text:
I shook my mind free of the pests. I would leave them be, for the moment. This was no time to get distracted.
One of the humans had found the nerve to speak again while my attention was elsewhere. I tuned back in.
"You can't mean that, Mewtwo," the older boy, Harrison, was saying. "I don't know where you've been or what you've seen, but Pokémon and humans aren't slaves and masters at all. Not in Pokémon training as it should be. We treat each other with respect and dignity and try to learn from each other."
"That's right," the girl, Waterflower added. "We all have something to gain by working together."
I gnashed my teeth, and for a moment seriously contemplated knocking them upside the head. Humans! If I had to hear their pathetic, sniveling platitudes for a moment longer…
"Enough!" I snapped. "I brought you here to discuss your fate with you, not to listen to any more of your vile excuses and propaganda!" I paused. "Now…where was I? "
"As I have said," I lamented, "it would be delightful if the destruction of humanity was all that was required. But sadly, this is not the case. It is not enough to remove your kind from the picture, for there are betrayers among the Pokémon. And, alas, they will fight tooth and nail to keep their masters in place."
"You may well ask: why would anyone who had suffered so much from humans align themselves to their cause? Ah, but servitude makes cowards of us all. Many Pokémon are unable to imagine another way: a life without humans is beyond them. Not only do they bear the stink of having labored under their yoke, they have absorbed human ideas like a putrid mold, and live as puppets of theirs, tools of their agenda—"
[You're wrong,] said a voice.
I gazed about to find the source of the sound, until I realized it came from a small yellow creature about a foot tall. It was the Pikachu I had seen with the black-haired boy, and the mouse's eyes were blazing.
[You're wrong,] he repeated. [We aren't puppets. We aren't tools. And you're making a big mistake to think you can speak for us.] I blinked.
[I travel with this human because I choose to,] the Pikachu insisted. [I'm here because I want to be. I didn't know if I was going to like working with him at first, but I do now. He's good to me, and I'm good to him. That's why we work well together, win together. We're partners and we always will be. It has nothing to do with servants or masters.]
"So you mean to tell me," I said, ice dripping from my words, "that you are not this human's servant? You are his…friend?"
He nodded.
"You've swallowed every lie they ever told you," I spat. "You are as pathetic as the rest." With a gesture, I picked up the little mouse and flung him toward the back of the room. An example had to be made. He would learn—they all would, one way or another.
But the human boy, Ketchum, reacted quickly and dove with remarkable skill. In a moment, he'd caught the thrown Pokémon in his arms, though the effort threw him onto his back, and he winced as he landed on the hard marble floor. In a moment, he was sitting up, and the Pikachu was meeting his gaze with sickening affection.
"You fool!" I roared. "Friendship with such creatures is impossible, a lie; can you not see that? To be with them, to want to be with them is in itself wrong!" I realized I was shaking.
The human boy picked himself up as his friends gathered around him, dusted himself off, and allowed the Pikachu to climb back onto his shoulder. Then he met my gaze. "I don't know what kind of Pokémon you are or what you think you're trying to do," he said fiercely. "But don't pick on Pikachu."
"And if you try to hurt our friends again, or anyone," he added, "we'll stop you."
I started to respond to his jibe, then realized he was—good lord—completely serious. He meant every word. He actually thought of himself as some great hero, standing up against a tyrant: me. And he honestly believed he and his little group of friends were up to such a challenge.
It was astonishing, the lengths to which humans would go to imagine themselves as noble, righteous creatures. These children all seemed to want to paint smiles and rainbows on their kind's atrocities. This boy—Ketchum, hadn't that been his name?—seemed the embodiment of every tired, childish excuse human beings used to justify their grip over our race. How easy to evade justice when you call servitude friendship and blood sport harmless fun! No doubt this boy pretended to have higher motives for diving after his deluded servant, when in all likelihood he simply sought to protect the investment he had made in a valuable fighter. A disgusting state of affairs in any event.
The other boy, Anderson, had been watching and listening this entire time with a thoughtful expression. Now he stepped forward.
"I don't know what kind of Pokémon you are, either," he said. "But I don't think it matters. If you really are a Pokémon, I see no reason why I can't capture you." I stared at him: did he mean what I thought he meant? Before I could say anything, Anderson reached for a Pokéball on his belt and made a swift gesture to one of the Pokémon behind him. "Go, Ryhorn!"
The spiny beast lumbered forth from the crowd of Pokémon and broke into a trot. Then it became a run. And in a moment, the Ryhorn was charging across the marble, his fierce eyes locked on me, to eviscerate me with his long, sharp horn.
Nothing I hadn't faced before. Just as the Ryhorn was about to reach the dais on which I stood, I plucked him from the ground and suspended him in the air before me. The creature's eyes widened as he realized that his flailing legs were pawing at nothing but air. He struggled and strained to reach me, thrashing his great horn this way and that, but I held him perfectly in check. I let him twitch there until I grew bored with him—then I shot him back in the direction he had come. He landed on the marble table with a great crash and slid backwards until he fell off the other side, sending candles, fruit, gleaming plates cascading in every direction.
Well, I thought. So much for dinner.
Anderson rushed over to the groaning creature. "No! Ryhorn!"
"Did you think I was some Rattatta, to be snatched from its mother's nest?" I mocked. "You fools! I was not made to be shoved into captivity. Your Pokémon attacks cannot weaken me. My powers are too great. No trainer can conquer me."
"Then you won't mind provin' it in a real match!" Ketchum said roughly.
I looked at him closely. "Is that a challenge?"
"You bet it is!" he said, defiant. "If you're really the world's best trainer, then show us! Unless you're afraid of losing!"
I had to grin. They were playing right into my hands. "I am not afraid, little human. Though I wonder if you should be. You have seen the powers I possess. Do they not frighten you? Do you not expect to be utterly destroyed and brought to heel?"
"We don't know until we try!" Ketchum declared.
I smiled. "Very well."
And I reached down to the laboratory and hit a few vital switches, unlocking certain subroutines in the machines. And I whispered in the ears of my three children: Wake up. Your time has come.
Their eyes flashed open, and the three of them saw the world for the first time, as I had, so long ago. But they gazed at their newly-found reality with intention, a plan. They knew exactly what I needed them to do, for I had been with them since their earliest dreams. Smoothly and easily, they dove down through their gestation chambers and slid out through the hatch at the bottom. They shook the liquid off their bodies and blinked in the light. I showed them the path they needed to follow, and they turned, as one, to take it. Their hearts thrilled to hear their master's voice, their pulses raced with excitement to know that at long last, they were undertaking the mission they had been born for. Yet they remained calm. With measured, steady steps, they left the room to seek the transporters that awaited them.
The humans seemed unnerved by my sudden silence. But I was observing what they could not see. In a moment—just a moment more—and there it was. Three trapdoors set in the marble floor to my right, subtly concealed, swiveled open with a brief flash of light. From the three holes emerged my children on rising, circular platforms that sealed neatly into place. Within seconds, they stood at my side. My Venusaur, with his great flare of foliage. My Blastoise, with her cannons gleaming bright. My Charizard, his fangs bristling, his fire blazing with all its might.
I let my guests stare at the holy trinity I'd just unveiled, taking in the exotic patterns on their petals and skin, their strong and sturdy limbs, and most of all, their fearless, confident gaze as they looked into the eyes of their foes. Then I spoke. "As with most Pokémon trainers, I, too, began with Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. But I brought my own ingenuity to bear on their training. For their evolved forms, I used their genetic material to clone even more powerful copies."
"Copies?" one of the humans asked. Another muttered, "They're clones!"
Yes, that was the general idea. I sighed. With guests this slow on the uptake, it seemed pointless to go into my own origin by the same process. We would all be stuck here for hours while they bombarded me with inane, clueless questions. Best to move on to the next event. I reached out and flipped a switch.
This drew a great deal of attention. It was calculated to. The room shook, and the humans and Pokémon looked about in alarm. A colossal window of glazed, whitish glass, lavishly decorated with massive, carefully arranged panels, had until now dominated the eastern side of the room from ceiling to floor. Now it was revealed for what it truly was: a gateway. Panels detached from one another and slid back along deliberate paths. The whole window twisted and altered, folding upon itself and opening up like the shutter of a camera. After a moment or two it had entirely disappeared into the surrounding walls.
And then what lay beyond was fully in view. Four bright floodlights clicked on, one by one, soaking the stadium I had built with light. A gust of cold air flew through the atrium as the human trainers gazed, awe-struck, at the enormous field on which they were to do battle. I smiled and let them take in the view.
"A stadium!" Harrison said, understanding. "Mewtwo planned this all along." He gave me a cold look, as if to cast blame on me for tricking them, somehow, into the match. Unfair, really. I had openly stated my intention to challenge them all along; if they were surprised to see me following through, it was their own foolish business.
"You wished to fight me?" I said simply. "Here is your chance. Who will face the true master of all Pokémon? Who will rise to meet me in battle?"
