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Raspberry Pi, the $25 Linux PC that fits in your hand and runs off AA batteries, is finally shipping in bulk today. One of the most amazing things about this little baby is the case mods: innovative, interesting cases that hobbyists and tinkerers are creating for the tiny credit-card-sized computer.
The tiny $35 Raspberry Pi set off a surge of demand for tiny Linux computers earlier this year. But a Korean hardware manufacturer called Hardkernel is launching a high-end computer board that measures just 3.5 inches by 3.7 inches. The new board could be another favorite among hobbyists computer users.
Apple and Blackberry aren’t the only fruit-flavored brands that can cause a stir with new hardware releases. The UK-developed Raspberry Pi is a credit-card-sized, bare-bones computer selling in two variations for $25 and $35 respectively — slightly less than an iPad 2 plastic cover.
Want to know which GamesBeat stories ranked most popular in 2011 — the ones that took off into the stratosphere in terms of traffic? Well, here’s a list at our top 10. We offer them up to give you a sense of the Zeitgeist for our piece of the internet.
You might want to hold back on that $600 Mac Mini purchase for just a little bit longer. The Raspberry Pi, the little $25 computer that can run Quake 3 Arena and play HD videos, is scheduled to go into volume production in January. If you want to splurge, you can also pay a $10 premium for the fancy Model B that comes with an ethernet port and 256 – instead of 128 – MByte RAM. | {
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]]>https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/06/04/ballerina-wall-art-print/feed/121558Whimsical Tree of Life Arthttps://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/06/01/whimsical-tree-of-life-art/
https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/06/01/whimsical-tree-of-life-art/#commentsMon, 01 Jun 2020 19:52:21 +0000https://joanamirandastudio.com/?p=21512I let my imagination run with this whimsical tree of life art. Drawn entirely free-hand in ink, the illustration took the better part of 2 days to complete.
]]>https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/06/01/whimsical-tree-of-life-art/feed/421512New Doodle Art Printshttps://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/30/new-doodle-art-prints/
https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/30/new-doodle-art-prints/#commentsSat, 30 May 2020 16:29:02 +0000https://joanamirandastudio.com/?p=21491My new doodle art prints are a direct result of being forced to stay home and not travel. Who knew mental travel could be so exhilarating and fun?
]]>https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/30/new-doodle-art-prints/feed/421491Moleskine Sketchbooks: Classic vs Arthttps://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/22/moleskine-sketchbooks-classic-vs-art/
https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/22/moleskine-sketchbooks-classic-vs-art/#commentsFri, 22 May 2020 22:57:29 +0000https://joanamirandastudio.com/?p=21434Moleskine Sketchbooks: Classic vs Art. As I learned, there is a significant difference. And here's how I plan to use each of them for my illustrations.
]]>https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/22/moleskine-sketchbooks-classic-vs-art/feed/221434Transforming Doodles into Arthttps://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/18/transforming-doodles-into-art/
https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/18/transforming-doodles-into-art/#commentsTue, 19 May 2020 00:29:46 +0000https://joanamirandastudio.com/?p=21392Transforming doodles into art Mattias Adolfsson style! Here's what I learned from his course and how I plan to move forward with my next sketchbook.
]]>https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/18/transforming-doodles-into-art/feed/421392Art and Imagination – A Machined Approach?https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/15/art-and-imagination/
https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/15/art-and-imagination/#commentsSat, 16 May 2020 00:56:11 +0000https://joanamirandastudio.com/?p=21373Art and imagination should go hand in hand. But sometimes the process of unlocking imagination takes a bit of coaxing (and a lot of practice!)
]]>https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/15/art-and-imagination/feed/321373Isometric Perspective Arthttps://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/13/isometric-perspective-art/
https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/13/isometric-perspective-art/#commentsWed, 13 May 2020 22:56:41 +0000https://joanamirandastudio.com/?p=21341Creating isometric perspective art was the task. The imaginary world evolved before my eyes almost magically. Then again, I almost went blind creating it!
]]>https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/13/isometric-perspective-art/feed/721341Funny Art for Your Saturdayhttps://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/09/funny-art-for-your-saturday/
https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/09/funny-art-for-your-saturday/#commentsSat, 09 May 2020 16:44:36 +0000https://joanamirandastudio.com/?p=21303Experts disagree on a lot regarding this pandemic. So why not take a break from the news and enjoy some funny art for your Saturday?
]]>https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/09/funny-art-for-your-saturday/feed/221303Drawing Coursehttps://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/08/drawing-course/
https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/08/drawing-course/#commentsSat, 09 May 2020 01:12:19 +0000https://joanamirandastudio.com/?p=21276Taking a drawing course from an artist you admire is pretty nifty. Having hours to devote to it during a pandemic is the icing on the cake!
]]>https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/08/drawing-course/feed/521276The Power of Art and Imaginationhttps://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/05/the-power-of-art-and-imagination/
https://joanamirandastudio.com/2020/05/05/the-power-of-art-and-imagination/#commentsTue, 05 May 2020 21:57:21 +0000https://joanamirandastudio.com/?p=21260Exercising the power of art and imagination takes courage, but the mental rewards can be profound medicine in and of themselves. | {
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You may receive prenatal and postpartum care from an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN), or from a family medicine provider, who work in partnership as part of our OB Shared Care program. At Mayo Clinic Health System in Cannon Falls, you may choose from the following: | {
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Spider Web Design – Facebook Page
I’ve been trying to keep myself busy recently, so I made a new portfolio site. It’s nothing flashy – it uses Twitter Bootstrap’s default 2-column layout, some Google web fonts and a bit of jQuery. That’s about it. It’s coded using HTML5 on the CodeIgniter PHP framework. The best thing is that it’s completely responsive – meaning it will scale down for different screen sizes. View it on your mobile, or re-size your browser window to see it scale down.
I also stuck a secret warp zone section in there, just for shits and giggles – see if you can find it…
The idea to do it was simple really – I wanted a clean professional site that I could use as an online C.V. The photos on there are appropriate and there is no mention of midgets, porn or drugs. Maybe most astonishing of all, at no point do I use words like “cunt”, “fuck” or “ballbags”.
To accompany this site, I also set up a Facebook page. Again, it’s very simple – and will feature examples of the websites I have worked on, and any new projects in the pipeline. I might stick some of my music reviews up on there as well. | {
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Southern Marin Fire Protection District
Welcome to SMFD
Southern Marin Fire Protection District is an independent special district established by the Marin County Board of Supervisors in July of 1999. The District was formed by the merger of the Alto-Richardson Fire Protection District and the Tamalpais Fire Protection District.
On June 26, 2012 the City of Sausalito Fire Department was annexed into the fire District. In October of 2010 the District signed a contract with the National Park Service to provide services to the Marin Headlands and Fort Baker areas of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The Fire District now serves the communities of Tamalpais Valley, Almonte, Homestead Valley, Alto, Strawberry, approximately 1/4 of the town of Tiburon, the City of Sausalito, Fort Baker and the Marin Headlands. The District covers 11.5 square miles, a population of approximately 28,700 and over 14,100 homes and commercial properties.
The District has 52 full time employees including a chief, 3 battalion chiefs, a fire prevention officer, 9 captains, 36 firefighters/engineers (15 of whom are also paramedics), 3 administrative staff, and 9 reserve firefighters.
Southern Marin Fire Protection District has recently received a Pharmaceutical Waste Receptacle. The Pharmaceutical Waste Container has been placed…Read More
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Our Mission
Southern Marin Fire Protection District strives for excellence in the performance of our duty and service to the community and the customers we serve. We are committed in finding better ways of protecting the lives and property of our citizens from the ravages of fire and other disasters and devoted in working together for the betterment of our community. | {
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The Lovereading4Kids comment
Caroline Lawrence has a real gift for bringing history to life through the four main characters in her impressive ‘Roman Mysteries’ series. This is the 15th in and the four heroes have plenty of puzzles to solve in a thrilling quest but danger lies around every corner.
Win a Family Break to Salisbury!
Don’t miss out! Enter to win a family break to Salisbury!
Here at Lovereading.co.uk and Lovereading4kids.co.uk we are delighted to be giving you a chance to win a wonderful family break. You could see yourself indulging in the finest food and slumbering comfortably into one of the grand rooms at The Red Lion Salisbury for two nights. The Red Lion Hotel is located in medieval city of Salisbury, which is home to all your favourite stores as well as independent shops, restaurants, cafes and parks and green spaces. Nearby is Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain and numerous sites of historic and archaeological interest.
There are many seasonal events in Salisbury, and you can find out what’s on here. You will also receive a family ticket to Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, the gardens are especially beautiful in the winter, with bold coloured stems, scents, and fabulous foliage, you can be sure to be impressed. For the children there is also a play park, and you can stop off in the Victorian tea room to warm up and treat yourself to a traditional cream tea.
To have a chance of winning this fantastic prize, click the button below. Please note that this draw is open only for UK residents and is free to enter, multiple entries from the same email address will only be counted once. Entries close 31st January 2018.
Good luck!
Terms and Conditions
Red Lion: Two night stay includes breakfast for two adults and up to two children sharing a family room. Subject to availability and cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash value. Not to be used in combination with any other offer. Valid until 1st Dec 2018 and excludes bank holidays.
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens: Valid for day entry, Not to be used for special events or group entry. Voucher is not transferable or refundable, no Cash Value. Ticket must be redeemed on entry. Valid until 31 Dec 2018. Gardens open daily from 10am – closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Prize admits 2 adults and accompanying children Under 17 FREE to Sir Harold Hillier Gardens.
Synopsis
The Scribes From Alexandria by Caroline Lawrence
A desperate quest begins in the Romano-Egyptian port of Alexandria: site of the great lighthouse, the Library and the tomb of Alexander the Great. Codes, riddles, anagrams and hieroglyphics lead the search parties down the river Nile to pyramids and sphinxes, temples and tombs, crocodiles and hippos. But what lies at the end of the journey? Treasure? Or death?
About the Author
Caroline Lawrence was our Guest Editor in September 2102 - Click here to see her selections.
Caroline Lawrence was born in London. Her American parents returned to the United States shortly afterwards and she grew up in Bakersfield, California with her younger brother and sister. Her father taught English and drama in a local high school and her mother was an artist.
When she was twelve, Caroline's family moved to Stanford University in northern California so that her father could study Linguistics. Caroline inherited her father's love of words and her mother's love of art. She subsequently studied Classics at Berkeley, where she won a Marshall Scholarship to Cambridge. There, at Newnham College, she studied Classical Art and Archaeology.
The books in the series are:The Thieves of OstiaThe Secrets of VesuviusThe Pirates of PompeiiThe Assassins of RomeThe Dolphins of LaurentumThe Twelve Tasks of Flavia GeminaThe Enemies of JupiterThe Gladiators from CapuaThe Colossus of RhodesThe Fugitive from CorinthThe Sirens of SurrentumThe Charioteer of DelphiThe Slave Girl from JerusalemThe Beggar of VolubilisThe Scribes from AlexandriaThe Prophet from EphesusAnd finally…The Man from Pomegranate Street
THE ROMAN MYSTERIES have sold over 1.1 million copies since its introduction in 2001 and in 2009 won the Classical Association Prize for 'a significant contribution to the public understanding of Classics' THE ROMAN MYSTERIES has been recognised as having an exemplary combination of entertainment and education. | {
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The (Facebook Live) Election is Rigged!
As we approach the apex of the 2016 US Presidential Election, it is almost impossible to escape election related content on social media. One of the more recent content-trends is for Facebook pages to create live polls via Facebook's live streaming platform - Facebook Live. User are asked to vote for their preferred candidate with Facebook Reactions. In the scenario below; users would "like" for Trump and "love" for Clinton.
Variations of the trend have been posted by a number of large pages, including Comfort, AVO Comedy and click-bait kings - UNILAD, who have over 20 million Facebook likes.
A live poll by Facebook page - Comfort.
Despite Clinton being ahead in most major polls, almost all of the live streams that I have come across show Trump as being ahead in votes. And as is shown in the screenshot above, Trump is often doubling Clinton in votes. Being perplexed by the results, I went and did some further investigation and discovered that the majority of these live streams were not as democratic as one might think.
Upon looking at Facebook's metrics tool, it became apparent very quickly that the "votes" for each candidate were not actually being determined by the reactions and were instead predetermined by the page that was posting the live stream.
This election is being rigged by the media pushing false and unsubstantiated charges, and outright lies, in order to elect Crooked Hillary!
As you can see below, a live stream posted by Facebook page Donald Trump My President, shows two very different sets of results. According to the figures in the video, the poll finished with 11,086 votes for Trump and 7,422 votes for Clinton. In comparison, Facebook's own tool reports 56,000 votes for Trump and 4,600 votes for Clinton, this means that the page fabricated an extra 2,800 Clinton votes and did not account for 45,000 Trump votes!
The votes that were displayed on the live stream.
Facebook's Reaction metric tool.
It is worth noting that the above screenshot was taken 4 hours after the live stream had finished, and given the fact that you cannot view these metrics as they happen, Facebook's metrics represent an extra 4 hours that the video does not account for. While this extra 4 hours could explain the unaccounted 45,000 votes for Trump, it cannot explain the missing 2,800 Clinton votes.
While it shouldn't come as a shock that clickbait Facebook pages are posting well... clickbait, it is some pretty cunning media manipulation on their part, or at least an improvement from the usual "You Won't Believe What Happens Next!" headlines. While using Facebook Reactions as votes is not new, doing it with a live stream is, and doing so has a range of benefits for the page:
A Facebook page uses a static image to ask users to vote for their favourite pop artist with reactions.
While Facebook is currently trying to reduce clickbait, Facebook is also heavily promoting it's relatively new live video feature. Facebook is doing this by making live video more accessible in the newsfeed and by sending users notifications when a page that they have liked is live. As a result, using Facebook Live is a sneaky way for clickbait pages to get around Facebook's current crack-down on clickbait.
The fake "vote count" can be easily seen in the thumbnail, which increases engagement rates.
The live comments section means that there will be more users viewing (and arguing about) the post in real time.
By putting Trump ahead in the polls, Facebook users (like myself) are surprised when they see the fake vote count, this increases engagement rates.
It would be far easier to create a video with two fake numbers than it would be to create a program that would pull the real numbers from Facebook and put them into a live video.
Facebook now notifies users when a page that they have liked is live.
While I have only been able to find evidence of the live stream voting trend in the last week, it has already begun to morph away from the election. Facebook page UNILAD recently asked it's followers to vote between rappers Biggie and Tupac. In contrast to the live polls posted on other Facebook pages, UNILAD's poll actually seemed to be displaying the correct information. Given the high engagement rates that these posts receive, It is a highly likely that we will begin to see even more of of this live stream voting trend in the near future - with or without fabricated results.
This isn't the first time that Facebook users have been duped by Facebook Live videos. In recent months, pages such as USA Viral and UNILAD have been guilty of reposting old content as live stream videos. Most recently, Viral USA live streamed a video of a man climbing a 1,999 ft. tower - it turns out that the video was over a year old. Viral USA received approximately 6,000,000 views for their live stream, while the original YouTube video has a comparatively modest 750,000 views.
Given the current content shift towards video, and the still relatively immature platform that is live streaming, it will be interesting to see how content creators continue to use the platform in innovative ways. And if and consequentially how platforms like Facebook plan to moderate misleading content like the live voting trend. | {
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-5.11(-0.19%)
-75.35(-0.30%)
-3.00(-0.04%)
FILE PHOTO: The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. building at 1 Wall St. is seen in New York's financial district in New York, U.S. March 11, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian prosecutors asked on Thursday that the local unit of Bank of New York Mellon Corp return 8.2 billion reais ($2.56 billion) to local pension fund Postalis, according to a statement.
Prosecutors said the Brazilian unit of BNY Mellon, which managed part of the assets held by the pension fund Postalis, caused losses to the fund.
According to prosecutors, BNY has failed to monitor the risks Postalis was subject to as a result of investments and did not comply with local rules for asset allocation.
A Sao Paulo court now will decide if the bank will face charges. In a statement, Bank of New York Mellon said has not yet received formal communication about the federal prosecutors' action involving the bank.
Postalis is suing the bank.
"We believe the federal prosecutors' accusations repeat unfounded accusations in those lawsuits," the Brazilian unit of BNY Mellon said in a statement.
"Federal prosecutors suggest fiduciary managers are responsible for investment decisions, which is not true," the statement added. | {
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Pages
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you have spent some time thinking and rejoicing in the birth of Christ today.
I had many plans for the day. The only one accomplished?...Going to my brother and sister-in-laws for lunch. I was also planning the following:1. Reading a good portion of Calvin's Institutes2. Finishing my sermon for Sunday3. Finishing these books (20 pages or less each) Brothers We are Not Professionals, Let the Nations be Glad, Cost of Discipleship, Fit Bodies Fat Minds.4. Going over to Nigel's. (I came home to take a quick nap and just now woke up...8 hours later)5. Going on a quick hike up the river.
Well, hopefully I can get some of that reading done tomorrow. I'm planning on working on my sermon until I fall asleep again. | {
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Singapore’s 15 most ideal employers, as voted by graduates
Mark your calendars as the crowd's favourite candidate and employee experience conference, Talent Experience Forum is back! Happening only in KL, Malaysia on 5 November. Register your seat early because you will be hearing top insights from C-suite and senior HR leaders from Dell, Digi, GoCar, IPG Mediabrands, Nestle, Tesco, Unilever and more.
Google has once again emerged as the most ideal employer for Singapore’s business and commerce, as well as engineering and natural sciences students. This was part of the findings from the Universum Talent Survey 2019, released today.
On the business/commerce front, Google was followed by J.P. Morgan, Singapore Airlines, and DBS. With Walt Disney Company rounding up the top five.
Singapore Airlines remained in 3rd place when it came to engineering/natural sciences students, with their second most ideal employer being A*STAR. Rounding up the top five for this group of students was Rolls-Royce and ST Engineering.
15 most ideal employers among business/commerce students in 2019
#1 Google
2018 rank: 1
Difference: 0
#2 J.P. Morgan
2018 rank: 4
Difference: +2
#3 Singapore Airlines
2018 rank: 2
Difference: -1
#4 DBS
2018 rank: 8
Difference: + 4
#5 Walt Disney Company
2018 rank: 3
Difference: -2
#6 Goldman Sachs
2018 rank: 13
Difference: +7
#7 PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
2018 rank: 7
Difference: 0
#8 Changi Airport Group
2018 rank: 5
Difference: -3
#9 EY (Ernst & Young)
2018 rank: 10
Difference: +1
#10 Apple
2018 rank: 11
Difference: 1
#11 KPMG
2018 rank: 6
Difference: -5
#12 Deloitte
2018 rank: 9
Difference: -3
#13 Unilever
2018 rank: 14
Difference: +1
#14 Facebook
2018 rank: 12
Difference-2
#15 Procter & Gamble (P&G)
2018 rank: 20
Difference: +5
15 most ideal employers among engineering/natural sciences students in 2019
#1 Google
2018 rank: 1
Difference: 0
#2 A*STAR
2018 rank: 2
Difference: 0
#3 Singapore Airlines
2018 rank: 3
Difference: 0
#4 Rolls-Royce
2018 rank: 6
Difference: +2
#5 ST Engineering
2018 rank: 9
Difference: +4
#6 GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)
2018 rank: 4
Difference: -2
#7 Changi Airport Group
2018 rank: 8
Difference: +1
#8 ExxonMobil
2018 rank: 7
Difference: -1
#9 Apple
2018 rank: 12
Difference: +3
#10 Ministry of Health (MOH)
2018 rank: 5
Difference: -5
#11 Defence Science & Technology Agency
2018 rank: 14
Difference: +3
#12 Microsoft
2018 rank: 15
Difference: +3
#13 Shell
2018 rank: 13
Difference: 0
#14 Boeing
2018 rank: 17
Difference: +3
#15 National Environment Agency (NEA)
2018 rank: 11
Difference: -4
Apart from ranking the most ideal employers, Universum’s survey uncovered key insights into career goals, salary expectations as well as choice of communication channel.
In terms of career goals, among both groups of students, having work-life balance remains the topmost career goal, followed by being stable in their job. While the engineering/natural sciences students ranked “to be dedicated to a cause or to feel that I am serving a greater good” as third, business/commerce students wanted “to be a leader or manager of people”
Click on the gallery below for the full set of career goals.
In terms of salary expectations, business/commerce students expected S$44,661 while engineering/natural sciences students expected S$44,459.
Interestingly, although rankings for IT employers were not provided, the survey found salary expectations among IT graduates (S$53, 721) to be significantly (20%) higher compared to both business/commerce and engineering/natural sciences students. This echoes the increased demand for a very low supply of technical and digital talent in Singapore.
When it comes to communication channel, both business/commerce and IT students indicated social media as the most important source of information for them. Engineering/natural sciences students, however, indicated that they learnt most about their employers through career fairs.
Mike Parsons, managing director APAC for Universum, said: “The demand for digital and IT talent in Singapore continues to increase. Not only does the survey highlight the pressure this is putting on salaries, this trend is pushing employers, especially non-traditional employers of digital talent, to be more strategic and segmented with what they offer and communicate. And the messaging is working too, shown by the way banks have risen to the second most preferred industry for IT talent ahead of more natural choices, such as E-commerce and tech hardware. The banks are back in a big way. Sadly, the same can’t be said for the public sector, who’ve had strong losses across the board and are losing their appeal amongst the current crop of graduates”.
Methodology
The results are based on the answers of 10,396 students studying for degrees in business/commerce, engineering, natural sciences, IT, humanities/liberal arts/education, law and health/medicine, with 40,325 individual evaluations of 138 employers.
Each respondent is asked questions about their career preferences, expectations and employment related drivers and then presented with a list of 138 national and international employers, nominated by the target group through an independent and structured nomination and assessment process, which prevents companies unfairly influencing their positions.
Respondents acknowledge those companies they would consider working for. Of the companies selected as ‘considered employers’, the respondents then select their five ‘IDEAL Employers’ and answer questions about their perceived brand based on Universum’s Drivers of Employer Attractiveness global framework. The rankings measure the level of employer attractiveness of companies or organisations on the recruitment market. | {
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UFO Sighting Report
Date:
1978
Location:
suburbs of Reading Pa.
Summary:
triangular shaped object hovered made no sound
Date Reported:
2/14/2004 11:02:59 PM
Day/Night:
Nighttime
No. of Witnesses:
25 to 30
Duration:
5 min
No. of Object(s):
Single
Full Description & Details
i first saw the object several miles away ..i was traveling south on state rte 222 from Kutztown Pa to Reading Pa. The object first appeared to me to be a bright multi colored star . the closer i got to the object the larger it appeared to me. on the way twards the object i passed a super market where people were looking & pointing to the object it was approxamitly 2 or 3 blocks away from that point. i filanny got to the point where it was , i pulled off to the side of the road & watched it as it was hovering over the field alongside the road . it was approx. 50 to 75 feet above the ground it was a ery large triangular shaped boject with 3 lights on each corner of the triangle. i looked bluish in color the other red & the third yellowish. they looked to be more of a glow than a light bulb as we know it. the object remained still for about 3 min. it made no sound whatsoever & as i watched it slowly turned away from me & slowly started to move .. i watched it till it flew out of sight. to this day i have never seen anything like it . it appeared to be about 50 feet across @ the widest part of it.
Witness Background
lab tec.........also im a retired constable...............high school education.........in my 16 years as constable i spent 30 hrs. a year in the classroom for civil & criminal law
Other Comments
up to that point in time i did not believe in UFOs but that sighting made a true believer out of me | {
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All Motorcycle Rally just a week away
Bikers will rally for a cause June 27 and 28 at Lake of the Ozarks.
Comment
The Lake News Online
Writer
Posted Jun. 20, 2014 at 8:00 PM
Posted Jun. 20, 2014 at 8:00 PM
Lake area
Bikers will rally for a cause June 27 and 28 at Lake of the Ozarks. The Patriots All Motorcycle Rally features entertainment and activities for bikers who want to support wounded warriors and their families. Headlining the entertainment for the event is heavy-metal band Molly Hatchet. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Peterson Outdoor Ministries, a Joplin-based organization that provides recreational activities, counseling and support for veterans and their families.
This is the second year for the rally, which is moving from Sedalia to the Lake of the Ozarks. "Sedalia was a great venue for us," rally organizer Angie Thessen said. "But the Lake can offer more fun things to do for attendees in conjunction with the rally. People are just drawn to the Lake."
Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau Executive Director Tim Jacobsen is delighted to have the rally come to the area. "We love having events for bikers at the Lake," he said. "We are able to offer a variety of scenic rides, as well as other activities and amenities for bikers. We support the Patriots All Motorcycle Rally as a way to give back to those who have bravely served our country."
Approximately 1,200 bikers attended last year's event. Thessen hopes more will come to the Lake and stresses that all activities are open to the public, whether they are bikers or not. Activities will be held at the Camden on the Lake Resort and Lake of the Ozarks Harley Davidson.
The fun begins with a reception at Camden on the Lake on June 27 for veteran rider groups like American Legion Riders and Patriot Guard Riders, allowing them to meet one another and honoring their service. Patriot Guard Riders are volunteers who serve as an honor guard at funerals for members of the military, police and firefighters. They also greet troops who are returning home from overseas and volunteer for veterans' organizations like veterans homes.
"These volunteers often see one another only at somber occasions," Thessen said. "This event gives them the opportunity to participate in some fun activities and gives us a chance to thank them for what they do."
Friday evening's entertainment on the main stage at H. Toad's Bar and Grill at Camden on the Lake Resort will feature "Deff Lepardz," a "Def Leppard" tribute band opening for "The American Hitmen Band." The American Hitmen Band, which is composed of Marines, formed during Operation Phantom Fury in 2004 when brothers Dan and Tim Cord played for their fellow soldiers in Fallujah, Iraq. When they returned to Camp Pendleton, Cal., they added fellow Marines to the mix and began playing regularly in Southern California. After being honorably discharged in 2007, they relocated to Utah and have been performing regularly, including an appearance in Season 8 of "America's Got Talent."
Page 2 of 3 - Rally activities continue on Saturday with a bike rodeo, National Guard tank rides and a poker run, as well as scenic rides. The Patriots All poker run, a new event for this year's motorcycle rally, begins with registration and breakfast at Lake of the Ozarks Harley Davidson, located in Osage Beach. Stops include Bridal Cave, Dog Days, Bootlegger's Sports Bar and Grill and ends at Toad Cove at Camden on the Lake.
Also on Saturday, a bike show will be held at Lake of the Ozarks Harley Davidson, with attendees voting for their favorite bikes by making donations for the event. Information about these activities, including maps for scenic motorcycle rides around the Lake area, is available with registration for the rally.
On Saturday evening "Molly Hatchet" will perform on the main stage at H. Toad's Bar and Grill. "Molly Hatchet" burst into the Southern rock music scene in 1978 and later took on a more heavy metal sound. In the three decades that have followed, the band has continued touring and recording and has returned to its Southern rock roots. "The American Hitmen Band" will open for "Molly Hatchet" at the Saturday night show. There is a $10 cover charge for this event only and VIP tables also are available. Tickets can be purchased at www.CamdenOnTheLake.com. All other activities for the weekend are free, although donations will be accepted throughout the weekend for Peterson Outdoor Ministries.
Peterson Outdoor Ministries is a faith-based organization that offers outdoor recreational opportunities to wounded warriors, as well as people with disabilities or terminal illnesses. While activities like Wounded Warrior Wildlife Hunts are a primary focus for the ministry, they also offer counseling and support to wounded combat veterans and their families. One of their goals is to help wounded warriors transition from their lives in the armed forces to their new civilian lives, reducing the suicide rate among these veterans.
Thessen, who works as a legislative assistant in the Missouri House of Representatives, and her co-organizer, Maj. Chris Ash from the Missouri National Guard, have seen the need for supports like those offered by Peterson Outdoor Ministries. In her work with the House of Representatives, Thessen has become involved in veterans' activities. She met Maj. Ash through these activities and, together, they set out to organize the Patriots All Motorcycle Rally.
"In its first year, the Patriots All Motorcycle Rally not only met, but in many ways exceeded, our goals of thanking our veterans and raising funds to help Peterson Outdoor Ministries," Maj. Ash said. "With all the bikers, bike lovers, veterans, service members, sponsors, vendors and entertainers, it made sense for us to move to a destination like the Lake of the Ozarks for the second year. We expect an even better turnout this year, especially since our rally coincides with the 7th annual Support Our Troops Poker Run."
Page 3 of 3 - The Support Our Troops Poker Run, while not a part of the Patriots All rally, supports H.E.R.O.E.S Care, another charitable organization that offers services to military personnel and their families. The Support Our Troops Poker Run will be held on Friday, June 27, prior to the Patriots All rally and is also headquartered at Camden on the Lake Resort. More information about this poker run, sponsored by Midwest Boat Party, is available at www.LakeOzarksPokerRun.com. | {
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Amazing detail in Brian Stelter's reporting on the sale of Current TV to Al-Jazeera:
"Al Jazeera did not disclose the purchase price, but people with direct knowledge of the deal pegged it at around $500 million, indicating a $100 million payout for Mr. Gore, who owned 20 percent of Current. Mr. Gore and his partners were eager to complete the deal by Dec. 31, lest it be subject to higher tax rates that took effect on Jan. 1, according to several people who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. But the deal was not signed until Wednesday."
That deal was announced last night, and within minutes, Time Warner had taken Current off the air, perhaps as a ploy to negotiate much higher carriage fees from Current's new wealthy parent company.
Mr. Gore and his partners were eager to complete the deal by Dec. 31, lest it be subject to higher tax rates that took effect on Jan. 1, according to several people who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. But the deal was not signed until Wednesday.
Gore, Obama, Goldman Sacs and Liberals are all too happy to pose for smug holy pictures while outside of the cameras they scheme to get theirs and screw everyone else to the wall.
The great environmentalist is recycling those Saudi petrodollars.Great scam. The same people who hijacked the 9/11 planes, need a propaganda venue in the United States.Former Vice President uses his influence to get access for his unprofitable network on multiple cable providers and then sells out to the Saudis. Bribery in the modern era with the payout on the back end. Ever wonder who gave Gore the seed money for his “network”?
This should not surprise anyone. It shows how so many of the RATS are not patriots but are traitors who despise the USA.If its true that Time-Warner refuses to carry the new channel, kudos to them and to any other cable entity that refuses to carry the voice of Al_Qaeda.
The great environmentalist is recycling those Saudi petrodollars.Great scam. The same people who hijacked the 9/11 planes, need a propaganda venue in the United States.Former Vice President uses his influence to get access for his unprofitable network on multiple cable providers and then sells out to the Saudis. Bribery in the modern era with the payout on the back end. Ever wonder who gave Gore the seed money for his network?
I suspect that Gore has been on the Saudi payroll for a long, long time. He's been busy for years, ensuring that the US never achieves energy independence from Middle Eastern oil.
11
posted on 01/03/2013 7:49:14 AM PST
by PapaBear3625
(You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
And the company immediately lost 20% of its value when Time Warner dumped the channel yesterday. But of course it’s muzzie money so they don’t really care. And I’m sure Obama has told his buddies at Comcast not to drop the channel.
This is what a communist social elitist does and has no problem doing it. Allways above the fray with thier money. Only the real working class gets screwed by the machine. Just like the hollywood trash.
21
posted on 01/03/2013 8:28:30 AM PST
by Busko
(The only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain.)
“Current TV’s shabby ratings are another hurdle for Al Jazeera. The network, which put itself up for sale last year, reportedly struggled to find a buyer given its low average viewership of 35,000. By comparison, Fox News drew an average of 2.1 million primetime total viewers in 2012.”
The channel is not worthless. Just like an airline that is going out of business can sell its’ slots at major airports as part of it’s liquidation.
Al Jazeera is not buying this channel to get the 35,000 viewers, it’s buying it to get an already signed distribution agreement with various cable companies that currently have 60,000,000 subscribers. AJ has been having trouble getting those companies to carry their channel. This is their way of greatly expanding their US coverage. Whatever viewers they get depends on whether they can provide content people want to watch.
.. According to the Fiscal Cliff deal, earnings above $400,ooo will be taxed at a rate of 39.6 percent, up from the current 35 percent. That means Al Gore saved $4.9 million by selling out early but I thought the wealthy dont need or want those tax savings, right Obama?
like the pigs in Animal Farm, liberals ascribe rules for everyone else but not for themselves.
Many of us are tired of subsidizing liberal propaganda - and worse = with our dollars. I would happily pay for FOXNews and a few other channels. And pay for the privilege of NOT be forced to pay for CNN and Current TV.
27
posted on 01/03/2013 9:10:25 AM PST
by GOPJ
(It's not possible to be a Progressive and not be a hypocrite. Freeper TigersEye.)
“Ill bet youre happier for it too... Im down to FOXNews - sometimes...”
I am all of that. Noticeably lately the hysterical coverage by the MSM of the Connecticut shootings has not made it into my house and I want to keep it that way.
My cold, hard analysis of the Connecticut is as follows:
Arm the teachers after CCW training. They are to use their own guns, the ones they shoot at the range, the ones that fit their hands.
This provides an immediate response to an attempted shooting which can be measured in seconds, not 7 minutes (Sandy Hook) or hours (Columbine). And it turns the average school from a soft target into a very hard target.
Since nearly all the damage occurs within minutes in a shooting of this nature arming the teachers and administrative staff is the real answer.
Liberals don't understand we want to protect children too... The difference is liberals believe in group solutions of a grandiose global nature - ban all the guns - pass massive new laws. They see themselves in terms of 'grand'... larger than life. Elite and superior - beyond the rest of us who are mere mortals.
We - traditional Americans - live in the real world - a not so grand world - and know each school must become a difficult target for a potential killer. And that's done by creating a hard target, not by passing laws against guns. Killers have a way of not respecting laws... they don't respect laws against murder - or laws against using a gun.
We need to work on ways to divide the United States into two countries. Liberals hate us and see us as standing in the way of all their dreams - and we don't like them either. It's time to recognize irreconcilable differences and call it quits. We can protect our children our way - and they can pass 'pie in the sky' laws...
35
posted on 01/04/2013 7:40:48 PM PST
by GOPJ
(It's not possible to be a Progressive and not be a hypocrite. Freeper TigersEye.)
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works. | {
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} |
Abandoned at age 3, little
Robby was stuffed in an orphanage where he lived the next 14 years. At the
age of 17, he was offered a one-way bus ticket to wherever he wanted to
go and wished “Good Luck, Kid.”
Rob has been married faithfully since 1980 to Susan and together they
have raised two neat kids. In sales since 1978, Rob has built a successful
sales business that earned him the 2002 recognition as one of America’s
top Investment Consultants.
Rob is a dynamic speaker who speaks from the heart with
experience offering practical solutions that touch and encourage appreciative
audiences. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Legal Notices
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Bellwether issuers, including triple-A rated Maryland and the Bay Area Toll Authority, tempted buyers in the primary market Wednesday, though it wasn't enough to offset an overall weaker tone as large institutions sold municipal bonds in the secondary.
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IOTA Network Security FUDs Resurfaces Denting Bulls: IOTA, Tron,.Welcome to ATB Coin ATB Coin incorporates all the best features available in modern. manufacturability and transparency as well as your privacy and security.Smart Home Home security 101: Local vs. cloud camera storage.In the guide below you will learn which type of IOTA node or wallet is right for you.Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, Litecoin, Cardano, Stellar, IOTA:.
One nascent technology for doing so is called IOTA. Blockchain or Tangle.Working on a stealth microprocessor, Jinn,. Security. IOTA looks ahead. | {
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In 2013, Swiss-Italian Paolo Basso was named Best Sommelier of the World, one of just five sommeliers who hold both European and World titles. He started his wine career as a sommelier in Switzerland and gained professional experience with a leading Swiss-based wine trader, where he focused on Burgundy and Bordeaux. Basso runs his own wine consultancy, Paolo Basso Wine, and is a familiar name on the sommelier competition circuit. He has won many awards, including Best Sommelier of Switzerland 1997 and Best Sommelier of Europe 2010.
Judges
Arvid Rosengren
Arvid Rosengren is the wine director of restaurant group Copenhangen Concepts, which owns and runs eight restaurants along three concept lines: MASH (steakhouse), Umami (Japanese/French fusion) and Le Sommelier (French brasserie). Joining the company in June 2011, Rosengren was previously the head sommelier at two of the group’s restaurants in Copenhagen, and prior to that worked in Stockholm at Restaurant Le Rouge, and spent a few months in the UK at the Hotel du Vin in Birmingham in 2008. Winning many awards on the sommelier competition circuit, Rosengren was named Best Sommelier of Sweden 2010 and last year became the Best Sommelier of Europe 2013, going on to compete in the Best Sommelier of the World semi-finals in Tokyo. Rosengren also teaches at sommelier schools in Scandinavia and writes for publications, including Livets Goda, and publishes his own blog at arvidrosengren.com.
Bruno Besa
Originally from Friuli, Bruno Besa has been living in London since 1986. After almost 20 years working in hotels and restaurants, he founded Astrum Wine Cellars in 2001, along with long term friends and former colleagues Max Folli and Stefano Benato from Stafano Cavallini Restaurant at the Halkin hotel in Belgravia. Bruno is currently managing director of the company, representing around 50 wineries and distilleries from Italy and Central Europe.
Claire Thevenot MS
Claire Thevenot MS is a French-born adopted Londoner. She studied catering and hospitality management and then took a sommelier degree from Tain l’Hermitage (France). After graduating Thevenot worked at a number of three star Michelin restaurants in France, Germany and Switzerland, including Bernard Loiseau and Restaurant Im Schiffchen Jean Claude Bourgueil. In 2002, Thevenot moved to London with work for the Hotel du Vin Group, quickly being promoted to Head Sommelier at the Hotel du Vin Winchester. In 2006 Thevenot become a Master Sommelier, the same year she was named UK Sommelier of the Year. Thevenot currently works for Enotria where she looks after prestige accounts and assists the buying team find new French growers. Her passion is for German Riesling, particularly, although she is also true to her French roots and the wines of Burgundy and the Rhône.
Daniele Cernilli
Daniele Cernilli was born in Rome and graduated with a masters in philosophy. In 1979 he began his career in the wine trade at Vini & Liquori, a monthly magazine, before going on to co-found what would become the annual Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia in 1987. Cernilli has held various editorial positions, including editor-at-large of Gambero Rosso magazine and Wine Travel Food, and in 1988 he was named editor-in-chief of Vini d’Italia (also published in English as Italian Wines), where he directed the tastings of wines entered from all over Italy – from a few hundred in the first edition to over 18,000 in the 2010 edition. In 1999, Cernilli started writing for Rai Sat/Gambero Rosso Channel and, in 2009, he was made editor-in-chief of the programme. Cernilli has consulted for the Associazione Italiana Sommelier and the Worldwide Sommelier Association, and is currently working on his own Italian and English web magazine, DoctorWine.it. In 2013 he began cooperating with ONAV (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori di Vino), Spirito di Vino, Sette (weekly of the Italian leading newspaper Corriere della Sera) and Pagina99 (weekly magazine for art & culture).
David Round MW
David Round MW joined the wine trade in 1991, working on the shop floor in Fortnum & Mason’s Wine Department. In 1994 he moved to Berry Bros & Rudd to help set up their Duty Free Wine Shop at Heathrow’s Terminal 3, and soon transferred to the Buying Department. Round passed his MW in 1999 and became fine wine manager at Direct Wines the following year. In 2003 Round moved to Bancroft Wines (formerly H&H Bancroft) where he was joint buying and marketing director. In 2009 Round joined Jascots Wine Merchants as director of purchasing, PR and marketing, leaving in late 2013 to help run a family business and set up his own wine consultancy.
Emilio Del Fante
Emilio Del Fante is a career maître d’hôtel. He entered the hospitality industry in 1970 upon graduating with a diploma federale di maître d`hôtel from Switzerland and has worked in a number of positions related to the profession ever since. Between 1974 and 1986, Del Fante worked seasonally between the 5 star Palace Luzern and the Hotel Seehof Davos, first as chef de rang and then as maitre d’hotel, with occasional work/study breaks in the UK and a year long stint aboard the Royal Viking Star. For the next six years, Del Fante was maitre d’hotel and head sommelier at the one Michelin star Santabbondio Restorante (Martin Dalsass). Del Fante has been the maitre d’hotel and head sommelier for the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola in Lugano since 1995, was named Best Sommelier of Switzerland 2001 and he received his professional sommelier diploma from the Italian Association of Sommeliers in 2003.
Emily O’Hare
Emily O’Hare is the head sommelier, wine buyer and WSET tutor at London’s River Café, where she has worked for almost seven years. She also writes about Italian wine for various publications and sits on the judging panels for Decanter. In May 2012 O’Hare won the Harpers Wines & Spirits Sommelier of the Year Award, and in her spare time she runs a women’s tasting group Women, Know Your Wine! and also The London Wine Sessions, a bi-annual wine festival which includes talks and tastings, music and food.
Ezio De Bernardi
Ezio De Bernardi is the sales manager at Valsangiacomo Vini in Mendrisio in his native Switzerland, where he has worked since 2003. De Bernardi was introduced to the world of wine in 1994 when he went to Beaune to take a CIVB course in viticulture, oenology and wine tasting. In 1996, De Bernardi moved to Milan to take the AIS Diploma and that same year was named Best Sommelier of Switzerland. After completing his diploma, De Bernardi worked as a sommelier and maître d’hotel for a number of restaurants in France, the UK and Germany. While in the UK, De Bernardi was admitted to the Institute of Masters of Wine. De Bernardi is a regular taster at Brussels’ International Taste & Quality Institute (ITQI) and has judged at Starwine in Philadelphia. Since 1999 he has been a member of the board of the Swiss Sommelier Association (ASSP) responsible for sommelier competitions. His most recent achievement was in 2010 when he placed 3rd at the ‘Concours Europe Degustation Vins par equipe’ organised by La Revue du Vin de France.
Igor Sotric
After graduating with a degree in microbiology, Igor Sotric moved to the UK and entered the wine industry 18 years ago. Qualified to WSET diploma level, he is head sommelier and wine buyer at China Tang at the Dorchester, and has prior experience with Asian restaurants, including Cocoon and the St Martins Lane Hotel. Sotric also acts as consultant to several restaurants, and since 2009 he has been making his own Chardonnay in Goriska Brda, Slovenia, with his friend Marijan Simcic.
Laurent Richet MS
Laurent Richet MS was born in the Loire Valley and attended Saumur’s catering college, where he graduated as a sommelier. He headed south shortly after to work for some of the finest establishments on the Côte d’Azur including La Reserve de Beaulieu, in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, and Hotel de Paris in Monaco. Richet then moved to the UK to continue his profession at the Celtic Manor Resort in South Wales, before heading to Florida to work with Virginia Philip MS, and take the Court of Master Sommelies introductory course. Returning to the UK, Richel joined Hotel TerraVina in the New Forest. Richet currently works for Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham, and in 2010 he won the Gastronomy Team of the Year competition, in addition to passing his Master Sommelier examinations and gaining the Crew Cup.
Luigi Buonanno
Luigi Buonanno has worked in the catering industry since the age of 15. While living in Rome, Buonanno had the opportunity to work in fine dining restaurants, where he discovered the role of sommelier, at which point he left University to take a sommelier diploma. Following this, he did a masters in sensorial analysis, considered to be the highest related degree achievable in Italy. In 2007 Buonanno moved to London, where he worked for Prism restaurant before moving to Caravaggio, re-writing Caravaggio’s wine list, and subsequently the lists for the eight other restaurants in the Etrusca Group. Buonanno was then promoted to group sommelier and wine buyer, and since 2011 he has been collaborating with Daniele Cernilli on doctorwine.it, where he writes reviews about mainly non-Italian wines available in the UK.
