text:
|By Kyoshidude
|More from Kyoshidude
|No update page
|The White Tiger Part 1 - Into Earth
|Chapter information
Book 1: Earth
|Written by
|Word count
|Last chapter
|Next chapter
Previously on The Kyoshi Chronicles
Kyoshi discovered that the Earth State was not trying to rebuild peace between the States but rather expand their own empire.
Kyoshi learnt earthbending from Master Feng and metalbending from her father Garuku. Her father also told her the legend of the 'White Tiger.'
Garuku was captured by Astrid and, on their way to rescue him, Kyoshi recruited the expert archer Gisgo. Also on their travels, Kyoshi has been having frequent strange dreams, and before the Night of No Moon got a vision of being collapsed on a cliff having escaped a previous danger.
What do these visions mean? And will Kyoshi ever reunite safely with her father, or will Omashu end up being her peril? Find out in the penultimate chapter of Book 1: Earth!
Chapter 15: The White Tiger Part 1 - Into Earth
|"I don't know what is likely going to happen up there, but I do know it has been an honour fighting with you men"
|— Chang to the Gao Lin Batallion
Kyoshi sat beside Bako, Tori pecking at her feet, the battalion crowding around the table too. Momzen slammed down a piece of paper scribbled with notes, his eyes wild with excitement.
"We've got a plan," he announced.
Since their departure from Monshiton the group had travelled for another two days west out of the Gaan Mountains to the neighbouring Kolau Mountains. They were but a hike away from Omashu; and had only just formulated a plan on how to enter the city.
"Gisgo says the sewer system can lead us directly into the city's palace," Momzen continued in his fervour. Everyone turned to look at the criminal. He had his hat over his face, as usual, and a reed in his mouth.
"I think we can find one on the opposite side to the front gates. There's a blind spot where all three guard posts can't see you" he said, taking over the explanation. "But, Omashu is surrounded entirely by a gorge. And the entrances to the sewers are midway between the ground and the walls of the city."
"Obviously very difficult to get into," Momzen added, taking his turn. "But! We've got chains!" He lifted a coil of chains up and shook it at the audience, before turning to listen to Gisgo again.
"We can use it to make a wire, slide down it and into the sewers. Means only a few of our supplies can be taken, enough to be carried on our backs. Once in, getting to the palace from the back side of the city won't take too long and we can take them by surprise." There was a pause as the battalion took time to absorb the information.
"It all sounds very..." Chang started, trying to put a word to his apprehension. "Daring. But Garuku would do the same for us. We'll leave the animals here then." Kyoshi gasped and stood up, abruptly interfering the conversation.
"No!" she blurted. "Jin Jin has to come." She stared down all the men. Jin Jin and Tori were her only female friends – and she had been through a lot with them. Tori was chained up in the slums of Ba Sing Se, and Jin Jin was locked away in Lake Laogai. For Kyoshi, fighting alongside these powerful, determined women somehow gave her strength; and if they weren't there beside her in Omashu, Kyoshi was certain her performance would not be at its best.
Chang shook his head stiffly, he wanted there to be no hassles, he was nervous enough already, and said, "Sorry, Kyoshi. But it's too difficult."
"No! I'm not going then!" She slumped back down on the log with her arms crossed. Chang's knuckles whitened upon clenching; the Avatar was behaving like a spoilt child.
"You're making this harder than it has to be," he continued sternly.
"Maybe we can sort something out." The words came from Bako, and Kyoshi was shocked. Usually he was always turning down Kyoshi's ideas, but this time he was standing tall and confident with the shirshu beside him.
"Jin Jin has been with us since the beginning. She's been in every fight, and she'll be in this one too." Jin Jin gave a defiant snarl at the soldiers before nuzzling affectionately at the boy's shoulder. Chang shrugged exaggeratedly, eyes ogling out with frustration.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" he groaned. "All of us march up to the gates and ask the guards to let our shirshu in?" Bako smiled at Kyoshi, somehow he knew they were both thinking the same thing; finally it seemed they were on the same page.
"Maybe not all of us."
"Shotgun!" Momzen blurted, running over to the creature and embracing its neck tightly. "I know how to ride her better than anyone else – no offense. So if we get into a tight situation, I can easily get us out of it." He took pages from the ground and began scribbling diagrams and notes on them, speaking rapidly with excitement. "So Gisgo will make the wire at the blind spot around the back of the city, while I go in through the main gates with Jin Jin and meet you guys in the sewers." He took a deep breath in, all the while grinning frenziedly.
Kyoshi turned to a doubtful-faced Chang and indifferently said, "Sounds like a plan." Chang huffed, disbelief riddled on his breath.
"Yeah. Okay. A firebender entering the city, I'm sure the Earth State will allow that. It'd be better if one of us went."
"Because they'll let in a fully armoured soldier? Especially one with the Gao Lin emblem on him?" Bako replied equally as sarcastic. Momzen jumped in again, holding a pile of fur Jin Jin had shed from the heat.
"Guys! Relax! I've got it sorted!" Momzen said, then turning away from them to work with the fur. He faced them moments later with the white fur attached to his mouth like a makeshift beard.
"Ta da!" he said, voice muffled. "Mr... Rocky... Lee, at your service. Wanderer of the Earth State, veteran entrepreneur looking to get a good price for my prized shirshu, hoping the big city will give me the bounty I've always dreamed of." There was a prolonged silence, filled with dubious looks and cricket chirps, as Momzen remained in character. A fly buzzed over and onto his nose, the boy remained still, and then it flew off. Suddenly the sound of a hand smacking a forehead sliced through the silence.
"-It's Rocky Lee now-"
"-You don't look like an old man at all!" screamed the irritated soldier. "You look! Like a boy! With fur on his face! And your beard falls to the floor in bits!" Momzen looked down at his shoes, of which were covered in patches of Jin Jin's fur. Chang stepped forward from the group and looked at Kyoshi.
"Look, I understand your concerns. Fighting alongside your friends, yes, it does help. But if Momzen goes to the gates as Rocky Lee both he and Jin Jin will be killed on the spot," Chang explained, dire tones wringing his voice. "This is war now, Kyoshi. Those men at the gates have been prepared to be suspicious and cruel. They'll throw them right off the bridge without a seconds thought." Kyoshi tried to muster a rebuttal.
"But, she's my fr-"
"-I know. I do. So maybe we can fashion a saddle into a harness and send her across the wire," Chang interjected, making sure to finish what he had to say. "If it means that much to you we can try." Kyoshi sighed, Chang always was kind-hearted.
"Thank you." She nodded respectfully at the adult before moving off to saddle up Jin Jin. Bako and Momzen went with some other soldiers in search of materials they could use to make the shirshu's harness. She could hear them chatting, inaudible drabbles, as she scratched the purring Jin Jin's chin.
"That was a close one," Kyoshi whispered into her ear. The shirshu brushed its hefty face on Kyoshi's and Tori flapped onto the girl's shoulder to join in on the affection. Sunlight beamed down on the Avatar's back, and her nose was filled with the smells of animals. Kyoshi loved these two. And she always relished the moments when it was just the three of them – some girl time. Tightening the straps on the saddle, watching Tori tug at the ropes with her beak, Kyoshi thought what it would be like to have a human female companion, and how it would affect the group dynamic. She'd have to be a fighter, and good fun. Not that the two animals weren't; they were great company. It was just a passing thought. And as Chang approached her the thought soon slipped away into the back of her consciousness, fading like a drying cloud.
"Sorry about before," said Chang, scratching the back of his neck. "I got a bit worked up." Kyoshi smiled meekly, her green eyes meeting gently with his brown ones.
"You know," he continued, taking to the other side of Jin Jin's saddle. "I knew you when you were young." Kyoshi looked up at him from across the beast, Jin Jin shuffling on her heavy feet.
"Really?" Chang nodded in reply, smiling as a memory, warm like sweet, morning sun, came to him.
"Yeah. I didn't know you personally, but when I was conscripted into the army I recognised your father. I would always see you two in the corn fields together, and you'd be screaming at him to show you more earthbending tricks." Though the man's voice was gravelly, it was softened somewhat by the fondness and reminiscence that quavered before his lips. "You guys must have a good relationship."
It took a while for Kyoshi to reply. Her eyes were lost in a daydream. She could practically see the corn fields before her, and smell the dusty soil and the grain. The leather of the saddle almost felt like her father's rough hands, and she clenched it further as the sensations intensified.
"We do," she mumbled, tasting the fresh Gao Lin air as she spoke. Chang moved down to the end of the saddle and strapped a buckle around Jin Jin's legs, all the while nodding as if her reply cemented something in him.
"When I get back home, I want my relationship with my son to be like yours' and Garuku's." Chang looked up at Kyoshi, eyes shimmering with the onset of tears. But he was a brawny man. He shut them tight, squeezed them back in and tugged the saddle tight.
"We'll leave as soon as the harness is fixed." He nodded stiffly at Kyoshi, who repeated the formal gesture back, then left to work on some other task. Kyoshi smiled. A tingling sensation heated her cheeks. It was nice to have an adult look out for her again. Something about it made all problems and worries disappear; something warm. It was people like Chang that made the world a better place, and Kyoshi would be forever grateful for the things he did for her.
Jin Jin growled quietly as the battalion walked, bent over to get through the scrub, around the face of the gorge. The shirshu was not comfortable in the harness, but if it meant she'd be able to fight alongside the girl in the green dress she would keep it on forever.
"I know it's not the best," Kyoshi said, hushed almost instantly by a nearby soldier. She continued quieter. "But once we get inside Omashu we can take it off." The shirshu let out a quivering moan, as if to tell the girl she was understanding – or maybe even to give some loving words. Jin Jin adored Kyoshi, but for some reason whenever she tried to express her feelings the girl would never quite understand it to its entirety.
The sound of crunching bark echoed in everyone's hearts, a battle cry of sorts, as Gisgo slammed in a peg, tying the chain through the loop and tugging it to test the strength.
"It should be steady," he whispered to the crowd, tying the other end of the chain to an arrow.
"What if the chain isn't long enough?" Chang queried, doubt continuing to overcome him. Gisgo gave back his usual, mischievous grin.
"Then we march up to the front gates." Some soldiers stirred quietly in laughter; it was somehow a remedy to their growing worry and nauseating anticipation. Bako looked at Kyoshi to see how she was faring. She was tightening a strap on Jin Jin's faux harness, and it seemed she was okay. Maybe inside she was wrought with nervousness, but on first glance it looked like she had finally come to terms with the weight of the situation. They were fugitives, she was the Avatar, and with only twelve or so men they were attempting a break in into an enemy city where the Dai Li and Earth State army would be waiting for them. It was an immense weight to take on. But somehow she was doing okay. Not excellent. But definitely coping. She looked up, noticed Bako staring at her and raised her eyebrows as if to say 'This is actually happening. It's unbelievable.' He nodded back, smiling too at the incongruity of it all. Stuck in their moment, the two did not notice Gisgo take aim.
