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"So--you're from across the River?" noted a rather jowly Erl whose name Justinian hadn't quite caught, in tones that mixed interest with suspicion.
"Yes, sir," said Justinian looking around Haken's Mound. The name, he'd found, was somewhat deceptive--Haken's Mound was apparently a rather spacious hall, surrounded by a small town. Presently, the Guard, and the Kizaks were sharing drinks with the Muster, a sizable collection of individuals apparently comprising anyone within a unspecified radius who possessed something that could be considered a weapon.
They were a strangely intimidating bunch, actually.
"I hear it's very strange over the River,: said the jowly Erl. "I hear some of your folk worship bones, like the Ghouls!"
Justinian frowned as he tried to find a polite way to say to this man that he was an ignorant fool. "I believe you are referring to relics. The remains of saints, and people of especial virtue are honored--not worshipped--for their connection to those who lived…. worthy lives."
The Erl laughed and raised his hand in mock defense. "Now, now, young sir--I find no fault with it! There are many paths to Mother Night, and all folk walk the ones they've been set on."
Justinian considered telling this man that he didn't honor Mother Night at all, but decided against it. The man clearly meant well, and there were three Erls approaching him at this very moment, one of whom was holding what looked like an oversized cleaver. "Mador, you old rumsack!" said one, a slender Erl with a drooping eye, wearing a red cap.
"Dinadin!" laughed the apparent Mador. "It's been--what--ten years?"
"Since after the rising," agreed Dinadin with a nod.
The four Erls nodded together. "We are True Folk!" they shouted.
Mador slapped Justinian on the back. "This is Just Sinin. He's from Across the River! A religious expert."
The other three Erls turned towards him, looking at Justinian with unabashed curiosity. "Is it true that in the Easter Kingdom, you can have as many wives as you like?" asked one with a bald head.
"No but some of our nobles like to pretend it is," he stated.
"Mmmm," muttered Mador. "Like the Kizaks. Only--more Milesian."
Dinadin shook his head. "No, no. The Kizaks believe you can marry up to six women."
The bald Erl rolled his eyes. "But who but the Erls of the Waste would want to? Look at the troubles I have with just one!"
"Speak for yourself, Garm," said Mador, slapping his chest in satisfaction. "There's enough Mador for as many women as want him!"
Dinadin snorted. "Well, as none do, that's certainly the case."
The other Erls laughed at that. "A touch! A touch!" cried Garm, slapping his knee.
Mador seemed about to reply, when Hagen and Palamedes walked by, each holding a mug of beer. "--you're on death's door, you're in the middle of nowhere, there are no goats, no pigeons, and no mice, and you've sprouted a beard. What then?"
"You must cut in your heart," said Hagen. "If you do that, Darksome Lady will understand."
"Well, I'll be the Lord of the Cobbles!" said Mador. "Hagen Greatthews!" He threw his head back and laughed. "I don't believe it! You're still in the Guard!"
Hagen turned and grinned. "Mador Spidersilk! I'm surprised you're not dead!"
"You know me, Hagen! I live hard, and I'll die hard," replied the Erl. He looked at the Ogre. "How's Eire?"
Hagen shrugged. "All right, I suppose. But she and I moved on. I am seeing hostess, named Meg now."
"Always the heartbreaker," said Mador. He gestured to the Ogre. "Now, there's a man who could use six wives!"
"So small a number?" replied Hagen. He stroked his chin fondly. "With face like this--world is my truffle." He gestured at Justinian. "Squire Sigma knows of what I speak!"
Justinian blinked as all eyes turned on him once again. He coughed. "I believe I should check on Her Excellency."
As the Milesian inched away, Hagen laughed. "See? Such modesty? Sign of true master!"
Justinian shook his head as he walked away. Sometimes the difference between a crowd of Nightfolk and a crowd of his brother Sacristans enjoying a few drinks were rather hard to spot. And other times, they were impossible.
"Well, aren't you a gloomy Gustov?" came a slightly inebriated voice. Justinian turned to see Morgaine sitting by herself, with several empty tankards in front of her.
"Your Excellency," said Justinian with a bow. He frowned slightly. "I see you're enjoying yourself…"
"Just a little…" declared Morgaine gesturing with her fingers to show just how small an amount she meant. "Got to move tomorrow. Big things." She looked over the crowd in Haken's Mound and shook her head. "It all started here, you know that?"
Justinian puzzled that remark over, and decided to try for further clarification. "What started here? If I may ask?"
"The Plains," said Morgaine. "The Erls. Our general tendency to kick ass." She smiled slightly, her eyes misting over slightly. "When we crawled out from the caves--yes, we used to live in caves--well, at first, all this space, and sunlight--it terrified us. So we just--gathered in small groups, and looked out for each other." She clapped her hands together. "Those were the first freeholds. And living like that--it made us different. We worked together, but there weren't any rulers. Every Erl was his own king. And when the Ghouls and the Devs came up from the south, and tried to break the Plains to their will--well, we showed them what that would take." She nodded to herself. "Of course--we've changed a lot since then. And those who've traveled farthest have changed the most. We do that, you know. That's why Marsh Erls and Kizaks are so--different. And--hell, some folk say the Ghouls, the Ogres, the Goblins--even the Devs were Erls once."
Justinian glanced across the room, where Quiet and Sacripant were walking side by side. "I can see that about the Ghouls," he muttered. "I mean--aside from the blue skin and the… little fangs, they look just like you…"
Morgaine raised a hand. "Don't forget the hair. You can't forget the hair." She sighed. "Not that we'll ever know the truth. Damn Sutekh! So much lost!" She shook her head, then slumped forward on the table. "I should probably stop drinking for now. I'm getting maudlin about stupid things." She glanced up at Justinian. "Did you say goodbye to Eurydice?" She looked at him intently. "Again?"
Justinian crossed his arms. "I really consider that personal."
"Heh," said Morgaine. "I'd ask you for your secret, but really, it's pretty obvious. A handsome face." She smiled at him. "Honestly, if you were a girl, I'd have made a move on you myself."
Justinian attempted to keep calm, while his mind screamed in utmost horror. "If I were a girl, I would have joined the Sisters of Mercy, instead of the Sacristans. And I'd never would have come here."
Morgaine chuckled. "And wouldn't that be a shame?" She yawned. "I think I drank a little more than I should have. Just give me a--" And then she pitched forward, her head striking the table with a thump.
"Oh, thank goodness," said Justinian.
"If I were you," came the spectral voice of Nerghal, "I would never, ever remind my grandniece of this conversation."
"That was roughly my plan," noted the Sacristan.
"Wise man," stated Nerghal.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
2 comments:
"collection of individuals who apparently compromised anyone within a unspecified radius" should have had "were comprised of" instead of compromised.
Also, I didn't realize that anybody could tell what Quiet looked like? Squire Sigma looked at Quiet and remarked about her features almost being passable for human.
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Stanford women sweep Utah, Colorado to begin road stretch
In what could have been two trap matches for the No. 6 Stanford's women's volleyball team, the Cardinal didn't blink following its grind-it-out win over UCLA last Friday. It swept both Colorado and Utah to start a stretch of four consecutive road matches, its longest such streak of the conference season.

subset: commoncrawl


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The legendary Mexican striker is confident that his fellow countryman will blossom for Los Che in their upcoming La Liga campaign
Former Mexico player and coach Hugo Sanchez has expressed his delight at the move of fellow countryman Andres Guardado from Deportivo La Coruna to Valencia on a four-year contract."Valencia is one of the great and important teams in Spanish football," Sanchez told a press conference.
"I am convinced that Valencia will have a very good performance this season because the strong personality and leadership of Andres," he added.
Guardado represented his country in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, scoring 13 goals in 82 international appearances.
Sanchez is certain that the winger will be an immediate success at his new club, praising his playing style and talent: "He is going to shine, like he has always done."
The former Real Madrid striker also commented on the future of Manchester United's Mexican poacher Javier Hernandez, whose game time is likely to be reduced by the arrival of Robin Van Persie from Arsenal.
