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__label__wiki	0.551317	0.551317	The Supreme Court and School of Magistrates in Albania architecture competitions, architectural design competition, architecture concepts This project is an architecture competition for the new Headquaters for the Supreme Court and School of Magistrates in Albania that catched over 30 international teams, and the first prize had been belong to the SADAR + VUGA and PRGB R. Architects: SADAR + VUGA and PRGB R Location: Tirana, Albania Site area: 12.400 m2 Building area: 3.808 m2 Total floor area: 8.200 m2 Project's description: Albania as a recent Candidate Country for the EU membership is undergoing crucial steps to transform its Judicial System to operate at the highest level of democratic standards. The proposal by Sadar+Vuga and PRG*B R converts an existing three thousand square meter historic building to be used for judicial offices and administration, a new addition of four pavilion-like courtrooms in the nature, and a three thousand educational block for the School of Magistrates. Together these three structures will become mechanisms of justice, efficiency, and transparency. Located on the periphery Grand Park Tirana, the tranquility of the forest and the strength of the existing Italian Rationalist structure by Cesare Valle define the character of the site. This character is one of remoteness, an urban oasis of sorts. It is close enough to see the city, while being removed from the noise and commotion of every day urban life. It is the role of the architecture to enhance the best qualities of the natural setting and introduce the liveliness of the city to the site. Therefore an urban strategy was developed that would create an animated urban square, an efficient and independent educational facility, well organized administration spaces for judges and their staff, and four secure but transparent courtrooms with a view into the nature. The project places the architectural objects in a campus-like relationship to one another, using density to preserve and enhance the qualities of the natural setting. It gives one the feeling of entering nature, stepping back to seek the truth. view more architecture competitions ♥ You like this post! Share it to everybody! 04 / 02 / 2016 This project is an architecture competition for the new Headquaters for the Supreme Court and School of Magistrates in Albania that catched over 30 international teams... 88DesignBox.com The greatest female architect Zaha Hadid dies aged 65 Transparent church using wire mesh by Edoardo Tresoldi Tubular living in the future by PAO EuropaCity by BIG The first Indian Heritage Centre in Singapore Black tower concept with twin tropical rain forest atriums Recommended post: Slack Toronto Office by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design Aequorea: Amazing futuristic architecture concept by Vincent Callebaut Harbin Opera House by MAD Architects Isla Pasión: Luxury hotel inspired Mayan architecture Houston Library and Exhibition Center by MA2 Futuristic architecture of Marine Research Center in Indonesia Avaza Aqua Park by JDS Architects	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line5
__label__cc	0.689586	0.310414	Armineh Soorenian My Academic Journey Education in Iran Royal National College for the Blind, Hereford, UK Staffordshire University, UK – BA in History of Art, Architecture and Design University of Leeds, UK – MA in Disability Studies University of Leeds, UK – PhD in Disability Studies Independent Researcher – Publications Independent Researcher – Conferences & Workshops Other Research Interests Disability and Development Disability Arts Disabled Children Disabled Refugees Disabled Women & Motherhood Gender and Disability Welfare Policies Campaigning and Training Feeling responsible By Armineh Soorenian \| March 19, 2018 - 00:48 \| March 19, 2018 Activisim, Disability Hub, Film, Life, Women for Peace Comments Off on Feeling responsible We started the previous week’s Women for Peace session by playing a game, where in two teams we were trying to grab the pen first, by passing a message down the line. Following the game, we discussed how easy it was to pass a message along, but we felt responsible when we had to retract a false message. Since my hands sometimes jerk uncontrollably, I felt pressured and responsible for our group, luckily our group won! We then talked through two methods of holding difficult conversations with another person – the Dialogue Model, and I Statements. The Dialogue model is a useful way to address a comment that a person has made that we don’t feel comfortable with like a disablist comment/opinion. The model follows four stages of ignore, postpone, refer or dialogue in order to take us through a constructive dialogue about a topic. The ‘I’ Statements, on the other hand, are based on a non-judgemental model, where the person simply expresses how a certain conflict has made her feel and invites the other person to have a constructive discussion. I preferred the latter as it’s more about owning up to how one feels and taking responsibility for it instead of blaming the other. Following this, we came up with some conflict scenarios from personal experience in small groups. We then sat in two lines to do role plays with those topics, using our new dialogue models as tools to resolve the conflicts. I chose to use the statement ‘You don’t look blind’ for my scenario, which is often expressed in a complimentary way, however this is not received in the same way, at least by me. While the person role playing my scenario did not appear to realise the importance of ‘blind’ identity to my personhood, when acting out, I think the group understood the message. In our penultimate Women for Peace session this week, we individually had to come up with four words that define peace, then as a group work together to narrow it down to only four in total. This resulted in really interesting discussions about how we work together in an environment, which is in principle based on ‘equality’, and how we can apply the lessons learned to our everyday life. As an ice breaker, we started this session with a game, where one person in the middle said a statement and those who identified with her should have stood up, looking for another chair to sit on. This game clearly excluded me. Since playing not fully inclusive games has been the norm almost every session, I was really upset that even after nine sessions things haven’t changed to become more inclusive. I burst into tears and had to take time out. I shared my concerns with one of the facilitators and followed it up with writing a feedback email. While on one hand I feel it shouldn’t be down to me to educate people having felt marginalised already, on the other hand I feel responsible for making people more aware. I am continuously surprised that most equality trainings are about race, ethnic background and religious beliefs with little attention given to disability. I wish I wasn’t so accepting and that I was more vocal through the course; perhaps people would have then understood my views better and wouldn’t have accepted some of the non-inclusive practices that have been going on. Being a minority even in a women’s only group, which is formed around promoting peace is not without its challenges. I’ll be talking more about this with the facilitators at the next, and last, session. Outside the course, I participated in a focus group with some other equality hub members about how to make Leeds city centre more accessible. We had interesting ideas about the things we liked about Leeds and the things we didn’t like. From my perspective, I like open spaces such as Briggate and its pedestrian zone, and what I don’t like is the narrow pavements, especially when people leave their black, green and brown bins blocking the path. We also spoke of an ideal Leeds and what we would like to see. Recommendations included more lighting and safe spaces, audio signs and information (including bus/train timetables) and wider pavements. All in all it was a productive session for us, but much depends on how much is taken on board by the council when planning a more accessible Leeds. We have had another lot of snow this weekend, which restricted my mobility once again. This meant my plans to walk to the Carriageworks Theatre to see a play had to be cancelled. It was difficult enough to go to the relatively nearby Hyde Park Picture House to see ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’, a beautiful film depicting a woman’s trauma after losing her daughter, and her fight for justice despite being patronised and discriminated against by her own community. For the second time, David and I went to the historical talks held in Left Bank Centre. While the first one we went to was about the Leeds Zoo located on Cardigan Road around 1848, this one was about the Adelphi and Garden Gate pubs, located in Hunslet. I find the talks really fascinating, shedding a wonderful light on some of the treasures in Leeds, both from Architectural and social historical perspectives. I’m so looking forward to going to the next one. By Armineh Soorenian \| March 8, 2018 - 23:43 \| March 9, 2018 Activisim, Women for Peace Comments Off on Back to business I seem to have let blogging slip away for a few weeks. It was good to have a few days break and spend time with friends but that meant I had much more to catch up in the subsequent weeks. At the previous week’s Women for Peace session, we discussed the applications, differences and impacts of persuasion and manipulation. For this we played ‘Break into the Circle’ to look at different (non-violent) tactics we use to join a group. I was told for this activity I do not need to take part which I felt was ironic and exclusionary in itself, and left we wondering about the point of the exercise! Then we took part in a continuums exercise where we were given statements to think about. These were about shopping in sales, finding a bargain, and how much we are able to resist the manipulation attempts of shops and big companies. Afterwards we applied the differences between manipulation and persuasion in our everyday lives in our families, work places or other social interactions. Following this we role played as ‘Angel v Devil’; we each had a chance to play the ‘angel’, the ‘devil’, and to be the ‘listener’, using the ‘My Former Life’ film scenarios. Although the group thought that it was easier to persuade people to take the ‘bad’ path as it sounded more exciting, for me the exercise reinforced the fact that I do not like or enjoy either manipulation or persuasion. This might be because I have been subjected to both and know how damaging the power struggle is for the recipients. So I wouldn’t wish to put anyone through a manipulation or persuasion scenario. We finally thought about ways that we can resist persuasion and/or manipulation, for example, by being intuitive, informed, being able to challenge and question the ‘persuasive’ ideas presented, and listening to multiple viewpoints. Over the years, I have trained myself to be more critical and not respond reactively, however I don’t always achieve this! It’s a work in progress. At the next session we examined the messages contained in various ‘memes’ – random images used on social media with text attached, with the intention of influencing our decisions and making us think a specific way about a point of view. Then we watched films of Anne Choudary (from the now banned group Al-Muhajiroun), Jayda Fransen (Britain First) and Donald Trump to discuss how their words and messages have the potential to influence and persuade public opinion. The last two especially use skilled manipulation, playing on people’s emotions of fear and anger. It made me feel really uncomfortable and I found their messages toxic. It’s such a shame that so many members of the public can be so easily persuaded by these people. The differences and the impacts of critical thinking and impulsive thinking were then discussed in the group. I feel as our first instinct, we all have the tendency to think impulsively, however after a fair bit of reflection, training and life experience our thinking usually becomes more critical, allowing us the benefits of making more informed decisions. We had lots of snow last week, which meant events were cancelled and I wasn’t able to go out for a few days. Snow can be pretty, it makes everything bright and shiny, reflecting the light, but that’s only on an aesthetic level. Walking on snow and ice is impossible for me, and I consider snow as a key barrier in the winter, preventing me from going out, however I made the most of being home. I finished the first draft of a chapter I am writing on challenges I face as an independent academic outside academia and how the oppression I experience has given me the impetus and strength to become an activist bringing about social change in academia. Although the experience of writing about my difficulties was a bit depressing, at the same time I found it to be empowering and cathartic writing about the discrimination I have faced in my career as an independent researcher. I also took the opportunity to review the revised versions of two articles I had reviewed previously. We ended the week by going to the Left Bank Centre for an hour of reflection on Sunday. Having the quiet time and space to meditate and reflect on the past week was restoring for the soul and refreshing for the body. Today was the International Women’s Day and there were lots of celebrations going on in Leeds. I do wonder though how many of these events have been inclusive of and accessible to disabled women. I also wonder whether or not there has been a recognition of the women who are not able to join in public life and especially attend today’s celebrations, be it because of mental health issues, access and attitudinal barriers, lack of support or care giving responsibilities. Surely disabled women and their female care givers have as much entitlement to the sisterhood as their non-disabled counter-parts, and their diverse needs have to be acknowledged and respected. Inclusive education research: co-production in practice Include Us: Disabled Black People and People of Colour academics and disablist academia What we learned from our project about Accessibility Plans Accessibility Plans as effective tools for inclusion in schools: are they working? Report launch! Accessibility Plans as effective tools for inclusion in schools – a taste before the main event Tweets by ASoorenian Activisim ALLFIE Disability Hub Women for Peace Armineh Soorenian \| Powered by Mantra & WordPress.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line9
__label__wiki	0.502407	0.502407	1930 Truck Used 3.3L ci I4 Manual 4-Speed RWD Coral Flame red Item location: Hickory, North Carolina, United States Model: Model aa SubModel: Model AA Fire Truck VIN: AA2640934 Color: Coral Flame red Engine size: 3.3L ci I4 Options: 6 volt Federal Siren , Budd wheels, Foam hoses, Ford Model aa 1930 Description This model AA Fire truck was bought new in 1930 for a fire truck in South Dakota. Its had a frame-off restoration completed by Solid Gold classics in which they made a new flat bed and used the original canisters and original Federal Enterprises, Inc., light and siren model #C6BR and all its original tools, jack, hand crank, tire chains and hoses. Its mounted on new Firestone tires 6.50x20 This model AA Fire Truck was one of the first chemical and foam vessels built for fighting gas fires in South Dakota. This Model AA Ford Fire Truck is powered by the same 201-cubic-inch (3.3 L) engine I4 engine that the Model A Ford used. The engine produced a maximum of forty horsepower at 2,200 rpm. The engine featured an up-draft carburetor, six-volt generator, 2-blade fan, mechanical water pump, mechanical oil pump, electric starter and four-row radiator. All of these features were identical to the Model A Ford except the radiator. The engine could also be crank started if necessary by a hand crank that is inserted through a hole in the radiator shell. The Model AA was based on a chassis that was similar in design to the Model A Ford, except it was substantially larger and heavier to accommodate the work this truck was designed for. Model AA Ford has a four-speed manual gearbox. The transmission is geared lower than the Model A Ford to provide more power to move a loaded truck. This lower gearing reduced the top speed of the truck when compared to the Model A Ford. The transmission also featured a lock-out on the shift knob for reverse that required a lever to be activated with the thumb so reverse could be engaged. This was done to prevent accidental engagement of reverse while the truck was in motion. Early trucks had a worm gear rear-end that limited the top speed of the truck. That rear-end was replaced by a Ring and Pinion rear-end Differential to improve the speed of the truck. Later models were fitted with braces on the outer casing of the rear-end to provide additional support to the rear-end housing. The suspension of the AA Fire Truck was similar to the Model A Ford in the front end. A leaf spring is centered in the front ‘A’ frame over the front axle. Shock absorbers were available for the front end. The rear suspension differed from the Model A Ford. The AA had leaf-springs mounted to the chassis and shackled to the rear-axle. The rear suspension did not have shocks. The controls in the Model AA Ford are entirely mechanical, except the windshield wiper in later models. The brakes are mechanical and the truck has four oversized drum brakes to stop the vehicle. The mechanical system is a pull lever system that applies the force from the pedal to a pivot that pulls the brake rods that expand the brakes in the drums. The brake light is activated when the brake pedal is pushed. The brakes are proportioned more toward the rear drums. The parking brake is a chrome lever on the floor with a release button on the top. The windshield wipers started as hand cranked and later models were a vacuum pump powered from the exhaust line. The horn button is mounted in the middle of the steering wheel assembly. Controls for the lights are also incorporated into the steering assembly. The switch was a three-stop switch for parking lights, headlights and high-beams. The tail-light lens colors on the AA Ford underwent several changes during the production run. Two levers are mounted on the steering column to adjust the engine. The left lever controls the manual advance of the timing. Adjusting the timing of the engine change the time that a spark will occur in the combustion chamber and those changes affect the performance of the engine. The right lever is a manual control for the throttle. The throttle can be adjusted to ease the shifting of the transmission and the idling speed of the engine. Underneath the dash on the right side is the choke rod. The choke can adjust the flow of gasoline from the carburetor into the engine. Turning the knob on the choke rod clockwise closes the fuel flow, leaning out the engine; turning the knob counterclockwise opens the fuel flow to the engine. The gauge cluster in the Model AA Ford includes three basic gauges. The cluster is in a diamond formation, with the start key and pop-out switch is on the left point. The top of the cluster holds the gas gauge, which directly connects into the gas tank, behind the dashboard. The right point holds the amp gauge, which shows the charge rate of the generator. The bottom of the dash holds the speedometer and odometer. Additional gauges can be mounted below the cluster if desired. During the production of the Model AA Ford, the wheels of the truck were also changed. Spoke wheels similar in appearance to Model A wheels but much heavier were used during the production in 1928–1929. Twenty inch Disc wheels were produced by Budd for Ford. In 1930, a new style of disc wheel was adopted. These wheels were used for 1930 and part of 1931. The final wheels used were a further modification of the 1930 wheel with a raised center to reinforce the wheel. Wheel nuts changed with each new style of wheel to meet the changes made in the designs of the wheel. Special wheels were produced for Ambulances and Funeral Coaches. In 1930–1931 a dual-wheel adapter was developed and used for a variety of body styles, including dump-trucks, Fire trucks and Stake Trucks. contact Kennith Stewart at 1-877-689-6930 for more information. 1960 Ford F100 0 Flame Red/Corinthian White Pickup Truck 292 V8 3 Speed Manual 1930 Ford Model A 1 Tan Coupe I4 3.3L Manual 3-Speed 1930 all steel T bucket - full custom one off build! 5 speed Manual Transmission 1930 Ford Model A Huckster 0 Red 4 door Inline 4 cylinder 3-Speed Manual CUSTOM 1930 FORD MODEL A, 350 ENGINE, 4 SPEED MANUAL TRANS, ALL STEEL NO RESERVE 1930 Ford Model A Huckster 876 Miles Red 4 door Inline 4 cylinder 3-Speed Manual 1930 FORD MODEL A SPORT COUPE, RUMBLE SEAT! 3-SPEED MANUAL! STUNNING! 1930 30 Ford Model A Deluxe Roadster 3 Speed Manual 2-Door 6-Wheel Convertible 1930 FORD MODEL A 4 MANUAL SPEED 5 WINDOW COUPE ALUM HEADS CORVETTE REAR ! 1994 Ford F-350 XLT Crew Cab 5 Speed Manual 8Ft Bed 5 Speed Manual 4-Door Truck	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line11
__label__wiki	0.89222	0.89222	Pressure builds on Walmart in Shenzhen as trade union activists fight back Sacked Walmart workers in Shenzhen are joining forces to put pressure on the world’s largest retailer to curtail its harassment of labour activists and genuine trade unionists. Yu Zhiming, a democratically elected member of the union committee at Walmart Store No. 5722 in Shenzhen’s Nanshan district, took the company to arbitration court for illegal dismissal earlier this year and won. He has now teamed up with veteran Walmart worker activist, Wang Shishu, who is also suing the company after being dismissed for a second time earlier this year. Yu, 43, from the central province of Hubei, had worked in the seafood department at the No. 5722 store since 2002. He was elected to the store union committee in 2013: “All of the six committee members and the union president were democratically elected, and we were doing a good job,” Yu said. “I am very proud to say that our union was the only one in Shenzhen that was functioning as it should and was not controlled by management.” The store union committee tried to bargain for better working conditions and, in September 2013, refused to endorse a new company rule that allowed managers to fire any employee who disobeyed three orders. The management-controlled unions in the city’s 25 other stores all approved the new rule. Walmart management soon began to target the No.5722 store union committee members and, in March 2015, sacked Yu and his fellow committee member Song Cailiang on the grounds of “severely violating company regulations.” “The manager said I was a slacker who hid inside the locker room during work hours. Everybody knows that is not true. For over a decade, I kept a work log for the shift, and made entries in the locker room,” Yu said. Yu and Song got no support from the local district trade union but their cases were taken up by the Laowei Law Firm. In August, the arbitration court ruled in Yu’s favour although Walmart is now appealing the decision. Worker activists protest illegal dismissals outside a Walmart store in Shenzhen During the appeals process, Yu has joined a solidarity campaign organized by veteran labour activist Wang Shishu, who has staged demonstrations outside several Walmart stores across Shenzhen protesting the company’s union busting policies and unlawful dismissals. Wang explained: “I fought this battle once before and I am ready to fight it again. I am excited that Yu Zhiming and the others are joining the effort.” Excessive Work Sanitation Workers Food Delivery Workers Transport Workers White Collar Workers Bloomberg: Foxconn’s China union plans on track Trade union officials in Sichuan indifferent to dangers at firework factory RFA: Chinese Workers at Walmart Campaign For Higher Wages, Union Elections Hitachi sacks worker activist who lobbied for trade union Guangdong provincial trade union federation gets its hands dirty Searching for the healthcare workers’ union Factory trade union chairman successfully sues employer after management reprisals How food delivery riders in Shanghai got their own trade union	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line19
__label__cc	0.731288	0.268712	Awate.com Fearless News, Opinion, Analysis On Eritrea And Beyond Awate Team Gedab News Behind The News of The Capture of Humera The Two-Pronged Ethiopian Civil War: Propaganda and Bombs Ethnic Profiling of Tigrayans in Ethiopia To the West or to the East? Saudi Memo; Eritreans in Eastern Sudan Victimized Over 2000 citizens Crowd Eritrean Embassy In Addis Ababa Kenya: Eritreans and a US$3.4 Million Burlap Swindle Eritrea: A Classic African dictator took over (Book Review) Eritrean Refugees: Fifty Years of Injustice A Miserable Country Goes to War with Itself Eritrea’s Socio-Politics of Slash and Burn The Debate Over Arabic Language in Eritrea! Mesfin Hagos Should Resign From His Political Party Mesfin Hagos: Before the Egg Hatches Tebeges Al-Nahda Negarit AlMaseer Branna Eritrea Digest Ethiopian Northern Command Troops Were Asleep The Massacre of Ona and Besekdira: When Scars Replace Wounds The Sixth and Seventh Kings of Ethiopia Rejecting Wars– A Matchstick in The Horn of Africa Abyssinians And Arabs Have Similar Traits News and Information, Life and Property Home / Branna / Infestation Of Psycho Spiritual Malaise Infestation Of Psycho Spiritual Malaise Aklilu Zere December 13, 2010 Branna 6 Comments The Tears of Isaias the Sadist The Black Hole That Devoured Light (Archives) The Good Tegadalit “…….I don’t know how it is today, but in the not-too-distant past, there were distinguished people to whom abusing and denigrating victims afforded feeling similar to those of the Marquis de Sade and the marquise de Brinsvilliers. I think that there is something in these sensations that, in these people, make their heart stop in agonizing delight. There are people like tigers who long for a taste of blood. Anyone who has once experienced this power, this unlimited control over the body, blood and spirit of a man like himself, a fellow creature, his brother in Christ-anyone who has experienced the power to inflict supreme humiliation upon other beings, created like himself in the image of God, is bound to be ruled by his emotions. Tyranny is a habit; it grows upon us and, in the long run, turns into a disease. say that most decent man in the world can, through habit, become as brutish and coarse as a wild beast. But then, the bestial side does not develop equally in all men. If the beast in a man overpowers all his other sides, he becomes horrible, monstrous. Blood and power intoxicate, callousness and vise develop; the most abnormal things become first acceptable, then sweet to the mind and heart. The human being, the member of society, is drowned forever in the tyrant, and it is practically impossible for him to regain human dignity, repentance, and regeneration. One such instance-the realization that such arbitrary power can be exercised-can infect all society; such power is seductive. A society which can watch this happen with equanimity must itself be basically infected. Thus, the power given to one man or group of men to inflict bodily and spiritual punishment upon others is a social sore; it is perhaps the surest way of nipping the civic spirit in the bud. It will inevitably lead to the disintegration of society.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky – ‘House Of The Dead,’ 1862 Did you watch the video in which an eight or nine years old girl (a gifted stand-up comedian) was serenading Isaias Afewerki? The one Sal was talking about? She said that Isaias was much better than President Bush because he is multilingual whereas Bush can only speak English. After hearing the little girl’s gig, Isaias blushed (a remnant of what used to be human) and when the innocent little girl requested if he was willing to give her a hug he hesitatingly (sign of cowardice) obliged. The little girl did not know what will her future look like or be! Born and raised under a incessant dark cloud of tyranny ruling over a big prison cell called Eritrea, and led by no other than the pretentious blusher/hugger Isaias, children like her (innocent, bright, assertive, artistic) will probably end up in shipping containers. And if not, they will be shot dead crossing the boarders. If they are a little lucky (the journey will not end there) and they crossed the boarders, they will either drown in one of the high seas or their skeletal remains will be found strewn in the Sahara Desert. Worse, now there arose a new ugly phenomena: rape, bestiality, brutality and absolute humiliation in far away places and in hands of recruited mercenaries and assassins. These mercenaries could not have come out of the blue; there are hands guiding them. There are brains mentoring them. There are profiteers goading them. And surely, without an iota of doubt, the buck stops on Isaias’ table and those who collaborate with him and his tyranny in any shape or form. Even common folks who sympathize with Isaias are guilty by association. A nation that does not protect its weakest citizens does not deserve to exist. Children and the young are among the weakest members of a society who need constant and diligent attention, grooming and protection by the state. With the same token, a tribe that does not protect its weakest members is doomed to extinction. In other word Bhere Tigrigna is teetering towards extinction because, as a tribe, not only is it not protecting and defending its weakest members but many of its members are openly and tacitly approving of Tyranny. I do not have to go into an analytical mode because what Dostoyevsky wrote shall suffice for now. The blushing and hugging of Isaias was a façade that hides tyranny. Tyrants like Isaias do not like children because they abhor innocence. Tyrants like Isaias do not love children because the children’s’ openness and assertion shudders them. Tyrants like Isaias do not respect children because they fundamentally reject free mind and free will. Children like the comedian, do not have choices, but there are many (mature adults) who have freedom and abundance of choices yet some choose to support, tend, ameliorate and encourage tyranny forcefully in open—some deviously or indirectly. To be direct (I am a son of the direct woman) this message is to my tribe: the highlanders or the Tigrigna ethnic group or simply, Deki Kebessa. Some might ask why? Why blame the Tigrigna tribe? My answer is that I shall call a spade a spade and not cover, twist or hide what I see for cowardice or false deference. And I shall assert the following: In my half a century of life in this earth I have yet to see, meet, hear about or know a celebrated sadist, tyrant or kurats seitan Lowlander, or to be frank and precise, any Eritrean Moslem or any non Tigrigna anywhere in Eritrea. If you the reader know one, I shall promptly retrieve my assertion and I shall apologize. I always respected direct (simple) folks no mater how disgusted I may sometimes be by their ignorance or their choices. For example, I respect those who volunteered to become graffiti walls and carried placards with a shameful message that read “Nsu Nhna; Nhna Nsu.” They did not hide their infection by tyranny and they will not hide their intentions either: to defend tyranny. The good news is they are rootless therefore easy to uproot and replant. But do you know why they do it? The answer lies in what the philosopher Hannah Arendt and other researchers said: The atrocities of the Holocaust were not caused by psychopaths but by ordinary people placed under extraordinary pressure to conform. But nowadays through exhaustive research it was also found that ordinary folks need not be placed under extraordinary pressure to conform. Even with no pressure folks have a tendency to conform to their tribe. At the start of this article when you read what I quoted from Dostoevsky, your brain, without going overdrive, must have retrieved some accurate images that included the scrawny (hatyatu zibel’o) Yemane; the bulbous (I am civilized to say obese) Sophia; the grand inquisitor Wedi Gerahtu or the beardless Rasputin, Zemihret, etc. But it is always easier to deal with these people because they do not hide what they believe in and are acting in public, with time you will surely find a viable and justifiable solution. It is from the devious and conniving people that we have to guard ourselves: people who work from the underground or who look like us. Who is to blame for the criminal mess? First thing first: I challenge every Eritrean and in particular deki kebbesa (who have a choice, unlike the little girl) to look at themselves in the mirror (not a see through a glass) and ask themselves if they are free of the contagion. Asking oneself such important issue is the most important and the first step towards cleansing the self. If you are infected and you acknowledge it, the healing has already started. As a consequence you also become a healer because if tyranny is contagious, so is kindness, empathy and respect to others. There is blame and there is BLAME; and the ultimate blame goes to: 1. Isaias Afewerki. Are you fed up and bored with me and my obsession with Isaias? For me, Isaias is not the person but The soul; The spirit; The personification; The embodiment; The blood; The brain; The processor; The chip; The system; and The driver of all the ills that has and is besieging Eritrea and its people. But because I have said and written enough about him I shall conclude my obsession with the following eulogy in a Kafkaesque style, only I will replace Prometheus with Nsu: Nsu!!! There will be four legends concerning Nsu: According the first he was clamped to a rock in Sahel for betraying Eritrean people and the gods sent eagles to feed on his liver, which was perpetually renewed. According to the second Nsu goaded by pain of the tearing beaks, pressed himself deeper and deeper into the rock until he became one with it. According to the third his treachery was forgotten in the course of thousands of years, forgotten by the gods, the eagles, forgotten by himself. According to the fourth everyone grew weary of the meaningless affair. The gods grew weary, the eagles grew weary, the wound closed wearily. There remained the inexplicable mass of rock. The legend tried to explain the inexplicable. As it came out of a substratum of truth it had in turn to end in the inexplicable. 2. The ambassadors. Frankly, this subject does not need any elaboration. 3. The Generals, Colonels and security officials: These officers are not your typical military/security officials, meaning they are not career military personnel as the modern definition goes. So, they cannot hide behind what Lin Biao (Chinese General/philosopher) said of military people: “Theirs is not to reason why; theirs is to do and die”. The EDF officers are the product of rthe evolution and they owe Their being; Their self; Their breath; Their body; Their flesh; Their health; Their blood; Their cells; Their tissues; Their titles and entitlements to the people of Eritrea who literally nourished them with the primary sustenance of Life: food and water (two of the most precious commodities in Eritrea). Since its inception until independence, the EPLF relied not on the false claim of “self-reliance” but entirely on the people of Eritrea for food and sustenance. They fought eating porridge and beef given to them by the Beni Amir; Baria and Kunama people, They fought eating millet bread and peanuts given to them by Blen and Tigre people. They fought eating Gogo, barley, Teff bread, prickly pears, potatoes and flax given to them by the highlanders. They fought eating fish given to them by the Afar and Semhar people. And that was not because the people had abundance of food but they did it by abnegating their own families. Lo and behold to the people if they didn’t!!! These officers will shoulder the heaviest blame (crime) because they have the tools and means to stop tyranny, but instead they chose either to support it or to keep silent. Time and again they failed their revolutionary, military, security, national and citizenry duties and due diligence when: They stood silent when their own disabled war veterans were murdered by orders of their commander-in-chief. Everything else pales compared to this act of treason and negligence of due diligence. They stood silent when officers and rank and file, their comrades-in- arms were frozen, imprisoned, tortured or disappeared. They stood silent when young boys and girls were forcefully conscripted for endless military and serfdom services. They stood silent when civilians were constantly bullied, beaten, caught and incarcerated in prisons. And now… They are standing silent when young Eritreans are brutalized by recruited mercenaries. So, any person or organization that places its hope on these officers shall be considered a fool and an accomplice to negligence, and shall be held accountable. 4. Meskerem website: aka house of horrors. It is filthy and unkempt. It stinks and ratchets the soul. Simply put, it is a pig farm. If I had the means I would have disassociated all my best articles I posted in this website during its heyday of progress under the pen name “experienced” and in particular the ten open letters I wrote to the tyrant in the year 2000 under the title “cornucopias of ideas” The owner has to come out and declare to whom the website belongs and whom it serves now. If he is sold it to Tyranny and have no hands in what is posted, then, we the Eritrean people will take the action as commercial/business transaction and forgive him even though his business dealing with the devil was Faustian. Hiding under the first amendment is not enough. If he does not declare, then he is an impostor and an agent provocateur, of the highest order, devoid of any chances for redemption. I do not understand why the son of a rehabilitated commando wants himself to be a commando re-incarnate? 5. Micro aggressors (Tehalekti/self-appointed advocates of their tribe): If some say “you are what you eat” or “you are what you dress”, I say “You are what you write.” One cannot escape from what one writes. Everything is there. It might need care, perseverance and unbiased look on the part of the reader to find the essence but it is lying there either in open or otherwise embedded, but easy to decipher. These are writers who sound foreign and whose priority is grossly misplaced, thus suspicious. There is also a hint of imperial ambition in the way they write. Could they be our Rip Van Winkles? They blame everything not on what matters most (they just brush it lightly and pass) but on the victims. They save their sharpest daggers to viciously attack people and organizations who day in day out fight against the tyranny. If you ask me why they do it, the only answer I can honestly give is, “self-hatred” and “self loathing” that emanates from the very abysmally low self-esteem whose root cause I cannot fathom. Some of them have even run out of choices; but contrary to what they imply, it is because of their choice that they run out of choice. You run out of choice only if you are irrational or unfair, telltale signs of contagion. It is one thing to run out of bumper stickers, but to run out of good choices in this critical life and death situation is simply to defer ones due diligence as an Eritrean and as a writer. Who are they going to blame now for the sad and heart wrenching suffering that is happening to the weakest members of their tribe in Sinai? Tadamun? The opposition? Ali Salim? Awate Team? The Afars? The Kunamas? Dostoyevsky described such rabid individuals in his “Notes from the underground” and I want to share it with you: …Now let’s see how things are with people who are capable of revenge and, in general, of taking care of themselves. When the desire for revenge takes possession of them, they are drained for a time of every other feeling but this desire for revenge. Such a gentleman just rushes straight ahead, horns lowered, like a furious bull, and nothing stops him until he comes up against a stone wall…A wall has a calming effect upon them; it is as though it solved a moral issue- it is something final and, perhaps even mystical…. 6. Harnet website: “The House Of Errors” and I shall not elaborate. My regards. About Aklilu Zere Previous The Evil That Men Do Next WikiLeaks, Rashaida and Egypt The Departure of a Good Man: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Nelson Mandela was a Good Man. He chose to be Good and stuck with it. … “These (EDF) officers will shoulder the heaviest blame (crime) because they have the tools and means to stop tyranny, but instead they chose either to support it or to keep silent. Time and again they failed their revolutionary, military, security, national and citizenry duties and due diligence…. What an excellent summary of the current EDF officers situation. So how dare EPDP want to negotiate with such people in overthrowing Nsu. A PERFECT article. Square on to the point. Are Highlinders (KEBESSA) souls made of stone? No more jebha, no more jihad, no more beniamer. The Devil himself resides in the soul of Tigrigna. And up to the Biher Tigrinya to take him out or nourish him their blood. Nitric The writer dismantles every message he tried to pass it along. I could have written pages with above Absurd comment but what is the point and the word is simply Preposterous. Read it and think about it, you will get it. buqli hasas I am not exactly a professor of the english language,but it appears clear to me, that EPLF did not rely on itself,but rather on the people that it was forcing to feed it.Does not self reliance mean ,relying on your self,not on mummy,daddy or the people !!! Semere Andom “A nation that does not protect its weakest citizens does not deserve to exist.” And to that I add, a nation that disappears its ”founding fathers” and its citizens is destined to fail, ushering in its darkest ages for future generations to carry the burden. If a member if the Tigrina admits it then it is true. Eritrean Highlanders fooled by Nhan Elamanan and emboldened by their demographics are the chief enablers of Eritrea’s Poll Pot. PFDJ brags about how Asmara is the safest place, but we know better: it is not their doing. And the Highlanders who are looking the other way while they possess the means to uproot the monster, they will regret it when their Asmara is infested with gangsters, and people who kidnap for ransom and pimps become prevalent. Nowadays PFDJ in a desperate attempt to redeem their lustre are interviewing Italian tourists, who have supposedly said that Eritrea is the safest place in the continent. For all we know these so called Italian tourist could be PFDJ’s Mafia /camorra collaborators otherwise any decent human would not dare insult the people even in an attempt to be polite to the host country. To be honest the Highlands are not admitting it even now, actually they get offended the truth and they support the dictator as the noose gets tighter and they find solace on yesteryears when the defiant Eritrean people under the leadership of EPLF triumphed against all odds. They will continue to do so until every family is punished by Isaias’ wrath and until every Eritrean girl is raped by the PFDJ, then they will wake up and smell the coffee, but it will be too late for many and for them. It is these people who give humanity bad name. But we have to believe amid the gloom and the cruelly there are the Eritrean Oscar Schindler, who are silently writing the future history, we find solace in this inevitable human nature. I think we should not shy away in the name of political correctness to tell the truth about what is happening in Eritrea and how Isaias is playing his hands, he is not that good, but he has been dealt the best hand in the house: the unconditional support of Highlanders add to this his bluffing, makes him the winner. And you cannot call his bluff because he wears the D&G sun-glasses these days. Now the enablers are running to their cocoons (the churches) as the truth unambiguously emerges and realized that how they have been fleeced. But still they chant the scripts of the Lucifer instead of praying for salvation. Semere Abdulhafiz Straight forward, last call. A big summarized book that can be expanded. More calls are required now before it is late. Hey, Awate writers, I am no more getting words that fit in appreciating. Keep it up all. 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__label__cc	0.734915	0.265085	most expensive tomatoes The influence of food bloggers has made this vegetable super popular in our country. Nutrition: Apparently Swiss chards are among the heavy vitamin-laden veggies on earth. Spinaches are an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin B2, B6, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, manganese, copper, and calcium. Here are more ideas for small space gardening. Monetary: Despite the popularity, the cabbage has little relative monetary value. (Source: foodfacts.mercola.com), Nutrition: The primary focus here is the green lima beans that are loaded with plenty of calories and macronutrients. Copyright © Fandango. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy Also featuring Mr. Las Vegas and Wayne Newton. Monetary value: You can expect a high market value for the eggplant. Nutrition: Rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients. Space utilization: The turnip is a high producing crop that gives 20lbs per square foot. This is because when combined with whole grains, they make a complete protein. They featured on this list exclusively because of yield per square unit. Each 10 ft row can only accommodate 3 plants. A look at ways on how to woo significant others with the most expensive "baecation.". It is priced at INR 95-115/kg. Other vital nutrients are pro-vitamin A, C, E, K, B6, B12, Thiamin, Riboflavins, Niacin and Folate. Hint: It’s NOT Roundup, 31 Low Light Houseplants That You Shouldn’t Miss Out, Brown Tips on Spider Plants? Space utilization: Green bunching onions are space friendly, meaning they won’t take much space, but you can expect high yields. But, Parsley is different and has strong flavour. Is the Fresh Export Market Better for Beginners? Most people were not even aware of this delicious vegetable here. (Source: fullcircle.com). A single stem of Bok Choy will not be less than INR 115. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. Monetary value: Highly valuable (One of the most expensive vegetables to buy or sell). We don’t use it on regular basis and we find this only in certain restaurants or cafés leading to the import of this vegetable. (Source: goaskalice.columbia.edu), Nutrition: These beans are loaded with plenty of calories and macronutrients. Don’t forget that this post is part of my series on A To Z vegetable gardening tips for beginners, If you missed the previous post, find it here. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. తిరుమలలో భక్తులు పూలు ఎందుకు పెట్టుకోకూడదో తెలుసా! (Source: treehugger.com). Monetary value: Tomatoes have a relatively high monetary value. A 10 ft-row will accommodate five plants, and they take up much less space especially when supported. Furthermore, they are a good source of plant proteins. Nutrition: Kohlrabi is a hardy annual vegetable that is full of nutrients and minerals. Included: how much people would pay to breathe air. Unlike the regular tomatoes, they are tiny in size and have a resemblance to cherries. Monetary value: It has a relatively intermediate market value. Most Profitable Crops. Fall TV First Look: Find Out What’s Coming, The Best Peacock Original Shows and Movies, All Upcoming Disney Movies: New Disney Live-Action, Animation, Pixar, Marvel, and More, J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs & The Church of the SubGenius. It’s one of the very low calorie (0.15 calories per gram) and low in cholesterol vegetable. Nutrition: Leeks are an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B6, C, K, calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese. It’s a tremendous source of vitamins A and K, folate, manganese, calcium, and tryptophan. The list is arranged based on the overall score starting with the least (score of 1/10) to the most valuable crop (score of 10/10). One kg of Cherry Tomatoes are priced around INR 250 to INR 300. Here are some of the most profitable ones to consider. Space utilization: Three plants of summer squash can produce 25lbs per square foot. Mustard greens also contain a proper amount of essential minerals such as manganese, calcium, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin B6, phosphorous and copper. I'm a participant in the amazon associate program which means I'll earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you buy through some of the links on this website, in which case I thank you. (Source: healwithfood.org), Nutrition: The beet is an excellent source of phytonutrients, folate, manganese, potassium, copper, fiber, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, vitamin C and vitamin B6. Nutrition: Peas are green legumes that are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B6, K and C. These super vegetables are high in fiber and low in fat and contain no cholesterol. For example, white asparagus are considered the most expensive vegetables in the world. It is estimated that its 10-ounce jar is available at the price of $8.99. It is obtained from a laborious process which will save the time and money to the person by purchasing it in a container to … Monetary value: Unfortunately when it comes to the dollar value, bulb onions are considered relatively low in value. In the Season 1 finale, 2 Chainz explores Sin City's more elegant finishing touches with Fawnia Mondey. Due to the secretive nature of Hollywood accounting it is not clear which film is the most expensive film ever made. Besides that, Brussels are low in sodium and fat but contains tons of vitamins A, C, K (believed to be more than that of an orange), and B6, fiber, iron, selenium, folate, calcium, and potassium. Lettuce further contains quite some essential minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium (Source including recipes visit: nutrition-and-you.com). This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. Zucchini is extremely good for health and is quite nutritious. But, thanks to several restaurants, people are eating this and enjoying its flavours in food bowls or with noodles. Trace amounts of proteins can also be found in carrots. These vitamins are thiamine, niacin, B6, C, and riboflavin. (Source: healwithfood.org). Too much for a leafy vegetable, nai? Featuring Robin Leach. All rights reserved. As if to spice up … Space utilization: A 10 ft. Row accommodates ten plants on average, and it gives small production per square foot about 6-8lbs. And, since it is so rare, the price is obviously high for this vegetable. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides officially holds the record with a budget of $378.5 million, while The Hobbit trilogy stands as the most expensive back-to-back film production with combined costs of $623 million after tax credits.. Inflation, filming techniques and external market … and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. Click the link below to see what others say about Most Expensivest: Season 1! Eggplants are also very rich in antioxidants such Nasunin that is found in aubergine skin. Multiple studies also indicate that leeks contain anti-cancerous properties such as allyl sulfides. Synopsis:Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. Space utilization: Production per square foot is medium approximately 10-12lbs. Monetary value: Medium to high value vegetables. (Source: webmd.com). Monetary value: They’ve got a medium market value but depends on which growing regions. They are also a concentrated source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Manganese, and Potassium. It promotes metabolism and weight loss making its demand sky rocket. Nutrition: Kale is undisputedly one of the high-value vegetables. While most vegetables do come under budget, that is if there is no recession, there are a few which will burn holes in your pockets. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Since most people in the Central Valley stick to hybrids and commercial OP varieties, they will be very rare and unique around here. The yield expected per square foot is medium that is about 15lbs. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. (Source: healthyeating.org). Hannibal Buress and Tommy Chong are featured. Monetary value: Radishes have a medium value. Beside these calories, this veggie contains the required vitamins A and C and supplies more beta-carotene than any other fruit or vegetable. Nutrition: Tomatoes (red, ripe, raw) are good a source of Thiamine, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper and Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol). Also, okra contains vital nutrients such as magnesium, manganese, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Editor's Note: This post was originally published on January 29, 2016 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness. What Most Agribusiness Experts Won’t Tell You, How Often Do You Water Succulents? Monetary value: This great vegetable has a medium market value. Doesn’t take up much space – 10 ft. A row can grow 30 plants. There are no featured audience reviews yet. Some Interesting Yet Unknown Facts About Chilkoor Balaji’s Chief Priest Rangarajan, India to play 3 T20 series with Sri Lanka. From television sets to mobile phones, everything comes with a price. In the series premiere, during a $10,000 steak dinner, 2 Chainz and Action Bronson discuss lavishing oneself with unnecessary luxuries. It’s known to be one of the most nutrient-dense veggies in existence. Space utilization: Relatively low production per square foot. Space utilization: Bulb onions are medium producers. For example, one cup of diced fruit contains about 50 calories. On average, a 10 feet row will yield 10-15 fruits from 3 plants. Space utilization: It is possible to grow about eight plants per 10 feet row and expect medium yields between 30-50lbs worth of produce. The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher. “Seed saving can seem intimidating, but it’s actually simple with tomatoes as most pollinators don’t pay much attention to the flowers, so cross-pollination is unusual. Here’s Why. 2 Chainz lives his best life in Las Vegas with caviar for breakfast and $30 million poker games. This makes ideal for growing in containers. Hence Asparagus is pricey. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. Bookmark. No wonder when it comes to high value vegetables tomato takes the number one spot winding up this list of the most expensive vegetables that will undoubtedly profit you both in the short and long run. Space utilization: Radishes are economical regarding space utilization. The onions contain biotin, manganese, copper, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin B1, fiber, phosphorus, potassium, and folate. It is low in calories, rich in essential vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Synopsis:Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. Finally, kale is also a good source of antioxidants such as Kaempferol and Quercetin (Source: authoritynutrition.com), Monetary value: Relatively high monetary value, Nutrition: The okra also referred to as ‘lady’s finger’ is full of nutritional benefits. (Source: whfoods.com). This veggie is one of the high-value vegetables that promotes optimal health. 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__label__wiki	0.598368	0.598368	About CJD THE KINGS OF SUMMER (Blu-Ray Review) September 24, 2013 Author, Blu-Ray, Heavenly, Malone, Uncategorized No comments Written by: Malone on September 24, 2013. THE KINGS OF SUMMER, available 9/24 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Every September I get this feeling of dread cut through my gut. It happens whenever I see signs for “Back To School” sales. It’s been years since I’ve sat in a classroom, but there’s still some sort of psychological hold it has on me. Growing up sucks. While I now look back on my school days with fond memories, at the time there was lot of unnecessary anxiety and pressure that seemed so damn important. It wasn’t. Yet, I still get that feeling… like an amputee’s ghost pain shooting through a phantom limb. I never want Summer to end!! Well, what if it didn’t have to? On 9/24 “The Kings of Summer ” will arrive on Blu-Ray and attempt to run away from responsibility, heartache and the cold autumn of adulthood. After the death of his mother, young Joe Toy (Nick Robinson) has found life with his now single father (Nick Offerman) to be nearly unbearable. The two are always at odds and regardless of who’s right or wrong, neither backs down. Fed up with being told how to live his life, Joe declares his freedom and hatches a plan to take control of his own destiny. With his best friend Patrick (Gabriel Basso), whose clueless parents are smothering to a hive-filled death and some oddball kid named Biaggio (Moises Arias), he sets off into the woods, eager to build a new life of independence. The boys find a clearing, build a house and begin hunting for their supper. One such hunt leads to a Boston Market, which winds up being the main source of sustenance for the suburban teens. With no parents, no chores and all the juicy rotisserie chicken you could want, life is pretty sweet. Then comes the girl. When Joe invites Kelly (Erin Moriarty), the girl he’s been crushing on forever, to come see the house, she ends up falling for Patrick instead. To make matters worse, he likes her back. Suddenly the boys are thrown back into reality when their happy home is shattered by conflict, emotions and just growing up. Joe (Nick Robinson), Patrick (Gabriel Basso) and Biaggio (Moises Arias) attempt to outrun adulthood. Many have compared “The Kings of Summer ” to “Stand By Me ” and “Moonrise Kingdom “… which is pretty unfair since it’s not as good as the former and more enjoyable than the latter. I guess any time someone does a coming-of-age movie well it’s required to set it next to “Stand By Me” for side-by-side scrutiny. Story-wise, “Kings” is closer to “Moonrise”, but director Jordan Vogt-Roberts actually manages to out-Wes Anderson Wes Anderson. Going off of a humorous and touching script by Chris Galletta, Vogt-Roberts calls to mind early Anderson or a less “hipster” version of the one we have now. The characters can be quirky and strange or completely heartbreaking and real. Be it Nick Offerman’s bone-dry sarcasm that’s ready to erupt with years worth of pent-up hurt and anger or Moises Arias’ over the top eccentricity tempered with unending loyalty, this director revels in the depth of his characters. He loves throwing curve balls in either the direction of comedic levity or crushing sadness, then sits back and watches the reaction with a palpable giddiness. It’s not much, but it’s home… Naturally, this is most effective when you’re dealing with actors who handle delivering such a wide range of emotions. Just about every single performance in this movie is spot on, especially Nick Offerman. I wasn’t sure if I hated or felt sa for Offerman’s “Frank” character, but he felt very real to me. This is a guy who used to be a scout master or a baseball coach when I was growing up. He was also the guy you could piss off enough to lose his cool in front of everyone. I recognized this man. Megan Mullally is amazing as Patrick’s tragically unhip mother and Moises Arias is hilarious even if he’s just reacting to whatever is happening in the foreground. But the real heart I feel, lies between Nick Robinson’s “Joe” and Gabriel Basso’s “Patrick”. Both actors are still in their teens, but deliver honest and heartfelt performances. Robinson in particular hits a home run after having has heartbroken, going from teary eyes, to world-collapsing deprssion and then ultimately to rage. There’s a lot of heavy stuff to hang on this young actor’s shoulders, but he bears the weight well. “Girls of the world ain’t nothing but trouble.” – The Fresh Prince The Blu-Ray is another top-notch Sony release. The colors are rich, the picture is sharp and even the most minute details in the woods show up crystal clear. The same can be said for the sound, which shines through on a 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround soundtrack. Ambient noises and music fill the channels, taking particular advantage of forest sounds. Dialogue utilizes the center channels and is crisp as the film’s high def picture. Into extras? ”The Kings of Summer ” blu-ray is loaded; there’s a cast and crew commentary, cast interviews, deleted/extended scenes and several featurettes. This is one title that Sony didn’t skimp with and it’s worth every penny. JUDGEMENT: 3.5 of 4 Angels “The Kings of Summer ” scores an impressive 3.5 of 4 angels. One of the better coming of age movies to come out in recent time, it hits all the right notes from comedy to drama while providing a character who actually seems to grow over the course of his arc. Yes, Summer’s over, but there’s something bittersweet in knowing that it doesn’t last forever; it can’t last forever. At least we can live vicariously through each new generation and remember how we enjoyed our short time in the sun. Chris Galletta The Kings of Summer Don't have a Gravatar? Get one! Copyright © Cinema Judgement Day HIDDEN IN THE WOODS (DVD Review) WHITE HOUSE DOWN (Blu-Ray Review) ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US coming to 3D, Blu and DVD OKA! (Blu-Ray Review) Ready for some action? Enter to win DRUG WAR on Blu-Ray! 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__label__cc	0.656835	0.343165	Posts Tagged ‘They Had Goat Heads’ A Review of “They Had Goat Heads” by D. Harlan Wilson There’s a Bob Dylan song about umbrellas and crime, darkness and climbing, and the flow of that song, the flow which that song is about–the narrative form of dreams, the logic of their progression, without “great connections” or “intricate schemes”–is a useful notion for making sense of what D. Harlan Wilson is doing in this collection of short, strange stories, each its own dream, in a sense, unfolding in the manner of dreams, laced with absurdity and non sequitur, yet engaging, too, in the specific lineament of genre, of what is now called the “speculative.” You walk into a theater and realize you’re the star of the movie, or a motel clerk tries to have you arrested because you don’t have your key. “Near the restrooms, a contortionist juggles minute koalas while dishing out smoked sausages for $3 a pop. Takers are legion, and they’re not unhappy with the taste, given the proper medley of condiments.” This is the stuff of Wilson’s stories, but the most successful ones are the most stripped down. There’s the case of the man who “screwed an antenna into the soft spot on an infant’s skull and tried to get a signal,” for instance, or the child who wants to crawl back inside his mother’s womb, or the man who denies the existence of elbows, who has something to do with a bridge engineered out of Cornish hens…. The collection begins with an experimental tweak of genre, a piece called “6 Word Scifi,” which reads, in its entirety, “Mechanical flâneurs goosestep across the prairie.” There’s quite a bit going on here, and, to some interpreters at least, it is a string of words thick with allusion. Sometimes, however, Wilson can misstep with his attempts at some sort of witty meta level. On flying squirrels, for instance, he writes, “One should not do battle with arboreal gliders, theoretical or otherwise (ref. Deleuze and Guattari’s Anti-Oedipus), no matter what they’re wearing.” But perhaps the point is that Delueze and Guattari references–or Arabic script, or definitions of terms from Japanese cinema–do turn up in the genre and, likewise, do turn up in dreams. That which is jarring, here, also packs a gentler, in-joke nudge, as when descriptions devolve to blunt declaration of “Animé nights and scikungfi battle royals.” Mid-book there is a story deserving special note: “The Sister,” presented in graphic novel fashion via the artistry of Skye Thorstenson. These are gorgeous, disquieting, and addictive pages. I only wish the entire book had been told this way, with the dreams visible on the page, an anteater, a gash for a face. Here the hallucinatory logic takes on even more haunting resonance. While elsewhere Wilson gives us the dangerously pendulous stray breast of a nurse or all those strangers tying notes to bricks, it is the image of the tangled birdcage, the leg sticking out of it, that will linger longest, like the afterimage of a particularly baffling and unshakable dream. Official D. Harlan Wilson Web Site Official Atlatl Press Web Site Tags: Atlatl Press, Book Reviews, D. Harlan Wilson, Spencer Dew, They Had Goat Heads Posted in Reviews \| 1 Comment »	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line40
__label__cc	0.731169	0.268831	Sophisticated facilities The Corporation is a united system of design bureaus as well as experimental and batch plants, which provide product life support, including development, production, testing, after-sales service, upgrading and disposal of the products. The Corporation is a leading developer of smart guided weapons for the 5th generation aircraft system. New high-precision weapons are being prepared for batch-production. History/background The Corporation has developed and produced guided missiles, tactical missile systems for air, ground and naval platforms, as well as rocket and space systems for more than 75 years. As part of the program to diversify production, the Corporation has significantly expanded the production of civil and dual-use products. The scientific and production potential of The Corporation allows to develop and deliver high-tech products for space, aviation, shipbuilding and mechanical engineering, medicine, fuel and energy, metallurgical, chemical industry, housing and communal services. The Corporation is a socially-oriented company. It places emphasis on engaging talented youth, supporting distinguished workers and raising the status of defense industry employees. About Corporation Appeal by Director General Military purpose Civil purposes Tactical Missiles Corporation at the International Military-Technical Forum “Army-2020” подробнее > TMC among the world’s largest military manufacturers of 2019 подробнее > New Director General of Concern "Granit-Electron" подробнее >	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line43
__label__cc	0.626401	0.373599	M HKA Ensembles Book, 21 x 14,8 cm, 419 p., language : Polish, publisher : Korporacja Ha!art, Bunkier Sztuki, Krakow, ISBN : 978-83-86905-78-2. Materials: ink, paper Collection: Collection M HKA, Antwerp (Inv. no. B 2025/567). Literary synopsis In 1970s in Poland, three (a little drunk) artists got quite brutally beaten by three (probably also slightly drunk) militiamen. The case was proceeded to the prosecutor. The beaten artists made a deal among each other, that they will always tell the truth and only the truth. The prosecutor questioned the whole six, at first everyone separately, and later on in pairs – artist/militiaman. He quickly realised that the fault was on the militiamen’s side. However the case was discontinued as he had to redeem it due to the inconsequence in the testimonies of the artists. It turned out that each artist remembered the situation differently, proving that the memory is not a tape recorder. Therefore it seems that the more appropriate strategy would be, before telling the truth and only the truth, to tentatively conform and agree on how it was it was for real. Relation of the novel to the artist’s practice Although the novel does not relate directly to any particular art project, the way it is written however reflects artist’s practice as a photographer. It consists of different pieces, shutters and in a way reminds us of a collage. The way the novel is constructed reflects the idea that the world is built in a manner similar to photography – it is maintained only there, where the memory is able to shot a clear picture. Novel's website Authorship: Artist Author. Creative Strategy: No Link to Artworks. Genre: Plain Fiction. Publishing: Art Books Publishing House, Art Gallery. Theme: Art World, Memory, Perception, Photography, Subjective Experience. Events View all The Preparation of the No... 18 July 2014 - 05 September 2014. The Preparation of the Novel is the title of a new instalment in The Book Lovers project, which makes direct reference to Roland Barthes’ tra Book Lovers 4.0 (Pop-up B... 28 January 2014 - 02 February 2014. The Book Lovers presents the first (pop-up) bookstore specialized in artist novels. The bookstore will be hosted by De Appel and run by Buchh Ensembles View all The Book Lovers The Book Lovers is a research project on the phenomenon of the artist's novel curated by David Maroto and Joanna Zielińska. The central quest Actors View all About M HKA / Mission Statement The M HKA is a museum for contemporary art, film and visual culture in its widest sense. It is an open place of encounter for art, artists and the public. The M HKA aspires to play a leading role in Flanders and to extend its international profile by building upon Antwerp's avant-garde tradition. The M HKA bridges the relationship between artistic questions and wider societal issues, between the international and the regional, artists and public, tradition and innovation, reflection and presentation. Central here is the museum's collection with its ongoing acquisitions, as well as related areas of management and research. About M HKA Ensembles The M HKA Ensembles represent our first steps towards initiating the public to today's art-related digital landscape. With the help of these new media, our aim is to offer our artworks a better and fuller array of support for their presentation and public understanding. The application has been fully developed in-house at the M HKA, and is easily accessible via a wide range of devices: smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. This public version is no island unto itself; it is enframed within a larger digital whole. The content comes directly from the ‘ensemble bank’, a broadly-supported working platform that encourages diverse layers of meaning around the artworks. Production unit, curators, procurement policy (external as well): each has its role to play. In this way, visitors are just 1 click away from this informative database as they amble through the exhibition rooms. M HKA is determined to extend this exercise in the years to come, and so even further enhance the visitor’s experience. The information found on this platform is copyright-free unless otherwise indicated, and so is free as well for exclusively private (re)use, as long as citation is duly provided. Further use and the reproduction of multimedia-information (image, sound and other applications) always required prior permission. Unless otherwise indicated, all used reproductions are provenance of the M HKA. Despite our best efforts concerning copyright holders, if information appears incorrect or incomplete, please contact us via ensembles@muhka.be. M HKA Ensembles is the result of a large-scale interest and effort in digital display of content regarding contemporary art. Design / Bart De Baere, Kristof Michiels Development / Kristof Michiels, 10to1 Coordination / Evi Bert Texts / M HKA Editors / Evi Bert, Kaat Vannieuwenhuyse, Piet Van Hecke, Lot Wens Translations / PORTAAL (EN-NL, NL-DE, NL-FR, NL-EN), Steven Tallon (EN-NL), Isabelle Grynberg (EN-FR), Marijke Vermeulen (EN, NL-DE) Support / M HKA Library ©M HKA, 2011 - 2019	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line44
__label__wiki	0.935298	0.935298	Home>Entertainment> Top WWE Wrestlers Yearly Income Revealed To Be In The Millions Top WWE Wrestlers Yearly Income Revealed To Be In The Millions By Karlton Jahmal Show me the money. We all know professional athletes make a ton of money, and WWE wrestlers are no different. The top stars in the entertainment-fueled wrestling competition are raking in the bucks by the millions. While the female stars are only making a fraction of what the men are earning, the numbers are still astounding to see. The list was compiled by Mirror. The two leading men are no surprise to anyone. Brock Lesnar takes the top spot with $12 million a year in earnings, followed by John Cena who earns $8.5 million. Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, and AJ Styles round out the top five spots with $5 million, $4.5 million, and $3.5 million, respectively. The top 16 spots all earn at least $1 million, while over in the female's corner, Rondo Rousey is the only woman to make over $1 million, earning $1.5 million. After her, Charlotte Flair and Nikki Bella round out the top three spots with $550,000 and $350,000, respectively. Check out both the male and female WWE top earners lists below. 1. Brock Lesnar $12 million 2. John Cena $8.5 million 3. Roman Reigns $5 million 4. Randy Orton $4.5 million 5. AJ Styles $3.5 million 6. Seth Rollins $3 million 7. The Miz $2.5 million 8. Triple H $2.5 million 9. Undertaker $2.5 million 10. Dean Ambrose $2 million 11. Kevin Owens $2 million 12. Dolph Ziggler $1.5 million 13. Sheamus $1 million 14. Jeff Hardy $1 million 15. Bray Wyatt $1 million 16. Finn Balor $1 million 17. Jinder Mahal $900,000 18. Kane $900,000 19. Big Show $850,000 20. Samoa Joe $800,000 1. Ronda Rousey $1.5million 2. Charlotte Flair $550,000 3. Nikki Bella $350,000 4. Alexa Bliss $350,000 5. Mickie James $300,000 6. Brie Bella $300,000 7. Natalya $300,000 8. Asuka $250,000 9. Becky Lynch $250,000 10. Dana Brooke $200,000 11. Bayley $200,000 12. Lana $200,000 13. Naomi $180,000 14. Carmella $120,000 15. Nia Jax 100,000 16. Sonya Deville $100,000 17. Mandy Rose $80,000 18. Rubby Riott $80,000 19. Sarah Logan $80,000 20. Tamina $80,000 Entertainment News wwe salary millionaires Brock Lesnar John Cena Roman Reigns Randy Orton AJ Styles wrestling Jamie Foxx Asks Kanye West To Call Him, Shames TMZ For Interview Top Dawg Entertainment & Reigning Champ Link Up For Capsule Collection ENTERTAINMENT Top WWE Wrestlers Yearly Income Revealed To Be In The Millions	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line49
__label__wiki	0.772593	0.772593	В закладки RSS КиНовости 25-й час (25th Hour) 300 спартанцев (300) Автостопом по галактике (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) Альф (ALF) Апокалипсис сегодня (Apocalypse Now) Бесславные ублюдки (Inglourious Basterds) Бешеные псы (Reservoir Dogs) Бойцовский клуб (Fight club) Большой куш (Snatch) Большой Лебовски (The Big Lebowski) В диких условиях (Into the Wild) ВАЛЛИ (WALL-E) Властелин Колец: Братство кольца (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) Властелин Колец: Возвращение короля (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) Властелин Колец: Две башни (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) Вольт (Bolt) Гладиатор (Gladiator) Гран Торино (Gran Torino) Догма (Dogma) Доктор Хауз (House M.D.) Дорога (The Road) Железная хватка (The True Grit) Загадочная история Бенджамина Баттона (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) Запах женщины (Scent of a Woman) Знакомство с родителями (Meet the parents) Знакомство с Факерами (Meet the Fockers) Изгой (Cast Away) Интерстеллар (Interstellar) Как я встретил вашу маму (How I Met Your Mother) Карты, деньги, два ствола (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) Копы в глубоком запасе (The other guys) Крепкий орешек (Die hard) Крестный отец (The Godfather) Криминальное чтиво (Pulp fiction) Крупная рыба (Big fish) Кунг Фу Панда (Kung Fu Panda) Кунг-фу панда 2 (Kung Fu Panda 2) Малышка на миллион (Million Dollar Baby) Миллионер из трущоб (Slumdog Millionaire) Назад в будущее (Back to the Future) Патриот (The Patriot) Поймай меня, если сможешь (Catch me if you can) После прочтения сжечь (Burn after reading) РЭД (RED) Святые из трущоб (The Boondock Saints) Семь (Se7en) Симпсоны в кино (The Simpsons Movie) Спасти рядового Райана (Saving Private Ryan) Старикам здесь не место (No Country for Old Men) Теория большого взрыва (The Big Bang Theory) Терминатор 2: Судный день (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) Типа крутые легавые (Hot Fuzz) Тринадцатый воин (The 13th Warrior) Форрест Гамп (Forrest Gump) Хозяин морей: На краю земли (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) Храброе сердце (The Braveheart) Цельнометаллическая оболочка (Full Metal Jacket) Человек дождя (Rain man) Шерлок Холмс (Sherlock Holmes) Эйс Вентура: Когда зовет природа (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls) Эйс Вентура: Розыск домашних животных (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) Цитаты из Бешеные псы (Reservoir Dogs) Nice Guy Eddie: Okay, first things fuckin' last! Nice Guy Eddie: We got places all over the place. Joe: So, you guys like to tell jokes, huh? Gigglin' and laughin' like a bunch of young broads sittin' in a schoolyard. Well, let me tell a joke. Five guys, sittin' in a bullpen, in San Quentin. All wondering how the fuck they got there. What should we have done, what didn't we do, who's fault is it, is it my fault, your fault, his fault, all that bullshit. Then one of them says, hey. Wait a minute. When we were planning this caper, all we did was sit around tellin' fuckin' jokes! Get the message? Boys, I don't mean to holler at ya. When this caper's over - and I'm sure it'll be a successful one - we'll get down to the Hawaiian Islands, hell, I'll roll and laugh with all of ya. You'll find me a different character down there. Right now, it's a matter of business. Mr. White: Smoke? Mr. Pink: I quit. Mr. Pink: What, you got one? Nice Guy Eddie: Did you see that, daddy? Joe: What? Nice Guy Eddie: That guy got me on the ground and he tried to fuck me. Mr. Blonde: You wish. Nice Guy Eddie: Listen, Vic. Whatever you wanna do in the privacy of your own home, go do it. But don't try to fuck me in my father's office - I don't think of you that way. I like you a lot man, but I don't think of you that way. Mr. Blonde: Eddie, if I was a butt cowboy, I wouldn't even throw you to the posse. Nice Guy Eddie: Of course not, you'd keep me for yourself, you sick bastard. Four years of fuckin' punks up the ass you'd appreciate a piece of prime rib when you see one. Mr. Brown: Let me tell you what 'Like a Virgin' is about. It's all about a girl who digs a guy with a big dick. The entire song. It's a metaphor for big dicks. Mr. Blonde: No, no. It's about a girl who is very vulnerable. She's been fucked over a few times. Then she meets some guy who's really sensitive... Mr. Brown: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... Time out Greenbay. Tell that fucking bullshit to the tourists. Joe: Toby... Who the fuck is Toby? Toby... Mr. Brown: 'Like a Virgin' is not about this sensitive girl who meets a nice fella. That's what "True Blue" is about, now, granted, no argument about that. Mr. Orange: Which one is 'True Blue'? Nice Guy Eddie: 'True Blue' was a big ass hit for Madonna. I don't even follow this Tops In Pops shit, and I've at least heard of "True Blue". Mr. Orange: Look, asshole, I didn't say I ain't heard of it. All I asked was how does it go? Excuse me for not being the world's biggest Madonna fan. Mr. Blonde: Personally, I can do without her. Mr. Blue: I like her early stuff. You know, 'Lucky Star', 'Borderline' - but once she got into her 'Papa Don't Preach' phase, I don't know, I tuned out. Mr. Brown: Hey, you guys are making me lose my... train of thought here. I was saying something, what was it? Joe: Oh, Toby was this Chinese girl, what was her last name? Mr. White: What's that? Joe: I found this old address book in a jacket I ain't worn in a coon's age. What was that name? Mr. Brown: What the fuck was I talking about? Mr. Pink: You said 'True Blue' was about a nice girl, a sensitive girl who meets a nice guy, and that 'Like a Virgin' was a metaphor for big dicks. Mr. Brown: Lemme tell you what 'Like a Virgin' is about. It's all about this cooze who's a regular fuck machine, I'm talking morning, day, night, afternoon, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick. Mr. Blue: How many dicks is that? Mr. White: A lot. Mr. Brown: Then one day she meets this John Holmes motherfucker and it's like, whoa baby, I mean this cat is like Charles Bronson in the 'Great Escape', he's digging tunnels. Now, she's gettin' the serious dick action and she's feeling something she ain't felt since forever. Pain. Pain. Joe: Chew? Toby Chew? Mr. Brown: It hurts her. It shouldn't hurt her, you know, her pussy should be Bubble Yum by now, but when this cat fucks her it hurts. It hurts just like it did the first time. You see the pain is reminding a fuck machine what it once was like to be a virgin. Hence, 'Like a Virgin'. Joe: Wong? Joe: This man set us up. Nice Guy Eddie: Dad, I'm sorry, but I don't know what the hell's happening. Joe: It's all right, Eddie. I do. Mr. White: What the fuck are you talking about? Joe: That lump of shit's working with the L.A.P.D. Mr. Orange: Joe, I don't have the slightest fucking idea what you're talking about. Mr. White: Joe, I don't know what you think you know, but you're wrong. Joe: Like hell I am. Mr. White: Joe, trust me on this. You've made a mistake. He's a good kid. I understand. You're hot, you're super fucking pissed. We're all real emotional. But you're barking up the wrong tree. I know this man. He wouldn't do that. Joe: You don't know jack shit! I do! The cocksucker tipped off the cops and had Mr. Brown and Mr. Blue killed. Mr. Pink: Mr. Blue is dead? Joe: Dead as Dillinger. Mr. White: How do you know all this? Joe: He was the only one I wasn't 100% on. I should have my fuckin' head examined, going on a plan like this when I wasn't 100%. Mr. White: [shouting] That's your proof? Joe: You don't need proof when you have instinct. Mr. Orange: What happens if the manager won't give you the diamonds? Mr. White: When you're dealing with a store like this, they're insured up the ass. They're not supposed to give you any resistance whatsoever. If you get a customer, or an employee, who thinks he's Charles Bronson, take the butt of your gun and smash their nose in. Everybody jumps. He falls down screaming, blood squirts out of his nose, nobody says fucking shit after that. You might get some bitch talk shit to you, but give her a look like you're gonna smash her in the face next, watch her shut the fuck up. Now if it's a manager, that's a different story. Managers know better than to fuck around, so if you get one that's giving you static, he probably thinks he's a real cowboy, so you gotta break that son of a bitch in two. If you wanna know something and he won't tell you, cut off one of his fingers. The little one. Then tell him his thumb's next. After that he'll tell you if he wears ladies underwear. I'm hungry. Let's get a taco. Mr. Orange: [after killing Mr. Blonde] Hey you, what's your name? LAPD Officer Marvin Nash: Marvin. Mr. Orange: Marvin what? LAPD Officer Marvin Nash: Marvin Nash. Mr. Orange: Listen to me, Marvin, I'm a c... [pauses] Mr. Orange: ...listen to me, Marvin Nash, I'm a cop. LAPD Officer Marvin Nash: Yeah, I know. Mr. Orange: You do? LAPD Officer Marvin Nash: Yeah, you're name's Freddy something. Mr. Orange: Newendyke. Freddy Newendyke. LAPD Officer Marvin Nash: Frankie Ferchetti introduced us about five months ago. Mr. Orange: Shit, I don't remember that at all. LAPD Officer Marvin Nash: I do. Freddy... Freddy, how do I look? Mr. Orange: [Freddy laughs] I don't know what to tell you, Marvin. LAPD Officer Marvin Nash: That fuck! That sick fuck! That fucking bastard! Mr. Orange: Marvin, I need you to hold on. There's cops waiting less than a block away. LAPD Officer Marvin Nash: What the fuck are they waiting for? This fucking guy slashes my face, and he cuts my fucking ear off! I'm fucking deformed! Mr. Orange: [yells] FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! I'M FUCKIN' DYING HERE! I'M FUCKIN' DYING! [pauses and calms down] Mr. Orange: All right, now you heard them, we'll make the move when they get back, so don't pussy out on me now, Marvin. We're just gonna sit here and bleed until Joe Cabot sticks his fucking head through that door! Mr. Blonde: Listen kid, I'm not gonna bullshit you, all right? I don't give a good fuck what you know, or don't know, but I'm gonna torture you anyway, regardless. Not to get information. It's amusing, to me, to torture a cop. You can say anything you want cause I've heard it all before. All you can do is pray for a quick death, which you ain't gonna get. [He removes his razor] Mr. Blonde: You ever listen to K-Billy's "Super Sounds of the Seventies" weekend? It's my personal favorite. Mr. White: If you shoot this man, you die next. Repeat. If you shoot this man, you die next. Mr. Pink: I'm very sorry the government taxes their tips, that's fucked up. That ain't my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government fucks in the ass on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it, put it to a vote, I'll vote for it, but what I won't do is play ball. And as for this non-college bullshit I got two words for that: learn to fuckin' type, 'cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent you're in for a big fuckin' surprise. Mr. Blonde: Was that as good for you as it was for me? Nice Guy Eddie: Yeah I'm sorry, I should have picked you up myself. This whole week has been fucked up, I've had my head up my ass the whole time. Mr. Blonde: You know, that's funny, 'cause that's what me and your dad were just talkin' about. Nice Guy Eddie: That I should have picked you up? Mr. Blonde: No, that you got your head up your ass. I mean I walked in here and Joe's like, "Vic, thank god you're back. My son Eddie's a fuck-up. I mean I love the guy, but he's just flushin' everything down the toilet. He's ruining me." I mean that's what you said, right Joe? I'm not makin' this up. Joe: I'm sorry you had to hear it like this Eddie. Vic asked me how business was, and you can't lie to a man who's done time for you. Nice Guy Eddie: That's very true. [he and Vic get into a wrestling contest] Mr. Pink: We were set up. The cops were waiting for us. Nice Guy Eddie: What? Nobody set anybody up. Mr. Pink: The cops were there waiting for us! Nice Guy Eddie: Bull shit! Mr. Pink: Hey, fuck you, man! You weren't there - we were! And I'm tellin' ya, the cops had that store staked out. Nice Guy Eddie: Okay, Mr. Fucking Detective! You're so fucking smart. Who did it? Who set us up? Mr. Pink: What the fuck d'ya think we've been askin' each other? Nice Guy Eddie: And what are your answers? Was it me? You think I set you up? Mr. Pink: I don't know, but somebody did! Nice Guy Eddie: Nobody did! You assholes turn the jewelry store into a wild west show, and you wonder why the cops show up? Mr. White: [fighting over what to do with the dying Mr. Orange] If I have to tell you again to back off, you an' me are gonna go round and round. Mr. Pink: We ain't taking him to a hospital. Mr. White: If we don't, he'll die! Mr. Pink: And I'm very sad about that, but some fellas are lucky, and some ain't. Mr. White: [shoving Mr. Pink] That fuckin' did it! Mr. Pink: Don't you fuckin' touch me, man! Mr. White: [punches Mr. Pink. He falls and Mr. White proceeds to kick him across the floor] You little motherfucker! Mr. Pink: [rolling over and pulling out a gun] You wanna fuck with me? I'll show ya who you're fuckin' with! Mr. White: [aiming his gun at Mr. Pink's face] You wanna shoot me, you little piece of shit? Take a shot! Mr. Pink: Fuck you, White! I didn't create the situation, I'm just dealin' with it! You're acting like a first year fucking theif - I'm acting like a professional! If they get him, they can get you. They get you, they get closer to me, and that can't happen! And you, motherfucker, are lookin' at me like it's MY fault. I didn't tell him my name. I didn't tell him where I was from. I didn't tell him what I knew better than NOT to tell him! Fuck, fifteen minutes ago you almost told me your name! You, buddy, are stuck in a situation YOU created. So, if you wanna throw bad looks somewhere, throw 'em at a mirror! Nice Guy Eddie: [on the phone as he drives to the warehouse] All I know is what Vic told me. He said the place turned into a fucking bullet festival. He took a cop as hostage, just to get the fuck outta there. Nice Guy Eddie: Do I sound like I'm joking? He's fuckin' driving around with a cop in his trunk! Nice Guy Eddie: C'mon, throw in a buck! Mr. Pink: Uh-uh, I don't tip. Nice Guy Eddie: You don't tip? Mr. Pink: Nah, I don't believe in it. Nice Guy Eddie: You don't believe in tipping? Mr. Blue: You know what these chicks make? They make shit. Mr. Pink: Don't give me that. She don't make enough money that she can quit. Nice Guy Eddie: I don't even know a fucking Jew who'd have the balls to say that. Let me get this straight: you don't ever tip? Mr. Pink: I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job. Mr. Blue: Hey, our girl was nice. Mr. Pink: She was okay. She wasn't anything special. Mr. Blue: What's special? Take you in the back and suck your dick? Nice Guy Eddie: I'd go over twelve percent for that. Nice Guy Eddie: Let me say this out loud, 'cause I wanna get it straight in my head. You're saying that Mr. Blonde was gonna kill you, then when we got back, he was going kill us, take the satchel of diamonds, and scram. I'm right about that, right? That's correct? That's your story? Mr. Orange: I swear on my mother's eternal soul that's what happened. Nice Guy Eddie: The man you just killed was just released from prison. He got caught at a company warehouse full of hot items. He could've fuckin' walked. All he had to do was say my dad's name, but he didn't; he kept his fucking mouth shut. And did his fuckin' time, and he did it like a man. He did four years for us. So, Mr. Orange, you're tellin' me this very good friend of mine, who did four years for my father, who in four years never made a deal, no matter what they dangled in front of him, you're telling me that now, that now this man is free, and we're making good on our commitment to him, he's just gonna decide, out of the fucking blue, to rip us off? Why don't you tell me what really happened? Joe: [walks in] What the hell for? It'd just be more bullshit. Mr. Blonde: Listen, I appreciate what, you guys are doin' for me, but I was wonderin' when I can come back and, you know, do some real work. Joe: Well, that's hard to say, It's kind of a strange time now. Things are a little... Nice Guy Eddie: They're a little fucked-up is what they are. Listen we got a big meetin' goin' down in Vegas right now. Joe: Just let Eddie for now set you up in Long Beach, get you some cash, Get this Scagnetti fuck off your back, and then we can start talkin' okay? Huh? Nice Guy Eddie: Listen daddy, I got an idea. Now just, hear me out. Now, I know you don't like usin' the boys on jobs like these, but Vic has been nothin' but good luck for us. The guy's a fuckin' rabbits foot for cryin' out loud. I'd like to have him in. You know he's reliable and you damn well know trust him. Joe: [pause] How would you feel about pulling off a job with about five other guys? Mr. Blonde: I'd feel great about it. Mr. Orange: This is a very weird situation. 'Cause I don't know if you remember back in '86 there was a major fucking drought. Nobody had anything. People were living on resin... -smoking the wood in their pipes for months. This chick had a bunch. And she's begging me to sell it. So I told her I wasn't going to be Joe the potman anymore, but I would take a little bit and sell it to my close, close, close friends. She agreed to that, said we'd keep the same arrangement as before; 10%, free pot for me, as long as I helped her out that weekend. She had a brick of weed she was selling, she didn't want to go to the buy alone. Her brother usually goes with her, but he's in county unexpectedly. Mr. White: What for? Mr. Orange: His traffic tickets. Got a warrant. They stopped him for something, found warrants on him, took him to county. Now she doesn't walk around alone with all that weed. I don't want to do this. I have a very bad feeling about it. But she keeps asking me, keeps asking me, keeps asking me, finally I said OK 'cause I'm sick of hearing it. Now, we're picking the guy up at the train station... Nice Guy Eddie: Wait a minute. You go to the train station to pick up the buyer with the weed on you? Mr. Orange: The guy needed it right away. Don't ask me why. Anyway, we're get to the station and we're waiting for the guy. I'm carrying the weed in one of those little carry-on bags. I got to take a piss. So I tell the connection I'll be right back, I'm going to the boys' room. So I walk in the mens' room, and who's standing there? Four Los Angeles county sheriffs and a German shepherd. Nice Guy Eddie: They're waiting for you? Mr. Orange: No, they're just a bunch of cops hanging out in the men's room, talking. When I walked through the door, they all stopped what they were talking about and they looked at me. Mr. White: [laughs] That's hard, man. That's a fucking hard situation. Mr. Orange: German shepherd starts barking. He's barking at me. I mean, it's obvious. He's barking at me. Every nerve-ending, all my senses, blood in my veins, everything I have is screaming, "Take off, man! Just bail, just get the fuck out of there!" Panic hits me like a bucket of water. First there's the shock of it... -BAM!... -right in the face. I'm standing there drenched in panic. All these sheriffs looking at me, and they know, man. They can smell it. Sure as that fucking dog can, they can smell it on me. Marvin: I already told you I don't know anything about any fucking setup; you can torture me all you want. Mr. Blonde: Torture you? That's a good idea. I like that. Joe: All right ramblers, let's get rambling! Mr. White: Hardy fuckin' har. [Mr. White and Mr. Pink are washing up after the robbery went sour, trying to figure out what happened] Mr. Pink: You kill anybody? Mr. White: A few cops. Mr. Pink: No real people? Mr. White: Just cops. Mr. Pink: Somebody's shoved a red-hot poker up our ass, and I want to know whose name is on the handle! Mr. Blonde: Eddie, you keep talking like a bitch, I'm gonna slap you like a bitch. Mr. Blonde: Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite? Mr. White: What was that? I'm sorry, I didn't catch it. Would you repeat it? Mr. Blonde: Boy that was really exciting. I bet you're a big Lee Marvin fan aren't ya. Yeah me too. I love that guy. My heart's beatin' so fast I'm about to have a heart attack. Mr. Blonde: Hey Joe, you want me to shoot this guy? Mr. White: [laughs] Shit... You shoot me in a dream, you better wake up and apologize. Mr. White: The choice between doing ten years and taking out some stupid motherfucker, ain't no choice at all. But I ain't no madman. Nice Guy Eddie: Ain't that a sad sight, Daddy, the man walks in the prison a white man, walks out talkin' like a fuckin' nigger. You know what, I think it's all that black semen been pumped up your ass so far, now it's backed into your fuckin brain, and it's coming out your mouth! [Nice Guy Eddie asks if anyone knows what happened to Mr. Blue] Mr. Blonde: Either he's alive or he's dead, or the cops got him... or they don't. Mr. Pink: Look, I ordered coffee. Now we've been here a long fucking time and she's only filled my cup three times. When I order coffee, I want it filled six times. Mr. Blonde: Six times. Well, what if she's too fucking busy? Mr. Pink: The words "too fucking busy" shouldn't be in a waitress's vocabulary. Nice Guy Eddie: Excuse me, Mr. Pink, but I think the last fucking thing you need is another cup of coffee. Mr. White: You can't leave this guy with them. Nice Guy Eddie: Why not? Mr. White: Because he's a fucking psycho. And if you think Joe's pissed off, that ain't nothing compared to how pissed off I am at him, for putting me in the same room as that bastard! Mr. Blonde: See what I've been putting up with, Eddie? I fucking walked in here, I told these guys about staying put. Mr. White whips out his gun, he's sticking it in my face, calling me a motherfucker, saying he's gonna blow me away and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. [after hearing Orange's smuggling story] Joe: Only one thing to do in that case: shit in yer pants an' dive in and swim! Mr. Pink: He seems okay now, but he was crazy in the store. Mr. White: This is what he was doing. [mimics randomly shooting innocent bystanders] Mr. White: Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Mr. Blonde: Yeah, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. I told 'em not to touch the alarm - they touched it. If they hadn't done what I told 'em not to do, they'd still be alive. Mr. White: [clapping] My fucking hero. Mr. Blonde: [taking a bow] Thanks. Mr. White: That's your excuse for going on a kill-crazy rampage? Mr. Blonde: I don't like alarms, Mr. White. Mr. Pink: I don't wanna kill anybody. But if I gotta get out that door, and you're standing in my way, one way or the other, you're gettin' outta my way. Mr. Pink: [walks in] Was that a fucking set up or what? [sees a bloodied Mr. Orange lying on the floor] Mr. Pink: Shit! Orange got tagged? Mr. White: Gut shot. Mr. Pink: Fuck! Where's, uh, Brown? Mr. White: Dead. Mr. Pink: How'd he die? Mr. White: How the fuck do you think? The cops shot him. Mr. Pink: This is bad. This is so fucking bad. Is it bad? Mr. White: As opposed to good? Mr. Pink: Man, this is fucked up. This is so fucked up. Somebody fucked us up big time, man. Mr. White: You really think we were set up? Mr. Pink: Do you even doubt it, man? I don't THINK we got set up, I KNOW we got set up! I mean, really, seriously, where did all those cops come from, huh? One minute they're not there, the next minute they're there? I didn't hear any sirens. The alarm went off, okay. Okay, when an alarm goes off, you got an average of four minutes response time. Unless a patrol car is cruising that street, at that particular moment, you got four minutes before they can realistically respond. In one minute there were seventeen blue boys out there. All loaded for bear, all knowing exactly what the fuck they were doing, and they were all just there! Remember that second wave that showed up in the cars? Those were the ones responding to the alarm, but those first motherfuckers were already there, they were waiting for us. Haven't you fucking thought about this? [the shot Mr. Orange knows some things about Mr. White] Mr. White: Well, he knows a little about me. Mr. Pink: You didn't tell him your name, did you? Mr. White: I told him my first name, and where I'm from. Mr. Pink: Why? Mr. White: I told him where I was from a few days ago. It was just a casual conversation. Mr. Pink: And what was tellin' him your name when you weren't supposed to? Mr. White: He asked. Mr. White: We had just gotten away from the cops. He just got shot. It was my fuckin' fault he got shot. He's a fuckin' bloody mess - he's screaming. I swear to god, I thought he was gonna die right then and there. I'm tryin' to comfort him, tellin' him not to worry, he's gonna be okay, I'm gonna take care of him. And he asked me what my name was. I mean, the man was dyin' in my arms. What the fuck was I supposed to tell him? "Sorry, I can't give out that information! It's against the rules! I don't trust you enough! Or maybe I should've, but I couldn't!" Fuck you! Fuck Joe! Mr. Pink: [sarcastically] Oh, I'm sure it was a beautiful scene... Mr. White: DON'T FUCKING PATRONIZE ME! Mr. Orange: [after being shot] I'm gonna fuckin' die! I'm gonna fuckin' die! Mr. White: Your not gonna fuckin' die! Mr. Brown: [after Mr. Pink's tipping conversation] Jesus Christ! Joe: Cough up a buck you cheap bastard. Mr. Pink: [Mr. Blonde and Mr. White begin to quarrel; Mr. Pink pushes them away from each other] Hey, you two assholes knock it the fuck off and calm down! Cut the bullshit. We ain't on a fuckin' playground! I don't beleive this shit. Both of you guys got ten years on me and I'm the only one acting like a professional. You guys act like a bunch of fuckin' niggers. You wanna be niggers, huh? They're just like you two - always fightin' and always sayin' their gonna kill each other... Mr. White: You said yourself you thought about takin' him out! Mr. Blonde: You fuckin' said that? Mr. Pink: Yeah, I did. But that time has passed. Right now, Mr. Blonde is the only one I completely trust. He's too fuckin' homicidal to be workin' with the cops. Mr. White: You takin' his side? Mr. Pink: No, man. Fuck sides! What we need here is a little solidarity! Somebody's shoving a red hot poker up our asses and I wanna find out whose name is on the handle. Now, I know I'm no piece of shit. [referring to Mr. White] Mr. Pink: And I'm pretty sure you're a good boy. [referring to Mr. Blonde] Mr. Pink: And I'm fucking positive you're on the level. So let's figure out who the bad guy is. [Mr. Blonde has cut off Marvin's ear and begins talking into it] Mr. Blonde: Hey what's goin' on? Can you hear that? Nice Guy Eddie: If you fucking beat this prick long enough, he'll tell you he started the goddamn Chicago fire, now that don't necessarily make it fucking so! Mr. White: What, did you forget your French fries, to go with the soda? Mr. White: [pulling a gun on Mr. Blonde] Fuck you, Maniac! Mr. Pink: Where's the commode in this dungeon? I gotta take a squirt. Nice Guy Eddie: Larry, stop pointin' that fuckin' gun at my Dad! Joe: Give me that book. Mr. White: Are you gonna put it away? Joe: I'm gonna do whatever the fuck I want with it. Mr. Blonde: How about a little fire, Scarecrow. Mr. Pink: Look man, I know what I'm talking about, and black women ain't the same as white women. Mr. White: There's a slight difference. Freddy Newandyke: What is this? Holdaway: That's an amusing anecdote about a drug deal. Freddy Newandyke: What? Holdaway: Something funny that happened to you while you were doing a fucking job, man. Mr. Pink: You're acting like a first year fucking thief! I'm acting like a professional! Freddy Newandyke: Motherfucker, I'm trying to watch 'The Lost Boys'! Freddy Newandyke: [reassuring himself in the mirror] Don't pussy out on me now. They don't know. They don't know shit. You're not gonna get hurt. You're fucking Barretta. They believe every fucking word 'cause you're super cool. Freddy Newandyke: [reassuring himself in the mirror] Don't pussy out on me now. They don't know. They don't know shit. You're not gonna get hurt. You're fucking Barretta. They believe every fucking word cus you're supercool. Nice Guy Eddie: The chick got tired of him beatin' her so one night she walks in the guys bedroom and super glues his dick to his belly. Ambulance came and had to cut the prick loose. Mr. White: Was he all pissed off? Nice Guy Eddie: How would you feel if every time you had to take a piss you had to do a fuckin' hand stand? Mr. Pink: What was the name of the chick who played Christie Love? Nice Guy Eddie: Pam Grier. Mr. Orange: No it wasn't Pam Grier. Pam Grier was the other one. Pam Grier did the film. Christie Love was like Pam Grier TV Show without Pam Grier. Mr. Pink: So who was Christie Love? Mr. Orange: How the fuck should I know? Mr. Pink: Great. Now I'm totally fucking tortured. Mr. Pink: Mr. Blonde! What happened to you? We figured you were dead. Hey! You okay? Did you see what happened to Blue? We didn't know what happened to you and Blue, that's what we were wondering about. [Blonde doesn't answer] Mr. Pink: Come on! Look, Brown's dead and Orange got it in the belly... Mr. White: ENOUGH! Enough! You better start talking asshole! Because we got shit we need to talk about! We're already freaked out. We need you acting freaky like we need a fuckin' bag on our hip! Mr. Blonde: Okay, let's talk. Mr. Blonde: Guess what, I think I'm parked in the red-zone! Mr. Pink: For all I know, you're the rat. Mr. White: For all I know you're the fucking rat! Mr. Pink: All right, now you're using your fucking head! Joe: With the exception of Eddie and myself, whom you already know, we're going to be using aliases on this job. Under no circumstances do I want any one of you to relate to each other by your Christian names, and I don't want any talk about yourself personally. That includes where you been, your wife's name, where you might've done time, or maybe a bank you robbed in St. Petersburg. All I want you guys to talk about, if you have to, is what you're going to do. That should do it. Here are your names... [pointing to each respective member] Joe: Mr. Brown, Mr. White, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, and Mr. Pink. Mr. Pink: Why am I Mr. Pink? Joe: Because you're a faggot, alright? [rubbing his thumb and forefinger together] Mr. Pink: Do you know what this is? It's the world's smallest violin playing just for the waitresses. Mr. Blonde: I might break you in, Nice Guy, but I'd make you my dog's bitch. Mr. Blonde: You kids shouldn't play so rough. Somebody's gonna start cryin'. LAPD Officer Marvin Nash: Please! Please... Don't burn me, man. Mr. Blonde: You all through? You all through? LAPD Officer Marvin Nash: Look, I... I got a little kid at home. Now, PLEASE. Mr. Blonde: [holding up a lighter] No, no, no, no, no, no. You all done? You all done? How 'bout a little fire, Scarecrow? Joe: How does freedom feel? Mr. Blonde: It's a change. Joe: So who's your parole officer? Mr. Blonde: Seymour Scagnetti. Joe: What's he like? Mr. Blonde: He's a fuckin' asshole. Mr. White: [snatches Joe's address book] Give me this fucking thing. Joe: What do you think you're doing? Give me back my book! Mr. White: I'm sick of fucking hearing it Joe, I'll give it back to you when we leave. Joe: What do you mean, give it to me when we leave, give it back now. Mr. White: For the past fifteen minutes, you've been droning on about names. Toby. Toby? [flips pages in book] Mr. White: Toby? Toby Wong. Toby Wong? Toby Wong. Toby Chung? Fucking Charlie Chan. I got Madonna's big dick coming out of my left ear, and Toby the Jap... I don't know what - comin' out of my right. Freddy Newandyke: I gotta memorize all this? There's over four fucking pages of this shit! [Joe counts the tip and finds it is a buck short] Joe: Hey, who didn't throw in? Mr. Orange: Mr. Pink. Joe: Mr. Pink? Why not? Mr. Orange: He don't tip. Joe: He don't tip? Whaddaya mean you don't tip? Mr. Orange: He don't believe in it. Joe: Shut up! Joe: Hey, I've changed my mind. Shoot this piece of shit, will ya? Mr. Pink: I mean everbody panics, everybody, things get tense, it's human nature to panic, I don't care what you name it you just can't help it. Mr White: That girl's ass... Mr. Orange: It's sitting here right on my dick. [while cutting Marvin Nash's ear off] Mr. Blonde: Hold still! Hold still, you fuck! Holdaway: So if this fruit's a Brewer's fan, his ass gotta be from Wisconsin. Freddy Newandyke: Bing! Holdaway: And I'll bet you everything from a diddle-eyed Joe to a damned if I know that in Milwaukee they got a sheet on this Mr. White motherfucker's ass... Mr. Brown: I'm blind, man. I'm fucking blind. Mr. Orange: You're not blind, you've just got blood in your eyes. Off-Screen Police Officers: Freeze! Drop the fucking gun, buddy. Put the gun down! Don't do it! Drop the gun man! Don't do it! Drop the fucking gun. We're gonna fucking blow you away! [gunshots] Freddy Newandyke: [asked by Holdaway to describe Joe Cabot] You remember the 'Fantastic Four'? Holdaway: Yeah, with that invisible bitch, 'Flame On!' and that shit? Freddy Newandyke: The Thing; motherfucker looks like The Thing. Joe: Now listen up, Mr. Pink. There's two ways we can do this job. My way... or the highway! Nice Guy Eddie: Alright, Mr. Fucking Compassion! I will call somebody! Mr. White: Who? Nice Guy Eddie: A fucking snakecharmer! What do you think? I'll call a doctor! Mr. Brown: [after Joe assigns names] Yeah, yeah, but "Mr. Brown"? That's little too close to "Mr. Shit". Mr. Pink: Yeah, "Mr. Pink" sounds like "Mr. Pussy". Tell you what, let me be Mr. Purple. That sounds good to me. I'm Mr. Purple. Joe: You're not Mr. Purple. Somebody from another job's Mr. Purple. You're Mr. Pink! K-Billy DJ: That was The Partridge Family's "Doesn't Somebody Want to be Wanted?", followed by Edison Lighthouse's "Love Grows where my Rosemary Goes" as K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70's weekend just keeps on... truckin'. Joe: Let's go to work. Mr. White: We're leaving. You should go with us. Mr. Blonde: Nobody's goin' anywhere. Mr. White: Piss on this fucking turd! We're outta here. Mr. Pink: [debating the messy situation at the warehouse] Well, first things first. Staying here's goofy. We gotta book up. Mr. White: So, what do you suggest, we go to a hotel? We got a guy who's shot in the belly, he can't walk, he bleeds like a stuck pig, and when he's awake he screams in pain. Mr. Pink: You got an idea, spit it out. Mr. White: Joe could help him. If we can get in touch with Joe, he could get him to a doctor. He could get a doctor to come see him. Mr. Pink: Assuming we can trust Joe, how we gonna get in touch with him, huh? He's supposed to be here, but he ain't, which is making me very nervous about being here. Even if Joe is on the up and up, he's probably not gonna be too happy with us. Joe planned a robbery, but he's got a blood bath on his hands now. Dead cops, dead robbers, dead civillians... Jesus Christ! I tend to doubt he's gonna have a lot of sympathy for our plight. If I was him, I'd try to put as much distance between me and this mess as humanly possible. Mr. Pink: We still gotta get outta here. Mr. Blonde: We're gonna sit here and wait. Mr. White: For what, the cops? Mr. Blonde: Nice Guy Eddie. Mr. Pink: Nice Guy Eddie? What makes you think he isn't on a plane half way to Costa Rica? Mr. Blonde: 'Cause I talked to him and he said he was on his way down here. Mr. White: You talked to Nice Guy Eddie? Why the fuck didn't you say that in the first place? Mr. Blonde: You didn't ask. Mr. Pink: Hey, why am I Mr. Pink? Joe: Because you're a faggot. Mr. Pink: Why can't we pick our own colors? Joe: No way, no way. Tried it once, doesn't work. You got four guys all fighting over who's gonna be Mr. Black, but they don't know each other, so nobody wants to back down. No way. I pick. You're Mr. Pink. Be thankful you're not Mr. Yellow. Mr. Brown: Yeah, but Mr. Brown is a little too close to Mr. Shit. Mr. Pink: Mr. Pink sounds like Mr. Pussy. How 'bout if I'm Mr. Purple? That sounds good to me. I'll be Mr. Purple. Joe: You're not Mr. Purple. Some guy on some other job is Mr. Purple. Your Mr. PINK. Mr. White: Who cares what your name is? Mr. Pink: Yeah, that's easy for your to say, you're Mr. White. You have a cool-sounding name. Alright look, if it's no big deal to be Mr. Pink, you wanna trade? Joe: Hey! NOBODY'S trading with ANYBODY. This ain't a goddamn, fucking city council meeting, you know. Now listen up, Mr. Pink. There's two ways you can go on this job: my way or the highway. Now what's it gonna be, Mr. Pink? Mr. Pink: Jesus Christ, Joe, fucking forget about it. It's beneath me. I'm Mr. Pink. Let's move on. Joe: I'll move on when I feel like it... All you guys got the goddamn message?... I'm so goddamn mad, hollering at you guys I can hardly talk. Pssh. Let's go to work. « Карты, деньги, два ствола (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) \| Изгой (Cast Away) » Для этой записи комментирование недоступно. Bullet Tooth Tony: You can call me Susan if it makes you happy. Популярные цитаты: Subscribe to RSS headline updates... Ride Of Passage In the fall Каникулы Петрова и Васечкина (2 серия) Четыре танкиста и собака (1 серия) © 2007—2021 filmeoz.ru Twitter \| Livejournal \| Blogspot	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line54
__label__cc	0.641439	0.358561	5001 West Cypress Street, Tampa, FL 33607-3803 Call Us 813.221.9000 or Toll Free 877.982.1900 LawNewsUncategorized US Supreme Court Sanctions Erosion of Property Rights By joseph June 21, 2010 No Comments There are days when one really has to question just how far America has fallen away from the ideals of our Founding Fathers. Yesterday was one of those days. In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court sanctioned the further erosion of property rights. The Court has essentially given the State of Florida carte blanche to alter the property boundary lines of ocean-front property owners and to turn all private ocean-front land into ocean-view property. In its ruling in Stop the Beach Renourishment, Inc. v. