text:
Comments on Business Ethics—Posner TypePad 2013-03-31T21:07:20Z UChicagoLaw http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/ tag:typepad.com,2003:http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/2013/03/business-ethicsposner/comments/atom.xml/ David Glenn commented on 'Business Ethics—Posner' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c031153ef0192abd4c80d970d 2013-07-02T17:00:33Z 2013-07-02T17:00:35Z David Glenn http://profile.typepad.com/davidglenn1 The richer becomes richer and the poorer rarely gets the chance to climb up. And yes I agree with Terry...
The richer becomes richer and the poorer rarely gets the chance to climb up.

And yes I agree with Terry Bennet, we need consequences for the violations.

 Christopher Graves commented on 'Business Ethics—Posner' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c031153ef017eea729cfd970d 2013-04-21T14:43:44Z 2013-04-21T14:43:53Z Christopher Graves http://profile.typepad.com/6p017ee42db721970d I agree with Judge Posner on the social as well as economic benefits of an aristocracy to offset the callous...
I agree with Judge Posner on the social as well as economic benefits of an aristocracy to offset the callous and often anti-social tendencies of business. Aristocrats have a vested interest in maintaining the social mores of a civilization as well as its folkways that provide and sustain their own influence. Businessmen have a much less obvious and direct connection to the cultural foundations of a society. Of course, they too are dependent on these structures, but it might not be as obvious to businessmen in the moment.

When aristocracies wielded more power and influence, many successful businessmen desired to join their class as best they could, so they followed the lead of the aristocrats in taste, morals, and a sense of noblesse oblige to gain entry into the upper class. This made for a more civilized version of free markets such as we saw in England and the American South.
 D commented on 'Business Ethics—Posner' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c031153ef017c3884dacb970b 2013-04-11T07:14:19Z 2013-04-11T07:14:23Z D http://profile.typepad.com/d107022634302543627 Illegal immigrants aren't hiring themselves. That is one that you forgot. Greed is really at the root of our problems.
Illegal immigrants aren't hiring themselves. That is one that you forgot. Greed is really at the root of our problems.
 Neilehat commented on 'Business Ethics—Posner' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c031153ef017ee9f6de2e970d 2013-04-03T23:53:56Z 2013-04-03T23:54:01Z Neilehat http://profile.typepad.com/neilehat Business Ethics? Is there a special class or category of Ethics that applies only to "Business" men and the "Business"...
Business Ethics? Is there a special class or category of Ethics that applies only to "Business" men and the "Business" world? I always thought that Ethics were a Universal that apply to any environment or situation and much like Aristotle, a science of most practical value. Such that, it is the study and analysis of the issues and relationships of Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Virtue and Vice and their practical applications in regards to human action in any situation. Whether it is "Business" or anything else.

But since we're all backsliders in one way or another, such is the need for Law and Regulations - hopefully with teeth...
 Thomas Rekdal commented on 'Business Ethics—Posner' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c031153ef017d4282689a970c 2013-04-03T23:29:43Z 2013-04-03T23:29:49Z Thomas Rekdal http://profile.typepad.com/6p017c328bb74a970b Judge Posner's comments, in this blog and in his most recent books, have been quite helpful (at least to me)...
Judge Posner's comments, in this blog and in his most recent books, have been quite helpful (at least to me) in understanding the causes that have fed into the financial crisis. His latest argument--that capitalism is not, in fact, self-correcting, and that without effective regulation we are doomed--seems less persuasive to me. Surely one of the great lessons of the financial crisis is that central bankers are no more likely to anticipate threats to the finacial system than command economies are likely to match up supply and demand. The economy is just too damned complicated.

I am not sure how we allow failures to occur without touching off massive ruin, but it seems to me that economists like Roubini who are moving in this direction are on a better track. We need somehow to allow the losses to take place and to focus the pain of
 them primarily upon those who made them possible.
 Terry Bennett commented on 'Business Ethics—Posner' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c031153ef017ee9efed9b970d 2013-04-03T00:53:10Z 2013-04-03T00:53:14Z Terry Bennett http://profile.typepad.com/6p017ee3daec50970d I'm not sure additional regulation is the answer; more likely, it's verification. We have plenty of rules of things not...
I'm not sure additional regulation is the answer; more likely, it's verification. We have plenty of rules of things not to do, in the financial sector for example, but we did not discover that those things were in fact being done, until it was too late. Secondly, we need consequences for violation. Bank of America's stockholders are taking a hit, but the actual actors have skated, with their ill-gotten wealth and freedom intact. The 2008 crisis was not a failure of markets, or finance, or capitalism. It was a failure of law.

Friedman was wrong in his conception of market mechanisms, not because they aren't self-regulating - to a very large extent, they are - but rather because they are not perfectly elastic, even when perfect information is available. The reason is, per Judge Posner's point, that the self-interest of the individuals actually doing the work is not perfectly aligned with the interest of the organizations they serve. In the years leading up to 2008, somebody somewhere on Wall Street must have realized that credit default swaps were riskier than the conventional wisdom was allowing. (This fact was obvious to me at the time, and I'm an outsider.) I am thus confident that some of these guys did know they were trading dookie. One of them might have said to himself, I should get my bank out of these grossly underappreciated risks, and 5 years from now I'll be a hero when we are solvent and everybody else is in the tank. In an elastic (and ethical) market, this would have happened, but the peculiar phenotypical quirks of the Wall Street man overrode any such tendencies, and the self-regulation didn't occur.

Inherent in the concept of fiduciary responsibility is the premise that, after all, this is the money we're talking about, and there are people in the world willing to go to extreme lengths and even break the law to acquire it. Banks are supposed to be careful. There is something structurally wrong with the financial sector, but I personally think a few public hangings would go a very long way toward correcting the problem.

 Thomas Rekdal commented on 'Business Ethics—Posner' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341c031153ef017c383ed1d3970b 2013-03-31T23:40:41Z 2013-03-31T23:40:45Z Thomas Rekdal http://profile.typepad.com/6p017c328bb74a970b I have no idea whether the total quantity of unethical behavior in government and industry is now greater than it...
I have no idea whether the total quantity of unethical behavior in government and industry is now greater than it has been in the past. I do not even know how I would go about trying to assess such a claim. But I do find Judge Posner's examples of greed-plus-organizational imperfection both plausible and scary. They remind me of nothing so much as the Hellfire-and-damnation sermons I encountered as a young man, which also assembled a convincing list of failings that were certain to lead to damnation unless reformed as soon as possible.

Judge Posner's form of reformation would involve more governmental regulation, a solution I would find more appealing if it could be shown that such regulation as we have had has been more inspiring than I suspect. In the absence of such a showing, I shall rely, as best I can, upon the true but uninstructive advice of Proverbs 17.12: "Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly."


text:
What's going on, Albuquerque?
Old cars and adobe archways. A match made in ABQ.
Views: 31
Join Duke City Fix
Welcome toDuke City Fix
Sign Upor Sign In
Started by killbox in General Discussion yesterday.
Started by Kitson Harvey in General Discussion. Last reply by Dee Cohen on Wednesday.
Started by Chris in General Discussion. Last reply by Kitson Harvey Jun 20.
Started by Angel Wellness Boutique in General Discussion Jun 16.
Started by Maurreen Skowran in General Discussion. Last reply by misterhinkydink Jun 15.
Woo hoo to one awesome Burquena, Alma Rosa!
GO Magazine - 100 Women We Love
Here's to this year's class of the women who inspire us,…
Anyone can blog on the Duke City Fix, but here are the folks who blog most often:
© 2016 Created by Duke City Fix.
Powered by
Badges |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
UPDATE: 10/5/11 Just got a reply from Michel Belanger at Godin and my 2005 Artist model has the older neck that is simply bolted on and CAN be re-set ... the epoxied neck process began in 2006 ... this is good news for me, but I do agree with the comment made by RLV, that the higher-end models should be made in such a way that they can be adjusted. Michel confirmed to me by e-mail today that the newer Seagulls with the epoxied necks are indeed fully covered under warranty, so that's comforting for original owners. Either Godin is correct in their theory that these necks will not need re-set ... or they are going to be replacing a fair number of guitars under lifetime warranty for original owners. It's the people who buy them second-hand who may suffer, however.
From 10/4/11
I found out recently that newer Seagull guitars necks cannot be "re-set" ... if you watch this video at the 20:40 mark you'll see why. Note: I'm talking about an actual neck re-set, and not a simple truss rod adjustment.
The video shows that the neck, while technically bolted on, is actually set in a bed of epoxy glue, making it extremely strong and stable, but impossible to remove or reset. This is good, because according to Seagull, neck angle problems are practically non-existent on newer Seagulls, but bad if you do happen to experience a neck angle problem. I talked to the luthier at the shop where I bought my Martin, because they are a Seagull dealer too, He confirmed two things for me ... Seagull necks are in fact, not re-settable, and my 2005 Seagull Artist Mosaic does in fact have a bad neck angle.
Just bad luck for me. 99% of you out there with newer Seagulls need not worry.
So, what's he going to do?? Well, Seagulls are set up with various height bridges as the video also shows in that same segment at about the 21: 15 mark and fortunately mine received a particularly high bridge ... so high that he can shave it down enough to compensate for the neck angle and I'll be good to go! Yay!! He's also going to replace the first three frets for me.
At first I was really bummed when he told me that the neck was un-repairable. Now I'm fine with the compromise fix. He says that there is almost no chance of further neck angle deterioration and the fix should last indefinitely. I knew I'd probably have to throw a little money at a seven-year-old guitar that had been through a fair amount of abuse, so I'm not disappointed. I'll still be under $500 investment on a $1,200 all solid wood guitar that has aged and opened up beautifully.
PS: More good news for you guys and gals! I also found out that if you are the original owner of a post 2005 Seagull, and you do actually experience a demonstrable neck angle problem, Seagull will replace your guitar free, no questions asked. That's how confident they are that the manufacturing process is sound. While I don't know anyone who has experienced this, it's what I was told is current policy.
Views: 9509
Bob ... Do go back in this discussion and check the photos posted by Fred Nagle and then by me.
My Seagull Artist Mosaic QII serial number #05303664 is a 2005 model. This is indicated by the first two digits which are 05. According to Michel Belanger, the epoxied neck join began in 2006. One way to determine if your neck angle is off is to take a metal straight edge and lay it on the fingerboard and see where it meets the bridge. See the two photos posted earlier by Fred Nagle. As I understand it, the straight edge should either clear the top of the bridge or be very close. If it doesn't, as in the case of Fred's and mine, then the neck angle is off. The severity of it would determine how much you worried about it. A bad neck angle raises the action a great deal more than a normal set-up can account for. With an older (2005 and earlier) you (or a luthier) can simply loosen the bolts and insert sandpaper like the photo I posted, drawing it in and out until you remove enough wood to make the necessary adjustment in the neck. This is what they do with Taylor bolt on necks as well. If you own a Seagull with epoxied neck and are unlucky enough to have a bad neck angle, then you (or a luthier) can still adjust it by lowering the bridge height.
If you have a 12 digit serial number, you can't tell the year. Other, earlier serial numbers contain that information in the code.
I think Jud said the year was 2006? Check earlier in the discussion, which I failed to do before I began to type...
I got my guitar back from Godin, and the neck has been perfectly reset. The action is better than I could have gotten it myself, and it just plays great. I am very impressed by the speed and the quality of the repair. There is not a mark on the guitar to show that the neck has been reset.
It is very interesting to me that the original neck came back on the guitar! I was told that the neck would be sawed off and a new one applied. What this means is that Godin has the technology to flawlessly remove and readjust the old neck. Do they steam the area of the neck that is glued to the top of the guitar? Heat it? Do they use shims like Taylor? Whatever the process, it is perfect, and can be done quite fast.
Seagulls are a very well made guitar, fully backed by Godin.
Should the guitar ever need a neck reset in the future, it is nice to know that they can be done for those made after 2005. I would also love to know HOW it was done. Of course, there is the bolt holding the neck on. But each guitar has a wooden rectangle, part of the guitar's body, that gets routed out before the top of the neck is glued to it. So the necks are both glued and bolted. I wonder if any good luthier could do this neck reset? Or do they have to go back to the factory?
Fred ... the luthier I took my 2005 Artist to first said it was not possible to re-set the neck because he thought that mine was epoxied like the newer ones. Once Godin e-mailed that it wasn't, he proceeded to do a regular re-set very effectively. I don't think he'd have tackled the job that you describe having been done to yours at the factory at the factory. Have you watched the video on the Seagull manufacturing process forum. It shows and describes the process of the neck being put on the guitar at the factory, If you haven't seen the video it's worth the time. Here's the link:
Thanks, Jud, I have seen the video. That's what has made me wonder how Godin did the neck reset. Must be a way to soften the epoxy. Then it would be a simple matter of unscrewing the bolts. I would like to think that a guitar out of warranty would not always have to be sent back to the factory.
Here is a screenshot of the guitar right before the neck is added. Check out the epoxy.
I figured out how Godin reset the neck of my Maritime SWS. The company didn't. Just replaced the bridge with a thinner one. That sort of rules out neck work on this guitar. Here are two pictures, one before and one after. Notice the thinner bridge, and if you look closely, the wood grain is different. Godin simply put a new one on. Now if I can get rid of a new buzzing on the 4th and 5th strings, I will call it a day. I have reset the strings, so it can't be that. Will try a touch more relief.
© 2016 Created by Acoustic Guitar. Powered by


