text:
Members Login
New Members Sign-Up
Top Boards
Israel hails US call...
Egypt admits wounded...
Obama´s opportu...
Palestinians fire ro...
Israel, Palestinians...
Israel not honoring ...
Gaza Smugglers Ready...
Saudi Asks Israel to...
Israels Political S...
Mideast peace takes ...
Historical Perspectives
United Methodists Reject Divestment (FrontPageMagazine.com) by Mark D. Tooley 05/10/12)
Source: http://frontpagemag.com/2012/05/10/united-methodists-reject-divestment/
Front Page Magazine.com
Front Page Magazine.com Articles-Index-Top
Despite fierce targeting by the international anti-Israel lobby, the 12 million member global United Methodist Church soundly defeated anti-Israel divestment at its governing General Conference last week in Tampa.
The margin was over 2-1. African delegates, who comprised 30 percent of the total, were key, as were U.S. evangelical delegates, joined by numerous moderate and liberal U.S. delegates. United Methodist rejection almost ensures that the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly will reject anti-Israel divestment next month, leaving the divestment movement with almost nowhere to go among U.S. religious groups.
But sadly, the divestment debate among United Methodists frequently demonized Israel, with one intemperate delegate from Montana comparing the Jewish nation and the firms who do business with it to companies who facilitated the Nazi Holocaust. She was preceded by a delegate from Oklahoma who cautiously tried to point at the threats against Israel, only to be chastised by the presiding bishop, who apparently disapproved of criticism aimed at Hamas.
Of course we care about the Palestinians and what they have gone throughthe loss of land, the loss of homes, the wall, the Rev. Earl Long opined. But we also care for the people of Israel and what they too have gone through. He cited a small, radical, fringe, terrorist Palestinian group who is set on their destruction and resorts to suicide bombing.
Rev. Long was not even able to name Hamas before he was interrupted by presiding Bishop Warren Brown of Sacramento, who chided him: Just [to] remind the speaker that the body has adopted a rule to avoid personal attacks of persons. So even to imply criticism of Hamas is apparently an unacceptable personal attack, at least according to Methodist standards of hyper political correctness.
There was no such interruption or chiding for the delegate who levied her Nazi comparison against Israel. Margaret Mary Novak of Montana, while urging anti-Israel divestment, suggested: I would just ask us all to imagine that we were United Methodists in the 1930s and 40s, that our Board of Pensions held stock in the very successful manufacturing firms in Germany that bid and received the bids to manufacture the ovens for the concentration camps. At what point would we decide it was time to divest? How much evidence would we ask for before it was time to stop the wholesale destruction of people?
Bishop Brown merely reacted by asking Novak whether her Nazi comparison was a speech for or against the divestment proposal. It was, she clarified, decidedly for. Evidently likening Israel to the Third Reich is so unexceptionally routine that the bishop was unclear was to Novaks intent. Novak is vice president the Foundation for United Methodist Communications.
More temperately, a Texas delegate pointed out that Israel has legitimate security concerns. The small state of Israel, which we support politically, is surrounded by enemies who wish it to be destroyed and will not have peace until it is destroyed, said Henry Lessner. We are only adding fuel to the fire and giving more people more reasons to think they have more support to get rid of Israel. But getting rid of Israel as a Jewish democracy, while comparing it to Nazi Germany, seems to be the objective of pro-divestment activists. Massachusetts minister We Hyung Chang, leading the charge for an Israel stance, displayed a map ostensibly showing ever expanding Jewish territorial expansion against the Palestinians. The first map showed the region before Israels1948 founding, by implication disputing Israels basic existence.
The Oklahoma minister, Rev. Long, pointed out that Israel no longer suffered from routine suicide bombings since building their much condemned security wall. Would you want al Qaeda living in your backyard? he asked. Those who are set on destroying you? This time, Bishop Warner did not chide him for lack of courtesy to suicide bombers. Virginia delegate Alex Joyner pointed out what should be obvious: Israel is not solely culpable in continuing the occupation and its not solely capable of ending it. In reaction to heated anti-Israel rhetoric, North Carolina delegate Ken Carter said he was concerned about implications that Christianity is detached from the Jews. He reminded his fellow United Methodists that we also as Christians have a relationship to Judaism and Israel, since the Scriptures say they are the root system and we are the branches.
Nigerian delegate John Simon Jatutu, like many African delegates, was more direct: We all know that Israel is surrounded by its enemies. It is a small country but all the Arabs are looking at it to destroy and even eliminate it from the face of the earth. Without standing firm to protect itself from all these attacks from outside, one day we will wake up to discover that Israel is no more. He also noted that undermining Israel would only hurt the Palestinian Christians whom Israels critics like to cite. The Muslims in the Arab countries are looking for a way to make sure that it takes over the Holy Land completely. He accused anti-Israel activists of using Palestinian Christians.
Only several days before, the Islamist terror group Boko Haram attacked several Nigerian churches, killing 27 Christians. There are over 400,000 United Methodists in Nigeria, but the General Conference said not a word, preferring to focus on Israel. No doubt African delegates, especially from Nigeria, noticed.
In the end, 73 percent of delegates supported positive investment to help Palestinians. Earlier, only 33 percent had directly supported anti-Israel divestment. After the votes, dozens of angry demonstrators interrupted the General Conference to protest the overwhelming result against them. They hadnt even come close, despite their extensive, and expensive, lobby campaign.
The day before, United Methodist missionary-activist Alex Awad, portraying himself as an eye witness to discrimination against Palestinians, had promised these activists: Tomorrow, if you vote to divest, there will be celebration all over Jerusalem, Palestine and even Israel. After the vote, Awad angrily compared divestments rejection to Christs crucifixion.
Once again shouts of injustice prevailed over the shouts of those who yearned to see actions promoting justice in Palestine, Awad lamented of the votes against divestment. And I watched with pain my people being crucified again. He accused The United Methodist Church of defying God: A Church that is not ready or willing to hear the voice of the oppressed and stand with justice is out of sync with the will of her Head and Maker.
Such hyperbolic rhetoric has fortunately failed to persuade any major U.S. church to back anti-Israel divestment. Undoubtedly anti-Israel activists will regroup. But the divestment cause seems to be meeting a well-deserved death. (Copyright © 2012 FrontPageMagazine.com 05/10/12)
Return to Top


text: A warm welcome awaits you at the Millennium Glasgow, a beautiful Victorian townhouse fully refurbished to a 4 star deluxe standard in the very heart of the the city centre. With modern amenities and a high standard of service the hotel is dedicated to the comfort and well being of its guests. The bedrooms are of a high standard offering a high degree of comfort. The public areas of the hotel include an opulent restaurant - The Brasserie on George Square serving Modern British cuisine whilst lively Georgics bar serves food from 11am - 10pm and is one of Glasgow`s favourite meeting places.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
BMW Diesel Owners & Enthusiasts
Do you own a diesel powered BMW? Maybe a 335d or a BMW x35d? Come and talk about what makes your car great!
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Re walnut blasting -- Replacing a head is less expensive??? I thought I remember some member stating it was a couple of grand to replace their head had they needed to pay for it outside of warranty. Walnut blasting is only a few hundred bucks.
I'm sorry to do this, but going back and looking at some other data shows something that complicates the EGR data I posted yesterday . . .
The attached is from Feb of this year (pre recall) on a very long road trip. It was recorded with the Android Torque app at 5 sec intervals.
The EGR behavior appears to vary with the DPF loading. The data for the drive started with a fairly fresh DPF condition. The data shows the car doing a DPF regen around the "1700" time points where the EGR is very low for ~10 mins. Note that the closer the car gets to DPF regen time the lower the EGR utilization. And after the regen the EGR rate increases to heavy utilization. I also included the "engine load" and "speed" parameters to show the similarity in operating conditions as those things can also impact EGR.
So with the previous data I posted I'm not sure of the DPF condition for the "pre recal" EGR example for that mornings drive to work. The "post recal" behavior is on a recently regenerated DPF which means it's similar to the behavior in this graph.
So basically I'm retracting the conclusion I made that the EGR behavior is significantly different.
Sorry for the confusion . . .
While the overall average EGR duty may be the same, still looks like it is operating in a more full open/full closed manner rather than maintain partial opening for extended lengths of time. But then were all guessing.
Spent some time this weekend with the GTech device to analyze launching traction issues that seemed potentially helpful to others. Also, there was some additional tweaking on the above car this weekend. The progressive JBD mod was further tweaked (to reduce low rpm distortion to below "0" level to minimize peak low rpm torque, and push the distortion further into the rpm and take the peak distortion to the ~100% level to further enhance top end power) as well as running 50/50 water/methanol (recently added an AEM flow meter and the car is sucking ~650ml/min at peak fueling).
The GTech device shows some very interesting effects on the launching procedures. Below is 4 seperate runs with various brake boosted launching rpm's and fueling procedures. Additonally two runs had the rear street tires at 41psi and two at 33psi. 3 had DCT on, 1 had all traction control off.
It's neat to see the impact of these variables on the G forces and speeds. Obviously the lower psi on the tires helps with traction, and it also appears this car needs to not be floored immediately as the tires can't handle the traction at the two psi settings that were examined. Further reduction in psi, or using drag radials should improve the traction to a point where more fuel can be applied sooner for better 60' launches.
Also thought the Black vs Green run was interesting. The green had a better 60' time, but because the tires lost traction, and no traction control algorithms were used to cut back pwr, the 330' time was actually worse.
Also, used the Black run (3rd gear portion) to compare to the earlier recorded hp/tq curves using the previous JBD/H2O injection setup. The torque curve is pushed further into the rpm range and provides for nearly 20more hp from 3400-4400 rpm. It's probably not quite that much as the temps were a lot cooler this weekend, although it was into a 10mph headwind . . .
By any chance do you have data for Evolve alone? I might have missed it.
Last edited by cssnms; 10-08-2012 at 06:22 PM.
Hmmm, perhaps I can clear up some potential area's where the data, or presentation of the data, wasn't clear.
Important points: The best comparisons of various combo's will come from looking at the data collected on the same day with the same fuel and at the same ambient temps on the same roads with the same winds and same DPF loading and same heat soaked engine conditions (before the H2O/methanol injection this aspect had more effect and could skew results ~10hp). That's a lot of different variables right there even before looking at the different power adder combo's. And there's a lot of different combo's in this thread.
