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|Living in Yorkshire, we are used to stone walls and sheep.....but not quite like this.
Saturday, 7 September 2013
Walking with Visigoths
25 comments:
That looks to have been a beautiful walk...and I too wonder about those windows in a semi derelict church.ReplyDelete
It's one of the things France does so well...set up walks that allow you to really get to grips with your surroundings....and make discoveries.Replies
I'm just glad I managed to retrieve the photos I thought I had lost...although I did just think that I could do the walk again, as it was so enjoyable.Delete
PS Helen, I did try to find out about the church and its really interesting windows, but came up with nothing at all. A great deal of money must have been spent on the windows, there were 3 or 4 of them I think, but the insides of the building were derelict.Odd.Delete
What a perfect walk. A little bit of everything, including the unexpected - giraffe and blue sheep included in this. That window is definitely new, isn't it?ReplyDelete
You seem to have found a bit of France that is incredibly ecclectic and vahed - I don't remember the Indre being quite like this when I used to go there. I love it!
Wisigoths often have a bad press but it makes hard hearts soften to see such ancient family groups buried together. We have some very old burial grounds not too far from us - I find them very atmospheric places.
Great signs of your full return to health, Janice, and long may that continue.
'varied' of course...Delete
I loved the blue sheep. I was trying to imagine Ralph's ( the sheep farmer from where we used to live in Mankinholes)face, if these has suddenly appeared in one of his fields.Delete
The grave site was very atmospheric, and having to make a bit of an effort to get to it, added to the experience. It is not a site you can drive to within a few yards, get out of the car and have a look before driving off again. It is at a point on the walk when you ( or maybe just I ) needed a sit down and a rest. Take care, see you soon ! Jxxxx
Wonderful photos Janice.Felt like i was on the walk myself.ReplyDelete
I really liked the giraffe and the blue sheep. x Maria.
What a lovely walk - I can't resist a graveyard whatever the era. I love the blue sheep and giraffe - just what I was looking for to put in my garden.ReplyDeleteReplies
I did think of you when we found the site, and how the team that excavated it back in the 60s must have felt when they saw its extent. As for the sheep....they would be perfect in my garden too....not so sure how the giraffe would blend in !Delete
Fascinating and magical! And a reminder that we MUST start doing a long walk each week - not just an endless tramp around a showground, racecourse etc.ReplyDeleteReplies
Somehow, walking round fairs etc. never seems like an effort, and I bet you walk as far at some of the big ones ! It was a great walk, and has encouraged me to plan a few more. Mind you, yesterday we walked quite a way around a great brocante market in a village called La Grasse. You would have loved it.Delete
What a lovely walk and as usual great photos. Glad you are feeling so well these days xxxReplyDelete
A really interesting post, Janice, and thank you for telling us about the Visigoths (about which I knew nothing). The grave yard is really special, and amazing it is still there after so long. The stained glass window is very pretty, and, yes, seems new - a puzzlement indeed! The blue sheep are rather cool, but seem strange juxtaposed with the elegant old chateau. Well, it's France, so it's artistic, right? Glad you enjoyed the rather long walk, and are feeling well. xxxReplyDeleteReplies
I have to say, I know very little about the V/Wisigoths, and yes, the condition of the graves was stunning considering their age. It must have been an amazing find back in the 60s. I haven't been able to find out anything about the church at all, so it remains a mystery at the moment. I loved the odd additions to the chateau gardens....someone's idea of great fun. I trust you are feeling well too ! jxDelete
Fascinating post, Janice. Your photograpgs really give us a sense of taking that walk with you. I love the chateau and it's varied wildlife.ReplyDelete
In France the idea is to always expect the unexpected.
This is probably why we love it so much!!
Hi Janice, I have a holiday home in Villeneuve, and found your blog when searching for Minervois things. Have done this walk a couple of times, but missed the windows in the Church, and didn't know the chateau had been converted to apartments. Good to hear that you are getting back to good health.ReplyDelete
Here is a link to other local walks.
Les Capitelles in Laure Minervois may be good - 10 kmReplies
Thanks so much for commenting John, and for the links to the walk site. Funnily enough, a friend from Villeneuve has just recommended Les Capitelles walk, and we will be doing that in the next week or so I think.Delete
The chateau apartments can be rented by the week I think... I did find a web site advertising vacation rentals somewhere.
The walk was lovely, and if you have looked at some of my previous posts you will have picked up that I am recovering from being ill at the moment. Caunes is a great place to do it. I don't know how often you are in Villeneuve, but I expect we will know some of the same people, and it would be good to meet up at sometime. Do you blog ? I looked at your profile, but failed to find a link....possibly something I missed though.
Again, thanks for reading, and commenting. very best wishes, Janice.
What a wonderful walk and your photos are well worth waiting for, Janice. I love history, right back to pre-history, and would have really enjoyed the walk, with the chateau, church and those spectacular graves. The giraffe and blue sheep are very French. They are very much into public art, often of the most surprising kind. :-) I look forward to the fruits of future walks.ReplyDeleteReplies
Apart from enjoying the walk just for itself, completing it so easily has given me the confidence to attempt longer walks....a 10km one is planned for tomorrow. ( and I can always take a pause...to take a photo ! ) The sheep and giraffe will take a lot of beating though. Take care...I think the surgery is pretty soon now isn't it ? JxDelete
What a peaceful, interesting, inspiring walk this was to take with you across the the sphere. Your pictures are fabulous. How did you know I would need a rest underneath that tree, communing with millenia - and you must have known how fun it was to see the sheep and giraffe.ReplyDelete
Thanks for your reply Janice. My brother and his partner are staying at the house at the moment. Just heard from them that they enjoyed a concert in Caunes. Will get in touch before next visit, or spot you at the Fountain bar!ReplyDelete


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Boyfriend Jeans
I love the boyfriend jean trend that has been hanging around the last few seasons. However, it is hard to find a cute pair of BF jeans that aren't ratty looking! This pair is great because not only are they not sliced to pieces, but they are also 100% cotton, which can be a hard find these days!

subset: commoncrawl


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Are you having a luau this summer? Are you looking for a cheap yet impressive way to decorate? Then you may want to make yourself one of these:
...or two or three!
They are really quite simple to make and the best part is that these trees were FREE! They actually ended up costing me nothing to make because I used what I already had. I apologize that I don't have pictures of the process, but I think you can look at them and get a pretty good idea of how they are made.
The Trunk
1. Start with the center tube (12 ft. long) of a roll of carpet. A local business gave us two of them at no cost. They would throw them away anyway.
2. The first roll was cut at 8ft. using a small hand saw. This left me with a 4 ft. piece that was used to make the shorter palm tree on the table.
3. The second tube was cut at 10ft. Since we didn't need to worry about ceiling height we could make them tall. They even fit in the back of a van to get them to the church.
4. We used regular sized brown paper lunch sacks for the trunk. Start by cutting the bottoms off of the sacks then crinkle the sacks up (this adds texture to the trunk). Slide a sack over the tube from the top to the bottom of the trunk. Staple or tape the sack in place around the tube at the very bottom of the trunk. Take the next sack and slide it from the top to the bottom and then over the first sack about 2 inches or so. Turn the bottom of the sacks under an inch or so to create the look of the lines on the trunk (the bottom of the sack is not taped, only the top). Repeat these steps until you get to the top of the trunk.
5. The top sack is a larger size sack.
6. To finish it off between the small sack and the large sack at the top of the trunk, cut a strip of brown paper about 2" wide and long enough to go around the tube. Cut slits in it every 1/2 inch. Wrap it around the tube and tape it in place. Curl up the ends of the fringe after you paint it.
7. Make your base (so your have something to keep the trunk stable) and then paint. I used a dark brown craft paint and a sponge brush. Just lightly brush the sacks to create the look that you want. I really had a lot of fun with the painting. I felt so artistic!
The Base
I wish that I had a picture of how we did this. I hope these directions make sense.
1. We used scrap 2x4's and plywood to make the base.
2. Cut a piece of plywood to about 3 ft. square. Cut a 2x4 about 3ft. long (make sure it will fit inside your tube, you may need to trim the width down some). There are two ways that you can attach the 2x4 to the plywood: You can screw through the plywood and into the bottom of the 2x4, or you can attach brackets to the side of the 2x4 and the top of the plywood. Is this clear as mud? I hope you are understanding!
3. Slide your tube trunk onto the 2x4 and it will now stand.
The Fronds
Now this is where I had to get creative. We were working on a budget and wanted to make the trees as cheap as possible. I thought of using paper, but it would cost more than we wanted to spend to make that many fronds. I ended up using green plastic tablecloths. We already had them from a previous activity and they worked great!
1. Make a pattern with an old newspaper for your fronds. I made a smaller pattern for the short tree and the top 2 fronds in the tall trees and a large pattern for lower fronds on the large trees.
2. Cut the fronds out of the plastic tablecloths.
3. The fronds will need support. I cut 1 1/2" wide strips of very sturdy cardboard and taped them to the back of the fronds with packing tape. Leave a length of cardboard for the stem (about 8-10).
4. Cut slits all around the plastic on the leaves. I cut them the lenghth of a kids size of scissors and about 1 1/2" apart.
My leaves by no means looked perfect. They are up so tall, that it really doesn't matter if everything is cut straight and even.
1. Cut a paper sack open.
2. Crinkle it up.
3. Wrap it around something round. (styrafoam ball, baseball, etc.) This helps you shape the coconut. Crinkle up grocery sacks and stuff them in the center of the paper.
4. Wrap tape around the ends of the sack to hold it closed and then paint them.
5. When dry, take three coconuts and hook them together with large safety pins or whatever you have.
6. Tape them to a bamboo skewer.
1. Place enough pieces of green floral foam in the top of the trunk so it is secure.
2. Tape bamboo skewers to the cardboard stem on the fronds if your cardboard is not sturdy enough to push into the foam.
3. Push the stems into the foam to place each fronds.
4. Bend the cardboard down to form a curve in the frond.
5. Attach the coconuts by sticking the skewers in the foam.


