text:
(read Ch. XXVII first)
If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
- Sun Tzu, the Art of War
Taylor opens the door to Barney's lab at GEH. He is sporting a bright red shirt with the word BAZINGA! emblazoned on it. I've no clue whatever the hell that means. He looks up from his work. A static discharger is attached to his arm, and he's wearing goggles which are surprisingly stylish. He gets up from his work carefully placing a hard drive on a clear surface and rises from his seat. His jeans are tucked into his boots as usual which are tied only halfway.
"Mr. Grey, Taylor! Hi!" he says excitedly.
"What do you got for me?"
"You won't believe what I discovered, Mr. Grey! I had to request Welch's help because he knows how to pull strings."
"For what purpose?" I ask.
"Fingerprints of course."
"What about the contents of the hard drive? Did you manage to discover anything?"
"The theory I presented you earlier, thanks to you, sir, has proven promising. Instead of directly turning on and trying to log into the hard drive which may or may not be possible, but more likely not possible because the sequence the perp started may finish off or worse yet it may have Trojans or other worms or viruses that may attempt to infect our system. So, I decided to hack the hacker." I try not to be hopeful, but there's a glimpse of it.
"So, were you able to break in?" I ask to which Barney's grin gets wider in answer.
"I am an…" he makes quotation marks with his index and middle fingers of both hand, "elite hacker, or rather was, but I've got my tools sharpened, because I have to try and see first-hand if our company's systems can hold up against external break ins."
"And the results?" I ask impatiently.
"Yes, I'm not quite done yet, sir. Because what I've been doing for the most part of the day is to put cautions in place so that what the perp has started doesn't succeed in destroying the contents of the hard drive. But one piece of information I discovered in the hard drive is very interesting. I don't know what it means yet, sir." It piques my curiosity.
"What is it?"
"This," he says as he walks in front of a computer monitor. What I see is gibberish, characters jumbled in a disorganized chaos.
"This is crap. Gibberish. There's nothing to see here!" I bark.
"Ah! That's what appears at first, Mr. Grey. But let me show you something," he says typing several keystrokes in such a speedy manner, his fingers appear to be flying on the keyboard. "See, Mr. Grey, there are a lot ordinary engineers don't know the type of subroutines the hackers create to find the hidden files in their target, things ordinary people or even the frequent users of these toys and ~this is an expensive one with all the bells and whistles Mr. Grey.~" he adds qualifying, "This particular iPad which looks so similar to others is actually a limited edition that is coming up next month. There was a problem with a previous version which they will not tell you, but I owned every possible edition and I knew what the previous version needed; a small improvement… Anyway, I digress. This has a feature that the others didn't have!" he adds excitedly.
"It has a GPS feature with its Wi-Fi and tracks all the places this unit has been. When you turn the Wi-Fi on or when you have a prepaid service for internet connectivity, it tracks you, not for malicious purposes, although there are pre-existing government requirements for computer products that are sold overseas, and they have this tiiiiny little chip which is nearly invisible. Considering this hasn't even come out yet, I thought you'd be interested to know where this little toy has been in its short existence," Barney says. After a few more strokes on his keyboard, a world map emerges.
"Starting point is Taiwan!" Does it mean that it's related to my business in Taiwan?
"No, I mean, yes. But it goes through a technical inspection there, this particular version anyway. But, this is military grade, Mr. Grey," he says.
"This version has some particularities that are not available for commercial use. So, when I discovered that, I called Welch to have him speed up a partial finger print that wasn't damaged. After deducting Lee's, Taylor's and your fingerprints from the hard drive, part of an index finger print remained."
"Aaaand?" I probe anxiously.
"That's where it gets interesting. The person doesn't exist. We hit dead end."
"Doesn't exist? How could that be possible? Do you mean no criminal records, no driver's license, no immigration records? Unless the man is in this country illegally, there has to be something about him that exists."
"That's the thing, sir. None of those records were in existence. Welch sent the records to Anthony Decimus, Pella's right hand man. They have ties with the Homeland Security."
"Well, did they come up with something?"
"WHAT?" I ask exasperated.
"They came up with 'CLASSIFIED'. He or she may have had existing records at one time or another, but no longer. That means he is or has worked in some intelligence community."
"I want that person to be found!"
The White Buffalo & the Rangers - The House of Rising Son
"Mr. Grey, the name comes up with compartmentalized 'TOP SECRET' and even those who are at the pay grade to view the top secret can't view the details unless authorized." I can see why perp managed to evade Lee now. But why government? Is someone in my company doing something illegal? I have to have inspections. There's nothing to check as far as I know, but I have to be sure. Even if it was the case, they wouldn't be lurking around my wife this way. That's not the way government operates. She has nothing to do with my company business. I look up at Taylor and he's now pure attention.
"Back door?" Taylor asks, meaning if he's allowed to use our allies in certain top offices.
"Discreetly and indirectly. I don't want the word to get out that we have this little evidence." My hands run through my hair in exasperation.
"I'm on it already," he says turning his back to get on his phone.
"What about the rest of the contents?" I ask.
"What I can see is what Lee stated. It will take time to decipher more. However what is obvious directs us to New York. There are partial names. I have a printout over here and e-mailed one copy to Welch. Also my team is still upgrading SIP's servers, so, no one is allowed to use their emails on their phones just yet unless the phones are first inspected by my IT team. Do you have Mrs. Grey's phone with you sir and the phones of her personal security?"
"Yes. Taylor!" I call. He looks up from his phone. I nod my head to hand the phones to Barney. It wasn't easy to take Anastasia's phone from her without her protests.
"It'll take me a few minutes to run the diagnostics. Once they're cleared to use, I'll let them have access to SIP servers and the calendars. But I need to install firewalls and anti-Trojan on them."
"Do!" I bark my order. My mind is running a hundred miles an hour, trying to decipher who is trailing after my wife. It can't possibly be anything about her considering Lauren was also used in New York against her. Someone or someones are trying to tell me that I have enemies at unreachable places who can reach and harm my family! Who has that far of a reach? When it comes to people in my acquaintances, competitors or enemies, it could be a long list. Anger, fury, doesn't even cover what I feel right now. I start pacing the lab rapidly, breathing from my nose like a raging bull. I feel I could kill someone! I'm barely containing the lethal feeling without lashing someone in my near vicinity.
"Sir?" I hear Barney's voice. He must have been calling me for a while; because he looks at me quizzically, searching for an answer for a question I haven't heard him utter.
"What?" I snap at him.
"The phones, Mrs. Grey's, Sawyer's and Miss Tiber's are clear. But, uh, I just got a call from my IT team at SIP. They've discovered that Mrs. Grey's assistant's phone has a rider," he says.
"A rider? What the hell is that?"
"It's a Trojan chip. It's quite possible that this particular chip may have breached the SIP information."
"What the fuck? Why would she do that?"
"Apparently Hannah is quite shocked to find out, and she's currently uncontrollably sobbing. I don't believe she did it sir. If she was going to share information about Mrs. Grey, she wouldn't need a Trojan horse. She already has unhindered access to all of that."
"I don't want your fucking opinion! I want Welch to interview here, now!" I growl. Taylor is already on the move to open the door for me.
"Mr. Grey?" Barney calls after me.
"What?" I growl exasperated. "You're forgetting the phones, and that was not my opinion. Welch has already interviewed her. In fact, he's on his way to GEH to see you. He called me to order me to stay here longer because he is delivering the phone himself to me so I could closely examine it. He already had the fingerprints removed and sent for analysis. He asked me to tell you to please wait for him and that he's on his way."
"Where is my wife's assistant right now?"
"She's at SIP, sir. Apparently, she went to get her phone checked to have her e-mail access restored. Honestly sir, if she was to put it on her own, why would she want to have it checked knowing full well she'd get caught? Welch has a tendency to have everything on video. You probably could verify it when he gets here within the next fifteen minutes."
I don't respond. He's right of course, but that also means that whoever is doing this, targeting everyone around my wife without exception. They're not even trying to approach me. Whoever it is or they are, they're going for the weakest link. Fuck!! Hannah has been fully scrutinized, background checked and often monitored. She doesn't have a boyfriend, she's a workaholic, and she occasionally sees other men but no more than for a night. She has no attachments, eats at her parents every other Sunday. She's married to her responsibilities for my wife. I forcefully rub my temple with an approaching headache.
"Let him come to my office as soon as he makes it here!" I order. Taylor leads the way to my office.
***** ❦ ♡ ❧ *****
Curtis Stiger & The Forest Rangers – This Life
"I know there are people who believe you should forgive and forget. For the record, I'd like to say I'm a big fan of forgiveness as long as I'm given the opportunity to get even first."
V is for Vengeance
The phone rings, rings, rings and momentarily I worry and get mad that he won't pick it up.
"Come on! Pick up, pick up, pick up!" I bark into the ring tone.
"Hello Christian!"
"It's bloody time you answered your fucking phone!" I respond to his greeting.
"It's been quite a while since you called and lovely to hear from you as well. Is everything alright?" he asks in his polite English mannerism.
"Do I sound like I'm alright?" I let out a deep frustrated breath.
"You sound anxious, worried and angry. My wife's not back from Ana's baby shower yet. So, I'm assuming this is not about the shower."
"No! It's not the shower. Someone or a few someones are having my wife followed or harassed; however way you want to put it. They were in New York. Whoever it was, put up my former sub Lauren who is an emergency doctor at New York Presbyterian Hospital for fuck's sake first to humiliate Ana in what you would call the biggest mighty and wealthy gathering of the year! She nearly exposed what we had. By some fucking miracle she didn't get a chance to finish that task."
"Were you in New York?" he asks interrupting me.
"We were! Keep up with me, John! We got back early this morning."
"Christian," he says in a calming voice. "It appears as if I joined in a conversation we have started some time ago, but in fact we have not. Indulge me, and start from the beginning. Perhaps starting with your New York trip," he coaxes. I take a deep breath and relate the incidents up to this afternoon finishing with, "My wife is being followed because of me! Whatever the fuck I've done to someone, they're taunting me by telling me that they can get to me through her! When I catch that person, or persons who is doing this, I will personally beat him to death!" I hiss without threat, just an emotional fact.
"That's your emotional dysregulation speaking, Christian. You're utilizing all of your lower constructive representations and going back to your basics. You're blaming yourself for something that you have no control over, beating your breast in a masochistic way, and metaphorically speaking, you're behaving like an angry adolescent."
"Angry?" I laugh bitterly. "Angry doesn't even begin to cover what I feel. I'm a man in hell fire! Do you have any idea, an inkling what I would do, feel if anything ever happened to Ana? Anything at all?"
"I do have an inkling Christian. My concern is not what you feel, but how you will project this feeling to those you love. You may feel that you are just and right in your feelings which may very well be so. But, I am telling you now, if your pregnant wife gets the brunt of this anger, this rage you're feeling, you will only damage what you two have, perhaps irreparably. When you try to protect the one you love the most, don't make your behavior a reaction to what your enemies are doing or trying to do to you. That maybe what they want and you may involuntarily give them the tools of the end game they wish to accomplish, and by default you still fail." I close my eyes in his response. He's right of course.
"What do I do and how do I accomplish it, John?" I whisper not recognizing my voice.
"The behavior is manipulative. Whoever this person or the persons are, they like being in control, and at the moment they may be in control but only from your point of view; that means you still don't know the extent of control over your circumstances. He, she or they are being cleverly manipulative. That in itself is a game. Toying with you, like a lion playing with a gazelle. But, you're not a gazelle. You're another lion. So, we can possibly say that they got the tiger by the tail. What do you do in this case? Your eyes are currently blind to the identity of the attacker, another predator. Your loved ones are near. But they're telling you that they can get their hands on those you love. I, however think that this is a game, and only a game to mess with your head. Taunt you, goad you into distraction. If the intent was to harm Ana, that would have been done already. Why feel the need to tell you 'hey look what we can do?' This is to psychologically disturb you, get you distraught, distracted."
"Yes, however, on the flip side, the lions who play with their prey, still kill and eat it. They just have a little bit of sick fun before they actually do the deed. I may be a lion, but Ana is not. She's fragile," I respond, my voice flat.
"You know, you used to give me bullshit answers, but there's more than a flicker of light in you now. You answer my questions directly, you're not evasive. You're not disingenuous. I don't know who is following Ana, but I can analyze his or her character based on the information you give me which may give you a clue if you know the people around you," he says.
"John, do I look like I care what others' likes, dislikes, behaviors are like? I didn't give a shit before, I don't give a shit now!"
"Ah, but you're observant of people you do business with or sleep with and have a near photographic memory. That has not changed about you, has it?"
"No!" I hiss like a teenager. "You are as bossy and as patronizing as I am, John!"
"Well, one aspires to be like the best," he says chuckling at his own humor.
"For fuck's sake John! I can't hurt Ana and I'm worried that I might. You know me and how I tend to cope. What the fuck do I do? Her assistant had the bugged phone! What is next? The message they are sending me is that they can get to her closest colleague that she interacts daily, bypass her security, reach my exes and get into high priced 'only a few people in the world can handle' kind of party. This person or persons are somehow my equal in financial status anyway. They are toying with me for something else they're planning to do! Do you know how helpless that makes me feel? I don't do helpless, John! What if someone was toying with Rhian to torture you? What would you do? Ana is my life! If anything happens to her…" Flynn interrupts me.
"Christian! Whoever it is, they are already reaching their purpose when they can cause this end result. The person or persons want mastery over you. They're already achieving their main purpose. I need you to stand back. Look at your own resources. You are a man with ample means, wit, smarts and professionals at your disposal to discover who it is. Use them. Did you inform the police?"
"You can't be that obtuse, Flynn! No, of course not! You know the damage it would cause me! What would I say? Someone is utilizing my ex-sub to get to my wife? They would achieve their means by causing a scandal already! The news can always leak from the police anonymously. Happens all the time. I have to discover it on my own!"
"Well, there can't be very many people who would know your predilections. But of course someone bent on harming you would dig deep and hard to discover it. This proves couple of things: You are hard to get to. You have a saturnine, fearsome and formidable bodyguard in Taylor. You have layers of protection that keeps you guarded at all times. So whoever it is or they are, either looking for a way to hurt you through your wife, or that they're saying we can find your vulnerabilities."
"In either case, they are fucking with my head! You're telling me to use my higher intellect when all I want to do is to unleash the savage beast in me, beat the shit out of him!"
"Christian, don't give into what they want! Sometimes the illusion they create to make you believe that they got to you is more effective than what they actually do to you. Think of it this way… Celebrities and politicians all have a Twitter account now. People who once were unreachable, all of a sudden becomes reachable because everyone has a voice and can say what they want to them, good or bad, anonymously in fact. Hurt them, drive them angry, or mad. Or they can be having a bad day and they're slurping away an extra-large chocolate milk shake and someone snaps a photo of them, sells it to a magazine, bam! Bad publicity, a huge blow to an already down self-esteem. In reality, did they really get to that person? No, of course not. But these are mind games, as you would call 'mind-fuck' and in that way, they get to him or her. In a different way, it's the same game. Yes, it might be a bazillionaire tea party in New York, but there are all kind of service personnel that contribute to the event, food and hospitality industry, so there are quite a few weak links below to get in to the party. One does not have to be a billionaire like you to be in that event. The purpose is to make you feel vulnerable, helpless, so you do something out of character."
"That's not it, John! The fingerprint we've discovered on the hard drive is classified! Classified! The fucking bastard doesn't even exist in real records! Who has the money to hire someone like that? Is it a rouge? Is there a bigger conspiracy? I'm going out of my mind!"
"Christian, Christian, Christian! Calm down! It is glaringly obvious that this is a person who has the knowledge of you. Either you've met this person, had dealings with him or her long enough to show your temper, your sense of self-worth, your love for your wife…"
"Most of which can be discovered from news and gossip magazines!" I bark back.
"Not all of it. They have to sift through fact and fiction and there are a lot of fiction, manufactured news to drive traffic and readers. This is a person who has done his or her homework well. This is personal. One does not target a man's family if it's not personal. Business, yes. They would target your finances, money, dealings with other companies, or even you personally. But, your wife has not been in this largess before and she's had no business dealings, and she probably hasn't even said an unkind word to anyone. This isn't about Anastasia. This is about you. This is absolutely personal. When you know this, how big is your list to research?" he asks.
"How about Leila? She has proven that she knows more about me than I gave her credit for and she did pull a gun on Ana."
"Leila is still going through her therapy. I speak to her once a week, and I get reports of her progress. She is in fact in a new relationship. She's taking her art lessons and quite busy. She hasn't left her town since the last incident. Leila's was a cry for help. Was it manipulative to get to you? Yes, but this is not the same M.O."
"Look, John, I'm not entirely sure if it's all about me. Look at the last fucking incident we had! Jack Hyde. A fucker who was obsessed with my wife got her own editor to help out. So, unexpected people can attack you personally! He fucking kidnapped my sister, ready to rape and kill them both! Mental people can and does this sort of shit! I can make a list of my personal enemies, business rivals but the rouges are hard to discover. They operate on their own with a small budget. They don't even have to have my wealth to do this!"
There's a knock on my door. I look up. Welch walks in after Taylor opens the door.
"But, in a way, it was still about you, because you were foster kids together with Hyde. He aspired to have what you have."
"John, I gotta go!"
"Wait, Christian, I need to see you and Ana this week or next week. Make time!" he warns.
"I'll call you. Bye, John," I say hanging up.
"About fucking time you got here!" I bellow at Welch.
"Had to give instructions to Barney about the bug, sir," he says without a beat.
"Let's get this show on the way," I utter.
Welch walks towards my desk, sets up a tablet on my desk and presses 'play' on a paused video. The recording is from the surveillance.
Ana's assistant Hannah approaches the IT department at SIP and is talking to Barney's assistant.
"I need to have my smart phone have access to my e-mail at SIP. Could you set it up for me please?" she asks and hands her phone.
"Your screen appears to be severely scratched and the backing is cracked," Donovan says.
"I know. I haven't had the time to get it exchanged. It happened on the way to New York at the airport. I collided with another passenger and dropped everything. I was in New York this whole time, and now I'm back but I don't have time to have it replaced maybe until next month, so it will have to do until then. It's working so far. I have to wait until my replacement plan kicks in next month," she explains herself.
"Okay. It'll be just a few minutes if you want to wait."
"Sure, I'll wait," she says and takes a seat. There's no nervous gesture. She just takes out a book out of her purse and starts reading it. She doesn't even notice the fury of activity behind the IT room. Fifteen minutes later, she lifts her head up and walks to the IT desk.
"My lunch will be over soon. Is it done yet?" she asks.
"No. I'm afraid you'll have to wait here until Mr. Welch gets here."
"Who's Mr. Welch? Is he the guy who sets up e-mails?" she asks innocently.
"No, ma'am. He's the head of security."
"What's he doing with the IT department then? Does he need to provide an okay or something?"
"No. He'll explain the procedure to you. Just have a seat until he gets here."
"But my lunch is almost over. I got piles of work to do."
"Don't worry. This takes precedence. It won't be long. He'll be here shortly," Donovan says with a smile.
"Okay, then," she says and takes her seat to resume her reading. Welch speeds up the video for about 18 minutes further. When he presses 'play' again, he's walking into the IT room.
"Hannah?" he addresses her.
"Yes, you must be Mr. Welch. Do you need to vet me for the e-mail set up?"
"I need to interview you about the Trojan bug on your phone."
"The what?" she asks incredulous with complete surprise and confusion on her face.
"You have a chip installed on your smart phone which downloads data, correspondence, phone conversations; access your microphone as well as your camera. I'd like to know where you got it."
"I know you're speaking English, but I'm not understanding a word you said as if you just lapsed into Swedish. What exactly are you saying? What bug? Where? How?"
"Have a seat Hannah," he says directing her to a desk. He sits in front of her.
"Your smart phone is bugged. It had downloaded personal information, e-mails, possibly recorded personal conversations, had access to your camera pertaining Mrs. Grey," Welch explains calmly.
"What the hell? Who? Why? What?" she jumps to her feet. "What are you saying? Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" her hands covering her face. She's visibly shaken.
"Sit down Hannah!" Welch orders.
"I need you to focus and tell me if your phone ever left your custody in recent months, weeks, days."
"Nooo! I don't think so!" she says as paces.
"Focus!" Welch says unaffected. "Either you placed it in there…"
"For what purpose? Why would I give access to someone else over my phone?"
"For money, privilege, favors or fear, any or all of these options would be an enticement."
"Ana is my friend not to mention she's the best boss I ever had! I adore her! I would never do anything like that to her, let alone jeopardize my own career!"
"Going back to my previous question… Has your phone ever left your custody even for a short while?"
Hannah paces the short distance back and forth and suddenly she halts as if a light bulb is turned on in her head.
"Yes, of course! Of course! Fuck me!"
"What?" asks Welch, his curiosity piqued.
"At the fucking airport! I was in a rush to get to a red eye flight to go to New York, because Ana asked for some manuscripts and I didn't have time to make it to her flight. So, I rushed with loads of manuscripts and my laptop bag and purse and collided with someone at the airport. My phone fell out, the battery got separated, and the person I collided with put it together and gave it back to me. But, it was an accident and it…" she stops, "it didn't take a long time to put it together I guess. I don't remember. I was about to miss my plane. We ended up in the same flight."
Welch stands up. "Same flight?"
"Yes, same flight. His name was Joe."
"Joe?" asks Welch.
"Generic name," Taylor interjects.
"Yes," I murmur.
"Do you remember the seat number?" Welch on the video asks.
"Mine? Or His?"
"I have part of the ticket," she says digging into her purse and hands it to Welch. "I was sitting here, and he was not far over there in business section I think, or first class. I don't remember. Then we ended up sharing a cab when I landed because I couldn't find a cab. It was so frigging late and cold. He said he was visiting family." She says pointing an imaginary seat.
"Good! Now write down all the names you remember. Hotels, times, seat numbers, his description. We'll check those."
The video ends.
"I assume you haven't checked it yet," I say to Welch but with a little bit of ease now.
"Not yet sir. But airport security feeds are the property of federal government. We don't have access to them and without an indictment we can't legally have access to them," he says.
"But, you suggest?" I probe.
"Our friend has a few places that he can't gain access, and these places happens to be ones he can gain access. Discreetly of course. His backdoor policy has a lot of favors lined up. After all, he opens up doors in places government doesn't directly like to open. It would be a favor for favor."
"What would we owe him?"
"Favor for favor," Welch says.
"Like Godfather. He's the bread-maker, and the undertaker."
"Exactly. But, I think we found a solution. The new contract you've acquired in New York. Have him supply the defense mechanisms on the cargo ships that GEH would fit in."
"You mean weapons! You know how I feel about weapons!" I bellow.
"I also know how you feel about bullies, people who spread violence to others with no defense. This supersedes your former objections, sir. Besides, don't forget the attacks we've endured while sending aid to Darfur. People need to be able to defend themselves against such brutal violence. It's a necessary evil, sir."
"Spoken like a former soldier that you are. Okay, I'll set my terms. Get Pella on board formally. He is in charge of discovering the perp, and I want progress reports, I want to see results, names, locations, sources of funds. Share your findings with Pella. Full disclosure! Come back to me with the security measures and how you propose to protect my family without further irritating the fuck out of them, and I want updates as soon as new information becomes available."
"We're already on it, sir! I just needed your approval."
"Find the fuckers! I'm going to deliver the punishment myself!" Both Taylor and Welch share a brief glimpse then Welch nods, and leaves my office.
***** ❦ ♡ ❧ *****
"How was the shower baby?" I ask as I lead Anastasia into our bedroom. Taylor and the staff have to carry the gifts Anastasia and the baby received in several trips.
Anastasia answers with a big grin: "Amazing! Not only that, we've made plans for Kate and Elliot's wedding afterwards. You know, food, dresses, tablescape, flowers, rehearsals. By the way, can I have my phone back? I have to enter the dates into my calendar so Hannah can block off those dates for me," she says.
"Ana, you should not be planning to work that far into the pregnancy. It's only a week before the baby is born. First babies I've read are rather unpredictable. I would like you to stop working at least in the second half of the third trimester."
"Christian! That's no time at all. I've got so much to do at work. You want me to take over SIP, but you won't let me work! How do I learn if I don't work?"
"Fair point well made, however, it's not that I'm not letting you to work. I thought our child's well-being was a priority for you. Or is it something I misunderstood?" I goad her.
"That's a low blow and you know that Christian! I want to be able to work. That doesn't mean I don't care about the baby's well-being. I just want to be able to feel useful, productive and after the baby is born, I will have to rearrange my schedule anyway."
"What makes you think you won't be useful just because you don't exert as much on yourself resting up before our baby is born? You can delegate the work in capable hands and still have control over your workplace. All I'm asking is that you remain well rested so that you and our baby are healthy. Is it too much for me to ask this of you?" I give her my most innocent look, disarming her.
"But you work hard!" she protests.
"Ana, I'm not the one who is carrying our baby. I had to build up the business, build up the assets as well as the staff who could work effectively so I could spend time with you, so you don't have to work as hard. Because I guarantee you, when the baby is born, you're not gonna want to stay away from him too long and you will need to practice how to delegate work and you have a lovely home office. You assistant can come daily. You just can limit your office commute time."
"Christian, the others at work will resent me for not putting enough time in!" she protests.
"Anastasia, you will have to learn to care less about the opinions of others. I don't. For me, your opinion matters, but not my employees' opinion of me. To a degree it matters, but not in the grand scheme of things. It is important to learn to prioritize. A lion doesn't lose sleep over the opinion of the sheep." She looks at me incredulous. Shakes her head and walks towards the bathroom.
"Are you walking away from me?" I ask bewildered.
"You know me so well, Sherlock!" she gives me an angry glance.
"God! There's no other woman, ever, who drives me as passionate or as insane!"
"Yeah?" she says coming back to me looking up at me with her angry gaze. Placing her hands on my chest she pushes me to the wall.
"I don't know whether to hit you or kiss you! It's a little bit of both when you do that."
"Do it!" I provoke her.
"What?" she asks.
"You're angry with me. Take it out in bed."
"Oh no! You're the expert in that," she says.
"Well, when it comes to you baby, I'm an amateur. Do it! You're mad at me. Let's get it out in the open. I'm in your hands. Do it! You want to hit me Ana? Go ahead!" Her chest rises up and down in rapid succession. When will she understand that all I want to do is to protect her, love her, keep her alive. She's my love, my addiction, my beginning and my end. I can never get enough of her. Never! If she wants to hurt me, I'll let her do it. If she wants to love, here I am.
"I'm not going anywhere Ana. This is all of me. Good and bad. Do whatever you want! Meet me half way. What is it you want Ana?"
The Black Eyed Peas – Just Can't Get Enough
"Kiss me!" she whispers her order. "Convince me! But don't make me!"
"Where?" Her response is panting, expectant lips and closed eyes. "Where Ana?"
"Here! Do it here!"
"Fuck, yes!"
She gives me a half smile as if to say 'I dare you'. Oh, baby, you know me. I don't back down from a challenge. She pulls me down by my tie. Though there is no physical connection just yet, my awareness of her is intense, heady. My senses focus on my wife who is only holding the end of my tie. My body is currently triumphing over my what Flynn would call 'higher cognitive functions'. My senses are simply focused on my wife. She rises up on her toes and pulls me down to her lips to brush them up simply. When we barely touch, I just breathe her in, taste her lips, the scent of orange juice she was drinking mixes with my taste of Sancerre. I don't touch her. My hands are placed on the behind me. I then slowly shift my position to get her to the wall. My hands are on the sides of her head, but still not touching. My lips coax her, she's helpless to open her mouth, letting me enter with my soft tongue, welcoming my soft licks.
I can now slip my arm around her waist to pull her closer. It's not just a kiss for her; she's intense, barely verging on her control.
"Let it go," I murmur into her lips. "Unleash whatever you have. Do it!" Just like that, we're close. Her breast are mashed into my chest. Her hands are both shoving me away and pulling me into her at the same time, reflecting her inner turmoil.
"Control, baby," I whisper as I kiss her chin.
"Show me!" she orders. I pull back and look at her. "You heard me, Mr. Grey. Show me!" she repeats.
Wordlessly, I seize her hands, hold them above her head with one hand. Undoing my tie, I use it to tie her hands up at the wrist. With one swift move, I turn her towards the wall.
"All you have to say is stop, and I will. Just." I caress the side of her cheek as she closes her eyes, "the." I whisper into her ear, "word." Brush my lips on the side of her mouth, "no. Then I stop. Do you want me to stop, Ana?" I murmur.
She shakes her head in response. Her body shudders in anticipation.
"Keep your hand up on the wall like that," I say and take a step back, make her wait, anticipate, and desire me. Her breathing is harsh even though we are not touching.
"Good girl!" I lift her skirt up, grab the bottom of her panties, stick my index finger into the lace, and shred it. After ripping one side, I pull it and stuff it into my pocket. I hear Anastasia's gasp, her temperature is rising. I roll the skirt of her dress up her waist, pull her derriere outwards and with my feet, I spread her legs apart. Her back is arched and she's a delectable sight to see.
"Hold this position. If you move, there will be no satisfaction, Mrs. Grey." I travel a single finger over her buttocks, making my way down her deforested sex, gliding between her wet folds. When I reach her clitoris, she's on fire. A moan escapes her lips.
"Hush now, baby!" I order. I toy with her slick bloom, inserting one finger just barely, stroking up and down, but not inwards. I'm mere inches away from her. My other hand undoes the buttons of her dress opening and exposing her breasts out of the cups. I hold and pinch first then pull her nipple. Watching her reaction. My left hand teases her clitoris, pleasing, keeping her at the precipice of the demands of her body, but not giving complete satisfaction. When I pull her nipple between my thumb and index finger, I dip three fingers into her sex. The unexpected invasion is met with a pleasured gasp, tingling sensation of her body. I slide my fingers in and out of her, slowly, with deliberate strokes, pumping my fingers, simulating what my cock would do, in a pounding, measured rhythm. Thrusting, pulling, pinching, dance of my fingers. She arches her back further to get the intensity of my probing raised. I smack her ass twice to hold the position. Part of control is to retaining the norms you so desire.
"Ahh!" she groans, but resumes her former position. Then my fingers continue their probing.
"I want you in me!" she demands.
"Decide, or I will stop it now! This or nothing!"
"That's cruel!"
"No, baby, that's control. You asked me, and I'm showing you," I say. Her sex is pulsing with her impending orgasm.
"I want you to hold it. Don't come until I say so," I order.
"I won't!"
Then my fingers start moving in their sensual dance inside her and my right hand continue to pleasure her sensitive breasts. In and out. Pushing, pounding, probing, slow then forceful. On and on.
"Christian, I'm close!"
"Hold a little longer baby!" I command. Her pleasure is my pleasure and my cock is pushing hard to get out, but I need to complete this.
"Now, Ana!" I order and she detonates around my fingers. I can feel the shudders that go through her sex, on the tip of my cock.
Her body sags against my torso, and I carry her to our bed.
"For that Mr. Grey," she says opening her lids, "I will reciprocate in kind," and she proceeds to take me.
"Be my guest, Mrs. Grey!"
Hi Girls! I've been working, writing, working, taking care of life here so hard, and I'm stretched thin. I've been so busy that even 3 days after my book came out, I was busy with 20 hour workdays and hardly had any time to spend on it. Most writers start doing their promotion work a few months before their book comes out, or at least a month before. Me, I've always been busy, and improvising as I go. So, forgive me for being less than attentive to you lately, but I'm doing my best as the I am the only person who is tending everything. Thank you for your loyalty and reading and even whining at times (though I prefer less of it since I have kids who do that amply) but it still means you care! Love you all!


