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Policing, Regime Change, and Democracy: Reflections from the Case of Mexico.
This paper explores the experience of attempts to mount new policing operations and restore order in post-revolutionary Mexico, with the aim of generating policy insights for contemporary countries experiencing regime change, and in particular Iraq. It describes how and why the challenges of policing regime change in post-dictatorship Mexico laid the foundation for that country's descent into chaos. Central to this process were the problems engendered by trade-offs between democracy and public security, whereby the privileging of attempts to secure the latter over the former ultimately worked against both, producing further police corruption and abuse of power. More generally, the paper seeks to understand which organisational, political, and societal conditions are more or less likely to lead to the establishment of stable, professional, and non-partisan police who in turn play a positive role in facilitating democratic regime change. The experience of Mexico suggests that the more a new regime needs to count on citizen militias with their own political, ethnic, and religious exclusivities, as opposed to professional police with a commitment to non-partisan social inclusion, the worse the societal fragmentation and the greater the likelihood of persistent violence. The paper concludes that in situations where new regimes have been born out of violent conflict it might be unwise to rush into constitutional reforms that enhance and set in stone police powers. While putting off the task of constitution-making may prolong the effort to establish the foundations for democracy, the question is which elements of the constitution should be dealt with right now, and which might wait until a more propitious moment. In Iraq, a focus on building state institutions and making them accountable, transparent, and pluralistic is likely to provide a more fruitful way forward at this stage than constitutionally enhancing greater police powers.
Working Paper No. 22 (series 2), 2007, London, UK; Crisis States Research Centre, 27 pp.
Policing, Regime Change, and Democracy: Reflections from the Case of Mexico.


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Understanding ONENESS- We are all Connected
I want humanity to know oneness. It sounds complicated at first, but it is simple and will change your life forever. It did for me. Oneness is more than a concept. It's an experience and a way of living. In every culture throughout time there have been saints, mystics, sages, shamans and prophets who have come to the same conclusion: all things in this world are deeply interconnected and ultimately are only diverse expressions of the one original source energy. This was the essential experience and conviction of most of the worlds' religious founding leaders. They called the Oneness of… Read more.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Hi, On my G1, I bought and used, and loved, the camera zoom app. So when I bought this MyTouch and I put my sims card in it, thank god it saved all my paid apps from the app store. cuz It was at least like 50 bucks worth of apps. Well to the point, I installed it on my, Mytouch, and it just crashes on startup everytime. Does anyone else use this app and is expriencing this problem, even if your not please let me know, so I know if it's a problem with my phone or perhaps the app needs an upgrad to work with mytouch, I'm not sure, Thanks for reading, and or replying, Knot.


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Uncle Tom's Trail View Photos
Meet 2 travelers, 4 tour guides and discover 2,238 photos
Today Uncle Tom's Trail is very different from the simple trail used by Mr. Richardson and his visitors. It is still, however, a very strenuous walk into the canyon. The trail drops 500 feet (150 m) in a series of more than 300 stairs and paved inclines.
View Uncle Tom's Trail View guide >
Category:Viewpoints in Wyoming, Picnic Spots in WyomingReferences: 329943, 1863417


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1) One Good Thing: We're saying goodbye to our awesome prac student today (who I'll call "D" for anonymity's sake.) D has been great fun to work with – he's worked hard, asked questions, brought in ideas. Moreover he's been very nice on a social level too, he's a good conversationalist with a good sense of humour and he's been fun to hang out with. Probably the most fun prac student we've had here in a number of years (like, the last 3 years probably). I hope D keeps an eye out for opportunities here once he graduates (if they ever actually come up) since I can easily say I'd be more than happy to work with him again. (Please note: it's not D leaving that's a good thing. It's having had him work with us. I swear.)
2) One Bad Thing: I'm currently drafting a collection retention policy for my subject area. It's brain-churning hard work, because while I've done collection development based on textbooks and research areas for the last 4 years, when it comes to "keep or pulp" for my collection I have NO idea about long-term importance of works. I have NO idea of key theorists. Paranoia is setting in!!
3) One Thing I Learned: Shorter is not necessarily easier.
Drove to training for scouts a couple of weeks ago. Pulled up my trusty Google Map, and also a Whereis.com.au map for comparison (because I'm a good librarian and need to view a variety of sources to ensure accuracy of information 🙂 ). Worked out the quickest route there – 35 minutes, cutting through a couple of northern outer-city suburbs. Easy, right?
35 minutes turned into 90 minutes – of getting stuck on a highway I hadn't known existed, of roundabouts that weren't really roundabouts, of closures for roadworks, of streets that apparently changed names but didn't in real life, of unexpected turn-offs, of "veer lefts" which weren't veers at all leaving me wondering if I'd done the wrong thing. It was, in short, a nightmare, a torrent of tears and bad language. I'm not the most confident of drivers in unknown territory, to be fair, but this was truly an awful drive.
Anyway, I have to go again to roughly the same location tonight. Again, I got my Google Map and Whereis map. This time, I choose a slightly longer option. I studied it. I tweaked it a little in the beginning to take me along streets I know how to drive on. It goes into the city and then out again. It has 3 – count 'em, 3 – turn-offs only. And sure, it's 50 minutes, not 35. But I'm not in a breathe-in-a-paper bag fit over it this time. As Effie used to say, "Happy Days".


text: With more than seventy-five percent of the population under the age of thirty-five, Iran remains one of the youngest, and most Western-seeking countries in the Middle East. As many young Iranians try to gain more freedom in the way they dress or interact with the opposite sex, this is all done with the threat of persecutions, both legally and socially. While the world may not realise, small acts of defiance can be seen everyday. For example, youth women put on a bit more makeup, wear more colorful clothing, reveal bare arms, push their headscarves further back or involve themselves in relationship, and enjoy the taste of alcohol or 'banned substance' behind closed doors. These are all done in attempts to move away from socially defined roles and expectations, and choose a life based on individual choice. Highlighting the personality and determination of this generation in subtle and quiet ways, 'Beyond the Veil' captures a window into this disobedience both behind closed doors and on the streets of Tehran. This project not only explores the 'veil' in its literal sense of the word, the Hijab, but also as the curtain that delicately separates public and private lives of Iranians. In times when politicians speak of isolation and aggression, this project offers the Western audience a rare and unique view into the lives of ordinary people living in Iran today. (2010-16)


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SOLD OUT - Contact Eats and Beats for future events
Following the success of our sold out first event last September we're back again with more fresh flavours, a rooftop venue and a collection of some of London's best live performers breaking into the scene.
Eats & Beats" is a tribute to our love of good food, drink and live music. The event will be hosted by Remel London (Radio DJ BBC 1xtra and TV Host) and with international DJ Mercedes Benson on the decks.
Cocktail Hour by Rum Boxx
A range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are also available.
Feeding your tastebuds will be Ranette Prime of Love Loretta's Kitchen (www.lovelorettaskitchen.com), who has been featured by the Evening Standard (2016), sponsored by Sainsbury's and was the winner of the Guardian's Recipe Swap 2014.
Live entertainment provided by eclectic talent. You won't want to miss!
Plus a DJ spinning all night
We're throwing this fun-filled event to raise money for Women for Women International (www.womenforwomen.org.uk) who help women survivors of war rebuild their lives.


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摄影师Walter Niedermayr 1952年出生于意大利博尔扎诺,以拍摄大画幅风景照而著称。
Walter Niedermayr is an Italian photographer who lives and works in his hometown of Bolzano. His large-scale, multipanel photographs present the expansive Alps in a modernist take on the sublime landscape. In documenting man's relationship with nature, Niedermayr takes daylong climbs to portray the terrain "from the point of view of the mountains themselves."


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Photo taken from http://ndp.org.sg/highlights/
Hi everyone,
Time flies very fast... This coming 9th of August, we will be celebrating our
Nation's 48th Birthday!!
And for our Muslim friends its a double celebration. Hari Raya Puasa falls on the eve of National Day!!
So what is your wish for Singapore?
What do you look forward to?
Share with us your thoughts...
Meanwhile enjoy the theme song for NDP 2013, entitled One Singapore.
Let's sing along.....Enjoy......


text: I can't seem to find a topic covering this so I will post here. Does anyone know how the Motorola Droid determines which of two joined contacts gets picked as the name of the new joined contact. I can not for the life of me figure out how it makes the priority determination. Sometimes it picks the first contact you open sometimes it picks the second. I thought maybe it picked the one with a phone number but that does not seem to be the case either as it will sometimes pick a FB contact with no phone number over a gmail contact with a phone number. I have tried joining and then breaking apart some contacts and then re-joining them in a different but it always picks the same name to go first. Just as an example if I have two contacts John Doe and John D and I join them it does not matter if I start with John Doe or John D it always picks the same one as the name of the joined contact. Any ideas? It would be nice to know which one it was going to pick as the final name before the joining was done. Thanks


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The Mayor of London wants you to stay up late. Stay up late for the Lates October season. He wanted you to cut back on sleep and catch up on culture back in May when the first Lates season was launched, now it's October, he wants you to check out the things you miss during the day in the big museums and galleries.
Have you been meaning to see something at any of the following places: The Barbican, British Museum, ICA, Museum of London, Museum of Docklands, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Hayward Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, V&A, Whitechapel Gallery, BFI IMAX? All are taking part in Lates so you can enjoy exhibitions and special events after work instead of 20 minutes slots between tourists and squealing kids on weekends.
Because it's Halloween month too, this October Lates season is awash with the weird and wonderful: on Friday 26 October, the V&A is hosting Dark and Digital, a very special, very late night of torchlit tours around the galleries, storytelling for grown-ups, performances and music. On Halloween night itself the ICA is going to fully immerse brave audiences into the Ear Cinema . Otherwise, as an ideal alternative date, head to the Barbican for all things sexy and seductive, which seems to be the theme there this month.
If that's all too much and you want someone else to kickass for you, the BFI IMAX is running the first ever Bourne trilogy all-nighter, which we imagine would give you more adrenaline than a bungee jump into a vat of espresso. Which is great because you can use that energy rush to get round all the other venues taking part in the Lates October season and enjoy London's finest arts and culture by moonlight. No sleep until November!
Lates, venues across London, until the end of October. For full listings and further information, go to the Lates website here.


