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Tina Wu dips her soft writing brush into a plastic cup filled with black ink and makes three short horizontal strokes and two curved vertical lines, followed by shorter vertical lines and a couple of squiggly ones. "This is 'spring,'" she said, with a warm, contagious smile. "You hang it upside down if you want to encourage spring to come."
Wu is practicing Chinese calligraphy, an important treasure of her heritage. An international business major from New Tapei City, Taiwan, she spent her junior year at St. Thomas through an exchange program with her home campus, Tamkang University.
Carrying on her mother's love of Chinese calligraphy, Wu took an early interest in it and has continued to practice and hone her skill.
Although she had been studying on campus for five months, only a couple of her American friends knew that she was a Chinese calligrapher. Her hidden talent came to light when she gave gifts to her local friendship family to celebrate the Chinese New Year in late January.
"It was beautiful," said Kjersti Duncan, part of Wu's friendship family. "She presented our family with banners for the Chinese New Year and hung them on either side of our door." The delicate red paper couplets – a pair of poetry lines – welcome guests with good wishes for the new year. Since this is the Chinese year of the horse, the characters depict a poem about a horse charging into the new year, its mane flowing, and digging at the snow to bring up spring.
Known as Tina in America, her name is Yun-Chen – chosen before she was born by her mother because of how it looked when done in calligraphy.
"Forty years ago calligraphy was popular and it was required for my parents in elementary and junior high," Wu said. "Now it's just one semester in elementary school."
"Once I learned it, I enjoyed it," Wu said. "Same as with piano; my mom asked me to try it and now I love it."
She was hooked. She practiced calligraphy at her teacher's home from fourth through eighth grade and has kept it up ever since.
"When I finish doing calligraphy, I feel complete," Wu said. "I can show my parents, especially my mom, and she says 'That's really good.'
"I really focus when I do calligraphy. I try to make everything perfect. If one character is not perfect, it ruins the whole piece. I throw it away. I practice each character on regular paper until I'm satisfied and then I move on to the next character. After practicing, I can do it quickly."
Wu learned the Zhiyong style of calligraphy, named after a monk known for his calligraphy during the Sui Dynasty (589-618 AD).
"In ancient times, calligraphy (brush painting) was used for communication," Wu said. "After the invention of pens, pencils and email, people didn't use it; it evolved into an art form."
Chinese calligraphy is an art unique to Asian cultures. It involves the writing of characters, and each character is made up of a series of single brushstrokes. Depending on the concentration of ink, the type of paper and the flexibility of the brush, artists develop their own styles.
Written Chinese is not based on alphabet letters or syllables. Chinese characters are glyphs which may depict objects (pictographs) or abstract ideas (ideographs).
Eight strokes are used to create Chinese characters: horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling, rising, dot, hook and turning. Certain rules apply, such as the order of horizontal and vertical strokes within a character, and characters are written from top to bottom.
Traditional Chinese is written in vertical columns and read from top to bottom; the first column is on the right side of the page, and the text runs toward the left. Chinese characters are not usually linked to one another, so they can be arranged vertically or horizontally. Chinese characters are arranged in vertical columns, read from top to bottom and right to left across the column.
In modern times, the Western layout of horizontal rows from left to right, read from the top of the page to the bottom, has become more popular in written Chinese.
Wu is not shy; she likes to be around people.
"Taiwanese people are not as individualistic as people in the U.S.," Wu said. "In Taiwan, it's more family oriented. We're a team. We travel with friends. Here, people eat in the cafeteria by themselves, but I'd feel weird. It's not bad here, just different."
When she wasn't hanging out with her two other classmates from Taiwan – June and Hang-Fang – or her three roommates in Morrison Residence Hall, Wu enjoyed spending time with her friendship family, Kjersti and Brian Duncan and their 4-year-old son, Aspen, and infant daughter, March, who live near campus.
"Kjersti and Brian are so nice to me," Wu said. "I always wanted to have a brother or sister, and now I think I do!"
"She's been such a joy to our family," Kjersti said. "She has a neat enthusiasm about her. You can tell she's here to get the whole American experience. I don't know anything she wouldn't be willing to try. She even tried Norwegian food, like pickled herring!"
Wu has immersed herself enthusiastically in the family, often bringing June and Hang-Fang with her. They have participated in many activities, such as Aspen's birthday party, preschool music program and playing at Choo Choo Bob's train store.
"Trick or treating on Halloween was hilarious," Kjersti said. "We're new to this neighborhood and I wondered what my neighbors thought when a 4-year-old boy and three very enthusiastic Taiwan college students came to their door."
"I didn't have time to make a costume," Wu said. "So I wore bunny ears, June was a cat and Hang-Fang was a minion from the movie 'Despicable Me.' The neighbors were so nice. They'd ask 'Where are you from?' and say 'Welcome to Minnesota!'"
"We really enjoyed having Wu with us," Kjersti said. "When my daughter was born, we told my son 'you have a sister' and he asked 'Is Tina my sister too?' If we take in another student next year, she set the bar really high for our family."
Wu especially enjoyed participating in a Christmas gathering at which Brian played saxophone, Kjersti's mom played piano, Aspen played tambourine and Wu sang. As part of the Women's Choir at St. Thomas, she needed to practice carols for the upcoming Christmas concert, and was happy to join in.
"Music is my passion. I can't live without it," Wu said.
She took voice lessons from Dede Jorsted at St. Thomas and sang in the Women's Choir. Director Angela Mitchell appreciated Wu's gusto: "Tina is full of joy and was always putting forth her best effort in choral rehearsals. When I gave instructions to the sopranos she was right with me, nodding in affirmation and sitting on the edge of her seat."
Wu learned about the St. Thomas-Tamkang University exchange program from Dr. Michael F. Sullivan, who has been traveling to Taiwan to promote the program since it began in 2005. Sullivan, who was an associate professor of finance in the Opus College of Business and a former chief investment officer of the university, retired this spring.
"We were approached by Tamkang University to be one of their selected junior-year study abroad programs in their international business degree program," Sullivan said. "There are only six U.S. schools that are available to the Tamkang students."
Feedback from Taiwan students is that "they like our culture, attitude, program quality, and love our people," he said.
Wu, who speaks Mandarin Chinese with a Taiwan dialect, wanted to study where she could practice her English. As an international business major, she took accounting, marketing and management classes, along with English, communication and Introduction to Film, at St. Thomas.
"Tina is smart, friendly, warm and she worked really hard. She's a stunning representative of every Taiwanese I have known," Sullivan said.
St. Thomas will host five students for the junior-year exchange program this fall. The program averages eight students a year.
St. Thomas and Tamkang had established an earlier alliance on a joint Masters of International Management degree. Sullivan taught an MIM course in international finance on his first trip to Taiwan in 2002. He estimated that more than 300 MIM graduates live in Taiwan.
Sullivan also received couplet banners from Wu during the Chinese New Year.
"Tina is so talented," Sullivan said. "This isn't a card you throw away; it's a piece of art."
In June, Wu returned to Taiwan.
"I don't know what to do after graduation next year," she said. "I would really like to be a broadcaster, but my dad says business is a better major in Taiwan."
Her father is a retired computer engineer from Chunghwa Telecom, the biggest telecom company in Taiwan, and her mother is a retired pharmacist. Her grandparents own a hardware store, which proudly displays banners created by Wu.
Read more from St. Thomas magazine.


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The project for developing Joomla 4 has started way back in 2016, bearing the hope of a revolutionary version for Joomla. In the present time, Joomla 4 is on the horizon. To keep you up to date with this new version. This article will contain everything you need to know about Joomla 4.0 version.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Optical Transceivers
10G 40km 1310nm SFP+ Optical Transceiver
FTLX1772M3BCL 10Gb/s Pluggable SFP+ transceivers are compliant with SFF-8431 and SFF-8432, and support 10G SONET, SDH, OTN, IEEE 802.3ae, 8x/10x Fibre Channel and 6.144G/9.83 CPRI. These transceivers have higher optical transmit power and better receiver sensitivity than 1310nm 10GBASE-LR and OC-192 SR-1 transceivers. They support an optical link budget of 17dB to compensate for the higher fiber attenuation loss at 1310nm over 40km of G.652 single mode fiber.
Digital diagnostics functions are available via a 2-wire serial interface, as specified in SFF-8472. These modules utilize internal transmitter and receiver re-timer IC's for SONET/SDH jitter compliance and to enhance host cards' signal integrity. The optical transceiver is RoHS compliant as described in Application Note AN-2038.


