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Joined: Jun 2007
Location: ENUMCLAW,WA
Oddometer: 85
KTM 200 EXC trail bike, DRZ 400 ADV bike, ROKON go anywhere bike
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Now serving just Snohomish County
Oddometer: 1,667
We have not got to that part of the story yet...
Those shots of you in the river are quite dramatic! I forgot how close you came to taking a swim. In that last picture you are looking at me like you think I should be helping you rather than taking pictures! It is a good thing we had Insta-Chuck along. I actually had the thought that I should stop taking pictures and help you but then I realized you were in the shallow part and it was my job to continue shooting.
I will post some more tonight.
Northern Nevada and SE Oregon 2011/Nevada and Oregon 2012
Exploring a whole lot more of Nevada 2013
What The Hell's A Jarbidge? (2014)
Joined: Mar 2008
Oddometer: 26
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Now serving just Snohomish County
Oddometer: 1,667
Northern Nevada and SE Oregon 2011/Nevada and Oregon 2012
Exploring a whole lot more of Nevada 2013
What The Hell's A Jarbidge? (2014)
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Now serving just Snohomish County
Oddometer: 1,667
Getting Back On Route
Day 3 of 4 day loop
Map of the day.
Since Chuck and Dan had wandered all around looking for Dans missing camping gear, we had to return to Carlin again for fuel. We took down camp and got on our way. Dan and Chuck had the road to Carlin pretty well memorized by this point. We filled up with gas again and then scoured the place for breakfast. I filled up my Camelbak with water and ice at the pop machine. I must have accidentally squirted in some Lemonade because my water tasted a bit lemony for a couple days after that. I do not remember what they had for breakfast but I had ice tea and an ice cream (a Drumstick). It was hot already!
Back up the same road we go again! We were riding the same road for the 4th (at least for me) time so we were not stopping for many pictures.
We rode thru flowers!
Chucks pics
Consulting the map.
Staged shot.
On our way.
We came to a sink and I had trouble finding the trail. While wandering around trying to find it, I dropped my bike.
Meanwhile, Chuck and Dan found the route and were waiting for me on the other side.
We rode thru more flowers.
And over more hills.
Here we are getting closer to Maggie Creek. I stopped to wait for the others. This last part was a long descent down a very rocky road that had not had much use in recent times. You could only tell where the road was because you could see where a Cat had cut the grades in. There were no tracks. The road bed was all potato size or bigger round rocks with little earth to hold them together. There was not enough dirt for the grass to grow in so it made it easier to try to keep track of the road. Off in the distance, we could see an old ranch house that we seemed to be heading toward. It was a grueling ride down to this point but we could see the telltale green of Maggie Creek in front of us so we were all thinking of how refreshing the cool water would be.
Back to my pictures.
Here comes one. Who is it?
Someone is making their own route.
Looks like Dan was the cheater.
Dan looks happy and exhausted!
This is looking down the road the way we need to go. It is looking more developed now that we are closer to the cattle and water.
I like these clouds.
Chuck going for the flower shots.
The results (Chucks pics)
My flower shot.
More clouds.
I knew we were getting close the next road we needed to turn on. I also knew the road was on the other side of Maggie Creek and it looked like it might be pretty big as we were getting closer.
As we went thru the gate, my bike died and I knew it was not going to want to start. It seemed like the fan was drawing the battery down pretty quick.
We ended up across the creek from the road as I expected. It was pretty hot so we decided to soak our jerseys in the water to cool off.
As we were enjoying the water, we noticed a white flatbed Dodge truck with a 5th wheel horse trailer on the back coming up the road (across the creek). It stopped and pretty soon we saw a cowboy come walking over toward us. I realized he was probably coming to talk to us about something so I started over toward him. As I approached him, he said, You probably do not know this but you are trespassing. In fact, you have been trespassing for about the last hour. He was right. I did not know that. There were no signs, no gates, no nothing. He told me there was no way for me to tell. We had a nice conversation about the area. He was a very nice guy, as everyone we had met was, and told us to go ahead and cool off in the creek and then showed us the easiest way to cross it. We were trespassing on Maggie Creek Ranch land. That was the same ranch as the other signs we had seen that had turned us around the day before and sent us down this road.
After we cooled down a bit, I tried to start my bike and it would not start up. The battery decided it was time to die and would not crank the bike either. So, Dan and Chuck pushed me and got it started.
We headed across the creek, thru the gate and out onto a big gravel road toward the north. We were headed toward Owyhee. We rode north until we hit NV226.
There were some more wild horses on the way. I wish they would just wait a moment when they see you so you can take pictures of them. They are so beautiful.
Here are some pretty sorry shots of them.
At the highway there was road construction so we had to wait for a pilot car. It was hot!
Stopped at this sign for a moment.
We decided to stop at a small grocery store / restaurant near the turn to Tuscarora but unfortunately it was closed on whatever day it was that we were there. I think it was Tuesday. Anyway, no food.
So we thought we should try Tuscarora. Well, there is not much in Tuscarora. There was a post office so I decided to send my son a postcard. The postmaster was so nice that when I realized I had to go out to my bike to get some cash to pay for the postcard, she offered to pay for it out of her own pocket. As we were about to leave, she popped out of the door and asked if we were planning to stay in the area. We told her that we were planning to get outside of Owyhee that day. She said ok and to ride safe. I think she was going to invite us to have dinner. What nice people. I think almost everyone I talked to in Nevada told me to Ride safe! as I left.
Chuck took some more pictures of Tuscarora. Maybe he will post them.
I took some pictures of the graveyard in Tuscarora. It was an interesting place.
Leaving Tuscarora.
We were finally back on the route so we started following it again. It took us to the north of Tuscarora on some cool old roads. We eventually hit a gate marked No Trespassing so we headed over toward the highway again. It was a beautiful ride up into the hills.
The pavement ended and we took the 728 toward Owyhee. It was a nice big gravel road. There were some beautiful mountains to our east. Some of the road had just been graded so it was loose and DUSTY! We continued north up to Owyhee. Fantastic views the whole way! I was traveling at near WFO the whole time!
Upon arriving in Owyhee, we started cruising around town trying to find a gas station. I knew there was supposed to be one but we could not find it. We gave up and went into a place to eat.
Here is a picture of the place we ate at (Chucks pic).
Here is how they mow the grass at the school in Owyhee (Chucks pic). It is kind of hard to see but there is a horse there eating the grass.
I wish I could remember what the place was called because they fed us well and it did not cost much. It was a very small place and is across the street from the school. They did their cooking on a George Foreman grill! I had a chicken salad to try to make up for our steady diet of back town cheeseburgers and truck stop food. They told us the gas station was 3 miles north of Owyhee and is a 24hr pay at the pump station so we relaxed and ate up. That is some important info and bears repeating. The gas station in Owyhee is actually 3 miles north of town.