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Contact Us
Department of Psychology
Penbryn 5
Penglais Campus
Aberystwyth University
Tel: +44 (0) 1970 628444
Fax: +44 (0) 1970 628781
Email: email@example.com
How to Find Psychology and Penbryn 5
Penbryn 5 is home to the Psychology and Education department. Psychology is located on the ground and first floors
Getting to Penbryn 5 from the entrance of Penglais campus:
- From the campus entrance, go on and past the campus' reception.
- Walk on until you reach the first crossroad - turn left and start walking up the hill.
- You will pass by TaMed Da, one of the campus restaurants. Keep walking up the path until you reach the first crossroad.
- Go left here. Walk for about 10-20 meters.
- Go down the very first path on the left side of the road.
- Walk along the path: it leads directly to the entrance of Penbryn 5, the Psychology and Education departments' building.


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Back again today with some more stamping....
For this card I have used Paula Pascual Christmas tree stamp set, Distress ink Fired brick and Walnut stain, Spellbinder nestabilities Labels 15, Kraft, white and red cardstock.
Another nice and simple card with a stamp set that can be used not only at Christmas but all year round.
Short and sweet for me this morning and I'm back to cutting out my class. Have a great Monday and I'll be back!


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Fredericksburg Spring Home Show
The Fredericksburg Spring Home Show, at the Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, traditionally marks the start of Spring. This annual Spring Home Show and always features the latest trends in home and garden design and advice from the area's top home related professionals. The Expo Center will be transformed into a virtual Landscape Oasis. You will be able to walk through the Landscapes, see the fish in the ponds, listen to the waterfalls, pick out your new fire pit or imagine the outdoor entertainment area of your dreams. About 200 exhibitors will be showcasing their newest and best products to service your house. Just about every facet of the home industry from basement to roof, inside and outside are represented. Get out of the house and be inspired at the Fredericksburg Spring Home Show.
For more information and to order discounted tickets in advance visit the show website: www.fredericksburgspringhomeshow.com
At Door: $10 ,Online:$9,
Senior (60+): $9, Online $8
Senior Tickets are $5 on Friday ONLY. available at the Door only.
Kids Free


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|Message view
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|"Kristian Waagan (JIRA)" <j...@apache.org>
|[jira] [Updated] (DERBY-5764) Make DatabaseMetaDataTest more robust wrt changes made by other tests
|Mon, 18 Jun 2012 06:20:42 GMT
[ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/DERBY-5764?page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:all-tabpanel ] Kristian Waagan updated DERBY-5764: ----------------------------------- Attachment: derby-5764-3b-add_test_case_schema_null.diff No, one of the checks can go away. When modifying the code in for patch 3a I considered printing missing or extra rows, but ended up not doing it. I've removed the last check in patch 3b. > Make DatabaseMetaDataTest more robust wrt changes made by other tests > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Key: DERBY-5764 > URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/DERBY-5764 > Project: Derby > Issue Type: Improvement > Components: Test > Affects Versions: 10.9.1.0 > Reporter: Kristian Waagan > Assignee: Kristian Waagan > Priority: Minor > Fix For: 10.10.0.0 > > Attachments: derby-5764-1a-upgraderun_cleanup.diff, derby-5764-2a-specify_schema.diff, derby-5764-3a-add_test_case_schema_null.diff, derby-5764-3b-add_test_case_schema_null.diff > > > The subset of tests from DatabaseMetaDataTest being run as part of the upgrade tests is sensitive to changes in the database made by other tests. For instance, adding tables with foreign keys will make the test fail due to extra rows in system tables. > Usually this could be solved by using a single-use db wrapper of some sort, but in the upgrade tests the database will be booted several times with different versions of Derby and the data needs to be preserved between some of these boots. -- This message is automatically generated by JIRA. If you think it was sent incorrectly, please contact your JIRA administrators: https://issues.apache.org/jira/secure/ContactAdministrators!default.jspa For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira
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Two police officers shot; suspected shooter killed near Seattle
BREMERTON, Wash. (KOMO) - Two Bremerton police officers were wounded and a suspected shooter killed in a gun battle early Sunday morning.
The officers were rushed to Harrison Hospital. Their conditions have not been released.
Police say the incident began at 1:16 a.m. in a parking lot at Lions Park off Lebo Boulevard and Hefner Avenue. The officers approached a 53-year-old Bremerton man who was in the front driver's seat of an SUV. He was believed to have violated a domestic violence protection order.
Police say initial reports are that the man opened fire on both officers. One officer was shot at least twice in the abdomen, and the other was hit in the waist.
The officers returned fire and killed the man, police said.
A 911 call of shots fired went out at 1:20 a.m.
The Kitsap Critical Incident Response Team (KCIRT) has been activated, in which area agencies respond to conduct a comprehensive and objective investigation of the incident. The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol will be leading the investigation, assisted by Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island, and Port Orchard Police Departments.


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All in One Mastery
The Master Keys to Strength and Fitness
My most comprehensive book that covers the foundation of all my training. Perfect for beginners or people who have trained for years. Covers all the foundational info you must know and use to become stronger and more fit like progression, mental training, recovery, toughness, systems of strength and much more.
Deceptive Strength: Becoming Strong While Staying Small
Become as strong as you possibly can, without adding unnecessary muscle mass. Learn 25 keys to follow to attain this goal. Covers tons of exercises with bodyweight, barbells, kettlebells, hand stand and much more.
The Indestructible Body
Broken down into all the joints and areas of the body, this course isn't just about mobility, flexibility or strength but a combination of them all. Includes bodyweight and weighted exercises, plus plenty of unconventional movements you've never seen before. Great for prehab and rehab to build an indestructible body.
Listening to Your Body Mastery
Beyond Biofeedback: The 4 Levels of Intuitive Training
"Listen to your body" is an often quoted phrase. But HOW do you do that? This step-by-step course leads you through the four levels of biofeedback training, from beginner, to testing, to feeling, to knowing. A must learn skill for greater progress and to avoid injury.
Intuitive Mobility
A 6-module video course that takes you from complete beginner to advanced when it comes to mobility. Features follow along routines for building the basics, positional mobility, and how to become intuitive with your mobility practice. Bonus module covers how to use this method to fix injuries and pain.
Skills Mastery
Practicing Strength and Movement
Your in-depth guide to how "strength is a skill" and the many ways you can apply this to gain physical skill, or really any skill, far faster than most. Packed with drills that can give you instant increases this book can take you far…
Bodyweight Mastery
Building Strength
The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups
This book covers everything you could possibly need to know on one of the greatest exercises, the handstand pushup. Whether you are working up to your first rep or are doing them full-range you'll be able to get stronger with this book.
The Ultimate Guide to Pullups and Chin-ups
This guide to the great bodyweight exercise pullups covers five main topics. You'll learn how to work up to your first rep, adding many more reps, adding weight, tons of variations and master the one arm chinnup.
The Ultimate Guide to Bodyweight Squats and Pistols 2nd Edition
Learn how to gain a full range of motion in the bodyweight squat. Discover several variations and how to work up to hundreds or even beyond 1000 reps in a single set. Go further by achieving your first pistol then well beyond it, adding more reps, explosiveness and weighted. Find out how to do the shrimp squat, dragon pistol and figure 4 squat. New 2nd edition includes complete book and video program.
The Ultimate Guide to Bodyweight Ab Exercises
If you want to be strong anywhere you must have a strong core. Learn all about the two best bodyweight exercises to develop it, the ab wheel rollout and hanging leg raise. Tons of progressions to master these moves and many more.
The Ultimate Guide to Bodyweight Conditioning
Master the use of your bodyweight to build conditioning and endurance. From hill sprints to jump rope, squats and jumps to circuit training, you'll learn how to progressively build your anaerobic and aerobic ability in this book.
Stand Up Challenge
Find out 52+ ways of getting down and up off the floor in ever more complex ways that will challenge your strength, flexibility, and coordination. Discover how you can do these Stand Up flows…and how it's even proven to help you live longer!
Front and Back Lever Training
This video covers everything you need to know to get started with lever training, and move all the way up to the complete position and even beyond. Each move is broken down into simple steps, plus you'll find additional exercises, techniques and methods of training.
Hand Balancing and Acrobatics
Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start System – Beginner Level
A step-by-step system utilizing lead-up stunts and assistance exercises that will lead you to holding a freestanding handstand faster than anything else. Nothing else will get you into a freestanding handstand faster!
Learn How to Back Flip in 31 Days
Learn several different methods you can use to master this most amazing of acrobatic skills. With equipment and spotters or without you'll find out here.
Bridging Exercises
Advanced Bridging Course
The complete A-to-Z course on bridging skills including the wrestler's bridge, gymnast bridge and more. Build strength, flexibility and acrobatic skill.
Muscle Control
Master Muscle Control
Maxick and several of his contemporaries attributed their great strength to the art and science of muscle control. Gain complete control of your muscles as you contract and relax them giving you greater strength and health. The first ever video course on how to do muscle control.
Kettlebell Mastery
Beginner and Next Level Kettlebell Training Workshop Videos
Videos from a two-part workshop, beginner and advanced, that I did along with Forest Vance, RKC2.Get the basic skills down to start training with kettlebells, then master advanced methods of pressing, snatching, juggling and more. Available in digital and DVD format.
The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling 2.0
Almost 10 hours of video training information giving you everything you ever wanted to know about throwing around kettlebells with ease. From the most basic flips to advanced moves like bottoms up juggling, overhead moves, double kettlebell juggling and more.
Kettlebell Snatch Domination
Discover the system to building speed, explosiveness and fat loss with the kettlebell snatch from one of the few people to ever break 300 reps in 10 minutes with a 24kg bell. This 3 DVD set covers everything you could ever want to know on the kettlebell snatch.
Strongman Mastery
Strengthen Your Structure
The book and video set guide you through how to strength train your structure, your bones, tendons, ligaments and joints, which goes far beyond conventional and even most unconventional training. Five series of exercises including partials/supports, carrying exercises, barbell levers, bodyweight levers and holdouts are covered from A to Z.
Performing Feats of Strength
Feats of Strength: How to Train and Perform Like an Oldtime Strongman
In partnership with Bud Jeffries we developed the most complete information on doing Feats of Strength. This covers steel bending, card tearing, phonebook tearing and much more. You'll discover the techniques for all these exercises, how to train them, and what it takes to put on an amazing show.
Oldtime Strongmen
Arthur Saxon Power Pack
Learn from The Iron Master Arthur Saxon who put 370 lbs. overhead with a single arm in the bent press. That's a weight most people can't lift off the ground with both arms. Discover his training methods, exercises and much more in this jam packed 3 DVD, 2 CD, and 2 Book course.
The Mystery of the Iron Samson
Learn the training methods of Alexander Zass, the Iron Samson, as you read about his travels in life as a performing strongman, circus performer and four time prisoner of way camp escapee. This unique book has been translated from the Russian for the first time into English.
Strongman Books
Want even more from the oldtime strongmen like George F. Jowett, Earle Liederman, Bernarr MacFadden, Edward Aston, George Hackenschmidt, Bob Hoffman and many more? Check out this resource to find tons of their books on Amazon.
Health Mastery
101 Simple Steps to Radiant Health
101 simple things you can start doing today that help you have increased health, longevity and performance. Short, simple and immediately applicable to your lifestyle.
101 Advanced Steps to Radiant Health
The sequel to the original with 101 all new and more advanced steps you can start doing today to gain increased health, longevity and performance.
Upgrade Your Health Series
The Upgrade Your Health Series is about diving deep onto one topic of health and nutrition and detailing the best ideas on how to UPGRADE that area for you. Its not really about whether you're doing the right thing or the wrong thing. More often than not its not black and white.
Instead, starting from where you're at, whether super healthy already or not, you can make a series of steps and practices that will move you in the right direction step by step. By doing so your health gets better and better all the time.
With each Upgrade Your Health guide we dive deep into research and all the components of the topic at hand. This is more detail concentrated in one place than you'll find just about anywhere else. And then we wrap it up with an simple to use ACTION PLAN for you to follow. Whether you make one change or ten this will help you optimize this single area of health for the better.
- Upgrade Your Testosterone
- Upgrade Your Growth Hormone
- Upgrade Your Vitamins
- Upgrade Your Water
- Upgrade Your Fat
- Upgrade Your Sleep
- Upgrade Your Breath
Recovery Mastery
Ultimate Recovery Formula
This 7 part video series and manual covers everything you need to know to boost your recovery and optimize it. But that's not all. A special less than 8 minute hypnotic track speeds up your recovery ability even further.
Mental Mastery
Mental Muscle: How to Use the Full Power of Your Mind to Develop Superhuman Strength
My magnum opus of mental training. It's the book I wish had been around when I started in training, but it wasn't so I wrote it…after years of study and experimentation.
Mental Muscle Training Intensive
Take the concepts from Mental Muscle much deeper with this complete workshop course with new, updated training. It's tough to learn mental training from a book…but a complete video course with workbook is another matter.
15 Fitness Maximizer Follow-Along Hypnotic Audios
All you have to do is simply "Press Play" and follow along on these audios. It is that easy to tap into the power of your mind where you can gain bigger and faster improvements, and make getting results easier too. Buy a single track or get all fourteen, covering:
- Strength
- Endurance
- Flexibility
- Skill & Technique
- Muscle Gain
- Fat Loss
- Mental Toughness
- Health & Anti-Aging
- Pain Free Movement
- Mind-Muscle Connection
- Winning Competition
- Testosterone (for Men)
- Sexual Performance (for Men)
- Sleep
- Confidence
Berzerker State: Psyching Up for Strength and Sports
Going deeper into the art of psyching (including when you DON'T want to use it) than anywhere else. Nine methods are covered which can be stacked together for even more power.


