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New Zealand Universities
There are eight universities in New Zealand, offering a wide range of tertiary education. They are:
• Auckland University of Technology
• Lincoln University
• Massey University
• University of Auckland
• University of Canterbury
• University of Otago
• University of Waikato
• Victoria University of Wellington
University of Otago in Dunedin, NZ
Welcome to the University of Otago, a research-led University, with an international reputation for excellence. Every year the University Of Otago in Dunedin, becomes home to Australian students who want high quality, affordable education in a genuine student city.
Australian citizens and permanent residents are domestic students while studying in New Zealand.
Study Canada
Canadians place great importance on learning, and have developed a first-rate education system with high standards. The country spends more on education (as a percentage of GDP) compared to the OECD average, and is the second highest among G-8 countries.
EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State network of over 400 international student advising centers in more than 170 countries. The network promotes U.S. higher education to students around the world by offering accurate, comprehensive, and current information about opportunities to study at accredited postsecondary institutions in the United States. EducationUSA also provides services to the U.S. higher education community to help institutional leaders meet their recruitment and campus internationalization goals. EducationUSA is your official source on U.S. higher education.
Nagoya University, Japan
New York University, Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)
NYUAD offers a truly global university; even more, it offers it in one of the most vibrant environments where different cultures cross paths. Placed in such an exciting part of the world, NYUAD provides an opportunity for students passionate in learning more about the world, and playing their part in building greater understanding at university and beyond.
Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne
As the world's first hotel school, EHL prepares the leaders of tomorrow in partnership with the Swiss and international hospitality industry. Through our subsidiary, Lausanne Hospitality Consulting (LHC), we have developed an elite network of certified schools through which we can continue to transfer our practical knowhow and hospitality skills ("savoir-faire" and "savoir-être") with the vision of sharing the Swiss hospitality excellence around the world.


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The Japanese shiatsu massage is a way of relaxation, but in its main theory shiatsu it is a holistic bodywork. Shiatsu massage uses acupressure techniques which is applied with hands, thumbs, elbows and knees. Shiatsu, one of the acupressure techniques, has its roots from the acupuncture therapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The difference between acupuncture and acupressure is that in the first case the practitioner uses very thin needles but in the case of acupressure the therapist uses deep tissue pressure on the twelve body meridians.
Shiatsu is two Japanese words SHI means finger and ATSU means pressure. By using pressure points we help the body to heal itself. Shiatsu technique refers to the use of fingers and palm of one's hand to apply pressure to particular sections on the surface of the body for the purpose of correcting the imbalances of the body, and for maintaining and promoting health.

subset: commoncrawl


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When it comes to event facilities in the Brandon and Valrico, FL, area, finding a venue that has a knowledgeable and experienced hospitality staff can make all the difference. If you are looking for a full-service venue that offers outstanding event facilities and can assist you with virtually every aspect of planning and executing your upcoming function, turn to the attentive event professionals at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club.
Our event facilities can hold up to 200 guests and can be used to accommodate a wide range of functions for residents of Brandon, Valrico, and any other nearby community in Florida, including:
- Baby showers
- Bridal showers
- Weddings
- Rehearsal dinners
- Birthday parties
- Charity galas
- Graduation parties
- Anniversary parties
- And more
At Buckhorn Springs, we have hosted exceptional events since 1968. When you choose to have your event at our facilities, we will utilize our wealth of knowledge and experience to help you plan a memorable gathering that your guests will be talking about for years to come. From coming up with a floor plan to choosing between the array of delightful menu options that can be prepared by our in-house chef and culinary team, we will walk you through every step of the process, so you can rest assured your event will have everything you are hoping for.
For more information about the top-notch amenities and services that we offer for residents of Brandon and Valrico, FL, and other nearby communities, contact us today. In addition to being one of the premier event facilities and wedding banquet halls in the area, Buckhorn Springs is also the ideal corporate venue for meetings, seminars, and other types of business functions.


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Our Mooring anchor necklace is the perfect gift for her, symbolizing strength, stability and the sea. A tiny drop of genuine cobalt blue beach glass accents a sterling silver anchor on a sterling silver box chain, length of your choosing. The longer chains are very popular for this style!
Our sea glass jewelry is presented boxed, with the Sea Glass Story on the inside lid, ready for gift giving. You order will arrive with a silver polishing cloth to keep your necklace bright for years to come.
You will find all of our necklace designs here: https://bit.ly/2XiVdMS
Sea glass, also known as beach glass or mermaid's tears, is nature's answer to bottles, china and pottery carelessly thrown into the sea many years ago. The glass is tumbled on the ocean floor, smoothed by the waves and sand until it washes up on shore, waiting to be found by a lucky passerby.
1-3 business days
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Mar 19, 2017
Shipped very fast, beautiful quality!


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At some point in our lives we've all formed a frame with our fingers and have taken an imaginary picture or acted as a hot-shot movie director. Imagine if it became possible to actually record a video or take a picture using just those gestures. There's a new design project that does just that, by putting a camera and microphone in your palm. Though its just a concept, not something that you'll be able to pick up in the next few months. Made by Francesca Barchiesi as a graduation thesis, the Hand-Tech camera glove concept has the ability to not only record video or take pictures, but also the ability to project images, measure and exchange different types of data as well as translate sign language.
Wearable technology definitely seems to be the next frontier. Google is already makes waves with its Glass, a number of other big name companies are reportedly working on their smartwatches. Perhaps something like the Hand-Tech glove might become possible in the distant future, but it is immediately not achievable given today's technology levels. Still, the concept offers a glimpse of what the future might hold and how differently we might do things as compared to how we do them today.
Filed in Wearable Tech.. Read more about


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Heritage Microfilm, Inc.
|Cristopher Gill
Heritage Microfilm, Inc. (est.1997) is a preservation microfilm and microfilm digitization business located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[1]
The company began in 1996 when the microfilm division of Cedar Rapids-based Crest Information Technologies was sold to Christopher Gill. The microfilm division was responsible at the time for preserving newspapers and for microfilming business documents. The business document filming portion of the business was soon dropped in favor of the newspaper microfilming division. (Crest in 1999 sold the remaining portion of the company to Lason.)[citation needed]
In 1999, Heritage Microfilm began digitizing newspaper microfilm and launched NewspaperARCHIVE.com. Soon after, it began creating smaller "branded" newspaper archive websites in collaboration with publishing partners. The Syracuse Post-Standard and Stars and Stripes are among its clients for both microfilm and digital archives.[citation needed]
The firm works with ANSI/AIIM standards for preservation microfilming. It has a humidity and temperature-controlled storage facility. It is a Kodak ImageGuard facility. One of its specializations is damaged microfilm recovery. It has an Extek 3441 microfilm duplicator, which duplicates at low speeds to prevent damage to Redox or Vinegar-Syndrome microfilm. It uses Kodak silver halide microfilm for master film and primary duplications. It discontinued the use of vesicular film for duplications, due to the poor quality film available from distributors. It claims to use Kodak BrownToner, a polysulfide film treatment, on every reel of silver-halide microfilm that they produce.[citation needed]
NewspaperArchive is a commercial online database of digitized newspapers, and claims to be the world's largest newspaper archive.[2] The site was launched in 1999 by Heritage Microfilm.[3]
As of June 2008[update], NewspaperArchive said it provided full text search for 909 million articles on 85 million pages over 240 years that represented 2,875 publication titles in more than 748 cities. As of 2015, the product includes newspapers from Azerbaijan, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Uzbekistan.[4][self-published source?]
Searches can be conducted by keyword, date, and location. Results are free, but access to the newspaper articles available to download in PDF format requires a subscription. Searching is available directly from newspaperarchive or via news.google.com/archivesearch. The company says that it follows the Automated Content Access Protocol in which its clients have a say in what is available online. The digitized newspapers that are currently available and OCR'd represent a fraction of the 150 million pages of historical documents that Heritage Microfilm maintains in its microform archive. According to NewspaperArchive, it is microfilming 2.5 million pages of newspapers each month and has 180,000 reels of microfilm.[5][self-published source?][6][self-published source?]
The resource has had its fair share of criticism.[according to whom?] A reviewer in 2004 observed that at the time the archive had some errors with year dates,[7] and in June 2014, The Iowa Attorney General's Office opened an investigation after complaints about deceptive and misleading practices that include charging subscribers for involuntary donations to a charity.[8] As of August 1, 2014, Newspaper Archive, Inc. had a rating of F from Better Business Bureau.[relevant? ][9][third-party source needed]
NewspaperArchive claims as of 30 June 2018 that it has online newspapers dating from 1607 worldwide and its index includes 9,829 newspapers.[10] The website's principal competitor is newspapers.com.
Heritage Archives[edit]
Heritage Archives, Inc. (est. 2009) is related company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that specializes in microfilming of newspapers that was also founded by Christopher Gill.[11][self-published source?][12][better source needed] Among its products is NewspaperARCHIVE.[3] Clients include the state of Florida[13][better source needed] and the Boston Public Library.[14][better source needed] The filing with the state of Iowa also include a dba name of CONVERXION SA DE CV.
Some observers have expressed[who?] concern about the extent of involvement of a private commercial business with stewardship of historical resources otherwise assumed to be held in the public trust.[neutrality is disputed] For example, "until 2002, the Library of Congress and the Center for Research Libraries regularly microfilmed the principal daily newspaper of Jamaica, The Gleaner. ... In 2002 the Gleaner Publishing Company executed an agreement with Heritage Microfilm, Inc. giving to the for-profit firm exclusive rights to reformat and distribute The Gleaner, in both microform and digital format. Because Heritage now holds exclusive digital rights the agreement effectively shifts control of back files ... to the commercial sector, where it is marketed primarily for genealogists and family history researchers."[15]
The US Supreme Court addressed the issue of compensation of works by freelance writers whose work was copied by electronic databases in the case of New York Times Co. v. Tasini (2001).
See also[edit]
- ^ Iowa Secretary of State. "Heritage Microfilm, Inc". Business Entities. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ Heritage Archives Inc. "Newspaperarchive.com". 855 Wright Bros. Blvd., Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
- ^ a b Heritage Archives, Inc. "About Us". Newspaperarchive.com. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ Heritage Archives Inc. "World Newspaper Archives – Newspaperarchive.com". 855 Wright Bros. Blvd., Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
- ^ "HeritageArchives.org". HeritageArchives.org. 2005-06-27. Archived from the original on 2011-12-24. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
- ^ "Our Mission". NewspaperArchive.com. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ Barry Popik (2004). "Digital Historical Newspapers : A Review of the Powerful New Research Tools". Journal of English Linguistics. Sage. 32.
- ^ Jordan, Erin (24 June 2014). "Cedar Rapids company under state review after complaints". Cedar Rapids Gazette. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ "Newspaper Archive, Inc. – BBB Business Review". Better Business Bureau. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
- ^ "NewspaperArchive® | Genealogy & Family History Records". Newspaperarchive.com. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
- ^ Heritage Archives, Inc. "HeritageMicrofilm.com". 855 Wright Bros. Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ Iowa Secretary of State. "Heritage Archives, Inc". Business Entities. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ State of Florida (2012). "2011-12 Payments by Vendor - Operational". Transparency Florida. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ Boston Public Library. "Online Database A - Z List". Electronic Resources. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ Bernard F. Reilly, Jr. (2005). "Knowledge Biodiversity: The Perilous Economics of World News Heritage Materials". Association of College and Research Libraries, 2005 national conference. American Library Association. Retrieved 2 May 2012.