So, the post with the first quote above (page 2 post #27) was with 70F and no wind, stock vehicle with the JBD at 0, ~65 and ~85%. Those results were ~214, 237, 253 hp and 363, 378, 402 ft-lb. No comparison without the JBD.
Post #40/41 shows a comparison of stock vs JBD at 0 and 65%. These were done back to back, so relative to each other they should be pretty close, but not necessarily a great comparison to the post #27 data. This comparison showed ~209, 221, 241hp and 351, 368, 381 lb-ft (slightly more than the #27 data for the JBD at 0 and 65). So the JBD at 0 seemed to add ~12 hp above stock and the JBD at 65% added ~32hp with the GTech hp/tq measurement on this day.
Post #49 starts with the Evolve evaluation. There's several caveat's given for why direct comparisons's to previous data needs to be considered. The general summation I gave was this: "But heres the summation of the hp/tq #s. The JBD @ ~85% produced similar TQ #s as the remap, but a bit better HP. Now it might be that the tank of Illinois fuel in the vehicle has lower cetane or BTUs than what was in the vehicle for the previous tests. Dont have a way to test that. "
On this same post it's noted that the stack of the Evolve remap with the JBD at 65% produced ~30hp increase over the remap alone. The curves on post #51 (the tq curves for the remap/JBD stack are not accurate due to not giving full fuel at low rpm's to avoid excessive low rpm torque) show ~ 33.5 hp increase for ~65% and just a few hp for the 0%. However, the remap only data was from a different day/fuel/temp/etc, so an absolute comparison isn't valid. However, what is valid to say is the delta increase of the remap with the JBD follows a very similar trend as that from post #41.
The last quote you put up is from post #52 and includes #'s from post #51 as well as #'s from a different day/fuel/environment condition. The new data showed ~19hp increase from the 0-65% JBD setting instead of the ~30hp from previous data groups. However it was a warmer day and heat soak could've been involved in skewing those #'s for the 65% test, which was performed a few mins after the 0% run.
Clear as mud?
Also noticed something interesting on the launch data from this weekend. Comparing the HP vs time data to the RPM vs time data, it appears to me the optimum time to do the 2-3 shift is ~ 4300rpm, which is before the car shifts itself (hp is droping fast at the 3.1 sec point but the shift doesn't happen until ~3.6 sec). Also note how much less peak hp is applied to the ground in 2nd than 3rd (more drivetrain loss due to fluid coupling of the TC, and then it locks up in 3rd, might be less boost in 2nd also, haven't looked at that).
The driver was letting up on the skinny pedal at ~4400 rpm at the end of the 3rd gear range which is why the HP is falling off at time ~6.4 sec. However, it might also prove beneficial to do the 3-4 shift a little earlier as well...
Did some experimenting with drag slicks yesterday. Significantly easier to control the launch with these and much better 60' and 0-60mph times. Attached is a comparison of 2 of the better street tire launches vs the 2 runs performed with the DR's. Looks like the initial brake boosted rpm's could be increased further and the rate of moving the skinny pedal to the floor could be increased for further improvement.
Broke into the 12.6's with a trap speed of 109.7 today.
An oil sample was pulled this weekend to examine impact of stacked tunes with water/methanol injection. This oil was Mobil 1 5w-40 ESP and had ~6700 mls on it. Seems pretty good.
Are you using the Castrol from the dealer?
|See More Related BMW Stories
|Forum Navigation
|Today's Posts Search
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
Sign up to StockTwits to save a watchlist for easy access to your favorite stocks
Prefer to educate than send blind signals, would You like to know more just ask.
StockTwits is 100% Free!
Create your own stock
portfolio watchlist
Full access to all ticker
Streams and data tools
Follow and learn from your
favorite market leaders
Post your own trading
ideas, predictions &


text:
Design Time SOA Governance, as the name implies, typically provides an integrated registry/repository that attempts to manage a service from its design to its deployment, but typically not during runtime execution of the services, albeit some do.
Key components of Design Time SOA Governance include:
• A registry and/or repository for the tracking of service design, management, policy, security, and testing artifacts.
• Design tools, including service modeling, dependency tracking, policy creation and management, and other tools that assist in the design of services.
• Deployment tools, including service deployment, typically through binding with external development environments.
• Links to testing tools and services, providing the developer/designer the ability to create a test plan and testing scenarios and then leverage service-testing technology.
In essence, Design Time SOA Governances works up from the data to the services, gathering key information as it goes. Thus, you typically begin by defining the underlying data schema and turning that into metadata, and perhaps an abstraction of the data. Then working up from there you further define the services that interact with the data, data services, and then transactional services on top of that. You can further define that into processes or orchestration. All this occurring with design time information managed within the Design Time SOA Governance system. I get all that.
The issue with Design Time SOA Governance technology is how deeply the technology goes to serving the true notion of "design" as outlined above. The fact is that most don't go that deep, and many designing an SOA are left wanting for more robust features and functions, including true modeling and simulation capabilities based on SOA design and development best practices.
Another issue, and as with most SOA technology, is the lack of a standard approach to Design Time SOA Governance. While there are a few standards emerging, most SOA governance technology providers have gone off in their own directions, using their own approaches, and no two are alike. Thus, not only are you picking a tool, but you're picking a design approach which may or may not be right for you.
The bottom line is that the design time guys have a lot of work to do.


text:
Bill Nottingham wrote:
Jesse Keating (jkeating redhat com) said:Applications get dragged in because the libraries aren't split out into -libs subpackages. If they were, then the -devel and -libs packages would be available multilib, but the application itself wouldn't.One *big* issue with doing this change across the board is that you'll go from the repository having: - foo.i386 and foo.x86_64 to: - foo.x86_64 and foo-libs.i386 and foo-libs.x86_64 So, on upgrade, yum will grab foo.x86_64 to upgrade the older install. It will then pull in foo-libs.x86_64 for dependencies. Meanwhile, the old foo.i386 will remain, often leading to conflicts.
Yes, it is known that yum and multilib does't work well. We are currently working on getting this and number of related issues fixed. I am quite sure we can come up with an solution for F9.
If 64bit binaries and 32+64bit libs is the wanted solution (didn't say that) the current yum behavior shouldn't be seen as blocker.


text:
Looks like Shadow Ridge Apartment Homes is no longer available on Rent.com which means this information is likely out of date.
Welcome home to Shadow Ridge Apartment Homes. We offer luxurious, spacious and well appointed apartment homes at affordable prices. Our community is conveniently located in the heart of Las Vegas just moments away from the World Famous Las Vegas Strip! Shadow Ridge Apartment homes also feature five exceptionally spacious floor plans and resort style amenities such as a volleyball court, fitness studio a clubhouse and much more! Please call us to schedule your private tour today and discover why Shadow Ridge Apartment Homes are the perfect place to call home! Western National Property Management NV RED LIC #B.1000739.CORP,PM.016745.BKR
Lease Term: 12-month preferred. Short term leases available.
Pet Policy: Cats and dogs allowed. Weight Restriction: 25 lbs. Pet deposit: $300
Pets Accepted. Call for service animal policy.
312 units
Don't have a Rent.com account? Create one.
Creating an account allows you to acccess your saved and contacted properties on any device. Already have an account?
Log In
We are experiencing technical difficulties at the moment. Please try again later.


text: Noisebridge needs a regular show-and-tell session. Here's the structure I would propose: 1. You have to actually be doing the project. To prove that you're doing, not just talking, you need to have a demo, prototype, schematic, or code snippet in hand before you show up. If you don't have any of these, make one, and come the next week. 2. We'll go around in two passes, everyone giving a 4 sentence intro on the first round. For the microblurb, you must say four sentences. Not three, not five, but four. Subordinate clauses count at the audience's discretion. Failure to adhere to protocol will result in people arguing about what counts as a sentence. 3. Everyone who wants to present gives their four sentences; after everyone presents their ultra-short blurb, the audience/chaos will decide who gets to talk in more depth, show full demos, shock people with prototypes, etc. 4. New artifacts only. After you do show-and-tell once with a given demo/prototype/whatever, you should bring another one on a subsequent session. This gives you a chance to say "Hey, look, now my game engine does shadows!" or "I fixed the wiring bug, so now the thing I sorta showed last time actually works!" We'll do this every week for a while, to give people a chance to show progress to the group as they get stuff done. Example: 1) Hi, my name is Josh, and I'm working on an all-TTL CPU. 2) I got a crazy hair up my ass over the holidays, and am now revisiting an old design for a toy CPU. 3) I've only got partial designs so far (hold up notebook like storytime), but it's been really fun. 4) I'm going to finish the ALU and stack management bits soon, then breadboard those parts. And then we go on to the next person. I'll see a bunch of you there, if nothing else, so everyone can try and decipher my awful notes! -- Josh Myer 415.230.9791 <-- NOTE: New number! josh at joshisanerd.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.noisebridge.net/pipermail/noisebridge-discuss/attachments/20110102/e790f3b2/attachment.htm


text:
Market success for university research
7 July 2014
Tuesday 1st July – Letter to The Independent
The recent success of Imperial College in realising £10m cash in exchange for a 10 per cent share holding in Imperial Innovations shows the continued market interest in the commercialisation of university research (report, 24 June).
However, the availability of investment funds for promising university spin-outs will not on its own deliver the economic impact that the UK might expect from its world-class research base.
For commercialisation to thrive it is vital that the UK invests appropriately in the entire pipeline of development, from early-phase frontier research through to technology development and thereafter commercialisation.
However, there is evidence that the UK is failing to do so. According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2012 Britain invested 1.7 per cent of gross domestic product in research and development, the lowest percentage in Europe, and some way from the 3 per cent achieved in the US in the 1950s.
There is plenty of evidence that commercialisation of university research can deliver returns, but only if it is approached as a long-term investment. But the good news is that investment in university research not only fuels innovation but also sustains and underpins our world-class higher education sector, which in turn delivers a more immediate economic return.
According to a recent report from Universities UK, the higher education sector delivers some £73bn to GDP, £10bn in exports and more than 750,000 jobs.
