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Frequently Asked Questions
A battery can be anydevice that stores energy for later use. The word battery is limited to anelectrochemical device that converts chemical energy into electricity, by useof a galvanic cell. A galvanic cell is a simple device consisting of twoelectrodes – positive & negative and an electrolyte solution. Batteriesconsist of one or more galvanic cells with a potential difference between theelectrodes.
a. There are different types of batteriesdepending on the application.
b. Lead Acid batteries : Used for UPS,Telecom, Automotive and industrial applications
c. Lithium Ion, Nickel Cadmium, Nickel MetalHydride etc : Used inlaptops, phones etc.
Lead-acid is the oldest rechargeable battery in existence. Invented bythe French physician Gaston Planté in 1859, lead-acid was the firstrechargeable battery for commercial use. LeadAcid batteries use chemical reaction between lead dioxide positive electrode,pure lead negative electrode and dilute sulphuric acid to store and regenerateelectrical energy as per requirement.
Lead Acid Batteries can be classified by application or byconstruction or by design.
By Application
· AutomotiveBattery : Used in automobiles forstarting the engine, ignition, and lighting
· IndustrialBattery : Used for UPS, Inverter,Telecom, Solar
· TractionBattery : Used forForklifts, Golf Carts, Railway coaches
By Construction
· FloodedBattery : Traditionalbattery design where the battery container has liquid electrolyte and typicallythe containers are large and bulky.These batteries require periodic maintenanceby topping up distilled water as gases are vented during the operation of thebattery.
· SealedMaintenance Free Battery : Thebattery container is sealed and there's no free electrolyte that will spill.This type of battery does not require any topping up of distilled water.
By Design
· FlatPlate Battery : Thepositive and negative plate inside the battery is of a flat construction. Theplate is made by pasting a mixture of lead oxide on to a grid made from leadalloy. This is then cured and the paste hardens into a cement like mass.Tubular Plate Battery : Here the positive plate is made of a setof parallel tubes filled with lead oxide. The negative plate remains as a flatplate.
Mostpeople tend to associate a lead acid battery with an automotive battery andhence end up using automotive batteries for UPS & inverters leading toproblems. The two applications are vastly different from each other.
Automotive Lead Acid batteries:
Thesebatteries are used for starting an engine which requires a very high currentfor a few seconds. Once the engine starts a small current is used for ignitionand lighting and the battery is already charging in parallel. Hence theautomotive batteries are designed with thin flat plates that are designed toprovide high current discharge for a very low duration. The plate thickness istypically below 2 mm. However the containers are very robust since they aremounted in moving vehicles and should withstand jolts and severe vibrations.
Industrial Lead Acid batteries:
Thesebatteries are designed for variable and extendable loads and are hence morecomplex in design than automotive batteries. The different types of IndustrialBatteries are
· FlatPlate flooded batteries : Theseare typically used for inverters.
· TubularPlate flooded batteries : Theseare used for inverters, UPS and Solar applicationsSMF VRLA Batteries : These are sealed maintenance freebatteries used for UPS, Telecom & Solar applications. 'VRLA' stands for'Valve regulated lead acid'. In sealed batteries, due to chemical reactionsinside the battery gases are formed. Sometimes due to over charging, more gasesare formed that needs to be released from the battery container. This is doneby using valves that release under a certain pressure. Otherwise the batterieswill explode.
Flat Plate Advantage :
· LowerInitial Cost
· Easierto manufacture
Flat Plate Disadvantage :
· Shortlife span
Flatplate batteries are cheaper & easier to manufacture but offer lower cycliclife. Cyclic life is the number of times the battery can be charged anddischarged over its life span. A flat plate battery will typically offerbetween 200 – 400 cycles (depending on design, make etc) at 80% Depth ofdischarge. Depth of discharge is the extent to which the battery is dischargedbefore being charged. 80% DOD means it's discharged to 80% of it's capacitybefore being charged again.
Tubular Battery Advantage :
· Longlife span – 3 times of a flat plate battery.
· Lowercost of ownership.
· Requiresless frequency of topping up than flat plate batteries. Battery can be revivedeven if plates sulphate due to improper maintenance.
Tubular Battery Plate Disadvantage:
· Initialhigher cost.
· Difficultmanufacturing process.
· Givesslightly lower backup time than flat plate battery of the same AH rating.Tubular batteries use a special technology wherethe active material is encapsulated in tubes that prevent 'shedding'. This prolongsthe life of battery while undergoing long charges and discharges. Typicallytubular batteries give more than 1000 cycles of life at 80% DOD which is 3-5times that of a flat plate.
Flooded Battery Advantage:
· Canbe used in extreme conditions like high temperature, since electrolyte loss dueto high temperatures can be compensated by frequent topping up of distilledwater.
· LowerCost per AH compared to SMF batteries.
Flooded Battery Disadvantage:
· Regulartopping up and maintenance required, otherwise battery will die.
· Gasesgenerate unpleasant odour, hence cannot be used in regular office environment.
· Needsto be stored / used in vertical position.
· Needsfar more space than SMF batteries.
SMF Battery advantage:
· Notopping up required.
· Environmentfriendly and can be used in office environment.
· Canbe stored / used in any position.
· Requiresvery less space.
SMF Battery disadvantage:
· Cannotbe used in extreme conditions, since water loss cannot be compensated bytopping up. Life of SMF battery comes down by half for every 10 degree rise intemperature. Typical life is 250-300 cycles at 100% DOD at 25 degree Celcius.Can be used only with UPS or any device withclean DC charging. Use with inverters that has a high ripple content in thecharger will lead to shortened life of the plates.
AH is a measure of how much current a battery can dischargeover a certain period. It's the ratio between current (A) and time – hour (H).For example a 100AH battery means the battery can discharge a current of 5 ampsover a period of 20 hours. It can also mean the battery can discharge a currentof 10 Amps over 10 hours. However the capacity of a battery that discharges 5amps over 20 hours is less than that of a battery that discharges 10 amps over10 hours, even though both are arithmetically 100AH. This is because higher thecurrent discharge, the more the energy loss and hence lower the time it candischarge.
That's why it's important to understand the standard ofdischarge to ensure accurate understanding of the rating. The industry standardis '20 hours'. Therefore the rating of any battery means the quantum of currentthe battery can discharge over a period of 20 hours. A few examples are givenbelow for understanding.
It's ameasure of the discharge time over which the battery is rated. C20 is a 20 hourdischarge, C10 is a 10 hour discharge, C5 is a 1 hour discharge and so on. Forexample a 7 AH battery should be able to discharge 0.35 amps over 20 hours. Butthe same battery will probably deliver only 9 hours of discharge if dischargedat 0.7 amps i.e double the current. This ratio delivers only 6.3 AH (0.7 amps *9 hours)
While purchasing a battery it's important to check thedischarge ratios over different time periods to understand the efficiency ofthe battery. Any good manufacturer will always provide this data in the batteryspecifications.It's important to note that in real life, mostbatteries used for UPS & Telecom backup applications are discharged over aperiod ranging from a few minutes to maybe 4 hours. So the real AH delivered isalways less than half to 3/4th's of the rated capacity at 20 hours. This is oneof the reasons why the battery over sizing has to be considered whilecalculating backup times for a UPS.
Wh is a measure of power that a battery can discharge inWatts over a certain period . It's the ratio between W(Watts) and Time(Hours).Relicell Ultra Gel Batteries are rated in Watt-hour since it gives the consumera precise idea of the load that can be supported for a specific period. Allratings are based on a repitive load of 400 Watts connected to an 800 VA homeinverter and the backup time obtained
For Example a 1000 Wh battery will deliver 2.5Hours of backup on a 400 Watts Load( 400 W * 2.5 h =1000 Wh)
Float life refers to the period the battery will last when it's under'float use' i.e the battery voltage is maintained at approximately 13.5V duringusage. For a layman's understanding, this is the condition the battery is inwhen connected to a UPS and there is no powercut or there's generator backupi.e battery is never discharged.Battery float life for a VRLA battery variesfrom 3 years to as high as 25 years depending on the design. Lower the designlife, lower the cost of the battery and the quality.
Overcharging isthe most destructive element in battery service. During overcharging, excessivecurrent causes the oxides on the plates of the battery to 'shed' andprecipitate to the bottom of the cell and also heat the battery, thus removingwater from the electrolyte. Once removed, this material (which representscapacity) is no longer active in the battery. In addition, the loss of waterfrom the electrolyte may expose portions of the plates and cause the exposedareas to oxidise and become inactive, thus reducing additional capacity. Sealedbatteries are not immune from the same internal results when overcharged. Infact, sealed batteries are particularly sensitive to overcharging. Oncemoisture is removed from the battery, it cannot be replaced. Portions of the batterydamaged due to overcharging are irretrievable. However, if detected early,corrective adjustments to the charging device will save the undamaged portionof the battery. Initial signs of overcharging are excessive usage of water inthe battery, continuously warm batteries, or higher than normal batteryvoltages while under the influence of the charger.
Undercharging over a period of time also damages batteries.Insufficient charging leads to a problem called sulphation of the plates. Thisis a typical problem for long back duration UPS's where the charger currentcapacity is less than 10% of the battery current rating. For example, whileusing a 100AH battery, the charger capacity should be ideally 10 amps.
Batteries go into a state of discharge when it reaches avoltage of 1.75 volts per cell or 10.5 volts in case of a 12 volt battery.Discharging the battery beyond this point may result in the battery reaching apoint of no return. The lowest a 12V battery should be discharged to is 9.6Vi.e 1.6V per cell. Continuous cycling to low voltage levels reduces the cyclelife of the battery.
Most devices have a 'low battery cut off'voltage setting beyond which the battery is cut of from the circuit and stopsdischarging. If this is not present in a device using a battery, most certainlythe life of the battery will be drastically reduced.
The health of an SMF battery can be determined by checkingthe OCV (Open circuit voltage) of the battery. A healthy battery will have anOCV above 12.8V. Any voltage below this means the battery is not sufficientlycharged and needs a charge. The typical OCV readings should be as follows
· Justafter unpacking at site: Minimum 12.80 V
· Justafter connecting on float: Minimum 13.30 V
· After2 days of float charging: Minimum 12.95 V
The health of a flooded battery canbe determined by checking the OCV and also by checking the specific gravity ofthe electrolyte. Specific gravity is a unit of measurement for determining thesulphuric acid content of the electrolyte. The recommended fully chargedspecific gravity of flooded batteries is 1.255 to 1.265 taken at 80°F. Morethan .025 spread in readings between fully charged cells indicates that thebattery may need an equalization charge. If this condition persists, the cellis failing and the battery should be replaced. Since water has a value of1.000, with electrolytes having a specific gravity of 1.260, it means that itis 1.260 times heavier than pure water even while pure concentrated sulphuricacid has a specific gravity of 1.835.
The following table illustratestypical specific gravity values for a cell in various stages of charge:
· 100%Charged…….1.255 – 1.260 Sp. Gr.
· 75%Charged…….1.220 – 1.225 Sp. Gr.
· 50%Charged…….1.185 – 1.190 Sp. Gr.
· 25%Charged…….1.150 – 1.155 Sp. Gr.0% Charged…….1.115 – 1.120 Sp. Gr.
Batterycondition at time of installation:
· BatteryOCV should be minimum 12.8V. If less than 12.8V, then the battery should begiven a float charge till it reaches the desired voltage of 12.95 to 13V. Incase the battery cannot take charge, the battery has to be replaced.
· Ifconnecting in a string, then the OCV of all the batteries in the string shouldbe in the range of 300 millivolts of each other. For example if there are 16batteries being connected, then the OCV ideally should be between 12.8 to13.1V. Any higher or lower readings should be noted and the batteries given an'equalisation charge'. This is done by float charging the battery for a minimumperiod of 12 hours (13.5 – 13.8V) and then doing a C10 discharge for about 6 to8 hours. Regular voltage readings of all batteries should be noted every 30minutes. The cycle of charge and discharge is done till all batteries reach thedesired voltage range within 300 mv. In case there's a battery not within therange even after equalization, replace the battery.
· Physicallyexamine the battery for any sign of electrolyte leakage or visible damages tothe battery container.
· Checkthe condition of the positive and negative terminal connectors – they shouldnot be corroded.
Site condition at time of installation:
· Thesite should be well ventilated and airy to ensure proper dissipation ofhydrogen gas that is emitted by batteries. Hydrogen is highly inflammable andtherefore dangerous when accumulated in closed spaces.
· Properearth fault and insulation of the battery racks / stand to prevent currentleakage to the ground.
UPS condition at time of installation:
· Ensurecharging current is proper.
· Checkfloat and boost voltages of the UPS. Should be 13.5 – 13.8V for float chargeand 14.5 in boost charge mode with automatic return to float mode.
Other precautions:
· Batterytype, capacity, make and age should be similar in the string.
· Thecorrect length and cross section of interconnecting cable to be used.
· Torqueused will be same for type of bolt used. Torque recommendations are typicallygiven in the battery specification sheets. It's recommended that the techniciandoing installation use a torque wrench for tightening the bolts.
· Morethan 3 strings of batteries should not be paralleled. Here, it's recommendedthat each string has a separate charger to ensure proper charging.