text:
Program Name: AW Geographical Atlas
Published By: AbsoluteWord
License Type: Shareware
Date Released: July 04, 2007
AW Geographical Atlas Desciption:
Carry the atlas everywhere! Detailed information about countries including location, neighbours, population, economy and military. See the map and flag of each contry of the World. Maps display country borders, neighbours, major cities and rivers.
License: Shareware | Price: $19.95 | Size: 4.4 MB | Downloads (2894)
Platform: Palm OS 4.0, Palm OS 5.0 , Palm OS 3.5,Palm OS 4.1,Palm OS 5.2
Term: Palm Atlas - Palm Geography - Atlas - Country - Palm - City - Map - Flag - Amsterdam City Map
AW Geographical Atlas Copyright notice:
Pirated Software Hurts Software Developers. Using AW Geographical Atlas Free Download crack, warez, password, serial numbers, torrent, keygen, registration codes, key generators is illegal. We do not host any torrent files or links of AW Geographical Atlas from depositfiles.com, rapidshare.com, any file sharing sites.
Review AW Geographical Atlas
|Related Software
|New Reviews
|New Downloads
|Top Downloads
|Top Search
New Downloads
Top Downloads
Top Search


text:
Description: We will assist a U.S. company or its local representative to organize a promotional event or product launch in Vietnam, which could include seminars, luncheons, cocktail receptions, dinners, or targeted commercial presentations. The service is tailored to the specific needs of the U.S. company.
Cost: cost plus basis (billable hours for human hours and materials).
Lead-time: 4 weeks advance scheduling required.
How to order: Please contact us. Thank you!


text:
1 Mar 01:21 2005
Re: 3.1: Declarative Security Issue
Erik Hatcher <erik <at> ehatchersolutions.com>
This actually brings up a good reason why maybe Tapestry should be driven by a filter instead of a servlet. Filters, as of Servlet 2.4, be specified to apply to FORWARD, REQUEST, or INCLUDE. You could then organize the main Tapestry entry point to only respond to FORWARD and the URL mapping filter to apply to REQUEST. Any reasons why this wouldn't work? Erik On Feb 28, 2005, at 5:34 PM, Paul Ferraro wrote: > This is exactly why I did not base my friendly url implementation on > servlet filters... > The web.xml files for my friendly url applications do not include a > servlet mapping for /app - only extension (i.e. *.something) mappings > for each type of service. > > Paul > > Howard Lewis Ship wrote: > >> I just had a thought. >> >> Say you require admin role to access the "/admin" folder of your app. >> >> You create a admin/DeleteUser page and think "only admins can access >> this". >> >> Along comes a hacker with knowledge of Tapestry, and types in the URL: >>(Continue reading)


text:
UCLA Extension is perfect for you . . .
As one of the nation's oldest, largest, and most comprehensive continuing higher education providers, UCLA Extension gives you all the options and wide range of courses you need.
Extension offers:
Take the next step and explore your choices with the following useful links:
Whatever your goals, you'll find UCLA Extension provides you with great choices.
© UCLA Home


text:
The Budweiser Made in America Festival has returned to Phildadelphia for 2014, with an expansion to include Los Angeles for the first time this Labor Day weekend. The two-day music festival at Benjamin Franklin Parkway opened its gates at noon on Saturday, August 30, with the music commencing at 1:15 p.m. Twenty-four artists performed across four festival stages, providing non-stop entertainment until midnight.
Made in America is the first music festival to operate simultaneously on both coasts, with a number of the artists performing alternate nights at both events. Kanye West headlined on Saturday night in Philadelphia, while The National, Steve Aoki, J. Cole, Chromeo, and City and Colour were among the day's highlights.
Sunday's Philadelphia lineup will include Kings of Leon, Pharrell Williams, Kongos, Tiesto, Girl Talk, Spoon, Grimes and Bleachers. Rappers Danny Brown and YG will also be worth checking out.
Founding partner Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter personally curates the yearly lineup to include a cross-cultural blend of musical talent. The Philadelphia event benefits the United Way organizations of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and Lancaster County, Penn. The Los Angeles festival will benefit the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. The primary goal of Budweiser Made in America is to have a positive impact on the communities involved, with an end-result to positively impact the education, income and health of the most vulnerable and needy citizens in these regions.
Kanye West
Kanye closed out the Philadelphia component of Made in America on Saturday, and will do the same for the Los Angeles fans on Sunday. While fans never really know which Kanye will show up, there's almost always reason to expect controversy--see Bonnaroo. Regardless, the man can entertain and that's exactly what he did. Always the perfectionist, Kanye did stop the show a couple times to direct stage hands or fans on how he wanted to proceed. Of course, there were rants but that's just Kanye.
The National
The National followed a strong set by City and Colour, highlighted by vocalist Matt Berninger capably swooning the Rocky Stage crowd. Berninger sang with emotion, even taking to the crowd toward the end of their show. They had the unenviable task of preceding Kanye West's headline set, who's fans repeated chanted "Kanye" during lulls. Given that Kanye is all about respect, they might have stopped to think, "What would Yeezus do?"
City and Colour
City and Colour were a great choice to lead into a set by The National on the Rocky Stage. They performed an inspired set of melodic folk rock fronted by Dallas Green. From the gritty "Thirst" to their more traditional "Fragile Bird," strong vocal harmonies and tight musicianship set the bar on Saturday.
Electro-funk artist Chromeo always bring high energy and their show at Made in America was no exception. From the opening "Night By Night," the duo of Dave1 and P-Thugg transformed the Liberty Stage crowd into a dancing frenzy.
The Neighbourhood
Having performed at the renowned Reading Festival last weekend in England, The Neighbourhood returned to the U.S. to rock Made in America with music from their debut album, "I Love You." Having blown up with their smash hit, "Sweater Weather," they're quickly gaining momentum with their atmospheric medleys that feature Jesse Rutherford's smooth vocals. Other highlights included "Afraid" and "Female Robbery."
J. Cole
Performing on the same day as Kanye West and Big Daddy Kane, J. Cole hit the crowd hard with songs that spanned his early mixtapes to his latest album, "Born Sinner." Proof positive that there was no shortage of hip-hop talent in Philly this weekend.
Big Daddy Kane
Though its been some time since he's released new music, Big Daddy Kane still knows how to entertain a crowd. His Saturday afternoon set at Made in America drew a large crowd to the main stage with his tight word play.
Mayer Hawthorne
Fresh off a tour with OneRepublic, Mayer Hawthorne rocked the Liberty Stage at Made in America. The multi-talented artist gave a modern take on classic soul, emphasizing music from his latest album, the 2013 "Where Does This Door Go."
The Nashville duo of Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber know how to throw a party. Cherub opened the Rocky Stage at Made in America on Saturday with their funky electronic pop. They're touring on "Year of the Caprese" featuring "Doses and Mimosas."


