text:
Mercedes, Texas, is located in the Rio Grande Valley, about midway between the larger cities of McAllen and Harlingen. The city of roughly 15,000 enjoys a subtropical climate, and its mild winter weather attracts travelers from the north who are fleeing snow and ice at home. Road travelers whose plans include a visit to Mercedes will find three convenient RV parks and campgrounds within a 5-mile radius of downtown.
La Floresta RV Park
Located 4 1/2 miles north of downtown Mercedes, the La Floresta RV Park provides full hookups at all of its 92 sites. Reserved for travelers who are 55 or older, the campground offers a recreation hall, shuffleboard courts, outdoor swimming pool, propane service and self-laundry facilities. Telephone hookups can be arranged for visitors planning an extended stay. La Floresta RV Park 16000 La Floresta Mercedes, Texas 78570 956-565-6314 wheelersguides.com/2006/new_wheelerinfo.cfm?ID=12295
Llano Grande Lake Park Resort & Country Club
Set on a lushly landscaped 81-acre tract, this sprawling RV resort offers 1,012 campsites with full hookups, 64 of which are pull-throughs. Just over 3 miles from downtown Mercedes, the park is less than an hour away from the Gulf beaches of South Padre Island. Llano Grande provides a wide array of amenities, including an 18-hole golf course, two heated outdoor swimming pools, two lighted tennis courts and 18 shuffleboard courts. Other features include free high-speed Internet access and cable TV, as well as a clubhouse, exercise room and fishing pond. The resort is able to accommodate rigs of all sizes, and extended stays are encouraged. Llano Grande Lake Park Resort & Country Club 489 Yolanda St. Mercedes, Texas78570 800-656-2638 llanogranderesort.com
Paradise South RV Resort
This 490-site RV park, located less than 3 miles from the center of Mercedes, provides full hookups at all campsites. The city of Reynosa, Mexico, is only a short drive away, and the beaches of South Padre Island can be reached within an hour. RVs of all sizes can be accommodated here, and the site offers seasonal rates to encourage extended stays. Resort amenities include wireless Internet access, a heated outdoor swimming pool, hot tub, clubhouse, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard courts, game room with pool table, library and fitness center. Paradise South RV Resort 9099 N. Mile 2 West Mercedes, Texas 78570 877-247-2757 rvonthego.com/Paradise-South.html
Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.
Photo Credits
- Pecos River Joins the Rio Grande image by Felipe Fernandez from Fotolia.com
- Attribution: Valleyite12; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license
- Attribution: Akissforme; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license


text:
The Walking Dead Teaser: Nowhere to RunMatt Richenthal at .
So much for peace inside the prison.
With the premiere of The Walking Dead Season 4 now less than two weeks away, AMC is revving up the promotion game, first releasing photos from the October 13 opener ("30 Days Without an Accident") and now unveiling a new trailer.
It features fresh footage from fall installments, along with the eerie tagline that there's Nowhere to Run. Check it out below:
The Walking Dead Season 4 finds Rick and company fostering a thriving community inside their prison walls, though - as you might expect - that simple way of living won't exactly last very long.
Look for the group's "new way of life [to] be thoroughly tested," according to an AMC press release, while "their struggle to survive has never been so perilous."
In other words: GULP.
Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Max Headroom is a fictional artificial intelligence (AI) character, known for his wit and stuttering, distorted, electronically sampled voice. He was introduced in early 1984. The character was created by George Stone,[1] Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton in the mid-1980s, and portrayed by Matt Frewer as "The World's first computer-generated TV host", although the computer-generated appearance was achieved with prosthetic makeup and hand-drawn backgrounds. Preparing the look for filming involved a four-and-a-half-hour session in make-up, which Frewer described as "grueling" and "not fun", likening it to "being on the inside of a giant tennis ball."[2]
The classic look for the character was a shiny dark suit, which was actually a fibreglass mould, often paired with Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses. Only his head and shoulders were depicted, usually against a "computer-generated" backdrop of a slowly rotating wire-frame cube interior, which was also initially generated by analogue means—in this case traditional cel animation, though later actual computer graphics were employed for the backdrop. Another distinguishing trademark of Max was his chaotic speech patterns—his voice would pitch up or down seemingly at random, or occasionally get stuck in a loop. These modulations, achieved with a harmonizer, also appeared when the character was performed live.
The character's personality was partly intended as a satire of insincere and egotistical television personalities—what Rocky Morton described as the "very sterile, arrogant, Western personification of the middle-class, male TV host"—but also was "media-wise and gleefully disrespectful" which appealed to young viewers.
Matt Frewer was chosen for his ability to improvise, and—according to producer Peter Wagg—his "ideally exportable" mid-Atlantic accent. The actor decided to model Max's personality after what he saw as the smarmy, self-important goofiness of The Mary Tyler Moore Show's Ted Baxter. In a 1986 interview, Frewer said: "I particularly wanted to get that phony bonhomie of Baxter ... Max always assumes a decade long friendship on the first meeting. At first sight he'll ask about that blackhead on your nose."[citation needed]
The background story provided for the Max Headroom character in his original appearance comes from a dystopian near-future dominated by television and large corporations. The AI of Max Headroom was shown to have been created from the memories of crusading journalist Edison Carter. The character's name came from the last thing Carter saw during a vehicular accident that put him into a coma—a warning sign marked "MAX. HEADROOM: 2.3 M" (i.e., a clearance of 2.3 metres) suspended across a car park entrance.
Max Headroom originally appeared in the British-made cyberpunk TV movie Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into The Future which was broadcast in 1985.
The original movie was rebroadcast on More4 on 21 October 2007 as part of the 25th birthday celebrations of Channel 4.
Max Headroom makes a cameo appearance in the 2015 movie Pixels and was voiced by Matt Frewer.
Max Headroom-type characters appear in Back to the Future Part II in the Café 80's scene.
After its success, the character was spun off into a veejay in the British music video program, The Max Headroom Show, whose first episodes unusually featured no introductory title sequence or end credits. The spin-off show was an immediate cult hit, doubling Channel 4's viewing figures for its slot.
A second season, which broadened the original concept to include celebrity interviews and a studio audience, was produced in late 1985, and a third and final season ran in 1986 (The second and third seasons were shown first on the US cable channel Cinemax, and on Channel Four an average of six months later).
A Christmas special was produced at the end of the second season and seen by UK audiences just before the regular run of the season, and just after the US season concluded.
Cinemax produced a fourth season of the talk show on its own, The Original Talking Max Headroom Show, which ran for six episodes in 1987. These episodes were never shown in the UK.
The final spin-off from the original film was the dramatic television series, Max Headroom, which was broadcast in the United States, running for two short seasons (spring 1987 and fall 1987), with two more episodes shown later in 1988.
Shout! Factory released Max Headroom: The Complete Series on DVD in the United States and Canada on August 10, 2010.
Max became a celebrity outside the television series. He was the spokesman for New Coke (after the return of Coca-Cola Classic), delivering the slogan "Catch the wave!" (in his trademark staccato, stuttering playback as "C-c-catch the wave!"). In the UK, Max appeared in television commercials for Radio Rentals.
In 1987, Frewer appeared as Max Headroom in a segment for Sesame Street. He recites the alphabet with selected commentary on some of the letters.
On November 22, 1987, an unidentified hijacker used Max as a basis for a hijack in the Max Headroom broadcast signal intrusion.
An older-looking Max was used in a campaign to inform UK households of the impending digital TV switchover.[3] As he is looked after by a caretaker, he moans about being with the other "relics", and then talks about digital TV. He stated that Channel 4 is now suddenly "20 years into the future", making a subtle reference to 20 Minutes into the Future.
Max Headroom was also manifested in the 2011 Book "Ready Player One".
Art of Noise featured an overdubbed Max on the song "Paranoimia".[4] Max was also featured on a single titled "Merry Christmas Santa Claus (You're a Lovely Guy)" released by Chrysalis Records.[5]
The rapper Eminem performs as Max Headroom in the music video for his song "Rap God".
Italian DJ Gigi D'Agostino appears as a character based on Max in the music video for the song Another Way, from his 1999 album, L'Amour Toujours. In the video, he twitches, stutters, and dances a robotic dance in the classic Max Headroom style.
Although uncredited in the liner notes, Max can clearly be heard talking about various species of fish during the introductory section of the song "Home" on the Roger Waters album Radio K.A.O.S.
Selena Gomez appears several times as a Max Headroom-style character in the music video for the single "Love You like a Love Song" by her group Selena Gomez & the Scene, from the 2011 album When the Sun Goes Down.
In the music video "Dig Down" by Muse in 2017, Matt Bellamy portrays a character very much resembling Max Headroom.[6]
Max Headroom was recreated by Double Experience vocalist Ian Nichols in the music video for "AI Freaks Me Out".[7]
In 1986, Quicksilva released a Max Headroom game, which was sold in the UK for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. The game's plot separated the two characters and had Edison Carter avoiding criminals armed with guns, whilst rescuing Max from the Network 23 office block.
The NewTek "Demo Reel One" featured a Max Headroom grab. Newtek, Inc. is a company that developed Commodore Amiga hardware and software, including a digital video sampler.
Notwithstanding the publicity for the character, the real image of Max was not computer-generated. Computing technology in the mid-1980s was not sufficiently advanced for a full-motion, voice-synchronized human head to be practical for a television series. Max's image was actually that of actor Matt Frewer in latex and foam prosthetic makeup with a fiberglass suit created by Peter Litten and John Humphreys of Coast to Coast Productions in the UK. This was then superimposed over a moving geometric background. Even the background was not created using computer graphics at first; it was a piece of hand-drawn cel animation produced by Rod Lord, who created similar "computer-generated" images for the TV series Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Later, in the United States version, the backgrounds were generated by a Commodore Amiga computer.
The series pilot won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award for graphics.[8]
The rights to the Max Headroom character were held by All3Media, as of November 2007.[3]
On November 22, 1987, two Chicago television stations had their broadcast signals hijacked by an unknown person wearing a Max Headroom mask and sunglasses. The first incident took place for 25 seconds during the sportscast on the 9 O'Clock news on WGN-TV Channel 9 and two hours later around 11 o'clock on PBS affiliate WTTW Channel 11 for about 90 seconds during a broadcast of the Doctor Who episode "Horror of Fang Rock". The hacker rambled on making reference to Headroom's endorsement of Coke, the series Clutch Cargo, and WGN anchor Chuck Swirsky, then pretended to defecate as a "masterpiece for all the greatest world newspaper nerds", a reference to WGN's call letters ("World's Greatest Newspaper"). A homemade Max Headroom background rocked back and forth as he rambled, and the video ended with a pair of exposed buttocks being spanked with a flyswatter before normal programming resumed. The culprits were never caught nor identified.
In late 1987, following the cancellation of the American TV series, it was announced that a feature film titled Max Headroom for President would be produced. Frewer, quoted in a Marilyn Beck column in December 1987, indicated the plan was for the film, which at that point had no finalized script, to be shot in early 1988 in order to capitalize on the 1988 United States presidential election.[9] The film was never made, possibly due to the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike which erupted three months later.


