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NRL 2015 Round 20 will kick off tonight with two relatively one sided match. We take a look at each of the games in the round and give our tips and selections as well as look at the match info, teams and odds for each of the games.
NRL OFFER: Sign-up at Sportsbet.com.au via this link for a $501 BONUS BET!
Match 1: Brisbane Broncos ($1.11) vs Gold Coast Titans ($7.20)
When: 19:45 | Friday 24/07/2015
Where: Suncorp Stadium
Tip: Brisbane Broncos at $1.11
Match 2: Wests Tigers ($5.80) vs Sydney Roosters ($1.15)
When: 19:45 | Friday 24/07/2015
Where: ANZ Stadium
Tip: Sydney Roosters at $1.15
Match 3: New Zealand Warriors ($1.25) vs Manly Sea Eagles ($4.00)
When: 15:05 | Saturday 25/07/2015
Where: Mt Smart Stadium
Tip: TBA
Match 4: Melbourne Storm ($1.40) vs St George Illawarra Dragons ($2.95)
Where:McLean Park, Napier, New Zealand
Tip: Melbourne Storm at $1.40
Match 5: South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.16) vs Newcastle Knights ($5.30)
Where:ANZ Stadium
Tip: South Sydney Rabbitohs at $1.16
Match 6: Penrith Panthers ($1.80) vs Canberra Raiders ($2.00)
Where: Allianz Stadium
Tip: Canberra Raiders at $2.00
Match 7: Canterbury Bulldogs ($1.40) vs Cronulla Sharks ($2.95)
Where: Belmore Sports Ground
Tip: Cronulla Sharks at $2.95
Match 8: Nth Queensland Cowboys ($1.07) vs Parramatta Eels ($8.50)
Where: 1300 Smiles Stadium
Tip: Nth Queensland Cowboys at $1.07
BONUS: Deposit $50 BET with $200 at CrownBet.com.au – Via this link only!
Multi Bet: Back our Massive Multi at $13.05 with Sportsbet.com.au
All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.
Teams: TBA
Instead of being frustrated by Canberra's merry-go-round of NRL halfbacks, Blake Austin sees it as the perfect chance to take his game to the next level.
The star five-eighth has had three different playmaking partners this season, and on Sunday will combine with a fourth against his former club Penrith at Pepper Stadium.
Josh McCrone will wear the No.7 jersey in the absence of coach Ricky Stuart's first choice Sam Williams, who is sidelined with a pectoral tear for at least another two weeks.
McCrone was picked ahead of Mitch Cornish, who started the year in the halves, and Jack Wighton, who shifted from fullback for last weekend's 21-20 loss to Cronulla.
While the frequent reshuffling has meant extra responsibility, Austin is relishing the opportunity.
"A lot of people had the opinion that I was going to struggle without Sammy and, with the result (against the Sharks), you could probably say we weren't as sharp as we were when Sammy's on the field," Austin told AAP.
"That's the part of my game that I want to keep developing.
"Whoever's beside me isn't going to matter too much.
"I want to take my game to the next step, which is controlling the team and making the right decisions."
The former Penrith and Wests Tigers utility says he realises he's becoming the player the Raiders turn to when in need – something he's never before experienced.
"In teams I've played in the past, I haven't been that player; I'm the player that does the little things for the other guys to step up and make those crucial plays," he said.
"It's about learning my role in the team and I think I'm becoming one of the key players.
"So I'm working hard to make sure I know what to do in those crucial moments."
Kicking was one area the 24-year-old admits he needs to improve, as was learning to properly share the load.
He's confident his partnership with McCrone will work this weekend, even though his three NRL appearances in 2015 were at hooker.
"Macca's a seasoned first-grader and played a lot of games at that level, so he's not going to come in and get overawed or anything like that," he said.
"He's going to be really keen to impress and I'm sure he'll really rise to the occasion of being back in the NRL.
"He'll carry a bit more of that responsibility of leading the team and hopefully allow me to pop up around on the field a little bit more like I was."


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Vigil targets debt reduction, seeks 'moral' federal budget
Credit: Cheryl Senter
EXETER, N.H. — Roughly 50 people gathered Sunday afternoon at Founders Park to hold a vigil in support of a "fair" resolution to the country's deficit woes.
With members of Congress's Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction set to make its recommendations Wednesday to reduce the federal deficit by at least $1.2 trillion in the next decade, the participants of the vigil rallied to gather signatures for a petition asking for fair and just recommendations. The petition will be sent to each member of the supercommittee.
|The article you requested has been archived

subset: commoncrawl


text: Willdan Group, Inc. ("Willdan") (NASDAQ:WLDN) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Willdan Energy Solutions, was awarded a contract for up to $4.6 million as program administrator for the Energy Upgrade Los Angeles - Commercial Initiative. The program incentivizes private financing of comprehensive energy and water system upgrades for Los Angeles commercial buildings while contributing to local job creation. This innovative program, launched by the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles in partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative, will commence in the second quarter of 2011 and will be completed by March 2012, with an option to extend for another year. "This is an exciting opportunity to do what we do best, as energy efficiency and sustainability experts, at a scale that we anticipate will remove approximately 39,720 tons of carbon emissions per year," said WES President Jay Bhalla. "That is tantamount to taking 7,065 cars off the road. It's a real impact." The Energy Upgrade initiative will offer free assessments of savings opportunities, facilitate access to utility incentives and rebates, introduce property owners to retrofit lenders and investors and provide access to a debt-service reserve fund to encourage early adoption. The program will use a new financing vehicle for commercial property owners called PACE, Property-Assessed Clean Energy, which is an "owner-arranged" tax-lien financing model. Individual property owners may negotiate financing from commercial lenders on the terms, scale and schedule that best suit their project, and repay the financing through a contractual assessment on the building's property tax bill. The initiative is part of the California Energy Commission's Energy Upgrade California program, a statewide effort to roll out aggressive utility-incentive packages, pilot innovative financing approaches, and establish a statewide web-based platform that connects users to localized information about all of the relevant available incentives, resources and financing opportunities. "A clear and effective road map coupled with a competent and tested team is critical to successful program implementation," Bhalla said. "We look forward to leveraging our expertise alongside our fellow team members in support of CRA/LA's Energy Upgrade Los Angeles, reducing Los Angeles' carbon footprint while helping local businesses grow and prosper. This is a win-win, for Willdan, residents and businesses of the City of Los Angeles and the entire Southern California region." About Willdan Energy Solutions WES is one of the nation's preeminent providers of specialized energy, water, and resource management services to a growing list of clients that includes utilities, local and federal governments, hospitals, schools and private enterprises. WES's portfolio of services includes marketing and engineering, program management and implementation of energy efficiency and water conservation programs and development and implementation of information systems for the energy industry. WES's expertise also covers hardware retrofits, commissioning and retro-commissioning, demonstrations of new technologies, energy efficiency education/outreach, sustainability strategy and local government partnerships.


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Official Detention of the Dead Website
You know, if your high school years would have taken place during a zombie holocaust, class reunions would be so much more bitchin'! Lock and load, kids! There's another zombedy on the way, and we've got an early look at it for ya!
Alex Craig Mann's Detention of The Dead stars Jacob Zachar, Alexa Nikolas, Christa B. Allen, Jayson Blair, Justin Chon, and Max Adler.
The flick is currently in post-production. Look for more on it soon!
Comedy and horror unite in this "The Breakfast Club" meets "Shaun of the Dead" tale about a group of oddball high school students who find themselves trapped in detention with their classmates having turned into a horde of zombies. Can they put their differences aside and work together to survive the night? Fat chance! This is high school after all.
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Hit the books in the comments section below!


