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Chapter 29 : Hate
|Rating: Mature
|Chapter Reviews: 57
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A/N: Chapter 29! Enjoy!
Something you should know about me:
Im not good with kids.
Its not that I dont like them. Im not a child-hater. I just... Well, I dont see what all the hype is about. I mean, sure, theyre cute and their miniature shoes are adorable (seriously, are those even meant for human feet?). But if I really wanted to take care of something that cried, screamed, and always seemed to have food on its face... Well, Id just look after Dom when she was drunk.
To illustrate my point: when I was young, I never had an interest in those doll babies with their fake bottles and diapers. I rather preferred my collection of rare and precious gemstones.
This, coincidentally, did not make me all-too-popular on the playground.
Especially when, during one fateful recess, I accidentally stepped on a My Precious Angel baby doll that belonged to Chrissy Madison, the Queen of First Grade, in an attempt to snatch what looked like a chip of quartz out of the sandbox. This earned me the wrath of Chrissy and her league of six-year-old minions for the rest of my career at St. Johns Elementary, and from then on, I was permanently branded as a freak and a nerd.
Oh, and that piece of quartz I had jeopardized my childhood social life for? Turned out to be a condom wrapper.
This anecdote, now that I think about it, could actually be a pretty accurate metaphor for my entire life.
Though what goes around comes around, I suppose, since last year, it was rumored that Chrissy Madison had to drop out of school because she got knocked up by some dude on her school rugby team. So ha ha, Chrissy Madison! Who was the winner now? Thats right! For the first time in the history of forever, the kid with the rock collection comes out on top.
Anyway, what was I saying?
Oh, yeah. Children.
To be honest, I think the reason why I wasn't comfortable around kids was because...well, they were kind of scary. I mean, first they're giving you hugs and telling you how pretty your hair is, and the next thing you know, theyre running away from you screaming like a coke-addict, and youre stuck nursing a bald patch and a vicious bite-wound on your leg.
So you can understand my apprehension when Potter and I walked into that white-with-blue-shutters house and were greeted by a whirlwind of chaos and noise.
Don! Don, wheres my shoe? A frazzled looking woman, who I guess hadnt noticed us yet, was digging frantically through a nearby closet that was adjacent to the door, looking like one of those housewives that lapse into hysteria whenever Marks & Spencer has a Boxing Day sale and theres only one last cable-knit sweater in her size.
I dont know! An unseen man hollered from somewhere in a different room. Maybe Lilia took it?
Why would Lilia take myoh shite, honey, James is here! The women finally looked up from her frenzied search to lock eyes with us. Immediately, her cheeks flushed red, her posture relaxing with relief.
James! Thudding footsteps sounded, followed by the harried appearance of a man skidding into the hallway. He looked handsome but tired, with salt-and-pepper hair and purple bags bruised onto the skin under his eyes.
Before either of us could say or do anything, the woman had rushed forward and embraced Potter as if he were her long-lost son. Oh, James, thank God youre here!
She released him and, much to my surprise, pulled me into a giant embrace as well. I tried not to squirm as my face got acquainted with the boobs of this lady I did not know.
As I struggled not to asphyxiate, the man stepped forward and shook hands with Potter. The woman released me and, startled, I stumbled back into a smirking Potter.
James, you have no idea how good it is to see you," the man said. He looked tired and had toothpaste on his shirt, but his was smiling.
The woman, who I was presuming to be his wife, nodded fervently in agreement. The two of them together were the picture of 'exhausted married couple.' I mean, Lilias a lovely child and all
But I havent seen daylight in weeks, the man sliced through.
Were so glad youre going to take her for the day
you don't understand. Weeks, James. Weeks
Honestly, shes a really easy child to take care of
Ive been conscious for six straight days in a row."
Now Henry, The women gave a nervous, high-pitched laugh and shot us an anxious glance. Dont say such a thing. You dont want to scare away the babysitters.
The man smiled wanly at his wife. Of course not, dear. But the minute she turned back to the closet to find her missing shoe, he put one hand on each of Potter and Is shoulders and pulled us close, whispering in a raspy, desperate voice of a broken man. Never have children."
While I was already calculating how fast I would have to run for me to get out the door and into the car before Potter could tackle me to the ground, Potter was grinning. He looked cool and unperturbed as always, genuinely happy to see these crazy people. Mr. Dauby, have you met Agatha?
Oh, where are my manners! Mrs. Dauby, who had managed to find the second half of her pair of shoes and was currently trying to jam it on her left foot, hopped over to us and extended her hand to me (which seemed slightly formal since she had strangled me with a bear-hug only moments ago). Its so nice to meet you Agatha.
We havent heard a single thing about you, Mr. Dauby added brightly, a beaming smile on his face.
I couldn't help but laugh at his honesty. Nice to meet you too, Im...uh... What? Potters friend? His occasional snog? The sister of James best friend, I finished lamely, in what had to be the most awkwardly phrased sentence ever spoken.
Lovely, Mr. Dauby clapped his hands in a lets-get-down-to-business manner that made it obvious he didn't really care who would be taking care of his child. Marie will just get Lilia and your guys money, and then we will be on our way.
Everything was slowly piecing together in my mind. Henry and Marie Dauby. Their daughter, Lilia Dauby, who was apparently quite the little monster and not a fan of letting other people sleep. Yikes.
Dont worry about it, sir, you dont have to pay us, Potter smiled, his hand absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck. He looked, for once, actually sincere in what he was saying.
Dont be silly, James! Mrs. Dauby chuckled, though there was a shine of wistfulness in her eyes, like she was really tempted to take him up on the offer. We couldnt just not pay you
Please, Potter cut through, and I was so amazed by how capable he was of just turning on the charm like that. Potter could be really charismatic when he wanted to. You helped my mum with her taxes. Just think of this as a way of us repaying the favour.
Well, if you insist, Henry Dauby shot his wife a dubious look. After a second of hesitation, Mrs. Dauby nodded.
Thank you, James, she whispered softly, looking so touched, Potter might as well have just saved her house from burning down.
Hmm. These people seemed to idolize Potter.
Shame, really. I was just beginning to like them.
Well then, we should probably be on our way, Mrs. Dauby gave a sweet, gentle smile, before snapping around to holler loudly up the staircase. LILIA! LILIA!
There was a pattering of little feet. A wisp of blonde hair. And then, peeking out from behind Mr. Daubys legs, were two of the biggest, brownest eyes Id ever seen in my life. They were huge. Like, Puss in Boots huge. Framed with lashes long enough to belong in a Maybelline commercial and sitting below a pinched, anxiously-furrowed brow.
James, you already know her. But Agatha, Mrs. Dauby began, taking a deep breath. This is Lilia.
With that, Mr. Dauby priedhe literally had to pry, like she was a barnacle or somethingthe kid off his legs and gave her a gentle push in our direction. Lilia stumbled a bit, before finding another pair of legsthis time they were Pottersto latch on to, brown eyes filled with worry and still staring at me.
Erm, hey, I said.
No reply.
Just more staring.
This was really starting to freak me out. I squirmed under The Barnacle's freakishly deep gaze, feeling like all my past lying, manipulating, ABBA-listening sins were being laid out for the world to see.
Well, looks like you two are going to hit it off, Mr. Dauby said bright, warm gaze darting between us. Now, we should probably be off.
Potter grinned. "Have fun on your date, guys. We'll hold down the fort."
Apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Dauby did not need anymore assurance than that. They practically raced each other to the door (I swear I saw Mrs. Dauby shove her husband out of the way so she could get there first). There was a brief gust of cold air as it was hurled open, and then the couple pretty much vanished into the outside world, gone in the wink of an eye.
After they left, I just stood there for a moment, not sure of what we were supposed to do. The echo of the door slamming rang in my ears. Potter and I blinked in the dimly lit hallway before bleakly locking eyes. In unison, we looked down at The Barnacle, who was still clutching on to Potters legs for dear life.
The Barnacle gazed up at us with her freakish brown eyes. It took about two seconds for her to realize that her parents were not coming with us on this jolly little adventure.
And then, she promptly burst into tears.
Viciously, I slammed the plastic cup of cereal on Lilias highchair (causing a subsequent volcanic eruption of cheerios all over the place) before wheeling around to fix Potter with a twitchy, manic glare. It was a glare that could make flowers wilt over and birds drop dead from trees. It was a glare that could shrivel Voldemort into a tiny, human raisin.
And it was a glare that Potter dully ignored, seeing as he was a little busy trying to shut up the bawling, shrieking little banshee that was currently making our lives hell.
Lilia. Please. Please be quiet, Potters groan was low and pleading, his knuckles white around the edge of the highchair as he gripped it, leaning in closer to level his desperate gaze with The Barnacle. But she didnt even bother to look at him before breaking out into a fresh peal of screams.
We had tried everything. Jokes. Food. Toys. Begging. At one point, Potter and I had even broken out into an impromptu duet of The Barney Song (something that would never, ever be mentioned for the rest of our lives). But still, nothing pleased The Barnacle. She had been crying for thirty minutes. Thirty straight minutes. And by the looks of it, she wasnt going to stop anytime soon.
