text:
Taiwan's 9 in 1 Elections
December 3, 2014
FPRI periodically makes recordings of lectures, forums, and other events available online in streaming formats and as file downloads.more
Middle East, energy, Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama, oil, Hugo Chávez, Crimea, Cuba, Fidel Castro, ruble
Christine Philippe-Blumauer · Jun, 2015
Freedom House Reports Alarming Authoritarian Pushback in Eurasia's Nations in Transit
Maia Otarashvili · Jun, 2015
FPRI's Mark Moyar Reviews Dominic Tierney's New Book: The Right Way to Lose a War
Dominic Tierney · Jun, 2015
FPRI's Mark Moyar Reviews Dominic Tierney's New Book: The Right Way to Lose a War
Mark Moyar · Jun, 2015
FPRI's Lawrence Husick Quoted in Daily Signal on Chinese Involvement in the Recent Cyber Attack
Lawrence Husick · Jun, 2015
FPRI's 2015 Annual Dinner
Monday, November 9, 2015 - 7:00pm
Is Jordan Next? The Threat from ISIL
Geopolitics with Granieri · September 9, 2014
Dr. Marvin Wachman (1917-2007) was a great advocate for educating young people. In a distinguished academic career, he served as president of both Temple University and Lincoln University and led the Foreign Policy Research Institute as president from 1983 to 1989. Throughout his life, he remained a passionate believer that "you never stop learning." Established in 1990, the Wachman Center is dedicated to improving international and civic literacy for high school teachers and high school students.
FPRI Seeking Events Coordinator/Receptionist
May, 2015
High School Teachers to Learn About Ethical Dilemmas in American Warfare
Apr, 2015
Opportunity for Teachers to Experience South Korea
Apr, 2015
FPRI Insights Issue 2
Sep, 2014
FPRI's Mark Moyar Reviews Dominic Tierney's New Book: The Right Way to Lose a War
Jun, 2015
FPRI's Dom Tierney on Media Tour for New Book
Jun, 2015
For information about FPRI, or to reach one of our scholars for an interview or comment, please contact:


text:
Alexander Wood
CALIFORNIA - Alexander Sutherland Wood, Born April 14, 1921 Pawtucket, RI, moved to California in 1959. He was 90yrs old when the Lord called him home. He died on February 1st in Hemet, CA.
He was a WWII Navy Veteran, Business owner in Automotive Repair and owned and operated the "Road Runner" campground in Lake Elsinore, CA. from 1976-1989.
He is survived by his loving wife of over 32yrs, Martha (Sue Anderson) Wood, his children, Susan Goodwin, Michael Wood and wife Jan, Margie Krause and husband Dan, Laurie Gustlin and husband Steve, and Step Children, Michael and Pamela Roberts.
He is also survived by his 8 grandchildren: Staci Leteff, Anthony Wood (Marie), Christy Wright (Bryan), Douglas Goodwin (Stacy), Wendy O'Sullivan (Greg), Barbar Anderson (Keith), Scott Gustlin (Robin), Christina Schipul (Cameron), Matthew Gustlin and 19 Great-Grand-Children. He loved life, his family and country and will be greatly missed.
|Military service flag.jpg

subset: commoncrawl


text:
OpenID Login
Not a member? Register Forgot Password?
GamerDNA Login
Not a member yet? Register.
Winter!: Prepare for holiday gaming!
Game Night!: This weekend! https://www.facebook.com/events/317792721696252/
New Releases: What upcoming games are you looking forward to?
Answer this question....: Eyup or Nope?
So Gamers...: how is it going?
Fercberk...: Ask us a question or two on our Facebook Page! http://www.facebook.com/gamerDNA
Need Help?: Ask us a question or two on our Facebook Page!
Facebook!: Gamers! Check out our Facebook page!
Youtube!!!: Check out our Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/smg1170?feature=mhee
Gamers......: meh
Closing in:
Where I became part of the Flock I now lead
Game Traits applied to MechWarrior 2 (PC) by VoodooLou
Member actions:
Same as CoH
Was pretty good until MechWrek (aka MechTek) came out with the mods but then Im kinda a purist
This game is pretty cool the Humor in it is very Clan Black Sheep
A make do game until Mech5
Had a great time with CoH just cant really afford the $15 a month for it.
The average age for gamers, most have been playing for 12 years.
gamerDNA®, Contents are Copyright 2006–2015 PLAYXPERT LLC and Live Gamer Inc. gamerDNA and the gamerDNA Logo are trademark and property of Live Gamer Inc.


text:
Arizona Diamondbacks
D-backs Hill and Montero garner MVP votes
The Arizona Diamondbacks had two players, second baseman Aaron Hill and catcher Miguel Montero, receive votes in the National League MVP balloting.
Hill, who just completed his first full year with Arizona, received a seventh place vote and two tenth place votes. Zachary Levine, a writer for the Houston Chronicle, gave Hill the seventh place nod, while Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and Troy Renck of the Denver Post voted him tenth.
Hill hit .302 with 26 homers and 85 runs batted in this season for Arizona. The eight-year veteran also hit for the cycle twice in an 11-day span in June, becoming the first player to hit for the cycle twice in one year since Babe Herman of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1931.
Montero, who hit .286 with 15 homers and 88 RBI, received a tenth place vote from Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.
San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey won the award, garnering 27 out of 32 first place votes. Ryan Braun of Milwaukee finished second, while Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen finished third.
Posey led the National League with a .336 batting average and had 24 homers and 103 runs batted in for the World Series Champion Giants. He also became the first catcher to win the National League award since Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds in 1972.
Most Popular
- Tony La Russa, Diamondbacks chief baseball officerCan the Dbacks get to .500 before the break?
- Chip Hale, D-backs managerChip Hale talks about the D-backs big win over the Dodgers and the health status of the team.
- HardwareThe Justin Bieber award, the You're Just Mean award, and more of the best/worst of the weekend
- Can of Corncast - Future Stars and Scherzer's Impressive StretchAndy shares his favorite prospects from this year's All-Star Futures rosters
- 6-26-15 The Sports Kabob with Jarrett CarlenTopics include the NBA Draft and Pete Rose. It's sports news skewered.


text:
Robert Endsley
Published: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 12:28 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 1:16 p.m.
Robert Dean Endsley, 64, died at his fishing camp in Zwolle surrounded by all his children and grandchildren Thursday, April 5, 2007.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. today in the Fountain Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Lafayette. Graveside services were held at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Veterans Section of Fountain Memorial Cemetery.
He is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Stacey Chittenden Endsley of Lafayette; two sons, Ken Endsley and wife, Patti, of Lafayette and Dean Endsley and wife, Carol, of League City, Texas; one daughter, Gretchen E. Babineaux and husband, Bill, of St. Francisville; seven grandchildren, Blake Endsley, Jacob Endsley and Kelsey Endsley, all of Lafayette, Dean Endsley Jr. and Corey Endsley of League City, Leigh Babineaux and Lillian Babineaux of St. Francisville; two sisters, Vernie Coffman and husband, Randolf, of Houma and Sue Dubois of Houma; one brother, Basil Endsley and wife, Pat, of Bourg; and other beloved family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy B. Endsley and Elizabeth L. Crochet Endsley.
He was an avid hunter and fisherman who loved spending time with his family at their camp in Zwolle. He retired as an offshore technical foreman with Exxon in 1998 after 36 years of service. He and his wife were members of the "L Acadian ExxonMobil Retiree Club." He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy having served on the USS Vigor (MSO 473) as a signalman during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Hospice of Acadiana, 2600 Johnston St., Suite 200, Lafayette, LA 70503. Donations can be also made online at www.hospiceacadiana.com.
Fountain Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
Comments are currently unavailable on this article


text:
Thanks for redeeming.{{else}}
Success! Thanks for repurchasing.{{/if}} {{else}} {{#if Expired}}
Increase my visibility!{{else}} {{#if IsMultiPack}}
{{#if HasMultiPack}} You have {{MultiPackCount}} top spot(s) left. Now loading you into the search listings... {{else}} You have used all top spots. Now loading you into the search listings... {{/if}}{{else}}
We are loading you into the search listing pages...{{/if}} {{/if}} {{/if}} {{/if}}
{{Current}} just saw you!{{/if}} {{#if LastTopSpotPurchaseIsMulti }} {{#if HasAnyTopSpot}}
{{#if HasFreeTopSpot }} {{ UnclaimedTopSpotFree }} Free {{/if}} {{#if HasPaidTopSpot }} {{#if HasFreeTopSpot }} & {{/if}} {{ MultiPackCount }} {{/if}} Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{else}}
0 Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{/if}} {{else}} {{#if HasFreeTopSpot }}
{{ UnclaimedTopSpotFree }} Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{/if}} {{/if}} {{else}} {{#if HasResults}}
{{Current}} see you now!{{else}} {{/if}} {{/if}}
You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
44 year old man | Winston-Salem, NC, USA | Seeking women 30-40 within 50 miles
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain
Never chase love, affection, or attention. If it isn't given freely by another person, it isn't worth having..." That pretty much sums it up I think. Most importantly, I am a single father to a smart and sweet 9 year old girl. Or perhaps should I say she is sweet when she wants something? :) I share custody and there is no drama, and I like kids so if you have one or some it is fine with me. Art, Design and anything creative of the mind are my interests. I enjoy and compose my own original music in my spare time. I am open to all forms of music, I just don't like every artist in each genre. I like seeing live music and Winston has started to get a good creative original music scene going. The album worth of songs is almost completed, I am looking forward to checking that off my bucket list. Also, fyi, I have NO interest in playing live anymore or being in a band, that is pretty much a waste of time. Translation = I do not live with my parents and play in a band thinking I will someday break out of Winston into the national music scene and be famous! You may laugh, but I know some people my age still think this way... By day I am self employed as an architect designing commercial buildings, and no, I will not design a house for you someday. I have NEVER heard that line before! Some may think I am a bit of a contradiction, I am not stuffy or arrogant. Also, you need to know that I study ancient cultures and their art/architecture all the time. Almost like a combination of Frank Lloyd Wright/Indiana Jones. I am looking forward to the day when I can travel to see some of the ancient architecture. And this day may be sometime next year! The ancient cultures from all over the world have a great deal of wisdom to teach, if you are overly religious, you may be bothered by this topic. The past is simply fascinating to me... I like fine dining, or cooking myself, wine, and I LOVE sushi, hopefully we can share sushi! If you want to know more, just ask...
Coffee and conversation , Cooking , Dining out , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Performing arts , Political interests , Travel/Sightseeing , Wine tasting
Cycling, Golf, Swimming, Weights / Machines
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What he is looking for
|6'0" (182cms)
|5'2" (157cms) to 5'9" (175cms)
|Body type:
|About average
|Slender, About average, Athletic and toned
|No preference
|Dark brown
|No preference
|No Way
|No Way
|Social Drinker, Moderately
|Architecture / Interior design
|No preference
|$25,001 to $35,000
|No preference
|No preference
|Have kids:
|Yes, and they sometimes live at home (1)
|Yes, and they sometimes live at home, Yes, and they live away from home, Yes, and they live at home
|Wants kids:
|Probably not
|No preference
|White / Caucasian
|Asian, East Indian, Latino / Hispanic, Native American, White / Caucasian
|No preference
|Bachelors degree
|Associates degree, Bachelors degree, Graduate degree