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The department is a lively community that is recognised internationally as one of the top centres for research and teaching in development studies.
Nora Bardelli holds a master's degree in Anthropology and Sociology of Development from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva (2014), as well as a bachelor's degree in Social Work and Social Policies from the University of Fribourg (2012). She is a Berrow Foundation Scholar.


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Helen Meany Gravis, 86, who won the gold medal in women's 3-meter springboard diving at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, died Sunday of pancreatic cancer at her home in Old Greenwich, Conn. Helen Meany first qualified for the Olympics as a 15-year-old but won no medals in 1920 at Antwerp, Belgium, nor in the 1924 Games in Paris. In Amsterdam, she became the first American woman to compete in three consecutive Olympics. She was named to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1971.
Henri Bourelly, an actor who performed under the stage name Rellys in several films directed by Marcel Pagnol, died Tuesday at age 83 in Marseille, France. Mr. Bourelly's most famous part was in Mr. Pagnol's "Manon des Sources" (Manon of the Spring), in which he played the crafty peasant Ugolin.
Mariano Martinez Sr., patriarch of a family of Dallas restaurateurs, died there Monday at age 77. Mr. Martinez operated of the El Caliente Mexican Cafe at the State Fair of Texas for almost 30 years.


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Home > NRC Library > Document Collections > Generic Communications > Bulletins > 1980 > BL-80-17
Bulletin 80-17: Failure of 76 of 185 Control Rods to Fully Insert During a Scram at a BWR
SSINS No.: 6820 Accession No.: 8005050076 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT JULY 3, 1980 IE BULLETIN NO. 80-17 FAILURE OF 76 OF 185 CONTROL RODS TO FULLY INSERT DURING A SCRAM AT A BWR Description of Circumstances: On June 28, 1980, 76 of the 185 control rods failed to fully insert during a routine shutdown at TVA's Browns Ferry Unit No 3 located at Athens Alabama. The reactor was manually scrammed from about 30 percent power in accordance with routine shutdown procedures. The shutdown was initiated to repair the feedwater system. The 76 control rods that failed to fully insert were all on the east side of the core. Following scram discharge volume (SDV) high level bypass and a short drain period of the SDV, a second manual scram was initiated and all partially inserted rods were observed to drive inward, but 59 remained partially withdrawn. A third manual scram was made, again following high level in the SDV and bypassing for another short drain of the SDV, with the result that 47 rods remained partially withdrawn. Following a longer drain of the SDV, an automatic scram occurred that was initiated by a scram discharge volume tank high water level signal when the scram reset switch was placed in "Normal"; with this scram all remaining rods fully inserted. The total time elapse from the initial scram to the time that all rods were inserted was approximately 15 minutes. Core coolant flow, temperature and pressure remained normal for plant conditions. The unit is now shutdown and additional testing indicates that a possible cause of the malfunction was the retention of a significant amount of water in the east bank scram discharge volume. In view of these interim findings and pending results of continued investigation, the following actions are to be taken. Actions To Be Taken By Licensees: All General Electric Boiling Water Reactors with operating licenses which are operating at any power on the date of this Bulletin shall perform the following steps in the time stated. Those that are presently shutdown shall perform the following steps prior to operating at power. 1. Within 3 days from the date of this Bulletin, perform surveillance tests to verify that there is no significant amount of water in the Scram Discharge Volume (SDV) and associated piping and that the SDV vent valves are operable and vent system is free of obstruction. . IE Bulletin No. 80-17 July 3, 1980 Page 2 of 4 2. Within the next 20 days, perform one manual and one automatic scram in that order at normal operating temperature and pressure and with more than 50 percent of the rods fully withdrawn, and obtain the following information on each scram: a) All rod insert times and as many individual rod scram times as practicable. b) Voltage at the scram solenoid valve buses to verify that these solenoids are de-energized upon receipt of scram signal. c) Verify that scram valve air is relieved through the backup valves and that the backup valves are fully open and remain open during the presence of a scram signal. d) Measure fill time of the instrument volume from scram initiation to closure of the scram instrument volume high level alarm switch, to closure of the rod withdraw block switch on the instrument volume and to the closure of the scram instrument volume reactor scram switch. e) Measure vent and drain valves opening and closing times utilizing the valve stem mounted switches. This measurement may be made independent of the scrams. f) Measure the delay time from scram initiation to closure of the SDV vent and drain valves utilizing the stem mounted position switches. g) Sample water from the instrument volume discharge after each scram for particulates. h) Measure the time to drain the SDV down to a repeatable reference level. i) Monitor the SDV and associated piping for residual water. j) Verify that the ten (10) second delay on scram reset is functioning properly to prevent resets of momentary scram signals. k) Compare the results of the two sets of data taken above with each other and with any previously obtained data. 3. At the conclusion of the scram tests and all other scrams, verify that all vent lines on the SDV are functional. Verify that there is no significant amount of water in the SDV and associated piping. 4. Within 10 days, complete a review of emergency operating procedures by the licensee and the NSSS vendor to assure that, for scram, operator actions include: . IE Bulletin No. 80-17 July 3, 1980 Page 3 of 4 a) Place the reactor mode switch in a position other than RUN. b) Determine whether either of the two conditions below exist: (1) Five (5) or more adjacent rods not inserted below the 06 position. (2) Thirty (30) or more rods not inserted below the 06 position. c) If either condition 4.b.(1) or 4.b.(2) exists: (1) Trip the recirculation pumps. (2) Insert rods manually. If rods cannot be inserted manually, alternately reset the RPS and scram the reactor until all rods are fully inserted. (3) Vent the scram air header. (4) Manually open or bypass the scram instrument volume drain and vent valves, if possible. c) If, at any time, either condition 4.b.(1) or 4.b.(2) exists and either RPV water level cannot be maintained or suppression pool water temperature cannot be maintained below the suppression pool water temperature scram limit, initiate the SLCS. e) Review the Browns Ferry occurrence with all licensed operators and train them in the procedures to recognize and mitigate the event. Verify that preliminary training of operators is completed within 10 days of the date of this Bulletin and that full training is completed within 30 days of the date of this Bulletin. 5. Review and develop surveillance procedures such that scram discharge volume is monitored daily for residue water for 6 days and, if results are acceptable the interval may be extended to 7 days. 6. In order to mitigate the consequences of an ATWS event, enhanced operability of HPCI, RCIC, SLCS, RPT/RHR/pool cooling and main steam bypass is essential. Accordingly, the following actions are requested: a) Prompt notification (within 24 hours) of any of the above systems when it is less than fully operable and when it is restored to service. Operability of both pumps in the SLCS is required for full operability. Surveillance tests and preventive maintenance less than 24 hours need not be reported. b) Operate all the available suppression pool cooling whenever the suppression pool exceeds the normal operating temperature limit. c) Perform a 50.59 review to increase SLCS flow to the maximum consistent with safety (2 pumps, unless unsafe). . IE Bulletin No. 80-17 July 3,1980 Page 4 of 4 7. For plants without ATWS related RPT, perform an analysis of the net safety of derating such that, in the event of an ATWS, calculated peak pressures do not exceed the service Level "C" limit (~/1500 psig) by taking into consideration the heat removal capability of safety valves, isolation condenser, bypass to the main condenser and other available heat removal systems. 8. Report in writing within 5 days of the performance of each of the tests results (except for the daily tests) and the results of your review and include a list of all devices which respond as discussed above, actions taken or planned to assure adequate equipment control, and a schedule for implementation of corrective action. Report in writing within 10 days, the analyses specified by Item 7 above. This information is requested under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.54 (f). Accordingly, you are requested to provide within the time periods specified above, written statements of the above information signed under oath or affirmation. Reports shall be submitted to the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office and a copy shall he forwarded to the Director NRC Office of Inspection and Enforcement, Division of Reactor Operations Inspection, Washington, DC 20555. For all boiling water power reactor facilities with a construction permit, this Bulletin is for information only and no written response is required. Approved by GAO, B180225 (R0072); clearance expires 7-31-80. Approval was given under a blanket clearance specifically for identified generic problems.
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Friday, May 22, 2015


