text:
AM Static
Part II – July/August
July 1
11:34 pm and 11:41 pm
"Alright kiddies, so I came home with a little surprise for my brother last night…let's call it a new way to tell us apart in the form of a tattoo. It's the first of a two-part plan, and Sora's being a prissy little bitch about me getting the second half. He says tattoos are unappealing and that a guy with tats all over his skin isn't particularly attractive, and that I'm not doing myself any favors by inking up both arms, especially since I already have two on my ribs. Here's what I want to know. What do you think of guys, or girls, if that's your thing, with tattoos? Are they hot, or not? And what do you think of me and mine. I found these two really intricate old fashioned keys in my parents' attic, so I was going to get one on each wrist. I got the first arm done today and was planning on getting the second next week. Thoughts? Do you agree with Sora, or do you think I should go for it? Think on it and hit me up…in the mean time, here's The Pretender's 'Tattooed Love Boys' for you."
The crowd was pretty evenly split between Roxas and Sora in their opinions, but the half that agreed that a well placed, well done tattoo was sexier than sin on an attractive man was eagerly pushing Roxas to keep going with the second half of his plan.
"Tattoos are sex, Rox. A carefully placed, artfully painted tat on the right body is the sexiest thing ever." Demyx gushed, words spilling out of his lips so fast they were stumbling into each other.
"Demyx, for example, has this tattoo down the side of his torso, some quote in Hindi, which is possibly the most aesthetically pleasing language I've ever seen written. Not a damned hint in hell what it says, but god does it look good on him." Zexion giggled. Giggled.
"Are you guys drunk?"
Zexion gasped, sounding scandalized. Demyx snickered, though whether it was at Roxas' question or Zexion's reaction wasn't really clear.
"I," Zexion sniffed, sounding highly affronted, "do not drink, Roxie."
"Yeah, Rox, he chugs," Demyx cackled, "you should see him, man. Tiny little thing like that, you'd think he'd be a total lightweight, but nooooo not my Zexy. Damn kid can even drink Axel under the table, it's embarrassing."
Roxas spent so long trying to determine what the difference in Zexion's and Axel's sizes might be…height? Weight? Dear God, if Axel's some 300 pound giant…Demyx was saying something else.
"Speaking of Axel, Roxy, you should totally ask him about his tats. They're…how do I say this…"
"Hotter than Hades in a handbasket."
"Shut up, Dem, you were thinking it too."
"Hades in a handbasket? That doesn't even make sense. You're lucky you're so cute, Zex, cause you sure are a damn dumb drunk. Dude…say that five times fast. Damn dumb drunk, Damndumbdrunk, Dan dub druck…fuck…"
Roxas muffled his chuckles behind his fingers as he listened to the drunk couple bicker on the other end of the line, apparently forgetting that they were live on the air. The radio host didn't have any other callers waiting for the line, so he let them go on, unwittingly providing something of a slapstick improv entertainment for both the blond and his audience.
"Hey guys, I have another caller on the line so I'm going to have to…guys?" Zexion and Demyx ignored him, their voices getting progressively softer, further away, as though one or both had dropped their phones. Ah.
"Well then, you boys have a nice night. Lovely talking with you, glad you could stop by, behave, don't do anything that I wouldn't do. Sorry about the wait, you're on the air at W104."
"My roommates are such charmers, aren't they Rox?" Axel sounded deeply amused, laughter laced through his rough voice. It was a personal favorite of Roxas'.
"And flatterers…don't forget flatterers. Tell me about these tattoos, Axe. I want proof that they're hotter than Hades in a handbasket."
"Well, you see Roxas, what you don't know is that I am hotter than Hades in a handbasket, so it would only be natural for my ink to be equally as stunning as me. Tell me, do you fall into the camp of boys who love boys with tattoos, or the camp of boys who think tattoos are ickier than cooties?"
"A tasteful, well done tat is God's gift to man, my friend. So stop stalling and own up to these claims your good friends made."
"I have five, six if you count the ones of my face as two separate ones, but I don't."
"On your…remember what I said about them being tasteful, Axel?" He had tattoos on his face? Really? What? Where? Why?
"Trust me, Roxy, they're hot. Anyway, I have two small teardrops on each cheek, a roman numeral VIII on my right wrist and a XIII on my left, the logo of the first band Dem and I ever started in high school curving over my right shoulder…and a fifth one."
To date no conversation with any of his callers, Axel included, had made Roxas as desperate to see the caller with his own eyes as these two sentences had. Axel's descriptions were barely teasing glimpses of skin. What did the band logo look like? Why did he get an eight and a thirteen? Did the eight and the thirteen, by any chance, match the ones Roxas himself had tucked neatly into the sides of his ribs? In what world did ink look good on anyone's face, and why were they teardrops? Didn't teardrops on your face mean something?
"What's the fifth one?" Roxas realized Axel had trailed off without describing the last one, leaving a momentarily awkward silence as Roxas tried to process.
"Well, Roxy, not a lot of people have seen that one, so I don't know how I feel about broadcasting it all over the airwaves. It starts on my hip and ends at the top of my thigh…so you really have to earn your right to see it. Can't just go showing and telling to any old broad, you know?"
Roxas didn't know. Roxas didn't know how to speak at the moment, his brain too overwhelmed trying to make sense of the eighteen different responses he'd developed to that statement. Axel damn well better not be showing just any old broad that tattoo. If Roxas had his way, Axel wouldn't be showing anyone else that tattoo. No one else had a right to see it…no one but him. Roxas wanted to see it. Badly.
"I'll tell you what, Rox, you ask real nice and maybe, just maybe, I'll show it to you one day." Axel's voice was light, teasing, but somewhere between his lips and Roxas' ear they developed just an underlying hint of seriousness. Roxas wanted to see the tattoo…and Axel wanted to show him.
July 5
12:45 am
47th Show
"Hey guys, I'm sure you haven't really been keeping track, but I have, and today is my 47th show. Normally fifty would be the big one, right? Well my friends and I had this inside joke about 47 in high school, something about 47 being the world's most commonly occurring random number, so we're going to celebrate the 47th show instead of the 50th. We're going to celebrate by giving you, my loyal listeners, because you have to be loyal to be listening on a Sunday night, the chance to run the show. Call me with whatever you want…ask me a question, request a song, pose a question to a frequent caller that you've always wanted to ask…whatever you want. My show is your show, yeah? Here's my newest obsession, 'Love Like Woe' by The Ready Set."
If Roxas had to guess, he'd say that Axel was stalling. No less than eight callers had posed questions to either Roxas or Axel about the weight of their seemingly notorious on-air flirting, and Axel had been suspiciously absent in calling in on an opportunity that Roxas secretly thought the redhead would rather like to capitalize on. He knew that, personally, given the opportunity, he would have a ton of questions to ask the other man, so the fact that Axel hadn't taken the opportunity when offered it was somewhat…disheartening.
"Hey, you're live on –"
"Promise me right now that we won't answer any of the scary questions other people asked or I will hang this phone up right now."
"You asshole, where the hell have you been? Talk about throwing me under the bus there, Axe. God, no, let's not even go there. Anything else you wanted to talk about?" Roxas worked extra hard to keep the relief out of his voice. He wasn't ready to answer the questions people had been asking, nor was he ready to hear Axel's thoughts on the subject. Roxas wasn't sure if Axel would brush it off as simply hamming it up for fun or acknowledge it for the intense flirtation it was, and he wasn't sure which of the two possibilities scared him more.
"I have two questions, and in exchange I will answer two questions you have. Anything you want. Fair game?"
"Totally. Bring it on, babe. Question one."
"What color is your hair?"
Roxas blinked. He'd been prepared for a perverted question, something invasive or intrusive, something teasing, maybe something a little provoking, but nothing as simple as his hair color. He briefly wondered how long Axel had been curious, or why the redhead, because Roxas had known he was a redhead for weeks already, hadn't just asked him sooner.
"Blond. Blond blond. None of that stupid dirty blond, not really brown but not really blond either. Sunshine yellow blond that people pay good money to buy in dye form."
"Did you? And this totally doesn't count as the second question."
"Did I what?"
"Pay good money for that color in a bottle."
"Well, there's really only one way for you to find out, isn't there?"
"Is that an invitation, Rox?"
It must have been the ease with which they fell into this playful banter that had so many people calling Roxas tonight, teasingly asking the blond if he'd met the redhead in person yet, or if the show's regular listeners were going to be invited to the wedding. Roxas slipped into an easy conversation with Axel more comfortably than he did with some of the people he'd known since his freshman year of college, and that was apparently something other people noticed. Even Sora'd called him out on it multiple times, teasing his twin about the blush staining his cheeks whenever a redhead walked past them on the street.
"Is that your second question? You only get two."
"No!" Axel said quickly, laughing. "No. I'd rather know how tall you are."
"Really? Out of all the questions you could ask, that's what you want to know?" Roxas wasn't as surprised as he had been the first time, but he was still surprised.
"Yup. You mentioned something one day about being on the shorter side, and I want to know how short short is."
"Short, Axel. Trust me."
"Come on Roxy, don't be embarrassed. I'll show you mine if you show me yours."
"5'6", jerk."
Axel laughed so loudly in Roxas' ear that the blond almost jumped out of his seat, feedback echoing through the radio as he knocked his head into the mic hanging in front of his face.
"Holy shit, Rox, you weren't kidding. Even Zexion's taller than you. Shit, man, my thirteen year old cousin is taller than you!"
Roxas' face burned brighter than any fire engine could have, one hand shielding his face from the audience that couldn't see him anyway. Axel continued to cackle in his ear, oblivious to the blond's face growing redder by the second until the radio host was finally able to squeak out a barely audible noise of protest.
"Aw, Rox, don't be embarrassed. I'm sorry, that was totally douchey of me. Besides, I have a thing for short guys, so I kind of like it. If it makes you feel any better, I was fondly known as the Jolly Green Giant back in high school."
Roxas snorted. It did make him feel a little bit better, actually.
"The Jolly Green Giant?"
"I'm 6'5" and have eyes approximately the exact same color as a green traffic light."