text:
Letters to the Editor: 06.11.07
Wasted dollars
I loved the article on Monday's (June 4) Health Section. The two brothers, ages 13 and 9, who are diabetic, and doing something about it are really impressive. I have ordered one of their comic books, about "Omega Boy" fighting the evil "Dr. Diabetes." I recommend that parents and anyone involved in the field of education check this out to show our young boys and girls how they can get involved in issues that effect us.
Locally, we have a young lady who has a lemonade stand to raise money for cancer research, another dreaded disease. Contrast this with our county commissioners with the money that we got from the "Big Tobacco" settlement ("$750,000 plan never materialized," May 27). We have one commissioner who thinks that the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is more important than a cure for diabetes. Another thinks that the Robstown Area Development Commission is more important. We have another who works at solving the problems of colonias, even though, unlike the people who suffer from diabetes, they made the choice to live there, and nothing for diabetes.
We have one of the highest percentages of people who are diabetic. Some don't even know they have the disease until it's too late, but that is all right with our commissioners, as long as money goes where the votes are.
Noe's big decision
In the world of politics and public life, problems cost popularity. So when a problem person emerges, wise folks often distance themselves as fast as possible.
It would have been perfectly normal for City Manager Skip Noe to dump Police Chief Bryan Smith based on Smith's indiscretion. A lot of public officials would have dropped Bryan like a hot potato. But Noe didn't do the political thing, he did a management thing. He kept Smith. He showed compassion and understanding and kept a view of the big picture, to have the best chief we can get. He set in place corrective measures for the future. He did the best thing for the city.
Bryan Smith is an intelligent person, a good chief, in my opinion. It's too bad he goofed up, but he's a fine man. We need guys like him and Skip Noe, who proved himself to be a real professional manager. We're lucky to have them.
Quentin douden
Power to tax
Vic Menard (Letters, June 3) states that the Appraisal District does not set tax rates or collect taxes, they simply set the value of property. That is true. The tax rate is established by the city, county, independent school district, hospital district, etc., and is used in conjunction with the value to determine taxes on property. What he fails to recognize is a simple rule of arithmetic known to every fifth grader: Increasing the multiplier or the multiplicand increases the product.
The basic formula is multiplier times multiplicand equals product. Substituting terms yields tax rate times property value equals tax. Thus, increasing property value yields a de-facto tax increase.
It seems odd that when the annual tax rate increase was capped, the appraised value of property began increasing at a faster rate. Just coincidence? I wonder.
With the power to raise taxes by increasing property values, the Appraisal District answer to the taxpayers; after all, 230 years ago we fought a war over that concept.
David Hauser
Cover your ears
I first visited the new skate park Monday, June 4, when I took my Florida grandsons to skate there. It's a nice enough park, I suppose, as I'm no judge of skate parks.
Their skating was marred by the foul language in use by most of the older skaters. I was sitting in plain sight also, but that didn't slow them down one bit. We won't be returning, and, once again, Corpus Christi has proved the place where bad language seems to be the norm. It's a sad state of affairs for parents who are trying to raise young people with respectable attitudes.
Eileen Free
Hope for August
Around the end of May I am forced to say goodbye to around to 150 people with whom I have spent the past 180 days with. I am a teacher, and towards the end of May I go through a myriad of emotions which most similarly resembles nostalgia.
Nostalgia is probably the most dangerous emotion because it allows one to distort reality.
When I say good-bye to the children and await next year's class with anxiety, I must be honest and realize that the monsoon of emotions stems solely from fear.
It is the same with school reconstitution. We must discard our trepidation and be honest -- change is necessary. I am a teacher, not an administrator, and administrators are hired to make the decisions that neither you nor I are qualified or prepared to make.
In the wake of Miller High School's reconstitution we must not be too hasty to print disparaging remarks, but rather must offer words of encouragement. We must be honest and teach our children how to cope with change.
Every year in August I stand hopeful that this year's class will surpass all my high expectations.
I hold on to the memories, but look to the future.
Amanda Thompson
House walkout
I saw on the news that our local Democrats walked out of the Texas House and broke quorum because they were mad at the speaker.
I've followed local politics for a long time. I cannot remember any of our other local state representatives ever walking out on their responsibilities in the House.
Vilma Luna and Hugo Berlanga never walked out of the House. They worked with other members of the Legislature to find the best solution to solve our state's problems. Even if they didn't agree or have the same philosophy, they worked together. They found common ground. That's how the process works.
Leaders don't walk out. Quitters walk out. Nueces County deserves representatives with the backbone to stay and fight.
I wish our Garcia, Herrero, and Ortiz had just an ounce of the courage that Luna and Berlanga possess.
elizabeth Pastor
Return to draft
I'm sick and tired of those who belittle the Congressional Democrats for proposing a "pull-out" date of troops in Iraq. I was very disappointed when the party of the people, my Democratic Party, caved in to the pressure of the super (pseudo, in many instances) patriots who weep, "You're telling our troops we don't love and support them."
Do you honestly believe if we stay in this suicidal situation that Iraq insurgents will call off the roadside bombing and sacrificial blow-ups closer, even closer, to the "green zone"? Not a chance.
Now, you ask, "What would Bill Kennedy do?"
Simple answer:
Institute the military/public service draft. Those choosing the former would have to serve two years in the armed forces; the others would have to serve three years in the Peace Corps on environmental endeavors -- forestry, maritime, etc. Then, we'll see who is "patriotic."
Bill Kennedy
Sucked dry
This year, my home's market value for tax purposes went from $33,938 to $92,095. Promised property tax relief? Was this shocking notice prompted by the real estate agents' invasion into our poor neighborhood during the Island's slump, a desperate government or both?
I tried being a corporation manager in order to get ahead. But, since I'm into truth, win-win solutions and saving jobs, well, you know. I was forced into a low paying, blue-collar job because I take parenting seriously and, bottom-line, children can't be truly loved by "sell-outs." We should not have to pick between living in extreme poverty and sucking the system dry or living in extreme wealth and sucking the system dry. Both ways, we end up liars and cheats.
My teens are asking "What does it take to get ahead?" My answer: "We The People," need to wake up and grow up. The System is sick and in need of a healthy doctor (you) who will guide us in the right direction. Not fearful, insane, huddled masses. In my opinion, this "Notice" is the government's cry for help. I am herewith, on common-ground, answering that "cry." Am I alone?
Sandra Serrano
A good prospect
Since Del Mar College first opened it's doors in 1937, I have watched it grow into a large and wonderful college. In the near future, Del Mar will be looking for a new president. In doing so, most colleges go out of state for this person. Why?
I know a person, here in Corpus Christi, who would make them a "great" president. He was born in Corpus Christi and has also seen it grow, such as I have. This man is a very well-educated man. He loves Del Mar College, people, and likes to see everyone receive a great education. He knows that with an education, such as Del Mar College would give them, they become better people and would live a wonderful and happy life. He is well-liked by everyone. He's "great." His name is Michael J. Westergren.
Kenneth A. Matthews
Clean up Bayfront
I am retired from a major chemical company, 83 years old, and live in a condo overlooking our beautiful waterfront.
My morning daily walk is now about a mile in the vicinity of Park and Water Streets. For 19 years I have picked up trash as I walk. As litter bugs, at least in this area, the people have improved, with trash reduced from about three bags per day to less than one.
Trash elements are mainly plastic, beer bottles, paper, and cigarette butts. I also pick up about six aluminum cans which I give to the needy.
Cigarette butts belong in ash trays -- not the streets. Broken beer bottles are a hazard.
Whenever I meet a fellow walker, I try to pass on that we all can help. Simply select a small area on their route and pick it up. Grocery bags are free, bending is top exercise, and a cleaner area lifts the spirit. Our great city has a waterfront and bay drive second to none. I hereby suggest a new slogan for a new century: "Corpus Christi -- Jewel City of the Texas Coast."
John w. Waldren
Subscribe to the Caller-Times
Need Help? Call us at 1-800-566-8098.
Monday-Friday: 6am-3pm / Saturday: 7am-11am / Sunday: 7am-11am