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Last-Minute Holiday Travel Deals
Last-Minute Holiday Travel Deals
The last few months of the year tend to blur by. The Halloween pumpkins have barely been kicked to the curb before Thanksgiving prep starts. And don't be surprised to see Christmas decorations at the grocery store while you're crossing off your Turkey Day shopping list. Planning an affordable vacation or flights to join family and friends over the holidays can seem like one more impossible task. But it's not too late. With some insider advice on last-minute holiday travel deals you can still concoct a wallet-friendly last-minute escape in time for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Eve.
1. Use Flexible Travel Dates
"It's only too late if you're not flexible," says John DiScala of JohnnyJet.com, who always recommends using the "flexible dates" option when searching for flights around the busy holiday travel weeks. "There will be days that are much cheaper to travel on if you're just flexible by a few days," says DiScala, pointing to the dead weeks -- the weeks after Thanksgiving and the week after New Year's -- as the best time to score cheaper airfares. If you have miles and points, the holidays may be a good time to use them as well. While reward availability during peak travel periods can be scarce, your willingness to be flexible with dates (and airports) can pay off.
2. Incorporate Off-Peak Travel Days
Sometimes incorporating just 1 off-peak day of travel into your fare can significantly decrease the cost. Even if you need to travel on an airport-crazed day to reach your destination (in the few days leading up to Christmas, for example, or on the day before Thanksgiving), consider booking your return for New Year's Eve night or the Saturday after Thanksgiving (instead of Sunday), when most travelers would prefer to be celebrating than navigating airport security. And if you're flexible enough to fly on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and return on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, airfare savings can be greater still, sometimes by as much as 25 to 50%.
3. Look Beyond Nonstop Flights
Booking flights with 1 layover instead of nonstop flights also helps reduce the overall fare. And consider flying into an alternative airport (BWI instead of Washington's Dulles or Reagan airports, for example, or Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood instead of Miami) to further cut costs.
4. Snag Deals at Travel Sites
Travel Expert Stefanie Michaels of Adventure Girl recommends the website Yapta to track fluctuating airfares before booking and to receive alerts when your fare drops after you book (the website helps gauge if it's worth changing your fare, considering the airline's change fees and amount of the price drop). SkyScanner is another favorite budget travel tool, says Michaels: "It not only highlights deals on mainstream airlines but it basically shows you all the airlines out there offering fares to your destination." Tim Leffel, author of The World's Cheapest Destinations, recommends looking at Farecompare.com, which shows you a map with fares from your home city. For airline fare comparisons, check out Kayak or Hipmunk. And to research reward flight options, check out Expedia Rewards
5. Consider Off-Peak Travel Destinations
Cities that regularly host conventions can be good places to find last-minute hotel deals over the holidays, says Tim Leffel. "Sometimes you can find a last-minute deal in cities like Orlando or Las Vegas just because there are so many hotels to fill and no conventions going on (at this time of year)," he says.
And for beachside lounging, don't limit yourself to Florida. Consider sandy (and cheaper) spots in other warm destinations along the Georgia and Texas coastlines, including towns like Tybee Island near Savannah and Galveston. Many hotel rooms in Galveston sell at or below $100 per night in November and December; you might find even lower rates by using Hotwire or Priceline. The winter months are also the off-season in European travel hot spots such as London, Paris, Berlin, Venice and Rome, and offer a good chance to find deeply discounted hotel rooms.
6. Buy 2 One-Way Tickets
Don't be afraid to piece together 2 one-way tickets on multiple carriers when it's cheaper, versus limiting yourself to a roundtrip on a single carrier. Instead of searching for a roundtrip flight on a site like Orbitz, for example, do 2 separate searches to and from your destination using the 1-way option. Often, the total price can amount to less than when you're booking a return simply due to the different options that pop up.
7. Check Fares Early Morning
The time of day you actually sit down to book your flight can also affect the cost of a fare, says Mark Drusch of CheapOair. Drusch recommends checking airfares early in the morning since airlines update their inventory and prices overnight. The more carriers servicing a destination the more competition, and, in turn, the lower the fares are likely to be. Los Angeles and Denver are among the top 4 domestic destinations for Christmas travel, with Cancun, Aruba and Nassau among the most popular international destinations. "All these destinations have lots of flights from multiple airlines, making travel easily accessible from anywhere in the country," says Drusch.
8. Look Into Hotel Loyalty Programs
When it comes to booking a hotel room over the holidays, don't forget to check in with your hotel loyalty program. "Many loyalty programs have eliminated blackout dates for points redemption, so you can get free nights even during peak season," says Mark Drusch. Holiday Inn's loyalty program is one such example with no blackout dates, and the same goes for the Hyatt Gold Passport rewards program, as well as the Starwood Preferred Guest Program and Hilton's rewards program.


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|Wamefuls is a Scrabble word. Scrabble point value for wamefuls: 16 points.
|Wamefuls is a Words with Friends word. Words with Friends point value for wamefuls: 16 points.
Above are the results of unscrambling wamefuls. Using the word generator and word unscrambler for the letters W A M E F U L S, we unscrambled the letters to create a list of all the words found in Scrabble, Words with Friends, and Text Twist. We found a total of 167 words by unscrambling the letters in wamefuls. Click these words to find out how many points they are worth, their definitions, and all the other words that can be made by unscrambling the letters from these words. If one or more words can be unscrambled with all the letters entered plus one new letter, then they will also be displayed.
|Definition of "wamefuls" found in the Merriam Webster dictionary
|Definition of "wamefuls" from The Free Dictionary
|Definition of "wamefuls" from Dictionary.com
|Words that start with wamefuls
|Words that end with wamefuls
|Words that contain wamefuls


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In California, electric vehicles have been selling so well that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is discussing ways to reduce the amount spent on the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate Program (CVRP). The program, which provides tax rebates to EV buyers, is $30 million in debt this year, according to the Capitol Weekly. A new discussion document that was presented at CARB's April 3 meeting lists two main ways that the state could save money while still supporting EV sales.
There could be a $60,000 price limit on plug-in vehicles that CARB would subsidize.
Option one is to reduce the rebate by $500, which would mean pure EVs would get $2,000 and plug-in hybrids would get $1,000. The other option would be to put a $60,000 price limit on plug-in vehicles that CARB would subsidize. Currently, this would only affect two vehicles: theTesla Model S and the Cadillac ELR. You can find the details in this PDF; see pages 20-23 for discussion on reducing the rebates.
More http://m.green.autoblog.com/2014/04/11/california-could-put-60-000-mrsp-limit-on-ev-tax-rebates/