Matt Walls
Matt Walls is a freelance wine writer and consultant. He contributes regular articles to Decanter, timatkin.com, Harpers Wine & Spirit and Imbibe. He won Best Newcomer at the 2013 Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards for Drink Me, his first book on wine. He publishes a popular wine blog, www.mattwalls.co.uk, for which he was shortlisted for International Wine & Spirit Competition Blogger of the Year in both 2012 and 2013. When not writing, Walls advises restaurants on wine lists, hosts tastings, judges wine competitions and edits The London Wine Guide iPhone app. Previously he was Fine Wines Manager at Mentzendorff and he set up, managed and bought wines for the flagship store of The Sampler.
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Amateurs continue their chase for the title
SOUTHPORT Amateurs passed their first test in their quest to lift the Premier Division title.
Lying second before kick off and playing the team in third place (Blessed Sacrament), add to that the league leaders in cup action the stage was set.
Again Amateurs had late cry offs for one reason or another.
Amateurs knew the game was going to be tough and close having never beaten Sacrament in the past, but all the players were up to the challenge.
The first chance fell to Amateurs after ten minutes, but the ball was inches wide.
After 15 minutes of constant pressure from Amateurs they got their reward.
Dave Jackson, causing all sorts of problems to the defence, saw the ball bounce luckily off him straight into the path of Paul Sumner who was also up for the corner, Paul made no mistake from 10 yards out.
Amateurs could not take advantage of their domination in the first half and came into the break just the one goal up. The players went into the second half knowing Sacrament were going to come at them in the first ten minutes or so, the instructions was keep it tight.
Amateurs could not hold on and within three minutes poor marking on the edge of the box gave the centre forward the time and the space never given to him in the first half.
His finish was a bit of class giving John Schofield in goal no chance. Sacrament had the better of the next 20 minutes, with Amateurs playing on the counter attack.
With 15 minutes to go Amateurs introduced Ian Turner.
Sacrament could not live with Ian's pace and tricks and with 10 minutes left, Ian picked the ball up on the left and his trickery attracted three defenders, Ian then faked the shot and squared the ball to Luke Toner who shot from just outside the box giving the keeper no chance as Amateurs lead once again.
Besides six minutes of injury time and some dodgy penalty shouts from the Sacrament players, Amateurs successfully saw out the game to send them top of the Premier League.
With nine games left Amateurs have got to treat every game as a cup final, with three teams breathing down their necks. | {
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Bad Points
Quite heavy and a little more effort needed to cock this rifle,but not as bad as some have made out.
General CommentsI'm now the proud owner of a Webley Patriot .25.I traded my Cometa Fenix in,as I was looking for more power.That's just what you get with the Patriot and heaps of it.I use to think my Fenix was a big air rifle,but seen it beside the Patriot made it look small.The Patriot is the type of air rifle that commands respect eveytime you pick it up.The build quality is fantastic,wood,metal etc and is a great looking rifle. Ok it's a heavy rifle and it take's a bit more effort to cock, but the pleasure I'm getting from shooting the Patriot soon make's these things no problem. As for the power, I'm going to have to make new targets,the Patriot is destroying them, metal ones included.I'm using H&N Diabalo Baracuda Extra Heavy Dome's,which I was advised to use to run it in, 50 shot's with these will see this done. Now it's run in, I'm going to try some of the other H&N products through the Patriot, hollow points,silver points etc. The Patriot's .25 pellets hit things with an unforgiving force and can see this rifle as been one hell of a hunting tool.I'm using the Tasco Varmint/Tactical 2.5 x- 10x42mm scope. I had on my Fenix,and it seems to be handling the recoil the Patriot dish's out. Nice stock and recoil pad takes care of that. Accuracey is getting better each time I use the Patriot, this is due to me getting use to the beast. If you are after a big powerful springer air rifle, I don't think you would find much better than the Webley Patriot .25.Great rifle and loving every shot that is fired through it. | {
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In [[psychometrics]] '''Concurrent validity''' is demonstrated when a test correlates well with a measure that has previously been [[Validity (statistics)|validated]]. The two measures may be for the same construct, or for different, but presumably related, constructs.
In [[psychometrics]] '''Concurrent validity''' is demonstrated when a test correlates well with a measure that has previously been [[Validity (statistics)|validated]]. The two measures may be for the same construct, or for different, but presumably related, constructs.
In psychometricsConcurrent validity is demonstrated when a test correlates well with a measure that has previously been validated. The two measures may be for the same construct, or for different, but presumably related, constructs.
For example, if a test measuring job satisfaction gives similar results to those gathered using a job satisfaction measure which has been validated in the past then the new measurement has concurrent validity. Alternately, a measure of job satisfaction might be correlated with work performance. Note that with concurrent validity, the two measures are taken at the same time. This is in contrast to predictive validity, where one measure occurs earlier, and is meant to predict, some later measure. | {
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The first ever Africa's Next Top Model was hosted by the African Queen Ms Oluchi Onweagba, together with 2 co-host Josie Borain (A former top model, now photographer) & Remi Adetiba. Though the opening is similar with ANTM as well as the theme song, the girls are quite fierce. I kinda like it too, hopefully the cycle 2 will be coming out somewhere in this year too...
Michaela (Angola), Steffie (Kenya), Michelle (South Africa)
Joyce (Nigeria), Aamito (Uganda), Rhulani (South Africa)
Omowunmi (Nigeria), Roselyn (Ghana), Marwa (Tunisia)
Cheandre (South Africa), Safira (Mozambique), Opeyemi (Nigeria)
Cycle 1 Winner
Aamito Stacie Lagum (Uganda)
She look very akward but fierce, and kinda like Teyona (ANTM cycle 12 winner). When i saw her look in the beginning of the show, i immediately can sense that she will be the winner of this competition. Beside having some best photos of the week, she also has some modeling experience and know the industry very well.
Michaela Pinto (Angola)
Michaela is the prettiest girls among all of them i should said, she looks a bit like Stephanie (BNTM cycle 4). She's very commercial and kinda shy, i do agree with the judges that her biggest obstruction will be the language barrier if she really wanna become an international supermodel, english must be learn!
Opeyemi Awoyemi (Nigeria)
Opeyemi was in the top 3 together with Aamito & Michaela, her dream is to become a Victoria Secret's angel, no wonder her walk is damn fierce. Opeyemi is very strong in photo shooting as well, but during the final 3 pic, her photo is such a mess and almost cost her to be eliminated.
Cheandre Van Blerk (South Africa)
Cheandre is such a sexy kitten that i love her very much, she's more like those lingerie model instead of high fashion. But of coz being the only 2 white girls in this competition together with Michelle, Cheandre is consider quite good and develop excellent job in her photo shooting too...
Roselyn Ashkar (Ghana)
Roselyn is another sexy kitty that i like too, she's wild in her appearance and pretty too. i think she has the best skin among all girls, but photo shoot wise, she still has much more to learn... | {
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Surrealistic GIFs by Nicolas Monterrat
Artist Nicolas Monterrat has some strange and at times hilarious GIFs that utilize vintage photographs, brought to life in weird and unexpected ways. Scoured from textbooks, magazines and other sources, the Parisian artist transforms these sometimes mundane scenes into something entirely unique and quirky. Via Colossal: | {
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May 1, 2012 - Jose Rodriguez, the high-ranking CIA official who ordered the destruction of 92 videos showing the agency’s interrogation of Terrorist suspects, was interviewed on Sunday night about his new pro-torture book by 60 Minutes (that show’s network, CBS, and the publisher of Rodriguez’s new book, Simon & Schuster, are both owned by the CBS Corp., now synergistically profiting off of torture advocacy). There is an important lesson to be learned from this interview. As many commenters correctly noted, the torture-defending Rodriguez is clearly a crazed sociopath (of the distinctly banal type identified by Hannah Arendt)....
The Jose Rodriguez lesson
By Glenn Greenwald
May 1, 2012
Perhaps it's a bad idea to trust the executive branch to wield the most extreme powers in the dark, with no checks
(updated below)
Jose Rodriguez, the high-ranking CIA official who ordered the destruction of 92 videos showing the agency’s interrogation of Terrorist suspects, was interviewed on Sunday night about his new pro-torture book by 60 Minutes (that show’s network, CBS, and the publisher of Rodriguez’s new book, Simon & Schuster, are both owned by the CBS Corp., now synergistically profiting off of torture advocacy). There is an important lesson to be learned from this interview.
As many commenters correctly noted, the torture-defending Rodriguez is clearly a crazed sociopath (of the distinctly banal type identified by Hannah Arendt). At Esquire, Charles Pierce has a perfect post about all of this, writing: "I’m pretty convinced that Rodriguez is both a sociopath and a maniac" (his first paragraph, on the Obama administration’s serial protection of these war criminals, is a must-read). The New Yorker’s Amy Davidson notes that Rodriguez did not even bother to defend torture as a necessary evil but rather "bragged about its use in proving the manhood of the torturer" (indeed, Rodriguez’ claim that authorizing torturing meant people in government were willing to "put their big boy pants on" exposed a whole new level of psychosexual creepiness). Andrew Sullivan says Rodriguez is "a war criminal" who "has no shame about any of this, and intends to make money off it."
All of that is true, but the key point here is that Rodriguez — with all of his sociopathic, maniacal, proud war criminality — wasn’t some low-level rogue officer unrepresentative of the CIA. The opposite is true: he spent his career at that agency and advanced continuously, rising to lead what The Washington Post's Dana Priest this week called "the Central Intelligence Agency’s all-powerful operations directorate," located "at the center of the universe at the agency." He was essentially in charge of clandestine operations, including the CIA’s torture, rendition, black site and detention programs. And the criminal programs he is "sociopathically" defending were ones that were embraced by the highest levels of the U.S. Government, authorized by its Department of Justice, and protected from investigation and prosecution by the current administration. Rodriguez — sociopathy and all – isn’t some aberration in the U.S. Government’s intelligence and paramilitary world: he’s its symbol.
As so many people react with revulsion to the mindset of Jose Rodriguez, perhaps this is a good time to stop and realize why it’s so dangerous and wrong to trust the Executive Branch to exert the most extreme powers — of assassination, indefinite detention, rendition, surveillance — in the dark, with no oversight, constraints or transparency. Those of you who are content to have the Executive Branch decide — without checks or transparency — who lives and dies, who is free and imprisoned, who is entitled to due process and who isn’t, are putting your blind faith in the Jose Rodriguezes of the world.
Even people who don’t originally assume that level of unchecked power in a corrupted and sociopathic state can (and will) easily be transformed by it. That’s the inherently corrupting nature of unchecked power — of human nature — that led the American founders to insist on multiple levels of burdensome checks whenever power of this sort is exercised. Jose Rodriguez — his actions and mentality — is the inevitable fruit of placing faith and trust in the Goodness of American Executive Branch officials to exercise the world’s most awesome powers without any meaningful scrutiny and limits.
Yesterday, President Obama’s chief counter-terrorism adviser, John Brennan, gave a speech in which he purported to provide more "transparency" with regard to the Obama drone program. But he did nothing of the sort. Instead — while justifying everything the Government does with the standard mantra: "We are at war . . . Yes, war is hell. It is awful. It involves human beings killing other human beings, sometimes innocent civilians" – he offered a series of empty platitudes ensuring us all that "President Obama has demanded that we hold ourselves to the highest possible standards and processes" when it comes to the drone program. Whenever someone in the Executive Branch proposes a candidate for summary death, he said, officials "consider all the information available to us, carefully, responsibly"; "these efforts are overseen with extraordinary care and thoughtfulness"; and they "only authorize a strike if we have a high degree of confidence that innocent civilians will not be injured or killed, except in the rarest of circumstances."
But these are all just vague, unverified assertions (the novelist Herman Hesse, in 1917, perfectly described the meaningless vapidity of Brennan’s assurances). The actual evidence which would reveal what the administration is actually doing, what the results of these drone attacks actually are, continue to be concealed (based on the administration’s long-standing insistence to courts that it cannot safely even confirm or deny the existence of the drone program, even though Brennan did exactly that yesterday: "the United States Government conducts targeted strikes against specific al-Qa’ida terrorists, sometimes using remotely piloted aircraft, often referred to publicly as drones").
In lieu of evidence and oversight, we are asked, instead, to simply place our faith in John Brennan and his claims, judgment and magnanimity. Brennan himself — like Rodriguez — was a Bush-era CIA agent who expressly advocated "enhanced interrogation techniques" (short of waterboarding) and rendition. He also has a history of demonstrated lying about the civilian deaths from U.S. drones and spouting blatant, narrative-shaping falsehoods about the killing of Osama bin Laden. What possible justification exists for placing our blind faith in his unverifiable pronouncements, or more so, vesting him with the unchecked and secret power of life and death, imprisonment and freedom?
Indeed, there is no justification for placing any of those powers in the hands of any political leaders without a litany of checks, transparency and constraints. Anyone who toys with the notion that this can be safely done should spend some time watching the interview with Jose Rodriguez, who acquired power not by deviating from the Executive Branch’s mindset but rather by exemplifying it.
* * * * *
As I noted last week — and as Pierce elaborated on — the real scandal from the Jose Rodriguez book tour is that the Obama DOJ has protected him and his fellow criminals from all forms of accountability. Yesterday, Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein issued a statement about his 60 Minutes interview matter-of-factly stating that his order to destroy videotapes "illustrates a blatant disregard for the law." Yes, obviously it does: and that’s what makes the DOJ’s refusal to prosecute him so corrupt. Of course, Executive Branch officials, even when it comes to most egregious crimes, are beyond the rule of law when it comes to actions they take as part of U.S. Government policy.
* * * * *
Andrew Sullivan — who once called for Obama to be prosecuted as a war criminal for his complicity in Bush war crimes — today rhapsodizes that Obama "restored this country’s moral credibility after the dark period of Nazi-style interrogation under Cheney, Bush and Rumsfeld." Among whomexactlydid hedo that?
UPDATE: I was interviewed yesterday by Sam Seder for his Majority Report program about Rodriguez’s interview and non-prosecution; the 15-minute discussion can be heard her
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English-language students from around the world share a meal together in Larry and Harriet Kaempf's dining room. For some of these students, it may be the only well-balanced meal they get for the week.
Not in Kyoto Anymore
Foreign Students Find Santa Barbara Homestays Can Be Heaven or Hell
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Article Tools
It’s midnight, and you’ve just stepped foot for the first time on Santa Barbara soil, jetlagged and delirious after a 24-hour frenzy of globe-trotting flights and far-flung airports. You’re a bright-eyed 18-year-old who knows very little English, and you’re standing on the doorstep of a strange person’s house where a taxi dropped you off. This is where you’re supposed to be living for the next six months, so you knock, but no one answers. You start to panic, but then see the note, which you can barely read: “I am in Las Vegas for New Year’s. Feel free to make yourself at home. Have some food from the fridge. We will see you in a few days.” It’s January 2, it’s cold, and the fridge is bare-bones.
Welcome to America.
This was how Charles de Vos arrived in Santa Barbara when he flew in from his native Belgium to begin an English language course earlier this year. De Vos, who since has come to find the town warm and friendly, is just one of the estimated 10,000 students who come to Santa Barbara through an English language program every year. Some come for quick two-week vacation-study stints while others stay for as long as a year. Others even go on to study at Santa Barbara City College and then transfer to a four-year university, most often our very own UCSB. But no matter their studies, all of these foreign students need a place to eat and lay their heads at night, and that reality-as de Vos can attest-isn’t always as wonderful as Web sites may advertise.
Foreign students:
The students come to attend one of three schools: the grand-daddy in size and history is Education First International (EF), located on Chapala Street near Micheltorena; slightly smaller in scale is Kaplan Aspect, owned by the Washington Post and located on SBCC’s campus; and the baby bear of the bunch, the English Language School (ELS), is located on Anapamu Street at Chapala. Other schools have come and gone throughout the years-including a now-closed UCSB program-and SBCC also runs its own international students program, but these three are the core establishments, responsible for attracting the most foreign students.
The schools offer programs suitable for the person who simply wants to hold his or her own as a tourist on the streets of New York City, to a Saudi Arabian diplomat whose English must be impeccable. As part of the total immersion concept, the schools also arrange homestays so students will be inundated with English and the American experience at all hours. Homestays are greatly encouraged by the directors of each school, who collectively agree that such living arrangements usually prove the most critical part of the student experience.
For foreign students, the homestay experience varies widely, from downright ugly to a beautiful example of two disparate cultures embracing one another as family. Sometimes a bad experience is the fault of the student, who can be overly picky and come with ridiculous notions of what to expect, including idealized notions of the stereotypical American family. But more frequently, a bad homestay is due to the hosts who are in it for the room-and-board money paid by the students, and not to provide total cultural immersion. Such hosts, say students, have too many rules, ration the required food provisions to maximize their profits, treat them as tenants, and don’t include them as part of the family.
Nadia Brunardi
Sometimes a host family imposes arbitrary rules, threatening harsh consequences if not followed.
The seemingly impossible task of maintaining the peace in this unending culture clash falls squarely upon the schools. The directors of each say they do all they can to find suitable homes, examining each one thoroughly and regularly for appropriate living conditions. But the sheer volume of students flooding Santa Barbara every season often proves overwhelming, and the ability to check each and every house is limited, not to mention the times when what looks like a good host family shows its true face later.
This can be bad news for the foreign students, whose personal accounts-along with those of host families and concerned onlookers-reveal that the living conditions can often be far from appropriate. Summertime is when the foreign student population peaks in Santa Barbara, so watch out for the gaggles of out-of-place adolescents hanging at bus stops or walking dazzle-eyed down State Street. They’re usually easy to spot, their foreign flair not quite blending with the typical SoCal style and their tongues tapping out exotic rhythms. But don’t discount them as simply the latest wave of here-today, gone-tomorrow tourists-they’re your neighbors, and there’s much more going on in their lives than meets the eye.
School’s In for Summer
It’s not clear which was the very first language school ever in Santa Barbara, but there’s consensus that Education First (EF) is the oldest-on-the-block of the current three, starting in 1991. EF’s director Autumn Mostovoj confirmed the school’s early beginning. “This actually was the first school that the owner bought,” she explained of Bertil Hult, EF’s Swedish founder, who since has expanded the empire to more than 400 schools worldwide. Santa Barbara’s EF, said Mostovoj, is “one of the top three U.S. schools, a flagship and destination school. We’re proud of that. A lot of people want to come here.” And a lot do, as EF has been known to bring in 800 new students during peak summertime weekends.
The popularity must be a testament to the schools’ reputations, because studying English in Santa Barbara-one of America’s more expensive cities-is no bargain. At EF, a 10-week “general” course costs $5,200 and an “exam” course costs $5,780, including payment to share a room in a homestay that is supposed to provide two meals per day. Kaplan Aspect’s 10-week general course runs $5,050 including homestay, and ELS is about $5,475 for 10 weeks including homestay. Then add $300-$600 in additional fees to all those prices. In comparison, a semester for students at SBCC, which lasts 11 weeks and gets you 16 units, is about $3,500.
Even in a down economy, learning English remains a valuable tool in our increasingly globalized world, so these costs don’t seem to dissuade the students or, for that matter, their parents, who most often foot the bill. But while the hunger for English remains steady, the individual reasons for coming are as varied as ever. Some students come to party away their parent’s money under the alibi of learning English. Some come to enjoy the nice weather, power-lounge on the beaches, and unabashedly bask in the Californication they’ve seen on TV screens back home, happy to handle the minor hassle of a few classes. And then others come for serious instruction, to master English in order to excel at their jobs back home, or even to earn a higher rank in their nation’s military.
Larry Kaempf
Despite a few bumps in the road-including having to switch host families due to uncomfortable living conditions-during Yeong Jae Kim’s time in Santa Barbara, new friends and good memories have still managed to abound, as seen here during his birthday celebration with Harriet Kaempf.
This is Yeong Jae Kim’s reason. A 20-year-old student from South Korea studying at EF, Kim knows that better English gets him out of the rank-and-file of the military-where every male citizen must serve for two years-and into the special forces. “I came first reason was I have to go to military service,” said Kim in still-broken English. “In Korea everybody goes; it is their duty, and if I am good at English I can go to the special military where they are doing translations.” But Kim, like any twenty-something exploring a foreign land, is also having fun. The day he explained his motivations, he admitted missing his morning classes because he’d sung the night away at a karaoke bar in Los Angeles’s Koreatown.
And that’s alright, because students at these language schools are allowed to control their own destiny. Attendance in classes is not mandatory, and the general courses aren’t even graded. The experience of living in America is often the biggest lesson of all, which is why all of the schools also plan extra activities beyond academics, including movie nights, beach days, and organized trips to Las Vegas, Disneyland, and San Francisco. And when it comes down to it, it doesn’t always matter how much class you go to anyway, because often the real learning happens while walking through the city or hanging out at your homestay.
Shannon Switzer
Homestay extraordinaires Larry and Harriet Kaempf stand in one of the bedrooms their English-language students stay in while living with them. They’ve seen 275 students come through their home since starting their 18-year hosting run.
Heaven and Hell
In the driveway sits the family car with a license plate reading HSTPAPA. Through the front door wafts the smell of good food. Inside, visitors are bombarded with hugs as the excited buzz of six different languages chatter at once. This is Harriet and Larry Kaempf’s weekly dinner, dessert, and Bible study for English language students-and for a foreigner feeling a little homesick or lacking friends, this is heaven.
Throughout the past 18 years, the Kaempfs have hosted 275 students and another 2,000 or so have taken part in their Tuesday-night dinners, which they started 12 years ago. They were one of the first host families when EF was founded in 1991, and then switched to Kaplan Aspect in 2002, hosting that school’s second student ever. A retired UCSB data processor, Larry beams like a father of thousands when he shows off the binders he keeps for each student, who’ve come from all corners of the globe. “If you can name it, we’ve probably had it,” said Harriet, who proceeded to list off everywhere from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia to almost every country in Western Europe and South America as well as the former republics of the Soviet Union. They’ve watched their students meet, become friends, fall in love, and even get married.
“We get to be a really nice part of their lives. The best part is now I am hearing about students who lived with us starting their own families.”
But they’ve also watched their students go through some tough things in life: female students who’ve been raped, students who’ve lost family members while abroad, students whose homesickness sinks into deep depression. “There’re a million stories,” said Larry, who himself grappled with depression while young and now counsels the students. “We get to be a really nice part of their lives. The best part is now I am hearing about students who lived with us starting their own families.”
The Kaempfs have never advertised their Tuesday-night dinner, but students never fail to show up through word of mouth. One summer night, they had 72 kids attend, but Harriet still brought out the glass plates, silverware, and tablecloths-the little touches of home to “make it feel nice.” The Bible study that follows dinner is not traditional, said Larry, and students dictate its structure, which means spontaneous hip-hop dances and random talent shows have been known to occupy most of the evening.
The dinner is popular because it provides another avenue to practice English and serves as a meeting place for students from different schools and skill levels, which leads to new friendships, travel plans, and outings. But it’s not all kumbaya; many of the students come, said Harriet, because they aren’t fed adequately by their host families. Fruits and vegetables can be sparse, and one girl from Germany reported only getting half a Subway sandwich or hot dog for dinner every night. “I don’t wanna talk down on other host families,” said Larry. “We just want to do the best we can and encourage other people to do it, too. But it makes it really difficult for the kids to stay healthy.”
Nadia Brunardi
Sometimes a host family imposes arbitrary rules, and tries to cut costs by providing students substandard food and living spaces.
The schools admit that some families may be worried about going over their food budget, especially in these tougher times. But the schools stay vigilant, said Jane Billbe, who works in EF’s housing department. “There have been families who try to do it just for the money and put three kids in a room and give them generic Cheerios and skim milk for every meal,” she said. “We talk to the families and give them a chance to change, but if they don’t, we cut them off.”
Unfortunately, it’s not just the food. The broad brushstroke complaint is that some hosts treat students as renters rather than family members. The Kaempfs have heard of closed kitchens with locked refrigerators, or separate fridges for students with lower-quality food. “And we’ve seen kids who are put in a separate room area, like a garage that’s been made into a room of sorts,” said Larry. “They knock on the door and go, ‘Here’s your tray.’”
“It’s like you go in with 71 rules and you have to follow all of them before you can move on to the next thing,” said Larry. “It scares the students to death.”
While every host family sets some ground rules, others go overboard, banning the use of sinks and toilets after a certain time, not accepting mail for students, and locking students out of the house if they don’t make it home by 11 p.m. “It’s like you go in with 71 rules and you have to follow all of them before you can move on to the next thing,” said Larry. “It scares the students to death.”
South Korean student Yeong Jae Kim found himself under an iron fist. “The downtown house was too strict,” he said, referring to his first homestay, where he lived in a room with only three walls as the house mother monitored his water use and juice consumption, and stopped his roommate from cooking rice for lunch everyday, due to the cost of electricity. The atmosphere was so restrictive that he asked to be moved, and EF quickly complied. He found his new living conditions “very very just fine.” Kim, who can now cook and eat whenever and whatever he wants, said he chats with his house mom for hours about his transition from teenager to adult. “It’s like a little mother,” he said.
Not everyone’s had so much luck. A French student named Karim Dahmani took his complaints all the way to the Santa Barbara City Council and still is in the middle of a lawsuit against EF in France. He says that he lived with 35 people in a home on the Mesa that was rented explicitly to EF students. Some rooms had six students, and he had to share a bathroom with 14 others, including girls as young as 13 years old. EF’s Mostovoj denied the young-girl allegations and said the school no longer contracts with “student apartments” since students prefer the family experience a homestay provides.
“You can change the house, but the fact is that the other houses are the same situation or worse than the previous house.”
Dahmani, meanwhile, is continuing to fight. “They’re not fair and honest to me about the housing, and the office tends to hide the truth about the bad situation of the residences,” he said in an email, adding that when he asked the school for help, he was told, “You can change the house, but the fact is that the other houses are the same situation or worse than the previous house.” He feels that the schools are trying to hide the nature of these homestays, and has been stonewalled with his complaints. “It’s really difficult to find someone who wants or is able to fight this problem and this tourist trap,” explained Dahmani, who registered his complaints with EF headquarters in Paris. “No one wanted to talk to me, my father, or my mother,” he said. “After that, my lawyer tried to reach the high manager of this office with no results.”
Taking It to the Streets
Like the Kaempfs, Nadia Brunardi has come to know the foreign students very well during the past two years. Born in Italy, the former travel agent initially was hired to renovate and manage a property that targeted the English language students, and she spent six weeks creating what became known as the Pacific House. As the students were moving in, she began hearing the horror stories over breakfast and dinner and visited other homestays to discover students were living in hallways, garages, and laundry rooms. “Basically, I sat around with these kids and listened to their stories,” she explained, “and we all decided, the students as a team, that we were gonna get active in trying to better the housing for students.”
So they put together a flyer titled “Student Housing SOS” and dispersed nearly 500 of them in summer 2008 at the Vons supermarket at Chapala and Victoria streets. “This flyer was meant for the students to know they could come forward and have a voice and be able to tell their stories,” explained Brunardi, who also set up an email account so the students could respond to the flyer’s questionnaire. Specifically, the flyer asked four questions: Do you get fed regularly and is the food well balanced? Have you been getting sick all of the time? Does your host family speak English? Are you living in a dangerous or abusive environment?
“These guys thought, ‘I’ll give you five meals and a room to sleep in, but you gotta work for it,’” said Brunardi.
The answers, of course, varied, but Brunardi found that many students weren’t getting the required two meals per day-and if they were, the food was inadequate or unhealthy. Many were spending two hours a day on the bus getting to and from school, and some lived with families who spoke very little English. Most unfortunate, abuse did occur, often to the young Asian women, said Brunardi, explaining that some were taken in as “little work slaves” for single men who had them clean, cook, and do the dishes. “These guys thought, ‘I’ll give you five meals and a room to sleep in, but you gotta work for it,’” said Brunardi. She also heard reports of sexual abuse, but didn’t divulge any details out of respect for the students’ privacy.
“They go through hell, but they don’t want to take action, because they don’t want to get involved in a court case,” said Brunardi.
The surveys only made Brunardi more concerned, so she began asking why the students didn’t request new homes. Some said they didn’t feel comfortable approaching the housing department-especially the Asians, she said, who come from cultures that frown on complaining-but most students said they were here only for a short time and they didn’t want to waste that time on dealing with unpleasant discussions and multiple moves. Plus, many realized that the new house was the same as or worse than the old one, so why bother? “They go through hell, but they don’t want to take action, because they don’t want to get involved in a court case,” said Brunardi. “These are kids who are coming from good homes and good schools, and their parents are spending a fortune to send them here, and they are living like the lowest of the low. It’s ridiculous.”
Because it’s the biggest, EF tends to get the most complaints, and provided the bulk of negative responses in Brunardi’s survey. (The school’s close proximity to the Vons parking lot where the flyers were dispersed could also account for that; meanwhile, the school enjoyed plenty of overwhelmingly positive responses-and not a single complaint about academics.) “They have, by far, the most students, lots of volume, lots of money-more than they could handle,” Brunardi explained. The Kaempfs concurred. Harriet explained, “Two summers ago, EF had 750 students over one weekend. There’s no way they can go out and check if a family is right or not when they’re dealing with those kind of numbers.”
EF’s Mostovoj admits her school runs “the largest host family school in the U.S.,” with more than 200 families, but she maintains that it is well-run. “We’ve won awards,” she said, further explaining, “We take the quality of our host families very seriously and are careful where we place students. The health and safety of our students is our number-one priority. We check every home and visit with each family when we receive an application and make every attempt to revisit each family at least once a year.” And this occurs, she promised, even during the peak summer season.
Saying It Ain’t So
While EF and Kaplan Aspect have housing departments to screen each family, ELS contracts out that service with an independent company. But each school’s process is similar. The first step is reviewing a family’s application; verifying that they live within Goleta, downtown Santa Barbara, or Carpinteria; and assuring that a bus stop is nearby, since 95 percent of students don’t have a car. Next is checking references, and then is the site visit, when a representative meets the family, inspects the home for cleanliness, and determines if there is enough space for a student.
“A lot of people think they are going to make money off of it and they just want to pack students into a room. We really want it to be a family experience, not just a bed where the family never talks to the student.”
On top of this, the schools claim to evaluate a family’s motives, too. “We meet them and make sure they are doing it for the right reasons,” said Billbe, who works in EF’s housing department while pursuing a degree in global studies from UCSB. “A lot of people think they are going to make money off of it and they just want to pack students into a room. We really want it to be a family experience, not just a bed where the family never talks to the student.”
Tyler Willson, the former housing director at EF who now is the director at Kaplan Aspect, explained that those with money-making motives don’t last long. “The money helps, obviously, to be able to make it worthwhile, because nobody can do it for free,” he explained. “But at the end of the day, if they don’t like to be involved, they wouldn’t be able to tolerate it, because you really need to be a part of the students’ lives.”
“When there are problems that come up, : we take care of it right away,” she explained.
Each school has procedures for moving students when a homestay proves problematic. EF’s Mostovoj explained, “If I hear a host family name that keeps popping up in a negative way, then they are gone. We don’t have room for that. We are not desperate. We can find other families.” Along with the directors of ELS and Kaplan Aspect, Mostovoj said EF maintains an open-door policy and encourages the students to report their problems. “When there are problems that come up, : we take care of it right away,” she explained. “I promise my students and my staff that we will find a solution within 24 hours.”
Why so many horror stories then? Sometimes students are afraid to speak up to the administration, said one teacher who didn’t want to be named but has heard a fair share of scary tales. “They usually don’t feel comfortable-they feel like it’s crossing cultural boundaries,” said the teacher. “I tell them that it’s not normal for people to act that way; you should share it with the housing director.”
When the students do speak up, it’s often too late. “Honestly, we won’t know what’s going on and then suddenly 10 kids come in at once because they finally got up the courage to tell us that it’s so bad,” said Billbe. “Then we have 10 kids to place with new families.”
It’s often a case of bad matches rather than bad host families. “Not everyone gets along,” said Mostovoj. “People have different expectations; what one student might not think is a good host family, another student might think is a perfect host family.”
“They often are coming from countries where there isn’t much diversity, or if there is, it’s a bad thing,” said Billbe.
Billbe said students often “have a very firm idea of what an American family is : a white mother, father, three children, no pets.” That mindset can prove difficult in California, where a large number of Mexican-American families are hosts. The students will complain that they wanted an “American” family and refuse to accept that anyone who is not white is American. “They often are coming from countries where there isn’t much diversity, or if there is, it’s a bad thing,” said Billbe, who must explain to students how interacting with minorities is part of the American experience.
The students can also be the ones who lead slovenly lifestyles, coming home drunk and disorderly or disrespecting the host families. “It goes back and forth,” said Billbe. “It’s pretty even keel normally, but every once in a while the boat gets rocked.” Mostovoj said that the homestay families are “pretty patient” and let the rules get broken once before having to “step in and punish the students if they aren’t abiding.” Homesickness also leads to problems. “Everything is different here. It’s not just the language,” said Mostovoj. “It’s the weather, the food, the people. It’s really hard, especially for the little ones who have never been anywhere.”
The complaints can also border on the ridiculous. “Visualize being hosted on the Mesa, overlooking the beach in a three-million-dollar house, and you write home to your mom in China and say, ‘Get me out of this house. I’m afraid I’m going to fall into the ocean.’ It happened,” said Larry Kaempf with a laugh. “And how about the Korean boy who came into a house and said, ‘I’ve gotta get out of here; I can’t stand it, the tiles don’t match.” When the Chinese students started coming, the cross-cultural confusion was so bad that sometimes the police even intervened, said the Kaempfs. Larry recalled a more humorous time when one of their host friends realized that their milk was disappearing at an alarming rate. After some friendly interrogation, they discovered that a Chinese student was taking a milk bath every night.
Some students, said the Kaempfs, will also make up reasons to move out. “There are some things that the students are good at making up, and you have to be able to tell the junk from the real truth, which is very hard to do,” said Harriet, who believes it takes a saint to run the housing programs.
Stay Keeping Cool
Despite all the bumps, every student interviewed for this story enjoyed their experience in Santa Barbara. Not one student-be it from ELS, Kaplan Aspect, or EF-had anything negative to say about the academic programs. Even Brunardi, for all her researched ire, makes it clear that there are many wonderful host families. When she was handing out flyers, many students told her how much they enjoyed their homestays and loved their families. “There are a lot of good families who do the hosting, and they treat the kids very well. I know quite a few of them, and they love having the students,” she said. “When it all works, it’s a beautiful experience and really nice for the students.”
Many who had questionable housing experiences managed to leave with a good taste in their mouth, including Charles de Vos, who couldn’t say enough good things about Kaplan Aspect, which put him in a hotel while finding him a new home when his original family was lost in Las Vegas. He was very pleased with his new family, which takes him to soccer tournaments, brings him to barbecues, and even made him a birthday dinner and cake, and bought his mother a birthday present when she visited. “They are so kind,” he said. “I think I am really lucky.”
It seems to go both ways, as the school directors all say that the foreign students enrich their lives, too. Willson of Kaplan Aspect said he loves seeing students transfer to a higher institution like SBCC or UCSB. He explained, “Even if it’s not this big academic accomplishment, just seeing a student come here a little shy and [then] maturing emotionally is rewarding.” And ELS’s director Janet Bobgan said she loves her job because “it’s like traveling without leaving your country.”
“We are a unique community to host foreign students on such a large scale,” said Larry, “and I know the students are impressed with the friendliness they find here.”
Even though the specific individuals are always coming and going throughout the years, the foreign presence has become a fixed part of the Santa Barbara landscape, giving a boost to the economy while adding some flavor to the town’s mixing pot. The Kaempfs feel that having the language schools here puts a distinctive stamp on our town. “We are a unique community to host foreign students on such a large scale,” said Larry, “and I know the students are impressed with the friendliness they find here.”
Both Yeong Jae Kim and de Vos agree. “I want that they keep their situation, keep their attitude the same, ‘cause I really like this city,” said Kim, while de Vos added that Santa Barbarans are “just really kind.” When asked what message he would like to leave the community, de Vos was quick to answer. “Keep cool, stay keeping cool, ‘cause there is no worries here,” he said. “It’s California, it’s sunny, it’s beautiful. Let’s go to the beach.”
4•1•1
Foreign exchange students in trouble and in need of help should visit the Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students at csfes.org, (866) 471-9203, or [email protected].
Comments
This is an interesting story! Had no idea organizations like EF, Kaplan Aspect, and ELS were around. Disappointed some host families are in it for the money though. Kudos to the Kaempfs for being good hosts.
It would have been interesting to know which of the hosting companies are non-profit and for-profit. A visit to EF's website indicates they are non-profit. At the same time, they link to:
Since when is providing socialization with the addition of *Bible Study* a generous act? Why is the religious aspect even remotely necessary? Did the students ask for that, or do they tolerate the preaching because they would like a hot meal and some company?
Just reminds me of how the Scientologists downtown are 'teaching communications classes' for foreign students who don't know any better or even what Scientology is. My friend told me after the class all the teachers walked up and thanked the picture of L. Ron Hubbard on the wall... they also have the students read Dianetics.... *shudder*
Why the hell do people feel they can't just help people, they have to try and convert them too??
Hello, I'm Larry and Harriet's son. Great job on the article, Indy! Your free publication is a great asset to the community.
Thank you for the questions, Wrench, allow me to address your concerns.
As far as the food goes, my mom really is a great cook, especially the now world famous Kaempf Cookies.
The Bible Study is completely optional, forced conversions nonexistent, and any lemonade or coffee isn't a la Jonestown, so no worries there, either.
Students who simply want to go to school are as welcome to stay in our home as those who also want to attend the Bible Study.
I live here in the Kaempf home and can vouch for the awesomeness of my parents. We are all quite liberal and tolerant of everyone's beliefs and cultures. No student leaves after living here without great memories and we've gained many memories, too. One great memory from early on in our hosting journey was a performance of Grease at EF International on Chapala St, it was "slick."
Since hosting our first student in 1989, we've had students from literally all over the world. Back then and still now, everyone is welcome and made to feel at home, because that's what this house is, a home. Quite a few students have returned years later to visit, sometimes bringing along family to meet us, and some younger siblings after hearing rave reviews have decided to come study here and specifically request my parents as hosts. Our family is now hundreds of people and that is just irreplaceable in all of our lives.
It's exciting hearing of marriages, birth announcements, and it has opened up new worlds of opportunities for travel for my parents and myself. I decided to live with a host family and study in Salamanca Spain when I was 15, and I also got to visit Portugal and Morocco on that trip, and since then I've traveled to China and Europe and the UK, and I'm planning on going to Japan and South America. So many invites that would be a shame to pass up.
I highly recommend opening up your homes to students if you're interested and able to do so. It's a wonderful experience. | {
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Today’s fantastical news (special feature): Elon Musk
Since my teenage years I have been searching for an idol- a person who was worthy of my respectful admiration and reverence. Regretfully, I found nobody worthy of the crown. Either my standards were set too high or my contact sphere did not bring such admirable and noteworthy individuals to my attention.
In the past decade though, I have met countless people who have alternately amazed, inspired, provoked and expanded by own thinking and beliefs in diverse spheres. Lots of these people are ordinary people, people who could be counted as celebrities for their thoughts and actions but have not achieved any level of fame. These people are special because they do the amazing just by being true to who they are.
But I am happy to report that several noted personalities have also come to my attention whose cult-status is deserved, and one such man is Elon Musk. This tireless genius deserves every accolade that comes his way. Seldom do we come across such a prodigious talent in business who is at the helm of multiple successful companies that are set out to change the world~ and with Page and Brin, yours truly is also betting on him succeeding!
Is true genius only one who actually brings his ideas to life? No… but it doesn’t hurt now, does it?
Most people are familiar with his successes and efforts with respect to Paypal, SpaceX, Tesla Motors, SolarCity, his new Hyperloop and OpenAI… so I am going to refrain from waxing eloquently on these subjects. What caught my attention today was Musk’s thoughts on what humans need to develop further to stay ahead of artificial intelligence~ Neural Lace.
You can be forgiven if you are hearing this term for the first time. ‘Neural Lace’ was coined in the Culture novels by Iain M. Banks, where futuristic post-humans install devices on their brains called a “neural lace.” It is a mesh that grows with your brain and is essentially a wireless brain-computer interface.
Mr. Musk clearly believes that his OpenAI efforts might not be enough to ‘tackle AI beings in the future that would not be benign’ and is concerned ‘that AI could take a direction that would not be good for the future’. At the annual Code conference, Musk shared that Neural Lace might be an answer and hopes somebody would pursue what is just an idea for now. But he also added that if nobody did then he might have to take it up: thereby potentially adding even more to his almost impossibly filled plate. | {
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FM Transmitters to Play Music
Music is one of the most powerful weapons the world has ever seen. It has the ability to transform moods of the people, as a result of which it can also change opinions. Without music life is incomplete, there will not be any rhythm in the life and without it, life will be a drag.
A precious device that helps to play music from a car stereo or a radio is the FM transmitter.
Moreover, you need not shell a penny on the radio and can easily make one of these at your home and it is not that technical as it seems. Of course you need to apply commonsense and it is logic based work.
First you need to build the circuit as it is by using the circuit only that you can transmit any audio signal through the radio. You can make the circuit using a solder less breadboard. Then place the IC socket, resistors and capacitors in the breadboard. Next, place the IC into the IC socket.
Now only a few steps are left for your fm radio transmitter. For making additional connections, place the jumper wires onto the breadboard. Now, you need a battery holder and then fit in batteries to it. Thereafter, connect the battery holder wires to the breadboard. Finally cut a long wire and connect it to breadboard, as this will serve as an antenna, to catch the signals. Even though the signal reception will not match the true blue radio, still you have for yourself a home-made radio.
You can show it to your friends and family. You can also share with them details as to how to make a FM transmitter. What more you can even have your physics teacher have a look at your work.
James Blee - About Author:For more information on fm transmitter, check out the info available online at http://www.broadcastdepot.com/ | {
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Catholic Identity at Issue As Ryan Joins Romney
Catholic Identity at Issue As Ryan Joins Romney
Mitt Romney, in a bold redirection of his campaign and in an apparent appeal to waffling Catholic swing voters, named Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan his running mate on Aug. 11. While Ryan’s pro-life views and his stance against same-sex marriage have been praised by some Catholics, his budget and tax proposals have drawn criticism from others, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
What Ryan’s elevation will mean to Catholic voters across the United States remains to be seen. Once considered to be a united front, today’s Catholic voters can be divided into three distinct groups, says Steve Schneck, director of the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at the Catholic University of America and a national co-chair of Catholics for Obama: (1) Latino Catholics, about 70 percent of whom favor Obama; (2) “intentional” Catholics, who tend to be more traditional and who favor Romney; and (3) cultural Catholics. This last group, Schneck says, are the Catholics for whom the two candidates will be competing.
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Ryan makes a “fascinating selection,” said Schneck. He said Ryan’s fiscal proposals raise concerns about the well-being of the elderly, the poor and those in need of housing and education. “The long-term debt problem is scary, but the way we address it isn’t by shredding the minimal safety net,” Schneck argues. “It’s finding other sources of revenue. It’s asking the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes.”