After dinner, we talked about if we were going to try to make it to Jarbidge, which was the original farthest point east that we wanted to reach. It had taken us 3 days to go where I had planned for us to be in 1 ½. I was also concerned about the water crossings and snow we would be attempting to cross to get there. The latest information I had was that both roads from the south to access Jarbidge were washed out and closed. We also had some cool day trips planned for the second half of the week that we would be sacrificing if we pressed on to Jarbidge. We decided to head back for DJ.
We went up to the gas station and fueled up. Then we headed back south on the road we had come up on. There were a bunch of horses standing in the road as we were leaving Owyhee. By the time I had stopped, they were mostly off the road.
We headed west toward Paradise Valley. It was getting dark so we were looking for a campsite. No more pictures because we were whipped, dehydrated, and looking for a place to sleep.
The sun was low. We were riding straight into it with dusty goggles and long shadows on the road. It was bright and then totally dark the next second. The road was rutted. It had been graded while wet and then someone had driven up while it was still muddy creating some rusts.
At one point, I got my front tire hung up in a rut and went down pretty hard. It hurt and I could not pick my bike up before Dan and Chuck showed up. They picked up my bike. I pulled off my glove to find a nice bit of road rash on it. (It actually has just finally completely healed over.) I had also scraped up my shoulder a bit. They got a piece of gauze on my palm and taped it on with electrical tape.
We pressed on looking for a campsite. We ended up camping in the sagebrush. We let Chuck find the spot so it was not as nice as the previous nights but the sunset was sweet! I was sore that night and took some Naproxen.
Good Night! Finally!
Northern Nevada and SE Oregon 2011/Nevada and Oregon 2012
Exploring a whole lot more of Nevada 2013
What The Hell's A Jarbidge? (2014)
"I'm outa' here."
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco, California
Oddometer: 1,522
Joined: Apr 2009
Oddometer: 69
excellent rr , keep it coming
2014 ktm 350ecx-f , 2010 ktm 690 enduro r , 2006 ktm 950 adventure , 1982 honda cbx ,1980 honda cbx
2009 aprilia dorsoduro (sold) , 2008 aprilia rxv 5.5 (sold) , 2005 suzuki rmz450(sold)
_twin brothers on the go_
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: the old world
Oddometer: 324
Nice trip! Thanks for sharing...
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Red stickered, in the wild, wild, west
Oddometer: 2,166
Loving THIS~~!!!!!
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: ENUMCLAW,WA
Oddometer: 85
KTM 200 EXC trail bike, DRZ 400 ADV bike, ROKON go anywhere bike
Joined: Mar 2008
Oddometer: 26
The Post Office at Tuscarora is listed to be closed for budget cuts this year, I hope they can make a case to keep it open, getting mail out would be a long drive to the next town.
It must have been one hell of an adventure to travel so far just to try your luck at mining in such a small town in the middle of nowhere back in the 1800's.
Some of the graves were only marked with stones and old pots.
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Now serving just Snohomish County
Oddometer: 1,667
Day 4 - Heading back to DJ
Day 4
I found a tick in my tent first thing when I woke up. Them things freak me out. At least it had not found me yet! I pulverized it, which was pretty difficult. I actually squished it on my map holder that Velcros onto my tank bag so I left it on there for a few miles so I could admire it.
Speaking of maps, here is where we went on Day 4.
My hand was sore but did not bother me much if I was standing on the bike. My shoulder was turning purple and was aching but Dr. Dan said it was OK.
We kept following the route but were having a hard time finding the roads. At one point, we went thru a gate and then I attempted to follow the fence line toward where the road was supposed to be. I went down until there was a creek in my way and came back. When I got back thru the gate, Dan said hey! There is some steam coming from your engine!
I had hit a juniper bush and it tore one of the hoses on my engine. Now we had some trouble.
How are we going to fix this? (Chucks pic)
I sent Chuck for water with my Platypus gravity water filtration system to use to fill up the motor while I thought about how I was going to fix this hose. I tried to stretch it out by loosening the other end and pulling it as close to the edge of the fitting as possible but that was not going to work. Chuck came back and I asked him and Dan to go to a travel trailer that we could see from where we were to look for some kind of hose or tube. While they were gone, I started thinking about using some piece of my bike for a tube to extend the hose. I tried the passenger footpeg but it was not hollow once I removed it from the bike. They returned and I started asking them about what they had on their bikes. I was looking over their bikes like a starving animal might look over its next meal. Dan pulled out his tool kit and there was what I needed.
Modifying Dans DRZ 400 spark plug wrench (Chucks pic).
The stock DRZ spark plug wrench was made from 2 tubes held together with a pin. I took apart his wrench, cut the hose in half, and put the spark plug wrench in between the two pieces of hose. Dan had one hose clamp so we used it and a bit of twisted haywire to seal the extra connections.
We filled it with water, purged the air from the radiators and ran it up to temp. (Chucks pic)
Just as we were picking up the tools, I realized that I had forgotten to take the little rubber piece from inside the spark plug socket so I took it all apart again and took that little bugger out (Chucks pic).
We filled the cooling system back up, purged it, and ran the engine to temp again. No leaks! Hooray!
Finished repair pic.
It is actually still like this. I ordered another hose once I got home but according to the stealer, the box was damaged in transit so the shipper threw everything away. They reordered it and it has not come yet. I think it has been about a month. Typical stealership! In the meantime, I did another dualsport ride over to Eastern WA and back and still no leaks!
Here is my bike just before we took off again. This is the good side.
The other side is missing a turn signal, has some holes in my Wolfman Beta Bag, and has some damage to my hand guard thingies. This is the damage from last nights crash. It is officially a crash now and not a fall or spill (Chucks pics)!
Here is the world class medic work that I received to the wound on my wrist from Dr. Dan. That is Doctor Dan. (Chucks pic)
We are headed west!
We cleaned up and went back to trying to find the road. I accidentally missed an intersection and rode a cattle trail for a bit thinking it would turn into the road. Then, I found a small narrow wash was in my path. I slammed on the brakes, killing the bike and slid the front wheel into the hole. I twisted the bike so it was parallel to the ditch and tried to start it up. No love. Had to get another push start from Dan and Chuck. They had to push the bike out of the ditch and then get it up to speed while I got it started. The bike fired back up and I was on my way. We decided to head for a more traveled road after wandering around for a bit more. We came across this.
Chucks pics of the building.
We continued on in the direction of Paradise Valley. We came down a hill and found the creek had diverted itself into a new channel. Unfortunately, it was a bit muckier than we expected and we had some fun getting our bikes thru it. Here is the aftermath.
This looked like no big deal but it was very mucky! If we would have been a bit smarter, we would have walked up the road a bit and carried some of the big rocks that someone used to fix the next crossing over to throw in the hole so we could just drive thru. But we like to work hard and get muddy! (Actually, I did not think of that until I got back to DJ but I thought someone else might want the idea for later. Just remember where you got it and the one about the spark plug wrench hose repair!)
The road crossed a huge plateau that had some sinks in it for watering the wildlife. Some of them were kind of like roundabouts. There were a lot of antelope on the plateau. I had a herd of them cross my path running at full tilt in formation. They were very cool to see. There was a lone antelope that decided to race me so I hit the gas. It kept running alongside me and then would cross right in front of me. It did that several times before getting tired of the game and running off into the distance. It is amazing how fast those things can go! I was moving!