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Hi All,
I saw Heather on Friday. Feeling a bit better and happy to chat. Making some progress. getting physio so been walking.
Heather has asked if all those who have sent best wishes, cards and enquired after her can be thanked.
She has appreciated all the good wishes. She would also like to specifically thank those who have visited her in hospital. As you know hospitals can mean a long day in the ward. She enjoys the company.
By the way, she has half an iron in with her - grip and half the shaft - just to keep the golf on the go !
Cheers Liz Hale.


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(Ashley Woodson Bailey, above)
Finding sources for original, unique art that are relatively affordable is one of my job's biggest challenges. There are chain stores that offer mass-market prints and Etsy (which can be a total crapshoot quality-wise)- but not a lot of galleries or websites dedicated to the curation of unique and non-intimidating art. Which is why I am so happy to have Citizen Atelier as a new sponsor. Their gorgeous site, run by Alessandra Salituri, a PR consultant and art dealer from Montreal, is a mix of price points, mediums and tastes. You can pick up a great photographic print or splurge on an original painting. Take a peek…(and enter our giveaway!)
(Above images by Ashley Capp, styling by Christine Dovey)
Among the artists she represents is Gray Malin, photographer du jour! Just launched last night on her site, they are offering 20% off any Gray Malin photograph purchase for the next 48 hours with the code GRAYMALIN20 at checkout.
Other works I'm loving from the site:
Ashley Woodson Bailey (love, love her work and may use one in my new bathroom)
Georgianna Lane (if you can't have a real chandelier in your space, a big print of this could be an amazing way to add the same kind of glamour!)
She has some Amanda Talley works as well, which you may have noticed I love from my book (there are three commissioned pieced I used in client homes!)
Below, a New York client's dining room with a commissioned Amanda Talley.
And today I get to give away a $250 gift card to Citizen Atelier just for you! To enter just comment with which piece you would purchase if you won and a winner will be chosen on Monday! (Also, keep these gift cards in mind for hard to buy folks at holiday time!)


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|DAAP alum Todd DeGarmo is recognized by President
Santa Ono for his role in bringing UC to D.C. during the
Proudly Cincinnati campaign.
Other stories in the March edition include a preview of President Ono's #hottestcollegeinAmerica tour, information about UC's new mobile apps, details about President Santa Ono's goal to reach 100,000 donors by June 30, 2013, and a story about an alumnus who is the general manager at The Drake Hotel in Chicago.
If you didn't receive the newsletter via e-mail, check out the full issue online and then update your contact information to ensure you receive the latest version in your inbox every few months.
If you have an idea for the next edition, or know an alum to spotlight, tweet us at @UofCincyAlumni, comment below or send us an e-mail to email@example.com.


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History of the Magazine
November 1984. The "Home of the Mother" magazine, at that time called "Home of Mary," began in Mocejon (Toledo) in the year 1984, with a small group of boys and girls directed by some members of the Home of the Mother Youth.
"Dear friends of our new-born magazine 'Home of Mary'. Faced with the great wave of paganism that is invading us, we do not wish to keep silent any longer and we have decided to take up a pen and a piece of paper and to draw with them our ideas and restlessness..."
Extract from EDITORIAL No. 0.
November 1984.
By the fourth issue, March 1985, the number of pages of the magazine has increased. We were already making progresss!
There was no shortage of difficulties but it has already been made clear that the Home of the Mother magazine belongs to Our Blessed Mother and it has been Her, without any doubt, who has protected and guided it, and solved the little and bigger problems that have come up along the way. There have always been economic difficulties, some more serious than others, depending on the dimensions of the magazine.
In 1988, with the 20th issue, the name of our magazine was changed from "Home of Mary" to "Home of the Mother," which has been its name up to this day.
There came a moment in which the economic difficulties worsened. The printing expenses were so high that we simply couldn't bear them. We had to confront the problem head-on: either we put an end to the H.M. Magazine or we launch ourselves further still by doing ourselves the work that the printing company used to do for us. We couldn't bear the thought of H.M. disappearing and so we went for the second option. Thanks to this risky step, the H.M. Magazine has continued to this day its work of evangelization. Thanks be to God!
With Issue No. 44, H.M. began a new era. We began to design the magazine through a computer, for which we had to learn a few new things. Once this step was done, it used to be taken to the printing company, which would scan the photographs and do the rest of the work. After a providential encounter with the manager of a printing company we started to produce the magazine in two colors. In 1995, with issue No. 67, the magazine took another very important step. There was a slight change of paper and four more pages were added. And now we were producing the magazine entirely by ourselves! We had bought an offset machine of very low quality but which enabled us even to produce the cover in two colors.
In 1997, in No. 76, the magazine began to be translated into Italian. And in No. 77, into English. Hence H.M. spread rapidly to other countries.
In 1999, the magazine witnessed the birth of its "little sister." This was the H.M. for Children, the formative magazine for children, also translated into English and Italian.
Also in 1999, with a lot of effort, we succeeded in buying a new Offset because the previous one, doubled over with the work over the years, was already requesting its well earned retirement.
The cover of No. 89 was in four colors for the first time.
No. 98 of January-February 2001 required an effort on behalf of all the H.M. team that was almost beyond our strengths. But we don't regret it. We produced the whole magazine in four colors. All of these transformations have been possible thanks to the economic and spiritual help of so many people.
In February of 2007, HM for Children took on a new form, becoming HM Zoom+. The new style now contains drawings with a greater brightness and vigor, making the contents more attractive to children.
In 2008 we began the Online Magazine , to make it more accesible to all readers.
Now all we have to do is keep going and confront with enthusiasm the constant call of the Pope to the evangelization of this world with all the means at our disposal placed in the service of God.


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After delivery in Malte, official presentation and naming ceremony took in Monaco on Saturday 20th June.
'YERSIN', a unique concept:
Multi-purpose transoceanic vessel designed for sailing in "all seas, all weathers", the YERSIN combines the technical complexity of a scientific research ship with the high standards of comfort and elegance of an exceptional clean and environment friendly vessel.
What's special about the YERSIN ?
- Sailing "all weathers, all seas",
- A 15,000 nautical miles range,
- Environment friendly sailing,
- Custom comfort and style,
- Versatility as a core asset.
YERSIN is the first explorer vessel offering these five considerations with such a demanding level.


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Interview between F. Hollande avec M. Turnbull [fr]
Press release*:
On the occasion of his official visit to French pacific territories, President François Hollande spoke with Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia about the situation in Fiji following the passage of the cyclone that caused multiple deaths and destruction.
France and Australia express their solidarity with the victims of TC Winston and their families. Both countries will cooperate closely with the Fijian authorities to provide all necessary assistance, including medical and logistical, to the affected population.
The President and the Prime minister also discussed the situation in Syria, and both insisted on the need for an urgent ceasefire to ensure the safety of the citizens of Aleppo and avoid a very serious humanitarian crisis.
Finally, they highlighted the importance to deepen the excellent relationship between France and Australia.
*This is an unofficial translation provided by the Embassy of France in Australia.


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This is from a study mentioned in Business Insider about the disappearance of working-class neighborhoods in US cities.
Here's the description…
American cities today experience distinct class divisions. The "creative class" (tech, law, arts, healthcare, professional jobs) occupies the most economically functional and desirable locations, many of which used to be working-class neighborhoods. The "service class" (lower wage, lower skill jobs like food preparation and retail) live in areas surrounding the creative class. The "blue-collar working class" (factory, manufacturing jobs) has been decimated, and what remains has been relegated to the least desirable places in cities.
[Purple = creative class; blue = working class.]
I'm not that sold on this categorization schema, as I find the 'creative class' narrative a bit too broad for my taste, but these maps of different cities are pretty interesting. I'd love to see a similar map of some Minnesota cities.
Streets.mn is a non-profit and is volunteer run. We rely on your support to keep the servers running. If you value what you read, please consider becoming a member.


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Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技), the nation's biggest PC DRAM chipmaker, yesterday posted the highest monthly sales in five months on the back of restock demand from PC makers and demand for its non-PC chips for mobile devices.
Revenue expanded 19 percent to NT$26.69 billion (US$917 million) last month, compared with October's NT$22.43 billion, after shipments soared at a 23.7 percent month-on-month rate.
On an annual basis, October revenue rose 10.2 percent from NT$24.22 billion.
Average selling prices declined 3.4 percent last month from the previous month, the chipmaker said.
"Demand for our niche products, including memory chips for digital TVs, set-top boxes and tablets, is stronger than we expected during the peak season," a company official with Nanya's public relation division said on the phone.
"Demand came mostly from China and Japan," said the official, who requested not to be named.
In addition, PC customers were restocking DRAM chips on the back of stable demand for desktop computers, Nanya said.
Growth was also driven by improved supply-and-demand conditions after major DRAM chipmakers cut production. Nanya reduced its production 20 percent last month from a month ago.
"The inventory level returned to healthy level," the official said.
In October, Nanya said that it expected PC DRAM chips to account for less than half of the company's revenue in the second half of this year, decreasing to around 10 percent in 2014.
Inotera Memories Inc (華亞科技), a joint venture between Nanya and US memorychip maker Micron Technology Inc, yesterday said revenue inched up 0.4 percent to NT$2.97 billion from NT$2.96 billion in October.
Last month's figure marked the highest level since July and represented a 2.5 percent increase from NT$2.898 billion in November of last year.
Memorychip maker Powerchip Technology Corp (力晶科技) yesterday said revenues dropped around 14 percent to NT$2.17 billion last month from NT$2.52 billion in October, after slashing 50 percent production of its PC DRAM chips.
Last month's revenues hit their lowest level in eight months.
"Because of prolonged price slump in standard DRAM chips, the company has begun cutting production of such chips," Powerchip spokesman Eric Tang (譚仲民) said in a statement yesterday.
However, Powerchip was increasing capacity for its contract chip manufacturing as demand has exceeded supply on growing end demand for handsets and other mobile devices, Tang said.
On an annual basis, revenues grew 7.15 percent from NT$2.03 billion, according to Powerchip.
Shares of Nanya Technology and Inotera rallied 6.77 percent and 6.87 percent to NT$1.42 and NT$2.49 yesterday.