text:
Egyptian Night Hotel
Find Hotel Rates
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Wego searches multiple travel sites so you can find and compare the best rates.
Egyptian Night Hotel Hotel Details
- Highspeed Internet
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Experience 5-star service on a budget. Our Newly opened hotel in January 2010 is equipped with all the extras to guarantee your comfort. We are located in a gorgeously preserved historic era building directly across from the Egyptian museum with views of the Nile.
Many of our 14 bright and comfortable rooms have a balcony. We also have 4 beautifully furnished common areas for your relaxation and comfort. A continental breakfast, including drip coffee is served every day We also offer free high speed wireless internet Our friendly, knowledgeable and energetic staff are ready to answer all of your questions and pay careful attention to details to provide you with a wonderful experience in Cairo that you won't forget.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Howie Kendrick's name was nowhere to be found in the top five second basemen of the latest release of American League All-Star fan voting.
"I can't worry about it," said Kendrick, who is leading the major leagues with a .429 average this month. "It's one of those things I don't think about. I'm not one of those guys that drives the parade. If I make it, I'll be more than happy to go. It's always an honor."
His .328 average is fourth-best in the AL, and he got there by hitting an MLB-best .392 since May 14 (49 for 125 in 34 games). Kendrick already has eight home runs, matching his total for all of 2012.
The Angels second baseman also hit eight homers before the All-Star break in 2011, when he was voted onto the AL squad by the players.
"When I got voted in by my peers, that was a big thing," Kendrick said. "That was something I appreciated more than anything, because you want the respect of the people you play against."
Fans in Anaheim never managed to vote beloved outfielder Tim Salmon into an All-Star Game in 15 seasons, so playing here and getting overlooked in that fashion isn't exactly new.
Kendrick is in the No. 5 spot on Manager Mike Scioscia's lineup card for Thursday night's series finale against the Seattle Mariners.
The lineups:
Endy Chavez, rf
Nick Franklin, 2b
Kyle Seager, 3b
Kendrys Morales, dh
Raul Ibanez, lf
Justin Smoak, 1b
Michael Saunders, cf
Henry Blanco, c
Brendan Ryan, ss
Felix Hernandez, rhp
Comments are encouraged, but you must follow our User Agreement
Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to republish your name and comment in additional Register publications without any notification or payment.