"Javier has many qualities that he will continue to show and what he will need is continuity because when they gave it to him, he showed that he was effective," he claimed.
Guardado is likely to make his Valencia league debut away at Spanish champions Real Madrid on Sunday evening.


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Getting Krystal Clear With Krystal Anne
Getting Krystal Clear With Krystal Anne
by Cary
How did you get started modeling?
It started when I was 13yrs old. I went to Barbizon modeling school in Seattle where I grew up. That's all I wanted to do. I never played sports or any other activities. I was into makeup, fashion, and modeling. Typical 13yr old right? ;) From then on, I just kept trying to do what I loved. I stopped for a while through junior high school, then started back up again in high school, and here I am now! Still loving it.
What excites you about modeling?
I love the fact you can be anyone you want to be through modeling. You can let loose, have fun, get dolled up, and create amazing art. I can sit for hours browsing at others works of art online, and it just makes me happy to see so many who share the same passion.
Do you come from a background of training in the arts?
I attended a modeling/acting school when I was younger. I have also taken seminars, participated in a pageant, and have been doing photoshoots since I was 14.
What are your favorite types of outfits to model in?
That's hard to say! I love to wear whatever compliments my figure and makes people go WOW. The outfit can really make the photo pop and become unique. I'd love to work with more clothing designers in my shoots!
What is it about Tattoos that intrigues you?
I LOVE tattoos! They are art (most of them). To be able to have someone else's art on you forever, something you love and that means something to you, is amazing. They are beautiful.
Are there any other creative mediums you work in?
I just had my first "acting" debut! haha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_pgFKZsdJc
What kind of music do you like?
I have such a wide range of music I listen to. All depends on my mood. Some of my favorite bands include: the Beatles, Alkaline Trio, Paperroute, Bayside, Down To Nothing, Mew, Minus The Bear, Evergreen Terrace, New Found Glory, Rocky Votolato, Beach House, etc....the list goes on and on
What do you like to do for fun?
I love exploring the city, hiking (new favorite of mine), discovering new vegan restaurants, (I'm always on the look out for a delicious vegan cupcake!) going to shows, baking, taking photos, photo shoots, and just being silly and laughing with my friends.
See more of Krystal Anne:
See more of Krystal Anne:


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Tension Tamer Extra Wellness Tea
You may already know how soothing Tension Tamer can be when you're having a hectic day. Now, on those days when you need extra help coping with stress, we've developed Tension Tamer Extra.* This Wellness Herb Tea contains potent herbs that tame tension naturally.* Eleuthero, tilia, and chamomile are favorites, used for centuries for relieving stress.* These all-natural herbs with stress-busting B Vitamins and a delightful minty, soothing taste assure you a relaxing moment in your busy day.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.


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Fotolito Garbero, a leading Italian print provider, has been closely working for several years with the Italian communication agency Madison Mark. Madison Mark's projects are related to sport events management and innovative communication solutions for sports events.
Madison Mark was selected to meet the challenge of refreshing the branding of the world renowned Juventus Football Club Centre. ''When our customer Madison Mark explained that they were looking for a strong visual effect and innovative media, I immediately thought of lenticular and 3D printing'' says Mauro Salot from Fotolito Garbero. ''Football is a very energetic sport and we were looking for a medium that will reflect this energy. Only the 3D and lenticular technology was able to ''bring images to life'' and convey the movement and dynamism.''
Using HumanEyes Studio3D software and 20 lpi wide format lenticular lenses, Fotolito Garbero created astonishing wide format 3D and flip frontlit billboards. For Juventus Centre corridors, Fotolito Garbero produced a huge flip tiled poster. Since the billboard was very large, the image was broken in 6 sheets of lenses (90*120 cm each). Then, the lenses were overlapped to create a 5.4*1.2 m giant image. People who cross the corridors can see a Juventus player moving along with his ball. The Company also created ten 90*120 cm's size 3D billboards to be displayed in several meeting rooms of Juventus Centre. To create the 3D billboards, the company first captured a sequence of frames of the set. Using the HumanEyes unique photographic 3D capturing technology, the HumanEyes Studio3D software was then deployed to process the images into an impressive 3D effect.
''We were very pleased with the results. The images are so powerful and the display in 3D is very eye catching. We are proud to see our lenticular work implemented in one of the most famous football clubs in the world!''
- Shlomi Horn, Tachanat a Hof Haminhara's Managing Director


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The Collection of Religious Art contains valuable items that were once used in the churches of Ludbreg and surrounds. As well as the permanent display, which encompasses paintings, chasubles, sculptures, ciboria, church banners and prayer books, also able to be seen is archival material concerning the foundation of the Shrine of the Precious Blood of Jesus (Bull of Pope Leo X), documents of vows taken by the Croatian parliament, the Chapel of Holy Cross with frescoes showing the miraculous transformation of wine into blood.
photo archive


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Aniline Leather Armchair - Isabella
About the product
About the product
As with all our sofas and armchairs, this model is very comfortable and works well on its own also.
The pocket sprung cushions mean you will never have to 'plump' them. The comfort is superb and very luxurious. This really is a 'Rolls Royce' sofa without the price tag!
Material: Aniline Leather
Style: Modern
Seat Height (mm): 470mm
Height: 950 mm
Width: 1100 mm
Depth: 900 mm
Product Code IS1
Aniline Leather Armchair - Isabella
Product Details
Product Details
37in 1/2
43in 1/2
35in 1/2
Seat Material
Back Material
Chair Type
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CEO, Songs Music Publishing (USA)
Matt Pincus is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Songs Music Publishing, a music publishing firm located in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Among the wide range of writers represented by Songs are Big Jerm (Mac Miller), Dev, Q-Tip, Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes, Monsters of Folk), Jose Gonzalez, Brian Lee (Lady Gaga), and Andrew McMahon (Jacks Mannequin, Something Corporate). Songs also owns control shares in a growing number of catalogs, including the works of Pharrell Williams (Hollaback Girl, Milkshake, Rock Your Body, etc.), Living Colour (Cult of Personality, Time's Up, etc.), Das EFX, and Stryper. In addition, Songs has publishing joint ventures with Crush Management, Indie Pop Music, and Mom+Pop Records, a division of QPrime Management.
Under Matts leadership, Songs has grown from its inception in 2004 to represent over 250 songwriters in all genres of music. The company now employs a staff of 20 people across its three offices. Songs substantial growth has traditionally been organic and bottom up, through the signing of co-publishing agreements with individual writers and, more recently, through a string of catalog acquisitions.
Songs is a family enterprise bringing a long-term ownership oriented perspective, leading-edge practices, and a client service mentality to the traditional music publishing business. The company is a copyright owner in 100% of the repertoire it represents and controls its interest in 100% of the copyrights it holds. The key to Songs success lies in its intimate knowledge and direct control of the copyrights it owns and represents, and its efficient, technology-enabled clearance processes to activate mid-level catalog copyrights without de-valuing top-earning songs.
Before founding Songs, Matt was a Strategy Associate at EMI Group, plc, one of the 4 major global music companies. Prior to that, Matt founded Some Records, an independent record label, and was a writer and Assistant Editor at New York Magazine.
In 2002, Matt graduated from Columbia Business School with an MBA. In 1995, he graduated with a BA in English from Columbia College at Columbia University. Matt is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and a member of the ASCAP Board of Review. He is also a member of the board of directors of Community Impact, Columbia Universitys undergraduate community service program, and a member of the board of trustees of the Wooden Nickel Foundation, a non-profit organization benefitting cultural arts institutions.
Session(s) featuring Pincus Matt
Tuesday, 31st January 2012
from 12:15 pm to 1:00 pm
The relationship between artists and publishers is fundamental in the new music ecosystem. Publishers are playing an increasing role in developing artists and new talents. This consolidated model of direct partner ... |


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Here's a letter to the editor by Doris Olesky (St. Catharines Standard, Jun.21, 2000) "Leave your car at home and use public transit":
"The story The menacing haze on the front page of The Standard, June 10, is another grim reminder for me and many other Niagara residents, of the ever-mounting, increasingly urgent problems of smog from our cars and other gas guzzlers.