This is hopeless. Frustrated, I threw my hands in the air, completely done with the whole mess. I was finished. Caput. Finito. My nerves were grated raw. Tendrils of my hair were slipping out of my ponytail and tickling my face. My eardrums were never going to forgive me for this. Enough was enough.
I dont know whats wrong, Potter straightened and turned towards me, running an aggravated hand through his tousled shock of hair. He had been doing that so much lately, it looked like he had spent the day making out with a spark plug. Shes usually fine when its just me.
This was accompanied with a heavy emphasis on just me and a pointed glance in my directionsomething I did not appreciate at all.
Excuse me, I cried as Lilia continued to wail in the background like a toddler opera singer. I wasnt a fan of Potters accusatory tone, or the implication that this was all somehow my fault. What are you trying to say here?
Potter paused for a second, as if he was attempting to phrase whatever he was about to say in the most delicate way possible.
That youre a shit babysitter, he said bluntly, eyes locked matter-of-factly with mine.
Indignant, I snapped my head up to glare at him underneath the red frizz sprouting loose from my ponytail. Oh, and youre just a regular Mrs. Doubtfire, arent you?
Potter shrugged. Im doing better than you.
Says who?
Says the little girl who immediately bursts into tears whenever you come within a two feet radius of her! Potter threw his hand back to gesture at Lilia, making my eyebrows shoot up derisively.
Are you saying you want me to leave? I hissed, trying to lower my voice (Merlin knew that us screaming at each other and adding to the overwhelming volume of the house was not helping the situation). Because believe me, I would be more than happy to.
No way, Potter planted his hands firmly on the table, leaning over me in a manner that I tried my best to not find intimidating. His gaze was dark and cool, mouth a flat line as he spoke. If Im going down, youre coming with me.
I scoffed, narrowing my eyes and refusing to break his glare. Potters gaze was a challenge one I wasn't about to lose. "Whatever."
There was a moment of silence.
We were locked in, ice blue on burnt gold. The world slowed to a jerky halt as even the air in the room came to a stasis. It was as if there was a camera lens, zooming in and focusing until it was just the two of us. Alone. Together. Connected and held in place by this invisible bond beaming between us.
In fact, we were both so concentrated on our sudden death stare match that neither of noticed the fact that we were enduring a moment of silence. Silence.
Which meant two things: a) there really was a God after all, and b) Lilia had stopped crying.
I whipped around in my chair, breaking our gaze and whatever spell had just fallen over us, to see Lilia, her chocolate eyes still wet but her mouth blessedly closed. And her tiny little fist clenched around... a strand of my hair. She was staring at it as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
Oh hey, I said, staring at her staring at my hair.
Potter looked between us and gave a disbelieving breath of laughter, folding his hands behind his head, exasperated. Youve got to be kidding me, he groaned to the ceiling.
She likes my hair. It must be the colour, I murmured, perplexed, as Lilia continued to stare wondrously at the bouncy red curl in her hand. "This is interesting."
This is insane. Potter dropped his hands to his side. We tried everythingeverythingto make her shut up when all we needed was a chunk of your hair?
Hey, I began defensively. Now that Lilia was quiet (because of me and my hair! Take that, Potter!), I was starting to become rather fond of the little barnacle. Easy now. Its not her fault youre an awful babysitter.
You cant be serious.
I mean, thank God I was here to soothe her
Soothe her? Being ginger is not the same as being a nanny, Aggy!
otherwise who knows how long she would have been crying
Just shut up.
I mean, you should be grateful, really
And, I wouldnt blame you if you were a little bit jealous, I finished, giving a casual shrug and trying to hide my triumphant smile. Its just a natural born gift, I guess. Im just good with kids.
Potters face was priceless. He looked horrified and confused and annoyed all at once, and I couldnt get enough of it. For once, I had beaten him at something. I came out as the winner.
Today was turning out to be a really good day.
The rest of our babysitting stint passed rather uneventfully at first. As promised, we took Lilia to the arcade. And with the exception of Potter accidentally pushing me into the ball pit and proceeding to laugh his arse off as I almost suffocated (why do they even have those anymore? Theyre a hazard!), it wasnt awful. Lilia, once she loosened up, began to actually have fun.
After my little ball pit incident, I had decided that the arcade life wasnt for me and plunked myself down at the separate eating area, where all the cool kids (read: middle-aged mums) hung out.
It turned out that, as long as we were apart, Potter and I made a great team. He would go into the arcade with Lilia, watch over her as she played all the games her heart desired. Then whenever she started to feel a little overwhelmed or upset, he would haul her over to me and I would dangle a couple locks of my hair over her face, maybe let her grab a few (what can I say? The kid was weird), and calm her down. Problem solved. In the time between, I would sit, relax and eat crappy arcade food. It was a win-win situation for everyone.
After a couple rounds of this (and quite a few french fry baskets), Potter brought Lilia over again. This time, though, two things were different: one, she was in tears, and two, he was carrying her.
Some other pratty little kid pushed her over near the ski-ball area. I had to carry her all the way here. She wont stop crying, Potter tersely informed me as he lightly bounced Lilia up and down on his hip. I couldn't tell who looked more agitated The Barnacle, or Potter. He was frowning, his eyebrows pinched together and his mouth quirked into an angry, unhappy scowl.
He was looking down at Lilia, who was wrapped around him like a tearful koala bear, with an exasperated but protective gaze. It would have been cute if the circumstances were any different.
Sighing, Potter tried to set her in the chair next to mine, but for some reason, Lilia simply wouldnt let go of him. She was using her Super Barnacle Powers, wrapping herself so tightly around Potter's torso she might as well have been super-glued there. And despite his best efforts to coax her off, The Barnacle simply wouldn't let go. She was really putting up a fuss, squirming and whimpering. I watched the whole scene, quietly annoyed but this time not at Lilia, but rather at the pratty kid who must have pushed her. An illogical wave of maternal instinct was overwhelming me, and I wanted whoever was responsible for this to pay.
Who did this to you, Lilia? I demanded, standing up so I could look her in her freakishly big eyes.
She shook her head, blonde curls bouncing around frantically, and just started crying harder. Potter shot me an accusatory look as she buried her red face into his shoulder, wailing fit to die.
Just leave it, alright, Bennett? Its not worth it, he snapped, but I could tell that he, too, was annoyed. He wanted to know just as much as I did.
And I couldnt leave it. As someone who used to get bullied on the playground, I knew how horrid it felt to be pushed around and have no one there to help you back up. Lilia needed retribution. Whoever had pushed her deserved to be disciplined. Not by me, of course, but by their parents at the very least. The Fallon Coopers of this world could not be allowed to run around wily-nily, getting their way and hurting other people in the process regardless of whether or not they were six years old.
Lilia, I murmured, tone gentler this time. I came around Potter's shoulder and gingerly placed my hand on her small, shuddering back, leaning in close. Its okay. You can tell me.
Slowly, The Barnacle lifted her head, peeking out at me underneath long, damp eyelashes. It was Stanley, she mumbled in a watery voice.
Then, she raised a chubby finger and pointed a few tables over to some kid wearing a Spiderman shirt and stomping around as his mother, presumably, tried to wipe pizza sauce off his face. Fucking Stanley.
Excuse me, I muttered and then I was off, stomping towards the table where the Brat Prat and his mother were, not really aware of what I was doing but knowing that I had to do it.
Hold on, Bennett. Bennett! Jesus Christ. I heard Potter hollering after me, but I couldnt be bothered. This Stanley kid had to learn that he couldnt just go around pushing other people. It wasnt right.
Um, hi, I said eloquently when I finally reached the table. The mother, who had mousy brown hair and a thin, bony face, lifted her head to look up at me. Brat Pat didnt even acknowledge me, just carried on with his temper tantrum (I WILL NOT WIPE MY FACE! YOU CANT MAKE ME! Lovely).
Hi, er, sorry to bother you, but are you Stanley's mother?
The ladys eyes narrowed into slits, her chin tilted upwards superciliously. Yes. Whats it to you?
Well, I began, feeling my confidence falter slightly under this womans intimidating gaze. Jesus, this lady was acting as if my mere presence were ruining her life. See, its not a big deal, really, but Stanley pushed my kid, Lilia, over and now shes crying. It would be nice if he could, erm, maybe apologize?
The lady paused, still glaring at me with such hostility I could feel my insides shriveling up. Next to her, Stanley had stopped fussing and was now also glowering at me. Well, werent these two just the jolly Sunshine Twins.
Excuse me, Stanley's Mum said, and I could see where his kid got the snottiness gene. But are you telling me how to raise my child?
I backpedaled, shaking my head hastily. No, of course not, Im just
Because I dont see how people like you have the right to
Hold on, I cut across, feeling my anger level spike dangerously. People like me? What do you mean people like me?
Before I could get too furious, Potter, no longer carrying The Barnacle and now standing next to me, placed a warning hand on my shoulder. I looked down to see Lilia behind him, peeking out from behind his legs and looking scared for her life.
This only made me angrier.
Bennett, just leave it. Potters voice was cool and smooth, but his jaw was clenched tight.
No, I snapped, wheeling around to face the Brat Pat and his mum. Not until Stanley apologises.
You have no right to tell my son what to do! The lady suddenly cried, standing up so fast her metal chair went screeching backwards.