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The Truth About Hemophilia
A better title for this article might have been, Hemophilia is a Pain in the Butt!
Or even, Allow Myself to Explain -- Myself.
However, I stuck with this one. Basically, I thought I would introduce you clotting readers to the [...]
Giveaway for Hemophilia Awareness Month
Do you want to win a COo.oOL prize?
I'm giving away a $67 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of my book, Survivor: One Man's Battle with HIV, Hemophilia, and Hepatitis C at the end of March. March is Hemophilia Awareness Month, and I decided to run a contest/giveaway to support Hemophilia Awareness, give back to my friends, and gain followers at the same time!
It's easy to enter and I will draw one lucky winner from the contestants on March 31, 2013. In order to qualify you need to [...]
World AIDS Day 2012
Today is World AIDS Day. Please take 60 seconds out of your day to reflect and remember the millions and millions of people affected and infected by this horrible HIV virus.
No one knows the exact count, and we probably never will. But statistics and scientific estimates put the numbers [...]
My Dream is a World Without AIDS
My claim to fame is being one of the longest surviving HIV+ people in the universe. This isn't exactly the coolest title to have, but I am proud of the fact that I've made it so far. I attribute much of my success and survivability to [...]
Hemophilia Days on Capitol Hill
March is National Hemophilia Awareness Month. Groups like the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) http://www.hemophilia.org and the Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) http://hemophiliafed.org/ spend countless hours working diligently all year long to ensure that legislative action is kept up with and followed through to protect the hemophilia community's rights and needs. Once a year, the NHF [...]
Shoes of a Hemophiliac
We often hear statements like, "Oh yeah ... Well you should try walking in my shoes..." Today, I'd like to offer my shoes and allow you to see through the eyes of a hemophiliac. Let's start off by explaining what the heck hemophilia is. Hemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder in which your blood does not clot normally or properly. It is carried in the X chromosome, and is called an X-linked genetic disorder. Cutting through all of the obfuscation, it essentially means that [...]
Giving Back
Happy Valentine's Day!!!
It is sort of fitting to have an article about [...]
The War of the Body
In many of my previous posts I have talked about the war of the body. I've even posted some information about it. Today's Secret article is going to breakdown my idea and how it has helped me.
After all of these peaceful and loving blog entries, let me step out on a limb and discuss [...]
Hobbies and Extracurricular Activities
Let's kick this bad boy off with one of my favorite quotes:
"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."
—Amelia Earhart
Most of my blog articles about living longer have been about fitness, healthier living, mental toughness, medication, and other related subjects. One longevity subject that is often overlooked is [...]
Stress (fancy word for life)
After all of the posts in the secret article thread, I figured it was time to tackle stress. It's also a very good time to bring it up, considering our last post was about living longer. One thing we didn't discuss during that article was managing your stress levels. The main reason for this [...]
How to Live Longer
Don't laugh; the fountain of youth does exist. Living longer does not only apply to HIV+ folks, this information will work for everyone. Following some simple guidelines and principals can have you on the path to increasing your life expectancy.
Many people from different walks of life told me precisely what I needed to do to prolong my life [...]
Family and Friends (support system)
Most of us are looking for support systems in our daily lives. And, the funny thing is that our family and friends surround us and we often fail to recognize that they are [...]
Suicidal Tendencies
Let me start this post by stating that I honestly believe that everyone has thought about, and/or considered suicide at some point in their lives. That said, I was told directly by a psychologist many moons ago, that I was wrong about that … I guess we must agree to disagree on this one, because I'm sticking to my guns. However, it's probable that I am [...]
Positive Attitude
Let me start by saying that I do not condone, nor believe in positive thinking/attitude without something to back it up. E.g. I don't think you can look at a weed-filled garden and chant there are no weeds 1,000 times and then they mysteriously and suddenly disappear. That said, I do sincerely believe in [...]
My Memoir, Survivor, is Coming!
We are so close that I can smell it! That's right folks ... My book is coming. And ... Just in time for Christmas (oops ... I mean the holiday season). Don't forget to buy grandma fifteen copies (you know how she loses things).
For those of you who didn't know it, I [...]
Colds, the Flu, and Other Painful Maladies
DISCLAIMER I really hate putting these things in here, but I feel that in today's letigious society it is absolutely necessary. That said, I am not a doctor! I don't even pretend to be one. These posts are merely my opinion and based on life experiences. If I made a mistake in this (or any) of my Blog entries, then I apologize. I also encourage you to post a comment and correct me. If you follow any advice or ideas in this Blog, you do so at your own risk! Enjoy!
I used to think that the word disease was simply [...]
Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll
This post is rated PG-13 ... It contains sexual inuendos, devious acts, and [...]
Personal Hygiene
The term "hygiene" is derived from Hygeia, the Greek goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation. It does not come from the other Greek word, Hydra, which is a 9-headed serpent whose breath was poisonous!
Personal hygiene is often overlooked as a simple way to stay healthy. When you ask most people to list some easy ways to maintain health, they immediately shoot back with [...]
Nutrition in a Nutshell
…from soup to nuts…
Let's talk about food! after I go over the rules of engagement: DISCLAIMER - the ideas presented here are merely guidelines to help you on your path to enlightenment. I strongly urge (and insist) [...]
There is a fad that is sweeping across America (and the world for that matter). It is categorized as healthier living. With more than 30% of Americans being classified as obese, it is time for this fad to kick into action!
Gratuitous Disclaimer: I am afraid that before I talk about this fantastic subject, I must first warn you of the inherent danger associated with it… Working out and exercise can be dangerous. You can be seriously injured, crippled or killed. The opinions, stories and ideas presented here are my own and do not constitute a recommendation of or endorsement for any particular or general use. You should seek a professional medical evaluation before starting an exercise program. If you choose to workout, you do so at your own risk. More no this here.
With that painful dissertation out of the way...
Exercise is an essential part of life. Without it, our [...]
Side Effects
Let's take a moment and talk about the confounded side effects of HIV and its associated medication. Sometimes side effects are unavoidable. And, we usually weigh the pros and cons... For instance, my current triple drug cocktail gives me diarrhea on a daily basis. This is a pain in the ass (no pun intended)! However, it is acceptable when you consider the fact that my other option is to die a slow and painful death... On the other hand, when I was getting Peripheral Neuropathy from DDI, I considered this a bad and dangerous side effect that I eliminated by switching medications. The picking and choosing of the lesser of two evils is obviously a personal choice...
Here are many of the side effects that I am currently experiencing, or have experienced in the past:
This is a battle that I deal with on a daily basis. My gastro-Dr. prescribed Pamine Forte, which I took for a while. This appeared to subside my … ahem … issues. However, it was a pain to get the pills refilled, because my doc wanted me to keep visiting him. Juggling life is painful and throwing in frequent visits to a gastroenterologist wasn't at the top of my list. So, I take Immodium AD (over the counter) and it seems to work just as well.
My daily regiment includes drinking a fiber supplement (Konsyl) every morning and every night. I know that most of you are like, doesn't fiber loosen your stool? Well… Yes… But, it also helps to regulate and control your bowels. For whatever reason, I have found that it is better to have regularity… At least than I can predict my outcomes.
Also, I carry two Immodium pills in my pockets at all times. I have found that you can easily find yourself in remote places without a proverbial pot to piss in, and this helps curb things. In addition to the ones in my pocket, I keep a bottle of the little green gems (Immodium) in: my backpack, desk drawer at work and glovebox of all of my vehicles. Call me a Boy Scout, but I feel the need to be prepared
I think that's enough talk about the runs.
Peripheral Neuropathy
In case you don't know what it is, peripheral neuropathy is extremely painful and disturbing. My experience was tingling in my feet that feels similar to your foot falling asleep. Along with this, my toes became so sensitive that a simple stub against a shoe or something else on the floor would drop me to my knees in pain and anguish.
One of the worst experiences of my life was when I was sent to a neurologist to figure out my foot problem. He inserted long thick needles into my foot, ankle, calf and shin and then sent electrical shocks through my muscles to determine if nerve damage had occurred, and/or what my problem was.
Unfortunately, all of this severe probing didn't uncover anything, but it did teach me to fear neurologists!
Dry Eyes
Over time, my eyes have become dryer. I'm not sure if this is purely allergy related, or if it stems from some of the medicine that I take. That is one of the many problems associated with HIV related side effects… Some of them could be happening for reasons other than medicines, etc.
I have found that eye drops help a lot with this problem, if I use them on a regular basis. Better than the old school Visine dropper, the newer single-serving droppers seem to be better for me. They don't have any preservatives that you will find in a typical bottle. I use drops morning and night. During the day, if my eyes are bothering me I will dose them. For this reason, I keep eye drop packs in my desk drawer at work.
Sensitivity to Sunlight
This one comes and goes. When it comes, it comes with a vengeance… I am talking to the point of not being able to keep my eyes open while outdoors. I usually attack this problem by having extra dark sunglasses that cover a big area. Wrap-around style are very nice and eliminate some of the Sun creep that you get in the sides.
I would like to darken the tint on my vehicles, but Maryland has strict laws about this… I am currently looking into having an eye doctor write me a waiver so I can tint the truck and minivan…
Rashes, Hives and Other Skin Problems
Itchy skin comes and goes for me. I think that I have naturally sensitive skin, so it is tough to say what comes from what. I sometimes get little sections of hives that are itchy and bothersome. I also get dry skin, mostly during the winter.
This one may or may not be related to medicine… I mean, life is tough enough as it is… Throw hemophilia into the mix with HIV, medication and everything else associated with my health and you get a depressing combination. In the past I have occasionally been so depressed that I considered suicide. I always fought through it and looked toward a brighter day. For the most part, I consider suicide a weak solution. I love a challenge and when life is getting me down, it is no exception.
I've never taken anti-depressant, and I can't imagine doing so. I'm not a proponent of all of these drugs that have been introduced to help depressed folks… I'm sure that there are many of you who would disagree with me on this point. I'm not knocking people who take them, I'm simply saying that I choose not to.
Vomiting and Nausea
This is a tough one. I think that everyone experiences this one from some degree or another… With DDI I was vomiting out of control. Sometimes, to this day, I vomit when I am taking medicine. Mostly I am able to hold it back. I will occasionally be coughing and it turns into a violent cough that ends with a vomit reaction.
Dunno how to cure this one, but I find that willpower and concentration can help.
Random Aches and Pains
Muscle soreness… Arthritic feelings… Joint aches…
More than likely, these come more from my active lifestyle and past mistakes.
Sleep Problems
I rarely experience this, but I have had some rough nights. Sometimes you simply can't sleep. This is probably related to something other than medicines, but I included it none-the-less.
I like chamomile tea at bed time and this helps me to go down nice and easy.
I love nightmares. Seriously! Some of my medicines have given me some extremely realistic and vivid nightmares. I dig it. Even though I love them, I thought I would include this as a potential side effect… Especially because not everyone enjoys them as much as me.
Night Sweats
One of my old medicines (I can't remember which) really gave me horrible night sweats. These days, I get them once-in-a-while, but they are far and few between. Plus, they aren't nearly as bad as they were in the past.
Night sweats can be so terrible that you can't sleep. Plus, the bed gets all stinky and impossible to sleep in. Horrible!
Trouble Waking in the Morning
Who doesn't have this problem? I mean… Some mornings are simply tougher than others to get out of bed! Is it a side effect of medicine or life? Who knows…
Loss of Fat in the Butt and Cheeks
This one has bothered me in the past… I mean, every guy wants a little meat in his behind. Chicks look at your butt… That's a fact. I want something there to see.
As far as my other cheeks, it is similarly painful to see the gaunt fatless features of my face. I think that most of this problem came from my hepatitis medicine that I was on years ago. It rid my body of Hep-C, so it can't be all bad… However, it also stripped the fat, which gave my face definition, etc. Now I look like a wasting-away human being and this bugs me, because I am more healthy now than I have ever been in my life!
Excess Fat in the Belly and Upper Back
As if it wasn't bad enough to take the fat from my butt, the medicines seem to have put it in my belly! WTF?? Just like butts, chicks dig abs. I pride myself in a fit and strong body, yet my distended abdominal region is a rascally sucker that pisses me off! I do a lot of hard work on my abs (1,200+ crunches per workout) and they still poke out some.
One thing that I have found useful, is working the transverse abdominis muscle. This is a muscle that wraps around your core underneath your abs and obliques. You can work it out by doing stomach vacuums and 2-point bridges among other things. I have found that the more effort that I put into this muscle region, the better my abs look and the more pulled in they become. Give it a go!
Gas and Bloated Belly
Gas might simply be a side effect of the Immodium. I dunno about you, but I get the farts a couple of hours after I take Immodium.
Sore Throat
Many mornings I wake with a sore throat. Usually it is minor and goes away after breakfast. Sometimes it is more serious and I take a couple of sprays of Chloraseptic to help soothe it. That's about all there is to say about that…
Excess Phlegm
Who knows why I included this… I would swear that I have copious amounts of snot that shouldn't be there. Does that mean it's from HIV or medicine?? No… But, I just thought I would mention it.
See ya next time!
p.s. This post is a chapter in my blog-book, The Secret to Longevity. Checkout my similar posts here: http://hivlongevity.com/the-secret. Or, follow the goodie trail:
Previous Secret Article — Next Secret Article