text:
Published at Saturday, 07 April 2018. Fishing Reels. By Evdokiya Lidiya.
Proper Lubrication. Proper reel maintenance includes lubricating all moving parts such as bearings spool spindles and gears. You should lubricate lightly however and do not use heavy oil or grease. These can gum up or leave a residue that can inhibit movement of the bearings and other close-tolerance parts. Fine light lubricants such as Rem Oil or Blakemore′s Reel Magic Lubricant are excellent choices. Despite advice you may get to the contrary do not use WD-40 or Vaseline to lubricate any of your reel parts. These work well for many applications but they′re not good for reels. Most manufacturers recommend that you re-lubricate your reel on at least a monthly basis – more often with heavy use. At the very least lubricate everything once during each season you′ll be fishing.
Outside of situations like those just keep an eye on your line and change it out when it fades frays or doesn′t feel as supple as it was when new. Like maintaining a reel keeping good-quality fishing line on your reels is key to your success. Tatty line might land a panfish or small bass without problem only to break when you set the hook in that fish of a lifetime.
Start each trip with a thorough cleaning. Gently rinse each reel to remove salt particles. Don′t loosen the drags yet and don′t use a lot of water pressure either to prevent forcing salt and dirt into internal components. If possible wash reels with warm soapy fresh water to remove salt body oils blood and dirt. Remove the skirted spool (and drag knob if necessary) and clean the underside of the spool and the spindle area. Next rinse the entire reel again with a gentle spray and let them air dry or pat with a towel or chamois. Next loosen the drag knob to remove pressure so the washers don′t become compressed and warped.
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text:
May 28
The fast supper
When I saw this picture I thought what a great sculpture. It's one of my favourite fast food.
I thought the title was interesting, it made me think of a painting my grandparents have on their wall of the Last Supper, which symbolises the last meal.
It looks like the sculpture is made from papier- Mache it's got these giant hands coming out of a wall holding a hamburger. I think the sculpture is trying to send the message of let a fast food burger be your last enjoyable meal.
Just looking at this picture is making me hungry. "I'm out of here, going to get a burger."


text:
There is a mini-bus shuttle service available to the airport.
Madoupa Boutique Hotel5 Stars
Vrisi Region, Mykonos Ring Road - 84600 - Mykonos,
View Map
Area: Megali Ammos
- Jump to:
- Services
Property Location With a stay at Madoupa Boutique Hotel in Mykonos, you'll be convenient to Megali Ammos Beach and Windmills of Mykonos. This 5-star hotel is within close proximity of Fabrica Square and Agricultural Museum.Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 25 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators. Rooms have private furnished balconies. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with bathtubs or showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.Business, Other Amenities A ferry terminal shuttle is provided at no charge during limited hours, and free self parking is available onsite.
TripAdvisor vote: 3.5/5 Based on 83 guest reviews
Hotel facilities
- Shuttle bus to/from airport
Hotels nearby
Mikonos Town
Zone: Mykonos
Distance from the hotel: 417 m
price from 297 €
Vrissi Mykonos
Zone: Megali Ammos
Distance from the hotel: 156 m
Zone: Megali Ammos
Distance from the hotel: 355 m
Platy Village - Lemnos - 81400
Distance from the hotel: 367 m