I do when hes pushing kids around like that! My heartbeat was ringing in my ears. Roughly, I shook Potters hand off and stepped closer, meeting my eyes with the ladys mousy brown ones.
Teenaged parents, the lady scoffed, her sneer making my skin crawl. They think they know everything.
I was too angry to even bother denying the fact that Potter and I were parents. I mean, the idea was too absurd to even be acknowledged. I may be a teenager, but at least my parents taught me some manners."
What are you, the Neighborhood Playground Vigilante? Potter sliced across in a growl, stepping forward in an effort to cut me off. I knew I was out of lineeven Potter knew I was out of linebut I couldnt help myself. Never before had I spoken back to an adult, but something about this woman made me so angry, I wanted to scream.
Yes, dear, how about you listen to your little friend? Hes the one who knocked you up, am I right? And by the looks of it, she glanced down mockingly at my hands, which were firmly planted on my hips. No wedding ring. Cant say Im surprised. What kind of man would want to marry a rude, lippy S-L-U-T like you?
Even though she had spelled out the insult, I still felt the full magnitude of it. For a moment, I was stunned into silence. I mean, honestly. First Cooper, now her? This was the second time my... virtue, or whatever, had been insulted this month. Things were getting out of hand.
Luckily, I didnt have to speak up, because Potter was already doing it for me. Hey, if youre not going to discipline your kid like a normal adult, then fine, thats your decision. But you dont talk to her like that.
Maybe it was something about Potters voicethe authoritative, indisputable tone in itor the way his eyes sparked with anger, but for some reason, he looked intimidating. Stanley-the-Pusher cowered behind his mother, and even I had to acknowledge how fucking scary Potter could be if he wanted.
The woman stared at us for a second before giving a simpering smile that made me want to punch her. You teenagers are so over your heads.
We know what were doing, I hissed back caustically.
Oh yeah, then wheres your kid? The lady smiled triumphantly. For a second, I just stared at her, perplexed. Then, I turned around to look at the spot where Lilia was. Or rather, was supposed to be.
Because she was gone.
My heart immediately plunged into my stomach as panic gripped me. I locked eyes with Potter, his alarmed eyes telling me one thing, and one thing only:
We were fucked.
Lilia! Lilia!
Panic surged through me as Potter and I raced through the arcade, searching for any wisp of blonde hair or hint of brown eyes. It was hopeless, though. Chaos swirled around usflashing lights, the beeps of the machines, the laughter and screams of small children all smearing together into a vivid blend of hysteria as Potter and I continued running.
Fuuuuuck, fuuuuuck, I moaned to myself, trying to catch up with Potter unfairly long strides. We were screwed. Lilia was missing. We were screwed. Oh god, we were screwed.
I stopped, out of breath, and bent over to put my hands on my knees, trying to keep the tears from springing into my eyes. If only I hadnt charged at that lady and her kid. If only we had just stayed at our table. If only I hadnt made a mess of things, this all wouldnt be happening.
Why was it that I constantly mucked everything up? It was like anytime I went near something, the worst possible thing tended to happen as a result. I should just go into isolation and stay away from the outside world for the rest of time.
The thought of Liliawandering alone and helpless and probably scaredwas enough to make me stop breathing. All of a sudden, I needed a break.
Without really caring that there were people watching, or that I was probably surrounded by kids' germs and or that the carpet below me probably contained about fifty different health violations at once, my knees buckled and I sank to the ground. Furiously, I shoved my hands in my hair, squeezing my eyes shut to the flashing lights and whirring colours. Come on, Agatha, a clear voice in my head demanded, Think.
I was going to throw up.
Bennett, what are you doing?
Miserably, I opened my eyes to see Potter standing over me, looking a mixture of bewildered and annoyed. Couldnt he see that I was in the middle of a mental breakdown right now, and that it was rude to interrupt?
Get up, he said calmly.
He sighed and, in a surprisingly tender motion, crouched down to make eye contact.
Believe it or not, but you sitting around like an eejit isnt going to help anything. Now get up so we can go look for Lilia.
Its no use, I cried hysterically, dropping my hands. Couldnt he see? We were screwed. We checked everywherethe ski ball area, the games, the bathrooms. Theres no place else but the
I abruptly stopped talking as suddenly, I jerked my head up. Above me, snaking around the walls of the room, was a giant, brightly coloured tube, which connected with other giant, brightly coloured tubes and slides to form what I guessed was the arcade jungle-gym. In front of the entrance was a huge sign that proclaimed 'Tube City!' in cheery, bubbly letters.
Tube City, Potter murmured, craning his neck to follow my gaze, and never before had I heard those two words whispered in such a reverent tone.
Without further ado, I was getting up and running towards the entrance, almost mowing over a couple of kids in the process, Potter hot on my heels. We reached the first opening, ignoring the sign before it saying you had to be under the age of 12 to go inside. I hesitated a bit before finally diving inside the dark, hot tube, crawling upwards to the first landing. Potter was right behind me.
I paused for a second, sitting dumbfounded on the cushy landing. Besides the netted walls, there were three different entrances to three different winding, twisting tubes, all leading to different places. Which one to choose?
Just pick one, Potter said impatiently. Crouched down, he had to bend over a little so his head wouldnt graze the netted ceiling. With his broad shoulders and bent knees, he looked comically big for the place. I would have laughed at him under any other circumstances.
At random, I chose the blue tube. And then we were climbing again, up the winding, twisting piece of plastic, frantically rounding corners, scrabbling up landings, both of us cursing, until we finally reached
A dead end.
When we got to the top, there was nothing but the arcade wall, complete with a Plexiglas window and a nice view of the outside parking lot below. There was no where else to go. I had chosen the wrong tube, the wrong route. Merlin knew where Lilia was now.
And that was when I just gave up.
Bennett. Come on. Bennett.
I couldnt help it. I simply slumped against the Plexiglas, exhausted, not caring that we were in the middle of a child's playground, or that there were kids staring curiously at us. I was sweaty, exhausted, sick of everything...I just wanted to go home.
Then, a warm hand was tilting my chin up, and all of a sudden Potters hazel eyes were staring right at me, his face completely serious. Bennett, its okay. Well find her. She has to be somewhere.
Its justI cantUgh I shook my head furiously, feeling tears of frustration prickling the back of my eyes. I ruin everything! This is all my fault!
Potter, to his credit, could have agreed with me on this one. But instead, he shook his head, pragmatic and rational as always. Through my blurry vision, I could see he was completely, absolutely sincere. No, its not. Its both of ours. We both messed up.
I looked away, blinking rapidly as, to my utter mortification, an angry tear slipped out. Merlin. I couldn't believe I was crying. In front of James Sirius Potter. You were right. Im a shit babysitter.
No, Potter shook his head firmly, bending down some more so he could get closer, one warm, rough hand lingering on my cheek. I didnt know why he was being so kind of me. Merlin knew I didnt deserve it. Youre not. It was really... brave of you to ask that lady and her kid for an apology. Even if she was being a total bint.
I shook my head, giving a watery chuckle before I once again remembered Lilia and all traces of amusement were wiped away. I'm not brave."
"You were then." Instead of consolation, there was actual stubbornness twinging inside his tone. I almost could have laughed typical Potter, trying to comfort me from within his full spectrum of argumentative and hostile tendencies.
I'm not brave," I said, one last time. I pointed to myself, a sarcastic smile on my lips. "Slytherin, remember? You of all people should."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he shot back, eyes flashing for a dangerous second.
"Come on, Potter," I said bitterly, dropping my hand to swipe at the tears on my cheeks. "You know all about my faults. You're the one constantly reminding me of them."
For a second, Potter's eyes flickered with something strange. But it was too fleeting and inscrutable for me to read anything into it. Then he was turning away, face stone-smooth. "Maybe we should take a break from searching. Maybe if we wait a bit, just stay put in once place, she'll come to us. I'm sure she's fine. The arcade is really safe, after all."
I didn't reply, still staring, unabashedly, at Potter. He was pretending not to notice as he sighed, leaning back so that he was resting against one of the netted walls. As if he were surrendering to everythingto the situation, to the arcade, to Tube fricking City. He looked frustratingly calm as he stretched out his legs, running a hand through his hair.
For a moment, the two of us just sat there, on the squashed landing on that godforsaken jungle-gym, stewing in complete and total silence.
Do you hate me? I whispered after a while, eyes trained on my knees. I hadn't even known that the question was worth asking until just then, but I was suddenly afraid of his answer.
Potter hesitated. My heart pounded. I... dont know. Sometimes. Do you hate me?
I paused, thinking. I didn't think I could answer affirmatively to that question now, with Potter acting like this calm and thoughtful and keeping me tethered to sanity. He was actually being a big help in this situation. More surprisingly, he wasn't using the moment in a cheap ploy to guilt me or feel superior, even though the option was there for the taking. I couldn't say I would have acted so nobly, if roles were flipped.
A lot, I admitted, making him chuckle darkly. Most of the time. But now? No. Not at all.
We looked at each other for a second. And then Potter slowly shifted closer until he was right next to me, his left leg warm against mine. My heartbeat stopped and then jerked into action again, racing so fast it hurt. We locked gazes. There was something about the way he was looking at me that was almost overwhelmingly intense. His gaze was a paradoxdark and heavy, though equally as bright. His eyes held something inside them, like gold glimmering under waterradiant, elusive, intangible.