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Kamen Rider Fourze (仮面ライダーフォーゼ, Kamen Raidā Fōze) is a Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's Kamen Rider Series, being the thirteenth series in the Heisei period run and the twenty-second overall. It began airing on September 4, 2011, the week following the conclusion of Kamen Rider OOO, joining Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger and then Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters in the Super Hero Time lineup. Trademarks on the title were filed by Toei in April 2011. The series commemorates not only the Kamen Rider Series' 40th anniversary but also the 50th anniversary of spaceflight, which began with Yuri Gagarin's flight in 1961. The show's catchphrase is "Switch on youth 'cause we're going into space!" (青春スイッチオンで宇宙キター!, Seishun suitchi on de uchū kitā!), referencing the Fourze Driver transformation belt which gets its various powers from devices called Astroswitches to conjure attachments to Fourze's limbs. As with the two previous series, the protagonist of Fourze made his debut in the annual summer film of the show's direct predecessor, appearing in Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful: The Shogun and the 21 Core Medals.
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simply keeping it simple diy garden edging my sweet cottage are extremely popular in design today as they allow to get maximum of your garden space and flood it with light completely but we usually see large spaces. Today you'll see example of a gardenstone retaining wall bluestone island block pavers that are really welcoming and inspiring and that are prefect to finish up your bore garden decor creative ideas for front porch and garden design.
If you have a creative melbourne bluestone paversoutdoor stepping stonepool right now and wanna create an accent without any radical changes, this roundup is for you. Take a look at the ideas we've prepared!


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A loaded ethanol train crests the hill at North Botkins.
Northbound District Local heads into the siding at Botkins on its way back to Lima.
Q241 has CN power today as it heads south Towards Cincinnati on the CSX Toledo Sub. Here it crests Botkins Hill, any water that falls south of those signals goes to the Gulf of Mexico while anyth... (more)
Q507 crests the hump at the north end of Botkins siding.
The last southbound in this morning's parade just south of Botkins.
Southbound CSX Q- train moving fast. This was the third of five southbounds in a two hour span.
CSXT 808 leads train N801 north at Botkins
Freshly painted HLCX with a colorful lashup including a NREX unit takes this train south. This train was 8500 feet!
With the sun shining it is still a frigid day at 10 degrees. The two units work hard to get this train rolling up the grade to Botkins.
After waiting on K185 at AK this Q train is on the move again. How rare TFM on the Toledo Sub.
Heavy snow makes visibility low as the crew is ready to shove back a string of cars into Provico at Botkins.
Over the Botkins hill S507 comes past Provico in Botkins. Part of the train is in the shadow of the new fertilizer distribution location where 6500' of track will be added.
A short southbound just coming over Botkins hill.
Coming through Botkins, this FURX still sporting a bright paint job from former owner BNSF.
A lone SD60M takes K599 back to Middletown.


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In 5 – 10 minutes, you should receive your free Survival Skills Training in your inbox.
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Pilates Teachers – Be the first to discover Jenna's NEW
- A Monthly Teaching Mantra
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For a limited time, get the membership for only $7.00 a month when you purchase the annual pass! (reg $15)
Click the link below to learn more and remember to copy the code: TFTH19 to receive 50% off the greatest support you will ever receive for your teaching.


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Mystic Valley Spa Resort
Excellent locations, luxury hotels. Book at the official Marriott site. Lowest price for members. The best services, the latest reviews, fast and simple. Offer for a limited time, hurry. The best guaranteed offers. Book now, pay at Check Out. Customer service 24 * 7. MMT insured hotels. Services: WiFi, Pool. Detailed reviews and recent photos. Know what to expect before booking. Easy comparison of prices.
As we all know that monsoon has come and this is the best weather to roam outside of Mumbai.
Dew Drops Boutique Retreat is a perfect destination to chill out amidst nature. The region is beautiful in the lap of mountains. If you want to relax in weekends, then this place is not less than heaven.
This resort in a grassy area is 2 km from Igatpuri railway station and around 20 mins walk from Igatpuri Railway station.
They have around 20 rooms and 40 villas. You can choose you stay as per your budget. There you will get big and comfortable room with clean beds. Their staffs will give you a warm welcome. They are really polite and courteous.
Amenities include a laid swimming pool, restaurant, indoor games and plenty of space to roam around. Basketball, cricket and table tennis facilities are also available. There's also a fitness room, a game room and karaoke.
On the whole you can have you a splendid stay over there.
You can have discount up to 70% on Makemytrip site by clicking the below link :-


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Laser Etching
Marking by discolouring the surface of a component or by precisely removing paint.
Very much as it sounds, a precisely controlled laser beam is used either to discolour the surface of a component or to vaporise material. The laser parameters and the laser's position can be precisely controlled to provide high contrast marks in the form of barcodes, logos and graphics.
If a surface is painted then the laser can be used to precisely remove paint. By choosing a translucent substrate that is a contrasting colour a graphic can be backlit for night and day readability.
Common materials that are laser etched include anodized aluminium, coated metals, foils and films, or laminates and painted plastic components.
Such process is used widely in the automotive and aerospace industries on backlit buttons and also by the general manufacturing industry on coated metal components.


