keep reminding herself about it. Too many lives could be jeopardized, if she forgot.
Leaving the chapel, she crossed to the teaching hall, the actual "salle" of the facility, pausing only for another mouthful of water from the fountain. Despite the air-conditioned temperature keeping the interior comfortably cool, the three men and one woman sparring on the padded mats were sweating from their workout. Clad in the batik-printed tank shirts and loose trousers the Afaso Order had adopted for its humanoid members' uniform, they whirled and struck, kicked and flipped. Dodging, ducking, grappling, and punching at each other, they didn't stick to just one partner, but actually flung their opponents whenever possible at the other sparring pair.
They moved quite fast, but her eyes were used to things falling at three times the gravitational pull of the Motherworld. She knew she wasn't as good at fighting as they were, but she was fast, and she had undertaken some of their training. Originally, her instructors had been costly hologram programs and her sparring partner her slightly older brother, Thorne, but for the last month, she had been a guest of the Grandmaster of the Afaso Order and had thus gained some practical experience with real teachers. She had even sparred with these particular Afaso yesterday, while waiting for her eighteenth birthday and the opportunity to join the military as a full, legal adult.
So when Sister Na'an threw Brother Tucker at her, Ia reacted as she had been taught. Her arms flung up to ward off his blows as he tumbled, straightened, and swung at her. Her knee shifted up to block his kick, and her heel slammed down, following the movement of his leg as he tried to protect his foot. And her body twisted under the arms that tried to flip her onto her back, locking their upper limbs together, thanks to the fingers he hooked into her blue flowered blouse.
Even as he let go of her shirt, she grabbed the back of his trousers, lifting and flinging him back toward the tanned, Indonesia Province woman… only to find Brothers Charles and T!ongun leaping her way. Her grey slacks weren't cut with the same level of give as their bright red and yellow batiks, but she managed to avoid or block most of their incoming blows. No one used their full strength, and Ia took particular care not to strike anyone hard enough to bruise; their flesh literally wasn't as heavyworlder-dense as hers.
It also helped that her gift didn't trigger involuntarily. No flashes of their pasts, no glimpses of their futures, and no involuntarily dragging any of them onto the timeplains with her. She did focus just enough of her abilities on trying to accurately guess where each blow was coming next, and get her own limbs into position to dodge or block where appropriate, but keeping track of four opponents in a free-for-all melee wasn't easy. Sweat sheened her skin and stained the air, competing with the ventilation ducts trying to keep the air fresh as well as cool.
The scrimmage ended when Na'an slipped a blow past her defenses, smacking her fist into Ia's jaw hard enough to spin the heavyworlder around. It wasn't the blow, per se, so much as the gasp from the doorway that broke up their fight. The first of the afternoon's students had arrived, a young girl with wide blue eyes. She watched them with avid curiosity as the Afaso broke apart, bowing to each other in thanks for the practice, then moved into the salle when another student poked the girl in the back, urging her to move out of the doorway.
Na'an paused to check Ia's chin, then patted her on the shoulder. "You'll be fine, meioa-e. Do you want to join us in teaching the students?"
"I really shouldn't. I'm only a Full Master, not a Senior Master," Ia demurred. She didn't add that she didn't want to foresee the potential-possible futures of the school-aged youths now entering the room.
"The Grandmaster said you needed to practice more against unanticipated blows," Sister Na'an pointed out. "And there's nothing so unexpected as the raw attacks of a young, half-trained student. You have enough control to work with children. I think it'll do you good."
I don't want to! part of her mind protested. But duty poked at her conscience. A quick probe of her near future, more instinct than inner sight, proved that nothing she did hereprovided it wasn't outlandish or unusualwould affect the timestreams adversely. Sighing, Ia nodded. "Alright. I'll be their sparring partner. But I still don't think I'm qualified to be a teacher. Not yet."
"Teachers are made, not born," Na'an countered, clapping her on the shoulder before giving the younger woman a push toward the changing rooms. "Go change into a spare set of batiks. They'll be more comfortable than those civilian clothes."
