text:
[RP] A Jelly Filled Filler (Complete)
Sasaki briefly wonders if Takasugi reads those letters he mentions receiving from Sakamoto or if they suffer the same fate as the cellphones. The thought passes from his mind as he listens to the rest of Takasugi's answer.
His eyes gleam at Takasugi's final proposal.
"A puzzle truly worthy of our co-operation. Perhaps that Yato friend of yours might know where the Renhou are currently engaged. As far as I have been able to ascertain, Katsura's adjutant is the only one of its kind on this planet.
But if any of your old friends have a deal with the Renhou, Takasugi~san, we would have to recalculate our position.
But don't let me distract you from finishing your coffee. Should I have Nobume-san bring us more donuts?
The game's afoot, Watson!
The Renhou... that made more sense. Takasugi had never personally dealt with that particular group, but he knew their reputation all too well. That Katsura was friends with one was disconcerting, to say the least. It was likely that he was still oblivious to the Amanto's identity, but that didn't make the Amanto itself any less threatening.
If Sasaki's sources were correct, and there was only the one Renhou on the planet, it would be easily taken care of. But if its kind were nearby, this would be a huge obstruction to his plans. And there was always the risk that the Renhou, like most of the big Amanto powers, were working with the Bakufu, something Sasaki might even have reasons to keep secret...
But this was no time to be worrying about every little thing. Takasugi shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had forgotten all about his coffee, and it was going cold.
"I suppose I could go for another donut. The Renhou have apparently been rather quiet recently. You'd be more likely than me to know what they're up to. But I can say one thing for certain, my acquaintances are not the type to be making deals with them. If anything, they're being taken advantage of. Someone should keep an eye on Zura's Renhou friend, if you're not doing that already."
What happens at secret meetings stays at secret meetings.
Sasaki had hoped Takasugi would know something more about the mysterious Renhou, but he wasn't very surprised to hear Takasugi had no information on their current whereabouts. He and Nobume hadn't been able to discover the answer themselves, and was it likely that others should succeed where the elite had failed?
He holds up his hand to direct Nobume to bring over some more donuts.
"And if you could get our friend a new cup of coffee, Nobume-san. His has gone cold."
Nobume obeys wordlessly.
Sasaki picks up his phone to check his email and is disappointed to discover he has no new messages. He turns back to Takasugi.
"My pure-hearted colleagues in the Shinsengumi track Katsura and his companion constantly. I have every faith in their abilities.
But I wonder if your faith in your . . . acquaintances might be somewhat misplaced, Takasugi-san. You find it inconceivable that Katsura should enter into an alliance with an Amanto race that threatens the Earth. Understandable, but might not Katsura or Shiroyasha have thought the same thing of you once?"
The game's afoot, Watson!
The words cut into Takasugi like a blade. He breathed in sharply through his teeth, his hands clenching into fists, unable for once to find words to counter the statement. But even if he could, there was no use. A deep wound had been reopened, one that would not be healed by any amount of bluffing, violence, or demanding that Sasaki take it back.
He held Sasaki's gaze with a defiant scowl.
The look of outrage and betrayal on his former comrades' faces flashed through his mind. Zura's anger upon discovering the deal with the Harusame. The threats to kill him the next time they met. The bonds between them would never be the same again... but no, they had always been like that, hadn't they? They were fools if they expected anything better from him, in the past and in the present.
Takasugi's frown slowly twisted into a lopsided smile. He let out a harsh laugh.
"Funny, Isaburou."
He spoke in an unnaturally flat voice, the light in his eye dimming.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you already knew every answer I've given you, perhaps better than I did. I haven't been of much use to you at all. So, tell me..."
He leaned forward.
"What is it you really want from me?"
What happens at secret meetings stays at secret meetings.
Sasaki puts down his cellphone again.
"You should know better than anyone that we can never have what we want. We can only choose the manner of our own destruction."
No need to elaborate on what Takasugi desperately wants and knows he can never have back. As for Sasaki himself . . . He pushes the thought from his mind. What's done is done, and Sasaki resigned himself to these losses a long time ago.
"What we require of each other hasn't changed, Takasugi-san. Let me reassure you that I have not lost sight of that 'grand scheme' you outlined to me once. And while our alliance is only a pale shadow of the bonds which once held you to your acquaintances, you may depend on me to walk this thorny path with you to our common end."
Sasaki pauses, waiting to see if Takasugi will comment, but the man stays silent.
"I had hoped you knew more of the Renhou, but what you have told me of Katsura has been most valuable. If you will lend me your aid in dealing with this obstacle, I will notify you of it when the time comes. Does that suit you?"
The game's afoot, Watson!
Takasugi sat in silence, analyzing Sasaki's words. He was relieved that the terms of their agreement hadn't changed, but he wouldn't make the mistake of letting his guard down again. Sasaki was difficult to read, but Takasugi understood more than enough about him to know to be wary: this was a man who served only himself. No matter how loyal he remained to his promises to either side, he had his own goals and would only do what could gain him an advantage. Not much different from Takasugi himself.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Nobume as she approached with more coffee and donuts, but his focus returned quickly to Sasaki.
When he was prompted to speak, he replied with his usual confidence.
"I'll be waiting for that notice, then. I presume we're going to take matters into our own hands rather than simply watching from a distance, right? Your Nobume isn't the only one who's tired of sitting around. Simply following a suspect around isn't going to get us anywhere useful. Perhaps we should find a way to have a... talk with Zura's Renhou friend directly. Or is there a connection somewhere higher up that gives us a reason to stay in the shadows about this?"
What happens at secret meetings stays at secret meetings.
"We are in agreement, Takasugi-san. We can leave all the following around to the Shinsengumi. If they do discover anything useful, it will be reported to their superiors in the Bakufu, and my associates will send the report to my desk."
He pauses, checking his phone again. There is an email from one of his Hitotsubashi contacts. Another complaint about the Mimawarigumi not sufficiently supporting their candidate. He'll answer that one later. Takasugi is looking impatient.
"I haven't detected any connection to this Renhou agent from on high. But those who sit above us guard their secrets well."
He shrugs.
"I will make further inquiries, and make sure the Tendoshu's lackies hear of them. If they are connected to this matter, they will show their hand. If not, I believe we should follow up on your suggestion of a private interview with Katsura's Renhou. With our combined resources, we should be able to neutralize any threat it poses."
The game's afoot, Watson!
"Hmph. So until then, it'll just be another waiting game. I had hoped for something more entertaining, but I suppose lying low is for the better."
Despite his somewhat dejected words, there was not a single hint of disappointment in his voice. His plans were coming along quite smoothly... and because of that, so were Sasaki's plans, whether that was a good thing or not. But their alliance gave him an easier time keeping a close watch on him, which was really all he could do. He didn't doubt for a moment that this 'Triple Threat' had the ability to defeat him if it came down to it. The fact that he wasn't trying to win was rather unsettling.
He pushed those concerns from his mind and thought back to that layout of the Terminal. He thought he had seen something very peculiar about it, but he would have to take a closer look when he got home.
"Is that all, then? I cannot run the risk of being out in public for much longer..."
A quick glance at the other customers proved his suspicions of being watched correct. There was one stranger glaring suspiciously in his direction over a cup of coffee. Whether he was a Bakufu spy, a Joui patriot, or simply an innocent citizen with a personal grudge, he certainly recognized him.
Rather than feel nervous, he responded with a vicious smirk in the stranger's direction, then turned back to Sasaki.
"Well, well... it seems we've got a rat in the building."
He nodded in that general direction to alert Sasaki, but he seemed to see already.
"Not even that... more like a cockroach. He isn't with you, is he?"
What happens at secret meetings stays at secret meetings.
Sasaki's eyes narrow as he focuses on the onlooker Takasugi has indicated.
"Not one of my usual tails. The Crows have more subtlety, and he's not bland enough to be a Shinsengumi Inspector. Nobume-san had such high hopes this meeting might flush out some worthy opponents, but it seems we're up against a very common bunch of ruffians. That man came in here with a larger group, too amateur to stagger their entrances. Nothing for us to concern ourselves with."
He begins to type on his cellphone.
(。・д・)ノ゙ Nobu-chi, looks like you've got your chance to fight: ( `_)乂(_' )
Leave one alive for me to chat with, ok?
~ Sabu-chan
P.S. Try not to kill the bystanders if they're not in your way. m(¬0¬)m
P.P.S. Remember you need commoners to bake donuts at least. °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
Sasaki sits back.
"Here's your chance to study Nobume-san's fighting form," he tells Takasugi. "Please consider that a bonus gift on my part."
The game's afoot, Watson!
Nobume's phone rang.
The Mr. Donut theme played.
But Nobume did not bring out her phone. There was just no need. Words? Text? It was all ridiculous.
Two demons were waiting for an answer.
The first fountain of blood made its exposition in midair. This is her reply.
Another man had sprung up for revenge.
Then came the second fountain of blood. Wait--make that two--no, three. Nobume slashed her way like a human scythe of death who reaped the souls of those who dared to go against a Shinigami like her. And as she made her sword surge against their soft flesh, she caught sight of the former Joui making a smirk as he brought out his kiseru. It was indeed a sight to behold. The man behind the series of discords that had commenced in Kabukichou meeting the elite Chief of Miwarigumi. An acquaintance meeting? No. If one could employ the colloquial term, it would seem more befitting to use the words "getting to know"—in a very, sinister way.
It was a beast getting to know another beast. The only difference was that one chose to clad himself in a pure white uniform, the color of elegance and dignity, proudly wearing them in public. The other one chose to hide in shadows. But his eyes were enough to see the demon in him, chained and waiting to be unleashed when the time comes. Rogue meets elite? Screw that. They were both demons in their own way.
