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Title: Growing Up On Big Muddy Author: De Vet, Charles V. (Charles Vincent) Language: English As this book started as an ASCII text book there are no pictures available. Copyright Status: Not copyrighted in the United States. If you live elsewhere check the laws of your country before downloading this ebook. See comments about copyright issues at end of book. *** Start of this Doctrine Publishing Corporation Digital Book "Growing Up On Big Muddy" *** This book is indexed by ISYS Web Indexing system to allow the reader find any word or number within the document. Well, naturally Kaiser would transmit baby talk messages to his mother ship! He was-- GROWING UP ON BIG MUDDY By CHARLES V. DE VET Illustrated by TURPIN [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction July 1957. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] Kaiser stared at the tape in his hand for a long uncomprehending minute. How long had the stuff been coming through in this inane baby talk? And why hadn't he noticed it before? Why had he had to read this last communication a third time before he recognized anything unusual about it? He went over the words again, as though maybe this time they'd read as they should. OO IS SICK, SMOKY. DO TO BEDDY-BY. KEEP UM WARM. WHEN UM FEELS BETTER, LET USNS KNOW. SS II Kaiser let himself ease back in the pilot chair and rolled the tape thoughtfully between his fingers. Overhead and to each side, large drops of rain thudded softly against the transparent walls of the scout ship and dripped wearily from the bottom ledge to the ground. "Damn this climate!" Kaiser muttered irrelevantly. "Doesn't it ever do anything here except rain?" His attention returned to the matter at hand. Why the baby talk? And why was his memory so hazy? How long had he been here? What had he been doing during that time? Listlessly he reached for the towel at his elbow and wiped the moisture from his face and bare shoulders. The air conditioning had gone out when the scout ship cracked up. He'd have to repair the scout or he was stuck here for good. He remembered now that he had gone over the job very carefully and thoroughly, and had found it too big to handle alone--or without better equipment, at least. Yet there was little or no chance of his being able to find either here. Calmly, deliberately, Kaiser collected his thoughts, his memories, and brought them out where he could look at them: The mother ship, _Soscites II_, had been on the last leg of its planet-mapping tour. It had dropped Kaiser in the one remaining scout ship--the other seven had all been lost one way or another during the exploring of new worlds--and set itself into a giant orbit about this planet that Kaiser had named Big Muddy. The _Soscites II_ had to maintain its constant speed; it had no means of slowing, except to stop, and no way to start again once it did stop. Its limited range of maneuverability made it necessary to set up an orbit that would take it approximately one month, Earth time, to circle a pinpointed planet. And now its fuel was low. Kaiser had that one month to repair his scout or be stranded here forever. That was all he could remember. Nothing of what he had been doing recently. A small shiver passed through his body as he glanced once again at the tape in his hand. Baby talk.... * * * * * One thing he could find out: how long this had been going on. He turned to the communicator and unhooked the paper receptacle on its bottom. It held about a yard and a half of tape, probably his last several messages--both those sent and those received. He pulled it out impatiently and began reading. The first was from himself: YOUR SUGGESTIONS NO HELP. HOW AM I GOING TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO SCOUT WITHOUT PROPER EQUIPMENT? AND WHERE DO I GET IT? DO YOU THINK I FOUND A TOOL SHOP DOWN HERE? FOR GOD'S SAKE, COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER. VISITED SEAL-PEOPLE AGAIN TODAY. STILL HAVE THEIR STINK IN MY NOSE. FOUND HUTS ALONG RIVER BANK, SO I GUESS THEY DON'T LIVE IN WATER. BUT THEY DO SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME THERE. NO, I HAVE NO WAY OF ESTIMATING THEIR INTELLIGENCE. I WOULD JUDGE IT AVERAGES NO HIGHER THAN SEVEN-YEAR-OLD HUMAN. THEY DEFINITELY DO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER. WILL TRY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM, BUT YOU GET TO WORK FAST ON HOW I REPAIR SCOUT. SWELLING IN ARM WORSE AND AM DEVELOPING A FEVER. TEMPERATURE 102.7 AN HOUR AGO. SMOKY The ship must have answered immediately, for the return message time was six hours later than his own, the minimum interval necessary for two-way exchange. DOING OUR BEST, SMOKY. YOUR IMMEDIATE PROBLEM, AS WE SEE IT, IS TO KEEP WELL. WE FED ALL THE INFORMATION YOU GAVE US INTO SAM, BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE MUCH EXCEPT THE STING IN YOUR ARM. AS EXPECTED, ALL THAT CAME OUT WAS "DATA INSUFFICIENT." TRY TO GIVE US MORE. ALSO DETAIL ALL SYMPTOMS SINCE YOUR LAST REPORT. IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AT THIS END. GOOD LUCK. SS II Sam, Kaiser knew, was the ship's mechanical diagnostician. His report followed: ARM SWOLLEN. UNABLE TO KEEP DOWN FOOD LAST TWELVE HOURS. ABOUT TWO HOURS AGO, ENTIRE BODY TURNED LIVID RED. BRIEF PERIODS OF BLANKNESS. THINGS KEEP COMING AND GOING. SICK AS HELL. HURRY. SMOKY The ship's next message read: INFECTION QUITE DEFINITE. BUT SOMETHING STRANGE THERE. GIVE US ANYTHING MORE YOU HAVE. SS II His own reply perplexed Kaiser: LAST LETTER FUNNY. I NOT UNDERSTAND. WHY IS OO SENDING GARBLE TALK? DID USNS MAKE UP SECRET MESSAGES? SMOKY The expedition, apparently, was as puzzled as he: WHAT'S THE MATTER, SMOKY? THAT LAST MESSAGE WAS IN PLAIN TERRAN. NO REASON WHY YOU COULDN'T READ IT. AND WHY THE BABY TALK? IF YOU'RE SPOOFING, STOP. GIVE US MORE SYMPTOMS. HOW ARE YOU FEELING NOW? SS II The baby talk was worse on Kaiser's next: TWAZY. WHAT FOR OO TENDING TWAZY LETTERS? FINK UM CAN WEAD TWAZY LETTERS? SKIN ALL YELLOW NOW. COLD. COLD. CO The ship's following communication was three hours late. It was the last on the tape--the one Kaiser had read earlier. Apparently they decided to humor him. OO IS SICK, SMOKY. DO TO BEDDY-BY. KEEP UM WARM. WHEN UM FEELS BETTER, LET USNS KNOW. SS II That was not much help. All it told him was that he had been sick. He felt better now, outside of a muscular weariness, as though convalescing from a long illness. He put the back of his hand to his forehead. Cool. No fever anyway. He glanced at the clock-calendar on the instrument board and back at the date and time on the tape where he'd started his baby talk. Twenty hours. He hadn't been out of his head too long. He began punching the communicator keys while he nibbled at a biscuit. SEEM TO BE FULLY RECOVERED. FEELING FINE. ANYTHING NEW FROM SAM? AND HOW ABOUT THE DAMAGE TO SCOUT? GIVE ME ANYTHING YOU HAVE ON EITHER OR BOTH. SMOKY Kaiser felt suddenly weary. He lay on the scout's bunk and tried to sleep. Soon he was in that phantasm land between sleep and wakefulness--he knew he was not sleeping, yet he did dream. It was the same dream he had had many times before. In it, he was back home again, the home he had joined the space service to escape. He had realized soon after his marriage that his wife, Helene, did not love him. She had married him for the security his pay check provided. And though it soon became evident that she, too, regretted her bargain, she would not divorce him. Instead, she had her revenge on him by persistent nagging, by letting herself grow fat and querulous, and by caring for their house only in a slovenly way. Her crippled brother had moved in with them the day they were married. His mind was as crippled as his body and he took an unhealthy delight in helping his sister torment Kaiser. * * * * * Kaiser came wide awake in a cold sweat. The clock showed that only an hour had passed since he had sent his last message to the ship. Still five more long hours to wait. He rose and wiped the sweat from his neck and shoulders and restlessly paced the small corridor of the scout. After a few minutes, he stopped pacing and peered out into the gloom of Big Muddy. The rain seemed to have eased off some. Not much more than a heavy drizzle now. Kaiser reached impulsively for the slicker he had thrown over a chest against one wall and put it on, then a pair