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Inaugural 2014 Health and Nutrition Services Division Conference Scheduled for September 25-27, 2014
Arizona K-12 Business-Education Partnership Symposium
Arizona K-12 Business-Education Partnership Symposium
Friday, January 31, 2013
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Desert Willow Conference Center
4340 East Cotton Center Blvd | Phoenix, AZ 85040
Convening Organizations
Governor's Office of Education Innovation
Why the Symposium?
Arizona public K-12 schools need effective partnerships to help advance student achievement and prepare students for higher education and the workforce. This event will focus on developing capacity to create and sustain business partnerships with Arizona K-12 schools and districts.
Topics Covered Include:
Participants will:
Who should attend?
Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Go to www.azbec.org for more information.
Sustaining Sponsors
Community Sponsors
Emerging Sponsors
Designing Comprehensive Evaluation Systems: Summit V: Supporting Principals as Instructional Leaders in the Observation Process, with a Focus on AZ College & Career Ready Standards Integration
Sunday, February 9, 2014-Monday, February 10, 2014
Doubletree Resort by Hilton Hotels Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, AZ
Sunday, February 9, 2014: Registration, 9:30-11:30, Summit V, 11:45-5:00
Monday, February 10, 2014: Breakfast, 7:00-7:45, Summit V, 7:45-4:00
Partner Organizations
Charlotte Danielson
The Danielson Group
Keynote Speaker, Sunday, February 9th
Charlotte is an internationally-recognized expert in the area of teacher effectiveness, specializing in teacher evaluation systems that ensure teacher quality.
Janice Poda
Council of Chief School Officers (CCSSO)
Keynote Speaker, Monday, February 10th
Janice is the Strategic Initiative Director for Education Workforce where she leads the work of assisting states with developing and implementing coherent and comprehensive systems of educator effectiveness.
Break Out Sessions
Coherence Alignment Process presented by Lynn Holdheide, Deputy Director Center, Great Teachers and Leaders: Explore a process to ensure that your teacher observation system is aligned and supports the kinds of teaching practices demanded by the AZ College and Career Ready Standards (ACCRS).
Overview of Resources to Support Implementation of Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards, ADE K-12 Academic Standards Staff : Explore the most current and valuable resources available to effectively implement ACCRS, as well as the purpose of the resources, who they would be most beneficial for, and how they might benefit a principal as an instructional leader.
A Deeper Dive into Considerations for Implementation of Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards and Application of the EQuIP Rubric, ADE K-12 Academic Standards Staff: This session will provide tools such as a consideration framework and the EQulp Rubric, (Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products) which identifies high‐quality materials and leads to understanding of what is expected in ACCRS's rigorous instruction needed for implementation and effective teacher evaluation.
Principal Evaluation/Vertical Alignment present by Dr. Deb Duval, Executive Director, AZ School Administrator Association: Explore the connections among principal and teacher evaluation and the supports necessary for the evaluators of principals, as principals as evaluatees and principals as evaluators of teachers.
Merging Teacher Evaluation and the ACCRS, presented by Charlotte Danielson, The Danielson Group: The Framework for Teaching shares important underlying assumptions with the ACCRS, in particular the emphasis on conceptual understanding and cognitive engagement in challenging content. These are not, however, easy to implement, as they make new demands on both teachers' and evaluators' skills and understanding. This session will describe the merging of these important, large and complex initiatives.
Creating Conditions to Foster An Effective Principal Role: Instructional Leader, Talent Manager, and Culture Builder presented by Jackie Gran, Chief Policy and Partnership Officer, New Leaders Inc.: Based on New Leaders' original research on high-performing school districts and effective school leaders, this session will share findings on what our best school systems do to enable principals to be successful not just individually, but at scale across an entire district.
Instructional Supervision presented by Tess Lauffer, AZ Department of Education: What to look for in teacher practice that produces rigorous and complex student thinking, as well as what to look for in the classroom environment & learning culture that support rigorous and complex student thinking.
Instructional Conversations presented by Janice Poda, Strategic Initiative Director, Council of Chief School Officers: Discuss strategies for engaging in productive and meaningful instructional conversations with teachers as part of the observation process.
Leadership vs. Management…the art of "Time Management"-Sid Bailey, Director of Leadership Development, AZ Charter School Association: Sure, I want to be an "Instructional Leader", but who has the time? Once clearly understanding the value and difference between Leadership and Management skills, participants will take a close look at how to effectively manage time in such a way as to balance both sets of skills. Participants will exit the session, tools in hand, prepared to manage time in a more impactful way.
Cost of Conference: $250/person. Registration and hotel closing date is January 31, 2014
Click here to register now
You will not be receiving a conference confirmation email.
Hotel Reservations must be made separately. To reserve a guest room, please click this link or call 1-800-222-8733. The state per diem rate is $141.00 + tax. The cost includes free wireless internet in the guest room. Should you have any issues, please contact Laura Dudzik by phone at (602) 364-1851 or by e-mail at [email protected].
2013 OELAS Conference
December 11-13, 2013
2013 MEGA Conference
"Spark Innovation"
2013 Assessment Summit: Together We Shine
Save The Date – 2 Choices Available
Friday, June 7, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Prescott Mile High Middle School, Prescott, AZ
Friday, June 14, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Andrada Polytechnic High School, Vail, AZ
Click Here to Register!
Why Should I Attend the Assessment Summit?
Open to all Arizona educators and educator leaders, this summit will give attendees the opportunity to:
- Earn 6.0 professional development hours
- Receive assessment updates (including PARCC & NCSC)
- Become familiar with new assessment initiatives
- Learn classroom assessment strategies from fellow Arizona teachers
- Network with other Arizona educators, educator leaders, and ADE staff
Event Pricing
The Assessment Summit has been reasonably priced at only $45 per participant, including lunch and snacks.
Prescott Summit Agenda, Site Map, and Breakout Sessions
Click the link above for complete details about the Prescott Summit on June 7, 2013.
Vail Summit Agenda, Site Map, and Breakout Sessions
Click the link above for complete details about the Vail Summit on June 14, 2013.
Keynote Speakers
Prescott – Lindsey Connor
Lindsey Connor is a 7th Grade Pre-Algebra teacher at San Tan Elementary, located in Gilbert, Arizona. After completing her fifth year of teaching, Lindsey was recently recognized as the 2012 Higley Unified School District Teacher of the Year by fellow colleagues and school administrators. She now serves as a 2013 Arizona Teacher of the Year Ambassador of Excellence.
Lindsey obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Middle Childhood Education from Ohio University, and her Master's degree in Educational Administration from Arizona State University. A true believer in continuous education, Lindsey recently enrolled in the National Board Certification program to earn distinguished recognition in the teaching profession.
Lindsey attributes her love of teaching to educators who have made a difference in her life, and is inspired by the simple pleasure of instilling the importance of learning in all of her students.
Vail – Becky Cavacos
Born and raised in Tucson, Becky has taught grades 1-4 for 29 years, 27 of them spent in TUSD, and currently teaches at Borton Magnet School. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona and has mentored many beginning teachers, student teachers and pre-service teachers throughout her career. She was recently named a 2013 AEF Arizona Teacher of the Year Ambassador for Excellence.
If you have any questions or need assistance registering, please contact Patricia Reynolds at (602) 364-1296.
Partnership, Celebration, & Reflection
June 25-27, 2013
at the beautiful Westin La Paloma in Tucson, AZ
Register Today!
Registration Cost
Leading Change Agenda


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[Date Index]
[Thread Index]
[Author Index]
GUIKit: <<file quirk
I've noticed that if you want to read a file into a running GUI you must
be sure the file has semicolons after every line. If the file e.g. contains
the GUI kernel will understand this as
f[2]=5 f[3]=8.
If the file instead has the semicolons
then it works fine.
This means there will be a problem using Save[] to save function data,
since Save[] does not put the semicolons in.
Is there any easy workaround?

subset: commoncrawl


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Friday, April 1, 2016
Why Our Family Doesn't Celebrate Making Someone a Fool Today
Saturday, March 12, 2016
How NOT to get a divorce when going through infertility
- Be a good listener. This is a hard one. Probably the hardest for me. I'm that person that starts preparing my response before my partner has finished talking. But both partners are experiencing different emotions and see things from a different perspective. And both sides are valid. The only way to gain understanding is to listen….truly listen...to your partner's struggles.
- Dump on someone else. Sometimes we just need to get it all out there. Rant. Cry. Vent. Be angry. And while it seems like our partner is the most reasonable human being to be your "person" because after all they are going through this with you…often times they are not the best person. For some men, they can't handle all the emotions. Or they don't know what to say. Or they feel guilt because they can't fix this. Or they're scared they'll say the wrong thing. And many times they do say the wrong thing and then the crazy person comes out. Often times we have less patience with our partners than with other people. So find a different "person". Join a support group. Find a friend who has been in your shoes and walked this path. Or someone who is going through it currently.
- Make time for each other. Sometimes all of this is just TOO MUCH for men to deal with so they retreat to their cave. Whatever "cave" means to your husband. For some, it may be literal and he heads down to the garage and puts on the TV. It might be hitting up with bar with his buddies. For my husband it was the dirt bike track. But it is so important to stay connected during this difficult time. Plan a weekend getaway. Or schedule a weekly outing that's fun for both of you and takes your mind off of infertility (I know…easier said than done).
- Cut each other some slack. This one is important. And it is my husband's classic line "cut me some slack". Sometimes we are HARD on our partners. We expect perfection. We want them to hold us at just the right moment. Say just the right thing. React the way we would react to a situation. That pressure is not fair. And perfection is not achievable. First of all, men are just different and they're not mind readers. So try to let things go more often i.e. cut them some slack. It is tough to let things go when emotions are high and your world feels like it is crashing down. But just try. Count to 10. Take a deep breath. Walk away. Whatever it takes to not react immediately and gain some perspective on the situation.