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|Scene Title
|When Good Bunnies Go Bad
|Vorpal bunnies attack New York. It's like some gruesome scene out of Monty Python. Dee was the Storyteller for this RP.
The Birdcage Brownstone - New York City
The door from the alley opens into a small room or short hallway in this brownstone. At the far end is an antiquated lift that looks like a birdcage, complete with manual levers for operation. Dispite its age, the mechanism appears to be well cared for.
At the bottom, the lift opens into some sort of antechamber from one corner of the room. Before the open cage door is a plain, unornamented wall of what appears to be granite with a thick wooden door set inside it. Engraved above the door archway is "Special Immigration Office: East"
Access is only granted with the proper key. Once opened, the granite door swings inward as a computerized neutral voice intones, "Provisional Access Granted. Containment and Research are currently under lock down. Efforts to penetrate secure doors will be discouraged." Through the doorway, there's a large console in the middle of the chamber with a three dimensional display of the New York City atop it. The holographic display is a fairly complete representation of New York City and it's environs. Mostly there is a very simplistic representation of structures, although the map does have a few colored markers. Numbers and figures at times scroll past, apparently having meaning to someone. Computer workstations hug the walls, along with filing cabinets and desks. Several cots and assorted supplies are pushed into out of the way corners as well, with the idea of long stays. The room is some sort of think-tank, apparently. The only other unlocked door leads to a small kitchen and dining area, which are well-stocked.
As she so often is, Dee is at the computers working away at… whatever she's doing. She's actually started to generate reports for the Band, on the rift activity registered by the sensors. On the whole, it isn't very exciting. On the other hand, it's really good to know when something might suddenly show up and start making a mess of things and people.
Not that the computer doesn't also let them know aurally when something's happening. It's one of those beeps that causes her to look up from one of the many other things she's been doing, and check out the sensor that's complaining. "Huh." she says aloud, "This might actually need our attention."
Day in and day out, Rufus Scrivner is working. Settled in at one of the desks, reading reports of a different nature and filling out paperwork on a laptop, the man looks up from where he'd been about to reach for his tea cup. He scoots back and stands up, tugging down his waistcoat before stepping across the room to swoop in for a look. Bending over Dee, one hand beside her on the desk, he scowls as he takes a look at the screen for himself. "What is this?"
Vette comes down, rubbing her eyes. The final exams have started and she's kind of flying through them. "Hi guys," she says gently. "I'll make tea." She heads into the kitchen to do just that, letting her ponytail down. In jeans and a pink NYU sweatshirt, nobody would be able to pick her out in a crowd.
"This?" Dee replies to Rufus with a smile that says she's about to be a smartass. "This is a computer console. This," she says then, indicating a light and a screen under it, "means that the rift opened and something's actually come out of it." The pushes a few buttons to try to access a satellite and get some sort of picture from the site.
He sighs down at her, though by now, Rufus is getting fairly used to Dee's smart assery. He glances over his shoulder for Vette, arching an eyebrow. Usually he makes the tea, but he won't complain if she takes it over for once. "Brilliant," he drily mutters, his tone suggesting this is anything but. "All right. I'm sure I can find where this is. We should get out there and take a look around at what's just happened."
And in Vette comes with the tea. "Here you go!" And then she blinks. "Wait, we're going somewhere?" Always the alert one, right. "Where are we going?" She glances at Dee's readings, looking a little bit baffled by them. Dee does her magic with the hub computer!
Dee nods to Rufus, then smiles towards Vette. "Rift activity worth a looksee, I'm afraid." she says to the other woman. "I'm afraid we'll have to put it in travel mugs. Thanks, though." She gets up, and says to Rufus "Alright. Get us a location, and we're off."
After consulting a map, Rufus takes a quick sip of his tea. "Thank you, my dear," he hastily murmurs. "It looks as if it's on Fifth Avenue, near to the British consulate. I know where that is exactly." He looks up at Dee, then at Vette. "We'll move more quickly if we travel by foot and by air. Traffic at this time of night is bloody awful."
"Let's go!" Vette says, heading up the stairs. She understands that Dee has identified something Bad. And she's ready to get going to take care of something Bad! Vette's actually usually ready to tackle the world if she's got her band beside her, and today is no different. Well. Not the whole world. She still doesn't /really/ want to tangle with Louie.
"It really is awful this time of year. Which is not a good thing if something came out that might rampage." Dee agrees. "I know how to get there fastest." she adds then after the barest moment of thought. Hermes, right. Good with directions.
Stepping back and away, Scrivner sweeps up his black trenchcoat and his heavy sword, strapping the latter across his chest. He exhales a breath, smiles grimly, then he says, "All right then. You lead, we'll follow. Vette, my dear?" He holds out his hand to the lady, offering to carry her as he usually does.
Vette takes Scrivner's Rufus' hand so that he can carry her. She's always game for Air Rufus. "Thank you, Rufus," she says. She wraps her arms around his neck so that it will be a lot easier for her man to scoop her up and take her through the air. Sometimes she wishes she could fly on her own, but flying with Rufus is like first class.
Dee nods once to Rufus, then after making sure she's geared up with her throwing knives heads for the door and out. She won't take off until the other two are right behind her, of course. And then, as she said, it's the straightest path to the trouble.
Sweeping her up into his arms, Rufus briefly kisses the lady's cheek and then follows after Dee. He's close behind her, right at her heels, whether they're on the ground or up in the air.
Vette kisses him back, but just as briefly—they've got work to be about, after all. Whenever they take to the air she keeps her eyes peeled for signs of the trouble (for all the good that's going to do, knowing her).
Dee is mostly in the air. It really is the best way to deal with traffic, and time might be a factor, depending on what came through. It's only a few minutes later then, that they're coming up on the site of the brief rupture. Sure enough, it's a mess. Cars askew… people screaming and running… fires broken out for no apparent reason… And then there's the trouble being caused on top of the usual. It's more… bunnies! Can't it ever be normal titanspawn trouble?
Flying close to Dee, Rufus peers down at the ground below. "Is that… Is that a rabbit I see? Bloody Hell, is that more than one of them? What the Hell is going on down there?" He sinks down to a nearby rooftop with Vette, then hops lightly down to alight upon the ground nearby.
"It looks like rabbits," Vette observes. Captain Obvious, to the rescue! "Maybe we should have brought a really, really big box of /carrots/." When they're on the ground she slides out of Rufus' arms, frowning faintly as she does so.
Dee just stares downwards, at the bunnies, then shakes her head. "Those things are SO wrong…" she says to the others, following to the rooftop. "You two haven't fought these things yet? They're awful. Apparently you can make useful stuff from the pelts, though." And already, the trio can see that these aren't normal rabbits. A few pedestrians have already made that mistake, and actually been torn apart by the adorable, fuzzy things while others scream and run. It's like a Monty Python scene down there.
"They're… What the Hell." At last Rufus sets the lady down on her own feet, and he reaches up to ease his sword out of the case across his back. "Well, let's put an end to this …. mess, shall we?" And he goes striding forward.
Kneeling on the side of the street, Vette pulls out her weapon. She's going to go ahead and aim the thing at a little bunny heador /big/ bunny head, as the case seems to beand try to blow the thing's eye. She remembers the toughness of the hides of some of these animals. Slowly, she tracks the thing with her gun.
Dee notes "Don't assume they'll be easy. At all. To quote Holy Grail, 'So, brave knights, if you do doubt your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all with nasty, big, pointy teeth." Despite that it's said as a joke, the sentiment seems to be a sincere one. And, they are significantly larger than any normal rabbit. "I'll try to hold their attention and get some people out of there." And not get eaten, but that doesn't really need to be said. She takes off towards the center of the trouble, Untouchable Opponent coming on as she looks for anyone trapped in a corner or in their cars. because one of the bunnies actually seems to be trying to gnaw into one.
Rabbits. It just had to be vorpal rabbits. Being very well-acquainted with Monty Python himself, Rufus knows exactly what Dee's talking about. "Right," he quotes. "One rabbit stew, coming up." One can just see him pulling down his helmet's visor and striding into battle to be slaughtered, can't one? The ichor in his blood wells up, thick and hot and shining like pewter, to give his skin a metallic coating. Then he sweeps around his sword blade, and he rushes in for the attack. Coming up hard and fast upon a bunny, he charges in, then draws back his arm to viciously /stab/ at the creature.
As Sir Lancelot charges into the fray, Dee is looking for the best place to start. The bunny gnawing into the car isn't making fast progress, so instead, she swoops over to someone who's kind of been treed on a mailbox. Unfortunately, one of the legs has already been gnawed through. Hanging in the air overhead, Dee offers a hand downwards to the poor mortal. Who isn't sure whether he's more afraid of the bunny, or the flying woman. She calls to him, "Your odds are better with me."
A clear shot. Vette squeezes the trigger, letting the bullet fly at the eyes of the Nemean bunny. If only her aim pays offif only the bunny doesn't move…
The best target for Vette is the bunny trying to take down the mailbox. His eyes are the most easily visible, and are doing the least moving. The shot's a decent one, and the bunny does blink, but unfortunately it is not deterred from its efforts to get to the tasty morsel perched on top of it. Said tasty morsel is trying to decide between the lady and the ti- er, bunny, and opts for the lady. So much for said tasty morsel, except that bunnies leap! It does so when it sees its dinner trying to get away, and its teeth close on the man's shoe. On the plus side, this might make it a little easier to hit next time.
Meanwhile, Rufus chose the bunny chewing on a leg. That leg is, however, still attached to a businesswoman, who seems to still be alive. So far. Fortunately, the shot is enough to get the attention of the thing, if not quite enough to do some real damage. The leg is released and the shrieking woman tries to crawl away from it, as the vicious bunny turns towards the man with the sword.
Backing off a few steps, Rufus smiles grimly up at the bunny. "You will be absolutely delicious braised in a rich wine sauce," he informs the overgrown lagomorph, ever so calmly. Then he darts forward, leaping nimbly up into the air and coming down with a hard, deep thrust of his sword, aiming to drive the blade into the creature's neck or wherever he can strike along the spine. One hand snaps up, reaching for a big ear to hold onto. Ride 'em, Cowboy!
It's even easier to hit the big bunny because it's also leaping at him, beady-eyed, and teeth and claws bared. Sadly, for the bunny, this kind of leaps it into Rufus' blade. Sadly for Rufus, it doesn't stop the thing. It does slow it down, though. That's something, right?
The bunny chawing at the car is making a disturbing amount of progress. It might actually get enough of a hole soon, to get at the chewy center sof this particular hard candy coating. Said chewy centers are scream their rear ends off. There are three of them - A mother and two children. How's that for motivation?
Dee hauls up the guy she's rescued from the mailbox. Where she drops him isn't as much of a consideration, so long as it's 'not in range of a bunny. This lands him on a second floor landing, where there's really only enough room for him to sit there. "I'll be back for you!" she calls as she has to force him to let go of her. He's a floor up, after all. This isn't thrilling the man. She's off then, to try to help the businesswoman who is bleeding from her mangled leg and trying to drag herself away.
And finally, it's the little bunny that can't. He seems to be late in finding his dinner, and has now started to chase a pack of commuters down the street. It nips at their heels as it plays cat and mouse with them. There's a lot of screaming from that end, too.
This gun isn't going to work. Vette puts her hand on the concrete. The bunny who is trying to chew on a mother and two children is who she targets as she whispers her thoughts and desires to the very earth, letting it liquify and race, envisioning a spike, a thick, sharp spike that will impale that bunny and leave those poor mortals safe and sound.