text:
White to remain in draft
Ole Miss sophomore guard Terrico White will forgo his final two years of eligibility and remain in the NBA draft.
White is projected as a likely second-round pick with the potential to play his way into the first as the draft process evolves over the next month.
"My family and I have decided that it is best for me to stay in the upcoming draft," White said in a statement Wednesday. "This was a very tough decision to make. I would like to thank all of the coaching staff for giving me the chance to play at Ole Miss and for everything they have done for me over the past two years. I really love it at Ole Miss, and I will always be a part of the Ole Miss family. It really hurts for me to go, but this is what's best for my family."
The NCAA's deadline to withdraw from the draft is Saturday by 5 p.m. ET. The NBA withdrawal deadline is June 14, 10 days prior to the June 24 draft.
White was second on the Rebels in scoring at 15.1 points a game. The Rebels reached the NIT final four in New York, losing to Dayton in the semifinals.
"I was informed today by Terrico and his family that he intends to hire an agent and stay in this year's draft," Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said in a statement. "They are comfortable with the information that they have received regarding his draft status and therefore will stay in the draft. Terrico is obviously a very talented young man who will always be a part of the Ole Miss basketball family."
White was the SEC freshman of the year in 2009.
The Rebels will lean even more next season on Chris Warren, the team's leading scorer at 17.2 points a game. The Rebels had Nick Williams sitting out and will also use Zach Graham, Trevor Gaskins and newcomers Donald Williams and Dundrecous Nelson in the backcourt.
White's departure comes on the heels of sophomore forward Murphy Holloway, the team's third-leading scorer, leaving for personal reasons.
Andy Katz is a senior writer who covers college basketball for ESPN.com.
- Butler pushes Bulls past Pelicans to 6th in row
- KG pulls a Stephenson, blows in West's ear
- Hawks drop Bucks to split home-and-home
- Lowry, Raptors snap Clips' home win streak
2010 NBA Draft
- Ford's draft grades: Team evaluations
- Ford: Pick-by-pick, Round 1 | Round 2
- Bill Simmons' 2010 NBA draft diary
- Adande: Will draft be lessened by FAs?
- Katz: Five Kentucky players go in Round 1
- Hollinger: Analyzing the draft night deals
- TrueHoop: Watching powerbroker in action
- O'Connor: Wiz deal hurts Knicks' LBJ chase
- Sheridan: Knicks still feel good about LBJ
- Draft debate: Ford, Simmons live mock draft
- Doug Gottlieb's take on draft night
- TrueHoop Draft Reports: Latest draft buzz
- In Wall's words: PG on dad's death, more
- NBA players mock draft | Draftee poll
- Katz: Teams questioning Cousins | Watch
- Wall, Turner, Favors drafted 1-2-3
- Nova's Reynolds first All-America undrafted
- Heat make history by taking Williams
- Roundup: Recap of draft-night deals
- Sources: Bulls swap Hinrich for cap relief
- Bucks get Maggette from Warriors for a pair
- Ford: Nets send Douglas-Roberts to Bucks
- Grizzlies close to picks swap with Wolves
- 2010 NBA Draft Index: Latest draft info
- Draft Machine: You choose the order
- Hollinger's Draft Rater: Most pro potential
- Chad Ford's Top 100 players: Who's No. 1?
- NBA Draft Blog: Scouting reports, more
- Daily Dime TV: Draft recap, analysis
- John Wall becomes first No. 1 UK player
- Sixers take Turner | Favors to Nets
- Affect on free agency | D'Antoni
- Perception vs. Reality: Cousins questions
- Sport Science: Wall's vision, finishing