text:
Chapter 6
Chapter 5
Chapter 4
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Chapter 1
Los Angeles is quiet after the meeting. The streets seem calmer as the coterie ponders the repercussions of all that transpired and was said.
Arriving back at the haven they notice a rather obvious large black 1970's Mercedes parked out front. It is immediately obvious to Dimitri who it belongs to. It seems his ghoul has arrived from the motherland.
Inside, Zhaba does his best to entertain Topor and Ludmila, but they don't seem very receptive to his brand of humour, although the vodka seems to be going down easily. Dimitri quickly introduces his associates but wastes no time debriefing them. His ghoul Ludmila, a grotesque parody of femininity, smiles politely but insincerely. And Topor, a grizzled, stern looking Russian man, shows Dimitri the substantial arms shipment he has brought with him. It is clear that Dimitri is planning something large and deadly.
Not long after they arrive, Ludmila corners her dormitor, and humbly requests to be fed some of his glorious blood. He relents, slicing his wrist for her. She crumples weakly to the ground in a state of bliss.
Dimitri receives a phone call from Oyabun Shiraywa, to confirm that transfer of the domain of Little Armenia has been confirmed by the Primogen Council, and he is now free to do as he pleases as per their agreement.
Meanwhile, Khalid spends a few hours decrypting the files he got from the Yakuza hack and discovers some disturbing information. The drive he manages to decode contains vast lists of shipping data, manifests and illegal shipping to and from the port of Long Beach. One thing stands out in particular: an oil tanker registered to a fake holding company in Mexico City, called the "Sub Rosa". Khalid shares his findings with the coterie.
Mustafa arrives at the haven to discuss some disturbing news concerning his former ghoul, James Khan. He explains that he is hunting Khalid, and by extension Dimitri and Mustafa too, on orders of the Assamites, who embraced him following his disappearance all those years ago.
Mustafa then proceeds to ward the haven as best he can against all manner of supernatural intrusion. He then joins Khalid in his lab to help him research rituals.
Archon DiPadua pays the coterie a visit.
The coterie discuss how to proceed with Phillipe given the circumstances, including using Calvin as bait to lure him out into the open.
Calvin goes to his downtown apartment, to clear his head and get some space. As he gazes out the window to the streets and buildings around him, he is shot. The bullet does little damage, and he immediately uses his senses to locate his would be assassin in a building down the street. He throws himself out the window and lands safely on a roof a few floors down. The hunter now becomes the hunted as Calvin finds the assassin. He corners and overpowers him with his gifts. He dominates him to betray his master, promising him 10 million dollars. The man does so, explaining that he was hired by Henry Stapleton, the father of his ex wife, out of vengeance for his daughter's death. When asked his name, he confesses his name is Adriano Tramontana.
Calvin watches Adriano turn himself into the police downtown. He confirms that Adriano implicates Henry Stapleton. The police take his statement and put him in holding pending further investigation, but Calvin has his lawyers release him until formal charges are filed. Calvin flies him out to Death Valley in his helicopter, drives him out to the middle of nowhere, and executes him. The ends justify the means. He was going to kill Calvin after all….
Later he watches Henry Stapleton get arrested and being led out of an office building on tv.
Dimitri has Zhaba assert his authority in Little Armenia by having his men capture and execute the leaders of Armenian Power, effectively taking over that territory in the name of the Bratva. This act of mass murder, as necessary as it is for his greater plans, still weighs heavily on the penitent Dimitri. He can feel the bonds of his morality slipping and eroding as the sun rises once more over the city.
We are all driven by hunger. Hunger for sustenance, hunger for success, hunger for truth. However there is one hunger that drives us more than any other. It causes us to break down barriers, climb mountains and sacrifice our own values. It is love. We all crave it, as it nourishes a part of us in a way that nothing else can.
The urban sprawl of Los Angeles breathes a sigh of relief as the sun sets once more, as the oppressive summer heat abates.
Dimitri, Khalid and Michael awaken in the communal haven downtown, and Calvin, having gone home, finds himself there.
It's been about a week since their return from the Grenadines, where they managed to recuperate from injuries and take time to assess their predicament.
Similarly, their last few nights have been spent recharging and hunting.
There is an important meeting looming with several elders of the city the following night, and it preoccupies their thoughts.
For Dimitri, however, there is another matter that needs to be taken care of, and it isn't long before he receives a phone call from the Yakuza. His meeting with the Oyabun is set for this evening, and an invitation is extended to not only Khalid, but Michael as well.
Khalid and Michael both agree to go, but Michael is uncertain of the Oyabun's intentions, and doesn't trust the situation. He places a call to Jonah Hunter, and asks him to offer some backup in case the meeting goes poorly. Jonah agrees to meet them on the way with some backup.
The three of them drive the short distance to the Oyabun's offices downtown, and are met halfway by a blacked out van and a small posse of bikers who do their best to remain incognito. Michael explain to his companions what is going on, as Reggie discovers they are being followed.
They park in the garage and are escorted by armed Yakuza soldiers to the penthouse offices. It isn't lost on any of them that these men are all ghouled.
Oyabun Takuya Shiraiwa is a welcoming and hospitable host. He offers his guests refreshments and clarifies his offer and what he hopes to gain from them in exchange. Michael, realizing there is no need for his backup to stay, gives Jonah a call once again and lets him know he can go.
He goes on to say that he suspects his rivals in the city, Salvador Garcia and MS-13 of engaging in inordinate amounts of human trafficking, beyond what he is used to seeing. He suspects that there is something foul afoot, and wants to confirm his suspicions. He needs to hack Garcia's computers, and find out where he is taking them, and then if needed, to break into whatever facility is holding these kine, and disrupt his operations.
Khalid would be needed to hack Garcia's system, as his men had been unable to penetrate the firewalls in place despite their best efforts. Michael might be needed in the event that they need to break into any secure facility, as he has experience with that sort of job.
In exchange, Dimitri would be granted territories to found his own Russian syndicate within the city.
The deal is struck and Khalid immediately goes to work on the Oyabun's computer. It doesn't take him long to discover that there is some form of Thaumaturgical protection on the target computer, and cannot be breached by regular means. He flexes his hacking skills, and after four hours of work, manages to piggy-back onto another signal to gain access.
Khalid retrieves 4 Terabytes of data from the target and hands it to the Yakuza, including the method by which to access the terminal in the future. He naturally makes himself a copy of the information.
Meanwhile at Calvin's house in Malibu, Ariane shows up at his door in a state of anxiety. He lets her in, and tries to calm her down so she can explain herself. She tells him she thinks she's being followed.
Calvin offers to take her to his cabin by Lake Arrowhead in his helicopter, being fairly sure that whomever is following her will likely not be able to follow by air. This seems to calm her down somewhat, and she gladly takes him up on his offer. Calvin starts to think that she might be delusional.
They arrive at the cabin and get settled in. Ariane makes use of the jacuzzi and starts to finally relax, making small talk with Calvin. Calvin isn't interested in small talk however, and eventually he calls Dimitri to get an idea of the situation. He explains to him where they are and insists they join them, it's not that far to fly after all.
By the time Khalid has finished his hack, the coterie is reunited once more.
Having concluded their business there, they make their way home.
The night passes without further incident, and they retire.
The following evening arrives, as does the scheduled meeting. The coterie doesn't waste any time, and and hour after sunset, makes their way to Montero's office downtown. Once there, they are escorted in to a large sterile looking conference room with a large table surrounded by chairs.
When they arrive, they see Montero, his ghoul assistant, and Arianne in the room. After some brief greetings, they choose their seats and sit down.
Soon after, the doors open, and in walk three figures, Dante Littleton, Rosalyn Jones and the Sherrif of Los Angeles Vanessa Holm. The newcomers take their seats but not before enduring some elicit scrutiny from certain members of the coterie, who wish gain some insight into whom they're dealing with. A few moments pass before the doors open again. Archon Frederico DiPadua enters quietly, not taking any efforts to disguise his rather disturbing appearance. He sits down near the coterie and seems to scan the room.
The elders in the room begin questioning Arianne about her motives.
Arianne pleads for Phillipe's life. The coterie give her a hard time, pushing her to provide some concrete answers and offer something in return, given Phillipe's actions.
Calvin pushes her for answers, and Arianne attempts to use her powerful Presence on him, but he manages to resist for a turn, quashing her hopes of silencing him. Montero, too, seems riled by the Caitiff's outspoken manner, and breach of the etiquette of the proceedings and orders him to shut up.
The other elders present, however, seem happy to watch a Caitiff ruffle the feathers of the former Archon and in so doing also show the room their lack of respect for Montero and his authority. Clearly there are personal dynamics at play here that the coterie is only witnessing for the first time.
Arianne reluctantly admits she loves her childe, and begs for clemency from DiPadua for Phillipe. She offers to bring him in so he can face justice, even going as far as to offer her life in return for Phillipe's,
Eventually Dimitri chimes in revealing that he suspects Phillipe of infernal dealings. DiPadua's ears prick up at this, and he gives a nod to Dante, who immediately enacts a Thaumaturgical ritual to immobilize Arianne instantly. The elder looks on helplessly as her body becomes utterly rigid. She is unable to move or speak. Thus gagged, She is ushered out of the room by the Sheriff.
Montero adjourns the meeting, and the others begin to excuse themselves. The coterie make their exit, but not before being pulled aside by the Nutha Archon. DiPadua requests to meet with the coterie soon to discuss their witness accounts in more detail, especially those concerning infernalism.
The hour approaches midnight. The coterie are driving south on the 405 highway to Long Beach, following a convoy of Caitiff, their ghouls, gang bangers and assorted party goers as they make their way to a rave in a disused warehouse in the dockland area.
As they approach the building, they can hear the thumping bass of the rave in full swing. Hundreds of people line the outside of the building waiting to get in. The parking lot is full of cars and milling ravers bedecked in glow-sticks and the latest fashions.
The Caitiff and their friends bypass the line rapidly and are ushered in by the bouncer, leaving the coterie outside to contemplate a course of action.
Michael decides to reconnoiter the building's exterior for alternate routes in or out. He finds several, but all seem securely sealed. He also notices the fence around the warehouse has clearly been broken open, and the CCTV cameras disabled. In the distance he recognizes the port cranes, and remembers a night a few years back where he was injured by a hand grenade.
Calvin, meanwhile, is also at the rave. He and his friend Zack came to score some drugs from a guy Zack had met once, to fully enjoy the pre-dawn skydive they have planned, but not before enjoying themselves a little in the mean time. Calvin takes to the dance floor with some girls.
It doesn't escape his notice however, when the Caitiff and their ghouls enter the rave. He decides to keep an eye on them.
Outside, Khalid has devised a way to look inside the rave without risking entering themselves. He uses his hacking skills to access the cell phones of people inside to get an idea of who's inside and where the vampires and their hangers-on are. The plan works. He spots them milling by the bar and on the dance floor nearby. To his amazement he also spots Calvin dancing.
To help narrow the search, and isolate the vampires and their phones, they open the trunk of their car where the staked Caitiff is lying, and take his phone. Khalid uses it to great effect.
While Khalid hacks the phones, Dimitri calls Zhaba, telling him to clean up the mess at the MS13 gang house they just left. Zhaba agrees and heads over there to take care of things.
Inside, it doesn't take Calvin long to sense the presence of another vampire, who is trying hard to not be noticed in the immediate vicinity. This peeks his interest, and he starts to actively search for this individual, his senses landing on the very man Zack is buying drugs from. The man looks like a big black man in casual street clothes, but he sees there is more to him. He brushes up against him surreptitiously and gets a reading off his jacket using his Auspex. The jacket is disguised. It is in fact a blood stained, dirty tweed coat. He is also suddenly overwhelmed by the sensation of hundreds of voices screaming directly in his brain as if in terror. A cacophony of anguish that sends him reeling.
Calvin decides he needs to get a closer look, so he blends in with the crowd, and gets behind his target. He arrows into his mind telepathically and discovers two morsels of information: Firstly, that he is his intended target, and secondly that his name is Phillipe.
After some deliberation, the others outside decide that the best course of action is to flush out the vampires. They decide to call the police and inform them of the illegal rave, and watch as the rats scurry. Michael calls his man in the LAPD, Gabe Andrews, and passes on the hot tip.
With the police alerted, they move their car a block away to a dark alley so they can see what happens without attracting attention.
They also call Calvin to warn him of the impending police raid and to let him know where they are. He makes his way out of the rave and joins the others in the car, leaving Zack to go his own way.
To their annoyance, it appears as though the Caitiff are warned by someone that the police are coming. They immediately disable their phones, making it harder to track their movements.
It doesn't take long for the police to arrive. They swarm the compound with multiple cars and helicopters. The ravers scatter into the night trying to evade capture, and some do so successfully.
As the police arrive, Calvin and the others gifted with Auspex keep tabs on the Caitiff inside. At first there seems to be no change, but it slowly becomes clear that their undead auras are fading. One by one they wink out, making it clear that they have met their final death. It is not clear what has killed them, but they can hazard a guess.
They keep tabs on Phillipe, to track his movements, and as they make their way out of the dock lands, they notice he is following them.
Michael suggests to the group to ambush him in a location of their choosing where they can have the advantage. He suggests somewhere open, like Bixby park in Long Beach.
They make for the park, and once there, get out of the car.
Michael helps Ariane steal a car so she can make her way back to the club to take care of the bodies from the club that were no doubt taken into police custody. She drives off to ensure the Masquerade remains upheld.
They take up positions around the park. Calvin on a fire escape on the western edge of the park to get a high vantage point. Dimitri and Khalid in cover by a park bench.
Michael decides to scout ahead into the park itself to see if the coast is clear, and is suddenly shot by a sniper. The bullet passes clean through his leg, but is a nuisance nonetheless. The implications on the snipers presence still reeling through their minds, they join battle with their unknown assailant.
Phillipe arrives at the park out of sight, and immediately makes a b-line for Calvin on the fire escape.
Calvin helps Dimitri to locate the sniper, relaying his position via their phones. Dimitri shoots and kills him with a clean shot of his Dragunov.
Suddenly Phillipe attacks Calvin on the fire escape, lunging for him.
Calvin responds by vaulting off the fire escape.
Phillipe grabs his coat and it rips, leaving Calvin dangling.
Khalid burns his face with sorcery and causes him to let go.
Calvin falls and lands deftly on his feet on the ground.
Michael, who was running towards the sniper, changes his course to help Calvin seeing that target is eliminated. He takes a running leap up to fight Phillipe on the fire escape.
Dimitri attempts to shoot Phillipe with his Dragunov, but misses.
Michael lands right next to Phillipe and blasts him with his shotgun, doing minor damage. He is rewarded for his efforts with a solid punch to the chest that sends him sailing backwards and off the fire escape. He lands roughly on his back and head, which sends him into torpor.
Meanwhile Dimitri fires at Phillipe again and misses a second time.
Calvin, now on the ground, charges towards the building where the sniper was felled, and finds the prone Ghoul lying next to his sniper's perch in a growing pool of blood, clinging on to the last threads of life, the kindred vitae in his veins seemingly refusing to let him die. Calvin bites and drains him. He uses his Auspex to discover his purpose there. He discovers the Ghoul's target is him.
Phillipe leaps off the fire escape and runs after Calvin.
Dimitri fires a third time and finally manages to hit him in the head with a sniper round, but it fails to injure him. Instead the round pancakes on his skull and falls to the floor.
Khalid tries to intercept the speeding Phillipe and misses, but manages to ignite his pants with more sorcery, causing more damage. Phillipe seemingly ignores this attack in favour of pursuing his quarry.
Phillipe dashes into the building where Calvin is still standing.
Calvin decides to exit the room through the window to regroup with Dimitri in the middle of the park, who has more guns.
he times his leap out of the window so that Phillipe doesn't see him leave, and lands safely on the ground once again.
Dimitri sees Phillipe appear in the window where Calvin just exited and shoots him.
Phillipe in turn vanishes from the window and out of the range of their collective senses, evading the coterie once again.
Taking stock, they inspect Michael's torpored form. Khalid attempts to use his Sorcery to force Michael to spend vitae in the hopes that this will heal him and induce consciousness. He does succeed in healing the wounds, draining him of all his blood in the process, but his state remains unchanged.
They decide to play it safe, and ditch their car in favour of a new one which they steal from the street. They transfer the staked Caitiff, and Michael's torpored body into the new car and flee the scene.
They drive to the communal haven Downtown without further incident, although Calvin, who is feeling a little paranoid, decides to check into a random hotel. Zhaba also returns.
The following evening they regroup and discuss options.
The staked Caitiff they brought back from the raid represents a loose end, and they decide that eliminating him is the only viable solution. They share his blood and then Calvin diablerizes him. The ensuing waves of ecstasy Calvin experiences as the final vitae fills him are beyond any rush he has experienced thus far, and he enthusiastically shares his experience with the others, regaling them endlessly with the sensations he is experiencing.
Khalid, meanwhile, attempts to contact his sire Mustafa by leaving him a message. He does not hear back from him.
Michael's torpored state makes them vulnerable. They decide to await Michael's reawakening from torpor in the relative comfort and isolation of a private island in the Caribbean. Calvin ensures the place fulfills their needs.
They spend a month on the Grenadines, relaxing, learning Sorcerous rituals, and generally engaging in some lighthearted fun at Michael's expense. Several humorous photographs are taken.
After a month, Michael finally emerges from his wound-induced slumber. The coterie, knowing full well that he will wake drained of all blood, take precautions to avoid any problems. Calvin has been stocking up small amounts of his vitae all month, and now provides a flask of it for Michael to consume. Khalid is also ready. He prepares a ritual to calm Michael's beast.
Michael rouses violently, his face distorted with bestial frenzy, his eyes blazing with rage and blood lust. Khalid immediately envokes his spell, piercing his own hand with a needle to drive the power home. Michael's beast subsides, his face returns to normal. He sees and smells the flask of vitae, and guzzles it down, sating his appetite.
The coterie whole once again, plans are rapidly made to return to LA and their business there.
They fly home on the Lear Jet provided by Calvin, and land safely in LA.
Ariane calls to inform them that in their absence the meeting with the Tremere and Archon DiPadua has finally been given a date, and is set to take place the following week.
In addition to this, Dimitri receives a phone call from Oyabun Takuya Shiraywa, who invites him and Khalid to join him for dinner to further discuss their mysterious arrangement.
The sun sets over the city. Whisps of twilight touch the last western clouds as our coterie wakes to the scents of the living world.
Khalid and Dimitri stir in their shared apartment, and Michael in his, highlighting to all that the time has come to finally resolve the issue of a communal haven for the coterie. One that will serve the needs of the group and lend itself to defense as well as luxury.
After some brief communication, the three of them meet at an In'N'Out Burger along the 10 Freeway to discuss options. They enlist the help of their lawyers and get to work. Within days, they have purchased an unassuming yet spacious older office building Downtown, nestled in between larger, more modern skyscrapers. The Building is located at 518 West 7th Street, and comes complete with a basement, three levels and internal access to a garage in the back.
They decide to invest some serious capital into renovation work, and have the place fitted with modern furnishings, security and all the comforts a vampire could desire. They even have a short tunnel made off the books that gives them direct access to an old side tunnel of the underground transit system.
They manage to accomplish this in a mere 6 days.
As the renovations are taking place, Dimitri has an old loyal friend flown in from Russia, a fellow mobster and wetwork specialist who goes by the rather appealing moniker Zhaba. If at all possible, Zhaba manages to unsettle all assembled even more than Dimitri. A herculean feat to be sure.
Having finally settled in, the group return their attentions upon their neglected thirsts, and enjoy a night of hunting to regain some sorely needed sustenance. Several hookers, gamers and drug pushers donate their precious blood to hungry lips.
By now, it is Monday the 12th of July. As the group wait to hear back from Montero concerning the meeting with the Tremere and Archon DiPadua, the doorbell rings. Security cameras reveal it to be none other than Ariane.
Michael welcomes her into their new home, asking how she found them so easily.
"I could smell you a mile away" she retorts.
