text:
Surfer's Paradise Resort, July 29, 2010
Following Alien X's energy-wave, every single hotel-patron and employee was freed from Ghostfreak's control, with the side-effect of their memories of the incident being erased. That was okay in Max's books, since they didn't have to deal with a lot of people who knew about aliens…
…but it also meant that they needed one heck of a good cover-up.
At Max's advice, James had all of Ghostfreak's former victims congregate outside the hotel, while the police and HAZMAT personnel – many of which bore hidden badges with hourglass-crests – checked them out, relaying the story Max had passed along.
Standing with the hotel senior staff, Kelly – still in her uniform – groaned. "Oh, God…my head is killing me…"
"You can say that again, sheila," Ripper agreed.
Standing next to James and Johnny, Max nodded. "You kids were lucky you weren't nearby when that gas-line blew; just standing within 100 yards of it could've killed you."
Bummer frowned between winces. "That's awfully strange, sir," he said, "because gas-leaks take an awful long time to reach dangerous levels over an entire building! Plus, I was on the main floor, and I didn't smell any..!"
Johnny piped up. "But sir, don't you remember? We were all in the lobby when you smelled it and told us to evacuate! And then you ran back in and pulled the fire alarms! You saved us all!"
Bummer blinked. "I did?"
James nodded. "You most certainly did, Andrew," he agreed. "Once this mess gets cleared up, you're looking at a raise at the very least!"
Bummer beamed. "Really?" he exclaimed. He looked like he was about to dance for joy…until he cringed, putting his hand to his head. "Ow."
As the three of them stepped back from the crowd, Johnny sighed. "So we do all the work, and Andrew gets a raise?" he asked. "This was definitely a horror-movie."
"It was that, or let him start asking questions, John," James said. "For what all of you did tonight, you're all looking at raises." Now it was his turn to sigh. "I just need to figure out what I'm going to tell the insurance company…"
"You don't need to worry about that, Jim," Max said. "The people I work with have a long-standing fund used to clean up after alien-based incidents like this; they'll smooth over your insurance's ruffled feathers." He chuckled. "It sure came in handy over that summer, 6 years ago!"
"The one with your grandchildren tagging along?" James asked, before he grimaced. "Oh, God…Max, I'm sorry to say this, but after tonight, I don't know what to do about Ben!" He put his hand to his head. "I know he's a good kid – I can't think of any teenager who'd put himself in danger like that to save my daughter – but at the same time, that…thing on his wrist might just be the most dangerous thing I've ever seen! How can I let something like that stay around my family..?"
Max nodded gently. "I can understand why you'd feel that way, Jim," he said. "I think it's time I gave you the whole story."
James snorted. "There's more to this?"
"You asked about what I did, didn't you?" Max replied. "The way I see it, this explanation is long overdue."
James blinked. "What does that have to do with..?"
"Everything, Jim," Max answered. "I suggest you sit down…because this is going to knock your socks off…"
Penthouse Suite
The sun was just hinting at the edge of the horizon as James made his way back to the penthouse, still in mild shock from what Max had told him.
He'd been right: that story had knocked his socks clean off. Any other time, he'd have assumed his old pal was yanking his chain…but after what he and his family had seen, tonight…
Walking through the living room, James came to Lauren's room, where Gloria, Tyler, and George were waiting outside the closed door. "We're letting Lauren sleep here, just for tonight," Gloria said. "I know what you said, James, but after everything..!"
"…she should be here with us, Gloria. I agree," James soothed. "How's she doing?"
"Lo hasn't said a word since she left Ben's side," Ty answered.
George nodded. "Yeah; not even me bugging her got her to talk!"
James knew what that meant. "She's still in shock."
Gloria looked stricken. "What are we going to do, James?" she asked. "Our little girl may have…she may have PTSD..!"
"One thing at a time, honey," James said, calming her. "First we make sure Lauren feels safe again." Moving to the door, he lightly tapped on it. "Lauren? Princess? Can we come in?"
When only silence answered him, James slowly turned the doorknob, and inched the door open, allowing them to see Lo, sitting on her bed, her back propped up by her pillows, her knees pulled in close to her chest, her arms hugging her favorite teddy-bear close to her, and her eyes still red from crying, and wide with fright, staring off into space. Gently, Gloria sat down at her bedside. "Hi, baby," she whispered with a smile. "How are you feeling?"
Lo didn't even move or blink.
"We're all glad you're okay, sis," Ty said.
George chuckled. "Man, if I'd known this was all it took to get you to clam up, I'd've spooked you long ago!" he teased. When Lo didn't respond, his smile turned to a worried frown. "See? Nothing!"
Ty sighed. "Yeah, like she'd respond to that, George…"
"Tyler. George." James' voice was flat. "Not now." Sitting on the other side of his daughter's bed, James looked into Lo's wide eyes. "Sweetheart, I know it doesn't seem like it, but I do have some idea of what you're going through," he said softly. "When I was still with the Rangers, there were a lot of things I didn't feel I could talk about with anyone, not even your mother." He sighed. "But I learned pretty fast that those kind of things can only hurt you if you keep them bottled up." He stood back up. "So, whenever you're ready, you can talk to us – to any of us. We promise that what happened to you can't hurt you, anymore." Glancing to the rest of his family, he motioned for them to follow him out…
…but a tiny voice stopped them. "D-Daddy?"
Turning around, James saw that Lo's gaze had shifted an inch towards them, and he was instantly by her side again. "I'm here, sweetheart; we all are…"
"W-Where's Ben?"
James was taken aback for a moment. "He's just outside, honey."
Lo's lower lip quivered. "I want Ben!"
Gloria flinched at her daughter's demand. "Tyler, George, could you give us a minute?" As her two sons left, Gloria sat at Lo's side. "Sweetie, you've had a major shock; you do not need someone who would just remind you of that…"
Lo started to turn hysterical. "Get him here!" she wailed, her pleading expression turned to both her parents. "PLEASE!"
Gloria was about to reply, but James' hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Just give us a minute, Princess," he said, which calmed her, allowing the two of them to leave.
As they left their daughter's room, Gloria spun on him, her expression incredulous. "You're considering this, James?" she cried. "I know Ben's a nice kid, but that…that thing on his arm is dangerous! How can we even let him near..?"
"I had that very same thought just a few minutes ago, Gloria," James replied. "Max cleared a few things up for me."
Gloria crossed her arms. "Well, I'd sure like to hear them!"
James chuckled. "Ask Max: he tells the story better, since he was there." His tone turned serious. "After tonight, I can say I'd trust Benjamin to watch my back."
"But can we trust him with our daughter?"
James sighed. "That one I'm still trying to work out," he admitted. With that, he turned to go. "So I think it's time he and I had that man-to-man talk…"
"Change into something."
"Change into something."
"Change into something."
As he, Gwen, and Kevin stood out on the penthouse balcony, Ben felt his eyebrow start to twitch as George, after walking onto the balcony, repeated his demand for the umpteenth time. "No, George; for the last time, the Omnitrix is not a toy."
Kevin snorted. "And that's the guy who used to…"
"Kevin," Gwen quietly chided.
George wasn't phased. "Aw, come on! Please?" he begged. "I never even got to see you do much with that X-guy! Change into something cool!"
Both of Ben's eyebrows started ticking. 'I'm starting to see where Lo's dad got that habit.' "Even if I was willing George – which I'm not – the Omnitrix is timed OUT!" He held up the watch, its dial still ruby red. "Until it recharges, I can't use it again!"
George's smile fell. "Aw…" he said, before he perked back up. "Hey! You think I could try to use…"
Ben, Gwen, and Kevin all spoke as one. "NO!"
Pouting, George was about to reply, but his father's voice stopped him. "I hope you're not making a nuisance of yourself, mister."
Turning, Ben paled as he saw Lo's father standing in the patio doorway. 'Uh, boy; time to face the music…'
Likely anticipating his thoughts, Gwen piped up. "Is there any major damage to your hotel, Mr. Ridgemount?"
James shrugged. "Not as much as I thought. Max is confident his Plumber-pals can smooth things over with the insurance company."
Gwen nodded. "Well, Kevin and I would be happy to help with the repairs by working here for the rest of the summer."
Kevin arched an eyebrow. "We would? Ow!" He recoiled from Gwen's light elbow to his side. "Uh, I mean, yeah, of course we would."
"That's good of you both; be sure to stop by the front desk for your paperwork," James said. "Right now, though, Benjamin and I need to talk."
Ben sighed. "It's okay, guys: I said that if Mr. R. wanted to kill me afterwards, he could," he said. "You two can go on; just tell Mom and Dad I'm sorry I messed up their vacation."
Gwen smiled gently. "You can tell them yourself, Ben," she answered. "We will see you later." With that, she, Kevin, and George headed off.
Alone with his girlfriend's father, Ben took a deep breath. "Can I at least ask you to use something painless?"
James folded his arms. "Right now, that depends on you, mister," he said. "We have a few bridges to cross."
"I'm sure we do," Ben agreed. "Well, sir, I think I know – or at least have an idea – what you're going to say, and you're right."
James arched an eyebrow. "Really."
Ben nodded glumly as he looked back out at the dark sea on the horizon. "I put Lo – and everyone, really – in danger, today: both by leaving her and by having the Omnitrix," he said. "As long as I have it, I'm still a danger to her – Ghostfreak may have been one of the worst, but he was far from the only one that wants me dead. You know that bomb-threat that got called in, a week ago? That was really done by the Forever Knights, who kidnapped Lo and our friends in order to get me to offer up my neck in exchange! You don't have to explain it to me; I'm dangerous. I get it." His head drooped. "The thing is, sir, I don't think you even need to bother with this talk: after tonight, I think it's safe to say that Lauren is going to drop my butt so fast!"
"Getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren't you?"
"She almost dumped me when my team and I rescued her and the others, sir," Ben said. "When she saw me use the Omnitrix, she freaked out. And even if she hadn't, what happened here tonight would've sent my last girlfriend running for the hills! And she'd had the better part of a year to come to terms with it!" His expression grim, he turned to go. "So you don't have to tell me; I'll have my things packed and ready to go by the morning…"
Ben stopped at James' statement. "Huh?"
James looked haunted. "That's how many times my old Alpha-Unit called me up and let me know there was someone from my Ranger days gunning for me."
Ben paled. "Holy…how did..?"
"How did I deal with it?" James anticipated. "Well, I still have plenty of friends in the Army, but when one of 'em got too close…I did the same as you did, tonight." He chuckled. "Well, maybe not exactly the same; I never had any hardware that could rip out a Tango's soul…although I would've liked one."
Ben smiled nervously. "Yeah; Alien X was always kinda hit-or-miss for me, before. I won't be making a habit of using him." His expression turned serious. "Does Mrs. R. know about..?"
"Gloria knows about what happened; she knew what it could be like when she married me," James said. "Our kids don't know, and they don't need to."
Ben nodded. "Got it."
James sighed. "I honestly thought that whatever threat my family would face would be from me and my past," he continued, "so I suppose I forgot that whoever Lauren met might have ghosts of their own haunting them." He shrugged. "I didn't expect anybody as young as you to have 'em, though."
Ben paused. "Uh…what exactly are you saying..?"
"I'm not fussy about the fact that you have your own kind of Tangoes ghosting you," James answered, "but considering that Gloria puts up with mine, I can't really judge. And because Lauren's my little girl, my knee-jerk reaction is that no-one is good enough for her…but if I can't be satisfied with a junior space-cop, who saved the entire universe twice, risked getting possessed by a space-ghost to save her, risked losing his mind forever, turned himself into a veritable god, and then gave up that power to comfort her…well, then I guess I'll never be satisfied."
Ben blinked. "H-How did you know about all that?"
"Max told me, son – the whole story."
Ben held his breath. "So…are you saying…are we…okay?"
James frowned. "Just one thing," he said. "You know what you and Lauren saw Gloria and I doing?"
Ben cringed. "It rings a bell."
James' glare was deadly fierce. "You even think about doing that with Lauren before she's 18 and consenting, and you're dead meat."
Ben shivered. "Don't worry!" he replied. "No offence to you and Mrs. R., sir, but after seeing you two, it's safe to say that Lo and I won't even want to think about…that before we're at least that age!"
"Good." James' expression relaxed. "So you plan on joining up with these "Plumbers," eventually?"
Ben shrugged. "It's starting to look like my only viable option."
James chuckled. "Ever consider enlisting?" he suggested. "I'm sure the Rangers could use a recruit like you."
Ben blinked, before he smiled wryly. "Ask me again if I survive high school."
James laughed. "Fair enough!"
Ben became serious again. "So…you and Mrs. R. are really okay with all this?"
James sighed. "Well, Gloria's still a bit jumpy on the whole subject, but I'm sure she'll calm down," he said. "I think we have to be okay with all this, because just now, our little girl wasn't crying out for either of us."
He looked Ben in the eye. "She was crying out for you."
Ben's eyes went wide. "What?" he exclaimed. "Lo's crying for me? God, Mr. R., why didn't you say so?"
Quickly, Ben darted back into the penthouse, racing towards Lo's room, slowing only as he reached her door. Inching it open, he peered in, and flinched as he saw her sitting at the back of her bed, hugging her teddy-bear as she sniffled. "Hi."
Lo sniffed. "Hi," she whimpered back.
Slowly, Ben walked in, leaving the door open a crack. "How are you feeling?"
"How do you think?"
