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The U.S. Under-17 national team kicks off its Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria today against Spain (2pm, ESPNU).
I will be providing commentary throughout the match so please feel free to follow along here. As always, feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
FINAL– Share your thoughts on today's match in the comments section below.
FINAL– Spain 2, USA 1. The Americans had some good chances, but every one of them was wasted. Spain played well enough to win, an impressive display considering the Spaniards were a man down for 88 minutes.
102nd minute– McInerney gets the ball in the area, but can't find a shot and eventually loses it. Two minutes left.
101st minute– USA with another corner that fails to produce a chance. Desperation time now.
99th minute– USA keeps pressing, but no quality chances.
97th minute– SHOT GIL but it's saved. Great chance from 17 but Gil doesn't get enough on it.
96th minute– Gil has been the U.S. team's best player in the second half, but needs to get closer to goal.
95th minute– Shinsky tries to spring Chavez but they can't connect.
94th minute– Spain on the counter, looks good for a moment, but the final shot is shanked.
92nd minute– USA with a dangerous free kick on the right side of the area. It is sent into the middle, but is cleared away before an American can pounce.
89th minute– There will be 14 minutes of added time. Yes, that's the most I've ever heard of.
87th minute– Dominick Sarle comes in for Brian Duran as the final USA sub.
85th minute– Shinsky tries to dribble some Spanish defenders, but loses the ball. Not a great game for Shinsky today.
84th minute– Kevin La Cruz nearly makes it 3-1, but hits it off the right post.
83rd minute– The kick is blocked by the wall, and the rebound is blocked as well.
81st minute– The kick is cleared away, and here comes Spain. Free kick about 25 yards from goal for the Spanish.
80th minute– Real Madrid product Alvaro Morata is set to come in for Spain.
80th minute– USA corner leads to another header well wide.
78th minute– A dangerous free kick is floated in by the USA, but the Americans can't put a shot on goal.
77th minute– Marlon Duran with a yellow card after a hard tackle on Sarabia.
75th minute– Watts sends a header wide.
74th minute– Chavez gets involved and creates some dangerous moments, draws a corner.
74th minute– We are back and Spain has a long free kick saved easily.
69th minute– The lights are out again. Who knows how much stoppage time we'll have now.
66th minute– And there he is, in through one-on-one with the keeper but has his shot saved. What a great chance, and had a wide-open teammate to his left.
65th minute– Still waiting for Chavez to get involved here.
63rd minute– Borja comes out for Spain, Kevin comes in. Yes, just Kevin (okay, I believe his last name is De La Cruz).
61th minute– Better stuff from the USA so far.
59th minute– USA pressing and McInerney gets into the area before being tackled (cleanly). Shinsky can't do anything with the rebound.
55th minute– And we're back.
53rd minute– Play has been halted to fix a flood light that went out.
51st minute– The ref stops the match after a bank of lights go out.
48th minute– Gil with a great run forward, but he lays it off to Shinsky, who loses it with a bad touch.
46th minute– Two subs for the USA. Eriq Zavaleta and Victor Chavez are in for Perry Kitchen and Stefan Jerome.
46th minute– And we're back.
HALFTIME– The USA is getting nothing from the wings. Might we see Carlos Martinez as a halftime sub? He's a dynamic player who will at least threaten some defenders with his speed and shiftiness. Right now the US attack is stagnant. The back-line also looks to be reacting rather than reading, which is leaving Spain in good positions far too often.
HALFTIME– Spain 2, USA 1. The Americans are up a man, but down a goal, and will need to play much better if they will take a point or three from this match.
45th minute– Spain moving it around beautifully. They are fun to watch and you wonder what the score would be if they don't go down a man two minutes into the match.
44th minute– Jerome with another bad touch that turns the ball over.
43rd minute– Spain looks to be slowing down. Can the USA find an equalizer late in this half?
41st minute– Jerome showed great speed on that breakaway, and Gil did well to spring him, but he needed to do much better with the final touch.
39th minute– Edwards does well to swipe the ball away from Borja in the area. Scary moment there.
38th minute– Jerome with a breakaway but takes a bad touch and never does get a shot off. Terrible waste of a chance there.
37th minute– Spain knocking it around now, earning a corner. You really can't tell Spain is down a man.
34th minute– Duran takes it and sends a weak curler right to the keeper.
33rd minute– Stefan Jerome with a nice turn to draw a dangerous free kick about 23 yards out.
32nd minute– Right now the Spanish attacking trio of Borja, Sarabia and Muniain is simply playing better than the USA attacking trio of McInerney, Jerome and Gil.
30th minute– Did I mention Spain is a man down?
29th minute- GOAL SPAIN!!! And it's Pablo Sarabia with a beautiful blast of a finish. Borja finds him with a pass in the area and he fires it home on a sharp angle. WOW. Spain 2, USA 1.
28th minute– Earl Edwards does well to race onto a ball near the edge of the area. Borja was lurking. We keep hearing that Borja is compared to a young Fernando Torres. Haven't seen it yet.
27th minute– U.S. has possession, but only in the middle third. They need to start being sharper with the final pass.
25th minute– Saw that coming. Even though the USA has had more possession, Spain has looked dangerous when it gets into the final third. Muniain is the Spanish playmaker and he's causing problems for the US defense. He laid it off to Pablo Sarabia on the left flank and Sarabia laid off an easy pass for Borja to finish.
24th minute- GOAL SPAIN. And it's Borja with the finish. Spain 1, USA 1.
23rd minute– For those who missed it, Spain is a man down after a second-minute red card to its top defender, Sergi Gomez.
21st minute– U.S. defense has looked shaky in flashes, though Jared Watts has looked solid in central defense. He's a converted defensive midfielder who is strong on the ball and a sharp passer.
19th minute– McInerney is the star of this team and you can see why, with his speed and acceleration in the final third. Still waiting to see Luis Gil and Marlon Duran work their magic.
18th minute– A Spain goal is ruled offside. Nice build-up, but the final pass was a second late. Better stuff from the Spanish.
17th minute– Spain is content to give the Americans space on the wings, but the USA haven't been able to take advantage.
12th minute– Americans have had more of the early possession as the man advantage is evident.
Here is the USA back-line: Zachary Herald, Perry Kitchen, Jared Watts and Tyler Polak
10th minute– McInerney and Stefan Jerome are up top for the Americans, while Marlon Duran, Luis Gil, Nick Palodichuk and Alex Shinsky are in midfield.
5th minute– Spain forced to make an early sub, bringing in a defender for an attacker.
3rd minute- GOAL USA. Jack McInerney scores to gve the Americans an early lead. High ball from Marlon Duran and McInerney beats the Spanish keeper to the ball. Think Casey vs. Honduras.
2nd minute- RED CARD SPAIN. The Spaniards are a man down after a Spanish defender took down Jack McInerney on the edge of the penalty area.
Jim Pollock
While we were outlplayed from about the 20th minute on, I can't get over what I think should have been a straight red at 100:30. Don't get be wrong, If the US is't playing, Spain is my favorite (I'm a card carrying FCB member, as are my two daughters). However, national pride comes into play in international competition!!! Do you, or any of your readers, think the referee just didn't want to put Spain down one more man with 3:30 left? I think the Spanish kid already had one yellow…So even a yellow would have taken him out???
Look at the replay and see how blatently he extnded his leg, from behind, to wipe the US player out. I think its incredibly obvious. The ref was only 15 yrads away from the play at, the most… How could he have missed it?
Also, to the US soccer federation, when you're a man up and your oppononent has used their first subsititution in the first half… the second time the lights go off… it is time to get indignent about the delays!!!
Having said all of that, congats Espania! Even at the U-17 level you guys are playing unbelievably beautiful futobl!!!!
Polak wasn't horrible…He actually served in good corner kicks and free kicks with his left foot. He gave the boys at least 3-5 chances to score…..I agree Shinsky was horrible since he didn't really connect with his other teammates and never got in a good cross and he was just so weak when he played and relatively pushed off the ball easy!!
I think most people would say Duran played 2nd best next to Luis Gil. I think what made Duran stand out was mainly his first touch and his several good and accurate switch of field plays.
Jim Pollock
Reading through the comments, I havw to agree with Dennis!!! Our kids played extremely well against a bunch of Spanish kids who have been signed by and are training with some of the best clubs in the world. If our kids are lucky, at 17 they just stopped playing for a non-nothing Dad at 3-5 years ago!!!!!!!!
By the way, I like that that Polak kid!!! Pushing up like that he reminds me of Danny Alvez!!!
Plus, if he spelled his name right, he'd be all set!!!
Jim Pollock, Danvers MA
I saw an offside on the first pass there
Brent Latham at ESPNsoccernet, has some tough ratings on the players. I agree with most, but would step up all of them one point. I'm not sure whether Brent was predicting a great tournament from the USA, if so that may account for the tough love.
ah, right.
Mex 1 Bra 0
Mexico with a deserved lead in second half. Both forwards make good runs off the ball, didn't see that from US strikers. Brasil back comes off near post to interfere with his own goalie, who spills it out for El Tri goal.