And this time it was Roxas' turn to burst into uncontrollable laughter, though the hysteria of his giggles only slightly matched the plethora of hysterical, half formed thoughts battling for dominance in the forefront of his mind. 6'5"? That was almost a foot taller than him. Was that even doable? Literally doable? He'd have to climb up on a step stool to kiss the damn kid. And green eyes? Roxas was a sucker for a beautiful pair of eyes, and green eyes, provided he could get up high enough to see them, were almost always stunning. The secret, increasingly ever-present corner of Roxas' mind that was building their flirtatious relationship into something potentially substantial cooed over the possibility of Axel's cat green eyes, framed by two small teardrops on his cheeks. Mmmmm.
"Yeah, I know. I'm even more gorgeous in person, promise."
"Cocky bastard. What makes you so sure I'm not sitting here thinking about how to politely dissuade you from ever calling again because I'm so horrifyingly turned off by the appearance of such a freak?"
"Does that mean you're not going to cash in on your questions?"
"Shut up, I'm trying to think!"
"Well now, don't hurt yourself, dear."
"I hate you. I'm hanging up on you."
Axel laughed. Loud, unrestrained, soul-deep guffaws, the uncontrollable kind that escapes your lips without you meaning to let it because it's just impossible to contain the bubbling of sheer amusement building from the depths of your toes. Roxas grinned, the sound of Axel's laughter infectious, contagious, slowly spreading through Roxas like liquid gold warmth. Dear God, he wanted to know this boy. Man? Kid?
"How old are you?"
"I thought you were hanging up on me."
"Do you want me to, cause I can if you –"
"Almost 22. I'm going into my senior year of college. Don't you dare, you little brat, or I swear I'll keep calling you back until no one else can get through on the line and you have to answer me." The laughter was still there, laced through Axel's teasing voice, and Roxas' cheeks were starting to burn red. 22 was totally doable, two years older than him wasn't that bad, especially if he was only a year above Roxas in school. He wondered, for a second, where Axel went to school, what he wanted to do with his life, but had a more burning question for his second choice.
"Why do you have an eight and a thirteen tattooed on you, and what do they look like?"
"That's two questions, Rox. I'll answer them both, but only if I get to ask one more."
"Fine. Now tell me."
"They're both tall, thin, somewhat distressed looking roman numerals in solid black ink, right above my pulse points on both wrists. I got the eight because eight has unofficially, accidentally, always been my number. There's an eight in my student ID number, my social security number, the address I grew up at, all four dorms and apartments I've lived in at school, my randomly assigned jersey number in little league, my class rank in high school, my SAT scores, my GPA. My birthday's August 8, 1988. Eight just follows me around, so I figured I could either go ape shit insane Jim Carrey style, or I could own it. I got the thirteen because they go together."
"What do you mean, they go together?"
"I don't know. I've always associated the two numbers with each other. Peanut butter and jelly, cookies and milk, black and white, eight and thirteen. They're a pair. Satisfactory answer?"
"Yes," Roxas breathed. He noticed his right hand had, of its own accord, apparently, because he certainly didn't remember moving it, curled itself around his ribs, palm pressed over the thirteen he himself had inked into his side.
"Why, out of all the questions you could have asked, was this one so important?"
"I have a tall, thin, slightly distressed looking roman numeral thirteen on the left side of my rib cage, and a matching eight on the right side. Same reasons apply, except thirteen is my number and eight is it's other half."
Axel was silent for a solid fifteen seconds, barely even breathing on the other end of the phone. Roxas waited with his lower lip caught between his teeth, fingers dancing nervously over his rib cage.
"So, we have matching tattoos, because we both have grown up with the numbers eight and thirteen, and both believe that one is the other half of the other?"
"Apparently, yes."
Roxas could hear the grin in Axel's voice, genuine, stretching across his face, as the redhead responded.
"Well, Roxas, if that isn't a sign then I don't know what is."
July 15
12:05 am
Favorite Line from a Song
"Absolute favorite quote from any song ever? That's impossible to answer, and entirely too vague. Are we talking witty and humorous? Deep and emo? The words that changed my life? There are way too many different kinds of songs for me to single out one particular favorite above all else."
"If you don't have an answer, Axel, then why did you sneak into the bathroom at work to call me?"
"I was worried you missed the sound of my voice. It's been almost 24 hours since you last heard it, I didn't want you to feel deprived. Besides, of course I have an answer. I have decided to share with you a random sampling of a few of my most beloved song lyrics. Lovey dovey love song quote would be "you shine so bright it's insane, you put the sun to shame" from the song "Lullaby," by the Spill Canvas. Nick Thomas is particularly gifted at delivering super emo, heartbreaking lines, so many of my favorite quotes are from Spill Canvas songs. Best fuck you quote would be a tie between "Chicago is so Two Years Ago" by Fall Out Boy and "Seventy Times 7" by Brand New. Beautifully weird imagery, "love is watching someone die, so who's gonna watch you die?" from Death Cab's "What Sarah Said." Wittiest lyricist…"
July 15
Guilty Pleasure Music
"My favorite guilty pleasure album? Like the one I hide in a different jewel case and labeled "Beatles' Greatest Hits, Volume VIII" on my iPod? "No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls" by Simple Plan. What's yours, Roxy? I bet it's Gaga, isn't it? You're totally hot for Gaga, aren't you?"
July 16
Favorite Love Song
"Unconventional or in general? My favorite unconventional love song is totally 'Alive With the Glory of Love' by Say Anything, but it's also my favorite song in general."
"I played that –"
"Your first show, I know. I was flipping through channels and I was so shocked to hear it on the radio that I stopped and listened to the rest of your show. For the rest of our lives, Roxas, that will be our song; the song about two lovers in the Holocaust. Most romantic shit ever, yeah baby?"
"I'll dedicate it to you every time I play it. What's your favorite lovey dovey love song?"
"Straight up tie between 'You Had Me at Hello' by A Day To Remember and 'If You're Not the One' by Daniel Bedingfield."
July 18
12:02 am
Best Concert Experience Ever
"I'm noticing a theme here, Roxas. You wouldn't have, perhaps, been using this week of music-themed episodes as a countdown for Warped Tour being in town today, were you?"
"Of course I was. I haven't missed Warped since I was 15. I'm so sunburned right now that my clothes hurt my skin, but dude, it was fucking worth it. All-American Rejects sang "Swing, Swing," which has been like, one of my top ten favorite emo songs since the seventh grade, and I crowd surfed in this mad chaos crowd during Four Year Strong, and We The Kings did a cover of –"
"Jimmy Eat World, I know. I was so close I was practically kissing the stage."
"Yeah. Me, Dem, and Zex go every year."
July 21
12:31 am
"What do I do when I have a bad case of insomnia? Dream about you, of course."
"It's not insomnia if you're dreaming, Axe, but nice try. A for effort."
"Fine, I fantasize about you, Roxy. And when that doesn't work I sketch new ideas for tattoos. Sketched one for you the other day, actually. What's your favorite color? I hope it's green.
July 22
11:47 pm
Boring Sunday Night
"Guys...I'm bored. It's a Sunday night, no one calls on Sundays, I worked open to close this morning, and I'm totally out of ideas. I'm just gonna play some music for you, feel free to call in and chat if you're as painfully bored as I am. Here's Jack's Mannequin with 'Into the Airwaves.'"
He had hoped, but hadn't expected, that Axel would call anyway. The redhead was probably at work, or hanging out with his roommates, and Roxas didn't have anything to entice him with today except a grumpy sort of apathy. Still, he glared at the blinking red light, willing it to...oh.
"Hey, you're not-quite-live on W104, but if you wait for the song to end you will be."
"You really are bored, aren't you?"
"Hey Axel, what's up."
"A big fat lot of nothing. I'm not working tonight, Zex and Dem are out celebrating their one month or something hideously cheesy and romantic like that, there's nothing on TV, and I've already spent the last six hours replaying Keyblade Master I. Entertain me."
Roxas snorted, well beyond the point of hiding his amusement from his audience. Axel made him laugh; Axel made everyone laugh. Besides, it wasn't like he had a whole slew of listeners right now anyway. He leaned back in his chair, twisting the headphone cord around his finger as he checked the time left on the last song. It was only a minute in, right now it was just them on the line.
"How, exactly, would you like me to entertain you, Axe? I don't even have the mental capacity to entertain myself right now."
"I don't know, let's play a game."
"A game?"
"Yes, silly, a game. Like…a getting to know you game. Or twenty questions. Or never have I ever."
"I am morally opposed to playing never have I ever without drinks. And really, Axel, a getting to know you game? Don't you know absolutely everything about me by now?" Roxas was only half kidding. He spent so much time talking to the other boy, and so much time talking to other people when he knew Axel was listening, that he found it hard to imagine he had anything left to share with the redhead.
"I don't know nearly as much as I would like, Roxy." And there was the purring again. Roxas ignored the little shiver sliding down his spine; he was used to it at this point. "Come on, what the hell else are you doing right now?"
"Fine, weirdo. What do you want to play?"
"Two Truths and a Lie. Know it?"
"Sure. Make three statements, two of them true, one a lie, and the other person has to guess which is the lie. You start."
"I am a natural ginger, I only have one piercing, I pointedly refuse to wear the color orange."
"You are the strangest person I have ever had the pleasure of speaking to." Roxas laughed, only half listening to Axel's teasing response as he considered the redhead's statements. He'd never seen his hair, so even though he knew it was red, Roxas had no idea if it was that orangey ginger color that you can't buy in stores or fire engine red that screams 'Hello, I shop at Hot Topic.' Still, it just sounded like a trick question, and Demyx made fun of Axel for being a ginger so often that Roxas felt it had to be true. And any self respecting redhead would avoid the color orange like a plague, right? Besides, the guy had five tattoos. Roxas found it kind of hard to believe that he only had a single piercing.
"I think you're lying about the piercings. You have five tattoos and only one piercing? Bull."
"Wrong, love. Sorry. The tattoos mean something, piercings are for masochists. I lied about wearing orange. I am a rare ginger with the charming ability to look good in just about anything."
"You only have one piercing? What is it?" Tell me it's your tongue, Roxas' inner voice begged, tell me it's your tongue and I swear to God I'll do anything you want.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Axel teased, voice smug, "don't worry babe, you'll find out one day. Promise. Isn't it your turn now?"
