text:
The ghoul slashed at me with his knife, and instead of blocking the swing I avoided it. But I avoided it a touch slower than I'd
moving, starting to dangle the hook I hoped to catch the ghoul on. Along with the freely bleeding wound in my left side, the act ought to look real.
Had damned well better look real. The three ghouls I'd emptied my gun into had been farther along the path to complete ghouldom, meaning they were more shriveled into themselves, had longer claws and teeth, shambled more than walked. It had taken a few rounds but they'd died, their bodies lying on the warehouse floor about ten feet away from where I faced the fourth ghoul with knives. This one still looked almost human and didn't shamble, and if my trick didn't work then the next body to hit the floor might be mine.
The ghoul I faced grinned, showing teeth that had started to go pointy. I would have bet that he was thinking about tearing into me with those teeth once I was down, preferably before I died. Ghouls don't just prefer human flesh they crave it, and a lot of ghouls will do just about anything to get that flesh. Which was mainly the reason I was here fighting with a knife in my fist in the first place.
The ghoul slashed at me again, pretending to give me an opening, but I ignored the phony opening and moved just a touch slower than I had the last time. I still avoided the slash, but with a bit less room. I also let some desperation enter my eyes for a moment before pushing it away, and that made the ghoul grin even more. He had me, he knew he had me, and the next instant he went for the win.
The minute the ghoul tried to close with me I stopped pretending to be human slow. My left arm blocked the sidearm slash the ghoul had aimed at me, and my own knife flashed into his gut and cut upwards. Seven inches of sharp, pointed steel slammed into his body and up into his heart, and the ghoul screamed in rage and tried again to reach me with his own knife.
I was just able to block his blow again as I shredded his heart with my knife, and finally,
he found it impossible to hold it together any longer. His mouth opened to snarl at me, but no sound came out. He just dropped to the floor with the rage gone from his dark eyes, showing that he really was dead at last. I went to one knee next to the body, not quite trusting that the fight was really over, but needing to rest for a minute or so. I
lost a lot of blood, and -
"You sneak!" a shaky male voice filled with anger and outrage exclaimed from my left. "You killed him with trickery, but you won't be allowed to do the same to me! You're the one who's going to die, and right now!"
The man who'd appeared out of the dimness of the warehouse looked completely human if a bit prissy, which was probably why he was holding a gun. The farther you move from full humanity, the less you tend to rely on weapons other than your own. His hand shook just a little as he aimed the gun at me, and whether the trembling came from anger or nerves didn't really matter.
Without moving I gathered myself, not about to just let him shoot me down once he got his trembling under control. A knot of coldness in my middle said I knew well enough how much damage his bullets could do, but I still had to try to stop him. Trying couldn't end me up any more dead than just kneeling where I was, so there was no reason
to try. Even if I didn't expect the try to work.
And then I got the break I hadn't even reached the point of hoping for. A wavering film of distorted light wrapped itself around the man's head, causing him to scream in fear and raise both hands to protect himself. As soon as that gun wasn't pointed at me anymore I launched myself at the man, reaching him in two strides and grabbing his gunhand. One sharp twist broke the wrist and let the gun fall to the floor, and then I got a surprise. The man's second scream cut off, and he folded to the floor not far from his gun.
"I think he fainted," George said, forming completely next to the man's unmoving body. "Are you all right, Taz?"
"Thanks to you I am, George," I said, shifting the fallen gun to the right with my foot before sitting down and leaning back against one of the few crates standing in the warehouse. If I ended up needing the gun I'd pick it up, but if not there was no sense in confusing the police by putting my fingerprints on the weapon.
"I don't understand why the police aren't here yet," George fretted from where he floated a couple of inches off the floor. "I heard you call them before we entered this warehouse, and that was more than an hour ago. Why aren't they here yet?"
"Maybe they were on coffee break and have a rule against being disturbed," I said, trying to gather up all the strength I had left. "If they aren't here by the time I can stand up again, I'll use my cell to give them another call."
George nodded before he floated away to look around, the expression on his transparent face kind of grim. For a ghost George tended to think a lot like what he'd been before he died, which had been my partner and a cop. George Raymond Lees was still my partner, but neither of us was still a cop.
With all the fighting over, the warehouse was very quiet. A few large crates were scattered here and there across the floor, most of them standing in dimness. The overhead fluorescents were turned on only in one section of the warehouse, the section near the large walk-in freezer. There was also a refrigerated truck parked not far from the freezer, a truck that was already partially loaded. The place was neat for a warehouse, but it was also relatively new. Warehouses, like people, probably aged into sloppiness and mess.
"They're finally here," George reported, suddenly appearing in front of me. "But they're sneaking up on the place so it'll be another few minutes before they're actually inside. Were
ever this late getting to a crime scene?"
"We worked in New York City, George, not Masson, Tennessee," I pointed out. "Masson may be only twenty miles or so north of Nashville, but even Nashville is a lot smaller than Manhattan. The Masson police aren't likely to be used to shit like this, so cut them a break."
"Maybe," George allowed, but still not giving an inch. "I'll wait to see how they act once they're in here, and then I'll see if they deserve a break. If not, they'll hear from me."
His flickering outline faded as he went to check on the progress of the police, but I still kept my smile on the inside. George had been a fair man while he lived and death hadn't really changed that. Dying just seemed to have made him more impatient with things, and in a way I could understand why. There weren't a lot of free-roaming ghosts in the world, so people still tended to be nervous if not downright scared in the presence of one. For someone who'd dedicated his life to helping people, being feared rather than welcomed wasn't easy for George to take.
A couple of minutes later the police appeared, walking cautiously rather than sneaking up on the trouble. Great detective that I am, I guessed that George had waited until the cops were inside in the dimness and then had shown himself to them. It was a lot harder to see him outside in the daylight, which was most likely why he hadn't given them a piece of his mind sooner.
"I'm told that you're the one who called us," the cop in the lead said as soon as he was close enough, his suit announcing that he was a detective rather than a patrolman. "I still need you to get to your feet and put your hands behind your head, and if you have any weapons just tell me where they are."
"Sure, Detective, no problem," I said, forcing myself up and then locking my fingers behind my head. The way he held his gun on me said he wasn't as calm as he sounded, but raising my arms hurt the deep slash in my side. "My gun is over there near the three dead ghouls, and my knife is the one still inside the fourth ghoul. This guy at my feet has a broken wrist, but he's still alive. His gun is over there, on my right."
I nodded in the direction of the gun as well as I could, which wasn't easy with my hands locked behind my head. I'd managed to get quite a bit of my strength back, but there was no reason to mention that. All of these Masson cops were nervous, and I really couldn't blame them.
"Damn, Bill, they really
ghouls," one of the uniforms said from where he stood over the first three bodies. "And pretty far gone from the looks of 'em."
"But it still isn't open season on ghouls, so you got some explaining to do, girl," the detective, apparently named Bill, said to me without turning his head to the cop who'd spoken. "That TV news story about ghouls from a couple of days ago has everybody jumping at shadows and screaming for us to come protect 'em, which is why we thought at first that you were just another crank… Damn, you're bleeding real hard, so sit back down where you were and tell me what happened here."
"Thanks," I said, taking my arms down slowly and then sitting again even more slowly. Most of the blood the detective saw on my shirt was from earlier, but it looked fresh enough to get the man to ease up some. Another suit was muttering into a walkie-talkie, probably sending for the coroner, an ambulance, and whatever they had in the way of a forensics team. It was careless of Bill not to search me for unmentioned weapons first, but that was something else I didn't mention.
"Oh my God!" another uniform gasped out, and we all turned our heads to see that he'd opened the back of the refrigerated truck. "There's bodies in here, people's bodies! What in hell is goin' on?"
"You want to answer that one?" the detective Bill said to me. He'd put his gun away, but he was still standing far enough back from me that he thought he was safe. No sense telling him he was wrong, not when he was finally calming down some.
"As you said, there's no open season on ghouls," I told him after leaning back on the crate again. "But there
a bounty on ghouls who give up on eating animals and switch over to humans. Not to mention ghouls who kill the humans in the first place. This crew was harvesting Nashville and storing the bodies here until they could ship their harvest to wherever their headquarters is. It might have been that news story that spooked them into deciding to leave before they had a full load, or they could just have been playing it safe. Whatever, I stopped them before they could finish loading and drive away."
"Before they could finish loading," Bill echoed, a sickness filling his eyes. "Are you telling me there are more bodies in the warehouse freezer?"
"That's where they were keeping the bodies, so yeah, there are more," I agreed. "And before you ask, I only managed to track them here this morning. I decided to take a look before I visited you guys and asked you to help me go in after them, but that look showed me how close they were to leaving. That's why I called instead of showing up in person. If they'd gotten over the border into Kentucky it would have been a lot harder to get them stopped."
"And you would have had to track them again because you're a bounty hunter," the other detective said as he came up to stand next to his partner. "A bounty hunter with her own personal ghost. I don't like bounty hunters, and I didn't see the news story. Why don't you tell us why ghouls would go to so much trouble to do something that could be done easier and quieter if all the ghouls acted on their own?"
This second detective was younger than Bill, with a harder look in his eyes. Bill was huskier with a face that looked better fed than his partner's, and even though they were both brown-haired and brown-eyed they were really nothing alike. Bill wasn't hungry for a promotion, but I would have bet that his partner was downright starving.
"Not all ghouls are up to cold-blooded murder," I said after a very brief hesitation. "Don't forget that ghouls start out as ordinary people, and then something happens to begin the change. At first they can get along on any meat as long as it's raw, but after a while the craving starts. If they're strong and don't give in to the craving they can stay outwardly human for a long time. If they're not strong… "
"Then people in their neighborhood start to disappear," Bill put in grimly, interrupting whatever his partner had meant to say. "Yeah, the news story said that, telling people it was a sign to look out for. They also said it was some kind of virus that made you a ghoul in the first place."
"Did they actually come out and say that, or did they just kind of hint at the idea of a virus?" I asked, feeling the frown I wore. "Most of the experts who have actually committed themselves to a guess think it's something genetic, just the way cancer is, but people don't want to hear that. They want to hear that milk or cigarettes are to blame, and if they just stay away from whatever is being blamed then they'll be safe. They can't handle the idea that nothing will keep them safe."
"Which is all beside the point," the younger detective interrupted before Bill could come out with the protest it was so obvious he wanted to make. "Let's stick to business here and worry about medical theories later. If ghouls can eat raw meat and stay outwardly human, why would any of them want to change that? The craving can't be all
"I can't speak from personal experience, but I'm told that the craving
be that bad for a lot of them," I answered. "The ghoul gets to the point of not being able to hold off the need any longer, but the more human flesh he eats the more … ghoulish he becomes. If he eats only a little human flesh he can drag out the change, like that one over there with my knife in him. But they're still pretty damn hard to kill even if they
gone all the way. Once the change is complete they pretty much have to be burned to ash before they're actually gone."
"And once the change is complete there's nothing human left about them," Bill put in, mostly to his partner. "They stop wearing clothes and living in houses and start to form packs that will attack anything human coming near them. That's what the news story said, and is probably why we've been getting so many calls."
"But none of that explains how
ended up here," the younger detective said, speaking to me rather than to his partner. "The ghost said your name is Taz Bell, and I had my people do some checking. You've gotten quite a reputation in the last year or so since you left the force in New York. They call you a rogue hunter instead of a bounty hunter because ghouls aren't the only things you hunt, so how did you get onto
The way the man spoke said he wasn't likely to be native to Masson, Tennessee, but worse than that there was an undercurrent of jealousy behind his words. I had a fairly widespread reputation and he didn't, and I'd given up a job that he probably would have killed for. It was more than a little obvious that if he could find a reason to arrest me he would do it in a heartbeat.
"My partners and I were hired by a woman whose sister had gone missing in Nashville," I said, telling my story mostly to Bill. "The sister was homeless, preferring to live without her meds, so all the woman could do was keep close tabs on her sister. The woman reported her sister missing to the police in Nashville, and they told her there was nothing they could do. Tracing someone who's homeless is just about impossible, which is pretty much the truth."