Although funding and investment are essential ingredients for continued academic and economic success from UK higher education, money alone will not suffice. We must imbue a much greater sense of ambition in our university communities, so that we can not only create the successful companies of the future, but we have the confidence to grow them so that they can provide employment and tax revenues for future generations of UK citizens.
Professor Stephen Caddick, Vice-Provost (Enterprise), UCL


text:
Aqua-Pure AP814-2 Rust, Dirt, Sediment Water Filte
Get 5% Off When You Check Out With Auto DeliveryGet Details
You Choose the amount of months, we take care of the rest.
Product Information
The Aqua-Pure AP814-2 Rust & Sediment Whole House Water Filter Cartridge fits the AP802, and the AP802-1.5 Whole House Water Filter Systems and as well as all brands of housings with the same size requirements. The AP814-2 composite wound water filter cartridge design allows large particles to be trapped on the outer surface while smaller particles are trapped closer to the core. This makes AquaPure AP814-2 water filters ideal for use if you have heavy dirt / sediment problems in your water.
Aquapure AP814-2 whole house water filter specifications:
- Cartridge Dimensions: 19 7/8" x 4 5/8" OD
- Micron Rating 50
- Flow Rate 45 gpm
- Recommended for Larger Households (3+ baths) or Commercial Use
AquaPure AP814-2 water filters should be changed ever 12 months or after substantial pressure reduction.
Aqua-Pure AP814-2 Rust, Dirt, Sediment Water Filte Product Reviews :Write a review
- Not reviewed yet
Auto Delivery from Filtersfast.com
Never forget to change your filters. Save 5% today and on all your future orders & we'll deliver them automatically!
Here's how it works:
- Save 5% today and on all your future orders
- Enjoy the convenience of not having to reorder
- Cancel or modify your orders anytime
- Select a delivery schedule that works for you
- Pay as you go


text:
JAMES Lovegrove and Michael Deller-Merricks starred with the bat as AWE Tadley recorded a compre-hensive 156-run victory over local rivals Hobos.
Lovegrove smashed his way to 94, while Deller-Merricks hit 73 as visiting AWE reached 261-4 before bowling Hobos out for just 105 to get their Hampshire Cricket League County Division Four North campaign off to a winning start.
Hook and Newnham Basics II suffered a narrow defeat in their first County Division One outing of the season, going down by nine runs at home to Locks Heath.
Kishore Parmer took 4-51 as Locks Heath made 237-9 and while Sam Bruin hit 52 in the Hook reply, they were restricted to 228-9.
Both north Hampshire sides in County Division Two also lost.
Old Basing went down by four wickets away at Highfield, while Basingstoke and North Hants III lost by seven wickets on their travels at Burridge.
Dan Belcher hit 68 as Old Basing reached 241-8, and, while Matt Donaldson took 4-31 in the Highfield reply, they got home with six wickets down.
Basingstoke were unable to defend their total of 164-6.
Richard Osman's century was in vain as Whitchurch lost their local derby at Overton in County Division Three North. Osman smashed an unbeaten 104 as Whitchurch reached 195-8, but Andy Galvin guided the hosts to victory by just one wicket, ending on 64 not out.
Hartley Wintney II produced a good all-round performance to beat visiting Steeple Langford by 94 runs. Paul Westfoot made 56 and Rex Porter 50 as Hartley reached 223-8, while James Clode took 4-32 and Jamie Harrington 4-35 as the visitors were bowled out for 129.
Hook and Newnham Basics III lost by one wicket at home to Michelmersh and Timsbury. The hosts were 25-6 at one stage but recovered to post 123.
That was almost enough, with Dave Batchelor taking 4-27, but Michelmersh's final pair saw them over the line.


text:
About Us
Ken Perkins has owned and operated the Kenneth J. Perkins Funeral Home in Gorham for 43 years. His wife, Robin, who is retired from her special education teaching career, helps with many aspects of funerals. She is available to conduct funerals and memorial services by request.
Ken and Robin Perkins take pride in responding with compassion to families in their time of need. They listen to families and respond with personalized services.
Company History
The Kenneth J. Perkins Funeral Home, Inc., has been owned and operated by Funeral Director, Ken Perkins for 42 years.
Ken purchased the funeral home in 1974 from Funeral Director, Edmund Crisfield, who had operated it from 1947 to 1974. The original Gorham funeral home was owned and operated by Funeral Director John Clelland from 1917 to 1947, at a different location.
The 3-story brick Victorian building was built in 1883 by local farmer and businessman, Joseph Hershey. Ken added a 1-story Chapel to the original building in 1995. He has completely redecorated the funeral home twice since 1974, always keeping the Victorian character in the original building.
In 1984 Ken purchased the Willis C. Moore Funeral Home in Rushville. He consolidated the two businesses in the Gorham funeral home in 1989.
The funeral home is handicapped accessible, with a ramp and accessible bathroom. It has central air conditioning for your comfort on warm days.


text:
Recompiling The Kernel In FreeBSD
Unless you have built your own custom kernel in FreeBSD, you are using the GENERIC kernel. The GENERIC kernel contains everything you need to get the machine up and running the first time and covers a wide range of hardware. Some common reasons for rebuilding the kernel are:
- To speed it up by taking out unused modules
- Add support for new hardware
- Update the kernel with the new source during a Make World
Creating the Kernel Config
The first step to building a new kernel is to copy the GENERIC config file to your own. This new config file is generally given the hostname of the machine.
# cd /usr/src/sys/i386/conf
# cp GENERIC NEWKERNEL
Once you have does this open the new kernel config and begin hashing out modules that are not needed. For example, if you are creating this kernel for a PIII you do not need the I486_CPU or the I485_CPU in your kernel and you can take them out like this:
machine i386
#cpu I486_CPU
#cpu I586_CPU
cpu I686_CPU
ident GENERIC
You should also change the ident to the name of the file so that when booting up it will show that it is booting your kernel and not the GENERIC one.
machine i386
#cpu I486_CPU
#cpu I586_CPU
cpu I686_CPU
ident MIDNIGHT
On machines without SCSI controllers everything in the SCSI section can be hashed out, the same is true with the RAID, USB, and Firewire sections. If something needed is removed the machine may not be able to reboot with the new kernel and the previous one will need to be loaded instead. Notes on what the different modules in the config file are responsible for can be found in /usr/src/sys/i386/conf/NOTES
Building your new kernel is traditional way
# cd /usr/sbin/config NEWKERNEL
# cd ../../compile/NEWKERNEL
# make depend
# make
# make install
To save time the last three commands can be done as
# make depend && make && make install && reboot
Building your new kernel the new way
Recently FreeBSD has a new way to build and install the new kernel and it can be done as so
# cd /usr/src
# make buildkernel KERNCONF=NEWKERNEL
# make installkernel KERNCONF=NEWKERNEL
Here KERNCONF is just a variable that refers to the name of the kernel config file you want to use. To store the name so you no longer need the last part of these commands you can put the following into you /etc/make.conf to save it.
Once you successfully built and installed the kernel you will need to reboot the machine
# reboot
If the machine reboots successfully but gives errors it may be because the kernel was compiled with source code that is newer than that of the world. To rebuild with the new source code read about performing a make world


text:
Santa's sexy helpers have joined Out2Enroll in a holiday parody video to bring awareness to the final week of health marketplace enrollment.
Out2Enroll is a coalition of organizations who want to help get lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people signed up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Do these shirtless men make you want to sign up for Obamacare? Watch below:


text:
3 Min Read
HINWIL, Switzerland (Reuters) - Sauber unveiled a new-look car with slimmer sidepods and two new drivers on Saturday but declined to say whether they could improve on last year's sixth place in the constructors' championship.
The new car, the Sauber C32-Ferrari, is visually very different from its predecessor, boasting a smooth, slightly downward-sloping nose section and much slimmer sidepods, Sauber said.
"The C31 was an extremely competitive car with many strengths," chief designer Matt Morris told an audience at the unveiling on an industrial estate near Zurich. "Our aim was to further improve these strengths and eliminate its few weaknesses."
The sidepods, which give the car a distinctive look, were the major change.
"The airflow in this area has a major influence over everything that happens at the rear of the car," said Morris,
Morris said the tire management had also been improved and the overall weight had been reduced.
"Our car looked after its tires very well during races last year," said Morris. "However, we had problems now and again when it came to getting the maximum out of them in qualifying. We've looked at this phenomenon closely and made the required adjustments."
The reduced weight had allowed a better distribution of the ballast, while retaining its structural requirements and mechanical setup flexibility.
"My colleagues have done an excellent job here, and we have even exceeded our original targets", said Morris.
The car will get its first run at Jerez in Spain on Tuesday.
Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, who has joined from Force India and has two Formula One seasons behind him, will team up with Formula One rookie, 21-year-old Mexican Esteban Gutierrez.
Dutchman Robin Frijns is the test and reserve driver.
Sauber managed four podium finishes and 126 points last season, compared to 44 points in 2011, although the team was somewhat inconsistent.
"We're not saying we want to finish in this or that position in the standings, as ultimately other factors will also come into play that are outside our control," said team principal Monisha Kaltenborn
"We can be clear, however, that we want to continue on our upward curve.
"We have had our eye on Nico Hulkenberg for some time and have been impressed by his performances," added Kaltenborn.
"He is very quick, but, most importantly, he's also very efficient. He understands how to pick up as many points as possible from a particular race situation."
"I'm in no doubt Esteban Gutierrez is now ready to take the final step and put his outstanding talent on display."
"Sauber made significant progress last year from 2011," said Hulkenberg, who was eleventh last season.
"Now the team is ready to take the next step, and I want to play my part in making that happen. My personal aim is to put in a good, steady performance this season."
Reporting by Brian Homewood; Editing by John Mehaffey


text:
Australasian Parliamentary Review
Autumn 2010. Vol 25, No. 1
© Australasian Study of Parliament Group. Requests for permission to reproduce material from Australasian Parliamentary Review should be directed to the Editor.