text:
Largest migration of Painted Lady butterflies expected in over a dozen years
Entomologist asking public for help in finding out more about butterflies' travel habits.
By BEV BETKOWSKI
Get ready for the best butterfly sighting in a dozen years as a wave of Painted Ladies streams into Alberta this summer.
"It's a rare event, like an eclipse. It happens only a couple of times in your life," said University of Alberta entomologist John Acorn. "They are big and beautiful as butterflies go."
Sporting bright pinkish-orange, black and white wings, the aptly-named butterfly last appeared in huge numbers in 2005. Acorn expects a similar influx of "really noticeable numbers" starting now and continuing until about the end of the month.
Usually they can be seen here and there, but not in great numbers, said Acorn, the former host of Acorn, the Nature Nut and an avid member of the Alberta Lepidopterists' Guild who's been tracking butterfly populations in Edmonton's River Valley since 1998.
"Let's say there will be places this year in Alberta where there will be a continual stream of butterflies fluttering across the road and splattering on your windshield."
The Painted Ladies are already being spotted in large numbers feeding in alfalfa fields in the province's southern foothills and in west-central Alberta, but they'll also show up in other parts of the province, Edmonton included.
Tracking travel habits
While they're here in high numbers, Acorn wants to know more about their travel habits, and he's asking the public to help find out more about this jewel of an insect. During their last mass visit 12 years ago, he noticed that Painted Ladies moved around as a huge group with no apparent rhyme or reason.
"They'd all go in one direction one day and a different direction the next day. Why do they do that? We don't know if they're influenced by wind direction, time of day, whether they follow roads or rivers."
This year, he's not missing the chance to study that phenomenon and has a student conducting field research. He's also hoping the public will report any mass movements they see by contacting him at email@example.com.
"It's an opportunity to document their migration patterns and perhaps map them out," he said.
The Painted Lady lives almost everywhere except Antarctica, but breeds primarily in the warmer embrace of the southern United States and Mexico, and rarely reach the high numbers needed to allow successive generations to move North. Heavy winter rain in the desert likely beefed up their food supply and gave the population a boost this year, he said.
Beautiful and 'tough as nails'
There's a lot to love about this butterfly besides its good looks, he said. "They are tough as nails."
Bedraggled and sun-faded by the time they arrive here, they lay their eggs in thistle plants—also a favourite food—and a vibrant new generation emerges from the caterpillar and chrysalis stages.
The 45 species of butterflies Acorn has documented locally pale in comparison, he added. "Most of them are smaller and less snappy than the Painted Lady."
With a thick, muscular body, the Painted Lady is athletic despite its dainty looks, he noted.
"They're fast fliers, they chase each other," even managing to elude hungry birds, thanks to the fake 'eyes' that are part of their markings. "Birds try to peck those eyes instead of the body and all they get is a beakful of wing."
The best place to spot them is in a blossom-heavy environment like the U of A Botanic Garden, or even in your neighbourhood dandelion or daisy patch where they like to feed on the nectar, Acorn suggested.
"Get to a place where there are lots of flowers."
Acorn said he expects them to stick around into early October before winging their way back south.


text:
Hires Dental Care in Toledo offers Invisalign®, the number one patient requested clear braces system in the United States. A custom set of invisible aligners provide patients with straighter and healthier smiles. Invisalign is the "clear choice" for patients needing mild to moderate orthodontia for both cosmetic and dental health concerns.
Benefits of Invisalign
Invisalign can effectively treat a wide range of dental concerns:
- Crowded teeth
- Crossbite
- Gapped teeth
- Overbite
- Underbite
Schedule a Consultation
If you are looking for a dentist that offers Invisalign® in the Perrysburg, OH, Sylvania Township, OH and Toledo, OH area, contact Hires Dental Care to schedule a consultation. Dr. Hires will discuss your dental health, cosmetic goals, and budget concerns to determine if clear aligners are right for you. View our Invisalign® Gallery to see our patient's amazing results with clear braces.
Invisalign offers quick, easy and hassle free treatment for patients.
The first step to Invisalign therapy involves taking a mold of your mouth. This mold is sent through specialized Invisalign software to determine how your teeth should look after Invisalign treatment. This virtual model will show you a three-dimensional image of your teeth. You can watch each step of the treatment plan, tracking your teeth's movements with each set of aligners. If you decide to move forward with Invisalign treatment, we will send the files to the Invisalign laboratory that will then generate several sets of clear plastic aligners.
You will return to our Toledo office to obtain your first set of aligners that should fit seamlessly and then return every 2 weeks for your next set. While the aligners should be removed for eating and cleaning your teeth, you should wear your aligners most of the day (23 hours a day is suggested).
The cost of Invisalign invisible braces depends on the individual treatment. Factors that determine pricing include the number of setups and aligners needed to achieve the desired straightening results. When compared to traditional metal braces, Invisalign is typically less expensive.


text:
TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar hit a two-week low against its U.S. counterpart on Wednesday, pressured by lower oil prices and a drop in domestic retail sales, but pared some losses after Federal Reserve minutes fell short of a hawkish tone.
Canadian retail sales unexpectedly declined 0.5 percent in December, the biggest drop in nine months, as consumers bought fewer new cars and spent less during the holiday shopping season.
"It's generally soft data," said Andrew Kelvin, senior rates strategist at TD Securities.
It reinforces the view that the Bank of Canada will not be following the Federal Reserve with interest rate hikes, he added.
The chances of a Bank of Canada interest rate hike this year dipped to 28 percent from more than 30 percent before the retail sales report, data from the overnight index swaps market showed. BOCWATCH
U.S. crude CLc1 prices settled 74 cents lower at $53.59 a barrel on expectations of another surge in U.S. inventories.
Oil is one of Canada's major exports.
The greenback .DXY turned lower against a basket of major currencies as investors weighed minutes of the latest Fed monetary policy meeting.
"The Fed didn't make it sound too urgent that they wanted to raise rates in March," said Ronald Simpson, managing director, global currency analysis at Action Economics.
The Canadian dollar CAD=D4 ended at C$1.3144 to the greenback, or 76.08 U.S. cents, slightly weaker than Tuesday's close of C$1.3138, or 76.12 U.S. cents.
The currency's strongest level of the session was C$1.3109, while it touched its weakest since Feb. 7 at C$1.3210.
The United States is likely to refrain from suggesting major changes to its trading arrangement with Canada, according to a majority of economists polled by Reuters.
Still, the loonie would be among the biggest losers if the Trump administration implements a border adjustment tax as part of its effort to crack down on what it sees as unfair competition from trading partners, analysts say.
Canadian government bond prices were slightly higher across much of the yield curve in sympathy with U.S. Treasuries after the Fed struck a cautious tone on raising rates.
The two-year CA2YT=RR edged up 1.5 Canadian cents to yield 0.781 percent and the 10-year CA10YT=RR rose 5 Canadian cents to yield 1.717 percent.
Canada's inflation report for January is due on Friday, with economists expecting the annual rate to edge up to 1.6 percent. ECONCA
Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Peter Cooney
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


text:
The Center for Global Development is a non-partisan, independent, and non-profit think tank dedicated to reducing global poverty and inequality through rigorous research. This submission briefly summarizes the latest research by myself and other economists regarding the effects of guest work on guest workers.
Published By
- Copyright 2013 Center for Global Development.
Document Type
This web page is marked up with Schema.org microdata and formatted for machine-reading. Here's why that matters. Have a peek at what a machine sees here .Title: Congressional Testimony: Foreign Workers Benefit Massively from Guest Work Opportunities
Publication date 2013-03-13
Publication Year 2013
Authors Michael A. Clemens
Copyright holder(s) Center for Global Development
Geographical Focus North America / United States
Keywords guest , workers , guest worker program , work programs , migrants
Document type Legislative Document
Language English
URL: https://www.issuelab.org/resource/congressional-testimony-foreign-workers-benefit-massively-from-guest-work-opportunities.html
Resource provided by IssueLab