didn't find it impossible," the second detective said while Bill nodded his agreement with what I'd said. "Or did you forget about the sister after tripping over the track of ghouls?"
"What I found was that more street people than the woman's sister had gone missing," I answered. "Since the homeless are the victims of choice for ghoul harvesting bands, I hung around until I located those three sliding through the shadows during the night. They were the spotters, but they weren't supposed to move on anyone until the more human-looking one showed up with a van."
Staying calm in the face of the second man's deliberate tries to insult me were getting to the man, and I wasn't the only one who noticed that. Bill also noticed, but I wasn't sure if he would haul his partner in or just let him go his own way.
"How can you possibly know that?" the second detective demanded, pouncing with savage delight. "About their having to wait for the fourth ghoul and the van, I mean? Looks to me like you know things you really shouldn't, so why not come clean with the truth. You're part of this gang, aren't you? There was some kind of argument and you killed your partners, and now you're trying to play hero to get clear. But you aren't a hero, are you? You're - "
"Wilson, take it easy," Bill said, cutting off what was quickly becoming a tirade. "You can't get any answers from the girl if you don't
her answer. And if she was on the job the way you say, we owe her the chance to give those answers."
Wilson, the second detective, looked daggers at Bill, but he was the one who'd mentioned I used to be on the force in New York. It was becoming more and more clear why Detective Wilson wasn't the shining light on a much larger police force.
"I know that the spotters always wait for the more human-looking ghoul and a van because that's the way they usually do it," I said, now speaking only to Bill. "They take two victims at a time, transporting them during rush hour when everyone is going to work. Losing themselves in a flood of traffic is safer than driving alone on the roads with little or no other traffic to distract the highway police. But this time the fourth ghoul showed up late, and didn't let them take anyone else."
"Do you have any idea why?" Bill asked before Wilson could snap out something else. "And why would they always do the harvesting in the same way? Isn't that like asking to get caught?"
"Most police departments have no idea how harvesting is done, so sticking to the most efficient way of doing it just makes sense," I said. "As for why they didn't take a final two victims, I have no idea. Since they meant to be gone from the area in a couple of hours they
have taken a last load, so to speak, but that answer you'll have to get from the man who's now starting to wake up. I followed the van back here, and the rest you know."
The man whose wrist I'd broken had been moaning low for a minute or two, a sign that he was coming out of his faint. The man had to be extremely sensitive to pain to be out so long, which made me think he wasn't even an incipient ghoul. He was human, but he was still in business with ghouls to capture and kill other humans. Once the police put him into the system he'd have to be constantly guarded and even that might not save his life. No one likes a traitor, but there are some traitors worse than others.
"Here comes the ambulance," one of the uniforms announced. They'd opened a couple of the wide doors of the warehouse, probably to let in some daylight to dispel the gloom, and the ambulance drove in almost up to where the two detectives stood in front of me. Two men with large carry-bags got out, one going to the moaning man and the other coming over to me.
"Just take 'er easy and we'll have you fixed up good as new in no time," the paramedic said to me, but the look in his eyes didn't match the lighthearted dismissal of his words. He saw all the blood that soaked my shirt, and probably thought I was dying. With someone else he probably would have been right.
"If you'll just bandage me some I'll be fine," I told him as he carefully rolled under the bottom of my shirt to get a look at the wound. "The slash started out being pretty bad, but I've had a few minutes to heal."
The paramedic looked at the wound, glanced at me, then quickly reached to his bag for another pair of plastic gloves. He should have known he couldn't catch what I had just from touching my blood, but I'd be the last one to blame him for wanting to be safe instead of sorry.
"It's not possible to heal from a wound like that in just a few minutes," Bill said, staring at my side while the paramedic brought out gauze and tape from his bag. Wilson had gone over to supervise the other paramedic and the man who would end up being arrested, which seemed to be a relief to Bill as well as to me. "The only thing that would let you heal so fast is - "
"Now you know why I'm not still with the force in New York," I said, smiling wryly at the way his words had broken off. "George here and I were partners, but we got a little too close to a gang of rogue shapeshifters. George was killed in the ambush, but I lived."
"Lived to become one of them," Bill said, and the horror was clear in his voice. "How can you - "
"How can she keep living and protecting people?" George demanded from where he "stood," turning his anger on Bill. "Just because she's a shapeshifter now and I'm dead doesn't mean we're different people! We don't blame the force for not keeping us on, or at least
doesn't blame them. Personally I think they were assholes for letting her go, but their loss is everybody else's gain."
"The bounties I collect is what lets me and our other partner keep eating while we hunt," I put in, refusing to mention that the paramedic's rush to get me bandaged was on the painful side. I also didn't mention the really weird part of my "condition." Bill was spooked enough; adding to it would have been stupid. "George doesn't need to eat, but he likes to watch while Freemont and I do. Can I take my weapons with me when I leave? You don't really need them for evidence when there's no argument about my having used them."
"I think that would be pushing it," Bill answered, glancing quickly in Wilson's direction to show what he meant without actually saying it. "If you have a local address you can be reached at you can go as soon as the paramedic is done with you, but we'll need a formal statement before you leave the area.
you be available for the statement?"
"I'll be in to your station first thing in the morning," I assured him, finally able to breathe a little more freely now that the paramedic was through with me and packing up. "By tomorrow this gash in my side ought to be almost completely healed. I'll also need a signature on the bounty forms, so you know I won't just take off. If I don't get the signature I don't get paid."
"A reason for believing her that
ought to understand," George put in, his tone very dry. He was also talking about Wilson, and had chosen to be as discreet as Bill was being. "And where we are is the Embassy Suites just off route 65, between here and Nashville. You ought to know where that is."
"Do you need a ride back to the motel?" Bill asked with a nod of agreement as I got slowly to my feet. "You lost a lot of blood, and it isn't smart to drive when you might pass out."
"If one of your people will drive my rental, I'd very much appreciate the help," I said, pretending I didn't know the real reason Bill wanted to send some of his people with me. It's easy enough to mention some place as where you're staying, but that doesn't mean you're really staying there. Bill was cop enough to know better than to take my word for it, which raised him a notch in my opinion. And as soon as I agreed, Bill relaxed just a little.
"Let's get that taken care of right now," he said, gesturing me after him as he walked toward two of his patrolmen. Actually, one of them was female, but that didn't make a difference. Good cops are good cops no matter
flavor they happen to be.
The male half of the team was really quick to say he'd drive the patrol car, but all the female did was give him a dirty look before agreeing to drive
car. She and her partner were both about my size, five-seven or eight, and she had the attitude that said she had no doubt about being able to take care of herself. I'd had the same kind of confidence once, which was probably why I was now a rogue hunter. But I didn't say that.
Instead I pretended I was a little too weak to walk all the way to where I'd parked the car out of sight of the warehouse, so the two cops told me to stay where I was while they brought the car over. Once they were gone I could see/feel the way George looked at me, as if he didn't like that I'd decided to play weak and wounded.
"Stop glaring at me, George," I muttered, knowing he'd be able to hear me. "They're all happier thinking of me as an invalid, you know they are. Can you really blame them?"
"Yes." The single word was as soft as a breath of air passing on a breeze, loud enough only for me to hear it. He hated the idea that I was usually treated like a rabid animal by people who found out what I was, and I couldn't honestly say that the attitude didn't also get to me most of the time.
But these Masson police weren't really treating me that way, and so far no one had even made George's most hated joke about a black ghost. George had been pretty dark-skinned when he was alive, but as a ghost he was just as pale - in a manner of speaking - as any ghost. It also seemed to be his choice whether his clothing - usually a red turtleneck shirt, black pants and shoes, and black leather jacket - was clearly seen or nothing but a misty background.
Whichever, it wasn't easy to see him in full daylight outside, and even indoors he seemed to have the choice of being almost fully visible or no more than a wisp. I'd tried to ask him questions once about being a ghost, but he'd disappeared rather than answer. I still didn't know if he didn't
to answer or just couldn't.
When the female cop drove up in my rented Saturn, I got into the front passenger seat and immediately put on the seatbelt. That made my driver feel a little better, but there was nothing in the way of smalltalk on the way to the motel. The woman seemed to be holding herself as far away from me as she could, and as soon as she pulled the car into a parking space I expected her to hand over the key and then leave really fast with her partner. Instead she turned to me after releasing her own seatbelt.
"My partner and I will walk you to your room," she said in a totally neutral voice as she handed me the car key. "We'd hate to have you pass out in the hallway before you
to the room."
"Appreciate that," I said in the same way, then waited for her to get out of the car before I released my seatbelt and picked up my shoulder bag from the floorboards near my feet. She'd probably been given orders to make sure I had a room the way I'd said I did, but just wasn't admitting why she and her partner were going with me. But that was okay. I also hadn't mentioned George's presence in the back seat, and she hadn't noticed.
Walking up the steps to the second floor was harder on the two cops than on me, but the actual walking had very little to do with how they felt. They just didn't like being that close to me, and it also bothered them that Freemont opened the door before we reached it.
"Taz, I was so worried," Freemont said, putting out a hand toward me. "Thank you for bringing her, Officers. I'll take care of her from here."
Freemont's delighted smile made the two cops smile as well, the usual reaction Freemont got from people. He was a little smaller than me and on the thin side, but his blond hair, soft blue eyes, and beautiful face made him look like an angel. But Freemont
an angel, he was a human being with some of a human's very human faults, but that wasn't all he was. He was also a psychic and a very powerful precognitive, but my two escorts never stopped to ask how he'd known we were out here.
"Thanks for the help, Officers," I said as I walked toward the door Freemont held open. "Right now I need to get some sleep, but I'll be at the station tomorrow morning to make my statement."
The two cops nodded before turning away, and then I was inside the room with Freemont closing the door behind us. George was already inside, of course, and Freemont shook his head at me.
"I don't have to see it to know that you're starting to sweat," he said, putting out one hand. "Give me those clothes and I'll take care of them, and then you can sit down and eat the burgers I ordered for you."
I already knew about the burgers, and since Freemont was right about the fact that the heavy scent of blood was starting to make me sweat, I just took off the shirt and tossed it to him, then unhooked the belt that held both my holster and my knife sheath. With the belt gone and my sneakers kicked off it was easier to take off my slacks, and then I went in my underwear to the left where the food sat waiting for me in the sitting area of the suite.
There had been a time when Freemont wouldn't have been able to touch anything, let alone a shirt and pants covered in blood and shoes dotted with it, without sharing the experience, so to speak. But now, thanks to the heavy shields he'd learned how to generate, Freemont didn't get anything from what he handled unless he wanted to. Somehow my underwear had escaped getting bloodied, so I didn't have to strip down completely.
"It isn't her fault that the scent of blood is starting to get to her," George said before Freemont could turn away. "The closer to the full moon it gets, the more the scent of blood affects her. If they'd kept us much longer…"
"Of course I know it isn't her fault," Freemont answered, his tone faintly outraged. "But those very rare hamburgers will help her regain her balance, and then she'll be able to clean up without being pressured… I wasn't going to say anything until you finished eating, Taz, but you and George might as well know now. In just a few hours we're going to have visitors, but that's all I know."
"How can you know that much and nothing more?" George demanded while I finished chewing the bite of very rare hamburger I'd taken. If my mouth hadn't been full I might have gotten the same question out first.
"I - think someone might be blocking me," Freemont said with a good deal of hesitation, balling up my shirt between his hands as he half turned away. "I have no idea how they could be doing that, and I'm not sure I want to find out. I'd suggest that we leave, but I already know it won't do any good. Whoever it is has found us, and they won't lose us again."
And then he did walk away, heading toward the bathroom where he'd soak the shirt and pants until there was nothing more than a stain left. George stared after him and so did I, and if I'd been eating because of my appetite I would have stopped. But I wasn't eating just because I was hungry, so even the idea of an unavoidable meeting didn't ruin my appetite.
I just wondered how much worse our visitors would make things for us.


