text:
The ghost of the pastMature
As the days to Talia's first death anniversary decreased, the times Dylan and I found ourselves rolling in my bed – or his, or any flat surface for that matter – increased. It was the first time I'd seen him so frequently since Talia had died. But quantity, in our case, didn't mean quality. We rarely talked on these occasions – it was always just sex. Sex to lose ourselves in, to forget. I knew, and he knew, that this was an unhealthy way of coping. But it was all we knew to do. It was all we could do.
One week passed; two.
Then the twelfth of August came, and Dylan became the last person I wanted to see. He apparently felt the same way, because even though we had to be visiting the same places that day, I saw neither hide nor hair of him.
Truth be told, that didn't bother me. After seeing him every day for the past two weeks, I'd needed a break from him and the memories that seeing him inevitably brought. In a way, seeing him always reminded me even more of Talia. What Talia had meant to him. What Talia had meant to me. And what he had meant – still meant – to me. My relationship – if one could call it that – with Dylan had become a mass of contradictions. Being with him let me forget, but also, inevitably, forced me to remember.
For lack of a place to go to, I found myself back at Talia's grave for the second time that day. The fresh flowers I had brought that morning lay where I had placed it. I sighed and bent over, running my hand over the cold gravestone.
I imagined her lying six feet down below ground, with nothing but the soil and maggots for company, stuck in the coffin with no way out. The bile rose in my throat as I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Sis," I whispered. It was the only word I managed before the tears came.
I have no idea how long I spent in the cemetery, crying, kneeling over my sister's grave. Eventually, when I straightened, my throat was hoarse and my eyes were so swollen they felt glued shut. Whoever had said a good bout of crying was cathartic had been spouting rubbish. Now I only felt a clawing ball of agony lodged within my chest.
There was a rustle behind me and I jerked around to see Dylan standing a distance away, in the shadows under the trees.
But he wasn't looking at me. He was looking past me to Talia's gravestone. He walked slowly, sluggishly, towards the gravestone, leaning down to place his hand on it like I had. It had made me feel closer to Talia, and, watching him, I wondered if it made him feel the same. He ran his hand over the slab of marble, stroking it, caressing it, looking as if he could see something I couldn't.
I saw his lips move silently and looked away, feeling as if I was I intruding on the private time of two lovers. I stared into space for a long time, battling tears that now came for an entirely different reason. When I next looked back, he was placing a single tulip – Talia's favourite flower – on her grave. Then he swallowed and turned on his heel.
I let him go without a word. What was there left to say? Seeing him treat Talia's gravestone so gently had brought it home – what we had going on... It was betrayal. It couldn't continue.
This was the end – the end of whatever had been going on between the two of us. I should've never started it in the first place, but I hadn't been able to help myself. For a little while, he had been my sanctuary, just like he'd been when we had been younger – just in another way. And that was enough.
It was time to let go of what had never been mine in the first place.
Talia's memorial was held in the park near Northridge High School. The venue was fitting – the park had been Talia's favourite hangout spot when she'd been alive. The memorial was a large affair; all sorts of people came that I didn't recognise – strangers united in their love of Talia. A group of Talia's closest friends had organised everything, and my parents had chipped in for the funding. There were flowers, candles, balloons and a memorial table filled with things that Talia had loved. Katie Schmidt, Talia's best friend, had asked me to contribute a memory for the table and I'd torn off that photo of us from my wall and given it to them. She'd also asked me to give a short speech, but I'd declined. How did I fit all that Talia had been, all that she'd done, into a few hundred words? I couldn't.
Dylan could. He, among others, spoke at the memorial, but when it was his turn, there was a mild buzzing among the audience.
"That's her boyfriend," this whisper rippled through the crowd.
"I've heard he hasn't dated since."
"Wow – it's been a year!"
"If that isn't devoted, I don't know what is."
"Such a pity though, he's a real looker."
A giggle. "Hey, Cathy, how long do you think it'll take to get to come home with me tonight?"
"Don't be a jerk! It's Talia's memorial service, you know..."
"Maybe tomorrow, then..."
I was standing with my parents at the front and centre of the crowd, not two feet away from him. If I heard them, Dylan must have too, but he didn't blink an eye. He spoke about how Talia had been in life, about her flaws but mostly about her strengths, and how she had made a difference to the ones who'd known and loved her.
I wasn't listening, not really. I was watching his expressions change – the muted light shining in his eyes, the half-smile quirking his lips when he remembered her. His love was etched on his face for everyone to see. I felt something bitter start gnawing at me from within.
A part of me – the part of me that was a twin – was happy that Talia had such a staunch supporter. She had been so blessed to have had Dylan in her life. Some people searched a lifetime for such a love. Another part of me, the part I wish I didn't have – the part of me that was me – was darkly jealous.
After the speeches, the memories, we were all handed a balloon each. Rose pink – Talia's favourite colour. Memo pads and pens were passed out, and everyone wrote a short message to Talia before sticking it on the balloon they had been given. I thought long and hard and came up with nothing. She had been my twin sister, my other half. I wanted to tell her everything that had happened since she'd been gone. How did I condense a year's worth of letters into one memo note? Eventually, just as everyone else was ready to release their balloons, I scribbled two words down: "I'm sorry." Then I let my balloon fly with the rest.
We all tilted our heads and watched as a sea of pink rose up to meet the night sky. I remember vaguely thinking that Talia would've loved that sight. She would've found it poetic.
That was more than I could take, and I retreated deeper into the park, away from the crowd, when Talia's friends started asking for guests to recount their favourite memories of Talia in the guest book.
The purpose of such an exercise was beyond me. I didn't want to pick a favourite memory, didn't want to sieve through every single memory of Talia to find a single shining spot that I could bandy about and claim as the culmination of our relationship. It didn't work that way. With siblings, it was the everyday that counted. Tiny, fleeting moments that didn't matter much until they accumulated and became the definition of your relationship. There was no favourite memory. Just lots of good and bad memories that came together to define who we were to each other.
How long I sat there, remembering, I didn't know. By the time the haze of memories had dissipated and I re-emerged into reality, cicada cries were the only sounds I could hear.
When I stepped back into the clearing, two things became clear to me at once. First – that the memorial service had ended and nearly everyone had gone. I must have been zoned out for a long time. And second – Dylan was the only one left.
Looking at him standing there, staring into the distance, the moonlight reflecting off his hair, sharpening the angles of his face, giving him an air of danger and mystery and putting a shine in his eyes – that was all too much for me. In that moment, I hated him – hated him for being so attractive, hated him for not feeling the same way about me as I did about him, hated him for loving my sister but not caring enough to stop her from driving that day, hated him for not being wholly, irrevocably mine. I felt the anger rising in me like an inferno, and welcomed it.
Anything – anything but this pain of remembering.
I started out in his direction, not taking any care whatsoever to silence my approach. I wanted him to hear me coming. He didn't look at me until I stopped half a foot in front of him.
"Why are you here?" He asked.
I stared at him oddly. "She's my sister. I'm supposed to be here."
He frowned and gave a short, frustrated sigh. "The service is over. Why are you still here?"
"Why are you?" I countered.
"If this is about us–"
I cut him off with a mocking laugh. "What 'us'? Don't be conceited, I'm not always looking to jump your bones."
"Good." He turned his back on me, not-so-subtly dismissing me.
I felt a flare of anger hit me at his standoffishness. He was content to ignore me as long as he didn't want sex. Did he think he was the only one who loved her, who missed her?
"You're a real asshole, Dylan," I said to his back.
He didn't respond.