Dan Finn, a professor of economics and theology at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., said that Ryan’s “individualistic economic analysis” leads the candidate to believe that reducing payments for welfare is actually good for people in poverty because welfare makes them dependent. This view, however, fails to see the larger framework necessary for an accurate analysis. “There are many causes of poverty. Dependency is certainly a problem for some, but for many it is not,” Finn said. “They’re working trying to make ends meet. What’s missing is the debate about the social and scientific analysis that undergird anyone’s position on this matter.”
The question of Catholic identity also has gained prominence because of the Ryan pick. Despite a shared faith, Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden hold opposing views on the legality of abortion, same-sex marriage and government assistance to the poor. The debate surrounding these issues has caused some voters to make judgments not just about who is a better candidate, but who is a better Catholic.
The divisions represent a “moment of truth” for the church, said the Rev. Bryan Massingale, a professor of systematic theology and ethics at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. “Is there more to Catholic public identity than opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage?” he asked. “Everyone on the right and left would say, ‘Of course.’” But he argues that the question must be extended: Is there more to Catholic identity in reality than in rhetoric?
“Paul Ryan represents a group of Catholics who believe that as long as they’re with the church on abortion, then they get a pass on the rest of Catholic identity,” he said. “And I think there are some statements of our bishops that have fed into that. But we need to ask: How does our commitment to the poor and vulnerable factor into Catholic public identity and witness? The question goes deeper than Paul Ryan. He becomes a symbol of something that has been an ongoing conversation in the church and that we need to engage more forthrightly.”
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4 Reasons to Make Plans for Long-Term Senior Home Care
By Debbie Waddell, 9:00 am on October 11, 2016
The need for assistance around the home often increases as a person ages, but many families are hesitant to make long-term plans for their senior loved ones because they don’t enjoy discussing changes in health, financial concerns, and other related topics. Though talking about the future can be a delicate subject for seniors and their families, these 4 life events indicate it’s time to make plans for your loved one’s long-term care.
1. A Chronic Health Diagnosis
There are many degenerative diseases that can interfere with a senior’s wellbeing when he or she lives alone. For example, the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease may make it difficult to perform simple tasks such as preparing meals and driving. Planning for long-term Roseville home care ensures your loved one has the help he or she needs to eat well and attend medical appointments.
2. A Recent Fall-Related Injury
Seniors who value their independence often attempt to do more than their bodies allow. Climbing to reach objects on high shelves, stepping into the bathtub, and walking on wet floors are all potential causes for falls around the home. If your loved one is attempting to tackle chores beyond his or her abilities, arranging for a home caregiver ensures there is someone available to provide assistance with potentially risky tasks.
3. Decreased Personal Hygiene or Home Maintenance Capabilities
Some seniors hide changes in their health out of the fear of losing their independence. However, you and other family members may notice subtle hints your loved one needs assistance. Bathing less frequently, leaving the kitchen messy, and wearing the same clothes day after day are all signs your loved one needs help. Professional caregivers in Roseville are trained to promote independence while providing the assistance seniors need to be comfortable, which makes home care a good compromise between concerned families and independent-minded seniors.
4. The Loss of a Spouse
Though families often focus on their loved ones’ physical health, it is important to keep in mind emotional needs can change over time as well. Losing a spouse can place your loved one at risk for loneliness and isolation, which can lead to serious depression if left unchecked. A professional caregiver can provide companionship to your loved one so he or she has someone to spend time with every day.
At Home Care Assistance, we offer a no-obligation consultation where we can assess your loved one’s long-term care needs and discuss potential plans for respite or live-in care. We also offer comprehensive Parkinson’s, stroke, and dementia care, Roseville seniors and their families can rely on. For more information and to schedule your free consultation, please call 916.472.0605 today. | {
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Tampermonkey
Tampermonkey is a free browser extension and the most popular userscript manager. It's available for Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Opera Next, Dolphin Browser and Firefox.
Tampermonkey will give you much convenience in managing your userscripts. It provides features like easy script installation, automatic update checks, a simple overview what scripts are running at a tab and a built-in editor.You can also import and export your scripts and settings via some popular cloud storage services (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV).
For a full overview please take a look at the FAQ or just install TM. ;) | {
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Bentec designs and fabricates silicone products for the medical industry that require material science expertise coupled with manufacturing engineering knowhow. Simply put, we do things with silicone that few competitors can match, backed by consistent delivery, high quality and client-focused customer service. | {
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Photography
Well folks, it’s officially the future. Drones are dropping bombs, a fish is playing Pokemon and selfie deaths are increasing at a startling rate. A Polish couple plummeted to their death while visiting Cabo da Roca in Portugal. While authorities aren’t exactly how the tragic event happened, but they think it involved an unstable cliff and…
If millennials had their way, they’d like to have you believe that they are the ones who invented the selfie. I mean how could anyone born before the advent of digital cameras even conceive of taking a picture of themselves? Front-facing cameras weren’t even a thing yet! And don’t even get me started on developing the…
Popular social sharing app Snapchat has been hacked, and the account info for 4.6 million users has been released online. Usernames and a partial phone numbers were available for download on a website set up by the hackers. The phone numbers and account information was posted to SnapchatDB.info. The site was suspended by late Wednesday…
The iPhone 5S has a beautiful camera but it’s still got its limits. The lens is made to fit in the sleek, slim case of the phone, so there’s no room for a variable length lens. This means there’s no optical zoom, but also means there’s no option for ultra-close-up macro shots either. Now olloclip…
VSCO Cam has found great popularity with the iPhone set and now it’s finally coming to Android. The camera app provides a suite of filters and photo editing tools that take mobile phone photography nearer to the professional level. You can grab it on Google Play Store here! VSCO Cam comes from a company that…
It’s been a long time coming, but Instagram has finally released a native app for Windows Phone. Long-suffering Windows phone users will finally be able to share pictures of incredibly interesting things such as pasta, soup, salads and their children! Well, sort of. The new Instagram app has most of the great features that iOS…
Twitter released an update today that adds image and video previews to the main feed in its Android, iOS, and browser apps. Opening images no longer requires you to click or tap the links in tweets, you can simply enlarge it from the preview directly from your feed! For now, the previews will only work…
The double exposure was a favorite effect of film photographers. Allowing for two (or more) images to be captured in one final exposure, the effect was a favorite of Surrealist photographers, photo-doctoring jokers, and casual shooters trying something fun (or creating a happy accident!). Now a new app lets you upload your pics and make…
Sony’s new ‘lens camera‘ has yet to be officially announced but a steady stream of leaks have been popping up for the last month or so. The peripheral is expected be unveiled tomorrow (Sept. 4) at IFA in Berlin, along with Sony’s much-anticipated Xperia Z1 Honami. But today an ad for the new camera leaked, showing the…
A new batch of images was leaked today, showing a curious attachment coming down the pipeline from Sony. Sony’s rumored ‘Lens G’ attachment appears in the shiny, new, high resolution pics. It looks like a large zoom lens attachment, but the Lens G actually houses its own sensor, turning your smartphone into a high end… | {
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Time doesn’t always heal a broken heart. Sometimes the only thing it does is fill the darkness with more shadows, more pain.
Dylan Thomas has spent the past decade living in the shadows, mourning the loss of his wife, his best friend, his very reason for breathing. He long ago accepted that he would never feel again, that he was damned to a world without light, without hope. That was the day the bottle won, and he gave himself over to the darkness.
Until the one night that rocked his brittle, crumbling world on its axis. She told him what they shared was simply a distraction, a way to forget for a little while. It would’ve been, except the tiny glimpse of how it feels to live again, to feel again, gives him the strength he needs to pull himself up by his boot straps. But sobriety comes one day at a time, and three years later may be three years too late.
The final book in the Club Destiny series, Distraction can
be read as a standalone.
Sarah and Dylan have both had a past filled with loss and despair
and while Sarah hid herself away, Dylan found his coping mechanism at the
bottom of a bottle. Having once been a short term romance at high school, both
had gone down different paths and found other loves. It is the loss of their spouses that took them to separate lives. However after both their tragedies they
were brought back into the same circle but when the budding new friendship was
cut short after a misunderstanding after a passion filled joining they
separated again. However three years later it looked like fate was a knocking
on their door again.
This was a deeply emotive and thought provoking book that
dealt with two serious issues – alcoholism and mental health. It made you
consider what could happen in life and the repercussions of loss. But there was
redemption in the storyline and even though there were lots of heartache and
pain there was also lots of second chance romance and passion.
The pairing between the two was tangible and you could feel
the electricity and chemistry between Sarah and Dylan. I was so connected to
both characters and I was rooting for them to heal and find love again.
Sarah was one tough cookie who was overly harsh on herself
at the start but then she took life by the nuts and rejuvenated herself to not
be the doormat anymore. She learns to love life again and goes out for what she
wants. Dylan was one hot but vulnerable man who I just fell in love with from
the start. The way he turned his life around after over a decade of pain was
devastating. When he says that final goodbye to his wife at the grave had me in
buckets.
This was another fabulous read from Ms Edwards and one that
really pulled at the heart strings. It is sad that this is the end of the
series but one that is a definite read again to treasure. Five glorious stars.
It’s the late 1970’s, and tenacious journalism student Sarah McKenn doesn’t believe the rumors of strange happenings in her small college town of Fort Winston, Colorado. But a supernatural event she experiences while chasing down a story for her school's newspaper leaves her questioning everything. In her quest for understanding, she meets and falls for Chris, the only man she believes can help her unravel the truth.
A psychology student determined to prove his psychic talents are real…
Christian Levine is on the cusp of a bright future as a research psychologist when he agrees to participate in a secret experiment at the request of his mentor. Though it’s the perfect opportunity to prove his psychic abilities, the project turns deadly when Chris discovers the real motivation of the man in control of it all. Chris is forced to choose between his own freedom or saving the lives of his mentor and Sarah─the woman he loves.
A bond that transcends all boundaries…
The chemistry between Sarah and Chris surprises them—a soul-filling passion and a deep psychic connection neither thought possible. Can they discover what their bond means before their lives are ripped apart?
Despite her misgivings, she knew she was falling in love with him and that scared the crap out of her. He was complicated, and was probably leaving the state next year, to go back to New York or wherever his career would take him. She could not afford to be distracted and definitely did not want to have her heart broken. And frankly, this psychic thing between them scared her a little, too. Pulling away from him was the sensible thing to do, and only way she could protect herself.
But he kept showing up, and ruining her resolve in the process.
She felt his eyes on her while folding her clothes, but he said nothing. When the task was done, she looked up at him, trying to find a way to get him to leave without hurting his feelings. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Well, one kiss won’t hurt, but after that, he has to go.
Love isn’t always what it seems to be…..when you are living in the past
When you can’t believe what you see…
In the summer of 1978, photographer Zac Daley is the only one who sees a young woman in the lake, crying for help. When she shows up in his photos, and begins sending him cryptic messages, he must find out why.
When you don’t believe what you’re told…
Amanda Bresky has not given up on Zac, even though her parents have forbidden her to see him. They can’t see past his long hair and hippie clothes, and even Zac himself has told her they aren’t a good match. He wants no part of a relationship, and thinks they should just remain friends. But she is determined to break through to his heart, whatever it takes.
When the truth is buried in the past…
Zac’s interest in the mysterious girl in the lake becomes an obsession when she appears, demanding he deliver a message for her. With Amanda’s help, he sets out to solve the mystery, but at a cost neither of them could foresee. Haunted by his own past, Zac is determined to leave Fort Winston, Colorado as soon as possible─but a wayward ghost and a certain hot-blooded redhead are tempting him to stay.
His hands roamed her body, feeling every curve. He wanted to absorb her into his skin, become one with her. Touching her was not enough. He couldn’t find the usual words of protest, did not have the willpower to push her away this time. He knew she wanted to be his, and he wanted to be hers. Logic and reason had no place here, and for the first time, he knew it was meant to be.
He responded by flipping her over, onto her back. He laced his hands in hers. “I won’t. I’ll never send you away again.”
And then he kissed her, pouring his overflowing feelings into every touch. It was as though a damn had burst, and he surprised himself with how deeply he felt it. But for now, he only wanted to make exquisite love to her, so no matter what happened later, she would never forget him, her first lover.
Can an undeniable bond transcend time and distance?
When the past seems brighter than the future…
It’s 1986─seven years since Christian Levine last heard from his lost love, Sarah McKenn. When an opportunity arises to leave his crumbling life in California and return to Fort Winston, Colorado, he hopes to rekindle more than memories. If he can find Sarah again, he plans to prove to her their psychic soul connection was more than just a phase two college kids went through.
When the future will save you from your past…
Sarah McKenn is about to leave Fort Winston, moving to Sedona, Arizona for a career opportunity she can’t pass up. She and her daughter Sophie are looking forward to their new adventure, but when two men come back into Sarah’s life at the same time, she has to decide whether to face the secrets of her past, or embrace her future and never look back.
When your life is no longer your own….
Sarah knows she must do what is best for her daughter, but can she ignore the explosive chemistry and weird psychic connection she still has with Chris? Or will her unresolved past destroy her chance for love, and a new life?
He pulled her to him, devouring her mouth with his own. Words still weren’t enough, and he needed her like a drug. Her arms came around his neck, and she kissed him back, making a small sound of desire. His arousal became evident and he pressed against her, backing her up against the counter. Her fingers were entwined in his hair. She pulled him to her hard, and he felt her teeth against his tongue. His need for her was crashing over him in tidal-wave fashion, but somewhere in his mind he knew he had to stop. She pulled her lips away from his, her breath ragged.
“We have to stop. Sophie…”
He was kissing his way down her neck. “I know…God, Sarah, I can’t take it much longer...I need you.”
Pushing on his chest with her hands, she brought him back to cold reality. She slipped away from him just as Sophie returned to the kitchen.
“Mamma, can I watch cartoons?”
As she followed her daughter into the other room, he stood there in the kitchen, still breathing hard. The heat between his legs was dissipating, his heart returning to a normal beat. The craving, the need…that wasn’t going away anytime soon, if ever.
A lifelong entrepreneur, Renee Regent spent most of her life writing for business. But she never lost her love of writing stories, especially romance, science fiction, and fantasy. She’s always been fascinated with the science of how the universe works, but equally entranced by the unexplained. Being an incurable romantic, she now writes stories about the power of love, with a supernatural twist. Her stories feature psychics, witches, ghosts and ordinary people who do extraordinary things.
Renee, a California native, lives in Atlanta with her husband, three cats and four turtles. When not working or writing, she can be found sitting on her deck enjoying nature. Wine may or may not be involved….
A member of Georgia Romance Writers and the Georgia Writer’s Association, Renee also loves blogging and sharing her ideas on the business side of being an author, trends in fiction, and tips she has learned in her writing journey. | {
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War of the elementals by darkwavex9 halo3leader and Council Elite 12
Chapter One: The Beginning
Aeronox Mountains
------------------------------------
A seventeen year old Elite Aeronox Air Guardian, a race that is a giant and intelligent bird creature, by the name of Veranox looked into the sky.
“It has begun, the War of the Elementals. We must gather our forces. We cannot lose.”
------------------------------------
Desert of Wind
------------------------------------
A young man, the age of nineteen with the three sacred wind relics, was in the middle of the Desert of Sand. He had been called many things: Legendary Knight, Legendary Hero, but he was the Legendary Outcast. He had been exiled from his home three years ago.
“It is time. The War has begun. I shall go where the wind takes me,” he said as the teleported, using the one of the three relics.
------------------------------------
Kingdom of Velton
------------------------------------
The man has ended up in Velton. He spotted an Aeronox and a dragon-like human.
“I see you are prepared fir the War a well. I am Estoc Triwave. I shall accompany you in the
war if you accept this challenge!” he said as took out another sacred relic, the Blade of
Winds.
The dragon-like human, called Bugas, used on of his attacks, known as the Jump Arrow,
hitting Estoc. Blood poured out of his stomach.
“Well, I think you’ll learn that I won’t even go east on allies!” Bugas said.
“Was that supposed to hurt? Please! I’ve been in worse situations” he replied.
He teleported behind Bugas, using the same relic as the one he used to arrive at Velton.
He slashed upward ,sending Bugas into the sky. He teleported once again, this time above
him. He slashed down, sending him into the ground.
Bugas got up quick and used some of his blood to create a cocoon which acted as a prison
of poison. “Hala Kala.” The second the prison of poison formed, it instantly exploded.
“Power is not the trait wish to join. Many have tried to defeat me, all of them have
failed.” he said as he put away the Blade of Winds, “Give me your best shot!”
Bugas sent a tornado trapping him in it. “There’s no weak spots in that.” Estoc teleported behind Bugas but was knocked back. “Not so smart, are you?”
The Aeronox, by the name of Veranox has entered the battle as well.
“I’ll try one at you Triwave!” he said as he unleashed massive gusts,whirlwind, tornados,
and hurricanes.
“Not too much power there. Probably three percent of it” the Aeronox replied.
“I said I did not look for power,” Estoc said.
“You can try Veranox, but there’s no stopping him,” Bugas said.
“There’s no need to fight. I was looking for allies, but I guess that’s not going to happen
any time soon. I’ve wasted enough time on you two.” he said as he teleported to
Sepheara.
“I think it’s time to pay a visit to my homeland.” He said to himself.
[Edited on 09.16.2007 4:33 PM PDT]
A/N her's the edited one if you want to see what happen to Rogue and Taylor tell me and I'll post death sentence
Epilogue: We Shall Meet Again
Everyone goes their separate ways.
Veranox returns to the Golmore Jungles. He finds a mate named Kara. He lives a good life.
“This is what we get for helping out in the war, but, there is another threat, soon to come...”
------
Rogue and Taylor marry a few weeks later. Later on, they meet Jordan and May, the new Warrior of Darkness and Queen of Light. This leads to a battle with the remaining Fake Darkness.
------
Everon, Ethervan, and Ethravan return to the Mystic Realm. What happened to them next is unknown.
The Ancient Estoc returns to his slumber, only to awaken when a new threat appears.
Ares returned to the heavens.
Estoc and Sophia return to Sepheara. They marry a year later. Sophia gives birth their son, Echo, and the next year she gives birth to their daughter, Lilyn.
Elise returns to Sinafess. She isolates herself from those around her. She meets a man named Alex Limvet a year later. They marry the next year. She gives birth to their daughter.
Peace has returned to the world for now… What awaits them in the future? None know, but they’ll be there when the next threat emerges.
Fin.
put it under Darkwaex9 he remade it into a story after all 3 of us finshed with the story
-Veranox's Epilogue-
"It's finally done."
*I then live a good life after that, find a mate called Kara, and return to Golmore Jungle*
"This is what we get for helping out in the war, but, there is one, soon, to come..."
*During the years the dimensions were in peace I trained, but not all the time. Suring this time I gained my Infinitum Tyrant Phoenix Form, and mastered it*
-Rogue and taylors epilogue-
"Yes we did!"
Taylor: yeah we killed him.
*Rogue and Taylor marry a few weeks later. Then they go on to met Jordan and may the newest queen of light and Warrior of darkness. THis leads to a huge fight with the fake darkness. With this comes the forging of a new group of heroes. The second line in the fabled heroes
Chapter Fourteen: Fate Brought us here to End This
“Four entrances. We need to split up.”
“Taylor and I will go west.” Rogue said.
“I’ll go with Veranox.” Ares said.
“Alright then. Sophia, come with me. Everon, Ethervan, Ethravan, and Elise you go together.”
They all enter the tower. What awaits them? Ares and Veranox head through the tower. Everything is safe until they reach Cerberus.
-------------
The four others reach a room identical to the one Ares’ and Veranox are in. Dark Phoenix, Dark Purity, Dark Energy, and Dark Earth are waiting for them.
-------------
Estoc and Sophia encounter Dark Neptune and Dark Dimension again.
------------
Rogue and Taylor encounter a swarm of enemies.
“True Chaos Dragon!”
“True Pure Dragon!”
-------------
“Godly War Break!”
“Infinitum Demise!”
--------------
“Dark Spectrum!” Dark Energy fired a beam of darkness at Elise.
“Energy Hold! Energy Overload!”
“Dark Light!”
“Holy Light!”
“Dark Quake!”
“Earth Destroyer!”
“Black Fire Doom!”
“Flaming Destruction!”
------------------
“True Ending! They never stop coming.”
“Yeah. Pure Light Blast!”
“Death Chaos!”
“Light's True Power!”
------------------
“He seems to be weakened. Final Blow!”
“Eternity’s War Break!”
“Power of Divinity!”
-------------------
Dark Fire, Energy, Purity, and Earth die. They walk up the stairs to the throne room.
-------------------
“Freezing Oblivion!”
“Dark Frost!” Dark Neptune dies.
“Death Deity!” Dark Dimensions uses the deadly form but can still control it.
“What!?”
“You can’t beat me this time.”
“Forgive me. Death Deity!”
----------------
Ares and Veranox defeat Cerberus. They walk up the stairs to the throne room.
----------------
Rogue and Taylor finally defeat the swarm of enemies and walk up the stairs.
---------------
Estoc kills Dark Dimensions with ease.
“You can’t stop me this time!”
“That’s where you’re wrong! Now!”
“Be gone!”
“I get you one of these days!”
They walk up the stairs.
Ares and Veranox arrive in the Final Room.
“He must be above us, in the Ritual Room.” The god said.
The other arrive. All of them walk up to the stairs.
“We finally meet.” Kerakovous said. He turned around from the altar. “You’re all going to die. The ritual has been complete. The amount of power is too much for this room to hold. The tower is going to fall down in thirty minutes. Beat me and escape, think you can do it?”
“Bring it! Infinitum Demise!”
“Chosen One Dragon!”
The blast are reflected and hit them with full force.
“Pathetic.”
“I won’t let you do this!” Everyone gets up.
Blade of Dimensions and Tynial Blade shatter. “Dimension Fusion!”
“Chosen One’s Final Hope!”
“Infinitum Phoenix Form!”
“I have awakened.” The Dimensional Fusion form is the stronger than Death Deity, but he can control it. “Dimensional Overload!”
“Infinitum Blast!” The blasts hit Kerakovous with full force sending him into the wall.
“No. I won’t let this happen!”
“Too late!”
“One…Two…Three!”
“Sacred Blast!” Veranox’s strongest move besides Infinitum Sacrifice.
“True Chaos’ Ends!”
“Queen of Light’s Last Wish!”
“Dimensional Destruction!”
“Overloading Light!”
“Unbearable Flame!”
“Thawless Freeze!”
“Unknowing Energy!”
“Annihilation of War!”
The blast completely disintegrates Kerakovous. They flee the tower, as it falls.
“It’s finally over.
Chapter 13: We Came All the Way Here for This!?
“Why do I always live, even when I die, I come back. Everyone around me dies, but I live, why?” Taylor said to herself.
Veranox wakes up and teleports somewhere of peace and tranquility.
“This isn’t right. I have no right to live.”
“Taylor, you have a right to live. You are our friends. That’s more than just a right.” Rogue said.
“You’re right. Thank you Rogue.” She kisses him.
-------
“You’ve done well, Veranox, but why do you always restrain your power?”
“I don’t know. I’m afraid I might lose control. Who are you anyway?”
“I am Infinitum Phoenix, your final form.”
“Can you tell me if I will lose control if I go into your form?”
“You won’t, but must feel the most pain and suffering.”
“Thank you.”
Veranox teleports back to the campsite.
-------
I’m here to finish the job!”
“Never! You can’t beat me anymore!”
Their minds start battling.
“Mind Blank! Mind Destruction! Mind Cleanse! Mind Manipulation!”
“Face it! You can’t beat me!”
“Yes I can! Mind Sacrifice!” Veranox blanks his own mind and can only be restored by one who can use Mind Restoration.
“He just lost his mind. We need to find out how to bring it back.”
Veranox regains his mind for a second. “You need to use Mind Restoration.” His mind blanks out again.
“The demon in me knows.” Rogue starts to talk to him.
“Okay, he gave me the power to use it. Mind Restoration!”
Veranox regains his mind. “Thanks.”
They eat and sleep after the incident.
A man walks up to the campsite. Estoc is the first to spot him.
“What do you want?”
“I mean now harm. My name is Ares.”
“You’re the Oracle of War?”
“No, I am the God of War. I am in my mortal form. I wish to help you vanquish my brother.”
“What?”
“You did seal Kerakovous a millennium ago. My brother, Deathous, took the form of Kerakovous. He too is in his mortal form.”
“How can I trust you?”
”You can’t, but if you don’t let me help, another one besides the Chosen One will die. The Chosen One might not even die if I help.”
“Fine.”
Rogue gets up and sees Ares.
“Who the hell are you!?”
Veranox sees him as well. “Who are you?”
“I am the God of War in my mortal form. I mean no harm.”
“Wait a second, I know you.” Rogue said.
“I don’t remember.”
“So you’re a god?” The Aeronox asked.
“Yes, in my mortal form.”
“Well, we better get moving. The gate to the Realm of Nothingness is closing.” Rogue said.
“Apparently he has found a way to seal the gate.”
“Yes, but one can open it from the inside.”
They starts to head towards the gate. Creature start to tail them.
“Go. I’ll hold them off.” Ethervan said.
“I’ll open it when you’re done.” Ares said.
They head through the gate.
“They don’t call this place the Realm of Nothingness. There’s nothing here.” Everon said.
---------
“Flaming Destruction!” Ethervan life energy is fading fast.
---------
“Go ahead, I’ll open the gate.” Ares said.
They start to head in a random direction.
“Where do we go?”
Ethervan enters, heavily wounded.
“You okay?”
“I’ll be fine.”
Taylor heals him with light energy. They keep moving, going through nothing.
“We should set up camp. I’m getting tired.” Veranox said.
Veranox takes out tents and plants a tree that grows instantly.
“This place is boring.” Sophia said.
“At least you’re not Kerakovous. He’s been here for a millennium.”
”Actually, he gave up his life force about five hundred years ago, not wanting to remain here.” The God of War said.
“That’s still a long time.”
“Well, night.” Sophia goes to sleep.
The next morning they start to head in a random direction again.
“We need to go east.” Ares said.
“You sure?” Estoc asked.
“I’m a god. I’m sure.”
They keep heading east.
“Let’s just blow up the floor. Maybe he’s down there. Flaming Destruction!” Ethervan said.
“Fine. True Destruction of War!”
“Dimensional Wave of Tynial!”
“Freezing Oblivion!”
“Extracting Light!”
“Full Energy Overload!”
“Infinitum Shockwave!”
“True Chaos Dragon!”
A giant crater is in place where the ground was.
“There’s a gate down there.”
“That’s the Realm of Ends.” Rogue said.
“Taylor, Rogue, you check the Realm of Ends. We’ll keep heading this way.” Veranox said.
They head through the gate.
“-blam!-.” They cursed.
“The ADSF never dies” The ADSF commander said.
“Chaos Sync!”
“Light Sync!”
“All’s End”
The commander retreats to the castle.
“Let’s do this.”
They start to attack. The ADSF outnumber them by thousands, but they hold them off.
Veranox separates from the group after flying for a few days and heads towards Taylor and Rogue’s position. Veranox enters the battle.
“Prepare to die!”
“Who’s there!”
“Chaos Shield!”
“Infinitum Shield!”
“Pure Shield.”
“I am the True Chaos Demon.”
“The one who tried to take over Rogue’s mind?”
“You can’t do anything to me. It took three armies to defeat me the first time. You three are nothing.”
“We’ll see about that!”
The three of them charge at him. They weaken him and soon defeat him.
“I’ll take you three down with me! True Chaos Explosion!”
“Never! I’ll see you later. Infinitum Sacrifice!”
His life energy kills the demon and stops the explosion.
“I’ll miss you all.” Veranox fades away.
“No! They all die!”
“Rogue, calm down.”
“Right. Last Dying Breath!”
Rogues gives up nearly all of his energy to bring Veranox back.
“How am I alive?”
----------
“Two powers have died. One of the two has been revived. A third is weakened.” Estoc said.
“I sensed it too. We’re here.” Ares said. They stopped by an oasis.
“Where?”
“He’s below it.”
They destroy the oasis to see a tower beneath them.
---------
“Luck.” Rogue dies.
Veranox carries Rogue and flies back to the others.”
-----------
“A strong force has died.”
“Damn. We need everyone.”
They arrive.
“We’re back, sadly.”
“There will be a way to bring him, back but it’s impossible at the moment.” Ares said.
They go to sleep.
Taylor cries in her sleep. “Why does he have to be so stupid? He doesn’t care about his life, only those around him.”
Ares sees Taylor. “I hate to see her like this. The half-moon is in a week. The Essence of Life.”
Veranox wakes up the next morning.
“I guess I’m first up.” He sees Taylor.
“Hi.”
“You’re up early.”
“I never fell asleep.” She said sadly.
“I see. Don’t worry. Rogue’s going to be alright. Ares even said so, and he’s a god.”
“Okay.”
“You should get some sleep.”
Taylor rests under a tree.
“Get some sleep unless you’d rather take some Energy Potions.”
“I can’t. Every time I do, I dream of Rogue dying.”
---------
“We must wait for a week to get the Essence of Life.” Ares said.
“What’s that?” Sophia asked.
“The essence that can revive anyone. It comes from the Plant of Life.” Estoc answered.
“Then why a week?”
“The Plant of Life only grows on the half-moon.”
---------
Veranox teleports back to a base. He spots a pool of lava, and a lava golem emerges out of it.
“Infinitum Shockwave!” The attack does nothing.
“Tougher than I though. Infinitum Demise!” The blast destroys the golem.
He teleports back and sleeps in his tree.
Taylor walks to the lake. Veranox wakes up and starts planting more trees.
A golem emerges from the lake.
“Pure Sync.”
The trees start to morph into Rogue.
“Infinitum Blast!” The tree is disintegrated.
“Pure Dragon!” She dodges the attack from the golem.
“Final Truth!”
Veranox destroys the rest of the trees. He walks over to the lake.
“That hurts.”
“What?”
“A golem attack me.”
“Oh.” They head back to the camp. Veranox fixes Taylor’s leg.
------------
“Ares can’t do this alone.” Vlaux, the God of Fire said.
“He’s with our oracles.” Aqualii, the Goddess of Water said.
“That still won’t be enough.” Earthera, Goddess of Earth said.
“They will prevail.” Ayshuna told them.
“Should we interfere?” Inpendin, God of Light asked.
“Only if we have to.” Tynerven, God of Time said.
-------------
“Tomorrow, is the half-moon. Estoc, Sophia, Elise, you three come with me. Everon, Ethervan, stay here just in case.”
“Why Sophia and Elise?” Estoc asked.
“Only a female can extract the Essence of Life from the plant. If Taylor wishes to come, she may.”
“I can take care of myself.” Veranox said.
“I know, but Kerakovous might be attacking because we’re always together.”
“Alright. I could use some help.”
“I’ll stay here to help out if there’s a battle.” Taylor said.
They teleport to Lylan, where the Plant of Life grows.
A Juggernaut Golem starts to attack.
“Final Blow!”
------------
“Sophia, Elise, take the Plant of Life and crush the liquid out of it. That is the Essence of Life.”
The essence takes affect without Rogue being near.
Rogue teleports to Taylor.
“You’re back.” Taylor runs over to Rogue and hugs him.
“I won’t be back if you keep holding so hard. I can’t breathe!”
Another golem attacks.
The four of them teleport back.
Juggernaut Golems and Granite Golems appear.
“Infinitum Sphere!”
“True Chaos Dragon!”
“Demolish!” A voice shouted. Some golems fall apart.
“All’s End!”
“Earth Break!”
The rest of the golems are destroyed.
“I am Ethravan, Oracle of Earth.”
“Sounds a lot like your name, Ethervan. Related?”
“Sister, haven’t seen you in a long time.”
They rest. Taylor and Rogue go to the lake.
They wake up the next morning.
A group of enemies start attacking.
“All’s End!”
“Bereavement of Heavens!”
“Impending Light!”
“Burning Destruction!”
“Giga Freeze!”
“Energy Discharge!”
“Godly War Break!”
“Earth Break!”
All the enemies die.
“Let’s end this. I’m getting tired of this realm.” Rogue said.
They head toward the tower.
“We’re here. Now let’s end this.”
Chapter Twelve:
Veranox starts to train the isolated area.
“Archdemon Slashes!”
After training for some time, he discovers a new form, Archdemon of Omega Phase 2.
------
Estoc walks up to the summit where he meets Ayshuna.
“It’s been a long time, Estoc. You might want to take this.”
She hands him a shards of a blade.
“That is the piece of light. Find the others, and the shards will create the Blade of Dimensions.”
“Thank you.”
------
Veranox trains more, to the point where he acquires Phase 3 and Final Phase.
-------
“The army needs my help.” Rogue teleports off to the battle.
Taylor teleports to the Fabled Ruins.
-------
Estoc arrives on Mount Velan, a highly active volcano.
“Damn it’s hot in here.” He takes the piece of fire.
He teleports to Lake Eveara. He swims under the lake to find the piece of water. He finds it and teleports to the Forest of Etheara. He finds himself in middle of the forest and takes the piece of earth. He teleports to the Canyon of Wind; where winds blow at very high speeds. He takes the piece of wind and teleports to the Land of Illusions. He navigates through the invisible walls and illusion walls. He takes the piece of shadow and teleports to the Spirit Realm. He takes the piece and teleports to the Realm of Dimensions.
------
“Rogues, our leader is here!” A soldier yelled out.
“Chaos Sync! Die ADSF!”
------
“My father wasn’t lying. Now I have to find that weapon.” Taylor searched the ruins.
She finds it, but she must face the guardian.
“You will not touch this sword, you filthy half queen.”
“Okay, get ready to die.”
------
“Ah, the Oracle of Dimensions. You are here to retrieve the piece of dimensions?” The guardian asked.
“Yes. Let me guess, I have to beat you to get it?”
“Correct.”
“Let’s go.” He turns into his True Angel Form.
------
“Everyone, hold the line! Chaos Dragon!”
------
Taylor defeats the guardian.
“You win.”
“Thank you.” She takes the sword and teleports back to the main camp.
------
“Bereavement of Heavens!” The blast of light finishes off the guardian.
“How do you know that move? Here.” He hands Estoc the final piece.
The pieces fuse together to form the Blade of Dimensions. He fuses Lightbringer and Ragnarok to create Tynial Blade. He teleports back to the main
camp as well.
-----
“Here.” Taylor gives Veranox the sword.
“Thanks for the sword. I might be able to use it.”
-----
Estoc gets intercepted in the teleportation.
“We fight now!”
“Who are you?”
“I am the new Oracle of Darkness, Karvin.”
“Fine then.” He takes out the two swords.
“Bereavement of Heavens!”
“Black Void!”
The blast of light defeats the one of darkness.
“You win for now, but I’ll be back.”
-----
Veranox wakes up in an unknown location.
“What am I doing here?”
“So, you’re one of the ones who destroyed the former oracles. I am Kedrat, the new Oracle of Pain.”
“Then you must die.”
He goes into Archdemon of Omega Phase 4.
“Final Blast!”
“Consuming Darkness!”
------
“Everon, Ethervan, we need to find the new oracles of Pain and Energy.” Estoc said.
“New?” Ethervan asked.
“Yes. It seems that when they were killed, three others took their place.”
“What about darkness?”
“I fought him before I got here. He got away. Wait, Veranox is fighting pain. That leaves Energy.”
------
Veranox’s Final Blast overwhelms Kedrat’s and disintegrates him.
------
“Pain is dead. We better find energy soon. Everon, go to Tyreal. Ethervan, you go to Ecktone. I’ll to Sinafess. He or she is bound to be at one of those
locations.”
------
Everon and Ethervan find no one.
“Come with me. You are destined for great things.” Kerakovous said to a girl the age of seventeen who lost her parents.
“Get away from her, Kerakovous!”
“Estoc, we’ll fight another time.” Kerakovous teleported away.
“Who was he?”
“Let me ask you this first. Do you know who the oracles are?”
“The messengers of the gods?”
“Yes. He is the Oracle of Death. He is corrupted by power he was given.”
“Oh. What did he mean by I am destined for great things?”
He sighed. Telling her would not be easy. “You are the Oracle of Energy.”
She looked was blank.
“I am the Oracle of Dimensions. Many of my friends are other oracles.”
“So, why me?”
“The gods and goddess choose their oracles. I almost forgot. My name’s Estoc. What’s yours?”
“Elise. So, he’s evil, and you’re trying to take him down.”
“Basically, yes.”
“Let me come with you.”
“Fine.”
She holds his arm while he teleports back to the camp.
-----
“Who’s she?” Sophia asked.
“Elise, Oracle of Energy. Kerakovous was trying to get her on his side.” Estoc answered.
“If you’re going to fight him in the end, how will I help? I can’t fight.” Elise asked.
“Can use energy and magic?”
“A bit.” She takes out Vertenik’s staff.
“What!? You’re Dethin and Vertenik’s daughter!?”
“I think that’s what their names were. Why?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this.” He sighed. “Your parents were followers of Kerakovous. We had to kill them in the process.”
“That’s it?”
“Huh?”
“They didn’t really care about me, and if they were evil, then you had to do what you had to do.”
“You’re not mad?”
“Nope.”
“Alright. We need to go.”
The three of them teleport to Veranox’s location.
“The ADSF and Kerakovous’ men are attacking.”
“Attack!”
“Impending Light!” Everon sent a wave of light towards the enemy.
“Burning Crescent!” Ethervan sent a blast of fire.
“Wave of Ice.” Sophia did the same.
“Energy Shockwave!” Same with Elise.
“Everon, Ethervan, you know what to do.” The three of them fuse into Pure Elemental Deity.
Vernon slips into unconsciousness.
“I’m back.”
“No!”
“Mind Control!”
“Estoc, or whatever you three are called now!” Sophia points to Veranox.
“Damn it. Not again. Wave of Indifference!” He sent a wave of mind energy at Veranox.
“I won’t attack my friend.” Rogue freezes.
“Why do you keep taking control of my mind, you bastard!?”
“Because you have the potential to become stronger than everyone else. I’m just here to unleash it.”
“Never!”
“I won’t attack.” Rogue said.
“Wall of Ice.” Sophia created a wall to slow down the enemy.
“Wave of Indifference!”
“You think that can do anything? Bring it on! Consuming Void!”
“He’s my friend. I’ll will not attack him.” Rogue said.
“Is tiny Rogue afraid? Fill him with Terror!”
“Never!” Rogue into his Chaos Demon Form where all his energy forms around his in the shape of a demon He is uncontrollable in this form.
“You’ve taken over my mind for the last time! Archdemon of Omega Final Phase! Now to take back what’s rightfully mine!”
“What no!” Veranox takes control of his mind back.
“Damn it get out of my body!” Rogue yelled.
“I don’t think so, Rogue.”
“Damn it! I can’t hold on for much longer!”
“It might be the same situation. Either he must fight it, or Taylor has to revert him to normal.” Sophia said.
Rogue is taken over. “Now that I’m in control, I’ll you all!”
“Rogue, you must fight him!”
“No, I like this power. True Ending!” He attacks Taylor which nearly kills her.
“Rogue…I…love…you.” She dies.
“No! You’ll pay for killing her! True Chaos Demon Form!”
“We need to hold the enemy off! Dimensional Wave of Tynial!”
“Light of Purity!”
“Phoenix’s Flame!”
“Neptune’s Water!”
“Energy Overload!”
“Sorry Rogue. Mind Peirce!” Veranox uses a mind spell to break into Rogue.
The demon escaped Rogue’s body.
“I’m out, and I’m not going back in.”
“Is that so? Mind Blank!”
“Damn it. Get under the seal! You can’t seal me back up!”
Veranox approaches to knock Rogue out.
“Hey, I think I was able to seal him.”
“Alright.”
“We need to finish off the ADSF.”
They head up to the hills. Rogue takes out a hologram.
“Alright. You distract them, and I’ll set up the charges.”
“-blam!-.Um, I think they know were here.” Estoc said.
“Energy Field!”
“Wall of Ice!”
“Rogue, hurry up and set those charges. Those barriers can’t last for much longer.”
“Alright done! Everyone get out of here!”
They flee. Estoc runs into Karvin.
“This is not the time!”
“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong. Black Hole!”
“Dimensional Transfer!”
He seals him away.
The charges set up and take out the base.
Rogue gives up some of his dark and life energy to bring Taylor back.
“Alright let’s sleep.”
The ADSF has fallen, for now…
All that remains is Kerakovous.
Chapter Eleven: The ADSF
-------------------------
Time Jump
-------------------------
It has been three years since Rogue’s death. The realms are in ruin. The only army around are the Attack Defense Special Forces, or the ADSF. The elements are nearly gone.
Sophia has found out that she is the Oracle of Water. Kerakovous is still in the Realm of Nothingness. His attacks have stopped for now.
Rogue is revived, two years late though.
“Hey, I want to introduce you to the army I’ve gathered up. The Rogue Army.” (A/N: Very original halo3leader.)
“We should get to the Realm of Nothingness.” Veranox said.
“Maybe he wants us to go to him. Maybe that’s why his attacks stopped.” Estoc said.
“There’s an underground army close by. Follow me.” Rogue said.
“Let’s go. We’ve already delayed three years.”
--------
A golem hits Veranox sending flying backwards.
“Taylor, we’ve got to fuse.”
“Okay.”
They fuse into Aeon again.
“Bereavement of Light!”
“Archdemon Slashes!” The attack destroys one of the golem.
“Sword of Aeons! Final Ending!”
“Go! I’ll hold them off!” Estoc yelled.
“What!? Are you mad!?” Everon yelled back.
“Just go.”
“Fine.”
Estoc goes into his True Angel Form. White, glowing wings emerge from his back.
“Bereavement of Heavens!”
The blast destroys the rest of them.
“That settles that. I might as well catch up with the others.”
------------
Veranox stops in front of the Shrine of the Chosen One.
“Guys! You need to come see this!”
Rogue teleports to the shrine.
“Damn.”
“It seems as old as anything, Even the dimensions itself.”
In the shrine lies the item of the Chosen One.
“I knew one of the Chosen Ones. I do not know who is from his bloodline though. Names runs through the family. It’s either Veranox or Rogue. His name was Veronton Rogue Eltya.”
“Rogue, come with me, but I’m pretty sure it’s you.” Veranox and Rogue enter the shrine.
-------------
Estoc senses a great power approaching.
“I get my revenge now, Estoc!” Someone yelled.
Estoc turned around. “Ikvon! It’s time to use my third form then.”
“Are you sure you want to do that? Last time, you nearly destroyed your home.”
“I can’t beat you any other way.”
He goes into his Pure Deity Form. Wings emerge from his back in a form of an X. His wings, armor, and sword glow white.
“Bereavement of the Gods!”
-------------
“There it is, the Equipment of the Chosen One. I’m pretty sure it’s you.” Veranox said.
“Okay.”
“Come on, you can do this.”
The equipment forms on Rogue.
“You’re the chosen one. Congrats.”
They both teleport out of the shrine.
--------------
Ikvon dies.
“Use your final form.” A voice in Estoc’s head said.
“Never! Everyone get away from here!”
Two more wings emerge from his back in the form of an *. Every other wing is white and red. His eyes turn red. He is in his Death Deity Form.
“That power is immeasurable! I though Estoc was strong before!” Everon said in awe.
“He can’t control it though!” Ethervan yelled.
Veranox sees Estoc as they exit the temple.
“Estoc stop!”
“You cannot stop me. You were only saved because your wife was able to revert you to normal. You have nothing now!”