Ben wanted to slap himself. "Right. Dumb question."
Lo sniffled. "I just…I really don't want to be alone, right now."
Ben sat down next to her. "You're not, Lauren," he promised. "I'm here, and so are your folks."
"My fam doesn't understand," Lo murmured. "Daddy kinda does, maybe, but not like you do." She hiccupped. "T-They don't k-know what kind of…of monsters are out there..!"
Ben gently pulled her into a hug. "It doesn't matter what's out there, baby; I am not going to let anyone – or anything – hurt you," he vowed. He scrunched his eyes. "I shouldn't have let this happen – if I'd just been there…"
"…it would've been someone else!" Lo interrupted, lifting her head, letting her teary gaze meet his. "I-I felt what was in Ghostfreak's head, Ben! He h-hated you so much! He would've grabbed anybody to get at you! If it hadn't been me, he'd have probably grabbed any bystander!"
Ben nodded grimly. "Probably."
Lo tried to slow her sniffles, managing a faint smile. "A-And you'd have still stopped him," she murmured, "b-because that's w-what you do!" She nuzzled her head into his chest. "I get it now, Ben; I didn't, before – not really – but now I do."
Ben hugged her closer. "You shouldn't have had to go through that to understand, Lo," he whispered. His chuckle was half-hearted. "Bet you're sorry you didn't go to cheer-camp, huh?"
Lo shook her head. "Not really," she sniffed. "I wouldn't give up my own knight in shining armour for anything." She weakly giggled. "I just forgot that where knights are, monsters aren't far behind."
Ben took a deep breath. "Yeah, there's…probably going to be more where he came from," he admitted. "Look, Lauren…if you want out…"
Lo just hugged him tighter. "You're worth the monsters, Ben."
At those words, Ben grinned goofily, as he hugged her just as tight. "So are you," he promised, before chuckling. "So, you're a cheerleader, huh?"
Lo half-smiled at his teasing. "Shut up."
Ben shrugged as he looked around. "I guess I should've figured; this room is a dead giveaway…"
He was silenced as Lo clobbered him with her pillow, knocking him to the floor. "You goofball!" she half-laughed. "I've had this major trauma, and you're harshing on my interior-decorating? What kind of boyfriend are you?"
Sitting up, Ben grinned. "The kind that knows enough to get you laughing after a major trauma."
Pouting, Lo crossed her arms. "Great! Now I can't even be mad at you!"
Sitting back down beside her, Ben turned serious as he met her gaze. "Are you gonna be okay?"
Suppressing a sniffle, Lo nodded. "I…I think so," she answered, her lip quivering. "It's just…could you please stay with me, tonight?"
That statement – combined with James' warning – sent alarms ringing through Ben's head. "Uh, Lo, I'm not so sure that's such a great idea; your dad might think…"
"Please, Ben?" Lo pleaded, holding up her bear for emphasis. "I just need to cuddle something bigger than Mr. Snugglecakes."
Managing to keep from chuckling at the bear's name, Ben thought fast. 'Mr. R. said no doing…that, but he never said anything about being a stand-in teddy-bear…' Clearing that thought from his head, he took a deep breath, and nodded; if she needed him, he wasn't going to bail. "Okay," he said, standing up and opening the door. "Let's just leave this open, so nobody gets the wrong idea." Walking back, he lay down on the bed, flat on his back, which let Lo curl up next to him.
The second his head hit the pillows, Ben's nose was tickled by vanilla and lavender, but those scents were quickly drowned out by the alluring floral fragrances of Lo's hair as she nuzzled her head into his chest…nearly sending his hormones through the ceiling. 'Oh, man…oh, man…' Ben mentally whimpered, as he placed a protective hand on Lo's back. 'Okay, okay, gotta distract myself: baseball, soccer, video-games, Sumo-Slammers, the Sumo-Slammer video-game, that time Gwen and I got sucked into the game complete with samurai getup…which Lo would look majorly hot in…no, NO! Dig DEEP! Mr. Smoothie, library books, studying, fighting the Highbreed, stopping the Vreedle brothers..!'
"Ben..?" Lo's sleepy voice broke through Ben's thoughts as she nuzzled closer to him…sleepily draping one of her knees over his. "You're…my…hero…"
Those words, coupled with her motions, sent Ben's brain into a death-spiral. 'Oh, God, this is TORTURE!' he thought. 'It's gonna be a long night…'
Surfer's Paradise, July 30
"Okay, I'd just like it on record that yesterday was NUTS!"
As Reef, Fin, Emma, and Broseph walked into the main lobby, Johnny heard Reef's exclamation, as well as Fin's reply. "I'm with you, Chowderhead…which is terrifying in itself."
"Funny, betty."
"Hey, at least we're all getting raises out of it!" Johnny interjected. "Anything more than that, and Bummer would've started asking questions!"
Broseph shrugged. "Cool by me, bro; with all the cleaning up we're gonna have to do, a little extra coinage is pretty sweet."
"Sounds like you could use some extra hands, too."
Turning around, the five of them found Gwen and Kevin standing there. "After everything, we figured the least we could do was sign up and give you guys a hand," Gwen said.
"Translation: she decided," Kevin quipped.
Gwen fixed her boyfriend with a semi-annoyed stare. "Anyway, we were hoping you guys could show us to the locker-rooms."
Fin grinned. "No problem!" she said. "Welcome aboard!"
Reef nodded. "I hear that! Now that I've got the hang of it, I'm down with helping you three bust some baddies, now and then!"
Kevin snorted. "Says the first guy to get zombified, yesterday."
"Pfft! Like that'll happen again!" Reef said. "No way is anything gonna get the drop on the Reefster, now!"
Kevin grinned slyly. "In that case, don't look over your left shoulder."
Reef blinked. "Why? What's over my – AAAAHHHH!"
Reef's girlish scream cut the air as he darted behind Kevin, but no-one could fault him for it as they all saw the grotesque form of Ghostfreak suspended within a high-tech tank as Max wheeled the tank out of the elevator, with Carl and Sandra right behind him. "Jeez, Madcap! Scare a grom out of his shorts, much?"
Broseph gulped. "Uh, dude? Don't you think you should keep Spooky hidden..?"
"Relax, kids," Max said. "As per my people's instructions, all the guests are sticking to their rooms for the next few hours. Nobody's going to see this nasty fella."
Fin shivered. "I thought…didn't Ben..?"
"Take care of him? I'll say he did!" Max answered, tapping the tank…which got no response. "The lights are off, and nobody's home. This is nothing but an empty shell."
Sandra frowned. "I still say you should just toss that thing into a shuttle and send it into the sun, Max!"
Carl nodded. "I agree, Dad; if that thing can come back from..!"
"I'm not saying I disagree, son," Max countered, "but there's still a lot the Plumbers don't know about Ectonurite physiology! Unless someone has a better idea, the best thing to do is send this thing to the Plumber's xenophysiologists!"
Emma blinked. ""A better idea"?" she repeated. "What else can you do with a soulless corpse?"
Max shrugged. "Well, he did come from the Omnitrix…"
"Absolutely not!" Sandra shouted. "There is no way I'm letting our son…reabsorb that monstrosity!"
"Who's reabsorbing what, Mom?"
Turning, the entire group found a red-eyed, jacketless Ben walking out of the elevator. Noting his state, Reef grinned. "Lo keep you up, dude?"
Ben yawned. "Yeah, but not in the way you think; I was her stand-in teddy-bear."
Reef's smile collapsed. "That's it? Dude!"
Ben rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm gonna make out with Lo while her parents are right outside," he drawled. "I've earned back most of my goodwill, but not that much; I got enough wary stares on my way out as it was, Reef." Looking around, he spotted Ghostfreak's shell. "So what are we doing with him?"
"Well, unless anybody has another idea, Grandpa was gonna take him to the Plumbers," Gwen answered.
"What other idea could there be?"
Kevin shrugged. "You could always stuff him back in the watch."
Ben's eyes narrowed. "After what he did to Lo?" he muttered. "If you're not gonna dissect him, fry him."
"Hold your horses, Ben; this isn't something to decide lightly," Max said. "Judging from what you did with Alien X, I'd say this shell won't be causing any more problems…"
"No offence, Grandpa, but that's what we thought the last time we fried Ghostfreak," Gwen said. "I say get rid of him!"
"Amen to that, Red!" Fin agreed. "Anything capable of coming back from the dead should be kept on ice!"
Emma nodded. "Especially if he makes zombies!"
Johnny cringed. "Yeah, that's a definite entry in the minus-column."
Reef spoke up. "Hold up, bras; bad news or not, did you see how much butt Spooky kicked, yesterday?" he said. "If that's what he can do, I say put him back in the lineup!"
"Dude's kinda got a point there, bros," Broseph added. "I know the guy is – was – major on the undead harshness, but he might come in handy if Ben's got even harsher bad-dudes gunning for him. Better to be prepared, right?"
"Not if he can take Ben over!" Sandra insisted. "Who's to say that thing won't come back, again? I don't want it anywhere near him!"
Max sighed. "Well, Ben? It's your call."
His eyes scrunched shut, Ben put his hand to his forehead. "I…I don't know…"
"Is there any risk of Ghostfreak's mind coming back?"
Once again, everyone had to turn to see the new voice, finding a wobbly Lo, in her sundress, with Ben's jacket over her shoulders, standing there. "Lo, what are you doing up?" Ben asked, moving towards her. "After everything, you need to rest…"
Lo repeated her question, interrupting him. "Is there a chance his mind could come back?" she pressed. "Can you sense anything, Gwen?"
Warily, Gwen held a glowing hand over the tank, before she withdrew it. "Not a trace of him," she confirmed. "Like Grandpa said: he's a vacant loft."
With a nod, Lo met Ben's eyes, suppressing a faint tremble. "When you had him in the Omnitrix, was he useful to you?"
Ben thought hard. "When I was 10, I only used him a couple of times…but he really came in handy when I did use him," he admitted, "and that was when I didn't know about everything he could do."
Shakily, Lo smiled. "Then you should put him back in the watch."
Ben shook his head. "That's not necessary, Lauren; I have plenty more aliens to…"
"You never know when he might come in handy, Ben."
Ben flinched. "After what he did to you, Lo, I'm not going to keep him around; not when he could scare you..!"
Lo's hand on his stopped him. "If his powers can help you save someone else from a monster like him, then you should have him around!" she insisted. "I don't want you to toss away an advantage like him because of me." Her smile was a bit guilty. "I don't want to be that selfish, anymore."
Sandra's eyes went wide with surprise.
Carl chuckled as he looked to his father. "Can my boy pick 'em, or what?"
Max grinned. "Looks like it."
Ben kept his eyes on Lo's. "You're sure about this?"
Lo nodded. "Do it."
Ben took a deep breath. "Grandpa, open the tank." Moving to a panel on the side, Max tapped a few keys, opening the glass barrier on the tank.
For a moment, everyone froze, half-expecting Ghostfreak to come to life and attack, but the Ectonurite shell remained still. Lifting his left hand, Ben tapped the Omnitrix against the shell; instantly, the control-dial flared yellow, projecting a pale-gold beam over Ghostfreak, which turned green as the Omnitrix recognized the DNA-signature. A few nanomoments later, Ghostfreak's shell turned to green energy, which was sucked into the watch, the beam retracting as the control-dial popped up, automatically cycling through its roster, before it stopped between Fourarms and XLR8…as a space appeared between them, showing Ghostfreak's image.
With another deep breath, Ben took a few steps back. "Everyone, stand clear; I don't know what this is going to do!" he warned. "Gwen, if things go south, be ready to grab me! Kevin, Grandpa, once Gwen grabs me, one of you hit the control-dial!" Popping up the dial, he stopped it on Ghostfreak. "Here we go..!"
As Ben slammed the dial down, the green light engulfed and remade him; his spine stretched out and arched inward, his upper vertebrae growing spikes that popped out of his back, his hand-bones growing and lengthening into claws, while his legs fused together and melted away into a wispy trail. His chest-carriage became lighter, sprouting tentacles, while his skull shifted, fusing his eye-sockets into one as the skull itself turned upside-down…
…and when the light faded, an exact duplicate of their Ectonurite foe floated in Ben's place, only this one had the control-dial on his chest, and a bright green iris in his eye instead of a malevolent mauve glare. "Ghostfreak!"
Everyone kept utterly still. "Ben?" Gwen asked. "Are you okay?"
The new Ghostfreak's emerald gaze flitted back and forth, as if expecting someone else to talk. "I…I think so," he answered, in a scratchy version of Ben's voice. "Hang on: testing, testing, 1, 2, 3!" He was silent for a few seconds, before he gave an inverted version of his goofy grin. "Oh, yeah! Ghostfreak has LEFT the building!"
Kevin chuckled. "Good to hear."
Ghostfreak's grin grew…and then fell, as his cyclopean gaze fell on a trembling Lo. "Hey…it's still me, Lauren," he whispered.
Lo tried to quell her shivers, managing a nod. "I…I know," she murmured, as she extended a hand to him. Slowly, Ghostfreak reached for it…which caused his hand to pass through a stray sunbeam.
Instantly, a layer of black, fleshy mass burst from Ghostfreak's body, startling Lo as it covered Ghostfreak completely, leaving him with a more humanoid shape, his new epidermis now lined with venous streaks of green, matching his eye, and hiding his face, leaving only his eye visible. Surprised, Ghostfreak looked at his hands. "Huh…I guess he WAS immune to sunlight, this time."
Lo gulped. "A little warning would've been nice, Ben."
"Hey, it was news to me too!" Ghostfreak agreed. "Okay, I think we've all seen enough of this ugly mug!" With that, he tapped the control-dial, returning himself to normal.
As Ben deactivated the Omnitrix, Max looked to his son and daughter-in-law. "Well, I'd say it's time for me to head on out."
"Us, too," Carl agreed. "No offence, Ben, but after this weekend, the rest of the year will seem like a vacation!"
Ben chuckled. "Yeah, our job's kinda like that."
Calming herself, Lo looked to Ben's parents. "It…it was really nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Tennyson," she said, before she looked at Sandra. "I'm sorry, but…I don't think I'll be able to help you with that thing we talked about, after all."
Ben blinked. "What thing?"
"It's nothing, Benjamin," Sandra answered, before giving Lo a gentle smile. "I understand."
Walking towards Ben, Max looped an arm over his shoulder and lead him away from the others. "Before I go, Ben, I've got a little something for you." Reaching into his t-shirt, he pulled out an old sheet of paper, unfurling it.