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Although Atlantic Cape Community College doesn't have on-campus dorms or housing, the housing office offers prospective students a list of local garden apartment complexes and real estate offices. The properties listed are within walking or driving distance and also along bus routes. If you live outside of Atlantic or Cape May counties, this information is available by contacting Automne Bennett. Monthly costs will vary by location. For referrals and information call 609.343.5085 or email Eric Stewart.
Housing Resources
Information for the Rental Process
We offer an Off-Campus Housing Information resource, which offers helpful information about the housing process.
*Atlantic Cape is not responsible for any leasing or housing agreements. Terms are based upon individual contracts and leasing availability.*
There are many housing options around Atlantic Cape Community College.
Realtor Companies
|Century 21/
Frick Realtors
Galloway, NJ
(609) 652-5600
|ReMax Realtors
Mays Landing, NJ
(609) 909-1111
|Weichert Realtors
Egg Harbor Twp, NJ
(609) 677-7800
|Galloway Real Estate
Galloway, NJ
(609) 652-2828
|Quail Hill Realty
Galloway, NJ
(609) 404-3100
|Smithville All Pro Realtors
Galloway, NJ
(609) 652-9944
Apartment Complexes
|Cologne Gardens
1932 Cologne Ave
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
(609) 641-9888
|The Woodlands
2500 Woodlands Drive
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
(609) 641-8699
|Pineland Gardens
6473 Harding Highway
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
(609) 625-1101
|The Landings
800 Falcon Drive
Absecon, NJ 08201
(866) 337-3571
|Sea Aire Apartments
40 Chapman Blvd
Somers Point, NJ 08244
(609) 653-8288
|Society Hill at Galloway No. 2
299 Society Hill Drive
Galloway, NJ 08205
*contact Galloway Real Estate*
|Club III
140 Federal Court
Absecon, NJ 08201
*contact Galloway Real Estate*
|Society Hill at Galloway
57 Greenwich Drive
Galloway, NJ 08205
*contact Quail Hill Realty*
|Club at Galloway
181 Club Place
Galloway, NJ 08205
*contact Galloway Real Estate*
|California Apartments
400 Manor Drive
Absecon, NJ 08201
(609) 641-0006
|Evergreen at Timber Glen
2000 Timber Glen Dr.
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
contact Meagan Lazzara
|Sunrise Bay
180 Walden Way
Galloway, NJ 08205
contact Meagan Lazzara


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The Khoi and San people were the original inhabitants of Southern Africa, living in the country thousands of years before the written history began with the arrival of the first Europeans.
The San People ("San" was the name the Bushmen used when referring to themselves)
The San people were the hunter-gatherers. They probably originated on the north coast of Africa and were driven south by stronger tribes. They have been called by many names: "Bushmen", "San" or "Sonqua", "Soaqua", "Sarwa" or "Basarwa", and "Twa" all basically meaning, "those without domestic livestock". They were excellent trackers and lived in caves or shelters made of branches close to waterholes for drinking water and so that animals could be easily hunted.
They are famous for their rock art and paintings that depict their way of life and beliefs, which give us a glimpse of how these tough little people, capable of courage and compassion, could survive on the land for such a long time, without destroying all they touched.
There is a small group of San in the Kalahari Desert today. It is increasingly difficult for them to live their traditional lifestyle, and most have turned to either agriculture or stock-breeding to make a living.
The Khoi People (" Khoi" was the original name used by the Hottentots in reference to themselves)
The Khoikhoi ("men of men") or Khoi, sometimes spelled KhoeKhoe.
They had practiced extensive pastoral agriculture (a nomadic lifestyle based on herding of cattle) in Southern Africa for about 30,000 years before the European settlers arrived in 1652. Like the San, they had a yellowish complexion but because of their protein diet they were bigger in size.
They slept on reed mats in dome-shaped huts made from stripped branches which could be taken apart. Their huts were erected in a circle surrounded by a fence of thorny branches so that they could protect themselves and their animals.
The Khoisan
These two peoples eventually married into each other's tribes and became one people – the Khoisan.
With the arrival of the black and later the white people, much strife ensued. The San regarded the farmers' cattle as game that they could hunt, and the Khoi saw the farmers as intruders on their grazing pastures. This strife drove the San people north into Namibia and Botswana. The colounisation of the Cape also forced them to change their lifestyle and the population was severely reduced by wars, epidemics (e.g. smallpox) and they eventually became detribalised. Because of all these changes, the Khoi people ceased to exist as a nation.


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For everyone who lives in Sydney, or feels liks a visit on Sunday 13th September - there is a great festival happening at Luna Park called EcoKids. You can find out more information at http://www.ecokidsfestival.com.au/
The Eco Kids Festival has been designed to allow a single point of access to a wealth of information on living sustainably both for children and their parents over a single day.
The festival has been designed to allow the children attending the unique opportunity to gain access to the latest in green technologies, techniques and ideas, and experience them first hand while also enjoying an incredible day of entertainment.
Featured will be eco-workshops on everything from worm-farming to renewable energy, organic food stalls, recycled arts and crafts, sustainability experts to answer all of those tricky questions, interactive eco-gadgets and displays, roving performers and some of Australia's best children's entertainment.
I'm going to head up to it and check it out - they are thinking of bringing it to Melbourne next year.
Let us know if you go and give us some feedback on what you think...


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South Korea urges 'concrete' plan on nuclear weapons as Kim visits China
Chinese state media quoted President Xi Jinping as hailing the warming friendship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.
South Korea has urged North Korea to present a plan with concrete steps towards denuclearisation, raising the pressure on its leader Kim Jong Un as he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Mr Kim and Mr Xi held a second day of talks at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, whose grounds China's official Xinhua News Agency described in unusually lyrical terms as being full of "verdant greenery and splendid flowers", adding to what the propaganda outlet said was the "close and friendly atmosphere" of the talks.
The pomp and circumstance looked geared towards showing off the major improvement in relations between the communist neighbours, along with China's important role in keeping North Korea on track.
But it cast no new light on the main question that hangs over the previously reclusive North Korean leader's surge in diplomatic activity in recent months: What next steps, if any, will Mr Kim take to dismantle his country's nuclear programme?
At his summit with US President Donald Trump last week in Singapore, Mr Kim pledged to work towards denuclearisation in exchange for US security guarantees.
The US and South Korea also suspended a major joint military exercise that was planned for August in what was seen as a major victory for North Korea and its chief allies, China and Russia.
Chinese state media quoted Mr Xi as hailing the warming friendship with Mr Kim but included no mention of any specific discussions on making progress on the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
Mr Xi said China is pleased that "the momentum for dialogue and easing of the situation on the Korean Peninsula has been effectively strengthened", according to Xinhua.
In Seoul, South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged North Korea to present actionable plans on how it will scrap its nuclear programme, and for the United States to swiftly take unspecified corresponding measures.
"It's necessary for North Korea to present far more concrete denuclearisation plans, and I think it's necessary for the United States to swiftly reciprocate by coming up with comprehensive measures," Mr Moon said.
Mr Moon's office said he made the remarks to Russian media ahead of his trip to Moscow later this week.
Mr Moon, who has met with Mr Kim twice in recent months, said the North Korean leader is willing to give up his nuclear programme and focus on economic development if he is provided with a reliable security guarantee.
Mr Moon described Mr Kim as forthright, careful and polite.
China backs the North's call for a "phased and synchronous" approach to denuclearisation, as opposed to Washington's demand for an instant, total and irreversible end to the North's nuclear programmes.
Accompanied by an elaborate escort of motorcycles and black vehicles, Mr Kim left for Pyongyang later in the day, ending his third visit to China this year.
State television showed Mr Kim visiting an agricultural technology park and rail traffic control centre in Beijing, accompanied by Beijing's top official Cai Qi.
Mr Kim's motorcade had earlier been seen leaving the North Korean embassy as police closed off major roads and intersections in central Beijing.
Pedestrians watched the passing motorcade that included Mr Kim's limousine – a black Mercedes-Benz Maybach with gold emblems on the rear doors.
A report by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Mr Kim told Mr Xi at a welcoming banquet on Tuesday that North Korea-China ties are developing into "unprecedentedly special relations".
China has touted the prospects of more trade and investment if North Korea makes progress in talks on abandoning its nuclear weapons and long-range missile programmes.
That could allow the lifting of UN Security Council economic sanctions that have hamstrung North Korea's foreign trade, although the US insists those measures can only be eased after the North shows it has ended its nuclear programmes.
The US says China is in agreement on that point, although Chinese officials say sanctions should not be an end in themselves.
Mr Kim was expected to have sought China's help with getting relief from the sanctions during his visit.
Xinhua's report did not mention sanctions, but quoted Mr Kim as saying that the two countries "are as close and friendly as family, and help each other".
Press Association


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Peacock studied quality control systems from ISO9001 for 3 years (2010-2013). We then used that system as a base, while adding our own original quality control systems. Peacock does its utmost to provide safe and delicious food to all our shops.
The smells of the festival bring back childhood memories.
Festival time was a time to look forward to every year.
Everyone remembers that feeling of joy and excitement.
Nowadays, children can experience the same feeling when they go to the supermarket. Peacock works hard to bring a smile to people's faces. We aim to keep making Japanese style fast food which is safe and delicious.
Peacock started their fast food business 42 years ago. It has also produced frozen food products for 22 years. We have sold 2,000,000,000 octopus balls in that time. Peacock's business model is to first run our own shop and then sell them on to a franchise owner. We have our own manual and follow-up support system which are highly regarded by franchise owners. Peacock has a good reputation for establishing good working relationships with their franchise owners. This is why we can keep producing high quality products.