Pancho Miguel MoralesdeConejo
I liked Polak also, he was the best of the back line. McInrney reminds me of the big kid in AYSO who gets all the time at forward. Duran played well, Gil showed flashes. Absolutely NO wing play, I dont' think there was a single decent cross played, …not that we would have won any headers.
Basically this was like the Confeds Cup in reverse, Spain gave us the wings, we just couldn't do anything with them.
Did not agree with Cabrera in pulling 2 at half-time, though Kitchen may have been an injury? He should have let them start go 15 hard minutes before being subbed out. You up against 10, you shoul be playing side to side…everything was up the gut, where they were packing it in, the last 10 minutes when they went wide (mainly right with Herrod making the runs) they found a lot of space and had more than a couple of decent chances.
Just not our night, 3 wide open looks/breakaways and zero to show for it.
The only time we got good crosses were from Polak's corners. He was very consistent with them.
There was a lot of wing play actually…but sadly a lot of it was on Shinsky's left side which completely SUCKED he just dribbled too much and never got a good cross off.
Gil played nice through balls a couple time while on the wing.
What the hell are you talking about?? What I said was,.. these wack ass players look like polo type tenis players!! What does "white" have to do with it?!! If I wanted to say white kid, I would have said it, white kids!
By pass smith cause his name is Martinez?? Are you serious?? Are you playing the rush limbaugh white card too??!!LOL There is nothing racial about me saying bring the Gonzales players to the U.S!! You need calm the hell down little man. The fact is that Hispanic Americans players are more technical with their feet than most of our players on the USMNT.. besides Adu,Torres,Benny,Davies,castillo, there is nobody else with foot work skills!! PURE FACT!!! My argument is we have all these wack ass players with no passing abilities. Our team lacks of what to do with the ball before they get it!!
Mostly the "Gonzales" are known for these type of skills in the soccer world. Watch the mexican league and watch our boys play there and see for yourself what I'm talking about, otherwise go post somewhere else with your racial crap….
oh, is it racist that I said "the Gonzales" are better when it comes down to the tecnhical part of soccer?!!…Pleeease!!
Donovan??LOL Dempsey??LOL What are you talking about??? Are you seriously retarded?!! Did you read my post??? TECNICAL SKILLLSSS!!!!!! You incompetent person!! REad before you reply!! Freddy Adu,Torres,Castillo,Davies,benny, are only a few players on our team that know what to do with the ball before they get it!! Do you understand Futbol lingo??? Dude, get the hell out of here with that Dempsey & Donovan being great tecnical players. They are our best players, but not tecnhically when it comes down to footwork!!!
ADU is the only one with above average South American type footwork skills!!Pure fact!! Whether you like or not, he is above the names mention. I don't give a damn what he is doing oversease, that is not the argument!!
Did you read my post? Read before you reply!! Freddy Adu,Torres,Castillo,Davies,benny, are only a few players on our team that know what to do with the ball before they get it!! Do you understand Futbol lingo???… get out of here with that Dempsey & Donovan being great tecnical players. They are our best players, but not tecnhically when it comes down to footwork!!!
ADU is the only one with above average South American type footwork skills!!Pure fact!! Whether you like or not. I don't give a damn what he is doing oversease, that is not the argument here.
Scary how many people here know nothing about the game!
Spain players: Athletico madrid,Barca,Real M,Villareal,Betis,sevilla,osasuna,etc…
Our players: Youth Academies.
This is no exucuse for not bing able to pass the ball half way down the field with 11 players against 10!! Techinical footwork abilities is why we moslty lost,.. you can't teach that! Besides Gil & Duran nobody had any serious soccer skills. 15,16,17, is too old to lack those skills! I expected to lose, but not when we are up by 1 man and one goal. Our players need to be more technical.
Read carefully before you reply. Do you understand Futbol lingo? ADU is the only one with above average South American type footwork skills!!Pure fact!! Whether you like or not, he is above the names mention. I don't give a damn what he is doing oversease, that is not the argument!!
You sir no nothing about the game. Go praise you MB poster instead!


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From Zero to Drupal in 30 Minutes
The flexible Drupal content management system (CMS) lets you build all kinds of websites, from simple blogs to complex giant multimedia extravaganzas. You've probably heard the buzz, but maybe you were nervous about trying to install and configure the software yourself. Drupal is well-documented, except for the basic steps to launch a new site. Don't worry – we'll walk through those steps together. With this howto, you just might literally build a new Drupal site in 30 minutes or less.
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I'm using Drupal 7 in this howto because it's the latest stable version. A lot of sites still use Drupal 6, which is a perfectly good version, but it's a little different.
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Essay "They are too big"Mature
This is a struggle of human versus nature. The author fights to accept what she cannot change and still make the best of her biggest 'deformity'.
I was 12 when I got to the point in life where my body started changing. When I hit puberty, it hit me hard. I slammed into that huge concrete wall of blemished skin and foul body odor at high speed. The hair on my legs seemed to grow darker daily, my feet spread to the size of a sasquatch, and I got more plump as the year went on. But these minor changes were nothing to the bigger things yet to happen.
On a warm September morning in 7th grade, I sluggishly got ready for school and came downstairs to shovel down breakfast and sprint to the bus stop. My mother was at the table drinking her morning coffee and looked at me. She grimaced and wasted no time telling me that I needed a bra. I was absolutely ecstatic.
I have boobs! I have boobs!!!! I kept thinking joyously as I skipped to the bus stop. My mother and I went out shopping for my first bra. I was so ecstatic, I insisted I wore it home. I was so proud. I was finally turning into a woman. My mother and I came home from our shopping trip and retired to the living room.
Mom suggested we put on the clothes we bought to show my father. I pranced around showing my new jeans and shirts when my mother told me to show my dad the bra. I vehemently said no over and over again for the sake of modesty. We argued until the final blow came. She angrily said to me, "I don't know why you won't show him your bra, you have nothing to hide."
You remember the saying "Be careful what you wish for"? Yeah, I wish I heard that when I prayed that I would get large breasts. In the next few months, my cup size changed drastically. I went from an A cup to a D cup in three months. In no way shape or form was that wish a blessing.
I could no longer fit into shirts I wanted to or else I looked like a porn star or even worse, Britney Spears. In Marshalls, I would sometimes have a major celebrity-like breakdown in the dressing room because my mother told me I looked like a streetwalker. She comforted me usually, but she had no idea how hard it was to see every other girl in the latest clothes, while I looked like a frump. I seemed obese in my oversized turtlenecks and the baggy tees, which hung over my breasts. Sometimes, I tricked my mom, getting her to buy something which was form fitting, but only bad consequences came from that.
Now everyone saw them. From the 90 year-old at my church, to the kids at a mentally slow school I helped out with, and especially boys. It was nice, you know, having guys like you and saying that you are pretty even though they only wanted you in bed. I was a sucker for those guys. I never thought myself beautiful and the only way to get a guy was to flaunt my ginormous breasts. Though I never gave my virginity away, the guys had some kind of fascination. It seemed all of them were in a race and feeling me up was the trophy.
One guy remixed Kellis' Milkshakes so it sounded like 'Mozy's milkshakes bring me to the yard and I'm like I wanna f*** her damn right I'm gonna f*** her.'
Even my family made jokes about them. On Thanksgiving, we were having a huge celebration. So big we had no room to put our plates on to the table. My uncle, already drunk laughed and said,"Mozy won't have any trouble, she can just set it on her rack."
I was shocked my family could see them. So then I vowed, no more tight shirts, even to school.
I met a boy in my sophomore year who was probably the cutest thing you had ever seen. He was nice and kind and just so perfect to me, that before he got the question 'Do you want to go out with me?' out, I stopped him at the 'Do you want' and answered yes.
One day, we had dress up day for school and since everything was in the wash, I pulled out a tight little black turtleneck. I went onto the bus and noticed everyone stared at me. At the time, I had no idea why since I forgot all about my distortion. I secretly wondered if I had egg on my face and brushed off any trace of egg.
I came through the doors and my friend, Kaitlin exclaimed, "Omigawd! I thought you were flat!"
Oh, thats what they were staring at. My boobs. Awesome.
The boys who were popular asses tried to flirt with me the whole day. People in the hallways were taking a second look at me and even my friends told me I was lucky. I certainly didn't feel it.
I nearly broke down in science class when my teacher took a cell phone away from a popular ass, then read it to the class.
"'Goddamn'," she started, "Mozy's jugs are huge, I just want to...'"
She broke off and told the guy to see her after class.
I hated it! I hated the constant attention, the constant staring, the continual list of things I couldn't wear. I dashed off crying and my boyfriend found me.
"Whats wrong?" he asked concerned.
"They're too big!" I answered heatedly.
"What?" he asked quizzically.
"My boobs! Everyone is staring at my boobs! I hate them! No one knows the real me. They stare at them as though they were two fucking tumors on my chest! I bet even you wanted me for them!" I wailed.
"No," he said. "I don't. And you'd be crazy to think that. You are beautiful, Mozy, gorgeous!"
"Ok I wouldn't go that far," I sniffed.
"Mozy, you are smart enough to know I love your personality, the real you. Some people were just surprised, others are just ... dumbfucks. Screw them and anyone else who is like that. You know? They are stupid! So screw them!"