- Try not to become obsessed. Just like it is important for you and your partner to stay present in the relationship and stay connected, it is helpful if you're able to find some semblance of balance in your own life. And this is coming from someone who STRUGGLED with this one big time. I read every self-help book. Devoured everything on the internet about infertility. Blogged endlessly. Tweeted. Facebooked. Instagrammed. Attended support groups. I lived and breathed infertility during a portion of our marriage. It didn't help my emotional state of mind and it certainly didn't help my relationship. I'm not suggesting that you stop researching or seeking information or emotional support. But try not get so wrapped up in it that the rest of the world doesn't exist. And again, I KNOW this is not easy. But if you come close to losing your partner, I think you might find that other things DO matter and you have to make room in your mind and heart for the them.
- Have empathy. Even though you are both experiencing infertility, you will never experience it in the exact same way. Because of this, empathy becomes so crucial. I'll never know how challenging it is to go into a sterile, medical facility restroom and produce a sample under pressure. Or to listen to my spouse crying uncontrollably after a failed cycle and not be able to take her pain away. He will never understand how painful it is endure a hysteroscopy or get progesterone shots in the rear every night. But that is okay. We need to put aside our own viewpoint, and try to see things from the other person's point of view. If we are able to validate the other person's feelings and perspective and stay clear of judging, pointing out flaws or jumping to problem solving…it will lead to much more positive interactions. You won't always say the right thing (either of you) but at least you're seeking to understand and responding from a place of love.
Labels: A, babymaking, infertility, marriage
Saturday, January 30, 2016
9 Months as Mav's Mommy | A Quarterly Update
I'm late. I'm late. For a very important date. Finally getting my last quarterly update into cyberspace in case anyone is still reading and hasn't given up on me. Okay, I'm recommitting to my blog. Right now. I put it in writing. I'll be a better blogger starting today…ready, set, go. Two posts a month to start out with is my goal. Hold me to it, ladies.
The last quarter with Mav has been amazing. He is growing and thriving. And we couldn't be more in love. He's the most wonderful part of our lives. I'd be lying if I said that I don't miss my little cuddle bug. He's so squiggly, squelching and squirmy now. He wants to be on the go all of the time. I can't believe how big he's gotten so quickly. But there are still those moments when I rock him at night and hold him in my arms. The quiet moments where I just gaze at his face…and I see my little tiny baby again…just like the day we brought him home from the hospital.
Sometimes I still have to pinch myself to believe that I'm finally a mama to the most amazing little boy I could've ever hoped for. My heart is so full sometimes…I think it might burst. Don't give up ladies. It is worth the fight.
Here's what Mav's been up to….
At Mav's 7-month mark, he weighed 19. 1 lbs. (65th percentile) and 27.8 inches (72 percentile). He's kind of a big lil dude. My hubby says that Mav's going to be too big for me to carry before he can walk on his own. This just might be true if he keeps growing at this pace.
Our family of three took a nice little trip to the coast where Mav checked out a cool surfboard for littles. Daddy and Mav watched the sunset every night and we just hung out listening to the waves crash. It was a nice getaway.
- Rolls in both directions and twists and turns his body
- 3rd tooth popped through his gums which didn't bother him too much
- Loves drinking water out of his metal sippy cup even though he hasn't figured out how to tip it back yet
- Gets excited when he hear Caspar Babypants songs | All You Pretty Babies and Baby's Getting Up
- Squirmy, wiggly and always kicking his legs
- Doesn't like being restrained in his car seat
- Ticklish | Feet and Tummy
- Likes books and story time
- Babbles but no words that we can make out
- First trip to the pumpkin patch
- Watched first sunset and rode in hiking backpack on daddy shoulders | Santa Cruz
- First stretch alone with daddy while mommy was on a work trip | Nashville
At Mav's 8-month mark, he was measured by mommy and the home scale read 21 lbs. The end of October and November were busy months for our family with the start of the holidays. Mav had a lot of "firsts" this month and he learned and grew so much.
- Gives high fives which Daddy thinks is the coolest
- Scoots on the hardwood floors
- Rocks in a crawling position
- Likes to play peek-a-boo
- Has 5 teeth
- Eats stage 3 baby food
- Doesn't like to be bored
- Obsessed with cell phones
- Loves to be pushed on his Wheelies Ride-On
- First time on the swing set with daddy
- First time wearing costumes for Halloween | elephant, horse, mouse and lady bug
- First weddings | Lake Tahoe and Willows
- First time being in the snow | Truckee
- Grandma flew up to visit from San Diego and went to first Christmas event | BabiesRUs
- First cold | This was not a fun first for mommy but thankfully it wasn't too bad
- First Thanksgiving | Mommy and Daddy gave a lot of thanks for Mav
At Mav's 9-month mark, he measured 22.5 lbs. on the home scale. When I measure him at home, I don't really look at his height growth or percentiles. But he's growing. That I am certain of. This month was all about Christmas and learning how to "be on his way".
- Commando crawling | sometimes refer to this as dragging his lower body around by his arms
- Loves bath time | shrieks with happiness when he hears the water start running
- Size 4 diapers
- 12-18 month clothes
- 7 teeth pushed through the gums
- Decided he's shy around new people and hides his face in mommy's chest
- Eats non-pureed foods now | avocado, mangos, raspberries, papaya, sweet potatoes and squash
- Lamb wubbanub is his greatest possession
- Enjoys trying to pull himself up on things
- Weaned from sleep suit and prefers to sleep on his side or face down on his forehead
- Opens and closes cupboards at every opportunity
- Waves "hello" and points to things he wants to show you
- Grunts when he eats something yummy. Or just because. He's a grunty little thing. Such a boy!
- First Christmas tree lighting
- First time meeting Santa Claus
- First flu shot
- Second time visiting Pismo Beach for Mommy and Daddy's 7th anniversary
- First carousel ride | San Luis Obispo
- First holiday party | Mommy's date
- Second time visiting So Cal family | Christmas
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Important announcements from allthingschristmas.com. You can also post questions and comments to the admins!7
Ideas for all your Christmas decorating. Share your photos, ideas & more!
For more ideas, visit our Christmas Home Decor Pinterest board!
What should I get my Family & Friends? What did you get for Christmas?
Ask for help, and share your ideas for great Christmas Gifts!
Want to buy, sell, or trade christmas items? Have at ETSY Shop? Share it here! NOT for companies. Individuals only.
Discuss your favorite Christmas Shows and Movies, Specials and Cartoons in here. Online or on TV!
Share your favorite Christmas Music & Carols. Share or write your own Poem!
Discuss and share your favorite Christmas memories and traditions!
From Baking Cookies to Crafting your own cards, share your favorite crafts and recipes for the Holidays!
Are you from italy, france, germany, thailand etc. Talk about christmas in other languages.
Share fun stuff. Videos, jokes, stories etc. Feel free.45
For discussing everything else that does not fit into our other forums.66
New Year songs, recipes and traditions. All about New Year's Eve.28
Talk about everything related to easter31
Talk about everything related to Thanksgiving36
Talk about everything related to Valentine's Day26
Talk about everything related to Independence Day9
Talk about everything related to Halloween


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Yonkers School Officials Wonder If Free Lunch Program Is Being GamedA popular school lunch program in Yonkers has suddenly gotten more expensive for one local school district.
Englewood Officials Say Unpaid School Lunch Tabs Cost Taxpayers $100,000Parents of some New Jersey school kids are learning that there really is no such thing as a free lunch.
Nutritionist Offers Tips For Healthy But Fun School LunchesAmong Robin Kaiden's suggestions, Kaiden said it's important to involve children in choosing what foods are in their lunches
Ask a Chef: Best Back To School Lunch RecipesEven highly trained chefs deal with kid critics when it comes to lunch box offerings. The Executive Chef of Shaw's Crab House in Chicago says use fresh ingredients and a little risk and you get fewer orders of pb&j this school year.
NYU Professor Reacts To New School LunchesEven when pizza is on the menu, school lunches are going to be healthier.
New Menu Options Seek To Serve Up Improved Classroom Performance, Reduced Obesity In SchoolsA healthier menu is coming to school cafeterias across the country. The government has announced new rules for school lunches, including more fruits and vegetables and less fat.
Back to School: Then and NowGoing back to school is the same as it's always been. Only the details are different. Kids are still kids.
Thinking Outside the (Lunch) BoxMaking lunch for our kids can be frustrating, especially if they don't eat it. Here are a few tips to help them eat healthy.
Green Living for the School YearGoing back to school is a time for change. Here are some ways to change our habits and help the planet this school year.
Government Calls For Stricter Guidelines For School LunchesHold the French fries -- for the first time in 15 years the government is proposing new, healthier guidelines for school lunches.
New Conn. Law Combats 'Silent' Hunger CrisisFor the first time in decades, schools in Connecticut will be getting more federal funds to provide nutritional lunches for students.
Best School Lunch Ideas For KidsCBS New York consults with nutritionist Latham Thomas to make sure your child has a healthy, happy school lunch.


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All right, all right, break it up! Stop it! Now can't you two see that you're still in love with each other? You've been searching all over for happiness when all the time it was right here in your own backyard. Now give each other a hug. Come on!
Darryl Strawberry thinks the Yankees' clubhouse is beset by bad chemistry that can be cured only one way: Derek Jeter needs to "embrace" Alex Rodriguez. "They've got to come together," Strawberry said Tuesday. "It's time for them to mend their relationship and get back to, like, OK, let's have some fun. ... Because I remember them when they were young and they went to dinner together and they did everything together."
We hope that these two crazy kids will indeed find a way to get together, hopefully over drinks at a dimly-lit cafe in the Village, followed by a movie (The Holiday?). And the sooner the better, so that Strawberry can move on and save other relationships, such as George Karl and Isiah Thomas. Lil' Ronnie and Reggie Wayne. Adrian McPherson and the Tennessee Titans Raccoon ...


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SOLD! 2003 ZHP Imola red 93K $9,995 in KC SOLD!
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Baton Rouge
Posts: 0
My Ride: 2004 325i Sport
View My Garage
I had an 04' 325i. 5 spd. Sports Package. It was totaled about a month and a half ago and I'm in search of a replacement. This seems like a fantastic deal. I go to school in Baton Rouge and my parents are in Dallas. They would be the ones to drive up to check it out. My only question is (and this goes to anyone with enough e46/ZHP knowledge to answer):
DO all e46's cost as much as my last one did to maintain or did I get scammed by the dealer we got it from?
