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The Time Capsule:
Popularity is a strange thing, and it often has a fairly short half-life.
Simulcasting has given us easier access to anime than ever before, but looking back in time there's always those handful of series that are so firmly entrenched in the minds and hearts of the anime community that their market share never seems to flag. And even brand-new viewers today will invariably hear about, and often watch, these shows.
▼ The type of anime that should never require introduction in civilized company.
Your mileage may vary, but you'll never rock a fedora like Firo Prochainezo.
Sure, we might each not have seen all of them, but their presence is incontrovertible.
As the last shows from the fall season are nearing their end, do you think any of them stand a chance of joining such hallowed company? There's no way to know for sure of course, but it's a neat thing to consider. Think of this thread like a time capsule, in 5-10 years what anime from 2013 do you think will still be a big deal? What do you think? I'm curious!
Pick one anime per category, but you can have honorable mentions or a shortlist if you can't nail down a clear winner.
(And another for anime from 5-10 years ago for reference: My Anime List.)
▼ You thought I forgot one before didn't you. You so silly.
Sure there are others too, but look ahead not behind! Row Row Fight the Powah!
What animes aired in 2013?
1. Expected Survivors from 2013
Attack on Titan: $$$ Duh.
Monogatari SS: $$$ Duh.
Free!: Like it or not, this show probably won't be forgotten anytime soon. I almost see it as pioneering a new demographic marketing strategy.
A Certain Scientific Railgun S: Perhaps more remembered because of the future of the franchise than its own merits.
2. My Pet Projects
Blast of Tempest: This is my favorite show of all time. I think it's a masterpiece & I dearly hope that it is not forgotten in the mess of other mediocre shows from the year.
Silver Spoon: I fear this show will be forgotten all too soon, but I hope people will remember this as a worthy companion to Fullmetal Alchemist in the pantheon of Arakawa's work.
3. Breathing Support from the Community
Arpeggio of Blue Steel: It was fun and better than I (and a lot of people, I think) thought it would be. If it gets a second season, which it deserves, chances of it being remembered within a niche community will go up.
Shinsekai Yori: Haven't seen it myself, but I know a lot of people really liked it.
Hunter x Hunter: It is outrageous that this is not massively popular in the mainstream. Those who recognize the genius of it won't forget.
The Devil is a Part-Timer!: A great show, like Arpeggio, a second season would definitely solidify this show in a niche consciousness.
Kyousougiga: There's a saying about great art not being recognized. I think this is sadly true of this show. But those who recognize its greatness won't forget it anytime soon.
The Eccentric Family: Similar story to Kyousougiga.
4. Outliers
Non Non Biyori: Not really niche, but it might be remembered every now and then.
White Album 2: Even if it doesn't get a second season, it's an impactful show because it's painfully true.
Weekly posts on the season's best anime! (http://mageinabarrel.com)
Now I remember one, Attack on Titan.
This one.
Added lists and fixed links.
The only one I will remember is to aru kagaku no railgun s. It's the best one I've seen.
1. Attack on Titan, as a second season would have aired by then (and maybe even more), and not to mention it has reached legendary status.
2. Log Horizon, because of the whole MMORPG genre.
3. Arpeggio of Blue Steel, since the whole subs as moe characters has become so widespread.
4. Chihayafuru, as it's a niche title, but one that I'm not expecting to be remembered in a widespread manner. It's a josei title about karuta, which often does not get the attention it deserves. Now, if only NIS America would license this great show...
Avatar: Fukaziroh, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online
Sword Art Online.
His Holiness Optimus Maximus Decimus Meridius Colossus Nemesis Nexus Genesis
>>What anime from 2013 do you expect to still be a big deal in 5-10 years?
I'd have to go with Attack on Titan. Reasonably unique and lived up to much of the hype.
Honorable Mention: Monogatari Series. Strong fanbase. Will probably keep this entire franchise alive for a decade or so.
I am a cage in search of a bird.
There is only one anime from last year that i saw that can even come close to some of those other titles...
I don't think i need to say it.
Did he just walk up...slowly...and ban me? @GoldTStar117
I don't see anything else than Attack on titan being remembered in 5-10 years. Monogatari should, but i think the fanbase is too small
What anime from 2013 do you expect to still be a big deal in 5-10 years?
1) Attack on Titan (the hype, popularity, sales, material to be adapted from the manga)
2) Monogatari (this will likely never die either given the popularity of the previous works, upcoming novels, and even a movie)
3) Free! (one of the most popular series last Summer. Ladies love this)
4) The Devil is a Part-Timer (an underrated series but there is a lot of comedy involved with this and material to be adapted)
5) Log Horizon (I recall the author mentioned that he is planning to write more volumes (possibly 15+) so more reasons are very likely
Hope for the future
1) Nagi no Asukara
2) Attack on Titan
3) Railgun S
4) White Album 2
I'm really hoping all of these get more season in the future in particular White Album 2. Honestly, there's a lot to expand on all of them..
Community breathers
1) The Eccentric Family
2) White Album 2
3) Ace of Diamond
4) Watamote
5) My Romantic Comedy SNAFU
Animanga hunter extraordinaire
I honestly don't think Attack on Titan will become a classic, and stand the test of time.
I feel like AoT is like a Summer Blockbuster: it has all the qualities and things to keep the audience entertained on a more shallow level, but once its run and its season is over will more than likely fade into memory.
It is hyped up now, but like series such as Inuyasha or something along those lines, it will be remembered mainly as nostalgia fuel as the months and years go on.
In my opinion there hasn't really been anything that might come close to being a classic. I thought of Puella Magi Madoka Magica (which is of course, a classic already) but then I remembered that was the 11/12 season.
I'm still waiting for something to really grab a hold of me.
Jacking off to comatose girls is not okay Shinji
I don't really think about the future, but I can answer the questions though.
1. I think it's generally accepted that the 30 yard tall humanoid in the room known as Attack on Titan would answer this question, but, as Bakaneer has stated, it will stay alive because of another season. Otherwise, my best guess would be Date A Live. Still quite unlikely, but I think this one has the best chance.
I almost forgot about Golden Time. Author (whose name I forgot) also wrote Toradora. Honestly, I for one am liking Golden Time a lot more.
2. Mondaiji. The only reason is because nobody has licensed it and the test of time will make it happen.
Sentai just licensed this. I found out like 30 seconds after posting this. That's just funny.
I guess I should update this one then. My new answer would have to be either Servant x Service or Love Lab, easily the two funniest of the year. I still laugh like crazy when I think about Love Lab's certain song in episode 4 - what I found to be the funniest moment in anime history.
3. Arpeggio of Blue Steel, for the same reason that Bakaneer before me has said is quite likely. The one I think the community will most likely keep alive would be:
a) Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat
b) OreGairu
c) Noucome
d) Nagi no Asukara
Just don't hold me to it.
4. Little Busters, more specifically the Refrain season. Key has never failed to produce a wonderful story. Even though this one wasn't done by Kyoto Animation like Air, Kanon, and the ultimate Clannad, it still had the same charm with very different characters. J. C. Staff did Key proud, but Little Busters was nowhere near as amazing as Clannad in every way (except for the fact that Little Busters had a larger cast of male characters).
Attack On Titan will unquestionably be around years from now and it's only gonna get more popular with the english dub coming and funimation pulling out all the stop to make it the best the possibly can. I can see niche shows like Watamote, Psycho-Pass and Golden Time being popular with fans of their repective genras and show like Kyousougiga and Flowers Of Evil being weird/Artsy enough that people who don't know what they are or haven't already seen them might randomly decide to watch them.