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The #7-ranked Stanford Cardinal men (in our mid-season power rankings) made a clamor for a higher ranking at home Friday night, knocking off #5 Arizona 185-113.
On the women's side, #5 Stanford (from our women's power rankings) made the gap between them and the visiting #8 Wildcats look much larger, winning 158-137 while putting together multiple 1-2-3 finishes.
The men's meet was a battle of strengths vs. weaknesses – three events were swept 1-2-3 by either team and four more events were 1-2 finishes. Stanford was able to capitalize on those big wins more often, though, leading to a big lead. The Cardinal was also helped by a rough day from Arizona star Giles Smith, allowing Stanford's Connor Black to win the 100 fly easily and David Nolan to do the same in the 100 free.
The Cardinal women were aggressive in trying to contain all-world Arizona stars Margo Geer and Bonnie Brandon. They had solid success with Geer, holding her to just one win in three individual races, but Brandon torched them for 3 individual wins in tight battles. That wasn't enough to overcome Maya DiRado's two dominating wins, Felicia Lee's pair of victories, or a big night from breaststroker Katie Olsen, who put up a season-best and a sub-minute medley relay split.
Full men's results.
Full women's results.
Men's Meet
Arizona won the 400 medley relay to kick off the meet, no surprise considering the event is perhaps the Wildcats' signature one this season. Even without Giles Smith manning the fly leg, the team of Mitchell Friedemann, Kevin Cordes, Andrew Porter and Brian Stevens went 3:14.37 led by a 52.9 breaststroke leg from American record-holder Cordes.
Danny Thomson led a 1-2-3 Stanford finish in the 1000 free, going 9:16.79. The closest Arizona swimmer was freshman Ty Fowler at 9:25.47.
Then Drew Cosgarea went 1:38.83 to lead a 1-2 charge in the 200 free before David Nolan topped Mitchell Friedemann 47.97 to 48.25 in the 100 back.
But Arizona had an easy win coming with Kevin Cordes in the 100 breast. He cruised to a 53.44 win leading a 1-2-3 finish for the Wildcats, who desperately needed a spark at this point.
Unfortunately, Stanford fired right back with Tom Kremer and Gray Umbach each going 1:47s to sweep the top two spots in the 200 fly ahead of Arizona's Michael Meyer.
The Wildcats did nab a 1-2 punch in the 50 free to end the first session of swimming events with Brian Stevens getting under 20 by just .01. Giles Smith was second in 20.13.
Kristian Ipsen took his first of a pair of diving wins for Stanford, besting Arizona's Rafael Quintero, himself a top-tier diver, 409.13 to 359.48.
After diving, David Nolan led a 1-2-3 crusade in the 100 free, going 44.34 to win by a good half-second. Both Mitchell Stoehr and Sean Duggan got in before Arizona's Giles Smith, who went 45.44.
The Wildcats strung together a couple of wins in the next events, though, with Shep Sheppard going 1:47.70 to top Will Gunderson in the 200 back and Kevin Cordes easily pacing the 200 breast in 1:57.70.
But Danny Thomson was the front-runner of another top-3 sweep by Stanford in the 500 free, going 4:27.03 followed by Jimmy Yoder and Justin Buck, all three ahead of Zona's Michael Meyer.
Stanford freshman Connor Black won the 100 fly in 48.18 followed by Gray Umbach in 48.54, yet another 1-2 for Stanford. Also notable in this race was that Giles Smith was exhibitioned for Arizona, going only 51.36. The splits seemed to show a huge dropoff for Smith in the second half – he split 23.04 going out, but came back in 28.32.
Kristian Ipsen won again for Stanford on 3-meter, scoring 429.15 before Max Williamson took the 400 IM in 3:51.58, about four seconds ahead of Sam Rowan of Arizona.
Finally, Stanford won the 200 free relay, getting a 19.7 split from David Nolan to go 1:20.95 to Arizona's 1:21.52. Both B relays tied for third place, going 1:22.67.
Women's Meet
Stanford opened things up with a gut punch, going 1-2 in the 400 medley relay. The team of Maddy Schaefer, Katie Olsen, Felicia Lee and Lia Neal was all but untouchable, going 3:36.97. That included a 59.4 breaststroke from Olsen, who had a great night, and a 47.5 anchor leg out of Neal.
The teams traded a pair of touchouts in the first two individual races. Bonnie Brandon won the 1000 free for Arizona, one of her three wins on the night, by beating out Andie Taylor by about eight-tenths. Brandon was 9:47.32. Then Lia Neal went 1:47.06 to get in ahead of Zona's Margo Geer (1:47.20) in the 200 free.
But from then on, things became pretty one-sided for Stanford in the first section of the meet. Felicia Lee went 53.68 leading a 1-2-3 coalition of Cardinal swimmers in the 100 back, Katie Olsen was a season-best 1:00.41 in the 100 breast, another 1-2 Stanford finish, and Maya DiRado won the 200 fly with a 1:57.40.
The 50 free was another Stanford win with Maddy Schaefer going 22.24 to win over Arizona's stud sprinter Margo Geer.
Stanford definitely seemed intent on challenging Arizona's two biggest names, Geer and Bonnie Brandon, pushing the duo into close finishes in all 6 of their combined individual events. The loaded Stanford sprinting corps seemed to have more success against Geer than the rest of the team did at stopping Brandon – Geer lost two of her three races, but no one could touch Brandon in the longer races.
Arizona's second win came from Michal Bower in 1-meter diving. She scored 298.20 to beat Stanford's Stephanie Phipps by just 9.
Kicking off the second session of swimming was the 100 free, which was the event in which Margo Geer finally broke through the tough crowd of Cardinal freestylers. The senior went 49.26 to top both Maddy Schaefer and Lia Neal, who were each 49-mid.
The Wildcats made it three in a row with Bonnie Brandon's 1:57.06 backstroke win. She emerged from a tough battle with a hard-charging Annemarie Thayer to win by .3. The sophomore then took one event off before returning to top Tjasa Oder in the 500 free 4:52.28 to 4:52.95.
But in between Brandon's two wins, Arizona still had no answer for breaststroker Katie Olsen, who went 2:11.96 to win the 200 breast by over three seconds. (That's just a tenth off what she went at Stanford's mid-season rest meet in November). And when Felicia Lee won the 100 fly with a 53.36, the meet was pretty well sealed heading into the final block of swimming.
Feeling that momentum, Stephanie Phipps topped Michal Bower on 3-meter springboard, avenging her loss in 1-meter in the early goings. Stanford punctuated the night with a 1-2-3 finish in the 400 IM with Maya DiRado (4:12.75), Andie Taylor (4:18.60) and Tara Halsted (4:21.92).
Arizona was able to salvage a win in the 200 free relay, though, by putting stars Brandon and Geer together. Geer was 22.4 leading off (.4 faster than she was in the open 50) and Brandon showed some speed, splitting 22.8 to give Zona an insurmountable lead. Anchor Taylor Schick added her own 22.8 to hold off charging Cardinal anchor Maddy Schaefer for the win in 1:31.33. Stanford was 1:31.60 for second place thanks to Schaefer's 22.2 split and Felicia Lee's 22.7 lead0ff.


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Every year, we try to bring our attendees and exhibitors something fresh and exciting, and this year is no different. Take a look at the new things we have in store for 2014:
- Afternoon Delight: Dessert and Coffee bar, compliments of NADA Monday, Jan 27th 1 -2:30pm on the Expo Floor in the Neighborhood Eateries.
- Social Connection Zone– Genius Bar, Tech Clinicians and daily mini Tech Session
- Best in Show Exhibitor Contest – The booths with the best booth design; creativity and branding will take home this first time award.
- Scan-n-Go registration kiosks – scan your confirmation code (print out or right from your mobile device) and get your registration materials quickly and easy!
- Award Winning Lifestyle Experience with department store partner, Saks Fifth Avenue.
- 64 workshop topics and 174 workshop session with 50 new presenters!
Which one are you looking forward to?


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Open Mic: What Awesome Designs Are You Working On?
It's the start of an exciting new year and to celebrate the enthusiasm that comes with the start of January, we want to give you the chance to go wild in the comments and brag about the latest projects you've been working on.
Huge new website redesign for a big company or hyped startup? A logo for your own side project? Nothing is too big or too small — feel free to include links so other readers can take a look. 2012 is shaping up to be a big year. Tell us about your big plans!