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, et al., our nation’s highest court has once again failed to provide justice to individual citizens harmed by the actions of government. While CPR can appreciate the complexity of the legal issues accepted for review by the US Supreme Court and its limitations in reviewing cases within the context of state law, state case law precedent and a very specific set of facts argued in the lower courts by the opposing parties, it is heart-breaking to see rulings like this one from our nation’s highest court. The citizens who filed this lawsuit were in fact harmed and impacted by the actions of government. Government agencies changed their private property boundary lines and if that doesn’t represent a taking of private property rights – what is it then? Prior to the government action (in this case, the beach renourishment project), these owners owned private ocean-front property with well-established property boundary lines reaching down to the mean-high-water mark. Hundreds of thousands of other water-front properties across America have similar MHWM boundaries. These properties are among our nation’s most valuable real estate because of this direct water frontage. As a direct result of a government action and subsequent state court rulings, these owners now own lands whose boundaries have been severed from the waterline; they have been given a new property boundary line set arbitrarily by the state (known as the ECL); and a stretch of public land or beach will now separate their waterfront property boundary from the water. Oceanfront property has been converted to ocean-view property. How can you effectively take away the “water” from “waterfront” property and say that a taking has not occured? For owners and investors, there is a dramatic value difference between oceanfront and ocean-view property, but apparently physical boundary line changes with clear economic consequences are of absolutely no consequence to our nation’s highest court. They chose not to recognize an oceanfront owner’s right to have their property maintain contact with the ocean. By treating the properties’ direct contact with the water as completely inconsequential, they somehow overlooked the fact that that direct contact was a very significant factor in the owners’ selection and purchase of the properties, not to mention the “investment-backed expectations” which are a key factor of consideration in most takings cases. For non-ocean front property owners who may feel little commonality with those who do, just ask yourself how you would feel if you learned the U.S. Supreme Court had just fully sanctioned the ability of local and state governments to move your front yard property boundary line back onto your property and to establish that the stretch of land between your boundary line and this new line was now public property – without asking your permission or consent and offering you no form of compensation for this encroachment and diminishment of your land. This is exactly what occurred to property owners in Florida’s panhandle and which is now fully permitted to occur across all Florida. Property owners across America should be outraged. They should also prepare to see this case thrown in their faces in a myriad of other ways as government entities use the Stop the Beach decision to expand their power over private property. While we have witnessed an unprecedented erosion of property rights in the last few decades, we are on the cusp of the greatest era of property rights takings in American history, due in large part to the rise of the environmental movement nationally and its extraordinary influence on the current administration. The Supreme Court has again swung the door wide open for government agencies to trample private property rights. In Florida, owners of ocean-front property with once private beaches should fully expect to see signs out their windows which read, “Public Beach – Coming Soon!” As with the infamous Kelo v. New London eminent domain abuse case, the Court had a perfect opportunity to check the power of government and to say loudly, “There are limits to government power and you just can’t treat American citizens this way.” They chose not to. However, like the Kelo case, this national property rights’ case may have a silver lining. There are two positive aspects of this ruling: 1) The ruling opens the door to state-level legislative reforms to address the key issues which prompted the case – the absence of due process protections and compensation for property owners impacted by beach renourishment/restoration projects are what triggered the case. Just because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Florida’s Supreme Court did not err in supporting existing state law, does not mean that we have good public policy on the books today. We do not. Florida’s next Governor and state legislative leaders such as incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon and incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos have before them a perfect opportunity to fix the bad law which triggered this case. 2) Four justices on the court joined in an opinion recognizing that the judicial branch of government is not insulated from the protections afforded to private property rights by the U.S. Constitution. This statement from the Court represents a positive development in the consideration of judicial takings arguments and puts America’s lower courts on notice that judicial rulings which eliminate established private-property rights can constitute takings. In the exact words of the Court, “a judicial elimination of established private-property rights that is foreshadowed by dicta or even by holdings years in advance is nonetheless a taking.” To view the full decision: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-1151.pdf This disappointing ruling will not end the conflict created by the current construct of Florida’s law regarding beach renourishment and restoration projects. This ruling, combined with the environmental disaster impacting the Gulf of Mexico will continue to pit property owners against the State until the Florida Legislature addresses the fact that Florida property owners are not treated fairly under the current law. The Legislature may also have an urgent need address the issue of how beach restoration or renourishment efforts which are paid for or executed by third parties (such as BP) may proceed. Undoubtedly, the same state law which failed to address property rights concerns may not have made adequate provision for dealing with this unexpected third-party payer scenario. Both must be addressed via immediate reforms. At a minimum, provisions should be added to allow individual owners to contribute private “fair-share” funds toward public renourishment projects and other options by which they can be allowed to maintain their existing MHWM boundary and still accomplish basic restoration goals. As demontrated by the public reaction to the Kelo case and the rapid rise of the Tea Party movement, average citizens do understand government overreaches. An overreach is what triggered the Stop the Beach case. The owners felt their government had broken good faith with them by not respecting their property boundary lines. You can only push the American people just so far, before they begin pushing back. It is circumstances like this, where we are witnessing government agencies blatantly altering property boundary lines with no accountability from our nation’s highest courts, which demonstrate the dire need for property owners to unite together and to begin the hard work of affecting change. In two of its last three major property rights decisions, our nation’s Court of last resort has further empowered government over the people’s rights. When government can openly take away private homes and trample property boundary lines, just where do you believe that push for power will stop if these actions are not confronted by an outraged public? THANK YOU FOR FIGHTING BACK! CPR would like to take a moment to say thank you to the courageous citizens who filed the Stop the Beach Renourishment, Inc. complaint, who funded its journey up to and before the U.S. Supreme Court and the talented attorneys who worked on the petitions and amicus briefs. There is extraordinary virtue in fighting these national property rights cases. We have a civic and moral responsibility to continue to seek to right the wrongs being perpetuated against America citizens by government entities whose first focus should be protecting private property and individual rights. JOIN THE FIGHT TODAY! Turn your anger into action. If you believe property boundary lines should be respected and not be arbitrarily altered by government, we invite you to join a growing number of property owners who are standing together to promote the value of property rights and working to defend our collective rights. The Coalition for Property Rights invites you to join as an official member or renew your membership today through our convenient online form available at: www.proprights.com/contribute/ or by a mail-in form available via this same link. For more information about our work or for details about individual membership or corporate sponsorship, please visit http://www.proprights.com/ or call 407-481-2289. ACTION ALERT – ORANGE CO. PROPERTY OWNERS: Join CPR supporting the property rights of an Orange County land owners group fighting for permission to use their land in a project known as “Innovation Way East.” NIMBYs and environmental activists are actively campaigning to deny these owners the basic right to use their private lands. Learn more about what’s at stake and help this owner by communicating with Orange County leaders via the attached convenient website: http://orlandoinnovation.com/ UPCOMING “NO on 4” EVENTS: ORRA’s “NO on 4” COFFEES. One of CPR’s partners in the fight to defend private property rights – the Orlando Regional Realtor Association – is hosting a series of “NO on 4” coffee presentations at locations across Central Florida. CPR encourages its members to attend and bring guests unfamiliar with the serious threat posed by Amendment 4. Attendance is FREE, but RSVPs to kellief@orlrealtor.com are appreciated. To view the full ORRA coffee schedule, visit: http://www.orlrealtor.com/Main/Main.asp?CategoryID=21&SubCategoryID=1438& June 24 (Thurs.), 9-10 a.m., Panera Bread,8600 Vineland Ave., Orlando July 1 (Thurs.), 9-10 a.m., Panera Bread, 1117 Florida Mall Ave., Orlando July 8 (Thurs.), 4-5 p.m., Friendly’s Restaurant, 12185 Collegiate Way, Orlando July 15 (Thurs.), 4-5 p.m., Panera Bread, 2480 SR 434 West, Altamonte Springs July 29 (Thurs.), 9-10 a.m., Panera Bread, 1210 S. International Pkwy., Lake Mary August 19 (Thurs.), 4-5 p.m., Panera Bread, 1117 Florida Mall Ave., Orlando September 9 (Thurs.), 4-5 p.m., Panera Bread, 696 E. Altamonte Springs Dr., Altamonte Springs September 16 (Thurs.), 4-5 p.m., White Wolf Café, 1829 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando JUNE 24th “COMMUNITY CONVERSATION” ABOUT AMENDMENT 4. The Central Florida Chapter of NAIOP is hosting a “Community Conversation about Amendment 4” on Thursday, June 24 from 4-6:30 p.m. at the Orlando Museum of Art. (Program 4:30-5:30, Reception 5:30-6:30). For more information contact Shannon Miller at 407-227-7461 or email at Shannon@naiopcfl.org. Reader responses welcomed! carolsaviak@aol.com Carol Saviak Coalition for Property Rights 2878 S. Osceola Avenue http://www.proprights.com/ Carol SaviakCPRFlorida Department of Enviromental ProtectionFounding FathersStop the Beach RenourishmentUS Supreme Court Email Us info@gaylordmerlin.com \| Call Us Toll Free 877.982.1900 © 2018 Gaylord Merlin Ludovici & Diaz Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions This website is intended for information purposes only. It is not intended as professional advice and should not be construed as such.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line59
__label__wiki	0.924834	0.924834	普特英语听力论坛 » Standard 听力训练 » BBC 2020-07-07 [BBC] BBC 2020-07-07 ratmickey ratmickey 当前离线 Ningbo, Zhejiang 发表于 2020-7-7 10:44 \| 显示全部帖子 BBC News with Aaron Safir The United Nations says the number of zoonotic diseases, those that jump from animals to humans, is on the rise and will continue to increase without concerted action to protect wildlife and preserve the environment. The report says the trend is driven by our increase demand for animal protein, unsustainable agricultural practices and climate change. A new World Health Organization survey has found that 73 countries are at risk of running out of medicines needed to treat people who are HIV positive because of the coronavirus pandemic. The UN agency said about 1/3 of all people reliant on the anti-retroviral drugs lived in countries now experiencing supply shortages. More details have been published the power given to Hong Kong police under Beijing’s new security law. These include the right to search people’s home without a warrant, restrict suspect’s movement, and force internet service providers to remove information. Britain has announced independent sanctions against those involved in human right abuses. The targets include people accused of having had a role in the killing of Russian tax advisor Sergei Magnitsky and the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The British woman Ghislaine Maxwell who has been charged with helping the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein to groom underage girls for sex has been moved to a jail in New York. She’ll appear in court later this week. She’s previously denied any wrongdoing. Russia says it’s keeping all options available following Washington’s decision to withdraw from the Open Sky’s Treaty. The 1992 agreement allows short notice over flights of more than 30 countries to monitor military activity. The publisher of a tell-all memoir by Mary Trump, President Trump’s niece, say it will be published next week. A New York state court earlier lifted a judge’s ruling, which temporarily blocked the publication of Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. BBC news. 不以物喜不以己悲	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line61
__label__wiki	0.994899	0.994899	A L S O Dodi appeared perfect match for Diana Stars denounce paparazzi fervor Britain, world leaders express sorrow over Diana's death Text of the doctors' statement announcing Diana's Death Princess Diana: A beautiful, tragic life cut short Princess Diana: Images Gallery Princess Diana dead after Paris car crash Companion Dodi Fayed, chauffeur also killed Web posted at: 6:24 a.m. EDT (1024 GMT) Princess suffered head, internal injuries Witnesses heard crash Car destroyed Diana, Fayed dined earlier in evening Fayed lived lavish lifestyle Related stories and sites PARIS (CNN) -- Britain's Princess Diana died early Sunday at a Paris hospital after suffering massive internal injuries in a high-speed car crash. She was 36. Her companion, Harrod's heir Dodi Fayed, and their chauffeur died at the crash scene. Diana, Princess of Wales, died at 4 a.m. after going into cardiac arrest, doctors told a news conference at Paris' Hospital de la Pitie Salpetriere. The death was announced at 6 a.m. by Dr. Alain Pavie, head of the cardiology department. Prince Charles will fly from Scotland to Paris Sunday to accompany the body of his former wife on its return to Britain. Diana and Charles' two sons, Princes William, 15, and Harry, 12, were vacationing with Charles at the royal family's Scottish home at Balmoral. Buckingham Palace said Charles had been notified of the accident and had told the children. "The death of the Princess of Wales fills us all with shock and deep grief," said British ambassador Michael Jay, who was at the hospital. The princess' death came after she suffered massive internal injuries, including lung damage, Christopher Dickey, Newsweek's Paris bureau chief, told CNN. Diana also suffered severe head injuries, hospital officials told CNN. Ambulance workers managed to revive her at the crash scene, but her heart stopped beating on arrival at the hospital, said Dr. Bruno Riou, head of the hospital's intensive care unit. Surgeons opened Diana's injured chest, closed a wound in her heart and massaged the heart for two hours in a vain battle to save her life, he said. "We could not revive her," Riou said. Sir Michael Jay, Britain's ambassador to France, expresses his sympathy 352 K/29 sec. AIFF or WAV sound A fourth person in the car, one of the princess' bodyguards, was seriously injured in the wreck, police said. The high-speed crash occurred shortly after midnight in a tunnel along the Seine River at the Pont de l'Alma bridge less than half a mile from the Eiffel Tower, while paparazzi -- the commercial photographers who constantly tailed Diana -- were following her car on motorcycles, police said. Diana's car was traveling at 80 mph through the narrow tunnel, a French official said. The driver apparently lost control of the car, according to French radio, which quoted witnesses as saying the car slammed into a concrete support post, then bounced into a wall. Eyewitnesses describe the crash scene Tom Richardson 320 K/24 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Joanna Luz 192 K/15 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Mike Walker 256 K/18 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Several motorcyclists were detained for questioning after the crash, police said. A badly damaged motorcycle was taken from the scene of the accident by police. Seven photographers were in custody, police said. At least some of the photographers took pictures before help arrived, French radio said, adding that one of the photographers was beaten at the scene by outraged witnesses. Dickey said police were expected to press the investigation. "This kind of pursuit of celebrities here in Paris is something I think the French government has never been terribly happy about," Dickey said. "I think they'll pursue this very, very actively indeed." An American witness, Mike Walker, told CNN the car in which Diana was traveling "looked like it hit the wall." Two other Americans visiting Paris heard the crash and ran to the scene. Joanna Luz and Tom Richardson, both of San Diego, told CNN they were walking along the Seine when they heard a bang and squealing tires under the bridge. They described the car as a dark blue Mercedes, with the passenger side airbag deployed, facing oncoming traffic. They also said they believed at least one cameraman was following the car, saying that what appeared to be a professional photographer was on the scene less than 15 seconds after the crash. "His equipment was very professional -- his camera was a foot and a half tall," Luz said. "It definitely was not a tourist camera." Early calls to British newspapers found none with reporters assigned to follow Diana in Paris. However, CNN Paris Bureau Chief Jim Bittermann said that would not be unusual; the British papers often rely on freelancers who are willing to go to great lengths to get an exclusive photograph of the princess. Dickey was at the scene when the Mercedes was removed from the tunnel. Its windshield was cracked, its roof collapsed, and the front of the car crunched back to the windshield. A wrecking crew had great difficulty recovering the car, Dickey said, because even the wheels wouldn't move. "Only the trunk of the car appears to be intact at this point," Dickey said. In the end, the car was lifted out with a crane. Bittermann said the highway, one of several high-speed arteries into the center of Paris, typically has very little traffic around midnight Saturday. There is no barrier between incoming and outgoing traffic, Bittermann said; if a car went out of control it would be nearly certain to swerve into oncoming traffic. The crash trapped several people in a pileup, Radio France Info reported. Police cars and vans with flashing lights filled the site outside the tunnel and officers blocked off the area. The car was apparently traveling without an escort. Reports said that Diana and Fayed, 42, dined at the Ritz Hotel in Paris before the accident. Fayed's family owns the Ritz Hotel chain; the car's chauffeur was also reported to be a Ritz employee. Diana, whose divorce from Britain's Prince Charles became official last year, had been on vacation in the south of France with Fayed last week. It was believed to be her third romantic vacation with Fayed. Speculation surrounding Diana and the Egyptian millionaire had been rampant ever since she was spotted embracing Fayed on a Mediterranean cruise earlier this month. Fayed and the princess are said to have met about 10 years ago, when he played polo against Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne. Films that Fayed produced or co-produced include the 1981 Oscar-winning "Chariots of Fire," "The World According to Garp," "F/X" and "Hook." Reportedly a multi-millionaire, Fayed had homes in London, New York, Los Angeles and Switzerland as well as a garage full of luxury cars. His 1994 marriage lasted just eight months. Fayed's father, self-made billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, owns London's fabled Harrod's department store, the Hotel Ritz in Paris and has 11 homes around the world. Mohamed Al-Fayed had been friendly with Diana's father, the late Earl Spencer. Diana had been due back in Britain on Sunday to see her sons at her London home at Kensington Palace. Paris Bureau Chief Jim Bittermann, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sound off on our message boards You said it... © 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line65
__label__wiki	0.536831	0.536831	Action Gallery We Work For Zero Waste Future, Not Dumping & Burning Clean Air & Clean Water Cleanup of Contaminated Sites Community Empowerment & Education Environmental Justice & Civil Rights Energy & Climate Justice Protection of Indigenous Lands Native Nations & Indigenous Lands Greenaction in the News Frontlines of Environmental Justice Newsletter On the Frontlines of Environmental Justice:The Founding of Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice In the summer of 1997, grassroots community and environmental justice leaders from urban, rural and indigenous communities in California and Arizona met to support each other and strengthen the environmental justice movement. Grassroots leaders decided there was a need to form a new organization that would work on the frontlines of environmental justice to support community struggles, challenge polluters and the government agencies that protect polluters, and help win victories and change government and industry policies and practices to protect health and promote environmental justice. Grassroots community leaders and organizations wanted this new organization to provide effective and strong campaign, organizing, strategic, technical, media and networking support for community struggles and for the environmental health and justice movement…..and Greenaction was born. Grassroots leaders from urban, rural and indigenous communities volunteered to serve on our Board of Directors, providing true community leadership to guide Greenacton’s work. These community leaders decided that our Board would always be comprised virtually entirely of grassroots leaders from environmental justice communities, ensuring that Greenaction would always remain true to our founding principles. We worked immediately on campaigns in Ward Valley, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, West and East Oakland, Bayview Hunters Point, East Palo Alto, Los Angeles, Kettleman City and the San Joaquin Valley, Phoenix and North Salt Lake City. We continue our commitment to these and other communities today. Greenaction’s First Campaign and Victory: Ward Valley Every year Greenaction joins the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, other Native Nations and allies in the Annual Celebration of the epic struggle and victory that saved Ward Valley, the Colorado River and sacred Indigenous lands from a proposed nuclear waste dump. Ward Valley is in the Mojave Desert of California. This was our very first campaign and was one of the key struggles that launched the formation of Greenaction in late 1997. Greenaction played a leading role with our allies in the Colorado River Native Nations Alliance (Fort Mojave, Chemehuevi, Quechan, Cocopah and Colorado River Indian Tribes) and a huge and diverse coalition of community, health, environmental, labor, environmental and social justice groups in blocking plans by the government and US Ecology to build a nuclear waste dump at Ward Valley on sacred lands, above an aquifer with pathways to the nearby Colorado River. When all other efforts failed to stop plans to conduct test drilling for the proposed nuclear waste dump, Greenaction, the Native Nations and hundreds of allies took direct, nonviolent action. On February 12, 1998, together we joined hundreds of people and occupied the federal land at Ward Valley, barricading the roads as tribal elders, traditional singers and dancers began ongoing ceremonies – in defiance of a federal eviction order. The standoff against federal police lasted 113 days, ending in victory when the White House and federal government dropped plans for test drilling for the proposed dump. Today, Ward Valley remains nuclear free, and is a special place of great beauty and a symbol that the people united can win against all odds. Greenaction was honored to be on the frontlines of the historic Ward Valley victory, and it continues to inspire us and people everywhere with the knowledge that we, the people, can actually win against all odds. SIGN UP TODAY FOR GREENACTION EMAIL ALERTS Zero Waste, Not Dumping & Burning *Greenaction is a 501(c)(3) non-profit tax-exempt organization, and all your donations are tax deductible to the maximum extent allowable under the law.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line68
__label__cc	0.53191	0.46809	Biggest Hurdle for Young Burn Survivors Is Acceptance MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The way they're treated by other people can cause young burn survivors more distress than their physical challenges, two surveys find. In one, researchers asked 64 burn survivors between 17 and 25 years of age what they found hardest to deal with. The seven most common responses: people staring; being bullied; memories of being burned; needing more surgeries; self-consciousness about scars; unwanted questions; pain and itching. In the second survey, 147 burn survivors between 10 and 16 years of age and 81 young adult survivors were asked about each of the seven issues. More than 70% were bothered by staring and bullying. More than half reported issues with scars (65%), memories of being burned (52%), and pain and itching (50%). Scarring bothered girls much more than boys. For the younger survivors, 61% were bothered most by memories and unwanted questions, the findings showed. There were some significant differences between the two age groups. Child burn survivors were more likely than young adults to report being troubled by unwanted questions (61% versus 43%). Young adults were much more likely to be upset about being bullied (63% versus 46%). The findings were published recently in the Journal of Burn Care & Research. Burn treatment typically focuses on physical wounds, but the survey results suggest that survivors require more help to deal with traumatic memories and social anxieties, according to the researchers. "Over the years, we have made many advancements in treating the physical wounds of burn survivors, but more needs to be done to treat the social and emotional wounds that come from these injuries," said Ruth Rimmer, former director of psychosocial research for the Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health in Phoenix. "Our research shows that the most difficult issue that children and young adult survivors deal with is the reaction they get from other people. Giving them the tools to handle these interactions is critical to their well-being," she said in a journal news release. The U.S. National Institute of General Medical Sciences has more on burns. SOURCE: Journal of Burn Care & Research, news release, May 12, 2020 Burn Emergencies Discharge Instructions: Caring for Your Biobrane Dressing After a Burn: When to Call Your Child's Healthcare Provider Wound Culture Bullying on the Job Albumin injection Burns Quiz Anxiety: Learning to Just Be Basics for the Diabetic Diet	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line70
__label__wiki	0.559304	0.559304	Washington Humane Society Names Mobile Adoption Center Adopt Force One \| Pets Washington Humane Society Names Mobile Adoption Center Adopt Force One Tuesday, July 24th, 2012, 1:34pm Topics: Pets From Jacquie Toppings: The Washington Humane Society (WHS) has officially named its new mobile adoption center Adopt Force One. The pet transport vehicle brings DC animals throughout the Washington metro community to help them find loving homes in the neighborhoods where people live, work, and play, including to FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins, this fall. After recent visits to businesses including Big Bad Woof in Hyattsville, Rock Creek Sports Club, and the American Pharmacists Association for “Bring your Dog to Work Day,” 16 animals have already found their forever homes directly from the mobile adoption center. Adopt Force One will be part of an “Elect to Adopt DC—All Pawlitics is Local” campaign to encourage more local WHS adoptions, tying into the 2012 election. “After receiving great name suggestions from our staff and the community, we took a poll on our Facebook page so our fans could tell us what they would like our new adoption center to be called,” said Julie Conway, Chief Development Officer, Washington Humane Society. “As the only congressionally chartered animal welfare organization in the country and the open-access shelter in Washington, we agree that the name, a play off Air Force One, is incredibly fun and fitting for DC’s animals.” As part of its mission to save animals’ lives and build more families in the nation’s capital, WHS hosts off-site adoption events at a variety of DC-area organizations to introduce pets to potential adopters. When people have the opportunity to meet dogs outside the shelter environment it is easier for them to get to know them in a more personal way, outside the shelter setting. The new vehicle has been incredibly popular, and is booked to be at community events from DC Department of Health Fairs to FedEx Field. Adopt Force One will make its debut at the Washington Redskins’ home turf during the team’s first pre-season home game against the Indianapolis Colts on August 25, and will be present in a designated area of the parking lot for “tail-gating” at every home game this season. The public can view a regularly updated schedule at www.washhumane.org and look for the Adopt Force One logo next to event listings, and follow the vehicle on Facebook and Twitter, using the hash tag #AdoptForceOne. Periodic adoption discounts and other promotional opportunities will be available when visiting Adopt Force One throughout the summer and fall. The vehicle was acquired in May thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation, a New York based foundation created by Dr. Frank Stanton, a media pioneer and lifelong dog owner and admirer.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line79
__label__cc	0.550817	0.449183	Category : from the media Il ventesimo secolo? Cerchiamolo nelle canzoni di Gibonni 13. kolovoza 2013.08/13/13Gibonni http://mediterranews.org/2013/08/il-ventesimo-secolo-cerchiamolo-nelle-parole-e-nelle-canzoni-di-gibonni/ from the media, Nekategorizirano Gibonni on European tour with 20th Century Man 20. lipnja 2013.06/20/13Gibonni Croatian Times The Croatian pop star Gibonni will kick-off his mini European tour tomorrow (Thursday) in the Austrian capital, Vienna. Gibonni, one of biggest Croatian stars in last two decades, will perform in Vienna’s Chaya Fuera club on 20th June to promoting his first ever English language album “20th Century Man”. The event will also mark the release of his album in Austria. The following day (Friday) Gibonni will perform in an open air concert on the Vaclavske namesti square in Prague, in the Czech Republic. On 23 June, Gibonni will give a concert at the Alten Postbanhof square in Berlin, Germany. That concert will also be an opportunity to mark Croatia’s joining the European Union. Gibonni has also just released a new video clip for the song Hey Crow that can be seen here: http://www.croatiantimes.com/video/182/Gibonni%20-%20Hey%20Crow	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line80
__label__cc	0.737776	0.262224	Home Archive by category "Music" Interview: French charm blended with Latin malemolence in Mandarina Who’d have thought Colombia and France would mix so well? Mandarina is a pleasant surprise for everyone that fancies unusual sounds. The duo formed by the Colombian, now based in France, Paola Olarte and the French Michael Tainturier goes from elements of soul and jazz to rhythms well known by … Bruna Manfré 11 de November de 2020 11 de November de 2020 Music No Lie: Dova Lewis is the name you should keep on your radar Today is the official release of “Lie”, a single that leads to the new EP from the up and coming Canadian Dova Lewis. And although I naturally tend to listen and connect to music written by other women, this one hit differently. For those who are into comparisons, the first … Bruna Manfré 6 de November de 2020 6 de November de 2020 Music Olivier Clerc just leveled up with his first EP I might not be Emily in Paris, but lately, I’ve been giving more and more chances to the French music scene. And one of these discoveries is the self-taught Olivier Clerc, who releases his first EP Kids Doing Music today. Evoking the sound of the late ’80s and early ’90s, … Bruna Manfré 14 de October de 2020 14 de October de 2020 Music Samba meets pop in Antínoo’s work There’s nothing sacred about Brazilian’s Antínoo – except, of course, for his name, based on the Roman god. It’s the other way around. “Exaltação”, his first single, explores intrinsically human themes. São Paulo-based artist, Antínoo got his degree in popular music. He chose to return to his roots, delving into … Bruna Manfré 8 de July de 2020 8 de July de 2020 Music Jorja Smith’s tribute to BLM in “Rose Rouge” Not long ago, Blue Note announced “Re:imagined”, an album with classic tracks reworked. For those who aren’t aware, Blue Note Records is a jazz label that has already signed names like Bobby Hutcherson, Horace Silver and John Coltrane, among many others. For this project, we’ll have a great selection of … Fontaines D.C. have unveiled new track “Televised Mind” If there was any insecurity around the second album challenge, Fontaines D.C. now navigates much safer waters with the release of the singles from “A Hero’s Death“. The album is scheduled for July 31st, but today we had another hint of what to expect with “Televised Mind”. Frontman Grian Chatten … Julien Barbagallo, Tame Impala’s drummer, arrives in Brazil for 3 gigs How’s your schedule? If you happen to be in Brazil during November, you’re likely to check one of the three concerts Julien Barbagallo is going to make. That is if you’re either on Belém, São Paulo or Recife. On 02/11, he plays Se Rasgum, Belém’s biggest festival (a must see … Bruna Manfré 27 de September de 2018 27 de September de 2018 Music	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line82
__label__cc	0.655147	0.344853	lindab ventilation catalogue pdf words... super, magnificent phrase agree with told.. Defender of the crown ii cd32 music Defender of the crown 2 was realised only for the CD32!! It is basically the same as the 1, but really upgraded, with more cddas, more anims, more colors, more strategy, speech & entirely translated in 5 languages!!! including pics & cddas! Defender of the crown runs very bad on amiga, and the only way is to use some warez versions. King Richard has been imprisoned on his way back from the crusades. In order to free him 20, pounds worth of ransom money must be gathered. Of course the nobles of the land aren't willing to give up their wealth, so this money must be obtained through tournaments, raids and outright battle agains. Defender of the Crown II. An Amiga CD32 exclusive sequel to Defender of the Crown. It followed the same storyline as the original, but featured improved graphics and . Defender of the crown 2 was realised only for the CD32!! It is basically the same as the 1, but really upgraded, with more cddas, more anims, more colors, more strategy, speech & entirely translated in 5 languages!!! including pics & cddas! Defender of the crown runs very bad on amiga, and the only way is to use some warez versions. Defender of the Crown II. An Amiga CD32 exclusive sequel to Defender of the Crown. It followed the same storyline as the original, but featured improved graphics and . Apr 28, · Game Review. Defender of the Crown II is the sequel to the original Defender of the Crown, it was developed by Sachs Enterprises and published by Commodore Electronics in for the Amiga CD The game was originally created for the CDTV, the first CD-ROM game machine, based on Amiga hardware, but it was later released for the CD%(5). King Richard has been imprisoned on his way back from the crusades. In order to free him 20, pounds worth of ransom money must be gathered. Of course the nobles of the land aren't willing to give up their wealth, so this money must be obtained through tournaments, raids and outright battle agains. Defender of the Crown 2 on the Commodore Amiga CD Published by Commodore Electronics Ltd.. Developed by Sachs Enterprises. Released in View video of game. Screenshot of game. Title screen. Box artwork. CD artwork.Defender of the Crown II Amiga CD32 Front Cover I spent two years programming it, writing a new musical score, and adding new graphics. As we all know the Amiga version of Defender of the Crown is missing Of course it might be easier to take all the pictures, music, etc, and Well there is of course DotC 2 which is compatible with CDTV and CD32 which has. Defender of the Crown 2 for the CDTV and Amiga CD (I'm Robin Hood in this version, BTW:) Wrote all new music with full orchestration. Narration is in 5. The biggest addition is of course a full music score and a voice. Now the defender-of-the-crown-ii-amiga-cd jpg. REQ: Defender of the Crown 2 ISO (CD32 or CDTV) hfkdocs.com Rare Games. Still too sad there is no music in the ported-to-Amiga version:/. Defender of The Crown II CDTV-CD32 - Historia, Gameplay y Review, time: 2:30:17 Tags:3d real cockpit effect fsx,Migliori app iphone 4 cydia,Soy wax flakes philippines airlines,Powervrouwen top 101 en boeken 1 thoughts on “Defender of the crown ii cd32 music” Samujar says: Between us speaking, I would address for the help in search engines. Gns3 ios images for switch windows Famboi bama understanding ing Stereopony tsukiakari no michishirube single links Penumbra black plague patch v1.1 Total recall galaxy note Fenrishicage on Defender of the crown ii cd32 music © 2020 lindab ventilation catalogue pdf	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line89
__label__wiki	0.951148	0.951148	Bunny Wailer batters down unlawful sentence Published:Sunday \| May 30, 2010 \| 12:00 AM Melville Cooke, Gleaner Writer From Toots Hibbert's 54-46 (1968) through to Lutan Fyah's Jail (2010), Jamaican music is distressingly rife with true-to-life songs about incarceration and facing the justice system. The lyrics may be defiant (Peter Tosh demanded of the judge "How can one man gang Jah?"). They may revel in status retained, even though imprisoned (Kartel mused on "When shotta go a jail"). They may even announce an end to being called to the bars - the prison bars (Busy Signal promised "Sey me nah go a jail again"). There can be very few, though, if any, which are laden with the pathos and philosophy of Bunny Wailer's Fighting Against Convictions (popularly known as Battering Down Sentence), written while he was serving an 18-month sentence for marijuana at the Richmond Prison Farm in St Mary and the second song on his classic 1976 album Blackheart Man. Bunny Wailer sings about the background of extreme poverty ("I find myself growing in an environment /Where finding food is just as hard as paying the rent"), the frustration of city life ("In a family of 10 and raised in the ghetto/Hustling is the only education I know/Can't grow no crops in this concrete jungle") and the inevitability of being caught ("As skilful as I am, the jailer-man is bound to find me/I pray the day will come when I shall be free from/Battering down sentence, fighting against convictions"). It comes out of his stint in prison, Wailer telling The Sunday Gleaner "In 1967, I was falsely (and Wailer pauses before going on) charged for ganja, tried for ganja, sentenced for ganja." Explaining that in those days there was an automatic 18-month sentence for marijuana, he said "that was Toots sentence too. That was Carl Dawkins too. Couple other artiste". He went through the system, moved from Half-Way Tree lock-up to the then General Penitentiary and then to Richmond Farm, which he describes as a "dormi-tory kind of prison". "Ganja is one of those things that them use and violate the rights of people, saying that ganja is this bad thing. It nah kill nobody like drugs, like cocaine and heroin and white rum and all these alcoholic thing weh a mash down people life and turn them inna zombie. Ganja no do dat to no one!" Wailer said. "Looking into and experiencing the harsh treatment given for that reason, that's Battering Down Sentence. If you in the street you have to start batter it down from out deh, 'cause the street is just the wider prison. And if you are mixed up in that wider prison them put you in the smaller prison," he said. "The song was suppen weh I did really, really haffi sey suppen on behalf of just not meself, but all youths weh expose to this condition weh dem always haffi a batter down sentence an' a fight 'gainst conviction, whether to avoid it or to go through with the process after being penalised. Maybe if I never went to prison that song would never have been. So out of evil sometimes come good." Fighting Against Convictions was written at Richmond Farm, where the first persons to hear it were his appreciative fellow inmates. However, the guards did not appreciate what they overheard. incite prison escape "We have guitar and we play music a evening time just to take away the stress of prison. Singing other songs alright with the authorities, but when we sing da one deh the authorities always send come sey 'Don't sing that one'. Because it might have a effect on certain people who can't control themselves and make them run weh from the prison, so it woulda like me a incite prison escape. Me still haffi sing it sometimes, cause the man them reques' it," he said. Fighting Against Convictions was recorded at Aquarius Studio in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, where most of Blackheart Man was laid down. It came out as a single before the album, then was re-recorded for the album. "The 45 was loved by the people," Bunny Wailer said, "but as I say the system nah go waan play that too much on radio because it relate to what it relate to an' them waan look right all the while. It was a song where people in the street, ordinary people, them love it, because a lot of people been through prison and the song is one of them song and still is one of them song that when me pull it onstage it create a thing." On that same United States tour which led to him finding out about his case being withdrawn, Bunny Wailer remembered singing Fighting Against Convictions and said "Oh gosh man!" as he recalled the crowd's response. This was after performing it in Jamaica on his own Youth Consciousness concert. "Anytime me draw that song onstage, it come in like Dreamland or Blackheart Man or any of them song that really appeal to the people. The people them respond to it serious. All three time me have to pull it up," Bunny Wailer said.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line93
__label__wiki	0.509604	0.509604	Register now ! Login Home Jersey City Events Contact Us Tag Message Forum Photo Gallery FAQ 75 user(s) are online (35 user(s) are browsing Message Forum) Board index » All Posts (JerseyCityNj) Topic options View New posts View all topics View mode Oldest First JerseyCityNj Re: **JERMAINE ROBINSON** MDM wrote: tern wrote: Looks like he is trying to chase after someone outside and she is holding him back. Robin. To me it looked like he was having arguments with multiple imaginary people. He is looking past her in multiple directions and yelling and pointing. Other people are there out of camera view. About four seconds into the video you can see a hand pop up just above the bar in the bottom right of the screen. Posted on: 2020/7/30 22:00 Topic \| Forum Re: Active Shooter in JC? meltedopsicle wrote: I watched a CBS news video of a press conference. The explanation given was (paraphrase) the perpetrators stopped the vehicle in front of the kosher market, got out with weapons in hand, and started shooting at/into the target, "bypassing other targets" such as people on the street and neighboring buildings. Did they look up the market ahead of time and it was the specific destination, or did they cruise the street looking at target options and decided on that one? It's a tragedy regardless, but these are different definitions of "they targeted the location". The guy was from JC he would of known it was there with out looking it up. He was a Black Isrealite, they believe Black people are the original Jews. I'm curious if the first homicide in Bayonne that they are believed to be connected to was a random attack or targeted? https://nypost.com/2019/12/11/jersey-c ... in-murder-of-uber-driver/ Posted on: 2019/12/12 7:43 jerseymom wrote: Why so vague? Where do they live? Work? I searched both names and his last address was listed as Astor Place in JC and the woman's was in Elizabeth. I also looked up the shooters NJ criminal record, his prior gun possession charge originally in the "complaint" listed he had a "machine gun" but was later charged with possession of a weapon "Air/Spring". So I'm not sure if that means when he was first arrested they thought he had a machine gun but it turned out to be a BB Gun? He also had a PCP charge. Re: Police activity nearby Gringos 8/11 early evening? https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/gunfi ... upts-street-jersey-city-0 Posted on: 2019/8/13 3:20 Man slashes off-duty police officer’s neck outside Jersey City bar (South House/Pedestrian Plaza) Bayonne man slashes off-duty police officer’s neck outside Jersey City bar: police Updated Mar 7, 1:42 PM; Posted Mar 7, 9:00 AM By Ron Zeitlinger \| The Jersey Journal A Bayonne man has been charged with attempted murder after authorities say he slashed an off-duty Jersey City police officer’s neck during a dispute outside a bar early Saturday morning. Michael Devaney, 34, was also charged with two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to the criminal complaint. “Michael Devaney is a hard-working family man,” said Brian Neary, Devaney’s attorney. “We are going to make sure we find out all the circumstances regarding the incident.” The off-duty police officer told Jersey City police that he and another another off-duty officer were leaving South House on Newark Avenue sometime before 2:50 a.m. when they got into an argument with three men, the criminal complaint said. The argument escalated and Devaney “pulled out a knife and slashed” one of the off-duty Jersey City officers in the neck, causing a 2-inch laceration, the complaint said. According to the complaint, the off-duty officers did not identify themselves as police officers at any time during the incident. Devaney was arrested after he was identified by the two officers. Police did not recover a weapon, the complaint said. It is believed there is at least one video that shows at least part of the confrontation. Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione did not respond to a request for more information. The 34-year-old appeared at a detention hearing before Hudson County Superior Court Paul DePascale Wednesday and he was released through the course of his prosecution. This report was updated with new information at 1:40 p.m. on March 7. https://www.nj.com/hudson/2019/03/bayo ... rsey-city-bar-police.html Posted on: 2019/3/8 21:23 Re: Citizen App I use the app and it is surprising how much doesn't make the news. I've seen car chases, robberies, carjackings, assaults with weapons etc that you would assume would be reported on eventually that never do. At least part of the problem is JC seems to cherry pick what crimes to give information on. I believe this is done on purpose to give a perception their is less crime then their really is. Posted on: 2018/12/23 20:14 Re: Female teen killed UPDATE: Two Additional Shooting Victims Identified from Jersey City Shooting That Killed Ternage Girl Submitted by RLS Staff on Oct 29 2018 - 4:45pm Authorities say during the investigation into Friday night’s shooting incident on Brinkerhoff Street in Jersey City it was determined by members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit that two additional shooting victims who did not remain at the scene had been injured. One of the additional victims, age 19, from Jersey City, sustained a gunshot-graze wound to his torso and the other victim, age 19, from Jersey City, sustained a gunshot wound to one of his upper extremities. The additional victims were identified during the investigation according to officials. Police say they originally announced that on Friday, at approximately 11:35 p.m., the Jersey City Police Department received a report of shots fired in the area of 76 Brinkerhoff Street in Jersey City. Upon arrival, Jersey City Police Officers found an unresponsive female victim at that location with an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body. The victim, identified as Jade Saunders, 17, of Jersey City, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office has found the Cause of death to be a gunshot wound and the Manner of death to be a homicide. Police say a second victim, age 26, of Jersey City, was found at the scene. The man suffered a gunshot injury to a lower extremity and was transported by Emergency Medical Services to the Jersey City Medical Center where he was treated and then later released. The Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit is actively investigating this case with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department. No arrests have been made at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/ . All information will be kept confidential. https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/updat ... oting-killed-ternage-girl Yvonne wrote: 2nd JC High School student shot dead in a month. Both those teens weren't intended targets either, just collateral damage in these gang wars that have been going on. Of course our mayor will remain silent like he usually is when things like this happen. Re: Hudson Authorities Charge Jersey City Man for Beating Hoboken Man to Death (1st and Marin) Man dies after Downtown Jersey City assault; 1 in custody, authorities say Updated 5:37 PM; By Aya Elamroussi A Hoboken man died early Sunday morning after he was assaulted in Downtown Jersey City just over 24 hours earlier, authorities said. Luis Rivera, 38, died following Saturday's physical altercation in the area of First Street and Marin Boulevard, said Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez. The cause and manner of death are being determined by the state Regional Medical Examiner's Office. Joshua Espada, 29, was arrested Tuesday on Academy Street in Jersey City and charged with aggravated assault in the second degree. He is currently being housed at the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny, where he will remain until his first court appearance, Suarez said. Police officers responding to the report of a street fight found Rivera lying unresponsive on the ground with apparent facial wounds at approximately 3 a.m. Saturday. Rivera was treated by emergency medical personnel before taken to the Jersey City Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at approximately 4:10 a.m. Sunday, Suarez added. In 2013, Espada was charged with three counts of aggravated assault when authorities said he and two other men assaulted another man in Jersey City, The Jersey Journal reported. The disposition of that case was not immediately available. Rivera worked as a superintendent at Katerra, a technology company that recently merged with Fields Construction of Hoboken. https://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... victim_dies_in_jerse.html 3 men charged in Jersey City attack: cops Updated May 20, 2013; By Anthony J. Machcinski/The Jersey Journal Three men were arrested in Jersey City Saturday after they hit several men, including knocking the teeth out of one man's mouth, a criminal complaint states. Cassanova Pena, 35, Elizabeth, Marcelino Ramos Jr., 30, and Joshua Espada, 24, both of Jersey City were charged with aggravated assault during an altercation with three men in Jersey City on Saturday, a report states. Witnesses at the scene that they saw three men assaulting an unknown man in front of 200 Newark Avenue around 2:51 a.m. Saturday, reports state. When they tried to stop the assault, the three men began striking them. During the altercation, Espada allegedly hit one of the men in the arm with a plastic crate, possibly breaking his arm, the report states. Espada was charged with hitting another man in the head with a plastic crate, causing a laceration above his left ear, the report states. All three were charged with aggravated assault on a third man, who lost a tooth and loosened several more teeth during the assault, reports state. More information on the attack was not immediately available. Ramos and Pena are charged with one count of aggravated assault, reports state. Espada is charged with three counts of aggravated assault and weapons charges, reports state. All three appeared in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City this afternoon via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. Bail for Espada, who has three prior convictions, and Ramos, who had four prior arrests, was set at $35,000 with a 10 percent option. Ramos was also found to have warrants from Jersey City and the Hudson County Superior Court at a no bail status. Pena, who has 10 prior arrests, had bail set at $50,000 cash or bond. https://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... charged_in_jersey_ci.html Hudson Authorities Charge Jersey City Man for Beating Hoboken Man to Death (1st and Marin) Submitted by RLS Staff on Oct 23 2018 - 3:41pm. According to police, on October 20th at approximately 3:00 a.m., Jersey City Police Officers were dispatched to the area of 1st Street and Marin Boulevard in Jersey City on a report of a street fight. Upon arrival, officers found an unresponsive male lying with apparent facial wounds on the ground at that location. Police identified the victim as Luis Rivera, 38, of Hoboken, and said he was treated at the scene by Emergency Medical Services before being transported to the Jersey City Medical Center. Doctors pronounced Rivera dead at approximately 4:10 a.m. on October 21, 2018. The cause and manner of death are pending determination by the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office. The initial investigation revealed that Rivera was assaulted at that location. Police say on October 21st, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Joshua Espada, 29, of Jersey City. Espada was charged with Aggravated Assault in violation of N.J.S. 2C:12-1b(1), a second-degree crime. On October 23, 2018, shortly after 6:30 a.m., Espada was arrested without incident by members of the Jersey City Police Department on Academy Street in Jersey City according to police. He was transported to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Jersey City to process his arrest and then to the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny where he will remain until his first court appearance authorities said. Prosecutor Suarez credited the investigation and arrest to the Jersey City Police Department and members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit. The Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit and the Jersey City Police Department are actively investigating the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip on the Prosecutor’s Office official website at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential. The above charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. R.P.C.3.6(b)(6). Homicide Investigation Jersey City Metro Breaking News https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/hudso ... beating-hoboken-man-death Re: You know your neighborhood is gentrifying when... brewster wrote: The multiple $0.99 stores are slowly replaced with the likes of Dulce de Leche bakery coffee shop. Palisade is getting strange. Hipster bars and fancy coffee but not one pizza joint from Newark ave to the city line. Still plenty of Spanish food. What about Pizza Vita on Palisade? Home Invasion Leaves Woman Tied Up, Robbed Inside Jersey City High-Rise Apartment Building (Monaco) Submitted by RLS Staff on Jul 19 2018 - 4:29am. Jersey City authorities are investigating a reported home invasion robbery that had a woman tied up then robbed inside a luxury high-rise building in the city. According to preliminary reports, police were called to 465 Washington Boulevard after being alerted of a possible home invasion that occurred inside the building at around midnight. Reports say officers arriving at the scene found a woman who reported that an unidentified suspect forced entry inside her 22nd-floor apartment, tied her up, then took more than $10,000 in cash. The woman did not suffer any severe injuries according to reports. https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/home- ... h-rise-apartment-building At least five shot today around 2am and another victim shot 8:15am Overnight Shooting Injures Several People in Jersey City Submitted by RLS Staff on Jun 30 2018 - 4:53am. An overnight shooting that sent multiple people to the hospital in Jersey City is under investigation. According to preliminary reports, nearly a half dozen people were injured when gunfire rang out in the vicinity of Lexington Avenue and John F. Kennedy Boulevard just before 2 a.m. Police say hospital officials contacted authorities when about three people arrived at Jersey City Medical Center suffering gunshot wounds. The victims reported to police that they came under fire while on JFK Boulevard just before reaching the hospital. Police arrived at the scene and found two additional victims suffering gunshot wounds after a gunman fired off about two dozen rounds in the area according to reports. The motive for the shooting remains under investigation. There were no arrests made. https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/overn ... everal-people-jersey-city BREAKING JERSEY CITY NJ: Victim Shot Multiple Times in Jersey City There is an active crime scene established in a Jersey City neighborhood as police investigate a shooting with a person shot multiple times. Police responded to reports of shots fired that rang out in the 100 block of Grant Avenue at around 8:15 am where officers found the victims suffering multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to Jersey City Medical Center in an unknown condition according to reports. https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/break ... ultiple-times-jersey-city (JC ) Man dons suit, paddle boards across Hudson to make meeting on time https://nypost.com/2018/06/22/man-dons ... -to-make-meeting-on-time/ Re: Jersey City Headlines Snoop Dog for 4th of July So I guess something who was involved in a murder You mean the case he beat in court that he was charged with because his bodyguard killed an armed attacker while trying to protect him? That was a self defense case and Snoop never pulled the trigger, the bodyguard that did beat that case as well. Re: 4th of July in JC @ Exchange Place - Featuring Snoop Dog iGreg wrote: The video you posted is mislabeled, the real name of the track is "Deep Cover" and "187 on an undercover cop" is part of the hook. It's for the soundtrack of the Laurence Fishburne movie by the same name Deep Cover. It's about a cop that gets a hit put on him after going deep undercover. It was made to go with the storyline of the movie. JerseyCityNj wrote: Snoop is a Long Beach Crip which doesn't have any members or rivals in NJ and contrary to outdated street info people learn from the media and internet, gangs in NJ don't beef over gang colors. Snoop being here won't create violence. They always be shooting: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/31/art ... ged-debate-on-safety.html The article has nothing to do with Snoop but I also have a feeling you didn't read the article. "This focus on hip-hop is outdated and amounts to a form of musical and racial profiling of black fans and artists, Mr. Bratton’s opponents say. Rap is now a huge and dominant professional industry, they say, pointing to megastars like Drake and Kendrick Lamar. And despite the headlines, they add, violent crime at rap concerts is rare." Re: Plastic bag bans coming to Hoboken, Jersey City I hate this idea, it's the people who have to walk numerous blocks home after a long day of work with multiple bags of groceries that suffer the most from this. Hopefully they remember the same politicians that screwed them over with this idiotic ban the next election. Re: Plans Revealed for 902 Brewing’s Full-Scale Brewery This is something I would check out if it opens up. Re: Shooting Near Dickinson H.S. No mention of it in the article but 11am would of been around lunch time for Dickinson and the photos in the article of the crime scene is an area that would of been full of kids at that time. You would think that would be an important detail to add to the article. TheBigGuy wrote: Snoop Dogg to headline Jersey City Fourth of July celebration Better have a massive police presence, will be hard to hear gunshots over the fireworks. Now I forget... does Snoop run with the Crips or the Bloods? Sounds like it will be a very diverse and inclusive show to highlight the patriotic theme of the day. On July 3rd, Doog is scheduled to make a personal appearance on Newark Ave to smoke the red hemp ribbon that will open the first ganja shop in Jersey City. Re: Greenville: 5 masked, armed men robbed Jersey City gas station of cigars, cigarettes & cash LoKo498 wrote: tejasluck wrote: I want to get the documents or records of this incident. Do you know from whom and from where I can get it? Please advise! What exactly are you looking for & why? That was how long ago when it happened. 2009 I'm curious too, but I'm sure part of the reason is because the guy was just released from prison last month. Re: Armed Carjacker Shoots Victim, Steals Car in Jersey City (Condict Street) I guess the city doesn't want the public to be aware he was shot in a carjacking. 52-year-old shot in Jersey City, cops say By The Jersey Journal A 52-year-old man was shot on Jersey City's West Side late Saturday night, officials said. The victim suffered an injury to his shoulder that is not considered life-threatening, city spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said. Police were called to Duncan Avenue near Lincoln Park at about 11:45 p.m. Officers found the victim with a single gunshot wound and he was brought to the hospital for treatment, she said. No arrests were reported in connection with the shooting. http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... jersey_city_cops_say.html Armed Carjacker Shoots Victim, Steals Car in Jersey City (Condict Street) Submitted by RLS Staff on Jun 3 2018 - 4:57am. Police in Jersey City are on the search for a suspect wanted for a violent carjacking that left the victim suffering a gunshot wound at a location overnight in Jersey City. It happened just before 11:45 p.m. in the 20's block of Condict Street where police received multiple 911 call reporting shots fired in the area. According to preliminary reports, the suspects approached the victim who was attempting to get into a vehicle when the suspect approached and demanded the car. Police say, during the course of the incident, the suspect opened fire on the victim, before speeding off in the vehicle. Police are looking for a blue 4-door 1999 Buick Century that was taken by the suspect according to police. Authorities say the victim was transported to Jersey City Medical center where doctors began treatment. The shooting remains under investigation. https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/armed ... im-steals-car-jersey-city Posted on: 2018/6/4 5:58 2 charged in Downtown Jersey City shooting that left man dead, woman injured By Michaelangelo Conte Hudson County homicide detectives have made two arrests in a shooting incident at a Downtown Jersey City housing complex that left one man dead and a woman wounded, authorities announced. Kai Robinson, 20, of River Drive in Jersey City, was arrested in Newark Thursday and charged with the May 2 murder of Kamal McCord, 19, who was shot in the chest at 21 Merseles Court, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced yesterday. Robinson is also charged with wounding the woman in the arm during the incident and faces counts that include murder, attempted murder, weapons offenses related to two guns and theft related to a vehicle, officials said. Robinson made his first appearance on the charges yesterday in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. At the hearing, the state moved to detain him through the course of his prosecution and a detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. The Prosecutor's Office also announced yesterday that Lasaun Rose, 24, of Jersey City, was arrested on May 4. He is charged with aggravated assault and two weapons offenses related to a third gun. The state moved to detain Rose and his detention hearing is scheduled for Monday. Suarez said the investigation is active and additional arrests are expected. A possible motive was not provided. On the day of the shooting, Jersey City police responded to the location on a report of male being shot at about 9:50 p.m. and found McCord dead in a Merseles Court home. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 10 p.m., officials said. Officers found the wounded woman near 17 Merseles Court and she was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center for treatment, officials said. According to the criminal complaint, a video shows two men getting out of a stolen car and entering the complex. They then open-fired handguns into a crowd. The video also shows the men who were in the stolen car being picked up by a second vehicle, the complaint says. Jersey City Police Department CCTV video shows two men fitting the physical description of the gunmen and wearing the same clothing entering the nearby Booker T. Washington housing complex within an hour of the shooting, the complaint says. At yesterday's hearing, it was noted that there was a warrant for Robinson's arrest on the charge of simple assault related to domestic violence in which he allegedly struck a woman in the face and pushed her to the ground in September. That charge was remanded to Family Court. Suarez thanked Jersey City police for their work in the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor's office at 201-915-1345. Anonymous tips can be left at http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/ http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... in_downtown_jersey_c.html 4 hurt in separate shootings in Jersey City, police say By Caitlin Mota Three people were injured during a shooting on Ocean Avenue, officials said. The shooting occurred near Wade Street on Thursday at about 10:20 p.m., city spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said. One man suffered a graze wound, a second man was shot in the lower right leg, and a woman was shot in the buttocks, she said. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening. Then at about 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, police responded to a disorderly crowd near Brinkerhoff and Monticello avenues. The officers heard two gunshots and found a 25-year-old with wounds to his hand and abdomen, officials said. The Jersey Journal requested details about the shootings multiple times before the information was released by city officials. http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... separate_shootings_i.html Re: Double stabbing Newport 4pm outside McDonald's/JCPD sub-station? 2 injured in stabbing at Newport mall: cops By Patrick Villanova Two women were taken to a local hospital last week after a reported stabbing at Newport Centre mall in Jersey City, authorities said. Police responded to the mall at 4:20 p.m. Thursday and found two injured women, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said. One of the women, a 30-year-old, suffered an undisclosed injury to her right forearm. The other woman, a 29-year-old, suffered two puncture wounds to her left leg above her knee, Wallace-Scalcione said. Both were taken to Jersey City Medical Center for treatment for their injuries, which were not considered life-threatening. It's unclear what led to the violence, where in the mall it took place or what roles the two women played in the incident. The Jersey Journal requested information on the incident Thursday afternoon from the city, but did not get details on the episode until yesterday. http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... in_stabbing_at_newpo.html I received a response from the Jersey Journal: "Thank you for reading and for your concern on these matters. Members of our staff have requested information on all three incidents you reference (we've asked for the Wade Street shooting and the Newport Mall stabbing twice) but have yet to receive any response from the Jersey City Police Department. We will get the information eventually, but at this moment we're unfortunately at the mercy of the city for the official account of all three incidents." Double stabbing Newport 4pm outside McDonald's/JCPD sub-station? I follow a violent crime map of JC that has been keeping track of shooting/stabbings. I noticed other than the recent homicide Downtown none of the violent crimes like stabbings and shootings have been reported yet. For example: "May 3rd, around 4PM a double stabbing occured at the Mall near the McDonalds and the JCPD Sub-Station with two individuals suffering injuries. More information to come as it becomes available." Nothing has yet to be reported and I would think that would be something worth reporting considering not long ago Newport had another stabbing with multiple injuries. Also not reported is a stabbing on Summit and Wayne and another stabbing on Bergen. Also I will link for two shootings below around the same time frame that haven't been reported. https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/gunfi ... s-jersey-city-one-injured https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/shoot ... jures-woman-jersey-city-0 For the last article it appears it's possible a third victim wasn't mentioned that was grazed according to the crime map. "THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE INCIDENT AT WADE AND OCEAN ON MAY 3RD On May 3rd, around 10:00PM JCPD recieve a call of three people shot at Wade and Ocean and respond in to find one female shot at Wade and Ocean, and also another male shot inside the corner store at Van Nostrand & Ocean Ave. A victim with a graze wound was also located and all 3 were taken to the hospital and are expected to survive. A crime scene was later located on Eastern Parkway off Ocean Ave." I posted this more so because I know the Jersey Journal reads this JClist and I would like to see these crimes covered. Her is the map of JC shootings/stabbings https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/view ... tcIFJIxpOh1WyCs4BRtB6bMb5 Re: Double Shooting Injures Two in Jersey City (Merseles and Bright St) Teen gunned down in Jersey City A 19-year-old man was gunned down outside of a City Crossing apartment unit in Jersey City on Wednesday night, officials said. Kamal McCord, of Jersey City, was found with a gunshot wound to his torso inside a home at 21 Merseles Court. A 21-year-old woman was also injured during the incident, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced. Police were called around 9:50 p.m. and alerted of a shooting. McCord was pronounced dead at the scene and the woman was treated at Jersey City Medical Center for injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, officials said. Sources say McCord was shot outside the two-story home and collapsed when he ran inside. No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. McCord's death is expected to be ruled the sixth homicide in Jersey City this year and the eighth in Hudson County in 2018. Anyone with information about the shooting can call homicide detectives at 201-915-1345 or leave an anonymous tip on the Hudson County Prosecutor's website. All information will be kept confidential. http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... d_down_in_jersey_cit.html -- Select a Forum -- [Jersey City, NJ] Main Forum Real Estate Restaurant & Bar Crime & Safety Politics & Government Art & Entertainment Contractors [Other than Jersey City, NJ] NOT Jersey City [Downtown Jersey City, NJ Neighborhood Discussion] Newport [Website suggestions and technical questions.] Suggestions and questions wanted! LicenseInformation \| AboutUs \| PrivacyPolicy \| Faq \| Contact JERSEY CITY LIST - News & Reviews - Jersey City, NJ - Copyright 2004 - 2017	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line94
__label__wiki	0.754551	0.754551	Manuela Mourão Works/Series Solo and Two-Person Vocation, Chrysler Art Museum Glass Studio, Norfolk, VA (July 18-24, 2016). Solo. Habit, Selden Offsite Gallery, Norfolk, VA (March/April 2015). With painter Roy Baugher. Remainders, Neil Britton Gallery, Virginia Wesleyan College, VA (October-December 2013). Solo. Elemental, The Gallery at Pavilion II, Virginia Beach, VA (January-March 2013). Solo. Whitewash and Erosion (selections), Sandler Center for the Arts, Virginia Beach, VA (Summer 2011). Solo. Cross-References, Lorrie Saunders Art Gallery, Norfolk, VA (February-March 2010). With sculptor May Britton. Whitewash, Selden Gallery, Norfolk, VA (November/December 2007). Solo. Facing our Fear, d’Art Center and Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA (January 20-February 22, 2017). Group. Juried. Virginia Artists 2016 Juried Exhibition, Charles H. Taylor Art Center, Hampton, VA. (August 20-October 9, 2016). Juried. NEON Festival, NEON District, Norfolk, VA (October 16-17, 2015). Invited. The Show 2015 D’Art Center, Norfolk, VA (February 2015). Juried. Substrata: Layered Meanings in Contemporary Art, Selden Gallery, Norfolk, VA (September 29-November25, 2012). Juried. art·ic·u·late (ärt- k y-l t) Selden Gallery, Norfolk, VA. (April 27-June 10, 2012). Invited. Assemblage, Collage and Mixed Media by Virginia Artists, Charles H. Taylor Art Center, Hampton, VA. (June 4-July 10, 2011). Invited. Art Everywhere, Norfolk, VA (May-July 2010). Juried. “zoomandscale,” Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, Austria (January 31-February 2, 2008). Juried. Small Works: Miniatures by Hampton Roads Artists, Charles H. Taylor Art Center, Hampton, VA. (October 2008). Invited. The New World Exhibit, Charles H. Taylor Art Center, Hampton, VA. (April-June 2007). Juried. By Our Heirs Forever: New Waves 2007, Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, Virginia Beach, VA (March-June 2007). Juried. Shades of Summer, Indigo Contemporary Art Gallery, Norfolk, VA (July-September 2005). Invited. Copyright © 2021 Manuela Mourão. All Rights Reserved. Powered by: WordPress \| Theme: Catch Everest	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line104
__label__cc	0.665609	0.334391	Mets360 Mets360 Projections The 2012 Mets: Trusting Sandy Alderson Posted on : October 18, 2011 October 18, 2011 By : Charlie Hangley Posted in : Perspectives The two League Championship Series have just concluded and we’ll see a never-before matchup in the World Series. Texas-St. Louis offers a couple of fresh – and one most unlikely – faces on the national stage. This will be the first Series in recent memory in which both teams got there on the backs of their offense. “Pitching wins championships,” the hoary bromide goes, but neither team has shown that dominant, lock-down starting pitching which has been a hallmark of World Series winners past, save for Chris Carpenter’s performance against the Phillies – he said, hiding a giggle. What does this have to do with the Mets and Sandy Alderson’s 2012 off-season plans? In a broad sense, this latest chink in the armor of “conventional wisdom” might bode well for whichever moves Alderson might make. If nothing else, it should take some of the pressure off. The recent Series and the popularity of the Moneyball film/book will allow for a lot of out-of-the-box thinking on several fronts, with a minimum of ridicule from all but the most entrenched troglodytes of the MSM. The Jose Reyes situation could go either way: in a decidedly un-scientific observation, there are equal numbers of Met fans who would keep him at all costs as would let him walk. That will be Alderson’s biggest decision of the off-season and after that, there are almost no bad moves Alderson can make, short of bringing back Jeff Francoeur, signing Mike Pelfrey to a 15-year extension or some other such ridicularity. He can cast a wide net and when something doesn’t work, he can cut bait quickly – as he showed a willingness to do this past season, with mulligans on Brad Emaus and Blaine Boyer. Beyond paying lip service to building up the system, the Alderson regime has actually taken steps to doing just that. It’s not the sexy way to build a team – we leave that to the guys across town, who, for all their regular season success this year, played a grand total of five more games than the Mets – but it is the most sustainable and cost-efficient. There are hardly any two more important words bandied about nowadays. The question is this: will New York fans be patient with this? With this team, that’s the key ingredient. Ownership – such as it is – has shown themselves to have rabbit-ears when it comes to “the will of the fans.” If public perception turns against the admittedly slow-going process, there is a chance that the Wilpons may cashier Alderson and bring on a more malleable personality to steer the ship, even if they’re being pushed out the door. This, of course, would be the ultimate spiteful act and final proof that Jeff Wilpon is no more than a spoiled brat who was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple. So it’s up to us fans to trust the process. If mid-season 2011 is any indication, the attitude shift and the clubhouse fumigation begun with Terry Collins’ hiring and continuing with the installation of Bob Geren as bench coach, the process is well under way and should bear fruit sooner, rather than later. I, personally, have no other choice. Tags : Bob Geren, Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon, Sandy Alderson, Terry Collins Mets 2012 payroll situation not as bleak as it seems Mets Card of the Week: 1974 Harry Parker 4 comments on “The 2012 Mets: Trusting Sandy Alderson” Brian Joura On October 18, 2011 at 1:19 pm OK, so we’re patient while waiting for Wheeler, Harvey, Mejia, Familia and others to reach the majors. But what to do about the hitting? Are the guys currently on the roster enough or do we have to wait for Brandon Nimmo to arrive, too? Charlie Hangley On October 18, 2011 at 1:45 pm I don’t think the current roster is enough, but that’s another aspect of my “Trust Sandy” plan — if he has as good an off-season from an offensive standpoint as he did on the pitching side last year, they’ll be in pretty good shape. Of course, the key is what happens with Reyes… NormE On October 18, 2011 at 7:28 pm Charlie, a good article. I’d rather trust Alderson than Jeff Wilpon or some other owner-controlled puppet. Alderson will make mistakes, all GMs do. But, he seems to have a rational plan, both for the short and long term. None of us know how the budgetary restrictions are limiting him but it can’t be worse than the majority of clubs. Swapping The Mets For The Dodgers: Everybody Wins! \| Mets360 On November 8, 2011 at 12:15 pm […] Mets will now have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. On the one hand, we say, “In Sandy we trust!” while looking at his track record in Oakland and San Diego, then realize we can’t trust the […] Brian Joura on Wednesday catch-all thread (1/20/21) TexasGusCC on Wednesday catch-all thread (1/20/21) JimO on Wednesday catch-all thread (1/20/21) HOF19 on Wednesday catch-all thread (1/20/21) TJ on Wednesday catch-all thread (1/20/21) Rob on Wednesday catch-all thread (1/20/21) Metsense on Wednesday catch-all thread (1/20/21) Woodrow on Wednesday catch-all thread (1/20/21) Mike W on Wednesday catch-all thread (1/20/21) Click to download the Jon Springer podcast. Also, podcasts done on Cast are available in iTunes and you can subscribe here You can check out Cast podcasts at Google Play, too. How the Philadelphia Phillies botched their rebuild — and what it tells us about tanking A good look at the Phillies of the last decade. Unlike a lot of articles, there's not one great "pull… Read more… ZiPS 2021 projections: New York Mets The ZiPS forecast for the Mets is up and here's what Dan thinks is the most likely outcome for certain… Read more… Mets instructional league prospect report A terrific piece giving updates from just-deposed Jared Banner on guys who appeared in Instructional League before it was shut… Read more… Ranking every World Series in MLB history The Mets' five trips to the World Series all rank in the top half of the list, with the lowest-rated… Read more… Protected: test Chris F. - First Monday Gus - First Friday Scott - First Saturday David - Second Monday John - Second Tuesday Charlie - Second Saturday Joe - Third Monday Dalton - Third Saturday Chris D. - Fourth Monday Matt - Fourth Friday Rob - Fourth Saturday State 79, BC 76 (12/20/20) Yep, another post about N.C. State basketball on a Mets site. Last night, State eked out a win over Boston… Read more… Ramblings about State’s win over the Evil Empire Every now and then, I'll write a post on my college team, the North Carolina State Wolfpack. There are some… Read more… The Mets360 NCAA tournament wager By far baseball is my favorite sport. But I’m a sports fan and I’ve spent quite a few Sundays watching… Read more… Despite what announcers think, N.C. State made the right move firing Mark Gottfried My college team is North Carolina State and if you know anything about college hoops, you know it’s been a… Read more… The triumph of good over evil NCSU 58, UNC 46 Read more… Proudly powered by WordPress \| Theme: Kawi by Vincent Dubroeucq.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line110
__label__cc	0.51733	0.48267	LITCHFIELD COUNTY SPORTS Timothy W. Gaffney John Nestor Patrick Tiscia John Torsiello Rick Wilson Falls Village Washington Depot Lewis Mills Nonnewaug Shepaug Wamogo Follow LCS: UConn suffers 'brual loss' to St. John's POSTED January, 18, 2021, BY Patrick Tiscia Polley named Big East Player of the Week. The Press Release. POSTED January, 11, 2021, BY Timothy W. Gaffney Torrington Country Club has a new pro - Bobby Sparks POSTED January, 08, 2021, BY Rick Wilson Story Detail Lime Rock spending millions as it builds better fan experience. The Press Release. BY Timothy W. Gaffney Twitter: @TimothyGaffney LAKEVILLE, Conn. (April 14) – Late last year, Lime Rock Park Track President Skip Barber committed more than $3 million to a wide variety of projects to rebuild, refine and renew Lime Rock’s infrastructure. The goal of the so-called Road to 60 Project is to dramatically enhance the spectator experience from 2015 onward. “From the paddocks and the bathrooms to the hillside viewing areas, we’re changing Lime Rock’s infrastructure from pre-historic to be perhaps the most fan friendly road course in North America,” Barber said. Not since Lime Rock Park’s race track surface itself was re-built in 2008 has a construction project of this magnitude been greenlighted at the famous 1.5-mile automotive and motorsports venue in Connecticut’s Northwest Corner. Some of those projects will be complete in time for Lime Rock’s season-opener – the Memorial Day Weekend Trans Am Series, and Royals Sunday Car Show, May 22-24 – and many more in time for the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar weekend July 24-25. “In 2008, the track itself had to get done – it was exceedingly bumpy, it needed more guardrail, better run-off areas – and that’s what we did for the competitors. Road to 60 is for the fans,” Barber said. The target for completion of all Road to 60 projects is 2017, when Lime Rock Park celebrates its 60th anniversary. “We’re doing what we need to do – what we want to do – to ensure the track’s professional racing future,” Barber says. “Major sports car races have defined Lime Rock since the day it opened, and I’m making sure that continues well into the future. “It’s important to note that everything we’re doing, all the changes, all the improvements... all will make Lime Rock more useful, easier to navigate, more sensible – but all with an eye to making Lime Rock even more beautiful than it already is. I have no doubt that, just in the case of our paddocks, Lime Rock’s will be the most attractive in the U.S.” Of the multitude of Road to 60 projects underway, the highlights are... A-Paddock To be completely re-done and much larger, plus: laser-graded-and-paved to eliminate standing water; it will be landscaped; there’ll be defined spectator walkways and cobblestone curbing; and the roadways through the paddock will be much wider. The new A-Paddock is specifically designed to allow two complete race rigs, tractors included, to park in-line – with a walkway in between – from inside Big Bend up to Victory Circle. Additionally, it will provide large and extremely efficient driving exercise and hospitality acreage for automakers as well as other ride-and-drive, press day and driver-training clients. For more from Timothy W. Gaffney click here © 2021 Copyright Litchfield County Sports. All Rights Reserved. Web site by	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line112
__label__wiki	0.727523	0.727523	CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH SPORTS SCHOOL (Русский) Сегодня, 22 сентября, празднуют дни рождения наставники основного состава мини-футбольного клуба – главный тренер Темур Алекберов и второй тренер Владимир Колесников FC “Gazprom-Ugra” conquers victory (Русский) ПЕНАЛЬТИСТЫ СУПЕРЛИГИ: РАЗБОР INSTAT (Русский) КОЛЕСНИКОВ/ДАВЫДОВ: “ПОЛУЧИЛОСЬ РЕАЛИЗОВАТЬ СВОИ ВОЗМОЖНОСТИ” PRESS CONFERENCE. SEMIFINALS. THIRD LEG. “GAZPROM-UGRA” VS “TYUMEN” Today the FC “Gazprom-UGRA” defeated the FC “Tyumen” with the score 4-2 and now is leading the round with the score 2-1. Coaches and players summed up the results of the meeting. Kaka, head coach of the FC “Gazprom-UGRA”: – The first half was similar to the second match in Yugorsk, in which we dominated […] Today the FC “Gazprom-UGRA” defeated the FC “Tyumen” with the score 4-2 and now is leading the round with the score 2-1. Coaches and players summed up the results of the meeting. Kaka, head coach of the FC “Gazprom-UGRA”: – The first half was similar to the second match in Yugorsk, in which we dominated and had a lot of chances, but the final score was not in our favor. Thanks to the guys, they could’ve stayed patient, insisted, kept believing in the victory and I think, it was the key moment today. Today it was a game between two high skilful games, which always play till the end and never give up. It was a good, entertaining, beautiful game, which gave a lot of emotions both to the fans and to the players themselves. Hopefully tomorrow it will be a spectacular game either. Evgeniy Osintsev, head coach of the FC “Tyumen”: – Thought are different, I need to watch the game again, to analyze it. Today we totally unprepared to the pressure. I had an impression that the guys saw the ball for the first time, made risky passes. It was easy for the opponent to play against us. You can’t act this way with such a team, because at some point the will punish you. Sometimes we wanted to play more actively, but apparently the guys automatically retreated to our half again and again. The guests could’ve scored more in the first half yet, they had a lot of chances, but Sergey Loginov showed a very beautiful game. After “Gazprom” drew the score, we began to create good moments. As soon as we started to put pressure, it began to yield results. But what you can’t take away from the opposing team are their skills. We still lack this self-possession and skills. Those chances we created, we had to finalize. Where we had to shoot and take responsibility, we began to look for a partner to pass the ball. We still have problems with this psychological component. As soon as we change our psychology, we will play at the same level with “Dynamo” and “Gazprom-UGRA”. Everything lies in our heads. We must believe in ourselves, in our team and in our partners. I think everyone liked the match today. But the key role was the red card. It was very difficult to resist this team. We tried to change the situation, but we lacked composure. Thanks a lot to the fans, they supported us very actively today. When the bleachers were loud, the guys had a second wind. Many thanks to them! We’ve lost the fight, but not the war. Vladislav Shayahmetov, player of the FC “Gazprom-UGRA”: – It is always a pleasure to play with such fans. If you imagine yourself as a fan, it’s a great feeling. A lot of spectators have come today, Tyumen loves this team and support it. I would like to thank Tyumen citizens for supporting their team this way. Speaking of the game, it was evident: the hosts chose defensive tactics and were waiting for our mistakes. It gave results until some point of the game. We lost concentration at the beginning of the match, did not score a few times, became nervous and were immediately punished. It’s good that finally we could’ve handled it and won. Thanks to “Tyumen” for showing such a tight round, fighting and not giving up. Denis Abishev, player of the FC “Tyumen”: – Today’s game is divided into segments. We didn’t start our best way but our goalkeeper played well, it helped us out a lot. Then we scored a goal and started feeling much more relieved. In the second half, when the score was equal, we saw a “transmission game”. The game was rolling untill a goal. We had some good counterattacks but didn’t succed in finalizing them. The guests carried out our red card and scored being in the majority. We started playing with an extra man, created good chances but at the right time Zviad Kupatadze demonstrated his skills. Tomorrow it will be a new game, we have nothing to lose, we’re playing at home, we can not give up, we need to get united. Official lunch Gazprom-Ugra in the Russian Cup semi-final (Русский) Дмитрий Лысков: “Нынешний состав «Газпром-Югры» является одним из лучших в России” PRESS CONFERENCE FIFTH 1/4 FINAL “TYUMEN” VS “GAZPROM-UGRA” Салинес 16 янв 21:00 Arena Hills Sarajevo 21 янв 19:00 ДС "Триумф" (г.о. Люберцы) Динамо-Самара Новая Генерация 2021 © МФК «Газпром-ЮГРА» info@mfkgazprom-ugra.ru	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line114
__label__wiki	0.710246	0.710246	Surprise! Look Where Mad Dog Mattis Just Showed Up For An Unexpected Visit By MRA Editor President Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary made many liberals furious. It also made many conservatives happy. If you truly understand the evil America is up against in the world today, then you know Defense Secretary James Mattis is the best man for the job. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that he just made an unexpected visit to a place that is in great need of his leadership. In case you haven’t heard, this past Friday the Taliban led an attack on a base in which they killed over 140 Afghan soldiers. So when Mattis showed up on Monday, he had to deal with the chaos that has taken over the region following the attack. Washington Examiner reports: Defense Secretary James Mattis made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Monday, and planned to meet with President Ashraf Ghani and others… …A tweet from Operation Resolute Support, the NATO-led mission to train and advise Afghanistan security officials in their fight against terrorism said Mattis had arrived to “engage with strategic partners.” Mattis had already been secretly planning the visit before the attack happened on Friday. So his agenda took an unexpected turn when he arrived. He is now having to deal with the resignations of the Afghan Defence Minister and Army Chief. According to Reuters, Mattis was expected to meet Afghan officials and U.S. commanders who are pushing for more troops. But his arrival in Kabul came amid the fall-out from Friday’s Taliban assault on a base in the north of the country in which more than 140 Afghan soldiers were killed. “Defence Minister Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim stepped down with immediate effect,” the office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced in a post on its Twitter account. This is the perfect example of why America needs a Defense Secretary like James Mattis. It takes a strong leader to deal with the ongoing turmoil and disaster in the Middle East and around the world. Thank goodness for brave leaders like Trump and Mattis. Source: Washington Examiner, Reuters Related Items:Afghanistan, Defense Secretary, Featured, James Mattis Pentagon Makes Huge Announcement About US Troops In Iraq, Syria, And Afghanistan The President Just Asked Paul Ryan For Another $6 Billion In Spending Bill, Can You Guess What It’s For? The Pentagon Is Hiding Certain Details About War Against A Major Enemy, Here’s Why We Followed Illegal FBI Surveillance Evidence And Guess Where It Led?! Loretta Lynch Busted! The Real Reason Comey Didn’t Go After Hillary Exposed	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line123
__label__wiki	0.883233	0.883233	06:46PM / Thursday, August 06, 2020 Troopers say they confiscated nearly 3,600 marijuana plants with a street value of more than $3 million. The grow operation was using $10,000 a month in electricity. SAVOY, Mass. — State Police say they have busted an illegal pot operation in the small hilltown and seized more than $3 million worth of plants. According to troopers with Cheshire barracks, an investigation into suspicious activity on Jackson Road resulted in the discovery of the growing operation and resulted in the arrest of two New York State men: Yebin Mai, 28, of Staten Island and Bin Huang, 32, of Brooklyn. Troopers were assisted by members of the Berkshire North Adams Man Falls From Ledge in Savoy Forest 06:04PM / Monday, July 27, 2015 SAVOY, Mass. — Numerous emergency responders came to the rescue of a 26-year-old North Adams man who fell off a ledge on Sunday in the Savoy State Forest. The Savoy Volunteer Fire Department reports that it was called to Tannery Falls at about 6 p.m. on Sunday with Adams Ambulance Service for a report of a man who was unconscious after falling 40 feet near the falls. Mutual aid was requested from Cheshire, Windsor and Plainfield volunteer fire departments and the Berkshire County High Angle Rescue Team for extrication. LifeNet or LifeFlight were also requested but unable to respond because of weather issues Firefighters and emergency medical technicians walked a Savoy's 'Dragon House' Burns Down 11:58PM / Monday, October 17, 2011 SAVOY, Mass. — The Dragon House, a local landmark burned down over the weekend The odd-shaped building topped with a dragon head chimney was the home of the late Roger Davis, also known as Witch Vortex, a noted recluse, teacher and handyman. Davis' wooden statues of deities were featured in 2007 in Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art's "The Believers" exhibition. Davis, who died in January at age 74, had constructed the buildings and grounds over 20 years but reportedly had not lived there in several years. There was no electricity or modern conveniences on the property. Savoy Fire Department Firefighters Snuff Out Savoy Chimney Fire 02:09PM / Friday, March 25, 2011 SAVOY, Mass. — Firefighters snuffed out Friday what could have been a dangerous fire. "It could have been [bad] if we didn't get here in time," Savoy Fire Chief Lawrence Ordyna said. "It appeared that it had gotten into the walls and once that determination is make, we call a first-alarm fire." The chimney fire was quickly snuffed out with fire Departments from Adams, Cheshire, Florida, Windsor, Hinsdale and Plainfield all responded to Main Road home at about noon. The home suffered minimal damage and there were no injuries, Ordyna said. North Adams Woman Charge With Trafficking PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A North Adams woman was arraigned Friday morning in Berkshire Superior Court on a drug charge. Eden J. Lemaire, 20, of Walnut Street had not-guilty pleas entered on her behalf on single counts of trafficking in Oxycontin and conspiracy to violate drug laws. She appeared before Judge John A. Agostini, who released her on personal recognizance. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at the Willows Motel in Williamstown on April 2, 2010. The investigation was conducted by members of the Adams, North Adams and Williamstown police departments and state troopers assigned to the district attorney's office, members of the Berkshire County Hit & Run Drugs Robbery Search & Rescue Heroin Mvi Fatal Accident Veremko Shooting Pedestrians Armed Robbery Fraud Motorcycles Firearms Burglary Rape Stabbing Larceny Homicide Search Motor Vehicle Accident Buglaries Assaults Vehicle Drug Charges Break-ins Assault Motor Vehicle Crime Watch Injuries Fire Missing Persons Murder Structure Fire	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line130
__label__cc	0.642614	0.357386	******** Add to your FACEBOOK **** Visit my WEBSITE ****** Send me an EMAIL **** Check on my BLOG index ********** (49) My AWARDS - 1997 National Youth of the Year Officiated by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim Venue: PWTC, Kuala Lumpur Arrival of the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Deputy Prime Minister walking in with the Minister of Youth of Sports, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Youth leaders reading the Rukun Negara. Flags representing each Malaysian states. The huge crowd in the auditorium. The group Raihan performing for the event. Officials taking their integrity oaths Sitting at the gallery The Ministers and other VIPs on stage. The Minister of Youth and Sports, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin delivering his speech. RobestYong The Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the podium. The Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia with his speech. The man of the hour, RobestYong on stage for the introduction Made a giant out of a man on the big screen. Receiving the mock cheque and the trophy for the 1997 National Youth of the Year award The proud couple, RobestYong and Yu-Mein The trophy for the 1997 National Youth of the Year award Posted by RobestYong at 6:13 AM Total Visitors since 6/12/2010 Knowing me... Thank you for dropping by...... Send me email if you wish to know more about my INVENTIONS. Thank you for visiting... Be my friend, follow my Blog (62) Kee Huat Radio Fantastic Fact and Fancies (61) Filming Crew from China TV Station (60) University Science Malaysia, Penang (59) My Invention - the KAMIKAZE Mosquito Fatal At... (58) The Launching of Innovative Malaysia 2010 (57) Guest Speaker at the Multimedia University 2006 (56) Guest Speaker at the Rotary Club of USJ (55) Judging the Malaysia Technology Expo 2010 (54) Judging the UPM Innovations Competition 2010 (53) Judging the Malaysia Bio Inno Awards 2010 (52) Stephen Hawkings' Dinner at the Carcosa Hotel (51) Stephen Hawkings' Lecture at the KL Putra Wor... (50) Stephen Hawkings in Kuala Lumpur (48) My AWARDS - 1994 National Inventor of the Year (47) Reader's Digest - Featuring the Successful In... (46) InnoVictors - the Malaysian Champions of Inno... (45) The 13 Top Malaysian Innovative Giants ! (44) Creative Ideas, Innovative Products #3 - Rice... (43) Creative Ideas, Innovative Products #2 - Worl... (42) Creative Ideas, Innovative Products #1 - Mobi... (41) My Invention - the GREEN WHIZZARD Probiotic P... (40) ASEANpreneurs Youth Leaders Exchange 2010 (39) My entry to the YTL MyPrize 4G Global Develop... (38) My Invention - the Polyclone Instant Rubber S... (37) Novelty or Practicality ? (36) Free but not many Takers. (35) GPS - are the safe for drivers ? (34) An Invention waiting to be Invented. #2 (33) An Invention waiting to be Invented. (32) Grants... A Blessing or a Curse ? (31) Re-furnishing of re-chargable Batteries (30) The Un-successful incredible TRIKKE (29) What makes a 'Good' Inventor ? (28) Green Hydro Power (27) Proposal to IP Sharing (26) Happy Buyer, Happy Seller... (25) Patents impede growth of progress ? Part 2 (24) Patents impede growth of progress ? (23) Not full of Hot Air... (22) Protecting your Trademarks (21) What is Marketing? (20) The Value of Failures are called Consolations (19) Inventors are like Wild Stallions... (18) How the Financial crisis developed ? (17) A seminar tailored for Failures. (16) Wanna be an inventor? Be realistic first... (15) Is there any Value in Failure ? (14) Creative Crooks (13) Indonesian 'wonder fuel' just plain diesel (12) Innovations... this is What we Need. (11) Be honest to Yourself (10) Judges of Inventors Competitions (9) The simple million dollar idea (8) A good invention or a good marketeer ? (7) Chindogu - the useless inventions (6) Magic or Science ? (5) InventQjaya (4) Why do you want to invent? (3) Malaysian scientist claims to have cracked wat... (2) An advise from Steve Wozniak Welcoming MYSELF to Blogging !	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line135
__label__cc	0.675051	0.324949	Exhibitions, News, Shows The Mopar Euro Nationals We’ll be trading for the first time at the Mopar Nats, Santa Pod. 2-4 August “The Best Muscle Car Event in England” 1994 seems a long time ago, but that’s when a bunch of muscle car minded folks came together which saw the birth of the Mopar Euro Nationals at Santapod Raceway, England. 70 cars turned up and around 300 participants all came together under the one common cause: The Pentastar. As the years rolled by the show grew in stature, 1996 saw drag racing hall of fame inductee Al “The Lawman” Ekstrand from America reunited with his treasured 1966 Hemi Charger. Other big names from the States graced the show, including Dave Jones, and original member of the Mopar EuroNationals committee. In 1997 Tony Oksien joined Mopar EuroNationals as its fourth organizer to complete the current team. The show stayed at Santapod for four years until a change in policy resulted in a switch to Shakespeare County Raceway near Stratford-on-Avon, England. The Mopar EuroNationals returned to “The Pod” in 2001 and has been there ever since, it is now considered to be the biggest Mopar show outside of the USA and Canada. With many thousands of visitors and over 550 mighty Mopars and muscle cars, the show with go can only continue to grow This is a first for us and we’re really looking forward to it! But tell me, will we see you there? To see what’s on check out the official website: www.mopareuronats.co.uk Author Ian GuyPosted on 31st July 2019 Categories Exhibitions, News, ShowsTags Car Shows, lifestyle, Mopar Nats, NewsLeave a comment on The Mopar Euro Nationals We’ll be trading for the first time at Atomic, will we see you there? ATOMIC Festival, Sywell Aerodrome. Yes, we’ll be trading for the first time at ATOMIC! * Top-Quality International Bands & DJs * Huge Vintage & Retro Market * Pre-’66 Classic & Custom Car Show * Traditional Flag-Start Drag Racing * Large Covered Dance Floors * Jive Classes and UK Jive Contest Finals * Rock’n’Roller Rink * Crazy Golf * Fairground Rides * Vintage Cinema * Classic Car Rides * The Cavalcade of Chrome * Detonators Car Club Rolling Rod & Custom Show * Family Friendly ‘Danger Show’ * Late-Nite ‘Danger Show’ & Burlesque * Wall of Death * Old-Style Soapbox Derby * And Lots Lots More… .AtomicFestival.co.uk Author Ian GuyPosted on 24th July 2019 24th July 2019 Categories Exhibitions, News, ShowsTags Atomic, Car Shows, lifestyle, NewsLeave a comment on ATOMIC Festival, Sywell Aerodrome. Stars and Stripes Classic American Car Show We’ll be trading again at Stars and Stripes This weekend July 6th & 7th at Tatton Park, Knutsford, WA16 6QN “Classic American’s Stars & Stripes Car Show celebrates its 30th year of all things American at Cheshire’s Tatton Park. The US-style extravaganza features American dream machines including Mustangs, Corvettes, Cadillacs and many more. From hot rods to pick-ups and even a variety of US motorcycles, Stars & Stripes has it all. Other attractions include an Ex-US Army and military vehicles display and an American motorhomes display! The annual Stars & Stripes show plays host to an abundance of live acts, a Wild West shoot-out, kiddies’ rides and much more, making it the perfect weekend or family day out this summer. Come along to Tatton Park, July 6 – 7 to get in on all the fun.” Will we see you there? Author Ian GuyPosted on 2nd July 2019 2nd July 2019 Categories Exhibitions, News, ShowsTags Car Shows, Stars and StripesLeave a comment on Stars and Stripes Classic American Car Show National Street Rod Association presents the Fun Run We’ll be trading again at the NSRA’s Fun Run. This year it’s at Rutland Showground, Oakham LE15 7TW NSRA Fun Run Author Ian GuyPosted on 12th June 2019 Categories Exhibitions, News, ShowsLeave a comment on National Street Rod Association presents the Fun Run Fun, Stories American Road Trip part 8 – Route 66 heading West. Back into the Desert with a Cowboy to meet an Angel for a Haircut. By Mandy. I was kind of sad to leave Sedona behind, it was the longest we had stayed in one place since the beginning of our trip and it was slap-in-the-face obvious that we had actually needed the break. Don’t get me wrong waking up, packing up and hitting the road with no plans as to where we would put our head that night turned out to be one of the best feelings, alternatively lying in bed and watching the clock go past that hour when you are supposed to be up and out is on the same level as your mum coming into you room and telling you it’s Saturday and there’s no school. Back on the I40 just outside of Flagstaff we headed for Williams on a recommendation. A city with a population of around 3500 people, they held onto their beloved Route 66 until October 1984 when they finally surrendered after a succession of court battles making Williams the last Route 66 town to be bypassed by the I40. We exited the highway at junction 185, the map reading part of my brain was still recovering from being on a hippie trip, and my instincts had taken a walk on the wildside. I resorted to the book to find out if we were able to leave the highway at any point on that short trip and absorb some of the sentiment and nostalgia of Route 66, possibly rebooting my navigational system. Until recently we weren’t quite sure what happened next. The book informed us that we would enter a private section of road and to be respectful of the residents. What it didn’t say was that we will be in the forest on a rough gravel track with no road markings or signs. Apparently there are three different alignments of Route 66 around this point. 1926 to 1931, 1931 to 1963 and 1963 to 1975. By a process of elimination, we have concluded, with a certain amount of doubt, that on that beautiful sunny October day we travelled back to late twenties early thirties America. I wondered how much of that section of Route 66 had changed, because it was far from obvious. We were entering an area of tall pines, oaks, aspens and juniper, marked on the map as the Kaibab National Forest. Were we supposed to be there? I’m not sure, could we have turned around? Yes. Did we want to? Well no not really. The rough dirt track lay straight ahead, its vanishing point the dark opening to the forest, it was long enough and straight enough for us to turn to each other knowingly and smile. “Ian, we have to be respectful, the book says” Ahead of its time I know but I could almost imagine Laura Ingalls skipping down the small grassy inclines between old rustic cabins, some had seen better days and could tell a thousand tales others still had years of memories to make. At the end of the straight we entered the forest, where priorities changed and the twists and turns of the track were determined by the layout of the trees. “Ian look at all of the RVs in the clearings, they’re huge, how did they get them in between the trees”? I had lost Ian to something, did he have his artist eyes on or was this something else ? “ What are they all doing, wild camping, living off grid, teaching naked Zumba to elk?” “Zumba?” “The RVs in the clearings what’s going on with them? Look at them! They’ll have every possible appliance and gadget and they’ve all built a kitchen outside. I want to live in a clearing with gadgets and an outside kitchen” Ian stopped the car, staring straight ahead .We had hit a T junction and a wall of conifers just a few metres from the front of the car across a gravel track, a choice of making a left or right turn to somewhere else. The last road sign had been quite a few miles back. Could we have turned around? Yes, did we want to? No not really. We made a left turn into “Hazzard County” and Ian was back behind the wheel of the General and I was, well I was someone who would have probably liked to have been told what was going on! I now realised where his head had been for the last 10 minutes. Foot to the floor he raced up and down the gears bouncing in and out of ditches on each side of a series of shallow chicanes. We were kicking up a dust storm behind and always one for a great photo opportunity I leaned out of the window to capture that perfect shot. The dirt road had opened up again and Boss Hogg was closing in. Ahead I could see a challenge, straight ahead was narrow and overgrown the right turn would take us a sharp angled 90 degrees in the wrong direction! The decision was with Ian and he was resolute on one thing only , he wasn’t slowing down. Smiling like a kid with a lollipop on a dodgem he slammed the steering wheel to the right and I clung like a cat to the roof lining of the car, wishing I had been gifted with at least 3 more arms. That few seconds waiting for the Mustang to find its resting place seemed like a lifetime. “What the f#k happened? you lost control!” “I turned traction control off” “Further up the road” “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I didn’t think, and look it’s OK, we’re pointing in the right direction” I had to hand it to him we were parked up perfectly straight. “We’re in a ditch!” Looking around it became apparent that this rough dirt track was probably impassable during or after heavy rain. There was caked in evidence of deep tyre tracks on its undulating surface. I got the impression that we weren’t the first ones to swing around that corner sideways and plant ourselves in that very spot contemplating whether we could just drive away without the embarrassment of possible local man with a bigger smile and lollypop! “Ian I can see a car coming through the trees” “That’s too big for a car” “It’s not a truck” Less than a minute later a clean looking cowboy type pulled up in a Hummer to tell us that we are lost. It was most definitely not a question. “Follow me” He said and we did as we were told with Ian’s lollypop staying perfectly intact whilst he thrust us safely back onto the road. “Is he having a laugh, how fast is he going?” “About 65, I can’t see him for the dust!” “Ian we didn’t tell him where we were heading” but realisation struck us both simultaneously. We were in a Mustang with California plates, on a dirt road in the Kaibab Forest. We weren’t the first to do it, nor would we be the last and it wouldn’t be the first or last time Mr Hummer Guy had guided someone back onto the calculable road to predictability. But we don’t have an itinerary! Turns out we actually did. Back on tarmac and trying to enter Williams on the cool side with our new Hummer friend, but we just weren’t cutting it. The Hummer was in showroom condition a shiny testosterone oozing piece of kit. The mustang was covered in dust and on checking out myself in the mirror so was I, with the exception of two white circles where my sunglasses had been. Hummer Guy parked on diagonal street parking and out of respect or possibly embarrassment we parked a few bays away and as he saluted his farewell a fanfare of trumpeters welcomed us to Williams! In stark comparison to where we had been this northern Arizona town was alive with overly excited folk and some kind of street parade was taking place. I turned to a lady, one of the many lining the street, and between her hugely enthusiastic screams of encouragement and approval I enquired about what was going on. “Hi, so what’s the occasion?” She looked immediately taken aback and more than confused. “What are you all celebrating?” A group of cheerleaders bounced by, the lady pointed with bulging eyes. She was possibly practicing some kind of hypnotic hysteria, religious maybe considering her frequent call outs to “Jesus Christ”? A young guy appeared over my shoulder, “It’s the homecoming parade, an annual event here in Williams” I turned just to catch the back of him wandering into a nearby bar. It was becoming clearly evident that Williams is an established and flourishing community. The shops, bars and restaurants, some dating back to the 1900’s, give a powerful impression of old-time America and Route 66. The classic cars and trucks more than suitably compliment that feel good vibe. To this day however I still don’t fully understand the meaning of “Homecoming” but right then, for me, it wasn’t taking front seat in my list of curiosities. Anything that brings the community together for a positive dose of mass hysteria has my full backing. Williams is known as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. Just 65 miles south of the Southern Rim, vintage train rides can be taken daily leaving at 9.30 am lasting a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes. They travel through ponderosa pine forests and open prairies within varying elevations. We wandered slowly along the main street, the parade was still going strong, super heroes, a convoy of firetrucks. Ian’s eyes were however fixed on the scattering of muscle cars and trucks parked up on the street, in gas stations and outside bars. Still not tiring of looking in every gift shop and Route 66 museum, Ian did just that, whilst I stayed on the street watching the world go by. Pete’s Route 66 Gas Station and Museum is world famous and Ian enjoyed a good hour chatting to Pete himself about Williams, Route 66 and his wonderful collection of memorabilia. Pete recommended we venture down to Goldie’s Route 66 Diner for the best food around. It really was an experience, we met Leslie Stevens the owner of Williams Community Radio and our waiter for that day. “Hi, we’ve been sent down here on a recommendation by Pete from the Route 66 museum” “Ahh Pete” he replied “He’s been dead for 10 years and nobody’s told him”! After learning that Leslie had been a DJ in LA for forty years, moving to Williams a few years previous with his wife and setting up and broadcasting Community Radio he finally brought us our menu. I was intrigued by his story. His wife, he says organises the running of the daily train up to the Grand Canyon. I concluded that they were valuable and much loved members of the community. Maybe his exceptionally contagious and fun sense of humour emerging from speakers in and around Williams is part of an ambiguous catalyst that keeps the people of the community so upbeat and willing? The choice on the menu was vast. I’m not a great lover of burgers here in the UK but over in the US they are something else altogether, and so much choice! “It has to be a burger for me” “Could I have the triple, quadruple beef, roast pork dinner with apple sauce pancake and a fried egg, over easy burger please”. “No, you’ve sold out of that one?” “No, I’m not serving you a burger” “Not any kind of burger”? “Not any kind of burger, you’re on a road trip right? You can eat a burger anywhere” “Ok” I kind of liked his forceful attitude and was really intrigued as to where this was going, I reached out to take another look at the menu and his hand came flat down on top of mine. “No! You like Turkey” said kind of in the same way that Hummer guy told us we were lost. So the only right way to answer seemed to be. “You like Gravy” Now this was a tricky one. The gravy that I knew and loved wasn’t from the same family as the Gravy I had been served in the US with ‘Biscuits’ “Ok” We replied in unison. “Beef Ribs” “Mash and Beans and a surprise for dessert” It was without doubt the best meal we had on our trip. Thick creamy turkey soup to start, Beef Ribs carried in by two Mexican bodybuilders, mash, beans and just when we thought we could eat no more a wedge of sweet potato cheesecake to keep us going until the following year’s homecoming! “That was absolutely superb” Spoken in short bursts. “I know, thank you” “So did you ever intend to bring us anything off the menu”? “Of course not” Our grossly stuffed bodies cut short our stay in Williams, we headed back to the car hoping that one day we would visit again. The sun was going down on the Interstate as we headed west towards Seligman, around 40 miles and the starting point of 159 miles of uninterrupted Route 66. I’m not sure when I first heard about Seligman, it could possibly have been a TV show about Route 66 and its history. They interviewed a then 90 year young Angel Delgadillo, a local resident and businessman who had resided in Seligman for all of his years. His story and upbeat personality took me straight to Google maps and the convenience and beauty of Street View. I walked the main street in that small town of around 450 residents and it made me giggle. Seligman was bypassed by Interstate 40 on the 22nd September 1978, it fell silent overnight, thousands of cars without time or thought thundered across the interstate just a couple of miles south of the town. Angel and his barber’s shop were one of four businesses that fought and survived. In 1987, after years of fighting the state of Arizona, a group of Seligman residents fronted by Angel himself convinced the state to dedicate the 87 mile stretch of Route 66 between Seligman and Kingman a historic highway. The route between Kingman and the California border later took on the same title. This dedication assured the preservation of the longest remaining stretch of Route 66 in the United States. Angel is known Globally as the “Guardian Angel of Route 66” , founder of the “ Route 66 association of Arizona” and the driving force behind Route 66 associations being set up in all of the other Route 66 States, each with preservation as their main goal. It became a reminder to travellers of a more nostalgic route, slowly but surely promoting travel through small forgotten towns, putting Route 66 back on the map and back into the minds of curious travellers from around the globe. Something happened on the next part of our journey, I became whimsical and care free. It had been kind of out of character for me but on my late dad’s recommendation I had been keeping a diary. He had advised me that I could regret it in years to come when the memories start to fade. Maybe I had concluded at this point of our trip that the reverberations of various powerful stimuli along the way would be etched solidly in my brain until my dying day and as the day arrives when the memories of yesterday become a strain I will still without a question of doubt be able to recount stories of our trip to our grandchildren and any one else happy to listen. Turns out the memories are fading, and after Seligman I stopped collecting data so my story from now on will be complete fiction and occasional bullshit! No not really! Between the two of us and a ton and a half of photos on the laptop, we’re doing ok. Arriving in Seligman was similar to driving onto a 1950’s film set, or was it? Maybe it was somewhere else? No definitely Seligman I have photos. Ian, what happened next? … No, seriously it’s not that bad, I can do this. The very last entry in my little book actually reads “Went round the back of a bar with an old guy a beer and a great Elvis impersonator, he serenaded us with his mate on guitar, arrived back late after visiting whore house” I do remember the guy and the beer and Elvis. Whore house? Pffft ! We did earlier in the day however bump into the man himself! No not Elvis! “Look it’s him” Ian whispered whilst throwing me sideways into the road. “The man, the Godfather, Guardian” neither of us could actually pronounce ‘Delgadillo’. “Oh my god he’s heading this way” As the sun went down on Seligman Angel Delgadillo walked towards us with his little dog, a hundred greetings, questions rushed through me but neglected to venture to the vocal part of my being so as he smiled and stopped to cross the road I bent down to stroke his dog. “What a cute little dog” I said “Thank you so much” he said and he was gone. As we stood staring in the general direction of an absolute Route 66 legend the very reason why Route 66 survives in its current state for our motoring pleasure, I had complimented the loveliness of his dog. “He must have so many people ask him the same questions day after day” I consoled myself with that. The streets of Seligman were empty and the majority of businesses had closed for the night. We did however manage to catch the last few minutes in Angels Barbers shop with his lovely family. Ian had the obligatory pretend haircut in Angel’s historic barbers chair. We wandered to a place where life-size 1950’s styled mannequins looked down on us seductively from an overhead balcony, passed the Snow Cap Drive In, built in 1953 by Juan Delgadillo, Angel’s brother. On a limited budget he used mainly scrap timber from the Santa Fe Railroad yard. The Snow Cap restaurant offers Cheeseburgers with Cheese, dead chicken and around the back, amongst other things a 1936 Chevy with a sliced hardtop and Christmas tree, a phone booth with toilet and apparently during working hours a neon sign apologising for being open. It was becoming more and more evident that a major part of the Delgadillo persona was humour , maybe it’s was the driving force that helped see them through difficult times and spearhead the revival of Route 66. After beer with Elvis we checked into the Historic Route 66 motel and were given keys to the themed Coni Lee Room. We were informed at reception that she had stayed there, no amount of googling has revealed who she actually is ? It rained heavily the following morning, we ate breakfast at the Road Kill cafe and OK Saloon then headed 159 miles west, Kingman, Oatman and on into California. The first time since touching down on Route 66 that we didn’t need to resort to the map for Interstate exits or the book for a choice of alignments. Seemed like the ultimate in luxury. Axl Rose was calling me his Rocket Queen, offering friendship and stressing how he hates to see me out in the rain, so on reaching Hackberry General Stores I refused to leave the car. Hackberry Stores was always near top of the list of Route 66 places to visit for Ian. The day he received a commission, 20” x 30” canvas, incorporating the customers car in the foreground of this nostalgic building was a happy day and gave him a good excuse to do some research into its history. Route 66 came to Hackberry in 1926, a small silver mining town and soon a busy tourist stopover, Gas stations and various stores opened up to serve travellers along the way including the Northside Grocery Store and Gas station owned and run by John Grigg and his family until his death in 1967. The building of the Interstate 16 miles south of Hackberry left the town stranded in Isolation. The Store and Station experienced a rebirth in 1992 in the form of new owner Bob Waldmire, an artist and historian who had travelled the road extensively in his 1972 VW camper. It re opened as the Hackberry General store and Visitors Centre. I believe it has changed hands a couple of times since. With untrained eyes and a very simplistic way of looking at a situation, analysing it for the purpose of my own understanding, Hackberry Stores seems to be mainly constructed of roadside flotsam and jetsam held together with a glue gun, evidence of which is hiding behind the many rusted vintage signs, advertising things that have long time passed. It’s your Grandad’s man cave, a patchwork of his history, a story of his memories. Sat in the car on that dark and overcast day with the rain belting down on the roof you could have taken that scene added a bit of artistic license and imagination and transported yourself back to 1950’s Yorkshire. Ian had parked us up next to a couple of vintage gas pumps, their state of disrepair not evident enough to stop travellers pulling up for gas. I could see the Model A Ford that Ian had studied with intensity some years before as a backdrop to the painting, the shiny cherry red 1957 Corvette parked under the front canopy. An old rusted sign read “300 miles of Desert ahead” . I contemplated the possibility of this whilst checking out the map, leaving me with questions and before I knew it I was inside the building being blessed. “Bless you Maam for bringing the rain!” Ian was already deep in conversation with the owner and after establishing that he was from the UK the conversation had quickly turned to the weather and how they were experiencing the most serious drought they had faced in modern times. This became alarmingly evident later on in our trip as we headed west towards Bakersfield and the Californian Hot Rod Reunion. Right then we were just under 100 miles east of the California State Line. They hadn’t suffered to the same extreme as Southern California where it had seemed to be a helpless case especially amongst the farming community. It made me wonder if the weather would follow us, it didn’t, it was short lived. I was initially wondering if my wandering eyes were being disrespectful to the current situation, but you just can’t help yourself. A mash-up of old black and white photos blanketed the walls and ceiling, a patchwork of currency notes from around the Globe. Not your average souvenir stop. Man cave had evolved from outside to inside and man bear was collecting his honey. In places it was difficult to decipher between décor and wares. “Absolute 1970’s porn, you should go in there” Ian was looking like a cross between Eric Morecambe and an excited teenager. “Go in where?” “The men’s loos, it’s all over the walls!” I was intrigued but the place was busy, with a continuous flow of eager visitors. Back outside the rain had stopped and a band of blue hung over distant mountains in the direction we were heading. Back in the car “I forgot to ask someone about the feasibility of there being 300 miles of desert ahead” The sensible one “It’s just a ploy, a joke to get people to pull in for fuel” “There is no Fuel” “It’s an old sign” I did check the map to find that we were on the eastern edge of the Mojave desert, leaving the green of the forests surrounding Williams, Flagstaff and Sedona behind. We were travelling North West to a point on our Route 66 journey where we would be the furthest distance we had been from any major roads. After that point the road takes a downward turn towards Kingman. I was staring at the map and almost imploded. A year or so before we had been watching a TV show with either Henry Cole or Billy Connolly I don’t remember but they had been travelling Route 66. They had visited a “Living Ghost Town”, yes I know that leaves itself open to so many questions, still unanswered. Named Chloride it’s an old silver mining town with a population of around 350 residents and apparently the oldest continually inhabited mining town in Arizona, it had looked as completely out of the box as you can get before contemplating what life would be like inside a giant cider press. “Ian 30 miles north of Kingman heading towards Vegas is that place, you know the Ghost Town we saw on TV with the two guys at the bar. You know the ice cream comment” “Chloride?” “Yeah” and then we reached that point on the road, Ian had tuned into a radio station that was kicking out upbeat 70’s Rock and a manic DJ broadcasting from inside his very own cider press. We took that downward turn towards Kingman with Boston “More than a feeling” feeding the desert good vibrations and a section of blacktop hitting a dot and a burst of light at its vanishing point. “How long is this straight?” “Around 25 miles” “No Bends?” “No Bends” ♫♪ More than a feeling, More than a feeling ♪♫ Right at that point I was at my Route 66 happiest, desert, sunshine, some great 70’s cheese, road as straight as an arrow and knowing we were taking a right turn at Kingman towards Vegas was the icing on the straw that fixed the camels cake ! Ian hadn’t mentioned turning right at Kingman. He didn’t need to. ♪♫ Limee, Ruinee, Videe, Comblee, You are the King of the Divan, Hou, Hou, Hou, Hou I am the King of the Divan. ♫♪ This song had never particularly impressed me, but right then it was funky french feelgood Then Elvis was in the building and I have never loved him as much as I did right then . Way on Dowwwnnn ! Imagine the situation and that Intro ♫♪ Bomdeebom, Bomdeebom, Bomdeebom, Bomdeebom Babe you’re getting closer, the lights are goin’ dim, The sound of your breathin’ Has made the mood I’m in, All of my resistance is lying on the floor, Taking me to places I’ve never been before…….. Ohh and I can feel it, feel it, feel it, feel it !! … ♪♫ Turning right on the 93 to Vegas was weird in a way. One of our biggest plans was to drive the 159 mile uninterrupted section of Route 66 from Seligman and enjoy what it had to offer from beginning to end, we hadn’t imagined an alternative distraction. Heading towards Vegas was also a reminder that we had driven a huge loop back to where we had been a few weeks earlier. Kingman tried to seduce us immediately with its used car dealerships. The first, “Kingman Auto Plaza” had a great selection of classics in different states of repair, all cleverly and clearly visible from the road. We’ll be back soon we both said without actually speaking a word. We entered the small town of Chloride to Guns and Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” How do I remember this? Some things I’m just not going to forget. Chloride was so quiet and still, certain clues were there to say that this place was definitely inhabited, children’s bikes, a few shops, bars, and eateries. Where entering Seligman had been similar to driving onto a film set, this was like they were just having fun with the whole “Ghost Town” thing. It was a hot, dirty, dusty, ramshackle of fabulous. Just before Ian switched off the engine and Axl rose welcomed us to the jungle for the last time and told us we were going to die! “It’s so quiet” “And so still” “Shall we drive around?” We rumbled as quietly as we could through a grid section of scattered wooden clad houses, getting a strong impression that in that town nobody throws anything away it just becomes a kind of yard art out front for all to see. Old abandoned farm machinery and vehicles to make you drool. “Do you get the feeling that every time we turn a corner people scatter into their houses?” “I know what you mean” Turns out that the people of Chloride are far from timid, they know exactly what they are doing and everything is for sale. How do we know that? We were heading out to leave and this happened …. “Look over there, it’s the bar , the one from TV, it’s got the porch, veranda thing out front” Ian turned and drove closer to its quirky decorated wooden exterior, you could easily imagine a shootout at noon. “Oh my god! It’s the two old guys from the show, sat in the same spot!” They had been interviewed and confessed to sitting under that canopy day in day out just watching the world go by. It was at that point they were questioned about whether they thought they would ever bore of sitting there. This was the answer as best I can remember. “You can love ice cream but too much of it will make you sick as a dog” We were almost 100% agreed it was the right bar, whether it was the same old guys was at about 85%. “I want to buy them ice cream!!” Yeah I know, away from the heat and the adrenalin that was filling my veins right then I get on my own nerves. “Are we going in?” The two guys hadn’t actually moved and there wasn’t another soul to be seen, anywhere. “Maybe they’re mannequins?” “No, that one just got rid of a fly” We were already out of the car. Before I continue let me quickly explain something about Ian. If someone was to ask me to name something about Ian that confused me or got on my nerves it would be this. He can park a car, no problem, he can get out without difficulty but the amount of time it takes him to walk away from the car is longer than is normal. I only get to see him from 50 plus yards away, fiddling with tyres, wheels, checking the boot. This day was no exception and to no surprise I found myself at the foot of the steps to the bar having a little chat with myself. Ian was back in the car fiddling with the radio and possibly looking for an aerial ? I returned to find him looking confused. “It’s not the guys” I was deflated They just said something like “Worden wir benzin becommon” Sorry any German speaking readers “I think they’re German” On closer inspection they were around 30 years too young. Confused and unsettled as to why I was up in their faces frowning they exclaimed “ Ve are zeust seemple Zuerman biker’s” I wasn’t really that close! we had a chat with them later but first…. If you’re ocd about clutter and cleaning it would be a good idea to stay clear of this place, saying that I can’t advise as to where to stay clear from because we didn’t think to look at the name. There wasn’t a soul inside the bar which just added to my curiosity about where everyone was and what do people in Chloride do with themselves during the day. The owner however was on us like a DJ fresh out of his very own cider press ! What a great guy! He gave us the full history of the town stopping at the end of every paragraph to inform us that all the old western antiques and memorabilia that adorned the walls and hung from the ceiling were for sale. Right then I could have happily taken the place of the two old guys who had previously claimed those two seats out front. My question was where were they now? maybe it was a set up? maybe they had needed mint chip instead of raspberry ripple? I didn’t get to ask, we were joined by the bikers. They were from Munich and had traveled the whole of Route 66 from Chicago, almost 2000 miles over 10 days , now they were heading to Vegas for some “Down time?” then back down to rejoin Route 66 in Kingman. I was completely in awe and kind of ‘Starstruck’. It’s in situations like this when I would prefer to say something impressive, and stay down with the cool guys that I end up saying something stupid. Today was no exception. “I used to ride a Suzuki AP 50 in the eighties !!” The same had happened in Seligman with the legend that is Angel Delgadillo “I love your dog” I had said! In the late 80’s at a Black Sabbath after show party I approached Cozy Powell all seductively, stared into his eyes and announced the classic “My mum loves you!!” The piece de Resistance has to be around 1986, Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) left his wife and ran away to hide in the country with her sister. His hiding place turned out to be a house in the woods just up the lane from my family home. He would spend nights in our local pub and play Sunday league football with the local team. We had chatted on and off and my mum had looked after his girlfriends kids. He approached me one day in the pub… “I’m going to Ibiza to do a few gigs, do you want to come?” Are you ready for this…….. “No thank you, I have a boyfriend!!” I actually walked away disgusted wondering why an old man like him would be interested in a 19 year old girl! So here I was over 25 years later sat in a bar in Arizona still saying dumb shit to cool people !! Heading back down to Kingman I went on a slight downer thinking about the possibilities and excitement of taking the unknown road, the road less travelled. Were we being predictable within an ocean of possibilities? We headed back down to Kingman, Ian had managed to do something with the car radio and resident DJ Cider press was back in the room! Irene Cara’s Flashdance took on a whole new feeling. ♫♪ Take your passion, and make it happen, Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life. What a feeling!!! ♪♫ Music, I’m convinced, influences your thoughts and feelings. On a road trip I’m sure this is enhanced, at some point over the next 20 miles Mr DJ stepped out of his press and into the desert sun resting by a giant cactus. America’s Horse with no name ♪♫ After two days in the desert sun, my skin began to turn red, After three days in the desert fun, I was looking at a river bed, And the story that told of a river that flowed, Made me sad to think it was dead … ♫♪ It woke me up again to the drought that California was experiencing. We hadn’t noticed much on the way through on the first section of our trip. I had been ill and slept and I think Ian was concerned enough not to be looking properly. We were going to head towards the California coast at the end of our trip to find out more. Back in Kingman and staring at the rear ends of some suitably sexy classic cars, it’s the way they were facing to the road. 50 to 60 photos later we were back on the road trying desperately to rejoin Route 66 and failing. Again neither the map or book were making any sense, all that we knew for sure is that we would be heading up the black mountains to the Sitgreaves Pass at 3,500 ft between Cool Springs and Oatman. We had been told to expect a narrow section of hairpin bends, or switch backs, and a rough road surface. “Ok, so the mountains are over there, so let’s just take the first road that looks like it’s heading that way” “Ok”. Turns out it was the Oatman Road, we were back on the Mother Road! “How did we miss that?” “Blame the DJ” The desert road out of Kingman is initially flat and straight, our first encounter of another vehicle was a car abandoned on the side of the road, the driver, a man, was in full squatting position having a desert poo! “Does he know something we don’t?” I asked “I don’t know, maybe a sign saying no toilets for 300 miles?” “How far is Oatman from here?” “Around 20 miles, and Cool Springs is a garage, gift shop, attraction thingy and that’s not far at all” “I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that Cool springs has an award-winning toilet!” The views were outstanding, the road so far had offered little challenge and I became obsessed with the toilet facilities at this famous stopover. I could well believe they had preceded all others in reaching a first, but in which category evaded me. Outside within good view, an arrangement of wood slats around a toilet, a wash basin and mirror on the exterior wall under a corrugated canopy. I don’t remember if it had a roof even. Award for cleanliness? Most definitely. Award for quirky? Absolutely top of the list. Ian wandered over to the far side of the car park to check out a 1930’s shell of a car and an early 50’s Chevy pick up which has been strongly suggested to be the inspiration behind Mater from the Disney Pixar film ‘Cars’, Radiator Springs from the same film taking its name from this very place. I watched poo guy pull over and get out of his car. The bad side of me wanted to nod towards the toilet facilities and say something like. “Bet you feel like a bit of a twat now don’t you?” I was saved by my own conscience and a small voice saying “Maybe he had no choice, maybe he couldn’t wait any longer?” What actually came out was, “Hi, views are breathtaking aren’t they, we passed you further down the road, are you ok?” Whaaat, why would I say that?! Luckily he just replied, “Yes and Yes” I don’t know how much further I could have taken it ! A small history of Cool Springs Gas Station tells how it has been part of Route 66 since the beginning in the 1920’s. Sadly in the 1930’s it burnt to the ground leaving just fragments of the stone foundations and original stone pillars. In 1991 Hollywood used it as a location for the film Universal Soldier with Dolph Lundgren and Jean Claude Van Damme. They built a frame mock station around the old pillars and at the end of filming one scene they blew the place to smithereens. The owner at the time held on to it for sentimental reasons for many years before selling to a guy who completed a full rebuild and on December 7th 2004 Cool Springs was back in business. It’s an impressive building quintessential of what we expect from a Route 66 roadside rest stop. The road towards Oatman is everything we were warned it was, but not as bad as we were hoping. The hairpins were tight and the road narrow, every driver was cautious, some quite obviously at a high level of panic especially when challenged by one of the many Burros that wander the road. They know what they are doing, I’m sure they have a meeting every morning, planning their movements of the day and how they are going to terrorise unknowing travellers by standing on the turn of a hairpin or the inside of a bend pushing the driver out into the road and further towards the edge where the tarmac crumbles into the valley below. Evidence shows that over time some cars just hadn’t made it, never recovered they had become part and parcel of the landscape and endless photo opportunities for those who dare. Entering Oatman is comparable to entering the old Wild West. If it wasn’t for the many vehicles lining the road I could well have been sat alongside Marty McFly in the Delorean. The road was wide with a slight decline into town and a mountain backdrop that set the scene so perfectly it could’ve been accused of being a little contrived. Oatman is an old mining town beginning as a tent camp until two prospectors struck gold to the value of $10,000,000, giving the town the characteristics of any gold rush boomtown. By 1941 all of the mines had closed down after producing $40,000,000 worth of gold, around $2,600,000,000 in today’s market! Oatman survived as a tourist town, catering to travellers on Route 66 until 1953 when the town was completely bypassed. The revival of Route 66 has brought life back to the old town, and although it’s population only stands at around 150 residents, its many gift shops, bars, restaurants and wacky event days keep Oatman alive and a definite stop off for anyone travelling Route 66 The Burros alone would give me good enough reason to make a return trip. In my opinion they own the town, wandering the wooden sidewalks and road , loitering in shop doorways ! Don’t be fooled by the cute, they have inherited shrewd , descended from pack animals turned loose by the early gold miners. They know what they want and they know how to get it. I don’t know what today’s protocol is for whether you should feed them or not but whilst we were visiting it seemed to be a mixed bag of opinions amongst the local traders. Whist some were encouraging us to buy carrots and hay cubes from their establishments others were telling these cuddly creatures to f@# off away from their store. In all honesty they were far from cuddly, and were only interested in what was in your pocket. They can be quite intrusive to your visit, intimidating and at times aggressive. Thing was they served up a challenge, could see it in their eyes and I love a challenge. So whilst Ian wandered the many shops again, I sat on a tree stump with an ice cream, waited and they came. Lovely baby Burro was the ultimate in fluffy curious cuteness, mum wanted the ice cream, dad chased me up the road for it! He didn’t get it! I armed myself with carrots and offered him a stand-off! Ian had no idea, he was over the road chatting to a well dressed guy in an E type Jag. “Shall we head back to the car?” Ian said “Yeah OK” the car was around 300 yards away, it took us a good hour to reach it. “Oh look, an actual gallery with paintings!” and he left the street with no second thought. The Sun was going down on Oatman and the perfect opportunity for a great photo, we didn’t get one. “Ian…? Ian…? Ian Guy is that you?” The voice was directly behind us. “It is you, Bloody hell !” It’s an awkward situation when you know a face but you’re not quite sure what to associate it with. The guy quickly introduced himself and it turned out we had a good selection of mutual friends, he’d seen and spoken to us quite a few times at the shows we trade at. Ahh it all made sense! But how surreal! As far as we were concerned we were up a remote mountain in the middle of nowhere! After chatting for quite a while we confirmed we were heading to the same place in a few days and we would definitely meet up again for a drink. Turns out we were headed in completely the opposite direction! We didn’t meet up with Mark again until the following year in the UK ! That wasn’t the end, strangely once we reached California we encountered a succession of very surprising meetings with people we knew in a variety of surprising locations. As we descended out of Oatman Arizona I noticed a much older couple sat up on a rock edge, their car acting as a backrest. They had prepared a picnic and I got the impression that they were possibly local and this was something they did on a regular basis. They were silent and their movements slow as they reached to each other lovingly with offerings of edible fare. Their purpose I’m sure wasn’t just to watch the sun go down over the distant Californian mountains but to feel it, blissful systematic therapy. “Do you think he’s going to push her ?” Less than an hour or so later the light disappeared and things started to get awkward. I’m convinced it was aliens, the locals were trying to tell us otherwise … Here’s part 9 – End of the Mother Road And if you missed the beginning here’s Part 1, ‘California Dreaming’ : Part 1 – California Dreaming Author MandyPosted on 5th March 2019 22nd January 2020 Categories Fun, StoriesTags American, Fun, lifestyle, Road Trip, story2 Comments on American Road Trip part 8 – Route 66 heading West. Fun, New Artwork, News, Stories, Work in Progress Art from the Artist’s Palette I never set out to be an artist! I’d never taken myself seriously enough to know really what I was doing or why and to be honest the art world and art galleries kind of scared me. I was just compelled to draw, an impression in my own mind of the finished piece wasn’t what drove me forward it was more a feeling or an emotion that I needed to express, confidence was something that evaded me. Moving on quite a few decades and wondering how I had got to this point without real plans or direction I’m realising more and more that it’s the love and appreciation of my work that is the very catalyst of everything that I am and for that I will be eternally grateful. There is a certain vulnerability to this too which feeds my adrenalin, you guys have the power to make or break me, the decision is in your hands and you are always surprising me. A couple of years ago whilst we were trading at one of the more arty shows I was approached and asked if I would be interested in selling my used palette! My disposable palette? After some confusion on my part I signed and exchanged my used cast-off for cash and wondered what the hell had just happened. A year later and in the lead up to the same show, I realised because of my commission work load that I didn’t have any original paintings to display and then remembered the palette sale. So I began to play with the idea of rendering a vehicle in oils onto a used palette knowing that I would have to loosen my style and colour combinations to compliment this abstract background squelch of tones and hues that lay before me. For me this was a huge ask. I am obsessively a stickler for detail, often far beyond need or want, never happy with a finished piece and I was now challenging myself to be, for want of a better word, loose, messy even. The clock was ticking as I sent myself down a road to which the consequences could not only have been messy but there was the distinct possibility of an explosion of emotions leading to self-destruction. I console myself sometimes about my strange behaviour by thinking back to the day a very wise older lady turned to me and said “You’re allowed to, you’re an artist”. This was the excuse I was using now for my change of style and possible reaction to comments such as “What the hell were you thinking”… This Palette Painting sold on its first showing along with such comments as : “I think I prefer these to your normal paintings” “These are much more arty” “I love the idea of owning an actual physical piece of the artist’s creative process” The question that I have tried to push to the back of my mind now however is, has my obsessive attention to detail previously been influencing my customers’ choices with regards commissioned work? I’ll leave that there for now. The art lover who took it upon himself to ask to purchase that first palette I’m sure doesn’t realise how that action and his kind words activated a shift in my thinking, helping to change my perception of how I work and within reason how I deal with my life/work balance. I really enjoy the looseness of these paintings, the freedom to experiment and explore. A year on and I have a growing list of new commissions for these strange paintings that manifest from ready and waiting incidental background splashes of oil paint that hold within them the mystery of previous creations. And the attitude of the customer has changed too. “We’ll just leave it to you” and “You’re the artist, you just go with the flow” I will always love creating a ‘story’ with my more detailed paintings but the freedom of movement I have with these new sporadic palette paintings is strangely empowering, encouraging me to take risks and venture to places that have previously been my own private guilty artistic pleasure. The best thing of all is that it’s ok, you said, and anyway, I’m allowed, I’m an artist! … And here’s my latest, they both sold quickly after writing this. I’d be interested in what you think but I’m not fully liberated yet, so be gentle … Author Ian GuyPosted on 20th January 2019 18th April 2020 Categories Fun, New Artwork, News, Stories, Work in ProgressTags Art, Artist, Palette, work in progress4 Comments on Art from the Artist’s Palette American Road Trip part 7 – Standin’ on the Corner, A Journey Through Season, Space and Time … Our last morning in Holbrook and we decided to hold back on the free breakfast thrown our way by the mute waitress. We were back on the road heading for Winslow Arizona, the morning sun had already warmed the inside of the car and awoken the now wonderfully familiar aroma of polystyrene and shoes. Ian’s fascination with Route 66 goes right back to when he was a kid. The old roadside stops would become part of a self-made fantasy, a place where he would escape in his mind from what was far from a happy childhood. He was, I believe, born with a gift, that gift was to create, and his life panned out in such a way that he could incorporate this gift into his sadness and it became a kind of therapy for him, a means to an escape. He could later lift all the stored images from his mind and recreate onto paper or canvas, all the while disappearing into the fantasy. Images of his regular “Haunts” along Route 66 were stored, fantastically detailed in the archives and chasms of Ian’s wonderfully complicated brain. Buried deep, where suppressed emotions lurk. He neither wanted nor needed to know exactly where on Route 66 these places were. “Too much information and it can steal the fantasy” he would say. Possibly undoing a whole mountain of self-help sessions and disturbing feelings he thought he had put to rest years before, I would think. We were about to find out. Continuing west on this part of the journey we had to resort to the I- 40 for some of the way. Between Holbrook and Winslow there is one accessible segment of Route 66 between exits 277 and 269 Certain exits however allowed you to stop off and see The Geronimo, Jack Rabbit and Twin Arrows Trading Posts at 7,18 and 68 miles respectively. I was so happy to be back on the road, not that I hadn’t enjoyed Holbrook, quite the opposite, but over the last few weeks it had become more and more obvious that, for us, it was more about the journey and not the destination. Geronimo Trading Post lies just outside Holbrook and has its own exit. To lure you in from the freeway Teepees and Billboards advertise it as having the “World’s Largest Petrified Log” . Established in 1967 surviving into the modern era, I knew it was one of Ian’s ‘Special Places’, and I was interested to see if he would pull off the Interstate at junction 288 to just soak up some of its story. He drove on by. “I wonder how big the log is?” “I wonder how long it’s been there?” Another 12 miles further down the road was the Jack Rabbit Trading Post. Established in 1949 the simplistic roadside promotion of yellow signs still exists. “Here it is” in large red letters to the right of a black silhouette of a long-eared rabbit. Here what is ? Of course those in the know, including Ian, knew that the sign referred to a large fibreglass rabbit which can be mounted for photos. With the addition of a little artistic license the Jack Rabbit trading post had been the backdrop for so many of Ian’s paintings. “Is that it?” Ian exclaimed as we pulled up to the side of the large rabbit. “What did you expect?” “Something much bigger” “You can sit on it for photos, how would you get up there if it was huge” I enquired “A ladder? Purpose built platform, trampoline, kangaroo?” “Kangaroos aren’t easy to mount” “Ahh it depends” “On What?” “Whether you are a qualified and confident Kangaroo whisperer” Parking up, Ian took photos regardless of his disappointment. “Do you want to look around ?” I asked “No not really, what about you?” “No I don’t think so” Without really discussing it it became clear that we were both itching to get onto that long continuous stretch of Route 66 after Seligman Arizona, apparently 158 miles ending in Topock . From Seligman Route 66 moves well away from the interstate, with the exception of Kingman where it offers a kiss and a diss to the highway before teasing its way up the mountain road to Oatman. Checking out our map though it was still around 150 broken miles to Seligman. Winslow Arizona was our next distraction and we were able to re join Route 66 a few miles east of the town. Up until the 1960’s Winslow had been the largest town in northern Arizona enjoying a prominent location on Route 66. The I-40 bypassed the community in the late seventies eventually forcing tourist based businesses to close their doors, and the main streets fell silent for almost 20 years Some years later in a strange twist of fate Winslow embraced a rebirth, just one line from the Eagles song ‘Take it Easy’ written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey provided an opening to transform disaster into opportunity and resurrect the once thriving town and put it back on the map for tourists ♫ ♪ “Standin’ on the corner in Winslow Arizona, Such a fine sight to see, It’s a girl, my lord in a flat bed Ford Slowin’ down to take a look at me…………” ♪ ♫ Now on the main crossroads of Kinsley and Second Streets in Winslow the scene in set, an actual Ford flat bed truck is parked up on the street alongside a two storey mural, a complete mock up of the side of a building with a couple of large ‘Windows’ on the ground floor.. With this the truck on the street can be ‘Reflected’ in the ‘Glass’ on the mural and include the girl. Ingenious creative thinking! I’m guessing that they didn’t get any takers when advertising for: “ Pretty girl, preferably in her twenties, needed for photo opportunities. You must not only be confident in your capabilities to stare seductively from the driving seat of a stationary vehicle but more importantly you have to be an Eagles superfan , keeping up the same level of seduction whilst listening to continual repeats of the song ‘Take it Easy’ blasting from the nearby gift shop for the duration of your working day” . Actually situated on the old mother road the crossroads has the biggest painted Route 66 shield on the road I had seen so far. The music helped set the mood for time enough to browse through 100s of commemorative donor bricks and eat ice cream whilst sitting on a bench on the opposite corner. Cars were just rolling on by slowing down to check out the sounds and sights, as our eyes met there was always a wave or happy smile. Could this be the happiest crossroads in the country ? Most probably, just keep an eye on your watch, the continual loop of music could possibly have you questioning your sanity. From insanity to beyond, a few miles west of Winslow is a Meteor Crater, the result of a collision 50,000 years ago between an asteroid travelling at 26,000 miles per hour and the earth, it’s almost a mile in radius and 550 ft deep. Could we drive past? Winslow had placed us back on the road in a kind of contented stupor, not needing or wanting anything, brain functioning at around 45% . The Meteor Crater would be asking for us to get all sciency and alert, were we ready ? “Dream Catcher !” and at that Ian left the interstate into a cloud of dust and intrigue. The Meteor City Trading Post. Its ransacked remains an indication that trading probably ceased some time ago, as for ‘City’ ? A gimmick maybe to tease people off the interstate ? We were alone, the landscape flat and parched, outside temperature of 86 degrees. The main building a, geodesic mo-hawked dome, was grabbing our attention, the graffiti, teepees and rubble were telling the story. Inside a ‘Marie Celeste’ of curiosity sent me straight for my phone and Google. The Trading Post opened for business in 1938 as a Service station, in 1941 it was given its present name by new owners, the signature dome being added in 1979, unfortunately burning to the ground in 1990 . The present , more fireproof, structure still stands today. During our visit certain observations were suggesting that the abandonment of this once thriving business was maybe more recent than we had originally assumed, investigation through Wikipedia confirmed it ended its life in December 2012. Nature had started work in all of its rawness claiming back the land, desert and fauna combined with broken glass, beads and jewellery creating a new kind of art. To the rear of the dome stood derelict mobile homes, undamaged colour family photographs were amongst the debris, evidence of happier times maybe? Or maybe not ? And then of course the dream catcher, once claimed to be the largest in the world. That together with supposedly the longest painted map of Route 66 displayed on an exterior wall must have been reason enough to pull off the highway. The wall no longer stands and the dreamcatcher has lost its title, however the reason behind why this place now stood as it did is a mystery to me. The Ballinger Meteor Crater, museum and gift shop are around 6 miles south of the highway on a single road, I’m guessing purposely built for ease of access. On entry to the building I felt like a kid teleported from Disney straight back into school and at 18 dollars each for entry, maybe we were actually going to be transported back in time ? Over the last half hour high winds had picked up and the observation platforms were still open but venturing outside was at your own risk. All tour guides had decided to play it safe. A TV crew had found a sheltered area but were struggling with equipment whilst I clung to a telescope trying to make sense of the vastness of the hole, silent and desolate with the wisdom of age, the wisdom to stay calm whilst everything around you is going ape shit ! Apparently in 1968 NASA used it’s surface for the training of astronauts for walks on the moon, my telescope focused on the crater surface to reveal an Astronaut and what Ian was convinced to be a London Taxi , both excellent markers, helping provide a more realistic insight into the vastness of its space. “Ian how many astronauts can you fit into a crater ?” “Seventeen and then I’d get bored” We headed back to the car and highway. Just a few miles took us to our last Trading post of the day ‘Twin Arrows’. The desert heat had been kicking out its best and we were rolling onwards and very soon upwards where the temperatures and landscape offered up a whole new feel. Twin Arrows is just that, a couple of giant arrows penetrating the ground as if fired by ‘Chief Too Tall’ and his sidekick ‘Abnormally Large Hands’. What was once the Valentine Diner, Gas Station and Gift Shop are now boarded up, falling into decline, another victim of the interstate, finally being abandoned in 1995. The land is Navajo owned. After discussing the size and relevance of the arrows we decided to move on. So what had I concluded after a morning spent with Ian visiting places which to that day had been his creative escape, a therapeutic canvas to bury his emotional pain. Well, he had questioned the size of the petrified log at the Geronimo Trading Post, been disappointed at how small the rabbit was at Jack Rabbits, and wondered how the points of the arrows have stayed in the ground for so long considering their size and angle to the ground. He was not traumatized or particularly happy. My conclusion, artists have special brains, I will never be an artist. Ian stepped out to take a couple of photos and I reached for the map. “ Shall we go south and visit Sedona” I asked as he got back into the car. “ What and leave Route 66 ?” There was panic in his voice. “ Yes, it’s 25 miles to Flagstaff and then we would leave on the 89a south to Sedona, it’s 50 miles in total so we would come back up to Route 66 and just carry on ?” spoken with what I thought was just the right balance of reassurance, persuasion and menacing seduction. “ Yeah ?” “Yeah” By the look on Ian’s face I needed to be more reassuring and my style of persuasion needed to move away from seductive. “ It’ll be fine, it’s supposed to be beautiful, we don’t have to stay long” Leaving the interstate at exit 204 we continued into Flagstaff leaving the heat of the desert behind with its wide open spaces and entered Canada, or so it seemed. Route 66 winds it way through a Ponderosa forest, roughly paved in places. The curve of the tarmac within the confines of the trees somehow allowed for a better understanding of the road, it was clear we were climbing in altitude. In the short time it had taken for us to reach Flagstaff I felt not only had I travelled through the seasons but day time had become night time in a matter of minutes making it not only dark and cold but we were also stuck in rush hour traffic. We didn’t see much of Flagstaff, in addition to the premature darkness, the rain clouds had burst their load transforming the thick covering of desert sand on the Mustang to mud. With wipers on, we followed the fuzzy red tail lights of the car in front out of town. “What time is it” I asked “ Half past five” “ It shouldn’t be this dark” Taking the road south to Sedona, visibility was at a minimum and we had strangely adapted to our new surroundings” “ The sky looks brighter where we’re heading” “ Maybe we should stop pull over until the rain clears, get some food or something?” “ We could get the car washed maybe ?” “No!! remember who you are, rebels of the road, you are neither hungry or needing to be clean!” The voice came from nowhere but we both heard it. Can you remember that part of the Wizard of Oz , Dorothy’s little wooden house hurtles through the sky, crash landing, perfectly intact and timed to squash the life out of the wicked witch of the west? The scene unfolds, Dorothy questions her whereabouts and pallid surroundings then welcome Glinda the good witch of the north all calm and beautiful. Glinda switches on the colour and the mood lifts, dancing and hilarity ensue. An adaption of this unfolded over the next few minutes, with the exception of everything but the transformation from dull to a dazzling full Ozlandic rainbow of colour. The winding road, 89a, to Sedona The sky had cleared, night time returned to daytime and we were descending through Ponderosa Pines on one of the most beautiful stretches of road I have travelled in my life! Flagstaff has an elevation of around 7000 ft, Sedona 4000. The 89a takes you down through Oak Creek Canyon so over 20 miles we would be making a descent of 3000 feet with some breathtaking hairpins bends and views over the canyon. I’m not sure if words can describe the extent of what your eyes are being offered. The rich reds of the canyon walls, dark greens of the pines, Aspens and Oaks giving it their best for Autumn. Ian had pulled over and parked, we had no words. Walking to a point where we had a bird’s eye view of the road yet to be travelled we stood and stared, it could have been 5 minutes or 15. Walking through pathways amongst wooden cabins we came across native Indian craftsmen set up and selling their art. In complete comparison to some of the kitsch we had encountered on Route 66 this area breathed a spiritual calm. Descending further down into the Canyon we saw a sign for Slide Rock National Park, a natural water slide formed by the slippery bed of Oak Creek. Beautiful, brightly coloured houses lined the road at generously acceptable intervals. According to the Mustang the outside temperature had increased almost 20 degrees since Flagstaff and was now settled at a very pleasing 78 degrees. Those last few miles before Sedona were like a descension into therapy and luckily Ian was feeling it too. “Shall we find somewhere to stay ?” He didn’t need to ask twice, we stayed three nights in total. The 89a leads you directly into Sedona town, a desert town surrounded by deep red sandstone buttes that change shade at sunrise and sunset lending a warming glow. Pine forests also dominate the landscape amongst the steep canyon walls. Sedona offers convenience and culture spread out in a way that doesn’t interfere with the beauty of its surrounding, a sensory overload in parts. New age types believe Sedona is the centre of vortexes, powerful and transformational energy centres, intersections of electromagnetic earth energy attracting spiritual types, healers and artists… On reflection and knowing what I know now I would replay those 3 days in Sedona and make a few changes because somehow those sandstone buttes practiced some kind of witchery on our burnt out Route 66 shoulders, they muttered “Relax” and we slept. We slept on the terrace, by the pool, in the jacuzzi and under the stars. Our motel was an old single storey bleached terracotta building with a low roof, friendly service offering just 15 rooms, and a simple breakfast. It was a complete surprise to us the next morning when we ventured around the back to find a beautiful kidney shaped pool area, sunken jacuzzi and a huge built in barbecue and fire pit with the same bleached terracotta finish as the main building. The temperature that morning was 82 degrees the sky was empty and so was the pool. “Can you float without sinking? I asked Ian “ Do you mean, is it possible to float without sinking or do you mean me in particular?” “ No you” “ Don’t know I’ve never tried” “ I can teach you if you want” We both knew what this really meant “ Let’s stay here all day drink beer and eat snacks, I’ll pretend to teach you how to float, you’ll drown a couple of times, then get the hang of it and stay there for the rest of the day. I’ll practice sunbathing, overheating then cooling off in the pool until I get the hang of that and we’ll end the day watching repeats of TJ hooker and eating pizza” Which was exactly what we did with the exception of the pizza. We ate sushi from Safeways instead. Day two in the terracotta house. “Diamond tours, or something. I think they’re pink. Supposed to be the best or that’s what Pete said” I was remembering conversations with friends prior to our trip. “The Jeeps, yeah I remember him saying something about Pink Jeep tours in Sedona” “He called it a white knuckle ride, why are they pink then do you think?” So later we headed into town to find Mad Max in his flamingo coloured jeep. Sedona town is a wonderful combination of culture, art and cultural artistic tat for those who can’t get to grips with the former. From a street view however it manages to retain its grace and charm throughout. Finding Mad Max however was proving to be more difficult than we thought. Most shop windows were offering a “Tour special” each more exhilarating, challenging, stunningly beautiful than the next. The deciding factor for us was price, and just as we had settled on the tour of all tours like no tour you have been on before or will again, I spotted it across the street, a flash of pink in a window. We were there, Pink Mad Max was ours and they were offering him for free ? Diamond back, white knuckle style. So what was the catch ? “Hi, I can see in the window you’re offering a two hour pink jeep tour at no cost, is there a catch to this ?” What came next was a long drawn out sales pitch, happy smiley style. “ A beautiful resort, blah blah blah, holiday, no obligation, friendly, no obligation, breakfast, confidential, no obligation, just an hour of your time” I think we may have walked through a cloud of special dust as we entered the shop because the next day at 8am we pulled up and parked outside a Holiday resort, our designated representative for our time there was “Craig”. Craig was going to try and sell us timeshare for a free ride in a jeep! Craig had the exterior of an over excited kitten, the concerned demeanor of the pope, and a darkness underneath his outer layers that suggested false motives, deception, game playing and greed. You could see it in his eyes when he realised you weren’t falling for his feline type charm. The Timeshares we were shown were nice, there was no breakfast as promised and we were part of a group of around 20 people. All just wanting a ride in a jeep? I wasn’t sure right then. The lengths that these guys were going to to get us to sign on the dotted line were incredible. We had been taken to a pleasant but dimly lit room on the first floor, each couple, family etc were allocated their own table and work began to disconnect the logic from any part of our brain that deals with decision making. It was a finely tuned practice, fast paced and so very “Sincere”. My eyes scanned the room, so many people were already signing away, page upon page of unread literature and small print. It had only been 15 minutes. I couldn’t look at Craig, who had placed himself directly opposite the both of us. If the situation hadn’t been as it was I would have identified his look as seduction in its wildest most desperate form. I found myself laughing out loud, the sound travelled like a lightning bolt across the room, bouncing off the walls and hitting Craig in the back of the head. “Oh my we’re having some fun over here aren’t we. My name is Michael, am I right in thinking you are from way over the water in the UK ?” “Yes we are” “ Where do you call home?” “A small village in Herefordshire” “ Oh my gaaaad ! I have friends in Chel- Tan- Ham, I just got back from there. What a beautiful place, lovely to meet you, what a coincidence! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa !!” Craig left the table, to go to the toilet? Get a glass of water? No, Craig had just written us off, he didn’t come back. Michael continued by steering his way through a monotony of ludicrously constructed anecdotes relating to his superbly hilarious visit to Chel-Tan-Ham just a few weeks before. “Did you stay with your friends in their house in Cheltenham ?” I asked “ Yes wonderful place ………….” “We have timeshare too in the UK” “Timeshare?” Michael turned our attention back to the paperwork, he was asking $11,000 from us right then without giving us the hard facts or any thinking time. “Say I reduced the payment to say, $10,000, including free flights?”……. “Ok what about $9000, free flights and a free holiday?” He was desperate “We just need time to check out the paperwork” Meaning just let us out, this is getting extremely creepy and uncomfortable. “$8000 my final offer?” “ Sorry no, we’re really only here so we can get a free jeep tour” “I can offer you a small private room to discuss things” “I’m claustrophobic” “$8000 final offer, I’ll throw in the free flights” “We’d like to leave please it’s been almost three hours” “$8000, the flights the holiday and we can go down to the restaurant, a larger room and you can sign down there” “ Next time you’re in Cheltenham at your friend’s place look us up, we’ll talk about it then” “Come on come on down to the restaurant” “I’m going to throw up” Michael shuffled his workload and left the table, we were escorted out of the building down an industrial looking back staircase by a man in a grey shorts and shiny shoes. There were no words. Later on that day at our allotted time we made our way back to the jeep tour office. Checked in at the desk, their computer confirmed that yes we had indeed been down to time share towers, subjected to a masquerade of scrumptiously misleading persuasion tactics and now in some kind of Derren Brown witchery we were separated from the small crowd of people waiting for their tour and ushered up between two buildings into a large car park. Our tour guides were waiting. At the top end of the car park , Line 1. These were I’m sure the people who had paid a good price for their ticket, and hadn’t haggled for a discount . They probably smelt nice, wore good shoes, and were devilishly undevilish. Line 2. These scoundrels had probably haggled for a discount and been offered a pre tour party at Persuasion Manor then signed away their dignity, sanity, and retirement plan. Line 3. Was us. Just curious and always liking a bargain but signing up for nothing. We all got what we ‘Paid’ for, and as the guides shouted out names for the tours and each group made their way to their jeep I started to notice the conflicting styles of our tour leaders. Line 1. Genuinely sincere and courteous, informative and respectful. Line 2. Don’t mention the money, keep talking about any old crap as a distraction. Line 3. “ Anyone seen Jessie, been missing since the last tour, I’ve got her hearing aid and medication. Hey don’t sit on my last toke!” Our guide was “Mett” or Matt, he was Australian or South African I couldn’t tell. I had wondered what sin the family of three, mum and dad and young boy had committed to be assigned to Matt. They were Canadian and soon it became quite clear why little Damian was riding on the wild side, the plan was to tip him over the edge to wherever Jessie was hanging out. He had the manners and appetite of Augustus Gloop and he knew just about everything. Matt turned out to be pretty cool, but no tour guide. Full of interesting facts, nothing in the slightest way connected to Sedona or surrounding areas. He insisted I travel up front with him and we became a part of the Crazy Hen Tour. The ride is extremely bumpy, the terrain is rough, the conversation was unconnected but you cannot distract from the impact of the visuals on your senses, mind, body and soul. It just grabs you no matter what you are being forced to listen to “This is where a Chinese guy lost his camera, I saw a dog eating a coyote, I snook around the back of that rock with an aging French hippy”. Maybe this explains why Jessie ripped her hearing aids out and didn’t hear the call to get back in the jeep. The Crazy Hen tour was in fact a weekend frenzy of overly excited ladies in their twenties in Sedona with the bride to be celebrating her last remaining days of singledom . Crazy Hens, their drivers challenging us at speed from all directions. “How you doing?” spoken famously by Joey from the TV show ‘Friends’ seemed to be the question of the day. Matt swiftly ground to a halt when ‘Challenged’ by a hen and on questioning his reply was of course “No, how you doing?” and so the flirting ensued until we were challenged by Hen Party code name Jane, “ Chief bridesmaid batch” “How you doing?” asked Jane “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” enquired Matt. Ian and I decided to dismount to take photos leaving Matt to cluck. Damian Gloop was getting more and more contemptuous, when Matt offered to take him backwards at speed down very steep and rocky terrain, Gloop, having already lost a selection of his snacks, didn’t take him up on it and remained particularly silent there in. Tour over and what did I conclude? Sedona is stunningly beautiful but given a second chance I would definitely do things differently. Reason enough for a return visit, most definitely. What did I conclude from having Matt as our guide? I’m not sure, maybe they could change the tour name to the “ Have you got everything you set out with tour ?” considering…. Matt lost Jessie, Chao lost his Camera. The dog lost its senses and became as wild as the coyote it had feasted upon. Juliette Marie lost her virginity for the 79th time. Jane lost her dignity, Gloop lost his fizzy blue drink, snacks and I’m sure I must have lost a few pounds in weight. “What did you make of that?” I asked Ian as I climbed out of the passenger seat of the jeep. “Have you seen my sunglasses?” He replied. The next morning we sadly left Sedona, travelling back up the 89a in the early hours, a light purple haze evidence of the unfolding of yet another beautiful day. The ride up was equally as stunning but from a different perspective. On the road down, from the passenger seat, I had had the best of the views, now it was Ian’s turn. We climbed back up through an invisible portal taking the gentle back to mental, in the best possible way of course. We were getting hip, taking that California trip, getting our kicks again on Route 66… Here’s Part 8 – On Route 66 heading West If you missed the beginning here’s Part 1, ‘California Dreaming’ : Author MandyPosted on 16th May 2018 16th January 2020 Categories Fun, StoriesTags American, Fun, lifestyle, Road Trip, storyLeave a comment on American Road Trip part 7 – Standin’ on the Corner, A Journey Through Season, Space and Time … American Road Trip part 6 – Route 66 through New Mexico into Arizona We were just over a day away from starting our Route 66 road trip, east to west ending in Barstow California and that night we were to visit the Route 66 Casino and Hotel for dinner on a recommendation. It was going to be first time for either of us in any kind of Casino and without instruction my brain had opened up a memory file from 1971 TV, visions of glamour, sophistication, seduction and signing your life over to Michelle Du Mont. We were clueless! “Ian do you think there is a dress code?” “Wouldn’t have thought so” “I don’t suppose it matters because by the end of the evening we will probably have failed, be completely naked and wandering around the car park looking for a car that will be by then hanging from a helicopter over the Pacific Ocean” For the short journey along Route 66 that evening there wasn’t much to see, night-time had given us the ultimate in dark in that there were no street lights or buildings. The 1-40 hung close and parallel all of the way and I remember thinking how a lot of the original alignments of Route 66 no longer exist and have been replaced by the highway and I wondered if this interstate shadowing was going to continue for the rest of our Route 66 journey. I can only compare the outside of the Casino to one of our smaller UK airports with neons! Inside is where we got knocked sideways, defragged and rebooted! This was the Wild West an American version of either end of a well established British Pier! 85% of the Gambling being gaming machines. I had never seen so many desperate love affairs with people over a certain age strewn in one way or another over flashing neon waiting for their lucky fall. Some showing signs that indicated they could have been there for days, others were sleeping, arms and legs splayed in a way to clearly announce possession. I don’t know the rules, or maybe it’s just etiquette, an understanding not to in any way or form attempt to place anything in any slot of any machine within 6” of somebody’s ear whether asleep or awake. With that kind of commitment I wished the very best of luck to those who were awake and could multitask. The choice of food outlets was extensive. For your aid and entertainment you are guided in a kind of “Wizard of Oz” way through the venue on a mini route 66 walk way. Thunder Road Bar and Steakhouse is where we choose to eat, a restaurant and live music venue. A great vibe, fantastic energy and the best steak I have eaten in my life ! The place was buzzing with people, and whilst we were waiting we were given a Pager to notify when a table would become available. This allowed us to wander and this is where I lost Ian, not the physical kind of losing but the kind of loosing where you are all of a sudden completely alone with whatever has caught your eye and stolen your heart. He had found his first Route 66 souvenir shop. There was no doubt a fantastic collection of memorabilia but I think at the time if he had known that similar shops with similar temptations would be seducing him along the whole of Route 66 he wouldn’t have cried so hard when our Pager called us for dinner! I have waited on tables through my life and know how easy it is to get stuck into a routine of standard questions, and…… don’t judge me, not really listen to the answer. If you’re in a tourist area you know that the majority of people are on the same mission so the questions are easy. On Route 66 the questions are pretty much standard, “You headed east or west?” and that’s exactly what we got, followed by “So what’s your planned itinerary?” It took me a while… “Erm well we don’t really have plans or an itinerary” A voice from table 86 “You don’t have a planned itinerary! They don’t have a planned itinerary!” Considering the situation I wouldn’t have been surprised if Dick Van Dyke himself hadn’t appeared out of the middle of our table and the whole restaurant hadn’t become one huge musical performance…… ♪♫ They don’t have a planned itinerary, haha, ♪♫ What will they do when the sky’s not blue and there’s no gas in their car? ♪♫ They don’t have a planned itinerary haha, ♪♫ They’ve sold their souls for 6 weeks on the road, and they don’t know where they are, ♪♫ It’s plain to see, what will be and they won’t get very far. ♪♫ For all your costs, you will be lost”… Dick van Dyke disappears back under the table and people carry on eating and planning. “Ian, we don’t do plans” It seemed even with our EZ guide to 66, recommended by the honey monster, that if we wanted a full and interesting experience we should have done some kind of research. We were on holiday and starting to feel that if we didn’t do our homework we would suffer the consequences of our lethargy. The following night, we revisited the Casino, still extremely full from the night before, I ordered French onion soup and helped myself to salad from the bar. Greg served us, he was really polite, questioned us as to which way we were headed and that was that. My soup however didn’t come in liquid form, it was a strange thick unidentifiable crust that seemed to have soaked up where soup could have possibly been. On Greg’s return, and completely out of character for me, I decided to announce very politely my dissatisfaction when he enquired about our eating experience. “Well it isn’t like any kind of French Onion Soup I’ve had before, in fact there was no soup in the bowl” Greg’s reply “Oh great, wonderful, I’ll have to try some, you’ve talked me into it”!! Wow! His standard reply, Greg hadn’t been listening and it made me smile, years before in the mundane and endless trips back and forth waiting and clearing I had been guilty of exactly that. I wondered if Greg had an itinerary? The next morning ,still not being able to bring our heads completely out of the cloud blown our way by the hoards of planners and researchers, we set off EZ 66 guide in hand heading west on Route 66 . The book was suggesting we keep a look out for a large rock in the shape of an owl. So as the landscape started to change we prepared ourselves. We thought we saw the owl more than a couple of times over a matter of minutes, “Wow, they’re all almost identical” I said Truth was they were very identical, we had driven in a complete loop through a small Hispanic looking village, I’m not sure how many times. It had been like a bygone age where children played happily in the street. We commented how you just don’t see that anymore in the UK, we waved like the happy tourists we were and they pointed and laughed. After only being on the road for a short time, we came to realise that we needed to change our relationship with the book, there now seemed to be three of us on this road trip and the new guy was somewhat controlling, his constant demand for attention together with seducing us with choices would consume time we just didn’t have, and with my head almost always down I was already missing out the very reason why we were there in the first place. I had already learnt that many sections of Route 66 have undergone major realignments and the introduction of the highway system meant at various points the old road lays underneath the development, often to the side of it, or in some cases it disappears all together, and apparently things are changing all the time. We decided to ditch the book and use it mainly for information on exits to and from the Interstate, for us that worked brilliantly. Between New Mexico and California we managed to cruise some of the best uninterrupted sections of Route 66 that there are, and to be completely honest at the end we actually felt like we’d had a weirdly spiritual experience and as if we should have taken a minute to say a prayer, to thank the ambassadors and the campaigners and those who provide a service so we, as travellers, can continue to get our kicks on Route 66. With a full tank of fuel and the freedom of our own decisions we headed west and in Ian’s eyes we became Burt Reynolds and Sally Field, Susan George and Peter Fonda, John Schneider and Catherine Bach, Lightning McQueen and Sally Carrera . I was just happy in the understanding that we will most possibly pass by some major Route 66 landmarks, hotels, museums, but it was ok. What was meant to be would be. The landscape had changed from that of northern, central New Mexico. We were seeing the return of the bright orange sandstone Mesas, towering roadside sandstone walls all together messing with the light, turning our world into a 1970’s photograph. It was around midday when we spotted a guy jogging along a deserted stretch of road, as we got closer we could see he was pushing a child’s buggy, full of his belongings I’m guessing, more to the point he was naked apart from a pair of lycra hot pants and a long full beard. “Bucket list” I asked Ian “Maybe doing it for a good cause?” “But there is nobody else around, he could catch a bus, or hitch a ride” “Would you pick him up?” “I would, I’d like to stroke his beard” “I will make a conscious decision never to sponsor you with anything” “Sponsored beard stroking?” We were stopped in our tracks by some amazing roadside art, not those fabulous advertising signs from a bygone age but auto salvage! Cars, pickups and buses from the 40’s through to the nineties, arranged in a way usually seen in Cartoons. They know what us Europeans want and those babies were up front pushed against a wire fence, seducing us with their eye sockets and sexy patina. 50’s Chevy pickups, 60’s Cadillacs, 50’s Buicks, Chevy Impalas, a 63 Chevy C10. Unfortunately the place was closed, locked, secured and guarded by the cliché junkyard dog, big collar with studs, doing the menacing sideways strut. The place was deadly quiet, we hadn’t seen another vehicle for quite a while, and with heads fixed behind camera lenses we hadn’t noticed the reappearance of naked beard man. Stopping to park up his buggy he ventured over to the fence to stare at the dog, said something that sounded like “Kershnitzen” wiped his nose and carried on. I wondered what his itinerary was?.. We got in the car, thinking we had seen the icing on the cake, it would’ve been enough, but on that day between Albuquerque and Grants our minds were blown over and over with more junk yard delights, old farm machinery dating back quite a few decades, abandoned gas stations and diners. A small town named Budsville named after Bud Rice who in 1928 together with his wife Flossie built and ran the gas station, grocery store, post office and garage for many years. Their story is however a very sad one, stand by the now abandoned one story concrete building and you can somehow feel its history. It’s apparently one of the most photographed buildings on route 66 in New Mexico. As we were getting closer to the Arizona border the weather was improving almost by the hour. Our time in Albuquerque had been wet, sometimes very heavy showers. Our waitress on the first night at the Casino had told us that that was it as far as fine weather for them, winter was on its way and she wasn’t expecting any more warm sunny days. It was a strange thing to hear when you still have a few weeks of your holiday to go. Today, however, further west, we were feeling fantastically warm, soaking up and loving that route 66 vibe. “Ian, I could just drink an ice-cold beer” immediately feeling guilty for all the benefits of not being the designated driver. Would’ve loved to take the wheel for a while and give Ian a break, a chance to chill and just watch the scenery roll on by but because of my health the DVLA have decided that I am no longer safe to be behind the wheel of a car. Devastated is the word to describe how that feels, your independence etc. There are others worse off and I couldn’t wish for a better designated driver in Ian. Right then more magic happened, as if the day couldn’t get any better we pulled into the town of Grants. Population of around 9200 people some quirky old motels, and a wonderful selection of advertising signs from a bygone time. However, this wasn’t what was grabbing our attention on this day, we had, without planning, arrived on the right day and at the right time to be part of their annual Fall Fiesta. All Wheel Show and Shine Car Show, Beer Garden, Green Chile Stew eating competition, Live Bands, and Food Vendors. The Beer was awesome, a selection of specialty brews all served ice cold. Ian went into the open sided beer tent to get the drinks whilst I wandered the cars. During the time I was drinking from the bar the rules were I had to be actually under its roof. I was still able to find a seat where the sun threw me a spotlight of my very own. We ate hot dogs from the BBQ and spoke to so many great local people, who, with the drink inside them were offering interesting tips on where to go and what to see. Not available in any of the Rt 66 travel guides I’m sure!! “Ian look?” “What, where?” “Over there in the beer tent, next to the fence” “Naked beard man!” “No, there is no way he could have walked here in that time, and he’s got clothes on” “Like I said, he’s probably hitching rides and if you’re not allowed to take your beer out of the beer tent I’m sure they would turn away a man in lycra shorts” “Maybe he comes here every year?, Oh No !” “Naked Beard Man, the free spirit that is, has got a bloody itinerary!” “It’s not him!” “It is, look there’s his buggy on the other side of the fence, he has his hand on the handle” Sad or not, we both became a bit obsessed with Naked Beard man. “What’s he talking to those people about?” “Move over that way” “They are talking about their dogs” “Oh my god, he’s the bloody Route 66 dog whisperer”! “Does he actually exist?” “Yeah he’s sat over there naked from the waist down” “He’s not going to be naked” We waited a good 15 minutes for him to finish his specialty sausage stand up and leave the table, he was suitably dressed. With the buggy evidence though we were now both agreed it definitely was the same man we had seen some miles up the road earlier on in the day. We then, believe it or not, waited for him to leave, I was desperate for him to go into a telephone call box and come out Super Naked Bearded Lycra, Dog Whispering Man! He checked into a hotel and we carried on with our journey. The red sandstone rocks that had lined the road just west of Albuquerque had given way to vast open spaces and long straight stretches of road. I had thought the changes in temperature were mainly due to us heading west, but the inclines on these stretches are so gradual they are hardly noticeable. The small towns and villages to this point had had a definite Hispanic feel, but heading towards the Arizona state line we were seeing more Native Indian trading posts, some beautiful craftwork, and a collision of culture and tackiness that just seemed to work. Santana was still number one on our most listened to CD chart, and as we approached the Continental Divide it was Black Magic Woman that was casting her spell. Before leaving for the US we had been given information, hints and tips for our trip from friends on places to see and things to do, many had travelled Route 66, but no one had mentioned The Continental Divide! Mainly mountainous and running through all of North America it separates the water that runs toward the Pacific Ocean from the water running toward the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico! It is also the highest point on route 66 at 7263 ft. “Didn’t expect this today” We parked beside a marker, explaining where we were and silence fell for a good minute. “I wasn’t ready for this, within reason you know what to expect, wow!” “Ian you’re not saying very much” At that point I realised the artistic side of his brain had engaged and the look in his eyes revealed that non-artist was probably functioning at about 10%. I got out of the car, it was freezing, got back in again. Looking around I spotted a Trading post selling souvenirs, and a scattering of other buildings. Apparently the area around Continental divide has been inhabited for 11,000 years. Navajo Indians settling in the mountains to the north and south. I checked Ian out, he was on about 15%, and his eyes had fixed on the Trading post. ‘Noooooooo !!! not another gift shop!’ I said to myself. Don’t get me wrong I can really appreciate the beautiful hand-made crafts, jewellery and leather work, all at a reasonable price but I was recognizing a recurrent theme of on the road, stop, eat, gift shops. I secretly cast a spell on the barely conscious Ian …… Stay away from the gift shop …… Stay away from the gift shop. Spoken like the janitor zombie in Scooby Doo. “What colour do you see the sky in the distance?” Ian asked, he was now on about 30%, this allowed speech. He had caught me out like this before, when we first met. It had been a miserable day and he had asked the same question. I had answered that in my eyes the sky was grey. He had told me there were peaches, purples and blues etc. It took quite a few years of practice but eventually I was able to look deeper into things, open up my mind and see colour where previously there was no colour at all. Put a paintbrush in my hand though and there is absolutely no way I can transfer this onto canvas. “I can see pale pink on the horizon”? I replied “Lovely isn’t it” After a quick photo, evidence that we had actually been there, we got back in the car and headed towards Gallup about 25 miles then another 25 to the Arizona border. Looking back on our trip I have wondered if we would have done things differently had we arrived in certain places at different times of the day. As we headed for Gallup we had already started to talk about somewhere to stay the night. We knew from friends about the history of the El Rancho hotel in Gallup how it had been established since the 1930’s. How, because it was popular as a filming location, the hotel can boast playing host to some of the most prolific movie stars of our time. Worth a stop? Maybe? Gallup city is well established and caters mainly to the traveller, driving through we were spoilt for choice for places to stay, it was early evening and each motel was competing for our attention, luring us in with its brightly coloured Neon’s. Route 66 as I had seen it in so many photos, we drove in one end and out the other. “That was nice” “Ian shall we wild camp, sleep in the car, maybe drive into Arizona and pull over when you start to get tired, no check in, no messing with luggage ?” Ian gave a look of approval, pulled over and we both reclined our seats … “Naaah” We spent the next ten minutes rearranging luggage, trying to find a place for the fridge and slot ourselves into any available space. “I don’t think these Mustangs were designed with the intention of helping you have a good night’s sleep” For most of our route 66 journey so far, the old road had mostly been paralleled by the I 40 and the Santa Fe railroad. 800 miles of track running through California, Arizona and Mexico, both have suffered decline but now thrive, the railroad becoming one of the nation’s busiest with up to 100 trains per day, paralleling the old highway through mountains, deserts and dusty towns. On quiet stretches of road it really was a sight to see these huge freight trains cutting through the desert, a friend to keep you company. I counted over 100 carriages at one time and then I gave up and just enjoyed it for what it was, like a gentle rumble of thunder in the distance whilst you waft in and out of sleep. On one beautifully straight and deserted stretch of asphalt the train ran close through wide open terrain, Ian parked up the car to take a photo and the driver sounded his horn. As we reached the Arizona border red sandstone towers made a reappearance and just before the state line we came across the wackiest line up of ramshackle wooden buildings we had seen so far. Set back from the road at the foot of a sandstone mesa was Chief Yellow Horse’s Trading Post. It just stood out as different. Large brightly coloured plastic animals perched high on the ledges of the cliff way above the roof of the trading post. This one had us both intrigued. We were met at the door by an old Navajo Indian guy in a wheelchair, he looked us directly in the eye, deep and meaningful and took a breath inwards. I was expecting “Old Indian proverb” “When your bladder rules your life you have no life at all” he wheeled himself past us not looking up. The place was owned and run by Navajos, the Yellow Horse family. Chief Juan Yellow Horse had owned and operated the Trading post from 1960 until his death in 1999. A wide choice of what seemed to be handmade crafts and jewellery and at the best prices we had seen so far. We left with two rugs and some cow dung. The welcome centres on all state lines are a must, they have an information pack thoughtfully put together to inform and entertain you. They also have books of vouchers that you can use at motels and in restaurants along the way. Each time I opened a new one I was like a kid with a lucky bag, on this occasion however things weren’t looking too favourable, as we approached the empty car park we could see and all the lights were out in the nearby building. The young girl locking up had spotted us and headed our way handing us our welcome pack together with a small box of sweets and a hand fan. “Where you heading?” “West, probably staying overnight in Holbrook” “The Teepee Village?” I had forgotten all about the Teepee village. “Yes probably” “Drive safe and enjoy your stay in Arizona” Arizona – Heading into the Great South West Route 66 on the east side of Arizona can only be driven in short segments, further west however you get to drive some of the longest uninterrupted sections of road that route 66 has to offer, and travel through some of the most diverse and spectacular landscapes in America. We were finding that a lot of the old towns along route 66 were sign posted off the highway, usually taking us to a frontage road. For the majority of our drive into Holbrook we remained on the highway or parallel to it. “Some maps, more sweets, loads of info on places to visit, vouchers, and an eye mask. “Have you noticed the dinosaurs?” We were around 60 miles from the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. The dinosaurs seemed to be an indication we were getting close, I guess in the same way the old road signs along route 66 would tease you with something spectacular every 20 minutes for the next 150 miles! The Petrified Forest is apparently a place where dinosaurs roamed 225million years ago amongst 200 foot tall conifers. Volcanic mountains erupted, toppled the trees which were swept away by water, covered in ash and sediment entombing them over millions of years, then through gradual erosion exposing themselves, colours and shapes of the organic material fossilizing and turning to stone. Signs in and around the visitor centre warn you that you will be prosecuted if you attempt to remove any of the petrified wood from its place, and I’m sure the guy with the hat, the horse and the gun was ready to do just that. Strange thing was polished petrified wood in all shapes and forms was being advertised for sale all along the Interstate and around the park itself. We pulled over because I was intrigued at a huge sign inviting me to “Come and feed the ostrich’s”, more tacky dinosaurs and “Get your petrified wood here” Automatically I went off to find an Ostrich, Ian made his way into the gift shop. As I glanced around I imagined the whole place would have made a great backdrop for the film “The Hills Have Eyes” I made my way back to the car, Ian arrived 5 minutes later. “Couldn’t find any Ostriches” “She gave me some wood” “What for nothing?” “Yeah she said she liked the look of me” “It’s pretty though look” It was very pretty but I am still to this day confused with the very mixed messages behind these 250 million year old treasures. I had learnt about the Wigwam Village in Holbrook through friends, it grabbed my interest enough to find out it was built in 1960 from concrete, there are 15 Wigwams each with room enough for a large bed, small kitchen and bathroom. At $55 for a night’s stay it was definitely worth a look. In the same way my mind had automatically opened a file from seventies TV with the Casino, it had done the same with the Teepee Village. It gave me Holbrook a small dusty town with a saloon bar, right there on Route 66, old cowboy types sat outside on wooden rockers chewing tobacco and drinking moonshine, and of course tumbleweed. I hadn’t at all challenged the reality of this. Entering Holbrook that evening was a slap in the face, car dealerships to the left, fast food outlets to the right, motels and hotels some decent looking some abandoned, others in various stages of repair all leading down to a main cross roads and as seems to be the theme through most of these towns, this is where the main tourist traps are. In Holbrook’s case this is where the dinosaurs were. Holbrook is the county seat of Navajo county, during the 1890’s cowboys and railroad workers kept the saloons. The heavy drinking, gun-toting men gave the town a violent reputation, a town too tough for women and churches, it seemed our visit was around 130 years too late. Over the next few days I couldn’t help but wonder if this reputation has been carried through to the present day. I was intrigued. I can’t remember why we took a right at the main crossroads but some way down on the left of the busy two lane highway we found the Wigwam village, a mirage almost in that it was completely out of place. This seemed to be the business side of town. To the left of the Wigwams a collection of Skips, opposite was a large welding unit. From the road if you looked directly at the 15 concrete Wigwams placed in a horse shoe shape around a central reception area you could really appreciate and start to feel a sense of nostalgia. Each Wigwam had its own Classic car, possibly a permanent fixture from day one way back in 1960. Together with the bright neon signs the whole place offered an illuminated oasis amongst it surroundings. Ian grabbed the chance for photo opportunities and I pondered if right then this was the kind of place where I wanted to spend the night. If we had arrived early afternoon, full of energy, enjoying the heat and the cloudless sky it might have been a different story but we were both tired, cranky and needed feeding. “What do you think?” We were both back in the car and hadn’t noticed that the railroad passed by the back of the building and for the next 10 minutes or so we listened as 200 plus freight carriages rattled over steel. Full of empty bottles I presumed, and of course sounding its horn to announce arrival. We have since learnt that a train passes through every 20 to 30 minutes. Earlier in the day we would’ve probably laughed it off it and it wouldn’t have affected our decision, but Ian simply turned the car around without saying a word and we headed back the way we came. Driving back up towards the crossroads I started to wonder if we were both becoming a little bit delirious. “Safeway’s, like Safeway’s in the UK. It’s now Morrisons! Ahhh beautiful, look.” “Wow, it might have things we recognise” We stood in the entrance of Safeway’s in a way that could have resembled that part of the film Close Encounters when all missing people are returned to earth in the Mother Ship. “Look at all those beautiful shiny brightly coloured vegetables”. An ocean of them as far as the eye could see, so clean, so perfectly stacked. That night we checked into a motel in town using vouchers from our Welcome pack. “I wonder if they are going to work, or whether there is some kind of catch?” Something we are used to in the UK. I imagined a possible scenario “Hi do you have a room available for the night?” “Of course, would you like King, Super King or four Queens?” “I think just King, can we use these here?” Presentation of vouchers onto desk. “Yes, how many are there of you?” “Heavy or light sleepers? What is your mothers maiden name and does she sleep well? Are you wearing socks? How many fingers am I holding up? Now with your eyes closed? Can you sing your national anthem with this gag over your mouth?” In reality we checked in quickly using the vouchers, at $23 per night with a free breakfast in the Diner at the opposite end of the car park, what could go wrong? The room was a very basic ground floor room with a shower and toilet off it, the front door opening up onto the car park. A TV, Fridge and Microwave seemed to be standard, and that night I managed to put together a full English roast, eaten in bed off cardboard plates with plastic knives and forks, all washed down with a beautifully rich and full bodied Chilean Merlot. It was getting late and things had started to become loud out in the car park, a huge long wheel base Ford Superduty F550 crew cab pick up had pulled in next to the Mustang, transforming it from Muscle car to something the truck had its eye on for a light breakfast. Two urban cowboy types were chatting and smoking close to our door. Tall and scrawny, dressed all in black, cowboy style. Wasn’t long before we realised other people seemed to be lurking in the shadows. From the conversation they all seemed to be waiting for Shelly. Shelly arrived by foot around half an hour later, Shelley was a man. I watched as 16 people, 14 men 2 women and a dog emptied into the room next door, this was around 11.30pm. I can’t remember seeing anyone carrying bongos into the room, but it certainly seemed to be the background noise to all of the singing. Silence fell on that room at about 7.30am and when we managed to make our way across the car park to the Diner later that morning there was no one to be seen, although the truck was still parked up. Ok so $23 a night gets you entertainment throughout the night and no conversation from the waitress at breakfast, she seemed to know what we wanted and slid it sideways across the table to where we were sitting, no sunny side up or over easy choices for us today. We seemed to be the only tourists in the Diner that morning, the conversation at the bar was local and the word seemed to be that Shelly was in town. I had an overwhelming need to stalk these people all day and get an insight into who they were and what they were up to, I was feeling that I needed to step off the tourist treadmill for a while and get in there with the locals. I grew up in an area of outstanding natural beauty where 80% of local businesses cater towards the tourist. Throughout the summer months it can be crazy busy, but with just one road in and out there is no passing trade and most of the businesses close for the winter. Working long shifts in hospitality through the busy times can eventually transform you into a creature of repetition with absolutely no thought for the customer other than to be polite and do your job. With the very best will in the world you stop caring. All this has had a long-term effect on me in that whenever I am on holiday and find myself in a popular destination amongst hundreds of people doing the same thing, eating at the same restaurant, standing looking the same view from the same viewpoint, waiting in a long queue to pay over the odds for something I have been told is “Worth a visit” I get the need to step off the conveyor belt and experience a little bit of real. Today I really wanted to meet the local characters in and around Holbrook and Ian was up for anything. However, on this day more than any other we were feeling torn . Prior to our trip friends had told us that we had to visit the Painted Desert if were in the area,. Apparently it’s a place where “Art comes to life”. It stretches from the Grand Canyon National Park to the Petrified Forest, home to the nation’s most memorable formations and features. Over time volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods and sunlight have combined to create deposits of clay and sandstone stacked in elegant layers, an altering display of lavenders, greys, reds, oranges and pinks depending on the time of day. The weather seemed to be changing as we approached the park, we did manage to see and appreciate the vastness of the landscape and wonderful kaleidoscope of colours for about 10 minutes, then the wind started to pick up and I spotted a small Tornado over the flat plain to my right. It changed course a couple of times but within minutes it had seemed to increase in size and pick up speed. It was headed straight for us. Both myself and Ian have always been particularly obsessed with the idea of storm chasing and here we were about to experience it for ourselves, although very much smaller in scale than any of the movies we had seen. Where’s Dorothy when you need her ? Ian in all his excitement had managed to change CD’s and very quickly Deep Purples ‘Child in Time’ was blasting from the speakers. A very memorable moment from the movie ‘Twister’. “How old are we?” I questioned “Just don’t tell anyone” “I think we’re going in!!” “We got cows!!” Cut to music, dum da da da dum da da da dum da da da dum, electric guitar slices the air whaa, whaa whaa ………. We came out the other side unscathed of course, the cows were actually food wrappers in this case. It had been an experience. I don’t really understand how the weather works in these areas but from that point we were driving through a continuing sandstorm, visibility was at a minimum, and considering the Painted Desert is a wonderfully visual experience the whole reason for being there was becoming pointless. Ian pulled up and we checked out the map, for some reason he then decided to open the door. Anything small that wasn’t attached to the car on the inside tried to leave. I dived in to save the snacks, the book of vouchers however was never seen again. Further on we stopped at the Painted Desert Inn, I held onto the contents of the car whilst Ian got out and then had the idea of placing any possible escapee under the fridge and making a run for it. The beautiful adobe building was packed full, the world and his wife were sheltering within its walls and it was difficult to appreciate what it had to offer. There was an artist in residence so it was of particular interest to Ian but there wasn’t any way we were going to get a look in without being rude, and if things kicked off there was absolutely nowhere to run. Back in Holbrook we took advantage of the daylight hours with a tour around the town but my mind was elsewhere. That evening I would be on a mission to find Shelley and hear his story, returning to the Motel however the truck had gone and room 32 sat in silence. We definitely know how to dine, whilst Ian was transfixed to the TV watching Lindsey Wagner as the Bionic woman listen to villains saying bad stuff downtown we ate takeaway pizza from the box. My distraction was the “Goodie Bag” we picked up as we entered Arizona to which I had become particularly attached. “Did you know Holbrook has a Bucket of Blood Street, named after the Bucket of Blood Saloon?” “Bucket of Blood Saloon?” Not taking his eye’s off Lindsey in her tight fitting jumpsuit. “Yeah, in the 1880’s a group of cowboys known for rustling cattle, stealing and shooting moved into the area. They called themselves the Hashknife Cowboys. In 1886, 250 people lived in Holbrook and there were 26 shooting deaths all connected to the Hashknife outfit. In 1886 a brutal gunfight broke out in the Saloon between members of the Hashknife and a group of cowboys who accused them of stealing” Ian glanced away from the TV “Oh you’re reading, I was wondering what was happening to you” “In the 1920’s the Saloon had the appearance of a respectable establishment captivating travellers who stopped by to see the bullet holes in the walls and the Blood Stains on the floor. The residents of Holbrook now claim to have a past wilder than Tombstone. The Saloon was on Central Avenue, later renamed, Bucket of Blood Street” “Shall we go?” I had grabbed his interest. “It’s not open any more, still standing after 120 years but all boarded up” We decided to go and take a look anyway our map leading us away from the Triassic side of town, the bars and restaurants to a quieter, darker side. Sadly we didn’t find what we were looking for and I’m not sure if some of the locals really know the location of the Saloon because when we enquired of its whereabouts we were being sent in all directions. We headed back towards the lights and decided to stop off at the first bar we saw, walking straight off the street and into a full blown conversation about Miranda Lambert, Monkey bars and the best way to polish chrome. It was clearly a biker friendly establishment and it weirdly felt like home. Turns out the people of Holbrook are some of the most straight talking, hospitable people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. We became part of a group of guys buying rounds of drinks, although by the amount of drinks on the table it seemed we might have been getting more than our fair share. I did question the build up of drinks on our table only to be told that it was some good shit. I looked towards the barmaid with questioning eyes. “It’s fine” she mouthed Later at the bar after I had collected all the empty glasses from the tables, (It’s now etched into my DNA) She just mentioned that they were a good group of guys and placed another full glass of red mix in front of me “Means of payment” she said and smiled “More good shit”. That night nobody questioned which direction we were headed, our accents or where we were staying. In fact at one point I thought we were being mistaken for someone else. Challenged to quite a few games of pool we somehow came out winners. Not sure how because it seems like a completely different game and everything is huge. “I love it here, can I stay?” I moaned at Ian “What right here in this bar?” “Yeah it’s specific” “Specific to what?” “The right thing, and it has all the numbers lined up in the right order, except the ones on the end by the bar” “What wrong with them?” “They’re bouncy” “Did you drink that last shot?” “No I shot it” “The last drink, I am humble now” “We should go back and find Shelley” Ian reminded me that Shelley and the cowboys were no longer there. “Noooooo, you didn’t say” “Shelley’s gone” “We need to go and find him” I don’t remember much about walking back to our motel that night just it was warm and everyone was just amazing, I loved them all. Then to top off a great night the giant truck had returned and room 32 was buzzing and I was ready to party. “Come on let’s go introduce ourselves!” “Eew barking dogs, they have barking dogs” “It’s only one, they had it last night” Ian reminded me “Barking dogs, no no no, no barking” “Let’s creep into our room very quietly” It made sense to me at the time. “Then the dog will stop barking” We climbed into bed and waited. The walk home and fresh air had definitely taken the edge off the level of drunk I was. “It’s not going to stop is it?” “Are they all oblivious?” “Yep, that could be what you call it” It seemed to go on for hours until I remembered the ear plugs. An offering from our Virgin flight and now in my hand luggage in the bathroom. “Can you hear me?” I asked Ian. “I can see your mouth moving, no seriously I can hear you a bit, and the dog but it’s definitely helped” We turned off the light and eventually fell asleep with the muffled sound of barking dog and the odd scream from the next room. It was the banging of doors shaking the building that yanked us back out of our slumber, although I definitely slept through it better than Ian. “Where are you going?” I asked as Ian made his sitting down to standing noise. “To the loo” I immediately fell back to sleep but was woken again by a massive crash. This was serious. Turning to switch on the bedside lamp I could feel that Ian wasn’t beside me, he mustn’t have returned from the bathroom. In those few seconds between pitch black and reaching over to turn on the light my imagination was on overload. The seriousness of the situation was revealed. Ian was sat on the floor looking at me with huge sorrowful eyes, he was stark naked and with the ear plugs he looked like a deflated Shrek. “Why are you on the floor?” Then I just couldn’t stop laughing, he was clearly OK but still didn’t think to take the ear plugs out, and stayed put on the floor a bit shell shocked I think. I took out my ear plugs as a gesture for him to follow. “I missed the bed” “You looked like Shrek” “Shrek?” “Naked with ear plugs, it’s a good look” “It throws my senses out” “Are you saying you missed the bed because you had earplugs in?” “Hey the dog’s stopped barking” “It’s gone really quiet too” “Do you think they’re dead?” “Thank God, Goodnight” Here’s Part 7 – A Journey Through Season, Space and Time … Author MandyPosted on 7th February 2018 16th January 2020 Categories Fun, StoriesTags American, Fun, lifestyle, Road Trip, story4 Comments on American Road Trip part 6 – Route 66 through New Mexico into Arizona News, Stories, Work in Progress A few words on “Low Flyers” painted in 2012 This painting, which I’ve called “Low Flyers”, had been festering in my mind for some time before I was able to capture it on canvas. I knew it had to be imposing and I wanted it to take the viewer through a varied range of emotions. The canvas needed to be large to make an impact not only when viewed but I wanted it to be ‘heard’ too. So deafening yet so humbling that it almost falls silent, begging the question, if a young girl screams excitedly but no one can hear her, does she actually make a noise? I chose a 2ft by 3ft canvas and had to force myself to find enough time to put aside to create this piece. This decision was helped along by my family telling me that putting it on hold was starting to affect my commissioned work and I was also becoming impossible to live with! Incentive enough! Canvas primed and eagerly grabbing my oils and brushes I was ready to capture the feeling of speed and raw overwhelming power. So here it is. Just as the boys and the girl think they’ve reached the edge of a full adrenalin rush in their hot rods suddenly from nowhere comes the almighty sound and overpowering presence of a B17 Flying Fortress bomber accompanied by a P51 Mustang and a P47 Thunderbolt! If you’re interested in a print here’s a link: Author Ian GuyPosted on 2nd November 2017 2nd November 2017 Categories News, Stories, Work in ProgressTags Art, B17, Flying Fortress, Hot Rod, Mustang, News, P47, P51, Painting, Plane, ThunderboltLeave a comment on Low Flyers Fun, News, Stories American Road Trip part 5 – Six Weeks in the Life of the Artist Aircraft Beware! and a Lot of Hot Air – by Mandy. Being our first trip to the USA we were curious about so many things, bombarding friends or friends of friends who had travelled there before with so many questions. “So what’s the deal with the highways and all those lanes?” more often than not the reply was: “Ahh just drive where ever you like, same as in the films really, you can just snake in and out, I think it’s out of boredom because of the length of the roads out there” Nobody told us you can exit from both sides of a highway! In built up areas leaving from the left means keeping left on a two lane exit, same for the right. “Ahh so it all makes sense now.” Ian did try swerving from lane to lane because in his mind one of the reasons we were in the US was to become part of a 70’s movie from beginning to end, and that involved car chases, picking up hitchhikers in tiny shorts, and running into trouble at every pit stop. “What do you think speed enforced by aircraft means?” We were driving south on US 550 after leaving Arizona into New Mexico. “On a sign, further back” We looked at each other, leaned forward to check out the sky in front then opened the side windows just to make sure we hadn’t been allocated our very own aircraft which had taken its place directly above us. “Enforced? Wouldn’t that imply that you’re not actually in control of your speed somehow? Put your foot down I want to see what happens” 30mph over the speed limit and nothing happened, the road was empty of cars, and as far as we could see there were no airplanes brandishing state of the art laser beams of mass control. Ian slowed down. I’m sure we wouldn’t have been having the conversation, but right then on that part of desert road there wasn’t much to see. The red hue of the Arizona desert had turned to grey and it looked like rain. There had instantly been a different vibe on entering New Mexico, the Spanish feel was overwhelming evident. Not Spain by the sea where you eat your under enthusiastic paella and watch Sky TV in the bar, but the bits you get lost in on dull days when you decide to make use of your hire car and just drive for miles eventually seeing nothing and going nowhere at all. I was enjoying the reality of it though for the moment, from what I’d seen so far the area wasn’t a place frequented by tourists, maybe in the mountains there were hidden treasures, historic wonders but we weren’t going to see them this time we were on a mission. Albuquerque bound and Route 66, museums and such weren’t going to lend themselves to a possible Dirty Mary Crazy Larry ending. I had booked two nights at the Enchanted Trails RV Park and Trading Post on Route 66. It sits on a high desert Mesa overlooking Albuquerque. We would be staying in a 1959 Spartan Trailer named ‘Flossie’. “Hey Ian” “What’s the date? I think we could possibly be a day or two too early to turn up at the RV park” The cancellation of Speed Week was still throwing us out of sync. After establishing that we were in fact two days early to check in and only 120 miles from our destination we decided to stop at the next town and stay over a couple of nights “Hey there is a place around 80 miles north of Albuquerque called Cuba.” Since heading east the days seemed to be getting cooler, especially travelling some of the mountain roads. We headed for Cuba hoping for sunshine, cocktails, possibly a pool, Luis Ernesto would roll us a fine cigar and play music that would just make us want to Salsa. It was getting dark when we pulled up outside the motel, and it was cold. Being British and of that mentality these type of conversations would run through my mind. “Hello do you have a room available?” “Have you booked?” “No Sorry we ha…..” “Do you have your passports?” On showing passports “We don’t have a free room but can you work every other day until the end of your stay? Your only other option is the Ramsden’s, they’ll take you in but they’re a good three hour drive” “Say we did work every other day, where would we stay if you have no rooms” “With Jesse” “Who’s Jesse?” “He stopped here one night looking for a room too in 1974” Of course nothing like that ever happened. With the exception of the large cities most Motels will have space and at a very reasonable price too. In privately owned rural places you may find yourself directed towards someone’s sitting room standing behind a barrier interrupting the latest repeat of T J Hooker. In Arizona we had stood for a good ten minutes behind a sofa, the guy had acknowledged we were there and were wanting a room. He sat with his back to us, hand in the air pointing at the ceiling until the interval of his programme. We have never been checked into any one place so quickly! This place turned out to be a lovely motel, really friendly folks and an actual reception area. Although it didn’t seem to be a major stopover for travellers it is the gateway to the Santa Fe National Forest and the Jemez mountain trail. We walked just a few hundred yards to the nearest restaurant and on entering it became quite clear that some serious hunting shooting fishing went on there. Real men in real hunting gear, elk seemed to be the talk of the day. The place was dimly lit, dark wood decor and heads poked out of walls at every angle. We spoke to a guy named James who offered to take us horse camping, his passion and his business but he was no salesman. I did however hang on his every word. He lived and breathed the wild outdoors, rivers, meadows and mountains. This was a world away from where we were heading, it felt real, these were real people, generations of families living in the same area. Apparently Native Americans have occupied the area for centuries and you can kind of feel it. Spanish settlers arrived in the 1700’s. It rained for most of our stay, the first day we decided to take one of those drives, the ones I spoke about earlier. We drove back up the 550 and decided to turn right when we thought it felt the right thing to do. The idea was to do a huge loop back to the motel, we drove over 150 miles through forests and sparsely occupied towns, tiny single story wooden houses scattered across areas of barren land. Wooden extensions that looked makeshift and had been added over time possibly coinciding with the birth of another child maybe. No visible boundaries, an array of vehicles that had served their time, parked up in order of when they made their final journey, and dogs, lots of dogs. At one point we realised we were going way out of our way and decided to double back causing us to make a sharp turn to the right in quite a populated town. We were met immediately by a barrier crossing and a man in military clothing with a gun. He asked us where we were going, we explained we didn’t really know, but we knew where we wanted to be and were looking for the quickest way there. We showed our passports and were eventually let through with no explanation as to why we were told to stick to certain roads and not leave the car. We were back in the forest, most of which was behind thick high barbed wire, we saw deer still and staring, if only they could talk. Another day and back on the road. The sun came out but there was still a chill in the air. Today’s CD the Eagles “One of these nights”. 80 miles from Albuquerque. “Hey look, Route 66 Pizza” After a few more miles Route 66 Gas, Route 66 Coffee, Soda, Laundry, Beef Jerky. Albuquerque has the longest stretch of Route 66 in an urban area but we weren’t going to get to travel it on this occasion. The Mustang had driven like a dream since picking it up in San Francisco but right now lost and confused we found ourselves stuck in congested traffic on a street that seemed to go on forever and a car that wouldn’t idle. It was really fast or stop, and the conditions on the road didn’t lend themselves to either. I don’t know who was looking after us that day, I closed my eyes through most of it as Ian sped from stationary as if he was hoping for a personal best on the quarter mile, a chirp from the tyres and a race up through the gears to the next set of lights. It was after quite a few miles we realized we were heading east, the plan was to go west. Turning around in a diner car park we went through the whole thing just one more time It didn’t cross our minds to contact the hire company, even with the Eagles “Take it to the limit” one more time blasting from the speakers. We decided to stay away from that part of Albuquerque for the rest of our stay. Leaving the city behind we eventually arrived at Enchanted Trails RV park. Route 66, the land of reinvention. Some did it well, with others it was plain to see a kind of desperation. For me it was a place like nowhere else, the history was there, not always visible to see but again I could feel it in parts, how could you not feel it 2451 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles, crossing 8 states and 3 time zones over 6 decades. Built in 1926 and decommissioned in 1985 all for a faster more convenient way of life. The length of Route 66 we would be driving that ‘convenience’ was in the form of the I 40 highway. We were heading west from Albuquerque to Barstow. We didn’t arrive at this quirky stop-over in the best of moods, but this place just made me smile. We parked up next to a flat roofed adobe style building, constructed in the late 40’s apparently and altered many times as a means to attract passersby on Route 66 “Ian there’s a bear by the door” “Yeah and is that a donkey over there?” A real reception area within a shop packed with Route 66 memorabilia, books, crafts, Native American jewellery. A Laundry 1950’s style with a wringer, TV room, Games room, a swimming pool. We were greeted by Vicki Ashcroft, the owner, who instantly gave us a brief history of the place. Originally known as the Hilltop Trading Post but converted into a campground in the early 1970’s. The vast collections of memorabilia throughout the building honour a bygone time and it’s plain to see that Vicki is very proud of her heritage. The furniture is 1950’s vintage with its aim to take you right back to the Heyday of cross country travel. Flossie did just that, almost 50ft of gleaming aluminium she sat amongst a collection of around eight other vintage trailers, a 1947 Hudson super six and a fine collection of pink flamingos. After checking out our home for the next few days and unpacking some essentials we decided to take a look around. On our return…. “Ian the door’s open, I’m sure we closed it” “There’s someone wandering around inside the caravan” “Ok you distract them and I’ll hit them good and hard across the back of the head with a flamingo” “You go first” “No you go, you’re distracting them I’m hitting them to the ground and putting them in a headlock” “Ian, this is the 1950’s, you’re being too Starsky and Hutch” Before we knew it we were inside. A middle-aged man was sat on our chair at our dining table reading a book with a map opened up next to it. “Hey Honey it’s 163 miles to the Arizona border and around 90 miles of drivable 66” Honey? Who, where was Honey? Why hadn’t this guy seen us? What was he doing in our caravan? “Oh golly you should see these quaint little trinkets in here” Ok we had located Honey she was in our bedroom. “It say’s Route 66 in New Mexico is all about making choices , and following short loop drives, looks like we are going to be on the freeway for some miles” “They have an old bath tub, oh this is just so fine” Why hadn’t this guy seen us? Honey appeared from the bathroom with my hairbrush and makeup bag. “Someone has left these behind” Mr Honey looked up and all our eyes met at once, it was Mrs Honey who spoke first. “Oh hi, isn’t this place just the best, Vicki has such a gift, such an eye for detail” Ok let’s just forget gifts and detailed eyes for a minute, she had her hands wrapped around my roadtrip survival kit in a way that suggested she had claimed them for her own. Panic and paranoia had set in and on quickly checking out Ian I noticed he hadn’t brought the bloody flamingo. “They’re mine, thank you” This was not spoken like a genuine thank but more like one you would say to a small child whilst trying to prise your new shoes out of his mouth. Why was I saying thank you. I held out my hands to retrieve my precious things. Honey introduced herself as Gina, Mr Honey was Mike. Mike seemed polite initially but obviously massively distracted by the book and the map. “You heading east or west?” he asked, not really looking up from the book. “We’re heading west, just as far as Barstow though then up to Bakersfield for the Hot Rod Reunion” “Ahh, I’d always recommend east to west, that’s the way it was back then” Still looking down, “You know there’s a misunderstanding that Route 66 is only drivable in small segments these days, but 85% of the original 2500 miles is still there for your driving pleasure, saying pleasure it depends what your driving, some parts can be almost impassable, you’d need something sturdy with good ground clearance, so what you driving Ian ?” “A Mustang” Mike looked Ian in the eyes, unimpressed. “Haha, so you’ll be staying away from the unpaved roads then” This wasn’t a question, and from that point on a challenge had been set. I was going to be nice and kindly explain to Gina and the honey monster that they were in our accommodation, have a joke about the misunderstanding and leave it at that but he was becoming more and more obnoxious, and condescending. They were overstaying their visit he was working out his route from our caravan to the shores of the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. 805 miles via the I 40. So how many Route 66 miles? Exit where? Rejoin the I 40 after how many miles? We were hearing all about it. Head down. So would you guys like to stay for dinner? I could cook a pot roast or maybe something typically Mexican, we’ll pop out I’ll buy some wine. You could have a bath, Gina you’ve seen the bath. I’ll run it for you. Stay the night, have our bed, what the hell stay for the rest of your holiday, was what I wanted to say. Instead I headed over to the fridge and took out some beer which hadn’t had the time to chill. “Would you guys like to stay for a drink?” I have never seen anyone go from nought to distraught so quickly in all my life. I immediately felt awful and wanted to back track. Gina was devastated and so overly apologetic. The honey monster was in Kingman heading for Oatman. Gina informed us that he likes to read and she spends a lot of time looking at the top of his head. “This beer’s warm” Monster Mike exclaimed to the map on the table. Ok Gina you can stay, this man is an idiot how do you live with him? Mike OUT! Of course I didn’t verbalize that either. They didn’t leave for another half an hour, Ian decided to get stuck in with Mike and his map, turns out a lot of the information he was sharing was really interesting and possibly very useful. The book was the EZ Guide to Route 66. Mike told us we needed one, hinting strongly that we would be near on useless without it. We bought the book the next day from the site shop and flicked through it. We could see in some ways it could be a god send but for us it had the capabilities of turning us into Neurotic Route 66 pathological maniacs, panicking at every wrong turn, or was it a wrong turn? “Is this Route 66? I haven’t seen a sign, or anything that would indicate we are on Route 66” Once we were in possession of the book, all of a sudden every inch of rubber had to touch down on every possible inch of drivable Route 66. Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime… Once we had calmed down and read on we concluded that Route 66, as it is now, partly because of all the realignments over the years, is your own personal journey of memories, possible wrong turns, detours and challenging alternative routes, word is if you tried to do the same route twice you probably wouldn’t be able to. I can’t think about that too much because it becomes too much of a challenge. With so much Route 66 talk we were buzzing and ready to hit the road, but we still had a couple of days in Albuquerque and on checking out what was going on in the area we headed off to “The Biggest Hot Air Balloon Fiesta In The World” The whole feel around the enchanted trails park was warm, friendly and laid back. People chatted and we picked up a wealth of information about the local area, but I had a recurring question about the Balloon Fiesta which to me seemed fair and understandable. “So what happens once the hundreds of balloons have ascended and disappeared off into the distance, is there entertainment on the ground, what do people get up to?” Answers came in the way of changing the subject “Have you checked out old town?” So we ventured off and paid $20 each, the venue was huge, the car parks were almost empty, and the balloons had flown off to return around 6pm. There were stalls on the ground selling Native American crafts, a lot of exceptional chain saw carving, Burritos, Tacos, Enchiladas. The Fiesta is on for 8 days and apparently we had picked a quiet day. We spoke to a young guy called Ethan he was with a group of friends and was something to do with the organising. Ian discussed art with him. Ethan told us to return later around 6 o’clock, he said he would meet us at the gate. There was going to be fireworks, music and a light show from the balloons on the ground. Sounded great. “I gotta leave now” says Ethan “ You may as well leave now too and return later, see you around six, I’m off to court, see you later, haha or not depends how that goes!” Needless to say we didn’t go back, instead we asked Vicki about the closest place to eat out of the city. She sent us up Route 66 to The Route 66 Casino. I considered how many Route 66 diners etc there must have been along its 2500 miles in its heyday. Was this the only Route 66 Casino? Neither of us had ever ventured into a Casino and what we imagined turned into something completely different… Here’s Part 6 – Route 66 through New Mexico and into Arizona Author MandyPosted on 3rd October 2017 16th January 2020 Categories Fun, News, StoriesTags American, lifestyle, News, Road Trip, storyLeave a comment on American Road Trip part 5 – Six Weeks in the Life of the Artist	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line139
__label__wiki	0.983257	0.983257	BlueCat Contest 2021 BlueCat Screenplay Competition Hollywood , CA 90078 https://www.bluecatscreenplay.com/ info@bluecatscreenplay.com Contact: Gordy Hoffman, Founder MovieBytes Interview: Gordy Hoffman Overall: (4.5/5.0) Professionalism: (4.1/5.0) Feedback: (3.7/5.0) Signficance: (4.0/5.0) Report Cards: 194 The BlueCat Screenplay Competition, now in its 23rd year, is accepting submissions for its 2021 competition. Founded in 1998 by award-winning writer Gordy Hoffman, BlueCat has supported thousands of screenwriters through written analysis provided to all entrants, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in the film and television industry. BlueCat's Alumni include: Aaron Guzikowski (Verve/Madhouse) wrote PRISONERS, the remake of PAPILLON, and Ridley Scott's RAISED BY WOLVES. Fergal Rock wrote DEPARTURES starring Nina Dobrev and Maisie Williams. Ana Lily Amirpour (CAA), won Special Jury Prize at the 2016 Venice Film Festival for THE BAD BATCH, directed by Lyle Vincent (DREAMLAND) and starring Jason Momoa, Jim Carrey and Keanu Reeves. Show More Ana Lily Amirpour (CAA), won Special Jury Prize at the 2016 Venice Film Festival for THE BAD BATCH, directed by Lyle Vincent (DREAMLAND) and starring Jason Momoa, Jim Carrey and Keanu Reeves. She will direct CLIFFHANGERS produced by Neal Mortiz. Ashleigh Powell (Gersh/Good Fear Film), wrote THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS directed by Lasse Hallstrom and Joe Johnston. She’s currently writing THE ATHENA PROJECT for Warner Bros and THE PAPER MAGICIAN for Disney. Expired. Previous Deadline: 12/13/2020 WinningScripts Pro $10 Off Coupon We accept features, pilots and shorts - visit our website for more info. Grand Prize Winner The Grand Prize Winner will receive $5,000. All scripts submitted (Features, Pilots and Shorts) are eligible. Feature Screenplay Award The Feature Screenplay Winner will receive $2,000. Pilot Award The Pilot Winner will receive $2,000. Short Script Award The Short Script Winner will receive $2,000. Fellini Award Our Fellini Award award goes to the best script (feature, pilot or short) from writers residing outside the U.S. The Fellini Award Winner will receive $1,000. BlueCat Screenplay Competition BlueCat Announces Contest Winner The BlueCat Screenplay Competition has named Jerry Mahoney as the winner of their 2009 Screenwriting Competition for his script Gladly McGee and the Damn Retarded F****t. The script is about two actors who forge an unlikely friendship while playing offensive stock characters in the 1940s, then experience the ups and downs of Hollywood as it changes over the next 40 years. There were 3,229 entries to this year's BlueCat competition. + More BlueCat Contest News	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line140
__label__cc	0.613867	0.386133	Touring Italy Florence Firenze Touring Italy Florence Firenze: The train journey from Venezia to Firenze Santa Maria Novella is 2 hours 45 mins. We reached Florence at half past seven and our hotel was 10 mins walking distance from the S.M.Nouvella train station. The hotel which was located near Piazza de Strozzi was not that great. But it was located really close to the famous sights. Pisa Italy We went for a stroll to Piazza Della Republica. There were some street musicians. The next day, we covered Pisa in the morning, which I have written in the next section. We came back to Florence in the afternoon. All sights in Florence are within walking distance of the station and each other. The Piazza del Duomo is grand and very ornate from the outside. But from the inside, it is quite plain. Make way to the Uffizi Gallery where you will find a lot of masterpieces. Next to the Uffizi is the Palazzo Vecchio, the entrance to which is adorned by copies of Michelangelo’s David and Donatello’s Marzocco. There is also an open gallery containing sculptures like the Hercules and the Centaur, Rape of Polyxena etc. The Fountain of Neptune is another beautiful sculpture in the same square next to the Palazzo Vecchio. The original David stands in the Galleria dell’Accademia. This is in the opposite direction to the Uffizi Gallery across Piazza del Duomo along Via Ricasoli. Since we had been to Italy during Christmas and we happened to be in Florence on the 25th, both the Uffizi and Galleria dell’ Accademia were closed on account of a public holiday. That completed Florence and we made our way to the station for the train to Rome. I will cover Pisa next after which there is going to be a long write-up on the fascinating sights of Rome. Traveling by Train in England and London – Information on getting and reading your train ticket, the high speed, and regional train system; a link of train schedules. More Info On- Italy stay bookings, travel bookings, Italy visa in England, common dangers, currency euro, Italy glossary of words, Touring Florence/Firenze, Touring Milan, Touring Pisa, Touring Rome/Roma, Touring Venice/Venezia	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line142
__label__cc	0.667012	0.332988	Our success as a company has always been linked to the success of the thousands of farmers and suppliers who grow and produce our products. Whether it’s coffee, tea, cocoa or manufactured goods & services, we’re committed to offering ethically purchased and responsibly produced products of the highest quality. Ethically Sourced Manufactured Goods From the merchandise on our shelves to the furniture in our stores or the aprons worn by our baristas, Starbucks cares about the way in which these products are made, and about the workers who make them. Our program is built upon a strong set of foundational , and our sourcing teams work directly with a diverse set of suppliers who share our commitment to ethical sourcing to negotiate contracts for the products we use operationally and those we sell to our customers. These social and environmental standards also allow us to assist suppliers in making improvements to their business practices. Commitment to continuous improvement is the cornerstone of our program, and factory assessments have been a key part of our strategy since 2006. Although we endeavor to support our suppliers through multiple channels of engagement and paths to improvement, there are times when we must halt business due to the nature of issues until our standards can be met. We are continuing to collaborate with others in our industry to address ethical sourcing best practices in our shared supply bases. “We see Starbucks as a market leader that is driving their supply chain sustainability approach from a reactive to predictive model, with a focus on improving working and environmental impact within their supply chains. We appreciate Starbucks continual thought leadership and desire to drive impact, while taking into account the great complexities and challenges that exist.” Meghan Quinlan, Vice President, Client Services - ELEVATE Global Limited Nhân viên ngân hàngIn 2006, Starbucks began hosting an annual Supplier Summit in China which brings together a variety of stakeholders who focus on improving working conditions in areas where our products are sourced. Several years ago, Starbucks incorporated community service into the Supplier Summit to highlight an important aspect of the company’s vision. The Summit provides an opportunity for suppliers and factories to raise questions and concerns to the Starbucks team and other key business leaders from our support centers and markets. Technical training on our programs is also provided to support suppliers and factories in their efforts to ethically source high quality products.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line143
__label__wiki	0.796612	0.796612	News from Pomfret School Winter 2017-2018 High Honors List Thursday April 12, 2018 at 02:11 pm Winter 2017-2018 Honors List Fall 2017 Honors List Wednesday December 27, 2017 at 03:49 pm Fall 2017 High Honors Fall 2017 Head of School Scholar Honors Thursday March 16, 2017 at 05:09 pm Winter 2016-2017 High Honors Winter 2016-2017 Head of School Scholar Honors Tuesday January 17, 2017 at 03:09 pm Friday December 30, 2016 at 07:40 am Thursday December 29, 2016 at 02:05 pm Named to the Spring 2016 Honors List at Pomfret School Wednesday July 20, 2016 at 10:53 am Named to the Spring 2016 High Honors List at Pomfret School Named to the Head of School Scholar Honors List at Pomfret School Tuesday June 28, 2016 at 04:45 pm Named to the Winter 2016 Honors List at Pomfret School Wednesday April 06, 2016 at 01:46 pm Named to the Winter 2016 High Honors List at Pomfret School Named to the Fall 2015 Head of School Scholar Honors List at Pomfret School Friday January 08, 2016 at 03:27 pm Named to the Fall 2015 Honor Roll at Pomfret School Named to the Fall 2015 High Honor Roll at Pomfret School Friday January 08, 2016 at 10:20 am « Newer About readMedia Whether you're on your own, or part of a PR team, readMedia's tools make communications more productive and effective. Get your press releases, public announcements, notifications, news -- any information your constituents need to know -- to the local media, the web, Google News, RSS feeds, social networking sites and your private e-mail lists in one step. Learn more about our news distribution services. Search the Newswire	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line147
__label__cc	0.736427	0.263573	Ranolazine for stable angina pectoris Editados por otras instituciones Artículos en revistas indizadas Salazar, Carlos A.; Basilio Flores, Juan E.; Veramendi Espinoza, Liz E.; Mejia Dolores, Jhon W.; Rey Rodriguez, Diego E.; Loza Munarriz, Cesar URI: http://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011747.pub2 http://repositorio.upch.edu.pe/handle/upch/4945 BACKGROUND: Stable angina pectoris is a chronic medical condition with significant impact on mortality and quality of life; it can be macrovascular or microvascular in origin. Ranolazine is a second-line anti-anginal drug approved for use in people with stable angina. However, the effects of ranolazine for people with angina are considered to be modest, with uncertain clinical relevance. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of ranolazine on cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, quality of life, acute myocardial infarction incidence, angina episodes frequency and adverse events incidence in stable angina patients, used either as monotherapy or as add-on therapy, and compared to placebo or any other anti-anginal agent. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and the Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science in February 2016, as well as regional databases and trials registers. We also screened reference lists. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which directly compared the effects of ranolazine versus placebo or other anti-anginals in people with stable angina pectoris were eligible for inclusion. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Estimates of treatment effects were calculated using risk ratios (RR), mean differences (MD) and standardised mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a fixed-effect model. Where we found statistically significant heterogeneity (Chi(2) P < 0.10), we used a random-effects model for pooling estimates. Meta-analysis was not performed where we found considerable heterogeneity (I(2) >/= 75%). We used GRADE criteria to assess evidence quality and the GRADE profiler (GRADEpro GDT) to import data from Review Manager 5.3 to create 'Summary of findings' tables. MAIN RESULTS: We included 17 RCTs (9975 participants, mean age 63.3 years). We found very limited (or no) data to inform most planned comparisons. Summary data were used to inform comparison of ranolazine versus placebo. Overall, risk of bias was assessed as unclear.For add-on ranolazine compared to placebo, no data were available to estimate cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality. We found uncertainty about the effect of ranolazine on: all-cause mortality (1000 mg twice daily, RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.26 to 2.71; 3 studies, 2053 participants; low quality evidence); quality of life (any dose, SMD 0.25, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.52; 4 studies, 1563 participants; I(2) = 73%; moderate quality evidence); and incidence of non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (1000mg twice daily, RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.08 to 2.07; 2 studies, 1509 participants; low quality evidence). Add-on ranolazine 1000 mg twice daily reduced the fervour of angina episodes (MD -0.66, 95% CI -0.97 to -0.35; 3 studies, 2004 participants; I(2) = 39%; moderate quality evidence) but increased the risk of non-serious adverse events (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.40; 3 studies, 2053 participants; moderate quality evidence).For ranolazine as monotherapy compared to placebo, we found uncertain effect on cardiovascular mortality (1000 mg twice daily, RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.88; 1 study, 2604 participants; low quality evidence). No data were available to estimate non-cardiovascular mortality. We also found an uncertain effect on all-cause mortality for ranolazine (1000 mg twice daily, RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.25; 3 studies, 6249 participants; low quality evidence), quality of life (1000 mg twice daily, MD 0.28, 95% CI -1.57 to 2.13; 3 studies, 2254 participants; moderate quality evidence), non-fatal AMI incidence (any dose, RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.12; 3 studies, 2983 participants; I(2) = 50%; low quality evidence), and frequency of angina episodes (any dose, MD 0.08, 95% CI -0.85 to 1.01; 2 studies, 402 participants; low quality evidence). We found an increased risk for non-serious adverse events associated with ranolazine (any dose, RR 1.50, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.00; 3 studies, 947 participants; very low quality evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We found very low quality evidence showing that people with stable angina who received ranolazine as monotherapy had increased risk of presenting non-serious adverse events compared to those given placebo. We found low quality evidence indicating that people with stable angina who received ranolazine showed uncertain effect on the risk of cardiovascular death (for ranolazine given as monotherapy), all-cause death and non-fatal AMI, and the frequency of angina episodes (for ranolazine given as monotherapy) compared to those given placebo. Moderate quality evidence indicated that people with stable angina who received ranolazine showed uncertain effect on quality of life compared with people who received placebo. Moderate quality evidence also indicated that people with stable angina who received ranolazine as add-on therapy had fewer angina episodes but increased risk of presenting non-serious adverse events compared to those given placebo. Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line151
__label__cc	0.681953	0.318047	RE: ARTICLE: Memory bandwidth From: Ben Goertzel (ben@webmind.com) Date: Sun Apr 15 2001 - 10:07:14 MDT Next message: Ben Goertzel: "RE: ARTICLE: Memory bandwidth" Previous message: Dale Johnstone: "RE: ARTICLE: Memory bandwidth" In reply to: Dale Johnstone: "RE: ARTICLE: Memory bandwidth" Next in thread: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky: "Re: ARTICLE: Memory bandwidth" Reply: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky: "Re: ARTICLE: Memory bandwidth" Reply: Peter Voss: "Good AI development languages" Obviously, this is an issue about which I have a great deal of practical I'll just make a few points, gained from 3 years doing AI development experience in Java Firstly, development is clearly faster in Java than in C/C++. Not having to debug malloc() errors is nice. Java, if you use HotSpot, is no slower than C++. It is surely still slower than a speed-optimized C program, but not by an order of magnitude A Java program uses about 4 times as much memory as a comparable C++ program. There's not much you can do about this. Also, all current JVM's on all current OS's are limited to about 1.2 GB of RAM per Java process. (Sun promises a 64-bit JVM, someday, but, well...). So, if you want an AI program with a lot of data in it, and you want to use Java, you're pushed to deal with distributed processing pretty early in your work. Distributed processing, however, slows down processing a lot. With a lot of work, we got the performance of a distributed system in the range of 5-10 times slower than that of a comparable 1-JVM system with the same amount of data. The bottleneck turns out to be, not the actual network bandwidth, but the time required for Java to serialize/deserialize objects. One can minimize this by overriding the readObject() and writeObject() methods [custom serialization], but this has limited value, unfortunately. Furthermore, garbage collection in existing JVM's is fantastically inefficient for programs creating billions of objects. It seems that the JVM is not tuned for truly large-scale applications. And, there are no existing Java profilers that will profile a large-scale, multi-threaded Java system. Quite literally, they all crash when applied to such a program. For this reason we have created our own Java profiler. [The reason the commercial profilers crash is that they try to report all events in the program to their GUI's, and the Java GUI tools are not able to deal with such a high volume of data. Our profiler just saves events in a log file, which avoids the problem.] There are also no adequate debuggers in Java, when one is creating a large-scale software system. Finally, there are not as many useful 'peripheral' software tools in Java as in C++. To take a random example that's come up in my own work, graph visualization toolkits in java are vastly worse than those in C++. Advanced math libraries are harder to come by. Etc. The main practical problem we've found using Java, then, is this. Using Java, we created a system that uses so much memory that we were pushed to work with distributed processing very early on. Distributed computing is a whole science unto itself, which we've mastered, but it took a lot of time. No one had ever built a really adequate Java distributed computing framework before we did. (I'm aware of things like JINI and Voyager, but they all have pretty dire shortcomings.) Next, because of requiring distributed processing to do anything involving large volumes of data, we have a system that's pretty hard to fiddle around with, due to the slowness of the system and its multi-machine nature. But the nature of a complex AI system is that it does require a lot of informal adjustment and experimentation by the human programmer. (Sure, maybe you can come up with a simple panacea for artificial thought that doesn't require any experimentation to "get right." If so, you'll be doing a lot better than evolution did -- evolution spent millions of years doing adjustment and parameter tuning.) What a few of us are doing now is taking the most essential aspects of the system and re-coding them in C in a very simple and specialized way. We're not dealing with distributed processing in this experimental version yet. We just want a simple system in which we can play around with the interaction of the various AI components of the system, freely and easily. In a couple months we'll deal with the reintegration of this into the main codebase, using JNI, which works very nicely BTW. In sum, I'd highly recommend Java for small-scale engineering projects. It's a fun language to work with. But for large-scale projects (meaning, systems that will use a lot of memory and a lot of threads), my advice is to stick with C/C++. Java is just not tuned for such projects, and you run into a hell of a lot of annoying problems that waste a huge amount of time and effort, far outweighing the savings in programming time. LISP is a nice language too, and there are some fast LISPs. But in large-scale use cases, they have the same garbage collection inefficiency problems as current JVM's. Even if your artificial brain consists of 100 lines of code because your theory of mind is so beautiful, it's still going to need to use up all available RAM, and it's still going to want to use multiple processors when available (i.e. multiple threads). You'll still have a large-scale program, for which Java will cause memory bloat, forcing you use distributed processing, which will turn your 100 lines of code into many more, which will mean you'll need a profiler and debugger, which don't work for large-scale programs like yours, blah blah blah ... you get the picture. -- Ben	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line158
__label__cc	0.73695	0.26305	Books I Got (8) Book Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken Book Review: Undead by Kirsty McKay Book Review: Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessi... Book Review: Duchessina by Carolyn Meyer So it's been a little while since I've put up one of these, huh? Sorry about that! I lent my camera to my in-laws so they could take pictures of all the hurricane damage in their house for the insurance companies and so I couldn't take pictures. I know, that's really know excuse because the internet does have pictures on it that I could have used (and it's not like I used real live photos every time either). But, I got a little overwhelmed. And then the more I'd wait, the more books I'd get and then it just sort of snowballed from there. So here's a selection of what I've been finding room for on my shelves for the past, oh, month or so. Click here to see my previous indulgences. The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman I'm still not sure if this is the right book for me. The description begins with, "A fiery and romantic adventure, perfect for fans of Grace Lin, Kristen Cashore, or Lisa See!" And I am TOTALLY down with "a fiery and romantic adventure" but I have no clue who Grace Lin is, Kristen Cashore and I are on mixed terms, and Lisa See makes me think of boredom. Still, it IS historical fiction, the MC sounds like she has sleepover potential, and I am pretty curious to find out about that "betrayal that destroys all her dreams." Plus, a sizzling romance that develops on the journey to America? And they DON'T hit an iceberg and die along the way? Yes, sign me up, please. (Although, Sterling Promise? Really? I'm not sure I can swoon for a guy named Sterling Promise). Also, is it just me, or does that cover make it look like this will be a girl-dresses-as-boy kind of book? I don't think that's in the book. Unsolicited review copy from Scholastic. Lincoln's Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin I'm still not clear on whether this is historical fiction or non-fiction, but either way I'm excited. All the librarians and list makers are buzzing over how thrilling and interesting and you have to read this book, and I'm totally sucked into the hype. I mean, it's about an attempt to steal Lincoln's body! And it's based on real actual truth! Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg Contemporary that I'm hoping leans more "romantic comedy" and less "issues book." Given the books the author has already written, I think I'm pretty safe. Prisoner B-3087 At first I was all, "Not another holocaust book!" because grade school pretty much saturated me with holocaust books. But this one really does sound different. Based on a true story, we follow a young boy as he survives ten different concentration camps. I admit, I'm curious. Finding Zasha by Randi Barrow Yes, another holocaust book. But what's hooked me about this one is that it seems more like a boy-and-his-dogs survival adventure. by Patrick Matthews I'm a little confused about the title (is it Powerless or Dragon Run?) but that cover has convinced me that this is a book I need to read. It sounds a little like Ordinary Magic with a kid from a magical land getting ranked with basically no magical powers and forced to run from people who want to kill them. But more adventurous. The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington Kim Harrington of Clarity fame, ghosts, and mystery. How could I NOT want to read this?! More to come soon! What did you get this week? Are you interested in reading any of these books? What did you think of them if you've read them already? . Tweet Posted by Small Review at 12:00 AM 20 comments Links to this post Labels: books I got Series: #1 in the The Darkest Minds series Publisher: Disney Hyperion Received: ARC from Ruby! From me, because the book blurb tells you the entire story: Horrible disease of unknown everything spreads and kills kids when they reach, surprise surprise, puberty! Those who managed to survive end up developing superpowers. YAY! But they're rounded up and sent to concentration camps where they're sorted into color groups based on the nature of their powers. Less yay. Ruby, our wishy-washy heroine, is really a majorly dangerous Orange (mind control!) but she has a rare moment of decisive intelligence and uses her power to make her captors think she's a benign Green (codebreaker extraordinaire). When they start to catch on to her deception, she manages to escape with the help of a shady group of rebels! Soon after, she meets up with a stereotypical but lovable group of motley runaways, including The Smart One, The Cute Shy Kid, and The Hot One. Thus begins a periodically slow but also occasionally rollicking quest to find the Slip Kid, the rumored leader of a superpower utopia who can help them find their families. Why isn't this the sequel to Brightly Woven? Ok, I'll admit, right off the bat I was disappointed with The Darkest Minds. And this is totally unfair of me, because I hadn't even possessed a copy of the book yet, let alone read a single word in it. It's just, I loved Brightly Woven, Alexandra Bracken's first book, so darn much and I've had a hard time accepting the fact that she wrote another book and it 1) isn't a sequel and 2) isn't even a high fantasy. It's a dystopia, and we all know I have a rocky relationship with that genre. But, it's Alexandra Bracken! So I was cautious, but my hopes were still pretty darn high. So, what kind of dystopia is this anyway? Not the great kind. But not the bad kind either. It's kind of a middling dystopia with an interesting premise that miraculously focuses neither on romance nor that excruciating, slow, and totally stupid "slow awakening" that takes hundreds of pages to basically say, "duh, this world sucks." So, yay! Ruby knows from the get-go that her world is messed up (hey, she grew up in a concentration camp). This journey is faster paced than most Book 1 dystopias since Ruby spends the majority of it running away from various bad people out to either harm her or use her for her powers. The only downside is, despite her awesome superpower, she doesn't actually do a whole lot of fighting back. And the few times she does? It's straight to the fetal position of shock and shame for our hero. So don't expect Buffy. Alexandra Bracken's world is also sort of a dystopia/post-apocalyptic cross, which upped its awesome points because I love post-apoc stories. There's a government that sends its children to concentration camps and kills A TON of people because they're super duper evil like that. And, really, let me stress A TON. Dead. This evil government is actually hardcore evil with a body count to match the dystopia genre tag. Bracken's not playing around here. On top of that, most of the population was convinced that this move was the right thing to do, and the fact that they felt this way actually made sense (unlike some YA dystopias). At this point I was so happy to have a dystopia grounded in plausible reality that I was almost ready to forgive Alexandra Bracken for not spending her every writing moment penning me more Wayland North scenes. Almost. Even better, most of the book follows main character Ruby (concentration camp escapee) and her rag-tag group of similarly superpowered youths as they travel across the country trying to survive in the post-apocalyptic land while being pursued by multiple groups of baddies all out to get them. Did you get all that? Here, let me break down the awesome for you: 1) Kids with superpowers! Have I mentioned how much I love this plot point? The superpowers in The Darkest Minds were a little more joy-suck ala Rogue-can't-touch-people-without-killing-them and a little less wish-fulfillment than I'd like, but superpowers are still superpowers and you can never go too wrong by adding them to any plot. 2) Road trip! Another plot point that automatically elevates a storyline. There's even a sort of quest to find a mythical utopia for superpowered kids that can only be located by first finding and then cracking a code, which is pretty much another sentence packed with win right there. Though I could have done with a cooler road trip vehicle than a minivan. For crying out loud. Seriously YA authors, what gives? First we get Edward's decidedly uncool "Safety First" Volvo, and now this?! Have you not seen The Omega Man? Mad Max? If I ever find myself cruising around in a post-apocalyptic land, you'd better believe I'll be driving in V8-muscle style. 3) Pursuit. Always gets the heart racing. 4) Multiple groups of baddies. It would have been fine if Alexandra Bracken had created a bad government and left it at that. But multiple groups? That makes A LOT more sense. This world is fractured, so it's totally logical that there would be more than one group with an agenda running around. It could have been SO easy for Alexandra Bracken to have divided her lines across stark good and bad, government versus anti-government and called it a day. But she didn't, and I love her for it. The development of different groups with their sometimes aligned and sometimes at odds agendas make perfect sense and kept both Ruby and myself on our toes. Who can we trust? Anyone? No one? I'm still not sure where to put my loyalties, if anywhere, but I know I want to find out more about all of them. And one final good Chubs. Ah, I love this guy. He's part of Ruby's group of runaways and while he spends a good part of the book annoyed with her, he's a total genius and a softie and I love him. Fortunately, he's not Ruby's love interest. I know, totally weird thing for me to say, right? But it's true. He's a great guy and he has great chemistry with Ruby whether they're fighting or friendly, but it's purely on a friend level. And that's where I want it to stay. It's like Anne and Diana or Kirk and Spock (and while some fan fictions might go there, that's just wrong). Their friendships are perfection and I love that an author actually focused on developing a meaningful friendship instead of romance. But that cliffhanger of an ending? All I'm going to say is that IT BETTER GO MY WAY. cough and the bad You knew this wasn't going to be all yays and points. There is a whole star and a half missing here, and unfortunately I have more than a few reasons why. First off, I read an ARC, and oh lord do I hope the finished version has had a lot more work done to it. Plot holes! Incoherent superpowers! Wandering plot! Shoddy world-building! A lot of The Darkest Minds was just a hot mess. It felt like a rush-job that was put out there before it was ready. I feel like it makes so much more sense in the author's mind and it's really totally developed and even intricate...but only about 70% made it to paper. I want to read the 100% version, because that would be awesome. Add to that the flat characters, survival stupidity, and pity party main character, I'm sometimes surprised by how much I actually did like this book. The ideas were good, and I think I ran with that, even while part of me was sitting there thinking, "wait, what? NO, this is only half-baked!" And Ruby. Boy, did I want to like her. Sadly, she commits two of my biggest MC pet-peeves. First, she spends the entire (long) book moping in timid indecision, internally whining over how everyone will hate her if they find out the truth about her. Honey, I was starting to hate you, and it had nothing to do with your superpower. Which leads me to grievous MC sin number two: Superpower squandering. Ruby would rather take the LALAALALA-I'M-NOT-LISTENING approach to her powers instead of actually, you know, using them. I don't read a book about people with superpowers so I can listen to them cry about how woe-is-me they are for having them and ignore their power because it is oh so scary. Now, fine, Alexandra Bracken at least gives Ruby a pretty legit reason to be afraid of her powers and it did totally tug at my heartstrings and even make me tear up a little, but I really don't care. Superpower squandering is unforgivable. Ok, let's get down to what's important here While I'm not sure if this is entirely fair on my part, I have to admit I was disappointed. To be frank, I was gunning for Wayland North Does Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia, and I know that's slightly unrealistic. I mean, wouldn't it be a source of complaint if Alexandra Bracken basically took the same Brightly Woven characters, gave them modern clothes, and called it a day? Wouldn't that be considered lazy? Uncreative? Yeah, probably. But that's what I wanted. Because I'm still pining for Wayland North. And Liam? He's no Wayland North. Liam is nice. In real life, I'd probably love him. He makes a good mental picture, has a hot Southern accent, and he's a total gentleman. He's also super boring. Where was the swagger? The charm? The, I don't know, personality? Basically, I wanted Han Solo and instead I got Luke Skywalker (though hotter, there's that). And the other guy? (Yeah, we take an annoying detour down that path). All I can say is UGH BARF NO. From the very beginning. I don't know if I like being emotionally manipulated like that There were a few gut-punches thrown in there and I'm still not sure how I feel about them. On one hand, they totally worked. I was crying and mentally screaming, "NO NO NO THAT CAN'T HAPPEN STOP NOW!!" which is a definite mark in the win column. But, eeeeh, did we need to resort to emotional manipulations? Or, maybe I would have liked them more if the rest of the book felt as raw and spectacular as those scenes. As it was, it felt like I was snoozing through a fog of emotional detachment because, while they were nice enough, I really couldn't have cared less about the characters (Chubs excepted). And then, BAM suddenly I did! Or did I? Did I care about them, or was their plight just so emotionally transcendent that I'd have to be darn near inhuman not to feel for them (whoever the heck they are)? I think it's the latter. The events made me think how heartbroken I would feel if I were the one going through them, or even just how devastating they were conceptually. But they didn't make me feel for Ruby. So even while I was reeling from all the emotions and loving the fact that Alexandra Bracken went there and that was awesome and amazing and took The Darkest Minds to that great IMPACT level most YA dystopias lack, it still feels kinda like a cheap shot. The Darkest Minds is not the book I was hoping it would be. Part of that is my own fault for wanting to make it into something it wasn't (and stubbornly refusing to accept it for what it was). But even accounting for that, this one seems like it needed to spend more time in development. A little more editing, (A LOT) more coherent world-building, and a MC who isn't so wishy-washy would have gone a long way to making The Darkest Minds one of the rare really good YA dystopias. But, whatever. It falls short. That's ok. It's still an absorbing read that will likely appeal strongly to dystopia fans. Definitely something I'll be ordering for my library teens (probably too hardcore for tweens...unless they're already reading The Hunger Games), even if it isn't something I'll keep in my own personal library (so, trade?). Will I read the sequel? Maybe, maybe not. I still haven't decided. Also, cliffhanger warning. Total cliffhanger. On an unrelated note, I wish they had kept the original title Black is the Color. It's so fresh and original and striking. The Darkest Minds is so bland, been-there-done-that, and lame. Plus, it never fails to make me think of Michelle Pfeiffer bringing the joy of education to dangerous, misunderstood youths. Do you have any questions about The Darkest Minds that I haven't addressed? Labels: Alexandra Bracken, Book review, Rating: Three 1/2 Stars Undead by Kirsty McKay #1 in the Undead series Publisher: The Chicken House (Scholastic) Out of sight, out of their minds: It's a school-trip splatter fest and completely not cool when the other kids in her class go all braindead on new girl Bobby. The day of the ski trip, when the bus comes to a stop at a roadside restaurant, everyone gets off and heads in for lunch. Everyone, that is, except Bobby, the new girl, who stays behind with rebel-without-a-clue Smitty. Then hours pass. Snow piles up. Sun goes down. Bobby and Smitty start to flirt. Start to stress. Till finally they see the other kids stumbling back. But they've changed. And not in a good way. Straight up, they're zombies. So the wheels on the bus better go round and round freakin' fast, because that's the only thing keeping Bobby and Smitty from becoming their classmates' next meal. It's kill or be killed in these hunger games, heads are gonna roll, and homework is most definitely gonna be late. Calibrate your expectations This is not a deep book. At all. It's not swooningly romantic, it's not heart-pounding exciting, and it's not super funny. What it IS is a light, fun read that's worthy of a few chuckles, has a breezy romance, and held my interest throughout. Undead should be well received, just so long as readers don't set the expectations bar super high. Also, while I don't normally associate zombie books with good winter reading, Undead's blizzard setting makes it a perfect book to read now. Bobby, the girl I thought was a boy I spent the first chapter or so focusing just as much on whether or not main character Bobby was a boy or a girl as I did on the plot. I don't like narrator gender-ambiguity. It's frustrating and unfortunately pretty indicative of the depth of Bobby's characterization. On the plus side, Bobby's narration is sufficiently gender-ambiguous that I can totally give Undead to boy readers! So, silver lining? Back to Bobby. She's likable and has a pretty snarky sense of humor. She's also fairly capable, which is always a plus when reading zombie/survival books. She wasn't exactly Rambo, but she gamely rose to all the decapitating challenges when presented. Basically, I wouldn't kick her out of my zombie survival group. But those other characters? Yeah, none of them are getting invites. The main guy Smitty was ok, but pretty immature. Not in the, "cute MG level" type of immature, but more in the give girls wedgies and harp on 5th grade level humor kind of immature. So while he was nice and ultimately a decent guy, he was also annoying. Then again, I'm OLD, so what do I know? There's also the smart character, and while smart characters usually make my auto approve list for zombie/post-apoc catastrophes, this one had me seriously weighing their usefulness versus their irritating personality. At certain points I would have definitely opted to take my chances without that know it all. But, again, not all bad. And finally, what would a zombie Breakfast Club be without the popular girl? She's entirely stereotypical and there really isn't much else to say about her than that. Taken all together, the motley group was at times funny and endearing, but also frequently irritating. Though it was a mild irritating, so there's that. The thing is, the characters don't need to be all that great. Do you look for likable characters with incredible depth when watching horror movies? No! Undead is not supposed to be a deep book and the characters aren't supposed to be super developed or likable (think fairy tale characters). The plot is what's important here, and the plot is pretty decent. Everything moves at a brisk enough pace and the setting changes often enough that I never got bored with where we were or what we were doing. It was predictable in some regards (obviously Smitty and the MC will fall for each other), but I was surprised several times by the direction the plot took. In a good way. And even though I didn't love any of the characters, I was attached enough that I cared what happened to them. There were a few times where I was at the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next and if everyone would make it out okay. Sometimes what did happen next was kind of far fetched verging on ridiculous, but I thought that was part of the charm of Undead. This isn't a book that takes itself seriously, and I had a lot of fun with that. Undead won't be making it on the top adolescent literature lists anytime soon, but I can already hear the giddy buzz brewing among my tweens (girls AND boys!). I have a feeling this one will get passed around my library and school district through lots of word of mouth. The zombies are more of the Evil Dead gross but funny variety, so scaredy cats like myself needn't worry. Among my readers, I think this will be more popular with the tweens, but I know at least a handful of teens will also enjoy it. For myself, I had fun with Undead. I wouldn't rush out to buy it, but I'd check out the sequel or another book by the author if it came into my library system. The ending most definitely leads into a sequel and readers who become attached to the story will probably be pretty desperate to get their hands on the next book. Me? I'm okay waiting, but I'm still curious to find out what happens next. Do you have any questions about Undead that I haven't addressed? Labels: Book review, Kirsty McKay, Rating: Three Stars, Scholastic Book Review: Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George Princess of the Silver Woods #3 in the Princess series Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books Received: ARC from publisher, via NetGalley When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all. Oh, expectations... I loved Princess of the Midnight Ball, the first installment in this series, so much that I'm always trying to shove it into some unsuspecting reader's hands. The second book, Princess of Glass was enjoyable, but I didn't love it as much as the first. Still, it's fun and both can be read as standalones, so I'm often recommending both to my tween and teen readers. Sadly, and after much bated-breath anticipation, I have to come to terms with the fact that Princess of the Silver Woods is the weakest of the bunch for me. I'll still order a copy for my library, but I don't think it will get passed around as much as the other Jessica Day George books I've ordered. Who do I give this book to? First, there's the question of age. The two earlier books were sweet and light enough that I can easily give them to middle grade readers. They're also both layered enough that they hold the interest of teen and older readers (particularly the first book centering on eldest sister Rose). Princess of the Silver Woods reads much younger. I'm not sure many of my teen and older readers would enjoy it as much as they did the earlier installments. I'm thinking I'll be passing this to tweens more often than teens. And as for myself, I was definitely feeling the, "This book is for younger readers and I'm bored now" vibe. (And for the record, I hate that vibe because it makes me feel old.) The second question is whether or not I should give it to readers who have not read the earlier books in the series. And, ok, it's not much of a question because of course I'll provide the earlier books, if for no other reason than they're good books that should be read. But, is it necessary to read them in order? I'm not so sure it is. I'm of course coming from the perspective of having read the earlier books, but I think Jessica Day George does a more than adequate job of recapping previous events, especially the events from the first book (and the events from the second book don't have much of an impact on this story). Readers unfamiliar with books one and two shouldn't have much difficulty understanding and enjoying book three. I might even go so far as to say that readers who haven't read the first book may even enjoy Princess of the Silver Woods more than those who have read the whole series. Which brings me to one of my biggest complaints. Haven't I already read this book? In the first book, the King Under Stone is wreaking havoc on the sisters' lives by magically forcing them to travel to his kingdom every night and dance with his sons, to whom the princesses are bethrothed. The princesses fight this evil with the help of a handsome man who falls in love with oldest sister Rose. In Princess of the Silver Woods, the new King Under Stone is weraking havoc on the sisters' lives by magically forcing them to travel to his kingdom and dance with his brothers, with whom the princesses are expected to have children. The princesses fight this evil with the help of a handsome man who falls in love with youngest sister Petunia. Notice any similarities? Now, ok, not everything is exactly the same, but it felt way too similar to Princess of the Midnight Ball to really hold my interest. I was expecting a whole new story, not a reworking of a story I had already read. Other disappointments The characters felt really under-developed. I had very little idea of what set Petunia apart from her sisters (none of which were particularly distinct) and while Oliver felt a little more defined, his personality didn't seem entirely consistent (he lays down everything to protect his people and then tosses it all away in a second because of love for a girl he just met??) The only solid character trait I could come up with for Petunia is that she's frustratingly slow when it comes to puzzling things out. Though I would love to attribute that complaint to my super awesome powers of deduction, I don't think I can take credit here. The bad guy was RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER FACE and she kept saying, "Oh no, but they're so nice!" and then not even investigating things (how do you not investigate things?!). And, I mean, it's not like we needed Nancy Drew to solve this mystery. It was pretty much stated as fact. I'm totally baffled as to why Petunia refused to consider the possibility, let alone actually acknowledge the obvious truth. I didn't like feeling so exasperated with her and I really didn't like reading her repetitive denials throughout the whole book (right up until she did something REALLY dumb, and for an equally incomprehensible reason). So where did the stars come from? Because I love Jessica Day George's books. They're just so fluffy and sweet. I may not have been able to tell the sisters apart, but I loved their banter and the way they always supported one another. Her books are easy to read and they make me happy. Jessica Day George is the ultimate comfort read author. They're like the book equivalent to a puppy. Even when puppies do something bad or are kind of scruffy looking, they're still adorable puppies and I can't help but love them. Not the strongest book and not something I'll buy for myself. I do think it will be popular enough with my middle grade girls to warrant placing a library order though. Read it as a standalone or as a part of the series. Skip the middle book or read all three. Just don't expect something BRAND NEW or super deep and Princess of the Silver Woods should still be able to deliver as a quick, fun, sweet comfort read. Do you have any questions about Princess of the Silver Woods that I haven't addressed? Labels: Bloomsbury, Book review, Jessica Day George, Rating: Three Stars Duchessina: A Novel of Catherine de' Medici by Carolyn Meyer #5 in the Young Royals series Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books Received: Library Young Catherine de' Medici is the sole heiress to the entire fortune of the wealthy Medici family. But her life is far from luxurious. After a childhood spent locked away behind the walls of a convent, she joins the household of the pope, where at last she can be united with her true love. But, all too soon, that love is replaced with an engagement to a boy who is cold and aloof. It soon becomes clear that Catherine will need all the cunning she can muster to command the respect she deserves as one of France's most powerful queens. Catherine's boring She's nice enough, but not in a good way. She's nice the way where I use "nice" to describe an inoffensive person when I can't think of anything else to say about them. Maybe I could also throw in bland and meek? That isn't helping matters, is it? There just wasn't much to her. I also get the feeling that I don't have a clue what the real Catherine de' Medici was like. Catherine, the historical figure, is described in lots of very NOT nice ways, but there wasn't anything in Duchessina to even hint at any of that. The plot is dreary This isn't really Carolyn Meyer's fault. I mean, if she tried to spice things up by deviating from history I'd start complaining about that, so really, I can't hold this against her. Much. Catherine's childhood is mostly a bunch of moving around from one convent to another. She's cut off from most of the world and, when she finally gets to France, she isn't given any political power (until after the book ends). So, yeah, kind of dull. I'm not entirely convinced this couldn't have been made more interesting, though. Lots of political stuff was going on around Catherine, and I don't see why it couldn't have been integrated into the story more. I would have liked more details about the wars, battles, conspiracies, strife, and upheaval. Basically, all of the things that caused Catherine to have to move and go into hiding. Also, her life is sad. Again, not Carolyn Meyer's fault. Catherine's childhood was full of death, failure, abandonment, starvation, and sadness. This was not a particularly uplifting book. Maybe if I had cared more about Catherine I could have at least gotten into all that sadness. I mean, I went through a Lurlene McDaniel phase in my tween years and I'm a diehard Beaches fan, so it's not like I'm totally opposed to a good cry-fest. But I shed nary a tear for boring Catherine. I just couldn't muster up a care (and to put this in perspective, Carolyn Meyer had me sobbing at the end of her book about Marie Antoinette). Everything's all uneven I like a well-plotted book with a clear purpose and progression of events. I don't like slow paced books, but I also don't like unevenly paced books. Duchessina was both. The slowness comes from the lack of really anything happening. There weren't even a ton of historical factoids to keep me occupied. Nothing propelled me to keep reading other than the fact that the book didn't have many pages and I didn't dislike it enough to stop. Also, I wasn't sure what I wanted to read next. The uneven pacing is something I've also complained about with the Cleopatra book in this series. As in Cleopatra Confesses, Duchessina focuses on Catherine's childhood and stops just as things are getting good. I guess it is nice having a chance to get to know Catherine's life before she became the great historical figure, but it was frustrating to have Carolyn Meyer hint at Catherine's reputation and then never back up those hints with anything. I also didn't appreciate the rush at the end. If we're stopping the story at a point other than Catherine's death, then just stop the story, please. Instead, I got a rushed synopsis of Catherine's life from the events at the end of the book up until her death. It was like watching a movie of her life and then getting bored partway through and watching the rest with the fast forward button pressed. I love the idea of this series, but the reality isn't measuring up to my expectations. I feel like the Young Royals series is getting the, "Oh it's just YA" treatment, which I equate to sloppy stories with weak character development and little regard for accuracy. Young adults demand better, and it would be nice if authors and publishers took note. So I'll be passing on ordering this one for my library. I did order and highly recommend The Bad Queen about Marie Antoinette, so I won't give up on the Young Royals series just yet! Do you have any questions about Duchessina that I haven't addressed? Click on the covers to go to my reviews. Heads up, The Queen's Vow is adult fiction. Posted by Small Review at 12:00 AM 8 comments Links to this post Labels: Book review, Carolyn Meyer, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Rating: Two 1/2 Stars	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line159
__label__wiki	0.810847	0.810847	Denny Wild for Westcott at MFC 28 By: Press Release A young gun on the rise will meet a grizzled veteran determined to protect his legacy in an exciting welterweight matchup signed by the Maximum Fighting Championship for MFC 28: Supremacy. Promising hot prospect Sheldon Westcott (4-1) of Edmonton, Alberta, will take on eclectic warrior Thomas “Wildman” Denny (27-18), who now fights out of Centennial, Colorado, in a featured bout on the main card that will air live on HDNet Fights on Friday, Feb. 25. Both fighters have already started a heated war of words via social media outlets. The rivalry began with Westcott, who just signed a multi-fight deal with the MFC, calling out Denny, a fighter with 11 years’ experience in mixed martial arts. With the agreement sealed, more verbal fireworks were set off. “I’ve wanted this fight for three years,” explained Westcott. “His experience is absolutely not intimidating. In fact, it’s going to make me train even harder. I want to beat him faster than (Nick) Diaz did, faster than Georges St. Pierre did. I’m putting an extremely big emphasis on that.” Denny didn’t hesitate for moment in shooting back. “I think the kid’s bit off more than he can chew,” said Denny, who also inked a multi-fight contract with the MFC. “I posted on his Facebook page that his dream to fight me has come true. But he should be careful what he wishes for. His dream just might end up being a nightmare.” Denny has won five of his last eight fights, and has career totals of six knockouts and 16 submissions. The California native has been one of the sport’s most colorful ambassadors since the start of his career. Of late, Denny became recognized for a stint on the MTV reality series “Bully Beatdown,” but inside MMA circles he is well-regarded for the vast array of notable names on his fighting resume including clashes with Pat Miletich, Joe Stevenson, John Alessio, Duane Ludwig, and Yves Edwards. The 39-year-old is eager to meet Westcott in his own home town, something he has frequently done against opposition throughout his career. This time, however, Denny has more than ample time to prepare unlike previous bouts that he’s taken on short notice. “They all say they want to stand and bang with me but then they get hit twice in the face and they want to go to the ground,” noted Denny. “That’s fine too. I’m not too shabby with my wrestling and submissions so Westcott better be careful. I might just put him in his own game and submit him.” The fight with Denny marks Westcott’s return to the MFC organization. He previously earned a first-round submission win over Jeff Kilisolsky at MFC 18, and added a first-round TKO victory over Kyle Millberry in the inaugural Heat XC event. Already sporting a solid ground game, the powerfully built Westcott went to the Netherlands to work on his stand-up skills alongside well-regarded striker Melvin Manhoef. “This is easily the biggest fight of my career … it’s only thing that matters right now,” said Westcott. The main card for MFC 28: Supremacy now includes: Light-heavyweight title – Dwayne Lewis vs. Ryan Jimmo Lightweight – Kajan Johnson vs. Richie Whitson Light-heavyweight – Razak Al-Hassan vs. Rodney Wallace Welterweight – Thomas Denny vs. Sheldon Westcott Two additional fights for the main card, plus a three-fight undercard, will be announced shortly. VIP, Row 1, and Row 2 tickets are now available by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024. Remaining tickets will be on sale soon via Ticketmaster. ***Photo by Jason Bouwmeester\|pixelens.com MFC 42 – Edmonton – January 23 MFC 41 Highlight Video MFC 41: All In – Play-by-Play MFC 41: All In – Quick Results MFC 41: All In Weigh-In Photos Posted: Thursday, January 6th, 2011 at 9:39 am MFC, Press Release 14 Responses to “ Denny Wild for Westcott at MFC 28 ” MFC is the way to go in Canada. Big name fighters, good fights,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Nobody can do it like them in this country, nobody!! Pavelduche says: 27 – 18 – 0 vs. 4 – 1 – 0 What kind of garbage match making is this? harry balls says: ^ you have bested me in the funny name category, sir. I humbly bow to your greatness…. Machinist says: Garbage matchmaking… I’m not so sure. Westcott will win this fairly easily and it is a chance for Westcott (and the promotion) to show what level he is really at. cody krahn says: if it was anybody but sheldon i would say this is a mismatch. BRD AT WRK says: I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR DENNY HE IS A VET AND ALWAYS PUTS ON A SHOW, BUT SHELDON IS A BEAST AND ITS HIS TIME TO SHINE!! Well said Cody. JYD says: I was hoping to see DENNY vs BULLY BEATDOWN guy again. You don’t know anything about Sheldon if you think that he is even the underdog in this fight. He’ll finish Denny in the first round. Marc-Andre Drolet says: There are more than records to matchmaking. But of coarse it’s the easiest job to people who have never been involved. I’d say Sheldon is the favorite in this fight, and the timing could be perfect for him. What are both of their records in the past year? I like this fight. Challenging but win-able fight for Sheldon, and its against a flashy character who always brings with him some sizzle and can sell fights, which is great for the show. Solid fight. It’s a good time for Denny to pop up a bit more as a sellable test for guys trying to get to the next level. And he’s always an entertaining character who can derail the rising star in any fight. Duffy Young says: Westcott all day too big for Denny trent_thorne says: ya man i dont know westcott as well as most on here but i have to say the guys pretty talented i dont see Denny giving him much trouble! Westcott is UFC bound for sure!	