The Harris Tories need to make our air quality a priority. Legislating the level of sulphur in gasoline and the emissions from power generation and industry and funding more public transit is a must.
As a senior citizen, my concern is not only for the maintenance of my health and of those around me, but the effect this poor air quality will continue to have on my grandchildren and their children.
There's no doubt about it, we are all spoiled when it is very convenient to jump in our cars, to attend to errands we could easily walk to.
St. Catharines MP and Liberal environment critic Jim Bradley has repeatedly asked the provincial government to fund a GO train between Niagara and Toronto to cut back on the number of cars travelling daily on the QEW.
Most experts agree on one thing --cleaning the air will come at a heavy financial price. The public has to get ready to pay part of that higher cost to help implement these changes.
But there's no doubt about it, every one of Niagara's residents has to begin to make a personal commitment to help make a change. It's not only the government's responsibility. Until each one of us is willing to make a few sacrifices, we will keep complaining about this environmental problem. Are you able and willing to walk to an errand or take public transit?
I've decided to leave my car at home and walk or take public transit. Maybe I'll see you at the bus stop!"
Yes, even Jim Bradley's own constituents were under the impression that somehow Jim Bradley supported a GO train to Niagara, and this is over seven years ago, in 2000!
Jim Bradley "repeatedly asked", ie, disingenuously postured, about Niagara GO train funding, but never actually did anything about it when he had the chance! And he did it again in the 2007 election campaign, during the all-candidate's meeting at the CAW hall: he said the GO train is coming, but upon being re-elected and anointed Minister of Transportation, all Bradley could say is Niagara might – eventually - get a GO bus!!
Bradley supporters seemingly were under the impression Bradley's Liberals would also do something about smog and air quality, but Bradley's Liberals failed on that account as well. Ontario's own environmentl commissioner harshly criticized Bradley's government, giving the Grits a failing grade for enforcement funding; in 2006, the Sierra Club gave the Liberals an 'F' on climate change; in 2007, even Greenpeace called the Liberal's meagre climate change funding "laughable'. In opposition, Bradley's Liberals postured about deaths and asthmatic suffering from Nanticoke's emissions. Yet, while they were breaking their promise to close the plant, for four years they didn't even bother to at least help the situation by installing scrubbers.
Columnist Doug Herod wrote in the St. Catharines Standard (Oct.2, 2000): "Bradley doesn't think the highway should be expanded. He believes the province should be looking at transportation alternatives such as GO Transit…Bradley says he, too, is uncomfortable with the thought of the region becoming a commuter haven. But he maintains heavy Niagara traffic to Toronto is already a reality. Better to meet that need with increased rail service than adding lanes to the QEW, he says. As for any development pressure, Bradley says that can be handled through inviolable land-use policies set by the province."
So what did Bradley and his Liberals do during their four years of majority government (2003-2007)? They did the exact opposite: they expanded the highway in Niagara, and did nothing but stall and make excuses about GO.
As for Bradley's views in Herod's article, about "development pressure" and "inviolable land-use policies set by the province" – little did we know that Bradley was foreshadowing his Liberal's authoritarian "Greenbelt"policy. Unlike other cities, this Greenbelt completely surrounded St. Catharines – spurring intensification within the city, to the resentment of a seeming majority of Garden City nimby-folk. (What did they think was to be the fallout from Bradley's 'inviolable policies'?!)
Herod wrote : "The thought of sprawling subdivisions popping up in west Niagara because Toronto commuters have GO Transit as an travelling option makes me shudder…GO works most efficiently when it serves a large suburban base where a significant portion of the population works outside its municipal boundaries, usually Toronto. Without provincial and/or federal help, it can't afford to stretch to areas outside the congested Toronto orbit, no matter what environmental advantages might accrue. And so we have no hope of getting an expanded commuter rail service until we start looking more like Richmond Hill or Markham. If that's the price to pay, I'll gladly pass."
So - we'll keep St. Catharines in stasis, in the happy days of Andy of Mayberry, a little island of status-quo, all on its own…no wonder Bradley Do-Little thrives in this town. Bradley's two-faced, lacklustre performance reminds me of the lyrics of a Paul Simon song: "Nothin' but the dead and the dying back in my little town…"
If we keep St. Catharines 'small', you see, through restrictive land use policies, we'll never be able to qualify for, and therefore, support, a GO train! Problem solved! The halcyon days of our past will last, unchanged, for evermore!
Herod wrote (St. Catharines Standard, Mar.6, 2003): "Actually, I'm lukewarm to the idea of bringing GO here. To me, it would only encourage urban sprawl in Niagara to accommodate Toronto-bound commuters. Now, that's what I call unacceptable." Herod also asked: "Who's more to blame for not having GO here, the Liberals or the Progressive Conservatives?" Has Herod asked that question now in 2007, after four years of Liberal majority rule? Did any of this "sprawl" that makes Herod shudder-so occur since Bradley's 1977 election? Fuggetabout Bradley's posturing and flip-flops on the beneficial tourism, environmental, and commuter aspects of GO transit: the goal is to pretend GO is coming, while suppressing development and growth. Bradley loved to fearmonger with rhetoric about how developers are ready to pave and bulldoze Ontario. And many believed his bluster.
Even Welland, located south of St. Catharines, has notions of GO rail. In "Fantastic idea; Railway owner makes pitch for Go Transit service" (Welland Tribune, Jul.20, 2006) Greg Furminger wrote:
"Local officials are looking to derail the notion that Go Transit service run through the Garden City, and that it instead be brought to the Rose City to help spur growth in Niagara's southern tier.
"What a coup it would be for Welland to have Go service instead of St. Catharines," Ward 1 Coun. David Alexander said at Tuesday night's city council meeting, following a pitch from Trillium Railway Co. owner Wayne Ettinger to operate service on leased, existing CP Rail lines between Hamilton and Niagara.
Alexander called it "a fantastic idea."
Mayor Damian Goulbourne said it's time that Welland "ruffle some feathers in St. Catharines," which is now awaiting Go Bus service, pending future expansion of rail operations. Goulbourne was also critical of leanings at Niagara Region that Go service be established in the north. He cited the upper-tier municipality's Grow South policy that encourages economic development in Niagara's southern tier as a case for a southern rail connection.
And, he said, the province's Places to Grow: Better Choices, Better Future document, which recently highlighted Welland as the only city in the Greater Golden Horseshoe as a gateway economic centre, also supports the city's case. Recently presented to Niagara officials inside Welland council chambers, by Public Infrastructure Renewal Minister David Caplan, Places to Grow encourages development of transit-friendly communities to attract investors and foster growth.
"We are not going to sit back and allow the Regional Municipality of Niagara to decide where this is going to go," Goulbourne said in council chambers, to applause from a public gallery packed with residents awaiting news on other council business."
Joseph Viola wrote in "I support bringing GO to Niagara", (St. Catharines Standard, Feb.15, 2003):
"I recently heard Progressive Conservative candidate Mark Brickell unveil his election campaign.
I was quite impressed by his conviction to have GO Transit extended to the Niagara region. This is an important issue not only to me, but also for many other career-oriented individuals raised in St. Catharines.
I left Toronto in July 2001 to move home, knowing full well I would take a significant decrease in annual income although I never understood why such a beautiful region could not offer more.
GO Transit will afford me the opportunity to access a higher- paying career in Toronto without having to move there. More importantly, it provides me that access in an environmentally friendly manner.
GO will also provide the impetus for more successful business and career-oriented individuals to move to the Niagara Region.
The "twin" opportunity that such a transit system provides is an increase in the number of highly paid citizens and a reciprocal increase in the growth of the local economy servicing and supplying these wealthier individuals.
I look forward to the day that our region offers its youth career opportunities that pay well. I believe that if we put the right people in place, we can develop these opportunities for future generations. After all, an efficient transit system is the heart of a strong economy.