His arrow was pulled back in the tightening bow, a slow creaking sound sliding through the air, the tension rising on everyone's breath. Winking he lowered the bow ever so slightly downwards then let go. The arrow hurtled down into the gorge, the chain whipping past people's legs like a furious viper. Everyone watched as it soared majestically, a graceful eagle, until it slammed into the rock. The force almost pulled the peg out from the tree, and the chain, thankfully, was taught. Gisgo stepped forward with a spear over the chain, ready to slide down.
Stopping him, though, was Kyoshi who said, "Stop. You're not going first." Gisgo sneered at her, unimpressed.
"What? Why?"
"Once you're down you could pull out the arrow and leave us here, start a new life in Omashu." Kyoshi did not want to take any risks. And though she had given him her trust before, he was a criminal and therefore had to be questioned, especially at this dire moment.
"Oh, come on," he spluttered, scrunching up his face. "Me? I'm on your side."
"She's right," Momzen added, stepping forward to the wire. "I'll go first." Chang nodded his approval and Gisgo rolled his eyes, sulking over to a stump to sit on.
"Fine. Lousy kids thinking I'm good for nothing," the thug muttered under his breath.
Momzen swiped up the spear in his hands and swung it over the cable, lowering his body to see the feel of his weight on the wire. Arms still above his head he moved the spear along the wire and looked down the gorge. Warm air gushed up into his face and the pit seemed emptied of sound, as if it were a sombre, slumbering beast with a belly ready for the swallowing. Its depth was breathtaking, beautiful almost. The boy looked over to the sewer opening where the chain would take him to. It was going to be a long ride, and dread, a mass of heavy iron, weighed down in the lowest reaches of his stomach. If there was a gust or his hands slipped he'd fall to his death, certainly. But he had to put on a brave face in front of the soldiers and Kyoshi. They were composing themselves professionally, so he had to as well. He nodded at Kyoshi, whose eyes suddenly curved upwards into a worried expression.
"Be careful," she said gently, before nodding back. Momzen smiled then turned to again face the city walls. Taking a few steps back he lunged outwards and, grip locked tight on the spear, he swung along the wire.
Hot, hefty air pounded his lungs and his heart beat a thousand times a second, drumming his muscles with blood and vigour. A gaping smile spread across his face and with all his might he let out a roar so loud his throat became hoarse. The clinking of the chain rang in his ears, an uplifting, empowering sound, and soon he slammed his feet onto solid earth. Kyoshi was heard cackling with joy.
But now he had to focus. He peered up at the fencing atop the wall. There was nobody there. Silently he slipped down onto the platform and kicked in the meshing, looking up again just in case. He waved to the others to start coming in then made his way up the sewer.
Bako went next, keeping silent as he swung so as to avoid being noticed, and then some soldiers. Gisgo followed and then Jin Jin was strapped onto the chain. The atmosphere was tense. If Jin Jin was too heavy the wire would break and there'd be no way for the rest of the battalion to enter. Somehow the shirshu understood this and she dug her claws into the crisp dirt as men attempted to shuffle her closer to the edge of the cliff. She didn't want to ruin the plan, but too didn't want to leave Kyoshi on her own.
The Avatar stroked the fretting beast and climbed onto the saddle, Tori chirruping comfortingly on her shoulder.
"Avatar Kyoshi you should get down," a soldier said once he tightened a strap on the harness. Kyoshi shook her head.
"I can't. She needs me. She can't go down on her own." Jin Jin moaned croakily, tones of fear breaking her calls.
"The weight of the two of you will be too much for the wire. You'll fall, and everything will be ruined," Chang interjected sternly. He looked Kyoshi in the eyes and pleaded with his. Kyoshi knew he was right, but she could not, she could never, abandon a friend. She could sense Jin Jin's apprehension, it was slowly paralysing the poor beast, and therefore she was certain the shirshu needed her to go with her.
"You have to trust me," Kyoshi said softly to Chang who then proceeded to sigh understandingly and nod.
"Okay. I trust you." He took Jin Jin's reins and led her to the cliff edge. A gentle breeze ran over Kyoshi's face as she stared into the abyss then out at Omashu. A heavy, burning emotion sank in her heart but at the same time it felt right. She was facing destiny head on and was finally not afraid or unready. She felt like a true Avatar.
"Come on, girl," Kyoshi muttered, keeping her eyes locked on the city walls. Jin Jin teetered at the edge of the gorge, whining nervously, before leaping forward. Kyoshi felt their combined weight drop and take on the chain as they hurtled, hanging, through the air. The weightlessness was sickening as terror bore its way into her body like a thirsty leech, the poor shirshu kicking her legs about in hope to find a spot of solid land. The chain could be heard straining as they travelled along it. Kyoshi, choking on her own fear, clung to Jin Jin's saddle, certain the wire would snap and they would plummet and perish.
Once they collided into the wall, a solid thud, security, like a warm ray of sunshine, came to the three of them, Kyoshi, Jin Jin and Tori, and Momzen and Bako unclipped the harness from the chain.
"You're still alive!" Momzen joked, lunging onto his shirshu friend and hugging its long snout. Jin Jin huffed lovingly, relieved to still be alive, nuzzling up against Momzen's face before Chang and the rest of the battalion swung over.
"So we've got everything?" Chang said as everyone made their way into the sewer, away from any possible sight from above. "Food. Water. Armour and spare weapons." The soldiers mumbled 'yes' as Gisgo led the march, Chang by his side.
The sewer was almost entirely black, and it was as if such blackness was the source of the cold temperatures that soaked everyone's bodies. With each blink flecks of light would dapple over one's vision and upon opening again they would have to focus on something distant to orientate themselves. Like galloping cavalry the sound of rushing water, pungent with the stench of sewage, thundered all around them; you couldn't even hear yourself breathe. Every dark corner, its distance incomprehensible, was filled with the surging echoes and was colder in temperature than the last spot.
As they travelled deeper and deeper, the darkness enveloping them more, it was cemented in their minds that there would be no return. Even returning to the opening at the walls, there would be no way of swinging up the gradient of the wire. Maybe they were marching to their deaths, slowly giving themselves up to a cold darkness. It sure seemed like it.
Kyoshi gnawed on her bottom lip. She had to keep those thoughts out of her head, at least for now. If anything good were to come from this, she had to stay focused and positive. She slowed her breathing and watched her steps, counting them between each slab of rock. It wasn't long, or perhaps it was – Kyoshi's distraction must have been efficient, before Chang stopped his men. He was standing next to a ladder, wide enough for only one person, and a grim expression was painted across his face.
"This should be close enough, taking us up to the front of the palace," he addressed, the battalion listening intently. "Momzen and Bako, you two take Kyoshi to find her father, while the rest of us will take on the armies waiting for us." The two boys looked at each other and nodded, they'd have to work together well to get the objective done safely.
"I haven't got much of speech prepared," Chang continued. "Or no words of inspiration. But with the Avatar here and with us that should be inspiration enough. I don't know what is likely going to happen up there, but I do know it has been an honour fighting with you men. For Gao Lin!"
The soldiers returned the call with just as much heart, "For Gao Lin!" and swung their packs over their shoulders.
At this point everyone seemed to move fast, time had sped up. Fluidly things went past Kyoshi as her heart pounded in her head. Either she was falling out from the nerves, or her focus was heightened to an indescribable level. Without even noticing her legs move she climbed the ladder, eyes locked on the backside of Chang, waiting for the angry face of a Dai Li agent to appear at the opening. The sun poured onto her wide eyes, muscles still warm and uncontrollable. As if connected to Chang by some spectral cord she was led around the corner of a sandstone building, battle cries and ringing slices instantly filling her ears. The man looked back at her kindly and shone her a comforting smile, as if he knew she was overcome by some intense, irrepressible battle trance and that his smile would calm her somehow.
Suddenly a sword burst through Chang's back and hot blood spat onto Kyoshi's face. He collapsed onto the floor as Kyoshi choked on her strangled breaths. A hand snatched her green dress and pulled her back around the corner. Her vision began to blur as the booming sounds of war buzzed through her entire being. Chang was dead; his whitening corpse in plain sight. The hands that held her spun her around. She could see Momzen's worried face before her, his orange eyes darting around, watching someone. He then slapped Kyoshi across the face, her ears popping from the pain.
"Kyoshi! Snap out of it!" he yelled. The Avatar, now feeling the cold air on her skin, sound now distinguishable, shook her head.
"Sorry. Sorry," she muttered, swallowing down the oncoming grief, looking up again at Momzen.
"Get her on Jin Jin and up to the palace!" came the voice of Bako. Momzen peered over Kyoshi's shoulder to look at him then nodded.
"Bako?" Kyoshi said, still dazed, starting to turn around.
"Don't," Momzen interjected, grabbing her shoulders to make her face him. Tears were brimming in his eyes, he was obviously panicking. Immediately Kyoshi knew what was happening. Momzen was watching Bako kill people. And it was making him distraught. Kyoshi nodded, not daring to turn around and see the hellish act unfold behind her. Momzen lifted Kyoshi onto Jin Jin and smacked her side.
"Get to the palace! We'll see you up there later!" Momzen shouted, his voice fading as Jin Jin began sprinting across the battlefield. Everything was happening so fast. Chang died just moments ago, and Kyoshi, looking across the battlefield for a safe route, tried to hold onto the picture of his face. She could only see the back of his head, the last she saw of him, and the smile he gave her before that.
I want my relationship with my son to be like yours' and Garuku's. Those words whispered through the frenzied air and a single, dewy tear teetered at the edge of Kyoshi's eye. That would never happen. His son would never get to see his father again. He would never get to go on camping trips with him. Never let his father hold his grandchild. Never embrace him ever again. It was something Kyoshi could not at all comprehend, and something she did not want to someday have to comprehend; at least not for a long time.
Kyoshi, something hard now snapping inside her, took a tight hold of the reigns and stared up at the palace, brow furrowed. From where they were there were no steps, just slide-like structures with big stone boxes in them; the mail system. Kyoshi had heard about it.