Three of them stepped forward. I was surprised to see Harrison wasn't among them. He hung back, staring at the three Pokémon by my side as if they were a puzzle he was about to figure out.
Anderson was the first to stake a claim. "Your fake Venusaur can't match my real one," he declared. He motioned his smaller, paler Venusaur forward, and she let off a confident roar. "Right, Bruteroot?"
Fake? I thought, incensed. What was that supposed to imply? That I'd constructed a Venusaur out of shoddy parts? That legitimacy as a species required the human stamp of approval?
"We'll blow away that Blastoise, won't we, Shellshocker?" Sinclar crowed. The Blastoise flexed proudly and thrust his cannons into the air. I grimaced. Clever little nicknames for one's Pokémon servants. How cute. As if their lives weren't destroyed enough by serving under a cruel master—now the fashion was to control even the names they answered to.
And then Ketchum joined the other two trainers. He took a long look at the dragon at my side and pulled a Pokéball from his belt. "He may not have a nickname," he said, with quiet assurance, "but I do have…Charizard."
Suddenly I was listening more attentively. Ketchum possessed a Charizard? I hadn't credited him with anything more advanced than the childlike creatures I'd already seen with him. Perhaps the three late arrivals had not fully obeyed my injunction to reveal their Pokémon. Perhaps they had been holding out on me. This might prove to be a far more interesting night than I'd expected.
Ketchum clicked the ball and hurled it into the air. "I choose you!" With a great burst of white light, the outline of the dragon appeared. He was a handsome creature, with great auburn wings and a bright, blazing flame. As the light faded, the Charizard caught my stare. A slight grin turned up at the corner of his mouth. Something passed between us for a moment—a challenge? A sense of solidarity and understanding? Then it broke. Without warning, he hurled a massive burst of fire in my direction.
The conflagration caught me almost off guard, but I was able to match it. I'd fought plenty of fire-based Pokémon before. One secret to holding off their flames was to provide a buffer, a way of diffusing a fire's energy into something other than one's own body. The air was an excellent resource. There was always water in the air. I pulled some from the air around me and forced it into liquid state. Within a moment, I had a liquid shield, rippling around me. The burst of fire hit the shield and dissipated, turning the water back into steam. When the haze cleared, I was revealed, perfectly unharmed. The humans gaped.
Ketchum looked a bit rattled. "Charizard," he stammered, "I didn't say "start…" The dragon snorted and let out a defiant puff of smoke in my direction.
"Your Charizard is poorly trained," I mocked. But inwardly I was delighted. What a charmingly foul-tempered creature. How refreshing it was to see a Pokémon who flouted orders and openly defied his so-called masters! He was no gullible stooge, I was sure. Perhaps—later—I might be able to win him to my side.
I took a look at the challengers. I had considered an extended knockout round, in which my trio defended any and all opposition. But now a far more compelling opportunity presented itself. It would be almost too appropriate…
"Very good," I said, breaking the silence. "Three Pokémon brought to life by my ingenuity. And three opponents to match, generously participating on behalf of the human species. Shall we agree that each shall fight his or her counterpart? Three duels of one on one?" The trainers nodded.
I swept from the room, and my fighters marched after me. After a moment, the humans and their servants followed awkwardly.
I took up my place at the far side of the battlefield. The humans took theirs at the near. We stared at each other across the gulf.
For a moment, the world grew still. The wind gently stirred the sand at our feet. Far off, I heard the rumbling of thunder, waiting in the wings.
I spoke. "Which of you will oppose me first?"
Anderson stepped forward as his Venusaur stirred. Determination was written upon both their faces. "I underestimated you last time," he admitted, "but that won't happen again!" He motioned the lumbering reptile forward. "Go, Bruteroot!"
I gave my own Venusaur a slight motion of the head. He grinned, taking my meaning, and slipped confidently into the battlefield. The two of them strode toward the center, eyes locked, he with his mottled and muscular body, she with her smooth scales. He towered over her, but she seemed unafraid.
Anderson jabbed a finger in my direction. "Bruteroot, Razor Leaf!" he roared.
I smiled. It had begun.
I closed my eyes. All around me I could feel the minds of the beings who had gathered here. But there was one in particular I sought. I darted forward and dove into my fighter's awareness. I saw with his eyes, listened with his ears, breathed his every breath. My creation was more than happy to receive me. He had known me and been waiting for this moment since the very moment of his existence. Our minds communed, sang out to each other across the open air.
The attack came. From the depths of the other Venusaur's foliage flew a barrage of leaves, expertly thrown, large, flat forms like those of a palm, but with vicious, serrated edges. It was easy to guess their intent: slice the enemy to ribbons and strike further while he staggers with the pain.
But there would be no such luck for our enemies. "Vine Whip," I projected, loud enough for all to hear. My own Venusaur summoned up green vines, thick as serpents, and thrust them out like arms to meet the incoming assault. On my signal, I told him silently, whispering in his ear as Giovanni had once whispered in mine. On my signal, strike. He sent back perfect, silent assent. I could feel his vine-limbs poised and ready in the air as if they were my own.
Now! The first blade came, and we moved as one. With a twitch of our whip we struck the leaf from the air, smashing it clean in two and sending the useless pieces to the ground below. And the next, and the next, and the next. I could sense the position of every projectile as it hurtled through the air, and I told my child where to meet each one and erase it from the map. It was over in less than a second: a wild flurry of green, a twirling of serpentine limbs, and the attack had been reduced to a pile of harmless vegetation.
The other Venusaur stared. But we weren't finished yet. Before she had time to react, we reached out long vines, swift as lightning, across to where she stood. In a moment, the thick tendrils had looped around her and fastened themselves in a tight knot around her massive frame. The Venusaur's eyes bulged as we lifted her up into the air with ease, her limbs groping at empty air, her belly splayed to the sky. Then we hurled her backwards, still flailing, over the head of her frantic trainer and back to the edge of the atrium. She landed on her side with a sickening crunch, the marble cracking and buckling underneath her from the impact. Her tongue lolled, and she stared glassily into the sky. She was out cold.
The human rushed over to his fallen servant and knelt in the crater where she lay. "Bruteroot!"
"It looks like I'm up," Sinclair declared. She seemed confident—but was that a spark of fear in her eyes as she glanced back toward the fallen Venusaur? "Go, Shellshocker!"
The Blastoise stomped onto the battlefield, flexing his strong arms, a foolish grin on his face. I thrust out an arm, and my own Blastoise darted eagerly into the fray. Once she reached a point midway to the center of the field, she stopped and stood her ground, ready for my command. The other continued to charge blindly forward until he heard his trainer's voice.
"Shellshocker, Hydro Pump!" Sinclair bellowed, gnashing her teeth as if it would strike us down where we stood. The other Blastoise stopped and readied his cannons for a shattering burst of water.
Ah, Hydro Pump. An excellent choice, in most situations. An incredibly powerful attack, well-suited for a water-dwelling creature. There were, however, disadvantages. And someone familiar with the species could easily exploit them.
I silently conveyed my intention to my Pokémon, and her eyes lit up with understanding. Together, the two of us waited, as one, for the perfect moment to strike. As the opponent shot a torrent of water across the field, my Blastoise leapt into the air. As she rose, she tucked her limbs into her shell and went into a perfectly executed spin. She met the streams of water in midair and plowed through, deflecting most of their force and slipping between, rocketing like a bullet across the battlefield.
The enemy Blastoise, having put all of his energy and attention into letting off the blast, was caught entirely off guard as the whirling shell met him full in the chest. He was knocked backward across the field and crashed into the stone stadium wall. There he collapsed, his energy spent.
The girl rushed over to the wounded Blastoise. "Shellshocker!"
All present knew what confrontation was to follow. Ketchum stepped forward, looking nervous. One of his companions whispered something to him about surrender. He shook his head, refusing to give up.
My Charizard's mind called out to me, imploring me to send him into the fray, telling me that he was more than ready. With a motion of my hand I sent him forth, and felt his delight. As my victorious Blastoise settled back at my side, her brother, my Charizard, stepped forward, stretched out his massive wings, and hurled a jet of fire into the sky.
The other Charizard stomped the ground, equally eager to begin. He listened impatiently as his trainer shouted one last command, then rose into the air. Without waiting for another word from the human, he let out a massive burst of flame, an incredible conflagration aimed directly at the dragon who stood before me. He dodged the flames easily, leaping into the air himself. I could feel the sheer heat against my fur, and when the smoke cleared, I could see that patches of the battlefield shone with molten glass.
I watched as the two dragons rose higher and higher into the sky, trading blows, darting around each other in great spirals. A smile crept over my face. Now this, truly, would be a fight to remember.