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ph: 509-930-1421
Blue text link will open the full pedigree in a new window
Mini Lops
I may have a tri-color buck for sale available to go to Wichita
Mini Rex
Transport to Wichita available at no extra cost.
Provoncha's Sam, GC pending $150
Sam has 5 legs (if I'm counting right) including BOB and BOV wins. Sam is only for sale because I've decided to not do blues.
Wright's Black Jack RGC (pending) x Splithare's Pati. DOB 8/3/12
Wright's Black Jack RGC (pending) x Just Hoppin's Pretty Girl, RGC (7 legs, 4 BOB)
We are also listed on http://www.rabbitandcavybreeders.com
Copyright SweetBriar Rabbits. All rights reserved.
ph: 509-930-1421


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While walking the two boys back to the cabin, their guard heard the squad leader call "Fall Back" on the radio. The soldier quickly acknowledged the order but then heard no reply from his sergeant. Then a moment later sounds of gunfire sounded from the cabin.
The soldier readied his assault rifle and shouted at Shinji and Patrick. "You two, get behind a tree," he ordered as he pointed towards inside the woods. "Now!" Both boys hurriedly complied, running a few more meters into the forest and finding a large tree trunk to hide behind.
The sentry called into his radio as he scanned his surroundings. "OWL THREE TO OWL ONE, come in. OWL ONE?" Movement to his right caught his eye and he saw two man-sized shapes crawl up off the ground. Reacting quickly he held up his rifle and fired a burst at the first man that took him down, but the second intruder also had a rifle and fired at the sentry upon being spotted. Owl Three went down after two three-round bursts entered his chest.
From behind the large tree both of the boys saw the guard go down. "Oh, Shit," Patrick said. They swung back behind the tree and looked at each other, each of them sensing the extreme danger of the situation.
"Do you have your satellite phone?" Patrick whispered to Shinji. The other boy checked his pockets and then a shocked look came on his face. "No, I left it in the cabin."
Oh please God I don't want to go out like this. The American boy swallowed hard and tried to be absolutely still, trying to control the sound of his breathing. He could hear the footsteps of the intruder in the snow, and he knew that the man was approaching where they were. "OK, what now?" he asked Shinji.
"Misato will come," he whispered back as he began to clutch himself in fear. "She has to."
Patrick could hear the footsteps get closer to the tree. He looked in his hands and saw the axe that he still held. He closed his eyes tightly, unsuccessfully pushing away at his fear. OK, just think Patrick. It's just like an EVA fight, except you're the EVA and they're the Harpy...they've got a gun and you only have an axe…they're bigger than you are…there's no AT Field…if you get killed they can't just fix you and bring you back…oh hell…
Just as the footfalls got right behind the tree, Patrick lurched from behind screaming and swung the axe at the soldier as hard as he could. The swing was wild and missed the man, but instead the blade of the axe landed on his assault rifle and neatly cut the rifle in two. As Patrick swung up the axe for a second time the white-clad intruder kicked him in the thigh, stopping his attack midway. The soldier then swung his right hand behind his back and pulled out an automatic pistol. Breaking his fall with the axe handle Patrick quickly pushed off of it and with all of his speed and strength rammed himself into the larger soldier. With the shock of the blow, the man's pistol flew out of his hands and into the nearby snow.
Both Patrick and the solider fell down on the ground, Patrick landing on top of him. Trying to bring up the axe, the other man instead grabbed the handle and then pushed back hard, enough to roll Patrick over on his back. The intruder rolled on top of him, taking both hands on the axe handle and pushing it hard into Patrick's chest.
The boy fought and pushed back with all of his might, but the intruder's strength and weight was simply too much for him. Patrick gasped for air as the man continued to push the axe handle to crush his chest. He looked on the snow away from him and saw Shinji by the tree, and the pistol in the snow a meter away. "SHINJI! GUN!!!" he screamed.
The boy heaved as the man pushed the axe handle further into this chest, then as Patrick nearly blacked out, the man picked up the axe and swung it over his shoulder. Patrick trembled as he struggled to get free.
As the intruder was about to strike with the axe a shot rang out and a large red spot was visible on his white parka. The man turned around and saw Shinji standing two meters away, the gun in his hands in a shooting stance. He tried to jump away but then there was a second shot and he fell over and into the snow, the axe tumbling out of his hands.
Patrick saw Shinji as he held the pistol. His eyes were wide with emotion and his hands were trembling. "Dude, you okay?"
Shinji didn't reply but instead dropped the gun onto the ground. Patrick managed to push off the dead carcass of a man from his lower body and rushed to where Shinji stood shaking.
"Thank you," he said. Shinji didn't say anything in reply, but just nodded. His eyes were in tears.
Rei said he had a big heart. I can see why it's such a tragedy that he's the best pilot.
"Cabin," Patrick said, trying to be encouraging.
"Right," Shinji finally answered, still shaking. The boys both started to run uphill when Shinji's mind finally came to him and he realized they had forgotten someone. "PenPen!"
"Where is he?" Patrick asked. Both boys looked down the hill and saw the penguin ten meters below them. He was just standing there in the snow.
Shinji bolted back down the hill to where the bird was, Patrick following him. They found PenPen by the edge of the trees. He was still alive, although the snow next to him was covered in brown and yellow substance. The bird had frozen stiff in fear.
As Shinji scooped up the penguin in his arms Patrick looked down the hill and saw several more white-clad men climbing up. A moment later there was more gunfire and he grabbed Shinji by the arm and pulled him to the trees. Shinji slid behind one tree, PenPen still in his arms, while Patrick dove behind another one a few feet away. I hope that he's right about Misato coming, Patrick thought to himself, as he was afraid to go anywhere else.
"Kaji-san!!!" Asuka exclaimed in relief.
"Are you two all right?" he asked hurriedly.
"We're alright," the Second Child said. "There's two more of them in the kitchen that we took care of." The agent raised his eyes a little in surprise as Asuka gave him a smugly confident look. "What's happening?"
"SEELE," Kaji said. "The contact from this morning was part of a diversion to get both Katsuragi and myself out of the way." Taking a quick look around Kaji noticed the two bodies clad in white inside the kitchen doorway, but also knew something important was missing.
"Where are the boys," he asked them.
Asuka's suddenly gasped, her face in an expression of fear. "Shinji!"
"They're outside getting firewood," Rei told him, still with composure.
Kaji bounded into Misato's bedroom and looked out the window. In the treeline to the right of the cabin he could see both of the boys crouching behind trees as white-clad intruders shot at them from a short distance. Shinji was tightly clutching PenPen as he hid behind one tree that was twenty meters away.
The agent spoke into his headset. "Nest secure for the moment, along with Zero and Two. What's your ETA?"
"Three minutes," a voice cracked on the speaker, the loud buzzing noise of the snowmobile engine in the background. "I've got company behind me!"
"Pick up One and Four in the woods. Get here ASAP, we'll try to hold them off."
He immediately rushed back into the living room. Grabbing the larger of the two couches, Kaji pushed it and it fell over backwards. He then grabbed an old rug that had been underneath it and pulled it off the floor. Underneath where the rug lay was a compartment hidden on the wooden floor. He immediately opened the compartment's doors and pulled out an assault rifle and magazines.
Asuka saw that inside the compartment was an assortment of military arms of all types. Without asking she grabbed a grenade launcher from the space along with a bandolier of grenades. As Kaji rushed back to Misato's bedroom and the window, Asuka followed quickly behind him.
Rei stood over the compartment, studying its remaining contents. Determining that she was capable of doing something as well, she reached inside for a weapon and then made her way back to the kitchen.
Kaji took the butt of the assault rifle and smashed out the glass on the bedroom window. He then pointed the rifle barrel out the open windowsill and fired several bursts at the oncoming soldiers that were on the steep slope below the cabin. He continued to fire three-round bursts at the group below. Behind the bedroom wall Asuka sat on the floor as she cracked open the grenade launcher and dropped a high explosive round in the breech, snapping the launcher back together afterward.
Taking down several men before he ran out of rounds in his clip, Kaji quickly ducked back down from the windowsill as several bullets hit the wall. One of them shot through the window and ricocheted towards the living room. As he reloaded, he nodded at Asuka and she quickly popped up. She took quick aim at the opponent closest to the treeline and pulled the trigger on the grenade launcher. She felt the "thump" of the shot and rolled back down to the floor without bothering to check to see if her round landed on target. A second later a loud blast was heard outside. Kaji then went up again and started hunting for targets.
"Did I get him?" Asuka asked him without looking as she cracked the grenade launcher open and dropped out the spent casing.
"Yes," Kaji replied. He then began to fire another set of bursts at the incoming soldiers as Asuka dropped in a new grenade.
Hiding in the tree line the boys were unable to move forward, as the intruding soldiers had now gone prone and were shooting into both the forest and the cabin above. Patrick tried to crawl on the ground from the tree and quickly jumped back as shots fired hit the snow a foot from his hand. From behind the tree trunk he felt thumps against the other side and knew they were bullets.
Kneeling by the kitchen window, Rei methodically opened up the window and pushed up the glass from the windowsill. She leaned against a corner of the room and then grabbed the rifle she had brought with her from the living room. It was a sniper rifle of Japanese SDF issue, light in weight with a folding stock. While she had never held a rifle before, her EVA Unit 00 had often used a much larger one in combat modeled on the one she now had in her small hands. She knew the feeling of shooting something with it, from that part now inside her soul that was once known to her as the Me Inside the EVA. Crouching low to keep from being seen, she held the rifle to her shoulder and looked down the scope at the ground below.
Patrick looked at Shinji as he continued to hide behind the tree trunk a few feet away from him. PenPen had snapped out of his shock and now panicked, flapping wildly. The boy tried to keep him under control while avoid being hit by any gunfire. He then looked in front of them by the treeline and saw that one of the soldiers had managed to reach their position. Seeing the rifle the man carried, Patrick quickly turned around the tree and looked on the ground for anything that would work as a weapon. Unfortunately there was nothing but snow. His stomach plunged as his hope faded. Too late.
Ten feet away, the soldier aimed at Patrick's head behind the tree. A shot rang out and the man felt a massive pain in his right shoulder, dropping his rifle. The soldier turned around at the source of the shot and felt another sharp pain, this one to his left kneecap. He screamed in agony as he dropped to the ground and grabbed it with both hands.
Hearing the soldier's screams, Patrick turned around and saw him on the rolling on the ground in excruciating pain. In the background there were more shots, bursts of automatic fire, and grenades exploding. Then there was a buzzing sound, followed by other explosions and he knew that somehow the tide had turned.
The buzzing sound got louder until a large red blur came barreling up the hillside and into the forest. Sliding up to Shinji's tree was Misato. She was riding a snowmobile, wearing a red parka and snowsuit with black sunglasses. A SMG was in her right hand.
"Sorry I'm late," she said to him.
"Just like last time," he replied. Without being told the boy hopped on the seat in front of Misato, clutching PenPen in his arms.
"Patrick!" Misato shouted, and the other boy ran over to the snowmobile as fast as he could. He turned to look at the cabin and for a moment he saw Rei's head peering out of the kitchen window. The mere sight of her gave his spirits a much needed boost. She's safe!
The boy hopped on the seat behind Misato and she took off as soon as he was onboard. "One and Four with me," she called into a headset microphone.
"Meet at Evac Point Gamma," Kaji's voice came back. "I'll have zero and two with me."
Misato gunned the engine and ran the snowmobile through the forest as the boys hung on for dear life. Weaving through the trees, it looked as they eluded their pursuers until other loud buzzing noises were heard behind them. Patrick swung back on his rear seat and noticed two motorcycles, their riders dressed in white, were following them.
"We got company!" he shouted.
"Right pocket!" Misato shouted back.
Patrick shoved his hand into the pocket of Misato's parka and felt several round objects. He pulled out one and saw that it was a fragmentation grenade.
"You know how to use that?" she asked.
"Yeah, I think so!"
Gunfire was heard behind them and Patrick swung around again. One of the bikers was shooting at them with a pistol.
"Grenade!" Misato shouted. Patrick pulled on the pin and then tried to throw it behind them, but the snowmobile took a large bump and the grenade popped out of his hands and onto the passing ground. Two seconds later a muffled explosion was heard behind them, and Patrick yelped in pain when something hot hit his head.
Misato turned the snowmobile and plunged down a slope that was lined with fur trees. "Again!" she shouted to Patrick. The boy took another grenade, pulled the pin and this time just lobbed it over his shoulder. A moment later he heard another blast followed by a third one. Quickly turning his head he saw the motorcycle lift into the air, tossing the driver and landing on the slope, bursting into flames as it hit the ground.
"Got one!" Patrick shouted. Before they could feel elated more shots rang out as the second motorcycle driver was now shooting at them.
"Hang on!" Misato warned as she took the snowmobile into a clearing outside of the forest. Banking the snowmobile to the edge of the trees, she waited as the other motorcycle shot outside just behind them. Once the second cycle ran into the clearing, Misato swung the snowmobile hard to the right, swerving it into the snow. As the motorcycle rider jammed his boots into the snow to break the cycle and turn, Misato's right arm came up and she fired the Uzi at full auto into the cycle and the rider. A second later the fuel tank of the motorcycle burst into flames.
Not wanting to stick around, Misato kicked the snowmobile upright and then sped through the clearing and then down another slope. They heard another buzzing sound and all of them looked around until Shinji pointed out another red snowmobile like their own on the other edge of the slope. A man was driving it, one red-haired girl in a red dress holding onto him and a blue-haired girl in a blue dress holding onto the red girl.
"They're here!" Shinji shouted.
Misato turned the snowmobile and pushed down the hill at full speed. Talking into her headset, she got Kaji to stop his snowmobile in a patch of forest as she caught up to him. A minute later they slid into the forest and arrived where Kaji parked his vehicle.
"Katsuragi!" Kaji called out to her. She panted for a few seconds and then said "they're more behind those two, maybe two minutes away."
"Not to worry," he replied. "On the way here I called in our Alliance friends. Air support is forthcoming." As if on cue, the sound of helicopters was heard and both Kaji and Misato took their snowmobiles towards the outside edge of the trees. In the skies they could see two green Blackhawk helicopters, one of which was moving towards them.
"Ride's over," Misato shouted and both Shinji and Patrick got off the snowmobile. All of them ran to the very edge of the forest as the helicopter landed in a snowfield twenty feet away from them.