It had about 104k miles and was about a 9/10 Interior and Exterior. We ended up paying for about 10k in miscellaneous mechanical repairs in the year I owned it. That was in addition to the trim falling off the doors, the headliner peeling everywhere, and somehow the carpet getting soaked in the passenger rear floor whenever it rained...
I'm graduating from LSU this upcoming Summer and want a reliable car to last me until then and possibly a year or so after. Will I be able to maintain this car with only the love and care (plus a couple $k's in repairs) that I so uselessly gave my last e46?
If so, I'd be in for 9.5k.
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Medium speed rotary filling machine
The Multifill F500 series, produced by IMA LIFE, includes medium speed rotary filling machines designed to handle a wide range of containers and closures, up to 400 bpm with a dosing capacity of up to 300 ml. Highly flexible and designed with constructive modularity, these machines are very well known for their robustness and reliability.
F540 is supplied with 12 dosing units, can reach an output of up to 400 pcs/min and a dosing capacity of up to 300 ml.Its dosing system (volumetric dosing pumps with separated front valve) is ideal for a variety of products, such as shampoos, health and skin care lotions, detergents or viscous products.The filling circuit of the machine consists of two parts: a vessel and a manifold for product feeding and valve, syringe or nozzle unit. In order to achieve quick and easy cleaning the filling unit can be separated from the feeding one by loosening a single screw.F540 is suitable for applications requiring stand-alone dosing machine that can be combined with different closure types.MAIN CHARACTERISTICS- constructive modularity- easy size change-over- compact overall design- CIP/SIP systems of the filling circuits- AISI 304 and AISI 316L st. st, or ceramic for the parts in contact with the product


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World Cup 2006 Update
Quarter Finals
Germany vs Argentina
At the start of the tournament, only 20% of Germans surveyed believed that their team can win the cup. I am certain the figure is up to 80 or 90 percent by now. The trouble is, Germans are playing well and may have peaked too soon. If its the spectacular to win the match, then Argentina has more flair and firepower. Neutral on this game, slightly favouring Argentina to win as this team is the least cynical of all Argies teams for the past 20 years. When you have the skill and ability, you need not resort to cynical play.
Italy vs Ukraine
I was a neutral on Italians before. The grave injustice in their match with Australia makes me wish I was a Buddhist, then karma should prevail and have the Italians playing well this match and then losing to a very dubious penalty to Ukraine. Italy can go home for all I care.
England vs Portugal
The team that coached itself. What is the value of having Ericksson? If he plays Rooney as a lone striker again, England should lose. If they play a 4-4-2 with Rooney and Crouch upfront, England will win. England needs Crouch to hold the ball up for flicks and allow others to run into spaces. Needs Joe Cole and Lennon at wings to run at defenders and draw Portugal's defence wide. Hargraves should not play. Same with Carrick. Although I was brought up following the Red Devils, England should lose thanks to Ericksson, unless he follows what I have written... lol... Its a match, more for England to lose, rather than Portugal to win.
Brazil vs France
The old foggies got lucky, nothing to write home about Vive La blues shyyytt... Go home and eat your innards and fine cheeses. You stink. I mean, you stunk, and you stink.


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Three senior U.S. government officials this week weighed in on the controversy surrounding China's implementation of a national standard for WLANs (wireless LANs) with a letter to senior Chinese officials that described the move as a barrier against international trade, a U.S. trade group said Thursday.
The letter to Chinese Vice Premiers Wu Yi and Zeng Peiyan, which was signed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, expressed concern over China's implementation of a mandatory standard for WLAN technologies and said the move created a dangerous precedent for using standards as a barrier to international trade, according to the U.S. Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), which issued a statement welcoming the move.
The letter will bring a measure of additional diplomatic pressure on China to negotiate a compromise over the issue, said Glyn Truscott, a consultant at market analyst BDA China Ltd. in Beijing. "It's turning up the heat a little bit," he said.
The controversy over WLAN standards began last year with China's adoption of a national standard for WLANs. The Chinese standard, called GB15629.11-2003, is very similar to the IEEE 802.11 standard, commonly known as Wireless Fidelity or Wi-Fi, but it uses a different security protocol, called WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI). While the standard took effect on Dec. 1 last year, the compliance deadline for some products has been pushed back until June 1.
Chinese and foreign companies that sell WLAN equipment in China must ensure that their products comply with the Chinese standard by that date. However, industry executives have warned that a separate standard for WLAN equipment sold in China could divide the wireless networking market.
"We believe that mandatory implementation of the WAPI protocols would unnecessarily fracture the world market for WLAN products," Paul Nikolich, chairman of the IEEE 802 Local and Metropolitan Area Network Standards Committee, wrote in a letter dated Nov. 23 to Li Zhonghai, chairman of the Standardization Administration of China, and Wang Xudong, China's minister of information industry.
The Chinese WLAN standard has also caused controversy for provisions that require foreign companies to work with Chinese partners. Foreign companies are required to license WAPI through coproduction agreements with one of 24 Chinese companies that have been granted the rights by the Chinese government to license the technology. The U.S. Information Technology Office (USITO), a trade group, has said this provision unfairly forces foreign companies to grant their Chinese coproduction partners access to their technology.
Looking ahead, BDA's Truscott expects Chinese officials to yield on some of the provisions related to the implementation of the standard before the June 1 compliance deadline.
"I don't think anyone believes the Chinese WLAN standard will be implemented to the letter on June 1. I don't think WAPI will disappear entirely. It's going to be a compromise," Truscott said.
Networking equipment vendors have trod cautiously around the issue of China's WLAN standard, with most companies saying only that they are studying the matter.
Nevertheless, the matter is drawing the attention of top industry executives. Pat Gelsinger, Intel Corp.'s chief technology officer, was scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Thursday to discuss several technology matters, including WAPI, with Chinese officials.
The issue has also drawn the attention of U.S. officials, who have voiced their concerns over the standard's implementation.
"China is turning to special standards designed to limit foreign participation in key sectors," Zoellick said in an address to the Asia Society on Feb. 25, according to a copy of his speech. "For example, China's mandatory new encryption standard for wireless networking products would make China the only WTO member to introduce such a mandate for consumer products - a restriction compounded by granting domestic companies exclusive control over the technology."
Members of the U.S. Congress have also expressed concern over the implementation of China's WLAN standard and have pushed officials in the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to become actively involved in the matter.
Representative Philip Crane (Republican, Illinois), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Trade; Representative Charles Rangel (Democrat, New York), ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Senator Max Baucus (Democrat, Montana), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, asked Zoellick to become personally involved in the issue and to raise the matter with his Chinese counterpart, ITI said.
In addition, Representatives Crane and Rangel, and Senators Craig Thomas (Republican, Wyoming), the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Subcommittee on International Trade, and Gordon Smith (Republican, Oregon) sent a letter to Yang Jiechi, China's ambassador to the U.S., urging the Chinese government to work with the U.S. on a "mutually acceptable resolution" of the matter, ITI said.


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Vintage Lionel 1063 Transformer 75 Watts 8-18 Volts
- Sold for: Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
- Item Category: Toys, Dolls, Games & Puzzles
- Source: eBay
- Sold Date: Nov 15, 2010
- Channel: Auction House
Vintage Lionel Type 1063 Transformer 75 Watt 8-18 Volts with Whistle Control
Estate sale find. This Lionel Type 1063 transformer with whistle control has been checked out by an electrician and he said it worked. It has 75 Watts and 8-18 Volts. There are no chips or cracks in the housing. It has its original cord, the cord has a crack in the wire covering 2" up from the plug, the rest of the cord is ok. The bottom plate has some rust from storage. Shipping is $9.00 tracking is included in this cost. If you have any questions please ask.
See my other listings for more great items!
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Items are shipped within 3 days or sooner after payment is recieved.
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text:
405 Reopen
The day was not hassle-free. Syrupy, but moving, traffic was reported along detour routes that helped drivers navigate around the closed strip of Interstate 405. As many as 300,000 vehicles pass through the stretch of freeway on a typical weekend day.
``You can't shut down a mainline freeway and not have some kind of traffic delay,'' said state Transportation Department spokesman David Richardson. ``But they were minimal.''
The work along a 4-mile strip of I-405 in
The southbound lanes reopened at about , more than two hours ahead of schedule. The northbound side followed about an hour later, although it took longer to clear some ramps.
Extensive publicity before the construction work apparently persuaded most drivers to stay away from the area.
Workers helming cranes and bulldozers began ripping up the 700-foot bridge Saturday night. The demolition is part of a $277 million project to link carpool lanes between the freeways.
The shutdown is the latest freeway closure in
The closure of a section of I-405 in Los Angeles in 2011, followed by a similar shutdown there last year, did not result in what was dubbed ``carmageddon.'' At the time, motorists heeded months of warnings to stay off the roads, and the traffic was unusually light.
Later Sunday, a section of freeway in
State transportation workers plan to shut both sides of the busy interstate at Sunday through Monday. The closure will run from state Route 905 near San Ysidro to Route 54 in


text:
Medieval Latrine Unearthed in Denmark
Friday, April 04, 2014
ODENSE, DENMARK—In the center of the medieval town of Odense, well-preserved brick houses, half-timbered houses, and stables have been unearthed, along with barrels that had been repurposed as latrines. "We are talking about 700-year-old latrines. And yes, they still smell bad," archaeologist Maria Elisabeth Lauridsen told Discovery News. "Preliminary results of analysis shows that raspberries were popular in Odense in the 1300s. The contents also contain small pieces of moss, leather and fabric which were used as toilet paper," she added.
First World War booze, Russian bear grease, Mediterranean mystery religion, and exploring under Algiers
A venerable bead


text:
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Posted: Apr 12 2012, 01:53 PM
Level 2
Group: Members
Posts: 48
Member No.: 190,093
Joined: 9-April 12
Hi, this is my first RP ever online. Im only asking for 5-6 people to sign up, I dont want a lot of confusion. Here are the rules:
No Power playing, Godmoding, Chat Speak, Leet, etc.