Nobume let her sword dig deep inside the man's stomach as she contemplated over these thoughts, making the victim cough blood. It was a blade that had slashed the bellies, the arms, or any other body parts one could think of—but what's the difference? The coldness of its blade was an extension of the soul of its wielder. Hers was one which did not take any second thoughts when it comes to bringing down the enemy. To kill is to kill.To betray her duty out of some ridiculous principle of free will or virtue of camaraderie was out of the question. For the members of the elite force of Miwarigumi, an order is an order. Nothing more, nothing less. It must be allowed without any need to delve into the ethics or logic. To them, it was just a matter of survival. Do it or die.
"Die.", Nobume whispered with her cold voiced as she withdrew the sword. The man fell flat to the floor, eyes wide with fear. Nobume could hear the beat of his heart. He was still struggling to leave.
"KUSOU ONNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!". Nobume heard someone scream behind her. It was the stranger the two demons had noticed earlier. And as she heard the ragged and hurried footsteps of the source of the scream, she finally brought out her phone, which, surprise, had Pon-de-Rings as its wallpaper. She searched for the message menu, found Sasaki's text.
Leave one alive for me to chat with, ok?
Nobume pulled out a gun.
"Warukatta na, Taichou."
In the end, her reply ended with the harmony of a gunshot and the slash of a sword.
Sasaki watches Nobume leap into action.
"When will you learn to answer your emails the ordinary way, Nobume?" he thinks to himself. It's a testament to both her stellar qualities and their deep partnership that Nobume could, from the sound of her phone's message notification and a glance at his face, correctly interpret his orders to kill. But would she leave anyone alive?
Fortunately, he has his ways of dealing with Nobume, so instead of intervening, he smiles reassuringly at Takasugi.
"Nobume-san is an elite of the highest calibre, able to anticipate my orders without even reading them."
He doesn't watch the entire fight. He is too busy typing out an email to that Hitotsubashi official.
Sorry for this late reply. I have been busy the last few minutes m(._.)m
Joui attack at the Kabukichou Mr. Donut. The VC and I are safe, the men you sent us as bodyguards died heroically. (;_・)
That ought to shake the Hitotsubashi to their core. He's been pretending not to know of the men they've set to follow him, ever since they'd failed to unseat the current Shogun. But it's a good time to send the Hitotsubashi a message. Sasaki Isaburou might be their tool, but he isn't their puppet.
He turns back to Takasugi.
"Perhaps we should have an exhibition match some day, Takasugi-san. Put our Nobume up against Kawakami-san? It would be most educational for our men."
A spray of blood suddenly hits his cell-phone. He sighs.
"I might as well have eaten one of those donuts after all," he says, almost to himself. "It's still ended up smeared red."
Just as it seems that he will have to intervene himself, Nobume finally pauses in mid-fight to read her message. For a second, it seems that all is well. Sasaki won't even have get up from this table.
Then Nobume says: "Warukatta na, Taichou.". A rather insincere apology, as she is evidently about to kill the last man.
Reaching for his gun, Sasaki realizes that this has turned out exactly as it usually does, but he really can't blame Nobume for that. The girl can't restrain her blood lust. It's not in her nature. That's why she has him to do it for her.
The carefully aimed shot hits Nobume's blade immediately. The next shot blows the gun out of her hand. She looks back at him, dazed, as if coming out of a trance. Her intended victim lies before him, bleeding heavily from the wounds she's already inflicted on him. But he'll live long enough for them to have that little chat.
The game's afoot, Watson!
"impressive. She's more than a match for my men, I'd rather not have any type of competition."
"But you should really be keeping her on a leash."
Takasugi smiled, but he suspected the main reason Sasaki was letting Nobume do all the work was as a warning. A warning he wouldn't take lightly; as expendable as they were to him, he had no wish to see his Kiheitai as the victims the next time. But there was certainly something suspicious about Nobume's skill - where had she trained? Takasugi realized he had no information on her background whatsoever, and it bothered him...
... but when the massacre suddenly ended to leave one man still alive, his mind moved to more relevant matters.
He approached the stranger, staring down at him coldly. Though he had many questions to ask, it seemed more appropriate to allow Sasaki to do the interrogation, since he didn't seem at all surprised to see these men here. As much as he hated to admit it, Sasaki was the only one who could get useful information here, so he stepped aside for him.
What happens at secret meetings stays at secret meetings.
Sasaki's phone is ringing, but he doesn't answer it. Doubtless, that Hitotsubashi lackey is calling back in alarm at the email he's just received. But even if Sasaki had the time or the inclination to talk to him, the phone is dripping with the blood of Nobume's victims. Instead of answering, he carefully wraps the phone in a monogrammed handkerchief. He can clean it later.
The survivor of the massacre lies in a pool of blood at Takasugi's and Sasaki's feet. The rest of the restaurant is empty. The staff fled out the back door during the disturbance, while the customers ran out the front. Nobume has found her way behind the counter, and is standing behind the donut racks with a look of pure rapture on her face. Her ivory uniform is immaculate, not a spot of bood. As is usual. It's one of her most endearing qualities, her ability to come through a storm of blood without a single stain.
"So they sent a ronin do an elite's job," Sasaki comments, looking down at the unfortunate man. "You really should have researched this job better before taking it. But it doesn't really matter now, does it?"
He turns to Takasugi.
"I might very well have anticipated something of this nature. I have already made arrangements for us not to be disturbed in here."
He kneels down beside the ronin, careful to stay clear of the pool of blood.
"Your employers' names, if you please?"
The man stays silent.
"Let me be very plain with you. You're going to die here because I haven't the slightest use for trash like you. But I would hate to disturb my Vice-Commander again, after she's put in so much effort already, to have her come here and cut the information out of you. Slowly."
"You bastard." the man murmurs.
Sasaki raises an eyebrow.
"That is one thing I am assuredly not. Perhaps I can make this easier for you, if I tell you that I am already aware that you were hired by a go-between who works for the Hitotsubashi, and you and your companions have been following me off and on for the last three weeks."
"You knew?" The man stares in disbelief.
"I've been waiting for you to show your hand. But in such an amateur fashion. You recognized my friend here, did you?"
"You're a Joui traitor, after all."
"So your employer suggested I might be. How interesting. That's not an idea the Hitotsubashi could have thought up on their own. Those crows must have suggested it to them. Hmmm . . . I really think that is all the useful information you could give me. You may rest now."
"I killed your type in the war," the man suddenly snarled. "And I saw how easily the Amanto destroyed the Joui fighters. You'll end up the same way, both of you. Unless you run away and hide again the way you did last time, Takasugi."
The game's afoot, Watson!
Takasugi watched as the man refused to give away any information, even with Sasaki's threatening. Although, it was very clear that Sasaki already knew anything he could possibly tell them, so the man was struggling in vain. That any samurai could keep up this much loyalty to the Bakufu even after they gave in to the Amanto was utterly disgusting. He looked down at him scornfully as he finally began to respond, calling them names as though it was the only thing he knew how to do.
He only half paid attention to what the victim had to say, focusing more closely on Sasaki's reaction in hopes of learning something new from the real source of information.
Until suddenly, the man looked up at him with a snarl. "You'll end up the same way, both of you. Unless you run away and hide again the way you did last time, Takasugi." The deliberately provocative words did their job well. Perhaps a little too well.
Without hesitating for even a moment, he pulled out his sword and slashed downward, opening another deep gash all the way down the man's torso. The amount of blood that sprayed from the wound was unsatisfactory; he had already lost too much in Nobume's attack. The man fell silent, likely already dead, but that didn't stop Takasugi's rage. He slashed again, this time hitting his mark. The man's head rolled across the floor, the defiant expression not leaving his face even in death.
And then the haze cleared from his mind, and he realized: this was exactly what this guy wanted. He was dying either way, but he had managed to win. In the end, it didn't take an elite to throw Takasugi off his game. And now Sasaki had seen him lose it over a mere insult to his honour...
But the words were true. He stared down at what was left of the dead man, unable to deny it. He was a coward. In the time since the war, the Bakufu almost seemed to have forgotten about him. He had been playing carefully for far too long.
"I won't be making the mistake of running away again," he said firmly. "No more lying low. It's time for the bastards to find out what they're up against."
He turned to Sasaki.
"Answer that phone call, and tell those higher-ups of yours that I've got a message for them." A maniac grin crept onto his face despite the anger that still burned there. "No more fooling around. The demon they thought they'd vanquished has returned."
What happens at secret meetings stays at secret meetings.
Sasaki sighs. No matter how well one plans, something will go awry. Takasugi's strike has splattered blood on his freshly starched jacket. As for Takasugi himself, he seems ready to throw away years of prudent planning on a fit of temper. It makes it worse to realize that if Takasugi does destroy their plans, Sasaki can only blame himself. He's been testing Takasugi's limits, and now he knows them far too well.
Plans can be rewritten. Sasaki answers the bloodied phone.
"Moshi, Moshi, Sabu-chan here."
The man on the other side of the line launches into an hysterical torrent of questions and accusations.
"I appreciate your concern, Inoue-dono. I may even answer some of those points later. At the moment, I've a message from a Joui terrorist to relay to you. A certain Takasugi Shinsuke. Is the name familiar?"
His contact is reduced to spluttering.
"Yes, your men messed up. What did you expect, I wonder, hiring common trash for this assignment? You really should have consulted with me first. They disturbed my meeting with a Joui informant and brought down a true demon upon them."
Sasaki glances over to his Vice-Commander as he speaks.
"But why are you alive?" his contact demands hysterically. "And did you say Takasugi talked to you?"
"Perhaps you have forgotten that I am an elite. I am also a realist. Once your useless ronin were disposed of, we were evenly matched. But before he withdrew, Takasugi gave me a warning, Ahh... let me repeat it. 'No more fooling around. The demon they thought they'd vanquished has returned. Should we pass that warning on to Katakuriko-ko? He'll be waiting for my report."
He can almost hear the man writhing as he answers. "Let's talk first about this matter, Sasaki-dono? We wouldn't want to be hasty."
"I'm glad to hear we're on the same page. We'll discuss this later then. Bai-bai."
He turns to Takasugi.
"I delivered your message. Is there anything else I can do for you, Takasugi-san?"
The game's afoot, Watson!