They went back and forth for an hour, nearly the entirety of Roxas' show, trading facts and lies as they entertained not only themselves, but anyone else who happened to be tuning into the show. Roxas thought he knew the other boy before, but with two facts per turn Axel was dropping random pieces of his personality like they were candy, Roxas eagerly collecting each and every tidbit. Axel had never broken a bone, but was irrationally terrified of being confined to a cast, his favorite color was red and he owned no less than fourteen pairs of Chuck Taylors, three of which were red. He hadn't missed a Warped Tour since he was thirteen, once passed out in the audience and woke up backstage at a Green Day concert, and considered his autographed Say Anything tour shirt his most prized possession. It was, though Roxas would never admit it, the most fun he'd had just talking to someone in a while. Axel's responses were engaging, thought-provoking, amusing, and endearing. He learned more about his favorite caller than he'd ever expected to, and shared more about himself than he'd ever planned. It was the fastest any of his shows had ever gone by; Roxas barely even remembered he was on the air.
"It's almost 1:00, Axe. Last turn?" Roxas could hear the reluctance in his own voice, was certain Axel could hear it too. He didn't particularly care.
"I guess. This one's mine, right? Okay. I'm really glad I called, this is the most fun I've ever had while home alone on a previously boring Sunday night, I don't ever want to meet you in person."
Roxas grinned, scratching the back of his neck as he fought down the blush threatening his cheeks.
"Yeah. Me too."
July 24
11:45 pm
First Dates
"Callers, today is a very, very important day. Today is the day that my brother Sora is finally, finally, after nearly eighteen years of circling and circling and pretending to be just friends, going on a date with his best friend Riku. Hopefully right now they're somewhere where they can hear this show, blushing and stuttering and 'oh that Roxas, he's so silly,' so just in case they are: Dear Sora and Riku, you dumb fucks, you've been in love with each other since you were both in middle school. Please consider the last seven years as the world's longest bout of foreplay and DO IT ALREADY. I'm not coming home tonight. Love, Roxas. Now that that's out of the way, I want to hear about your first dates. What was the best first date you've ever been on? The worst? What is your idea of the perfect date? Love me, people, I'm feeling all gushy and gooey tonight. To kick it off, here's 'First Date' by Blink-182."
"The best first date I ever went on was with Zexion," Demyx was gushing in Roxas' ear, his voice swoony and dramatic.
"Demyx, we haven't really –"
"Of course we have, Zex. Loads of them. We just didn't know it at the time. The best first date I ever went on was with Zexion. We'd known each other for about three weeks already and he and I ran into each other, literally, outside the library. Zex was in a rush cause he was super excited to start translating his new copy of Harry Potter in latin –"
"I hate you, I can't believe you just said that on the radio, I'm not having sex with you for a week."
"– so he totally wasn't watching where he was going and ran right into me and spilled my brand new, absolutely delicious cup of perfectly blended hot chocolate with a shot of french vanilla milk all over me. Cute little puppy that he is, he immediately scolded the shit out of me for not watching where I was going, until I casually mentioned to him that he was the one speed walking and reading at the same time. Kid turned bright red, kinda like he is right now, actually, and immediately started apologizing and insisting that he was going to buy me a new hot chocolate. So we started talking and wound up getting drinks together and we stayed in the café in the library until it closed."
"And that was your perfect first date?"
"Of course, Rox. It was with Zexion. He could have dumped his coffee on my head and stormed out and it still would have been perfect if it got us here eventually." There was a muffled thud, the sound Roxas had come to recognize, particularly with such…rambunctious callers as Axel and Demyx, as the sound of the phone receiver hitting the carpet. Roxas couldn't hear much of anything, which, he reasoned, was probably a good thing.
"Hey Axel. Not working tonight?"
"Nah, had to drive up to school last night, sort out some paperwork with my new landlord. Anyway, came home and found Dem and Zex going at it on the couch, phone on the floor next to them. Aren't you lucky I came home just in time to save you from listening to them whisper sweet nothings to each other?"
"You are my hero and I am eternally grateful to you."
"Fantastic, you can thank me by distracting me as I burn that mental image out of my eyes with bleach. What was your best first date, Roxy?"
Roxas' blushed so hard he could feel his face burning. He was 95% positive that his face was going to be permanently red by the end of this conversation.
"I've never actually…been on a date."
"Never? A hot little thing like you?"
"You don't –"
"You're hot, blondie. I can tell. How is it possible that you've never been on a date? Girls probably want to cuddle you, and boys probably think you're the cutest thing since blitzball was invented."
"I would hardly call blitzball cute."
"You're right," Axel chuckled, something soft and dreaming lilting his tone, "all that tight, wet spandex…mmm it's definitely hotter than it is cute. But you're distracting me. Tell me how it's possible that you've never been on a date. Even my hideous cousin Larxene's been asked out a time or two."
It was no small favor, really, that there wasn't a single reflective surface in the entirety of the sound booth, because Roxas was pretty sure that were he able to see the color of his face right now it would send him straight into a panic attack. Some hideously awful color between fire engine red, dirty forest green, and sickly white, probably.
"I…I don't know I mean…high school was small, really small, 75 kids you'd known since you were crawling around in diapers, you know? And college, well…just haven't found the right person yet. College kids don't really do much of the dating scene these days, right? Most people I know are much more interested in playing the one night stand game."
"They're missing out. Seriously, they don't know what they're missing by letting a guy like you get away."
And somewhere, under the blush, under the stammer, under the fluttering eyelashes (god, when did he turn into a fucking girl?), Roxas secretly wondered if Axel himself wasn't 'letting a guy like him get away,' if Axel even wanted a guy like him in the first place. Sure, he sounded like he did, but that didn't mean anything without the intention behind the infliction.
"Well then," and Roxas could hear the cocky, teasing grin plastered across Axel's face, could draw its image on the mental sketch his mind had been slowly creating of Axel. It didn't matter that he'd never seen the redhead, only knew vague generalities about his appearance; he knew every single one of Axel's smiles. "Well. If that's the case then, I think you should tell us all what your ideal first date would be; that way when that lucky guy or girl out there takes your first date v-card they'll have a chance of being adequately prepared for what you expect."
"It…I mean, I guess it depends on what you're feeling, right? How you feel that day, how you feel about the other person, how you feel about different things you like or dislike?" Some days all I want to do is order take out from the Land of Dragons, my favorite Chinese food place, and watch a movie and cuddle on the couch. Other days all I want to do is squeeze my ass into my favorite skinny jeans and grind all over the nearest dance floor."
"Frankly, dear, both options sound pretty fucking fantastic. Neither, however, are remotely first date material. That's the kind of shit you do when you've been dating for months and you know each other so well that you can pick the right movie just by gauging the other's mood, order the drinks without having to ask what he wants. I want to know about your perfect first date."
Roxas opened his mouth, wet his lips with his tongue, and paused. He'd never really given much thought to how he was going to get to this magical land of perfect dates, never considered what kind of first date would be the one that made him say "yeah, this guy/girl is the one." Axel, apparently, read his silence all too easily.
"Never gave it much thought, huh? That's okay, I'll just have to tell you what I would do on my first date with...a guy I really liked."
And even though he hadn't actually said it, Roxas heard the unspoken "you" in Axel's hesitant pause, and Axel, he was sure, knew Roxas understood the implication. This was the redhead's answer to all those questions they'd avoid last week, the questions about whether or not the boys were flirting in earnest.
"Where would you start?"
"First I'd pick him up at his place, do the whole show up at the door, meet the family, swoon over how gorgeous he looks when he makes his grand entrance, so that there's no doubt in his mind that this is definitely a date."
"What, no flowers?"
"Not until I figure out if he's a flowers and chocolate kinda guy. Besides, it's really hard to bring flowers on a bike."
"You're picking your date up on a BICYCLE?" Roxas struggled to bite back the giggles at the mental image of a tall, lanky redhead riding a kid sized bike, Roxas riding on pegs on the back wheels.
"Dear god Rox, what kind of crazy do you think I am? No, a motorcycle."
The mental image changed as quickly as it was conjured, a black leather jacket, Roxas' arms tight around a narrow waist, hands sliding under the jacket, palms flat against a thin t-shirt and firm abs. He was liking the sound of this date already.
"Great for getting physical, not much for conversation, so we wouldn't stay on the road for very long, just long enough to get to dinner."
"And where are we going for dinner?" Oops. If Axel noticed Roxas' slip he didn't mention it, but there was a hint of a smile in his voice that hadn't been there a second ago.
"Nothing too fancy, cause we're not dressed for it, but a step up from your everyday fast food joint. Maybe Beast's for wraps or something like that. Nothing too filling, we need to save room for dessert, which we would grab from McDucks as we're wandering around downtown. I've never been there, but I hear they have the best sea salt ice cream in town."
"They do," Roxas agreed. I work there. You should have come in the second you heard it was good...I would have given you a free sample, on the condition that you licked it off me...
"Well we'll have to check it out then. We'll have to be downtown anyway, cause that's where all the best shows are, and if the night's looking good then we're definitely going to go see a band or two."
"Why?" not that Roxas was opposed...
"Well for starters, if he's not into the show scene then it's just not going to work out. And secondly because there's no better place to determine chemistry than in a crowded mosh pit. And it's great for unavoidable touching."
"Top three choices for shows, if it was your lucky night:"
"Say Anything, Green Day, Where's Fluffy."
All excellent choices, all bands Roxas would love to see while out on a date with someone he had good chemistry with.
"How we felt after the show would determine where we went next. If we still have that post concert adrenaline buzz we'd probably go to a club and dance it off. If we were coming down to that mellow, post-buzz haze we'd go for a walk wherever our feet take us. If it was a great night, I'd take him back to his apartment and hope for a goodnight kiss, if it was an okay night I'd take him back to mine."
"You wouldn't take him home if it were a great date? Why the hell not?"
"Because if it really was great then I'd want to go out with him again, and I wouldn't want to rush into anything, but if it was just okay and I probably wasn't interested in seeing him again, then there's no harm in taking him home."
That was a considerably cuter response than Roxas had anticipated. He smiled despite himself, scratching at the back of his neck.