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text:
Introducing myself and my journal: Live Forever
About Me:
hello everyone!!! my name is sreymom or mompol
It is the great opportunity for me to be invole with Pulsewire.I like to know about the everyone's idea about the world and I am so interesting in discuss about everyone about the comunity and life, culture and the problems around the world, especially about the public health. thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Passions:
people in the world are healthy, clean water are available, human right , culture, writing, reading and everything that relate to life.
My Challenges:
Every time went I saw and heard about victims of have health problem and spread diseases inspired me.
My Vision for the Future:
The world is full of happiness, no violent, people are healthy and people entrence honesty.
Hi Momopol,
Welcome to PulseWire! It is exciting to have a new member from Cambodia here in the community. The best way to communicate and share your voice is to write in your journal, read others members journals and offer comments, and to join groups and participate in the discussions. You might also consider posting to ResourceExchange, a global bulletin board designed to offer access to needed resources as well as the ability to provide resources to those in need, explore and contribute to SharingSolutions, a library of working models and blueprints, and collaborate in a group discussion forum.
I look forward to hearing your voice!
Warm regards,
It is a joy to welcome you to our online community. Your arrival is well-timed as we have had a lot of activity on PulseWire concerning Cambodia, especially since members have just returned from our first World Pulse international tour to your country. The tour was hosted by Loung Ung, whom I am sure you are familiar with. Each participant came away with such love for the people they met and the women whose courageous efforts are transforming lives. You can read about their journey, experiences and insights on the group journal, found at:
Unlike the polar bear in your photo (very cute), you will not be alone and isolated here but will find a sea of rising voices speaking out and taking stands. Connections are being made, crossing oceans, continents, and cultural barriers, as the issues that affect women and children are discussed, debated and reflected upon. Take a moment to browse through our group directory (http://www.worldpulse.com/pulsewire/groups) where you may find a group with similar interests to your own. Or, you may consider starting your own group centered around health, where you can build a powerful network bringing together PulseWire members with similar visions who want to share ideas or actions.
Again welcome and I look forward to reading more from you.
PulseWire Community Director
how did you hear about us, mompol?
I am so curious to know! Are you friends with some people that I met recently in Phnom Penh?
Ila Asplund
Half Sky Journeys
+ 1 (503) 877-4759
skype: half_sky_journeys
Portland, OR 97232 USA
Investing in women through meaningful travel
Hi, I am Cameroonian and have never met anyone from Cambodia. I hope we can be friends so I can learn more about your country and your culture. You can ask me anything you want to know about Cameroon but one thing I can tell you is we know soccer so well, but personally I can't play. Hope to hear from you soon.
Please join the Cambodia Café!
Mompol, please join and add your thoughts, and invite others from Cambodia and anywhere!
Ila Asplund
Half Sky Journeys
+ 1 (503) 877-4759
skype: half_sky_journeys
Portland, OR 97232 USA
Investing in women through meaningful travel