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


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02/18/2018, 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM
Location:Parish Hall map
The Rector's Forum serves as a vehicle for theological education, a platform to discuss civic and cultural events and a way to keep ourselves current on the issues we face as Christians and members of Holy Communion.
Here is the schedule of topics for this spring:
JANUARY 14: Meet the Vestry Candidates Candidates have been vetted by Vestry committee. Now, it's the congregation's turn to listen and ask questions.
JANUARY 21: Annual Parish Meeting Sandy will lead the meeting and review of annual reports.
JANUARY 28: I Am a Man Several of the sanitation workers who were on the job in 1968 will discuss the demands on the city, what it meant to ask to be dealt with as men and their worries during the 65-day strike. Otis Sanford, WREG commentator and Hardin Chair professor at the University of Memphis.
FEBRUARY 4: Meet the Mayor Mayor Jim Strickland will talk about the work he did 49 years after the sanitation workers union was recognized to get $50,000 pensions for the still-surviving strikers and why he pushed for it.
FEBRUARY 11: The Rector on Race Sandy offers a reflection on his experiences with race, and how they impact his understanding of conversations about race relations today.
FEBRUARY 18: A Failure to Communicate: A Memoir Dr. John Bakke, political strategist and retired professor at the University of Memphis, will talk about how breakdowns in communication – between the city and the citizens, the workers and the city -- plus the tone of media coverage – hardened people in their camps as the sanitation strike loomed.
FEBRUARY 25: A Journey Through the Delta: Music and Race Hester will lead discussion on the intersection of race and culture that produced the Delta Blues.
MARCH 4: A New Era of Civil Rights When people think of the Civil Rights Movement, they immediately think of the movement of the late 20th Century, says Terri Freeman, president of the National Civil Rights Museum. "I contend the moment we are experiencing now is one of the most vibrant civil and human rights eras we have seen since then. Many of the legal constraints in the 20th Century have been eliminated, creating new forms of civil and human rights infringements that new movement-makers are trying to correct. This is not your grandparents' civil rights movement!"
MARCH 11, 18: When It Is Just Too Much To Bear Staff from Samaritan Counseling will help us explore ways of dealing with the seemingly never-ending barrage of hate, intolerance, violence and tragedy that flood through the media, including social media.
MARCH 25: Palm Sunday Intergenerational Formation The whole church family will meet in the parish hall for an interactive exploration of the days of Holy Week.
APRIL 1: Easter Day (No Forum)
APRIL 8: Mountaintop Speech Father Sandy offers the last installment of our MLK50 observance, an in-depth exploration of Dr. King's last speech, given in Memphis the night before he was killed.
APRIL 15: Restreaming: Thriving in the Currents of Retirement Retired wellness professional William Craddock will speak about how living with purpose in meaning in later life is a decision and the effort it takes.
APRIL 22, 29 How Shall We Then Live? Shari Ray, head of the English department of St. Mary's Episcopal School, is offering a two-part study on how others, in times of tumult, have answered life's deep questions. The questions are: How shall we then live? (from the book of Ecclesiastes); What sort of man are you? (from Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment).
MAY 6: Our $7 million Church Renovation Architect Scott Fleming and general contractor Rusty Linkous leading this discussion on what to expect during construction.
MAY 13, 20: What We Need to Know About the General Convention It is the Episcopal Church's top governing body. The group meets every three years to establish policy and refine our mission strategy. Father Sandy explores its storied (and sometimes hilarious) history and discusses several of the matters coming before it this summer in Austin, Texas.
Back To Full Calendar
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text:
Lemon drizzle cake
- Serves: makes 1 cake
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Effort: easy
For the cake
- 225 g butter, softened
- 400 g caster sugar
- 3 lemons, finely grated zest only
- 4 eggs
- 375 g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 235 ml milk
For the glaze
- 3 lemons, juice only
- 150 g granulated sugar
1. For the cake: preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease and flour a 25cm bundt tin.
2. Cream the butter and sugar with the lemon zest until pale and thick. Beating the lemon zest will help draw out the oil making the cake lovely and lemony.
3. Stir in the eggs, one at a time. If the mixture threatens to curdle, add a tablespoon of the flour to stabilise it.
4. Mix in a little of the flour and baking powder with alternate glugs of the milk until all the ingredients are incorporated.
5. Spoon the mixture into the bundt tin and bake for 1 hour 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack. Prick all over with a toothpick.
6. For the glaze: mix the lemon juice and sugar, just swirling gently so the sugar doesnt completely dissolve.
7. Drizzle the lemon glaze all over the warm cake - it will seep into the holes leaving a delicate sugar crust on the surface. Decorate with flowers and eat the day you make it.
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Eagle Materials Inc (EXP) is Trading Lower on Unusual Volume for January 14Equities Staff Follow |
Eagle Materials Inc (EXP) experienced unusually high volume on Jan. 14, as the stock lost 0.31% to a closing price of $51.51. The stock saw 1.66 million shares trade hands over the course of the day on 15,139 trades. Given that the stock's average daily volume over the last month has been 683,854 shares a day, this represents a pretty substantial spike over the norm.
Eagle Materials Inc has a P/B ratio of 2.41. It also has a P/E ratio of 16.4. The stock has traded between $88.81 and $51.62 over the last 52-weeks, its 50-day SMA is now $63.94, and its 200-day SMA $74.78.
Eagle Materials Inc manufactures & distributes building products used in residential, industrial, commercial, & infrastructure construction. Its segments are Cement, Concrete & Aggregates, Gypsum Wallboard, Recycled Paperboard & Oil & Gas Proppants.
Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Eagle Materials Inc has 2,000 employees and is currently under the leadership of CEO Steven R. Rowley.
For a complete fundamental analysis analysis of Eagle Materials Inc, check out Equities.com's Stock Valuation Analysis report for EXP. To see the latest independent stock recommendations from Equities.com's analysts, visit our Research section.
The Russell 3000 is not well known outside the world of finance, but it's one of the strongest indices out there for getting a broad sense of the stock market. Unlike the better-known Dow Jones Industrial Average or S&P 500, membership on the Russell 3000 isn't selected by committee. It's simply the 3,000 most valuable companies in the country.
With 3,000 stocks making up the index, it gives a broad look at the markets, including the small-and mid-cap companies that aren't on the Dow or the S&P 500. And with a rules-based system for determining membership, there's no bias that could potentially limit membership. That's why many financial professionals will turn to the Russell 3000 long before the better-known indices when trying to take the temperature of the market.
For more news on the financial markets, go to Equities.com. Also, learn more about our independent proprietary equity research reports and our robust do-it-yourself Stock Valuation Analysis reports in our Research section.
All data provided by QuoteMedia and was accurate as of 4:30PM ET.
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Corpse From Hell and regular Sideburn collaborator, Maxwell Paternoster has created the latest killer Dice Magazine cover. Lovely job.
Read about Maxwell's personal, private, pickled BSA in SB9 .
Also, we have heavyweight art prints of the Zombie McQueen Maxwell drew for Sideburn. They're A3 size on recycled brown card. Just £8 plus post. Only available through our webshop. G
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Maxwell Paternoster x Dice
Posted by Sideburn Magazine at 09:00
Labels: art, Corpses from Hell, inspirational magazine, Sideburn Collaborator, Steve McQueen, zombie
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Saturday May 25th 2019 is the date for the 36th Kirkcudbright Academy Half Marathon!
There are three events to choose from:
The Half Marathon (17yrs+)
The 10K (15yrs+)
The Walk (open to all ages ) follows the half marathon route
There is a also a Family Fun Run (1.5 miles) organised by Kirkcudbright Primary school – starts 11.20am
Runners and walkers in the Kirkcudbright Academy Half Marathon and 1ok runs will register with the SiEntries system, the race timing system widely used across the UK. Every competitor in the Half Marathon and 10k will receive their own chip to record accurately their start time and end time, and the chips MUST be returned at the end of the race. The results will be available on the SPORTident website shortly after the races have finished.
Note :- the races are under UK Athletic rules with Scottish Athletics licence – number 10171.
Please check our Facebook page where you can enjoy chatting to other participants and see more photos of the routes.
This event is run by volunteers, so if you would like to contribute in anyway, please do get in touch!
We very much enjoy hosting the event, and having visitors come from all over Britain and other parts of the world. And we look forward to seeing you again this year!
Come along and invite friends to enjoy stunning scenery on some of the most beautiful routes in the country!
You can also book a stall at the event, please call 01557330440
Previous years' results are available to view on our results page.
Thanks to:
- Annie's Aiders
- Co-op Kirkcudbright
- Douglas Swan and Sons
- Kirkcudbright Summer Festivities
- Kirkcudbright Rotary Club
- Mark Hutton and Mike Bonaventura, our commentators
- Police Scotland – Dumfries and Galloway Divison
- Raynet
- Supersave Kirkcudbright
- Tesco Kirkcudbright
For over three decades the Kirkcudbright Half Marathon has raised fund for extra curricular activities, equipment and projects for the students at Kirkcudbright Academy.
The need for financial support is now greater than ever, and every mile run is a milestone reached in the life of this great school – let's keep it running!
Thank you.


