text:
European Disability Forum - Articles and news items
Creating common rules for public transport accessibility in the EU
Issue 2 2017 • 10 April 2017 • Gunta Anca, Vice-President of the European Disability Forum (EDF) and Chair of the Expert Group on Transport
Gunta Anca, Vice-President of the European Disability Forum (EDF) and Chair of the Expert Group on Transport, explores how the proposed European Accessibility Act will affect persons with disabilities accessing inner-city public transport.
Accessibility of urban buses: time to turn EU law into practice!
Issue 5 2012 • 31 October 2012 • Guillaume Dufresne, Mobility and Transport Officer, European Disability Forum (EDF)
A Europe free of barriers is where there is freedom of movement for all. The European disability movement believes that all forms of transport should be accessible, including urban buses, which is an important element for the travel chain of passengers with disabilities.
The European Disability Forum (EDF) is the umbrella organisation representing the interests of people with disabilities in Europe. Our mission is to ensure that people with disabilities have full access to fundamental human rights through their active involvement in policy development and implementation. Urban transport is a priority area of our activities and we are involved in strengthening the rights of passengers with disabilities. In the field of transport, the advocacy efforts of EDF have been extremely successful – over the past decade we have seen significant changes and increased awareness. EDF is frequently consulted by relevant European Commission Directorates General for input and expertise and we also regularly work in partnership with other transport stakeholders such as UITP and EUROCITIES.
Taking disability on board
Issue 1 2005, Past issues • 1 April 2005 • Nora Bednarski, Policy Officer, European Disability Forum
Transport and mobility are essential to disabled people's full participation in society. Accessible transport is a must. As our population ages rapidly and with an increased consciousness in society of the essential nature of accessible transport in the lives of disabled people, we see a distinct trend towards the development of transport systems based on a design for all approach. However, this trend is not consistent, harmonised or fast-moving.
This article will highlight some of the areas of activity of the European Disability Forum in the urban transport domain, and will point to current opportunities which could have a significant impact on the long-term accessibility of urban transport. It will also argue that not only are there human rights-based and sustainability-related arguments for investing in accessible urban transport, and in addition to legal obligations which are beginning to extend – ultimately, it makes financial sense for operators and transport authorities.


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Search Members
If you have difficulty logging in, please select the "Forgot Login" link below and the system will email your credentials to you or call Patricia at the Chamber (873-3315)
Give a Hoot About Savings Month at New Dimensions FCU
New Dimensions FCU
10:00am - 12:00pm
Workshop: Eggsploring Art
Colby College Museum of Art
10:00am - 12:00pm
Workshop: Eggsploring Art!
Colby Museum of Art, Colby College, Waterville
10:30am - 11:00am
Pigs and Noodles Family Story Time!
Colby Program Room, Lower Level, Waterville Public Library, 73 Elm St. Waterville, ME 04901
06:00pm - 07:00pm
Spring Drama Performance - Thomas College
Thomas College Ayotte Auditorium - 180 West River Road, Waterville
10:00pm - 12:00am
Cold Engines plays at Mainely Brews
Mainely Brews

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Pioneer Natural Resources Company has entered into an amendment to its purchase and sale agreement with Caelus Energy Alaska LLC, under which it is selling 100% of the equity in Pioneer's subsidiary, Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska, Inc. As a result of the amendment, at closing the Company will receive cash in the amount of $300 million, subject to normal closing adjustments, plus other consideration.
The transaction, as amended, will have an effective date of January 1, 2014, and it is expected to close during the second quarter. The sale continues to be subject to certain conditions, including governmental approvals. As a result of the amendment, the Company expects to recognize an additional noncash loss of approximately $30 million, which will be recorded in the first quarter of 2014.
Pioneer Natural Resources Company
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text:
Assess Immunogenicity, Reactogenicity, Safety of a Booster of GSK Biologicals DTPw-HBV/Hib Kft Compared to DTPw-HBV/Hib
This study has been completed.
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: May 31, 2006
Last updated: September 27, 2016
Last verified: September 2016
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study has been completed.
|Study Completion Date:
|October 2006
|Primary Completion Date:
|October 2006 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):


text:
|James Reese
|Full Name
|James Reese
|Current Age
|Date of Birth
|March 10th, 2018
|San Francisco, California, USA
|Hero Knight
|Main Weapon(s)
| ARAK-17 Assault Rifle
ACR-17 Machine-Pistol
|War Of Heroes: Generations
|Current Status(es)
|Main Ability/ies
|Expert Marksmanship and Weapon Skill
|New Hero Coalition
|Son of Destiny
| Kyle Reese (father)
Clementine Everett (mother)
|Portrayed by
|Brandon Martinez
"Delta 2-1, incoming Armada Forces!"
- James during the Coalition-Armada Conflicts (2028)
James Reese is the newly introduced main Protagonist of the Ubisoft-Pixar Extended Universe, and the main character of War Of Heroes: Generations. He is the son of the two Hero Knights, Kyle Reese and Clementine Everett, and is a member of the New Hero Coalition fighting against the New Villain Armada during the Second Multiversal War. Due to his parents' reputation within the Coalition, James began his Training at the age of 9 and excelled at the Coalition Academy of Military Science, demolishing the Training Program and Combat Immersion Sim with seemingly preposterous ease and was accepted into the Restored Multiversal Military. His appearance is based off of James Fairbanks from 'The Walking Dead: Michonne', having an extreme resemblance to Clementine in the Crossover Canon and some kind of resemblance to Kyle.
Appearance Edit
James is a young African-American with blue eyes and black hair. He wears a red hoodie with a black tank top underneath, blue ripped jeans and white sneakers. He has several small scars on his neck and cheek, and utilizes a Sword Sheath and several Armor Pads on his clothes. As stated before, his appearance is based off of James Fairbanks from 'The Walking Dead: Michonne'.


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1st guy Is a guy I known for over 10 years. He used to be that guy that women would mistreat, friendzone and/or reject in a instant. The women that friendzoned him would use him as a shoulder to cry on about their dating/relationship woes. Well he changed and now he's dogging women now despite being able to get a woman with ease. He's seems bitter about women in the past mistreating him. I thought being bitter would ruin a guy's chances of dating?
2nd guy is a guy I've known for about 13 years. He dresses nice, keeps himself up , and is a great guy. He gets rejected chronically by women despite being confident, highly social, good personality. He never says anything stupid and he worked on himself extremely hard, still nothing. He also has never became bitter toward women despite never having a girlfriend, being chronically and viciously rejected by women. He's going to be 39 in a couple of months and he has never been able to get a woman, never kissed one, etc. I thought that not being bitter would help his chances of dating? So why did being bitter didn't effect one guy and not being bitter never helped the other?
Most Helpful Guy
I don't know about the 1st guy... but how is that possible about the second guy? I mean if he I'd what you described how can he not get even one GF?
How is his behavior... with women? And where is he looking for the women... Come on at least one women will like the second guy!!22|00|0
Not one girl has ever been interested in him.
- Show AllShow Less
So that's what's it. Its his genes! Why didn't I think of that sooner? I guess he's screwed because even though women blatantly lie and say confidence and personality only matters , its all about looks.
Ya I mean even he is letting himself very fit and clean and all...
If he is believe average looking then he will have less chance with girls out there...
I am just saying this because even if people say personality matters and all everyone wants a good looking partner even if they are average!!!