“I won’t let you do this!”
“Bereavement of Death!”
“Estoc stop! You can control it! I know you can!”
Veranox avoids the blast.
“He can only be stopped by the ones he cares the most for.” Taylor said.
“Estoc, stop!” Sophia yelled.
“That’s it. I may not be able to be reverted to normal but that doesn’t mean that the Estoc of this time can’t.”
“No! You can’t do this!”
“I can, and I just did.”
“Be gone!”
“No! You can’t keep me away forever! I’ll be back!”
Estoc faints due to exhaustion.
------------
“You have done well” The ancient one said.
“So, Sophia is the only one that can revert me to normal after being in Death Deity?”
“Yes, like Taylor said, only those you care for can revert you.”
“I care for my friends.”
“Yes, but not the same way for Sophia.”
--------------
Estoc awakens.
“Estoc’s awake!”
“Thanks for saving me from myself, back there Sophia.”
“You alright Estoc? That Death Deity was really annoying.” Veranox said.
“I’m fine. My ancient self is taking a rest. He hasn’t had a break. Pure Deity is the one I can control. Death Deity is when my inner evil takes over.”
“I see, but which one is stronger?”
“Death Deity. Pure only uses to light. Death use both light and darkness.”
“Let’s set up camp.” Rogue said. “I’m going to go look for food.”
Estoc trains Everon and Ethervan to use Pure Deity Form.
If they fuse, they can control the Death Deity.
They fuse into Pure Elemental Deity. They revert back.
“Damn, that uses a lot of energy.”
----------------
Veranox goes to sleep.
“Is Veranox afraid?” A voice said.
“Who are you?”
“I don’t want to tell you. It would spoil my back round. You’re jealous of the Fallen Angels and their Pure Deity aren’t you?”
“Maybe…
“Ha! I knew it!”
“What do you mean?”
“If you’re jealous, go train to become stronger.”
“Thanks for the advice, I guess.”
He teleports to an isolated area.
Estoc teleports to Mount Kethavaron.
Chapter Ten: The Black Realm
“We’d better get going. It’s a long trip from the Black Realm and the Realm of Nothingness.” Estoc said.
“Alright.” Veranox turns into his Demonic Archangel Bird of Prophecy, a form he discovered when he mind was controlled.
-----------------------------
Black Realm
----------------------------
“So where are we going to make camp?” Veranox asked.
“There’s a town called Epfra. It’s ten miles to the north.”
----
“Hello, welcome to Epfra!” A villager said.
“Are there any inns here?” Estoc asked.
“Yes, the White Fire Inn, is our best.”
“Thanks.”
----
“So who’s going to pay?” Veranox asked.
“It’s twenty-five gold per person, per night.” The inn keeper said.
“Here.” Veranox drops a bag of gold on the table.
“Your room numbers are fifty-four, fifty-five, and fifty-six.”
“Thanks.”
Every walks into their rooms.
“I’ll see you all in the morning.” Veranox shuts his door.
“Everon, Ethervan, we’ll each guard a room. I have a bad feeling about this.”
----
Veranox wakes up.
“What the?”
A giant Arachnid Mantis, known as an Aratorach, an allied race of the Aeronox, pushes Veranox wings to move forward.
“What do you want?”
“Come with me.”
They exit the room.
“What do you want.” Estoc points both sword at the Aratorach.
“Don’t worry. The Aratorach are allies are the Aeronox. He wants to show me something.”
“Very well. Be careful though. The Black Realm isn’t safe.”
----
“I must leave you now, but I will tell you what to do. Look for the Omega Equipment, and you might earn you final form.
“Damn it. How am I supposed to find anything in the this darkness.” He spots the Omega Blade out of nowhere.
“There it is!”
----
“What are you doing up?” The inn keeper asked.
“I don’t sleep.”
“You’re a fallen angel! Prepare to die!”
Estoc avoids a slash. He stabs the inn keeper.
“What do you want?”
“I was sent to stop you from reaching my master.” He dies.
“This will be harder than I thought.”
----
After a while, Veranox finds the Omega Helmet.
“All I need is the armor.”
After a few hours, he finds the Omega Armor. He can his Demonic Archangel Bird of Omega Prophecy, his final form.
He teleports back to the inn. He hears the commotion.
“What’s going on? Anyone need help?”
“Nope. There are a lot of Kerakovous’s followers here. The inn keeper was one.”
“You think I can help guard?”
“Sure, it’s almost morning.”
“Alright, but I’m extremely hungry. I’m going to get some food.”
“Alright, there will be some of his followers out there, but you can handle them.”
Sophia wakes up.
“Morning. Are we going yet?”
“Soon, we just need to wait for Rogue and Taylor.”
“I’ll check around to be safe.” Veranox said.
He comes back in.
“There’s nothing out there.”
“There might be a trap out there for all we know. We don’t even know where to go.”
“I have a map. We have to follow the Shrine Route.” Everon said,
“Shrine Route?”
“There are shrines of all the gods and goddesses here.”
“Can’t we just teleport to the Realm of Nothingness?”
“I can only teleport to places I’ve been or can see. I can see the Fire Shrine from here. Let’s go.”
Here lies the blade of Sacred Fire.
“Do you mind if I go in?” Ethervan asked.
“I don’t. We might stop at all the shrines. Fine with you, Veranox?”
“Alright. I already have enough equipment though.”
“Who knows, there might be something that can power up your weapon or armor like my light Pendant. Speaking of which.” He fuses the Light Pendant
with Lightbringer again. “Bereavement of Light!”
The blast disintegrates a creature lurking behind Everon.
-----
“This isn’t so hard.” Ethervan said to himself.
He makes it to the final chamber without any problem.
He takes the Sword of Phoenix’s Fire.
“That was too easy.”
“Or was it? Die!” Dark Phoenix appears and attacks Ethervan.
“Dark Fire!”
“Flame Tempest!”
Ethervan walks out of the temple with a lot of burnt marks.
“These shrines aren’t as easy as I thought.
“You got. You look really burnt. Let’s move.” Veranox said.
“The next five shrines are in a circle, Water, Light, Shadow, Divinity, and Dimensions.” Everon said.
They teleport to the next five shrines.
“Everyone go to their shrines. We’ll meet in the middle of the circle.”
Everyone enters the shrines of the their element, and Sophia enters the Water Shrine.
--------
“I hope this shrine isn’t that hard.” Veranox said.
A few hours later…
“I hate this shrine!”
A few hours later…
“You know what, I’m going to destroy this- There!”
He takes the Pendant of Divinity.
“You won't leave here alive.” Dark Archangel appears.
“Or will I?”
They clash, but in the end, Veranox is the winner. He drops the Pendant of Terrorark. The two pendants fuse, Veranox can now go into Archdemon of
Omega.
-----
Sophia takes the Staff of Neptune’s Water.
“Now to get out of here.”
“You won’t if you’re dead!” Dark Neptune appears.
-----
Everon takes the Armor of Purity.
“Come out so I can kill you!”
“Or is it the other way around?” Dark Purity appears.
-----
Estoc takes the Cape of Dimensions. He spins around and slashes at Dark Dimension.
“Die!”
-----
Rogue tells Taylor he’s sorry and knocks her out. He teleports back to the castle where the Fake Darkness is attacking.
“People, our leader is here!” A rogue yelled.
“So you came here to defeat me, the leader of the attack said.”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s fight one on one.”
He puts a shield so no one can interrupt.
Five hours later…
As they clashes, thunder and lightning roared.
Two hours later…
The gods watched in fear.
Three hours later…
“You’re good Rogue, but not good enough!”
They stab each other in the heart.
“No!”
“Taylor…I…don’t…know…if…you…can…hear…me…but…I…love…you.” Rogue dies.
----
“Soul Freeze!”
“To be defeated by a girl.” Dark Neptune dies.
----
“Holy Impalement!”
“Damn.” Dark Purity dies.
----
“Bereavement of Light!”
“Master Kerakovous, I’m sorry.” Dark Dimension dies,
The three of them walk out of the shrines.
Taylor wakes up.
“What happened? Where’s Rogue?”
Veranox exits the shrine.
“Where’s Rogue?”
“Wait one minute…What!? He can’t be dead. Let’s hope that he’ll be revive again.” Estoc said.
“Now we wait.”
---------------------------
Trivon Field
---------------------------
Vertenik and Dethik are revived. A dimensional portal has been created to free Dethin.
“You fools!” They said.
“We’ll give you another chance. Fuse is you wish.”
The three of them fuse together.
“You will die!” The fused being said.
“Reveal!” The magic circle is revealed. “Now!”
“Mine Break!”
The attack misses.
“Eveck Stun! Now! I can’t hold them for much longer!”
“Mind Manipulation!”
“Open the way to the Black Realm!”
“No! Master Kerakovous, I am sorry!” The portal has open.
“Holy Annihilation!” The blast of light kills the fused form. “Let’s rest for now. I can copy the portal and make it myself.”
“Alright. I need to rest. Mind Manipulation takes a lot of energy.”
Estoc hands him two potions.
“The green one is an Energy Potion. The purple one is a Mind Potion. Your mind will be vulnerable after using a mind spell.”
“Yes, very true.”
They all teleport to the lowest chamber in the castle.
“That is the holy blade, Excalibur. I cannot wield it, but maybe one of you can.”
Veranox walks up to the pedestal.
“So far so good.” He said.
“It is a matter of who the sword wishes its owner to be. Ragnarok and Lightbringer are mine because of wielding them in the past.”
Veranox pulls Excalibur out its pedestal.
“Wow, I did it.”
The sword glows, bright.
“You should rest. You did the most today.”
“Alright. Who do you think was trying to take over my mind?”
“My guess, would be Kerakovous or Kardinion, the God of Darkness, but I’m not sure. I have to do something alone.”
He teleports to Mount Kethavaron. He walks to the summit to find Ayshuna.
“So you are going after Kerakovous tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Take this.” She hands him a pendant. “That pendant has enough light power to repel the strongest darkness.”
“Thank you.” He teleports back to the castle.
-----
“I see you’ve gotten stronger, but trust me, you won’t win! Mind Manipulation!”
“Mind Manipulation!”
Their mind battle each other, but Veranox’s has not rested enough. His mind is taken over.
“Die fools!”
Estoc arrives.
“Looks like I made it in time. Who are you?” He takes out the Light Pendant.
“You should know Estoc. You sealed my sons and I away two hundred fifty years ago.”
“I never awakened from my slumber. Wait! That day I felt the disturbance! Kervecktin!”
“You finally got it. Now I’m here to finish the job! Impending Destruction!”
Estoc blocks the attacks with ease. “What makes you think you can win? I beat you and your sons without my powers.”
“The same reason you feared. It’s the date where I’m strongest most!”
“Then let’s battle!” He takes out Ragnarok and Lightbringer.
“Do you think those sticks can match the might Terror Blade!?” He slashes but misses and cuts a piece his armor.
The piece comes back on.
“Be gone!” The Light Pendant shines.
“Ah! Get that away.” He creates a barrier of darkness shielding him from the light. He stabs Estoc with his Terror Blade.
“Fine then!” He fuses the Light Pendant and Lightbriner together.
“Bereavement of Light!” The attack of deadly light is stopped.
“I told you never to invade my mind again!”
“What?”
The evil presence inside of him is gone.
“I…need…to…rest.”
Veranox is teleported back to his room.
“You truly are the Oracle of Divineness.”
Chapter Nine: The Mind and Memories
-------------
Vision
-------------
Estoc found himself in a golden room. There was only to people in it, him and a woman in gold robes holding a sword.
“There is a great evil.” She said.
“Dethin?”
“No much worse. You must go to the Mystic Springs and retrieve the two legendary blades in the temples.”
“Who are you?”
“I will tell you when you have found the blades, but by that time you may already know who I am.”
Estoc wakes up.
--------------------------
Veranox’s Mind
--------------------------
“You are becoming a great god aren’t you?” A voice said.
“Maybe...”
“Then give me control of your mind, and I will show you how.”
“No way!”
“Then I will force you.”
He starts to take control of the mind.
Estoc senses it and runs into Veranox’s room.
“Everon, Ethervan, come to Veranox’s room immediately.”
“Let me go!”
Estoc points the Wind Blade and Shadow Blade at Veranox.
Everon and Ethervan arrive.
“No! This is a test of Veranox’s will power.” Everon said.
---
“You are mighty Veranox, but you can’t hold on for much longer.”
“Yes, I can. Relinquish!”
“What are you doing?”
“Purifying my mind!”
“Mind Control!”
“Omega Blast!”
“You’ve won, but only for now.”
Veranox wakes up.
“So… tired.”
He falls asleep again.
“He did it.” Everon said.
“So it seems. I must do something alone. Everon, tell Sophia and the others.” Estoc teleports to the Mystic Springs.
-----
“Veranox, you need to train more for what's to come, train on going into you're final three forms and controlling them, so you may be able to stay in them maybe even forever.” A volce said.
------------------------------------------
Mystic Springs – Moon Temple
------------------------------------------
“Well, here I go.”
After a long time, he found himself in the final chamber.
He walked over to the pedestal.
“I am the Guardian of the Legendary Blade, Ragnarok.”
“Bring it on.”
Slash after slash. Block after block. The battle came to an end with Estoc as the winner.
“You are worthy of Ragnarok in my eyes. You must now see if the blade sees you worthy.”
Estoc walked up to the pedestal and pulled it out.
“It is yours.”
--------------------------------------------
Mystic Springs – Sun Temple
--------------------------------------------
After fuses the Shadow Blade with Ragnarok, he entered the Sun Temple. Just like the Moon Temple, he had to through the temple and it’s traps and puzzles.
He is now in the final chamber.
“I am the Guardian of this Holy blade, Lightbringer. You must be worthy in my eyes and in the blade’s.
The battle was similar to the one against the Guardian of Ragnarok. Estoc is the winner again.
He walks up to the pedestal and pulls it out.
“It is yours.”
Estoc fuses Wind Blade and Lightbringer and teleports back to the castle.
-----------------------------
Rogue’s Mind
-----------------------------
“You are a useless piece of dirt, Rogue. You will never match the others. They have far greater power than you.”
“You’re wrong!”
“Oh, am I then? How come you’re the one who died? You are weak and you know it. You live off the people around you. You are useless by yourself.”
“No, I am not weak!”
“You are. You just don’t want to believe it.”
“You’ll pay for saying that!”
“You can even wield the Sword of Ends without being in Chaos Sync. And you call yourself the Warrior of Darkness.”
“I’ll prove you wrong!”
Rogue wakes up and teleports to the Temple of Ends.
Rogue starts searching for the Guardian of Ends. After a few hours, he finally finds him.”
“You must be Rogue. I have seen you wield the Sword of Ends as Aeon. What do you want?”
“I want the sword for me to keep and use.”
“Okay, but you must beat me and see if the sword sees you worthy.”
They clash not giving each other an inch of ground. Eventually, Rogue is the winner.
“You win, Rogue. Now, let’s see if it sees you worthy.”
The blade starts to come to Rogue.
“Come on.”
The blade flies into his hand.
“Thank you. I’ll be seeing you later.”
------------------
Castle
------------------
“You’re back. Sophia’s been wondering where you are.”
Estoc walks up to her room and knocks.
“Come in.” Estoc enters.
“You’re back. Where have you been?”
“Getting these.” He takes out the two legendary blades.
“Everyone, get in the bunkers! The Fake Darkness is attacking!” Rogue yelled.
“Go.”
“No, I’m coming with you.”
“Fine.”
Everyone runs out side.
“Everyone attack!”
“Destroying Light!” Everon yelled. The light that came from his sword deadly.
“Burning Phoenix!” Ethervan yelled. A phoenix of rushed at the group.
“Soul Freeze!” Sophia yelled. A deadly wave of ice hit the group.
“Holy Wave! Destroying Wave!” Estoc sent two waves of deadly energy at them.
“True Ending!”
“Kill everyone. Let no one get away.” The same voice from before said.
“What is he saying?” Everon asked.
“That’s the Ancient Language!” Ethervan yelled.
“You shall die along with all of your men.” Estoc said.
“How can he know the Ancient Language? It dates back to a millennium.”
“He is the Oracle of Dimensions.” The person from Estoc’s vision said. “Recover your memories my Oracle. Break the seals on the legendary blades you
hold.”
The crystals on the swords break.
“I remember.”
“What?” Everon said.
“I’ll explain later. Holy Destruction!”
“No! He’s recovered his memories. Retreat!”
“Not just yet! Omega Slashes!” Veranox yelled.
“We’ll meet again.” The leader of the group teleported away.
“So what were you talking about?” Everon asked.
“He is the Oracle of Dimensions. He is the first Oracle. His memories were sealed in each crystal.”
“Ayshuna, Goddess of Dimensions.” Estoc said.
“Yes. You might want to explain to your friends.”
He sighed. “Like she said, I am the Oracle of Dimensions. I sealed them when I was of two hundred fifty years. It has been seven hundred fifty now. I went in an eternal slumber.”
“So you’re a millennium old?” Everon asked.
“Yes. The leader of that group was someone I sealed long ago. His name is Kerakovous. He is more powerful than all the enemies we have fought.”
“So you’re the strongest of them all. Whatever, what do we do now?” Veranox asked.
“Kerakovous was sealed in the Realm of Nothingness. I believe that is where he is. I do not know how to get there. All we can do it wait.”
“That’s a bit risky.” Everon said.
“There is an alternate. We revive Vertenik and Dethik and release Dethin. We let them fuse into one so that they can open the seal to the Black Realm which is connected to the Realm of Nothingness.”
“I see. How do you suppose we make them open the seal?” Veranox asked.
“By using Mind Break. It is risky though. It may work and allow us to break there mind or it might backfire.”
“I’ve made sure my Mind spells are perfect since that last encounter.”
“Alright. Let’s go back for now though.”
------
“So you’re really a millennium old?” Sophia asked.
“Not exactly. There are two Estocs. The one of this time and the ancient one. Our spirits are one for now.”
“I see.”
-------
“It seems we meet again.” The same one who tried to take over Veranox’s mind.
“What do you want?”
“To take your mind, of course. I will allow you to rest since my Mind Control can only be used once in a while.”
“Go to hell!”
-------
“What are you doing up, Estoc?”
“Can’t sleep. It’s not pleasant getting your memories back after seven hundred fifty years.”
------
Estoc takes out a drawing of some sort.
“This is a magic circle. There are five points. Five of us will stand on each point. Veranox, you will use Mind Break, and I will distract them.”
“Alright. Just make sure they don’t attack me. I need full concentration.”
“I might as well release the full power of these swords.”
“Meet in the Trivon Field. There is a magic circle uncovered there.”
-----------------------------
Battle with Dethin
------------------------------
Several hours has passed. Vertenik is dead. Ethervan is wounded greatly. The other three are exhausted.
“Everon, let’s end this. Hold him off. I will seal him away.”
“Alright. Blinding Light!” The light shines from his sword, blinding anyone as long as there are in the light.
“Dimensional Transfer!” Estoc sends a beam at Dethin. “Powers of the Dimensional, I call upon. Seal the evil in which he was born in!”
“I’ll take you with me!” Dethin sends a blast of the rest of his energy at Estoc.
“Light Barrier!” Everon, Ethervan, and Sophia yelled.
“No!” Dethin is sealed in the sealed portion of the Mystic Realm.
“Sophia, where did you come from?” Estoc asked.
“I saw the battle from afar and came to help.”
“It’s finally other. Come on, let’s go back to the Realm of Darkness.”
Estoc creates a dimensional portal.
“It’s not over yet.” A voice said in an ancient language.
---
Rogue wakes up.
“Something big just happened.” He teleports to where the portal is.
“I don’t like this place.” Sophia said.
“You’ll get used to it.”
Everon heals Ethervan. “They’re to the north.”
“Don’t relax yet, mighty oracles.”
“I’ve been thinking. How were you able to use Dimensional Transfer and create a dimensional portal?” Everon asked.
“Either you’re some oracle of an unknown God or Goddess or you have a hidden power.” Ethervan said.
“Neither is believable. Sophia, how’s Sepheara?” Estoc asked.
“Okay, I guess.”
“It’s only a matter of time.”
Rogue appears.
“Oh, it’s you guys. Follow me.”
They all teleport to the castle.
“Here are your rooms. There no beds, sorry.” Rogue said.
“It’s alright. Wait here.”
Estoc creates a portal and comes back with beds.
“Don’t ask where I got them.”
They put the beds into the rooms.
“It’s good to finally rest. My body is sore all over.”
“Well, I’ll see you in the morning.”
[Edited on 09.16.2007 4:17 PM PDT]
Another long chapter. I have to split it into two parts again.
Chapter Eight: Oracles Part 2
“Okay, they’re almost here.” Rogue said.
“Help me set up the final stuff.” Taylor said.
“I sense that they are to the east.” Veranox said.
Thirty minutes later, they reach Rogue and Taylor’s position.
“Hello everyone. Look what we made you.” Rogue nodded towards the cabins.
“There’s enough for all of you, so go in a rest for the night.”
“Oh, thanks.”
-------------
Night
-------------
“Once again, I must leave and kill the last elder.” Rogue wrote a note and gave it to Everon.
-------------
Morning
-------------
“So where now?” Estoc asked.
“Actually, I’d rather stay for awhile.” Veranox replied.
“I understand. I haven’t been to Sepheara or what’s left of it for four years. It’ll be nice to return when this is all over.”
“Let me show you around.”
--------------------------
Taylor’s Memories
--------------------------
“You are not going to be Queen of Light. You are no child of mine.” Taylor’s father said.
“But father.”
“No. I will never let you be queen.”
“Don’t you think you’re being hard on her?” Taylor’s mother asked.
“No. I will banish her from the Realm of Light.”
Taylor wakes up.
“Here, from Rogue.” Everon handed her the note and flies off to catch up with the others.
---
“I think I should find us more food.” Veranox said.
After searching for a while, he finds some Searons, enough to last for a few days.
They all go back to the campsite.
------------------------
Rogue’s Position
-------------------------
“I’ve finally found you, elder one.”
“Yes, but you have to go through my army.”
“Why’d I think you were going to do that? Army of Darkness, I summon you!”
“Hold them off.”
“Attack with everything you have! Darkness Fire Overload!”
The elder’s men die.
“Darkness Blast!” He blasts the door down.
“Let’s see if you can passed my second-in-command.”
They clash, but in the end, Rogue emerges winner.
“-blam!-.” The elder cursed. “You will never win! Die!”
“I don’t think so!”
They engage in battle. Rogue uses all of his power, but the elder is still holding him off. In the end, the elder teleports away.
“Damn it. He got away.”
---
“Let go of me, you old man!” Taylor screamed.
“You’re coming with me.”
“No!”
Veranox sees the elder taking Taylor to an unknown position.
Rogue teleports in.
“You will do what I say, or she dies.”
“Okay fine. What do you want?”
Veranox appears.
“What’s happening here?”
“Leave.” The elder blasts Veranox away and teleports him and the other two.
Veranox turns into his Full-Fledged Demonic Angel Bird.
“I have to find out where he took them, but I sense them anywhere!”
Rogue turns on the radio. “Don’t, he’s going to kill here if we attack him.”
“What do you mean? I can’t even find you on the planet.”
“That’s because we aren’t. We’re on the moon.”
“So I shouldn’t help?”
“Yeah. I’m thinking of something right now.”
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re going to attack me, so she dies.” The elder kills Taylor.
“No! You will pay. Go to hell and burn! True Chaos Overload!”
Veranox senses one has died on the moon.
“Why does this keep happening!?”
He turns into his True Demonic Angel Bird Form and teleports to the moon.
“Why do you keep killing them!?” He launches an attack that could destroy the moon.
“Taste my true power! Last Dying Bullet!” Rogue yelled.
“Damn. You will pay.” The elder grabs Rogue.
Rogue throws him down to the floor.
“Let’s go. I have a bad feeling about this.” Estoc said.
“I heard Rogue say that they were on the moon.” Everon said.
The three of them teleport there.
“Is it just me, or does it feel like we’ve walked into a trap?” Ethervan asked.
A blast of darkness flies towards them.
“Ethervan. Long time no see.” Dethin appears.
“Dethin!”
“Let’s find a more suitable battleground.” Estoc said.
The four of them teleport away.
-
“Dethin, let’s end this once and for all!”
“Fine with me. Three on three.”
“What?”
Vertenik and Dethik appear.
“Miss me?”
“How can you be here? It hasn’t been a year.”
“The Aeronox blasted a shadow copy.”
“Fine. Let’s end this!”
-
“He’s finally dead. Wait, I have to do something.” Rogue gives up his fire and most of his life energy to revive Taylor.
“I was dead. He killed me. How am I alive? Wait you can revive people if you give up your fire and most of your life energy. Thank you, Rogue.”
“No problem.”
“Let’s go to the Realm of Darkness.” Rogue said.
“No, Dethin will be stronger there.” Veranox said.
“No he won’t, he apart of the Fake Darkness.”
“Fine, whatever, but he gets stronger it’s your fault.”
---------------------------------
Realm of Darkness
---------------------------------
“It’s nice to be home.”
“What are we going to do here?” Veranox asked
“Get allies, ammo, supplies, weapons, and free time. Every race is here.”
“Mine isn’t. We’re nearly extinct. Most of us live in the mountains or the Golmore Jungle.”
“Your sister is right behind me.”
“What are you talking about? We’re a race of nine feet tall birds. I would see.”
“Not if they’re camouflaged.”
Veranox’s sister by the name of Celine. appears behind Rogue. She is one year younger than him.
“What the heck!?”
“Your sister just wanted to see her brother.”
“Oh, alright…Anyways, how’d she get here?”
“When I was dead, I saw your mom and dad. They told me that your sister wanted to see you, and they want me to take her to you when I came back to life. So I did, but I can only teleport people that are far away in to the realm of darkness so I did that after that I radioed her, and told her everything. So then I told her that I need her to wait in the main city in the Realm of Darkness. That’s the main reason I took you to the Realm of Darkness.”
Estoc, Everon, and Ethervan appear and walk up to the rest of them.
Everon and Ethervan are exhausted and are wounded. Estoc is bleeding and has a broken arm.
“Dethin and Vertenik are still out there. Dethik is gone for now.” Estoc said
“I don’t think you should go into battle with that broken arm. We’ll end this once it’s healed.” Everon said.
“Whatever. Veranox, Rogue, this is our battle. Dethin is an old friend of Everon and Ethervan. I found out that Dethin was behind the attacks on Sepheara. This is our battle.”
The three of them walk away.
“I’ll let you two alone to talk.” Rogue walked away.
“So what do you want to do?” Celine asked.
“I don’t know. You?”
“I don’t know.”
“Let’s go with Rogue.”
“Wait, Rogue!” The yelled out together.
“What?”
“We wanted to go with you.”
“Go with Taylor. I have to do something. It’s something I must do alone. Something apart of my familiy.”
“Alright.”
They walk to where Taylor is.
“Can we follow you around?” Celine asked.
“Yeah. Let’s start the grand tour.”
“So where are we going?” She asked her brother.
“No idea.”
They walk into a large building.
“This is the Realm of Darkness’s biggest mall. They have clothes, weapons, and well, everything.”
-----------------------
Rogue’s Location
------------------------
“Sister you’re here.”
“Yes, but only as I spirit. Thank you for giving up some of your life energy so I may be here.”
“No problem.”
They start to talk.
“I’ll see you next month.”
“Okay.”
---
“Also, we need you to come to the custom rooms he got for you.”
“Thanks. Everything feels so weird.” Veranox said.
“Why?”
“We’re just not used to it.”
Rogue walks in. “Trust me, none of us are.”
“Taylor, why don’t you take his sister and go shop while I spar with Veranox until he beaten badly?”
“Okay. See you later, sis.”
“Bye.”
They walk to the training arena.
“Let’s spar.”
“Golden Righteousness!” Veranox sent a blast of light at Rogue.
“Chaos Eagle!”
“Try this, Terrorark’s True Chaos!”
“True Chaos Form!”
“If it’s a metamorphic battle you want, then fine.” He goes into his True Demonic Angel Bird form.
“Chaos Sync!”
“If you want to die with me then tell me.”
“We’re not trying to kill each other.”
“Alright.” He reverts to normal.
“I wonder how long the girls have been out.”
Taylor and Celine come back.
“We’re back and with a lot of clothes.”
“I should have known” Rogue said. “Well, it’s getting late.”
Veranox and Celine go back to their rooms.
“I want to try that new move.”
“Chaos Sync?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright. Chaos Sync!”
“Light Sync!”
They fuse together.
“Taste the power of Aeon! Chaos Dragon!” The fusioned form of them said.
Veranox appears again.
“Nice form.”
“Sync off.” Aeon said.
“That was hard.” Rogue said.
“I know. I’ll see you in a bit.” Taylor walked away.
Veranox returns to his room and Rogue follows Taylor.
A gate opens.
“What the hell.”
“You have been chosen for the Tri-Realm Teams Arena. Come or die.” A warrior said.
“Looks like we have to come.” Taylor said.
“Follow me.”
They enter the arena. They fight many teams including: the elders of wind and fire (again), The champion and his team, and Death.
They emerge victorious and return to their room. They fall asleep soon after.
Long chapter.
Everon, Estoc, and Sophia start go leave to battle. They start to run, in Everon’s case, fly.
“So this is what you do now?” Sophia asked Estoc.
“I guess.”
“Hurry up!” Everon yelled.
“Shut up! You have wings!”
Veranox starts to fly with Rogue and Taylor.
”We’re almost there.” Veranox said.
“Stop.” Rogue said.
“What? Do you sense something?”
“Yeah, there’s something close.”
“Yeah, I felt it too.” Taylor said.
“I suggest we get out of here. It feels like Dethin is coming.”
Estoc, Everon, and Sophia stop at a safe location.
A man, a year older than Estoc and Everon walks up to them. He looks similar to Everon, except his wings are red.
“I mean no harm. I am Ethervan, Oracle of Fire.”
Everon gets up instantly.
“My friend. It’s been too long.”
“Let’s go.” Veranox said.
“No, you go. Taylor and I will hold it off.”
“Alright, but if it’s Dethin, you’d better run.”
“I sense another oracle approaching.” Ethervan said.
“It’s either Veranox or Dethin. Stay on guard.”
Veranox arrives.
“Everon, Estoc, it’s me. Who’s this?”
“You ready?” Rogue asked Taylor.
“Yeah.”
“Long time no see, Rogue.” The Elder on of Water said.
“You!”
“Yes, I’m back now let’s go!”
The clash for a long time. In the end, the elder launches them somewhere else.
“Rogue you there?” Taylor asked.
“Yeah, Where are we?”
“The elder launched us somewhere.”
-----------------------------
Others’ Loacation
-----------------------------
“He’s the Oracle of Fire, Ethervan and a friend of mine. It doesn’t hurt to have more oracles to take down Dethin.” Everon said.
“Yeah, I guess so. Come on, we need to find Taylor and Rogue.”
“You guys go on without me. I need to go back to Sepheara and start rebuilding.” Sophia said.
“Alright.”
Everyone teleports to Taylor and Rogue’s location.
“They’re currently in the Golmore Jungles.”
“I see them.” Estoc said. A blast flies towards them.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“Dethik!”
“Everon and I will take care of him. You two go ahead.”
Estoc and Ethervan continued moving to Taylor and Rogue’s position.
“Bring it on!” Veranox uses the same attack he used on Ishin.
“No…more…energy.” Veranox faints due to exhaustion.
“Heh heh. He wasted he energy on a shadow copy.” Dethik said.
Everon teleports behind him.
“Die.” Everon stabs Dethik in the back.
“We’ll meet again.” Dethik teleports.
Veranox wakes up.
“What happened?”
“You blasted a shadow copy. I stabbed him in the back which caused him to teleport away.”
“To bad I wasted my attack. Welcome to the Golmore Jungles, my home.”
“Nice place. You said they were here? Then let’s go.”
Chapter Seven: Oracles Part 1
“You!”
“Yes, Everon, it is I.”
“Feel my wrath!” Veranox sent a huge shockwave that’s kills all of Dethin’s men around them.
“I’m disappointed Veranox.”
“Show yourself Dethin!” Everon yelled.
“Who’s there!?” Veranox yelled.
Dethin reveals himself. He looks older than Everon and Estoc, but looks similar. Instead of white wings, that Everon has, he has black ones.
“I am the Oracle of Darkness, the one given power by the Dark God. Everon is the Oracle of Light.”
“I thought I killed you!”
“Oracles can’t die, you fool!”
“We have to bury Rogue you know.” Taylor whispered.
“Take that!” Zack kills a few more enemies.
“Dethin, I remember you. You’re also known as Terrorark.”
“That is my name of this realm, yes. Enough talk!” Dethin takes out the Sword of Corruption.
“Dethin, you’re the one who killed my father, aren’t you?” Taylor asked.
“No, you’re thinking of my brother, Dethik.”
Another figure emerges from the shadow. He looks exactly like Dethin.
“I am Dethik, Oracle of Pain.”
“Veranox, take care of Dethik. He is not immortal. He can only bring himself back once he dies.”
“Everon, I’ll take Terrorark, you take Dethik.”
“Then die!” Dethin flings thousands of copies of the Sword of Corruption at Veranox.
“No, you don’t!” Everon creates a Light Barrier stronger enough the block his attack.
Veranox and Dethin clash with each other for what seemed like forever. Dethin had the upper hand. In the end, Dethin was the winner.
“Fool! Do you think that equipment alone can stop me!?” Terrorark yelled.
“Die, you corrupted son of a -blam!-.” Veranox blasts Dethin that completely disintegrates him.
“There we go.”
“Did we win?” Taylor asked.
Dethin regenerates. “Don’t you learn!? I am immortal!”
“Everyone, leave Dethin to me. We are both oracles so we are both immortal. Take care of Dethik, he is not a true oracle. He can be killed.”
Veranox creates a Light Barrier around them.
“We can keep safe, just get Dethin out of here.”
“I can defeat you as long as Everon is here.” Dethin teleports.
Everyone is then teleported to Krelsia.
“I wasn’t expecting that.” Veranox said.
-----------------------------
One Year Time Jump
-----------------------------
“The realm is in chaos just like the Realm of Light was a year ago. What happened?” Taylor asked.
“We have to find out.” Veranox said.
“It was Dethin. No one else could have done this.” Everon said.
Rogue walks up to the group.
“I’m back.”
“I think he went on a rampage after we jumped forward in time. And why am I still in this form?” Veranox said.
“Hello, anyone there. I’m back, idiots.”
“Don’t call us- Rogue you’re back!”
“We’ll catch up later. Someone is coming.” Estoc said.
“I can sense it too.” His equal replied.
“Yeah looks like full blooded rogues can only die by this one sword. If it’s anything else, then I come back to life the next year.” Rogue said.
“That’s good, but like Estoc and Everon said, someone is coming.”
“I felt it too.” Taylor said.
“Everyone duck!” Rogue yelled.
A green blast of light and darkness flies towards them.
“It’s you!” Rogue yelled.
“Vertenik!” Everon yelled.
“Yes, Everon, it is I.”
“Who’s she?” Estoc asked.
“Dethin’s wife.”
“What!?”
“That’s Dethin’s wife!?”
“Yeah she’s one -blam!-. She was killed around the same time as me, except she was able to leave earlier since she killed spirits.” Rogue said.
Estoc turns to Everon.
“You said oracles are immortal.”
“True oracles are. Pain and in her case Energy are not true oracles. Those who are not true oracles can only be killed by another oracle.”
“Wait, I think I’m the Oracle of Divineness.” Veranox said.
“You finally figured that out. Oracles cannot tell one that they are an oracle. They must find out themselves.” Everon said.
“Done talking?” Vertenik fired another blast of energy at them.
“Vertenik, don’t make me kill you.” Everon blocked the blast.
“I’ll come back anyway.” She fired another blast.
Veranox in the meantime purified Krelsia from the damamge.
“Enough of this.” Vertenik sent rapid-fire blast.
“You never learn, do you?” Everon creates a Light Barrier blocking the attack.
Veranox sends a beam or white and purple energy at her which rips her body apart.
“I’ll be back!”
“Damn it’s getting late. We should get some sleep.” Rogue pointed out.
“Anyway, we still need to find out who to stop this war. And, yes we should sleep.”
-------------------
Night
-------------------
Estoc wakes up. He notices that Everon is still up.
“Everon? No sleep?” He yawned.
“You just noticed this? Those of the Mystic Realm don’t sleep. It’s something to do with the blood in our bodies. Stops us from sleeping.”
“Oh. Sorry I asked.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Estoc goes back to sleep.
Rogue gets up.
“I’m sorry everyone. I must kill the elder ones myself.” He puts a letter on Taylor’s arm.
“Be careful Rogue.” Everon said.
-----------------
Morning
-----------------
“Huh? Where’s Rogue?” Estoc asked.
“He left.” Everon replied.
“What!? Why didn’t you stop him?”
“He must do what he has to do.”
------------------------------
Veranox’s Mind
-------------------------------
“Typical little Veranox, always staying so strong, but trust me, you’re going to die sooner or later.
“Drakthen, why are you here?”
“To tell you of what is coming, I hope you live.”
“What do you mean.”
“What I mean is that I’m going to kill you. You took my place as Oracle of Divineness.”
“Well, then bring it on.”
“Sorry, I have to go.”
“Wait!”
---------------------------
Morning
---------------------------
Veranox wakes up from the chat with the former Oracle of Diviness.
“Where’s Rogue?”
“Gone.” Everon replied.
There is an explosion in the distance.
“Let’s go.”
“What caused the explosion?”
Estoc sees someone familiar.
He sees the Princess of Sepheara, Sophia. She is one year younger than Estoc. They were very close, but Estoc was exiled. After the attack on Sepheara, she went looking after him.
“Die!” She fires a blast of ice from her staff.
“Sophia? But how?”
“Estoc!”
“We’ll take later.” He takes out the Blade of Shadowed Winds.
“Estoc, who is she?” Veranox asked.
“Long story short, she’s the Princess of Sepheara, I guess you could say, but Sepheara is no more.”
“I see.”
“Duck!” Everon yelled. A blast of darkness flies at them.
“Dethin!” Estoc yelled.
“I have to wait another year for Vertenik. You will pay Veranox!” Dethin fires another blast of Veranox.
“Bring it on!” Veranox into his Full-fledged Demonic Angel Bird form. Veranox hits back the blast. Dethin blocks it with a finger.
“A battle of Oracles. I haven’t done this in a while. The fight one year ago doesn’t count.”
“The odds are against you Dethin! Its four on one!” Everon yelled.
Veranox sends a blast of golden light at Dethin that knocks him down.
“You’re right about the odds, but the thing is, looks can be deceiving.” Dethin summons an army of undead creatures.
“Veranox and I will take care of Dethin!” Everon yelled.
Everon and Veranox both sends beams and blasts of light at Dethin.
Dethin creates a star of darkness.
“Agharr, Bird of Darkness, awaken from your slumber!” A bird of black fire comes out of the circle and blocks the attack.
Veranox sends a blast of light at the bird, destroying it.
“Ishin, Warrior of Pure Darkness, awaken from the seal you were imprisoned in!”
Everon notices the blade Ishin is holding.
“What!? How can he hold the holy blade, Excalibur!”
“That is Dark Excalibur.”
“Final Blast!” Veranox uses his second strongest move which completely destroys Ishin.
“HehHeh. It was a Shadow Copy, you fool! Ishin, finish them off!”
Ishin throws Dark Excalibur into the air shattering it. It creates a blast, destroying everything in a one mile radius.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rogue’s Location. A/N: This is before the battle
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rogue walks up to the castle in which the elder ones are in.
“Guards, attack!” the Elder of Fire said.
“Your guards can’t do anything, come down here and fight me.”
“Get ready to die.”
They clash for a very long time. In the end, Rogue won.
Rogue walks into the main room.
“It took you long enough to get here.” The Elder on of Wind said.
“Then get ready to die.”
“Then beat the Warrior of Chaos.”
“Die. Chaos Overload!” The Warrior of Chaos said.
“Darkness Overload!”
They fight for another long time. Rogue wins. Rogue kills the elder one.
“You think you can beat me?” the Elder on of Earth said.
“I’m getting tired of this. Chaos Explosion!”
“You got lucky…” the elder dies.
A ship takes off.
“Damn, he got away before I could kill him.”
Rogue teleports to the battle.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Battle With the Undead A/N: The ones that Dethin summoned.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Damn, do I always walk into a fight? Darkness Overload!”
The blast kills a lot of the undead.
“Army of Darkness, I summon you!”
“Take this, Army of Light!” Taylor summons the light version of Rogue’s.
“All’s Ends!” Rogue and Taylor yelled together.
“Everyone, we need to get to a safe location. I’ll stay with Taylor and Rogue and teleport them.” Veranox said.
Chapter Six: A New Threat
“This the Realm of Light, but what happened to it, it’s in ruins. The Fake Darkness has done this.” Taylor said.
“Fake darkness?” Rogue asked.
“They are the darkness that wishes to take over all the realms. The true darkness is the one that protects the light.”
“Oh ok.”
-------------------------------------------
Temple of the Gods
------------------------------------------
The seal has been broken without the Fire weapon. The one who caused the unbalance shall have his equal of him or her from the Mystic Realm forced into his or her realm.
A man, who looks identical to Estoc, appear in the middle of the seal. He is the same as Estoc except he has wings.
”Who the hell are you.”
“I am your equal from the Mystic Realm.”
“Okay. You have wings, but you are human, so are you an angel from Eckerav?”
“More like Fallen Angel, exiled like you. Patience is a virtue. You broke the seal the wrong way so it can't be used. Luckily there's another way. But it will take some time.”
“Well, I'm going to find Veranox and Rouge.” Estoc said as he teleported to their location.
“I might as well go too.” Everon flies in the same direction that Estoc went.
-------------------------
Realm of Light
-------------------------
“Damn, this was made by the Fake darkness.” Rogue observed the damage.
“Yes. Over there, there's a battle going on.” Taylor indicated towards the battle.
“So that’s the Fake darkness. And that’s the True Darkness.”
“Yup.”
“Well time to help out. Darkness Dragon!”
A solider from the True Darkness notices the help and goes to Rogue to thank him. “Thanks a lot, wait you’re the Warrior of Darkness, our leader.”
“Yes.”
“By the way my name is Zack.”
“Okay. So what happened here?”
“The Fake Darkness came in here a few weeks ago, and they want the Realm of light to surrender. So they called us and now we’re stuck fighting this war.”
“Ok, well, my friends and I will be glad to help.”
“Sure, why not. Wait, I sense that Estoc's teleporting here, let's wait for him.” Veranox said.
“Okay.”
“Who's he?” Taylor asked.
"Oh, he’s the Legendary Outcast, and one of my friends. His power rivals mine too."
“Okay.”
“We got troops from the realm of light coming in.” Zack said.
"Get to them later, we have to wait for Estoc."
“Okay.”
“Rogue, are you okay?” Taylor asked.
“No, I feel weaker in here, almost powerless.”
“Ah, I see, since we are a Realm of Light, and you are the Warrior of Darkness your powers are weakened a lot.” Veranox said.
“Yeah. Damn, this is really making me weaker. I have to lay down somewhere.”
"Hmm, maybe..."
Veranox channels some of his Terror Power into Rogue, but Taylor stops him.
“No, you will become weakened to in a few minutes so you keep it.”
“I don't think so, thanks to my Equipment of Divinity.”
“But if you have any power that was form the Realm of Darkness it will weaken you. You wont be as weak as rouge ,but pretty weak.”