The road then descended into a beautiful canyon.
Wow! Isnt this some cool stuff? I guess Mike actually knows where he is going. I was wondering about him earlier!
More cool views (Chucks pics).
I was a bit worried because I knew we would have a water crossing coming up and I had no idea how big it was. We eventually found it and it was pretty big.
Here is the creek.
I took off my boots and pants and waded across. It was pretty deep and swift. We could probably have ridden across it but we had all had enough drama for the day, so we all took off our boots and pants and walked each bike across with all three of us holding onto it. We had no trouble and were really happy about that.
Here is Chuck wandering across.
Dan getting ready to wade across.
Dan after ferrying his boots across.
Bikes on wrong side of the creek.
Chuck feeling a little positive about us making it across without issues.
No more bikes on wrong side of the creek.
Bikes on right side of the creek
The water felt so good that we had to do some soaking in it. After that, we loaded up and headed out. The road got bigger as we passed by Chimney Dam Reservoir. From there it was all just a big gravel road back to NV 280. We had heard that Hinkey Pass was not passable yet so drove around south toward the US95 and NV280 junction. We needed gas and were hoping we could get some in Oravada. We were pleasantly surprised to find a Chevron station at the US 95 & NV 280 junction. We filled up with gas and went in for a meal of ice cream bars, soda pop, and whatever else we could find in the place. We made calls and checked in with society.
I called Denio Junction and made sure that they knew we were coming back to our room that evening. Bobby told me that the kitchen was going to close at 7pm and that I should call him back by 6:30 if I wanted to have him cook something up for us for dinner. He said they would keep it in the warmer for us. I told him that I would call him back if we decided to do that.
Once we were all cooled down, we jumped on our bikes and hit the slab for Denio Junction. That was a grueling ride. The road was very long and very straight. It was a very hot day. The sun was really beating down on us. We were all pretty worn out. There were thunderstorms growing in our path and it looked like we might have some weather to ride thru.
We stopped at about 6:15 and I asked Chuck and Dan if they wanted me to call in an order for dinner for them. We all decided we had eaten enough junk at the gas station so we did not bother.
We hit the long boring straight highway again and rode until we were finally at DJ. It felt so good to get off the bike after all that highway riding. I was very stiff.
We got off our bikes and headed into the bar to get our room key. Dan sat down at the bar for a beer so I sat down next to him and asked Bobby for a Pepsi. The next thing I know, Dan and I each have burgers and fries sitting in front of us. Chuck walked in and sat down and suddenly he had a burger too. I was so surprised. I was pretty worn down from the last 4 days of riding and the last long stretch of boring pavement and I could not believe that there was food sitting in front of me. This was just another example of the fantastic treatment we received from the folks at Denio Junction. It was the perfect thing to happen at that moment. So we ate our burgers, enjoyed some cold beverages, and chilled.
Bobby handed me the room key so we moved into our trip headquarters, Room 2. While we were trying to decide who should get the first shower, a gnarly dust storm blew into DJ. Check it out!
The locals said they had seen nothing like it. It was intense and blew down some small trees and some big limbs.
According to my GPS we had ridden 719 miles in our loop. It was fantastic. I cannot wait to do it again. Maybe next time we can stay on the route!
We still had 3 more days to do loop rides out of DJ. We wussed out and decided to stay in our room at DJ rather than moving and camping out at Bog Hot. We also decided to sleep in the next day and do an easy loop up to find the bomber crash site and have a soak at Bog Hot.
Clean, fed and happy! (Chucks pics)
Room 2 had a roll around bed so I did not have to sleep in my van. Unfortunately it was messed up and did not sit flat but lower in the middle than the ends. Somone had taken off the casters from the middle section. We all had a good laugh about the Taco Bed! I think we were just a bit tired (Chucks pic)
I threw the mattress on the floor and crashed out. Time for some rest! In a bed!!
Good night!!!!
Northern Nevada and SE Oregon 2011/Nevada and Oregon 2012
Exploring a whole lot more of Nevada 2013
What The Hell's A Jarbidge? (2014)
just passin' through
Joined: May 2005
Location: Tumalo, Oregon
Oddometer: 4,912
Deep water and smart fellas!
Dust storm - WOW !
Great trip !
What's next? More action!
Butler Maps
Joined: May 2002
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Oddometer: 19,403
wait. back to the blue wind car thing. wtf was it? a car w/ a sail?
Butler Maps - motorcycle maps for riders by riders -
Alaska NM map COBDR AZBDR IDBDR South East map
Butler Maps website:
TAT Rookie (planning!)
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Northeast Oregon
Oddometer: 542
Sweet RR! My bike is getting itchy right now! Lets Go! I need to Head South!!
I don't really need to work the rest of the week (or the weekend!)
Subscribed and wanting tracks! (the 640's hungry!)
p.s. - Nice pics! what are you using for a camera?
Ride the Earth! (Pavement Optional)
stable: '05 DL1000,'06 DL650, '99 XR600R, '03 640ADV
Tall Mike screwed with this post 08-10-2011 at 01:26 AM Reason: p.s.
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Browse: Home / news
News from the music world
By Jana Atkins on December 14, 2012
The music world has lost two of the greats this month. Legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck died on December 5, just one day shy of his 92nd birthday. Brubeck was best known for Take Five, along with his West Coast cool jazz style. Visit his website at http://www.davebrubeck.com for bios, photos, and recordings and lots […]
What's making the news this morning
By Jana Atkins on September 27, 2012
This morning, The Chronicle of Higher Education posted a news item about a previously unknown work by Fanny Mendelssohn. Duke Graduate Student Unlocks "Mystery of the Lost Sonata." The story reports that doctoral student Angela Mace was able to identify the composer through handwriting comparisons as well as primary sources such as a diary, letters, […]
Exciting News about Naxos Music and Jazz Libraries
By Jana Atkins on August 19, 2011
We received the following announcement this morning from the folks at Naxos: It is with great pleasure that we announce – the complete EMI Classics catalog is now available to every Naxos Music Library and Naxos Music Library – Jazz institutional subscriber! This vast catalog of recordings includes EMI Classics, Virgin Classics, and Blue Note […]
Posted in UCO | Tagged exciting, jazz, libraries, music, naxos, news

subset: commoncrawl


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For those of you who read my blog on a regular basis know that I have a serious addiction to reality television. It is entertaining to me and I watch... More.
Tiger Woods is a Pig
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I would be willing to bet that Elin, wife of Tiger, thought he was her Beshert. She is young and beautiful, met a successful and charming man, got married,... More.


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Headlines March 31, 2014 Full Show | First Story >
U.N. Panel: Poorest Will Suffer Brunt of Global Warming's Impact
The U.N.'s top climate body is warning human-driven climate change has impacted every corner of the globe, with the poorest suffering the worst effects. In its latest report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says greenhouse gases have driven up global temperatures and extreme weather, while threatening sources of food and water. Unveiling the findings in Japan, panel chair Rajendra Pachauri called for immediate action to adapt to climate change and prevent it from getting worse.