text:
Rafe Griffin (@rafegriffin)
Holland Park Hawks and Rochedale Rovers played out a 2-2 draw in their opening Group B match. Under the competition rules where a winner must be found from each match, Holland Park won on penalties 4-1 after Rochedale missed two of their kicks.
Rochedale were the better team in the first five minutes before the Hawks began to wrestle control of the game.
Marek Madel teed up Jack Cabassi but nervously sent his effort straight to Rochedale keeper Jake Reesby who joined Rovers from Peninsula in the off-season.
Referee James Sherry was then called on to make a decision as Holland Park's Ashley Shore was tackled inside the area. Sherry making the right decision in waving off the penalty claims. Madel had a follow up shot from the same phase of play that once again fell straight to Reesby.
Both defences looked flimsy at times, Holland Park guilty of not defending clearing their box and almost allowing Greg Cheshire, returning to Rochedale after a two-year absence, the opener.
A crazy period of four minutes then ensued in which three goals were scored.
Holland Park's Dan Smith had a free kick twenty-five metres out on the left. Drifting it into the six-yard box, Luke Howell unfortunately turned the ball into his own net with a powerless Reesby left to see the ball dribble across the goal line.
Two minutes later, Michael Baird made something out of nothing, placing his effort past Hawks keeper Matt Carr's right hand side.
Ashley Shore would then restore Holland Park's lead, capitalising on a cross from Madel and with Howell facing his own goal, slotted past Reesby.
Another superb cross from Smith almost gave his side a third. The ball appeared to be heading wide before hitting the bottom of the right upright, rebounding into Madel's path but he was unable to make Rochedale pay.
The excitement of the midway stages of the half then descended into a lull in the match but things livened up again in the final five minutes with Lewis Cameron and Seiji Shizuno having efforts for Rochedale while Madel continued to be lively, rounding Reesby but taking a heavy touch and finding side netting from the resulting shot.
Rochedale were again the better team in the opening stages after the restart. Cheshire was able to restore parity again shortly before the hour mark and a minute later should have been a little more unselfish but instead looked to Baird in a better position but the cross didn't find its target.
Both sides struggled to find any forward traction and battled to effectively get out of the midfield. When able to get in the final third though, it was Cheshire who looked the most likely to break the deadlock on several occasions with impressive runs breaking through the Hawks defence.
On the stroke of full-time, Mark Rasmussen went for the spectacular to save the match from going to penalties, launching a long-range bomb that narrowly went over the crossbar.
Holland Park went onto win the penalty shootout 4-1 with Marv Brattan converting the winning spot kick.
Holland Park 2 (Own goal 18', Ashley Shore 22') v Rochedale Rovers 2 (Michael Baird 20', Greg Cheshire 58'). Penalties : Holland Park 4 – 1 Rochedale.
Holland Park: Matt Carr (GK), Jack Cabassi, Kenneth Boyle, Marv Brattan, Schon Hansen, Mark Rasmussen, Sam Roper, Jake Kallis, Dan Smith, Ashley Shore, Marek Madel, William McPherson, Travis Jackson, Victor Fenehia, Alistair Pase, Jono Burrowes.
Rochedale Rovers: Jake Reesby (GK), Scott Sargent, Seiji Shizuno, Michael Baird, Scott MacNicol, Phil Davies, Luke Howell, Jarryd Gore, Brad Scott, Ryan Faichnie, Lewis Cameron, Greg Cheshire, Nick Wilson, Robert Armstrong, Artura.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Fantastic Four: TWGCM >> View Post
Subj: Re: How to put FF in MCU
Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 at 08:42:56 am EST (Viewed 190 times)
Reply Subj: How to put FF in MCU
Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 at 07:41:39 pm EST (Viewed 215 times)
Just read the headline that Disney and Fox may make an announcement as soon as next week. FF, Doc Doom, Silver Surfer, Galactus etc.....
all part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I cant believe it. With the Marvel Studio capabilities their F.F. introduction can be bigger than anything so far and my friend that is saying a whole lot.
Posted with Mozilla 11.0 on Windows 7
|Alvaro's Comicboards powered by On Topic™ © 2003-2018 Powermad Software