“Whatever, I guess so, But I'll still have my power of Divinity, and that will come in handy.”
“Yeah.”
"I wonder how much longer it will take for Estoc to get here, lets just go."
“About time.” Rogue said as he got up.
“I got a feed that the Fake Darkness is attacking the castle.”
"Quick, lets head to the Castle!"
“Hurry the guards can't hold them off for much long.” Rogue pointed out.
Veranox then head straight for the Fake Darkness and blasst them out of the way with a blast of energy, Blast of Divinity.
"That should've taken them down."
“Hold on. Taylor in now that you know what you are your the Queen of Light. Then why you came to the Realm of the Elementals? Then how you knew I was the warrior of darkness.”
“You got me.”
“No wonder I sensed she was of a great Light, even Divine Elemental."” Veranox said.
“What do you want with us?” Rogue askd.
“I knew about you two, because our realm was thrown in to chaos a few weeks ago. I felt both of your energy. I knew you two and the others where the last
hope for the Realm of Light.”
"What do you mean? Without this armor, I would be nothing but a Wind Elemental, wait-"
Suddenly, Veranox feels the armor stick itself to him.
"Damn it, Now I can never take this armor off."
“You do not know this but you where born in the Realm of Diven. That how you armor is working for you. If you are born in that realm, then you were
blessed by a god.”
"I always knew that, it's just I never wanted to believe it, since when I was a child, I tried to revive my mother, it's just, it never worked."
“You two don't know this ,but you guys are more alike then you think.”
Estoc and Everon arrive.
"Veranox long time no see. Rouge, I guess this is the first time we met. And who are you?"
“Is anyone going to introduce me?” Everon asked.
"Oh. This is Everon. He's basically my equal from the Mystic Realm.And he's a fallen angel, which is one who was exiled from Eckerarv, the city of the angels in the Mystic Realm. Everon, this is Veranox and Rogue. And I still don’t know who you are.”
“Me?” Taylor asked.
“She’s Taylor, Queen of the Light Realm. And Estoc as you can see this armor has been permanently attached to me, nothing can take it off, trust me, not even a God can remove it.” Veranox answered from her.
“We’ll see about that.” Rogue tries to pull it off. “That thing’s not coming off.”
“I told you.”
“Maybe I can blow it off.” Taylor hits Rogue.
“He said it’s not coming off.”
Veranox tries a move called Relinquish, which he has only used once. He hits the armor and it falls off.
“There we go. Well, time to put it back on, now that I know it can be taken off. It was getting pretty uncomfortable.”
Estoc and Everon were sparring while the others were doing what they were doing.
Everon fires a beam of energy at Estoc.
“How’s that far. Your energy attacks are stronger than mine.”
“My energy capabilities are stronger, where as you have more physical strength.”
“Taylor look out!” Rogue yelled.
“What?”
Rogue jumped in the way a blast of energy.
“Crap that hurt.”
“Rogue are you okay.”
“He’s blacked out, come on, we need to help him regain con..”
Another blast hits Veranox.
“Damn, that does hurt.”
“Where are all these blast coming from?”
“There!” Everon yelled. He fired a beam of light at the source.
“I’m…back…die…scum…” Rogue used the rest of his energy, and sends a blast at whoever is attacking them. Rogue dies.
Another blast hits Veranox.
“Stop! You’ve killed my friend and now you will pay!”
Veranox releases him form, Demonic and Angelic Bird
“Behold my, true , released form.”
Veranox sends a blast at the source.
A figures comes out of the smoke.
“You!” Everon yelled.
“Yes, Everon it is I.” The enemy said.
AN:Rogue actually gets killed by Dethin, Oracle of Darkness. Not Kerakovous.
Chapter Five: Queen of Light
----------------------------------------------
Rogue’s Location/Unknown
----------------------------------------------
A girl the age of sixteen, who had lost her parents, spoke.
“Hi everyone.” She said. Everyone turned around. Rogue walked up to her.
“Who are you?” He asked.
“The name’s Taylor.”
“Okay, what do you want?”
“I have no idea. I forgot what I was supposed to do.”
She looks into his eyes. “It can’t be. You’re dead. There’s no way.”
“What?”
“The Warrior of Darkness. The king of the Realm of Darkness.”
“You lost me at king. I’m only the leader of the rogues, that is if there are any left.”
“The Warrior of Darkness is the king of the Realm of Darkness.”
-------------------------------------------
Temple of Divinity
-------------------------------------------
Veranox searches in the Temple of Divinity for the equipment. After he searched, for what seemed like forever, he finally found it.
“Yes! Well I’ve finally found it. Okay, here goes nothing!” He flies towards the equipment and the Guardian of Divinity appears in front of him.
“Who comes to disturb the resting the Equipment of Divinity?”
“Well, Holy One, I am here to retrieve it, since the War of the Elementals is going on.”
“Is that so, wind one?”
“Yes it is.”
“"Then why do you have to take this armor? You can do it just as easily without the equipment.”
“Well, Divinity talked to me and told me to take it.”
“Is that so, well, it isn't like a lot of people come here to retrieve it, your only the fourth one.”
“Wow. So can I take it?”
“Well, I suppose so, but if I learn that you've been doing bad with it, trust me, I will take the equipment back.”
“Thank you.” He walks up to the altar and takes the equipment.
“All this power. Thank you Holy One.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
------------------------------------------
Temple of Terrorark
------------------------------------------
“I think I should take the armor from here too.”
Veranox enters the temple and finds the equipment without going through all sort of traps. He reaches the equipment, noticing that there is no guardian.
He takes the armor. He is instantly consumed by darkness, but he saved from corruption due to having the Equipment of Divinity. He is known as the Divine Terror, one who is corrupted and holy.
“All this power. I can do anything with it, but first I must go to Estoc.”
He stops midway in teleportation.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go to him.” He teleports to Rogue’s location instead.
------------------------------------------
Rogue’s Location
------------------------------------------
“What do you mean the king? I wasn’t born in the Realm of Darkness.” Rogue said.
“It doesn't matter what realm you where born in. It goes by the one who will protect the people around them. That’s how you became the Warrior of Darkness. I know what you did before the War of the Elementals. You saved you sister with the near lost of you own life, and you skill in fighting. You save over one hundred people that day because of what you did. You saved the temple of the flames. Don't you remember?”
“…I do remember, but I don’t want to. That was the day lost all my other family members. That’s why I choose not to remember. My sister and I were lucky, but her luck ran out.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay.” Someone teleports in. ‘Who’s there?”
“Don’t worry Rogue. It’s me Veranox.” He steps into the light.
“Aha, that thing on you is making me weaker.” Rogue said.
“That was made in the Realm of Light. How did you get that. Only those blessed by the Gods can wear it.” Taylor asked.
“So you want to learn about it? It's a combo, but I fear it has corrupted me. This is a hybrid armor, formed when I wore both the Equipment of Divinity and the Equipment of Terrorark. I was told by Divinity and Terrorark themselves about this armor.” The Aeronox replied.
“Okay, but can you turn it off because that light is really painful.”
“Don't, that’s the only way Rogue can learn how to take the light.”
“Well, I don't really want to take it off, since I've just received it and it’s like a present to me.”
“Good. I think Rogue needs to feel what it is like to be in around stuff from the Realm of Light. Lucky for us, we can take both the Realm of Darkness and Light wit out being damaged.”
“Can we move to another place? It’s getting boring.” Veranox asked.
“Oh, sorry. Let’s go.” Rogue said.
They teleport to somewhere close to Estoc’s location.
“This place seems pretty good.” The Aeronox said as they arrived.
“Enemies behind us.” Rogue pointed out.
“Taste light! Light Blast!” Taylor shot a wave of energy at them.
Veranox blasts them with a black and green energy that engulfs them in darkness.
“I like to call that Fulminating Darkness.”
“Darkness Dragon!” Rogue sends a blast of energy the shape of a dragon.
“Do you know anything about the chaos moves?” Taylor asked.
“An attack of Light and Darkness.”
“Chaos Dragon.” Rogue and Taylor send a very powerful wave of light and darkness at the enemies.
“Nice way to make a Chaos Dragon, but I'm afraid that isn't a Chaos Dragon, Chaos is really a greater power of darkness. You two made a Light and Darkness Dragon, also known as a Neutral Dragon, since it is neither good nor evil. Divine Terror is when the two great forms of light and darkness combine, just as my armor. Here is a Chaos Dragon.” Veranox pointed out. He sent a blast of darkness at them.
“Darkness Overload!” Rogue yelled. The blast of darkness destroys the rest of the.
Veranox forms a ball of light and darkness uses one percent of his energy.
“This one percent can destroy one seventy-fifth of the galaxy.”
“Okay, now you’re just showing off.” Rogue said annoyed.
“Isn’t he dreamy?” Taylor admired.
“Okay, fine. It can’t destroy one seventy-fifth, but it can cause real havoc and get her away from me. I’m a nine foot tall bird and she’s human.”
“I always liked the alien type.”
“Okay, get away from him.”
“Umm... Now that's scary. I would really like to get out of here right now. But since I can't I have no choice but to stay. So what should we do while we wait for Estoc.”
“Damn she won’t move.”
“Shut up.” She said as she slapped Rogue.
“Damn, she hits hard.”
“You got hit by a girl!” Veranox laughed.
“Shut up.”
Taylor punches Veranox. “Just because I like you, doesn’t mean I can’t hit you.”
“Damn. She does hit hard. That’s going to leave a bruise.” Veranox walks over to the tree and lies down. “It’s getting late. We should get some sleep.”
Later that night, Rogue is still up training.
“Chaos Dragon! Damn, I still can’t do it!”
Taylor sees Rogue and goes over to him. “What are you doing?”
“Why did I become the Warrior of Darkness? Veranox is much better.”
“I told you it's not all about there power. You don't care if you die saving someone. Even people that you don't know.”
Veranox overhears their conversation. “Sorry if I'm interrupting but if I didn't have this armor, I would've just had normal Wind powers, but since I have it, I'm great at darkness power. If you want, I might be able to help you.”
“No, I have to learn myself.”
-------------------------------
Temple of Ends
-------------------------------
“Chaos Dragon! Damn it, I still can’t get it.”
“You never change Rogue.” Someone said. Rogue turned to the source.
“Josh. It's you. Where have you been?
“I’ve been in the Realm of Light after the battle of the Temple of Flames long ago.”
“You any good?”
“I’m okay.” He is stabbed in the back by a sword.
“Josh!”
“He useless to me, but you have high energy levels.” The Guardian of Ends said,
Rogue is covered in darkness. “Chaos Overload! You will pay for killing my friend!”
“Good I need you in your most powerful state.”
They clash with each other. Each were exhausted and hurt by the end.
“Die!” Rogue kills the Guardian of Ends. “Crap, he was hard well time to go back to Veranox and Taylor.”
---------------------------------------------
Veranox and Taylor’s Loacation
--------------------------------------------
“I wonder when Rogue will be back. How long do you think?” Veranox asked.
“I don’t know.”
Rogue returns, exhausted. “Guys.....I’m..back.” Rogue falls down due to being in Chaos Mode for too long.
“Whoa, quick we have to get him some help, Taylor try and use your light powers to heal him, and I’ll try using my dark powers to heal him.”
After a few minutes Rogue regains consciousness.
“Are you alright?” Veranox and Taylor asked at the same time.
“I don't know really. In fact, I don't even know why I fell down. I was fighting a guardian in Chaos Mode. Then I fell down here.”
“Chaos Mode will hurt you when you go in it. That’s you only use it as a last resort.” Taylor pointed out.
"Yes, but once you master it you can enter it and revert at will, and it won’t hurt. So, what where you doing at the Temple of Ends?" Veranox asked
“Trying to pull off the Chaos Dragon. Then my friend came in. Then he was killed by a guardian. Then I got pissed. Then some how I entered Chaos Mode. Then I fought him and killed him.
“Hmmmm.... That must've been enough rage to transform you into the Warrior of Chaos. We must see how strong you become, but not for long, a few minutes is all I need to research it.”
“Damn I hate to see what would happen if one of you two died.”
"Don't worry, I'll contain you in a sphere of Divine power, so you can't harm anyone, but you might faint again, that's the only problem.”
“It's ok. Anyway I found this weird door there it might lead us to something useful.”
“Sure, let's go through.”
The three of them head through the door.
--------------------------------------
Estoc’s Unknown Location
---------------------------------------
He splits the Blade of Shadowed Winds into to.
Rogue has the Fire one. I have Wind and Shadow. That leaves Earth, Water, and Light
---------------------------------------
Water Shrine
---------------------------------------
“It should be here.”
Only a guardian of the realm beyond can take the staff
Estoc takes the staff and heads to the Earth Shrine.
----------------------------------------
Temple of Darkness
----------------------------------------
“Where am I?” Rogue asked.
“You are in the Temple of Darkness. The Elder ones of each temple will attack and kill all other Elementals, sending the world in to chaos.” A voice said.
“Okay, but how will they kill us all?”
“By take and killing the spirits of the elements with in the orbs. When they will do this the elements, will go crazy throwing the world in to chaos.”
“Then I must tell the others.”
---------------------------------
Earth Shrine
----------------------------------
Only one with enough power can past this test
Fives golems emerge from the ground. Estoc blends in the shadows and destroys the golems one by one from behind. He takes the Blade of Earth as it comes out of the ground.
---------------------------------
Valley of Ends
---------------------------------
“The elder ones. Taste my fire!” Rogue yelled but nothing happened.
“Silly rogue, we have killed the elements.” One of the elders said.
“You may have killed my fire but you cannot kill darkness or light.”
“That is true, but we have more power than you think.
---------------------------------
Shining Shrine
---------------------------------
“They don’t call this the Shining Shrine for a reason.”
Only one that can overcome the darkness in thy soul can past this test
A shadow emerges from behind Estoc. After battles his shadow, he is victorious and he able to take the Spear of Light
--------------------------------
Veranox’s Mind
--------------------------------
“What’s happening, and why am I here?”
“Do not worry, Wind God. I am Divinity, the Enlightening.”
“Okay, do you want me to do something?”
“Yes, I need you to retrieve my holy equipment.”
--------------------------------------
Outside Temple of Divinity
--------------------------------------
“Hello, Wind God. I see you are going to the Temple of Divinity. I can tell you where to find a stronger armor.” Said someone by the name of Terrorark.
“Where would that be, evil one?”
“Don’t call me that, or you might get yourself killed. You will find it in the Temple of Terrorark.”
“Well, off the Temple of Divinity.”
-------------------------------------
Temple of the Gods
-------------------------------------
The guardians create the seal. Estoc breaks the seal with the weapons. Only Fire is left. Estoc breaks it without the Fire weapon which causes the unstableness. The seal is not opened due to the Fire seal not being broken with the Fire weapon.
It's long thean 10000 so I have to split it into 2 parts.
Chapter Four: Enter Rogue
----------------------------------------
Fire Temple
----------------------------------------
A young warrior, trained in the art of fire, and leader of the rogues, the age of sixteen, was in the Fire Temple.
“Something weird is going to. Arm everyone. Something big is about the happen.” He said as everyone got up to fight for the Fire Temple.
“Okay. You guys hold the temple. I’ll go in deeper to see if there’s anything to help us.” Walls shook.
“You’d better hurry.” One of the soldiers said.
“You think?”
After wandering inside the unknown part of the temple, he found himself lost. “Fire, okay that’s better.” He noticed a sword similar to his. He grabbed it and ran outside.
“It took you long enough to find what we were looking for.” Said one the Earth warriors when he got out.
“If you’re talking about this sword, then you’re not going to get it.”
“If you’re not going to hand over the Fire Overload Sword, then I’ll have to take it by force.” The Earth Warrior said as he took out two swords.
Swords clashed with great force that made the ground drop a foot. Each of the warriors took many hits but not enough to cause major damage. By the end of the fight, Rogue had on with gashes all over his body.
“Tell the Earth they aren’t getting this sword.”
“Okay, just don’t kill me.”
“Man, why do they want this sword so much. We’re lucky they didn’t attack where most of us are at.”
-----------------------------------------
Wind Temple
-----------------------------------------
Veranox arrives at the Wind Temple, looking for the Orb of Winds. He entered the temple, navigating through it without encountering any traps. We walks for a few more hours and spots the Orb of Winds.
“Have you come to retrieve the almighty Orb of Winds?” the Wind Guardian asked. (A/N: This not the same Wind Guardian of Sepheara.)
“Yes, I have holy Wind Guardian.”
“Then you must defeat me in a battle.”
Swords clashed. Each warrior took many blows. Both were exhausted after the long battle.
“You have done well. I shall heal you before you leave.” The Wind Guardian said in an exhausted voice. He heals Veranox and disappears.
“That healing was refreshing.” He takes the orb and is instantly teleported outside. The Orb of Winds gives him even more power. With that added with his current power he is similar to a Minor Wind God. He then flies to the main continent of Krelsia.
--------------------------------------------
Temple of the Gods
--------------------------------------------
He arrives in Krelsia, where the war took place. He enters the Temple of the Gods. He walks up to the Altar of Wind. He then flies to the Fire Temple for the next orb.
--------------------------------------------
Fire Temple
--------------------------------------------
“Everyone, the Earth wish to take this sword from us.” Rogue said as he held the Fire Overload Sword. “ We’ll never let them do that. So I have made a unit to explore the temple to find any more items that may help, but for not, everyone is to be on high alert.”
“Yes sir!” everyone said. Rogue walks up to three other men.
“You three are my most trusted leaders. What do you think is going on?”
“Maybe there is a war with the elements” a leader said.
“This is no ordinary war. It is an end war.” The elder said.
“What do you mean?” The elder started explaining about the destruction of the elements.
“Then maybe we should side with the Wind.”
“Sounds good.” A different leader said.
Veranox arrives at the Fire Temple and immediately goes in. After navigating the traps, he sees Rogue and some others.
“Do you guys know where the Orb of Fire is?”
“No we don't, but you might find in the chamber of the first fire king. I'll come with you. The elder one will come with us he know the answers to the puzzles of the temple. I might even find out why the Earth Army wants this sword so much. Rogue said as he swung the Fire Overload Sword. “ Ok lets go.”
They head through the temple. They stop in front of a door.
“Elder one, have you seen that door before?” Rogue asked.
“No.”
“Then that’s the door.”
They open the door to see the Fire Guardian (A/N: Once again, that isn’t the Guardian of Sepheara)
“I guess we’re close to the orb.” Veranox said.
“Yes, indeed. You are very close, but one of you besides the elder one must defeat me in a battle.” The Fire Guardian said.
“I’ll take him, or do you want to?”
“There’s one problem. The Earth Army is here and your air attacks will power up his fire.” Rogue said.
“Guess who’s back and I brought friends this time.” The same Earth Warrior Rogue had beaten before.
“Okay, I got the Fire Guardian. You take the them. Okay?”
“Sure. Earth’s weakness is wind.” Veranox replied. He then takes out the Earth warriors in a matter of minutes.
The Elder one attacks Rogue.
“Looks like one got the best trained fire user is even after us.”
“This orb will never leave this room.” The elder one said.
“Hey, Wind guy, think you can take him?”
Rogue enters the battle with the Fire Guardian. Due to being the same element, they battle for a long time.
Veranox battles the elder one. It turns out to be similar to the battle with the Wind Guardian but the result is much faster. Veranox had beaten the elder one. They then head back to Krelsia.
---------------------------------------
Temple of the Gods
---------------------------------------
They enter the Temple of the Gods. They both walk up to the four altars and place of orb on the Altar of Fire.
“Where should we go next?” Veranox asked.
“The Water have no enemies. They are a peaceful people.”
---------------------------------------
Water Temple
---------------------------------------
They reach the Water Temple. Veranox asks an elder if they can have the Orb of Water.
“Yes, follow me.” He said.
They search the temple until they find the orb. As usual, they must defeat a guardian.
“To receive the orb, the one from Fire must defeat me.” The Water Guardian said.
“Great, now I know I’m going to die.”
“No, the one who will die is you, Wind one.” The elder one said as he attacked Veranox.
“Bring it on!”
They battle for a long time. Veranox defeats the elder, but with a bruised wing.
“I told you I’m never going to give up.”
You’re worthless.” The Water Guardian said as he stabbed him.
“Aha!” Rogue said as he pulled the sword from his shoulder.
”You have know idea what you are doing.”
“So you are the true Rogue leader.”
“I'm more then that I am the warrior of darkness. Know prepare to die. “
”You are more powerful then I thought.”
Like you wouldn't believe. Shield! He said the shield protected him and Veranox. “Now taste my true power.” A ball of pure energy comes out of him and hit the guardian.
“You win, now take the orb.”
---------------------------
Velton
---------------------------
“There is a disturbance in the four sacred orbs. Estoc, you go and find what’s going on. We’ll find the Light and Spirit guardians.” Sephar said.
-----------------------------------
Water Temple
-----------------------------------
“I thought it might be you Veranox. You will need to find the rest of the orbs. I will find the weapons of the Gods. The orbs will be used to create the seal the Mystic Realm. The weapons will break the seal.” Estoc said.
“Thank you for the information. I shall go look for the last orb. You go get the weapons.”
-----------------------------------
Earth Temple
-----------------------------------
"Here it is. Let’s see hmm..."
Veranox looks for the Orb or Earth and finds it after a few hours.
“Hello, Wind being, if you wish to fight me, so be it.” The Earth Guardian said.
"Okay, lets go!"
They clash and in a few minutes, all Veranox has is a few bruises.
“You have done well, you may have the Orb of the Earth.”
He then takes it and goes back to the Temple of the Gods.
---------------------------------------
Temple of the Gods
---------------------------------------
He puts the orb on the Altar of Earth.
"That's the last of them, I should find Estoc."
Chapter Three:
Estoc had been knocked out of the air while teleporting by Bugas.
“Um, yeah. If I would have known you lived there, I would have told you this, but um, I’m sorry to tell you this, but,” he sighed and put an armor arm on his shoulder, “That land was attacked last month. From what I heard, no one was left alive. So whoever you’re looking for probably isn’t there. Here, I can teleport faster” he said as white light flashed in his eyes and teleported both of them. “I’m going to go over here to my friend. He’s watching this post for awhile until a plan follows through.”
“Estoc!” the familiar but unknown voiced yelled. He turned around to see the Guardian of Water, one the guardians of Sepheara.
“Sephar! I thought Sepheara was attack. What about the other guardians?”
“I do not know their whereabouts, but I know they’re still alive. What are you doing here?”
He tells him what has happened in the past three years and of the War of the Elementals.
“I see. We must find the other guardians before this war gets out of our hands. I will look for the Earth and Fire Guardians. You look for Wind and Thunder Guardians. Once we find them, meet back here and we’ll go find the Shadow, Light, and Spirit Guardians.”
“Alright, we can’t let this war do any more damage.”
“Hey Triwave, did you talk to who it was you needed to?” Bugas asked as he walked over. “I talked to my friend, he said he saw a Thunder God flee to the northwest so that may be your best bet in directions. Well, um, good luck,” he finished as he shook Triwave’s hand.
-------------------------------------------
Hell’s Gate
-------------------------------------------
“Um, hello, anyone here?” Bugas called out. There was an explosion, taking the building with it. Bugas used his Dark Matter Attack, hitting the evil elf, Blood poured out of him.
“Hey, Triwave, get over here. We may be able to get something out of him.”
“So what did you do, or you know what happened?” Veranox asked.
“You’ll never figure it out. You’ll be sorry when the dwarves get here!”
“Very scary,” Estoc sarcastically. Bugas began kicking the elf. More blood poured out.
“He’s alive.” Estoc walked over to him and grabbed the elf by his neck. “Tell me everything you know, or I’ll make your death nice and slow.”
“I’ll never tell you!”
“Fine, your loss.” He threw him at the wall and used the winds to slowing pull him apart.
“Was that really necessary?” Sephar asked.
“No, but I felt like doing it anyway.Veranox, Bugas, you two are on your own for now.” He said as he teleported using the winds.
Chapter Three: Wind and Thunder Temples
-----------------------------------------
Wind Temple
-----------------------------------------
Estoc arrives at the Wind Temple. An arrow flies at him. Estoc sliced the arrow in half.
“Who there?” a voice said, a male. Estoc walked to the source of the sound to see another Guardian of Sepheara.
“Kardon?Is that you?” Estoc asked.
“Yes, Estoc. It is I. What are you doing here?” Kardon asked.
Estoc tells him about the War of the Elementals and about the guardians meeting up at Velton.
“I see. Well, good luck on finding the others. I’ll meet up once you and Sephear find the others.”
Veranox enters the temple. “I have just gotten info on this, War of the Elementals.”
“Who’s he?” Kardon asked.
“Kardon this Veranox. Veranox,Kardon. So what’d you find out?”
"I found out that this war will put the world or even galaxy into oblivion. It is to choose which of the elements is superior. Once that is done, all other elements will die and the chosen element will have power of the galaxy. Sounds kind of weird." The Aeronox replied.
“This could be a problem since we are not all the same element.” The guardian asked.
“Did you ask Sephar about this? But this war has not truly started. We still have some time.”
“I will stay here and reseal the Wind Temple.” Kardon said.
“I have to go find the others. Veranox go find something to help up in this war. I have feeling the Guardians of Sepheara play a role in this war.” He said as he teleported with the winds to the Thunder Temple.
-------------------------------------
Thunder Temple
-------------------------------------
Estoc arrives at the Thunder Temple to se that it is in ruins.
“Great. Just great” he mumbled.
“Just because the temple is destroyed, that doesn’t mean the seal is too.” A voice said, a female.
He turned around to see the other Guardian of Sepheara he was looking for.
“Akara! There’s something you need to know.” He said. He had finished telling her about the war. They both teleported back to Velton.
----------------------------------------
Kingdom of Velton
----------------------------------------
Estoc and Akara had arrived at Velton. Sephar had found the other guardians. They all started chanting in some ancient language.
“Show us the way to the Shadow Guardian!” Sephar said. A beam flew at Estoc. He block the beam with his sword, turning it black.
“Does this mean I’m the Shadow Guardian?” he asked.
“Yes, what you know hold is the Blade of Shadowed Winds,”
-----------------------------------------
Mount Korahnt
-----------------------------------------
“What is my brother?” an Aeronox by the name of Neralox, Veranox’s older brother, asked.
“I need your help, I need information on this War of the Elementals.”
“Very well, come in.”
“The War of the Elementals is only used when there is a great disruption in the element's powers. This only happens every 3 millenniums." The older Aeronox said
“Great, now how do I stop it?"
“That is unknown to me. What I know is it can only be solved by a great power of some sort or by one of the elements destroying all others.”
Chapter Two: Guardians and Hell’s Gate
Estoc had been knocked out of the air while teleporting by Bugas.
“Um, yeah. If I would have known you lived there, I would have told you this, but um, I’m sorry to tell you this, but,” he sighed and put an armor arm on his shoulder, “That land was attacked last month. From what I heard, no one was left alive. So whoever you’re looking for probably isn’t there. Here, I can teleport faster” he said as white light flashed in his eyes and teleported both of them. “I’m going to go over here to my friend. He’s watching this post for awhile until a plan follows through.”
“Estoc!” the familiar but unknown voiced yelled. He turned around to see the Guardian of Water, one the guardians of Sepheara.
“Sephar! I thought Sepheara was attack. What about the other guardians?”
“I do not know their whereabouts, but I know they’re still alive. What are you doing here?”
He tells him what has happened in the past three years and of the War of the Elementals.
“I see. We must find the other guardians before this war gets out of our hands. I will look for the Earth and Fire Guardians. You look for Wind and Thunder Guardians. Once we find them, meet back here and we’ll go find the Shadow, Light, and Spirit Guardians.”
“Alright, we can’t let this war do any more damage.”
“Hey Triwave, did you talk to who it was you needed to?” Bugas asked as he walked over. “I talked to my friend, he said he saw a Thunder God flee to the northwest so that may be your best bet in directions. Well, um, good luck,” he finished as he shook Triwave’s hand.
-------------------------------------------
Hell’s Gate
-------------------------------------------
“Um, hello, anyone here?” Bugas called out. There was an explosion, taking the building with it. Bugas used his Dark Matter Attack, hitting the evil elf, Blood poured out of him.
“Hey, Triwave, get over here. We may be able to get something out of him.”
“So what did you do, or you know what happened?” Veranox asked.
“You’ll never figure it out. You’ll be sorry when the dwarves get here!”
“Very scary,” Estoc sarcastically. Bugas began kicking the elf. More blood poured out.
“He’s alive.” Estoc walked over to him and grabbed the elf by his neck. “Tell me everything you know, or I’ll make your death nice and slow.”
“I’ll never tell you!”
“Fine, your loss.” He threw him at the wall and used the winds to slowing pull him apart.
“Was that really necessary?” Sephar asked.
“No, but I felt like doing it anyway.Veranox, Bugas, you two are on your own for now.” He said as he teleported using the winds.
-----------------------------------------
Uganda
-----------------------------------------
Bugas had arrived at the base that the elf had came from. He gets hit by another foe, who he realizes is David Hosler, a childhood friend. “You’ll pay for that!”
“Wait Buags! I thought you were an enemy!” he said.
“What the hell is your ass doing here?” Buags asked curiously and annoyed.
“Setting a bomb in the base.”
“Why”
“They’re supplying enemy ammunition and air attacks.” The explosion completely destroys the base.
“Well, I guess my work here is done.” | {
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} |
Raw french guy fucks me
Met this french guy on Bbrt. Came over and just fucked me straight for 3 hours. Justa a snippet of the night. Fat dick uncut too. Met this french guy on Bbrt. Came over and just fucked me straight for 3 hours. Justa a snippet of the night. Fat dick uncut too. | {
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} |
BBC To Invest £500K In Northern Multimedia
The BBC plans to make £500,000 available to commission up to four new pilots of interactive content for CBeebies and CBBC.
Peter Salmon (BBC North's Director-designate) announced the new initiative called '@North' at the Manchester Media Festival on the 18th of November.
He said,
"It's a new concept for the BBC, a new way of working and - with up to four CBBC commissions up for grabs - a new commitment to producing groundbreaking content inspired by the North of England but loved by everyone.
"Firstly, it's come about through partnerships and will be run in collaboration with the regional screen agencies: Northwest Vision and Media, Northern Film & Media and Screen Yorkshire.
"Secondly, this is a very real, very tangible, investment in the North.
"We have allocated the money. We have published the guidelines. We have given everyone a blank sheet of paper. And now it's up to the creative teams from Newcastle to Crewe to blow us away with some fantastic ideas. The BBC can be the platform that shares the brilliant work already being done across the North with audiences throughout the UK.
"Thirdly, it's about bringing together editorial and technology - something we want to be second nature at our new base.
"And finally, it is a chance for the BBC to be more open, more collaborative, and to support the wider media sector with training, technical infrastructure and audience insight that will leave a lasting legacy in the digital economy of the North." | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Welcome
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We are currently accepting new patients.
We believe each person should experience dentistry as fun and as a treat in a completely relaxed setting. We constantly strive to be outstanding because we believe in making the world a better place for ourselves and the people we serve. We go to work everyday so that we can give each other and the people we care for something to smile about.
We Love Our Patients
Dr. Suzzette L. Ona and her staff will provide you and your family with the professional, quality and comfortable dental care that you deserve. We offer convenient office hours and modern amenities. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Get Free Customized Mortgage Quotes
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Existing homeowners can take advantage of a mortgage calculator which can evaluate closing costs, compare mortgage quotes, calculate monthly savings, and determine monthly payments. Additionally, for those interested learning more about Louisiana mortgages, a short list of state specific resources has been provided below. The information ranges from first-time homebuyer guides, special tax refund and relief programs, reverse mortgages, government loans, and even foreclosure avoidance programs.
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"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Supporting Children For Who They Are (not who we think they should be)
Leaving Target yesterday, another mom said to me, “I like his nails,” referring to Miller’s fingernail polish. “Thanks,” I responded smiling. “He likes having them painted.”
“My son was the same way,” she said gesturing to a boy who looked to be around 9. “He still likes getting pedicures.”
I’ve witnessed only a few people chide Miller for wearing polish, because “it’s for girls”, to which I smile and say, “He loves it, so that’s what we do.”
My goal is not for Miller to conform to all of the labels reserved for boys – it’s to raise him to be confident in who he is, however that winds up looking.
One of the biggest gifts we can give our children is to support them for who they are. Not who we think they should be, not what society tells us is acceptable, but for who they’re showing us they are.
To the little boys who like wearing nail polish and the little girls who play with cars and trains. To the girls who prefer short hair cuts and to the boys who enjoy pedicures. Keep showing your true colors.
To the adults in these little ones’ lives, whether you’re the full-time caregiver or a perfect stranger in a parking lot, when they show up, show them love. Not disapproval or ridicule, but love. Again and again and again. | {
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NBER Study: Benefits To Some At The Expense Of Others
Boosting the minimum wage may raise some families' income above the poverty line, but push income below the poverty line for others, say economists David Neumark and William Wascher.
Looking at increases in the minimum wage between 1986 and 1995, researchers found that over a one-to-two-year period:
Poor families who benefit from an increase in the minimum wage do so because the higher wage raises earnings per worker in families whose members worked both before and after the increase.
However, increasing the minimum wage lowers the average number of workers per family among previously near-poor families.
Thus researchers conclude that the net effect of a minimum wage increase is a 1/2 to 1 percentage point increase in the proportion of families who are poor.
Furthermore, they say that because some families gain and some lose, minimum wage increases "more closely resemble income redistribution among low-income families than income redistribution from high- to low-wage families."
Minimum wage increases lower the average number of workers per family due to "disemployment effects" -- either because a family member loses a job or is unable to find a job they might otherwise have found. | {
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With all the celebrations around the holidays, mental health experts say it’s worth remembering that mood disorders and emotional issues may also climb as gatherings and social pressures magnify certain tensions.
There hasn’t been much in the way of hard science to help doctors or patients decide on the best treatments for depression — until now. For the first time, brain imaging may be able to help determine who will get better in … | {
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Scultpure by Rebecca Mcdonald with drawings by Samuel WinterbournAlongside paintings, ceramics and jewellery by gallery artists and makers.
Rebecca is a multi disciplined artist with a background in set design and temporary installations. Influenced by traditional craft techniques, she handfelts each creature using British sourced fleece wool. The results are unique pieces full of character and stories of their own.Having grown up in Cornwall and never been away for long, the pull of this county has an engrained impact on her work. 'Under the Wild Stars' is a soulful celebration of epic landscapes and even grander skies both familiar and foreign, and the creatures that roam within them. Set in the mountains we join an expedition into the unknown, on a journey through the wilderness and back to a place we call home.
From a young age, Samuel Winterbourn combined his natural talent for art with a passion for nature. Born in 1987 and brought up in the suburbs of North London, Samuel spent many summer holidays in Cornwall and in 2005 moved with his family to Carn Brea.After obtaining a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Cornwall College in 2007, Samuel set out to create a distinctive style of work, inspired by a quote from artist and illustrator Quentin Blake, 'Don't worry about being a great artist. Just draw until you find your own style.by illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Beatrix Potter and with an eye for detail and intricate pattern, Samuel combines a patchwork of influences into his drawings, creating magical artworks that capture the wild beauty of nature.The animals Samuel particularly likes to draw are everyday garden birds and the diverse wildlife you find in the wild woods and broad landscapes of England. Ever present in his work are deer, foxes, hares and pheasants, and each drawing can take anything from two weeks to up to a month to create.Samuel recently collaborated on cushion designs with local Artist-Designer Poppy Treffry, with Ulster Weavers on his very own textile range and he also has a collection of illustrated greeting cards published with The Almanac Gallery, London. 'Under The Wild Stars' is Samuel's first exhibition with New Craftsman Gallery, St Ives. | {
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Archive of posts tagged social network
Here’s a piece I pulled together with the help of Reuters reporters Andjarsari Paramaditha, Camilo Mejia and Estelle Griepink in JAKARTA, Harichandan Arakali in BANGALORE, Lee Chyen Yee in HONG KONG, Kazunori Takada in SHANGHAI and Harry Suhartono in SINGAPORE. Facebook aims to connect all two billion Internet users. So far it has captured 845 …
Once we lived in simpler times. Google was a search engine that made its money off ads that were based on what we searched for. Look for cocoa and you’d get an ad for hot chocolate alongside the search results. Google made lots of money from this and we got our hot chocolate. This worked …
(This is the script for a piece I did for the BBC World Service. Posted here by request. Podcast here.) Something rather quaint is going on in a Salt Lake City courtroom. A company called Novell, who you’d be forgiven for not having heard of, is suing Microsoft over a product called WordPerfect, which you …
By Jeremy Wagstaff I’m writing this on a Windows PC using a great piece of Microsoft software called Windows Live Writer. And that’s only part of the problem. As you no doubt know, Microsoft have announced they bought Skype, the Internet telephony company, for $8.5 billion. You’ll have to look under a lot of stones …
This is a copy of my weekly Loose Wire Service column for newspapers, hence the lack of links. By Jeremy Wagstaff A few weeks ago I talked about Facebook’s brave new world of connecting your profile to all the other bits and pieces you leave on websites. I erred, and I apologize. I thought that …
(This is a copy of my Loose Wire Sevice column, produced for newspapers and other print publications.) By Jeremy Wagstaff Get ready for a world where everything is shared. Readers of this column will already know that our notions of privacy have changed a lot in the past couple of years. That has made it …
We talk about Facebook, twitter, MySpace and Friendster as the big social networks but we keep forgetting one that is far bigger than that: Skype. This from a Bloomberg piece on Skype’s vacillating fortunes: Skype has soared in popularity since it started in 2003 and has about 548 million users worldwide—more than Facebook, MySpace and …
Each social network has its quirk. I want to fix them. Here’s how. Skype, for example, won’t let you be invisible to certain people. You’re either visible to all your buddies, or none at all. So if you have a contact who thinks a Skype connection is an open invitation to call you up out …
I’m intrigued, and slightly depressed, at how social networking sites deteriorate so quickly into what are little more than scams. I think it started about a year ago, when a number of sites started pulling the stops out to build up membership. Now, it seems, it’s all about the money. Take Quechup, for example, which …
Got my first LinkedIn spam today: Hi Jeremy, [name deleted], here… we are linked on LinkedIn I know you’re interested in earning an in~come on the internet. I also know you probably wouldn’t mind if ‘understanding it’ was made easier for you. Well, I’ve been notified about a new F.REE report by internet marketers, … | {
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The folks at Old Navy swear that they've got the perfect jeans for your body shape. Hence: The "Booty Reader." Like the love child of Miss Cleo and Sir Mix-A-Lot, she likes big butts and she cannot lie.
At first the idea that a brown-skinned mannequin would be reading derrieres was troubling: She's black, so of course she knows about asses? But the microsite is actually kind of harmless unless you're offended by fortune teller stereotypes.
Although. There is a function where you can either use your webcam or a camera and UPLOAD a picture of your booty, which is insanity. The text reads, "photos of your booty won't be shared, my dear," but you have to wonder: Where do they go? What tech dude has to file away jpegs of butts? Who worked on software built to "read" asses?!?!
Since we were not about to use our own caboose without knowing the answers to these questions, we nominated Ice T's wife Coco Austin to participate in the fun.
We were told that her booty had been "successfully captured."
Although, with the images we had to work with, Coco's booty was not really aligned properly.
"I can't quite make out your booty," the fortune teller told us. We had to adjust some measurements, and the programming behind the software became clear: It's all about waist to hip ratio. Duh.
In the end, we learned that Coco has a "curvaceous figure with a perky behind," which will surely come as a shock. She should try the Diva Skinny jeans — a steal at $19! In fact: Some of us have managed to purchase them in the past, without sending a billion-dollar business a picture of our rump. | {
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Val Grande, the largest wilderness area in Italy
The largest wilderness area in Italy Val Grande: the largest wilderness area in Italy but also the open-air museum of the past alpine civilization.
The stop of the use of alpeggi and the practice of deforestation meant return to the wilderness: nature becomes a mistress. Richness and varieties of vegetation are one of the greatest attractions, with impenetrable bushes and "colorful" flora.
A park with many secrets: timid animals, steep and windy valleys, limpid waters in gorges defended by large overhanging walls and picturesque views from Monte Rosa to Lake Maggiore.
The Val Grande National Park, just a stone's throw from Lake Maggiore, is the largest protected area in Italy.
From Milan it is less than 100 km and 150 from Turin. A unique valley, out of the world, dominated by silence, where nature is queen.
A sanctuary of the environment, to be attended with absolute respect. But the Great Valley is also a story. The long story of a mountainous civilization told by the locals and people of the countries that surround this area between Ossola, Verbano, Val Vigezzo, Valle Intrasca and Cannobina. And even those who are content to get to the threshold of such a wilderness, stopping at one of the centers that make them crowns, has the chance to seize the sensations of a wilderness area. Because the Val Grande, before being a Park, is a valley of great emotions.
Protecting the environmental integrity of the Val Grande has always been the rough and rocky mountains that surround it. In 1967 the area of the rocky massif of the Pedum is destined to the integral natural reserve, the first of the Italian Alps.
The decisive push for the creation of the National Park came in the second half of the eighties, thanks to the involvement of local authorities and the involvement of the Piedmont Region and the Ministry of the Environment itself.
The fascination of historyThe Val Grande not only looks for mysterious and wild aspects, but also fragments of alpine civilization, which testify to the past, when the two main activities were those of alpine and deforestation, wear and tearful forms of life that arouse interest and admiration for the Ability to adapt to such a difficult and dangerous territory.
Another point of interest is given by the "Cadorna Line", military fortifications made during the First World War in fear of an Austro-German attack through Switzerland. The ragging of June '44 was, for many mountains, one of the causes of the definitive abandonment. And for the Great Valley, the return to the "wilderness" with the nature of the mistress of the valley. | {
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The family of Tom Martoccia attended the dedication of the library in the psychology department, named in the late professor’s honor. A photo of Professor Martoccia rests on a shelf in the background as Carol Martoccia Bickle (center) stands with sons Randall Martoccia (right) and Doug Martoccia. (Contributed photo)
East Carolina University’s Department of Psychology recently dedicated a library in honor of the late Charles “Tom” Martoccia, who taught at the university for 39 years.
Located in the Rawl Building, the Martoccia Library contains a collection of journals and articles from Martoccia’s private collection. The former classroom now holds bookshelves with Martoccia’s historical psychology books and worktables designed to create a comfortable working space. A memento shelf includes Martoccia’s vintage Underwood typewriter, his black and white portrait and longhand letters written to him from noted American anthropologist Margaret Mead and Harvard psychologist Edward G. Boring.
“The library is a perfect space to be named in his honor,” said Larry Bolen, acting chair of the psychology department who worked with Martoccia for 30 years.
“He was the type of person that devoured anything in print.” Bolen recalled how his former colleague’s office reflected that passion. Journals and books stacked up to his waist as Martoccia kept up with the latest psychology publications for himself, his students and his colleagues.
The late professor’s enthusiasm transferred to his students and his sons. One of his sons, Randall, is a lecturer in ECU’s Department of English.
“His children — even as young children — would sit in Tom’s study and just read and read and read some more,” Bolen said. “How he got them to do that I just don’t know.”
Martoccia began his academic career at Davidson College in 1960 before joining the faculty at ECU in 1961. He was a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa. He received his master’s degree and his Ph.D., both in psychology, from the University of Florida.