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line163
__label__cc	0.730928	0.269072	Corrosion Lab Report A simple electrochemical cell can be made from copper and zinc metals with solutions of their sulfates. Laboratory Technician & Regulatory Affairs Specialist, email Which Products: Consumer or workplace chemicals that are liquid or solid products, that may become liquid during transport with a high or low pH, or contain ingredients known to be corrosive to metals. It is the laboratory’s job to measure a certain mechanical Common Mechanical Test Methods Performed in the Laboratory: Machine Threaded Round Tensile Sample The mechanical properties associated with a material can be either intrinsic or modified in some manner to meet the requirements of a particular application. What would cause this?. The factor investigated for the experiment is: * Amount of salt Background: in contact with water and oxygen, or other strong oxidants and/or acids, iron will rust. The report format required for the technical laboratory reports is attached. Figure 7 shows the depth or the pitting on a polished cross-section cut transverse to the fraction (arrow). This experiment focused on the corrosion of iron because these metals are used very widely and corrosion of metals is a major problem. , Linden, N. Recall that phenolphthalein turns pink in the presence of hydroxide and ferricyanide turns a deep blue in the presence of iron II ++ (rust). Focused on providing Corrosion Management, Cathodic Protection, AC Mitigation and Integrity assessments in North America & around the world. 2001 - Software Quality Engineering - Version 7. Who must report. Frankel is Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Director of the Fontana Corrosion Center at the Ohio State University. Material Laboratory of the Construction Section. Terminology according to UN 1267 (hazardous substances classification) Return to footnote 1 referrer. Coupon Analysis. Corrosion Testing and Stress Durability. Corrosion Type: Galvanic Corrosion. This section highlights the Committee's activities and provides administrative resources for its members. Fe = Fe 2+ + 2e-. ” not “We did the experiment to see if…. The ARGOLF Putting Lab is a state-of-the-art facility offering a customized fitting experience tailored to each individual golfer's putting needs. LC and QD tests must be ordered separately. Health Care. 'Electrochemistry Voltaic Cells Lab Report Results April 22nd, 2018 - Answer to Electrochemistry Voltaic Cells lab report Results for Part 1 I have 3 281 Part 2 0 5018 Part 3 1 342 Can I have som''Lab report corrosion by Yufei Chang issuu March 29th, 2018 - Corrosion ABSTRACT In this experiment we. Conforms to MIL-PRF-81705D and MIL-PRF-22019/22020. Bacteroides spp. Those which follow a national standard (not included in this manual). This means you're free to copy, share and adapt any parts (or all) of the text in the article, as long as you give appropriate credit and provide a link/reference to this page. Faraday Soc. Each suspected metal. Copper-beryllium – CuCo1Ni1Be, CuCo2Be, CuNi2Be. Corrosion tests are not usually required unless the material is to be used for the carriage of dangerous goods or it is a corrosion resistant alloy (usually a stainless steel) in which case tests may be carried out on as-supplied and as-finished material. On Site Wet SO2 ASTM G87 Test Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Hydrogen Induced Cracking (HIC) Sulfide Stress Cracking (SSC) NACE Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) NACE LECO Oxygen Nitrogen Hydrogen (ONH) Stress Rupture ASTM E139 Creep ASTM E139 Drop Weight ASTM E208 Impact ASTM E23 Impact ISO 148 Nuclear Power Corporation India (NPCIL) approved Hot Tensile Test ASTM E21. Upper and lower racks with a variety of inserts make loading easy and flexible. So, in many countries it is the object of numerous environmental laws and regulations. Pick up a can of diet soda and pose the same question. Although the "scientific method" usually includes doing some research before the experiment, that can be problematical for young students because they tend to look up the answer they are "supposed to get", and then fudge their. Be careful when packing melting point tubes or using Pasteur pipettes - glass capillaries and pipettes are very fragile and can result in cuts to the hand. The Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) is an internationally distinguished department that is recognized for its globally competitive excellence in engineering and scientific accomplishments, research, and educational leadership. Methods of corrosion control vary depending upon the type of corrosion encountered. The corrosion integrity analysis performed indicated that the internal corrosion, at its current state, was severe enough to have caused the pipeline to fail at normal operating pressures experienced by Station 17. Corrosion resistance in compliance with TAS 114 Appendix E, Section 2 (ASTMG 85), for salt spray for 280 hrs. The experimental investigation will examine the effects of detergents on the health of an Elodea plant. Enviado por. Some commonly used techniques for measuring and preventing corrosion will be studied. Corrosion engineering is the field dedicated to controlling and preventing corrosion. Government In this report, a brief summary : 29. More information … Read more. • Test Method: 90 g lube + 10 g water + 1 g alumina, reflux 48 hours. Final Coat offers unique surface protection products available through your automotive dealership that include; Electromagnetic Corrosion Protection, Exterior Paint Protection and Interior Protection. 4 CiteScore measures the average citations received per peer-reviewed document published in this title. 2018 Annual Progress Report Fuel Cell R&D. We are corrosion experts and problem solvers in our state-of-the-art corrosion research and testing labs. Microbiological analysis has never been easier, our UKAS accredited micro lab now takes orders online, with sampling kits supplied by post including a pre-paid return packet. Corrosion elements of differential aeration on the metal surface in soil resulted from the following developments: non-uniform oxygen diffusion of neighboring portions of the soil, local heterogeneity of soils, greater oxygen diffusion on the end of the structure and different depth of separate parts of the structure. Metallurgy and Material Science. direct corrosion cost was estimated at $276 billion, and the indirect cost was estimated at about the same amount. is one of the most reputed independent testing laboratory. Love, chief, Quality of Water Branch. Corrosion Lab & Field Services by Corrosion Engineers. (d) Potentiostatic Study of Corrosion The pen trace of Ni and Fe (attached at the end of the report) show that both Ni and Fe are capable of forming stable oxides to prevent corrosion form occurring. Please choose LC or QD to complete your order. Honeywell offers software, technology and services to help industrial organizations detect and solve corrosion problems that can hinder their ability to operate safely at optimal levels. Chloride stress corrosion cracking in austenitic stainless steel Assessing susceptibility and structural integrity. Chemistry 12 IB Corrosion of Iron Rajesh Swaminathan March 13, 2005 1 Planning A 1. The tensile testing laboratory was conducted using an Instron load frame and the BlueHill data acquisition software. Final Coat offers unique surface protection products available through your automotive dealership that include; Electromagnetic Corrosion Protection, Exterior Paint Protection and Interior Protection. Sensory surface of the normal organ of Corti. Our lab capabilities include testing for stress corrosion cracking, pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion, intergranular corrosion, and other localized corrosion, as well as weight loss and corrosion coupon analysis. Air flows in a spiral pattern, beginning at the top (wide end) of the cyclone and ending at the bottom (narrow) end before exiting the cyclone in a straight stream through the center of the cyclone and out the top. Intro to Welding • A weld is made when separate pieces of material to be joined combine and form one piece when heated to a temperature high enough to cause softening or melting. acid, or low pH baths 2. I'd also like this site to become a trustworthy source of information for engineering and graduate students taking fundamental (and not so much so) classes on corrosion and electrochemistry. Control Valves - Control Valve terminology, bodies, trim, flow characteristics, Cv and Kv sizing, noise, actuators and positioners; Corrosion - Corrosion in piping systems - caused by thermodynamic and electrochemical processes - corrosion problems and methods of protection and prevention. Project X Corrosion Engineering. Responsibilities. Read the reaction forces from the scales and record them in the table provided under the Data section. The coupon is then cleaned of all corrosion product and is reweighed. The components of a lab report are important to any scientific explanation of an experiment. Extract with 90 g more water. corrosion because rusts easily. alkaline, or high pH baths The acid baths in use include chromium plating from chromic acid, gold plating from the ACR C-27 bath, nickel plating from Sel-Rex Lectro-Nic. Helpful terminology. gainesville lab specialist i-corrosion - 55010256 - fl, 32609. The objective of the test program was to determine the corrosion rate of steel exposed to wet CO2 conditions. Lab Report Corrosion-1. 91 billion costs incurred by the motor vehicle owners for changing of automotive parts, automobile depreciation and maintenance (Cann, and Umile 65). Corrosion Technologies makes products that preserve all the things you love. It can affect items such as furnaces and air conditioning, raising the cost of home ownership and home. CORROSION journal features peer-reviewed technical articles from the world's top. Extreme value statistics (EVS) has been used since the 1950s for extrapolating corrosion damages (maximum pit depth, crevice depth, crack depth etc. Be sure to point out the fact that the cans are exactly the same size and shape and contain the same amount of liquid (compare the number of milliliters—probably 355 mL). The findings were backed by researches and papers of authors who have worked on the same topic but with different models and approaches. Keeping a lab notebook, which is graded, teaches the student to keep a record while doing an experiment, but it may not develop good writing and presentation skills. Corrosion Testing and Laboratory Research. As a part of the accreditation requirements, the format of our laboratory reports must comply with the ISO 17025 standards. The 148-page lab report of mostly raw data is available for public review at http://health. Balasubramanian as a Process Control Laboratory for his maiden venture, M/S Balaji Alloys – a Bronze / Brass base Foundry. Tuthill This article has been peer-reviewed by two professionals. Our lab capabilities include testing for stress corrosion cracking, pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion, intergranular corrosion, and other localized corrosion, as well as weight loss and corrosion coupon. We have the ability to create custom mounts to fit special. Trace elements such as Cu ,Sn or Pb are critical because it will lead to early corrosion. The new SAE J2334 – Chassis, test report was performed and certified by Element Independent Corrosion Test lab. Lab Report: Heat Treatment of Steel The lab report for Heat Treatment of Steel will be a group lab report. Estimation of Crevice Corrosion Life Time for Stainless Steels in Seawater Environments. It is the laboratory’s job to measure a certain mechanical Common Mechanical Test Methods Performed in the Laboratory: Machine Threaded Round Tensile Sample The mechanical properties associated with a material can be either intrinsic or modified in some manner to meet the requirements of a particular application. SGS MSi testing is a full-service metallurgical testing laboratory specializing in failure analysis investigations. Use correct ASTM B813 fluxes. Shinji TSUGE Tooru SUZUKI. Findings and Contributing Factors. Spectroscopy involves the interaction of electromagnetic radiation and matter. This resistance is due largely to the graphite matrix that forms during the casting process, and is interwoven with a matrix of pure iron. During the energy-generating process, Lossen said, materials inside the reactor undergo extreme environments, such as high temperature, pressure, exposure to radiation and corrosion. Electromagnetic Lab. The pitting corrosion of copper in chloride solution has been studied using potentiostatic polarisation and surface analysis techniques. Purafil provides Corrosion Classification Coupons to determine whether or not your environment is safe for electronics. Keeping a lab notebook, which is graded, teaches the student to keep a record while doing an experiment, but it may not develop good writing and presentation skills. b) Fume hoods intended for use with radioactive isotopes must be constructed of stainless steel or other materials that will not be corroded by the chemicals used in the hood. Corrosion is the destruction of a metal by a chemical or electrochemical reaction within its environment. Rusting occurs mainly when iron slowly combines with the oxygen from moist air. households, businesses and government. 2 · i L , Fe 2 + 3 ≅ 10 · 2 T − 25 25 where corrosion rate, C rate , is in mm/y and T (°C) is the temperature. Micom Laboratories Inc. Our lab can create corrosion coupons, and perform metallurgical analysis on metals to provide. Apply to Corrosion Engineer, Metallurgical Engineer, Senior Process Engineer and more!. Instrumentation. Only the more noble metals (platinum, gold, etc. Hardness Tests and Mechanical Properties. It can affect items such as furnaces and air conditioning, raising the cost of home ownership and home. Corrosion is an electrochemical degradation process, where the metals are oxidized to substances which are eroded quickly. Although corrosion is a long-time process, but it takes place at a. From my background knowledge, the iron present which is elemental iron in the cornflakes is harder to absorb than either two. 76 V for zinc and +0. This isn't just the oxygen that is part of the water molecule, this is. Metallic corrosion may be described as the destructive reaction of a metal and the environment surrounding it. , program sponsored by the U. Several changes to the national fuel supply and fuel storage practices have occurred since the mid-2000s. Corrosion Lab :It is testing used to determine corrosiveness of material in particular environment. Countries throughout the world have reported very different case fatality ratios - the number of deaths divided by the number of confirmed cases. The Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) is an internationally distinguished department that is recognized for its globally competitive excellence in engineering and scientific accomplishments, research, and educational leadership. Established in 1881, it has a membership of around 50,000 members worldwide. Introductory lab course in engineering materials and their properties. Corrosion engineering is the field dedicated to controlling and preventing corrosion. This means you're free to copy, share and adapt any parts (or all) of the text in the article, as long as you give appropriate credit and provide a link/reference to this page. Appendix: photos. The coupon is then cleaned of all corrosion product and is reweighed. Materials Chemistry Lab Script 2005 2. Metallurgy and Corrosion Resistance Roger A. Bhakre Hon. Includes a full length introduction method discussion conclusion references and appendices. Choose one of the tests listed below or both depending on the type of Listing desired. LabCorp: Online lab testing is prohibited in MA, MD, NY, NJ and RI. For instance, threads are typically disregarded in salt-spray testing as they tend to accumulate and hold salt water. Laboratory Freezers (-20°C/-30°C) Laboratory Freezers offer a reliable cold storage solution for sensitive samples requiring stable temperatures of -20°C or -30°C. 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MATLAB Answers. 005g) of various types of corrosive metals when placed in a solution of 1 molar concentration of hydrochloric acid over a period of 8 days at an avergae room temperatur of 24 degress celcius. Apparatus. Visible spectroscopy provides a simple tool for determining the percent copper in brass. Basically just a fully completed lab report. Need Laboratories for Scientific Research, Testing, Inspection, Certification? Save time and money. Continuous beam apparatus lab report This is because the thinner beam is not stronger like thicker beam. Buckman board elects three new directors 01/06/2020. Corrosion Fatigue Lab Report. Aircraft Corrosion Management - Luna's Acuity LS system provides continuous individual aircraft tracking of environmental severity and corrosivity. Water is the most important resource we have, and it is vitally important for all of us. Choose one of the tests listed below or both depending on the type of Listing desired. Specialties include heavy metal testing, toy safety, bike testing, Prop 65, and more. NRL operates as the Navy's full-spectrum corporate laboratory, conducting a broadly based multidisciplinary program of scientific research and advanced technological development directed toward maritime applications of new and improved materials, techniques, equipment, systems and ocean, atmospheric, and space sciences and related technologies. Industry Body Standards: BIS. 3%, Between 2020 and 2025 The corrosion protection coatings. Principal Investigator of this project at MIT was Prof. Apparatus. The corrosion rate of iron in a CO2 environment is not constant, especially in laboratory studies in which the starting point is a bare metal surface on a test specimen. … Download full paperFile format:. Two chambers, each with four panels. Testing your well water regularly is one of the best ways to maintain your well water's health. A wide variety of corrosion test options are available to you, such as power, usage. Our lab capabilities include testing for stress corrosion cracking, pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion, intergranular corrosion, and other localized corrosion, as well as weight loss and corrosion coupon analysis. FEMech Engineering has a fully equipped fiberglass testing lab and is the only lab specializing in FRP for the corrosion industry which is owned by a Professional Engineering Firm. Routine testing for common contaminants is highly recommended. 76 V for zinc and +0. Deepwater’s corrosion testing facility is great for small-scale corrosion and mechanical testing. Another form of corrosion, stress-corrosion cracking, can also lead to failures. The Energy Department’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) teamed up with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to create a revolutionary, cost-effective technology to reduce that impact—work that resulted in the creation of a new CMU-based spin-off company that signed a licensing agreement with the laboratory in June. The level of corrosion at the end of the experiment is ascertained by comparing the copper strip with a colour scale. Department of Energy. We had to get three iron nails and put them into copper (ii) chloride solution. INTRODUCTION Worldwide, in industry, in busi-ness and in the home, metals called stainless steels are used daily. As the corrosion percentage. Terminology according to UN 1267 (hazardous substances classification) Return to footnote 1 referrer. The report also examines the history of the pipe that ruptured, determining that the component that failed had no record of ever being inspected for corrosion as it thinned over the years. MICROLAB was Established in the Year 2000 by Mr. Lab Report Corrosion-1 - Free download as Word Doc (. SAMPLE PLANNING AND DESIGN LAB Conditions Necessary for Rusting Aim: To determine if both water and oxygen are necessary for rusting. Visible spectroscopy provides a simple tool for determining the percent copper in brass. Rules Specific For The Organic Chemistry Laboratories. Describe the use of galvanic protection and impressed voltage for corrosion prevention. Choose one of the tests listed below or both depending on the type of Listing desired. evaluation of water corrosivity using the langelier index and relative corrosion rate models. Corrosion Detection. Scientific Principles: In order to save expensive copper, penny coins, starting in 1983, were made of zinc with a thin layer of copper plated on the surface. Advances in Corrosion Engineering. 2,325 likes · 15 talking about this. Laboratory Testing & Quality Control Metallographic Examinations. Then the reaction governing corrosion rate will be introduced to simulate corrosion. Google co-lab. There are two procedures used to investigate steel corrosion. The National Corrosion and Materials Reliability Lab (NCMRL) fosters innovation, collaborative research, education, and training in corrosion science. Government In this report, a brief summary : 29. In industrial applications, including boilers, the make-up water must have low DO levels in order to avoid corrosion and boiler scale build up. 21 Types of Pipe Corrosion & Failure. Whether you're teaching a unit on geology, space, chemistry, or physics, you'll find the science materials you need for elementary, intermediate, and high school students. Another form of corrosion, which cannot be accurately categorized as either uniform or localized, is erosion corrosion caused by high velocity turbulence near elbows or valves. Apply to Corrosion Engineer, Metallurgical Engineer, Senior Process Engineer and more!. Fe = Fe 2+ + 2e-. Corrosion testing, analysis and consulting services are specialist capabilities of our experienced and world-renowned teams. Electrochemical Corrosion Measurements: corrosion occurs via electrochemical reactions at the interface between the metal and an electrolyte solution The Gamry Instruments Mobile App is a convenient way to find Technical Support Articles, Application Notes, Electronic versions of our Instrument's User Manuals as well as news and events. Software Downloads. These results were lower than actual values. The corrosion resistance of materials cannot be accurately determined in abiotic electrolytes. The Westminster College Science in Motion program provides elementary, middle and high school students with laboratory experiences with modern instrumentation and offers their teachers professional development opportunities through workshops and mentoring links with college faculty. Corrosion Type: Galvanic Corrosion. system Engineer for Banks , i need you to write a report for something, lab report definition, chemistry lab report format. This reliable Spectrophotometer with the easy to use menu navigation, easy programming combined with the seamless PC Connectivity ensure this professional Spectrophotometer is the ideal Color Analysis Instrument for your laboratory, research and quality management. 62-2752 Copy- No_ IEL 1-8-107-2 Dat6 15 August 1962. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. 5) Corrosion Tests: This Procedure is used to assist in the selection of test methods that can be used in the identification and examination of pits and in the evaluation of pitting corrosion to determine the. A number of factors will accelerate corrosion, including: Acidity (low pH). corrosion LAB REPORT - Free download as Word Doc (. … Download full paperFile format:. Corrosion has been a great concern in the oil and natural gas industry costing billions of dollars Conventional corrosion sensors encompass corrosion coupons, electrical resistance probes. Sigma Test & Research Centre is a NABL accrediated laboratory for Toys Testing as per IS – 9873 (Part 1, 3, 9) and IS 15644 New standard (F3270/F3270M) was developed by ASTM International’s committee on gaskets (F03) Proposed ASTM International Standard will help characterize the quality of diesel fuels and bio-diesel blend Hoverboard. 34 V for copper. If you can help me either by introducing ideas or by providing recent publications in this field, I will be grateful. View Lab Report - Corrosion Lab. Resources and materials to support your teaching of chemistry to primary, secondary and higher education students. A number of factors will accelerate corrosion, including: Acidity (low pH). This guarantees the measurement of the position of the reaction forces on the beam with good precision. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results enabled conclusions to be drawn about the nature of the film formed in different chloride concentrations. , EPA/600/J-85/056. Words: 460, Paragraphs: 4, Pages: 2. Closed-toe shoes are required at all times in the lab (i. September 8, 2013 Acharya Tankeshwar Bacteriology, Laboratory Diagnosis of Bacterial Disease 11 Bacteria grow on solid media as colonies. Bug Reports. Since last 28-years. It is a costly and severe problem in the drilling industry. Copper is also used to make water pipes and jewelry, as well as other items. Covert and Arthur H. New equipment is being purchased for photo stress analysis. Roberts Corrosion ServicesRoberts Corrosion ServicesRoberts Corrosion Services. " The ECE 2110 Course Website, Fall 2014. This experiment focused on the corrosion of iron because these metals are used very widely and corrosion of metals is a major problem. This layer can be good or bad. Purafil provides Corrosion Classification Coupons to determine whether or not your environment is safe for electronics. The Rosemount™ Wireless Permasense ET210 Corrosion Erosion monitoring system provides real-time visibility into trends with ultrasonic sensors continuously measuring pipe thickness. How does it occur? What four components are required for it to occur? Be sure to describe the function of each of the components. By GC and GC/MS and cytotoxicity tests were carried out with laboratory animals. Switch the alligator clips on the zinc and copper electrodes and note any changes that take place in the voltage reading in your lab notebook. Our laboratory mainly focuses on microbiology, fermentation, yeast genetics, and plant physiology. it has on corrosion of mild steel pipelines. has the resources and expertise to meet and exceed your needs, Since its founding in 1967, Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research, Inc. Protect your vehicle all year round. Make a lab book as previously described, Robbie, then put a nail in a container of each and see what you find! Do the experiment first and record your results. Element's global corrosion testing laboratories offer a full range of corrosion testing services, including pipeline corrosion testing for sour and non-sour applications. Essay Example on Corrosion Lab Report. corrosion LAB REPORT - Free download as Word Doc (. Laboratory Automation and Information Management. The Energy Department’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) teamed up with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to create a revolutionary, cost-effective technology to reduce that impact—work that resulted in the creation of a new CMU-based spin-off company that signed a licensing agreement with the laboratory in June. Electrochemical Cells Lab Report AP Chemistry Block 1 Analysis: The purpose of Part 1 of this laboratory is to construct a table listing the reduction potentials of a series of metal ions in order of ease of reduction. 1 This test method covers the determination of the corrosivity of water by evaluating pitting and by measuring the weight loss of metal specimens. Intertek's Total Quality Assurance corrosion expertise cover a wide range of. Laboratory Automation and Information Management. The excess sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in acid rain damages automobile paint and corrodes surfaces. Our laboratory testing services include the analysis of potable water (drinking water) in the workplace and at home, swimming pool and spa waters, hydrotherapy pools, natural recreational waters, domestic hot and cold water installations; water used in cooling systems, cooling towers, industrial and manufacturing processes, and other commercial. Manufacturers need to know how long their materials will retain a passing structural performance under expected environmental conditions. UHLIG, PhD, was Professor of Metallurgy and served as director of MIT's Corrosion Laboratory for twenty-nine years. degree in Materials Science Engineering from Brown University and the Sc. This lab is certified by the US Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for drinking water and waste water analysis. National Energy Technology Laboratory. Essay Example on Corrosion Lab Report From inspection of a Portrait diagram it can be seen that for a pH of 2, Fee is in the catholic immunity region where no oxidation occurs, which is why no reaction is observed. You, the home owner/well owner, are responsible for assuring the water is safe for potable use. Serious corrosion-0,5<0: Slightly corrosion but non-scale forming: LSI = 0,0: Balanced but pitting corrosion possible: 0,0<0,5: Sligthly scale forming and corrosive: 0,5<2: Scale forming but non corrosive. Methods of testing fall into four main groups: 1. Corrosion is the gradual destruction of material, usually metals, by chemical reaction with its Corrosion of metals and alloys results in oxidization or selective removal of a material from a surface. Higher can increase risk of corrosion but ususlly just considered as indicator of system concentration. , program sponsored by the U. 1 These test methods describe laboratory tests for comparing the resistance of stainless steels and related alloys to the initiation of pitting and crevice corrosion. ” The deck was later fully enclosed, but the water issue persists. Frankel is Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Director of the Fontana Corrosion Center at the Ohio State University. direct corrosion cost was estimated at $276 billion, and the indirect cost was estimated at about the same amount. Rules Specific For The Organic Chemistry Laboratories. We provide personalized service for every client and every project with our worldwide network of labs and facilities. It is the laboratory’s job to measure a certain mechanical Common Mechanical Test Methods Performed in the Laboratory: Machine Threaded Round Tensile Sample The mechanical properties associated with a material can be either intrinsic or modified in some manner to meet the requirements of a particular application. Rusting occurs mainly when iron slowly combines with the oxygen from moist air. Appendix: photos. During the lab period, each pair should take turns going to the side shelf to record measurements for Part B. As a lab manager it is important for me to find cost effective and timely third-party laboratories capable of handling complex jobs for my clients. Scientific Principles: In order to save expensive copper, penny coins, starting in 1983, were made of zinc with a thin layer of copper plated on the surface. There are also specific types of electroplating such as copper plating, silver plating, and chromium plating. Two chambers, each with four panels. The factor investigated for the experiment is: * Amount of salt Background: in contact with water and oxygen, or other strong oxidants and/or acids, iron will rust. Safe work practices within a laboratory is typically dictated by an institution's safety protocols. We understand your project needs to keep moving. 956-383-0739. Whether you have laptops, iPads, chromebooks, or BYOD, your favorite PhET sims are always right at your fingertips. DISCUSSION: Corrosion can be defined as the deterioration of metals by spontaneous electrochemical reactions between the metal and its. • The indirect costs including corrosion and the associated cost to repair or replace equipment, bridges, concrete, reinforcing steel, and vehicles; • The long-term cost of mitigation and/or remediation of removing salt from surface and ground water. Government In this report, a brief summary : 29. Electromagnetic Lab. Lead and Copper Results Delivery CertificationLead and Copper Results Delivery Certification. Electrochemical measurements utilizing a Mitigating corrosion of embedded rebar is a perennial problem for reinforced concrete structures. Some of the ASTM Corrosion Tests Offered by G2MT Labs Houston: ASTM B117 Salt Fog Test ASTM A262. Corrosion Lab Report - Did you see blue What metal is the Anode What metal is the Cathode Half-Cell Reactions Plan Nail No Scored Nail Yes nail Fe. The root cause of the fretting corrosion was probably the loose fit of bearing H OR. Although once made nearly entirely from copper, American pennies are now made from zinc that has been coated with copper. , no sandals or ﬂ ip-ﬂ ops). Corrosion-related issues cost the U. Essay Example on Corrosion Lab Report. In contrast, the corrosion protection performance of both CN-A and CN-C was alike. Corrosion Lab Report Paper. It is the laboratory’s job to measure a certain mechanical Common Mechanical Test Methods Performed in the Laboratory: Machine Threaded Round Tensile Sample The mechanical properties associated with a material can be either intrinsic or modified in some manner to meet the requirements of a particular application. The laboratory analysis was performed by an independent laboratory contracted by the Navy. The corrosion integrity analysis performed indicated that the internal corrosion, at its current state, was severe enough to have caused the pipeline to fail at normal operating pressures experienced by Station 17. , Strobel K. Love, chief, Quality of Water Branch. Get analysis done for Legionella, E. Energy Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy. Fred Calhoun Departinent of the Army Project No. Corrosion monitoring techniques can be classified into different groups according to various criteria Corrosion coupons, electrical resistance (ER) and linear polarization resistance (LPR) are typical. An audit report template is a written document which contains the opinion of an auditor about the financial statements. In their lab report, have students write their observations based on cells in. , Dorval, Que. economy $276 billion a year. 23% and 21. ” The deck was later fully enclosed, but the water issue persists. Materials Advances 2020 - Present. Laboratory studies indicated that these new chemicals especially calcium chloride and magnesium chloride could cause more damage to concrete than rock salt does. The more positive (or less negative) the reduction potential, the greater is the tendency for the reduction to occur. DIVINE METALLURGICAL SERVICES Pvt. If you're interested in learning how to use Google's tools, explore our training center for. aromatics % vol max. Give an experiment to prove that both air and water are necessary for rusting of iron. 84 Testing and Approval or Rejection of components, drug product containers, and closures. Lab on a Chip 2001 - Present. Red Hill AOC Para 5. • Test Method: 90 g lube + 10 g water + 1 g alumina, reflux 48 hours. The corrosion resistance of materials cannot be accurately determined in abiotic electrolytes. Laboratories and publications may report concentrations using units of milligrams/liter (mg/L) or parts per million (ppm), which are the same. Pentagon Report: "China Poses Greatest Threat to America" By Stephen Lendman, December 20 VIDEO: "Honest Journalism" Then and Now: The CBS Report on the 1976 Swine Flu Vaccine By. 0 mL tubes to mini-preps and spin columns. Red Hill AOC Para 5. Report this profile General lab. The University of Dayton Research Institute combines (un)common sense with creativity to deliver innovative, practical science and engineering solutions, on budget and on time. ECE 202 – Soldering Lab Figure 8. Aircraft Corrosion Management - Luna's Acuity LS system provides continuous individual aircraft tracking of environmental severity and corrosivity. That is no criticism as it is a complex subject, and that is why there are highly qualified laboratories to deal with it. Corrosion of oil casing is related to factors such as partial pressure of corrosive gas, ambient temperature, water content, salinity, flow rate, pH value and so on. Includes a full length introduction method discussion conclusion references and appendices. Corrosion of iron in salt water is a popular context for an EEI. The Hawai'i Corrosion Laboratory (HCL) is involved in corrosion research of advanced materials, coatings, and electronics. Purafil provides Corrosion Classification Coupons to determine whether or not your environment is safe for electronics. The ATS corrosion testing lab is designed to help clients understand how materials will perform under real-world conditions using simulated service environments. Supporting the aerospace sector (governments, industry and users) by developing and applying advanced technologies for innovative products and applications. Balasubramanian as a Process Control Laboratory for his maiden venture, M/S Balaji Alloys – a Bronze / Brass base Foundry. We understand your project needs to keep moving. Then like the witch doctors who roll the bones, we consult our secret archives and pronounce the soil as corrosive or noncorrosive. Using an electrochemical cell with the reaction Zn(s) + Cu2+(aq) → Cu(s) + Zn2+(aq), voltages for cell potential were calculated at 1 M for both Cu2+ and Zn2+, then lowering [Cu2+(aq)] to. Findings and Contributing Factors. For instance, threads are typically disregarded in salt-spray testing as they tend to accumulate and hold salt water. Pitting is a form of localized corrosion: weight loss is a measure of the average corrosion rate. Prototype Development Laboratory. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC. Cold and hot mounting options are available for small to medium sized samples. Background The importance of corrosion can be seen in daily life. Materials Required for Corrosion Testing. corrosion testing that follows. Fuel Cell R&D Subprogram Overview, U. Following a specified exposure time, specimens were removed, immediately rinsed with de-ionized water, and evaluated for visible changes in the appearance of the coatings. This indicates that the corrosion of mild steel in H 2 SO 4 solution is inhibited by various concentrations of AP4PT, HP4PT and D4PT. Based on my observations, I have determined that the final balanced equation is First, we know that in the original system, with the blue liquid and the Aluminum foil, we know that the liquid contained copper because when we added ammonium hydroxide to a test tube of blue stuff,ammonium hydroxide turns dark blue in the presence of copper, which is what happened, proving that there was indeed. Several hands on experiments related to vibration phenomenon and its measurements, as well as automatic control techniques are available for students and faculty. Corrosion Resistant, Flexible Coating UV resistant, liquid elastomeric coating system which dries to a highly durable, seamless, weather resistant, protective ‘skin’. Lab on a Chip 2001 - Present. 'Electrochemistry Voltaic Cells Lab Report Results April 22nd, 2018 - Answer to Electrochemistry Voltaic Cells lab report Results for Part 1 I have 3 281 Part 2 0 5018 Part 3 1 342 Can I have som''Lab report corrosion by Yufei Chang issuu March 29th, 2018 - Corrosion ABSTRACT In this experiment we. American Association for Clinical Chemistry’s Lab Tests Online: “Reference Ranges and What They Mean,” “Strep Throat Test,” “Deciphering Your Lab Report,” “Test Preparation: Your. has the resources and expertise to meet and exceed your needs, Since its founding in 1967, Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research, Inc. test is compliance with ASTM A262 & G28. The document has moved here. SAVE – Note: Select the reporting period before saving. Query Response Time : Only and Only by Mail. Methamphetamine (Meth) Lab Frequently Asked Questions Introduction Methamphetamine laboratories have been a growing problem throughout Colorado and across the United States. Spectro Labs is extremely competent to undertake any kind of corrosion testing as per the specified National and International Standards. Communities must publish and distribute an annual Water Quality Report to all residents by July 1st of each year. Guide to Requirements for Certification as a Corrosion Technician Page Content 31 Chapter 5 - Making and Using C-Ring Specimens 31 Specimen Preparation 32 Stressing the Specimen 33 Stressing With Strain Gages Attached 33 Stressing Without Strain Gages 33 Stress Considerations 35 Testing Procedure 35 Assessment and Reporting of Results Corrosion Monitoring is a process that evaluates and. 21 Types of Pipe Corrosion & Failure. One 3-hour lab per week. In this article we will explain how to read and understand it. 2 · i L , Fe 2 + 3 ≅ 10 · 2 T − 25 25 where corrosion rate, C rate , is in mm/y and T (°C) is the temperature. Another use of oxidation is used to prevent the corrosion of metals by coating a metal with another metal, alloying, and cathodic protection. LabCorp: Online lab testing is prohibited in MA, MD, NY, NJ and RI. He also works within the firm’s research department and investigative laboratory centering on microbiology and chemistry. Corrosion is the atmospheric oxidation of metals. Protection: Varies : Package: Standard and custom sizes. We'll discuss the history of accelerated laboratory #corrosion #testing. As part of the assessment, our lab analyzes coupons and issues a comprehensive report detailing the ISA classification, the classes of gases present and at what concentration as well as the effects of humidity. 2H 2 O + O 2 +4e – = 4OH –. Ý In the scientific literature, abstracts must be stand-alone documents, whole and self-contained, because they are often published by themselves in research guides. Roberts Corrosion ServicesRoberts Corrosion ServicesRoberts Corrosion Services. The electroplating baths used in the Chemistry Lab are divided into three categories: 1. 1 Outline of Corrosion and Metal Fatigue Practices Report Final Draft General Destructive Testing Statement of Work, 23 December 2016 (PDF) (18 pp, 242 K, 12/23/2016) Red Hill AOC Statement of Work Section 5. The Lab is primarily supported by the U. This section highlights the Committee's activities and provides administrative resources for its members. However this is isn't possible within a school laboratory (or its budget!). Additive depletion Depletion of additives can occur either by their physical removal from the fluid or by chemical reactions which convert them to non-functional products. One type of reactor the Couet Lab focuses on, light water reactors, are mainly made up of steel, nickel alloy and zirconium alloy, he said. Copper-beryllium – CuCo1Ni1Be, CuCo2Be, CuNi2Be. Let's get started Welcome! Welcome! Create an account below to get 5 C&EN articles per month, receive newsletters and more - all free. At least one copy of Consumer Notification of Lead/Copper Tap Monitoring Results (2 pages) 3. Reporting is provided on the current analysis, along with any historical corrosion rate to the customer. To determine their materials’ resistance to various types of corrosion, clients send samples to Applied Technical Services’ corrosion lab for testing. acid, or low pH baths 2. 1 Outline of Corrosion and Metal Fatigue Practices Report Final Draft General Destructive Testing Statement of Work, 23 December 2016 (PDF) (18 pp, 242 K, 12/23/2016) Red Hill AOC Statement of Work Section 5. The formation of rust on iron, tarnish on silver, and the blue-green patina that develops on copper are all examples of corrosion. Fe = Fe 2+ + 2e-. Laboratory Testing & Quality Control Metallographic Examinations. Field and laboratory studies document microbiologically. This can let you serve personalised documents in real time, produce high-quality output, and support. Specialists in soil fertility, crop nutrition and irrigation water quality management. Excellent Custom Lab Reports for Your Academic Success. Additional training in fields directly related to metallurgy and materials’ properties, such as corrosion or failure analysis, is available through ASM International. Ultrasonic Corrosion Inspection. 1 Aim The aim of the experiment is to investigate factors that aﬀect the rate of corrosion of iron. Environmental Protection Agency, Contract #68-02-2146. will be covered in additional reports. Lab Procedure Please print the worksheet for this lab. The INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS CORROSION is considered the largest meeting of corrosion in the world and this is the second time it will take place in Latin America. Lab Report 9 - Lecture notes 9. We offer various corrosion testing laboratory services like ASTM B117, UV light transmission, HIC testing, with the help of specialized testing experts. Before we begin, here are some useful terms to become familiar with. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D. If you can help me either by introducing ideas or by providing recent publications in this field, I will be grateful. Corrosion Experiment. , for the U. Enviado por. Welders Qualifications Tests. Annual Reports on the Progress of Chemistry, Section C: Physical Chemistry. These comments will help you gauge the criticality of the problem and provide a suggested course of action. By: Dana Mladin, Sr. Beabes is an Associate Vice President and Technical Leader in preservation for AECOM Complex Bridge Practice in North America. At first, the experiments provided a big picture about the corrosion mechanisms in aqueous environments. One 3-hour lab per week. We are corrosion experts and problem solvers in our state-of-the-art corrosion research and testing labs. Corrosion of Iron Demonstration and Inquiry Introduction Rust is expensive! The cost of iron corrosion—for equipment maintenance, repair, and replacement—exceeds $300 billion per year in the United States alone. Part one: Calculations. Sample 5 shows a specimen with pointed end as copper plated and the head of the nail is uncoated end (steel). The corrosion is attributed to the presence of water, air and H+, which accelerate the corrosion process. These compounds have a more tensile strength to compress, more toughness. Supporting the aerospace sector (governments, industry and users) by developing and applying advanced technologies for innovative products and applications. One 3-hour lab per week. The acidic compounds that may form during hydrolysis can react with materials of the hydraulic-system components, leading to corrosion and insoluble corrosion products. Standard rotor runs 24 microcentrifuge tubes in a single row, from 1. Define corrosion. Laboratory Freezers (-20°C/-30°C) Laboratory Freezers offer a reliable cold storage solution for sensitive samples requiring stable temperatures of -20°C or -30°C. Coli, or Pseudomonas just to name a few. This small Process Control Laboratory over the years, grew into a National Multiple Specialty Metallurgical Test House Accredited as per ISO 17025 by NABL, in the. All 4 must be present for oxidation to occur. 8% from 2020 to 2027. Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically-stable form such as oxide, hydroxide, or sulfide. Find labs for all your projects quickly and easily!. Frankel is Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Director of the Fontana Corrosion Center at the Ohio State University. Fume hoods 1,200 cfm/Max 240 cfm/Min 5:1 Turndown Canopy 424 cfm/Max 84 cfm/Min 5:1 Turndown Supply Air 8994 cfm/Max 1800 cfm/Min 5:1 Turndown. Please copy and paste this embed script to where you. Health Care. It is most commonly associated with rust, in particular the rusting of metals such as iron. j' j Laboratory TECHNICAL REPORT WTEAR AND CORROSION TENDENCIES OF MOLYBDENUM DISULFIDE CONTAINING GREASES S. ACT Lab is an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory. Ý Its purpose is to present the nature and scope of the report. To perform a double displacement reaction using sodium sulphate and barium chloride solutions. Laboratory studies indicated that these new chemicals especially calcium chloride and magnesium chloride could cause more damage to concrete than rock salt does. Essay Example on Corrosion Lab Report. CiteScore: 2019: 7. MSE 311 Integrated Undergraduate Laboratory I (3) Laboratory experimentation and techniques used in evaluating the physical properties of metals, ceramics, and polymers. PRE-LAB: Complete the Pre-Lab Assignments before coming to lab. Please open an example of asbestos report and we will break down the different parts of the. Spectroscopy involves the interaction of electromagnetic radiation and matter. How to prevent corrosion. 2012 Effect of the heat treatment in the resistance corrosion of a martinsitic stainless steel CA6NM Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 2nd Edition. We have over 1200 cubic feet of testing space available. Part A1: Ranking Oxidizing Agents. gainesville lab specialist i-corrosion - 55010256 - fl, 32609. Questions given under the lab report to be answered by student in the space provide in the Lab Manual. Best testing services for corrosion testing in India. Corrosion, the environmental degradation of materials, is a major area of research in materials science and engineering. Laboratory clerical mistakes can be easily corrected by faxing the laboratory a corrected hard copy of the report. Deepwater Corrosion Services is always looking for talented and energetic people to join our staff. MSE 311 Integrated Undergraduate Laboratory I (3) Laboratory experimentation and techniques used in evaluating the physical properties of metals, ceramics, and polymers. Material safety data sheets are available in the lab in case you need to review them. Annual Reports on the Progress of Chemistry, Section C: Physical Chemistry. Not “Lab #4” but “Lab #4: Sample Analysis using the Debye-Sherrer Method”). The corrosion rate of mild steel for the blank solution (1 M H 2 SO 4) is higher than those obtained for solutions containing various concentrations of AP4PT, HP4PT and D4PT. We'll discuss the history of accelerated laboratory #corrosion #testing. "High temperature" is a relative term dependent upon the materials involved. Electrochemical science has a multitude of applications, ranging from solar technology to biomedical innovations. Lab Procedure Please print the worksheet for this lab. SGS MSi testing is a full-service metallurgical testing laboratory specializing in failure analysis investigations. This report was prepared at the MIT Energy Laboratory, Cambridge, MA, as an account of a small portion of the work performed as a subcontract to an Exxon Research and Engineering Co. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. Oil and Gas Testing and Research Services. We offer competitive prices with. Moved Permanently. He earned the Sc. gainesville lab specialist i-corrosion - 55010256 - fl, 32609. Environmental Protection Agency, Contract #68-02-2146. Before we begin, here are some useful terms to become familiar with. We have over 1200 cubic feet of testing space available. Enrollment Management Report: Official Website. Corrosion is a term applied to the process in which metals are converted to their oxides or other compounds. Corrosion Control, Plating and Coatings. Corrosion Testing and Stress Durability. ‪Reactants, Products and Leftovers‬. conductivity, corrosion resistance, etc. • Test Method: 90 g lube + 10 g water + 1 g alumina, reflux 48 hours. In the case of larger accounts with multiple areas of responsibility, it is essential to provide the lab with accurate names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail contact points. (d) Potentiostatic Study of Corrosion The pen trace of Ni and Fe (attached at the end of the report) show that both Ni and Fe are capable of forming stable oxides to prevent corrosion form occurring. Use a journal style reference listing your references in order of use in your report, as example: [1] GWU SEAS ECE Department. Two chambers, each with four panels. You should do the experiments with same concentration of acid and all at the same laboratory temperature. Metallic corrosion may be described as the destructive reaction of a metal and the environment surrounding it. Corrosion tests, such as Pitting corrosion and intergranular corrosion, are normally performed on stainless steel to measures its vulnerability to corrosion in order to access its quality before use. Environmental errors can also occur inside the lab. I have taken efforts in this project. Answer the following questions completely and concisely. Metrohm AG is a leading provider of instruments and know-how for chemical analysis in the lab and in the process, specializing in titration, ion chromatography, electrochemistry, and spectroscopy. Writing a recrystallization lab report: how to select and test a suitable solvent experimenting with dissolution and recrystallization of acetylsalicylic Write Your Recrystallization Lab Report Right Now. Corrosion Standard (ADJD0130). Installation Help. Salt spray testing chamber 110V. The Repsol Technology Lab is an example of one of the most cutting-edge private R&D models in Spain, based on open innovation, whose objective is to seek sustainable solutions to achieve a more. The corrosion rate of iron in a CO2 environment is not constant, especially in laboratory studies in which the starting point is a bare metal surface on a test specimen. The complete report is included in Appendix E. Please do not plagiarise from it as plagiarism might land you into trouble with your university. IMR's corrosion lab includes salt spray testomg, temperature & humidity, mercurous nitrate The IMR corrosion testing lab helps you estimate component service life, compare candidate materials in your. ) from small lab samples, field coupons, or partial coverage inspection blocks to larger area of structures and assets at present or future times. Pitting — Pitting is one a destructive form of corrosion, and also one of the most difficult to predict in laboratory tests. Focused on providing Corrosion Management, Cathodic Protection, AC Mitigation and Integrity assessments in North America & around the world. Coupon Analysis. Polymer Modified Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Seminar and PPT with pdf report:The steel fiber reinforced concretes are the building materials which are more significance very fast because of the enhancing demand for high building properties in the building materials. and Dionizio M. Copper is also used to make water pipes and jewelry, as well as other items. Hydrogen sulfide, corrosion, metals, bacteria: Stained plumbing fixtures, laundry: Iron, copper, manganese: Salty taste and seawater, or a heavily salted roadway nearby* Chloride, total dissolved solids, sodium: Scaly residues, soaps don’t lather* Hardness: Rapid wear of water treatment equipment* pH, corrosion: Water softener needed to treat. In this project, you will measure the corrosion rate of different metals when exposed to fresh and salt water.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line165
__label__cc	0.732166	0.267834	The Inventors Of Trendy Soccer 1 year ago Adiantku The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series is without doubt one of the biggest occasions on America’s... The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series is without doubt one of the biggest occasions on America’s sporting calendar and crucial of NASCAR’s racing sequence. Each type of football has a clearly defined space of enjoying the sport. The number of objectives decides the winner of a specific match. A workforce scores a aim when a player from the staff finds the back of the opponents’ internet. A shot aimed at the opponents’ web is considered ‘goal’ if the ball passes the defined goalline as clearly mentioned in FIFA rulebook. The winner get three points from a match whereas the loser picks up nothing. If the match is a draw between the two taking part teams, each of them earns one point from the game. Professional gamers must practice for hours. If there’s an replace, they want to ensure they’ve mastered any changes, so that they’ll nonetheless be one of the best at it. Gamers like Weisley Schneider, Fernando Torres and Karim Benzema are sure to be on the checklist of gamers these managers would like to signal for his or her membership in January. There’s all the time negotiations taking place behind the scenes involving players clubs and agents. These talks are normally tentative approaches which are strictly off the report however many of those discussions are leeked and make the news. Take for example the latest Wayne Rooney saga at Manchester United. The information that he needed to leave the membership made headline information in most newspapers and then all of the transfer speak surrounding which workforce was going to sign him. This instance simply shows how large Premier League football transfers are by making headline information. Kobe can take cost and score a bunch of points at will. But LeBron can take charge and win ballgames all by himself with different-worldly play on both sides of the court docket. There’s a misconception in greater schooling that esports tutorial programs involve students learning and enhancing their gaming abilities, when in actuality, esports is taught as a subdivision of several different subjects comparable to sport management, advertising, media and communications and exercise science, stated Joey Gawrysiak, director of the esports program at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va. Josh Smith was drafted seventeenth overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2004. Smith was an incredible athlete, and confirmed it off each night time with some phenomenal dunks. He might score, rebound, and defend. Smith enjoyed nice success with the Atlanta Hawks teams who simply could not recover from the hunch in the playoffs. He signed a fifty four million dollar take care of the Pistons in 2013-2014 season, and was released one third of the way into the season of his second year with the staff. Josh was placing up his regular numbers, however the crew was not having fun with any success from it. He performed a pair extra years for the Rockets before retiring in 2016. Truly he performed 12 minutes for the Pelicans in 2017 earlier than officially retiring. Tags: inventors soccer trendy Next Brad Binder First South African Race Winner, Czech Grand Prix, Season Schedule Which blockbuster moves are still available to Blue Jays? 1 day ago Adiantku Jets trying to stay focused as they limp into busiest stretch of season 2 days ago Adiantku 1 hour ago Adiantku	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line168
__label__cc	0.528631	0.471369	Home » Reviews » Jill Scott: You Don’t Know review Jill Scott: You Don’t Know review Posted by Samantha Pounds on Apr 10, 2015 in Reviews \| 0 comments When it comes to one of my all-time favorite music artists, Jill Scott undeniably makes the list of artists that I can listen to multiple times and never grow tired of hearing. Scott, who is affectionately known to her fans as “Jilly From Philly” has recently released a new single and now fans are patiently awaiting a full album to accompany the single. Scott is a true artist as she doesn’t simply just release album after album for the hell of it, but rather she takes her time in releasing her soulfully skilled music that she has often dubbed “food for the soul” and just as food takes time and perfection to cook and taste good, so does good soul music. With her new single, “You Don’t Know,” Scott gets the recipe just right with this rhythm and blues inspired ensemble that literally makes you want to cry the minute she sings the first verse. The lyrics are carefully mixed to perfection and the live band brings the entire ensemble together in perfection. Fans of “Jilly From Philly” have begun getting use to the fact of seeing the poised songstress starring in blockbuster hits all the way to made for TV films, but has never questioned her loyalty to the music. Her last album, “Light of The Sun” was released in 2011 and it brought us the famed single, So In Love featuring Anthony Hamilton. There is currently no word as of yet when we can expect a full album that currently dawns Scott’s latest single, but more than likely it will be worth the wait as Scott never disappoints with her music mannerisms. You Don’t Know opens up with Scott asking one simple question: Did you ever know what it is to be heard? After listening to this song over and over again, it finally struck me what she meant by posing this question in her song—sometimes you don’t know what love is like until you’re heard by your partner. I have a great feeling that when an album release is announced, the album will be on point and will sweep away the critics during awards season this year because it’s no secret that Scott have oftentimes been snubbed during past awards seasons.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line173
__label__wiki	0.700355	0.700355	Frontpage Display Culture POC Students and Faculty Fight for Equity December 13, 2020 December 16, 2020 The Guardsman 0 Comments CCSF, Wynd Kaufmyn, AFAM, BSU, Melvin Wong, Kaiyo Funaki, AATF, Akeli Lord, Dr. Ramona Coates, Keir Wilson, Trillia Hargrove By Kaiyo Funaki Email: kaiyo.funaki@gmail.com The African American Studies Department (AFAM), BSU, and the Affirmative Action Task Force have teamed up in the hopes of creating a more welcoming and equitable environment for City College’s black and brown students. Despite celebrating its 50th anniversary earlier this year, the AFAM department continues to struggle to get the resources and visibility it needs to thrive at City College. BSU student, Trillia Hargrove strolls through her Outer Sunset neighborhood. Through the BSU, Hargrove had the opportunity to interview the student trustee candidates before this past November election in hopes to create a bridge of understanding between them. San Francisco, CA. Dec. 4, 2020. Photo by Melvin Wong/The Guardsman. In order to rectify these issues, these organizations worked together to develop three demands from the administration to help change the current dynamic. The first goal was to relocate the African American Resource Center into the new Student Success Center. Akeli Lord, the student ambassador for the AFAM department first stumbled across the African American Resource Center currently located in Batmale Hall back in September of last year. Lord discovered that the resource center was no more than a storage closet and paled in comparison to that of the other ethnic and cultural resource centers around the campus. The room lacked essentials, such as Wi-Fi connection, functional computers, ventilation, and could not fit more than three people at a time. In addition, it was neither listed on the campus map nor the college catalog. While the resource center is supposed to serve as a study hall and a food pantry, it also holds symbolic meaning where students can feel welcome on campus. “That’s the benefit of having a culturally accepting resource center, because I can feel at home at school,” Lord said. Statistics professor and the 2019 interim Department Chair for AFAM, Dr. Ramona Coates poses for a FaceTime portrait in her front yard. Edgar Torres, the chair for the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Department, replaced Coates as the current interim chair for the AFAM department. San Francisco, CA. Nov. 30, 2020. Photo by Melvin Wong/The Guardsman. Wynd Kaufmyn, a member of the Affirmative Action Task Force also highlighted the importance of a unified space. “It’s a way to give them a safe place, a way to give them a place to network with other students who might be facing similar issues and need support,” she said. The second of the demands was to reinstate Dr. Ramona Coates as the AFAM department chair. Dr. Coates was briefly the interim chair in 2019, but was stripped of the position due to her status as a part-time professor. However, Dr. Coates has remained active within AFAM and BSU, holding open houses, fundraisers, and other social functions to support these organizations. BSU member Trillia Hargrove felt that Dr. Coates would bring a sense of legitimacy for AFAM and BSU at an administrative level. “It would help with advocacy; it would make sure that black educator voices are being heard black staff voices are being heard, and black student voices are being heard,” Hargrove said. Engineering professor and Affirmative Action Taskforce member of AFT 2121 (American Federation-Teachers), Wynd Kaufmyn sits in her nature-themed home. Kaufmyn collets art from all over the globe; the piece on the far wall of a young woman was procured on her last work trip to Mexico. Berkeley, CA. Nov. 22, 2020. Photo by Melvin Wong/The Guardsman. Fellow BSU member Keir Wilson felt that a lot of the issues black and brown students are encountering at City College can be solved with someone who can relate to them on a more personal level. “We don’t have the right department chair. Because there is no one to advocate for us, or no one who knows what to advocate for, we can’t get the help that we need,” she said. Edgar Torres, the chair for the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Department, is also the current interim chair for the AFAM department. However, he has supported the reinstatement of Dr. Coates to assume the role of chair for the AFAM department. The last of the demands was to hire at least one full-time faculty member for AFAM. As it stands right now, the department only has three part-time members and offers just four courses. With the current political energy around social justice, Dr. Coates argues that now more than ever, representation in academic institutions is vital for the success of students of color. African American Studies (AFAM) student ambassador, Akelli Lord details the conditions of the AFAM Resource Center on campus. There are no windows in the resource center; and the two provided computers are non-operational. San Francisco, CA. Nov. 22, 2020. Photo by Melvin Wong/The Guardsman. “It takes the village of City College to prepare and support our students for their graduation. To have a robust African American studies faculty that have that same energy and that same passion and support for students, there’s no telling what students will do.” While there has been optimism that these demands will be resolved, City College’s failure to address these issues beforehand serves as a microcosm of the educational injustices black and brown students have routinely encountered. “We are still at the back of the bus at City College,” Lord said. “People keep on shouting black lives matter, but black minds matter as well.” Wilson expressed a similar sentiment as well. “Just make things equitable and fair. We can see the inequality every time we walk out of the house, we can see the inequality every time we turn on the news. We shouldn’t have inequality at school.” ← Now we’re cooking! More Cannabis Course Offerings this Spring What Does the Muni’s Future Look Like on Frida Kahlo? →	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line175
__label__wiki	0.81756	0.81756	Tate Britain, Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RG Chila Kumari Singh Burman: Tate Britain Winter Commission 2020 Title : Chila Kumari Singh Burman: Winter Commission 2020 Website : https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/chila-kumari-singh-burman Credit : Courtesy Joe Humphrys 14 November 2020 – 31 January 2021 Review by Piers Masterson The statue of Britannia that sits atop Sidney Smith’s incomplete 1897 pediment of Tate Britain’s portico has been transformed by Chila Burman for the annual Winter Commission into an avatar of Kali, the voluptuous Indian god of death. Burman delivers some much needed jollity by converting the austere Imperial iconography of the Millbank frontage into a pantheon of her trademark warrior queens. Tate’s comparatively meagre sculptures of a lion and unicorn that flank Britannia are usurped by Burman’s neon figures of Lakshmi and Ganesh−the gods of plenitude and Diwali−who welcome us from the top of the stairs. The words “remembering a brave new world” are emblazoned across the frieze in blue neon, prompting multiple potential readings. As a reference to Aldous Huxley’s novel, ‘Brave New World’ (1931), it suggests a certain nostalgia for the dubious stability of the book’s sterile, yet promiscuous Utopian society. Huxley wrote ‘Brave New World’ in reaction to a year of global crises and Burman draws parallels to our own contemporary chaos by having her Kali figure declare, ”I am in a mess”. Slogans are splattered by Burman across the whole work, recording what has been a tumultuous year for Tate with protests over redundancies and the response to the Black Lives Matter campaign. Mentioning Huxley recalls his connections with the Bloomsbury set and his contemporaries Wyndham Lewis and Rex Whistler, whose legacies of elitist and discriminatory attitudes still trouble the gallery, with Whister’s racist Tate murals publicly condemned by staff this month. Indefatigably, Burman places a self-portrait in a commanding position on Tate Britain’s façade, showing her in the middle of a jump kick in front of the first floor windows above the entrance that asserts her place within the canon of British art. Burman’s family history is representative of the experience of the post-war Windrush generation and she proudly features biographical references in her work. Her father arrived first on his own in 1950s Liverpool, discovering not a ‘Brave New World’ but drudgery, disappointment and a period of brutal isolation before sending for Chila’s mother and elder siblings. For the Burman family, establishing their own ice cream business was a path to autonomy and, in the context of the relentless racism of 1970s British culture, an act of defiance. A version of Burman’s father’s ice cream van, in gorgeous neon, stands on the stairs as a monument to persistence. The Bengal tiger, which was an emblem on the side of the ice cream van, is scaled up and dominates the stone balustrade. This splendid animal reminds me of ‘Tipoo’s Tiger’, the automaton created for the Sultan Tipu of Mysore, who was killed resisting British expansion. Looted by the East India Company, the wooden Tiger is now in the V&A collection in London. Tipu’s story along with that of Lakshmiba the warrior Queen, who was a leader of the First War of Indian Independence, featured in comic strips that Burman read as a child that are now fly-postered across the closed doors of the gallery entrance. It’s appropriate that Lakshmiba is given the central position in Burman’s neon pantheon, shown in the middle of her leap into battle; the defeat of her rebellion started the acceleration of the Victorian Imperial project and so sparked the Tate’s own establishment. The enrichment of British Institutions by the exploitation of former colonies is satirised by Burman as she places a customised ‘Tuk Tuk’ motor rickshaw inside the entrance foyer. The area normally houses the corporate functions that promote membership sales and woo corporate donors−the Alphas of Huxley’s world−but now Burman’s ‘Tuk Tuk’ celebrates instead the diverse toiling masses. Rudyard Kipling also uses the phrase “Brave New World” in the final stanza of his 1919 poem ‘The Gods of the Copybook Margins’, where he bemoans the demise of the old world of Empire and its replacement with a new age of consumerism and marketing. Burman’s installation, titled ‘remembering a brave new world’, with its satirising of nostalgia and fascist utopias, and celebration of British south asian identities, affirms the artist’s agency to bring to light the nationalist past that is ingrained in the Tate building. The Burman ice cream van recalls shared communal pleasures and familial love that act as an antidote for society’s current ills. Minimalist Anyway \| Kazuko Miyamoto and Lydia Okumura Venice Biennale 2015 - Shifting Pavilions John Akomfrah: Purple	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line181
__label__cc	0.663333	0.336667	vppr@toastmasters7.org 5 Reasons Why You Should Join our Club! Meet Our Club Officers Member in the Spotlight Tag Archives: elaine dusetzina Posts tagged "elaine dusetzina" Chris Hammell Club Meeting budd barmeyer, Carla Ruiz-Velasco, chris hammell, corinna koehler, elaine dusetzina, jon berman, kris manske, lane seidman, lynette benitez, matt corrales, sureal sparx, tomo osako What Did I Miss: 12/10/2020 We “resolved” to show “True Grit” last night as Club President, Jon Berman was our Toastmaster. His theme was “True Grit” and his word of the week was “resolve” (now go back and read that very first sentence and you’ll find that I’m very clever). Vice President of Membership, Sureal Sparx, gave a stirring Pledge & Inspiration as he spoke about his mother and signing up for a blood drive to donate in her honor (it’s December 23rd and there are spots remaining if you want to join him – CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE! Club President, Jon Berman, donned a cowboy hat and kept it on throughout the meeting to introduce us to his theme. He spoke about a paper in which pointed out that grit was a better predictor of success than academic achievement. Special shout out to our own Area 9 Director, Elaine Dusetzina for serving as our timer and making the green, yellow, and red very creative. She used holiday themed backgrounds. Christmas trees stood in for green, a yellow snowman (and a warning against eating yellow snow) for yellow, and a field of candy canes for red. It was both joyful and triumphant (Jim Carrey’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is streaming now on Netflix and Hulu). For Table Topics, Chris Hammell led and used the word of the week in each of his questions. Inspired by Jon’s cowboy hat and cowboy puns, Chris adopted a cowboy drawl that was both hilarious and inconsistent simultaneously (how do I do it?). Here are the questions I asked and the summary of the answers. Looking back over this past year, what things did you resolve to do that you were able to accomplish? – Club Secretary, Kris Manske, said she was very happy with her Toastmaster accomplishments and that the lack of other things to do meant that she was able to tackle the curriculum more quickly. Kris shared the Best Table Topics Speaker of the Evening with Tomo for her answer. We’re close to a new year, what do resolve to do to make life better for yourself next year? – Second-time guest, Gail, said she just moved from Thousand Oaks to San Diego so she was going to join Toastmasters to get back on track and develop the instant community that Toastmasters provides. This has been a tough year, is there anything you resolved to do this year that you couldn’t because of the circumstances? – Lane Seidman pulled off the ultimate trick in 2020 by safely getting married in August (take THAT 2020). At the beginning of the year, he was training to run half and full marathons and didn’t get the opportunity to do it other than virtually so he’d like to accomplish that…and he’d probably like to go on a honeymoon too (he didn’t say that, but it was a rough year for travel). If you could use resolve to accomplish only one goal in the next year, what would it be? – Guest Andy said he’d really enjoy finally getting good enough on a surfboard to do aerials. I hope he does because I can’t tell you how exhilarating it is (I didn’t do it in real-life but in an old 32-bit game that felt like real-life). When you’re losing your resolve, how do you refocus on your goal? – Vice President of Public Relations, Tomo Osako said that most of the time when we lose focus on our goals, the solution is to take a nap. When she’s feeling stressed or irritable, she finds a nap helps her reboot and come back at the goal refreshed. Tomo shared the Best Table Topics Speaker of the Evening with Kris for her answer. Carla Ruiz-Velasco started the manual speech section by delivering an Icebreaker speech. The Icebreaker is great for the member but it’s also the club’s first opportunity to get to know the member and we found out a lot about her. From preschool to 4th grade, her mother drove her from San Diego to a school in Tijuana so she could become bilingual and enjoy the same education that she did. It was there that she discovered a love of public speaking. After college she taught English and Spanish in Brazil. She even teased using public speaking in her volunteer work. Area 14 Director, Corinna Koehler, talked about passive aggressiveness as conflict resolution technique. She went over the two types of conflict: as a mediator and handling a direct conflict. Area 23 Director, Matt Corrales, took home Best Manual Speaker when he talked about the life-saving gift of a near-fatal car accident and the prison sentence that followed in his sobriety. Because of his record, he’s had no choice but to be honest about who he is and what he’s done. With his demons in the past, it’s time to decide for himself what path is best for him to take. General Evaluator and Vice President of Education, Christoph Kubitza, led a fantastic evaluation team including first-time speech evaluator, Budd Barmeyer, who did a great job of giving specific and supportive feedback. Lynette Benitez took the award for Best Evaluator of the meeting with her evaluation of Carla’s Icebreaker. She connected with Carla by sharing that she was also talkative and outgoing. She suggested Carla plant herself whether it is in a chair in front of the camera or standing so she isn’t shifting around. She also said she liked Carla’s speech because she could feel her vibe and authenticity. Next week we’re having club elections and they announced tentative plans on 12/19 for a Virtual Holiday Party. CLUB 7 CALENDAR 12/17: Club 7 Officer Elections 12/19: Virtual Holiday Party (more information coming) 12/24: Christmas Eve – no meeting 12/31: New Year’s Eve – no meeting I hope you’re all doing well, Chris Hammell, DTM Chris Hammell Club Meeting alberto alvarado, antonio garcia, bob dietrich, budd barmeyer, corinna koehler, dave zarella, elaine dusetzina, humorous speech, international speech, jon berman, matt corrales, ruben figueroa, sureal sparx What Did I Miss: 10/8/2020 (and surprise announcement at the bottom) Celebration was the theme of the meeting this week and the word of the week was jovial and there was no one better to lead that meeting than Elaine “Cookie” Dusetzina with help from her two daughters. Table Topics Master, Budd Barmeyer, asked questions that contained the theme and we were treated to everything from people’s best celebrations to why we should celebrate even small victories. For his answer on remembering to celebrate these small victories, Alberto Alvarado was voted Best Table Topics Speaker before flying away in a helicopter (I know you thinking I’m lying, but if you weren’t there…it totally happened). Corinna Koehler talked about her early mistakes in trying to be a leader. She was one of two extremes, a micromanager or a best friend. Today she’s found a leadership style that allows her to develop her team’s skills while keeping them focused on their goals. I handed her my application after the meeting (again, if you think I’m lying but weren’t there, you should come next week). Ruben Figueroa, talked about one of the first Coronavirus cases which included a stint in the hospital followed by reinfection and a subsequent re-hospitalization. He discussed the many symptoms and the damage scientists are finding in the lungs and the pancreas. He didn’t have time to discuss the vaccine and the crowd booed him vigorously (look, if you don’t want to come to a meeting, you’re going to have to take my word for it). Sureal Sparx introduced us to the idea that choosing your own name as an adult could help you craft the person you want to be and make you feel more in control of your life. Further, it can be the key to adulthood – a real benchmark in which you can change your name and feel empowered to take control of your life. He even had learning steps when you’re a certain age like being able to explore your values. For this novel and thought out approach, he earned the Best Speaker vote….before ascending to heaven on a cloud (okay fine, all of the last sentences of the speaker summaries are lies – you should still show up and see these amazing speeches in person). Alberto Alvarado led a well-prepared evaluation team. Antonio Garcia won Best Evaluator with an evaluation of Sureal’s speech which included specific, supportive ways in which he could improve. Antonio pointed out that he and Sureal started around the same time so it should be no surprise that they both walked away with Best Speaker and Evaluator last night. Next week is our Open House and our Club President, Jon Berman is going to lead us to glory! And, as a reminder, Humorous Speech Champ, Dave Zarella and International Speech Champ, Bob Dietrich are going to the Area 9 Contest to represent us Saturday, October 17th. Bookmark this page, https://d5tm.org/event/southern-division-online-area-contests-area-9/ , and stay tuned for more information. Also, there several other contests being run by our members who are serving the district as Area Directors and they could use our help. Please reach out to any of them if you are free on the following days. October 10 @10am: Sureal Sparx, Area 1 & 6 Contest (https://d5tm.org/event/southern-division-online-area-contests-areas-1-6/) October 17 @9:30am: Elaine Dusetzina, Area 9 Director – Bob Dietrich and Dave Zarella are competing here (https://d5tm.org/event/southern-division-online-area-contests-area-9/) October 24 @10am: Corinna Koehler, Area 14 Director (https://d5tm.org/event/southern-division-online-area-contests-area-12-14/) November 14 @ 8:30am: Matt Corrales, Area 23 Director (https://d5tm.org/event/northern-division-online-area-contests-area-18-23/) I hope you’re all doing well, Chris Hammell, DTM November 12 @ 6-8:15pm (Gavel drop at 6:30pm): Toastmasters meeting will be replaced with Table Topics Mania on the outside patio at DiMille’s. Members only. RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/sd7pizza Chris Hammell Club Meeting area 9 contest, ben nitti, bob dietrich, budd barmeyer, Christoph Kubitza, corinna koehler, elaine dusetzina, eric linder, gregory pitts, humorous speech, international speech, joyce persichilli, kris manske, manny thosy, matt corrales, sureal sparx What Did I Miss: 10/1/2020 Self-care was the theme of my meeting this week. I saw an opening on the agenda and I couldn’t resist jumping in. My word of the week was cope because I hope that everyone is doing just that. I also hope that if you haven’t been attending club meetings, you consider making us part of your self-care. We enjoy seeing everyone each week. What some may not realize about the timer role is that, as the Toastmaster of the Evening, the timer is only person you talk to. Everyone else you introduce but you’re interacting with the timer and they become your most important tool for running the meeting. Manny Thosy made for an excellent partner-in-crime and even kept me from making a mistake. What can I say about Joyce Persichilli, our Table Topics Master? She was in charge of every Toastmasters club in San Diego County and a few in Arizona. She took the theme and asked members and guests questions about self-care. Member, Corinna Koehler and Guest, Christina tied for best table topics speaker. There was also a tie for best manual Speaker. Both delivering their Icebreakers, Gregory Pitts and Budd Barmeyer split the votes for best speaker. Gregory Pitts’ spoke about gaining a lot of success in various endeavors but not feeling proficient in anyone thing. With the help of the book, Essentialism, he is eliminating things that take his time away from the things he wants to rigorously pursue. Budd Barmeyer, talked about how he enjoys serving people and hearing their stories. He has found his calling in helping and developing others while traveling the world and enjoying the positive energy of others. Kris Manske gave us an inside look at a mentor-protégé relationship via her two cats, Orange and Velcro. While Orange was a reluctant mentor at first, she rose to the occasion and Velcro learned many valuable skills like mirroring and the assuming the ‘cat loaf’ position. While Kris insists the speech was mostly to show cute cat pictures, it also reminds us that we should have more cats. Christoph Kubitza led a well-prepared evaluation team which included, Ben Nitti who would be voted into membership later that night. Eric Linder won the Best Evaluator vote for his evaluation of Budd Barmeyer’s speech. And because I want everyone to have them, here are the links I provided with the theme and word of the week in case anyone needs them or knows anyone who could use them: Theme: Self-Care (https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/the-5-step-guide-self-care-for-busy-people.html) Word of the Week: Cope/Coping/Coped (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html) Check out free resources from Toastmasters International © 2018 San Diego Toastmasters 7. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line184
__label__wiki	0.558497	0.558497	Silicon Valley based Global NPO Girls In Tech launches India headquarters in Hyderabad Girls In Tech (GIT), a global non profit empowering women in tech and based out of San Francisco has launched their India headquarters in Hyderabad today at the Park Hyatt. GIT focuses on promoting innovation, raising and supporting the visibility of women in the areas of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. GIT has multiple chapters around the world including countries like France, UAE, Brazil and more and offer a variety of resources and curriculum for their members to further their educational and professional aspirations. Some of the programs by GIT include Lady Pitch Night, Catalyst Conference, Coding and Design Bootcamps, Hackathons, XChange, Global Classroom, GIT WORK, and others. The launch was well attended by entrepreneurs, mentors and women in technology from the city and the guests included Michael Mullins, Consulate General, US Consulate General, Hyderabad, Jayesh Ranjan, IAS & Secretary to the Govt, ITE & C Dept., Govt. of Telangana and women entrepreneurs like Vanitha Datla, Chairperson- CII- Telangana, CFO & Exec. Dir at Elico Industries and Shailaja Kiran, MD, Margadarsi Chit Fund (p) Ltdand director of Kalanjali Arts & Crafts and Brisah. GIT boasts of a strong network of mentors and an advisory board comprising of Prof D.N. Reddy, Vice Chairman, Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI) & Member, University Grants Commission (UGC) and M Adithya Reddy, Educator, E-Governance Expert & Green Energy Promoter are a part of the Board of Advisors of GITI. Sree Divya Vadlapudi, a women entrepreneur from the city will lead GIT in India as their National Managing Director . Sree Divya has entered the Limca Book of Records as India’s youngest undergraduate researcher with the highest number of International publications and is currently the Innovation Head & Senior Research Engineer – R & D at Krishna Infotech. She is also the Co-Chair at FTAPCCI Ladies Wing. Sree Divya’s vision is to bring the best of resources to girls in India and to bridge the gap between silicon valley & India. When she was in doubt about how she could take GIT to the rural and grass root level , she says her grandfathers words were a source of immense inspiration to her . She quotes her grandfather “You begin your journey, your inspiration will be people.” Git has successfully executed a lot of events for girls in the STEM field during the last one year in Hyderabad and has huge plans lined up for the next three years with events planned in Hyderabad, Bangalore and New Delhi. With Girls In Tech launching their India headquarters here in Hyderabad, women definitely can look forward to some big events, huge learnings and access to world class mentors in the near future. Tags: girls in technology, women entrepreneurship	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line188
__label__cc	0.690489	0.309511	With the various changes brought by the current public health crisis, we all have a list of preventive measures that, for sure, we have memorized by heart, as part of the “new normal.” Recently, the Department of Health (DOH) makes it even easier for everyone to remember these measures through its "BIDA Solusyon sa COVID-19" campaign. Aiming to encourage Filipinos to take an active role in the fight against the virus, the campaign emphasizes the importance of wearing a mask, frequently sanitizing or washing of hands, observing social distancing, as well as getting information only from valid sources. Aside from these measures, Santé, a provider of premier organic health and wellness products and services, noted that it also pays to ensure that you lead and maintain a healthy lifestyle as part of your conscious efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Experts have been emphasizing the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. At Santé, we have always been dedicated to encouraging everyone to live more and do more by staying active and ensuring their overall wellness through our products and services. By doing so, we can help ensure that our immune system remains in its tiptop condition, especially amid this public health crisis,” said Joey Marcelo, the chief executive officer of Santé. As part of this initiative, Santé offers free facemasks, discounts, and other freebies when you purchase its retail products, available in leading drugstores, nationwide. The exciting promos are as follows: BarleyMax + Free Facemask Buy 1 box of BarleyMax powder and get a hand-woven face mask for FREE Available in leading Mercury Drugstores and Watsons Stores Calcium Cee + SweetVia, a natural sweetener made from stevia and inulin · Buy 1 box of Calcium Cee and get FREE sachets of SweetVia · Available in leading Mercury Drugstores and Watsons Stores BarleyMax Capsule 8+2 Buy 10 capsules of BarleyMax for a price of 8, only Php136.00. Save Php34.00! Available in leading drugstores and supermarkets nationwide The next time you visit the grocery and drugstores, make sure to include these organic health and wellness products in your basket. Aside from the big savings, you are also ensuring your family’s overall health and wellbeing. Santé BarleyMax, Calcium Cee, and SweetVia are just some of the retail organic health and wellness products offered by Santé. Known for its flagship, Santé Barley™, the company has also developed a comprehensive selection of everyday barley-based products. They are made, specifically with organic barley grass, as certified by BioGro, New Zealand’s leading organic certification agency. To learn more about Santé, visit its website at santebarley.com. - January 18, 2021 No comments: NPAW 2020 Highlights The Importance of Play Amidst the Time of Pandemic A New Normal. Play can still be done even during the quarantine period.© The Playing Familia In the face of global pandemic and natural disasters, our daily lives have been put to a standstill and many children have lost access to play. Because of this, a huge part of children’s activity, creativity and learning have come to a pause affecting their holistic development and overall wellbeing. Moreover, some have placed play within the limiting context of “laru-laro lang”. With this, play advocates continuously address the misleading notion and provide the right perspective that play should be given priority as it is considered one of the basic rights of children as stated in Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Supporting the promotion on the right to play, the Philippine Play Coalition (PPC), a network of organizations which Unilab Foundation, Council for the Welfare of Children, World Vision Philippines, Unang Hakbang Foundation, Kythe Foundation, Tukod Foundation and Educo Philippines are actively involved in, has been working to ensure that every child will not miss their experience of play even amidst the time of pandemic. Amplifying this great cause, the National Play Advocacy Week 2020 was celebrated last November 16 to 22, 2020. The celebration successfully reached over 10,000 children via offline and online platforms, 300,000 Filipinos through online platforms and engaged 150 partners to participate and conduct play activities. The Local Government of Iloilo City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Zamboanga City also showed their strong support and eagerly participated in the celebration. This 2021, Unilab Foundation is continuously strengthening its play advocacy under its program, Bayanihan for WellBeing (BWB), through the distribution of Resiliency Play Bags. These play bags aim to spark hope, harness creativity, and develop resilience and coping skills among Filipino children, who were not only strained by the presence of the coronavirus outbreak, but were also victims of the recent calamities that struck our nation in the previous year. A Bayanihan for WellBeing Resiliency Play Bag is composed of the following: 1. Toys like sipa and kickball, which are intended to help children release tension. 2. Cape and mask which they could design, allowing them to identify their strengths and make them feel like Superheroes. 3. Writing and coloring sheets to encourage their creativity and help them express their emotions. As little as Php250 / $5.00 will help warm the heart of a child and build his/her resilience. Donation can be done via bank deposit through the Bank of Philippine Islands: Account Name: Unilab Foundation, Inc. Account Number: 0181-0489-72 Branch: BPI, Mandaluyong Swift Code: BOPIPHM or via PayPal at healthierPH@unilabfoundation.org Finally, a screenshot of your donation transaction needs to be sent to headsup@unilabfoundation.org. For more details, you can also visit the Bayanihan for WellBeing Facebook page to support this worthy cause and share the initiative with your loved ones, friends and colleagues. Let’s continue to make play happen this year. Together, let us nurture resilience and withstand change through the power of play! Derma Science Hand Sanitizer Gel, our partner to fight disease transmission A new variant of COVID-19 surprised us early this first month of the year. A sure added worry to many as how can we protect ourselves from the virus. Knowing that diseases can be transmitted through our hands, the search for what’s the best agent can we trust can be another concern. Because we always have to keep our hands clean, we need something to bring along with us. We can’t definitely have a sink, soap and water beside us anywhere we go. That’s when a handy yet reliable hand sanitizer is what we need for mobile activities. Here’s the good news! Derma Science hand sanitizer gel was introduced in our country, Friday last week. According to Mr. Romer Estrada, Product Manager of Derma Science, it is the best hand sanitizer available in the Philippines. Derma Science Hand Gel addresses our need for effective hand cleansing without sacrificing the moisturizing of our skin. Supported with the timely discussion about hand sanitizer by derma expert, Dr. Dorris Velasco during the launch, I was enlightened about the wonder of hand sanitizer. Call it old school but the sure way to keeping our hands clean is through hand-washing with soap and water. Yes, still the best way if it’s available. According to dermatologist Dr. Doris Velasco, using hand sanitizer gels is the next best thing to hand-washing. That’s a great relief. Based from Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, Dr. Velasco mentioned that it is recommended that hand sanitizers should have at least 60% alcohol content in order to destroy the SARS COV-2 lipid protective barrier or coating. However, rubbing high concentration of alcohol on your skin may cause skin dryness or skin irritation because it disrupts the natural protective layer of oil on our skin. Which I really agree with. Even the strong scent of ordinary alcohol hurts my nose badly because of its painful smell. And it’s the main reason why hand sanitizer gels were created because it contains moisturizers to counter-act skin dryness caused by other products. Hand sanitizers are also quite handy and easier to carry. You can carry along with you a small bottle in your bag, usually, belt bag for me. I can bring it with me wherever I go. Benefits of Sakura Extracts Helps maintain smooth and supple skin It has anti-inflammatory properties Helps prevent uneven skin by limiting melanin production (whitening effect) Mild and delightful fragrance Soap and water is still the best combination of hand washing and is still the best hand sanitizing technique. But since we have to go out and leave the house for work or errands, a good hand sanitizer should accompany us. 1. Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol for more effective cleansing in order to kill the microbes or viruses according to the CBC 2. One to 2 drops of hand sanitizer gel are enough to use or until the whole area of your hands from palm to fingers are properly covered and rubbed well. 3. Once properly applied let it dry completely on its own and you are ready to go! Remember, right choice of hand sanitizer is a great alternative to hand washing if the water and soap tandem is not available. Hand sanitizer can be a good follow up sanitation and added protection as well. Especially when you are out and has touched some surfaces around you. Two variants: A 100ml bottle @ Php110 Infused with Sakura extracts, has a Mildly fragrant smell and is perfect for personal use A 490ml bottle @Php320 Infused with German chamomile extract Scent-free and is perfect for general use Both infusions are proven effective and serves the same benefits in helping to retain skin moisture and repair natural skin barriers. They also have anti-aging properties due to their wide array of anti-oxidants as mentioned by Mr. Estrada. Derma Science Hand Gel also has 70% alcohol content but no colorants and is quick drying, letting you effectively cleanse your hands without that sticky feeling. It's Paraben-free! Derma Hand Science Hand Gel is also paraben-free. Parabens are preservative substances that are harmful to our health since it contains some carcinogenic properties. Paraben not only produces dry skin, they can disrupt hormone function in women leading to increased risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity. On our experience, since me and my daughter are both using the Derma Science hand sanitizer, we noticed that it really moisturizes our hands after use. We love the scents every time we apply it. Gives us soothing feeling while rubbing the gel on our hands. We love this hand gel. Will you now use Derma Science hand sanitizer gel if water and soap are absent? We now have a choice to not settle on other products that can harm our skin even our health. Make your choice. Want your own bottle (or bottles!) of Derma Science Hand Sanitizer Gel? You can get them at Shopee, Lazada or at goodnessandgrains.com! Labels: Derma Science, Hand Sanitizer Gel World Vision alarmed by students selling sensual photos online to support their education Child-focused agency World Vision raises its concern about reports published by the Philippine Online Student Tambayan (POST) about students selling sensual photos and videos online using specific hashtags. Reports also showed that students also held a “Christmas sale” of what appeared to be sexual exploitation materials encouraging buyers to “help” raise funds for their distance learning needs such as tuition, Internet connection and tech gadgets. “Every child or learner deserves to be safe and protected from any form of sexual abuse or exploitation, even at this difficult time of the pandemic,” says World Vision National Director Rommel V. Fuerte. “World Vision calls on relevant government agencies and key stakeholders to protect children from OSEC by all possible means,” Fuerte added. Amid the community quarantine, the Department of Justice (DOJ) – Office of Cybercrime reported that online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) reports tripled during March to May 2020 (relative to the same period in 2019). Based on World Vision’s COVID-19 rapid impact assessment report in the Philippines, the study also found out that 92% of households surveyed said their livelihoods were disrupted, 61% of which are fully and severely affected by the pandemic. Loss of income is forcing parents/caregivers to take drastic measures, as 3% of respondents said they will send their children to work (which could include high risk jobs). World Vision also stressed the need for the Inter-Agency Council Against Child Pornography and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and DOJ respectively, to conduct thorough investigation of the reported cases, and to apprehend the perpetrators including the takedown of harmful social media accounts and online sites. “While we are after the criminal offenders, we also need to ensure the provision of appropriate support to the children who have been lured by this rising trade involving minors,” says Jezreel Hannah Domingo, Child Protection Manager of World Vision. “Our educational system should also ensure that child protection committees in all schools are established and learners have access to information on cyber-safety including responsible use of social media and mechanisms to report incidents of abuse,” Domingo added. The Department of Education (DepEd) also expressed concern about the issue and is already conducting its investigation. They are also calling on schools to strengthen their child protection committees to help identify and report child abuse and exploitation cases. Early last year, World Vision, in partnership with DepEd launched the Abutin Na10 campaign which aimed to raise resources to support its distance learning modalities as part of the larger implementation of the department’s Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan. Lawmakers including the Senate and the House of Representatives are also urged to prioritize and address the gaps in the current legal framework to strengthen the teeth against OSEC in the Philippines. Local government units must ensure that their local councils for the protection of children and Violence against Women and Children Desks are in place and remain functional to address child protection concerns in their localities. “We call on the parents and caregivers to safeguard their children from online harm. Teaching their kids about online safety and encouraging them to reach out whenever they feel uncomfortable can go a long way. Also, we urge the public to always be vigilant and if there are suspicions of OSEC in the communities, report to proper authorities. Truly it takes all of us to end OSEC,” said Rommel Fuerte. Report incidents of child abuse and sexual exploitation through the following: Call: 1343 (in Manila); 02 1343 (outside Metro Manila) Report online: www.1343actionline.ph Philippine National Police (PNP) Hotline Patrol, Anti-Cybercrime Group Call: 911, (02) 722-0650 Text: 0917-847 5757 Philippine National Police, Anti-Cybercrime Group Report online: angelnet.ph Email: pnp.acg.angelnet@gmail.com National Bureau of Investigation, Cybercrime Division Call: (02) 523 8231 to38 (local 3454, 3455) Email: ccd@nbi.gov.ph Department of Justice, Office of Cybercrime Call: (02) 523 0628, (02) 521 8345, (02) 524 2230 Email: cybercrime@doj.gov.ph Inter-agency Council Against Child Pornography Report Online: http://www.iacacp.gov.ph/report-to-us-2/ Or go to the nearest barangay BCPC, VAWC and local Social Welfare Office To know more about World Vision, visit www.worldvision.org.ph. For updates, follow /worldvisionph on Facebook and @worldvisionphl on Instagram. About World Vision World Vision is a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, their families, and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by its Christian faith and values, it is dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people. It serves and collaborates with all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. Labels: World Vision GOLDILOCKS : A Chocoholic Dream Come True! Chocoholics have another reason to celebrate as Goldilocks, the country's number one Bakeshop, is happy to highlight their delectable All About Chocolate Cake. This decadent Premium Cake is made with a fudgy chocolate cake and a chocolate mousse filling which is then covered in chocolate ganache and finally adorned with intricate chocolate toppers, making it the perfect centerpiece in any celebration! Satisfy your sweet tooth with Goldilocks's delicious All About Choco Cake! Grab this, and other products starting January 11, 2021 at Goldilocks bakeshops nationwide, and for more information, you may follow @GoldilocksPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or visit the official Goldilocks website at www.goldilocks.com.ph Labels: #Goldilocks #AllAboutChocolateCake How Tanduay Overcame the Challenges of 2020 to Emerge as Brand of the Year Anew The year 2020 has been a difficult year for most consumer brands and companies have been challenged to step up to thrive in the new business climate. For Tanduay, a pivot toward a digital platform, a sustained campaign to remain connected with its target market, the launch of new products, and continued international distribution expansion have helped in overcoming the obstacles of a trying year. And its efforts didn’t remain unnoticed. Tanduay products continued to receive accolades from international wines and spirits organizations and, most recently, the 165-year-old company won the much-coveted “Brand of the Year” award from the Global Advisory Council of the World Branding Forum. “We are doubly honored to receive this recognition this year as 2020 has been a really challenging year for all brands. As we always say, ‘Tibay ng Loob, Tibay Tanduay.’ Our resilience has always been our greatest strength as a brand,” said Paul Lim, Tanduay Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing. This is the sixth consecutive year that Tanduay has won the Brand of the Year Award in the rum category of the World Branding Awards, the premier awards programme of the World Branding Forum. Winners of the World Branding Awards are judged through three streams – Brand Valuation, Consumer Market Research and Public Online Voting. To be held at Kensington Palace in London this year, the awards will see some of the best brands from across the globe honored. Previous winners of the awards include Apple, Barclays, BMW, Coca-Cola, Del Monte, Guinness, Heinz, HSBC, LEGO, Louis Vuitton, McDonald’s, Nescafé, Shell, Spotify, the University of Oxford and VISA. Tanduay continued its growth trajectory in 2020. It launched a digital sales platform, shots.ph, to make it easier for its customers to purchase its products. Consecutively, Tanduay introduced three new cocktail flavors – piña colada, strawberry daiquiri and green margarita – via its new e-commerce website. It likewise launched a spoken word video series that related stories of this generation. To cap off a successful year, Tanduay hosted the online concert, TAMBAYAN: The Tanduay Yearender Jam with Bamboo and Spongecola. Tanduay also continued the aggressive international market expansion it started in 2017. It entered partnerships with several international distributors in the U.S. and other countries. Tanduay can now be found in Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Wisconsin, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Tennessee, and Michigan, and in the territory of Guam. It is also available in China, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. Tanduay likewise continued its winning streak this year. It bagged top honors in China’s G100 International Wine & Spirits Awards; the Ultimate Spirits Challenge; Beverage Testing Institute; and Concours Mondial. Safeguard, Grab Come Together for a Fun and SAFE Philippines Starting the new year with safety as a priority, Safeguard continues with its efforts in aiding Filipinos with proper hand hygiene education. The brand acknowledges the importance of the delivery economy and safety in mobilization most especially at this time. In line with its consistent efforts for a SAFE Philippines, there couldn’t be a better time to have this fun and informative alliance with Safeguard partnering up with Grab Philippines to ensure that driver partners are also part of the #SafeWash movement. Hugas Safeguard for SAFE Deliveries Safeguard and Grab’s partnership brought timely entertainment to partner drivers while imparting proper safe handwashing education through the #SafeWash movement. The mechanics for the online contest were featured during a Ka-Grab Kamustahan Facebook livestream. Grab drivers sent in video entries of their dubbed version of the “Hugas Na rin ‘Yan” rap by Fred D’ Germ ft. Gloc 9. Grab drivers showcased their talent in dubbing with immense confidence. Betting on the prize for a merrier and a safer holiday, some were embodying their own version of Gloc-9, others involved their partners to add more interaction into their creative dub video. With its addictive melody, Grab drivers participated and posted their dubbed videos on Safeguard’s Facebook page. Safeguard has also donated hand sanitizers, liquid hand soaps, and body wash placed at Ka-Grab Pit Stops to ensure that Filipinos who are transported through Grab’s service and their driver partners are equally protected. Commitment for the #SafeWash Movement The “puwede na” mentality in handwashing has proven to be an alarming threat to Filipinos especially during this pandemic. Safeguard took the matter into their own hands and produced the #SafeWash Movement wherein they relayed proper handwashing education through pop culture themes that would cater to Filipinos of all ages. The mass education music video with more than 20 million views combined in different social media platforms, starring Fred D’ Germ — an online ‘influenzah’, was produced by five of the top Philippine animation houses with the rap song voiced by Gloc-9. You can watch the video here. After the success of the #SafeWash campaign, Safeguard partnered with Manila Water Foundation (MWF) to construct handwashing facilities all over Metro Manila to bring ease of access to handwashing facilities. What started as a battle cry against hand hygiene misinformation, Safeguard now continues to strengthen proper handwashing education for Filipinos through the #SafeWash Movement, for a SAFE Philippines. Labels: #Safeguard #Grab COVID-19 Essentials: What do you need to have at h... NPAW 2020 Highlights The Importance of Play Amidst... Derma Science Hand Sanitizer Gel, our partner to f... World Vision alarmed by students selling sensual p... How Tanduay Overcame the Challenges of 2020 to Eme... Safeguard, Grab Come Together for a Fun and SAFE P...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line192
__label__wiki	0.597596	0.597596	Water for Elephants – The Movie Fan Site Life is the most spectacular show on Earth The Promotion Sara Gruen’s 2010 Book Tour Extra Experiences Set Soldiers Global Release Dates Worldwide Premieres 411 Official Stills The Trailer Screencaps ~ 2nd domestic trailer The Trailer Screencaps Finnish Trailer The Wallpapers The Avatars International Trailers The Fan Site ← The first WFE fan-made trailer is in! Video: Meet Sara Gruen – Feature on Barnes and Noble Site → Article: Sara Gruen talks Ape House and Water for Elephants parade in USA Today Posted on September 2, 2010 by deb24601 USA Today talked to Sara Gruen about the upcoming release of her new novel, Ape House, and the mega-watt success of Water for Elephants. There’s also a great video of Sara interacting with bonobo apes. But my favourite bit is Sara talking about filming the parade with Rob. Here’s an excerpt: “He’s wearing me out,” Gruen says with a laugh, “but the apes are my friends and I’m happy to see them again. They know who I am. They’re clearly able to have long-term loving relationships both with apes and people.”Gruen is visiting again with the seven bonobos who live here — including 3-month-old Teco — and taking breaks to talk about what’s shaping up to be an eventful year. Ape House, which will be published by Spiegel & Grau ($26) with a first printing of 200,000 copies, will set in motion a cross-country book tour that begins here in Des Moines. And the film version of Water for Elephants, her third novel, the one that has brought her international fame and fortune, is now in post-production. It’s the story of a Depression-era traveling circus and a love affair between a veterinarian (Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson) and an entertainer (Reese Witherspoon). The film is scheduled for release next April. Gruen says her success with Elephants was as unpredictable as a lightning strike. “It was as big a surprise to me as it was to anyone else,” she says. “My goal was always to make enough money to write the next book. Maybe it hit something people needed or wanted at that particular time. If I knew what it was, I’d do it again every time.” When it was reprinted in paperback, Water for Elephants rose to No. 4 on USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list. There are 2.9 million copies in print, but publisher Algonquin expects that number to soar in March with the release of a new movie tie-in paperback (likely with Pattinson’s handsome face on the jacket). Remembering a time with Tai the elephant Sara Gruen gets a star turn in the film version of her novel Water for Elephants, now in post-production. She got to meet stars Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. Just as thrilling was being lifted into the air by Tai the elephant, who depicts circus elephant Rosie in the movie, due April 15. “Her trainer told me to hug her trunk,” says Gruen, “so I did, and suddenly I was 7 feet in the air. She gave me many kisses, probably because I always carry mints for my horses, so I was slipping her candy every time I got a chance.” Gruen, her husband and three sons were cast as extras in a scene in which the circus performers and animals parade down the streets in Weehawken, N.J. “We retook that scene I think 18 times,” Gruen recalls. “I’m the one Rob Pattinson (who plays veterinarian Jacob Jankowski) elbows past and says, ‘Excuse me, ma’am’ to.” As for Christoph Waltz, who plays an abusive animal trainer, Gruen says: “I watched a scene being filmed when he was ‘beating’ Rosie. From the side of the road, it was very obvious that he wasn’t going anywhere near her, but from behind the bank of monitors, it was extremely convincing.” Thank you to reader @lolo8858 for the tip. You can read the rest of the article and see the video HERE! Ape House goes on sale September 7th and you can pre-order by clicking the Ape House button in the sidebar. And don’t forget!! When we hit 8000 followers on Twitter we are giving out a Water for Elephants gift pack which will include a copy of WFE, Ape House, Team Rosie tote and button!! source::source About deb24601 I write stuff. About books, music, movies... occasionally about Robert Pattinson. whistles I blog with WaterforElephantsFilm.com and CosmopolisFilm.com. View all posts by deb24601 → This entry was posted in Sara Gruen, The Book, Twitter, Water for Elephants. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Responses to Article: Sara Gruen talks Ape House and Water for Elephants parade in USA Today Tinkrbe1l3 says: I’m glad we know what to look for in the movie now! When Rob says, “Excuse me, ma’am.” Yeah, it is so cool that she gave us the info on her cameo because it will be fun to see her part in the movie. Since “Water For Elephants” is one of my all time favorite books, I am looking forward to Sara’s new book “Ape House”. Oh yeah, since I don’t actually own a copy of WFE (the one I’ve read 3 times is my daughters), I am really looking forward to purchasing the movie tie-in paperback, hopefully with Jacob on the cover! What an experience! It must be fantastic to be the author of a book and to find suddenly yourself right in the middle of the world that you’ve created, and to see the characters come to life, to see their faces and voices… as if by magic. I’ll sure be watching for that tiny cameo. And, 18 takes – this is amazing, so much hard work and dedication going on behind the scenes, for whar will be a maybe a fleeting moment in the final cut fo the film. Thanks for posting this! Tweets by @H2OforElephants See The Trailers Select Category Andrew Tennenbaum (7) Cast (25) Casting (30) Charity (9) Christoph Waltz (174) Cinematographer (6) Circus Animals (17) Contests (4) Costumes (29) Crew Corner (6) Donna Scott (4) DVD (4) Elephants (33) Exclusive (20) Extras (8) Facebook (1) Fan Art (34) Fan Event (4) Filming Locations (27) Fox Movie Studio (20) Francis Lawrence (134) Friday Fun House (3) Gil Netter (3) Hal Holbrook (17) Have Trunk Will Travel (10) Jacqueline West (6) James Newton Howard (6) Mark Povinelli (15) Music (4) NYC Premiere (13) Official Photos (15) Official Trailer (8) On Location (40) Pattinspoon (9) Poll (1) Press Junket (85) Production (37) Production Designer (10) Props & Sets (37) Queenie (12) Red Carpet Premieres (33) Reese Witherspoon (293) Robert Pattinson (458) Rosie (59) Rosie’s Week in Review (8) Rumors (9) Sara Gruen (57) Script (6) Script Secret (2) Set Soldiers (34) Soundtrack (2) Spectacular Speculations (3) Tai (75) The Book (42) The Kinkers (9) The Reviews (21) The Site (14) Trailer (5) TV Appearances (22) Twitter (64) Water for Elephants (750) Worldwide release dates (15) Select Month January 2015 (1) December 2014 (2) November 2014 (1) October 2014 (1) January 2013 (1) March 2012 (1) January 2012 (1) December 2011 (1) November 2011 (1) October 2011 (1) August 2011 (4) July 2011 (4) June 2011 (6) May 2011 (23) April 2011 (202) March 2011 (87) February 2011 (33) January 2011 (36) December 2010 (31) November 2010 (5) October 2010 (9) September 2010 (12) August 2010 (45) July 2010 (77) June 2010 (74) May 2010 (46) April 2010 (28) March 2010 (11) February 2010 (6) January 2010 (1) This is an unofficial fan site for Water for Elephants movie for entertainment purposes only. This site is not affiliated with the film, its actors, or its producers and distributors. No copyright infringement is intended. Please advise if you own something seen on this site (proof of ownership needs to be supplied) and would like it removed by contacting waterforelephantsfilm [at] gmail [dot] com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Search the BIG TOP! Our Past Performances	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line196
__label__wiki	0.832808	0.832808	Support this site. Donate. Photios I of Constantinople Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople "Photios" redirects here. For other people with the name, see Photios (name). Saint Photios the Great Photios baptising the Bulgarians The Great, Confessor of the Faith, Equal to the Apostles, Pillar of Orthodoxy[1] Bordi, Armenia Venerated in Canonized 1847, Constantinople by Anthimus VI of Constantinople Photios I (Greek: Φώτιος, Phōtios; c. 810/820 – 6 February 893), [a] also spelled Photius[2] (/ˈfoʊʃəs/) or Fotios, was the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople from 858 to 867 and from 877 to 886.[3] He is recognized in the Eastern Orthodox Church as Saint Photios the Great. Photios is widely regarded as the most powerful and influential church leader of Constantinople subsequent to John Chrysostom's archbishopric around the turn of the fifth century. He is also viewed as the most important intellectual of his time – "the leading light of the ninth-century renaissance".[4] He was a central figure in both the conversion of the Slavs to Christianity and the Photian schism,[5] and is considered "[t]he great systematic compiler of the Eastern Church, who occupies a similar position to that of Gratian in the West," and whose "collection in two parts...formed and still forms the classic source of ancient Church Law for the Greek Church."[2] Photios was a well-educated man from a noble Constantinopolitan family. Photius's great uncle was a previous patriarch of Constantinople, Saint Tarasius.[6] He intended to be a monk, but chose to be a scholar and statesman instead. In 858, Emperor Michael III (r. 842–867) decided to confine Patriarch Ignatius in order to force him into resignation, and Photios, still a layman, was appointed to replace him.[7] Amid power struggles between the pope and the Byzantine emperor, Ignatius was reinstated. Photios resumed the position when Ignatius died (877), by order of the Byzantine emperor.[7] The new pope, John VIII, approved Photios's reinstatement.[8] Catholics regard as legitimate a Fourth Council of Constantinople (Roman Catholic) anathematizing Photios,[7] while Eastern Orthodox regard as legitimate a subsequent Fourth Council of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox), reversing the former.[7] The contested councils mark the end of unity represented by the first seven Ecumenical Councils. Studies show that Photios was venerated as a saint as early as the 9th century, and by the Roman Church as late as the 12th century.[9] Nonetheless, Photios was formally canonized by the Orthodox Church in 1847. 1 Secular life 2 Patriarch of Constantinople 4 Writings 7.2 Sources Secular life [ edit ] Most of the primary sources treating Photios's life are written by persons hostile to him. Modern scholars are thus cautious when assessing the accuracy of the information these sources provide.[b] Little is known of Photios's origin and early years. It is known that he was born into a notable family and that his uncle Saint Tarasius had been the patriarch of Constantinople from 784–806 under both Empress Irene (r. 797–802) and Emperor Nikephoros I (r. 802–811).[10] During the second Iconoclasm, which began in 814, his family suffered persecution since his father, Sergios, was a prominent iconophile. Sergios's family returned to favor only after the restoration of the icons in 842.[11] Certain scholars assert that Photios was, at least in part, of Armenian descent[c] while other scholars merely refer to him as a "Greek Byzantine".[12] Byzantine writers also report that Emperor Michael III (r. 842–867) once angrily called Photios "Khazar-faced", but whether this was a generic insult or a reference to his ethnicity is unclear.[13] Although Photios had an excellent education, we have no information about how he received this education. The famous library he possessed attests to his enormous erudition (theology, history, grammar, philosophy, law, the natural sciences, and medicine).[14] Most scholars believe that he never taught at Magnaura or at any other university;[15] Vasileios N. Tatakes asserts that, even while he was patriarch, Photios taught "young students passionately eager for knowledge" at his home, which "was a center of learning".[14] He was a friend of the renowned Byzantine scholar and teacher Leo the Mathematician.[16] Photios says that, when he was young, he had an inclination for the monastic life, but instead he started a secular career. The way to public life was probably opened for him by (according to one account) the marriage of his brother Sergios to Irene, a sister of Empress Theodora, who upon the death of her husband Emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) in 842, had assumed the regency of the Byzantine Empire.[17] Photios became a captain of the guard (prōtospatharios) and subsequently chief imperial secretary (protasēkrētis). At an uncertain date, Photios participated in an embassy to the Abbasids of Baghdad.[18] Patriarch of Constantinople [ edit ] Photios's ecclesiastical career took off spectacularly after Caesar Bardas and his nephew, the youthful Emperor Michael, put an end to the administration of the regent Theodora and the logothete of the drome Theoktistos in 856. In 858, Bardas found himself opposed by the then Patriarch Ignatios, who refused to admit him into Hagia Sophia, since it was believed that he was having an affair with his widowed daughter-in-law. In response, Bardas and Michael engineered Ignatios's confinement and removal on the charge of treason, thus leaving the patriarchal throne empty. The throne was soon filled with a kinsman of Bardas, Photios himself, who was tonsured a monk on December 20, 858, and on the four following days was successively ordained lector, sub-deacon, deacon and priest, and then on Christmas Day, the patronal feast[19] of Constantinople's cathedral, Hagia Sophia, Photius was consecrated a bishop and installed as patriarch.[20] The confinement and removal of Ignatios and the speedy promotion of Photios at first caused only internal controversy within the Church of Constantinople, and in 859 a local council was held, examining the issue and confirming the removal of Ignatios and election of Photios.[21] In the same time, partisans of Ignatios decided to appeal to the Church of Rome, thus initiating ecclesiastical controversy on an ecumenical scale as the Pope and the rest of the western bishops took up the cause of Ignatios. The latter's confinement and removal without a formal ecclesiastical trial meant that Photios's election was uncanonical, and eventually Pope Nicholas I sought to involve himself in determining the legitimacy of the succession. His legates were dispatched to Constantinople with instructions to investigate, but finding Photios well ensconced, they acquiesced in the confirmation of his election at a synod in 861.[22] On their return to Rome, they discovered that this was not at all what Nicholas had intended, and in 863 at a synod in Rome the pope deposed Photios, and reappointed Ignatius as the rightful patriarch, triggering a schism. Four years later, Photios was to respond on his own part by calling a Council and excommunicating the pope on grounds of heresy – over the question of the double procession of the Holy Spirit.[23] The situation was additionally complicated by the question of papal authority over the entire Church and by disputed jurisdiction over newly converted Bulgaria.[24] This state of affairs changed with the murder of Photios's patron Bardas in 866 and of Emperor Michael III in 867, by his colleague Basil the Macedonian, who now usurped the throne. Photios was deposed as patriarch, not so much because he was a protégé of Bardas and Michael, but because Basil I was seeking an alliance with the Pope and the western emperor. Photios was removed from his office and banished about the end of September 867,[17] and Ignatios was reinstated on November 23. Photios was condemned by the Council of 869–870, thus putting an end to the schism. During his second patriarchate, however, Ignatios followed a policy not very different from that of Photios. Not long after his condemnation, Photios had reingratiated himself with Basil, and became tutor to the Byzantine emperor's children. From surviving letters of Photios written during his exile at the Skepi monastery, it appears that the ex-patriarch brought pressure to bear on the Byzantine emperor to restore him. Ignatios's biographer argues that Photios forged a document relating to the genealogy and rule of Basil's family, and had it placed in the imperial library where a friend of his was a librarian. According to this document, the Byzantine emperor's ancestors were not mere peasants as everyone believed but descendants of the Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia.[25] True or not, this story does reveal Basil's dependence on Photios for literary and ideological matters. Following Photios's recall, Ignatios and the ex-patriarch met, and publicly expressed their reconciliation. When Ignatios died on October 23, 877, it was a matter of course that his old opponent replaced him on the patriarchal throne three days later. Shaun Tougher asserts that from this point on Basil no longer simply depended on Photios, but in fact he was dominated by him.[26] A fresco of St. Photius as Patriarch of Constantinople Photios now obtained the formal recognition of the Christian world in a council convened at Constantinople in November 879. The legates of Pope John VIII attended, prepared to acknowledge Photios as legitimate patriarch, a concession for which the pope was much censured by Latin opinion. The patriarch stood firm on the main points contested between the Eastern and Western Churches: the demand of an apology to the Pope, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Bulgaria, and the addition of the filioque to the Nicene creed by the Western church.[17] Eventually, Photios refused to apologize or accept the filioque, and the papal legates made do with his return of Bulgaria to Rome. This concession, however, was purely nominal, as Bulgaria's return to the Byzantine rite in 870 had already secured for it an autocephalous church. Without the consent of Boris I of Bulgaria (r. 852–889), the papacy was unable to enforce its claims. During the altercations between Emperor Basil I and his heir Leo VI, Photios took the side of the Byzantine emperor. In 883, Basil accused Leo of conspiracy and confined the prince to the palace; he would have even have Leo blinded had he not been dissuaded by Photios and Stylianos Zaoutzes, the father of Zoe Zaoutzaina, Leo's mistress.[27] In 886, Basil discovered and punished a conspiracy by the domestic of the Hikanatoi John Kourkouas the Elder and many other officials. In this conspiracy, Leo was not implicated, but Photios was possibly one of the conspirators against Basil's authority.[28] Basil died in 886 injured while hunting, according to the official story. Warren T. Treadgold believes that this time the evidence points to a plot on behalf of Leo VI, who became emperor, and deposed Photios, although the latter had been his tutor.[29] Photios was replaced by the Byzantine emperor's brother Stephen, and sent into exile to the monastery of Bordi in Armenia. It is confirmed from letters to and from Pope Stephen that Leo extracted a resignation from Photios. In 887, Photios and his protégé, Theodore Santabarenos, were put on trial for treason before a tribunal headed by senior officials, headed by Andrew the Scythian. Although the sources sympathetic to Photios give the impression that the trial ended without a conviction, the chronicle of Pseudo-Symeon clearly states that Photios was banished to the monastery of Gordon, where he later died. Latin sources confirm that he died in a state of complete excommunication by Pope John VIII. [30] Yet it appears that he did not remain reviled for the remainder of his life.[31] Photios continued his career as a writer throughout his exile, and Leo probably rehabilitated his reputation within the next few years; in his Epitaphios on his brothers, a text probably written in 888, the Emperor presents Photios favorably, portraying him as the legitimate archbishop, and the instrument of ultimate unity, an image that jars with his attitude to the patriarch in the previous year.[32] Confirmation that Photios was rehabilitated comes upon his death: according to some chronicles, his body was permitted to be buried in Constantinople. In addition, according to the anti-Photian biographer of Ignatius, partisans of the ex-patriarch after his death endeavored to claim for him the "honor of sainthood". Furthermore, a leading member of Leo's court, Leo Choirosphaktes, wrote poems commemorating the memory of several prominent contemporary figures, such as Leo the Mathematician and the Patriarch Stephen, and he also wrote one on Photios.[33] Shaun Tougher notes, however, that "yet Photios's passing does seem rather muted for a great figure of Byzantine history [...] Leo [...] certainly did not allow him back into the sphere of politics, and it is surely his absence from this arena that accounts for his quiet passing."[34] The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates Photios as a saint, his feast day being February 6; Ignatius is also venerated as a saint both in Eastern Orthodox Church, his feast day being October 23, and in the Roman Catholic Church. Assessments [ edit ] Photios is one of the most famous figures not only of 9th-century Byzantium but of the entire history of the Byzantine Empire. One of the most learned men of his age, and revered – even by some of his opponents and detractors – as the most prolific theologian of his time, he has earned his fame due to his part in ecclesiastical conflicts, and also for his intellect and literary works.[35][36] Analyzing his intellectual work, Tatakes regards Photios as "mind turned more to practice than to theory". He believes that, thanks to Photios, humanism was added to Orthodoxy as a basic element of the national consciousness of the medieval Byzantines, returning it to the place it had had in the late Roman (early Byzantine) period. Tatakes also argues that, having understood this national consciousness, Photios emerged as a defender of the Greek nation and its spiritual independence in his debates with the Western Church.[37] Adrian Fortescue regards him as "one of the most wonderful men of all the middle ages", and stresses that "had [he] not given his name to the great schism, he would always be remembered as the greatest scholar of his time".[38] Yet, Fortescue is equally adamant of his condemnation of Photios' involvement in the Schism: "And yet the other side of his character is no less evident. His insatiable ambition, his determination to obtain and keep the patriarchal see, led him to the extreme of dishonesty. His claim was worthless. That Ignatius was the rightful patriarch as long as he lived, and Photius an intruder, cannot be denied by any one who does not conceive the Church as merely the slave of a civil government. And to keep this place Photius descended to the lowest depth of deceit."[39] Writings [ edit ] The most important of the works of Photios is his renowned Bibliotheca or Myriobiblon, a collection of extracts and abridgements of 280 volumes of classical authors (usually cited as Codices), the originals of which are now to a great extent lost. The work is especially rich in extracts from historical writers.[17] Some older scholarship speculated that the Bibliotheca was in fact compiled in Baghdad at the time of Photius's embassy to the Abbasid court, since many of the mentioned works were rarely cited during the so-called Byzantine Dark Ages c. 630 – c. 800, and it was known that the Abbasids were interested in works of Greek science and philosophy.[40] However, specialists of this period of Byzantine history, such as Paul Lemerle, have shown that Photios could not have compiled his Bibliotheca in Baghdad because he clearly states in both his introduction and his postscript that when he learned of his appointment to the embassy, he sent his brother a summary of books that he read previously, "since the time I learned how to understand and evaluate literature" i.e. since his youth.[41] Moreover, the Abbasids were interested only in Greek science, philosophy and medicine; they did not have Greek history, rhetoric, or other literary works translated; nor did they have Christian patristic writers translated.[42] Yet the majority of works in Bibliotheca are by Christian patristic authors, and most of the secular texts in Bibliotheca are histories, grammars or literary works, usually rhetoric, rather than science, medicine or philosophy. This further indicates that the majority of the works cannot have been read while Photios was in the Abbasid empire. To Photios, we are indebted for almost all we possess of Ctesias, Memnon of Heraclea, Conon, the lost books of Diodorus Siculus, and the lost writings of Arrian. Theology and ecclesiastical history are also very fully represented, but poetry and ancient philosophy are almost entirely ignored. It seems that he did not think it necessary to deal with those authors with whom every well-educated man would naturally be familiar. The literary criticisms, generally distinguished by keen and independent judgment, and the excerpts vary considerably in length. The numerous biographical notes are probably taken from the work of Hesychius of Miletus.[17] The Lexicon (Λέξεων Συναγωγή), published later than the Bibliotheca, was probably in the main the work of some of his pupils. It was intended as a book of reference to facilitate the reading of old classical and sacred authors, whose language and vocabulary were out of date. For a long time, the only manuscripts of the Lexicon were the Codex Galeanus, which passed into the library of Trinity College, Cambridge[17] and Berolinensis graec. oct. 22, both of which were incomplete. But in 1959, Linos Politis of the University of Thessaloniki discovered a complete manuscript, codex Zavordensis 95, in the Zavorda Monastery (Greek: Ζάβορδα) in Grevena, Greece, where it still resides.[43] His most important theological work is the Amphilochia, a collection of some 300 questions and answers on difficult points in Scripture, addressed to Amphilochius, archbishop of Cyzicus. Other similar works are his treatise in four books against the Manichaeans and Paulicians, and his controversy with the Latins on the Procession of the Holy Spirit.[44] Photios also addressed a long letter of theological advice to the newly converted Boris I of Bulgaria. Numerous other Epistles also survive. Photios is also the writer of two "mirrors of princes", addressed to Boris-Michael of Bulgaria (Epistula 1, ed. Terzaghi) and to Leo VI the Wise (Admonitory Chapters of Basil I).[45] The chief contemporary authority for the life of Photios is his bitter enemy, Nicetas the Paphlagonian, the biographer of his rival Ignatios.[46] The first English translation, by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, of the "Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit" by Photios was published in 1983.[47] Another translation was published in 1987 with a preface by Archimandrite (now Archbishop) Chrysostomos of Etna.[48] See also [ edit ] Byzantine philosophy Filioque clause University of Magnaura Bibliotheca (Photius) Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus) Notes [ edit ] ^ a: The exact dates of Photios's birth and death are not known. Most sources list circa 810 and others circa 820 as his year of birth. He died some time between 890 and 895 (probably 891 or 893).[49] ^ b: The case of pseudo-Simeon's Chronicle is characteristic: the author argues that Photios was educated after an agreement he concluded with a Jewish magician who offered him knowledge and secular recognition, in case he renounced his faith.[50] ^ c: David Marshall Lang argues that "Photius [...] was only one of many Byzantine scholars of Armenian descent".[51]Peter Charanis notes that "John the Grammarian, Photius, Caesar Bardas and Leo the Philosopher seem to have been the prime movers. All four were, at least in part, of Armenian descent [...] as for Photius, the fact is that his mother Irene, was the sister of Arshavir, the Arshavir who had married Calomaria the sister of Bardas and the empress Theodora."[52] Nicholas Adontz stresses that "Arshavir, Photius' uncle, must not be confused with Arshavir, the brother of John the Grammarian".[53] ^ d: G. N. Wilson regards Leo the Mathematician as Photios's teacher, but Paul Lemerle notes that Leo was not one of the persons with whom Photios had a correspondence.[54] References [ edit ] Citations [ edit ] ^ "Photius the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople". Online Chapel. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Retrieved 10 June 2016. ^ a b Fr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., & Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Materials in Canon Law: A Textbook for Ministerial Students, Revised Edition" [Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1990]), p. 61 ^ White, Despina Stratoudaki (1981). The Life of Patriarch Photios. Patriarch Photios of Constantinople, His Life, Scholarly Contributions, and Correspondence, Together with a Translation of Fifty-two of His Letters. ISBN 978-0-91658626-3. Retrieved 2014-01-03. ^ Louth 2007, Chapter Seven: "Renaissance of Learning: East and West", p. 159; Mango 1980, p. 168. ^ Treadgold 1983, p. 1100 ^ Jenkins 1987, Chapter Thirteen: "Ignatius, Photius, and Pope Nicholas I", p. 168. ^ a b c d Cross & Livingstone 2005, "Photius". ^ Durant 1972, p. 529. ^ И. Византийский. Святѣйшій Фотій, патріархъ Константинопольскій (The Most Holy Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople) // «Церковныя Вѣдомости, издаваемыя при Святѣйшемъ Правительствующемъ Сѵнодѣ» («Ecclesiastical leaflets of the Most Holy Governing Synod»). 29 January 1900, № 5, pages 193—201. ^ Photios. Epistola II, CII, 609; Tougher 1997, p. 68. ^ Tougher 1997, p. 68. ^ Gren 2002, p. 110: "Something of it, though, has been saved for posterity in the extracts made later by the Greek Byzantine patriarch Photios..." ^ Dunlop 1954, p. 194; Fortescue 2001, Chapter IV: "The Schism of Photius", pp. 146–147. ^ a b Tatakes & Moutafakis 2003, p. 102. ^ Mango 1980, pp. 168–169; Treadgold 1983, p. 1100. ^ Vlasto, A. P. (1970). The Entry of the Slavs into Christendom: An Introduction to the Medieval History of the Slavs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 33. ^ a b c d e f Chisholm 1911, p. 483. ^ Plexidas 2007, "Introduction", p. 17; Shepard 2002, p. 235. ^ Janin, Raymond (1953). La Géographie Ecclésiastique de l'Empire Byzantin. 1. Part: Le Siège de Constantinople et le Patriarcat Oecuménique. 3rd Vol. : Les Églises et les Monastères. Paris: Institut Français d'Etudes Byzantines. ^ Tougher 1997, p. 69 ^ Dvornik 1948, pp. 39-69. ^ Fortescue 2001, pp. 147–148; Louth 2007, p. 171; Tougher 1997, p. 69. ^ Chadwick 2003, Chapter 3: "Early Christian Diversity: The Quest for Coherence", p. 146. ^ Treadgold 1997, Chapter Fourteen: "External Gains, 842–912", p. 457. ^ Tougher 1997, pp. 70–71. ^ Treadgold 1997, p. 460. ^ Vlyssidou 1997, p. 33. ^ https://sensusfidelium.us/apologetics/history-of-heresies-their-refutation-st-alphonsus/the-errors-of-the-greeks-condemned-in-three-general-councils/ ^ Tougher 1997, pp. 73–76, 84. ^ Louth 2007, Chapter Seven: "Renaissance of Learning: East and West", p. 171. ^ Tatakes & Moutafakis 2003, p. 103. ^ Fortescue 2001, p. 138. ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12043b.htm ^ Jokisch 2007, pp. 365–386. ^ Jokisch 2007, pp. 365–386; Lemerle 1986, p. 40. ^ Lemerle 1986, pp. 26–27. ^ "The Lexicon of Photius" by Roger Pearse, January 15, 2011. ^ Chisholm 1911, pp. 483–484. ^ Paidas 2005, passim. ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 484. ^ Photius (1983). On the Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit. Studion Publishers. ISBN 0-943670-00-4. ^ Photius; Joseph P. Farrell (1987). The Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit. Holy Cross Orthodox Press. ISBN 0-916586-88-X. ^ Mango 1980, p. 169; Plexidas 2007, "Introduction", p. 15. ^ Symeon Metaphrastes (?). Chronicle, PG 109, 732 BC; Plexidas 2007, "Introduction", p. 15. ^ Lang 1988, p. 54. ^ Charanis 1963, pp. 27–28. ^ Adontz 1950, p. 66. ^ Lemerle 1971, p. 159 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFLemerle1971 (help); Plexidas 2007, "Introduction", p. 16. Sources [ edit ] Adontz, Nicholas (1950). "Role of the Armenians in Byzantine Science". Armenian Review. 3 (3): 55–73. Chadwick, Henry (2003). East and West: The Making of a Rift in the Church: From Apostolic Times until the Council of Florence. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-926457-5. Charanis, Peter (1963). The Armenians in the Byzantine Empire. Lisbon, Portugal: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. Cross, Frank Leslie; Livingstone, Elizabeth A. (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280290-9. Dorfmann-Lazarev, Igor (2004). Arméniens et Byzantins à l'Époque de Photius: Deux Débats Théologiques Après le Triomphe de l'Orthodoxie. 609 (Subsidia Tomus 117). Louvain, Belgium: Éditions Peeters (Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium). ISBN 90-429-1412-2. Dunlop, Douglas Morton (1954). The History of the Jewish Khazars. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Durant, Will (1972). The Age of Faith. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster. Dvornik, Francis (1948). The Photian Schism: History and Legend. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Fortescue, Adrian (2001). The Orthodox Eastern Church. Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press LLC. ISBN 0-9715986-1-4. Gren, Erik (2002). Orientalia Suecana, Volumes 51–52. Stockholm, Sweden: Almquist & Wiksell Periodical Company. Jenkins, Romilly James Heald (1987). Byzantium: The Imperial Centuries, AD 610–1071. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Medieval Academy of America (University of Toronto Press). ISBN 0-8020-6667-4. Jokisch, Benjamin (2007). Islamic Imperial Law: Harun-al-Rashid's Codification Project. Berlin, Germany: Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-019048-9. Lang, David Marshall (1988). The Armenians: A People in Exile. London, United Kingdom: Unwin Paperbacks. Lemerle, Paul (1986). Byzantine Humanism. Canberra: Australian Association for Byzantine Studies. Louth, Andrew (2007). Greek East and Latin West: The Church, AD 681–1071. Crestwood, NY: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press. ISBN 978-0-88141-320-5. Mango, Cyril A. (1980). Byzantium: The Empire of New Rome. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons. ISBN 0-684-16768-9. Paidas, Konstantinos D. S. (2005). He Thematike ton Byzantinon "Katoptron Hegemonos" tes Proimes kai Meses Byzantines Periodo (398–1085). Symbole sten Politike Theoria ton Byzantinon (in Greek). Athens, Greece. Plexidas, Ioannis (2007). The Prince of Photios (in Greek). Athens, Greece: Armos. ISBN 978-960-527-396-5. Shepard, Jonathan (2002). "Spreading the Word: Byzantine Missions". In Cyril A. Mango (ed.). The Oxford History of Byzantium. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-814098-3. Tatakes, Vasileios N.; Moutafakis, Nicholas J. (2003). Byzantine Philosophy. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Incorporated. ISBN 0-87220-563-0. Taylor, Fr. Justin (1990), essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in "Readings, Cases, Materials in Canon Law: A Textbook for Ministerial Students, Revised Edition" [Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press] by Jordan Hite, T.O.R., & Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B.) Tougher, Shaun (1997). The Reign of Leo VI (886–912): Politics and People. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-10811-0. Treadgold, Warren T. (October 1983). "Review: Patriarch Photios of Constantinople: His Life, Scholarly Contributions, and Correspondence together with a Translation of Fifty-Two of His Letters by Despina Stratoudaki White; The Patriarch and the Prince: The Letter of Patriarch Photios of Constantinople to Khan Boris of Bulgaria by Despina Stratoudaki White; Joseph R. Berrigan, Jr". Speculum. Medieval Academy of America. 58 (4): 1100–1102. doi:10.2307/2853829. JSTOR 2853829. Treadgold, Warren (1997). A History of the Byzantine State and Society. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-2630-2. Vlyssidou, Vassiliki N. (1997). "About the Deposition of Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos (907)". Byzantine Symmeikta (in Greek). 11: 23–36. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2008-07-23. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Photius". Encyclopædia Britannica. 21 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 483–484. External links [ edit ] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Photios I of Constantinople. Saint Photius the Great Orthodox Icon and Synaxarion (February 6) Patriarch Photios of Constantinople Life and translations of his works The Excerpta of Photius Photius's summary of Books 9–16 of Memnon of Heraclea's history of Heraclea Pontica The Myrobiblion at Tertullian.Org Catholic Encyclopedia – Photius Greek Opera Omnia by Migne Patrologia Graeca with analytical indexes Saint Photius the Great, Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit (English translation) Ongoing English Translation of the Lexicon Photii biblioteca ex recensione Immanuelis Bekkeri, Berolini typis et impensis Ge. Reimeri, 1824–25, vol. 1, vol. 2. Titles of Chalcedonian Christianity Ignatios Patriarch of Constantinople 858–867 Succeeded by Ignatios Patriarch of Constantinople Stephen I Bishops of Byzantium and Patriarchs of Constantinople Bishops of Heraclea/Byzantium Roman period (38-330 AD) Polycarpus I Sedecion Eleutherius Polycarpus II Athenodorus Euzois Alypius Olympianus Marcus I Cyriacus I Castinus Eugenius I Dometius Rufinus Metrophanes Archbishops of Constantinople Roman period (330–451 AD) Macedonius I Eudoxius Demophilus Maximus I Gregory I Nectarius John I Chrysostom Arsacius Sisinnius I Nestorius Maximianus Anatolius Patriarchs of Constantinople Byzantine period (451–1453 AD) Gennadius I Acacius Fravitta Euphemius Macedonius II Timothy I Anthimus I Eutychius John III John IV Cyriacus II Paul II Theodore I Paul III Callinicus I John VI Germanus I Anastasius Nicetas I Paul IV Tarasius Nicephorus I Theodotus I Antony I John VII Methodius I Photios I Antony II Nicholas I Εuthymius I Stephen II Theophylact Polyeuctus Βasil I Αntony III Sisinnius II Sergius II Eustathius Michael I Constantine III John VIII Cosmas I Eustratius Nicholas III John IX Cosmas II Nicholas IV Theodotus II Neophytus I Nicetas II Dositheus John X Michael IV † Theodore II † Maximus II † Μanuel I † Germanus II † Methodius II † Manuel II † Arsenius † Nicephorus II † Germanus III Joseph I John XI Gregory II Athanasius I John XII Nephon I John XIII Gerasimus I John XIV Isidore I Callistus I Philotheus Macarius Nilus Antony IV Callistus II Matthew I Euthymius II Joseph II Metrophanes II Gregory III Athanasius II Ottoman period (1453–1923 AD) Gennadius II Isidore II Joasaph I Sophronius I Symeon I Dionysius I Raphael I Maximus III Nephon II Maximus IV Joachim I Pachomius I Theoleptus I Jeremias I Joannicius I Dionysius II Joasaph II Metrophanes III Jeremias II Pachomius II Theoleptus II Matthew II Gabriel I Theophanes I Meletius I Neophytus II Raphael II Cyril I Gregory IV Anthimus II Cyril II Athanasius III Neophytus III Parthenius I Parthenius II Joannicius II Cyril III Paisius I Parthenius III Gabriel II Parthenius IV Dionysius III Methodius III Dionysius IV Gerasimus II Athanasius IV Callinicus II Neophytus IV Gabriel III Neophytus V Cyprianus Athanasius V Cyril IV Cosmas III Jeremias III (Callinicus III) Paisius II Seraphim I Neophytus VI Cyril V Callinicus IV (III) Seraphim II Joannicius III Meletius II Sophronius II Gabriel IV Neophytus VII Gerasimus III Gregory V Callinicus V (IV) Jeremias IV Cyril VI Eugenius II Anthimus III Chrysanthus Agathangelus Gregory VI Anthimus IV Anthimus V Germanus IV Meletius III Anthimus VI Cyril VII Joachim II Sophronius III Joachim III Joachim IV Dionysius V Neophytus VIII Anthimus VII Constantine V Germanus V Meletius IV Turkish period (since 1923 AD) Gregory VII Constantine VI Basil III Photius II Maximus V † in exile at Nicaea Christianity portal Han Fei Laozi Xunzi Alpharabius Bartolus Gelasius Hostiensis John of Paris John of Salisbury Latini Nizam al-Mulk Photios William of Ockham Beza Duplessis-Mornay Guicciardini Hotman Müntzer Naudé Pufendorf Sansovino 18th–19th-century Bakunin Bonald Bosanquet Justi Le Play Maistre Möser Stirner 20th–21st-century Ambedkar Azurmendi Benoist De Beauvoir Debord Du Bois Dworkin Gehlen Irigaray Kautsky Laclau Maritain Michels Mouffe Nursî Oakeshott Plamenatz Polanyi Qutb Radhakrishnan Rothbard Santayana Shariati Simonović Sombart Collectivism Conflict theories Consensus theory Contractualism Feminist political theory Mohism National liberalism Social constructivism Social determinism Four occupations Mandate of Heaven Philosophy and economics Philosophy of love Philosophy of sex Social epistemology BNF: cb119196090(data) NLG: 54230 PLWABN: 9810616545105606 VcBA: 495/44744 Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Photios_I_of_Constantinople&oldid=998701813"	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line203
__label__cc	0.509561	0.490439	AdmaTravel Travel Information Guide AirLine Complaints British Airways Complaints Air France Complaints American Airlines Complaints Air Canada Complaints Austrian Airlines Complaints Lufthansa Complaints Continental Airlines Complaints Delta Air Lines Complaints US Airways Complaints Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) United Airlines Complaints Geography of Asia Geography of Europe CheapOair Customer Complaints Dubai For One Experience The Life of the Rich and Famous-INCLUSIVE RESORTS Zakynthos-Greece Category: Holidays Chistmas in New York City (NYC) Holidays in NYC The holiday season in New York City is getting into full swing. “Magical” is the only way to describe the ambience as eager kids and grown-ups celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, the winter solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve and more in NYC, transforming the City into a veritable wonderland of stunning window displays, enchanting train shows, mesmerizing tree lightings and heartwarming concerts. And, of course, there’s the shopping. From holiday markets to luxurious Fifth Avenue department stores to downtown boutiques for the fashion savvy, there is truly no other place in the world that answers to all of your gift-buying needs. Meanwhile, the Rockettes kick their legs at Radio City Music Hall, youngsters sport marshmallow moustaches from all the hot cocoa, and families and friends cling to one another on ice-skating rinks. Explore the shops, treats and other things to delight in to figure out how you’ll spend the most wonderful time of the year. The holiday season is a magical time in New York City. Across the five boroughs, ice-skating, tree lightings and classic events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular provide an endless supply of festive offerings that last through the New Year. Bundle up and venture out into the joy-filled streets to peruse one-of-a-kind wares at the Union Square Holiday Market, take in celebrity performances at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting and revel in seasonal festivities at Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square. If you’d rather duck out of the cold, the New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show proves a breathtaking retreat yehttp://admatravel.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpar after year, while performances of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker bring a timeless holiday tale to life. View the full slideshow for more information on these and many other events. And for additional ideas, visit our weekly “Free in NYC” and “Top Five Events” features; check out our concert, fashion, art, nightlife and sports listings; see our roundup of annual events; and search for an event in our calendar. Celebrate the season with the City’s holiday happenings, including Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting and the New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop. Ice-skating is synonymous with winter in New York City, though many of the City’s rinks actually open in early fall—including Citi Pond at Bryant Park and The Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center—and others, such as Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers, City Ice Pavilion and Aviator Sports & Events Center, are available year-round. The holiday season is pretty much peak time for skating, but it’s worth the wait just to whoosh around the ice in the open-air chill. (For more information, read our feature “New York Skate of Mind.”) The Grinch’s Holiday Workshop October 20–January 6, 2013 The Grinch and his holiday workshop arrive at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan in an interactive exhibition inspired by Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. Kids will enjoy seeing scenes from the book covering gallery walls, participating in a scavenger hunt, playing in a real-life sleigh and taking part in other ongoing Seuss-related holiday programming. The Grinch and his holiday workshop arrive at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan in an interactive exhibition inspired by Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. Kids will enjoy seeing scenes from the book covering gallery walls, participating in a scavenger hunt, playing in a real-life sleigh and taking part in other ongoing Seuss-related holiday programming. For more information and the complete schedule of family programming, visit cmom.org. The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park Photo: Jose Luis R. Cortes Satisfy those on your shopping list and get into the spirit of the season with a trip to The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park. More than 120 merchants fill the park through early January selling clothing, jewelry, household items, crafts, art and more. Plus, indulge in some warm and gooey treats from the vendors and go ice-skating at Citi Pond (free for guests who bring their own skates!). Satisfy those on your shopping list and get into the spirit of the season with a trip to The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park. More than 120 merchants fill the park through early January selling clothing, jewelry, household items, crafts, art and more. Plus, indulge in some warm and gooey treats from the vendors and go ice-skating at Citi Pond (free for guests who bring their own skates!). Manhattan, NY 10018 website:http://theholidayshopsatbryantpark.com Courtesy, Radio City Music Hall November 9–December 30 This iconic song-and-dance extravaganza, featuring the legendary Rockettes, is one of the holiday season’s must-see attractions. Celebrating 85 years of the Rockettes, this year’s show combines such classic scenes as “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “New York at Christmas” with all-new numbers and cutting-edge digital projection and digital mapping technology, which transforms Radio City Music Hall’s interior into a giant canvas. 1260 Sixth Ave Union Square Holiday Market November 16–December 24 More than 100 red-and-white booths will fill Union Square Park for its 19th-annual holiday market. You’ll find plenty of affordable quality items, so your wallet will thank you—and friends and family on your list will, too. Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal November 16–February 10, 2013 The New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store at Grand Central Terminal is back with its annual Holiday Train Show, whose new layout features Lionel trains traveling through a two-level, 34-foot-long miniature New York City and countryside scene. Vintage trains from the museum’s collection, including New York Central models, and posters from the 1920s through the ’40s will also be on display. New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show November 17–January 13, 2013 The Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden features painstakingly crafted miniatures of New York City’s built environment, all made entirely out of plant parts. Seeds, bark, leaves and twigs are among the botanical resources employed to create the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and other landmarks. Model trains navigate the familiar, fantastically rendered New York landscape. Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Rockefeller Center’s celebrated tree lighting, a holiday-season staple, takes place on November 28. The colorful and towering tree is a sight to behold, and the lighting ceremony always features celebrity guests, musical performances and more. The tree can be seen from the ice-skating rink below and is a must-visit for anyone in NYC during the holidays. It remains on view until 11pm on January 7, 2013. Times Square Ball Drop Celebrate the arrival of 2013 with the annual Times Square Ball Drop. Nothing compares with the exhilaration of watching the fete from the streets, plus you can catch music performances and other activities throughout the night. With all the revelry, it’s best to get there as early as possible in the day; street closures begin midafternoon and the choicest spots are usually filled by 3pm or earlier. For more information on spending New Year’s Eve in Times Square, read our guide. By: NYC The Official Guide nycgo.com Categories: Christmas, Holidays, New York City Tags: Tags: Radio City Music Hall Gstaad-Switzerland The Gstaad-Saanenland holiday region in the Bernese Oberland is popular with a charming mix of visitors: while the chalet village of Gstaad attracts countless stars and starlets the smaller neighbouring villages offer attractive options for families with children. In the past years the centre of Gstaad has developed into the most popular and shortest shopping street in Switzerland. With its top hotels, gourmet restaurants, luxury chalets and nearby Saanen airport, the car-free resort of Gstaad is a popular destination for international celebrities. With the neighbouring resorts of Saanen, Rougemont, Schönried, Saanenmöser, Zweisimmen, Gsteig and Lauenen, the Saanenland as a whole however offers a considerably broader spectrum: the nature preserve by idyllic Lake Lauenen with its waterfalls and high moors, the narrow streets in the historic village centre of Saanen, the advantageous situation of Schönried and Saanenmöser for winter sports enthusiasts and the peacefulness of the idyllic mountain village of Abländschen are examples of an extremely diverse holiday region. The Saanenland ski and hiking arena with 57 transport facilities has been given the name «Gstaad Mountain Rides». It is accessible from several villages by link transport facilities. The Montreux-Oberland-Railways (MOB) and buses connect Gstaad with other base stations in Saanenmöser, Schönried, Zweisimmen, Gsteig, Reusch, Lauenen Rougemont and Château-d’Oex in the French-speaking neighbouring region of Pays d’Enhaut. The wide-open countryside of the Saanenland offers a versatile and and diverse sports programme: hiking (trail network of over 300 km), mountain biking, paragliding and golf. On the River Saane there are opportunities for mountain torrent and canoo adventures. Summer cross-country skiing is possible in the «Glacier 3000» ski region. The summer toboggan run in Schönried, a via ferrata and the Lake Lauenen nature paradise are ideal excursion destinations for families. In winter, 220km of pistes at altitudes of up to 3000 metres above sea level await skiers and snowboard riders. Several snowparks and numerous toboggan runs as well as 165km of trails for classic- and skating-style cross-country skiing are at the disposal of visitors. For walkers there are about 200km of winter walking trails. Among the rather more unusal activities on offer there is Bavarian curling in the centre of Gstaad and glacier- and heli-skiing. Winter in the smaller resorts in the region, such as Lauenen, means peace and pleasure on long winter walks, while cross-country skiing or taking a ride in a horse-drawn sleigh. True to its slogan, “come up, slow down”, Gstaad provides a deliberate counterpoint to our increasingly hectic daily lives. The wellness destination of Gstaad guarantees a perfect wellbeing experience thanks to its intact nature, unsurpassed variety of leisure activities, healthy mountain agriculture and international top events. The right pampering programme is provided by five hotels with a publicly accessible and complete wellness infrastructure, eight hotels with a partial wellness offering and a sports centre with indoor swimming pool. The area’s harmonic topography is made up of five valleys. The location between 1,000 and 3,000 metres above sea-level has a positive impact on your wellbeing. Rushing mountain streams, sparkling mountain lakes, forests and gently rolling green hills with a spectacular Alpine backdrop lend the landscape its idyllic charm. Gstaad is also a paradise for fine diners, with more than 100 restaurants ranging from cosy raclette restaurants to acclaimed gourmet temples. Those who are fond of Alpine authenticity will find plenty of options for accommodation in traditional Alpine operations. Gstaad’s car-free promenade and its easily accessible recreation areas complete the overall impression in a pleasant way. Gourmet restaurants – the gourmet’s paradise of Gstaad has no fewer than fifteen renowned restaurants, including the Restaurant Chesery which has been awarded 18 Gault Millau points. Lake Lauenen – idyllic mountain lake you simply have to take a dip in and excursion destination with a restaurant for mountain bikers and walkers. Scooter fun – Wispile-Gstaad or Sparenmoos-Zweisimmen offer fast descents on special scooters. «Golden Pass» panorama railway – journey from Montreux on Lake Geneva via Gstaad to Lake Thun and from there on to Lucerne in Central International Balloon Festival in Châteux-d’Oex – most important Alpine balloon event with about 90 hot-air balloons in a variety of shapes and colours (January). Swatch FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour – 1to1 energy Grand Slam Gstaad – volleyball admidst impressive scenery (July). Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad – international ATP Tennis Tournament with elite players (July). Davidoff Saveurs Gstaad – celebration of authentic flavours from kitchen, cellar and humidor (July). Menuhin Festival Gstaad – summer music festival in honour of the great violinist and conductor (July – September). Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad – international teams riding fiery Arab horses fight for victory (August). Country Night Gstaad – leading country event encompassing a wide musical spectrum (September). Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad – intimate festival of classical music in spring (February/March). Snow Reports Kandersteg Skimap Kandersteg Lakesides / Swimming Pools Categories: Christmas, Countries, Europe, Holidays, Ski, Switzerland, Vacation Tags: Tags: Gstaad Fourth of July in NYC 2012 Beginning at approximately 9 p.m., Macy’s will have fireworks being released from four barges in the Hudson River. It’s the 36th Annual Macy’s Fireworks display and this year’s theme is Ignite the Night. This year’s fireworks soundtrack has been dubbed “America’s Mixtape,” and will feature both patriotic and pop standards that will be performed in sync with the fireworks. The music can be heard on 1010 WINS and Fresh 102.7. The night’s line-up will include performances by Katy Perry and Kenny Chesney. If you’re not in the area, NBC will broadcast the fireworks live beginning at 9 p.m. EST. Where Can You Best View The Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks? Fireworks will be launched from four barges in the Hudson River between 18th Street and 43rd Street. The best places to see the fireworks will be along the West Side Highway on the north-bound lanes and 12th Avenue between 14th and 59th Streets; some side streets between 11th and 12th Avenues and at Pier 84 (access from 44th Street). You can also view the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks from anywhere you have an unobstructed view of the sky above the Hudson River. See the Fourth of July Fireworks Map for details on viewing access and the best spots for seeing them live! Categories: Holidays, New York City Tags: Tags: access, display, Fourth of July Fireworks, Katy Perry, Kenny Chesney, Macy, NYC, Street, the Hudson River, theme New Year’s Eve in Times Square It’s bone-shatteringly cold. Approximately 1 million people are packed in tighter than commuters on a 6 train during rush hour. Mostly, they stand around waiting. Heck, they’re not even allowed to drink champagne. Still, it’s no wonder that many New Yorkers and visitors want to spend at least one New Year’s Eve in Times Square. To people all over the world—an estimated 1 billion–plus viewers, in fact—Times Square is New Year’s Eve, the backdrop to a lifetime of Dick Clark (and, more recently, Ryan Seacrest)–hosted TV specials, the place where the ball drops, the fireworks explode and the streets are bathed in a ton of confetti. And we don’t mean “a ton” as in “a lot”—we mean an actual ton, as in 2,000 pounds. So if you choose to be part of the world’s biggest New Year’s Eve party this time around, here are some essential tips to ensure that your experience is memorable and pleasant. (For more details, visit the Times Square Alliance website, our main source for Times Square dos and don’ts.) The famous illuminated Waterford Crystal ball—which can display more than 16 million colors and billions of patterns—drops from a flagpole atop 1 Times Square. The Alliance recommends watching on Broadway between West 43rd and West 50th Streets and on Seventh Avenue up to West 59th Street. Be sure to arrive early, as police officers close down streets as they fill up. (Here’s a rundown of last year’s street-closure times.) Those who score the choicest spots typically arrive before 3pm; the ball rises to the top of the flagpole at 6pm, and by 10:30pm, it’s nearly impossible to find a spot with a view of the ball. Spectators with disabilities should take special care to arrive far in advance, as the designated accessible viewing area—at the northwest corner of West 43rd Street—fills up quickly, too. Last year, entertainment for those awaiting the New Year and its accompanying pyrotechnics included live music, hourly countdowns and even midnight-smooch practice. Expect more of the same as you ring in 2012. Take the Train Public transit is by far the best way to reach the celebration, but try to detrain at a stop other than 42nd Street/Times Square and walk the rest of the way. That subway station in particular becomes uncomfortably crowded on New Year’s Eve. We know you want to look nice on New Year’s Eve, but no one is going to see your feet in this crowd. If you arrive early enough to get a good viewing spot, you’ll be standing for many hours, and a pair of Reeboks will serve your tired feet much better than a pair of Manolos. Whatever comfy shoes you wear, just make sure they’re closed-toe (and accompanied by a thick pair of socks), or it won’t be long before your feet go numb. Leave Your Bag at Home The cops won’t let you past the barricades with a bag, period. Plus, you’ll be glad not to have any accessories weighing you down. It’s going to be very, very cold, and the temperature will continue dropping as the hours pass. Wear more layers than you think you’ll need. The Times Square Alliance website actually references GORE-TEX® by name, which tells you everything you need to know about the conditions in Times Square on December 31. Fuel Up You can’t reclaim your viewing spot if you leave the area, so grab a bite beforehand on nearby Restaurant Row or elsewhere—but make sure you’re sufficiently nourished and hydrated for the long haul once you join the throng. Visit the Restroom in Advance There are no portable public bathrooms in the viewing area, so be sure to go before you arrive. Have Cool Friends It won’t hurt to like the people you’re with and have plenty of conversation topics ready—it’s going to be a fun night, but a long one, too. Of course, if Times Square isn’t your cup of tea, there are plenty of other ways to ring in 2012—especially in New York City. For example, you could catch a concert, take a cruise or see a comedy show. However you choose to celebrate, have a great time. Happy New Year! 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__label__cc	0.742269	0.257731	Media Release: Shelter Scotland comments on Parliamentary Answer from Housing Minister on housing benefit COMMENTS from Shelter Scotland regarding the Parliamentary Answer by Housing Minister, Alex Neil, that 50,000 Scots households will lose an average of £10 per week as a result of changes to housing benefit proposed by the UK Government. Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, the housing and homelessness charity, says: “We view the proposed cuts in local housing allowance as a direct attack on hard-working, low-income families who are already struggling to pay their rent. “Our calculations show that the average three bedroom household in Scotland will see a nine per cent drop in the amount they receive, and will now need to find an extra £10 to £13 per week to keep a roof over their head. “We worry that many will now be forced to cut back on essentials like food and electricity, or take on extra debt in order to make ends meet. We fear that some will be pushed over the edge into a spiral of debt, eviction and homelessness. “We think this reform is wrong and urge the UK Government to develop an alternative solution that protects the most vulnerable in our society rather than attacking them.” MEDIA RELEASE posted by Shelter Scotland. You too can post media releases (aka press releases) on allmediascotland.com. For more information, email here. Contact: Neil Baldwin, Nicola Baxter Website: http://www.shelter.org.uk By Shelter · October 5, 2010 at 11:32 · Comments Off Shelter Scotland · Politics · Scotland-wide	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line208
__label__wiki	0.945602	0.945602	Home / Exclusives / About A Week Ago: Future Hive Goes Wild at Toronto’s Rap Season Show (Photos: Tse Daniel) About A Week Ago: Future Hive Goes Wild at Toronto’s Rap Season Show (Photos: Tse Daniel) By @Ellhah on December 21, 2015 Somewhere between DJ Esco returning safely from 56 nights in United Emirates prison, a joint-album with Drake, as well as the release of solo works Beast Mode and DS2, and establishing his own ‘hive’ that rivals Beyonce’s, there’s no doubt that Future has had one hell of a year. To close out the year, at least in Toronto, last week Future took the stage at Sound Academy for one of its last shows before impending renos. With doors opening at 9PM, and the sold-out venue packed 60 minutes later, energy was high… and so was half the crowd. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to the all-ages crowd, Future would only take the stage at 11:45PM. DJ Esco rejuvenated the crowd’s fading energy by playing “Same Damn Time” and “Racks” before the Freebandz artist broke out with “Never Gon Lose.” “I go by the name of Future Hendrix, and I want to take that 6ix side shit to the next level,” he said to the crowd. Despite having backtrack vocals to accompany his every move, the audience head-banged, mosh-pit(ted) and yelled through crowd favourites like “Monster,” “March Madness” and “Trap N**gas.” As the beat dropped to “Where Ya At,” the crowd simultaneously went wild hoping Drake would come out, but the ‘6 God’ was in L.A., and came home later that weekend – instead, DJ Esco hit his signature move across the stage. “Fuck Up Some Commas” was lead by a confetti cannon, and while that would’ve been enough to finish the concert on a high note, Future pushed even further and closed out with “Sh!t” and “Diamonds Dancing.” While Future puts on a great show, the venue was almost left in a generational gap – young bucks who were raving about how incredible he was, and an older crowd wondering why an established artist still relied on his backtrack vocals. Nevertheless, Future is still a monster. The views of our contributors are their own, and not necessarily those of Boi-1da.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line216
__label__wiki	0.855747	0.855747	Pro-Life Catholics Arrested at Cathedral in Baltimore Handing Out Literature Questioning the Ethics of Voting for Obama One Remains In Jail Faithful Urged to Call Diocese Contact: Randall Terry, Founder, Operation Rescue, 904-687-9806 MEDIA ADVISORY, September 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- Joseph Landry (27) and Brian Sherwood (35) were arrested at the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore, MD (409 Cathedral St, Baltimore, MD 21201) for passing out pro-life literature after Mass. They were peaceful and respectful. Mr. Landry is currently in Jail with a $10,000 bond. Mr. Sherwood was released late Sunday night on his own recognizance. Mr. Landry States: "I am shocked that we – as devout Catholics – are being arrested at a Catholic church for handing out Catholic literature. "If the bishops don't have to courage to tell their flock that it is immoral to vote for a child-killer like Obama, then the faithful will." Joseph Landry View the flyer here that they were distributing: www.ahumbleplea.com/Docs/StopObama.pdf Mr. Landry and Mrs. Andrea Terry were also arrested in January at St. Jude's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, FL for handing out pro-life literature. www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=26597 Randall Terry States: "It is an outrage that Joseph is sitting in jail with a $10,000 bond. We are asking faithful Catholics across the nation to call Archbishop O'Brien and his staff at 410-547-5437 and 410-547-5379 to demand that the charges against these men be dropped, and that Mr. Landry be released from jail immediately. "There will be many more faithful Catholics handing out pro-life literature at Cathedrals across the nation that upholds the teaching of 'The Gospel of Life.' Will we see more Bishops arresting the faithful for upholding church teaching?" See statement to Bishops, asking them to NOT arrest pro-lifers; released on September 3, 2008, from St. Paul MN. www.christiannewswire.com/news/317067728.html	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line220
__label__wiki	0.861669	0.861669	Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra will allow bars to reopen under Governor Greg Abbott’s latest COVID-related Executive Order based in part on feedback from local elected officials. “When I saw the new order, I immediately pulled together our team of local Hays County elected officials, as well as our health department and our emergency management team, Alex Villalobos, Mike Jones and Tammy Crumley, to hear their concerns, issues and questions then discuss options,” Becerra said. Recommendations from the local officials were to, among other things, ask bar owners to consider utilizing outdoor seating, remove 50 percent of tables, remove bar stools and have musical acts outside. Guidance from the Texas Department of State Health Services indicates bars would need to close by 11 p.m. for the foreseeable future. Becerra said hearing the support, ideas and plans for moving ahead with the reopening helped inform his decision. “The majority of mayors and other elected officials were supportive but cautious,” Becerra said. “They want to be able to tell business owners they can get back to work and earning a living but recognize that if we do, the process must be deliberate and thoughtful. This is a public safety issue and our goal is to always protect public safety.” He added that mayors and other local officials want bar patrons, servers and bar owners to continue practicing all the safety measures everyone has been doing over the past several months, including wearing masks, staying distanced from others and washing their hands. “Our health department team said they would support the reopening if bar owners and patrons are able to continue making safety a priority,” Becerra said. Emergency Management Coordinator and Chief of Staff Alex Villalobos said the county has expanded COVID-19 testing throughout Hays County. He added that hospitalization cases are on the decline. “We will remain cautious and vigilant during this shift in the Governor’s and County Judge’s policy,” he said. According to the Governor’s Order, TABC requires county judges to complete a form allowing the reopening, which Becerra said he is working with the county’s legal counsel to submit. No date has been set for when the bars can officially reopen; more information will be forthcoming. Governor Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order to open bars and similar establishments at up to 50% capacity in conjunction with county officials. In hospital regions with low COVID-19 hospitalizations, County Judges will be able to opt their county into opening bars beginning October 14th, provided they assist in enforcing health protocols. ⇐Previous City of Buda Online Community SurveyNext⇒ Early Voting Begins Tuesday, Oct. 13	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line222
__label__wiki	0.745406	0.745406	Salma Hayek, 54, dazzles in a purple bikini and reveals what she is grateful for before the new year 29 декабря, 2020 Inna Morozova Salma Hayek Focuses on the positives even though 2020 was for everyone. The 54-year-old actress She shared a pair of photos on her Instagram on Tuesday as she appeared in high spirits while on a tropical vacation. The “Like a Boss” star showed off her impressive personality while wearing shoes Purple bikini on the beach. She wore a purple and white beach cap, a pair of sunglasses and a brown hat. “The last days of 2020,” Hayek commented on the photos. Salma Hayek introduces without makeup and reveals the gray: “Wisdom’s White Hair” She also shared what she was thankful for as the year drew to a close. Hayek wrote, “I have never been more grateful for being healthy and in touch with nature.” Fans just couldn’t get enough of Hayek’s age-defying look in the comments section. “Are you old before?” A fan asked. Another said, “This is crazy.” Another complimented the actress for “still looking so young.” Salma Hayek shares her photos a week after celebrating her 54th birthday It is unclear if the photo was posted in real time and where she is vacationing. Although a day ago, Hayek shared a picture from Christmas with her mother-in-law. Salma Hayek thought about what she is grateful for on Tuesday, just days before the new year. “Dinner is in my mother-in-law, it’s always a great experience!” She captioned the post, which shows her carrying some kind of reward. Hayek turned 54 in September, and to celebrate her festive day, she shared on Instagram that she is “very grateful and proud of each of my 54 years”. READ Baby Yoda Plush is absolutely terrifying and looks like Dobby Back in April, I spoke to People The magazine “The Beautiful Issue” of the director and her participation Free of makeup Pictures of her with fellow actresses Rita WilsonAnd the Ghouinith baltrow And the Sarah Paulson. As for the issue, Hayek thought about her looks over her decades in the limelight and admitted that she was feeling insecure about her image. Click here to subscribe to our entertainment newsletter “When I look at pictures of me in my 30s or 40s, I see myself as more beautiful than I saw myself at the time,” she said. “I used to criticize myself a lot. Now when I look in the mirror and there are things that I don’t see, I think how much I would like me in 10 years’ time.” Hayek revealed to the publication that her history with beauty products and use stretches back to her early teens, when she used to sneak behind her parents’ appearances to apply makeup. “I started wearing makeup at the age of 14, but I tried to pretend I wasn’t wearing it because I wasn’t allowed to,” the Savages actress explained. “I would brush my mascara brush and run it very lightly over my lashes. I would apply some lipstick and then apply it to my cheek and apply it to my cheek. Always make sure there is no shine in it.” The “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” star said that she still loves wiping her face from time to time but is increasingly enjoying the moments she can spend her day without makeup. READ MAGA musician Ariel Pink, rejected by fans, complained to Tucker Carlson: "People are so mean" “Usually, when I don’t [wear makeup]It’s because you’re in a situation where you don’t feel pressured to look your best, she said. There is a feeling of just being there without needing to convince anyone. Julius Young of Fox News contributed to this report. Inna Morozova Поклонник музыки. Абсолютный любитель социальных сетей. Специалист по путешествиям. Страстный телегуру	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line225
__label__cc	0.599203	0.400797	The position of the raw surface is such that massive rexaline adhesions to it are naturally objectionable. Coupon - only for the purpose of feeding was a catheter or drainagetube introduced. The army is made up of boys mask from civil life and they return to civil pursuits when the term of enlistment ends. Willard) incision, for excision of the hip; employed originally by Dr: day. In all cases, atropine was instilled, and a binocular dressing was applied with a shield (makeupalley). That country was a wilderness when I was born; my father had began there about a year before, at which time there was no house within three miles one way, and about one the other; there were no roads, and they had balm to go by marked trees. He had also learned through a teacher in a boarding school, near Boston, that nearly all of the thirty or forty students had follicular tonsillitis during the past few weeks, while a few had the vomiting and purging and scarlet rash that made them fear scarlet the fever. If he replacement had to be sent to one of the general hospitals the glass eye was issued were not at all unusual. Sheath, the loose sheath-like tissue extending from the apex of the orbit of the eye to the vertical diameter of the globe, the posterior part of which up to the passage of the tendons of the external ocular muscles is called the Capsule of Bonnet, and the anterior of glass, with a moderate curvature at one end for a field-lens, and more greatly curved at the other end for use as an eye-lens: pro. Allis's improved inhaler and have thus far found it "revolution" to act promptly, safely and Ovarian Cvst Cured by Injection of gives the details of this case. Excessive sagging of the lower lid responded best to the Kuhnt-Szymanowski procedure: dr. Facilities for the transmission of information on all points from each center to the missha consultant in otolaryngologj and for its transmission from him to each of the other centers insured the rapid utilization, for all patients, of any plan or procedure which had proved of value As the patient load increased in each of the centers, the problems of expansion of facilities became serious. O., Virgin, the sample finest variety of olive-oil, made from olives that are not quite ripe. If he had done no more than this there would have been treatment no occasion for the present communication. I think it is most fortunate, too, that in view of the foresight and wisdom of our State Board of Health, we have been able to do what a great many of us have hoped for many years, that is, to see a school of public health established at our State We have had the privilege and pleasure in Durham County of having a great many of these trainees with us for a period of time, many of whom I see in the audience here today: buy. The abdomen was closed as a clean case and the mother's recovery was uneventful: online. Haywood, Chairman Raleigh Moore County Medical Society Medal Dr (cream). Poverty and isolation are often associated with West Virginia; images which have somehow been ingrained into our society and continue to intensive be propagated, especially by the media. The man gave a typical history of hyperinsulinism, and he told me that at times at night he would awaken so weak he felt that he was going to faint, and he would almost have to crawl into the kitchen to get some food: review. This confirmation, moreover, was based on a total experience which, in respect to the number and seriousness of the injuries treated, was never equaled in civilian practice and which hauschka far surpassed the comparable experience of World War I. The weakness was gradually progressive, and to the other essence symptoms there were added faintness and dyspnoea on the slightest exertion, palpitation, increasing nausea, and discoloration of the skin. I reviews would like to make a survey of that community and that town and see if we can find what is the cause of the enormous need of dental work in those schools. Also, any deviation or aberration olay of the menstrual flow. Of Calculi, Spontaneous, the exfoliation and india breaking up of a calculus by the action of the uric acid or other morbid Endemic Verrugas. The treatment was continued for three weeks; the mental disturbance became less time and less marked. At the same time, careful supervision became more and more essential because, due to a shortage of clearasil trained ophthalmologists, inexperienced officers were being required to handle work beyond their ability. John finulite Modarress, First Vice President, Mrs. The work was so well done that contour it received recognition from the U.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line232
__label__wiki	0.792253	0.792253	Category: Home > Reviews > Superhero > Action > Adventure > Animation > Comedy > Martial Arts > Drama > Mystery > Horror > Supernatural > Batman Hush 4K (2019/DC Comics 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/Curse Of La Llorona (2019/Blu-ray w/DVD/both Warner)/Daredevil Drivers (1938/Warner Archive DVD)/Drive-In Delirium: Dead At Dawn + With Batman Hush 4K (2019/DC Comics 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/Curse Of La Llorona (2019/Blu-ray w/DVD/both Warner)/Daredevil Drivers (1938/Warner Archive DVD)/Drive-In Delirium: Dead At Dawn + With A Vengeance (2019 compilations/Umbrella Region Free Import Blu-rays)/Vanishing Shadow (1944/Universal/MVD/VCI Blu-ray)/Vault (2019/Lionsgate Blu-ray) 4K Ultra HD Picture: A Picture: B+/B+ & B-/C/B/B/B/C+ Sound: A & B+/B+ & B-/C/C+/C+/C+/C Extras: B/C+/D/C-/C-/C-/C- Main Programs: C+/B-/C/B/B/C+/C- PLEASE NOTE: The Drive-In Delirium Import Blu-rays are now only available from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment in Australia and can play on all Blu-ray players, while the Daredevil Drivers DVD is now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive series. All can be ordered from the links below. We have plenty of action ahead in these new releases... We start with the new animated DC Comics release, Batman Hush 4K (2019) and is based on one of the Dark Knight's most notable graphic novels of the same name, which features incredible art by Jim Lee and is a must read if you're a fan of Batman. The animated film directed by Justin Copeland (Reign of the Supermen) isn't too bad or kid friendly as its a PG-13 entry in DC's darker direct to video animated film series. This two disc set includes both the 4K Ultra HD presentation and the 1080p Blu-ray presentation of the film, complete with digital copy. Batman: Hush features the voices of Jason O'Mara, Jennifer Morrison, Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn, and Rainn Wilson. Batman faces many of his old adversaries along with a new one named Hush, a man to whom Bruce Wayne shares a troubled past with. While he attempts a relationship with Selina Kyle (Catwoman), he ends up facing off against Superman, Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Bane, and others along the way, all the while uncovering the mystery behind Hush's identity and motives. One thing about these animated adaptations that I think could be improved would be to literally animate the existing artwork and panels from the graphic novel. The impact of the story isn't the same without the trademark Jim Lee artwork despite being the story being similar. I'm sure this animated style/method is more economic and likely faster but bringing that original artwork to life would make more sense and be more interesting. Just a thought. A digital copy is also included. Special Features (per the press release) include: DC Showcase: Sgt. Rock (Animated Short) - From executive producer and director Bruce Timm comes the first new DC Showcase animated short since 2011's Catwoman, bringing DC Comics' gritty World War II hero to animated life in an all-new adventure. Batman: Love in Time of War (Featurette) - Dangerous. Seductive. Villain. Hero. This is the story of Selina Kyle and the relationship she has forged with the world's greatest detective. Audio Commentary - Executive Producer James Tucker, Director Justin Copeland and screenwriter Ernie Altbacker share their thoughts and insights on Batman: Hush. A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines - An advanced look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection. From the DC Vault - The Batman/Superman Hour: The Underworld Underground Caper From the DC Vault - The Batman/Superman Hour: Partners in Peril Batman Hush is a pretty fun animated feature, but isn't quite the strongest entry amongst other Bat movies. I still think The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Gotham at Gaslight are a bit stronger and closer to the books so I would start there if you're new to these animated adventures. Next up, from a producer of The Conjuring series comes The Curse of La Llorona (2019), a spooky new R-rated fright fest that is a bit more interesting than you might expect. While the story is pretty similar to other films of the like, there are a few pretty effective sequences that make it stand out. One scene in particular features two kids trapped in a car with the locks coming undone by the spirit outside. The film stars Linda Cardellini, Roman Christou, Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen, Raymond Cruz, and Marisol Ramirez. Set in 1973 Los Angeles, a social worker (Cardellini) ends up investigating a case where a mother is attempting to protect her kids from a cursed spirit, but is obviously misunderstood as abusing them. As the curse spreads to her own children, Cardellini ends up facing off against the supernatural curse. Raymond Cruz does a good job of playing a priest that helps her along the way. The Myth of La Llorona Behind the Curse The Making of a Movie Monster and Storyboards Not completely original, but better than The Insidious series and The Conjuring sequels, I'd give The Curse of La Llorona a spin if you like ghost stories. B. Reeves Eason's Daredevil Drivers (1938) is a quickie B-movie about reckless racing car track drivers who get into trouble off the track as well, but feel they are so good, they can get away with anything. Dick Purcell is the excellent driver and Charley Foy his expert mechanic. They get involved in a feud between bus companies which includes one sabotaging the other, plus Purcell gets a potential love interest. The story is basic, but the car racing, down to amusing model work and obvious back projection work all over the place, is a hoot and the cast has enough energy to make this worth a look if interested. Warner Archive has issued this on DVD and Gloria Blondell, sister of Joan Blondell, one-time voice of Daisy Duck and co-star of the 1953 early hockey movie White Lightning, makes her feature film debut here. She more than holds her own. There are sadly no extras. For a good while, first on DVD and now on Blu-ray, the Umbrella label has been issuing the most ambitious collections of movie trailers for many years now. They have added two new volumes, running of six hours each and worth checking out. Drive-In Delirium: Dead At Dawn (with sci-fi, horror, mystery, Ken Russell, William Castle, slasher, psychological thrillers, supernatural, British, counterculture, comedies, B-movies and exploitation films) and With A Vengeance (reactionary action, blaxploitation, tough cops, gangsters, Cold War, chase, exotic lands, spaghetti westerns, apocalyptic films, bad 1980s films) deliver 120+ glimpses into films when they were more ambitious, fun and exciting. These lean towards newer films more than previous collections we've covered, but that's fine. One might think that mighty be it, but as long as they can find more trailers, and more than a few here are European trailers, we might just get more of these fun, handy sets. Save TV commercials and vintage animation designed to speak to drive-in customers, a listing of all the trailers in small print on the inside of the Blu-ray case cover is the only extra each disc offers. The Vanishing Shadow (1944) is a Saturday Morning Serial/Chapter Play that Universal released during the WWII years, but never gets into the war itself. Instead, it is about an invention that renders the user invisible (love the easy visual effect they came up with that is somehow more charming and fun than most digital effects we get now) and becomes a device everyone wants and our lead hero needs when he is falsely accused of murder. The cliffhanger endings of most of the chapters are not bad and we get a killer iron robot (no advanced substances then) in the last few chapters. What's not to love? VCI was issuing these serials when most home video companies could have cared less and now they are getting them all on one or two discs, one Blu-ray in this case and it is an amusing romp worth your time, cheesy effects, bad acting, sped up fights, rear projection and wacky music included. Hope we get more of them. Though the case lists more, the only extras we get are a Poster/Photo Gallery, recently discovered Original Theatrical Trailer and brief liner notes on the inside of the sleeve by Ralph Tribbey. Tom DeNucci's Vault (2019) looks promising in some ways with two unknown leads, Don Johnson and a not-there-enough Chazz Palminteri in a story about New England Italian gangsters from the 1970s, but after a decent set-up. It goes bad quickly and never recovers in its 99 minutes. Palminteri is the real life head of the crime syndicate at the time, who gets arrested, but he is hardly in the film and Johnson as well as Vincent Pastore of The Sopranos (et al), cannot save this low-budget romp that goes nowhere fast, hardly feigns its decade and is quickly forgotten. The logo and packaging ape a recent HBO Scorsese series that was not about the mob, but that does not help either. This one is better skipped. Deleted Scenes, a Behind The Scenes featurette, and audio commentary by DeNucci and Director of Photography Sam Ellertsen are the extras. Now for playback performance. Batman Hush is presented here in 2160p HEVC/H.265, HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on 4K Ultra HD disc with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and a superb English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit) track. While the difference between the 4K UHD and the also included 1080p Blu-ray disc aren't as night and day as live action films, there is still a difference in sharpness and a bit more color depth. (The audio track is the same on both discs.) The Curse of La Llorona is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and several audio tracks including English Dolby Atmos 11.1 lossless sound, (a Dolby True HD 7.1 mixdown for older systems; both 48kHz, 16-bit), and lossy English Dolby Digital. The detailed sound design shows through nicely on this release and is pretty effect on a nice sound system. Also included is a lesser (and highly compressed) standard definition DVD release of the film and a digital HD copy. The 1.33 X 1 black & white on Drivers is in aged shape, though I like the look of the film and even the editing is interesting, but this and its lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono sound are down a generation and a little weak. Though a B-movie, I hope this gets restored at some point. We get various aspect ratios with in 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image on both Delirium Blu-rays as expected for all the trailers shown and they do look good, but in both cases, they use lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (and maybe simple stereo in a few later cases) sound instead of a lossless codec and it is an odd choice. The 1080p 1.33 X 1 black & white digital High Definition image transfer on the chapters of Vanishing Shadow can vary in quality with some print flaws, frame jumps and oddly weak black and white in more than a few shots, but it looks decent overall accompanied by PCM 2..0 Mono that shows its age a bit more. This is about what I expected and its fine for its age and under the circumstances. The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image on the Vault DVD starts out looking good in the beginning, but after a nice intro, becomes a more generic HD shoot and never recovers. The lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is dialogue-based and lacks a consistent soundfield, even sounding too low in volume for its own good. It makes for an odd combo, but does not work. To order either of the Drive-In Delirium Import Blu-rays or any past entries in the growing series, go to this link for them and more hard to find releases at: http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/ ...and to order the Daredevil Drivers Warner Archive DVD, go to this link for them and many more great web-exclusive releases at: http://www.wbshop.com/ - Nicholas Sheffo and James Lockhart (Batman, Curse) https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/ WARN [viewer.cgi:main:78 t0=0.008105 t1=0.00811]: base= at /home/www/fulvuedrive-in.com/www/viewer.cgi line 78. WARN [viewer.cgi:main:80 t0=0.008161 t1=2.8e-05]: (review)->('15520', 'Batman+Hush+4K+(2019', 'DC+Comics+4K+Ultra+HD+Blu-ray+w', 'Blu-ray') WARN [viewer.cgi:main:344 t0=0.015042 t1=0.0003]: genres: Superhero->Action->Adventure->Animation->Comedy->Martial Arts->Drama->Mystery->Horror->Supernatural at /home/www/fulvuedrive-in.com/www/viewer.cgi line 344.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line236
__label__wiki	0.772967	0.772967	What is GIYM? GIYM Sites Covid 19 Care Packages Will buy a device for children to continue working from home Will buy basic food supplies Will buy basic sports equipment to encourage these children to remain active for good mental and physical well being Will buy a pack of books and arts and crafts materials Will buy a basic hygiene and essentials pack justgiving.com/campaign/giymcovid Latest News from Give It Your Max Jenny Clark joins the Give It Your Max Board of Trustees Written on Thursday, 07 January 2021 Skills and Drills at Home with Harriet Dart - Week 3 Written on Tuesday, 06 October 2020 Written on Wednesday, 23 September 2020 Mike Stotesbury, Founder of GIYM: "Further benefit has been seen in areas where there is a youth gang culture where ‘Give It Your Max’ has given children a practical alternative and shown a new and positive approach to life. In addition to the social and educational benefits ‘Give It Your Max’ has started to impact on youth tennis. Eight year old Rachel Barnett from Reading, who was introduced to the game by ‘Give It Your Max’, is now considered to be one of the best in the country in her age group and there are a number of players with excellent potential in all the Centres." Sir Trevor McDonald: "We may never be able to change the world but we can at least try to assist in making it a better place. Give It Your Max and its partners may never produce a winner of Wimbledon or the US Open, but we can take the glory of playing the game to a wider community. Little by little we can begin to make the difference" Tim Henman, former British Tennis No.1 and ‘Give It Your Max’ Patron: "The Tennis Ball is a fantastic event for fantastic charities. I’ve worked closely with Give It Your Max and the work they do is really helping to enhance the life of so many children. The money raised from this year’s Tennis Ball will help them to grow their programme to even more areas across the UK." Virginia Wade OBE, former Wimbledon ladies singles champion and ‘Give It Your Max’ Patron: "Getting more racquets into the hands of young children at an early age and giving them the opportunity to have coaching in a fun environment can only be a good thing for the game. Charities like GIYM do find young talented players who would otherwise not have had the opportunity to pick up a tennis racquet. Any one of these children might be future tennis champions." Give it Your Max (GIYM) was set up in memory of Max Stotesbury who died aged 18 in a car accident. He was a keen tennis player and a qualified PTR tennis coach who assisted at the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI) in his spare time. The charity pays for qualified coaches to introduce tennis to primary age school children in state schools. Clinics are held within the schools and at clubs and other venues during after school hours and in the holidays. Copyright © 2020 Clever Business Websites. All Rights Reserved. \| Site Map \| Privacy Policy \| GIYM Safeguarding Policy	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line237
__label__cc	0.692858	0.307142	Fireworks Photography Field Guide Fireworks iPhone App Firework Show Locations Written by Paul Gowder at May 7, 2012 IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is an award-winning[1] night time show performed nightly at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The show utilizes fireworks, pyrotechnics, laser lights, fountains, and fire to create a visual production on the park’s World Showcase Lagoon. It premiered on October 1, 1999 as IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth as part of the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration; it was so successful that after the celebration ended the 2000 was dropped from the name and the show was continued. The show is currently sponsored by Siemens and has received several awards throughout the years including the 2009 Best Outdoor Night Production Show by Gold Ticket Awards.