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Katie Rohs, CD(DONA), LCCE – An unexpected entrepreneur, Katie is a successful birth doula, childbirth educator, philanthropist, and tireless advocate in Seattle, WA. In addition, Katie is Penny Simkin's office manager and serves on several boards including PATTCh, an organization bringing awareness to traumatic childbirth, and REACHE, a local childbirth professional continuing education conference. When not attending births, Katie can be found spending time with her husband and their almost-thirteen-year old twins, listening to Dave Matthews Band, and probably watching football.
Sessions with Katie Rohs, CD(DONA), LCCE
June 8, 2018
3:00pm - 4:00pm


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Main Material : 18ct gold plated silver |
One of a Kind : No |
Metal : 18ct gold plated silver |
Hallmarked : Yes |
Length (inches) : 20 |
Finish : brushed matt
Stunning, elegant and simple, this iconic chain is handcrafted from sterling silver with 18ct gold plate and a beautiful brushed finish. Each link is made by hand and unique, as is the T-bar clasp. Perfectly complemented with matching earrings and bracelet. Hallmarked and also available in silver.
Designed and handmade by jewellery designer Sarah Straussberg.
Wash in warm soapy water, dry with a soft cloth. Avoid contact with abrasives and solvents such as perfume.
For the perfect accompaniment.
Lily Earrings (single) by Sarah Straussberg
Philippa Earrings (Long) by Sarah Straussberg


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Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Invests $450K to Build the World's Longest What?
When Iron Maiden came out with their latest album, 2010's The Final Frontier , few fans could have guessed that the title pointed toward its lead singer's very real ambitions regarding aerial technology. Okay, maybe the title of their 2008 concert documentary, Iron Maiden: Flight 666, should have indicated that the frontman had somewhat of an aviation fixation — but it's one thing to write songs about flight and quite another to sink almost half a million dollars into building a mega-plane. Indeed, perhaps taking a cue from fellow British billionaire-aviator Richard Branson, Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson invested $450,000 in the world's longest plane, the HAV Airlander — with the added intent of hoping to fly it himself.
"It seizes my imagination," Dickinson told BBC News . "I want to get in this thing and fly it pole to pole."
Still, the plane has other practical uses, aside from the whims of rock stars: According to Dickinson, the 91.4-meter-long aircraft (that's almost exactly a mile — or, half the width of Manhattan) is "70% greener than a cargo plane. It doesn't need a runway, just two crew. And it can plonk 50 tonnes anywhere in the world you like, which is 50 times more than a helicopter" — making it an exceedingly useful transport. Plus, the singer announced some properly Planet Earth-ian intentions: "We'll fly over the Amazon at 20ft, over some of the world's greatest cities and stream the whole thing on the internet."
Regardless of his experiment's actual outcome, Dickinson seems to have answered one of his age-old questions: Not only can he play with madness, with sizable royalties at his disposal, he can bankroll it.


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This is where credit union compliance officers and staff learn ways to approach regulatory compliance and share knowledge and experiences. Written by the NAFCU Regulatory Compliance Staff.
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85 Angels Road
Colebrook, NH 03576
(603) 237-5041
(603) 237-4326 (fax)
May to October
Monday to Friday - 8 am to 5 pm
Visits: Wednesdays & Sundays
Monday to Friday - 8 am to 5 pm
Visits: Wednesdays & Sundays
The Ecovillage Institute is a DBA of Cite Ecologique Farm (a 501c(5)) which offers guided tours of the Cite Ecologique's New Earth Organic Farm in Colebrook, NH. The institute was created to offer dynamic classes, workshops, and practical trainings inspired by their vision of a more resilient and sustainable future.
Dedicated speakers and facilitators teach students how to develop appropriate skills to live a better-balanced life. Classes, workshops and trainings are offered within the ecovillage ''La Cite Ecologique of New Hampshire''.
Internship and volunteering opportunities
Educational Programs
Day on the Farm (2 hr classes)
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P.O. Box 1
104 Main St., Suite 206
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Colebrook, NH 03576
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10-4 Monday-Friday
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Monday - Wednesday 8:30 AM - 3 PM
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Saturday - 9 AM - 12 PM


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Oktoberfest began on October 12, 1810, with the celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig, who became King Ludwig I later on. He got married to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in Bavaria.
On the day of October 17, five days after the marriage, a very large fest was held in front of the Sendinger Tor (one of the gates that can lead to Munich). Horse races are included in the festivities, which became an Oktoberfest highlight lasting until 1938.
In the year 1811, an agricultural fair was added and by the year 1818, beer pubs where included along with entertainers. It became a spectacular attraction and a way for visitors to learn about the place of Bavaria and it's people.
Today, Oktoberfest in Munich is held in September because the weather is milder than that experienced in October. In Munich, it lasted for 16 days, usually starts on a Saturday in September and always ends on the first Sunday in October.
In 1887 Lederhosen and Dirndls became the traditional outfit of the participants. The festival traditionally begins with a parade, starts just before noon. Included are the civic leaders and the mayor, followed by horse-drawn with carts, musical bands and people wearing their costumes.
The parade ends at the oldest private tent located at Oktorbest (called Schottenhammel), the mayor opens the first keg of beer and the celebration starts. More than over 7,000,000 people attend the opening rites.
Munich's six major brewers of the famous Oktoberfest Maerzen beer may be found in the seven halls where there is live band music throughout the day and evening. The six major Munich brewers are Hacker-Pschorr, Lowenbrau, Spaten, Hofbrauhaus, Augustiner, and Paulaner.
Oktoberfest beer was an amber-gold lager with 6% alcohol. German hops such as Hallertau and Tettnang are added. This Maerzen beer was served at the Crown Prince's wedding in 1810.
Maerzen beers were brewed in March, lagered or cold-stored in caves for around 10-12 weeks, which will be ready to drink by the summer or early fall. Today, Oktoberfest beers tend to be lighter in color and body than the traditional Maerzen styled beer.
Outside the beer tents, you can see people dancing, live music, sideshows, carnival rides, and more importantly all types of German food.
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Northern Academy seeks to:
- Provide outstanding instruction in academic subjects, which meet or exceed New York State standards for Grades 6-12, where Grades 6 through 8 represent Middle School, and Grades 9 through 12 represent high school;
Help students develop a solid professional foundation in dance, music, or fine arts to foster a life-long ability for art appreciation, or to become professional artists;
Inculcate in students a profound respect for moral character.
The academic curriculum at Northern Academy covers all basic New York State Board of Regents requirements. Wherever applicable, state-recommended syllabi will be used as guidelines. The arts training will consist of sequential pre-conservatory courses that lay a solid foundation in dance, music, or fine arts.
Download Curriculum Guide here.
Curriculum Areas
Academic classes that will be offered at different grade levels are outlined below, where one credit is equivalent to 180 days of instruction. In addition, the school will provide additional learning opportunities and/or dance/music training for students who want to excel in different subjects.
Grade 6:
Classes in the following curriculum areas are required:
- English language arts (1 credit)
- Social studies, including geography and history (1 credit)
- Science and technology (1 credit)
- Mathematics (1 credit)
- Chinese language, culture, and literature (1/2 credit)
- Music (1/4 credit)
- Dance (1/4 credit)
- Fine Arts (1/4 credit)
- Health and life skills (1/4 credit)
- Physical education (1/2 credit)
Grades 7 and 8:
Classes in the following curriculum areas are required. Students will be expected to achieve the U.S. intermediate education standards by the end of Grade 8.
- English language arts (2 credits)
- Social studies (2 credits)
- Mathematics (2 credits)
- Science and technology (2 credits)
- Music (1/2 credit)
- Dance (1/2 credit)
- Fine Arts (1/2 credit)
- Chinese language, culture, and literature (1 credit)
- Health and life skills (1/2 credit)
- Physical education (1 credits)
- Technology education and career skills* (1 credit)
- Library and information skills* (1/2 credit)
- (* The learning outcomes of these courses are incorporated into subjects in other courses.)
Grades 9-12:
High school students are required to take classes in the following curriculum areas. These classes are designed to meet or exceed all U.S. High School diploma requirements.
- English language arts (4 credits)
- Social studies (4 credits)
- Science (3 credits)
- Mathematics (3 credits)
- Health and life skills (1/2 credit)
- Chinese Language (1 credit)
- Physical education (2 credits)
- Music (1 credit)
- Fine Arts (1 credit)
- Fine Arts, Dance, Music, or Theatre (1 credit)
- Other electives (including at least 4 credits of academic electives)
- Courses on various academic subjects
- Projects
- World languages
- Music lessons, performance opportunities
- Dance lessons, performance opportunities
- Fine Arts lessons
Physical, Health, and Life Skills Education
A unique feature of health education at Northern Academy will be its emphasis on developing students' knowledge, skills, and habits in order to achieve a healthy body, mind, and spirit, and maintaining that well being throughout their lives. Students will gain the know-how and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment and learn to manage their personal and community resources as responsible citizens.
Included in the life skills classes are highway safety and traffic regulations, fire drills, fire/arson prevention, and the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. The importance of conserving natural resources will also be taught.
Through physical education, students in all grade levels will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain overall fitness.
Talented and Gifted Students
At Northern Academy, talented and gifted (TAG) students who master a subject significantly more quickly than their classmates will be exposed to some of the material covered by the next grade. For example, math TAG students in Middle School might take the equivalent of a High School-level algebra course. AP courses will also be provided for TAG students in high school.


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Download free All-pictures Public domain photos from pdpics.com. We have a large collection of royalty free images that can be used in any project (personal or commercial).
Cute Cat Scratching
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Pdpics.com is a repository of thousands of free public domain pictures and photographs.
Use these stock photos freely in any project.


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In winter of the year 2012 the production company Lausbuben Films was formed. The young corporation focuses its work on the development and production of motion pictures. The core-team consists of Marius Lochmann, Timo Jon. Mayer and the cinema owner and producer Heinz Lochmann, such as Benjamin Eicher. First of all Lausbuben Films released the title "All Things Fall Apart" starring 50 Cent in German cinemas. Beside other productions Lausbuben are also working in national and international trading of movie-licenses. After publishing this moving drama Lausbuben Films will come up in the next month with different thrilling and entertaining movies!
Lausbuben Films celebrates its refunding, together with Los Banditos Films, in the unique setting of the famous Adlon-Kempiski Hotel. The celebration takes place within the scope of the Berlin International Film Festival – here the top-stars of fashion, music and film come together every year. All rights from cinema to video can be served with our strong partners. Lausbuben-Films with its four heads has to show lots of experience within the scope of cinema, production, distribution and license-trading.
Young and perkily, but at the same time skilled and qualified the team steps up to the plate in the market.
Because in every one of us there is a little Lausbub.