I have met with MPP Jim Bradley on numerous occasions and cannot deny I enjoy his conversation, intelligence and integrity.
What cannot be denied, however, is the lack of progress (socially and economically) as well as prosperity Bradley has achieved. I am confident that Brickell is committed to making our region the leader it should be and he is surprisingly willing to make himself accountable for it. This is a contract I am willing to support."
Susan Fast wrote in "Let's hope Eves will implement Bradley's GO train service idea", (St. Catharines Standard, Feb 25, 2003):
"It's nice to see people jumping on the GO Transit bandwagon in recent weeks, after extensive private polling revealed a desire for this service in Niagara.
Much has been made by the writers of letters to the editor since the Progressive Conservative nomination meeting that this service has not been extended to our area, but surely if Niagara Falls MPP Bart Maves, Erie-Lincoln MPP Tim Hudak and Stoney Creek MPP Brad Clark (the latter two cabinet ministers) had been pushing for the service, it would have been extended by now.
When St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley called for GO Transit service to Niagara back in May of 2000, Maves -- using his frank and honest assessment of the possibility -- stated in a Standard article that "to think that (GO Transit) would be self-sustaining to bring it to Niagara is probably unlikely."
Let's hope that our premier, with an election on the horizon, will have a change of heart, as he did with the Beck III Hydro project in Niagara Falls, and follow yet another recommendation from St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley and finally announce the new service."
Ah, yes…in 2003, while in opposition, Bradley's own constituents were convinced that GO transit was Jim Bradley's recommendation! Why, Bradley, bless him, "called for GO transit service to Niagara back in May 2000"!
But now, in November 2007, no-one wants to know what Jim Bradley was pretending to believe back then. Now, no one is writing letters to the editor asking Jim Bradley to "finally announce the new" Go service he himself supposedly recommended in 2000!
Where is the St. Catharines Standard headline in 2007 which reads: "Let's hope Jim Bradley will implement Jim Bradley's GO train service idea." ?
For an example of Liberal duplicity regarding Niagara GO trains, here's what Dalton McGuinty said in "Grits want GO for Niagara: Extending mass transit would improve air quality, Dalton McGuinty says" (St Catharines Standard, Jul.7, 2000):
"GO Transit is a cure for what ails Niagara's polluted air, said Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty, following a discussion with local environmental activists Thursday.
During the noon-hour meeting McGuinty, along with Liberal environment critic and St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley, met with a dozen representatives from Niagara groups at Niagara Suites in Thorold.
After the meeting, the Liberal leader insisted the governing Tories expand the mass transit system into Niagara to help reduce pollution.
"The provincial government has some fundamental responsibilities here," he said. "We are one of the few places where the government has gotten out of public transit."
Niagara's air quality is among the poorest in the province. Though there has only been one smog alert in the region this summer, the smog levels are consistently high.
Experts say smog -- a combination of ground level ozone and fine particles in the air -- threatens both humans and crops.
McGuinty said Niagara has to find a way to reduce the number of cars on the road, and the provincial government should be there to help.
Echoing past comments by Bradley, McGuinty said the governing Tories should expand the GO Transit system into Niagara to reduce smog-producing emissions from cars.
GO Transit is a mass transit system that is funded and operated by the municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area along with the region of Hamilton-Wentworth.
McGuinty said GO Transit should be provincially funded and extended to Niagara.
"There is a real potential in this region (for GO Transit)," he said, adding the system could link the region's municipalities and help the tourist industry.
McGuinty also attacked Premier Mike Harris's environmental record, saying Ontario residents no longer feel safe.
"We are not talking about an abstract thing here, we are talking about the air you just breathed," he said, promising that if he is elected premier the Liberals will restore many of the cuts made to the Ministry of the Environment.
McGuinty and Bradley also discussed water and land quality with the local activists.
Curbing urban sprawl and protecting Niagara agricultural land were at the top of the agenda.
"I was quite pleased with the meeting," said Gracia Janes of the Preservation of Agricultural Land Society. "(McGuinty) didn't say every much. He just listened, which is fine because he is formulating his environmental policy."
The meeting was one of several stops McGuinty made during a day- long tour of Niagara."
Now compare the above Jul.7, 2000 report with what McGuinty said in "GO's future rests in Bradley's hands: premier" (St. Catharines Standard, Nov.15, 2007):
"It's up to the province's transportation minister, St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley, to assess the "broader priorities" of any possible GO Transit service expansion to Niagara, said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
McGuinty was fielding a question about GO's expansion status during a Wednesday press conference held at the Ontario Economic Summit.
"I've heard on several occasions about the need for us to look to opportunities in the Niagara region," said the premier at the three-day Niagara-on-the-Lake event, which ends today.
"We've made some specific commitments through our MoveOntario 2020 (transit infrastructure) plan, which takes a look at the GTA and Hamilton itself," he said. "Those will be our principle responsibilities and priorities at this point in time."
So in 2007, Liberal McGuinty is saying he's "heard on several occassions about the need to look to opportunities in the Niagara region". Is he for real?
Who did Dalton 'hear' this from?!? Has Dalton conveniently forgotten his own words?!?
McGuinty himself was saying bring GO to Niagara - SEVEN years ago! McGuinty's the hypocrite prescribing GO transit as a (pre-Kyoto, I might add) "cure" for Niagara's air! He's the opposition leader who tagged along with Bradley to Niagara, belching their Liberal rhetoric about smog and transit and GO and water and land quality and ozone - by golly, McGuinty must have been listening intently, what with all that supposed policy-formulatin' and future promise-breakin' going on in his head! Didn't McGuinty and Bradley already make their assessment in 2000, or was what they were saying in 2000 PURE LIBERAL B.S.?
Graham Coveney wrote in "Bradley has done little for GO transit", (St. Catharines Standard, Mar.4, 2003):
"In response to the letter of Feb. 25, Let's hope Eves will implement Bradley's GO train service idea. It perplexes me how someone could write a letter to this newspaper talking about what great ideas and strong action MPP Jim Bradley has taken in bringing GO Transit to St. Catharines.
Ideas are great, but an idea and $1.29 will get you a large coffee. Without follow through, delivery and sustained effort, they are useless.
Bradley has had a long time to bring better public transport to Niagara; that idea has had more than two decades to "brew" but ideas don't take flight on lip service alone.
And even on the rare occasion he has gotten it right, Bradley's brilliance has been temporary. When he had the brainstorm to lower taxes to stimulate the economy, back when Bob Rae was premier, he then voted against 208 consecutive tax cuts.
Spare us the cry that the PCs are stealing the brilliant "idea" of GO Transit for Niagara and creating an action plan to make it a reality. Lord knows we can't afford to wait for Bradley to do something."
By 2007, we were still waiting! Gabriella Cinalli wrote in "Commuters from Niagara need GO Transit", (St. Catharines Standard, Mar.20, 2003):
"I am a young woman who works in Burlington for SIR Corp. I have a 45-minute commute on a good day and nearly 90-minute commute when traffic or the weather is bad.
I would love to use the GO Transit to get to work and back and would vote for Mark Brickell to have it. I realize in the past I had voted for Jim Bradley, but it is time for change in the community to bring in new and exciting things like the GO Transit.
GO Transit would save me time and money, I also would feel safer and I know it is better for the environment. Just the idea of not driving, whether it was a train or a bus, appeals to me a great deal. My commutes are the low point of my day. I have been driving to the Hamilton and Burlington area since 1993 and it really takes a toll on the body.
Mark Brickell, please bring GO Transit to Niagara. It has been way too long."
Brickell ran unsuccessfully against Bradley in 2003. By the end of 2007, Bradley has done nothing to address Cinalli's concerns. At least some local residents were voicing in 2003, what a lot more voters said in the 2007 election campaign: "I realize I had voted for Jim Bradley in the past, but it is time for a change."
Mark Halden wrote in "Jim Bradley did little to bring in GO Transit" (St. Catharines Standard, Mar.5, 2003):
"When the house resumes at Queen's Park, undoubtedly MPP Jim Bradley will rise during Question Period and talk about the importance of better public transit.
