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The gap between law and morality is harming South Africa
Apr 15, 2014
Ethics Institute of South Africa
15 April 2014
The gap between law and morality is harming South Africa
South Africans all agree that we need to create a more moral society, but we rely too heavily on law alone to produce one. This emphasis on law and legality creates a gap that is being exploited by unscrupulous people in both the public and private sectors to act corruptly. At the root of the problem, argues Professor Deon Rossouw, CEO of the Ethics Institute of South Africa (EthicsSA), is the general tendency to assume that law and morality are basically the same thing.
"While law and morality are obviously related, it's important to understand that they are definitely not the same thing. Once we understand that, we will come one step closer to building the kind of society we all want, but can't seem to achieve," Professor Rossouw comments.
Morality is a relatively hard concept to define, but it's safe to say that it relates to a set of ethical standards that is generally accepted by a society, a religious group, an organisation, or, indeed, an individual. Such a set of ethical values is appropriated by the individuals within the group or society, and is used to govern how those individuals behave. In a sense it operates like the constitution does, providing a conceptual framework that can be used to establish the "right" choice within specific contexts. A moral code, like a set of constitutional principles, doesn't try to cover the specifics of every eventuality; rather, it provides the principles that an individual or society can use to decide what course to follow in a given situation.
Law, on the other hand, attempts to regulate the behaviour of a country's citizens in order to achieve stability and prosperity, facilitate commercial relations, resolve disputes and so on. Morality, on the other hand, is aspirational, and speaks to a standard to which most people strive.
"It's perfectly possible for an action to be lawful but of questionable morality," Professor Rossouw explains. "Of course the example that immediately springs to mind is Nkandla, and we have already seen President Zuma offering legality as 'proof' that he has not acted wrongly. The point here is that 'lawful' does not equate to 'right', and it seems clear that even if a legal process were to find him not guilty of breaking any applicable law, society would consider he acted immorally or wrongly in allowing so much money to be squandered on his private residence."[1]
Another example would be the purchase by certain ministers of hugely expensive cars. The defense is that these purchases fall within the guidelines published in the Ministerial Handbook—the "law" in this case. However, public opinion tends to hold that such expenditure is morally wrong given the extreme poverty in the country, and the government's often-stated commitment to alleviating poverty.
The business world, of course, is rife with the same sort of contradiction. Companies may operate within the applicable laws but still be acting immorally. A prime example of this might be the ways in which a company's perfectly lawful activities degrade the environment, or put its employees at risk. The attempts by miners affected by silicosis is an example of an attempt to apply broad moral standards to operational standards that were, at the time, often within the strict letter of the law.
Or, in family life, a parent might not be transgressing any of the laws that seek to protect children but yet be acting in an immoral way. For example, a parent could destroy a child's self-esteem through constant belittling. In another case, a parent might provide adequate food and shelter for his or her children but yet deny them access to greater opportunities by overspending on gambling or drink.
All perfectly legal but, we can all agree, immoral.
"Once we have understood this distinction between legality and morality, we still have to confront another challenge: developing a moral code that is widely accepted as a basis for behaviour, and thus is something that can act as a yardstick for behaviour. Our problem is that morality tends to emanate from amongst others, religious and cultural systems, and we have a plethora of both in our country," Professor Rossouw says.
One positive is that most of the world's great religions share many basic moral tenets—Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Islam are all well represented in South Africa. This "universal morality" could be combined with African philosophies, like Ubuntu, to create a moral code that all South Africans could use to self-regulate their actions.
"This is an important public discussion that needs to occur, because without a fairly broad consensus, people will not appropriate the moral code into the way they live and act, and actions will continue to be judged on their strict legality and nothing more," he argues. "We also need strong examples of moral leadership, where people act in terms of their morality rather than waiting to see if they can slip in under the law.
"The way in which the former SARS Commisioner, Oupa Magashula, resigned in the wake of a scandal was not properly celebrated for the moral courage displayed in resigning. Mr Magashula could have hung on and fought a lengthy court battle, and maybe even have been exonerated, but he seems to have decided that, questions of legality aside, he should take responsibility for the morality of his actions. By contrast, Travelgate saw parliamentarians demonstrating a lack of moral leadership by sheltering behind the defense of legality."
MEDIA CONTACT: Cathlen Fourie, 082 222 9198, email@example.com
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Local groups form the backbone of NFF. Although
there is no requirement that people abstain from alcohol,
NFF is modeled on Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
Local NFF groups provide support for men and women
living and working out of the mainstream of the local
ways of life. Without them, there is no fellowship, and
without fellowship the individual is prey to relapse.
Most people will be unable or unwilling to give up their
regular homes and jobs until forced to. But they can
still learn from local groups.
As each local group grows, the members may decide to
split into Open and Closed Meetings. Open Meetings
would be open to the public and would serve a vital public
relations and educational function. Speakers could follow
the AA example and tell "what it (life)was like, what
happened, and what it is like now."
Closed Meetings would be for New Freedom members only.
This would allow frank discussions of problems and
possible solutions. It would also provide privacy for
anything members did not want subjected to media and public
Classes, workshops, dancing, drumming, whatever a group
wanted could be part of either an Open or a Closed Meeting.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mono chrom black background with white stars
3 sizes:
- 0 to 6 Months
- 6M to 2 Toddler
- 2T to Adult
Beanies are stretchy to fit around head, and the amount of slouch will vary depending on how big the head is.
Made of 100% cotton and cotton blend fabrics.
Machine washable: cold water wash, tumble dry low.
Handmade in Canada


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Bay Area metalists Saviours wield the styles cudgel with an exacting, precision brutality that establishes them as a distinct force in contemporary loud & heavy music. Their second full-length, Into Abaddon, is a pitch-perfect mix of NWOBH guitar histrionics, thrash tempos, Highway Star propulsion, and some serious, serious weight. Yet, as enormous as Saviours sound is, theres something strangely down to earth about it as well. Where High On Fire and Mastadon can sometimes sound incomprehensibly huge, as if their music really was cast amidst the flames of hell or atop some other-dimensional mountaintop, Saviours sound like they came from nothing more spectacular than the basement. Given the bands jaw-dropping technique and complex arrangements, its clear that theyve spent considerable time down there, yet Into Abaddon is so easy to latch on to and requires so little effort to throw down with, youd think been listening to it for years.
Album-opener Raging Embers establishes the basic musical template, as interlocking guitar lines drive the song forward, while lead singer Austin Barber roars overtop sounding not unlike Lemmy Kilmister. Theres a touch of restraint to Barbers vocals, but it hints at a simmering, potentially terrifying rage, perhaps best kept slightly in check. And while rage clearly fuels these songs, the virtuosity of the performances makes clear that theres more to Saviours than merely aural intimidation and malice. The songs average just over five minutes in length, yet every musical idea is used economically and in service of the composition; and there are no overt concessions to stoner mysticism or excessive doses of wizards-and-warlocks imagery either. And when the Thin Lizzy twin guitars arent leading the charge, as on the punishing Mystichasm (which chugs along on an inexorable barrage of chunky power-metal riffage), theres a face-melter in waiting to remind the listener of Saviours M.O. (and in the case of Mystichasm, when it hits, brother and sisters, it will knock you flat).
Saviours are both straightforward in their aggression and unrelenting, and their combination of instrumental exactitude, tight song writing, vocal fury and classic rock swagger makes for one of the most easily listenable and well-crafted metal albums to come along in some time.
By Nate Knaebel


text: Family roles admin2015-07-03T05:30:13+05:30July 3rd, 2015|Categories: Fajr Reminders|Tags: Family|0 Comments http://media.blubrry.com/fajrreminders/p/storage.googleapis.com/mhmic/FajrReminders/Family_roles.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:18 — 15.8MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | RSSLike this:Like Loading... Share This Post, Choose Your Platform! FacebookTwitterWhatsappEmail Related Posts How to stop being a doormat How to stop being a doormat May 22nd, 2019 | 0 Comments Stop being a doormat Stop being a doormat May 21st, 2019 | 0 Comments Fulfill your purpose Fulfill your purpose May 20th, 2019 | 0 Comments Keep hearts together always Keep hearts together always May 19th, 2019 | 0 Comments How to invest in the Ghayb How to invest in the Ghayb May 18th, 2019 | 0 Comments Leave a Reply Cancel reply This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