So how much time do you think we have before you start hating me again? Potters words were heavy, slow, careful.
What was Potter trying to do here? The roguish look in his gaze was, I hated to admit, slightly disarming (I could see why he was always so good at stringing girls around) and it was making me wary. Probably around five minutes.
Thats not very long. Potter was boasting the slightest of smirks, a challenge sparking in his gaze.
And whose fault is that? I shot back. We were dancing in circles now, speaking in code, testing the limit.
Hey, Im not the one who cant play nice."
I narrowed my eyes, annoyance spiking inside me. Challenge accepted, prat. Maybe I dont know how.
"Maybe I could show you."
And before I could process what was really happening, what was on the verge of happening, Potter was leaning close and whispering in my ear, lips barely brushing my skin, sending a tsunami of shivers down my back. Say when, he murmured, as if he were pouring me a drink and I had to tell him when to stop. As if it were that fucking, ridiculously simple.
And then he pulled away, wiping away a stray tear on my cheek with his thumb, and gave me a soft, barely-there kiss in its spot.
He pulled away, regarding me with careful eyes. When I didnt say anything, he kissed me againbut this time on the forehead. And then, after a brief pause, on the nose. On the cheek. On the corner of my mouth. On the other corner. And then I was grabbing him and his lips were on mine, his hands in my hair, the world spinning out of control as I gave a sharp inhale, my whole stomach flooding with butterflies.
My mind was wiped clean, any thought or worry completely dissipating into nothing as logic faded and the pure physicality of my body took over. Potters lips were hot and searing and deliciously rough on mine, making my skin tingle and my heartbeat jolt sporadically as he pressed on insistently, almost expertly. Slow and scalding, he dragged his tongue lightly across my bottom lip, giving it a soft nip as, involuntarily, my breathing hitched and my mouth dropped opened, deepening the kiss. He seemed to take this as encouragement, because he pulled me closer until my chest was flush against his, my movements suddenly becoming hungrier as his tongue slid, maddeningly slow, almost teasingly, into my mouth.
I pushed back urgently, wanting to feel every part of him, wanting to get as close as possible, my nerves sparking as our kisss pace went from slow and hazy to outright on fire. His hands skimmed from my hair to my hips to back to tangling inside my hair again, leaving trails of fire wherever they went. He gave my bottom lip another nip, eliciting a moan from me. Dimly, I knew I wasn't going to be able to handle much longer of this. He was prodding me closer and closer to the brink of insanity, and there was nothing I could do about it.
And then I rememberedLilia. Our responsibility. Finding her. And that was enough to get me to snap out of my hormone-induced daze. I mean, Jesus, there was a lost kid running around. Couldn't I keep it in my pants for one second?
When, when, I muttered against his lips, mustering all my willpower to push him away. Potter pulled back, his face inscrutable, his eyes dark and molten but holding a glint of... triumphant? Satisfaction? Potter, what the hell are we doing?
I dont know, he admitted after a heavy pause. I looked away, trying to hide the torrent of feeling that was surging inside me. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him, the biggest of all being, Why? Why me? Why now?
But I turned away, trying to make my face as impassive as possible. If he wanted to be blank and unreadable, then fine, I could too.
We have to find Lilia, I muttered reluctantly, my cheeks flaming red.
Youre right, Potter agreed, voice huskier than normal. There was something about his tone though, something that told me he had won the challenge. "Let's go."
Slowly, we started to climb down the way we came up, the air between us tense. All I wanted was to find Lilia and not have to think about all these emotions swirling around inside of me. I was confused. Muddled. How was it that whenever we were alone, Potter and I ended up either screaming at each other or snogging like mad? It didnt make any sense.
Nothing made any sense.
All I knew was I needed to talk to Dom about this, maybe have a good rant or a pint of ice cream, or both. I was so confused, running around like an idiot and not knowing what to do, when in reality, all I wanted was to wallow in my own troubles.
By the time we were halfway down, I was completely fed up when we heard the voice. Jamie? Benny?
Which I assumed translated into James? Bennett? in Barnacle language. The light, tinkling tone was unmistakable. It was Lilia.
Lilia! Lilia, where are you? I burst, looking wildly around. We were on one of the landings. I looked from side to side, swinging around frantically....
And then there she was, hiding in one of those plastic alcoves, looking scared but thankfully unharmed. Immediately, I was there, wrapping my arms around her, not caring if she was going to fight me or pull away or whatever.
Oh, thank Merlin, I breathed, gratitude washing over me like a tidal wave. Thank Merlin.
Potter was behind me, looking considerably relieved. Lilia, you gave us quite a scare. Dont do that again, alright? His tone was cheerful and casualhe obviously didnt want to scare her anymore than she already waysbut I sensed the knot of worry underneath.
In my arms, Lilia nodded quietly, sniffling a little. I turned around to Potter, glad this whole fiasco was over, glad that wed finally found her.
Can we go home now? I pleaded, voice hitching at the end. I was tired. Worn down. I needed some sleep and to think things over.
Yeah, Potter nodded, his voice devoid of any hint of what had happened between us a minute ago. Of course.
Thank Merlin.
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Here are some updated HVaC rankings. One thing to note is that this does not take into account the impact of some of the injuries over the weekend. There will be continued updates to this over the coming weeks, so please check back and keep yourself updated on what you need to know down the stretch!
Daily Fantasy Baseball August 9, 2014
2014 Fantasy Baseball: HVaC Update, August 4th
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Results 11 to 13 of 13
--Start a training log!
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Posts
- 4
Posted On:
8/27/2012 11:29pm
Style: Wing Chun / Muay Thai--Its my first time.
Congrats to my sister and her husband!
Gotta keep training to fight in case its a girl so I can be dangerous by the time she starts dating.
Gotta learn to shave with a straight razor so that I have a cool skill to pass down if its a boy.
Super excited!
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Location
- Ottawa
- Posts
- 3
Posted On:
8/28/2012 1:47am


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Remarkably lightweight and compact 50mm standard lens. Boasts a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8 that is ideal for low-light situations or when shallow depth of field is required, and contributes to a bright viewfinder image.
The re-designed optical construction features an aspherical lens element for superior image quality and Nikons exclusive Silent Wave Motor (SWM) delivers whisper-quiet operation. Great value for money, this is a superb additional lens for photographers on a budget.Colour: Black.
Product Features
- Get astonishing low light results
This lightweight standard lens is a great travel companion because you never know when a beautiful, sunny day will turn cloudy and rainy. With its fast f/1.8 aperture, the AF-S NIKKOR 50 mm f/1.8G will capture even low-light situations with stunning brilliance.
- Achieve more natural depth of field
Whether you're shooting portraits, food or nature - indoors or outdoors - the AF-S NIKKOR 50 mm f/1.8G renders a beautiful, natural background blur at its wider aperture settings. And its 50 mm focal length is perfect for creating natural perspective in your photographs.
- Shoot tack-sharp portraits every time
Nikon's Super Integrated Coating (SIC) enhances light transmission efficiency and offers superior color consistency and reduced flare, while the AF-S NIKKOR 50 mm f/1.8G's Aspherical Lens Element (AS) virtually eliminates coma and other types of aberrations, even when shooting at the widest available aperture.
- Quiet autofocus
A significant innovation in AF lens technology, Nikon's Silent Wave Motor uses ultrasonic (inaudible) vibrations - rather than a gear system - to focus the lens, providing incredibly smooth, silent and precise autofocus operation.
- Quick switching from AF to MF
When fine manual focusing is needed, simply rotate the lens focus ring - M/A mode allows you to seamlessly override the AF system with virtually no time lag.
- Reduce lens flare and ghosting
Nikon's super integrated coating enhances light transmission efficiency and offers superior color consistency and reduced lens flare.
Technical Specification
|Product Description
|Nikon Nikkor AF-S lens - 50 mm
|Lens System
|Intended For
|35mm SLR, digital SLR
|Mounting Type
|Nikon F
|Lens Aperture
|Focal Length
|50 mm
|Min Focus Distance
|0.45 m
|Focus Adjustment
|Automatic, manual
|Lens Construction
|6 group(s) / 7 element(s)
|Filter Size
|58 mm
|5.3 cm
|185 g
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Writer John W. Anderson knows a thing or two about helping the women in his life battle breast cancer. His mother, Annie, died from the disease and his mother's best friend Caryl, his sister Mary, and his wife, Sharon, all battled breast cancer and survived. In the process, Anderson learned how breast cancer affects men and what men can do when women in their lives become its victims.
Anderson used his experience to write Stand By Me: A Breast Cancer Guide for Men, after his wife reached her five-year cancer-free milestone. The book is a comprehensive reference and compass for husbands, fathers, sons, brothers and other caring men to help the women in their lives cope with this devastating disease.
The book is a step-by-step program targeted to men who want to become invaluable breast cancer caregivers to their loved ones, while at the same time helping them address and overcome their own personal fears, frustrations and anxieties caused by this disease. Combining anecdotes from his own and others' secondhand experiences of breast cancer with extensive research and abundant resources, Anderson provides information, strategies and guidance on countless medical and emotional minefields men face every day.