text:
Madagascar Live, The Brighton Centre
Tickets start at £20 per person or from £99 for a family ticket with NO booking fees. Matinee and Evening performance options are available.
The venue, the Brighton Centre, was originally an entertainment centre and ice rink before being reinvented for the purpose it is used for today. The venue caters to all sorts of events, catering from 100 to 5,000 people. The space was recently renovated (as of January 2012) enhancing the space such as opening up the foyer, improving seating, etc. It remains an iconic part of Brighton's history and culture.
For more information about the venue, go to: http://www.brightoncentre.co.uk/scripts/default.htm/ or http://conferences.brightoncentre.co.uk/brighton-centre/
For more information about the event, and to book tickets, go to: http://www.madlive.co.uk/


text:
Aoko Aozaki
this wiki
|Nasuverse character
|Aoko Aozaki
|Japanese name:
|Also known as:
| Miss Blue (Nickname)
Magic Gunner (Nickname)
Teacher (Nickname)
|Appears in:
| Carnival Phantasm
Clock Tower 2015
Mahoutsukai no Yoru
Melty Blood Re-ACT / AC/ AA
|Japanese VA:
| Kotono Mitsuishi [Note 1]
Akiko Kimura [Note 2]
|English VA:
|Karen Strassman
|Character type:
|Human, Magician
|July 7
|163 cm (Teen)
|51 kg (Teen)
|Three sizes:
|Blood type:
Family members
|Circuit Quality:
|Circuit Quantity:
|Circuit Composition:
|Normal, extremely simple
Aoko Aozaki (蒼崎青子, Aozaki Aoko?) is the main protagonist of Mahoutsukai no Yoru. She is a magician who uses the Fifth Magic and an important character in the Nasuverse.
Aoko is a member of the Aozaki family. When she was young, Aoko's grandfather, the third generation head chose to raise Touko as his successor while Aoko lived with her parents. She isn't afraid at all of her grandfather, who is labelled a monster, and only thinks of the great mage who called up Magic as "a terrible old man who's lived for a long time through questionable means".[1] However he suddenly changed the position of successor to Aoko. She has a very bad relationship with her sister, Touko Aozaki, who often steals money from the Mage's Association by using Aoko's name.
Aoko shows a very beautiful physical appearance with white skin and the combination of brown hair with blue eyes. At home, she usually wears a light blue sweatshirt and gray jeans or a casual-red dress with an under-black shirt and pants with a pair of boots. While out, she often uses her school uniform or her brown coat with a chess style of scarf on her neck over the uniform.
Just after she fast-forwarded her own time, Aoko appeared with her red hair, wearing a white shirt, blue jeans pulled at the knees and a pair of brown shoes.
She is shown to have a bright cheerful personality that reacts very strongly to careless actions. But, as a teenager in Mahoyo, Aoko shows an aggressive personality at the beginning until she develops some care towards the others beyond Alice, such as when she and Soujuurou become friends.
Despite the fact that she and Touko are sisters, Aoko shows great hostility towards her, to the point that she dislikes Runes because Touko use a Rune-based Thaumaturgy. However, she is considered irresponsible by Touko for using the power of Magic without thinking about the consequences.[2]
Aoko values special places with precious memories and living things, regardless of if they are humans, animals or even plants; to the point where she used the Fifth Magic against Touko just after the temporary death of Soujuurou. She has passed on the "value of life" to Shiki Tohno.
She doesn't like her name because it sounds like Blue (青, Ao?), so Shiki decides to call her "Teacher" (先生, sensei?). Aoko was good at nothing but destroying things.[3]
Mahoutsukai no YoruEdit
When she had reached a certain age, it was revealed to Aoko that there would be a time when she would have to make a decision between the normal life style and the correct path for her, in other words, being a witch. That was more than a year and a half ago before the events in Mahoyo.
She is a high school student who has just begun to learn sorcery after moving into an old mansion on top of a hill where the one who teaches sorcery to her lives, Alice.[1] They spent two years together under the same roof. Aoko tries to live two completely different life styles, during the school she is a simple student, and during the rest of time, she's an apprentice sorcerer, but Alice had told her more than once that this was a half-hearted approach. She makes services like repairing things with sorcery in the mansion, one of her repairs was Alice's watchtower, but got destroyed after some time.
Aoko often practices in the park with the assistance of Alice, because of its perfect leylines. Despite her training being at the park and being a student, she says that the modern world had plenty of good ways for her and Alice to hide in plain sight.
Aoko was roaming around the country,[3] where she meets Shiki Tohno eight years before the events of the story take place. She encounters him after he runs out of the hospital where he was admitted due to the stress of nobody believing the existence of the lines shown by the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. She comforts him, and upon Shiki's proud demonstration of the ability, she reprimands him and tells him to value living things. She helps him deal with the ability by giving him a pair of glasses, stolen from Touko and made indestructible by her own abilities, that seal the effect of his eyes as long as they are worn.
During the events of Tsukihime, Arcueid is able to tell the nature of the glasses upon seeing them, and she attempts to destroy them. She asks Shiki if Aoko happens to be around, commenting "it's probably safer not to deal with Blue in the first place." Aoko appears before Shiki again after an undetermined amount of time during Eclipse, the epilogue of Tsukihime, much like their original meeting.
Melty BloodEdit
She has an active role in the Melty Blood series. After the defeat of Night of Wallachia, she comes to the city and attempts to make a familiar for her own use out of remnants of Wallachia and an unused part of Len. This causes yet another series of events as White Len uses the abilities of TATARI. Aoko is thought of as the main cause of the events of the arcade mode routes in Melty Blood Re-ACT, while that White Len is the main villain in the game. She acts as a non-playable final boss for each storyline. She later appears as a playable character in Melty Blood Act Cadenza and in Melty Blood Actress Again.[4][5]
Clock Tower 2015Edit
Aoko travels to the Clock Tower and went to visit Leiv Uvall's department. Aoko refers herself as Miss Aozaki to Ms.Norwich. When Leiv appears, Aoko asked Leiv to lend her money.
Aoko enters the Moon Cell some time before the Moon Cell Holy Grail War of Fate/Extra. Helping Masters in the Holy Grail Wars by strengthening their Servants with Alteration of the Soul, she has the system of the Moon Cell react harshly several times after messing up some "quasi-legal" Alterations that contained extra skills for the Servants, but she blames the Master during at least one occasion. Touko also enters for her own reasons at some point, keeping a stable, but bitter relationship between them. Though Touko is much more suited to Alterations, she instead lets Aoko perform the tasks while warning others of her incompetence.
Residing in the chapel of Tsukumihara Academy that is cut off from the system of SE.RA.PH and the rest of the world, she meets Hakuno Kishinami and helps them with their Servant.
Carnival PhantasmEdit
Aoko has a minor role in Carnival Phantasm where she is parodied as having reared Shiki into growing up to become her lover with a plan based off of Hikaru Genji from The Tale of Genji.
Other appearancesEdit
In Type-Moon's April Fools Day 2013, she appears in Back Alley Satsuki. Aoko is a gold heroine of horse to protect the seventh temple and she is known as the Unidentified Flying Idol Aoko Aozaki (未確認飛行アイドル蒼崎青子, Mi kakunin hikō aidoru Aozaki Aoko?).
The Aozaki family has been losing its Magic Circuits over the years, and by the time of Aoko's parents, their Magic Circuits were essentially nonexistent. While it was thought that their family was doomed to end that generation, Touko's birth brought hope, as the number of Circuits she was born with was within the top of the entire history of their bloodline. Aoko is considered to be a formally inferior magus to Touko, and she was not as fortunate as her sister in the aspect of Magic Circuits. She was born with an extremely average number of circuits and magical energy capacity, and her style of magecraft is also considered to be average.[6]
Despite her shortcomings compared to her sister, she has managed to make use of her abilities to the fullest through her own natural talents. While the Aozaki family has circuits of the highest quality that may help make up for their low numbers, Aoko is especially talented in that area. Aoko's specialty is her remarkably skilled utilization of mystic energy, which is about a hundred times more efficient than the average magus, allowing her to perform wonders with very little energy. During the time of Mahoutsukai no Yoru, she was a complete novice isolated from magecraft up until two years beforehand. She could not compare to Alice's talent and lifetime of experience, not even worthy of her notice under normal circumstances.
Comparing skills in magecraft, Alice would emerge victorious ten out of ten times, but a fight to the death is something else entirely. Alice is not a magus suited for combat, while Aoko is a destroyer specialized in fighting. Aoko, in terms of pure magic energy, even surpasses Alice. While smaller than those of Alice, her circuits have extraordinary rotational speed, structural durability, quality of output, and fuel efficiency. If she attempts to utilize advanced spell expressions, they will be no better than average, but she surpassed Alice with just two years of practice in the area of using simple magecraft expressions for only causing magic energy to flow. Utilizing genius intuition and responsiveness, her spell executions, while not so much as powerful, are frighteningly "quick."
After becoming older and more experienced, either through her Magic or actual aging, her speed increases to become faster than that of blood flowing, evidenced by the look and sound of the energy within her body. Simply the act of activating her Magic Circuits generates sound, and while magecraft making sound is common, noise from the circuits themselves is unheard of even within the Mage's Association. Though she has the low grade, single function circuits found in mediocre magi and generates a much lower level of magical energy than someone like Touko, her speed allows her to easily surpasses Touko in direct firepower even when she is not seriously fighting. She displays optimized self-control, a trait of those who have great experience in battle.
Her efficiency is comparable to "a car that can run one thousand kilometers on a single liter of gasoline."[7] Due to this, she is extremely destructive despite her naturally low capabilities, earning her titles such as Magic Gunner (マジックガンナー, Majikku Gannā?) and Human Missile Launcher (人間ミサイルランチャー, Ningen Misairu Ranchā?). She is listed as one of the few living beings capable of fighting directly with Servants.[8] She is noted as being unable to beat Caster in a serious battle of magecraft, but it is unknown if the analysis also includes the use of Magic.[9] She is also capable of fighting with Arcueid Brunestud to the extent where Arcueid wishes to avoid her if all possible. There is no mistake that she would have become a genius sharpshooter had she not been born into the Aozaki family.[10]
Within the Moon Cell, she performs Alteration of the Soul for Masters and Servants. There is a link between the souls of the Master and Servant, and that link can be increased as the Master's rank increases by hacking. She hacks into each soul, and allows for them to choose specific attributes be improved. While Aoko's job is to perform Alterations made possible by various events, it can be said that she is less than useless. Even Hakuno, a self proclaimed pseudo-magus, is able to see that Aoko is not really suited for the particular task. While it would seem to be Touko's specialty instead, as she claims to be better at Alterations by a factor of ten, she does not do them due to being too busy. Touko suggests not putting any faith in Aoko's abilities, and suggests simply recovering spiritual statuses the Servant has lost.
Fifth MagicEdit
Aoko is a Magician capable of utilizing Magic Blue (魔法・青, Mahō Ao?), the Fifth Magic (第五魔法, Daigo Mahō?), making her the only person in the current world capable of performing its miracles. It appears to have a connection with consumption and extinction.[11]
Its exact domain is uncertain, but it is able to perform time travel. Her usage of it is limited to localized individual time travel, but Touko cannot believe that is the true nature of the Magic. While she is unsure if Aoko has arrived at the very depths of its nature, she is certain that it is not so simple a miracle. She uses it to make herself into the "completed Aoko Aozaki" of ten years later, but it is only a side effect of the Magic. Time travel is also possible with the Second Magic because the revising of records and rewriting of events falls under the operation of parallel worlds in other worlds. It makes no sense for such an ability to now be called the Fifth Magic, but Touko decides further speculation is none of her business.
Despite Touko being a vastly superior magus, Aoko was chosen to inherit the Magic instead of her. Though Touko boasts one of the greatest Magic Circuits in the world, the Fifth Magic does not require such a thing, and it can be said that Aoko's simplicity is more suited to it. The secret of the Fifth Magic lies in "advancing civilization", fitting how Alice represents Medieval Civilization and Aoko represents Consumption Civilization. It also holds the answer as to why she is called the "newest" magician.[12]
She is familiar with Zelretch and the Second Magic to some extent, as she is able to classify Neco-Arc existing in the world of Melty Blood as his doing.
"Hear me, Lord of All Creation"
"I announce"
"In my name representing order (blue), I announce."
"All will be (not.) correct(SANE)"
"Order (five) has now collapsed(timeless words)"
「 秩序 ( あお ) を示す我が 銘 ( な ) において告げる」
「―― 全ては ( not. ) 、 正しく ( SANE ) 」
「―― 秩序は ( five ) 、 ここに崩れ落ちた ( timeless words ) 」
During the first activation of the Magic, she focuses on her right arm's Magic Crest, and chants one spell, a "farewell said with deep emotion", the magic words of the color of blue, for "rewinding the time of a certain someone's happiness." Her voice echos across the area, causing cracks to run across the space itself and a creaking sound to echo throughout the surrounding landscape like that of a collapsing cathedral. Stopping time to shut away the light, she submerges herself in her own darkness, to the vast canal of stars where everything other than herself has died out. She manipulates Soujuurou's time, first the five minutes in which his death occurred and then borrowing ten years of his time for herself.
She unintentionally sees a new memory, likely the result of exchanging time while using someone else as a medium. While it is crucial to unify the scattered consciousness travelling backward to zero, she hears a noise that is familiar despite being her first time hearing it, caused by that which is an absolute rule to Soujuurou, his memories of disgusted whispering directed at the source of the noise and the one passively listening to that voice. It is not part of her journey, but an obstacle from the outside. The effect of winding back time is the decision not to accept no. She takes his best time, his all too meaningless life, and erases the noise with a greater force.
The noise tears away, and a different noise rings in her ears, that of an innocent mind heeding to the decision and an insincere life led by affirmation. She, who had been going to the future, stops, and changes her path on impulse. While what is important hasn't changed, she has had it with what of his past she has seen. She doesn't know if it was the source of the voice, he who was listening to it, herself who was letting it happen, or whoever did it to him. She opens her eyes without finding an answer, releasing what she drew forth. What she saw and what happened no longer remains in her memories, and there is only the rage causing her heart to race left over.
She opens the lid of the Magic while urged on by something she doesn't understand, causing a dramatic change in the area. The snow around her feet disappears, and green earth shows through. It is not from the effect of snow melting, but rather that it is rewritten to a different landscape. As if to criticize the it, all the factors come to erase her actions. Her discharging power won't tolerate her, and as if to say that the miracle will destroy the world, the world moves to eliminate her to protect itself. She burns with pain throughout the cells in her body, but it is all the same as the pain and isolation of reaching the Root in flesh and blood. She already overcame such torment many times since inheriting the Magic.
Vying with the nature of the universe, she shouts voiceless shouting. The burden scorches her retinae and nerves, and beyond it, she sees light. Remembering what she came back for, desperately wanting to save Soujuurou, she reaches the true nature of Magic. The correcting voice tells her to stop and the red shadow rears its fangs to demonstrate the futility of it all. Aoko decides it has nothing to do with her. The idea behind the duty of Magicians and the extinction of humanity pale in comparison to the reason she moves her fingers, saving him.
She causes a blue tornado to swirl up, and begins her swindling of the world. Time turns back, shifting the landscape through a variety of seasons, as the primal scene is rewritten. The end result is a field of rippling white flowers, whiter than snow, that erode the world, and as she declares, the Fifth Magic shows itself in that time and that region only. The secluded snowed-in clearing is transformed into a sea of white flowers in an instant, and the previously cold wind becomes warm in the field. Only the surrounding bare trees and the school house show that it is the same world as before.
It is a spring field that is free of impurity and grief, where the acts of man have been expunged. There is only the solitude of the buzzing of insects and the whisper of the night. It is where there was nothing, but also where nothing was needed, that which had been Soujuurou's best time. It by itself does not show the true potential of the Magic. Touko acknowledges it as somewhat impressive, but comments that it is still child's play compared to Alice Kuonji's Flat Snark. It is a large scale spell, but the surrounding mana is no different than it was beforehand. The true scale is shown through the state of her body and that of Soujuurou.
Exchanging timeEdit
The main focus of her first activation is to revive Soujuurou. Complete resurrection is something that cannot be done even with Magic, and simply restoring his body through healing would not be enough to bring back a dead person. Without a way to bring him back directly, she tries to avert his death rather than restore his life. She avoids any large-scale manipulation, either from lack of ability or hesitation, and settles for an exchange between the two of them instead. He is returned to as he was before death, his body looking completely as it was before being sliced in half.
She utilizes two miracles in manipulating his time, the first being that she rewinds the five minutes encompassing his death and moves them elsewhere. During this intervention of time, she borrows ten years worth of his time to bring her future self. This act gives Aoko years of training and experience, and it effectively revives Soujuurou by moving the time elsewhere. Having jumped in time for five minutes, he no longer exists on that time axis. Someone from the far future searching for him would be unable to find him there.