"She wasn't just yours, you know," I bit out, angry that he was behaving like an ice statue. For the first time, I understood how his usual attitude of indifference made people feel. I wanted to punch him, to crack that ice, to make him react. "She was mine, too... She was mine first."
I finally had his attention. He turned and I saw that his eyes were spitting sparks. "I knew it," he said, in the grimly satisfied tone of someone who had been proven right on something he hadn't wanted to believe but did.
"Knew what?" I clenched my fists to stop myself from wiping that satisfaction off his face.
"You are such a selfish little bitch," he snarled, turning on me with a vengeance. I saw that his own hands were curled into fists. "You were jealous, weren't you? You couldn't stand it when I stole your sister away from you."
He was wrong. He was so wrong that I found myself speechless for a second. "You're wrong," I managed, taking an involuntary step back. I hadn't been jealous of him. I'd been jealous of Talia, because she'd had him. If that made me a bad sister, I was a terrible one. But I knew the truth, and it was that if Talia had been dating anybody else, I would've given her my full blessing... But it hadn't been anybody else. It had been Dylan. The one exception. "You're wrong," I repeated, my voice stronger this time.
He ignored my denial. "You started avoiding me the moment we started dating," he pointed out, as if that was the only proof he needed. "You left rooms that I walked into. All of a sudden, overnight – you couldn't stand the sight of me!" His eyes flashed with remembered anger. "You threw away our friendship like it meant nothing to you, all because you were so petty you couldn't stand to see your own sister happy."
"Not everything is about you," I said sharply, even though for me it was. It had always been about him. But he hadn't been the only one I'd tried to avoid. I'd avoided Talia too – it had just been less obvious because we'd had to live in the same house. He was right about one thing, though. I hadn't been able to stomach seeing Talia so happy with him. That familiar old guilt rose up, almost choking me.
"No, but not everything has to be about you, either," Dylan said flatly.
"You think I don't know that?" I burst out. I couldn't stand listening to his accusations for a second longer, because they were simply not true. It had been a year since Talia had died, but my parents were still so busy mourning her every day that they'd forgotten they still had one daughter left. They'd forgotten that I had also been in that accident, that I had also lost a beloved family member. And Dylan... It had always been just Talia for him. Always had been, always would be. Sometimes I wondered if he even remembered who I had been to him, before he had started dating Talia. "Nothing is about me. Nothing is ever about me."
His eyes were narrowed. "God, you are so self-centred."
"I can't stand you!" I screamed at him then – it was either scream or cry, and I didn't want him to see how deeply his words had cut into me. Did he not know me? What were those ten years of friendship worth?
"The feeling is mutual," he replied emotionlessly, like he had reached into himself and shut off any feelings he might've felt for me. Then again, maybe he'd had none in the first place. Likely, I'd just been a convenient piece of ass for him. And how even more convenient for him that I looked like Talia. It irked me that he'd agreed so easily, as if I meant nothing to him, that I wanted to hit out at him. To put a little bit of the pain I was feeling in his eyes.
"So I suppose you'll find someone else to fuck tonight?" I challenged. "You fucking nymphomaniac." I wanted to hurt him by saying crude things, things that would shock him.
"Yes, maybe," he bared his teeth in a feral grin that was no grin at all. It reflected no pleasure, just grim determination. Determination to lash out and hurt me. He was just as furious as I was, just as bloodthirsty. "Anyone but you." Then he chuckled mockingly. "I'm the nymphomaniac...?"
I gritted my teeth but tried not to react otherwise. I couldn't let him see how much he'd hurt me with his words. I rallied and took the plunge. "Admit it, Dylan," I said scornfully, as if his words didn't matter to me one way or the other, "you'll come crawling back sooner or later. I'm the closest thing to Talia you will ever get, now that she's dead."
His eyes glittered. "Are you comparing yourself to her?" He asked, leaving the cruel punchline for last, "You could never even come close."
I laughed, hating it when the sound rang in the air and I heard how brittle it was. "And what do you know about her?" I shot back. "All you've seen are the sides of her that she knows you like, things that I told her you like. How can you be sure that the girl you love really exists?"
That took him aback. He opened his mouth then closed it again, clenching his jaw. "You..."
"She wanted you, and I helped her get you," I shrugged, narrowing my eyes at him. "So how does it feel to know that you were manipulated like a stud by your oh-so-perfect girlfriend?"
"She's your sister," he growled. "Watch what you say about her."
It was my turn to fall silent. He was right. Every word that came out of my mouth was hurting myself as much as it hurt him – maybe even more, because he didn't seem to be hurting at all. Even now, even after everything I'd said, he was still icily calm.
"You were right, you know," he continued, knowing that his prey was cornered and going in for the kill. I knew the words that were coming even before he said them, and I knew that he hated me. He couldn't not hate me and still say something like that.
"Whenever we fucked, I'd look into your eyes and pretend it was her."
And with that one sentence, Dylan Ainsworth completed the heartbreak that my sister had started so many years ago, when she'd come into my room and told me that she had fallen in love with my best friend.
There was a long silence. I didn't know if I stopped breathing for a few minutes. I only remember feeling dazed, like the world had stopped spinning, like in that one suspended moment before a crash when you knew – just knew, that you were never going to recover from this for the rest of your life.
Then in the next moment, everything sped up and pain exploded in my chest. I gasped – I couldn't help it; it was either that or suffocate. There was a roaring in my ears as reality hurtled forward to make up for the long moment of complete silence. Dylan stood watching me, his eyes black in the darkness, watching, just watching. Watching me bleed from his words.
I knew he was lashing out in response to my goading. His failure to displace the pain that came from remembering how Talia had died one year ago had made him cruel, just like it had done me. He might not even truly have meant what he'd said.
But there were some things that you could never – ever – take back.
"I hate you," I whispered through stiff lips, my words thin and frail in the night air but so sincere that Dylan flinched a little. But I could care less about his reaction by then; it was all I could do to focus on placing one foot in front of the other in a bid to get back into the house unscathed. No – not unscathed. It was too late for that.
I needed to get away from him.
The park was deserted when I walked through it. My parents had left. Maybe they'd tried to call but I hadn't felt my phone buzz, or maybe they'd simply forgotten. They had been so adamant about my not driving, not on this day that had taken their daughter from them, but they'd still left without me. Sometimes it felt like Talia had been their only daughter.
I shook my head, heading for the parking lot. It didn't matter. I'd been looking out for myself for the past year, ever since Talia had left a gaping hole in our family unit that I couldn't even begin to fill. I'd driven here on my own; I could drive myself back.
I had just turned the ignition key when I saw, through the windshield, Dylan stalking purposefully towards my car.
He must have followed me out.
I hit the locks, but he was faster. He yanked open the passenger's door in the split second before the locks engaged, and slid in beside me.
"Get out!" I snarled.
"No," he said flatly. "Not unless you let me drive you home." There was a bleakness etched around the corners of his mouth that told me he wasn't thinking of me; not really. He was trying to rewrite history. He was thinking of her again. Still thinking of her.
But Talia was dead. No matter what he did now, she stayed dead. And I wasn't her. I was furious, hurt, heartbroken – but I hadn't planned on driving home immediately. I'd been planning on parking three blocks away and stopping to have a good cry. I couldn't do that with Dylan here.
"Fine. I won't drive. I'll call a cab. Just get out of my car."
"I wasn't born yesterday," he said drily, "I know when you're lying."
"You don't know anything about me," I ground out, even though I had been lying. I would've hit the gas the moment he'd gotten out of the car, and he knew it. I knew that he knew it.
He leaned over and I shrank back, instinctively, into my seat. Something flickered in his eyes, but he continued reaching across me until he'd gotten a hold of the buckle. Then he drew the seatbelt across my body, fastening it with a click. Apparently satisfied with his actions, he sat back in his own seat.