text:
Colorado Rockies defeat St. Louis Cardinals, 8-7
DENVER (AP) The Colorado Rockies didn't need another ninth-inning rally to beat St. Louis.
One swing in the final frame was enough to beat the Cardinals again.
Chris Iannetta hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Rockies pulled off another comeback win against St. Louis, beating the Cardinals 8-7 Wednesday night.
A day after the Rockies scored a remarkable nine runs in the ninth to stun St. Louis 12-9, Colorado came back this time after tra...
DENVER • Given an immediate and eerily similar opportunity to save themselves after Tuesday's nightmare ninth inning, the Cardinals and their bullpen couldn't tame the rallying Rockies and the unstable nature of their home, Coors Field.
With Colorado having riddled a parade of experienced relievers to tie the score in the eighth inning, the Cardinals were forced to use Evan MacLane and put the lefty into a tie game and a combustible situation for his major-league debut....


text:
Sign in
Other drawings by Captain.glitter.Pig
Captain.glitter.Pig2017-04-14 19:02:11
also i gtg
Captain.glitter.Pig2017-04-14 19:00:48
Nope and sure it depends if i'm awake or if my internet is working.
Tem_Shop_With_Temmie2017-04-14 18:50:00
NUH UH. YOu GOTtA BE LYIN'. aNd YeSH IT Was PREtTy FUNNy. ALso WaNT To TaLk On Kik LAteER?
Captain.glitter.Pig2017-04-14 18:46:24
Oh thats's funny and did you know chapter 2 is coming out next tuesday?
Tem_Shop_With_Temmie2017-04-14 18:41:05
Well, I was playing Bendy and The Ink Machine. ( Don't ask ) And the Bendy on a post scared me so bad. THeN T He MELTy ONE CaMe, OH BOi.
Captain.glitter.Pig2017-04-14 18:37:42
Hi and how did you scare yourself.
Tem_Shop_With_Temmie2017-04-14 18:36:56
Saame. I just scared myself so bad. LORD HELP. Alsso Hooi.