"Go!" she shouted, tugging at the reins, leading Jin Jin over to a box. Earth State soldiers charged at the two, delusional in thinking they could defeat the shirshu. Jin Jin whipped her paralysing tongue at them, while Kyoshi, one hand still manning the reign, raised chunks of earth from the ground and flung it at them. Once arriving at the slide Jin Jin stepped in. The box was barely big enough for the animal to fit all four legs in but they managed. Kyoshi knelt in the saddle, tensing her stomach to remain balanced, Jin Jin remained taught too. She raised her arms, keeping them limp, and then, feeling the mass of the stone box and her and Jin Jin's combined weight tug against her biceps, swiped her arms down and backwards. The box began up the system, hot air rushing past her face, chestnut locks flapping behind her shoulders. As the two ascended the gravity acting on them increased. Kyoshi kept her body flexed, continuing to circle her throbbing arms to propel the box upwards.
A roaring sounded from behind. Quickly taking a peek behind her Kyoshi could see Astrid at the base of the mail system. A terrifying mass of crimson fire cascaded from her fists as she, also in a mail box, charged forward. Kyoshi groaned as she put more effort into her bending, a bid to speed herself up the system.
Tori flapped manically in the sky, jumping onto the heads of the Dai Li to scratch at their faces or disorientate them from their fighting. Bako locked swords with an axe-wielding soldier. He stared into the man's eyes before pushing outwards with his two swords. Quickly he ducked down, avoiding a fired earthen slab, letting it crash onto the axe-bearing soldier. Still with his body lowered he spun around and sliced a gash in the legs of an oncoming enemy. Blinking to refocus, he saw Astrid's accomplices, Mitinari and Naote, fighting battalion men in the distance. He told himself to avoid them; they were difficult enemies and he needed to take down as many easy ones as possible.
Momzen punched out a fireball. It rammed into a Dai Li agent and sent him toppling onto another. His eyes flitted around to find another enemy, a target. Suddenly a heavy stone slammed into his back. He rolled over the gravelly floor, breaking his fall with his hands, and nimbly got back to his feet. Kneeling now he pressed a hand to the floor and leant on it, kicking out spires of orange flames from both his feet. It sent the soldiers back collapsing over each other's feet and Momzen got up to make to a clearer spot.
This was a war. And both boys, not proud of hurting men, felt more and more powerful with each hit they made and each hit they took. It was as if bruises were fuel, and an attack was an exercise. It somehow made them healthy, it made them whole. It made them better people. Maybe it was because they were fighting for something, so perhaps the enemies felt the same way. Nevertheless the sweat, the sun, the noise; all of it was a dangerous, empowering force.
"Boys! Garuku!" Gisgo screamed while letting go of an arrow. It flew into the chest of an earthbender who dropped to the floor, his own attack crumbling on top of him. Bako looked at Momzen. The firebender was in a squabble with a soldier. The soldier punched up Momzen's arm, directing the fire into the sky. But Momzen kicked the man down and punched out an orange burst to send him flying across the ground. Bako ran over to him, dodging attacks made to him from others.
"Momzen! We've got to go!" Instantly Momzen obeyed, dissipating his attack into nothing and beginning to the mail system. They hopped into a stone box, Bako at the front and Momzen at the back.
"You might want to hold on," Momzen giggled nervously. Always trying to put a joke in wherever possible. Bako crouched into the box and held onto the rim while Momzen blasted a jet of fire from his palms. They continued in solemn silence, seeing Astrid catching up to Kyoshi.
The stone box flew off from the system. Jin Jin roared at the soldiers below as Kyoshi, her focus completely locked on the roof of the palace, continued to direct the box. It crashed, as the Avatar had hoped, onto the roof and she and Jin Jin tumbled over the decorated tiles.
Kyoshi sniffed up the dusty air then said to Jin Jin, "Let's go." Jin Jin cackled out a raspy reply as they scrambled to their feet and made their way up the steep palace façade.
"Stop!" shouted Astrid from behind. "This ends now!" Kyoshi flicked around and glared at the girl. Astrid's golden head piece glistened in the sun and her wild, blue eyes shuddered in their sockets. Kyoshi almost felt sick making direct eye contact with her.
"You're a firebender, Astrid," spat Kyoshi, strands of sweaty hair falling over her face. "You're a traitor!" Astrid chuckled to herself, crossing her arms casually.
"No, Avatar. You. Are the traitor." Astrid jumped into the sky and swung her right leg downwards. A rolling wave of fire came from her foot and zoomed towards Kyoshi. Kyoshi jumped out of the way then bowled, somewhat without control, over the tiles into a valley of the roof. Astrid towered from above, prim body silhouetted by the blaring sun.
"You can end this!" Kyoshi shouted. She clenched her fingers and swiped some tiles toward Astrid. Astrid easily skidded left and avoided the attack, punching out a ball of fire as a counter. Kyoshi raised a wall of stone from the roof. The fire hit it and fizzled around the sides, burning the surrounding air. Kyoshi leant back, tightened her gut then, without touching the wall, lifted it off the roof and pushed it over to Astrid. Again the firebender nimbly avoided the attack. Most of it, at least. Part of it collided against her ankle and toppled her over. Kyoshi could have sworn she heard fear on the girl's voice as she fell down. Astrid rolled down the roof and Kyoshi got out from the valley and stood at a higher point, frowning at her enemy.
"Why are you doing this? The Earth State is the enemy! Your home is the Fire State, fight for them!" Astrid smiled boldly.
"Ha! The Fire State? They're nothing but savages who can't manage their own politics. I, I am better. I was meant for greatness. I was meant to defeat the Avatar!" Jin Jin beared her sharp fangs at the enemy while Kyoshi locked eyes with Astrid whose face was contorted with an unnerving mixture of fury and joy. The firebender flicked her left arm and a bolt of lightning crackled next to her. It looped in a circle then extended towards Kyoshi. At that moment Kyoshi was still. A steel ball had formed in her stomach. She had done this all before, been with Astrid on this roof and seen her conjure lightning. Before Kyoshi could take a defensive stance Jin Jin leapt from the tiles and shot her tongue out. It only just scraped Astrid's side and the girl immediately thudded to the tiles and rolled down and off the roof. Kyoshi looked at Jin Jin, the Avatar could only hear her own heart thud against her ribcage. What was going on? She had definitely done that somewhere, sometime ago. Surely.
"Thanks," she muttered, before turning around and continuing hastily up the palace roof.
As soon as Bako and Momzen reached the top of the system Bako jumped out and began with the guards. Swords met, clanging across the city, while Momzen used his fire to counter the attacks of the earthbenders. Each boy knew to corner the guards to the mail system, and when the opportunity was right they would kick the men down the system.
"Nice," Bako said, beaming at his friend.
"They should thank us, really," Momzen grinned. "Going up was fun. But going down, now that'd be a ride." Bako laughed.
"Maybe some other time." Momzen nodded and then the two made their way around the palace, hoping somehow that they'd find the dungeons amid a colossal palace and get to Garuku. Both of them were tantalised by the praise Kyoshi would give them if they were successful. If they weren't though, it wasn't even going to be a thought.
Nero stood inside the great hall of the palace. His golden robe was plated with armour on the chest and shoulder areas. It proudly bore the Earth State insignia and shimmered in the green light like an arrogant peacock. Next to Nero in a throne sat a bulkier, fatter man. He had a medium length beard, snowy like the caps of the mountains in the north, wiry like long pins. He too was wearing his own Earth State armour and possessed a confident air to himself.
"Do you hear that, Baishu?" Nero began, elegant voice reverberating off the enormous painted pillars, listening intently to the battle outside. "That is the sound of an easy victory." The man in the throne, Baishu apparently, cackled grossly, spit hawking out in hideous patters.
"Good. I don't want too much damage," the man replied. "Omashu is great city so-"
"Was a great city," Nero interposed. Baishu glared at him. "Don't give me that. You're the only General of Five to have a major city to himself, count yourself lucky it's still standing." The two were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. To their pleasure it was the Avatar. Her green dress billowed slightly around her knees and her pointed, golden boots sounded like marbles on a tin roof as she walked. Her face was blanked with a powerful seriousness, not one emotion or sign of weakness showing, yet somehow it showed everything.
Kyoshi tried to keep contained. Why did she decide to come here? She could have made her way into the dungeons unnoticed and just retrieved her father and be over with it. But no. Some conviction had possessed her, and it led her here; just as something led her up the ladder from the sewers into battle. Maybe she was ready. Maybe she was the Avatar. She was the Avatar. And Nero was before her, the one thing she hated in the world, and could be faced as an equal. Kyoshi was certain this was what she had to do, at least just one punch and then go.
"I wasn't expecting this," Nero smiled. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Kyoshi didn't reply. He did not deserve her taunts. Nero kept poised, his hands behind his back in a formal manner.
"Last time I saw you we were both in Lake Laogai, settling some disputes," he continued, a sick smile still pressed on his lips. "If that had gone through we wouldn't be here now. We'd own half the world and more. You'd have an empire." Baishu chuckled, protruding gut wobbling. "I heard you've been on quite a journey. Seen the serpent at the Eastern Lake, defeated the Si Wong, you've even learnt earthbending! Very impressive!" Kyoshi did not reply still. Hoping the silence would break him, shatter his insides. Ignoring a bully always ruined them, Kyoshi just had to persevere.
"Do you miss your father?" Suddenly Kyoshi's face scrunched up furiously. He had broken her instead, and as hot blood surged up her arm she lifted a slab from the palace floor and launched it at the horrible man. Nero jumped forward and punched it with his fist. It smashed, dust billowing outwards away from him, and settled over at Kyoshi's feet. Nero smiled, raising an eyebrow cheekily, and Baishu got up.
"My floor!" he boomed.
"Who are you?" Kyoshi spat, anger, a thousand knives, still carving up the back of her body. Baishu crossed his arms and frowned at the stupid Avatar.
"I'm General Baishu; ruler of Omashu, a General of Five and descendant of the White Tiger! And you, Avatar, are grossly overconfident!" Kyoshi pushed out her chest and raised her voice.
"I'm the Avatar!" Her enraged voice echoed down the atrium.
"Kyoshi, please. You've got two of the world's best earthbenders against you," Nero laughed, treating her as if she was still the naïve child he met her as.
"Don't talk to me like that! I'm not a kid anymore," Kyoshi snapped as she shook her head. "And I'm definitely not your puppet! You can't trick me!" Nero's face fell unamused. His hands came from behind his back, a sign he was going to start fighting, and Baishu stood straight to present his intimidating size.
"Well then. You're outmatched and outnumbered," said Nero bluntly. "It's over before it's even begun."
Suddenly the ceiling exploded, taking down with it some of the side wall. Dust rained down on the three confused opponents as a figure stood at the gaping hole. Kyoshi had seen this before, just like her squabble before with Astrid. It was in a dream, a prophecy it seemed. The figure came in through the dust and took their position next to Kyoshi, holding up their hands for the battle that was to come.
See more
For the collective works of the author, go here.