text:
Welcome to Eurekahedge. Please read through the following user agreement and disclaimer containing the terms and conditions regarding your usage of the Eurekahedge hedge fund databases, products and related services.
You may not copy, reproduce, recompile, decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, distribute, publish, display, perform, modify, upload to, create derivative works from, transmit or in any way exploit any part of this site, except that you may download material from the service and/or make one print copy for your own personal, non-commercial use. The analysis and presentation included in this site may not be recirculated, redistributed or published by you without our prior written consent. Modification of the site's content would be a violation of our copyright and other proprietary rights. Additionally, you may not offer any part of this site for sale or distribute it over any other medium including but not limited to over-the-air television or radio broadcast, a computer network or hyperlink framing on the internet without our prior written consent. The information contained herein may not be used to construct a database of any kind. Nor may the information be stored (in its entirety or in any part) in databases for access by you or any third party or to distribute any database services containing all or part of the information.
As a condition of Eurekahedge permitting your use of the user account for access, you are to promptly supply all information requested by Eurekahedge for the purpose of creating and maintaining your account and such information must be accurate and any change in accuracy must be reported to Eurekahedge. The user account is to be used for the individual whose personal information are registered and for his/her use only, and the password and access to of the user account must at no times be given to third parties. Eurekahedge reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account if information provided is inaccurate, the user account is provided to third parties, the user account is misused or for any breach of the terms of use whatsoever.
|Qualified and/or Professional Investors Only
This site is only for use by accredited, professional and/or qualified investors only (as defined in the jurisdiction of the user) and in using this site the user represents and warrants that they are an accredited, professional and/or qualified investor (as defined in the jurisdiction of the user) and will use this site for their own information purposes only.
|Information Purposes Only & Disclaimer
The contents of this site are for information purposes only. The contents have not been audited for veracity, factual accuracy or completeness by Eurekahedge Pte. Ltd. or any of its directors, employees, agents or affiliates ("Eurekahedge"). This site does not constitute investment advice or counsel or solicitation for investment in any fund or product mentioned or any associates thereof. Eurekahedge disclaims all responsibility for any loss or damage of any kind whatsoever due to the use of this publication, any information contained herein, any error, omission or inaccuracy in any such information or from any action resulting therefrom. By accessing Eurekahedge's website, you agree not to invest in any posted hedge fund or alternative investment (other than funds or alternative investments in which you or your affiliates are already invested, have already been solicited for or are already considering an investment in) for thirty (30) days following your first being made aware of the fund through the Database.
This site does not constitute investment advice or counsel or solicitation for investment in any security. This site does not constitute or form part of, and should not be construed as, any offer for sale or subscription of, or any invitation to offer to buy or subscribe for, any securities, nor should it or any part of it form the basis of, or be relied on in any connection with, any contract or commitment whatsoever. Eurekahedge expressly disclaims any and all responsibility for any direct or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from: (i) the use of this site, (ii) reliance on any information contained herein, (iii) any error, omission or inaccuracy in any such information or (iv) any action resulting therefrom.
The use of this site may be restricted by local law or regulation in certain jurisdictions. This information is not intended to be published or made available to any person in any jurisdiction where doing so would contravene any applicable laws or regulations. Accessing the information contained in this website in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. By accessing this website you confirm that you are aware of the laws in your own jurisdiction relating to the provision and sale of securities, financial services and products and you warrant and represent that you will not pass on or utilise the information contained in this website in a manner that could constitute a breach of such laws by ourselves or any other person.
|Privacy Policy
Eurekahedge recognises the sensitivity of Personal Information that you share with our service, and we are committed to protecting your privacy. "Personal Information" in this Privacy Policy refers to information related to you, such as, but not limited to, your name, email address, phone number, IP address, company you work at, address of the company you work at, and your designation/role within the company.
How we collect and use Personal Information
All Personal Information provided to Eurekahedge is strictly for the usage of our website and its relevant database products and services. We collect Personal Information when you (1) sign up for an account with us, (2) list your fund with us, (3) make a purchase through our website, (4) attend an event organised by Eurekahedge. Lastly, we may obtain Personal Information from publicly available sources such as corporate websites, regulatory filings, and professional websites.
We process your data for the fulfilment of the following purposes:
How the data we collect will be shared
We may share your information with third parties for the following purposes:
Under these circumstances upon which we disclose your Personal Information to approved third parties (regardless of jurisdiction), we will request that your Personal Information be kept confidential and secured, and/or processed in accordance with the applicable laws.
How we use cookies
A number of our pages use cookies to remember:
and also
More information is available in our Cookie Policy.
How you can control what we collect and how we use your Personal Information
Please contact email@example.com if for any reason you wish to:
How long we store your Personal Information
Eurekahedge reviews the data it holds on a regular basis and your information will be destroyed if it is no longer required for the purpose(s) for which it was obtained.
Changes to our Privacy Policy
Please check back on this page on a regular basis for any future updates or changes to our Privacy Policy.
You may or will have access to or learn certain information belonging to disclosing parties that are proprietary and confidential ("Confidential Information").
Confidential Information shall mean any secret or proprietary information relating directly to disclosing party's business and that of disclosing party's affiliated companies and subsidiaries, including, but not limited to fund's performance, strategies and other business affairs of disclosing Party and its affiliated companies and subsidiaries.
You agree to keep strictly confidential all Confidential Information and will not use, sell, market, publicise, make announcement or disclose any Confidential Information to any third person, firm, corporation, or association for any purpose. You further agree to not make any copies of the Confidential Information without obtaining disclosing party's prior consent and will not remove any copy or sample of Confidential Information in this site. Your obligations shall survive the termination or natural expiry of your access to this site.
Eurekahedge, its directors, employees, agents and/or affiliates may from time to time have interests in any of the funds mentioned or any associates thereof, and may from time to time have ongoing business dealings with any of the said funds.
In this notice "Eurekahedge Pte Ltd" and "Eurekahedge" means Eurekahedge Pte Ltd and any of its affiliated or associated companies and their directors, representatives or employees and/or any persons connected with them. Additional information on the contents of this site is available on request.
|Trademark and Logo Disclaimer
Eurekahedge Events
All logos and trademarks from Eurekahedge event sponsors on this website have been licensed by Eurekahedge for use in connection with the Eurekahedge events. Any services offered by Eurekahedge are not endorsed, sold or promoted by event sponsors and their affiliates, and event sponsors do not make any representation regarding such goods and services.
All logos and trademarks from industry partners, data partners, software partners, media partners and other organisations on this website have been licensed by Eurekahedge for use in connection with the respective product or service previously agreed upon. Products and services may include but are not limited to Indices, Analytics, Database Integration, Software Integration, Media Partnerships.


text:
The DMEA in Berlin is the annual highlight in the field of Healthcare IT. This is where manufacturers, users and representatives from the political and scientific communities meet.
DMEA Virtual Market Place – DMEA 365 days a year
The Virtual Market Place® is the official online catalogue for DMEA exhibitors. By using the exhibitor and product search engine, visitors to the website can find information on the exhibitors and their products. They can also search by subject areas such as medical technology, software or networked building systems.
DMEA Virtual Market Place – Online meeting place
Visitors can get in direct contact with exhibitors - and schedule appointments with them - via the exhibitor entries in the Virtual Market Place®.
DMEA Virtual Market Place – The easy way to plan your trade show visit
With the Virtual Market Place® trade show planner, DMEA visitors can go online and compile their own personal tour, which they can then access from any mobile device.


text:
Educators are boldly embracing online learning, virtual reality, flexible classroom spaces, co-ops and partnerships. Why should your education ERP processes be stuck in the 20th century?
Coupa's education ERP software lets faculty and staff have more contact with students, and less with paperwork.
Coupa's Education ERP software makes it easy to buy from preferred vendors, eliminating overpayments and ensuring compliance.
No need to wait for monthly or quarterly reports. Budgets update as orders come in when using Coupa's education ERP software.
Turn education procure-to-pay and sourcing into an organizational advantage with education ERP software.
*These metrics are as of 01/2018 and represents data from Coupa community intelligence.
Charles Leslie, Vice President of Procurement at Education Corporation America discusses how they continue to innovate in order to drive significant cost savings.Download Now
Coupa's BSM platform for your education ERP provides powerful capabilities for everyone in your company, power users, and your suppliers to conduct all of their business spend activities in one place.
Powerful & Easy e-Procurement
AP Automation, Compliance
Travel & Expense Management
Early-Payment Discounting
Find out how Coupa helped Pearson raise their spend compliance to 85%, decreasing the organization's overall risk.
This report shows how CFOs are responding in a world where new technologies, uncertainty, and emerging threats abound.
Get a rundown of the GMQ for Procure-to-Pay to find out why organizations spend smarter in Coupa's corner.


text:
- Research & Initiatives
- Publications
- Events
- News
- About Us
- MPI Europe
Previously confined to everyday conversations among migrants and their families, remittances are now on the minds of most governments, members of civil society, the international community, and, to some extent, the private sector. The continued deficiency in our understanding of some of the fundamental aspects of remittances is evident in current literature.
For an increasing number of scholars, international migration has undergone a transformation particularly in the last decade or so. Although circular migration's impact on development is far from settled, a review of the current literature suggests increasing optimism about its developmental potential.
In December, about 5,000 Australian youths gathered on one of Sydney's major surf beaches and attacked men described as "Middle Easterners." Christine Inglis of the University of Sydney looks at the violence and the government response, and assesses the integration of Lebanese-Australians.
This report seeks to bring new light to the issues of migration by sea—particularly the interception and rescue of "boat people"—by synthesizing key discussion takeaways from an international forum of policymakers, international organizations, NGO representatives, and academics.
An estimated 8.1 million Filipinos — nearly 10 percent of the country's population — are living in close to 200 countries and territories. Maruja M.B. Asis of the Scalabrini Migration Center-Philippines explains how the country developed its emigration policies and measures to protect its citizens abroad.
On the fringes of the radar today, here are some topics likely to generate discussion and controversy next year.