I felt all the energy drain out of me. If only he'd done this for Talia that night. If only I had. Sick at heart, I muttered, "Put yours on." I drummed my fingers nervously against the steering wheel, watching out of the corner of my eye as he buckled himself in.
When he was done, I shifted the gears and started manoeuvring the car out of the parking lot. My hands were shaking a lot harder than they usually did. Maybe Dylan buckling me in had driven home the way Talia had died, or maybe that incident from one year ago was just weighing heavily on my mind that day – even the idea of driving, of being trapped in a car on the road surrounded by other cars, gave me the shivers.
Still, my pride prevented me from simply pulling over. I gritted my teeth and drove on, my fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly that I was almost sure I had left hand imprints on either side of it.
It took me a whole ten minutes to just inch out of the lot.
Dylan didn't say anything. I flicked a glance at him and saw that his lips were set in a grim line. He knew why I was driving at a speed barely faster than a crawl.
I drove for three blocks. It took a long, long time. By the end of it, my hands were shaking so badly that I had no choice but to pull up by the curb before I hit someone or someone hit me.
Dylan was still silent in the passenger's seat. I didn't look at him, didn't want to look at him and see the expression on his face. I could almost imagine his mockery and I didn't want to see it. I felt that I really would cry then.
My mind was spinning with images – images that burned my brain. They were probably born of my own imagination, though, since I didn't remember a thing from that night – images of Talia, hurting during her last moments. Talia, scared to death in that last few moments, seeing me out cold and wondering if she'd killed me. Talia, bleeding slowly to death behind the driver's wheel. Was this how she had felt? Slowly turning colder with every second...
"Tara." I felt burning warmth on my hand and looked down to see Dylan's larger hand covering my small, pale one. He gently pried my fingers away from the steering wheel, working first on my right hand, then leaning closer to do the same with my left. I watched the movements of his fingers numbly. "Tara," he repeated, more sharply now. "Calm down. Look at me."
I shook my head, and the world wobbled as if in slow motion. I looked out the car window, vaguely wondering why it felt so cold. Summer nights weren't usually this cold. Then I felt heat engulf my neck, and insistent fingers push at the sides of my face. I blinked as I came face to face with Dylan.
His blue gaze was bright with some emotion that my mind didn't want to latch onto right then. "Tara," he said, "it's okay. You're okay. Breathe. Take deep breaths."
It was then that I realised my breaths had been coming out in short pants. I was breathing too quickly, too shallowly, and my heart was hammering in my chest. And I was shivering. I couldn't stop shivering. "Deep breaths," Dylan repeated, and I tried to focus on the warmth of his hands and the steadiness of his voice.
I looked into his bright blue eyes and breathed. In that moment, he was my anchor. Nothing mattered but him and breathing. Inhale, exhale. Inhale... Exhale.
"You're okay." Dylan regarded me steadily, his hands drawing comforting patterns against my neck. His body heat was burning me, seeping under my skin, chasing the cold away.
A while later, when my breathing had returned to normal and my hands had stopped shaking, I remembered. I turned my head away from Dylan. He let his hands fall away and settled back in his seat like nothing had happened.
I started the engine again, listening to the soft purr of the car. My hands felt clammy. My heartbeat sped up and I was feeling light-headed again. I couldn't risk it. Not when Dylan was in the car, too. If we crashed and he died and I didn't... I wouldn't be able to handle it this time. "I..." I licked dry lips and forced my next words out. "Maybe you should drive."
He didn't say a word, just got out of the car and came over to open my door.
After the switch had been made, I sat in the passenger's seat, clutching at my seatbelt as the scenery outside surged past. Dylan was a good driver, but I couldn't stop the anxiety quivering in my stomach. I knew that he was completely sober, that he wasn't Talia, that it was just a short drive home and nothing would happen – my mind knew that, but my heart didn't. So I sat in the car, terrified to even move for fear that I'd upset the balance of the car or do anything else that would cause a crash.
Dylan darted a quick glance at me. "When was the first time you drove after the accident?" He asked.
"Don't... Don't talk! Look at the road!" I cried, somewhat hysterically.
He exhaled audibly, but did as I said.
By the time he pulled up in front of my house, I was all too ready to scramble out, but Dylan grasped me by the shoulder and yanked me back none too gently.
"What the hell are you doing?" My nerves were fried from the car ride and I wanted nothing more than to stumble back onto solid, unmoving ground.
"How long have you been driving like that?" He snapped. He was scowling at me again, looking like he was raring for another fight. Hadn't he already hurt me enough?
"I'm not in the mood to get into another argument with you now, okay?" I tore away from him and vaulted out of the door.
He was there when I reached the front door. I turned to gape at my car in astonishment. "You didn't even close the car door!" I accused, before retracing my steps to do just that.
"You were running away," he said, like that explained everything. I glared at him as I slammed the car door shut, then held out my hand for the keys. He dropped them in my palm.
After ensuring that the doors were locked, I turned back around and realised that he was blocking my path to the house. "Get out of the way," I demanded.
He was unmoved. "How long?"
"How long what?"
"How long have you been trying to kill yourself?"
I felt the blood leave my face. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"What happened – back there," he flung a hand in the direction of my car, "is that what happens every time you drive?"
His gaze was steely and I couldn't meet them any longer. I looked away, the action more telling than words could have been.
Dylan turned away and swore viciously. "What the fuck were you thinking?" He bit, anger edging his every word. "Are you trying to get into a crash?"
"It doesn't happen every time," I found my voice, but it came out in a low, defensive mumble. "And I always stop if I don't feel well."
"You're a fucking moron," Dylan gritted out.
"Fuck you!" I shoved at him, even though I knew he wouldn't budge. "I've had enough of your fucking insults! Just leave me alone!" I could feel the pressure building behind my eyes and knew that the tears were just another well-placed criticism away.
He grabbed me by the shoulders as if tempted to give me a good shaking. "Tara..." His fingers were biting into my skin, a reflection of the agitated state he was in. "What are you doing to yourself?"
His words set off a spark deep within me. "What right do you have to ask me that?" I snapped, feeling as if a dam had burst within me. Tears streaked down my cheeks but I paid them no mind. I rounded on him, shrieking, no longer caring if the neighbours were going to hear. "Fuck you, Dylan Ainsworth! With you, it's always Talia, Talia, Talia. Do you think I don't know I'm just a substitute for her? Do you think it doesn't kill me a little bit inside every time we fuck, you pretend I'm her? Do you think nobody notices that you never date anymore, that you never take off that fucking watch she gave you from the grave? Do you think I don't think about her every time I see you? I may look like Talia, but you are the walking, living, breathing reminder of her!"
He looked stunned by my outburst.
I wiped a hand across my face and came away with a palmful of snot and tears. I was winding down, my anger deflating curiously. "You've built yourself into, like, a living shrine of her. It's not just me; everyone thinks that. I get that you loved her, fine. But don't talk to me about what I do to myself when I'm just trying to continue with my life the best I can. But you... You're not moving on at all. I don't know if you ever can. It's like... You're broken, Dylan. It's like without her, you may as well be dead."
This was different from what we'd been doing earlier. Back then, we'd been having a calculated argument, almost like a game – each of us trying to see who could hurt the other the most. But now I wasn't trying to hurt him. This came from the heart, and maybe it was what made it all the more potent. All the more painful.
Dylan's face had turned to stone, but not before I saw a stricken look flash in his eyes. "So this is what you think? I should have died instead of her, or maybe with her. Is that it?"