Keep flaws in your characters, and make them realistic.
Low swearing.
Keep everything PG 14.
Minimum of 4 sentences per post.
Respect each other. Negative behavior (OoC) is not acceptable.
Please use proper spelling and decent grammar.
Character sheets will be posted in an OoC thread.
A limit of 1 character per player.
You are not allowed to state what the other characters are doing; only they can control their characters, unless they ask you to.
You may not advance the plot in your own way, this is a set story, but you may have side stories if you wish, but please keep to the main.
The plot:
A small group of people picked by Cordella, the great mage of Ovsalia, must find the only seven Dragons in Ovsalia. They were told that they had to get tears from each Dragon in order to save the queen from an unknown disease she recently acquired. Cordella called each person all from different places in the country, talking to each of them separately. No one knows they're in a group to find these tears, but they'll know soon enough.
No one really knew the queen; she was just placed as the queen since the king married her. Her name is Almadell, and her king's name is Aloin. Almadell is a half elf, so everyone was puzzled as to why Aloin, who is completely human, would marry such a being. Half-blood to them was bad blood; it was like mutation. Whenever she went out though, she was always kind to people, even the poor who sit there and beg. She has healing powers, so that's why she leaves the castle; to go heal her people. Recently she has caught a disease though, one neither she nor anyone can cure. They even brought the great mage Cordella to heal her, but she said she had no power to do so. However she did say she knew a way. Cordella has always been mysterious, no one knows her past. All they know is that when Cordella came to Ovsalia, she saved their lives.
The Velain forest belongs to the Elves, since they helped with getting rid of some monsters in other lands so that the Humans could live in those lands.
Athalia belongs to unknown creatures; no one dares venture to Athalia due to no one in known history coming back from there.
The Delthian Desert is a desert where no one ventures, due to people getting lost all the time. Delthia is a trading town; they trade with other towns to survive on the edge of the Delthian Desert. They live there because they are making equipment to get in and out of the desert.
The Dethian Mountains belong to the Dwarves and other creatures like Goblins and Orcs. The Dwarves don't mind the nasty creatures seeing as they are underground most of the time. They come to trade with the humans at Dethia sometimes. Dethia is not a very large town. It's right by the Dethian Mountains.
Colleen is the capital. It is where the king and queen live. It's a large place with lots of people. There are plenty of thieves there, stealing from people, but there are also plenty of mercenaries. The mercenaries however don't do much about crime there, and so it continues to grow.
Kitan is a small village, very peaceful, and is actually where the great mage Cordella lives. Although she doesn't live in the town, she lives on the outskirts. Calla is the same as Kitan. Ketolin is a quiet town, a little bigger than Calla and Kitan, but still not many people.
Cordella was named after the great mage Cordella. At first it was Caslain but she saved that town from an incurable curse from a Cordam (the creatures that take peoples lives and give them; it is said that if you see a Cordam, you'll not live another ten days).
Verlain is kind of small town, but about one fourth the size of the capital. Not many Humans live there, it's mainly populated by Elves who wish to not be in the forest.
Sovlain is about one third the size of the capital. This is including the dock though. It's a small kind of market place, not as much crime there as there is in the capital. The dock is the main docks of the country so many people use it. It is quite large, about as big as the town Kitan.
Creatures you may encounter:
Orcs: A greenish ugly looking creature, about one head taller than the average Human, uses swords mostly but some are trained in archery, arent very smart, quarrel over food most of the time, have no mercy on prisoners, like to kill. Usually roam in the Dethian Mountains and the Velain Forest.
Goblins: A little smarter than Orcs but not by that much, brownish little creatures about the same size as a Drawf, are better at using slings and spears than anything else, mind their own business but will kill if they think they see an enemy and wont wait to see if they are a friend. Usually roam in the Dethian Mountains and the Cordelain Forest.
Jakell: A horribly nasty creature, one of the worst there is. Is twice the size of the average Human, black unworldly fur, red evil eyes, long sharp claws on its front feet, walks on four legs. No one is sure of its intelligence; they just know to stay away from these beasts. Itll kill you if it sees you, hears you or smells you, no matter what. The only way to prevent it from seeing you, hearing you or smelling you is to wear an amulet made purely of Cordam bone. This is why no one has lived from a Jakell, because you cant kill a Cordam. They only roam Athalia, but very rarely come to other places. No one has been known to penetrate its skin.
Trolls: Large grey ugly beasts about two and a half the size of a Human, not smart at all, have no form of speech, use their fists to kill, is very strong, has hard skin. Usually found in the Dethian Mountains, and on the edges of forests.
Dragons: Large scaly creatures of all kinds of colors. Scales are very hard to pierce, but all Dragons have an open spot somewhere on them. Can come in all kinds of looks, like horns on their heads and tails. Most have wings, but only for gliding. Almost all of them breathe fire, but no one can tell which ones do. Are very intelligent, and have a form of speech. They like to take treasure and hide it, but dont very much like to terrorize towns and people. No one knows where they can be found, for everyone thought they were extinct.
Spiders: Smallish creatures about the size of a Dwarf, with eight legs and eight beady eyes. Kind of hairy, make a sticky web from their backside to trap their prey. Some are venomous. Usually found in forests.
Cordam: A creature, very similar in looks to the Jakell except without the claws. Is the basic controller of life and death, cannot be killed unless by a Jakell. Someone may take a Jakell claw though and kill it. It is said that if you see a Cordam you'll die in ten days or less. Usually roams Athalia, but leaves to do what it was made for.
It's in the early ages of Ovsalia, about 400 to 600 years since people settled here. A war started shortly after they settled here. They were defenseless against the opposite country, known as Alkida. They had no troops, no supplies, no good weapons, and no good armor. It was hopeless; they would all die there and then. Then, a girl called Cordella came. They knew she was not of this world, but they thought she might help in some way. At that time there was who they thought to be a great mage, Gorgon. When Cordella came she killed Gorgon. No one knew how, but they saw his dead body when she told them. She told them not to bother with Alkida and that they would leave them alone now. Everyone was confused but they listened to her nonetheless. There have been no wars since, but people speak of a war with the nearby country Akadia.
Races, classes, instruments, etc.:
Races you may choose from:
Elf: A human like being with long point tipped ears, a little shorter than the standard human, has sight that enables them to see far, has stamina that allows them to run farther than other creatures but not necessarily faster, able to speak Elvish & Human, able to see in the dark. If an Elvin mage, may choose one the magical powers: Healing, light (able to cast a light in an unlit room to see) or understanding (able to read runes and other writing). Usually lives in the town of Verain or Velain forest.
Human: The standard. Usually lives anywhere but Delthia, Dethia and Verain.
Dwarf: Half the size of a standard human, bearded if male, they make great armor and weaponry, has good strength, not too fast seeing as they don't have very long legs, able to see in the dark. Usually lives in the Dethian Mountains.
Halfing: A little smaller than Dwarves, hairy feet, jolly almost all the time, even in bad situations, aren't good fighters, but are good thieves. Usually live in the hills by Ketolin and Verain.
Classes you may choose from:
Ranger: A person who is skilled in using tracking and other wilderness skills to hunt down their enemies.
Archer: A person who is skilled in using the bow and arrow.
Swordsman: A person who is skilled in using the sword, more agile than the knight on the horse.
Knight: A person on a horse who is skilled using the sword, lance, spear and mace.
Mage: A person who uses magic and has little to no skill in any weaponry.
Instruments you may choose from:
Basically whatever, just keep it simple, and no made up instruments.
So, if youd like to sign up, just say so and Ill put your name down here:
1: Takaya-Cordelain
2: Lore Master
3: LadyNatasha
4: evangeline5432
5: Silver Voices
Just fill this out:
Here is mine:
Name: Takaya Cordelain
Gender: F
Age: 15
Race: Half elf half human
Hair color/Style: Blonde with light brown streaks, in a ponytail to just below the shoulder blades
Eye color: Hazel
Skin Color: Light tan
Clothes: Dark brown pants, light brown short sleeved shirt & knee length brown boots
Personality: Nice, not easily fooled, smart, quick thinking & brave
Weapons: Bow & arrow
Class: Ranger
Instrument: None
Background: Unknown
If you want a different class or race or other than let me know and maybe you are able to have it. And if youd like to post a link to a picture of your character then be my guest.
So, sign up!
This post has been edited by Takaya-Cordelain on May 6 2012, 10:50 AM
Posted: Apr 26 2012, 08:21 PM
Level 2
Group: Members
Posts: 48
Member No.: 190,093
Joined: 9-April 12
Here is a link to the OoC thread.
Posted: May 1 2012, 09:07 PM
Level 2
Group: Members
Posts: 48
Member No.: 190,093
Joined: 9-April 12
Even though I don't have all the places filled in, I'm starting this RP.
Takaya was sitting on a rock by the side of the road. She had received a letter from Cordella, the great mage of Ovsalia the day before and had set out to meet her. The letter read, "Dear Takaya, I know you don't know me but I know you. I want you to see me at some point when youre ready. It's about a dangerous mission that I wish for you to go on for the queen. She is in peril and I need you to help. Follow the road out of your village and wait by the first large rock you see. I'll be there soon.
Cordella, great mage of Ovsalia"
Takaya had been waiting all day; she had arrived here last night. She didn't know whether to leave or to stay, it was a hard decision. But she was going to wait a little longer, and then she'd leave. She wondered what this mission would hold, and what kind of peril the queen was in. Soon, it would all be clear though.
Cordella had sent out a letter to each person she deemed worthy to help the queen. Right now she was off to see Cyrus Lon. She was to tell him all about this mission. She had sent him a letter saying, "Dear Cyrus, I know you don't know me but I know you. I want you to see me at some point when youre ready. It's about a dangerous mission that I wish for you to go on for the queen. She is in peril and I need you to help. Follow the road out of your home and wait by the large tree that you'll see beside the road. I'll be there soon.
Cordella, great mage of Ovsalia"
She was on her way to where Cyrus would possibly be waiting, she just needed to get her bag and she'd be off. And as soon as she reached over to get it, she grabbed it and vanished.