The bunny that had been hanging off the man's shoe was given the shoe. Thank goodness for loafers. Slipped right off, and down the bunny went. Fortunately (for it), it has very little trouble landing well. Looking around for an easier meal, it joins the one chasing down the small herd of commuters, waiting for the weakest to fall behind.
Holy freaking /crap./ Rufus yanks back his sword and spins it around, pushed back through the air by the momentum and force of the rabbit. But the blade is there to parry away the strikes from teeth and claw, and swinging around while in the air, the Englishman hisses out a sharp breath in annoyance. "Of all the damned things I wanted to do tonight, slaughtering a psychotic rabbit is not one of them!" He draws back his arm and /stabs/ again.
Mmmm… Mmm! Skewered bunny! Break out the saute pan and wine!
Fortunately, that means that the gnawed woman has little more to fear. Unless one of the others realizes there's an easy meal waiting there. If they can get past Rufus. Dee, however, has hurried over to try to lift the woman into the air. With the traffic a mess, she'll have to bring poor thing to the ambulance that can't get any closer yet.
There's still that bunny trying to get into the car. It doesn't get hurt by Vette's efforts, but does get pushed out of the way by the spike of earth that drives up towards it from the ground though, so the hole it had made is not partly blocked. It'll have to keep at it, to get to the screamy things inside. Or, it could go after Vette. Mmmmm… Vette. It hops straight for her.
Meanwhile, the bunny that's been chasing the herd has finally caught the slowest. If it weren't so serious and obviously painful to the man caught, it might be really funny to see him shaking his ass to get the bunny dislodged from where it's sunk its teeth in.
Seeing this thing running straight towards her, Vette thinks of one thing to do. Raise a hard stone wall so the thing can /ram/ into it, since its running so fast. "Cool it, Bugs," she says in annoyance. Maybe it will dash its fool brains out, hide or no hide.
Well, the bunny didn't actually bash its brains out, but it didn't stop in time, either. It ran right into the solid wall that Vette raises, stunning itself for a moment. Doesn't look hurt, so much as terribly, terribly surprised.
Tybalt has arrived.
Trusting that Vette can take care of herself for the time being, Rufus whirls around to look for his next lagomorphic target. Humans in distress are his first concern… well, Vette is his first concern, but the mortals are a very, very close second. "You!" Scrivner bellows, charging up on that rabbit that's taking a bite out of that hapless man's arse. What the Hell is up with that anyway? He soars up and through the air, his bloodied blade lifted above his head. Swooping in an arc, he rises, then falls, aiming to stab down into the spine of the rabbit and either kill it or paralyse it.
The scene is Fifth Avenue, nearby the British Consulate. Fitting, since it looks like Monty Python, gone amok. There's been screaming, blood and violence, and that's just the normal rush hour. There's also been huge bunnies gnawing at people, mailboxes and cars. One now lies dead by Rufus' hand (or sword), and one just bashed its head into a rock wall that Vette brought up between herself and it. The others are after a small herd of commuters, one having just caught the ass-end (literally) of a man in a business suit, and the other still chasing. Dee, at the moment, it giving a mangled woman to the EMTs a short distance away, because they couldn't get any closer due to traffic.
Not only does Rufus' sword go right into the bouncing bunny (mostly bouncing because the man its attached to looks like he's having an epileptic fit trying to shake the thing off), but it goes right through the thing and actually pins the carcass into the sidewalk. Might be a bit of a pain pulling his blade out when he's in a rush, but the rabbit is certainly not going anywhere.
Screaming? Giant Animals running amock in the city? Well if there was ever a need for a masked crime fighter to show up, this would be one of those moments. The crowd sort of pauses in screaming to watch the entrance of the Alley Cat. The motorcycle he rides roars up and over a stopped bus, landing on the ground with a screech as the entire bike pivots and slides to a stop on both wheels. Meanwhile the masked figure atop it only stands up once it has come to a complete stop. "Rufus." He offers upon seeing his cousin. With that he picks a leg up and swings it over the back of the hog. He holds up the gauntlet that runs the length of his right arm and he raises it up, the claws glistening lightly in what light there might be. He mutters soft to himself, 'Spirit of the 9 lives, be with me." That said, he sucks in a deep breath and readies to enter the fray.
With the woman taken care of, or at least in the hands of professionals, Dee zooms back to the fray on her Talaria, passing over the the clogs of traffic. Her hand reaches for a throwing knife meanwhile, and she takes a moment to ready a shot at the bunny by Vette. It's the relatively still one, after all.
And speaking of that bunny, it actually shakes its little bunny head a little, to try to clear the daze it just gave itself running full-tilt into a rock wall. Then, it'll try to leap said wall at the dinner waiting beyond it. The delay will give Vette a chance to do something about the incoming fluffy ball of teeth and claws.
Vette stares down at the stunned bunny and then she narrows her eyes. She attempts to liquify the earth beneath it. To sink the rabbit under the surface and simply bury it under the smooth pavement of the street, letting it fill its little lagomorph orifices with liquid earth and then hardening it again. If /that/ doesn't kill it she doesn't know what will.
First things first. Help clear away possible casualties. Quickly, leaping from place to place and picking up those that are injured or being pursued, the masked crime fighter starts evacuating people to rooftops out of reach of the terrible bunny plagues.
There was one more bunny chasing after the pack of mortals, but when Rufus skewers its fellow bunny it turns and leaps for the sone of Tyr. This might be inconvenient, if Rufus can't get his blade free before it reaches him. It clearly means to do him no good, you see. In fact, judging by its angry little bunny face, it wants to do him great harm. Bunnies don't usually leap so far, unless they're attacking Arthur's Knights. Rufus, however, has already painted himself as Lancelot in this little scene, so he's out of luck. It leaps, looking terrifying. In its cute little bunny way.
Meanwhile Vetter has gotten the drop on her bunny - in a literal way. The ground gives way beneath it, and the rabbit is sucked downwards. It isn't fast enough to consume the whole thing, but it's certainly keeping the rabbit in place as it tries desperately to get free. It actually looks kind of real bunnyish and frightened and sad as it does so. Poor little misunderstood bunny.
Fortunately for Tybalt, many of the injuries were caused by the panicked trampling of their fellow mortals. What a swell species, sometimes. There is that pack of people that were being chased, of course. It would bo good to get them out of the way in case they start being chased once again.
The /thunk/ of his blade sinking into rabbit is actually rather satisfying. Rufus snarls as he pushes in deep, watching the blood stain fur and pavement. He starts to pull his sword free, knowing another of the little buggers is coming for him, and he manages to get it partially free before he whips around the blade with the other rabbit carcass still impaled on the blade. "Son of a /bitch,/" he snarls. He's aware of Tybalt's arrival, but there's not much he can do to say hi right this second. He's busy hunting wabbits. As the rabbit charges, he comes forward to meet it, taking a single step forward and lunging.
That rabbit already skewered on Rufus' blade does slow him down a little. It's just not good for aerodynamics and slightly throws off the weight of the blade. Not to mention that swinging it sends bunny blood everywhere. It leaps at him, and he lunges at it. There's a glancing hit on the bunny, the sword beating it just for range, and its own attack is send off to one side. It's not particularly damaged, but Rufus does give it a nice slice.
Dee finally takes her shot, winging the cool harpy talon knife at the bunny trying to escape the quicksand. That poor little scared bunny who's just trying to save itself an awful death. Heartless bitch.
What a throw! What technique! What style! What flair! Dee sends that knife right at the struggling bunny. It's a beautiful throw, and there's no doubt that it will hit. And it does hit. It hits exactly where Dee was aiming, and it bounces right off the bunny's thick hide. Dammit. That bunny, by the way, is making some actual progress pulling itself out. But while it's doing that, it's way open to anything else being done. It is still sunk into the ground some though, even if it hasn't yet been submerged.
Vette just smiles at her bunny. "Oh yeah. I wanted your bones," she observes. And since he's still struggling, she puts her gun right against his eyes. Or tries to. "Burying you would be a terrible waste. Besides. I wish to study the Nemean form in the name of science. You'll be my new dissection friend." With this statement, Miss Mad Scientist pulls the trigger again.
Tybalt is busy scooping up people two at a time and leaping to the roof tops of smaller buildings before jumping back down to pick up others. He tries to put all the injured ones in one place so that he can take care of them once the threat is neutralized. As he does his people saving, he keeps an eye on the scene to make sure that Vette, Dee and Rufus do not need his assistance. For the most part he is happy to play support.
Little Bunny Foo Foo is not happy with Rufus. It turns when it hits the ground, and immediately leaps again at the man with the carcass-laden sword. Its sharp, pointy teeth strain to sink themselves into the hero. Mmm… hero…
Vette does hit the bunny. She hits it really well. It's not really a hard shot for her, with the thing too busy trying to drag itself out of the quicksand. It slams back when the bullet hits, losing all footing it had gained in its efforts to get free, and is sucked right down into the ground.
Little Bunny Foo Foo is going to get a real bop on the head. Rufus whirls around on the balls of his feet and stands his ground as the rabbit comes after him, and whipping about his blade, he parries away the attack by smooshing the carcass of its friend up against its little body and knocking it away. Curious. He's never actually beaten a monster to death with the body of its own friend. It's something that strikes the Englishman as one of those things he's going to want to drown the memory of with a lot of alcohol later. Sneering, he bares his teeth and darts forward, intent on skewering yet another rabbit.
A hit, a very palpable hit. After beating the little monster back with its own kin, Rufus skewers it too, most ably. However, as the perhaps heart-wrenching squeal attests before it goes unconscious, it's not quite dead yet. Just pinned against the other rabbit like some awful, surreal shish-kebab. Ew.
Dee did let off some expletives when her knife bounced right off the hide of the one bunny. They were quite imaginative, really. But then Rufus collects another rabit onto his blade and she just sort of stares in morbid fascination.
Resting the tip of his sword on the ground, Rufus lifts a foot and pushes the bunnies off of his blade with the heel of his shoe. "Bloody Hell," he growls. That's when he looks up and over at the women, then around at the Alley Cat. "Is everyone all right?" he calls out.
"I sunk itOh I'm fine, Rufus. I just need to knowoh good. Two good specimens. I can surely make a needle out of the bones of one of them." Vette beams as if he'd brought her a bouquet of fine flowers and totally did it just for her. "Thank you, darling."
Dee settles herself to the ground near the others, then goes to find her errant knife. "I'm alright. I wasn't really in the line of fire, though." There's a wave towards Tybalt then, now that she's not distracted by evil bunnies.
Tybalt looks down from his position with a number of the wounded. He then settles down to start in on a little treatment. As he works, he holds up his clawed gauntlet to wounds, and some of them start to stitch themselves back together. He simply lifts his other hand in greeting, but keeps focused on healing the wounded.
He'll take the other gent's signal to mean he's okay. Rufus looks up at the man for awhile, nodding to him, before he turns his eyes back to the ladies and smiles wryly. "Good good. We… should get out of here while we still can without attracting too much …. without attracting more attention than we already have."
Vette gathers up her dead bunnies, just as pleased as punch. "I can use some of this bunny fur to make the armor really pretty," she announces. And then she blinks. "Goodness. A few mortals got hurt." Captain Obviousette catches up with the rest of us again!
Dee smirks slightly. "I think we already got the attention. But, yes. We should make ourselves scarse before someone in a uniform wants a statement or something." With that, she puts away her knife and lifts off the ground again.
Dee was the Storyteller for this scene.