Aoko takes ten years of Soujuurou's time to add to herself. Individual time manipulation is easier when working with parts that were forgotten, so she borrows time during his childhood. She only shows a slight change in appearance, but Touko understands after realizing that Aoko's gestures no longer match her age. The change inside her is great enough to warrant worry, but she does not have the time to analyze the situation before being overwhelmed by Aoko's newly obtained speed and power.
Touko realizes Aoko's expression, the stable running of her circuits, and even her breathing have changed completely. She comes to believe that time is being manipulated, as she could not have simply amplified her circuits to reach her strength. Even if Aoko were to attach external means of magical energy, only her total capacity and amount of useable spells would increase rather than her overall power. It would normally be impossible to change her talent as a magus or the purity of her Magic Circuits, but she is evidently greater than Touko as a magus.
Fast-forwarding her own time allowed her go from an apprentice to adept in an instant. She is an Aoko with twenty-seven years of time, seventeen of her own and ten of Soujuurou. She can make it so she does not exist within the time axis, using repeated instances of time travel by the second to avoid attacks completely. She either sends impacting attacks to a different time, or she wears thousands of "herself" over herself. It can avoid both numerous and powerful attacks. It has a high energy output that cannot continue for long, but she manages to easily outlast Touko's prediction of her energy reserves.
Despite having taken Soujuurou's time, it does not affect him overtly. Their ages have not changed, so it is not his physical self she has manipulated. It is rather his internal time that has been taken, resulting in her seeing some of his memories during the activation. Despite being in familiar scenery within the white flowers, it feels like the first time he has seen it, only feeling slightly strange to him. Aoko, on the other hand, will feel nostalgia from viewing the area. His memories are jumbled, but he can still recall recent events. He can recall questions asked during the darkness of his death, though he does not remember having died, due to having had some fragments left that intersected with Aoko's time.
He will be unable to remember until she is done using the time and it is returned. Alice will be the only one able to remember the brief interval of the scenery due to the end of the exchange of time leaving the few minutes lost from his and Aoko's memories. Utilizing another person as a medium means that it is not a change in only Aoko. Aoko travelling back in time by herself would allow for the contradictions to become her own experience, but the exchange is proper time travel that will leave the contradiction properly corrected. Aoko's nostalgia and Soujuurou's unfamiliarity will be corrected at the end of the Magic to be as if they had never existed.
The Fifth is not the operation of parallel worlds, so it does not rewrite the world itself. That means the time she exchanges must be handled uniquely if she wishes to make the changes permanent, such as in the case with resurrecting Soujuurou. The ten years borrowed from him will be returned, so a one-sided exchange like that will leave the total mass of time in the current time axis unchanged. Winding back only "Soujuurou's five minutes" would normally mean that he would return to being a corpse after the Magic expires, as time travel carried out without changing the world cannot change the past. She has to either truly resurrect him, or take those actually existing five minutes and place them somewhere far away.
Time travel requires a massive quantity of energy, requiring mystic power to bring in things that don't exist in the current world, and likewise causing tremendous energy to be lost when something is made to be "no longer here." Utilizing time travel to move even such a small amount of time would necessitate balancing out the heat that had been there beforehand. Aoko left it in the far, far future, meaning that the debt incurred in the present has been left in the future. Even the idea of a time paradox is more humane, as such an enormous, thoughtless consumption of heat must not be allowed.
The idea horrifies Touko, as does the idea of the mystic power used in cooling the exchanged heat. The state of either more or less heat threatens to cause the collapse of order. The distortion created by her Magic will eventually affect the entire quadrant. Dumping an even greater debt on the death of the universe hundreds of billions years in the future, on to the dead end awaiting humanity, is like the equivalent of dropping an asteroid on the planet. While Touko believes Aoko will crush the planet with her own weight, Aoko says she'll worry about it when the time comes and send it to the past the next time, so only it will be crushed by the distortion.
Touko is still horrified at the idea, saying that only humans will be fine with it. The present is established, but it should not be acceptable to erase the past. The total mass, the debt of the universe, needs to be handled properly. It doesn't matter if the universe is closed or still expanding because the increase in the amount of consumed heat will become uncontrollable. The end of indefinite expansion, indefinite consumption, and indefinite growth is not a future full of hope. It will be the nothing before creation, and the universe will eventually suffer heat death.
The Fifth will only help make that end more definite, but Aoko says she will take responsibility and do what she can while she lives. She has yet to actually think of such a course.[13] While others don't like her existence due to the possibility of her having distorted the universe to a great deal, she personally claims to have never done anything that large. Dust of Osiris, calling her the "Attainer of the Fifth Law", believes that Aoko's very existence poses a great threat to her ritual, and she says that Aoko should have nothing to do with it because she is a traveler that will not be there to witness the end of the world.
Aoko's magic missiles are a simple spell expression of utilizing her circuits as the barrel of a gun to fire magic energy. This isn't like other spells that work through nature interference to cause wind, divide water, or accelerate aging. She possesses the imaginary kinetic energy that brings magic energy into actual existence, firing it as heat. The result is a destructive force equal to the amount of energy she can handle. The magic missiles utilized in Mahoutsukai no Yoru are single actions, rudimentary magecraft not requiring incantations. She has three actions of magic missiles that act as her main weapons. The second is a magic missile that has the actions of reading her magic seal and using simplified incantation.
The style of thaumaturgy Aoko uses in battle during Melty Blood is called Starmine and Starbow (スターマイン、スターボゥ, Sutāmain, Sutābou?) that follows a system of magical processing, conversion, and output by numerology. It is based on the concept of images Aoko can visualize easily turned into spells that cause nature interference. She is apparently comfortable with imagining exploding fireworks and rotating stars, so all of her destructive spells are based upon those images. Spells that fall under Starmine's category are those whose energy has a fluid motion, while those that fall under Starbow's category are those whose energy has a fluctuating motion. Another Magecraft she is said to practice is called Notarikon, which is an ancient branch of the Kabbalah thaumaturgy system like Roa's Numerology. She personally finds his use of it to be too dull or orthodox, but says that her own use of the system makes her unable to truly comment on it.[14]
She uses a High Speed Incantation to greatly increase the speed of her incantations during battle, and her particular method is referred to as Unlimited Rotation (アンリミテッド ローテーション, Anrimiteddo Rōtēshon?). Simply chanting "Missiles, deploy" is enough to fire twenty bolts at once, deployed instantly and not requiring the spells to be loaded. "Slow!" quickly erases a number of Touko's runes due to the power of the single word being greater than the mystic power used by Touko to turn runes into form.
Touko's various runes are unable to stop her no matter the quality or quantity, as her outstanding reflexes and prediction act in synergy with the powerful force of the missiles she releases with both hands. Touko is amazed at the simplicity of her magecraft, commenting that even at her peak she is utterly hopeless in only being able to blow things apart. While runes are curses effective against people, her missiles are powerful projectiles that affect all things without discrimination.
She can be called a "melee-type" magus that generates magical energy from her ribs, and by the time it passes through her limbs, the spell is already in a ritually complete form that is expelled in a way that makes both her arms and legs resemble rocket burners to those on the receiving end of the attack. The reason for the mixture of martial arts into her style of thaumaturgy is very like due to the influence of a certain male roommate that she had back in her high-school days.
Before obtaining power and experience, her kicks are enough to fell a tree. With age, she is able to rip through the atmosphere of an invisible wall of runes with a single kick, continue through it into the ceiling, and then smash it along with all of its runic protection. She destroys Touko's replicas of Primordial Runes with a single kick each.
Aoko's magecraft is something that "can't do anything but destroy", and even Nrvnqsr Chaos believes she is something that destroys order. He believes absorbing her into his Chaos wouldn't be worth it because of that. She does have some capability in other areas, such as somehow making Mystic Eye Killers glasses, stolen from Touko, indestructible to the point where Arcueid is unable to do anything to them. She is also able to turn remnants of the TATARI phenomenon into a familiar. She wished to use White Len as her own familiar, but they were too incompatible.
Aoko first chronologically appears in Mahoutsukai no Yoru as the main character. While it is one of Kinoko Nasu's earlier works, it has only recently been released publicly. It was released in visual novel format, and it details Aoko's high school years and her friendship with Alice Kuonji and Soujuurou Shizuki.
Her first appearance in a Type-Moon work is during in the prologue of Tsukihime.
- In the First character popularity poll of Tsukihime, Aoko was ranked 7th.
- In the Second character popularity poll of Tsukihime, Aoko was ranked 7th.
- In the Third character popularity poll of Tsukihime, Aoko was ranked 13th.
- In the Fourth character popularity poll in 2003, Aoko was ranked 19th.
- In the Type-Moon's 10th Anniversary Character Poll, Aoko from Mahoutsukai no Yoru was ranked 7th, Aoko from Melty Blood was ranked 64th and Aoko from Tsukihime was ranked 141st.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
[] Character Material - Aozaki Aoko, p.008-009
Introduction - Aoko Aozaki
A currently living Magician.
Aloof and clumsy, yet free spirited, somehow managing to come together in this 16 year old girl.
She takes her life as a mage simply, while loving her life as a respectable, strong young woman.
By day she is a boarding schooler, a genius who doesn't seem to realise things that are perfectly natural.
She's only just begun learning sorcery, and so her abilities are way below par.
By night, she's growing up at her own pace under the guidance of her friend and accomplice, Alice Kuonji.
At 16, entrusted with the pulse of the city's spirit, she begins to confront the foreign invaders showing up every now and then.
She's busy every day, but she seems to be enjoying herself with no complaints.
It could be a perfectly natural reason, or something like it.
She isn't afraid at all of her grandfather, who is labelled a monster, and only thinks of the great mage who called up Magic as "a terrible old man who's lived for a long time through questionable means".
Until a certain time, her style was based purely on sorcery, but after a new boarder stumbled in, she got in a number of fights, and from there on she changed to a more close-combat style of sorcery.
- ↑ Mahoutsukai no Yoru - Witch on the Holy Night Chapter 2
- ↑ 3.0 3.1
[] Fate/side material - Encyclopedia: Aozaki [Person's name], p.054 [T]
Aozaki [Person's name]
The name that briefly appeared in this story. It was the name of the mage house that managed the greatest "Spiritual Land" in Japan.
In the mage world, the name had become synonymous with trouble.
The Aozakis were an ancient house, but were by no means prestigious. Because of the "Path" opened by the previous Heads, the current Head of the Aozakis had a greater chance of becoming a "Magician".
The current heirs were a pair of sisters whom were thought to be ominous. After a battle for the right of inheritance, the younger sister became heir of the "Magician" title.
The older sister traveled to London and made quite a name for herself, but quickly withdrew from the Association due to being problematic.
During the Fifth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City, the older sister was busy hiding her tracks, while the younger sister was roaming around the country.
Although the younger sister was good at nothing but destroying things, the older sister was truly a polymath. Fate might had a little to do with the older sister.
アオザキ 【人名】
- ↑
[] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - TSUKIHIME Dictionary: Aozaki Aoko [Person's name], p.175
Aoko Aozaki [Person's name]
One of the five existing Magicians. It seems she hates the alliteration in her full name, and gets mad when people call her by it.
As for why she's a Magician, it's because she arrived there at the end of a long and arduous road. If that's an incomprehensible answer to you, please refer to Kara no Kyoukai. Of course, the details probably still won't make much sense even then.
She had such a large influence on the young Shiki that to this day she is the only person he calls "Sensei".
The story of Tsukihime begins with Aoko and Shiki's first meeting. At that time, she seemed to be an amiable older-sister type, but generally her stance is to avoid getting too involved with other people.
Ever since becoming the Aozaki heir, she has lived the life of a rootless wanderer, roaming the world with a single trunk in hand. Her meeting with Shiki was merely a coincidence, akin to making friends with a local child in the midst of a long journey.
Within the Association, she is known as the Magic Gunner, Miss Blue. Her abilities as a magus are below average, but there are none more talented when it comes to destruction.
Though she is an important person to Tohno Shiki, she only has a minor role in the story of Tsukihime. The incident where she takes the leading role is a story for another time.
In Melty Blood Re-act, she appears as a hidden boss. As expected of someone with the nickname Magic Gunner, it's like fighting a living artillery battery. Also, maybe it's because she's not really taking it seriously, but her apathetic voice is pretty great. At first the production staff was a bit doubtful about the performance, particularly her monotonous "Oh, I guess I lost," but eventually it grew on them. A lot.
- ↑
[] Melty Blood Act Cadenza PS2 Manual - Dictionary: Aozaki Aoko [Person's name], p.060
Aoko Aozaki [Person's name]
One of the five existing magicians.
Though she is the legitimate heir of the "distinguished" Aozaki household, she's currently wandering around the world with a single trunk in hand.
Her sorcery attribute is one specialized for breaking things, so she's not very good at healing, construction, and restoration sorceries. Known as the "Witch of Destruction", she's not particularly versatile, but is second to none when it comes to busting out of hopeless situations.
It was due to her influence that the young Tohno Shiki was able to grow up normally despite being burdened with abnormal eyes. Therefore to him, she is an existence akin to a respected former teacher.
- ↑ http://members3.jcom.home.ne.jp/walachia/tmyougo/tukihime-fate-a.html - "彼女は魔術回路こそあるものの魔術師としてはごく平均的な性能として生まれた。"
- ↑
[] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - talk. Glossary: Magical Energy [Term], p.194
Magical Energy [Term]
The source that powered all magecraft, analogous to gasoline.
There were many names for it. For example, the magical energy in the atmosphere was called Mana. The meaning of Mana was approximately the same as that in the Polynesian culture. Also, Ether was not a form of Magical Energy as it was something else.
The Magical Energy in this story included Mana and the Magical Energy generated by magi themselves.
The difference in magnitude between the Magical Energy that permeated the natural environment and the Magical Energy generated by an individual was so great, it was foolish to compare the two.
Since the atmosphere in the Engulfing Forest was under Einnashe's control, one could not utilize the Magical Energy of the environment. As a result, most magecraft could not be activated, a magus could only activate very small-scale spells that utilize an individual's internal storage.
As an aside, this thing called "an individual's Magical Energy" as used by Blue in a foolish yet clever manner. To use a simile, it was like driving a car for 1000 km on 1 L of gas.
Also, the capacity of Ciel was ridiculously large. If a regular magus' gas tank was 40, then Ciel's was more than 4000. She truly deserved the name Miss Glutton.
- ↑
- ↑
[] TYPE-MOON Fes. Official Pamphlet 10th Anniversary Q & A Booklet:
Q: It has been said that a certain Aozaki cannot even defeat a serious Caster, is this "certain Aozaki" Aoko Aozaki? Is this an assessment based on Aoko using True Magic?
Q: It has been said that a certain Aozaki cannot even defeat a serious Caster, is this "certain Aozaki" Aoko Aozaki? Is this an assessment based on Aoko using True Magic?
A: "A certain Aozaki" includes both Aoko and Touko. In a magecraft battle by modern standards, a "magus" who is capable of defeating a serious Caster does not exist.
- ↑ Mahoyo scenes
- ↑ Mahoutsukai no Yoru - Bearing the principles of consumption and extinction, the newest magician launched her attack!
- ↑ 4Gamer Interview with Mahoutsukai no Yoru Staff — Mahoutsukai no Yoru, from now onwards
- ↑ Mahoyo scenes
- ↑
[] Melty Blood Act Cadenza PS2 Manual - Dictionary: Starmine, Starbow [Technique name], p.053
Starmine, Starbow [Technique name]
The names of the sorceries used by Aozaki Aoko.
It seems that it's easy for her to visualize things like exploding fireworks and rotating stars, so her instant incantation sorcery invariably ends up being nature interference based on these images. The Starmine line is for fluid motion, while the Starbow line is for fluctuating applications.
Aozaki Aoko can be considered a close-combat type magus, who fires magical energy from her elbow that calls forth a sorcery formula as it passes through her fist. For those unfortunate enough to face her as an enemy, both of her hands probably look like rocket burners.
| Main characters: Aoko Aozaki • Alice Kuonji • Soujuurou Shizuki
Secondary characters: Touko Aozaki • Lugh Beowulf • Tobimaru Tsukiji • Kojika Kumari • Housuke Kinomi • Yuika Suse • Ritsuka Suse • Eiri Fumizuka • Kazuki Yamashiro • Yurihiko Tokitsu • May Riddell Archelot
|Main characters
|Shiki Tohno • Arcueid Brunestud • Ciel • Akiha Tohno • Hisui • Kohaku • Len • Michael Roa Valdamjong
|Secondary characters
|Arihiko Inui • Aoko Aozaki • Barthomeloi Lorelei • Crimson Moon • Gransurg Blackmore • Kouma Kishima • Merem Solomon • Mr. Dawn • Narbareck • Nanako • Noel • Nrvnqsr Chaos • Satsuki Yumizuka • Shiki Nanaya
|Minor characters
|Akemi Yamase • Akira Seo • Brainwashing-Detective • Caubac Alcatraz • Curry de Marche • Forte • Fake Shiki • Hanei Misawa • Ichiko Inui • Keiko Arima • Kiri Nanaya • Magical Amber • Maiko Yamase • Makihisa Tohno • Master Panda • Mecha-Shiki • Neco-Arc Bubbles • Neco-Arc Destiny • Neco-Arc Evolution • Phantas-Moon • Sougen Jinan • Souka Tsukihime •
|Melty Blood characters
|Miyako Arima • Dust of Osiris • Mech-Hisui • Neco-Arc • Neco-Arc Chaos • Night of Wallachia • Riesbyfe Stridberg • Shiki Ryougi • Sion Eltnam Atlasia • White Len