He is the Liberal party's environmental critic, so he should support policy that protects the environment.
Jim will say something like "we would like to see an enhanced train service [in Niagara]" like he did in November 2002, or "I would like to see GO Transit," as he did in June 2001.
Or maybe even, "I think there's a need for some public transit, but I'm not unrealistic; I don't expect that GO Transit should have the same service from St. Catharines that it has from Oshawa," as he did in December 2000.
The Liberals are worried about attacks on Jim's character, but it's difficult not to poke at his resolve.
If Bradley is so dedicated to public transit, why has he never requested that a committee be struck, or even why hasn't he requested a study on GO Transit or passed a private member's bill to support either?
Public transportation is good public policy. It is good for the environment and it's good for Niagara.
Standing up once a year and going through the motions are not enough.Feeling it would be nice to have these things doesn't bring change.
St. Catharines needs a representative who can, and will, sit at the decision-making table, make a strong commitment and follow through on this commitment.
We need GO Transit and we need action now, not more lip service.
People of Niagara want more economic development here, and that is what GO Transit will bring."
Katherine Kerley wrote in "Face it, St. Catharines is not a small town", (St. Catharines Standard (July 3, 2006):
"I'm not exactly sure what it is about St. Catharines that leads a majority of its residents to believe they are part of small-town Canadiana.
It could be our rural heritage or our huge flower budget, but no matter what it is, I have three words for all of the city's small-towners: get over yourselves! Statistically and practically speaking, a small town we are not.
As an urban area, St. Catharines-Niagara ranks 12th nationally in population size. To put things further into perspective, our city is larger than any city in New Brunswick, larger than the populations of all the territories combined, larger than any city in Nova Scotia (excluding Halifax) and larger than the entire province of Prince Edward Island.
Just because we live in the urban mecca of our country (i.e. Ontario) doesn't mean we are the centre of the small-town universe by the simple fact that we aren't Toronto. Open your eyes, people. If you run out of fingers in counting the number of high schools, it's time to snap to reality and deal with the fact that yes, we are a city, and yes, we are a large one. City Coun. Bruce Williamson, quoted in a front page article on June 28, said "We're not a big city and I think it's incorrect we should share their values."
Sure! Why should we value things associated with big cities, such as diversity, inclusion, multiculturalism, a variety of public spaces, music venues and restaurants, and yes, economic growth? That's just plain silly talk!
I'm sure I'm not the only youth that's frustrated with the mindset of this city. No one really wants to stay in a city with such antiquated and conflicting views of itself. Do I believe that a tower in Port Dalhousie will begin to solve this problem? I think that it will probably aggravate an already heated debate; however, this tower is just the project that this city needs to resolve its identity crisis. Small town or large city? Let's hope someone can figure out what this city needs to be."
Who is Bruce Williamson, this proponent of small-town St. Catharines and it's alleged Father Knows Best values? As Doug Herod pointed out in the St. Catharines Standard (Oct.17, 2007):
"How about that Jim Bradley and his fellow provincial Liberals winning re-election last week?
Great news for a lot of people here, no more so than for some St. Catharines city councillors.
That's because three of them - Bruce Williamson, Bill Phillips and Andrew Gill - sit on the executive of the St. Catharines Liberal riding association.
Nothing untoward about that. Indeed, people in public office are often political animals who are naturally drawn to the affairs of other levels of government.
But, what the heck, it never hurts to have knowledge of such high-ranking political affiliations as we start a new term of provincial/municipal relations in St. Catharines.
You never know, it may explain the tenor of debate on certain issues at city council. Or not."
By 'debate' , does he mean the status-quo pushin', small-town peddlin', tax raisin', growth-retardin', let's-pretend-St. Catharines-can-defy-progress believin' paternalism of Liberals? Bradley even had nothing to say about a proposed Port Dalhousie redevelopment project in St. Catharines. He left it up to his riding executives, aka the local Liberal municipal senate, such as Liberal senator Bruce Williamson, to be his proxies.
In a column called "Homeboy Bradley now calling transportation shots" (St. Catharines Standard, Nov.2, 2007), all Herod could manage to say after Bradley's re election was: "Truth be told, Bradley probably won't be able to bring GO train service to Niagara, either".
So that's it from the local press?
Who really cares what our own homie Jim Bradley said…we're just happy he got re-elected, so he can continue saying (but not actually doing!) those things in the future!
In "GO service in Niagara would take 'pressure' off highways" (St. Catharines Standard, Apr. 25, 2005) Trish Audette writes GO chairman Gordon "Chong said, it's better to look at how well GO service is received by riders. Whenever a new stop or route is added, commuters immediately take advantage of it.
"Once you put the service in, the existing residents will try to use it and they will stick with it if it compares favourably to using a car," he said.
Meanwhile, others "will move to an area when there is transit service." The combination of lower housing prices outside Toronto and transportation options acts as a lure to young couples and families, Chong said.
It's that movement of residents and potential residents that positions GO as an engine of economic growth, said [John Barr, project co-ordinator with the Regional Municipality of Niagara's public works and transportation department] and regional transportation engineer Eric Flora.
The arrival of GO in Burlington and Oakville, Barr said, signalled an economic boom in those areas. "It seems to be very good for their economic well-being in terms of residential growth and economic growth."
St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley, who regularly drives back and forth between his Niagara home and Toronto, said GO would be a welcome alternative to hitting a QEW with traffic regularly getting clogged at the Burlington Skyway.
"It's a convenience that most people would like to have...." he said. "I think people look for that way to (get to) Toronto without grinding their teeth." "
Whatever you say, Jim. Unfortunately, many of us have to grind our teeth just listening to your ineffective, blustering rhetoric. St. Catharines doesn't need to signal that it welcomes any economic booms, right, Jim? We must stop luring - shudder - young couples with families to St. Catharines, right, Jim? For 30 years Jim 'regularly drives back and forth' to Queen's Park, but won't actually deliver GO train service to Niagara!
So…Jim Bradley is now the Minister of Transportation, in a second-term majority Liberal government. He no longer can justify trotting out his tired, and predictable, crutch of blaming everything on Mike Harris.
It's time (sigh, again) for champion hypocrite, 30+ year MPP, homie Jim 'Nothin' but the dead and the dying back in my little town' Bradley to put up or shut up.
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An Unveiling of the Horse Racing Industry: its Insiders, Workers, Patrons, and Me
by David Nalick
"Getting Down" is not a typical racetrack story. Seabiscuit, Swaps, Man o War, John Henry, Secretariat, and Zenyatta may well be mentioned, but this story is about the people of racing, not the horses. Its about racetrack workers, on both the ...
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Several Excellent Methods of Hearing Mass
By Lady Lucy Herbert
A Method of Hearing Mass, For the Souls in Purgatory.
Before Mass
The Offering and Intention.
The Offering and Intention.
Most Adorable Trinity, it is in your name, and for your honour, that I desire to unite myself, not only with the priest who ascends to your altar, but also with the Priest of priests, Jesus our Mediator with you. I desire to offer you, with him and by him, the sacrifice of his body and blood, to render your supreme greatness all the homage that is due to you; to thank you for all your benefits, natural and supernatural, which you daily bestow upon me, notwithstanding my unworthiness, and obtain of your infinite mercy the pardon of innumerable sins; as also to draw down your benedictions upon the whole Church, especially upon my parents, benefactors, friends, enemies, and above all, upon my unworthy self.
But my God, it is not only this which calls me now to assist at, and offer this great sacrifice, it is also charity to the poor souls; the sad state they are in obliges me to concern myself for their relief, and to offer this great sacrifice for them, which I do, in honour and memory of our Saviour's passion suffered for them; to be that the merits thereof may be applied to them; to give worthy thanks for the saviours granted them, of having departed this life in your grace and love, to satisfy for the punishment due to their sins, and to implore their speedy deliverance out of Purgatory.
Another motive, which excites me to assist the poor souls, is to repair the glory which I have so often robbed you of by my sins; and this I think I cannot better perform than by endeavoring to procure the release of some soul out of Purgatory, that going to heaven it may burn in your love, and render you the due honour and glory which my wicked life has deprived you of.