text:
click here
Monadnock Academy of Movement Arts
18 Depot St. Peterborough, NH 03458 phone 603.924.8900
Upcoming Events
Youth Performing Company AUDITIONS
2015-2016 Season Friday, May 22, 4:00-5:30pm
April Vacation April 20-25, 2015
Children & the Arts Saturday, May 16, 2015
Memorial Day-No Classes
Monday, May, 25, 2015
June Show Week Rehearsals & Performances
June 15-20, 2015 @ KSC
Attendance awards will be given to students with perfect attendance for each class enrolled in. Medals are awarded in the last class of the year. Awards are also be given for 5 & 10 years of commitment to Dance and the Performing Arts with MAMA.
Seniors will also be recognized!
5, 10 & Senior Awards will be handed out at the Saturday Night Performance, June 20, 2015
Sign-up sheets are posted in the downstairs
hallway in April.
Parent Volunteers needed!
See parent volunteer form for Year End Performance Sign ups.
Parent Y.E.P. Meetings
#1 March 11 @7:00pm
#2 April 8 @ 7:00pm
#3 May 6 @ 7:00pm
It is requested that each dancer have a parent attend one meeting. Please RSVP to mama@mamadancestudio and let us know which meeting you will be attending.
2015-2016 Dance School Year!
Early Bird Registration & Placement will be mailed to our current students the first week of July. This gives current students an early bird opportunity to register and save your spot in the classes you want before the general public! Registrations are accepted all summer!
New Student Registrations accepted all summer as well!
M.A.M.A. 17th Annual Open House
Saturday & Sunday, September 5 & 6, 2015
12 Noon-5pm each day!
MAMA Dancewear Store will be open and fully stocked!
Face Painting, Dancing, Refreshments & Door Prizes!
M.A.M.A Mission
All images and content are property of M.A.M.A. and may not be reproduced without written permission.
created by Form Designs


text:
I tried the 20t pinion gear that came with my maxx. what a big difference from the 17t pinion.
Temp on motor was 119.6* and esc was 85*. Temps taken with Duratrax flashpoint. Temp outside is mid. 50s. I was using the real time telemetry but there is no set up for the 3.2 tires i use. The speedo read 41mph. Temps on telemetry was 113.


text:
Related Articles for: raf simons
Vlisco x Eastpak
... Jean Paul Gaultier, Courrèges and Raf Simons all have at least one thing in common: hook ups with accessories label ...Read full article
Martin Margiela: The Artist Is Absent
... with friends, former colleagues and fans, amongst them Raf Simons, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Suzy Menkes. The biggest project of ...Read full article
Raf Simons For Fred Perry AW13
... has a very distinctive heritage and identity,' remarks Raf Simons of his collaboration with the brand. The two labels first worked ...Read full article
Raf Simons' releases his fourth collaboration with the lifestyle brand. ... disparaged for the suave appeal of the former-last week's Raf Simons AW13 show debuted the fourth collaboration between the man of the ...Read full article
5 Of The Best From Paris: Menswear AW14
... last month – to much intrigue and speculation – that Raf Simons AW14 would be Raf Simons x Sterling Ruby. Not so much a collaboration ...Read full article
Eastpak x Courrèges
... the love child of a Tammy Girl backpack circa 2001 and Raf Simons ' own collaboration with Eastpak for AW13, the brand's new hook ...Read full article
ZDDZ x VFiles Made Fashion
... On contemporary designers of whom she is a fan she specifies Raf Simons and Louise Gray ("I like her energy") for fashion, also ...Read full article
Designs Of The Year 2014
... prada Sadie Williams Christian Dior raf simons rick owens design museum designs of the year ...Read full article
Fashion Round Up: 25/07
... as Faustine Steinmetz and Marques'Almeida share space with Raf Simons, Hood by Air and OC collaborations; the shop will receive an exclusive ...Read full article
Plastikman Live - EXhale (Sonar 2014, Barcelona)
... is also one of its most creative. At the invitation of Raf Simons the producer took control of the Guggenheim in Bilbao last year for a ...Read full article


text:
Time to count down on these worst biotech stocks: MNKD, AVEO, AMRN, CTIC , NAVB and PPHM
Sentiment: Sell
After holidays, it will be $10.50...And $4 by the end of year, watch N learn !!
Below $2 at the end of day...
PLUG can search its new low as $1.55, BLDP may maintain at $1.85 and FCEL seeks new low as 65cents
Sentiment: Strong Sell
I doubt it...
here she comes...
I think it will close below $15.50 later, i'll pick up some new 52wk low next week!!
FNMA's value is very steady and firm here, as running between gaps of $2.25-$2.95 in a year.
Will see next target at $0.35 on Sept. 2015. This stock cannot make any profits anymore.
Sentiment: Strong Sell
will see........
Sentiment: Strong Sell
they still sell off on this trade, starts new low at end of day.
Sentiment: Sell
Its shares are driving down to hell because of this company only has 65 people, less cash, low performance and no new products. it might be a single digit next week...Stand by N see!!!
Sentiment: Strong Sell
Nice drop, see ya next week...
$2.50 tomorrow.
Be prepared for some buy next week...Today closes at $15.10
greedy means nothing huh??
I don't think it can run high no more for today. Just took some profits first and will get in back $3.85 :)
Sentiment: Sell
MNKD cannot jump higher more, that's all it can surf in this month.
This stock loves to open in the High and will close in the LOW all time.
AMRN will live under $2 for next 2 yrs again.
Sentiment: Strong Buy


text:
Amazon wants to take over your living room
It's not easy to save a lot of money
Join the NASDAQ Community today and get free, instant access to portfolios, stock ratings, real-time alerts, and more!
Wireless chipmaker Broadcom Corporation (
) on Monday announced it has entered into an agreement to buy
semiconductor maker NetLogic Microsystems Inc (
) for about $3.7 billion in cash.
The $50 per-share offer represents a healthy 57% premium over
NETL's Friday closing price of $31.91.
Both companies intimated they expect the deal to close in the
first quarter of 2012. Broadcom said the acquisition will add
around 10 cents per share to its earnings next year.
Broadcom shares fell 44 cents, or -1.3%, in premarket trading
The Bottom Line
Shares of Broadcom (
) have a 1.08% dividend yield, based on Friday's closing stock
price of $33.44. The stock has technical support in the $30 price
area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around
the $36-$38 price levels.
Broadcom Corporation (
) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™
Rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars.
Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the
Best Dividend Stocks
, as well as a detailed explanation of
our ratings system here
Enter up to 25 symbols separated by commas or spaces in the text box below. These symbols will be available during your session for use on applicable pages.
You have selected to change your default setting for the Quote Search. This will now be your default target page;
unless you change your configuration again, or you delete your
cookies. Are you sure you want to change your settings?


text:
Forum Menu
Daily Digest
Home Page
Post Response
Re: He cries in his crate!Posted by: Leslie Hemsing
Posted on: June 26, 2002 at 22:13:59
In Reply to: He cries in his crate!
: We put our JR in a crate for the first time today. He didn't like it at all. He just sat there crying. So after 5 minutes, we let him out. We want him to get adjusted in the crate for housebreaking problems, and a place to call his "own". But since he doesn't enjoy it and the fact that we see it as a "prison" for him, we let him sleep in his box with a pillow. We think we're going to trade the crate in for a bed. But it's also difficult because he won't sleep at night. He will bug you, and we can't get any sleep. Any suggestions?
: Thanks
Using a crate is a personal decision -- a decision that we made 9 years ago and are still living happily ever after with. Was it easy to crate train our pups? Honestly, no, it wasn't easy but it wasn't hard either.
Here's the thing about crate training -- an owner's attitude is as important as the training itself. In my opinion, a one time, five minute trial in a crate isn't sufficient cause to give up the training. Then again, I never considered a crate a "prison."
Good luck,
|Additional Reading: Is Crating Cruel? FAQ


text:
For the program idea I have, it requires that the software be written in one binary that is executeable by all major desktop platforms, meaning it needs an interpreted language or a language within a JVM. Either is fine with me, but the programming language has to balance power & simplicity (e.g. Python)
I know of wxPython but I have read that it's support on Mac OS X is fairly limited
Java sounds good & it looks good but it seems almost too difficult to program in
Any help?