"Well, how was that? Any ideas now what your ideal first date might be?"
Yeah, Roxas thought, biting back the words threatening to roll off his tongue, any date with you.
July 30
12:48 am
Tell Me A Story
"Guys, I'm bored. Like really, really bored. I've reached that point in the summer where the novelty of being home has worn off and I just can't wait to get my ass back to school already. I'm tired of home, I'm tired of working at that freaking ice cream parlor, and I'm tired of doing the same thing every day. Callers, I need you to wake me the fuck up. Tell me a story, give me new ideas for something to do, entertain me, goddammit. Here's a wake up call for you in the form of 'Maintain Consciousness' by Relient K."
It was a slow night. Roxas' callers were apparently just as jaded as he was, their voices whiny and desperate as they bemoaned the lack of anything reasonably exciting to do in Twilight Town. Demyx had half-heartedly suggested that Roxas go clubbing with them, and Zexion invited him to the bar they were going to on Friday, but Roxas wasn't 21 yet, and he didn't get out of work until 1am anyway. Even Sora and Riku called, inviting him to meet up with them after their movie let out, but it was the theater on the opposite side of town and Roxas just wasn't into walking that far too go hang out with the newlyweds.
"Dude, I got nothing on how you should entertain yourself, you under-21-year-old, but I do have a funny story for you."
"Please, god, tell me. I'm. So. Bored."
"No need to call me god, Rox, Axel will do just fine."
"You are decidedly not funny," Roxas snorted, fist pressed to his mouth to keep from snickering aloud. Axel probably heard him anyway.
"You adore me, boo. Do you want to hear my funny story or not?" Axel purred, smirk evident in his voice.
"Only if you promise never to call me boo ever again."
"Fine then, schnookums, so I'm at work tonight, right, and my shift is supposed to be over at midnight, so I'm going to put my cleaning shit away in the supply closet and I hear this noise. I was on the lower level tonight so I'm in the creepy ass basement where there are only two theaters, and it's like midnight on a Wednesday night, so there's like no one there, ya know? So I'm kind of wigging out, here I am hearing this moaning and I'm pretty sure I'm about to pee my pants because there's some fucking ghost haunting the multiplex basement."
"A ghost, pumpkin?"
"A fucking ghost, pudding pie. There's supposedly a ghost in the abandoned subway station right across from the theater, maybe he wanted to go catch a film or something, you never know."
"The ghost wanted to watch a movie?"
"You're ruining the suspense of my story, Rox. Anyway, I'm hearing this noise and totally freaking out like the pansy-ass little wuss I am, but it's getting louder as I'm getting closer to the supply closet and I just want to dump my shit and get the hell outta dodge. So I decide I'm just going to throw my mop in the closet and run for it, and I open the door andwell, Roxy, I'd rather not scar you with the mental image but let's just say it's a damn small closet, and I'm very impressed at the flexibility of my two new friends."
"Oh jesus, Axel. Did you seriously walk in on two assholes having sex in the supply closet?" Roxas couldn't contain his snickers this time, shaking his head as he tried to picture the scene. "Wait. New friends? What did you do, strike up conversation with them while they casually got dressed?"
"Well, dearest, as I got closer I started to make out the moaning sounds a little better. Turns out it was a name, not a weepy ghost. Funny how similar they sound yeah?
"Well, I mean, I guess...but if you heard names then you totally knew what was going down, you didn't have to walk in on them."
"But I DID, Rox, I had to open the door, I had to."
"Okay, fine. I'll bite. Why did you have to open the door, Axel?"
"Because, my lovely Roxas, as I got closer and closer all I could hear was 'Sora...Sora...' and 'unghh Riku.' And I thought to myself, I thought, 'hey, self, isn't Roxas always talking about his brother Sora? And isn't Sora dating some guy named Riku?' So I just had to investigate."
"Really, honey, if you bust my eardrum I'm going to be really upset, I can't play as well when I can't hear my guitar."
"Sora. My twin brother. Spiky brown hair, stupid ass grin?" Roxas head spun, frantically trying to sort through an assortment of simultaneous reactions and responses. Ew. What? Ewewewewew. Wow, Sora, really? The janitor's closet at the multiplex? Axel walked in on them? Of all people? His brother got to meet Axel? Axel met Sora? Sora, who looks just him? And Riku, the most overprotective bastard of a pseudo-big-brother ever?
Axel was saying something, something about a cheese and belts, but Roxas' already frantically shifting attention had caught something else, a faint glow illuminating the interior of his sweatshirt pocket. He pulled it out slowly, sliding his finger across the screen unlock the text printed across the surface of his phone.
August 2
11:26 pm
Worst and Best Summer Moments
"My best summer moment? I don't think it's happened yet. Summer's not over til Demyx sings, yeah? And that won't happen until our celebratory karaoke night the first day we're back on campus."
"You have a celebratory karaoke night?"
"You're just jealous you won't be there. Anyway, I have a temporary best moment, just as a stand in until that defining moment has its chance at glory."
"Do tell."
"Well, the moment I opened the door of the janitor's closet and realized it was Sora in there."
"You are not funny."
"No I'm serious. Best moment of the summer."
"Because for one awful, horrible, gut wrenching second standing outside that door, Sora's voice sounded a hell of a lot like yours."
August 6
12:23 am
Life Lessons You Never Learned in High School
"How to ask your best friend out. I agonized over it for years. YEARS. That should be a basic class, lumped right in there with Freshman Biology and Precalc: Interactions of the Romantic Kind, a Study in Human Behavior. Sociology 120."
"Demyx would know, Roxy, he took that class sophomore year."
"Fuck you, Axel, stop trying to hog Roxas all the time. Give me back the call or I swear to god I'll tell him what I caught you doing the other night..."
"Life lessons they DO teach you in high school, Rox? How to beat the ever-loving shit out of your best friend. Gotta go babe."
The phone hit the floor with a thud.
August 10
11:48 pm
"So I've been digging up some of my old favorite tunes and I came across the music video for All-American Reject's 'Dirty Little Secret,' the one with all the Post Secret cards. I love that website, still check it every Sunday like it's my religion, so I thought I'd give it a try with you guys. Here's your opportunity to say anything you ever or never wanted to tell anyone, totally anonymously, just to get it off your chest. If you're interested, give me a call. In the mean time, here's the song that inspired it all."
Roxas expected a caller or two, had a playlist ready in the event of a slow night. His response was overwhelming. It was his most popular episode to date, callers on hold on all five lines, patiently waiting for each person to share a sentence, maybe two, a response to previous confessions, encouragement, support, empathy. It was the kind of episode that restored Roxas' faith in humanity, the kind that made him smile despite himself as a man's voice that sounded suspiciously like Zexion's informed him that he'd "never expected that he'd ever have the capacity to feel this way about another person."
He really didn't expect Axel to call. Roxas knew Axel's voice well enough, knew that Axel was aware that Roxas would recognize his voice, and that many of Roxas' callers would recognize the redhead's voice as well.
"A few weeks ago I told you my idea of the perfect first date to take a guy on. I just want you to know, Roxas, that there's only one guy I ever want to have that perfect first date with."
August 13
12:50 am
Last Call
"I have a final confession to make, dear callers. I've been holding out on you guys, mostly because I've been avoiding the fact myself, but today is my last show. I'm leaving to head back to school tomorrow, and I can't very well host a radio show in Twilight Town all the way from Radiant Gardens, yeah? I have absolutely loved every second of hosting this show; it's been the greatest experience I could possibly have asked for, and it couldn't have been that if it weren't for my amazing callers. I'd love to hear from you all one last time; no topic, no direction, just give me a call, say goodbye, say whatever. Here to send you off is one of my favorite Kings of Leon songs, "On Call." You guys are the greatest; call me."
He was starting to get nervous. Axel hadn't missed a show in weeks, how could he possibly miss this, his last show? Roxas refused to consider the possibility that Axel had intentionally ignored the show. Could the other boy actually be angry that the radio host hadn't told him sooner? Was he really going to give up what was probably their last opportunity to talk?
Maybe he could find him, check the theater Sora and Riku went to last week, ask the manager if Axel was in, maybe get a number, at least a last name…but the multiplex closed before Roxas got off work, and he was leaving first thing in the – shit, there was a caller on the line.
"W104, you've reached Roxas. What's up?"
"Oh thank god. For a second there I thought you weren't going to answer."
"Axel." Roxas didn't even attempt to keep the relief out of his voice; he knew he wouldn't have been able to disguise it anyway. "I was starting to think…"
"That I wasn't going to call, Rox? You're an idiot if you did. There was no way I was missing your last show. I just spent the last half hour begging my boss to let me leave early. I'm sorry I cut it so close." The blond had never heard the other boy's voice this serious. There was no trace of a teasing tone laced through his husky voice, just quiet certainty.
"I'm just glad you called," Roxas admitted softly, "I would have killed you if you didn't say goodbye."
"I'm not calling to say goodbye, Roxas. I am calling to say something, but it's not goodbye."
"Axe –"
"Wait. Just…hear me out, okay? Let me just get this out before I completely lose it."
Roxas nodded, throat tight, before remembering that the redhead couldn't see him. He stifled the somewhat hysterical urge to laugh at himself, instead forcing a barely audible noise of consent from between his lips. Axel seemed to hear it anyway.
"I love you."
Roxas blinked. He stared at the microphone hanging in front of his face, lips parted as his mouth hung open in vague disbelief.
"Come again?"
"I love you. Maybe I'm crazy but…god, Roxas, you drive me crazy. Most people probably would call this insanity; I mean here I am, live on one of the most popular radio shows in the city, announcing to the entire radio audience that I'm in love with the show's host, whom I've never actually met. You don't know me, and I've never met you. I don't know if you're 400 pounds or even skinnier than me, which, by the way, would make you really fucking skinny. I don't know if you wear polos with your Topsiders or guyliner and chains, or if you'd even be interested in a guy like me. But I know that you will only watch scary movies with the lights on and that you secretly love top 40s pop hits. I know that you live with your twin brother, and that you have a younger sister, and that you love your siblings more than just about anyone else. I know that you and I have the same shoes, and the same favorite song, and the same favorite video game. I know that you have a radio DJ voice and a regular Roxas voice, and I think they're both hot as hell. I know that you're witty and intelligent and that you have a great sense of humor, and that there's no better feeling than making you laugh –"
"Axel…" Roxas breathed.