From the editor, Elaine Thompson
The Australian Parliament in the Twitterverse, Roxanne Missingham
#An Analysis of the Sources of Public Accounts Committee Inquiries: The Australian Experience, Kerry Jacobs, Kate Jones & David Smith
Independent Members in the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales - Periods of Change: Keynote Address, Richard Torbay
Parliamentary Opposition and Overview
#Educating and Training Parliamentarians, C. Neesham, P. Holland, C. Lewis, K. Coghill & R. Donohue
'Queensland Speaks': A progress report, Roger Scott and Peter Spearitt
How Independent the Arbiter? A case study of recent Northern Territory events, Robyn Smith
Formal v. Informal Oppositions
Does the Gender Composition of an Opposition Influence its Role on Women's Issues? John E.S. McCulloch
The Media and the Opposition, Judy Maddigan
An Analysis of Parliamentary Questions raised by Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh (India) State Legislative Assembly, Suman Ojha and Sanjay Mishra
Independents and Cross Benches
The Age of Independence? Independents in Australian Parliaments, Mark Rodrigues & Scott Brenton
Vigorous Democracy, Christine Milne
Green Members in Green Chambers: The role of the Australian Greens in government formation, William Bowe
Resources for Oppositions
Opposition One Day, Government the Next: Can oppositions make policy and be ready for office? Scott Prasser
Working Collaboratively from Opposition (Independents, Parties and Houses) To Improve Services for Social Disadvantage, Judy Hopwood
Can the Opposition Effectively Ensure Government Accountability in Question Time? An empirical study, Parameswary Rasiah
What's In It for Us? Why Governments Need Well Resourced Parliaments, Jordan Bastoni and Clement Macintyre
Houses and Opposition
Being in Opposition - Opportunities Lost, Russell D. Grove
Orders for Documents: An Examination of the Powers of the Legislative Council of Victoria, Anthony Walsh
Timor-Leste in 2009: A Report, Robyn Smith
The South Australian Election 2010: A Summary, Dean Jaensch
Time of Transition: The Queensland Parliament and Electoral Volatility, 2008–09. Paul D. Williams
NOTE: Report on 2009–10 Victorian Chapter ASPG Meeting Topics
© Australasian Study of Parliament Group. Requests for permission to reproduce material
from Australasian Parliamentary Review should be directed to the Editor.
* These articles have been double blind refereed to full academic standards.
The Australasian Study of Parliament Group wishes to express its gratitude to the following businesses and departments for their generous support for the activities of the Group, especially publication of Australasian Parliamentary Review.
ASPG also appreciates a substantial grant from the revenues arising from publication and sale of J. R. Odgers, Australian Senate Practice, 6th edition, 1991.
| Disclaimer | Contact the webmaster if you have any comments about this website. | Managers | Last updated 25 July 2017. |


text:
*Vague City: People and Places
*SP City/Stickpage City/Sierra Pines City/Whatever you call it
So! Every so often there's talk of universe building and all that jazz within the wRHG, and a lot of us seem to have a central location, specifically named or otherwise. This isn't so much NOW WE'RE ALL CONNECTED, MWAHAHA, but more, this is what you'd run into in [person's] Vague City. If we can reference the characters sweet, but I'm not trying to imply we needed to. Think of it more as a character dump, but only reoccurring characters outside of the Possibilities tab.
I think(?) this is the best place for it due to wRHG character ties, but we'll play that by ear
If there's another category you think should be added, just let me know!
Spoiler for People:
Spoiler for Annabelle Lee (Crank):
Job: Fates Motel Owner, inherited from her parents
Appearance: Annabelle stands at 54 with bright green eyes and vibrant red hair, typically straight and draped over her shoulder. She likes wearing long, colorful dresses that cover her from neck to ankles. Although she leans from makeup, she does like wearing eye shadow on good days, usually some shade of green. Other days, bags under her eyes can be apparent, with her business barely staying alive she has to do almost all of jobs herself, her only workers having a day a week, if that, when shes feeling burnt out.
Personality: Working with people, a chunk of Annabelles job is smiling at strangers, however most of these are insincere. Shes highly suspicious of most people who walk through her doors, given her location and the type of people who are drawn to Fates. She feels like shes doing nothing in her life and craves meaning and adventure, but she lacks the time and funds to runaway. She doesnt like her job, but her parents marriage was a mess, and working was the easiest way to avoid the shouting. She lives in the first room next to the lobby and knows fully well no one in their right mind would buy the place. In the off chance someone made her an offer, her natural suspicious would arise.
Affiliations: Serif Winters (Associate/Resident)
Alexander Acen Aas (Disliked classmate)
About: Annabelle grew up with her parents marriage falling apart, and her fathers motel felt like the only place she could avoid it. She was able to convince her parents to take in a stray dog, which she named Beast, and was the bulk of the reason why she came to the house instead of the motel. Her parents were trying to stay together for her, but with house continually feeling tense and toxic, she buried herself in her schoolwork or the motel. Business took a slow descent when her parents drama slowly wormed its way into Fates, but when her father was caught having an affair in one of the rooms, they made a huge scene, making both the news and newspapers. The divorce became finalized shortly after she had an affair to get revenge on him. He kept the motel, she kept the house, and Annabelle decided to stay local. When she found out her father was planning to liquidate, she asked to take it over, which he only allowed after a year of no interest from any buyers. She lived there more than home, and became estranged from both parents after they remarried.
Recently, shes taken interest in a local gladiator and the kidnapping case that surrounds him. She doesnt strike him as a prince charming or even that good of a person, but hes still trying to do the right thing and save a little girl. Its not much, but the help he desperately needs gives her a shred of purpose, just enough for her to cling to.
Spoiler for Alexander Acen Aas (Crank):
Job: Acen the Hole Entertainment/Freddy Xeno: Party Magician
Spoiler for Appearance:General Stuff:
Alex stands at 510 and is slightly toned as far as his build is concerned. His head leans towards a diamond shape and he has dimples, as well as buzzed black hair with a faint widows peak. Hes Caucasian with a healthy tan and a bit of a beard and looks his age at 22. His eyes are naturally light brown, but half the time he just leaves his amethyst contacts in.
On Stage/Air:
When hes ready to put on a performance, an eggplant purple trench coat nearly dragging along the ground dominates his apparel, left open and revealing a faded gold collared shirt and detachable white tie. Its typically matched with a white slacks, and black work boots.
While the inside of his jacket matches his eyes, he wears fingerless gloves the same color of his dress shirt. Keeping a consistent scheme, his slanted fedora follows suit as well. The outside is the same color as his coat while the inside and bottom match his eyes. Its band matches his shirt, but the left side has a long, amethyst feather as well. In addition, he is always clean shaven for his shows and performances.
On the Street/Home
Otherwise, he lets it grow out. Other than that, he dresses for comfort. Just a normal T-shirt and jeans sums him up pretty well, but he might drop down to shorts in the summer or upgrade to a jacket when it gets chilly.
Spoiler for Personality:Alex is a confident young lad in the midst of experiencing severe denial regarding his being in the impenetrable friendzone with his attempted girlfriend for the past eight years. When he does things he gives his all, and although he takes his work seriously, he does enjoy having his fair share of fun. He tries to be there for his friends, but during the hard times, often opts with a phone call or text rather than a visit. He has sarcastic tendencies and winds up in trouble fairly often, but is good with kids and likes making people laugh. With the bulk of his work being gigs, he has a good filter when it comes to swearing and bite his silver tongue when he needs to, but unless its for work, hed rather not.
Spoiler for About:The son of a prosecutor, Alex grew up under quite a bit of scrutiny, continually being shoved to follow his fathers footsteps in the law, but with all the rules his dad put in place, he prefered breaking them, or at least bending them. One thing he did pick up from his dad, however, was a tendency for learning mysteries. This mostly festered in the form of card tricks, slowly growing into more elaborate illusions and dextrous plays. By high school he was able to put on small shows, but with magic tricks being the type of thing that would get his ass kicked, he picked up a sport, soccer specifically, to break even. From there, some of his teammates introduced him to weed, which in turn caused a shitshow at home. With the threat of being kicked out, Alex grew defiant and sarcastic in his home life and wound up fucking up. Finding pot in his room, his dad kept his word and Alex began living couch to couch.
Trying not to overstay his welcome anywhere, he tried finding a job, which, unfortunately, took form as a moonshine operation. Between card bets and selling booze, he was eventually able to save up enough money to buy a large van to live out of, as well as a gym membership for a place to shower. After graduating he tried going clean, but with just a high school diploma he lacked many options. Fiddling with his cards in a park he was able to draw small crowds, but it wasnt until he was compared to a party magician that the thought he could make a job out of it. Hes since been living gig to gig.
Spoiler for Jeremiah Seeley Sandman Bytheway (Crank):
Spoiler for Goes By:Legal: Jeremiah Seeley Bytheway
Often Uncorrected: Jeremiah Seeley
Alias: Sandman (Military/Crime)
Preferred: Miah/Sandman
From Cassidy Hayden Jones: Stranger/Sandman
From Blair Angelica Bytheway: Dad/dy/Sandy (Public)
Uriah Lance Fletcher: Wraith
Spoiler for Calls:
Cassidy Hayden Jones: Doll
Blair Angelica Bytheway: Angel/Blair
Uriah Lance Fletcher: Fletcher
Spoiler for Its not what it looks like:
Miah is custom built in ways that echo his past. Standing at 510, his body has a slight v shape with the definition of a lightweight MMA fighter. He has a round head with a short dark brown buzz cut and beard of equal length, sans neck. His right eye has a brilliant bronze, almost gold, iris with a birthmark just below the center of his eyelid, like it was poked with a brown sharpie, while his left eye is a deep navy blue. When hes not wearing sleeves, a machine like tattoo dominates his entire right arm, coating it entirely from shoulder and bleeding into his wrist.
Clothing wise, hes always liked contrast. Unless heat prevents him from wearing it, hell wear an unbuttoned monotone dress shirt (typically black or white) like a jacket, draping over a decorative T-shirt, be it anything from tie-dye to a pattern, to a shirt his daughter picked him up from a concert she saw. Without the dress shirt, theyre much closer to plain, although he does have a soft spot Las Vegas souvenir shirts, specifically ones only featuring the Welcome sign.