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ILAGOSON International Lawyers is one of Spain's leading regional law firms. We pride ourselves on our flexible approach to the law, providing a service to suit the clients' needs and defending their interests. Our dedicated, experienced, and highly qualified team will assist you, speaking clearly and concisely, and we will ensure that the entire process runs smoothly. We know that for every client, their matter is the most important one, and our aim is to keep you informed throughout the proceeding's key stages. We believe that the client should know at all times, the current stage of his case, and feel not only informed but at the same time a participant in the development of the matter.
Apart from the different offices that this law firm has, we also have a solid collaboration network with other foreign offices, equally with international vocation, with whom we interact in a close and permanent way, covering the needs of all those cases that require a global and international assistance. To this effect, we are active members of the British – Spanish Law Association (BSLA), the Hispanic - German Jurists Association (DSJV-AHAJ), and ADVOC, the international network of independent law firms.


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Welcome to Blinds Exact Outdoor Solutions
Our business is expanding on over the past couple of months we've added an outdoor division to compliment our blinds division. You can now rely on us for stylish custom made Awnings, Outdoor Blinds and Pool Covers.
As with our blinds we pride ourselves on the highest levels of quality and service and we trust that you will be just as delighted with the products and service we provide than what we are to have you as a happy customer.
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Address: 85 Wood Drive, Table View, Cape Town, 7441
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tel: 021 557 7711
Trading Hours
Monday - Thursday 8:00 - 17:00
Friday - 8:00 - 15:00
Weekends & Holidays - Closed


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Whether you made it to SEC 2018 or happened to miss out on all the action along the sunlit San Diego waterfront, here's a rundown of some of the top moments from this year's memorable event.
Whether you made it to SEC 2018 or happened to miss out on all the action along the sunlit San Diego waterfront, here's a rundown of some of the top moments from this year's memorable event.
Where do you get the chance to connect with credit union leaders and innovate with new methods to serve members, enhance operational processes, and boost sales besides at the 2018 CUNA Operations and Member Experience Council Conference?
At this year's CUNA event, co-located with the CUNA Technology Council Conference in San Francisco, CFM and DBSI will be showcasing three recently-launched innovations: RTA, Financial HealthCheck, and Service Sidekick. You can check out these latest products at the DBSI and CFM table, and see them in action during the Vendor Speed Rounds.
Headed to SEC 2018? If so, here are the top 6 things you need to know to make it a successful event:
#1. Follow the excitement to booth #620.
Let's be real: You probably won't even need to remember the booth number because you won't be able to miss us—or our digital signage that will be lighting up the exhibit hall like like Times Square on New Years Eve. You'll find us at the intersection of Innovation and Awesome (and just steps away from food and the bar!).
Perhaps you've heard about the award-winning tech product, Remote Transaction Assist (or just RTA), that is disrupting the banking industry and is being deployed right now in financial institutions across the country. Here are 3 key reasons why RTA should be considered for your branch or branch network.
Once a year, on the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we here in the good ol' U. S. of A. take the time to celebrate freedom—no longer as an untested experiment, but as a proven reality inaugurated way back in 1776 by a small group of fearless innovators and patriots.
Thanks to those outside-the-box thinkers, Americans celebrate many freedoms. We celebrate freedom from taxation without representation. We celebrate the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to peacefully assemble, and the freedom to have a representative government. Most importantly, we celebrate life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as our most basic inalienable rights.
Remote Transaction Assist, or RTA, is once again making waves in the banking world with its recent release to the Corelation KeyStone market.
Named one of the Best New Fintech Software Products of the Year in the 2017 Stevie American Business Awards, RTA is a part of CFM's Transformation Fusion–an interconnected suite of technology, software and innovation designed to elevate every touchpoint in the client journey and solve many of banking's biggest market needs.
Leading the way in putting RTA's power and flexibility to use is Camino Federal Credit Union.
At the recent Corelation 2018 event, hundreds of banking executives came together to hear the latest trends, technology and innovations pushing the envelope in banking. This intimate, well-run conference hosted by Corelation, Inc. was jam-packed with informative content, including a panel session led by Nathan Moore, Director of Strategic Development and Service at CFM.
Moore led a discussion with three credit union executive leaders on the topic of putting technology to use in branch transformation. At one point in this session, Moore shared a sobering statistic: 81% of executives feel it is imperative to transform, but only 10% of the same have a clear vision of what to do.
Throughout this discussion, the panelists shared insights on the state of the market today (spoiler alert: it's not pretty) and the current trends among financial institutions that are making the most impact.


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Brian Hook, State Department director of policy planning and head of a special action group on Iran created this week, told a press conference on Thursday that China will not be exempt from penalties if it continues buying Iranian oil after the second, and much more strict, rounds of renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran go into effect in November.
A reporter at the press conference noted that China has indicated it will continue purchasing Iranian oil, and might even increase its imports.
Asked what the United States will do if China insists on defying U.S. sanctions, Hook responded:
Our goal is to reduce every country's import of Iranian oil to zero by November 4th, and we are prepared to work with countries that are reducing their imports on a case-by-case basis. As you know, those sanctions will come into effect on November 5th.
Those will include sanctions on Iran's energy sector, transactions by foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran, Iran's shipping and shipbuilding sectors, among others. And the United States certainly hopes for full compliance by all nations in terms of not risking the threat of U.S. secondary sanctions if they continue with those transactions.
"We are prepared to impose secondary sanctions on regimes—I'm sorry, on other governments that continue this sort of trade with Iran," Hook clarified.
The Wall Street Journal noted on Thursday that while China imports over a quarter of Iran's oil, friendlier nations such as India and South Korea are also top customers.
India and South Korea are among the nations that have already begun scaling back Iranian oil purchases in preparation for the November sanctions, which can only be averted in the seemingly unlikely event Tehran satisfies a list of 12 conditions laid out by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in May.
The Iran Action Group headed by Brian Hook is tasked with coordinating Iran policy and keeping U.S. allies on board, an objective likely to become increasingly difficult as oil sanctions fall into place.


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The Muscles of the
(1) Rectus
Abdominis: A long muscle extending along the length of the
ventral aspect of the abdomen. It originates in the area of the
pubis and inserts into the cartilage of the fifth, sixth, and
seventh ribs.
Function: To flex
the spinal column and to draw the sternum toward the
(2) External Obliques
(Obliques externus abdominis): The external obliques at each
side of the torso attached to the lower eight ribs and insterting
at the side of the pelvis.
Function: To flex
and rotate the spinal column.
(3) Intercostals:
The intercostals are two thin planes of muscular and tendon fibers
occupying the spaces between the ribs.
Function: To lift
the ribs and draw them together.
Training the Abdominals
Few things are as
attractive as a trim, lean midsection. The coveted six pack is well
within your range to achieve if you follow the right workout
program and include the right exercises.
There are three muscle
groups in the abdominals (as described above), and each serves a
different function as well as requiring different exercises to
highlight them properly. The rectus abdominis is the wall of muscle
that covers the front of the abdomen and gives your abs that
washboard look. The second important muscle group is the obliques
at the sides of the hips. This group is sometimes called the
external obliques. The final, and most specific portion of the
abdomen in terms of bodybuilding is the intercostals, which run
from the top of your obliques up to the serratus muscles of your
chest. Training each of these groups can be achieved through
following a specific set of exercises for each.
The Rectus
Abdominis - Divided into upper and lower abs.
The obliques, like many other small muscle groups, act to
stabilize exercises for larger muscle groups and are worked
indirectly very often as a result of that. Overdeveloped obliques
tend to make for a "blocky" look by making the waist appear thicker
than it actually is. If you would like to work your obliques
directly, there is a list of exercises below which will help you to
achieve your goals:
The serratus muscles are
developed through crunching movement which occurs when you squeeze
the shoulder down and in, and when you bend the torso from side to
side. Like the obliques, the serratus muscles are often developed
indirectly through a variety of other exercises. By adding a
twisting movement to your crunches, you will place more emphasis on
the serratus muscles. The exercises below will help you to develop
your oblique muscles:
Tips for Achieving Abdominal
One important thing to remember is that
abs are made in the kitchen - not in the weightroom. Although
training is very important for achieving abdominal development,
even more important is proper nutrition. A high protein, moderate fat, low
carbohydrate diet is necessary if you hope to achieve that coveted
six pack. Nutrition is extremely important in bodybuilding, and
being diet conscience is probably most important to getting cut up
abdominals than any other muscle group. Some people, through mere
dieting alone, can get their abs to poke out. Training will develop
them to make them strong and muscular, but the only way to shed the
fat off is to maintain a healthy diet.
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E-Mail: email@example.com


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Verse 1
Just like You've said
Lord You are here
Just like You've promised
Lord You are near
Chorus 1
Emmanuel God is with us
Emmanuel so close to us
Emmanuel I draw near to You
I draw near to You my God
Jesus You are here
CCLI Song No. 4592114
© 2004 Holland Davis (Admin. by Worshipsong.com)
Holland Davis
For use solely with the SongSelect Terms of Use. All rights Reserved. www.ccli.com