"Fuck…just, hold on a sec, Rox…" Axel's voice changed entirely, something sharp and assertive laced through it as he spoke to someone on his end of the line. Roxas could barely make out what was being said, something about restricted access. He didn't think he'd be able to process anything even if he had been able to hear it; his mind was still reeling from Axel's most recent confession.
"Sorry," Axel's voice sounded breathless, rushed, as though he'd just been arguing. "I just…anyway, Roxas…I couldn't let you leave without telling you first. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't tell you, if there was even a chance that this could have been something real and I wasted the opportunity."
"I don't…I don't know what to…" Roxas flailed, rendered utterly speechless for the first time in a very long time. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about this, hadn't dreamed about it, hadn't sat at the register at the ice cream parlor and dragged himself through the day by fantasizing about finding Axel somewhere in this damn city and telling him everything. But still, to have it here, to have it all laid out before him like this…he didn't know what to do with it.
"You can start," Axel said; his voice had regained its sly, teasing quality, and the tone sent a thrill down Roxas' spine, "by looking up."
Instinctively, not even pausing long enough for the disbelief to set in, Roxas wrenched his eyes away from the mic at his nose and stared out the glass window separating the sound booth from the outer studio.
The tall, thin boy pressed against the other side of the glass, one hand clutching a cell phone to his ear, the other palm flat against the window pane, had to be one of the most amazing creatures Roxas had ever seen. His hair was red, like Roxas had known it would be, but auburn, not ginger, and long, pulled back in a spiky ponytail. Blue eyes followed the short strands of hair that had fallen from the elastic band, framing a thin, angular face and high cheekbones, accented with two small, purple tattoos pressed into the flesh under each of the most stunning malachite green eyes Roxas had ever seen. Both were locked firmly on Roxas' own blue pair, glowing with something that sent another shiver down the blond's spine.
Axel chuckled, the sound echoing through Roxas' headphones as he watched the redhead's lips move, a flash of something silver between his teeth, and that was all Roxas needed. The blond shot from his chair as though it had suddenly burst into flames, yanking the headphones from his ears and throwing them somewhere in the direction of the soundboard table. He clambered over the various cables and wires tangled between himself and the door, wrenching open the offending piece of wood the second his upper body had reached it, legs still slightly behind as he climbed over the last piece of equipment.
They were, finally, face to face, eyes still locked firmly together as they stood in stunned silence, separated by a few mere feet of shag rug and empty air. Slowly, as though he was barely conscious of doing so, Axel dropped the hand holding his phone to his ear, the sleek black device sliding silently down to land on the carpeted floor.
Neither was sure who moved first, or if maybe they'd moved at the same time. Roxas was flying forward and Axel's long legs crossed the floor effortlessly and Roxas had to stand on his toes and grab the collar of the redhead's uniform shirt, but the second Axel's lips touched the blond's none of that mattered. All that mattered was that Axel's arms were around his waist and Axel's skin was soft under his fingertips and Axel's lips meshed perfectly against his and that this was better than anything he'd ever imagined.
They broke apart only when Roxas was certain that he would pass out if his lungs didn't get some kind of oxygen, lips still so close that they were sharing the air between them, breath ghosting across wet lips. Axel leaned down, hunched over to press his forehead against the smaller blond's, fingers curled around the bare skin of Roxas' hips.
"You're even hotter than I thought you'd be," the redhead breathed, his voice soft and teasing as his lips brushed against Roxas'. The blond grinned, shaking his head slightly as the taller boy chuckled again.
"I've wanted to do this for so long," Roxas confessed quietly. He threaded his fingers through the soft red hair at the nape of the other boy's neck, feeling, rather than seeing, the grin that spread across the pale features. "I think…I love you, too."
"You said you're going back to Radiant Gardens for school, right?"
Roxas blinked at the apparent non sequitur, pulling back only far enough to look Axel in the eye. They really were stunningly beautiful eyes, sharp and vibrant and, looking at them this closely, flecked with warm golden tones that sparkled in the fluorescent lights…
Roxas flushed. Axel had asked him a question; he'd forgotten about it for a moment there. He'd also forgotten that minor detail; as amazing as this was, he was leaving tomorrow for a city that was a six hour drive from Twilight Town.
"Yeah," he admitted quietly, "I go to HBU. I don't…I mean, it's so far awa –"
Axel's mouth pressed against his, effectively cutting the blond off mid-word as the lanky redhead sealed Roxas' lips closed with his own. He pulled back only a few seconds later, smiling contentedly at Roxas.
"I'm a graphic design major at HBU," Axel confessed, gentle smile quickly morphing into a somewhat contagious grin, "Dem, Zex, and I are all moving back to campus tomorrow. You should come to karaoke night tomorrow night, they're dying to meet you…and I have a whole summer's worth of awkward sexiling to make up for."
And even as he leaned forward to press his mouth against the redhead's smirking lips, Roxas couldn't help but contain the bubbling laughter Axel always managed to coax from him. He wrapped his arms tighter around the thin, pale neck and pressed his chest against the scratchy purple cotton of Axel's movie theater polo, and kissed him with a promise of many, many nights of revenge sexiling in the immediate future.
That night Marluxia's show had the most listeners it had ever had. Dozens and dozens of callers from all over the city called to congratulate Roxas and Axel on finally getting together, beg details of what had happened after Axel dropped the phone, and generally gush over the blossoming relationship they'd all born witness to over the course of the summer.
Somewhere halfway across the city, tucked away in a small apartment shared by a pair of twin brothers, Roxas, distracted by the feel of Axel's skin under his fingertips and the sound of the redhead's moans in his ear, was entirely obvious to the cheers and well-wishes from what seemed to be a vast majority of Twilight Town.
Axel, when questioned at a later point in time, would claim that he could hear the cheers, catcalls, and applause from clear across the city.
Thanks for reading, guys =) I hope you enjoyed it. And Happy Akuroku Day!
PS. Offer still stands: answer your favorite of Roxas' questions! What do you think of tattoos? Favorite line from a song? Favorite love song? Best concert moment? Did you hit up Warped this year? What's the best date you've ever been on? Hit me up =)
Love, Lauren


text:
New Hampshire Climbing Guide -- Mountaineering Instructor -- Member of The North Face Climbing Team
◊ home
◊ about
◊ rock climbing
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◊ mixed climbing
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◊ aid / big-wall
◊ self rescue
◊ backcountry ski
◊ avalanche programs
◊ testimonials
◊ FAQs
◊ rates
◊ bunkhouse
◊ lectures
◊ Mark's blog
◊ expeditions
◊ article index
◊ sponsors
◊ contact
AMGA Certified
Rock Guide
Backcountry and Ski Mountaineering in New Hampshire
Everyone knows about skiing in Tuckerman's Ravine, but let me guide you on a backcountry skiing adventure to one of Mt. Washington's many other excellent ski objectives, such as Ammonoosuc Ravine, Oakes Gulf, the Gulf of Slides or the Great Gulf. Or perhaps you want to check out something entirely new, like Mt. Hale or Mt. Osceola?
I know where to find those elusive eastern powder stashes. Along the way, we'll talk about equipment, technique, avalanche assessment, camping, and strategies for multi-day ski mountaineering expeditions. Or how about a mid winter Presidential Traverse on skis? Or a trip from my home in Jackson to the top of Mt. Washington -- a beautiful two day tour.
Backcountry Ski Courses:
Intro to Backcountry Ski
Advanced Backcountry Skiing
Huntington Ravine Gully Skiing

subset: commoncrawl


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NASA also recognizes licenses from SCCA. That gives you two other choices: SCCA drivers school or a professional school. There are many SCCA regions around the country and most hold drivers schools in the Spring and Fall. Since an SCCA license requires you to successfully pass two schools it can take an entire year before you can get on the track. Many SCCA students use schools in different regions to get their two schools. For example, they will attend SCCA school with the Washington region at Summit Point and then go to the North Carolina region school at VIR a weekend or two later. A few SCCA regions have special double schools that take 4 days and get the schools done all at once. Roebling Roads (near Savannah, GA) school is a popular example. You will need a fully prepared race car for both weekends. A typical SCCA drivers school is about $375 per weekend.
Professional schools such as Skip Barber, Bondurant, and others also offer SCCA licensing schools. These 3-4 day schools have excellent instructors who will cover the basics. Youll end up with your SCCA provisional license if you pass the school (and most everyone does). Costs vary, but expect to pay about $3,500. The school will provide the car and all safety equipment.
So which way should you go? Theres no right answer. The NASA schools take the longest (expect about a year or a little less), but you dont have to have a race car to get started. The NASA schools also probably do the best job of teaching car control skills of all three options. That means that when you do hit the track, youll be more competitive, faster, and safer than the other approaches. SCCA can be the cheapest (not including car rental), but they only teach the minimums. For both the SCCA and professional schools a common mistake is for people to get their SCCA license and then not to do any more schools. This means you dont have an instructor helping you get better. Youll be on the track faster than with NASA, but it will be a while before you get a chance to win a race unless you spend some more time with an instructor.
One thing you dont want to do is to take your challenge car to the SCCA drivers school. These schools are notorious for rookie mistakes and plenty of bumping and car contact. Rent a car for the weekend. (You can rent cars for $1,200 to $2,000). Its better to have someone elses car hit than your challenge car. BTW, dont worry about renting a fast car for SCCA drivers school. While everyone wants to go fast, its important to remember your goal for the weekend is to get your license. Just stay out of trouble and draw no attention to yourself: Having an under-powered car that is easier to drive can go a long way to helping make sure you accomplish that goal. Just check your ego for the weekend. Once you have your license and your challenge car you can let your ego take off!
The pro schools have great instructors, but it is very hard to absorb as much as they can teach in the short time. One advantage is that you get to try all their safety gear before you buy yours. That might help you pick better gear than you would have normally. You also dont have to worry about the cars. Because they are taking a lot more money, most professional schools are considered easier to pass. One note: when you get to your first weekend, the race officials are going to watch you *very* closely since theyll assume that you have received the bare minimum training to be on the track. Your fellow competitors are also likely to be nervous around you until you prove that you arent going to wreck them. Try to make your first race not too long after your school: youll already have forgotten a lot when you walk out the door and it only gets worse the longer you wait.