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12:45 GMT: Bournemouth 0-1 Newcastle
Full-time: Leicester 2-1 Watford
Full-time: Manchester United 2-0 West Brom
Full-time: Norwich 1-0 Swansea
Full-time: Sunderland 0-1 Southampton
Full-time: West Ham 1-1 Everton
17:30 GMT - Stoke v Chelsea
Certainly not the vintage attacking performance that many supporters have been crying out for, but United did enough to secure a routine victory in the end. West Brom defended resiliently for the most part as Evans performed very well indeed against his former club, but they were ultimately undone courtesy of an excellent finish from Lingard and a bursting run from Martial that led to Mata's penalty.
Leicester continue to go from strength-to-strength and stay third following that narrow victory over Watford, while Norwich pick up a first league win in seven outings against Swansea at Carrow Road. Sunderland suffer an eighth defeat of the season thanks to Tadic's spot-kick and Lukaku continues his excellent scoring record against West Ham to earn Everton a share of the spoils.
That is all we have time for with this particular live blog, but click here to follow IBTimes UK's live coverage of Stoke v Chelsea from the Britannia Stadium. Goodbye.
Leicester 2-1 Watford
Manchester United 2-0 West Brom
Norwich 1-0 Swansea
Sunderland 0-1 Southampton
West Ham 1-1 Everton
Red card: Gareth McAuley (West Brom)
Game, set and match to the hosts as Martial is sent sprinting clear before being felled by a last-ditch foul from McAuley, who is shown a straight red card by Mike Dean for a denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Goal: Manchester United 2-0 West Brom (Juan Mata)
Four minutes of added time to be played at Old Trafford.
A chance for Mata to seal the victory from Martial's smart knockdown but his volley is awkward and sliced wide.
Pulis also makes one final substitution, sending on Callum McManaman in place of Brunt. Around five minutes of the 90 still to play. How costly will that woeful Berahino miss prove to be for West Brom?
One or two penalty appeals from United as Mata believes he is fouled and Lingard is prevented from shooting after another jinking run. Van Gaal makes his final change by replacing Rooney with Ander Herrera.
At Old Trafford, Van Gaal has handed young defender Borthwick-Jackson his senior debut in place of Rojo. Chances at both ends too as Lingard cuts inside Brunt before fizzing a shot wide and Berahino inexplicably heads Dawson's swinging cross over the crossbar from eight yards out.
Another penalty is confidently dispatched as Deeney and Watford profit from Kante's trip on Juan Carlos Paredes.
Goal: Leicester 2-1 Watford (Troy Deeney)
Goals coming quickly now as midfielder Howson heads home from Dieumerci Mbokani's knockdown. This would be a vital three points for struggling Norwich.
Goal: Norwich 1-0 Swansea (Jonny Howson)
A double substitution from Pulis as strikers Berahino and Rickie Lambert replace Morrison and Rondon. Former United midfielder Darren Fletcher then nods a Sessegnon free-kick across goal and just wide of the far post.
Deadlock broken at the Stadium of Light as Tadic nets from the spot after a poor foul from Yann M'Vila on Ryan Bertrand.
Goal: Sunderland 0-1 Southampton (Dusan Tadic)
Another yellow card for West Brom as Brunt enters the referee's notebook for an ill-timed lunge that brings down Mata.
Leicester double their advantage against Watford and further atone for their 3-2 aggregate Championship play-off semi-final defeat in 2013 as Vardy is taken out by Gomes before stepping up to score for the ninth game in succession. He is now just one match shy of Ruud van Nistelrooy's Premier League record.
Goal: Leicester 2-0 Watford (Jamie Vardy)
A yellow card apiece as Rondon is cautioned for a foul on Smalling and Rojo is booked for tripping Stephane Sessegnon.
Van Gaal has also made the first substitution of the afternoon, replacing Ashley Young with Phil Jones.
That was Lingard's first senior goal for Manchester United. The 22-year-old signed his first professional contract in 2011 and has spent time on loan at Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton and Derby in recent years.
A comical howler from Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes at the King Power Stadium as he somehow allows a slow, trickling shot from midfielder Kante to end up in the back of the net.
Meanwhile, United finally find a breakthrough as Brunt miscues a headed clearance from Martial's cross and Lingard dispatches the rebound into the bottom corner with wonderful precision.
Goal: Manchester United 1-0 West Brom (Jesse Lingard)


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The workshop aims to bring together applied and computational mathematicians, chemists, physicists and material scientists working on computational quantum systems to share their recent research developments in theory and numerical methods as well as applications in material sciences and exchange ideas.
December 18-20 2015
Room 601, Pao Yue-Kong Library, Institute of Natural Sciences, Minhang Campus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Registration time: 12/18, 8-9:15am, room 601, INS, SJTU
Registration is free for all participants, but online registration is required.
Directions to INS: http://ins.sjtu.edu.cn/for-vistors/arrive.html


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Hi everyone and welcome to this very short guide on how to get the "Drei, Vier, Grenadier" trophy in the recently released Battlefield 1 add-on, "They Shall Not Pass". To get this trophy, you need to score four kills with the Trench Raider, the new Elite Class introduced in the DLC. Doesn't sound too hard and can be done on every map and every game mode that features the Trench Raider Elite Class. A round of Conquest on "Rupture" for example. At the beginning of the round or whenever you spawn in, head to the tall "Aisne-Vesle" bridge in the middle of the map. On the side heading towards the french starting point, you'll find the Elite Class crate sitting under the bridge. Chances are it hasn't spawned yet or has already been taken. If the round just started it's probably the first. In either case, just stick around in this area for a while, try not to draw too much attention to your position, and when it's time, grab your object of desire and go looking for some enemies.
You only need four kills so that shouldn't be a problem. Just head to the next flag that's being contested and you'll be fine. The Trench Raider is more of a Close Combat elite class with his heavy armor and deadly Raider Club, that kills most enemies in one hit. But he also carries a No. 3 Revolver, a Medic Crate, as well as an assortment of Grenades. But yeah, the Club is where it's at! 😎 And that's it. So thanks for watching, have fun clubbing your trophy and see y'all next time! (Sieben, Acht, Gute Nacht!).
As found on Youtube


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205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SEAtlanta, GA 30334Local (404) 656-2800Toll Free: (800) 311-3627 (GA)Fax: (404) 651-8737Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Parents now have access to their children's SLDS data through the SLDS
Parent Portal. The SLDS Parent Portal is accessible to parents directly through
their district's student information system—that means no additional logins and
passwords to remember!
Georgia's SLDS Parent Portal helps parents to:
Monitor their children's achievement on statewide
summative assessments.
Identify their children's strengths and weaknesses in
the domains that are tested in each subject area.
Access online resources that are directly aligned to
their children's course standards.
Parent Portal Summary Document (PDF - One Page Flyer)
Parent Portal User Guide (PDF)
Downloading Georgia Student Growth Model Reports (Video)
Enabling the Parent Portal in Infinite Campus (PDF) (for district SIS Coordinators)
Send a blank email to firstname.lastname@example.com
Follow SLDS:
Teachers, Administrators, District StaffFor SLDS Support, email email@example.com
©2019 Georgia Department of Education
MyGaDOE | Terms of Use | Human Trafficking Notice | Accessibility Notice | Content Management Login | Job Openings


text:
Post-Weight Loss Surgery
Post-Weight Loss Surgery
The surgeons at AesthetiCare Cosmetic Surgery Institute in Orange Country, San Diego, and Riverside are known for their dedication and experience in the area of post-weight loss surgery. Most patients love their new body in clothes after they have reached their goal of losing a large amount of weight. Being undressed poses other problems and concerns. Loose and saggy skin, and lost of muscle tone can be corrected with post-weight loss surgery. You will find the most accurate and knowledgeable information and advice, as it relates to your interest in enhancing your appearance with post-weight loss surgery, throughout our website. Attention to detail in all areas of your surgical experience is of paramount importance to us. From your initial consultation, pre-operative preparation and surgical procedure, to your compressive aftercare, our physicians and staff place your safety and satisfaction ahead of everything else.
Bariatric or gastric bypass surgery can be highly successful in helping morbidly obese patients lose weight. After the procedure, patients are often able to enjoy not only significant weight loss but also greater mobility, relief of symptoms and a lower risk of weight-related disease – not to mention a boost in self-confidence. One unfortunate result is that the stretched and inelastic skin hangs loose over the slimmer body.
Post-weight loss surgery combines reconstructive and cosmetic techniques to tighten, lift and contour sagging areas for a more attractive appearance. The patient may choose to treat the arms, breasts, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, neck, face or other areas.
Procedures include:
- Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)
- Breast Lift
- Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
- Buttock Lift
- Thigh Lift


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I had to snap a few photos, even as we passed him. I wanted to yell out "Thanks for thinking this one up" to him. While I really think this mode of transportation is cool, I already am certain I never want to see hordes of paddlers like him swarming the Grand Canal- god forbid this turns into some kind of a fad. But, at the same time, I'm enjoying his ingenuity. As for a mode of transportation- it's quiet, it's peaceful, it kind of suits the Grand Canal actually.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Something unusual on the Grand Canal today.....
Most days, I don't have my camera with me, but wished I had. Today, I was on a mission. I had a photograph in mind and needed to take my camera so I could grab the perfect shot while I was at the Rialto market. On my way home, I had a front row seat on the #2 vaporetto, and it was a bright sunny day, so I started snapping shots. There are never enough photos of the Grand Canal! But today, I witnessed something a bit out of the ordinary on the canal. Right in front of us, there is a guy paddling some sort of board- kind of a surf board, kind of wind surf board, sort of big boogie board. Is this a new sport? Anyone know? I actually had seen the same guy about a month ago, doing the same thing on the Grand Canal, however that day he was being followed by a film crew in a boat. The next day, he appeared in the local papers. Today, he doesn't have an entourage, he's just paddling down the Grand Canal solo. It's fairly common to see kayakers on the canal, and I've thought that might be a perfect way to experience this magnificent canal. This guy today has one- upped them! The sight of him just made me smile.
Labels: Grand Canal, paddle boarding, venice
4 comments:
- Heather said...
He is doing paddle boarding.
- July 17, 2010 at 9:31 AM
- Heather said...
He is doing paddle boarding.
- July 17, 2010 at 9:31 AM
- karen said...
Thanks, Heather! Quite an unusual sight here!!
- July 17, 2010 at 10:23 AM
Paddle boarding is also being called SUP boarding in the USA now.
- January 27, 2016 at 1:04 PM
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Do you feel sad and immobilized much of the time?
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Feel more at ease in every situation and free yourself from fear.
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Are you lonely and frustrated in efforts to form closer, lasting friendships?
Start forming better relationships now and replace conflict with harmony.
Start feeling better now. Contact Anne Cutler to set up an appointment or for a free 15- minute phone consultation.