He also served as a corpsman in the U.S. Navy’s Naval Cadet Program. Martoccia died Dec. 12, 2000 after he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease. An initial $25,000 donation from the Martoccia family started the library and the ECU Board of Trustees approved the naming of the space last fall. | {
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Want an example of brilliant engineering, nimble execution and the ability to do great—even inspiring—things? Look to NASA. At any moment, a fleet of spacecraft—every one of them bearing the NASA logo and the stars and stripes—are ranging throughout the solar system, approaching, orbiting or roving across the surface of other worlds.
Want an example of aimlessness, misdirection and borderline preposterousness, abetted by a Congress and a White House that seem to have no flipping idea what they’re doing? You can look to NASA for that too. It all depends on whether you’re talking about the manned or unmanned space programs.
The unlikely plan, announced over the weekend by Fla. Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and said to be included in a $100 million appropriation in President Obama’s 2014 budget, is for an unmanned spaecraft to be launched by 2017 to capture a 25-ft., 500-ton asteroid with, yes, a giant drawstring bag, according to one NASA scientist. The rock would then be towed back to the vicinity of the moon where it would be safely parked in space. In 2021, astronauts would travel out to the asteroid in a brand new Apollo-like spacecraft lofted by a brand-new heavy-lift rocket. Once there, they would land, prospect for metals and learn more about both living off the cosmic land and deflecting rogue asteroids that might threaten Earth.
Should we be excited? Is this really going to happen? One standard I like to use in cases like this is the Count the Conditionals rule. The more times contingent words like would, could or should are used in any space-related press release, the less likely it is that anything being described will actually happen. Nelson’s office issued a seven-conditional release (“…a new monster rocket would travel to the asteroid where there could be mining activity…”) out of a total of just 483 words. So that’s not good.
More troubling is that the new rocket, known prosaically as the Space Launch System (SLS), has not been built and is not targeted for completion until 2017. The new spacecraft—called Orion—may have its first unmanned flight in 2014. In theory, that would make the baggie mission a real possibility. In practice it almost surely won’t.
For one thing, Orion and a new heavylift booster have been in some phase of development since early 2004, ever since former Pres. Bush called for a return-to-the moon initiative, and the target date for flying them keeps receding. For historical comparison, an equal nine-year span—from 1960 to 1969—was all it took NASA to invent, build and fly six manned Mercury spacecraft, 10 manned Geminis and 5 of the 11 manned Apollos, not to mention the massive Saturn V rocket that would be awfully nifty to have around now, since we wouldn’t need the SLS.
The difference between those nine years and the last nine years is clarity of goal. Even people who were opposed to the original space race—and there were plenty who saw it as a waste of money in an era of war, inflation and urban decay—had to acknowledge that it was crisply defined. President Kennedy announced a target (the moon), a deadline (1970) and a mission (landing a man there and returning him safely to Earth). It’s awfully hard to get those kinds of marching orders wrong.
The current manned program, on the other hand, has been more of a country ramble. The shuttles—which never lived up to their safe, reliable and easily reusable billing—pulled most of the air and money out of the room for more than 30 years. The space station, first proposed by Ronald Reagan in 1984, with an announced completion date of 1989 and a price tag of $9 billion, instead was not fully built until 2011 and cost a tidy $100 billion. The return-to-the-moon initiative lasted just six years, dying the familiar death of the new Administration, when it was scrapped by Pres. Obama in 2010. In its place, Obama proposed a vaguely defined plan to go somewhere—perhaps the moon, perhaps Mars, perhaps an asteroid, perhaps a gravity-neutral Lagrange point—all of which would be accomplished with an equally vaguely defined spacecraft.
The hardware piece of that scenario at least has come into sharper focus, thanks to Congressional lobbying efforts in support of Orion and the SLS, led in part by Nelson and former Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. Obama, whose luke-warmth toward space has been evident since his 2008 campaign, has backed these plans, and is likely to continue to—at least as long as Florida remains a presidential swing state and any long-term hopes the Democratic party has of turning bright red Texas at least light blue hinge on keeping Houston happy.
But none of this has led to any real clarification of the mission. The asteroid-towing idea is only the latest of many proposals, and is easily the least probable and most Rube Goldbergian of them all. A senior administration official could muster only an anodyne statement in support of it today:
NASA is in the planning stages of an innovative mission to accomplish the President’s challenge of sending humans to visit an asteroid by 2025 in a more cost-effective and potentially quicker time frame than under other scenarios. This mission would combine the best of NASA’s asteroid identification, technology development, and human exploration efforts to capture and redirect a small asteroid to just beyond the moon to set up a human mission using existing resources and equipment, including the heavy-lift rocket and deep-space capsule that have been under development for several years.
But the other questions that leaves unanswered are legion. First, the $100 million is only seed money for a program that would cost more than $2.5 billion for the asteroid capture portion alone, not to mention untold billions more for the manned part. What’s more, snagging an asteroid may sound easy, but…oh wait, it doesn’t sound easy at all, and that’s because it’s not. You’ve got to find a rock of the right size at the right distance, invent your Baggie or your lasso or whatever you’re going to use, figure out how to chug-chug the thing back to the vicinity of the moon in a trip that would take years, and then station it in a stable spot. Oh, and it would help if the asteroid you grab actually had any of the precious metals like platinum or gold and prosaic ones like iron and zinc that you’d be interested in mining in the first place. So maybe there are still a few details that need to be worked out.
Perhaps most troubling of all is a certain cosmic ennui behind the plan. Nelson’s release cited a feasibility study that supports the capture mission, but for a singularly upside down reason. “[B]ringing a 500-ton asteroid closer to Earth would give astronauts a ‘unique, meaningful and affordable’ destination for the next decade,” the press statement says.
The moon’s not unique? Mars isn’t meaningful? The moons of Mars—which offer an even more attractive target because you could land and take off without the massive engine needed to overcome planetary gravity—wouldn’t be a little bit of both? Have we really gotten to the point that after just six lunar landings more than 40 years ago we’re so bored with the familiar cosmos that we’ve got to go inventing destinations, like the artificial archipelagos off the coast of Dubai in the shape of a palm tree and the world’s continents? And as for the “affordable” piece of Nelson’s argument? If you’re going to need to build Orion and the SLS for any of the proposed missions, how does it cut costs to include an asteroid-dragging phase that, at the moment at least, doesn’t pass the eye-roll test?
Look, the fact is, NASA is still home to some of the biggest and most creative brains in the world. And if the kinds of jobs its machines are doing—exploring Mars, approaching Pluto, orbiting Mercury, nearing the very limits of the solar system itself—don’t take your breath away, you might not have any breath in you to begin with. But today’s manned program is a different thing. Press releases are not the same as coherent plans, and “would” or “could” have never been the same as “will” and “can.” NASA used to know that. It needs, alas, to learn it again. | {
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Overview
Non-standard squadrons, designated as "elite", may be periodically commissioned.
Each fills its own special role within the Empire, and each has its own
operational policies and privileges.
Pilots wishing to apply for positions in elite squadrons need fulfil certain
minimum requirements, and are subject to further personal review. It should
also be noted that Elite Squadrons are designed for those who are intent on remaining
pilots, as is the case with many officers. Members of these squadrons will not
generally be promoted to a position outside of the squadron without making a
specific request.
Pilots in 'standard' squadrons are asked to give recognition to those in the
'elite' variant, as those in the latter must show the utmost of
dedication to their activity, conduct, and combat skills to retain their
positions.
Scimitar Squadron
Craft Flown
ALL. Scimitar's pilots can expertly handle all Imperial starfighters, and
are therefore afforded use of any available craft (typically in the most
high-end configuration available) based on their mission.
Description
The supreme fighting force of the Empire's fleet, Scimitar Squadron is
composed of the finest pilots, fulfilling the primary duty of serving
the Empire as its protectors, and the secondary duty of conducting highly
critical missions at the order of the Commander of the Navy and the
Supreme Commander...
In addition, Scimitar is the Imperial Navy's front lines in all space-sim
competitions, and is the only unit which may officially compete
for The Galactic Empire at will. (In most organised
competition events, all Navy pilots will be able to freely attend and
compete, however the pilots of Scimitar have the option of declaring any and
all of their online engagements with members of other factions to be officially
representative of the GE without prior arrangement.)
Organisation
Scimitar Squadron uses a nonstandard organizational structure. Rather than
organization into flights, the slots are simply numbers. However, there
are thirteen fighters assigned to the squadron. The
thirteenth slot is the addition of TIE Defender Bane, the rarely-used personal
fighter of
Fleet Admiral Tiberius Fel.(It should
be noted that since his appointment to Captaincy
Fleet Admiral
has not entered into battle with his fighter, and his
unexplained reasons for keeping one on standby have generated much
speculation...).
Under additional, rare circumstances, Scimitar may be joined by the personal
fighter of the Commander of the Navy. Such
circumstances are almost never battle and are much more commonly ceremonial or
other functions...
Scimitar pilots hold their position on a "part-time" basis, while they hold a
regular position in the Empire; both Naval and non-Naval candidates are
eligible to join the squadron.
Pilots in this squadron are assigned a brevet rank appropriate to their level of
skill and seniority. Their brevet rank carries force only when in competition
with other factions, and does not have any direct bearing on position within
the Empire. However, owing to the elite nature of the squadron, when two
officers hold the same rank, the member in Scimitar is given seniority.
Scimitar Squadron does not report in via the standard manner. Its pilots are
indeed subordinate or superior to other officers based on their rank (as with
all other officers of the GE), however only the
Commander of the Navy or the Supreme Commander may
order its launch. Scimitar reports are filed directly to the Commander of the
Navy.
Application Requirements
Scimitar admits members based on their standing as an officer, a pilot, and
their loyalty to the Empire. The merit of an officer for Scimitar is assessed
by Scimitar Leader and/or the Commander of the Navy. Scimitar maintains its
requirements at its holonet domain.
Needless to say, the requirements are very stringent... | {
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Tag Archive
Okay. I just need to write this post and be done with it. You might remember that last September, I vowed to devote myself to — well, to me. I promised to do this for 12 months. Now it’s time to share what I learned from a year of celibacy. Oh, how I do NOT want to be blogging about …
When I was 19, my 70-year-old dad passed on from this world. But since I believe that dads never really die, my relationship with him keeps growing. And we’re finally in a very good place. This is huge. After all, I spent decades wrapped in outrage, venting about the tyrant who scarred me forever. Now, I look at my faded …
Did you know that a ban on Chinese immigrant women created America’s first immigration laws? Discovering this forgotten historical moment left me appalled by the suffering of the ancestors. They were singled out because they were poor, foreign and “exotic.” Learning these facts makes me more aware of the deep racism and sexism in our legal system. I’ve always felt that …
With this post, I wrap up my epic, month-long Asian vacation. The final stop had a mission: finding my cultural roots in Taipei, Taiwan. I spent four fascinating days in the capitol city of this tiny island nation. Between the food, conversations and art, I went home feeling updated, with a more global sense of self. Taipei gave me another chance to …
More than once, I’ve been involved with men who cheated on me. More than once, I stayed too long and loved too much. There’s a lot of women out there who can relate. We’re a huge voting block in the 2016 presidential election. Yet, where are the fancy experts analyzing our political clout? Then again, who would they interview, if …
Mothers get blamed for everything. So if you want to know why I turned out this way, just look at my mom. She was a diva in denial who did and said crazy things. Figuring out where she ends and I begin has become my life’s work. If she hadn’t left this world in 2010, she would’ve been celebrating her …
About me
I’m a personal coach who specializes in life, work, diversity, communication and writing issues. I’m also a former journalist and currently a professor who teaches writing, public speaking and communication skills.
Most importantly, I’m the recovering daughter of my beloved, crazy control-freak Chinese immigrant parents. What I learned in transforming tough early experiences inspired me to create the Inner Child Institute™.
Our mission is to find your original self — the early parts of you that still influence you in surprising ways because of unresolved pain and shining possibilities.
Reconnecting with your inner child can change your decision-making process and re-shape your choices. I bring to this mission everything I know about standing strong in community and diversity. It’s exciting work. If you’d like to know more about coaching with me, contact me by clicking HERE. | {
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"Sex was not the crime but the context; by conflating the two, the clintons played both the left and the right like fiddles... and, some would say, they still are..."
Oh, I know about this ridiculous argument; never believed it for a moment. Anyone with two (2) brain cells knows better. Both David Shippers in SELL OUT and William J. Bennett in The DEATH of OUTRAGE cover what was really going on and what the Democrats and MSM wanted the public to believe; i.e. it was just about sex!!
The fact is it's about obstruction of justice, suborning perjury, and a whole host of other crimes which should have seen Clinton leave office in disgrace. | {
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Friday, July 30, 2010
TEN reported earnings yesterday, and got a nice move on volume, but didn't break out until today. This is a double bottom base (although it looks like a triple bottom, the first two bottoms are too close together), so the O'neil breakout point is 26.80, although it did manage to close at a new high. This is in the auto parts group, which has been pretty strong lately.
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About Me
I am not a financial professional, just a guy that trades my own account.
I am also not a musical professional, just a guy that makes music on the computer. Thus, two blogs, one trading and on musical.
And, no, the picture is not me, it is the late, great John Belushi, one of the inspirations for these blogs.
About ThIs Blog
This blog is focused on technical analysis of stocks and markets, putting heavy emphasis on chart analysis. My trading style is derived primarily from my mentor, William "Yoda" O'Neil, and the focus here is on leading and breakout stocks, but all forms of trading are covered to some extent. Economic and political news that effects the market are also topics here, and the blog may occasionally become a platform for my political and philosophical ranting. I keep several spreadsheets on Google docs which track various aspects of the market and readers are welcome to vies and comment on them.
Google Docs Spreadsheets
There are several spreadsheet that I maintain on Google docs to track various watchlists and trends in the market.
1. The earnings list - a group of small and micro cap, low float stocks that have exhibited recent rapid earnings growth. They are modeled along the lines of William O'Neil's CAN SLIM system, but limited to small cap, highly volatile stocks.
2. The relative strength list - a group of stocks which are near 52 week highs and have shown an increase in average daily volume. The list is limited to the top 200 stocks according to my methodology, which will be detailed on one of the pages of the spreadsheet. | {
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News/blogs
Scotland is a nation rich in traditions, customs and homespun words of wisdom! With our at-a-glance guide to Scottish sayings, you’ll soon feel at home.
Craic
Pronounced crack, is a Scots word for news or gossip. So if anyone asks you ‘What’s the craic?’ you can tell them you’re coming to Bonnie Scotland for summer school in the beautiful capital, affectionately nicknamed ‘Auld Reekie’.
Swap city for scenery and embark on a Highland adventure – the perfect tonic to the buzz of Edinburgh life.
Edinburgh is a city of varied delights: winding cobbled streets steeped in history, elegant Georgian walkways with chic boutiques, dramatic castle searing into the skyline, the country’s finest museums, galleries and nightlife. Few places hum with energy like Scotland’s capital.
Scotland is both famous and infamous for its cuisine. Listed below are some Scottish delicacies for you to try during your stay here.
Haggis
The classic. Haggis (sheeps stomach), neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes) is the most famous dish in Scotland. Although the idea of eating the minced offal of a sheep may be off-putting many people find that they enjoy the taste. For a less intense experience try vegetarian haggis which is surprisingly spicy.
As the study of the economy as a whole, macroeconomics involves dealing with great complexity. Millions of individuals and businesses take decisions each day to produce goods, to buy and sell, and to offer and accept jobs. From a psychological point of view their decisions may have far from simple motivations that are also influenced by the choices and opinions of others. These decisions in turn affect the constraints under which others make theirs and all have to be made with a view to a future filled with irreducible uncertainty.
Should a government treat its debt in the same way as a household? If we ‘max out our credit card’ then we have little choice but to reduce spending immediately, but is this the same for a government? Have indebted governments in Europe been correct to impose ‘austerity’ on their populations by cutting expenditure on services and benefits? | {
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K.M. Jones
Laughing At Death - Poem by K.M. Jones
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Death has no power over us now.You were dead once, And I was dying.I could not breathe without you by my side. I saw the lands eternal, And the darkness of the skies there.No stars whispered secrets to that darkened moon.I prefer the stars that hang above me in life, Even if the life is not a pleasant one. So back I turned, away from death, And into the bitterness of despair.But even despair is not everlasting. For by some miracle you returned to me, And now we stand together, Laughing in Death's face. | {
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NJPW PPV Review
Wrestle Kingdom 12
One of New Japan’s most anticipated cards delivers
Rating: GOOD
ProWrestling.Cool is finally starting to dip our toe into covering New Japan Pro Wrestling, which is becoming more and more prominent in the North American wrestling scene. This show had a lot of buzz around it as WWE's Chris Jericho has come to the company to challenge Kenny Omega, the man who put on a match that Dave Meltzer rated six stars at the previous Wrestle Kingdom.
Overall, the show was great as it clocked in at around six hours with no intermission and only really dragged during one match. Every match on the card brought something different to the table and all involved stepped up their game as this the biggest show for New Japan every year. The match of the night was clearly the Fatal 4-Way for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
ProWrestling.Cool also want to make sure to welcome Trace Evans to the editorial team as our NJPW Correspondent. This is his first contribution to the site, and we look forward to seeing more of his continued coverage of New Japan for us.
New Japan Rumble
Masahito Kakihara wins
Rating: BAD
Trace: Thumb in the Middle
The New Japan Rumble’s usually a cluster of forgotten wrestlers. It’s either current NJPW talent not cut out for making the Wrestle Kingdom card, talent from other organizations, or old legends who no long have a place headlining any major event. For that reason, it’s a cluster of quick, nonsensical eliminations and the occasional fun spots. This will never compare to the Royal Rumble, nor should it, but it at least serves as a fun opener with all the unexpected entrants, and Masahito Kakihara winning after his fight with cancer is a pleasant victory compared to the usual outcomes.
Owen: Thumb Down
This match was a letdown compared to past iterations of the New Japan Rumble. The fun of this Rumble is supposed to be surprise cameos from the past getting to show off their big moves, but the fast pace of eliminations didn’t really give time for that, nor were there any particularly big surprises - especially compared to last year. The only part that really got my attention was Masahito Kakihara and Cheeseburger putting together some fun spots at the end of the match, but it was short-lived and didn’t make up for 30 previous minutes
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match
Rating: REALLY GOOD
Trace: Thumb Up
Thank goodness for the Young Bucks. They’ve solved a significant problem in New Japan’s Jr. Heavyweight tag division. As the last team standing in the way of Roppongi 3K completely running the table – on their debut, no less – the Bucks’ victory means there’s far less risk of 3K stagnating without believable competition at the top.
As for the match, I wouldn’t call it the Bucks’ finest, though that’s hard to nail down given their long list of high-quality battles. It still exhibited so much of the innovation they’ve brought to tag team wrestling with fantastic double team moments, spots that had me questioning if Yoh was legitimately injured, and a surprising lack of superkicks. I’m still surprised we didn’t get into the double digits on those. Don’t let anybody tell you that’s all there is to the Young Bucks.
Owen: Thumb in the Middle
I enjoyed the way they incorporated Yoh’s back injury off the bump on the ramp into the storytelling of the match, as they also took out the back of Matt Jackson. The problem was that this limitation to the two’s mobility and movesets did hamper the match a bit. Like Trace, I too was disappointed in the lack of superkicks as I had a counter all set on my phone while watching. Overall it was a solid opener to the main card and the finish made sense, but there were too many small issues for me to give it a thumb up
Rating: THE WORST
Trace: Thumb Down
Here’s a recurring Wrestle Kingdom tradition that doesn’t need to be put out to pasture, but it’s increasingly out of place compared to the rest of the card. It’s starting to become a New Japan Rumble for forgotten current wrestlers that should have found a more prominent spot on the card (save for Taichi). The action in the ring was quite forgettable, which is a shame given the talent, and the ending with Chaos taking the belts from Bullet Club’s Tongan contingent came off as nothing more than an unexpected outcome for unexpected outcome’s sake.
Owen: Thumb Down
I agree with Trace on this one. I legitimately can’t remember anything about this match other than Baretta winning his for championship as a heavyweight. This match was a mess with bodies flying everywhere and it being difficult to keep track of what is going on. It doesn’t help that these belts are constantly changing hands, so it’s hard to get excited about this match since you know it doesn’t really matter all that match. It’s a shame, considering the talent that was saddled with this as their participation on the show.,
Singles Match
Kota Ibushi def. Cody
Rating: REALLY GOOD
Trace: Thumb up
I expected a fair bit more shenanigans in this match, given that Cody has several reasons to be going after Kota Ibushi without a title on the line (and indeed, some of that would be answered at another time as of this article). What we got instead was an evolution of two incredible wrestlers, as Cody continues to stand out more in look, presence, and vile heel behavior, while Kota… okay, Kota Ibushi still looks about the same, this being of raw, almost sexualized passion for combat, but he continues to be one of the most solid talents I’ve ever seen in the ring.
My one hang-up with this match was a Cross Rhodes to the outside not ending Ibushi’s night, and in fact giving him barely enough time to believably recover and take the win. Any other move to the floor could accomplish this match’s finish and establish Ibushi being hurt like hell, but instead Cody’s finisher –essentially a Super Cross Rhodes given it started on the apron – is diminished for inexplicable reasons. This was a minor hang-up, though, amid an intense match with two talented wrestlers I only want to see more of in the months to come.
Owen: Thumb in the Middle
See, that Super Cross Rhodes being used just for a near countout and then Kota Ibushi pretty much no selling it for the rest of the match on the way to the victory rubbed me the wrong way and is enough that I can’t give this match two thumbs up. Don’t get me wrong, this match was excellent otherwise and I really enjoy Brandi Rhodes’ heel work on the outside as she suckered in Ibushi with a fake injury. I expect big things out of both of these two coming out of this great performance, as Ibushi should be heading toward gold and Cody’s future possibilities are limitless
IWGP Tag Team Championship Match
Rating: THE BEST
Trace: Thumb Up
Killer Elite Squad was undoubtedly my surprise of the night. Having only started watching NJPW on the regular midway through 2017, I couldn’t determine what the appeal was of two WWE failures as beefy, angry hosses on the roster. If KES can continue to wrestle like they did at Wrestle Kingdom 12, I will gladly consider myself properly shut up (and spit on, given Archer’s penchant for water bottles).
In their loss to Los Ingobernables de Japon’s top duo, KES came out in this match absolutely on fire. I’ve never seen such intensity from them before. They were fast, vicious, reckless, and nasty. They tore apart two incredible wrestlers in Sanada and Evil, and the finish, with Archer trapped behind the ringside doctor and completely out of place to break up a surprise pin, was more nuance than I expected from this match.
I want to start of by saying I am ALL about what is going on with Killer Elite Squad. I love me some asshole hoss wrestlers as long as they’re super entertaining, and watching Lance Archer magically producing water bottles just to spit at the crowd was very much my jam. I can’t ignore Sanada and Evil in this match either, as they were also great. The fact that they took these fun personalities and translated it so well into the body of the match, it hooked me throughout and was a blast to watch. LIJ outsmarting KES at the end with trapping Archer was beautiful and fit perfectly
Hair vs. Hair, No Seconds Deathmatch for the NEVER Openweight Championship
Hirooki Goto def. Minoru Suzuki (c)
Rating: REALLY GOOD
Trace: Thumb in the Middle
Maybe I’m taking for granted just how much Hirooki Goto’s been chasing Minoru Suzuki for the NEVER Openweight Title, but I couldn’t understand why this match carried enough meaning for Suzuki to have his men stay non-involved until after the finish. It was brutal, certainly, and Goto’s toughness against the legendary nastiness of Minoru Suzuki was highlighted beautifully, but this didn’t feel like a climactic confrontation. If anything, it felt like the closest thing to a John Cena-level comeback an openweight match can have.
That’s a disservice to both of the men here. They both deserve better, and on this card, it certainly wasn’t quite enough.
Owen: Thumb Up
The No Seconds stipulation made sense to me, as it showed how Minoru Suzuki was super cocky about the entire match, which was also part of the reason he put his own hair on the line along with his title. This cockiness continued on the way he moved in the ring, messing with Hirooki Goto for a majority of it until Goto started to show that he is a legitimate threat and could pull off the win. When this become apparent the rest of Suzuki-gun took it upon themselves to try to get involved against Suzuki's wishes.
I love how brutal these NEVER Openweight Title matches are, and this one delivered on it. That, combined with the storytelling throughout the match, and the entire post-match segment made this one of my favorites of the night. Suzuki-gun tried to escape with their leader as soon as the bell rang, but Suzuki knows he put himself into this situation and was going to handle his loss on his own terms. Him bringing in his own chair and cutting off his own hair was bad ass.
Fatal 4-Way for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Will Ospreay def. Marty Scurll (c), Hiromu Takahashi, Kushida
Rating: THE BEST
Trace: Thumb Up
I wasn’t expecting to call this my match of the night, but I also didn’t expect four of the greatest junior heavyweights out there to rewrite how a fatal four-way match should work. Let’s first be clear: A singles title match between four men on a major card is extremely rare for New Japan’s style of booking, so it’s likely all the participants here felt they had to justify this match a little more than usual.
Consider it justified and then some.
The typical fatal four-way format of two men taking a powder while the other two fight and show off their spots never settled in here. Instead, this was a high-intensity war, four men all well aware that there was no one-on-one confrontation to be had, that pinfalls would be broken up, that blindside attacks would be frequent. With this awareness, the match was chaotic, pivoting from one-on-one to three-way to an all-out war at a moment’s notice, using every trick possible to isolate and eliminate opponents from the equation.
If fatal four-way matches in any organization seem a lot better over the next year or two, I’ll be happy to point you to this match as the reason why.
Owen: Thumb Up
This was easily my favorite match of the night as well. I knew we were in for a treat as soon as The Villain Marty Scurll showed up with goddamn WINGS. I had heard from colleagues that the Tokyo Dome does not tend to be a fan of the junior heavyweights, so these four men had an uphill climb out of the gate for that as well as the fact it was multi-man title match.
These four brought it nonstop with high-flying action and inventive spots that had me glued from bell to bell. Highlights included Will Ospreay's jump off the lighting grid and Marty Scurll's use of tape to try to make it easier to get a fall since everyone was kept involved for a majority of the match. A lot of people may look to the co-main event for their best match, but this is a sleeper hit that I would recommend you go out of your way to watch.
IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) def. Jay White
Rating: THE WORST
Trace: Thumb Down
Jay White isn’t ready to become Switchblade. Bless Hiroshi Tanahashi’s heart for elevating a returning Young Lion to a Wrestle Kingdom title match on his return and trying his hardest to carry him to a good match, but there’s a lot of lessons for the kid to learn here. For a series of vignettes in which he’s shown stabbing books and papers, flipping out and raging in a secret hideout, Jay White instead came off as a confused, angsty teenager who isn’t sure what he wants in this world. I remember my teenage phase of collecting bits of barbed wire in my room while blasting Nine Inch Nails and the Quake 2 soundtrack and stewing over nothing in particular. The only meaningful difference here is that Jay White has a cooler trenchcoat and less acne.
The match doesn’t matter here. Just know it was dull and the worst on the card. Jay White needs to hang around Sami Callihan, find an edge, anything to find this character, to find this rage, and to prove he actually wants to be Switchblade. He’s wasting an incredible opportunity otherwise.
Owen: Thumb Down
I understand you need a cooldown match after that wild four-way, but this put the entire show on ice. I've come to expect show-stealing matches from the Intercontinental Championship, but this was a compete disaster. Jay White's inexperience and lack of a character combined with an injured Hiroshi Tanahashi and the fact that this show had zero intermissions resulted in a match I could barely muster any amount of care and zoned out for a majority of it. Hopefully White will keep at it and build upon his character, but this did him no favors.
No Disqualification Match for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega (c) def. Chris Jericho
Rating: THE BEST
I expected a brutal match, and instead got an almost poetic war between the Attitude Era of wrestling and - as New Japan booker Gedo calls it - Strong Style Evolved. Kenny Omega was brutalized with chairs, tables, and the sort of weaponized shenanigans you’d see on the road to a First Blood match against a Chris Jericho who was unreasonably nasty (he put the ref’s kid in a Liontamer RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM, for crying out loud). In an awkward moment, Omega even bladed, which rightly should be unheard of in 2018. He fought back not with the same weaponry, but with V-Trigger knees directly into Jericho’s skull and other fierce, painful knockout blows. Jericho never bladed, but he too wore cuts and bruises from the match. His were simply a little more natural, and that difference and how it affected the final outcome, Kenny dropping Jericho on his neck with a brutal One-Winged Angel, told the story of the match. It may as well been an Attitude era wrestler endorsing the new era of Strong Style.
Technically, this is by far not match of the year. It’s still a great match, it’s proof Omega is top-tier talent, and it’s proof Jericho always has been one of the best.
Owen: Thumb Up
This match is a great way to transition WWE fans into checking out more New Japan, as it felt familiar while also introducing elements of Japanese Strong Style. I loved The of Jericho version of his character that he introduced in his latest WWE run, but Alpha Chris Jericho as an asshole Attitude Era wrestler who hates and wants to destroy the fundamentals of New Japan may be my favorite version of him yet. He brutalized Kenny Omega from the get-go and destroyed the entire commentary area just because he could in the process. He attacked Red Shoes and his Young Lion son as well to further lay out his hatred of the way this company operates and he felt like a true outsider.
There were some issues with the match for sure, as the use out the ringside count and rope breaks was inconsistent throughout, but this didn't take too much away that this wasn't a phenomenal match. Kenny Omega proved once again why is considered one of the best in the world and Jericho taking all of his big moves was fantastic, including a nasty One-Winged Angel onto a chair.
IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match
Kazuchika Okada (c) def. Tetsuya Naito
Rating: REALLY GOOD
Trace: Thumb in the Middle
For all that Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho delivered, I’m worried that New Japan may have missed a critical moment not giving Naito the title at Wrestle Kingdom 12.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a tortured and transformed Tetsuya Naito, struggling to come to terms with losing a main even spot at Wrestle Kingdom because the fans didn’t believe in him. He found peace in Los Ingobernables and the mentality of Tranquilo. This could have been his crowning moment, a crowd of adoring fans tens of thousands strong screaming “NA-I-TO!” through tears as his Street Fighter-esque techno music plays and he holds up the title in the spot he felt he deserved years ago. It would have been an emotional release the likes of which we haven’t seen since Daniel Bryan’s ultimate triumph at WrestleMania XXX.
Instead, he ran into arguably the greatest wrestler of our time, Kazuchika Okada, and was picked apart in a believable manner.
Let’s be perfectly clear: This was a good match. Like most of Okada’s best matches, it was believable. He is an incredible athlete, and his match style involves picking apart the styles of others, finding another counter or move to beat the best his opponents have to offer, or by being so resilient that his opponents are forced to make a critical mistake in attempting to beat him. This was no different in his victory over Naito, and in a vacuum, this would be a great main event for any standard. Okada pulled Naito away from the Tranquilo mentality. Emotion poured in over his chance at redemption, and Naito made emotional mistakes that would be understandable in any sport’s context.
Over the years-long path of redemption, I fear NJPW may have let a historic and defining moment slip away. I sincerely hope I’m wrong.
Owen: Thumb Up
This felt like the true main event of Wrestle Kingdom to me. You could feel the crowd was extremely excited to see this match, and they put on a match that warranted this reaction. Kazuchika Okada is currently on one of the best runs of his career as a dominant champion, and Tetsuya Naito's story of getting to this match added a lot of stakes and support for him. I understand Trace's disappointment in Naito not completing his story here and getting the title, but with a card with Alpha vs. Omega already on it, I don't think the show needs it. As Okada said after the match, we could see him climbing out of this hole and once again getting the title shot at Wrestle Kingdom 13. If Okada is still champion and Naito maybe even raising the stakes by putting his career on the line or something, it could be huge.
But this match on its own was excellent as two of the biggest stars in the company put on a great match with barely any flaws or things to nitpick. Even with Naito losing, this was a good way to end a great night of wrestling. | {
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Thursday, March 22, 2012
What Kind Of Power Should Government Have Over Your Life?
The concept of government power is a strange and complex cipher. The existence of governments has always been predicated on assumptions of necessity, but few societies have ever truly considered what those necessities might be. What is government actually good for? What do they do that is so important? And, what happens when a government fails in the roles and duties that a culture deems vital? We tend to view government as an inevitability of life, but the fact is, government is NOT a force of nature, it is a creation of man, and it can be dismantled by men just as easily as it can be established.
In America, many people see government as an extension of the Republic, or even the source, and an animal that feeds at the behest of the common citizen. An often heard argument against the idea of drastic change or even rebellion within the establishment system is the assertion that the government "is us". That it is made of Americans, by Americans, and for Americans. That there is no separation between the public, and the base of power. This is, of course, a childish and fantastical delusion drawn from a complete lack of understanding as to how our system really operates today. How many people out there who make this argument really believe at their very core that they have any legitimate influence over the actions of the state? I wager not many...
At bottom, to cling to the lie that the government as it stands is a construct of the people is an act of pure denial designed to help the lost masses cope with underlying feelings of utter powerlessness. Unfortunately, the U.S. government has shown clearly through word and action that its concerns are not with the average American, and that its loyalties rest with decidedly smaller and more elite interest groups. When elections once meant to dissuade political abuse become a false paradigm tool for the maximization of tyranny, have we not lost our voice as a society? When any government decides it is no longer concerned with the freedom and prosperity of a nation, no matter how righteous that government claims to be, we MUST, as citizens, ask ourselves whether that government is still useful to us, and what kind of power it should be allowed to wield. It is a dereliction of our duty not just as Americans but as human beings to simply treat government as a realm outside of our control or concern. It is lazy. It is dangerous. It could very well be disastrous. Government should answer to us, now and forever.As the new millennium stampedes forward, however, it appears that the intended roles of the American dynamic have been reversed. The progression of the past decade has seen a hailstorm of legislation and executive orders that impede personal liberties and erode Constitutional protections in place for centuries. So many trails towards totalitarianism have been blazed recently that it is becoming difficult to track them all, and yet, I do not think many in our country have asked themselves what this means to their future. What kind of rights are you ready to hand over to government? How many aspects of your life should the establishment be able to dictate? How much freedom are you willing to give away?While pondering these questions, each man and woman should also take into account the powers that those in government THINK they deserve. What have they asked for lately? What have they taken without permission? Here is just a short list of the more detrimental declarations of authority attempted over the past decade along with the pieces of legislation and executives orders used to make them "all legal"...The Power To Invade Your PrivacyThe U.S. government has long held at least a private belief that it should be allowed access to every aspect of a citizen's personal life. In the past, the excuse of criminal suspicion was a standard rationalization, but this expanded beyond the targeting of individuals to broader surveillance of the populace as a whole with the advent of the drug war. Financial records especially became subject to government perusal without warrant and generally without any criminal charges filed. This trampling of the 4th Amendment over a fabrication of a "war" on substances that by all rights should be legal anyway was just a taste of what was to come. With the explosion of the war on terror (another fabricated conflict), the application of mass surveillance became standardized. The Patriot Acts and the FISA bill, both upheld by so called "Republican" and "Democratic" presidents, have opened the door for centralized electronic spying in the name of "national security". Never before has the world seen such an unbridled assault on the private lives of common citizens. The big brother grids of the Soviet era are child's play compared to the data mining of the 21st century, and this tyranny is made possible by the marriage of government and corporate interests, working in tandem to ensure an ever tightening net.The usual ill conceived debate point for such surveillance is the claim that it is "for the greater good", for our own safety, and that if we have nothing to hide, we have nothing to fear. It is not uncommon for slaves to embrace the loss of privacy in the name of safety, even if that feeling of safety is an illusion, but, in the end, whether we have something to hide is none of the government's concern. In a true Republic, innocent until proven guilty is a paramount ideal, and this ideal cannot exist in a country where everyone is treated as a suspect at every moment of every day. No politician, no corporate body, no president, no alphabet agency in existence is exalted enough to play the all seeing all judging eye of god. This kind of power in the hands of an organization whose sole purpose is self preservation and expansion at any cost? Absolutely unacceptable!The Power To Silence From the DHS, to the private Federal Reserve, to Google and Facebook, the tides of opinion and social observation are being tracked, catalogued, and flagged for future intervention. With active programs now in place to identify and isolate negative online criticism of these institutions as well as to marginalize freelance web journalists and more mainstream media icons with a strong voice, the general public is finally beginning to see what we in the Liberty Movement have been warning about for years.(See here and here.)The invasion of privacy is merely the first step in the process of silencing dissent. If the citizenry is put in a position in which they know they are constantly being watched, they may decide to censor themselves to avoid possible retribution. In fact, the destruction of free speech has always been accomplished in history first by the target population itself. Terrified of real and imagined consequences, people begin to filter their own views, until a single harmless and homogenized collective voice forms.The near miss of SOPA legislation has proven as well that the government hopes to one day be able to summarily vaporize internet outlets based on whatever guidelines they see fit to apply. It also showed that the American public is not going to roll over while this occurs. I think it safe to say that the internet is the very last bastion of free speech in the world, free from filtration, bureaucratic meddling, and corporate vampirism. SOPA was a test case. New and more subversive methods will arise, and shutting down the web as we know it will be a number priority for our government for the foreseeable future. "Free speech zones" aside, protest is becoming far more difficult in this country. Less-than-lethal devices like tasers, rubber bullets, tear gas, sound cannons, microwave guns, etc. have "humanized" the act of government violence against peaceful protest, but the effects of violating the 1st Amendment are the same. Add to this the use of Fusion Centers to coordinate armies of riot cops with the help of the DHS, the FBI, and even the military, and you have a high grade goon machine constructed to undermine the people's right to redress grievances. It has become obvious that this government not only wants to stifle your ability to affect change through electoral means, but it is also determined to make sure you can't openly complain about being muscled out of the political process either. The Power To Financially Destroy Of course, much of the economic distress that we suffer today was generated by the corrupt activities of the Federal Reserve (a privately controlled banking cartel) and global financing conglomerates like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, however, the government's complicity in these activities cannot be denied. It was the Congressional repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act that gave international banks the ability to derivitize massive numbers of mortgages and create the ongoing implosion of the housing bubble. It was the SEC that turned the other cheek for years while credit fraud flooded markets and ratings agencies gave AAA status to toxic and basically worthless assets. It is the U.S. government to this day that defends the Federal Reserve's nonstop quantitative easing, the destruction of the dollar, and increased deficit spending driving our nation even deeper into debt. The passage of the bailouts despite an 80% opposition from the public sent a stark message; the governm ent does not care what you think about the economy, and will do what it pleases, even if it means destroying your means of fiscal survival. The Power To Imprison Without TrialThe NDAA is truly a perfect representation of the kind of power the government would like to have over the people, no questions asked. The Obama Administration's half hearted promises to not use the provisions of the legislation to detain American citizens indefinitely without trial are little comfort, especially when one considers that the man has not kept a single positive promise since taking office in 2008. Frankly, I would have slightly more respect for the president (which isn't much) if he had the guts to come out and admit what the language of the NDAA clearly states; that American citizens can and will be designated as enemy combatants under the rules of war, and that anyone, regardless of citizenship, can be labeled a "terrorist" for any reason by the executive branch. I suppose the one good side-effect of the passage of the NDAA is the level of awakening going on in the American public to the direction our country is taking. Not to mention, the scrambling that political representatives now have to do to cover themselves and explain away their support for the draconian measures.For those who do not grasp the ultimate goal of this kind of legislation, the NDAA seems outlandish, or insane. But, in a certain light, it is perfectly logical. A government that seeks totalitarian control is REQUIRED to remove the protections that a jury trial affords, otherwise, it cannot function in the manner it desires. If a person is given the opportunity of a jury by his peers, this takes the ability to criminalize out of the hands of government and places it in the hands of a third party. Just as in the economy, the globalists who stand at the helm of our country would very much like to centralize law. This means removing all checks and balances from the equation. In the name of national security, Washington D.C. considers all things possible...The Power To Kill Without TrialAnother program supported by both Republican and Democratic presidents, the ability to assassinate American citizens without trial based on mere accusations from the executive branch is a highly useful tool for tyranny. Over the past couple years the questions have always been; how far do they plan to take this policy, and, will they try to use it against American citizens on American soil? These questions have been indirectly answered by FBI head Robert Mueller when he tried to dodge them in a recent hearing:
Mueller's claim that he is "not sure" if Americans can be assassinated on U.S. soil is the same as an admission that this is at the very least being considered. Given the legaleze wrangling that both Mueller and Eric "Fast and Furious" Holder have tried to implement in rationalizing the use of assassination, I find it hard to fathom that anyone would NOT expect they would use the policy for Americans on home turf. The power to kill or imprison without trial is expressly forbidden by Constitutional law and the Bill of Rights. Such abuses were the primary cause of the Revolutionary War, yet, here we are again, dealing with the same murderous reasoning with a slightly different face. The Power To Militarize Federal fusion centers and funding for local law enforcement has irreparably damaged state and county objectivity and opened the door to a steady diet of anti-liberty propaganda for police officials across the nation. Some eat it up, some don't. However, the issue here is one of intention. Why does the federal government feel the need to arm divisions of local law enforcement with automatic weapons, predator drones, and even tanks? Why is Congress going out of its way to free up FAA regulations to allow police organizations unprecedented access to predator drones, up to 30,000 by 2020, for use in civilian airspace? Why does the DHS suddenly need 450 million rounds of .40 cal ammunition from ATK?And why has Obama quickly and quietly signed the Executive Order for National Defense Resources Preparedness? Though many will claim the order only rehashes such continuity of government policies seen in older programs like Rex 84, I find it a bit disconcerting that our government suddenly feels the need to rehash Rex 84 powers at all! The order is a claim to eminent domain, not just over land, but over every resource imaginable in the face of a "national emergency". Using military force, all goods, services, and property, can be confiscated in the name of support for military and governmental logistics. In an article written in February titled "The DHS Defends Globalism, Not America", I warned that Janet Napolitano's language of supply chain protection and resource allocation could only be supported by the pilfering of goods from one place to feed another.Now we see that this was indeed the intention all along. Given that the John Warner Defense Authorization Act allows the president to declare a national emergency and martial law for almost any reason at any time without oversight from Congress for at least 6 months, the possibility of vast programs of resource confiscation becomes much more likely. The power to militarize a culture at will, and to force that culture to work and produce in the name of the state and the benefit of the state is perhaps the most terrifying power of all. It is, for all intents and purposes, the power to enslave. What Has Our Government Become?Really, who needs terrorists when you have a government like ours? If it is the widespread destruction of the principles that founded our society that you fear, then the last enemy you need worry about is the Muslim boogie man. The greatest threat to our way of life is an institution that has always operated right under our noses and acted with impunity sheltered by the very borders it is tasked to defend. It is the only group in existence that has the resources, the military backing, and the proven intent to undermine liberty in America. It is the supreme threat to individual freedom in the world today. And, the worst irony of all is that it commits every one of its crimes in our name. So, there comes a point when we have to decide what kind of respect this brand of monstrosity deserves? It would appear that the government, or at least root elements of it, see the American people as the enemy. And why not? We are, in the end, the only force on the planet in a position to deconstruct the machine, so it only follows that we find ourselves locked in its crosshairs. We have not been given much choice. The only decision left to make is one within each individual. How much do we really need the system, and how much pain and horror are we willing to endure to satisfy its insatiable hunger? Where will we finally draw the line...?
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Sound Of Cannons is explicity against the NAU!
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The Four Horsemen Have Saddled Up
Welcome!
We've grown as a blog and now occupy the two top floors of Sound Of Cannons Towers East. A wild and wooly bunch of editors and tech people service this blog with enough regularity to make us a force of the blogosphere!