He was right! Screw them! Screw popular ass! Screw the 90 year-old! Screw everyone who doesn't want me for me! I shouldn't care! I was filled with determination to get over my fear, but the road of recovery is long. I still struggle with the daily shopping challenges and occasional perverted old guy. I gained my confidence slowly but surely, still a little miffed to see someone staring at my beastly lumps, but getting over it faster. Hopefully soon, I will come to the ultimate point where I just don't care what others think. I will love me for me, no matter what deformities.


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text: NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- McGraw-Hill Construction's Architectural Record ( http://www.ArchitecturalRecord.com), part of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), and the founder of the "Good Design is Good Business" Awards more than fifteen years ago, today announced the firms honored with the company's second annual "Good Design is Good Business" Lifetime Achievement Awards. The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Architecture Award is Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, whose award will be accepted by the firm's Founder, Peter Q. Bohlin, FAIA. The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Patron Award is Hines, whose award will be accepted by the firm's Founder & Chairman, Gerald D. Hines. The award honors the winning firms' commitment to design excellence as a motivator for successful business enterprise. According to Cathleen McGuigan, editor-in-chief, Architectural Record and editorial director, GreenSource, "The design leadership exhibited by our winners has been exceptional – both by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, as architects for such iconic clients as Apple, Uniqlo, and Pixar, and by Hines, as real estate developers who have commissioned significant buildings from Johnson and Burgee's Pennzoil in Houston to Foster + Partners' City Place in Washington, D.C. We honor them for developing solutions that will make their companies more relevant and successful in a global culture that increasingly demands environmental stewardship and social responsibility. They truly do prioritize quality of life and sustainability -- a positive leap toward an improved business ethic that benefits everyone." Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and Hines will be honored at the 2013 Accent on Architecture Gala on March 22, 2013, at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. The annual gala, presented by the American Architectural Foundation (AAF), celebrates leadership in architecture and design. Last year's "Good Design is Good Business" Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), the winner of the "Good Design is Good Business" Lifetime Achievement Award, and Haworth, Inc. the winner of the "Good Design is Good Business" Lifetime Achievement Patron Award. Architectural Record was also first to establish the "Good Design is Good Business" China Awards, the most recent held earlier this year.


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Regulator: State Farm will re-examine Katrina claimsMar 20, 2007 | AP
State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. will re-examine more than 35,000 policyholder claims filed after Hurricane Katrina and "make millions of dollars available" for additional payments, Mississippi Insurance Commissioner George Dale said Monday.
Dale said the agreement between his office and State Farm covers homeowners, renters and commercial claims in Mississippi's three coastal counties.
The agreement with the Bloomington, Ill.-based insurer includes claims that are in mediation, those that are the subject of pending lawsuits and those that have been settled.
"If they feel like they were mistreated and not handled properly, they, too, can have their case reopened and looked at by additional adjusters," Dale said of customers who already have settled.
Dale said State Farm agreed to the re-examination based on his agency's examination of its handling of Katrina claims and the recent withdrawal of a proposed class-action settlement involving the insurer.
On March 12, a team of lawyers who helped negotiate the proposed settlement withdrew their request for U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter to approve the deal.
Senter had been asked to approve a settlement calling for State Farm to pay at least $50 million to policyholders who haven't sued the company. That deal, reached in January, called for State Farm to reopen, review and possibly pay 35,000 to 36,000 claims.
"When I learned that the proposed class-action settlement had stalled, I felt it presented an opportunity to negotiate with State Farm to bring closure for coastal policyholders," Dale said Monday.
State Farm spokesman Phil Supple said the company's agreement with Dale "generally follows" the same terms as the agreement that Scruggs presented to Senter in January. The company has agreed to pay a minimum of $50 million, but "there's no ceiling" on the total amount paid, he said.
One key difference between the two deals, according to Supple, is that Dale's mediation program would aim to resolve any lingering disputes between State Farm and policyholders.


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A truly unique camping and yurt holiday experience, just minutes from the outstanding Pembrokeshire coast.
That's what we offer at Ty Parke Farm Campsite. There probably isn't another campsite in Pembrokeshire that provides such a feeling of space and freedom - but at the same time, has great facilities and campfires!
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To start with we have the original 'family camping meadow'. This is a sheltered 2-3 acre field that has eight designated pitches - each with its own campfire place and picnic table. Apart from arrival and departure days, the camping meadow is a 'car-free zone', so there are no 'comings and goings' during your stay. We do however make exceptions for camper vans! The camping meadow is close to our lovely facilities and the barn where we store a huge supply of firewood. Cars are parked about 150 metres from the meadow.
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Then we have the secluded camping pitches. We have six at present and we add a new one every year or so. This doesn't mean that we let them all out at once. We stick rigidly to our self-imposed 'ten pitch limit' - this includes the pitches in the family camping meadow. The secluded pitches are dotted around our 52 acre sheep farm - in a little clearing amongst the new trees here, or in an open field with a huge view there.
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Then there are our four luxury camping yurts. These are all decked out with solid wood floors, wood-burning stoves, double beds, single futon beds, tables, chairs, rugs and wall hangings. In a word - amazing! Each yurt has a separate, covered outside kitchen tent, with cooker, all utensils and picnic table. We prefer this to cooking in the yurt - which is what some yurt sites do. The three 'hideaway' yurts also each have their own private use dry-composting loos.
Working with nature
We continue to ratchet up the environmental projects here, such as habitat creation, tree planting and renewable energy. We encourage the recycling of everything possible and have made provision for this. Whilst we have very nice, conventional facilities for showering, loos and washing up, we also have an 'off-grid' facility for the boys and the aforementioned composting loos for the yurts and a couple of the secluded pitches.
And finally...
In 2014 we built a wood-fired pizza oven and 'pizza night' is now a weekly ritual up at the farm house. In the school holidays we have a story telling evening each week. There's a 2km nature trail around the farm. Children are completely safe (we are several hundred metres from the road (a quiet country lane) and can wander off, make new friends and enjoy the space and freedom. We are about a five minute drive (20min cycle) from our nearest beaches of Abereiddi to the north and Penycwm/Newgale to the south.
We hope to welcome you here one day!
Find more information about us here: http://www.typarke.co.uk
Open from 01/05/2017 to 17/09/2017
Site type
Languages spoken
✓ English
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(2 nights)
Many sites set a maximum occupancy of 6/8 people per pitch, so try breaking your booking down into smaller groups to generate more results. For example, if you're a group of 10, enter 5 people in your initial search and then book 2 pitches.
However, where the pitch or accommodation occupancy allows it, you can now make a booking for up to 30 adults and 30 children on one pitch.
To book multiple pitches or accommodation, use the 'Special requests' box on the booking page to ask to be sited together. Complete the booking form for the first booking (you can add a password and save your card so that we remember your details). Then click "Make another booking like this" at the top of the confirmation page to make the next booking.
Large groups: check the listing page for any group restrictions set out in the terms and section titled 'Please note'.
Large tents/caravans: check the restrictions on unit dimensions to ensure your unit is suitable for the space you will be provided with.


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Is there a good free/cheap client management software program out there? One that allows me to print reciepts or job orders? I could create my own, but i'd rather not spend the time on it if I don't have to. Also I'd greatly appreciate any additional adivce or suggestions from people who might have done or are doing the same thing. Any thing I should know?
1 Reply
· · ·
May 17, 2009 at 3:30 UTC
Niagara Technology Group (NTG) is an IT service provider.
What did you end up using?


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What do the colors in a bone density test mean?
Bone density tests determine your potential risk of developing osteoporosis and monitor whether you have already developed the condition. Test results are based on standard deviations of T-scores a...
Read More »
What do the blue colors in a bone density test mean?
Bone density tests are read according to T-scores and Z-scores. T-scores are an average based on young adults; Z-scores are an average based on your age. When graphed on a bell curve, normal (-1 ...
Read More »
I had a bone density test done and I have a high bone density but I still break my bones very easily..why?
due to your fate due to your gene
What do bone mass calculations mean on bone density tests?
A bone mass measurement test is the most reliable method for predicting bone fractures and diagnosing osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.SignificanceBone mass tests can...
Read More »
What is a bone density test and how is it done?
A bone density test is also called a DEXA scan. It uses x-rays to check your bones for calcium and other minerals to determine your risk of osteoporosis and fracture.DEXADual-energy x-ray absorptio...
Read More »


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2 Comments
bloomchen ·
hell, you got yourself low-top spiderman reeboks!? and don´t know yet what to say i guess the like is for the shot ;o) marvel collab with reebok is somewhat strange. but well today the collabs in the sneaker bussiness are often strange and often not that good. no offense meant.
clownshoes ·
(@bloomchen) Ha, sorry my friend if I would have known you dig the kicks I'd shipped them out to you. They were in front of a dumpster and I thought the colors were at least worth the shot; they were really tiny kids shoes.


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Bangalore, Feb 9 (UNI) To tide over the stiff global competition, the Indian granite industry should adopt new technologies, be quality-oriented and achieve cost competitiveness, Minister of State for Mining T Subbarami Reddy said today.