At the Beginning of the Mass
Consider how desirous the angel Guardians of the poor souls are, that you should succour their pupils; and how attentive they are, to see with what fervour and devotion you treat with Almighty God concerning their deliverance.
At the Confiteor
Bowing down with the priest, cast the eyes of your soul to the bottom of Purgatory, and there discover how the tormented souls, with joined hands, beg the assistance of your prayers. Join your voice with theirs, and cry for mercy in their behalf, by the repeated petitions to the Sacred Trinity, of Kyrie Eleyson, Christe Eleyson. Think how highly it grieves those faithful departed, that ever they offended God. Make an act of contrition for them.
At the Epistle
Reflect, how faith teaches us, that all the faithful, who die in the grace of God, are not always so pure, but that there remains some debt to God's justices which must be satisfied, either in this world or the next. Now how few are there who have had either the courage or the time to expiate, by a sever penance, the many mortal and venial sins which they have commited? They are then obliged, by God's justice, to expiate them in Purgatory, from which they will not be released till they have entirely satisfied for them.
My God! Who those souls are, your secret and impenetrable judgment permits me not to know; but I may and ought to believe that there are many in that rigorous prison, whom the most indispensable duties of nature and religion allows me not to abandon without relief. Many, perhaps, may be my ancestors, may relations, friends, well-wishers, and benefactors, who, in this world, were zealous for my good. Others also, who through the ill example I gave them of a soft and unfortified life, or by my too great compliance with them, or theirs with me, have contracted faults for which they have been long, and are still detained in those devouring flames.
O my God! Though I should have no particular obligation to those friends of yours, so cruelly tormented, and so worthy of compassion, burning in fire and flames, ten thousand times hotter than any in this world; though I should no ways have contributed to their sufferings, and the retardment of their happiness, yet they being your children and elect, and your glory requiring it, I most heartily beg their deliverance, that they may ascend to heaven, and there see, bless, and praise you; where their love for your Divine Majesty will be more pure and ardent than 'tis possible for any upon earth to have. Dear Lord! Put a speedy end to their pains, that they may be translated to the State of Glory, which you eternally designed them; and give me the advantage of procuring them that happiness, that I may gain those blessed souls for my powerful intercessors to your Divine Majesty.
At the Offertory.
Reflect, that for certain, the most efficacious succour we can procure for the Souls in Purgatory, is to offer, for their deliverance, the immaculate Lamb of God, whose infinite virtue is most efficacious for the living and the dead.
My God! What victim can I offer you, proper to appease your Justice, but your only Son? It is him I offer with my whole heart, and with an entire confidence, though sensible of my own unworthiness. I beg and conjure you to cast your eyes upon this adorable Holocaust, your only Son, who is going to be offered to you in the of sweetness! It is not only a lively representation of the bloody Sacrifice, which disarm'd your anger, and made you recall the sentence of condemnation you had pronounced against us, but it is in substance and virtue the same Sacrifice.
Divine Jesus! Host of propitiation for the living and the dead: I adore you, and return you millions fo thanks, for having confided to us this offering of your Divine Body and precious Blood, for the solace of the Souls in Purgatory. I acknowledge the equity of your judgments, I admire the excess of your charity! And as you are Redeemer, I implore your merits for the release of those you punish as judge; especially N. N. for whom I offer this Mass.
Give, dear Lord, a fresh proff of your infinite bounty to those suffering souls, by drawing them from the devouring flames; and give me the grace to prevent your justice, by a Purgatory of love and grief, which may exempt me from ever undergoing that of your rigour. Amen.
When you hear Mass for your Parents, say:
My God, you have commanded me to honour my Father and Mother, and by a singular mercy you allow me to the means of testifying my love and gratitude to them after their death, by offering the Sacrifice of Holy Mass for them. I with all my heart beg their solace and deliverance, and desire the same for all the faithful, whom your justice retains in Purgatory. I wish to love you, and to detest all sin for them. Grant I may, with them and with your Saints, see and enjoy you for all eternity. Amen.
At the Sanctus.
Consider those poor souls surrounded with flames of fire, like so many prisoners loaden with chains. See how they endeavour to get free, and fly to heaven to the living God. Beg their solace and deliverance heartily of him; saying:
Merciful Creator, let one drop of that precious Blood which fell from the wounds of your dear Son and my Saviour, be applied to the suffering souls in Purgatory; since it was shed for them, so let it solace, comfort, and release them.
And grant me the grace to blot out my offences in this life by contrition and penance, to avoid the rigour of your justice in the next; and to purify my soul for the heavenly bliss, where none can enter with the least spot or stain.
At the Elevation.
Behold Christ, when lifted up, as on the tree of the Cross; and reflect that in the midst of his torments, turning to the good thief, he said, This day you shall be with me in Paradise. Beg him to say the same to the poor souls, now he is in his kingdom, and confide that through the merits of this Sacrifice he will do so.
O Eternal God! Behold here on this altar, as on the Cross, your only Son the worthy object of your complacence, who only merits to be heard. He sacrifices to you, not another's flesh but his own body and blood; that body which was torn with stripes, and all covered with wounds, to repair and satisfy for all offenses committed against you. That blood, which was shed to blot out the sins of the world, is here offered; he immolates himself with the same love and charity now as he did on the Cross. Let one drop of his most precious blood be applied to the poor souls, it being more than sufficient to quench their flames, and free them from the pains of Purgatory.
Can you, my God, refuse to hear the voice of your dear Son, infinitely sweet, and equally powerful and strong, which demands of you mercy? It is not, my God, to your justice that we address ourselves, I know that those souls for which we presume to plead for deserves all the pains they suffer for their having offended you, and for their having had too little zeal for your glory, and not sufficiently revenging and punishing the offenses and injuries they had done you, having too much spared themselves upon earth, they justly suffer more rigours pains than penance would have required of them.
But remember, O Great God! Infinitely merciful, that Jesus Christ, their charitable Mediator, did not spare himself for their salvation; all his blood was shed for them; his heart was plunged in sorrow for them; their redemption is not only abundant but superabundant; let them find in those treasures of his immense satisfactions wherewithal to discharge all their debts.
I bet and conjure you, dear Jesus, whom I believe as really present on this altar as you are in Heaven, to speak in favour of those souls who, though designed for your kingdom, yet will be long excluded from it, if you do not intercede for them.
At the Pater Noster.
Say it with the priest as a most efficacious prayer to obtain relief for the poor souls, and believe that every word you pronounce with fervour, is a great solace to them.
At the Agnus Dei.
Reflect that on the altar is the same Lord, who heretofore assured his Apostles, that all they should ask his Father in his name, he would grant them. Believe it, because he said it, and say:
O Eternal Father! Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world; I humbly beseech you, for his precious Blood and sufferings, that you will be merciful to the poor souls for whom I hear this Mass, and grant them their deliverance, or an abatement of their pains.
Dear Jesus! Those souls burn more by the ardour of their charity, and the desire of seeing you, than by the activity of the flames which purify them. They suffer a most violent thirst, and there is none but you, O amiable and merciful Jesus, that can open to them the source of living Water, which they so ardently sigh after. You only can put an end to their banishment, of which each day seems an age; be then, dear Saviour, their powerful Mediator.
Pie Jesu Domine dona eis Requiem. Amen.
At the Communion.
Dear Saviour, although I am most unworthy, yet I desire to receive you, and that to obey your will, to glorify your name, and to be united to you, and render the merits of your passion efficacious both for my own soul, and the souls for whom I offer this Mass. Grant, dear Lord, that the effect of this communion may be eternal life to my soul and theirs.
Great is my hope and confidence, since I hope for no less than yourself, my God, with everlasting life and glory; and that the poor souls, through your mercy, may be speedily translated to the fruition of your beatifying presence, there to love, bless, and praise you for eternity.
At the Last Blessing.