text:
We are one of the leading manufacturer, supplier and exporter of a comprehensive range of Automotive Parts and Components. We are specialist in Automotive Suspension Parts for Heavy Duty Trucks, LCV, MUV, Cars, Tractors ...
Akal Industries
G.T. Road, Opposite G.N.B.L. College For Women,, P
phagwara, PU 144001
Not a Member?
Already a member? Sign In


text:
My agency (Blue Ash, OH PD) is selling a surplus Tracker. We replaced the battery last year, and it comes with two AC adapters/chargers.
Not sure if if matters for this audience, but MapScenes Evidence Recorder 3.0 is installed on the unit. The unit is in good shape and the reference manual is included.
We are selling the Tracker through our county's auction website. Here is the link:
http://www.hamiltoncountyohioauction.co ... C60C18D8F9
Steve Schueler
Blue Ash OH PD
MicroSurvey Tracker for sale
Discussion of FieldGenius related issues and questions.
Moderators: Brian Sloman, Jason Poitras, James Johnston
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1


text:
Cedars Health and Beauty Centre
Cedars is an award winning beauty salon based in the Gloucester City centre
Established in 1986 Cedars provide the most innovative and progressive therapies available, which are complimented with the finest professional salon brands for your treatments and homecare; Decleor, Dermalogica, bareMinerals, OPI and St Tropez.
Located in Central Gloucester, on the corner of Station Road, our award winning salon offers the perfect retreat to be pampered in. We offer luxury and convenience that can take care of your beauty regime from top to toe. Whether you are looking for a relaxing massage, a routine waxing or a special gift, let Cedars look after you.
Cedars provides an extensive range of beauty treatments and gift packages to be enjoyed in our unique salon environment with our expertly trained and experienced therapists on hand to provide the ultimate service.


text:
Cashing in on the success of the 2008 Mount Vision (What Mountain Bike's Bike of the Year), Marin have now given all their 120mm trail bikes the MV title. This cheaper version is still a standout, but it needs to lose some of the weight it loves to throw around.
There's no escaping the fact that the heft of the Marin will seriously cut into your speed and energy reserves on longer, lung-busting rides. However, the 'flat-out into everything, take the trail by the scruff of the neck' character we loved last year is even more obvious this year, making it a very good choice for more powerful, aggressive pilots.
Ride & handling: Loaded with attitude and agility, but a bit lardy
While upgradeability counts as a long-term bonus, the 29lb weight of the 5.7 makes itself felt in the ride. It's clear on longer climbs that you're putting more in and getting less out than you would with a faster/lighter bike. It also has more shock/pedal movement than most, which upset some testers.
That said, the Marin offsets the basic physics to an impressive extent. The exceptionally stiff frame, with its 'tighten under torque' suspension and generous top tube, naturally encourages hard breathing and hard riding. The tyres roll fast enough to reward a bit of a push too, so there's little noticeable lag in responsiveness.
What really marks the Marin out though is not its speed out of sections but into them. With easy rearward sag, plus a slightly longer front end for this year, the MV feels much more anchored and stable than the static angles suggest. This makes it super-confident at speed, and the Marin also loves to wheelie and manual into, through or off the big stuff.
The initially plush rear shock feel (for comfortable, high-traction cruising) tends to ramp up significantly towards full compression too, creating a firm but controlled catch of bigger stuff than you'd expect a 120mm bike to cope with.
Keep its nose down and the big handlebar, tight tracking and outstandingly well-damped fork will muscle their way through the most edgy, aggressive lines.
Despite back wheel twist (switching to the optional Maxle dropouts would help eradicate this), the direct trail feel through the pedals and bars gives excellent feedback
Frame: Marin play safe with 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach
In the fine tradition of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' Marin has done little to the frame of the bike that was selling out well before summer last year. There are some micro geometry tweaks but otherwise, despite trying a lot of alternatives, they haven't gone with anything radical.
That means a short top tube for a low, aggressive cockpit position, a long, shallow S-curved geometric cross-section top tube for a generous stretch, and a heavily hydroformed down tube with a whaleback section welded on top to hold the twin linkages that squeeze the shock between them.
Long square section stays then curve back from the frame centre, past the seat tube to replaceable forged dropouts. These chainring-bolt-secured tips can be swapped for screw-through Maxle axle mounts to reduce wheel twist.
Other practical touches include complete sealed gear cable routing, masses of mudroom, a completely spray/crash-shielded shock and bearings with a lifetime warranty.
Equipment: Great suspension, solid Shimano kit and tough Mavic rims
With the Shimano XT-equipped MV 5.8 now £460 more expensive than this bike, Marin have inevitably had to make some kit compromises. The great news is that none is made with the suspension.
Once you're used to finding the lever, the Xtra Volume Fox RP2 shock gives plush bump action or pert pedalling with a flick of the lever. The 15mm screw-through axle turns the already beautifully damped F120 fork into a proper line-chasing trail terrier too.
Shimano SLX shifters are a bit plasticky but work fine, and the Deore/XT mix and Deore chainset are plenty durable. Mavic XM 317 rims are a real bonus in terms of longevity, and the WTB Prowler tyres work well most of the time. A wide bar gives the front end the extra power assist you need to really help you to exploit the MV's aggressive character.
This kit does all pile a lot of weight onto an already lardy chassis, but there's a lot of excess fat you could lose quickly and cost effectively with some astute upgrading – the saddle and seatpost weigh almost 700g alone.