Rajendra Pachauri: "The one message that comes out very clearly is that the world has to adapt and the world has to mitigate, and the sooner we do that, the less the chances of some of the worst impacts of climate change being faced in different parts of the world."
The panel's report warns climate change "will exacerbate poverty in low and lower-middle income countries … and create new poverty pockets in upper-middle to high-income countries in which inequality is increasing." At a rally, Christian Teriete of the Global Call for Climate Action urged rich countries to take the lead on curbing greenhouse gases.
Christian Teriete: "We are here to remind world leaders, like Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, David Cameron and many others, that this is the time to act, cut emissions to fight climate change. They have ample opportunity this year and next year at important climate summits, and that is when they need to put better policies on the table to save their people and the environment we depend on from climate change."
Report: U.S. & Other Rich Countries Delete Call for Climate Aid
Poorer countries have increasingly called for climate aid as they face the worst impacts from the emissions of the world's wealthiest. The UN's new report cites a World Bank study calling on rich countries to provide climate aid of as much $100 billion per year. But according to The New York Times, the $100 billion figure was removed from an executive summary of the report to be read by the "world's top political leaders." The edit was reportedly made at the request of "several rich countries, including the United States." Poor countries are expected to seek firm commitments on climate aid at a summit in New York this fall.
Kerry, Lavrov Follow Obama-Putin Talks on Ukraine
The United States and Russia continue to hold talks amidst the diplomatic showdown over Ukraine. President Obama spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, followed on Sunday by a meeting between Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Kerry said he pressed Lavrov on withdrawing Russian forces from its eastern border with Ukraine.
Secretary of State John Kerry: "The U.S. and Russia have differences of opinion about the events that led to this crisis, but both of us recognize the importance of finding a diplomatic solution and of simultaneously meeting the needs of the Ukrainian people, and that we agreed on tonight. Russia's actions over the past several weeks have placed it at odds, obviously, with the rule of law and the international community and, we still believe, on the wrong side of history, but any real progress in Ukraine must include a pull-back of the very large Russian force that is currently massing along Ukraine's borders."
Russia says it wants Ukraine to adopt a federal system of semi-autonomous regions. The two sides are set to hold continued talks.
Thousands Stage Land Day Protests in Israel, Occupied Territories
Thousands of Palestinians have rallied across Israel and the Occupied Territories to mark Land Day. The annual protest commemorates the killings of Arab demonstrators protesting the seizure of their land.
Basel Ghattas, Arab-Israeli lawmaker: "This is the Land Day celebration, the Land Day protest, where the Arab-Palestinian community every year at the 30th of March remember the first Land Day in '76 when Arabs for the first time in their history, the Arabs that have Israeli citizenship, have went in a general strike to defend their lands."
Israel Reneges on Pledge to Free Palestinian Prisoners
Israel has reneged on a pledge to free a small group of Palestinian prisoners as part of the U.S.-brokered peace talks. Some 26 prisoners were due for release over the weekend, but Israel says it will now only release them if the Palestinian Authority agrees to extend the talks beyond next month's deadline. The negotiations have faltered so far over Israel's continued expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Spanish Journalists Freed by Al-Qaeda Rebels in Syria
Two journalists have returned home to Spain after more than six months of captivity in Syria. Javier Espinosa and Ricardo García Vilanova were seized by al-Qaeda-linked rebels near the border with Turkey in September. Details on how the pair were released are being kept under wraps. For journalists in Syria, there are at least nine foreigners and 10 Syrians still missing.
Obama Renews Bulk Phone Data Collection Despite Call for Reform
President Obama has reauthorized the government's bulk collection of phone data for 90 days despite calling for the practice to end. In a statement, Obama said he will sign an extension because Congress has yet to approve his proposed reforms. Speaking to NBC's Meet the Press, Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said Obama should end bulk collection on his own.
Sen. Ron Wyden: "I believe the president ought to make the transition right away. … I believe strongly we ought to ban all dragnet surveillance on law-abiding Americans, not just phone records, but also medical records, purchases and others."
Under Obama's proposal, phone companies would store the metadata, and the government would mine it using individual court orders.
Gen. Alexander Retires as NSA Head
On Friday, the Obama administration bid farewell to General Keith Alexander, the longest-serving head of the National Security Agency. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel paid tribute to Alexander's tenure.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel: "Our responsibility, all of us, whatever the revolutions in technology, is to guard not only our nation, but also the fundamental character of our open society. General Alexander, your vision, your dedication, your leadership have allowed us to begin that task. Now it is ours to carry. From a grateful nation, thank you, Keith."
Alexander will be replaced by Admiral Michael Rogers.
Hundreds Protest Police Shootings in Albuquerque; FBI Opens Probe
Hundreds of people have marched in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to protest a spate of deadly police shootings. The latest saw police kill James Boyd, a homeless man who appeared to be surrendering at the campsite where he was sleeping. After a peaceful march, Sunday's protest turned into clashes as police fired tear gas at demonstrators who threw rocks and blocked traffic. At least four people were arrested. As demonstrators marched in the streets, a group claiming to be the hacker group Anonymous took down the Albuquerque Police Department's website for several hours. The FBI has confirmed it is investigating the latest shooting in addition to around 22 others by police since 2010. Albuquerque has one of the highest per capita rates of fatal police shootings in the country.
Christie Ally Resigns from Port Authority
A top ally of embattled New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has resigned. David Samson served as head of the New Jersey-New York Port Authority, which oversaw the bridge whose lanes were shut down in an apparent act of political retaliation by Christie aides last year. Christie announced Samson's departure at his first news conference since the Bridgegate scandal broke open in January. In his comments, Christie also defended using taxpayer money to fund a report by close associates that cleared him of wrongdoing.
Gov. Chris Christie: "He believes that the best way to start a new era at the Port Authority is with new leadership. In line with that belief, David tendered his resignation to me this afternoon, effective immediately. No matter who I chose to do this, questions would be raised by some quarters as to those people's objectivity. My answer to that is, look at the report. We gave them unfettered, complete access to everyone in this government and allowed them to interview people multiple times, if they so desired, on multiple occasions in order to try to get to the bottom of things."
Christie Apologizes to Billionaire GOP Donor for Calling West Bank "Occupied"
Over the weekend, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and several top Republican politicians attended a gathering hosted by billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson in Las Vegas. The conference was dubbed the "Adelson Primary," as Adelson's donations could play a major role in the 2016 presidential race. Christie unintentionally caused a stir during a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition at Adelson's casino, the Venetian, when he said the words "occupied territories." Invoking a line previously used by George W. Bush, Christie spoke of flying in a helicopter over the West Bank and becoming mindful of Israel's security challenges. Christie later apologized to Adelson for calling the West Bank "occupied," saying he misspoke.