I stared at him, hurting because he was so obviously hurting. He was misunderstanding every word out of my mouth. His very being was both a balm on my soul and a dagger in my heart, but how could I tell him about the good he had done me without revealing my feelings for him? And how could I tell him that I loved him without further betraying Talia?
Then I thought back to what he'd said earlier that night and my heart turned to stone. Why would he even want to know?
"That's not it," I finally whispered.
I'd taken too long to reply, because then he was suddenly brushing past me. He got as far as the pavement before turning back around. "Just go into the house, Tara," he said lowly, not quite looking me in the eye.
"What?" I was bewildered at the sudden change in topic.
He slid his hands into his pockets, watching me with hooded eyes. He was done talking, I realised. There was a kind of finality in this moment, the kind that all our previous goodbyes had never had. I looked at him, wanting to say something, anything, but the closed off expression on his face discouraged further communication.
Still, he stood there, obviously itching to leave, but waiting for me to enter the house before he would. My heart clenched.
Mechanically, I marched myself down the path and through the door, stopping only to fumble with my keys. It was only when I was back in my room that I pushed aside the curtain to watch Dylan walk away. His steps were quick, restless, and he had barely taken a few before he broke into a run, as if he couldn't wait to get out of his own skin.
Or away from me.


text:
Too often the change to an older society is seen by our sometimes youth-focused culture as a threat or a burden. As a country we need to recognise that it has the potential to be a far more positive change affecting not just our public services but also the shape and character of our society. For our families, I believe it can be a change for the better.
Opposing reform is the fiscally irresponsible course of action at a time when we must be looking to ensure that every pound, whether public and private, is used wisely – when failure to act increases the costs of ageing and simply wastes money. We know also we are not asking for the impossible: already a number of pioneering local authorities and PCTs have achieved great things – providing dignity and support at home, reducing unnecessary care elsewhere, and reducing overall costs too. In places as different as Knowsley on Merseyside and the Isle of Wight off the south coast they have shown the way in what can be done – with highly effective partnership working between NHS and local social care practitioners, overcoming traditional demarcations between professionals and the services they offer, and putting people first.
It would have been easy in 1948 for government to concede meekly that our public services and welfare systems could not be a priority in such times. But they kept to their vision. We know what they achieved. An NHS that delivers quality, equity and cost-effectiveness in health care: a remarkable and internationally lauded achievement we must now match more widely – for the better care of our ageing society.
Today the challenge could not be greater. We face a clear choice between: reform and a radically improved health and care services with guarantees that meet the need for more, better, and more personalised care at home. The alternative – rejecting our guarantees for personalised care, undermining high standards in the NHS, and sending our country back into a spiral of poor and fragmented care, damaged growth, greater means testing and rising costs because they do not understand the needs and aspirations of families today. Our choice is clear. For personalised, reformed and guaranteed health and social care services that meet the aspirations of the people of Britain.
Taken from a speech given by the Prime Minister to the King's Fund yesterday
- More about:
- Ageing
- Customisation And Personalisation
- Population

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thunder Come Home
A Naruto Cop AU
Chapter 1: Thunder's Arrival
The door pushed open, only to stop short. Karui sighed in the hallway outside of the apartment. It was probably that box that the idiot had forgotten to put away this morning.
The red-headed woman gave a small shove, hoping that whatever its contents weren't fragile. Upon entering her new home, moving boxes were strewn all across the space. Many were in the living room that opened up to her immediately. There was still so much to unpack and find proper places for.
"Why did I suggest this again?" She mumbled to herself as she threw her jacket onto the back of her couch and hopped over it. Once she was seated onto the cushioned furniture (or rather laid out), her eyes drifted to where a television would someday be. Karui stared at the empty space before she felt her eyes closing slowly. She was rather tired from today. Maybe she had been taking adapting to this new environment too lightly.
Before her lids shut completely, though, a sudden whirring noise caught her attention. Her hand reflexively went to the holster on her hip. She rolled off the couch with ease and inched over to the kitchen. Her first guess was that her blonde idiot of a cousin was up to something, but it never paid to assume anything. Karui knew that well first hand, having thought she'd easily melt into her new department.
One the case of who the kitchen culprit was, her prediction had been correct. Spiked blonde hair protruded from the male's head, his back turned to her while he wore a black tank with an orange spiral on the back and orange sweats. He was using her blender, various teas and coffees displayed on the countertop beside of him. Also, she then noticed, one of her bulletproof vest was out next to the drinking ingredients. What the hell was he doing?
Karui lifted her hand away from her gun to cross her arms over her chest.


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Re: Electronic W2s For 2011
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The the U.S. military is deployed in over 80 countries around the world. But why? And should they be there?
Aleksandr Dugin sought to inspire university students to support his Eurasianist "fourth political theory," but despite the controversy, almost no one showed up to hear him.
Emphasizing his foreign policy differences with Hillary Clinton — and with most of his Republican senate colleagues — GOP presidential contender Rand Paul Monday told a group of about 30 Orthodox Jewish leaders in Brooklyn that overthrowing Saddam Hussein in Iraq was a "mistake."
Smaller, Deadlier Drones Being Launched Despite Killing InnocentsWritten by Joe Wolverton, II, J.D.
Smaller, deadlier drones are being launched by the Obama administration despite the killing of innocents.
Obama White House Admits Killing Three Americans in Counterterrorism OpsWritten by Joe Wolverton, II, J.D.
The White House admitted in a press statement that recent counterterrorism operations have resulted in the deaths of three American citizens.
The carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy left the Persian Gulf on April 19 en route for the Arabian Sea, joining 10 other U.S. naval vessels off the coast of Yemen. According to a Pentagon statement, the mission of the ships is to protect the region's vital shipping lanes. But unnamed White House officials cited by the Christian Science Monitor said that the ships are prepared to intercept any Iranian vessels carrying weapons to the Houthi rebels.
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was not bashful about setting himself apart from his more hawkish rivals for the Republican presidential nomination at an early pre-primary event in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Saturday.
In a controversial move that came as a shock even to many of the American people's elected representatives, a coalition of establishment lawmakers in both parties — primarily Big Government Republicans — unveiled a secretly negotiated globalist plan to empower Obama with "fast-track authority" for "trade." Under the bill, backed by top establishment GOP figures, the administration will have an even freer hand to negotiate pseudo-free trade deals with foreign governments — deals that critics say will harm U.S. sovereignty, the U.S. economy, and more. Despite GOP talking points about "free" trade and "markets," Obama's own AstroTurf group, Organizing for Action, sent an e-mail blast to supporters on Friday boasting that the administration was "crafting a progressive trade agreement."
The White House issued a statement on April 14 informing the public that President Obama had submitted a report to Congress indicating the administration's intent to rescind Cuba's "State Sponsor of Terrorism" designation.
Saying a successful aerial attack on Iran's nuclear facilities could be carried out in "several days," Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) chastised Obama administration efforts to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear ambitions.