Regardless, he always wears a silver watch on his left wrist and his old dog tags. The tags can vary between being tucked in his shirt or dangling outside. A keen eye may notice that unlike current tags, next of kin is displayed and SSN isnt, but a keener (and historian) eye could date it to WWII.
Spoiler for Dog Tag Information:JEREMIAH C BYTHEWAY
Spoiler for More than what meets the eye:
Spoiler for The Good:Spoiler for Natural:Miah has above average strength, speed, stamina and agility. He puts a great deal of work into staying in shape, and while he may not be an Olympian, hed be about on par with a professional athlete. He has military training with firearms and in hand to hand combat, in addition to experience in underground fights. Miah has a high pain tolerance and is especially adept with his right arm and with kicks, able to dispatch most inexperienced foes with the left behind his back. In addition, hes scrappy.
Growing up in a rough place, he wouldnt hesitate to make anything a brutal weapon if the situation called for it, and from his (long) stint of bank jobs, hes picked up on how not to be seen and has nimble fingers. Picking a lock or swiping a wallet come naturally to him now.
Spoiler for Unnatural:Miah keeps a set of brass knuckles on his person at all times in addition to a conceal-carried Colt M1911 .45 pistol. At home, he has an M1 Carbine in the attic. His shoes have steel toes and he wears a bulletproof compression vest under his top(s). He also has a few bobby pins in his pockets.
Spoiler for Supernatural:Miah can see and hear lingering spirits. He can also engage with them without requiring any special enchantment.
Spoiler for The Bad:Spoiler for Natural:Miah is absolute trash with his left hand. Basic motor functions are alright at the best, but activities like throwing, writing, or anything mild precision essentially leaves him one handed.
Spoiler for Unnatural:Miah doesnt exactly go out planning gunfights. He carries a gun, its loaded, but he doesnt have any more than the seven shots on him. Additionally, hed be hesitant to use, but mostly because open firing would draw a lot of attention to him, police or otherwise. Also, his rifle is at home, so unless youre fighting there, you wont see it.
Spoiler for Supernatural:Miah can only see the dead with his left eye, and from shoulder down, his left arm cant touch them.
Spoiler for And the Ugly:Spoiler for The Evil Dead:Not all ghosts are friendly, with some even hunting those that can see them.
Spoiler for Its the Inside that Counts:
Miah operates primarily on challenge, impulse and amusement. If he wants to do something, he does it, legality be damned. Right and wrong are a blurry line to him, he views the material aspect of life as a mere collection of things, which in the scheme of things, ultimately dont matter. Hes proud of his stuff, but its stuff. As a result, other people (that he doesnt like) overreacting (as he sees it) to the loss or damage of these things can be quite hilarious. For example, when it comes to driving with other cars, he doesnt break if he has right of way or take the foot off the gas for that matter. As a result, hes gotten progressively better at both buffing out his car and attaching replacement parts on his own.
As far as his emotions go, he doesnt reach any extremes, or at least not high extremes. It takes a lot to make him furious, but when he crosses the line, he fucking crosses it. Having killed people in the military, killed a man in self defense outside of it, and then been murdered only to be a ghost for 70 years, has dulled to a sphere the ramifications he feels from it, provided its not one of the few close people to him. Call girls and kids being targeted are easy ways to rile him up however, while organized crime ties would make him love to have an excuse to break some bones.
He has sarcastic tendencies and while hes not one to jump off buildings, is a bit fearless due to see above reasons and his nerves do function, albeit weakly, so he doesnt go out of his way to hurt himself either. Being morally flexible, people tend not to get close and stay close to him, but when they do, he tries not to lose them, although he doesnt make much effort to change his ways. He has money, but money just buys stuff, and because bigger houses just yield more chores, hasnt upgraded his middle class one. Miah also has rampant distrust of technology, and while he did cave and buy a cell phone, its a flip, not a smart phone. He owns an old computer he can barely operate and struggles with understanding things such as social media. On the flip side, old slang sometimes slips in his sentences, and while at times hes aware what hes saying is dated, youre all wet if you think thatll stop him.
One thing that does irk Miah however, is that he cant take credit for most of what hes done if he wants to pick his life back up where he left it. His military medals for example all tie back to WWII. (EuropeanAfricanMiddle Eastern Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Purple Heart, & Distinguished Service Cross) He cant talk about the bar he used to own either for similar age reasons, and any tales of his bank jobs would sound fake due to the dramatic climb of technology in the 14 years its been, and he looks far too young to have raised a child into adulthood.
Spoiler for History:Spoiler for Hes existed a while:Before child labor laws were a thing, Jeremiah worked at his fathers bar turned speakeasy turned sin-site in Las Vegas during the early days of The Strip. After Pearl Harbor however, he enlisted in the army at the ripe age of 18 and served in battles along Northern Africa and eventually into Sicily. During the Battle of Troina in the invasion of Sicily, Jeremiah, or Sandman as he was called, had his left arm blown off at the elbow by artillery.
Narrowly surviving the wound, he was shipped home after the island was captured and returned to the mobs growing control of Las Vegas. Because his father had expired while he was on tour, he took over the bar upon arrival, but as the syndicate continued to grow, Jeremiah exchanged one war for another, ultimately dying at the hand of Bugsy Siegel.
B4 was burned to the ground and his body was buried in a shallow grave, but his ghost remained in The Strip, constantly watching the syndicate that killed him and making the Flamingo his primary haunt until the casino collapsed on itself. It wasnt until after Siegels assassination and the following bloody power struggle for Vegas that his focus shifted from vengeance and checked in on the friends who worked for him. Discovering his former bouncer had opened a brothel, employing many of the call girls that once felt safe at B4 gave him hope, but further investigation led to his finding of the rampant abuse upon them within the walls. Having been learning how to touch the physical world, a wrath boiled the specter until a broken spine led to the slaughter of three johns, the owner, and four of his controllers. It was his last night in the strip for decades.
Becoming a nomad, he wandered the desert, venturing everywhere from big cities to wastelands before finally meeting the medium Cassidy Jones. She was the first living person he met who could see and talk to him, and the pair were quick to hit it off. They exchanged life stories for hours until news made its way into the conversation, including the Great Brinks Bank Robbery. Bank robbers having been romanticised figures during both Miah and Cassidys childhood, the felony soon dominated the conversation. Legends such as John Dillinger were discussed and before they knew it, an off handed joke sprung from hypothetical to working plan.
The first was to see if they could, the next was to chase the high, but in only a few months, it turned into routine. It still provided them with goals, excuse to travel, and a sense of time, so they maintained the tradition. One bank every other week. The rest of the time between stake outs they saw the local sights or mingled with the locals. Cassidy through socializing, but Miah found somewhere to haunt. Even though they found their personal entertainment in different ways, they still had the biggest laughs when they lined up. It wasnt unusual for her to bring a one night stand to where he was staying, just to watch him test the limits of what it took to scare them off. Most didnt last long, if the first broken glass didnt get them, sourceless footsteps wore them down until the next shattered them.
It was all fun and games however, until Miah had a visitor he didnt plan to scare away. In 2003, he was sprawled out on a couch getting some rest when glass breaking took his attention. Expecting to get his first laugh of the day, his heart broke seeing a crying fourteen year old crawl through the window, cradling what looked like a broken arm. Tears left her eyes bloodshot and her throat was bruised, but as she rose to her feet and limped the rest of the way to the couch, he doubted that was the extent of her injuries. He kept an eye on her for the better part of the day, having moved from the cushions to uncomfortable pacing through the house, but the girl looked to be in a constant state of terror, panicked eyes dancing between the windows and the doors.
It was over a day before her father found her, softly telling her to come home as she became petrified, shivering as her body failed to move. Unaware how to proceed, Miah just watched as she was taken from the couch, gently at first, but a pull suddenly turned into a vicious tug when she resisted. Shrieking, the girl begged for help as she was dragged to the car, and with memories of Vegas flashing in his mind, Miah followed.
After confirming that the girls choice to run away wasnt an overreaction, he wrote on her wall that shed be safe at the foreclosed house, and when she left, he made sure that her parents wouldnt find her again, on fear of death. It wasnt until after the girl dragged a suitcase into her new home, calling for whoever helped her, that he realized just how god-awful his idea was. More than a touch embarrassed, he turned to Cassidy for help, who, after a significant amount of convincing, agreed to lend her hand despite her better judgment in every individual category of the issue. She bought the house and had it furnished for Miah, as well as another a few blocks away for herself.
The bank robbers were upfront about their situation, specifically Miahs being dead and Cassidys intention to leave after a couple years, but Blair accepted it. Until the girl was old enough to drive, Jones helped with the bunk of adult required activities. Everything from parent teacher conferences to grocery shopping she handled, but she also made it a point to visit once a week to help Blair and Bytheway with more than just notes. Miah on the other hand, tried his best to take on the role of a stay at home parent. Housekeeping and homework all fell on his lap, and as Blair began talking to him more, he made it a point to have paper and pencil in every room. Over time, he grew on her, initially being viewed as a guardian angel, but eventually as he ghost-dad, and eventually just Dad, while he watched her grow from a timid, abused child into a confident young woman with a fascination with death.
Her curiosity drove her into the medical field, but while she was chasing coroner work, advancements in science and medicine made her curious if she could repay Miah for giving her a life by returning his. Keeping in loose touch with Cassidy after her departure, Blair implored her help, and with assistance of a few more friends, was able to make an empty shell of sorts for Miah with a mixture of heists, 3D printing, and black market buying. It was predominantly based on old pictures before he passed away, but Cassidy was willing to concede to mismatched irises in exchange for a beauty mark under the eye he was shot through in life, as well as a steampunk-gear tattoo sleeve along the arm hed left behind in Sicily.
With his life resumed at the age of his death, suddenly appearing younger than his then 28 year old daughter has made their relationship in public complicated, but it was still a large step up from her insistence that her dad was a ghost throughout her childhood.
For the past six months, hes been trying to discover what life is for him now.