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It will not surprise to you learn that back to school season was always one of my favourite times of year. There were school supplies to gather, outfits to plan, schedules to organize. Heaven! And even though I haven't been a student for many years, there's just something about this time of year that makes it feel like you have a fresh start!
I want to cake a crisp, clean Lunch Box Cake! The kind of pretty lunchbox that you would start a new school year with, not the smooshed, dirty one that always seems to surface at the end of the semester. Remember, fresh starts! I'll be building this Lunch Box Cake out of carved funfetti cake, brightly coloured buttercream, and fondant details. I really want you to get creative with your lunch box design, it's all about showing off your personality!
Where Do I Buy My Ingredients & Tools??Back to school shopping already has you spinning, so I made it one step easier by listing all of my shoppable supplies on my Parsel page for you here!
Baking Your Funfetti Lunch Box Cake!
Ingredients & Tools You Will Need:
6 lbs Yo's Ultimate Vanilla Cake - find my recipe here
1/2 cup Jumbo Sprinkles
11 x 15" Rectangular Cake Pan, lined with parchment paper
Rubber Spatula
Please note that this recipe will make one Lunch Box Cake.
Prepare your vanilla cake batter according to my recipe here. I added my sprinkles in layers to prevent the colour from bleeding into my white vanilla cake batter. Pour a bit of your batter into your rectangular cake pan, then a sprinkling of your sprinkles. Repeat: batter, sprinkles, batter, sprinkles, batter until all of your batter is in the pan.
Bake your funfetti cake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow your cake to cool completely in the pan.
Filling Your Lunch Box Cake!
Ingredients & You Will Need:
Italian Meringue Buttercream - find my recipe here
Simple Syrup - find my recipe here
Wilton Pink Icing Color (or your favourite)
Rubber Spatula
Small Offset Spatula
Icing Spatula
Serrated Knife
Small Serrated Knife
2 1/2" Circle Cutter
Remove your 11 x 15" funfetti cake from your pan. Level and cut the caramelization off the bottom of your cake using a ruler and serrated knife. You can watch me do this here. Trim the cake to 14.5 x 10" to get all of the caramelization off of the sides. Now cut the cake in half so that you have two pieces that are 7.25 x 10". You guys are going to be so ready for math class!
Stack one piece of cake on top of the other, and round out the edges to give it the shape of a fabric lunch box. I used a 2 ½ inch circle cutter to round off the four corners and give them a uniform shape. To do this, mark the corner with your circle cutter and use a small serrated knife to carve it out.
Then unstack your cakes and give them both a simple syrup shower.
Let's fill our lunch box with buttercream. I'm going to use pink in honour of my very special guest, Elise from My Cupcake Addiction. Her logo features the most lovely pale pink that I wanted to replicate, but of course you can choose whichever colour you'd like! Fold your icing color into 1 ½ cup of buttercream.
Spread a layer of coloured buttercream onto your first cake, and then stack your second layer on top. Crumb coat your cake and place it in the fridge to chill. Bring it back out after 20 minutes for another ice, and then back into the fridge it goes for a final chill.
Covering Your Cake In Lunch Box Details!
Ingredients & Tools You Will Need:
3 lbs Fondant
4 oz Black Fondant
Wilton Kelly Icing Color
Wilton Pink Icing Color
Wilton Red No Taste Icing Color
Fabric Measuring Tape
Rolling Pin
Icing Sugar
Paring Knife
I dyed my white fondant with Wilton Red No Taste, Pink, and Kelly Green Icing Colors for my lunch box details. A cake like this is also a great excuse to use up any fondant scraps you have leftover from other caking projects.
Measure the circumference around the side of your cake, and roll out your fondant to be slightly larger than the height and length of your cake. Wrap your fondant around your lunch box, bringing the seam together at the back. Usually I'd hide the fondant seams in my cake, but in this case it will end up on the bottom of this lunch box. Trim off any excess fondant with a sharp paring knife.
For the top of my lunch box, I draped fondant overtop. Again, because this is a fabric style lunch box, I wasn't too concerned with getting a perfect shape.
I flipped my cake over and trimmed the excess fondant using the cake as a guide. While my cake was still flipped over, I added a small layer of icing to the bottom layer of cake. Then I rolled out some of my pink fondant and covered the bottom. If you want to leave your lunch box lying down, you don't have to cover the bottom. Then I flipped it back, getting ready to add your lunch box design!
Decorating Your Lunch Box Cake!
Ingredients & Tools You Will Need:
Circle Cutters
PME Strip Cutter No.1
Yard Stick
FMM Straight Frill Cutter
Clay Extruder
Vegetable Shortening
Non Stick Rolling Mat
Small Fondant Rolling Pin
Textured Rolling Pin
If you have one, this would be a great place to whip out your How To Cake It sketchbook, and draw out what you'd like your lunch box to look like before you start cutting out fondant details. You can rep your fave fandom by adding 2D characters, you can use patterns like stripes or polka dots, or you can even keep it simply colour-blocked. Let your imagination go wild!
Even though all of our lunch boxes will be different, I'll let you know how I made the shapes on mine. I rolled my fondant very thin and cut out the shapes for the My Cupcake Addiction logo using a template that I created, circle cutters for my polka dots, and a strip cutter to get stripes with frills. But feel free to freestyle your design and cut out shapes by hand (That's what Elise did!). Cut out your shapes with a paring knife and use a little bit of water as glue.
Let's create a zipper! We've got to get into this lunch box somehow. Measure the circumference of your cake sides, and roll out a long tube of fondant. Flatten the tube with your fingers and use a rolling pin to roll lengthwise and flatten further. To make the zipper indent, I used a strip cutter to mark out the teeth on either side of the line, using a yardstick to ensure that I got a straight line. Then trim your zipper to about ¼" thick. Brush on a little water to stick the fondant zipper to your cake.
I also made another zipper running along the outside of my lunch box because I like to have a little compartment where I can stash my treat. You know, for after lunch. ;)
Lastly, I made a big handle on top of my lunch box that tapered down at either end. I used a ribbed rolling pin to create the fabric ribbing on the handle, and then folded the ends down like a true fabric handle. You can use a strip cutter for this detail if you aren't able to find a ribbed rolling pin.
We're all done! Class dismissed! I bet you can trade a piece of your Lunch Box Cake for some pretty sweet stuff at the lunch table. ;)


text:
Graphviz (Graph Visualization Software) is a package of open-source tools initiated by AT&T Labs Research for drawing graphs specified in DOT language scripts.
DOT files are text files with .dot extension. They use a graph description language named DOT language. These files can be processed by some tools like dot to generate a graphical view.
Under Ubuntu and Debian, you get a set of command line tools but no GUI (Graphical User Interface) for Gnome Shell.
If you want to have a complete desktop integration for your graphviz DOT files, you need to add a proper thumbnailer and a previewer.
This article explains how to setup a complete desktop integration for Graphviz .dot files with Gnome Shell. You'll then be able to :
- see your graphviz .dot files thumbnails inside Nautilus
- see your graphviz .dot file preview straight from Eye of Gnome
This has been tested on Ubuntu Gnome 14.04 LTS Amd64 and LUbuntu 14.04 LTS. It should work on many Linux distribution with little adjustment.
1. Install Packages
Under Ubuntu, GraphViz is easily available from the graphviz package.
To resize the thumbnails, we also need to install imagemagick package that will provide convert tool.
File preview will be done with Eye Of Gnome provided in eog package.
So, make sure all these packages are installed :
2. Previewer for Graphviz .dot files
Next step is to setup and declare .dot files preview in Nautilus.
The expected behaviour is simple : when you double-click on a .dot file, it opens a preview window showing the graphical result of the Graphviz generation.
As DOT files are text files, preview will involve the use of a previewer script graphviz-preview in charge of conversion of the .dot file to a .png picture and display it using previewer.
# ---------------------------------------------------
# Preview of Graphviz .DOT files
# Procedure :
# http://bernaerts.dyndns.org/linux/76-gnome/333-gnome-shell-graphviz-viewer-thumbnailer
# Depends on :
# * dot (graphviz package)
# * eog
# Parameters :
# $1 - full path of DOT file
# Revision history :
# 24/04/2015, V1.0 - Creation by N. Bernaerts
# ---------------------------------------------------
# check tools availability
command -v dot >/dev/null 2>&1 || { zenity --error --text="Please install dot [graphviz package]"; exit 1; }
command -v eog >/dev/null 2>&1 || { zenity --error --text="Please install eog [eye of gnome]"; exit 1; }
# select graphviz file if not given as parameter
[ "$1" != "" ] && DOT_FILE="$1" || DOT_FILE="$(zenity --file-selection --file-filter='Graphviz files (dot)|*.dot' --title='Select file to preview')"
# if no file selected, exit
[ "${DOT_FILE}" == "" ] && exit 0
# retrieve file parameters
DOT_DIR=$(dirname "${DOT_FILE}")
DOT_NAME=$(basename "${DOT_FILE}")
# generate temporary local filename
TMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d -t preview-XXXXXXXX)
# convert graphviz DOT file to PNG
cd "${DOT_DIR}"
dot -Tpng "${DOT_FILE}" > "${TMP_PIX}"
# preview display
eog "${TMP_PIX}"
# remove temporary files
rm "${TMP_PIX}"
rmdir "${TMP_DIR}"
Nautilus integration is done thru a graphviz.desktop file, that will declare the preview program and associate it with mimetype text/vnd.graphviz of Graphviz .dot files .
Exec=/usr/local/bin/graphviz-preview %f
Name=GraphViz Preview
Installation of the complete Graphviz .dot preview environment can be done with these commands :
# sudo wget -O /usr/local/bin/graphviz-preview https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NicolasBernaerts/ubuntu-scripts/master/thumbnailer/graphviz/graphviz-preview
# sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/graphviz-preview
# sudo wget -O /usr/share/applications/graphviz.desktop https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NicolasBernaerts/ubuntu-scripts/master/thumbnailer/graphviz/graphviz.desktop
# sudo chmod +x /usr/share/applications/graphviz.desktop
3. Thumbnailer for Graphviz .dot files
Instead of having a generic Graphviz icon for the DOT files, you can setup Nautilus to generate a thumbnail of the graph.
To do that, Nautilus is using a thumbnailer associated to the mime type text/vnd.graphviz of the file.
This program (or script) is in charge of generating the thumbnail in a PNG format with a given height.
The following script is a Nautilus thumbnailer for Graphviz .dot files :
# --------------------------------------------
# Thumbnailer for Graphviz .DOT files
# Procedure :
# http://bernaerts.dyndns.org/linux/76-gnome/333-gnome-shell-graphviz-viewer-thumbnailer
# Depends on :
# * convert (imagemagick package)
# * dot (graphviz package)
# Revision history :
# 04/08/2013, V1.0 - Creation by N. Bernaerts
# 25/04/2015, V1.1 - Convert to bash
# -------------------------------------------
# check tools availability
command -v dot >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit 1
command -v convert >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit 1
# get parameters
# go to graphviz DOT file directory
cd $(dirname "${INPUT}")
# generation
dot -Tpng "${INPUT}" | convert -resize x${HEIGHT} - "${OUTPUT}"
To allow Nautilus to use this thumbnailer, we need to declare this script as the thumbnailer for the mime type text/vnd.graphviz of DOT files.
This declaration is done via the file /usr/share/thumbnailers/apk.thumbnailer.
Exec=/usr/local/bin/graphviz-thumbnailer %i %o %s
Complete thumbnailer environment can be installed with these commands :
# sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/graphviz-thumbnailer
# sudo wget -O /usr/share/thumbnailers/graphviz.thumbnailer https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NicolasBernaerts/ubuntu-scripts/master/thumbnailer/graphviz/graphviz.thumbnailer
4. Restart
Everything is now ready. You just need to restart your computer.
If you are running Ubuntu Gnome, you can simply restart nautilus.
Your Graphviz files will now appear as thumbnails in your file manager.
A double click on any Graphviz .dot files, should launch a graph preview.
Hope it helps.