This post has been edited by Takaya-Cordelain on May 1 2012, 09:07 PM
Posted: May 1 2012, 10:25 PM
Level 9
Group: Members
Posts: 1,782
Member No.: 65,872
Joined: 23-September 10
"M'lord Kallak? Your noble parents await you at the table; dinner is being served."
The maid's voice was slightly slurred and unclear, making her sound much older than she actually was. But there was an unmistakable waver to it as she spoke, as though her mind was constantly searching for the right words to say. Indeed, it was; she was the newest maid in the large house and had never been a maid before. The odd-jobs she had worked before she came to work for the Nat'hau family had all involved work with animals and clean-up of garbage. Those were the jobs that no one wanted, the jobs that were left to the orphaned, homeless, uneducated or shamed.
No one wanted a woman whose face was disfigured due to a childhood accident. Her parents hadn't been able to get her a husband (at least not a decent one; in Colleen all kinds of men lurked) and had given up on getting her to speak clearly with a crooked jaw. Eventually they had given up on her overall and had sent her away with a few coins in her pocket and a loaf of bread. Kallak had been climbing trees when he first saw her, crying next to a well after someone stolen her only shoes. Kallak had greeted her and asked her questions, which she had quietly and shyly answered. When he realized her situation he had immediately and impulsively offered her a job. His parents had been horrified when Kallak had first told them, for none of their current servants were disfigured in any way. But Kallak was hotheaded and persistent, and eventually his parents gave in and gave Mahlia a position doing indoor work. Mahlia worked hard for the family and earned her place, and Kallak found she was a wonderful artist. She had received some subtle teasing from Kallak's "twin-aged" brother for a day, but when Kallak found out... he solved that problem.
Which was why he was having problems now.
"Thank you Mahlia, tell them I'll be there in a minute."
His human parents were quite tired of him beating up his human siblings, and his human siblings hated how easily and quickly he moved and how he was always 'justified' in inflicting 'discipline' on them. Kallak himself was tired of living in luxury with soft-handed parents and snobby siblings. He knew that his five years of living in Colleen were coming to an end; he would soon no longer be welcomed by his adoptive family. In fact, he probably hadn't been welcome for the last seven months, but neither of his parents had the guts or heart to tell him to leave. He was stubborn, but he would never stay when asked to leave. Likewise, he would not leave his parents unless they asked him to, for he felt he was more useful as a protector than any of their guards. But now...
Kallak read the letter in his hand once more. A summons from the Great Mage... and for me, specifically. This is not something to be taken lightly. Indeed, if she needs me I must go. He smiled and stood, tucking the letter into his robe as he headed out of his elaborate bedroom to join his parents. Yes, it was time to say goodbye to his human parents. Danger awaited Kallak, and he couldn't wait to face it.
Posted: May 1 2012, 10:34 PM
Evil Mook #2691
Group: Members
Posts: 5,040
Member No.: 37,759
Joined: 2-April 09
"Dear Cyrus, I know you don't know me but I know you. I want you to see me at some point when youre ready. It's about a dangerous mission that I wish for you to go on for the queen. She is in peril and I need you to help. Follow the road out of your home and wait by the large tree that you'll see beside the road. I'll be there soon.
Cordella, great mage of Ovsalia"
To the great mage, a little inn near the Ovslia-Akadia border was his 'home.' It was true he had spent the night there, but the service was utter crap. The owner kept an eye on him all night, the small amount of other guests avoided him like the plague, and the place had the most watered down ale he had in ages. He was almost considering returning to Akadia when a letter arrived for him. The owner of the Inn didn't say a word, only that it arrived in the middle of the night.
When Cyrus was done reading the letter, he crumbled it up and threw it into the nearby fireplace, watching it burn to ashes. The owner merely glared at him... again. He had just finished a bowl of stew and some baked bread before reading the letter
"I swear if she's as naive as I believe..." Muttered Cyrus with a dark tone, before moving away from his seat to the counter. He plopped a bag of gold onto the table, a very, very tiny fraction of what he earned during the five years in Akadia. He didn't say a word as he left the Inn, pulling his green and black hood over his head. With the sun slowly rising, he began to make his way down the road, further into Ovslia. He kept an eye out for a large tree beside the road, but he had a feeling it would take awhile. "This job better be damn-well worth it." He grumbled as he looked ahead. Now that he thought about it, the job might be a simple one. It could be as simple as an escort mission, and nobody expects a mage whose trained with using Charkrams. Still, the sooner he got there, the soon he could hear the 'great mage' out.
This post has been edited by Lore_Master on May 1 2012, 10:42 PM
Posted: May 2 2012, 07:25 PM
Level 8
Group: Members
Posts: 1,180
Member No.: 88,639
Joined: 5-August 11
Jonathan crept through the trees int he forest, keeping just out of sight from the road. He had his cloak on and hood up. Someone was going to die. A carriage slowly proceeded down the path. It didn't look too fancy, but he knew who was inside. Yes, and now that it was coming closer he could see the condemned man through the window. He pulled out a pure white arrow from his quiver, and strung it on his bow. Stroking the feathers with his thumb, he pulled it back, touching the corner of his mouth. "This is for the little girl who will not loose her father." He waited a moment, then let it fly, striking the man in the chest, instantly killing him. He nodded curtly, pleased with the completed assassination. He turned and saw Flame, looking down the hill at the carriage as it continued to roll, the driver unaware of what just happened.
"What happens next?"
Flame blinked at the driver, never making eye contact with Jonathan. "Your time?"
He waved it off. "Whatever necessary."
Flame reached out and put a heavy hand on his shoulder. Jonathan swayed on his feet, suddenly dizzy. At least it isn't like the first time... I almost didn't ever do it again.
"The next person's misdeeds will kill a child by setting his house on fire while he is trapped inside." Pausing, he glanced at the bow in Jonathan's hand. "But, you do realize that today is the day, don't you?"
Jonathan's head jerked up, but Flame still was avoiding eye to eye contact. "The letter?"
"The whole sha-bang."
Jonathan didn't bother to respond, instead dashing quickly up the hill through the trees. He had to get back to his house and get the letter.
Posted: May 2 2012, 10:21 PM
Evil Mook #2691
Group: Members
Posts: 5,040
Member No.: 37,759
Joined: 2-April 09
After twenty or so minutes of walking, Cyrus noticed a tree on the left side of the road. He kept the same pace and walked down the road. Once he reached the tree, he got off the road and sat down, underneath the shade of the tree. It had gotten rather windy, which was a nice touch if today was going to be a hot day. "She probably won't be here for awhile... I wonder if being away has weakened my connection to the mana here... " thought Cyrus with a bit of uncertainty. As he closed his eyes, he listened to the leaves as they rustled, the wind as it passed by his body. Various sized wisps of dark green mana began to leave his body, he was attempting to see if he could enter into the 'Aether', the source of all mana... at least, that's what he remembered from his childhood lessons. He was taught that all mages had the power to project themselves into the Aether, but it was forbidden to do so without protection, an experienced mage and a very good reason why you needed to. He knew he was experienced enough to handle himself. After fifteen seconds... something happened.
It was like a dam broke inside of him, and all the water was washing through his body. He opened his eyes, which were entirely covered in a dark green color. His hands were glowing the same color. The risk with attempting to enter into the Aether was that you could easily get overwhelmed... and lose control of your magic. There were theories that a mage could channel themselves into the Aether enough to retain themselves, yet have increased power for their spells. Cyrus quickly realized the error in his mistake, the mana was different then in Akadia. He channeled his magic to the wind, which became a windstorm. After thirty seconds, the windstorm died down as Cyrus returned to normal.
He wasn't ready.
He was a bit frustrated he let that happened to him, and with a sigh he sat back down underneath the tree. The wind rustled the leaves once more, in a calm and gentle breeze.
Posted: May 2 2012, 10:27 PM
Group: Members
Posts: 8,774
Member No.: 6,627
Joined: 1-July 08
Ariana tapped a finger on the half empty cup of ale she had in her hand. It had been a long day, she had just completed her contract after about three days of tracking down some thief, and now she was relaxing at a tavern located in the city of Colleen. Taverns were one of the best places to hear gossip, after all. And gossip usually led to a possible job as well as keeping one informed. That and you could usually get a half decent flagon of ale for cheap. However, today there seemed to be nothing of value and so she quickly finished her drink and stood to leave.
The young elf made her way to the nearby stables and readied her horse for the long journey ahead. When Ariana finished, she walked the horse out of the stables, Then just as she mounted up a young human boy ran past. Ariana sized him up with one glance. His clothes were tattered, his face was dirty, and he wore no shoes. That, along with a few other thing told her that he was undoubtedly a street rat. She decided to ignore him as the boy, if he was smart, would not mess with her. The Elvin woman was just about the urge her horse into a trot when a quiet voice called out her name. She shifted in her saddle and looked back. There seemed to be no one there except for the boy. Surely he hadn't just said her name?
"Ranger Arigonia?" the street rat called again. Ariana's gaze came to rest on the kid with slight surprise.
"How do you know my name?" she asked.
"Ariana Arigonia?" he tilted his head, not answering her question.
"What is it?"
"You're her then?"
"Yes, yes! What is it?" she asked with slight exasperation. The boy walked over cautiously, eyeing her word nervously.
"A letter for you, Miss." he reached into his shirt and pulled out a rather worn piece of paper. She reached out and took it. Without wasting anytime she brought the seal and read the contents quickly. A few seconds later she looked down at the kid.
"Who gave you this?" she asked. The boy simply smiled mischievously and bolted. Any other day Ariana would have chased after the boy but this letter changed things; one did not just ignore a summons from a powerful mage. She read the letter again before stashing it away. Ariana leaned forward and patted the horses neck.
"It seems there has been a change of plans, boy."
With that the horse took off into a canter and they were soon off to the meeting place.
((Yay for long posts. xP
LadyNatasha, do you wish for Kallak and Ariana to have the same meeting place?))
Posted: May 2 2012, 11:32 PM
Level 9
Group: Members
Posts: 1,782
Member No.: 65,872
Joined: 23-September 10
((they certainly could :3 That'd be fun.))
