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Obviously 100% dark chocolate isn't one that beginners should start off with. But if you're comfortable with very bitter chocolate then this has to be one of the best you could try. If you allow yourself to melt it slowly on the tongue you can find lovely flavour and textures. You may also like:Menakao Madagascar 72%Rabot Estate 50% 'Dash of Milk' With Cocoa NibsBaking Chocolate
Chocolate Reviews
A blog that reviews chocolate from around the world.
Latest Food Blogs from Chocolate Reviews
Hotel Chocolat Ecuador Rare & Vintage 90%
One of the elements that caused this year's absence from the industry was the over-use of 'buzz' or 'marketing' wordsYou may also like:Hotel Chocolat 75% Colombia (Aracataca) Hotel Chocolat Vietnam 80% Hotel Chocolat Rabot Extra Thick Egg
Why I needed a break
For the past eleven months I've hardly touched this blog. There are a vast number of reasons for the malaise.No related posts.
Bonnat Los Colorados
When you constantly find new chocolates from a maker that massively impress you have in the back of your mindYou may also like:Bonnat Kaori Brasil Bonnat Cacao Real del Xoconuzco
Ritual Chocolate Peru 75% Batch 5
When you've got less than 5g of a chocolate to review and you recall previously absolutely loving it you're caught between emotions of sheer excitement and disappointment. Should I be glad I've got some Ritual chocolate or should I scowl because I've got sod all of it? I'm in the latter camp. I picked it […]You may also like:The Chocolate Tree 80% PeruHoly Cacao Peru 72%
Urzi Cioccolato Rio Caribe 76%
One of the greatest determinants of how a review will go is that initial reaction. It's not of whether or not I like it per se, but whether or not my hand instantly goes to grab another bit. And while this chocolate may fall into Urzi's Premium Collection, it's just not a bar that I […]You may also like:Domori Cioccolato al Latte d'AsinaAntica Dolceria Bonajuto Cioccolato al Peperoncino
Bonnat Kaori Brasil
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I can certainly say that's true when we're talking about chocolate. I've had a few months off campaigning about ethical production of chocolate, but I've still kept up my passion for promoting fine chocolate – just to a smaller audience now. But as I rattle around […]You may also like:Bonnat Cacao Real del Xoconuzco
Berger Dark Chocolate from Austria
Sometimes I'll buy chocolate in the mindset of what I expect a typical 'punter' would have: ignorance. That sounds harsh, but it's a simple fact that many people that buy supermarket chocolate either have non-existent knowledge of key terminology or principles or have manipulated or just incomplete knowledge. In this particular example I wanted to […]No related posts.
Fonderia del Cacao 70%
Fonderia del Cacao are Italian chocolate makers with an entrepreneurial background that have come together to try and make chocolate – it seems exclusively from Ecuadorian beans. Everyone, it seems like to play on the historical relevance to them. Here Fonderia comment on the role of the Medici family financing Francesco Carletti to explore the […]You may also like:Holy Cacao Peru 72%Bonnat Cacao Real del Xoconuzco
Tadzio Chocolate
Sometimes I'll get chocolate through my letter box with no information. It's like receiving a message to meet somebody at a secret location with no explanation: intriguing but slightly disconcerting. Thankfully with a bit of digging I found that Kavey has tried some of this chocolate recently and there she gives a bit of a […]No related posts.
Edelmond 92% Chocolate
An intense chocolate made with CONCADO beans where the natural flavours are allowed to come through - altogether, at once.No related posts.


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Man Shoots Girlfriend While Trying to Shoot Ex-Girlfriend
RUSH: Try this headline: "Texas Man Accidentally Shoots Girlfriends While Aiming at Ex-Girlfriend."
Yes, as we continue our low-information outreach today: "A San Antonio man faces criminal charges after he accidentally shot his girlfriend while aiming a weapon at his ex-girlfriend. Local authorities say the incident took place early yesterday... The man's ex-girlfriend had unexpectedly arrived at his house and a verbal altercation ensued. ... Investigators say the woman tried to prevent her boyfriend from shooting his ex-girlfriend, and was 'unintentionally' shot in the chest by her boyfriend in the process. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but her status has since been upgraded to 'stable.'"
Who do you think they voted for?
Obamacare Was Never Meant to Work
RUSH: The National Journal has a story: "White House Has Known for Months that Obamacare Implementation Wouldn't Work." No kidding. Now that the cat's out of the bag and they can't implement the thing, we get a story: Oh, White House has known for months that it wasn't gonna work! How did the White House know for months that it wasn't gonna work? Because it wasn't intended to work, when you get right down to it. I know that that's something that may be a little bit difficult to believe or comprehend, but it had no prayer of working.
And it has no prayer of working.
But they're gonna stick with it.
NFL is Seeing a 75% Jump in Player Arrests
RUSH: "The NFL has seen a 75% increase in player arrests this offseason, according to an analysis of the San Diego Union-Tribune's NFL arrests database." That's right, my friends. The San Diego Union Tribune has something called "the NFL arrests database." In other words, it has so much content, they had to make a database out of it. It's keyword searchable. Search it by crime, by criminal, by weapon, by victim, by number of arrests, convictions, any number of things.
"The most recent arrest, which has not yet been included in the Tribune's database, came Saturday when New York Giants linebacker Dan Connor was cuffed at Philadelphia International Airport for carrying a switchblade in his luggage. This brings the grand total of NFL incarcerations to 35 since Feb. 4, the day after the Super Bowl." So that's when the off season for the arrest database begins. "Labor economist Stephen Bronars analyzed the database and found that 0.78 players per team are arrested each offseason. Bronars also broke down arrests by position, pointing out that one out of every six players arrested are wide receivers, while one out of seven are cornerbacks and one of out eight are linebackers."
Quarterbacks, somehow, escape it.
Dead Cleveland Fan Asks for Browns to Serve as Pallbearers
RUSH: A lifelong Cleveland Browns fan has passed away, but not before making one final request of the team. The Browns fan's name was Scott Entsminger, 55, lived in Mansfield, Ohio. He died on the Fourth of July. He was a native of Columbus, Ohio. He was a musician, a season ticket holder for the Cleveland Browns. He wrote a song every year for the team, and he sent the song in along with his advice on how the team should be run.
"According to his obituary in the Columbus Dispatch, Entsminger also 'respectfully requests six Cleveland Browns pallbearers so the Browns can let him down one last time.'" The family also requested that everybody wear their Browns clothing to his funeral today. No word from the Cleveland Browns on the request for pallbearers to let him down one last time.
Mexico Passes US as Fattest Country
RUSH: The United States continues to lose it's status is the number one nation in a number of categories. We lost our number one status in yet another one. Mexico has surpassed the United States as the world's fattest country.
"Seventy percent of Mexican adults are overweight or obese, according to some estimates, no thanks to trends like industrialized agriculture and the invasion of fast food chains from abroad."
It's in the New York Daily News. "Is Mexico even fatter than the United States?
No thanks to industrialized agriculture, widely available cheap junk food and the invasion of fast food chains from the US, our south-of-the-border neighbors are the world's new losers at the battle of the bulge, according to some estimates."
Seventy percent -- think of this, now -- "About 70% of Mexico's population is either overweight or obese, and one in six suffers from diabetes, which kills around 70,000 people a year -- roughly as many as the country's notorious gang violence."
Now, what does this mean for illegal immigration? Well, we gotta relate it to one of the hot issues of the day. Seventy percent of Mexicans are obese. You would think they'd be easy to spot if they tried to illegally enter the United States. And if they're coming across the border with a couple of Happy Meals in hand or whatever then it's probably a dead giveaway. But note, even though we have lost our number one status and the Mexicans are now the fattest people in the world, it's still our fault because we are exporting junk food.
Men Get Bored Shopping in Just 26 Minutes
RUSH: There's a survey that has taken place in the United Kingdom. It's discovered that men get bored on a shopping spree with their wife or girlfriend in just 26 minutes. However, women get tired of shopping after two hours. And that's only because they haven't found anything they like, or they haven't found what it is they set out to buy.
"A study of 2,000 Britons found eight in 10 men found clothes shopping with their partner boring, with 45 percent admitting they avoid shopping with their other-half all together," and most of them admit they do it just to avoid the hassle of saying "no." Twenty-six minutes, average fatigue time shopping.