Married Same-Sex Couples in Michigan Win Federal Recognition
The Justice Department is recognizing the same-sex marriages performed in Michigan when they were briefly legalized earlier this month. A federal judge struck down the state's ban, prompting hundreds of weddings the following day. But an appeals court then froze the ruling after the state appealed. On Friday, Attorney General Eric Holder said those couples that managed to tie the knot can receive federal benefits. Holder took the same step for same-sex couples in Utah earlier this year.
West Virginia Gov. Vetoes 20-Week Abortion Ban
West Virginia's Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has vetoed a measure that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks. The law was similar to one struck down in Arizona last year.
Report: Regulators Failed to Launch GM Probe Despite Knowing of Deadly Flaws
A House panel investigating a deadly safety defect in General Motors cars has revealed federal regulators failed to open a probe despite knowing of numerous problems in 2007. According to The New York Times, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was made aware by its own investigators that faulty ignition switches in Chevrolet Cobalts caused four deadly crashes and scores of accidents. But it took no action. Documents released last week showed GM continued to mislead the families of accident victims despite acknowledging the defect in 2009. GM has recalled some 3.1 million cars this year. It admits the defect has caused 12 deaths, but independent estimates say the toll could be in the hundreds.
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By Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan
Independence Day is a fitting time to reflect on the role that grass-roots organizing for social change has played in building this nation.
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- The Big Picture: What's AAP
- A year later, the tweak: Desh to Dilli
- Bus from Burari laden with volunteers and hope
- Rare day out for AAP families
- Riot of support for AAP in communal hot spots
- Hunt on for CM house, will not accept Z-plus security
- No word from high command, Delhi Congress in a paralysis
- Latest News
- Second time at Ramlila Maidan: Hope overrides their doubts
- Kejriwal has no portfolio, will keep an eye on others
- In sea of white caps, BJP troika plans to be 'forceful opposition'
- MP, MLA see Punjab as the next AAP stop
- A year later, the tweak: Desh to Dilli
- Arvind Kejriwal repeats his advice to sting the corrupt, asks police to act against 'goondagardi'
- Proud that one of our volunteers has become Delhi CM: Anna Hazare
- Arvind Kejriwal not to keep any portfolio
- Now an Aam Aadmi Party Cola by beverage-maker inspired by Arvind Kejriwal's party
- New chief minister Arvind Kejriwal holds meetings at Delhi Secretariat
- Cong's Ajay Maken blames Sheila Dikshit for Delhi polls debacle
- Left, right, AAP
Rai Congress' local man against Modi, Kejriwal
The wait that appeared to have deflated the enthusiasm of many Congress workers, a few of whom left the party for the BJP, finally ended on Tuesday when the party announced Ajai Rai as its candidate from Varanasi.
Currently the party MLA from Pindra, Rai will take on the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, besides Kailash Chaurasia and Vijay Prakash Jaiswal of the SP and BSP, respectively.
The announcement comes a day after the local unit of the party consulted the top office-bearers of the All India Congress Committee and decided to launch its campaign, irrespective of whether or not the nominee is announced.
Confirming Rai's candidature from Varanasi, District Congress president Praja Nath Sharma said, "It is official. He will be our candidate. We were assured by the AICC that the candidate would be a local person. Our preparations for the campaign are already in place; we will start from April 9."
Earlier, the mood in the Congress camp appeared to be despondent and it got reflected in a couple of local leaders from the party joining the BJP during the visit of the latter's UP incharge Amit Shah last week.
Following the announcement, Rai was welcomed by party workers at Town Hall from where they were supposed to launch a campaign with the slogan 'Jaago aur Jagao, Varanasi Bachao (wake yourself and others, save Varanasi)'.
The Congress unit had been pitching for a local candidate to fight the battle on the lines of 'local' versus 'outsiders'.
Apart from Rai, former MP Rajesh Mishra (2004-09) from Varanasi was also a contender for the ticket. While Mishra was camping in Delhi for the past several days, Rai was ensuring his continuous visibility in Varanasi, positioning himself as a 'son-of-the-soil'. A key BJP man at one stage, Rai had left the party before the 2009 Lok Sabha election and finished third on an SP ticket, behind the BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi, who has since been shifted to Varanasi from Allahabad, and BSP candidate Mukhtar Ansari.
He had polled around 1.25 lakh votes, against Ansari's 1.84 lakh and Joshi's a little over two lakh votes. Rai was MLA at least thrice from the erstwhile Kolasla Assembly constituency. Following delimitation, he won in 2012 from Pindra Assembly constituency on a Congress ticket. In 1996, as a BJP candidate he had beaten nine-time CPI MLA Udal.
Party sources said that since his commendable performance, Rai has been preparing himself for the Lok Sabha elections and had been a continuous presence in the district since the 2009 polls.
Rai …continued »


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- A Person Named Melbourne, Australia
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Summons - Special Meeting of City Council, City of Melbourne, 10 Sept 1945 Reg. No: HT 25295
- Summary:
- Summons to attend a 'Special Meeting of City Council' held to celebrate the end of World War II. The unaddressed, eight-page booklet style council summons contains images of the Shrine of Remembrance and Victory March, and lists members of the city council at the date of the victory meeting,
- Description:
- Eight pages of lightweight card. Printed throughout with text in brown ink framed by a border of red and blue. The front page features a full colour image of the CIty of Melbourne coat of arms and text in brown ink. An image of a dove holding a laurel branch in its beak is depicted on the back cover. A ribbon of red, white and blue stripes is tied between two holes punched on the left spine. This ribbon ties the Notice Paper to the Minutes of the special meeting.
- Acquisition Information:
- Donation from Lois Vander-Young, 2009
|328 mm (Height), 201 mm (Width)
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|Tagged with:
|world war ii 1939-1945, local government, celebrations, meetings
|Themes this item is part of:
|Public Life & Institutions Collection
|Primary Classification:
|Secondary Classification:
|Local Government
|Tertiary Classification:
|Printed on front cover: City of Melbourne/ Francis Raymond Connelly, Esquire, Lord Mayor./ No. 3./ Notice Paper/ FOR/ Special/ Meeting of City Council/ TO BE HELD/ ON MONDAY, 10th SEPTEMBER, 1945/ AT TWELVE O'CLOCK NOON/ TO CELEBRATE THE VICTORY OF THE ALLIED NATIONS/ IN THE GREATEST WORLD WAR IN HISTORY/ 1939-1945
|Person Named:
|Francis Connelly - City of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1945
|Place Named:
|City of Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 Sep 1945
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The downgrade of California's oil reserves raises questions about the sustainability of the U.S. boom.
California is an alternative energy giant, but is also home to one of the best-kept secrets of the U.S. fossil fuel renaissance – the Monterey shale.
A deep and prolonged slump in natural gas prices has thrown much of the industry's largest produces into a state of panic and turmoil. As prices have fallen, so have stock prices — with shares of natural gas giants like Chesapeake Energy spacer, Devon Energy spacer, and Encana spacer have fallen twenty-plus percent over the last year.