Those civilian clothes… For a moment, the view of the crisp, clean, uncluttered lines of the salle slowly filling with students were replaced by the shadowed, cluttered depths of a bar crammed with off-duty Service personnel. For a moment, Ia could see her reflection in the mirror on one of the walls, her long white hair cropped short, her blue and grey clothes replaced by a bloodred dress that bared her shoulders. Laughter and the chatter of scores of soldiers sharing stories and bragging rights filled her ears, including some comment about how she herself looked in her civilian clothes, but all she could focus on were her own eyes, wide and yet shuttered with the knowledge of things she hadn't done yet.
Someone clapped her on the shoulder in her vision, startling her back out of it. Grounded back in the present, the younger Ia headed for the women's locker room, blinking off her visit to the future. Most of the time, she could control such trips, but not always. Sometimes all it took was an echo of another point in time, a moment of déjà vu, to disorient her in the here and now.
I have to get better at handling those. I literally cannot afford to be caught with my attention muddled by Time itself. This entire galaxy can't afford to catch me with my psychic pants down. A glance at the chrono on the wall as she passed it reminded her that Time was not entirely on her side. Forty-one more hours to go. These are the last hours of my freedom, yet I don't have enough time to truly enjoy them.
I don't think I ever will, from now on.
And she didn't dare change it.
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Published on March 20th, 2013 | by Jules IKEAHacker7
Hacker help: How to remove Hemnes drawers?
|Photo: IKEA.com
Materials: HEMNES 3 drawer chest
Description: HELP ME ! I'm moving and I'm trying to dismantle my Ikea bookcase. I can't get or figure out how to get the drawers out of the slides, so I can dismantle the rest of the bookcase.
Thank you
~ Russ, Bristol, CT
7 Responses to Hacker help: How to remove Hemnes drawers?
simply pull it completely out and lift the drawer front upwards. You should now be able to pull them out
There may be a little tab to depress. It will be plastic, and located at the end of the slide. I assembled a few Hemnes dressers for a friend several years ago and that's how I recall them working.
they have a security on them, so u have to lift and slant .. see manual and do the opposite .. it's a nack but quite easy .. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/assembly_instructions/hemnes-chest-of-drawers__AA-604009-3_pub.pdf
You mean you're just trying to remove the drawer from the frame? You just pull it out all the way and angle it downward, while lifting slightly up over the wheel and off the slide. However, to pull it out all the way, you may need to help it over a couple small stops, lifting up slightly to allow it to roll over these, while it rolls out. Does that make sense? Really, it's far less complicated than you're thinking it is. If you can't get it at first, play with it a little, lifting and angling, and you'll probably get it out fairly easily. However, usually the backs are nailed on, so it's unlikely you can dismantle the frame. Instead, you could pack the drawers, take them out to load the frame, put them back into frame in truck, do same upon arrival at destination. Good luck!
Two different type of slide: one is a simple version (as noted in the reply on 20 March) – which are a simple slide-out, angle and lift. The other sort is more complicated – which I ahve been battling with; these have a 'security' lock on them that prevent easy removal (presumably to stop toddlers from being crushed by falling drawers!). I haven't figured how to remove the slides from the drawers, so have just unscrewed the whole assembly – I'll repost if I find a way to do it more gracefully!
I need help figuring out how to fix my screw up. I assembled the drawers incorrectly and now need to take them apart in order to assemble them correctly. Does anyone have any advice for dismanteling the drawers for the Hemnes dresser? I fear that if I try to remove the plastic nails that hold the dresser together it will create more of a problem making the holes too big when I try and reassemble. Another thought was to drill new holes to attach the roller track and attach a washer to make it hold tight. Any ideas?
I need to disassemble then reassemble my Hemnes drawers because they're pulling apart. Anyone know how to do this?


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By Mike Wertman
Medina Journal-Register
Medina Journal-Register — Scoring points proved to be no problem this season for Medina as the Mustangs averaged 38 per outing in route to posting a 6-3 record.