of hip-high plastic boots and a plastic hat. He opened the door. The scout had come to rest with a slight tilt when it crashed, and Kaiser had to sit down and roll over onto his stomach to ease himself to the ground. The weather outside was normal for Big Muddy: wet, humid, and warm. Kaiser sank to his ankles in soft mud before his feet reached solid ground. He half walked and half slid to the rear of the scout. Beside the ship, the "octopus" was busily at work. Tentacles and antennae, extending from the yard-high box of its body, tested and recorded temperature, atmosphere, soil, and all other pertinent planetary conditions. The octopus was connected to the ship's communicator and all its findings were being transmitted to the mother ship for study. Kaiser observed that it was working well and turned toward a wide, sluggish river, perhaps two hundred yards from the scout. Once there, he headed upstream. He could hear the pipings, and now and then a higher whistling, of the seal-people before he reached a bend and saw them. As usual, most were swimming in the river. One old fellow, whose chocolate-brown fur showed a heavy intermixture of gray, was sitting on the bank of the river just at the bend. Perhaps a lookout. He pulled himself to his feet as he spied Kaiser and his toothless, hard-gummed mouth opened and emitted a long whistle that might have been a greeting--or a warning to the others that a stranger approached. The native stood perhaps five feet tall, with the heavy, blubbery body of a seal, and short, thick arms. Membranes connected the arms to his body from shoulder-pits to mid-biceps. The arms ended in three-fingered, thumbless hands. His legs also were short and thick, with footpads that splayed out at forty-five-degree angles. They gave his legs the appearance of a split tail. About him hung a rank-fish smell that made Kaiser's stomach squirm. The old fellow sounded a cheerful chirp as Kaiser came near. Feeling slightly ineffectual, Kaiser raised both hands and held them palm forward. The other chirped again and Kaiser went on toward the main group. * * * * * They had stopped their play and eating as Kaiser approached and now most of them swam in to shore and stood in the water, staring and piping. They varied in size from small seal-pups to full-grown adults. Some chewed on bunches of water weed, which they manipulated with their lips and drew into their mouths. They had mammalian characteristics, Kaiser had noted before, so it was not difficult to distinguish the females from the males. The proportion was roughly fifty-fifty. Several of the bolder males climbed up beside Kaiser and began pawing his plastic clothing. Kaiser stood still and tried to keep his breathing shallow, for their odor was almost more than he could bear. One native smeared Kaiser's face with an exploring paw and Kaiser gagged and pushed him roughly away. He was bound by regulations to display no hostility to newly discovered natives, but he couldn't take much more of this. A young female splashed water on two young males who stood near and they turned with shrill pipings and chased her into the water. The entire group seemed to lose interest in Kaiser and joined in the chase, or went back to other diversions of their own. Kaiser's inspectors followed. They were a mindless lot, Kaiser observed. The river supplied them with an easy existence, with food and living space, and apparently they had few natural enemies. Kaiser walked away, following the long slow bend of the river, and came to a collection of perhaps two hundred dwellings built in three haphazard rows along the river bank. He took time to study their construction more closely this time. They were all round domes, little more than the height of a man, built of blocks that appeared to be mud, packed with river weed and sand. How they were able to dry these to give them the necessary solidity, Kaiser did not know. He had found no signs that they knew how to use fire, and all apparent evidence was against their having it. They then had to have sunlight. Maybe it rained less during certain seasons. The domes' construction was based on a series of four arches built in a circle. When the base covering the periphery had been laid, four others were built on and between them, and continued in successive tiers until the top was reached. Each tier thus furnished support for the next above. No other framework was needed. The final tier formed the roof. They made sound shelters, but Kaiser had peered into several and found them dark and dank--and as smelly as the natives themselves. The few loungers in the village paid little attention to Kaiser and he wandered through the irregular streets until he became bored and returned to the scout. The _Soscites II_ sent little that helped during the next twelve hours and Kaiser occupied his time trying again to repair the damage to the scout. The job appeared maddeningly simply. As the scout had glided in for a soft landing, its metal bottom had ridden a concealed rock and bent inward. The bent metal had carried up with it the tube supplying the fuel pump and flattened it against the motor casing. * * * * * Opening the tube again would not have been difficult, but first it had to be freed from under the ship. Kaiser had tried forcing the sheet metal back into place with a small crowbar--the best leverage he had on hand--but it resisted his best efforts. He still could think of no way to do the job, simple as it was, though he gave his concentration to it the rest of the day. That evening, Kaiser received information from the _Soscites II_ that was at least definite: SET YOURSELF FOR A SHOCK, SMOKY. SAM FINALLY CAME THROUGH. YOU WON'T LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR. AT LEAST NOT AT FIRST. BUT IT COULD BE WORSE. YOU HAVE BEEN INVADED BY A SYMBIOTE--SIMILAR TO THE TYPE FOUND ON THE SAND WORLD, BARTEL-BLEETHERS. GIVE US A FEW MORE HOURS TO WORK WITH SAM AND WE'LL GET YOU ALL THE PARTICULARS HE CAN GIVE US. HANG ON NOW! SOSCITES II Kaiser's reply was short and succinct: WHAT THE HELL? SMOKY _Soscites II's_ next communication followed within twenty minutes and was signed by the ship's doctor: JUST A FEW WORDS, SMOKY, IN CASE YOU'RE WORRIED. I THOUGHT I'D GET THIS OFF WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM SAM. REMEMBER THAT A SYMBIOTE IS NOT A PARASITE. IT WILL NOT HARM YOU, EXCEPT INADVERTENTLY. YOUR WELFARE IS AS ESSENTIAL TO IT AS TO YOU. ALMOST CERTAINLY, IF YOU DIE, IT WILL DIE WITH YOU. ANY TROUBLE YOU'VE HAD SO FAR WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE SYMBIOTE'S DIFFICULTY IN ADJUSTING ITSELF TO ITS NEW ENVIRONMENT. IN A WAY, I ENVY YOU. MORE LATER, WHEN WE FINISH WITH SAM. J. G. ZARWELL Kaiser did not answer. The news was so startling, so unforeseen, that his mind refused to accept the actuality. He lay on the scout's bunk and stared at the ceiling without conscious attention, and with very little clear thought, for several hours--until the next communication came in: WELL, THIS IS WHAT SAM HAS TO SAY, SMOKY. SYMBIOTE AMICABLE AND APPARENTLY SWIFTLY ADAPTABLE. YOUR CHANGING COLOR, DIFFICULTY IN EATING AND EVEN BABY TALK WERE THE RESULT OF ITS EFFORTS TO GIVE YOU WHAT IT BELIEVED YOU NEEDED OR WANTED. CHANGING COLOR: PROTECTIVE CAMOUFLAGE. TROUBLE KEEPING FOOD DOWN: IT KEPT YOUR STOMACH EMPTY BECAUSE IT SENSED YOU WERE IN TROUBLE AND MIGHT HAVE NEED FOR SHARP REFLEXES, WITH NO EXCESS WEIGHT TO CARRY. THE BABY TALK WE AREN'T TOO CERTAIN ABOUT, BUT OUR BEST CONCLUSION IS THAT WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, YOU WERE MOST HAPPY. IT WAS TRYING TO GIVE YOU BACK THAT HAPPY STATE OF MIND. OBVIOUSLY IT QUICKLY RECOGNIZED THE MISTAKES IT MADE AND CORRECTED THEM. SAM CAME UP WITH A FEW MORE IDEAS, BUT WE WANT TO WORK ON THEM A BIT BEFORE WE SEND THEM THROUGH. SLEEP ON THIS. SS II * * * * * Kaiser could imagine that most of the crew were not too concerned about the trouble he was in. He was not the gregarious type and had no close friends on board. He had hoped to find the solitude he liked best in space, but he had been disappointed. True, there were fewer people here, but he was brought into such intimate contact with them that he would have been more contented living in a crowded city. His naturally unsociable nature was more irksome to the crew because he was more intelligent and efficient than they were. He did his work well and painstakingly and was seldom in error. They would have liked him better had he been more prone to mistakes. He was certain that they respected him, but they did not like him. And he returned the dislike. The suggestion that he get some sleep might not be a bad idea. He hadn't slept in over eighteen hours, Kaiser realized--and fell instantly asleep. The communicator had a message waiting for him when he awoke: SAM COULDN'T HELP US MUCH ON THIS PART, BUT AFTER RESEARCH AND MUCH DISCUSSION, WE ARRIVED AT THE FOLLOWING TWO CONCLUSIONS. FIRST, PHYSICAL PROPERTY OF SYMBIOTE IS EITHER THAT OF A VERY THIN LIQUID OR, MORE PROBABLY, A VIRUS FORM WITH SWIFT PROPAGATION CHARACTERISTIC. IT UNDOUBTEDLY LIVES IN YOUR BLOOD STREAM AND PERMEATES YOUR SYSTEM. SECOND, IT SEEMED TO US, AS IT MUST HAVE TO YOU, THAT THE SYMBIOTE COULD ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU WANTED BY READING YOUR MIND. HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE DIFFERENTLY NOW. WE THINK THAT IT HAS SUCH CLOSE CONTACT WITH YOUR GLANDS AND THEIR SECRETIONS, WHICH STIMULATE EMOTION, THAT IT CAN GAUGE YOUR FEELINGS EVEN MORE ACCURATELY THAN YOU YOURSELF CAN. THUS IT CAN JUDGE YOUR LIKES AND DISLIKES QUITE ACCURATELY. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU TEST OUR THEORY. THERE ARE DOZENS OF WAYS. IF YOU ARE STUMPED AND NEED SUGGESTIONS, JUST LET US KNOW. WE AWAIT WORD FROM YOU WITH GREAT INTEREST. SS II By now, Kaiser had accepted what had happened to him. His distress and anxiety were gone and he was impatient to do what he could to establish better contact with his uninvited tenant. With eager anticipation, he set to thinking how it could be done. After a few minutes, an idea occurred to him. Taking a small scalpel from a medical kit, he made a shallow cut in his arm, just deep enough to bleed freely. He knew that the pain would supply the necessary glandular reaction. The cut bled a few slow drops--and as Kaiser watched, a shiny film formed and the bleeding stopped. That checked pretty well with the ship's theory. Perhaps the symbiote had made his senses more acute. He tried closing his eyes and fingering several objects in the room. It seemed to him that he could determine the texture of each better than before, but the test was inconclusive. Walking to the rear of the scout, he tried reading the printed words on the instrument panel. Each letter stood out sharp and clear! Kaiser wondered if he might not make an immediate, practical use of the symbiote's apparent desire to help him. Concentrating on the discomfort of the high humidity and exaggerating his own displeasure with it, he waited. The result surprised and pleased him. The temperature within the scout cabin seemed to lower, the moisture on his body vanished, and he was more comfortable than he had yet been here. As a double check, he looked at the ship's thermometer. Temperature 102, humidity 113--just about the same as it had been on earlier readings. * * * * * During the next twenty-four hours, Kaiser and the mother ship exchanged messages at regular six-hour intervals. In between, he worked at repairing the damaged scout. He had no more success than before. He tired easily and lay on the cot often to rest. Each time he seemed to drop off to sleep immediately--and awake at the exact times he had decided on beforehand. At first, despite the lack of success in straightening the bent metal of the scout bottom, there had been a subdued exhilaration in reporting each new discovery concerning the symbiote, but as time passed, his enthusiasm ebbed. His one really important problem was how to repair the scout and he was fast becoming discouraged. At last Kaiser could bear the futility of his efforts no longer. He sent out a terse message to the _Soscites II_: TAKING SHORT TRIP TO ANOTHER LOCATION ON RIVER. HOPE TO FIND MORE INTELLIGENT NATIVES. COULD BE THAT THE SETTLEMENT I FOUND HERE IS ANALOGOUS TO TRIBE OF MONKEYS ON EARTH. I KNOW THE CHANCE IS SMALL, BUT WHAT HAVE I TO LOSE? I CAN'T FIX SCOUT WITHOUT BETTER TOOLS, AND IF MY GUESS IS RIGHT, I MAY BE ABLE TO GET EQUIPMENT. EXPECT TO RETURN IN TEN OR TWELVE HOURS. PLEASE KEEP CONTACT WITH SCOUT. SMOKY Kaiser packed a mudsled with tent, portable generator and guard wires, a spare sidearm and ammunition, and food for two days. He had noticed that a range of high hills, which caused the bend in the river at the native settlement, seemed to continue its long curve, and he wondered if the hills might not turn the river in the shape of a giant horseshoe. He intended to find out. Wrapping his equipment in a plastic tarp, Kaiser eased it out the doorway and tied it on the sled. He hooked a towline to a harness on his shoulders and began his journey--in the opposite direction from the first native settlement. He walked for more than seven hours before he found that his surmise had been correct. And a second cluster of huts, and seal-people in the river, greeted his sight. He received a further pleasant surprise. This group was decidedly more advanced than the first! They were little different in actual physical appearance; the change was mainly noticeable in their actions and demeanor. And their odor was more subdued, less repugnant. By signs, Kaiser indicated that he came in peace, and they seemed to understand. A thick-bodied male went solemnly to the river bank and called to a second, who dived and brought up a mouthful of weed. The first male took the weed and brought it to Kaiser. This was obviously a gesture of friendship. The weed had a white starchy core and looked edible. Kaiser cleaned part of it with his handkerchief, bit and chewed it. The weed had a slight iron taste, but was not unpalatable. He swallowed the mouthful and tried another. He ate most of what had been given him and waited with some trepidation for a reaction. * * * * * As dusk fell, Kaiser set up his tent a few hundred yards back from the native settlement. All apprehension about how his stomach would react to the river weed had left him. Apparently it could be assimilated by his digestive system. Lying on his air mattress, he felt thoroughly at peace with this world. Once, just before dropping off to sleep, he heard the snuffling noise of some large animal outside his tent and picked up a pistol, just in case. However, the first jolt of the guard-wire charge discouraged the beast and Kaiser heard it shuffle away, making puzzled mewing sounds as it went. The next morning, Kaiser left off all his clothes except a pair of shorts and went swimming in the river. The seal-people were already in the water when he arrived and were very friendly. That friendliness nearly resulted in disaster. The natives crowded around as he swam--they maneuvered with an otter-like proficiency--and often nudged him with their bodies when they came too close. He had difficulty keeping afloat and soon turned and started back. As he neared the river edge, a playful female grabbed him by the ankle and pulled him under. Kaiser tried to break her hold, but she evidently thought he was clowning and wrapped her warm furred arms around him and held him helpless. They sank deeper. When his breath threatened to burst from his lungs in a stream of bubbles, and he still could not free himself, Kaiser brought his knee up into her stomach and her grip loosened abruptly. He reached the surface, choking and coughing, and swam blindly toward shore until his feet hit the river bottom. As he stood on the bank, getting his breath, the natives were quiet and seemed to be looking at him reproachfully. He stood for a time, trying to think of a way to explain the necessity of what he had done, but there was none. He shrugged helplessly. There was no longer anything to be gained by staying here--if they had the tools he needed, he had no way of finding out or asking for them--and he packed and started back to the scout. Kaiser's good spirits returned on his return journey. He had enjoyed the relief from the tedium of spending day after day in the scout, and now he enjoyed the exercise of pulling the mudsled. Above the waist, he wore only the harness and the large, soft drops of rain against his bare skin were pleasant to feel. When he reached the scout, Kaiser began to unload the sled. The tarpaulin caught on the edge of a runner and he gave it a tug to free it. To his amazement, the heavy sled turned completely over, spilling the equipment to the ground. Perplexed, Kaiser stooped and began replacing