text:
Freshman forward Nicole Amato (Billerica, Mass.)of the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team has been named New England Women's Hockey Alliance Co-Rookie of the Year, as announced recently by the NEWHA.
Amato also took home All-NEWHA Second Team honors and an All-Rookie Team selection, to lead four Ravens honored in the alliance's year-end awards.
Joining Amato on the Second Team was sophomore defenseman Bridgette Prentiss (Buffalo, N.Y.), as each of the two earned their first career all-conference selections. Freshman forward Marissa Massaro (Brockton, Mass.) was picked alongside Amato on the All-Rookie Team, while senior goaltender Madison Murray (Berkley, Mich.) was named to the NEWHA's All-Sportswomanship Team.
Amato is the team's leading scorer and is tied for third in the NEWHA in scoring with 37 points on 19 goals and 18 assists through 28 games (1.32 points per game). Amato and Massaro (15-18-33) are currently one-two among the league's freshmen in scoring, with Amato nine points clear of the top non-Franklin Pierce rookie on the list. Amato also currently ranks tied for second in the NEWHA in goals scored and tied for seventh in assists. She has set a new Franklin Pierce program single-season record for goals, and has tied the single-season school record for points.
Amato shares her Rookie of the Year award with Saint Anselm freshman forward Katy Meehan, who has tallied 15-13-28 in 26 games (1.08 points per game). Meehan ranked third in the NEWHA in freshman scoring and tied for eighth in the league overall in points.
For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (
http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce ice hockey apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).


text:
One person was taken to the hospital Friday morning after an accident on eastbound Interstate 70 under the Dual Highway (U.S. 40) bridge at Exit 32, Trooper Conner of the Maryland State Police said.
A Toyota Avalon came off the ramp from Dual Highway onto eastbound I-70 and struck a tractor-trailer in the right lane, Conner said. The car then spun out of control and landed in the median facing up the embankment.
The driver of the Avalon was removed from the car by firefighters and EMS workers from the Funkstown Volunteer Fire Co. and Hagerstown Community Rescue Service. The driver was then taken to Meritus Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, Conner said.
Police responded to the accident around 9:50 a.m. Friday and closed the left lane of eastbound I-70. The lane reopened after the car was towed away at about 10:35 a.m.
Two firetrucks from the Funkstown Volunteer Fire Co. and an ambulance from Hagerstown Community Rescue Service were both on the scene. The Washington County Sheriff's Office was assisting the Maryland State Police, and the Maryland State Highway Administration was also on the scene.
— Caleb Calhoun, Mobile Journalist


text:
Staff Management Made Easy For Wellness Centers By HealingRadiusPro
Staff management for wellness centers can be pretty hectic.
Whether your staff is big or small, it can often be confusing to remember everyone's name, who can teach an evening class, or who requested time off next week. Before you know it, your office is covered with sticky notes about different staff members.
This is where HealingRadiusPro can get you and your staff organized. As a wellness business management program, HealingRadiusPro offers advanced staff scheduling software that can be utilized from any computer, smartphone, or tablet.
Follow the simple steps below in order to instantly group and classify your team:
Add Staff Details
You can enter a number of personal details about your staff—including their hours of availability, time off requests, contact information, birthdays, and even photos for their profiles. If photos aren't enough, you can even color code your employees.
All of the important information about employee availability is in one place, which saves you time while you're creating schedules, and cuts down on frustrating employee mix-ups.
You can also receive notifications and reminders about important dates coming up, so nothing will be forgotten!
Import Staff Details
It's no secret that managers are busy! Depending on the size of your team, you may not have time to enter tedious information about each staff member. That's why you can upload information about all of your employees at one time using a CSV or excel file.
Best of all, there's no limit, so you can include your entire staff.
Assign Staff Classifications and Roles
While each staff member is valued, not everyone is the same. Some employees are higher on the totem pole than others, and there can be a vast amount of different roles from certified instructors, your marketing team, and office assistants. Organize your different teams by labeling your staff with their job titles and roles to keep track of their information and specific duties.
Create Multiple User Logins
Once you've made it big, you can hand off tasks to some of your valued employees. By giving select members of your team access to your scheduling calendar they can assign shifts, classes, and tasks.
Keep in mind that staff management is only one of the many features offered by HealingRadiusPro to manage your health and wellness center online. Claim your business online and receive a free 15-day trial to test out our time-saving business management software.


text:
As expected, kosher conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' latest "documentary" film entitled "New World Order: Blueprint of Madmen" is chock-full of references to and imagery of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. Capitalizing on Jewish Hollywood's most lucrative cash cow, Alex Jones doesn't miss a beat, invoking Hitler and Nazism at every turn. Not only does he do this because it sells, but also because he has been assigned the task of propping up the historical lies and deceptions of the devilish tribe for whom he is employed by — International Jewry.
Continued HERE


text:
The eye can be analyzed with relative ease regarding both its function and its structure. A functional examination includes the ability to relocate the orbit and the response of the pupil to light and accommodation.
The function of the eye might be checked in several ways. The patient may be asked to identify illuminated letter or items of differing sizes on exactly what is called the Snellen chart.
Conversely, the evaluation of the structural part of the eye may be made in a number of ways. Tension within the eyeball is measured by a "tonometer." In specific diseases, especially in glaucoma, the tension in the eyeball is increased markedly.
It must be well remembered that a patient with an eye problem might have other issues. Often other physical conditions are main and impact the eye as a repercussion. The appearance of the eye can alert the client and the doctor to difficulties in some disturbances of other parts of the body even prior to other signs present themselves.
Subsequently, one's dependence on sight is stressed when one faces a short-lived or possible long-term loss of this important sense. When corrective steps are sought, particular kinds of vision correction such as contact lenses or glasses are prescribed.
On the other hand, some individuals are bothered with the truth that they have some framed lenses or contact lenses in front of their eyes.
For this reason, advanced surgical operations were developed to motivate decreased usage of contact lenses or glasses. Among which is the now popular LASIK eye surgery.
Basically, LASIK eye surgery is the brief term for "Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis." Like its tangible equivalent, LASIK eye surgery is another type of vision correction. The only difference is that with this kind of surgical treatment, one's vision is corrected completely.
With LASIK eye surgical treatment, the refractive mistakes in the cornea are permanently transformed. This can be done utilizing an "excimer laser."
The main purpose of this surgical treatment is to develop a threadlike, rounded "flap" in the cornea using a blade called "microkeratome." In a series of unfolding and laser processing, the cornea is lastly reformed, allowing much better the eye to direct more light into the retina.
Popularity vs. Disadvantages
In the middle of the growing appeal of LASIK eye surgical treatment, there are still disadvantages that individuals must know. Most likely, the primary reason why this type of eye surgical treatment has ended up being well accepted is due to the fact that many of its cases had actually achieved success.
In spite of its success, there are still some downsides. Here is the list:
1. It is an operation used to the most delicate part of the eye
Because LASIK eye surgery includes the operation of the retina, which is one of the most sensitive portions of the eye, many people state that the operation can be really dangerous.
In other words, a basic mistake could almost trigger an individual's life time blindness. It is essential to consider numerous elements before choosing whether LASIK eye surgical treatment is the right restorative procedure one has to go through.
2. It is not a perfect procedure
LASIK eye surgery may fix your dig this vision but it does not always imply that it can give you a twenty-twenty. Even if analytical reports show that 70% of the clients may have 20/20 vision, this does not always mean they have perfect vision.
Offered all these things, it can be deduced that, in spite of the appeal of the operation, LASIK may not constantly be the ideal eye surgery the method a lot of individuals view it
Conversely, the evaluation of the structural part of the eye might be made in numerous methods. It needs to be This Site well remembered that a patient with an eye problem may have other problems. Frequently other physical conditions are primary and impact the eye as a repercussion. The appearance of the eye can notify the physician and the client to problems in some disruptions of other parts of the body even get redirected here before other symptoms present themselves.
Like its concrete equivalent, LASIK eye surgery is another form of vision correction.
Two Challenges Individuals Do Not Really Appreciate Regarding LASIK Eye Surgical Operation
The eye can be analyzed with relative ease regarding both its function and its structure. A functional examination includes the ability to relocate the orbit and the response of the pupil to light and accommodation.