Spoiler for Or Dont. Bullet List:
- June 29th, 1923: Born in Las Vegas, Nevada
- 1931-33 Works in fathers speakeasy (B4 [Bets Booze and Broads Bytheway]
- 1933-41 Its not technically a speakeasy now
- December 7th, 1941: Pearl Harbor
- December 8th, 1941: Enlists (Nickname: Sandman)
- 1942: Notified of fathers accident
- 1943: Lost his left arm in Sicily during the Battle of Troina
- 1943: Took over his fathers establishment
- 1946: Killed by Bugsy Siegel via bullet in the face
- 1946: Became a ghost (Sandman)
- 1946-January 1947: Haunts the Flamingo
- 1947: Checks in on old friends/co-workers; loses shit: 8 Dead
- 1950: Meets Cassidy Jones, Medium
- 1950-2003 Biweekly bank robberies
- 19??: Progressively notices Cassidy takes a super long time to age
- 2003: Adopts abused runaway teenager Blair
- 2003: Immortal(?) Cassidy reluctantly helps raise child with phantom fellow-felon
- 2005: Blair can drive; Cassidy moves
- 2007: Blair begins going medicine (and white collar crime)
- 2015: Blair graduates with medical license
- 2016: Blair gets coroner job
- 2016: Blair calls Cassidy about building a body for Miah
- Early 2017: Hes aliiiiiiiiiiive
Spoiler for Jett (Piston):
JettSpoiler for Name and info:
Name : Jett Archibald Crunto
Age : 23
Job : Media sensation
Gender : Male
Race : Human
Spoiler for Lucky man:
Jett is not a normal person. He has a passive ability he has no control over. This ability being a control over luck means that thing will usually end up going in his favor. But this is only when there is a chance. Say you were play russian roulette. He would put the half loaded gun to his head and it would go click. But say the gun was fully loaded. He would pull the trigger and bang brains splattered everywhere. But that takes out everything else. You have to input everything around him. Say the house you are in and is very old. Then a board might fall and divert the gun as he is pulling the trigger. But this also means that if something is one hundred percent certain then he cant stop it. Say he is going to be thrown across a warehouse. Probability would say that for him to be thrown across a football field long warehouse he would be thrown pretty hard and probably die on impact. Then input what the warehouse is containing. Say someone at some time stored a plush bed in it. Then say he might land on said plush bed. It is all down to chance right? Though this power doesnt always take the best outcome. He might get his fingers crushed if the board fell on the gun. Maybe the bed has firmed up during its stay. This ability will stop him from dying but not from getting hurt. And it has a backlash effect. Luck cant be created it has to be taken from somewhere. If he was playing russian roulette who was he playing with? Maybe when the board turned the gun it shot the other guy. Maybe the force of throwing Jett across the warehouse broke the guy's arm.
Spoiler for Internet stunt man:
Jett is an internet sensation by using his passive power to do the craziest deadly stunts without dying. He records these and posts them on the internet and earns a living that way. This means people tend to flock to him expecting something interesting to happen.
His most popular video is the video where he jumped off a skyscraper onto a net 6 feet by three feet.
Spoiler for Appearance:
Jett wears a black hoodie with flames on it. This hoodie is infamous for catching fire in his videos but always coming out okay.(if you touch it some area are charred stiff). He usually wears red sweatpants and shades.
Spoiler for Weaknesses:
1 As stated above his power doesnt stop all injury from coming to him.
2 He has a hypersensitivity to light. Remove his sunglasses and he is blinded. But can see pretty well in the dark.
3 His power is always pulling him into the worst places(Aka battles).
Spoiler for Jorga Zaedhiis (Cassandra):
Jorga Zaedhiis is a very short, 1-foot tall alien with tentacles on his head. Hes mainly blue in color, and has black stripes on his head tentacles and his hands are also fully black. He has no feet, and gets around with two tentacles surprisingly quickly, as if hes gliding instead of walking.
Skills: Jorga has two special throwing blades that always teleport back to him when he wishes. Whenever he needs them, hed spawn them. Whenever he doesnt, they would simply disappear. His throws are almost always 100% accurate. The blades can slice through nearly any material, and any wound they make takes a very long time to heal naturally.
Additionally, if Jorga leaves one blade in one location, he can teleport to that blade as long as he has the remaining one with him.
Spoiler for Richard Smithson (RichardLongflop):
Name: Richard Smithson
Age: Early-mid 20s
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 440~ lbs
Profession: wRHG/RHG Blacksmith, creator of high tech weapons and armours.
Appearance: White shirt, white gloves sewn to the inside of the shirt's cuffs. Jeans, black sneakers. Messy black hair, unkempt beard. Grey, almost mirror-like irises.
Spoiler for Abilities:Rich is very heavy and has a knack for figuring out how things work, be it biological or mechanical, or both. His clothes are a makeshift jumpsuit, enforced with Kevlar. They all zip and lock together. His arms and eyes are mechanical and he has a mechanical endoskeleton, making sure the heavy arms don't disfigure him over time and that his body can keep up with the strength of the arms.
The arms are strong, containing multiple tools in use for construction, though they have intimidating appearances. Inaccessible with his shirt on, each arm contains a pneumatic nail/rivet gun (stylised with fake revolving barrels), two large blades, one very sharp, small wrist blade, a chainsaw and a small flamethrower. His eyes allow him to take low res pictures that can be sent to his phone, have a small zoom capability (2x) and allow him to play a few very simple games, like Pac Man.
Spoiler for About:Rich was a man who fell down into nothing, then rose himself back up twice as high. Sadly, this left long-term effects, such as a half-mechanical body and most of his flesh being covered in scars, mostly burns. He wears his jumpsuit-like clothing so he could integrate into society and look normal, save for white gloves and a bit of light facial make-up. He showers blindfolded, as even glimpses of his body throws him into PTSD panic attacks.
He gets by just fine with others, and he loves to create. They say magic is just technology we don't understand just yet, and he's close to that. With his skills, he decided to live in a place where everyone is different, where he spends his time crafting unique weapons and armours for the folks. A strange blacksmith for a strange land.
Spoiler for Riley Adam Sanders (IgnusBurns):
Appearance: Riley has a neatly trimmed head of sandy-colored hair with a streak of grey. He is tall, around six foot three, with a muscular body and wide shoulders. His eyes are a warm coffee color, and are constantly squinted when outside, as he has sensitive eyesight. He wears a long-sleeve grey shirt and black sweats, along with a large button up beige coat that falls to just past his knees. He has tanned skin, with large scars running up and down his left arm, fingers, spine, neck and legs. He hasn't shaved for quite a while, and as such has an inch long beard that rims his mouth. His right arm, having been critically damaged in a recent fight, has been stripped of its "skin", leaving it in its most bare form, the carbon titanium bones being kept under a glove or inside his jacket, respectively.
Personality: An upstanding guy overall. Riley is a bit cynical having now realized what he'd been doing in his former job at the CIA. Killing innocents particularly didn't bode well with his conscience and seemingly changed his psyche for the worst. But with the advice from two of his associates, Riley has regained some of his thought processes with a hint of added sarcasm and pessimism. Riley knows when to cut his losses and is extremely conservative, refusing to do something drastic unless given a different choice. He's polite to everyone he meets unless they don't get off on the right foot with him, in which case he's icy cold and unforgiving.
Associations: Levi Magnus Strider (Partner in Action and Good Friend)
Al-Abbas min Filastin (Housing Provider and Friendly Rival)
Background: Riley was born into a family with an unknown number of siblings. It has been confirmed through government records he is the eldest son and child among his brothers/sisters. It is not clear if he had a good relationship with his family, but he does not show any signs of bitterness towards the situation, hinting that he did in fact enjoy his family's company. He passed with flying colors in high school and earned a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering by 24 years of age. He took up gunnery during this time, and after leaving college was approached by the CIA with a job opportunity. Having just been engaged to his fiance and needing a place to work, Riley accepted and became a CIA field operative, acting out assignments under the direction of his CO, Captain Gray.
Through an unseen set of circumstances, the Operative found his right arm and eye blown to hell and in need of a replacement. Gray told him again, having previously informed him before, of the Black Project "Endo-Solder" which would be able to now replace his arm and eye. Riley accepted, needing to continue his work, and was upgraded with a synthetic limb and eye, giving him an uncanny advantage on the field of battle. He is currently living with Levi and Abbas underneath the latter's dojo in Vague City (Los Angeles)
Spoiler for Levi Magnus Strider (IgnusBurns):
Appearance: Levi is above average in height, around five foot eleven, with a lanky and well developed physique. He has a mop of unkempt and shaggy blonde hair that hangs just past his forehead. A pair of thick framed glasses go over his sky blue eyes and a splash of freckles goes across his nose. Besides that, he wears a tight-fitting, cyan colored long-sleeve shirt with a pair of brown jeans and black combat boots. He hangs his two kunai from his belt loops.
Personality: Levi is upbeat, fun-loving, and a bit of a dork. He keeps a happy-go-lucky attitude everywhere except battle, where he becomes much more focused and serious. Other than that, he does maintain a key component of his psyche, a love of fun. Even when he's fighting Levi tries to have fun with it.
Associations: Riley Adam Sanders (Friend and Fighting Partner)
Al-Abbas min Filastin (Housing Provider and Friend)
Background: Levi was born nearly 240 years in the future, precisely in 2253, where the world was separated into two main groups, the Precursors and the Spartans. The Precursors were highly advanced, while the Spartans had remained the same as the modern day world. With the rising of certain individuals in the Spartan communities called the "Metas", the Precursors grew worried that their inferiors would grow stronger than they, and enacted their fail safe, that is, a nuclear strike on the entirety of the Western Hemisphere, which then wiped out most of the Spartan population. Levi survived, and in vengeance, crossed the Atlantic Ocean and stole some of the Precursor's technology. Finding that it was a time traveling device, he went back to stop them, meeting Riley along the way.
He currently lives under Al-Abbas min Filastin's Sword Training Dojo with Riley.
Spoiler for Places:
Spoiler for Cloudfell City (RichardLongflop):
Spoiler for Images:
Cloudfell City was named so because around a century ago, it descended from the sky from a cloak of clouds. It appears that a civilisation was once there. One third of the island held crumbling cities that seemed to be built for creatures larger than man. The other two thirds of the island were walled off, a more natural-looking area with landmarks here and there. This area feels like a nature preserve, but as you explore, it feels more like a holding cell. Something the civilised were trying to keep in.