Beginning with the dreaded moment of diagnosis, Anderson clearly explains the range of breast cancer treatments -- from lumpectomy and chemotherapy to double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. He also provides expert advice on medical, psychological, family relationships, sexual and financial issues.
For more information, visit www.standbyher.org.
Stand by her: A breast cancer guide for men
Author watched breast cancer strike women in his life.
Breast cancer


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General Cable Management Discusses Q2 2012 Results - Earnings Call Transcript
The format of today's call will first be an overview by Brian Robinson of our second quarter. Secondly, Greg Kenny will provide comments on the company's third quarter 2012 outlook and full year business trends, followed by a question-and-answer period.
Before we get started, I wanted to call your attention to our Safe Harbor provisions regarding forward-looking statements and company-defined non-GAAP financial measures as defined on Slide #2, as we may refer to adjusted operating income and adjusted EBITDA in today's call.
To begin, please turn to Slide #5, where we have included a reconciliation of our previously communicated outlook provided on May 1.
With that, I will now turn the call over to Brian Robinson. Brian?Brian J. Robinson Thank you, Len. Good morning. We are pleased to report adjusted operating income and adjusted EPS were within our guidance range for the second quarter as each of our segments reported sequentially stronger results. Our businesses in North America and ROW were a source of stability during the second quarter, and in Europe, we continue to help ourselves despite an increasingly more challenging macroeconomic environment. Metal pounds sold for the second quarter increased 2% sequentially and 5% year-over-year but were below our guidance range. Our previously communicated demand expectations for the second quarter failed to materialize due to the impact of the economic uncertainty in Europe and industrial slowdown stalling demand for wiring cable products in North America and the impact of declining metal prices on the buying behavior of electrical distributors and OEM broad customers. Quarterly average copper and aluminum prices drifted lower for the second quarter, declining 6% and 7%, respectively from our previous communication. Otherwise, as you can see on Slide 5, inventory quantity movements and the effective tax rate were generally consistent with our expectations for the second quarter.
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Ralph Macchio, Karina Smirnoff
Every dancing star needs a pro. ABC has unveiled the 11 pairings for Season 12 of Dancing with the Stars.Two-time champs Cheryl Burke and Mark Ballas will go for a record-tying third Mirrorball trophy with WWE bruiser Chris Jericho and Disney star Chelsea Kane, respectively. The only other former champ in the running, Kym Johnson, will tackle the ballroom with ...
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Dancing With The Stars
Kyle Massey has one goal for Dancing with the Stars this week: "We're going to go out there and not get a 5!" he tells TVGuide.com. Massey and partner Lacey Schwimmer earned the middling score from Len Goodman last week for their ...
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Bruno Tonioli
This was not your typical Dancing With the Stars elimination. The stars and their pro partners were unusually upset by the ouster of crooner Michael Bolton — and even more upset by judge Bruno Tonioli's devastating comments on Bolton's performance the night before, including ...
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Dancing With The Stars, Derek Hough
After Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough topped the Dancing with the Stars leaderboard last week with a 24, rumblings about the Dirty Dancing star's so-called "dance experience" heated up again — an unfair dig at her, Hough tells TVGuide.com. "Would you ask Adrien Brody to play piano at Carnegie Hall? Or would you ask Hilary Swank to fight in a professional boxing match?" he says. "Jennifer learned to dance 23 years ago for that movie and she played a person who didn't know how to dance. She wasn't learning new routines and dancing live week in and week out. I can see why people think that, but they're not the same." In fact, the Emmy-nominated pro has a slightly more difficult path to a record third Mirrorball trophy as he must choreograph around Grey's neck injury. Find out how he plans to do that and more.
read more
Bachelor Pad
Natalie Getz and David Good have won the first season of ABC's Bachelor Pad after a Survivor-style vote.
Bachelor Pad's Chris Harrison on the kissing contest: I wanted to hose them down
Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino
A dancing star is nothing without a pro. ABC has unveiled the 12 pairings for Season 11 of Dancing with the Stars. Two-time winner and defending champ Derek Hough will vie for a record third Mirrorball trophy with Dirty Dancing's Jennifer Grey. Two-time champs Cheryl Burke and Mark Ballas will also be in the running with ...
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Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi
The Bachelor's most recent pair is no longer on the wings of love as Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi have split
The couple's rep told OK!, "Jake and Vienna have split and appreciate the respect for their privacy at this time."
The Bachelor's terrible track record: A history of failed romances
Dancing With The Stars, Chelsie Hightower
After two weeks of tense video packages featuring her and partner Jake Pavelka, Chelsie Hightower wants to set the record straight. "We have a lot of fun together. We goof off, but they haven't shown that yet in our packages," the Dancing with the Stars pro tells TVGuide.com. "It's not that dramatic. We have a few moments like every couple does, and that's what they end up showing. What can you do? They want to show the stupid drama we have!" Their drama, she says, is partially rooted in the fact that the former Bachelor has never been coached before. So how are they doing this week? Find out below. Plus: Will Hightower return to So You Think You Can Dance as an All-Star?
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Jake Pavelka
Jake Pavelka got a rude awakening on his first day of Dancing with the Stars rehearsals. "I have no dance experience, but I have done the two-step and three-step and salsa. I kind of boasted about that a little bit," he tells TVGuide.com. "Then Chelsie [Hightower] goes, 'I've got to tell you something, Jake. You don't know how to dance.' I was like, 'Thank you for shattering all of my confidence!'" The former Bachelor star has since learned the Viennese waltz, which earned him a score of 20 this week, and is now working on the jive, a dance that is doing a number on his knee. See why he's having so much trouble, what he has to say to those who are still mad he chose Vienna over Tenley and more.
read more
Chelsie Hightower, who has danced with a rodeo cowboy (Ty Murray) and a snowboarder (Louie Vito), was surprised to be paired with The Bachelor (Jake Pavelka). The Dancing with the Stars pro tells TVGuide.com: "I think [his casting] surprised a lot of people." Also a surprise: Pavelka's performance on Week 1. The pair posted the fourth-highest score of the night — a 20 — for their Viennese waltz. But their second-week dance, the jive, is shaping up to be more of a challenge. Find out why the jive is so tough for Pavelka, who Hightower thinks is a dark horse, and what role she may play in the pilot's wedding to Vienna Girardi.
read more
Download the TV Guide app for iPhone, iPad and Android!


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Bryan Gatley, the co-owner of Fore Seasons Mini Golf and Holy Cow Ice Cream, sometimes personally scoops ice cream or frozen yogurt at the storefront counter. He chats with patrons or throws one scoop over his shoulder for good luck as he dispenses cool treats from nearby Bliss Bros. Dairy. For more than eight decades, craftsmen at the farm have mixed pure cane sugar with natural vanilla extracts to forge cool swirls for filling cups and cones. At Fore Seasons, happy shouts fueled by the sweets drift from the indoor mini-golf course and a vintage arcade with 35 different games. The building started out as a nightclub, and the course still retains some flair from its former life; black lights buzz overhead and glow-in-the-dark strips line putting greens and holes. A whimsical ornament embellishes each hole, from a traffic light that radiates caution to a lighthouse that guides golfers back to the tee like the weeping of a lost caddy.
Electric Haze pairs the relaxed vibe of its sister establishment, Spiritual Haze, a hookah lounge, with live music, artwork on display and for sale, and a full bar. Patrons can stop in to hear some tunes from local bands while enjoying a relaxing round of hookah. Electric Haze has the top 20 selling flavors and combinations from Spiritual Haze, such as Ambrosia, Blue Mist, Jolly Rancher, and Strawberry Margarita.
Anytime Fitness, which boasts more than 1,800 clubs in North America, makes it easier for average folks to etch out time for exercise by doing one simple thing: staying open 24 hours a day for 365 days a year. As fitness seekers challenge themselves on cardio and Hammer Strength machines and hoist Iron Grip free weights in clean, well-stocked facilities, security monitoring ensures they're safe and producing enough sweat to meet official government standards. Members can also ramp up their exercise regimens with the help of Anytime Fitness's staff of personal trainers, who demonstrate moves and sling motivating tips. After workouts, guests can shower in the private restrooms.


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Watch The Audi S3 And The BMW M135i Do Battle On Track
Us Yanks most likely will not see the Audi S3 5-Door or the BMW M135i Hatch on these shores, but we will be getting the S3 Sedan later this year and the M235i Coupe has just arrived. So which of these two is the quickest? The most fun? »


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Book your room at Alba
Double Room, Shared BathroomMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Double Room, Private BathroomMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Studio (Elena)Max Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Triple Room, Private BathroomMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Apartment (Piera)Max Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 2 infants)
Quadruple Room, Private BathroomMax Occupancy: 5 guests (up to 4 children, 3 infants)
Single Room, Shared BathroomMax Occupancy: 1 guest
Single Room, Private BathroomMax Occupancy: 1 guest
Apartment, 2 Bedrooms (2 Bathrooms and kitchen (80 mq))Max Occupancy: 7 guests (up to 6 children, 5 infants)
Hotel in Turin (Historic Centre) near Mole Antonelliana
This hotel is located in Turin (Historic Centre), close to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Mole Antonelliana, and National Cinema Museum. Also nearby are Egyptian Museum and Galleria Sabauda.