Chesapeake Energy, the second-largest natural-gas driller in the U.S. and an active user of derivatives for hedging against the ebbs and flows of its core business, recently removed its most of its 2012 derivatives positions, leaving the company naked to big dips in natural-gas futures prices just as they are hitting a ten-year low.
These energy industry events and conferences listed below bring together corporate executives, investors, lawmakers and regular folks looking to learn more about a particular industry.
Hey everyone, a bit later than usual, but we have the leaderboard for the finals with a new name on top. A few notes before we get to that. Some of the numbers were incomplete in yesterdays' post for a couple of portfolios. However, I want to make clear that the total for the portfolio values were accurate. We just had a little less of the complete picture for the trades. We're working to make sure we do the best job on that front. As for one stock--BPRG--it is a valid stock for the contest. Reuters data shows a market cap of $1.3B on 3/2/07--which was the date for contest stocks.
Good morning all. We have some info for you. The first Million Dollar Finals leader is Donald Tang who gained $73K on Mindray Medical. He's closely followed by Serge Amelyan with the same Mindray Medical trade. However, Serge used his remaining cash to buy 2 shares of CMGI at $2.44, which fell -2.46% Tuesday-- resulting in the $0.12 difference between him and Donald, and costing him the tie for first.


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See more: Toy Kitchens & Play Food
Mighty Mixer
Whipping up a dessert with our Mighty Mixer by Hape is a piece of cake! This hand-powered wooden mixer comes with a mixer, bowl, flour, and sugar. This mixer is sized just right for small children and complements other Hape appliances such as the Pop-Up Toaster, Coffee Maker, and Kitchen. Proud recipient of the Creative Child 2011 Preferred Choice Award and the Parents' Choice Recommended Award. Wood for this toy comes from an FSC-managed forest accented with water-based paint and is made to meet the strictest of safety standards. Hape toys are designed to enhance developmental skills and are intended to last generations.
- Recommended For Children Ages 3 Years And Older
- Winner of the Creative Child 2011 Preferred Choice Award and the Parents' Choice Recommended Award.
- Includes 4 Pieces, Measures 8.3 x 4.7 x 7.2 Inches
- Wash the product thoroughly before use.
- Lovingly Designed By Our Friends At Hape
- Made in China
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John Daley Memorial One One Run
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Monday, January 1, 2007 1:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time)
Online registration is closed but registration in the store, at packet pick-up or at the event may be available. Please see below or contact the administrator for more information.
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Carrie Hybels
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Spring Valley Park, Kalamazoo
Mt. Olivet Road
Kalamazoo, MI
About This Event
This event gives us a chance to say "thanks" to our customers, and to celebrate good health, good friends and the good year to come. Proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs. Join us for a walk or run around Spring Valley Park. Finish in the big circus tent filled with food, music and fun! We'll give away scads of prizes, and you might even win the grand prize - Charlie Miller's Chain Saw! Sign up early to ensure your size choice for our long sleeve, moisture wicking, technical tee shirt!
Boys and Girls Club
All proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo. Please consider an additional contribution to help this valuable community resource.
On-Line Registration Fee
Please note that on-line registrants pay a small processing fee, in addition to your entry fee. This fee is passed on to you to maximize the benefit to the Boys and Girls Clubs from each entry.
Do you want to participate in this event, but for some reason can't be at Spring Valley Park on January 1? This new category is for you. Register to "Run in Spirit" and we'll mail your One One Run technical tee shirt!
About our Run Shirts
Adult size shirts are long sleeve, moisture wicking, technical tee shirts, sure to be in high demand. Youth shirts are available in Youth Medium and Youth Large sizes, and are long sleeved, 100% cotton.
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text:
"Did you hear you hear what happened?"
"...This can't be!"
"I heard the SHE escaped!"
"N-No way! Profesor Hatake was MURDERED!?"
"This...This must be a lie! You can't sit here and tell me that SHE killed my husband!"
"EVERYONE CALM DOWN!" boomed the village leader, Okami Hikari. Everyone began to quiet down, looking up at their beloved leader with expacntant gleams in their large frightened eyes, demanding answers. "Now, I understand that the rougue bounty hunter Unwanted Higiraku has escaped her confinment, leaving with lives of profesors Ritchi Hatake, Nagashiri Arimaru, Kami Eehannaah, and Souna Gakuron."Okami took in a large breath and continued "The Hyogi-kai* and I have come to the conclusion that anyone brave enough may go after her. The bounty on her head is seven million dollars. This amount will rise for every month she goes uncaptured. Oh, and she is wanted alive." Okami then turned away from the crowd and began conversing with the Hyogi-kai* about funerals for the four deceased profesors.
"Hehe...a bounty for a bounty hunter, eh? How ironoic... I like it." Unwanted said, loud enough for anyone to hear. She was only slightly suprised that no one looked up at the tree she and her little brother Unnecessary were sitting in.
"Ne*, Rain? You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" a rather tall rabbit-hybrid asked the even taller cat-hybrid next to him.
"That we're gonna collect that huge bounty, right, Usami?" Rain asked while rolling his eyes.
"Oh my! You must be a mind reader! Its not like its written all over my face or dripping off of every word I speak, at all!" Usami said sarcastically, snickering at his best friend. "Lets go home and get ready for the long trip ahead of us alright Ame-kun*?" he said in a discustingly sweet voice.
"Ugh, Usami! I told you not to call me that in public! And whats with that nasty voice? You tryin' to scare every mother, teenager, and child in the village or somethin'? 'Cuz let me tell you, it would work if you had a megaphone." he said, slightly backing away due to the fright the sickly sweet voice had caused him.
"Come on you big baby, lets go already! I have something extra special waiting for you today!" Usami drew the entire sentance out, turning around and walking back towards their shared apartment, motioning for Rain to follow.
"Fine, fine. I'm comin', just wait up idiot!" Rain screeched as he jogged to catch up to his friend. "But... what do you mean you have something 'special' for me? WOAH! You're not going gay on me are you? I mean, just 'cuz I dress the part and act it too, doesn't me I'm acctually gay!" Rain began to freak out next to his friend because he was only getting a creepy smirk and an occasional 'You forgot, didn't you?' as his answer. Suprisingly no one was aware of the figures lurking in the treetops, silently begining to follow the duo to thier place of residence.
As the boys were walking home, Rain caught an unfamiliar scent on the breeze, but thought nothing of it. As they were unlocking the house Rain asked his best freind if he would like him to cook dinner, since Usami made it last time, although it was only left over carry-out.
"Un*, but only if you want to." Usami said, finally getting the old rusty door to unlock. "We should probably get a new door. One wrong move and one -or both- of us will get Hafoshu*..." Usami muttered more or less to himself. As soon as they got into the apartment, Rain bolted for the kitchen and screamed in a rather shrill voice
"SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSHHHHHHHH HHI TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMM MMMMMMEEEEEEE!". Usami watched with wide eyes from the kitchen entry way as his best freind began to furiously make the most delicious looking sushi and onigri he had ever seen. 'But looks can be deceiving' Usami thought to himself and grimaced, remembering back to the first -and only- time Rain had cooked for him and their former other best friends Unwanted and Unnecessary. He remebered how good it looked and smelled, but how terrible it tasted. He didn't even think it was possible to screw up the taste of maceroni & cheese, but now he thinks twice before eating anything, even the things he makes himself. Rain felt eye's starring at him so he turned around only to find Usami with his eye's glazed over, starring right at him.