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The first week of the course is an 'interesting' time. Some participants are newcomers to online learning; while some teach online extensively as part of their jobs. Some are newcomers to The Open University and its own particular (baffling? lovable?!) terminologies, technologies and processes; while others are old hands and have already completed postgraduate or undergraduate OU degrees.
Some are whizzing ahead through the Block 1 materials, knowing they've got to get ahead because of a holiday or job deadline in a month or two. Others are waiting impatiently for their login and password to arrive so that they can make a start. Some know a huge amount about the subject area already, others are self-declared novices.
This year there's been an unexpected last-minute rush of registrations that meant we looked, at one point, like needing an extra tutor. We normally try to keep the size of online tutor groups around 12-15. We're possibly ok, after all, but it was looking dicey for a while: a late-arriving student or two is manageable; a late-arriving tutor is much tougher for all concerned.
But the first week is also exciting, because we get to meet all sorts of new people, brought together for diverse reasons but with the common goal of making sense of this area of study. And I'm constantly impressed by how so many - old-timers and newcomers alike - go out of their way to help others to get going.


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Understand my Dreams is an Online dreams analyzation tool. Just type your dream in and we will automatically intepret it and give you the results. You may also contact us for professional dreams intepretation by many different methods.
Your Full Name:
Your Email:
Your Age:
Your Dream:i was at a party but looked like a wedding i saw a lady hugging a snake and i spoke in arabic to my sister telling her i'm scared of snakes all of a sudden the snake came around me and bit my arm then the snake turned into a human she was a tall dark skin looking woman wearing a scarf
Describe what you were feeling during the dream and when you awoke after the dream. Include emotions as well as any physical sensations.
Do you think the dream is related to events or situations in your life? If so, describe how.
Give me some background information about you. Your job, your childhood etc'.
I agree to the terms of service


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The Knox Boarding Centre, constructed in 2010, houses boarders from Year 7 to 12. The building is light and airy and fully air-conditioned. Boarders are accommodated in horizontal year groups, allowing them to be treated and supported both personally and academically in an age-appropriate manner.
Our beautiful original boarding house, Gillespie Heritage House, was fully renovated in 2010. It is home to Year 11 and 12 boarders. The rooms take advantage of Gillespie House's traditional bay windows, balconies and other period features.
Renovated in 2017, the Knox Senior Boarding Centre is a home for Year 12 boarders. It includes a large communal space used by the boys for study and socialising.
Boarding FAQs: Read answers to our Frequently Asked Questions.
International Students: About one-third of our Boarders come from overseas.


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Jessica follows Reglisse Noire with a hot and spicy fragrance for men - Ode For Him. This fragrance is inspired by a love story a love story where cultures meet, meld, and are discovered...and, through it all, fall into the depths of real love. Ode for Him features cool Eastern spices richly layer with oud wood from Laos and cedar and resins from faraway lands.
NOTES: Coriander, cardamom, immortelle absolute, rose absolute, clove, sandalwood, oud, frankincense, myrrh, cedarwood, patchouli, moss, vetiver
RIYL: spicy - with a hint of sweet - male fragrance
Posted by picklethat on 16th Feb 2018
I left a review earlier stating that it had no staying power on my skin - my partner ended up trying it and loves it so much, and it really does stay well on him. So it's a matter of body chemistry...on him it has many nuances and he'll be getting the bottle.
Posted by picklethat on 24th Nov 2017
This smells spicy and very masculine but was completely undetectable on my skin less than an hour later.
Posted by Tania on 11th Aug 2016
This was lacklustre on my skin. It's mostly lots of sweet spices (similar to the scent of nutmeg), something that smells oily, and a whisper of leathery oud & vetiver. It smells very simple and flat on me, and fades really quickly.
Posted by sweet piglet of smoke on 10th Dec 2015
Reglisse Noir has received all (or, if not all, exactly—certainly a very plump lion's share) of 1000 Flowers' acclaim in the Canadian, by way of Grasse, perfume house's relatively short life, and it's hard to fault Jessica Buchanan for having a hit straight out of the gate, but there are lessons about pacing and suspense that she might, in retrospect, wish she had learned earlier. Ode for Him seems destined to wither in the shade cast by its more illustrious predecessor, a difficult second album judged not by its merits, but for its failure to match the chart-topping exploits of Reglisse.
In an alternative universe in which the release date of these fragrances are reversed, Ode for Him would herald the arrival of an extraordinarily talented nose, surely, but moreover signal, perhaps even more clearly than Reglisse the aesthetic direction of the house, very much in keeping with a zeitgeist, seen elsewhere in, for instance, the revival of quality men's tailoring, the resurgence of benchgrade and above cobbling: quality is back in fashion; Buchanan places a premium on the quality of ingredients she sources.
From the beginning Ode for Him smells opulent, the antithesis of lower grade synthetics, and even inferior naturals. In the same way that, say, even an uneducated shoulder feels better under the weight of a fully canvassed Zegna coat, it requires no particularly well-educated nose to understand, even without the vocabulary to translate the olfactory sense into particularly apt descriptions, that there is a depth to Ode for Him that is uncommon. The tendency, or at least trend, of many fragrance reviews seems to put the emphasis not so much on the composition of the perfumer but rather on the finesse of the reviewer's nose: their purpose seems to be to prove their aptitude in the detection of quickly evanescent notes, the apprehension of furtive top notes and very quickly we're in the middle of the worst sort of sommelier party, if not at 221B Baker Street listening to a self-satisfied Holmes point out how he solved the Case of the Vanishing Vetiver.
Often interesting, these reviews subject what is, at least nominally, the object of their analysis, to a false test: the measure of a well-made fragrance isn't always in the intricacy of its note composition. For instance, and in much the same way, the measure of a good rock guitarist isn't always the display of fiddly, complex, annoying guitar solos, but the extent to which the listener forgets he or she is there. Who really prefers Yngwie Malsteen to Johnny Marr? To return to Zegna: it's not really the pickstitching, on its own, that secures for its main line coats their reputation, it's the overall, undeniable sense that the tailor's dedication to detail has resulted in a harmonious whole that speaks of quality utterly undeniable. And I suppose that's, finally, my review of Ode for Him. There's a lovely oud, some frankincense, some myrhh and some spices at the top. But it's the way they've been put together that matters. And the way they've been put together is beautifully harmonious. The quality, although quieter than Reglisse Noir, is such that Ode for Him is surely one of the best fragrances for men you're likely to come across at any price point, anywhere you look.
Posted by Amber on 28th Mar 2014
This is one of the best masculine fragrances I have ever smelled...very complex, gorgeous, can't stop sniffing it on my husband, and thankfully he loves it and is happy to wear it!


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Being Able to Go Home
For those of you that read my posts on a regular basis, you know I like music. I like the symbolism of music. I have it playing in my office, car, iPhone. I like the way it makes me feel. I like the variety that music brings. Although, singer-songwriter/ coffee shop music tends to be my "go to", I can't say I'm married to any one kind of music. That's probably a good thing. Ask my three-year old son as he's following in his dad's footsteps.
So, why am I telling you this? With Homecoming 2013 on the front burner here at Duquesne, this week's post is inspired by a recent Phillip Phillips song, "Home" and something I've found myself thinking about lately. Why is being able to go home important? See symbolism (wink wink, nudge nudge).
We preach community, mission, and connectivity here at Duquesne. By all accounts, we deliver. So, Homecoming is much more than seeing old friends and asking, "How are you?" It's much more than asking, "I wonder what's new on campus?" It's much more than a free meal, a football game, and alumni activities. Don't get me wrong, all of these things are important to serve as platforms for engagement and staying in the loop, so to speak. However, I think it's deeper in what it means in being able to go home.
It is memories. It is a place both mental and physical. It's being able to reflect on some of those times that helped shape and mold. It's seeing buildings that have significance. It is being a part of a community greater than any one person. It is a belief in something. A conviction. It is also an acknowledgement that this experience changed you. It's an acceptance that this experience was as much a part of you as your wedding, birth of a child, death of a loved one, etc. It's a bond. We come from near and far and the faces change, yet the experience of being at home remains the same.
"Know you're not alone, cause I'm going to make this place your home." Phillip Phillips
Having come and gone at various points of my life from the Duquesne community, I'm happy to say I am once again a part of this community. So, yes. You can go home. Hope to see you at the festivities this weekend.