subset: commoncrawl


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The fallout, criticism, claim and counter claim from JLUGate continue to ripple through the Second Life Blogsphere and Forumsphere …. I made that one up!
Tracer Graves linked to a petition in my recent blog post on the JLU issue, the petition can be read here. Whether you agree with the petition or not, it's worth reading as it has some background as to why this issue has blown up.
The JLU have made an official response on to the allegations on their site, which you can read here. This is an important development because JLU have been quite quiet in official mode, GreenLantern Excelsior has been making a lot of comments, he's made some here too which I'll come to later but he has never claimed to be an official spokesperson. This is an official statement.
GreenLantern Excelsior was interviewed by Prok, which can be read here.
The Alphaville Herald have an interview with the Prime Minister of Antiquity who explains why he regrets asking the JLU for help, which can be read here.
The Prok interview and the official response both give us a perpective from JLU and the people within JLU, however both also leave more questions to be answered and are vague in other areas. However it's only fair that all sides are given airspace. This is not a good v evil issue however, the goodies are at times acting like baddies, the baddies are at times acting like goodies and have been wronged and in the middle are plenty of people who simply want to get on with their Second Life experience without worrying whether they're being spied upon.
I'm not as anti JLU as a lot of people who are posting, well not based on their core aims anyway, but the leaks about their actions have revealed some distasteful allegations, allegations that have not been put to bed and whereas some people will want to discredit JLU, there is some truth in the allegations as the JLU themselves admit, unfortunately we don't know which allegations and they themselves muddy the waters by being so vague about that.
In the comments of my recent blog post, I brought up the issue of the vagueness of the official statement and queried what information they store, GreenLantern Excelsior replied:
"There is no more real life or personal data in the JLU wiki. Everything that's in there that's about Second Life residents consists of Second Life information only.
Do we put undercover alts in various groups? I know it has happened in the past. Do we have any now? I don't know. Would I tell you if I did know? Nope! 😀
Will the griefers try to cause problems for us? Yes – they always do. There's nothing we can do to stop that."
So the conclusions we can draw from this are that allegations that real life data was stored there at one stage, but no longer is, this isn't news as it has been mentioned elsewhere. The part about undercover alts is a bit unnerving but undercover alts have infiltrated the JLU, indeed a big leak came from these very tactics so it's not surprising that such tactics are employed by the JLU, this doesn't make such tactics right, but I can see why it happens.
I would say this would be fair game if these were roleplaying groups, you know, roleplaying with each other. Eve-Online has had some notorious incidents with people infiltrating the enemy and then stealing everything and running away, it's controversial but Eve-Online is that sort of game, Second Life isn't in the same category really is it.
There have been a series of unsavoury allegations made from alleged leaks from JLU chat logs,one can't help but get the impression that they take themselves too seriously and there's also the distinct impression that they are so far into this that they can't see why what they've been alleged of doing is so unsavoury.
Then there's the issue of Phantom Zone and here we need to rewind a bit and go back to Redzone. JLU were advocates of Redzone as can be seen in this post and both in the post and the comments they try and suggest that griefers are whipping up a frenzy, Emiley Tomsen in the article:
"It is clear that at least some percentage of the Green Zoners have an agenda in which the public welfare plays no part. Even some otherwise responsible journalists have fallen for this ruse, unintentionally siding with copybotters, known trolls and sim crashers."
Sound familiar? The same sort of accusations are being thrown around now, it's also interesting that the time JLU clearly supported the concepts of alt detection. Kalel Venkman gives an insight into the JLU mindset in those comments too and maybe this explains why JLU have gone so far off the beaten track and can't see why they're being criticised because this is a gem:
"To put the flame war and ad hominem attacks in perspective, the Green Zone Users appear to be about 70% BDSM, about 4% age play, about 3-4% griefer alts and about 5-6% business people or landholders. Somewhere between 10% and 20% are alts of other members, mostly belonging to just a half dozen people – mostly just there to "stuff the ballot box". For the most part these are people with something to hide, not political activists. There's a smattering of people in the group who are there out of civic responsibility, but not very many.
But even if the body of evidence that zFire had amassed against the creator of Green Zone was entirely fictitious (hard to imagine given the detail), we are left with this, Pacha: Green Zone began as a vendetta, not a public service. It began as a personal conflict between zFire and the founder. That's the point at which any rational person takes a step back and asks themselves, "What's really going on here?"
One thing I feel sure of, though, is that whatever veneer might have been applied to it, this was not civic responsibility in action."
Let's put this into clear perspective, JLU were wrong on Redzone, those opposed to it were found to be right and the harvesting that went on was wrong too. I'm not at all sure where Kalel got his statistics from that 70% were BDSM and 4% ageplay, seems made up to me.
So back to Phantom Zone, you can read about it here, first of all, I would never use such a system, partially after seeing their comments on alt detection and Redzone. I'm also not a fan of such a networked banning system as they are ripe for people with grievances to put people on them in the hope their Second Life experience is ruined in other parts of the grid. There's also a lack of information as to how these probes work and whether everyone is scanned and added to the database or whether it's only a device that compares a visitor to the existing database, I don't like the sound of it that's for sure.
Once again I urge Kalel Venkman to reign his people in, show some leadership and get back to patrolling and reporting abuse, JLU still look far off track to me, maybe they're too far gone now to see it, there are times when it seems the JLU have got confused about the good cop/bad cop concept and are playing bad cop/bad cop, really reign it in Kalel and get your group back on the straight and narrow.
5 Responses to "JLU – Responses, Criticism And The Phantom Zone"
[…] JLU – Responses, Criticism And The Phantom Zone » Ciaran Laval Source: sl.governormarley.com […]
Just to clear up the confusion, the PZ node compares reported persons present in the sim with the local and global (if the node is set to 'trusting') banlist, this is filtered further by the node network's (each node owner controls at least one personal network to which they may set their node ) pass list. What this means is that landowners have full control over if they wish to use global bans and may even override individual global bans on a local level.
The node does not record anything about visitors to the sim/parcel.
When we supported RedZone, it was in line with and compliant to TS/CS. That changed when Linden Lab added alt names to disclosure materials. We immediately altered policy to comply with this and could no longer support RedZone or other such systems. "Wrong" as you use it here would be correct if we had continued to support it, we did not.
In truth about copy botting, we do and have reported it where we felt there was sufficient evidence of it. As you might imagine unless one owns the original item or created it the question of "is this a copy or just incredibly close to the other?" is not always simple to answer.


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Admission to Brunswick Summer Celebration is $3.
- When: June 29 – July 4, 2016
- Location: (Map It) Brunswick High School in Brunswick, Ohio
- Phone: 330-220-1111
- Web: Summer-Celebration.com
Brunswick Summer Celebration is one of the leading festivals in the area. From contests and giveaways, to amusement park rides and games, there's something for everyone at this six day festival. Events include: all genres of live musical acts and entertainment, rides for all ages (Bates Bros. Amusements), food, games, commercial vendors, beer grotto, give-a-ways, committee sponsored contests for all ages and fireworks (Saturday). No matter what you do, there's always something for you at this Brunswick summer tradition.


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Both Sides of the Fence
A Tosa resident since 1991, Christine walks the dog, cooks but avoids housework, writes and reads, and enjoys the company of friends and strangers. Her job takes her around the state, learning about people's health. A Quaker (no, they don't wear blue hats or sell oatmeal or motor oil), she has been known to stand on both sides of the political and philosophic fence at the same time, which is very uncomfortable when you think about it. She writes about pretty much whatever stops in to visit her busy mind at the moment. One reader described her as "incredibly opinionated but not judgmental." That sounds like a good thing to strive for!
Don't be scared silly
Wauwatosa seems to be divided about a couple things, Halloween and who should be president among them. October 26 was official Trick or Treat day, but the real Halloween is next Friday. Some neighborhoods celebrated this weekend, others are holding out for the real thing. Some of us didn't figure out which until it was too late.
It's no secret that I'm a political partisan (as well as a partisan of old fashioned Halloweens), but this blog isn't about that. It's about hoping that when it comes to the upcoming election, you will figure out who you want in office before it's too late, and you will figure it out based on something besides fear and anger. A lot of false notions are masquerading as facts and scaring the bejesus out of people.
Examples? One from each side: the McCain campaign is sending out vampires and monsters to scare people with false claims about Obama's taxation proposals, and the Obama campaign has sent out a little ghoul trying to scare people about McCain's Social Security policy. Of course I think "the other side" has made many more of these undesireable moves than "my side" has. But reasonable people will come to different conclusions about the candidates, because of or despite their campaign tactics.
If you want to look under the fact-masks, Factcheck.org will help. Blogs and robot callers, not so much.
I spent the weekend canvassing. That means I clutched my clipboard and trudged through a couple Tosa neighborhoods knocking on doors and asking who people were supporting. If they were supporting the other guy, I said thanks and crossed them off the list so they wouldn't continue to get calls from "us." If they said they were supporting my guy, I said thanks and hit them up to volunteer.
Most people weren't home. Those who were came down pretty evenly divided among supporters for my guy and for the other guy. Some canvassers in other parts of town tell horror stories about people's viciousness, but our neighbors aren't like that. I ran into a few folks with tight jaws of disapproval, but they were unfailingly courteous, as I hope I was.
And there's a block or two on 107th Street that win my vote for the best neighborhood in Wauwatosa, not based on political leanings but based on great people and great houses. I'm not telling you which one so everyone on 107th Street can take the props.
There's another block on another street where thoughtful neighbors and I were able to hatch a plan to get an elderly woman to the polls to vote--whoever she was voting for.
I started out hating knocking on doors, but then I thought about Mother Teresa, who said, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love."So I knocked with love. She also said we should be faithful in small things, because that is where our strength lies. That's one of the measures I'm using to discern the better candidate. Negative campaigning is never faithful. But it works because the brain is hardwired to latch onto fear.
Luckily, we have reason and access to information to help us separate real fears from false ones. In this campaign, fears about race, religion, and age are all false fears. And so are the other fears that come from projecting the candidates as extreme and outrageous. Neither is, and while I know the delicious thrill of indignation, I'm learning to put it aside for the duller sensation and harder work of rational thinking. Most of you are probably ahead of me on this.
If you are given to passion that plays out in strong statements about candidates and the future, please think about what it does to your children. When they hear that life as we know it will end if the other guy is elected, it strikes deep fear into their hearts. Like Halloween fears, it's false. The worst demons and catastrophes we can imagine almost never come knocking at the door, asking for candy.
On November 4, please do a small and ordinary thing with love. Bring your best angels and thinking to the democratic privilege of voting.
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The draw for the Champions League last 16 was made in Nyon, Switzerland, on Thursday, and the balls have thrown up some potential classics.
Here's the draw in full:
Galatasaray vs. FC Schalke
Celtic vs. Juventus
Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Borussia Dortmund
AC Milan vs. Barcelona
Real Madrid vs. Manchester United
Valencia vs. Paris Saint-Germain
Porto vs. Malaga
Real Madrid vs. Manchester United is a glamor tie that will evoke memories of epic clashes gone by and bring together two of the game's great coaches in Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. It will also pit Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo against his former club.
AC Milan vs. Barcelona is another matchup with a considerable backstory, taking us back to the 1994 final that saw Milan thump Barca 4-0. Much has changed since then, but a resurgent Milan have been asked the ultimate question against the might of Barca and Lionel Messi.
German sides Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are heavily fancied this season, but have both been handed testing ties—against Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk, respectively.
Elsewhere, Scottish champions Celtic have been rewarded for their progress with a meeting against Andrea Pirlo's Juventus, while big-spending PSG of France will face Spanish side Valencia.
Here are my predictions for all eight ties.


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2012 Availability- going, goingWednesday, December 21st, 2011
The word is out on our powder mine at the Barron Yurt! For the first time ever, it's almost booked for the entire season! We have one trip left from Feb 5-9th available. Given the strong return demand, now may be the time to book for 2013- all dates are currently available.
For our standard heli-skiing programs (if you can ever call heli-shredding "standard"), other than Feb 1, we're completely booked for the month but we have openings still in January, an excellent time to visit the North Cascades. Later in the season, availability is scarce in early March, but there is decent availability mostly near the end of our season (March 25th). These spots are not going to last long so give us a shout soon because this year is going to be epic!
To sweeten the deal in January, we're offering unlimited vertical after our guarantee of 7 runs has been reached. How it's work? If time allows, we'll make a few more runs at no extra cost to you. Call or email the NCH office to arrange your January powder party. We have good availability other than Jan 21-22 which are fully booked.
We can run heli-assisted ski tours in February and March on many dates still, so call the office if you are interested in booking a heli-touring program.