text:
Hotel Indryani Motel
Call us 1800-300-2400-1 (Toll Free) and Get additional Discount upto 50% for this Hotel.
Per Room Per Night
Lowest Price Guarantee
You are getting lowest possible rate for this hotel
- About Hotel
- Reviews
Select Room
About Hotel Indryani Motel
Hotel Indryani Motel offers laundry service to its patrons. This hotel in Pune can be reached from Pune Airport which is located at a distance of 18 km. This hotel has 10 rooms with 2 floors. Some of the amenities available include an attached bathroom and a comfortable bed.
No of floors: 2 | No of rooms: 10
Checkin Time: 1200 pm
Checkout Time: 1200 pm
Hotel Information and Amenities
Read More....
Hotel Amenities
- Attached Bathroom
Hotel Location


text:
Join our ecoactive.travel network
There is no better or more intense way to experience a country than to bike, hike or kayak through its varied landscapes. And with our choice of route options, you get to decide whether you want to explore at a leisurely pace, or exert yourself some more. Whether you want to try a longer route during the day's activities, or head back early for a swim or a spa treatment, the choice is yours.
Franschhoek Village Cycle | 3 Hours
Half or Full Day | Devon Valley Cycle - Stellenbosch
Full Day | Franschhoek Valley - Wine & Ride
Full Day | Sip and Cycle - Franschhoek Vignerons
Full-Day | Cape Cycle Safari - Private Reserve
3 Day Trip | Superior MTB Single Track - Elgin Valley


text: I am a fourth generation Montana Lawyer. My great grandfather and grandfather practiced in Laurel Montana, while I practice with my father in Missoula. I love Montana because of the people. Every day, I try and make the world a little better by helping those who need it. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need legal assistance.


text:
- Home
- lop bunny rabbit finger puppet
lop bunny rabbit finger puppet
Awwww! That's what you'll hear every time you pull this little cutie out. Super soft with lovely long ears, this bunny demands to be cuddled. Irresistible!
Puppets are one of the best tools for imaginative play ever created. Finger puppets are ideal for younger children who may have trouble handling larger puppets, or for older kids ready to have a couple puppets on the go at once. Children love to create imaginative storylines with these, which builds language skills and creativity.
Small enough to tuck into any bag, these are excellent to bring along on outings - whether it's a play date at the park or a lengthy car or plane trip!
- promotes creativity and language skills
- safe for children 3 years and up to use independently
- an incredible tool for parents to engage with children and babies of all ages
- measures 3.5" long, 4" wide, and 4" tall
From Our Blog
- Fun With Miniatures
- We are obsessed with miniatures! It's no surprise as miniatures have been taking the macro photography world by storm. Preiser...
- top toys - wooden toys
- We believe the right toys contribute to a positive, healthy childhood and help build life long skills. So we thought...
- top toys - arts and crafts
- We believe the right toys contribute to a positive, healthy childhood and help build life long skills. So we thought long...
- snap circuits
- Want to build a flying saucer? How about a burglar alarm? Snap Circuits make learning about electronics easy and fun! The...
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text:
I am pleased to announce the release of Xen 4.8.1. Xen Project Maintenance releases are released in line with our Maintenance Release Policy. We recommend that all users of the 4.8 stable series update to the latest point release.
Enterprise cloud adoption shows no signs of slowing down. IDC reported that among more than 6,000 IT organizations surveyed, nearly 2/3 were using or planning to use public cloud IaaS in 2016. Gartner projected IaaS to grow by 42.8% in 2016.
The Xen Project is commonly used in embedded scenarios due to its security features, light-weight architecture and open source community. These core attributes are now making it more pervasive in the automotive industry, which has similar demands to the embedded industry, especially when it comes to security requirements.
Recent research from ESG revealed that enterprise IT teams prefer to upgrade their mission-critical applications on their own terms versus a vendor's predefined schedule, choosing instead to extend the runway of their existing investments. As Senior Analyst at ESG Nik Rouda points out,
"IT teams responsible for application, infrastructure, and operations are rightly cautious about making changes, worried about unforeseen complications and disruption of the business functions."
The hypervisor team has come to the conclusion that using the C programming language, which is 45 years old as of writing, is not a good idea for the long term success of the project.
C, without doubt, is ridden with quirks and undefined behaviours. Even the most experienced developers find this collection of powerful footguns difficult to use. We're glad that the development of programming languages in the last decade has given us an abundance of better choices.
According to RightScale's 2017 State of the Cloud report, cloud adoption continues to rise with private cloud proving to be a popular and flexible option for enterprises. Its no surprise then that Nippon Paint, a 136 year old paint company, decided to modernize its core lines of business with a secure and scalable private cloud infrastructure.
For businesses large and small, speed and agility are now at the center of success. As digital technologies take hold—and requirements for IT flexibility grow—the need for a robust business and IT framework is nothing less than critical.
kSar is one of the best tools to display an easy chart based on your system's SAR metrics collection. kSar has not been developed since sometime in 2013, and it lacks the ability to parse modern Linux sysstat charts, leaving us with some missing info. However – some good soul has taken kSar and forked in into development. This tool can be found here, and it's working nicely with RHEL6 metrics, as far as I could see. Grab it if you haven't already!
As many of you might know, I've been in the storage end of the business for over 20 years. And for the last few years, I think one of the most interesting topics is how best to bridge storage between the familiar world of the data center, and the new world of cloud.
Today, I'd like to give you an update on what Oracle is doing. We call it "cloud converged storage" -- bridging the gap between today's world, and tomorrow's.
Guest blog by Michele Egerter of Oracle Gold Partner, Eagle Datagistics.


text:
Tab Sidebar Reloaded: Preview & Access History For Open Tabs [Firefox]
Managing and sifting through multiple open tabs while researching a topic can be a difficult and a cumbersome task. Tab Sidebar Reloaded, a Firefox add-on, provides users with a sidebar in the browser that acts as the main tab bar, but with added features. With it, you can get a preview of tabs that gets continuously updated, so you don't have to visit such tabs over and over again. Another very useful feature is that, every tab comes with history, reload and stop options, which conveniently allow you to navigate between multiple open tabs. The tab preview is automatically refreshed whenever the page changes, and you can also hide the main tab bar when the sidebar is open. The options allow you to display the sidebar on the right, left, top and bottom of the page. Tab Sidebar Reloaded enhances your web browsing experience by quickly letting you switch and manage tabs.
If you want to view the sidebar and along with the main tab bar, uncheck Hide the tab bar when the sidebar is open option. The sidebar displays the preview of all your websites, and you can drag its edge to change the width. Each tab preview comes with three basic options, Reload, Stop and History. Click on the tiny arrow at the bottom of each preview tab to access the entire history for that particular website, and use the blue forward and backward buttons to navigate between previously visited pages.
The Tab Sidebar Options let you Hide the tab bar when the sidebar is open, Display navigation buttons, Display page previews, Keep previews up to date and Always preview the start of the page. Furthermore, you may change the position of the sidebar to left, right, bottom or top.
This is quite a handy add-on which lets users organize a multitude of opened tabs. It can also be useful for people who want to save time and work in a more effective manner with multiple open tabs. The add-on can be found at the link below.
Install Tab Sidebar Reloaded Add-On For Firefox


text:
Facilities Team
The Facilities Team is responsible for the up keep of the buildings and grounds of the church. All requests for the use of the properties must be approved by the team. The team meets at 7:00 pm on the third Thursday of each month and the Junior Warden is the team leader. New members are always welcome.


text:
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Commonwealth, is a country located in Europe, Africa and Asia. The capital city is Lisbon.
Portugal is part of the Mediterranean Corridor, a group of countries, allied to the United States, which uses them as safe ports in the Mediterranean Sea. Portugal is under the dictatorship known as "Estado Novo", a fascist-like government, which remains strong especially after the Failed Coup of '74, in which a group of rebel militaries staged a coup with the help of the Communists and socialists. However, after a few days the American Army invaded the country and re-established the government. Since then, the American Army holds positions in Portugal and all
other States. It was not until the 90s when the colonies were promoted to States and the Commonwealth was founded.
State corporativism is the norm in Portugal, and imports and exports are rare as the government's aim is still autarky. The Communist and Socialist Parties are exiled in Western Europe, always conspiring against the government.
In Portugal schools and many civil organizations there is a Cult to Salazar, the first creator of the Estado Novo. Called the Salvador da Pátria (Nation's Savior), children and adults see him as a hero that ended the corruption and economic problems of the democratic yet weak First Portuguese Republic.
American-Portuguese Alliance
After World War II, as the ties between America and Western Europe were getting worse, the US were looking for new allies in Western and Southern Europe. The Prime Minister of Portugal, Salazar, which shared with McCarthy the hate of communism and managed a dictatorship, which the other European nations weren't supportive about, decided to get better ties with America. Portugal would provide safe harbors and airports in the mainland and in the colonies and the US would protect the country from internal and external influences.
Failed Coup
In the 25th April 1974, some militaries started a coup against the government of Marcello Caetano. They protested against the lack of democracy, the censorship and the lack of respect with the autonomy of the colonies. Without a single shot, the government was deposed. The Movement of Armed Forces led by Spinola thought that it was a victory. It was called the "Three Days Democracy". In April 28, the American Armed Forces invaded the country in order to keep the régime in place. The leaders of the revolution were either killed or arrested to be later executed. Caetano returned to power. The people were again in the darkness.
Creation of the Commonwealth
The rebellions in Guinea especially were becoming harder to maintain, and a new generation of politicians was in power now. Even with the support of the United States, the war that caused the failed coup of '74 was still causing problems to the Estado Novo. If a change wasn't made, a new, more bloody revolution would eventually rise, even with the American troops in the mainland and patrolling the streets of Lisbon.
The New Plan was made, and in January 1, 1994, the overseas provinces became States of the Commonwealth. Assemblies were made in the new States yet controlled by the single party. Yet, civilians from the African colonies were now a majority in the Commonwealth Assembly, protecting their rights. The leaders of Europe saw this measure as "the first step to Portugal to become a democracy again".