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Shall we vote on that? Yeah, we know its a great game with great replayability but will it be dubbed as a classic? Or has it lost it by an inch or something?
The BG series IMHO was an instant classic!!!
BGI was a great game, BGII made it a classic. If you doubt, check the number of posts for SoA vs. ALL the others. Plus, the number of replayers. Plus the soloers.(weird,IMHO, but I might do it, eventually, if NWN sucks)
I've just started a BG1 game again, to take my character right the way through to ToB, if thisn't a classic then what is? Pokesh**e?
though i really really like bg 2 i wouldn't call it a classic because that's classification is quite a restricted thing for me - i think a classic has to be original and innovative so although i think bg 2 is an absolutely superb game, i don't think it was groundbreaking - so therefore not a classic in my book. jeeeeeez, that sounds harsh - but i think we all look for different things in games so if you rate it as a classic, fair enough by me.
so there.
the bg series was ranked 13th by PC gamer alltime(diablo was around 10th) and the only common features by the games that beat it was solid programming. If bioware spent a little longer in the beta/debug stage I am sure it would have cracked top 10.
I think we can safely call the series a classic. If you look at its popularity, the sales worldwide, the fact that it's been released in so many languages all over the globe.... it's the best series ever in my view.... but I do think you need to be familiar with Forgotten Realms and AD&D to really appreciate and understand it.
Absolutely a classic because of it's groundbreaking approach.
The BG series gets to be a classic in my book because its one of the best game(s) Ive ever played
I come to these boards all the time, yet never felt the need to log in and post a reply. I've been coming here for months, read what people say, yet keep my 2 coppers to myself. Well thats it. I have to throw them in now.
This game most definately is a classic. Think about how much work they put into the storyline. I bet half of you don't even realize that Aerie's name Aerie itself is an insulted name she was given from the circus. Aerie would mean the same thing to an Avariel as being called "Chinese" would to someone from China, of "American" to someone from USA. Its not her name, rather what she is and the story writers worked it in as a small hidden thing that few people notice. I think is true that unless you really know much of AD&D and have been playing it since it was just D&D then in all likelyhood you would never catch on things like that. Maybe I'm going overboard on the topic of Aerie but she even talks about how Avariel have glass weapons, a think hardly anyone knows. They live high in mountains but are insanely claustrophobic, hence why Aerie complains very much about being underground. This is just one character. I won't even touch on the topic of Minsc. I could go on for hours about how well they made each and every character. They didn't make a game, they DM'ed this game. They wrote a story complete from level 1 to level 40 if you get the original all the way through to the thone of baal. I myself find he story the kind of thing I would watch if it were a TV show. It is one of the most enjoyable things you can play. As far as Diablo being considered 'more' fun by some people I think they have no concept of a good story if it hit them in the face. BG is a very well rounded story, and unlike some DM's the makers did an amazing job designing it. You can take a completely evil path, go crazy and slay as many people as you want, get a horrible reputation but you know what.... you can still play the game. The game is designed so even if you take the evil path in life you can sit on the throne of baal just the same. Alot of Dm's of AD&D I have had the pleasure of sitting with never give you the kind of options this game has. Every character has their own special set of quests. Sure the monk and barbarian share the fighter's strong hold but do you expect them to make a completely different story line for a character that many consider a subclass or kit? This game most definately needs to be a classic. I think they should make a box set called Classic BG and throw in BG1, Tales of Sword Coast, BG2, and Throne of Baal. Throw them all in there and I'd probably buy it for all my annoying friends that keep asking to borrow my copy of BG. This game has more then earned itself a spot in Classic Game Hall of Fame. Maybe its because I am a book writer and I take must love in reading a good story, but I'm sure many of you out there will agree that all in all this game IS a good story. ~coughs something about the complete lack of replability that Diablo 2 has cause its always exactly the same~ I think I'll leave you with a simple thought of how many different options you have playing the game, and that I have yet to meet someone that tried them all.
(possible spoiler, but I seriously doubt anyone even thought of trying it, if they did 2 thumbs up to you)
If you think you tried them all then I ask you this, have you become a Fallen Paladin in BG1, then do the Paladin quest in BG2 in order to regain your status? The same works for a Fallen Ranger, save the little village and you can be regiven your title as Ranger, or so I heard, but that does not give you the stronghold. Although you become a Paladin instead of a Fallen Paladin, you do not get to become part of the Order, just as the Ranger is not trusted enough to guard the village, even though he proved himself to be a Ranger and no longer Fallen. There are many many hidden fun things in this game. Also did anyone try to play NC alignment. Its good to be 'insane.' I think I've writen way to much on the topic and I apologize, but I am a writer after all.
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|Nested Bear Paws ~ Wool Felt Wall Hanging
The back is a simple leaf print to match the natural, earthy feel of the front. The binding is one of my favorite homespuns..a red plaid. I machine attached it to the front and hand sewed the back.
All in all this is one I am so happy to say is now finished! I love how my participation in A Lovely Year of Finishes is helping me to focus in on completing some of the special projects I've started, but never put the time into finishing.
I am linking up to the March Finishes Party! Mine is Entry No. 17!
Happy end of March to you :o)


text: |Ahmed Khamies El-Shenawy Design and Development of 5-DOF Color Sorting Manipulator for Industrial Applications —Image processing in today's world grabs massive attentions as it leads to possibilities of broaden application in many fields of high technology. The real challenge is how to improve existing sorting system applications which consists of two integrated stations of processing and handling with a new image processing feature. Existing color sorting techniques use a set of inductive, capacitive, and optical sensors to differentiate object color. This research presents a mechatronic color sorting system solution with the application of image processing. A 5-DOF robot arm is designed and developed with pick and place operation to act as the main part of the color sorting system. Image processing procedure senses the circular objects in an image captured in real time by a webcam fixed at the end-effector then extracts color and position information out of it. This information is passed as a sequence of sorting commands to the manipulator that has pick-and-place mechanism. Performance analysis proves that this color based object sorting system works accurately under ideal condition in term of adequate illumination, circular objects shape and color. The circular objects tested for sorting are red, green and blue. For non-ideal condition, such as unspecified color the accuracy reduces to 80%


text:
It was quiet at first as I waited to be shot by a crazy man's rifle outside Coronado High School. I guess as good a place as any (the city, the body). Whatever. I had watched enough news the past few years. I had seen the carnage. I knew how easy it was to become one of the nameless victims. A fly in a web.
So I decided to eat a granola bar. It was something to do.
When I was a kid, I didn't know any Russians. But I remember, to this day, the bomb drills we did – and the pointlessness of them all – as I waited for them to come and nuke me, whatever that meant. I just wanted to play freeze tag. But when the bells rang – those awful repeating bells – we slammed ourselves under our desks. And then waited. For more bells.
I grew to fear the bells more than the Russians.
But it was quiet this day near the intersection of D Ave and 6th St. as a policeman walked over to me. He had just asked to look in my swim bag. He had just asked me to stay where I was. Hand near his gun.
There's been a report of a man with a rifle. The schools are on lockdown.
And then I noticed. Like I had just woken up. Coronado was still. There were no children's screams. There were no cars. I was alone, except for the policeman and a dutiful crossing guard who hadn't left his post, his stop sign dangling by his feet. As the policeman walked away, I turned and tried to fill the silence: Does this happen all the time here?
No. First time.
What are you doing here? That is what the policeman asked me. What was I doing there, with my bag full of stuff, I suppose is what he meant. But I didn't have a gun, and as soon as it was established that the most dangerous thing I had in my bag were my swim goggles, he walked away. And I was alone. Awake. Waiting. So, I bent over to grab a granola bar out of my rifle-free swim bag.
I listened to the crackle of granola in my mouth. Chomping on the grain, echoing what seemed like blocks. Echoing into the schools where the children waited for the man with the gun. Echoing in my head. Reminding me of wood and pencils and cold metal legs and chewed gum.
They are going to get us. To bomb us. To kill us. And earthquakes. Those might get us, too. We have to be prepared from the evil stalking us, like a spider circling it's prey.
Today, we apparently don't fear Russians across the world nuking us. We don't fear Mother Nature crushing us. We fear each other. We fear men with guns. That guy from next door who has had a bad life. Or maybe just a bad day. And that fear is crushing. That fear is enveloping. It's quiet. It's draining. It's sucking the life out of us.
Like a spider in the night.
I try to ignore that he is there.
Until my alarm goes off…
…and I hope he isn't there in the morning.