She complements the group on the new place, has an awkward greeting with Zhaba, and gets right down to business.
The meeting with the Tremere is still on hold pending a reply, so Montero has asked that they look into a rather blatant breach of the Masquerade being perpetrated in the Prince's domain.
Apparently, six Caitiff have newly moved into a gang infested neighbourhood and have started lording it over a group of locals, enjoying the benefits of vampirism without the consequences. The Caitiff seem to be oblivious to the rule of Lextalionis and must be eliminated if possible, and one captured for questioning. She also mentions that due to the suspicious nature of this sudden appearance of so many Caitiff, there is a chance it might all be a trap set up by Phillipe de Lyon. Caution is in order.
The Coterie, with Ariane and Zhaba in tow, make their way to the low income suburb of Gardena, deep in MS 13 territory, where the Caitiff are holed up.
After scouting the place, they discover a party in full swing. Loud music, booze, easily 50 people in and around the property, and several armed ghouls bearing MS 13 gang markers. Clearly these people are not helpless. Using Auspex and Khalid's ingenious surveillance techniques They discover that all six vampires are within. One upstairs having sex, the others below partying.
After some discussion and planning, the coterie acts. Michael and Ariane (shrouded in shadows) guard the back of the house, Dimitri takes aim with his sniper rifle at the front door from his obfuscated position in the car, and Khalid uses his blood magic to cut the power to the entire street, instantly killing the party mood of the revelers.
The party goers seem to reach a consensus to move the festivities to an abandoned warehouse near Longbeach and begin to pile into various cars. Michael and Ariane, seeing the guards in the back leave, take the opportunity to enter the back of the house. They find two girls passed out on the furniture downstairs, and the last of the party goers filing out the front door. They sneak upstairs, where the sounds of sex continue regardless of the power outage.
Michael surprises the naked vampire by Dominating him to kneel before him, and strikes him hard across the head with his shotgun. The vampire doesn't pass out, so Ariane produces a wooden stake and impales him through the back, causing him to fall limp on the bed. At that moment, Michael is grazed by a bullet as one of the Ghouls ambushes them from the landing. Michael returns fire with his shotgun but fails to kill him. The Ghoul is wounded on the floor and attempts to continue shooting when Ariane kills him with a shot to the chest.
The majority of the revelers revving loud car engines outside, combined with music, fail to notice the gunshots upstairs, and begin driving away. One unfortunate ghoul does attempt to aid his master upstairs but is promptly shot in the head by Dimitri for his troubles, leaving him to bleed his woes out onto the hallway floor.
Michael and Ariane grab the staked vampire just as Michael notices his Obtenebration shadows have suffocated the hapless girl in the bed. Her lifeless eyes stare up at him as he flees the scene with Ariane, etching the scene in his mind for another time.
They follow the revelers to an abandoned warehouse in Longbeach, where they anticipate the proverbial shit will hit the fan.
"The night offers sanctuary. In the darkness, the faces of strangers are harder to read, the inside of your club is a mass of shadows lit only by the soft red glow emanating from the stage. The city sprawls around you, seemingly endless. LA has a way of swallowing you up. Tonight that is a good thing.
The events in Red Rock canyon have left you with many questions, a more than a few criptic answers, and a series of events to process. The ghouled teenagers, the bound children. The bonfire in the canyon. The cars. The chaos that followed the arrival of a vampire. The rabid child vampire in the van.
It was a tough situation, but handled well given the circumstances. You have a hostage, the unconscious form of the Ghoul Andrew Farley. Apparently an avid fan of Phillipe de Lyon.
You have the results of Khalid's investigations, and a duty to report what findings you have to Senechal Montero."
Calvin Queller is lounging in VIP luxury at one of his favourite clubs in LA. At 'Boulevard 3', on Sunset, they have bars in the middle of the dance floor where the barkeeper acrobat models hang suspended from the ceiling as they pour your Long Island Iced Tea. You can't argue with that. Tonight the place is packed, and as usual, he has a slew of attractive models leaning on his every word as he plies them with alcohol and charm. Unlife is good.
Ariane, (a friend, and as far as he knows, the only other one like him in the expanse of the city) approaches his VIP booth. Seeing her, he makes his apologies and tells the models to buy themselves a drink at the bar and make themselves scarce.
Ariane informs him with some urgency that she is there to rescue him. His presence, having gone unnoticed by the city's Camarilla for nigh on five years (apart from Ariane), has finally come to their attention, and they insist that he be presented with all due speed to those in charge or suffer the consequences, which Ariane assures him would be deadly.
In light of her friendship with him, she recommends to him that he meet some friends of hers (the coterie) and join their group, to offer him protection and acceptance in LA's kindred society. He reluctantly agrees to her offer, and bids his VIP booth adieu.
Ariane takes Calvin from uptown Sunset Boulevard, to the seedy underbelly of LA, in Inglewood, where Michael's strip club is located. Calvin sticks out like a sore thumb in his designer suit, but makes the best of the situation.
The coterie is in the midst of discussing the events of the previous night, when they are interrupted by Ariane and her new friend. She explains her story, and offers them a boon if they allow him to join their group. The initial meetings are mildly strained, but Calvin's easy nature and charm soon win him some points.
They decide to set up a meeting with Seneschal Montero to not only bring him up to speed on the events at Red Rock Canyon, but also to give Calvin an opportunity to make himself known, thus avoiding further offense.
Their meeting takes place at Montero's office, behind the front of a law firm on the 47th floor of the Figueroa at Wilshire. It is a serious affair. Formal introductions are made, and information is exchanged. Montero suggests to the coterie they make use of Calvin's talents, having noticed during the interview that he possessed powerful levels of Auspex. He instructs them to continue their investigation into this mysterious vampire, his sire and associates, and report back as soon as they have enough information to warrant his time.
Calvin offers to show the group a good time on the town, on his dime, so they can get to know each other. He suggests that they go to a favourite club of his: Avalon. They go out and have a good time, feeding, talking and plotting.
As icing on the cake, Calvin insists that he show them his home in Malibu, and treats them to a tour of the night time city in his private helicopter which flies them around downtown, and then up the coast to his home. He then has them taken home by his driver in a limo.
The following night, they notice a figure skulking around the outside of the club, doing something to their car. They capture the man, a ghoul.
He is knocked out, and Calvin uses his Auspex on a cigarette case they find on him to reveal that he is Terence Remus, a ghoul. He was attempting to place a tracker (in the form of a cigarette case) on their car for his mistress, Arianne. It becomes clear from the reading that she is staying at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
They imprison the ghoul in the trunk of their car. Eventually they move him to a Motel 6 and have him bound and gagged under the watchful eye of Reggie.
"The scorching desert summer has cooked the City of Angels with unrelenting heat. On the edge of this irrigated urban desert, you awaken to the dying roar of the setting sun.
Her children have endured her punishment, and as darkness falls, they swarm outside to drink in the cool air.
Shadows sit like silken shrouds in the dark recesses of the club , tendrils of the stuff seem to wisp this way and that as the lights move across its various glistening surfaces. As lithe flesh dances and contorts on stage, you brush aside those same dark webs of sleep from your minds, drinking in the music, scents and visual bouquet unfolding before you, as you piece together the events of yesternight."
Having met at the club to discuss how to proceed with the captured Ghoul, Michael, Khalid and Dimitri decide to take action. They proceed to the Motel where the Ghoul is being held, and upon arriving, debate the hapless man's fate in front of him, causing him to succumb to terror. He gasps and sputters behind his ball-gag as Dimitri sidles over to him to offer him some "comfort" by creepily stroking his face and patting him on the head. Needless to say he only makes matters worse.
In the mean time, Khalid devises a plan. The ghoul's master has left a number on his phone, and using that information and some sleuthing, he hacks the master's phone to transmit all sound and camera information to his laptop. The plan works, giving them access, unfortunately the phone is inside something. Ingeniously texting the phone in question reveals the face of the ghoul's mistress.
It is Arianne, the Herement sire of Phillipe de Lyon. She throws the phone back into her purse, and as the coterie discuss their options, apparently becomes aware of the tap and lifts the camera to her face. She tells them she wants to talk. They call her phone, realizing there is no more point in subterfuge, and arrange a meeting. She insists it is somewhere very public, and they offer to meet at a Dodger's game in Dodger Stadium.
The coterie get ready for the meeting, steeling themselves with rituals and weapons, and devise a plan to give them an advantage against an elder vampire. They decide that Dimitri will hide on a nearby hill with a view into the stadium and offer cover fire with his sniper rifle, while Khalid and Michael proceed to the meeting.
The baseball game in full swing, the mysterious elder appears and sits down beside Khalid, looking inconspicuous. Khalid offers her a coke and a hotdog, for appearance's sake. As the conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that she is looking for Phillipe, (whom she claims defected to the Sabbat 40 years ago). She claims to be an Archon working for Madame Guil, the Herement Justicar in Paris, and that she avoided openly announcing herself to the local Camarilla rulers because she did not wish for her search to be bogged down by a bickering Primogen Council in the Prince's absence. She does say she would be willing to negotiate with another Archon currently in the city by the name of DiPadua, as he would understand her situation.
As they press her for more information, she confesses that she is trying to stop her childe from succeeding in his plan to release certain Sabbat allies from binding curses put in place by members of clan Tremere.
Throughout the conversation, Khalid can't shake the feeling that she is hiding something.
Feeling slightly overwhelmed by all the information and news, they reach out to their liaison Ariane, and meet not much later at the Griffith Observatory overlooking the city.
She agrees to set up a meeting with Montero the Seneschal to discuss how to proceed.
The coterie take the intervening time to go to a local club to feed. Dimitri in the mean time performs a ritual to reach out to his mentor, who offers him some sound advice.
They proceed to meet Montero at his downtown office, and explain the situation to him. After some questions, he decides to arrange a meeting with DiPadua and the Tremere to see what is to be done about this situation.
"Los Angeles, City of Angels….
She is a difficult creature to define, A land of sex and violence, of gangs and glamour. At the same time an urban wasteland of ghettoes and a Mecca for the wealthy. Where television and other media blast brands, lies and promises to an ocean of people.
3.8 million of them. All huddled together in a vast sprawl covering 1300 square kilometers that attracts souls from every walk of life, belief, culture and ethnicity.
Many would describe LA as a young city, full of naïveté and lacking in aesthetics. An ugly grid of streets interconnected by arterial freeways that choke with cars at all hours of the day….but it is at night when LA comes into it's own. When it's concrete facades and superficiality are glossed over by the twinkling of millions of lights and the shadows that they cast.
Yes, LA at night can truly be said to be beautiful, in many ways a hunter's paradise. A vast human heartbeat waiting to be snuffed out.
Now that your kind are so rare, the city is yours for the taking….
The Angel offers you it's neck in supplication and waits."
The coterie, has spent the last five years in each other's company. Together, they have been assigned to minor tasks by the Seneschal, gradually forming the bonds of cooperation and mutual understanding. They have had to adapt not only to one another, but also to the city's elusive kindred and their laws, mores and demands. The Camarilla are in control, and they intend to keep things that way. The traditions, now more than ever, are enforced to the letter. The frayed edges of civility are kept in check in some small part by the actions of coteries like this one, working below the radar, to ensure the Prince's authority is maintained.
It is then, on a sultry LA summer night, that we find them lounging at a strip club. The "Mr. Moist's", owned by one of their number, Michael as a front for one of his many illicit affairs. As they indulge their baser needs, feeding on the locals, enjoying the swimming sensations brought on by satiation and no small amount of laced blood, they are disturbed by the arrival of their liaison, Ariane. A neonate of some years, she has befriended them over the course of the past five years, feeling more kinship with them, than many of the stuffier Ancillae and Elders that populate the city. Since the Eradication, neonates have become somewhat of a rarity, as many of them perished in the conflict. Ariane, it seems was one of the lucky ones.
She greets the group, but doesn't waste any time getting to the point. Montero has asked them to look into something for him.
According to his reports, a cult has taken root in the city. Scores of young kine have started gravitating to an abandoned house in Venice Beach. This news would not have been worthy of note before the Eradication, but given the nature of the former Sabbat, any news of cults is cause for concern, especially when a ghoul was reportedly sighted by one of his men.
The coterie decides to investigate immediately. Leaving Ariane behind, they drive to Venice Beach, making sure not to be followed.
It doesn't take them long to find the house in question. A ramshackle house in a quiet side street, apparently abandoned for some time, although clearly inhabited by squatters. Low light can be seen burning in the window on the upper floor. They decide to wait and observe.
After a few hours, they see two young men approaching on the street. It becomes evident within moments that the shorter of the two is a ghoul, and looks to be guiding the taller kine to the house. They enter the building, and emerge not long after with a young woman, also a ghoul and drive off in an old brown '70s Oldsmobile.
They follow the car for several hours north out of Los Angeles, all the way to Red Rock Canyon, a popular hiking destination. The coterie approach stealthily, driving their car behind cover, to avoid notice. They split up – some climb onto a rise above their targets to get a better view, others taking up flanking positions on the ground out of sight. They spy a large group of roughly twenty young people gathered around a large campfire in the midst of a party. Music plays from a small stereo, alcohol is flowing. The scene would not have seemed out of the ordinary were it not for the three bound and gagged kids lying propped up against the canyon wall. Clearly something odd was going on.
Using their senses, they discover that there are six ghouls amongst the dozen remaining teenagers there. They also spot several cars and a minivan parked nearby.
It is then that Dimitri decides to inspect the Oldsmobile he had been lying next to up on the ridge. He discovers two corpses, in the early stages of decomposition, in the trunk. It becomes clear that something very wrong is afoot here. Khalid hears the mewling whimpers of a weeping child coming from the minivan. In addition, Dimitri notices another lone figure approaching the campfire out of the darkness. It is a vampire. He decides to take action. Not wishing to give up the element of surprise, and having a serious hunch that the newcomer isn't friendly, he fires his Dragunov sniper rifle and hits the newcomer in the head, blowing a large hole in it, but much to his dismay, he doesn't go down, instead he disappears from sight.
The coterie spring into action, and Dean leaps amongst the revelers, causing some to scatter in panic and others to stand their ground. Michael joins the fray from his position. The fight is brutal and many ghouls perish under their combined merciless assault.
Khalid decides to rescue the weeping child in the minivan and rapidly regrets his decision as the little girl, not more than a seven year old in appearance, leaps on him and tries to drink from him, but misses. He has discovered a second vampire.
Khalid struggles with his kindred assailant, and throws her off into the van's interior. He manages to wound her with sorcerous flame, and she flees into the night but runs into Michael, and they fight. He manages to subdue her, but not before being wounded by her aggravated bite.
Dean eliminates the remaining ghouls, and rounds up the fleeing kine. Khalid finds Michael and the girl and they have a disagreement about her fate. Michael drinks from her to sate his gnawing hunger. Khalid scoops up a sample of her blood for later use. They decide to behead her, ending her short unlife. The argument sparks heated tension between the two of them.
In the aftermath of the battle, Khalid approaches the spot where the vampire was shot and disappeared, and manages once again, to obtain a gritty sample of his precious vitae.
Dean returns with a lone teenager, the others having either fled or died, a 16 year old kid called Andrew Farley. They recognize him as the figure they'd seen enter the abandoned house with the ghoul earlier that night. They decide to take him with them.
They burn all the bodies on the fire, adding plenty of accelerant to keep the fires burning hot, and set fire to all the remaining cars and van.
It is then that a helicopter appears in the distant sky, and the coterie take this as their cue to leave.
Upon returning to Los Angeles, after a long drive, they place Andrew in the care of Khalid's ghoul. The following night, they gather several clues about their adversaries from the previous night's battle.
Andrew's phone contains several text messages pertaining to the meeting that night with a girl called Lydia Jones. Another girl called Cynthia is also mentioned.
Khalid performs a Blood Walk ritual on the two samples of vitae he retrieved from the battle.
The girl's vitae revealed that she was sired by a vampire called Maciej Zarnovich, a Tzimisce, and thus likely former member of the Sabbat.
The man's revealed his name to be Phillipe de Lyon, a Herement, childe of Arianne, childe of Oliver.
They decide that they must inform the Seneschal of their findings and get further instructions before proceeding.
During a flashback scene, we witness the events of a night that happened two years prior.
Dean receives a call from his friend and kindred mentor, Salvador Garcia, the leader of the largest Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13 gang in Los Angeles, asking for a favour from his protege. Dean invites Michael and Khalid go to meet him in his heavily fortified enclave in the Pico-Union area of the city.
Garcia welcomes them in with open arms, making a show of hospitality, even surrounded by several dozen armed gang members, most of them ghouled to him.
He asks them if they could use their unique skills to help him intercept a shipment of arms arriving that morning at the Port of Long Beach. A shipment belonging to his Yakuza rivals. He explains that they had wronged him in a similar fashion a while ago, and this was his way of settling a score.
The coterie agree to the plan and make their way to the port, where the containers are being unloaded in the early morning hours onto trucks bound for destinations inland.
They arrive at the to see the marked container being unloaded from the cargo vessel, while several men with concealed weapons
delegate and guide it onto an unassuming looking truck. They also spot several Yakuza guards taking up perimeter positions, clearly expecting trouble.
The coterie make their move, managing to eliminate several human Yakuza with efficient gunfire. The remaining men are led by fanatical ghoul to redouble their efforts, and manage a counter offensive. Realizing, however that they are outmatched, they begin to retreat. Michael manages to corner one of them and fells him with relative ease. Unfortunately for him, the man decides to release a fragmentation grenade at Michael's feet. The explosion incapacitates Michael, but kills the hapless Yakuza.
They manage to defeat the Yakuza and kill the ghoul, and Khalid manages to obtain a sample of his blood.
They secure the shipment and return it to Garcia, who offers a boon as payment to the coterie.
Once back at the club, Khalid performs a Blood Walk ritual on the ghoul's blood, a long shot, as it's only meant to work on kindred vitae. Fortune smiles upon him though, as he manages to glean the ghoul's name and that of his dormitor.
Since the Eradication, the world of the kindred has been thrown into chaos. As much as the Camarilla would like to claim that the plan went off without a hitch, it clearly didn't.
Los Angeles, formerly an Anarch stronghold, succumbed quite rapidly to the Camarilla takeover. Without centralized leadership or any real form of coordination, the Anarchs stood little chance against a carefully planned Camarilla assault. This is not to say that the aggressors didn't suffer any losses, but in the end, cooler heads prevailed.
Of the Anarch factions active in LA at the time of the Eradication, there were those that fought, and there were those that realized that to survive, they must throw in their lot with the Camarilla, or perish. Of the latter, two Anarch elders emerged to take their seat at the table with the newly appointed Amari Prince Talbot: Jeremy MacNeil, and Christoper Houghton. Talbot offered them a seat at the table under Camarilla rule, his rule. They accepted, agreeing to keep their people in check.
Since then, the city's kindred have aligned themselves to one of the three factions in the city. Talbot's powerful Camarilla newcomers, MacNeil's former Anarchs or Houghton's Traditionalists.
In a move that cemented his power in LA, Prince Talbot created a council of Primogen from the elders of all three factions, ensuring that his advisors would represent the span of all corners of his domain, and create a balance of power.
This is how the city now stands. But a quarter of the world's vampires now remain. Wading through the ashes of their self-wrought war, picking over the spoils. Since then the kindred of LA have been cleaning up and attempting to return to a sense of order.
When the PCs were presented to the Primogen Council, it became clear to them that they had a use. As outsiders and strays, they would be an ideal team for the tasks that needed doing off the books. The tasks that would otherwise draw attention to them and the Prince.
Instructing them to answer directly to Christos Montero, the Seneschal, they would be given 'missions' as needed. Montero being too busy with his nightly affairs, has assigned Ariane, a neonate, to act as a liaison between himself and the coterie.