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Veterinary Drugs
Over our more than two decades' experience with drug chemistries, EAG has worked with virtually every type of veterinary medicine and feed additive for livestock and companion animals. We provide NADA-and INAD-enabling, registration, and post-commercialization support and lifecycle management of veterinary medicines, pesticides, parasiticides, and other therapies, including biologics. EAG scientists have helped many companies like yours answer challenging development questions, respond to regulators and uncover sources of problematic manufacturing issues regarding veterinary drugs.
How do you adhere meet the myriad of regulations required for veterinary drugs? Turn to EAG. WE KNOW HOW.
- Chemistry, manufacturing & controls (cGMP): Comprehensive analytical support and quality control for API and drug product under cGMP including analytical method development and validation; raw material and component testing; registration stability and post-marketing programs; reference standard management; QC release testing; and full extractables and leachables programs
- Trace analysis & structural chemistry: In-house expertise in the isolation, identification and characterization of trace impurities to support stability programs, degradation pathway studies, compliant sample testing, and product and process investigations
- Research, safety, residues and efficacy studies: Bioanalytical method development and validation in tissues; ADME/ Mass Balance studies; metabolite identification and dose formulation
- Animal metabolism: GLP-compliant plant and animal metabolism services required to demonstrate safety, distribution and metabolism of chemical substances, including bioaccumulation and the radiochromatographic profiling, isolation and identification of metabolites
- Radiolabeling & custom synthesis: Stable-label, radiolabel, and custom synthesis; cGMP/GLP radiolabeling in support of DMPK, ADME and mass balance studies; reference standard synthesis; with dedicated analytical support for generation of certificates of analysis
- Environmental assessments: The full package of required product chemistry, ecotoxicology and environmental fate testing, including synthesis of 3H or 14C-labeled materials for metabolism studies required to understand the environmental impacts of livestock medicines and certain other animal health products
- Litigation support: Supporting manufacturers of veterinary drugs when issues of patent litigation, product liability or insurance defense arise.


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Bill Jacklin studied graphics in Walthamstow, London, and worked as a graphic designer before turning to painting in the early 1960s, studying at the Royal College of Art. Initially concerned with abstraction, in the mid-1970s Jacklin started to focus on figurative work, and principally on depicting light and movement. Jacklin moved to New York in 1985 and the city plays a starring role in many of his works, in particular his atmospheric images of ice skaters – his early training in graphics is evident in the bold, striking patterns he draws from the chaos of urban life. Encompassing a range of techniques, including etching and monoprints, Jacklin's prolific output ranges from 'urban portraits' of the artist's adopted home to snow scenes and seascapes that capture the elemental drama of nature. This authoritative collection is a masterclass in evoking atmosphere, movement and space through printmaking.
Read our review of Bill Jacklin's book.
Hardback: 160 pages
Dimensions: 245 x 289mm
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… than the NSA because it has access to more damning and comprehensive information. Schmidt reveals that Google's concern for the privacy of its users has prevented the company from rolling out technologies they have worked on, such as facial recognition systems. Making a mistake with the release of such technology would be a "real disaster…


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Chocodiles (Cookie bars)
READY IN: 45mins
Recipe by Barbs Miller
These take me back to my childhood. My mother would make these ahead of time and put in the freezer. We would raid the freezer and she'd end up having to make more! They are crunchy and yummy!
Ingredients Nutrition
- 709.77 ml sifted flour
- 295.73 ml brown sugar, packed
- 118.29 ml butter
- 118.29 ml Crisco shortening
- 78.07 ml peanut butter, crunchy
- 1.23 ml salt
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 4.92 ml vanilla
- 473.18 ml semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 236.59 ml crunchy peanut butter
- 709.77 ml corn flakes
Directions See How It's Made
- On low speed, mix first 6 ingredients until there are course crumbs.
- Add beaten egg yolk and vanilla, mix well.
- Firmly press into ungreased jelly roll pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cool slightly and spread topping on top.
- TOPPING: Melt chocolate chips in double boiler until smooth.
- Add crunchy peanut butter, stirring until smooth.
- Fold in Corn Flakes and coat all pieces.
- Spread evenly over cooled cookie base.
- Allow to harden then cut into bars.


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The North Essex Camp Fund, an annual program of the United Way of North Essex which raises funds to send underprivileged children to camp, has launched its2001 campaign. This year's goal, announced Camp Fund Coordinator Gene Young, is $32,000. "Due to the wonderful generosity of the people of the North Essex community," said Young, "last year's Camp Fund went over goal. Based on that success, we have made this year's goal $32,000, which will give over 200 needy children awonderful camp experience that could change their lives." She noted that last year's coverage has gone directly to this year's Camp Fund, and that 100 percentof all money raised is used to finance "camperships" for local youngsters. None of that money, she emphasized, is used to cover administrative costs.
Each year, the North Essex Camp Fund sends children from financially strapped families living in the Caldwells, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Livingston, Montclair, Roseland and Verona for a two-week visit to camp. "The children we help through the Camp Fund come from all walks of life," explained Young. "Some simply cannot afford camp and would otherwise be left to fend for themselves during the long summer days. Others have troubled home lives and would benefit immensely from the stability and friendship offered by the camp experience. The common link, of course, is that they all live right here in the North Essex area, and they all need our help."
Young concluded by noting, "Our goal is ambitious, but we're confident the good people of North Essex will come through for such a worthy cause. Please, make a difference in a young child's life, and send a contribution today."Donations to the North Essex Camp Fund are tax-deductible and may be sent to the Fund at the United Way of North Essex Building, 60 S. Fullerton Ave., Montclair, N.J., 07042. For more information, call 746-4040.


text:
Do you want to edit service description of an existing service? Follow the steps below:
1. Login using the Sign-In button on top right.
2. Go to Services tab
3. Navigate and choose the service you want to edit
On the service page, you will see an 'Edit' button on top. (Note: This is only visible if you are logged in as Nutritionist in the eClinic)
Click on the edit button, and you will get pop-up as below. Make changes as desired, and click save.
Once you click save, the changes would be saved


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Butterick 7518; ca. early to mid 1950s; Perky Teen Dress: Back Closing. Made-to-have-fun-in ... (A) Short-sleeved dress: contrast Peter Pan collar, gay border print skirt. (B) Contrast Peter Pan collar and cuffs, below-elbow sleeves. (C) Puffed sleeved version, contrast collar, skirt sections.
Links to reviews/blog posts Edit
Sources/Vendors Edit
Gallery Edit
[insert your photos of this pattern made up]
Wishlist Edit
[insert your username, and make sure your preferences allow for people to contact you via e-mail. Do not list your email address here!]


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Hotel Astory
Nádražní 26, Plzeň
(vo vzdialenosti 1,2 kmod Plavecký areál Plzeň - Slovany)
The four-star A-story Hotel is located near the center of Pilsen and the main city roads. It offers luxury accommodation in the perfectly designed rooms appreciated by both ordinary tourists and even the most demanding clientele.
- Internet zadarmo
- Raňajky v cene
- Parkovanie
- Domáce zvieratá
- Posledná rezervácia: 1 deň


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Author | Priyanka Mehra | Monday, May 12,2014 9:33 AM
The collapse of the $35 billion merger deal between Publicis Groupe and Omnicom Group, announced last week, has elicited sharp reactions from the advertising industry around the world.
As is known, the deal has been called off a little over nine months after Publicis and Omnicom announced plans to team up in what was termed as "merger of equals".
Publicis Groupe and Omnicom said that the decision to call off the deal was mutual, following "difficulties in completing the transaction within a reasonable timeframe". Both the parties have released each other from all obligations with respect to the proposed transaction, and no termination fees will be payable by either party.
The failure of the mega marriage vindicates what Sir Martin Sorrell had predicted last year, when he termed it as 'POG' and called it "a merger of unequals".
In July last year, Paris-based Publicis and New York-based Omnicom came together, in a gigantic move that was perceived by the media industry as an attempt to become number one , a place occupied by WPP. Sir Martin unhesitatingly remained unaffected and cited reasons why the merger would fail at the exchange4media Conclave last September.
Confused Leadership?
These seemed to be a lack of clarity in leadership to begin with, felt Sir Martin. Questions like – Who will be the new CEO? How can the Co-CEO structure be maintained? How will the dual-management structure function? – remained unanswered.
The merger was not merely of two networks, but two disparate nations and cultures. Could Maurice Lévy, a French man and CEO of Publicis, work in harmony with American John D Wren, CEO of Omnicom Group. The personalities of the new Co-CEOs were indeed very different. "The organisational structure, where there is a co-chairman or rotating chairman, won't last," Sir Martin had predicted.
Ambiguity in the location of the new CEO
Since the Omnicom Group is an American global advertising, marketing and corporate communications holding company, headquartered in New York City, while Publicis Groupe is a French multinational advertising and public relations company, headquartered in Paris, where would the headquarters ultimately be? Would this mean that the French iconic company is being handed over to the Americans or is it the other way round, asked Sir Martin.
Would the all important clients and employees be happy with this marriage?
According to the WPP Chief, clients and employees have not been articulated the benefits. There was a vacuum in explaining the deal to internal and external customers.
This seems like a classic case of 'I told you so', but did Sir Martin expect the merger to be called off so soon?
"We thought that it would at least last till July, but the pressures were so intense. They were losing clients and people, the strategy was not thought through well, as predicted, there were people and client issues. Both companies have been saying they are both independently strong, which brings us to the question of 'why bother to come together at all?' The way things have panned out must have cost them over a $100 million, it reflects on the quality of decision making," he observed, speaking to exchange4media exclusively post the announcement of the failure of POG.
In the meanwhile, WPP has by no means lost any time and has accelerated its targets in fast growth markets from 40 per cent to 45 per cent, simultaneously keeping a steady momentum small- and medium-sized deals. "A merger cannot take place for emotional or egotistical reasons, strategic rationale, good planning and execution are must, and your eyes are not bigger than your tummy," concluded Sir Martin on the learnings from the failure of POG.
No guesses on who is having the last laugh on the failure of this mega marriage.
Programming HeadRadio Mango