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We are always pleased to receive your feedback and constantly aim to provide a high-quality service, so if you have any compliments or suggestions on how we can improve, we would like to hear from you. Please view the have your say page for further details.
Practice address
184 Leeds Road
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Telephone: 01757 703401
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Opening hours
Monday to Friday: 8.30am – 7pm
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Repeat prescriptions
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The Second mixtape from new york artist los wavey, offers a blend of hardcore yet smooth melodies and catchy lyrics. this is just the warmup for his album "IDLE HOUR" set to be released late january. Take a listen and be the judge.
- 46
- Favorite
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- Like
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In a world of omnichannel presence, relevance, and timeliness, event-triggered marketing could be the thing to take your cross-channel efforts to the next level.
Chances are you're already doing some events-based marketing.
Have you ever sent Christmas wishes? Or special Black Friday offers? These are both examples (though somewhat unimaginative ones) of event-triggered marketing. And you didn't even need to come up with the idea. New Year sales and back-to-school discounts have been around so long it would be ludicrous not to offer them.
But these are very obvious events in a very eventful year for your customer. And you're really not doing anything unexpected by getting in touch at these times. Every company under the sun is. But life goes on between these global events and is packed with personal day-to-day ones. Your customer might get married, have their first child, buy a new home, or redecorate the living room. And these events are broken down into smaller events. They might buy a new crib for the nursery, browse for paint online, answer an appeal on Facebook, or visit your store to test sofas. These are not irrelevant events to your customer and shouldn't be to you!
As the name suggests, event-triggered marketing executes campaigns based on events in the customer's life. It is a truly personalized strategy that can not only help form personal connections with customers, but allows you to respond to your customers' needs at precisely the right moment.
More specifically, it involves identifying and optimizing events occurring in your customer's life and offering appropriate marketing for exactly that event.
Contextually appropriate customer-centric timeliness.
So first, businesses need to understand and identify what makes events meaningful according to their customer. Specifically, their customer. Triggers can be one-off events, unpredictably spaced events, or fixed regular events.
So these events can include: a customer passing a threshold, sharing a blog, downloading an app, installing a trial, engaging on social platforms, abandoning a shopping cart, encountering technical difficulties, calling the sales team, visiting the showroom, renewing a contract, letting a lease expire, or even changing their address, getting married, getting pregnant, or having a birthday. In fact, they can also include major news stories, trends on social media, or a change in season or weather!
What events you discover and choose to use as triggers will vary greatly depending on your customer base, your business, and your channels.
Once you know which events you want to target, you'll need to work out the most effective response you could have to them. And for this, you really need to get inside the mind of your customer.
No doubt, you'll have been tracking customers and analyzing their behavior for some time now. (If not, no time like the present—find out what makes your customers tick.)
As marketers, we have a natural curiosity for who our customer is; their job title, status, location, hobbies, and likes and dislikes. But when it comes to event-based marketing, a successful response is dependent upon great timing. So, we need to focus on when they are. When are they most likely to buy? What events seem to precede a purchase? When are they feeling lost, unsure, or confused? When are they most likely to need additional information, or a boost in confidence, or a friendly reminder?
Don't just copy your competitors. You'll only create an echo chamber where no one can be heard. Events-based marketing is one area where your marketing team can be encouraged to get their creative juices flowing. Outside-the-box-thinking about your customer's "whens" can be extremely rewarding, in terms of creativity and ROI. So do your research.
And this brings me to technology. Our multichannel marketing world crept up with such force and vigor, we all did our best to seize it by the various horns coming our way and do what we could. This often meant a marketing team split into channel-specific segments, each with its own lonely software that couldn't talk to any of the others. And despite our best attempts, silos of customer data cannot move us forward in the evolution of digital marketing. Many of us have realized the importance of having one contact management hub at the center of our efforts that stores all customer information from across all channels (be it website, instore, mobile, social, chatbot, email, etc.) in one place. Only when we have this holistic view of who our customer is can we start to work out when matters to them most.
Having a clear plan for how to respond to each event will put you in a great position to deliver on it in a timely fashion. While on-the-fly marketing can be exciting, it can be risky and isn't scalable to your entire customer base. Know exactly what you're going to do when. And choose your given response based on your understanding of what your customer responds to best. Coupons? Discounts? Social mentions? Friendly advice? Personalized chatbots?
Not to harp on about technology, but can your CRM or CMS do what you need it to automatically?
The term "automated marketing" casually suggests that you can set things and forget them. But once you've got your event-triggered marketing strategy up and running, you'll want to be constantly watching and optimizing its effectiveness and eliminating the guesswork. Keeping your eyes open for more events can mean more enriching customer experiences that nurture towards conversion.
Remember, not all events will prompt the same speed of response. While a birthday coupon may be redeemed within hours of receipt, a request for a product review may take weeks. And you'll need to plan accordingly. But think how good you feel when you receive a birthday card that was sent from the other side of the planet in time for you to open on your special day. That forethought, planning, and care doesn't go unnoticed, and creates a warm fuzzy feeling in us all.
And warm and fuzzy is the goal.
Gartner has reported that messages that are event triggered receive up to five times the response their non-targeted counterparts do. Event-based marketing can improve customer relationships and brand recognition. You can better track and measure the speed of conversion and better align yourself for timely cross and up selling. By automating event-driven cross-channel campaigns, you can boost relevance, improve the customer journey and (with the right technology) efficiently and effectively drive profits.
Get the newsletter with new articles on a monthly basis. No spam, guaranteed.
Unlock your team's potential with Kentico 12, the all-in-one Web Content Management, Online Marketing, and E-commerce platform, powered by .NET MVC technology.
With WebForms becoming obsolete and Kentico EMS transitioning to MVC-only development soon, we prepared this page where you can find all the MVC resources you need.
The flexible, scalable, and extensible ASP.NET CMS-based platform
The complete solution for your online marketing strategy
Get more detailed information about the Kentico features you're interested in
Check out all the benefits of the Kentico all-in-one CMS, E-commerce and Online Marketing platform.
We appreciate any feedback or new feature suggestions you may have
Learn what our clients do with Kentico and why they are happy they chose us
See how international brands rely on Kentico to accelerate their success
See how companies of all sizes use Kentico to drive business results both on-premise or in the cloud
Read our testimonials and find out why our clients love working with us
Read respected expert reviews on various versions of Kentico
More than 1,000 partners in 80+ countries are ready to help you
From Albania to Vietnam, and everywhere in between, find a partner near you
Develop and grow as a valued member of the Kentico community
Check out our partners' success stories to see what they achieved with Kentico.
With almost 50 hosting partners worldwide, you can find the right one for you
Kentico works closely with .NET User Groups around the world
Four ways in which you can discover the power of Kentico for yourself
Download and experience a full-featured evaluation of Kentico for 14 days
A comprehensive evaluation of our Content Management System and its features
Individual demo based entirely on your precise needs and questions
See the different features in action and get your questions answered
A free CMS for ASP.NET license for commercial and personal use
See our licensing options and find the one that fits your needs
Get more detailed information about Kentico licensing options, support, and conditions.
Kentico offers several payment options to make purchasing easy
Do you want more info about purchasing Kentico? Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
Kentico support, consulting, and training help you achieve more
We are here to help you succeed with your projects.
Bringing sophisticated digital marketing to businesses of all sizes
We are always on the lookout for truly exceptional people to fill truly exception positions
We have offices all around the globe.
Founded by Petr Palas in June 2004, Kentico has been growing organically ever since
Both internally and externally, Kentico's committed to its corporate social responsibility
A community of developers passionate about Kentico and helping others
Official brand guide, including Graphics, Content, and Web Development guidelines and best practices.
Kentico is coming to an event near you, drop by to see us and say hello


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I remember very little about this book, I read it when I was a kid. It was some sort of alien world, where animals kept getting striped bare to their bones and nobody could figure out why. Then it gets found out it's like this massive swarm of bugs that essentially fly over something for a few seconds and when it's stripped bare they move on. I wish I could remember more, I mostly just remember I really enjoyed reading it. It is not Prey by Crichton.
2Do you remember when you were a kid? Was that the 90s? 80s? Maybe the 50s? This would help narrow down the range of time the book may have been published in. Also, can I suggest you take a look at this guide and see if you can edit in any more details. Every bit counts in helping us identify your story! – Edlothiad May 1 '18 at 5:25
This has some similarity to 'Beowulf's Children', Larry Niven's sequel to 'The Legacy of Heorot'. The stories are about a human colony called Avalon. The colony planet fauna have evolved a blood supercharger compound which when consumed by the local equivalent of bees causes them to behave like the bug swarm mentioned.
This sounds like Beast Master's Ark. It's written by Lyn McConchie, following an Andre Norton book. It was published in 2003.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/462382.Beast_Master_s_Ark
Might it have been "Dust" by Charles Pellegrino? Much fits but it doesn't happen on an alien world.
Edmund Cooper's Venom of Argus included 'Pirahna Bugs', a swarm of which could strip an animal to the bones in seconds...
It's one of a four part series about a team of astronauts proving planets safe for colonisation


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LAFAYETTE — A dispatcher with the Lafayette Police Department took a 911 call that many young students would define as an emergency - math homework help.
The police department tweeted out a video with audio of a 911 call that a young boy made for homework help. Instead of turning the boy away, this Lafayette dispatcher stayed on the phone to help him.
You can listen to the whole encounter in the Lafayette Police Department's tweet below.
Our dispatchers never know what the next call might be.They train for many emergency situations, homework help is not one they plan for. We don't recommend 911 for homework help but this dispatcher helped a young boy out and brightened his day.@PoliceOne @apbweb @wlfi @WTHRcom pic.twitter.com/w3qCYfJP7O— LafayetteINPolice (@LafayetteINPD) January 25, 2019
MORE TOP STORIES| Multiple agencies involved in federal raids across throughout Indianapolis | Mysterious noises rattling central Indiana neighborhoods were likely winter phenomenon known as frost quakes | Greenfield man creates giant eagles out of snow | Noblesville police respond to unsafe sledding call, test the hill for themselves | Lafayette police release body cam footage from officer shooting
Top Trending Videos


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See live updates and stay tuned during graduation week across our social media pages!
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Relive the experience - scroll through the videos to find your ceremony.
Departmental celebrations
Please contact your department/school for details of any celebration events they may be arranging for your graduation day.


text:
Lube Stop offers Optix® Flat Blades, flat, bracketless wiper blades, and will install them on your vehicle in minutes.
Original equipment on many new cars today, Lube Stop offers Optix® Flat Blades, and will install them in just minutes.
Compared to other standard wiper blades, Optix®; Flat Blades are designed with internal tension so that more of the blade remains on the windshield. This allows for better aerodynamics and improved clearing of the windshield during inclement weather.
The Aquapel Windshield Treatment improves your ability to see clearly and drive safely in the rain.
The Lube Stop Expert Oil Change protects your engine and prolongs its life. Why do we call it the Expert Oil Change? Having performed oil changes for more than 30 years, our trained, certified and trustworthy staff will always handle your car with care.
During Lube Stop's Light Inspection our expert team will check that all of your vehicle's lightbulbs are in working condition so that you have full visibility and are driving safely on the road.