text:
Recovery can be a long painful journey for those affected by a decline in mental health. Interventions such as hospitalisation can leave people experiencing mental illness emotionally scarred. This trauma can make a meaningful recovery even more difficult.
In response, governments across Australia are seeking out people with
lived experience of mental illness to include their perspective in mental health policy. Known as consumer experts, these people currently hold positions in mental health services in most states. Consumer experts occupy a variety of roles in the field of mental health, including policy development, consultancy, executive management and teaching.
Consumer academics
Cathy Roper is employed by Melbourne University as a consumer academic. She experienced degrading treatment at the hands of health professionals when she lost her job as a teacher due to a mental health condition. Cathy is able to use the knowledge she gained from overcoming her mental health challenges, and now lectures psychiatric nurses so they better understand the problems faced by users of mental health services.
Cathy is Australia's first consumer academic. The only other Australian consumer academic is Louise Byrne at Central Queensland University. Their teaching stresses that recognition of the individual and their worth is crucial to fostering positive changes in patients' lives. They ask their students to look past the symptoms and see the human side of their patients.
Cathy and Louise emphasise the concept of
recovery in mental health care. Recovery does not necessarily mean living without symptoms. The Recovery model focuses on supporting patients to deal with their challenges so they can return to their communities and live meaningful lives.
Vrinda Eden is the Director of Consumer and Carer relations at Southern Health's mental health program. She is enthusiastic about the inclusion of consumer academics in mental health teaching. Vrinda says,
Expertise from lived experience is just as valid and often more useful than qualifications. Vrinda also adds,
The consumer academic brings that expertise to their education activities...enriching the understandings of the students.
Vrinda is the only consumer in an executive management position at a Victorian mental health service.
A 2011 report by the Mental Health Council of Australia found consumers of mental health services often felt stigmatised by their treating professionals. This stigma can be a major barrier to recovery and ultimately increases the distress of service users. The report concluded that further training of mental health professionals about stigma could lead to better outcomes for patients, also referred to in the industry as consumers.
The report also found consumers felt they were rarely listened to. Consumers said that their own ideas and strategies to cope with their illness were ignored. They also stated that challenging or questioning authority, even when reasonable, was seen as abnormal behaviour.
Mental health experts see consumer academics as an important step in countering negative attitudes held towards consumers by mental health professionals. But from Vrinda's experience not all mental health professionals share this view,
It's not uncommon to hear, especially from doctors, that they listen to consumers all day, so what do they possibly have to learn from 'professional' consumers.
More consumer academics needed
Consumer academics also face barriers to employment. Vrinda says,
Universities need support to overcome the restrictions they have on the employment of people without tertiary Qualifications. Vrinda thinks the employment of more consumer academics in universities would promote
the acceptance of the lived experience as an expert discipline.
Supporters of consumer academics would like to see more teaching positions made available to them. Research indicates that consumer academics might be the key to unlocking better outcomes for patients. Vrinda feels the consumer academic movement has the potential to make a big impact, saying
While things are slow in Australia, there is always hope.