text:
Great value, great cruise and a great time!: Norwegian Spirit Cruise Review by agapantha
Overall Member Rating
Great value, great cruise and a great time!
Destination: Western Caribbean
Embarkation: New Orleans
We loved that the cruise left out of new orleans and it was a nice change from florida. we wished there were more cruise itineraries out of new orleans because it in itself is a fabulous starting point.
Our cabin was clean and we used the balcony a lot. Our room stewards were there to greet us from the moment we stepped into the cabin and we saw them quite often throughout the day. when we needed an ashtray, we rec'd one right away. if we needed extra towels, they were there, etc. the towel animals were adorable and better than the ones I had on RCCL.
We love NCL's relaxed atmosphere and my husband really liked that he didn't have to dress up in tuxedos or suits. I love to dress up and was just as comfortable in my own More cocktail gowns as he was in his jeans and shirt.
We had room service at least once a day and it was very speedy.
We loved Cagney's restaurant and it is definately worth the cover charge. We also enjoyed the Italian and Teppanyaki.
The ports of call were great and everything was smooth sailing all the way.
We booked the cruise over a year in advance and as a result were able to obtain a great promotion that gave us a balcony cabin for the price of an outside cabin plus an onboard credit.
A lot of people complain about the prices of the drinks but I think that depends on where you are from and what type of drinks you get. I am used to spending at a martini bar $10+ for a martini, whereas the people we met from Louisiana thought it was overpriced. It just depends on your local pricing.
The only issue for us was the gym as we found the free weights limited and couldn't complete our normal work outs. It was cramped and just not enough equipment. A Smith Rack would be a real benefit.
Lot of fun and it was so good that my husband is willing to go on another cruise, which is a huge feat in itself since he has no desire to travel. Less
Published 08/31/11
Cabin review: BD9056 BalconyBalcony (BD) Reviews >>
Port and Shore Excursions
Read Cruise Critic's Norwegian Spirit Review >>
Carnival; never again
Very fun and comfortable
Timeshare Presentation Cruise
Did not pay a lot, did not get...
All the staff were amazing. An...
Casual, easygoing ship.
Did not pay a lot, did not get...
So great to be part of the ina...
Amazing Alaska
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text:
Opening database_
/Access granted\
Opening RHG folder./
Searching for keyword...
32 results found//
//Searching for file;
File located
(/*RHG File number 777: Azarel Zen, the Legendary Demon Hunter);
/*Entering password: ***********
|Access denied|
//Reentering password: ***************
{Access granted};
/*Opening file./
Operation failed;
(//Opening file||);
Spoiler for RHG File number 777: Azarel Zen:|_//SECRET-INFORMATION//*|
//Azarel Zen, the Legendary Demon Hunter
Gladiator RankOriginally Posted by Azarel Zen
Eta (Warrior)
Spoiler for Personal info:
His personality can be summed up as.
Full Name: |Azarel Hephaistos Zayn| (His last name is more known as Zen and he calls himself Azarel).
Aliases/Titles/Nicknames: - The Legendary Demon Hunter (WRHG Title.).
- The Black Talon of Death (Title.).
- Azrael Hephaestus Zane (Code Name.).
- Aza/Az (Friends.).
- The Stiletto (Enemies.).
Age: 17.
DOB: 7th August.
Race: Human.
Gender: Boy.
Nationality: 70% Greek (Father), 30% English (Mother).
House/Base: He doesnt have one. He prefers to travel, and sleep at the hills or at the treetops rather than sleeping at fancy hotels.
Height: 173.5 centimeters.
Weight: 53.2 kilograms.
Personality: Cold, tactical, selfless, and arrogant. He will sacrifise his own teammates for the sake of his goals, but he still respects other people. He also doesn't care about his looks, and hates romance (But he will sometimes tease some people.). Most of him is an introvert.
Likes: Duck meat, noodles, Coke, singing, chess, sudoku and other tactical games, gaming, reading and drawing.
Dislikes: Carrots, loud noises, crowds, romance, Demons, cocky people.
Appearance: Full body:
A 17 year old boy with pale skin, black messy hair, indigo eyes (#800080), wears a black hoodie (#000000) with blue neon-tron (#3300ff) like streaks all over it, long black (#000000) leather pants, black (#000000) gloves and black (#000000) sneakers and a black (#000000) cap, and his right eye glows yellow and gold (#DAA520 and #FFFF00) if he uses Chikinesis, both of his eyes glow when activating Chi spirit. And he's quite muscular, just think of Angous (Angous Tensai). Underneath his hoodie is a white (#FFFFFF) T - shirt and his right arm is wraped by gauze, so is his left leg, he wears black sports cuffs that looks like this.
Spoiler for Cuff:
And at his left shoulder is a claw tattoo; the mark of the Menagerie. When not wearing his hoodie and leather pants he'll usually just wear the white T-shirt, long white pants, his black cap, black shoes, and his black sport cuffs.
A blue (#0000CD) stickfigure with a indigo (#800080) border, black (#000000) hair, indigo (#800080) eyes, wears a black (#000000) hoodie with neon blue (#3300ff) streaks, and his right eye glows yellow and gold (#DAA520 and #FFFF00) if he uses Chikinesis, both of his eyes glow when activating Chi spirit.
Spoiler for Battle data:
Demon Sensing Hunter | Plasma Swords | Chikinesis | High IQ
- Swordsmanship
He is an adept swordsman, he trained using swords from his Ninjutsu training.
- Martial arts
Spoiler for Martial arts:
- Taekwondo
Spoiler for Taekwondo:
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art, characterized by its emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques.
- Pencak Silat
Spoiler for Pencak Silat:
Pencak silat; pronounced penchak silat and sometimes spelled pentjak silat in Western writings is an umbrella term for a class of related Indonesian martial arts. In neighbouring countries the term usually refers to professional competitive silat. It is a full-body fighting form incorporating strikes, grappling and throwing in addition to weaponry. Every part of the body is used and subject to attack. Pencak silat was practiced not only for physical defense but also for psychological ends.
- Ninjutsu
Spoiler for Ninjutsu:
More an art of tricks than an actual martial art, Ninjutsu included methods of unarmed combat (体術 Taijutsu; literally meaning "body skill" or "body art"), methods of combat with weapons (Katana, Wakizashi, Bō, Naginata, Kusarigama, Kunai, Shuriken etc.), methods of gathering information, and techniques of non-detection, avoidance, and misdirection. Ninjutsu can also involve training in free running, swimming, climbing, disguise, escape, concealment, and medicine.
- Intelligent
He has an IQ of 175.
- Speed
He can run as fast as Usain Bolt in his prime.
- Agility
He's an adept parkourer.
- Stealth
His concealment levels are top notch because of his ninjutsu training.
- Stamina
He can run for about ten miles without stopping.
- High Burn Resistance
He can withstand heat up to 75°C
- Demon Sensing
He can sense demons or demonic energy from ten kilometers away.
- Pain Resistance
Can survive more of a torturing than a normal human can.
- Smelling
He has the sense of smell of a wolf.
- Chikinesis
Spoiler for Chikinesis:He can collect chi to his body parts making them stronger (Ex: Collecting chi to his fist and punching.) and he can do other stuff to.
- Chi Explosion
Collects chi around him and creates an explosion.
- Chi Clone
Creates a clone out of chi.
- Chi Blade
Creates a chi sword.
- Chi Barrier
Creates a barrier out of chi.
- Chi Ball
Creates a ball of chi.
- Chi Beam
Shoots a beam of chi.
- Chi Talons
Creates ten talons of chi, one on each finger.
- Chi Jump
Collects chi to is feet and jumping.
- Chi Spirit
Unleashes the Phoenix witin him, he doesn't have control on what he does.
- Chi Golem
Creates a one hundred and fifty meter tall golem out of chi. He has to activate chi spirit to do this.
- Chi Dragon
Creates a giant-wingless-bearded-serpentine dragon. He has to activate chi spirit to do this.
- Chi Phoenix
Creates a Phoenix out of chi. He has to activate chi spirit to do this.
- Red Laser Sword
- Blue Plasma Blade
Spoiler for Abilities of his blades:
- Launching laser/plasma beams
- Transmitting laser/plasma to the ground, anyone around will be stunned
- Combining the two swords to be his Laser-Plasma Double-Bladed Sword, a double bladed sword that can come back to his hands
- Forging the two swords into a Green Energy Saber
The laser sword is a red sword with black hilt and black wires running through it. The plasma blade is blue with a white hilt and white wires running through it. And the energy saber is green with a golden hilt and golden wires running through it.
The laser beams slice, while the plasma beams explode. Energy beams do both.
- A white and lime colored mountain bike. Nothing special, just a normal bike
- A black backpack where he keeps his novels, laptop, phone, pencil case and sketch books
- Defense
He doesn't like being defensive, he likes being offensive.
- Human
He's still human, no hardened skin or something.
- His Past
He has a hard time controlling his emotions if he remembers his past.
- Overthinking
He sometimes overthinks stuff.
- Magic
He has little to no defense against magical attacks.
- Chikinesis
Even though he has high stamina, using his Chi requires a considerable amount of energy, especially the Chi dragon, Phoenix and golem.
The more he uses Chi, the weaker his heart gets, that means that if he uses too much Chi, he will die.
If he activates his "Chi Spirit" he loses control of anything he does, the Phoenix within him is unleashed.
He will probably faint after using the Chi dragon or Phoenix, so if he fails to defeat his enemy with the dragon or Phoenix, he's in trouble.
- Teamwork
He has a hard time working together with other people.
- Paranoid
He's paranoid every time he senses demonic energy, or if he heard something suspicious.
- Sharp Smelling Things
Because of his sharp smelling, he can't stand sharp smelling things such as farts. And will choke because of smoke a lot easier than normal people.
None, looking for one tho.
Fighting style
He likes to ambush his enemies if there are many hiding spots, but if there are no hiding spots, he will attack continuously. And will never kill his opponents unless he feels disrespected, or if his opponent is his enemy or someone that he hates.
Stats 1-10 Scale
1: Adolescent, 3: Skinny Teen, 5: Average Man, 7: Olympic Athlete/Scientist, 10: Superhuman
Strength: 7/10
He can stop a speeding bus with both of his hands.
Durability: 7/10
Can get a torturing more than an average human can.
Speed: 8/10
He can run as fast as Usain Bolt in his prime.
Dexterity: 7/10
He can slice seven out of ten bullets precisely.
Intelligence: 8/10
He has an IQ of 175, smarter than Einstein.
Powers: 12/20
He has two plasma blades and can control chi, he can also make more weapons from chi.
Total points: 49/70
Rank: Strong.
With Chi Spirit activated
Strength: 8/10
He can stop a speeding train with both of his hands.
Durability: 9/10
Can get much more of a torturing more than an average human can.
Speed: 9/10
He can run as fast as an F1 at full pelt.
Dexterity: 8/10
He can slice eight out of ten bullets precisely.
Intelligence: 6/10
Starts to create less tactical attacks.
Powers: 15/20
He has two plasma blades and can control chi, he can also make more weapons from chi. And in this state he can create the golem, Phoenix and dragon.
Total points: 55/70
Rank: Very Strong.
Spoiler for Writings:
ORIGIN_and-DEMONSTRATION/TRYOUT_|Spoiler for Azarels past:
Azarel Zen was once a wise leader of a wealthy village... a peaceful and wealthy village, called Zen Village. The founder of the village, is his grandfather... Toriko Zen. Zen Village was formerly a very peaceful village, until. An army of demons came and started a rain of terror in the village, Azarel took notice of this and swiftly, but silently, rushed to his fathers room, alerting him about the sudden attack to the village. His father immediately rushed to the dojo followed by his son, and grabbed weapons. He lent Azarel a pair of Katana, a Bō, one Kusarigama, thirty Kunai, and thirty Shuriken.
But after they looked out of the palace, their hearts were crushed the whole village is destroyed, and they were the only ones left. Then, they fought an army of demons on their own until they were exhausted.
Azarel, its time
What for father?
Run! Grab the 2 swords! Ill hold them off!
But father!
So, Azarel ran with all as fast as he can to the top of the palace, grabbed the 2 swords his father mentioned, the Laser Sword and Plasma Blade, and ran down the palace, to find his fathers dead body. Full with rage and anger, Azarel fought the demons on his own. He slashed one of the demons with his Plasma Blade, stabbed one with his Laser Sword and forged the two blades together to be his Laser - Plasma Sword.
The boy forged the 2 swords together, and threw the sword. The sword flew past most of the demons, killing half of them, launched a barricade of laser and plasma beams, and finally, killed the rest.
Then, Azarel fell to his knees, tired. But... what he didn't notice was that, a demon survived... and was right behind him. The demon looked back to find a demon ready to stab him and, he was stabbed, and died at least that's what the demon thought.
Azarel woke up, feeling confused.
"How did I survive?"
He thought for some time until he thought that it was time to move on.
"While there is blood in my veins, I swear to hunt down every single demon in existence." He vowed to his father and fellow villagers.
Spoiler for Demo:
G Docs link.
Okay, Mr. Zen, right this way, arena number seven. A woman wearing a black work dress said to Azarel Zen. The demon hunter was doing a RHG tryout, and he walked inside the arena. The arena looked like the colosseum, thousands of people sitting on their seats watching him down at the battlefield. But, an airship was soaring at the sky, and a giant screen was at the center of the arena supported by a giant pillar. A samurai wearing full samurai armour, a ninja with his full ninja attire, and an old wizard wearing a long blue robe walked inside the arena as well. Well be your opponent for your RHG tryout. The wizard said whilst smiling. Good luck.
Thank you. The boy said, getting into his silat fighting stance. The samurai charged at him, and swinged his blade, aiming for his left shoulder, Azarel sidestepped, and gathered chi to his right fist and punched the samurais chestplate, it flung the samurai back a couple of meters, and he charged again, slashing rapidly, the newcomer to RHG jumped to dodge a swing, sidestepped to dodge a stab, ducked, and finally pulled out his laser sword, blocking his next attack, then the boy sweeped the samurai making hi fall down, and pressed his laser sabre to his neck, but his instinct kicked in, and he dodged a slash from the ninja which was aimed for his neck. He jumped back, and shot a laser beam at the ninja, he dodged, and ran toward the boy whilst throwing three shuriken, he dodged a shuriken, jumped over another, and the last one almost hit his cap, Azarel jumped up, and did an axe kick to the ninja's head, causing him to fall down.
Azarel jumped back to dodge a blue orb headed for him, and looked at the wizard. The boys right eye bloomed gold and yellow, and launched a chi beam toward the wizard, the wizard teleported, and appeared behind the demon hunter, he turned around, and slammed a chi ball to the wizards stomach which sent him flying a couple of meters, and Azarel quickly turned around, and pulled out his plasma blade to block the samurais katana that headed to his head, the samurai nodded, and Azarel realised that the samurai made a trap, he turned around, and ducked to dodge a blue orb, and dodged some shuriken, somersaulting, and jumping but two shuriken hit him, one hit his right shoulder, and the other one hit his left thigh. He didnt have time to let them off, for the ninja was dashing toward him, and tried to punch Azarels head, but he ducked and collected chi to his left hand, and did an uppercut, the demon hunter chi jumped, collected chi to his feet, and did an axe kick. The ninja fell down quickly, and made a hole on the ground. One enemy down, two to go. He noted to himself.
The samurai ran toward Azarel, the boy pulled his laser and plasma blades out of their scabbards his pasma sabre in his left hand and his laser sword in his right hand. And the boy dashed quickly toward the samurai. The four blades clashed, they pushed, and pushed, testing their strength, and Azarel jumped back to dodge a blue beam that came from the wizards staff. The demon hunter quickly dashed toward the samurai, ducked to avoid the samurais blade, and tried to stab him with his laser sword, but he sidestepped, so Azarel changed the direction of both of his blades, and they hit the samurai, causing his armor to get cut, and his almost cutting his backbone. One target left.
The demon hunter looked toward the wizard, and the wizard started firing a long lasting blue beam, that always followed Azarel wherever he went. The boy started running away from the beam, circling the arena a couple of times before the beam disappeared, The boy quickly ran toward the wizard, and forged his two blades together, forming a double sided laser-plasma sword. The boy tried to slash the wizard but he teleported, he tried to throw his blade, but, again, he teleported, Azarels blade came back, and the demon hunter tried to throw it to the wizard again, but he teleported, again. This went on for minutes that felt like blasted hours for Azarel, but he then noticed, that the wizard, was not a wizard. He was just a hologram. Azarel stopped throwing his sword, and asked. If youre just a hologram, how on earth am I supposed to beat you?
The hologram walked closer to the boy, and said. You have passed the tryout.
You have passed the RHG tryout. Anyone that wants to join must also have wits and they have to take notice of their surroundings. Its not always about brute force. The hologram said And also, heres your file. He handed Azarel his RHG file before disappearing.
RHG File number 777: Azarel Zen,the Legendary Demon Hunter
Spoiler for Storyline:
Note that I adapt to the winners part. So some of the battles I list aren't mine, but my opponents.
- Azarel's Past. Scroll up.
- RHG Tryout. Scroll up.
- Sword Fight (Azarel VS Piasu.).
- The Darkness of Laser Light (Azarel VS Steam.).
- The Clash of Two Lone Swordsmen (Azarel VS Ethernu.).
- A Unique Day at the Office (Azarel VS Erik.).
Spoiler for Other stuff:
These are the characters that I think will have an influence on Azarel's story.
Underlined means i'm coming for him/her/them next.
- Dracustos the Draconian
- Abra, the Virtuoso of Aces and Eights
- The Handyman
- Ergos, the Energy Priest
- Bulwark the Unbreakable
- Adaro, the Water Spirit - He could be friends with Azarel.
- Soulfire
- NinjaKill
- Jett the Great
- Vamprina
- Yashiro - Fighting chi against chi.
- Aubrey Zima, the Pig Butcher
- Light, the Undead Paladin
- Haku, the Wandering Swordswoman - A demon that (Maybe) will change Azarels point of view to their race.
- Wilder, the Horned Spade
Currently Fighting
A goddess of fireflies
Planned Battles
Challenged by a sage.//
VS Piasu (PiasuSan) - Tie
VS Steam (Piston1937) - Loss
VS Ethernu (Sharpiro) - Win by forfeit
VS Erik (Oster) - Forfeit
VS Serena (fireflygoddess) - In progress
Wins: 1
Ties: 1
Loss: 1
Forfeits: 1_
NotesOriginally Posted by Azarel Zen
- He is very aware of his surroundings, you have a 0.1/100% chance to sneak attack him.
- He doesn't really trust his eyes, he trusts his sense of smell.
- Even though he was once a leader of a village, he's half wild._
- He's an atheist.
Spoiler for Changelog:
Note that I made the changelog at sixth August 2017, so I wont be listing the changes before.
Added IQ, lowered his speed, lowered strength, added new demo, added scheduled battles, and added Soulfire and NinjaKill to hitlist.
Added Durability at stats, and a weakness.
Added middle name.
Added some detals to his weaknesses, and added Jett and Zackeroar to hitlist.
Added "Loading screen" and edited the "-" in the title, to ","
Removed a quote and fixed a typo that I just spotted.
Spotted and fixed ANOTHER typo, and added a quote under his name.
Fixed a fucken' typo, changed theme, and removed Zackeroar from hitlist, since XDHunter is creating a new WRHG.
Edited story, i'll probably edit the story again, about how he got chikinesis, and joined RHG. I also edited a quote.
Added summary of abilities.
Removed ClaviCash from hitlist since they're dead and edited title.
Added some details to abilities and weaknesses. And also fixed a typo.
Edited battle data's text from KNOWN ABILITIES to GLADIATOR DATA. And I also added nicknames.
Fixed a typo and edited abilities and weaknesses.
Added a weakness, and details to his eye color hoodie color, etc.
Added two weaknesses and edited stats.
Updated hitlist and added "Storyline" to the Writings section.
Renovated page.
Edited hitlist and appearance
Edited summary of abilities.
Added a note, edited stats, updated hitlist, edited emblem and edited appearance.
Fixed a typo, nerfed his stats and edited on where the mark of the Menagerie should be.
Edited appearence.
CNC is appreciated, and tell me if he feels OP