Receive the priest's blessing, and beg the blessed Trinity to bless the suffering souls created to his image and designed for his glory. Say:
Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bless all the poor souls, and bring them to eternal bliss. Amen.


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Gaia's Wrath
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Gaia's Wrath, also known as Earthen Fury, Terrestrial Rage, Rage of the Earth or Anger of the Land (大地の怒り, Daichi no Ikari?), is an attack used by various Earth-elemental summon monsters in the Final Fantasy Series. It is a favorite ability of Titan.
Final Fantasy IIIEdit
Earthen Fury is an attack used by Titan when summoned, and is the "High" or most powerful attack Titan can use. It is an Earth-elemental attack that can be used by both Summoners and Sages in the NES version, but can only be used by Summoners in the DS version.
Final Fantasy IVEdit
Gaia's Wrath is used by Titan when he is summoned into battle. It deals Earth damage to all ground enemies. It costs 40 MP in the Advance version, and can be used by Rydia upon her return to the party in the Underworld. Titan also uses this attack when battling him in Rydia's Lunar Trial in the Advance version.
Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-Edit
Gaia's Wrath is Titan's attack when summoned and functions identically to its Final Fantasy IV appearance.
Final Fantasy IV: The After YearsEdit
Gaia's Wrath is an attack used by Titan when summoned.
Final Fantasy VEdit
Gaia's Wrath (translated in the SNES version as Rage of the Earth) is an attack used by Titan when summoned. It deals Earth damage to all ground enemies.
Final Fantasy VIIEdit
Anger of the Land is Titan's attack when summoned. It deals Earth damage to all ground enemies.
Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-Edit
Gaia's Wrath is an ability used by monsters of the same race as the Wyerd. When used, it stomps the ground twice, dealing heavy physical damage, making Zack lose his balance and stunning him.
Final Fantasy IXEdit
Terrestrial Rage is an ability used by the eidolon Fenrir when summoned. It deals Earth damage to all enemies. While Titan is not named in the game, he appears besides Fenrir during the spell. He is named in the Japanese Final Fantasy IX artbook.
Final Fantasy XIEdit
Earthen Fury is the name of Titan's ultimate attack in Final Fantasy XI, usable only during Astral Flow. It deals massive Earth damage to all enemies within area of effect.
Final Fantasy XIIEdit
Gaia's Wrath is used by the Esper Hashmal. Hashmal will only initiate the attack when the summoner's HP is below 10% of its maximum in the regular version of the game, but in the International Zodiac Job System version, the player can execute the attack at will.
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant WingsEdit
Titan's special ability is Gaia's Wrath. It deals Earth damage to adjacent units and inflicts Immobilize.
Final Fantasy XIVEdit
Final Fantasy TacticsEdit
Summoner can summon Titan, who uses Gaia's Wrath to damage enemies in a large area.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the RiftEdit
By equipping the Pin of Order, a unit may summon the Scion Hashmal to attack all enemies on the field with the Earth-elemental Gaia's Wrath.
Final Fantasy DimensionsEdit
Dissidia Final FantasyEdit
In Dissidia Final Fantasy, Gaia's Wrath is the ability used by the Summonstone Titan. It triples the user's bravery whenever the user is hit by an HP Attack.
Final Fantasy All the BravestEdit
Gaia's Wrath is the ability that Titan uses when summoned by Krile during battle.
Final Fantasy Trading Card GameEdit
Rydia's child card bears Gaia's Wrath as its ability, reflecting her summoning of Titan as a child. The player must Dull Rydia, discard another Rydia card, and pay three Earth CP. Gaia's Wrath deals 6000 damage to all other Forwards.


text:
Rotate Page and Trimbox
In my implementation i use iTextSharp, but i think that is not the problem :)
I rotate the pages of an pdf-file with the following functions:
new PdfNumber(currentDegree + rotateDegree));
This works fine. When i view the file with the acrobat reader, the pages are rotated. But when i read the boxes, i see, that all boxes are the 'old' boxes and only the Rotation-property is set. Only the 'view' is rotated, but not the Trimbox itself (so like all boxes).
How can i rotate the boxes too? How can i rotate the page include all boxes?
Thank you.
- Login to post comments
Maybe you're asking the wrong question
Submitted by Bruno Lowagie on Thu, 07/26/2012 - 18:20.The best way to rotate a page, is to change the rotate value.
You could change the rectangles defining the MediaBox, TrimBox, etc by using
pdfreader.GetPageN(pageNumber).Put(PdfName.MEDIABOX, rect);
where rect is a Rectangle with coordinates different from the original value, BUT this will NOT rotate the content, NOR restructure it!
If you expect to be able to change the page boundaries without changing the rotation value, you'll have to change the coordinate system in the content stream of the page.
That's bound to fail if you're not a PDF specialist. Also: suppose you have a page where the content is in portrait, surely you can't expect the content to "reflow" to landscape after you've read and understood what's written in the book.
- Login to post comments
Maybe it is the wrong question. What is the right?
Submitted by philikran on Thu, 07/26/2012 - 20:39.Is there no other way to rotate a page 'real' (with iText)? For me it is not enough to rotate it via the rotate-proberty only.
When i rotate the page how explained in my first post, and then change the Trimbox, will i have only for example a half page, couse the trimbox is not rotated. Isnt it?
How can i solve the rotation, so that, for example when the page is rotated to landscape, the trimbox are landscape too and the rotation is 0?
Thank you for the fast answer.
- Login to post comments
I honestly don't understand your question
Submitted by Bruno Lowagie on Fri, 07/27/2012 - 09:15.Most important counter-question: do you want to repurpose the content on the page?
If so, you should read more about the nature of PDF (for example the intro of chapter 6).
If not, you can change the coordinate system of the existing content and rotate the content like that.
I have no idea why you would need to 'rotate the trimbox' or any other page boundary. We're talking about 2 coordinates: a lower-left corner and an upper-right corner.
Why do you want to 'rotate' those coordinates? I don't understand the sense of doing that.
- Login to post comments


text:
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This resource kit has been developed to support frontline workers across many health and community services, who are working with individuals, families and communities to address alcohol misuse.
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Felony charges against U.C.L.A. raise the issue of science safety on campus
By Beryl Lieff Benderly | Feb 23, 2012 | 11
Several headline-grabbing accidents have shone light on chronically poor safety records
By Beryl Lieff Benderly | Aug 17, 2010 | 16
American science education lags behind that of many other nations, right? So why does it produce so many talented young researchers who cannot find a job in their chosen field of study?
By Beryl Lieff Benderly | Feb 22, 2010 | 217
A controversial lawsuit challenges the FDA's system of controlling access to experimental drugs and, some say, the scientific basis of drug approval
By Beryl Lieff Benderly | Sep 16, 2007 | 1
Videoconferencing, Web sites and other electronic media offer faster, cheaper care--without the stigma of parking in front of the shrink's office
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All free guest memberships include a free photo personal ad, free browsing, free matching, and the events calendar. Subscribing members access live chat, message boards, Mingle Mail, and more! To browse through thousands of photos and start meeting other singles, click here.
Alohaz, Born and Raised in Hawai'i. Loves to keep things positive and see the bright side of life. Lives in Utah now and small kine learning to adjust but i'll alway's miss HOME. I love everything to do with Polynesian and Pacific Culture. I hardly come on this thing I can't stand injustice, or anything that goes on in this world that just isin't right.
I am a proud member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the everyday mission to become closer to Him. Being born into the church and having learned of the deeper purpose and meaning of life while experiencing a true experience into the gospel of Jesus Christ was the best thing to ever happen to me :)... Without the Church, Gospel, and Atonement i really don't know where'd i be right now so that's why i'm so greatful for that...
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Island Facts: Raccoon Island
This small island is characterized by gravel beaches and rocky slopes.
Short History There is limited recorded history of activity on Raccoon Island, though it was likely used by Native Americans as a seasonal campsite. In the 1600s, colonists grazed sheep on the island and referred to it as "Sun Island." In the 1880s, the island was described as covering ten-acres and was used for recreational camping parties. In the 1930s, the island was used as a summer camp by a religious organization. General Information Agency Designation: Harbor Islands Reservation
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Massachusetts Water Resource Authority on Deer Island has transformed the water quality surrounding Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Once claimed to be one of the dirtiest harbors in America, the waters and shores are clean again. More...