text: The Zonkey and 9 More Species Hybrid Species (Photos)What happens when you mix a donkey with a zebra?07.26.13 2:45 PM ETForget the pomsky, pixie-bobs, and all those single-breed animals: hybrids, in all their mixed glory, are the species du jour. This week, the Internet couldn't stop gushing over the improbable birth of adorable zebra-donkey mix, Ippo. But this striped fellow isn't the only two-species animal to melt our hearts. Lest we forget the grolar bear, wholphin, or leopon, here's a rundown on our favorite hybrid beasts. Carlo Ferraro/CorbisZonkeyHi, Ippo! The result of an illicit love affair between a female donkey and a fence-hopping male zebra, this aborably striped zonkey was born in Italy earlier this week. The rare liaison happened when a passionate rescue zebra climbed over the enclosure built to separate him from his neighbor, an endangered female donkey, on a farm outside Florence. Zonkeys, also known as zedonks or zebroids, are rare, but have been bred since the 1800s and were even studied by Charles Darwin. AP PhotoLigerNapoleon Dynamite was right: these are pretty much the coolest animals, although they aren't known for their "skills and magic," and they don't exactly look like his drawing. Crossed between a male lion and a tigress, they are artificially bred because the two felines don't overlap habitats in the wild. They grow larger than both a lion and tiger, and were first known in 19th-century India. There are some famous ligers, including Hercules and Sinbad. AP PhotoWholphinIt's a whale! No, it's a dolphin! Scratch that. It's a wholphin—part false killer whale and part Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. The only known wholphin, Kekaimalu, was born in 1986. She even gave birth in 2005 to a calf that was one quarter whale and three-quarters dolphin. BeefaloFor those of us who enjoy eating beef but don't want the guilt of eating all that cholesterol and saturated fat, science has the answer: the beefalo. According to the American Beefalo Association, the hybrid offers the best of both worlds—the flavor of beef and the leanness of buffalo. Beefalo are also more hearty creatures, live longer and are better able to resist diseases than traditional cattle. MulesA cross between male donkey and a female horse, mules have been around for thousands of years stretching all the way back to ancient Egypt, where mules were the preferred pack animal. George Washington was the first American mule breeder and asked King Charles of Spain to send the finest breeding stock. The king complied, sending Washington three specimen in 1785. Mules were instrumental in helping American settlers explore the West, they helped to build roads, railways, dams and canals at the beginning of the 20th century. CamaCamels are known for their spitting, so scientists in Dubai decided to make a friendlier version. Enter the cama – the offspring of a male camel and a female llama. The cama has the best of both animals: the strength of a camel and the high wool-producing properties of a llama. Since camels are anywhere from three to six times heavier than a llama, the only way to produce a cama is through artificial insemination. WolfdogA wolfdog is exactly what it sounds like—the combo of a wolf and a dog. The species has been around the Americas for at least 10,000 years, though the first documented intentional breeding didn't take place until the 1920s. At the end of the 20th century, the USDA estimated there were at least 300,000 wolfdogs in the United States. Iron Age PigWhen Hollywood directors need a wild boar, they usually settle for an Iron Age pig. A cross breed between a boar and domestic pig, the Iron Age variety looks like their larger, more obstinate parent, but are in fact easier to handle. And they're pretty cute. Grolar BearChalk the grolar bear up to climate change. Part polar bear and part grizzly bear, the grolar is larger than a grizzly but smaller than a polar bear. As the Arctic sea ice melts, polar bears are becoming more and more stranded on land in the summer giving them more of a chance to meet grizzly bears. Researchers believe that we'll be seeing more and more grolars in the coming years. LeoponWhen male leopards and female lions get together the result is the leopon. They get the shape of their heads from their kingly roots, but usually have the long, lean body of the leopard. The first documented breeding of a leopon occurred in India at the beginning of the 20th century.


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Join this free martial arts wiki. Add info & help beginners with Shotokan Kata, Kicks, Punches, Grappling, Taekwondo Forms & Patterns, Aikido, Goju-Ryu, Krav Maga, Bo Staff, Judo, Kyokushin, etc. Fitness experts can help with Strength Training, Core Exercises, Warm-Ups, Balance, Stretching, Conditioning, etc. Talk with fellow martial artists by joining our Wiki Community.
Wiki Revision Date - 08 Jul 2016 12:48
Plank - Core Strength Exercise
This page will teach you how to do a basic "Plank". This isometric exercise will help your martial arts core strength by working on your abdominal muscles. In turn, this will improve your martial arts kicking power and punching power. This core exercise is also known as the low plank, elbow plank, forearm plank, etc. For more advanced planks (i.e. Superman Plank), please visit the main Plank Exercises section.
With the common plank, you rest on your forearms and feet while keeping your body straight. In contrast with the straight arm plank, you rest on your hands (not your forearms).
All stretches and exercises should be supervised by a trained instructor in order to prevent injuries and to ensure the proper technique is utilized. If you have had an injury or are in pain, please see a doctor before starting any stretching or exercise program. For different exercises (i.e. crunches and the bird dog), please visit the main Core Exercises section.
Plank Variations
Video Instructions for Plank Exercises
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quote:Here are Domond's freshman year JUCO highlights:
Newly-hired offensive line coach Jeff Grimes has been searching the junior college ranks from the onset of his days with the Tigers' program in attempt to alleviate the some of the issues the Tigers will have with depth up front in the coming years.
Domond is considered to be one of the premier offensive tackle prospects in the junior college ranks. Sources at LSU rave about his upside, athletic ability and believe that he has the chance to be special.
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No matter what city or riding you live in, no matter what your ballot says, or whose names are on it, I know what is beside that X you will mark down. I know what is beside that X tomorrow, I know what is beside that X in five years. I know what is beside that X you will mark down because it's on every ballot, and on every line. You may vote Liberal, you may vote Conservative, you may vote in protest, you may vote for change, but no matter whose name you select, I know that it is Canada that your X is beside.
Now there are some people who won't vote, and if they won't vote for Canada, you must wonder what they then would do for Canada. If they are not willing to go to a voting station, would they go help a neighbour in a flood? If they are not willing to wait in line at a voting booth, would they wait in line for jury duty? If they are not willing to put pencil to paper to vote in an election, are they willing to put their lives in danger to defend Canada in a war?
Would the apathetic do these things, I don't know, I know you don't know too. I also know given a choice, every person would choose to vote. Between facing an old dam bursting or voting, they'd vote. Between spending three weeks at a trial of a repeat offender or voting, they'd vote. Between going to fight some foreign nation or voting, they'd vote. Without that forced choice, without the one or the other scenario, I don't know if they'd help or what they'd do, but I do know this, I know voting could have stopped that infrastructure from falling apart, from that dam breaking. I know voting could have written laws that kept that drunk driver in jail. And I know this, I know voting could have prevented that war.
The declining voter turnout numbers do not lie, there are some people who do not vote, who will not vote, they are not bad people, they are just misguided people. Someone is not a bad person if they do not help another, they are just misguided. A person who does not do good, is not therefore bad, that person is just lost. And when we do not try to help provide that guidance, the guidance that voting is beneficial to our government, our country, that it is patriotic, that it is extrinsically and intrinsically valuable to ourselves and our society; when we do not try to do good by telling others the importance of voting, we are just as misguided as they.
In this upcoming election, in every election, we are given a choice. A choice not on whether to vote or not to vote, because this is a democracy, with democracy you can't choose to be in it and not vote. Democracy isn't a geographical area, it's not some place where you can stand and not vote. Democracy can exist without countries, it can't exist without people. If people choose not to vote, democracy ceases for them. In this election, again, in every election, you are given a choice, it's not a choice whether to vote or not to vote, it's a choice of are you in or are you out.
If you choose to be in, if you choose to participate in democracy, I know what you are voting for, because every time you vote there is no other option, there is no other choice, you are voting for Canada.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
An Election For Canada & Voting In Democracy
No matter what city or riding you live in, no matter what your ballot says, or whose names are on it, I know what is beside that X you will mark down. I know what is beside that X tomorrow, I know what is beside that X in five years. I know what is beside that X you will mark down because it's on every ballot, and on every line. You may vote Liberal, you may vote Conservative, you may vote in protest, you may vote for change, but no matter whose name you select, I know that it is Canada that your X is beside.
6 comments:
- WesternGrit said...
Great post Scott!
- The Mound of Sound said...