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As a combat veteran of World War II, I thought the U.S. had a great deal to do with stopping the German onslaught and with freeing prisoners from the horrible Nazi death camps. For this reason, I feel strongly that the proposed Holocaust museum for Washington ((DESIGN, June 29)) is wrong: it is the wrong place, wrong country, wrong time.
William E. Gladstone
Burke, Va.
The Holocaust was horrendous. But we do not need a museum in Washington memorializing its victims. Architect James Ingo Freed's work would be highly appropriate in Jerusalem, where it would be more relevant.
Robert A. Tourigney...
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Some of the Eastside neighborhoods we represent include: Bellevue, Bridle Trails, Medina, Clyde Hill, Hunts Point, Yarrow Point, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Redmond, Woodinville, Sammamish and Issaquah. Each of them draw on a wealth of heritages and histories, both local and international, that enrich its arts, festivals, and even just daily life. All of them have their own character and attractions, making the Eastside a diverse and cosmopolitan place to live.
Surrounded by Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, and the beautiful Cascade Mountains, Bellevue is aptly nicknamed "A City in a Park." Something between a suburb and a metropolis, Bellevue offers clients a small-town vibe with a large assortment of urban entertainment options. Vibrant and modern, Bellevue is the gateway to the entire Puget Sound region and its soaring high-rises nod politely to their Seattle sisters across the glittering Lake Washington.
In addition to its verdant neighborhoods and close-knit communities, the Eastside also boasts several thriving commercial districts that host many of the world's top technology and retail companies – businesses that have grown out of the regions educated, innovative culture.
Mark von der Burg leads the a luxury real estate team, VDB | Compass, which has been serving the greater Seattle and Eastside metropolitan areas for more than 25 years. Our team of property consultants, marketing experts, buyer's specialists, and professional brokers has a proven record of selling elite properties that has consistently placed VDB | Compass among the nation's top brokerages.
For those interested in Eastside luxury real estate, there are a wide variety of options. For modern living, the Eastside offers both high-rise downtown condominiums and contemporary waterfront houses. The area is also home to beautifully restored properties such as classic Tudors known for their steep and clean roof lines, Victorian Villas famous for intricate interiors, and sprawling craftsman homes that are built to last. Mark and his team have extensive expertise not only in real estate exchanges, but in construction, remodeling, and land-use so, we can provide insights into these stunning estates other firms just can't offer.
We earnestly uphold our reputation for treating each of our clients with exceptional professionalism, respect, and loyalty. We will not only present you with a selection of the best Eastside home custom matched to your tastes, but we will meticulously guide you through the whole transaction — from selection to closing.
Come browse through our online listing portfolio of Eastside luxury homes for the latest properties available.


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They need reform, too. While it appears that President Barack Obama's plans for sweeping consumer protections for financial products may be watered down beyond any effectiveness, debt collection remains the forgotten element of the reform effort.
As Michelle Singletary writes, the Government Accountability Office has issued a report calling for major reform of collection practices:
The reform can't come soon enough. Debt defaults are at the highest level in 18 years. About 6.6 percent of credit card holders were 30 days or more past due in the first quarter of 2009. In 2008, credit issuers had more than $23 billion in unsecured debt that was between 30 and 180 days delinquent.
The Federal Trade Commission says it gets more complaints about debt collectors than any other industry.
Among the most common complaints are excessive telephone calls, collectors misrepresenting the amount or legal status of a debt, and the addition of unauthorized fees and interest to accounts. People also complain that collectors try to get them to pay debts that have been discharged in bankruptcy — an action that is against the law.
These sorts of things have been going on for a long time, but the recession has increased demand for debt collection, and it serves as a reminder that reform is long overdue.


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Kids and families will find many ways to explore Hill-Stead through hands-on activities and celebrations.
- For upcoming events, see our Calendar
- Subscribe to our E-Newsletter.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
- View a selection of our favorite young artists and their artwork!
Explore Hill-Stead
Hill-Stead has a new Scavenger Hunt, designed especially for our young visitors. With laminated images and a checklist, children will look carefully to find some very fun things in the museum. Return the completed list to the Museum Shop to collect a prize.
When you visit the museum in the warmer months, come to the Education Station in the former Carriage Barn for seasonal crafts and activities for all ages. From coloring pages to watercolor kits, there is something for everyone. Supplies are limited.
With the Sunken Garden and walking trails through meadows, forests and pond habitats, Hill-Stead is the perfect place to discover the outdoors Download a Hill-Stead Museum Trail Map (PDF)
First Sunday Discovery Days for Families
On the first Sunday of every month, families are invited to Hill-Stead! Children's art projects begin at 1 pm and self-guided tours run from 1 to 4 pm. Browse the collection at your own pace and engage in the ever-popular scavenger hunt challenge. Romp in Hill-Stead's own natural playground of hiking trails, gardens and walking paths.
School Vacation Workshops
Play, paint, write, sculpt, discover! Children can spend a week exploring Hill-Stead.
May Market
This annual spring festival features children's activities along with arts and crafts vendors, perennial plants, and lectures for adults.
Holidays At Hill-Stead
Enjoy the Holidays at Hill-Stead with your children as you visit the house with its grand rooms festively decorated for the holidays. Special tours are offered just for children while you shop for unique holiday gifts at the Hill-Stead Holiday Boutique.


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|Project by RichCMD
|posted 12-07-2015 07:24 PM
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I have been busy lately making pens with patriotic or military themes. These are some pictures of my work. There are several American Patriot twist and rollerball pens. The other four display various military campaign ribbons.
Photo #1 – American Patriot Twist pens from left to right: African Blackwood and Kentucky Coffee Tree, Red Heart and Koa, Spectraply Americana, and two Stars and Stripes acrylic
Photo #2 – American Patriot Rollerball pens left to right: African Blackwood and Kentucky Coffee Tree, Italian Olive, Spectraply Americana, and white acrylic
Photo #3 – military campaign ribbons from Iraq, Afghanistan, Desert Storm, and Viet Nam.
-- Ride the bevel!
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Event Promotion: The Biloxi Boat Show
Project: The Biloxi Boat Show
Goals: Update the brand – Raise local and regional awareness – Increase boat sales – Grow online audiences
The Focus Group is located directly on the Gulf Coast, and one thing unique to coastal culture is boating. When the team from Gulf Coast Shows came to us with an opportunity to help promote their shows, we immediately went to work identifying their challenges and designing solutions using our creatively led and digitally driven methodology.
Up first was an evolution of their brand which is family-friendly, best deals of the year and a legitimate tourism destination. Knowing this was the foundation of their success we used our Creative Director Cece Shabazz's expertise in creative psychology to put her team to work on a new brand package for the Biloxi Boat Show.
Traditional media was an important part of this campaign and Ben Hunter worked closely with the boat show team to ensure coverage was utilized on TV, radio and print where it made sense. Buying traditional media can elevate a brand message, but sometime you have to be sure you are getting the best value for your ad buys. This is where Ben becomes an invaluable partner for all of our clients. His expertise in the media industry is on both sides, buying and media sales. To learn more about his background, take a second and get to know Ben. Another asset to creating a TV commercial is the duality of using those commercials on social media. From Facebook, Twitter and Youtube you are able to create entire new audience opportunities thanks to the targeting, remarketing and behavioral marketing options through those networks.
We also knew social and digital media would be instrumental in bring in new visitors and more visitors that were ready to purchase a new boat.
Task 1 – update the website. Our lead developer Tyler Johnson put together a plan to create a new site using WordPress that would all them to share large pictures, event schedules, special events and more all through a mobile friendly responsive site.
Under his direction, the site went from this:
to this:
The redesign of the site benefited Gulf Coast Shows in 3 major ways:
Task 2 – revamp the social media outreach. Our Director of Digital Services Thomas Broadus used his expertise to utilize Facebook and Google display advertising that was hyper targeted using interests, behaviors and demographics to get the message directly to the people that would enjoy a fun family event featuring boating, fishing and kayaking. Our online social ads were on Facebook and Instagram, while out Google display campaigns were featured on ESPN, CNN, and many of our local media sites.
Utilizing targeting and photo driven storytelling we were able to bring the weekly reach for the Biloxi Boat Show Facebook page to over 100k per week.
Updating the look, feel and modernizing the outreach of the Biloxi Boat Show was a success. The 2016 show saw more active buyers and an increase in vendor activity. With a strong base of creative, tradition and social media marketing we're excited to see the new heights the Biloxi Boat Show will be able to reach as they head into their 60th anniversary.