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Unlock your creativity and make your own animation!
A Summer Animation Camp will take place at Galway Film Centre this July. The Summer Animation Camp will run from Monday 17 July to Friday 21 July from 10am and 3.30pm at Cluain Mhuire on the Wellpark Road with facilitator Denise McDonagh.
Animation is an exciting way to explore creative storytelling and visual imagery. Through the use of paper, drawing and clay you will learn to create your own mini universe. You will style and develop characters with the help of professional animators and then transform your creations into moving images and learn to animate with an iPad! Participants learn how to make their own animations, have fun and meet new friends in a safe and creative environment.
At the end of this 5-day workshop each participant will receive a DVD with their finished animation including the names of all participants on the credit list, ideal for portfolio inclusion as well as being just great fun.
The resulting animations will be submitted to the Galway Junior Film Fleadh and the Limerick Fresh Film Festival. The experience of seeing your creation on a big screen is extremely rewarding, encouraging and inspiring.
For more information email admin@galwayfilm centre.ie or call 091-770748 or see www.galwayfilmcentre.ie/young-filmmakers


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I'm so excited to share the photos from the Creative Collective Launch Party! Yvonne Rock took our lovely photos, and you can see all of them over on Glitter Guide today! I'll be sharing a few of my favorites here.
So the 11 of us know a lot of people. And to even get a fraction of the people we wanted to invite into our space in one day, we split it up into two events — a brunch and an evening event. Yes, I totally changed for the evening event. Here I'm wearing a Solace London Lane top. Yes it's totally see-through. No, my husband didn't love that part. Oh and did I mention it's practically backless? I'm obsessed. I paired it with Emerson Thorpe Emilia Pants and Joie Jaclyn Heels (mine are gold from last year).
Ridgewells Catering really went the extra mile (although I think they do that at every event!) with the food and drinks. For the morning brunch we had a mimosa bar, green juice, and milk and donuts among other snacks. The milk and donuts were a hit. I'm pretty sure I win for eating the most donuts, and not drinking any milk.
Because it's nearly impossible to get all of us together at the same time, we are missing a few people in both all of the shots, but oh well! This is outside our building before the morning brunch. I am wearing the Clover Canyon dress I could not take my eyes off (bodycon version), and lucky for me it went on sale and fit like a glove. Win win. My silver shoes are old ZARA.
Left to right: Megan Pollard, Claire Ashley, Meg Biram, Laura Ritchie, Abby Jiu, Naina Singla, Joanna Abizaid, Catherine Zinn (Stephanie Olvey, Dionna Dorsey, Laura Fruchterman, not pictured)
The infamous Holly Chapple graciously created the flowers for our event. We got to continue enjoying them for another week! Absolutely gorgeous. That is my painting I'm Blushing in the background.
We had to get Lola — our studio pooch into the photos (mom is Abby Jiu). She did attend both parties and was quite the hit. Apparently she's got a thing for balloons, and we had about 200 of them in the back room — so that was entertaining.
Make sure you head over to Glitter Guide to see all of the photos!
Left to right: Megan Pollard, Abby Jiu, Claire Hakim, Meg Biram, Naina Singla, Joanna Abizaid, Dionna Dorsey, Laura Ritchie and Laura Fruchterman (Stephanie Olvey & Catherine Zinn, not pictured)
Photos by Yvonne Rock


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The dollar fell against its rivals Thursday, hampered by better U.S. data and a recent retrenchment in U.S. benchmark-bond yields, in light year-end trading.
The dollar index DXY, +0.01%, which measures the currency against a basket of six rivals, fell to 79.515 from 79.788 late Wednesday. The euro EURUSD, -0.0635% rose to $1.3290 from $1.3219 Wednesday.
"The dollar continued to weaken ... as it typically does in more favorable economic times," said Andrew Wilkinson, senior market analyst at Interactive Brokers in a note early Thursday.
Thursday's moves follow data that showed U.S. weekly jobless claims falling to their lowest levels since July 2008. Initial claims fell 34,000 to a seasonally adjusted 388,000 in the latest week.
Further good economic news arrived when the National Association of Realtors said pending U.S. home sales were up 3.5% in November. The data point to a gradual recovery into next year, said the NAR. See Market Snapshot.
The dollar got little direction from equity or debt markets, as analysts attributed the small movements to end-of-year adjustments. The Standard & Poor's 500 stock index SPX, +1.01% was down a fraction.


text:
Forces & Movement - KS1 Science Unit 2E
Forces & Movement - Science Clip activity from the BBC.
Winding Up - Flash-based activity which explains simple winding machines.
Diggers & Cranes - activity which allows children to see how machines work.
Build A Roller Coaster - design your own roller coaster then see how far the ball will roll in it. Click on Roller Coasters to begin.
Balancing Frogs - investigate how levers work with these frogs on a seesaw.
Balance & Motion - click on the Movies link on the left to see short videos of spinning tops, swinging toys and more.
Beaufort Wind Scale - animation of the different levels.
Weather Teddy - animated site looks at the force of the wind.
Forces & Motion - an online lesson plan which the class can work through step by step.
Identifying Forces - this activity allows children to identify what kind of force is needed for each situation.
Simple Machines - Flash-based explantion of how simple machines work.
Canal Lock - guide the boat through the lock in this interactive activity.
Machines - excellent site from Learning On The Move - covers lifting, stopping and griping and mechanisms. Lots of activities and information.
Pushes & Pulls - sort them out in this interactive activity.
Forces Quiz - test your knowledge of forces with this online quiz.
What Makes It Move? - drag the objects to reveal what powers them.
Return To Resources Page


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Yesterday, Karmaloop won ownership of three domain names occupied by cybersquatters. The domains <karmaloup.com>, <karmamloop.com>, <marmaloop.com> were in dispute.
I had the opportunity to speak with CEO and Founder Greg Selkoe over the phone, who described Karmaloop as a "lifestyle and media company", and pointed out the over $130 million in revenue his company achieved in the last year. Of course, a company of Karmaloop's stature will have its imitators, as well as persons who will try to profit from Karmaloop's success through cybersquatting.
In a UDRP action filed on August 11, 2011 by CitizenHawk on behalf of Karmaloop, Karmaloop alleged that the domain owners engaged in bad faith disruption of Karmaloop's business due to the fact that the infringing domains contained links to Karmaloop's competitors. The Panel thought so as well, holding that the cybersquatter's "inclusion of links to [Karmaloop's] competitors on its websites constitutes bad faith disruption of [Karmaloop's] business."
Due to the existence of links to Karmaloop competitors on the cybersquatter's domains, the Panel assumed that the cybersquatters were collecting click-through fees. This is notable because the Panel used this reasoning to establish that the domain owners were commercially gaining from the confusion caused by the similar domain names, and thus a violation of the UDRP Paragraphs 4(c)(i) and 4(c)(iii) (lack of rights and legitimate interests in the domain).
The combination of domain names which are almost identical, along with advertising of direct competitors, is a scenario the UDRP seeks to discourage. <karmaloup.com> and <marmaloop.com> only exchange one letter from Karmaloop's trademark, and <karmamloop.com> only adds one letter. These types of minor, single-letter changes to a trademark are typically held by UDRP panels to be insufficient to claim that a domain is distinguishable from a trademark owner's mark.
The internet is a great space for innovative business tactics, but it is also a place for innovative foul play. In the world of domain names the UDRP is a way for those who engage in fair business practices to take control of their brand and business, and prevent the uninventive from free-riding.
– ck


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Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is in Damascus today to meet with Assad government figures on the possibility of setting aside the ongoing Syrian Civil War, and instead focus on fighting against ISIS, with a broad coalition proposed by Russia that would include both government and rebels.
Several of the rebel factions have in the meantime sent representatives to Moscow to talk with Russia about the plan, though they are seen as largely rejecting the plan if it includes the Assad government, which of course is the whole point of the effort, bringing two sides that can't fight ISIS alone together.
Saudi Arabia has come out against the idea, insisting the Alawite Assad government mustn't be allowed to have any role in Syria, and they seem much more averse to Assad surviving in any role in a unity government than in ISIS retaining control over most of the country.
The US has been averse to the Russian unity idea in the past, though recently it has been suggested that they are more willing to discuss the matter, for lack of any other ideas on fighting ISIS. Without bringing any meaningful rebels on board, however, the program may be a non-starter.