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This article is about beeswax sheet, used in candle making, but it also has some important health and safety information about candles in general.
What is a Beeswax Sheet and What is it Used For?
A sheet of beeswax is what it is! Simple, huh! Seriously folks, these thin sheets are manufactured by specialist companies to make the hobby of beeswax candle making a real joy and not a chore. Forget about melting down a honeycomb, filtering out the debris and going through the laborious process of repeatedly dipping wicks into a vat of melted beeswax; all of this has been done for you. From day one you can concentrate on the creative side – cutting and rolling the beeswax sheet to make a fantastic collection of candles in whatever shape and size you please. I think these candles make fantastic gifts for family, friends and colleagues, because they are something you have created with your own hands, something special and not just any old candle you can buy anywhere. They're also pretty economical too.
What Else Do I Need to make Candles?
You will also need a sharp knife and a surface to cut the sheet on, such as a cutting board.
You'll also need to buy wicks for your candles. These are often bought in a roll like string, sold by weight or length. But don't think you can just use any old string – it won't burn properly. Also, please NEVER use anything but totally natural wicks, made from cotton or hemp. By the way, hemp is best environmentally, because cotton is typically grown using a large volume of pesticides and it also depletes the soil of nutrients. But that's just the start. The reason I recommend only natural wicks is because some of the non-natural candle wicks contain metals and even lead, causing very harmful air pollution when they are burned, especially if you burn a lot of candles in a closed room. This brings us to some important safety tips for using candles:
- Candles should be placed where they cannot fall over or be knocked over by things like drapes blowing in the breeze
- Place candles on a non-flamable surface so that the flame won't ignite your furniture when it reaches the bottom of the candle
- Candles should be out of reach of children and pets – remember that cats are particularly agile and curious!
- Do not leave the candle burning when you go out of the room for more than a few moments – and certainly never go out, or to bed, with a candle still lit. They are romantic in the bedroom but if you fall asleep it may be more than just the romance that is dead!
- Don't go waving the candle around when it is lit – you'll give yourself a wax face mask or worse.
- Don't place candles in a draft because they will not burn properly and may blow over.
- Make sure nothing can fall onto the candle flame, such as papers on a shelf, loose drapes or you.
- Be careful not to lean over a burning candle, or to reach over one. One of our readers recently was standing next to a friend who leaned over one and nearly ignited her long hair! And at festive dinners you can burn your sleeve reaching across a table with burning candles on it.
How To Make Beeswax Candles
Making a simple candle is easy and satisfying. More complex designs require more skill. One sheet will usually make a couple of good-sized candles, but it just depends how big you want the candles and how big the sheet is to begin with, so you will need to experiment. As an example, for a fairly standard 8-inch candle I would use a sheet of 8 x 8 inches. Most sheets are sold in sizes of 8 inches by 4, 8, 12 or 16 inches. Anyway, take your sheet and cut a piece of wick an inch or so longer than what will be the height of the candle. Place the wick about 1/8 inch from the edge you are going to roll up, so there is an overhang of half an inch at each end of the sheet. If the room is much colder than 21 degrees C or 70 degrees F, you will find that the sheet won't bend easily. If so, get a hair dryer and gently warm the wax a little. You're not trying to melt it. Then curl the edge next to the wick just up and over the wick, all along the length of the wick, and press it down firmly. After that, you just carry on rolling up that candle! Try not to leave any air gaps because that will make the candle burn too fast. When you have completely rolled up the sheet, trim the excess wick at the base of the candle only! There – you are done!
Buying Beeswax Sheets
If you are making your own candles, look for beeswax sheets that are pure beeswax, and if you are buying the finished product, again, choose candles made entirely from beeswax apart from the wick, which should be cotton, or ideally hemp.
Natural beeswax can be anything from almost white to dark brown in color, and this makes for the most pure and natural product as you would imagine. Buying beeswax sheets with added colors is not as harmful as buying scented candles, but it's still an additive to this natural product. So, if you want the purest candle, you need to sacrifice some of the color creativity options and stick to the naturally available shades – pale creams through ambers, golds and browns – but that's up to you.
Whether you buy the beeswax candles ready-made, or you make your own using beeswax sheets, be careful to use reputable suppliers. You are going to trust your good health to them. Ask yourself how much you really know about that foreign manufacturer, or that website selling candles that won't even give you a phone number. (Note – world-of-honey.com does have an email address and does have a phone number and so on – you know who you are dealing with. Can you say the same about your beeswax sheet supplier or the seller of cut-price candles?)
So now you have the low-down! Get yourself some high-quality pure beeswax sheets and some hemp wick, and you are on the way to creating just about the finest, safest, most environmentally-friendly candles in the world.

subset: commoncrawl


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Friday, 8 October 2010
The Rule of Law
The cover of the book is quite sexy and also provocative in other ways. I like the crown drawn on the head of statue of Justice in gold colour. It makes me think of The Rule of Law as a bit of a joke and also as a very serious comment on injustice all of us have experienced.
Baron Bingham writes well and I appreciated his historical introduction to the concept of the rule of the law. The passages on Magna Carta show passion as Baron Bingham writes that Chapters 39 and 40 of Magna Carta have the power to make the blood race:
39. No free man shall be seized or imprisoned or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.
40. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.
Baron Bingham really appears to have the point that this should be inscribed on the stationary of Ministry of Justice and the Home Office until one considers such things as the fact that now people travel freely and there has to be some limit as to who can seek justice and for what in UK.
Now, what about wars and the fact that UK is always at war somewhere? Baron Bingham states that war in Iraq is illegal and gives his reasons as to why this is the case. This issue is of interest to many people.
When I enrolled for a course in politics with a great title "Power and Dissent" I learned that, in fact, a country could wage a war for economical reasons only and that this is legal, but the exact circumstances were not outlined during my course. I guess the assumption is: only legally so... Everybody knows that Iraq has plenty of oil, but not many people know that having adequate oil supply is what determines the outcome of other wars as fuel is required for vehicles, tanks, airplanes etc. The fact that one country alone has been involved in at least 40 military actions in 25 years all over the world says something of its need for fuel and the need to control the supply in order to maintain its power. It is believed that one of the reasons why the Second World War was won is because Russians had their oil supply and Germans lacked sufficient supplies. Those who know the history of the oil wars would also know that many English people did die trying to get Russian oil too, in the past. This is not in Baron Bingham's book, of course. Today, the relationships are different between superpowers.
It is thought that English people originate from Saxons. The word Saxons originates from word sac which means quarrel. During old Persian Empire Saxons were regarded as lawless and quarrelsome lot. In Azerbaijan there is even a town called Sac. It is thought by some that this is where Saxons lived before their migration to Europe. The origin of world Saxon is not discussed in the book by Baron Bingham and I do not say writer should have done it. However, it is fascinating to me that people who have been regarded as lawless and quarrelsome for thousands of years have also been very successful materially, at least. It seems to show that one can get away with murders on a largish scale. Eventually, one remembers that law can be used occasionally when it suits, I guess.
There are many things one can learn from this book and I would recommend it, of course.
One also learns from things not in the book as the reader can choose to examine oneself or remember own experiences of seeking justice. I did this in a number of areas. The most obvious is that as a doctor I always did what was in the best interests of my patients and public. When as a whistleblower I became the target of reprisals and humiliations (and medical regulator gladly took part in it), I went to the courts for protection in the most honest belief that there was such a thing as the rule of law. I did not find it and neither did many others, as it is mob (in the case of medical whistleblowers) that wins in England. Today, mob does not throw stones or sticks or rotten garbage at the accused. They have courts to protect them and to kill the target for them with false allegations, nicely coordinated for the purpose of cover ups of e.g. medical errors or their own selfishness or politics of the day.
There is no Rule of Law in UK today, as far as I can see from my own experiences and efforts to get justice for about 11 years now. The High Court is servile to The General Medical Council (GMC), for example, and its own prejudices. It rubber stamps GMC decisions because that is the easiest thing to do and maybe, it is good for judges' career to please political masters of the day rather than comply with law. The Royal Courts of Justice allow Human Rights abuses to go on for many years and so does medical profession, their defence bodies and union. Everybody is so thoroughly institutionalised that one is tempted to come to the wrong conclusion that there are no intelligent people left in UK. The Royal Courts of Justice are also sexist, racist and religiously biased just like medical regulators. We know that and they know that we know that. The Royal Courts of Justice are forced to function in outdated buildings with outdated procedures matching the outdated attitudes. Did I miss reading about that in Baron Bingham's book?
The Rule of Law is very readable book and the issues are well presented and I would recommend you buy it. You may wish to read it again. It is the most readable law book I read so far. You will enjoy some of his recommendations for changes and smile wryly (as he does on the back cover) at his comment that European Court of Human Rights has many cases: "The most pressing problem now, however, is not whether the scope of the Convention should be enlarged but whether the Strasbourg court can handle the huge volume of cases currently brought before it". Well, a good measure of punishment could make courts function better. Should the judges be fined too when they mess up big time with attitudinal problems in full knowledge of the law and facts? If doctors are responsible for mistakes they make and have to compensate their victims why not judges?
2 comments:
My experience as well in the British Courts and Tribunals and what was said to me by emminent QC's and Barristers coincides sadly with Dr Helen Bright's brilliant analysis and comments.
I wish to support every word of her genius analysis of the corrupt judiciary and the Organised Mobbing which is practised by Public Authorities the likes of the General Medical Council, the Police the Crown Prosecution Service and the Judiciary who permit perjury to be committed and contempt of court without reprimand to the offender.
it was clearly said to me by imminent QC's that the corruption in the Judiciary is so rife that nowadays they do not apply the rule of law and Justice but the rule of money i.e. that when they take a decision in the Tribunals or Courts it is solely based on to whom would they prefer to award the costs to disregarding completely to which side Justice should be determined on the evidence before them.So they disregard some crucial evidence which will not suit that determination and take whatever they think from the facts of the case to coincide with their decision i.e.a cut and paste job. An imminent QC on my case expressed that by saying "there is a large hiatus between the Judgement and the application of the law in the Courts".
So the citizen of this Country when he has a strong case on the facts and the application of the law can not and his legal advisor neither can predict which way the Judge will determine the case to the extent that it is rare to see a legal representative giving chances of success above 50%. This has created such a chaos in the predictability of the outcome of legal cases that not only the injured party risks losing the case but also risks paying damages and costs which in the British present Law can not be challenged as costs must be paid and damages even if the loosing party would appeal.Not only that but the Judge can not be challenged on his award of costs and damages.
This state of affair has been a deterrent for anyone who dares Governmental Organisations, NHS, Police, Crown Prosecution Service, and Military Services for their breaches in particular breaches in Human Rights and consequently a Police State has been created and consequently Judges ignore Litigants in Person.
There is no solution but to add my voice to Dr Bright's suggestion that if a doctor is punished for his wrongdoings for damaging the life of his patients why should Judges who wreck live's as much be left without a serious reprimand ?.. where is the Justice when cases have to go from one court after another until it reaches the House of Lords to be determined properly.
I suggest that if the case has been determined in contradiction to the first Judge's decision that this Judge looses his job; this will act as deterrent to other Judges in a similar way that when a doctor is removed from practice because of his wrongdoings this act as deterrent for other doctors.
- 11 October 2010 at 14:16
Wonderful idea to bring accountability in the legal system. It will make every judge stay awake during the arguments .
- 21 October 2010 at 15:58