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New to your forum an looking to learn. I have to many hobbies an semi retired but I like to cook. Started with a Brinkman Electric smoker which I liked. Put pecan chunks in the bottom, water in the pot, an meat on the grills, plug it up an 4 hrs later dinner was ready. Worked great for me, ride the motorcycle for 4 hrs an dinners cooked. Used it for 2 yrs an this pass year bought a large big green egg. Liked the egg some much I bought a medium one a month ago.I cook on them at least 5 to 6 nights every week. Have my own little cook house in the backyard so rain does not affect me cooking. Live in Beech Island,SC an yea the weather sucked today but the ribs were good.
Newby from SC
SmokingMeatForums.com Top Picks
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- 1,877 Posts. Joined 12/2011
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Welcome to the forum, sounds like you have some experience and passion for what we all love.
Here is a good ecourse for more tips and tricks: http://www.smoking-meat.com/smoking-basics-ecourse
Have fun!
- 9,057 Posts. Joined 2/2009
- Location: N.E. Oklahoma
- Points: 438
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Welcome to the forums! You've found the best place I know for sharing ideas on smoking, grilling, curing, etc. There are plenty of friendly, knowledgeable folks here who really enjoy helping one another. Looking forward to your input here, and just ask when you need anything...someone here will surely have the answer.
- 2 Posts. Joined 12/2013
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Thanks for the welcome. Been reading an getting ideas. May try some tomorrow night Just got some cherry wood to smoke the ribs with but not sure if I liked the cherry. Going to try chicken tomorrow with the cherry. I have plenty of pecan which I usually smoke with.
- 23,289 Posts. Joined 1/2011
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Halloween is kinda one of my favorite holidays tho 99% of the time I don't dress up. Last year I got really addicted to True Blood tho and went as a vampire :/
I also got really into the walking dead and turned my little bro into a zombie... which i gotta say came out pretty awesome (took a couple hours xF)
Next year I want to go as a zombie myself and make it even more realistic (I've recently learned prosthetics)
What about you? Feel free to share pics of yourself or just what you went as or what you wanna go as this year :D
Most Helpful Guy
A box painted like a Tiffanies box with the bow a ribbon and the hole deal with a tag around my neck that reads from God to women10|10|0
Whaa haha xD don't think anyone buys Tiffany's much anymore haha
Most Helpful Girl
My last Halloween costume was Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
This year I'm not quite sure. I'm either dressing up as Luigi from Mario (my best friend is Mario), something with my little sister or I'll dress up as a sailor girl which is this:
Thank you :) I almost got it for last Halloween but my work wouldn't allow it and I worked Halloween :/