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MakaiWiki at Wikia
Welcome to the Ghoul Newbie Section!
So, you wish to contribute to this little wiki? That's very nice :) Here are some little instructions wich will help you to get started with the creation and edition of an article.
Create an account
First, if you don't have an account on Wikia, check here [1] and make one, hurry!
How to create an article
First off, you may use the Search feature (to your left) and write there the name of your future article. If by casually someone else wrote an article with matches the same name as the one you wanted to create, and you see that the one wich appeared isn't related to our MakaiWiki, then, try to do another search and vary slightly the name of your article, for example:
- You want to write an article about Arthur, but someone else already did an article with the same name, and isn't related to none of the games nor the MakaiWiki itself. You may put on the Search bar Arthur (Makaimura), Sir Arthur or Arthur (Capcom) instead.
If you found a red article, nice fetch! You can edit it and create your own very article with the name you searched :D
How to create a category
Sometimes you may want to create a special section just for your own articles, for example, if you wrote articles about the youkai monsters inside all the games but you want them to be linked to a previous category called "Japanese folklore monsters", where all the youkai will be listed, then you may put in the Search bar Category:Japanese folklore monsters. If there is no previous category with that same name, you are lucky, but if there is one already wrote by another author, you may change the name of the Search to, for example Category:Japanese Folk Monsters or Category:Youkai Monsters. In order to create the category, on every article you wrote you need to add (no matter where, it will be invisible once you save the page):
But within brackets "[[]]" Then the articles will be added automatically to that category, and the category will be created on the spot.
Before going creating articles, categories and such
You must to put this simple code over every article and category you create:
After this little code, you can write your stuff happily. This code links your article to the MakaiWiki, so, is necessary to don't skip this if you want to have it published on the wiki in the future.
That's enough by now. You can edit and create your own articles by yourself heeding these simple rules and tips. The icons over your edit-box while creating and editing articles shall help you creating bold, italic, headers, links and more. They are like the tools on every forum board :P Enjoy!
If you want to ask something, and you are registered, try to leave your question on the Discussion tab, here [2]


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:||: Land of Mine :||:
In the days following the surrender of Germany in May 1945 a group of young German prisoners of war was handed over to the Danish authorities and subsequently sent out to the West Coast, where they were ordered to remove the more than two million mines that the Germans had placed in the sand along the coast. With their bare hands, crawling around in the sand, the boys were forced to perform the dangerous work under the leadership of the Danish sergeant, Carl Leopold Rasmussen.
Untuk Lebih Jelas.. Langsung Saja Nonton Film Land of Mine.. Selamat Menonton Guys.. Jangan Lupa Share Ke Account Social Media Kamu..
Nonton Land of Mine Subtitle Indonesia. Film Land of Mine Berkualitas Terbaik Tanpa Logo Yang Dapat Menganggu Menonton Anda. Cara Menonton TV Online atau Streaming Video Sangat Mudah dan GRATIS. Seperti Nonton Streaming Video Di Youtube.
Nonton Streaming Film Bioskop Online Drama Subtitle Indonesia, Nonton Online, Nonton Streaming, Subtitle Indonesia, Download Gratis. NONTON HEMAT GRATIS DI Nomat21.NET | nonton streaming, nonton online, download film gratis, nonton drama, subtitle indonesia.
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Though I wrote about buying produce and discovering incredible falafel at Haymarket, it occurs to me that I haven't mentioned what we cooked last night. So. Here's a question: what do you get when you leave the Basil Queen and the Popcorn Ball Princess in a kitchen with ten artichokes, eight lemons, two pomegranates, and a bushel of basil?
A. Really sour artichoke stew.
B. A regrettable attempt at trendy salad.
C. Artichoke-lemon-pomegranate-basil pesto.
D. None of the above.
The answer, fortunately, is D. We're not that crazy. We made steamed artichokes with sharp lemon hollandaise, angel hair pasta dressed with basil-almond pesto, and basil puree to freeze for the winter. The pomegranates we saved to eat plain. We were joined in our feasting by Matt, who contributed a nice Australian chardonnay to the repast.*
(Sorry, no photos. I forgot to ask Matt to bring his camera, and Bella has lost hers.)
Strictly speaking, it is not prime artichoke season. Artichokes are at their best during the beginning of spring. They are harvested in mid-autumn, however, and when you love artichokes as much as I do, you won't think twice about what you're having for dinner when you see a stall selling five for $2. The only question will be whether or not you have a pot large enough to steam ten of them at once.
I find that artichokes make for fantastic snacking - I lived in a co-op during my senior year of college, and when I wrote my honors thesis, I'd often kick off an all-nighter by getting out the steamer basket. I usually eat them plain, but I know most people like them with sauce.
If you're going to go to the trouble of making sauce for your artichokes, you might as well go the whole hog and make hollandaise. Classic hollandaise is delicate and creamy with a slight lemony flavor - and this is what you want if you're making eggs Benedict or poached sole - but for artichokes, I like something sharper.
Really Sharp Non-Classic Lemon Hollandaise
I learned to make lemon curd before I learned to make hollandaise sauce, and I tend to think of it as being a bit like lemon curd without the sugar. This is modelled directly on a lemon curd recipe from Gourmet, and effectively flips the flavor profile of classic hollandaise. Instead of "buttery, with a tang," it's "zing, tempered by butter."
(Not a recipe for one. It doesn't reheat very well. This probably makes enough for fourteen or sixteen artichokes.)
Juice enough fresh lemons to produce one third of a cup of lemon juice. Top off with enough tarragon white wine vinegar to make a half cup of liquid. Set aside. Get three-quarters of a stick of chilled butter (six tablespoons) and cut it into six pieces. Set aside.
Take two eggs and two egg yolks, and whisk them in a bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Add the lemon-vinegar mixture bit by bit. Keep whisking, and remove the bowl from heat if it looks like you might be in danger of making scrambled eggs. Eventually, sometime after your arm has gone numb, the mixture will start to thicken. Remove from heat when the whisk leaves a trail in the sauce. Whisk in the butter one piece at a time, until fully incorporated. Add a little salt to taste.
Serve immediately with artichokes. It's also nice over grilled salmon.
*Artichokes do things to the tastebuds. Water tastes sweeter, as does wine. This is very bad for red wine, but not quite as awful for white. The wine Matt brought, an unoaked chardonnay from Wishing Tree, was pretty forgiving.