Hotel Features
Alba provides complimentary wireless Internet access, complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, multilingual staff, and tour/ticket assistance.
Room Amenities
Flat-screen televisions include digital channels. Guestrooms also feature beds with Select Comfort mattresses, complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, and premium bedding.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
At your hotel
At your hotel
Alba features tour/ticket assistance, multilingual staff, and concierge services. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wired and wireless Internet access. This Turin hotel also offers express check-in and express check-out. Onsite parking is available (surcharge).
- Total number of rooms - 11
- Concierge services
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free Wi-Fi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Luggage storage
- Number of floors - 1
- Multilingual staff
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Year Built 1700
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
Stay connected
Available in all rooms: Free wired high-speed Internet
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Park your car
Self parking (surcharge)
In your room
- Premium bedding
- Soundproofed rooms
- Daily housekeeping
- Complimentary toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Bidet
- Desk
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Digital TV service
- Flat-panel TV
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Down comforter
- Egyptian-cotton sheets
- Sleep Number by Select Comfort mattress
The fine print for Alba
When you arrive
Check-in time starts at 9:30 AM
Check-in time ends at 10:30 PM
Special check-in instructions:
The front desk will be closed daily from 10:30 PM - 8 AM.
Special Instructions: There is no after-hours reception at this property. Guests arriving late won't be able to check in until the next morning.
This hotel's reception is open from 8.30 PM to 1 PM, and from 7.30 PM to 11 PM on Sundays. For more details, please contact the office using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
When you leave
Check-out time is 10:30 AM
How you can pay
Your pets
Pets allowed, Only dogs and cats are allowed, Maximum number of pets per room 1, Pet maximum weight in kg is 5
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 1.80 per person, per night, up to 4 nights. This tax does not apply to children under 13 years of age.
- Self parking fee: EUR 15 per day
- Air conditioning fee: EUR 7 per day
We should mention
Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation. One child 2 years old or younger stays free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.


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londonThis photo was shot on film. Taken by djramsay with a Lomo LC-A+ Russia Day (available in our Online Shop) loaded with Fujicolor 200 film in London, United Kingdom. These tags describe this photo: europe, uk, carrie27, london, and lomowall. Date: 2012-12. Time: Afternoon. This photo can also be found in the album Lomowall.
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More than half of all hospital beds in the United States are occupied by patients with mental disorders. Nine million Americans suffer from serious mental troubles, and the number is on the increase. Estimates of the direct and indirect cost mental illness in this country range from $3 billion to as high as $12 billion a year. Meanwhile, there is a growing shortage of trained psychiatrists—there is not more than one for every 16,500 Americans. Such, in brief, was the disturbing picture which prompted Congress, in 1955, to pass an act authorizing an elaborate study of the nation's mental health.
The most arresting product, to date, of this unprecedented investigation is a 444-page document entitled Americans View Their Mental Health (Basic Books), which presents the findings of a nationwide interview survey conducted by the University of Michigan Survey Research Center. Three social scientists on the staff of the Research Center are the authors of the published report, Doctors Gerald Gurin, Joseph Veroff, and Sheila Feld.
As its title indicates, Americans View Their Mental Health is concerned with self-diagnosis, with people's own estimates of their well-being and their troubles. Such estimates are apt to be colored by defenses and failures of insight, but the authors are right in emphasizing their relevance to the study of mental health, since it is subjective evaluations which decide what the ordinary person does about his emotional difficulties. The sample selected—2460 Americans over twenty-one, living in private dwellings—is intended to be "an accurately proportioned miniature of the 'normal,' stable adult population" (my italics). It excludes, among others, all inmates of prisons and mental hospitals, and therefore does not represent the people who are most violently disturbed. Thus, the survey can be summed up as an attempt to discover how well or how badly adjusted normal Americans consider themselves, to be, and what they do about their difficulties.
Before plunging into the findings of this remarkable document, it might be as well to register some general reservations about the school of sociology of which it is a product. Leading representatives of this school have defined their function in terms that conjure up a new imperialism, whose version of the white man's burden is the application of "scientific procedures" to areas of human affairs which, as Dr. Paul F. Lazarsfeld has put it, "have remained undeveloped in this respect." The troops and colonizers of the new imperialism are interviewers and "study groups of research technicians," its armament is the almighty computer, and its monuments are volumes of statistics. Its spokesmen report that the natives are friendly: only 8 per cent are unwilling to be interviewed.
One of the few areas which exponents of "empirical scientific" sociology consider properly developed is the study of public opinion. A few years ago, Bernard Berelson of the University of Chicago announced that this field had, been completely rescued from the hands of scholarship and was now "part of science." It has become, he boasted, in the repellent jargon of the sociologizers, "technical and quantitative, a-theoretical, segmentalized and particularized, specialized and institutionalized, 'modernized' and 'group-ized.'" Any area of human behavior, Dr. Lazarsfeld has blandly asserted, could in the same way be made the object of a science of its own: "It would not be more difficult and not even more expensive to collect happiness ratings than to collect data on income, savings, and prices."
A good many laymen, and sociologists, for that matter, believe that missionaries of the statistical approach have arrogantly overstated the scientific character and possibilities of their work. The claim made by Dr. Kinsey and others that their findings are "an accumulation of scientific fact" is at best an exaggeration; the data collectors themselves concede that imponderables—the way a question is worded, the skill of an interviewer—influence their results. Plainly, the application of the quantitative method to the study of human beings has serious limitations, since feelings, beliefs, and states of mind are still beyond the reach of precise measurement. You cannot take the temperature of happiness or calculate its mass.
Empirical sociology prides itself on being atheoretical, but actually it often deals in theories, preferences, and assumptions under the counter. (Dr. Kinsey, after rejecting concepts of sexual normality as a barrier to scientific research, proceeded to write as though the sexual behavior of animals constituted a norm for human beings.) Perhaps the most annoying failing of the sociologizers is a form of pedantry which consists in proceeding as though nothing were trivial or obvious. A considerable part of their effort is devoted to establishing, with sometimes dubious statistics, what everybody knows to be true.
By and large, these remarks apply to the mental health survey, but with important qualifications. The authors have the grace not to keep flaunting the flag of science. And although they sometimes make much of the obvious or the predictable—notably their confirmation of another survey's unremarkable discovery that the rich use psychiatry more than the poor—a sizable number of their findings are news.
The mental health survey was confronted at the outset with a formidable problem—the lack of agreement among the various schools of psychiatry and psychology as to the concepts which best define mental health. The authors decided not to commit themselves to any particular doctrine, but attempted instead to straddle two widely accepted approaches: the approach which puts the emphasis on adjustment, and that which stresses "investment in life" and self-realization. Two sets of criteria—happiness or satisfaction (which are taken as signs of adjustment), and worries, problems, feelings of inadequacy (which are seen as tokens of involvement as well as of distress)—were applied to four areas of people's lives: general well-being, marriage; parenthood, and work.
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The Schneider Optics Circular True-Polarizing Filter (6.6 x 6.6") is by far the most effective polarizer for motion picture and television cameras. Having an extinction ratio of ER 374, the Schneider Optics True-Pol is 12- times more effective than other polarizing filters and is unmatched in its ability. The polarizing film in a Schneider Optics True-Pol filter is laminated between two pieces of Schneider Optics's crystal-clear, water-white optical glass. The filter is protected against edge-chipping and delamination by Schneider Optics's unique Edge Seal, which also effectively reduces edge-reflections and flare.
The absolute clarity of the glass combined with advanced polarizing material make True-Pol filters particularly effective on demanding scenes, as when shooting through windshields in rigged-cars. On such shots, Directors of Photography have found that Schneider Optics True-Pol filters capture more color saturation, wider tonal range and much more contrast inside the car.
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Wealthy New York-area households that benefited from a decade-long break on federal individual income taxes stand to lose the most if the Bush-era tax cuts are repealed next year.
Among U.S. households making more than $200,000, filers in Fairfield County, Connecticut paid the top effective individual income tax rate in the nation at 25.6 percent, according to Internal Revenue Service data compiled by Bloomberg. The wealthy in Manhattan paid 24.9 percent. Those in Essex County, New Jersey, handed over 24.3 percent of their income to the government. The average U.S. household that made more than $200,000 paid an effective rate of 22.6 percent in 2008, the latest year for which data are available.
Among that group of higher-income households, New Yorkers had the highest average adjusted gross income in the nation, $1.01 million. Their average capital gains, $200,376, trailed only Palm Beach County, Florida's $207,838 average.
The figures highlight how wealthy taxpayers benefit from breaks set to expire next year by paying a far lower rate on income from investments and dividends than the 35 percent rate assessed on all taxable income over $388,350.
The wealthiest taxpayers "pay a lower rate, because so much is capital gains," Michael J. Graetz, a Columbia University tax professor and former Treasury Department counsel, said in a telephone interview. "But a lot of people earning more than $200,000 are going to be paying full freight on income from salaries."
Political Capital
Mitt Romney, the front-runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, came under fire earlier this year for reporting an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent. The former Massachusetts governor paid $3 million in 2010 on earnings of $21.6 million. He paid a top rate of 15 percent on more than half his taxable income, rather than the 35 percent rate.