Ben looked puzzled. "Okay…what's this?"
Max grinned. "Your inheritance," he said. "Look closer."
Ben squinted at the paper…and his eyes bugged out. "Whoa…WHOA…"
Curious, Lo inched closer to Ben and Max, but Fin quickly ushered her away. "Come on, sister; it's time for some surf-therapy with Doc McCloud!" she declared, before glancing at Gwen and Kevin. "That includes you guys, too; if fighting off a zombie-attack doesn't get you guys past Initiation, I don't know WHAT does!"
Gwen started to smile. "Wait…are you guys talking about the..?"
"Oh, yeah," Broseph confirmed. "Welcome to Surfer's Paradise, dudette."
The Office
After talking with Grandpa Max – whose revelation had almost knocked him flat on his butt – Ben quickly raced to catch up with the others, stopping by the staff-house to don his swim-trunks and grab his board…and stash Grandpa Max's gift in his padlock-secured lock-box. Minutes later, he reached the Office, where he found his fellow groms, plus Gwen and Kevin, all in surf-gear, on the beach. "This is the Office?" Gwen exclaimed. "It's…it's awesome!"
"I know, right?" Emma agreed.
Fin nodded. "And we all have your Madcap Grandpa to thank for it."
"Guess we're gonna need surfboards," Kevin observed.
"Just ask The Kahuna at the Surf-Shack," Broseph said. "He'll fix you both up!"
"Dudes. Are we gonna talk, or are we gonna hit the waves?" Reef asked.
Fin laughed. "You're that eager to get schooled, Kooksville?"
"You wish, betty!"
While Kevin and Gwen headed to the Surf-Shack, Ben was about to follow the others into the lineup, but Lo's voice stopped him. "Ben?" she asked, looking nervous. "Could we talk, first? In private?"
Ben gulped. "Sure," he answered, trying to sound calm, as he followed Lo back towards the treeline.
Coming to a stop in a shaded part of the woods, Lo set her board down, before turning back to Ben. "Well…this has been a nutty few days, huh?"
Ben smiled nervously. "No kidding," he agreed. "Heck of a way to meet our respective folks."
Lo mirrored his smile. "Yeah; still not sure if your mom hates me."
Ben chuckled. "I think you did impress her, back at the hotel," he said. "I think your dad's not gonna off me, at least…I hope."
Lo looked guilty. "I didn't get you in trouble this morning, did I?"
"No, no!" Ben replied quickly. "I think he and your mom understood you needed to feel safe; plus, they probably knew I'd spent the entire night thinking about baseball."
"Huh?" Lo asked, before she understood. "I kept you up, didn't I?"
Ben grinned sheepishly. "Just a little, maybe," he admitted. "Anyway, you wanted to talk about something?"
Lo took a deep breath. "You've got control of Ghostfreak, now?" Ben nodded. "Then…then whatever he did to me…I want you to do it."
Ben almost choked. "Wh-Wh-WHAT?"
"I talked to Daddy, this morning: he said that he was able to get over his PTSD from his Ranger days by re-exposing himself to…stuff like that in a controlled setting!" Lo continued. "That's what I need right now, Ben; I don't want to…to always have nightmares about what that…that psycho freak did to me!"
Lo's reasoning struck a chord. "Lauren…I still don't know all of what Ghostfreak can do; I don't even know if I can…"
Lo sniffled. "Please try, Ben?" she asked. "Please?"
Her pleading tone utterly shattered his resolve. "Okay," he whispered. Popping up the Omnitrix's dial, he made his selection and slammed it down, becoming Ghostfreak, once more, still with his protective coating. "Are you sure?"
Lo was visbly shaking, but she nodded, her eyes scrunched shut. "Y-Yes." Slowly, Ghostfreak floated towards her, her trembles growing as he became intangible…and then passed through her.
As Ghostfreak phased through her, Lo opened one eye…and then the other. "B-Ben?" she murmured. "I don't feel any different."
Becoming solid, Ghostfreak blinked in confusion…and then saw his hands. "Right; he can only use all his powers WITHOUT this coating. Hang on." His eye flattened into a single vertical line as he squinted. "Uuurrrggg…okay, that's not it…eeerrrggg…almost…ooooggg…criminy, I can't even tell what muscle to flex…"
As Ghostfreak strained himself, Lo couldn't help but giggle, but her laughter faded into a gasp of fright as Ghostfreak shed his skin, revealing his terrifying true form, with only his panting dimming her terror. "Okay…gonna have to work on that," Ghostfreak wheezed, before he saw her fright. "Lauren, you don't have to do this…"
Lo clenched her shaking fists. "Y-Yes, I d-do!" she whimpered, shutting her eyes. "D-D-Do it!" Phasing again, Ghostfreak slowly floated towards her…and then over her…
…and the next thing Ben knew, he was in a dark endless void, back in his normal form. Looking around, he called into the dark. "Hello?"
"Ben? Ben, where are you? BEN?"
Lo's terrified cry clenched Ben's heart, sending him running towards her; moments later, he found her, on the verge of hysteria, shaking like a leaf. "Lo, I'm here!" he exclaimed, quickly embracing her. "I'm right here!"
Frantic, Lo hugged him back. "I-I thought you'd left me..!"
"Never!" Ben promised, giving her an extra comforting squeeze, before looking around. "So…is this what it was like when he was here?"
Calming herself, Lo did the same. "Almost," she said. "When Ghostfreak was here, he had me tied up in this gooey web-stuff; I was a prisoner in my own head."
Ben nodded. "And now?"
Lo was much calmer now. "Now it just feels like I'm in the passenger-seat," she said. "God, with you, it's SO different!"
Ben smiled. "Glad I could help."
Lo smiled back. "And what exactly are you doing with me as we're talking?"
Ben laughed. "Not much; see for yourself!"
As he spoke, a viewing-window opened in the void, showing a view of the woods through Lo's eyes, before Ben's voice came through. "Hello? Hello?" his voice said. "Oh, MAN, does it sound wrong to hear my voice out of her mouth…okay, just gonna take a few steps – WHOOP!" The view shifted for a moment. "Okay, her center of gravity is WAY off…"
Ben flushed red as the window closed…while Lo fell flat on her butt, laughing herself silly. "You…you goober!" she teased. "You…you can't even go two steps..?"
"Hey, it's my first time driving someone else's body! Sue me!" Ben's tone turned serious. "I think I've invaded your privacy long enough."
Lo nodded. "Okay."
…and then, Ghostfreak was back in the real world, moving away from Lo as he de-phased…but as he left her, Lo was instantly covered by a similar layer of black-green fleshy substance, sticking to her and clinging like a second skin, covering her up to her neck, as her eyes gained a green glow.
Blinking with confusion, Lo looked at her hands. "Okay, this is new."
"Yeah," Ghostfreak agreed. "Sorry."
Lo shook her head. "Don't be – like I said, this is way different from what he did!" she assured him. "I still feel like I'm in control; I'm still me, but I can also feel you in my mind."
Ghostfreak paused to think about it…and was astounded to find some of Lo's thoughts seeping into his mind. "I can feel you, too," he answered, "which explains why I have this sudden urge to buy shoes."
"Shut up!" Lo laughed, swatting his arm. "You're teasing me while I hear your thoughts, mister? Not a good idea!" Smirking, she crossed her arms…which accentuated her upper chest in the most alluring way. "Anything you'd like to tell me?"
Ghostfreak scratched his chin nervously. "Well, I didn't really have time to think about this earlier, since you were in danger," he confessed. "But now…you are DEFINITELY the hottest ghost-zombie I've ever seen."
Lo giggled. "Good answer."
Ghostfreak smirked. "So, what exactly WAS my mom talking about?"
Now it was Lo's turn to look guilty. "Earlier, she'd talked to me about…trying to convince you to stop using the Omnitrix," she murmured. "When you left, I told her I would, but after everything…" She looked away. "I am so sorry, baby."
Ghostfreak instantly sobered. "I'm sorry, too; she shouldn't have put you in that position, sweetheart."
"I get why she did," Lo answered. "She was just worried." Her expression brightened. "So what did your grandpa want to talk to you about?"
Ghostfreak hesitated for a moment; he was half-afraid that she wouldn't be able to keep this a secret…but she hadn't had to tell him about what his Mom wanted.
He could trust her.
"He gave me something, Lo," he replied. "Something that I do NOT want the others to know about – they'd never give me a moment's peace, especially Reef and Fin."
Lo arched an eyebrow. "Well, what? What could they want to know abou…" Her voice trailed off as she caught his thoughts, and put the pieces together. "Oh my GOD! Are you saying he gave you the secret to the Z..?"
"That's why I can't let this out, Lo!" Ghostfreak cried. "If those two knew I had it, they'd never leave me alone! It'd be surf-lesson-tug-of-war, all over again!"
Lo calmed down. "Okay, Ben; I won't tell a soul," she promised. "You can trust me."
Ghostfreak nodded. "I know."
A flirtatious smile crossed Lo's face, as she floated towards him. "Well, now that that's settled, what say we head back?" she cooed, gliding a finger along his inverted chin. "Because, even though it's you, his face does NOT do it for me."
Ghostfreak chuckled. "No kidding; I'm surprised I didn't break every mirror in the lobby!" he joked. "So…you're okay?"
Lo smiled gently. "I will be." And with that, she tapped the control-dial on his chest, returning Ben to normal and causing her green-black coating to disintegrate, leaving her normal, as well. With no-one to watch them, Ben took Lo's hands in his, before he gently pulled her towards him; not resisting even slightly, Lo looped her arms around her boyfriend's neck, as their lips met in a tender kiss. After a few blissful moments, the two pulled away, and headed back to the beach, boards in one hand…and each other's hand in the other.
By the time they got to the edge of the beach, Gwen and Kevin had walked up with rented boards, while the others had just finished one set. "Guys, where were you?" Fin laughed. "You missed the sweetest waves!"
Lo lightly blushed. "Oh, we just had a few…tiny things to work out; no biggie!"
Ben nodded. "We'll get the next one."
That familiar beeping made Ben go pale. 'Darn it, WHY did I have to put my badge in my swim-trunks' pocket?'
"So much for that idea," Kevin said.
"Duty calls, bro," Broseph said.
Taking out his badge, Ben checked the alert. "It's just a low-level alert; a civilian flight didn't clear their approach with the Plumbers, and they're coming in a few miles off the coast. They just need a couple of people to clear this up," he said. "Gwen, Kevin, you guys can handle this one." He met Lo's gaze. "I'm not bailing on you; not this time."
Her hands on her hips, Lo walked up to Ben…and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Be careful out there, baby."
Ben did a double-take. "Huh?"
Lo laughed. "Ben, didn't you hear me?" she chided. "I'm done with being selfish about your other job!" Her smile grew. "You sacrifice so much to protect people who have no idea what's out there! If you can make a big sacrifice like that, I can make one for you."
Gwen blinked. "Wow."
Ben grinned goofily. "You are awesome, you know that?" He glanced to his cousin. "Didn't I tell you she was awesome?"
Kevin's tone was dry. "About a million times," he drawled. "We gonna get moving, or what?"
Sticking his board in the sand, Ben gave Lo a kiss on the forehead. "Shred some killer waves for me, okay?"
Lo beamed. "Count on it!"
Grinning, Ben popped up the watch's control-dial, made his choice, and slammed it down. "Jetray!" His change complete, Jetray darted into the sky, while Gwen enshrouded herself and Kevin in an energy-sphere, before flying after him.
Watching her boyfriend and his team go, Lo turnd back to her friends, all of which were smiling at her. "We're proud of you, Princess," Fin teased.
Lo shrugged. "No biggie!" she answered. "So, are we gonna shred, or what?"
Broseph grinned. "Music to my ears, bra!" With that, the five of them ran into the surf, for one more sesh…
Surfer's Paradise
The first-floor corridor was fairly silent as the renovation crew made their way towards Room 1313, setting up just outside its door and gathering their gear; as per the owner's work-order, they were to demolish the entire thing and wall it up completely. It seemed like an odd request, but the pay was good, so nobody was complaining.
The workers were so engrossed in their preparations, they never noticed the tiny, glowing-blue wisp as it flickered out of Room 1313, heading towards the elevator-shaft. Flying up the shaft, the tiny wisp – shaved like a slitted eye – barely managed to stay cohesive, almost puffing out of existence as it passed through the penthouse door, flitting towards the rooms of the Ridgemount children. It tried to head to the room marked "Princess," but it could go no further, so it headed into the room of the youngest child, making a beeline for the active computer…
George never noticed the change on his laptop's screen; his back was turned as the screen momentarily showed a black-mauve eye, looking around, before changing back as he turned around. Signing out of his e-mail, George powered down the computer, and then headed out, to meet up with Grommet.
Had he stayed a moment longer, he might have noticed the laptop switch back on, its screen filled with static…which morphed into a deadly claw, reaching towards the screen…and then switched off.
Author's Note: And so ends the second story of the Hanging Ten Saga! I hope you've all enjoyed my brief foray into the horror-genre; I admit, it's likely no "Nightmare on 13th Street," but I hope this story has been a bit spookier than my other works!
For those of you who've asked, my next published fanfic will be "A Day at the Mall with Superman," which I hope to finish by November sometime. After that, it may be a while before I can publish again, for two reasons: One, because it'll be crunch-time at university, and I'll have finals to prep for, as well as two – count 'em, TWO – research papers to work on.
And Two: on November 20, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword hits our shores, and I've been waiting since 2008 for the next Zelda console game. Naturally, I'll be a bit distracted.
Having said that, I won't be giving up on any of my upcoming projects. I fully intend to post Crusade and Smallville Chronicles, starting in 2012, and with it, the next part of the Hanging Ten Saga – Hanging Ten: Witchy Woman. As for Last Son, Book Four, that'll start some time afterwards.
And those of you who've asked, and will surely ask again, rest easy: Way Big and Rath will be in the next Hanging Ten story!
In closing, I'd like to thank you all again for making the Hanging Ten Saga the success that it is! I look forward to hearing from you all again in Part Three! Later!