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. exchange officials are seeking more time to submit a plan for building a massive database for storing all equity and options transactions, a project designed to better monitor trading activity that took on urgency after the Flash Crash of 2010.
The exchanges and a regulatory body in charge of drawing up a final blueprint for building the Consolidated Audit Trail asked the Securities and Exchange Commission last week to extend the deadline of Sept. 30 to the end of the year, two sources said.
The SEC declined to comment. Another delay is unlikely to please regulators who already granted several extensions to the 18 U.S. stock and options exchanges, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which are overseeing the process.
The SEC had planned to post for public comment the blueprint known as the "optimal solution" for building the audit trail after next week's deadline and once approved, to give the exchanges and FINRA two months to select a winning bidder.
A delay may change the bidding process and further push out an already lengthy timeline by three to six months, the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, suggested. Implementation of the audit trail is expected to take three years once the plan and bidder have been chosen.
The exchanges and FINRA have requested the six remaining bidders to meet separately with the selection panel the week of Oct. 6 at the offices of Deloitte, which has helped coordinate meetings and tabulate information, two sources said.
The SEC approved a consolidated audit trail (CAT) in July 2012 after it took months to gather the necessary data to analyze the Flash Crash. On May 6, 2010, the Dow dropped about 1,000 points in a few minutes and then quickly recovered most of that decline.
The CAT will be the world's largest depository of securities transactions, taking in an estimated 58 billion records of orders, executions and quotes every day, according to Deloitte.
The SEC once suggested the CAT would cost as much as $4 billion, but data storage prices have tumbled in recent years and one of the bidders has indicated that building and implementing the program over five years would cost less than $200 million.
The ability to analyze and store the vast amount of data once loomed as a technical hurdle, but no longer appears to do so, technical experts said. However, getting about 2,000 brokers onboard and the system running smoothly might pose headaches.
Reporting by Herbert Lash; Editing by Nick Zieminski


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Thursday, June 2, 2011
I want to know what YOU think!!
How did you come across the particular yarn bomb you encountered?
Are there any areas that need cheering?
Any grumpy neighbors that hate yarn based graffiti that need a couple works of art on their mailbox??
Is there a tree in your yard that could use sprucing?
Let me know where you think I should yarn bomb next, or even better, grab some yarn and give it a try! Here's an awesome website that can help you get started: http://yarnbombing.com/
Here's a fun fact: International Yarn Bombing Day is June 11th!!! Don't miss out!!
Posted by knitty gritty at 1:16 PM
3 comments:
We saw one last year on a tree in bell park. We were really sad when it disappeared a few months later. I really liked that it had an arm for the branch that came out. It's been really nice to see some more today. None quite as nice as the first so far though.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 6, 2011 at 3:42 PM
I found three today! How many more could there be?ReplyDelete
I saw one of the yarn bombs in the park near Gimme on Cayuga St a couple of years ago. Then today I saw one on the railing by Cascadilla creek.ReplyDelete
There's a tree in front of my house that is screaming for a yarn bomb. 445 N. Aurora St.
The tree is sad. It needs cheering up!
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Bright Cluster Manager can sample and monitor metrics from supported GPU cards and GPU Computing Systems, such as the C2050 and the rack-mounted S2050. Examples of supported metrics include GPU temperatures, GPU exclusivity modes, GPU fan speeds, system fan speeds, PSU voltages and currents, system LED states, and GPU ECC memory statistics. The frequency of metric sampling is fully configurable and so is the consolidation of the metrics data over time. Metrics data is stored in Bright Cluster Manager's central SQL database and can be visualized in value/time graphs, as well as in Bright Cluster Manager's unique Rackview.
Furthermore, Bright Cluster Manager allows for alerts and actions to be triggered automatically when GPU metric thresholds are exceeded. Such rules are completely configurable to suit your requirements, and any built-in cluster management command, Linux command, or shell script can be used as an action. For example, if you would like to automatically receive an email and shut down a node when its GPU temperature exceeds a set value, this can easily be configured in Bright Cluster Manager.
"There are now more than a 1000 NVIDIA GPU-based clusters around the world," said Andy Keane, General Manager of the Tesla business at NVIDIA. "Bright Computing's cluster management software fills a critical need for datacenter managers to reliably monitor and manage the status of their GPU-enabled clusters."
"Bright Cluster Manager's unique GPU management and monitoring capabilities is rapidly making it the cluster management solution of choice for GPU clusters", says Dr Matthijs van Leeuwen, CEO of Bright Computing. "We will continue to work closely with NVIDIA to incorporate new GPU management and monitoring capabilities into Bright Cluster Manager."
More information about GPU support in Bright Cluster Manager:
Pictures and screenshots of Bright Cluster Manager:
SOURCE Bright Computing, Inc.
|Bright Computing, Inc.
Bright Computing, Inc., Press Office
Phone: +1-408-954-7325
fax: +1-408-715-0102
Email Contact


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Julien Mier "If You Are"*Astro Nautico*
For its annual springtime gift to the world, the Brooklyn-based Astro Nautico label released the free Atlantics Vol. 3 compilation, featuring budding artists like Druid Cloak, Archie Pelago, and the artist responsible for the song at hand, Julien Mier. "If You Are" finds the Dutch producer toying with contrasting textures and playing with unexpected sound sources. Metallic, auto-tuned vocals cloud around fuzzy synths while blossoming arpeggios, rusty melodies, and shimmering FX fill the space between the song's rocky and syncopated beat. More than 30 other songs can be downloaded via Astro Nautico's Bandcamp.
If You Are


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Yes its my second day out of bed for the past 4 weeks. First of all thank you all for all your kind get well messages , vibes, hugs,etc. I honestly didnt think I would be needing all that help but boy I sure did. Heart attack I couldnt believe the ambulance crew when they told me. I thought I was having a panic attack. Then to get hospital acquired pneumonia and a lung infection was bad enough. Just to make sure I stayed in bed I then got a hospital superbug. Hopefully I am on the mend now. Still get very tired so wont be on site all the time.
So if you want a reason to stop smoking there are 4 I have just had. Thats without the lung cancer i had 18 month ago.
Its lovely to see your all supporting each other, and lots of new members joined since I was last on. Will take me a few days to catch up on who`s who etc.
Meanwhile enjoy your smokefree lifes.