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stand out from the crowd
NoFit States' vibrant and unique brand attracts large audiences not only across Wales and the UK, but internationally. Our touring productions reach tens of thousands of people each year and our vital community and youth projects engage with people of all ages.
We will work with you to develop a partnership that meets your company objectives for longer lasting benefits at a level that suits your budget. In return, your support will help us to continue to produce world-class contemporary circus productions, inspire and support the next generation of artists and engage with communities throughout Wales and the UK.
We can offer:
Unique staff training and rewards
Exclusive event entertainment
International brand placement and global PR
Trusted access to new audiences
Community engagement initiatives
Corporate Social Responsibility projects of all scales
To start the conversation please contact
Bethan T Gamble
Head of Development
[email protected]
02921 321 004
"At the heart of our partnership is Admirals commitment to our staff and our local community. As part of Admirals ongoing annual sponsorship NoFit State delivers an engaging programme of bespoke staff training and event entertainment. The sponsorship in turn supports NoFit States vibrant community circus programme based in Cardiff's inner city."
Sarah William, Admiral Group Plc
"Our partnership with NoFit State has allowed us to engage positively with communities using new and creative ways. Performance and participatory workshops have allowed us to develop relationships and work together towards ensuring communities are the type of places that people living there want them to be."
Jenny Community, United Welsh Housing Association
"Our communities and support of the arts in Wales plays a vital role for us at Principality and relationships like this clearly demonstrate the benefits to both the arts company, the business and the wider community. We are thrilled to be able to work so closely with NoFit State and allow people in Wales to be involved with fantastic projects"
James Harper, Principality Building Society


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- Details
611 £ /week.
Cottage Rainbow Lodge (Ursel Flandre orientale)
Environ 26 km de Knokke
4 persons
1 Review
The willow-lined canals, lush green pastures and extensive soft, sandy dunes of Flanders need no introduction ; their beauty has been captured for centuries by some of the world's greatest artists. ... Read more


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Hart: Fee meant for poor is used to aid GOP cause
AAhh, air-condition-ing! Is there anything quite so sweet as a frigid Freon-fluffed breeze on an August day in Houston?
The participants at the prayer vigil organized by Gov. Rick Perry were treated to arctic blasts of the stuff Saturday, with Reliant Stadium's 12,000 tons of air-conditioning keeping temperatures nippy. But as historic temperatures scorch Texas for the third straight month with triple-digit misery, $650 million collected from Texas electricity consumers to assist poor elderly and disabled citizens with their utility bills sits idly in a state bank account.
Instead of serving its intended humanitarian purpose, the state's $650 million System Benefit Fund now serves a political one — permitting Perry and other Republican leaders to keep their "no new taxes" pledge.
In February, the Perry-appointed Public Utility Commission voted to reduce aid distributed from the fund, allowing its corpus to grow ever bigger. The fund, a big positive entry in the state comptroller's ledger of the state's fiscal condition, is now an essential tool in "balancing" the state's budget.
The SBF was the brainchild of Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, created when the Legislature deregulated electric utility companies in 1999. Turner, hoping to protect Texas' most vulnerable consumers, proposed tacking a small monthly fee onto everyone's utility bills to provide aid to the needy.
Over the years, the PUC has adopted rules limiting the number of citizens eligible for assistance, but about 500,000 Texans receive aid for their summer bills.
When lawmakers faced a budget crisis this year, the PUC reduced the percentage of assistance offered each consumer, from 17 percent of a monthly bill to 10 percent.
Money for the budget
Stiffing the old and disabled had the happy effect of freeing up a wad of cash that lawmakers could use to "balance" the state budget adopted in May.
But it also ignited a slow burn inside Turner, who called out his fellow lawmakers for what he considers their "deceit." I brought up the subject with him this week, and quickly discovered that the summer weather has done nothing to cool his temper.
"Essentially, it is stealing," Turner said. "The money is being taken from consumers for an intended purpose - to assist low- income and seniors for paying their utility bills. What Republicans have done is taken the money, diverted it and used it as an undercover tax in order to certify the budget bill."
To sum up: Turner, a liberal Democrat, passed legislation to help the needy. That legislation is helping Republicans honor their Grover Norquist-enforced "no new taxes" pledge.
GOP 'hypocrisy' slammed
Turner is not amused. "They are using low-income and senior citizens' money to maintain their pledge," he said. "I could keep that pledge if they allowed me to steal."
Having had his legacy hijacked, Turner tried this session - and the previous one - to reform the use of the fund. No dice. The Republican leadership, he says, is "addicted" to the fees collected from utility bills, a little less than $10 annually for the average residence. "It's hypocritical," he said.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service is calling June and July "the warmest on record" for the city of Houston; also this summer, San Antonio has beaten the average for consecutive 100-plus degree days.
And charities and social service agencies are turning away hundreds of citizens seeking assistance with skyrocketing bills.
Less power to them
In its Gulf Coast region, the 211 Texas United Way Helpline has fielded some 50,000 requests for assistance with utility bills since January.
United Way workers try to find assistance, and urge callers to work out payment plans with utility companies. Many callers, they say, are seniors on fixed incomes slammed with unexpected bills.
Statistics indicate that there's a lot of unmet need: In June, some 123,440 Texans had their electricity disconnected for nonpayment of bills, up from 113,637 in June of 2010.
Alternate suggestion
Perry has called upon the state to pray for rain; no doubt the heat has prompted many to look to the heavens and invoke the Lord's name this summer.
Turner had an alternative suggestion for the Reliant prayer participants.
"They will be cool while people living in the shadow of Reliant will be hot, wondering whether or not they can pay their electricity bills," Turner said. "One of the prayers we need to offer is to be honest in our dealings with one another - especially to be sensitive to the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves - and ask the Lord for the boldness and courage to act accordingly."


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So it's one of those "I feel like taking over the world" type of mornings. I needed some girl power so I started a soundtrack to accompany me through my day. I mean, who ever attempted to take over the world without music? And when I say "take over the world" I really mean fashion industry. LOL
I hope this helps anyone else on their quest for world, fashion, design, etc domination.


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I've discussed the inception and failure of Hong Kong's first Immigration Department in 1940 here. In this blog posting I'll be looking at the complexities of immigration control in the 1930s and what this meant for Chinese and foreign refugees.
Early immigration control in Hong Kong followed in the footsteps of British policies of deportation, registration and banishment but was also passive and shaped by external events in China beyond the control of the colonial government. Until 1950 Chinese immigrants enjoyed virtually free access to Hong Kong because of its status as an entrepot for the market of China. Freedom of movement was deemed crucial for agents, buyers and itinerant traders, and labourers were needed for large-scale projects such as land reclamation schemes. The colonial authorities considered the people of Hong Kong and China closely linked by family, social and cultural ties. Politically, Hong Kong was also more than willing to adopt the status of a 'safe haven' from the perceived corruption and instability of China, as presented in the government's Hong Kong Annual Report (1956): 'for her part, Hong Kong took pride in her role as a safe and well-ordered sanctuary and she welcomed all who sought asylum, on the sole condition that they did not continue whatever struggle they were engaged in from within her borders'.
Despite this professed guarantee for 'all who sought asylum', the Sino-Japanese War led to changes in Hong Kong's immigration policies. The fall of Canton in 1938 led to a mass influx of refugees in Hong Kong, some of whom brought capital and business whilst others were eventually housed in squalid refugee camps. Unlike previous refugee flows into Hong Kong, the population showed no sign of migrating back to China. Overcrowding led to an outbreak of cholera and a forced vaccination scheme, as well as fears for the defence of Hong Kong as a 'fortress colony' amidst the Japanese advance. The Immigration Control Ordinance (1940), imposed immigration control for the first time on persons of the Chinese race from the Mainland of China. Due to institutional corruption, administrative failures and the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong, the new Immigration Department did not survive the war and in 1945 responsibility for immigration reverted back to the police. Prior to 1940 therefore, Chinese refugees were not subject to immigration control. German and Austrian Jewish refugees on the other hand were required to possess a valid passport and visa for Hong Kong, a guarantee of employment and to show that they would not become a charge on public funds.
[1] See: Chan, Johannes, Immigration Control in Hong Kong: An Interdisciplinary Study (2004) and Ku, Agnes, Immigration Polices, Discourses and the Politics of Local Belonging in Hong Kong (1950 – 1980) (2004)


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EHPSA research supports the efforts to reach adolescent girls, and to increase the availability and uptake of prevention technologies and understand how to tackle high STI incidence amongst MSM.
Countries in the SADC region have developed100-day plans for immediate action. The plans include national targets, national prevention programmes, and remedial action necessary to meet them. The meeting in Johannesburg was aimed at reviewing the progress made with the 100-day action plans and adjusting the course of the plans if necessary. What a beautiful opportunity to EHPSA to present evidence on different options to adjust the 100-day plans.
EHPSA worked together with UNAIDS and the SADC secretariat to organise a day of evidence dissemination ahead of the ministerial meeting, specifically designed for the NAC Directors and their heads of prevention. A powerful portfolio of studies represented EHPSA, including:
- The Mzantsi Wakho team: findings on their research on adherence and HIV positive adolescents:
- Anza Mapema: findings and inter-linkages between STIs and the HIV prevention agenda and the implications of STIs as entry point for better MSM service delivery to prevent HIV infection.
- The Human Sciences Research Council: findings of the critical review on the status of MSM service delivery in the region, highlighting the pockets of promising practice and progress, despite adverse legal contexts.
- The P-ART-Y team: findings from the Pop-Art for Youth trial, linking to the 90-90-90 discourse with an HIV prevention lens.
The meeting provided EHPSA and EHPSA's studies with an excellent opportunity to reach regional policy makers and create momentum for key HIV prevention messages to be carried forward, thus contributing to sustainable research impact. EHPSA's studies were well received by the audience and it was extremely encouraging to see participants engaged in the discussion, asking questions, interested in the evidence, taking notes, jotting down statistics and taking photos of PowerPoint slides.
The evidence dissemination day closed with a clear call to researchers to present their finding in plain language summaries and provide evidence briefs with the main messages for HIV prevention programmes and policies. EHPSA will produce these knowledge products over the next weeks and months and we look forward to their use in the next generation of 100-day action plans, infused with EHPSA evidence.