Speaking at the valedictory function of the All India Granite and Stone Association's 'Stona-2008' exposition here, he said there was a need to step up the extraction of granite, marble and sandstone as the industry had huge potential to grow.
''The country is exploiting just five per cent of its mineral wealth, mainly the iron ore. We should increase this at least to 20 per cent. The government was committed to bring in a uniform policy in mining, do away with outdated rules and red tapism.
Royalty need to be uniform all over the country,'' he said.
The granite industry had achieved Rs 4,000 crore of exports last year but it had a potential to grow bigger. ''India's production of 120 MT of marble and 690 million cubic metre of granite is small compared to the rich deposits available,'' he added.


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There's a fight going on. Then again, when isn't there one at the intersection of business and politics over the past woes, present condition and future prospects for American manufacturing?
Bill Virgin
Seattle-based Convoy has been busy since it launched — with a splashy roster of investors — an online service linking shippers and truck-freight carriers in October 2015.
It's impossible to pinpoint the moment at which the phrase "tech company" ceased to have meaning. It's easy to detect that, wherever and whenever that point was, we're well beyond it now.
Higher minimum wages will also result in jobs that never show up to begin with because they were created somewhere else.
Eighteen years isn't much of a business lifespan, especially in a region that has companies from the Klondike gold rush still operating. But the dot-com boom and bust might as well date from the Paleozoic Era for all the notice and influence those events command today.
A new toxic material is threatening the Northwest. It's safe enough for human, animal and fish consumption in its natural state, but it can be seriously hazardous to economic development projects and political careers.
For decades, elements of Washington's political class have longed for — nay, lusted after — an income tax, this state being among the seven currently without one.
Let's do a quick review of the list of service businesses that have been disrupted by the internet.Retailing? Thoroughly. Communications? No doubt. Media? We could tell you stories. Travel and tourism? They could tell you stories as well about how customers get information and book their own travel arrangements these days. Banking? Hmm, there's an interesting one.
Go ahead and laugh, but companies that don't try out all those crazy ideas are, well, crazy.


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The Russian connection: See all our coverage | Read about our investigation
Kristina RizgaJan. 21, 2011 7:00 AM
Editors' Note: This education dispatch is part of an ongoing series reported from Mission High School, where education writer Kristina Rizga is embedded for the year. Click here to see all of MoJo's recent education coverage, or follow Kristina's writing on Twitter or with this RSS Feed.
[Previous Mission High dispatch: "Yes, I made an aspiring astronaut cry. But then she returned the favor."]
I'm feeling drained after my conversation with Natalie, but I run into Pedro* on my way home and stop to say hi. "Do you want to see my scars?" he asks me suddenly. He puts his skateboard down on the ground before I can answer and lifts his shirt to show me two deep, long, purple scars—one near his shoulders, another near his lower back. "Gangbangers stabbed me three years ago at Dolores Park," he tells me matter-of-factly, the way I talk about my tiny knee scar. Except that my tiny scar is from falling off my bike once as a kid in a safe, Soviet neighborhood, where no one I knew ever got stabbed.
What do you say in a situation like that? What do you tell a sweet boy who knows you're a reporter, whose school you've hung around for a month, when one day he decides to pull up his shirt and show you where gangbangers stabbed him and he almost died?
When I got home, I couldn't write a word. I thought about how different the same Mission High kids look to me after a month immersed in their lives.
Natalie—with her actress looks, stylish clothes, and classroom confidence—seems like an "easy" student at first, someone on a smooth track to graduate on time and go to college. On the surface at least, there's nothing about her that signals psychological trauma to me, no reason to suspect she's been kicked out of two charter schools.
And Pedro? For a month, to me he was the guy who liked skateboarding and guitar, the one who knew the answers in class most of the time, and if he didn't know the answer, still had something witty and smart to say. Only after seeing him four times did I notice some bumps in his temperament. Some days, he just shuts down.
Or take Benton. In my first two weeks at the school, Benton was the classic "challenging" student—someone who texts in class, disrupts lessons, and doesn't listen to teachers' requests. Until I saw him last week—engaged, thoughtful, and even polite.
Later that night I had dinner with a visiting friend, an experienced investigative journalist from Latvia. I told her about Pedro's scars, Natalie's depression, Benton's favorite class. "Be careful," she warned me. "The first thing I learned in journalism school is that you're responsible for those who get attached to you. Don't get too close."
"I know," I told her, as I picked at my salad. I should be more distant, maintain neutrality. Care a little less about these students. Right? And then I lamented how much more traffic a short blog post about Jared Loughner or the latest tea-party news item gets, when other pieces like this one, this one, this one—or the one you're reading now—take days of immersive reporting to develop. As we waited for another drink, I checked my Twitter account in silence. But all I could think of was Natalie's trembling lip, as she sat alone in Ms. Bowman's class.
*Names changed.
[Next Mission High dispatch: Is Darrell going to flunk this test?]
Jen QuraishiJan. 20, 2011 7:07 PM
In a new interview with Katie Couric as part of her 1-hour @KatieCouric show, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says that incidents targeting Muslims on on the rise in the US. "I think Islamophobia is on the rise, and I think the best way to counter it is communication," said Abdul-Jabbar. "To let people know who we are and what we believe in."
Abdul-Jabbar, who has been a public face for American Muslims at events like the Rally to Restore Sanity, is right about the lack of education surrounding Islam. A 2010 study by the Pew Research Center found that Americans were more confused about the faith: In July 2005, 23% of Americans said they didn't know what their opinion was of Islam, a figure which rose to 32% in 2010. The number of Americans who say they know nothing or very little about Islam (55%) remains about the same as it was in 2007. Perhaps one of the best examples of American misinformation is the increasing number (nearly 20%) of Americans who believe Obama is Muslim.
Despite these misconceptions, and the increase in blatantly anti-Muslim campaign ads, actual crimes targeting Muslims haven't gotten worse in the past few years: they've just gotten more press. The jump in anti-Muslim attacks is real, but it happened 9 years ago. According to the most recent FBI data, before 9/11 there was an average of 30 anti-Islam hate crimes a year. Right after 9/11, that number jumped 1600%, but now the yearly average is reliably 100 to 150 attacks per year. That's still more than three times the pre-9/11 average, but there are far more hate crimes against African-Americans (about 2,500/year) and Jews (around 950). The numbers of crimes against black people and Jews have also remained remarkably (some would say disappointingly) stable since 2003.
Though relatively stable, hate crimes against African-Americans rise and fall at very similar rates as crimes against Muslims, while crimes against Jews or Catholics do not. So it stands to reason, I think, that if this trend continues, increased anti-Muslim attacks would be reflected in a corresponding increase in crimes against black people, either by fostering a climate of hate or by people associating African-Americans with Islam. Who can forget this incident, when folks protesting the Park51 Islamic community center mistook an African-American WTC construction worker for a Muslim and quickly made him a focal point? Someone in the crowd tells him, "Run away, coward" and another yells "Muhammad's a pig! Muhammad's a pig!" The object of their attention, a union carpenter named Kenny, had some constructive advice for the anti-Muslim protesters. "Y'all [expletive] don't know my opinion about [expletive]," he said. "Someone want to know about me? Ask me about me."
Kristina RizgaJan. 20, 2011 4:03 PM
Here's Education Secretary Arne Duncan on the widely expected overhaul of the nine-year-old No Child Left Behind Act, formally called the Education Elementary and Secondary Education Law, as quoted by AP:
"Everyone I talk to really shares my sense of urgency that we have to do better for our children. We're fighting for our country here."
"Everyone I talk to really shares my sense of urgency that we have to do better for our children. We're fighting for our country here."
What's he talking about? AP reports:
"Duncan has worked with lawmakers of both parties over the past two years to lay the groundwork for a rewrite." The new law "[W]ould ease many testing requirements, put a new focus on teacher performance and the lowest-performing schools, and replace proficiency requirements with loftier goals of boosting college graduation rates."
"Duncan has worked with lawmakers of both parties over the past two years to lay the groundwork for a rewrite." The new law "[W]ould ease many testing requirements, put a new focus on teacher performance and the lowest-performing schools, and replace proficiency requirements with loftier goals of boosting college graduation rates."
Now that Republicans control the House and have more power in the Senate, some observers are saying that education reform might be among the few areas where Obama can accomplish something this year. That's because unlike immigration, tax reform, or climate change legislation, most Republicans actually support Obama's education reform ideas (except for tea partiers, who want the Department of Education eliminated outright).
Obama is expected to outline his education reform plans in his State of the Union speech next week. Fasten your seat belts.
Titania KumehJan. 19, 2011 3:00 PM
Let's face it: Jargon happens. And in education circles, it happens a lot. Curious what an education buzzword actually means? Or how a seemingly unrelated business concept migrated into discussions about kids and schools? Let MoJo's education team research it so you don't have to. We welcome buzzword suggestions in comments for our next primer: Help us decide what lingo to look at next.