"Goodbye, father. Goodbye, mother. Goodbye, Reyn. Goodbye, Mahlia. Please write me." The last statement was directed specifically at Mahlia; at the moment, Kallak didn't care if any of his other family members ever spoke to him again. It had become quite normal for him to get into fierce discussions with his parents and/or siblings at least twice a week at meals, and that had happened at dinner that day. The conversations were even more frustrating because, in Kallak's eyes, his parents didn't see reason; if they didn't want to agree with him, they'd simply be silent or tell him it didn't matter, that anyone or everyone was right. It had especially frustrated Kallak that day, when he thought his parents would be proud that Cordella sent him a summons.
They weren't, and Reyn (thankfully the ONLY sibling who was home) didn't make it any better.
Now Kallak was at the door, inwardly fighting to keep himself from giving his parents one last word of his fury before heading out the door. Instead he concentrated on Mahlia's twisted smile until the door closed behind him. He walked silently out to the stable, led his already-saddled bay mare out and out the gates, and mounted her right there in the city. He took a deep breath. The mare snorted and danced, sensing his tension. She knew what he was about to do.
"Zchyyk Foro'va Y'senti'ah!" With the last sound Kallak dug his heels into the mare and she bolted forward, straight down the middle of the street. Freedom at last! Kallak rode her hard through the streets, rebelliously ignoring the cries of other riders as he whizzed carelessly past them and towards the gates that would allow him freedom from Colleen. Three minutes later he was out of the city and on his way down the road, having slowed his mare to a walk.
"Now," he said pleasantly, ignoring others who might have been about, "the letter said to meet by the lake about four miles outside the gates. If we ride at this pace we'll be there in good time, but if I let you run a bit perhaps we'll be early. Though... she wasn't specific about what time we were to be there. Oh well, no need to think on it too much. After all, can't she just appear anywhere in a poof of smoke? Sure she can. If she really needs us, she'll find us here. Now, what traveling songs do we know?"
~Some time later~
Kallak had arrived at the lake and tied his mare to a tree. He now sat on a rock, staring down at his reflection. Earlier he had been pacing, planning what he was going to say and the questions he would ask, but he realized how vainly human that was and had decided to improvise instead; still feeling unjustified, he wished to be less like his human parents and more like his Vhythem ancestors. He had waited a while more and grown impatient, and so he had discarded his shoes. The water had been cool and tempting, and after a while he had discarded his plain white riding shirt and had dived a few times into the water, enjoying the blessing of a whole and powerful body. He had swam around and played his penny-whistle, then tried playing it underwater (which didn't work), then had stalked to the water's edge and frightened his horse half to death by leaping out at her and screaming like a maniac.
Yes, he was bored, naturally very impatient by nature. And he was quite certain no one was present. But most of all, he was simply enjoying not being restricted by nobility. Acting like an idiot was included in the list of things a noble was not allowed to do at any time.
However, his filly had been so scared that she had practically jerked her head out of her bridle, and so Kallak had decided not to frighten her again. All the while he had kept half an eye on his weapons, strapped securely to her saddle... except for his spear, which he sent nose-diving into the water while he swam and then retrieved as he came ashore. For a minute after swimming he had wanted to simply lay on the rocks and soak up the sun, but then clouds had passed over and the area had become somewhat colder than before. Thus he had chosen to put back on his shirt and sit on a rock, staring at the bottom of the lake as though watching a fascinating fish. But his mind was far away, thinking of things far away...
This post has been edited by LadyNatasha on May 2 2012, 11:41 PM
Posted: May 3 2012, 04:35 AM
Group: Members
Posts: 8,774
Member No.: 6,627
Joined: 1-July 08
Ariana was no expert on the city of Colleen, but she knew enough to get around and now she used that knowledge to find this lake the letter spoke of. As they rode Ariana's soft musical voice broke through the silence. She had nearly run out of songs to sing when the lake came into view. As Ariana ended a rather sad song about two lovers she pulled her horse to a halt and gazed out over the lake. Under her cowl she frowned deeply when she caught sight of a saddled horse roaming near the lake. Patiently, she searched the area for its supposed rider. A moment later, sudden movement in the lake caught her attention and she spotted the young Vhythem. After a few minutes of watching and carefully considering her next move, she gently tapped her horse with her heel and the steed slowly and quietly advanced.
Ariana guided her horse to a different part of the lake. The Vhythem presented a problem but it was a small one. If the Mage was so powerful, she could deal with him. For now it was time get some food cooking. As soon as she reached her chosen spot she dismounted the horse and unsaddled him. Keeping a wary eye on the other that was at the lake, Ariana started to set up camp.
Posted: May 3 2012, 10:29 AM
Level 9
Group: Members
Posts: 1,782
Member No.: 65,872
Joined: 23-September 10
She could have snuck up behind him and pushed him into the lake for all he was paying attention to. Fortunately the female elf didn't, and it was only by the nicker of his mare as she greeted the other horse that Kallak realized someone had arrived. He jumped to his feet, expecting Cordella. However, what he saw rather surprised him. The little elf was dressed like a ranger and certainly didn't look like a great mage. Now that Kallak thought of it, he had no idea what species Cordella was; he hadn't paid close attention to his history class. She could be a giant orc, for all he knew.
He studied the elf for a minute, staring openly at her and watching her movements. His face showed no expression except for caution. Vhythem and elves--Vhythem and any other species, really--didn't get along in general. It was rare to see a Vhythem outside of the desert, because the few who lived in the forest prided themselves with staying out of sight. Kallak's human parents had received much attention from other nobles when it was revealed they had adopted Kallak. They were rather honored by others for such an 'achievement' and for a year or so Kallak was a great curiosity. Vhythem also never traveled alone, at least not in the desert, for such a thing was considered foolish by all clans and was even outlawed by some clans. Of course, they hadn't fought in any great wars either so they weren't direct enemies of any nation. But they were a proud and independent people who wouldn't associate with 'weak 'humans or 'lowly' elves. Having been raised with humans for five years, Kallak had come to realize that respect wasn't owed to any species as a whole; only an individual could earn his or her respect, in his or her own way.
Kallak looked away from the elf and glanced at his horse. He wondered why the elf would set up camp so close to the capital. Why not just go in? He chewed on the thought for another minute before he finally couldn't take it any longer; he had to at least talk to her. He had grown impatient and edgy waiting for Cordella, and he decided perhaps a talk would get rid of that edge. He stood to his feet, spear resting lightly in his right hand parallel to his body.
"Ranger!" It was less a statement and more a greeting. He raised his left hand also in greeting, but his face was still void of expression. He imagined she was perhaps surprised to hear him speak the human language. "Greetings. Where do you come from, and where do you go?" A rough translation of a typical Vhythem greeting, one which he enjoyed using with random first-encounters. He wasn't sure what kind of answer to expect from a ranger, as he hadn't dealt with one for quite some time, and certainly not an elvish one.
Posted: May 3 2012, 10:36 AM
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Suddenly, Cordella appeared where Cyrus sat waiting underneath the tree. She had just come from Sovlain, the main dock of the country. Her business had taken her longer than she expected, but nonetheless very important for her mission. She walked up to the young human ad stopped.
"Cyrus, I am Cordella." She smiled. "Now, we don't have time for questions so I'll get right to it and then be off. I want you to go to Sovlain. I can't tell you anything about your mission here, and I can't tell you anything about it without the others. Yes, others. There are six other people whom I want to go on this mission with you. I know, you probably wanted me to tell you to go to Sovlain in the first place instead of waste time, but I needed you to trust it was me who sent the letter first. After all, if some random stranger told you to go to Sovlain would you do it? Maybe, but I couldn't take that chance. So, go to Sovlain, wait in the inn there and then when the others have arrived I'll let you all know. That's all, I have others waiting. Good luck!"
With that Cordella vanished, leaving Cyrus there with all the questions he had. She reappeared at the lake four miles north of Colleen. She appeared near Kallak's horse. She looked a little ways off to where Ariana was making her camp. Kallak seemed to have just started talking to the Elf.
"You can come here Ariana, as well as you Kallak."
She saw how both the Elf and the Vhythem were surprised to hear Cordella speak. She then started talking.
"Alright, I have no time for questions so I'll tell you all I can right here. I need you to go to Sovlain. But why not tell me to go there in the first place? Because I needed you to trust it was me who sent the letter first. After all, if some random stranger told you to go to Sovlain would you do it? Maybe, but I couldn't take that chance. Go to Sovlain, wait in the inn there and then when the others have arrived I'll let you all know. Others? Yes, there are five others whom I want to go on this mission with you. So, that's all, I'll see you in Sovlain."
She disappeared then, leaving the Elf and the Vhythem alone, pondering on what had just happened.
This post has been edited by Takaya-Cordelain on May 3 2012, 10:42 AM
Posted: May 3 2012, 03:19 PM
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Jonathan rode to his home in Sovlain as fast as he could. Before he got into the city he took off his cloak and bundled his bow and quiver in it. Everyone knew the white arrow was Phantom's signature... He couldn't be seen with it. When he reached it he dismounted his stallion and left him by the door, not bothering to tether him to the fence. He dashed through the front door and left it swinging on it's hinges, ignoring the calls of his parents. "I'm busy! I'll just be a moment!" He searched around the front room for the letter to no avail. Usually messages were placed on the small round table... Where was it? He ran from the small room to his even smaller bedroom, hoping someone had put it there. A quick glance proved that theory wrong.
He slowly came out and peeked around the corner to the kitchen. "Mother... Do you know if I got a..." His mother held the long sought-after letter up. His eyes widened and he stumbled towards her, tripping over his own feet as he tried to grab hold of the paper. She held it higher, over her head, tsking her tongue at him. "Now, before you can read this letter, which we already have, you're going to answer some questions." Jonathan dropped onto a chair nearby. He had been waiting for this moment for so long and it was delayed by his parent's nosiness. How typical. "Whaaat." He whined. "Well, you said you were out with your friends today..."
Oh. Crud.