text: Hi, we just tried to install PIL on Linux, HP-UX, OSF1 and SunOS and we ran into several interesting (boring?) problems. Our final goal is to display some nice colourful spectrograms (like in matlab). 1] basic install problems 1a] python: can't resolve symbol 'ImagingCrack' solution: commented out _crack in _imagingmodule.c 1b] the configure script is seriously broken when trying to use libz and and libjpeg that are not in /usr/local/lib and /usr/local/include solution: patched the Makefile by hand 1c] the makefiles are not setup for dealing with libjpeg.so and libz.so solution: patched Setup.in JPEGLIB = -L$(MYSHLIB) -ljpeg 2] on HP-UX9.05, the 'make test' gives completely different results when compiling with gcc and cc. Lena appears but is heavily discoloured when using gcc. With cc, it looks more like a 'photoshop' job. I have the suspicion that the cc version is correct. How can I find out? 3] some examples simply don't run. >>> im = Image.open('/home/singer/data/gaijin.ppm') >>> box = (100, 100, 200, 200) >>> region = im.crop(box) >>> region = region.transpose(Image.ROTATE_180) Traceback (innermost last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in ? File "/home/singer/lib/python/Imaging/Image.py", line 591, in transpose return self._makeself(im) File "/home/singer/lib/python/Imaging/Image.py", line 219, in _makeself new.palette = self.palette AttributeError: palette I can hack this and then it seems to work. region.palette=None; region.info={} [4] I am reading a .jpg and trying to save as .gif and get this error: IOError: cannot save mode RGB as GIF What am I doing wrong? [5] in Lib/ImageTk.py the line mode = image.palette.mode fails for mode == "P". If I hardcode it to mode = "RGB" it seemed to work (for my special case). class PhotoImage: def __init__(self, mode, size = None, **kw): if hasattr(mode, "mode") and hasattr(mode, "size"): # got an image instead of a mode image = mode mode = image.mode if mode == "P": # palette mapped data image.load() mode = image.palette.mode size = image.size kw["width"], kw["height"] = size else: image = None if mode not in ["1", "L", "RGB", "RGBA"]: if mode == "F": mode = "L" else: mode = "RGB" self.__mode = mode self.__size = size self.__photo = apply(Tkinter.PhotoImage, (), kw) self.image = self.__photo # compatibility if image: self.paste(image) [6] will this still be freeware? I find it slightly disconcerting that the binary version for Windows is more advanced than the source code. Last not least, I was pretty impressed by this software (that's why I spent some time to oompile it on all our architectures). BTW, I found some contributed palette code (around December 96) but it looks like it would seriously break some other code. -- Harald Singer, ATR ITL, tel +81-7749-5-1389 email@example.com _______________ IMAGE-SIG - SIG on Image Processing with Python send messages to: email@example.com administrivia to: email@example.com _______________


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Tell me more...
"It's hard enough being a small business owner. It's time to take the guesswork out of your marketing!"
Most Common Marketing Mistakes
If you've caught yourself making these mistakes, it's time to master your marketing!
No Plan
Guessing at what will work, trying whatever sounds good & hoping for the best
Jumping Off A Bridge Syndrome
"It worked for them..." or "Sounds good, let's give it a try!"
Lack of Variety
Your customers are changing their methods of input, are you changing your methods of output?
Marketing To Fix Sales
Don't just increase marketing if you haven't fixed the sieve in your business!
Marketing to Close Sales
Sales and marketing go hand in hand, but are not the same thing!
Your Trainers
Stephanie Scheller
Founder, Grow Disrupt
Stephanie spent three years in the corporate world analyzing why some marketing campaigns took off like fire and identical campaigns could fizzle and sputter. She now takes that knowledge to maximize marketing budgets while creating powerful impacts for small businesses across Central Texas.
Roger Christian
President, RCC
Roger is a graduate of UT Austin and fromer adjunct professor at Texas State. He founded RCCO in 1980. An Adweek Magazine Creative All-Star, he received the American Advertising Federation's Silver Medal for lifetime achievement and has numerous honors from the Houston, Dallas and New York Art Director's Club's. Brand experience includes Blue Bell Cremeries, Coca-Cola, Armed Forces Entertainment, Minute Maid, USAA, Jiffy Lube and Pennzoil among others.
Marisa Medina
Account Planner, RCC
Marisa has 17 years experience with such clients as General Mills, Minute Maid, Nestle, Whataburger, Schick/Sirona, Proctor/Gamble, Dryer's Ice Cream(Deliete), the NBA, Old El Paso and Totino's. Marisa has a well-tested background in applied research and a B.A. from SMU.
Times Subject to Change
Why This Matters...
Creating & Strengthening A Great Brand
The #1 most important (and overlooked by small business owners) piece of successful marketing campaigns in the nearly 400 campaigns Stephanie reviewed over three years!
Defining Your Target Market
You can save a LOT of money if you can get your message directly in front of your target market - do you know who they are, where they hang out and how they talk?
Marketing Tips for Small Business
A checklist for successful marketing copy, components of a successful marketing plan, sales funnels, dealing with vendors, copywriting tips, and more!
Building Your Marketing Plan
We'll wrap up the day by actually creating your marketing strategy to end 2018 and kick off 2019 strong!
Register Today & Save Your Seat!
This is the event small business owners have been desperate for and seats are selling FAST!
We've got some powerful pre-event homework we'll be sending your way, take time to really dig in so you can hit the ground running and get the most out of the day!
Stephanie, Roger & Marisa will sit down with you on October 25th to discuss not just marketing concepts, but guide you in creating your own actual strategies and marketing plans!
Register Now
Immerse yourself in marketing mastery tips!
We provide the lunch. You provide the open & eager mind!
We will start promptly at 9am and wrap up by 6pm!
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Get on the waitlist below to be alerted as soon as seats (and early-bird pricing) are available!
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All content & speakers subject to change at Scheller Enterprises DBA Grow Disrupt discretion to be replaced by equal or higher quality
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There are no refunds available for seminar payments. Payments may be applied towards other Grow Disrupt services if desired but request must be submitted in writing to email@example.com prior to event start and written approval of request must be approved prior to fund transfer.
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If you are unable to attend the seminar indicated above after payment is processed you may apply the funds paid towards a ticket to attend any other Grow Disrupt Event within the following 12 months provided that request to reschedule is received and processed at least 14-days prior to seminar start. If the new event ticket exceeds the amount paid, remainder must be paid at time of registration. Reschedules within 14 days of seminar start will incur a $150 rescheduling fee automatically assessed to the account on file except in case of family or health emergencies.
For seminar reschedules requested within 72-hours of seminar start, please see next section.
Within 72-Hour Rescheduling Policy:
If you need to reschedule your seminar with 72 hours of the seminar start there will automatically be a $199 rescheduling fee per participant assessed to the account used to pay for the seminar seat. Exceptions available in instances of health or family emergencies but must be submitted in writing to firstname.lastname@example.com and written approval must be received prior to seminar start to avoid rescheduling fees.