text:
Lenovo to release Android 5.0 update for seven smartphones
Roll-out in Q2, 2015 Lenovo has quietly updated its Android Upgrade Matrix to reveal that it will be updating seven of its Android smartphones to Lollipop. All the updates will be released in Q2 of this year. As per ... Read more

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Listen to free music
Blip.fm is internet radio made social. It's easy to search for, play, and discover free music recommended by real people. Join today to create your own free station.
rojdoj "Rodger, did you buy a Honda Civic? You're such a pussy." #conversationswithmom
Elevator Art – Déjà Voodoo| play
Nov 4, 2010 at 4:34 pm via SoundCloud | AMAZON | ITUNES
rojdoj "Rodger, slow this motherf**ker down! This isn't the Amazing Race." #conversationswithmom
Singapore Sling – Heart Of Chrome| play
rojdoj "Mom, I told you to fold my socks. When you ball em' up it stretches them out. Dammit!" #conversationswithmom
rojdoj "Mom, I told you to buy the original flavor pork rinds not barbeque. Dammit!" #conversationswithmom


text:
Most Recent
Homeowners Should Shop For Quality When Buying Big Ticket Items Like Sofas
Just as floors have to withstand lots of use, sofas are among the most heavily used pieces of furniture in a household. But they're also one of the most expensive. As a result, the average consumer should know what to look for before making such a major investment.
Sunrooms With Radiant Heating Extend The Use Of The Room During The Year
For homeowners contemplating the addition of a sunroom, the first rule of construction is the same as in real estate - location, location, location. The goal is to capture as much natural light as possible so the structure should ideally be facing the south where sunlight is strongest.