He shivered and goosbumps apeared on his arms. 'So creepy... I really hope he didn't go gay on me and start fantasizing about us or something...' he thought to himself. He slowly washed his hands and then waved them infront of Usami, but got no reaction. He poked Usami everywhere, tickled him, even tried to push him over -which failed horribly- but nothing worked. The last thing that came to his mind was to slap the silly rabbit man, and he did. About a good minute or so later, a very late reaction erupted from Usami, a look of anger and pain sliding across his face.
"OOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW! DUDE! WHY ON EARTH DID YOU SLAP ME!?" he screamed out at Rain.
"'Cuz you were starin' off into space and it was starting to scare the living catcrap outah' me. Thats why." Rain stated, very matter-of-factly, as if it were the most normal thing ever.
"Oh... sorry. Just thinkin' back to when Okami, 'Wanted and 'Necessary, and you and I ate that god awful mac n' cheese that you had made for us back when we were kids. Man how I wish those two hadn't gone insane. We were all going to buy a big six bedroom twelve bath house with that big gormet kitchen, huge living room, extravigant dining room, gigantic pool and backyard, and rooftop jacuzzi... It would have been so much fun... But now we have these low level jobs, and we live in this small, old, reletivly crappy apartment. Why did they have to go crazy and kill half the village, and almost all of the villages across the land on the last hunting mission they were given? Why? They...they were such good people when they were younger! Why! Tell me why, Rain! TELL ME! IT WAS MY FAULT WASN'T IT?! IT WAS ALL MY FAULT! MY FAULT! MY FAULT!"
Usami bagan to shake and convulse vilolently, spluttering and screaming the same thing over and over again. He was on the floor holding his shoulders, trying to protect himself from whatever it is he was seeing. His eye's were open so wide and streaming so many huge tears that Rain knew it must have hurt, physically and psychologically. Rain instantly ran over to his friend and scooped him up into his arms, while walking over to the couch in the living room not far away. Rain sat down and began to stroke his back, his hair, and his cheek soothingly, almost as if he were trying to calm a child.
"It wasn't your fault, Usami. It wasn't your fault. It was they're parents fault. It wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself, blame them. Hate them, not yourself. It wasn't your fault." he crooned into Usami's ear. Eventually, Usami began to quiet down, his breathing evening out, and his tears began to dry up. His eyes had long since closed, and his hand was gripping the front of Rains shirt rather tightly, but otherwise Usami was completely calm. Rain got comfortable because he wasn't sure how long Usami would be in his lap. About fifteen minutes later his eye's fluttered open and he looked around. Seeing as how he was in his own home, he relaxed a bit, but he still held fast to Rain's shirt. He looked up and noticed he was sitting in Rain's lap like a little kid. He quickly realized his position and squirmed out of his legs, eye's widdening with shock.
"S-sorry..." he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck and looking away, uncomfortable with how close he was to Rain, who was apearently oblivious to his embarassment. "Ne, why was I in your lap?"
Rain cracked an eye open. "You were in my lap 'cuz you had one of your truama moments again. But aaanyways, lets eat! Dinner's been ready for a good 15 minutes or so, and I'm starving!" Rain said, just as his stomach began to rumble. "See? I've got rumblin's in my tummy that only food can satisfy."
"Idiot, its "I've got the rumblies in my tummy that only hands can satisfy!". And, un*, lets go eat before you start snivivling at my feet begging me to let you eat." Usami said in a tone that clearly said she was trying to act like he was the boss.
"Peh, so says the one who was clutching onto my shirt and crying in my lap like a little girl." Rain said as he went into the kitchen and put the food on their little table. They ate in silence until Usami insited that he go make something extra special for dessert. "Why? There's seriously nothing special about today! It's just another day like every other, as far I know." Rain said to Usami, a confused looking marring his rather pretty and fairly feminine face.
"You really did forget, didn't you?"
"Forgot what?"
"Meep, you'll see. It's kinda funny that you forgot though, silly kitty."
Usami left the room before Rain could come up with some snarky retort, and started making Majikarusuu~Itorein Danshi*, Rain's favorite dessert. About 20 minutes later Usami returned with six sticks of the Majikarusuu~Itorein Danshi* and a large birthday cupcake -red velevet at that- with cocolate frosting and the words "Happy 18th Birthday Ame-Kun!" written in white, pink, and red sprinkles. Rain looked up and froze, eye's growing wide. Then a giant cheeky smile broke out onto his face. He got up and hugged his best freind, getting him in a death grip.
"R-Rain! Your choking me! And I also don't wanna drop what I worked so hard to make! Let gooo~" Usami choked out, ending his sentence on a high pitched note. Rain relized he was hurting his precious friend and let go, looking away with a slight blush of embarassment coloring his cheeks.
"Sorry, Usami. I just got so excited and happy that I had to hug you. I totally forgot it was my birthday! Is this what you meant by 'you have something 'special' for me at home'?"
"Yes, baka*. Yes it is." Usami said in generally happy tone. "Here, lets sit down and enjoy your birthday! You're finally qualified as an adult now! Another three years and you can drink!" Usami shouted out, laughing as he sat down.
"Un, un! I know! I can't wait till I'm twenty one, but, that also means I'm getting ooooolllllllddddd! Gross!" He said, face twisting up in a joking manner.
They ate the Majikarusuu~Itorein Danshi* and the fairly large cupcake together, speaking of how theyre jobs were, and if they had anyone special in their heart yet. "Oh, you wanna know how work went? It was so long today! I had to interveiw thirty six people today, and of those thirty six, only twelve made it in. My guess is that by next week we'll only have about three or four permanent employee's. Ugh, I hate being the manager of that wretched business!" Rain stated, his eye's narrowing ever so slightly at the mention of his job. "How did your day go? Hopefully better than mine?" Rain asked, looking to his friend for the details of his day.
"It was..." Usami paused, searching his brain for the right word. "It was... It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." He sighed, and continued "It's just that kids these days don't want to learn anything anymore. I had to give out at least eighty nine detentions today, if not more. Only twenty nine kids did their homework. Twenty nine! Its so frustrating!" Usami stuffed a peice of cake in his own mouth to stop himself from ranting on and on about how kids should care more about their education.
"Trust me, I know how you feel. I know. Anyways, want me to grab something to drink?" Rain questioned, postioning himself to get up and go into the kitchen and grab a few beers.
"Nah, you wait here. I have to grab a few thing from my room." Usami said, waving a hand in Rains direction, telling him not to get up.
"Whatchya gonna go get?"
"Oh my gosh Rain, you'll see!" Usami sighed and got up walking toward his room. "I swear your like a big puppy sometimes, wich is weird seeing as your a cat!"