text:
As RAC celebrates its 110 year anniversary, it presents an opportune time to take a look back at the people who have been with us on the ride.
And some of those people are the team at Midland Smash Repairs.
The family-run business has been in operation since 1965, and has been a preferred valued repair partner of RAC Insurance for 50 years.
"For as long as I can remember, we have been in partnership with RAC Insurance," says Midland Smash Repairs owner, Paul Smith.
"We average around 1,500 repair jobs from RAC Insurance every year. That's roughly 75,000 jobs RAC has sent our way over the course of our working partnership.
"Midland Smash Repairs was originally set up next to the old Midland steam train railway station as a small panel beater shop.
"In 1965, my dad, Daniel Smith, bought the shop and named it Midland Smash Repairs.
"Since I can remember I've been at my dad's workshop. I've got fond memories of playing out the back of the shop in all the old car wrecks with my sister.
"I then officially came to work as a panel beater with my dad when I was 21.
"Now, Midland Smash Repairs has 18 staff – most of which are my family, including my children and brother in law. Even my 75-year old mum works here, helping us out with the books.
"The plan is to continue keeping the business in the family, I have a 25 year old son named Lachlan who basically runs the shop.
"He will be in charge one day."
RAC Insurance General Manager of Claims Services, Andrew O'Hara, says RAC Insurance is proud to be working with successful local family-run businesses such as Midland Smash Repairs.
"RAC Insurance values its strong relationship with the various local repairers that help our members every day in their time of need," says Mr O'Hara.
"Midland Smash Repairs has been serving its local community by providing high quality car repairs to RAC members for 50 years."


text:
October 29, 2009
You want insane election results? Just try IRV!
One of the many dubious claims about Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is that it will produce a consensus winner. Not always true, as has been found in studies of both Aspen, CO and Burlington, VT. The candidate with the most first and second place support does not always win. This is because it is possible to hurt your preferred candidate by turning out too many supporters in his behalf. How is this possible? Just take a look at this explanatory video to see how this could happen (and has indeed happened in real elections in various places across the U.S.)
Why is this more democratic? Why would voters prefer the kind of result described in this video to a straightforward up-or-down vote?
2 Comments »
This is great.
What might someone know about FairVote violating election laws? They are sending money to fight repeal of IRV in Burlington, VT (the vote is March 2) and there's been some secrecy about Fair Vote involvement apparently. Are they legit, honorable, transparent?


text:
Bird Watching in North Northumberland
Location 1 – The Farne Islands (340/223323)
A two mile boat trip from Seahouses they offer some of the best birding in Europe with Eider, Puffin, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Sandwich, Roseate and Arctic Terns, Shag and many other species. Surprisingly there are few Razorbills. Look over the harbour wall at Seahouses for Rock Pipits. Pelagics also possible.
Location 2 – Budle Bay (340/146345)
Budle Bay is a beautiful tidal inlet and has a long tarmac pavement parking stretch for about three hundred yards alongside the bay. This provides a great viewing point to observe right across the inward section of the bay. Information boards are provided at intervals to five details of the birds that can be found here. Also, there are some good wooded areas behind. You can combine this with Fenham le Moor mud flats (340/097398) which has a hide and the only wintering quarters in the UK of the Pale Bellied Brent Goose. Whooper Swans winter in the fields and Hen Harrier and Peregrine are often seen. Little Egret roost in the trees behind.
Location 3 – Holy Island (340/125425)
Holy Island is a migration hot spot Merlin, Short-eared Owl and Reed Warbler but also check the bridge on the causeway for Long Tailed duck and waders. The south channel is good for Divers and Grebes in the winter. Seawatching is possiblefrom the bridge on the causeway when being cut off by the tide. On no attempt should you do this unless you have got permission from the Coastguard. If you have not, you will be forcibly removed and fined.
Location 4 – Monkshouse Ponds (340/205335)
Going north out of Seahouses you pass Monkshouse Ponds which have a good selection of gulls and ducks. A mile or two up the road is Stag Rocks, 340/176358 great for seawatching, a roost for Purple Sandpipers in the winter whilst Fulmars breed on the castle and cliffs above the golf course.
Location 5 – The Tweed Estuary at Berwick (346/999524)
Has winter Goldeneye, Mergansers and Goosanders.
Location 6 – The Bass Rock
Although not actually in North Northumberland, has the world's largest Gannet Colony is only 45 minute drive away via Dunbar harbour . Bookings for trips out to this wonderful site can be made at www.seabird.org.
Other Locations
Coquet Island (332/295045) is one of Northumberlands protected nesting sites and cannot be landed on. You need to get a boat from Amble. Puffins, Roseate and Arctic terns. Pelagic trips can also be organised from here and Seahouses. Roseate Tern Long Nanny (340/228272) is a Little Tern colony. You access it by a mile walk from the car park to the south by Newton Links through the dunes which have Stonechat and other species. Newton Pool (332/242239). You have to park about ¾ of a mile away but I got a Jack Snipe here once plus the village has a lovely little pub with food and its own microbrewery! Whimbrel Pictures of birds underlined to be used for each individual location.
Northumberland has a variety of bird life second to none. From the Puffin colonies on the Farnes to Birds of Prey (Common Buzzards are quite prolific) North Northumberland has something for everyone. A number of the best sites for Birdwatching are below with the GPS coordinates for each.


text:
Bateau Furniture Collection by Kidsmill
Chestnut Special Stylo Class by Bebecar
Cloud Q Lie Flat Infant Carrier Koi by Cybex
Shiny Collection by Caramella
Fresco Chrome Highchair from Birth to 8 years
Get a closer look from our new showroom!
Get Directions
Be the first to review this product
Availability: In stock
* Required Fields
Bring light into your room! Add the mirror on the 3 Drawers Dresser, 6 Drawers Dresser, Baby Station and transform the nursery into a teenage room.
Construction key facts:
W: 660 mm – 26 inchesD: 55 mm – 2 1/8 inchesH: 1015 mm – 40 inches
All case items are equipped with wooden knobs or handles. You can customize your furniture with one our 15 handle options made in Italy with the finest metals and crystals.
Availability: Ships in 8-12 weeks.
Only registered users can write reviews. Please, log in or register