In the southern part of the island, the area with the desolate towns and villages, Cloudfell City was created. From the outside, it appears to be a giant circular wall with a highway running through it. Inside, the highway can be seen running through a large wall that separates the city into two halves.
One half is lively, full of tourists and people with special abilities, tools and characteristics. Fights are held here, people aiming to get stronger for this reason or that, a very animated part of the city. This half is known as the Battle Side, and holds arenas, hotels, restaurants and all sorts of tourist attractions.
The other half is the relaxed area, where such special people from around the world settle down in a place where they can feel normal. When everyone is super, nobody is, and to many that feels like exactly what they need. To not be shunned, to just fit in. This half is known as the Home Side. Here there are apartments, houses, parks, stores and a few recreational facilities like a firing range or just a place where people can let off steam with their powers.
Spoiler for Entering the City:When you enter the City, if you are someone with unique abilities, tools or what have you (Called Emps, short for 'Empowered') then you are processed. During this you input your normal information, and a team of people are set to assess your abilities and strengths. After going through the process, and being granted citizenship, each person gets their own unique ID card, giving general basic info like date of birth, name, ID number, as well as rank. There are multiple ranks: Citizen, Gladiator in training, Gladiator, and OP levels 1 through 4.
Citizen: This goes for someone regardless of their power. If they dont choose to be a Gladiator, theyre allowed a normal life. This is mostly for those who want to feel normal around other empowered people, or are family members/loved ones of empowered people. Shown as a black C with a white holograph.
Gladiator in training: If you apply for Gladiator and arent considered powerful enough, you are given this rank and six months notice before your next audition. This time is used so they can better themselves and make themselves stronger, until they are Gladiator-level. Shown as a red T with a red holograph.
Gladiator: If you are a Gladiator, you are allowed to fight other Gladiators. Be it organised or upon whim. There are specially designated parts of the city where battles can happen, and the island beyond the walls are free reign outside of the villages. (It depends per village, really.) Shown as a green G with a green holograph.
OP levels 1-4: Gladiators that are proven too powerful are given OP level 1, 2, 3 or 4. These people can still fight, but they have to notify the opponent of their OP level, and arent allowed to fight regular Gladiators unless its prearranged. OP people are allowed special jobs, such as City Police, Gladiator Wranglers and City Maintenance. They are kept on constant watch. There are currently no OP level 4 people. Shown as an orange OP1/OP2/OP3/OP4 with a yellow holograph.
OP1 - Able to easily destroy a city block/street.
OP2 - Able to easily destroy a small city.
OP3 - Able to easily destroy a large city.
OP4 - Able to easily destroy an island.
O͠P̀̕5͜͞ ̨͡- ́͢c̸҉̡l̷̢̡ic̕͠k̛c͜͠l͟i̕͡c͘kc̨̀l͜͝i͠ć̡kc̨ĺ̶i̛͡͝ck ͝ç̶͠lic͘k̕c̶͢l̡̧͟iç͝k҉̧́c͟͞ĺ͜͞i̧̧çk̵͜҉
Spoiler for Fates Motel (Crank):Fates Motel is the latest of several names of the Lee operated motel, changed to cash in following the success of Psycho in an attempt to cash in from thrill seekers, but the cost of changing the sign, advertising and branding has deterred the owners from making further modification. With the decline of its reputation following the drama of the previous owners, theres immense struggle to attract any kind of stable/respectable business. People come because its cheap, nothing about the motel stands out otherwise. If people want to have an affair, it tends to be where it happens, which has led to an increase in prostitution in its immediate area. This caused reputable business to decline, which made the owner financially unable to turn away workers with their johns, which led to an increase in illicit activity, turning it into a predominantly cash business with most of the visitors not wanting their names known.
The lobby has recently painted white walls (with no art on display) and a pristine hardwood floor. The only thing breathing life into it is the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, but it has about a dozen of its dangling glass shards missing from it. At the far end, a wooden desk sits with just a silver bell, monitor and cheap office chair behind it.
Rooms are about 400 square feet. The white walls are bland of any design or art, and the carpet is a simple beige. As far as furniture is concerned all there is is a bed, an old fashioned box TV across from it, as well as the wooden cabinet it rests on. The drawers only contain dust, but theres also a small closet. Beside the closet, theres a bathroom. Nothing special: toilet, shower, towels, tiled floor. There are three total floors, each with six rooms and a seventh door for the staircase, with the only exception being the ground floor which only has room for two due to the space the lobby takes up. The basement is used for storage and contains the laundry room.
The motel has its own parking lot, often barren with only a car or two, and is constructed with reddish bricks of slightly varying shades. Theres a large neon sign outlining Fates Motel that glows blue in dark.
Owner/Staff: Annabelle Lee
Residents: Annabelle Lee; Serif Winters
Cost: Cheap
Spoiler for God's Academy For Swordsman (IgnusBurns):
An independently run Sword-Training Dojo whose exact location is unknown in the world (Presumed in the US), this small building is owned and operated by Al-Abbas min Filastin. Abbas had bought the property when it first became available, and, over the centuries living there, has built multiple sub-levels underneath the building, giving its ground level a deceptively simple feeling.
The first floor being a dojo, God's Academy has a wooden floor covered square inch for square inch in azure colored mats, soft enough that your feet squish in but just solid enough that you don't feel like you're standing on a marshmallow. The walls are a stark white, constantly kept in pristine condition, with a vaulted ceiling that keeps the roof about eleven and a half feet from the ground. Racks of wooden training swords are on display against the back wall, along with a set of antique katanas hanging on said wall.
The left wall has a set of benches for parents to watch if any come, and above these seats hang several framed photos of the middle east. Tucked into the back right corner of the room is a small office, around seventy square feet, with a desk, one bookshelf, and a large portrait of Abbas standing on a sand dune.
However, behind this picture is a hand scanner integrated into the wall, completely hiding it from the naked eye, only Abbas, and those he deems trustworthy, know how to work it. When properly activated, an elevator via the brick wall opening becomes accessible and takes the user down to one of four sub-levels.
Each basement floor is around five hundred square feet (25 wide by 20 long and 9 feet to the ceiling), making them roomy but not massive. The first sub-floor (B1) is a living area, complete with three beds, a pair of couches and a large, sixty inch flat screen TV complete with every modern gaming system along with loads of titles. (And a GameCube, Abbas loves his GameCube...)
The second sub-floor (B2) is a kitchen area, including a large refrigerator, a dishwasher, a sink, and a small round table accompanied by four chairs. Cupboards cover the wall above the counter top and sink and are filled with food and dishes.
The third sub-floor (B3) is primarily a rest area, containing three more beds and a larger than average bed that serves as Abbas' when he stays there for extended periods of time. A full bathroom is pocketed into the last quarter of the room, providing a shower, bath, and toilet when nature calls.
The fourth sub-floor (B4) is much bigger than the other three previous floors, being around one thousand square feet, (100 feet by 100 and 20 feet to the ceiling) it is significantly deeper underground than the other floors as well. This room was formerly Abbas' private weapon collection but, because he is now providing a living space to Riley and Levi, lets them keep their weapons their as well. Every single wall has a rack of weapons that slides out from the concrete, sort of The Dark Knight vault style. All types and all shapes of weapons can be found on these. They appear every five feet along each wall.
Besides the weapon vault, which is entirely concrete, each sub-floor has a hardwood floor and cobblestone walls.
Owner/Staff: Al-Abbas min Filastin
Residents: Al-Abbas min Filastin; Riley Adam Sanders; Levi Magnus Strider
Cost: 51$ per month. Relatively cheap?
Spoiler for Jorgas Odds and Ends We Have Everything! (Cassandra):
Jorga owns a shop called Jorgas Odds and Ends We Have Everything!. The shop is found on the very edge of Vague City.
Jorga is proud of his shop and keeps it well-stocked (who doesnt love a place that refills its shelves automatically?). Interestingly, the shop floors are not accessible by stairway or elevator, but by standing on a glowing letter found on the floor. With the exception of the first floor, all floors have a U letter (taking you to the floor above yours), and a D letter to bring you down. The first floor has only one letter, a D. To activate it, you tap one foot on the letter.
The Us and Ds are special. A being unfamiliar with English letters will see whatever local symbol they have for up or down, in place of these two.
Here is a list of its known floors:
First Floor: Dedicated to trinkets and souvenirs from all worlds and dimensions throughout the known and unknown universe.
Second Floor: Tired of the strange things people call edible on this world? Sick of fast food that claims to be the next best thing? Look no further. This floor has it all.
Third Floor: Need a tool you had back on your world but cant find on this one? Youll get it here.
Fourth Floor: Want a vehicle? Make a selection from the screen and Jorga will spawn it in a private area aboveground for you.
Fifth Floor: Clothing that fits anything and anyone for any occasion.
Sixth Floor: Get any material you want, for any purpose you need.
Seventh Floor: Home to all types of pets, this floor is the largest level for a reason. If youre looking for a cute traveling companion, an intimidating guardian, or just something that looks awesome get it here. The pets wont attack Jorga under any circumstance. If they are mistreated, theyll return to him and youll never get them back.
Eighth Floor: Looking for clothes? Youd find anything youd ever want in this section.
Ninth Floor: Any weapon for any situation. This section boasts everything from swords to guns, from bows to grenades.
Tenth Floor: Home to the mystifying Everything You Could Want portal. In the extremely rare case that Jorga does not have the item youre looking for, you could request that it could be brought through the portal. Customers are encouraged not to go through the portal as they will be permanently dismembered by the Forces of Unrealism. However, they might be saved from such a fate if Jorga tells the portal to reassemble the individual and return it unharmed. This does not happen often though, because sometimes people have still tried to go through even after multiple warnings. In that case, Jorga will decide they deserved the consequence and do nothing about it.
The portal is 18 feet tall and 18 feet wide and has a circular shape. It is a dark, navy blue color with white pinpoints of light scattered about inside it. The edges of the circle are made of a prismatic smoke. This smoke almost seems to flicker like fire.
Spoiler for Posses:
Spoiler for Gladiator Containment Team 3 (Oster):
One of the several special squads on the WRF roster tasked with stopping gladiators or other beings too powerful for regular enforcers to handle. They can be called individually to take care of smaller matters but only called as a team should the need arise. Currently this team has the lowest member count at three but currently, there are no plans nor suitable candidates to reinforce this squad. Members or whole teams can be sent around the world to help other branches but they are mainly based around Sierra Pines.