text:
Question: Assume that Samsung manufactures and sells 60 000 units of a
Assume that Samsung manufactures and sells 60,000 units of a product at $11,000 per unit in domestic markets. It costs $6,000 per unit to manufacture ($4,000 variable cost per unit, $2,000 fixed cost per unit). Can you describe a situation under which the company is willing to sell an additional 8,000 units of the product in an international market at $5,000 per unit?
View Solution:
View Solution:
Answer to relevant QuestionsPark Co. is considering an investment that requires immediate payment of $27,000 and provides expected cash inflows of $9,000 annually for four years. If Park Co. requires a 10% return on its investments, what is the net ...Following is information on an investment considered by Hudson Co. The investment has zero salvage value. The company requires a 12% return from its investments. Compute this investment's net present value. Investment ...Refer to the information in Exercise and assume that Beyer requires a 10% return on its investments. Compute the net present value of this investment. (Round to the nearest dollar.) Should Beyer accept the investment? In ...Access Samsung's 2013 Corporate Sustainability Report, from its website www.samsung.com. Identify and read the section "Social Responsibility: Making Contributions Around the Globe." Required Samsung's 2013 Corporate ...Bill Padley expects to invest $10,000 for 25 years, after which he wants to receive $108,347. What rate of interest must Padley earn?
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text:
The Lone Star State
Texas was named by Caddo 500 years ago. Texas means "friends" or "alley". It is known to be the Lone Star State, in which symbolizes the flag which has one star. Was ruled by the Spanish from 1519 to 1821. It has been claimed before by Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate of America, and the United States. It became part of the United States as the 28th state as it is now in 1845. It is till now the second biggest state in the United States. ( "Texas.", Kennamer) It was a slave owning state and one of the 11 states of the Confederacy. ("Texas.", Encyclopedia) There was homes of dried clay called adobe made by the Coahuiltecan. Languages and lifestyles vary from Native Americans who once live in Texas. It left the United states in 1861 and rejoins in 1870. George W.Bush who was the Texas governor is elected as the United States president in 2000 and re-elected in 2004.("Texas", Culturegrams)
Texas's capital is Austin, it's abbreviation is TX. Texas's governor is Rick Perry, who is a republican.("Texas", Culturegrams) The governor is also the chief executive officer. He is guided by an unusual constitution which is made up of 500 amendments. ("Texas", Ryan) Two U.S senators which are John Cornyn, who is a Republican, and Ted Cruz, who is also a republican. 36 U.S Representatives 24 republicans and 12 democrats. Made of 21 state senators, and 150 state representatives. Texas is the state with more counties than any other, with 254.("Texas", Culturegrams)
Texas was hit by Hurricane Ike in 2008 in which left major damages in Galveston and Houston. By 2011 much of the state went through the longest drought in history. Which ended up in many wildfires. The end of the space shuttle program ended up in several losses of jobs in 2011. A great explosion at a fertilizer plant in which caused great destruction in the west of Texas. ("Texas", Ryan)
Texas today is home to more than 25 million people.Most of earlier Texans came from mexico or other states. Many African slaves and immigrants arrived to Texas in the 1800's. Most of the largest immigrant groups are from Latin America and Asia. ("Texas", Culturegrams) Settlers from the southeaster joined Texas and brought with them their home lifestyles in which introduced blacks there. African Americans now make 12 percent of the population in Texas, whites make 80 percent and asians 4%. 38% of people in Texas consider themselves Hispanic origin. ("Texas", Ryan)
- King Ranch in the South of Texas is bigger than Rhode Island.
- There are 15 types of rattle snakes
- Only one natural lake located in Texas
("Texas." CultureGrams)
- State Bird - Mockingbird
- State MottoFriendship—Texas comes from the Caddo Indian word Tejas, meaning "friendly."
- Texans love football
- Tejano music is very famous here
Livestock Show and Rodeo
Livestock Show and Rodeo, is an annual rodeo held in Houston Texas. In which hold a variety of famous people having a concert. A show for kids, petting place, a carnival with many rides. It has great and delicious food and many animals.
Official Website


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Ooh er, coming back after a blog hiatus and kicking things off with a controversial post title. This is, though, the one thing I want to say before all of the other things I want to say. It's more vital I get this out than the fact my newborn is now over nine months old; that breastfeeding is infinitely more rewarding (and initially harder) than I expected; that I'm finally feeling more like myself; or any of the other things I want to talk about. Because, actually, all of those things follow on from the simple truth that I'm not the mother I thought I would be.
This is the mum I thought I'd be:
- Don't pick him up too much, he'll be mollycoddled
- Routine, routine, routine – this baby will fit into our lives not the other way round
- Get him used to his cot as early as possible
- Get him to sleep through the night as soon as poss because I love sleep
- Breastfeeding is fine (although jeez everyone needs to stop banging on about it) but I'm not wedded to it so we will see how it goes.
The mum I've actually turned out to be is, basically, the complete opposite of the above. I'm pretty much baby led in most things, including feeding and routine. That's to say – we follow a basic routine but it's Bug that has laid out what we do and when, I just follow along.
My baby is a terrible sleeper. I rock him to sleep, I boobfeed him to sleep, I cuddle him to sleep and then he sleeps with us all night with multiple wake ups where he rolls over for some food. This is the best and easiest way to ensure we all get some sleep.
The above decision was made at 3am one night when, sweating and exhausted, I tried to put him down in his cot for the millionth time, only for him to wake up. I thought to myself, "I have to get him to sleep in his cot or else…" and I then tried to finish that sentence: or else what, exactly? What was the worst thing that could happen? My son is a happy, secure, lively baby. One day he'll be able to sleep on his own because that's how humans function. He will also be able to walk and talk but, for some reason, I wasn't freaking out about the fact that he wasn't doing either of those things yet. Just like walking and talking, he isn't developmentally ready to sleep alone and unaided. I know this because I'm his mum.
Oh yes, that's another thing I used to scoff at before I became a mum: the idea of a mother's instinct. It's pretty much the driving force of much of my decision making in relation to my son so, er, again not the mother I thought I'd be.
I've also become one of those people who bang on about breastfeeding. For my son, it's so, so much more than just about nutrition, it's how I calm him, how I relax him, how I help him to go to sleep. It's by far the most important tool in my parenting box. It's hard. They don't tell you that in NCT and they really should because then it wouldn't be such a shock. But if you manage to make it work, it's absolutely fabulous.
My son and I both had a tough birth and he was not a happy bunny for the first few weeks of his life. So I carried him around in a sling. Again, this was not at all part of my parenting philosophy but my goodness it worked. He slowly stopped being so anxious, he became calmer, he started to enjoy the world instead of sending out "I WANT TO GO BACK IN" vibes all the time.
I think what's hardest about being the type of mother I've turned out to be is that my type of mothering (I should say parenting as my husband is similar) is not the mainstream. Telling people that you bedshare with your baby gets a similar reaction to telling people you feed your baby crack. I'm one of only a small handful of mums who are still breastfeeding, and I'm aware that I'll continue to be in the minority as we approach Bug's first birthday as only 0.5% of UK mums continue feeding to this milestone. It can feel a bit lonely being the only one doing things a certain way. But I strongly believe that I'm parenting my baby in the way that he needs. As long as he's happy, so am I.
So, here we are: nine months in and I'm absolutely not the mother I thought I would be. But, actually, I quite like the one I've become.