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|By The Bos
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|Fugitive Part 2
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Fugitive Part 2 is the sixth chapter of Mysteries of My Past.
Shenji and his prisonmates try to find a way to escape, while Kuro encounters an unexpected ally.
Indignant Determination
"What do you mean 'No one has ever escaped'?" Shenji asks, shocked.
"As in, no one has ever escaped," Kuan reiterates, putting emphasis on the statement. "Everyone who has tried has been discovered and killed before their attempt. They say that death is the only way out," he says, his voice fading.
"My friend used to always tell me that if you are closed in on all sides, go up."
Shenji looks at Gahn with a clearly bamboozled expression. Sensing Shenji's confusion, Kuan offers a way out. "Yeah, I don't understand half the stuff he says either. What is it supposed to mean?"
"It means that we need to keep trying. I am sad to say I never thought of that in my years in here. While no one has made it out of here before it can't be impossible."
"But how exactly are we going to get out?"
"The Fire Nation is always a step ahead. They knew I was an Earthbender, so they put me in a metal prison. They knew that Kuan was a Waterbender, so they bound his limbs so he couldn't pull the water from the air to use. There's got to be something they haven't thought of."
"I can say I don't know much about who I am; I can't tell you where I grew up, who my parents were, or why I joined the fight against the savages, but I can tell you that I know I'm not a person who gives up. If death is the only way out, then we'll take some soldiers with us too. We have to keep trying."
Clash of Motives
Right after Shenji was carried away, Kuro began following his captors through the forest. Eventually arriving at the soldier's camp, he watched helplessly as they carried Shenji's body into a building. While scoping out the building, he sees the soldiers leave, again carrying Shenji's body like it was a trophy. "Scum," Kuro mutters under his breath. The soldiers bring Shenji's body close to the center of the camp, leaving Kuro behind the trees at the outskirts. He loses track of the group in the crowd of other soldiers in camp, forcing the distraught Earthbender to retreat from the perimeter.
Finding himself in a clearing, Kuro crouches down behind a tree in order to hide himself from nearby soldiers. He begins wracking his brain to figure out a way to get his friend to freedom. A direct assault would make him a walking target for the various invaders around him; doing nothing was a death warrant for Shenji. As he sat and waited, he heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. Kuro quickly rolled behind the tree in order to figure out who had entered the area. "I know someone's there," a voice called sternly.
"Come out in peace and this will be easier for both of us." Kuro inched across the ground, hoping to get a good enough angle to see who was there. Hearing more movement, Kuro moved back behind his makeshift shield, having only seen green on the other side of the tree.
Kuro moved to the other side, silently moving until he could see the figure that was forcing his concealment. He first notices the wide frame; atypical of Fire Nation soldiers. From there, Kuro noticed that the soldier was not from the Fire Nation, but rather a member of his old unit. "Luo?" Kuro mutters unintentionally in recognition of his comrade.
Kuro's outburst was more than just rhetoric; Luo was able to hone in on the sound. From behind the tree, Kuro was launched into the air until he fell on the ground in the center of the clearing. "There you are, Kuro. How goes the deserting?"
Rising to his feet, Kuro stares at a former ally with contempt. "I don't have time for this now, Luo. Go back to your rule following and leave me be."
"Quite the contrary... I'm following my orders right now. I'm here to bring you back," he says, menacingly dragging his foot back to signal his readiness for battle. Kuro, on the other hand, launched the first strike. He quickly widened his stance and thrust his arms into the air. Small rocks begin rising from the ground, creating a semi-solid mass of earth under Kuro's control. Kuro quickly slid his foot back and thrust his palm forward. The rising pillars of earth made a sharp turn and began plummeting towards Luo. Luo, in turn, ducked and smashed his fists into the earth, raising a sheet of earth that blocked the incoming strike. When his danger had been averted, Luo kicks the slab, sending the entire sheet towards Kuro as an attack.
Kuro waited until the rock was within striking distance before taking action. As it approached, he punched the tablet, splitting Luo's attack in half. As Kuro moved to strike again, Luo set a trap. Before Kuro's foot struck the ground, Luo slid his foot across the ground and sharply jerked it back. A hole appeared right below Kuro's foot, surrounding the Earthbender's foot after it entered.
With his foot caught, Kuro could do nothing more than struggle while Luo paced closer. "Now, where is your friend?"
"If you had let me finish, I would have told you that he got captured," Kuro says spitefully.
"Captured by who?"
"The Fire Nation! They're going to kill him if we don't rescue him! That's why I'm here and that's why I'm not going with you!" Kuro announces, shattering the ground around his foot and sending a boulder hurling towards Luo. Standing his ground, Luo shatters the stone in front of him, making the dust fall to the ground around him.
"If I helped you, would you come with me?" Luo asks, relaxing his stance.
"Why would you help me?" Kuro retorts.
"I don't want to be here. I don't want to be fighting you. I got drafted into the Army and my term is almost up. This mission is going to be one of my last. I don't want to spend more time in the Army than I have to. My Uncle Lao said he'd be able to set up a new life for me once I finished my service. I want nothing more than a life away from violence and bloodshed. I want to believe that this mission is one of my last; that if I finish this, I'll be able to go home."
"What if taking us back leads to more missions? What if you have to stay longer?"
"I need to believe this, Kuro. I want to see my family again, I want to be able to wake up and not fear for their lives..."
Kuro finally relented from his stance, having stood firm waiting for an inevitable attack. "You know Luo, we're more alike than I thought. You just want your loved ones safe. I want everyone in the Earth Kingdom to be able to sleep soundly like that! I want mothers to not fear every knock at their door because it might be the one telling her that her son died. I want younger brothers to always have their older brother as a role model. I'd do anything to get that serene peace again; fight, rescue... or kill."
"But you don't believe that your own government has the best interests of the people at heart?"
"Whether they do or don't is irrelevant to me. What I know is that there are issues that must be dealt with individually. Like Shenji! The military wouldn't authorize a mission to rescue one soldier! But I'm willing to sacrifice anything to rescue him because it's the right thing to do! That's why we left!" Kuro's tone was near screaming; Luo could see a throbbing vein on his forehead. Kuro was not one to have his motives questioned, but Luo decided to use his passion against him.
"You really want him back?" Luo asks calmly.
"I already lost one friend to the Fire Nation. I won't let it happen again," Kuro somberly replied, turning his head slightly as a tear trickled down his face.
Without a second's pause, Luo unfolds his plan. "I'll help you."
"If I help you, will you come back with me?"
After thinking for a moment, Kuro nods his head slowly. "Yes; we will." With that, the unlikely pair set out on a mission to rescue someone who was both a friend and a trophy; a prize and a companion. Kuro lead Luo back towards the Fire Nation's campsite, stopping to point out key buildings he remembered from his stakeout. "And that," Kuro says, pointing towards a metal building in the center of the camp with a look of fury in his eye, "is the prison. It's where they're keeping Shenji. The problem is that I don't know how to get in there."
"Did you try underground?"
The plan was so obvious Kuro had overlooked it. "Wow... having you around was a good idea after all." After analyzing the plan again, Kuro found its flaw. Wait, how are we going to get in there? The building's made of metal; we can't tunnel in!"
"Hmm..." Luo mutters, cupping his chin in thought. "I've got a plan," he announces. "If we could sneak in, then we could get them."
"How are we going to sneak in? With the first sight of our armor, we'll be deflecting fire balls from all directions!"
"That's why we don't just walk in in our Earth Kingdom clothes. We find their armory, and take theirs. We get into the prison, set Shenji free, give him some armor, and walk out."
"That sounds too simple to work, but we can always fight our way out."
"Didn't you just say that you couldn't make it through the camp alone?"
"No, I said we couldn't make it to the prison and back. We can make it out quickly, but we just need to make it look like we're taking him somewhere. The Fire Nation likes executions, right?"
"Okay, so that's our cover. Do you want to go first?" Luo says, having removed his outer armor and set it on the ground. He planted his foot firmly in the ground and twisted his hand, causing a hole to grow out of the earth in front of him. Kuro motioned for Luo to go first as he shed his armor as well, placing both sets near a tree in order to conceal them. By the time he looked back, Luo had sunk into the ground, giving the remaining soldier the indication that it was time to move on.
Leaping into the hole and sealing its entrance, Kuro follows the tunnel Luo made while he was hiding its existence. "How do you know where you're going?"
"Just trust me on this one. I don't know why, but I can kind of feel where the buildings are above us. It's like seeing through the earth. I can't explain it."
"Odd. You should probably get that checked out," Kuro says calmly while looking around through the darkness.
"Well, we might as well go with it, since we have no other indication," Luo rationally states. Lacking a better option, Kuro sighs in agreement, giving his unnecessary consent. The rest of the journey, taking roughly five minutes, was spent in silence. When Kuro finally saw light again, it was the dim flickering of a few torches illuminating several shelves of military paraphernalia. Each shelf was lined with a copious amount of armor, helmets, clothes and boots, making the Earthbenders' job of blending in too easy.
Quickly trying on their disguises, the pair sealed the tunnel used to enter the room. "Problem," Kuro says.
"What now?" Luo replies, not believing something could be going wrong already.
"How are we going to get the armor to Shenji? We can't just walk in and say we've got armor for the prisoner!"
After a few moments of thought, Luo comes up with an idea. "We go in, get him out, and lead him out of the camp as if he's a prisoner!"
"Not sure how we can convince him to go along with it, but it's the best we've got." The two walk out of the building cautiously,
only relaxing after seeing that no one in the camp took the time to notice them. "This could be easier than I thought," Kuro
"Don't go ahead of yourself. We could always have some sort of problem," Luo reminds him as they continue walking through the camp.
The camp, Kuro was surprised to find, happened to be teaming with soldiers relaxing and making conversation, much like his own unit.
The laughter on the soldier's faces was new to Kuro; he always saw them as their skull-themed faceplate; an anonymous enforcer of the Fire Lord's whims. Happiness and humor was not what he was taught to expect when faced with Fire Nation soldiers.
"This shouldn't be happening. The Fire Nation is supposed to be, I don't know, killing people in their spare time. They're not supposed to have lives!"
"My dad always said that life happens wherever you are. The Fire Nation has people too, most of them just seem to not have hearts," Luo blandly states as they approach the prison. Three men guard the prison door, seeming to be in conversation between each other about a topic neither Earthbender particularly cared about. Approaching the three, Luo is the first to speak. "Hey there guys," he says in a lax tone atypical of the strictly disciplined soldier. "You got a lucky break. The General sent us to take over your shift."
"Really?" one asks, pushing off of the side of the building he was leaning against. "That's not like General Mung."
Having picked up on the ruse, Kuro steps in. "Hey, if you want to keep working, go ahead. We don't know why he decided to have us come here, but you got off early today."
Another soldier who resembled the first approached him and tapped him on the back. "Yeah, lighten up Tazo. Today is just our lucky day. Now let's go relax before Jidui finds us another job!"
"Fine. Let's go Inata," he says, turning his head back towards the final soldier, who simply nods and begins on his way. Tazo and the other soldier follow, with Tazo and the first soldier waving and signaling their thanks for an unexpected break. After they were far out of sight, and when no other soldiers were paying attention, the Earthbenders snuck into the metal box.
The three prisoners sat within their confines; none making a sound. Each man was deep in thought, hoping to find a way to bring freedom to his friends. Gahn sat against the wall with his eyes closed, a tranquil demeanor emanating from him. On the other side of the building, Kuan was still unable to move. His mental activity was making up for his lack of motion; his eyes quickly darted from one part of the room to another as he attempted to formulate a master strategy. Shenji casually drifted from one possibility to the next; his thoughts never lingered on a single possibility for more than a few moments, as he felt each idea was too ineffective. He was briefly distracted by the conversation outside the building, but could not, as usual, discern what was being said. After giving up on listening, Shenji stared at the bars to his side. The soldier let his head fall back, striking his skull on the cold metal behind him. The headache was nothing compared to the pain of lethargy. Shenji thirsted for more; knew he could do more. Despite his desires, he was pent up in a cage for the pleasure of invading barbarians. Having spent a relative eternity reflecting on their options, Shenji decided it was time the group pooled their ideas as a sort of springboard. "So, anyone got anything?"
"Nope," Kuan bitterly says, turning his head towards the two Earth Kingdom soldiers.
"I have not made any progress in our escape attempt, but I have realized that my recent back problems have been from sitting against the bars instead of the wall. Shenji, I'd recommend moving," he calmly says with a smile.
"Don't worry, he does that a lot," Kuan says to a disappointed Shenji. "But I'm confident that he'll come up with the idea that will get us out of here."
The group's plotting was cut short by the door screeching open. Shenji cringed at the horrid noise, while the other two prisoners simply closed their eyes slightly. Curious as to who entered yet cautious as to not seem suspicious, Shenji turned slowly. His vision was simply unreal. "So, Shenji, ready to get out of here?" Kuro asks, his familiar face grinning. Shenji is taken aback by the sudden entrance of his friend, rendering him unable to breath for a few moments. When he is finally able to gasp his needed air, Kuro takes it upon himself to explain. "I know, you're wondering how we got here. Pretty much, we stole some uniforms and walked on in here. Now we're getting you out!"
The prisoners watched in silence as their liberators located the keys to their freedom. As they approached his cell, Shenji realized that he must act on behalf of his friends. "Let them out too," he says, gesturing towards the cells on either side of him.
"Yeah, please do," Kuan says from his cell.
"I hadn't even noticed them there," Kuro replies. "Are you sure it's a good idea?"
"More sure of this than anything we're doing," Shenji assertively states. "They're coming with us." Kuro nods, accepting Shenji's judgment without a second thought. He releases Shenji first, then moving on and opening Gahn's cell.
"You're finally free, sir."
Standing up and exiting the cell, Shenji notes a subtle joy in the man's movements. "Thank you, sir, for risking your life to rescue your friend from this prison. I can be honest when I say that it will take that kind of valor to finally win this war." Shenji takes the keys and unlocks Kuan's cell, approaching the bound Waterbender with the key to his freedom.
With a few swift turns of the key, Kuan was standing on his own feet for the first time in a year. Though he first doubled over, he was quickly invigorated enough to stand alone. "How are we getting out?" the Waterbender asks while rubbing his wrists.
"Well, we only brought enough clothes for one person's disguise."
Kuan leans backwards, stretching and letting out a loud groan. "We should have Gahn do it."
"Any reason?" Luo asks skeptically. "I don't want this plan to crash and burn on a whim."
"Look at him; he could pass for an officer. He can walk around with an official and dignified air, and we can use his authority to lead us out. Trust me, I've had to get out of my share of sticky situations. I think he's the man for the job."
Bowing to show reverence, Luo poses the offer. "Sir, do you want to do this? If not, I'm sure we can come up with another plan."
"I've been saying this a lot, but I'm no sir. And if it helps you all out, it'll be my honor." With that, Luo and Kuro pulled out all Fire Nation clothing they could spare and gave it to the aging Earthbender.
After he was fully prepared, Gahn was in perfect disguise. "I know he's Earth Kingdom, but I still want to start attacking him," Kuro muttered to Shenji, who then realized the plan was ready for action.