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Indoor Herb Garden
Want It! Chalkboard Wall Planter
The piece: Chalkboard Wall Planter
The price: $140
Why we want it: Perfect for the budding gardener who is short on space, this hanging planter is the ideal accessory for a kitchen wall. With room for 10 different plants, we can plant enough herbs to get us through all our Fall dinner parties, not to mention our cocktail experiments. Although we love the idea of labeling our herbs, we can also imagine embellishing the chalk frame with our own doodles, turning our vertical garden into an ever-evolving art installation!


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Letting Go
|Brock and I on the beach
just hours before
I had to say "good-bye"
Hand In Hand was born while holding Brock as a baby in my arms, and now its blog, with a place to continue the conversation, was re-born as I was holding Brock in my heart. And so, here we are today at the beginning of something new. I hope you will join me as we discuss ideas swirling around in my head about saying goodbye to a college-age kid (and hello again next summer); creating a peaceful place with siblings; homeschooling to the max; and yes, of course, Christian Montessori and all its unique features. I hope you will join me in this on-going conversation.
and comes home, too.


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Derek Jeter's #RE2PECT gear is certainly not cheap these days
By JOHN DORN
Remember former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter? Yes, of course you do. Remember his mildly awesome Jordan #RE2PECT gear? Well, if that just reminded you to nostalgia-hop over to eBay and scoop some up, you might be out of luck.
The line has been much less available after Jeter's retirement from baseball. Pieces still exist on secondary markets like eBay, but at not-exactly-affordable price points.
The hottest item from last year's line, the pinstriped edition of the Air Jordan Retro I, is currently up for a modest Buy It Now price of $848. Free shipping, though!
Hey, two pairs were sold. Hurry, before those last two leave the shelves. It's okay to pass, though, perhaps you'd be interested in this $65 cap. There are two available!
So, yeah, the time to buy these items may have been when they were in stores, even at bloated retail prices. But don't get too down. There are still $40 t-shirts available! New with tags!
More from AOL.com:
What's next for Derek Jeter after the Yankees?
Yankees, Reds among 5 MLB teams ready to regress
Adam Warren: The surprise of the Yankees rotation


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Unconference held by Collaborative Climate in Gurugram
| Updated: Aug 23, 2017 11:20 IST
Gurugram (Haryana) [India], Dec.5 (ANI): Collaborative Climate organised and moderated the tenth edition of its Unconference series here last week. Collaborative Climate promotes value of collaboration at work-place and offers relevant frame-works and diagnostic tools as part of its HR offerings - from Leadership and Executive Development to overall Organisational Development Unconferences are a medium for the organisation to facilitate collaborative and informal peer learning across organisations. Senior HR and business leaders from different organisations are invited to discuss issues related to people development and learn from each other. The Unconferences have elicited a good feedback and response from the business environment. The topic for the tenth edition of the Unconference was 'Business Transformation through L&D.' Senior leaders from organisations such as Samsung, Schneider, IndusInd Bank, Osram, Indiabulls, Quatrro, Zoom Insurance Brokers, Grofers, Securitas and more participated. All participants made valuable contribution to the topic of discussion. The challenge identified was to identify as to how robust the Learning and Development Division of an organisation should be to support business. Various methods to give momentum to the organisation were discussed in depth. Jindal Steel and Power was the host and sponsor for this event. Shweta Sharma, the founder and partner of Collaborative Climate has expressed satisfaction on the results of the Unconference which will motivate the organisation to take the initiative to the next year also. Collaborative Climate can be contacted at www.collaborativeclimate.com and by E-mail- email@example.com (ANI)


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Elias Aslaksen's introduction to the book "I am crucified with Christ" starts like this:
"It is one thing that Christ was crucified, but it is quite another thing that we are crucified, just as it is one thing that He did God's will, but quite another thing that we should do it. His purpose in being crucified for us was not so that we could avoid being crucified, but rather that we should be crucified with Him."
Aslaksen also explains the purpose of the booklet: "… that this very thing may become a reality for many. May it be so for you, dear reader." He goes on to write about what it means for us to be crucified with Christ. That it is more than a symbol of the work that Jesus did for us. It means that our own flesh, with its passions and desires is nailed to the cross (Galatians 5:24), so that sin does not come forth from us any longer, as the flesh has effectively died. This means that our old nature is put off as we put on the life of Christ. Faith in this crucifixion of our flesh gives us victory over sin wherever we have light over it in our own life. This life – a life crucified with Christ – produces powerful results in those who choose to live it. They experience God's promises in their lives. They experience a victorious life, rest in God, personal spiritual growth, and the growth of the body of Christ.