Scott, back on your meds - now. There are reasons people will not vote in this election that go far beyond apathy. I will be going to the polls and I will be casting an unmarked ballot. This will be the first time I have not voted and the first time I have not supported the Liberals and I have been supporting Liberals since Pierre Trudeau first led the party into a general election.
I will spoil my ballot because I believe in Canada. I just don't believe that any of the federal parties is worthy of election and I won't vote for a party on the basis that it's the least objectionable, the least odious.
- thescottross.blogspot.com said...
Mound: You may believe in Canada, you may believe in democracy, but by not voting you won't participate in it.
I can't imagine a founding father, when they were sitting around the table at one of the many conferences saying, "I don't like any of you & so I will not compromise my position or ideals." I can't imagine that because he then would certainly not be any founding father of a great nation such as this.
You can submit an unmarked ballot, but with it you will be submitting any claim to participating in our democracy.
- The Mound of Sound said...
Scott, voting for a party you cannot support isn't participating in democracy, it's perverting democracy. Freedom to express dissent is the essence of democracy not its abrogation.
I have the advantage of you in that my remaining years are realistically less than 20. However I have two chidren, one roughly your age, the other a bit younger.
Scott, you and my kids are going to have to pay the price of the neglect and indifference of today's Canadian political class. Long after they and I have gone, you will be left to carry the mess they've bequeathed you.
Perhaps that doesn't matter to you. Perhaps you're even content with it. I'm not. Your party's leader proclaims bitumen the beating heart of your country's economy for the rest of this century. Your party's leader heralds the Athabasca Tar Sands as a key to national unity.
These are not the statements of a leader who will guide Canada into the future, your future. Read Murray Dobbins' piece in the latest Tyee and you may understand that these political parties really hold nothing for you.
- thescottross.blogspot.com said...
Mound: Freedom to express dissent is not the essence of democracy, voting is.
There have been states where you could offer dissent but not vote, democracy was not there. There have been states where you could protest but not vote, democracy was not there. There may have been the beginnings, but the funny thing about beginnings is that they're not the whole, they aren't the thing, they're just a part.
The whole of democracy only exists when those who can vote, do. Anything else is just anything else.
Democracy is not some institution, it is an action, a process. A country can hold elections, but if people don't vote, it's not democracy. The holding of the vote does not create democracy, people voting does.
It is oh so easy to be negative, to hide from participating, to criticize, seeing the hard work that is needed it is perfectly understandable that you took the position you did.
But negativity never wrote new laws, hiding from participating never elected new Leaders, and criticizing never re-drafted a party's constitution.
I'm not telling you what to do, I am telling you what I hope you do, and that's participate in democracy, and vote.
- rgl said...
Yes, voting is vital - thanks Scott!


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Assam Police Junior Assistant Syllabus is available here. Download Assam Police Jr Asstiant syllabus for various subject like General Knowledge, Mathematics, English, Reasoning from the official website www.assampolice.gov.in
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Cecilia Delores (Birzer) Denning, 89, a long-time resident of Russell, died on April 25, 2014, at Trinity Manor Nursing Home in Dodge City.
Cecilia was born on June 9, 1924, in Barton County near Ellinwood. She was the 15th of 18 children born to Joseph and Mathilda (Beran) Birzer. She grew up on a large farm in rural Barton County and graduated from the eighth grade at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School.
She was united in marriage to Ralph Denning (deceased) of Russell on Aug. 18, 1947. They raised seven children and made their home in Russell, except for two years spent in Stockton in the late 1950s.
Cecilia was a devout Catholic and active member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Russell until moving to Trinity Manor in 2010. She belonged to the Russell Council of Catholic Women and was part of the Bible study group at St. Mary's.
In later years she enjoyed making rosaries for the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. She visited the sick at local convalescent homes.
While living in Stockton, she was a member of the altar society and the choir at St. Thomas Catholic Church.
In addition to being a devoted wife, mother and homemaker, Cecilia was a gifted seamstress. She worked professionally in the early years of her marriage, sewing clothing for Russell luminaries, including Bina Dole, Sen. Bob Dole's mother, and Hollywood actress Marj Mahoney Dusay. She made her own wedding dress, bridesmaids' dresses and going away suit, using silk that her husband Ralph brought back from Korea when he was in the service. She sewed clothing for her daughters from infancy into their college years. She also crafted detailed clothing for their dolls.
She excelled at quilt making, crocheting, knitting, cross-stitching, crewel embroidery, upholstery and furniture refinishing. She made dozens of quilts and afghans for her children and grandchildren.
She entered her handiwork at the Russell County Fair for many years, earning dozens of ribbons.
She canned fruits and vegetables and made pickles and sauerkraut with her husband Ralph every year. Her pride and joy in the garden was her large asparagus patch.
Cecilia believed in higher education and strongly encouraged her children to strive for the highest level of education possible. Being part of a traditional German farming family, she and her sisters did not attend school beyond the eighth grade. Instead, they helped out on the farm and prepared their hope chests for marriage. Because of her strong desire to complete her education, however, Cecilia obtained her GED in the early 1970s while still raising her children. She then entered the workforce, holding positions as a cafeteria worker at Russell High School, nurses' aide at Russell City Hospital, waitress at the Russell Elk's Club and at the Gutierrez Mexican Restaurant. She also volunteered as a poll worker during elections.
Survivors include five sisters, Clara Bahr of Olmitz, Margaret Reichuber of Hoisington, Eleanor Penka of Dighton, Inez Giessel of Larned and Bertha Achatz of Ellinwood; seven children, Daniel Denning and wife Mary of Lawrenceville, Ga., Dori Denning of Salida, Colo., Denise DeTurk and husband Randy of Salida, Colo., Douglas Denning and wife Gloria of Manhattan, Dale Denning of Lawrence, Deanna Martin and husband Rick of Running Springs, Calif., and Kathleen Helfrich and husband Brian of Dodge City. There are nine grandchildren, Nicole Surber, Ryan DeTurk, Patrick Denning, Bryant Denning, Elise Denning, Brianna Helfrich, Jared Helfrich, Drew Martin and Aubrey Denning; and one great-grandchild, Lillian Surber.
A celebration of the funeral mass will be 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 1, 2014, at the St. Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Russell. Burial will follow at the St. Mary Catholic Cemetery in Russell. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell. The vigil will be 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening at the mortuary followed by a recitation of the rosary. Memorials may be given to the Saints Peter and Paul Heritage Association and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.
Contributions may be sent to P.O. Box 324, Ellinwood, KS 67526 or to the mortuary.


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Epic Opener Cinematic Slideshow
Epic Opener Cinematic Slideshow - Project for After Effects (Videohive)
After Effects Version CS5.5 - CC 2015 | 1920x1080 | 19 December 16 | No plugins | 474mb
•Modular structure
•No Plugin Required
•After Effects CS5.5,and above
•FULL HD 1920x1080
•Easy to Customize
•Duration 1:20 Minutes
•1 Place for your Logo
•15 Text For Your Photo or Video (Can increase)
•15 Placeholders for your Photo or Videos(Can increase)
•Video tutorial file showing you how to edit project
Download After Effects projects (AE, aep) you can now at blog.gfxline.net in the "After Effects Projects" section. A wide variety of projects: wedding, baby, cartoon, corporate, advertising, trailers, intros and other After Effects projects. What is a "project for After Effects"? This is ready-to-use template (project) for further editing in the eponymous editing, compositing and special effects program - Adobe After Effects.