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Skateboarding and BMX are traditional action sports, widely spread in urban areas due to their nature. Specialized parks provide safe areas, where especially children can spend active quality time. At Alliance we provide creative solutions in integrating action sports within urban areas.
Besides skateboarding and BMX, mountain biking is also gaining on popularity within urban areas, therefore we have expanded our range of services to also include different types of urban parks for mountain biking such as skill parks, race tracks and dirt jumps. Using modular wooden elements, we can provide safe, durable and cost-effective solutions.
Events in urban areas can be especially effective as they can attract large crowds. However, the organization of action sports events in urban areas requires advanced techniques and organization of work, especially when dirt of snow sport objects come into play. At Alliance we have experience with action sports events like Air&Style and we also have the necessary resources to plan and realize even the most advanced projects.
According to the phase of development, our services can be divided into four main groups:


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President Obama unveiled proposals to reduce gun violence on Wednesday. The move stems from the Newtown, Conn., shootings that killed 20 children and six adults. As Sam Hendren of Ohio public radio station WOSU reports, both of Ohio's senators say they'd consider some form of stricter regulations.
Ohio's junior senator, Republican Rob Portman, says he's now open to considering new restrictions on assault rifles -- something he opposed when he served in the U.S. House. Portman told reporters a few weeks ago that he'd also consider outlawing high-capacity ammunition clips. Those are positions shared by his Democratic colleague, Sen. Sherrod Brown.
BROWN: "It's not going to eliminate the problem, certainly, the assault weapon ban, but it's also a question of these magazines that people can, in a matter of seconds, fire 20 shots. It's not necessary that people have those to hunt and I think we need to look at mental health issues. "
Both senators say they don't believe that hurried passage of legislation can address the scope of gun violence.
BROWN: "It's a broader question. It's not just about guns but it's partly about guns."


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All Videos
Dreaming the HTC Dream
If you have been waiting for the Google Android phone, the HTC Dream, wait no more! The Android phone, also commonly known overseas as the HTC G1, has just arrived in town and we've prepared a quick video roundup of the HTC Dream's features.
Mobile World Congress 2009 - Showcase Nokia
And in the continuing video coverage of the Mobile World Congress 2009, we share our findings as we explored the Showcase Nokia ground. Highlights include the new E-series, Navigator, Classic and of course, the 8-megagpixel camera phone, the Nokia N86.
Mobile World Congress 2009 - The Samsung Saga
For all the mobile phone enthusiasts out there, here's a quick summary of some of the key highlights from Samsung's lineup which appeared at the Mobile World Congress 2009.
HWM View Point #4: Panasonic LUMIX Autumn 2009 Collection
The editorial team met up with overseas marketing and product specialists from Panasonic to have a closer look at the company's latest range of digital cameras for the Autumn season. Organized by Panasonic Asia Pacific, the team was able to get a hands-on session with Panasonic's Lumix compact cameras as well as hear about the company's Micro Four Thirds system cameras.
Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 - Bowling!
Here's a quick look at one of the games that comes with the Lenovo IdeaCentre A600, the latest All-in-One desktop from Lenovo.
The Notebook Battery Wars
As promised, here's our first ZoneOut video for 2009 featuring two notebooks with uber long battery lives - the Dell Latitude E6400 and the HP EliteBook 6930p. We do the legwork to give you the verdict on who lasts longer.
Pocket This - The Sony VAIO P
Where oh where will the Sony VAIO Pocket fit? We find out in this entertaining episode.
HP Mini 1000 Netbook Review
Check out The Good, the Bad and the W.I.B.I. of HP's latest netbook, the Mini 1000.
HTC Touch HD Overview
The HTC Touch HD, joining the ranks of mobile devices such as the iPhone 3G and Samsung Omnia as a multimedia-centric phone, has completed its tour of duty in our lab. Hear our initial impressions (literally) with our first formal episode of ZoneOut.
PlayTest #2 (August 2008) - The Event
The second PlayTest event organized jointly by HWM, PHOTOVIDEOi, GameAxis Unwired and HardwareZone featured more gadgets and games and allowed readers more chances to interact with the editorial team.
- Fujitsu's New Lifebook UH90 Features 3200 x 1800p Touch Display
- Kabini Motherboards Spotted at Computex 2013
- AMD Announces Elite A-Series Desktop APUs at Computex 2013
- Roccat Flaunts Kone Pro Optical and Ryos MK Pro Keyboard at Computex 2013
- Intel Goes Mobile with Bay Trail Platform
- ASUS Reveals New Gaming Platform of Formula Motherboard and Poseidon Graphics
- Western Digital Begins Shipping World's Slimmest 1TB Drive
- ASUS Unveils World's First Combined Mouse and TouchPad, the VivoMouse
Just Launched
The D810 is the successor to the D800 and D800E, again featuring a 36.3MP sensor without OLPF, but with added video functions and a new EXPE...
The X-mini Uno comes with ceramic tweeters, which produce a wider frequency range covering higher and lower sounds and reduces the distortio...
The Microsoft Surface Pro (64GB) is an Intel Core i5, Windows 8 tablet with the option of attaching either a Touch or Type keyboard cover.
The Microsoft Surface Pro (128GB) is an Intel Core i5, Windows 8 tablet with the option of attaching either a Touch or Type keyboard cover.


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It has been a strange start to the EPL season so far; West Brom are in the Champions League places, Liverpool are on course for relegation while Manchester City are struggling to make the Europa Cup.
Of course, none of these things are going to happen, not for a few years anyways, but there are certainly plenty of managers under pressure to get wins sooner rather than later.
The unpredictability of the EPL is a huge reason why it's the most watched league in the world. Everyone has the ability to beat the very best on any given day.
This weekend, some of the big boys have difficult away trips, with plenty of pundits predicting upsets across the board.
However, sometimes form is temporary, while class is permanent. Here are three away locks this weekend...


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Kadir Has University in Istanbul, Turkey
Fall Term
Program Overview
In the cultural heart of historic Istanbul, the Cibali campus of Kadir Has University is housed in a beautifully restored tobacco factory built upon an Ottoman bath and an 11th century Byzantine cistern. This vibrant new university, founded in 1997, offers students a wide variety of courses taught in English, including art and design, economics, business, social sciences, communication, fine arts, engineering and natural sciences. Scholarships from the Turkish Coalition of America are available for students
of color.
Junior or senior standing; GPA 3.0 preferred. No knowledge of the Turkish language is required to participate in this program.
Students usually earn 12 credits while studying abroad at Kadir Has University, however, this depends on course load and length of stay. All grades earned abroad affect students North Central College GPA when transferred back. Students cannot take courses pass/fail.
Note: Students must have courses pre-approved by North Central College prior to taking them abroad. If students change their course schedules while abroad, they must get this change approved. Some departments only permit students to take a certain number of courses that count toward their major abroad; by getting all courses pre-approved, this ensures that these courses will count towards their degrees.
For a list of course options at Kadir Has University, please click here.
Photo: Kadir Has University
Housing and Meals
Students live with other international students in standard self-catered apartments ("flats"). Students can live in single or double rooms and have access to a kitchen and bathroom that they share with their flatmates. Usually, apartments are 45 minutes to one hour away from the university campus.
Meals: depending on the housing option selected, some meals are included.
Estimated Costs
Students pay North Central College tuition and room and board to the host institution. Students are personally responsible for paying airfare, health insurance, departure tax, books, extra personal travel and spending money, as these items are not included in room and board fees. North Central College financial aid does apply.
Last Updated: October 2016


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Savage Beauty
Alicia Savage
September 23, 2013–January 3, 2014
Opening Oct 4, 2013
Talk Nov 21st at 7 PM
Alicia Savage explores time, place and person through this series of self-portraits. Inner landscape is inspired by physical settings of locations such as the Nova Scotia farmhouse of her maternal grandmother, a lake front family homestead, and the odd hotel room encountered on her journeys.
A series of her photographs, Savage Beauty, is featured at the Griffin Museum at Digital Silver Imaging in Belmont, MA, October 4 through December 6, 2013. An opening reception with the artist will be October 4, 2013 from 6:00 to 8:00pm.
"Photography has opened my mind and heart to understand myself and the world beyond what is assumed; to always be inspired by my curiosity and imagination of what is and could be," says Savage.
Alicia Savage is an emerging self-portrait photographer based in the Boston area. Her imagery captures recorded reflections of herself exploring life and new experiences, revealing both her subconscious and surroundings in what seems to be familiar, yet unknown to the viewer.
The exhibit is open to the public Mondays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
About the Griffin Museum
The Griffin Museum of Photography was founded in 1992 to provide a forum for the exhibition of both historic and contemporary photography. The Museum houses three galleries dedicated solely to the exploration of photographic arts: the Main Gallery, which features rotating exhibits from some of the world's leading photographers; the Atelier Gallery dedicated to showcasing the works of prominent, up-and-coming artists; and the Griffin Gallery, home to the extensive archives of Museum founder and world-renowned photojournalist Arthur Griffin.
About Digital Silver Imaging
Digital Silver Imaging (DSI) was founded in 2008 as a dedicated black-and-white photolab. DSI offers a unique printing process that provides beautiful fiber-based and resin-coated black-and- white silver gelatin prints directly from digital files. Through a full suite of printing and finishing services, DSI creates museum quality, continuous tone images, uniting the advances of the digital world with the art and archival properties of true black-and-white printing. For more on Digital Silver Imaging visit www.digitalsilverimaging.com or call 617-489-0035.