It made no small impression, these two behemoths wrestling overhead with claws and flame. Down on the ground, gasps could be heard each time one of the combatants rammed the other and forced him to the far side of the stadium, or dodged a blow intended to do just that. Both human and Pokémon craned their necks to get a better view. Before long, even the airspace above the stadium was not enough for the dragons, and their back-and-forth motions took them past the highest carvings, past the tops of my towers, and up through the clouds.
Even at that distance, the air was clear enough above the palace that one could still make out the combatants. As they reached the apex of their flight, their silhouettes shrank into black specks, occasionally cast into relief by a tongue of flame or the brilliant full moon. For the humans and Pokémon below, perhaps it grew more difficult to keep track of what was going on. I had no such problem. I thrilled to every motion and felt every blow.
There was nothing quite like witnessing a duel between two bull Charizard in their prime. Either one would have been more than a match for many lesser creatures; as it was, they kept each other constantly on the move in a frenzy of blows. The human's Charizard was young, fit and wily: he had that kind of confident arrogance that comes from suddenly realizing one's adult power. My Charizard, meanwhile, though newly born, had the body of a much older creature, large, lithe, and muscular, and he wore the exotic patterns on his scales like battle scars.
I wondered about our opponent: what drove him to throw himself so passionately into the battle when he rejected the authority of the human child below? Perhaps, like my children and I, he was caught in the thrill of the game. Yet for all his bravado, he was losing. He had scarcely managed to mar my fighter's flanks: each time he tried to get close, my Charizard and I punished the attempt, tearing into his flesh with vicious claws.
Before long I figured out what he was trying to do, what he had cooked up in conjunction with the human below: knowing that my clones possessed superior strength, they had decided to focus on speed instead, to fly circles around my Charizard rather than confront him directly. Unfortunately for them, this was a gross underestimation of our abilities. A change of plans, I whispered to my child, directing him to go into a dive. Two could play at this game.
Soon my Charizard was the one tearing through the sky at breakneck speeds, with the other in furious but hopeless pursuit. Growing desperate, our opponent began hurling fire. Again and again the young dragon swept a column of flame through the sky like a blade. And again and again, with a little instruction from me, my own dragon was able to slip past it. Each escape, he followed with an expert turn that allowed him to slam his enemy full in the chest with a crippling blow. The other howled in fury, but found no way to respond in kind. And before long, the repeated impacts began to take their toll. His wings drooped. His breaths grew heavy, and his movements slowed.
This gave us the perfect opening. Swift as an assassin, my Charizard slipped behind the other and clasped him around the shoulders. The other Charizard struggled to get free, but it was no use. My fighter cut off the motion of his wings, and turned their descent into a dive. The black specks against the moon grew large as they plummeted down to the stadium from which they had come.
Down they came like a meteor from the heavens. One in panic. The other in perfect control, his feet pressing into the opponent's back and his grip unbreakable. "Finish it," I commanded, and realized that I had projected it to the entire room. But it scarcely mattered. My beautiful creation let go at the perfect moment and drove the other Charizard into the ground, grinding him under his heel as he took flight. In a moment, he was again at my side.
The other Charizard struggled to get up. He staggered for a moment out of the dust—then collapsed in a tangle of limbs, spitting out one final, pathetic puff of smoke.
I watched as the human boy knelt over the fallen Pokémon, babbling something incoherent. I watched the unconscious dragon lie there, breathing shallow breaths. It was a pity to have injured such a proud and noble creature. But soon I would have his wounds healed—and before long, he might be at my side. Later, I promised him, I will give you the attention you deserve. For now, it was time to put the next part of my plan in motion.
I let the scene stand for a second or two, the humans huddling in silence, some staring at me, others crouched over their defeated Pokémon. Then I closed my eyes and reached out for a shelf I had set aside for this very moment. On it lay a number of the special black capsules I had created, my own innovative twist on the Pokéball. Three should do nicely to start. I plucked a few from their places and flipped a switch in each. In a moment, the three orbs hovered in the air beside me.
"As the victor," I said calmly, "I now claim my prize: your Pokémon." I sent the orbs forth, and they went to work. One snatched up the unconscious Charizard, passing over the head of his startled and flustered trainer. Another, the Blastoise, who was just now pushing himself up from where he had fallen, and snarled at the orb that captured him. The last, the Venusaur, who still lay in her crater with her tongue sticking out, utterly exhausted. Within seconds, they were all mine.
Genetic information: that was what this match had truly won me. The more I added to my stock of DNA, the more I could augment and extend my army. Here was the first new piece for my collection. Though they seemed no particular savants at battle, the Blastoise and Venusaur might have other traits that would be useful for my legions—a healthier constitution, for instance. And as for the Charizard—what a windfall he was. If I found no way to persuade him to my side, his strength, skill and intelligence would be mind to wield during the cloning process nevertheless. And any human-worshipping Pokémon might make a valuable political prisoner.
But why stop there? My collection was only just beginning.
"What are you going to do with those Pokémon?" the younger girl, Waterflower, demanded.
I was happy to answer. "I will extract their DNA to make clones for myself," I replied coolly. I paused, realizing that a fuller elaboration of my plans might be a little much for them to comprehend. "They will remain safe on my island with me, while my storm destroys the planet. Joined, of course, by enhanced versions of the Pokémon of which you are so very proud. "
I reached down once more. This time, I brought every capsule on the shelf to life. Hundreds and hundreds of them surrounded me in an instant. I spread them out with a wave of my arms.
The humans gasped as they realized my intentions. "You can't do this!" Harrison shouted.
The black-haired boy stepped onto the battlefield and struck a defiant pose, fists clenched. He looked as if he thought his weak frame could shield his comrades from my blows. "Yeah, Mewtwo!" he declared, his confident tones grating on my ears. "We won't let you!"
I stared at the human before me, furious. Who was this boy? Ash Ketchum—hadn't that been his name? What was with his relentless, inexplicable optimism? Did he—good lord!—actually think that he could alter one whit of my plan? Look at him, standing there, a smug smile on his face, radiating self-righteousness! How dare he come here and act as if I was the monster? As if he was some fantasy hero, who would slay the wicked demon Mewtwo with ease, his admirers and companions by his side! It was sickening, the way he twisted the story around to make himself the moral victor.
All of the humans were tedious and annoying, of course. But with this boy, in particular, there was something unsettling, alien, about how he threw himself into the standard human lies. He acted so sanctimonious, so superior—it was as if he actually believed some part of the rubbish he spread. Perhaps that was easiest, to buy into the hypocrisy and cruelty, to justify it by any means possible. Less guilt, certainly, than facing one's own wretchedness head-on. But where the hell had he come from, this absurd child? What gave him the arrogance to stand against me where his fellow humans would not? Very well, I thought, gnashing my teeth. You want to be the champion of mankind? Here is your reward.
"Do not attempt to defy me!" I spat. With the myriad of black capsules still in the air around me, I snatched up the nauseating boy and threw him back into the mass of huddled humans with all the force I could muster. He gasped as he flew backwards across the battlefield, his feet suspended in midair, his head plowing the way, and crashed into the older boy behind him. The two of them crumpled to the ground like ragdolls.
I felt like laughing. It was so easy. These humans were weak, pathetic—nothing. Nothing in their feeble little brains allowed them to do anything against me. I had already won.
I snatched up the hundreds of black orbs hovering around me and flicked the switches in each that would set the capsules in motion. "This is my world now!" I cried, daring any human to deny it.
And I let them fly.


text:
TWO/BO Arquitectura and architect Luis Twose have converted a sixteenth-century Catalan house into a business academy for a pharmaceutical company.
A glass-fronted extension cantilevers out from the west face to shelter the main entrance of the Grifols Academy.
A new spiral staircase joins up with its sixteenth-century counterpart inside the restored stone tower, leading to a rooftop terrace.
The academy provides training facilities, conference rooms and a terraced ground-floor bar.
More stories about projects in Spain on Dezeen »
More stories about renovations on Dezeen »
Here are some more details from TWO/BO Arquitectura:
Grifols Academy by TWO/BO Architecture and Luis Twose Architect
The aim of the Project was to convert a sixteenth-century house into a new academy centre.
The site is located in Parets del Vallès and is surrounded by a group of new factories.
The house was one of the few vestiges of the rural past of the town.
Before our intervention, the house was abandoned and it was in danger of collapsing.
It had suffered a lot of renovations and extensions which had obscured the original shape of the building and were now in a state of disrepair.
This project led to requalification of the existing building, on one hand enhancing and recovering the most historic values, and on the other, clarifying its spaces, which were dark and chaotic, by a new layout with two visual axes and through the introduction of natural light which now reaches every space of the house.
We focused our intervention on two points, the west façade and the interior of the tower.
On the west façade, we designed a new access path ending in a plaza which leads to the entrance of the academy.
This entrance is framed by a new "loggia" (an open-air gallery) which was designed to be a neutral but modern element of iron and glass whose shape connects old parts of the west façade.
The defensive tower, which had been the old symbol of the house, has been restored.
The floors were removed to create a dramatic vertical space that leads to the old wooden staircase at the top of the tower.