text:
Get an overview of this hotelFamily-friendly Seville hotel in Distrito Sur, near Plaza de Espana
Popular property highlights
This family-friendly Seville hotel is located near the airport, within 1 mi (2 km) of Nervion Mall, Plaza de Espana, and Maria Luisa Park. Alcazar and Seville Cathedral are also within 2 mi (3 km).
Hotel Features
This hotel features a restaurant, an outdoor pool, and a fitness center. WiFi in public areas is free. Other amenities include a bar/lounge, a poolside bar, and self parking.
Room Amenities
All 252 soundproofed rooms feature free WiFi and minibars. For a bit of entertainment, guests will find plasma TVs with satellite channels, and other amenities include room service and rainfall showerheads.
Guest Highlights
- Prime spot for public transit
- Good location
- Breakfast
- Helpful staff
- Nice bathrooms and overall room comfort
NH Collection Sevilla
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
NH Collection Sevilla features an outdoor pool and a fitness center. The hotel offers a restaurant. Guests can unwind with a drink at one of the hotel's bars, which include a poolside bar and a bar/lounge. Public areas are equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access.
Business-related amenities at this 4-star property consist of a business center and meeting rooms. Event facilities measuring 33820 square feet (3142 square meters) include conference space. This Art Deco hotel also offers a library, a terrace, and multilingual staff. Parking is available onsite for a surcharge.
NH Collection Sevilla has designated areas for smoking.
- Free WiFi
- Conference space size (meters) - 3142
- 24-hour front desk
- Bar/lounge
- Business center
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Concierge services
- Elevator/lift
- Fitness facilities
- Total number of rooms - 252
- Designated smoking areas
- Luggage storage
- Library
- Number of floors - 8
- Terrace
- Restaurant
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Number of meeting rooms - 11
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Pool sun loungers
- Conference space size (feet) - 33820
- Outdoor pool
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Pool umbrellas
- Laundry facilities
- Meeting rooms 11
- Multilingual staff
- Poolside bar
- Year Built 2005
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Outdoor seasonal pool
- Television in common areas
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Soundproofed rooms
- Laundry facilities
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Self parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Free WiFi
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Premium TV channels
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Minibar
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Rainfall showerhead
- Shower/tub combination
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- In-room safe (laptop compatible)
- Soundproofed rooms
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Bidet
- Room service (limited hours)
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
- Pillow menu
- Plasma TV
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Desk
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Satellite TV service
Where to Eat
Buffet breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM.
Onsite venue - This poolside restaurant specializes in international cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can enjoy alfresco dining (weather permitting). Open daily.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the hotel include an outdoor pool and a fitness center.
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at noon
Check-in time ends at midnight
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! One child 12 years old or younger stays free when using existing bedding.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for EUR 25 per night.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets not allowed (service animals welcome)
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- Minimum Spring Break check-in age is 18 years old.
Optional extras
- Fee for buffet breakfast: EUR 18,90 per person (approximately)
- Self parking fee: EUR 14 per day
- Rollaway bed fee: EUR 25 per night
Hotel Name
- NH Central Convenciones
- NH Central Convenciones Hotel
- NH Central Convenciones Hotel Seville
- NH Central Convenciones Seville
- NH Collection Sevilla Hotel Seville
- NH Collection Sevilla Hotel
- NH Collection Sevilla Seville
- NH Collection Sevilla
- Nh Hotels Seville
We should mention
Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2500, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation. One child 12 years old or younger stays free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation. Some facilities may have restricted access. Guests can contact the property for details using the contact information on the booking confirmation.
Complimentary Internet Access in Hallway
Guests can enjoy their first 30 minutes of wireless Internet access free of charge in the hotel hallway
Charges apply for Internet access in guestrooms and other public areas. Restrictions may apply.


text:
Filter Results:
- Full text PDF available (24)
Publication Year
- This year (0)
- Last 5 years (3)
- Last 10 years (24)
Publication Type
Publication Venue
Data Set Used
Key Phrases
Learn More
Subtle temporal and spectral differences between categorical realizations of para-linguistic phenomena (e.g., affective vocal expressions) are hard to capture and describe. In this paper we present a signal representation based on Time Varying Constant-Q Cepstral Coefficients (TVCQCC) derived for this purpose. A method which utilizes the special properties… (More)
- Gopal Ananthakrishnan, Pierre Badin, Julián Andrés Valdés Vargas, Olov Engwall
- 2010
In order to study inter-speaker variability, this work aims to assess the generalization capabilities of data-based multi-speaker articulatory models. We use various three-mode factor analysis techniques to model the variations of midsagittal vocal tract contours obtained from MRI images for three French speakers articulating 73 vowels and consonants.… (More)
- Daniel Neiberg, Gopal Ananthakrishnan, Olov Engwall
- 2008
This paper studies the hypothesis that the acoustic-to-articulatory mapping is non-unique, statistically. The distributions of the acoustic and articulatory spaces are obtained by fitting the data into a Gaussian Mixture Model. The kurtosis is used to measure the non-Gaussianity of the distributions and the Bhattacharya distance is used to find the… (More)
- Gopal Ananthakrishnan, Daniel Neiberg, Olov Engwall
- 2009
This paper explores the possibility and extent of non-uniqueness in the acoustic-to-articulatory inversion of speech, from a statistical point of view. It proposes a technique to estimate the non-uniqueness, based on finding peaks in the conditional probability function of the articulatory space. The paper corroborates the existence of non-uniqueness in a… (More)
- Gopal Ananthakrishnan, Giampiero Salvi
- 2011
This paper discusses a model which conceptually demonstrates how infants could learn the normalization between infant-adult acoustics. The model proposes that the mapping can be inferred from the topological correspondences between the adult and infant acoustic spaces, that are clustered separately in an unsu-pervised manner. The model requires feedback… (More)
This paper introduces a general approach for binary classification of audiovisual data. The intended application is mispronunciation detection for specific phonemic errors, using very sparse training data. The system uses a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier with features obtained from a Time Varying Discrete Cosine Transform (TV-DCT) on the audio… (More)
- Samer Al Moubayed, Gopal Ananthakrishnan
- 2010
This paper presents an Acoustic-to-Articulatory inversion method based on local regression. Two types of local regression , a non-parametric and a local linear regression have been applied on a corpus containing simultaneous recordings of positions of articulators and the corresponding acoustics. A maximum likelihood trajectory smoothing using the estimated… (More)
- Athanasios Katsamanis, Gopal Ananthakrishnan, George Papandreou, Petros Maragos, Olov Engwall
- 2008 16th European Signal Processing Conference
- 2008
We propose a unified framework to recover articulation from audiovisual speech. The nonlinear audiovisual-to-articulatory mapping is modeled by means of a switching linear dynamical system. Switching is governed by a state sequence determined via a Hidden Markov Model alignment process. Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients are extracted from audio while… (More)
- Gopal Ananthakrishnan, Olov Engwall
- Speech Communication
- 2011
We propose a method for Acoustic-to-Articulatory Inversion based on acoustic and articulatory 'gestures'. A definition for these gestures along with a method to segment the measured articulatory trajectories and the acoustic waveform into gestures is suggested. The gestures are parameterized by 2D DCT and 2D-cepstral coefficients respectively. The… (More)
This study aims at automatically classifying levels of acoustic prominence on a dataset of 200 Swedish sentences of read speech by one male native speaker. Each word in the sentences was categorized by four speech experts into one of three groups depending on the level of prominence perceived. Six acoustic features at a syllable level and seven features at… (More)