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To help identify and prioritize Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability issues for the Volvo Group, ongoing dialogues with stakeholders are conducted. The dialogues enable us to better understand both internal and external expectations on the Volvo Group, and to ensure that our business operations build value both for the company and society at large.
Round table discussions
During 2012 the Volvo Group began efforts to engage a broad set of stakeholders in the Middle East, Asia and the US. Representatives from various stakeholder groups such as NGOs, employees, investors, academia, government representatives and customers participated. The participants were selected because of their affiliation to one of the stakeholder groups, and for their connection to the Volvo Group's business. The geographical areas were not ranked by level of importance.
The main focus of the dialogues was to get an overall understanding of how CSR and sustainability is viewed in the region and what challenges and opportunities can be identified. The aim was also to map the expectations on a company operating in this region and, more specifically, what is expected of the Volvo Group when it comes to CSR and sustainability.
The results of these stakeholder dialogues help us to better understand how we should act and how we can better create shared value around the world. During 2013 the Volvo Group will continue the stakeholder dialogues in other regions.
Ongoing dialogues
Apart from the discussions described above, ongoing contact with all stakeholder groups is maintained to help us shape our direct business operations and activities. When new operations are started a stakeholder mapping is undertaken and when other major changes are done in the organization, additional contact with the stakeholders is conducted. Stakeholders always have the possibility to convey their questions or opinions via the different contact pages provided on www.volvogroup.com.
Below are a few examples from our stakeholder map.
Products and services are developed in close cooperation with customers to help them improve their own productivity and profitability and support their environmental performance. We have long-term relationships with most of our customers. Customer satisfaction depends not only on the quality and performance of our products, but also on how customers are treated and how service is delivered. More and more of our customers want information about our CSR performance. For some customers, like fleet owners, high CSR and sustainability performance increases our competitiveness in tenders.
Some examples of how we communicate with our customers include:
- Interaction in daily operations
- Dialogue forums such as customer focus groups in the product development phase
- Dialogue via social media
- Customer satisfaction surveys
The Volvo Group follows up on the respective companies' and brands' customer satisfaction position and brand image perception in relevant industries and markets. Customer satisfaction and brand image tracking is measured by established industry surveys.
Employees and trade unions
The Volvo Group has formalized forums for employee dialogue and development, such as personal development plans. We believe that open dialogue contributes to personal development as well as more committed employees.
The Volvo Group uses several channels for communication among employees such as:
- Intranet
- In-house magazines
- Team meetings
- Films and webcasts
All employees can ask questions directly to the Group's CEO and management via the intranet. For top-down communication we often practice cascading to employees through managers. Internally we communicate in many different languages. A survey among all employees, focusing on measuring employee engagement is normally conducted on an annual basis.
An internal survey conducted in 2012 targeting 10,000 employees, concluded that the most important CSR and sustainability areas on which to focus are the Volvo Group's contribution to community development, followed by fighting corruption and bribery, workplace safety and responsible sourcing.
The Volvo Group maintains close relationships with a number of labor unions both in formal and informal forums.
Potential employees
It is increasingly important for employees that the company they work for has sound values and engage in social matters. Therefore, the Volvo Group also communicates with potential employees, in order to map their areas of interest and make sure that the Group is regarded as a preferred employer.
This is done in such forums as career days at universities and participation in industry conferences and other events.
The Volvo Group works closely with its suppliers. We value long-term relationships and the transfer of knowledge and understanding of each other's processes, procedures and values. Forums for formal communication are:
- Our web-based supplier portal
- Training sessions
- Dedicated supplier days
Capital market
We communicate regularly with shareholders, other investors and financial analysts with interest in CSR and sustainability issues. Among those, compliance issues are still of high interest, but the focus has shifted towards the Volvo Group's strategy on sustainable transport solutions and how CSR and sustainability is integrated in the Group's business model. We hold regular meetings for investors and issue a number of publications:
- Annual reports
- Interim reports
- Press releases
A Capital market day is held at least once a year.
The Volvo Group communicates with politicians, authorities and institutions on an ongoing basis. This interaction includes responses to requests for comments on proposed legislation and regulations. The Group also communicates with local authorities regarding such issues as employment and working conditions.
Most of the issues related to the regulation of our products are dealt with industry organizations of which the Volvo Group is a member. A Society market day was held for the first time in 2012.
Non-Governmental Organizations
The Volvo Group welcomes dialogue with NGOs. We have approximately 100 cooperative projects with NGOs around the world. The Group has two worldwide strategic partnerships, WWF and Oxfam, but most cooperation is on a local level with local NGOs and aid organizations.
Universities and research institutes
The Volvo Group is involved in a comprehensive series of cooperative ventures with research bodies and academic institutions to advance the technologies needed for future product development. One example is the Volvo Group initiative Academic Partner Program.
Our involvement with universities is also important for creating relationships with students and potential employees and thus for securing access to future competence.


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Swarm Signs Downing to Two-Year Contract
from press release
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Swarm announced Monday that the team has signed T Greg Downing and D Tyler Collins to two-year contracts.
The Swarm selected Downing in the first round (ninth overall) and Collins in the fourth round (30th overall) of the 2011 dispersal draft of Boston Blazers players this past September.
"Greg was a strategic pick for us," Associate General Manager Joe Sullivan said. "He will help our team better compete for loose balls, which is an area we are looking to have more success at in 2012. Greg's speed and athleticism led him to a combined 179 loose balls in the past two seasons. We're looking forward to watching his game develop now as a member of the Swarm."
Downing, 26, appeared in 45 games with the Blazers from 2009-11 and totaled 33 points (5g, 28a) along with 274 loose balls. The Auburn, New York native registered four assists, 11 forced turnovers and collected 78 loose balls in 16 games with Boston in 2011. He posted a career-high 101 loose balls in 2010 and totaled 95 as a rookie in 2009.
The Blazers selected Downing in the fourth round (43rd overall) of the 2007 NLL Entry Draft. Prior to joining the NLL, Downing was a three-time All-American at Fairfield University and helped lead the Stags to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005.
Collins, 24, was ranked as the #14 prospect by IL Indoor heading into the 2010 NLL Entry Draft; Boston went on to select him with the 46th overall pick in the fifth round. Collins' playing résumé is highlighted by his four-year career at Colgate University and stints with the Brooklin Redman (MSL) and Toronto Beaches (OLA Jr. A).
"Tyler is a big, strong back door man that will bring physical play to camp," Sullivan said.
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text: You are browsing through zazzle's long time no see gifts section where you can find many styles, sizes, and colors of customizable long time no see shirts, mugs, posters, bumper stickers, and other products. Most products are ready to be customized with text, photos, or artwork, but all can be bought as shown. Most gift orders ship in 24 hours. There is no minimum order size.


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Economic Statistics for 15 Mar 12
The following statistics were released today on the state of the US economy:
Initial jobless claims continued their decline in the latest week, down 14,000 to 351,000. The four-week moving average is steady at 355,750 which is the recovery low.
The overall Producer Price Index rose 0.4% last month. The core rate, ex-food and –energy, rose 0.2%.
While the components of the Empire State Mfg Survey are mixed, the overall index rose 20.21 this month, from 19.53 last month.
The Philadeplphia Fed survey mirrors the same mixed indicators as the NY survey, with noticeable weakness in key components, but an overall rise in the headline index to 12.5. Both surveys are showing weakness in new orders.
The Treasury International Capital report indicates strong foreign buying of US securities, leading to a net long-term flow of $101.0 billion in January.
The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index climbed another three points, to -33.7 in the March 11 week.
Dale Franks
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The quest for the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship has officially arrived!
In the second round, the Creighton Blue Jays will be going head to head with the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Creighton went 27-7 while being led by junior Doug McDermott, who averaged 23.1 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game this season.
On the other hand, Cincinnati posted a 22-11 record while junior Sean Kilpatrick led the team with 16.9 PPG and 5.2 RPG on the year.
Who will win? Let us know in the comments below!
Bleacher Report will have around-the-clock coverage of the tournament as March Madness celebrates its' 75th year of competition! Join us for exclusive game coverage, professional player comparisons and more!


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Employees' Compensation
The Employees' Compensation (EC) benefits or disability benefits is a compensation package for public and private sector employees and their dependents in the event of work-related injury, sickness, disability or death. The EC is a purely employer-based contribution benefit. Thus, the employee is not required to contribute any amount to the program. The employee compensation benefits are in the following options:
- Cash income benefits for disability or death
- Medical and related services for injury or sickness
- Rehabilitation services ( in addition to monthly cash income benefit) for permanent disability
The benefits given to the employee or his beneficiaries are in the form of:
- Daily cash income benefit for temporary total disability (TTD)
- Monthly cash income benefit for permanent total disability (PTD) on a lifetime basis
- Monthly cash income benefit for permanent partial disability (PPD)
- Monthly cash income benefit for death, also on a lifetime basis, except for benefit paid to secondary beneficiaries, which is a monthly pension not to exceed 60 months but not less than fifteen thousand pesos
- Medical services, appliances and supplies for injury or sickness
- Rehabilitation services for permanent disability
- Carer's allowance for permanent disability.
The Compensability Conditions are as follows:
- Injury must be the result of accident arising out of and in the course of employment.
- Sickness must be listed /considered an "occupational disease"; or even if not listed as one, it must be shown that the risk of contracting the sickness is increased by the working conditions.
- Disability/Death is caused by work-connected injury or sickness
There are exceptions to Compensability or injury, sickness, disability or death. These exceptions are applicable when any of these is due to the employee's:
- Intoxication or drunkenness
- Willful intention to injure or kill himself or another
- Notorious negligence
- Not work-related
Here are the Occupational Diseases under PD626
- Papilloma of the bladder
- Cancer, epithellomatous or ulceration of the skin or of the corneal surface of the eye
- Cataracts
- Deafness
- Decompression sickness, Caisson disease, and Aeroembolism
- Dermatitis due to irritants and sensitizers
- Infections, namely: Anthrax, Brucellosis, Glanders, Rabies, Tuberculosis, Tularemia, Weill's disease, Q Fever or equine encephalomyelitis, Mite dermatitis
- Ionizing radiation disease, inflammation, ulceration or malignant disease of the skin or subcutaneous tissues of the bones or leukemia or anemia of the aplastic type due to X-rays, ionizing particles, radium or other radioactive substances, namely: Acute radiation syndrome: Chronic radiation syndrome and Glass blower's cataract
- Poisoning
- Pneumoconiosis
- Diseases caused by abnormalities in temperature and humidity
- Vascular disturbance in the upper extremities due to continuous vibration from pneumatic tools or power drills, riveting machines or hammers
- Viral hepatitis
- Poisoning by cadmium
- Leukemia and lymphoma
- Cancer of the stomach and other lymphatic and blood forming vessels, nasal cavities and sinuses
- Cancer of the lungs, liver and brain
- Cardio-vascular diseases
- Cerebro-vascular accidents
- Malaria and schistosomiasis
- Pneumonia
- Hernia
- Bronchial asthma
- Osteoarthritis
- Viral encephalitis
- Peptic ulcer
- Pulmonary tuberculosis
- Viral hepatitis
- Essential hypertension
- Asbestosis