"and we looked all over town for them when we got the letter." She waved it a little to emphasize her point. "You weren't with them. And they said they hadn't seen you all day." Jonathan sighed. "I decided to... take a hike. In the woods." His mother cocked an eyebrow at him. "You weren't looking for that Phantom again, were you?"
Jonathan held back a sour face. Of course, his own mother would be one of the people who thought Phantom was a dangerous murder. He had been caught around in the area of his last victim, and he had to make up an excuse. The best he had been able to come up with was that he wanted to find The Phantom. And his mother warned him to never go looking for him again. Coming back to the problem at hand, he shook his head. "No, I wasn't looking for him. I just needed a stroll." He reached out a hand. "Now, can I have the letter?" His mother sighed and placed the paper in his hand. "There you are. And good luck." Jonathan snatched it quickly and tore the seal open. He slowly read the text.
"Dear Jonathan,
I know you don't know me but I know you. I want you to see me at some point when youre ready. It's about a dangerous mission that I wish for you to go on for the queen. She is in peril and I need you to help. Go to the dock and wait for me where the large ship is secured. I'll be there soon.
Cordella, great mage of Ovsalia"
Jonathan jumped up, grabbing his things and dashing out the still open door. "I have to go! I'll write and let you know what's going on!" He jumped up on his horse and rode towards the dock, trying to cover the white of his equipment with his cloak. Upon reaching it, he tied his horse to a post and sat on the end of the dock, his legs hanging over the edge. Looking around, he realized there weren't as many people as there usually was. Maybe the man in the carriage had been discovered. He sighed and leaned against a post. Yes, that was probably it. Well, all that there was left to do was wait.
Posted: May 3 2012, 06:03 PM
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Cordella appeared at the Sovlain dock. There weren't as many people here as there usually was, but there was still quite a lot. She was looking for Jonathan Silver. He was one of the people she sent a letter to. She soon spoted him wating by the water where a large ship was secured. She walked up to him and smiled at him.
"Now, I don't have time for questions so I'll get right to it and then be off. I can't tell you anything about your mission here, and I can't tell you anything about it without the others. Yes, others. There are six other people whom I want to go on this mission with you. Since your already here in Sovlain it'll save you time, but you'll have to be patient and wait for the others to come. Wait in the inn here for them and myself. You don't have to wait now though, some of them are coming from Colleen so that'll take a while. In two weeks you should check. I'll be off now, see you then."
With that she left yet another person with the questions they might have had.
She appeared where Takaya sat waiting on the rock. Takaya jumped up, startled. Cordella smiled at her and Takaya was calm.
"I don't have time for questions so I'll get right to it and then be off. I want you to go to Sovlain. I can't tell you anything about your mission here, and I can't tell you anything about it without the others. Yes, others. There are six other people whom I want to go on this mission with you. I know, you probably wanted me to tell you to go to Sovlain in the first place instead of waste time, but I needed you to trust it was me who sent the letter first. After all, if some random stranger told you to go to Sovlain would you do it? Maybe, but I couldn't take that chance. So, go to Sovlain, wait in the inn there and then when the others have arrived I'll let you all know. Good luck!"
Takaya stared at the spot where Cordella had vanished. She couldn't believe it, she had to go all the way out to Sovlain! But she supposed it wasn't too far, considering it's directly across from the Kitan Dock, which makes it easy to travel here from there. And she had just met Cordella! The great mage of Ovsalia! She already had her things. She'll just go to Kitan Dock from here and then on to Sovlain. She grabbed her bag and started along the road to the dock. It wouldn't take too long, an hour at the most. So here started the journey she had been waiting for her whole life. Somehow right now she kind of wished she never wanted that. But what is done is done; you can't refuse to help the queen, let alone Cordella the great mage.
After about an hours journey Takaya reached the Kitan dock. She looked around, looking for a boat that could take her to Sovlain the fastest. She spotted a medium sized boat with many men going on and off taking boxes and barrels with them. She walked up to a man surveying the boat.
"Excuse me; are you the captain of this ship?"
"Yes I am. And what can I do for ya?" The man asked.
"I need a ride to Sovlain. Can you get me there?"
"Sure, as long as you can pay." The man rubbed his fingers back and forth on his right hand.
"I don't have money, but I can do some work." Takaya said hopefully.
"No deal. I only take money; I've got plenty of men for work."
Takaya, saddened by what the man said, continued to ask around for a boat. After all of them had rejected her she found it hopeless.
Now how will I help the queen? I can't even get to Sovlain!
She decided to sit by the boats and wait for someone to notice her and take her to Sovlain. Even if she stayed there all night.
[If no body signs up pretty soon I'll just add in NPCs (non player characters)]
Posted: May 3 2012, 07:02 PM
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Jonathan sputtered as Cordella disappeared. Two weeks? "Two weeks?!" He repeated out loud. "That's... That's..."
"So long?"
Jonathan turned to see Whisper sitting on top of the post.
"So you're bored. And I'm bored."
"Hello, Whisper."
Whisper turned towards him, a little smile on her face. "Wanna do something?"
Jonathan smiled a little, and stood. "I have things to do. But you can come along."
She hopped off the post and interlaces her fingers through his. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then squeezed her hand. He mounted the horse, then rode slowly as Whisper flew along side him. "We have to find this next person. I'm thinking we'll bypass the stream and catch them in a couple days when they're out hunting..." They struck up a quiet conversation as they headed back into the wilderness.
Posted: May 3 2012, 08:45 PM
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Cordella appeared in her tower, where once Gorgon lived. She looked around for something. Finally after going through many drawers she pulled out a mirror. With the mirror she moved her hand gently across the glass. There appeared an image on a boy, about seventeen years of age with dark blue spiky hair. The boy looked startled at the mirror, and then regained his calm.
"I was just about to call you Cordella. What do you need me for?" The boy asked.
"Kyle, I want you to go to some people and give them a message for me. There are only a few, and you can use that Florin dust I gave you to get there. The letters I gave them are enchanted so that I'll know where they are when they touch them. I'll let you know where they are when they touches their letters."
"Understood. I'll get right to it."
Cordella moved her hand across the glass once more and put the mirror away. She said her enchantment and disappeared from her tower.
"Alright, so I'll just get that dust that's right here."
He opened a draw and found a small bag. He picked it up and opened it. It was full of silver sand that sparkled. He took a small pinch of it, closed his eyes thinking of the Sovlain dock, dropped it. It felt freezing cold for a second, and then he was at the dock.
Well not exactly where I wanted to be, but then again this sand has never been right with where I wanted to go.
Kyle looked around and saw a young girl with blond hair. She looked like she was waiting for something. He decided he'd go up to her. He walked up to her and she looked up at him.
"Hello there. Couldn't help but notice you looked like you needed something. Is there anything you need than I can help with?"
As the day came to an end she saw it hopeless to still wait here. She wouldn't be getting to Sovlain any time soon, so Cordella would have to be patient. Just then she saw a young man walking towards her. She still sat down, thinking he'd pass her by. When he stopped and said hello though she stood up.
"Well if you can get me to Sovlain somehow then that's all the help I need, otherwise you can't help."
The boy stared at her. She noticed he held a bag of weird silver sand. The boy noticed her looking at it, and smiled.
"Yeah, I can definately help you. Here, take some sand into your hand."
Takaya took some sand into her hand and looked strangely at the boy.
"Now, think of the place you want to be, basically just say the name of it, and drop the sand. I'll go with you in case you don't make it. Ready, go!"
Takaya thought of Sovlain and dropped the sand. She instantly felt a bitter cold. Her skin was freezing to the bone. She only felt that coldness for a second though. She appeared in Sovlain dock, exactly where she wanted to be. The boy appeared next to her and Takaya looked at him.
"Thank's for helping me. I'm sorry I don't have any money, but when my quest is over I'll repay you. Thanks again!"
She ran off into the crowd of the Sovlain dock. It was now the night and Takaya didn't want to go wandering around at night. So she decided to look for the nearest place to stay and stay there. She started wandering around then, looking for somewhere to stay.
Posted: May 4 2012, 01:06 AM
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Even though Aiana felt its stare bore into her, she altogether decided to ignore the Vythem. She would take this chance to go hunting for diner.
Calmly, the woman took out her longbow in a nonthreatening manor and begun to restring it.
"Ranger!" A deep voice cut through the air and she knew immediately that it had been the Vhythem. She took a hand away from the bow and reached up to remove her cowl. Looking up, she glanced over in Kallak's dirrection.
"Greetings. Where do you come from, and where do you go?" the Vhythem's voice rang out again and it suddenly hit Ariana. He had spoken in the crude language of the humans. If she was surprised she didn't show it. Her expression stayed nuteral as she stood. After about a minute of silence, Ariana opened her mouth to respond when something caught her attention. A woman had appeared out of nowhere besides the Vyhthem's mare! Out of reflex, Ariana reached for her sword. She caught herself. This newcomer, this woman was a Mage. And not just any mage, it was Cordella herself. Of that there seemed to be no question.
"You can come here Ariana, as well as you Kallak."
Kallak. So the Vhythem's name was Kallak and it seemed he was here for the exact same reason. Regardless of the mage's words, she stayed where she was. Ariana had come here out of respect for the mage. Nothing more, nothing less. She listened quietly as Cordella continued.
At the end of Cordella's short speech she disappeared, giving Ariana no chance to ask questions. For the first time, the elf allowed emotion to show as a frown covered her face. Sovlain? That was no short trip. And for what? To save a queen that was not hers? This was no simple task that Cordella had asked of them and she felt that they had barely scratched the surface so far. Yet Cordella must have known this and she had sent Ariana one of the letters when it could have been any other being. Tons of people who would have willingly helped and Cordella had even bothered to consider Ariana. In that instant, she made had made her choice. The frown disappeared as quickly as it had come and she stooped down to pick up the bow. Ariana unstrung the weapon and whistled for her horse. The stallion ran over and she set the lowbow back on the saddle. Ariana looked over at Kallak. If she was to work along side of this Vhythem then she might as well make some effort to "befriend" him.
"What do you think? Shall we ride as far as we can before nightfall or shall we stay here for the night and start out bright and early tomorrow?"