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More Than Just a Fairy Tale Ch. 24byJaisen©
Life intruded in such an way that this chapter too far to long to write and I apologize. Since last I wrote, I've traveled nearly 3500 miles and moved house. Even my partner wondered if I'd ever get it done. However, In a very odd way, my life has been paralleling Ginny's. My life turned upside down and two sweet mischievous little pups to deal with on a daily basis. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Lots of twists and turns.
Sam sat eating her dinner under an awning watching the sun set. She had just finished her salad when she heard someone come up beside her.
"Would you mind if I sat with you?" he asked.
Sam looked up to see the man who had rescued her hat from the wind. He was nice looking, and about her age. There was also something familiar about him that she just couldn't put her finger on.
"No, not at all. Please join me," she said. "I'm Sam."
"Lewis. Nice to meet you," he said.
"Thank you again for rescuing my hat this afternoon. Have to admit though that the damned bandana means more to me than the hat," she said.
"Oh?" asked Lewis as the waiter brought him a dinner salad.
"It belonged to a dear friend of mine who passed a few months ago," Sam said.
"I understand," said Lewis. "Bloody hell! The old man must have been nearly 120!" he thought. "A lover?"
"No, just a very dear man who was rather misunderstood," said Sam.
"How was he misunderstood if you don't mind me asking," said Lewis.
"Well, I need to explain a few things first," said Sam between bites of seafood pasta. "I run a B&B up in the mountains. One afternoon, this older gentleman showed up asking if he could have a long term agreement with me for a room. We talked and I agreed. You see, I think he expected he would die rather soon. He spent most his time up in the mountains and only came home late in the evenings," said Sam.
"Okay, so what happened that changed things?" asked Lewis. He'd ordered his meal and the waiter had motioned that he'd be right back. He was listening very closely to what Sam was and wasn't saying.
"Well, for one, he didn't die. By then, I was use to his comings and goings and so I just continued to let him rent the ground floor room. Wasn't like anyone was using it," Sam explained. She had this feeling that she knew the man sitting across from her, but couldn't shake it or explain it.
"That was nice of you," said Lewis. "So this man became a friend and then what?"
"Well, I had a couple visiting and she fell and broke her nose and twisted her ankle. While she was convalescing, they got to know the old man who would sit with her when her mate... um husband couldn't," said Sam. "Shit!"
"That was nice of the old man. Why didn't the couple just go home?" he asked. "And she just slipped up and now is frustrated with herself. Hmmm..." he thought.
"Well, their house was being worked on and there really wasn't anywhere to go," said Sam.
"And after this couple did go home? What happened then?" Lewis asked. He poured Sam another glass of wine from the carafe on the table. "Please don't stop talking!"
"Well, he began to decline very rapidly and he died in my arms. The paramedics got all upset because I wouldn't let them haul the old man off to the hospital. They made a real stink of things. The young couple who'd become friends came up to help me with all the details. They had really liked the old man. When we went through his stuff we discovered that he was a relative of the woman," said Sam.
"Now that is extraordinary!" said Lewis. "I have cousins?!" he thought.
"Yes it was. It was a little rough after he died, what with the paramedics making such a fuss. The young couple and another couple who are friends of theirs helped me run the B&B. In fact, the second couple have gone in as partners with me," said Sam.
"Now that is some turn of events. Are you comfortable having two near strangers running your business?" asked Lewis.
"Well, I was a bit nervous at first. However, the two of them have been of such help and I don't mind a bit," said Sam. "And that's the absolute truth even though I didn't realize it fully until just now. Funny that. And why on earth do I feel like I know this man?" she thought.
"And you're so comfortable, that you've gone on this grand vacation?" he asked.
"Yes. I haven't been away from the B&B in thirty-seven years. Angie and George are very good at handling the B&B. Figured it was time I saw a bit of the world," said Sam. "Now, I've done all the talking, tell me a bit about yourself."
"Well. um... I'm a businessman from Canada. Logging, paper products and such. And I have to admit something. I feel a bit of a bastard. Um... Oh hell. You'll either believe me or you won't," he said. "I haven't been totally truthful."
"Lewis, what's going on? What do you mean I'll believe you or I won't?" asked Sam trying to figure out if he was a nutcase or if she was in danger.
"I... oh hell. Pardon my language, but the last thing I expected out here in the middle of the Pacific was to pick up a hat with that scent on it," he said. "Here's hoping she knew what Buster really was," he thought with trepidation.
Sam looked at Lewis and blinked. "Scent?"
"Your hat. That bandana. Buster wore that bandana didn't he?" Lewis asked feeling totally exposed and ready for her to scream any second. He really didn't know of a better way to try and explain things without revealing too much. He just wasn't good at this sort of thing.
"Buster? You know it was Buster's?" Sam asked going pale under her newly acquired tan.
"Yes. How could I not know my great grandfather's scent?" Lewis said quietly hoping that her question meant that she did know what Buster was and wouldn't scream.
Sam just sat there dumbfounded. Then she took a better look at Lewis. She realized why he looked familiar. He looked like Buster in those photos. She also wasn't sure which one of them was more scared. "Lewis, if you hadn't used the name Buster, I would have thought you some kind of scam artist. However, not once this evening have I mentioned his name or nickname," she said.
"No, you didn't. You were very careful to not say his name," said Lewis.
"There's also only one way you'd recognize a scent after all that time. And yes, I know," said Sam.
Lewis drew a deep breath and relaxed just a little. "I'm sorry for not being more open with you, but I was curious and nervous all at the same time. You have no idea of how difficult life can be for us at times," he said.
"Lewis you don't know the half of it. Let's get away from all these people and I'll tell you what really happened. Oh, and about your cousins Ginny, George, Luc and their partners," said Sam. She motioned for the waiter, signed her check and the two of them took their glasses of wine and headed out to the beach to talk.
"Who was on the phone?" asked Angie.
"That was Sam," said George as he crawled back into bed. They'd been making love when the phone rang.
"Oh? What did she have to say? Everything all right?" asked Angie.
"Yeah. Everything is very alright. She's met a man, and they are headed for New Zealand together," said George.
"Wait a minute. She met a man and is going on the rest of her vacation with him and you aren't twitching? What in the hell is going on?" asked Angie as she sat on his chest and grabbed his shoulders like she could actually affect some change by shaking him.
"Hold on! Don't kill the messenger! His name is Lewis and they've hit it off well and have been talking pretty much for the last forty-eight hours," said George dragging it out.
"What?! Come on George! Who is this guy?" asked Angie. "And what are his motives for chatting up our Sam for that long a period of time?"
"Angie, his name is Lewis Davy. He's Buster's great grandson and he recognized Buster's scent on Sam's hat bandana," said George waiting for all the implications to settle in.
Angie finally heard everything George had said. "Oh. My. God." was all she said.
"Now, when she calls next, she said she'd give us more details. From what I understand though, when she comes back in a month, we'll have a new cousin to get acquainted with," said George.
"Okay," said Angie as her brain twisted and turned.
Ginny was running the front desk. 'Solda was helping Meg nearly full time at the house and Bitty had run off with some guy she'd met at the picnic and not been home since. She expected Bitty to turn up pregnant when she did come home.
"Patrick, could you give me a hand?" she asked. The client list had grown after the court case and with Meg pregnant, Patrick had been taking her workload of clients.
"What do you need?" Patrick asked as he came out of the back offices.
"I need a schedule for our techs and a hiring strategy because Luc has been gone more and more as the babies get closer to their arrival," she said. She wasn't upset over any of this, but it was getting difficult to find enough people to do the work. Luc worked at home in the mornings to be with Meg and did jobs in the afternoon. Kevin was stretched thin and Cal and Peter seemed to live in the warehouse. They'd also given up and bought Buttercup and Fezzik outright from the security firm. When the dogs had gone back, they'd been sullen and refused to work. The handler had tried everything and just turned up one day at the office with the dogs in tow. He'd explained what was going on and Luc, Cal and Peter had gone out to the van.
The minute the dogs heard the men's voices, they went ballistic. They were so happy, that the tail wagging rocked the van. When the two dogs were finally let out, they literally crooned. Luc settled on $1000 per dog. Everyone, especially Buttercup and Fezzik were happy at long last.
"Let's go to lunch and see what we can work out," said Patrick.
"Lamb burgers?" asked Ginny.
"Is there anything else worth eating?" teased Patrick as they headed out the door.
An hour after their lunch, they had a plan. Using the families list that Luc and Dr. Jeff kept, they put out a call for all under employed computer techs. If they were lucky, they'd have a pool to choose from in a few days time.
Ginny had just gotten back in the office when the phone rang. Ginny picked it up as Patrick passed her heading to his office. She blew him a kiss.
"Hello, Alpha Wolf Tech, how can I help you?" she said in her best office voice. "Oh hi Angie, what's going on?" Twenty minutes later, she hung up the phone and walked down to Patrick's office. She leaned against the door with a stunned look on her face.
"You'll never believe what Angie just told me," she said.
"What?" asked Patrick looking at Ginny who was leaning up against the door frame looking stunned.
"Well, Sam called last night," Ginny started as she sat down in a chair opposite Patrick's desk.
Meg woke up feeling odd. She wasn't sure what was going on, but the babies felt like they were running laps. She tried to get comfortable, but it didn't matter which way she turned, it didn't feel good. In the end, she gave up and went to take a shower. Standing in the warm water helped. The babies settled down. Meg got out and dried off. She felt like a whale and she was just over eight months.
"Luc, could you come here?" she called knowing that he was working in the dining room.
"Just a second Meg," he called as he put the phone down. Angie had just called him and told him the most amazing news. He wanted to share it with Meg, but he needed to see what she needed first. Luc walked into the bedroom to find Meg standing there with a towel around her body, and a puddle at her feet. "Oh God!"
"I just took a shower and then all of a sudden, I wet myself, but..." was as far as she got. Luc helped her to the bed and grabbed the phone.
"Jeff, I think her waters broke," Luc said. He nodded as he listened to the doctor, and then hung up the phone.
"Jeff said to dress as comfy as you could and then we're to head to the hospital," said Luc.
"I have a nightie right over there," said Meg. She pointed to a creamy lace and blue silk gown.
Luc grabbed it and helped her put it on. She slipped her feet into thongs and Luc grabbed some towels for her to sit on in the car.
Luc got Meg into the Subaru and headed out. "You feeling okay?" he asked.
"Achy. And the babies have gone from moving a lot to really quiet," she said.
"Okay. We'll be there in about fifteen minutes," he said.
It took twenty. Luc was growling by the time they got there. He swore that they hit every red light. He helped Meg out of the car and into the hospital. He tossed the keys at a kid working valet and followed Meg and a nurse.
Jeff caught up with them as they headed up to a room. Meg got onto an examination bed and Jeff and the nurse checked her out while Luc paced. Jeff caught his eye and then looked over towards a chair. Luc sat.
"Okay Meg, I guess these babies decided to arrive a little early. Your waters did break and while you aren't feeling any labor pains right now, you may very soon. Get comfortable and we'll monitor you from time to time," said Jeff.
"Am I going to have the babies naturally?" Meg asked.
"I don't see why not. They're in place and everything looks fine. If you want any painkillers, just holler," he said and smiled as the nurses came in to attach monitors and bring in extra pillows.
"Honey, you just relax. Birthing babies is hard work. Rewarding, but hard work. Sleep while you can and if you're uncomfortable, move around until you are. If you want a soak, we have a birthing pool," said one nurse.
"Thanks. I'm just nervous," said Meg.
"We all are," said the second nurse. "Especially the dads."
Meg looked over at Luc who was tapping his fingers on his leg trying to sit still.
"Luc, call Ginny and Angie. Let them know what's happening and cancel your appointments for the afternoon," she said.
"Oh. Yeah. Forgot all about that," said Luc. "I'll be just a second." He stood up and left the room to make his calls.
Meg got settled in and then tried to rest. She wasn't really sleepy, but she knew this was far from over.
Ginny picked up the phone. "Alpha Wolf..." was as far as she got before Luc's voice and message interrupted her. "Oh! Oh god! Oh my!" said Ginny. "Yes, we'll take care of things! Love to you both!" she said and hung up the phone. She ran down to Patrick's office.
Patrick wondered what was going on that had Ginny running. "Gin, what's the matter?" he asked.
"Nothing! The babies are coming!" she said much louder than she meant.
Patrick smiled. "Guess we'd better take care of things and clear the deck then," he said. "Did you get a chance to tell Luc about Sam?"
"Yes, but I don't know if he had time to tell Meg. Apparently her waters broke about the same time we hung up," said Ginny.
"Oh. Okay. This is one hell of a day then," said Patrick.
"I agree. Now where is that list of techs?" she asked.
Luc called Angie and let her know the news. Angie promised to call Sam and let her know. He walked back into the room in a daze. His pups were coming. He felt elated and confused all at the same time. Meg was trying to nap, so he decided to relax in the chair. It was a big sturdy one, so he wasn't too worried as he felt himself shift as he too fell asleep.
"Pups!" Wolf wanted to howl with joy. He walked over and sniffed his mate. She was asleep and the pups were quiet. He walked out of the room and checked the hall for danger. He didn't find any, but this wasn't his den. Not his territory. He nosed his way back into the room and curled up on the floor. "Pups!" he thought again as he went to sleep.
Ginny and Patrick cleared the work roster and closed down the business for the week. They both knew that work would be the last thing on anyone's mind. Then they headed to the hospital. Cal promised to feed Fezzik and Buttercup. Peter and Kevin headed over to give 'Solda a hand to make sure the house was clean and ready for their return after the babies were born. Ginny had also promised to call Sam, Angie and George the minute there was any news.
"Where are you headed?" Ginny asked Patrick when they didn't turn towards the hospital.
"Our favorite burger joint. I'm picking up food for Luc. You and I both know he has totally forgotten about eating. Last thing we need is a worried hungry new father," said Patrick.
Ginny nodded and laughed.
Forty minutes later, they pulled into the hospital parking lot. Ginny grabbed the bag full of burgers and they headed inside. It didn't take long to figure out where Meg was. Luc was outside the door pacing.
"Hey Luc, how is Meg doing?" asked Ginny.
"She's dilated and Jeff is checking things out. I got told to leave the room," said Luc.
Ginny looked at Luc. "Were you growling?" she asked.
Luc went red around the ears. "I can't help it!" he said.
"Dad was never good around Mom when she was in labor either," said Patrick. "How about you eat some of this food we brought you." He handed the bag to Luc.
Luc looked into the bag and smiled. "Oh man, just what I needed," he said as he sat down and started to devour a burger.
"Figured you might be hungry. We've got work taken care of and 'Solda's cleaning house with Kevin and Peter. Oh, and we've called all the gossips so that they will pass out the news as it happens," teased Patrick.
Luc laughed around a mouthful and nodded. He knew that once a few people knew, the whole pack or family would know in minutes. He finished off the first burger and started on a second one.
Ginny slipped into the room as Luc ate and Patrick kept him occupied. She waved at Meg who was holding onto a nurses hand as Jeff was poking and prodding.
"Don't just stand there," said Martha from the other side of Meg. "Come hold her hand while I get some circulation back in mine."
Ginny laughed and walked around to the far side. "How's it going Meg," she said.
"Tired. Felt better, and oh do they mean labor when they call it labor," Meg gasped. She panted through a contraction.
"Good work Meg," said Jeff. "Keep it up and you should have a baby in about three more pushes."
"Go get Luc," said Meg. There was no way he was going to be out in the hall no matter how much he growled.
Jeff nodded and the other nurse let go of Meg's hand and went to get Luc. Luc and Patrick came back in with the nurse. Luc took Meg's hand and held it. Patrick stood off to one side and waved at Meg. She nodded a hello and went back to pushing.
"Good thing she's not a shifter. As hard as she's been squeezing my hand, I'd have broken fingers," said Ginny.
"Hon, I worked maternity in regular hospitals for years. One gal broke her husband's arm she squeezed so tight," said Martha. "Broken fingers are nothing."
Jeff nodded. "Get fingers caught between things all the time," he said. "Meg, Push. I can see the first one's head."
Meg drew as deep a breath as she could and when the next contraction came, she pushed. Luc stroked her head and was murmuring something to her and Meg nearly curled up with her knees to her nose as she pushed.
"Ahhhhh!" came a muffled cry from Meg.
"Keep going!" said Jeff.
"You can do this Meg," said Ginny. She felt a bone pop in her hand.
Martha moved in quickly as Jeff guided the first baby into the world. A quick shift of the hands and the baby slid free of Meg. Jeff clamped the cord and then put the baby on Meg's chest. The baby cried softly.
"This one is a girl," Jeff said. "Next one in about two minutes."
Meg looked down at their baby. She kissed the bloody little head. Luc sniffed the baby and then touched her back. Then Meg felt the next contraction.
"Martha," Meg squeaked.
"Hold on a second," said Martha as she gathered the first baby up and took her off to be weighed and measured. She also took a glance at Jeff who was ready for the next one.