text:
No graded pricing is available for this item.
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|Set: 2012-13 Panini Intrigue Intriguing Pairs Jerseys
|Players: Lawson, Ty , Evans, Tyreke
|Teams: Denver Nuggets , Sacramento Kings
|Sport: Basketball
|Brand: Panini Intrigue
|Manufacturer: Panini Group
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text:
Publishers, Techies Love Each Other Up
Granted, many of you have probably already seen the basic news from the general annnual meeting of the Association of American Publishers Tuesday morning, which ran with the theme of "The Book World Goes Digital." Certainly you'll have heard about Microsoft attorney <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117314844325627857.html?"Thomas Rubin's speech, the short version of which is "Google Book Search sucks, Microsoft Live Search rocks." But have you seen pictures? I didn't think so!
Clockwise from the top left: BabyCenter chair Tina Sharkey prepares to educate the audience on how younger readers don't just "go online" today, they "live online," so publishers will have to create or piggyback onto new forms of social media to reach them; Mark Bide of Rightscom Limited tries to keep the technical details of Automated Content Access Protocl to a minimum because, let's face it, "a standardized framework for the machine-readable expression of permissions for access to and use of online content" just doesn't have the same pizazz for publishers as "branded vertical categories," which is what Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore led with immediately prior to Bide's speech; Thomas Rubin just called Google a bunch of parasites who "create no content of their own, and make money solely on the backs of other people's content;" Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen sits down with Random House VP and newly appointed AAP chair Richard Sarnoff for a friendly chat in which he warned the audience that "more people will access the web through non-PC devices than PC devices in five years," and as of now America's way behind the Japanese on that curve.
Because it was leaked to the media the day before the conference, Rubin's excoriation of Google was the most publicly visible manifestation of the mutual love the publishers and the technology folks were showing each other all morning. Chizen got in some good points about how his company was concerned about the book search problem because the software industry is plagued by piracy even more than the publishing biz. Later, when Sarnoff prompted him on the interview's stated theme, "publishing in the MySpace era," Chizen replied, "I'm surprised by how quickly the social sites have taken off… Most of the content is junk," he added, believing that traditional publishing companies will continue to act as the best and most trusted quality filters. "If you're a publisher with credibility, readers know you're going to filter out the garbage and publish only the best." Sarnoff allowed as that was an "optimistic view," but my immediate mental reaction was, "Dude, it's not MySpace and YouTube that publishers have to compete with, it's iUniverse." And what do you know, during a break in the session I ran into iUniverse president Susan Driscoll, who agreed that "what we're trying to do is give people to tools to create a professional product" while bypassing the traditional gatekeepers of the publishing biz. And I don't need to remind you how major publishers have demonstrated time and time again that you can bring all sorts of crap to market if it looks professional enough…or, for that matter, how many good books they've missed the boat on that wound up at smaller presses, or how every once in a while a self-published author becomes the Next Big Thing.
But that wasn't the only instance of the "we conglomerates still have a place in this world" mentality. As Ann Moore was going on about how she expected that People would become her company's next huge online property, she took a moment to snark at the long tail theory, declaring that "small businesses offline will still be small businesses online." Which, frankly, would seem to miss the whole point of the long tail—of course small media companies aren't going to take away so many members of the "younger, better educated, higher income" online demographic that they'll cripple Big Media; technology will just make it easier for those small companies to reach more consumers over a wider area without going broke. (In other words, a local company is only as local as it chooses to be.) Still, the publishers have definitely figured out that they've got to make some strong allies in the technology world, because the content is already migrating online and at this point it's only a question of how much power they'll be able to retain over it. Fortunately for the industry, some heavy tech players are quite willing to help them.


text: Milwaukee Motorcycle Clothing Co. Men's Harness Boot Rating: ★★★★★ Everyday Low Price: $125.99 Gold Club Price: What's This? The Gold Club is our premier membership program. For most items members receive 10% off every day, plus exclusive sales and benefits just for members. More Info $113.39 Product Description: Width: D WidthMaterial: Full grain leatherClearance Price: .00Gender: Men'sManufacturer Part Number: MB41020Sold in Units: Pair More Info Click MORE INFO to check availability More Info


text:
Date of birth : 1st September 1990
Hometown : Schwarzenbach an der Saale, Germany
Career highlights:
2nd place Enduro Ride Gardasee 2011
3rd place Queen of Plose 2011 and 2012
4th place Enduro Ride Gardasee 2012
4th place CaiDom 2012
Basically, I go biking in summer and skiing in winter. But I love a lot of other outdoor sports such as climbing or hiking. Apart from sports, I like knitting, travelling and reading.
Short biography:
I am an active and creative person, I love outdoor sports and being with my friends.
My parents put me on skis when I was 2 and I started racing alpine ski quite early. Even after I quit racing as a professional skier, I participated in lots of amateur-races, especially for students and athletes who were not on any national team or fully sponsored. I used to spend a lot of time on the road bike in summer in order to stay fit. At one point I was fed up with those boring roads and so I started having fun on single trails. This was one of my best decisions...! (Another good decision was to leave alpine races and start freeskiing, but that's another story...)
Since 2010, I have loved riding with friends, especially around Innsbruck, where I live at the moment. I was surprised to realize how many girls are riding mountain bikes nowadays and I am happy to see their number increase every season.
I started biking when I was a child, like many of us... At the age of 14, I started racing cross-country and marathon. I have also been riding enduro and downhill since 2010.What does biking mean to you personally?
It's a kind of freedom, from enjoying the silence that surrounds you on enduro tours to hanging out with friends and spending time together.What aspect of biking thrills you the most?
I like flow and speed and technical sections I have to try several times before I know how to ride them properly. I enjoy riding with my friends, having fun and being in nature with amazing landscapes all around.How do you manage to combine family/friends and job?
I usually take my family and friends with me when I go for a ride. To combine biking and knitting, I recommend to knit in the gondola or in the bike shuttle!Please answer with one word only:
What do you like about SCOTT?
Their product range offers basically everything for every kind of need. They have high end bikes and quality stuff.What are your favorite SCOTT products?
I love the bikes, which are also good for lighter and smaller women (I am a good example for this, as I am 150cm tall!). I like the bikewear too: comfortable and functional at the same time!What SCOTT products are you using this year?
I am riding a Genius 650B and wearing the bike women's line.People you feel you need to thank:
I would like to thank my family for helping me getting were I am now, my friends for sharing unforgettable outdoor experiences and of course the SCOTT family for supporting me and having fun together.


text:
After nearly two seasons of Chicago Fire, you'd think the firefighters at Firehouse 51 had seen it all. But nothing could have prepared them for the events of Tuesday's new episode (10/9c, NBC).
In the hour, titled "A Dark Day," the Chicago hospital where Casey (Jesse Spencer) and Dawson (Monica Raymund) are volunteering for a charity run is rocked by a huge explosion. In this exclusive sneak peek, Casey quickly jumps into action as the chaos — including fires, debris and tons of injured civilians — ensues.
Scoop on Chicago Fire and more must-watch finales
But if Casey is already at the site, who will take his place as lieutenant when 51 gets called to the scene? Watch this exclusive sneak peek to find out:
Check out Chicago Fire on Tuesday at 10/9c, and Chicago P.D. on Wednesday at 10/9c for this special two-part event. Watch full episodes of Chicago Fire here.
Sign in to your TVGuide.com account
Or connect with:
See more »
Download the TV Guide app for iPhone, iPad and Android!