With all the plaster removed, the underlying stone structure is now visible.
The project also involved the landscaping of the grounds.
Taking into account the industrial surroundings, and we have tried to create a quiet oasis by making the most of the existing topography, and by planting local vegetation.
More architecture:
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- Moses Mabhida Stadium by GMP Architekten
- Iris and FMG by Francesco Librizzi and V…ittorio Venezia
- The Photographers' Gallery by O'Donn…ell + Tuomey
- Architecture photography award-winners g…o on show in London
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Morning Show - Page 9
UPDATE: Driver with Gas Pump Hanging from Car [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]
Winter Storm Sunday-Monday Followed By A Sub-Zero Valentine's Day
A winter storm warning is in effect for Sunday into Monday and this is just the start of the weather news this week, according to WIBX Weather Channel Meteorologist Ray Stagich.
While the snow this weekend into Monday is expected to bring more than a foot of snow, "Later in the week
Keeler Show Notes for Friday, February 6th, 2015
Keeler Show Notes for Thursday, February 5th, 2015
Keeler Show Notes for Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
Keeler Show Notes for Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015
Margaritaville Now Open at Syracuse's Destiny USA
Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville is now officially open at Destiny USA in Syracuse.
A ribbon cutting was held on Monday morning at its 3rd floor 'Destiny' location, New York's State's first for the Key West themed restaurant. Temperatures were set at a comfort


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" A big reason carriers didnt buy into the original concept is they didnt want to open themselves to thousands of potential business relationships; they just wanted a handful of close partners. "
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Ethernet Exchanges Shift From Public to Private
Light Reading (Nov 6 2012) Event Related , MEF , Business Ethernet , Metro Ethernet , Wholesale , Wholesale / Exchange
Carrier neutral exchanges have gone from a frumpy off-the-rack service to a custom, tailored fit and finish As Ethernet Expo Americas 2012 kicks off, Ethernet exchanges are shifting away from being public marketplaces for physical Ethernet interconnection to focus on software-based or cloud-based back-office processing to support privately created interconnections.(Read Full Article)
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Marijuana News in Colorado and World
Study: Marijuana May Help with Eating Disorder
It's no secret that marijuana helps to increase appetite, but its potential to treat anorexia may not quite so simple.
What scientists now know is that anorexia actually leads to changes in the brain – specifically in pathways connected to marijuana.
These pathways are part of the endocannabinoid system, which include natural marijuana-like chemicals (cannabinoids) and the receptors that they bind to.
Last week, a team of Belgium researchers published more evidence of this relationship from a "well-known rodent model" of anorexia nervosa.
Their findings appear online in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
"These data point to a widespread transient disturbance of the endocannabinoid transmission, specifically for CB1 receptors in the ABA model [activity-based rat model of anorexia]."
They also concluded that a change in the brain's cannabinoid system likely takes place as an effect – rather than a cause – of anorexia.
Specifically, their findings suggest that the body creates more receptors to compensate for a "chronically hypoactive" endocannabinoid system in cases of anorexia. But these changes may only be temporary, since receptors rebounded to normal levels after the experiments stopped.
Like marijuana, chemicals that make up the endocannabinoid system act as regulators of appetite.
Some scientists believe that the body may produce lower levels of these chemicals in order to improve the ability to survive during periods of "prolonged starvation" – or anorexic states.
That is, patients with anorexia may experience a natural decrease in appetite because of changes that occur in the brain.
Although yet to be tested in anorexia, the authors note that marijuana has been shown to increase food intake in other patient groups.
"Cannabis and cannabinoid agonists with minimal psychoactive side effect profile have been used as eating stimulants in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or cancer patients."
Unfortunately, treatment options are limited when it comes to anorexia and full recovery is seen in only 40-50 % of patients, according to the authors.
They hope their latest findings will lead to a better understanding of how marijuana-based treatments may be used to help patients recover from the eating disorder.
DC Brewery Creates Marijuana Flavored Beer
A District of Columbia beer company has entwined culture and politics into a beer. In celebration of the nation's capital legalizing marijuana, the DC Brau Brewing Company unveiled a new IPA that was crafted to deliver a marijuana aroma and flavor.
With the opportunely named "Smells Like Freedom" IPA beer, DC Brau sought to acknowledge the District's fight to legalize recreational marijuana as Congress attempted to block the implementation of the law that D.C. voters approved last November.
President and co-founder of DC Brau, Jeff Hancock, stated: "The one variety [of experimental hop] we used that we got most excited about was NJ007, because those hops had more uniquely sticky and heavy cannabis notes… Then we did three dry-hop editions (adding hops post-fermentation) of this beer to really drive home the nice, heavy cannabis aroma."
Hancock claims that "Hops are close kissing cousins to cannabis, they only differ by a couple of molecular structures … and like the higher the THC percentage in pot, the higher percentage of alpha acid means a more potent and pungent hop."
The Smells Like Freedom beer is only available for a limited time. So if you're a beer aficionado you'd better book a flight to D.C. soon.
State lawmakers in Texas have introduced legislation that would allow patients with cancer, PTSD, seizure disorders, and other debilitating medical conditions access to medical marijuana, if recommended by a doctor.
Representative Marisa Márquez (D-El Paso) introduced House Bill 3785 along with a companion bill sponsored by Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio) in the Senate to follow. The bills would create a program where individuals with qualifying medical conditions would receive licenses, if recommended by a doctor, which allow them to possess small amounts of medical marijuana. The state's Dept. of Health Services would be responsible for regulating the program's marijuana cultivators and dispensaries.
"The law currently does not reflect marijuana's legitimate medical use and denies access to patients, such as veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), citizens suffering with cancer and severe aliments of the aging," stated Rep. Marquez. "By continuing to deny access to patients, we limit the rights of families to seek the best possible treatment for conditions that do not respond to other drugs or therapies. We should create paths, and not obstacles, in allowing doctors to recommend medicine that has been shown to work."
These latest bills differ from the others previously introduced which only allowed access to CBD-only marijuana with little or no THC. Many medical marijuana patients have found that THC and other substances naturally found in marijuana are needed in addition to CBD to effectively treat their medical ailment(s).
77% of Texans believe that seriously ill people should be able to use marijuana for medical purposes, according to a poll from 2014.
"Every year, thousands of Texans are diagnosed with cancer, seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, and other debilitating illnesses," said Caitlin Dunklee of Texans for Medical Freedom, a group supporting the medical marijuana legislation. "The suffering that these patients experience is devastating for them and their families. The bill being filed today would allow patients the freedom to access the medicine that can best alleviate their suffering."
President Obama predicted in an interview this week that as more and more states decriminalize marijuana, pressure will increase on Congress which could force federal marijuana laws to be changed.
"We may be able to make some progress on the decriminalization side. At a certain point, if enough states end up decriminalizing, then Congress may then reschedule marijuana," Obama said in the interview with VICE.
Along with the positive prediction about the future of marijuana federal policy, the president seemed shocked by VICE interview Shane Smith saying that marijuana was the most suggested topic to discuss in the interview from VICE readers and that if Obama led the way toward marijuana legalization, it would be the biggest part of his legacy.
"It shouldn't be young people's biggest priority," stated Obama. "Let's put it in perspective. Young people, I understand this is important to you, but you should be thinking about climate change, the economy, jobs, war and peace. Maybe way at the bottom you should be thinking about marijuana."
On average, there's a marijuana possession arrest nearly every minute in the U.S. Billions of dollars are spent enforcing marijuana prohibition laws that don't deter most people from using marijuana, but do damage lives via criminal records. Furthermore, the immense damage caused by the black market and drug cartels.
It should also be noted that despite what the president said about Congress feeling increased pressure to decriminalize marijuana, his administration can actually do that without any additional Congressional action needed.
Connecticut Can Erase Past Marijuana Convictions
The Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled that persons arrested in Connecticut for possession of small amounts of marijuana have been given the right to get their convictions erased because the state decriminalized misdemeanor possession of marijuana in 2011.
The 7-0 ruling was due to a case involving Connecticut resident Nicholas Menditto. A Connecticut prosecutor and Menditto's lawyer said the decision affects thousands of people who have misdemeanor marijuana convictions in the state.
"It's a topic multiple states will have to be facing," said Menditto's attorney. "Because marijuana is being decriminalized across the United States, this issue needs to be addressed."
Connecticut's Governor and legislators, in 2011, changed marijuana possession of less than a half ounce from a misdemeanor with a possible jail sentence to a violation with a $150 fine for a first offense and fines of $200 to $500 for subsequent offenses.
"The legislature has determined that such violations are to be handled in the same manner as civil infractions, such as parking violations," was written in the ruling. "The state has failed to suggest any plausible reason why erasure should be denied in such cases."
Nevada residents will be able to vote in November 2016 to regulate the retail sale and production marijuana for adults.