the spilled articles in the tarp. They felt exceptionally light. He paused again, and suddenly his eyes widened. * * * * * Moving quickly to the door of the scout, he shoved his equipment through and crawled in behind it. He did not consult the communicator, as he customarily did on entering, but went directly to the warped place on the floor and picked up the crowbar he had laid there. Inserting the bar between the metal of the scout bottom and the engine casing, he lifted. Nothing happened. He rested a minute and tried again, this time concentrating on his desire to raise the bar. The metal beneath yielded slightly--but he felt the palms of his hands bruise against the lever. Only after he dropped the bar did he realize the force he had exerted. His hands ached and tingled. His strength must have been increased tremendously. With his plastic coat wrapped around the lever, he tried again. The metal of the scout bottom gave slowly--until the fuel pump hung free! Kaiser did not repair the tube immediately. He let the solution rest in his hands, like a package to be opened, the pleasure of its anticipation to be enjoyed as much as the final act. He transmitted the news of what he had been able to do and sat down to read the two messages waiting for him. The first was quite routine: REPORTS FROM THE OCTOPUS INDICATE THAT BIG MUDDY UNDERGOES RADICAL WEATHER-CYCLE CHANGES DURING SPRING AND FALL SEASONS, FROM EXTREME MOISTURE TO EXTREME ARIDITY. AT HEIGHT OF DRY SEASON, PLANET MUST BE COMPLETELY DEVOID OF SURFACE LIQUID. TO SURVIVE THESE UNUSUAL EXTREMES, SEAL-PEOPLE WOULD NEED EXTREME ADAPTABILITY. THIS VERIFIES OUR EARLIER GUESS THAT NATIVES HAVE SYMBIOSIS WITH THE SAME VIRUS FORM THAT INVADED YOU. WITH SYMBIOTES' AID, SUCH RADICAL PHYSICAL CHANGE COULD BE POSSIBLE. WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED. GIVE US ANY NEW INFORMATION YOU MIGHT HAVE ON NATIVES. SS II The second report was not so routine. Kaiser thought he detected a note of uneasiness in it. SUGGEST YOU DEVOTE ALL TIME AND EFFORT TO REPAIR OF SCOUT. INFORMATION ON SEAL-PEOPLE ADEQUATE FOR OUR PURPOSES. SS II Kaiser did not answer either communication. His earlier report had covered all that he had learned lately. He lay on his cot and went to sleep. In the morning, another message was waiting: VERY PLEASED TO HEAR OF PROGRESS ON REPAIR OF SCOUT. COMPLETE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND RETURN HERE IMMEDIATELY. SS II * * * * * Kaiser wondered about the abrupt recall. Could the _Soscites II_ be experiencing some difficulty? He shrugged the thought aside. If they were, they would have told him. The last notes had had more than just a suggestion of urgency--there appeared to be a deliberate concealing of information. Strangely, the messages indicated need for haste did not prod Kaiser. He knew now that the job could be done, perhaps in a few hours' time. And the _Soscites II_ would not complete its orbit of the planet for two weeks yet. Without putting on more than the shirt and trousers he had grown used to wearing, Kaiser went outside and wandered listlessly about the vicinity of the ship for several hours. When he became hungry, he went back inside. Another message came in as he finished eating. This one was from the captain himself: WHY HAVE WE RECEIVED NO VERIFICATION OF LAST INSTRUCTIONS? REPAIR SCOUT IMMEDIATELY AND RETURN WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. THIS IS AN ORDER! H. A. HESSE, CAPT. Kaiser pushed the last of his meal--which he had been eating with his fingers--into his mouth, crumpled the tape, wiped the grease from his hands with it and dropped it to the floor. He pondered mildly, as he packed his equipment, why he was disregarding the captain's message. For some reason, it seemed too trivial for serious consideration. He placated his slightly uneasy conscience only to the extent of packing the communicator in with his other equipment. It was a self-contained unit and he'd be able to receive messages from the ship on his trip. * * * * * The tracks of his earlier journey had been erased by the soft rain, and when Kaiser reached the river, he found that he had not returned to the village he had visited the day before. However, there were other seal-people here. And they were almost human! The resemblance was still not so much in their physical makeup--that was little changed from the first he had found--as in their obviously greater intelligence. This was mainly noticeable in their facile expressions as they talked. Kaiser was even certain that he read smiles on their faces when he slipped on a particularly slick mud patch as he hurried toward them. Where the members of the first tribes had all looked almost exactly alike, these had very marked individual characteristics. Also, these had no odor--only a mild, rather pleasing scent. When they came to meet him, Kaiser could detect distinct syllabism in their pipings. Most of the natives returned to the river after the first ten minutes of curious inspection, but two stayed behind as Kaiser set up his tent. One was a female. They made small noises while he went about his work. After a time, he understood that they were trying to give names to his paraphernalia. He tried saying "tent" and "wire" and "tarp" as he handled each object, but their piping voices could not repeat the words. Kaiser amused himself by trying to imitate their sounds for the articles. He was fairly successful. He was certain that he could soon learn enough to carry on a limited conversation. The male became bored after a time and left, but the girl stayed until Kaiser finished. She motioned to him then to follow. When they reached the river bank, he saw that she wanted him to go into the water. * * * * * Before he had time to decide, Kaiser heard the small bell of the communicator from the tent behind him. He stood undecided for a moment, then returned and read the message on the tape: STILL ANXIOUSLY AWAITING WORD FROM YOU. IN MEANTIME, GIVE VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO FOLLOWING. WE KNOW THAT THE SYMBIOTES MUST BE ABLE TO MAKE RADICAL CHANGES IN THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE SEAL-PEOPLE. THERE IS EVERY PROBABILITY THAT YOURS WILL ATTEMPT TO DO THE SAME TO YOU--TO BETTER FIT YOUR BODY TO ITS PRESENT ENVIRONMENT. THE DANGER, WHICH WE HESITATED TO MENTION UNTIL NOW--WHEN YOU HAVE FORCED US BY YOUR OBSTINATE SILENCE--IS THAT IT CAN ALTER YOUR MIND ALSO. YOUR REPORT ON SECOND TRIBE OF SEAL-PEOPLE STRONGLY INDICATES THAT THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING. THEY WERE PROBABLY NOT MORE INTELLIGENT AND HUMANLIKE THAN THE OTHERS. ON THE CONTRARY, YOU ARE BECOMING MORE LIKE THEM. DANGER ACUTE. RETURN IMMEDIATELY. REPEAT: IMMEDIATELY! SS II Kaiser picked up a large rock and slowly, methodically pounded the communicator into a flattened jumble of metal and loose parts. When he finished, he returned to the waiting girl on the river bank. She pointed at his plastic trousers and made laughing sounds in her throat. Kaiser returned the laugh and stripped off the trousers. They ran, still laughing, into the water. Already the long pink hair that had been growing on his body during the past week was beginning to turn brown at the roots. *** End of this Doctrine Publishing Corporation Digital Book "Growing Up On Big Muddy" *** Doctrine Publishing Corporation provides digitized public domain materials. Public domain books belong to the public and we are merely their custodians. This effort is time consuming and expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying. We also ask that you: + Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Doctrine Publishing Corporation's ISYS search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for personal, non-commercial purposes. + Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Doctrine Publishing's system: If you are conducting research on machine translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. 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The company's award-winning software suite offers a broad range of search, navigation and discovery solutions for desktop search, intranet search, SharePoint search and embedded search applications. ISYS has been deployed by thousands of organizations operating in a variety of industries, including government, legal, law enforcement, financial services, healthcare and recruitment.