text:
Disclaimer: I make no money from this. I don't own or have anything to do with Teen Wolf, especially the characters Lydia Martin, Scott McCall, Stiles, Jackson and Allison Argent
Category: Supernatural
Summary: Takes place during season 1 episode 8. The full moon gets Scott more animalistic. Takes advantage of Lydia's feelings towards him
Characters: Lydia/Scott
Codes: MF, Anal, Bondage, Oral
Teen Wolf: Full Moon
by The Chemist
"Dude, please. Do me this favor," Stiles begged his best friend.
"Why do you want me to go ask Lydia Martin if she likes you? You go do it," Scott McCall replied with more than a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"A multitude for reasons Scott. For one, I can't do it. I would freeze up and start stammering. She's been the girl of my dreams since the third grade. Plus, you're closer with her. And lastly, you're a werewolf," he explained, saying the last word in a hushed whisper. "So you can use your super-hearing to know if she's lying or not."
"Ugh. Fine," Scott said.
Stiles chose to ignore the extra grouchiness from his best friend, especially since he agreed to help him with his inquiry into if Lydia liked him. He knew Scott was only acting super weird because of the pending full moon tonight, which was really playing havoc with his mind. Then there was his recent break-up with Allison, which really fucked with his head in addition to the lunar cycle.
With all of his teammates emptied out of the change room and heading to the field, Stiles followed them while Scott went the opposite direction. Lydia Martin, the most popular sophomore and hottest girl in the entire school, was standing at the end of the hall. The tall, dark and handsome lacrosse player sauntered up to the redhead, who was in conversation with a friend.
"Can I talk to you for a minute...in private," Scott asked the gorgeous girl.
She agreed, telling her friend she'd see her out at the lacrosse field to watch practice in short order. Seeing that the halls were still full of students, Scott turned back the way he came then opened up the coach's office for Lydia to go through. It would give them an area to talk without risk of the coach coming back since practice was minutes away from starting.
As they entered, Scott couldn't help but check out Lydia's body from behind. Despite being only 16 years old, the redhead really was physical perfection. Sure, he hated the fact that she hid her insane intellect so her stupid boyfriend wouldn't feel bad, but that didn't take away from his attraction to her. Her sweater ended right at her waist, showing off her hourglass figure, plump ass that was all the rage these days and long, toned legs.
"Is this about the other night," Lydia asked as Scott closed the door behind him. "Need someone to talk to?"
Before Scott replied, his eyes finished roaming her body, this time from the front. Her sweater was open and she wore a long necklace, which practically begged onlookers to stare at her very impressive cleavage that it rested in. He couldn't be certain, but if Scott had to guess he'd say Lydia had C-cup breasts, easily bigger than his ex-girlfriend's.
"Actually, I wanted to ask you something," he replied, watching as she sat her perfect ass onto the edge of the coach's desk.
Scott took a seat in the same fashion a good foot away from her, but that distance was narrowed as she leaned in towards him, hoping that he would ask her something in regards to them. She was done with Jackson, especially since the handsome boy started flirting with her best friend Allison after the break-up.
"Do you know if Allison still likes me," Scott asked, noting how the other girl's facial expression changed, almost like she was hurt.
"Of course she still likes you," Lydia admitted, taking her eyes off Scott's face and staring into the space in front of her. "As friends. Just friends."
Her eyes returned to looking at his, her cocky smirk returning to her lips right as Scott's face was the one to looked pained now. She could observe him processing her words, even mouthing them silently, trying to come to terms with the revelation from Allison's best friend. She wasn't lying either, her heart made no fluttering or changes in its beating.
"If you ask me," Lydia continued, standing to be right in front of the angry boy. "She made a big mistake. Ask me how I know that."
"How," he did as told, his anger and emotions boiling.
"Because I know you locked us in that room to protect us. Because I know when I guy risks his life for you, you should be grateful," the redhead explained.
Lydia was watching the secret werewolf the whole time she spoke, noting how his normally happy-go-lucky expression was changed. No longer the innocent look, he wore a mask of brooding, no doubt fueled with rage and raw passion after hearing her words. Looking up from the floor, he narrowed his dark eyes at her.
"Are you grateful," he asked with an air of authority.
She smiled at him before answering. "I think you'd be pleasantly surprised...just how grateful I can be."
Scott had moved off the desk, bringing the pair right in front of one another. Without delay, Lydia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to hers, though he didn't need the encouragement. They shared one last look with a hunger in both their eyes before they shut and pressed their lips against one another.
Scott had made out with Allison plenty of times, but this time was different, more intense. His werewolf emotions were being tugged by the full moon and Lydia had the highest sex drive of anyone he knew, even more than himself. Their making out was animalistic really, as though they were trying to devour each other with their mouths.
"God you are so sexy," Lydia commented, using her lips to kiss his neck while she felt him rubbing her body all over.
He ignored her comment, lost in the moment of pure passion. He found her lips once more and kissed her roughly, which she obviously liked given she was moaning into his mouth. His hands were busy and just as aggressive, rubbing down her back until finding her ass. It was as big and plump as he'd imagined, squeezing it hard into she whelped into the kiss, though still with a smile on her lips.
"So how exactly grateful are you," Scott said, stepping back to rest on the edge of the desk once more.
Lydia smiled at him once more, but instead of walking towards him she diverted to the right. She pulled the blinds of the two windows down before going to the door and locking it as well. Returning back in front of Scott, she felt his hand run down from her neck and into her cleavage, rubbing first the inner portion of that rounded boob then to its partner.
"Not as much as I can show right now, but how about I suck your cock so good you get to cum in my little slutty mouth," Lydia explained.
"Sounds perfect," he grinned wickedly.
Lydia gave one last look around to make sure that no one passing by was looking in through the mostly covered windows. Satisfied enough, the red-haired girl dropped down to her knees, a position she found herself in commonly with more than a handful of members from the lacrosse team.
His cock was already straining against his pants so Lydia had to be careful not to get struck in the face when it was freed from his shorts. An impressive 9 inches, it was just the type she liked...long, thick and smooth with his exposed pink head looking so inviting to suck on. In truth she couldn't wait to get her plump lips wrapped around its veiny surface.
With a wicked grin on her face, Lydia licked her lips before guiding his cock towards her face before engulfing his bulbous head between her lips. The dark-haired boy couldn't help but let an audible moan as her hot wet mouth worked the first half of his cock over. He wasn't proud to admit but already Scott was close to popping his load in her mouth once she started inhaling his whole cock into her mouth with each stroke.
"Yes. Suck it babe," he moaned in delight towards the dirty high schooler.
"Mmmmm," Lydia moaned as she noisily slobbered on his meat stick.
Sucking cock was something the horny girl really enjoyed. It was obviously something her boyfriends loved about her, especially Jackson, who had her go down on him before every game. Boys loved head and they would do anything for a girl that would willingly and happily do it, especially if they were as good at it as Lydia was.
The redhead parted her plush red lips and brushed her long hair behind her ears then took him into her mouth again. Just like before Scott moaned audibly as she started sucking him off while he was left with his head tilted back and fingertip digging into the top of her head. She enjoyed the affect she had on him, but shifted all her focus on building momentum as she bobbed her head up and down his towering pole, taking more of him inside her each time. After a good minute of the more intense blowjob, she slowed her pace back down then pulled off his spit-covered cock altogether.
"Bet you Allison doesn't suck dick half as good," Lydia said as she licked one side of his shaft.
"Awhh...keep going," Scott demanded.
The gorgeous student didn't need the advice when it came to blowjobs so she merely smirked at the horny lacrosse player. Lydia pulled her mouth from his dick, now slick with her saliva and used her hand to feverishly beat his meat. She did this so that she could use her tongue to help corral his heavy sack to bring it into her mouth.
The redhead took turns taking each nut into her mouth and giving it proper attention before she turned her oral affection back to something more solid. She moved half of his pole between her lips while stroking the other half. Using her free hand to massage his sack again, she could hear how much he appreciated what she was doing.
With her lips back around his dick and no more words needing to be spoken, Lydia could concentrate at the task at hand. McCall couldn't help but look down and observe the slutty redhead in what looked to be her natural environment; on her knees with a cock in her mouth.
After taking half of him in her mouth to get them both back into a normal tone for the blowjob, she planted her lips completely around him and bobbed her head back towards the tip. Her mouth felt warm and wet to him, and the way her plump lips dragged along his slick skin made his resistance to pumping her full of cum right then and there wane.
"Getting close," Scott warned his teammate's girlfriend.
"Gllphff...gluckll...cum in my mouth," she said in a throaty, sexy voice in between choking on his shaft.
Lydia increased her suction and bobbed her head back and forth. Her speed was a sight to behold while her hand stroked the second half of his cock not occupying her mouth. With mouth sucking and hand jerking him off, the ginger felt his knees wobble some, while his hips hunched forward towards her skilled mouth. Taking these as telling signs, the slutty girl worked harder and faster to finish him off and get out of such an exposed position where a passerby could look in or the coach could stumble upon them.
The girl was too good and Scott was receiving his first ever blowjob, which meant he was never going to last that long when faced with her skilled technique. He reached his hand out to steady himself on the coach's desk as Lydia got more intense by the passing second.
"Cum for me baby," she pleaded, hand a blur on his cock.
"Uggghhhhh," Scott grunted as her slutty words pushed him over the breaking point.
Lydia felt the first blast of his sticky load smack the back of her mouth shortly after his loud groan. It didn't take him long to fill her mouth with his excessive amount of semen but the sexy highschool girl was equal to the task. She collected every drop he offered her until he finally ran dry. In one big gulp the horny redhead swallowed down his warm salty load, loving the feeling of the thick liquid as it slid down her throat.
"Told you I could be very grateful," Lydia remarked as she stood up and fixed her long flowing hair.
"Gotta go to practice," he said, already pulling up his shorts.
"Care for me to really show my appreciation?"
"Tonight babe," Scott said over his shoulder as he left the horny redhead behind.
* * *
Scott walked onto the lacrosse field feeling like a million bucks. He may not have gotten back together with Allison, but he did exact revenge by getting sucked off by Lydia Martin. Revenge on the tall brunette for dumping him as well as doing the deed with Jackson's girlfriend. The boy had been a nightmare to Scott on and off the lacrosse field, so he smiled even bigger upon seeing the captain of the team.
"So did you talk to her," Stiles asked, throwing himself down on the bench next to Scott as he finished getting ready.
"Yeah...she's into you," he lied, but wanting to be rid of the conversation.
"Really! What did she say. Word-for-word," Stiles pressed excitedly.
"Not now man. Isn't her liking you enough? Let's just go out and practice," Scott insisted, rising from the bench and heading for the first drill.
As it turned out, it ended up being Scott's first and only drill for the afternoon. When his turn came up, he rocked a ball back into his lacrosse netting and took off at his defending teammates. It was a simple enough drill, one attacker versus two defenders but they were suppose to defend in stages. Instead, they were Jackson's friends so they didn't wait, and both initiated him at the same time, knocking Scott unceremoniously to the grass.
"Guess they didn't like you being co-captain," the coach laughed.
Rather than sulk back to the line to lick his wounds, Scott ran to pick up another ball. Stiles immediately became worried, having seen the amber appearance in Scott's eyes but it was too late. At a pace, Scott headed towards the defenders and this time it was he who sent the bigger man pounding to the grass in the most violent of fashion.
While the paramedics rushed onto the field to assess the downed players, Scott yanked off his helmet and walked his way from the practice field to the showers. Stiles chased after him, wondering what happened but they both knew. The full moon was playing havoc with his mind and that was when Stiles decided he needed to restrain his best friend tonight when the lunar effects would be most severe.
* * *
Stiles thought it would be harder to get the supplies he needed for tonight, but all he needed to do was go shopping in his dad's garage and workshop. Filling the gym bag as he went, ho loaded lengths of chain inside, as well as locks, ropes and even a pair of his dad's handcuffs, but those he kept in his pocket.
Feeling prepared, he left his house with still half an hour before nightfall, headed to his best friend's place. The duffel bag was heavy on his shoulder, but it was a pain he could live with if it meant Scott didn't murder anyone tonight. Unlocking the door with his own key, he found Ms. McCall was out so he made his way up into Scott's room.
"Looking for me," Scott asked from the darkest corner of his room.
"Holy hell Scott! You scared the crap out of me," the shave-haired boy remarked.
"What did you bring? Board games to play while you stop me from having fun tonight," he asked sarcastically.
"Not quite," he said then decided to play it straight with his best friend, hoping he would understand. Opening the zipper, Scott came close to look in before a look of anger flashed across his face.
"You want to change me! Like a dog!"
Scott was enraged beyond belief at his best friend, though he was really needing to re-evaluated that title right now. However, as the werewolf was busy thinking about how to channel his rage, Stiles acted and quickly. Springing with motion, the animated boy latched one end of his dad's handcuffs to Scott's wrist and the other to the room's secured heater.
"Scott! Scott," a soft, seductive voice called from downstairs.
"Was that...POW."
Stiles began to ask his werewolf friend if that was his biggest crush, Lydia Martin, but before he could get the words out he was knocked unconscious. Seeing as Stiles was distracted by the noise, Scott acted quickly and blindsided his best friend with a punch to the jaw, and his friend was out for the count.
Lydia heard a thud come from upstairs and so she had her next destination. No lights were on in the house but luckily the full moon illuminated the room enough so she could see where she was going. Her high heels clicked on each step until she was at the top. The first room she peered in was the bathroom, the next a large room belonging to his mother. As she stepped into the doorway of the next, she say her conquest.
"Hey you," she said in her sultry voice.
"Right back at you," Scott replied, sitting on his bed.
Lydia had eyes only for the hunky boy in the middle of his room, however out of her peripheral vision she saw the contents of his room. Posters of sports teams on the wall, some clean-looking clothes scattered about and a messy desk of school work. All in all a typical high school boy's bedroom.
Due to being a teen wolf, Scott had developed fast reflexes, which he used to good use. First was freeing himself, which was made easy by Stiles being an idiot and had the keys to the cuffs in his pocket, so Scott undid himself. Then he had to get rid of Stiles, who was chained up with duct tape in his closet, just in case he woke before Scott was done with Lydia.
"You look hot in that jacket," Scott said.
Lydia didn't know what had happened to the boy in the past day, but he was more brooding, yet more confident as well. Both traits, when combined with his muscular body and tall, dark, handsome groove he had going for himself already, made him very attractive to the redhead.
"You're right, better make myself more comfortable," Lydia replied, undoing the drawstring of the jacket and tossing it onto his desk chair.
"Holy crap," Scott couldn't help let escape before his mask of calm, nonchalance kicked in.
His exclamation brought a smile to the face of the redhead, which was the whole reason she'd done it. Her short trench coat was covering the fact she was only wearing a black bra and matching mace thong underneath. She could see Scott's pant begin tenting and for good reason, her C-cup tits looked even larger pressed in her bra while her bubbly, phat ass was good enough to eat...both literally and figuratively to him.
"What are those," Lydia asked, seeing the glint of metal beside him.
"Handcuffs," Scott said, realizing he must have forgotten about the restraints after freeing himself. "For you."
"Scott McCall...you are full of surprises," she replied with a wide, excited smile.
Lydia came to him when he beckoned and pushed both arms outstretched towards the bulked up boy. Scott gave her another dark smile that she found so very attractive before feeling the cool touch of metal as the police-issued handcuffs snapped around One wrist. Instead of cinching the other, he first twisted her arm, bring her arm with her then cuffed her second wrist, her limbs bound behind her.