Lawmakers failed to act on a marijuana legalization initiative petition filed by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) last week; therefore putting the measure on the 2016 electoral ballot.
The measure, "The Initiative to Tax and Regulate Marijuana," obtained over 200,000 signatures from registered Nevada voters which qualified it for the ballot. The voted into law, Nevada would permits adults to possess and grow personal use quantities of marijuana (up to one ounce and/or six plants) for non-commercial purposes. The measure also regulates and taxes the retail sale and commercial production of marijuana.
The ballot language states, "The People of the State of Nevada find and declare that the use of marijuana should be legal for persons 21 years of age or older, and its cultivation and sale should be regulated similar to other businesses."
Other states with similar ballot measures likely to be decided in 2016 include: Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Missouri.
Marijuana edibles have been around for a long time, but you couldn't buy them in stores or dispensaries as prevalently as now. In the past you would have to have a culinary savvy friend who also liked marijuana in order to get your hands on edibles. Now days, in Colorado and many other states, you can go into a store and purchase marijuana edibles in many different forms.
Edibles are extremely popular in Colorado. So popular, that edibles made up roughly 45% of the newly legal recreational industry in Colorado in 2014.
The variety of marijuana-infused edibles available became a "point of fascination" for consumers, said Joe Hodas, chief marketing officer for Dixie Elixirs & Edibles, one of Colorado's largest producers of infused products.
"The proliferation of marijuana edibles stunned state and industry leaders, making it one of the biggest surprises during the first year of legal recreational marijuana sales. Potent cookies, candies and drinks — once considered a niche market — now account for roughly 45 percent of the legal marijuana marketplace and led to the most high-profile marijuana controversies in 2014. We knew that there would be consumer interest in edibles, but I think we did underestimate that the demand would exceed our expectations," Hodas said.
Bill to Legalize Marijuana Filed in Massachusetts
A bill to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana recreationally has been introduced in Massachusetts and will appear as a 2016 ballot measure, putting the passing of the law into voters' hands.
The bill would allow adults 21 or older to possess, grow and consume limited amounts of marijuana and would establish a fully regulated market of licensed marijuana retail stores, marijuana cafés, and facilities for cultivation, processing and testing. Retail sales at the cafés would be taxed, but home-grown marijuana would not. Marijuana possession would remain a civil violation, punishable by a fine of $100 for persons under 21 years of age.
Unlike other marijuana legalization laws enacted in other states, the Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act of 2016 in Massachusetts does not impose personal possession limits or restrict the number of plants an adult can grow at home. Instead, personal possession has been defined as "the cultivation, storage and delivery of cannabis without intent to sell." However, possessing marijuana outside one's home is considered "transportation" and is limited to ten ounces.
"Marijuana is less harmful than alcohol to the consumer and to society, and it ought to be treated that way," said Matt Simon, a political director for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). "There is a mountain of evidence demonstrating marijuana is less addictive than alcohol, less toxic, and less likely to contribute to violent and reckless behavior."
10 States Considering Medical Marijuana Laws
There have been bills introduced in 10 states that aim to allow some form of medical marijuana legalization.
These states are considering implementing medical marijuana laws: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Many of these states are expected to base their proposed medical marijuana laws off of medical marijuana laws used in Arizona, Nevada and Massachusetts.
These states are considering bills that would allow medical marijuana use for children with seizure disorders: Georgia, Virginia, and Texas. Other states such as Utah have already passed such laws.
Four states are expected to legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2016: Arizona, California, Maine and Nevada.
6 Astonishing Facts About THC
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is one of the primary ingredients found in marijuana, and is responsible for the "high," that most marijuana strains cause.
But getting high is not all that it's good for. THC also has a wide range of medical benefits, and is commonly reported to relieve pain, nausea, and depression, among many other things.
Scientific research on THC began decades ago in Israel, and has since spread to many countries across the globe. Yet its status as an illegal drug has made information about this marijuana compound hard to come by.
Here are six unknown and amazing facts about THC:
1. THC doesn't always come with a "high." – Most people know of THC because of its ability to induce euphoria, or a high. Interesting enough, THC does not always have this effect on its own.
That's because THC is mostly present in the cannabis plant as THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid), its acidic precursor. THCA is not psychoactive, which is why ingesting cannabis raw is unpopular among recreational users. On the other hand, medical users commonly take raw preparations, since THCA possesses some of the same therapeutic benefits as THC.
THCA is typically converted to THC when exposed to heat, through a reaction known as decarboxylation. However, when plants are stored, small amounts of the acid may be converted to THC over time.
2. THC is one of more than 60 active ingredients in cannabis. – Despite being the most recognized ingredient in marijuana, THC is just one of many compounds in the plant with known medical uses.
THC belongs to a unique class of compounds called cannabinoids. Since Dr. Mechoulam's discovery, more than 60 other cannabinoids in cannabis have been identified.
THC and CBD are the two cannabinoids usually found in the highest concentrations.
3. THC was discovered in 1964. – THC was first isolated and synthesized from the cannabis plant by a scientist in Israel named Dr. Raphael Mechoulam.
As a postdoctoral student in the early 60s, Dr. Mechoulam noticed that the active compounds in morphine and cocaine had been isolated, but no one had isolated the active ingredient in marijuana.
Dr. Mechoulam was in such a rush to conduct his research that he actually broke the law by obtaining marijuana from his friends in the police department. But the scientist still managed to isolate THC in 1964, marking the start of a long career dedicated to cannabis research.
The discovery of THC paved the way for later discoveries and earned Dr. Mechoulam numerous honors, including a NIDA Discovery Award in 2011.
4. THC is used in FDA-approved pharmaceuticals. – While THC is still illegal in the U.S. and most countries around the world, synthetic versions of the chemical have been legally prescribed for decades.
The first THC-based pharmaceutical, a pill sold as Marinol (scientific name: dronabinol), was developed by a company called Unimed Pharmaceuticals with funding from the National Cancer Institute. In 1985, Marinol received FDA approval as a treatment for chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting.
Since then, other pharmaceuticals containing THC have also been developed. These include Cesamet (nabilone), a synthetic isomer of THC, and Sativex (nabiximols), a whole cannabis extract administered as an oral spray.
5. Chemicals similar to THC are found in the body. – Following the discovery of THC, scientists searched for decades for similar chemicals in humans that might explain its effects. In 1992, Dr. Mechoulam and his team made another breakthrough when they discovered a molecule called anandamide.
As it turns out, anandamide is one of a few cannabinoids produced in various parts of the body, including the brain. Similar to the way opioids work by mimicking their natural counterparts (endorphins), chemicals in marijuana mimic naturally occurring cannabinoids called endocannabinoids.
Both anandamide and THC act on pathways in the body called cannabinoid receptors. In the brain, anandamide works to regulate mood, sleep, memory and appetite.
6. THC can protect brain cells and stimulate their growth. – Contrary to popular belief, THC has been proven to have a number of positive effects on brain cells. Whereas most recreational drugs are neurotoxic, THC is considered a "neuroprotectant," meaning it can protect brain cells from damage caused by things like inflammation and oxidative stress.
What's more, scientists have even shown that THC can promote the growth of new brain cells through a process known as neurogenesis. This effect was first discovered in 2005 by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan.
The study's lead author, Dr. Xia Zhang, noted in an interview with Science Daily: "Most 'drugs of abuse' suppress neurogenesis. Only marijuana promotes neurogenesis."


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Stargate Continuum - Grading and Discussion
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July 7 2008, 03:25 PM
Mr J
Rear Admiral
Re: Stargate Continuum - Grading and Discussion
Bob The Skutter wrote:
DWF wrote:
Personally I think there's plenty of room for conflict, from the characters emotional state, the conflict between wanting to stay in a better place, but if that came at the price of something bad happening, say the whole Jaffa race being extinct.
I don't think even O'Neill would think twice about making a choice like that.
Doesn't even have to be something that big, could be something very personal, like Odo changing the timeline in Children of Time.
Exactly, there is plenty of dramatic potential in a situation like this. What if your dead wife was still alive in the new timeline but your friend's wife was dead instead? What if that baby you lost was still alive in the new timeline but Australia was at war with American and millions were dying everyday elsewhere? These are just random examples but its obvious there is plenty of dramatic potential in the 'what if the alternate timeline was actually better?' setup.