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THE American Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, awarded this year's Best Picture to a South Korean film. Goes to show that in America, many good things are outsourced.
The South Korean film Parasite, a social satire about class struggles, is the first non-English film to win the Oscars' Best Picture. But most people, including my wife, say that even American films sound so foreign because of their accent and slurs.
Both South Korea and our country celebrated their respective centennial of their film industries. But the difference is South Korean films are making it big worldwide. Meanwhile, we are getting killed by an overdose of dead comedy punch lines from Vice Ganda.
It's such a pity because Parasite Best Director Bong Joon-Ho credits Lino Brocka as one of his inspirations, having able to watch his films and other Asian masters during his university days. That's the secret of doing good film. Has anyone watched a Brocka lately?
How popular is Korean culture? Our young generation can even memorize K-Pop lyrics even without understanding them and recognize Korean actors even if they all have the same eyes and hair. I hope they can memorize the Constitution and identify our national heroes, unless the education department tries to make our lessons more "pop."
Meanwhile, government and the education department wants to bring Mandarin curriculum to schools. I think government is rooting for the wrong country.
Among other winners, Taika Waititi, a director of indigenous descent from New Zealand, dedicated his Best Adapted Screenplay award to the indigenous peoples. Joaquin Phoenix, who won Best Actor for playing a Joker, was serious in saying actors should be a voice for many marginalized sectors.
That's a huge difference from here. Because the indigenous peoples are praised by blending in festival dances and having tattoos. But when we talk about protecting their ancestral land and schools, the IP is suddenly spelled as NPA.
Parasite is getting a remake in Hollywood. If Hollywood were to remake that in our country, Malacañang would be a good setting for it. Oligarchs sucking on the riches of our land, and on the sweat of farmers and working class, government's communications team sucking up with bad propaganda.
And the plot also has a twist, when the President terminates the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States, trying to prove the country is not a parasite to the superpower that is the USA. But then, another twist, perhaps the government is opening its doors further to China vessels and investments.
Not a bad idea for a sequel. But a bad idea rather for running the country.
SunStar website welcomes friendly debate, but comments posted on this site do not necessarily reflect the views of the SunStar management and its affiliates. SunStar reserves the right to delete, reproduce or modify comments posted here without notice. Posts that are inappropriate will automatically be deleted.
Do not use obscenity. Some words have been banned. Stick to the topic. Do not veer away from the discussion. Be coherent. Do not shout or use CAPITAL LETTERS!