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Bujumbura (1994)
Maryse had her head down on their host's kitchen table when Hans burst in. She was too tired to think straight, and the afternoon heat of Ngozi was making it worse. "Did you hear? Habyarimana's plane has crashed. Both Habyarimana and Ntariyama are dead! The Hutus, they are going crazy!"
"What?" she raised her head.
"Oh, shit. Wait!" Jake kicked his ancient chair back, the wheel creaking loudly as it rolled across the wooden floor. "What's up with the border?"
"It is a mess," Hans said. "The rebels, they are going insane! The Interahamwe have threatened to kill every Tutsi they can find, and there are already masses of refugees headed across the border! We are too close."
"Already?" Maryse said.
"News flows fast." Jake opened his backpack, a ragged canvas thing that Maryse thought had been around since the United Nations had politely "allowed" the Belgians to continue "administering" the state of Burundi. He sneezed suddenly, swore, then reached in and grabbed a hat that pretended to conceal his ears. He pulled out a large, heavy belt, at the bottom of which Maryse saw a gun.
"What are you thinking?" she said.
"I'm going to Kigali. He's there, Maryse." Jake didn't have to say who 'he' was. The mystery boy. The missing Bastet, the one that a cameraman had photographed four months earlier, being led along the sidewalk with a rope about his wrists. Jake had told Maryse about the money and the footwork he'd done to learn the name of the man leading the boy. Jake had a name. He had an address. What they didn't have was authority. "If Dallaire lets Rwanda lose its mind– and he might not have a choice– there's going to be enough chaos and confusion. I might have a chance."
"You could get killed, too! And in UNAMIR catches you–"
"What? They'll kick me out of BTRP?" Jake shook his head. "Maybe. Maybe not. It's a chance I have to take, Maryse." He finished buckling the belt on.
"I'm coming."
"I can shoot as well as you, Jake," she said. "I was riot control. They taught me how to shoot a rifle."
Hans cleared his throat. "Maryse, the cartoons. You have seen them, yes?"
Maryse had. They were hard to miss since they were everywhere in Burundi. The Hutus had recently started to publish mini cartoons, crudely drawn flyers and even little booklets, that stated outright that when (not "if", everyone knew) the civil war began, the Tutsi women were going to be the subject of institutional rape. Maryse had not worried too much: she was, by her own admission, painfully white, and wore her blue vest almost religiously, sure it would protect her. The other two members of her UN Bastet Tribal Rescue Program team often did the same.
The UNBTRP mission to Burundi was there to investitage if there were any Bastet in the country illegally being held in indentured servitude. Maryse knew that back in Australia Jake had wealthy backers who could probably buy or bribe any Bastet out of slavery, but that aspect was quietly kept out of the mission assignment. Bastet weren't difficult to keep out of sight. If a wealthy man wanted to keep a Bastet enslaved, keeping one indoors would not have been difficult, and while the Muslim population of Rwanda was tiny, a chador was not entirely out of place in a city like Kigali.
"I'm still going with you," she said.
"Then leave your blue," Jake said.
Hans started, "I cannot believe you are…"
"Hans, hold down the fort. There'll be refugees. UNHCR's gonna be here soon. Tell Mr. Nyarimohoro's that we'll be back before tomorrow."
Hans's eyes flickered from Maryse to Jake.. Despite being tall and broad, Hans was anything but the Teutonic warrior of his background. "It could be 1968 all over again. The Tutsis will flee south and start killing Hutus here."
"If it is," Jake said, "Nothing you can do will stop it. Just run, then. C'mon, Maryse."
They found their truck outside, a sand-colored Land Rover that the pool officer in Sawakin had claimed was built in 1965 and if it survived thirty years, it would survive another thirty. It started with a rattle that Maryse had learned was normal. Jake roared down the countryside.
The truck bounded up the dirt road that ran from Ngozi straight to Kigali. Both Burundi and Rwanda were barely a hundred miles across; the distance from Ngozi to Kigagli was less than seventy, through some of the most beautiful pastureland Maryse had ever seen. She watched with increasing awe as Jake maneuvered the truck around oxcarts laden with straw and sheep with an insane confidence, then pulled back onto KKMR14, the Kicukiro-Kirundo "highway," which had the distinction of being packed gravel rather than mere dirt. As the truck bounced across ruts and cast dust high into the air a farmer shouted and waved his fist, but Jake ignored him, eyes to the road, focused.
Maryse had known Jake for three months, during their trip first through Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and finally Burundi. He was an intense young man– tom, she reminded herself– obsessed with his mission of rescuing as many Bastet as he could possibly find. He was also a beautiful man, like many Bastet, strong-bodied with lean arms and a long neck up to a head of dark hair cropped obscenely short. Every Bastet Maryse had ever seen in a magazine or on TV, male or female, had long hair. It complemented their ears. The buzz cut made Jake's ears stand out like sonar dishes even though they were broad and low compared to many Bastet's.
KKMR14 had been completed four years earlier by a UN mandate, a commerce road linking Burugumi and Kigali, the capitals of Burundi and Rwanda, in the hopes of furthering trade. Both countries were among the poorest in the world, with painfully short lifespans cut even shorter by the emergence of AIDS throughout Africa.
It was AIDS that made the Bastet so much a commodity. Bastet didn't get the disease. In fact, none of the thousands of diseases that commonly afficted human beings ever seemed to bother Bastet. That made them valuable and rare in those parts of the world that still practiced slavery, especially sex slavery, and even in places where it was officially banned. Like Rwanda. The BTRP had field agents everywhere in Africa these years, eight years after the Sudanese government had turned its back on the Tribal Bastet and let the poachers take what they wanted. The destruction had been horrific, and the Bastet had fought back, but in the end the results had been inevitable. The UN Commission on Human Rights was now "protecting" thousands of Bastet in squalid conditions on the Egyptian side of the Sudan-Egypt border, but thousands more Bastet had "disappeared" into the modern African slave trade.
The drive descended into rhythmic impacts. Jake would swerve around someone in the road, the overpowered horn screaming, and Maryse would find herself swaying inside the cabin. Sometimes she'd sway against Jake's body, thudding against the iron build of his shoulders and hips, before pushing herself back into her seat. The truck had no shoulder belts.
They drove into the dark. The road became empty. They stopped at the border control point and nobody was there to take their passports or their bribes. They were really on their own, outside of their mandate. "If we don't get back with the truck, Hans will kill us," she said. "Jake, is this really worth it?"
"Yes," he said. "Yes, it's worth it." He pushed down the gas, and the truck hit its limit. "Maryse, how many Bastet are there in the world?"
"I don't know. A million?"
"Something like that. Every one of us counts. Every one of us, killed by one of you, is… is… " His mouth compressed hard. "There are as many Bastet in the world as there are Australian IPs, but you people have been scattering us across the world. There are fewer Bastet in Africa, our birthplace, then there are in the US. Every one counts. Every one. Why are you here?"
Maryse had a pat answer. It didn't feel right anymore. "I don't know. I wanted to make a difference. I guess after the Navy I wanted to get out of France, too. See the world. Africa was exotic, and volunteering for a French-paid UN mission seemed like the ticket. The BTRP was just what was available. It's a good cause, I guess."
"It is. It is to me," Jake said.
"I can't believe we're driving into this."
"It's forty-eight klicks to Kigali. Hold on."
They saw people running along the sides of the road. They encountered no other vehicles until they were less than six kilometers from the city's edge. Two trucks filled with soldiers passed going the other way, men with wide eyes and eager faces. "There's going to be a slaughter. Jake!"
"We'll make it. This is all we have to do. I know exactly where the house is." He reached under the seat. "Put this on the roof. Turn it on first."
"Where did you get that?" Mayrse asked as Jake handed her what looked like a blue police light. It had a heavy base, and after turning it on she felt its magnetic tug against the car door.
"Sawakin. Thought it might come in handy."
"We are so in trouble."
"Only if we get caught," Jake said.
Kigali was on fire. Not everywhere, and not just in one place, but the glow rising from specific places told Maryse that the fighting had already begun. "Jake!" she screamed as he did one of his his insane dodges around a body in the road. It had lacked a head.
Jake was looking at a sheet of paper with a hand-drawn map on it. The ramshackle sheds made of mudbrick and gypsum gave way to modern constructions and then up into compounds. They saw few people, but Maryse heard gunshots in the distance. Jake stopped the truck. "It's just the beginning," he said. "It'll get worse soon." He glanced left, then right. "There," he said, pointing to one house back from the road, an iron fence and scrag grass protecting it from the unwashed masses. The fence gate had been torn off its hinges, door was open, and the windows smashed. "Oh, no."
He dove out of the truck, taking the keys with him, pistol in hand. He moved like a soldier, head down. Maryse didn't know how to be a soldier. She'd been a sailor, and a riot control officer, and it had all been play-acting. This was different. Gunfire erupted somewhere, less than a block away, and she shrieked and ducked behind the truck's dashboard. Nothing hit the truck, and she scrambled to get out and follow Jake into the house.
There was blood in the front room. Four bodies. Two men and two children had been hacked to death in this tiny, hot room with an Afghani carpet and Victorian wallpaper. It stank of blood and metal, of shit and death. She tried not to look at the bodies or the small ceramic bowls, the remains of their last meal. Her throat constricted, holding out the disgust, preparing her to vomit. "None of them are him!" Jake snarled. "I'll check the basement. Maryse, check upstairs!"
"What?" She was shocked. She hadn't expected him to order her, but he was right, that was what they should do to get out of there quickly.
"Go!" he roared. She saw the stairs, an attached flight leading up, and she took them three at a time. She found three small rooms, and all were empty. Dressers were overturned, beds stripped, closets ransacked. There was a door at the end.
Inside was a small bathroom. A Bastet tom was there, body thrown across the toilet. He was naked from the waist down, and his hollow eyes stared at her in one last plea for mercy. Blood had streamed down his cheeks and dried there. It took Maryse several seconds to register what the bloody white revelation of his skull meant. The boy had been scalped.
She screamed.
"Maryse!" She heard footsteps running, and Jake caught her as she threw herself back into the hallway, her body heaving as her empty stomach tried to reject whatever it was she'd just taken in through her eyes. She couldn't unsee that. She'd never forget that.