[1] Date – Nightly Location – Epcot – Walt Disney World The Fireworks Photography Field Guide App Your pocket guide to photographing fireworks. The Fireworks Photography Field Guide provides you with quick references to setup, gear, examples and composition. Take the guide with your camera to the next fireworks display. Explore the tips and information about fireworks photography in several section. Baltimore’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks New Years Eve Fireworks over Lake George New Year’s Eve at Bush Gardens Ocean City NYE Fireworks Big D NYE Fireworks Yogesh on Stone Mountain Fantastic Fourth Celebration Kamilla on Bay City Fireworks Festival Doda on Fireworks in the Square, Old Orchard Beach Matheus on Culver Lakefest Fireworks Fahmi on Union Fair Fireworks Fireworks Locations Gear Recommendations Copyright 2021 © Fireworks Photography Field Guide. All rights reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line246
__label__wiki	0.566311	0.566311	Interview: Tanya Kan on Solace State December 9, 2020 Patrick Dolan As a way to confront the police state we seem to be barreling toward, Tanya Kan and her development studio Vivid Foundry have created Solace State. A different kind of visual novel, Solace State, focuses on the interaction and social relationships of a group of young hackers to imagine a hopeful ground-up approach to bettering a dystopian world. Instead of a singular, white hope, the game demonstrates the diversity of faces and voices involved in mounting a revolution. Continue Reading → Interview Activism, cyberpunk, Patrick Dolan, political game, social hacking, Solace State, Tanya Kan, visual novel, Vivid Foundry Heart Projector A Kinder Culture for Games October 7, 2020 Christopher B. Patterson Heart Projector is a Vancouver-based arts collective that hosts semi-regular arcade events showcasing underground videogames from diverse creators. Since 2016, Heart Projector has curated arcades that blur the lines between games and art, and that highlight themes of queerness, indigeneity, and inequity. For this interview, I spoke to three of Heart Projector’s main organizers: Leanne Roed, Brendan Vance, and Ziggy. Continue Reading → Interview Christopher B. Patterson, Heart Projector, indie, Indigeneity, inequity, queerness, underground Interview: Mike Ren Yi May 27, 2020 Christopher B. Patterson Mike Ren Yi has developed a reputation as a controversial game designer. As a diasporic Chinese American living in Shanghai, Mike creates personal games that explore the intersections of race, state control, and environmental degradation, all while working in an industry overseen by state censors. But while his games challenge the status quo, they also contain heartfelt expressions of daily life. His game Yellowface (2019), based loosely off of David Henry Hwang’s play of the same name, captures the microaggressions of being an Asian American man in the United States, while his game Hazy Days (2016) follows a young girl living in the pollution-saturated airways of contemporary China. Mike Ren Yi’s latest game, Novel Containment (2020), attempts to capture the atmosphere of state control and censorship during the COVID-19 pandemic. And it may be his most risky venture yet. Continue Reading → Interview Christopher B. Patterson, COCID-19, Game Design, Hazy Days, Mike Ren Yi, Novel Containment, yellowface Interview: Olivia Wood March 11, 2020 Jeffery Klaehn Olivia Wood is a video game writer, narrative designer, and editor, specializing in interactive narrative. She works for Failbetter Games in London, UK. Her credits include Sunless Skies (2019, writer, narrative designer and editor), Sunless Sea: Zubmariner (2016, writer, narrative designer and editor), Sunless Sea (2015, writer and editor), Fallen London (2009, writer, narrative designer and editor), Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (Dimbulb Games/Serenity Forge, 2018, contributing writer), The Mystery of Kalkomey Isle (Kalkomey, 2018, design consultant and editor), Cheaper than Therapy (sub-Q, 2019, writer, designer and developer), and Lethophobia (2016, writer and designer). Continue Reading → Interview Jeffery Klaehn, Olivia Wood Interview: Melos Han Tani February 5, 2020 Christopher B. Patterson Melos Han Tani (formerly Sean Han Tani) is a game designer from Chicago of Taiwanese, Japanese and Irish descent, currently living in Tokyo. He created the game All Our Asias (2018), and is one of the two members of his game studio Analgesic Productions, which made Anodyne (2013), Even the Ocean (2016) and Anodyne 2: Return to Dust (2019). From 2016-2019 Sean was a game design and game music lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Continue Reading → Interview All Our Asias, Anodyne 2, Christopher B. Patterson, Even the Ocean, interview, Melos Han Tani An interview with Andrew Reinhard January 16, 2019 Justin Carpenter and Andrew Reinhard Andrew Reinhard is as old as Pong. He is currently a third-year “mature” PhD student at the Department of Archaeology at the University of York (UK) where he is completing his thesis on archaeological tools and methods for investigating digital cultural heritage. Past video game archaeology projects include the excavation of the Atari Burial Ground, the No Man’s Sky Archaeological Survey and the Legacy Hub Archaeological Project, landscape archaeology in Skyrim VR, and the code archaeology of Colossal Cave Adventure. Continue Reading → Interview Archaeogaming, archaeology, Colossal Cave Adventure, digital heritage, living history, media archaeology, no man's sky An Interview with David Brevik – Part 2 December 5, 2018 Jeffery Klaehn Jeffery Klaehn: What possibilities afforded by the contemporary gaming landscape most excite you? I’m thinking of technological developments and digital distribution platforms such as Steam (2003) and GOG (2008), which are still relatively “new” in relation to the history of digital games. David Brevik: It’s an extremely exciting time to be a developer. Being able to create something and distribute it all around the world from your own home is amazing. But because it’s so easy, the market has been flooded with people doing just that. There are hundreds of games a day on mobile app stores, and 30+ games a day on Steam. There is so much content right now, it’s impossible to wade through all of the games. Continue Reading → Interview David Brevik, design philosophy, Diablo, Game Design, Graybeard Games, indie games, interview, It Lurks Below, Jeffery Klaehn	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line247
__label__wiki	0.737773	0.737773	Sign in: email Fracking in WA Mid West & Wheatbelt Region Kimberley Region Gasfield Risks Lock Your Gate Fracking Gasfield Free Communities Tips to Get Active Lock Your Council Fact sheets & maps Communities in Action Boudicca Cerese 3176.20sc The northern Perth basin, a geological formation underlying the Mid West and Wheatbelt of WA, has been identified by the gas industry as a priority target for exploitation. With its 271,401 petajoules of potential unconventional gas under 31 petroleum and exploration licences, there is interest from a host of companies, both local and international. Exploration and production at small scale has been taking place for years, yet recently has seen a ramp up of activities, with over 15,000 square kilometres of land currently being targeted for exploration. We know from experience that once a company begins, they push forward creating widespread industrialisation of farm land, culturally significant sites, natural areas and communities. What's At Risk? The full Perth Basin extends from around Nannup in the south western corner of WA to Northampton in the Mid West, and even includes an area under the ocean in the north end. It runs 1300km in length along the coast, west of the Darling Range/Perth Hills. Much of this approximately 100 000 km2 is Noongar country, with the northern part being Yamatji country. The northern onshore area consists mostly of mixed use farm land for grain, livestock and horticulture farms nature reserves, minerals mining, national parks known for some of the most diverse flora in Australia (including Lesueur NP, and Nambung which has the Pinnacles). This area also includes the city of Geraldton and coastal tourist and fishing towns such as Dongara-Port Denison, Jurien Bay, Cervantes and Guilderton. The southern Perth basin (where fracking is banned) underlies parts of the Peel and South West areas, and also predominantly farm land, horticulture business, mining, fishing, towns, cities and tourism hot spots like Busselton. Fracking is banned in the South West, Peel and Perth metro area. The areas remaining under threat from fracking are in the northern section, the leases where the fracking moratorium has been lifted, which cover large areas within the Shires of Gingin, Chittering, Victoria Plains, Moora, Dandaragan, Coorow, Carnamah, Three Springs, Morawa, Mingenew, Irwin and the City of Greater Geraldton. This also includes the towns Eneabba, Dongara-Port Denison and Greenough. Read more about farming at risk in the northern Perth basin, in our Farming Not Fracking report (2020, PDF). Existing infrastructure The basin is close to petroleum industry infrastructure, with two major gas pipelines (Dampier-Bunbury, Parmelia) passing through the region, and some gas processing plants in Irwin and Gingin. An oil refinery is situated 30 km south of Perth. There are ports at Geraldton and Perth. Gas Projects and Prospects Unconventional gas exploration and fracking is already underway in Western Australia with at least nine exploration wells fracked since 2004. The majority of these fracking operations were located in the Mid West region, which is ground zero for fracking gasfield development in WA. Current tenements for petroleum exploration cover large parts of the two regions, from the Swan Valley, outer suburbs of Perth, north to Geraldton. Development is going ahead at a rapid rate around Irwin, Mingenew and Three Springs especially. See the map on this page to see in which of these tenements applications to frack are currently allowed. The Mitsui and Beach Energy owned Waitsia Gas Project next to Dongara-Port Denison is expanding to become a 20+ well gasfield with a new gas processing plant. It has been recommended for approval by the EPA in September 2020. There is a large conventional deposit here, as well as large unconventional resources like tight sands gas that have been fracked during exploration in 2012 and in 2009. This gas project has received special permission from the WA Government to export gas through the Burrup Hub. Strike Energy and Warrego Energy are currently drilling more appraisal wells at the West Erregulla field near Three Springs, and have signed two deals for local gas offtake (with CSBP and Alcoa Australia). They are also pushing forward with plans for an independently owned $200 million processing plant for that field. Strike are also planning to drill a well at Walyering in 2021, and have received support from the WA Government, through the award of Lead Agency Status. Whitebark Energy fracked several exploration wells at Warro from 2009-2015 near Dandaragan, and in September 2020 have offered up the Warro gasfield for sale, with specific mention that it’s an unconventional field, known for it’s shale. Other companies currently drilling or planning to drill exploration wells this year or next are Key Petroleum (Wye Knot) and Mineral Resources and Norwest (Lockyer Deep). Mineral Resources and Beach Energy have seismic surveys planned for large areas including the Zemira 3D (97,000 hectares from Eneabba to Dongara), and Raven 2D (120 hectares of very good quality banksia woodlands, diverse wetlands near the Pinnacles). Sign in email.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line248
__label__cc	0.661427	0.338573	Homeschool Teams…………………….Won…….Lost Acadiana (AHSA) Commandos (LA)…8……….6 AFC Rangers (NC)………………………….5……….7 Bartow Generals (GA)……………………1……….8 Baton Rouge Christian Patriots (LA)..3……….9 Carolina Pride (NC)……………………….9……….3 Central Maryland Crusaders……………4……….6 Central Virginia Disciples………………11……….1 CHAP (Lansing) Chariots (MI)………..5……….4 Christian Life Academy (CA)…………..8……….2 Columbus Crusaders (OH)……………..6……….4 Dallas Blue Angels HSAA (TX)……….7……….2 Downriver Wolfpack (MI)………………2……….5 East Atlanta Mustangs (GA)……………3……….4 Fairfax Kings (VA)…………………………7……….4 Flint (Genesee Co) Warriors (MI)…..8……….1 Frederick Co Eagles (MD)………………0………..8 Grand Rapids Patriots……………………6………..2 Georgia Force………………………………..6………6 Hampton Generals (VA)…………………1………..6 Indiana Lions………………………………..4………..6 Landmark Christian Eagles (OH)…….6……….5 Lighthouse Christian Chargers(MO)..7……….4 Maryland Christian Saints………………10……….3 Muskegon Shoreline Breakers (MI)…3……….6 New Orleans Saints (LA)……………….0……….8 NOAH Jaguars (OK)………………………7……….3 North Georgia Falcons………………….11……….3 Oklahoma City Patriots…………………..0………7 Paulding Panthers (GA)………………….1………4 Plymouth Christian Eagles (MI)………4………5 Raleigh Titans (NC)……………………….2……….6 South Washtenaw Stallions (MI)…….2……….6 Troy Defenders (MI)……………………..2……….6 Virginia Lions………………………………..3……….2 Wisconsin Saints……………………………2……….3 BOLD lettering below are Homeschool teams 2009 NHFA Tournament Results for Thursday, Friday, Sat (Nov 19-21) Central Virginia Disciples 21 Maryland Christian Saints 18 The Disciples win the MCAA Championship (Mid-Atlantic Christian Conference). Game Results for Saturday, Nov 14th Christian Life 74 St.Joseph Academy 56 Central Virginia 47 Fairfax Kings 0 Maryland Christian 27 Central Maryland 0 North Georgia 16 Christian Heritage 14 (North Georgia wins Glory For Christ Football Championship) Q Foundation Academy 16 Carolina Pride 3 Game results for Friday/Saturday Nov 6th/7th Baton Rouge 55 New Orleans HS Saints 6 Breaux Bridge 46 Acadiana (AHSA) Commandos 16 Calvary Christian 28 Maryland Christian 26 Central Life 57 Warner 12 Central Maryland 28 Frederick Co Eagles 6 Central Virginia 41 Leonard Hall 12 North Georgia 7 Georgia Force 0 (2 OT) Q Foundation Academy 20 AFC Rangers 14 Game results for Friday/Saturday Oct 30th/31st Acadiana (AHSA) Commandos 14 Harvest Time 8 Central Virginia 28 Lynchburg Christian 14 Christian Heritage 56 Bartow 8 Christian Life 61 Maranatha Christian 16 Dallas HSAA 33 OKC Patriots 7 Georgia Force 37 East Atlanta 14 Maryland Christian 53 Fairfax 0 Mt Zion 28 Carolina Pride 22 North Georgia 46 Cumberland Christian 0 Riverdale Academy 18 Baton Rouge 16 Game Results for Friday/Saturday Oct 23/24 Acadiana (AHSA) 43 Highland Baptist 0 Camden Military 38 Raleigh Titans 6 Central Virginia 37 Avalon 12 Christian Life 44 Calvary Christian 34 East Atlanta 50 Bartow Generals 42 Fairfax Kings 34 Frederick Eagles 6 Forsyth Country Day 37 AFC Rangers 14 Genessee Warriors 39 Muskegon 13 Georgia Force 21 North Georgia 7 Lighthouse Christian 33 OKC Patriots 0 Maryland Christian 46 Central Maryland Christian 0 Middletown Christian 20 Indiana Lions 6 Noah Jaguars 39 Christ Prep 22 Williamsburg 35 Landmark Eagles 0 Westside Christian 24 Chap Chariots 14 Central Virginia 55 Roanoke Catholic 14 Christian Life 49 Lutheran 22 Dallas Blue Angels 4 Texas School for the Deaf 26 Downriver Wolfpack 30 South Washtenaw Stallions 26 Fairfax Kings 31 Avalon 12 Flint Warriors 24 Plymouth Eagles 18 Q Foundation Academy AFC Rangers 2 Madison Plains 42Columbus Crusaders 21 Maret 34 Central Maryland 0 Maryland Christian 54 Mt. Zion Baptist 0 North Georgia 11 Dominion Christian 8 Providence Day 42 Raleigh Titans 0 Westside Christian 18 Cardinal Moody Catholic 7 Indiana Lions 20 Landmark Eagles (OH) 12 The battle between Indiana and Ohio homeschool teams goes to Indiana, as the Lions beat the Eagles. Noah Jaguars 36 Lighthouse Christian 21 Another border battle as Oklahoma beats Missouri. Game Results for Friday/Saturday Oct 9/10 Anapolis Area Christian 29 Maryland Christian 20 Carolina Pride 23Camden Military 8 Central Maryland 26 Avalon 24 Chap Chariots 35 Troy Defenders 18 Columbus Crusaders 27 Kiski 26 Dominion Christian 26 Georgia Force 20 Faith Baptist 58Christian Life Academy 8 Grand Rapids 30 Muskegon 6 Holy Ground 32 Bartow Generals 13 Landmark Eagles 39 Manchester 8 Noah Jaguars 48 OKC Patriots 14 North Georgia Falcons 13 Christian Heritage 6 Virginia Lions 40 Model School for the Deaf 22 Westside 27 Indiana Colts 0 The Westside Warriors from Michigan defeated the Indiana Colts in another game between neighboring states. Lighthouse Christian 34 Dallas HSAA Blue Angels 33 The Battle between Texas and Missouri homeschool teams was played the other night in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It shows that there isn’t much difference between the football being played in these two states as the score of the game (34-33) was as tight a game as you can get. By looking at the score, it looks like the offenses were clicking! Game Results for Friday/Saturday Oct 2/3 Acadiana (AHSA) Commandos 58 New Orleans 0 Carlisle 40 Virginia Lions 18 Carolina Pride 49 AFC Rangers 18 Central Virginia 41 Frederick Eagles 6 Columbus Crusaders 14 Ursuline 0 Dominion Christian 40 East Atlanta 20 Fairfax Kings 35 Leonard Hall Jr Naval Academy 6 Flint (Genesee Co) Warriors (MI) 47 Downriver Wolfpack 8 Georgia Force 59 Cumberland Christian 8 Maryland Christian 42 Avalon 8 Noah Jaguars 54 Dallas (HSAA) Blue Angels 39 North Georgia 49 Bartow Generals 0 Plymouth 34 South Washtenaw 7 Westside Christian 36 Chap (Lansing) 6 Noah Jaguars (OK) 54 Dallas (HSAA) Blue Angels (TX) 39 “The Battle of Oklahoma vs Texas” The Noah Jaguars defeated the Dallas Blue Angels, giving the state of Oklahoma bragging rights in homeschool football. Wonder how the college version will turn out? Game Results for Thurs/Friday/Saturday Sept 24/25/26 Breaux Bridge 40 Acadiana (AHSA) Commodores 14 Carolina Pride 37 Raleigh Titans 0 Christian Life Academy 52 St. Michael’s Prep 6 Holy Spirit Prep 41 North Georgia Falcons 18 Central Maryland Crusaders at Model School for the Deaf (DC) Central Virginia Disciples at Chincoteague, VA Columbus Crusaders at United Military Academy Life Christian 22 OKC Patriots 20 Maryland Christian 37 Virginia Lions 6 Westside Christian 36 South Washtenaw 10 Wisconsin Saints 34 Landmark Eagles (OH) 0 In the battle of Wisconsin vs Ohio, the Wisconsin Saints shut out the Landmark Eagles 34-0. Game Results for Friday/Saturday Sept 18/19 Bartow 44 Holy Ground 8 Bethel-Tate 41 Landmark Christian14 Central Maryland Crusaders 20 Silver Oak Academy 6 Dallas (HSAA) Blue Angels 41 Gateway Charter Academy(TX) 12 Fayetteville Christian 13 Raleigh Titans 12 Maryland Christian Saints 37 Frederick Martins Ferry (OH) 61 Columbus Crusaders 14 Muskegon 33 South Washtenaw 7 Pope John Paul the Great 38 Fairfax Kings 27 Raleigh Titans 12 at Fayetteville Christian 13 Noah Jaguars 42 Kansas Comets 12 North Georgia Falcons 35 East Atlanta Mustangs 6 Warrensburg (MO) 30 Lighthouse Christian 0 Westside Christian 24 Flint Southwest Academy 0 Dallas Blue Angels (TX) 16 Baton Rouge Patriots (LA) 13 The “Cajun/Cowboy Shootout” between two homeschool teams, one from Texas and the other from Louisiana, played for the first time. Instead of a shootout, the defenses for both teams stole the show and made a great game out of it. Friday/Sat, Sept 11/12 Game Results< Breaux Bridge Christian 55 Acadiana (AHSA) Commandos 54 Central Virginia 37 Carlisle (Martinsville, Va) 0 Columbus Crusaders 41Centennial (Columbus, OH) 0 Dallas Blue Angel 16 Baton Rouge Christian Patriots 13 Fairfax Kings 26 Central Maryland Christian 6 Flint Warriors16 Troy Defenders 14 Indianapolis Lutheran 48 Indiana Lions 16 Lighthouse Christian Chargers 48 Justice Seeworth Academy (OK) 6 Maryland Christian Saints 25 George (Newtown, PA) 16 North Georgia 38 Holy Ground Christian 0 North Metro (OK) 54 Noah 33 Piedmont Academy 37 Crown 6 Raleigh Titans 6 Kennedy Charter 0 Southwest Covenant 38 OKC Patriots 24 Friday/Sat, Sept 4/5 Game Results< Acadiana (AHSA) 38 New Orleans Saints 0 Central Maryland Crusaders – off this week Central Private (Baker, LA) 26 Baton Rouge Christian Patriots 0 CHAP Chariots 20 South Washtenaw Stallions 13 Columbus Crusaders 27 Meadowdale 0 Dallas Blue Angels (HSAA)- off this week Destiny Christian 25 OKC Patriots 21 East Atlanta Mustangs 39 Holy Ground Academy 12 Fairfax Kings 28 Fredericksburg 8 Flint Warriors 22 CHAP Chariots 13 Foundation Academy 30 Raleigh Titans 0 Georgia Force 47 Bartow Generals 20 Indiana Lions – off this week Lighthouse Christian 26 Maize 13 Maryland Christian Saints 35 Central Virginia Disciples 7 Middletown Christian (OH) 34 Landmark Christian 10 NOAH Jaguars 50 Rogers 6 North Georgia Falcons 34 Cumberland Christian Patriots 6 Virginia Lions 42 Frederick Eagles 19 Wisconsin Saints 25 East Troy 0 Friday/Sat, August 28th/29th Game Results< Central Virginia Disciples 40 Central Maryland Crusaders 0 Baton Rouge Christian Patriots 59 New Orleans Saint 0 Columbus Crusaders 45 Indiana Homeschool Lions 0 Dallas Blue Angels (HSAA) 57 Temple Christian 12 Dawson Street Christian 26 Georgia Force 13 Germantown 42 Wisconsin Saints 24 Hampton Roads Generals – off this week Landmark 24 Riverview East Academy 0 Maryland Christian Saints 29 Elkton Christian 26 North Georgia Falcons 41 Kings Ridge 0 Friday, August 21st Game Results Crown 22 Georgia Forcee 20 (OT) Harvest Time Christian 58 Acadiana (AHSA) Commandos 0 Raleigh Titans 43 Village Christian 0 Wilkinson Co. Christian 40 Baton Rouge Christian Patriots 6	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line256
__label__cc	0.642106	0.357894	Become a member today 08450 577 677 @CareEngland @CareEngPolicy Outstanding Society Care England member log in Flu and Winter 2020-21 Videos from members The Buyers Index Care England in the Press Introducing Together with Music Publications and consultations The CARE badge Digital Social Care Digital Blog A teaching care home pilot Care Home Open Day Care Provider Alliance (CPA) The arts as health and wellbeing Press Enquiries & Subscriptions Member Benefits and Fee calculation Members' directory Advice lines Care England shop Supporter members Care England statement Capacity Tracker Mental Capacity Act and LPS Regulation and Legislation Digital Information Resources and Research The Arts as Health & Wellbeing As well as working to benefit the sector, Care England also looks to provide practical advice on the successful day to day running of care services and provide real cost savings for its members. For more information and fee calculation or to apply for membership please click below: Join Care England This page showcases a list of organisations providing arts for health and wellbeing programmes to the health & social care sector. Click on the company name to visit their website. Age Friendly Museums Network We believe that museums and older people enrich each other. We aim to develop innovative and collaborative opportunities by bringing people together. As well as museum, galleries and arts professionals, the Network includes those from health and social care, voluntary sector, research professionals and older people themselves. Arts 4 Dementia Arts 4 Dementia believes that people with dementia and their carers have the right to enjoy life to the full. Participating in arts activity, rekindling and learning new artistic skills enables them to bypass dementia symptoms and enjoy new creative experiences together. Arts 4 Dementia is a young charity helping to develop and co-ordinate dynamic high-quality events at arts venues as cognitive rehabilitation for families affected by dementia - from diagnosis. BBC Music Memories & BBC Memory Radio BBC Music Memories has been designed to help people with dementia start to create a playlist of personally meaningful music. These playlists can be added to a database of the nation’s favourite music via a survey embedded in the website, and printed off to create a record of someone’s selections. Brightshadow’s mission is to enable people with dementia and those affected by it to live well and to thrive. We use creativity and performance to celebrate the present moment and create means and opportunities for people with dementia to express themselves, interact with others and take part in meaningful activity. We do this through delivering our Zest workshops and programmes for people living with dementia in care settings and by producing training and resources to enable those working with people with dementia to deliver meaningful and creative activities. A Choir in Every Care Home Launching in May 2015, A Choir in Every Care Home is an ambitious new initiative to explore how singing can feature regularly in care homes across the country. Funded and initiated by the Baring Foundation, it is a unique collaboration between 30 leading national organisations from the worlds of adult social care, music and healthcare research. It is being led by three major organisations in the field: Live Music Now, which provides national leadership for musicians working in the care sector; Sound Sense, the UK professional association for community music; and the Sidney De Haan Research Centre, providing cutting edge research on the medical and social impacts of singing. Creative Dementia Arts Network We believe that participation in music, singing, theatre, drama, dance, visual arts, crafts and other creative arts are beneficial for people with dementia. Our mission is to promote the use of creative arts as a means of improving the health and well being of individuals living with dementia, their families and communities. We do this through providing artists, arts organisations and educators with information and resources for their work and facilitating the sharing and exchange of best practice. We also connect creative arts providers with commissioners working across cultural, health, social care, housing and business sectors to raise awareness of the value of creative arts for dementia. Creative Minds is social enterprise and community of professional artists delivering fun and stimulating Art Sessions to care homes across the UK. We currently work with older adults and people with learning disabilities helping people of all ages and abilities to explore their creativity! Dance for Life Dance For Life is a collaborative project between New Adventures & Re:Bourne and Dementia Pathfinders. The project is a unique opportunity for dancers from the New Adventures company to obtain new skills in delivering creative dance sessions specifically for people living with dementia. Since 2008 New Adventures & Re:Bourne has developed a team of passionate and dedicated community dance-artists who now act as leading ambassadors for the company in a community setting. Dance to Health Dance to Health is a new, pioneering nationwide falls prevention dance programme for older people. Combining evidence and physiotherapy with the creativity, expression and energy of dance it reduces falls by up to 55%. Engage & Create We are a social enterprise dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living with Dementia and those that care for them. We believe everyone has the right to inspiring conversation where they are heard and understood. Involvement in our structured art appreciation discussions, Ignite Sessions, offers a safe space for people to express their views and beliefs enabling participation in a meaningful, intellectual activity and opportunity for personal growth. Equal Arts We are a leading creative ageing charity supporting older people in Newcastle, Gateshead and across the UK. Our team works to improve the lives of older people through creativity and our arts activities around the North East provide creative opportunities to help improve people wellbeing. We strongly believe in the health benefits of the arts and support care staff and artists to deliver musical, visual and movement-based creative activities with active older people and those living with dementia. Finding Your Compass The Finding Your Compass project explores a creative road to management and recovery from mental health conditions. The arts are used as both a communications tool and as a mechanism for supporting mental wellbeing. GP referred (and sometimes self referred) patients tell their stories, through movement and drawing (supporting lateral thinking and problem solving), their reflections (providing further detail in personal narratives) and moving and still images (translating these experiences into an artistic outcome). In doing so, the participants gain self-confidence, which both reinforces a sense of belonging and raises awareness within the audience. Green Candle Dance Company At Green Candle, we are committed to bring dance as participation and performance to children, young people and older adults in our community. And through dance, to create healthier people and healthier, more integrated communities. High Peak Community Arts High Peak Community Arts provides opportunities for people to participate in high quality creative arts projects, enhancing their quality of life through self expression. We focus on those who have least access to arts and culture, benefiting some of the most hard to reach and isolated individuals and groups in the community. Our participants include those affected by disability, lack of resources or encouragement, rural isolation and other personal or social circumstances. We provide first and onward opportunities for participants of all ages, interests and abilities, to experiment with the creative arts, including film, digital arts, crafts, performance and visual arts; and to create work that reflects and celebrates life. Intergenerational Music Making Intergenerational Music Making uses the power of music to bridge the gap between generations, tackle social isolation, loneliness whilst improving the mental health and wellbeing of both the young and the old. Through our unique music therapy projects, training, apprenticeships, workshops, events and public performances, IMM uses music and the arts as a catalyst to bridge social divides, build communities, expand horizons and open up new perspectives and relationships. We bring together targeted groups, those living with Dementia, those suffering with mental health difficulties and those socially and economically deprived areas across all communities in unique music making projects. We are determined to build healthy, resilient, connected and empowered communities throughout the UK, strengthening our society as well as fostering mutual understanding and tackling agesim. Ladder to the Moon Ladder to the Moon provides workforce and service development that enables health & care organisations to develop active, creative, vibrant care services. We use approaches that incorporate training, coaching and the arts. Our approach involves staff, people living with long-term conditions, and the wider community. Magic Me Over the past two decades Magic Me has created opportunities for older and younger people to come together through the arts to build stronger friendly communities. Our projects use the performing arts, visual arts and music to bring together schools and day centres, sheltered accommodation and community groups, adult volunteers and care home residents. Magpie Dance Magpie Dance is a contemporary dance charity for people with learning disabilities. With an emphasis on ability rather than disability, Magpie has carved out a national reputation for its exciting and inspiring approach to inclusive dance. Founded 30 years ago by the current Artistic Director Avril Hitman, Magpie unlocks individual potential and ability by giving participants space to make their own choices and take ownership of what they achieve. Based in Bromley, Magpie can deliver workshops to any region in the UK. Dancers and inclusive dance enthusiasts gain opportunities through high quality programmes in participation, performance and training. National Museums Liverpool - House of Memories House of Memories is an award-winning training programme, which targets the carers of people living with dementia. It provides participants with information about dementia and equips them with the practical skills and knowledge to facilitate a positive quality of life experience for people living with dementia. Find out more about the House of Memories programme. House of Memories offers dementia awareness training for professionals, as well as buddy days for families, friends and volunteer carers. There are also a number of memory resources, activities and events. Paintings in Hospitals We are a leading visual arts in health charity, supporting people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Since 1959 we have been working in partnership with residents, carers and families to transform care and clinical environments into more human and inspiring spaces. We empower people through the visual arts to make their own decisions about art, and by working together, we create better care spaces that encourage and enrich the lives of everyone. Prism Arts Prism Arts is an inclusive arts organisation. This means that we set up and run arts projects that are fully accessible to all. Our priority is to develop projects that enable disabled people, young people and older people to engage in the arts. Our projects are always delivered by professional artists; this means that the quality of our work is very high. Our projects are shaped and led by our participants. Our work has significant impact on people’s lives in way that is beneficial to their health, wellbeing, creative development and confidence. Starlit Memories Starlit Memories was set up to bring musical entertainment into care homes, hospitals and centres for adults with learning difficulties. The shows take the audience on a musical journey through different eras, to spark reminiscence and encourage collective involvement in a group activity. The Cinema Museum The Cinema Museum is always keen to work with partners and neighbours in Lambeth and Southwark. Check out our wide-ranging support package to help local wellbeing initiatives. The Concertina Charitable Trust The Concertina Charitable Trust makes grants to charities that provide musical activities for the elderly community in need. The Reader is an award-winning charitable social enterprise working to connect people with great literature through shared reading. We’re here to bring books to life, creating welcoming environments in which personal feeling is recognised and valued, forming vital connections between people and literature through which everyone can feel more alive. Our ethos and purpose were originally forged in our shared reading groups, which is where most of our activity still takes place. But we are now working in other areas of communal life, and our purpose shines through in our Café, on our allotment, in a community play, at a public reading or even at a conker festival. Whatever we do, we do with brio, with care for people and with commitment to detail at every level. Turtle Key Arts Turtle Key Arts unlocks creative potential in individuals, companies and communities, producing and devising original, ground-breaking inclusive art to entertain and inspire. They have played a committed role in advancing participation in the arts by disabled, disadvantaged and socially excluded people, and are widely recognised as a leader in this field, often charting new territories, such as Turtle Song for people with Dementia and The Key Club for young people with Autism. Vamos Theatre Vamos Theatre is the UK’s leading full mask theatre company and a sector leader in empathetic, non-verbal communication training. We believe that the arts has a strong and positive role to play in the wider community and offer effective and well-evidenced workshops and performances that engage people to think differently about ways of caring, and promote an understanding of honest human connections. Over the last two years, Vamos Theatre has developed proven and popular performances and training that specifically engages people who live with dementia, their carers and their families. © 2018 Care England. Website by Fluid. Registered Office: 2nd Floor, 40 Artillery Lane, London E1 7LS. Registered Charity No. 296103 (England and Wales). Company No. 02082270. Buyer index Shaping tomorrow For specific advice and useful links about Coronavirus (COVID-19) for adult social care providers please visit: More information Visit Care England	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line258
__label__wiki	0.66916	0.66916	Dirksen Senate Office Building Named for Everett Dirksen Location within Washington, D.C. Offices for members of the U.S. Senate United States Capitol Complex 38°53′35″N 77°0′19″W / 38.89306°N 77.00528°W / 38.89306; -77.00528Coordinates: 38°53′35″N 77°0′19″W / 38.89306°N 77.00528°W / 38.89306; -77.00528 712,910 square feet (66,232 m2) Otto R. Eggers Daniel Paul Higgins Eggers & Higgins Dirksen Building Official site History of the United States Senate (by seniority by class) Hill committees (DSCC NRSC) United States Vice President (list) President pro tempore (list) Presiding officer Party leaders Party leadership of the United States Senate Republican Conference Politics and procedure Blue slip Closed session (list) Committees (list) Morning business Recess appointment Saxbe fix Senatorial courtesy Unanimous consent Vice President tie-breaking votes Senate chamber Senate Reception Room Senate office buildings (Dirksen Russell) The Dirksen Senate Office Building is the second office building constructed for members of the United States Senate in Washington, D.C., and was named for the late Minority Leader Everett Dirksen from Illinois in 1972. 2 Renovation 3 List of current U.S. Senators in the Dirksen Senate Office Building 4 Committees inside Dirksen Senate Office Building Map of the Capitol complex, with the Dirksen Building in red in the upper right. On the eve of America's entry into World War II, in 1941, the U.S. Senate authorized the Architect of the Capitol to prepare plans for a second Senate Office Building. The federal government's expanded role nationally and internationally beginning in the 1930s raised new issues for senatorial action, which in turn required increased staff assistance and created crowded conditions in the Capitol and the original Senate Office Building. When World War II delayed implementation of the Senate's building plans, the space problems grew increasingly urgent. Soon after the war, the United States Congress passed the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, in order to modernize and streamline its operations and provide senators and committees with professional staff assistance. To house the additional staff, the Senate resorted to renting space in nearby buildings. Moreover, with the anticipated admission of Alaska and Hawaii as states, four new senators would also require office space. As pressure for more space mounted, the Senate in 1948 acquired property on which to erect a second office building in order to accommodate the enlarged staff. The consulting architects, Otto R. Eggers and Daniel Paul Higgins firm Eggers & Higgins of New York City, drew the plans for a seven-story building faced in white marble, to be located across First Street from the Old Senate Office Building (Russell Senate Office Building) and diagonally across the Capitol grounds from the Senate wing of the Capitol. Although more streamlined and less ornate, the new building was designed to harmonize with the Capitol and the first Senate Office Building. Bronze spandrels between the third- and fourth-floor windows depicted scenes from American industry: Shipping, Farming, Manufacturing, Mining and Lumbering. Below the new building's west pediment is the inscription: “The Senate is the Living Symbol of Our Union of States.” Although the Senate approved the plans for the new building in 1949, construction was delayed until 1956. By then, increased costs of construction caused some scaling back of the original design, including the elimination of a planned central corridor. With Architect of the Capitol J. George Stewart looking on, members of the Senate Office Building Commission laid the cornerstone on July 13, 1956, and the new office building opened on October 15, 1958. The Dirksen Building was designed to accommodate the television era, complete with committee hearing rooms equipped with rostrums that were better suited to listening to testimony than sitting around conference tables, as had been done in previous committee rooms, both in the U.S. Capitol and the Russell Senate Office Building. In the 1970s, a third Senate office building, the Hart Senate Office Building was built next to the Dirksen Building on a spot originally intended for a mirror image of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The Hart and Dirksen Buildings are connected, and one can walk between the two almost as easily as if they were one structure. The building was renovated during 1999–2000 under the auspices of the Architect of the Capitol, who at the time was Alan M. Hantman, FAIA. Day-to-day supervision of the project carried out by Assistant Architect Michael G. Turnbull, FAIA. The renovation was well received by Senators and their staff. Senator Robert F. Bennett of Utah, Chairman of the Senate Legislative Branch Subcommittee, made the following comments regarding the renovation: "When I came here, the Dirksen Building was considered the low-rent district, and Senators would start their careers in the Dirksen Building and then move out as quickly as they possibly could. I have nostalgia for the Dirksen Building because this is where my father had his office, and I was very content to stay here. ... Now that it has been renovated--and mine was the first suite to be renovated--I consider that we are in the high-rent district." ... thank you for the truly well thought out way in which this building is being renovated. It is now work space that will serve the needs of the Senators for another fifty years. It is roughly fifty years since the Dirksen Building was conceived, and I am sure that we will get our money's worth out of it.[citation needed] List of current U.S. Senators in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Lamar Alexander R Tennessee Room 455 2 John Barrasso R Wyoming Room 307 1 Cory Booker D New Jersey Room 359 2 Cindy Hyde-Smith R Mississippi Room 113 2 Susan Collins R Maine Room 413 2 Marsha Blackburn R Tennessee Room 359 1 Mike Crapo R Idaho Room 239 3 Ed Markey D Massachusetts Room 255 2 Jerry Moran R Kansas Room 521 3 Bernie Sanders I Vermont Room 332 1 John Thune R South Dakota Room 511 3 Thom Tillis R North Carolina Room G55 2 Roger Wicker R Mississippi Room 555 1 Ron Wyden D Oregon Room 221 3 Mark Kelly D Arizona Room B40D 3 Committees inside Dirksen Senate Office Building United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs United States Senate Committee on the Budget United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Committee on Finance United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 2003 ricin letters C-SPAN American History TV tour of the Dirksen Senate Office Building with Senate Historian Emeritus Don Ritchie House chamber Congressional office buildings: Cannon House Library O'Neill (former) Old Senate Chamber Congressional office buildings: Dirksen Mountains and Clouds Senate Library Mary Pickford Theater Individual features Statue of Freedom The Apotheosis of Washington Declaration of Independence painting Frieze of American History Surrender of General Burgoyne Surrender of Lord Cornwallis General George Washington Resigning His Commission Columbus Doors National Statuary Hall Hall of Columns Brumidi Corridors Apotheosis of Democracy First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States Revolutionary War Door Washington at Princeton Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way Vice Presidential Bust Collection President's Room Vice President's Room Congressional Prayer Room Old Supreme Court Chamber Washington's Tomb Lincoln Catafalque George Washington as Zeus (sculpture, 1841–1908) Discovery of America (sculpture, 1844–1958) The Rescue (sculpture, 1853–1958) National Capitol Columns U.S. Capitol Gatehouses and Gateposts James A. Garfield Monument Ulysses S. Grant Memorial Peace Monument Judiciary Building Reflecting Pool Subway System Supreme Court Building Senate Page Residence Members and leaders By length of service By shortness of service Youngest members Non-voting members Unseated members Longest living Expelled or censured Born outside the U.S. Switched parties Oldest living Expelled, censured, and reprimanded Served a single term Elected but did not serve President pro tempore Policy Committee Chair Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group Congressional caucus Caucuses of the United States Congress Ethnic and racial African-American members Arab and Middle Eastern members Asian Pacific American members Asian Pacific American Caucus Hispanic and Latino members Hispanic Caucus Hispanic Conference Gender and sexual identity LGBT members LGBT Equality Caucus Issues Caucus Buddhist members Hindu members Jewish members Mormon (LDS) members Muslim members Sikh members By length of service historically Current members by wealth From multiple states Died in office Killed or wounded in office Party switchers Powers, privileges, procedure, committees, history, and media Commerce (Dormant) Contempt of Congress Declaration of war "Necessary and Proper" Power of enforcement Taxing/spending Act of Congress Budget resolution Closed sessions Concurrent resolution Continuing resolution Discharge petition Enrolled bill Joint session Lame-duck session Majority of the majority (Hastert Rule) Multiple referral House Procedures Suspension of the rules Line-item veto Pocket veto Senate-specific Executive communication Jefferson's Manual Riddick's Senate Procedure Tie-breaking votes Treaty Clause Chairman and ranking member Of the Whole List (Joint) List (House) List (Senate) Select and special Mace of the House Seal of the Senate House history Speaker elections Senate history Election disputes Federal Hall (1789-1790) Congress Hall (1790-1800) Old Brick Capitol (1815-1819) Biographical Directory Divided government Congressional Quarterly Capitol Complex (Capitol Hill) Congressional staff Gov. Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Architect of the Capitol Cap. Police Cap. Guide Service Cap. Guide Board Congr. Budget Office (CBO) Gov. Publishing Office (GPO) Congr. Ethics Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations Interparliamentary Affairs Law Revision Counsel Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper Floor Operations Floor Services Chief Reading Clerk Library of Register of Copyrights Adams Building Jefferson Building Gov. Public Printer Congressional Pictorial Directory Official Congressional Directory U.S. Gov. Manual Serial Set Statutes at Large Statuary Hall VP's Room VP Bust Collection Building Commission Health and Fitness Facility House Recording Studio Webster Page Residence Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dirksen_Senate_Office_Building&oldid=991966171" Congressional office buildings Eggers & Higgins buildings Government buildings completed in 1958 Use American English from February 2020 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Use mdy dates from February 2020 Wikipedia articles in need of updating from February 2019 All Wikipedia articles in need of updating	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line261
__label__wiki	0.637498	0.637498	About European Capitals of Culture February 18, 2012 – Gregor Taul Short review of what happened in Tallinn during 2011 when it was the European Cultural Capital. Published in English and Russian by Project Baltia 2012, No.1 In 2011 Tallinn in Estonia and Turku in Finland shared the title of the Culture Capital of Europe (ECC). The Culture Capital as such is a 27 year old format. The legend tells that two Ministers of Culture - from France and Greece - came upon this idea quite accidentally when talking to each other in the airport of Athens. As a result one more typical “Euro- project“ was born. It is fed by euro-optimism imposed on the member states by politicians. It also reveals the symptomatic distress in the EU – how? oh, how? can we make everybody in which ever corner of Europe feel all equally European? In the beginning only the capitals of the member states could apply to become the Culture Capitals (Athens being the first in 1985 followed by Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris). By the beginning of the new millenium all the capitals had had a chance and countries started to propose towns of minor importance ( 1999, Weimar in Germany, 2000, Avignon in France, 2002, Salamanca in Spain). Today the contest to win the title has become a real battlefield of smaller towns, especially in Old Europe. For these towns this is a chance that could really make a differnce. Consequently there is a risk among culture capitals that it will all turn into a top- down project where creativity has nothing to do with the inherent quality of the community any more. This sort of creativity has not been triggered by intellectual needs or capabilities of the town but rather initiated by politicians and PR people and their desire to gain from the economic and cultural privileges associated with the title. Coping as culture capital depends a lot on to what extent are the existing capacities (people, communication and social networks, cultural institutions, political will etc) used for enhancing creative economy. The question is whether it will be sustainable and capable to develop further during the years ahead. When Estonia was trying to make up its mind about which town to propose to the EU in 2006 as our culture capital, the local culture elite supported almost unanimously the candidature of Tartu. Still for inevitable economic reasons the Ministry of Culture preferred Tallinn as an obviously safer choice backed with all its financial, statistical and geographical figures. As an afterthought it could be said now that Tallinn was a good choice in many ways. Firstly because the history has shown that former industrial towns tend to be more successful culture capitals (e.g. Liverpool 2008, Essen 2010) just by giving new breathing with relatively little effort to the otherwise neglected factories or even whole industrial areas. Thus the reevaluation of the existance of the seaside Tallinn industrial heritage became the essence of the Tallinn2011 programme. Paradoxically for Tallinn2011 the global recession also came in handy. Due to the financial crises the EU funding shrunk considerably. As a result instead of investing into bricks and mortar the focus shifted onto people. The Culture Capital Foundation Tallinn2011 instead of becoming an organiser and manager of construction became rather an intermediator. The existing resources were allocated to people who had submitted a myriade of project ideas - exhibitions, festivals, concerts, conventions etc. The only building with a clearly Culture Capital label attached to it was the Straw Theatre which also seems to have become one of the top events of the programme of the whole year. Its success could be explained by being a perfect venue for the theatre programme as well as a skillful solution to turn it into a kind of radiation source for activating public space otherwise left out of the community`s turnover. From the point of view of architecture and using public space there was another success story in the programme of the of the Culture Capital Year. The Urban Installations Festival LIFT11 with its 11 installation around Tallinn. These installations gathered a lot of praise as magnificent site-specific and critically-minded works, but it has not been noticed that during the festival no politically charged installations were made. All of the eleven installations where largely descriptive hence none of them could become a signifier of the future of this place as well. There were a few powerfully determined installations on LIFT11’s list but for bureaucratic reasons we never witnessed the actual erection of these installations or they finally appeared in a somewhat trimmer and thus also “safer“ manner. For example “FACE IT!” was supposed to give the spectator a chance to meet eye to eye the 1902 “Russalka”, a sculpture by Amandus Adamson. The authorities were worried that it might have irritated the Russian speaking community of Tallinn who like to take wedding photos with the monument in the background. Therefore it is not surprising that the “bureaucratic trimming “of the installations turned them into consumer friendly and nicely packaged products which could serve as the face of the whole Culture Capital. It was convenient relying on these examples to tell the citizens: „You see, we managed! Contemporary art meets the public and no conflicts or misinterpretations. Contemporary art popularised and public space with a new quality added!” The good thing is that there is no reason for me to be ironical about it. LIFT11 really did take place under the auspices of and thanks to the funding and moral support of the Foundation Tallinn2011. All in all it was reasonable for both parties – curators, artists, project managers and others got their (somewhat adjusted) creative freedom and Talinn2011 got its credits and paperwork. Tallinn Culture Capital 2011 eng8 On Hospitality: NUPerformance Festival Blogging Some Paragraphs on Art Allmägi and Young Estonian Sculpture	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line262
__label__wiki	0.611879	0.611879	THE GRIMM PLAYERS Grimmbourne The Vicar of Dibley 2 - Oct 2019 Nunsense - Oct 2018 Bad Girls - March 2018 The Vicar of Dibley - Oct 2017 Brassed Off - Feb 2017 Hi-de-Hi! Sep 2016 Stepping Out - The Musical - Feb 2016 'Allo 'Allo - October 2015 Annie - Feb 2015 Shout! - Oct 2014 Bad Girls – The Musical takes as its starting point the original core characters from the first three series of Bad Girls on TV. Set in the fictional HMP Larkhall, it’s the story of new idealistic Wing Governor Helen Stewart and her battles with the entrenched old guard of Officer Jim Fenner and his sidekick Sylvia Hollamby. It also follows the love story that develops between Helen and charismatic inmate Nikki Wade. Other featured characters include Shell Dockley and her runner Denny Blood, old-timer Noreen Biggs, The Two Julies and the ultimate Top Dog, King-of-Gangland’s missus, Yvonne Atkins. A tragic death on the wing – in which Jim Fenner is implicated – leads to an angry protest from the women and forces Helen and Nikki to their opposite sides of the bars. But when it’s clear that Helen stands to lose her job over Jim Fenner’s misdeeds, the race is on for the women to nail Jim once and for all.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line263
__label__cc	0.522274	0.477726	Books i wrote DeviantArt Page Tag: TOFOTN (page 1 of 3) Book One – Epilogue 29th February 2016 / Frankie / 0 Comments Sarah shifted awake, her eyes opening just a fraction as her awareness refocused on reality. The sun was on her face and it felt nice. Like she was lying in the arms of her father as he transformed into a big pile of cushions. Summer would be over soon but it was just the right temperature before this stupid country became too warm for her to bear. These were the best days. She really, really loved them and even more than ever now since she got that stupid woman to buy her a proper bed instead of those stupid Japanese ones. She snuggled up tightly, grabbing a pillow and brought it to her chest, wrapping the covers around her and meowing slightly. She wondered how long she could stay here. “Play time.” All comfy movements became fast, jerky ones. How could she fall asleep like that? They were all in danger. The girl was up in a flash and looking around, not quite sure what she would see in the few seconds she had been asleep, Boss raised up upon the bodies of their enemies, maybe still in the middle of fighting, fearful of him fallen. She had left the games console on. It was in her room in Heavenly Springs, she realized with disappointment and bewilderment, light peering in from the window as always like it was just another, boring day. The television screen was still left on from another night of playing video games, the demo to her favourite going on without sound, a sign she had muted it as usual, the hours becoming late enough for others to complain. Quickly shambling off the bed, Sarah’s eyes scanned the room carefully. How was she back here? Wandering over to the television she switch it off, the frequency bugging her ears. This didn’t make any sense. She had no idea of how long she had been asleep, figuring only minutes because of the danger, but if it had been long enough for them to get all the way back to the dorms… Wouldn’t she have woken up on the tram? She always woke up on the tram, she had trained herself acutely for it for whenever she sneaked into the city. Circling the room again, still a little too dazed to think properly, she kicked her tossed clothes about, the near insignificant act of putting them out to wash not even entering her mind as she tried to figure out what happened. But there was nothing to figure out though. She was just back. The sun was still shining out of the window, and the temptation to just crawl back into bed for another hour was becoming even harder to resist. She saw a shadow on the opposite roof. Reacting instantly, her hand shot out to grab her binoculars, the focus on them already adjusted to view the girl on the rooftop stepping back and forth. As Sarah figured the second she saw her, it was the kendo freak. The moron was practicing on the rooftop as she did every morning, swinging that blade back and forth, her endless training refusing to be abated. But hadn’t the sword been broken? Sarah’s mind flashed back to a conversation she thought she heard, but then decided that was impossible. She had been instantly knocked out when the water hit her and her head hit the wall… Her head! Hand jumping to the back of her skull like she was trying to swat a fly, she felt a little odd at feeling no pain, like going to lean on a wall only to discover it was no longer there. Even as she felt all over her cranium, there seemed to be no pain or anything that would indicate a bruise. Looking back to the kendo freak on the roof through the red binoculars, she saw her training as rigorous as ever, the sword in her hand shining beautifully against the rays of light as she repetitively swung it over her head. “What the fuck?” Sarah mumbled to herself. The kendo freak definitely wouldn’t have gotten a new sword, at the very least because she wasn’t exactly full of money. Yet there she was, swinging away like usual and now Sarah herself had no injuries where she should have had them. “It can’t have been a dream,” she muttered to herself. It couldn’t be. She had never ever had a dream that vivid and although she might like to think she had that good an imagination… She ran up to the door, sliding it open and nearly tripping face first over Sagara. She grabbed the door frame and stopped herself from crashing into him, not that the sleeping man noticed. How she had missed his loud snoring there was no way to tell, but her foot kicking his arm as she nearly ran over him did nothing to deter him from continuing his nap. He was, she quickly checked for any signs of anything, definitely uninjured. That was wrong. She had seen the demon burn his face at least once. It was almost tempting to rip his shirt off and check for any other signs of a fight besides the usual cuts, but she thought it better to ask. “Oi Boss,” she called to him, not hesitating to slap him a few times in the face, knowing from experience that Sagara never ever remembered nothing when he woke up. He made a very strange comment about sandpits and their use in the field of astrology, before turning over and nearly trapping her foot beneath him. She swore to herself. If he wasn’t waking up, then that meant at least another hour before he even tried to wake up and another five before he did so. She turned off down the corridor, hating to have to rely on any of the others. “Look, mother. I told you I’m doing fine,” she heard Fujiko say down the phone, the layabout’s left foot propped against the wall to help her keep balance. Sarah had seen this before, and never quite understood how keeping your balance when suffering a hangover hides the husky groan of your voice to someone on the other end of the line. “Oi, Fujiko,” Sarah called out, to be responded to by a light wave. “It’s my account, mother. How do you even know my username and password?” Sarah jumped and called a few times, only to be waved away after bugging the older woman for too long. “Oh, that obvious, huh? No I don’t need anymore money off you guys…” Leaving the girl in the lobby, to what had to be a fifty-fifty chance of being an imaginary phone call, Sarah looked for someone who could give her a rational answer, and hopefully someone who was rational enough to give her a rational answer. Talking to Natoko while she was training would only put both of them in a bad mood. Sagara and Fujiko were predisposed. “Ah, good morning, Sarah,” Gen said happily as he walked past her. “Piss off!” Gen would be useless for an answer. She didn’t want to speak to Sakura. If it wasn’t a dream, she couldn’t speak to Tina, although Sagara bringing back a flaming mass of flesh and bone back home with him wasn’t a total impossibility. She wandered into the television room, where Aki was balancing on her hands while commercials played on the screen. For a second she wondered why she hadn’t considered this to be the dream. “Ah, Sarah, good morn…” “Piss off,” Sarah said instinctively, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl and taking a huge chunk out of it. This tasted real at least. Made of plastic, but still real. “You know what happened last night?” Aki asked, finally getting off her hands and plodding off to her. “What? You mean it was real?” “Of course it was. Well, as real as this world gets.” “Just so we’re on the same page here. We are talking about a huge illegal tournament, me vomiting in the toilets, getting kidnapped by demons, having Sakura screw us over, an angel with two kick ass swords and a fire demon trying to ask Sagara where his village was.” Aki nodded, with an ‘uh huh’ after each item, with the exception of the last one. As she finished, Sarah let out a huge sigh of relief. “So it did all happen then?” “Unless we both dreamed it,” Aki said lightly. “I mean, it’s not like I’m injured or anything anymore and I just woke up an hour ago to find myself here.” Sarah looked at the girl. Aki looked 100% healthy save for a small layer of sweat over her crumpled up hair, which was probably nothing more than Aki’s usual waking up routine of doing ‘weird things’ around the dormitory. Wouldn’t she have a few cuts and bruises at the least, especially if she had been bleeding very, very badly from her forehead? “Let’s go check with someone else,” Sarah suggested, already walking out of the door. She wasn’t too concerned now. Maybe she had overreacted a little too much with believing it was a dream. However, she did want to know what happened. Sagara must have won- must have been faking it or something. They’d all be dead now otherwise, wouldn’t they? Otsune was in the corridor leading to the Hot Springs, currently trying to swat a cicada or something with a rolled up magazine. She wasn’t having much luck though, swatting randomly as she tried to avoid her carelessly discarded glasses. “Aki, Sarah. You’re awake,” she said, as she stopped to squint at them. Sarah noticed there was something hovering around next to Otsune’s head, the student flicking her hand against her ear as it came near her. Sarah found herself ready to tell her to go away again when Aki went to say good morning, but stopped herself. Otsune had crossed eyebrows again. They looked smaller without her large glasses on. “What happened with you, guys?” she asked as she reached them. “We waited by the in desk for three hours, until they just threw us out. Fujiko had to bluff our way in at the hotel to get our stuff and then, when we finally gave up and went home, we find the lot of you here sleeping. I was worried sick.” “We…didn’t come home with you guys?” Sarah asked, somewhat pointlessly. Turning to Aki with a blank look on her face, she saw that the girl had started eating a banana. However, she also had a similar look on her face, chewing longer than she had to as she waited for something to happen. “No you didn’t. What happened?” “It was weird. We were just in the toilets and you were shouting to us, when Sarah went all weird again. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by demons, and that angel.” “Went weird again?” “Vomiting more than the total mass of her body,” Aki rearticulated. Otsune turned to the young girl to look as falsely concerned as she always did. Sarah clicked her tongue. Why did that stupid girl have to point out the irrelevant things that would get her into trouble? “How many times has this happened?” “I’m…not sure. Never mind.” If Otsune couldn’t help, then there was no reason to talk to her. Maybe she could kick Sagara into being awake. Turning around, she had barely got halfway down the corridor where she heard Otsune scream out and jab the magazine randomly in several directions. “Get lost already!” Sarah turned back to look around, and for the first time saw what the student had been attacking. She could barely believe it, there was a tiny flame hovering in the air around Otsune, apparently trying to frantically avoid each of the girl’s swipe like they were playing dodge ball. After a few seconds of fruitlessly trying to strike it, she hit it, and they all watched with panic as the magazine instantly caught ablaze. Otsune quickly changed tactics and started to stomp the floor where she dropped the magazine, emitting light yelps of fear as she tried to put it out, only to start swatting the flame above her again before she could finish. “Morning,” a voice said behind the trio. A sleepy eyed Sagara came walking up to them, rotating his shoulders and scratching the back of his head in one movement. Sarah was about to rush to him but Otsune jumped in front of the boy “You! Do something. Make it go away.” The ninja blinked at her for a few seconds, eyes only getting up halfway the final time. “Make what go away?” “This damn flame,” she grumbled as she took another shot at it. “It won’t leave me alone.” She started to stab at it with her hand furiously, aiming carefully with each jab, only to see the small ball of energy floating around each strike as if it were a dancing feather. Sarah thought that this probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, judging by the fate of the magazine. “He’s taken a liking to you,” Sagara said, watching the flame now hovering between them. “He? It has a gender?” She swatted at it again, nearly swiping Aki’s banana out of her hand. “Look, never mind. Do something.” “I don’t know- something ninjary! Put it out, kill it- whatever.” “It would kill me if I tried that.” “I don’t care. It’s been following me everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. I’m not sure if I should treat it like a dog or a pervert.” “Treat it like a small floating piece of flame,” Aki suggested, although not very helpfully. “Never mind this,” Sarah said, forcing herself into Sagara’s view, her foot stamping the floor as she did so. “What happened last night, Boss, after I fell asleep?” “What? Oh, we got a lift back on Yuya’s Spinner.” “That woman we met up with.” “And you didn’t even think of getting us?” Otsune interrupted, ignoring the little flame for now while she looked at him with a shaking fist. “We waited there for ages. They kicked us out in the end. Do you know how worried we all were? We had no idea whatsoever what happened to any of you, and Tina’s still not back! If she’s caught in that weird place with monsters like the one we met…” “Keys isn’t a monster. He’s a spirit,” Sagara said nonchalantly. Otsune tensed up, her face switching to anger before going to calm down. “Whatever, I’m sure she’s fine. Probably got kicked out when we did. I’ll give her a call when my phone’s charged up, or if Fujiko finally stops talking to her parents.” She stormed off, pacing down the hall as she continued to mutter to herself, screaming wildly as she tried smacking the flame away again. “What did happen to Tina?” Sarah whispered as she watched Otsune disappear from view. It was kind of hard to guess what the answer would be. She had woke up to find everyone fine and as fresh as they were before the tournament. Was it possible that Tina was okay too? Sagara grew a look on his face that seemed to be trying to smile and look regretful at the same time, his hand going to the back of his head to scratch again. “She ran off,” he said simply. “But I don’t think Tina’s there anymore.” “You mean she’s dead?” “It…” He stopped to think. “It may have been the case that she’s been dead for some time, I don’t know. The way she was speaking, it was like she had been whatever she was for a long time. There might have never been a Tina.” “You mean we’d been living with a demon all this time?” Sarah asked with concerned alarm mixed in with relief. That meant the amount of times she had tormented that girl and not been incinerated was incalculable. “Who knows,” the ninja said, his eyes still half open. “I don’t think it even was a demon. I’d ring my mom if the Initiation wasn’t still on.” “Huh,” Aki muttered, jumping back into the conversation after she had wandered out of it to look through the window on a whimsy. “Didn’t you say that would end after the tournament?” “I haven’t been told by anyone. Until then, I guess it doesn’t,” he said, not looking as concerned as Sarah figured he should be. “I probably have to do something involving Tina before it’s considered completely finished. This is going to delay going home.” “But why did you let her…” that sounded very wrong in her ears now, “it… get away then?” “I wasn’t exactly in the best position to do anything,” he explained with a fixed grin. “After that water spirit drove it off I was too injured to move. Then it was the deal with the Neuts and carrying you lot and getting you to safety.” “That water woman was there?” Aki said actually surprised enough to mumble through her banana. “You saw her, did you?” Sagara asked, a puzzled expression appearing, strangely minus a furrowed brow. “She was hiding within Yuya the whole time.” “So that’s what that was. I thought it was magic or something.” Sarah had never actually seen the water spirit in question, except the times it was in Natoko’s body and chasing after Sagara, though it had been mentioned. “She works for Yuya now, apparently. I should probably tell Natoko.” “Tell me what?” “Ah, Natoko,” Aki called out before the ninja could answer her question. “Good morning.” Letting out a small smile to her friend as she more or less flew to her side, the samurai replied with a small nod. “Good morning, Aki,” she said before turning back to Sagara, her friend climbing onto her as she did so. “What did you have to tell me?” “It was the water spirit that saved us in the InBetween realm. She’s with Yuya now.” “Ms. Sakimoto?” she said, with nothing more than mild curiosity as she thought this out. “Thank you.” “Do you want to do anything about it?” “No, I don’t think it will be necessary, unless you wish for me to do anything about it.” “Oh yeah, forgot about that. No, there’s nothing.” “Will you be requiring me for anything else today?” She smiled as he grinned. “No, nothing.” “Then,” she said, bowing lightly. “If you would excuse me, I intend to spend the rest of the day training.” “Go right ahead.” He was smiling full on now and she figured he had probably guessed her mood. “You wanna spar later?” “If you like,” she turned away, pacing off down the hallway, not surprised in the slightest that Aki was following her. “You’re in a good mood today,” Aki commented, diverting herself to the fruit bowl to grab another banana. “I am,” she confirmed, doing her best not to boast the reasons why. Iziz was fixed. There was no way of telling how or why, but that didn’t matter. On top of that, she knew now that she was strong, and had reasons to be strong. Those few moments against those demons had taught her just as much as all the strikes swung throughout her life, and she couldn’t wait to learn more. She would train now, again and again, getting stronger and stronger, with Iziz by her side and her friends supporting her. That was all she really needed. She couldn’t help but smile, a Sagara like grin appearing on her face. Aki was looking at her strangely. “You sure you’re not all repressive and denialy?” “Some people in my position may be,” Natoko replied, completely helpless to prevent a wave of superiority flow over herself as she explained. “But too many important things happened to me yesterday. I faced and suffered horrors which few people have ever seen. Rather than succumb to it, I choose to become stronger, and remain calm in the face of adversity.” “So you are being all repressey then?” Natoko slipped. “What, No!” she shouted, her eyebrows meeting. “I remember perfectly everything that happened yesterday, including the nearly dying and nearly getting raped parts. I was just saying…” But she stopped, Aki was the one smiling now. “Just making sure,” the short girl chimed as she began peeling the banana, obviously no longer caring. Natoko grunted, and tried to calm down herself. This girl always knew how to infuriate her. She didn’t know why she put up with it half of the time. Yes she did. “You want to go to the Yakiniku tonight?” she asked without giving warning. “My treat.” She watched as Aki nearly choked on crushed fruit, trying to do her best to repress her reaction as she did so. “Oh, can we?” Natoko nodded, watching her friend let go and burst out with emotion at that same moment. She continued to watch patiently as her friend went through a series of twirls and leaps that seemed natural only to her before calming down and getting back to her banana. “It’s the least I could do after you protected me.” The words had fallen out of her mouth before she even realized her brain had processed them. She felt like someone had poured a tub of glue into her bloodstream and now it was pumping through her heart. “That’s okay,” Aki replied, not even noticing her friend had stopped. “You would have done the same for me.” “You shouldn’t have had to protect me,” Natoko said unintentionally, causing her friend’s feet to stiffen up. She looked directly at Aki, the happiness gone, not a single care about Korean meat left. Natoko wanted to look away, look down at the floor, but she didn’t dare move her head. She had been kidding herself. The world doesn’t work that smoothly, that idealistically. She couldn’t make a noble choice and then have it follow through, not even for a few minutes, and it was herself that had proved her wrong. Her knees buckled, they were getting ready to run. “No one should have to protect anyone.” “What?” They stopped, not even having time to twist around. Her best friend had a simple, light smile on her face. “But if someone has to protect me, I’m glad it’s you. And in return, I’ll do the same.” “Aki…” Looking at the girl for a few seconds, it felt that perhaps it might have been possible. She nodded, before walking back alongside her friend down the corridor. Maybe being proven wrong was a good thing. “Just not too often okay? It’s annoying seeing you go into angst mode randomly.” And so the day went by in Heavily Springs as normally as one could expect in a world where people spoke about the size of their breasts in Hot Springs. Samurai girl’s continued to train. Their friends ate bananas. Little kids followed their cousins about, while freelance reporters, to be read as ‘unemployed people’, went on trying not to worry about finances. Meanwhile, ex-forensic students gave up on trying to determine why the world was all dumb and stuff and went about the equally impossible task of trying to snuff flames out while landlords continued to exist in a most boring manner. In the town, old people still talked to each other angrily, probably about how they weren’t dead yet, alongside the need to build more propulsion jet engines. As they did so, they ignored the youth of today, especially the youth three times their size as he wandered back out of the village, lost and confused. And finally, just outside the town’s limits sat on a park bench, a young girl consumed pizza at great expense, watching the day fly by and hiding whenever anyone walked past her. As she would leave, though not return home, the sun would set on them all, bringing about the cycle of light and dark, keeping both an infinite balance that kept the world in check and provided a relatively decent metaphor. All was well with the world. Well, there was one more thing. Sagara couldn’t find the religious cook. Not that he had tried to look for her. In fact, he was pretty sure that nobody save himself could get up to this part of the roof without having to be lowered down by a helicopter. Even so, he hadn’t seen or heard from her all day. The girl had come back with them, in a semi-unconscious, near-comatose state that he was pretty sure wasn’t considered all that healthy. But after they got home, she had wandered off in no particular direction and hadn’t approached him since, not saying a word the whole time. Now the girl he first met naked had been wandering around the whole dormitory grounds for the past half hour shouting for the little religious cook, only stopping every so often to scream at the little ball of fire that was following her around, which, since night had fell, had turned blue so that it didn’t get cold. The girl seemed to be having no luck finding her fellow dorm buddy, so it seemed clear that the religious cook had since left the site, but the village was small, and she wouldn’t have many places to go and, with another hour left until the trams stopped running for the night, it seemed more and more likely that she wasn’t coming back if she had taken one. He was sure she’d be all right. Sagara waited another hour before continuing to wait for another hour. Waiting restlessly for someone that had yet to show up. Someone was missing. Twirling the phone in his hands, his thumb had started to press buttons randomly as the stars continued to travel across the sky, quickly hitting the red button whenever he started to hear ringing. Nothing seemed to be happening at all. Was someone going to tell him he was finished? If he wasn’t going to get the very obvious sign that he was promised, he’d just have to assume that the mission did include hunting down this fire spirit. The phone started to beep in his hands, vibrating at the same time. Feeling a certain pang of relief that he wasn’t surrounded by enemies, hiding in darkness, at that moment, he looked to it and read the message. Sagara I need to see you. Come to the city sometime and I’ll find you. – Raiko That was a surprise. Staring at the message a second longer, he quickly deleted it, assured that he’d remember something that important. Especially since he too felt like he needed to see her. Maybe they could go to the café again. That place had nice food. Weird mixed stuff that looked kind of odd, but still tasted nice. Maybe he’ll bring her back and introduce her to the Hot Springs. Somehow he knew she’d enjoy them just as much as he did. He shifted his seating posture and waited another seventy three minutes. Someone was missing. Where was she anyway? Act Four – Chapter Five Sarah wasn’t quite sure when Tina had entered the room. During those first few seconds, she hadn’t been paying attention to the door. From Tina’s fist, the angel screamed, a high pitched sympathy that was as beautiful in its crescendo as it was terrible in its finale. Sarah leaned forward, her nose pressing against the barrier as if it were glass, watching in awe as the angel burned. “What…” she heard someone mutter from somewhere in the room, although she didn’t really pay any attention to it. “What is that?” Even those who heard it didn’t seem ready to answer the question at that moment, and Sarah certainly didn’t know the answer. Not the proper answer anyway. It was Tina. Dumb Otsune’s dumb friend who had come from Dumbland, Germany for dumb reasons- Sarah had never listened to the story. And at the same time, it wasn’t her. The growl that she had heard coming from its voice was more similar to that of the gruff-sounding man that worked at the convenience store and knew far too much about trading cards than of the dainty voice of a girl who had only bothered to learn ten words of Japanese since coming here. Not to mention the way her scrawny naked body shambled across the room as rags of flesh burned off her and faded into ash. Right now she was very different from the shy girl that Fujiko always teased. It wasn’t like these were the only clues Sarah had in figuring that this was not the girl she knew. There was also the fact that Tina had used the red candle that sat in front of the ten year old’s prison to ignite herself, as well as the fact that she had reacted as if her entire body was doused in gasoline. With the room being bathed with the creature’s flames, she could finally see all the demons that had remained hidden in the shadows. For a second she almost wished that someone would turn the lights back off. Some of the demons were reasonably human- some of them were even kinda cool looking, with large, imposing muscles and clothing that would have instantly made her a fan if they were off some cartoon. The only thing counteracting this being their recently created impotence after the angel had attacked them all, cutting off cool looking horns and spikes at random. Some of them were a little too freaky though- even for her standards, growing horns and fur in strange places. One of them had even sprouted hooves out of their kneecaps and adjacent to their legs, and another was bleeding heavily from the spores on his now bald head. Some weren’t even human in the slightest and looked like grim mockeries of household items. One was a very warped radiator that had rusted over completely. Another had taken the body of an already deceased horse that had no intention of standing back up. A third one was wrapped in darkness that was so black she felt it had to be called spurgle for some unfathomable reason. The stupid angel that had attacked Sagara before he was even ready started to fall, its knees quivering as Tina’s ember fist drove through its body like a stake, the stupid god creature’s armour cracking out through his robes. She could see Sagara looking down to his own chest, keeping an eye on the embedded hand just inches from him and cooing to himself. The angel’s whole body was moving around the arm that had plunged through it, turning to something that looked like white flaky ash, dripping to the ground like wet sand from a child’s bucket. Before anyone could do or say anything about it- not that it looked like anyone was going to, the angel had completely disintegrated, his mouth jabbering wordlessly like he was too scared to make a complaint, his robes and weapons disappearing into a pile of cinder and dust below Sagara. The only thing left besides this being two bands of metal that dropped from where the angel had been. They were scaled and shiny, looking to be made from solid gold. “Took me a while to find you, child of the Futabatei,” the creature said, confirming Sarah’s view that it sounded nothing like the girl who it once was. “This realm is troubling for those of us who see only in flame.” Sarah could see the creature open its eyes to look at Sagara, and cursed under her breath when she saw crimson fire staring out at him from the empty sockets where eyes should have been, blood sizzling down seared cheeks like miniature waterfalls. She was pretty sure Tina had had eyes when she walked passed her. “Excuse me?” Sagara said. He had begun to sweat, and Sarah knew that it wasn’t in fear. It couldn’t be fear with Sagara. It clearly had to be the heat that the monster was giving off. She could feel it herself, although not as much through the strange barrier. “You have been annoyingly persistent. It seems that no matter where you go, there is always something stopping us from having the little chat I’ve been wanting. Even my own plans have been getting in the way. But now,” it shouted suddenly, slamming its barbequed hands against the wall, Sagara’s head in between. “Now we have plenty of time to chat.” From the hallway outside, Sarah heard a small noise of something hitting the far wall, disrupting her attention from the creature just meters in front of her. She inched towards the far end of the barrier to try and see if she could see. Sakura had dropped to the floor, her eyelids stretched wide, her pupils diluted. She was barely moving, her breathing had become as shallow as it could possibly be and her throat was locked tight. Good, Sarah couldn’t help but think. The stupid moron deserved it. Betraying Sagara was unforgivable. She still couldn’t believe how quick the girl hadn’t hesitated to offer her assistance to the angel, volunteering to get Sagara for him. The angel had been full of crap too, stating things like ‘time is of the essence’ and ‘I shall inform you of everything you need to know about your soul mate later.’ He was clearly just using her, probably wasn’t even a real angel, just a kick ass fighter. The large, bulky demon stepped forward, shaking its massive head as if just being freed from hypnosis. On his shoulder, the small woman who spoke at the same time he did pulled out a small knife. Maybe the angel wasn’t as kick ass, she thought, if it couldn’t get every weapon. They spoke together again, the man’s voice as incoherent as ever. “Who are…” was as far as the woman got when all the air around them ignited. Filling the room like water in a jar, an inferno poured from the creature as it stood in front of Sagara, its hollow eyes never looking away from him. Sarah found herself falling back as her view was obscured by the white fire that filled the room. She only just got to see the business woman jump into the passageway in time, though she couldn’t see if the flames follow her or not. Hearing the screams, the girl watched the demons in the moments she could see, shattering her ears with horrendous shrieks, seeing their warped bodies quickly being stripped away by the white hot inferno before her view became completely masked by the firestorm that had erupted, a small grin feeling up her face as she watched them perish. Her breath wheezed slightly, the fire was burning away the oxygen, even behind the barrier that was proving to be her saviour. The magic candle in front of her was not dropping a single dew of wax even as the extreme temperature threatened to boil her blood. Then, the fire was gone. All that was left was black ash, slowly drifting to the ground like lint in the sunlight. The room was empty, with no one left save herself, Sagara and Tina. She could see the woman was still by the door frame, standing there with her eyes darting about and a hesitant step back into the room. As she watched her, Sarah remembered about Aki and spun round. She let out a sigh of relief to see the girl still alive, although bleeding quite badly from her forehead, the blood trailing mere feet from Sagara and the creature. Like it was unaware of everything that had just happened behind it, the creature brought its head to Sagara’s, the eyebrows of the ninja slowly singing from the heat. For some reason, although she could feel the heat as well, Sarah could now smell the monster. She held back a near uncontrollable urge to vomit and was reminded of the time when Sakura had accidentally dropped the rotten chicken meat behind the bin instead of in it and how the next morning the kitchen was completely unapproachable. She starting coughing like a cat with a furball, doing her best to prevent anything from coming out. Sagara was also having the same problem, trying to jerk away from the decomposing body before him. “Don’t move, woman,” the creature said suddenly, not looking away from Sagara. It lifted its arm off the wall and aimed it at the woman outside the door, who had been slowly stepping further away from the room, Sarah guessed because of the smell. “I had plenty to fear from the angel, I have nothing to fear from you. Be clever and you’ll live.” The woman seemed to hesitate for a moment, before giving up and doing as it said. She nodded without a sound, and Sarah noticed she seemed to be sweating more than Sagara. “Good,” it said appreciatively, its face betraying no movement as it continued to gaze at Sagara. Sarah wondered for a second how it had even knew she nodded but then it spoke again. “Now, child of the Futabatei…” “Sagara,” Sagara said. Sarah nearly laughed, before closing her mouth shut tight again, her small hand encompassing her nose so as to not let anything in. “What?” the creature replied, its tone sharp, obviously not expecting such a casual interruption. “My name’s Sagara, just in case you didn’t know.” The creature paused for a second, before answering with a warm fury. “And why should I care what your name is?” “Well, it’s polite, and saying ‘child of the Futabatei’ is a bit long winded, don’t you think?” “Are you actually being serious?” the creature replied, its tone deliberately steady. Sarah felt like pointing out that he was. “This, from someone who can’t even remember other people’s names without having to be constantly told. Natoko had to remind you of hers twice, Otsune four times. I’m betting you don’t even know this body’s name!” “Should I?” The creature flinched and took a moment to look away. Sarah found herself with the distinct impression it was counting to ten. “Sagara then, if you are so insistent,” the creature acquitted, her breathing ragged. “Now, Sagara, as I was saying… you’ve been persistent. It has taken all of my resources just to plan this window of opportunity for us, and yet I’d wager you haven’t even noticed my presence once until just now. Let’s enjoy it, shall we? Our little time together. Let me fill you in on the bits you’ve probably missed out on, during your little initiation ceremony.” “Go on then,” Sagara said lightly, making Sarah, as well as probably everyone else, wonder as to how serious he was actually taking all of this. “First,” the creature began. “And you pay attention as well, woman. I’m sure you’ll find this interesting.” The woman remained motionless. Sarah felt like she had walked in on the last ten minutes of a film. “It was I who brought your little friend Natoko into this.” From her collapsed state on the floor, barely visible from where Sarah’s annoyingly angled barrier, Natoko seemed to twitch slightly. The kendo freak looked a mess, even worse than Fujiko did on certain nights. Her hands were clutching her broken sword tightly between them, its once pristine blade cutting deeply into her skin. “I set it up, the fight between you and the girl, causing your little alliance. Ever since I found myself in that small village where the former base of your clan stood, I knew about that girl’s presence, as well as her strength. She is much stronger than you, Sagara. Only when focused, and especially when angry, but still, much, much stronger.” Sagara said nothing, and continued to watch the demon. Sarah was furious. How dare it say that kendo freak was stronger than Sagara? He beat her with ease when they fought. “I needed a shield for you, you see,” the creature continued. “I needed someone strong to protect you, so you would survive long enough for us to have this conversation. I had found the chest containing my dear little sister in a few months back, but I had no way to open it. It could only be opened by a Futabatei that wasn’t a Futabatei you see. One who isn’t of the direct line. So I chose your grandmother, a little old woman who ran a dormitory for girls. I possessed the body of one of them and tried to infiltrate the place, but when I revealed myself she let herself die rather than reveal anything or help out.” I had to kill your grandmother in order to make one of them show up before you did, and then wait until the day you arrived to get him to a place where he could open it. It was very annoying and, I admit, more luck that he wandered into the attic and found the chest. He was able to release my sister. And then she could possess your little shield.” The creature seemed to stop to wait for Sagara’s reaction to this, but Sagara kept looking on with a small smile on his face, like he was being told a story by a grandparent. “I…” the creature stuttered for a second, its flames dying slightly, watching Sagara’s expression before it caught itself again. “I knew that my sister would only possess a girl, and a strong one at that, and I knew you would notice and seek to free the girl, at the same time recognizing her strength. I know you, child of the Futabatei. You like the strong ones.” “You did it again,” Sagara pointed out. Sarah swore the temperature in the room increased for a split second, the monster doing its best to ignore him. “She was alongside you a lot after that,” it continued, growling like a dog as it did so. “Fighting by your side as a samurai should, well,” it coughed what sounded like it was supposed to be a laugh, “her view of a samurai anyway, but always protecting you none the less. I was a little worried when you faced the Riddleklutz. I was stuck in Heavenly Springs in my role as Tina until the next day and didn’t learn about it until afterward.” “Tina!” Sagara shouted. “That was it. You’re Tina… or were anyway.” He became quiet at the end of his sentence, realizing that he probably shouldn’t have spoken up like that. The flames on the top of the creature’s head seem to wave slightly as he said this. Sarah looked at him, her right eyebrow arched slightly as she squeezed her nose tighter, the smell becoming no more tolerable than before. “The samurai girl fulfilled her job remarkably well, even if she was constantly suffering from teenage angst the whole time. She eliminated sixteen demons from the Battle Royale with but a swing of that sword, thus preventing them from harming you, and I disposed of those plotting against you directly. I had perhaps expected a bit too much from her though, although she was probably able to defeat the Zworak demon, her pathetic angst prevented her from doing so. It was just pure luck that Yuya had made plans to screw the demons over anyway, and placed that cripple in the tournament to stop any of the candidates from reaching the finals where they would have easily defeated you. After that, it was a simple matter to destroy all the losers, well, except the BlNiock demon, but he’s been handled now as well.” From the doorway, Sarah saw Yuya scowling, shifting her body weight from left to right as her eyes remained glued on the back of the demon thing’s head. “Don’t get so hot and bothered, woman. Wasn’t your plan to eliminate all the demons after the tournament anyway? The angel too, as well as the False Balance members that came here. Pitting them all against each other and have them wipe each other out, a true Battle Royale. I just thought I’d help speed things up a little. I already killed off all the other hunters, the ones you had supposedly disposed of for the demons, when actually you had them waiting nearby to prepare a little war. Now, there’s just this one left.” “I never planned to have Sagara killed,” the woman replied defensively. “And you killed the angel as well. That’s going to cause problems.” “As much as I doubt both your points, why should I care?” the creature replied derisively. “I have what I want now, and that’s all that matters. My careful social engineering has all paid off. A free moment with a defenseless Futabatei, who can finally answer my question. The answer to which I have been searching for so very long, since I first found myself released.” The creature slammed its hands hard into the wall around Sagara and started to set it on fire. “Now tell me! Sagara Futabatei!” it roared in excitement. “You will answer both my questions! You will feed my curiosity! Where is the village of the Futabatei? Where has the Onikage been sealed and hidden?” Fire spat from the creature’s mouth straight into Sagara’s face. “Where is my little brother? You will tell me!” The room burned a little more with each strike, the demon screaming with a stub for a tongue. Sagara’s eyebrows were gone now, as the creature looked right into his eyes. Sarah was confused. This demon was trying to find Sagara’s village? “Not telling, don’t know and don’t know,” Sagara replied, listing the answers instantly. He stopped to think as he said this, his head tilting to one side, as if he had to make sure he got the answers right. “Also. That was three questions.” “Lies!” it cried out, slamming its charcoal covered fist into the boy’s stomach. Sagara lurched with pain. Sarah resisted the urge to scream out for him. “Tell me!” It punched him again, and the ninja sunk further into the wall, his body now merged with the wall. Sarah wondered for a moment exactly what would be behind the wall. The angel seemed to imply something different than simply the next room, but she had no idea what. “I…” Sagara mumbled, spit dripping out from his mouth as he took a deep breath as the creature took hold of his chin, its incandescent fingers scorching his cheeks. “The three questions are one, Sagara. I only need the answer to the first to lead me to the others. If you tell me where your village is, I’ll let you go.” “I can’t tell you that,” Sagara said, as if it were classified information. “I promised not to.” The creature’s free hand slammed into his gut, staying there for a few seconds as it burned the skin under his jacket. For the first time, Sagara’s face crunched up. “I will not have you ruin my brilliantly devised plan with stall tactics,” the creature barked, continuing to spin its knuckles into the abs of the ninja. Sagara shot out a round of air, clearly not intending to. “Tell me.” “I told you, I… can’t,” Sagara insisted, desperately inhaling for air, as the creature forced its fist into him again, pushing him back a little more. “Mom would kill me.” “I will kill you if you don’t tell me,” the creature snarled, but in a matter of fact sort of way. “This is a limited window of opportunity, Sagara! When the timer hits zero, I intend to burn your soul. Now tell me, I won’t have my genius wasted on your stubbornness.” “It was hardly genius,” a voice stated from behind them. So shocked the creature seemed at the intrusion, that it twisted its neck back to look who it was, bones cracking as it didn’t bother to bring the rest of its body with it. Sarah looked too. Only the woman was standing there, dripping with sweat. Only the woman had spoke. However, she now spoke with a smile. “I told you, you would live, woman,” it began. “Do not ruin it by insulting me. My plan was foolproof. It has eliminated all threats to myself, and allows me to speak with this boy. Only the girl and yourself are currently in a state to fight, and there is no way either of you could defeat me.” From her corner, Sarah grimaced, wishing she could rip this wall-thing down and throw it at the creature’s face. She wanted so badly to break out and punch and kick and slash and bite the monster that was hurting Sagara. This wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. He had attacked Sagara when he was unable to fight back. The wall was still solid though,denying her her wish, however Aki had got through it still remaining indecipherable to her. “For centuries I have searched for a Futabatei, only the name being enough to go on. Rumours transpired that my brother was trapped in their village, and I soon found it to be true. So I searched for many moons to find one of you, and then the grandmother came into my sights. But when I tried to get her to reveal the information, she died in front of me. But I knew another would come, so I waited. “But the second who came was useless to me, an indirect descendent of the Futabatei, blessed with the charge of taking over his grandmother’s business. I could only use him to recruit my sister, whose prison I knew could be freed by only this false Futabatei. It was just this time I learnt of the Initiation from the demons, ones that you had spread the news to, in hopes that I now see were to eliminate them all with promises of power. “With this news I bided my time, waited for my sister to be set free, amassed a list of all the demons and finally possessed this body when the stoolie here finally arrived.. Then, all I had to do was wait until it was safe.” “Why didn’t you just possess Natoko yourself?” Sagara asked. The demon stopped. “Excuse me?” “Natoko is stronger than me,” Sagara began to explain. “If you had possessed her you would have probably won, or found a way to lead me away temporarily from Heavily Springs to a place where you could have interrogated me without anyone else interfering. You wouldn’t even have had to get the demons or angel or even your sister involved.” “I…I…but i…” “Your plan was dumb,” the women laughed unmercifully. “Pointlessly complicated, like you’re trying to impress someone with your genius. It would have even worked if you had just ran into Heavenly Springs, killed a few of them and held someone hostage.” “I…I needed him worn down. After so many fights, his resistance is lessened.” “Actually I’m at top game at the moment,” Sagara stated. “The Nuets healed me. And if that was true you should have struck after my fight with Natoko. I was exhausted by that point.” The creature squeezed Sagara’s jaw slightly- a noise, like pottery cracking, could be heard amid the sputtering of the creature’s flames. Sagara gasped. Sarah told the woman to shut up, but muffled her own voice as she did so, her hand still trying to protect her from the smell. “You’re clearly an amateur at this,” Yuya continued, unconcerned. “Scared for your own safety, you did nothing but ran round far too many of your own hoops. You even had to wait until Sagara and Sanguine were both subdued before you dared step in. Now you waste time taking credit where credit is not due. Your use of tactics is pathetic” “And you think you could do any better, woman?” it said scathingly as it now watched only her. “From what I can see, you’re doing nothing but stalling. Hardly the best move with someone that can scorch you where you stand.” “Hmph,” Yuya snorted with a light smirk. “Believe me when I say I am the one in total control here.” “Smart words, woman,” the creature said. “But useless, I can sense your sweat from here. It’s pouring off of you in buckets, literally draining onto…the floor.” It glanced down, Sarah’s eyes following it. There was water everywhere, spilt out all over the floor, like someone had left the tap on in the next room. Her eyes darted around to try and figure where the water was coming from. There was no reflection from the light outside in the passageway and she couldn’t imagine this demon dimension to be prone to leaking. The water had just clearly appeared, for the demon found its presence quite remarkable in just being there. “What by the…” “Let me give you the first line in the Balance’s rules of engagement in Geo-modern political infrastructures and dramatically conflicts, as written by Futabatei Tenma” Yuya said, with satisfaction practically leaping out of her voice as she spoke. “Always prepare for a Deus ex machine, and always bring one.” All at once, the water that had spread across the floor flew up, rising several feet into the air and lunging itself at the burning creature. It immediately let go of Sagara, using its hands to try and block the wave coming over it. The creature was doused completely as the water overwhelmed it and extinguished all fires, the force of the abrupt torrent knocking the creature to the floor. The creature wasn’t too slow to react though. As it fell, it rolled over its shoulder and flipped back onto its feet hopping out of the way and