text:
eBook Category: Romance/Erotic Romance/Science Fiction
eBook Description: When New Earthling Quinn makes love to his Allurian bride on their wedding night, he discovers a few surprises. Like the fact that losing his virginity to an Allurian woman is painful. He and Xindra are able to work things out, but they realize other interracial couples on their planet face similar problems. They start an Alien Sex Ed class, but this isn't your ordinary anatomy lesson. This class is very hands-on and more than a little steamy. Xindra's friend, Mera, is the first to benefit when she meets and falls for one of their students, Trett. As an Ibration, Trett doesn't thrust during sex; his penis vibrates. That's perfect for an Oquaran like Mera, who's so sensitive she comes almost instantly and can't stand a lot of chafing. When Xindra and Quinn notice more than one of their students checking each other out, they have to wonder. Could the romance between Trett and Mera be just the beginning?
eBook Publisher: Atlantic Bridge/Liquid Silver Books, Published: 2012
Fictionwise Release Date: January 2012
2 Reader Ratings:
Part One
Part One
Chapter One
The Wedding Night
Quinn was thirty-six years old, and he was about to make love to a woman for the first time in his life. The thought made him laugh as he settled their luggage in the honeymoon suite. Over the years, he'd had more one-night stands, quick lays, and weekend flings than almost anyone else living in Trilanta, the largest city on the space-hub planet of the same name. But he'd never cared enough about those women to call it lovemaking. Xindra was different.
She wasn't just another conquest, and she wasn't even from New Earth like he was. His beautiful Allurian was everything he'd never realized he wanted or needed until she stole his heart. And as of two hours ago, she was his wife. They were now officially Mr. and Mrs. Phlyx-Nigel.
Quinn kept waiting for panic to kick in--the commitment phobia that had kept him a bachelor for so long--but it didn't surface. Instead he felt the sinuous warmth of lust and anticipation rolling through his veins. Because Xindra was special and because he'd wanted to make sure she believed that right down to her soul, he'd waited for their wedding night to make her his. Now he felt like he'd been through months of hellish foreplay. He was ready to explode.
"Finally, I've got you all to myself." Xindra purred as she wrapped her arms around him.
Her head only came as high as his chin, but Quinn knew his wife's trim body held incredible strength. He felt her breasts squash against his chest as he pulled her closer and luxuriated in their firmness. She had to feel how firm certain parts of him were growing as well. Looking down into her deep lavender eyes, he felt love flood him until it overwhelmed and then mingled with his lust.
"You are so incredibly beautiful." In all his life, he'd never delivered a line so sincerely, so without thought.
Her answering smile undid him until he couldn't remember his own name. She lifted onto her toes just as he dove for her mouth. They joined somewhere in the middle. The hard aggression of his lips met the soft pillow of hers. Then they were slanting and shifting while their tongues wrestled. By the time they broke for air, his pulse pounded like a jungle drum in his temples and groin. He was fully erect, and the sight of her flushed cheeks made everything jerk tighter inside him.
Clearly reveling in her power, Xindra flashed her white teeth and backed out of reach with a teasing glint in her eyes. She slipped out of her shoes and started a slow, sensuous dance as she reached for the closure seal on her dress. Quinn's eyes feasted on the erotic curve of her waist, the flare of her hips, and the gentle rocking motion of her tight backside. The dress was open all the way to her tailbone now, but he caught only the barest glimpses of pale skin beneath her long, curly locks. Her hair was such a dark purple it was nearly black. It glimmered like strands of royal satin.
"Well, husband, do you plan to consummate this marriage fully dressed, or would you like to join me?" She slipped out of one sleeve and then the other until the bodice of her dress clung by a thread to her tightly furled nipples.
To his surprise, Quinn laughed aloud just from the sheer joy of being with her. He was going to remember this night for the rest of his life.
"Impatient?" he teased her, already sliding his own shirt open. "Your relatives did have a few ribald suggestions for me at the reception." The bawdy Allurians had managed to make him blush, which wasn't easy.
"Maybe we should explore some of those suggestions," she replied, but she was distracted now.
He discarded his shirt and watched with pleasure as she licked her lips. Then she dropped her dress to the floor with a hushed slide and plop, making his mouth water. She was stark naked underneath.
"The support is built in," she explained saucily.
He was too busy trying not to lose it to respond. His belt hit the floor with a thud at the same time that he slipped out of his shoes. Good balance was the only thing keeping him standing as he tore off his socks and dropped his pants, although the pole between his legs could have propped him up at that point. Quinn had never felt so hard or desperate in his entire life. Which was precisely why he left his underwear on. If she handled him bare right now, he'd never last long enough to get inside her.
With a growl, he shot forward and swung her into his arms. She giggled into his mouth as he kissed her and then squealed in delight when he threw back the covers and tumbled them both onto the bed.
"You're so beautiful," he chanted over and over again. "You don't know what you're doing to me."
Even the floral scent of her hair stroked him from the inside out. She was a banquet, and he was ravenous. He sifted his hands through her locks, feeling each purple curl caress his fingertips and twine around his knuckles and wrists. Shifting his mouth up from her swollen lips, he kissed her dainty nose, her thick eyelashes, and the feminine curve of her ear. The hot spot over her pulse point was next while he swept his hands up and down from her shoulders to her fingertips.
Her nipples pouted for attention. She gasped and moaned when he attacked one and then the other with his starving mouth, sucking and licking and nipping while his fingers tweaked the other one. The dip between her breasts was fascinating, too. It carried her natural scent and the first drops of perspiration. After pecking a trail down to her bellybutton, he penetrated the indentation with the tip of his tongue and buried his face in her gently rounded tummy. His marauding hands stroked her from knee to thigh. By the gods, she was so soft and sweet. He'd never get enough of her.
Quinn cupped her breasts with hungry palms and gave them one more squeeze before all his attention centered on the treasure between her legs. He cocked an eyebrow in surprise as he explored new territory. Unlike New Earthling women, she wasn't curly and coarse down below. Instead, she had very short, perfectly straight hairs that formed a pelt over her mons. When he ran his fingers through this novel down, he discovered it was as fine and soft as cat's fur and just as thick. He felt her shiver.
"A natural purple," he mused, which made her chuckle.
The humored sound turned into a groan when he parted her folds for a deep kiss.
Her luscious body arched into a bow even as something seemed to pop inside his head. Gods save him, she smelled like flowers and musk down here too, and the scent scrambled something in his brain. Foregoing the finesse and technique he'd learned over the years, he simply devoured her. He speared and licked and sucked as hard and fast as he could while reaching for every bit of her skin at once.
The feel of her fingers clenching in his brassy blond hair sent shivers cascading from Quinn's scalp to the soles of his feet. It took him a full minute to realize she was pulling him back. When he pried himself off and looked up, he discovered she was glossy eyed but clearly smiling.
"Enough," she said huskily. "I want you inside me."
He wanted that too. Trying to rein himself in again, he kissed his way up her body. Along the way, he sighed into her navel, laved the undersides of her breasts, and nibbled on her neck before returning to her lips. When she ran her nails up his sides, he groaned and kicked back his head in bliss. Then her feet slid up the naked backsides of his calves and hips, teasing the crisp hairs on his legs not to mention the nerve endings underneath. Her flexibility nearly made his eyes cross when she hooked her toes in the waistband of his underwear and slid it down.
Quinn's erection rocketed out like an overstuffed freighter out of space dock, and he was worried his testicles would jettison their load before he was ready. He had just enough presence of mind to dip his fingers in her cream and assure she was ready before he took aim. Before he could make berth, though, the little minx flipped him onto his back.
"What's your hurry?" she murmured. "I haven't even gotten a look at you."
He groaned. "Xindra, I'm not going to make it here."
"Just breathe." She kissed his lips gently. "We've got all night. It's our wedding night, remember?"
As if he could forget. Her words calmed him as nothing else could have. This wasn't about scratching an itch. This was their first time together and the start of their new life. He didn't want it over in a blink, even if he was nearly delirious for her. With that in mind, Quinn managed, if not to calm his arousal, then at least to step back from the knife-edge enough to do as she said and breathe.
"That's it." She kissed him more deeply and shaped his face beneath the soft caress of her fingertips.
Everywhere she touched him, he burned and tingled. When she ran her hands through his hair again, he felt it over his entire body. Her teeth scraped against the tendons in his neck until his hips came off the bed. It wasn't until she sucked his nipple and kneaded his pec that he realized she was following the same trail he had. Which meant he was in for some serious torment.
"Xindra." Her name came out as a moan, but he wasn't sure whether he was begging or protesting.
She mouthed the ridges of his abdomen like each muscle was a fresh delicacy. His bobbing erection nearly clocked her in the chin when she blew hot air on his stomach and tongued a line from his navel downward. The muscles and tendons in his thighs quivered and strained and locked so tight they hurt as she slid her hot little hands over them. Then she shucked his underwear the rest of the way off his legs. She froze over the part of him standing up for attention.
Suspense added a hot edge to Quinn's desire. Xindra hovered there, her mouth not far from the enflamed head of his engorged penis. Any second now, she'd lower her lips, take him into the hot cavity behind her pearly teeth, and stroke his shaft with that wicked tongue of hers. Any second now.
"Oh, Quinn." Her murmur sent a draft over his wet tip, and even that slight stimulation caused him to shudder.
Although his mind was swamped by lust, something in her tone made him lift his head enough to look at her. Her eyes were incredibly soft as she gazed at him.
"Why didn't you tell me you were a virgin?" she whispered.
At least that's what he thought she said. His brain was muddled, and she chose that moment to rub her thumb over his foreskin. He'd never been circumcised, which wasn't usual for New Earthlings, but wasn't abnormal either. Was that what she was worried about?
"Does it bother you?" He had to ask through gritted teeth because she was still fondling him.
"No, baby. Just wait here. I'll be right back."
Huh? Quinn stared after her stupidly as she darted around the corner to the bathroom. While he waited, he tried to calm his libido enough to get his basic brain functions working again. He could have sworn she'd said the word "virgin," but he'd been with lots of women, and he knew she'd been with Allurian men. He must have misheard.
Before he had time to ponder this further, she returned to the bed, striking him senseless anew with the full force of her gloriously naked body. He opened his arms to her immediately, impatient for the feel of her against his skin again. Settling between his legs, she pressed her full length against him and kissed him soundly. He ran his hands up and down her spine beneath her enchanting hair until she hummed against his lips.
Her eyes were crafty and full of sensual promise when she finally pulled back and slid sinfully downward to kneel between his knees. It was only then that he noticed the bath towel she'd brought with her.
"Lift." She punctuated the order with a gentle tap on his hip.
Uncertain, he slowly raised his pelvis so that she could slip the fluffy towel beneath his buttocks. Quinn tried to stifle his disappointment when his mind fixed on the possible reasons for it. Either she was worried he'd spend too soon and wanted something to catch the mess, or else she planned to work him with her mouth but didn't want to finish him that way. Some women didn't. Personally, he'd rather don a condom than be left out in the cold at his most vulnerable. He was about to tell her so when her mouth descended on him and his mind went blank.
Xindra's lips were taut, while her tongue was strong and flexible. The combination as she flicked the underside of the head and sucked his shaft wasn't just clever; it was beyond brilliant. She was a master at this, and he was her slave. He'd do anything if she promised not to stop. The wet sounds, the shifting of the bed covers, the gasps and moans in his throat all built into a symphony while her scent mixed with his to form an intoxicating perfume. His blood hammered through his veins until both heads, high and low, felt like they'd burst. He couldn't keep his hips still anymore. Quinn cried out a warning in a voice that was barely recognizable.
Just before the point of no return, she stopped and pulled away. The air hit his wet shaft like a cold slap, dragging him back from the brink even as it insinuated another layer of sensation. He was panting uncontrollably now, nearly shaking with his need for her. When she slid up his body for a kiss, he tried to roll her beneath him. To his surprise, she resisted.
"It's better if I'm on top this time," she told him. "This is your first time with an Allurian."
He hesitated only a moment before nodding and falling flat on his back again. Whatever she wanted. If it meant lying on broken glass, he didn't care, so long as she took him and took him now. He was practically ready to cry by the time she swung her leg over him and straddled his hips.
"Just try to relax." She lightly raked his chest with her devilish little nails. "I'll take it slow and gentle."
He returned a jerky nod.
In the next instant, her hand circled him and propped him in place. She adjusted her hips so that her hot opening kissed the tip of his erection and then slowly began to swallow it.
Quinn audibly gulped, and his body broke out in a sweat. She was right. All he needed to do was relax and breathe through the pleasure long enough for her to catch up with him. Judging by how wet she was, that wouldn't take long, but he'd damn well better succeed for more than two strokes. He wasn't an untried teenager, for gods' sakes.