"Now what do we do?" Gahn asked in a deeper, more imposing voice.
"Now we're just going to walk out quietly."
Kuro's eyes lit up with alarm. "That's never going to work! You said you had a plan!"
Luo turns his head back, whispering harshly to detract attention. "I said I had a plan to get us in, not to get us out. I guess we'll have to play this by ear..."
"I take it these friends of yours are not the best at planning?" Kuan whispers to Shenji.
"Only one of them is my friend, really. But no, he's not the best at planning."
"We're all going to die in the middle of a Fire Nation camp," Kuan blandly states, preparing to leave.
"All right, then," Luo states. "For this to work, it's going to need to be convincing. Kuro and I will walk behind each of you, with our officer in front. He'll handle any questions we have from any soldiers. We just need to get to the outside of the camp as quickly as we can."
Escape Route
Having found two sets of handcuffs in the jail, Luo and Kuro placed them around Kuan and Shenji's wrists, locking them but keeping the keys in each soldier's hand. Kuan's idea was to create the illusion of stability, but keep the pair's reactive potential against threats. "Let's just go," Kuan says blandly. After taking a deep breath, Gahn opens the door and takes his first step into sunlight in years. He is followed by Shenji, who is being escorted by Kuro. Luo is holding Kuan in a similar fashion as the group of five continues through the camp. The Fire Nation soldiers pay more attention this time, as prisoners going out are usually a sign of an execution. Some look with a smile as Kuan glances menacingly towards them. "Scum," the Waterbender mutters under his breath.
As Gahn walks turns around a corner, he encounters a burly man whose large sideburns were an indication of both his temper and his size. Gahn moves to pass the soldier, but is verbally stopped. "Soldier, how dare you disrespect your general in such a manner."
Gahn enters into a deep bow, clenching his fist into his palm as his torso descends to show respect. "My apologies, sir. I must have been thinking of something else. Please accept my condolences for my trespass."
"Be thankful for my mercy. Ensure it doesn't happen again." Gahn bows again as the General paces past, leaving his aides in the dust.
As he passes the corner, he sees the prisoners. "What are you doing out of here?" he exclaims in fear.
"Hi there, Mung," Kuan darkly says, his sneer growing as he witnesses the General's terror.
"You were locked away! You were going to be shipped to the Fire Nation!" he says, backing up slowly, clearly mortified at his current foe.
"No one is going to control where I go anymore," Kuan announces, turning the key and letting his shackles fall to the ground. Pulling his arms up vertically in front of him, Kuan tears water from the plant life around him, creating a stream of water pulsating diagonally around his torso. The Waterbender performs a cartwheel, vaulting over Mung's motionless body while spreading his hands.
Water expanded down upon the Fire Nation General, forcing him onto his knees and freezing most of his body in place. With his remaining water, Kuan forms a blade extending five inches past his clenched hand. "You are going to pay for what you have done," he informs the stunned Firebender. Approaching from behind, Kuan places the makeshift blade under Mung's right eye. "You're going to wish you had been honest for the first time in your life," he whispers, before plunging the blade into his face. Ignoring Mung's screams, Kuan carves a large arc in the Firebender's face. The blade itself chipped, prompting a quick pause to refine the blade.
In the seconds that it took Kuan to incapacitate Mung, the prison escapees were surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers. "No mercy to traitors!" Luo and Kuro turned to protect the weaponless Shenji as the Firebenders began to attack, raising an earth shield to defend him before attacks came his way. The Earth Kingdom soldiers were wise to have begun fortifications, as the Firebenders attacked immediately. Luo began the first retaliation, sending several stones at each grouping of soldiers. While several are stalled by the attack, more continue their onslaught.
Three soldiers leap forward and combine attacks, the center soldier letting out a ferocious cry as his blast blazes forward.
Following their model, Kuro and Luo raise a thick slab of rock to block the attack. Kuro parts the stone slab and smashes his fist into the ground, creating pillars in the ground that knock the three attackers into soldiers behind them. "Now, run!" Luo orders, smashing a fist into the ground, turning the raised stone into scattering rocks the size of pebbles that took out several nearby Fire Nation soldiers.
"Why didn't you ever do that during a battle?" Kuro asked as he begins running through the hole in the soldiers.
"I didn't know it would work!" he replies, pulling Shenji along with him.
"Good to know it did," Shenji adds, leaning down and picking up an unconscious soldier's spear. Approaching a corner, they see Gahn defeating the final man in a group of seven soldiers. With a swift elbow to the face, Gahn incapacitates the final soldier, turning and surveying his surroundings as his opponent falls to the ground.
"Is it time to go?" Gahn asks with a smile.
"Yeah, and we're only going to find more trouble if we wait up!" Luo shoots back, motioning for the false Fire Nation officer to move on.
Final Detour
The soldiers sprint out of camp, using their bending to defeat startled guards. The soldiers would come out of an alley, shocked to see prisoners sprinting out of the campsite, only to be met with a fierce water whip or miniature landslide. "Which way is out?"
Shenji asks, knowing nothing about the campsite's layout.
"Don't ask me, the camp has changed a lot since I've been locked away!" Gahn replies with a chuckle. "Wouldn't your friends know about how to get out?" he adds.
"We came in underground. We have as much of an idea as anyone else," Kuro answers. The Earthbender nearly runs into Luo, who had stopped at a clearing. Three soldiers, the same ones that were guarding the prison earlier, stand and approach the escaped prisoners.
"What are you doing with the prisoners?" the first soldier asks. He wore a scowl, infuriated that his trust had been breached.
The silent guard was the first to respond, having already analyzed the situation. "They were never Fire Nation soldiers. They came to get their friend, and they're trying to get out before they get stopped. Pity their plan won't work," he says with a grin, uncharacteristic of his usual apathy.
"Then it's simple," the final soldier replies. "We've got to stop them. Inata," he says, gesturing to the large soldier, who nods. "and Tazo," he says, turning to a soldier he resembled. "Who gets the first honors?" he says with a smile. Inata ignored the young soldier's offering and thrust his fists forward, sending two jets of fire Luo and Kuan. Luo stomps and raises his right hand, lifting a diagonal slab of earth to block both blasts.
Kuan vaults over the raised slab and tears water from the surrounding bushes, using his new arsenal to unleash a spike rain on the Fire Nation soldiers. Tazo ran to the front of the group and surrounded his friends in a dome of fire, melting the ice and protecting the soldiers within. When the inferno cleared, the youngest soldier sprinted forward with a sword in hand, a powerful mental rush enhancing his natural speed.
Taking his new spear, Shenji moved out to the side in order to divide the styles of combat. Shenji assumes his stance sees the swordsman change course to approach him instead. When he was within range, Shenji used the spear to sweep his enemy's feet from under him. The swordsman avoided the blow, leaping into the air and slashing at Shenji's neck. After backpedaling to dodge, Shenji stops and stabs at his foe with the blade. Shenji's spear is deflected by his enemy's sword, leaving both soldiers open for attack. Shenji makes use of the situation, taking the opportunity to kick the swordsman in the center of his torso. As he falls, the swordsman catches Shenji's leg, taking him down as well.
Kuan and Kuro had teamed up on Inata, while Luo and Gahn fought Tazo. Each Firebender proved to be his own challenge; Inata's ferocious attacks kept Kuro on the defensive while evaporating most of Kuan's water and Tazo's skill outmatched the rusty Earthbender so much Luo had to keep watch over him during the battle. Kuan swiped his ice daggers at Inata's face, hoping to defeat the Firebender through physical incapacitation. Inata, however, sent small fire blasts that intentionally melted Kuan's ice before it hit its mark. Kuro launched several attacks at the Firebender, each either dodged or deflected. While Kuan began distracting Inata, Kuro began sent earthen columns at the raging Firebender. Removing his attention from Kuan, the large Firebender rolls out of the way to avoid the series of attacks intended for him. Instead of continuing on frivolously, they had an unintended side effect.
From the corner of his eye, Tazo sees a horrific sight. Kuro's attack struck Shenji's opponent in the neck, whipping his body in an unnatural, spastic motion. When the dust cleared, the swordsman laid sprawled on the ground, his blade sheathed in the ground. "Saurin!" Tazo screams in shock. Before he can approach the body, he is struck in the back by Luo's bending. The second solder succumbs to the battle and falls to the ground, unable to continue. Inata turned to see what Tazo's exclamation was for, giving Kuro enough time to subdue him as well. With a thud, Inata collapsed to the ground, letting the group of escapees go to freedom.
Turning, Gahn sees larger a group of soldiers approaching through the camp's narrow pathway, numbering more than the group had previously defeated. "More are coming!" he announces, alerting the group to their impending danger.
"We need to go now!" Luo orders, taking charge and backing a few steps away.
"They'll never stop chasing us, will they?" Shenji asks.
After a sigh, Gahn lets out a chuckle. "I never told you how my friend's proverb ended," Gahn said with a faint smile. "If you can't go up, then make it easier on the next person trapped. I am staying behind. I've been here long enough," he says while turning his back on the group.
"Gahn, we're not leaving you!" Kuan exclaims.
Looking back with an expression of rage, he calmly states his terms. "If you don't leave now, I will fight you off myself." In his career as an assassin, Kuan had never been as terrified as he was of his friend's fury. "I'm warning you. If you don't leave now, we'll all die here!" the old officer orders, his face rendered nearly unrecognizable with his dark, grimacing stare. "Go now!" he reiterates, while spreading his feet wide.
Being already ahead of the pack, Luo is the first to listen. "If he refuses to leave, we can't stay here."
"If you leave now, I'll come find you," Gahn says, his voice calmer yet still retaining its urgency.
Nodding his head, Kuan winces slightly. "You better come back!" Kuan screams, immediately turning and running out of the camp. Luo begins following him, with Shenji and Kuro picking up the rear.
"Kuan knows he will never see him again, right?" Kuro asks solemnly, quietly enough so that Shenji is the only one who can hear.
"I'm sure of it. It's what he needs to believe. It's what's going to keep him going," he replies, equally as calm, while pulling ahead. Kuro bowed his head and powered forward, leaving the Fire Nation camp behind.
Double Crossed
Night had fallen on the land, and the four surviving members of the escape all sat against several nearby trees. Kuro had brought back Shenji's hammers, and everyone present was wearing their nation's clothing. They were sitting in silence and had been for nearly an hour. Kuan stared blankly into the darkness, while Shenji simply relished his freedom. Luo was the one who broke the silence.
"Alright, I've given you long enough. You two are coming with me," he orders, pointing at the two Earth Kingdom soldiers.
"Wait, what?" Shenji asks.
"Don't take them," Kuan asks, having not moved from his state of repose.
"What makes you have an opinion all of a sudden?" Luo asks the Waterbender. "You don't even know them!"
Kuan slowly turns his head to face Luo, giving the soldier a stern stare before beginning his address. "I know that my friend and mentor would sacrifice his freedom to see their mission go through. If it is that important to him, it is that important to me, and is more than worth the freedom of these two men. I'll ask you again, please don't take them," he says, never once raising his voice.
"My own life is riding on their return. If their mission is so important, I'll let the officers decide," Luo says, approaching the soldiers in blatant disregard of Kuan's plea.
Kuro springs to his feet immediately. "You're not going to take Shenji. The deal was between you and me. Leave him out of it."
"But the deal was made concerning him. You're both coming," Luo calmly states.
Kuan silently rises from his seat, pulling water from the tree behind him and from nearby plants. "They will go free!" he bellows, forming the water into a whip and wrapping it around Luo's torso. He then throws soldier against a tree, freezing the water around his torso to the tree. With the remainder of the whip, Kuan encased Luo in a sheet of ice, leaving only his face free. As Luo struggles in vain, Kuan gives him a calm message. "I owe you a debt, so I repay it with your life. I owe these men a debt, so I repay it with their freedom. I owe Gahn a debt, and I will repay it by aiding them on the mission he sacrificed his freedom for. The next time I see you, I hope you will have reconsidered what Gahn gave up for you."
"So you're just going to leave me here?" Luo asks, hoping for pity.
"We are going to leave now," Kuan states, turning to Shenji and Kuro, who nod in both agreement and thanks. "And the ice will eventually melt. Then you will be free to go. I ask that you give us one day."
Luo watched with anger as his targets, so close within his grasp, walked away into the forest. Eventually calming down, Luo began the long wait until his eventual release.
Unwelcome return
When the ice shell melted enough for Luo to break through, night had fallen. After reorienting himself, Luo trudged back to the site of his challenge in the cold darkness, knowing full well that Cren would have something obnoxious to say. Even so, he knew that he wouldn't say much, very beneficial to Luo's love of silence. As he enters the campsite, he finds Cren leaned up against a tree trunk basking in the light of a campfire. "So, expert hunter... Where is your prey?"
"I didn't find them." Luo knew that now was not the time to mention that he had them within his sights; Cren persisted anyway.
"Aww... So I guess you're just not as good as you thought you were, are you?"
"I'm plenty good as I think, Cren. I'd recommend examining your own hubris before making outlandish accusations," the more refined soldier says with a stoic demeanor. As Luo predicted, Cren had nothing to say.
Sitting down in front of the fire, Luo sighs and closes his eyes, reflecting on the day's events. I may not know what motivates them to leave, but something tells me that it needs to be done, he thinks to himself, sighing as he realizes his own subtle belief in the new trio's cause.
Production History
This chapter was part of a lengthy process needed to introduce Kuan into the main series. In the original drafts, The Bos had Kuan simply encounter Shenji and Kuro while traveling down a river. After realizing how unrealistic the situation sounded, The Bos knew he needed to change it. All other characters were developed in order to support this event, the most notable being Gahn, whose death served as an epiphany to Kuan. The conclusion of this chapter concludes the origin arc of the series, and the main quest towards the series' plot is able to continue from here.
- This is currently the longest chapter of Mysteries of My Past.
- It also took the longest to write.
- This is how Mung got his scars.
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Frictional Force
Moosa Ali
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other.It opposes the motion and acts in the opposite direction to the motion.
Friction is produced between two surfaces in contact with each other because of tiny irregularities or projection these surfaces interlock and resist motion.
The frictional force between an object and a surface can be measured using a spring balance.
Is friction useful?
Friction prevents the surfaces from slipping past each other.Without friction we will not be able to walk,hold or write on a surface without slipping.There is more friction between two rough surfaces than between two smooth surfaces.
Friction produces heat.You can observe this by rubbing your hands together.The heat produced by friction can be put to use when lighting a match or starting a fire.
Friction slows down or stops the movement of object.Friction between air and a parachute(air resistance) slows down the parachute so that the parachutist does not plunge down onto the ground.Brakes in vechiles makes use of friction to slow down the vechile and bring them to a stop.
Is Friction Always Useful?
Sometimes,friction can be a nuisance.It slows down things unnecessarily.The friction between a boat and water reduces speed. Similarly the friction between the road and cycle reduces the speed and cyclist has to put more energy.
Machines feel warm because of friction between the moving parts which are in contact.These parts wear down with time due to friction.The efficiency of machines is reduced because of the energy which can be used to perform useful is converted to heat.The life span of machine is shortened because of wear and tear due to friction.
How to reduce friction?
To reduce friction,lubricants such grease and oil may be introduced between two surfaces.A cushion of air can reduce friction too,as in case of hovercrafts and maglev train.Ball bearings are used to reduce in moving parts.