What is social capital? It's not about money. At its core, social capital theory holds that "relationships matter" and that "social networks are a valuable asset." If human capital is about individual resources (i.e. the importance of skilled people), social capital is about social resources (i.e. the importance of skilled social networks). Some research also shows that increasing social capital (and trust among individuals) requires face-to-face encounters. In other words, it's not what you know...it's who you know and what they know, and possibly how often you see each other in person.
How does social capital relate to education? Simply put, schools with a lot of social capital often have an easier time getting what they need to educate students effectively, so even super teachers can't sustainably improve a school's academic outcomes without family, community, and state involvement. University of Pittsburgh professor, Carrie Leana explains:
"Why are some schools better than others?" A human capital answer would say that some schools are better because they have the best-trained teachers. A social capital answer would say there is something about the way those teachers are interacting that influences the school as a whole and results in a level of shared performance that you can't get from individuals alone.
"Why are some schools better than others?" A human capital answer would say that some schools are better because they have the best-trained teachers. A social capital answer would say there is something about the way those teachers are interacting that influences the school as a whole and results in a level of shared performance that you can't get from individuals alone.
Outside of school, social capital in the community can compensate for its absence in the family. In one case, researchers compared the drop out rates of high school sophomores. They found that kids who had one sibling, two parents, and a mother who expected them to attend college were much less likely to drop out than sophomores with four siblings, one parent, and a mother who didn't expect them to attend a university. (PDF) However, while studying social capital's relation to school drop out rates, sociologist James Coleman also found that a strong adult community could keep teens in school regardless of family situation. And even The World Bank recognizes that social capital alone can't substitute for financing education.
Where did the term "social capital" come from? The first known reference appeared in Lyda Judson Hanifan's 1916 article "The Rural School Community Center," in which he wrote that "the individual is helpless socially, if left entirely to himself." In 1988, James Coleman contributed the first solid evidence of a relationship between a school's social capital and academic drop out rates.
How can a school increase its social capital? More face-to-face interaction with parents and local community members is probably a good start. "The schools can't do it by themselves," as a South Carolina neighborhood outreach leader told The Beaufort Gazette. "That's the reality."
Beth WinegarnerJan. 19, 2011 1:00 PM
Guest blogger Beth Winegarner writes about teens, culture, and music.
In one of a handful of videos Jared Lee Loughner posted on YouTube, a man cloaked in brown burns the American flag while Drowning Pool's "Bodies" blares in the background. As reporters pull together descriptions of the man who shot and killed six people and wounded 14 others, including Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, it's not surprising that many mention which band Loughner picked as his soundtrack. What is surprising is that most reporters aren't blaming Loughner's taste in music for the attack.
"Since Columbine, much has changed," Los Angeles Times pop critic Ann Powers tweeted Saturday night. "Then, the focus may have been on Jared Lee Loughner's past as a rocker. Music no longer embodies menace. Other demons/scapegoats do."
Instead, the media's focus on 22-year-old Loughner's mental instability implies a painful double-standard in how such sprees are covered. When shooters are children, cultural interests—such as video games, goth, or heavy-metal music—are cited as causal factors, which distracts from any underlying mental illness. But when mass killers reach the age of adulthood, media focus frequently turns to untreated mental-health issues. As a nation, perhaps we're just not ready to admit that some teens are in serious mental trouble.
In the hours following the Columbine High School shootings, reporters around the world lit upon the notion that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's interest in angry music and violent video games must have prompted their killing spree. And after some classmates (and teens pretending to be classmates) claimed that the shooters were Marilyn Manson fans, the musician himself became a media target. Photos of Manson decorated a new National School Safety Center-issued checklist of "danger signs" that a teen might be about to bring a gun to class. (Some danger signs: mood swings, cursing, and antisocial behavior.) Kansas Sen. Samuel Brownback even wrote a letter to Seagram's—the owner of Manson's record label—requesting that the corporation "cease and desist profiteering from peddling violence to young people," and drop the band from its roster.
Years later, after painstakingly combing through Harris' and Klebold's journals, academic and personal histories, and behavior patterns, Columbine author Dave Cullen found more likely motivations for the massacre that the teens had spent months planning. Cullen concluded that Harris was a psychopath, while Klebold was a depressive who romanticized suicidal figures.
Despite Powers' comment, the age-based reporting double standard hasn't changed drastically since 1999.
In March 2005, when 16-year-old Jeffrey James "Jeff" Weise went on a killing spree in Red Lake, Minnesota, he took nine lives and wounded five other people before killing himself. He had a history of creating disturbing art pieces—and attempting suicide at least once—but media reports focused on his black trench coat and "obsessive" interest in Horrorcore rapper Mars.
Meanwhile, when Seung-Hi Cho, 23, killed 32 people at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in April 2007, there was nary a mention of his hobbies or personal interests. Not only were Cho's favorite songs not blamed for his killing spree, we don't even know what they were. Instead reporters dutifully detailed Cho's mental health history, including a 2005 evaluation in which he was found "mentally ill and in need of hospitalization."
It's not as though the Virginia Tech story changed how journalists report on mass shootings. In October of that same year, Pekka-Eric Auvinen, 18, shot and killed eight people at Jokela High School in Jokela, Finland before ending his own life. He was prescribed antidepressants in the year before the murder-suicide, but reporters still made plenty of the fact that he used KMFDM's "Stray Bullet" as background music for a YouTube video announcing his plans to attack the school. After all, it was a song Eric Harris apparently also liked. (Despite the title, the song is about ideas that cause sudden, radical shifts in belief.)
Media coverage improved slightly in 2009 after Tim Kretschmer, 17, shot and killed 15 people in southwestern Germany. While reports noted that Kretschmer was an avid player of the first-person shooter Counter Strike, one commentator also noted that "game addiction is a symptom of something wrong, and not a cause." And there was something wrong with Kretschmer—in the year before his spree he was in and out of psychiatric hospitals, undergoing treatment for depression, anger, and violent urges.
Journalists include these details because readers are often hungry to know more about these boys who commit unthinkable acts of violence. But these same points can create the dangerous impression that shooters' media interests somehow led them to pull the trigger. Worse, they distract readers from the very real problems these young men faced: extreme rage, suicide attempts, and untreated mental illness.
Why, as a culture, do we insist on ignoring the mental-health issues at work in our teen population? Are we unable to admit that teens are capable of suffering the same yawning mental abysses (or, worse, the chilling sociopathy) that often fuels adult rampages?
When we hold teen and adult shooting sprees side-by-side, we can see a pattern of instability in both populations. Perhaps society could learn to intervene before troubled boys become gun-toting, politically charged conspiracy theorists.
Jen QuraishiJan. 18, 2011 9:08 PM
All Alabamans are apparently not equal, at least not in the eyes of new governor Robert Bentley. Bentley told an audience at a Baptist church where Martin Luther King Jr. was a pastor that he was "color-blind" but also that non-Christians were not his "brother and sister." According to the Birmingham News, Bentley told the congregation:
''There may be some people here today who do not have living within them the Holy Spirit... But if you have been adopted in God's family like I have, and like you have if you're a Christian and if you're saved, and the Holy Spirit lives within you just like the Holy Spirit lives within me, then you know what that makes? It makes you and me brothers. And it makes you and me brother and sister. Now I will have to say that, if we don't have the same daddy, we're not brothers and sisters. So anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother."
''There may be some people here today who do not have living within them the Holy Spirit... But if you have been adopted in God's family like I have, and like you have if you're a Christian and if you're saved, and the Holy Spirit lives within you just like the Holy Spirit lives within me, then you know what that makes? It makes you and me brothers. And it makes you and me brother and sister. Now I will have to say that, if we don't have the same daddy, we're not brothers and sisters. So anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother."
The Anti-Defamation League is the first to jump on the indignation wagon, issuing a statement reading that "It is shocking that Governor Bentley would suggest that non-Christians are not worthy of the same love and respect he professes to have for the Christian community... His comments are not only offensive, but also raise serious questions as to whether non-Christians can expect to receive equal treatment during his tenure as governor." Bentley said that he wasn't trying to offend, and his communications official said he governs all Alabamans.
I'd have to agree with the ADL that Bentley is walking a tight line between professing his faith and protelyzation. Bentley has been up front about his love of Christianity: he's known to be devout and once said that he felt he had been put in the position of Governor by divine will. He told the Birmingham News that "I don't feel obligated to anyone except the people who voted for me." So, far, though, Bentley has seemed more preoccupied with Alabama's economic condition than that of its heathen souls, something the 9% of the state's workforce that's unemployed, regardless of faith, will surely appreciate.
Mark MurrmannJan. 18, 2011 4:20 PM
Earlier today, Haitian police led former strongman Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier out of his hotel in Port-au-Prince. They wouldn't say if he was under arrest, but took him to the city courthouse, where he's currently still inside. MoJo photo editor Mark Murrmann was there as Duvalier (in suit and tie) arrived at the courthouse and sent these photos. Check back here for updates or follow Mac McClelland on Twitter, where she's reporting live from the scene as protesters set tire fires and a crowd waits to find out what's happening: "We're all waiting for Baby Doc to come out the courthouse door he went in."
Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier being led into the Port-au-Prince courthouse. Photos by Mark Murrmann
Masked police officers outside the hotel where Duvalier was staying.