More buzzing sounds were heard in the background and Patrick looked through the clearing. He could see more snowmobiles, painted white, running out of the forest where they had been previously. Each of them had two riders, one of which was carrying a machine gun. The new group of intruders didn't get very far however, as the second Blackhawk immediately let loose with gunfire from its door gunners. Rapid-fire gatling guns raked the snowfield before the enemy snowmobiles could escape and within seconds left four of them as smoldering heaps.
"Go, now!" Kaji shouted as the group ran across the clearing towards the waiting helicopter. A crewmember inside helped each of the children get inside, Penpen still clutching to Shinji as he was lifted inside the cabin. Misato then jumped in and then Kaji behind her, and the helicopter immediately lifted off.
Sitting inside the helicopter's cabin each of the children just sat there and caught their breath. All of them were silent and just looked at each other. Kaji and Misato sat at the opposite end, talking with the helicopter crew.
"Let's go back to the GeoFront," Misato suggested.
"No," Kaji answered. "Not yet. Get word out to Yoshi-kun, have him set the trap there. If they knew about this place it had to be an inside job, and not all of the pilots are here." Misato answered and then shuffled towards where the children were seated. Sliding next to Shinji, he released PenPen to her, who happily squawked and then landed in her lap.
"Are you all OK?" she asked. All four of them nodded, Patrick managed a weak smile.
Asuka looked sternly at Shinji. "Next time don't go outside if you can't take care of yourself," she said.
"I'm still here, aren't I?" he angrily shot back.
"Whatever," Asuka replied. "Just don't make me worry about you like that again." She crossed her legs and looked away from him towards the window.
Patrick looked at Rei, who was seated next to him across from the others. He noticed that she wore no boots, only her tights which were soaking. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," she said. "But you're not." Before Patrick could answer she reached inside of a pocket in her sweater dress and pulled out a small handkerchief. Rei reached up to Patrick's head with the handkerchief and pressed it against the side of his head.
In all of the confusion of battle and escape Patrick didn't realize that he was hit. He felt with his right hand where her handkerchief was and noticed it was sticky. Examining his hand he saw that it was bloody. The side of his head felt numb but not sharply in pain. "Is it bad?" he asked Rei.
"You'll live," she replied without emotion. Patrick couldn't help but smile at her attempt at humor. Rei continued to apply pressure to his head wound, and gently put her other hand on top of his. She looked up at him and gave just a very small smile in response, but it was enough to make the boy forget any pain he might have felt.
Shinji felt himself becoming more cold and moved closer to Misato. She put her arm around to comfort him. He looked up at her face and said to his guardian "I guess playtime's over, isn't it?" Misato nodded and held him close to her, squeezing him tightly as the helicopter flew through the cold afternoon air.
Jiro Watanabe quietly walked down the dark passageway to the lower levels of the GeoFront, checking several times to make sure he wasn't being followed. The instructions given to him by the others who had contacted him earlier were clear: if you want your family to live, do exactly as we say. It was in terrified fulfillment of the rest of their instructions that he had brought himself down to the sub-levels.
Watanabe was an environmental engineer who had started working for NERV the previous year, his main responsibilities were the proper functioning of the water and power of the lower parts of the massive GeoFront complex. The job gave him access to the sub-levels, unique for just a lowly engineer considering the importance of all that NERV was doing. But like many at NERV, once Tokyo-3 city was destroyed in Unit 00's self-detonation, he felt discretion was the better part of honor and he took his young wife and headed back to his family home in Kobe.
When he had heard NERV was being rebuilt by the Alliance, he returned to get his job back. They had only taken a brief look at his background, so he thought anyway, and given their lack of expertise it was easy for him to come back. Because of the unavailability of family housing in the GeoFront he was forced to come alone, leaving Keiko-chan in Kobe. A week later however, dangerous men called him on his mobile phone and sent him photos of his wife taken from inside their house without her knowledge. Their threats were clear, and they wanted him because he had clear access to a particular part of the GeoFront: the deeper level that held the pilot apartments.
His mission was straightforward: use his engineer position to access the pilot suite level under the ruse of his job and then locate the one remaining EVA pilot who was living on that level. He was then to kill the girl and then fashion his escape through access tunnels that were known to an environmental engineer such as himself. When Watanabe asked why he, who was just a lowly engineer, was being assigned this task, he was told only that because of his soft-spoken manner and slender appearance, he wouldn't at all be suspected by NERV and Alliance security. When he asked what he should do if he was captured, he was told to think only of the harm that would come to his family should he cooperate with the Alliance.
Two hours before his given task a blonde-haired man approached him in the GeoFront, dressed as an Alliance soldier. He handed him a small handgun and a fake tooth, and said nothing further to him as he left.
Watanabe reached the sub-level that contained the pilot apartments, using a stairway access that was located in the extreme western side of the level. From here he would walk along the gangway towards the pilot suites on the other side. Along the way he passed by two uniformed guards who only gave him a cursory glance. Dressed in his khaki utility coveralls and carrying a large tool kit he looked like any other NERV technician and so would not arouse suspicion.
It was as he walked towards the end of the hallway that he saw the brunette girl. She was dressed in a European-style school uniform with a white blouse and plaid skirt, her legs clad in burgundy stockings. She was about to board the elevator alone when he saw her, and he hurried up to catch the same elevator.
As the doors closed, he nervously eyed the control panel and quietly entered a high floor number. Only one other number was punched, and that led to the top of the GeoFront. The girl stood facing the doors and smiled politely as he stood next to her.
Knowing he had little time to act, he pushed down all of his fear and emotions and tried to think of the harm that might come to Keiko if he failed at his task. Could he trust the men? No, but clearly it was better than just reporting it to security and then seeing her die.
He silently lowered the tool bag to the floor as the elevator made its long way upward. For security reasons the pilot elevators were exclusive to them and the few others with access to their floor, so the ride would probably be uninterrupted and take seven to eight minutes. Enough time for him to do the dirty task and be gone.
The man gently pushed the bag behind the girl and reached into it, grabbing the pistol in his hands. It was small and plastic in construction, but just powerful enough to kill a teenage girl at point-blank range.
Watanabe took a deep breath and held the pistol with two hands, pointing it behind the girl's head. She stood there not noticing him, just standing in front of the doors and waiting patiently. Would it really be so easy as this? He wondered. He tightly closed his eyes and forced himself only to think of his lovely Keiko.
"I'm sorry, miss," he said as his finger wrapped around the trigger. At that the girl swung around and looked at him directly, gasping a little. His pistol was pointed right at her forehead.
"Then I'm sorry, too! " Mari said. At that moment a panel popped out of the elevator ceiling and a woman in combat fatigues jumped down and landed on the metal floor.
Wantanabe swiveled to see who had jumped down and raised the pistol at her, but Wellington knocked the pistol out of his hand with one karate chop, and then took both hands and flung the smaller Japanese man against the elevator wall, Mari stepping aside from the and moving to the control panel to stop the elevator. Before he could move away from her she pressed herself against him and pinned him down against the side of the wall.
"Looks like we caught a rat," Moira said as the man trembled in fear. "Good work, Mari. You're as brave as ever."
Mari looked at Watanabe and said "He doesn't seem like a hit man."
"I think that was the idea here, not thinking we'd suspect anything." The elevator stopped and Mari was immediately pulled out by a security guard. Agent Hideyoshi Kikuchi, dressed in a dark suit and wearing sunglasses, quickly moved in.
"You know this bloke?" Wellington asked him.
"It's Watanabe from Environmental," he answered in a gruff voice. Kikuchi immediately frisked the man, pulling out his ID card, wallet and coin purse. He checked the man's pockets for something else. "No phone," he reported. "Wellington, check his mouth!"
As Watanabe heard the agent he panicked and immediately tried to bite down on the fake tooth he was given. Fortunately the Alliance officer saw what was happening and punched him in the mouth twice, after a second time a tooth fell out of his mouth and hit the floor, foaming as it did so.
"Amateur," she scowled as she again threw him against the wall.
Kikichi put his face right up next to Watanabe's. "You're no assassin. Who put you up to this?" Watanabe didn't answer right away but just shook in fear, his face was as pale as a ghost.
"What did they do, threaten your family?"
The prisoner spoke in hesitant, stuttering tones. "T-t-they gave me no choice! They'll kill my wife if I didn't do this!"
"I got news for you, mate!" Wellington told him. "Thanks to you, she's already dead!" Watanabe howled in despair as he heard her.
"If you don't want to go down in history as a child murderer, I suggest you cooperate and tell us who helped you out here."
"I don't know who they are!!!"
As the captive resisted, Wellington took her tribal blade out of its holder. Kikichi waved her off for a moment. "They need him intact for interrogation later," he said.
"Why wait?" she replied, and then shoved the man against the wall one more time. Turning him around to face her, Wellington ripped down the man's uniform and then swiftly placed the blade in her right hand against the man's genitals.
"You see this tattoo of mine, mate?" she asked him, pointing to her ornately decorated chin. "This is a Maori custom, we get that when we're thirteen. It's really dug in there by needles, no pain killers or anything like that." The prisoner said nothing but just looked at her with eyes wide open, his body shaking violently.
"Now us Maori have a thing with pain. Pain is our friend. Pain is our schoolmaster. Pain is our purpose." She lifted the knife and put it in front of his face, toying with him a bit. "I don't suppose you have any experience with pain like that, do you?" Watanabe continued to shake, closing his eyes tight and saying under his breath. "I really don't know anyone!!!"
"Well, you got that gun from somebody, didn't you?" she countered. "Do you know what Maori women do with captive prisoners who try to have their way with little girls?" She moved the knife back to his genitals. "They split their John Thomas from stem to stern and then they eat it right in front of them!" she ran the knife along the side of his manhood, just to make the point.
"So," she looked at the man with a wide grin. "What'll it be?"
The screaming was heard all the way down the elevator shaft.
After the decision was made not to go to Tokyo-3, Kaji made a couple of calls and then directed the helicopter pilot to fly to another destination close by. Within fifteen minutes the Blackhawk landed next to an old wooden lodge that was down the main highway from Mt Fuji.
As additional troops arrived and secured the grounds, Kaji spoke with the manager of the onsen and after some formal apologies and a great deal of cash, obtained the use of the hot springs lodge for the night for their private party.
Like most traditional hot springs, the water pools here were themselves segregated by gender. Kaji and Misato divided up the rooms, giving two rooms to the pilots and one for themselves in between them. The girls quickly went up to their own room to clean up and the boys did the same. As they lost their luggage in the cabin, the bathrobes that were provided by the lodge were all the clean clothes they had for the moment.
After helping him change the bandage on his forehead, Shinji led Patrick down to the men's spring pool. They were followed by two Japanese guards as Kaji waited for them in the lower spring area. As he was about to go into the pool, Shinji panicked and then hurriedly explained to Patrick that he needed to shower first. There were showers right by the poolside and stripping off their robes the boys both sprayed themselves off of dirt, sweat, and blood. They spoke only a little to each other as each of them tried to rinse off the bad memories of the day in the hot shower water.
Cleaned off and still naked, Patrick slipped into the warm waters of the onsen. Kaji was already in the water, relaxing and playing with PenPen as the bird backstroked through the pool water. Shinji wandered to where he was and started a conversation with him, as Patrick moved further into the spring pool to explore.
The water was shallow, and there was the rush of a large fountain on the outside wall. Another wall was made of long bamboo reeds and Patrick could hear the voices of Asuka and Misato chatting away like nothing had happened. The spring was dimly lit with only a few torches on the sides and one electric light at the top of the room above.
As he gently moved through the warm water Patrick closed his eyes and concentrated on where he was. He slowed down his breathing and tried to register each noise he heard in the pool, the fountain, the rush of the water, the voices of the others as they spoke out loud, the windchimes that were attached to the outside wall. One by one he filtered each noise out as he searched for one particular sound, and as he found the quietest spot along the bamboo wall he found it. Patrick gently turned his back to the wall and leaned against it.
"Rei? Are you there?"
"Yes," she said, her soft voice coming from behind the bamboo wall right behind where he was leaning.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm well," she said simply. "And you?"
"I had the shakes for a bit but I guess I'm alright now." Memories still tried to enter his head, memories of being shot at and having an axe handle pushed into his chest. "I could have done without that today."
They were both quiet for a while as he breathed the cool air deeply and finally allowed himself to relax. Patrick pictured the image of her against the other side of the wall. Like him, he knew she wore nothing and inside his mind imaged the beauty of her naked body floating in the same water as his. "Rei?"
"You know," he said to her, "maybe I've just been trying too hard, just thinking about what I want and not considering anything else. Do you know what I mean?"
"I understand it," she replied.
Patrick looked above through an opening in the roof above them and saw bright stars in the night sky. "Maybe I should just stop trying so hard" he sighed.
"Is that how you really feel?"
"I think maybe I just make things so complicated. After today, and I really don't want to think about today anymore, I just want to keep life as simple as I can. I mean, if you really don't want me to keep trying, then…"
"No," she said, "I don't mind anymore."
He raised his eyebrows at that. "Really?"
"Yes," Rei told him, her voice gentle and sure.
He closed his eyes and let out another deep sigh, his muscles all relaxing at once. "Then let's forget everything else and just start over," Patrick said to her. "How about we just have tea in Hakone one night and just…talk. Just like that."
There was silence for a few seconds. Then her voice said from behind the wall "I'd like that."
Patrick didn't feel excited after hearing Rei say that, but instead opened his eyes and let out a deep breath, his gaze on the stars above. Somehow he also knew that she was looking at the same sky he was. It was their shared moment despite the wall that separated them, and for the first time he could feel that wall being taken down.
Go on to Chapter Sixteen