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Brian Fischer, an official with the American Family Association, is getting some well-deserved criticism today for criticizing recent recipients of the Medal of Honor because they were honored for saving lives, not taking them.
Fischer wrote on his blog yesterday that the award for heroism has been "feminized."
So the question is this: when are we going to start awarding the Medal of Honor once again for soldiers who kill people and break things so our families can sleep safely at night?
I would suggest our culture has become so feminized that we have become squeamish at the thought of the valor that is expressed in killing enemy soldiers through acts of bravery. We know instinctively that we should honor courage, but shy away from honoring courage if it results in the taking of life rather than in just the saving of life. So we find it safe to honor those who throw themselves on a grenade to save their buddies.
Perhaps Mr. Fischer would like to give Minnesota's Leo Thorsness a call. The Walnut Grove native got his Medal of Honor the way Mr. Fischer objects to: by saving lives.
Here's the citation from his Vietnam service:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As pilot of an F- 105 aircraft, Lt. Col. Thorsness was on a surface-to-air missile suppression mission over North Vietnam. Lt. Col. Thorsness and his wingman attacked and silenced a surface-to-air missile site with air-to-ground missiles, and then destroyed a second surface-to-air missile site with bombs. In tile attack on the second missile site, Lt. Col. Thorsness' wingman was shot down by intensive antiaircraft fire, and the 2 crewmembers abandoned their aircraft. Lt. Col. Thorsness circled the descending parachutes to keep the crewmembers in sight and relay their position to the Search and Rescue Center. During this maneuver, a MIG-17 was sighted in the area. Lt. Col. Thorsness immediately initiated an attack and destroyed the MIG. Because his aircraft was low on fuel, he was forced to depart the area in search of a tanker. Upon being advised that 2 helicopters were orbiting over the downed crew's position and that there were hostile MlGs in the area posing a serious threat to the helicopters, Lt. Col. Thorsness, despite his low fuel condition, decided to return alone through a hostile environment of surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft defenses to the downed crew's position. As he approached the area, he spotted 4 MIG-17 aircraft and immediately initiated an attack on the MlGs, damaging 1 and driving the others away from the rescue scene. When it became apparent that an aircraft in the area was critically low on fuel and the crew would have to abandon the aircraft unless they could reach a tanker, Lt. Col. Thorsness, although critically short on fuel himself, helped to avert further possible loss of life and a friendly aircraft by recovering at a forward operating base, thus allowing the aircraft in emergency fuel condition to refuel safely. Lt. Col. Thorsness' extraordinary heroism, self-sacrifice, and personal bravery involving conspicuous risk of life were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
Fischer wouldn't be able to call Kenneth Olson of Willmar, because the Medal of Honor recipient was killed in Vietnam, saving the lives of his fellow soldiers:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Olson distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a team leader with Company A. Sp4c. Olson was participating in a mission to reinforce a reconnaissance platoon which was heavily engaged with a well-entrenched Viet Cong force. When his platoon moved into the area of contact and had overrun the first line of enemy bunkers, Sp4c. Olson and a fellow soldier moved forward of the platoon to investigate another suspected line of bunkers. As the 2 men advanced they were pinned down by intense automatic weapons fire from an enemy position 10 meters to their front. With complete disregard for his safety, Sp4c. Olson exposed himself and hurled a hand grenade into the Viet Cong position. Failing to silence the hostile fire, he again exposed himself to the intense fire in preparation to assault the enemy position. As he prepared to hurl the grenade, he was wounded, causing him to drop the activated device within his own position. Realizing that it would explode immediately, Sp4c. Olson threw himself upon the grenade and pulled it in to his body to take the full force of the explosion. By this unselfish action Sp4c. Olson sacrificed his own life to save the lives of his fellow comrades-in-arms. His extraordinary heroism inspired his fellow soldiers to renew their efforts and totally defeat the enemy force. Sp4c. Olson's profound courage and intrepidity were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
Richard Sorenson of Anoka suffered the same fate, doing the same thing:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with an assault battalion attached to the 4th Marine Division during the battle of Namur Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, on 1-2 February 1944. Putting up a brave defense against a particularly violent counterattack by the enemy during invasion operations, Pvt. Sorenson and 5 other marines occupying a shellhole were endangered by a Japanese grenade thrown into their midst. Unhesitatingly, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Pvt. Sorenson hurled himself upon the deadly weapon, heroically taking the full impact of the explosion. As a result of his gallant action, he was severely wounded, but the lives of his comrades were saved. His great personal valor and exceptional spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of almost certain death were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
And so did Dale Wayrynen of Moose Lake:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Wayrynen distinguished himself with Company B, during combat operations near Duc Pho. His platoon was assisting in the night evacuation of the wounded from an earlier enemy contact when the lead man of the unit met face to face with a Viet Cong soldier. The American's shouted warning also alerted the enemy who immediately swept the area with automatic weapons fire from a strongly built bunker close to the trail and threw hand grenades from another nearby fortified position. Almost immediately, the lead man was wounded and knocked from his feet. Sp4c. Wayrynen, the second man in the formation, leaped beyond his fallen comrade to kill another enemy soldier who appeared on the trail, and he dragged his injured companion back to where the point squad had taken cover. Suddenly, a live enemy grenade landed in the center of the tightly grouped men. Sp4c. Wayrynen, quickly assessing the danger to the entire squad as well as to his platoon leader who was nearby, shouted a warning, pushed one soldier out of the way, and threw himself on the grenade at the moment it exploded. He was mortally wounded. His deep and abiding concern for his fellow soldiers was significantly reflected in his supreme and courageous act that preserved the lives of his comrades. Sp4c. Wayrynen's heroic actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the service, and they reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
According to his biography, Mr. Fischer did not serve in the Armed Forces. He went to a seminary.
You can read all of the citations for every Medal of Honor winner here.


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Two frequent recommendations made online for creating ISO images are to use dd or cat e.g. For example:
ORcat /dev/cdrom > cdimage.iso
Neither are appropriate to create an image of CD or DVD.
- They provide no error checking and require a hash checksum such as MD5 or SHA1 to verify the image created is true to the original media; and
- Neither dd or cat lock the underlying files so there's a risk they could change whilst the image is being created.
Use readom...


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Regular price
We will notify you when this product becomes available.
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Who: Anyone looking for a nutritious protein and wellness powder, to support metabolism1, immunity2* and help bring the body back into balance. Bring your body back into balance with BODY Inner Beauty Support – the ultimate protein and wellness powder now with fermented hemp and shiitake mushrooms. Our nutrient-dense, wholefood formula is rich in bioavailable plant proteins, superfoods and alkalising greens to help support your health, beauty and overall wellbeing.Containing more than 40 Certified Organic ingredients, BODY is the perfect healthy snack or meal supplement, designed to support nutrition, immunity3 and weight maintenance4. Packed with sprouted and fermented plant proteins, our unique blend forms a complete essential amino acid profile for the maintenance and repair of muscles and other tissues. The formula also contains an abundance of bio-fermented super-fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, prebiotics and probiotics to support digestive health – and is a great source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre and phytonutrients. A single dose provides 100% of your RDI of vitamin C and 50% of your RDI of vitamin D. BODY has been developed with The Beauty Chef's exclusive Flora Culture™ fermentation process to increase the bioavailability of the formula, supercharge the ingredients and create a live, broad-spectrum probiotic for a beautiful belly. This delicious multi-tasking protein and wellness powder is available in both Vanilla and Chocolate and is the optimal way to support your body, your beauty and your wellbeing.
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Marconi Union
Marconi Union are an English musical trio consisting of Richard Talbot, Jamie Crossley and Duncan Meadows.[1]
Marconi Union
|Years active
|All Saints Records
Just Music
|Richard Talbot
Jamie Crossley
Duncan Meadows
Marconi Union are a UK band formed when Talbot and Crossley met while working in a Manchester record shop. They have a reputation for being somewhat elusive as they frequently refuse interview requests and show little interest in promoting themselves despite having attracted considerable critical acclaim. Their self-produced debut album, Under Wires and Searchlights, appeared in 2003 on the English independent label Ochre Records.[2] Shortly after, they were then picked up by All Saints Records (a label strongly associated with electronic musician Brian Eno). In 2005, they released Distance, which featured a darker, more electronic sound.[3]
Recording for their third album, A Lost Connection, began in 2007. Originally slated for release on All Saints, the band became victims of label politics following a Warner Bros takeover. Frustrated by the delays and with two full-length albums recorded and awaiting release, Talbot and Crossley launched their digital label MU Transmissions which started to sell their music via their own website.
In 2009 the Marconi Union website released a new album, Tokyo on the German Binemusic label. According to press releases and reviews Tokyo was inspired by media images of the city.
In 2010, A Lost Connection was remastered and finally released on CD,[4] and the band announced that Duncan Meadows their live keyboardist had joined on a permanent basis.
In July 2011, a new album, Beautifully Falling Apart (Ambient Transmissions Vol:1) was released on Just Music.[5] Musically this proved to be a diversion from previous releases being largely beatless and with a greater emphasis on texture. Despite this move away from the more commercial aspects of their earlier work it once again met with considerable critical acclaim.[6]
Different Colours (the first release to feature Duncan Meadows) once again differed in approach and sound from its predecessors. This time, the focus was on tightly structured arrangements, assimilating ideas from jazz and soundtrack composers like Bernard Herrmann with the intention of producing a "more soulful sound". "Different Colours" achieved greater commercial success than their previous releases while once again receiving critical acclaim, it featured in many best of the year lists and was Echoes CD of the month.
In September 2012, Marconi Union appeared at the annual Punkt! Festival in Kristiansand, Norway, at the invitation of Brian Eno. Rather than play live they performed two live remixes, one of Cyclobe and the other of S.C.U.M.
Over a period of two years, predating the arrival of Duncan Meadows, Talbot and Crossley also collaborated with Jah Wobble; the results being released as the album Anomic on 30 Hertz records in June 2013.
On 16 October 2011, Marconi Union created an eight-minute track, titled "Weightless", in collaboration with the British Academy of Sound Therapy.
The song features guitar, piano and manipulated field recordings. It is punctuated throughout by low tones that supposedly induce a trance-like state.[7][8]
In November 2011, Marconi Union were featured in Time magazine's list of Inventors of the Year, for writing and recording "Weightless".[vague][9] In January 2017 it charted in the Billboard charts.
Other activitiesEdit
This section does not cite any sources. (October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Marconi Union have worked on several visual arts projects. In 2015 they created "Weightless / Endless", an online installation[vague] in association with the Marina Abramovic Institute and later that year provided the soundtrack to "A Distant Light", a large scale installation shown in Oxford Street, London in association with the Selfridges department store.
- Under Wires and Searchlights (Ochre Records, 2003)
- Distance (All Saints Records, 2005)
- A Lost Connection (MU Transmissions, 2008)
- Tokyo (Binemusic, 2009)
- Beautifully Falling Apart (Ambient Transmissions Volume 1) (Just Music, 2011)
- Different Colours (Just Music, 2012)
- Weightless (Ambient Transmissions Volume 2) (Self-released limited 2012)
- Anomic Jah Wobble & Marconi Union (30 Hertz 2013)
- Weightless (Ambient Transmissions Volume 2) (Just Music, 2014)
- Ghost Stations (Just Music, 2016)
- Tokyo+ (Just Music, 2017)
- Dead Air (2019)
|Peak positions
- Max Richter - "Dream 13" (Marconi Union Remix) (Deutsche Grammophon, 2016)
- Antonymes - "Delicate Power" (Marconi Union Remix) (Hidden Shoal, 2016)
See alsoEdit
- ^ Yau, Alex (11 July 2011). "Marconi Union – Beautifully Falling Apart review". drownedinsound.com. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Brown, Marisa. "Marconi Union – biography". allmusic.com. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Brown, Marisa. "Distance – Marconi Union – Album review". allmusic.com. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Drever, Ryan (27 July 2010). "Marconi Union – A Lost Connection review". thelineofbestfit.com. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Milton, Jamie (12 July 2011). "Marconi Union – Beautifully Falling Apart review". thelineofbestfit.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Edwards, Mark. "Sunday Times Review".
- ^ "Send-you-to-sleep sound". London: thetelegraph.co.uk. 16 October 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^ "Oiça aqui a música "mais relaxante de sempre"" (in Portuguese). visao.pt. 20 October 2011.[dead link]
- ^ Grossman, Lev (28 November 2011). "The 50 Best Inventions". Time.
- ^ "Marconi Union discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 January 2014.