Duvalier waves from the balcony of his hotel before being taken into custody.
Duvalier supporters react as police take him from his hotel to the courthouse.
As a motorcade takes Baby Doc away, supporters run alongside.A photo of Baby Doc in happier times.
Michael MechanicJan. 17, 2011 7:30 AM
Happy Birthday, Dr. King...
1. U2, "Pride (In The Name of Love)
2. And John Legend's version of the U2 song…
3. Public Enemy, "By The Time I Get To Arizona"
4. Nina Simone, "Why (The King of Love is Dead)"
5. Ben Harper, "Like a King"
6. Queen, "One Vision"
7. UB40 "King"
8. Eddie Velez, "Let Freedom Ring"
9. Common and will.i.am. "I Have a Dream"
10. Patty Griffin, "Up To The Mountain"
And can't forget this old favorite... Pete Seeger, "We Shall Overcome"
Titania KumehJan. 14, 2011 5:00 PM
Click here to see all of MoJo's recent education coverage, or follow The Miss K Files on Twitter or with this RSS Feed.
What if alleged Arizona gunman Jared Loughner had sought mental health help when he first started to spiral down? MoJo education blogger Kristina Rizga explains how bureaucratic red tape and budget woes get in a troubled high-schooler's way.
Meanwhile, it could take Washington state 105 years to close the gap between black and white students in fourth grade reading, according to a 40-state report by the Center on Education Policy cited Tuesday by Education Week. On Tuesday, Education Week also posted a report by the US Government Accountability Office: Family job loss, foreclosure, and homelessness may be why 13 percent of American students transfer schools four or more times. Worse, the same transfer students frequently have lower standardized reading and math test scores and higher dropout rates. According to the GAO report, these students are also disproportionately poor and African-American.
Why are Black and Latino kids in Texas performing one to two grade levels higher than their peers in California? Washington Post columnist Kevin Huffman argues that California has a systems problem; schools and social safety nets are behind the success in Texas.
In North Carolina, a tea party-backed, largely Republican school board has voted to abolish school integration policies, WaPo reports. Daily Kos has the details on the school board's new superintendent, Brig. General Anthony Tata—a former FOX news commentator whose Facebook "likes" include Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. In an effort to stop the reassignment of thousands of black and Latino students, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has filed a civil rights complaint.
Speaking of institutional problems, this week Tom Horne, Arizona's newly elected attorney general, officially declared that Mexican-American studies programs violate state law, The New York Times reports. Other ethnic studies courses remain untouched.
Also this week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced that he wants to eliminate tenure for public school teachers and install a system of five-year teacher contracts instead. Districts can then renew these contracts based on merit, reports the Wall Street Journal. Now also clamoring to join the anti-teacher tenure camp: Idaho, Ohio, and New York.
On Sunday, 60 Minutes broadcast the news that there were 140 errors in a fourth grade history book used in Virginia public schools. One example is the assertion that a number of African-Americans fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Read The Atlantic's Ta-Nehisi Coates for a primer on why that's false.
And speaking of slavery, would you teach Mark Twain's Huck Finn in a high school level American Literature class? This week I sat down with a black English teacher at Mission High who explained why the racial epithet alone wouldn't keep the book out of his classroom.
Jen QuraishiJan. 14, 2011 1:53 PM
When I was growing up in the Portland suburbs, the city was pretty much like it is now: a bunch of hyperliterate nerds wearing flannel and Doc Martens, riding their bicycles to go read in coffeeshops because it was too freaking cold/rainy/depressing to do anything else. The city is still largely the same: when I visited for Christmas, I ate lunch in a cafe across from the city's public library, and there were more people there than at Macy's. After that I went to Powell's, the city's Jurassic Park-sized independent bookstore, which had a checkout line an hour-long. So yeah, it would be fair to say Portlanders like to read.
The new IFC television series Portlandia gets the city's reading addiction right, and a recent promo even mentioned Mother Jones. In the clip below, two Portlanders start checking each other's literary chops. It starts off easy, with the softball question: "Did you read that thing in the New Yorker last month about golf being an analogy for marriage?" Then it starts to get tougher, name-dropping McSweeney's and Mother Jones. "Did you read that thing in Mother Jones about eco-chairs and eco-ways to sit?"
I'm glad the show's writers associate Mother Jones with environmental coverage, because we do make it a priority. But eco-ways to sit? Okay, okay, we get it, you think we're a bunch of hippies. Well, I'll have you know I went to Starbucks this morning, and I felt only the briefest flash of guilt when I realized I'd forgotten my reusable ceramic travel cup. But then again, I am typing this blog post on a biodegradable corn-plastic computer powered by the sun during the day and gases from organic compost at night.
After the Mother Jones mention, the "did you read?" questions fly fast and heavy. Spin? Wall Street Journal? BoingBoing? Oh yeah? What about Willamette Week? SF Weekly? The Seattle Stranger? It's well worth 113 seconds. Portlandia starts January 21, but I don't know if I'll have time to watch it. I might be busy reading.
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Only love can heal his wounds . . .
Gunnery Sergeant Jake Sanders made it through the war in Afghanistan, but he's struggling to survive the peace at home. Still scarred by his experiences overseas, Jake now spends most of his time working out and tending to his brother's bar and grill. He's not looking for a girlfriend and avoids intimate relationships . . . until he meets the bar's gorgeous new manager.
Ex-ballerina Sophie Agnés couldn't take her eyes off Jake the moment she saw him-he was, after all, sleeping half-naked in her new office when she arrived on her first day of work. The chemistry between them is immediate, and soon it's not clear who is seducing whom. But Sophie fears that something is keeping Jake from opening his heart to her. And a man with dark secrets may not be the right man for her after all.
Approx. 60,000 words.
Genre: Fiction
On Sale: April 1st 2014


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Visit my old car website at http://www.theoilspoteh.ca
Visit my old car website at http://www.theoilspoteh.ca
Copyright James C. Mays 2005 All rights reserved.
This blog reviews automotive history books and showcases the best of more than 1,000 published articles on collectable cars--complete with rare images and hard-to-find Canadian statistics--all by noted automotive historian James C. Mays.
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A/N: Yes I know, the chapter is so very imaginative considering the last 'Next', no? So with no delays, the new chapter is here, and the grueling three-chapter day is finally coming to its end.
Title: Raven, Tantei-kun?
Author: Teah no kitsune
Warnings: None.
Chapter 5: Confrontation
The final bell ringing was like music to the ears of the grade-schoolers eagerly awaiting it since… well, the moment they entered the building. Conan could never get why the rush for the exit was so important. After all, it didn't matter if you went out elbowing your way through the throng of children ready to stomp over you, or simply waited a few moments for the hallways to clear so you could make a quiet and clean escape.
He'd told the others they should go home without him, since Ran had offered to come pick him up after her school let out. It would take some time for her to get there, but Conan could wait.
Or, more accurately, he had to wait. Ran had given him that kind smile, that wasn't really so kind as promising all sorts of punishments if he decided to go home without her. The girl was overprotective and wanted to see her little brother was indeed alright after a full day spent moving with the 'backlash' still acting up.
He brought the strap of the bag over his shoulder, letting it hang by his side as he exited the classroom and slowly made his way in the direction of the school gates. He shifted slightly as he felt a familiar sting coming back from between his shoulder blades, not as intense as that morning, but still able to be felt. He thought he'd gotten rid of it already, it had barely bothered him through the last class. Maybe it was because he hadn't moved that much while sitting, only using his hand in the minimal effort of completing the schoolwork he was assigned to do. He'll just have to deal with it.
By now he was already standing by the gates, hands tucked into the pockets of his khaki pants, a bored half-lidded expression on his face. Ran wouldn't be coming any time soon, since her school had just let out. Now what to do…
Almost like drawn to it, his head started turning to his right.
There, a small distance away, a small wooden bench resided, conveniently situated in the shade of a tree looming over the wall separating the schoolyard from the street. A person sat on it leisurely.
Yet, it wasn't the woman (for she was obviously a woman, he could see the curved line of her chest from his position) that caught his attention. It was the doves.
Around the bench thirty or so birds dove and waddled, hopping here and there, scrambling for the pieces of food the woman that had obviously fed them. She had short brown hair and fair skin, probably the age he would be if he wasn't shrunk, the perfect picture of ordinary just radiating of off her. She was even wearing a knee-length skirt and hardly eye-catching sweater.
His eyes narrowed, observing the avians at her feet, and he found himself determinedly stepping in the direction of the assembly.
Soon he was standing in front of the bench, his steps momentarily startling the colorful gray, black and white doves into short-lived flight, staring at the woman before him. Said woman had closed eyes, for all intents and purposes just enjoying the fine afternoon.
Conan wasn't fooled. It was time for a confrontation.
"You were impersonating our substitute sensei from earlier, weren't you? I bet you've been following me the whole day, even watching me this morning on my way to school." He started calmly. "What do you have to say for yourself, Kaitou Kid-san?"
The woman opened one eye to peer at him, the violet of their depths even more ascertaining him that they were contact lenses (since he'd met no person with an eye color such as that before), her whole posture otherwise still relaxed, as if she was indeed for all the world looking at a unfamiliar boy that decided to crash on her peaceful rest.