text:
Margaret: Mr. Johnson, I'd like you to meet Edward Banks.
Mr. Johnson: How do you do Mr. Banks?
Mr. Banks: How do you do.
Margaret: Mr. Banks is a contemporary American artist. He's just finished his; new art work depicting the life in the 21st century megapolis.
Mr. Johnson: Oh? That's my field of interest, too. I work for the London Art Gallery.
Mr. Banks: In Leicester Street, by any chance?
Mr. Johnson: Yes. How did you guess?
Mr. Banks: I've seen many TV programs about the London Art Gallery and I saw your name on some paintings. They are excellent
Mr. Johnson: Thank you. This is the highest appreciation of my works.
Mr. Banks: I'd like to invite you to my art studio on Tuesday.
Mr. Johnson: I'll visit it with pleasure. I'm looking forward to seeing your new work.
Mr. Banks: It'll be a great honor for me.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hotel Gringo Perdido and Hotel Piramide Paraiso are two of the very few hotels that are located right on the lakeside of Lake Peten Itza. Most of the shoreline in front of the rooms has been left in its natural state to keep from disturbing the habitat of a variety of shorebirds, as well as the communities of frogs who sing and talk back and forth to each other throughout the night. Swimming and playing in the clear fresh tropical waters from one of our 5 docks or diving platforms, is one of the favourite activities, so don't forget your bathing suit!!
No Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
The four best men's teams in NCAA soccer will square off tonight for a chance to play in Sunday's College Cup Final.
Tonight's semifinals in Cary, North Carolina will be played in frigid and wintry conditions, but that shouldn't stop some of the nation's most talented players from showing their stuff.
The University of Virginia takes on Wake Forest in today's first semifinal (5pm, ESPN2), while undefeated Akron meets North Carolina in the nightcap (7:30pm, ESPNU).
I will be providing commentary on both matches throughout the night so please feel free to follow along here. As always, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Commentary is after the jump):
FINAL– Akron wins on penalties, 5-4. Akron will now face Virginia in the College Cup Final on Sunday at 1pm on ESPN2.
That's all for me. Please feel free to share your thoughts on tonight's matches in the comments section below.
PENALTY KICKS– URSO for UNC SCORES
PENALTY KICKS– CALDWELL for AKRON SCORES
PENALTY KICKS– McKinney for UNC SCORES
PENALTY KICKS– Sarkodie for Akron SCORES
PENALTY KICKS– Graye for UNC MISSES HIGH!!!!
PENALTY KICKS– Zemanski for Akron SCORES
PENALTY KICKS– Loyd for UNC. SCORES down the middle.
PENALTY KICKS– Valentin for Akron. SCORES
PENALTY KICKS– We are about to start. Michael Farfan for UNC. SCORED!!
END OF OVERTIME– Akron 0, North Carolina 0. Akron didn't show much in overtime but the Tar Heels created some very dangerous chances. Both goalkeepers have come up with big saves tonight.
On to penalty kicks!
109th Minute– SAVE MEVES!!!! He stones Enzo Martinez. Not before Akron cleared another UNC shot off the line. Carolina wants the win.
108th Minute– SAVE MEVES!!! Michael Farfan's curling shot forces a great save.
105th Minute– Five minutes left. Can Akron find a way to keep its perfect record intact?
103rd Minute– SAVE HAGGARTY!!! UNC clears out the subsequent corner and starts a counterattack. The clock keeps ticking.
101st Minute– Akron earns a dangerous free kick. UNC clears it away.
END OF OVERTIME FIRST HALF– Akron's body language doesn't look great right now. If this goes to PKs my money is on North Carolina.
END OF OVERTIME FIRST HALF– Still scoreless and Akron is playing without standout midfielder Anthony Ampaipitakwong. He was key to their first half success, but is apparently nursing an injury. His absence isn't an excuse for an Akron attack that still boasts Bunbury, Nagbe, Gavin and Sarkodie. They're just not coming up with good ideas to break down the Tar Heels defensive wall.
100th Minute– UNC is defending well, and Akron just doesn't show any sense of urgency.
98th Minute– You haven't missed much. Akron knocks it around, but can't crack UNC's defense.
91st Minute– We'll have a golden goal overtime, followed by penalty kicks (though I may need a nap as boring as this game as gotten).
END OF REGULATION– Akron 0, North Carolina 0. UNC is holding on despite being a man down. The Zips have had more possession, but haven't done much with that possession.
88th Minute– Nagbe goes down on a 50/50 challenge from Loyd. Clean challenge there.
85th Minute– Gavin with a shot from 18 but he blasts it into the stands.
83rd Minute– I thought this game would be more exciting, but this game is now making the first game look like a shootout thriller.
Bunbury goes to ground again. Early favorite for the Alejandro Moreno Award for Diver of the Tournament.
80th Minute– Akron just not looking sharp right now despite the man advantage. Carolina is defending well.
77th Minute– Haggarty races off his line again to beat Bunbury to a dangerous pass.
UNC is holding on right now.
75th minute- SAVE HAGGARTY!!! Bunbury gets in on goal on a great Gavin pass, but Haggarty runs out and blocks the shot. Nice save.
71st Minute– Akron is up a man and has no excuse for not creating some dangerous chances now.
70th Minute– UNC's King gets a second yellow for a push from behind. He's gone and Akron has a long but potentially dangerous free kick. It hits the wall.
68th Minute– We're back. Will Akron regain the first-half rhythm?
67th Minute– It's Timeout time. Getting used to it yet?
If you are following the commentary, please let me know in the comments section.
67th Minute– A dangerous UNC counter is thwarted by an offside call. Akron's defense is young, but has moved well and held its line well.
65th Minute– Gotta love when the field mic is near an angry player. Akron corner kick.
62nd Minute– URSO GOES WIDE!! Carolina is playing much better now. Akron's not playing as well as in the first half.
60th Minute– Carolina with a DANGEROUS ball across the penalty area, but nobody is there to latch onto it. Tar Heels starting to show a bit more confidence in attack.
58th Minute– Dixon with a swing and a miss on a shot attempt. Nice pass from Enzo Martinez though.
56th Minute– A yellow card, just when you were wondering if these refs had cards.
Jordan Graye tried to pull off a spin dribble, but managed to turn the ball over after it. You know every MLS coach in attendance just groaned.
56th Minute– Nice play by Dustin McCarty to track down Bunbury and get the ball away from him. Yes, that's Dax McCarty's brother.
55th Minute– We aren't going to get to see it, but an Akron-Wake Forest Final would have been fun to watch.
53rd Minute– UNC with more possession this half. Akron has taken the foot off the gas for now.
49th Minute– UNC's Zach Loyd is a quality player. He's playing centerback tonight and doing well, but his future in MLS will be as a defensive midfielder.
48th Minute– Cameron Brown is fouled and wins the award for the Cristiano Ronaldo injury embellishment award.
UNC can't do anything with the free kick. Not much direction in the Tar Heels attack.
47th Minute– Odd play by Haggarty, almost a bad mistake. Never seen a goalkeeper dummy a ball rolling toward his own goal.
46th Minute– The second half is underway.
HALFTIME– Akron 0, UNC 0. The Zips controlled possession, but weren't really that dangerous. The Tar Heels have stayed disciplined defensively, but need to start getting the ball to Schuler, Dixon and Farfan more. Their attack has been invisible.
45th Minute– Anyone wondering if Akron wouldn't be able to handle the step up in class in competition now knows that the Zips can play at this level and play well.
42nd Minute– UNC is doing well to keep Akron from maintaining possession for long stretches. The Zips look dangerous when they can get it to the final third, but they're not spending enough time up there as the UNC tandem of Urso and McCarty is helping keep the possession game close. Akron is still winning it, but not dominating it.
37th Minute– One of the knocks on Farfan is that he disappears from games too much. We're seeing that tonight.
35th Minute– BUNBURY WIDE!! He runs at the UNC defense and sends a blast just wide of goal. He's an impressive-looking player. Can't see him not going pro.
32nd Minute– Darlington Nagbe has looked very sharp for Akron, and while Bunbury is a good bet to go pro, I'm hearing that Nagbe will play one more season before going pro.
30th Minute– Meves with a better looking play to make a save.
WOW, Ben Speas with a nice left-footed shot that just misses wide for Akron.
28th Minute– UNC earns a corner after a nice sequence forces Akron's keeper to come off his line to make a save. Mevis, Akron's keeper nearly gets caught out on the subsequent corner.
25th Minute– We're back, and Bunbury tries to dive. He needs to stay on his feet. He's too strong to be going down that easily. MLS ref Alex Prus isn't having that.
23rd Minute– We've got a timeout.
UNC goalkeeper Brooks Haggarty is a top-notch goalkeeper and he will have to have a big game today if UNC is going to hand Akron its first loss.
Still waiting for Teal Bunbury to make an impact.
22nd Minute– SAVE HAGGARTY!!! Nice Akron free kick is stopped by a diving save. Akron's corner is dealt with on the next play.
21st Minute– Akron with a DANGEROUS free kick opportunity.
17th Minute– This game should be a more wide-open encounter than the first semifinal.
15th Minute– The Tar Heels are doing a good job of disrupting Akron's posession game. The result is a match without much rhythm early on.
11th Minute– Alex Dixon earns UNC a corner kick.
9th Minute– North Carolina has yet to really get going offensively. They're trying to match up with an Akron attack that is just so dangerous.
7th Minute– Some nice ball movement from Akron. No shots on goal yet.
3rd Minute– In order to avoid spelling his name wrong, I'm going to call Akron's Anthony Ampaipitakwong by the nickname Amp. Deal? Done.
3rd Minute– This game should be a more wide-open encounter than the first semifinal.
2nd Minute– Bunbury with his first shot, sends it wide, but you see how Akron gets numbers into the attack.
1st Minute– And we're off.
PRE-GAME– So who will you be watching for in the second match? Akron striker Teal Bunbury will be the marquee player. He's highly-coveted and a safe bet to sign with MLS. He's a Top Three pick in the draft if he comes out, and could even go first overall.
UNC's top player is playmaker Michael Farfan, who is a talented junior who hasn't quite gotten the buzz as a draft prospect that some other ACC midfielders have gotten. Tonight will go a long way toward determining if he has a chance at being in the 2010 MLS Draft.
While Bunbury gets the headlines for Akron, Blair Gavin, is one to watch. UNC's Billy Schuler is also one to watch.
PRE-GAME– The overtime in the first game has pushed back the schedule for the doubleheader so stay tuned.
PRE-GAME– On to Game Two. It's undefeated Akron against North Carolina. The Zips will be the favorites, though UNC will have somewhat of a home-field advantage. It may not matter though because Akron's attack is so dangerous.
FINAL– For those who didn't follow the Under-20 World Cup, and are wondering about our fascination with Ownby. He became a bit of a sympathetic figure after being so terrible in the first U.S. Under-20 World Cup match, but came back and scored an improbable goal in the next match. Tonight, he showed why he's such a dangerous college player (and he'd be starting for UVA if not for the groin injury he had been nursing).
FINAL– Could that be the end of the road for Opara and Bone? The two Wake stars could go 1-2 in the draft, but this loss might make them consider staying in school (I wouldn't bet on it though).
Opara will be thinking about that Ownby goal. He raced back to try and catch Ownby, who had already gotten a step on the other Wake CB, but the pass was too perfect and Ownby's chip was equally perfect.
FINAL– A shame that Wake Forest falls considering the Demon Deacons were the better team in regulation, but the missed chances came back to haunt them. UVA took two great chances out of just a few, while Wake missed basically every chance it got.
FINAL– How perfect a pass was that from Villanueva, right into Ownby's path, and the U.S. Under-20 national teamer finishes it off. Virginia is in the NCAA Final.
FINAL– You thought I was kidding when I said Ownby was a legend, right? The kid is something else. WOW. Villanueva with the beautiful long pass and Ownby races onto it and chips the keeper for the golden goal.
95th- GOAL VIRGINIA!!!! And it's Brian Ownby with the FINISH. WOW. Unbelievable. WOW. OWNBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
91st Minute– Will Wake Forest finally test Virginia's goalkeeper? The Demon Deacons have yet to put a serious shot on goal (the goal came on an own goal).
END OF REGULATION– Wake Forest 1, Virginia 1. Wake Forest has really dominated this match, but has not been able to finish chances. We will be heading to overtime, and if there are no goals there, we will have a PK shootout. These teams finished in a PK shootout the last time they met, with Virginia winning the ACC semis on penalties.
89th Minute– LUBAHN SHOT WIDE!!!! What a look, another nice passing sequence from Wake.
88th Minute– SAVE FITZGERALD!! ANd it was OWNBY with the chance on his first touch. He's a legend.
87th Minute– Brian Ownby is in the match for Virginia. Yes, THAT Brian Ownby (regular SBI readers will know what I mean).
85th Minute– Tchani with a decent look but he skies his shot.
84th Minute– Opara has looked very sharp tonight. Some of his long passes have been errant, but he's won everything in the air and has shown scary acceleration to step up and break up plays.
83rd Minute– Tchani's free kick is right at the keeper.
82nd Minute– Villanueva draws a free kick in a dangerous spot, just above the arc.
80th Minute– Some good back-and-forth action. Can't see these teams keeping this pace up much longer.
77th Minute– Shouts for a penalty by Wake, but no call there. Da Luz looks to have been crashed into by Monaco, but no call.
75th Minute– What a bad call by the ref. He has let them play all night, but not on a simple 50-50 challenge.
72nd Minute– Going back to Wake's goal, Bone sent in a hard cross toward the front of goal and it looked to have deflected off Restrepo and into the net.
71st Minute– Wow, Villanueva nearly has a chance for an equalizer but shanks it.
70th Minute- GOAL WAKE FOREST!!!!! And it's Corben Bone with a beautiful dance along the endline before slipping a shot from an impossible angle that hits a UVA player and goes in. We are TIED!!!
69th Minute– Wake's sub draws a foul right after coming in. Here comes Wake.
67th Minute– Kato Kaelin is Wake Forest's head coach. Who knew? (Kidding).
67th Minute– OFF THE CROSSBAR!! Da Luz with a nice curling left-footed shot that skimmed the top of the crossbar. Another nice passing sequence.
TIMEOUT (Admit it, you're starting to like the Timeout idea. Okay, maybe not.)
65th Minute– Don't be surprised to see Opara get forward more as we get closer to the end of the match. He'll slide forward to try and give Wake numbers.
63rd Minute– We're almost two-third through this match and Wake has yet to really test Restrepo with a good shot on goal. You can move the ball around with nice passing, but if you can't shoot it on frame, you won't win.
61st Minute– Once again, Wake Forest strings some nice passes together only to lose possession on a lazy final pass.
60th Minute– Schilawski with ANOTHER open look in front of goal from 18, but he skies it over. UVA's set-piece defending has been shaky.
57th Minute– Schilawski shanks an open look from the top of the box.
How will Wake respond? Will Virginia pile on the pressure, or bunker in?
56th Minute– Virginia scores against the run of play, but credit to Villanueva and Tchani to create that. Wake needs to keep pressing. Chances will come.
55th Minute- GOAL VIRGINIA!!!! Tony Tchani with the finish but it was Villanueva with the beautiful moves in the box, has his shot saved, and Tchani pounces on the rebound. UVA 1, Wake Forest 0.
53rd Minute– Wake deals with the corner, Lubahn hits a nice turn to find some space on the counter, but Wake can't keep the ball.
52nd Minute– UVA with a corner kick.
50th Minute– Wake puts a ball into the box, but nobody gets to it, Norman hits a long shot but it's not even close.
47th Minute– We're back and Virginia comes out moving the ball better.
HALFTIME– Da Luz and Schilawski were very active in the first half. Bone struggled to find space early, but eventually found room to operate later in the half. Wake's fullbacks haven't been effective, but if they were, this game would not be scoreless.
Virginia needs to stop pumping balls up to Bates. Tchani and Villanueva need to move the ball around in midfield and look for the cracks in Wake's defense. Sending long passes at Ike Opara isn't a strategy that will work.
HALFTIME– Wake Forest 0, Virginia 0. Wake controlled much of the first half, while UVA's defense gave up more chances than you would expect, but they never did break, and that shutout streak is still going.
45th Minute– Heading for a scoreless first half.
44th Minute– Da Luz isn't hurting his draft stock tonight. He's moving up the SBI MLS Draft Big Board as we speak.
43rd Minute– Nice work by Opara to intercept a dangerous cross into the area.
40th Minute– Jay Vidovich's decision to put Da Luz on the left flank and Bone in the middle has paid off. Da Luz has had a lot of the ball on the left while Bone has been able to float all over the field.
36th Minute– What will UVA do going forward? Does it stick with this 4-5-1 even though Wake is dominating, or do the Cavs add another attacker and force Wake to defend more?
35th Minute– Hard shot from UVA is saved. First decent chance from UVA in a long time.
34th Minute– SAVE RESTREPO!! Not the hardest shot from Bone, but the sequence was beautiful for Wake.
32nd Minute– Wake on the break again, but a UVA block thwarts the challenge.
31st Minute– It's going to be tough for Bone to get going in the middle of the field considering the numbers UVA has there, but that attention being paid to him is creating space on the wings for Da Luz and Norman.
29th Minute– Anyone else getting a young Patrick Viera vibe from watching Tchani?
23rd Minute– We're back. Wake has had the better of the play, while UVA's offense has been non-existent.
23rd Minute– If you are following along with the commentary, please let me know in the comments section.
23rd Minute– We have a timeout (Yes, they have those in college soccer. Don't ask.).
22nd Minute– SIDE-NETTING! Schilawski finishes off a beautiful passing sequence with a tight-angled shot that hits the side-netting. Wake is finding a good rhythm.
20th Minute– UVA dodges a bullet after giving up a soft corner kick.
19th Minute– Not loving this UVA 4-5-1. Bates as a sole striker doesn't look likely to produce many chances, though Tchani and Villanueva can come forward for their own chances.
18th Minute– Tchani took a shot to the face. He's been impressive early on. UVA can't afford to lose him.
16th Minute– Austin Da Luz is showing a good motor on the left flank today. Interesting to see him on the left and Corben Bone playing in his more natural central midfield position. Bone has played mainly on the left, with Da Luz in a central role this season.
15th Minute– Wake Forest has taken the momentum in this match. They're starting to move the ball with confidence.
12th Minute– CROSSBAR. Freshman Andy Lubahn with a chip that hits the frame. Great chance there. UVA's defense was beaten, which is pretty rare.
10th Minute– It's tough to not be impressed with the amount of ground Tchani covers with his long frame.
8th Minute– Virginia's ability to close down defensively makes it just so tough for opponents to string passes together. Even Wake, with all its talent, can't deal with the pressure early on.
6th Minute– Still waiting for Tony Tchani and Corben Bone to make their marks today.
4th Minute– MLS scouts are in abundance in Cary tonight. They should be. This match has at least a half dozen players who will be drafted in January.
3rd Minute– A rough start as both teams struggle to find a rhythm. The cold weather may not be helping.
1st Minute– Virginia-Wake Forest is underway.
What's with the Ives Gestapo deleting
my post? =(
The article was put on the website a few hours ago Anovato,you misread the date.
Jacopo Belbo
Firstly, I am not crying … I couldn't give a rat piss less about college soccer, and I went to a decent soccer power … I am simply pointing out that the OVERALL level of college soccer … if these semi-finals are any example … is pretty tragic. If this is the "best of the best" that is a sad statement.
And if you learned to read carefully my point was not that there was no talent in college soccer but rather that the talent that is intermittently dispersed throughout college soccer would be better served spending their 16-20 years playing in the professional game. A few will do so in Europe and gain accordingly but the whole point in having a domestic league is so that a greater number of young talented players can play professionally and not waste their time in the college game. The MLS needs to do more than 'rescue' a handful of college age kids each year thru GA who then often do not get to play. They need a reserve league and the ability to spend more for larger squads and get more kids with the talent into the professional game.
And for the record I watch just as much soccer as you do Ives and tonight's game was pathetic from a team/tactical standpoint. The passing and possession was wretched. If I was kicking my TV it was because the only worse soccer I have seen on TV is the WPS.
(And the Man Utd reserve games come thru quite nicely via my subscription to MUTV Online.)
(SBI-Jacopo, nobody's disagreeing with you (I've written enough times that MLS teams need to hurry up and establish real academies). I just don't see the point of you coming on here with so much anger. Relax man, you'll live longer. Blaming the college game for the state of player development in the USA is like blaming supermarkets for poor people not having food to eat. Your venom is a bit misguided. The college game has plenty of flaws, but it serves a purpose, and fills a void, and there are plenty of players who have benefited from it.
And Jacopo, I can read just fine, the problem is your point was buried in all your mock outrage. If you had a point, which you apparently did, it got lost in your angry translation.
And while the Wake-UVA game wasn't beautiful, it wasn't nearly as awful as you're saying it was. You can choose to disagree.)
Is this on espn360? It doesn't seem to be.
Don't feed the troll ives.
(SBI-Jacopo's an SBI regular, which is why I'm discussing it. If it were a drive-by troll, I would have ignored him.)
Akron is MUCH better than Carolina. They are controlling the game.
(SBI-Control doesn't always win, at least that's what Wake Forest told me.)
Did Opara get own by?
Last year the Zips had Zakuani aslo.
Jacobo…. next time, simply turn the tv off and don't watch any more ( a nice feature tv's have for when you don't like a particular program) though you may not like the quality of the game, there are some of us that enjoy the game for what it is… college soccer… not for what some may wish it was. Please… go watch MU and leave the college game alone!!
atdhe has it
Zips have serious team speed, could they beat NYRB?
(SBI-Have they put a shot on goal? I'd say no. Not even close. Wake would have a better chance, but still no.)
Why do you think there is no talk of MLS teams going after Vidovich? The style of play that he is able to instill in his teams is amazing for the college level. Wake's off-the-ball movement is just head and shoulders above everyone. Yet his name never seems to get thrown during MLS coach hunts.
I love my tarheels, but I feel like I'm watching the rest of the ACC shift to more pro-style possession-oriented teams while we still play "kick it out in front of the fast guy". We did it when we had corey ashe, we do it now, and I'm sure we're going to do it as long as Elmar is coaching.
I'm still following the commentary. These games are ruining my chances of doing well on my final tomorrow.
yeah, im following too.
i thught this was sold out/ standing room only. why are there so many empty seats behind the akron goalie?
Alot of the tickets sold were to UVA and Wake fans, both of those groups have left. Don't forget it's below 30 there.
darko don
and you know what else grinds my gears? bears on unicycles!!!!!! IT MAKES NO DAMN SENSE… I can ride a unicycle so much better than a bear, so why the hell would anyone watch a damn bear do such a crappy job of it
Just joined…taking a study break. Thanks for the updates Ives.
Bunbury and Nagbe have not looked sharp. NC defenders have taken them off their game?
this has been a more entertaining game than the first. tense, and more open.
I think the Zip coach omitted Bunbury and Nagbe from PKs, good move? I think they looked exhausted.
Thanks Ives. Have a good night.
Leading scorer in the nation, favorite for the hermann award, teal bunbury doesn't take a pk???
agreed. those guys were running on fumes. I was actually really surprised by Sarkodie. for how much work he put in, he never seemed to slow down.
good point. i didnt think of that
Yakubu scores for Everton. Where does Donovan fit in to this Everton lineup between Yakubu and Saha??? I smell benchwarmer.
Well first, I'll comment on the UNC-Akron game, as I went to UNC, and it held more interest for me. The game itself was hamstrung by the sending off of the UNC player. It forced them to play back and look for quick counters…that gets boring to watch after a while. Having said that, I was immensely disappointed that UNC couldn't finish it's chances down the stretch. Akron's keeper came up BIG. Late in the game as well, there was a save on a free kick that UNC's keeper distributed perfectly. UNC had a one on one with the Akron defender, only to see it squandered by a horribly played pass to the center that went behind our striker, forcing him to have to nearly stop to get it, and allowed Akron's defense to catch up.
One last thing, there was a lesson for the young players out there. DON'T GO HIGH ON PK'S!! A LOW, hard drive to the corner will almost NEVER be saved by the keeper unless he guesses correctly and has the extension to get to it. A high PK is begging to be sent over the crossbar…all it takes is leaning back just a little too far. Why, why, why do guys still do this??