"That's right," she said. "It's going to be so good, baby. You're so ready for me. It'll only hurt for a minute, and then you'll forget all about the pain."
What? He wasn't following. The vision of her on top of him made his head spin, and her breasts fit perfectly in his hands, the tight nipples rubbing his palms. Her sheath felt like molten syrup. She was incredibly tight and choking his cock more fiercely by the second.
"Baby," he grunted, "watch the nails."
She was squeezing him too tightly now, and one of her fingernails bit into his shaft in a particularly sensitive spot. He grimaced as his foreskin snagged on something and tugged back hard. But that didn't make sense. He was inside her where everything was smooth and wet. Except her sheath wasn't--smooth that is.
"What the...?" He realized she was running both of her hot little hands over his chest and arms, which meant he wasn't feeling her fingernail. So if not that, then what?
"It's all right," she reassured him, leaning over for a kiss. "This is what happens the first time. You're doing great. I just need you to take a deep breath for me."
Quinn felt himself scowling now--a combination of sexual grimace and dawning fear. His balls were hard with unfulfilled need. Every instinct he had screamed for him to thrust up hard and finally take her, but the growing discomfort niggled at him.
"Xindra?" he asked uncertainly.
She cupped his cheek in one tender palm. "Look at me."
He was immediately lost in her lavender eyes.
"Just take a nice deep breath," she said.
Trusting her, he did, but he couldn't stop trembling with need. He raised both hands, and she linked her fingers with his.
"I love you," she told him, and her heart was in her eyes.
"I love you too."
That's when she thrust sharply down on him, snipping off his foreskin and causing his shocked bellow of pain.
It took all the strength Xindra had to hold herself still and keep Quinn from throwing her off while he tensed and struggled beneath her. Only the knowledge that he was hurting kept her motionless when all she really wanted to do was thrust up and down until her desire was sated. Although she was only seated on him three-fourths of the way, he was fighting to pull out and away from the searing pain. If she let him quit now, he'd never learn of the pleasure.
She tried to soothe him. "It's okay now. That was it. The worst is over. Just breathe and relax."
Her internal lubrication should already be coating him, and some of the enzymes would act as a partial analgesic and help him clot.
Tears dribbled out of the corners of his eyes, and his body remained rigid, but he stopped thrashing. His jaw was so tight she thought he'd pulverize his teeth. An unintelligible string of obscenities followed.
Xindra would have stroked his face if she could have, but he still held her hands so hard he was crushing her knuckles. He needed to relax. Although the pain would stay raw, pleasure could overwhelm it.
"It's all right. Never again, baby. It can feel good now." She hoped he believed her; she needed to ride him so badly.
"It hurts," he insisted on a groan.
She'd tried to tell him it would, but clearly he hadn't understood. If she'd known he'd never slept with an Allurian woman before and had never had his virgin skin removed, she would have handled this differently. With all the females he'd slept with here in Trilanta, how was she to know he'd never lost it? Her heart broke to know she'd hurt him this badly, but there was no going back. Besides, she'd never slept with a virgin before, so this was a first for her too.
"Feel me, Quinn," she said softly.
She jiggled one entangled hand until he loosened his grip enough for her to pull free. Engulfing the back of his fist, she brought his fingers to where they were partially joined. He moaned at a different pitch when he felt his shaft disappearing into her body. The circle of muscle at the opening to her vagina was hard and tight, ensuring that his erection couldn't dwindle despite his conflicted mind.
"Feel me. I'm not all the way on yet."
Although he groaned long and low like a dying animal, she felt his cock twitch inside her. Taking it slowly, she started to sink down on him the rest of the way. The pleasure for her was immediate and intense, causing her to gasp aloud even as she tried to keep her mind centered on him. He was tensed and panting again, but he didn't fight her. His penis was long and thick, which was great for her, but not so much for him.
Due to its size, the tender flesh of his shaft was being crushed mercilessly by the hard pressure ridges and bony fingers along the inside of her Allurian sheath. In time, once he was used to it, that same squeezing force would bring him great delight, but for now it made it harder for him to accept her. One of those fingers had peeled back and eliminated a large portion of his foreskin. Settling down on him all the way, she knew the moment he felt the second biggest projection. The hard nub knocked against the hypersensitive underside of his glans.
His blue eyes flew wide. "Oh, gods!"
"You have to relax into it." She pushed up and was already thrusting back down again before he could grab her hips.
But he wasn't trying to stop her. An expression of rapture flashed across his face, and his tortured moan was clearly one of pleasure now, not pain.
Xindra set up a slow, gentle rhythm despite the lust riding her as hard as she wanted to ride him. He still winced a little on every down stroke, but he groaned in ecstasy every time that extra extension caressed his undercarriage. After a minute, he started to thrust.
Ah gods, it was good. Feeling her love for him, realizing this was her husband she was making love to, was enough to drive her crazy. And to know she was the first woman to truly take him like this? She felt both humble and powerful.
Tipping forward, Xindra lowered her breasts to his chest and used her free arm to give her leverage. With a primal cry, she began to rock on him. Hard. Her cries melded with his as her insides wound tightly like a burning spring waiting for release. To her surprise, Quinn stayed with her, pounding upwards even as he was caught in limbo between pleasure and agony.
There was that moment of suspense when doubt crept in: would climax ever come, or would it just build higher and higher until the torturous rapture destroyed them? Then he punched his head back into the pillow and screamed before his body humped up in pleasure. Xindra only had a moment to savor the look of hard-won bliss on her husband's face before her vaginal muscles started to spasm. She convulsed unbelievably hard, contracting rhythmically until she clamped down so tightly she heard Quinn holler again. The hard, hot length of him had her pounding in orgasm until she draped limply across him.
They both puffed and gasped like low-atmosphere dockworkers.
It took Xindra several minutes to realize Quinn was shaking. Although she disengaged their genitals as delicately as possible, he still hissed.
"Are you okay?" She nearly winced herself when she looked down and saw the blood coating his softening shaft.
"I think so," he answered, sounding dazed.
"Hang on." Moving to the bathroom, she cleaned herself quickly and grabbed a wet washcloth and a basic aid kit.
He hadn't moved a muscle in the brief time she was gone.
"Here we go." Gently lifting his injured member, she ran a standard palm healer over it until the intimate wound closed up and disappeared from sight.
Quinn let out a sigh of relief, but he still didn't move as she carefully wiped him with the wet cloth to clean and soothe him. What was he thinking? Had it been too much for him? Touching him like this, she was already starting to stir once more, but she didn't want to push it. Back in the old days, virgin men going to stud with a new Allurian wife were told to do their husbandly "duty." She certainly didn't want her husband seeing their relations as some kind of chore. Although it would take some time for him to grow accustomed to sex with an Allurian, she knew it would never hurt him again. She just had to convince him of that.
Lying down so that she could throw her arms around him, she rubbed his sternum lightly to comfort him. "Talk to me. I know the first time can be scary and painful, but it will get better. I promise."
"I'm just not..." He trailed off before he could finish, which was when she realized just how lost he really was. "You're different inside than New Earthling women."
She was relieved he was finally speaking. "Physically, yes. Allurian females aren't smooth and soft inside like New Earthlings. I'm fortunate to have some New Earthling friends in Trilanta, or else I wouldn't have known that. I take it no one ever explained those facts of life to you?"
He almost grinned, which helped loosen the tight knot around her heart. "It never came up. I wish to hell someone had warned me. I feel like an ignorant--"
This time he did smile, albeit crookedly.
"I'm sorry," she said, and she meant it. "With all the alien races living here and traveling through every year, you'd think we'd learn to communicate better. We have so many similarities, but the differences are what cause misunderstandings. You and I should have probably had the sex talk before the wedding."
He grunted. "I would have told you we didn't need to talk about it. I was already thinking about it every second of every day."
Xindra chuckled and slid her hand from his chest to his cheek as she kissed him. He kissed her back deeply, making her grow damp again. They were smiling against each other's lips when they came up for air.
"Why don't we have that little talk now?" she suggested.
He cocked an eyebrow at her, but he didn't protest.
Gently grasping his hand, she rolled to her back and moved his fingers until he was cupping her breast. Her nipple thrust up into the warmth of his palm, and the sheets whispered softly when Quinn shifted his hips. His clear blue eyes stared at her with renewed hunger as he flexed his fingers in a light massage. She hummed in approval.
"Do my breasts feel the same as a New Earthling woman's?" she asked.
He shifted his hand in a circular motion. "Yes, but no New Earthling breast ever felt so good."
She smiled at that. "Do my breasts taste like a New Earthling woman's?"
With a wicked smile, he obliged her by taking her into his mouth. The moist heat made her squirm in pleasure, but he only rasped her once with his tongue before pulling back.
"Yes," he answered, "but I've never enjoyed the taste of another woman the way I enjoy you."
Feeling dreamily aroused, Xindra pushed his hand down the length of her torso until he reached the triangle of down between her legs. Spreading her knees, she pressed his palm against the soft pink folds that were already blooming for him.
"Do I feel the same here as a New Earthling woman?"
Quinn ran one broad, rough finger between her dewy petals with torturous slowness. She tilted her hips and whimpered when he touched the little button near the top of her slit.
"You're formed the same," he said, "but no other woman has ever felt so tempting."
Finally she took his finger and tried to press it inside. He hesitated and glanced up to meet her gaze.
"I'm different inside. Not like a New Earthling woman." She waited, hardly daring to breathe.
A flicker of doubt crossed his usually confident face, but it was gone before it truly took hold. Then she saw what she'd been hoping for--a hard flare of lust mixed with no small amount of curiosity. She gasped in relief and pleasure as he finally pushed that blunt finger into her. Although he was only trying to explore, not arouse her, the twists and turns and thrusts of his finger had her melting around him. She couldn't wait to have his erection seated inside her again. Judging by the way it was now prodding her hip, he was seriously considering it too.
"It won't hurt again?" he asked.
She smiled and slid her hand over his cock, making him groan. "You're smooth and uncovered. No more pain, baby."
He moaned again when she stroked him, and then he was on top of her, spreading her wide and probing her with his tip. Obviously cautious, he pressed in slowly. She listened to him pant and tried to let him set the pace even as the growing pressure inside made her want to burst.
"You're so tight I can hardly stand it," he choked out, but he didn't stop. With a whimper, he shoved in the rest of the way and held still except for his heavy breathing.
"Are you in pain?" she asked.
He let out a strangled laugh. "Define pain."
She used her hands to draw soothing circles along his sides and back. "What do you feel?"
"That little finger inside you has crooked itself under my glans." He had to gasp for breath. "It's so hard it's almost painful."
"Almost," he conceded. "Instead it's a different kind of torment."
"Then let's torment each other."
Cradling his head in her hands, she looked into his handsome face and kissed him with her whole soul behind it. Then she let her head drop back to the pillow and used the rest of her body to hold him.
"Make love to me."
Drawing back, he carefully stroked in and out, obviously testing the feel of her and getting used to it. His eyes squeezed shut, but he must have liked what he felt because he did it again. And again and again. The pressure was everything she needed, and the depth of his penetration was just right. Friction built, and that fingerling projection that so pleased him was full of nerves that produced a deep, resonating ring of pleasure every time he thrust across it.
His chest hair was a light dusting of wiry curls that were nothing like an Allurian's soft follicles. The scratchy strands tickled her nipples. Just the sound of Quinn's grunting and huffing was winding her tighter until the pleasure was unbearable. And he was thrusting harder and faster yet.
"Oh, gods!" Slapping one hand onto the headboard, he continued to pound her. "I've never had an orgasm like this. It's good. It's so good, Xindra. Just a little more. Please. Please, baby."
She felt like begging herself, but all she could do was produce helpless yips. Everything coalesced into sheer, primitive sex. Her senses were absorbed. She heard their moaning and gasping and the slap of his testicles against her buttocks, felt his skin rub hers as he plowed in and out of her, and inhaled the smell of their sweat. Gazing up at him, she saw his red-faced grimace, his straining neck, and the love in his eyes when he pried them open a tiny sliver.
"More, more," he pleaded.
She grabbed his bunching buttocks as he pummeled her. He was so wild and desperate he was just mindlessly lunging now.
"More, dammit. Please, please. I...I...Oh gods, I love you!"
They both seized at the same time. Quinn roared as he poured liquid fire into her in soul-sundering spurts, and she squealed and scratched his flanks as she convulsed with abandon. Neither of them had any control over their bodies. They were locked together and dragged through a heaven and hell of ecstasy as orgasm tore through them. When he poked upward and ground harder on his next spasm, the movement kicked her off all over again. For the first time in her life, she gave a full-throated scream of pleasure.
Xindra's insides were still twitching in unabated delight when Quinn collapsed and flattened her into the mattress. He was a big enough man that she could barely breathe, but his weight felt too delicious to dislodge. With a satisfied sigh, she wrapped her arms and legs around him to keep him there.