subset: commoncrawl


text: The UV glitter is one of the main products of kily.kily has great production capability and excellent technology. We also have comprehensive production and quality inspection equipment.UV glitter has fine workmanship, high quality, reasonable price, good appearance, and great practicality.kily pays great attention to customers' needs. They are the basis for us to make samples and select the requested materials as well as provide ODM/OEM services.


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Jessie Buckley delivers an unforgettable, star-making performance as Rose-Lynn Harlan, a rebellious country singer who dreams of trading the working-class streets of Glasgow for the Grand Ole Opry of Nashville. Fresh out of prison, Rose-Lynn juggles her menial job, two children, and committed mother, expertly portrayed by Oscar-nominee Julie Walters, as she pursues her bold ambition of a one-way ticket to musical stardom. Complete with an electrifying soundtrack performed by Buckley, Wild Rose is a joyous human story steeped in music, courage, family, and achieving your dreams.
Wild Rose
The Music Hall Loft
131 Congress St
Portsmouth, NH 03801
131 Congress St
Portsmouth, NH 03801


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Windows 10 S Forces Bing and Edge Defaults
Samuel Wan / 3 years ago
Earlier in the week, Microsoft released their new Windows 10 S operating system. The new operating system, just like Windows RT, is limited to installing just Windows Store applications. Microsoft has taken an interesting approach to Windows 10 S beyond the Windows Store limitation it seems. In a not so surprising twist, Redmond is also trying to enforce the use of their default Edge browser and Bing search engine.
Microsoft has been trying to push their competing browser and search engine for a long time. With Windows 10 S, the effort is taken to the next level. Microsoft set both Bing and Edge as the default, and that cannot be changed. Even if a user jumps through the hurdle of getting the alternatives from the Windows Store, that is not enough. While alternative search engines and browsers can be set and installed, they cannot be the default.
Pitfalls of Windows 10 S Defaults
Apple and Google have at various times done the same for some of their systems, notably ChromeOS and iOS. Those systems, however, were marketed specifically as an alternative to a full-on operating system. Microsoft is trying the same move with Windows 10 S being a more limited piece of software. Redmond however, has maintained the same old Windows branding which users have associated with a full operating system.
Users shunned Windows RT partially due to the fact that it purported to be Windows but did not offer a full Windows experience. Consumers may shun Windows 10 S for the same reason if it is too limited. Microsoft should draw on their Windows branding, but it has to make sure that users know what they are getting. It will be interesting to see if users will reject or accept Windows 10 and its limitations.


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2015 hasn't been kind to publishers. This year, the already-fragile publisher model was forced to face up to viewability, the publisher's relationship with the social platforms and ad-blocking. Given the pace of our industry, 2016 looks set to be equally challenging. Here are five things publishers should be considering in the coming year:
Deepen Industry Co-operation on Multiple Fronts
A huge number of publisher problems come down to the size of the companies now challenging them. Many have been overwhelmed by the gargantuan scale an influence of the large tech players/social platforms and also by the large agency groups at the negotiating table.
Until there's a law passed to protect independent publishers as an endangered species, publishers need to meet might with might, and going it alone won't work for anyone other than the biggest publishers. The publisher co-operatives that have sprung up everywhere are a welcome start, but pooling remnant inventory doesn't go far enough.
To face up to the buying power of the agency giants, publishers need to either: (a) adopt a union-like mentality on pricing for top tier inventory, which could be sold more efficiently via a co-operative or a sales house, a model which works well for the TV industry; (b) if possible, go on an acquisition spree to strengthen their hand in the market; (c) merge with other leading publishers. While individual publishers find themselves overwhelmed by the buying power of the likes of GroupM, they also need to remember that few major brands would work with an agency who couldn't buy national press or TV inventory.
A similarly co-operative approach should be taken when negotiating the companies seeking to wedge themselves ever deeper between publishers and their audiences, most notably Google, Apple and Facebook, and to a lesser extend Snapchat and Twitter. While the relationship between these platforms and publishers is symbiotic, the gravitational pull of the large platforms means that publishers are usually the weakling at the negotiating table. But again, these platforms would lose much of their appeal overnight if publishers were to withdraw en masse, so publishers should be negotiating terms as a group, not individually.
Stop Whining About Agency Arbitrage…
If agencies are going behind their clients' backs with arbitrage, then publishers have every right to complain that agents aren't really agents any more, and that their clients should wise up and buy from publishers directly. However, as we're about to enter 2016, the agency trading desk model is now well-established and clients are in all likelihood familiar with the likes of Xaxis offer, so if they're contractually happy with what their agency are selling them (e.g. media+data+technology=product), then it's time to stop moaning. If someone is taking your inventory and is able to add significant margin to it by sprinkling a bit of data over it, then the chances are you're missing a trick and need to revisit your data strategy, or spend more time on your direct advertiser relationships.
…Instead, Start Behaving More Like an Agency
One of the most successful and fastest-growing publishers is Vice, whose commercial success in recent years is largely down to the way in which they execute content marketing for brands. In doing so, they assembled a team composed of both agency staff and content creators, striking the right balance between getting a brand's message across without compromising on content quality. It also enabled them to have people in house who can anticipate a brand's expectations, measure what does/doesn't work, and think about distribution beyond the confines of the publisher's own properties. This agency-publisher hybrid model has been taking root over the last couple of years, a notable example being the New York Times's 'T Brand Studio' content marketing division.
Give More Thought to Video Content and Syndication
While the outstream formats have provided publishers a convenient method of boosting supply, it seems unlikely that the juicy CPMs publishers are enjoying today will be sustainable in the long-term. It's just a bit too easy to create inventory and – as we've seen with display advertising – when it's just a question of adding a unit to a page, the whole of the market jumps in which will eventually create a surplus of supply, leading to lower prices. That's not to say that publishers shouldn't be using outstream formats – they should – but buyers will always be willing to pay a premium for in-stream ads.
However, producing video is expensive, which is why more publishers need to make better use of syndicated content across their sites. It's what the TV industry has been doing for years, yet many publishers still think they're devaluing their brand by borrowing content that might be available elsewhere. Publishers should also get better value of video that is produced in-house by ensuring there is video on every page (i.e. you've read this, now watch this…), a strategy that Business Insider has deployed with great success. Also having a dedicated video team – rather than lumping video in with 'digital' – will pay dividends. Many of the video syndication companies say that publishers are keen to use syndicated video, but they fall down as nobody at the publisher 'owns' video.
Experiment with OTT Platforms & VR
While the TV industry has been quick to move online, the online world has been far slower to grasp the opportunities on TV. As the OTT platforms like Roku, Apple TV and the games consoles are now scaling, there are still very few apps being created by web native and traditional publishers. If you have video content on your website, the chances are it's easily transferable to a TV app. While it might not be a goldmine today, at the very least it's important to learn what does/doesn't work before your competitors do.
A more nascent technology that publishers should be experimenting with in 2016 is VR. This year we saw Condé Nast and the New York Times trial VR experiences, and while it's still early days, many believe VR is the next great tech revolution, encompassing not just the media and gaming world, but everything from travel to how we do business. First movers will reap the rewards.