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Baby Animals - Early Warning MP3
Taken from the album 'Baby Animals/Shaved & Dangerous' You can buy the album from JB HiFi here: http://bit.ly/1qidlPG or download it from iTunes here: ...
Baby Animals - Early Warning - 1991 MP3
The original video of Early Warning circa 1991. This was replaced by a much slicker clip in 1992 once the record company worked out what they really had with ...
360 - Early Warning (feat. Chris Cheney) MP3
BUY HERE: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/utopia-deluxe/id847158945 360's links http://www.twitter.com/3ree6ixty http://www.facebook.com/3ree6ixty ...
360 - Early Warning (Acoustic) feat. Chris Cheney MP3
360 Currently Touring Australia in April and May. Tickets on sale from www.360music.com.au Thursday 2 April – Kay St, Traralgon VIC with Coin Banks, LEVA ...
Rush - Distant Early Warning MP3
Amazon: http://bit.ly/Rush2112SDE_Web Music video by Rush performing Distant Early Warning. (C) 1988 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Distant Early Warning
RushAn ill wind comes arising Across the cities of the plain There's no swimming in the heavy water No singing in the acid rain Red alert Red alert It's so hard to stay together Pa[...]
Rush-Distant Early Warning (Lyircs) MP3
I did not write this song and I do not intend any copyright infringment. Rush-Distant Early Warning from the 1984 album 'Grace Under Pressure'. Enjoy! Checm ...
Rush Distant Early Warning MP3
Rush Distant Early Warning.
Rush - Distant Early Warning MP3
Rush - Distant Early Warning ( Grace Under Pressure ) MP3
Rush performing Distant Early Warning (live) from the Grace Under Pressure tour. Recorded in 1984. This song is originally from the "Grace Under Pressure" ...
Holland - Early Warning (full album 1984) MP3
Band: Holland Genre: Heavy Metal Country: UK Album: "Early Warning" Year: 1984 Release Line Up: Marty "Doggy" Wilkinson - Vocals Bob Henman - Guitars ...
BABY ANIMALS - Early Warning (LIVE) MP3
There is not enough BABY ANIMALS on YouTube so here for your viewing pleasure is EARLY WARNING, Live in Germany 1992. ENJOY!!!
Relapse Prevention Video: Early warning signs and important coping skills MP3
Learn the stages of relapse and how to catch the early warning signs of relapse. Learn coping skills to prevent relapse in the future. By Dr. Steven M Melemis ...
Aleutian SkyWatch, Distant Early Warning Line - 1961 Documentary - WDTVLIVE42 MP3
This film tells the story of the Aleutian Dewline, a network of radar outposts that stretched across the Aleutian Islands, operated by the U.S. Air Force.
Mobile Services For Flood Early Warning MP3
Flood early warnings cannot be effective unless they are received, understood and responded to by the end users. This project used mobile services (Voice ...
Japan's Earthquake Early Warning System. MP3
Ten-minute clip of Japan's earthquake early warning system. Both Japan and Mexico have earthquake early warning systems that lets people know of an ...
360 - Early Warning (LYRICS ON SCREEN) MP3
Track 9 from Utopia - possibly 360's best song from Utopia.
Distant Early Warning - Rush - Rush In Rio MP3
Distant Early Warning - Rush - Live At Rush In Rio DVD.
2011-3-11 (Home Video) Japan Earthquake Live, With Early Warning. Complete Raw MP3
The March 11th 2011 Earthquake. Started filming some seconds before the actual shaking, because of the Warning system that detects the P wave. The system ...
Rush - Distant Early Warning - Guitar Cover MP3
Distant Early Warning by Rush - Guitar Cover.
Rush - Distant Early Warning (GUP Tour 1984) [LASER-DISC AUDIO/DVD VIDEO] MP3
Here is Distant Early Warning from Rush's 1984 Grace Under Pressure concert in Toronto. The audio is based off of the original laser-disc mix with a remastered ...
ShakeAlert—Earthquake Early Warning. How does it work? MP3
ShakeAlert (www.shakealert.org) is an experimental earthquake early warning system (EEW) for the West Coast of the United States and the Pacific Northwest.
Distant Early Warning Bass Cover MP3
"Who can face the knowledge that the truth is not the truth. Obsolete. Absolute." Some people were critical of all the keyboards on Grace Under Pressure but it ...
Bantay Kalsada: Early Warning Device and PUV Phase-Out MP3
Know more about the Early Warning Device or EWD Law and the phasing out of old Public Utility Vehicles. Manibela Segment: Bantay Kalsada Aired October 11 ...
Rush - Distant Early Warning MP3
Grupo: Rush Disco: Grace Under Pressure Cancion: Distant Early Warning Año: 1984.
Rush "Distant Early Warning": Drums!!! MP3
Here's a classic, from the Grace Under Pressure album. We have been rehearsing that one with the band so it's time for me to re-learn this... This is a song with a ...
Drumming along to "Distant Early Warning" by Rush (top view)` MP3
and on, anon!
Mountains: early warning systems for climate change MP3
This exhibition aims to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change in mountains, and potential solutions, during the United Nations Climate Change ...
Rush R40 "Distant Early Warning" ACC Toronto 17 June 2015 MP3
Rush perform Distant Early Warning.
Harem Scarem - Early Warning Signs (Official Track) MP3
PREORDER THE NEW ALBUM NOW ON AMAZON http://geni.us/HaremScarem13AMZ - SEE THEM LIVE AT FRONTIERS ROCK FESTIVAL II - April 11-12 at ...