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In secret missions with military code names like Operation Thunderbird and Operation Falcon, ordinary Americans in the Southwest are donning camouflage uniforms, grabbing rifles, motion sensors and global positioning systems and tramping — or swooping in Skyhawks — through the Arizona desert in search of illegal migrants.The scenario is laidRead More
TEL AVIV — Israeli authorities are working to outlaw the Islamic Movement, a fast-growing organization with tens of thousands of followers in Israel's Arab community, mainly in the Galilee.The head of the Islamic Movement, Sheik Ra'ad Salah, was taken into police custody for questioning this week and court proceedingsRead More
A budding coalition of conservative hawks, Jewish organizations and Iranian monarchists is pressing the White House to step up American efforts to bring about regime change in Iran.For now, President Bush's official stance is to encourage the Iranian people to push the mullah regime aside themselves, but observers believe that the policyRead More
While the world's attention is focused on President Bush's "road map" to peace, high-level groups of Israeli and Palestinian activists are crafting a brace of independent initiatives, several of which are due to be published soon. The initiatives, which spell out the nature of a final agreement in greater detail than the roadRead More
JERUSALEM — The issue of Jewish settlements in the territories is the main obstacle awaiting Prime Minister Sharon when he meets with President Bush at the White House next Tuesday, according to informed sources here.Israel views Sharon's White House visit, his first since October, as "crucial" to continued progress toward peace with theRead More
The American victory in Iraq is offering a unique opportunity to promote and spread democracy in the Middle East, according to the leading Egyptian human-rights activist."Objectionable as the war may have been, the area has one fewer dictator. So there is a true opportunity to establish new institutions, new practices and new values, includingRead More
WASHINGTON — With congressional battles heating up over President Bush's judicial nominees, two major Jewish organizations known for their liberal views have weighed in against the latest controversial Bush candidate, Alabama state Attorney General Bill Pryor.Pryor was nominated last month to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. TheRead More
Two Iranian men accused of attacking two men whom they believed were Jewish outside a West Hollywood nightclub pleaded no contest to a hate-crime charge, according to the Associated Press.Daoud Mohammad Majid, 19, and Mohammed Hassan Aref, 22, would have faced as many as eight years in state prison had they been convicted of the original chargesRead More
LOS ANGELES — Alarmed at a string of recent arson attacks against synagogues and other religious institutions in the affluent San Fernando Valley, residents of this city were relieved last weekend when a suspect was arrested — and then shocked when the suspect was identified as a Jewish immigrant from Iran.Farshid Tehrani, 40, is accusedRead More
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Hate-crime victims here no longer need to worry about losing their insurance, thanks to a new state law proposed and pushed by Jewish organizations. The measure prohibits insurance companies from canceling or not renewing coverage on property targeted in hate crimes.The new law, which applies toRead More


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When You Give Blood Do They Test For Hiv
Here's a taste of what TheBody.com has to offer on this topic:
Ask the Experts
Blood Tests and HIVAre there any blood tests done in which HIV tests are automatically done as well? such as thyroid, cholesterol, etc?
Response from Mark Holodniy, M.D., F.A.C.P., C.I.C.
Stanford University, School of MedicineNO. Read more »
Blood Testing for HIVMr. Sowadsky, My girlfriend was "raped" a year and a half ago. She has hadtwo blood tests (standard... Read more »
Do blood tests show hiv?I would like to know, if regular blood tests, CBC, and pre-surgical blood labs would tell if a... Read more »
FDA: Abbott Recalls Some HIV Blood Screening Tests...ago, the Prism HIV O Plus test is used by laboratory professionals. Abbott says it is the first fully automated blood screening test for HIV-1 and HIV-2. Abbott spokesperson Don Braakman said the company knows of no effect on blood donations or... Read more »
Physicians' Group Recommends Using Public Cord Blood Banks, Routine HIV Testing...options with their patients during pregnancy," said board member Dr. William A. Dolan. In a separate matter, AMA endorsed routine HIV testing while noting the importance of safeguarding patients' privacy. "AMA's new policy calls on physicians to... Read more »
FDA Approves Bayer, Roche HIV Tests for Use on Blood Plasma, Organs... FDA has approved HIV tests made by Bayer and Roche that are able to detect the virus in blood plasma, Bloomberg News/New York Times reports ( Bloomberg Read more »
Blood Work: Two Common Tests to Use for Monitoring HIV Disease...decisions about your health care. CD4 Cell Count Tests Your doctor normally will order tests of several types of white blood cells (WBCs). One is a B cell, which is involved in the production of antibodies. B cells also deal with infections... Read more »
Connect With Others
Posted by Anonymous, 4 Replies...and the Viral Load Test: "There is NO RECOGNIZED STANDARD for detecting the absence or presence of HIV-1 in human blood" The HIV tests are NOT standardized, and are not specific to HIV. There are over 70 conditions known to cause a "false... Read more »
Do not give blood as an hiv "test"!
Posted by Anonymous, 2 Replies...Also, do not lie on your risk questionaire when they ask you about your risks prior to donating. The only acceptable way to test for hiv is to get an FDA approved test at a clinic, or doctor's office, or the Home Access sample collection kit.... Read more »
Posted by WorriedinVegas...I recently sent in a blood sample for hiv-1 testing to HOME ACCESS. I got the blood for the sample from a scabbed acne, which I picked. It was more than Read more »
what kinds of blood testing can determine HIV?
Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply...What kinds of blood testing can determine HIV? i had a blood test rescently but i dont know what it is for yet. Im not sure if i have hiv or not Read more »
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Enid Burns | November 12, 2007 | Comments
Latest figures from the IAB and PricewaterhouseCoopers find online ad spending grew sequentially and annually to $5.2 billion.
Online advertising revenues surpassed $5.2 billion during the third quarter of this year, representing a 25.3 percent year-over-year increase, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The latest figures from IAB/PwC's regular ad spending report estimates advertisers spent $1.1 billion more on interactive ads during the quarter just ended than they did in Q3 2006. In addition to the annual growth rate, that sum represents a 3 percent sequential spending increase, particularly impressive considering the third quarter's historic weakness. Between Q2 and Q3 2006, spending grew 2 percent.
"If you look at the numbers both in pure number form and in percentage increase, it is a really good story, and continues to be a growth story," David Doty, SVP, Thought Leadership at the IAB told ClickZ News.
That said, annual growth has slowed somewhat. Just as with 2007's first half, the current spending report saw a slight deceleration of growth in online ad spending compared with Q3 2006, when online advertising grew by 30 percent. However, that may not suggest a lack of health for online advertising so much as a maturation of the medium and advertiser investment in it. Additionally, as actual spending on interactive advertising increases, growth rates become harder to sustain. "It's a healthy year-on-year increase," said David Silverman, partner, Assurance, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Doty noted all three quarters in 2007 have hit new spending records, both sequentially and on a historic basis. "You have a total of $15.2 billion [to date], and it seems that from all indicators, this growth will continue and we might have our first $20 billion year," he said.
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On the Web - Reaching the People
In late 2003 and so far in 2004, much has been made of the effect the Internet is having on the 2004 US presidential election. From candidate blogs to open-source celebrities installed high in certain candidates' steering committees, it's true that the Internet and open-source mentalities have altered the national campaign playing field. If nothing else, the Dean campaign aptly demonstrated what can happen when people have the means to connect digitally with like-minded people across the country. Does it still qualify as grass roots if some of the grass is in Oregon and some is in Massachusetts? Or has grass roots been replaced by "Net roots"?
Being in the midst of one of the most contentious campaigns in the past 100 years, it's hard to have the distance necessary to understand the real effect the Internet has on these proceedings. What's more important, reading Kerry's blog from the road or determining whether on-line voting has the potential to make more people vote and to deliver those votes in an accurate manner? Perhaps the part of this changing electoral/political landscape that offers the most potential for serious good is the application of open-source philosophy. Doc's feature article in this issue, "Hacking Democracy", explores some of these questions and the larger issue of what should be open source's role in government proceedings of all types. A companion piece, "Voices from the New Hackers of Democracy" (www.linuxjournal.com/article/7474) on the Linux Journal Web site, offers more commentary by some of those involved in this conversation.
As the Internet and Internet-based technologies grow and reach more people, what becomes of old technologies, such as radio? They morph into something else, in this case, software radio. In this issue, Eric Blossom writes about GNU Radio, his project that involves "getting code as close to the antenna as possible". In a follow-up Web interview with our Editor in Chief, Eric talks about the prospects and politics of software-defined radio (www.linuxjournal.com/article/7502).
As we head into summer, we're at work on the design for the 2004 Ultimate Linux Box. Don Marti is back to author this year's article, and he offers a "ULB 2004 Preview" (www.linuxjournal.com/article/7503) on the LJ Web site. He writes, "Our first four-way SMP Ultimate Linux Box will run a 2.6 kernel. It's also the first Ultimate Linux Box with more memory than can be addressed with 32 bits. It has more memory than our 2000 Ultimate Linux Box had hard drive space. We built a 2.6 kernel with the default configuration, in a tmpfs filesystem in RAM, in 1 minute 41 seconds. Drivers permitting, it'll be a personal video recorder, too—for HDTV." It's about time someone remembered ultimate is the key word in Ultimate Linux Box.
Our Web site also features regular columns by Dave Phillips, writing on Linux and audio; Bruce Byfield, writing on OpenOffice.org; and Chris DiBona, writing on, well, whatever he feels like. Other upcoming topics include a multipart article on the quest for fast boot times and an introduction to the Pygame library.