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(Lander, Wyo.) - "Working out is my time to get out of my head!" The connection between body and mind is a strong one, according to the American Psychological Association. By mastering your moves, you in effect improve your mind. Handy, huh?
Here are 5 ways fitness helps your mental health:
1. Fitness Helps Relieve Stress - Whether you're exploring a deeper meditative state in your yoga practice or taking out some aggression on a punching bag, you're working out your brain as well as your muscles.
2. Fitness May Lead to Improved Cognitive Function - Moderate exercise has an impact on the brain by preventing cognitive decline.
3. Fitness Boosts Your Sense of Accomplishment - Whether you're running your first mile or finishing a marathon, there is most certainly a sense of accomplishment that accompanies every athletic feat.
4. Fitness Makes You Feel Happy - You know that invincible feeling that you get after a good workout? There's a reason for it post-sweat. You're producing serotonin and norepinephrine.
5. Fitness May Relieve Depression - Exercise reduces anxiety, improves overall mood, and provides an opportunity for social interaction—not to mention, a challenging or fun workout will likely take your mind away from the things causing anxiety.
To read the full article, click here!
Anytime Fitness, 943 Amoretti St., Lander, WY 82520


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Disable indexing (search) = longer battery life!
View Single Post
Posts: 159
Karma: 20390
Join Date: Feb 2009
Device: none
Originally Posted by
Another question, please.
Does stopping the indexing service interfere with the dictionary use? The dictionary I was using is accepted by Menu/Settings/Menu/Change Main Dictionary, but when using the dictionary option, instead of the explanation in this dictionary, I get the explanation of the English dictionary.
Of course, the only thing indexed now is the list of books and collections.
Hmm, not sure about that. I rarely use the built-in dictionary, let alone use another, so I cannot really tell you.
I guess if it works with the English dictionary that is built-in, but not the custom one you use, the easiest sure-fire way of knowing if the indexing has anything to do with it would be to uninstall the indexing hack, let it index completely again (ie, create the huge file(s) in the index folder with all of the words on all of your books), and then see if it still defaults to the English dictionary.
Fortunately, if you sue my two scripts I made for this hack, it would be easy to test, and then revert back to using the script.
Finally, I do not really know why the lack of indexing would cause problems with using your custom dictionary. I mean if it works with the default English one, Idk why it wouldn't with your custom, so long as you have that one set, as before the hack. Just my opinion. Again, I haven't used the dictionary feature enough to be an expert.
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You've experienced it before. It's time to plant soybeans, and the weather isn't cooperating. Fields are too wet, and time is slipping away.
But Lanny Ashlock, a University of Arkansas soybean specialist, has come up with what seems to be a viable solution to the problem on clay soils.
"We wanted to try aerial planting with soybeans for a long time, and in 1997 we finally did it," he says.
Ashlock is working with Larry Earnest, superintendent at the university's Southeast Research and Extension Center, Rohwar. They seeded early Group IV soybean varieties in April that year, when it was too wet to plant with ground equipment. The plane needed no modification; existing fertilizer hoppers were used for the soybean seed.
"The airplane was at 100' going 125 miles per hour - the seed was partially to completely buried in the soil on impact," says Ashlock.
Soil conditions must be right - wet but not too wet. Ashlock and Earnest kept the field flooded over winter to maximize soil moisture and minimize winter weeds. They drained it about 36 hours before planting and applied Roundup to kill dock on some high spots that had dried out when the flood was accidentally lost.
For additional surface control, a grid of drain furrows was established to quickly drain water when necessary.
The beans averaged 25 bu/acre on marginal land without irrigation. Some parts of the field yielded 40 bu/acre, Ashlock reports.
Last year, the two scientists aerially seeded 50 acres of beans on irrigated land. The aerial seeding cost ran about $6/acre, and seeding rates were increased by 10 lbs/acre.
"We applied 70 lbs/acre as opposed to 60 for a conventional drill, but it only took a few minutes of flying time to plant the 50-acre field," says Earnest.
An early Group IV variety yielded about 48 bu/acre; a late Group IV, in the low 50s.
"We were very pleased and are going to try to enlarge that acreage to 150 this year," Ashlock reports. "I think this technique has real promise for clay fields."
However, he hesitates to recommend it for other soil types.
"The soil needs to be plastic enough so that, when the seed drops from the plane, it almost embeds itself in the soil," he says. "On sands and silt-loam soils, the seed hits and barely sticks to the ground. The soil is rather firm, even when it's wet."
Best results are likely when aerial seeding is done, not as an emergency operation, but as a planned practice, says Ashlock. Land preparation, which includes leveling and establishing levies and drain-furrows, must be done before winter flood.
"Quite a bit of thought needs to go into it in the fall," he says.


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Routes : North America : United States : Pennsylvania : Southeastern Region : Univ. of Penn.
Univ. of Penn.
Climbing Sections:
- All supports (2)
About Univ. of Penn.:
|Very unlikely (but amazing) bouldering on the University of Pennslyvania campus. The rock is in the form of 25' high railroad supports and sports great edges, huge slopers, and one and two finger pockets!
|Nearest town or city:
|From Highway 76 take the South St. Exit. Go west on Spruce St. to 33rd. Make a right onto 33rd (one-way). Park on 33rd during the week or if there's no parking attendent park in lot next to the Palestra between Spruce and Walnut on 33rd. Walk East between Franklin Field and the Palestra. Cross over the railroad tracks on foot bridge, go through the gate and make a left. You'll see the red rock of the railroad supports.
|Latitude, Longitude:
|Access Issues:
|When to Climb:
|Quantity of Climbs:


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|January 31, 2012, 04:05 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 18, 2011
Location: Indiana
Posts: 150
split 8x57 necks
I was shooting some Winchester 170 grain soft points today through my 1943 Mauser Kar98k. 2 of the 20 shots I fired had a quarter inch split from the bottom of the shoulder all the way up and almost the entire length of the neck. I plan on reloading 8mm, but If this keeps happening, I wont be able to afford it. Why are my necks splitting? These were factory ammo through a clean bore. Was it my rifle or the ammunition? Also on a side note, I had seen splits like this before in some old Yugo surplus steel case.
Last edited by sigshepardo; January 31, 2012 at 04:17 PM.
|January 31, 2012, 04:09 PM
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 40,088
That sounds like bad annealing from the factory.
Not unknown.
"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza
Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.
|January 31, 2012, 04:19 PM
Junior Member
Join Date: January 3, 2012
Location: SW Virginia
Posts: 4
another source of 8mm brass...
...annealing, sizing, and cutting down .30-06 brass, there's a 1001 articles about it across several forums so I won't bother with the details. I load for my k98 too, but i couldn't convince myself to buy loaded ammo at a premium when I could not just load the ammo, but 'make' the brass myself. There's the issue of confusing your head stamps, but any responsible loader knows to keep their stuff in properly labels containers (and to keep those containers segregated). Just my 2 cents.
|January 31, 2012, 08:32 PM
Junior member
Join Date: October 6, 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,080
How do the unfired bullets fit in a fired case mouth? or can you measure the I.D. with calipers? Wonder if that war-time Mauser might have oversized chamber?
|January 31, 2012, 09:22 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: June 14, 2001
Location: Mechanicsburg, PA
Posts: 584
Hey Rhett,
If I read your post correctly, it would seem you said your ammo that was splitting was brand new Winchester brand factory ammo. Like Mike said, it could be bad heat treating by the factory, but I never came across anything like that from Winchester ammo.
If you have had this rifle for many years and never had a problem like this before, then I would suspect the case quality as Mike suggested. However, if this rifle is new to you, and if these cartridges were the first you fired in it, I would be concerned about the chamber and the headspacing of same. If there is a problem with the rifle, splitting new cases can be a warning sign of a potential danger waiting ahead.
If the rifle is new to your use, a trip to a competent gunsmith to inspect the rifle and cases may be a good idea.
Keep me in mind when you first smell the new mown hay this spring.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
|February 1, 2012, 08:01 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 18, 2008
Posts: 6,589
I do not know, but, what I do know is: Had you stopped shooting at the first sign of a problem you could have called Winchester with the problem and a lot #. But, still, there is a chance, your cases are once fired, once fired cases behave in a predictable manner as in a new/unfired/minimum length case is as good as it gets then comes once fired. You have 18 once fired cases, if I had 18 once fired cases that were suspect I would use my 338/06 or 35 Whelen versatile full length sizer die to neck-up the suspect cases, if after necking the 8mm cases up to 338/06 or 35 Whelen (neck dimensions) I found splits in the necks, I would conclude the cases were brittle.
When forming: I have formed 280 Remington to 35 Whelen, 30/06, 30 Gibbs and 338/06 without splits, EXCEPT for nickel cases, the price of forming shiny cases is close to 40% failure.
Then there is the crush test.
F. Guffey
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Your car engine residue problem is a bummer deal. New car care ant-wear products will end your dirty engine problem and have your motor sounding good as new in short order. You need to look for the best engine additive for your vehicle for best and smooth working of the car engine.
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Pligg is an open source content management system that lets you easily create your own user-powered website.
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Still going strong
Tripawds is a user-supported community. Thank you for your support!
Freya in her new bed in her new house.
I have been adding up the time and it is coming up to 5 years since Freya developed her cancer.
The day to day reality of a kitty tripod has become the norm and I want to let people know there is plenty of life and love after the decision to amputate.
I see some blogs where the time after the operation has been shorter than hoped but no regrets.
I am here to show long term is more than possible and of her nearly 14 years, nearly five have been on three legs.
Wishing everyone happy times with your fur children with four legs or three
To remove ads from your site and others, upgrade to a Tripawds Supporter blog!