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Natural Dyed Jade Beads Strands, Green Aventurine, Round
Size: about 12mm in diameter, hole: 1mm, about 33pcs/strand, 16"
Jade with warm color and high polished surface. Naturally hard gemstone for long-wearing designs, and they are great for jewelry and necklace which moves office to elegant dining. Due to the beads are dyed, color may vary slightly.
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This is the second part in a short series from my time at field camp in college. Look for the next parts in the coming weeks. You can read part one here. It was lunchtime and we were no longer … Continue reading
Posted in A Grain of Sand, Uncategorized Tagged Cedar City, creative writing, field camp, field partner, geologic mapping, geology, Iron Springs, limestone, magma, magnetite, non-fiction, pluton, quartz monzonite, sandstone, scrooge, Wahoo Leave a comment


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hello. this laptop was bought a almost 2 years ago from a pawn shop. the mouse pad doesnt work so they gave a wireless mouse with it. now the system has crashed and it wont boot! it wont repair itself, or nothing. got ready to use the disk to install the os fresh and a blue box popped up that says enter current password!
how do i get around that to try and fix the laptop? its a ( acer aspire one D260 )
please help.
Good day
Bios password is a security feature and therefore can only be removed by Acer. You can take it to your local Acer Repair Centre. They will also need the Proof of purchase for security reasons. Also note that Acer will charge you for a bios password removal as this is user error.
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After releasing his debut single "Yimloch" a few months ago, AY received many requests to release a song with an Ashkenazi Havara So, AY hit the studio and produced a song called "lehodos" which he had composed a few years back. "Lehodos" is a slow, beutuiful "hartzig" niggun which talks about thanking Hashem for choosing us from the other nations, you will surely enjoy and get inspired from this song.
A.Y. Bouzaglou is a 16 year old singer, arranger, musician and composer from Montreal, Canada.
AY has become popular in the Montreal Jewish music scene, after making his debut earlier this year
AY has since been performing at many events as a singer and as a one man band.
Song Composed and sung by: A.Y. Bouzaglou
Vocal Arrangements by: Cheskie Fisch & A.Y. Bouzaglou
Music By: A.Y. Bouzaglou
Recorded and mixed @studio dynamic by Cheskie Fisch
For more info send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com
Collections: all, Free Music, Music, New Releases
Type: Music
Category: free music
This is one awesome song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
magifecsent alum
Very well done price of music
We are so proud, and so amazed. Waiting for more.
This is wonderful When are you putting out an album?