text:
I've been a bit of a mess lately.Maybe a big mess.I've tried analyzing myself top to bottom, inside and out, to fix the problem.I haven't withdrawn from my normal engagements, maybe I've added more. But nearly every time I've left wondering, "did I give the wrong impression? did they know that I really love them? that I love to spend time with them and hear their stories?"Because my spirit's just been...damp. (When I talk like that, keep in mind that I'm a yoga-practicing semi-hippie who believes in God and Jesus.)
Joy, one of the best things this life has to offer, has been missing in my life.
But I've been singing this song as well as I know how, and I'm getting some of it back:
Savior, please take my handI work so hard, I live so fastThis life begins, and then it endsAnd I do the best that I can, but I don't know how long I'll last I try to be so toughBut I'm just not strong enoughI can't do this alone, God I need You to hold on to meI try to be good enoughBut I'm nothing without Your loveSavior, please keep saving me Savior, please help me standI fall so hard, I fade so fastWill You begin right where I endAnd be the God of all I am because You're all I have HallelujahEverything You are to meIs everything I'll ever needAnd I am learning to believeThat I don't have to prove a thing'Cause You're the one who's saving me -by Josh Wilson, from the album Trying to Fit the Ocean in a Cup


text:
Originally written on NESN.com | Last updated 3/10/12
BOSTON - DECEMBER 14: Zdeno Chara #33 of the Boston Bruins directs his teammates in the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 14, 2009 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
It was raining glass at TD Garden on Saturday. That's because defenseman Zdeno Chara leveled Marcus Johansson into the boards and shattered the glass during the first period of the Bruins' tilt with the Capitals. A few B's fans were the recipients of the glass shower, but a subsequent thumbs up seemed to indicate that everything was OK. Play was momentarily stopped as the on-ice officials scanned the area. Eventually, it was determined that play could resume, though, with a bulk of the repair taking place during the first intermission. Check out Chara's punishing hit on Johansson to shatter the...
Comments are closed.
What do you think?To leave a comment, you can:
NHL News
Delivered to your inbox
You'll also receive Yardbarker's daily Top 10, featuring the best sports stories from around the web. Customize your newsletter to get articles on your favorite sports and teams. And the best part? It's free!
Follow us on Twitter
|Best of Yardbarker
|NFL News
|MLB News
Today's Best Stuff
For Bloggers
Join the Yardbarker Network for more promotion, traffic, and money.
Company Info
What is Yardbarker?
Yardbarker is the largest network of sports blogs and pro athlete blogs on the web. This site is the hub of the Yardbarker Network, where our editors and algorithms curate the best sports content from our network and beyond.
|© 2015 Yardbarker, Inc. All rights reserved. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. (What's New?)