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Posted on 03/18/2014 03:49:05 PM
Daily Prompt: Weaving the Threads. Draft a post with three parts, each unrelated to the other, but create a common thread between them by including the same item — an object, a symbol, a place Our House Lyrics by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. From My Girl 2 Our house is a very, ..
The Pitfalls of Anthropomorphism
Posted on 02/14/2014 07:29:58 AM
Throughout the past two hundred years, urbanization of the US population has increased exponentially, from 5% of the population living in cities greater than five thousand people in 1790, to 25% in 1870, 43% by 1920 and culminating in a current urban population of more than 80%, with farmers making ..
Posted on 01/09/2014 07:27:39 PM
Shadow was a slobbery, drooling dog, a big black lab mix with overgrown feet and an overgrown personality. The relationship between man and beast is an interesting one. What is it about dogs that tempts us to repeat the age-old phrase, "dogs are man's best friend"? My husband contends that we love ..
Are You Ready to Look After a Dog?
Posted on 11/19/2013 07:18:36 AM
If you find your perfect canine companion in a pet shop or a rescue centre, you might be tempted to take him home straight away, but are you really ready for a dog? You'll have to dedicate a (dog's) lifelong commitment to looking after him or her, which will cost you both time and..
How to Keep Your Rabbits Happy
Posted on 09/24/2013 03:49:53 AM
Keeping your rabbit outside all year round means that you need to also keep him safe from cats and dogs and other predators that may live nearby. Choosing the right hutch for him to live in is very important and these tips will make sure he stays a very happy bunny! The first style of hutch a..
Posted on 09/16/2013 08:23:37 AM
With current environment problems the most logical thing we can do is to try to use less water in our daily lives. The ways to do so are different and if applied simultaneously by many people, the effect will be profound. How to save water? Cleaning is one of the most water consum..
Posted on 09/10/2013 06:20:40 AM
Last week I received an email from one of my neighbours, with the subject line "mouse". Living up in the Great White North, fronting on a lake with treed/bush areas in behind makes for oodles of 'wild' critters roaming the area. Deer, raccoons, skunks, mink, musk..
Colony Collapse– Documentary Addresses Global Destruction of Bee Population
Posted on 08/18/2013 12:58:48 AM
In response to the continuing decline in the bee population globally, an interesting and timely film documentary by Markus Inhoof brings attention to the phenomenon of colony collapse disorder– the name given to this occurrence. This film notes that 80%..
Guest Post from Kina... (My Dog)
Posted on 07/02/2013 08:04:19 AM
This week at Mama Kat's Writing Workshop, one of the prompts is: Introduce a pet. I figured that Ms. Kina herself might do better justice to this introduction… so here she is! *** Heyyo! I'm Kina — formerly known as Sweetie by my old owner because I'm really ..
Doggie Fashion is Not Just for Small Dogs
Posted on 06/26/2013 11:42:22 AM
Do you think doggie fashion is just for small dogs? If so, think again! When people hear the term "doggie fashion" usually their first instinct is to think of a cute little Chihuahua in the purse of a Hollywood heiress. Though a lot of the fashionable items for dogs are made for the..


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A headmaster who accused state schools of producing "amoral" children has tried to quell the controversy by saying that he was not attacking the state education sector as a whole.
In a letter to The Times today, Richard Walden says that many state schools do a "marvellous job". But he argues that many others find it difficult to give priority to character-building, due to external pressures such as government inspections.
Mr Walden made his remarks last week at the annual conference of the Independent Schools Association, of which he is chairman. His reference to "amoral children" was based on a