text:
Large insurance companies often forget that injured or disabled employees are more than just numbers — they are real people with real problems. When these companies deny benefits, the consequences have a far-reaching impact on the lives of those who need benefits to pay for their medical care and other ongoing needs.
At Springer & Roberts LLP, we fight for our injured and disabled clients every day so that they receive the benefits they need to move forward with their lives. Our firm focuses solely on Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) law in California and the claims that arise when insurance companies improperly deny benefits. We center our practice on this area of law because we believe that everyone deserves an effective advocate when dealing with massive insurance carriers whose main concern is their bottom line.
Our personal stories reflect this dedication to helping others and to giving a voice to those who would otherwise go unheard. Our Alameda attorneys not only represent clients, but also author articles on ERISA and present information about this area of law to other attorneys at continuing legal education events.
ERISA is a complex law with many different deadlines for filing documents or requesting a review of an adverse benefit decision. It is vital that you contact us as early as possible in the process so that we have enough time to assess your case and provide you with information about your options.
Our powerful advocacy is coupled with a dedication to personal service. We realize that it is daunting to have to go through the legal process just to obtain the benefits you need. To help minimize your stress, we provide you with personal attention at every step of your case. Whether we help you apply for disability benefits, appeal your case to the insurance company, litigate your case in federal court or assist in any other way, you will always have direct access to the attorney handling your case. We take the time to answer all of your questions and to provide you with the individualized attention you deserve.
As a women- and minority-owned law firm, we use our experience as both attorneys and business owners to build community partnerships and provide insightful representation to clients throughout the Bay Area. Our responsive, professional approach to the law has led to many successful results and long-lasting relationships with our clients.
Contact Our San Francisco Bay Area Lawyers For Employee Benefits Issues
To schedule an initial consultation, contact us at 510-922-0672 or through our online form.