text:
Do you have hidden assets that will power your long term economic growth?
Energy is rising rapidly up the agenda for local authorities. They are already dealing with the challenge of rising prices but there is also growing concern about the closure of large volumes of generating capacity that, without new investment to replace them, could increase the risk of energy scarcity and the need to directly manage demand. In addition, when public health becomes local authorities' responsibility in April 2013, local authorities will have a direct interest in reducing the impact on health of fuel poverty.
Local energy self-sufficiency, combined with careful management of demand, can help address some of these challenges by providing locally available and affordable energy. Successive UK governments have tried to encourage better energy management through initiatives such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment and the Green Deal, but local authorities have yet to make the most of the options available to them. This has partly been due to their focus on meeting immediate demands to reduce costs and partly due to a lack of clarity among local authorities about how they can manage energy better and how to move towards greater self-sufficiency.
To improve energy management and become more self-sufficient, local authorities need to understand exactly what energy-producing assets they have within their locality and what the local energy needs are. They then need to work with local industry to begin to develop local energy sources. Depending on their location, councils could develop wind and tidal power, harness geothermal energy or use the residual heat generated from permanent industrial facilities. There will be a wide range of energy-producing and energy reducing opportunities available and it seems clear that many authorities will find that more energy could be generated locally than at present.
Having carried out an assessment of demand and potential supply for their council area, local authorities can then develop a local energy map. Local authorities then need to determine how they can work with local businesses and industrial premises to secure new energy supplies.
In the current climate many authorities do not have sufficient funds to develop new energy provision, but they could secure central funding from the Green Investment Bank. The UK government has assigned the Green Investment Bank the task of attracting private funds for the financing of environmental preservation and improvement initiatives.
It can also act as facilitator to encourage third-sector organisations and businesses to work together to exploit the energy resources available to them. For example, a residential care home may currently receive its energy from the local grid. However, the local authority could broker an arrangement where it is connected to a local hospital to benefit from an existing or expansion of a combined heat and power energy-producing source.
This could bring benefits to both parties by reducing costs. It could also help alleviate fuel poverty in deprived areas. Excess heat from an industrial plant, for example, could be channelled to a housing estate in a deprived area of the locality.
It is also clear that there is a real opportunity for local government to use the development of energy self-sufficiency to stimulate local economic development. The availability of locally provided reliable and affordable energy could be an attractive incentive for new business to locate in the local area, for example to a new industrial park. This includes the possibility of attracting foreign investment from companies that are looking to create greener, cheaper supply chains closer to their markets.
The challenge is that these developments are very new to local authorities. The business case will include many uncertainties and will be difficult to fit with the existing decision making processes. However, the prize is so great that they should not be deterred. There is real potential to save money, to bring new jobs and growth, and to operate in a greener way. Forward thinking local authorities should be looking to seize those opportunities on their doorstep.
Marietta Di Ciacca, local government expert, PA Consulting Group
For more information, visit www.paconsulting.com/greeningbusiness
Readers' comments (1)
Agree with most of this, and many LAs are doing so at a community/building-specific level, and also much larger, eg through looking to combine EFW with power-purchasing (ideally scaling up through partnerships including private and other public sector bodies), investing in locai energy infrastructure (new generation of EFW, turbines, tidal etc). But I am not sure the Green Investment Bank is much of an option. I thought it was only looking at individual investments of £50m+ so there won't be that many, and even at these levels will it support large-scale (eg £200m gasification plants) energy investments.
David Rose, Cabinet member for Environment, Stockton-on-Tees.
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Please remember that the submission of any material is governed by our Terms and Conditions and by submitting material you confirm your agreement to these Terms and Conditions.
Links may be included in your comments but HTML is not permitted.


text:
A little while ago I wrote about documenting even the small jobs. A similar rubric is not to over-document.
I recently asked a team to prepare a project plan for a major piece of analysis on the performance of a $350m program that I direct. They diligently used our project planning template, but, alas, it was too much for the scope of the project and attracted unhelpful questions. Good questions, but ones that mislocated the intent of the project.
This was nothing dramatic, but it reminded me that the project plan has to be right-sized for the project scope and probably, if you want to apply a metric, for the dollars likely to be at risk in the project.


text:
Robert (rooster) joined the brigade in 1984. He got promoted to driver/mechanic and then to sub--officer. The Fire Service must be something in the Rooney blood as his father,Billy was a also a firefighter. Robert is married to Trish and has two sons, Bobby and William.
In his spare time Robert likes to do some shooting and fishing and is player/manager of the local soccer team.


text:
PO BOX 160 Springfield OH United States 45502
We cut away the overhead that traditional real estate companies have by eliminating the largest cost - the office! With the technology we have today, fewer and fewer productive agents even need an office space; a home office is a more productive and economical choice. We pass the savings on to you knowing that when you receive great service at a very competitive rate, you will tell your friends about us! We both have a common goal: get your home sold at a fair market price in the shortest amount of time.


text:
Share a sweet experience with the Baby Alive Magical Scoops Black Baby doll! Girls can have fun preparing the pretend ice cream cone for their baby to eat. Press the scooper against the cone to begin making her snack. Pretend to add toppings too, shake the sprinkles shaker to hear a fun noise. Press the ice cream cone against the doll's mouth... all gone! The scoop retracts into the cone so kids can pretend she's eaten all of her yummy desserts. Press the cone, again and again, to play out lots of sweet times together. Pretend to wipe her face after her tasty treat using the included bib. The Magical Scoops Baby doll also comes with a comb for brushing her rooted hair before or after enjoying her cone.
Ages 3 and up.


text:
ArtLifting: Empowerment through Opportunity, Rather than with a Handout
If you ask "What do you need?" or "How can I help you?" to someone who you seek to help, they will likely say that they prefer an opportunity rather than a handout. To solve the world's most entrenched social challenges, we need to invest in people and their capacity to improve their livelihoods.
The Company
Liz Powers stands by this approach with her B Corp, ArtLifting, an online marketplace that showcases and sells artwork of artists living with homelessness or disabilities. By finding an audience for their art and helping them generate an income, ArtLifting aims to also boost their confidence and self-esteem – ultimately improving their lives.
ArtLifting partners with teaching artists who work in homeless shelters and disability centers to scout potential artists. Then, just like an art broker, ArtLifting curates the artwork and brings it to market. Artists receive 55% of the sale and ArtLifting keeps 44%. The remaining 1%? That's reinvested in the partner organizations (shelters and disability centers) that deliver art programming to the artists.
Growth has been impressive! Since launching in 2013, ArtLifting has scaled from 4 artists in Boston to 72 artists in 11 states. In addition, ArtLifting now has a corporate program to sell directly to businesses looking to decorate offices with socially responsible art. The company was one of first to receive an investment from the TOMS Social Entrepreneurship Fund.
The Artwork
You can find original art in almost any style and medium. I love the geometric art on acrylic! Original pieces range from $400 to $6,000 and prints sell for $60 to $75. Each piece comes with a short story of the artist, allowing us to know whom we are supporting through each purchase.
More recently, ArtLifting also started selling other merchandise - notebooks, phone cases, and holiday cards – that were also inspired by the artists.
In a general sense, art is a way for artists to express and support themselves. ArtLifting does that and more. ArtLifting is also empowering underserved artists to develop the confidence they need to afford a home and live a fulfilling life.
ArtLifting's model poses the question - what other empowerment opportunities can we offer to individuals in need? What skills can be developed or brought to market in order to help them create a sustainable income?
Photos: IG @artlifting