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Wolfenstein II The New Colossus-CODEX
- Type:
- Games > PC
- Files:
- 2
- Size:
- Tag(s):
- Wolfenstein II The New Colossu
- Uploaded:
- Apr 2, 2019
- By:
- Djordjijecar
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (c) Bethesda Softworks Release Date : 10/2017 Protection : Steam Discs : 1 Genre : Violent Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is the highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed, Wolfenstein: The New Order developed by the award-winning studio MachineGames. An exhilarating adventure brought to life by the industry-leading id Tech 6, Wolfenstein II sends players to Nazi-controlled America on a mission to recruit the boldest resistance leaders left. For more info go to : http://store.steampowered.com/app/612880/ - Extract - Burn or mount the .iso - Run setup.exe and install - Copy crack from CODEX dir to installdir - Play General Notes: - Block the game's exe in your firewall to prevent the game from trying to go online .. - If you install games to your systemdrive, it may be necessary to run this game with admin privileges instead America, 1961. The assassination of Nazi General Deathshead was a short-lived victory. The Nazis maintain their stranglehold on t


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Some choice bon mots from our most creative readers
New restaurant: "In Spanish, 'Nuevo Restaurante'"; "Definitely NOT the Cheesecake Factory."
Pizza: "Magnolia's. (Why oh why did Two Paisans close???)"
Burgers: "My kitchen (I put stinky cheese inside mine)"; "In 'N Out in Southern California - sorry, nothing local compares!"
Barbecue: "Dianasour"; "Diansaur"; "Dinasaur"; "Dinasor"; "Dinasore"; "Dinasour"; "Dinasaure"; "Dinosaurs"; "Dinosour"; "Dinosuar." Honorable mention: "Fat Lips."
Wings: "Hopefully on a bird."
Steak house: "Too broke for steak."
Bakery: "The one where Boulder Coffee gets their pastries; I don't know the name!"
Pie: "Massage parlor."
Coffee: "7-11. Yes, 7-11."
Beer selection: "Hey, Lux has Pabst, that's all I need."
Wine selection: "I can't help iiiiit!", "It's too haaaaard!", "But why nooooot?!", "I can't doooooiiiit!"
Happy hour: "They are never happy, go to AA."
Upscale eatery: "Gitsis (jk, Edibles)"
Outdoor patio: "Back yard (hot tub!)"
Regional winery: "Dr. Funkenstien"; "Whatever one has the goat on it."
Place to eat at 3 a.m.: "Mark's; wear armour."
Place to take the kids: "The Bug Jar on a Thursday night"; "JAIL"
Place to take vegetarians: "A deserted island"; "A grassy field"; "A slaughterhouse"; "Away, please"; "R Wing"; "The doctor"
Spot to eat alone: "That new bus stop that looks like an umbrella."
Caterer: "That chick I knew once."
Club to hear live music: "Tunnel from Blue Cross to the parking garage; this is for you, Accordion Guy
Place to dig some poetry: "Spoken word poetry makes me anxious."
Place to dance: "I guess other people's weddings now"; "My face"
Place to people watch: "Hall of Justice"; "Philadelphia, oops, did I say that out loud?"
Kids entertainment: "Throwing rocks"; "Anything to do with kids is NOT entertaining"; "Klassy Kat"
Reliable weatherperson: "My knees"; "Jesus"
TV news hottie (male): "News should not have hotties."
Commercial for a local business: "The fat bastard who says 'huge'"; "Anything but the HUGE Hyundai! Hate them!!!"
Place for a first date: "The back of my car."
Place for a last date: "Her best friend's bed"; "Public spot, in case she kills you."
Place to pick up a one-night stand: "Lyell Ave, bring cash"; "Somewhere my husband is not."
Strip club: "City Newspaper"
Stripper/exotic dancer: "That lady at Dunkin Donuts."
Adult bookstore: "Dad's closet"
Outdoor make-out spot: "Wherever Bob and I happen to be standing at that point in time."
Place to ice skate: "490, in my car."
Bingo Hall: "Anywhere that is Macedonian orthodox"; "I'm not 80."
Public pool: "Doesn't matter, I've peed in all of them."
Politician in need of slap to the head: "Can't tell you, I work in politics."
Place to see and be seen: "Corner of Conkey & Ave D."
Greater Rochester bragging point: "Hey, we're not Syracuse!"; "We're not Buffalo."
Use of public funds: "Wasted all of them"; "What public funds?"
Misuse of public funds: "Fred and Sue bridge. U-G-L-Y!! (I'm sorry, Fred and Sue)"; "The ugly red sculpture by 104."
Local celebrity: "The hairy dude from the band Pengo -- I see that guy everywhere."
Local gripe: "The only thing wrong with Rochester is people complaining about it. It's not so bad."
Place to find affordable gas: "My neighbor's car."
Jewelry store: "That guy's overcoat on Dewey and Lyell."
Secondhand clothing store: "People are dirty, and I want to wear their clothing?"
Shoe store: "I wear an 11, they're all clown shoes to me."
Antique store: "The many curbs of Rochester"; "Antiques make me sneeze."


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The Dentists in Layfayette LA Can Save Your Tooth
When your tooth has a cavity, it is constantly being damaged. As the damage progresses, this can lead to tooth death. To avoid losing your tooth, you need to make sure you seek treatment from the Dentists in Lafayette LA. If caught and treated in time, the dentist can help to repair your tooth so you do not lose it. If you have never had cavity treatment, allow this information to prepare you.
When you come in with a cavity, you will first be fully examined and the dentist may X-ray your tooth. This will reveal how deep the cavity runs so the dentist will know what type of treatment needs to be carried out. It will also determine whether or not your tooth can be saved or needs to be extracted.
The Dentists in Lafayette LA will first numb you so you feel no pain. This allows the dentist to treat your teeth while you feel completely comfortable. It will also help to prevent any pain just after your procedure is finished.
Treatment will involve the removal of your decayed areas. The dentist will remove these areas so your tooth is no longer being damaged. Once these areas have been removed, this will leave behind openings that will need to be filled.
The dentist can offer you different types of fillings, depending on your needs. Most people prefer using composite or porcelain fillings because they are white and blend in well with your tooth so the filling is not obvious. There are also metal alloy fillings you can choose from.
The filling material will ensure your nerve is sealed and no food can enter into your tooth. Sealing off your tooth helps to protect it from further damage. Fillings can last for many years, but may need maintenance if they become loose or broken.
If you are experiencing a cavity, you need to see the dentist right away. If you are ready for your appointment, click here for more info