text:
Punk with Blue Hair and Eyes in Boyshorts
Duration: 9min 54sec Views: 36 239 Submitted: 1 year ago
Description: Thin goth honey with piercings that evidently enjoy the Starlet Wars, you will observe why. Her blue hair and eyes with virtuous view that is making people two times firm as they go usual and non wants to jizz just to love more! She wears magnificent tee-shirt and boyshorts on her thin bootie! She is draining in her Starlet Wars kingdom and all we do is unspoiled love in her lean handsome figure, her cunt is so epic!
Download: 1280x720, 165.93 Mb


text:
It is indeed the year of celebrity clap back and music star, Banky W has joined the party.
The singer who since the beginning of the year has been pestered by fans to go get married was involved in an epic show down between himself and a fan.
A fan tweeted at the singer writing, "I over heard you that you can't marry a normal person "A girl from a poor or low background". If you truly said that, you are a big fool!!!"
Banky W treading the path of OAP, Freeze gave the fan a clap back so impressive it has won him several adoration from fans. According to him, "I didn't.. But you're a bigger fool for jumping to conclusions, believing everything you hear & tweeting me this crap."
FollowBanky Wellington
I didn't.. but you're a bigger fool for jumping to conclusions, believing everything u hear & tweeting me this crap https://twitter.com/OmoAlhaja9/status/747865609266954240 …
250250 Retweets
Recall that ever since the EME boss was spotted as a grooms man at media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu's wedding, his life has never been the same. The singer's fans and followers have gone on a tiring quest to force Banky W into marriage but it seems like the pressure is finally getting to him, and the EME boss recently took the complaint toTwitter.
Recently, the singer featured in several pictures shared by friends of Tunde and Toolz Demuren who had travelled to the far east city of Dubai to celebrate their nuptials; including a picture which he shared by himself on his Instagram page.
The picture shows four hands with wedding bands on every ring finger except one.
Banky W then captioned the image "Last man standing? #Tsquared2016," obviously referring to himself being the only unmarried one in the group which is thought to include the newly married Tunde Demuren, another groomsman, Ebuka Obi Uchendu, and Olamide Adedeji of CMA group who was also present at the wedding.


text:
Enjoy live music at the always unique and funky "party in the park" with the Highland Jazz & Blues Festival. This FREE annual event features local and national jazz and blues artists, great food, and local artwork in the Historic Highland neighborhood...join us as we celebrate fourteen incredible years!
Click here to donate to the Festival via Paypal
Are you a fan of Shreveport -Bossier and all the wonderfulness it can offer? Show your love to the Highland Jazz & Blues Festival by purchasing a VIP Package now!
For $100 you will receive: ONE VIP access pass to the 2017 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival on Saturday, Sept 16th from 12-6pm. The VIP area provides a behind-the-scenes viewing area, plenty of shade, private port-a-lets, and FREE drinks, food, and Great Raft beer during festival hours. Along with access to the VIP Area, you will receive ONE HJBF shirt and commemorative poster. This package is valued at $300.


text:
We have been hearing reports and rumors all over the web for a long time about a certain Samsung-made Galaxy S3 Neo smartphone that was leaked previously. However, it seems like the device has already shed off its "rumored" tag and is now officially available for purchase.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo, which is basically an improved and upgraded version of the previously released Galaxy S3, as revealed earlier, was expected to be launched in India for the past few days.
Moreover, the information related to the same was previously leaked by mobile retailer Mahesh Telecom, who had also revealed that the device would be launched for Rs. 24,900 and that the stocks for the same were expected to arrive in the coming days.
However, as it seems, falling true to the leak, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo has now been made official for all those willing to invest on the device. The device is currently up for grabs via UniverCell's official online store, and that too at a subsidized price of Rs. 24,499.
Recommended: Motorola Unveils New Moto G Forte in Mexico
Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo: Highlighted Specifications
The Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo is quite similar to the previously released Galaxy S3, with the only difference being that the Neo version comes with dual SIM capabilities.
Apart from that, however, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo sports a 4.8-inch HD (1280×720 pixels) Super AMOLED display and is also powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor that's coupled with 1GB of RAM.
Recommended: New Skype for Windows Phone 8.1 Devices Is Integrated With Cortana [video]
Also included in the device is an 8-megapixel rear camera, alongside a 1.9-megapixel front camera. There's 16/32GB internal storage that is expandable up to 64GB and a 2,100mAh battery. On the software front, it runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, although the device is also awaiting a planned KitKat upgrade.


text:
Faculty and Staff
David L. Kelly
Professor, Economics
(305) 284-3725
Jenkins 521B
Research Interests
- Environmental Economics and Policy: Climate change policy under under uncertainty and learning, design of environmental regulation under uncertainty, economic growth and the environment, government policy and the environment, adaptation to climate change.
- Monetary economics and monetary policy including money and inflation, consumer response to Fed policy, and the relationship between Fed policy and the business cycle.
Selected Publications
Teaching and Professional Experience
- Visiting Assistant Professor, University of California at Santa Barbara, Department of Environmental Science and Management, July 1996-1998
- Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics, Carnegie Mellon University, Graduate School of Industrial Administration, August 1994-May 1995
- Ph.D., Economics, Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon University, 1995
- M.S., Economics, Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon University, 1991
- B.S., Honors in Mathematical Economics, Wake Forest University, 1989
- Environmental Economics
- Monetary Economics and Policy
- Macroeconomics


text:
Judith Ella Monk Zach died Aug. 5. She was 97.
Mrs. Zach was born May 28, 1915, in Victoria, B.C., Canada. She married Jan Zach on Nov. 12, 1947, in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University or Oregon in 1962. She worked as secretary for the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., from 1944-'45 and as secretary for the Canadian Embassy in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, from 1946-'51.
Se was preceded in death by her husband.
A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Catherine Church in Veneta.


text:
Hover on image to zoom
Style this polo T-shirt with a pair of denims and beige casual shoes for a casual day out. Carry a messenger bag and add on a pair of aviators to enhance the look.
Enter your PIN code to check the delivery time and special services


text:
Google Reader is ending, and while Americans won't notice much, this is a huge loss for Iranians, who use Google Reader to get around internet censorship by the Iranian government. Google Reader is an RSS feed: it aggregates news sources and blogs picked by each individual user. There are a zillion RSS feeds out there on the internet, but Google Reader is somewhat unique in that when someone reads a piece on Google Reader, the information comes from google's own servers, not the servers of the original news source. That means to shut down Google Reader, Iran would have to shut down all of Google, something it has done from time to time, but only temporarily. Iranians have long used Google Reader to read articles that would otherwise be blocked to them by the government.
OMG! #google is shutting the reader?! That is one of the few solutions for us to access the blogs, news, ... in #Iran #filternet :(— jadi (@jadi) March 14, 2013
Google's first principle is "don't be evil." While the shuttering of Reader is meant for efficiency's sake, and is not part of any discernable attempt to be evil, the ripple effect of the move will help evil (Iranian censorship) maintain itself. Perhaps they could keep Google Reader somewhere in the background of the internet so that Iranians may continue to stay abreast of the news, regardless of what their repressive government wants.