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$550.00 $500.00
The family of four ticket is designed for two parents or grandparents with 2 children between the ages of 6 and 17. This ticket gives a family of 4 programming from 10 am until 10 pm on Friday and Saturday and from 10 am until 4:30 pm on Sunday. Excludes separately ticketed events. All Ticket Sales Are Final.


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General Motors has lifted the wraps off the pre-production version of its next generation Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck in advance of the Bangkok International Auto Show on March 25, where it is making its global public debut. The Colorado Show truck will lead to a toned down production model that will be revealed within the next few months and first go on sale in Thailand later this year. The Detroit automaker is keeping mum about whether or not the Colorado will come to the States.
"Although this is a show vehicle, the basic proportions and form convey the vision for the next-generation Colorado that we will bring to market," said Brad Merkel, GM's global vehicle line executive.
"It reflects a stylized version of the new truck, one that takes into account rugged dependable truck capabilities for commercial use as well as sophisticated refinement for personal-use needs."
The Bangkok show truck features an extended-cab body atop a high-stance AWD chassis and rides on large, 20-inch wheels and off-road tires size 285/50R20. Certain details such as the large alloy wheels, futuristic exterior mirrors and LED lamps will most likely be absent from the production model.
The interior styling of the Colorado is inspired from the latest Chevy models including the Aveo/Sonic as well as the Camaro. Chevy says soft-touch materials have been used throughout the cabin, which also features number of storage compartments including a covered center bin and a large, dual glovebox.
Power for the Colorado show truck comes via 2.8-liter turbo-diesel engine.


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New Game Added: Dino Zooby Aethyna Jun 24, 2015 Buy and hatch dinosaur eggs to obtain your own baby dinosaurs. Place them comfortably in their respective elemental-themed habitats and feed them regularly to ensure their growth! You can get the food they need from farms that will be managed by your tribal people. You can even crossbreed dinosaurs and pit your team of dinosaurs into PvP matches with dinosaurs from another player! Read More
New Game Added: Global Agentsby Aethyna Aug 23, 2015 Unexplained explosions occurred all around the globe has shaken up the world's community and when these attacks are linked to a known terrorist group... well, it's time to take the fight back to them! Assume the role of a counter-terrorism agent and track down one of the biggest terrorism organization in the world! Read More
New Article Added: Why You Should Play Pirates: Tides of Fortuneby Aethyna Jan 4, 2016 Do you have what it takes to become one of the most fearsome yet grudgingly respected pirates in all of the seven seas? Read More
Albion Online Teaser Trailerby Aethyna Jan 3, 2016 Inspired from the timeless MMORPG, Ultima Online, Albion Online is one of the most anticipated sandbox MMO game. Read More
New Game Added: Mahjong Epic 2by Aethyna Aug 14, 2015 Return to the mahjong basics and enjoy plain and simplistic mahjong in this epic mahjong game, Mahjong Epic 2! The game offers up to 350 different and challenging mahjong layouts that you can attempt to solve. Choose from 24 very colorful backgrounds to accompany you on your epic mahjong journey! Read More
Fight Against the Devil Himself in Abyss: Dark Arisenby Aethyna Jan 1, 2016 Play as a warrior, a priest or a mage in this upcoming, web-based MMORPG, Abyss: Dark Arisen! Read More
New Game Added: Best Fiendsby Aethyna Dec 30, 2015 A comet struck Mount Boom on the bug-dominated world of Minutia and has unleashed waves after waves of voracious slugs. The slugs have kidnapped some of Temper the green bug's friends. It is up to you and as many bugs as you can rally to your cause to go and save them in this incredible combat match-3 game, Best Fiends! Read More
Support Adventure Quest 3D on Kickstarterby Aethyna Dec 30, 2015 Love Adventure Quest Worlds? Well, you'll definitely love it even more if it's in 3D! Read More
New Article Added: Most Anticipated F2P MMOs in 2016: Part 1by Aethyna Dec 29, 2015 As the year draws closer to its end, a new dawn approaches! Here is some of the most anticipated free-to-play MMOs that have gotten us all riled up. Read More
Kwismas Island Returns to Dofusby Aethyna Dec 28, 2015 Kwismas Island has emerged from the inpenetrable North Pole fogbank and is now visible from the shores of Amakna. Learn more about what this incredible island brings to Dofus! Read More Older Posts
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Although I'm not the biggest fan of winter (I'm more of an autumn/spring lover) I can't deny that winter is a fantastic time for taking photographs.
Winter photography
29 Nov 2016 Leave a comment
in photography Tags: photography, photos, seasons, winter
Look back over the past year
18 Feb 2014 Leave a comment
in Life Tags: back, beach, city, job, life, look, new, past, photography, photos, story, year
My life has changed so much in the last year. Around this time last year, I was getting ready to finish up with the school I was working with at the time after working with them for 4 years. I was getting ready to celebrate my 4th year in China (Now almost 5!) My boyfriend and I had been together for almost a year.
Now…. I'm in a different city in China, I'm next to the sea! The sea is lovely in the summer but I'm not a fan now as it is way too cold!! I'm working in a completely different place than I originally thought, which to be honest is great. The kindergarten I'm working in now is a million times better than the place I was going to work with. My boyfriend and I have now been together for almost 2 years, even though we live in different cities. I finally got my second tattoo 😀 I organised raising donations and a visit to a local orphanage on Christmas day with my kindergarten kids.
The past year has had many ups and downs, thankfully I've had the support of my amazing family, friends and boyfriend. I wouldn't be where I am without you guys. I've taken some photos throughout the past year, unfortunately not as many as I would like, but I've still managed to get a few good ones to share with you guys! Some are by me, some by my friends. How has the past year been for you guys?
Daily prompt: All it's cracked up to be
15 Jan 2014 Leave a comment
in Daily prompt Tags: daily prompt, marriage, perfect, photo, photography, sepia, wedding


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There is something to be said about the basic but classic and timeless combo, black and white. Sometimes when I am at a loss as to what to wear I seem to resort to black and white. So simple, but classic!
I've been a fan of cape blazers since I first saw them so I was super excited when I started carrying them in my store. As much as I would love a fun, bright, color blazer, you can't go wrong with black! I love how the cape gives a bit of a new twist on the timeless blazer. This outfit was easy to throw together and toss on for a date night over the weekend!
While the cape blazer is pretty awesome, it may be something that doesn't stick around for more than a season or two, so I wouldn't recommend spending a ton of money on one!
Outfit Details:
Blazer: Elizabeth & West /// Tee: Target /// Jeans: Elizabeth & West (in store) /// Shoes: Kohls (similar) /// Bag: Target (similar)


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Work with our team on various projects and initiatives that promote career readiness and successful transitions to adulthood for all youth (with a special focus on youth with disabilities and other disconnected youth) by increasing the capacity of and connections among all stakeholders in the workforce development system. The intern will assist staff of IEL's Center for Workforce Development (CWD) with any number of tasks including gathering information on programs, strategies, resources, and policies for supporting youth in transition, writing and editing publications and website content, and coordinating outreach and dissemination activities such as social media. CWD's current initiatives including the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth); the Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP); and DC Advocacy Partners. IEL pays interns a modest stipend.
Please send a resume, a writing sample, and a cover letter that describes what interests you about the internship, what skills and experience you would bring to the internship, and what you would like to gain from the experience to Mindy Larson, email@example.com or fax: (202) 872-4050.
Read the job description and information about IEL's Center for Workforce Development (PDF).