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Features | Written by Whitney Scott Bain 30/10/2014
It's that time of year again when ghastly ghouls come out and play on All Hallows' Eve!
Therefore, in keeping with our annual tradition, here's a selection of cinematic delights that will send shivers down your spine during the Witching Hour! Pleasant screams!
Directed by Kim Jee-woon. Stars: Byung-hun Lee, Min-sik Choi.
Dirty Harry goes psycho! A detective's fiancée is brutally murdered by a vicious psychopath, but after catching and torturing the villain, the hero lets him go to continue his reign of terror so he can continue his bizarre catch-and-release game inflicting his own brand of justice. All hell breaks loose in this morally ambiguous, grotesque serial killer/horror thriller. Great cinematography, heavy blood splattering and the memorable phrase the detective delivers, "I'm far from done." make this not for the squeamish film a must-see.
Directed by Robert Mulligan. Stars: Uta Hagen, Diana Muldaur, John Ritter.
Truly one of the most disturbing psychological horror films ever made. Twins Hols and Nils - one good, the other evil - have a supernatural bond between them that turns sinister and dark. Lots of twists you won't see coming, chilling moments, along with Jerry Goldsmith's haunting score really add to the film's horror, along with an ambiguous ending leaving the viewer to decide.
Directed by René Cardona, Jr. Stars: Hugo Stiglitz, Anjanette Comer.
Pure over-the-top trash, but it's like watching a train wreck you're so mesmerised by it. Noel Edmunds-lookalike millionaire Hugo flies around Acapulco picking up women in his helicopter (as you do). He later kills them in his Gothic castle, putting their heads on display, and feeding their remains to his cats with the help of creepy monk, Dorgo. Tension mounts when the beastly animals get loose and stalk their human prey. Too bad Torgo from Manos: Hands of Death and Dorgo couldn't have made a film together. Our suggestion: get drunk before you watch it, it'll be more fun.
Directed by Brad Anderson. Stars: David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon and Paul Gulifoyle.
An asbestos cleaning crew take a job in an abandoned mental hospital with disastrous results in this psychological horror. Completely unpredictable, moody, and disturbing; some critics have labelled this film supernatural baloney. Supernatural perhaps - baloney, perhaps not.
Directed by Leslie Norman. Stars: Dean Jagger, Leo McKern.
Science fiction horror at its best. Written for Hammer by their go-to scribe, Jimmy Sangster, this was to be the next instalment in the Quatermass series, but rights issues with Nigel Kneale prevented it. In the Scottish Highlands, a radioactive mass seeps up from the earth ready to destroy everything in its path. Enter American radiation scientist, Dr. Adam Royston (Jagger) to solve the problem. Taut pacing, melting bodies, moody, atmospheric cinematography, and a brilliant score by James Bernard add to this intense film. Watch for the terrifying scene in which a little girl is about to be devoured by the creeping blob. A true classic.
Directed by Paul Landres. Stars: Francis Lederer, Norma Eberhardt, Ray Stricklyn.
Imagine Dracula in Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt. Hot on the vampire's trail in Europe, Dracula makes his escape to California by killing a Hungarian passenger on a train and assuming his identity. Once there, he falls in love with a 17-year-old girl he wants as his bride! When local townspeople begin showing up with the blood drained from their bodies the game is on! The finale takes place at the famous Bronson Caves that includes a red colour-tinted sequence. Great camera work and a spooky atmosphere make this a forgotten gem. Lederer is terrific as the Count. Years later, he'd leave acting and become Mayor of Glendale where part of the film was shot. Lederer ended up living through three centuries living to 101 years old (1899-2000) almost like ol' Drac himself.
Directed by and starring Coffin Joe (José Mojica Marins).
Superior sequel to the earlier film, "At Midnight, I'll Take Your Soul," Coffin Joe is exonerated from his past crimes (shown during the credits) and seeks refuge in another town. He's still searching for the perfect woman to bear his offspring, with the help of his hunchback servant who resembles a creepy version of Jerry Lewis in The Bellboy. Several women are abducted and fail Joe's 'tests', so the local colonel hires a thug and his gang to kill Joe. That proves to be most difficult as he's damned to live eternally. When the ghosts of the women he's killed appear to place a curse on him, they give him a glimpse of the afterlife via a descent into hell for his sins. A disturbing, surreal film shot in black and white and colour.
Directed by Piers Haggard. Stars: Patrick Wymark, Barry Andrews, Linda Hayden.
While ploughing a field, in rural 17th Century England, the skeletal remains of a creature covered in fur are discovered, believed to be Satan himself. Demonic possession begins to infiltrate and absorb the town's people with horrifying results. Enter the Judge to do battle with this ancient evil before it's too late. Filled with shocking scenes even for 1971, and a great music score this is one must see classic film!
Directed by Don Sharp. Stars: Lon Chaney, Jr, Jack Hedley. Yvette Rees and Jill Dixon.
Once again in the 17th Century, the Lanier family denounces Vanessa Whitlock (Rees) as a witch and buries her alive. Now, three hundred years later, the Laniers' are in the development business and bulldoze the Whitlock family cemetery, disturbing the grave of Vanessa who comes back for vengeance. Chaney, as the patriarch of the Whitlock coven, turns in one of his last great performances. Fog-shrouded graveyards and a spooky atmosphere enhance this supernatural version of Romeo and Juliet. A bit of trivia: there are 13 people in the cast; the same as a witch's coven and on its original release, a 'Witch Deflector' badge was given away to all ticket holders as part of the promotional ballyhoo.
Directed by David Cronenberg. Stars: Oliver Reed and Samantha Eggar.
A truly terrifying film, and one of Cronenberg's finest. Dr. Ragland (Reed) experiments with metaphysical treatment for disturbed people. Patient Nola (Eggar) reproduces in a most unsettling way too; violent mutant dwarves, that reek havoc on those she believes did her wrong, including her husband and young daughter. Creepy beyond belief.
You can catch up with previous Halloween lists here: I, II and III.