Posted: May 4 2012, 11:06 AM
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Takaya had finally decided she'd sleep by the ships. No theives would come to slit her throat there, there were still people moving about loading and unloading the ships. She she settled herself on the cold stone ground and fell asleep.
Alright, just run off. Who is Cordella picking anyway? Whatever, I'll just go back home then and wait for Cordella to summon me again."
He pulled out his silver dust and took a small pinch. He thought of his home and dropped the sand. Instantly he felt the cold, but just as quick he was home. He looked around the small towm that was Kitan and started walking home.
Posted: May 4 2012, 12:05 PM
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"So let me get this straight... some woman appears out of nowhere, tells you to go to Sovlain and then disappears without answering any of your questions?"
The sun was beginning to set for Cyrus, he had spent half the day walking to Verain before he merged with a larger road. An hour later, he came across a merchant's wagon that had a broken wheel. He helped the Elven merchants fixed their wagon, and offered them 100 gold for a lift to Verain. It was nice to put his feet up, after spending most of the day walking. He was talking with one of the younger elves, looked to be around 22 in human years, and had told him about how was coming back from Akadia after five years of mercenary work, and that he was Ovsailian by birth.
"Yep, I hoping this just isn't a dead end or a trick... I'm not well-liked in Ovsaila." Darkly laughed Cyrus, which made him wonder how clearly people remember his name. The elves were polite enough to not question him about that, and decided to leave that issue alone. "How long till we reach Verian?" Asked Cyrus to the elf driving the cart, who was way, way older then both him and the younger elf.
"Tomorrow night, Human." Gruffly replied the elf, turning his head ever so slightly to Cyrus, then turning it back to the road. With a small nod, he got himself comfy and began to rest, he was gonna need the strength if he wanted to make sure no bandits attacked during the night.
Posted: May 4 2012, 01:55 PM
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After Kallak called out to the ranger, she lowered her hood. Like most elven females, she was very attractive... for an elf. Vhythem females were taller than elven females and of course had different skin coloring and cultural ideas of beauty, and even after five years living with humans Kallak wasn't sure what was supposed to be lovely and what was not. It was an odd topic for him that he preferred to avoid; anyway, physical strength and speed and grace were more important to him. Health was beautiful, weakness was unbearable.
He stared curiously at the elf's face. An awkward silence followed his questions, but he didn't break off the stare. What is she thinking of, I wonder? Finally she prepared to respond when suddenly there was a loud and terrified whinny from Kallak's mare. He spun around, spear aimed at the heart of the... Great Mage Cordella?! Kallak immediately and carefully stopped the momentum in his arm and lowered his spear.
"You can come here Ariana, as well as you Kallak."
Kallak was dumbfounded, caught off-guard. He had been waiting all day for Cordella to appear in a poof of smoke, but he allowed himself to be distracted for just a moment and that was when the mage appeared. Kallak looked from Cordella to 'Ariana' and back again, then took a step forward, carefully moving to his prancing mare while Cordella spoke. He calmed his mare and listened, finding no time to greet the talkative mage.
And just like that, Cordella was gone.
Sovlain? All the way to Sovlain?! Couldn't she just bring us with her in a poof of smoke? It's going to take at least a week to get there, if we don't run into any--that is, if I don't run into any trouble. Kallak glanced back at Ariana, but she was busy removing the string from her bow. He sighed quietly and checked his saddle. So Ariana, this elven Ranger, is coming with. Hmph, I hope it's not just the two of us. I don't think I could stand working with someone so boring as a range-- Kallak stopped the thought. Long ago he had decided not to stereotype intelligent beings, and he knew that now more than ever he would have to stick to his beliefs. Ariana could be anyone. There wasn't just one type of Ranger, after all.
As Kallak expected, Ariana's horse was well trained; it responded to her whistle command. He could respect that, and wondered if Ariana herself had trained the horse. It was a strong horse, larger and probably faster than Kallak's own filly. Probably older and more experienced as well, for Kallak's horse was hardly four. Kallak prepared to mount his horse and caught Ariana's eye.
"What do you think? Shall we ride as far as we can before nightfall or shall we stay here for the night and start out bright and early tomorrow?"
Kallak was silent a moment, rather surprised by the Ranger's words and her voice. He hadn't expected her to want to travel with him, but as he thought of it he realized it made sense. More people meant less danger in general, especially if the people knew how to use weapons. He narrowed his eye at her, thought not in an unfriendly way.
"I'm prepared to ride now," he said, "and considering the distance we must go and the lack of blessing the Great Mage left us with, plus the fact that apparently the Queen is having troubles and wants us, I think the sooner the better." At least he had less to pack on his horse--Ariana would notice he had no food or water packed--so his mare could possibly keep pace with the stallion at a light lope for a few hours. He stepped away from his mare. "If you have the energy,we should travel until nightfall and then some. As an elf you should have the stamina to travel that far naturally, and with your Ranger training you should have absolutely no problem. Your horse is strong and uninjured, I'm assuming, so he should be fine as well." He paused a moment, glancing at the camp Ariana had begun to set up.
"Do you need help packing up or can you do it in thirty seconds on your own?" His violet eyes had a spark of humor, but his voice carried a note of challenge. In truth he was simply growing very edgy and impatient. The day was almost over already and the ride was long, and they still had to plan the route which we can do while we ride.
This post has been edited by LadyNatasha on May 4 2012, 02:09 PM
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Maybe they just know about the lapse in the goose season, but I saw more Canada geese Saturday than I have in years. Literally hundreds and hundreds of birds landing while hundreds more took to the air. It was an amazing sight.
None of the birds seemed to even care that I was standing there watching them work back and forth. To sweeten the pot, there were even fat mallards mixed in the groups. Well, you know what I'll hopefully be doing this Saturday


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Thye's Feedback on 4 Days Guilin Tour
Contribute by Thye from Singapore; Tour date: 3/2/2011
Dear Vanessa,
We are generally happy with our tour to Guilin. We were in Guilin more than 22 years ago when it was just a small town. It has now grown to be a big, well planned and lovely city!
The shopping was the one that impressed us most. Shop upon shop selling all kinds of dresses, bags, shoes, etc along Chongsan Road and Zengyang Street. All well made merchandises and all at very reasonable prices too. We literally shopped till we dropped.
The food was also great and at very reasonable prices too. Here, as in the shopping areas, the service was good as the service staff were all helpful and friendly.
The hotel we chose, Guilin Bravo Hotel, was very good. The room was big, clean and above all the staff was very friendly.
Thanks and best regards
Travel Advisor of This Tour
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" Hello, my name is Vanessa. I am a travel advisor at China Travel. I worked as a travel advisor for 5 years and helped more than 1300 international tourists ... "
Tour Overview
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User:Joyce Mulder
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I am a new member of OpenWetWare!
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- Joyce Mulder
- Saxion Hogeschool
- Enschede, the Netherlands
I work in the iGEM lab at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. I learned about OpenWetWare from iGEM, and I've joined because I would like to receive and share information about synthetic biology.
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leave a comment about a paper here
- Mark Ptashne. A genetic switch. Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2004. isbn:0879697164.


text:
A few weeks ago while serving as the keynote speaker at the annual Elder stag, Butch Jones received a standing ovation when he got up to speak.
"That's the first standing ovation in history for a 4-and-8 football coach," Jones said to a big laugh.
But the warm reception was no joke to the Bearcats' second year coach.
"That meant more to me than you could believe," Jones told me. "People understand the work that it takes and the support has been overwhelming. I've enjoyed every speaking engagement, and I've felt very welcomed. It makes you feel good and it energizes you and makes you want to win that much more for the people here."
While it's been a tumultuous off-season in the Big East with coaching changes at Pitt and UConn, and a bizarre coach-in-waiting plan at
"Four individuals from our full-time coaching staff were offered positions at other institutions - some would doubled or tripled their salaries - and we managed to keep our coaching staff intact," Jones said. "That's a tribute to loyalty, I think it's a tribute to the vision of where we're going, and I think it's their belief in our kids. It tells you that you're doing things right and it's all about surrounding yourself with the right people and it just proves to me more and more that we have the right people here."
After going 27-13 and winning two MAC championships in three years at Central Michigan, Coach Jones endured a difficult first season at
"(Next season) can't get here soon enough," Jones said. "I already have training camp mapped out and planned. Our motto is 'Be a Champion.' Before you can have a championship football team, the team has to be comprised of champions. It's how you go to class, it's where you sit, it's how you train, it's your focus - that's been our sole purpose. It's been a great off-season to date and we're looking forward to spring football."
Spring practice officially begins on March 28th, but the Bearcats began rigorous early morning training sessions at the start of January in the new indoor practice bubble.
"Last year from January to the middle of March, we weren't able to get outside and run, throw, and do our mental toughness and physical toughness training," Jones said. "It's the first place that I've even been in coaching where we weren't able to do skill development. This year it's been unbelievable. The bubble is first-class and we've been able to work with our kids at 7:00 am workouts. It's already made a monumental difference for us. They're excited that they can work on their skills year-round in 68 degree temperatures. We've really been able to see great growth and development because of it."
The season begins with a September 1st home game against Austin Peay, followed nine days later by a difficult road test at
"To be able to walk into a young man's house and say, 'You're going to play in an NFL stadium in downtown
"We're excited about it and I think it's an opportunity to continue to grow the program on a national stage by competing in a great NFL venue like Paul Brown Stadium. But we need to step up and this is where I need our fans. We have to make Paul Brown Stadium a great home field advantage. It's our job to put a product on the field that they want to come and watch, and we need to make it a great game day environment like it was for the
Bearcat Nation responded to a similar challenge by traveling in huge numbers to the
"We had too much of a break during the holidays this year," Jones told me. "On New Year's Eve I was in contact with our team saying, 'Hey - I hope you enjoyed the holidays with your family but this isn't what's expected here.'"
I'd love to hear from you. The address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
If you Twitter, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard
And I've finally joined Facebook. Just search for Dan Hoard and look for the picture of me with the handsome lad (proudly wearing his Zach Collaros jersey in this week's photo).