This blog has concentrated on finance and government issues facing America. This blog was formed to include some personal items, but has grown mostly as a political machine.Read, enjoy and pass it on!
If you are interested in providing an opinion or feedback for something you've read, please email us at the following email address:[email protected]'ll be discreet, but we may use some emails in our postings to highlight articles or use as content. Please be brief and no racist rants nor profanity please.
About Us
We're Liberty and Freedom-minded, professional fellows; with a plethora of things to say and no fear in expressing them. One of our favorite sayings is:
"Oderint dum metuant" which translates, roughly, as "Let them hate as long as they fear." It was a favorite saying of the Roman emperor Caligula. He wasn't a particularly nice guy, but he had the world at his bidding and history will never forget him or his notoriety. That's power. | {
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Retail blogs tap into younger demographic
AUTHOR(S)
Martinez, Sarah
PUB. DATE
October 2006
SOURCE
Garden Center Magazine;Oct2006, Vol. 12 Issue 10, p10
SOURCE TYPE
Periodical
DOC. TYPE
Article
ABSTRACT
The article discusses the "blogs," also known as the Web logs, and its uses to small business. A survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that blogs are becoming more prevalent. It was shown that a rising number of small business are using the blogs to connect with customers, share advice and make subtle product pitches. | {
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The Temple Of Enthusiasm
Deus makes motorcycles. Stripped down and rebuilt. Customized for your life and revved up for everything else. Deus makes four gears and loose throttles. Wind in your hair and thunder in your guts. Full speed towards the volcano. And that’s just the beginning. Deus makes surfboards. Deus makes coffee. Deus makes music. Deus makes things happen.
That’s what Deus makes. For everything else, there is the Temple of Enthusiasm. For caffeine and gasoline. For burnt rubber and trimming fins. For fiberglass and blues. For tacos and tattoos. The Temple is where you end up from never going home. The Temple is the destination where the road doesn’t end. This is Bali. This is the once-quiet village called Canggu. With its winding rice-paddy back roads and a surf breaks for every appetite, this is where the Deus Temple of Enthusiasm takes root. Like some strange new tree. The Temple must be seen to be understood.
There is beer on tap. There is art on walls. There is shaping bays and surfboards stacked like sets out the back. There is photo studios and 3 world food fusion. Cocktails built by hand and paint spilled on the floor. Everything is fast and smooth and toes over the noes. Music in your ears and flashbulbs in your eyes. Hand-carved skateboards and individualise pushies. Surfboards and sushi. Movie nights and drag races. It doesn’t stop there.
This is the prayer of greasy hands. This is the path of resin-stuck sandals. This is the sacred ground on which we dig. Welcome to the Temple of Enthusiasm. Yes, we make motorcycles and surfboards. But it’s everything in between that makes us. | {
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William “Bill” Maxwell of Livonia, NY and native of Glasgow, Scotland passed away on November 15, 2017 at age 87. Bill became a member of NISOA in 1974 and refereed actively until 1995. After his retirement from the field, he acted as a valued mentor and assessor, and as an observer for ECAC. Bill had a storied career as a referee in the North American Soccer League, including acting as center referee for the 1984 Soccer Bowl. He was one of the first full-time referees hired by the Major Indoor Soccer League, refereeing the MISL championship game in 1981.
Bill was masterful with player management, and had a wit that was unrivaled. According to his son Ray, some of Bill’s favorite college memories came from his annual trip with a number of colleagues to Oneonta’s Hartwick College for the Mayor’s Cup.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on December 15, 2017 at Central Presbyterian Church in Geneseo, NY.
Special thanks to the Dave Wolgast and the Rochester (NY) ISOA chapter for this information. | {
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Tag Archives: Down Syndrome
Staff Report March 21, 2018Local NewsComments Off on Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center Celebrates, Educates on World Down Syndrome Day
Sara Walker is a happy, friendly and determined young girl who loves climbing, playing and singing songs. The 4-year-old loves to do gymnastics and likes showing everyone how she knows her ABCs. She also has Down Syndrome.
Sara’s mom, Belinda, says she and her husband Jeff found out Sara had Down Syndrome while she was pregnant.
“When we got the results of the blood test letting us know with 99 percent certainty that she would have Down Syndrome, I was just devastated,” said Belinda. “I just didn’t know how to process that information. I was in a funk for about 24 hours. Then I reached out a friend of ours who had a child with Down Syndrome and the first thing she said was, ‘Congratulations.’”
While the response may have come as a surprise at the time, Belinda says she know completely understands the reaction.
“Oh my goodness,” she said, tearing up. “Sara is the best thing that ever happened to me – to us. Just the way she is.”
As March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day, Belinda says they use the day as a way to educate the community about Down Syndrome and what it means for Sara and others like her.
The awareness day is celebrated each year on March 21, meant to represent the occurrence of a third copy of the 21st chromosome that results in Down Syndrome.
The symbolism of socks at the event is to illustrate the beauty of diversity, said Natalie Eckberg, Fund Development Officer for the Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center, a nonprofit serving children with special needs and their families.
“We are asking members of the community to join us,” said Eckberg. “Our goal is to bring the community together to celebrate what we consider to be a day of acceptance and inclusion. People with Down Syndrome can bring so much to the community. As a society, it is up to us to showcase their abilities and create meaningful opportunities for these individuals.”
At the Center, Sara is enrolled in the agency’s childcare program and speech and language pathology services. Previously, the family received Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) through the organization. Early Childhood Intervention or ECI provides pediatric developmental and therapy services for babies and toddlers birth up to the age of 3 years.
Sara has thrived, Belinda says, in large part because of the services received by the organization as well as the family’s commitment to focus on her abilities and the progress she was making.
“We have never treated her any differently,” she said. “She’s my baby and I coddle her and hold her but we expect her to clean up her messes like any other child. Since the beginning, we’ve given her a strong foundation of being treated like any other child. Sara loves to climb and play.
She always has more songs she wants to sing. Every day her words are clearer. She’s surpassed all of our expectations. We’ve never treated her differently, and I think that has a lot to do with her resilience.”
Belinda says this World Down Syndrome Day she would love more people to realize that Down Syndrome isn’t something to be scared of.
“People with Down Syndrome are not any different than you or me,” said Walker. “They want to be accepted and loved and treated no differently. They can do anything. Sara can do anything she can put her mind to. And that’s typical of children with Down Syndrome. They just want to succeed.”
To celebrate World Down Syndrome Day, the Walkers wore their crazy socks.
“We have photos from each year of our feet in the socks,” said Walker, who is also involved with the Down Syndrome Coalition of El Paso and Gigi’s Playhouse.
“We love doing it. The point of the day is to spread awareness about acceptance and inclusion for people with Down Syndrome. Her father and I have t-shirts that say: ‘We wouldn’t change you for the world, but we will change the world for you.’ And we are going to keep working towards that. Because that’s what Sara and all other people with Down Syndrome deserve – a better world.” | {
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Sooo good! Compared to #gentlebaby this one smells like lavender. I paired it wi…
Sooo good! Compared to #gentlebaby this one smells like lavender. I paired it with lavender for #naptime and Emilee was out in minutes😮
Message me if you are interested in trying our products!
#yl #youngliving #yleo #ylrep #represent #seedlings #calm #seedtodeal #qualitymatters #pure #diy #homemade #momswhooil #oilymommas | {
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Okay, there are a zillion bits about load balancing including introductions and articles for developers, but I’m throwing this out in a blog format so we can be more chatty and less “instructional”. To that end, I’ll be a lot more laid back than what you’re used to reading on the topic, but the whole point of this (and any follow-on) blogs is to get you to understand rather than just know load balancing. If you already understand, join me, there’s a comment form below, tell the other readers what I’ve missed or understated.
So you’ve built your web app ZapNGo, and it rocks. You deployed it on a big machine, and before you knew it, the machine was overloaded and users were getting timeouts. This wasn’t meant to be so busy, so your first step is to move the database off to another machine, freeing up a ton of memory, disk I/O and CPU time, and costing you a (relatively) modest amount of network time. Sure, some of you – at least in your day jobs – put the database on a separate machine to begin with, but the app that takes off is inevitably the one that was developed on the side, so humor me.
Things run fine for a little while, but eventually, you max out your machine again. If your overload is CPU or RAM, the first place you look is at the app design itself. Maybe you improve it, maybe you don’t – depends upon your organization, available resources, the app design, and overall complexity of the problem it solves. Let us assume you found some problems (did you really have to create a local copy of that variable-sized array in your recursive routine? An array built from the result of a query? ;-)).
All is peachy again, and then you get slash-dotted – or the new equivalent, twitter-feeded – and things go crazy. Now you’ve already optimized the app, you’ve moved the DB off, and with web applications (which we’re discussing, because slash-dotting doesn’t overload other apps) you can’t generally move the web server and its bazillion associated bits off the machine, so you’re stuck, right? Your application is now ZapNGone?
Nope, just need a little more work and a load balancer – or these days possibly an Application Delivery Controller (ADC). Suffice it to say that high-end load balancing is generally one feature of an ADC, so if you own one, you own a load balancer. We’ll delve into the other bits of ADCs later, or you can read up on some of the stuff Lori has written in the last year or so (before she went surfing on the cloud ;-)).
If you’ve been programming for long, you likely know the vague bits of load balancing – Round Robin isn’t a new term to you, and you know it helps expand applications – but how do you know you need one, what are your options, and how do you get started?
Well, you’ve got the “How do I know I need one” bit down from the above – if you’ve moved off what you can, and you’ve optimized the application, and it’s still overloading the server it is hosted on, you can continue to throw hardware at it – by replacing the server, adding memory, adding network cards, whatever – or you can throw in a load balancer and another server. If your application is that busy, or if it isn’t, and it is mission critical, then you want the load balancer option. Seriously. You know that unless you’re on some pretty darned high-end servers there is a limit to how far you can grow the webserver box. There isn’t a limit to how many boxes you can throw behind a good load balancer, and there are limits to how many you can put behind a poor load balancer, but it’s more than one, so that might be an option also. The reason mission critical is mentioned is because a load-balanced solution can keep going if a server drops. No matter how large you grow your server, if it goes, you’re down. With a load balancer that’s not true, if one box drops the others can pick up the slack and keep your site live. I don’t know all of the load balancers on the market, so check with your chosen vendor. Our ADC can absolutely shift work off of dropped servers so your website stays live (this is one of the “so buy ours” parts, didn’t want you to miss it ;-)).
Once you know you need one, let’s talk a bit about what one. There are software load balancers – both Open Source and proprietary – there are hardware load-balancers, and there are hardware ADCs. There is also the cloud. Yeah, I said that, just don’t tell Lori.
If you’ve got one app that’s having performance problems (which aren’t really problems - “too many users” shouldn’t be considered a problem), and don’t foresee adding any more, it is well worth checking out the cloud. Seriously, it’s infrastructure on demand, and many cloud providers use or offer BIG-IP, giving you load balancing and all the other ADC functionality like security and web app acceleration. So price it out. Some are prohibitively expensive, all (that I know of) charge you by how much you use, much like CDNs do. But it might fit your model, so it’s worth checking on.
If you’re going to have more than the one application (ZapNComeBack is under development?), then the cost of the cloud will increase, and it’s worthwhile to consider putting in something you can use for more than just load-balancing your application. That’s where ADCs come in. I won’t delve into all of the benefits at this time, but they’re pretty huge – go read some of the excellent articles in the DevCentral Docs section or check out the DevCentral Codeshare (login required) to get an idea of what an ADC is capable of. While of course I think our primary competitors are less functional than we are, check their sites out too – and no, I’m not going to link you to our competitors, sheesh. If you’re seriously on a budget, the software load balancers are worth checking out, and if you essentially have no budget, the Open Source load balancer is worth checking out – though remember that you still have to deploy it.
So how do you get started? Well the simplest option is to put two servers running the same software behind the load balancer… But it’s rarely that simple. If they’re both hitting the same DB, you can imagine there is potential for conflict, if the application has variable execution times, you are going to want to use something other than round robin load balancing (which sends requests sequentially to each server, then starts over)… The list goes on. There are some coding gotchas to using any load-balancing algorithm also, but I’m looking at how long this post is, and I’ll put off mentioning them until a follow-up. I have a collection of links, but there is at least one link not in there I want to gather up before posting them.
So there we have it, the idea – how to figure out if you need one and what your options are… Next we’ll talk about how to account for one in your code, complete with a list of links to explain issues and resolutions.
Don.
PS: I’m running a Storage series, I guess I’ll turn this into a (much shorter) series too, since we’re cut off before the intro is done, and I’m already thinking about the next step after this. So Wednesdays must be “Load Balancing Intro for Developers” day. Maybe when I’m done with them all, we’ll bundle them as Tech Tips. | {
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unlock your fantasies…
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Fairy Tale Fantasy…
Yesterday, Joan Chandler and I made a trip to meet with other writers to prepare goody bags for those that attend our GCCRWA Silken Sands Writers Conference that will be held at Pensacola Beach next weekend. We took a long “detour” to our destination, but did arrive for the last few minutes of the gathering. While there, I realized that the room was filled with men and women that write fantasies for people to read to escape from their everyday lives for just a little while. The genres are everything from paranormal, romantic suspense, young adult, erotic romance, to classic fairy tale romances. A lot of active imaginations were there, and will converge on the shores of Pensacola Beach next week. I am looking forward to meeting new people and learning new ways to polish my craft. I love fairy tales, and that is what I have written in One Sizzling Summer.
Joan Chandler came back from our meeting and created another book trailer to let people know about the fairy tale romance that can be found in my book, as well as her book, Perfectly Imperfect. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I watched it this morning! Find yourself a good fairy tale to read and embrace the “Happily Ever After“. Have a great week! If you have a day that is less than happy, just drop by and watch this video again…it will boost your spirit! 🙂
3 thoughts on “Fairy Tale Fantasy…”
We enjoyed our time with the group, though it was abbreviated. Loved the afternoon of laughter! Good way to start the week. You are so much fun. Wish we lived closer so we could hang out sometimes.:) Hope it is a wonderful week. | {
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Gili Meno
Gili Meno the middle island, the smallest of the three Gili’s and it is the quietest with fewer tourists. A great escape for honeymooners or someone who wants to get away from it all. A special feature of the island is the salt lake and spectacular dive sites such as, Meno Wall, Sea Turtle Point, and Blue Coral Point. The beach on eastern part of the island is very nice and there’s snorkeling just offshore and further north.
Orientation
A coastal path leads all the way around the island, and can be covered at a very leisurely pace in 90 minutes. Most of the tourist facilities, including the boat arrival and departure point, are on the southern part of the east coast.
There is a lake on the western side of the middle of the island. This is sometimes quite full, and at others very dry. It is though always very saline.
The island has a population of about 300 locals. The interior of the island is mostly a palm trees surrounded by grass which is kept neat by cows munching lazily in the shade. There are no cars or motorbikes on the island, all transport is by horse-drawn cars or on foot.
Access to Gili Meno from Bangsal Harbour:
Public boat from Bangsal Harbour to gili Meno could be a problem, because passenger list at the ticket counter must reach at least 20 pax, otherwise you must charter the boat. If you meet other travellers, try ask them to share the price of boat charter. Most likely Public Boat goes often to Gili Air and Gili Trawangan. If you have no choice, rather than charter the boat yourself, try stay for a night in Gili Air or Gili Trawangan, then in the next morning take Island Hopping Boat that regularly leaves twice a day daily at around 9 – 10AM and 14:00 – 15:00PM.
Facilities on Gili Meno
Electricity supply is now available on Gili Meno. The electrical voltage in Indonesia is 220 Volt, if you bring any devices which require recharged at lower voltage (110 Volt) bring an electrical voltage converter or ask the hotel where you stay for STAVOLT.
Money changers are available in most Tourist Information, but usually give you a lower rate than changing on the mainland of Lombok. As there are no banks on the Gili islands, make sure you take enough cash for your intended period of stay. But if you get into any difficulties, it is good to know that there is now one ATM machine on Gili Trawangan, located at Hotel Vila Ombak.
MENO’S BIRD SANCTUARY
On the island of Gili Meno, a new tourist attraction introduced by an Australian businessman who live in Bali, with hundreds of various tropical birds from many different rain forests of Indonesia, featuring a maze of walkways that lead to fantastic aviaries. Macaws, flamingos, pelicans, eagles, parrots, and more create a cloud of rainbow as they fly overhead. | {
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Access to health care for undocumented migrant children and pregnant women confronts human rights and professional values with political and institutional regulations that limit services. In order to understand how health care professionals deal with these diverging mandates, we assessed their attitudes toward providing care to this population. Clinicians, administrators, and support staff (n = 1,048) in hospitals and primary care centers of a large multiethnic city responded to an online survey about attitudes toward access to health care services. Analysis examined the role of personal and institutional correlates of these attitudes. Foreign-born respondents and those in primary care centers were more likely to assess the present access to care as a serious problem, and to endorse broad or full access to services, primarily based on human rights reasons. Clinicians were more likely than support staff to endorse full or broad access to health care services. Respondents who approved of restricted or no access also endorsed health as a basic human right (61.1%) and child development as a priority (68.6%). A wide gap separates attitudes toward entitlement to health care and the endorsement of principles stemming from human rights and the best interest of the child. Case-based discussions with professionals facing value dilemmas and training on children's rights are needed to promote equitable practices and advocacy against regulations limiting services. | {
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Author: adminian
We have clearly established that the Volcano is one of the best desktop vaporizers out there. While it’s super-efficient, you’re still left with some herb after each session. It seems like a total waste to …
If you’re adjusting your Volcano Vaporizer temperature blindly, you’re missing out on flavor. Temperatures that are too high can burn material, releasing toxins – in the case of cannabis. But a lot of users will …
By now, we suspect that you understand that the Volcano is the world’s leading vaporizer. The gold standard for desktop vaporizers, with a design that allows for clean, pure vapor that’s required for medical … | {
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HAWAII
Hawaiian Airlines tops industry service rankings
Hawaiian Airlines came out on top in February among carriers nationwide in three service categories tracked by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The airline was rated best among 19 airlines in on-time service, cancellations and baggage handling in a tally the agency released yesterday. Hawaiian was ranked fourth best in passenger complaints.
The mainland operations of Mesa Airlines, which plans to start Hawaii interisland service in June as go!, ranked fifth for on-time service, 16th in cancellations, 15th in baggage handling and 14th for consumer complaints.
Aloha Airlines was not part of the agency's tally, which includes carriers with at least 1 percent of total domestic scheduled-service passenger revenues.
NATION
Americans are not saving enough
NEW YORK » The majority of American workers think they'll be able to retire comfortably, but most aren't saving nearly enough to meet that goal, according to a new study.
The Employee Benefit Research Institute's annual retirement confidence survey, released Tuesday, found that about 68 percent of workers are confident about having adequate funds for a comfortable retirement, up slightly from 65 percent in 2005.
At the same time, more than half of all workers say they've saved less than $25,000 toward retirement, according to the Washington, D.C., based research group. Even among workers 55 and older, more than four in 10 have retirement savings under $25,000.
"'Overconfidence' is the word that comes to mind," said Jack VanDerhei, co-author of the study.
Best Buy slashes headquarters
MINNEAPOLIS » Best Buy Co. Inc., the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer, said it gave layoff notices to about 300 workers at its Richfield headquarters on Monday.
The layoffs amount to about 7 percent of its corporate headquarters, spokeswoman Dawn Bryant said. It's about a half percent of Best Buy's total work force.
JetBlue will offer spa products
NEW YORK >> JetBlue Airways Corp. will offer spa products on its red-eye flights, hoping to fill seats in fiercely competitive transcontinental markets as high fuel prices continue to plague the airline industry.
JetBlue and Bliss have begun giving overnight passengers kits that contain eye masks, earplugs, moisturizer, lip balm and a promotional offer from the spa company. The kits are distributed only on flights between Western states and the East Coast.
The airline has also started offering a self-serve pantry filled with snacks and hot towels on the flights -- part of what JetBlue is calling "Shut-Eye" service.
Exxon Mobil returns to No. 1 on Fortune 500
NEW YORK » Skyrocketing energy prices propelled Exxon Mobil Corp. to the top of the 2006 Fortune 500 list, and consigned Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to the No. 2 spot on the magazine's annual ranking of the nation's largest publicly traded companies.
Fortune compiled its list based on companies' 2005 revenues. Exxon Mobil raked in $340 billion in revenue, a 25.5 percent increase over 2004, and had $36.1 billion in profits, the most by any U.S. company in history.
Exxon Mobil last appeared at No. 1 in 2001. Only Wal-Mart, Exxon Mobil and General Motors Corp. have topped the list since its inception in 1954.
Geico bases car-insurance premiums on education and occupation, charging less to more-educated customers, according to the suit.
The policy means that blacks pay more on average for automobile insurance, because they're less likely to have college degrees, according to a complaint filed yesterday on behalf of black consumers in 43 states and Washington.
Expedia will add listings for B&Bs
Expedia Inc., the world's largest online travel agency, will add listings for more than 6,000 inns and bed-and-breakfast properties as it expands the lodging options for its customers.
Expedia said it formed an exclusive partnership with BedandBreakfast.com to offer the service's rooms, rates and resources such as a worldwide database of inns.
WORLD
Verizon selling in Latin American
MEXICO CITY » Verizon Communications announced yesterday that it was selling its interests in phone companies in Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic for $3.7 billion, saying they no longer fit in with its business focus.
All three transactions involved America Movil, a large cellular telephone service provider controlled by the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu that has grown steadily across Latin America as global telecommunications companies left. | {
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Keeping in mind what thanksgiving is about, expensive and elaborate decorations seem all wrong, Thanksgiving is about a lot of different things but no less is it about remembering our roots and the ancestors that braved adversity to found our country.
To me decorating for thanksgiving should be about getting back to those roots and creating a rustic and homey atmosphere that personifies all the things that we celebrate this holiday for. I have included a few ideas of how you can start your own Thanksgiving decorations, where to look for inspiration and finally several links to get your creative juices going. Happy Thanksgiving and have fun crafting.
The first place you should start is by taking a walk around your homestead both inside and outside, look for inspiration in the little things, the leaves on the ground, the branches of the trees, wood in the wood pile and bales of straw. Search for corn stalks, pine cones, acorns and any other bits and pieces of nature that you think might make great decorations.
Take a child with you if you can, sometimes their imaginations are much more vivid and free than our own and they can often see a masterpiece where we see only a pile of junk.
Simple Ideas for Quick and Easy Thanksgiving Decorations
Create places mats from fall colored fabric scraps by piecing them together and making quilted place mats. This is an easy project that can be finished in an afternoon and will create beautiful place mats you can use year after year.
Fill a cornucopia with leaves, fall flowers, gourds, mini pumpkins and more. Hint: I have included a link on how to make a homemade cornucopia below.
Use leaves, ribbons, and crepe paper to make streamers that you can hang from the ceiling. Better yet give this project to your child and watch their imagine take hold and go wild.
Finally check out all the links below for great ideas to make wonderful homemade thanksgiving decorations.
This link has a lovely idea for making a Thanksgiving centerpiece, the great thing about this idea is that you can use it as a base and create your own centerpiece by adding your own things from around the home and homestead. Have fun with this one! http://www.essortment.com/home/homedecorideas_sjcc.htm
This Video shows out to create colorful Turkeys from pine cones.
Making things using Scraps around your Home
The best Thanksgiving decorations are those that are made from using items around your home that are not being used for anything else. So get ready to sift through the junk drawers and boxes to find bits and pieces for making your best decorations ever.
This Pilgrim Hat Flower Centerpiece is a great example of what you can do with the old odds and ends around your homestead, take a flower pot you are not using, add some scrap material and cardboard box add a few odds and ends and you have a lovely centerpiece you can be proud of.
If you live an old fashioned life chances are good that you have a few skills, whether you sew, quilt, crochet, or knit there are plenty of fun things that you can do to add warm and wonderful Thanksgiving decorations to your festivities.
Kids love to be a part of the holidays and Thanksgiving is no exception so no list of Thanksgiving decorations to make would be complete without a few things for the little ones to do. This selection allows your child to proudly display his masterpieces for everyone to see on thanksgiving day and lets them be an integral part of decorating for the big day.
With so many different ways to celebrate your Thanksgiving without having to spend a dime and getting the warm homey feel that Thanksgiving is supposed to have you and your family can spend a day over the weekend making wonderful handmade decorations for your table. Don’t let the expense, glitz, and commercialism of the holidays get you down, have fun with this fun ideas from all over the web or come up with a few of your own.
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It sure seems that there's always a cycle of things and sooner or later, things circle back around. I'm old enough to recall the hippie movement, the back to the land ideas during the 60's. I was just young enough to have those ideas take hold of me. It sort of died down for a […]
Old Fashioned Families is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com | {
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8X6 inches Graphic Drawing TABLET
Product Description
8X6 inches Graphic Drawing TABLET
Unleash your inner artist!
This precision tool of graphic artist, illustrators and draftsmen allow you to gain precise control of your cursor to draw more accurately and efficiently reducing the chance of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injuries). Great for whiteboard demonstrations, document annotation, free hand illustration and use in conjuction with a wide array of graphic arts, photo editiing and publishing software.
Easy to install, easy to use and spectacular results.
Details
A perfect accessory for your computer.
8X6 inches Graphic Drawing TABLET Unleash your inner artist
This precision tool of graphic artist, illustrators and draftsmen allow you to gain precise control of your cursor to draw more accurately | {
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} |
Old Soul ½
Author(s)
Type
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Last Updated
Current Status
Old Soul ½ is written by Francis Bourque and began online publication on August 19th, 1999.[1] It currently stands incomplete at a prologue and five chapters, the most recent of which was published on September 27th, 1999.[2]
This article is a stub. You can help the Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction Wiki by expanding it.
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After falling into the spring of the drowned girl, Ranma is pushed into the spring of drowned spirit in an attempt for a cure. However he emerges without a cure, with a tremendous amount of magic skill and potential, and she's about 2 years younger and flat as a board! Yep you guessed it Lina Inverse aka Ranma Saotome is back!!?? This is a story about danger, resurrection, magic, and food!![3] | {
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Born A Slave, Street Performer Was First Black Recording Artist
In 1890, George W. Johnson, a former slave, became the first African-American musician to make commercial records. During his short but successful singing career, Johnson sold thousands of recordings. But his contribution to the music industry has been mostly ignored. The Library of Congress is now recognizing George W. Johnson's contribution to music. Last week, Johnson's "The Laughing Song" was added to the National Recording Registry.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE LAUGHING SONG")
MARTIN: The registry preserves audio that is, quote, "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." There are now 400 pieces of audio in its collection. Tim Brooks is the author of "Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry." He told us why "The Laughing Song," by George W. Johnson, is now drawing attention
TIM BROOKS: What was so special about George W. Johnson was that he was able to re-create the experience of a street singer. He kind of slurred his words a little bit. His voice was sharp and penetrating, and his whistles were sharp and penetrating, of course. And most singing, in those days, was very formal and very much note by note from the music. He was very naturalistic compared to the other kinds of singers and recordings that people would hear then.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE LAUGHING SONG")
BROOKS: It was a very racist time, of course. Blacks were excluded from all kinds of lines of work. And for him to be able to become a star of this new, nascent industry that was just starting was remarkable. It showed that the color line apparently didn't apply to records.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE LAUGHING SONG")
BROOKS: George W. Johnson was born in Virginia, in 1846. He was born a slave to a 15-year-old father and a 13-year-old mother. And very early in his life, he was taken by their owner, who was a prosperous farmer, into the farmer's home and made the playmate of the farmer's own son. And he was freed. In the 1870s, he migrated to New York City and became a street performer, basically, working for pennies and coins, singing songs on the streets of New York.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE LAUGHING SONG")
BROOKS: There was some embarrassment about him, too - even in the black community - because the songs he had sung, and had become so popular in the 1890s, basically mocked blacks. And they weren't considered racist at the time but by 1914, the NAACP had been founded. And there was a movement underway to improve the lot of African-Americans. So he was kind of pushed out of the public consciousness in the 'teens and '20s, and so forth. His records went out of print, and he was pretty much forgotten for many years after that.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE LAUGHING SONG")
MARTIN: That was Tim Brooks speaking about singer George W. Johnson, the first African-American to make a commercial recording. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | {
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Curbed SF had the scoop Friday on Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former house at 1581 Masonic in San Francisco hitting the market, listed for $2.75 million; the former mayor moved out of the 4-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, 3,051-square-foot home last month, headed for bigger digs in Marin County. Lotsa pictures… check it out. | {
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Our flight tours travel within 6 miles of the giant summit of Mt.McKinley surrounded by massive peaks and glaciers.We offer a once-in-a-lifetime chance to stand on a glacier in the heart of Denali National Park or take a guided trek at Moraine Lake.
We are a family-operated business that has been offering breathtaking Mount McKinley scenic tours, memorable Alaska fly-in fishing excursions, successful hunting drop-offs, Alaska tours, and exciting rafting trips for more than 14 years. Our experien
Scheduled flights and day trips to McCarthy-Kennicott. World class flight tour of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Fly-in Backpacking, Base Camping and wilderness rafting in America's largest and most spectacular national park.
See the beauty of Alaska's glaciers and wilderness from the sky! Enjoy one of our daily helicopter flightseeing tours of the spectacular Chugach mountains. Land on a glacier! In the summer, try glacier dog sledding! Memories will last a lifetime.
Disclaimer: Information provided through RealAdventures website, newsletters, emails or other services has been provided directly by the companies and/or individuals owning or offering the products/services. RealAdventures does not guarantee or warranty the accuracy of the information contained herein. It is the sole responsibility of the user to ensure the accuracy and clarity of any posted material and to determine the suitability of any service for their particular needs or requirements. Likewise, it is the responsibility of advertisers to determine the suitability and credit worthiness of potential customers prior to any transaction. | {
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Citing Google online search data, U.S. News & World Report is reporting that "interest in Mitt Romney's Mormon faith is higher now than it has ever been before."
In a story by staff writer Elizabeth Flock, the magazine says that while searches related to the Republican presidential candidate's religion have "ebbed and flowed" during the presidential campaign, "searches for the term 'Romney Mormon' saw a significant spike" in August.
"That spike came on the heels of a controversial Bloomberg BusinessWeek cover about Mormonism, and as prominent Mormons called for Romney to open up about his faith," Flock wrote. "The increase also came in the weeks before the Republican National Convention, when Romney opened up about his religion toParade Magazine and allowed a reporter to accompany him to church."
Interestingly, if you Google "Mitt Romney Mormon" or even just "Mitt Romney," you will see a Google ad linking to a page called "Mormons and Politics," an official website of the LDS Church. The website proclaims that "Mormons Are Politically Diverse" and indicates that "while the (LDS) Church is politically neutral, Mormons are encouraged to participate in the political process where they live."
A story onPolitico says that the church's search ad "is a shift from the norm as far as the kinds of search ads that normally show up on Romney's name, the vast majority of which are campaign-sponsored on either side of the aisle."
But writer Emily Schultheis says the ad is "a sign that the Mormon Church sees an opportunity to educate voters who are searching for Romney about the church — and to explain that the church itself does not align with one party or the other."
Although the "Romney Mormon" searches have declined somewhat in September so far, Flock indicates that it still "surpasses any other topic Democrats have used to attack Romney," such as "Bain," "tax returns," "dog on roof" and "etch a sketch."
Flock also says that President Barack Obama's re-election team is "keenly aware" of the national interest in Romney's Mormonism. She quotes aFox News report indicating that Democratic strategists have discussed "what might be called the nuclear option: unleashing an attack on Romney's Mormon faith via the mainstream media."
She adds: "There has been no indication of that kind of attack yet."
Indeed, quite the opposite seems to be true. In the Sept. 10 issue of Time magazine, President Obama is interviewed by Time's White House correspondent Michael Scherer. At one point in the interview, Scherer asks the president if there is anything about Mitt Romney that he admires.
"He strikes me as somebody who is very disciplined," Obama said. "And I think that that is a quality that obviously contributed to his success as a private-equity guy. I think he takes his faith very seriously. And as somebody who takes my Christian faith seriously, I appreciate that he seems to walk the walk and not just be talking the talk when it comes to his participation in his church."
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Shay Hodge stood inside the Alabama five-yard line with under 10 seconds left in the game. He'd just made the play of his young career.
Hodge jumped up in the air, ripped the ball out of Alabama cornerback Lionel Mitchell's hands. He popped off the turf at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and with cheers raining down from most of the 59,791 in attendance, Hodge deliberately nodded his head and pointed to the Ole Miss sidelines.
"I jumped for the ball. I saw the ball, and I saw him grab it," Hodge said. "I knew I couldn't let him get the interception, and I just snatched it."
Ole Miss was now in position to win. He saved the day, and maybe, the season. | {
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The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order. Alfred North Whitehead.
Before you try to change something, increase your awareness of it. Tim Galwey
For the first twenty-five years of my life, I wanted freedom. For the next twenty-five, I wanted order. For the next twenty-five years, I realized that order is freedom. Winston Churchill.
The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is more important than the eye… The hand is the cutting edge of the mind. Jacob Bronowski (ACT)
The world isn’t interested in the storms you encountered, but whether or not you brought in the ship. Raul Armesto
Those who face that which is actually before them, unburdened by the past, undistracted by the future, those are they who live, who make the best use of their lives, those are those who have found the secret of contentment. Alban Goodier
“99 percent of success is built on failure.” – Charles Kettering
“The ultimate creative thinking technique is to think like God. If you’re an atheist, pretend how God would do it.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
“The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away.”– Linus Pauling
“One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive one.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Innovation opportunities do not come with the tempest but with the rustling of the breeze.” – Peter Drucker
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
“Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer injury to our self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their self-importance, learn so easily; and why older people, especially if vain or arrogant, cannot learn at all.” ~ Thomas Szasz
“One must learn by doing the thing. For though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try.” ~ Sophocles
“If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.”~ William McKnight, CEO of 3M
Consider the frog and the scorpion. Give me a ride across the stream. But you will sting me and I will die, replies the frog. But then I would drown, argues the scorpion. The frog swims, carrying his passenger, feels an ominous sting. Why, he asks. Because it is my nature, replies the scorpion.
Learning is not compulsory… neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming
In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists. Eric Hoffer
Sixty years ago I knew everything; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance. Will Durant
“Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.” Jim Rohn
You learn more quickly under the guidance of experienced teachers. You waste a lot of time going down blind alleys if you have no one to lead you. W. Somerset Maugham
“Education is the acquisition of the art of the utilization of knowledge. This an art very difficult to impart. We must beware of what I will call “inert ideas” that is to say, ideas that are merely received into the mind without being utilized or tested or thrown into fresh combinations.” Alfred North Whitehead
“Learning is not so much an additive process, with new learning simply piling up on top of existing knowledge, as it is an active, dynamic process in which the connections are constantly changing and the structure reformatted.” K. Patricia Cross
It is what we think we know already that often prevents us from learning. Claude Bernard
Sometimes the last thing learners need is for their preferred learning style to be affirmed. Agreeing to let people learn only in a way that feels comfortable and familiar can restrict seriously their chance for development. Steven Brookfield
A little learning is a dangerous thing. Alexander Pope
Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all.Thomas Szasz
“Students learn what they care about . . .,” Stanford Ericksen has said, but Goethe knew something else: “In all things we learn only from those we love.” Add to that Emerson’s declaration: “the secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.” and we have a formula something like this: “Students learn what they care about, from people they care about and who, they know, care about them…” Barbara Harrell Carson
Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. Malcolm S. Forbes
The great end of education is to discipline rather than to furnish the mind; To train it to the use of its own powers rather than to fill it with the accumulation of others. Tryon Edwards
Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. John Dewey
“We learn something every day, and lots of times it’s that what we learned the day before was wrong.” Bill Vaughn
“Knowledge is not a commodity to be traded between expert and novice. Rather, it is a construction of ideas negotiated by the learner in a social setting.” Rosamar Garcia
“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it.” Samuel Johnson (Performance support 101)
“There are three principal means of acquiring knowledge… observation of nature, reflection, and experimentation. Observation collects facts; reflection combines them; experimentation verifies the result of that combination.” Denis Diderot
“The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.” Albert Einstein
“He who asks a question may be a fool for five minutes. But he who never asks a question remains a fool forever.” Tom J. Connelly
“The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn.” Alvin Toffler
What we must decide is perhaps how we are valuable, rather than how valuable we are. F. Scott Fitzgerald
Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago. Bernard Berenson
Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. Oliver Wendell Holmes
I’m writing the sequel to Informal Learning. Yet here, the CEO of Netflix gave most of my message four years ago in four slides. Four freaking slides. In case you don’t have time for the whole presentation, here are slides Harold recommended:
I’m seeing the Boards of some organizations playing a greater role in shifting management models.
Most of that is caused by the economics of doing business.
me
10:46 AM
Jeff— The guy in Seattle who has used agile throughout his organization is Bill Justice. I’ll try to track down his coordinates.
Jim McGee
10:46 AM
Boards have the advantage of being more aware of the external environment than management
Loretta Donovan
10:46 AM
Jim, I agree.
Jim McGee
10:47 AM
time for us all to reread Alinky’s “Rules for Radicals”
Loretta Donovan
10:49 AM
wooo
Jeff Tillett
10:58 AM
This was great Jay thanks for sharing the conversation as always!
Peter Isackson
11:01 AM
I have to leave. Thanks. Bye.
Loretta Donovan
11:02 AM
Excellent point, Dave.
Dave Ferguson
11:03 AM
Thank you all. Jay, I appreciate the invitation.
Anne Adrian
11:04 AM
thank you; interesting perspectives..always learning
Loretta Donovan
11:04 AM
Great discussion, everyone. Thanks, Jay.
Jeff Tillett
11:04 AM
Great hangout everyone!
bye
Janet Laane Effron
11:04 AM
Thanks! Nice to have had the chance to stop in
Jim McGee
11:04 AM
thanks Jay as always for your enterpreneurial energy
]]>http://www.internettime.com/2013/01/reinventing-management-the-stoos-movement/feed/1World Stoos Dayhttp://www.internettime.com/2013/01/world-stoos-day/
Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:52:05 +0000http://www.internettime.com/?p=7757Continue reading World Stoos Day→]]>Stoos (rhymes with close or dose) is a mountain village of 100 inhabitants at 1,300 metres in the center of Switzerland. People come to ski.
A year ago, twenty of us met on the mountaintop in Stoos to imagine management and business anew. Peter Stevens sent invitations:
Steve Denning, Jurgen Appelo, Franz Röösli and Peter Stevens are pleased to personally invite you to a spontaneous weekend in the mountains. Our goal is to bring together a group of (no more than) 20 (thought) leaders from around the world in business, IT, and human development. We have a nice hotel, ski slopes, a spa, and a conference room. 20 cool people and 2 days. What will come out of it? I hope you will join us to create something wonderful (or just have a good time)!
Things kick off at 3:00 pm Friday in Amsterdam. That’s 6:00 am in San Francisco, but I plan to be there.
Latest on today’s activities, via Steve Denning:
The event features a great speaker lineup, including Roger Martin (dean of the Rotman School of Business), Dan Pink (author of Drive), Jurgen Appelo (Management 3.0) and Lisa Earle McLeod (author of Selling With Noble Purpose). (My talk is expected to be around 14.25 US ET.)
Immediately after Stoos, I went to Lugano for a few days to reflect on the Agile movement, the Beyond Budgeting movement, the Management 3.0, Reinventing Management, and the Radical Management movement. I went into that delightful Flow feeling as I picked through dozens of wonderful, optimistic concepts.
Conclusions: Organizations are organisms, not machines. Those organisms are living networks of learners. Shareholder value is a con-game. The current system is irreparably broken.
Deep change doesn’t occur overnight (unless you witness a miracle); it soaks in. I think the spirit of Stoos got me so interested in the role of emotion in business and what happens when we trust workers to make their own decisions. I see everything though a clearer lens. Humans count.
Jurgen Appelo plays with more models of how things ought to work than anyone I else I know. His book Management 3.0 presents, assesses, and sometimes interconnects with agile, people-oriented processes relentlessly. I’m a fan. See his blog. And this presentation: | {
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Taking to Twitter, they wrote: "Roses are red violets are blue, €80 fine making its way to you. 2 drivers left heartbroken after being fined this morning for applying makeup whilst driving. Early valentine's preparations perhaps? Pls drive responsibly #ValentinesDay" | {
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"Of the people, by the people, for the people." | We stand united behind 'The Peoples Agreement' agreed upon in Cochabamba, Bolivia, April 2010.
Clean Coal Executive Lies Under OathToday, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming held a hearing investigating fraudulent letters forged by Bonner & Associates on behalf of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) to attack the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454). As the Wonk Room’s Brad Johnson has reported, ACCCE President and CEO Steve Miller lied under oath when he told the committee that his organization has never opposed clean energy legislation. | {
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One of our medallions from the Michelangelo Series along with ornate CM-5057 crown molding. Our customer sent in this photo and wrote, "Can't say enough about the beauty and grandeur of this molding. . . . Words cannot express the beauty of this Medallion. I love everything I bought from Udecor so far.”
Thank you to our customer for sharing this photo of her project! | {
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Tuesday, April 1, 2008
SILENCE ON THE CITIES
It's now months into the primary season, but Hillary and Barack have little to say about urban issues. Why? The Clintons never put urban affairs high on their list, because of the DLC fears that any "targeted" programs (read urban, black, Hispanic) would alienate white suburban voters, keeping them forever locked in the embrace of the GOP. And anyhow there are more deer than people of color in Chappaqua, New York, even counting the army of domestics, gardeners, nannies, and day laborers that descends on upper Westchester every day. (According to the US Census, only 89 blacks live in the Clintons' suburb--only 0.9 percent of the population.)
Obama, from Chicago's South Side, trumpets his work as community organizer, but not early and not often. Even yesterday, on the stump in Pennsylvania, appealing to white working-class voters, Obama kept it vague and non-threatening, so Michael Powell tells us in today's Times.
He often mentions his background as a community organizer but in passing, a parenthetical. Not this time. “I got into public service as an organizer,” Mr. Obama told these 1,200 mostly white Pennsylvanians in a local high school gymnasium. “There were a group of churches, mostly Catholic parishes, and they hired me for $12,000 plus car fare.”
But the bouquet to Catholics and low-wage workers aside, it's not likely that we'll get more specifics on Obama's short career in some of Chicago's toughest neighborhoods, lest he start sounding like Jesse Jackson. So for now, even as the campaign buses head into Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, expect more silence. Urban voters matter for the Dems but urban issues are still a third rail for candidates playing to white suburban voters who would rather sing "We Have Overcome" than admit they are part of the problem. | {
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Hi,
The new look of our webpage nearly is finished, even if we have to polish and fine tune some minor things. The update was more and harder work, than we have anticipated, but due to good luck or expertise we didn't face any problems or loss of data. If you see any errors or face any trouble in processing your orders or handling of anything you want to do, please let us know imidiatley. Wie will fix it as soon as possible, because your satisfaction is our goal.
Just drop us a short Email.
The series of the week shows Conny having fun in the mud. It contains 35 photos, but since we think that a movie catches more of the athmosphere of so much fun, we also added a clip 3.5 minutes Long. The white overknees are still dirty from the muddy shooting and is a living monument of the fun Conny had. If somebody wants to purchase them, drop us a line with your offer. The Last photo is showing the boots you may be lucky enough to get!
We do wish you a good time watching the video and the great photos!