Sophomore quarterback Jason Hellwig who directed the Medina attack completed 83 of 152 passes for 1,450 yards and 16 touchdowns, which ranks second on the Mustangs all time single season list behind the 18 thrown by Levi Pace in 2008.
Lonnie Taylor led the Medina receiving corps with 36 catches for 750 yards and nine touchdowns. Kyle Barna hauled in 17 receptions for 306 yards and four touchdowns, Ben Austin 11 for 273 and three touchdowns and Danny Barnes 12 for 152 and two touchdowns.
Jake Cotriss finished as the Mustangs leading ball carrier with 850 yards rushing as Barna picked up 356.
"We had a lot of kids fill a lot of roles and it truly was a team effort," Medina head coach Eric Valley said. "And we really got great senior leadership."
Barna emerged as the Mustangs leading scorer with 80 points including 12 touchdowns. Taylor finished with 76 points, also including 12 touchdowns, Cotriss 68 including nine touchdowns, Austin 34 with four touchdowns, Barnes 24 with three touchdowns and Danny Brown 22 with three touchdowns.
Barna rushed for two of those touchdowns, Cotriss one and Hellwig hooked up with both Taylor and Austin for TD passes to key Medina to a 38-24 win over East Thursday in the Class B Consolation Bowl championship game. The contest saw the Mustangs offensive unti jump out to a 14-0 lead and then twice answer East scores with clutch touchdown drives to maintain command.
"That was big for us," Valley said. "We've been emphasizing that we have to play four quarters and that when you keep working good things will happen and they did."
Defensvely, the Mustangs had Adam Eick in on 77 tackles, Austin 75, Barna 73, Zach Newton 72, Barnes 47, Cotriss 40, Brett Pecoraro 37 and Tatylor 35. Talor also had 65 sacks and three interceptioss, Barna three sacks and two interceptions. Austin also had six sacks and Pecoraro 3.


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News and Media
Best Cub Reporter
Kevin Rector, The Baltimore Sun
Published: September 18, 2013
We started looking for Rector's byline when he was on the overnight shift down on Calvert Street and we found ourselves waking up every morning to his curious, insightful, and occasionally funny tweets from the newsroom. We have to admit we were a bit sad when he was moved to the day shift. (Is no one tweeting over there at night anymore?) Now he's been promoted (we guess it is a promotion, at least) to cover transportation, and we're waiting for him to do an expose on the No. 27 bus and in the meantime are following his new Sun blog, Gay Matters. The fact that The Sun now has a gay blog is reason enough for us to love Rector. We can't wait to see where he goes next.
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November 22, 2011 – (10) Oregon vs. Oregon State The Beaver State's anual 'Civil War' meeting between instate rivals No. 10 Oregon and Oregon State is one of the most demanded games in college football each year. … read more →
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Fishpond Arroyo Chestpack
This minimalist chest/lumbar pack is perfect when a single fly box isn't enough, but more than two is just too much. Wear as a chest, waist, or sling bag for any local creek or stream.
Low profile design
Main storage compartment with three interior pockets
Zippered mesh interior pocket
Lightweight, waterproof and breathable fabric
Signature, zip down fly bench with replaceable foam, patented molded pocket designTarpaulin tabs and elastic loops for accessory attachment
Attachment points for tools and hemostat
Fixed large-padded neck strapPadded waist strap
Carry handle
Key fob
Volume: 150 cu in.
Dimensions: 7" x 9" x 4"
Colors are Barnwood
FREE GROUND SHIPPING IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATESLittle River Outfitters is a fly shop and mail order company located in Townsend, Tennessee, a gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We have been family owned since 1994.


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Another Gorgeous Day in the Lily Garden, 2009 AdditionPosted by: Tamara in gardening, home stuff, knitting, tags: camp, daylily, girls, nonpareil, summer
We may not have liked the cool, wet weather in June, but the ldayilies sure did! It is a fabulous lily year and the Red Volunteers have outdone themselves!
My mom asked why my lilies look so much better than hers. I told her that it is because really – they are my main flower. I have like a 10 by 10 garden and she must have at least an acre of gardens if you were to put them all together. I also put composted cow manure on them in the spring. I think she locked into that.