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text:
What does it take to make your work look its best?
That's the question at the heart of Hammermill. For over 100 years Hammermill has led the way in using science to develop papers that make your work look great. Over the years, the science and technologies we use keep changing, but our focus on quality remains the same.
The same care that goes into making premium paper also goes into making a good company. At Hammermill we produce paper that performs at the highest level. But how we make our paper and how we treat each other, our associates and our communities, are as important as the products we make. We believe that being a good company is the only way to become a great company. Take a look below to see how Hammermill is always working to do and be our best.
The Story Begins
The Hammermill story begins with its first paper production in December of 1899. The company grows rapidly to over 500 employees over the decade. Hammermill is the first company to introduce profit sharing and also offers paid vacations, sick leave and bonuses to hourly employees at a time when these are not common. Meanwhile, a new, patented watermarking process leads to greater efficiency in production.
Driven by Ideas
From the beginning, Hammmermill has taken pride in standing behind our products. The spirit of innovation that leads to making premium paper extends to helping our partners sell it. This decade sees new and better ideas in marketing, with the selling of Hammermill Bond through a network of franchised agents supported by the first national advertising campaign for a paper company.
The Science of Success
A full suite of branded products coordinated with national advertising helps
Hammermill continue to grow to over 1000 employees. Full color ads in the Saturday Evening Post are eye catching and effective at spreading the word about Hammermill. At the same time, our dedication to science and testing sees Hammermill grow from a one-room, one-man lab operated by Dr. Behrend to two separate labs with dozens of specialists working diligently to ensure the quality and performance of our papers.
The Great Depression
The difficult economic climate of the Great Depression tests the company's resolve. Hammermill's spirit of innovation extends to staffing, with reduced shift hours to keep more people employed.
War Time Effort
Hammermill supports the nation during the difficult times of the Second World War. Hammermill joins GE and others in designing and producing many items to support the war effort, from paper to plywood boats. Meanwhile, over one quarter of Hammermill's employees join up to serve their nation.
The Limitless Future
The world is abuzz with excitement over what science can do to transform our lives. Hammermill harnesses the power of science to develop the first xerographic copier papers (what we call "copy paper") as Haloid-Xerox Company's partner. Xerographic copy paper introduces a new concept for merchandising: cut-size paper. But the plans for developing self-driving personal hovercraft are running a little behind.
Hammermill Goes Pop
The Madison Avenue era of pop culture takes off and Hammermill helps lead the way with advertising as bold and bright as our paper. Anticipating trends to come, Hammermill looks to the future of our environment and establishes modern forest management technology at its woodlands to ensure adequate future supplies.
Tailor-Made High-Performance
The Hammermill commitment to quality extends to an ever-wider range of products as we work to meet growing needs. As ever the focus is on producing high-performance premium paper that looks great and doesn't jam we continue working closely with copier manufacturers to design "tailor-made" products ideally suited for their machines, introducing a variety of sizes, grades, weights, colors and finishes.
Leading the Revolution
Hammermill is once again at the forefront of technology as the desktop revolution brings the power of the PC to millions. Hammermill leads the way with new and better high-performance papers designed for computer printers. Hammermill, now a part of International Paper (IP), continues to be a leading manufacturer of fine writing papers.
The Office Comes Home
It is a time of technological upheaval as use of the Internet becomes widespread. At the same time, consumers are offered unprecedented capability in their own offices and homes. Value and performance are paramount; projects that used to go to the service bureau are now handled in-house. Hammermill continues to set the standard for performance with a suite of products and tools to help your business perform at the highest level, even if that business is in your garage.
Sustainable Growth
The dawn of the digital age has more people doing more work in more locations than ever. Hammermill continues to advance scientific innovations while also working hard to increase awareness about sustainable practices - something that has been important to Hammermill from the very beginning. Hammermill reaches out with the message that paper use helps to keep U.S. forests growing sustainably– for each mature tree harvested, several new ones are planted.
Paper Goes Digital
The digital age sets new expectations for the quality of printing and Hammermill is there, helping you achieve printshop quality in the office, at school, or at home. Consumers look for better value and performance, and Hammermill leads the way with our 99.99% Jam-Free® Guarantee. Innovations abound, from Great White 100, made from 100% recycled post- consumer pulp, to papers designed specifically for a new generation of digital printers. Hammermill bridges the digital divide by helping people print from anywhere with the new Print Hammermill™ mobile printing app.
Looking Forward
With all the technical innovation, and the rapidly changing world around us, the most important things for us have not changed: our commitment to quality and our focus on improving the lives of the people who make, sell, and use Hammermill paper.
We believe that those same core values that have made Hammermill a success for the past 100 years will continue to serve us well for the next 100 years.
Every day more people are using digital technology on a wider range of devices to make and do more in more places than ever before. We look forward to anticipating your needs and providing the premium products that will make sharing ideas and showing your work at its best easier and better than ever.