text:
Knoxville (WVLT) - Governor Phil Bredesen proclaims Tuesday as Safe Haven Law Awareness Day.
Since the law was enacted in 2001, 21 babies' lives statewide have been saved.
Twenty-two-year-old Jenna McConkey of old Oak Ridge is charged with killing her newborn son in December of 2007. Police say McConkey wrapped her baby's lifeless body in a towel and took him to her Knoxville doctor.
"I think it emphasizes the need for us to continue to get information out about the law," said Shannon McCloud from the Secret Safe Place for Newborns.
She's talking about the Safe Haven Law enacted in 2001. It allows a mother to take a newborn up to 3 days to 4 medical facilities only - a hospital, a birthing center, health department, and a walk in clinic. Some states include police and fire stations - Tennessee doesn't.
"We're not out to encourage young women who are pregnant to anonymously bring their babies in this is a last resort," McCloud said.
Tennessee is allowed to ask the mother questions, but she can refuse to answer without prosecution. What would make a mother hide her pregnancy then drop off her baby?
"Fear that someone's going to find out, fear of what's going to happen if someone does find out, so they just hide the pregnancy then when they have the baby, they just panic because they want to hide their secret," McCloud said.
So professionals encourage a scared, pregnant woman to tell someone, and if you can't then take the baby to a Safe Haven.
Jenna McConkey is charged with reckless homicide and aggravated child abuse in connection with the Dec. 20 death of her newborn son. The cause of death is not being released. McConkey is being held in the Anderson County Detention Center on $100,000 bond and will be arraigned April 25.
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text:
-Re: hadoop.tmp.dir with multiple disks
I don't understand why multiple disks would be particularly beneficial for
a Map/Reduce job..... would I/O for a map/reduce job be i/o *as well as CPU
bound* ? I would think that simply reading and parsing large files would
still require dedicated CPU blocks. ?
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 3:14 AM, Harsh J <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> You can use mapred.local.dir for this purpose. It accepts a list of
> directories tasks may use, just like dfs.data.dir uses multiple disks
> for block writes/reads.
> On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 12:50 PM, mete <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Hello folks,
> >
> > I have a job that processes text files from hdfs on local fs (temp
> > directory) and then copies those back to hdfs.
> > I added another drive to each server to have better io performance, but
> as
> > far as i could see hadoop.tmp.dir will not benefit from multiple
> disks,even
> > if i setup two different folders on different disks. (dfs.data.dir works
> > fine). As a result the disk with temp folder set is highy utilized, where
> > the other one is a little bit idle.
> > Does anyone have an idea on what to do? (i am using cdh3u3)
> >
> > Thanks in advance
> > Mete
> --
> Harsh J
Jay Vyas


text:
The Wolf of Wall Street is about to have his day. The Martin Scorsese film about the Wolf — Jordan Belfort in real life, played by Leonardo DiCaprio — tells how Belfort swindled thousands of investors out of more than $100 million as head of a penny-stock boiler room in the 1990s.
The film is an "almost nonstop parade of sex, drugs, nudity", according to the online magazine Deadline Hollywood.
Left untold is the story of the victims, disparaged as "garbage" by DiCaprio's character in the movie. For many of them — small businessmen and people like Steve Orton, a State Farm insurance agent from Alpharetta, Georgia — the publicity for the film has brought back the old pain. Still, Orton said, while "it kind of sickens me, I really feel like I owe it to myself to complete the circle to see it".
Ken Minor, a real estate appraiser in Gilroy, California, said the experience "hurt me pretty bad". He drew on a home equity line of credit to buy stocks with Belfort's brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont, and still has not repaid it. "I'm not a rich guy," he said, "and I've been paying for it ever since." Will he go to the movie? "If I see it," Minor replied, "it will be for free."
Stratton was shut down by industry regulators in 1996, and Belfort was sentenced to four years in prison for securities fraud and money laundering. He was released from federal prison after serving 22 months, in April 2006. A little more than a year later, he published his tell-all about the go-go years, The Wolf of Wall Street. He followed up in 2009 with Catching the Wolf of Wall Street. According to court records, Belfort received $940,500 for the movie rights to his two books.
At Belfort's sentencing in 2003, Judge John Gleeson of US District Court in New York said that Belfort owed investors $110 million for his crimes and that he must divert 50 per cent of his gross monthly revenue to a victims' fund beginning one month after his release from prison. The government has already distributed $10.4 million to investors garnered from property Belfort gave up in his plea agreement. And after serving restraining notices on Belfort's publishers in 2007, the government reached an agreement with Belfort that it would receive half of the book proceeds.
In addition, Stephen P Harbeck, president of the Securities Investor Protection


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Le mar 06/01/2004 à 01:16, Ville Skyttä a écrit : > Note also that since 1.3.$something, Apache needs to be built with > -DSECURITY_HOLE_PASS_AUTHORIZATION or checklink will need to be running > under mod_perl, otherwise the basic auth forwarding trickery will not > work at all. More info: > http://httpd.apache.org/dev/apidoc/apidoc_SECURITY_HOLE_PASS_AUTHORIZATION.html > I don't know why v.w.o does not seem to be affected, in theory I believe > basic auth forwarding for validator and checklink should not work at all > there at the moment. We're using a trick to work around this security setting; it's the same trick as the one detailed e.g. in http://mail.zope.org/pipermail/zope/2001-April/088252.html DomReceived on Tuesday, 6 January 2004 06:00:47 GMT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0+W3C-0.50 : Thursday, 19 August 2010 18:12:43 GMT


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(9 Photos)
by Tracy PepeyScarlett and Justin sittin' in a tree... No, wait, Scarlett and Ryan... Or is it Ryan and Jessica? Or Jessica and Justin? Whew! Not sure who's kissin' whom these days? We hear ya. Spring has sprung and Hollywood's romances are blossoming at a fast and furious rate. Not to worry -- help is on the way! We've created this Spring Fling Tracker to keep you up-to-date on which singles are swinging and with whom. Check back regularly for updates on the hookups and breakups, as they're sure to keep us on our toes.
Yummy recipes, DIY projects, home decor, fashion and more curated by iVillage staffers.
The very dirty truth about fashion internships... DUN DUN @srslytheshow http://t.co/wfewf


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Calling all Sappers
I am developing this site because I'm a sapper and I know how hard it can be to find old friends, I'd like this to be the place to find anyone who served with you in the Royal Engineers. This site is free, paid for by me and hopefully always will be. To search for another Royal Engineer, use the "Find your mates" link above.
Every week, over 100 searches for people take place on this site. Are your old sapper mates looking for you? Can you be found?
You will not show up as a member of the Corps of Royal Engineers on this site until you record some details of the squadrons or units you've served with in your work history.
A units all start with TA before the unit number. Australian units all start with AUS.
Only registered members can see email contact details for other users, and all you need is an email address, you do NOT give your postal address, bank details or any other personal stuff. We're Sappers, not bankers. To get to the right forums, just select the right squadron from the Sqn link or the member search link, there should be a forum created for every individual unit.
Wanted: General Fitter for decking company based in Poole Dorset. - You will be working for a Leisure Services company in Poole and will be travelling all over the South West with trips away to the North and other areas of the UK to take part in Event such as the Hull Show, Beaulieu show and New Forest Show etc.
You will be working with a team leader (until you have proved your worth) and then you will be upgraded according to your output.
You: Will be over 25. Full driving licence Familiar with power tools Have your own power tools (Not absolutely Essential) Be able to work alone or in a team of two+ Willing to work as a SELF EMPLOYED worker. Be able to understand Drawings/plans Be able to work some unsocial hours and possible weekends You will be working outside
What you will get: Ability to earn £800/week Vehicle Fuel card A full weeks work plenty of over time backing of the management
Apply to - Neil Grace BSc (Hons)
General Manager
Morgan Johns Leisure Services Ltd
Chalwyn Industrial Estate
Tel: 01202 736792


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Retirement Security:
SSA Overpayment Recovery
HEHS-96-104R: Published: Apr 30, 1996. Publicly Released: Apr 30, 1996.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
(202) 512-7215
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed how the Social Security Administration (SSA) recovers overpayments of benefits. GAO found that: (1) SSA is precluded from upwardly adjusting the amount it withholds from a recipient's income or benefit to repay overpayments at the time of cost of living increases because it collects supplemental security income (SSI), retirement and survivors insurance (RSI), and disability insurance (DI) benefit overpayments based on a fixed amount; (2) allowing SSA to increase the monthly withholding amount at the time of a cost of living adjustment could accelerate the recovery of overpayments without imposing an undue burden on recipients or incurring excessive administrative costs; (3) accelerating recoveries while recipients are still receiving benefits improves the chance of collecting overpayments; (4) SSA administrative costs would likely increase only in the first year of implementation; and (5) the cost of notifying recipients of the new withholding procedures would be negligible, since SSA already notifies recipients when overpayments occur.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Status: Closed - Not Implemented
Comments: SSA believes that the benefits of implementing the recommendation are low compared to other debt collection improvements it is considering. As a result, SSA does not believe it will be able to give serious consideration to implementing this recommendation in the near future.
Recommendation: SSA should make all future adjusted recovery amounts in the SSI program a percentage of the total monthly income and all future adjusted recovery amounts in the RSI and DI programs a percentage of the monthly benefit amount.
Agency Affected: Social Security Administration
Status: Closed - Not Implemented
Comments: SSA believes that the benefits of implementing the recommendation are low compared to other debt collection improvements it is considering. As a result, SSA does not believe it will be able to give serious consideration to implementing this recommendation in the near future.
Recommendation: SSA should determine whether it would be cost-effective to convert all existing adjusted recovery amounts in the SSI, RSI, and DI programs to a percentage of the monthly payment amount.
Agency Affected: Social Security Administration
Explore the full database of GAO's Open Recommendations »
Dec 10, 2014
SSA Disability Benefits:Enhanced Policies and Management Focus Needed to Address Potential Physician-Assisted FraudGAO-15-19: Published: Nov 10, 2014. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 2014.
Oct 30, 2014
Pension Plan Valuation:Views on Using Multiple Measures to Offer a More Complete Financial PictureGAO-14-264: Published: Sep 30, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 30, 2014.
Oct 22, 2014
Individual Retirement Accounts:Preliminary Information on IRA Balances Accumulated as of 2011 [Reissued on October 22, 2014]GAO-14-878T: Published: Sep 16, 2014. Publicly Released: Sep 16, 2014.
Jul 29, 2014
401(K) Plans:Improvements Can Be Made to Better Protect Participants in Managed AccountsGAO-14-310: Published: Jun 25, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 29, 2014.
Jul 28, 2014
Railroad Retirement Board:Total and Permanent Disability Program at Risk of Improper PaymentsGAO-14-418: Published: Jun 26, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 28, 2014.
Jul 7, 2014
Private Pensions:Targeted Revisions Could Improve Usefulness of Form 5500 InformationGAO-14-441: Published: Jun 5, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 7, 2014.
Pension Advance Transactions:Questionable Business Practices IdentifiedGAO-14-420: Published: Jun 4, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 7, 2014.
Jun 16, 2014
Retirement Security:Oversight of the National Railroad Retirement Investment TrustGAO-14-312: Published: May 15, 2014. Publicly Released: Jun 16, 2014.
May 27, 2014
Retirement Security:Challenges for Those Claiming Social Security Benefits Early and New Health Coverage OptionsGAO-14-311: Published: Apr 23, 2014. Publicly Released: May 27, 2014.
Apr 21, 2014
Private Pensions:Pension Tax Incentives UpdateGAO-14-334R: Published: Mar 20, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 21, 2014.
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Community Status Updates
Razeyfingers → GreatPoupon
niiiice on the avater sig combo. . . "So you dropped de six of us in the meat grindah! What happened to you, Dillon, you used to be someone I could trust"Mar 23 2012 10:33 AM
GreatPouponhaha, "you set us up!" love that movie.
Mar 23 2012 10:57 AM