text:
Class Schedule
SCM-I-Finance/Training provides an overview of security cooperation (SC) programs followed by detailed instruction on financial and training management.
The overarching objective of DISCS's international curriculum is to help our security assistance personnel manage and implement the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program in support of their nation's defense.
SCM-I-Finance/Logistics is designed to meet the needs of senior and mid-level military and civilian officials responsible for the financial management and/or logistics management of FMS cases, including those funded by U.S. grants. This encompasses not only personnel in defense ministries, service headquarters, and procurement bureaus, but may also include international liaison personnel assigned to US organizations in CONUS, as well as defense attachés and foreign procurement officials assigned to Washington, DC.
A list of all DISCS courses available to international partners is at the DISCS Course Catalog.
SCM-I-Finance/Training is divided into two parts.
Instruction is classroom based, with reading assignments and practical exercises reinforcing lectures. The curriculum also includes an extensive Field Studies Program (FSP) that introduces students to the American way of life, incorporating not only visits to local government, commercial, cultural, and educational entities but also to private homes as well.
All instruction is in English.
SCM-I-Finance/Training qualifies for expanded IMET (E-IMET).
Note that DISCS can also offer a comparable course in-country, less the FSP, via a Mobile Training Team(SCM-I-MET, MASL D305024).
Applicants should occupy (or should have been selected to occupy) security cooperation financial management and/or training management positions.
All DISCS international courses require an English Comprehension Level (ECL) test score of 80.
FOR US GOVERNMENT LES: Locally Engaged Staff (LES) working in Security Cooperation Organizations (SCOs) or political-military analysis offices in US embassies are NOT eligible to attend SCM-I-Finance/Training or any other course in DISCS's international (SCM-I) curriculum.
LES should instead enroll in SCM-LO, which is designed specifically for that audience.
None required.
Official Review Conducted On: 1/27/2015
Contact Webmaster |
Accessibility Statement |
Privacy & Security |
No FEAR Act |
External Link Disclaimer |
Contact Webmaster
Accessibility Statement
Privacy & Security
No FEAR Act
External Link Disclaimer
Use of this DoD computer system, authorized or unauthorized, constitutes consent to monitoring of this system. Unauthorized use may subject you to criminal prosecution. Evidence of
unauthorized use collected during monitoring may be used for administrative, criminal, or other adverse action. Use of this system constitutes consent to monitoring for these purposes.
Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies
, 2475 K. Street, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433-7641, Telephone: 937-713-3300
is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education
This web site is DSCA PA approved
I'm hoping that you've not had issues finding us! As you can tell by our new website -- The Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management (DISAM) transitioned to the Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies (DISCS). This became effective 1 July 2016, and comes as DSCA more closely aligns the schoolhouse, its curriculum, and its mission priorities with DOD strategic guidance, and DSCA's vision for the future. The name change reflects DSCA's focus on full spectrum capability building and that the schoolhouse's mandate for training the workforce has expanded beyond Security Assistance to include all of Security Cooperation.
There are a number of transitional issues in progress and we will work with various constituencies and other supporting organizations to be as seamless as possible in our support to you. As you can see, the Institute's website has a new URL of www.iscs.dsca.mil. In terms of you contacting DISCS, please note that "Group e-mail addresses" (such as the Registrar's Office) will change as soon as we can work through the IT wickets, but old group email addresses should work after the change for some time. All email addresses and phone numbers for institute personnel remain the same as they were prior to changing our name to the Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies. Note that there have been no changes to course designations or names of the courses offered by the Institute.
This is an exciting time for the Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies and we looking forward to continuing our long-standing service to the security cooperation workforce for years to come as we keep pace with the environment impacting all of you as our constituents.
Dr. Ron Reynolds
Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies
Dr. Ron Reynolds