"Oooh? Why would you believe I'm Kid-san, boya?" She asked in a perfect soprano. If Conan, if Shinichi had been any other person, he would have faltered in his deduction and wonder at the probability of it all. Really, the notorious thief following just him around and having nothing better to do but stalk small detectives?
But he knew better than that.
"I felt you watching me this morning, that I know." Even if it was mixed with the creepy stare of a strangely sharp-eyed dove that he'd grown used to, there had still been more than one person watching him. "And your handwriting back in class had been slightly off. Passable enough to remain undetected, yet still there. Also, Kobayashi-sensei has told us a few days before that the man had left for a trip to Kyoto, so for him to suddenly appear out of thin air and offer himself as a replacement right when our sensei needed a day off… It's pretty obvious once you get all the clues together."
Pleased and guttural coos of satisfied doves gobbling down food were the only sounds within their earshot, everything else falling back into an unimportant blur. There were only the two of them, everything else disregarded, and Conan liked it that way, because if the disguised Kid decided to make a spectacular escape right then and there, he would be at least able to deter him slightly, as focused as his attention was on him.
"Interesting theory you have there, boya." She pointed dramatically at herself, as if offended by the very idea. "But, why would I, of all people, be a thief in disguise?" She crossed her legs, a typical gesture a woman would do, but Conan's eyes sharpened at the movement.
"Your doves." He said, nudging his foot in their direction and causing a few of them to skitter in fright.
The woman cocked her head in interest.
"Birds get easily frightened into flight by sudden motions or loud voices," The boy repeated Mitsuhiko's earlier statement. "Yet, during the whole time, even when your crossed your legs, they remained undisturbed. Such a level of familiarity speaks of great trust and more than a bit of training, which would mean you've been spending quite a bit of quality time with them."
He pulled his hands out of his pockets, just so he could be in reach of his dart-watch if the situation so required it. "And, frankly, I don't remember ever seeing you around here feeding birds, so your presence must be fairly new to this neighborhood, and to the batch of doves surrounding this school. Give up the act, Kaitou Kid-san, you've been found out."
For a moment, the woman gazed at him, still with that look that spoke 'I'll humor this boy I just randomly met'. Just a moment. And then a familiar smirk slowly stretched across her face, making the boy unconsciously tense and ready for an attack.
"My, my," The voice changed, becoming more husky and definitely manlier, much more familiar, just so Conan could feel a small bit of victory at the absolute truth of his deduction. Then it returned back to the soprano of a young woman. "To think my disguise has been found out, it seems I will have to work quite a bit on it from now on."
"Don't flatter me, I know you made those mistakes on purpose. You know better than to watch for too long after all, and the handwriting, while unintentional, would have gone unnoticed if you hadn't taken the time-" 'And pleasure probably,' he thought sardonically. "-to make me focus more on your lesson."
"Ah, yes," The man-in-a-woman's-disguise drawled. "The infamous sixth sense you seem to posses. Quite remarkable, I must say. Is that a trait of your… condition?"
Kid's eyes watched him as his eyes darkened at the word. His hands clenched into fists tightly, so tightly he would be lucky if only crescent marks remained instead of small wounds. He gritted his teeth, his whole body tensing, and regarded the suddenly quiet magician with eyes the color of ice chips.
"Never," he ground out, his voice laden with something that definitely drew all Kid's focus to him. "Never refer to that incident again."
The question was so simple, and yet there were so many answers that Conan, Shinichi, couldn't even begin to fathom. He didn't know how to even voice all those, how to reply to the question without descending into a long talk of just why it was such a mistake, such a sham to show those, those…
Yet one word covered it all.
"It's illogical."
Unnatural, impossible, shouldn't exist, against every belief of sensible and probable, nonexistent.
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
He let himself barely start at the use of the famous quote, barely act surprised that Kaito Kid, of all people, had said it. He retaliated as best as he could, the cold anger seeping through his veins. "Yet, while impossible, probable doesn't even begin to cover the truth." What did that thief know about him, anyway? "And improbable is. not. logical."
He was sure the thief had by now realized what he meant. Illogical meant unexplainable, transcendent, something that detectives never did. And to a detective like him, the sheer fact that he was someone, something that fit into that criteria, and that there was a possibility that there were other impossibilities, just like him… it must have been a hard blow.
"It's who you are, Tantei-kun."
"No, it's what I am."
The thief shook his head sorrowfully.
"What is the difference between those even?"
His eyes narrowed, the answer delivered in a quiet and hard voice, speaking of the certainty of the matter. "It's not important what I am, as long as I know who I am. And, I will keep it that way."
He held his eyes locked with the false violet ones of the thief, daring him to say anything against his resolve.
"And what are the consequences of that choice?"
Like he would tell him.
"That doesn't concern you."
And in that one moment of silence that followed, followed and seemed to stretch on forever, Conan thought he'd won the argument with the other.
He wasn't sure why the thief had deemed it necessary to follow him around, keep watch on him and preach him about his own problem (a problem that hurt in more ways than one, the most obvious one evident as he shifted slightly to alleviate it in his tenseness), but he knew what he was going to do with it. He'd done it the first time around, and it had gone right.
He'd do it the same this time too, even if it would prove harder with the slightly different circumstances involved.
He knew what to do and the thief and whatever his reason was for seeking out the detective could do nothing against it.
And then a smirk, dimmed down by the seriousness of the atmosphere, lit up again upon that face.
"Does it?" A click of a tongue, as if disappointed the detective thought so little of him. "Well then, it is my deepest regret to tell you that I have already appointed myself the task of helping you," he cut off the detective's remark with a wave of his hand, suddenly causing all the doves to take flight. The small not-child was momentarily blinded by the bodies and feathers overtaking his vision, only able to hear the voice of their owner permeating the loud flaps in his ear. "And I mean help you my way, Kudo-kun."
The doves took to the sky, leaving the food behind on their master's wish and taking with them the few that weren't of their batch, flapping and beating their wings as they disappeared in the distance. The small space the shade of the tree provided for the bench suddenly seemed bare, the scattered corns and pieces of bread only magnifying the feeling.
Kid stood up from the bench, still in his late-teen-girl disguise, and looked on in the distance. And despite his relaxed posture, his perfect Pokerface, Conan could see the resolve, the hardened eyes that attested to the fact that he would follow through with his self-appointed task, and Conan could do nothing against it.
And the boy was now really tired, after a day as productive as this one, and he found his own stubbornness crumpling, if only to get rid of the headache it caused him.
"Suit yourself."
They both understood the secret meaning.
'But it won't help you any.'
Didn't mean they wouldn't try.
"So," the soft soprano drew his attention. This time it was playful, an obvious sign all serious conversation had come to an end, and Conan unwillingly found himself tensing again, ready to use his dart-watch if the thief tried anything with him.
The other, however, just smiled mischievously, as if laughing at an inside joke only he could understand. It made Conan all the more uncomfortable.
The smile stretched into a grin. "Got a new friend?"
It took a few moments for the not-child to make sense of the statement. Okay, maybe it even took Kid's finger pointing at his left pant to get it. The dove from before was clutching at it with its claws, peering up at him with those sharp eyes.
He almost sweat-dropped. What the…?
'…What is wrong with this bird?'
"Hmm, I don't really know. He's always been acting somewhat strangely, even back in his nest. Kept watching the others instead of playing with them. Weird really." Apparently his thought had been said aloud, since the thief's grin only widened. "Kind of like you actually, Tantei-kun~"
Conan really wanted to kick him right now. He doubted he'd be able to run fast with a skirt like that, but then again with Kid you never knew – maybe the thief would find it funny if the wind blew the skirt a little too high for the small (and small was in this instance an advantage he definitely wouldn't want to exploit) teenager-turned-boy. Ugh, that brought forth images he didn't want to imagine, and the boy shook his whole body to get his mind out of the gutter.
The shudder brought his attention back to the dove at his pant leg, which suddenly decided it would be better if it climbed up to its usual spot. Well, it was quickly becoming a usual spot.
He could feel Kid's gaze as the dove slowly ascended to his shoulders with the help of its claws and Conan's hand that helped it up. When it finally settled itself, the familiar warmth once again seeping though the spot between neck and shoulder, the boy turned his head just in time to see the woman, the man behind the woman, smiling kindly at the display.
"It never showed this attitude to any of the kids I showed it off to." He said, glancing to meet Conan's eyes. "Like it?"
He didn't know how to respond to that. "It's… nice, I guess."
Somehow that felt like he was signing a contract he didn't know anything about. Kid's widening smile only proved it more.
He wanted to further inquire about that, but the dove on his shoulder suddenly shook itself, wadded a few steps away from his neck, and took to the air. The display was as breathtaking as the first time, the pure white wings making the span of it seem longer, and the white tail just adding to the effect. To Conan that combination of dark gray and white seemed even more graceful than the pure white Kid used.
The cause of the avian's flight, however, was soon found out to be none other than the person Conan had totally forgotten about.
"Conan-kun! Conan-kun, where are you?"