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Bill O'Reilly's "The O'Reilly Factor" is a very big factor in the world of cable TV. Early Show anchor Harry Smith has prepared this Sunday Profile:
"Oh, none of this was your fault! Oh, no. People lost millions of dollars. It wasn't your fault. Come on, you coward! Say the truth!"
Bloviation … O'Reilly be thy name, as witnessed October 2, by guest Rep. Barney Frank.
"What do you mean 'coward'?" Frank asked.
"You're a coward," O'Reilly said. "You blame everybody else. You're a coward."
Bill O'Reilly is judge, jury and executioner on his Fox cable show. When reason fails ... rage wins:
"Number one, you hate your country. Number two, you're a loon!"
"Bill, here's the problem with going on your show: You start ranting. And the only way to respond is almost to look as boorish as you!" Frank said.
O'Reilly is right about everything … just ask him.
"The point I always try to make to people is, the people who hate me the most are the people who never watch my show," O'Reilly said to Smith. "They read the press. They listen to the far-left kooks or the far-right kooks, 'cause the far-right hates me. But they never sample. And once they do sample, they go, 'You know, this guy's no ideologue. He's holding them accountable.'"
"The O'Reilly Factor" and its "No-Spin Zone" has been at the top of the primetime cable news heap for the past eight years, with around four million loyal viewers a night.
Loyal because, he says, he's like them: A kid who was lucky to be born in America, a notion he explores in his latest book, "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity" (Broadway Books).
"It's not particularly dramatic," Smith.
"No, no, it isn't; it's basically an American story," O'Reilly said. "But nowhere else on this planet could a wise guy from Levittown, with no uncle in the business, no social skills at all - I'm sure you'd agree - kiss nobody's butt ever, rise up and command the position that I command. That couldn't happen in Switzerland. It couldn't happen in Japan! It happens in America! And I'll tell you how ..."
Born in 1949, William James O'Reilly Jr. grew up in the New York City bedroom community of Levittown, an experience he says made him what he is today.
"As I read through this, you had a pretty comfortable life in Levittown," Smith said. "Dad had a job."
"I don't know if my life in Levittown was, now it is. We lived in a little box house with no air conditioning," he said. "I mean, it wasn't real comfortable in the middle of August when it was 112°. All right? And I was sweating. And I was eatin', you know, fish sticks and stuff. They weren't delicious, Harry. (laughs) So I don't, I'm not, you know …"
"I can't feel sorry for you!" Smith.
"Sure. 'Food on that table' was number one."
"Yeah. Comfort? You know, my father would [say], you know, 'If it's hot, go outside!'" (laughs) You know?
"After World War II, the people in Brooklyn and the Bronx and some of the other boroughs moved en masse to Long Island because they built all these little houses for the GIs. My father was in that crew.
"So, you basically moved Brooklyn to Nassau County, Long Island. Well, it was a tough neighborhood. You know, you walk out, you had a fight. You had a fight. There were no play dates! (laugh) I wasn't wearing a little helmet on the bike. All right, there wasn't any, 'Mom! Mom!' It wasn't Beaver Cleaver. It was like, you know, you had to hold your own."
He survived, and after a brief career as a high school teacher, young Bill O'Reilly began a series of TV reporting jobs, including a stint at CBS in Miami.
In 1996, O'Reilly settled at the newly created Fox News, where he remains commentator-in-chief.
Every week, "O'Reilly Factor" staffers pitch segment ideas for his approval, like the library board in Helena, Mont., voting unanimously to keep the book "The Joy of Gay Sex" on the library shelves. ("It's not in the kids' section or anything, right?")
"What do you think happens if McCain gets elected president?" Smith asked.
"Not much I think McCain is a traditional politician," O'Reilly said. "I think that he will keep the economy in a low tax grade. He'll be friendly to business because he wants business to expand, to employ more people. I think he'll be a tough guy overseas - not a crazy guy, but a tough guy. And I think he'll govern in a traditional manner. I'd go to the bank on that.
"If Obama's elected, I don't know what's gonna happen. His whole career has been left wing. Is he an ideologue? Is he gonna bring a far-left sensibility into the White House? My instinct says no, because he's cautious. When I interviewed him, I saw a very cautious guy. I didn't see some crazy bomb thrower. I can read people pretty well.
"So, I think he took the avenue to power that he had to take. I think he'll govern to the center like Clinton did. I think Clinton is his role model for governance. I think JFK is his role model for the campaign. And Obama has waged a brilliant campaign."
The most popular cable news host in the country has some very public enemies.
Take Keith Olbermann, who referred to O'Reilly as "Bill-O the Clown" on MSNBC's "Countdown," among other choice terms:
"The Fox News host presents himself as an independent. You know they could have also gone with 'Official Loofah Inspector,' or a 'Neilson Ratings Conspiracy Theorist,' or a 'Bold Fresh Piece of Expletive.'""What do you think of Keith Olbermann?" Smith asked.
"You know, I ignore all of those gutter snipes because they're just in it to hurt people," he said, "whether it's some guy on MSNBC or talk radio or wherever. Why would I engage that?"
"I think it bugs you a little bit," Smith said.
"Naah, the meanness of the discourse, in general, bothers me," O'reilly said. "Okay, now some people say, 'Well, you were mean to Barney Frank and you were mean to this one or that one.' Sometimes I go overboard, okay? But that's not my theme."
David Letterman bantered with O'Reilly on the subject: "Now, I joke about walking around and people say 'There he is ...get him!' But in your case it's true, isn't it?"
Letterman may have been only half-joking: O'Reilly says his views have made him a target.
"My life is dangerous now," he said. "You know, I have bodyguards and security. I can't go many places. I can't be in certain crowd situations. When I do a book signing, I gotta have a phalanx of state troopers there because there are crazy people. And then there're the Web sites and all of that, which are just totally out of control.
"They encourage these nuts. You know, I was thinking about John Lennon, you know, and John Lennon was tryin' to be a nice guy, signing the guy's thing and [Chapman] pops him. So, that is the worst part of the whole 'Factor' experience. The best part is I get to look out for the folks. And the folks know it. They know it. I've been doing this for more than 12 years.
"If you're a phony, they know."
In O'Reilly's case, you could take the boy out of Levittown, but you'd better not - no, you dare not even try to take the Levittown out of the boy.
"Do you know why you're so successful?" Smith asked.
"Yeah, I know, 'cause I'm one of the folks, that's why, and because I look out for them and they know that," O'Reilly said. "We had six million people watch us last night. And they know that now in the media there's somebody on their side, sincerely on their side, not some phony. So, why wouldn't you watch the guy like that?"


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There may be a rival exam to the GED in New York State in 2014. GED Testing Service's plan to computerize the GED exam and rising costs are among several issues driving the state and more than 30 others to find alternative exams.
Currently, New York pays the testing company $60 for each exam because the state doesn't permit charging residents to take the GED. And New York would rather maintain the pencil and paper exam format because computerized testing limits access, according to state officials.
The state's 260 testing sites are not equipped to provide the more than 50,000 tests annually. And state officials are concerned about the computer-literacy of test takers.
New York is also transitioning to a more rigorous common core standard, and the state's passing rate could be stressed by the change. State education officials want to move to computerized tests that include the common core gradually.
New York's GED passing rate was the third lowest in the country in 2011. The nation's average is about 72 percent.


text:
No gastropub menu is complete these days without a pan-fried scallop starter. Chefs love them: they are satisfying, versatile and cook quickly. But concerns about overfishing have led the Isle of Man to ban large trawlers from catching them in its waters. So what is the alternative? Here, Yotam Ottolenghi offers three suggestions.
• Chicken livers are are cheap and quick to cook. I would caramelise lots of onion, then add wedges of apple, pear or cooked quince. Cook them together, and perhaps stir in a little sweet wine, such as port or marsala. Remove the sauce and fry the livers in a little oil, either as they are or coated in seasoned flour. Use a medium heat and leave them slightly pink. Put the fruit and onion back in the pan to reheat and serve everything together.
• Mackerel is sustainable and healthy. I would make a quick pickled cucumber to go with it. Either shave it in long slices, or cut into thin strips, like long julienne. Take some rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sugar, sesame seeds, a little sesame oil, perhaps some chopped coriander or dill, and if you let the cucumber sit in it for 10 minutes it softens it and adds some Asian flavours. Fry the mackerel fillets skin side first, then serve with the cucumber and some soured cream.
• You can get cultivated mushrooms all year round. Take a mixture of varieties and toss them in a pan with olive oil and fresh herbs, such as tarragon, parsley, chervil. It shouldn't need more than 3-4 minutes. Turn it out on to crostini: very thin slices of toasted bread. Take some good quality ricotta cheese and mix in lemon zest, and tiny amounts of lemon juice and olive oil. Then put a spoonful over the mushroom toast.