text:
Definition from macmillandictionary.com
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
The car started to roll forward very slowly.
Suddenly the door opened, blocking my forward movement.
I reached forward to touch her hand, but she moved it away.
Let's sit further forward so we can see the stage better.
the forward part of the train
We are looking forward to new possibilities.
A bit more forward planning would have helped.
Officials concede that the way forward will not be easy.
a giant leap forward in computer technology
The investigation into these allegations seems no further forward.
Was I being too forward when I asked to stay the weekend?


text:
A Filipino couple working overseas return to their hometown to get married. But a deadly curse follows the couple, based on the superstition that marriage should not take place within a year of the death of an immediate relative.
Add this movie to your queue to receive more information about Sukob and we will let you know when it
becomes available.


text:
SailNet Community (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/)
- Boat Review and Purchase Forum (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/boat-review-purchase-forum/)
- - Coronado 28-35 (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/boat-review-purchase-forum/472-coronado-28-35-a.html)
Coronado 28-35
I''m a new sailer and I''m looking for an unexoensive cruiser-liveaboard boat. I''m planning to sail the caribbean. does any body knows where is the best place to buy this kind of boat?
I was thinking about a Coronado 28-35? Am I on the right way?
|All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:03 PM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2017, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
vBulletin Security provided by vBSecurity v2.2.2 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2017 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.1.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2017 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
(c) Marine.com LLC 2000-2012