"Kneel," Scott demanded. When she did, with a grin no less, he issued his next order. "Lean."
Scott stepped back so he could observe his very willing sex slave the way he positioned her. Wearing only a lacy bra, thong and black high heels, she looked an absolute vision. Her face rested on his bed, forcing her low back to curl with arms resting on it and her amazingly thick ass to be pushed backwards, made to look even more appetizing.
The teen wolf rounded behind her so he could run his hands over her practically bare bottom. He didn't get a chance to fondle her assets earlier in the coach's room, but he was going to make up for that now. Lydia's ass was only rivaled by her tits in terms of her best feature, but he was very fond of her booty. Large, round and firm, it truly was a perfect rump.
"Is this my ass," he said more in statement than question, slapping her pale flesh for emphasis.
"More than you can even imagine," Lydia smirked in response.
Scott didn't fully understand her answer until he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her thin thong and pulled it down to her bent knees. This time he ran his hands on her completely exposed ass, feeling the smooth, rounded skin under his fingertips. He did so again, this time closer to her crack and felt something hard.
"What the..."
The horny werewolf could barely comprehend what he was seeing, but luckily he'd seen enough porn to recognize a butt plug. The redhead had an inch-wide circular base sticking just outside her asshole, obviously inserted before coming to his house tonight with the purpose of keeping her dumper loose for pain-free anal sex later.
"Like what you see, big boy," she asked knowingly.
Lydia could practically feel his dark eyes on her ass as he worshipped the round mound of flesh. What she could very much feel was his hands back on her pale flesh, kneading and rubbing her perfect bottom. She gasped lately as his fingers closed around the stopper of the butt plug, which had been inside her bowels for over an hour. He didn't pull it out, merely spun it clockwise and counterclockwise before lightly testing the resistance of her sphincter by tugging on it.
"Such a slut," Scott commented, getting to his feet. "And I remember how much this slut liked sucking cock."
"Mhmm," she cooed, kneeling tall and turning to face the formerly shy boy. "I certainly do."
"Open your mouth," he barked all while pushing his pants down his leg and having his 9 inch penis come springing out.
His thick cock almost caught her square in the face, but she only came him a smile. Liking her lips, she opened her mouth wide, as asked, and tried thinking how to go about blowing him without use of her hands. She had given hundreds of blowjobs despite being only a sophomore, but never with her arms bound behind her back.
That answer came to Lydia as Scott used one hand to control his dick, which he tapped repeatedly onto her outstretched tongue, and the other to grip the back of her head. Looking down into her eyes with a stern look, he settled his tool onto her flat tongue and automatically Lydia closed her lips in a tight seal. She flowed right into bobbing her head forward and back, rocking on her knees in order to blow half his length like earlier that day.
"Fuck that's good," he groaned.
However, tonight was about him having complete control and he was going to teach Lydia that lesson right now. Tightening the grip he had on the back of her head, his other hand now held her chin, keeping her mouth wide open. His thrust his hips slowly forward, gliding along her tongue and looking down into her big green eyes as his tip poked the back of her throat.
"Ggllkkk," she noisily slobbered onto his dick.
He repeated this tactic several times, each time making her spit up more of her saliva onto his well-wet dick at this point. To her credit she was suppressing her gag reflex so that the result was a very noisy and messy blowjob as she got used to what he was doing. Which was good because he started to thrust faster now, hitting the back of her mouth much more often.
After roughly a dozen times, with her giving throaty small coughs with each thrust, Scott would bury his dick as far into her mouth as he possibly could. He looked down and watched as water welled in her eyes and her cheeks reddened before finally releasing her, allowing her take in quick lungfuls of air.
"Open your mouth," he order. When she did so, he leaned over top of her and spat directly into her mouth. "Given how much saliva you left on my cock, figured you were running low."
"Had no idea you were so naughty," Lydia commented before opening her mouth wide for him to abuse once more.
He repeated the same trick but first this time he buried his length into her mouth to really test her gag reflex, which held firm as always. As Scott began to fuck her face once more, he was truly impressed with the abuse the redhead could withstand. She truly was a sexual dynamo that he was prepared to fully explore tonight.
However, as good as her mouth was, Scott really wanted to fuck the gorgeous redhead, and not just in the face. He gave her mouth a few last hard spears as deep as he possibly could before withdrawing completely. Despite the abuse she looked gorgeous and was still smiling, in fact it widened as he picked her before tossing her down on the bed onto her stomach.
"Gonna fuck me now," Lydia asked in an excited tone.
Scott considered pulling out the butt plug now so that he could swap it with his engorged cock, but decided to leave that for a treat later. Instead, he say her bright pink pussy, glistening in the light of the full moon filling his window. It looked beyond appetizing with how wet she was very visible.
"Such a whore...wet from getting face fucked," the animalistic boy commented.
As he spoke he drew back on her hips to set her on her knees with her pillowy chest and beautiful face still resting on the bed. Lydia was really embracing her inner slut and wiggled her ass for the horny boy, who actually growled in what she felt was visceral craving. She felt his fingers close around the base of the toy wedged in her ass, but he had a change of heart and instead thrust half his spit-covered dick into her waiting pussy.
"Awwh...mmhmm," the redhead moaned as he began to fuck her.
For both of the pair, it was a highly unusual feeling. Firstly, it was the first time Scott was having sex. For all their heavy makeout session with Allison, they never amounted to anything more. So the feel of a pussy around his condom-less dick was an arousing situation in the first place. But it was amplified even more by the fact the butt plug was pushing down against the top of his shaft with every thrust.
It was a new experience for Lydia Martin as well. She had worn a butt plug in her ass for as long as an entire school day because her ex-boy Jackson got off knowing her booty was getting prepared for him. However, he always took it out before pillaging her cunt so having both holes stuff was new...and exciting. She felt more full than she ever had in her short albeit busy sexual life, and the pressure felt amazing.
"God Lydia...so tight," Scott huffed as he stroked his entire length into her.
Even though her pussy had been well used by several members of the State-winning lacrosse team at Beacon Hills, Lydia benefitted from youthfulness in this regard. It also helped the redhead that Scott hadn't fucked that virgin prude Allison or else he may have had a slightly different opinion. Regardless, the boy was thoroughly enjoying himself as he relentlessly pumped his manhood into her wet folds, rearing back his hips immediately after thumping against her firm ass.
"Yes! Just like that," Lydia wailed.
Scott barely heard the girl's words of encouragement, so wrapped up in his own lustful demands. The feel of her tight teen pussy squeezing all sides of his cock felt amazing, as did the bulbous glass butt plug softly gliding along the top of his shaft each time he pumped into the slutty girl.
He didn't know if all girls felt so good, with their velvety folds gripping him in such a tight and warm embrace, or if Lydia was special. Truthfully it was a combination of both, with the redhead being a savant both when it came to sex and mathematics of all things. Notwithstanding, the boy was more than happy to take advantage of his luck in having the redhead bent over on his bed, face down and ass up, with his cock repeatedly slamming as deep as possible into her twat.
"I like when I play with the toy in your ass," Scott asked in a cocky tone as fingers closed around the butt plug and started spinning it.
Lydia felt the toy rotating deep within her and was very much getting off on the pleasure. It had always made her hot, having a toy wedged up her perfect teen ass, but feeling the smooth glass spinning in her sensitive rectum was a new feeling that was heightening her experience. She didn't think it could get better, especially since her hands were bound on top of her back so she couldn't reach her clit, but she was wrong.
Scott changed and instead of turning the base with his fingertips, he took a better grip and started to pull back. His thought process was he wanted to see her anal sphincter start to expand and find out what size the butt plug was. But as soon as her dirtroad started to widen, he heard Lydia moan in such a roar that the alpha of his pack would have been impressed with.
"HOOLLLLYYY LORD! Keep going! So good," Lydia screamed.
Scott was caught completely off guard by the sudden outpouring of moans and screams and curses from the slutty redhead that he was stunned. He quickly regained composure and continued what he was doing, especially since he didn't know if it was everything getting her off or just playing with her backdoor.
The teen wolf resumed his pounding style of fucking the high school girl, driving as deep as possible and making her ass quake. With his fingers holding the base tightly once more, he started to pull back on the toy. It didn't come out easy like he though it would, instead he was in a tight with his wolf-enhanced arm strength versus Lydia's vice-like asshole. He was winning, albeit slowly, with more of the bulbous toy starting to emerge from her booty until the butt plug reached its widest point, holding her asshole wide open and then he stopped dead as Lydia came...hard.
"OOHHHH MMMYYY GGGOODDDDDD," the slutty 16-year-old howled as the double sensation of her asshole stretching and pussy fucked made her cum.
As Lydia screamed, her holes clamped down harder then ever. For a split second Scott thought she was going to snap his dick in half, that was how much pressure her velvety folds exerted on his throbbing member. However, he rode out her orgasm by making the smallest and slowest strokes into her insanely wet pussy until pulling out altogether.
"Ride for a ride down the dirt road," he asked, more a statement than a question.
"After your great work I think you deserve me taking the ride," Lydia countered, basking in the afterglow of her orgasm but still ready for more.
The redhead felt empty once Scott's cock was removed from her pussy, and had the feeling amplified when the teen wolf finished his earlier task and slowly withdrew the glass butt plug from her asshole. She felt wide open but was pleased she'd be feeling that up soon enough.
Scott stepped off the bed and once she felt him off the mattress Lydia rolled to her side and ultimately to her feet so her boy toy could lay down. His cock looked perfect, standing straight up and positively glistening in her juices as the moon light hit it. She wished she could have taken him in her mouth and tasted every last drop of her cum, but she wouldn't be able to hold herself up due to the handcuffs pinning her arms behind her back.
"Ready to lost your other virginity, stud," Lydia asked as she stood above the boy before squatting down over his crotch.
Scott didn't have a quippy reply for the horny girl, who seemed to have her sex drive increased from her earlier orgasm. Even though the handcuffs were firmly in place, the redhead was able to reach down and clutch his wet and stiff cock. She had no hesitation steering into her asshole, the second object that night to have filled her bowels, only stopping to rub his slick head around the crinkled orifice.
"Mhmmm," they moaned in unison as he entered her rump.
Although the butt plug had felt good in her asshole for hours at a time, nothing could beat the amazing feeling of a real, throbbing dick in her butthole. The experienced Lydia slid further down on his lap, impaling herself more and more with each stroke she did on him until she was finally gliding down all the way that the back of her thighs would touch the hair-covered skin of Scott's quads.
"Fuck Lydia...you feel good," the werewolf grunted, reaching up to squeeze her impressively-sized tits.
As good as her pussy felt, there was something to say about the feeling of her muscular ring hugging his wet cock so well. It was tighter for one, and more concentrated of a grip, unlike her pussy which was more wet and soft, but still really good. There was also the extra mental pleasure he was getting, fucking a girl in such a taboo hole and seeing her clearly liking it.
Lydia moaned even louder as she rocked her ass on his lap with his shaft completely buried in her bowels while he continued to play with her breasts. The dual stimulation was driving the young schoolgirl crazy, but she wasn't the only one who was enjoying the sex.
"Can't decide if you like my tits or ass better," Lydia mused as she kept thundering her ass down onto his lap with a fleshy clap.
From beneath the energetic girl, who had resumed bouncing up and down on his cock, Scott was in a world where only pleasure was able to be experienced. Her asshole was tight, but not too tight to the point where it squeezed his dick painfully like a hungry boa constrictor. Plus from his angle he had a perfect view of her bouncing large tits, her shaven bright pink pussy plus could watch his fleshy pole disappear every other second into Lydia's underrated rump.
"Why can't I be both," Scott commented, giving her tits a last hard squeeze before reaching down to her squatting ass and doing likewise to her fleshy booty as well.
"Such a pervert," she smiled, a definite compliment from the whore rather than an insult.
Both Scott and Lydia lost track of time as they became completely absorbed in one another and what was happening on top of his rickety childhood bed. He didn't know if his wolf side was coming out or if it was simply what happened during sex. He seemed a man - or man-wolf - possessed, humping his hips upwards, kneading her bouncing tits, grunting furiously.
Then again, Lydia hadn't received The Bite from a werewolf and yet she was just as engrossed in the sodomy as Scott was. Her own moans were blending in with his, yet still Stiles remained unconscious in Scott's closet. Scott didn't know or care where she got the energy from, but her legs simply had to be burning from the hundreds if not thousands of small squats she did while working her perfect ass on his pole.
"Almost there," he warned.
Unfortunately lengthy spell of anal fucking ex-girlfriend's best friend had worn away what was an impressive stamina. Scott knew that at this point there was little good in changing position or slowing things down as he knew an orgasm was only a matter of time.
Lydia had fucked enough guys to know when they were reaching the point of no return, and she didn't need the lacrosse star to warn her since it was written all over his chiseled face. However, the teen wolf had one more surprise for her tonight, as he moved a hand from groping her jiggling tits so that his index and middle fingers were rubbing her clit. On rare occasions she had managed to cum during getting banging in the ass, and tonight while her hands were cuffed behind her back was going to be one of those times.
"Shit...gonna cum again," Lydia moaned, eyes closed and legs burning.
Despite being so close to her second orgasm of the night, she somehow began to ride his dick harder in her asshole. She sprung to the top with all the power her toned legs could muster then allowed them to go limp so she could slam down his shaft with reckless abandon.
This was more than enough to get Scott off, pushing him past the point of no return. It also proved too much for the redhead as well, especially in combination with his frantic clitoris rubbing. She beat him to the punch as she felt warmth explode through her entire body before a wave of euphoria crushed against her mind.
"AWWHHH MMHMMM UUGGHHHH," Lydia screamed incoherently.
"Gonna...ugghh...cum," Scott announced, face severely twisted.
No sooner had the slutty redhead cum had her asshole clamped down like a vice around his already cocked and loaded shaft. As the last word escaped his lips he felt the last wall of resistance break down and the warm liquid began bubbling up from his sack. Even with experiencing her own orgasm, Lydia still felt the first squirt of hot jizz shoot deep into her bowels, coating them. The teen wolf continued to erratically thrust his hip upwards into her now still body as stream after stream of his thick fluid came flowing out, pouring into her anal canal.
Eventually the gorgeous and smart girl knew Scott was completely spent. His facial expression relaxed into one of serenity, his iron-like grip on her various curvy body parts relented and his hip thrusting stopped altogether, replaced with the mere light twitching of his sensitive dick still invested in the comfortable clamp she called a rectum.
"Well Scott...you are truly an animal in the bedroom," Lydia commented, rolling off him and feeling the emptiness fell her bowels once more.
"You have no idea," he smiled, a glint in his eyes that Lydia understood to be a man ready for round two.
She only smiled.
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- Toolkit
- Case Studies
- Empty Space Projects
- News
- Landlords
- Local Government
- About
- Home
Corporate Landlords
This booklet focuses on corporate landlords in New South Wales, Australia, and information particularly relevant to them.
What constitutes a corporate landlord?
A corporate landlord is a corporation that owns one or more properties.
As a rule, corporate landlords may be harder to deal with than some other types of landlords due to the fact that it can be hard to get access to the actual decision maker.
Corporate landlords tend to consistently raise rent substantially throughout lease agreements, resulting in rental prices significantly increasing over the term of the lease. This leads to a greater percentage of spaces which are vacated at the end of lease periods - an opportunity for empty space projects.