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|DM Downrightamazed
@Kyras and @Azami: Shoto Situbo looks carefully from one of you to the other. Something shifts in his bearing and he suddenly stands up and bows deeply. "I believe the two of you have your situation under control. My clan will not hide you, nor will we enter into this travel-and-trade agreement with you, at this time. Perhaps tonight's dinner will change my mind. Perhaps not. Perhaps it will be too late. Either way, I must ask you both now to leave. If you still insist on seeking shelter, I might suggest you speak to Clan Sera. Their city house is not far. Good day to you both, honorable citizens."
He turns and walks swiftly out. Servants come in to clean the tea service, then a pair of pleasantly smiling functionaries arrive at the door to see you out.
|DM Downrightamazed
@Tokine: Neither emissary seems at all ruffled by your comments as you cleverly and smoothly pass them off. They are both pleased you recognize the paintings as being Telestari in origin. The elf smiles at your comments about their homeland. "Iridian has suffered much. We would see her reputation restored, her dignity, as well. These paintings may help. Our cause, our purpose...it reaches to the very gods themselves, Madame Curator. We are not thieves or bullies, seeking the ownership of treasures we intend to pawn off for material gain when we discover they grant no great power. No, we are visionaries, seekers after great Truths and singular Beauties." The human, standing a bit behind the elf and off to one side, has a rapturous smile on his face.
The human speaks. "There are...criminal organizations in your great city, as I trust you are well aware. One of these has stolen the painting we seek and taken it into some kind of strange underground tunnel system. We are hoping to find a guide for these tunnels and retrieve the painting. We can offer significant reinforcements to aid in this regard."
|Wei Khangzhi-Lung
K(Nature) 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
A kami ay? Gozreh, you honor me, Khangzhi thinks. He sits down in the lotus position to await the spirits arrival, believing patiently waiting for it's aid would be far more sensible than rushing ahead blindly .
|Azami Ito
Azami just looks at Kyras after the Shoto patriarch leaves, ignoring the servants clearing away the tea.
If she wasn't so ridiculously relieved to finally be within reach of him, she might punch him for everything that has happened in the last few hours, unable to satisfy any of conflicting mix of feelings that rises in her. "This has been insightful," she deadpans, unwilling to discuss the spider while still so centered in its web. Their escort arrives, and Azami sighs. "Let us go, Kyras."
|Tokine Nagano
Hearing the offer, Tokine's smile gets wider. "Well...now it seems I can be of service with one condition. I hope your significant resources are close at hand, because I can offer you a very motivated guide to lead you right to the heart of this criminal organization. The catch, we leave within the hour."
|Kyras Erodal
Kyras internally steams at the sudden and almost tactless dismissal by Shoto Sibuto. How could the man not see the benefit of assisting him? Even though the thought made him grit his teeth, he was willing to let his son - the very man Kyras suspects knows exactly where or how to find his sister - come along with them. To meet with the Telestari! To save the Empire, not to mention THE WHOLE OF EXISTENCE! Kyras, simply put, is furious, and more naturally than Kalaroth's foul influence could ever make him.
Bluff 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (16) + 17 = 33
Kyras simply shrugs as if nothing is wrong and he is not put out. He looks uninterested and almost bored by Situbo's rejection. He offers Azami a roguish smile and offers her the crook of his arm in a very Western fashion. "Shall we? I know a decent rice joint not too far from here." He winks at the escort, as if implying a message between them even though Kyras doesn't care one bit about the servant.
|DM Downrightamazed
@Tokine: The elf smiles and looks genuinely excited. "Oh yes! Yes, they can be mustered with all expedience." He nods to his human companion, who bows low.
"A pleasure, Nagano-sama." he intones, then walks quickly but calmly out.
The elf continues speaking. "My friend Samuel will be back soon. I'm certain we can leave within the hour. Do you have your own forces you are waiting on? A rescue party, perhaps?" He reaches into his bag and pulls out an elven wineskin. "I have brought another gift from our homeland that you may enjoy; leaf-wine dating back to the days of the Bard-King. It is said to be the last of its kind, and a heady drink. Care for a small sip? Among the finer things in life, it is one of the very finest." His beautiful eyes twinkle in the room's soft light.
|Azami Ito
At this point, she'd pick him up herself to get them out of here; Azami awkwardly puts her gauntlet'd hand on his arm just below the elbow and follows him out.
Sense motive 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
Assuming they get out unbothered, the moment they exit, her hand falls away to join the other in folding across her chest and regarding the man. "What was that about?" she hisses, walking away from the palatial building - feeling the eyes of the spider from their bridges above.
|DM Downrightamazed
@Wei: The wind starts to pick up more and more, and after a scant handful of seconds an enormous gust carries a small figure hurtling forward out of the nearby trees. It looks like an archer of immense skill, clade in flowing blue robes and golden armor, wielding a glowing bow and magicked longsword on its belt.
A zuishin.
It floats wordlessly before you for a moment, its eyes hidden in the shadows of its helmet. It seems to not care about the approaching police, who are clearly audible in their approach, but at the sound of a distance *CLANNNNNNNG* far off to the north (your left), its eyes flash with mystical energy and it jets off in that direction, beckoning urgently for you to follow.
|Wei Khangzhi-Lung
|Tokine Nagano
Sense Motive -> 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (15) + 17 = 32
Tokine politely refuses the wine, "There is much I must do in the next hour. But please, enjoy your wine and rest within the temple till your attendant returns. Please ask one of my staff if you have any other needs." She bows and turns.
As she starts to head out, she tries to dismiss her worries over this deal. Rhon and his companions were overwhelmed down there, any allies should be a boon, we will deal with the price later.
Things to do: check on the flooding, arrange for tonight's art items, arrange personal items for extended trip, make arrangements for temple operations - Short of time tonight but will work on this later if this meeting is over
|DM Downrightamazed
@Tokine: The elf looks mildly surprised but bows politely and a bit expansively at your demurral and sits in one of the guest chairs, though he does not pour himself any wine, you notice.
Feel free to wrap up any of the loose ends you mentioned above while his companion fetches their "rescue party" and Ghar finishes whatever rogue-y things he's up to.
|DM Downrightamazed
@Wei: You race through the woods after the zuishin, its moderate flying speed allowing you to easily keep up with it. After several minutes of running through gradually-thickening woods, you come to a small clearing. In this clearing is an ancient shrine to Gozreh, a place of power. It is not a significant power center, this small shrine to the woods and winds, but it is holy, and consecrated to the twin god/goddess of the elements, though the men and women currently defacing it don't seem much to care.
You're currently about two miles from civilization, and in the clearing before you are about 200 or so armed soldiers. From the sounds in the woods you are fairly certain that there are actually many more than 200 in the area, but you can only get a visual on that many.
Standing in the shrine, several clerics or priests of some sort are magically carving symbols into its stones while muttering chants under their breath while a group of about 20 soldiers is spreading some kind of strange reed on the ground around the shrine in a thick mat.
There are carriages and covered wagons and horses all around, indicating these people traveled some way, and they do indeed appear to be westerners; humans, elves, and half-elves.
Suddenly, you duck down as a pair of warriors walk by just a short distance from you; they were so silent and near-invisible that you didn't even see them. Thankfully they appear not to have seen you, but these two are clad in dragonhide armor that has been dyed to match the patterns of the foliage in this area, and walk with tremendous grace and lightness. The zuishin vanished when they came near, but now reappears. It is looking at the damage being done to the shrine, fury clear on its noble face.
|DM Downrightamazed
|Azami Ito
1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24
Azami's steel gaze, once focused on Kyras for an answer, flickers away - scanning the space around them, with a brief check of the sky, despite the rain in her face. She makes a gesture to Kyras that clearly indicates she's not comfortable with the state of things, slowing her walk only a bit to be more aware.
Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17
|Wei Khangzhi-Lung
K(Nature) 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19 Awwww...
This is terrible! Unforgivable! Khangzhi thinks, struggling to supress his rage. He looks sadly at the zuishin and whispers, [b]"I am sorry, but there is nothing I alone can do. I must get help. But trust me, they will be made to suffer for this. And the shrine WILL be restored."[b]
This day is maddening, thwarted at every turn. A man under my protection was taken, the police are after me, and now this. There will be a reckoning. I'm sorry my friend Swift, I promise to find you too. Khangzhi gives the zuishin a pained look and heads off for the city, to find Chu.
|Kyras Erodal
Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
Bluff 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (13) + 17 = 30
SA:Cast fly
Kyras looks around intently, casting his senses in all directions. Kalaroth's possession may have some downsides, like occasionally seizing total control of his body and destroying ancient dragons, but there are benefits as well. His senses have grown sharper, even compared to the keen senses inherited from his father. He feels the rain hitting him, turning to steam from his heat. He hears the drops hitting the street, as well as Azami's heartbeat quickening. What raises her suspicions makes him cautious as well, so Kyras surreptitiously draws forth the magic of flight. While looking around, he says idly to Azami, "So, what's the plan? Mine didn't work out as well as I'd hoped." He is ready for an ambush, but looks like he is quite unprepared.
|Azami Ito
That he sidesteps her question is annoying, a feeling heightened by the rain and sense of uncomfortable tension of quiet around them. Her snipe of "Was handing the Shoto our personal stories part of that plan?" is the release valve for that irritation, usually all she might say. With Kyras, however, she continues in a lower tone. "The Honorable Curator awaits us at the Temple. I had believed that our descent into the undercity was to be later, after the Dinner, but they wish to do it now. We must attend the dinner, though. It was urged that we should, and I, for one, would like to know the whole story of the three factions before we must depart."
|Sera Zhongyi
@Azami and @Kyras: There is a soft clacking sound, and Sera Zhongyi, deadlier of the Sera sisters, steps out of the front door of her city house.
"Gaijin." she says, and her voice is not unkind. It is, in fact, rather ragged. "...you are descending under the city. I would accompany you." Her steely eyes give away nothing.
Or, perhaps; both.
|DM Downrightamazed
@Wei: the trip east to the city is long, but it is one you have made many times before. As you are joggging there, the rain stops for a bit, then picks up again. You could swear you see glorious dragon-kites in the sky, so life-like you would swear they were real, if you didn't know better; the true dragons haven't been seen for decades...centuries!
As a citizen of the empire, and one in good standing at that, you are welcomed in by the guards. You know that Chu is fond of studious endeavors, so you begin your search in the university and eventually find him in one of the libraries, surrounded by tomes, deep in study. He looks up as you approach.
|DM Downrightamazed
@Chu: You are working intensely on the "problem of 1163" as you have come to think of it, when you hear soft, precise footsteps stop in front of your table. You look up and see Wei Khangzhi, an old acquaintance. He is a monk, and a keeper of a wildlife preserve west of the city. He has always been someone whom you could trust, and a faithful friend in times of difficulty, his more balanced and natural approach to learning an excellent counterpoint to your book-honed intellect. He looks a little winded, telling you he must have journeyed some distance to get to you.
|Kyras Erodal
Sense Motive 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
Kyras returns her steely gaze. After being snubbed by Situbo Shoto, he is not feeling charitable towards nobility. "Would you now? Oh, I guess if you order it, it must be done! Why do you need to go down there, and why should we take you?" He does not mean to be so rude, but it comes out impetuously anyway.
|Azami Ito
Sense Motive 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26
Azami's gaze takes in the state of the woman who steps from her front door, finally meeting the scion's eyes with her own intense hold - seeking to affirm silently that a bond of a common experience of loss was now shared.
With a brief sharp glance at Kyras, the soldier gives a short bow. "Sera-Sama, we would be honored to have you at our side to reclaim our own." The stone in the pouch close to her skin, sodden after hours of rain this day, feels heavy around her neck even as the wooden gift of the Shoto is almost weightless at her side: a reminder that faith may be the truest gift possible in this world.
"We can speak of whys en route. An ally is welcome."
|Sera Zhongyi
Zhongyi gives Azami a strange sideways look, then nods, almost imperceptibly. She gives a low whistle, and the door behind her bursts open and a hundred samurai come rushing smoothly out, in perfect formation. They line up behind her and shout the clan name.
"You are wiser than they give you credit for being, Ito-san. To go Under, one needs force, not stealth." The elder Sera sister falls in with the two of you. "What entrance were you planning to use?"
|Kyras Erodal
|Azami Ito
Azami is usually prefers to appear as though made of stone, rarely revealing how often she is made wrong-footed by the odd occurrences of the last few days; at the appearance of the flood of samurai, she openly blinks and is obviously taken aback by their number. Once she has regained composure, her storm-grey eyes survey the ranks of the samurai assembled with a soldier's eye.
"This soldier's wisdom may be in question when I tell you that we know little of what lies Under - or how to get there. Only that a noxious blossom flourishes there and has one of ours. We know of an entrance in the Honorable Curator's Temple." Azami glances around, as though uncertain how much to say in the middle of the street. "It will be conspicuous to have such a force interested in art," she deadpans.
|Chujitsuna Kage -Loyal Shadow-
Chu stared at the many volumes before him, absorbing, calculating and flipping pages far faster then was humanly possible. The number 1163 was stuck in his mind and his fixation was proving to move beyond maddening at this point.
Jn be the indefinite integral
Jn = Zx−n dx(ax2 + 2bx + c)12.
By integrating
Rx−n−1(ax2 + 2bx + c)12 dx by parts, show that for n = 0, 6ncJn+1 + (2n −1)bJn + (n − 1)aJn−1 = −x−n(ax2+ 2bx + c)12.
Hence evaluate
Z 21dx x 5/2(x + 2)12.
No... That isn't right
The places on the map, they too would need to be investigated but there was too little time. He pulled forth another tome and flipped it open, perusing its pages as he tried to find information on these specific locations. Useless, too little information, too little time...
At the sound of Wei's light footed approach Chu nodding to him as he took in the whole picture. Wei appearing winded was worrisome and interesting at the same time, perking Chu's interest as he looked back to his books. "Honorable Wei, what brings you from your monastery? Were you testing yourself again? A curious exercise running across the country side if I must say. Please sit and drink some tea before you tell me your story." He flipped another page, reading quickly before flipping another page and casting prestidigitation to enhance the flavor of the cooling tea.
|Sera Zhongyi
"Hah!" Zhongyi's laugh is a short and uncomfortable bark, rusty from disuse. She is about to reply to Azami when she closes her mouth abruptly and angles her head to one side. "Do you hear that? What is that?"
|Azami Ito
Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
Azami's brow furrows, immediately looking around for the source of the sound - without leaving the sky or the ground out of her scan. If she cannot see anything, she will turn to her Warbanian friend. "Kyras," her voice clips, "Do you have a way to see that which cannot be seen?"
|Kyras Erodal
Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11
"Does lighting it on fire count?" Kyras hears nothing over the bootsteps of the samurai retainers and the slam of each raindrop on the ground, though he starts craning his neck around to look for an invisible enemy. Looking at Azami for guidance, he rockets up in the air to get a better view. The magic keeps him aloft, thirty feet above the rest, though he doesn't seem to be able to see anything from this height either.
|Tokine Nagano
Tokine bustles into the main reception area. Packing crates and protective cloth haphazardly spread everywhere. She picks her way through the chaos selecting and rejecting pieces for display. She is unaware that she seems to be selecting a high proportion of art associated with dragons. She tells her staff that there is one last piece to be displayed, hung behind where the Palace staff intend the poet to give his performance. It is wrapped in a large bamboo mat in her chambers.
She then checks in on the flood. Not knowing how to help other than to give encouragement to the balers and to tell them to keep an eye out for any strange arrivals similar to the koi transformation of earlier. When some of the younger staff pause to look at the find pond, she sighs "No....I don't mean watch the remaining koi. I mean, I don't know what to expect. This flood is unnatural and I expect an unnatural guest to follow it. Don't let it catch you by surprise, but I also don't expect it to be dangerous.
She then takes Imuri into her chamber and slide the privacy screen closed. Tokine sheds her kimono and finds a simple utilitarian robe used during morning exercises. She pulls it on over her delicate armor. From her closet she pulls out a painted silk kimono. "Have this delivered to the Palace with the art. I may not have time to come back and change."
Imuri looks at her questioningly and then at the kimono, her eyebrows go a little higher....the kimono depicted a Tsunami rising in a bay, as a brave fishing boat ascends the wave. "Are you sure on this? You have many nicer."
Tokine smiles a tired smile, "Quite sure....and these will be yours now. They are gifts to the Curator and that is what you will be after tonight."
"What are you saying?....Where are you going?" The first two coherent thoughts Imuri could muster to say.
Tokine goes to hug Imuri and calm the small shaking that had gripped her assistant. "I have been tasked for a mission. I will need to leave tonight. It is my prayer that the troubles that have plagued our temple will follow me and leave you and the others in peace. I need you to be strong in this."
"But...but I can't be the Curator. I don't know...
But Tokine gently cuts her off, "You know plenty. I rely on you to see that this place functions and now you can rely on Kai and Jinn. Call yourself Acting-Curator if that helps. But I do not know how long I will be gone."
Tokine releases her friend and gives her a gentle smile, and Imuri is able to put a brave smile on herself. "That's it, Imuri. The hardest part is to smile even when you don't feel like it. The others look to see you calm and in control....there I have given you the secret to successful Curating." That gets a small laugh out of Imuri and she feels that the crisis is passed.
Tokine heads back to her closet and pushes aside all that hang there. From the back depths she pulls out a dirty-looking old pack. "I know it doesn't look like much, but its Dwarven and pretty sturdy."
"I can have it mended and cleaned. Imuri offers helpfully.
Tokine smiles lovingly at the tattered pack and laughs, "Not on your life. I would lose all my reputation amongst the Dwarves. But my gear from 'an earlier time' are back in there. Can you see they get packed and this makes it way to the Palace as well? Like I said, I may be leaving quite quickly....and no...don't give me that look, this is hard enough, I can't tell you where I am going, as I am not quite sure myself. But I have less than an hour, to center myself for what will likely prove to be an event-filled night. Can you see that I am not disturbed for about 10 minutes of meditation, but come get me after that...don't let me linger...too much to do."
Tokine settles and tries to clear her mind...friends smiling, friends dying, friends left behind or missing, friends in need, friends killing...her lower lip quivers...there is just too much...too much she must do...too much is expected of her...too much that she just can't let go of.
She puts her head down and silently cries.....cursing herself, knowing this is the one part of the job she had not prepared Imuri for.
|Wei Khangzhi-Lung
With a quick bow, Khangzhi begins. "Honorable Chu, I regret that I must interrupt your studies momentarily. Indeed, I have had no time today for meditations or martial exercises, as my day has been quite full of incident. I began this morning by finding a wounded man at my sanctuary. He had been attacked by a local criminal organization I am sure you are familiar with, the Plum Blossom Syndicate. Shamefully, while I was able to get him to a healer, I could not fully protect him from the group of antagonists that came for us. He called himself 'Swift' and is currently in their hands. During my pursuit of his captors, I came across a small army not far from this city. They were defiling a shrine, much to the chagrin of the local Kami. I was then forced to choose between the possibly hopeless task of tracking multiple ninja through the woods, or bringing news to someone of this nefarious group, I chose the one I could accomplish."
The nagaji pauses for a breath, and tilts his head slightly. "But more importantly, tea! I don't suppose you have fish oil with you?"
|Chujitsuna Kage -Loyal Shadow-
At the mere mention of the Plum Blossom Syndicate, each and every tome slaps shut as if by their own volition. For now his studies on the strange and rather maddening 1163 were over, he leaned back, his eyes mere slits as he listened to the rest of Khangzhi-Lung's story. Arcing a golden scaled eye brow at the mention of a shrine being defiled by some army in the woodlands outside the city. Quite curious... No mercy in how they are dealt with... He waved his hand, not only had he improved the taste of the tea he warmed it up to a suitable temperature as well. "No regrets needed and sadly I have no fish oil on me today, I have been rather distracted of late. Five headed demons, syndicates, disintegration and the like. Its rather laborious, now..." He turned his attention back to the story, that was the interesting bit. "I know not who this Swift is but you spoke of the defilement of a shrine? A small army as well within our borders. Were they westerners? Dragonflight? No, nevermind, we need to get this to the Marshall this needs to be dealt with and you best catch your breath as they will demand even more detail from you." He stands and lets Khangzhi-Lung finish the tea before sweeping off to the Marshall's barracks. "You were right to bring this to the palace, we will deal with this today, it's time the Empire showed the kingdoms we are not to be trifled with."
|DM Downrightamazed
@Azami and @Kyras: Kyras sees them first, but they are soon visible to all of you. Gaijin -- dozens and dozens of them -- are pouring out of various buildings. Busboys, artisans, guests, drunks, husbands, wives, all kinds of people, elves and half-elves and humans are pouring out into the street and taking off at a jog towards the...
...towards Tokine's temple.
The Sera samurai look to their leader for guidance, but Zhongyi holds up one hand, signaling them to stand down. All around you are rapid footsteps, and you can see them running by, but they pay you absolutely no mind, if they even notice you at all.
|Sera Zhongyi
At this point Zhongyi speaks only to Azami, barely taking note of Kyras. "I don't like whatever this is, but we cannot concern ourselves with happenstance at this time, not if we want any chance at success." She gives Azami a significant look, then motions her samurai forward towards the temple district.
|Wei Khangzhi-Lung
Kangzhi politely sips the offered tea, and follows Chu as he swoops off. "Swift, if I am not mistaken, is the name of some folk hero to the people here. But dragonflight? What is that? They were clearly foreigners, elves and humans, and they were spreading some sort of reed around the shrine, but I could not identify it, so I do not know to what end. Thiss, and the other things you mention tell me I have spent to much time isolated at my sanctuary. What on earth is going on in the empire?"
|Chujitsuna Kage -Loyal Shadow-
K-Local - what do I know about Swift?1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
Passing through the halls his robes swirling with each graceful stride as Chu swiftly makes his way to the Marshall's barracks. "Too much to explain right now I'm afraid and some of which is a most sensitive matter, but one step at a time. We deal with these invaders and stop whatever it is they are up to." Chu didn't like this one bit, kidnappings, death, disappearances were happening almost daily. If he got his hands on one of these invaders he'd force the information from them, by any means if it meant keeping the Empire safe.
|Wei Khangzhi-Lung
"Indeed. Well, naturally I defer to you on political matters." Following smoothly behind the serpentfolk, Khangzhi methodically cracked his knuckles, one at a time. The old warrior within was anxious to bring retribution to these soldiers and criminals. "I shall trust you to direct my fists in this matter."
|Shoto Imuri
She will remain under guard until I return, but demonstrate my father's courtesy, Imuri says as we walks briskly to the shrine where his air shugenja await. Send a message to Lord and Lady Shoto that I will be leaving soon to do the Emperor's will. I will need a magistrate as yojimbo and our best maps of any portion of the undercity.
He glides into the temple and awaits the priests' bow, which he returns slightly. The portents are good, my fellow Spider, but no victory was ever one merely by consulting the ancestors. We havetimeless enemies, and it does not please me that the Spider are behind. To the Gossamer Palace.
|Tokine Nagano
<tinkle, tinkle>
Tokine raises her head. Was I sleeping? What was that...? She wipes at the moistness still on her cheeks. <tinkle>
She finds the source of the noise. The Songbird was nudging a small bronze bell in her direction. A little closer with each push of its beak...<tinkle> "Is that for me?" and the bird lets out an affirmative warble.
"You are such a dear. Here to cheer me up?' She takes the bell and finds a leather cord to use to attach it to her glaive.
Hearing it harmonize with all the other bells brings her thoughts back into focus, Yes. There is much to do. I hope I have time before the flood really hits.
She leaves her chamber and makes her way quickly to the Temple's supply room, avoiding all possible diversions. Jana, the attendant rises and bows at Tokine's entrance. "Good Afternoon Jana. I need a scroll tube of about this size..." and she pulls up her voluminous robe sleeve to reveal a tied scroll tube along her arm. "Next, I will need the oldest blank canvas that you can find...and I mean old. I know we had some saved for comparison studies. I need one about this size," as Tokine motions with her hands the proper dimensions. A small vial of strong acid, the stuff the preservers dilute to clean metal. And finally a clutch of the most vibrant paints we have...and some wax.[/b]
Tokine waits as Jana hustles through the racks of art and crafting supplies, placing the items on a large work desk as she acquires them, until finally all were arranged before Tokine. Tokine smiles and bows. "Thank you Jana. The one last thing I require is a little privacy."
Tokine had removed the scroll tube from her arm while waiting. She now removed the rolled paintings within and transferred them to the newly acquired tube with seals of Shelyn. She murmured a small prayer to her Goddess for forgiveness for what she was about to perpetrate. She laid out the canvas and dabbed at it with the paints. Not trying to actually create art, but only to get enough paint on the page to seem like it might have been painted. Not sparing a moment for it to dry, she rolls it into the the empty tube that carried the Plum Blossom caps.
She then loosened the cap on the acid. Working a pinch of wax between her fingers she softened it enough to mold it as a seal around the opening of the bottle. She then replaced the cap and pushed it tight...tight enough not to spill immediately but not strong enough to withstand a sharp shock. The bottle, she carefully fitted into the tube with the fresh "painted" canvas. Found a little packing material to keep the bottle in place and sealed the caps back in place.
Pausing to look around to ensure she is in fact alone, she <whack> slams the tube several times against the desk until she hears a small tinkle of glass with tube. She gives it a few rough shakes, but then a few more gentle shakes until she does not hear the rattle of glass, as if the stopper had come to rest away from the bottle. This tube she then carefully wraps to her chest with a wide, strong cloth and readjusts her robes.
She concludes with another prayer to Shelyn, for forgiveness for any deception and to hopefully bless what she hopes to pull off that might fool those greedy enough to want to bring harm to others over a piece of art.
Tokine takes a deep breath, prepares her smiles and reenters the scuttling activity that has taken over her usually peaceful temple.
Hoping Neutral Good and a little luck will cover what she is trying to do and her recent appreciation of Bluff. Also hoping that short respite might have been enough to gain the spells she would get for leveling. Might come in handy later.
|DM Downrightamazed
|DM Downrightamazed
@Chu and @Wei: The two of you sweep into the palace proper and, with Chu's high-level credentials, are quickly granted access to one of the generals. When you deliver the news, he looks stunned. "You are certain of this? How long must they have been gathering, I wonder, and how many more are there?! I will send scouts immediately to get a full reckoning of how many are out there. This is most troubling."
|DM Downrightamazed
@Tokine: You finish your preparations in time to hear one of the younger interns call your name. "Madame Curator! Madame Curator! They are here, they are all here! Oh!" Stepping outside with no small amount of reluctance, you are surprised to find, outside your temple door, nearly 200 armed and armored gaijin, all in urban combat gear, and disciplined ranks. The elf and human who greeted you so cordially are both smiling. "Ah, Nagano-san. Here we have our 'friends', ready to help."
It is not a little alarming to think that these men summoned a large fighting force in a phenomenally small amount of time. Just where, exactly, had all these warriors been?
Off to your right, Ghar returns with the remaining members of his party; both Gwen and Naradil look murderous. Behind them is Erudima, the young Mambani noble, also grim-faced and ready to fight.
Then, behind the two regiments already here, you are astonished to see fully 100 armored samurai, all clad in jet-black Clan Sera armor and led by none other than the lethal Sera Zhongyi, who is accompanied by Kyras and Azami.
|Sera Zhongyi
|Erudima del Fana del Solarian
|DM Downrightamazed
@Azami and @Kyras: You follow the westerners through the streets. They stop at trash barrels, secret compartments in walls, low buildings, and other places and slowly arm and armor themselves over the course of the trip. By the time they arrive at the temple, they are a fully-prepared fighting force two hundred strong.
At the temple, Tokine seems taken aback to see not only you two, but Zhongyi, the samurai, the westerners, and what's left of Rhon's team.
A wind picks up, the mists get batted about, and thicken.
|DM Downrightamazed
@Shoto Imuri: You return to the gossamer palace and your father informs of you what recently transpired, with the gaijin Kyras Erodal making a strange, brash move requesting aid from your clan that he did not need. He inquires if there was some agreement between the two of you that might have inspired the westerner to do this.
|Shoto Imuri
The gaijin presumes help from the Spider despite his behavior, so he is in dire need. I also need aid the Sera clan and the Empire at large. Imuri fingers a thin silk pouch absently, considering the exchange he must perform later.
I humbly ask, Fsther, where did you send the gaijin and his hapless keeper?
|DM Downrightamazed
"Away. I also dispatched Ahara to follow them and report back what she finds." Your father looks at you mildly. "It will interest you to know that Zhongyi has taken one hundred of her best samurai -- The Black Orchid regiment -- to the Temple of Cultural Exchange, and is in the company of Azami Ito and Kyras Erodal and two hundred gaijin soldiers whose origin I do not know."
Ahara, you know, is your father's most trusted infiltrator and spy.
|Shoto Imuri
This Ahara - is she pretty well defined? What do I know about her? or do you want me to just make her up?
Imuri bows low. Performing a mental inventory, he produces a magnificent jade shogi piece - a king. Today I serve aMother Spider and her Emperor. I do not know where the winds will carry me, but I leave the Web to find my own prey and destiny. Pease tell Yohuro-sama I will remember my lessons.
Imuri bows again and leaves for the museum.