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Portfolio: Members and Awards
Michael du Plessis is the Group Rock Engineering Manager for Lonmin Platinum. He has an advanced Rock Engineering certificate, MEng (Rock Engineering) and is currently busy with a PhD.
Michael's portfolio includes Sanire membership and awards. The portfolio seeks to promote, protect and continuously add value to the different membership groups in the organisation. Furthermore, members and practitioners who continuously strive to make a positive contribution towards the industry are identified and given recognition or awards.
Michaels says: "I want to make sure that Sanire is recognised as the professional organisation representing rock engineers. We, as an organisation, need to be recognised by industry (DMR, AMMSA, and so on).
"Furthermore, we have to ensure that our members get the maximum benefits from attending their local branch meetings. It is key that we create a forum where pertinent industry related information is shared with practitioners and new leading practices, research and development and so on is shared with all members. Our members are the key component in branding Sanire and each respective branch. We therefore need active participation and info sharing sessions.
"In a changing environment, this will create a platform where rock engineers can again be rewarded for the work they are doing by sharing it with their colleges and be awarded or recognised for an active and ongoing contribution to industry."


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Dr. Manikandhan Ramanathan
Doctor Detail :
Dr. Manikandhan Ramanathan is a Dentist (BDS, MDS, FFDRCS (Eng) and FFDRCS (Ire) ) in Nungambakkam, Chennai
- BDS, MDS, FFDRCS (Eng) and FFDRCS (Ire)
Dr. Kamakshi Memorial Hospital, 1, Radial Road, Pallikaranai, Chennai
Phone No.: 04466300300, 04466300301.
Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital, 12 - A, Nageswara Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai
Phone No.: 04442001800.
Share your genuine experiences and reviews about the doctor!
Other Dentist in Nungambakkam, ChennaiDr. P. Jayakumar Dr. Vijailakshmi Acharya
Other Dentist in ChennaiDr. Albert Shieh (Park Town) Rated : 4.0Dr. Abhilash Bhaskaran (Cheran Nagar) Dr. Krishnakumar Raja (Arunachalam Road) Dr. C. Ravindran (Porur) Dr. D. P. Uma Magesh (Chromepet)
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Venezuelan military key as Chavez hangs on
Updated 10:54 pm, Thursday, January 17, 2013
Caracas, Venezuela --
In a country riven by political strife, Venezuela's military often has served as the arbiter of power. It has launched coups and frustrated them and dispatched soldiers to guarantee stability, distributing food, fighting crime and securing oil fields.
With President Hugo Chavez battling for his life, the stance of the 134,000-strong armed forces again will be crucial.
Divisions within the military have clouded attempts to determine whom it might support among Chavez loyalists, or if it would side with the opposition. While the military leadership is packed with Chavez supporters, the officer corps may not be so loyal. Much will depend on what Chavez's political heirs do in the coming weeks.
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Experts and former military officers agree that the governing duo of Vice President Nicolas Maduro and National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello has been unable to fill the leadership vacuum created by Chavez's five-week absence and silence. Without a commander in chief, there is no one to ensure unity or guarantee continued loyalty through promotions and retirements.
Retired army Gen. Antonio Rivero was one of the first to sound the alarm about the leadership gap when he told the Venezuelan news website Noticias24 that if Chavez didn't return from Cuba for his Jan. 10 swearing-in, the armed forces from that point on would "not have a commander in chief." He's since gone into hiding after state intelligence agents came to his house looking for him. He said in an interview that he had sparked government ire by accusing it of letting Cubans influence the military.
Maduro has repeatedly tried to put to rest questions about military loyalties by rallying troops and appearing alongside top brass.
The military, like the rest of the country, is in limbo, awaiting the outcome of Chavez's fourth cancer surgery.
Throughout his 14 years in power, Chavez has proved masterful at commandeering support inside and outside the military. With his political touch and ramped-up public aid programs, Chavez has easily won re-election three times, including in October when he won with 55 percent of the vote.
If he dies or leaves power, the constitution requires an election be called within 30 days.