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The milk glass itself has a fiery glow - what does that mean again?
Fireglow glass is attributed to the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company. The light-tan-colored glass appears reddish brown when held to the light. Most fireglow has an acid finish and enamel decoration, although it was also made with a satin finish.http://pages.kovels.com/55/InventoryPage/1297/1.html
[Grayhorse in another thread]:In the US, there are 3 general types/formulations of milk glass. The original formulations of milk glass contained ? which caused a orange glow to show in glass when held to the light. You will see these pieces described as having "fire" and usually indicated milk glass made from the late 1800s to about the 1940s. Sometime around 1940-50, the milk glass formulation was changed and milk glass became more dense or a flat white with no fire. The last type of "milk glass" looks like skim milk - in that it is light and watery in color but with no fire. This is usually seen in cheaper milk glass produced in large quantities for the florist trade.
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text:
I used to be a barman in a pub in Rosyth, where David Cameron is visiting today, and it's hardly a hotbed of separatism. Its dockyard is not just a reminder of the many defence jobs the Union brings, but of what happens when the work shrinks and the jobs go.
Many of the locals in Cleos were unemployed ex-dockyard workers, and I spent a good chunk of my life hearing them tell me about life and politics. All of them derided the idea of an independent Scotland: they saw it as a quixotic bet that a family man could not afford to place. Mind you, they had a burning hatred for obfuscating politicians who spoke down to them. This was a solidly Labour seat, and had been since Gordon Brown settled down (and even married) a couple of miles away in North Queensferry. But when the boundary review came along, the Liberal Democrats challenged. Brown didn't fancy what looked like a contested election, Brown found that the new seat he'd be living in had more Liberal Democrats than he felt comfortable with.
Not for the last time, Brown bottled it. Lewis Moonie in the neighbouring constituency suddenly found himself being fitted for ermine. The terminally ill Rachel Squire contested the new Dunfermline and West Fife, and Brown did try to help in the by-election a few months later. But he did it in a way that lectured the locals about all manner of things, reeling of statistics in a way that was designed up pummel people into submission. Labour lost the seat, and Brown ended up living in a Liberal Democrat constituency in an SNP-run country and working in a Tory-controlled city. This should have told Labour something about his effect on elections. Luckily for the Scottish Labour Party, Brown focused on England in 2010 and Dunfermline and West Fife reverted to being a Labour safe seat.
That Brown wants a role in the 'better together' pro-union campaign is the best news Alex Salmond has had in ages. Now that the question has been settled, the unionists need to make a quick and discreet executive decision: no Brown.
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