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Series | Countries | Live Scores | Fixtures | Results | News |
Photos | Video & Audio | Blogs | Statistics | Archive | Games | Mobile |
The m-word gets thrown about a lot in cricket, but what does it really mean?
December 20, 2012
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Have England found a captain who doesn't believe in momentum - and a winning captain at that? Such a man might be a rarity in a soundbyte culture, where the idea has become, like the existence of God, inescapable but impossible to disprove.
Alastair Cook, who has guided England to their first series victory in India for 28 years, failed to offer such comforting platitudes when a win in Mumbai had tied the series at 1-1 with two to play, but even though he dared to dismiss the suggestion that momentum was on his side, he guided England home anyway.
"After the first game momentum was with India," Cook said before the Kolkata Test, "but we managed to bounce back. The Mumbai win has certainly left us a little more confident, and with a belief that what we are doing is fine. That doesn't mean it is going to count for anything in this match."
The notion of momentum has exerted a momentum all of its own upon the modern era. Cricket, especially in its longer forms, is such a nuanced game, it is often difficult to tell who, if anyone, holds an advantage, and into that vacuum must come something. Coaches like the idea of momentum because it is a positive thought to give to players. Commentators, especially ex-players, love it because it appeals to powers of insight that the layman may not have.
A little while ago, Michael Lewis, the author of Moneyball, a book about an impoverished MLB franchise that prospered when they realised that baseball coaches often misjudged the value of players, saw that he had left a question hanging: why, if those coaches had spent their entire lives watching baseball, had they got player selection wrong so often?
The answer led him to the door of Daniel Kahneman, a man who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2002, even though he wasn't an economist but a psychologist. ("Ah don't take that Nobel stuff too seriously," he rather charmingly told Lewis when he arrived to have coffee.) Together with the late Amos Tversky, Kahneman had, between the years of 1971 and 1984, researched an area known broadly as "the availability heuristic", which showed that human judgement is often based on the most easily recalled information. He explained this by means of a simple experiment: a roulette wheel was rigged to stop on one of two numbers, 10 or 65. Kahneman asked the groups he assembled in front of the wheel to write down the number they saw. He then asked them an unrelated question: "What is your best guess of the percentage of African nations in the UN?"
The average answer of the groups whose wheel landed on 10 was 25%, and that of the groups for whom it landed on 65 was 45%. Clearly the unrelated roulette number affected their guess.
Kahneman called this "the anchoring effect". There are thousands of examples of it in cricket, many coming from players who have been inconsistent but whose best moments are deeply memorable: Steve Harmison's 7 for 12 is worth considering in this light, a performance that came 18 months into a Test career and resounded for the next seven years ("We all know what Steve's capable of" became a much-uttered phrase).
Kahneman's work also seemed to offer a response as to why coaches, commentators and observers often based their judgement on nebulous concepts and "instincts" rather than empirical evidence of statistical performance. Momentum is the king of the nebulous concepts affected by the availability heuristic.
Yet can it exist as anything other than a concept? During one of the craziest Test matches of the modern era, at Newlands in November 2011, Australia were dismissed for 284, South Africa were bowled out for 96, and before the end of day two, Australia's second-innings score stood at 21 for 9.
Cricket is such a nuanced game, it is often difficult to tell who, if anyone, holds an advantage, and into that vacuum must come something. Coaches like the idea of momentum because it is a positive thought to give to players | |||
On commentary, Robin Jackman asserted, "South Africa have the momentum here." How did he make that judgement? Probably because, to his mind, South Africa taking 9 for 21 was more readily available than the knowledge that Australia were 209 runs ahead on a day when 20 wickets had fallen for 128 runs.
As it turned out, Jackman was right. South Africa went on to win by eight wickets, with centuries from Smith and Amla. Yet the game makes the case for Kahneman as well. The batting collapses of both teams in a single day exerted a tremendous internal force, even though the scores either side of them, 284 in Australia's first knock and 236 for 2 in South Africa's second, were far less panic-stricken and fell within the normal range. It's easy to conclude that those collapses had "momentum" too: in the minds of both batsmen and bowlers, tumbling wickets were the most easily available thought and thus became a destructive and self-fulfilling notion.
On the third morning of the game, Amla and Smith batted quietly for the first hour, scoring 31 runs, before taking the Australian bowling apart, Amla's century coming from 126 deliveries. That initial hour of calm helped the batsmen restore some mental equilibrium to the game, and as the runs began to come, the psychological reference points of both batters and bowlers changed once more. Smith and Amla's play "highlighted the ridiculous nature of the second day", according to ESPNcricinfo's report.
Most Test matches are far less extreme, and yet their nature is often fickle and contrary. A week after Newlands, with the "momentum" of their epic win behind them, South Africa duly lost the second Test to Australia.
Momentum may be nothing more than a balance of probabilities that shifts as the game does, with each movement encouraging a different memory with which to compare it. If it exists, it exists in this fluid and individual state, and unless a team has a collective psyche, it could be convincingly argued that it doesn't exist at all.
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Numbers Game: He is the captain of the ODI team, but Bravo's stats over the last two years are anything but impressive
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Rob Moody's obsession with recording matches and collecting archive footage has led to him becoming a folk hero to cricket lovers across the world. By Russell Jackson
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'If they carry on like this, there will be a fight'
Bowl at Boycs: Geoff Boycott explains aggression, abuse, and stress-related illnesses
Samir Chopra: Just when an Indian who moved to the US felt his connection with cricket grow weaker, a 16-year-old batting prodigy made everything all right
Two greats look back on 20 years of friendship that has included World Cup heartbreak, a world-record stand, and missing a wedding
A tale of hard work, fate and tears
Nepal's players recount their ongoing journey through the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE, and express what it means to have made it to the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh
England need a plan for Johnson
They must respond to the Australian bowling threat adequately or the series will slip away from them fast
Hafeez v Steyn, and other bunnies
Mohammad Hafeez has fallen to Dale Steyn 15 times in all international matches; in the last 12 years, no bowler has dismissed a batsman more often
A collection of fine cricket writing on great cricket feats, and never mind the omissions
England need a plan for Johnson (67)
They must respond to the Australian bowling threat adequately or the series will slip away from them fast
Two greats look back on 20 years of friendship that has included World Cup heartbreak, a world-record stand, and missing a wedding
Rohit struggles with the Steyn Test (61)
Plays of the Day from the first ODI between South Africa and India in Johannesburg
In all the talk of Bombay's credentials as a historical stronghold of Indian cricket, a region to the north gets overlooked
Darren Sammy and Brendon McCullum have both had moments to savour as captains at international level but the pair begin this contest with major questions hanging over them


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Governor Bill Ritter and Treasurer Cary Kennedy quietly launched the Transparency Online Project(TOPS). COST doesn't believe that TOPS is what State Rep BJ Nikkel and transparency activists envisioned with HB 1288 the Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act. According to a press release from the Governor's office:
TOP sets a new standard for accountability, responsibility and transparency in state government, Gov. Ritter said. Taxpayers now have a convenient and modern tool to see exactly where their money is going and how it's being spent.
If TOPS is the "new standard" then Ritter and Kennedy set the bar fairly low. Problem is taxpayers can't see "exactly where their money is going" because the Web site doesn't provide details. Under "Expenditure Type Search" visitors find that the "drill down path" provides a summary for each agency, department and fund. In some cases a name is attached to aggregated spending, particularly in the case of travel expenses, but no context is provided.
No wonder the Governor fought so hard against transparency, he doesn't really seem to understand it. To help the Governor, COST has taken the liberty of providing a few examples on the local and state level: Transparent Jeffco, Open Book Fort Collins, Missouri Accountability Portal (MAP) and KanView. It can be done!
COST believes now is a good time to remind taxpayers of our motto: No taxation without information!