text:
College Hockey:Irony Special: New MTU Coach Sertich Beats Duluth For First Win
Interim Head Man Returns To Place He Coached For 18 Years
DULUTH, Minn. — Senior forward Matt Ulwelling gave new Michigan Tech head coach Mike Sertich his first win in his first try at 2:45 of overtime as the Huskies stopped a five-game losing streak with a thrilling 5-4 victory at Minnesota-Duluth.
Sertich returned to coaching after resigning as head coach of UMD last season; he spent 18 years behind the Bulldog bench. In a twist of irony, Sertich's first win as a head coach came against Michigan Tech.
Ulwelling's goal came after a shot from senior defenseman Mat Snesrud hit traffic in front. Freshman Tony DeLorenzo started the play by beating UMD's Judd Medak on the faceoff to the left of Bulldog netminder Adam Coole.
After a scoreless first period, the teams combined for six goals in the second stanza, including four by the Huskies. Junior Brad Patterson staked Tech to a 1-0 lead just :21 into period number two with his first goal of the year.
After the Bulldogs tied the game with their first of three power-play goals on the evening, Paul Cabana and Chris Durno tallied 1:01 apart in the first half of the second period to give the Huskies a two-goal cushion. That prompted a UMD timetout.
Duluth got back in the game on Tom Nelson's power-play goal at 14:30, but freshman defenseman Justin Brown put one home from the point — his first collegiate goal — to stake MTU to a 4-2 lead after 40 minutes.
UMD got a goal at 8:15, on the power play by Nate Anderson, to narrow the lead to one, and Andy Reierson's unassisted marker at 13:34 of the third then sent the game into the extra session.
Tech outshot the Bulldogs 41-28, including a 19-6 edge in the second period.
Brian Rogers made 24 saves in the MTU net to gain the win, while Coole had 36 saves for UMD.
The two teams meet again Saturday in the conclusion of the two-game WCHA set.
The following is a self-policing forum for discussing views on this story. Comments that are derogatory, make personal attacks, are abusive, or contain profanity or racism will be removed at our discretion. USCHO.com is not responsible for comments posted by users. Please report any inappropriate or offensive comments by clicking the "Flag" link next to that comment in order to alert the moderator.
Please also keep "woofing," taunting, and otherwise unsportsmanlike behavior to a minimum. Your posts will more than likely be deleted, and worse yet, you reflect badly on yourself, your favorite team and your conference.


text:
More New and Used
from Private Sellers
Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
Revolutions in the Atlantic World : A Comparative History
ISBN13:by Klooster, Wim
New York Univ Pr
Questions About This Book?
Why should I rent this book?
Renting is easy, fast, and cheap! Renting from eCampus.com can save you hundreds of dollars compared to the cost of new or used books each semester. At the end of the semester, simply ship the book back to us with a free UPS shipping label! No need to worry about selling it back.
How do rental returns work?
Returning books is as easy as possible. As your rental due date approaches, we will email you several courtesy reminders. When you are ready to return, you can print a free UPS shipping label from our website at any time. Then, just return the book to your UPS driver or any staffed UPS location. You can even use the same box we shipped it in!
What version or edition is this?
This is the edition with a publication date of 6/1/2009.
What is included with this book?
- The Used copy of this book is not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included.
- The Rental copy of this book is not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. You may receive a brand new copy, but typically, only the book itself.
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, revolutions transformed the British, French, and Spanish Atlantic worlds. Revolutions in the Atlantic World wields a comparative lens to reveal several central themes in the field of Atlantic history, from the concept of European empire and the murky position it occupied between Old and New Worlds to slavery and diasporas. How was the stability of the old regimes undermined? Which mechanisms of successful popular mobilization can be observed? What roles did blacks and Indians play? Drawing on both primary documents and extant secondary literature to answer these questions, Wim Klooster portrays the revolutions as parallel and connected uprisings. Book jacket.
Author Biography
Wim Klooster is Associate Professor of history at Clark University. He is co-editor of The Atlantic World: Essays on Slavery, Migration, and Imagination.
Table of Contents
|p. v
|Introduction: Empires at War
|p. 1
|Civil War in the British Empire: The American Revolution
|p. 11
|The War on Privilege and Dissension: The French Revolution
|p. 45
|From Prize Colony to Black Independence: The Revolution in Haiti
|p. 84
|Multiple Routes to Sovereignty: The Spanish America Revolutions
|p. 117
|The Revolutions Compared: Causes, Patterns, Legacies
|p. 158
|p. 175
|p. 227
|About the Author
|p. 239
|Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.