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Toms Shoes Adult Size Sale
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Please contact Director of Music if you would like to join one of our Choirs.
" The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy."
The Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium, §112
St. Peter's Choirs:
--The Children's Choir: Sings Tuesdays & Fridays at 7:40 AM during the Academic Year; at 5:30 PM (Vigil) Mass on the first Saturday of the month.
Rehearses Wednesday afternoons at 3:30 PM in the Conrad Hall.
--The High School Choir: details forthcoming.
--8am Choir - Sings Sunday at the 8:00 AM Mass; Rehearses Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM.
--10am Choir - Sings Sunday at the 10:00 AM Mass; Rehearses Monday evenings at 7:00 PM.
Follow this link to the Sacred Music Corner.


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Every now and again the parenting planets align perfectly. And so it was last Sunday, when having seen the weekend weather forecast, we dutifully completed the autumn scavenger hunt homework on a lovely sunny Saturday – and then had a fabulous time dodging the downpour that was Sunday at The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.
Find out the stories behind the stories...
Not sure Roald would have fitted in around here...
For us it was a 40 minute drive, and perhaps we were rather lucky to get a parking spot on the High Street right outside the museum. We arrived a little earlier than the 11am (Sunday) opening time but the very lovely staff were happy to let us in from the cold – and seemed genuinely interested in why we had come along. The same helpful people popped up here and there as we made our way around the museum – pointing out some of the things to see and do. At that point it hadn't occurred to me that I would blog about the Museum, but I basically felt like we had been mistaken for VIPs (I should probably take off that fake press pass I made myself…).
Making up stories...like a boss
Hands on
The man himself
At the back of the story centre was a well-equipped and brightly-decorated crafts area – modelled on George's Marvellous Medicine. Kids were literally being dragged out of there kicking and screaming as there was so much to do! And I'm not sure I'd like to be the one to tidy up at the end of the day – let's just say there were sequins, lots of sequins, and lots of children playing with those sequins.
Before the kids got there...
We had our lunch in the Café Twit, while we pondered exactly why the wall illustrations were upside down (you need to know what the monkeys did…) – which offered freshly-made food but was overcrowded because the weather meant the lovely courtyard tables were out of use. And of course we also spent some time in the gift shop, where I did get a bit of Xmas shopping done (and we were all allowed a bar of Wonka chocolate due to good behaviour).
I am the size of a 'complete Wonka' (I looked it up on their chart...)
All in all, I can't recommend this Museum enough. I think kids do need to be above 5 to really appreciate it (under that age and they actually get in free) – and familiar with the stories too. Dry weather would also mean you can have lunch in the courtyard and go off on one of the nearby trails that take you around the pretty village of Great Missenden and through the stunning Chiltern countryside that Dahl grew up in (including a visit to his graveside where you'll find the footprints of a certain BFG…).
Have you been to the Museum – and did your family enjoy it? Are you down with Dahl – and if so, which is your favourite title? Let me know in the comment box below – and it would be great if you could recommend other places to dodge the upcoming winter weather!


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The Government is offering to pay because current custody conditions in the west African nation are so poor it gives criminals here scope to oppose their removal on human rights grounds.
It is part of negotiations to set up a prison transfer agreement between the two countries.
The move would mean around 400 Nigerian criminals could be cleared from British jails and sent home to finish their sentences.
But campaign groups and opposition MPs attacked the proposal as an "absolute scandal" that risked setting an unwanted precedent.
Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, was left humiliated in March when he said Britain was planning on co-funding an immigration detention centre in Calais, only for the French to rubbish the comments the next day.
It came as separate figures showed one in three foreign prisoners who were deported last year were "bribed" to go in the controversial facilitated returns programme.
Lin Homer, the chief executive of the UK Border Agency, told MPs the deal is also needed because Nigeria's prisons are full. She said the move would save taxpayers' money here and speed up removals.
It costs an average of around £27,000 a year to house a prisoner in Britain.
But the deal would require Nigeria to change the law so prisoners could be sent back without their consent.
She told the Commons Home Affairs Committee: "We are in negotiations with Nigeria to help them establish better prison conditions in Nigeria. It's about helping them generate a structure that can cope with [the prisoners].
"We are prepared to invest if that would enable us to send people home. We haven't yet, we are in talks with Nigeria and it would be well worth the money to do so."
She added: "They have to feel they have got capacity to take prisoners back to serve the remainder of their sentence."
A Government spokesman later said around £1million would be spent on "sprucing up" current facilities in Nigerian prisons rather than building a new prison.
However, Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive at the TaxPayers' Alliance: "It's an absolute scandal that British taxpayers may foot the bill for a Nigerian prison. The Government should not even entertain this nonsense proposal, particularly at a time when our own prison service is so desperately in need of funds. If Nigerians are here illegally and are going to be deported, we should be sending them home immediately and save them from uncertainty and British taxpayers' money, there is no need to accommodate them once they get home."
Damian Green, the shadow immigration minister, said: "This should not mean in the long term we build prisons all around the world instead of sorting out our own deportation processes."
Figures released to MPs yesterday also showed that 30 per cent of the 5,400 foreign prisoners, who had completed their sentences and were deported last year only went home after being bribed.
They took advantage of the Government's returns package that offers re-settlement support worth the equivalent of £3,000 in kind.
In an unrelated issue, it also emerged that at least 144,000 asylum seekers caught up in the claims backlog fiasco are likely to be allowed stay in Britain.
Officials are currently working through the 450,000 legacy case files, some of which date back to the mid-1990s, and of the 197,500 checked so far, some 32 per cent have been told they can stay.
If that approval rate continues then at least 144,000 will be allowed to remain once all the cases have been examined.


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So following on form last week, students got into groups to create a prototype. This time, instead of in a few hours, this project will be over 2 weeks. The first was to show how much planning and iteration designs take instead of leaving it until last. So now all the students mistakes (hopefully) are out of the way, time to get designing. Each group had to create 3 rules which their game must be based on.
Group one set their own restraints as:
1. A single player game
2. Puzzle based
3. Designed around the word "Beard"
They spent quite a while throwing out different ideas so didnt really get going until the end of the day. However I was impressed with the willingness to scrap crap ideas and to start fresh when they realised it wasn't really working instead of just forcing the design.
Keeping in mind the students didnt have to do a paper prototype, it could be engine/software/life based, the second group initial went with using UDK. However, they soon realised they were shoe-horting their designs to fit with their own skill of UDK rather than letting the design direct the project. They soon went back to basics and started developing an interesting Photoshop prototype.
Their rules were:
1. Fixed game space (i.e a board)
2. Turn based
3. Gameplay must be defined by a dice role.
The came up with a prison game (kind of like cluedo) where they each role a dice (done on the computer) to check the order of play. Theres a central 'Warden' who controls play by assigning cards to the players. Players start in their prison cells and are each given a target. They must hunt down their target without their target realising and kill them. When killed, players spawn back in their cells. End game is defined by how many turns you want your game to have then the person with the most kills wins.
10minute board prototype with grid
Excel sheet with a 'random number generator' to simulate dice roles for people – Genius
Excited to see what both groups have next week!