And even the little Siloam Merle Kents are taking off with a record number of buds.
Ok, I'll admit, I was orginally just going to post these photos to Facebook, but Facebook didn't seem to want them tonight, so in my blog they are! I don't think my blog would be complete without some July daylily posts though. I love to go through and see the flowers in previous years and If you would like to check them out here in the are in 2008, 2007, and 2006. Hummmm… I think what these posts are telling me is that it is time to add a couple of new varieties! We will need to add a trip to Olallie Daylily Gardens to our Vermont vacation agenda this year.
So, I've been a little sparce on the meat of this blog lately so maybe I'll take a few minutes to fill you in on what's up in our little corner of Connecticut. Dave and I bumped into Agent B's Girl Scout leader on our "date" to Lowe's the other night and she asked us how our summer is going. Before I could even stop myself, I said "Fast!" I said that. Can you believe it? I don't think I have ever said that before. (Well, before we had children, that is.) It truly does seem to be going by fast though! I have so much to do and I just can't keep up with it all. I'm sure most of that is due to the atrocious weather we had in June. Pretty much the whole month of June, I just did what I had to do to get by and everything else…. Well, I just let everything else wait for "that sunny day." Now that all the days are sunny–they are crammed packed full!
Another thing that is different this year is that the girls seem to "go off" more by themselves. They are not constantly buzzing around me but sometimes I actually have to go hunt them down when I need them. They are busy too – Agent B has already been to sleep away camp, Agent K had her first summer job picking strawberries and now she has just returned from Field Hockey camp at UCONN (her team won the tournament!) and Agent J is just busy painting everything in sight. I can't even keep a box around anymore without her wanting to paint it! They also come to work with me at the library quite a bit because the theme is Be Creative @ our Library and they need a lot of volunteers to help the younger children with their crafts and stuff.
So, when I look ahead to the rest of the summer, it just seems like it will continue to fly by. We're going to the beach this Wednesday, then next week K and B have parks and rec field hockey camp. We then have our fun filled week in Vermont with my sister and her husband. As soon as we return home K is off to camp again for 2 weeks then there is pre-season field hockey and then school starts! That is it! The end is in sight and there will be fun along the way! (Okay – we will see what I'm saying by the end of August!)
I've also been very busy with dyeing now that the sun is out. I hope to have more Etsy shop updates in the next 2 weeks, so if you are a customer, keep watching! I have stuff ready to go, I promise. I'm also getting ready to start making my samples for the August Phat Fiber box. The theme is Meet Me at the Fair and I'll bet the you will never guess that I'm making Cotton Candy! It should be fun as soon as I get myself organized and started. This weekend for sure.
And FALL KNITTING! I've been thinking about fall knitting. I even have my eye on a particular pattern. Have you seen this one?
It is Nonpareil by Borroco in a yarn called Blackstone Tweed. Apparently, the yarn is not in stores yet, but will arrive in fall shipments. At the yarn shop I visited yesterday, they had a sample ball and it is fairly soft for a tweedy yarn which is probably due to the angora in it. And no, in case you are wondering, I have not finished my Spring knitting project yet, but I do hope to take some photos soon for a blog post and I also want to take some photos of Sock Blankie because he is growing! Slowly but surely, he is turning into a Sock Blankie big enough to cover a lap.


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Take a Smurf, stick a snorkel on his head, put him underwater and force him to replace the word "Smurf" with the word "Snork" when he speaks, and you've got the basis for The Snorks.
The premise for the show was quite elaborate: In 1643, the captain of a ship under pirate attack discovered a tiny race of beings that lived underwater. After reaching the surface, the rescued captain shared his story of Snorks with a disbelieving world, while underneath the waves, an excited Snork by the name of Uncle Galeo was spreading the word about the surface dwellers.
Cut to modern day, where the Snorks have evolved much like humans, living in similar houses and eating similar foods. The main characters of the series were teenager Allstar, his girlfriend Casey, and their pals Dimmy, Daffney and Tooter (so named because he only spoke in whistles).