text:
By Marc Kovac
Early voting in Ohio starts in about two weeks, with polling open to military and overseas voters later this month.
Here are 10 things you should know now in advance of the final weeks before Election Day on Nov. 6:
11111Voters also can log onto that website to check their registration information. They will have to provide their driver's license number, birth date and last four digits of their Social Security number in order to use the new online system. They also can print change of address forms to mail directly to elections officials.
111Applications were mailed by Husted's office to eligible voters earlier this month; applications also are available online at MyOhioVote.com.
Ballots will be available starting today for overseas and military voters and on Oct. 2 for others.
111• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 2-Oct. 5, Oct. 10-Oct. 12 and Oct. 15-Oct. 19.
• 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on Oct. 9 (the deadline to register to vote).
• 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 22-Oct. 26 and Oct. 29-Nov. 1.
• 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 2.
111Matt McClellan, spokesman for the secretary of state, said a directive concerning early voting on those three days is in the works.
1111111Lawmakers debated legislation last year that would have required photo identification to vote, but that bill did not pass.
111Issue 1 asks whether the state should play host to a convention to review the state constitution and outline potential changes.
The question is put to voters every 20 years but has never been approved. Lawmakers, instead, have formed a constitutional modernization committee to complete a comparable review and make recommendations for amendments on future ballots.
Issue 2 is a redistricting reform package that would replace the existing processes for redrawing legislative and congressional maps, replacing a system that critics say tips in favor of whichever political party is in power with one controlled by a 12-member panel made up of equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats and independents.
222Opponents gathered enough signatures to force the legislation before voters, but Republicans in the Ohio House and Senate preemptively repealed the legislation.
A federal lawsuit on the issue is pending.
I'm proud of Ohio's democratic traditions and I'll vote YES on Issue 2 to strengthen our democracy. Currently, privileged politicians create congressional districts that favor their own re-election. Both parties do it: sometimes it's the Republicans and sometimes the Democrats. Citizens in other states have fought and changed this corrupt system, and now Ohioans have a chance to do the same. Don't Ohio citizens deserve a fairer system, too? I'm fed up with the political and their fighting and power-grabbing. We have a chance to bring greater accountability and transparency to the system by voting for Issue 2 on election day.
Geez, Only a whole month to vote! I wonder if the poor disenfranchised ODumbo democrats can find their way to the polls.
Democracy is about equality and fair competition, but when our legislators draw the boundaries of congressional districts, the current system lets them lock in a competitive advantage for their own party. Voters are unable to remove poor performers. Issue 2 is a common sense approach to reforming this distorted undemocratic process. Issue 2 will make redistricting transparent and publicly accountable.. Issue 2 is about good governance not party politics. Support Issue 2.
Issue two I will be voting NO. I can't see making more Gov't .The people chosen to be on this board can't be fired or replaced. Who's to say that they will do it right either. Who gets to chose them? the people or Gov't ? I can't find a thing about that either. So once again I will be voting NO on issue 2


text:
IMF Executive Board Concludes 2013 Article IV Consultation with the Republic of PolandPress Release No. 13/271
July 23, 2013
On July 17, 2013, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Poland.1
Despite its resilience in recent years and very strong fundamentals, the Polish economy has slowed markedly. Real GDP growth moderated to 1.9 percent in 2012 from 4.5 percent in 2011. A slowdown in Poland's main export markets, combined with uncertain prospects for euro area growth and a sharp drop in public investment, weighed on demand. Household consumption was affected by adverse confidence effects, sluggish disposable income, falling real wage growth, and rising unemployment. Credit growth decelerated sharply to 3.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013 (down from 11 percent a year before), on the back of weak credit demand and tight lending policies by banks.
Reflecting the slowdown, as well as lower fuel and energy prices, CPI inflation has fallen sharply and stood at 0.5 percent (year-on-year) in May. A monetary easing cycle was started in November 2012, and the policy rate was cut by a cumulative 200 basis points to 2.75 percent in June 2013.
Fiscal consolidation has continued, albeit at a slower than envisaged pace. The fiscal deficit declined from 5 percent of GDP in 2011 to 3.9 percent in 2012. The latter was somewhat larger than expected, as the economic slowdown dented on indirect tax collections, especially the VAT. Public debt (ESA95 definition) dropped to 55.6 percent of GDP in 2012.
The banking sector remained well-capitalized, profitable, and liquid. Reliance on foreign currency funding has declined. But the impaired loan ratio inched up to 9 percent mainly due to deterioration in the corporate loan portfolio, reflecting rising bankruptcies (notably in the construction sector). Stress tests conducted as part of the recent IMF-World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program update confirm the sector's resilience: bank capital and liquidity buffers can withstand large shocks and contagion risks are limited.
Executive Board Assessment
Executive Directors emphasized that Poland's sound macroeconomic management, strong fundamentals, resilient financial system, and adequate international reserves have helped preserve confidence in the country's policies. The precautionary Flexible Credit Line arrangement has provided insurance against external risks. However, Directors noted that slower growth will require balancing support for the economy with the need to further build up policy buffers.
Directors observed that Poland's high trade and financial interconnectedness with Europe and open capital account make it susceptible to shocks. In this regard, Directors welcomed actions by the authorities, notably the large pre-funding of government financing needs, to mitigate these risks.
Directors commended the authorities' commitment to fiscal sustainability. For 2013, most Directors agreed that automatic stabilizers should be allowed to operate fully around budgeted measures. A few others, however, considered that further consolidation measures could be necessary. Directors broadly agreed that the medium-term objective of a structural deficit of 1 percent of GDP by 2016 remains appropriate. However, additional fiscal measures of about 1 percent of GDP would be needed to put the public debt ratio firmly on a downward path. They called for a broad expenditure review to identify areas where non-priority spending can be reduced, while protecting investment spending. They looked forward to the implementation of a simple and transparent expenditure rule which should allow for countercyclical fiscal policy.
Directors noted that the recent review of the pension system will have significant implications for the functioning of the second pillar. They emphasized that the fiscal and financial market implications should be carefully assessed.
Directors agreed that the accommodative monetary policy stance is appropriate in a context of muted inflationary pressures and narrow fiscal space. However, a number of Directors advised a cautious approach to further easing, given risks associated with a low rate environment. Directors agreed that the exchange rate should be allowed to float freely, but that interventions could be used to limit excessive volatility. They urged the National Bank of Poland to provide liquidity support if needed.
Directors welcomed the findings of the Financial System Stability Assessment that the banking system is well capitalized, profitable and liquid. They commended efforts to further strengthen banking system resilience, including the reduced reliance on foreign funding. Directors underscored that safeguarding asset quality will be essential, especially given the economic slowdown. They encouraged broadening the areas where the Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) can issue effective supervisory guidance, as well as increasing its resources, budgetary autonomy, and flexibility. They looked forward to the establishment of macroprudential and bank resolution frameworks in the near future.
Directors encouraged continued structural reforms to boost potential growth and maximize the benefits of integration into global supply chains. They recommended reducing administrative barriers, improving access to certain regulated professions, and advancing reforms to increase labor force participation and labor market efficiency. Directors noted the launch of the new investment fund and recommended that its corporate governance and operations follow best international practices.


text:
College Hockey:Vermont Bears Down For Win Over U.S. Under-18 Team
BURLINGTON, Vt. — After defeating nationally-ranked Michigan State, Clarkson and Alaska, and taking Boston College, Michigan and North Dakota to overtime, the U.S. Under-18 Team was not underestimated by Vermont.
Instead, the No. 14 Catamounts prepared for a tough game. Vermont controlled the contest from start to finish, steamrolling Team USA, 7-1 in exhibition action Saturday.
"I thought our guys played like it was any other game on the schedule which is sometimes a challenge during exam period and for an exhibition game," UVM head coach Kevin Sneddon said. "I thought we played 100 percent across the board. I thought our focus on 'D' was great, I loved our finish tonight on offense. … All in all, it was just a really good game for us."
The Vermont coaching staff juggled the lines some, to see if it would spark some offense, and it did. Peter Lenes moved to the first line to play with Torrey Mitchell and Dean Strong, while Viktor Stalberg skated with Brayden Irwin and Corey Carlson on the second line.
Both sophomore Lenes and freshman Vock led the way with two goals apiece as 12 different Cats tallied at least a point.
After playing on Friday at Williams and not getting to Vermont until the wee hours of the morning, Team USA was unable to get much of anything going all night. The Cats, on the other hand, were sharp offensively and defensively and after giving up the opening goal of the game, made quick work of the visitors.
C.J. Severyn got Team USA on the board, just over two minutes into the first. Severyn surprised goaltender Mike Spillane with a well-placed wrister that found room over the freshman's shoulder from the left circle. Michigan recruit Matt Rust assisted on the goal at 2:12.
The lead didn't last long — 2:26, to be exact — as Vock knotted things at one, when Brian Roloff found him in the right circle, after a nice rush up ice.
Vermont opened a two-goal bulge in the second period.
The Cats took the lead just 52 seconds into the middle frame on a shot from the left circle on the power play. Lenes deflected an Irwin shot from the point for the go-ahead score. Ryan Gunderson also assisted on the play.
Then, at 6:45 Irwin finished off a pretty 2-on-1 with Carlson. Stalberg started the play, getting the puck up to Carlson who was busting down the left wing. The sophomore then dished to the freshman Irwin to make it 3-1.
The Cats dominated play in the period, outshooting Team USA by a 9-3 margin. The visitors, in fact, only mustered eight shot attempts in the period.
Vermont blew the game wide open in the third as Team USA began to tire. The Cats scored four more goals in the final period.
Lenes tallied his second of the night on a tap-in from the top of the crease, finishing off a nice passing play between himself, Torrey Mitchell, and Dean Strong at 1:07.
Stalberg converted a rebound at 3:33 to make it 5-1. Vock notched his second of the evening, as he blasted a shot in past goaltender Brad Phillips from the slot for a 6-1 score. Senior defenseman Arthur Femenella lit the lamp at 7:26 to cap the scoring.
"We played with some good offensive confidence tonight," said Sneddon. "Games like this are important for us because we're playing against future NHL stars across the other room. They're young right now, but there are some dynamite players on that team, we just had a lot more zip in our legs tonight than they did."
Both starting netminders were replaced at the 4:50 mark of the period.
Spillane finished with 11 saves; Phillips had 15.
In relief, Jeff Hill made five stops, while his counterpart, Josh Unice made two saves, and gave up the final goal.
Team USA coach Ron Rolston wasn't too pleased with the lopsided result. "No, certainly not," he said. "I thought for the most part we had a lot of guys going and battling. … [The Catamounts] are an excellent hockey team, probably top-ten team in the country.
"We just didn't have enough jam, basically, to stay in the game. It was a 1-1 game after one. We took an undisciplined bad penalty to give them a power play to start the second. They scored, and then they scored right after that. At that point, the game was over."
Vermont jumps back in regular-season play, traveling to renew acquaintances with past ECAC foe St. Lawrence next Saturday before a break for the holidays.
The following is a self-policing forum for discussing views on this story. Comments that are derogatory, make personal attacks, are abusive, or contain profanity or racism will be removed at our discretion. USCHO.com is not responsible for comments posted by users. Please report any inappropriate or offensive comments by clicking the "Flag" link next to that comment in order to alert the moderator.
Please also keep "woofing," taunting, and otherwise unsportsmanlike behavior to a minimum. Your posts will more than likely be deleted, and worse yet, you reflect badly on yourself, your favorite team and your conference.