text: Cleveland Indians Cleveland Indians Angels Astros Athletics Blue Jays Braves Brewers Cardinals Cubs Diamondbacks Dodgers Giants Indians Mariners Marlins Mets Nationals Orioles Padres Phillies Pirates Rangers Rays Reds Red Sox Rockies Royals Tigers Twins White Sox Yankees Home | Attendance | Charts/Graphs | Depth Chart | Directory | Roster | Schedule | Stats | MLB News | MLB Scores 2013 Avg. Career Avg..268 Name Born Height Weight Number Position Bats Throws Reg. SeasonPostseasonGame LogSplitsvs PitcherNotesSeasonAvg.SLGGABRHTB2B3BHRRBIBBSOSBCSE2014-WAS.229.38949175204068925212229301Career.268 .409963 363549597314882201787451312695722689 SeasonAvg.SLGGABRHTB2B3BHRRBIBBSOSBCSE2014-CLE.246.386973785493146222940277972142013-CLE.242.402136508661232043521464351149392012-CLE.270.423143555701502353511668529994192011-CLE.273.46015160487165278323259244119175152010-CLE.276.3469738139105132161329256064122009-CLE.308.438131523811612294246684489174102008-CLE.259.366114352489112920064746774482007-CLE.283.42145159304567923221729001Last 10Avg.ABRH2B3BHRRBIWSO@ SFG 10/7.200300000002@ SFG 10/6.250401000100vs. SFG 10/4.250411100002vs. SFG 10/3.250411001101vs. MIA 9/28.229200000001vs. MIA 9/27.231401100302vs. MIA 9/26.231201000120vs. NYM 9/25.228400000001vs. NYM 9/24.233000000000vs. NYM 9/23.233300000011 Notes:Signed as nondrafted free agent by Mariners, Aug. 26, 2002 Traded to Cleveland for Eduardo Peres; June 30, 2006 Re-signed with Cleveland to a two-year contract extension worth $16.5 million; Apr. 4, 2012 Traded to the Washington with cash for Zach Walters; July 31, 2014 Highlights: Awards:2011: AL All-Star Team; Silver Sluggers 2012: AL All-Star Team


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Summary: Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective hellip but there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. Since its publication, stephen chbosky's haunting debut novel has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, grown into a cult phenomenon with over a million copies in print, and inspired a major motion picture. The perks of being a wallflower is a story about what it's like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territ ...show moreory of high school. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. of sex, drugs, and the rocky horror picture show, of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. ...show lessEdition/Copyright: 12
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Hi guys,
I have seen this somewhere but now I don't seem to be able to find it?
I am setting up some laptops (no domain controller) and I want to restrict the "students" account on them. I know that if I change the local group policy (gpedit.msc from Run) it will affect both the Admin account ("ITAdmin") and the student account. I only want the group policy to affect the student account. I read about a crude workaround to this ages ago.. but now cannot find it??
Thanks for any help.