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1. "She proved herself physically capable of bearing a child, but she had not mentally, emotionally, or morally mature enough to handle it. She had, in a word shown herself to be a teenager."
The author is trying to teach us that by this teenager, giving birth and suffocating her baby by throwing him away in a plastic bag is not the decision an adult would make. Even though this young woman's body was able to carry a baby to full term does not make her an adult. She proved this by making such an irrational and drastic decision by not telling anyone about her giving birth and then by murdering her baby.
2. "Being a teenager is less and less what Erik Erikson proposed-a moratorium period in which in which to find your identity. Teenagers are losing their license for irresponsibility while, at the same time, they continue to be denied a role in their society, other than that of style setters and consumers."
I think what the author is trying to tell the readers is that Erik Erikson came up with a period in time called the moratorium period: however, because parents are becoming more and more over protective because of social media and society in general. Teenagers are losing their freedom and independence to go out and explore and learn who they want to become. The reason teenagers are losing their license for irresponsibility is because they are confused with how society wants them to act. For example, one minute society is saying that teenagers are allowed to be irresponsible; this is a time in which they are allowed to experiment and have fun. But then society turns around and becomes upset when a teen does do something irresponsible and society believes there should be repercussions for their action. Lastly, society and social media shuns teenagers and are stereotypical of them because people believe all teenagers do the same things spend money and cause trouble. Society does not want to see the good things teenagers have to offer and that is why they are denied a role in society.
3. "We are more accustomed to thinking of contemporary teenagers as predators than as victims, but there are good reasons to worry about them. Far more of them are growing up in low-income households than was the case a few decades ago. They spend more time on their own, today's young people are able to be with their parents ten to twelve fewer hours each week than was the case three decades ago."
I think that the author is saying that people because of social media, think just because teenagers who live in low-come households are bad because of the type of people and environment they live in. People also think that just because parents have to work more and the teenager is on their own more that they are bound to get into trouble, but most of the time that is not the cause. Teenagers who live in low-income households are usually more mature and help their parents out by watching younger siblings and taking care of chores and more grown up responsibilities.


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Q: Every time I eat "white food" (fish and chips, white bread, fast food, cake, dumplings), I get a feeling of fullness. Then my back becomes sore, and then I have to go the bathroom right away. My mom thinks I'm making this up. Can you help?
— Bongiwe, Johannesburg, South Africa
A: Even if you weren't having those suspicious symptoms, we would tell you to lay off the white stuff. With a few exceptions (cauliflower comes to mind), white foods have the kinds of carbs that raise your blood sugar, make you hungry and fat, and lead you down the road to perdition, meaning diabetes and heart disease. Stick with the healthy, brightly colored carbs in vegetables, fruits and 100 percent whole grains (OK, they're beige).
What concerns us is the feeling of fullness you have after eating white foods. We suggest you get tested for celiac disease. The symptoms you're describing — bloating, diarrhea, sore back — are associated with this condition. The source is a sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in certain grains, such as wheat, rye and barley, and in some weird stuff such as some toothpastes and beer (see the revised edition of our book "YOU: On a Diet" for more info). For people with celiac disease, gluten damages intestinal villi, hairlike structures in your intestines that slow food absorption so your body has time to extract vital nutrients.
Not all grains contain gluten, so if you do have celiac, work with a nutritionist to choose foods that won't give you a bellyache. If you don't, you'll still feel better and be healthier by brightening up your plate with a rainbow of colors. Consider white "outta here."
Q: A weird, scary thing happens to me. I stop breathing and get really bad chest pains. Someone has to hit me in the back to start me breathing again.
— Elizabeth, via email
A: Don't panic: Your symptoms actually could be panic. Usually, when someone calls us saying they've stopped breathing and are having chest pains, our response is, "Dial 911, stat!" Those symptoms often signal a heart attack. But because this has happened to you a number of times and you're still living, we're going to say, "See your family doctor."
Shortness of breath and chest pain — as well as sweaty, tingly palms; nausea; dizziness or weakness; and a feeling that you're not going to be able to breathe again — frequently occur during a panic attack. About 6 million adults, mostly women, have this condition and become frightened of having yet another of these nerve-jangling experiences. Eventually you can begin to panic about having panic attacks!
Your physician can rule out any physical problems. If it turns out you're suffering from anxiety-to-the-max, your doc can refer you to a mental health professional for counseling, medication or both, plus teach you ways to short-circuit panic attacks that last longer — and are less painful — than a whack on the back.
Q: I've heard you should wait an hour between taking calcium supplements and other supplements and medicines. Is that true?
— Doris, via email
A: You heard right. Or mostly. Like comedy, the secret to taking calcium is timing, because calcium pills don't always play well with others. Follow a few do's and don'ts, and you should be fine. n Do check with your doc or pharmacist before you take calcium with any prescription medications. Calcium affects the absorption of some common drugs, including certain antibiotics (fluoroquinolone and tetracyclines), bisphosphonates (for osteoporosis), levothyroxine (a thyroid med) and some diuretics. You'll probably need to take calcium and these several hours apart.
- Don't take calcium tablets with foods high in calcium (mainly dairy foods), or with antacids containing aluminum or magnesium, or mineral oil, or stimulant laxatives. If you do, you can kiss that calcium goodbye.
- Don't take more than 500 to 600 mg of calcium at once or you'll just excrete the excess.
- Do take calcium carbonate supplements with food; it's better absorbed.
- Don't worry about taking calcium citrate tablets with food; this form works fine on an empty stomach. Plus, if you have reduced stomach acid — something that happens with age — you're better off with calcium citrate anyway. It's what we take.
The YOU Docs, Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, are authors of "YOU: On a Diet." Want more? See "The Dr. Oz Show" on TV. To submit questions, go to www.RealAge.com.


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GoPro Inc (NASDAQ:GPRO) shares have shot up about 129% from their IPO price of $24 in less than three months. The high-end action camera maker went public on June 25. Exponential rise in its valuation prompted JPMorgan analyst Paul Coster to downgrade the stock from Overweight to Neutral rating. In a research note dated September 4, Coster reiterated the price target of $51.
GoPro's fundamentals remain solid
The research firm said GoPro's fundamentals remain strong. JPMorgan hasn't changed its EPS estimates for the current or next year. JPMorgan expects the company to generate 73 cents in earnings this year and 97 cents in calendar year 2015. What's more, Coster recommends clients not to sell their holdings amid expectations of new product launches ahead of the holiday season.
Recent comments from video processing company Ambarella Inc (NASDAQ:AMBA) and contract manufacturing firm Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd. (TPE:2385) suggest that GoPro would see strong growth in the holiday quarter. However, their comments don't indicate whether GoPro is going to launch a new camera in coming weeks. JPMorgan's price target on the stock is based on 60x CY2015 proforma EPS.
GoPro's new camera will convince enthusiasts to pay a premium
In a separate note, Piper Jaffray analyst Sean Naughton reiterated his Overweight rating on GoPro and raised the price target from $48 to $60. Piper Jaffray's price target reflects 13.4% upside potential. GoPro has sold more than 8.5 million cameras since 2009. Investors and analysts have long been expecting the company to launch its next camera. Multiple rumored release dates have passed by, without any sign of a new camera.
Earlier this week, Stifel analyst Jim Duffy said GoPro's new camera will convince high-tech savvy newcomers to pay a premium and encourage enthusiasts to upgrade. Rumors suggest that the company may unveil its new camera next month. But Duffy believes a Q1, 2015 release is more likely. Demand remains strong for GoPro camera. Stifel's recent checks suggest that the San Mateo-based company's inventory levels were "managed very tight" during the second quarter.
GoPro shares soared 4.74% to $55.60 at 12:58 PM EDT on Friday.