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Directors with this surname: MACGUINNESS
Carol MacguinnessCo. Louth appears 2 times
Dundalk, Co. Louth appears 2 times
|4 current directorships available
Conor MacguinnessDublin 6 appears 11 times
|10 current directorships available
|1 previous directorship available
Tom MacguinnessCo. Louth appears once
Dromiskin, Dundalk appears 3 times
Co. Louth appears once
Dundalk, Co. Louth appears once
|6 current directorships available
3 directors found.


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The lap of honour that followed Everton's concluding home game of the season may have lacked the meaning and intensity of the one at Old Trafford a few hours earlier but, as David Moyes' team looked ahead to the FA Cup final date with Chelsea, there will be no more deserving post-season celebration anywhere in the Premier League this season.
Thoughts of Wembley dominated proceedings here, two goals from Louis Saha not only lifting Everton into a lofty fifth place in the league but, more relevantly, doing much for his chances of a final starting place, possibly the only selection issue facing Moyes.
For the Hammers, a distant hope of European football next season evaporated in the 37th minute when James Tompkins tripped the goal-bound Tim Cahill, earning a straight red card and presenting Saha with the opportunity to cancel out Radoslav Kovac's stunning opening goal. Reduced to 10 men, the Hammers never looked up for the fight as Goodison echoed to songs about the pending Wembley date and gratitude towards Moyes.
For it is easy to forget that Moyes guided his team throughout much of the middle part of this campaign without a recognised striker – Yakubu and Victor Anichebe still remain on the sidelines along with the playmaker Mikel Arteta – and injuries have constantly eroded an already thin squad. Should Everton win the Cup, there is a strong case to be made for Moyes deserving the manager of the year award.
"This season gives me a great deal of pleasure," said Moyes. "I always say you should judge a football club on how it finishes in the league, not in the Cup.
"This has been a long, 11-month season, though it feels more like 23 months at the moment, and we will be judged over that. I always want to do well in the league and the players have put in a great deal of hard work to get us here."
Everton showed great character in rebounding from Kovac's opener, a staggering strike from over 30 yards, after the on-loan Czech international midfielder collected Mark Noble's short pass to beat Tim Howard.
Saha's penalty equaliser levelled matters and there was an inevitable air about the West Ham capitulation that followed, most notably in the 48th minute when the visitors defended appallingly at Leon Osman's corner. The ball reached an unmarked Joseph Yobo whose six-yard shot also beat three West Ham defenders, a goal which infuriated keeper Robert Green and from which the Hammers would never recover.
"The penalty changed the game," said manager Gianfranco Zola. "Maybe it was a penalty, maybe not, and I'm disappointed for the players because we could have got seventh spot.
"But that doesn't take away from anything they've done. I'm really pleased and proud to be their manager and I've already promised them, next year we're going to be much better."
After Saha, twice, and Steven Pienaar, also twice, came close, Luís Boa Morte might have grabbed an undeserved equaliser after racing on to Carlton Cole's through ball only to shoot straight at Howard and, in the 76th minute, the outcome was finally settled. Pienaar showed great power and poise along the left hand byline and pulled back for Saha to turn into an open goal. It should have been followed by his hat-trick but the Frenchman could only shoot straight at the keeper.
Saha's consolation came shortly afterwards when he was substituted to tumultuous applause, along with Cahill and Marouane Fellaini – an indication, possibly, of Moyes' Cup final plans.


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Love these... great job..
Welcome to the Quilting Board!
Love these... great job..
She did a good job, but it takes having a good Teacher.
Absolutely gorgeous.
very pretty..she did good!
Pam H."Those that mind, don't matter and those that matter don't mind" ~ Dr. Seuss
They work great together. Very unique
Very nice! It's so much fun to quilt with friends!!
huntannette those are so pretty. I would like to make some like that.
"Sometimes it's OK if the only thing you did today was breathe."
Good friends are right there with you.
Where can I obtain the Christmas table runner and place mat pattern
Lovely set. Must start thinking about Christmas - its already August.
great job, great quilt, great friend


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Auto Parts Search
Used Ford F53 Stripped Chassis Parts Hotline - Wheel/TireIf you are looking for a used replacement Wheel/Tire for your Ford F53 Stripped Chassis , then you are in good hands with us. You will be sure to get the same great locating service here with us that you would receive at a Ford part broker. You will be pleased with the Wheel/Tire you will receive and ready to come back for any other part locating needs that you may need in the future. We are the only online locator that you need to depend on for all your used parts and accessories. We want your respect and your business when it comes to used Ford F53 Stripped Chassis Wheel/Tire and we are determined to keep that reputation.
Automotix provides access to auto part requests submitted by professional automotive buyers and car enthusiasts from across the US and Canada. You may sort and/or filter the auto part listings by the Originating location, business type (i.e. Insurance Adjustor, Body Shop, Car Repair, Used Car Part Dealer, Hobbyist, etc.), vehicle model, part condition (OEM Parts, Aftermarket Part, Remanufactured Parts and Used Parts) and part category (i.e. Air Bag, Engine, Transmission, Lights, Body Part, Interior, etc.). Sellers that would like to contact the part buyers listed above must download the Automotix software.
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Heart Initial Necklace
This custom heart initial necklace is hand stamped with the letter of your choice. A beautiful way to let someone know they are loved! Heart charm measures approximately 3/8 inch. Available in silver or rose gold.
Charm materials: 14k rose gold plated and silver plated.
17 inch chain materials: 14k rose gold filled sterling silver.
Your purchase comes in a beautiful glossy silver foiled box that is ready to give as a gift or to keep for yourself.
Unless otherwise specified, necklace chains are made 17 inches and bracelets are 7 inches. If you would like a longer length, please let me know in the "Gift Note" section at checkout. Lengths over 19 inches are $1.00 extra per inch. Special lengths are considered custom and are not refundable or exchangeable, so please be certain of the length and metal finishes you choose.
Please be sure to read our shop policies before purchasing. Final sale. No refunds or returns.


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I am so excited that summer is finally here. The pool parties, cookouts, picnics, and fun in the sun that goes with it is just the best - especially with a full-on toddler to enjoy it with this year!
Of course, there are steps you have to take during summer to keep your skin looking its best. I kind of choose to take a proactive stance on skincare - keep it healthy to begin with, and you won't have to worry about it looking bad (now or later). Here are a few steps I take that have worked for me during the summer!
1. Find the best sunscreen for your skin. Wear it daily.
Long gone are my days of basting in baby oil and laying in the sun for hours at a time (yes, I was a teenager at one point... I did it). The grown-up me realizes that I don't want to look like a prune in 30 years - and let's not even get into the whole skin cancer risk.
I wear SPF 15 if I know I'm only going to be out in the sun for a short time, and SPF 30 if it's for a longer period. Make sure you get broad spectrum too - it protects from both UVA and UVB light!
2. Use a lotion formulated for sensitive skin, like Curél® Itch Defense® Lotion, twice daily.
I think I've mentioned before that I have had eczema basically my whole life. It's nothing debilitating of course, but it is something I have to care for daily. It also tends to flare-up during hot, humid summer months.
This lotion has been a great defense against eczema. If I have a flare-up, it helps soothe it, and if I don't, it's great to use to help prevent them. It's fragrance-free, dermatologist tested, and has received the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance. Moms out there - it's also great to use on kids 6 months+ too!
You can find Curél® Itch Defense® Lotion at drug stores nationwide.
3. Go light on the makeup in the summer. Wash your face nightly.
I don't know about you, but my skin just doesn't need as much makeup in the summer. I hate that cakey look year-round, but it's that much worse this time of year. So, instead of heavy foundations, I opt for BB Creams and tinted moisturizers. They feel and look so much lighter and more natural!