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The PSVR update to Obduction for PS4 is FREE.
Anyone who has already purchased the game for PS4, and anyone who buys the game for PS4 after the PSVR update is released, will get the PSVR update free of charge.
The update was intended to release with the PS4 version of the game in August 2017, but circumstances beyond our control delayed this release window.
We expect the PSVR update to occur soon, but have no estimate to sharef about when it will release. Thank you for your patience.


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Rugby Union
Six Nations B – Round 1
Six Nations B – Round 1 Round Up
*Georgia get defense off to a great start
*Germany score historic win over Romania
*Spain edge past Russia in Madrid
Georgia began the defense of their Six Nations B title with a comfortable 31-6 victory over newly promoted Belgium. Giorgi Tkhilashvili and Giorgi Koshadze went over to give the defending champions a commanding 17-0 lead at half time, two more second half tries saw Georgia easisy home. Germany scored an upset victory over Romania in a thrilling contest. Romania lead 38-27 going into the final 10 minutes but tries from Dash Barber, his second of the game, and Marcel Cotezee six minutes from time completed the comeback for Germany to claim their first win against the Romanians for 70 years. Finally Spain got off to a winning start against Russia. Mathieu Belie got the only try of the game for the Spanish as they won the game 16-6.
Reports – Georgia v Belgium (Agenda.ge) Germany v Romania (Wide World of sport)
Game breakdown – Spain v Russia (Ultimate Rugby)
Americas Rugby Championship – Round 2
Americas Rugby Championship – Round 2 Round up
*Argentina in nine try demolition of Uruguay
*USA thrash Brazil
*Paris hat trick sees Canada to victory
Favourites Argentina got their second bonus point victory of the Championshp with an easy 57-12 thrashing of Uruguay. Sebastan Cancellier got a hat trick in a nine try demolition in Bahia Blanca. The USA also made it two out of two with Lock Tony Lamborn going over twice as part of eight tries in a 51-3 thrashing of Brazil. The final game saw Canada get their first win of the championship over Chile. Left winger Taylor Paris got a hat trick of tries to help Canada to a 36-15 victory.
Reports – Argentina v Uruguay (Americas Rugby News) USA v Brazil (ESPN) Canada v Chile (Americas Rugby News)
Rugby Union Results
Six Nations B – Round 1
Germany 41 – Romania 38 – At The Sparda Bank Hessen Stadium, Offenbach, Germany
Belgium 6 – Georgia 31 – At The King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
Spain 16 – Russia 6 – At The Estadio Nacional Compultense, Madrid, Spain
MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Dash Barber (Germany)
Americas Rugby Championship – Round 2
Argentina 57 – Uruguay 12 – At The Estadio Villa Mitre, Bahir Blanca, Argentina
USA 51 – Brazil 3 – At Dell Diamond, Round Rock, Texas, USA
Canada 36 – Chile 15 – At Westhills Stadium, Langford, British Colombia, Canada
MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Taylor Paris (Canada)