text:
Fitch Affirms Black Gold Re Ltd's IFS Rating at 'BBB'; Outlook Stable Business Wire BOGOTA, Colombia -- November 08, 2012 Fitch Ratings has affirmed the 'BBB' Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating and the 'AAA(col)' National Insurer Financial Strength of Black Gold Re LTD. The Rating Outlook is Stable. Black Gold Re's rating (BGRe, or the captive company) continues to reflect the strong linkage and strategic importance of the captive company to Ecopetrol (the parent). The rating also reflects its adequate technical performance, high capitalization, low leverage and strong liquidity ratios. BGRe's rating is tied to the rating of its shareholder, Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos - ECOPETROL S.A., which has a Fitch local currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of 'BBB' with a Stable Outlook. Ecopetrol maintains a strong financial profile with USD18.4 billion of EBITDA, USD6.1 billion of debt and USD 29.4 billion of shareholders equity as of the LTM ended June 2012. BGRe maintains its position as a core subsidiary of Ecopetrol, due to its strategic importance in managing the risks and structuring the insurance coverage of Grupo Empresarial Ecopetrol (Ecopetrol). The support of the shareholder is evidenced by its explicit commitment of support through promissory notes, formal support in managing the investment portfolio of the captive, providing resources for the optimal operation of the reinsurance company, and the transference of strong corporate governance practices. BGRe's operational profitability is adequate for its business profile. As of Sept. 30, 2012, BGRe reported a positive trend in its combined ratio (-13% versus -27% as of Sept. 30, 2011 ) and net income of $11.8 million. This performance benefited from the increase in commissions due to the change in the placement scheme carried out from 2011, and also by higher surety bond premiums given the important growth shown by the hydrocarbon sector in the Colombian economy. The quality of the investment portfolio is adequate and the liquidity position is strong. The company places its investment portfolio in liquid assets mainly rated with Issuer Default Ratings of 'AA' (87%), 'AAA' (9%) and 'A' (4%). Black Gold has no exposure to fixed assets and stocks. Its liquidity ratio is strong at 4.9x as of Sept. 30, 2012. Black Gold's capital position is strong as a result of adequate profit generation and earnings retention. As of Sept 30, 2012, the equity of the captive was USD141 million. Leverage ratios are low. As of Sept. 30, 2012, the retained premiums-to-capital ratio was 0.1x and the Liability/Equity ratio was 0.25x. The maximum loss exposure per event is 9.0% of the equity, which is high compared with other similar companies in the region. Black Gold provides surety bond coverage that very large relative to its capital base. However,Ecopetrol provides an explicit formal guarantee of these policies. The Rating Outlook is Stable. Key rating triggers that may lead to a downgrade include negative changes in availability and willingness of Ecopetrol to provide support. An upgrade may be considered with positive changes in the credit profile of the parent. Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. The ratings above were solicited by, or on behalf of, the issuer, and therefore, Fitch has been compensated for the provision of the ratings. Applicable Criteria and Related Research: --'Insurance Rating Methodology', Oct. 18, 2012. Applicable Criteria and Related Research: Insurance Rating Methodology - Amended http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=692293 ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE 'WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM'. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE. Contact: Fitch Ratings Primary Analyst Franklin Santarelli Managing Director Fitch Inc. One State Street New York, Ny 10004 email@example.com or Secondary Analyst Milena Carrizosa, +57 1 326-9999 ext 1090 Director Fitch Ratings Colombia Calle 69 A No. 9-85 Bogota, Colombia or Committee Chairperson Julie A. Burke, CPA, CFA, +1-312-368-3158 Managing Director or Media Relations: Elizabeth Fogerty, New York, +1 212-908-0526 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Fitch Affirms Black Gold Re Ltd's IFS Rating at 'BBB'; Outlook Stable
Press spacebar to pause and continue. Press esc to stop.