text: Hello Guys... Just wanted to see if this is normal... My Inspire wobbles a bit when giving it full throttle up like it does not ascend as nice and true as when giving it 80% throttle... is this normal? Btw I do live at 6,000 feet. Let me know and thanks! JC


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Question: Discuss the relative merits and limitations of the four variable
Discuss the relative merits and limitations of the four variable selection methods described in this section.
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Answer to relevant QuestionsA multiple regression of price versus the independent variables quality, industry, category, and quality X industry and quality X category was carried out. The R2 was 67.5%. The t statistic for each variable alone was ...Nissan Motor Company wanted to find leverage factors for marketing the Maxima model in the United States. The company hired a market research firm in New York City to carry out an analysis of the factors that make people ...An article on pricing and competition in marketing reports the results of a regression analysis. Information price was the dependent variable, and the independent variables were six marketing measures. The R2 was 76.9%. ...Give 95% confidence intervals for the slope parameters β2 through β5, using the information in Table. Which confidence intervals contain the point (0, 0)? Explain the interpretation of such outcomes. Using the regression equation from problem 11-25, predict excess stock return when SIZRNK = 5 and PRCRNK = 6.
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Discover the very best food, drink and fun in your city. Eat up!
The best musician-owned clubs in NOLA
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New Orleans is more or less universally acknowledged to be the place where jazz was invented (or improvised or whatever), and it…
The best burgers in New Orleans, as recommended by the best chefs in New Orleans
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New Orleans may be America's hottest food city, but in the city where the po-boy is…
The 10 best food trucks in New Orleans
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Here's our breakdown of the ten best damn food trucks the Big Easy has to offer.


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Definition Edit
Health Information Management (HIM) is
|the study of the principles and practices of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care. HIM is the link to clinicians, technology designers, and information technology; and is the value-adding bridge between patients' health information and payors, government, and regulating agencies.[1]
References Edit
- ↑ American Health Information Management Association, Glossary of Terms (full-text).


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Question: In putting wide age ranges on their products i e suitable
In putting wide age ranges on their products (i.e., suitable for ages 4 through 7), do you think that software companies prior to the advent of JumpStart's grade-specific products ever thought that the wide age range caused parents angst in trying to determine if a particular product was suitable for their child? If your answer is "no," how could companies have missed such a fundamental factor? What is the broader implication of this lesson?
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Answer to relevant QuestionsCould Gross and his team have gleaned the same type of insights they gained via directly observing parents shopping for educational software for their kids through surveys and focus groups? Explain your answer. Spend some time looking at LinkedIn. How could you use LinkedIn to help find a business partner? What are some factors that make a potential start-up attractive from an overall financial perspective? If you were considering the possibility of launching a Web site that you've developed in order to sell sports apparel for petite women, what are some specific actions you could take to collect feedback regarding the ...What examples of primary research that Embrace's founders completed appear in the case?
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