CREDIT: Dan Elam
[ January 10, 2007, 11:39 AM: Message edited by: Dan Elam ]
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From Drizzle to Downpour (4 of 5) by Jeff Ginn
This content is part of a series.From Drizzle to Downpour (4 of 5)
Series: From Good to Great
Dr. Jeffery B. Ginn
Malachi 3:8-12
May 18, 2003
1. Story of thief and the Dum Dums! Michael Brown, 33, was arrested in Marked Tree, Ark., in January and charged with burglarizing the lobby of the Marked Tree Bank after security cameras caught him hauling away a clock radio, a CD player, and a handful of Dum Dum suckers. The next morning, according to the "Arkansas Democrat Gazette," police followed a trail of Dum Dum wrappers down Frisco Street and into the mobile home park where Brown lives. 2003. There is a whole website dedicated to the escapades of criminals entitled, "Dumb Criminals."
2. I could have entitled today's message: "Don't Be a Dum Dum!" God knows all, sees all, judges all, yet we steal from Him!
3. Let's read together our key passage from Malachi 3:8-12.
1. Who? Whole nation.
1. It is said that 20% of the people give 80% of the money. Furthermore, A
Barna research study back in April 2000 found that only 8% of Christians
give 10% of their income or more.
2. This was an instruction from God for everyone.
3. It is not just for the older members. It is not just for the prosperous, wealthy. It is for teenagers. I learned to tithe by giving a tenth of what I earned mowing lawns as a small boy.
4. I have asked our church office to prepare offering boxes for my children.
5. Someone might object, AThis was for the nation of Israel and the Old Testament era. We are no longer under the law.@ To this I would say a couple of things.
1. Jesus affirmed the practice even during the New Testament period. (Matthew 23:23) You never read anything like, "You have heard that it was said to you, 'Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse! But I say to you, Five percent will do, or even two'" (John Piper @ sermoncentral.com on Malachi 3).
2. Will love and grace do less than law?
2. What? Whole tithe (and off ...
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Strawberry-Ginger Caipiroska
- Yield: Makes 1
- 5 strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 6 fresh mint leaves, plus sprig for garnish
- 2 thin slices lime
- 1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup cracked ice
- 2 ounces vodka
Place strawberries, mint leaves, lime, and ginger in a cocktail shaker. Sprinkle with sugar. Muddle mixture until strawberries are almost pureed. Add ice and vodka. Shake well. Pour into a Collins glass and garnish with mint sprig.


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Birmingham City will be asked by the Premier League to provide documentation to establish who now controls Grandtop International Holdings, the company used by Carson Yeung to buy the club only last month.
This follows the news that a series of seemingly complicated transactions – which may concern the governing body in its drive to establish greater transparency in club ownership – resulted in two companies registered in the British Virgin Islands, Winning Top International Overseas and Genuine Ocean International Trading, now owning a controlling interest of more than 42% in Grandtop.
This occurred after Yeung, the Birmingham City president, issued fresh shares and convertible bonds to fund a $117.6m (£70m) takeover of Peace International Creation Ltd. On Sunday Grandtop issued a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange, where the company is listed, that it had completed the deal to buy Peace International, a shell company also registered in the BVI.
Although Peace has not embarked on any business since January, it did acquire a Chinese media company (which it did not name) in August, that has lost around $13.2m during the last two years.
The relevance of Peace's acquisition by Grandtop to Birmingham City and the Premier League is that part of the deal transferred the controlling stake of Grandtop to Winning Top International Overseas and Genuine Ocean International Trading.
It is thought that the Premier League, in line with its normal ownership policy, will write to Grandtop and request details that will allow it to establish if Yeung retains control of City or if differing entities are now the ultimate beneficial owner of Birmingham. The Premier League needs to establish if any fresh "fit and proper person" tests needs to be undertaken and if new directors or any person with a minimum of 10% stakeholding in the club should be declared.
Peter Pannu, Birmingham's vice-chairman, has insisted that Yeung still remains in control of the club. "The legal documents are very complex and difficult to explain," he said. "But I spoke to [Yeung] about this and he is very much in charge.
"He is not a front man, he is the main man. There will be no effective dilution of Carson's shareholding in the club, nor will there be any lessening of his decision-making."


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Campanile Woippy
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- Wireless internet connection in public areas
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TripAdvisor Reviews Campanile Woippy
Travel Blogs from Woippy
Luxembourg City
... most amazing array of fresh herbs to buy, huge selection.
Our walk started with a visit to the Grand Dukes Palace, he didn't invite us in a for a coffee unfortunately!! Then onto the casemates which form part of the city's underground military defence system which commenced in the 10th century.
Apparently Italians, Spanish, Belgian, French, Austrian, Dutch and Prussian engineers all took ...
Week 3: Pick your battles!
... glad its not happening to me! So far everything has gone smooth with my bank account, my parents were even able to wire over money without it taking hours and hours this time! My account is fully stocked for rent and so I can withdrawal money without all the extra transaction fees.
I also met this teacher today who is extremely intense. He asks very specific questions and I felt so uneducated because I hardly knew any of the answers. Everyone else was ...
The day of tears
... away.
We decided that we are going to do something tonight. I hope that we have a good night. I did find the movie Frozen online for free. We are probably going to go to Steff's house to watch the movie. I already watched it, but I like it so much that I would watch it again. I plan to actually.
Othmane came over for a bit, just to say good bye. That was difficult. I just know that the night isn't going to get ...
Coffee and a Six Pack
... or having homework. You go to class, participate, learn and either pass or fail the class. Simple as that. Oh, and there are vending machines in the lobby of the school that sell cappuccinos, espressos and are only .40 euros! You know where I'll be spending my short 15 minute breaks...COFFEE!!!
The ICN Business School is a private graduate school much smaller than UCF; compared to the 60,000 students back home, 8,000 students feels like my high school class ...
I have the Christmas fever!
... with the motivation. During my lunch break, Mom skyped me and we chatted for a bit. It's crazy how soon she is going to be here. I then watch a year without a Santa Clause. Oh it made me so happy. Afterward, I went back to work for a little over an hour. Ruby and I had a dinner date. We went to the Italian restaurant that has the dog just walking around the dining room. The waiter was really funny this time. He was attempting to say things to us in English, like you're ...


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Re: Double Damage needs to be replaced.
neverbelow wrote:
SouthpawLP wrote:
I stopped reading...
Aureilia wrote:
- Double Damage is how the actual health system should be
No thank you. Last time ND catered to the casuals, the casuals left anyways and the hardcore fans got completely screwed over. Low health would totally break climbing and other factors of the game.
If you want low health, play Battlefield 3, Uncharted 2, and Call of Duty. Leave my Uncharted 3 alone._____________________________________________________________________________ I support Super Co-op Survival Mode and Classic Mode. I probably should stop using oversized pictures to confirm that xD
I hate double damage. The game should not be double damage health as standard. I don't even think casuals like that. If they play good players I bet they'd have a worse experience.
As I said though, I don't want it in the main modes. It should be completely different much like HC is.
Re: Double Damage needs to be replaced.
Aureilia wrote:
xSKIN_N_BONESx wrote:
Cursed has the problem of team killing. Have you ever been with a random when one of you has been cursed by the idol? Somehow they always kill me regardless of which one of us is cursed and I guarantee that this would become despised pretty fast because of team killing.
I'm all for double health. That way at least when you find the team camping you actually have a chance to kill one of them, and you still have a chance to run if you want because you don't die instantly. It gives the losing team a big advantage while not completely screwing over the winning team.
It would also be nice if they brought in other power plays to randomly replace Exposed or Marked Man (which should be completely random) such as pistols only or like you said flat footed.
So let me emphasise, any match without a full party where Cursed comes up, will be miserable. Randoms don't care about you and will shoot first rather than check to see if you're a team mate. It already happens with the Cursed Idol.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Complete Wishlist of Changes for U3: http://community.us.playstation.com/thread/4673271
I'm sure ND could fix that part of it, they should have known no one likes being teamkilled from the crushing lab on U2.
Cursed is a viable solution just like Cursed idol is a viable kickback if they were to stop it teamkilling, the other team still has a vast advantage with the opposition being practically blind.
We certainly need more powerplays, the same ones in the same order is just... Well... Repetitive.
They clearly have the ability to change screen color when your being shot, but what about for a powerplay? Colorblind could turn your screen black and white and I'm sure it would distract a few people.
Since disruption isn't used widely they could make that a powerplay also. That kickback annoys me more than any... But.. It's still an option and since it's there and not really being used why not.
I'd be fine with a friendly fire off Cursed.
I'm sure with this community we could easily come up with some very effective and balanced power plays.
Low-tech: would be like Disruption and you would have no hud at all, meaning no ammo count, grenade count, no notification of your kickback, nothing. Just whatever is on your screen. You wouldn't even know how much time was left on the Power Play. The only things that would stay are the scoreboard and kill counts. No Cloaked immunity either.
Re: Double Damage needs to be replaced.
I think all the Power Plays shoud be replaced! Marked Man is more of a problem for me than Double Damage, but still think all of them should be replaced. The ideas so far are very good. Pistols Only and Elimination would be amazing. Cursed would need a little work 'cause of team killing, but people already said that here.
Also, Flat Foot would be great too. Anything other than those we have now, LOL.
Re: Double Damage needs to be replaced.
Yeah and also weapons in this mode change dramatically:
*The Dragon Sniper/Tau Sniper turns into a semi-automatic T-bolt
*The M-32 Hammer turns into a semi-auto RPG-7
*The KAL-7 turns into a faster PAK-80
*Sawed Off/Pistole turns into a one shot SAS-12
I Played a match where Double Damage was on and everyone on the opposite team equipped their Dragon beacuse they KNEW it was a one shot kill. Some people are so cheap...
Re: Double Damage needs to be replaced.[ Edited ]
extra health for the loosing team would be so much better for both teams - it would be better for the loosing team and it would be fairer for the winning team.
double health would be too much, maybe around 50% extra health or there abouts (would need to think about certain conditions though - gun damage and headshots - some guns would be effected more than others)
marked man also needs to go
Re: Double Damage needs to be replaced.