text:
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Display Modes
Monorail Conductor
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Oddometer: 1,224
Aomori and Hokkaido, Japan ride report, July 19-23
Last Saturday, I finished a 5-day tour from Tokyo up to Aomori and Hokkaido, including the easternmost and northernmost points of the Japanese mainland. Although it looked like about 5 or 6 of my local riding buddies were interested, for various reasons no one ended up joining in and it was to be a solo journey. Here's the report.
The overall 5-day track looks like this:
Not including the ferries between Aomori and Hokkaido, it was 3,829km of actual riding.
DAY 1: Tokyo to Aomori
Time: 8h38m
Distance: 663km
This was the required blast from Tokyo up to Aomori on the Tohoku expressway. I was trying to escape the typhoon that had moved into town the night before. I thought I had dodged it, but it caught me around Utsunomiya and began absolutely pissing down, so that there was an actual depth of accumulated rainwater on the road surface. I was wearing my new Sidi waterproof Gore-Tex boots, but a mesh/textile jacket and pants. The rain soaked through my clothes and flowed down into the boots, where the waterproofness kept it locked inside. So my feet were sloshing around in pools of water.
Of course there was rain gear in my panniers, but I had never stopped to put it on, thinking the rain would let up. It didn't. I ended up simply riding beyond the area of rainfall, somewhere around Sendai. I stopped at a service area to change my inner layer, underwear, and socks, and I dumped a good cup or two of water out of each boot.
Now dry, more or less, I finished the ride up to the Seki no Yu onsen (hot spring bath) and ryokan (traditional Japanese-style inn). This is seriously one of the very best onsen/ryokan I have stayed at in Japan and I heartily recommend it if you are heading north into Aomori. Super-deluxe Japanese-style dinner, huge tatami (straw mats) room, and truly massive onsen all for about 6,500 yen. That's the same as the crappy business hotel I stayed at the next night! Plus, the staff are really friendly and helpful, and they let you park your bike in a covered area right in front of the main entryway:
Please excuse the low-quality photo from my phone. Seki no Yu's website is: http://www.sekinoyu.jp/
DAY 2: Aomori to Tomakomai, Hokkaido
Time (not including ferry): 13h20m
Distance (not including ferry): 622km
I got up early and was on the road before 5am, because I had a lot of riding I wanted to do in Aomori and I also needed to catch the 2 o'clock ferry from Oma to Hakodate (I had a reservation). My plan was to hit the Iwaki skyline, do the purple roads around Lake Towada, swing up north around Cape Natsudomari, and then go all the way around the northern "hook" of Aomori to Oma and the ferry terminal. Once I reached Hakodate, I would head north and east to Tomakomai:
My plan was to reach the town of Kushiro by Thursday night, where I was going to meet some friends who were on a bicycle tour around Hokkaido. I figured making it to Tomakomai would be enough progress for one day.
I headed out under beautiful, sunny skies:
I reached the Iwaki Skyline and immediately encountered my first problem: It doesn't open until 8am:
Well, there was no way I was waiting around for it to open, so I managed to ride around that locked gate.
This was not easy. The sides of the road fell off in a steep slope into thick underbrush, but I could kind of see how I could just barely make it. Step 1: I took all the luggage off the bike to make it lighter and narrower. Step 2: I prayed that I wouldn't get stuck and need the road managers to come help me get the bike back on the road in 3 hours when they showed up to open the gate. Step 3: I went for it and drove off the asphalt, down the dirt embankment, and into the brush. The big GSA crushed the thick reeds in its path, and I eased the bike to a stop.
Now I had a problem. I was stuck in the dirt and bushes, and I needed to turn the bike around a bit so it wasn't pointing deeper into the woods, and then I needed to drive up the steep embankment on the other side of the gate back on to the road. It wasn't happening with me on the bike, so I dismounted, yanked out a few of the thicker reeds blocking my way, and walked the bike around the gatepost while giving it a little bit of gas in first gear. I had to do it a little bit at a time, killing the engine and simply muscling the bike into a different position a few times, but eventually I was on the other side of the gate.
But I was still in the woods. It took me another couple of tries to actually get the bike back up the steep embankment onto the tarmac. I used the approach of walking beside it while gassing it in first to gently ease it up the slope. This was tricky because the rear Anakee 2 lost traction and was spinning in the mud. Eventually I got enough momentum, though, and... success!
You can see how far beyond the gate I am. That's how far I had to walk the bike along the embankment to find a good spot where it could make it up the slope onto the road. Here's a (crappy phone photo) close-up of where I came around the post:
And here's the aftermath on the rear Anakee 2:
Conclusion: It'll do okay on mild rindos, but it's not an offroad tire. The treads became completely filled with mud so that the tire surface was essentially smooth.
Anyway, I can't believe the whole thing actually worked, and I also can't believe I decided to go for it. Now, the Iwaki Skyline lay ahead. Here's a photo of a poster of it:
A mere 69 switchback turns later, I was at the top!
The early-morning wind was really howling at the top, though, strong enough to be pushing my helmet around when I rested it on the side mirror. To be honest, being on a closed road and feeling like my helmet (or worse) could get blown off the side of the mountain combined to make me so nervous that I couldn't really relax and enjoy the experience. I got my trophy photo and headed back down, where I had to repeat the epic struggle to get my bike back around the still-locked gate.
Getting around the gate (twice!) had eaten up enough time that I had to choose between sticking to my route and riding like a madman to make the 2:00 ferry, or chopping out part of the route and having time to stop along the way for photos and whatnot. I decided to cut the swing around Lake Towada, but I still enjoyed lots of great twisty local roads all around Mt. Iwaki before reaching Cape Natsudomari. Here's my bike approaching the cape:
At the actual cape, this photo op presented itself:
Touring photos don't get much more Japanese-y than that!
The roads around the cape area were a real blast too, lots of sweeping curves. I headed on up to Oma and the ferry. On the way there, I stopped in at this shop that makes just about anything out of tofu:
I had a tofu donut (low carb!) hot out of the fryer that I swear could give Krispy Kreme some serious competition. Finally I made it up to Oma, where I had time to pose with the tuna statue symbolizing Oma's reliance on tuna fishing. There was also a giant fist that looked like it was trying to smash my GSA:
And right next to those statues was this one, marking the northernmost point of the island of Honshu, Japan's main island:
Next, it was time for a little ferry action. The ride from Oma to Hakodate is just 1 hour, 40 minutes:
I got to Hokkaido and onto a twisty local road close to the harbor and heading north. This was not one of Hokkaido's dull straightaways. Great riding and great scenery!
Lots of farm fields when you're out of the hills:
After doing those fun local roads, I blasted along the expressway to Tomakomai and sacked out in a boring business hotel.
DAY 3: Tomakomai to Nemuro. Plus, hot dirt road action!
Time: 11h26m
Distance: 448km
I set out from the business hotel and headed east toward Kushiro. Kushiro is not all that far from Tomakomai, so I had time to explore interesting roads along the way. I didn't have a route planned out, so I used my road atlas and looked for promising stuff. I spotted a rindo (dirt road) in the atlas, but when I tried to program it into my Zumo 660, it wasn't there! So I headed along the road it supposedly branched out from and found it the old-fashioned way: I looked for it with my eyes.
This was the entrance:
You know, it's kind of scary heading onto a little-known dirt road (apparently not big enough for my Zumo to bother with) in the middle of nowhere by yourself. If I fell off a cliff like a friend of mine's buddy did back in May, no one would know and no one would be looking for me, or even know where I was. So, with due caution, I headed off the pavement. I turned off the GSA's ABS and traction control, but did not air down my tires -- which probably would have been a good idea, but I don't have an air gauge. Need to get one of those!
Anyway, the rindo was just hard enough to be interesting (i.e., not a perfectly packed dirt/gravel road) without being truly difficult. I had to be careful to keep the bike pointing straight ahead as every now and then rocks on the road would push my front tire right or left. But it was fun, not annoying. And the scenery was awesome:
I saw a deer jump across the road ahead of me at one point. I wanted to stop and try to get a picture of it, but then I thought that if there's deer, there could also be bear. So I stayed on the bike and kept moving.
After a while, the rindo came down out of the mountains and turned to pavement across this lake:
Then it turned back to a rindo again on Rt. 235, which starts out paved but then turns to dirt:
I passed this Dagobah-looking swamp at one point:
As the rindo passed out of the woods, the road got drier:
But there were still puddles of water. (Please excuse my manly whoops of joy):
Back on pavement I kept heading east and did some more rindos as I got closer to Kushiro. One was closed due to a landslide:
I passed Kushiro and headed toward Nemuro, where my bicyclist friends were staying. Route 123 has some great sweepers and turns along the coast there, with stunning views. Really some of the best overall riding I've done in Hokkaido:
Another view:
Eventually, I reached the ryokan where we planned to meet up:
The family managing the ryokan were very friendly and asked us about our trips:
We had a good home-cooked dinner (well, the sushi wasn't cooked) and fell asleep quickly after a hard day of riding... whether by motorcycle or bicycle.
DAY 4: Nemuro to Wakkanai
Time: 13h24m
Distance: 733km
I got up early and headed out before 5am toward the easternmost point of Japan. Here it is, marked by a big ol' ugly arch and an observation tower:
Japanese tourists like to come here and gaze out over the ocean, where you can see some of the small islands Russia nabbed from Japan at the close of WWII. Japan would still like 'em back, although it doesn't look like that's gonna happen any time soon.
Then I checked out these two weird little strips of land that stick out into the ocean a bit further north. They looked interesting in my road atlas, but it turns out they're not such a big deal. Here's the first one:
And the other one, which I couldn't ride all the way to the end of anyway, since it's off-limits to private vehicles. It's a special area for fishing industry stuff:
Did get some nice photo ops along the coast, though:
Next I cut inland to the west, to check out Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo. There were a lot of farm fields along the way, with the hay bales shrink-wrapped in black plastic. Weird. I'm a city boy, but I later learned that this is how you make silage to feed to livestock:
Finally, I reached Lake Mashu:
And here's Lake Kussharo, where a Japanese version of the Loch Ness monster supposedly dwells:
You could also get a great view of Kussharo from the Bihiro Touge (mountain pass), which I reached after riding past the lake:
Look at those curves in the background!
After that, it was time to head up the east coast to Wakkanai, Japan's northernmost town. Great scenery as you get farther north:
When I was almost at the northernmost point of the Japanese mainland, Cape Soya, I spotted a large lump lying in the oncoming lanes of traffic. Turns out it was a bicyclist who wrecked going downhill at speed. He had no helmet and his head was gashed and bloody. He was still conscious, but kind of out of it, as you might expect. I flagged down a car of Japanese folks who directed traffic around him, called for an ambulance, and stayed with him until it arrived.
Finally, I reached Cape Soya. But I had to wait for two busloads of senior citizen tourists to filter through before I could get a good photo!
That shot doesn't give you the full idea. There were huge groups with benches lining up for group photos taken by a guy with a camera on a tripod. Fun. I don't see the point of going somewhere like this if you're just getting hauled there in a luxury bus by some driver. To me, it's like you're not "earning" it, so what's the point? I guess a bicyclist could say that about people who ride up by motorcycle, though.
Finally, it was my turn:
I then found a local ryokan using my Zumo and was indoors well before sundown:
DAY 5: Wakkanai to Tokyo
Time (not including ferry): 15h20m
Distance (not including ferry): 1,363km
For Saturday, I had made a reservation to take the ferry from Tomakomai to Oarai, which is just a fairly short ride from Tokyo. That would have given me time to do some more touring on the way to Tomakomai.
However, it was not to be. I got a call from the ferry company at 8 o'clock Friday night, when I was already in bed at the ryokan. Typhoon #6 was causing strong waves off the east coast of Tohoku. It could delay the ferry's departure, cause it to run slowly along the way, and even prevent it from docking at Oarai until the ocean calmed down. How long could the delays be? Impossible to say. Could it be three hours? Yes. Ten hours? Yes. A full day? Yes.
Screw that. I cancelled the reservation and resolved to ride the whole way home. Like a man.
I was on the road before 3:00am just to make sure I reached the noon ferry at Hakodate in time. (Boarding for bikes was at 11:30.) I guess I overestimated how long it would take, since I got there two hours early! But I was riding faster than usual on the straight country roads and expressways. I even maxed out the speed on my GSA at one point, holding the throttle all the way open and keeping it there. Seems my mighty steed will only hit 190km/h, tops -- at least when weighed down with a full topcase and panniers. Fast enough for me, anyway.
I napped a bit on the ferry (to Aomori city, an almost 4-hour ride, not to Oma) and then saddled up for the ride home down the Tohoku expressway. It started to rain at one point, and not wanting to get soaked like on the ride up, I pulled onto the shoulder and put on my rain gear. So of course the rain then stopped!
Anyway, I made it home just after midnight. My own bed never felt so good.
96 Honda XR250 Baja ・ 09 BMW R1200GS Adventure ・ 09 KTM 990 SMT (sold) ・ 97 Honda X4 ・ 95 Kawasaki ZZR400 (sold)
Guy Jinbaiquerre screwed with this post 07-28-2011 at 03:23 AM
No Pretensions
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Seattle-ish
Oddometer: 334
Hey Guy,
Nice report on your trip. Personally, I never had the dough to spend on the tollways, so I settled for the twists in Izu, etc. I was very happy to see that there are still RINDO in Japan that aren't paved! That's a relief!
Keep up the good work. BTW--You are crazy to ride from Hakodate to Tokyo in a single day--but you knew that, right?
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Seffrica
Oddometer: 330
That looks crazy! Nice report
What good am I, if I know and dont do, If I see and dont say - Bob Dylan
Monorail Conductor
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Oddometer: 1,224
A bunch of dump trucks had headed all the way up into the hills and were pouring gravel all over it in preparation for a coating of asphalt later on.
96 Honda XR250 Baja ・ 09 BMW R1200GS Adventure ・ 09 KTM 990 SMT (sold) ・ 97 Honda X4 ・ 95 Kawasaki ZZR400 (sold)
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Feb 2010
Oddometer: 1,467
Awesome RR!
There aren't nearly enough Japan ride reports for my liking. Skyway!
Thank you for this one
Thread Derailleur
Joined: Mar 2011
Location: Vancouver Island
Oddometer: 874
Cool to see you found some dirt in Japan! nice RR!
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Red stickered, in the wild, wild, west
Oddometer: 2,164
Great RR! Thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks,
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
Alternative Energy Spotlight; Debate Heats Up on Climate Change and Future Power Generation
ROCKHAMPTON climate change sceptic Terry Cardwell received hundreds of supportive emails from all over the world after The Morning Bulletin published his thoughts on coal-fired power generation before Christmas.
Here is the second instalment of his thoughts on the future of Australia's electricity generation.
One wonders if Kevin Rudd has an ulterior motive for doing his best to destroy the power industry.
It is not about what political persuasion or beliefs you have. It is about facts and the truth.
Certainly anything cleaner or cheaper is welcomed but only if it is cheaper, not because the greenies or wind generator and solar array manufacturers say so.
The cost to install, operate and maintain them is very high. Wind generators have killed hundreds of thousands of birds with bird strikes throughout the world.
Here are some of those screaming facts.
In the early 1980s California was seduced by renewable energy and proceeded to offer subsidies to anyone wanting to erect a wind generator. This subsidy ceased in the late 1990s as they ran out of money due to bankruptcy.
By 2008 they had over 18,000 wind generators scattered across California; 14,000 of them no longer operate, and some were cannibalised to keep the others running.
California's power cost has now doubled. Their thermal power generation has increased continually to compensate for this disaster and the input from the wind generators, after 30 years of development, producesA only 2.3%A of California's electricity.
There is also over 15,000 birds killed per year by bird strikes from wind generators.
Spain also embraced renewable energy with wind generators and solar array farms. A recent detailed analysis found that for every job created by state-funded support of renewables, particularly wind energy, 2.2 jobs were lost.
Each wind industry job created cost almost $2million in subsidies.
They now have an unemployment rate of 19%. The cost of power has gone up 100% and they are forced to import power from other countries.
Germany has over 7000 wind generators with over 2500 wind generator failures last year alone. The German experience is no different. Der Spiegel reports that "Germany's CO2 emissions haven't been reduced by even a single gram," and additional coal- and gas-fired plants have been constructed to ensure reliable supply.
Sweden has 5000 wind generators and 2000 wind generator failures.
During the cold weather in Europe last December, a large number of wind generators froze up and did not work at all. When they finally did they only generated 4% of their capacity.
Denmark, the world's most wind-intensive nation, with more than 6000 turbines generating 19% of its electricity, has yet to close a single fossil-fuel plant. It requires 50% more coal-generated electricity to cover wind power's unpredictability, and pollution and carbon dioxide emissions have risen by 36% in 2006 alone and continues to rise. …