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GeoHandles app helps you share / track location of any moving thing in real time, capture, share & discover places.Geofone - allows you to do a location call. All new and interesting way of sharing location with friends.
Dont make your friends wait anymore. Using GeoHandles new meetup feature, friends can now meet with other friends anywhere. One of the friends can launch a meetup group and others can join and see each other on map.
Sharing address gets lot easier now, just capture location / place and share with others.
Very useful app for office going people travelling in common bus / cab, car pool (knowing location of car), parents tracking childs school bus, sharing location to loved ones etc.
Dont worry about privacy anymore. You control when your location gets visible to whom & for how long.
1. Location sharing: Moving Handles a. For individuals - i. Share your location on specified times daily while going to office, college or coming back to home. Just create a moving handle. Keep your parents, friends & loved ones more informed about your presence. ii. Car pooling, car location. Person driving vehicle can share location to others travelling in same vehicle. ii. Ad-hoc sharing location to others this is like sharing location to friend for next 30 mins while on way to his home etc. iii. Share / track location with friends, connect with your family members while they travel to office etc. iv. Long duration usage supported. Track for 6-8 hrs with battery optimized mode (settings) b. For office going people - i. Cab or bus riders can create a moving handle group and let everyone know location of cab. No need to call to know, how far are you! Just search & follow moving handle! ii. For corporate - Using platform paid build, they can setup centralized monitoring consoles & location sharing system with other advanced features. For details please write to firstname.lastname@example.com
c. For Schools - Schools can easily use the platform to inform parents about bus location. Just create a moving handles for each bus with a name (that parents will search), select days & time that bus location should be visible. Make it public with approval. Ask parents to search and follow.
d. For Restaurants i. Share location of food delivery person with end consumer. ii. Paid version with more advance features is available. For details please write to firstname.lastname@example.com. Location Management - Save location, associate pictures to make them more real and share location with others. "Fixed Handle" is integrated with google maps & helps in navigating to the location.
Individuals can discover locations, search nearby locations (shops, restaurants etc). Our location database is evolving fast, so please dont mind if you do not see locations in your city.
For business owners (Offices, schools, Shops) - you may capture your shop, business etc & post it for free as public fixed handle. Use "Search Nearby Location" page to capture new businesses.
We would generate a unique id, that can be searched & resolved to exact location. No need to have app for this. Generate web URL from app share feature & share it with others.
3. Contribute back to society - Geo Handles team will regularly launch social campaign. Contribute by capturing location, take pictures & answer few questions in "More (optional)" section while creating "Fixed Handle". We will try our best to take this data to authorities. Follow us on peoplefabric.com for more.
Detailed & updated help is maintained at http://dgpulse.com/user_guide.pdf
FAQs - dgpulse.com/faq.html
Visit - http://dgpulse.com/ or http://geohandles.com
Its a free app, if you like our utility app, please give good ratings.
Feel free to share feedback email@example.com


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Nanoparticles reboot blood flow in brain after injury
August 27, 2012
A nanoparticle developed at Rice University and tested in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) may bring great benefits to the emergency treatment of brain-injury victims, even those with mild injuries, including stroke.
"This might be a first line of defense against reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are always overstimulated during a medical trauma, whether that be to an accident victim or an injured soldier," said Rice chemist and co-author James Tour, Rice's T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry as well as a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science. "They're certainly exacerbated when there's trauma with massive blood loss."
Background: serious risks from brain injuries
In a traumatic brain injury, cells release an excessive amount of an ROS known as superoxide (SO) into the blood. Superoxides are toxic free radicals (molecules with one unpaired electron) that the immune system normally uses to kill invading microorganisms. Healthy organisms balance SO with superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme that neutralizes it. But even mild brain trauma can release superoxides at levels that overwhelm the brain's natural defenses.
"Superoxide is the most deleterious of the reactive oxygen species, as it's the progenitor of many of the others," Tour said. "If you don't deal with SO, it forms peroxynitrite and hydrogen peroxide. SO is the upstream precursor to many of the downstream problems."
SO affects the autoregulatory mechanism that manages the sensitive circulation system in the brain. Normally, vessels dilate when blood pressure is low and constrict when high to maintain an equilibrium, but a lack of regulation can lead to brain damage beyond what may have been caused by the initial trauma.
Combined polyethylene glycol-hydrophilic carbon clusters (PEG-HCC), which are already being tested to enhance cancer treatment, are also antioxidants. In animal studies, injections of PEG-HCC during initial treatment after an injury helped restore balance to the brain's vascular system.
A PEG-HCC infusion that quickly stabilizes blood flow in the brain would be a significant advance for emergency care workers and battlefield medics, said Tour.
In tests, the researchers found PEG-HCC nanoparticles immediately and completely quenched superoxide activity and allowed the autoregulatory system to quickly regain its balance. Tour said ROS molecules readily combine with PEG-HCCs, generating "an innocuous carbon double bond, so it's really radical annihilation. There's no such mechanism in biology."
While an SOD enzyme can alter only one superoxide molecule at a time, a single PEG-HCC about the size of a large protein at 2–3 nanometers wide and 30–40 nanometers long can quench hundreds or thousands.
"This is the most remarkably effective thing I've ever seen," Kent said. "Literally within minutes of injecting it, the cerebral blood flow is back to normal, and we can keep it there with just a simple second injection. In the end, we've normalized the free radicals while preserving nitric oxide (which is essential to autoregulation). These particles showed the antioxidant mechanism we had previously identified as predictive of effectiveness."
Kent said the nanoparticles as tested showed no signs of toxicity, but any remaining concerns should be answered by further tests. The researchers found the half-life of PEG-HCCs in the blood – the amount of time it takes for half the particles to leave the body – to be between two and three hours. Tests with different cell types in vitro showed no toxicity, he said.
The research has implications for stroke victims and organ transplant patients as well, Tour said.
The research was funded by the Department of Defense's Mission Connect Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Consortium, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
- Brittany R. Bitner, Daniela C. Marcano, Jacob M. Berlin, Roderic H. Fabian, Leela Cherian, James C. Culver, Mary E. Dickinson, Claudia S. Robertson, Robia G. Pautler, Thomas A. Kent, James M. Tour, Antioxidant Carbon Particles Improve Cerebrovascular Dysfunction Following Traumatic Brain Injury, ACS Nano, 2012, DOI: 10.1021/nn302615f


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Wharton India Economic forum to define 'global Indian'March 20th, 2008 - 12:22 pm ICT by admin
By Arun Kumar
Washington, March 20 (IANS) Former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and venture capitalist Vinod Dham, considered the father of the Intel Pentium microprocessor, will be keynote speakers at this year's Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF). The theme of the 12th such conference, to be held Saturday in Philadelphia, is 'India Imagine'. It will serve as a platform for thought-leaders, professionals and policy makers to define their perception of the global Indian and discuss the wave of new imagination that is spurring the nouveau Indian to create unprecedented opportunities.
WIEF's goal is to raise awareness of issues India continues to face as a leading emerging market country and to raise awareness of the WIEF platform as it attracts some of the top business, political and other thought leaders of India, the organisers said.
Over the last two years WIEF has traced the Indian growth story exploring themes such as 'India's Mantra for Success' and 'Realising the Indian Dream'.
Today, WIEF seeks to assess all the different issues that India may face on its continued journey towards becoming an economic powerhouse.
From development to healthcare and mass retail to investments, participants will explore India with her leaders, WIEF said.
India continues to be a story of dramatic growth, even in an increasingly gloomy economic environment, the forum said. It has travelled an extraordinary path to emerge stronger and prouder than envisaged 62 years ago. Today, 1.1 billion Indians can shape India's future, using their collective imagination, according to the forum.
Speakers will discuss topics like India's New Mandate: Addressing the Health Care Paradox; Mass Retail: Getting Organized to Grow Too Soon?; The Indian Diaspora; Investing in India: The Maturation Process, What's Next?; Infrastructure: No Longer an Achilles Heel of Growth; India's Unprivileged Majority: The Real Development Story; and Technology's role in the New Indian Economy.
Prominent speakers include K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India, Suneeta Reddy, Director-Finance, Apollo Hospital Enterprises, Ltd, Sant Chatwal, President and CEO, Hampshire Hotels & Resorts, LLC, Heramb Hajarnavis, Goldman Sachs PIA, Ranjit Pandit, Managing Director, General Atlantic Partners LLC, and Zubin Dubash, India Head, Merrill Lynch Private Equity.
Neelam Deo, Consul General of India, New York, Nasser Munjee, Chairman, Development Credit Bank Ltd, Shanta Devarajan, Chief Economist, World Bank's South Asia Region, Vikram Akula, CEO and Founder, SKS Microfinance, Sunil Dutt, Country Head, Samsung Mobile India, and Y.V. Verma, Director (HR and Management Support), LG Electronics India Pvt Ltd will also attend.
The 12th annual WIEF is supported by Merrill Lynch, LG Electronics, Jet Airways and The India Cements Ltd. Panels are supported by Cisco Systems, Bank of India and the Khubchandani Group.
WIEF continues to be recognized as the premier student-run conference that annually brings together over 500 professionals, faculty and students to share their views and take action on the economic, social and political issues impacting India.
Over the years, WIEF has attracted several prominent speakers including P. Chidambaram, Rajat Gupta, Rahul Bajaj, Anil Ambani, Henry Paulson, Frank Wisner, N.R Narayana Murthy, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Shashi Tharoor, Arshad Zakaria, Sunil Mittal and Mukesh Ambani.
The first collegiate school of business established in 1881, Wharton continues its heritage of innovation in an exciting environment that generates the ideas and knowledge that transform global business, the organisers said.
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