As one would expect, Allstar also had a wacky pet and a rival. The pet was an octopus, logically named Occy, while the rival was Junior Wetworth, the spoiled son of the mayor of Snorkland.
While The Snorks were an obvious attempt to cash in on the success of The Smurfs, the series was not without its own charm. Specifically, the relationship between the Snorks and the surface dwellers was very well designed, with the humans being drawn in a more traditional style to play up their "otherworldly" differences. Also, The Snorks succeeded in concentrating more on humor than on cuteness, taking the show beyond the level of mere Smurf-imitator.
Up, Up & Awave Production Information
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Traditional, Hand-drawn Animation.
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Let People Vote: Removing Restrictions and Barriers to Voting in America
Voter turnout in the 2012 election was the most racially diverse in American history. And in response to this historic moment, lawmakers nationwide have erected more barriers to the ballot box. States are making it harder and harder for people to vote, virtually guaranteeing that many people won't really have the right at all. Poll taxes and literacy tests have given way to more modern voter suppression tactics packaged as voter ID laws, restrictions to voter registration and cuts to early voting. With these new laws in effect, up to 5 million voters could be turned away at the polls in November. We cannot afford to have laws that push people out of the electorate. In order for this to be a true democracy, every eligible American must be able to vote. Read more »
The Facts about Voter Suppression


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GNSC-3711 Junior Science Seminar
A seminar course with emphasis on reading and evaluating primary scientific literature. Students will make presentations and participate in sessions with students enrolled in GNSC-4712. 2 hours per week. This course is normally offered every semester.
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Staff-recommended reading from the
KPL catalog.
Jacqueline Kennedy was a woman who desperately wanted a private life. Clint Hill was the man who was charged with giving her as much of a private life as he was able.
As one of two Secret Service agents on the First Lady's protective detail, he tells their amazing story in Mrs. Kennedy and Me. Although the stories in this memoir are fascinating, what is most compelling is Mr. Hill's fierce dedication and loyalty to Mrs. Kennedy as she lived a life that was so very public.
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Alonso upbeat despite poor qualifying
The Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso says he could have ended up further behind than fifth in the Indian GP Qualifying but all was not over yet.
By Shrikant Shankar at BIC
Alonso's lead at the driver's championship summit was overturned by Sebastian Vettel at the Korean Grand Prix two weeks ago, and now his chances of winning a third title looks like slipping out of his hands.
At the Buddh International Circuit on Saturday, the Ferrari ace qualified fifth ahead of teammate Felipe Massa who finished sixth.
Red Bull showed their dominance as Vettel earned his 35th career pole position ahead of teammate Mark Webber. They were followed by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button respectively.
Despite finding himself behind at the third row of the grid and six points adrift of Vettel in the driver's championship, Alonso was satisfied with Ferrari's showing. "Fifth place is not so bad because it could have been easy to end up even further back if anything had gone wrong," he said.
"Clearly our aim is to finish ahead of Red Bull, but today it was impossible to fight them, at least in qualifying. I am not concerned or demotivated, because I know that things can change very quickly and that high spirits on Saturday can easily turn to sadness on Sunday."
Watch: Vettel takes Indian Grand Prix pole... More Videos
The Spaniard also said that the start of the race will be very important. "We must try and make up places on the first lap and put pressure on our main rivals. There are 60 laps to work with and we will need to tackle each one as if it's qualifying, by attacking," he added.
Ferrari did however rise to second in the constructor's championship in Korea above McLaren. They are six points ahead of the Woking-based team and key to that has been Massa's resurgence of late. The Brazilian has finished with points in the last six races.
Massa was upbeat with his performance but said that it could have been even better. "I am reasonably pleased with sixth place, even if maybe, I could have started from further forward," he said.
He added saying: "In qualifying Red Bull is faster and McLaren was only just ahead of us. In the races, things are a bit different and we hope we can fight with these four cars for the top places."
"Today, it wasn't easy to put together the perfect lap, partly because the track surface was still quite slippery. We need to be focused because it will be a very long race," he concluded.