text:
Photoshop brushes are a popular tool that designers use to apply an effect to a graphic. Brushes can be used for digital painting or even to distress text or logos. This set of 25 High Resolution Photoshop Brushes is our little treat to the readers of this website and can be used to grunge up your designs in whatever way you need for free!
Exclusive Freebie Pack – 25 Grunge Brushes
There are 25 High Resolution Photoshop Brushes in this pack. The license allows you to use these brushes in your commercial and personal projects. See the download file for details. Below is an example of what type of brushes are included in this set.
This exclusive set of Photoshop Brushes was created by Stefan Surmabojov. We are very excited to partner up with him on the release of this set of freebies.
Envato Tuts+ tutorials are translated into other languages by our community members—you can be involved too!Translate this post


text:
412W03 MM Strap Trumpet Tieback Illusion cover back Top Malaysia Wedding Dress Designer Rental
Illusion neckline wedding dress in trumpet cut, embroidered with French corded lace. Can modify to long sleeves design.
Clean and classy, perfect for garden wedding.
Available for rental or custom make
Wedding Dress Silhouette: Trumpet
Wedding Dress Style: Illusion neckline
Wedding Dress Color: Off white
Fabrics and Materials: Soft tulle and French Alencon lace
Designed and Custom made by:That White Dress
Inspired by: Rosa Clara
That White Dress - Malaysia Couture Bridal Dress Designer
Specialises in custom design and custom make wedding dress. Wedding gown rental service available.
Long Sleeves designs suitable for Muslimah Bride/ Hijab Bride are available.
Plus size Wedding Dressavailable for Plus Size Bride.
More details @About Our Wedding Gowns.
Baju Pengantin, Baju Nikah, Baju Tunang, Malaysia Kuala Lumpur.


text:
What's New
* New Icon and Splashes
App Description
The official My Church App from customchurchapps.com makes it easy to connect with today's mobile culture. Now churches can stay in touch with their community with one easy to use app.
Integrated Podcast, live stream, make unlimited signup forms, prayer request, post bulletin, integrate Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so much more. Custom forms to make it easy for your supporters to share their prayer requests, questions and feedback to you directly through the app!
* Podcast: Listen to the latest sermon or lookup a previous one in the podcast library.
* Digital Bible: Enter in the passage you want or use quick keys to go directly to the passage you desire to read.
* Free Audio Bible: Click listen and you are instantly listening to the daily devotional plan. You can also look up any passage you want, the listen tab is in the bottom right hand corner at all times.
Share content with your friends via Twitter, Facebook, or email.
* Facebook: You can share a Bible passage, journal entry or anything in the app with one click.
* Twitter: You can tweet a Bible passage, reading plan, journal entry or just a note with easy.
* Daily Bible Reading Plan: The Pursue Bible reading plan takes you through the Old Testament once a year and through the New Testament twice a year. Average reading or listening time is 15 minutes a day.
* Free Customizable Journal: The Pursue Journal is designed to give you the freedom to journal whenever and however you desire. Entries are fully secure for your privacy, yet at any time you can share them via Facebook, twitter or email.
* Cloud Based Journal: Your Pursue Journal is accessible online anytime at www.PursueJournal.com. This allows you to be able to add entries anywhere, anytime and they are automatically linked to your MyChurchApp app.
WiFi Internet is required for iPod touch.
For more information about MyChurchApp, please visit:
For more information about Pursue Journal, please visit: http://www.pursuegod.com
The MyChurchApp app was created by "Custom Church Apps TM"
Web: www.customchurchapps.com
Email: [email protected]
App Changes
- June 15, 2014 Initial release
- December 15, 2014 New version 2.0
- May 04, 2015 New version 2.1
- August 14, 2015 New version 2.2
- November 28, 2015 New version 3.0
- June 14, 2019 New version 3.5


text: This is a picture of my grandparents joking around on their wedding day. The story behind it, is that my grandfather was too shy to kiss my grandmother in front of everyone when it came time for the "I do's"...he took her around the corner to kiss her instead. Needless to say she was a little irritated that she didn't get her kiss the traditional way, but they were married over for over 50 years, and I think it's the sweetest wedding kiss ever.