Blennerville wrote:
extra health for the loosing team would be so much better for both teams - it would be better for the loosing team and it would be fairer for the winning team.
double health would be too much, maybe around 50% extra health or there abouts (would need to think about certain conditions though - gun damage and headshots - some guns would be effected more than others)
marked man also needs to go
Re: Double Damage needs to be replaced.
As for the health issue. ND shouldn't have let us have the "Crushing' lab. It opened the discussion to late. I loved that setup (lower health, no pws). And now a separate playlist option would divide us too much. Gotta move on.
Re: Double Damage needs to be replaced.[ Edited ]
Aureilia wrote:
Replacement options:
- Double Health (Suggested by others)
- Cursed (Previously in summer beta)
- Flat Foot (Gives the winning team a loss of strafe movement, see 1.02 for how that worked)
The best option there I'd say is cursed. I'm not sure how it would impact the game, but really.. If powerplays are here to stay they need to be worked on to promote free flowing gameplay and not promote a one minute camping session and promoting a powerplay that doesn't even help the losing team due to this.
Also add more powerplays to the game, the same ones over and over in the same positions allow people to know what is coming up and allows a bit of the advantage the opposition may have to be taken away since the winning team can get ready for what is coming.
I agree with you, I think cursed would be a good alternative, as well as flat foot. But if ND still won't accept this then they need to increase the money rewarded to the winning team during double damage. If you equip the half-health negative booster you get 250% more money, I think. That's by choice. So, I propose, instead of $200, give at least $400 or even more. Make it very tempting for the winning team to want to go get kill, despite having 50% less health. Oh, and increase the treasure drop rate for the winning team during power plays. Even though most people have all the TDM treasures, and its such a short time that it will probably have very little effect. But what I'm trying to do is make it worth their time to try to get kills versus just camping.
EDIT: For tornament ticket users, double (or more) points for kills.
Wipe that smile off your face and get your tryhard face on!!!
Re: Double Damage needs to be replaced.
Biggest issue with PP's is that it only takes a 5 point(kill) differential to activate one. That is absurd. A five kill difference is not insurmountable and should not give the losing team such a huge advantage. I've played in countless games where my team lost, yet we had more kills than the opposing team.
Re: Double Damage needs to be replaced.
Simplest fix for Double Damage. Give the losing team double points. Simple losing team gets 2 points per kill. Winning team dont have to camp and its a fair fight for both teams.
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text:
I tested some Buffalo Bore +P 158 grain ammunition over the chronograph a while back but used a 2-inch Smith & Wesson Model 10 rather than a J-Frame for the task. I'm a little uncertain about shooting it in the aluminum-framed Model 642.
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I tested some Buffalo Bore +P 158 grain ammunition over the chronograph a while back but used a 2-inch Smith & Wesson Model 10 rather than a J-Frame for the task. I'm a little uncertain about shooting it in the aluminum-framed Model 642.
I believe this is a big reason why many calibers are downloaded today compared to what they were in thirty to forty years ago. The firearms back then were steel. I remember when the alloy 357's came out some manufacturers were warning not to use them for everyday target shooting with full powered loads. My father received one of these warning through the department he worked for. Seems the newer handguns were made more for comfort of carry than for shooting.Quote:
Originally Posted by Majorlk
Over the years I have seen several alloy/aluminum J-frames crack from high-pressure rounds. You couldn't give me one of the new generation of allow S&W J-frames. FWIW, I have never liked any of the S&W .38/.357 J-frames. I much prefer the all-steel Colts (no longer manufactured, unfortunately) - plus they hold SIX rounds, not five.
Others may (and probably do) feel differently.
I think that the New BB .38 SPL outdoorsman round is a great idea, and I'm glad that BB decided to add it to their line up. As far as the BB +P 158gr SWCHP load is considered so what who care that it didn't expand, at least is was able to penetrate deep enough from the abbreviated barrel. It is quite possible that it would have expanded if it were fired from a longer barrel such as 4". One also has to remeber that BB is using a cast bullet not a swaged bullet such as those found in the Rem, Win, and Fed ammo. Therefore that particular batch of bullets that was tested by tnoutdoors9 may have been a little harder than normal.
To counter the test that was posted showing the failure of the BB 158 SWCHP here is one showing the exact opposite with the Remington version Remington Express 38 Special +P 158 Grain LHP Denim and Gel test - YouTube. Just goes to show as was said earlier, sometimes bullets fail to expand and sometimes they don't. But ultimately we want deep penetration to ensure we can reach the vitals regardless.
I've not had the opportunities that bmcgilvray has had to test the .38 SPL on various targets that presented themselves to him. So I'll take his word on it when he describes them as they happened. A lot of times they mirror exactly what I have experienced in the field while hunting. Another thing that most people don't think about is that cast bullets have become all the rage in handguns huting loads. Why do you think that is..... because they never fail to penetrate through and through leaving two holes for the animal to bleed out from. Two holes through a major organ like the heart is better than a bullet that doesn't even reach the the vital organs at all.
Here is a great stroy of what a cast bullet will do, notice the damage that was done to both lungs. RugerForum.com • View topic - ELK & THE 41 BISLEY
Cool link about the elk hunt with the .41, 336A!
I really think their powder blends really do what they claim they do. I carry the 125 grain JHP in my snubbie.


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Play by Play Commentary on Local and International Weather Events
Documentation and Relay Alerts of Severe Weather Events from Regina, Saskatchewan.
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Friday, June 30, 2006
Manitoba Watch Out!
A huge area of rain over southern Saskatchewan has moved into southern Manitoba where temperatures are up to 30 degrees already. This system is turning nasty as it convects from Brandon, north to Dauphin. Warnings have been issued and it has just started! We are going to upgrade the risk map now...
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text: This is a site where I will post reviews of CDs, DVDs, LPs, and concerts. I have been writing music reviews on and off since 1984. I ran a heavy metal fanzine from 1984-1988 called Metal Madness and have been a staff writer for Aural Innovations for many years. I have also contributed to Chrohinga Well (RIP), Bad Acid (RIP), Lowcut (RIP), Roadburn and a number of other zines as well.


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Category:Friar Street, Reading
English: Friar Street is a thoroughfare in the English town of Reading. It runs parallel to Broad Street in the town centre. At the western end is the Greyfriars' Church and at the eastern end are the Town Hall and St Laurence's Church.
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.
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Nike dunks
Image 1 - Nike - Dunk Sky Hi - Baskets compensées - Noir
Nike Want these! They look sorta Duke themed to me for whatever reason
Blue suede Nike's! I'm pretty sure Elvis would want me to have these.
Nike released a new set of shoes. Check out their latest Nike Dunk Hi Pro Squadron Blue More: http://freshersmag.com/nike-dunk-hi-pro-squadron-blue/
NIKE DUNK LOW PRO (BLACK/GUM | Nike Dunks, Nike and Nike Sb Dunks
While Nike SB Dunks during its peak of 2003-2006 is remembered for the bright colors and unprecedented details, the muted colorways often stood aside, gaining quite notoriety for simply having color-combos that were more palatable to the general public. Such … Continue reading →
Nike Dunk High LE Reflective Croc :)
Nike Dunk Hi SB Skunk
— Nike SB Dunk High PRM 'Cherry Blossom' - Order...
Image 3 of Nike Dunk Sky High Grey Wedge Trainers


text:
"I promise I won't tell that it's Cubic Zirconia and not diamond", says The Pink, right before you enfold this customizable-size princess-cut pavé-band engagement ring in the warmth of your lover's embrace and whisper sweet nothings into her little pink ear. At least...that's how the romance novelist struggling to burst out of our product-description writer would do it anyway. You know, if he didn't have this job where it's absolutely imperative to tell you about this ring's "delicate prong-accents beneath the center stone" and such like you can't see the ring's side "through-ring" picture for yourself.
Whatever. Don't hate, appreciate! Thirty-two (32)* round cubic zirconia accent stones encircle a petite band in the increasingly popular pavé style.
Get The Pink engagement ring alone or together with the matching anniversary band to complete the wedding set.
Carat Weight: Choose your center stone weight from 0.75 CT, 1.0 CT, or 1.25 CT using the drop-down menu below (As pictured: 0.75 Carat Princess Cut center stone, 0.91 Carat TCW*).
* The exact dimensions and number of side stones (including accent, pave, or halo stones) and/or the total carat weight (TCW) of your ring will vary up or down depending on your choice of any customizable options for center stone shape or carat size and finger ring size.
Center Stone Shape: Princess Cut
Side Stone(s) Shape and Style: Round Cut, Prong Setting
Metal Finish: High Polished
Metal Type: Choose from .925 Sterling Silver, 10K White Gold, 10K Yellow Gold, 10K Rose Gold, 14K White Gold, 14K Yellow Gold, 14K Rose Gold, Palladium, 18K White Gold, 18K Yellow Gold, 18K Rose Gold, or pure 950 Platinum.
Setting Type: 4 Prong
Band Width: 1.6 mm tapered to 1.12 mm (may change based on choice of customizable center stone)
Mounting: Heavy Solid Diamond Quality
Manufacturing Time: 8-12 days
Ring Size: This ring can be designed in any size between 3 and 13 (including half and quarter sizes). Please specify your preferred ring size in the drop-down menu below.
Your customized ring will be hand-made in the U.S.A. by our team of professional jewelers specializing in the best quality precious metals and Cubic Zirconia gemstones, shipped to you with our lifetime warranty against breaking, chipping, and is guaranteed to keep its brilliant shine.
Buy this engagement ring together with any anniversary band, ladies' wedding band, or gentlemen's wedding band and receive a nice two-ring discount applied at check-out.If you would like this ring design but with a different carat size OR shaped cut center stone than what is described or pictured, just contact us for a custom price quote to customize this ring and really make it your own.
Every secure purchase from CubicZirconia.com is guaranteed by our free lifetime warranty.
Shop with confidence. All items sold receive top grading from rigorous quality control evaluations to ensure that the item you receive is free from abnormal stone loss, breakage, or discoloration, as well as any defects in workmanship or manufacturing— and we guarantee your purchase will remain so for a lifetime of normal wear.