If there's a topic or application you'd like to see covered on the Linux Journal Web site, or if you have an open source in government project you would like to write about, drop me a line at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Heather Mead is senior editor of Linux Journal.
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text: A Dialogue on LGBT Rights and Religious Liberties 5:30 – Reception 6:00 – 7:30 Dialogue Sutherland Moot Courtroom, S.J. Quinney College of Law The shift in support of LGBT civil rights is evidenced by the recent spate of federal circuits striking down same-sex marriage bans, underscored by the US Supreme Court taking the case this session (to rule sometime in June). However, these rapid shifts in the legal landscape have led several religious groups to fear that their religious liberties…Find out more »


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Big Vintage IRISH Flag Shamrock
This great custom product in black from our department Men and T-Shirt category can be printed just for you in the size and style you like. The design Big Vintage IRISH Flag Shamrock was created by RobotFace and uploaded to Spreadshirt for you to have printed on a T-Shirt. Next to a host of other great customized designs, you can find this Big Vintage IRISH Flag Shamrock design in Spreadshirt's Countries & Flags category. If you are interested in topics like Kiss me im irish or drink up, then you'll love Big Vintage IRISH Flag Shamrock designs by RobotFace. Spreadshirt also offers a huge selection of custom t-shirts, hoodies and accessories for the category Countries & Flags as well as top ireland clothing. RobotFace's designs have already impressed many of our customers, so we are sure that we've got right stuff for you! Spreadshirt is your destination for great designs of all kinds – whether it's Kiss me im irish, drink up or ireland. We are sure that you will find something nice in our shop, there are many amazing custom Countries & Flags t-shirts, hoodies, or accessories for you to find! Tags: Design ID: 12369295
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Some heavy computer users assume — in what seem to them like sound logic — that if their workstation is showing signs of extreme heat load (loud fan noise would be one of the symptoms), they can cool off the ...Read More »
NVIDIA GTC 2015, Part I: Speeding Up Deep Learning with the GPU
On Tuesday, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang strode onto the stage at San Jose Convention Center to greet the crowd assembled at the annual NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference (GTC). He said, "I'm going to tell you about four things: ...Read More »
Prelude to NVIDIA GTC 2015: Remote Graphics Flying High in Turkish Airspace
About 15 minutes' drive from the Temple of Augustus in Ankara, Turkey, stood the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), an establishment of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation. The organization's work spans from fixed and rotary wing aircraft to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ...Read More »
Prelude to NVIDIA GTC 2015: In the Self-Driving Vehicle's Line of Sight
Next week, when NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference (GTC) began, you can expect Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, to join NVIDIA's Jen-Hsun Huang on stage to discuss auto-piloted cars. According to conference organizers, the conversation between Musk and ...Read More »
Dell: Don't Handicap Your Engineers by Giving Them a Subpar Computer
Andy Rhodes, executive director of Dell Precisions, likes to use a metaphor to explain why the wrong PC could hinder a talented engineer's output. "A surgeon doesn't wake up in the morning and pick up a kitchen knife and go ...Read More »


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|Park Grand London Heathrow 449 Great West Road, Hounslow, Hounslow
Score from 760 reviews: Very good There are 4 people looking at this hotel.Just a 10-minute drive from London Heathrow Airport, this hotel has modern accommodations with free Wi-Fi and satellite TV. The Park Grand London Heathrow Gateway has its own bar and restaurant. More…
$79 Average price per night
|DoubleTree by Hilton London Heathrow Airport 745 Bath Road, Heathrow, Cranford, Hounslow
Score from 791 reviews: Very good There is 1 person looking at this hotel.Just a 5 minute drive from London Heathrow Airport, this DoubleTree by Hilton hotel has stylish air-conditioned rooms and a restaurant and bar. More…
$77 Average price per night
|Premier Inn London Heathrow Airport (Bath Road) 15 Bath Rd, Heathrow, Hounslow, Hounslow
Score from 2296 reviews: Very good There are 2 people looking at this hotel.Less than 2 miles from Heathrow Airport, this Premier Inn is a 5-minute drive from the M4 highway. A 24-hour Costa Coffee shop and a restaurant are featured on site. More…
$89 Average price per night
|The Ambassador Heathrow Hotel 10 Hanworth Road, Feltham, Hounslow
Score from 94 reviews: GoodClose to Heathrow Airport, this cozy Victorian hotel has free Wi-Fi, free parking and a welcoming atmosphere. Twickenham rugby stadium is a 5-minute train ride from the property. More…
$88 Average price per night
|Crompton Guest House 49 Lampton Rd,Hounslow, Hounslow
Score from 97 reviews: Very goodJust 50 metres from Hounslow Central London Underground Station and 200 metres from the town centre, this family-run 4-star guest house offers free Wi-Fi and up to 15 days' free parking. More…
$112 Average price per night
|Hilton London Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport Terminal 4, Hounslow
Score from 937 reviews: Very good There are 3 people looking at this hotel.This 4-star Hilton non-smoking hotel has soundproof, spacious rooms with direct access to Heathrow Airport's Terminal 4 via covered walkway. More…
$164 Average price per night
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France's Ariane 3 rocket passes test
Compared to the American space shuttle's feats, the event seemed ordinary: The Ariane 3 rocket blasted off last Saturday from Kourou on the swampy coast of French Guiana, released its load, and fell back to earth.
But in many ways, the achievement was extraordinary. After early failures, it was the sixth consecutive success for a European rocket. Moreover, unlike older models, the new, larger Ariane 3 carried two satellites at once - confirming Europe as a contender in the drive to commercialize space.
''Before, all anyone would talk about was the shuttle,'' says Annie Verganti of Arianespace, the French-led consortium of banks and manufacturers from 11 Western European countries. ''Wherever we go now, we are welcomed.''
The success of Ariane 3 was crucial. It assured the Europeans they would be able to carry out their contracts to launch 28 commercial satellites in the next three years, almost $900 million worth of business.
It also encourages the Europeans to beef up their space program. The European Space Agency (ESA) is developing an advanced rocket engine and a combination space laboratory and factory. The French, long leaders of Europe's space effort, are even considering developing a European manned space shuttle and space station not unlike what the US is planning.
But a big question remains. Will the Europeans cooperate with the US? Or will they continue to emphasize independence?
''Ariane has changed the whole picture,'' says Jean-Marie Luton, deputy director of France's space research center, the Centre Nationale d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). ''Now Europe has to fix its new objectives.''
Many of the decisions must be made soon. Last spring NASA official James Beggs toured European capitals with a proposal to cooperate on America's planned space station. He said he would like the Europeans to contribute about 20 percent of development costs, some $2 billion. He reported there was ''significant interest'' in his offer.


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Home Tutoring
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Transport White Paper: efficient, electric, priced, and international
Speech delivered by Jos Dings, T&E director, at the European Parliament Transport Committee's hearing on the White Paper on Transport on 17 March 2015.
Speech delivered by Jos Dings, T&E director, at the European Parliament Transport Committee's hearing on the White Paper on Transport on 17 March 2015.
Ending the generous tax exemptions aviation enjoys would create a level playing field between all transport modes, help meet our 2030 climate targets, and answer the EU's call for a shift away from labour taxation.
Aviation's tax-exempt status has always been an unjustified subsidy to the most carbon-intensive mode of transport. As the EU's commits to further emissions reductions and to a shift towards environmental taxation, so arguments for abolishing these exemptions are stronger than ever. This briefing outlining what steps the EU needs to take, and how ending these exemptions can reduce emissions and create employment.
Further decarbonisation of transport through a shift to alternative fuels and electro-mobility forms a major part of the European Commission's strategy for an 'energy union', unveiled last week. With transport being responsible for more than 30% of EU energy consumption and a quarter of emissions, the Commission said legislation on 'decarbonising the transport sector, including an action plan on alternative fuels' would be put forward in 2017.
In the final years of negotiations for the new climate agreement, it's still not clear if it will include the fastest growing emissions sources — international aviation and shipping, also known as bunker fuels.
Three Belgian NGOs have handed in a petition to the country's federal parliament aimed at getting the Belgian government to end its favourable treatment of company cars. The three NGOs, including T&E member Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), collected 25,000 signatures protesting about a fiscal regime in Belgium that makes it more lucrative for employers to pay their staff through company cars and company fuel than by giving them more money.


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Stand Up. Speak Out. Stop Bullying Together.
In 2013, CCRSB launched a new board-wide initiative to address bullying in all of our schools and offices. Stand Up. Speak Out. Stop Bullying. Together. focuses on the root causes of bullying – the breakdown of relationships between people.
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NS Action Plan for Education 2015
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Wednesday, April 1, 2015 - 9:05am
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Monday, March 30, 2015 - 10:37am
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New road protects Raytheon, anchors larger economic development plan for South Side.
First in city center for years; boutique operation will have 10 rooms; prices starting at $80.