text:
Electrical Circuit Breakers
This is the first of a series of articles intended to supplement your knowledge beyond the immediate requirements of the NEC. The following is a listing of the topics covered in this article.
This article begins by defining circuit breakers then begins to delve into some of the nice to know details about the relation ships of current, temperature, and ampacities of conductors. The subject of faults and the various types of faults is then covered. The topic of safety while next to last is highlighted as being the of first order importance. The final topic for this part is a brief listing of some of the more general requirements relating to circuit breakers. This series of articles will cover the types of circuit breakers that one will find in many types of facilities today. The beginning article begins to lay a foundation (a review for many) and progress to the higher amperage sizes introducing molded case, Insulated case, drawout ending with the most advanced of all the microprocessor based circuit protective devices that are becoming more common. I hope you find this information of value.
At the end of this newsletter, you will find means of providing Mr. Holt with your very valuable comments about this article. Please be sure to put your two cents worth in, as Mike and I think it is worth a lot more than that.
Part 1
Circuit Breakers Defined
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) defines a circuit breaker as: A mechanical switching device, capable of making, carrying and breaking currents under normal circuit conditions. Also capable of making and carrying for a specified time and breaking currents under specified abnormal circuit conditions, such as those of a short circuit The NEC defines a circuit breaker as a device designed to open and close a circuit by non-automatic means, and to open the circuit automatically on a predetermined overcurrent without damage to itself when properly applied within its rating. While the ANSI and the NEC definitions describe the same family of devices, they do have some differences, the same is true with the actual circuit breakers them selves. They are much the same in general terms; however there are a number of significant differences between the many types of electrical circuit breakers installed in many types of facilities today.
Circuit Breakers As Switches
Both the ANSI and the NEC definitions acknowledge the potential for the legitimate use of circuit breakers as switches. Switches (pass, but do not consume electrical power) are considered as being control devices, thus one may also say that a breaker is a control device, or a controller.
To aid in the understanding of a fine point, I offer this comparative example. A gas valve and a steam pressure relief valve are both controllers, one the fuel to the burners that aids in the development steam pressure, and the pressure relief valve that opens on excessive pressure. Both are controllers, one operating (the gas valve) the other safety (the relief valve).
Likewise in a parallel manner; we say that a circuit breaker can control and protect an electrical circuit. An electrical relay is an example of an operating control; it opens and closes the circuit. Circuit breakers are not designed as replacements for relays, operating controls.
There is as you may intuitively have anticipated an exception. Some circuit breakers are manufactured for use in a specific type of application. When a circuit breaker is designed to also be routinely used as an on-off switch to control 277 volt florescent luminaires they are marked SWD, for switch duty. This does not mean that a switch duty breaker can be used to manually control a traffic signal light where it will be cycled 1,000 or more times per day. The point is; the listing for switch duty (SWD) does not mean a circuit breaker can be used as a high frequency cycling operating control, such as a relay that has a life span rated in tens, if not hundreds of thousands of duty cycles.
While circuit breakers can be legitimately and safely used as switches, the frequency and duration of such use is very limited. Routinely circuit breakers are manually operated for service-maintenance, and repair type activities. With the preceding enhancing our understanding; we can say that circuit breakers can legitimately be used as switches, generally they are not intended for prolonged frequent or repetitive manual breaking and making type control of electrical energy utilization equipment.
Currents To Break
For general consideration and our immediate purposes; the amounts of currents circuit breakers are required to open and close can be divided into the following three broad current amplitude groups.
The first and lowest being rated load or less. For example: a 60 amp low voltage molded case thermo-magnetic breaker must be able to open or close 48 amps (80% of its rating) or less.
Next up in current quantity, this same breaker must be able to open or close Overload currents. Overloads for our purposes can be understood by reference to the NEC requirements overload protection for motors. Thermal overloads are commonly sized for some 115% of the motors nameplate full load amps. A motor with a service factor of one, and a rated load of 10 amps would be overloaded when pulling 11.5 amps or more. Overload currents can for our immediate purposes be considered to be percentages increases above rated normal load current.
The third and highest current level grouping is Short Circuit Currents. Short circuit currents can be considered as being fifteen (15) or more times normal rated load currents. In summation, circuit breakers may be called upon to open or close a circuit within a current ranging from no current flow, to as much as twenty (20) times or more its rated current. For a 100 amp breaker that could 2,000 amps or more.
As will be covered later, this high value of short circuit current is routinely exceeded by circuit breakers today. This should not be considered as implying that all circuit breakers can open unlimited amounts of current, as will be covered later on, they can not.
Excessive and Over Currents
The National Electrical Code (NEC) defines excessive current as any current in excess of the rated current of the equipment or the ampacity of a conductor.
Overcurrent conditions are caused by defective conductors, equipment, or an excessive workload burden placed upon the utilization equipment. Fuses and circuit breakers provide a level of safety against overcurrent conditions in electrical circuits. We therefore routinely say that fuses and breakers are overcurrent protective devices (OCPD). That is they protect the circuits components from overcurrent. To minimize the length of this paper, only automatic circuit breaker type overcurrent protective devices will be covered.
A circuit breakers primary functions are to provide overcurrent protection, and Isolation from energized circuit components and un-energized circuit components. Breakers must perform these functions when properly applied without fail in all circumstances completely and safely, while protecting the electrical circuit against overcurrent induced damage between normal rated current and the breaking capacity of the breaker called Ampere Interrupting Capacity (AIC). Now that is a big job and an important job.
Modern breakers routinely do their job day in and day out
with very little maintenance. Like all things that are made by man, they do have limits
and they do fail. Hopefully this paper will help you to better understand and appreciate
the task performed by those little black boxes.
Current and Temperature
The movement of electrons (electricity) in a conductor produces a rise in the temperature of the conductor. Excessive temperature rise (caused by an excessive amount of electron collisions with base material atoms) can result in the melting of the wires material (copper), if it is allowed to rise as high as 1,980 degrees F. For a point of reference, the NEC limits the operating temperature of XHHW type conductor insulation to no more than 194 degrees F. Thus it can be understood that long before the copper wire will begin to melt, the wires insulation material will have melted and burned up.
Our first priority therefore is the temperature of the conductors electrical insulating materials. Differing types of insulating materials have different maximum design operating temperatures.
Circuit Breakers As High Temperature
Limit Switches
Electrical energy is transported throughout an electrical circuit by the conductive path provided by electrically insulated wires. The material that performs the insulation function in the circuit has a high temperature limit far below that of the copper wire. Circuit breakers are routinely sized to limit the possible damage to the insulation material and not the copper wire. This being the case we can say that a circuit breaker limits the temperature of the connected-protected wires insulation materials.
Ampacities Of Electrical Conductors
Just how hot an electrically insulated wire can get before its insulation melts, suffers damage or a decrease in electrical dielectric strength (the ability to perform as an electrical insulator) and other physical features are well-known facts. The various types of materials used as electrical insulation have been tested and the results listed in what are called ampacity tables in the NEC in article 310.16.
How long an installed conductors insulation material will last without overload, is yet another question. Research is underway to determine the life of an installed insulated conductor. No doubt when completed, it will point to many factors that have a negative impact upon the inservice life span of an insulated conductor. For now we can book a safe bet that voltage spikes, vibration, environmental factors such as temperature, UV light, aggressive vapors and fluids, and relative humidity will all be proven to shorten to some degree the life of modern plastic type electrical insulation materials.
I suspect that many of these same factors also have a negative impact upon circuit breakers. I do not know of any research that defines the service life of circuit breakers. Nor am I aware of any research underway seeking to determine the service life of circuit breakers. Considering the importance of the safety provided to people and property circuit breakers provide, it is a bit puzzling as to why such research has not already been undertaken.
For many years various types of materials have been used as electrical insulators. Today conductors are made using material for outer jacketing, and for filling in the gaps (indices) between bundled round conductors. These materials may or may not be considered to be electrical insulators. Some medium and high voltage cables are made using materials that are considered to be conductive, or semi-conductive.
Ampacities Of Electrical Conductors
A short circuit is an unintended path through which current can flow. Any time current flows in a path that is not the normal path, we say that the circuit is shorted. Shorts are further defined by the nature of the shorted connection. A direct short is commonly a phase-to-phase short, which is when two hot (un-grounded) wires make an unintended contact with each other; a phase-to-phase short circuit has been created.
A circuit breaker must be able to respond to a short circuit, which can present a large current flow in a short period of time. A short circuit unlike an overload (typically a percentage increase not multiples of rated load current) presents its self in a very short period of time and will typically be multiples of the loads normal operating current.
Breakers are tested to determine their ability to clear a short-circuit without damage to them selfs. With a phase-to-phase short, the breaker will be required to open the circuit at the circuits rated phase-to-phase voltage. This would be the case independent of the system being grounded or un-grounded, that is either wye or delta solidly grounded or un-grounded or resistance grounded.
Shorts To Ground
When an insulated hot wire, (un-grounded) un-intentionally makes electrical contact with an electrically conductive-grounded object, a ground fault is created. The words ground fault means that there is a defect in the wires electrical insulation, and the faulted wire has shorted to ground. Many times a phase-to-phase short will develop into a ground fault, and the other way around. Either a phase-to-phase short can produce a ground fault, or a ground fault can produce a phase-to-phase short. The fault can be in one, two or three wires insulation materials.
Ground fault type circuit (GFCI) breakers will not be covered in this paper. The short circuit, overload current limiting nature of these types of breakers however will be covered. It is only the ground fault or residual current feature of GFCI type breakers that is not covered in this paper. A ground fault can present a current flow that is limited only by the impedance of the circuit and the capacity of the energy source supplying the faulted circuit. Ground faults can occur rapidly and can be either of low impedance type consuming a significant amount of electrical energy or as an arcing type fault with little total energy consumed. Some breakers are not designed to respond to arcing type shorts to ground.
Most breakers today will respond to a short to ground that is of the low impedance type as the current levels are normally multiples of normal load currents to which the circuit breaker has been manufactured to sense and respond to.
When installed in a grounded type system, such as a center grounded wye system, only one half of the systems phase-to-phase voltage will be broken by the breaker on a ground type fault. With an un-grounded type system a ground fault on the first phase to ground connection does not result in any current flow as the system is not referenced to ground. Yet should a second ground fault develop, the breaker will be required to break phase to phase system rated voltage.
With resistance grounded systems, the impedance of the supply systems ground and the circuits ground fault combine to determine the amount of current drawn. Further, more detailed pursuit of understanding of the various electrical system grounding (earthing) methods used in America is beyond the limiting scope of this paper.
Arcing Faults
When a loose connection is made in the faulted circuit, so loose that the current flow is non-continuous, it is called an arcing or arc fault. This type of circuit defect is much like a welder using a welding electrode to produces an electric arc. Arcing type faults are the most difficult to locate (due to conductor concealment in conduit or inside enclosed cavities of walls) and can be the cause of fires. This type of defect is the opposite of a bolted fault, the circuit impedance is higher and the connection is very irregular (high frequency). They may last for only a fraction of a second and then cool down and not flow current, or heat up again and produce an arc between the two conducting surfaces.
During the A-C cycle there are two times that the supply circuit voltage goes to zero volts, there are two times when the circuits electromotive pressure is zero and an arc cannot be produced. This zero volts time helps to increase the faulted circuits impedance. The higher impedance makes it more difficult for the arc to re-establish its self again. These types of faults produce heat in a very localized area, this is how they can start a fire and not trip a common thermal-magnetic circuit breaker, their energy level is so low and they last for such a short time, that they are typically not detected by a circuit breaker or a fuse.
In response to this unique type of circuit defect, an entirely new family of circuit protectors called arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) type circuit breakers has been under development over for the last ten years. Because of the unique nature (microcomputers) of these devices they will not be covered in this short paper. The common circuit breaker will not respond to the development of an arcing type fault due to the low total amount of thermal energy developed by the arc and the very high frequency of the arc. Perhaps one can liken an arcing fault as an embryonic electrical circuit defect, unlike the defect that has fully developed and matured into an adult electrical fault such as a bolted fault.
Bolted Faults
Occasionally a short will develop that has a firm solid connection to either a grounded conductive object or another hot wire, that it is said to be a bolted fault. We are saying that it was not a loose connection, that it was not wiggling around. A bolted fault offers a lesser impedance to the flow of current than does an arcing type fault.
A loose connection type of fault may produce enough heat as to melt or plasticize the conductors material and having cooled enough to then produce a joint so firm and secure as to be comparable to a welded fault. Then we would call it a bolted fault. Circuit breakers are typically calibrated as to be capable of responding to a bolted type fault as they result in sufficient current flow to cause either the thermal or the magnetic trip elements of open the circuit.
Safety First, Always First
The exact nature of electricity, that is it can not be detected with the eyes, ears, or the nose, yet if it is touched, it can kill, must be remembered at all times. Circuit breakers are very reliable components of an electrical system, however they are man made; and are subject to becoming defective. Proper lock-out-tag-out procedures must be followed when working on electrical circuits above 50 volts. Proper personnel protective equipment must be in serviceable condition and properly worn. Safety is a requirement, not an option of every electrical task, large or small, be it routine or emergency in nature. Always use the three-step method when checking for voltage.
Take good care of your electrical test meters, having them checked at least every three years for insulation strength and for calibration as listed in the instruction booklet, or once a year. While a switch may visually indicate that the contacts have opened, a meter must be used to confirm that no voltage remains in the equipment to be worked on. Many times more than one source of power is provided to a machine.
When working with others do not assume that they know how to operate your meter, and do not assume that you know how to operate their meter. Take the time necessary to learn how to properly operate the test instruments that you will be required to use. I know that it is temporarily embarrassing to admit that we do not know something, but being found dead on the job, I believe to be more permanently embarrassing.
NEC Requirements For Circuit Breakers
The National Electrical code has several requirements for
circuit breakers (overcurrent protective devices). The following is a listing of some
of them. Others can be found in the various specific articles, such as 430 covering
There are specific product type requirements for breakers to be listed by a nationally recognized testing lab (NRTL) such as UL that we will not be covering in this short paper. That means detailed informaion relating to engineering type testing and things that the circuit breaker manufacture must know about are not covered.
In the next part of this article we will review additional information covering functions, types, components, voltage ratings, ampere ratings, ampere interrupting current (AIC), TESTING -listing OF circuit BREAKERS, NOT all breakers are rated the same, the electrical arc, effects of current flow, thermal energy, thermal trip element and some information about magnetic trip elements.
Remember Work Smarter, Not Harder
Copyright © 2002 Mike Holt Enterprises,Inc.