text:
The sharemarket has started the new year on the back foot, caught up in a wave of selling after soft Chinese manufacturing data spooked investors.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index dropped 0.5 per cent to 5270.5 points, while the broader All Ordinaries Index lost 0.4 per cent to 5322 points.
A bigger than expected contraction in Chinese factory activity sparked renewed concerns of a possible hard landing for the world's largest economy.
"Asia is certainly getting a touch up," said Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG. "We're seeing the measures to stimulate from fiscal and monetary policy are affecting larger businesses rather than smaller."
Locally, banks were sold due to a tougher mortgage lending environment.
"There are cracks appearing in the housing market and they are directly linked to lending," said Mr Weston. "The market is saying anything that negatively affects housing will impact earnings and these banks are fairly valued. It looks like people are taking a bit off the top."
The financial sector was the biggest loser of the day, dropping more than 1 per cent, with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia falling 1.3 per cent to $84.46 and Westpac Banking Corporation sliding 1.7 per cent to $33. ANZ Bank fell 1.4 per cent to $27.53 and National Australia Bank sank 1.2 per cent to $29.85.
The energy sector outperformed all others on the ASX, climbing 3.05 per cent after the oil price gained 2.5 per cent to $US38.20 a barrel during Asian trade.
Oil gained as Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran a day after its embassy in Tehran was attacked to protest the Saudis' execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.
"There's been a 2 per cent supply-side response, and we will potentially see a large supply side response, but I wouldn't be buying oil," said Mr Weston. "The concern is you may well see an increase in this market share jostling from other suppliers in the region."
Woodside climbed 3 per cent to $29.58. Santos rose 4.1 per cent to $3.83, while Origin Energy added 4.3 per cent to $4.90. Caltex also benefited from a bouyed oil price, closing 2.5 per cent higher at $38.64.
Troubled electronics retailer Dick Smith placed its shares in a trading halt ahead of an announcement about its debt financing, due by Wednesday.
In other corporate news, mobile services provider Amaysim bought smaller player Vaya, sending its shares soaring nearly 20 per cent to $2.75. The company's shares have risen almost 60 per cent since they listed in July. Amaysim is the fourth-largest mobile provider in Australia following Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.
Telstra finished the day down 0.5 per cent to $5.58.
There was a mixed appetite for mining shares as resources giant BHP Billiton fell 0.3 per cent to $17.80 and rival Rio Tinto closed higher 0.2 per cent at $44.63. Fortescue Metals closed up 0.5 per cent at $1.87.


text:
Selasa, 20 Mei 2014
Maxtra Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is an international Professional software development company based in the India with its office in Noida.We employ highly qualified software development engineers in several countries; however, as a Indian registered company, we can provide our clients with the security and operational development framework they require.Maxtra Technologies is a full service professional outsource website design & development company providing services for companies or individuals interested in outsourcing their web design and website development needs. We are specialized in providing innovative and high quality custom website designs.The company was founded at the beginning of the millennium Maxtra Technologies by a team of enthusiastic IT specialists who wanted to overcome the routine and create a company that would act in the market not only for business success but for the sake of Technology itself.We have developed a range of solutions and gained ample experience in the services we offer: MLM SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, Custom Software Development, E-commerce Solutions Development, E-learning Solutions Development, Web development, Legacy Applications Reconstruction, Project Recovery, Consulting, Quality Assurance, MY SQL.Our specialists have been providing software development services for multiple clients from USA, Great Britain and other countries, starting from small companies and continuing with very big clients, such as a well- known UK oil-mining company. We have completed different kinds of projects; and we specialize in automation of business processes used by our clients.
Langganan: Posting Komentar (Atom)


text:
"The house coat has turnover collar and short puff sleeves or long straight sleeves with turned back cuff. The skirt joins the blouse in a pointed line in front and is finished with slide fasteners or loops and buttons. Flared back panel."
Links to reviews/blog posts Edit
- A complete catalog of Simplicity S-Series patterns at A Few Threads Loose.
Sources/Vendors Edit
- OkeeBee's Vintage Boutique
- Rosebud Patterns
- Original at EvaDress on Etsy (32" bust)
- Multi-size Reproduction at EvaDress.com
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!]


text:
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The New Orleans Hornets have kicked veteran George Lynch out of their preseason camp at Southern Nazarene University.
Lynch has made it clear he wants to be traded and the feeling is mutual, said Hornets coach Byron Scott.
"I don't want those type of distractions in our locker room,"
Scott said.
"George has made it clear that he wants to be traded. We've
made it clear that we want to trade him.
"We want to try to get rid of him, try to make him happy."
Team officials said Lynch is in Dallas while recovering from
offseason foot surgery and was unavailable for comment.
Lynch's agent, Steve Kaussman, couldn't be reached for comment.
Lynch is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $3.2
million this season. He has said he wants to play for a contending
The Hornets will play 35 home games in Oklahoma City this season
because of hurricane damage in New Orleans.


text:
No productsbb
Prices are tax excluded
Check out
Display all pictures
Interior lighting with LED: optimal light for your car's interior. Brighter and more modern than most factory-installed lamps. The first choice for all car drivers keen on design and tuning!
More details
41,70€tax excl.
tax excl.
Add to cart
The minimum purchase order quantity for the product is 1
Nominal wattage 2.00WNominal voltage 12.0V
Length 49.8 mmDiameter 25.7 mm
Base (standard designation) BAU15sECE category -
Product benefits-5 year guarantee-Modern and intense light with up to 6,000 K-Perfect light distribution thanks to optimal usage of reflector-Non selective illumination-Maintenance-free thanks to long lifetime and short-circuit protection-Up to 80 % less energy consumption (compared to standard lamps)-Easy plug and play replacement, regardless of base polarity
Areas of application-Exterior LED car lighting
Product features-Compatible with conventional PY21W lamp base-LED retrofit lamps for various vehicle exterior applications-Available with light color: Cool White, Amber, Red (for usage behind red glass)-Shockproof and vibration-proof
Legal advice-Not ECE conform-Only for off-road use. Not approved for use on public roads when used in an exterior application. Illegal use leads to cancellation of vehicle operating licence and loss of insurance cover.
Osram LEDriving Premium Amber 7557YE 2W 12V PY21W BAU15s - Double pack 4052899368101 7557YE-02B 2W 1
Yes, we deliver abroad. In the EU, the US and also in all other parts of the world. For delivery using proven and reliable delivery service.
No products
LEDriving Premium Amber 7557YE 2W 12V...
There are no products selected for comparison.


text:
Return Of The Six Million Dollar Man And The Bionic Woman
Release Date: 22 March 2010 | Certificate: To Be Announced
Featuring: Richard Anderson, Pamela Bryant and Martin Landau
£4.99 includes FREE UK Postage (other delivery options available)
Shipping Destinations for this item
UK - Shipping Included
United Kingdom
Europe Zone 1 - £1.29
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland
Europe Zone 2 - £1.49
Andorra, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Sweden
Europe Zone 3 - £1.69
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Vatican City
North America - £1.69
Canada, USA
Australia and Far East Asia - £1.69
Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Taiwan
Japan - £1.69
Others - £1.79
Falkland Islands
You Save: £8.00
Steve Austin (Lee Majors), now a disenchanted loner, is persuaded out of seclusion by his old friends at O.S.I. in order to help them put a stop to a group of international terrorists known as Fortress. His former lover, Jamie Somers (Lindsay Wagner), is also begged to join in the struggle. Austin and Somers not only find their old powers are rusty, they must also learn to overcome their personal suspicions of each other and work together, especially when Austin's son is badly injured and then kidnapped by Fortress.
Release Date: 22 March 2010
Certificate: tba - To Be Announced
Actors: Richard Anderson, Pamela Bryant, Martin Landau, Gary Lockwood, Lee Majors, Tom Schanley and Lindsay Wagner
Region 2
Sound: Dolby Digital
Main Language: English
For more information and our Delivery Policy see here.
For more information and our Returns Policy see here.
Catalogue No: FHED2686


text:
FREE UK Delivery on orders over £50*
Click on the image to enlarge and zoom.
Be the first to review this product
Free Delivery
* Required Fields
The design philosophy behind the T/5i is 'simplicity'. The unit makes use of a single, high-quality constructed 'AlloyFibre' composite driver. This driver points downwards in order to achieve optimal dispersion, while also removing the need for a grille. REL describe their T/5i model as being 'the purest expression of REL'.
Improvements upon its predecessor include a major update to the classic REL 8" bass engine, mainly in the form of reducing mass while drastically increasing rigidity of the cone itself. This, along with cabinet dimension and wall thickness upgrades allow the T/5i to move huge amounts of air with an unrivalled level of accuracy and precision, bringing a new level of life to your favourite films and music.
As for amplification, the T/5i uses Class A/B amplification sections, with huge, high-current power supplies, and precisely wound transformers, topped with REL's renowned level of durability and reliability.
There are no reviews for this product yet. Be the first to write a review.
Providing your item is in stock, the order is usually dispatched within 24 hours. Please remember that postage and packing is completely free for orders over £50*. Out of stock items will be dispatched as soon as they become available, out of stock items can take between 4 to 21 days for dispatch.
Deliveries usually take 1-3 working days. The majority of orders are sent via our couriers'; Interlink Express on a next-day-delivery service. Smaller, low value or light-weight items are normally posted using Royal Mail Recorded or Royal Mail Special Delivery.
Once your product has been dispatched, you will be notified via email and sent a unique consignment number, you can use this number at http://www.interlinkexpress.com to check the status of your delivery. If you have provided a mobile telephone number, Interlink's Predict service will notify you by text (and email) of a one-hour delivery window. If the window they suggest is inconvenient, you can change the date of delivery to a later one via text or email.
*We ship free of charge to mainland UK addresses, excluding the Scottish Highlands or 'Out-Of-Reach' Scottish locations. Please consult the post-codes below to see if your location falls within this category. If you are still unsure, please contact us on 01432 354921. We also ship to Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Scilly Isles, Scottish Isles and Scottish Highlands, however delivery to these locations will incur a charge and can only be sent via a 2-day service.
Post codes exempt from the free delivery service include:
Scottish Highlands Post Codes: AB30-38, AB41-42, AB44-56, FK17-99, G83, IV1-28, IV30-39, IV52-54, IV63, KW1-14, PA21-33, PA34-40, PH15-26, PH31-41, PH49-50 Islands Post Codes: HS1-9, IV40-51, IV55-56, KA27-28, KW15-17, PA20, PA41-49, PA60-78, PH42-44, ZE1-3 Northern Ireland: All BT postcodes Channel Islands Post Codes: JE, GYScilly Isles Post Codes: TR21, TR22, TR23, TR24, TR25
Keep up to date for exclusive offers and discounts