CubicZirconia.com Jewelry: Your finished jewelry purchase from CubicZirconia.com will be hand-made in the U.S.A. by our team of professional jewelers specializing in the best quality precious metals and Cubic Zirconia stones. If at any time your jewelry is in need of service, repair, or stone replacement (including the largest center stone), CubicZirconia.com will repair or replace your item and/or its component parts.
CubicZirconia.com Stones: Our Cubic Zirconia stones are the highest quality, shipped to you from the U.S.A. with our lifetime warranty against breaking or chipping, and each stone is guaranteed to keep its brilliant shine. We will replace any stones suffering from breakage or discoloration free of charge.
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COMO The Halkin
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Fangirling in London
... get out of work, and he pointed me to the National Portrait Gallery which was pretty awesome and also free. That night my cousin took me to see Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Chinatown. There is just so much history so close together that it's overwhelming.
The next day I woke up early and took to tube down to The Tower of London. I ended up in the oldest church in London which had a museum in it's basement. There were signs pointing down this ...
Day of first show @ Oto
Met up with the band at the accommodation - Park Villa at Mile End, quite a fancy hostel. Shall not get used to it. First news from the boys-the money has dried up-day one! What the.....? Living off takings from shows from now. Cardboard for dinner anyone? Boys have just arrived in London after flight to Amsterdam and 12 he bus ride. Energy not ...
Cancer Ward
... to make my appointment at UCHL for a cancer check up. I haven't had one for 2 years and we arrive in Euston with half an hour to spare. I jump out into the London traffic and Liza leaves for the extremes of Essex. I'll reach base camp one myself later by bus and train but first I have this appointment with the wonderful Professor Emberton.
Solzhenitsyn wrote one great book. It wasn't Cancer Ward (it was Ivan Denisovich). But I thought I'd nick the title anyway. ...
London Calling!
We arrived after a 10+ hour direct flight from San Francisco into London, feeling tired, yet happy to be in London. The weather during our stay is forecasted to be perfect and being that we are only here for four days, we want to get in as much sight-seeing as we can while also trying to not let jet lag get the best of us. So, after dropping luggage off at the hotel, we headed to the Tube station and onto the Tower ...
Went to Church twice in one day
... was led by Brett. A young and very knowledgable verger. Well worth the 5 pounds for a 90 minute tour. We began with the grave of the unknown soldier. He was lain to rest there on 11 November 1920 and was the last person buried in the Abbey. Next was the coronation chair which is stored near the Western entrance and moved to the front for a coronation. It takes six months to set up the Abbey for a coronation as they have to put in a lot of seating and move a lot of panels. We ...


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You eat in the kitchen
You sit alone in the kitchen eating your lasagne. It tastes really good, just as you like it. The Tv is still mumbling, but you are too concentrated on your meal. After you finish it, you clean the dishes and light up a cigarette and open the window to let the smoke flow out. The cold december air bites your arms as you do it. You can hear the sound of a distant police car's siren. It reminds you of New York, the city that never sleeps, the city you used to live in. But it's over now, it's history. You finish your cigarette and close the window.


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V by Very
Petite Split Leg Lace Trim Jersey Jumpsuit
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V by Very Petite Split Leg Lace Trim Jersey Jumpsuit - Black A modern alternative to the little black dress, this split leg jersey jumpsuit from V by Very is cocktail hour uniform at its finest. Cut with a revealing V-neck, thin straps and a flattering nipped-in waist, its skimpy design lends the perfect counter-point to the floor-sweeping wide legs, which are given a sultry twist with lace inserts. Styling Ideas Pair with a pair of skyscraper heels, a matching clutch bag and a swipe of postbox red lipstick for a contemporary approach to iconic movie star style. Washing Instructions: Machine Washable Material Content: 95% polyester, 5% elastane stretch jersey


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Simple Day, Simple Play
A visit with a friend, a quick tour of her back porch, and summertime; these are just some of the ingredients that were used in the making of this photo. What else was there, you ask?
Well, there was the butterfly of course. There were the purple flowers that attracted butterflies. Oh, and then having my cell phone at the right time.
I took plenty of pictures but, for now, this one seemed best to share. I loaded it into a couple of editing programs to get the colors brighter, the lens flare, and the nice glass frame, and then I cut the size to fit the posts.
I'm amazed that these miniature computers we call "smartphones" can do so much. It wasn't that long ago when a cellular phone was a huge clunky thing with a foot-long antenna. And for all its girth, all you could do with it was make a few phone calls. Now, I can take a photo, edit a photo, add creative designs to a photo, and even make a kaleidoscope out of a photo and then surround it with a fancy frame. Amazing huh?
I wonder what I'll create for the next Fun and Flourishing Friday post.
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text: Attention all Sons of OZ! The first bi-annual Kansas Gathering is scheduled for: Friday April 6th Saturday April 7th Sunday April 8th Event will be located at Eisenhower State Park I will be reserving 5 sites and will feed ya 1 meal per day. Menu will be: Friday Night - Pizza Saturday Night - Hot Dogs Easter Sunday Morning - Cinnamon Rolls If you need more calories than what is listed above, you are on your own! All members that attend will also get a T-shirt to commemorate the event. Some of you have sent me your size preference, but for those that haven't you can pm me within the next week. There are showers, restrooms, parking, and other accommodations available. ***This is the official signup thread***


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Cedar-Sinai Medical Care FndtnObstetrics & Gynecology
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Barry Brock, MD
EDUCATIONAL RECORD:Resident-Obstetrics and
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
July 1978 - June 1981
Resident Surgery
Jewish General Hospital
Montreal, Canada
July 1977 - June 1978
Rotating Internship
Jewish General Hospital
Montreal, Canada
July 1976 - June 1977
M.D.,C.M. Medical Degree
McGill University
Montreal, Canada
Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical
McGill University
Montreal, Canada
APPOINTMENTS: Assistant Clinical Professor UCLA
Attending Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Attending Midway Hospital
Courtesy Staff Century City Hospital
SOCIETIES: Fellow American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 1986
Junior Fellow A.C.O.G. 1981-1986
Los Angeles Medical Association 1981-Present
Los Angeles Obstetrics and Gynecology Society 1981-Present
American Fertility Society 1981-1994
American Medical Association
California Perinatal Association 1981-Present
EXAMINATIONS: National Board of Medical Examiners
American Board of Obstetrics and
Gynecology 1984, 1999, 2001, 2003
LICENSES: Medical Council of Canada Exams (LMCC)
Board of Medical Quality Assurance
Physician and Surgeon's Certificate
AWARDS: Williams Prize for Highest Mark in
Clinical Medicine in 4th Year (shared)
Chairman's award, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center 1997
ACTIVITIES: Obstetrics Advisory Committee 2002-2003
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Secretary Ob/Gyn department 2002-2003
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Risk Management Committee 1997-2001
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Hearing Committee - 1992
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Constitution Committee 1992 -1995
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Vice Chairman Constitution Committee 1994-1995
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Co-Chairperson for the CSMC Conference
On Health Care in Medicine - 1991
Los Angeles Free Clinic - OB/GYN Volunteer 1991 - 1992
Operating Room Advisory Committee 1991
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Alternate Delegate
Young Physician's Section
California Medical Association - 1990
Strategic Planning Task Force
Subcommittee on Graduate and/or Continuing Medical Education
Cedars Sinai Medical Center - 1990
Laboratory Facilitator
Advanced Operative Laparoscopy -
Principles and Techniques - 1990
Medical Education Committee 1990-1991
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Search Committee for Chairman Obstetrics and Gynecology Department 1989
Utilization Review Committee 1988-1995
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Radiology Advisory Committee 1988-1991
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Anesthesiology Advisory Committee 1988-1991
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
President Cedars Sinai Alumni Association 1989 Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Editor Obstetric and Gynecology Department Newsletter 1987 - 1989
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Member Resident Liaison Committee,
Obstetrical and Gynecology Assembly of
Southern California 1985 and 1989
Tissue Committee 1984 - 1988, 1991
Vice Chairman, Tissue Committee 1989,1990
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Past Chairman Junior Fellow, A.C.O.G.
District IX 1983 - 1984
Vice President Junior Fellow, A.C.O.G.
District IX 1983 - 1984
Chairman Junior Fellow, A.C.O.G.
1982 - 1983
Secretary/Treasurer Junior Fellow A.C.O.G. 1982 - 1983
Quality Assurance Committee 1982-1983
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Labor and Delivery Committee 1981-1992
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Lecturer and Examiner, Medical Students in Obstetrics and Gynecology 1981 - 1991
1996- present
OB/GYN Advisory Committee 1993 -1995
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
OB/GYN Performance Improvement Committee 1997-1998, 2000, 2001, 2002,2003
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
OB Performance Improvement Committee 2001 Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Infectious Disease Committee 1981-1984
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Intern Representative-Intern Committee
1976 Jewish General Hospital
Representative Rotating and Mixed Intern Committee-1972 McGill University
President Electrical Engineering Society 1972 McGill University
OB/GYN RAPPP Committee 1995
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
FRATERNITIES: SIGMA ALPHA MU Fraternity
McGill University 1968 - 1972
Best Brother Award 1972
Introduction to Interconnection of
Customer Owned Equipment with
Telephone Company Facilities.
Bell Canada Publications: June 11,1971
Contraceptive Knowledge and Practice among Undergraduates at a Canadian University.
American Journal of Obstetrics and
Gynecology: March 1,1976,Vol.124 #5,
Cirrhosis and Fetal Hyperbilirubinemia:
Obstetrics and Gynecology: June 1981,
Vol. 57 #6 (supplement), p 255
Case Presentation: American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Dallas, Texas April 1982
Case Presentation: American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
New Orleans, Louisiana May 1986
Snoring in Pregnancy Disease or Not?
CHEST: April 1996, Vol.109, p859-861
Scientific Poster, Red Cell Serology SP217 The Changing Role of the Blood Bank in Managing Anti-Jk3 in Pregnancy A Ziman, R A Marfoe, R Hsi, B Brock, S H Pepkowitz, E Klapper, D Goldfinger
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