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Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) is one of those rare breed of composers who succeeded in taking the musical world by storm very early in their life, but by the time of their death ending up virtually cast aside. Aged 11, he was already making a name for himself by getting his compositions published, and before he was 20, he was regarded as "The Violin Wonderkid".
The two works on this disc reveal not only the composer's fecund imagination but also his wonderful sense of rhythm and balance. The Piano Trio, Op. 1 dates from 1910 when Korngold was just 13, and in it, the composer displays a harmonic boldness that goes beyond what Richard Strauss and Max Reger were writing at the time. The work is also permeated by a certain restlessness and stormy energy that holds the listener sharply concentrated.
The 1930 Suite for 2 violins, cello and left hand piano is amazingly rich in ideas and unexpected twists, and marks a climax in Korngold's chamber oeuvre. Suffice to say that it receives a marvelous interpretation from the Trio Parnassus who play with superb co-ordination and a crispiness which is actually rather infectious. Notes and recordings are up to MD&G's usual high standards with some splendid artwork on the front cover an added bonus from this enterprising German label.
Copyright © 2008, Gerald Fenech


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MSA 'Go Racing' Starter Pack (ARDS)
This pack contains the Novice application form which includes the cost of the first licence, MSA Pen, Specimen Licence and a DVD, which contains the MSA Yearbook and a video on Racing.
Price includes UK Postage and Packing via normal postal services.
Discount: if you purchase more than one pack the price of the second and subsequent packs is discounted


text: DigitalSonic Jump Fever launches on iOS, AndroidBy Brandy Shaul|July 11, 2014ShareBy Brandy Shaul|July 11, 2014ShareAfter announcing the game at E3 in June, SEGA Networks has released Sonic Jump Fever on iOS and Android devices. Developed by Hardlight Studios, the game is based on the 2012 title Sonic Jump, but offers an experience with an increased "sense of urgency." In each round of the vertical jumping game, users tilt their device to guide Sonic, Knuckles and other characters ever higher into the sky, bouncing off of platforms and enemies while collecting rings and earning points.Sonic Jump Fever sees users avoiding rotating saw blades, moving enemies and other obstacles in a single environment, which changes every few days (like the jungle or Green Hill Zone). Bouncing mushrooms and other platforms help players jump higher than a single jump might normally allow, while players can tap on the screen to double-jump a larger vertical distance. Each game is timed, and filled with animals trapped in cages that can be rescued by hitting them. This timed element, mixed with so many objects on the screen at once, creates a visual frenzy during gameplay.Players can hit totems to increase their points combo, making rings worth more going forward, while TVs contain power-ups like shields. The game isn't endless. Instead, players earn as many points as possible before time runs out, in the hopes of seeing their high score climb to the top of their friends leaderboard.Players can spend their free gold rings on upgrades for their characters (starting with Tails). For instance, the magnet and shield powers can be upgraded to last longer. Each purchased upgrade fills the overall "Fever Level" bar, which increases the amount of time Fever mode lasts when activated. This Fever mode sees the entire game transformed into hyper speed. Obstacles are removed for a limited time, and players focus solely on collecting rings at a super fast rate.As a free-to-play experience, Sonic Jump Fever is supported via available in-app purchases and ads. Premium currency can be used to unlock new characters instantly, rather than waiting to unlock them over time. Premium power-ups are also available, like a power-up doubler, which increases the number of bonuses received when hitting a single TV."Sonic Jump Fever™ adds the perfect mix of competition and urgency to the already fun formula of Sonic Jump™," said Chris Southall, Hardlight Studio Director. "Sonic games have always given players a chance to tackle levels a little bit faster and better each time – grabbing that one extra ring to improve their score. Now, it's not just their own personal best they'll be competing against, but all of their friends' as well."Sonic Jump Fever is available to download for free on iOS and Google Play. Sharehttp://adweek.it/2jMP75Q copy Adweek Adweek


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Birthday Cake Images for Men: Here we have gathered a great collection of Happy Birthday Cake for Men, Beutiful Bday Cake Picture free download Special and unique funny Birthday Cake with canles, Beer. Download and share these awesome Ideas Bday Decoration Cake Wallpaper to your friends and loved once birthday celebration. No matter how young or old that special man in your life happens to be, here at The Cake Shop, we can design the perfect birthday cake for that wonderful occasion. Just take some time to peruse our Cakes for Men section on our website and you'll soon realise that The Cake Shop are the best choice for his next birthday cake.
We have 25 years' worth of designing and making perfect Men's birthday cakes and we are eager to share our ideas with you and your special man. We can add some creative direction to your own ideas or perhaps a little brainstorming to find the perfect combination is a better idea? What is more, The Cake Shop are happy to deliver your man's birthday cake almost anywhere in the Midlands area and we are ready and waiting to listen to your suggestions right way.
Happy Birthday Cake Ideas for Men
I Hope you enjoy more with these Birthday Cakes for Man Images, Pictures. Share and enjoy via the various social networks like facebook, whatsapp, Pinterest, Google Plus, Twitter etc.


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In the book, Customer Centered Products, Ivy Hooks and Kristin Farry share some observations about the American culture's urge to improvise…
We have worked with project managers and engineers who believed that solving the unanticipated problems under the gun was "the fun part of the project."
In my own experience, I have also met many managers and engineers who would prefer to fix problems through testing, rather than through proper drawings and analysis.
Since we have a competitive edge in the U.S. with our comprehensive product development processes, let's use them to our advantage. Let's focus on identifying and solving problems in the design phase, before hardware is built.