text:
How to Invest in Micro Caps
Original post by Sean Mullin of Demand Media
Microcap stocks represent small-market companies with low assets. The price of microcap stocks is typically less than $8, sometimes much less. Some microcap stocks are legitimate investment opportunities, but overall, the market is unregulated and fraudulent transactions are common. "Microcap stocks are among the most risky [investments]" according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Disreputable brokerage firms offering microcap stocks may be manipulating the price or attaching large mark-ups. Some investors lose their entire investment, and microcap stocks are difficult to sell. Investing in microcap stocks involves thorough research and working with a reputable stockbroker.
Step 1
Always perform your own research. Don't follow leads on microcap stocks that come from cold calls, e-mailed spam or untrustworthy newsletters.
Step 2
Search for microcap stocks through online over-the-counter listing companies such as the OTC Bulletin Board and the OTC Markets Group. Be aware that over-the-counter listings are either lightly regulated or entirely unregulated.
Step 3
Research a company before purchasing stock. Ask company representative whether it registers its securities with the SEC or a state securities regulator. Examine the company's most recent regulatory filings. Be sure that a certified accountant has audited the company's financial statements.
Step 4
Read the company's business model. Scrutinize its products, services and targeted markets. Avoid companies with implausible business plans or profit projections that seem too good to be true.
Step 5
Contact a reputable brokerage firm that sells microcap stock. Submit a bid to purchase shares of the company's stock.
Tips & Warnings
- Over-the-counter stocks with the letter E attached to their four-letter stock symbol have not met the deadline for filing their financial reports with the SEC.
- Securities and Exchange Commission: Microcap Stock
- South Carolina Attorney General: Penny Stocks / Microcap Stocks
About the Author
Sean Mullin has been creating content for providers such as eHow since 2007. He also worked in an online writing center for college students. In addition to writing, Sean has a Master of Arts in classics and teaches Greek and Latin part-time at the college level.
Photo Credits
- Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images


text:
We offer a distinctive Caribbean experience. With the use of specimen timbers, palm leaves and rustic stones, we created five beautiful villas surrounded by a luscious private garden. Our five star breakfast includes fresh tropical juice, a special blend of local coffee and home-made jam from local banana, coconut and pineapple.
Every Chalet offers private seating and dining areas, fully equipped kitchen and bathrooms. We also take pride in organizing activities, day trips, typical Dominican dinner, wedding ceremonies and romantic getaways.


text:
Electroconvulsive therapy or ECT has been known for decades to be able to improve mood. In its earlier incarnations, this therapy's use (or misuse) earned it an evil reputation, but it is now considered a safe and effective treatment in bipolar disorder. It is mainly used against the depressive phase, but can be used during the manic phase as well. It has also been shown to be effective in preventing future episodes.
How Does ECT Fit In
Despite evidence of its effectiveness against bipolar disorder, ECT is considered more of an emergency or backup treatment than a front-line one. This usually means it is used when drugs are ineffective or an episode must be treated immediately.
How Does ECT Work
The patient is anesthetized and a small amount of electricity is sent through his or her brain, causing a minor seizure. This seizure, as one expert describes it, "reboots" the brain, leading to more normal function.
Who Can Take ECT
ECT is considered safe enough to be used on pregnant women and older patients and is often an option for people whose bipolar disorder has proven resistant to drug treatment or is causing severe episodes. It may be risky for people with heart problems.
Side Effects
A notable side effect of modern ECT is memory loss, usually limited to the time around the therapy session. It can also cause temporary confusion in the patient.
The Mayo Clinic also states on its website that there can be some temporary physical side effects as well. They include nausea, vomiting, headache, jaw pain, and muscle ache or muscle spasms.
Though effective, ECT is usually reserved as a last resort or for special circumstances. It must be done by a trained professional and is not available for home use.
ECT has been around since the early 20th century.
It is considered a very effective treatment for controlling and preventing bipolar episodes, but is usually used only as a last resort as therapy, medication, and lifestyle choices are commonly used for longer periods of time.
What The Expert Says
Dr, Soroya Bacchus, a psychiatrist practicing in California, says ECT is a very successful treatment and works when other treatment fails.
"Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment option we have available, bar none," she says. "It is literally like rebooting the brain."


text:
|One more reason to choose Miele:
|Resources at your disposal
Miele has twelve Experience Centers throughout the United States. These inspirational resource centers are staffed with knowledgeable, friendly associates ready to provide you with in-depth product demonstrations, unforgettable events and a wealth of ideas for your home and lifestyle.
Each Miele Center has its own calendar of events - open to the public - that include:
Need a box of bags for your vacuum or fabric softener for your washing machine? The Center sells Miele's full line of accessories directly during regular hours of operation and after events. Check your local Experience Center for directions and hours of operation and stop in to shop for the essentials while dreaming up your next design.


text:
Coed Sports
- Cheerleading
Women's Sports
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cheerleading
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track
- Volleyball
The Bulldogs were named as AAC Regular Season Co-Champions with Union College. Tennessee Wesleyan Baseball Coach Billy Berry was named AAC Coach of the Year. Also honored was Cody Gaskill as the AAC Player of the Year.
Two Bulldogs, David Lindsey and Max Loveland, were named to the Gold Glove team, which is a new honor for this year. On the All-Conference team are Hamilton Bennett, Cody Gaskill, Max Loveland, and Johnny Smith.
Tennessee Wesleyan also had four representatives on the All-Academic Team. They were Hamilton Bennett, Rafael Carlot, David Lindsey, and Daniel Wood.


text:
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg says there aren't enough skilled U.S. workers to meet the demands of America's high-tech sector.
Despite data showing few such labor shortages, Washington has opened the floodgates for foreign job seekers, radically expanding programs to import hundreds of thousands of science, technology, engineering and math — or STEM — workers.
The influx of tech migrants — 690,000 by 2012 — is leaving more U.S. workers by the wayside.
"I quit my job when I saw the writing on the wall," said John Miano, a computer programmer turned lawyer.
Since exiting the tech field, Miano said prospects for homegrown STEM workers are "getting worse because companies are finding more ways to bring people in from overseas."
Miano is preparing a lawsuit against the federal government over non-citizen hiring. "They're granting U.S. immigration benefits as a corporate benefit and providing the means to get cheap foreign labor," he argues.
Blowing off the cap
Initially capped at 65,000 foreign workers per year, the quota of H-1B (skilled) worker-visas is soaring under constant prodding from such influential Facebook friends as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Intel and IBM
More than one in four U.S. STEM workers is now from overseas.
"Employers tend to give preference to foreign workers over similarly qualified Americans," said Norm Matloff, a computer science professor at the University of California, Davis.
"Most H-1Bs are under 30, and since younger workers are cheaper than older ones — in both wages and healthcare costs — employers use the H-1B program."
Matloff said U.S. immigration rules effectively "handcuff" the foreign STEM worker to the sponsoring employer.
"The worker dare not switch jobs, as that would entail starting the multiyear green card process all over again."
Fewer opportunities, lower pay
A new study counters the tech industry's claims of chronic labor shortages. Confirming earlier research, the Center for Immigration Studies found:
- Total STEM employment in 2012 was 5.3 million, but there are 12.1 million STEM degree holders.
- STEM wages (adjusted for inflation) grew a paltry 0.4 percent a year from 2000 to 2012.
- Americans with STEM degrees are either unemployed or out of the labor force.
Steve Camarota, co-author of the report, called H-1B and several similar employer-based programs "indirect subsidies for businesses."
Matloff said the federal H-1B prevailing wage formula arbitrarily depresses pay for highly skilled tech-sector workers.
"The law is written in a way that the legal wage is substantially lower than the true market wage," he argues.
Joe Petrides, a manager at a midsize technology firm in the D.C. area, said he sees "a lot of weird stuff going on" in the industry.
"Companies — especially the largest ones — are pushing for more H-1Bs to keep wages lower," he said.
And some companies pay up to a 20 percent fee to "third-party bodyshops" to recruit foreign workers, often from India.
Additionally, Petrides said big corporations will steer away from full-time employees.
"Software implementation may just take five testers for eight months," he said. "I can't blame the companies. They have obligations to their shareholders."
Additional information can be found here.
To automatically receive my articles for FREE, click the "Subscribe" icon next to my picture atop this page; each dispatch will be sent directly to your email account.