text:
Carrot Mash with Orange and Mint
Isn't this color just gorgeous?? I was so thrilled with this recipe, I just had to share with all you lovelies! Just like so many of you, I'm preparing my Thanksgiving menu. I have this huge binder of tried and true recipes that I refer to in creating my menu using traditional favorites from my mom and those newer ones that I found. I save each year's menu, notes and comments, guests and table settings!
This is not a holiday to throw everyone off from the traditional favorites they wait 364 days for, but I do like to add in a new surprise each year. Though having something new is nice, I make sure to never serve a complete surprise, as in not testing it out before. I'm not one to roast a whole turkey just to test out a side dish. When I want to try out a new turkey recipe, I make it during this season for a Sunday meal just for the fam. I prepared this carrot mash to go along a herb roasted pork loin.
I saw this Carrot Mash recipe in the November 2013 Fine Cooking magazine. I'm usually pretty good at looking at a recipe and knowing that it will either taste good or not based on the ingredients and method of preparation. Still, I test it out, especially before serving to guests. And this one is a winner for sure in my book. First, the color is stunning! So fall like, orange with specks of mint. I processed mine smooth, but they mention it can be mashed for a rustic, chunky appearance and texture.
The taste is sweet enough like a mashed sweet potato dish, the touch of butter enhances the flavor and the mint gently gives each bite an unexpected fresh taste. It pared perfectly with my pork loin and definitely know it will be fabulous with my roasted turkey. I tasted my leftover mash this morning and was very happy to see that this can be made a day ahead. I think the mint becomes a bit more flavored into the dish, so if by chance you have a mint hater – do they exist really? I guess I'd cut back on the mint, but it is just so good, trust me!!
Carrot Mash with Orange and Mint
Fine Cooking, November 2013
2 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces, or ghee
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons. finely chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest; more as needed
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
Put the carrots in a 4-quart saucepan with enough cool water to cover by at least 1 inch. (I used chicken stock instead of the water). Add 1 tsp. salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and cook at a gentle boil until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.
Drain the carrots well in a colander. Return the carrots to the hot saucepan, add in the butter, cream, oil, mint, orange zest, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a dash of hot sauce, gently allow to heat over low heat until the butter is melted and all combined.
For a rustic texture, return the carrots to the pan and mash with a potato masher to the consistency you like.
For a smooth texture (shown), purée the carrots in a food processor until smooth and then add them to the pan, stirring well to combine.
Season to taste with more orange zest, salt, or hot sauce before serving. Can be made up to two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat in microwave just prior to serving. Serves 4-6 as a side.
November 19, 2013 9:49 am
I've never done mashed carrots before but after looking at these photos I'm wondering why not!
November 19, 2013 10:39 am
I too can survey a recipe and have a pretty good idea if it would work for me — I can tell you right now, this will work for me. I don't mess with Thanksgiving much either, my family has certain things they look forward to, but I do like to introduce one new things to keep it interesting, at least for me. I'm liking the idea of fresh mint and orange, so I will either use carrots or butternut squash to mash it up … I mean, mix it up.
November 19, 2013 10:43 am
Sounds and looks delicious! I've never heard of carrot mash before , what a wonderful idea! I definitely need to try this one out. Beautiful color too.
November 19, 2013 1:28 pm
This is a great new recipe for me using carrots. They can be so boring but not with your ingredients. Looking forward to try this recipe.
November 19, 2013 4:58 pm
Love carrots but never think of mashing them – they look so vibrant!
November 19, 2013 5:41 pm
It does look very pretty as it's so vibrant in colour. I wish we celebrated Thanksgiving! It seems to be such a big, big day. My mother used to have a book where she wrote down who came for dinner and what she served. I really should do the same. I'm sure this side dish will be a big success and how good is a dish you can prepare ahead of time! xx
November 19, 2013 10:38 pm
What a treat to find a new recipe that I can add to my celebration dinners! I love this idea, my carrots are always so boring, just lightly cooked and tossed with butter. I can't wait to try this and we love mint around here!
November 19, 2013 10:44 pm
Tasty looking mash!
November 20, 2013 1:00 am
This is the first I've heard of a carrot mash, Linda, and it makes perfect sense. And just look at that color! I wouldn't have a problem serving this at Thanksgiving at all. It would make a tasty addition to the table and, best of all, fulfill my "orange requirement."
November 20, 2013 5:20 am
What a great idea, I am going to try this next time we have carrots
November 20, 2013 5:09 pm
Wow, this really is gorgeous! And orange and mint goes so well with carrots! I'm totally trying this out.
November 22, 2013 12:13 pm
Everyone loves their tried and true dishes at Thanksgiving but I agree that it is nice to add something new. The carrots sound great and could become the new favorite.
November 26, 2013 8:05 am
Just looking at this, I want to grab a huge spoonful for my Thanksgiving plate! That plate of food you have there looks incredible, too. I'm off to grab some carrots to make some soup today…I'll have to settle for that for now. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Susan Donahue permalinkNovember 27, 2013 12:43 pm
Any recommendations on how to warm this up or alternatives to making it ahead of time?
Susan permalinkNovember 27, 2013 8:40 pm
Thanks! I made the carrots today and plan to add the cream, mint, etc tomorrow when I warm it up. Looking forward to trying it!
November 28, 2013 7:42 am
I'm all about using carrots (or any root veggie) in a variety of ways and I can totally get behind this mash. Sounds great, but I might just roast the carrots because I'm a guy and feel compelled to roast or grill things.
Happy Turkey Day Linda! Eat, Drink, and Live Well!!
Rick M permalinkApril 16, 2014 10:21 pm
Excellent site enjoyed reading about and your site…….great taste in food