Conny 'n Volker
You will find this set and 48 more galleries and videos showing Conny
only on www.Devilbutts.com
today we do have a brand new wetlook video for you. When summer still was around we spontaneously started a wetlook video with Larissa while shooting in our garden. Larissa wears a black leather outfit with white boots from Buffalo. For me it was an amazing feeling to have my camera in one and the water hosepipe in my other hand giving it all to this beautyfull lady. Quite funny, you have to look at it.
Good luck for Larissa she didn't caught the flu while we did the video.
Enjoy it it yours Larissa and Volker
You will find this set and 35 more galleries and videos showing Larissa
only on www.Devilbutts.com | {
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} |
OPENING DAY CEREMONYSaturday, April 10th at James Monroe Park
12:00 - 1:00
10:45am - volunteers please arrive
11:30am - players should arrive wearing their full rec uniforms // players will be lined up on the Lower Field
12:00pm - the parade of players begins
12:25pm-1:00pm - Ceremony includes speeches, ceremonial first pitch, 50/50 and raffles
*snack bar will be open*
*make sure to bring lawn or folding chair*
*parking will be tight so please arrive early...overflow parking will be available at Lantier's Tree Farm* | {
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On Sale Today Only! Need Your Love by Dean Frech
Blurb:
In June, 1966, ACLU attorney Eron Lassiter attends his uncle’s wedding, and makes an unsettling discovery. Though he’d bowed to family pressure and has a potential marriage planned, his long-ignored attraction to other men roars to life when Garrett Emerson, the bride’s nephew, captures his attention.
After serving in the Korean War and going to college later than his peers, upwardly mobile Garrett is a loan officer at a local bank. For his girlfriend, fiancé in her mind, he can’t climb fast enough. But none of that matters to Eron, and maybe that’s why Garrett’s so drawn to him.
Can Eron and Garrett find happiness amidst the still pervasive culture of propriety, honor, and expectation in the 1960s?
By the time they made it to the beach, the July heat and humidity had reached their peak. They grabbed some burgers and fries from a boardwalk stand and snatched a table as a family got up.“You want to stay and swim?” Eron asked as he gobbled down his burger.
“Not really, too crowded.”
“When I was a kid, we’d never let the crowd stop us from swimming,” Eron quipped.
“Yeah, guess we have some sense now.”
They finished eating. Eron nodded toward the car rather than the beach. Garrett smirked and followed. As Garrett drove back to his apartment, Eron reached out and touched his thigh.
“I’m sorry,” Eron blurted out, in line with his own thoughts, but out of nowhere in the silence.
“For what?” Garrett answered, as if he and Eron were thinking about the same thing.
“I guess the whole thing.”
Garrett looked at him and grimaced. “What do you mean?”
“I feel like I start things and then put them to rest.”
Garrett shrugged. “I suppose things can be kind of sticky between us.”
“I don’t want them to be. I haven’t regretted anything we’ve done.”
“Having sex in the bushes at the country club?”
“Nope.”
“Dancing at the Valentine’s dance?”
“Not at all.”
“Maybe if we lived in a vacuum and didn’t have to deal with the rest of the world, this would be easier?”
“Maybe.”
* * * *
They finished the drive back to the apartment in silence. Eron’s sincerity had shone through when he spoke of what they had done and his lack of regret. Eron’s words eased the tension between them. At the flea market, with other people around, they had no trouble carrying on a conversation.
Garrett pulled into his parking spot. He nodded toward his apartment as they got out of the car. Once inside, Eron lowered himself to the davenport and Garrett plopped down next to him.
“I’ve been a jerk,” Eron said.
“We’re both confused. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Garrett wanted to agree with him, but when he played the scene in his head, Eron came off less a jerk than he blamed himself. “It doesn’t help that we both have girlfriends and family that only want what they think is the best for us.”
“Do you and Johnette…you know…”
“Have sex? No. I used to tell myself it was because she was a respectable girl and we should wait.”
“And now?”
“Come on, you know the answer to that. What about you and Mary Ellen?”
“Same situation.”
“Eron, why did you come see me today?”
* * * *
Eron had struggled with the same question. “As much as I don’t want to be gay, I want to be with you.”
“I understand that,” Garrett said after a while. “I don’t identify with the queens that live in the city.”
“What about our jobs? Our family?”
“Could we make it work?”
“I have no idea. Honestly I don’t. I’ve spent hours plotting and examining every angle and I’m more confused than I was to start. I walled up any feelings I had about other men a long time ago, but you brought them to the surface.”
Garrett fiddled with the worn seam on one of the cushions. “I guess you made it safe for me to feel the same way, to experiment.”
“You soothe me and you’re practical.”
Garrett soaked in Eron’s confession. “I do?”
Eron swallowed the last of his fear. “Yes.”
“You know, all I hear anymore is to focus more on my career at the bank and to quit dicking around at the flea market. Even Dad says I need to shit or get off the pot. But you do nothing but encourage me.”
“Isn’t that what being in love is about? Encouraging and helping?”
“Are you saying that you love me?” Garrett squinted at him, then cupped his face in his hands. “Say it again.”
Garrett studied Eron’s face further.
“Yes, it’s true. I have no other explanation for how I feel. I love you.”
With inspiration from historical tourism sites, the love of reading, and a desire to write a novel, Dean started crafting his debut novel,A Place to Call Their Own, in 2008. After four years of writing and polishing the manuscript, it was accepted and originally published 2013. His second novel, Disappear With Me, set in Edwardian England was published later that same year. Both novels were re-released in May 2015.
Dean lives in Kansas City, Missouri with his two cats. He’s involved in his church and enjoys watching movies, outdoor activities in the warmer weather, and spending time with friends and family. In addition to writing, Dean’s hobbies include reading and patio gardening.
Dean is currently working a standalone title, Sartin, a merman romance, and The Higher Law, a continuation of the story of Frank and Gregory’s family set in the 1930s. | {
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Anarchism: A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas
In Volume One of Anarchism: A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas, I included excerpts from Peter Kropotkin’s essay on the Paris Commune, in which he argued that the lesson to be drawn from the Commune was the need for the people themselves to abolish capitalism and to create anarchist communism through their own direct action. As this week marks the anniversary of the brutal suppression of the Commune by the French government in Versailles, which massacred some 30,000 people in Paris during the so-called “Bloody Week” at the end of May 1871, I thought I would reproduce the section from Kropotkin’s essay in which he discusses some of the lessons to be drawn from the Commune. The translation is by Nicolas Walter, and first appeared in the Freedom Press pamphlet, The Paris Commune, Freedom Pamphlet No. 8 (1971), published to mark the 100th anniversary of the Commune.
‘Burning of the Tuileries,’ by George Jules Victor Clairin, 1871
Lessons from the Paris Commune
What idea does the Paris Commune represent? And why is this idea so attractive to the workers of every land, of every nationality?
The answer is easy. The revolution of 1871 was above all a popular one. It was made by the people themselves, it sprang spontaneously from within the masses, and it was among the great mass of the people that it found its defenders, its heroes, its martyrs–and it is exactly for this ‘mob’ character that the bourgeoisie will never forgive it. And at the same time the moving idea of this revolution–vague, it is true, unconscious perhaps, but nevertheless pronounced and running through all its actions–is the idea of the social revolution, trying at last to establish after so many centuries of struggle real liberty and real equality for all.
It was the revolution of ‘the mob’ marching forward to conquer its rights.
Attempts have been made, it is true, and are still being made to change the real direction of this revolution and to represent it as a simple attempt to regain the independence of Paris and thus to constitute a little state within France. But nothing can be less true. Paris did not try to isolate itself from France, any more than to conquer it by force of arms; it did not try to shut itself up within its walls like a monk in a cloister; it was not inspired by a narrow parochial spirit.
If it claimed its independence, if it wished to prevent the interference of the central power in its affairs, it was because it saw in that independence a means of quietly working out the bases of future organization and bringing about within itself a social revolution–a revolution which would have completely transformed the whole system of production and exchange by basing them on justice, which would have completely modified human relations by putting them on a footing of equality, and which would have remade the morality of our society by giving it a basis in the principles of equity and solidarity.
Communal independence was then but a means for the people of Paris, and the social revolution was their end.
This end would have certainly been attained if the revolution of March 18 had been able to take its natural course, if the people of Paris had not been slashed, stabbed, shot and disembowelled by the murderers of Versailles. To find a clear and precise idea, comprehensible to everyone and summing up in a few words what had to be done to bring about the revolution–such was indeed the preoccupation of the people of Paris from the earliest days of their independence.
But a great idea does not germinate in a day, however rapid the elaboration and propagation of ideas during revolutionary periods. It always needs a certain time to develop, to spread throughout the masses, and to translate itself into action, and the Paris Commune lacked this time.
It lacked more than this, because ten years ago the ideas of modern socialism were themselves passing through a period of transition. The Commune was born so to speak between two eras in the development of modern socialism. In 1871 the authoritarian, governmental, and more or less religious communism of 1848 no longer had any hold over the practical and libertarian minds of our era. Where could you find today a Parisian who would agree to shut himself up in a Phalansterian barracks? On the other hand the collectivism which wished to yoke together the wage system and collective property remained incomprehensible, unattractive, and bristling with difficulties in its practical application. And free communism, anarchist communism, was scarcely dawning; it scarcely ventured to provoke the attacks of the worshippers of governmentalism.
Minds were undecided, and the socialists themselves didn’t feel bold enough to begin the demolition of individual property, having no definite end in view. Then they let themselves be fooled by the argument which humbugs have repeated for centuries : ‘Let us first make sure of victory; after that we shall see what can be done.’
First make sure of victory! As if there were any way of forming a free commune so long as you don’t touch property! As if there were any way of defeating the enemy so long as the great mass of the people is not directly interested in the triumph of the revolution, by seeing that it will bring material, intellectual, and moral well-being for everyone! They tried to consolidate the Commune first and put off the social revolution until later, whereas the only way to proceed was to consolidate the Commune by means of the social revolution!
The same thing happened with the principle of government. By proclaiming the free commune, the people of Paris were proclaiming an essentially anarchist principle; but, since the idea of anarchism had at that time only faintly dawned in men’s minds, it was checked half-way, and within the Commune people decided in favour of the old principle of authority, giving themselves a Commune Council, copied from the municipal councils.
If indeed we admit that a central government is absolutely useless to regulate the relations of communes between themselves, why should we admit its necessity to regulate the mutual relations of the groups which make up the commune? And if we leave to the free initiative of the communes the business of coming to a common understanding with regard to enterprises concerning several cities at once, why refuse this same initiative to the groups composing a commune? There is no more reason for a government inside a commune than for a government above the commune.
‘Neither God Nor Master’
But in 1871 the people of Paris, who have overthrown so many governments, were making only their first attempt to rebel against the governmental system itself; so they let themselves be carried away by governmental fetishism and gave themselves a government. The consequences of that are known. The people sent their devoted sons to the town hall. There, immobilized, in the midst of paperwork, forced to rule when their instincts prompted them to be and to move among the people, forced to discuss when it was necessary to act, and losing the inspiration which comes from continual contact with the masses, they found themselves reduced to impotence. Paralysed by their removal from the revolutionary source, the people, they themselves paralysed the popular initiative.
Born during a period of transition, at a time when the ideas of socialism and authority were undergoing a profound modification; emerging from a war, in an isolated centre, under the guns of the Prussians, the Paris Commune was bound to perish.
But by its eminently popular character it began a new era in the series of revolutions, and through its ideas it was the precursor of a great social revolution. The unheard of, cowardly, and ferocious massacres with which the bourgeoisie celebrated its fall, the mean vengeance which the torturers have perpetrated on their prisoners for nine years, these cannibalistic orgies have opened up between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat a chasm which will never be filled. At the time of the next revolution, the people will know what has to be done; they will know what awaits them if they don’t gain a decisive victory, and they will act accordingly.
Indeed we now know that on the day when France bristles with insurgent communes, the people must no longer give themselves a government and expect that government to initiate revolutionary measures. When they have made a clean sweep of the parasites who devour them, they will themselves take possession of all social wealth so as to put it into common according to the principles of anarchist communism.
And when they have entirely abolished property, government, and the state, they will form themselves freely according to the necessities dictated to them by life itself. Breaking its chains and overthrowing its idols, mankind will march them towards a better future, no longer knowing either masters or slaves, keeping its veneration only for the noble martyrs who paid with their blood and sufferings for those first attempts at emancipation which have lighted our way in our march towards the conquest of freedom.
On Sunday, November 11, 2018, the internationalist antiwar demonstration against the possible installation of NATO nuclear weapons on this base, and the expansion of military exercises and US troops in Greece , took place around the Araxos airbase. In the banner of the anarchist bloc, which had about 100 people, it said: " Internationalist struggle agai […]
Coinciding with the anniversary of Buenaventura Durruti's death, an act of homage is held at the tombs of Durruti, Ferrer i Guardia and Anselmo Lorenzo in the Montjuic cemetery, will be on Sunday, November 18, at 12 o'clock. ---- Like every year, we wait for them before the tombs of Francesc Ferrer i Guardia, Francisco Ascaso and Buenaventura Durru […]
On October 30 , in the face of the anti-fascist campaign against the upsurge of violence by far-right and parastatal gangs, a large group of anarchists went out - the central streets of the city of Piraeus (neighboring Athens) promoting another anti-fascist patrol. That is, by spreading information, posters, graffiti, slogans and talking to people about what […]
The sans-facs mobilize in this return to Nanterre, this time in the context of the fight against the Parcoursup platform: the repression is at the height of the mobilization. ---- At the university of Nanterre, the social movement of last spring against Parcousup never ceases to occupy minds on campus. Its first extension is manifested in the support to the […]
Originally published by #Rouvikonas at athens.indymedia.org in Greek, English, French, Spanish and German. ---- Launched by fighters from Greece, Mexico, Spain, France, Argentina, Algeria, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Germany, ... ---- In all parts of the world, using the pretext of the debt of the States, power continues to accentuate the inequalities between th […]
Dear All Southampton PSC campaigned outside HSBC eight times over the summer, asking HSBC to Stop arming Israel. This is also the message PSC wants to bring to the UK Government. National PSC lobbies parliament each year and this year the focus is on the Stop Arming Israel Campaign and the treatment by Israel of child prisoners. I will be attending the lobby […]
The productive rebuilding of the bosses means devaluation and impoverishment of the workers ---- On 15 & 16/11, at the Vellidio Conference Center, the "Thessalonikiki Summit" Conference on Entrepreneurship, Development and Competitiveness will be held at the initiative of the Association of Industrialists of Northern Greece, where several repre […]
On 1, 3 and 4 November 2018, a three-day event took place in Patras, in the self-managed "On the Temple", on the occasion of the completion of the 5 years since the opening of the site. From the very first moment of its operation, "On The Fear" has sought to act as a reference point for the wider anarchist and libertarian movement as a po […]
The new issue of Rebel City is out. Rebel City is London's free anarchist paper. London Anarchist Communist Group are involved in the Rebel City collective, along with members of the Anarchist Federation, Haringey Solidarity Group and others. Latest issue has articles on Sadiq Khan, Friend of the Property Developers,Haringey Labour Council, John Roan Re […]
The far right in power was right in an initiative of solidarity with migrants. In mid-October, the squat Chez Jésus on the Franco-Italian border was expelled by the carabinieri. ---- Clavière is a small Italian village, ski resort of a hundred inhabitants whose population can be multiplied in high season. Enclosed in the mountains, Clavière is the last stopo […] | {
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This Timelapse Video of Sunspot AR 2192 Is Awesome
Our Sun is awe-inspiring—it’s like a gigantic living, breathing entity.
From Oct. 14-30, AR 2192, the largest sunspot observed for the past 24 years, could be seen from the Earth. The sunspot was around 80,000 miles wide, about the same diameter as Jupiter, and produced massive X-class and M-class solar flares
This animated video, composed of more than 17,000 images and 72 GB of data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, plats at the rate of 52,5 minutes per second, condensing 16.5 days into under 8 minutes. The animation has been rotated 180 degrees so that south is “up.”
The sound you hear is the “heartbeat” of the Sun, which is processed from SOHO HMI data.
What caused this sunspot to become so gigantic?
Scientists don’t really know—it’s just another of the Sun’s great mysteries.
Popular in Space
Popular in Space
Top Authors in Space
Bound by a common conviction, the fates of a woman living in Beijing and a man living in New York become inextricably linked in
a story of courage and freedom.
From the award-winning director of “Tibet: Beyond Fear”, Free China: The Courage to Believe, examines the widespread human
rights violations in China through the remarkable and uplifting stories of Jennifer Zeng, a mother and former Communist Party
member, and Dr. Charles Lee, a Chinese American businessman, who along with hundreds of thousands of peaceful citizens are
imprisoned, tortured and even killed for their organs.
This timely documentary highlights the issue of unfair trade practices with the West and how Internet technologies and the
re-emergence of traditional Chinese culture and spirituality are helping bring freedom to 1.3 billion people in China.
Top Authors in Space
About Vision Times
Vision Times tells the world everything about China in today's context. We keep a close eye on China because of its influence now
and the lessons we can learn from its ancient past to better our lives today. | {
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[Via Satellite 10-12-2015] NASA and The Aerospace Corporation have received confirmation the Optical Communications and Sensor Demonstration (OCSD) CubeSat, launched Oct. 8 by an Atlas 5 rocket, is in orbit and operational. The OCSD is testing a unique space-based laser communications system. The laser is hard-mounted to the spacecraft body, and the orientation of the CubeSat controls the direction of the beam. According to NASA, this makes the laser system more compact than anything previously flown in space. The CubeSat will evaluate the ability to point a small satellite accurately as it demonstrates data transfer by laser at rates of up to 200 Mbps.
OCSD is the first in a new series of six NASA-managed technology demonstration missions set to launch during the coming months using CubeSats. The second OCSD mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than Feb. 1, will use two CubeSats to demonstrate the ability to maneuver small spacecraft in close proximity to one another using low-cost sensors and a propulsion system that uses water as a propellant. BridgeSat, a startup collaborating with NASA, The Aerospace Corporation and Draper Labs, is seeking to commercialize laser communications technology from the OCSD mission for a network of optical satellites and associated ground stations.
“Technology demonstration missions like OCSD are driving exploration,” said Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. “By improving the communication capability of small spacecraft to support data-intensive science missions, OCSD will advance the potential to become a more viable option for mission planners.” | {
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Now safer for people with diabetes or high blood sugar levels. Get to know more about Jinga Juice, its benefits and how to become a dealer. Attend these upcoming seminars and get to know more about the successful, Garry Norman.- April24 Thursday, 2pm at Chowking, BANGUED, ABRA.- April25 Friday, 430pm at Chowking, OLONGAPO CITY.near City Hall.- April26 Saturday, 1pm TALK & 4PM SIZZLE at JINGA JUICE Main office.- April28 Monday, 6pm at McDo JONES, CEBU CITY.- April29 Tuesday, at TAGBILARAN, BOHOL. | {
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Rogozin Promises 'Iron Fist' To Stop Defense Corruption
President Dmitry Medvedev appointed a hawkish anti-Western diplomat to oversee Russia's defense sector, a rusting, inefficient industry beset by corruption scandals and failures to fulfill military contracts.
Dmitry Rogozin, currently the country's NATO ambassador, was named deputy prime minister on Friday, as part of a government reshuffle ahead of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's expected return to the Kremlin next year.
Rogozin replaces Sergei Ivanov, a longtime Putin ally who took the post of Kremlin chief of staff this week.
"With your appointment, our defense industry will get an efficient manager, which is important because this sector has its well-known advantages, but also some major flaws," Medvedev told Rogozin at his residence in Gorki.
Rogozin is known for his tough anti-Western rhetoric throughout his political career as a parliamentary deputy and NATO envoy.
He responded by promising to govern the sector with an "iron fist" to eradicate corruption.
"Our motherland has allocated a lot of cash to our defense sector," he said. "I promise that every ruble, every kopek will reach its destination."
Russia, which is the world's second-biggest arms exporter, has pledged to spend 20 trillion rubles ($638.07 billion) in 10 years to modernize its army, which still largely relies on Soviet-era technology as a result of a systemic lack of financing.
But the country's defense sector has failed to fulfill obligations on state defense contracts, several industry critics said earlier this year. In July, Medvedev ordered Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov to carry out a probe into alleged disruption of a 2011 procurement plan.
Plans to rebuild the army have also been hampered by rampant corruption with a fifth of its annual defense budget stolen, the country's chief military prosecutor said this year.
The defense sector has come under fire from senior commanders for failing to produce weapons that meet modern combat standards, prompting Medvedev to threaten that the armed forces would buy foreign military equipment if its domestic industry is unable to satisfy its needs.
Russia signed a 1.2 billion euro ($1.57 billion) deal to acquire two French-made Mistral helicopter carriers earlier this year, which was the first major foreign arms purchase since the fall of the Soviet Union. | {
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The Front Page
Acquisition of Citibank, Main Street Bookstore, deli, frustrates Ridgemour
& The Meyer Company plan for A & P building.
By John F. Bailey
CityLine: June 8, 2001 -- Channel 71 Studios
Speaking as a guest on "White Plains Week," Friday, Louis Cappelli
announced that he has "reached a handshake" with the owners
of the Citibank, Main Street Bookstore, and delicatessen on the corner
of EJ Conroy Drive and Main Street.
The pending acquisition, Cappelli said gives him control over what is
across the street from his planned City Center development. "We need
to control that," he says, to insure the success of his center, because
he does not want construction from another developer interfering with
the ambiance of his site.
Cappelli also indicated that he could see building a hotel and condominiums
on the Citbank-bookstore-deli property. If he can complete the deal, this
latest coup by Cappelli effectively frustrates the plans of rival developers
seeking to build a 30-story tower on the A & P property on Main Street.
The Ridgemour Properties and The Meyer Company of Palm Beach has presented
a plan to build on that property to the Common Council.
Cappelli was the guest of John Bailey, Jim Benerofe, and Alex Philippidis
on "White Plains Week," when he announced the development during
the Friday morning video taping of the show, which can be seen in its
entirety Tuesday, June 12 at 7 PM on Channel 71, and is repeated Friday,
June 15 at 7: 30 PM.
Mr. Cappelli speaks freely on the show on a wide range of issues involving
the City Center.
On the ability to rent 600 apartments in the center: He pointed out that
his firm has done studies showing that Westchester County is 10,000 units
underdeveloped in rental housing, and that White Plains itself is 2,000
to 2,500 rental units underdeveloped, indicating there would be no problem
filling the rentals on his site.
"We're all going to be o.k." he said.
On future purchase of the A & P property, or partnering with The
Ridgemour Properties and The Meyer Company, Cappelli said "I haven't
spoken to them."
On his financing: Cappelli said that he receives his financing from three
major banks, CIBC, The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, which has financed
him to the amount of a half billion dollars in projects over the last
eight years. He said he also receives financing from Key Bank and Union
State Bank.
On Why he will only build the shell of the community theater: "We
have no experience in building a performing arts theater, but we will
invest 2.5 million of our own money," to set up the shell of the
theater project. Cappelli said that the county and many community groups
have expressed interest in providing financing to complete the theater.
On retailers lining up to be in the City Center: Cappelli said "There's
been so much interest in the City Center." He reports letters of
intent from The Sears Great Indoor Store, Target Stores, National Amusements
for 16 movie screens on the fourth floor of the center, Barnes & Noble
(which will be located across from City Hall), The Gap, Old Navy, California
Pizza Kitchen (planned for the Mamaroneck Avenue street side), The Cheesecake
Factory (targeted for the Greenpoint Bank Building), and Legal Seafood,
(slated for the corner of Main & Conroy across from City Hall).
On the Common Council call for a study: Cappelli repeated his endorsement
of Robert Greer's call for a national urban consultant to study the effect
of height on the downtown. "
On the Common Council delaying the approval of the City Center until
after the election: Cappelli said "I don't have any indication that
the council is acting in a political way. After 4 years of difficult negotiations
(with Tishman Speyer), I think they are eager to move ahead. The people
are eager. It is appropriate for the Common Council to have a national
urban planner to review the plans.
On height in the downtown: Cappelli said he felt his apartment towers
needed to be high to "create as much open space as possible in the
area between the buildings (on Conroy Drive)." He said anything is
possible as far as lower the heights of the buildings, however, he pointed
out that you really do not notice high buildings because the street view
is always "straight ahead." He pointed out that the AT &
T building is actually 40 stories, and no one notices it.
On deliveries to the City Center: Cappelli indicated that deliveries
on the Martine Avenue entrance would be completely enclosed and that he
was devoting 30,000 square feet to the staging area to avert traffic problems.
The "Super Developer," as host John Bailey characterized him,
concluded the interview by saying even if the Council delayed approval
until after the election, he was in the project to stay. "In a few
weeks I will have $25 million in equity in this project. There's no way
I'm gone."
The reports on White Plains CitizeNetReporter are
intended solely for our reading audience. Any reproduction or retransmission
of these reports without express written consent of CitizeNetReporter
Network, Inc. is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved. | {
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Ocean's Thirteen Gallery 2
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and the gang would have only one reason to pull off their most ambitious and risky casino heist -to defend one of their own. When ruthless casino owner Willy Bank (Al Pacino) double-crosses one of the original Ocean’s eleven – Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould) – Danny and the gang team up one more time to see if they can break “the Bank”. Check out more photos from Ocean’s 13...
Roll your mouse over the left and right-hand sides of the image and then click to view more pictures.
George Clooney and Matt Damon are back in Vegas and out for revenge in Ocean's Thirteen. 1 of 9 | {
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Many Americans have a conflicted relationship with the media they watch.
In particular, those who think of themselves as “cultured” tend to have a negative view of certain “low-brow” contemporary television shows. Scripted shows like Two and a Half Men and Reign are described as “banal” and “dumb,” while the latest crop of “trashy” reality shows – The Bachelorette, Keeping Up with the Kardashians – are to be enjoyed only by “hate-watching” them.
Nonetheless, these verysameshows are watched by millions of people each week.
The popularity (and profitability) of reality TV has reshaped the landscape of television. In fact, many TV producers are purposely making “bad” shows to appeal to a certain type of viewer.
How can so many people complain so much about these shows – yet still watch them?
We sought to understand this seeming contradiction by going to the source and talking to self-described viewers of “bad” television.
Many of the people we interviewed found trashy television too offensive to watch, but there were others who kept on consuming, even as they described the shows as “awful,” “terrible,” and “just downright bad.”
Those we talked to were often what society considers to be “cultured” – upper-class, educated and comfortable talking about art or their favorite novelist. These sophisticated television viewers felt the contradiction of watching trashy television even more acutely than most; they struggled with the idea that, for all their appreciation of “good” culture, they found themselves repeatedly watching such “bad” TV.
In order to overcome the contradiction of condemning while also consuming, our interviewees generally resorted to three explanations.
A guilty pleasure
They feel ashamed, almost unclean, after watching an episode of Reign or The Bachelor, but they can’t help it.
As one 50-year-old nonprofit manager explained:
You feel a little dirty in a way…I’m like, “Oh my God. Why are you doing this to yourself, and why am I choosing to sit here and watch it when it’s just ridiculous?” I feel terrible about myself. I’m like, “I’ve wasted twenty minutes here, just watching America’s Next Top Model.” And, you know, I resolve never to do it again.
But she does watch again, like most other guilty pleasure viewers. And again. And again.
“Just one more episode,” they say. Or, “It’s been such a long day and my job is so demanding, it’s okay if I indulge in a little mindless crap at the end of the day.”
Most claim it is simply out of their control, like being unable to look away from a car crash. One university professor described why he watches Judge Judy like this:
There is an element there of being freaked out by something, and watching it is almost like watching a car wreck. You know, you are driving along the highway and you see a car smashed up, you slow down; it’s the same kind of thing.
Ironic consumption
Not all feel guilty about watching trashy television – some revel in it.
Ironic consumers, or “hipster viewers,” think that the shows they watch are really bad, but they still enjoy them: they derive great pleasure from making fun of a terrible show. To them, trashy television is – as the saying goes – “so bad it’s good.”
These viewers tend to watch trashy television from an emotional distance. They don’t really feel connected to the characters or care about their fates. (They are just there for the laughs, after all.)
Watching with this perspective allows them to feel superior to the show and its conventional viewers. A 28-year-old teacher who enjoys watching Hoarders stated:
It depicts such a bad scenario, but it’s pleasurable to watch because it makes you feel better about yourself…a person will think, “Thank God I’m not like that.”
In a way, by watching trashy TV from a position of superiority, ironic consumers can reaffirm their own self-perception of being cultured.
A camp sensibility
Audiences who view these shows as camp have more complex reasons behind their reasons for watching. Susan Sontag described “camp sensibility” as enjoying a cultural object that is so extravagant and exaggerated that it achieves a certain kind of “failed seriousness.”
Those with a camp sensibility don’t feel guilty, nor do they revel in the trashiness of bad television. Rather, these connoisseurs of bad culture have a strange kind of admiration – almost reverence – for really awful cultural products. As Sontag observed, “Camp is a tender feeling.”
One graduate student compared his enjoyment of 1980s B-movies to honoring an embarrassing cultural moment:
It’s a sort of a celebration of our failure. Like, I can’t believe someone spent so much time on this and it’s so bad; maybe that’s it, celebrating our failings.
Whereas ironic consumers feel apart and above the cultural object, a camp sensibility allows a viewer to identify with the creators of the movie or television show. They admire the vision of the producers and rejoice in its ultimately disastrous outcome.
Our complicated culture
We exist in a complicated cultural environment where we no longer take the products of media at face value. We make aesthetic and moral judgments about TV shows – “that was awful,” “this is trash” – but we keep on watching. Conflicted, we want to have it both ways; we try to hold on to the idea that we really do have “good taste,” even as we consume television we judge to be terrible.
Not surprisingly, television producers have caught on. Now “bad” shows are expressly produced for connoisseurs of trashy television. Shows like 16 and Pregnant, Jersey Shore, and True Blood can be specifically consumed as a guilty pleasure, ironically or with a camp sensibility.
All the while we try to remain aesthetically pure. We watch these “trashy” shows at a distance, in order not to be contaminated by the appearance of bad taste. | {
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Daily News @ http://RevolutionNews.US — Birth of the Narco-State: Watch how the DEA admits to not interfering with the Afghan government who allow the heroin king-pins to go free while they imprison the poor mules for 18 to 25 years... watch 'Birth of the Narco-State'... | {
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About MobDisguise
UPDATED 1.2.4!
MobDisguise v1.81 - Featured on BashCraft: Legend of Hobo!
Description:
MobDisguise is a plugin allowing you to transform into any mob you want, with no client mods!
Just simple type /md disguise pig, and boom, everybody now sees and thinks your a pig!
Can't quite take out the enemy pvp team? Transform into chickens, and sneak behind enemy lines! It even includes an API for other plugins to hook into, and can change players into mobs too!
Features:
Disguise as any mob and be seen as such by all other players
Enable or disable per-mob permissions, or give the .* permission for all of them
Blacklist certain mobs you don't want
Enable "RealDrops" and on death, a disguised player drops the correct item for his mob disguise, not his normal inventory
A simple API that plugins can hook into to disguise/undisguise players
Commands:
All commands begin with /md, short for MobDisguise, to provide a simple command system | {
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The bowled and the angry Sachin Tendulkar [Photos]
A rare sight: Sachin, usually very composed loses his cool after getting bowled for the third time this series. Questions have already been raised over his form. AP
A rare sight: Sachin, usually very composed loses his cool after getting bowled for the third time t
2/5
Cricket pundits have spoken about the gap he leaves in his defence, which allows the ball to nip in between bat and pad and onto the stumps. Reuters
Cricket pundits have spoken about the gap he leaves in his defence, which allows the ball to nip in
3/5
Even in the first innings, Sachin lost his wicket in almost similar fashion... this time it was Doug Bracewell who was the wicket-taker. Sunil Gavaskar pointed out that Sachin's footwork seemed a tad slow. AP
Even in the first innings, Sachin lost his wicket in almost similar fashion... this time it was Doug
4/5
The Hyderabad match also saw him lose his wicket— this time to Trent Boult— in the same way. Not only is this manner of getting dismissed a concern for his fans, but will certainly play on the great batsman's mind too. Reuters
The Hyderabad match also saw him lose his wicket— this time to Trent Boult— in the same way. Not onl
5/5
Even on tour in Australia, Sachin was bowled by the opponents. Did the cracks start to show then? Reuters
Even on tour in Australia, Sachin was bowled by the opponents. Did the cracks start to show then? Re | {
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then pull the drive with it's cassette from the SATA port. video help | post reply | read more Several errors with Media Center, can't get it to function location: 7forums.com - date: August 2, 2013 I haven't used Media Center for Chkdsk shows no problems. The files reported are edb.log, tmp,edb, dhcp.mdb, and j50.chk. this contact form
By creating an account, you're agreeing to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Spiceworks. All rights reserved. If this is a desktop, try replacing the SATA cable and/or attach it to a different port. location: microsoft.com - date: September 1, 2013 Hi Guys.
Event 508 Esent
Diagnosis guides seem to be thin on the ground, and MS aren't helping with their 'Your server is about to die!' messages. ERROR The requested URL could not be retrieved The following error was encountered while trying to retrieve the URL: http://0.0.0.1/ Connection to 0.0.0.1 failed. Much Googling shows that the 'Hardware is about to implode' warning in Event Viewer isn't always the final word. 0 This discussion has been inactive for over a year. What is the model number of the VAIO?
Esent 508 Performance
If it happens on regular basis then the specified drive should be checked for problems (run chkdsk, make sure you have enough free space and physical memory - running low on Join the IT Network or Login. Event 508 Esent Back to top #7 genesisgkh genesisgkh Topic Starter Members 6 posts OFFLINE Local time:10:56 PM Posted 15 January 2015 - 06:56 PM smart test on seatools . Esent Error 488 By creating an account, you're agreeing to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Spiceworks.
The SSd was formatted in a USB drive enclosure plugged into my desktop and then cloned using EzGig IV with the 80GB drive in the laptop. http://sandon.org/esent-error/esent-error-427.php The machine is the DC, running DHCP, DNS and holding redirected My Documents for all users. Diskkeeper 11 is installed to hold off the fragments. Crucial.com: providing secure ordering & top-rated customer satisfaction since 1997. Do you have any quotas setup for those user folders? 0 Chipotle OP Nigel M Mar 31, 2014 at 10:33 UTC Thanks for the reply Steve. Esent Error 454
The IT supplier gave them least spec for most money. It was 5 years before I was employed here so I'm not holding an inquest. 0 Chipotle OP Nigel Email Reset Password Cancel Need to recover your Spiceworks IT Desktop password? Do I need a new hard drive? http://sandon.org/esent-error/esent-error.php Select Device Manager. 2.
I don't know what that means smart test on sea tools is a pass Back to top #8 JohnC_21 JohnC_21 Members 14,583 posts OFFLINE Local time:12:56 AM Posted 15 January Esent Error 474 Thanks. they all come back as passed.
Press Windows Key + X simultaneously. There is no Exchange installation which rules that out. I’ll appreciate if you could provide me details about your computer specifications- both hardware and software. http://sandon.org/esent-error/esent-453-error.php By creating an account, you're agreeing to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Spiceworks.
Using the site is easy and fun. To diagnose a failing hard drive the Long Generic Test would be best. Good luck to anyone with this issue. Back to top #4 Sintharius Sintharius Bleepin' Sniper Malware Study Hall Senior 5,477 posts OFFLINE Gender:Female Location:Westfalen, Germany Local time:06:56 AM Posted 15 January 2015 - 02:10 PM Which scan
Any thoughts on what could be going on here? Reply Hiro permalink January 5, 2013 10:38 am I had had the very similar problem with my Thinkpad X100e w/ AMD CPU/chipset for a long time. Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. %d bloggers like this: Jump to content Sign In Create Account Search Advanced Search section: This Add link Text to display: Where should this link go?
BleepingComputer is being sued by Enigma Software because of a negative review of SpyHunter. I get ESENT 510 508 errors. During freezes I am able to ping, but the desktop freezes and RDP login goes as far as verification then waits. Several functions may not work.
Hi I was not present when the problem happened but my wife was using the computer to surf on normal websites and suddenly she got a Blue screen. Other benefits of registering an account are subscribing to topics and forums, creating a blog, and having no ads shown anywhere on the site. Vivian Wang Marked as answer by Vivian_WangModerator Monday, March 03, 2014 3:12 AM Tuesday, February 25, 2014 7:19 AM Reply | Quote Moderator All replies 0 Sign in to vote Hi, | {
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} |
The department of Meteorology at Qatar Aeronautical College is recognized as the Regional Training Centre of WMO for the RA-II region from April2011.
It is also a recognised Meteorological training centre by GCC Countries which runs WMO approved courses in Meteorology. The centre has designed training courses that are based on WMO syllabi leading to a Higher National Diploma in Meteorology. The RTC equips students with the required knowledge and skills to perform various functions at Meteorological stations including weather observations and Forecasting.
The centre equips with new state of the art forecasting simulator and visual Weather System which provides a dedicated environment for learning and practicing weather forecasting. An operational forecasting system (Synergie) works on real-time data with satellite imagery and archived data in different configurations (general, aeronautical and marine). The Centre also has an automatic weather station, laboratories and instruments which support the training.
The two and a half year Higher National Diploma course is built into a program that is aimed at providing students with classroom and practical environment. The course covers in depth subjects such as: Physical met, Met instruments, Plotting and analysis of weather maps, Met Data Processing, Flight Briefing, Numerical Weather Prediction, Aviation Met, Dynamic Met, Tropical Met, Satellite Met, Marine Met, Synoptic Met, General Met, Oceanography and Weather Analysis and Forecasting. Applicants for Meteorological studies must have a strong foundation in Mathematics and Physics which are also part of the curriculum.
The department have an MOU with Reading University, UK. The successful candidates in BIP-MT (SL) can obtain B.S degree in Meteorology with an additional one year study at UK.
Faculty
The department have a faculty of well experienced professional Meteorologists from National Met. Services / Universities with more than 25 years of expertise in the field and possess Masters and doctorate in the field of Meteorology.
Facilities
Well-equipped class rooms
Computer Lab
Surface Synoptic Observation Station
Library
Automatic Weather Monitoring Station
Satellite Imagery Analysis Labs
Weather Forecasting Simulator (Synergie) System Lab
Hostel and Cafeteria facilities in the campus
Wi-Fi facility in the campus.
Training Program for RTC-WMO RAII (2015-2018)
The College
College Facilities
Qatar Aeronautical College is located on a purpose-built campus in Ras Abu Aboud, directly behind Doha International Airport. The main building includes administration....Read more | {
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Students play tic tac toe, but before they can claim the square they have to solve a system of equations using elimination. There are 4 different games in this file, along with the answers for each game board.
Add a challenge for the students:
This matching game contains 12 factoring questions. I like to print the questions cards on one color of paper and the answer cards on a different color. This helps students recognize which cards are questions and which cards are answers.
In order
This is a review game over systems of equations and inequalities by Farr-Out Mathletes. If you've ever seen or used the Teams, Games, & Tournaments method- this game follows those guidlines. My students LOVED reviewing this way, and I loved
Group students in groups of 6 or less. This is their team for the relay race. Then they each complete a problem and pass it to the next team member. Allow students on a team to help each other- especially since the last equation is challenging.
The document you purchase will be fully editable- it is in generic fonts, not the fonts shown in the preview. The landmarks I have included are Stone Mountain (in Georgia), the White House, and The Great Pyramid of Giza.
Feel free to swap out | {
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} |
Random Hall Lego Robotics Seminar
in emacs you can use the pull down menus at the top of the
screen to do what you want - or these keyboard shortcuts
shortcuts are shown in the menus if you want to learn more of these
C = the control key
M = the alt key
C-x C-s to save a file
hold down ctrl press X then S
C-x C-w to save as
C-x C-f to load a file
C-x C-c to quit
to copy a block of text: go to the begining of it (with the cursor) press
C-space then go to the end and press M-w
to cut a block of text: do the same as copy but use C-w insted of M-w
C-y to paste
C-k to cut the text from the cursor position to the end of the line
C-_ to undo
hold ctrl and shift and press - (the key next to 0)
C-g to cancel a command (ie if you're at the load file prompt from C-x C-f
and you decide you don't want to load a file after all then press C-g) | {
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} |
Kickass, the doorstop dog, would have been out there marching with the kids as they peacefully pointed out that the planet is being destroyed by a global life style based on greed, ignorance, the profit… | {
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} |
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Refurbished
"Refurbished" products have been tested to ensure compliance with original manufacturer specifications, and MAY include a limited manufacturer warranty - see the item's product page for details.
CPU
Memory
Hard Drive
HDD
80GB
Optical Drive
Optical Drive Type
DVD ROM
Quick Info
WarrantyBeyond any applicable Newegg return policy, this item is warranted independently by the product's Manufacturer or a Third party. Below is a summary provided for convenience only and may not be accurate or current.
Read full details.
Rating: 4/5Great upgrade
Other Thoughts: Got this as a replacement for my 2007 HP running Vista. It's like night and day. The price can't be beat, as it's cheaper than buying Windows 7 and I got a faster computer and twice the hard drive capacity. A no-brainer.
Rating: 5/5For the price you can't beat it
Pros: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, low low low cost, expandable and upgradable, silent. has legacy I/O ports along with a total of 8 usb ports (2 front/6 rear), decent CPU and RAM for the $. Mine came with a Pentium E2180 2ghz cpu. No issues and came with a much nicer keyboard than most other refurbished computers. A great replacement computer to replace a windows XP computer. Can take up to 8gb RAM (4x2gb DDR2).
Cons: Scuffed (but you need to expect this with used computers) 4 memory slots were filled with 512mb sticks, upgrade will require removal. Most other refurbished with 2gb come with 1x2gb or 2x1gb. Not a big deal on this machine as it will be used for guest registrations 7 months out of the year.
Other Thoughts: All in all a great little computer for the money, really a darn good bargain even without the $10 MIR. Happy to see the PCIx 16x slot is a real one, HPs business computers came for a while with a slot that looked like a 16x, but wasn't usable for expansion cards. This computer is replacing a sempron XP dell that was already years past needing replacement for a recreational park & campground that is open 7 months out of the year. For most who want to avoid windows 8 and their old XP computer was working ok but not worth it financially to upgrade (cost of OS and labor if they aren't tech savvy) this computer or any like it are well worth it. WAY better than risking it with an unpatchable OS.
Rating: 4/5Bargain
Pros: 64 bit OS and a generation of hardware that will be relevant for awhile. So far, no issues with the refurb hardware. For the price its a solid buy.
Cons: Its a refurb, keep your expectations that its been owned before and you will be more then happy as well as a chance at being outright surprised. Expect a shiney new machine? Buy a shiny new machine.
Rating: 4/5Mislabeled Title
Pros: Great little computer. I was looking for something small that would fit in a standard rack for a pfsense box. This fit the bill well as it had two pci-e 1x slots in it. Each slot hold a one gig NIC. The desciption of this pc says that it has a core 2 duo on it. It does it, it has a dual core pentium (e2180). The core 2's are a different line of processor. Had to deduct one egg for false advertising. However, pfsense will run on an atom CPU without any issues, so this not being a core 2 was not a huge deal
Cons: some small scuffs on the top and one of the feet was not glued on straight. I don't care thought because i bought this knowing it was used.
Other Thoughts: Solid PC. Works very well for what i bought it for. hope it holds up for a couple of years. That will make it more worth the money
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
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