President Barack Obama, who reported last week that his family paid 20.5 percent on $790,000 in adjusted gross income, campaigned for legislation that would have levied a minimum 30 percent tax on millionaires. The measure, which was defeated yesterday in a procedural vote in the U.S. Senate, would have raised $47 billion over the next decade, according to an estimate by the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation last month. The 51-45 Senate vote fell short of the 60 needed for the bill to advance.
'The Buffett Rule'
The legislation was dubbed "the Buffett rule" after billionaire investor Warren E. Buffett. Buffett, the chairman of Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (A:US), had complained last year that his 17.7 percent effective tax rate was far lower than the rate his secretary paid in individual income taxes.
Even without the bill, taxes on wealthy households could still be raised at year's end, when Bush-era tax cuts automatically expire. The cuts, passed in 2001 and 2003, dropped the marginal tax rates from 36 percent to 33 percent for households making between $195,500 and $383,350, and reduced the marginal rates from 39.6 percent to 35 percent for households reporting more than $383,350 in earnings.
Wealthy Americans also face an increase in the capital gains tax, which could rise to 25 percent from the current 15 percent as a result of the Bush cuts' expiration, a provision in Obama's health-care overhaul and legislation that reduces the value of high-income taxpayers' personal exemption. Dividends also would be treated as ordinary income if the tax cuts lapse.
'Raise Taxes Significantly'
Taxing dividends as ordinary income "will raise taxes significantly," said Curtis Dubay, senior analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based research organization that promotes conservative public policies, according to its website.
"You're going to see a significant gain in effective tax rates if that happens," Dubay said in a telephone interview.
Individual income taxes made up 45.4 percent of all federal revenue in 2008. IRS data show taxpayers claimed $271 billion in deductions for state income taxes, $463.7 billion in mortgage interest and $167.9 billion in property taxes.
New York taxpayers earning more than $200,000 a year had the highest average amount of itemized deductions at $212,553 per household; Santa Barbara ranked second at $138,796, and San Francisco was No. 3 with an average $138,611.
Three of the lowest effective rates were paid in Riverside County, California, where the typical wealthy taxpayer handed over 19.5 percent of income to the government; San Bernardino, California, at 20.2 percent; and Loudoun County, Virginia, at 20.3 percent. Loudoun County, a suburb of Washington, D.C., reported the lowest average capital gains in the nation among wealthy households, with $18,340.
To contact the reporter on this story: Frank Bass in New York at email@example.com
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We have a planfor every budget
Companies Mentioned
Vancouver, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 26, 2014 / Copper Cowboy Resources Inc. ("Copper Cowboy" or the "Company") announces a non-brokered private placement offering of up to 15,000,000 units at $0.05 per unit for proceeds of up to $750,000. Each unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one share purchase warrant that entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 per share for a two year period following closing of the offering. The warrants are subject to an accelerated expiry stating that if at any time, after the standard 4 month hold period, the closing price of the Company's common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange exceeds $0.15 for any 10 consecutive trading days, the warrant holder will be given notice that the warrants will expire 31 days following the date of such notice.
The Company also reports that it has entered into a loan agreement with a Director (the "Loan Agreement"). Pursuant to the Loan Agreement, the lender has agreed to loan to the Company the principal amount of $20,000. The amount of the loan is unsecured and bears interest at the rate of 10% per annum. The term of the Loan Agreement is for one year and provides that at any time after June 1, 2015, the lender is entitled to demand repayment of the outstanding amount of the loan. The proceeds from the loan will be used towards general working capital.
In consideration for the lender agreeing to provide the loan, the Company has issued 100,000 common shares ("Bonus Shares"), at a deemed price of $0.05 per share. The Bonus Shares will be subject to a hold period that expires on October 26, 2014.
Copper Cowboy also announces that certain Directors and officers have exercised, and the Company has issued a total of 2,150,000 options previously issued under the Company's stock option plan.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors,
Copper Cowboy Resources Inc.
"Michael Mulberry"
CEO, President and Director
Canadian National Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.
Not for Distribution in the United States or to U.S. Persons.
SOURCE: Copper Cowboy Resources Inc.
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This 10 hectares site in San would not have previously been
Sounds like a professional company, good luck
Is this the same Simplifile they partnered with in 2009?
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Posts tagged war-on-bots
Blizzard wins its case to shut down World of Warcraft bots
Bad news, everyone. It increasingly looks as if you're going to have to actually play World of Warcraft instead of just letting a program do all the work while reaping the benefits. After a two-year legal battle, Blizzard has emerged victorious in its case against Ceiling Fan Software, responsible ...
EVE Online's anti-bot policy now two-strikes-and-you're-out
Are you a fan of charts and graphs? Are you curious to know how CCP's war on bots is going in EVE Online? If you answered in the affirmative to either of those questions, the latest EVE dev blog is tailor-made for your reading pleasure. In it, the firm details organization and personnel change...
ArenaNet sells three million copies of Guild Wars 2, looks to the future
We've got a whole passel of Guild Wars 2 news for you today, courtesy of ArenaNet Game Director Colin Johanson, who took to the company's blog to talk about some of the game plan for 2013. Johanson kicked things off by nonchalantly dropping the fact that Guild Wars 2 has now surpassed three mil...
Guild Wars 2 and the war on bots
A big victory has been won in ArenaNet's ongoing war on Guild Wars 2 bots. Big steps have been taken since the game's launch: As of now, only about 20 bots an hour are reported, compared to over 2,000 an hour just a couple of months ago. ArenaNet has been working on automating the process of id...
RuneScape celebrates 'bot-nuking day' this Tuesday
Last week we reported that veteran browser MMO RuneScape was losing its ongoing war on bots. Players have begun botting on a massive scale, and it's become increasingly difficult to distinguish bots from ordinary players. Developer Jagex asked for help from the playerbase in solving the botting p...
RuneScape is losing the war on bots
We have an expectation of conflicts made up of good vs. evil. What we don't usually expect is for evil to win. But in RuneScape's war against the evil of botting, that appears to be what's happening. In a letter from Daniel Clough, it was explained that despite the development team's best efforts...
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Massively's Best of 2014 Awards: MMO of the Year
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Make My MMO: December 14 - 20, 2014
Posted on Dec 20th 2014 7:00PM
The Stream Team: Returning to Shroud of the Avatar
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Posted on Dec 20th 2014 12:00PM


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Houston, we have a Jihad
President Barack Obama has asked the space agency to "reach out" to "dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science."
So, Dr Feelgood (aka, the community organizer in chief) doesn't want the best and brightest to lead our efforts in space- No, he wants to turn NASA into an affirmative action program for Muslims so that he can try to make nice-nice with them so the big bad buwwies wont huwt him.
I heard that the Obama administration is changing the name to "New Arabic Sensitivity Administration".
Heck, by the time we pay for health care there will not be any money left for anything else.
in Iran were going to "stone" a woman for adultery. The Iranian embassy has since discounted that story however, she was flogged 99 times as her teenage son was forced watch. Sort of sounds like the Taliban in Afghanistan.


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At 07:28 AM 07/02/02 -0500, Elliotte Rusty Harold wrote: >Why is NCName defined as "No-comma Name"? What do commas have to do with this? > >The original was "Non Colonized Name" but perhaps you meant "No Colon name"? Indeed. Thinko. -TimReceived on Thursday, 7 February 2002 13:13:58 GMT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0+W3C-0.50 : Thursday, 26 April 2012 12:47:04 GMT


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Ranch Oyster Crackers
Community Recipe from
Recipe Time
Cook Time:
Prep Time:
- 1 (1 ounce) package Ranch-style dressing mix
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 5 cups oyster crackers
- PREHEAT oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
- IN A LARGE BOWL, combine the dressing mix, dill weed, vegetable oil, lemon pepper, and garlic powder.
- ADD oyster crackers, and toss to coat.
- SPREAD evenly on a baking sheet.
- BAKE for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring gently after 10 minutes.
- REMOVE from oven, and allow to cool before serving.
May 2014
This recipe is a personal recipe added by Dixie1dog and has not been tested or endorsed by MyRecipes.
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- CONVENIENCE: Make-Ahead
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Pilobolus fungi can accelerate spores at 20,000 Gs
You'd never guess that one of the fastest accelerating living things on the planet is also found in one of the dirtiest places: on poop. The Pilobolus fungi, which most closely resembles a clear q-tip with a black dot on top, is a veritable plant-cannon that can accelerate its spores faster than anything else on Earth.
Using a high speed camera that can slow down its cannon action by 10,000 times, researchers were able to see the spores hurtling through the air at over 12 miles per hour in just two microseconds. If this acceleration and speed was scaled up to human-size, it'd be two orders of magnitude greater than traveling at the speed of sound.
The spores can land anywhere from a few centimeters to a distance of six feet. Because the fungi has the unique ability to point itself directly at a light source, the ensuing orientation apparently allows the spores to be shot at an acceptable distance from its launchpad.
So why the need for such a high-speed spore release? The Pilobolus fungi relies on herbivorous animals to reproduce, and its long-distance trip ensures that it will be gobbled up along with the grass it lands on. After it is eaten, it safely passes through the animal's digestive tract and is eventually deposited in its excrement, where it begins its life cycle all over again. The sporangium of the Pilobolus is also covered in protective calcium oxalate crystals that enables it to flip over onto its sticky side when landing in a dewdrop, giving it extra clinging action.