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text:
Basic & clinical pharmacology / edited by Bertram G. Katzung.
Contributor(s): Katzung, Bertram GNorwalk, CT : Appleton & Lange, c1992Edition: 5th edDescription: xiii, 1017 p. : ill. ; 25 cmContent type: rdacontent Media type: rdamedia Carrier type: rdacarrierISBN: 0838505643Subject(s): PharmacologyLOC classification: RM 300 R49 1992
|Item type
|Current location
|Call number
|Date due
|Circulation Books
|Medical Center Library Relegated
|RM 300 .R49 1992 (Browse shelf)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Doctor of Medicine
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text:
Jorg the Yoozian is a janitor who works on Planet DlareDlare.
Jorg the Yoozian is impatient and stubborn. He is also bent on the destruction of the Irken race, and is extremely loyal to his allies. He is very emotional about his past, and "doesn't want to talk about it."
He has an INTENSE hatred of Irkens.
Jorg has green eyes and is 5 feet tall.
- Jorg is actually in league with The Resisty and the Meekrob. He serves as an agent for them.
- Jorg possess an anti gravity device implanted in his feet.
- He is treated rudely in his job as a janitor.
- He usually receives up to 15 electric shocks from slave drivers a week.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


text:
FedEX SenseAware keeps an eye on your package
Your package is important. You must always protect your package. It hurts when your package is abused and kicked, which can result in you falling to your knees sobbing… I'm talking about your package, not the family jewels. Get your mind out of the gutter.
Never worry about your package again, with FedEX's SenseAware. It will give you much more useful info regarding your package, than the traditional tracking number does. The device uses an accelerometer, light sensor, cellular transmitter and a GPS receiver to gather and report data on how your package is being treated…Or mistreated. It even knows whether it was opened in the desired location. You can log on to the website and check out the info any time.


text:
/Degree Apprenticeship in Cyber Security
Provided by: University of Gloucestershire
Course Area: South West
Course Code: UA-0009-F01U-D
Course Type: Degree Apprenticeship
Start date: 04/02/2020
End date: 02/02/2024
Subjects: Coding, Computer Science, Cryptography, Cyber Security, Ethical Hacking, Networks, Networks and Security
Price: Paid by Employer
Delivery Method: Face to face
Course Overview
Our degree apprenticeship in cyber security has been developed by today's leading professionals, to cultivate tomorrow's cyber experts.
This programme has been developed with the support of the Institute of Coding, a network of employers, universities, training providers and professional bodies working in collaboration with Tech Partnership Degrees to create the skills needed for the digital economy.
Through our expert teaching, your staff will learn about current security threats and how to tackle them – as well as how to identify and mitigate future risks.
This apprenticeship challenges your staff to apply their learning to their workplace setting and therefore the benefits for your organisation will be immediate. You will see a positive change in how apprentices develop effective solutions and take responsibility for the continuous improvement of your IT systems and working processes.
Who is this course for
This course is directed at organisations and delivered as an apprenticeship where the apprentices should be in full-time employment.
What will I learn
During their first year, apprentices will develop a grounding in computers, systems and networks, particularly in relation to identifying and preventing security breaches. Topics will include system design and development, and the fundamentals of programming. An independent work-based project will underpin classroom content – therefore apprentices will be applying their learning to your workplace from day one.
In year two, learners will develop their experience of analysing secure networks and websites, and will develop skills around penetration testing, malware identification and ethical hacking. Areas of study will include cryptography and security, network design and configuration, and operating systems security – with a focus on Windows, MAC OS and Linux.
Application of learning takes an even stronger focus, with supervised professional work experience providing a mechanism for learners to put theory into practice.
The third year has a strategic focus and apprentices are required to develop solutions to protect against cybercrime, before it happens. Learners will explore topics such as risk assessment and management, advanced networking and security, and secure system assurance.
The third year project will be an individual research project, where learners will be required to examine 'hot' cybercrime topics, with a particular focus on the commercial security risks and how organisations can protect themselves.
Endpoint assessment:
Throughout the apprenticeship, learners will be required to reflect upon how they have applied taught content in their workplace. In their final year they will be required to present a learning portfolio and synoptic project, demonstrating their growth in knowledge and professional development.Visit this course


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Most homeowners strive to increase their home's worth by making it look better than others. But, many people just do not have the natural skills for interior designing. Read this article for some great interior design tips!
As you design your office area, functionality is the rule to follow. Comfort cannot be compromised when purchasing a chair and desk, and the right lighting is also very important. Your priority should be in creating a space that you will want to work in, and this can include making the space visually interesting.
Mix patterns and textures to create a sophisticated design in any room. Patterns and textures engage the eye and provide an excellent complement for a smooth surface like glass or wood. Contemporary rooms demand contemporary textures and patterns.
Once you have an idea of what you want, check mass retailers for quality equivalents of designer work. When you find high-end decor that you like but doesn't fit your budget, search for a similar piece of a different brand. You should only use designer brands if you are unable to find lower-priced items of comparable design and quality.
Only listen to some of what professionals say regarding interior design. Start listening to your own gut if you want to create an environment that will be uniquely special to you.
Whenever doing any design project, try to avoid giving your room a cluttered look. If you have too much stuff in too small a space, it is going to appear cramped. Use just a few select pieces of furniture instead, and enjoy the freedom to walk around.
Incorporating trendy elements as you design a room can be great. Your room will have a quick update that reflects the newest trends. Normally you will want to incorporate these items for accent purposes only. By using these pieces as accents you will be quickly able to update to newer styles when the old trends have faded. On the other hand, a leopard-printed sofa is hard to replace.
Try utilizing a mirror to reflect the available natural light in a room. As light enters the room, it is reflected from the mirror and creates the illusion that the room has more windows. This makes the room look much brighter.
One trick you could use when it comes to a small house is by using many mirrors. Mirrors easily enhance the feeling of spaciousness, and allow you to create a smarter look to the room. Invest in mirrors in order for you to be able to facilitate the interior design project you are doing.
If you have a lot of stuff, you can minimize the appearance of that by keeping your walls simple. Some individuals have more things than others. This is natural, but if you are a collector make sure your displays are tasteful and your walls are not over decorated. Anything else can make your house appear cluttered.
As you now know, it isn't all that hard to give your house a new and wonderful look. Use the advice in this article to personalize your home. Take the advice from this article and use it as a tool for improving your home's interior.


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Ukraine will introduce European bisonto the Chernobyl area affected by a nuclear power disaster to establish a nature reserve, the country`s Emergency Situations Minister Volodymyr Shandra announced Friday, according to Xinhua. "I think we will bring up to ten bison to the zone to raise the biological diversity of the territory," Shandra said at a press conference.
He also urged that tourists be encouraged to visit the Chernobyl area so that people can observe the "price of human error."
On April 26, 1986, the world`s worst nuclear accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, causing widespread environmental pollution.
In recent years, the Chernobyl exclusion zone has become a haven for wildlife with lynx, eagles, and even bears that had disappeared from the area, reappearing. In addition populations of badgers, deer, elk, otters, wolves, beavers and boars have thrived without human interference.


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National Republican Campaign Committee
The NRCC is a political committee devoted to maintaining and increasing the 242-member Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The NRCC's origins date back to 1866, when the Republican caucuses of the House and Senate formed a "Congressional Committee."
The NRCC is governed by its chairman, U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (TX-32), and an executive committee composed of Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Chairman is elected by the House Republican Conference after each Congressional election.
By contributing to the NRCC, IAPAC will receive annual membership to the House Council. House Council members are invited to attend quarterly briefings with Republican Party Leaders, political operatives and key staff to discuss current issues facing Congress.
Click here to learn more about the NRCC.
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© 2008 - 2020 Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC)


text:
Junior Caramels Soft Milk Caramels, in Pure Chocolate
Junior Caramels are a rich blend of milk chocolate and soft, easy to chew caramel. Bite sized caramel centers are covered with just the right amount of chocolate and are ideal for snacking and sharing with friends of all ages! Try some Junior Caramels today!