text:
Dear God, I know that I'm not perfect, I know sometimes I forget to pray. I know I have questioned my faith, I know sometimes I lose my temper, but thank you for loving me unconditionally and giving me another day to start over again.
1 Comment
Am liking this page


text:
Sleep Forever
DOWNLOAD: Sleep Forever
It's been more than a year since Crocodiles graced the pages of The List with Neon Jesus, and their debut album, Summer of Hate, tore up the blogosphere and they toured across the US and Europe opening for bands like Holy Fuck and The Horrors…but now they're back with more buzzy, swirling, My Bloody Valentine-like psych-rock on this Summertime 7″ release. 'Sleep Forever' is meant to whet your appetite for their new full-length release due out September 14th on Fat Possum Records. I'm diggin' singer Brandon Welchez's laid-back vocals, but what really stands out is the tight production on this song is a noticeable change from last year's intentionally punkier, lo-fi album.
You can hang with Crocodiles over on MySpace


text:
द वैंपायर डायरीज टीवी शो
add a link
The Vampire Diaries Season 8 Episode 5 Review: Coming घर Was a Mistake
The Vampire Diaries Season 8 Episode 5 Review: Coming घर Was a Mistake
कीवर्ड्स: द वैंपायर डायरीज़, season 8, coming घर was a mistake
I remember visiting this website once...
It was called The Vampire Diaries Season 8 Episode 5 Review: Coming घर Was a Mistake - TV Fanatic
Here's some stuff I remembered seeing:
The Vampire Diaries Facebook The Vampire Diaries Twitter
It wasn\'t exactly a happy homecoming for Matt Donovan on
The Vampire Diaries Season 8 Episode 5, but his return to Mystic Falls did help crack the case of the missing second Siren.
Nanny Seline is evil incarnate and she has the last remaining set of Gemini twins on Earth.
Her plans for them include creating a brand new nuclear family with Cade, aka the Devil himself, as their new daddy.
Y\'all, Nanny Seline is B-A-D. Bad. She used two unsuspecting girls (who shouldn\'t be quite as old as they seem given the timeline) to RESURRECT THE DEVIL.
Like. Not bring back a grandma from a spirit world. Not commune with a spirit on the other side.
She straight up brought back Satan using two innocent girls and the body of a dead graduate student to do it. Also a dead goldfish.
Was the goldfish involved in that ritual? I couldn\'t tell. I was too busy clutching my pearls at our precious Gemini twins being lured into doing their evil Nanny\'s bidding and bringing back her...boyfriend?
That picture at the end definitely made it seem like Seline\'s got a thing for the Collector of Souls which means this whole thing is about to get kind of weird.
Seline and Sybil, at least according to Sybil\'s telling, don\'t see eye to eye on a lot of things. Sybil blames her sister for their flesh-eating, soul-sending predicament (but doesn\'t seem to mind the eternal youth and beauty that come with the package) and now Seline\'s apparently been in league/love with Cade this entire time.
At what point in this story will sister turn against sister? Is it possible that Sybil sees in Damon the opportunity to defeat Cade somehow? Like something in his subconscious will allow him to avoid Hell and destroy Cade?
If so, WHY NOT SAY SOMETHING? If she doesn\'t like this life she\'s living, why isn\'t she actively seeking a way out of it? Seems like her best approach would be to confide in Alaric and the Armory that she was cursed to this existence and then ask for their help. Surely Dalton St. John uncovered
Maybe Matt will discover that too and be clutch in revealing the next step in this plan. That wouldn\'t suck. Matt Donovan, the "only living boy in Mystic Falls" discovers the secret to ending all this mess?
And then Matt could take over the Armory in the magical and imaginary afterlife of this show while Matt Davis takes Alaric to The Originals.
But really, Matt\'s going to be the one to save the day this time. He has to be. It\'s down to him and Bonnie who, even though she\'s technically a witch/supernatural, is still human. They\'ll be the ones to end this because we have to move past this "Stefan must save Damon" storyline QUICKLY.
Seriously. We have to. We cannot do another 13 episodes of Stefan trying to save his brother.
I don\'t want Damon to be a lost cause, and no one
believes he is or will be by the series\' end, but for the love, y\'all. Enough\'s enough. Stefan wants to save Damon. Damon doesn\'t want to be saved or can\'t be saved. It\'s getting old. Fast.
Damon\'s far more interesting when he\'s interacting with Sybil, trying to fight against her and everything she stands for while still inexplicably doing the things he thinks she\'d want him to do.
Or channel his inner Bonnie and confront Damon with Damon\'s worst fear. Which is...losing Elena? Losing his brother? Losing himself?
At this point his greatest fear is probably Hell so maybe Cade will scare some sense into him the way nearly losing Bonnie snapped Enzo back to reality.
Bonnie and Enzo are now one of the main reasons for me to tune in. I don\'t know how Enzo was able to break his connection to Sybil simply by flipping his switch back on, and maybe he\'s somehow still psychically connected to her, but damn did I love watching Bonnie do everything in her power to save him, including being willing to sacrifice herself.
And his "It\'s my time. You have loved me more than anyone" speech?
Oh. My. GOD. Gut me right here, okay? Just gut me.
I almost seriously thought for half a second the writers were about to kill him. Seriously. I thought something was going to be wrong and he was going to be unable to leave the cabin even after she put out the flame since the cabin\'s flame came from the candle.
Do not ruin any more ships or pairings this close to the end. Nope. No. Don\'t do it. My heart can\'t take it.
What do you think happens now that Sybil has the tuning fork? How will Caroline and Alaric get their girls back? Should Stefan stop trying to save Damon, at least for a few episodes? Sound off in the comments below and remember you can watch The Vampire Diaries online while we wait for The Vampire Diaries Season 8 Episode 6.
Miranda Wicker is a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
Stefan: I\'m at a loss with Damon. I don\'t know what to do with him anymore.
Caroline: Maybe the best thing to do is to mourn Tyler. We all owe him that.
Permalink: Maybe the best thing to do is to mourn Tyler. We all owe him that.
Watch The Vampire Diaries Online: Season 8 Episode 5
The Vampire Diaries Season 8 Episode 5 Review: Coming Home Was a Mistake
Watch The Vampire Diaries Season 8 Episode 5 Online
read more


text:
Browse Books
Currently Viewing:
- Remove This Item Church History
- Remove This Item Jaroslav Pelikan Reprint Series
- Remove This Item $20.00 and above
Historical Theology
Wipf and Stock / FEB 2014Change is a universal phenomenon that commands the attention of the historian. For Christian theology, change raises special difficulties. How are we to reconcile the notion of the revelation of an... read more »


text:
Video marketing is a fantastic way to improve your business and boost sales. If you want to maximize use of video marketing, you have to learn the most effective strategies. This article is filled with great video marketing tips and advice that you can utilize to your advantage.
Use video marketing to reach out to your customers. Get customers to submit any questions they have concerning your products or industry and answer them in video form. You should try giving away some freebees to customers that ask questions.
Many marketers find that working in groups makes video production a smoother, more productive experience. Don't limit your search for teammates to coworkers. You may find that there are plenty of friends, family members or peers who are willing to contribute. However, you should ensure you credit these people in your videos so that they have the chance to be acknowledged.
Make sure your videos remain focused and on topic. Without preparation, it's easy to actually stray off topic. Try making a simple outline of what you want your video to be about and keep to it while filming. Don't stray from the task at hand, and you should be fine.
If you want people to purchase something, it is important to have a visible and working link. If possible, include this link in the video player. This way your link is always connected to your video, no matter where it ends up.
You need to think of a tone for your online videos and ensure that it remains consistent. How-to videos are not necessarily better than a funny one. Take your target audience as well as the goods or services you provide when determining what type of video you want to create. Use these factors alongside the image that you want to present for you business as you decide what tone you want to set for your marketing videos.
Do not ignore the analytics for your video content. This will tell you the number of videos you've produced, when they are being viewed and more. If there are patterns in this data, you might be able to identify customers that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Don't let being camera shy keep you from using video marketing to promote your business. Hold a contest, and hand out prizes to the best video makers. The prize could even be having the video promoted as a commercial.
Establish some criteria to determine if your videos are successful or not. The number of total views will one way to find out how successful a video is, but it doesn't tell you how many people bought a product because of it. It's better to check out the hard data. How many views did it get? How long did they watch for? Was it shared?
Remember to always share your video. Email it to your loved ones. Create a blog post that describes the video on your website. Send emails that include the video link to current customers. Put it on your social media, too. It's vital that you spread the word about your videos if you wish to succeed in video marketing.
If you decide to post a video onto YouTube, you need to be moderating the comments. A lot of people will say things that are not appropriate on your videos because they feel like they are anonymous. This can drive away people that are really interested. If you can't moderate your comments, then you may want to disable comments.
Video Marketing
As was mentioned in the opening of this article, video marketing is a terrific tool you can utilize to boost your business. Take full advantage of the tips that have been laid out for you here. It is time for you to get started with video marketing.


text:
209 Main Street
Danbury, CT 06810
Call Us
Phone: 203-730-2917
Fax: 203-730-2927
Mon: 9:00AM-7:00PM
Tue: 9:00AM-7:00PM
Wed: 9:00AM-7:00PM
Thu: 9:00AM-7:00PM
Fri: 9:00AM-7:00PM
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed
Thank you for visiting our website. Please fill out the following form to send us a message. Please click on the "SUBMIT" button when you are ready to send your message. You may use this form to request more information about our Danbury, CT, cosmetic dentistry practice, and to provide feedback about this website.
We look forward to hearing from you!


text:
Gary Page, Information Technology Consultant – California Department of Education (CDE)
Gary Page is the Information Technology Consultant for the California Department of Education, providing curriculum information, resources and support to teachers and schools throughout California. As the IT Sector lead consultant, Gary serves as liaison/advisor/facilitator to industry groups, associations, committees, labor unions, etc., to promote effective career pathways. Gary provides leadership and advocacy for actions that foster educational excellence to support students' goals for college and career.
On IT, ICT, Web and Interdisciplinary Education
Many of the better paying occupations in the Information Technology Sector require instruction that is provided at college. A report by the Public Policy Institute of California forecasts we will require an additional one million college graduates by 2025 to meet workforce needs. Providing students access to and completion in college is one of the most important ways we can ensure California's prosperity.
California is:
40th in the nation in the number of students who go directly from high school to college;
41st in the nation in the number of baccalaureate degrees awarded per 100 undergrads;
46th among states in college completion.


text:
The White House is starting to quietly pressure House Republicans to freeze the Medicaid expansion sooner than the current Affordable Care Act replacement suggested, according to CNN.
The GOP replacement plan known as the American Health Care Act, released on Monday, proposed freezing new enrollment in Medicaid beginning in 2020, while grandfathering in current enrollees.
However, the White House is beginning to squeeze House leadership for an earlier rollback of the Medicaid expansion funds, two senior administration officials and a senior House conservative aide told CNN's Jeremy Diamond.
"This could kill the bill in the Senate and make it even more complicated in the House," the GOP congressional aide said.