text:
In Gods' Good Time: Chapter Fourteen of an Angel Beats Fan Fiction Story
C V Ford
Chapter 14: Doing Business
Looking at his watch he said, "still some time 'fore Angel comes looking to hustle people off to class."
"Best we get back to 'Safe and Sound' Yurippe."
"In a minute." Yuri turned from Noda back to Duffy. "Y'know, I had no idea I'd be talking so much theology of any kind with anyone today or any day. Least of all you."
"Neither did I. The Purgatory remark was only a conversation starter."
"Or a conversion starter," the Front leader returned a knowing grin. "So what was it you DID want to talk about?"
Jack reached into the fanny pack, drawing out some metal objects with a couple sheets of paper.
"Wondering if we could discuss business."
"Business ..."
"As in ... " Her eyes widened slightly as they fell on the articles in Duffys' hand.
"I figure you don't really need ALL those meal tickets you uh ... aquire on your raids. Your school accounts should cover meals. My guess is they're going to someone else."
"Someone ... else?"
"Your group combined couldn't possibly eat all that food, not even with Matsushita. I understand he can be pretty carnivorous."
"Yeah," laughed Noda. "You gotta watch your hands around him when he's eating!"
"And that someone else would be ... ?"
"The ones' procuring your guns 'n ammo."
Yuri kept herself deadpan inscrutible.
"I've noticed from time to time, folks in work coveralls who don't seem to be part of the regular maintenance staff. No lanyard ID or anything ... Mostly see 'em along with that Saitou fellow in cafeteria or food court. Except for that one bearded, older looking gentleman, they seem to be a bit on the young side to be staff. They take great pains to avoid Angel too. My guess is they're the ones making your goodies.
"As you know, my job requires me being all over the grounds. In several places, I've found trap doors over shafts leading down to passages below. The one under the gym stage for instance. Sometimes I hear the sound of machinery coming from below.
"Having seen that mallet trap of yours in action, I've no doubt there may be other nasties ready to spring below. Not wanting to get clobbered ... well ... I know where I'm not welcome. Mama didn't raise no fools ..."
"You mentioned something about business."
"Yes. I've found as I'm sure you already have, that one can make things or rather parts of things from the very dirt this place stands on. Though I've been experimenting at my place, I know I have a long way to go.
"In the meantime, I want to keep in practice. Which means I'll be expending some ammo. As I'm not a chemist or metalurgist, I was wondering if we could work out some trade.
"While I'm being paid reasonably well, there's little opportunity to spend it aside from the more expensive cafeteria dishes. If possible, maybe Takayama could work out funds transfer, or perhaps I could just pay you off in meal tickets ... Could take a little pressure off in regard to those raids you pull."
Yuri took a quick glance at Noda, the campus, then back to Duffy.
"I'll ... see what I can do. Can't promise anything though. As for that ...," She pointed at the objects Jack held.
He handed the things and paper to the Battlefront leader.
"These are examples of what I'm looking for with the specs. Prices I've estimated are based on American retail calculated in yen according to the exchange rate I last remember. I've added extra for any difference. Of course inform me before going ahead."
Yuri briefly examined the sheet and objects before pocketing them. Cha would know more about it and maybe shed more light on Duffy-san.
"I'll call in a day or so and let you know one way or the other."
"Honest Yurippe. I keep telling you ... He knows a lot more about that religion of his than I ever have. I learned more about it in that talk we ... you ... had yesterday than in all the times my aunt was uh ... " Noda turned to a figure seated across the desk from Yuri. "What's that word again?"
|Yuri Swiveled in the desk chair toward the answerer.
"When my wife and I searched for that 'perfect world', we ran across all sorts of beliefs. This one's unique in its' uh ... exclusivity... yet ... inclusiveness."
"No reincarnation. Only one way to God, heaven ... nirvana, whatever. Dependence on a personal God who takes an active interest in you as an individual (Romans 8:28). They're compelled, at least the observant ones, by what their uh ... Bible ... says to tell any and everyone of their beliefs (Mark 16:15, 2nd Timothy 4:2). Open to all and nothing passive about it. As it's seemingly based on non-violence I MIGHT doubt Angel's in on it in any way. May not have anything to do with the god we're up against ..."
"Well ... It really is a weird religion this Christianity thing. I swear ... At one point I thought he was trying to get Noda and I to disappear ... obliterated ... If we ... How'd he say it ... get saved? Yeah ... the 'salvation thing' he mentioned." (John 3:16, See also footnote 3 in Chapter 13.)
"Yeah ... 'getting saved' is what some of them call it. Others say 'born again'."
"'Born again'?"
"Being a changed person," explained Cha. (John 3:7 and 2nd Corinthians 5:17)
"I didn't quite exactly get what one would be 'getting saved' from. What exactly-"
"From being forever tormented in hell ... with the devil ... demons ... or something ... With no chance of getting out ... Separated from God for eternity ... I think ... ." (Matt 10:28, 1st John 5:18, 2nd Peter 2:4) (1)
"Darn it Noda! There you go again! You keep saying you don't know much about it then you come up with something like that."
"Honest Yuri! Just little bits 'n pieces from what I heard ... The way relatives put it ... In one ear 'n out the other."
"Be nice if you remembered more."
The halberd wielder only shrugged in reply.
"But then," the Front leader turned back to Cha. "You seem to know quite a lot about it yourself."
"Not really much more than Noda here. You could always talk further with Duffy-san about it, " suggested Cha.
"Hmm ... I don't know ..."
"There's some litturature in the library along with copies of that Bible of theirs."
"Well ... It's too weird for me," said Yuri. "I ... we ... have enough of the spiritual dealing with Angel and this place."
"Speaking of which," Cha interjected. "You think he's possibly working with Angel in SOME way? It'd really be strange dealing with him as he proposed if that's the case."
"No, not really. The only times any of us see him with Angel are incidental ... they don't talk much. Says he finds her strange and difficult to talk with."
"Hey! Maybe he could get her uh ... 'saved' and she'd get obliterated."
"Big help Noda," said Yuri as she eyed him with that goofy smile on his face. As he was on the desks' side opposite, he was out of slug range.
"All the same, you think it's wise to do business with him? We are talking munitions after all."
"I've some doubt but ... yes. As you as well as he said: They're told in that book of theirs to spread the word on their beliefs (Matt 28:19, Mark 16:15, ) It's probably not out any motivation to help Angel though I've already told everyone here to be on guard about him talking religion. That and he stated ... emphatically I might add ... He doesn't believe this place has any spiritual/theological basis ... that is ... none that he knows of.
"Then there's also the fact he doesn't have any powers or abilities like Angel. He's never made a move against us or displayed any hostility. If he's a threat, he's a very friendly one which might be the possibility. No ... For now ... If anyone's a wild card it would still be Angel."
"I find it interesting he was able to suss out the connection with the Guild and the meal tickets."
"He may not be Japanese, but he's no fool, Cha."
"So ... we go ahead?"
"Yes," Yuri declared. "Would be good to supplement our supply of meal tickets. Be nice every now and then NOT to have to do a raid. Build a reserve ... take some of the pressure off ... plan other operations ... So ... Think you can fill that order?"
"Definitely, With a little tweaking I know we can."
"I find these cartridges interesting," said the machinist pointing to the objects on the desk. "Take the long one for instance. M1 .30 Ball ... Also known as the 'thirty ought six' ... .30 caliber, adopted by the U.S. military in 1906. The 7.62 millimeter Matsushita uses in his MG3 is a derivative of this.
"From the description Shiina gave me of his rifle, I think he has an M1A1 Garand semi-auto. The kind the Americans used during the War In the Pacific and Korea. Our own JSDF had it for a time after the war.
"And this one," Cha picked up the wider, shorter one. ".45 ACP ... stands for Automatic Colt Pistol. Not like the nine millies some of you have. Shiina also said he has the hammer cocked back all the time. My guess is he carries a Colt/Browning derivative of some kind. Like TKs' Hi-Power it's designed for carry with the hammer back, safety on, so's to have it in a safe but ready condition.
"From what I gather, when it comes to guns ... Duffy-san is strictly traditional old school GI.
"American military slang referring to their equipment. Means 'general issue'. Soon came to mean the men themselves."
"So that's why they were called GIs?"
Both machinist and leader looked over at Noda, Yuri shaking her head.
"So tell him we can fill this in a few days. We're gonna have to up the price to ...," Cha scribbled a figure on one of the sheets, "... this on subsequent orders. We can let this one go on his quote as he's a ... uh ... 'first time customer'."
Let's see," Yuri thought aloud. "From what we know of his comings and goings, he should be at his place in about an hour ... I'll call him then."
It was Friday, three days after Yuri phoned him of the orders' approval. He was only about ten minutes from having gotten back from work when his doorbell rang.
Cautiously moving to the side of the door, pistol in hand, he called out, "who is it?"
"Your special order from the Guild. We deliver!"
After passing a hand over the peep lense and nothing crashing through, he chanced a look-see. In the hallway stood a lone bearded figure Jack had, up to now, known only at a furtive distance. Holding five small boxes and a shallow wooden crate at his feet. Holstering the Colt, he turned the knob.
"Well hi," Jack greeted, slowly opening the door. "Didn't expect it to be filled so soon."
"Just a simple matter of getting to it."
"So come on in," the American invited. "Just set those boxes on the table ... I'll get this ..."
The man placed the five 50 round boxes of .45 ACP on the living room table as Jack lugged in the 1000 round case of .30'06. Setting the case on one of the chairs, he turned to his guest, extending his hand in friendly greeting.
"Jack's the name ... I take it you must be Cha ..."
"He ... invited you in? Just like that?"
"Pardon the pun but he was very open about it. Like he had nothing at all to hide."
"Unless," Yuri speculated, "what he had to hide was already hidden. He didn't act strange or nervous?"
"Not at all. In fact, we talked shop for quite awhile."
"Talked ... 'shop'?"
"Yes. He has a reasonably extensive knowlege of firearms. You know, he actually worked for a time at a gun store/target range."
"Really? His file doesn't say a thing about past work experience."
"Not important here ... He also lent me these."
Cha placed a couple trade paperback sized books on the desk. Yuris' eyes widened slightly as she saw the covers. Picking one up, she leafed through it stopping every so often on seeing something familiar.
"My Romanjis' a bit rusty but I can see what they're about. Think you'll find them useful?"
"They're a couple of Haynes' firearms manuals. 'Exploded' drawings of various guns. Quite a few of them I never worked with. They don't give exact measurement dimensions on parts but I can now at least know what the components look like. With a little tweaking ...
"I find it interesting he opened up to you like that," said Yuri. "Why would that be?"
"Some guys find it easier talking with other guys."
"It's a guy thing Yurippe," quipped Noda.
Yuri decided to ignore the halberd carrying, would-be comedian.
"He didn't mention anything about God or try to ..."
"Not a thing. Though I did notice a few shelves of theological books and a copy of that bible of theirs sitting on the table. Looked kind of strange sitting next to those boxes of .45."
"Anything else about his place?"
"Well, he did show me around. He actually uses a sleeping bag on the floor. Can't use a bed. Says it hurts his back.
"Another thing ..."
"He certainly likes his movies ..."
To be continued ...
1. See also Matthew 25:34-40 and 41-46, 1st Peter 5:8, Rev 12:9 and 20:10-15.
Storyline and original characters (only) copyright © 5-1-14 C V Ford
In Gods' Good Time Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
C V Fords' profile page and anime fan fiction story list at fanfiction.net here.
Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. If there's more than one article on this page, you're already there!
Disclaimer: The preceding is a NON-PROFIT work of fan fiction for entertainment purposes only. I make no claim to ownership of the names/characters, places, & events mentioned in this work that are the intellectual properties of others. They are the sole properties of their respective owners. Please, by all means support the owners of such properties in the purchase & enjoyment of their works.