text:
They did it again! New version, new problems.
I updated to ZASS 8.0.298 this evening. No problems with the installation (i'm running on XP Home SP3).
After rebooting my wireless refused to pick up an IP address from the dhcp server. After several restarts, no solution. Assigning a fixed IP works, I can reach my router. But still no connection to the internet.
Stopping zass: YES Internet!
Tried to get a dhcp ip address for the wired lan. No success either.
Uninstalled 8.0.298. Reset interfaces to dhcp instead of fixed ip. Reboot: all works as desired: interfaces pick up an IP from the dhcp server and internet.
Anyone a clue on what's wrong with 8.0.298 ??
Operating System:Windows XP Home Edition
Software Version:8.0
Product Name:ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite


text:
Meat Stuffed Manicotti
|1⁄2 Cup (8 tbs)
|Minced celery
|1 Cup (16 tbs) (Finely Minced)
|Finely minced onion
|1⁄2 Cup (8 tbs)
|Canned mushrooms
|1⁄2 Cup (8 tbs), minced drained
|Shoulder of veal
|1 Pound, ground
|To Taste
|Seasoned pepper
|To Taste
|3 Tablespoon
|2 1⁄4 Cup (36 tbs)
|1⁄4 Teaspoon
|Grated parmesan cheese
|3 Tablespoon
|12 (Packaged Variety)
|Packaged seasoned bread crumbs
|1⁄2 Cup (8 tbs)
|Egg yolks
|Canned tomato paste
|1 Tablespoon
|White wine
|1⁄4 Cup (4 tbs)
|Meat sauce
|10 1⁄4 Ounce (1 Can, For Spaghetti)
Early in day: In large skillet over low heat, in 1/2 cup butter, saute celery, onions, mushrooms, veal, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper, 20 minutes, stirring often.
Meanwhile, make Bechamel Sauce: In saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter; stir in flour, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon seasoned pepper, nutmeg.
Cook, stirring, until thickened; add 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese; remove from heat.
To 6 quarts boiling water, add 1 tablespoon salt, 4 manicotti; boil rapidly 8 minutes; then remove with slotted spoon to greased bowl.
Repeat, cooking 4 manicotti at time, until all are used.
To veal, add crumbs, yolks, paste, wine; stuff into manicotti.
Place half of Bechamel Sauce in 13" by 9" by 2" baking dish; top with half of meat sauce.
Lay manicotti over this; cover with foil; refrigerate along with rest of sauces.
About 45 minutes bejore serving: Preheat oven to 400°F.; pour rest of Bechamel Sauce over manicotti, then rest of meat sauce.
Bake, covered, 30 minutes or until tender.
Sprinkle with Parmesan.