text:
Parks and Leisure Australia - Queensland
Ph: +61 407 687 890
Welcome to the PLA QLD Friday News.
Hosted by Gossi, this unique opportunity opens the factory doors with partners G James Group, for an exclusive 3 hour behind-the-scenes factory tour.
Wednesday 11 September 2019. Meet at Joe's Diner, 1084 Kingsford Smith Drive, Eagle Farm
$35 for Non-Members | $25 for Members
Download Event Flyer
Register Here
Back by popular demand, our Technical Turf Workshop will take place on Wednesday 25th September at AFL Queensland Head Quarters in Yeronga.
The 2019 PLA Conference will be held from 27-30 October 2019 at Crown Perth, WA.
The Conference (#PLA2019) will bring inspiring, interesting and stimulating speakers together with curious audiences who want to learn.
Applications for the 2019 Green Flag Awards are CLOSING SOON - 31st August 2019!
The Green Flag Award® scheme recognises and rewards well managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across Australia.
If you are interested in more information on the Awards or are keen to nominate, please contact Jeff Dry from the PLA National Office via email on email@example.com
Apply Now
The Generate Network is PLA's commitment to the development of our young professionals and emerging leaders. The aim of the Generate Network is to connect, engage and develop our leaders of tomorrow. The Generate Network is free for PLA members
Find out more
You are subscribed as | Update your email preferences | View in browser


text:
|6 Sat
2019 USJA/USJF Summer Nationals @ Wagner College
2019 USJA/USJF Summer Nationals @ Wagner College
Jul 6 all-day
2019 Summer Nationals in Staten Island NY , is dedicated to bringing the premiere summer judo tournament where players from all over the United States compete to be the best in their category. United States Judo Association and United States Judo Federations are working together to make this the best national judo tournament coming to New York City! Players from USJA, USJF and US Judo with US citizenship, green card or approved Visas are eligible to participate. Categories are offered for Juniors, Seniors and Veterans. Novice (white to orange belt) divisions are available for every Junior weight class. While Novice (white to green belt) divisions are available for every Senior and Veteran weight class. Participate as a competitor, referee, volunteer or spectator for this spectacular event!
12:00 am
1:00 am
2:00 am
3:00 am
4:00 am
5:00 am
6:00 am
7:00 am
8:00 am
9:00 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 pm
1:00 pm
2:00 pm
3:00 pm
4:00 pm
5:00 pm
6:00 pm
7:00 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
10:00 pm
11:00 pm
- Home
- Alphabetical Listing of Shufu Member Clubs
- Kata-Basic
- Kata Competition
- Referees' Corner
- Promotions
- Shufu
- Funding Support for Athletes
- Contact
- About Shufu and the Website


text:
Learning is a progression and in Pohutukawa we build on from the valuable learning that has taken place in Year 1. Our students are now familiar with school life, therefore they are able to take a greater ownership of their learning. As Year 2s, they are beginning to transfer their knowledge across a variety of curriculum areas. We continue to build on the students' understanding of inquiry in preparation for their journey into Year 3.
Class Blogs
These blogs have been created to share our learning journey with our friends and families. This is an engaging and interactive way for children to share their learning experiences and it is a great talking point for those children who 'can't remember' what they did at school. You are welcome to leave comments or ask questions as this will inspire our children to continue their great learning. Please note that full names will not be used on the blog and all comments will be moderated by the teacher before being published.
Ruma 16 - Year 2
Ruma 17 - Year 2


text:
Better Elevator Speeches
About BES
About BES
Several years back I noticed one of my sales training clients struggling with his elevator speech. I offered him some help, he accepted, and since then I have written over 1000 speeches covering many professions! The most common comment from my clients is "I could NEVER have written that for myself!"
Sincerely, David Wall
Better Elevator Speeches
Member BNI since 2008


text:
Millennial expert with corporate experience with a Fortune Global 100 company
Amy Lynch
Amy offers hands-on solutions for inter-generational conflict
Anne Marie Cummings
Baby Boomer Bonding
Bob Nelson, Ph.D.
Rewarding Employees: Motivating Today's Employees: The Employee-Retention Guru
Bobby Daryl McGirt
Bobby Daryl McGirt on Word of Empowerment Enlightment Enrichment
Bruce Clark, MBA, Ph.D.
Bridging the Gap: Building Trust Across the Generations
David Stillman
How to leverage a better understanding of the generations into a more compatible, cohesive and productive workforce
Debra Fiterman
Debra is dedicated to bridging generation gaps at work.
Elliott Ettenberg, MBA
Elliott Ettenberg a consumer marketing executive, helps companies around the world adapt to the baby boomer phenomenon
Eric Chester
Empowerment: Expert on Generation Why
Gerry Myers
Myers, a pioneer in the women's market
Gordon Lee Burgett
Skills - Writing
Gustavo Grodnitzky, Ph.D.
Culture Hacker
Hannah Ubl
When generations connect: Hannah Ubl - Generational Speaker
Jamie Mustard
How to Stand Out!
Jim Gilmartin
Baby boomers & seniors: The most valuable generations in the history of marketing
Joe Marlotti
The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace: One-man show
Judy A. Marston
Generational issues in the workplace, especially between Boomers and Generation X & Y
Kel Gratke
A Riddle for the Generations: (Xer)
Ken Dychtwald Ph.D.
The Age Wave: New Opportunities in a Maturing Marketplace
Kimberly Lear
Leverage the strengths of a multigenerational workforce: Divide
Lynne Lancaster
When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work
Maddy Kent Dychtwald
Megatrends for the twenty-first century
Meagan Johnson
From Boomers To Linksters Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work.
Michael Rybarski
Marketing to the over 50's
Mike Walsh
Breakthrough innovation & business transformation
Robert C. McMillan, MBA, MS
What leadership network is your organization running on?
Roberta Chinsky Matuson
The Talent Maximizer®: Organizations achieve dramatic growth & market leadership
Scott Zimmer
Scott Zimmer, Gen Xer
Seth Mattison
One of the millions of Millennials/Gen Yers around the world trying to make an impact in their communities and companies


text:
Dubbed the Headwaters Camp, this home sits on 22-acres, nestled in the forest between two meandering creeks and four ponds. Would you want to live in a place like this?
The cabin-like home is a collaboration between builders Highline Partners of Big Sky, Bozeman's Dan Joseph Architects and green building consultants Kath Williams + Associates.
For the Headwaters Camp, trees from the property were used for interior trim and the roof over the car port. A grey water reclamation system stores water from bathroom sinks and showers and reuses it for drip irrigation and toilet flushing, while a three-kilowatt passive solar panel system ties in to the electrical grid.
Designed to mimic an alpine wetland, water is circulated through the ponds, connecting streams and small waterfalls, then brought into the house through a ground source pump system; the ponds are enough to heat additional structures built on the property in the future.
Upon entering the Headwaters Camp, it's apparent that the welcoming design creates the cozy, intimate atmosphere of a cherished family camp. Flagstones are interspersed throughout the reclaimed fir floor, while hand-peeled logs frame the vaulted ceiling.
Reclaimed materials are integrated throughout the design — from the old railroad spikes used as coat racks to the antique, faded green hutch that was modified to become part of the kitchen cabinetry.
The open kitchen, living area and small dining nook provide plenty of room for entertaining, even allowing room for a pool table and a small home office beneath the staircase. The east wall of the cabin, nearly all windows, overlooks the spacious deck that feeds directly into the largest pond.
The master bedroom is like a small cabin itself. A high, steep-pitched ceiling and barnwood walls give way to a set of windows and a door that are steps away from the creek, close enough to hear with the windows open. Highlights of the master bath include a shower with a river rock drain and a large boulder that sits within.
A stunning handmade antler staircase built by Secora's Deadwood Creations in Gallatin Gateway leads to the loft area. Two twin beds house the older boys, while an antique gate leads to another sleeping area, leaving plenty of room to play or read a book on the comfortable sitting area beneath a wall of small windows.
Outside, the landscape evokes a sense of history grounded in the West, from the old growth trees and the hand-built log corral to a replica of an old Forest Service bridge that crosses the stream.
A series of horse paths wind throughout the property, connecting to trails that lead to Cedar Mountain and the nearby wilderness. Clearly, Headwaters Camp functions exactly as it was imagined.


text:
See below for the formula used to tell the year of manufacture.View Pro Series Guitars Japanese-made Takamine models distributed in Japan have their own serial-numbering scheme that can be used to reliably date them.Started in 2004, Korean Cupid is part of the well-established Cupid Media network that operates over 30 reputable niche dating sites.As a leading Korean dating site, we have thousands of Korean women signing up everyday interested in meeting someone like you.
For example, serial number 07100091 indicates a guitar built in 2007 (07), in October of that year (10), and that it was the 91st guitar made that month (0091).
Similarly, serial number 09050112 indicates the 112th guitar made during May 2009.
In mid/late 2012, US distributed Japanese-built guitars switched to the year designation that guitars distributed in Japan use.
This case is no longer made, so super cool and rare!
To prevent your personal details being misused please do not put emails or phone numbers in questions.