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For my second Carnivean I decided to change up its pose in two ways - I placed the head on facing forward instead of to the side (filing and greenstuffing the neck to accomodate this change) and I put a wrecked bonejack on the base under his front foot. Minor changes overall but just enough to make my two Carniveans easily differentiated on the table.
- Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press » Hordes » Legion of Everblight » Warbeasts
- Year Painted: 2008
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Hi there! I know this post was made a while ago, but I really like the blue tone you achieved in the flesh. What paints / washes did you use?
NVM, just found your Color scheme page. Thanks!
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Saraswathi Devi and Lakshmi Devi are shown sitting on a Lotus flower.The color of Lotus is white for Saraswathi Devi and red for Lakshmi Devi.
There is a science behind depiction of Saraswathi Devi and Lakshmi Devi sitting on a Lotus.This is because the first movement involved in creation is in the shape of a lotus. Even our thought waves travel in the shape of a Lotus.This is similar to putting a stone in a pond.The waves traverses in all directions then come back to the point the stone was dropped and if we draw lines connecting the waves to the point the stone was dropped, it develops into a beautiful Lotus.
The white colored Lotus symbolizes purity and knowledge as Saraswathi devi is the embodiment of pure knowledge.The red colored Lotus symbolizes wealth and prosperity.This is the reason behind Saraswathi Devi and Lakshmi devi being portrayed as sitting on White and Red Lotus flower respectively.
The Symbolism of Lotus in Hinduism taken from the speech of Jagadguru Swami Sathyananda Saraswathi Tiruvadikal. Listen to the concept in Swamiji's own words below. http://youtu.be/dItAI4JnUGQ


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I believe in the power to forgive. I have learned this through many of my own experiences, but there is one experience that truly made me believe. This experience wasn't one of my own but it was my friend's experience.
A few years ago my friend's mom and her husband of more than ten years separated and were getting a divorce. Her mom told her that the marriage wasn't working, that there were many problems in the marriage, but my friend never believed her. She knew that her mom had been having an affair with another man. It was her mom's boss. They would go on business trips together and she would stay at work way longer than she needed to. Even after the separation when my friend asked her mom about the boss, if they were dating, her mother would deny it. This went on for almost half a year. My friend saw the boss's car at her house when she and her sister were visiting their dad. But when she would ask her mom about it she would deny it or blame it on a business thing. My friend was becoming very angry with her mom not only for having an affair during the marriage but also for lying. Then toward the end of the summer her mom told her that she was pregnant with her boss's child. By then my friend knew her mom was dating the boss because, her mom had finally told her, but the news about the baby still shocked her. When she heard about the pregnancy, my friend couldn't take it anymore. She was unbelievably angry at her mom.
After this, my friend stopped talking to her mom unless it was necessary, if she wanted or needed something A lot of the time when she would speak with her mother it ended in screaming and yelling at each other. Her mom desperately tried to mend things back together, but it didn't work. Her mom would do anything or buy anything my friend asked for, but no matter what nothing changed. Her mom could do anything and nothing ever changed. This happened about two years ago. My friend now talks to her mom, but it's the bare minimum. They aren't very close. My friend would rather not talk to her mom, and she barely talks to her new step dad, the boss. My friend still has this hatred built up inside her that she can't get rid of. A hatred toward her mother for something that happened a while ago, more than three years ago.
I believe that my friend needs to forgive her mom. This was something that happened so long ago and ever since has destroyed their relationship. If my friend would just forgive her mom she would be much happier when she's at home, she would be able to appreciate all the things her mom does for her, and appreciate their relationship. She didn't need to forgive her mom right away, but there comes a time when a person does need to realize that it's time to forgive. If one keeps dwelling on the past, they wont ever move on. If a person is able to forgive, they can make peace with the person, and themselves. It's harder for my friend to dislike her mom and always be mean to her, disrespect her and try to talk as little as possible to her, than it would to just have a normal relationship. It would be much easier for her to just forgive her mom and be happy, live life like it was before the whole incident.
Everyone has the power to forgive. Forgiveness will make life easier, because I believe it's a lot easier to love than to hate. Not even necessarily to love, but just not to have hatred built up inside of onself about someone or something else. To hate something or someone a person has to put effort into it, but to not have an opinion like or be at peace doesn't take any energy. By forgiving someone peace will be made with this person and life can go on without built up hatred.
If you enjoyed this essay, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to This I Believe, Inc.


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Tierney Jones had 15 points and seven rebounds as the Washington girls' basketball team handed Lincoln its first Academic Athletic Association loss Wednesday, a 43-36 decision.
Forwards Kandy Ifopo (eight points, seven rebounds) and Stephanie Truong (two points, 10 rebounds) helped the Eagles (4-12, 2-0 AAA) take control of a game that saw only two lead changes.
The Eagles' strategy was to "get the ball inside and it will open up the outside," coach Vince Wong said.
The strategy was challenged when Lincoln center Monique Thomas was came into the game. Thomas had a game-high 12 rebounds and helped counter a strong Washington frontcourt. The Mustangs (11-7, 2-1), trailing 17-15 at the half, used a quick burst to open the third quarter to take a 21-19 lead. However, Washington answered the challenge, with Jones making three consecutive shots to effectively silence Lincoln.
Hallie Meneses led the Mustangs with 11 points, while Allison Yee had six points.
Angelina Clay had 14 points and five rebounds to lead the host Cardinals (18-1, 4-0) to a win over the Cobras (9-7, 2-2).
Kim Wong added six points and Kimberly Lau (two points) spearheaded Lowell's strong defensive effort. Brittney Allen scored 25 points for ISA to lead all scorers.
— Staff report


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Tue, 30 August 2016 at 11:10 am
James Corden Remembers Gene Wilder, Shares Email He Wrote Before Death
- Gene Wilder wrote a sweet and magical email to James Corden – US Weekly
- See the DWTS portraits for this season – Gossip Cop
- Pretty Little Liars stars react to show ending – Just Jared Jr
- You gotta see this How to Get Away with Murder season 3 promo – Entertainment Weekly
- Charlie Hunnam shows off his bulging biceps – Lainey Gossip
- Who had the best VMAs fashion? – TooFab
- Did Drake and Rihanna kiss at the VMAs? – MTV
- You gotta watch this nervous pup throw a hissy fit – Popsugar
Just Jared on Facebook
Photos: Getty Posted to: Gene Wilder, James Corden, Newsies
Sponsored Links by ZergNet


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A tool for running commands on remote servers
Project description
Run a shell command across multiple SSH servers in sequence.
pip install ssh-run
Show usage information with:
ssh-run –help
Run a command on a single remote host:
ssh-run -h example.com – echo hello world
Run a command on multiple remote hosts:
cat hosts | ssh-run -H - – echo hello world
Run a command on hosts matched by a chef search:
knife search -i "chef_evironment:staging" 2>/dev/null | ssh-run -H - – echo hello world
Start a shell for running multiple commands:
ssh-run -h host1 -h host2
Runs on Python 2.6 and above, including Python 3.
ssh-run is licenced under the MIT Licence.
Project details
Release history Release notifications
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In my first The Face Shop haul, I purchased the Cleansing Foam and the Essential Cream from the Arsainte Eco-Therapy line on the suggestion of the sales associate (SA). I have been using this cleansing foam every day since.
Most of the box was covered in Korean, which I can't read, but I was very surprised to see that birch sap (what?) was used in lieu of water in the entire product. The first I had heard of such a substitution was for the AmorePacific brand currently available at Sephora – it is a (very expensive) Korean brand that uses bamboo sap instead of water. The Sephora SA told me that water is mostly used to dilute the product to achieve the desired consistency while bamboo sap is actually beneficial, penetrating and moisturizing the skin.
Although I have a more oily T-zone, my skin gets very dry and flaky overall, especially in the winter. It is also fairly sensitive and gets red easily from physical irritation. Looking at my bare skin, most SA's recommend lines that are more suitable for dry skin.
The SA had suggested the Arsainte Eco-Therapy line for me because it is the most natural line they carry, suitable for sensitive skin. I assume that means that there is a larger percentage of natural ingredients. The cleansing foam is labelled "natural origin ingredients 73.0%", but I hesitate to make any solid inferences about what that means.
The 140 ml (4.73 oz) cleansing foam cost me $13 CAD. I couldn't find this product on SaSa.com or Cosme-De.com, but the price on YesStyle.ca is $22 CAD. Needless to say, regardless of how much cheaper this would have been if I actually bought it in Korea, I think I got it for a reasonable price.
The Arsainte Eco-Therapy Cleansing Foam has a light flowery scent that does not transfer to your face after washing. The consistency is pretty thick but easily smooths over the skin. It lathers up readily, like a cleansing foam should. I only need to use a pea-sized amount for my entire face and neck. It isn't harsh on the eye area but unfortunately, it doesn't remove makeup on its own.
This cleansing foam doesn't leave any residue on my face (unlike the Lancome Galatee Confort) and it really makes my face feel clean. In fact, it makes my face feel "squeaky clean" – I think I finally understand the meaning of the phrase. When I rinse the cleanser off, there is a lot of friction between my fingers and my face, almost as if it's "squeaky".
I like the clean feeling, but I wonder if the "squeakiness" is a sign that it washed off all the oil on my face. Although my skin isn't left feeling tight after using this cleansing foam, I do feel the need to moisturize my skin after cleansing. That might be due to the winter weather, though.
All in all, I do like this cleansing foam – it serves its purpose well and doesn't irritate my skin or strip it completely. It is a simple cleanser without any extra bells or whistles, which is fine for a product that washes right off the skin anyway. The price point is reasonable and I like that The Face Shop is known for its natural ingredients.
Have you tried any The Face Shop cleansers? Which is your favourite?