text:
The Needle was a water tower in Luskan situated on the north side of Setting Sun Street, and was used during weekly flushes of the sewer system.[1][2]
The tower could also be used as a water supply in case fires broke out in the city. The Needle was fed from the River Mirar by a series of windmills that pumped water upwards into its tank.[1][2]
|This Realmslore article about a structure or building is a stub. You can help the Forgotten Realms Wiki by expanding it.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 slade (April 1996). The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (Cities and Civilization). (TSR, Inc), p. 24. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 118. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.


text:
Phone: 805-756-2794
Tweets by @CalPoly_OSRR
One of the newest and most important initiatives of the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities is to be proactive in classrooms and at University events. We want to get the word out and get students educated on what OSRR does, who we are, and how their actions can impact their status as a student and University community member.
Give Today
Strategic Plan
Follow OSRR Today


text:
|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|"Parmar, Deepak" <deepak...@mediaone.net>
|Design Question (Applet or HTML/Servlet)
|Tue, 06 Nov 2001 15:19:32 GMT
Hi Guys, We are converting over Windows base application into Web base application. User interface is similar to windows explorer. Here is some info: 1. In left side we display tree and right side we display data of whatever node is selected in tree. 2. Tree is not STATIC means many user add/delete nodes in tree. 3. Tree may have more than 1000 nodes in it. 4. get children from database whenever user expand any node. Two ways to implement 1. Using applet. Applet communicates to servlet to display tree. 2. Use servlet/jsp to display tree in HTML (using table tag). What is the best way to mimic this tree functionality in web base application considering we have more than 1000 nodes in tree? How about the performance in above two cases? Thanks Deepak -- To unsubscribe: <mailto:email@example.com> For additional commands: <mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com> Troubles with the list: <mailto:email@example.com>
|View raw message


text:
Featured Links
Venture One properties is the premier commercial real estate company in and around the Idaho Falls area. With so much industry moving into South East Idaho and a booming growth rate, Venture One has the experience needed to find the ideal space...
http://www.ventureoneproperties.com/all-listings - Read more
Links Sort by: Hits | Alphabetical
Spot Blue - Turkey property agents. We assist with buying & selling Property in Istanbul, Turkey. Browse through our listing of hundreds of Property for sale in Turkey.
http://www.spotblue.com/turkey-real-estate/istanbul-property-for-sale - Read more
The Farm Land, Residential Sites near Hubli are designed to perfection selection of sites are planned to assist the environment. R V Developers are operating in North Karnataka for property as they have engaged the need for sites, plots, villas...
http://www.rvdevelopers.in - Read more
Set against tranquil landscape,ALIENS HUB incorporates innovation and intelligent living spaces to build a smart community built on these principles of sustainable development which is spread over 1500 acres and just 25 minutes drive from the...
http://aliensgroup.in/html/hub.html - Read more
Our accomplished team of real estate agents specialists are trained to deliver first class levels of customer service to our clients. With our in-depth knowledge of Bangkok Condos and Bangkok Apartments, we will make finding the ideal home for you...
http://www.bangkokpropertyservices.com/homes/detailed/447 - Read more
Property Matrix is one of the best real estate Agents in Bhubaneswar. Property in Bhubaneswar witnesses quick growth of both development of property and its increasing of needs. There are many reasons for fast growth of the property of the town....
http://www.propertymatrix.co.in/ - Read more
Amrapali Kingswood is the new latest residential project of Golf Homes launch by the Amrapali Group. Amrapali Kingswood is coming up at Noida Extension, offers a wide range of 2,3 and 4 BHK Luxury Aapartments one of the most preferred locations...
http://www.amrapalikingswood.org - Read more
Sunnyvale home Noida is a meticulously work done with the highly cared benchmark of jaypeegroup.sunyvale homes is an enchanting and tranquit construction ,constructed by jaypee
http://www.jaypeesunnyvalehomes.co.in - Read more
This is a 1 bedroom apartment in Shambala Aparment with stunning views of the sea and a 5-minute walk to BalingHai beach of the Boracay Island. Unit 2 is a 1 Bedroom with 75sqm, fully furnished and beautifully decorated.
http://www.boracaybeachrealestate.com/119/shambala-apartments-unit-2.html - Read more
Get Exclusive Discounted Property and Real Estate Deals on Groffr.com. Groffr is a group buying website that aims at providing group real estate deals, group Cars Deals, Group Lifestyle Deals and user suggested deals by it's cutomers. Groffr...
http://www.groffr.com - Read more
Aryavan Villas project is located between the sacred place of Haridwar and Rishikesh. Gharonda Infra Project Pvt. Ltd offers you a place to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul.
http://www.aryavanvillas.co.in/ - Read more
Medlock Apartments offers comfortable and deluxe hotel apartments in Manchester. Contact us to book one of our hotel apartments for your corporate or leisure stay in Manchester.
http://www.medlockapartments.com/Manchester/Manchester_apartments.html - Read more
SEED Infotech provides industry standard C Language Certification course in India with career oriented intervention. We have highly skilled team of in-house trainers.
http://www.ctrainingcourses.in/seed-training.html - Read more
About the price of houses , the value of the properties and the real state agents in the Brampton. What do we need to look at while buying a house. Real Estate in Brampton is one of the fastest growing in Canada. As a resulted there is a huge...
http://www.vicdogra.ca/blog/brampton-real-estate/ - Read more
Builders in Cuttack - If you are searching real estate builders in Cuttack, then you have come to the right place. At OrimarkProperties.com you will find a huge selection of builders list of twin city Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
http://orimarkproperties.com/buildersinbhubaneswar.aspx - Read more
Saddy Delgado is the most luxuriant and prestigious real estate services provider. She is specialist in luxury real estate, condos, and homes in Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Pinecrest and throughout South Florida.
http://www.saddydelgado.com/fhomes/propertydetail/home/Coral-Gables - Read more
Avatar Florida specializes in real estate services, selling luxury homes, luxury condos, commercial properties, featured homes and other property throughout South Florida.
http://www.avatarflorida.com - Read more
If you are worried about selling Arizona short sale homes, then find Arizona Real Estate professionals who can solve your financial problems and sell your home in time.
http://www.realestate4phoenixaz.com/ - Read more
We have been booking homes for UK guests for well over a decade now, and know the whole area so well, that we are able to guide and advise you in a way that most standard travel advisors just cannot do.
http://www.florida-villa.com - Read more
Killeen homes for sale, including Killeen new homes, resale and to be built real estate. View property pictures, mapped locations, sattelite and street views, including demographic and Killeen school data.
http://www.killeenmax.com - Read more
Green Beauty farms are a new Residential Farmland project in Noida expressway with top class facilities, awesome and peaceful serene gateway for getting relaxation and delightful lifestyle.
http://www.propmind.com/green-beauty-farms-noida.aspx - Read more
Recently Added
Directory Stats
Active Links: 5010
Pending Links: 27471
Categories: 693
Pending Links: 27471
Categories: 693