Jobless rate dropped to 6.5 percent
Tucson Homeless Connect holds event Friday for men, women and families in need
Utility would pay about 20% less to residential customers for excess electricity generation.
Predictions show increases in ages that prefer smaller housing options
Pima Prospers is a blueprint for community services
The Friday Business Report features AZPM's Zac Ziegler and Inside Tucson Business Editor Thelma Grimes.
Metropia's maker came out of UA business incubator


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Deceptive - poor research by me as I thought BW meant it was a Best Western. HOW WRONG. It probably was but the franchise lapsed?
A fire has caused problems so the reception area was virtually non-existant. Stopped 3 nights.Our room was on the first floor, quiet enough location but very tired & totally uninspiring. Put up with it because it was booked well in advance & not enough reason to actually check out but would not stop here again. The whole place looks as though it needs a vast amount of money spending on it to bring it up to an acceptable/promotable standard.
A less than ordinary Continental breakfast was available in an appallingly inadequate area with people overflowing the minute area available so we went elsewhere - good choice as 2 miles up the road towards Sequoia there is a Kitchen Bakery which is excellent so it's enroute if that's where you are going. If you want dinner - painfully slow & indifferent service at the best restaraunt in town, can't remember the name - it's by the bridge on the left of the highway just before Three Rivers.
This Hotel doesn't have a restaraunt but the breakfast facility would rate zero if it applied.
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Italy set to dump Stadio Flaminio
ESPNscrum Staff
April 1, 2011
Rome's Stadio Flaminio has been Italy's home since they joined the Six Nations in 2000 © Getty Images
Italy are set to switch their Six Nations fixtures from Rome's Stadio Flaminio to Florence's Stadio Artemio Franchi after reportedly running out of patience with the owners of their ageing home ground.
The Stadio Flaminio has been the team's Six Nations home since they joined the Championship in 2000 and most recently played host to their shock victory over France last month. But the decaying facilities and the owners alleged failure to re-vamp the ground have led to the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) moving the national side to Florence that hosted its first Test against Australia in November.
"The Italian rugby federation board has decided home matches in the Six Nations will be transferred to the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence in the absence of a definitive and rapid resolution of the problems with the Stadio Flaminio," the FIR said in a statement.
Italy sold out the 80,000-seater San Siro in Milan for a New Zealand Test in 2009 but that venue is used almost every weekend during the Serie A football season that clashes with the Six Nations.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
|Live Scores
'Concussion is not worth the risk'
Concussion, relegation and the mother of all surprises - it's the Monday Maul.
Jones key to Wales World Cup plans
Huw Richards assesses where Wales are after a mixed Six Nations, with front row seats still very much available for the World Cup
Attacking revolution will be fleeting
John Mitchell lapped up the action on 'Sensational Saturday' - but warns not to expect a repeat come Rugby World Cup time later this year
Ireland, England are dangers if ...
Craig Dowd warns England, Ireland and Wales they should play to their strengths rather than those of the All Blacks and the Wallabies


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- Product Information
Product Description
Light up the night in red hot style with the help of our Red LED Lumiton! This fabulous light up red Lumiton makes a great party favor or prize for birthday celebrations, Bar Mitzvahs, school spirit events, and other special occasions and is the ideal item for nighttime vending, rock concerts, sporting events, dances, and carnivals. The red LED foam wand features three red LED lights in the base that illuminate the 16-inch Lumiton to create a fabulous and festive light show! Set your light up red Lumiton to one of three settings—fast flash, slow flash, or constant on—and watch your friends' faces light up in wonder as the red LED foam wands light up the night! Each Red LED Lumiton comes with 3 AG13 batteries included and installed. The light up red Lumiton is sold by the piece.
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I first saw lumitons used at a party in Las Vegas 2 years ago. I now order and use them at all of my functions. They turn the party up to a new level and they are enjoyed by all ages. A must for party and wedding DJs!
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Spend a Day in Paris with a Paris Party!
Add a Paris theme to any type of soiree with the help of Paris decorations and French treats. Use these party planning tips and ideas to help you prepare for your party!
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We can accept artwork in P.C. or Mac formats. Digital Format Requirements: All art should be sent as Vector files with all type Converted to outlines or curves. Four spot colors MAX. Send digital files, either by email or cd. Custom ink colors may incur a $15.00 ink mixing fee.
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USABLE PROGRAMS : Adobe Illustrator (CC) Creative Cloud or Corel Draw X6 or Lower.
*For More Information about our Imprinting Options please call Customer Service at 1-800-442-9722.


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Hard to believe, but Good Friday April 3rd 2015 will mark the 47th consecutive start for the West Vancouver Yacht Club's Southern Straits Classic.
We are now on the less than 2 week countdown to the official Race Start, and are thrilled to have a record number of 1st time Skippers registered for Straits 2015! Registration is still open, but a reminder that registration closes at end of day, Sunday March 29, 2015 as per the NOR.
If you are not racing, please join us at Dundarave Pier on April 3rd to see the Fleet off as they start their 2015 Southern Straits adventure. Beginning at 9:30am, WVYC hosts a family friendly Event at the Pier that allows spectators to view the popular pre-race "Parade of Boats", a Lions Pancake Breakfast, the West Vancouver Pops Band and onshore displays. The Race officially starts at 10:30am, so arrive at the Pier early to secure a front row viewing spot.
We look forward to seeing you on the 2015 Start Line!


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Saturday, May 4th 12:51 PM IST
# Gold # Gold Market # Gold prices # Gold demand # Silver
Last month's dash by private households for bargain-priced gold and silver looks increasingly like sound insurance planning.
By Adrian Ash
As May day protests go, the US central bank's looked pretty tame on Wednesday.
Athens' strikers burnt a giant picture of Angela Merkel dressed as Hitler. Students in Washington threw bags of urine at each other. Protesters in Madrid waved flags shouting that "Austerity ruins & kills", while Turkish police broke up an illegal demo with tear gas and water cannon.
But in the Eccles Building? "Fiscal policy is restraining economic growth," said the Federal Reserve in its own policy statement on Wednesday.
Sure, it doesn't sound much like a chorus of the Red Flag. But for the crowd of central bankers, advisors and economic PhDs gathered for the Fed's latest policy decision, it was verging on a riot.
Central-bank comrades are famously "independent" from politics. Or they're supposed to be. But these career bureaucrats - people who tend to believe in a free market in all things but the price of money - have long been calling for more stimulus spending. Even in their quiet, stilted manner, they began chanting for politicians to reverse course on austerity more than 12 months ago in fact.
Now the Fed is taking to the barricades just as the global media rains petrol bombs onto the case for cutting government debt, fueled by the Reinhart-Rogoff debacle. Even the IMF, scourge of debtor nations from WWII to the Asian Crisis, now wants the UK to spend more and tax less. Which George Osborne is doing anyway. Just not on purpose.
Financial assets so far seem little fussed by Wednesday's Fed protest. The S&P has hit a new all-time high, Treasury bonds are priced so highly they pay nothing after inflation, and gold remains 10% below the bottom of the previous 18 months' trading range. But whether Ben Bernanke and the rest were aiming their molotov cocktails at the sequester (aka "Harmful automatic budget cuts" in the words of the White House) or at the lack of wilful deficit spending which plenty of Ben Bernanke's academic peers keep calling for, doesn't matter just yet. Because in the US, as in the UK and Europe, politicians remain a long way from wanting to spend! Spend! SPEND! in front of their electorates (and lenders) just yet.
So the angry chanting mob at the Fed, like the rest of the developed world's central banks, feels it must instead stay committed to remaining "exceptionally accommodative" in its own policy - meaning the price of borrowing and the return on lending money - at least until the long-missing recovery turns up. Yet even as the US central bank keeps printing $40 billion a month to buy mortgages, and $45 billion a month to buy government bonds, it now wants the US government to start piling on fresh debt obligations too.
Deficit spending plus money printing by the central bank? Lots of people fear that spells inflation. Most of them read history, and some of them work in central banks or government. But louder voices now say inflation would be a blessing, pointing to Japan's long, soft depression.
Last month's dash by private households for bargain-priced gold and silver looks increasingly like sound insurance planning.
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Mar 26, 2015 11:11 AM
US Silver Jewellery sales advance during 2014
Mar 25, 2015 10:35 AM
Barclays expects China's share of global Gold market to rise sharply
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Indian Gold imports to continue to accelerate during 2015: Macquarie
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India reduces import tariff value on Gold, Silver
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text: The Bemis Building's bi-annual art show feature open artists' studios and visiting artist exhibitions in the hallways. For nearly a century, the towering letters of the Bemis Company sign have dominated the skyline just south of Pioneer Square, marking the edge of Seattle's industrial district. With 30 artist live/work lofts, the building represents an extremely unusual industrial artifact. The Bemis Building is always a tough act to beat at 55 South Atlantic Street.