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Me and this girl I'm talking to have been getting really close. But she tells me she's going to bed and turning her phone off but I called cuz our boss said I was off. It rang till 4 am and then finally went straight to voicemail. The the next mornin she said it was off. Do you think she's hiding something.
Girls, Need your help. Is she lying?
Have an opinion?
What Girls Said 2
You're calling her at 4 a. m? Seriously. Maybe she just wants some sleep.
Or you could be getting clingy. Girls have a hard time telling a guy to stop, cus they might not be ready to end the relationship, but you could be moving too fast. Give her some space.10|10|0
Ok thank you.
Maybe she just meant she wasn't going to be on her phone and turned her internet off. It doesn't mean she had to turn her phone off completely. I think you are making a way too bigger deal of this than needed.00|00|0
She said she turned her phone off the next day
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Yakuza (やくざ or ヤクザ), also known as gokudō (極道), are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan. Today, the yakuza are one of the largest organized crime phenomena in the world.
In Japanese legal terminology, yakuza organizations are referred to as bōryokudan, literally "violence groups". Yakuza members consider this an insult, as bōryokudan is a term which can be applied to any violent criminal. In the Western press they are sometimes called the "Japanese mafia," by analogy with other traditionally Italian-Sicilian organized crime groups of the same name.
History & Orgin
he term "Yakuza" comes from a Japanese card game, Oicho-Kabu (played with hanafuda or kabufuda cards), and means "good for nothing". Similar to baccarat, the values of the cards are added together and the last digit of the sum is taken as the score. The worst hand in the game is a set of eight, nine and three, which gives a sum of 20 and a score of 0. In traditional Japanese forms of counting, these numbers are called Ya, Ku and Sa respectively, thus the origin of the word "yakuza". The yakuza took this name because the Ya-Ku-Za hand requires the most skill (at judging opponents, etc.) and, obviously, the least luck in order to win (i.e., the hand is the worst that a player can receive based on luck of the draw, so only a consummate expert could have enough talent to counteract his bad luck and still win with such a hand). The name was also used because it signified bad fortune, presumably for anyone who went up against the group.
In modern Japanese counting, eight, nine and three could be pronounced "hachi-kyu-san," a name by which the yakuza are sometimes called in Japan today. The alleys and streets of Shinjuku are a popular modern Yakuza hangout. Enlarge The alleys and streets of Shinjuku are a popular modern Yakuza hangout.
There is no single origin for all Japanese yakuza. Rather, yakuza organizations developed from different elements of traditional Japanese society. In the later part of the Japanese feudal era, especially in the Edo period (1603-1837), the legal power of the feudal lords shifted away from direct ownership of land to a broader feudal tax system on land "products", mainly rice. Also, retainers samurai began to be paid with rice, which they sold to markets for cash, instead of being paid a direct salary. The samurai provided service as professional soldiers during wartime and as professional bureaucrats or administrators during peacetime. During the Edo period, most samurai lost their connection to the land and started to live around the feudal castles.
Around the same time, the policing of the community became the responsibility of members of the community, rather than the daimyō (lord). This was especially prevalent outside of the capital cities, as the Edo government allowed only one major castle in each feudal province.
Although the yakuza often insist on their origins as Japanese "Robin Hoods" and protectors, some scholars trace their beginnings to the kabukimono (raving ones), also known as hatamoto yakko (servants of the shogun). These groups of rōnin (masterless samurai) adopted strange hair styles, dressed in an outrageous manner, spoke in vulgar and specialized slang, carried unusually long swords and harassed ordinary people. Their exploits are still a popular subject of Japanese jidaigeki dramas based on the feudal era.
Some yakuza do, however, trace their origins to the communal vigilante/police groups known as machi yakko ("Servants of the town") that arose to enforce order and protect the community from intruders. These groups varied in their level of organization and formality, often simply being comprised of labourers and other "tough men" of the community. Sometimes they also included one or more ronin, as only samurai were officially allowed to carry swords. They often fought against bandits and gangs to protect their community and were even regarded as heroes.
In larger towns, several of these groups often existed simultaneously, and they often fought for territory, money and influence much like modern gangs, disregarding any civilians caught in the crossfire. Again, this is the origin of a popular theme of Japanese film and television, made famous in the West by an Akira Kurosawa film called Yojimbo in which a wandering ronin sets two such gangs against each other and eventually destroys them. Yakuza derived some practices from both machi-yakko and kabukimono. Their protection rackets can be seen as originating from machi-yakko, but their more colorful fashion and language are derived from the kabukimono tradition.
Tekiya and Bakuto
More directly, the origin of most modern yakuza organizations can be traced to two groups which emerged in 18th century Japan: tekiya (peddlers) and bakuto (gamblers). These roots can be seen in current yakuza initiation ceremonies, which incorporate either tekiya or bakuto rituals. Although the modern yakuza has diversified, some gangs still identify with one group or the other. For example, a gang whose primary source of income is illegal gambling may refer to themselves as bakuto.
Tekiya (peddlers) were considered one of the lowest of Edo castes. As they began to form organisations of their own, they took over some administrative duties relating to commerce, such as stall allocation and protection of their commercial activities. For example, during Shinto festivals, these peddlers opened stalls and some members were hired to act as security. Each peddler paid rent in exchange for a stall assignment and protection during the fair. The Edo government eventually formally recognised such tekiya organisations and granted the oyabuns of tekiya a surname as well as permission to carry a sword. This was a major step forward for the traders, as formerly only samurai and noblemen were allowed to carry swords.
Bakuto (gamblers) had a much lower social standing even than traders, as gambling was completely illegal. Many small gambling houses cropped up in abandoned temples or shrines at the edge of towns and villages all over Japan. Most of these gambling houses ran loan sharking businesses for clients, and they usually maintained their own security personnel. The places themselves, as well as the bakuto, were regarded with disdain by the society at large, and much of the undesirable image of the yakuza originates from bakuto. This includes the name "yakuza" itself.
As Japan began to industrialise and urbanization got underway, a third group of yakuza called gurentai (愚連隊) began to emerge (though the name gurentai was not given until after World War II). Whether they fall into the traditional definition of yakuza is still open to debate, but they certainly gave birth to another kind of yakuza, the bōryokudan (violence group). In short, a gurentai is a gang in a much more traditional sense, a group of young unruly thugs who peddle their violence for profit. They often engaged in the suppression of unions and other workers' organizations (much as the Pinkertons did in the United States), and such activities brought them much closer to the conservative elements of the Japanese power structure. During the militarisation of Japan, some of them became the militant wing of Japanese politics known as uyoku (right wing, 右翼), i.e. ultra-nationalists.
Unlike more traditional yakuza, uyoku did not maintain territories—they leveraged their violence for political gain. The most famous group before World War II was the Kokuryū-kai(黒龍会), or Black Dragon Society. The Kokuryu-kai was a secret ultra-nationalist umbrella organization whose membership was comprised of government officials and military officers as well as many martial artists and members of the Japanese underworld who engaged in political terrorism and assassination. They also provided espionage services for the Japanese colonial government. Kokuryū-kai engaged in contraband operations including the Chinese opium trade, as well as prostitution and gambling overseas which provided them with funds as well as information.
During the post-War rationing, the yakuza controlled the black market much in line with traditional tekiya operations. At the same time, they also moved into controlling major sea ports as well as the entertainment industry. The biggest yakuza umbrella group, the Yamaguchi-gumi, emerged in the Kansai region, which had a large entertainment industry in the city of Osaka as well as a major sea port in Kobe. American occupation forces fought against them in vain and conceded defeat in 1950. Yakuza also adapted to a more western style, including wearing clothing reminiscent of US gangsters, and began to use firearms. At this point, tekiya and bakuto no longer confined themselves to their traditional activities and expanded into any venture they found profitable. At the same time gurentai began to adopt traditional roles of tekiya and bakuto. They also began to feud among themselves, jockeying for power and prestige.
In the 1960s, Yoshio Kodama, an ex-nationalist, began to negotiate treaties with various groups, first with the Yamaguchi-gumi of Kazuo Taoka and Tōsei-kai of Hisayuki Machii and eventually with the Inagawa-kai. Fights between individual gangs, however, are ongoing.
During the formation of the yakuza, they adopted the traditional Japanese hierarchical structure of oyabun-kobun where kobun (子分; lit. foster child) owe their allegiance to the oyabun (親分; lit. foster parent). In a much later period, the code of "jingi" (仁義, justice and duty) was developed where loyalty and respect are a way of life. The oyabun-kobun relationship is formalized by ceremonial sharing of sake from a single cup. This ritual is not exclusive to the yakuza — it is also commonly performed in traditional Japanese Shinto weddings, and may have been a part of "sworn brotherhood" relationships.
During the World War II period in Japan, the more traditional tekiya/bakuto form of organization declined as the entire population was mobilised to participate in the war effort and society came under strict military government. However, after the war, the yakuza adapted again.
Prospective yakuza come from all walks of life. The most romantic tales tell how yakuza accept sons who have been abandoned or exiled by their parents. Many yakuza start out in junior high school or high school as common street thugs or members of bōsōzoku gangs. Some yakuza "goons" are actually mentally handicapped, but recruited due to their large physiques. Perhaps because of its lower socio-economic status, numerous yakuza members come from Okinawa. However, the leadership levels of yakuza gangs usually consist of very sharp, cunning, intelligent men, as the process to rise to the top-levels in the yakuza can be very competitive and Darwinian.
Yakuza groups are headed by an Oyabun or Kumichō (組長, family head) who gives orders to his subordinates, the kobun. In this respect, the organization is a variation of the traditional Japanese senpai-kōhai (senior-junior) model. Members of yakuza gangs cut their family ties and transfer their loyalty to the gang boss. They refer to each other as family members - fathers and elder and younger brothers. The Yakuza is populated entirely by men, and there are usually no women involved except the Oyabun's wife who is called "o-nee-san" (older sister). Unlike many crime groups, women are sometimes involved in "The Life". When the Yamaguchi Gumi (Family) boss was shot in the late nineties, his wife took over as boss of the largest Yakuza Family albeit for a short time.
Each member's connection is ranked by the hierarchy of sakazuki (sake sharing). Kumicho are at the top, and control various saikō-komon (最高顧問, senior advisors). The saikō-komon control their own turfs in different areas or cities. They have their own underlings, including other underbosses, advisors, accountants and enforcers. Those who have received sake from oyabun are part of the immediate family and ranked in terms of elder or younger brothers. However, each kobun, in turn, can offer sakazuki as oyabun to his underling to form an affiliated organisation, which might in turn form lower ranked organisations. In the Yamaguchi-gumi, which controls some 2500 businesses and 500 yakuza groups, there are even 5th rank subsidiary organisations.
A group of interest were known as the Billions. They were orphaned soldiers, and according to Japanese government, they did not exist. They were thought to be the most dangerous, and the ones responsible for most violent crime that the Yakuza is rumored to have done.
Yubitsume, or finger-cutting, is a form of penance or apology. Upon a first offense, the transgressor must cut off the tip of his left pinky finger and hand the severed portion to his boss. Sometimes an underboss may do this penance to the oyabun if he wants to spare a member of his own gang from further retaliation. Its origin stems from the traditional way of holding a Japanese sword. The bottom three fingers of each hand are used to grip the sword tightly, with the thumb and index fingers slightly loose. The removal of digits starting with the little finger moving up the hand to the index finger progressively weakens a person's sword grip. The idea is that a person with a weak sword grip then has to rely more on the group for protection — reducing individual action. In recent years, prosthetic fingertips have been developed to disguise this distinctive appearance. (When a British cartoon, Bob the Builder, was first considered for import to Japan, there were plans in place to add an extra digit to each of the title character's four-fingered hands to avoid scaring children. The same thing was also considered for the show Postman Pat.) [1] After the rights to the Donkey Kong series were returned to Nintendo by British based Rareware, the characters Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong were given an extra digit on each hand.
Another, more radical version of penance is seppuku (切腹, also known as hara-kiri 腹切り), ritual suicide by disembowelment. Popular among Japanese samurai and soldiers who would commit it as penance for their failures, Yakuza are sometimes known to commit seppuku as well.
Another prominent yakuza ritual is the sake-sharing ceremony. This is used to seal bonds of brotherhood between individual yakuza members, or between two yakuza groups. For example, in August 2005, the Godfathers Kenichi Shinoda and Kazuyoshi Kudo held a sake-sharing ceremony, sealing a new bond between their respective gangs, the Yamaguchi-gumi and the Kokusui-kai.
When yakuza members play Oicho-Kabu cards with each other, they often remove their shirts or open them up and drape them around their waists. This allows them to display their full-body tattoos to each other. This is one of the few times that yakuza members display their tattoos to others, as they normally keep them concealed in public with long-sleeved and high-necked shirts.
Current Activities
Much of the current activities of the yakuza can be understood in the light of their feudal origin. First, they are not a secret society like their counterparts of the Italian mafia and Chinese triads. Yakuza organizations often have an office with a wooden board on the front door, openly displaying their group name or emblem. Members often wear sunglasses and colourful suits so that their profession can be immediately recognized by civilians (katagi). Even the way many Yakuza walk is markedly different from ordinary citizens. Their arrogant, wide gait is markedly different from the quiet, unassuming way many Japanese go about their business. Alternatively, they can be more conservatively dressed but when the need arises, they can flash their tattoos to indicate their affiliation. On occasion they also sport insignia pins on their lapels.
Until recently, the majority of yakuza income came from protection rackets in shopping, entertainment and red-light districts within their territory. This is mainly due to the reluctance of such businesses to seek help from the police. The Japanese police are also reluctant to interfere in internal matters in recognized communities such as shopping arcades, schools/universities, night districts and so on. In this sense, yakuza are still regarded as semi-legitimate organizations. For example, immediately after the Kobe earthquake, the Yamaguchi-gumi, whose headquarters are in Kobe, mobilised itself to provide disaster relief services (including the use of a helicopter), and this was widely reported by the media as a contrast to the much slower response by the Japanese government. For this reason, many yakuza regard their income and hustle (shinogi) as a collection of a feudal tax.
Yakuza frequently engage in a uniquely Japanese form of extortion, known as sōkaiya (総会屋). In essence, this is a specialized form of protection racket. Instead of harassing small businesses, the yakuza harasses a stockholders' meeting of a larger corporation. They simply scare the ordinary stockholder with the presence of yakuza operatives, who obtain the right to attend the meeting by a small purchase of stock. They also engage in simple blackmail, obtaining incriminating or embarrassing information about a company's practices or leaders. Once the yakuza gain a foothold in these companies, they will work for them to protect the company from having such internal scandals exposed to the public. Some companies still include payoffs as part of their annual budget.
Yakuza also have ties to the Japanese realty market and banking, through jiageya (地上げ屋). Jiageya specialize in inducing holders of small real estate to sell their property so that estate companies can carry out much larger development plans. Japan's bubble economy of the 1980s is often blamed on real estate speculation by banking subsidiaries. After the collapse of the Japanese property bubble, a manager of a major bank in Nagoya was assassinated, and much speculation ensued about the banking industry's indirect connection to the Japanese underworld. The Yakuza are a popular subject in films Enlarge The Yakuza are a popular subject in films
As a matter of principle, theft is not recognised as a legitimate activity of yakuza. This is in line with idea that their activities are semi-open; theft by definition would be a covert activity. More importantly, such an act would be considered a trespass by the community. Also, yakuza usually do not conduct the actual business operation by themselves. Core business activities such as merchandising, loan sharking or management of gambling houses are typically managed by non-yakuza members who pay protection fees for their activities.
There is much evidence of Yakuza involvement in international crime. There are many tattooed Yakuza members imprisoned in various Asian prisons for such crimes as drug trafficking and arms smuggling. In 1997, one verified Yakuza member was caught smuggling 4 kilograms of heroin into Canada. In 1999, Italian-American Mafia Bonnano family cap and enforcer, Mickey Zaffarano, was overheard talking about the profits of the pornography trade that both families could profit from. Another Yakuza racket is bringing women of other ethnicities/races, especially White/European and Asian to Japan under the lure of a glamourous position, then forcing the women into prostitution.
Because of their history as a legitimate feudal organization and their connection to the Japanese political system through the uyoku (extreme right-wing political groups), yakuza are somewhat a part of the Japanese establishment. In the early 80s in Fukuoka, a yakuza war spiraled out of control and a few civilians were hurt. The police stepped in and forced the yakuza bosses on both sides to declare a truce in public. At various times, people in Japanese cities have launched anti-yakuza campaigns with mixed and varied success. In March 1995, the Japanese government passed the "Act for Prevention of Unlawful Activities by Criminal Gang Members" which made traditional racketeering much more difficult.