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Maranatha is accredited under the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC, www.hlcommission.com, 312-263-0456).
What is AQIP?
Maranatha is accredited under the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC, www.hlcommission.com, 312-263-0456).
AQIP emphasizes quality planning and process evaluation as keys to a successful, strong educational institution. At MBU, the Strategy Council (SC) oversees the implementation of the Strategic Plan and all continuous quality improvement efforts. Every operational and academic unit participates in quality improvement projects that advance department and institutional strategic goals. Individual employee performance is evaluated in part based on participation in quality improvement efforts designed to increase institutional effectiveness.
The Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) supports the faculty and staff in designing and completing projects and evaluating assessment results. As a member of the Strategy Council, the IRE Director regularly provides updates to SC on the progress of key initiatives and potential challenges.
If you have a question or comment about Maranatha's quality program, send us an email.
MBU's key administrative processes are fully described in its Systems Portfolio
Accredited public, private, and Christian colleges and universities accept degrees earned at Maranatha as a foundation for graduate studies and have accepted credits earned for transfer. Maranatha is listed in the Higher Education Directory printed for the United States Department of Education.
The School of Education programs at Maranatha are recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for purposes of teacher certification.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Maranatha Baptist University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, (202)887-6791. CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency that ensures quality and integrity in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. Accreditation through CCNE assists in meeting standards for entrance into graduate programs.
Which accreditation is preferable?
When students are looking for a college, one important consideration is whether it is accredited. Colleges and universities are awarded accreditation after successfully undergoing a voluntary external review by a private accrediting agency to evaluate the quality of their institution and how effectively they are meeting their stated mission. While the evaluation criteria among accrediting agencies tend to be similar—measuring such areas as expected student achievement, curriculum, and faculty—not all forms of accreditation are equal. Most accredited colleges and universities are divided into two basic types: regional or national accreditation. What's the difference?


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Customer Reviews
All reviews are from people who have redeemed deals with this merchant.
What You'll Get
Playtime gives children a welcome respite from the daily grind of selling life insurance to their action figures. Help your little nine-to-fivers let their hair down with this Groupon.
Choose Between Two Options
- $8 for playground admission for two kids (up to a $16 value)
- $14 for All Day Play including playground admission and unlimited laser tag for two kids 42 inches or taller (up to a $28 value), valid from 4 p.m. until close on school days and all day on weekends and during summer.<p>
Adults play for free on the playground when accompanied by a child. Adults charged to play laser tag. See here for hours of operation.
_Though Amazone Family Entertainment Center sometimes features a discounted price online, this Groupon still offers the best deal available._
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Oct 30, 2012. Amount paid never expires. Limit 2 per person, may buy 2 additional as gifts. Limit 2 per visit. Not valid until 4/29/12. Valid only for option purchased. Must be 3 or older. Not valid toward parties. 42-inch height minimum for laser tag. Laser Tag open 4 p.m. until close school days and all day on weekends and during summer. See here for hours of operation. Subject to availability. Must use promotional value in 1 visit. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Amazone Family Entertainment Center
Winner of ParentsConnect's award for Cleveland's Best Indoor Playspace in 2009, Amazone Family Entertainment Center sets the stage for jungle-themed parties and open play sessions. Its three-story playground surrounds kids and parents in slides, bridges, and plastic trees, all accented by faux foliage that simulates the gorilla-run play centers of the Amazon. Elsewhere, the glowing eyes of temple creatures peer down at players within a black-lit laser-tag arena. An orchestra of laughter and electronic beeps emerge from within the arcade, which hosts 50 games, including air hockey, skee ball, and racing. To fuel playtime, Amazone's team slings pizza at a snack bar and hosts celebrations within five themed birthday-party rooms. The facility also caters to parents with comfy couches and free WiFi that lets them stream their favorite cartoons.


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User talk:Willem1
Note: I don't look here very often. If you want to reach me, you can also send me a message using the OpenStreetMap messaging system. Thanks!
Mail Adress
Hi Willem, I can not found your mailadress. Please give me a call! Thanks, --Markus 09:48, 29 October 2009 (UTC)
- Hello Markus, you can send me a message on my OSM account (http://www.openstreetmap.org/message/new/Willem1) --Willem1 18:17, 30 October 2009 (UTC)


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Be it a school, college, university, institute or any other education provider, in order to let people explore about your services, a visually attractive website is significantly required. In order to meet your needs proficiently, Academy is a superbly designed WordPress theme that you can take up. It is a modern, responsive and a creative theme best suitable for every type of educational institution, which can also be given a personal touch with Parallax scrolling effects, or Google Web Fonts. It's clean and clear design with high visual contrast formatting provides the audience with easy to read capability. Get it today!
Academy - Education/University WordPress Theme
Seller information
- TemplateToaster
- Total sales: 140
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Tags: Education, University, academy, college, school, institute


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Born and raised in Washington State, Lori taught at Prairie Bible College in Alberta, Canada, for 18 years before God called her to Taiwan in 1999. She serves as a high school teacher at Morrison Academy, a school that exists to help meet the educational needs of missionary children.
Lori is a graduate of Prairie Bible College (BRE) and Seattle Pacific University (BA, MEd). She is a member of the Prairie Tabernacle Congregation, in Three Hills, Alberta.


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Cathy Gedvilas currently holds the position of Director of Corporate Communications for Sequa Corporation and its largest business unit, Chromalloy, the global leader in non-OEM replacement parts for aircraft and other large engines. She belongs to the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), a global organization of business communication professionals, which educates its members about the strategic role communication plays between a corporation and its stakeholders. Cathy Gedvilas earned the professional designation of Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) from the IABC by demonstrating a thorough knowledge and understanding of the planning, implementation, and management of strategic communication as well as the ethics of business communication. Cathy Gedvilas' ABC designation resulted from years of hard work in a series of positions of increasing responsibility and visibility. Educated in Phoenix, Arizona, at Arizona State University, Cathy Gedvilas earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. Her first significant experience in corporate communications came in the late 1990s, when she joined Honeywell International and Phelps Dodge Corporation, a major mining and manufacturing power. After two years as a communications representative with Phelps, Cathy Gedvilas accepted an offer from Honeywell International, Inc., and worked for the company in several roles, including Manager of Internal Communications and Manager of External Communications. Cathy Gedvilas left Honeywell in mid-2005 to manage the internal and external communications of Landmark Aviation/StandardAero, a full-service aviation services company with operations in Europe, Canada, and the United States. She returned to Honeywell in 2008 as Media Relations Manager. Cathy Gedvilas assumed her current position with Sequa Corp. in 2009, bringing strong experience not only in her chosen profession, but also in the operations of several major industries, including aerospace, aviation, and energy.
Work experience
Mar 2009 - Present
Director, Corporate Communications
Sequa Corporation
Feb 2008 - Present
Media Relations Manager
Honeywell International
May 2005 - Present
Manager, Internal & External Communications
Landmark Aviation / Standard Aero
Feb 2000 - Present
Internal / External Communications Manager
Honeywell International
Nov 1998 - Present
Communications Representative
Phelps Dodge Corp.
(now known as Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold)


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Employment Gaps, Fertility Rates and Tax Rates
From The Economist: A study by Kevin Daly of Goldman Sachs has measured the gender employment-rate gap (the male employment rate minus the female one) in several countries. Some findings:
1. In Spain and Italy the employment gap is over 20% (low rate of labor force participation for women), in contrast with Sweden's 4% (almost equal participation rate for men and women), see top graph above.
2. Increasing the rate of female labor force participation could increase economic growth by as much as 13% in the Euro-zone.
3. Higher female emploment does not reduce fertility rates: in countries with a smaller gap (like Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and even the U.S.), women tend to have more babies (see bottom chart above) than in higher gap countries (like Italy and Spain). (MP: This surprises me, I would expect countries like Spain, Greece and Italy with low labor force participation rates for women to have higher fertilty rates, not lower).
4. The tax burden on second earners explains some of the employment gap. In both Spain and Italy second earners pay considerably more tax then their partners do, whereas in Sweden the rate is the same.


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For information or booking of any of Seacoast Helicopter Services, please call 1.800.SC.HELOS or email us at email@example.com
This is the perfect gift for an adventurous soul or anyone who has always dreamed about flying a helicopter. This is a 90 minute introduction to helicopters with a FAA certified Helicopter Flight Instructor that finishes with YOU taking the controls!
Seacoast Helicopters is now authorized by the FAA to conduct on-demand air taxi and charter services. In accordance with FAA Part 135, Seacoast Helicopters will provide executive coach services for personal or business with pick up and drop off. We utilize state of the art avionics and noise canceling headsets for the comfort of our passengers and to ensure safety throughout your flight. Flying by Air Taxi with Seacoast Helicopters is a fast and safe way to get from one place to another, whether you need a ride for business or personal travel.
At Seacoast Helicopters, our passenger's safety is our number one priority.
Witness the beauty of the New Hampshire, Maine or Massachusetts seacoast from the skies with an Adventure Tour with Seacoast Helicopters. Whether you are visiting for the first time or have lived here your whole life, Seacoast Helicopters guarantees an experience that you will never forget. We offer the highest levels of safety and service for aerial views of the Piscataqua River, Portsmouth's newly reconstructed Memorial Bridge, coastal light houses, the NH White Mountains and much more.
Seacoast Helicopters provides government, business, and individual aerial charters the following:
- External Load and Long Line Lift
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- We are open to service any need for aerial services
Photography and Film
Seacoast Helicopters provides services to hobby and professional photographers and cinematographers for the ability to shoot from the skies. Your pilot can take you on one of our planed and photogenic route or tell us where you would like to film from.
Events and More
Weddings, birthdays and other events can be made even more memorable with an affordable price. If you have an event, we can take it to the next level of enjoyment.