text:
Chapter Five
When Kieran and Danika took their leave, Meriel understandably cried. Well, not about Danika leaving. No one cried when she left except in relief.
Kieran promised he'd do everything he could to make sure she could go home, but she's six. It doesn't matter there's a threat to her life. What matters to her is she won't get to have her daddy tuck her in at night, or around for any of the other little things children relish sharing with their parents.
"I promise, my little starfish, we'll be together again," he said, and kissed her gently on the forehead, above delicate, wispy eyebrows bunched down in frustration. He hugged her close, though she kept her arms at her sides, and he moved back with a pained look on his face.
"I love you," he said, but she still refused to respond. When he stood, he still looked down at her and sighed.
"She'll be okay, Lord Kieran. We'll watch out for her," Talitha said, pushing her shoulder back, and moving forward to take the six year old's limp hand in hers.
Lord Kieran gave her a sad smile, and a small nod of thanks, and then turned and departed with Danika. After he was out of sight and the sound of the car's engine faded, we had our first real meltdown. Meriel cried and screamed her broken heart out with sobs that shook her tiny body, and tears that cascaded down her face.
I held her, just as I'd held Talitha and Mina when they'd first come to me. I offered no words of comfort, because there were none I could give to make the situation right for her, but I made soothing noises and rocked us back and forth on the floor. I couldn't even begin to express how relieved I was that she didn't transform, or use her powers.
After some time, the wailing died into quieter crying that left her nose releasing rivulets of snot down her face. Before she could lick the mucus from her upper lip I motioned for Mina to hand me a tissue. After we took care of that, I sat her down with a glass of cold water and a cookie.
"What do we want to do now?" I asked the girls.
Mina and Talitha exchanged a look before they both turned to Meriel.
"I think we should hit up the bakery so Meriel can see it, and then we can get some things to spruce up her room while we're in the Town Center," Mina said, taking charge.
"That is a lovely idea," I said, and twenty minutes later we were out the door.
The St. John's Town Center was an outdoor mall in Jacksonville, so people could enjoy the sunshine while they perused the stores. It also helped with the cost of keeping a large building cool, I'm sure. Because the walk could be a bit much in the hot, Florida summer sun, not to mention the humidity, my business partner and I procured a shop right on the main thoroughfare: River City Drive.
I parked the car and the four of us bustled out and to the mall. Meriel latched onto Mina's hand as soon as we got out of the car, and remained firmly attached despite all the exciting sights, sounds, and smells.
There was a nice breeze going, making the humidity and the sun tolerable, but it was still sweet relief to enter the shop and have the cold air hit me like the initial dive into a pool. Close on its heels were the variety of smells that always made my mouth water: fresh-baked bread, cupcakes, cookies, and a variety of other treats.
Once my eyes adjusted to the light, we started down the center aisle toward the counter. The people around us were talking, laughing, and while some had only our baked goods and coffee in front of them, most were balancing it out with some of the sandwiches we offered on our summer menu.
"Erryn!" a young girl behind the counter called out, and enthusiastically waved at me over the heads of the customers in line. I couldn't help but smile, but Aida had that effect on people. In fact, it was a part of her nature to make people happy.
Aida was the daughter of a leannán sídhe, and though she didn't possess the full range of her mother's powers, she did inherit her beauty and ability to inspire and enhance emotions. When Aida is happy, everyone is happy. When Aida is sad, everyone is sad, and so on. Thankfully, Aida was cheerful the majority of the time.
She moved from behind the counter with the flowing grace of water. Drakken moved with the power and grace similar to a gymnast: strong and self-assured. Aida sashayed and swayed like reeds being moved in a breeze.
Her long, curling hair was a rich, dark brown of leaves turned in the fall from years past and coating the forest floor. It was braided and wound into a bun at the nape of her neck, but her bangs curled on her forehead along with some wisps that escaped being tamed.
She moved around people and headed toward us. Her black shirt sported spots of flour here and there, along with the name, Enchanting Sweets Bakery, emblazoned across her chest in a swirling, bright, sea green font.
Aida's smile widened when she saw the girls, and proceeded to give me a hug, but refrained from the usual one for the girls when she saw Meriel. Her hazel eyes held the question of who the new little girl was, but didn't say anything out loud.
I smiled in return, but didn't answer at the moment. "Is Kyne in the back?"
She nodded. "He's been going over the orders for the coming week. We didn't think you'd be in today," she said, still all smiles despite my avoidance. It was hard to get Aida down, which was the primary reason she was our manager of the front part of the bakery.
"We didn't know we would be in, either. Can you get the girls something to eat and drink while I talk to him?"
"Sure!" she replied, bubbly and bright.
Though we were bustling, Aida managed to snag a table from a couple leaving, and sat the girls down. Once she and Mina were engaged in their usual back-and-forth, friendly argument about how old she needed to be before she could order coffee, I headed to the back. I smiled and hello'd everyone at the front and in the kitchen, then went through the door into our small, functional office. It was just big enough for a single, cluttered desk, two chairs, one shelf containing a variety of binders over the desk, and a safe.
Kyne was bent over a stack of paperwork with his head resting in the palm of his left hand. His thumb idly rubbed the short, white hair, as pure as a swan's wing, and contrasting starkly against skin bronzed from time on the beach. In his right hand he twirled a pen over his fingers with ease, and he leaned the chair precariously on two legs, rocking it back and forth as he hummed.
"You're going to fall if you do that, you know?" I asked and stepped into the office. At the sound of my voice he almost did fall when he jumped and the two legs on the ground slipped across the linoleum.
He laughed, and set all four legs firmly on the ground while mirth danced in his amethyst eyes.
"And you should know better than to sneak up on people," he pretended to grump. The humor was still a warm on his handsome face, one that could grace the cover of a romance novel and put some of the other men on them to shame.
"Well, I guess we both still have some things to learn," I observed, and sat down in the second chair after moving it to block the doorway, with my back to the kitchen.
"I didn't think you'd be in today," Kyne said, echoing Aida's words. "How is everything going so far? You sounded a little more worried than usual about this charge," he said, and slouched down in the chair so he could comfortably put his right loafer on his left knee. The slacks he was wearing tightened over a nicely muscled body.
Damned male Sirens. I cleared my throat and looked down at my folded hands. He couldn't help being what he was, but breaking eye contact made conversation easier for my scrambled brain cells, which were currently chanting highly inappropriate things about my business partner and me. Though I enjoyed the view, we'd determined years ago that having a stable business was more important than exploring a romantic relationship. We'd both learned the hard way to never mix business with pleasure.
"Well, it isn't exactly a typical situation," I said, and glanced around the kitchen to make sure no ears, supernatural or human, were within range to overhear our conversation. We employed mostly supes, so private conversations could be difficult, and I didn't want to stir the curiosity pot by closing the office door.
"Oh? Do tell, if you can," he said, and put his hands behind his head.
"It's more of a temporary arrangement than a permanent one," I said, and thought back to my conversation with Danika and Kieran. They hadn't told me telling anyone was off limits, but caution was certainly implied. But if I couldn't trust Kyne, who had saved my life in more ways than I could rightly count, who could I trust?
He wasn't impatient while he waited for me to continue. He knew what my relationship was like with the Clan, and though he disapproved he also knew I had reasons for not washing my hands of them. Two, and now three, very good ones sitting in the front of our shop, in fact.
"She's a full-blooded Drakken," I said, and he jolted in surprise for the second time, "and she's in some kind of trouble. People have been trying to kidnap her, and she's been given to me for protection," I finished, my voice barely audible over the noise of the kitchen.
"Whoa," he said, but nothing more. I dared a look up, but he was contemplating the ceiling so I was safe for the moment.
"Hey, Kyne," Mina's voice said from behind me, and we both turned in surprise to see the three girls there. "You've been back here for a hot minute, and I thought we'd introduce Meriel," Mina continued, and tugged the little girl forward.
From where Meriel was, behind me, she could barely see Kyne. He stood up and started to move forward, but stopped when he was even with me, his eyes wide and panicked.
"He smells like the ocean," Meriel whispered behind me, her voice low and hoarse. It was the same as Danika's voice yesterday, but coming from a smaller throat it wasn't quite as deep. That should have made it less threatening, but the shiver that went down my spine went well beyond the fear Danika could bring out.
A child has no control.
Her pupils stretched and lengthened to the way some snake eyes were, and her power rippled over my skin. It was as cold and merciless as the ocean depths, and I cursed myself for not asking what Clan she was from.
Blue Clans generally dealt in water magics. One particular, small Clan, could control aquatic animals, as well as aquatic supes—supes like Sirens.
"Meriel,' I said, keeping my voice as low and calm as I could. She looked over to me, with tiny nostrils flared and the features of her face rippling in preparation for the change from human form to Drakken.
"Close your eyes, Meriel. Close your eyes and think of your favorite toy," I continued, and kept my eyes locked with hers. There could be no trace of pleading in my voice, because pleading meant I was prey and I could be dismissed.
The otherness in her, the Drakken form, considered my words—considered ignoring them. Pure, primal instincts of our kind slid behind her eyes, and started to move from me back to Kyne.
"Meriel," I said, this time drawing from my own source of Drakken power and threading it in with her name and my voice. Just enough to keep her from looking away, and to have a more favorable mindset toward my words.
Though I was half red Drakken and half black Drakken, I could not draw power from both. Anyone born as I was could only draw from one source of power, or one of our Drakken heritages. I'd taken my power from the black Clan of my heritage, who were known for subtlety and assassination. I was no assassin by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd gained the power of persuasion, literally, from my father.
Her gaze turned to me, then tried to turn back again.
"Meriel," I said again, putting a little more power behind her name. This time her eyes remained locked on mine, not wavering. "Close your eyes and picture your favorite toy," I stated again, keeping my power a constant flow blanketing my words and her.
We all held our breath at her hesitation, but she closed her eyes.
"It's a little stuffed dragon my mommy made for me before I was born," she said, her voice halfway between normal and power-ridden.
"What does it look like?" I asked, and lessened my own power in accordance with hers, like letting sand slip through my fingers.
She continued to describe the knitted toy, and I continued to ask questions about it, until her voice was normal and I was satisfied she was okay again. When she opened her eyes they were back to human, and a little confused.
The air whooshed from everyone in relief. My bones turned to water and I slumped in the chair.
What have I gotten us into?