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Norway's Aurora, Culture, and Scenic Wonders Overview
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 - Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Arrive Oslo, Norway
Landing at Oslo Airport (code: OSL) on your own schedule, you're met by our TravelQuest representative for a quick transfer to your city center hotel. Settle in and then enjoy the rest of the day relaxing or discovering Norway's gracious capital.
Overnight: Thon Hotel Opera, Oslo
No Meals
Day 2 – Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Scenic Rail Tour To Flåm And Voss
Your journey through some of the planet's most magnificent landscapes begins with a unique railway tour among the UNESCO-protected fjords of south central Norway. Set out in comfort from Myrdal Station on the Hardangervidda plateau, 867 meters (2,840 feet) above sea level, descending into steep mountain valleys, past dramatic waterfalls and through 20 tunnels until you reach the shores of the Aurlandsfjord in Flåm. This exhilarating journey is followed by a delightful cruise through the magnificent Aurlandsfjord. All you need is your camera and a carry-on bag; your other luggage will be transferred separately to our hotel in Voss.
Overnight: Fleischer's Hotel, Voss
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner
Day 3 – Thursday, October 12, 2017
Bergen – Cruising M/S Polarlys
Tonight our aurora adventure really begins! But first, this morning we set off by private motor coach on the scenic drive to Bergen, the medieval capital of Norway. The rich history of the Old City comes to life at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bryggen, where our expert-led tour includes the summerhouse of composer Edvard Grieg. Other highlights include the historic fish market, the Hanseatic Museum and the Fløibanen funicular, which offers superb views of the city.
Late in the day we board the Hurtigruten ferry ship M/S Polarlys to begin our northward voyage along a coastline pierced by deep fjords and overlooked by snowcapped mountains. After dinner, join us for the first of six nights of promising aurora viewing from the ship's decks.
Overnight: M/S Polarlys (6 nights)
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Under Norwegian Skies
By TQ Astronomer Paul Deans
Norway is renowned for many things: Magnificent fjords. Fierce Viking warriors. The hardy Sami people herding reindeer across the tundra. Legendary explorer Roald Amundsen. Two creative geniuses named Edvard: Grieg and Munch. And, of course, the celestial lights that often dance across the vast northern skies: the aurora borealis.
The aurora's eerie, constantly changing lightshow is created by charged particles from the Sun that have been trapped in Earth's magnetic field. When the field is overloaded as the result of solar activity, these particles race down the magnetic field lines into our planet's upper atmosphere and smash into atoms of gas, releasing photons of light.
This unforgettable spectacle unfolds within the auroral zone, a pair of ovals roughly centered on Earth's north and south geomagnetic poles. All of northern Norway lies beneath the northern aurora oval, and this means that on most nights a display of the northern lights will likely be visible — if the sky is clear, of course.
Astronomers believe that solar activity reached its maximum possible level in early 2015. But historically the phenomenon has tended to decline from its peak more slowly than it rises. So the Sun should still be active into 2017, which means the aurora should also remain dynamic. That said, we know just how difficult it can be to predict the weather a few days in advance. Consider the challenge of attempting to forecast the appearance of the northern lights as far ahead as October 2017! It is an impossible assignment. But we'll be monitoring scientific websites on solar and auroral activity before and during the tour — and naturally checking the sky each night during our Norway adventure.
A final note on timing: For reasons not yet understood by astronomers, aurora activity peaks following the equinoxes. That's why we plan to be under the dark Norwegian skies shortly after the autumn equinox in 2017.
Day 4 – Friday, October 13, 2017
Cruising – Hjørundfjor – Urke
Arriving on M/S Polarlys in Hjørundfjord, venture ashore by tender to the tiny village of Urke, ringed by snowcapped peaks of the Sunnmøre Alps. There you board a motor coach for a fascinating included excursion through Norangsdalen, Norway's narrowest valley, as our expert guide offers insights into a region whose cultural riches rival its spectacular natural scenery. Among our many stops along the way is Lyngstølvatnet Lake, which was formed by a landslide from the slopes of Mt. Keipen in 1908. Beneath the lake's blue waters you can still see the old road, along with the foundations of farmhouses and a stone gateway. Continuing on through stunning landscapes, we come to historic Hotel Union Øye, where you enjoy a feast of local specialties. And then we get you back to Urke in plenty of time to explore the village and learn more about its intriguing history — including the many visits of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to this favorite holiday spot.
Back on the M/S Polarlys, join us after dinner for another night of aurora viewing from the ship's decks.
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Day 5 – Saturday, October 14, 2017
Cruising – Trondheim
Set on Trondheimsfjord at the mouth of the Nidelva ("Nid River"), Trondheim is a city of architectural contrasts, blending historic wooden buildings and monastery ruins with colorfully painted wharfs and the distinctive red Gamle Bybro Bridge, which dates from 1681. With our private guide, explore the bustling city center, dominated by Nidaros Cathedral, walk the old port area along the Nidelva, or check out the focal point of Trondheim – the Market Square (Torget).
Join our trip astronomer later in the day for a discussion of the history and science of the aurora borealis. Back aboard the M/S Polarlys, gather with us on the deck for aurora viewing under (hopefully!) clear skies.
Day 6 – Sunday, October 15, 2017
Cruising – Bodø
As we explore Norway's rugged northwest coast, the Polarlys puts in at many towns and villages that are inaccessible by land. Then, in the early morning hours, we cross the Arctic Circle, the invisible line that encircles the Earth at 66° 33´N. Our destination is Bodø, set on the Saltstraumen, a narrow strait that boasts the strongest tidal current on the planet. Your visit to this remote outpost includes a not-to-be missed, excursion via RIB (rigid inflatable boat) to observe sea eagles, Europe's largest predatory bird, and experience the remarkable tidal effect up close.
Back on the M/S Polarlys, join us after dinner (or your optional excursion — see below) for another night of aurora viewing from the ship's decks.
Optional Add-On Viking Feast
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Day 7 – Monday, October 16, 2017
Cruising – Tromsø
Surrounded by mountains at the edge of the Arctic Ocean, Tromsø is the largest city in northern Norway, with a colorful history shaped by seal, walrus, and polar bear hunting, as well as coal mining and the shipping of Russian timber which is then down remote rivers to the sea. You can explore the Polar Museum (Polarmuseet) or stroll the streets of this northern town. Called the Paris of the North, Tromsø also offers excellent restaurants showcasing regional specialties and great shopping for local artisanal goods, along with Nordic and international brands.
Cruising – North Cape
Wake up to views of windswept coastal headlands and the vast sub-Arctic landscape beyond as you cross 71°N on our journey to Nordkapp (North Cape), the northernmost point in continental Europe. Join us up to the Cape plateau, which rises more than 300 meters (1,000 feet) from the sea, to take in magnificent vistas — with superb photo opportunities — from the cliff tops.
This is our last night aboard the M/S Polarlys. Be sure to join us for one final opportunity to view the aurora from the decks!
Day 9 – Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Kirkenes – Russian Frontier – Karasjok
You disembark this morning in Kirkenes, a historic Arctic port near the Norway-Russia border. Our local Sami guide welcomes you for a tour of town, followed by a scenic drive via motor coach to Storskog — the only legal mainland crossing point along the 200-kilometer (124-mile) frontier.
After a lunch stop we carry on through the village of Tana bru following the Tana River, which flows northeast into the Arctic Ocean and defines another historic frontier, this one between Norway and Finland. Passing through the Northern Lapland town of Utsjoki, you arrive in the early evening at our home for the next two nights: Karasjok, where you can look forward to superb aurora viewing opportunities from the grounds of our hotel.
Day 10 – Thursday, October 19, 2017
Karasjok and Sami Culture
This morning our expert guide takes us to nearby Sami Cultural Park, where you're immersed in the life of the Sami people (also known as Lapps or Laplanders) who've lived in this isolated wilderness region since prehistoric times. Our hosts share insights into their rich history, culture, and spiritual beliefs – and also serenade you in the intricate, chant-like singing style known as joik. Later, enjoy a guided tour of the regional parliament, whose main assembly hall is designed in a half-circle to echo the traditional Sami lavvu or tent.
Day 11 – Friday, October 20, 2017
Karasjok – Alta
After checkout we continue our overland journey north to Kautokeino, stopping to visit a gallery showcasing silver jewelry and other items crafted in both traditional and contemporary designs. After lunch we drive a scenic route, passing through a lovely gorge en route to Alta, the largest town in the remote region of Finnmark. Our hotel in Alta is conveniently placed next to the beautiful Northern Lights Cathedral, a sight to behold day or night.
Overnight: Hotel Alta
Day 12 – Saturday, October 21, 2017
Rock Art of Alta – Oslo
After breakfast and checkout, it's just a short drive to the ancient rock art site for which Alta is renowned. So far archaeologists have discovered more than 6,000 paintings and carvings, some dating back several millennia. The area with the largest concentration of images has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and transformed into an open-air museum. Explore at your leisure, guided by experts. Then at midday it's time to journey back to Alta and catch our return flight to Oslo, where you can enjoy a final evening at your leisure, either in the city or relaxing at our airport hotel.
Overnight: Park Inn Hotel, Oslo Airport
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner
Overnight: Park Inn Hotel, Oslo Airport
Day 13 – Sunday, October 22, 2017
Oslo – Onward
It's an easy post-breakfast walk through Oslo Airport to catch your onward flight, carrying with you memories of an incredible journey through Norway's fjords, a deeper understanding of its indigenous past and, with luck, indelible images from the most spectacular lightshow on Earth.
Add-On Oslo Pre-Night Option
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