"Ah, I'm over here, Ran-neechan!" Conan called, waving his hand for good measure to the figure standing in front of the school gates a distance away. He put it back down once he saw his best friend making her way over to him.
He turned around, expecting the spot where Kid would have stood to be empty, only to be surprised by the fact that he was still there, and, furthermore, winked at Conan in a way that left him with a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.
Oh God, please don't tell me would…
He would.
The whole way back to the agency, the small not-child brooded and sulked, even whined at one point for Ran to hurry so they could finally eat because he ate nothing in school and he was hungry. Of course, he blushed furiously at all the excuses he tried to pull, one more pathetic than the other, aware of the amused stare that Ran's 'new friend' was boring him with.
Why? Why did the thief have to torture him so much? Didn't he know what this meant? Didn't he know Ran was reputed for her loyalty, reputed for keeping a close bond to those she considered friends? Now Ran will of course want to meet with her 'friend' again, want to nurture that bond, and of course want to take him with her to meet her friend also and oh god he wanted to bash his head against a wall in his plight…
And now they were taking a longer detour home, just so they could accompany 'Shienko' (and God did Conan want to laugh at the name, or just hit the thief for it) to her house that was conveniently situated near Beika. Conan doubted their destination was Kid's real home, especially as she'd apologized for not being able to invite them in since she lived with her sick uncle that needed peace and rest, but maybe he would at least get a glimpse of one of Kid's hideouts.
Maybe. It wasn't worth the humiliation of the two girls (one not so much feminine as 'she'd' like to present 'herself') giggling over his cuteness and child-like behavior. 'Shienko' had even chided Ran that she'd have to be careful on how much sugar or caffeine he took. That one earned him such a glare behind Ran's back that he was sure he saw a small cringe.
Nobody messed with his morning coffee, dammit.
It was with relief that the small detective parted from the disguised criminal, happy to finally get rid of all the annoying remarks. It had been an exhausting day and all Conan wished, even if it was only afternoon, was to curl up in his futon and fall asleep. Maybe it was even better this way, since it meant the Snoring Engine wouldn't be there to ruin it for him.
Out of the corner of his eye, as Ran and him steadily increased the distance between the apartment complex Kid had claimed as his 'home', Conan saw the false female slip inside the door. He wondered if the thief would sneak out by a back entrance or really go to an apartment he'd bought there.
"Conan-kun?" His caretaker said. He turned his head to look up at her, his hand clasped in hers, and saw her giving him a slightly disapproving expression. "Conan-kun, I hope you behave better next time Shienko-chan meets up with us, because I really wouldn't like leaving you at home because of it."
She watched as the eyes of the small child at her side slowly began to widen, his face beginning to flush as he no doubt began to recollect his behavior from before, analyzing it bit by bit and finding all the flaws within it.
And she was right. He hung his head down, his face red to the tips of his ears, ashamed as he finally noticed the utterly childish temper tantrum he'd displayed. In his quest to get rid of Kid he'd somehow crossed the lines of 'dignified' and descended into 'by all means' without noticing, and boy did he feel guilty for it. No doubt Ran was imagining how her new friend must be thinking about her, taking care of such a spoiled brat and doing nothing against it. Even if Conan was sure Kid would never do that, since he knew this was all a game and found it utmost entertaining, if nothing else, Ran didn't know that.
"I-I'm sorry Ran-neechan. I'm just really tired and I wanted to go sleep. I-I hadn't thought…"
The girl's softened at his sincere apology, not finding herself capable of scolding a child that had already learned its lesson. She placed her hand on his head, patting down the few strands that escaped the cowlick affectionately. "It's alright, Conan-kun. I just wanted you to know that sometimes you need to watch your attitude, but… I think you know that now."
Then, as if to make him feel better as they ascended the stairs to the apartment above the agency (how had they come back so quickly?) she patted him gently on the back for good measure, before letting go of his hand and entering their residence.
She didn't notice Conan tense up at the touch, nor his face twist into a grimace.
Hell, it didn't seem like all of the pain had diminished, no matter how much he'd liked to think so.
The next half an hour seemed like a blur to him. He'd eaten whatever Ran had made, of that he was sure, and then somehow he'd managed to get ready for bed barely noticing it, his mind muddled from the events of the day and more than ready to shut down. As he had made his way from the bathroom to Kogoro's and his bedroom, bracing himself internally for the smell and the pain he would endure in his task of falling asleep, a noise made him stop in his tracks.
A coo.
He turned his head, almost unwillingly, to the window of the living room, some small part of him already anticipating what he would find, especially with the tingling now once again tickling at his senses.
The dove.
It watched him, blinked, ruffled its feathers up, waddled over to a part that was partially open, and gave him a look.
Despite his instincts telling him otherwise, the not-child approached the window per demand, mindful not to alert a busy Ran in the kitchen nearby, and opened it as silently as he could manage. As soon as there was enough space to squeeze through, the dove entered and latched onto the hand still holding the window open. Claws dug into the loose pajamas with a little more difficulty than normal, and Conan had to help the bird with his hands so it could make it to its usual spot without starting to flap its wings for balance.
"Stay quiet," he warned.
The dove didn't even coo its assent. Good.
The door of the bedroom was, for once, closed with a sigh of relief, instead of disgust at the alcoholic smell. He really needed to clean, especially if the dove planned on staying here a long time. Said avian gave a loud coo once it saw it was safe, but Conan hurried to shush it.
"No, you can't be too loud or Ran will hear, Dove-san, not to mention Occhan when he comes in to sleep." He chided it. Internally he wondered if his sanity had finally come to an end, but dismissed the thought as unimportant. "Got it?"
This time it wasn't a coo that answered him, but a small peck on his cheek. The beak was warm, contrary to the cold he'd been expecting, and it hadn't so much been painful as just reassuring.
Yawning, he laid down in the futon, mindful to not dislodge his companion unintentionally as he settled on the side opposite of the one the bird was resting on. He grimaced as he soon became aware that sleeping on his side just wasn't the same as on his stomach. He shifted again, trying to get rid of the ever present itch.
The weight on his shoulder left, and he opened one eye to see the bird hop down on the sheets beside his head. It ruffled its feathers up again, then settled down with its weight lightly leaning against his neck.
He snorted, accommodating to the new freedom of movement by lying on his stomach, mindful not to disturb the dove, and closed his eyes again. He took a deep breath, somehow the smell of the room seeming diminished by the scent of feathers coming from the avian curled up against him, and he found himself finally, finally for the first time in a long time, with the warmth of the dove that was almost like a bright aura, falling asleep.
He could feel Kid's gaze as the dove slowly ascended to his shoulders with the help of its claws and Conan's hand that helped it up. When it finally settled itself, the familiar warmth once again seeping though the spot between neck and shoulder, the boy turned his head just in time to see the woman, the man behind the woman, smiling kindly at the display.
"What?" The boy asked, somewhat unsure of the tightening of the thief's expression and the clasped hands coming up to his chest. Somehow it seemed familiar…
"Nothing, I just…"
Very familiar…
"It's just that, that…"
And suddenly it hit him.
"Oh , to hell with professional distance! Come here!"
And before Conan could even think of making a run for it, he was suddenly enveloped in a tight hug, his face pressed against an artificial bosom with the dove on his shoulders somehow managing to stay on.
As the thief holding him tightly only continued his chants of "Ohmygod, how cute, you are so cute!" Conan vowed to take revenge on him later. Screw not chasing the thief-in-a-skirt, he would kick him in the shins if it was the last thing he did.
…Was Kid wearing a perfume?
… A lemon scented one?
Shien-ko - Purple smoke - child
A/N: And so we come to the end of this chapter that, if not split with the other two, would have equalled 12k. And to think this is just a simple story with no magnificient plot...
Err yes, about that. Just reminding those that read this as an oneshot, and informing those that started following it later: This fic isn't really some sort of epic story that will involve the org falling down, Shinichi's 'little' secret (the canon secret) being shown to the world and the story ending with everything solved and figured out. This was, due to popular demand, expanded and will be an expansion of Conan's 'condition', the main goal being to explain it better (Part One, ending in most likely two chapters) and improve his abysmal view on it (Part Two, the rest of the story). Just wanted to clear that up, so people don't complain about me leaving the canon plot of beating the Black Org unattended. However reality-breaking his secret is, there's no way it will affect his life outside of dealing with Kid, because Shin-chan just doesn't do flaunting secrets to the world. Thank you for your undestanding.
Hope you liked the omake, it just popped into my head when I was writing the scene. And oh yes, another picture time! Aww, I have so much fanart! (remove the 'dot's):
http(two dots)//dagras(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Conan-and-Dove-163643497
http(two dots)//dagras(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Raven-Fanart-162622403
http(two dots)//teah-no-kitsune(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/A-Boy-and-his-Dove-163839539
And because it worked so well, I'll just copy this paragraph from now on: I really appreciate it if you reviewed, said what you thought of my style and the story so far, what you think will happen or what you'd really like to happen (who knows, maybe I'll include it if it makes no difference to the plot), or maybe, if something irks you, tell me how to improve myself.
Next: Things are settling down. Not. Parents are omniscient, and they want a talk with Kaito.