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The question as to whether university students like group work was investigated through collection of primary qualitative and quantitative data, as well as secondary research.
The research:
The primary research methods used were informative and insightful. In hindsight, although the survey allowed me to ask a large group of people their thoughts on whether group work is effective, it would have been better to include a greater amount of questions. Statistics generated in the opinion piece were calculated through survey results, and allowed for easier comprehension of data for readers. Thirty-nine people took the survey. Fifty students or more would have allowed for greater insight as to whether students favour team work.
The interviews were a successful primary research method, as one-on-one interviews allowed questions to be asked based on respondents answers. If a candidate's answer was not clear, the question "why do you think that is?" was asked. After being a candidate in other student's focus groups and seeing how a larger pool of responses can be collected at one time, a focus group would have been better than three interviews. Although the interviews went well, focus groups allow candidates to bounce ideas of one another, whereas interviews can be intense for the interviewee. As interviewees can find the experience confronting, the interview was structured as a conversation rather than a straight Q and A format. Instead of sticking strictly to the listed questions, they were dependant on what the interviewee had previously said.
Secondary research was conducted through reports, news articles, data sets and websites. This research was a basis for the survey and interviews. Not only was pre-primary research beneficial, but it was also beneficial after the surveys and interviews had concluded. For example, many students felt they had a lack of control in their group and secondary research confirmed this is largely because they are a high achieving student who wishes to get the best marks they can (Wilkens and Tucci).
The Results:
The opinion piece concluded that majority of university students researched disliked group work, as they had a lack of control over the assessment and were reliant on other students for marks. They suggested not to abolish group work, as working as a team is an aspect of university that employers look favourable upon, but rather decrease the weight of assessments as well as choose carefully the types of assessments are required to be completed as a group. The results surprised me slightly, as I did not consider how other students, as well as myself find university group work a difficult task.
As secondary research revealed that high achieving students did not enjoy team work due to a lack of control over the assessment, potentially a shift in students attitudes towards team work is required rather than changing the assessments themselves. Learning to work with others is important, and learning that high destinctions are not the 'be all to end all' is a vital realisation for all university students.
What I Learnt & Conclusion:
Before I began my research journey, I was not aware of whether other students disliked group work as I did in my time at university. As shown through my primary research, majority of participants also preferred to work on projects by themselves. Interestingly, secondary research exemplified that this desire to work on a lone task, may be due to a fear that other students may not produce the same standard of work. Hence a shift in personal attitude, and an acceptance that people's diversity, difference and talents contribute to the quality and uniqueness of a project is in order. This project has given me insight into my own stubbornness and sometimes inability to communicate, and has taught me that high marks are not the only important factor when completing university assessments.


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If you are concurrent with the happenings in the weight loss industry, then you must have heard of or even tried the new HCG diet. This dieting strategy is much talked about as it promises immediate weight loss with minimal or no adverse reactions. This diet is based on the HCG hormone secreted by the placenta of pregnant woman. This hormone is extracted and transformed into easy to take injection or drops.
However, there are many concerns and apprehensions over the safety and reliability of this dieting and weight loss method. As it has been proved time and again by the failure of many a fad diet, there is definitely no short cut weight loss method. If you want to reduce weight instantly and are thinking of trying out the hcg diet that is fast gaining in popularity, then be sure to check out information on the dangers of hcg before reaching out for it.
All about HCG diet protocol
During the initial months of pregnancy, the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or HCG hormone is secreted in good amounts. Urine samples of pregnant women are the source of this hormone that is extracted and changed into the oral HCG pills or the HCG diet injections.
Though HCG is associated with several bodily functions, one of the most significant and specific role involves providing nourishment for the fetus even if the mother does not take in enough food. Medically, HCG hormone is used to treat delay in development of genitals in teen boys. According to those who promote the HCG diet protocol, this diet regime helps lose at least one pound a day and also provide long term results. There are many reports however, published against reaching out for the HCG diet keeping in mind the dangers of hcg and its effects and implications on both men and women.
Dangers faced by men following HCG diet
As you start taking the HCG injections or HCG pills, there are a few prerequisites you are expected to follow diligently. It is important to take the HCG dosage in keeping with your dieting program and you must also eat lesser amount of food. As HCG provides enough calories, dieters will not experience hunger pangs even with lesser intake of food according to HCG diet supporters.
HCG is a hormone secreted and extracted from women. It therefore goes without saying that when used by men, it tends to cause adverse reactions.
As compared to women, men tend to eat lot more calories on a daily basis. After shifting over to a very low calorie diet, the recommended usually being around 500 calories per day, men start experiencing lightheadedness, weakness and a strong craving for food almost as soon as they start their HCG diet. After men start their HCG diet, the first manifested symptoms include restlessness, headache, irritability and extreme fatigue. Men who are on HCG injections, side effects in clued skin related issues such as blood clots, occasional bleeding, infection, soreness, rashes and redness at the injection site.
Some men who started on the HCG diet protocol experienced unusual signs that are quite similar to those experienced by pregnant women. Dangers of hcg in men include emotional feelings and mood swings, water retention and nausea.Dangers of hcg in men also include hair loss.
This has been observed in quite a few dieters and it is evident that hair thinning occurs in men who start on HCG diet and are exposed to the hormone.Men who take in overdose of this hormone also experience symptoms such as enlargement of prostrate and breast lining swelling. If you experience any of the above symptoms, it is imperative to immediately seek medical attention.
Women too should beware of any such fad diet that promises instant weight loss. We all know that weight loss spread over a longer period of time following a nutritious balanced diet and regular exercise regimes is the best method. This kind of weight loss is permanent and comes with no side effects.
It is important to keep in mind the dangers of hcg diet that is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration or FDA. No clinical reports prove that this diet protocol is a reliable weight loss means. No proof exists on whether HCG hormone is good enough to reduce low calorie consumption's negative effects and to suppress appetite. Before you reach out for the HCG diet protocol, be sure to consult your doctor on possible dangers of hcg and whether your body is suitable enough for this specific diet.


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A program designed to train agricultural workers and help alleviate a shortage of skilled labour on Saskatchewan farms did not continue beyond a pilot project stage.
The Agricultural Operator Program was announced in 2014 as part of the provincial government's growth plan.
It was delivered by Parkland Regional College in Yorkton and, if successful, was to be expanded province-wide.
However, the pilot was discontinued after 17 people participated in 2014 and only eight in 2015.
"The uptake was very low," said Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart.
"With the tuition students would have paid if the classes were full, the cost would have been quite manageable, but they weren't and so we haven't done that this last year."
The first modules of seeding, spraying and scouting, and harvesting included both hands-on workshops and online training.
Because of the low enrolment, the plan to develop livestock modules was never carried out.
Stewart said a similar type of program could be revived if there was enough demand.
The government had hoped that the program would attract new entrants to the agricultural workforce as well as help general farm labourers upgrade their skills.
"We did a lot of advertising and we tried hard to get the word out, but we fell quite short of filling those classes," he said.