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April 3 (Reuters) - MEMC Electronic Materials Inc WFR.N lowered its first-quarter revenue outlook, missing market estimates, citing disruptions at one of its facilities, sending its shares down 11 percent.
The company said the disruptions caused utilization at its Pasadena, Texas, facility in the first quarter to drop about 20 percent from the fourth quarter.
The company, which supplies silicon wafers to the chip and solar industries, said it experienced accelerated buildup of chemical deposits inside the new expansion unit at the facility.
For the first quarter, MEMC now expects revenue of about $500 million, compared with its earlier forecast of $560 million.
MEMC also lowered its first-quarter gross margin to about 52 percent from its earlier forecast of about 54.8 percent. Analysts on average were expecting the company to post revenue of $558.94 million, according to Reuters Estimates.
Shares of the company fell 11 percent in trading before the bell to $68. They closed at $76.39 Wednesday on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Purwa Naveen Raman in Bangalore; Editing by Jarshad Kakkrakandy)


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A game-changing new independent study released today by the national Citizens Coal Council underscores one of our nation's most overlooked environmental crises and darkest energy secrets in Pennsylvania and a dozen states in the heartland and the West: Flawed state regulatory policies for underground longwall coal mining have not only failed to protect American citizens and their private property and critically important waterways, but stand in violation of state constitutions.
To the scourge of strip-mining and mountaintop removal and natural gas fracking and oil drilling, let's us now add longwall mining–the process of intentionally pulling underground pillars in coal mines and allowing for huge drops of subsidence that has left private homes and farms and once productive farmland in ruin, and contaminated or drained lakes, crucial watersheds and streams.
Nowhere has longwall mining been as blatantly ruinous as in Pennsylvania, where a Big Coal-backed and highly controversial "Act 54″ in 1994 altered the state's 1966 law, which mandated the "prevention of damage from mine subsidence." Since then, Act 54 has allowed coal companies to circumvent "prevention" for the more ambiguous "restoration of damage from mine subsidence."
According to Stephen Kunz, senior ecologist for Schmid & Company, and the report's author, "The inevitable conclusion from our analysis of the DEP's five-year review is that longwall mining as currently practiced in Pennsylvania under Act 54 is highly destructive and is not compatible with environmental protection, landowner protection, or taxpayer protection."
Schmid and Company's study, The Increasing Damage from Underground Coal Mining in Pennsylvania: A Review and Analysis of PADEP's Third Act 54 Report, examined 50 underground mines across the state and concluded:
1. Act 54 is fundamentally flawed because it allows certain impacts to occur without any compensation or restoration. When Act 54 removed the protections formerly afforded to structures, it removed the protections that indirectly had been provided to streams, springs, wetlands, aquifers, and other local and regional resources. Since there are no Act 54-mandated remedies for these collateral damages, the full scope of mining impacts is not being adequately tallied and analyzed by PADEP. Headwater streams, aquifers, and other water resources are being adversely affected by underground mining, but regional and cumulative hydrologic impacts are not being inventoried or addressed. Impacts are occurring to public and community resources, but restoration or compensation is being provided only for certain damages to some individual landowners.
2. Act 54 is fundamentally flawed because, where it requires compensation or restoration, those remedies are incomplete and taking unacceptably long times to be realized. "Resolution" of impacts often is partial or incomplete (as when metered public water is brought in to replace previously unlimited well water). Instead of being repaired, properties with damages to structures, land, or wells often are purchased by a mine company, causing neighborhood and community disruption. Resolution of impacts can take many years to be finalized.
3. Act 54, as presently administered by PADEP, appears to be in direct conflict with Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution. When Act 54 was passed, it may have been unclear how extensive the impacts would be, or that the mandated remedies would not cover many significant collateral effects. The accumulated knowledge and experience gained over the last 16+ years, and especially in this latest Act 54 Report, demonstrate that damages from longwall mining are increasing, and that there exist practical alternatives which make those impacts unnecessary. In light of these facts, the residents of the coalfields and the public resources of the Commonwealth are being inequitably affected.
"It is now crystal clear that Act 54 is fundamentally flawed," announced Aimee Erickson, Executive Director of the Citizens Coal Council, in releasing the study. "Pennsylvanians and our environment have endured widespread permanent mining damage under Act 54 for 16 years," Erickson added, "and it's time for it to stop."
I interviewed Erickson on the ramifications of this study on Pennsylvania and the other 12 states that allow longwall mining, and the current crisis in the coalfields today.
JB: Can you give us a brief overview of Act 54 and how it figures into state and federal oversight.
AE: Pennsylvania, through its Department of Environmental Protection ("DEP") applied for and accepted primary responsibility from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement ("OSMRE"), for administering the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA"). PA's program therefore must be consistent with, and no less stringent than, federal law. OSMRE retains oversight responsibility, and PA's Act 54 has been found by OSMRE to be inconsistent with federal requirements, particularly in regard to repairing damages to homes and structures, and replacing water supplies that have been destroyed by subsidence. Regardless, PA's provisions in Act 54 which allows such damage and destruction, especially to our Commonwealth's water resources, are unconstitutional violations of Article 1, Section 27, of the Pennsylvania Constitution ("Environmental Rights"):
The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.
JB: How do PA's longwall regulatory measures compare with other states? And are there any federal agencies that handle longwall mining and ramifications?
AE: CCC is now preparing for conducting a state-by-state comparision, looking at states such as Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.. OSMRE oversees some of the subsidence effects of underground coal mining, but just like PA and other states, it is poorly done or not even done at all in terms of regional, basin-wide, and cumulative impacts to the nation's precious water resources and rural communities.
JB: Why did CCC commission this study? Has the PA DEP–or any other state or federal agency–ever done an internal assessment on the environmental impact of longwall, especially in terms of cumulative hydrologic impacts to aquifers?
AE: CCC recognized that this latest DEP 5-year report contained a lot of data and information, but that it failed to draw any conclusions or make any recommendations about how well Act 54 was working or not. CCC thus hired S&C to distill the information, put it into context, and make sense out of it in a way that would set the groundwork for practical improvements.
We are not aware of any state or federal agency that has done any internal assessment. However, CCC's July 2010 Report, "Protection of Water Resources From Longwall Mining Is Needed in Southwestern Pennsylvania," was an assessment of that kind, having examined more than 75,000 pages of very recent PADEP coal mine permit and enforcement files for 3 of the 8 active longwall mines. The findings of our July 2010 Report show that water resources are not being protected, not even being accurately identified.
That study is important because it overlaps the latest Act 54 review period, it examines files that the Act 54 report should have reviewed but didn't, and it included 2+ full years when the newest DEP technical guidance document ("TGD") requirements for water resource protection were being fully implemented – yet it concludes that the TGD requirements are NOT being applied and enforced as intended, and so the TGD paper requirements provide just a smoke screen that protection is being provided or will lead to improvements in the years ahead.
JB: Stephen Kunz, senior ecologist for Schmid & Company, and the report's author, concludes that longwall mining is "highly destructive and is not compatible with environmental protection, landowner protection, or taxpayer protection." Do you consider this a breakthrough study, or simply a confirmation of other studies and data?
AE: This independent Act 54 report and analysis, exposes for the first time just how destructive longwall mining as currently practiced really is – that the destruction is unnecessary, and that Act 54 does not address all of the impacts or prevent damage to homes, farms, communities, and water resources as it should.
The data have been out there for a long time, but the recent S&C analyses (both this Act 54 report and the July 2010 report) are the first to connect the dots, make meaningful observations and conclusions, and discuss the PA mining regulatory program in the broader context of Act 54, the Clean Streams Law, and the PA Constitution. Nearly all other analyses have been done by or commissioned by DEP, and they tend to represent the agency and industry bias that longwall mining is SO important to the economy of PA that widespread damage to the environment – if they would acknowledge it at all, which they don't – must be overlooked or otherwise tolerated. That regulatory and industry bias grossly exaggerates and overstates the significance of coal mining to the economy of Pennsylvania, especially when compared to greater contributors to Pennsylvania's economic strength and sustainability, such as agriculture, health care, and tourism – which, by the way, are adversely affected by current longwall coal mining practices.
Kunz has provided review and comments of previous Act 54 reports and other DEP-commissioned studies that purport to show that everything is just fine. But for far too long the public has been told by DEP that everything is under control, that the few problems that people have experienced are being addressed, and that any other problems will be fixed "in the next 5-year period". The CCC Report shows that not only are the problems not being fixed, they are getting worse. We cannot ignore reality any longer and leave the future of our rural residents, our communities, and our environment at the mercy of unfounded hopes for improvements that never seem to come.
JB: In light of this new study, what is the next step for CCC?
AE: We are not saying that longwall mining, per se, should be prohibited. But the way it is being done today in PA, with no attempt to avoid damage and with only some, but not all, of the damage that is occurring being addressed, and even then being addressed only partially, that cannot be tolerated any longer.
This Act 54 report shows that there is a viable mining alternative to longwall – room-and-pillar – which does not have nearly as much impact when done right, and the impacts are resolved much more quickly. It also puts more people back to work, helping local economies as this country meanwhile continues to transition to less dirty and damaging carbon-based fuels for steel making and electric power generation.
We want to see Act 54 revised to take everything it should into account – to cover all of the impacts that are occurring, individually and cumulatively. A new law needs to bring back upfront protection for all surface resources that effectively was in the 1966 mining law – as well as protect the water resources and aquifers as required under the PA Clean Streams Law and Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution. Pennsylvania's General Assembly needs to concentrate on avoiding and minimizing impacts, rather than allowing the damages and trying (or simply hoping) to fix things up afterwards.