text:
Mobile Access
Mobile-ready access, designed for wealth management
Broadridge uses cookies to give you the best experience of Broadridge's website. By continuing to browse, you agree to Broadridge's use of cookies. Find out more about cookies and how we use them.
In today's always-connected world, clients and advisors need anytime, anywhere access to market, investor and portfolio information. Digital tools are evolving the business environment as we know it—provoking significant changes in the way advisors work, communicate, and manages their clients.
The Broadridge Mobile solution enables firms to rapidly deploy a distinctively branded, unified advisor and client experience while leveraging a proven enterprise mobile technology platform. It is designed to increase collaboration, optimize data management and deliver a unified experience for financial advisors and investors on a single global platform.
Broadridge's ready-to-deploy mobile platform is designed for access on smartphones, tablets and laptops providing anytime, anywhere access to market, investor and portfolio information.
Inlet is a secure digital communications platform that enables you to easily communicate with consumers through the digital channels they select -- while still maintaining brand control. Inlet helps to amplify your digital efforts, offering:
Learn how Inlet can deliver a better way to reach consumers and enhance your digital experience while delivering significant cost savings with minimal effort…today and into the future.
Inlet is a Joint venture between Broadridge® and Pitney BowesTM.
Inlet and the Inlet logo are trademarks of Inlet LLC.
Mobile-ready access, designed for wealth management
A "Go-to-Them" customer communication strategy is key to closing the digital adoption gap.
An integrated network of brands and channels lets the customer choose where and with whom to communicate.


text:
PlayStation 4 Games
PlayStation 3 Games
4K Ultra HD Movies
Hong Kong Version Blu-Rays
Hong Kong Version DVDs
US & UK Version Blu-Rays
Region Coding: Region A (Locked)
Chrissie Chau
Dada Lo
Hidy Yu
Chris Tong
GC Goo-Bi (Vincci Cheuk Wan Chi)
Audio Tracks:
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 24/96 Upsampling
Cantonese, Mandarin
English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese
Running Time:
97 minutes
Kam & Ronson Enterprises Co., Ltd. (HK)
Release Date:
21 Jan 2014
Bao once managed a boxing gym with her best friend TT, but they went their separate ways after fighting over a guy. Bao then hires the homeless Miu, who was kicked out by her boyfriend, and introduced the first ever 'pretty hostesses for boxing', intended to raise attention among male customers. Displeased, TT arrives to create chaos in the boxing gym. A mysterious lady named Zhu Ge also shows up, hoping to look for some female bodyguards to accompany her to Malaysia, but that is not all...
movie trailer (English subtitle)


text:
Publisher's Description+
From SungLab: - 50% event - $1.99 -> $0.99How to Play ! You can paint if you touch the 'PLAY' button. Just remember that Touch palette : Option Window ''Shake'' : Clear Canvas Push it Long (3second) : Change Background ColorDraw your own Action Painting ! Thank you
What's new in this version:
- Updated icon for new iPad
read more +


text:
This deal is expired!
The deal below has expired, but no worries. You can still check out available coupons and "follow" the store to receive alerts for future offers.
Ancient Women Pattern Palace Round Small Fan - Assorted Color
+ Free Shipping
Expires: 03/01/12
About this Deal
|Palace fan for women
Material: fabric face + wood handle
Function: gift, dancing, promotion
Chinese ancient women pattern, double side, tassel decor.
Wooden handle make you more comfortable to grip.
Chinese palace fan style, is a ideal stage property for actress to play the role of acient women.
What's the matter?


text:
BSAVA is celebrating after its annual Scottish congress saw a record 200 delegates and nearly 50 commercial exhibitors attend the event, held this year at the Edinburgh Conference Centre.
BSAVA is celebrating after its most successful Scottish congress event ever.
The three-day congress took place in Edinburgh from August 31-September 2, 2012 and played host to a record 200 delegates and nearly 50 commercial exhibitors.
A BSAVA spokesman said: "With main lecture streams covering ophthalmology and orthopaedics for vets and nutrition/nutraceuticals and neonatology for nurses alongside a series of afternoon seminars, there was plenty to entice a wide range of delegates from Scotland, England, Isle of Man, Canada, Germany, Finland and the USA, making Scottish Congress 2012 a truly international affair."
Delegates were also treated to a lively social programme, including a pub quiz, gala dinner and ceilidh dancing into the wee small hours.
The spokesman added: "Plans are already underway for 2013, with the event to once again be held at the Edinburgh Conference Centre. Topics will include cardiology and neurology for vets and clinical pathology/laboratory skills and wound management for nurses."
VN Times editor Emma Dahm attended the event and described BSAVA Scotland as "very friendly and inclusive".
She said: "It was great that it was a joint vet and nurse congress and you could go into whatever lecture you were interested in, whether you were a vet or a nurse.
"There was a brilliant evening seminar by the VDS on 'how not to get sued' which was presented in a very amusing way. The exhibition was very friendly with everyone keen to talk and network and there seemed to be lots of mixing of vets and nurses and lots of socialising which was great."
BSAVA's next annual Scottish congress will take place from August 30-September 1, 2013.


text:
Dinosaurs born in the early 70's, the 10 oldest players in the NBA, beginning the 2009-2010 season. More →
It's spring, which means it's closer to summer, which means it's quite warm enough in quite a few places to see more revealing clothes worn by beautiful women. Who are … More →


text:
Valentine's Day (S2 Ep3)
How the RIT campus celebrates Valentine's Day.
Comments (2)
jackgood that you could easily enjoy the flicks as well as other http://vidmatedownloadz.com in all the features as well as features of this app. better.
johnawesome SHAREit application is made for assisting the individuals https://ishareitdownload.com the apk data of any type of application nice.