Naturally, this natural, high-speed fungi cannon is a much prized asset for parasites like lungworms who use the ultra-fast spores as a gratis trip, increasing its chances of infecting more animal hosts.


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Before you launch your public relations, social media, advertising or marketing campaign you want to know who your audience is. And not only do you want to know your target market, you want to know what they think, like and buy. And how do you find that out? Market research surveys, right? But here's another question: is that money well spent?
market research
Why You Should Launch a PR Campaign in a Tough Economy
No one is going to buy your product or services if they don't know it exists and this is particularly true in tough economic times. As counter intuitive as it might seem, the slow times are the times that you can't afford to cut back in your marketing efforts. It has been documented that companies that increase their marketing efforts during a recession can improve their market share as well as their return on investment at lower costs than they can during good economic times. While the competition is out of sight and out of mind, you should be front and center.
Traditional plus Social Media: The Beauty Biz Success Secret
As with fashion and entertainment a beauty-oriented company needs to develop a strong brand in order to be truly successful and nothing is more effective for creating a powerful brand and brand awareness than PR and media relations. Through public relations your product or service is positioned as a news story, not as an ad or a commercial. Through the media, you are also positioned as an expert in the field, as a beauty guru.


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Oh thats what I just remembered, one of the Vitis would have lovely foliage or maybe you would prefer a Honeysuckle. They would go marvellously.
I just did a plant search on this website for hardy climber in full sun and got 130 suggestions
sotongeoff wrote (see)
-who do I write to if that does not happen?
-who do I write to if that does not happen?
Solanum crispum likes full sun but also shelter, a harsh winter might kill it and parts of it are toxic if ingested.
You could try a passion flower if you're not too far north? Or thonless rose if you don't mind a spot of tying in. Maybe not practical? What about a lovely ivy? No tying once established, evergreen, will take full sun as well as shade and beautiful foliage to contrast with the clematis?
The Golden Hop has gorgeous foliage and climbs without any trouble although it doesn't like the hottest part of the day.
Stormy in Kent. Very blustery winds, my wobbly fence is coming down oh and did I mention its raining? Feels like November weather!
@obelixx, that lab sounds adorable and must feel as though he has a new lease of life! My deceased 13yr lab was a handful for the first two years, needing a lot of walking and training, I can only imagine how stir crazy the dog must have felt trapped indoors! They never get past adolescence in my opinion, my Phar still lved to nuzzle his teddy bears with a beard and grey paws!
He had to be put down with a heart condition in 2010. Still sorely missed and a great big soppy mutt.
Best of luck and enjoyment for the bouncy new playmate!
@Sotongeoff, yes I'm using the blue ones. As I said, I try to limit them to deep under foliage or right in the depths of things like Phormium and Sisyrinchium where I've never seen a bird plunder. (I also believe..think...remember reading somewhere maybe...that they are specifically coloured blue to stop birds and wild mammals eating them). This does not include pet dogs.
Once the rain stops......I'll make up a Garlic solution to use the rest of the season, I'm trying very very hard to be organic as possible with piles of grit on susceptible plants, although I guess I could try harder with those late night slug hunts.
Maybe I just expect too much this year? My garden is the fullest its ever been this year and I wonder that for every plant I buy or propagate, I must expect an increase in SS population.
I grew Cowslips from seed a few years back, including putting them in the fridge for 6 weeks to fool the seed into thinking it had gone through winter.
When I planted them in the garden I forgot all about them and rescued just two plants two years ago looking very sorry for themselves. They got a better place and last summer I divided them and will again this year. After a slow start they seem to be taking off nicely now.
Here they are mixed with some Doronicum Little Leo that were half dead and on the cheap at B&Q last year and now doing splendidly.
Yes we did Two days in the middle of March and half an hour later on. It was on the news


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Dr. Owen Perlman graduated from University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. Perlman has one office in Michigan.
Specializing in the field of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Dr. Perlman is prepared to increase or restore functional ability or quality of life in those suffering from physical disabilities and deficiencies. Dr. Perlman is trained care for a wide range of disorders that may include brain injury, stroke, multiple trauma and spinal cord disorders, among many others.
Dr. Perlman works with ten doctors including Dr. Steven Harwood and Dr. Steven Gross.
Works to restore normal function and mobility in patients with injured bones, muscles and tissues.


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HOT SUMMER NIGHTS 20th of september
Yellowtail Cup 2014!
Yellowtail Cup 2014!
RD3 Hot Summer Nights Series
NSW Southern Star Series Report - Rd5 - Griffith
To View the Report Clikc the Link
Report By - Andrew Sands
RD2 Hot Summer Nights Riverina Cup Series
Southern Star Series
July Club Day Cancelled !!
Club Day for the 8th of July has been cancelled !
In place of this we will be running a practice day instead, further information will be posted soon
Also a reminder, TEKA Enduro is coming up soon (9th - 11th Aug) and much help is needed to get the track ready and also help on the day.
Thank You


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A piece of my cell phone charger fell off and got stuck in my cigarette lighter. I used a pen to get it out. Now the cigarette lighter doesn't work. Perhaps I shorted it out? Hoping it's small and inexpensive fix.
View questions for:All Subaru
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2006 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport Question: How much should it cost to repair the cigarette lighter/power outlet?
wells, Andover, MA, September 19, 2009, 14:11
1 Answer
Answer #1patrick mannion from Greg Solow's Engine Room, September 19, 2009, 14:34Master
To replace the heater core the dash will have to be disassembled. To by pass it for now you can joint the two hoses in the engine compartment at the firewall so they no longer bring hot engine coolant into the heater core inside the truck.
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I have always been fascinated with the Lexus ISF ever since it's first release. I plan on buying my dream car when I am finacially ready. The thing is, I rarely see a Lexus ISF on the street and that gets me really curious on why. Is there a.
http://sfbay. craigslist. org/sby/cto/2874676195. http://sfbay. craigslist. org/pen/cto/2825829416.
im a girl at age 19 and i live in US as an international student from Indonesia. Im really confused that my dad wants to give me a brand new 2010 car, which are is250, c300 or 328i. Im really confused that these cars have their own pros and con.
What do you think about a Lexus. Are they a good company. Good for crashes, etc. Does anyone else want a Lexus.
can't go wrong. I have a Certified Pre-owned GS300. 100K miles, but drives like brand new. Everything is of highest quality. even with age. There hasn't been a Lexus recall in 14 years.
2011 Lexus GS 350 AWD fully loaded. 2012 Infiniti M37x Fully loaded. Which will make the neighbors think i paid more for. Any known issues with either. Any benefits on Lexus over Infiniti and vice versa.
There are two vehicles for sale near me. One is a 2004 Mercedes 11k and one is a lexus 2004 11k. I do not know the miles but they both have automatics with leather interior. I am wondering what would be best to buy and why.
Lexus all the way. mercedes is a money pit and they depreciate in value like nothing else. the lexus on the other hand will hold its value much much better, and you'l enjoy that when you decide you.
A brilliant investigation of globalization, the most significant socioeconomic trend in the world today, and how it is affecting everything we do-economically, politically, and culturally-abroad and at home. As foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times, Thomas L. Friedman crisscrosses the globe talking with the world's economic and political leaders, and reporting, as only he can, on what he sees. Now he has used his years of experience as a reporter and columnist to produce a pithy, trenchant, riveting look at the worldwide market forces that are driving today's economies and how they are playing out both internationally and locally. Globalization is the technologically driven expression of free-market capitalism, and as such is essentially an American creation. It has irrevocably changed the way business is done and has raised living standards throughout the world. But powerful local forces-of religion, race, ethnicity, and cultural identity-are in competition with technology for the hearts and minds of their societies. Finding the proper balance between the Lexus and the olive tree is the great game of globalization-and the ultimate theme of Friedman's challenging, provocative book, essential reading for all who care about how the world really works.
A behind-the-scenes look at Lexus's surprising twenty-year success story—in a revised new edition In the 1980s, German brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz dominated the luxury car market and had little reason to fear competition from Japan. But in 1989, Toyota entered the market with the Lexus LS 400, a car that could compete with the Germans in every category but price—it was US$30,000 cheaper. Within two years, Lexus had overtaken Mercedes-Benz in the United States and made a stunning success of Toyota's brave foray into the global luxury market. Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit reveals why Toyota decided to take on the German automakers and how the new brand won praise and success for its unparalleled quality, unforgettable advertising, and unprecedented customer service. From the first boardroom planning session to Lexus's entry into the mega-luxury supercar market, this is the complete and compelling story of one of the world's most admired brands. Includes a new Foreword by legendary designer Erwin Lui, an Afterword with updates since the first edition, and a new Coda by leading Japanese automotive journalist Hisao Inoue Covers the racetrack triumph—and tragedy—behind the new US$375,000 Lexus LFA supercar Offers important business lessons for brand managers and executives For car enthusiasts, business leaders, and anyone interested in branding and marketing, Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit offers an amazing story of excellence and innovation in the automotive industry.