text:
Hi, my name is Kate. For the past two years I have had foliculitis on my arms. It was at the point where there were scabbed over wounds for a long time. Starting about six moths ago I started to notice decreases in my health. I got sick about once every three weeks through out the year and one of these times I was hospitalized for severe vomiting. The doctors told me that that had been cause by a stomach flu that was going around at the time. About five months ago I started to notice severe ongoing pain in my lower left rib cage. I haven't been able to put a lot of pressure on my left rib cage since. Shortly after that I woke up in the middle of the night while having my first ever panic attack. A few weeks after that the pain in my left rib was very severe and there was a popping feeling and it went back to the normal persistent pain. I went to a doctor after that and he told me that I had an inflamed rib cage. After that incident I had no notable medical issues for a while, although my rib pain gradually increased, I had heart palpitations, my lymph nodes swelled, the skin on my feet started peeling off and I was very low on energy. A few days ago I stood up and suddenly was very nauseous, it also was very hard for me to breath and my left rib cage was very painful. The next morning the same thing happened again and again the next night. I went to a doctor and he diagnosed me with bronchitis and I showed him my staph and he put me on z pack. I am fairly certain that I don't have bronchitis because I didn't really have a chest cold at all. I am wondering if it does sound like I have bronchitis or if maybe my staph infection has spread. I am also wondering if I could have parasites or something else. Please let me know what you think is going on with me, I am very frustrated and it seems that every doctor I have seen is only focused on curing my immediate symptoms. I had many blood tests etc. at the hospital and they all came back ok, that was also six months ago.
Do I have bronchitis, a staph infection, parasites, or something else?
- Asked
- 22 Jun 2015 by kkate
- Updated
- 22 June 2015
- Topics
- infections, bronchitis, parasite, wound, staphylococcus aureus infection
Responses (3)
I had staph and took two cirpo and doxycycline for 14 days, he should have done a culture that's the way to find out for sure, hope tis is of some help.
Who diagnosed you as having a staph infection? Truthfully I think you have anxiety and many of the problems are made worse by that. The docs aren't finding anything you're blood is fine.
I was diagnosed with staph by my dermatologist. I believe he did a culture but he definitely seemed to know exactly what he was talking about and I was showing all of the symptoms of a staph infection of the skin. Staph on the upper arms is a pretty minor and common condition. I was just wondering if, as I had open wounds and scabs from the staph and I had it for a very long time, the staph had entered my body and infected something else. It sounds like I would be in much worse shape if it was staph in my body though. Also I do believe that I have anxiety about not knowing what is going on with however I am showing real symptoms. For example there were several times last year where I had woken up in the middle of the night and started vomiting uncontrollably. I hadn't eaten any bad food or drunken any alcohol and I wasn't sick. Also, I am significantly weaker than I used to be. In High School I was a very athletic person and I played several different sports.
I could hike well over ten miles in one day. Now I am reluctant to join any teams because I just can't handle that kind of physical activity. I would end up fainting or throwing up in the middle of practice. I haven't gained any wait at all or anything since high school which is what leads me to believe that I have some sort on an ongoing condition that is affecting me.
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