text:
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII)
is a clinical-stage RNAi company developing innovative therapeutics that address significant unmet medical needs. We believe that we are well positioned to compete successfully in these areas using our proprietary siRNA technology platform and immunotherapy agent, Samcyprone™. The Company is supported by a proven and experienced management team, an accomplished Scientific Advisory Board and an extensive intellectual property portfolio.
RXI-109, a novel 'self-delivering' RNAi (sd-rxRNA®) compound, is the Company's first
product candidate. RXI-109 silences Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF), which
plays a key role in tissue regeneration and repair. RXI-109 is initially being developed
to reduce or inhibit scar formation in the skin and retina. Our proprietary sd rxRNA®
technology circumvents many challenges facing other RNAi-based drugs by providing
advantages over classic siRNAs in cellular uptake, safety, potency and selectivity.
Samcyprone™, our second lead candidate, is a proprietary gel formulation of diphenylcyclopropenone
(DPCP), which is an immunomodulator that works by initiating a T-cell response.
Samcyprone™ is initially being developed for the treatment of such disorders as
alopecia areata, warts, and cutaneous metastases of melanoma. The mechanism of action
of Samcyprone™ is linked to DPCP's ability to alter the expression of multiple genes
and miRNAs involved in the immune response. Our work with Samcyprone™ should also
allow us to discover specific targets for the potential treatment of immunological
disorders that are relevant to the skin as well as various systemic diseases. This
approach may result in the development of sd-rxRNA® or other drugs that are more
selective for various indications, including the treatment of alopecia areata, warts
or cutaneous metastases of malignant melanoma.
Multiple development opportunities exist outside of dermatology and ophthalmology
based on RXi's broad technology platform. Our robust pipeline, coupled with an extensive
patent portfolio, provides for product and business development opportunities across
a broad spectrum. We are committed to being a partner of choice for academia, small
companies, and large multinationals. We welcome ideas and proposals for strategic
alliances, including in- and out-licensing opportunities, to advance and further
develop strategic areas of interest.
Investor Relations
Contact Information


text:
|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|M Henri Day <mhenri...@gmail.com>
|Re: Setting hyperlinks to open in a new window
|Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:35:37 GMT
2012/10/24 Jeffrey Deutsch <email@example.com> > Hello, > > In OpenOffice/LibreOffice, when I embed hyperlinks, how can I make > sure they will open in new windows? > > I've tried both the in-house Help function and Google, but not found > anything useful quickly. Any help you can offer would be very much > appreciated. > > Thank you! > > Jeff Deutsch > Speaker & Life Coach > A SPLINT - ASPies LInking with NTs > http://www.asplint.com > Jeffry, I suspect that this is something that is rather regulated at the level of the *reader*'s web browser, rather than that of the writer's office suite. Thus, for example, when I perform «Ctrl + click» to open a hyperlink in a Writer document, if I've configured my browser (Firefox Nightly 19.0a1 (2012-10-23)) so that «Open windows in a new tab» is ticked, it opens in a new tab in the same window, whereas if this option is not ticked, a new FF window is opened with a single tab, i e, in which the page to which I've linked is launched. But perhaps I'm missing something.... Henri
|View raw message


text:
When Wes befriends a similarly displaced Indian immigrant they both decide it's their destiny to connect the child's dream to his reality through the use of crowdfunding. Their journey to the mysterious plains of Mongolia throws the boy's family further into disarray, leading his desperate mother on a trip across the world, with her son, in order to make their family whole again.
Starring : Vera Farmiga, Virginia Madsen & Jacob Tremblay
Running Time - 1:42:00


text:
Sportblog + Mick McCarthy
From Arsène Wenger's dismissal of Sir Alex Ferguson to Roy Keane's rant at Mick McCarthy, via Craig Bellamy on John Terry: here are half a dozen brilliant put-downsFrom Arsène Wenger's dismissal of Sir Alex Ferguson to Roy Keane's rant at Mick McCarthy, via Craig Bellamy on John Terry: here are half a dozen brilliant put-downs
Ian McCourt: Having spent only £10,000 on his squad, it borders on the miraculous that Mick McCarthy has established a competitive force at Portman Road
Stuart James: After four home wins in 15 months – and four managers in 13 months – Wolves face a crucial nine-match run-in starting with Bristol City
Football League blog Fear grips Stale Solbakken's Wolves while Mick McCarthy laps up cheersJeremy Alexander at Molineux
Jeremy Alexander: Time is running out for Norwegian after timid display against an Ipswich side managed by Molineux's favourite uncle
The gifs that keep on giving The gifs that keep on giving: First touches, Mike Tyson and Mick McCarthy
This week's round-up of sporting gifs features stumbles, falls, jumps, tricks and the new Ipswich manager
Daniel Taylor: He was once in leading roles as the Premier League curtain went up. Now racehorse-mad Michael Owen is not in the cast
Marina Hyde: Perhaps a deathless document is needed to proscribe the limits of fans' rights in a civilised footballing society
Stuart James: The Wolves manager may have retained his sense of humour but how his side are playing right now is no laughing matter
Rob Bagchi: The Wolverhampton Wanderers manager was destined to be a colliery electrician until a timely intervention by Barnsley diverted his attentions to full-time football
Stuart James: Playing the top four is 'exciting', not daunting, for Wolves, claims their manager
Paul Doyle: Mick McCarthy has taken some flak over his style of play this season, but the accusation is unfair
Dominic Fifield: Benni McCarthy admitted to a stunned reaction at half-time as the Hammers capitulated to their relegation rivals Wolves
Paul Wilson: Mick McCarthy hit a new low with Wolves' no-show at Old Trafford but he is slowly winning some respect back
Paul Doyle: Who's a canny manager then? Avram Grant, Mick McCarthy, Roy Hodgson and Steve Bruce all pass muster while on the pitch Michael Owen continues to miss his targets
David Lacey: Mick McCarthy's predecessors at Wolves would not have approved of the team put out at Old Trafford
Richard Williams: Managers have always rested players, not least Burnley's when preparing for a European Cup quarter-final in 1961
Paul Wilson: Time will tell if Mick McCarthy's decision at Old Trafford to rest 10 of the players who beat Tottenham was right
Stuart James: He may have transformed Wolverhampton Wanderers but Mick McCarthy stays the same
Mikey Stafford: Will Wolves seize the initiative or be left howling?
Mikey Stafford: Wolves' Mick McCarthy has seen his team's advantage eroded, leaving the fans to brood on past failures
Every 'congenital loser' winsPaul Doyle
Cartoon controversialist Eamon Dunphy once dubbed Mick McCarthy a "congenital loser", depicting him as a hapless dunce who was doomed to failure even when he did the right things, because ... well, just because. His Republic of Ireland side missed out on France 98 and Euro 2000 by conceding late goals, committing crass errors and losing play-offs. When they finally made it to a major tournament, McCarthy shot himself in the foot by firing his best player; then he went to Sunderland and made them officially the worst team in Premiership history. So when he took over at Molinuex last July, detractors howled that Wolves had appointed a donkey in manager's clothing.


text:
It only takes a minute to get started. Fill out our uncomplicated sign up form and login to the website.
This step is elective but will seriously increase your chances of getting interest from other Christian members on the site. Type a little about yourself, your hobbies and upload any nice photographs of yourself.
Utilise our website's state-of-the-art search to encounter members who meet your requirements. Or just look through listings of Christian singles and encounter folks that attract you.
Located someone who looks suitable? Send a message to them or just a wink and see if they're interested. With a little luck you'll be on your way to uncover your ideal partner.
It doesn't take long


text:
Weddings are our specialty!
As one of life's most important events, your wedding's entertainment is crucial to a positive and lasting experience. For your dinner reception, Bay Players Club excels by performing lavish and elegant arrangements of the timeless classics from Frank Sinatra, Etta James, Nat King Cole, Harry Connick, Jr., and Diana Krall, to the newer favorites from Nora Jones, Sting, and Michael Bublé. When you're ready to start the celebration, the Club electrifies the dance floor with the non-stop modern hits of Gaga, Beyoncé, Furtado, Rihanna, Mraz, Maroon 5, and exhilarating dance favorites from the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire, Gloria Estefan, KC and the Sunshine Band, Ohio Players, Kool and the Gang, Donna Summer, Chaka Khan and many, many more. Motown, Soul, R&B, Disco, Reggae, Latin, '80s, Funk, Rock, Jazz, and YES -- we take requests! Contact for a FAST quote TODAY.
Ready to book? Have questions?
Send a direct message here.
Copyright © 2001-2017 OneWed Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2001-2017 OneWed Inc. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Many of UNDP's relationships with countries and territories on the ground exceed 50 years.
Find details on our successes and ongoing work. Visit UNDP's global website.
For the first time in Libya´s history, 89 women candidates running for office in the Libyan National Assembly were chosen to participate in nationwide workshops organized by UNDP and supported by the Interim Government.
"Nabi F Dusturi" is an initiative supported by UNDP within its project Assistance to Building a Constitution in Libya. The initiative was launched in January 2013 as part of the "Open Dialogue for Libya's New Constitution Towards an Inclusive and Democratic Social Contract" project, funded by UNDP and implemented by the local NGO Forum for Democratic Libya (FDL).
283 women candidates from across Libya participated in the launch of the "My Voice for Her" national awareness campaign for women candidates that took place in Tripoli on 25 June 2012. The campaign attracted the attention of the Libyan Government, civil society, international community and the population as a whole
With support from UNDP and Libya's High National Election Commission, a total of 8,021 Libyan voters cast ballots outside Libya over the following several days in six countries with significant Libyan diaspora populations: Canada, Germany, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), the United Kingdom and the United States.
Within the UN Integrated Electoral Support Team led by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, UNDP has played a leading role in civic and voter education through 2 projects: the Support to Civic Engagement in Libya's Transition (SCELT) Project and the Libyan Electoral Assistance Project (LEAP).


text:
|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|Sylvain Wallez <sylvain.wal...@anyware-tech.com>
|Re: Add support for instrumentation ?
|Fri, 13 Sep 2002 12:59:41 GMT
Marcus Crafter wrote: >Hi All, > > Hope all is well. > > I've been playing around with adding excalibur instrumentation > support to cocoon over the past couple of days > (http://jakarta.apache.org/avalon/excalibur/instrument/index.html) > > The initial results look quite nice (a sample screenshot of the > instrument client in action is available at > http://cvs.apache.org/~crafterm/instrumentation.jpg), allowing you > to see what's going on inside your cocoon application as it happens. > > Does anyone see any problems with adding this support to HEAD (or > should I wait till after 2.1 is released) ? > > +1e1000 for HEAD now !!! This looks really, really cool. A question that customers often ask is "how can I debug or tune the application". By combining this extra-cool instrumentation, the profiler and captor, we're starting to have good answers. A question however about the cost of instrumentation : is it possible to know if an instrument is active to avoid costly value computations, in the same way as we test logger.isDebugEnabled() ? Thanks, Sylvain -- Sylvain Wallez Anyware Technologies Apache Cocoon http://www.anyware-tech.com mailto:email@example.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: email@example.com For additional commands, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
|View raw message


text:
ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
Americas Best Shows20 Independence Dr # 2B Freeport, Maine United States of America
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 09/27/2009 09:47 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/americas-best-shows/freeport-maine-04032/americas-best-shows-north-east-trade-shows-vt-log-home-timber-frame-show-at-champla-500980. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on Americas Best Shows
If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:Search Tips
In order to assure the best results in your search:
Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.


text: He'll be hitting the Benedum on October 12th - tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10am at LiveNation.com! Wanna sing along with Jackson's hits? Hear him on IHeartRadio! Sheri Van Dyke - Grew up in the 60's and 70's, college in the 80's, so I sang along to all our Classic Hits when they were 'new!'I'm a graduate of Malabar High School in Mansfield, Ohio, and I graduated Bowling Green State University with a degree in Radio/TV/Film. Radio was the only one that wanted me :)I've been with 3WS since March 19, 1990, and I'm happy to now call Pittsburgh my home -- and the Steelers my football team (after so many years of The Browns!)Hockey's my favorite -- I get to the Pens games whenever I can..I live in Scott Township with our doggies Echo and Blue.. Contact Call 412-333-9450 Email email@example.com Social