And I will admit - in the face-washing department, I am the world's worst. Guilty as charged. But I've really made an effort to wash my face nightly, and I can tell. My skin definitely feels cleaner and looks so much better. So follow your mom's advice on this one - wash off that makeup!
4. Instead of tanning outside, use a high-quality sunless tanner.
This kind of goes back to #1 - you don't want to be wrinkly and face the threat of skin cancer, so stay out of the sun as much as possible! But I do like to keep a little bit of color. That's where sunless tanners come in.
There really are so many high-quality ones on the market now that won't break the bank! That's really a whole different post - I've been planning on doing one on that soon.
5. Exfoliate weekly.
It makes your skin so much smoother, gives you a great glow, and helps and lotion you're using do its best job - exfoliating really is a no-brainer. But, it can be unhealthy to do it daily. So, once a week, make sure and exfoliate well.
6. Drink at least 8 cups of water a day.
There are a million reasons that drinking water is good for you - keeping your skin healthy is one of them. Drinking water has always helped me control break-outs and keep a great complexion. Try it for a week - see if drinking your 8 cups a day doesn't help with your skin!
You have the chance to win a fun prize from Curél® lotion and BlogHer! Tell me how you beat summer skin irritation in the comments for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card.
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- For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
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Be sure to visit the Curél® brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers' posts!


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Chargers A Popular Super Bowl Pick (Again)
Year after year, the ever-popular publication Sports Illustrated attempts to accurately forecast the upcoming NFL season from the division winners the whole way through the postseason and Super Bowl. For 2011, the Chargers have been given the dubious distinction of being SI's choice to represent the AFC in Super Bowl.
If we take a look at past predictions from the well-respected Peter King at SI, the magic eight ball was amazingly on target a year ago with the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers meeting up as forecast by the long-time NFL analyst. The only erroneous prediction was that King actually had Pittsburgh claiming the Lombardi trophy rather than the Packers who eventually hoisted their namesake hardware for the fourth time in franchise history.
The season prior was a swing and a miss for King as he called for a New England Patriots versus Chicago Bears Super Bowl. New England did manage to win its division, but they were quickly dispatched of in the opening round of the playoffs by the Baltimore Ravens while the Bears finished below .500 and never sniffed the postseason let alone the big game.
This wide range of possibilities makes the business of predicting the future in the NFL a perilous task to say the least. With teams going from worst to first in their respective divisions on a yearly basis, it might be just as precise to play rock, paper, scissors in order to pick your two Super Bowl participants from year to year.
For the sake of conversation however, Sports Illustrated again put out their forecasts calling for the Bolts to meet the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XLVI. The game will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the first time ever and it is probably the first time that two professional football teams are hoping to be in the state of Indiana in early February.
The logistics behind picking the Falcons and Chargers to meet in the big game this year makes sense from a contrarian's perspective as most have some combination of the Packers, Eagles, Steelers, or Patriots surviving to play in February. Still the logical picks that make so much sense in August always seem to leave people scratching their heads in the middle of November during the stretch run.
What King must be counting on the most is a productive year from running back Ryan Mathews in his second season and a lot more touches in Norv Turner's pass-happy offense. If there is one thing that has held true throughout the league over time it is the idea that a balanced offense is necessary to win championships. Even the most passive, run dominant clubs in history had the ability to beat defenses deep at any given moment should the opportunity present itself.
San Diego also needs to maintain their continuity on defense despite some roster turnover and a new coordinator at the helm in Greg Manusky. There is no doubt that the new style will be at least slightly more aggressive than Rivera's predominantly zone concepts, but several veteran additions as well as a youth infusion in the secondary could make this a boom or bust season for the Bolts defensively.
Perhaps the most important thing to look at when trying to predict a potential path through the playoffs is the competition within the conference. There's no doubt that the New York Jets have once again loaded up in hopes of chasing down a ring this year, but the Patriots, Steelers, and Ravens are all formidable opponents as well who cannot be underestimated. And don't count out a possible darkhorse in the Houston Texans who have finally made the transformation to a 3-4 defense and should be in the mix for their first playoff berth in franchise history.
Talent is always what analysts point to as the most vital aspect to making deep playoff runs, but the Chargers could argue with those ideals for days on end. San Diego has been widely considered one of the league's most talented clubs for a handful of years now, yet due to suspect coaching they have been unable to get over the final hurdle and into the big game. Coaching will play a huge role in just how well the Bolts fair in the upcoming season and Turner's hands off approach with minimal motivation may finally be less of a detriment to the team this time around.
With vocal leaders like Philip Rivers on offense and veteran additions from Bob Sanders to Takeo Spikes on the other side of the ball, the locker room seems fully capable of self-motivation in 2011. It's been a yearly ritual to predict the Chargers making it to the big game in February, but there is a feeling in the air that this may finally be the payoff for those prognostications.
Now it's your chance to be heard. What do you think the chances are that Peter King and SI predicts the Super Bowl accurately two years in a row? Will Ryan Mathews have a coming out party in his sophomore season or will the Bolts' back again be troubled by injuries and lack of touches? Is the change from Rivera to Manusky the biggest question mark for the defense heading into the year or will there be another pressing issue as the season moves along? Which AFC team do you see as the biggest competition for the Chargers if they want to make King's prediction come true? Will coaching be the only reason that this team fails to live up to expectations in the coming year? Please fill up the comments section below with your thoughts!
September 1, 2011at 11:17 AM Posted by Anthony M. Blake
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ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
The General insurance co.Internet USA
The General insurance co. low down payment...customer service....I Applied for an auto policy and was given a down payment of over 150.00 then they raised my rate after only 30 days I then cancelled my policy and was refused any refund what so ever....they should have refunded part of my down payment I was treated rudly when I asked for a refund and told I would get nothing.....no insurance co. has ever treated me as badly as the general did.....take this as a warning. Internet
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I was attempting to lower my insurance cost and applied to the general....I have a spotless driving record since 1978 am 60 yrs. old and thought that would account for something...I was given a quote of 121.00 down and 41.00 a month....not bad right,after agreeing to terms my down payment was raised to over 150.00 due to poor credit rating I was told then my first month payment was 41.00 as promised then my second month was over 52 a month,
I called to complain and was treated very rudly and told they had the right to raise rates as they see fit,I cancelled policy and requested a refund and was told I would get nothing back as no law required them to refund anything...not only does this company pratice in deciptive advertising thier customer service is terrible.....I returned to geico and have been treated as a customer should.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 05/23/2013 10:14 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/the-general-insurance-co/internet/the-general-insurance-co-low-down-paymentcustomer-servicei-applied-for-an-auto-po-1053281. 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.
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The North Face Sunrise Ridge Shirt - $29.88
The North Face is part of your lifestyle, and this shirt fits right in. Great at the office, airport or for casual weekend wear, it puts TNF quality and feel into any day of your week. Peached 71/16/13 modal/recycled polyester/polyester fabric has a soft feel against your skin and a UPF rating of 30. Two chest pockets, one with zippered closure. Stand-up collar for sun protection. Reinforced side seams add durability. Recycled rubber buttons. Shirttail hem. Passport friendly. Sizes: S-2XL.Colors: Weimaraner Brown, Chili Pepper Red, English Green, Deepwater Blue (not shown). - $29.88


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Vapengg.com is a 1 year old domain, situated in United States. The domain is linked to the IP address 220.127.116.11 which is provided by the hosting company SECURED SERVERS LLC.
It was registered by Vijay Kolhal . The site is owned by vap engineering and manufacturing industry. Registration details show that it was registered on 10 Jan 2016 through Go Daddy and will expire on 10 Jan 2019.
The site returns a status code of 200. It is being generated using WordPress 4.7.5. The site is being served through Apache.