text:
This is an amaryllis blooming. It caught the afternoon light just perfect. This is one of my favorite photos that I have taken.
a blog by Garden Shoes Online
Your photo is gorgeous! It lighting is perfect, picking out the stamens and making the petals glow.
Very interesting lighting! Good luck with the contest.
That is a stunning photo. I have a similar one of orange lilies, but I didn't pick it for the contest. Maybe I should have. . .
Good luck.
A beautiful photo that will give the rest of us a run for the money, or rather a run for the recognition.
One of my favorites!


text:
News & Events
In this section you can find information on our latest news and events from World Medicine.
All our volunteers are in the middle of fundraising for their trip to India in early December. Please support them by making a donation or follow them on our Facebook page for further updates.


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Looking to build a home, but which local contractor to choose? D.K. Builder is one of Pennsylvania's most experienced construction companies that believes in traditional hard work, elite craftsmanship and open communication during the new home design process. Simply put, those values are our blueprint for when we build a house for our clients — and that will never change. We are custom home builders based in Lancaster County that also specialize in home improvement projects such as a bathroom remodel, kitchen renovation, and home additions of all sizes. We also have a team of experienced commercial general contractors ready to tackle your business' next project.
D.K. Builder is comprised of an experienced team of craftsman and general contractors, who strive to ensure your satisfaction throughout the entire construction process. With 30+ years servicing the area with custom residential homes and local contractor services, our goal is to make sure your custom home design is the focal point of your neighborhood.
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Martha Winger is a nickname given to me, Marti Majino, on a college spring break trip. Need I say more? I liked the sound of it and when it came time to choose an online name, that was a natural choice. It's easier to spell that my real name, too.
This blog was started to create a community. None of my close friends are crafters and I relish interaction with other crafty types. I love reading blogs, commenting, getting feedback, sharing new ideas and feeling connected to the greater craft community via the web.
Front end web development is my by day profession. Crochet has become my main off hours passion but I also sew, scrapbook, photograph, and travel.
You can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Ravelry.
Thanks for stopping by the blog! See you in the comments section!


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Preposterous Universe
Monday, April 04, 2005
Time-saving tips for understanding Einstein
PZ Myers
, presumably exhausted from smacking down the same tired arguments from creationists (I know I would be), has tossed one to me. It's against Einstein instead of Darwin, so it's my bailiwick, I have to admit. But this little piece of foolishness -- a brief piece against special relativity on a website grammatically entitled
Intelligent Design the Future
-- is so thoroughly clueless that's it's not even mildly diverting. If these people weren't taking over the country, they wouldn't even rise to the level of being amusing.
So, instead of going through the nonsense point-by-point, I thought it would be more useful for me to offer a little set of guidelines to the discerning reader:
Signs That You Might Not Be Reading A Sensible Critique of Relativity
Critic seems to get understanding of Einstein from an article in the
New Yorker
, rather than from Einstein (or a stylish
Critic suggests that Einstein "did away with change," without explaining what that means.
Critic defends notion of simultaneity by repeated reference to stuff going on "right now."
Critic claims that special relativity did away with Newtonian absolute time, but that it reappeared in general relativity.
That "right now" thing -- okay, I just can't get over that.
Critic wouldn't recognize the Riemann tensor if it bit him on the nose. (Not explicitly stated in the article, but the signs are clear.)
Each sign, as you may guess, is displayed prominently over at
ID the F
. Sadly, the list is far from exhaustive; there are numerous ways to demonstrate cluelessness about modern physics that weren't on display in this particular article. Perhaps we could keep a running tally?
Here's the truth: Einstein proposed that the amount of time elapsed between two spacetime events depends (in a very definite way) on the path taken between those events. It is not simply a universal constant, as it would be in Newtonian physics. So the notion of "simultaneity" for distant events is just a useful approximation, valid when everyone is traveling slowly compared to the speed of light. And you know what? Einstein was right. It's been verified over and over again, from the lifetimes of rapidly-moving subatomic particles to the time kept by atomic clocks moving in airplanes. Deal with it.
And here's a little request for anyone else who wants to point out flaws in Einstein. Whatever else you might think, Einstein was a smart cookie. Nothing he said was sacred (my first published paper proposed a theory that violated some of Einstein's ideas, as have several of my subsequent papers), but you should at least
what he said before you claim to improve on it. So take a gander at the
problem sets for my course in general relativity
, and have a go. If you get an average of over 50% on all the sets (as all of the students in my class did), I'll give your ideas a respectful hearing. Otherwise, you should go back and hit the books if you expect anyone to take you seriously.
~ posted by
Sean Carroll
at 11:46 PM ~
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Wednesday, June 9, 2010
American warships meet Japanese shores
Attendees of NAAAP-Seattle's monthly mixer got a special treat this past Friday, June 4, when organizers moved the mingling to a more artistic setting—the ArtXchange Gallery in Pioneer Square. NAAAPsters were greeted by American warships and Japanese shores; nineteenth century world history and twenty-first century pop art; graffiti spraypaint and ukiyo-e woodblock printing, as embodied in the paintings of local artist Jonathan Wakuda Fischer.
This is the first time NAAAP-Seattle has organized an event at the gallery.
Cora Edwards, the director and owner of Art Xchange, said she wants the "space to be for the community." She enjoyed collaborating with NAAAP-Seattle to organize the special showing.
"This is just the most energetic, outgoing and engaging group," said Edwards. "I loved learning about what everyone does. As an audience, they are intelligent and curious and they asked great questions."
Over sixty people circulated the ArtXchange, a gallery that often exhibits works by Asian and Asian Americans or that feature Asian culture. Eight attendees became new NAAAP-Seattle members.
NAAAP-Seattle members, old and new, enjoyed the event.
"It was an impressive event. It good to see Japanese culture," said Barret Seifer, who has been a NAAAP-Seattle member for three years. "The Art was beautiful. I wish I could buy some!"
Seifer added, "The NAAAP organization is the best. It has something going on all the time!"
"This was my first time going to a NAAAP event and it was great to talk to a lot of people," said Jialin Jiao. "I do wish there were more events on the Eastside though."
Artist Jonathan Wakuda Fischer said he was "impressed with the turn-out and by the crowd." Although he nows lives in Ballard, Fischer is from Wisconsin, which has a much smaller Asian population.
"When I came to Seattle, there were Asians and it was a really different experience," said Fischer. "I hadn't lived in a community like this before. It was something I was searching for, but I didn't know it."
And last Friday was proof of a strong community of Asians, Asian Americans and those interested in Asian culture coming together, through NAAAP-Seattle.
Photos: NAAAP-Seattle PR/Marketing chair Julie Pham interviewing artist Jonathan Wakuda Fischer, sitting under his signature work, "Future's Past: The Black Ships"; the crowd listening to Jonathan Wakuda Fischer talk about his paintings; the ArtXchange team, including gallery owner and director Cora Edwards (far right).
Posted by NAAAP-Seattle at 8:58 AM
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The U.S. Department of Commerce announced its final subsidy determination for softwood lumber from Canada, finding final subsidy margins averaging 14.25%.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to issue its final decision on the case in December 2017. Together with final antidumping margins previously announced, softwood lumber imported from Canada could be subject to an average tariff rate of approximately 20% if the ITC makes a final affirmative determination. Read a Commerce Department fact sheet [PDF 103 KB] on the softwood lumber investigation.
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