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Nader Group Joins Oracle-Sun Opponents
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. ( TheStreet -- Oracle's (ORCL) $7.4 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems (JAVA) is facing stiff opposition from technology pressure groups on both sides of the Atlantic.
The deal has already been approved by Sun shareholders and the Department of Justice but has been delayed while European regulators scrutinize the merger's antitrust implications. Officials are mainly concerned about Oracle getting its hands on Sun's MySQL database and thus limiting the choice for database software.
MySQL, which competes with Microsoft's (MSFT) SQL and IBM's (IBM) DB2 technology, is regarded as the jewel in Sun's crown. The technology, however, also features in free software projects such as WordPress, prompting concern that the deal could have widespread ramifications for the broader tech sector.
Knowledge Ecology International, a social justice organization founded by Ralph Nader, is now pressuring the European Commission to veto the Oracle/Sun merger, along with the U.K.-based Open Rights Group and "software freedom" activist Richard Stallman.In a letter to European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, the groups warned that Oracle's Sun acquisition could have dire consequences for software developers. "Oracle seeks to acquire MySQL to prevent further erosion of its share of the market for database software licenses and services, and to protect the high prices now charged for its proprietary database software licenses and services," he wrote. "If Oracle is allowed to acquire MySQL, it will predictably limit the development and functionality of the MySQL platform." The database giant's Sun acquisition sent shockwaves through the tech sector when it was announced earlier this year. The tech bellwether has not yet responded to TheStreet's request for comment on this story, although fiery Oracle chief Larry Ellison recently urged customers to have faith in the acquisition.
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This year has flown by!!! It feels like it should be about August, not almost December.
This month has been particularly busy for me, so there has been a bit less time for stitching.
My priorities are my 2 BOM subscriptions.
We are up to Block 26 with the Chester Criswell Quilt. I love the design of this block!!
Block 26 Elizabeth Cummins:
So far I have completed only 1 1/2 blocks for Noah and Matilda.
Current progress on Open Flower Wreath:
I will get another photo up when its done. Take a look at a photo of Dawn's version of the block here. I love this block!!! I think this block would make a wonderful centre for a small medallion quilt!
Here is some of what has been keeping me busy;
My daughter has started making and selling clothes and accessories for babies and children, concentrating on boys clothes, but not forgetting the girls. A couple of days a week I take care of my grandson while she sews. Her business is young and she has started doing some craft markets as well as having a webpage, a Facebook page (Krome Butterfly) and an Instagram account. (@Kromekids) If you are on or near the Mornington Peninsula tomorrow we will be at the Point Nepean Craft Market at Portsea. Come and say hi if you visit.
I'll be back soon with more stitching. There are a few more things I have been sewing. :)
Have a great weekend everyone!!
Yellow roses
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
October finishes
The boat quilt for my grandson is finished. This quilt will be for his cot.
It is quilted simply with stitch-in-the-ditch around each boat and a wave shape on each alternate block.
I used a fabric with all over boats for the backing and I even found a preprinted label with a boat.
All soft and crinkly after a wash.
This months CCCQ block looked deceptively simple....
Block 25, Sarah Stubbs' block.
All those curves took a while to stitch.
I'm looking forward to making Block 26 this month; Love the pattern of this one!
I just managed to complete my Noah and Matilda blocks on the last day of October! There were only 3 blocks this month and the first 2 didn't take me too long.
Cactus Vase.
Mexican Rose.
I procrastinated over the third block! lol
Not perfect, but done.
Dawn has posted photos of her blocks for November. I'm looking forward to making these. The 3rd one looks a bit of a challenge.....but I love a challenge!! :)
Mid month also brought my next installment of Cotton and Steel fabrics.
(only 11 fabrics here. Somehow I left one out after admiring them all!)
I've started cutting out hexies from some of these fabrics. I need about 100, so a little way to go yet. These are 2 1/4 inches. The top and bottom fabrics in the left column are Maze and Vale fabrics. I think they make perfect partners for Cotton and Steel.
Yesterday we had a visit from a dear friend who has just come back from several weeks overseas. She brought back these books she found in a small town in Sussex, England.
Perfect reading for a cold and damp Sunday. Looks like there is lots of inspiration behind those covers. :)
Have a great Sunday, everyone! :)
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Quilts In The Barn 2014
What a beautiful quilt to greet us at Quilts in the Barn this year!! This brilliant version of Homage to Sally-Ann was hand appliqued and machine quilted by Helen Hayes.
Quilts in the Barn is a wonderful 3 day event held every year by Linda Collins and her many helpers who make the day a huge success. All proceeds go to breast cancer research.
I had a day of quilts, friends, meeting new people from here and overseas, and sharing of food, fun and lots of laughter.
Lots of photos following!!!
After a quick tour of the quilts I went to meet one of Linda's international guests and one of my quilting heroes.
Me with Brenda Papadakis, of Dear Jane fame!!
I started my Dear Jane in January 2008, at a time in my life where hand sewing saved my sanity. It was an absolute delight for me to meet Brenda and have a chat with her.
Brenda signed one of my Dear Jane blocks:
I also purchased Brenda's new pattern.
Once around the barn is never enough, so off I went to have a more detailed look at the quilts. :)
Gracedale Doves. Hand appliqued, machine pieced and machine quilted by Louise Lott.
Pattern by Max and Louise Pattern Co.
I love the dove blocks on this one.
Ohio Medallion Quilt by Sharon Duffy, machine quilted by Kaye Brown.
Pattern by Judie Rothermel from her book "Reproduction Quilts From The Civil War Period 1850 - 1863"
A close up of the centre...
This next quilt has some beautiful fabrics...
Churn Dash Fancy. Machine pieced by Linda Collins in 2014. Machine quilted by Katrina Wilson.
The quilt is made from swap blocks from an online group and was inspired by many antique quilts.
I love the reds in the centre of the 2 blocks below.
A small section of a Baltimore quilt.
From Balitimore to Beaumauris - Every Quilt Tells a Story by Lynne Mills. Needleturn appliqued.
A close up showing a beautiful variety of fabrics.
Zutphen is a large quilt. Hand stitched by Jenny Bear and quilted by Karen Terrens.
Below is the interesting story behind this quilt.
and a some close ups of the blocks. Look at that quilting!
Some hand quilted quilts too!!
New York Beauty.
Made by Judy Newman. Hand quilted by Judy Newman.
Minis by Marion Edwards. Hand quilted by Marion Edwards.
Linda's other international guest is Patty Harrants. Patty is well known for The Wickersham Signature Quilt.
I first saw a photo of this quilt many years ago and I was entranced by it!!! I fell in love with this style of quilt! Unfortunately I couldn't find that photo again, so I couldn't make the quilt. I was very delighted to find out Patty was coming to Quilts in the Barn and that she was responsible for this stunning quilt!!
The original quilt is in The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Patty made exact drawings and notes and all the blocks were made by friends of hers. The quilt was hand quilted by an 87 year old lady in just one month!! Even the quilting is an exact copy of the original.
Patty had discs for sale. She even signed the cover for me!!
The cover block is my favourite block.
Patty also gave me a personal lesson on back basting. I'm eager to give it a try.
Patty and Brenda took classes and gave talks while they were here with Linda.
Patty's class was for this quilt.
Rebecca Kohler Quilt is a crib quilt. The original is also in the collection of the State Museum of Pennsylvania. This quilt was also hand quilted.
Yesterday I met a group of four ladies who are all making Dear Jane together. They have finished al the centre blocks and are working on their triangles. We had a lovely chat while talking with Brenda, then shared a cuppa together.
More friends from yesterday...
Dorothy, Leigh and Anna, all fellow quilters from The Friday Girls at Somerset. Great stitching friends!!!
Unfortunately there wereno signs on the quilts behind us. If anyone knows who made them can you let me know please, so I credit their creators properly.
Edited...The quilt on the left is a pattern by Sandra Boyle. The quilt on the right is Museum Medallion, Pattern by Judy Newman. (Thank you Susan and Dorothy)Th
Just a little story about the first quilt in this post. I first saw Homage to Sally-Ann hanging in Di Ford's shop, Primarily Patchwork, in 2005 or 2006. I had gone to the shop to learn how to quilt and I was taking a class for a hand sampler with 5 other ladies. When I saw Homage to Sally-Ann hanging in the shop I fell in love with that quilt. I said to myself, "when I'm good enough" I want to make that quilt!Well, 8 or 9 years later I have bought the pattern, chosen fabrics, changed ny mind on fabrics, chosen more fabrics................and that is as far as I have got!!!
Do you also have a quilt like this, hidden away in a cupboard, waiting for the right time to be made?
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
My lone star is growing with the third point being attached this week. I am finally happy with all the fabrics I am using.
Last month Moda ran a "Moda Love" blog tour. I saw several of their designer's blogs with great quilts. Moda supplied a free pattern with instructions in 3 sizes. I decided to use some of my Cotton and Steel fabrics to make the smallest size.
This is 12 1/2 inches unfinished. I loved the version I saw with those little 4 patches on Vanessa's blog.
Look what I found!!!
The selvedge says "Tree of Life" by Di Ford with Petra Prins and Nel Kooiman for Dutch Heritage" I found it at Somerset Patchwork and Quilting.
If you look here you will see my photo of a Tree of Life Quilt from Quilts in the Barn last year. (fourth and fifth photos) The centre panel of the quilt is all appliqued and is the same as the printed panel above.
Here are a couple of photos from my garden.
Banksia Rose
and Pink Rock Orchid.
I am looking forward to this year's Quilts In The Barn, which is on this Friday Saturday and Sunday. Each year Linda very generously donates all proceeds to Breast Cancer Research. If you live close enough it is a great day out for a great cause.
Happy sewing
Posted by Miriam at 10:51 PM 9 comments: Links to this post
Labels: Cotton and Steel fabric, Flowers, Lone star
Friday, October 3, 2014
Noah and Matilda, CCCQ and more
On the last day of September I put the last stitch in the last of September's Noah and Matilda blocks.
Just made it!!
This month there are only 3 blocks, but one looks like a doozy!! Lol
I have been trying to get a photo of all my CCCQ blocks together in one place. I tried outside (not enough space inside) a couple of times, but each time a breeze blew just as I was taking the photo and blocks went everywhere!
Finally I have a photo!
There are just 9 more blocks to go!
A quick update on some other stitching. My lone star is progressing slowly. I have almost finished the 3rd section.
I have also started cutting and sewing up some of my Cotton and Steel fabric,
Some family news... My daughter has just released a new range of clothes and accessories for babies and young children. To see some of her designs take a look at @kromekids on Instagram or Krome Butterfly on Facebook.
Have a great weekend everyone! :)
Just made it!!
This month there are only 3 blocks, but one looks like a doozy!! Lol
I have been trying to get a photo of all my CCCQ blocks together in one place. I tried outside (not enough space inside) a couple of times, but each time a breeze blew just as I was taking the photo and blocks went everywhere!
Finally I have a photo!
There are just 9 more blocks to go!
A quick update on some other stitching. My lone star is progressing slowly. I have almost finished the 3rd section.
I have also started cutting and sewing up some of my Cotton and Steel fabric,
Some family news... My daughter has just released a new range of clothes and accessories for babies and young children. To see some of her designs take a look at @kromekids on Instagram or Krome Butterfly on Facebook.
Have a great weekend everyone! :)
Posted by Miriam at 10:16 PM 8 comments: Links to this post
Saturday, September 13, 2014
I think he likes it!!!!
I finished an alphabet wall hanging for my Grandson this week. He is enchanted with all the bright colours. I bought the panel a few months ago and simply used a cotton batting, machine quilted it around each square and bound it with a red and white spot.
This morning I started quilting his boat quilt.
I have been playing around with choosing patterns and fabrics for my next project/s!!!
I have had these patterns for a little while now, waiting for the right fabrics to come along. I won't be starting them for a while, but its is always fun to play with putting fabrics and colours together.
I haven't been ignoring my reproduction fabrics.
This week I also finished the next CCCQ block.
Block 24 Alice Richmond.
The oak leaf and reel pattern is one of the very first patterns I appliqued and it is still a favourite of mine.
After looking at some photos I took of my lone star progress I decided I wasn't happy with the colour layout. Over the last couple of weeks I have asked for opinions and played with fabric arrangements until I was happy.
This is what my lone star looks like now....
I have taken out both dark green fabrics and replaced the pink points with red.
This month's Noah and Matilda blocks are coming along. No stitching yet, but I have made all the templates and chosen the fabrics.
I am attempting to find more sewing time by spending less time on the computer. However, I am missing the interaction with other bloggers. Does anyone else use Instagram? (I am mjnorindr if you would like to look for me) I have found several bloggers on Instagram and I found it much quicker to post and comment than on blogs.
Spring is here in Melbourne. The weather is warmer and the days are getting longer.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Posted by Miriam at 2:50 PM 10 comments: Links to this post
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Location :Outstanding. The azure blue Aegean sea outside your room followed by a divine sunset - these are the memories we have of this outstanding resort. The location is truly fabulous, on a nice beach with a great panorama of the Aegean sea. You can see cruise ships at a distance, to add to that holiday feel! We were lucky... More
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- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com, TripOnline SA and Odigeo so you can book your Ida Kale Resort Hotel reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
- Ida Kale Hotel Canakkale


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Cars > mrrod4u's Garage
About mrrod4u's Garage
About me and my passion for cars
If it ain't old why drive it. Trailers ate for boats.
My first car
1940 Ford 2 door. It was a great car!
Car I wish I still had
1040 Ford Coupe.
My dream car
34 Ford 3 Window Coupe.
Car clubs I'm in
Rebels - Lincoln NE
Nifty Fifties - Lincoln NE
Nebraska Rod and Custom Association (NRCA)
National Street Rod Association (NSRA)
- Type of racing: Drag
— Profile last updated: Jan 4, 2009
mrrod4u's Groups 1 – 2 of 2
Enthusiast Groups
mrrod4u is not a member of any enthusiast groups
Club Groups
OUR GOALS - To serve all member clubs and their individual members in a spirit of cooperation and fraternity. - To encourage the acquisition, restoration, preservation, and maintenance of collectible old and special interest automobiles. - To serve as a clearing house for historical and...
Nebraska, United States
The Nifty Fifties Ford Club was formed in 1987. The purpose of the club is for the enjoyment and preservation of all 1949-1959 Ford Motor Company automobiles. Ownership of a 1949 thru 1959 Ford Motor Comany automobile is not mandatory for club membership, and we do have members who have cars of...
Nebraska, United States
Business Groups
mrrod4u is not a member of any business groups
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mrrod4u's Friends 1 – 3 of 15
Vehicles 1 of 4
Cars (0)
Photo Albums and Videos 1 – 2 of 4
- Fordolet
- Filed under 1940 Ford Sedan/Convertible (Fordolet)
- Photos: 10
- 1940 Ford
- Filed under 1940 Ford Coupe (1940 Ford)
- Photos: 11
Cars > mrrod4u's Garage