Usami walked into his rather small bedroom and opened his closet door with a smile. Inside of the closet was a four foot box covered in rainbow and unicorn giftwrap, a smaller box that was black with white letters that read "Neko no Piasu"* and a cat covered gift card. He gathered all the items in his arms, and stumbled down the hallway back to the living room. He set the pile of presents in front of Rain, whose eyes grew large and child like, shimmering with happiness. "Happy Birthday again, Rain." Usami said warmly as he sat down next to the neko. Rain looked to the presents, then at Usami, then at the presents, and then back again.
"Did you do all of this for me?" Rain asked, voice cracking.
"Yes, yes I did. It's your birthday, and I think you deserve something much better than what I could afford, but this will have to do until we finally get rich and buy that big house we always wanted, even it takes us a thousand more years to do it." Usami stated, looking to his best friend with small tears threatening to flow down his cheeks. Rain began to cry tears of joy as he embraced his friend once more. Rain eventually let go and turned his head towards the presents in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye he could have sworn he had seen two figures dart past the window, but thought it was just his imagination playing tricks on him due to being over stimulated. Rain picked up the small box with white letters and opened the lid, a small gasp escaping his lips and his eyes widening a little. Inside the box were three pairs of earrings for his kitty cat ears, some snake bites, and three tail bracelets.
"U-Usami! You knew I wanted to get these, didn't you? You must've seen me eyeing them, huh? You know you did-" he was cut short by a hand covering his mouth.
"I know I didn't have to, Rain, but I wanted to, and thats what matters. Now go on, open the other one!" Usami ushered his friends arms in the direction of the four foot present. Rain looked at the present, eyeing it cautiously, then, assuming it was safe, tore into the gift wrap like a little eight-year-old kid opening his gifts from Santa Clause on a snowy Christmas day. He then unwrapped his bandaged hands and let his index finger drag along the masking tape. As he dragged his hand down the box, the tape was cut by his long cat-like claw(s). As soon as the tape was cut all the way, the box flaps sprang open, revealing dozens and dozens of designer clothes. Rain's eyes grew to the size of large saucers, taking in everything he was looking at. Then he looked at Usami. "What... Why... You... But... How...These..." Rain was at a loss for words. Not once had Rain ever received such wonderful gifts, not even while his parents were alive and well."Like I said earlier, you deserve more than this, but I can't afford it. Do you at least like what I could get?" Usami asked his only true freind, a worried look slipping onto his face.
"Don't make that face, it doesn't suit your personality. And, dude, 'liking' doesn't even begin to cover this. I freaking LOVE these gifts! They're the nicest things I have ever gotten! But, why did you get so many clothes?" Rain asked his friend excitedly.
"I got so many clothes because you don't have very many and the ones that you do have are way to small for you." Usami said as he picked up a rather revealing shirt and held it up to Rain's torso. "I knew this would be the right size," he said as he held a pair of pants out to Rain's lower half. "And these, too."
Rain was so overwhelmed and happy that he passed out. Usami panicked, not knowing what to do, so he picked Rain's body up and laid it down on the couch. He checked Rain's forehead for any sign of a fever, but found none. He looked his friend over, realizing that he really did just faint because he was over excited, and waited patiently for him to wake up. It didn't take long for Rain to recover from his momentary fainting episode, in fact, all he did was breath in the wonderful scents of cake and new clothes and he was back in action.
"Sorry about that. Well, lets go get ready for our big Bounty Hunting trip. Don't wanna go to bed to late or we will be to tired to start the day off right tomorrow." Rain said calmly, as if he had never fainted in the first place.
"O...kay then?"
The two boys walked to their rooms and began to pack all the necessary things they would need, like guns, clothes, dried goods, knives, and other essentials. Rain walked over to his window to grab two of the guns that lay in the window sill everyday incase of an intruder, and looked out the window. There, just outside of their apartment, was Unwanted Higiraku and her little brother Unnecessary Higiraku, Rain and Usami's ex-best friends. Rain grabbed a gun and looked behind himself to make sure that Usami wasn't in the door way, which he wasn't. He turned back to the window, gun aimed at the spot he had seen them earlier without even looking, but realized that the two had vanished. 'Maybe it's just paranoia...' Rain thought to himself as he put the two guns into the remaining gun holisters located all over his body.
"USAMI! I'm going to bed! Thank you again for the wonderful birthday gifts! I'll have to do even better for your gift(s)!" Rain screamed out to his rabbit-hybrid friend.
"Okay, good night. And your welcome. And don't worry about it till its finally here. I don't really know what I want so a cake or something should be alright." Usmai said in a much less loud voice.
'Well thats not very helpful.' Rain thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep. Ten minutes later Usami went to bed as well. Neither of them were aware that the duo that they would be hunting the next day was lurking right outside of their front door, smiling mischeaviously. Unwanted ran off into the night, her little brother in tow behind her. They ran across the large village, all the way to the village meeting area. In that meeting space was a giant HolloScreen. She turned the machine on and it floated up, asking for a password. She uttered the words 'And then there were none, all was silent' to the HolloScreen, and it went to the starter page. "Open Hollo Note Maker, HolloScreen." she said in a rather robotic voice. She then asked the HolloScreen to copy everything she said until she said stop. "Dear Okami, I realize now that I truly have nothing to fear. I have seen the majority of your so called Bounty Hunters, and I must say I am rather disapointed. I have no idea what your going to do to try to get me back to that wretched, horrible, disgusting, rotten place you call a shack, but I can assure you it won't work. Im not afraid of your little meaningless pawns, nor will I ever be. Even little Unnecessary agrees. He says that this a pathetic attempt at trying to get us to return, and that it's funny that you think it'll work. This game will be fun. Love, Unwanted and Unnecessary H." as she finished the note, the two ran off into the forest once more. They didn't know that a somewhat short, blonde fox-hybrid had been watching them. She read the note that had been left on the HolloScreen and smirked. "She hasn't seen me..." the fox woman whispered out to the cold dark night. "She hasn't seen me."
*Hyogi-Kai = Council
*Ne = Hey
*Un = Yeah
*Ame = Rain
*-Kun = endearing term for little boy, or friendly term for the word friend among boys
*Hafoshu = Tetanus
*Baka = Idiot
*Majikkarusuu~Itorein Danshi = Magic Sweet Rain Dango
*Neko = Cat
*Neko no Piasu = Feline Piercings
Reveiw please?


text:
WHITING, Ind. – BP is alerting northwestern Indiana fuel distributors that it's recalling unleaded regular gasoline shipped from its Whiting fuel storage terminal Aug. 13-17.
The company said Monday it believes that fuel stored in a tank at the storage depot could cause hard starting, stalling and other drivability issues. BP asks any customer whose vehicle has experienced those problems since Aug. 13 to contact its customer hotline at 1-800-333-3991.
BP says the fuel may have been purchased by motorists at BP and other retail outlets in the region. Ricker's said Tuesday that none of the recalled BP gasoline made it to any Ricker's stores.
BP says it's going through shipping records and contacting customers who may have loaded tanker trucks at the terminal during the affected period.