Spoiler for Misha Anderson:
Name: Misha Anderson
Age: Actual 32, Physical 24
Profession: WRF Containment Commando, Team 3, Member
Spoiler for Appearance:
Tallest of the team coming in at around 5'10. She has short, unevenly cut hair that just covers the back of her neck; her locks randomly switch between two colors, either silvery white or jet-black, making it look like a half-assed dye job. Piercing sunrise orange eyes and a yellow hexagon hair clip complete her identifying facial features. She usually dons a regular WRF uniform in an irregular fashion. The spotless white, dark green trim, long sleeved vest remains undone, while the dress shirt underneath has a few buttons undone from the top giving a small glimpse into her cleavage. Always with a pair of blade resistant Kevlar gauntlets, a pair of combat pants in the same color scheme as the vest and steel-toed and soled shoes finishes the ensemble.
Spoiler for Personality:
Misha's personality is very child-like, honest often brutally so with her straight forward statements and optimistic and confident, though honestly somewhat gullible. She is a very outgoing woman who loves to get her body moving and blood pumping, leading to a thrill-seeking attitude with a low sense of fear and danger. As an effect of this, she is very impatient and often acts first before thinking. She of below average intellect and is great with children, she treats any activity that involves physical exertion with the utmost seriousness and the opposite for intellectual tasks. Honestly speaking is quite the slob. Has a special bond with her squad mates often calling Kira, "Big Sis," and Izza, "Little Sis". Loves sweet thing but adores strawberries. Dislike seeing her sisters cry or angry, and tries to comfort or confront them, in a way acting as the other two's breaks and limiters,
Spoiler for Abilities:
Her mutations have left her several boons namely, immense strength letting her go toe to toe with strength based gladiators. Moderate cellular regeneration that allows her to regenerate even limbs in a matter of hours, blade and piercing resistant skin as well as bones as hard as steel, an absurdly high level of pain tolerance, all of these come together turning her into a veritable tank in the shape of a woman on top of the fact that to permanently kill her either her brain or heart must be destroyed, everything else just regenerate eventually.
To top this off she has an extremely adept combat instinct that she honed from the day she threw her first punch, this allows her to go toe to toe with martial arts masters despite fighting near completely on instinct. Though this kind of automatic reaction might get exploited from time to time.
Spoiler for History:
Growing up in Sierra Pines' less savory districts was a tough task, one that Misha rose to tackle head on. Despite getting kicked out of school because of her low grades and regularity in picking fights with other trouble makers, she kept a righteous heart and never picked on anyone who couldn't fight back. This led her to become a vigilante as she got older.
Due to her skill in combat and natural hardiness she made a name for herself within the underground up until one job where she was set up, the info only stating a third of the actual number of enemies. Despite her best efforts she was overwhelmed and beat within an inch of her life, taken to a chemical disposal plant where they dumped several barrels worth of an unmarked concoction on her and left her for dead.
The next morning she was rushed to SP General Hospital when the employees found her. Scans found out that she had mutated at a cellular level during her chemical soak, giving her the mutation stated above. Another mutation was that her cells could now replicate with one hundred percent accuracy essentially completely stopping her from aging and scarring. This leads her to her massive appetite needed to keep her body functioning. The only irreparable damage was her memories a majority of which simply vanished. When the WRF caught wind of this news they moved quickly and taking advantage of Misha's amnesiac state took her in and turned her into one of their more capable commandos.
Spoiler for Izza Gardener:
Name: Izza Gardener
Age: 21
Profession: WRF Containment Commando, Team 3, Member
Spoiler for Appearance:
Izza comes in at around 5'5. Her uniform is much like Misha's except she wears everything to standard, covering herself and her meager chest up quite nicely. Though the bottom half comprises of a dark-colored pencil skirt and pantyhose. She has pale straw-colored hair that reached to mid-thigh, framing her fair doll-like face are two long braids on either side reaching well past her shoulders tied with small white bows. Her eyes have a unique color somewhere between pink, purple and blue. Her soft features, tremendous singing talent combined with her slim figure has made her into something of a poster girl for the WRF in Sierra Pines.
Spoiler for The New Kings (Paradox Syndicate Admin):
The New Kings are a group much dedicated to helping themselves, and not much else. They are very interested in fights that break out, especially if the fights are between "people of interest" such as wRHG participants. They are, however, also interested in the plots going on behind the scenes. They LOVE throwing spanners in other people's works, but they do occasionally help out a group, either because they think it'd be amusing, or because they will owe the NK one/the NK owes them one and is paying it back.
It is open to join, as long as you can actually impress one or two of the members.
Current members are as follows:
Hand: will NOT be posted on this thread
Incarne: will be posted on this thread
Magistrate: will be posted on this thread
Architect: will NOT be posted on thisthread.
Their current base is:
Spoiler for The War Room:
An average studio flat. Has a room with four futons in it that serves as a bedroom, a bathroom, and a living room/kitchen. Everything is standard, and decently modern, although there is an unnecessary amount of gold(the color) used in the decor. However, on the back of the bedroom, there is a wallpaper of a stylized gold crown. If a certain string of statements is said(by the members), the door will recognize them, and open. Inside is a room that has no right to be there-from the outside of the flat block, it isn't. However, if the block was damaged, it would be affected.
Luckily, the War Room, as it is known by the New Kings, is a veritable fortress. It is a wide hall, filled with defensible spots for a team of New Kings to lie in wait. However, as well as serving as a bunker that could tank incredible amounts of demolition, it is also their meetings room. If things get serious, they will meet there to discuss strategy. Currently, there is a small, round, light wooden table with a few stacks of papers haphazardly strewn across the surface. These papers are either plans or information for plans, and could be quite useful for the people holding them. The implications of this would be quite serious, but the New Kings are mostly interesting in messing around and rustling others jimmies rather than ACTUALLY getting serious.
Spoiler for Tevso Daesos (Cassandra):
Tevso Daesos
"We See"
The name Daesos refers to a group of monks living in the forests of Vague City. They dont stay in one place, preferring to move to whatever location is the most fruitful for hunting and gathering. Aside from the latter activities, they spend most of their time praying, reading books, and singing (their harmonies are astonishingly good). In terms of attire, theirs is quite lackluster; usually consisting of animal furs and clothing woven from plant fibers.
They can also be recognized by their symbol, a simplistic eye shape with three lines dripping beneath the lower lid. The symbol comes in many colors (white being the most common), and the center line is longer than the others. The pupil is another line that runs down the center of the eye shape; connecting to the center line. The Daesos do not flaunt this sign openly, rather, it is often found as a single marking on their backs, sleeves, or shoulders. They never mark their skin.
The monks seem to have dedicated their lives to serving something they call the Great One (probably a deity), and it is his eye that is portrayed in their symbols. They claim that this Great One has created the universe and everything in it, and live a very humble life; basing it on the following laws:
1. Thou shalt not have any other gods before the Great One
2. Thou shalt not make idols
3. Thou shalt not take the Great Ones name in vain
4. Thou shalt keep the Sabbath day holy
5. Thou shalt honor your father and mother
6. Thou shalt not kill
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery
8. Thou shalt not steal
9. Thou shalt not speak falsely against thy neighbor
10. Thou shalt not covet
They say the laws have been written by the Great One himself.
The monks of Tevso Daesos, aside from maintaining personal faith, are also interested in saving people from the Nether. This place is supposedly where all evil beings go after death, and where they would live in torment for eternity. The good beings seem to go to Heaven, a place of everlasting life, joy, and light. The monks are quite convinced that both Heaven and the Nether exist and seem subtly interested in helping others improve their lives and so be fit for Heaven when the time comes. They do this not by force, but by conversation, example, and (rarely) inexplicable signs. This entire process to go from the path of confusion, doubt, and/or evil, to the path of Heaven, hope and light is called Tevikzyl or, the Way.
Though they do get disappointed when wicked people refuse to change their ways, they often just pray earnestly for those people until they die. Then they leave everything in the Great Ones hands. Also, they appear to get most of their wisdom from an ancient book called Zerfesazyl (zer-fae-sah-zill), which literally means holy. Though the majority of the elder monks know the text by heart, the younger ones use copies to hone their knowledge. The copies usually contain 1,834 pages, not including the table of contents and other significant reflection-based text. Though that may not sound like much, keep in mind that every copy is hand-written, and every page is filled on both front and back with text. Interestingly, the Zerfesazyl text bears a striking resemblance to the words found in the standard Roman Catholic bibles (that is, the ones with the extra books, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, additions to Esther, Jeremiah, Daniel, and other texts etc.).
How do they write all these copies? Well, all monks have somehow acquired the skill to turn their index fingernail into a pointed claw. The claw expends seemingly indefinite amounts of ink. Before you ask the nail is much too frail to be used as a weapon, and no monk would ever use it for such a purpose anyways.
So, do the Daesos monks receive divine favor? The answer, which may be surprising is yes. There have been a number of miraculous events that have occurred to protect the monks over the years, ranging from small (just enough food to sustain themselves every year) to great (an army sent to eradicate them continuously got lost in the woods; eventually they gave up and left). Even individual members of the Daesos group have had many inexplicable, yet wonderful things that have happened to them in their lives. These incidents prompted them to join Daesos, while others strengthened the beliefs of current members. The situations range from seeing a loved one returned to life, the conversion of an great evil to the Way the list goes on.
Though rare, there have also been reports that winged beings made of light have been seen with each of the monks. These reports have (unsurprisingly), been confirmed as true. Indeed, most find it inexplicably difficult to harm any Daesos monk, for any reason at all.
No group is without enemies, and Daesos is no exception. Evil people calling themselves Soul Seekers have recently been committing heinous acts, and then leaving the Daesos symbol by the crime scenes. Though there have been plenty of WRF agents meeting with the Daesos group in the woods, investigating, they find no evidence to link them with the Soul Seekers. Still, the twisted group continues its vile practices, and the members of Tevso Daesos continue to pray for them, in spite of all that theyre doing.
Spoiler for Suburban Descriptions:
Originally Posted by GenericAnon