Jake let her slump on the floor, then checked the bathroom. "Oh, cursed river," he groaned.
When they got back outside, two men were looking at the truck. They held only crude machetes. "Get away," Jake yelled in perfect French. They turned to look at him, raised their knives. He raised his gun. "Go!"
They ran. "Get in," he said. "Get in now."
Maryse, still dazed, did as he said, her hands moving slowly. "Here," he growled and pulled the belt buckle across her lap before slamming the truck into reverse. "Hold on!" Jake backed up fast, then tore the truck around in a maneuver she'd only ever seen in movies. They were rolling out of Kigali. They passed a church on fire. Men milled about it, holding machetes and rifles. They watched the truck go by with only passing interest.
"They aren't attacking us?"
"They don't want USAMIR coming down on them. The fewer atrocities they direct toward blueheads the better," Jake said.
"How do they knew we're blueheads?"
"You're white," he said.
"So're you, from a distance."
Jake snorted.
The trip back was slower. There were more refugees on the road, now, and at the border Jake was forced to say "USAMIR" and pay a bribe, but they got back into Burundi. Jake said nothing the entire trip. They reached Mr. Nyarimohoro's house after midnight.
Mr. Nyarimohoro was their UN host, a nominally wealthy man paid by the UN to house their UNBTRP mission when they passed through the Ngozi district. His home, a two-story affair, had room enough now that he had no children living within. He met them on the porch, standing with his cane. "Did you find what you looked for, yes?"
"No," Jake said, passing by.
Hans came bounding out. "You're alive!" Maryse nodded. "You didn't find him?"
"We did, they, he was killed. Already. When we found his body. It, I can't–" She didn't want to put into words what she'd seen. She wanted to forget it. She wanted to erase it. She had wanted to do something that would mean something, but there was no meaning in a world that allowed what she had just seen to happen. What she had seen was a tiny fraction of the horror that would engulf Rwanda tonight, just as it had destroyed the country nearly thrity years earlier.
She went upstairs and knocked on Jake's door. "Jake?" There was no answer, so she pushed the door open. Jake was lying in his bed, curled into a tight fetal position, his back to the door. She sat down on the bed and put a hand on his shoulder. She could feel him sobbing. "Jake?"
He didn't answer. She wanted to do something. It wasn't a desire to ease the loss he felt, or to erase her own growning disgust with other human beings. It was just a desire to do something, to fill the time that passed. To provide a distraction.
She ran her hands down his back, softly. "Pet me," he mumbled.
"What?" She wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly.
"Pet me," he said again. "Harder. Like… like you would a cat."
"Jake, this isn't really the time–"
She ran her fingers down his back, through the sweaty cotton shirt. She felt curiously better for doing just that, so she did the motion again. Jake's sobbing eased. She used both hands, running them along his spine from his neck down to his beltline, over and over. The miserable ball that was Jake Lyon Hull eased, and a soft purring began to emerge among the fading sobs, until the sobs were gone and only the hum remained.
He was so beautiful. Bastet often were, legendarily so. There had been magic in the world once, or so both historians and scientists agreed, and the Bastet were one of the few true artifacts of that period to survive, but they were such an artifact, so lovely and so lonely. She could feel that magic running up her hands as she stroked his back, felt the muscles and bones underneath, a cool sensation, an electrical sensation, like playing with white light.
Jake turned over. He tried to smile, but the devastation in his eyes only helped resurrect within her the feelings, but not the memories, of what she had seen.
He reached out to touch her face, and then… did she try to kiss him? Did he try to kiss her? She couldn't remember. It just happened, they were together, Jake held her in his tameless embrace and their mouths were pressed together, lips crushed to lips crushed against the teeth in ways that should have hurt but didn't, and they were falling, falling to the creaking, ancient bed that bore them both. Maryse tore at his clothing, he tore at hers, and soon they were both naked on the bed.
He entered her in a single, simple stroke, and she gasped as his cock speared up into her sorrow and broke her open. It poured out of her in tears. "Maryse?" he asked.
"Fuck me," she whispered.
His mouth closed on hers, his chest pressed her hers, and his cheeks slid against hers on spit and tears as they coupled desperately, humanely. She surrendered to whatever it was Jake needed at the moment because she needed to surrender. She needed to give up. She opened herself to him, wrapped her legs around his thighs, and held him inside her. Someone beautiful was inside her, displacing her sorrow, her horror, and she welcomed him. As his cock slid in and out of her the passion she felt became more real, more now. Jake's thrusts grew in intensity. Jake's needs dragged Maryse back to reality and she held him as he came, hard. His cry of release was accompanied by her own, final sob of joy.
He held her for a long time, his cock shrinking within her, falling out, a dribble of fluid behind it. Maryse hadn't had sex with anyone in almost two years, and her body informed her that that had been too long. When he finally pushed himself off she felt as if she could breathe again, and then wondered why she hadn't noticed before that she couldn't.
He was still beautiful. She hadn't expected that. He didn't look right with his hair so short, she wished to see in him the sweet, silly dishevelment of lovemaking, but the beauty of his face and the grace of his body still overwhelmed her.
She had a chance now to see it naked, all of it, as he lay beside her, face down. "What happened?" he said. She looked at his tail, the sudden uneven emergence of a patch of white fur at the cleft of his ass curling away in a thick, expressive stretch of muscle and bone. Jake usually kept it hidden inside his pants, tucked away along one pantleg. It was longer than his leg. How did that work?
"I don't know," she said. She felt guilty, like she'd taken something from him she wasn't sure was hers to ask. She touched his face, and he smiled at her. "We could do it again."
"It wouldn't happen the same twice."
"I know," she said, and the sadness settled again on her shoulders. "I should go." She shifted to the edge of the narrow bed. He caught her by the wrist. "What?"
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
She nodded. She went back to the room Mr. Nyarimohoro had given he, with its own tiny bed and looked out the window. It was dark in Africa, she though. Moonless tonight, as dark as the frenzy that consumed Rwanda. Jake was right: it was going to get worse. The UN wouldn't do anything about the killing.
She tried sleeping, failed. She pulled on shorts and her safari shirt, and went outside to the porch to listen.
She heard only the sounds of a village at night. A clink here, the shuffling of feet to an outhouse there. A door creaked. She heard footsteps behind her, then felt something tap her arm. "Anaesthetic?" Jake asked her.
She smiled in the dark and reached up, wrapping her hand around something metallic. A beer can. "Where'd you find this?" she asked.
"Bujumbura," he said.
"Do Bastet drink?"
"Poorly," he said, cracking open his can. She found the poptop on her can, pulled it open, listened to the brief hiss of escaping bubbles. The beer was strong, locally brewed. He sat down next to her, kicking up the smell of dust around both of them. "Like everyone else."
"Jake, I'm sorry."
"One in six thousand. The numbers got worse today." He took a deep drink of his beer. "And I'm sorry you saw that. I shouldn't have asked you to go."
"You didn't. I told you I wanted to go. I lied to go."
"About being able to shoot. They taught me how to shoot in riot control in Paris, yes, but only beanbag guns. Shooting someone in anger? To kill? No."
"You didn't have to."
"We were lucky."
"We were early. Early to the massacre," he said. "Before they'd gotten their shit together. Before they figure out they can shoot at anyone with impunity."
She decided to change the subject. She didn't want to think too much about what had happened today. Didn't want the harrowing bloody vision of that Bastet boy in her mind for the rest of her life. She wanted to remember only the sweetness of Jake's body against hers. It wasn't affirmation or replacement, only dilution. "Hans joked that you were famous. What was that about?"
"Me?" Jake snorted. "I'm not famous. My grandparents, now they were famous. Jake Hull was a US sailor who settled down in Australia after the war and adopted a Bastet tabby– that's what they called it, adoption– and her kits. We don't get along, Bastet toms and tabbies. Actually, Bastet toms don't usually get along well with other Bastet of any kind." He laughed. "It's in our nature. We're territorial. I would have held that down, I would have controlled myself, I would have done anything to get that Bastet out of there.
"Anyway, my grandparents. There's a big romantic story– a true one, too, I'm told– about how Grandpa Jake and my Bastet grandfather, Lyon, saved my grandmother from South Seas pirates on a deserted island. There was a gun battle and everything. But after that, they settled in Darwin. Jake became active in both the gay rights and Bastet rights movements in the fifties and sixties. Famous for it. The pirate story brought him to the attention of the press, and he used that attention really well to make the case for civil reform." Jake took another sip of beer. "It was good, but bad in a way."
"How come?"
"Because he linked the two issues in everyone's mind. Now whenever an Aussie thinks of Bastet rights, he automatically thinks of gay rights to, and thinks about the promiscuity of gay men and AIDS and all that and somehow it's the Bastet's fault, or vice versa. Most people don't know what they think. I hope you guys find a cure soon." He turned his head to look out over Ngozi. "Poor Hans. He's so straight it's painful. Straight in that German misery way, like German opera is straight."
Maryse laughed. "That's mean, Jake. But you'd do him if he weren't? Are all Bastet like that? I mean, promiscuous?"
"Sure, why not? Whatever it is that made us, we're safe from you, from everything. And you're safe from us. Why not boink our brains out? Besides, I think it's more than that. I had a lover once– big woman, gorgeous– and she told me that she had gone from twenty to forty raising kids, and now she had another ten or twenty years to be as slutty as she wanted to be. It must be nice to have that. To know that you will live that long. To be able to have kids at thirty and know you'll be able to see them off to college.
"When you turn fifteen, you know you have, if you're ordinary, maybe fifty or sixty years to figure life out. I don't. I have half that; twenty-five to thirty. The Great River is waiting, Maryse. I have only so much time to get all my living in." He sniffed, and she heard the sadness. "Poor kid didn't even get that."
Maryse slid over next to him and put her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jake."
"Yeah, me too." He kissed the top of her head. "We can do it again if you want."
"I would want."
"It's not like a privilege or anything."
"Yes it is," she said. "One in six thousand."