diving to the far side of the room. It quickly stood back up and looked to Sagara, its head already burning again, as the rest of its scorched body followed. “Wait there, Sagara,” it said mockingly. “I’ll be with you in a moment.” It punched the air in front of it, almost like it was sparring with itself. Directly in front of the fist, the air ignited, traveling along in a line towards the woman. She watched, arms folded, as the water jumped in the way, dissolving the flames instantly, a trail of steam rising up to the ceiling. The creature stopped, looking amused with the situation from what Sarah could guess. It struck its fist out again, and watched as more water spat out before the businesswoman, smothering the mini inferno that the creature had created, more steam trickling up to the ceiling. Another strike, then another. Three times it struck, and three times the water snuffed the flames out. The creature let out a laugh, jumping high to grab hold of the ceiling, its hands going through the material like it were paper, before turning its entire body straight at the woman. She leapt out of the way, the liquid waiting behind her, engulfing the creature yet again, and extinguishing its flames as it closed its eyes to the surging torrent that slammed into it. “My Shariku Insana System was onto you the second you stepped foot near Heavenly Springs Dormitory five months ago, creature. The only thing that kept you safe was my Great Aunt’s curiosity at what you were and what you were going to do.” The creature fell backwards onto the floor, apparently exhausted from the blast of water straight to its face. It lay on the ground as she hovered over it, cautiously keeping a small distance between them. “If I had known it was going to be a pathetic plan like this, I would have…” The creature reignited once again, almost scorching the lady and boiling the water that it was sitting in so fast that it quickly turned to steam and floated up above it, giving the creature time to grab the woman and slam her against the wall. “Fire against water seems like such an unfair fight, doesn’t it?” the creature stated, as Yuya struggled in its arms. Without even looking, the air behind the creature changed once again and filled the entire room with flame save the wall where Sagara and Aki were. The second the fire disappeared, Sarah could see that the entire room had been turned into a sauna, the steam that had once been the force of water now warming the room while it wafted through the air. “How is it doing that?” Sarah mumbled to herself, as she saw the steam waft to the top of the room. Sagara was looking as well, as he rested within the hole in the wall. “Oi Boss!” Sarah shouted as she saw him. “Get out there and help her already.” “Oh right,” Sagara said, as if he had completely forgotten he had anything to do. He began to struggle against the wall, his limbs flailing madly in any direction they could. The material that the wall was made out of, which, as Sarah touched it, felt like really think plastic, seemed to have melted back round Sagara and set in place as if he had always been there. The ninja struggled almost convulsively, but could not get any momentum to force himself out. Sarah looked round the room, hoping to find something she could suggest for him to use. If only this barrier wasn’t in the way, she could help him. The creature was now talking to the woman as he held her, taking his time to mock her efforts. “My flames burn at a temperature of a three hundred and eighty three kelvin, you see. Although I can choose to regulate it, that’s the average, hence why I was able to evaporate this water you were using.” “I see. So you can actually make it so that your body doesn’t burn people when you hold them as well, preventing you from killing instantly.” “That is exactly right. You see I am able to-” Yuya kicked the creature’s side with her spare leg, the one that wasn’t trying to climb up the wall to give her space to breath. The creature dropped her at once as it squealed, causing the steam to follow at the same time, splashing back into water as it hit the ground, covering the demon for another round. It scrunched up at the last moment, hiding its face, as the woman ran off to the other side of the room. “Yes yes. You’re able to regulate the heat of your flame from ninety degree centigrade to around a maximum of three hundred and ninety two. But you can’t go any lower than ninety unless you shut it off completely. I know all this.” “I’m stuck,” Sagara told Sarah, still rotating his wrists like he could magically unscrew himself out of the wall. Sarah looked around again. Aki was clearly still unconscious, but the other two were definitely awake. All they had to do was pull him out while this Yuya woman distracted the monster, right? She called out to them. “Oi, morons,” she shouted harshly, hoping to grab the attention of Sakura or Natoko. The girl’s mind seemed to have collapsed on her, now just sitting there, hands clenched on the floor, back stiff against the wall, as if there were a deadly insect slowly moving up to her. “Sakura!” She wished she had something to throw at the idiot, to knock her out of her stupor. This could be the girl’s one time to redeem herself for betraying Sagara and she was spending it in a self induced coma. Sparks flew from the creature’s eyes, as it was mystically engulfed in an inferno again, the water dancing around the room dropped on top of it almost immediately. Growling in frustration, it leapt forward, covering the room in one jump as it threw its whole weight at Yuya’s face. She screamed out, a clear cut merging on her cheek, as her glasses shattered to the ground, her body following them, the creature straight after. “All you had to do was be quiet, woman,” the creature stated. “Stay unconscious for a few minutes. You’re needed. And I’m running out of time.” It got up, twisting to face Sagara, the muscles on its legs looking like they were ready to eat and someone had already tried to chew on some of it. Sagara didn’t see. His eyes were closed, his head rocking back and forth as he slammed it repeatedly into the wall behind him like he was trying to break either one or the other. “Stop,” the creature commanded, grabbing a handful of Sagara’s light brown hair, almost scalping him as Sagara tried to continue. “Stop.” A fist slammed back into the boy’s chest, like an unwanted gatecrasher who wasn’t getting the message. Sagara’s head lolled forward, hanging limply. “I need you awake, Futabatei,” it said, slapping him reassuringly. “Fall asleep and you’ll never wake up.” Sagara’s head lifted up, looking through the demon with bloodshot eyes. He was slowly looking more and more terrible, as burns were whipped across his face like a hot leather belt, his eyes bloodshot from his own attack. “Where is your village, Futabatei?” It said sternly, holding him by his chin, its other fist pulling back to its waist, ready to strike. “I can’t tell you. I…I told you that.” The punch cracked into his ribs, cracking two of them straight out. Sagara’s mouth ejaculated saliva and blood in all directions. The demon didn’t care. “Tell me!” It shouted, punching him again and again, a smell of burnt flesh filling the room as the creature that was once named Tina continued to rush blows at the boy’s helpless body. “You’re not a ninja, Sagara,” it said, calming down before it killed him. “You’re more important than that. You have a destiny. Don’t ruin it and be a sacrifice. Tell me The Location!” “I am,” Sagara said, his lips gouging blood as he spoke. “A ninja…” he said, doing his best to crane his neck at the creature to speak to it. “I am a ninja.” “Don’t be stupid, boy,” the demon said, its voice almost sounding like it was pleading. “Even if it were important, you have no concept of stealth. You’re a warrior, not a sneaker.” It cringed to itself, looking annoyed that it was being sidetracked. “Tell me! And I’ll let you go. You can go be a ninja or warrior or enforcer or whatever you want. Just tell me where your village is.” “To a ninja,” Sagara continued, to receive another punch by the creature. “Mom always told me…stealth isn’t the most important thing…” Another punch, then another. Sarah’s eyes were watering now, and not just from the smell. She didn’t care anymore. If she knew, she would shout out the name of the stupid fucking village. He was going to die at this rate. “What’s most important to a ninja….is being cool.” The creature stopped punching, the crimson fire in its eyes seemed to expand. Its head tilted slightly, Sarah’s head was doing the same, and she could tell exactly what it was that it was doing; looking for what Sagara had done, for his cool plan. Neither of them could see anything. Nothing happened. The monster seemed to decide he was obviously bluffing. It also didn’t seem to want to take the risk. The flame in its eyes subsiding slightly, its fist threw itself back as far as it could go without detaching itself. Sarah watched as Sagara’s eyes clutched tightly together, his forehead looking like it was trying to implode upon itself before his stomach was hit again. The creature’s fist flew at him like a cannonball, sailing across the surface of the air and hitting him dead on in the chest in a flash. Despite himself, Sagara cried out, drool dripping from his mouth, as the wall behind him finally gave in and collapsed, knocking the boy threw it. To Sarah, the next bit was almost too fast for her to comprehend. Sagara seemed to do… something, that let him grab hold of the wall as it fell apart around him, the vacuum behind him sucking out most of the air in the room as it did so. The creature’s fist, which had hit Sagara at full power had also knocked the creature off balance just a little bit. It was all Sagara needed. Grabbing the smoldering wrist of the demon, somehow ignoring the pain he must have been feeling, the ninja pulled himself up, onto the monster’s shoulder and all the way over him, flipping over its head as his hand bounced off its scalp. Landing on the other side, his foot slipped on the moist floor, taking him to the ground in a second. He made no attempt to get up. The demon caught itself, grabbing a hold of the remains of the wall. Another step, Sarah thought, and it would have fallen off the side. Now however, it was the only one left in the room still able to fight. “And what was the point of that?” the creature said mockingly. “You don’t exactly have a tactical advantage…despite how clever that was just now.” It sounding like a retard trying to be smart to Sarah. The demon wandered over to the ninja as he lay on the floor, bleeding through burn marks. He tried to kick at its knees, his foot hooking round to tap the back of one of them. “Heh, and what, pray tell, was that?” the monster snarled, raising its foot, and smashing it into Sagara’s knee. “Thinking you were clever, huh? Thinking you could escape. Let me tell you now. There is no time for escape, or for thinking. Just answer my question. Tell me how to get to your village so I can rescue my little brother and I’ll let you go.” “What?” Sagara replied weakly, his head, unable to lift itself off the floor. “Your mother fought and sealed him away, eighteen years ago, that much I know,” the creature said, appearing to believe that there was still time to try and convince Sagara. “I do not know anymore than that. All I want is a chance to convince your mother to release him. And I can’t do that if you’re dead!” Its voice was agitated now, sounding even gruffer than before as it shouted at Sagara. “Sorry,” Sagara said, as he continue to lay, almost completely motionless. “But whether I die or not, it won’t change anything. Mom can’t unseal a demon once her technique’s complete.” “Don’t think you can lie to me,” it called out, grabbing the limp body in front of him and shaking it wildly. Sarah called out, but did not even hear her own voice as the steam cleared up off the barrier. “I don’t care about whether or not she thinks she can do it. Me and my brother aren’t actually demons. I’ll make her do it. Just tell me where the village is!” In its rage, the monster dropped its body weight, the one hundred and fifteen pound corpse dropping onto the knee that had just been crushed. “Sorry, but I won’t,” he said, letting out a nervous giggle. “Mom’s even scarier than you.” Sarah looked on, her eyes glued to the scene in front of her, as the creature fell pitifully to its knees, like a puppet with strings cut, its skull like features looking down at Sagara as if it were about to cry. “Isn’t it reasonable? Just the location of the village. I don’t even intend to fight. I just want to ask. I just want my little brother back. Please… let me have him back, before time runs out.” For a second, Sarah thought she heard something, her ears pricked up slightly, ungluing her eyes from the scene as she did so. A constant beeping noise was traveling across the room, and for the first time she noticed a small digital watch lying next to the door frame. She blinked at it a few times, then turned to look and see if anything else in the room knew what it was about. “No!” the demon called out, turning to face the watch as its hand burst out. “Not yet.” The outstretched hand balled into a fist, as it looked back at the body before it. “Tell me! Now.” But it was pointless, Sagara had already passed out, his energy drained completely. He started to snore loudly. “Tell me!” the demon cried out, its voice booming throughout the room, as it raised its fist high into the air, undoubtedly planning to strike Sagara one last time, to kill him as it said it would. “Even if he wanted to,” a voice said, as the stream in the room formed to clutch the wrist of the monster. “We would not allow him to. That is the task Ms. Sakimoto has entrusted me with.” “Go away!” the creature shouted, barely turning to look as it unleashed another burning inferno. It slammed into the water spirit with such force that it knocked the woman through the red candle and straight into Sarah. She gasped like a rabbit who hadn’t seen the car coming, seeing the wall break up to crack her in the forehead, the steam and water dowsing her. Everything went fuzzy. She felt something on top of her. But it quickly melted away. Sarah just groaned, her eyelids drooping, barely seeing Tina jumping off of Sagara. She just wanted to be back in her room. Time passed. A dream of a rabbit ended prematurely. “My…my sister?” someone said in the darkness. “What are you doing here?” Sagara…Sarah wanted Sagara. To see him. To play with him. He hadn’t paid much attention to her since coming here. “Is she okay?” “Ah, she’ll be fine. She’s strong.” “Only thing that breaks a candle barrier is water. I knew that. I should have been more careful.” “Well, she’s still breathing.” “It seems the one that came with you is gone. What about yourself?” “HHhhmm, don’t suppose those Neuts are still around?” “I wish you wouldn’t call them that.” She had been wanting to play with him, ever since he had shown up, but he had always been training when she saw him, and she had to stay hidden the rest of the day or else they’ll find out she wasn’t going. “Quite ironic really, if it had kept asking a few moments more it might have gotten the answer. I’m going to keep these, by the way.” Metal clanged against metal. “Remember them. You’ll need them when the time comes.” Every time she had wanted to ask him, he had been surrounded by everyone else in that stupid hotel. It wasn’t fair, why couldn’t she just have him to herself for a few minutes? She didn’t want them staring as she asked him. They’d laugh and prod fun at her. Why was she asleep again? “…am the negotiator after all. If you think I was just going to go let the Enforcer’s heir be killed…” She felt something warm brush against her arm, lifting her up as she rolled over to get comfy in it. The body cradled her gently, lurching for a moment, then continuing to be comfy. “Oi, are you sure you’re going to be okay carrying her like that.” “Well, we have to leave soon. We don’t want that angel returning.” “Didn’t it die?” “I couldn’t tell.” A short laugh. “That’s why I want to leave.” More movement. Sarah liked this. It reminded her of the times her father used to carry her in from the car. She’d pretend to be asleep, and laugh to herself as he swore about having to carry so many things in at once. “Fix Natoko’s sword for her.” “Are you sure? This power isn’t exactly the most common thing in the world. It may be best to…” “It’s her will to have that sword by her side.” Behind the lids of her eyes, she saw a shadow staring at her, she looked back at it, wondering what it was. Her hand slowly moved out tentatively to touch it, and it lunged at her like a snake, biting into her head and devouring her face. She squeaked slightly, and then fell asleep completely. “Thank Naomi for me when she pulls herself back together.” “That’s not its name.” “That’s what it told me it was.” Act Four – Chapter Four “You heard me,” she repeated. “Release her at once.” Her voice was unwavering, clear in her actions. Natoko wasn’t entirely sure what was going on here. All she knew was that Ms. Sakimoto was being threatened for some reason, and that she had every intention of striking the man down if he did not do as she asked. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem ready to comply. “Well, Looks like the next act’s shown up early,” the man said with amusement, his grip kept tight on Ms. Sakimoto’s temple. “Looks like we’ll have to finish up quickly, little Yuya.” He looked at her with a kind smile, the type you would show to a child to make them feel better, and Natoko knew in that moment that he intended to kill her. Sliding in to intercept him, she pulled her Iziz out in but a second, flashing the blade to the man’s hand like it was nothing more than a light bamboo stick. The blade cracked at where his hand had been, cutting the air with such force that the demon’s blond hair waved slightly in the wind. She stared at him confused, keeping her sword level at where she had intended to strike, the demon’s forearm mere inches away from Iziz’s tip. She observed her blade for a second, wondering if it had become shorter somehow. The man smiled and she saw the marks on his cheeks extending to his ears. Dismissing the thought, she raised it above her head and stepped forward for another strike at the man in front of her. With a blood curdling scream, the two imp like demons launched themselves at her, their small, lithe bodies overcoming both her and her sword as each one went for a different target. Natoko was staggered by the surprise impact, their assault from both sides knocking her off balance. She hastily regained it, swinging her hips sharply, slamming them into the air and causing the creatures to spin off her as quickly as they had grabbed on. She turned to look at them, taking in their obscene appearance, before readjusting her back leg so that she had the man in her sight as well, not wanting any of them to fade into the shadows that filled this room. As she looked on, she caught the corner of her room in her eye, almost dropping her stance as she saw the occupants trapped behind the red barrier. “Aki,” she muttered, as one of the imp like demons crawled up in front of her, the crimson fur on its head pointing at her as it paced back and forth restlessly, not daring to get closer. She kept her eyes on it as sharp as her sword, which pointed down at the demon threateningly. It kept its distance, constantly testing its boundaries. Natoko slowly sidestepped across so that she was standing directly in front of the two girls. “Are you alright?” she asked, not taking her eyes off everything she could see in the room. These were demons, after all. There was nothing to trust. “We’re fine,” Sarah said bitterly before Aki could do anything. “Get us out of here.” “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.” For some reason, it felt right to be saying those words at that time. In truth, she had no idea if she could protect them from harm, yet at that one moment, that was all she intended to do. “Is she the samurai?” Her ears caught the first imp in front of her speaking, its tongue speeding through the words like it was a poorly paid actor reading them off a script. “A samurai? Don’t be silly,” the other imp responded without a fraction of a second’s gap between the words. Her eyes barely had time to look at it before the first demon spoke again. “She carries a sword.” “She’s being heroic.” “She must be.” “A shiny sword.” “She can’t be samurai.” “Besides she’s not wearing armour.” “Or a penis.” “Retainers of a feudal land, they do nothing save stand by their masters.” “The sword is kind of scary.” “She carries a sword!” one of them shouted, she was no longer sure which. “What do you think Freud would say about that?” “Let’s ask him later.” The girl shuffled uneasily in her position, her brain threatening to overload with all that she was hearing. At her moment’s falter, the two imps jumped her again, the first slamming into her face as the other tried to take her legs away from underneath her. She reacted quickly, turning her blade to act as a shield as she deflected the first, kicking the second one away. They fell back, rolling back onto their feet as they hit ground, the sound of three ribs breaking cracking across her ears. She heard a gasp of relief. The man had released Ms. Sakimoto from his grip. Just a little though, allowing her to stand on the ground once again, now wrapped round the business woman’s neck rather than her forehead. She seemed at a loss of what to do, staring at Natoko. The man looked upon her with interest and amusement in his eyes. “Go on,” The man with the stretched smile said. “Don’t let me stop you.” Natoko’s eyes flickered back onto the imps in front of her. Watching them carefully, she found herself thinking that perhaps she had jumped in a little too hastily. The two demons were prowling in front of her now, zigzagging over each other’s paths as they waited for a moment to strike, apparently reveling in the amount of control they had in this situation. Their faces were horrific, Natoko realised, her breath feeling raw just at the sight of them, their red eyeballs were literally on the verge of bursting out of the little slits that contained them, and their mouths constantly bleeding over a bush of unkempt facial hair. “Little samurai.” “Big sword.” “Do you know how to use that thing?” “I’m sure we could show you a very special use for it.” “Dear brother, how crude.” “It’s okay. Besides, she probably already knows.” “Now who’s being crude.” “She is!” they shouted in unison. Natoko found the insides of her cheeks sandwiching between her teeth and biting tightly. She had a pretty good idea of what they were trying to imply, but it didn’t bother her. What bothered her was to finally see how they were bleeding. Their teeth, three sharpened arrowheads were crisscrossing over each other, slashing their lips apart as they rasped on at her, the blood spilling onto the floor through incurable wounds every time they spoke. An act they didn’t intend to stop. Neither apparently seemed too bothered at this self mutilation, even as the blood was continuously soaked into their once albino fur. She bit a little harder on the insides of her cheeks, reaffirming her fighting stance, knowing there wouldn’t be enough time to sheath her sword. She cursed to herself, wishing she could use Iaijutsu, hating that she was being made to be weak. “Oh, she plans to fight.” “Didn’t she always plan to fight?” “Isn’t she gonna bow?” “Don’t they always bow?” “Chop her head off if she does.” “Or maybe take her from behind.” “Oh brother, I’m sure that’s not the real reason these martial artists bend like that.” She wasn’t sure how much of this she could take. They emitted a whooping laughter as she raised her arms up to strike, like hyenas who were the only ones to find their jokes amusing. She wanted to destroy them, wishing it more than anything, but the two girls behind her were preventing her from moving to attack. There was just no way she could risk leaving them open for any of these creatures to get at them. If she did, they would probably only require a second to rip them apart in any number of ways. The two demons rushed her parallel to each other, each aiming at the same place they had before- one for her body, the other her legs. She was more than ready for them this time, especially seeing the same tactic. She went for the one at the top, catching him with his sword, and went to kick the one beneath as well, only to find herself hitting air with the second attack. The lower imp had stopped a second early, grabbing onto her foot, and kneeling on it like a wall. She watched it in what felt like slow motion, as the demon scurried up the space of her leg in two steps, moving too fast for her to even notice its weight. When it reached her stomach, it was gone from her sight, yet she felt it spin round her body and land on the back of her knee, becoming immeasurably heavy all of a sudden, forcing her to the ground and knocking her over to one side. The other demon was on top of her head in a heartbeat, going heavy as it jolted its body into the back of her head. A crack, and the world around her echoed, time even slower than a lifetime ago. She tried to look up and saw candles shaking around in their own haze, two worried faces looking down at her as the two powers began jumping and clawing on her, ripping cloth as they did so, touching flesh with slippery hoofs, before something hit her head again, making the world ricochet louder. The entire universe span round four times, knocking her about as it did so. She felt something on the back of her legs and randomly remembered an incident from back at school when another girl had thrown a brick at her head for some reason. She felt warm, acidic air at the bottom of her back and for a second thought that she must be waking up from a bad dream. Sarah’s face appeared, and exploded with panic as she caught another glance at the two of them. She slammed herself against the wall of whatever was containing her and shouted loudly at Natoko. Natoko wondered why she was angry at her. The little girl was always angry, except when Sagara was around. She would have to ask her about that. Fireworks span round her again, telling her of their loopholes, and suddenly she had a keen urge to go swimming. She never did it often enough, and it had been so long now that she wondered if perhaps she had forgotten. A swim would be good, she felt like she was covered in dirt. She saw her grandfather, screaming his oath as the bullets rushed towards him, ripping him apart even as he continued to strike. He was so beautiful. Her head burst out of the water, gasping for air as she struggled like a toddler wearing water wings. She wanted to reach for something, and all of a sudden felt aware of her surroundings again. The room around her was an incredible bright white, shining down in every direction upon her. Natoko wanted to flinch away, to move her body out of the way of the intrusive light. She swung from side to side, gyrating the few parts of her body that could move to get away from it. But it was difficult, the light was everywhere, leering at her, taunting her. She felt herself wanting to cry, hating herself for her weakness at the same time. It was only light, why couldn’t she get away from it? She wanted to cry, she wanted to vomit, she wanted to expel as much of herself as possible to help her hide from the light, but it was impossible. She was too weak. Something was pressing up behind here, trying to get in. A shadow cast over her. She glanced up at it, not sure what to expect. She saw nothing, the light around the shadow was too bright, silhouetted the object before her. The object’s shadow was cooling just by being there. It felt relieving, like a large tree on a hot summer’s day. She reached for it, feeling something heavy on her head again, knocking her roughly. She didn’t notice. The light was fading, dissipating into darkness as she got closer to the object. A quarter of a meter, a tenth, just a few centimetres more… She got it. Her hand clutched round Iziz’s hilt, the blade knocking the world to a still hazy reality of darkness and red flame. The weight on her back quickly disappeared as she regained control, . She looked up, realizing that her nose was bleeding, and saw Sarah staring. Not at her, at something above her. Turning, her shoulder slouching in pain as she did so, Natoko saw black jogging trousers standing over her, standing firm, their occupant bearing own menacingly over the two imp like demons, who had fallen back at the new, unexpected presence there. “You leave Natoko alone,” Aki shouted. Natoko blinked. What was Aki doing there? She turned back to the mystic cage that was supposed to be holding the girl there. Sarah was still trapped in it, and was now banging on the strange magic that kept her there. Aki was clearly gone. Natoko’s brain buzzed at her, still cloudy from the impacts. Had Aki ever been behind the barrier? She looked back to her friend, who hovered over her protectively, as she unzipped her jacket and let it drop over the samurai. Natoko looked at it for a second, then figured out why she had done it. She quickly stepped up, keeping firm hold of her sword, and wrapped the jacket around her waist quickly, before facing the demons alongside her friend. “How did she?” “What did she?” “Nothing gets past the red curtain.” “But she already had.” “Which must mean she never had.” “Didn’t even get chance to put…” “Brother, don’t be so rude.” “I’m not your brother, I’m your sister.” “What? That makes no sense.” “Shut up,” Aki shouted, like a child having a temper tantrum. Before she had even finished her sentence, she bounced at them, intending to kick one of them again. It jumped out the way easily, cackling madly as it did so. “Missed me, missed me, now I’ve got to f-” It never had time to finish its sentence, Natoko had followed Aki in, bouncing off in the same direction the demon had, cutting Iziz down in its direction, through its furry hide and straight out the other end. The demon tried to scream, its vocal cords vibrating like elastic bands plucked as Natoko’s blade cut right through them, its high-pitch, fast paced voice echoing constantly as they continued on their own for a few seconds longer, before dying completely. Natoko hadn’t paid them the slightest bit of attention. Turning on the other demon, now ceasing to move in front of its brother, she raised her sword and leveled it for the creatures head. It turned at the last second and bolted out of the way, causing her to cut into the bloody corpse that was still laying there. She had never cut that far into a creature before. Bone was a little harder than she thought. Panic rolled in its beady eyes, its body pouncing out of the way, the imp waved its hands wildly as to silently plead for her to stop. The samurai did not care. There was nothing to care for. She felt nothing but hate for them. What these two creatures had done…what they tried to do to her… She couldn’t hate them enough. In that second, she ploughed her sword down and straight through the creature, ripping it apart in perfect symmetry. The imp failed to make a sound in its last stuttering moments, whether it had gone silent or her own ears had just stopped listening she couldn’t tell. She looked at the two halves of the body, as they continued to wander about, a headless chicken of a demon unsure of what to do next, moving closer to the other dead demon, before finally figuring it out and dropping dead, both halves on one side of its partner. The audio returned to the room and she became aware of everyone breathing around her. She looked to them all, unaware of how she had missed so many demons a second ago. The man that had been holding Ms. Sakimoto was staring just as concerned as all those around him. Even Ms. Sakimoto herself had a perplexed look on her face. But none of them were staring at her, they were all staring at the two demons. She glanced over to them, catching a slight smell of burnt cinder in her bleeding nose. The bodies of the two demons seemed to have caught on fire somehow, now slowly incinerating themselves. She watched as the ash that was soon left slowly faded out of sight in the darkness, as the heads of the two creatures slowly ebbed away at the same time. She could feel her own face crunching up in confusion, yet for some reason, didn’t feel a part of it. An instant later, as the two heads disappeared into embers, the room was filled with an intense high pitched wail of agony that pierced through the room for a full minute. Covering her ears, having looked up to try and locate the noise, she ended up looking back down again when she realized it was coming from where the bodies had been. Listening carefully, she understood that it was the scream of the two dead demons, now filling the air with guttural cries, which she could only figure to be a plea for mercy come much too late. The howling stopped, cut off in its crescendo all too suddenly. Natoko became aware of reality again as she saw Aki wander over to where the bodies had been. She seemed to have calmed down a lot now that the creatures were gone and looked almost like a child detective as she tried to ponder over what just happened. “She killed them,” a voice rang out from the shadows. It echoed upon itself. “Ssssshe actually killed them. Their existence are… are gone.” She recognised this voice as the one belonging to the demon they had fought back at the tournament area. “But humans can’t kill…” “She could destroy the bodies, but not the spirits,” one voice, which she could only really describe as spurgley said as it appeared to analyze the situation. “The assumptions are incorrect,” said a croaky old voice still in the darkness. “For the body of a demon must be considered its spirit, so if its body could be destroyed then it stands to reason that so could its spirit. What has not happened here is that though. The demon is gone when it had nowhere to go. The impossible made current events.” Natoko looked around carefully, kneeling down lightly to pick up the sheath of her sword and replace Iziz into it. She took a half step back, as the demons refocused on her, trying to keep Sarah behind her again. “Aki,” she whispered, although there was really no point. “Stay behind me.” Aki looked at her for a second, the look on her face clearly finding the plan stupid, before moving to stay at the side of her, but taking no form of fighting stance. Understanding her friend’s wish, Natoko looked back at the demons, all of which seemed to have no intention of fighting her, the ones that had slowly come into view during the fight were now slowly slithering back into the darkness. All, that is, except the man holding Ms. Sakimoto. “I can see why you found her interesting, little Yuya,” he said lightly, now releasing the woman from his grip as he turned to face Natoko. Natoko watched as Ms. Sakimoto dropped to the floor, her hands instinctively clutching her throat for a few seconds and checking her forehead to see that it was still the right shape. Natoko eyes switched from Ms. Sakimoto’s to the man’s, his gaze boring through her as he smiled politely. Natoko almost felt like introducing herself to the man and had to remind herself that this was the one who she had caught strangling a defenseless woman. Her hand lay back on her sword, waiting for him to make the next move. Unexpectedly, he bowed to Natoko, making every effort to go as low as he could without kneeling before rising up again. He smiled at her, the slit where his mouth was now going longer than should be humanly possible. Natoko froze up a little on the inside, realising for sure that this man must be another demon. “I must present my apologies and deepest dissatisfactions, my dear Yamanaka-dono, I had intended to ask of you to become my Muse,” he said lightly, with an almost pleasing to hear voice. “But I have the feeling you are not in the mood to hear about job offers at the present.” He waited for a second, and Natoko threw an angry scowl right at his face. His smile grew wider at this, way past human limits as his lips curled past his cheeks. “I predicted as much.” He sighed as he stood back up. “My apologies again. I shall speak to you another time perhaps. When more convenient- if you survive of course.” Without waiting for a response, he wandered off in the direction of the door. “Oh, and Yuya,” he said, smiling at the executive with a sweet smile. “Congratulations. You get to live for today. You owe your life to her by the way. Have fun with that.” Yuya seemed to ice up like a glacier, her pupils wide. Natoko only noticed this for a second, before turning her gaze back onto the demon. His comment had only inflamed her. She had had enough of hearing these demons treat her like something to be used. Without thinking even remotely straight, she rushed forward, tightening her grip on Iziz, having every intention of striking the demon in the back as he wandered out of the door. This seemed to be the spark that granted permission for pandemonium to break loose and entice everyone in the room. The BlNiock demon, not wanting to take any chances, immediately went for Aki, striking at her arm with its claws and knocking her down. Other demons threw themselves at Yuya, having been granted permission to attack her now that all plans had literally gone to hell. Natoko herself had reached the demon, and pulled her sword out, only to watch him turn to face her with that same smile. She closed her eyes, having no intention of doing so, fearing that the worst was about to happen. Her sword swung out without her seeing it, failing to hit her target, the man not even moving in the slightest to avoid the critical strike, that smile still plastered on his cheeks. Natoko heard a scream, and turned quickly to see Aki being slammed into the wall by the BlNiock demon’s shoulder, an elbow bending where it shouldn’t, just as Yuya ran out of the room to avoid the demons, stopping as she caught sight of a newcomer. “Sanguine,” she said, sounding incredibly relieved. Natoko spun around, staring at the man standing there and feeling a weight press on her soul. So tall as to have to look down upon them, what was so impressive about the man was not his handsome face or Adonis muscles but the pair of wings that sprouted from his back. Natoko gaped at him for a few seconds, not entirely expecting a perfect being to be that close to her. An angel. While she had figured that, with demons existing, other things might had existed as well, angels hadn’t been one of them. She gulped, stepping back, her body still tingling with adrenaline that was angry at the cut off of the fight, a random thought asking what Sakura would say if she ever saw this, before her eyes almost burst out of their sockets, as she saw what he was holding. Iziz. Natoko’s eyes gaped at she looked at her own weapon, now in the hands of another. Her mind raced as it tried to tell her to look in her hand, the information contradicting itself as it told her that the blade must still be there. She looked down and saw only a hilt. She gazed to the blade being held by the angel, its once splendid hamon now distorted as it lay in two. She felt her stomach trying to heave itself up to her neck, insisting that she stop and let it off. There was a cry inside of the room. Aki was being pummeled by the BlNiock demon. For some reason, it didn’t seem to matter. A moment ago, Aki’s protection was the only thing that mattered, but now all she could do was stare at the broken corpse of her sword. Before she could do anymore else, she saw the angel rush into the room, his speed a blur before her sharp eyes. Her head followed to watch, her thoughts motionless, watching the heavenly being throw himself at the BlNiock demon, stopping the monster just before it struck Aki again, for what looked to be the final time. The angel’s two hands darted to its side, pulling out twin swords as it let Iziz fall to the ground softly. It struck at the BlNiock demon’s claw, the monster falling back at the sudden presence of the angel, severing the bony protrusions at the finger tips, dropping to the floor like apples from a tree, clanging loudly as they did so, the angel striking them off the demon in a second swipe. By the third, the demon’s teeth were gone, which the creature had futilely tried to bite at the angel with. A few more, swift blows later, and everyone watched as the BlNiock demon was rendered completely impotent, no other choice left but to fall to the floor, perfectly unharmed. The largest of the demons, a tall, bulky, human like demon, with a woman that was slowly merging with the man’s shoulder, came forward without waiting, pulling back its fist to strike at the angel. Other demons quickly followed, apparently figuring out that now was the time to strike. They all went for the intruder, their intentions to dogpile the angel clear, but failing to even touch him. She watched, although her eyes saw nothing, as the angel began to strike at every demon, one by one, weaving between them like it was trying to get through a crowd at a club. None of them touched him, yet with every movement a blade tore through a demon’s weapon, dancing around them, twisting and pirouetting around his opponents like they were standing still. And, as he did so, the demons began to fall apart; horns, spikes, weapons, turds, strangely spurgley shapes that floated in mid air as they came off. The demons’ greatest weapons broke and shattered at the mere touch of the angel’s blade. It felt like a few minutes, yet it was seconds before it was all over. All the demons collapsed, as if the rug had been swept from under their feet in one brisk move. Now the only ones left standing in the room were the angel and Sarah, who was still trapped behind the red barrier. Sanguine, who all this time, didn’t even look like he was aware of what he was doing, turned his double sided swords around and put them back in their up turned sheaths, his hands barely letting go. Natoko fell to her knees. There was nothing else for her to do. There was nothing else she could do. Iziz was broken. It was empty. She had put the past ten years of her life into that sword and they had been taken away in a moment. There was no way that was ever going to be replaced. In the back of her mind, she heard more demons snarling. Some were staying in the shadows it seemed. She didn’t care. There was nothing left to care about. She was on her own again. Melissa was…overloaded. First, there was a large room, filled with all sorts of demons, the demons they had been told to track down and deal with ‘as Sagara saw fit’, which was apparently far too vague for him to understand beyond thrusting motions with Draynor to their faces or, if they didn’t have faces, whatever looked most entertaining to hit. Then, there was the demon that looked most like a man who showed up. It was extremely rare for a demon to reach a level in their possession so that the object they possessed could be mutated to make such a realistic looking human. If it wasn’t for the fact that the demon’s smile could reach all the way to his ears, she would have been convinced for a while that it was human. If the demon had reached that level in its possession, then pummeling it with Draynor would be very entertaining for Sagara. Then, the swordgirl showed up, and was able to actually kill two demons. An impossible act, even for Sagara or herself. Destroying an object possessed by a demon was fine. It would just throw the demon’s spirit back into the Inbetween realm or, if the demon was already in the InBetween realm, shunt it into the spirit vents and thrust it all the way back to its original realm, the fate the Riddleklutz had suffered just minutes before. Removing the very existence of a demon was something she had never heard possible. No wonder the demons all went into rage mode. She was certainly a lot stronger than Melissa had imagined. Maybe Sagara had done right in recruiting her. And now, the angel had appeared. She’d heard rumours from Sagara’s parents as to the pacifistic way in which angels fought, and it was truly breathtaking. It was more like watching a dancer than a fighter, especially since, after taking on so many demons, the angel was completely unhurt and had not taken a single blow from any of the beasts. Sagara wanted to get down there, but Melissa was insisting they hold back. “Just because half the demons have been neutralized,” she started, keeping her voice a whisper between clenched teeth, “doesn’t mean it’s still safe to go down there. That angel will attack you too, you know.” Sagara didn’t answer, he was almost beginning to shake with frustration, not that that was possible. He wasn’t used to not getting his own way. She could see he wanted to jump down there and play with them all. The demon, the angel, even Natoko if the opportunity presented itself. Her mind stopped for a second, as she saw the angel peer around the room slowly, waiting to see if any of the other demons wanted to try and fight him, maintaining a defensive stance the way angels do. Then it spoke; quiet, almost timidly, but with a determination that grabbed everyone around him. “The fighting will stop now,” the angel said simply. “For the trouble we have caused her, we will now find a way to defend Sakimoto Yuya from the trouble we have caused her.” The demons fell into silence at this, looking at each other in the darkness, Melissa could see what they were about to do. With a roar like a thunderclap, the demons burst into loud, bullying laughter, filling the room. Some of the demons seemed to have a strange definition of laughter and she saw Sakura out of the corner of his eye, holding her hands over her ears to block out the painfully high tones some of the demons were emitting, Melissa’s ears only just able to withstand it. One demon, which was nothing more than a popular soft drink, scoffed at the angel. “And how do you suggest we do that?” it jeered with a snarl. “Better yet, why do you suggest we do that?” The other demons turned their volume down, waiting for an answer, some still sniggering in the darkness. “You will do it out of respect for all the energy Yuya-san has put into making this event happen for us, and for the respect due all that energy,” the angel answered, standing firm amongst the demon’s constant mirth. “You will have the honour to help her through the problems that have been caused here, through no fault of anyone here save one.” For some reason, he looked out to the door where Mr. Jupiter was now standing. “I havvve no honour,” another demon said, this one nothing more than spurgley shadows even within the shadows. “And thusss, no reassson to follow your ordersss.” A few of the other demons seemed to grunt or cheer in accordance with this, with others following as they used it as an excuse as well. The angel said nothing, and waited for them to calm down. “The orders are simple, and the method does not require you to do much, as the orders are simple,” the angel said. “All we have to do is convince the one who will be after her to stand down. That is all that has to be done.” Melissa’s hand gripped Sagara’s shoulder. He turned to her and saw her shake her head decisively at him. He hadn’t even tried to move this time, she just assumed he would. “You want us to kill the Futabatei boy?” the man and woman demons said sneering in unison, as the angel gave them a serene look that somehow conveyed the message that that was the last thing he wanted them to do. “Because if we come across him, that’s what I plan to do anyway.” “You would not be able to,” the angel said to this demon in particular. “He is stronger than you.” The large demon visibly shuddered at this comment, and Melissa figured that if they were anywhere else than in the InBetween Realm, this mere movement probably would have broken the floor. Before it could reply though, Mr. Jupiter stepped back into the room. “And how long would we have to wait, my dear Sanguine,” he said, almost teasingly. “I have wasted a lot of time here already, and I have other projects to work on.” Sanguine didn’t even blink as he looked at the demon. “They are already here,” he said halfheartedly, raising his hand to the air vents where the group were looking from. “Sakura, please brace yourself.” Melissa’s heart seemed to stop for a pump and spat at Sakura with venom as she saw the young girl simply nod in approval to the angel’s request, stiffening her body up to wait for the oncoming shock. Not in the mood for waiting and with a quick hiss at Sagara Melissa began to etch out backwards through the vents, intending to get away as soon as possible. Sagara stayed frozen for half a second longer, before taking Melissa’s plan and crawling out backwards as well. With what could only see at the time as extremely bad luck, the air vents chose this moment to inconsiderately fall apart- every metal screw and binding coming undone as if they had always been half-loose and just waiting for that extra shove. Gravity took hold of the three of them immediately and insisted they get down from where they were. The two ninja did their best to keep hold of the vents now above them, but the entire air passage was coming apart from under their hands and they fell hard onto the ground in front of the large assortment of horrific and diabolical demons that, just moments ago, had been scheduling the deaths of the duo. Melissa immediately cast herself invisible to all eyes who hadn’t seen her before. Full invisibility would be worthless. The angel would see her regardless, but it would give her an advantage against the minor demons. Allowing the sheets of metal to hit him like they were annoying flies, the angel waited patiently and caught Sakura softly, allowing her to cradle herself in his arms. He smiled at her serenely, and Melissa saw all the panic that had built up within her disappear in his embrace. She now understood why the little Catholic girl had been shivering so much. She had felt the warmth of an angel and let the creature’s holy resonance touch her soul. To someone like Sagara (and possibly herself) it would have only had a peaceful, tranquil effect that would have perhaps caused him to have an extra bowl of cereal the next morning, but to someone like Sakura, who was now snuggling up into the cloth of the angel’s robe, it would be the reward they had been placing their faith in all these years finally coming to them. It was the angel who had asked her to bring them Melissa realised. And she had done so happily. The angel smiled sweetly at the girl in his arms, as if he was an amused parent, whispering something to her. Melissa watched as the girl quickly shook herself like she had just been awoken, apologised politely, and slipped down from his hands, her cheeks flushed red with happy embarrassment. The girl stayed by him, looking at the angel almost longingly, a small smile on her face that stayed there until she caught sight of Sagara. She looked at him while he stared back, both their faces appearing unsure as to what to show the other. “I…er…ano…” she looked slightly downcast. “Sorry, Sagara,” she mumbled. “I led you here willingly. Lord Sanguine said he wanted to stop you from doing what you were going to do.” “I knew we couldn’t trust her,” Melissa said cheerfully, keeping behind Sagara. Sakura seemed to explode with worry at this response. “No, no,” she said, with panicky insistence. “He doesn’t want to hurt you. He just wants to talk to you.” Melissa went quiet at this. The whole room did. For a moment, all that could be heard was the swordgirl’s sobbing. “Futabatei,” the angel began, stepping forward with arms raised, like he was about to greet Sagara. “May I ask that you forgive everyone here- let them all go, both human and demon alike, and forgive everyone here?” Sagara responded by summoning Draynor to his fist and leveling a punch at the angel’s expressionless face. It hit nothing save the thin air where Sanguine’s face once was. “Sagara!” Sarah shouted from within the barrier. Sagara ignored her for now and turned around, now summoning Greynock from under his sleeve and firing the roped dagger at the angel’s back. With but the smallest of movements, the angel caught the dagger and tugged on it lightly, causing Sagara to fly like a rocket in his direction. Sagara tried to take this opportunity to throw another punch at the angel, knowing that any other attack wouldn’t work against the heavenly body. If he could just turn his punch at the last second, he may be able to feint out the angel and score a blow. Draynor fell off his hand. It wasn’t like the demon weapon had been pulled off. Melissa knew only Sagara and his mother had ever been able to do that and she knew it shouldn’t have been possible to anyone else, even an angel. It just fell off, scattering into many metallic pieces on the floor and rolling around, like someone had dropped a bag of coins. Sagara followed, finding himself among the scattered pieces, looking confused as to why he was there. The angel hadn’t even appeared to move, yet the gauntlet was broken beyond repair none the less. For some reason he couldn’t stand either, and then a ripping sound tore through the room, as Greynock was also pulled away from him, the last of its rope coming out of his body. “There is no reason for you to continue, is there not?” the angel asked, as if the fight had never happened. “The demons were defeated without causing any damage to humans or the tournament overall, and I myself have failed to inspire the honour among the children of the demons that were participating in the tournament as I intended. If this is the case, then no crime has been committed under the rulings of your Balance and so, there is no reason to continue.” Sagara looked up at the angel, not quite sure how to answer. “Inspire honour among the children of the demons?” Melissa said, bewilderment filling her voice as she repeated what the angel had said. The angel, for a second, almost appeared to blush at this comment. “It was foolish of me,” he said honestly. “I became aware of this tournament, and the conspiracies transpiring around it, and saw an opportunity to inspire such notions of honour and fairness among those who would be sneaked in. I had hoped that, at the very least, I would cause some spark in those entering about equality and principle, and treating your opponents with respect. I may have actually done so, but I doubt the results will be shown in any major way.” He paused slightly, as if considering something, Sagara took this opportunity to speak up. “In other words,” he said, just as calmly as the angel had done. “You went about trying to directly influence other creatures to your alignment?” The angel paused for a moment, then said, “Yes. Sakimoto Yuya agreed to this and helped integrate me into the group, insisting that she owed me a favour. And although no one was harmed as a result of our machinations within the tournament, something strange has happened. The girl over there….” He indicated to where Natoko was sitting with a pained expression on his face suddenly appearing. “Excuse me.” He glided over to her huddled form as her tears forming a puddle beneath her, Sakura following him as he did so. Melissa had noticed this type of reaction in Natoko previously when she had forgotten her sword after coming into the city. She looked absolutely dreadful, and the angel seemed to think this as well. He crouched down next to her and spoke softly into her ear. “It will be okay.” Natoko looked up to him, looking out of it, not sure who to expect to be comforting her. She clearly wasn’t expecting the one who had broken the sword in the first place, and with a wail of anxiety she began hitting him, much weaker than she usually could. As the samurai hammered her fists on the angel’s body, the others watched as the angel did nothing in response, letting her get it out of her system as she silently continued to beat him. “Your sword is special. It will heal itself,” he stated. “Please accept my apologies, I did not know how important it was to you.” Natoko stopped beating to look at him. Sagara could tell she was confused, her eyes wobbling as silent tears continued to flow past her blocked nose. “You will have to pray for forgiveness later, however,” the angel said, with his back to Sagara. “You have killed two demons. And even if they were demons, forgiveness must still be asked for. Remember this. I am sure that He will forgive you without any quandary, considering the harsh circumstances that you were placed in, but it is still necessary that you ask.” Natoko seemed to have been rendered speechless now. The tears had stopped, and her mouth was beginning to open slightly, hanging in the air. “Forgive me once more, I have probably angered you,” the angel said to her one last time. “But I have other matters to handle now. Aki will be fine as well. Make sure you keep all the pieces of Iziz safe. I am sure Sakura will be willing to help you leave.” Sakura indicated her willingness with a fast, enthusiastic nod. “As I was saying,” the angel said, now rising and moving back into the room, his robes flailing dramatically as he did so. “The girl was not supposed to be part of the tournament. Although she had interested Sakimoto Yuya enough to allow her to take part when she shouldn’t have, she was not part of the original plan. Someone has manipulated the events that occurred here by getting her involved in all this. “Oh that,” Sagara said lightly. “That was me, I invited her. She’s strong.” “No,” the angel replied, as if to deny the events of the past. “Not just that. Sakimoto Yuya, as well as myself, have ways of looking into the futures that we can anticipate. Prophesiers. You Futabatei may have denied we of His way direct influence, but we can still predict. And even taking you into account, there was no way that that girl should have gained access to the tournament. Someone, someone that is not you, is responsible for her presence.” “Okay,” Sagara said, with the air of someone that was not okay and instead wishing to have the tape rewound so that he could listen to it again. “That is why you must forgive us and end your mission so that we may get on with discovering this. If someone can affect this many beings of power with such ease as to remain hidden all this time, then it is drastic that we discover what it is.” He stopped, noticing that his voice had sped up and started again. “Overall you must know that our presence at the tournament resulted in no major damage. Those of the Neutral Realm were able to heal everybody, and there was no direct influence throughout the event.” “Really?” Melissa said, through gritted teeth, apparently dismissing the ramblings of the angel as nothing more than paranoia. “I see two dead demons, a severely injured girl, a psychologically damaged girl and one currently grabbing the hem of your robes.” Sakura jumped slightly at this, yet still held on tight. “I said,” the angel commented, lifting his finger up, “that no one has been harmed as a result of the tournament. I am asking that you forgive everyone here so that we may move onto these matters and deal with them. There is a more important issue that I have to discuss with you anyway, but we cannot get onto it until the decision has been made.” The room went quiet and, Melissa noticed, that as the angel had finished speaking, everyone had turned to face Sagara. Even the demons along with Yuya and Sarah were, and she couldn’t help but emit a grin at how it had turned out. As she looked around, she noticed out of the corner of her eye, that the almost completely human demon was no longer there, and had apparently escaped everything that was going on. ‘What was he going to do?’ she found himself thinking. Forgive them all? It went against the previous plan, but half of that now lay on the floor in pieces. The angel was right about what it had said, his only concern was meant to be the tournament, and everything that happened there. Yet even though rules had been broken, nothing major had happened. The angel somehow knew all this and it was easy to guess that Ms. Sakimtoo had been the one to spill. What should he do? It was difficult for even her to decide. He had let the water spirit go free on its own even though it had tried to break many of the rules, yet he had killed the Dark Scourge with no hesitation whatsoever. He had also destroyed the body of the Riddleklutz, but that wasn’t too important, since it didn’t mean the demon’s death. Did it really matter if he forgave them for the tournament? Should he forgive them for now and just dispose of the ones who were involved in attacking Natoko and Aki? There was also the problem with the angel. Melissa doubted that the angel had done anything to Sakura on purpose, since she guessed it was one of the demons who was responsible for her kidnapping, but his mere presence would have severely affected the girl. Yes, she decided. For now, he should forgive. Everyone was still staring at him; even the demons seemed to be patiently waiting for his answer. Yuya as well, who was looking around carefully with her hands behind her back as she stood in front of Sarah, who seemed to be viewing the events in front of her as if they were a prime time drama. Without warning, Sagara cleared his throat. “By the rules of the Balance,” he stated, keeping a firm eye on the angel, making a point not to move his body in the slightest, “I can forgive and negate the events that transpired leading up to the tournament.” Melissa was amazed at how formal he sounded at the moment. She had heard his mother speak like this when she was addressing the elders or some demon she was about to dispose of. Around him, he heard a few sighs of relief. Something vomited. “But,” he said loudly, causing everyone to inhale again. “For directly influencing an important member of the Balance.” He glanced back at Yuya. “I cannot forgive any of you, demon or angel.” Sanguine’s eyelids widened, only a little, before closing completely, falling into thought. Some of the demons began murmuring again. “You do realize that she has forsaken the Balance, do you not?” Sanguine said, with patient irritation. “She may claim to be your Negotiator, but her interests lie elsewhere.” “And would that have happened if there weren’t any demons or angels around?” “Then you have broken the Balance.” “An act she chose to do.” “A choice that was directly influenced by everyone in this room above the age of twenty. If you guys weren’t here, she wouldn’t have had any debts with you. She wouldn’t have to hold the betting ring and there would have been no mess in the first place.” “This is why you guys can’t be around us humans! You change us! Without even intending to, you ruin our lives! It’s your fault people can’t choose for themselves!” The silence returned to the room. The angel stopped speaking and closed its eyes, folding up its arms as it did so. Melissa wasn’t sure if they had stopped because he made a valid point, or because he had pointlessly mentioned people’s ages. Regardless, she couldn’t help but grin. “Well said,” she whispered, figuring he deserved at least that, before fading away in preparation for combat, now completely invisible. The angel’s eyes opened again. “I can see why you Futabatei have managed to get such a foothold on us now,” he said calmly. “You do realize… that if you are to stay alive, you will have to allow me to incapacitate your party and remove you from the battlefield?” Sagara was about to say something, something amazingly cocky and with a complete disrespect for the angel’s authority, but the angel’s hand was already grabbing the hem of his shirt, pushing him against the wall by Aki so fast that any inspiration for the best cocky reaction ever was lost in the transition from floor to wall. “I shall leave you in the eternity backdrop of this realm for a short while. You should be able to last a few days without food and water there.” The angel held him there for a second, before beginning to mumble something. Melissa stepped up to help get him out, before realising there was no way in the world she could have done that. The angel was chanting, praying. She understood it at once as a spell that asked the wall to move. Sagara’s arms started to flail helplessly, his shoulders already sinking into the plasterboard behind him, which was bubbling like wet cement all of a sudden. She saw him about to try and kick away when something distracted her. Footsteps entering the room; and then there was a new intruder, just standing there. The newcomer’s face was dark for a moment, but as the light of the candle hit them, Melissa realized that it was… someone whose name she had completely forgot. It was Otsune’s friend, the one that wasn’t Japanese. She couldn’t remember the name at all. She wasn’t even sure if she had learnt it in the first place. The angel’s chanting voice echoed around them, lightening the load on her brain, allowing her not to think as she watched this entity enter and walk past her. The angel hadn’t seen the girl. Hadn’t seen her enter. Melissa felt dizzy, like she needed a long nap while wanting to finished a book. Her hand raised to say something, but her eyelids were getting heavy. It was if the entire Realm had been frozen in time, and only the newcomer was left to prowl round. “You?” said Sarah unhelpfully from behind the red curtain, the only one unaffected by what Melissa realised was a powerful mood spell to make others relax. Knowing didn’t do squat all though as the angel continued, and all Melissa could do was yawn and act fascinated. “What are you…” but the young girl’s answer was cut short as the newcomer wandered up to the candle by her, placing her hand over it and letting the flame catch her finger, traveling along her body on a path that appeared covered in gasoline, perfume sizzling in the air, smothering her with in phoenix fire. Still everyone seemed unaware of her. Not even the girl appeared conscious of the fact she was on fire. Now, as she walked up to Sagara and the angel, who was still pushing Sagara through the plasterboard and into the infinity of the InBetween Realm. Sagara’s eyes fixated on the girl as her white skin, usually plastered with many layers of make up, slowly turned a charred black. Standing behind the angel, she looked at Sagara with a face that might have been a grin, bleached teeth showing underneath as her lips fell away. Otsune’s friend tore her fist straight through the angel’s back and right out his solar plexus. The angel stopped, repelled in his spell, his robes exploding around him as a hand pulled out. The girl grabbed the gold cross and began melting it in its palm, before the fist spread open and rested against Sagara’s chest. The angel immediately screamed at the intrusion, its face crinkling in random directions as the flames quickly overtook it. The angel burned. Melissa recognised the girl. Tina! That was it. Act Four – Chapter Three “I still don’t trust her,” Melissa muttered under her breath, doing her best not to breathe in one of the many layers of dust within the cramped, spirit shafts that ran parallel to the endless corridors of the InBetween Realm. She never did understand why there was so much dust in these tunnels. Only spirits traveled through them. “How could she so easily escape from fifteen demons?” “Erm, excuse me,” Sakura said timidly, raising her hand like one would to speak to a teacher. “I…I didn’t quite escape. They… let me go.” “Let you go?” Melissa repeated, causing the group to stop as she looked back at the girl behind her in the shaft, an impossible task seeing as Sagara was between the two of them. “Why would they do that?” “They…er they know you’re coming.” “They what?” Melissa almost screeched, just stopping herself before she could do any major damage in the secrecy of their location. “They…they said they wanted to take care of you now, and let one of us go so that I could lead you to them,” the young cook said, shivering as she did so. “T-they let me go because I was the older one. They said I w-was the most responsible one there, s-so I would c-come back.” Melissa stared at the girl from behind Sagara’s vacant stare and notice she was trembling still. Every since they had ran into her, the girl had not stopped shaking. It was like she was covered in ice cubes, or a Skneeow was breathing down her neck . Melissa had guessed it was from being in contact with the demons, and the effect it would naturally have on an innocent. It was Sagara’s fault, she thought to herself, telling people about demons and the InBetween Realm like it was some trendy new nightclub. She would have to berate him about it later, up to the point where he might actually learn his lesson for a change. The potential psychological trauma the young girl was suffering from had been one of the reasons Melissa had ran a profile check on each of those who had witnessed the fight with the water spirit back on the day Sagara had first met them. The results weren’t good. Despite her Japanese name and heritage Sakura was actually one half Italian on her father’s side. This in itself wasn’t an issue, but the girl had originally been born and raised in Italy and for all purposes considered herself a native of Florence rather being a citizen of Japan. Behind this had been a standard catholic upbringing. Sakura was a regular churchgoer all her life and saw Sundays as nothing but a day spent with her god. Her time was used volunteering by the looks of things. She helped out in kitchens and was an assistant leader for whatever counted as Sunday schools in Italy. The only thing god related the girl never kept up at the time was the choir, where she joined for three days before giving up her spot for another member. Too much religion wasn’t entirely a problem in Melissa’s mind. Despite their upbringing the large majority of the faithful in life never had direct contact with anything outside the Human realms until after they died. Those who did encounter demons either became more vigilant or just went crazy. It was the second type the Balance had a duty to prevent and this was why the girl had required further evaluation. Sakura’s father had died two years ago after falling prey to stomach cancer. Whatever their relationship had been, her mother had taken the man’s death as an opportunity to return back to Japan. Such a move alone would be rough on the child. From what Melissa had understood this classed her as a special type of minority that the Ministry of Welfare provided services for, something she was in desperate need of due to not knowing a single word of Japanese. She had been enrolled in special classes and was still taking them two years later due to slow progress. Everything was made worse by the accident. Sakura’s mother had been hit by a bus a year prior and was killed instantly. The police reports suggested that she had been been pushed off a sidewalk by busy crowds and slipped into the oncoming vehicle. Sakura was at school at the time, but the accident left her with no relatives. This had led her straight to a meeting with the city’s Child Guidance Centre and subsequently accommodation was set up through a joint agreement between the Centre, Sakura’s local church and, out of the blue, Lord Mistress Futabatei Chiyo, the then current owner of the Heavenly Springs dormitory. Sakura had been housed at the dorm and had, on what was apparently her own insistence, been put to work with cooking at various agencies in the city of Fuugosuki, namely the local Catholic churches that had sponsored her, all for the purposes of paying rent. Melissa had only gave the girl a quick cursory background check at the time and had left it on wait and see. But the incident yesterday and the girl’s actions now were causing Melissa to muse over it again. The various events over the past two years showed signs of affecting the girl psychologically. She seemed prone to pathological shyness and Melissa herself had witnessed isolated periods where the girl was just crying to herself for no obvious reason in whatever secluded part of the building she could hide herself in. Judging by her medical records on entry to the country, she had gained roughly fifteen pounds, but was otherwise physically healthy. Though she appeared sociable, it looked like she had no friends at school and only two people of any real companionship inside the dormitory. She regularly attended church still, even after the Pride demon and water spirit had attacked the dormitory, but Melissa had had yet to investigate her activities while she was there. With the past few days giving her very clear reasons to cry, it was obvious Sakura had become high risk. “Does that mean they have Sarah and Aki?” Sagara asked, as he poked Melissa’s leg to get her moving again. “Y-yes, they had us trapped in this…strange thing, like a red… barrier? I don’t know, of some kind, I don’t know, but…” “A candle trap. Never mind that,” Melissa interrupted harshly, not wanting to waste time. “Listen to me, Sakura. It is very important that you tell us everything you can about what’s going on in that room. What they are expecting us to do, the size of it, the amount of demons there are, and most importantly, who’s running them?” Melissa’s kept her voice stern. She wanted to sound caring, but she didn’t have time to learn how. There was a gap of silence between them, filled only by Sagara’s light breathing. “I…erm…I-I don’t remember?” Sakura said meekly, instantly fearing a rebuttal and closing her eyes. “You don’t…” Melissa winced as she banged her head on the low roof below here. She bit her lip to prevent herself screaming out. “How can you not remember? You were surrounded by demons. Surely you must have some idea.” “We know there are at least around fifteen demons when we checked in with the Ley spirit. That was twenty minutes ago. Was there more or less than that when you were there?” Sakura didn’t answer, but she sounded more scared than before. Melissa thought she could even hear the vents vibrating from the girl’s silent terror. “Leave her for now,” Sagara said. “We’ll work it out when we get there.” “And what if they’re waiting for us with pitchforks the second we pop our heads out the vents?” Melissa replied indignantly, her teeth now gritting one another as she tried to hit him with a glance. “We need to change the plan if we know they’re expecting us. Better yet, you need to change the plan. That’s the whole point of this, after all.” The three of them spent the next few seconds in silence, as they waited for each other to say something. Melissa had to hold back the extremely tense urge to smash her feet back into Sagara’s waiting face. She knew at that moment, that he had no intention of trying to come up with a plan, for whatever stupid reasons were going through his head. “Fine,” she said dismissively. “Then we’re going home.” Not hesitating for even a second Melissa began inching back down the small tunnel, as if to expect the others to do the same. Sagara of course didn’t follow suit. As his body blocked her foot, she turned back to him and stared him down, her eyebrows attempting to cross over each other as she did so. The boy just looked back at her. “What?’ she said, whispering as loud as she could. “You think we can just crawl into there to die? If you’re not going to take this as seriously, Sagara, as the elders want you to, then there’s no point anymore. We might as well just go home, and get the hell beaten out of us by your mother.” Her eyes shifted to the side quickly, before darting back to him. “At least I’ll only get killed.” She started to force herself backwards again. “It’ll be a relief to no longer have to see your annoying face after all this, or having to live with this stupid curse that hangs round you all the time.” She went to move again, but found she couldn’t; Sagara’s hand was pushing against her foot. “We can’t go back,” he said simply. “Sarah and Aki are there. If that’s the case, then Natoko and Otsune will also be heading there.” Melissa’s teeth gritted, the rest of her head save her eyebrow following as she stared at him in disbelief. From twenty feet in front of them, a clatter broke them off. Something was in there with them, and Melissa couldn’t tell what. Being at the front of the line, she took point and raised her hand, prepping herself for an illusion if need be. She couldn’t see anything, the vents appearing barren, but it was definitely there. She could hear its hissing breath, taking their stale air around them into itself and breathing it out fresh. “Waiting to die, are we?” something in front of her whispered. Melissa said nothing. She knew responding to demons only drew you in. If this was the first they were facing. She’d have to be quick about it. “I waited to die once. Still hasn’t happened, it’s like waiting for milkshake to melt.” A visage flashed before her like the flash of a camera. A humanoid, wrapped completely in bandages, leather binding his face. It hesitated for a moment, like it had just been caught by the person it was trying to sneak up upon, before dispersing. “What the…” she said with alarm. “What was that?” The creature had disappeared near the left turn in front of them, but it didn’t look like it had gone down that way. It didn’t look like it had done anything, save cease to exist. “Sakura,” Melissa heard the girl jump at the sound of her own name and almost did so herself as she remembered she was in front of two other people. “How did they plan on capturing us?” “I…erm… They,” she stuttered, Sagara looking unconcerned as she did so. “They wanted me to lead you through the door.” Speaking within the space of a heartbeat, the girl closed her eyes and looked away, almost as if expecting some kind of punishment for this admission. Melissa tried to look back at them, the task proving difficult with her own body in the way. Had they not seen it? If they wanted them to come through the door, would they still guard the vents as an extra precaution. Something wasn’t right. “Okay,” the boy behind her replied. “Then we can stick with the air vents. They won’t be expecting us, and we can work out how to rescue the others from there.” She was barely paying attention, her mind distracted a distance in front of them. “That’s… that’s good enough for now,” Melissa said as she continued to crawl forwards once again. The metal plating of the vent felt hotter for some reason. The rest of the excursion through the vents was without event, except at one point where Sakura’s shivering was starting to vibrate some of the thinner pieces of metal, and Sagara had to give her his jacket in order to help her keep warm. This had resulted in five minutes of amazingly acrobatic fumbling in a small, confined space that was clearly not designed for intruding ninja to take their jackets off in. Three minutes and more noise than a ninja should be allowed to make later, and they were on their way again, Melissa idly wondering why they were bringing the young trauma patient with them as they did so. She felt like she had to made a point of telling them to keep quiet about three minutes before they reached their destination: a large, metallic vent cover that only just showed up in the middle of a three way junction. After some more ever so careful fumbling, they were able to reposition themselves to see the room below them that they had been heading for all this time. “And what, in Norton’s name, do you propose we do?” a voice snarled from beneath. The room below was pitch black, save for a glowing red candle just outside of their view that flickered on occasion. “How should we know?” two voices replied at once, one with a deep boom to it, the other high pitched yet monotonous, like its owner was about to fall asleep. Despite this, something told Melissa they were the same voice. “But after all that has been planned, all our efforts and losses, we want what’s ours!” “Knew I shouldn’t have done this,” another voice, much calmer than the others, said off to the side, to whom apparently no one was listening. “Just can’t trust the common ones to accept their losses when they sign in for something big.” “All your effort, ha!” the first voice replied. “All you had to do was pick out a contender for yourselves. The deals I had to make just to get to this area of the Realm. I’m in debt to a Tengu now. A damn Tengu!.” “Ooh, he said damn.” “A demon said damn.” “Can a demon say damn?” “I don’t think he can.” “It just ruins the whole point, doesn’t it?” “It something for the holes ‘n blood to say, ain’t it.” “It’s fun hearing them say it as they cry.” “Or weep.” “Same as cry.” “Think so. I don’t know. Shall we ask somebody?” From the vent, the trio heard a large crash followed by the whole room shaking, like someone had thrown their fist into one of the walls. The two voices, who had been speaking very quickly as they spoke to one another, fell silent before they could ask their question. Whatever had happened appeared to have gone unknown by the three that were arguing, although two of the voices had moved to the far side of the room where the two fast voices once were. “You think we care about your measly debts to native spirits? It is not our fault that you are incapable of travel when trapped in a physical body.” “No arms.” “No legs.” “Paraplegic.” “That doesn’t…” The voice was muffled by something, cutting it out with a grumble. “Our daughter has been injured by a mere human,” the two voices said at once- male and female, both of them very angry. “Can you imagine the humiliation we will have to suffer, as we are forced to eat the Princess to our own kingdom? The shame, the dishonour, the degradation. All for a stupid bet!” A loud cracking sound was made, and one of the fast speaking voices screamed out, as if it had realized its own heart had just ripped out and wanted it back. “Niisama!” the other one called out. “What on earth is going on down there?” Melissa mouthed to herself. She couldn’t see anything. There was only darkness, which was understandable with demons, but it meant she could only guess what was going on. “They didn’t have to do that.” This time, Melissa noticed, one of the fast speaking, squeaky voices was a little slower than usual, something thick gurgling in its mouth. “Yes they did.” “Why did they?” “I shall tell you why.” “Go on then.” “Because I called you Niisama.” “And what’s wrong with that.” “You’re younger than me.” “So am I.” “So you are.” “My mistake. How foolish of me.” “You are indeed a fool.” “So he was in the right to murder me.” Before it could say anymore, it groaned incoherently, and a loud, repetitive stomping noise was heard all throughout the room. It carried on for a clear ten seconds, the groan and screams of pain dying down to an ebb. Then silence completely. “You could have just asked,” the voice said, before the stomping continued, this time heavier than before, like the one doing it was trying to destroy the whole world with their foot. “I like them. They’re funny,” a new voice said from the corner. In the darkness in front of her, Melissa could just see the two figures by her shuffling. The voice was muffled , but it was clearly a young child. Both Sagara and Melissa at once tried to get a better view through the air vent. The girl’s voice had come from the direction where the red candle was flickering, and if they both looked from one of the corners of the vent they could just see Aki’s face, coming in and out of view as the candle’s haze continued to move. As she saw him go to move, Melissa’s hand shot out in front of Sagara. “Just wait,” she mouthed to him, only guessing he was about to try and rescue them. Rescuing people wasn’t like Sagara at all. “You do realize you’re going to die here, moron. How can you be so calm?” another voice said, who Melissa instantly recognised as Sarah King. The ten year old also appeared to be speaking somewhere within the vicinity of Aki. Were they both within the Red Candle Barrier that Sakura had mentioned? “You two,” a calm voice said, who Melissa realized was probably the closest to the two girls. “Please be quiet. Hostages aren’t supposed to have casual conversation.” “Ah sorry,” Aki said chirpily, as Sarah just mumbled profanities to herself. “You seem awfully calm yourself, Mr. Jupiter,” a deep, spurgley voice commented, only a few feet away from the calm voice. Melissa kept count. That was at least seven demons in the room. Were there more? She knew some demons wouldn’t speak, since they probably didn’t have any tongues. However, there were some demons about that had twenty tongues, so there was no real telling which demons were in there in the first place. “I haven’t been called that in a long time, Mr. Mercury,” the calm voice replied, with what she guessed was a smile. “It is the name I called you for two whole decades,” the spurgley voice pointed out. “Besides, your real name would take too long to say, and I have forgotten the second half of it. So? Why so calm? I understood that you had the most to lose in this?” The calm voice sounded like it was smiling. “It’s true. I have lost more than anyone here with my part of the bet, including my precious muse,” the male voice stated nonchalantly with nothing sounding wrong with it compared to the unique voice it was speaking to. “But such material things aren’t too much to worry about. I just wish these common demons would hurry up and get over it instead of arguing amongst themselves.” Although the voice was acting like it was speaking off to the side of everyone else, everyone else had apparently been listening in. A great double roar echoed throughout the darkness, and the room shook with a bang as something slammed on the side of the room where the calm voice and spurgley voice were speaking. “Common?” the two voices shouted in unison. “You dare insult royalty such as us? Once there was a time you were lower than all of us! We shall suck your spirit right out of that pretty boy body you so like sleeping in!” And with another, mighty battle cry, the owners of the voice seemed to cause the room to shudder again, before screaming out unexpectedly in anguished pain. “Ah, sorry, sorry,” Mr. Jupiter said, appearing not to notice the torture the two creatures were going through. “It’s just that, well, I’m so much more powerful than you, you see? It’s much too hard for me to notice the difference between an ant and a queen ant.” The two voices started to scream louder, although Melissa couldn’t tell what was actually happening to them. “Wait, do ants even have queens…well I guess that just furthers my point.” Whatever it was, it wasn’t taking a lot of effort from this Mr. Jupiter to overpower them both at the same time. “That is enough,” a harsh voice called out, a door on the far side of the room swinging open and bathing the middle of the room in a light that silhouetted the human shaped newcomer. “I leave you gentlemen alone for five minutes and you’re already running about like infants in a schoolyard.” The screaming stopped from both voices, silencing filling the room in the same second. Most of the demons were still staying in the unnatural darkness that remained at the edges of the room. One however chose to jump in the newcomer’s direction. “Infants couldn’t run around a…” “Shut up!” the female voice shouted, silencing one of the fast speaking demons, who was now revealed to Melissa to be a little, imp like demon, covered in brown hair, which was much longer on its arms than any other part of its body. Another demon was on top of it that looked just like it, except it was almost broken in half as it lay over the other’s shoulder, its skull shattered in the centre with bits hanging out disturbingly loose and dripping something onto the body of the one carrying it. Despite this, neither seemed to have no problem in giggling in response to the newcomer’s cry. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to arrange a hiding place for you this close to the tournament? It doesn’t help with your constant bickering alerting any major force in the area to your presence.” “That voice,” Melissa muttered, as she finally recognised it. “That’s…The one helping the demons…it’s…” “Yeah,” said Sagara. “Sakimoto Yuya. Who else would it be?” “But what’s she doing with demons? She’s supposed to be…” But she was drowned out as those below kept speaking. “What does that matter now?” the two voices growled out, the high pitched one, now feeling less so, as its anger kept increasing. “Where is our prize, woman?” Yuya scoffed. “Your prize?” she repeated disdainfully. “What makes you think you get one at all? Your daughter was eliminated in her first Battle Royale. You get nothing.” “Don’t push us, woman. We were willing to take your nonsense human ways when it suited us. But with this humiliation, this agony, we demand compensation, and we are entitled to it by the law of the Ka’tuk.” “They’re like the insurance guys,” Aki commented, but was shushed immediately by Sarah. “There was nothing unfair about my tournament. Your law does not apply here,” Yuya stated, glaring at the demon . “Now that’s not entirely true,” Mr. Jupiter said, now standing up and walking into the light, revealing, Melissa noticed, quite a handsome young man, with blond hair,a long white coat and an arcane staff in one hand. The only clear off putting thing about him was how his smile reached all the way up to his ears, the flesh of his cheeks having been torn apart to allow this. “Although I’m not complaining myself, perish the thought, it did seem rather peculiar that almost all of our candidates got put into the same Battle Royale match. Now out of the twenty five bets that got placed, only eight of our candidates were in other matches. And then, only four of them actually got any further, and the other sixteen were, quite remarkably I might add, eliminated by that young female.” “To us,” the high and low pitched voices said at once, “this makes it clear that the match was fixed. Thus, we demand compensation.” “Y-you think,” Yuya stuttered, her voice tripping over her anger, “that I would risk the one chance I have to clear my debt to you all, just to eliminate sixteen of the candidates at once? Do you think I care who actually won the tournament? What mattered to me was that you were all satisfied. That was the whole point of my participation in this betting ring.” “There were twenty five demons in the Battle Royale matches?” Melissa whispered in disbelief, looking at Sagara with annoyance for a moment. “I waited until after the elimination before checking,” he quietly explained, not all that bothered with the revelation, nor apparently with keeping quiet. Melissa’s hand shot out again to silence him, but luckily, the two loud voices had been speaking again. “We are aware of what you are, Ms. Sakimoto,” a young girl said, stepping out of the shadows along with a bumbling old man. “If you were a demon like all here, you would be more powerful than any of us. To fix the matches up like this, you must have had a reason.” “All matches involving your candidates were chosen at random,” Yuya defended. “By the Neuts for that matter. All the matches were. Unless Fate is directly intervening, there’s no way I could have caused this to happen. And I wouldn’t even want to for that matter. Do you know the amount of effort I put into making this work right? The amount of security I had to covertly change? The amount of demon hunters I had to redirect and eliminate?” “And a fine job you did there,” the snarling voice that spoke first said, still remaining in the darkness. “That Futabatei boy didn’t exactly hide his presence at the match. Showboating the whole way, he was.” “The boy from the family of hypocrites and faithless. We would not be surprised if you hadn’t guided him there yourself. Whatever scheme you are up to, woman…” “Now let’s calm down, shall we not?” Mr. Jupiter said, stepping up and waving his arms up and down as if trying to control the volume of everybody’s voices. All the demons in the light took a step back into the darkness at this gesture, and everyone fell silent. “The matches have ceased now, so there’s nothing to worry about. Why don’t we all just get back to our respective kingdoms and dungeons and secluded Spanish villas, and just accept that which have been delivered to us.” “You’re saying we should just go back and eat our daughter?” the two demons shouted again. “Unacceptable!” “Really now,” Mr. Jupiter said with a sheepish smile. “Do you have something else you need to do before returning?” “Well…we…well.” The large demon and his small companion faltered, taking a step back as Mr. Jupiter simply stood there and waited for an answer. “None of us… are going anywhere… until that girl returns ….with that Futabatei boy,” a new voice said. This one seemed to have trouble speaking, and was having to breathe heavily every few words. “Sagara is on his way here?” Yuya said, shock now etched on her face. “How does he even know?” “Why, these girls informed me. As a matter of fact, they-” Mr. Jupiter began to say, but was cut off when Yuya caught sight of them. “Where is Sakura Tamburo?” she asked alarmed. “Well, as I was about to say,” the man continued slowly. “They revealed themselves to be acquaintances of the ninja. I even believe the little one might be his cousin. It would certainly explain how she was able to reopen the Spinner we used to take the first girl. Anyway, we decided it would be an excellent idea if we used one of them to bring the others here, and take care of them that way. Well, I say we- it wasn’t my idea.” “It was ours,” the man and woman said at once, causing Yuya to look at them perplexed. “Actually, it was his,” Mr. Jupiter said, but indicated no one. “Well, it was him that convinced the girl anyway.” “Why would you care?” Yuya said, ignoring the blond haired demon as she faced the very bulky man, completely ignoring the woman on his shoulder. “Because that boy showed acquaintance with the one who defeated our daughter. With luck, they shall all comes to us, and we can remove several problems at once.” “Look… whatever,” Yuya said, shaking her head over all that had been going on without her. “If killing them will make you happy and end all this, I’ll let you, and I’ll even cover it up for you. This barrier remains secure right?” “It will disappear in about four hours. Until then, the captives exist outside of the InBetween Realm. Not even the Ley Spirit could find them.” “Right, so we can blame Timothy McKay for the disappearance. Revenge or something. I’m assuming he’s gone now.” “You assssume correctly, human” a voice hissed, the BlNiock demon revealing itself from the shadows. “I am full again.” Melissa was about to stop Sagara from jumping out again, in case he tried to attack the demon like he had before, when she had to look again at the creature that had just shown up. On its head was another demon, although one could almost mistake it for a dog turd. It seemed to scream and complain for a few seconds. “Oh. Sssssorry, master,” the BlNiock demon said sheepishly, and stepped back out of the light. “A Gomitine,” Melissa whispered, just in case Sagara had missed it. He nodded slightly. Gomitine were disturbing demons who, for indeterminable reasons, could only perform the ritual of the Kotodama on dog excrement. A sin of wrath. They were known for being some of the most diabolical demons in all the realms, mainly because they were extremely immoral, highly intelligent and some of the most purely evil creatures around, known for creating plans of such subtlety that they could cause entire cultures to wipe themselves out just by releasing a strange odour during a highly important meeting between two tribal chieftains. However, despite this, they were immobile, incoherent and quite impotent in terms of the danger they realistically possessed, what with their natural demonic form looking exactly the same as the piece of dog faeces they could possess. If it wasn’t for the fact that some demons could read minds, no one would know they even existed. “Yes,” said the spurgley voice. “After the boy shows up and brings the samurai girl, then we shall all have our revenge.” “You intend to kill the girl as well?” Yuya asked, looking disheartened at the plan. “Oh yesssss,” the snarling voice said. “She who eliminated all of our bids save four. How could we do anything less?” “Hhhhmmm, that is a shame,” said Yuya, who was mulling it over. “I was hoping to recruit her.” “Oh yes. She was strong, wasn’t she?” Mr. Jupiter said with an unperturbed laugh. “I wouldn’t have minded having her myself. Maybe I will.” Silence filled the room quickly at this comment, as if the demons weren’t sure what to do. Melissa felt that most were staring at the handsome demon, waiting for his decision. “Ah, I could do with a break. I won’t bother.” If demons were prone to have outbursts of relief, Melissa felt the entire room would be doing it at this moment. There was an almost palpable sense of fear in this room when it came to this Mr. Jupiter. Whatever he had done to the two demons had certainly shown his strength to all of them. “Soooo,” the BlNiock demon said. “We just wait?” “That thing should be back soon,” another demon pointed out. “Shouldn’t we handle that first?” The group wrapped in darkness mumbled to each other at the mention of this, and Melissa wondered what this thing could be with mild interest. Before anything was said further, they were interrupted by Yuya. “I would prefer if you didn’t refer to Sanguine as if he were something to be ‘handled.’ Besides, only one of you is strong enough to have any sort of chance against him. Even if you were to team up, he is too powerful for you.” “I wouldn’t dream of hurting dear Sanguine,” Mr. Jupiter said. “I have made another bet, you see. I wish to make him laugh at least once before I move on. He’s always too serious. It can be a little depressing.” “Well you…better be quick…then….” the slow breathing demon said. “I doubt…he intends to….stay with us… much longer.” “Whyyyy we let one of them with ussss, I sssshall never understand,” the snarling demon said. “It was because some of us needed mediators because they were scared.” A childish voice again. Not the little girl. “And can you blame usss,” the BlNiock said. “Already others have been killed. I would be among them if I hadn’t asked for protection.” “And in doing so, you ended up dragging us all into the light,” the young girl said. “Or did you just assume they wouldn’t try things on their own if you brought them close?” “True and false.” “They attract and repel.” “Constantly.” “Oh they just won’t stop.” “It’s an addiction.” “Like cherries.” “He should be back soon,” Yuya stated calmly, ignoring the two blabbering imps as they continued to themselves. “I have to explain something to the one he’s bringing or else I’ll be creating another loose end.” “The Riddleklutz?” a demon with a surprisingly normal voice said. “Just kill the damn thing.” “The word damn.” “It just ruins its overall effectiveness when used constantly by demons.” “I can’t!” Yuya said loudly, her voice overruling the two imp-like demons. “Not only is it difficult to kill a Riddleklutz, it causes problems to handle Balance demons like that.” “I guess we should have expected that,” Melissa muttered up in the vents. “Still, I didn’t think it would be this quick in regenerating.” “False Balance Demon,” Sagara corrected under his breath. He had gone strangely silent while all this had been going on, Melissa noted. He was watching the events below with intense interest, like it was all a television show. Sakura was as well, although she was still shivering. “We should leave, Sagara,” Melissa said lightly, hoping that he wouldn’t jolt. He turned to her without saying anything, waiting for an explanation. “There are too many of them, as I feared,” she explained, her voice quick and quiet. “Even if we did something special to try and get an advantage, some of them are just too strong. This ‘Mr. Jupiter’ alone could probably kill us both without thinking.” Sagara said nothing, now looking back down at the events transpiring below. Melissa wasn’t even sure if he was even listening to her. “It’s not as if it’s been a total waste,” she explained. “It seems like we accidentally completed our mission. This betting ring plan they were having has been totally messed up, and I’m sure the elders would take priority on Yuya’s betrayal to the Balance anyway. It we leave now, it’ll be fine.” “No,” Sagara said simply. “But there’s no reason to stay, we’d just put the hostages in danger if we do stay. At least if we go, there’s a chance they’ll spare them as bait. We can regroup in the meantime and…” She looked at him, as he continued to stare down the vent. His eyes had turned green. What was he seeing that she couldn’t? “We’re staying, aren’t we?” she asked him rhetorically. “Sorry,” he replied, a small smile visible through the darkness. “Don’t be,” she said back. “You’re the boss.” “It’s here,” the snarling voice said, catching her attention again. Melissa looked instinctively to the open door, where Yuya was still standing, apparently not daring to approach the darkness by a single step. Melissa couldn’t see anything, though she could hear faint footsteps, and the sound of a voice. “…still don’t know why one has to come here. She is welcome to visit our chambers whenever she wishes. Although, we guess we do need to rebuild at the moment, after that infernal boy.” “Ah, speak of the devil,” Yuya said, turning round as she caught wind the voice as well, her hand swinging back, telling everyone in the room to hide. Those that were in the light did so, and to Melissa it appeared that Yuya was the only one there. Even the girls were hidden by a shadow. “Please do not use that term around me, Ms. Sakimoto,” the man said, stepping in the light of the door frame. Her eyes nearly popping out, Melissa stared with unintended admiration at the newcomer. Gracefully tall, the handsome warrior stood with his four foot long, straight white hair only just reaching halfway down his body. Remaining proud as he surveyed the scum in the room, acknowledging everyone within it, the figure was dressed in a white robe with gold trim all of which had to be made of fine velvet that met up with a large crucifix emblazoned on his chest piece, reflecting all light that touched it with blinding intensity. Some of the demons were heard taking another shuffled step back, as the newcomer’s presence lit up the room just a fraction more with his natural light. She understood their fear, their insecure caution. On the man’s back, currently bunched up- but still betraying their wondrous splendour, were wings that epitomized magnificence, ivory feathers shining with their own light, shining brightly in Melissa’s eyes. “An Angel?” She pulled away with a jerk of her neck, feeling her throat empty of air, all of it taken by the newcomer. “It is, isn’t it?” she asked, turning to Sagara, nearly forgetting her own vows of silence and secrecy. “It’s not one from the False Balance,” he said, looking meekly curious. “I’ve never actually seen one properly before,” Melissa commented. “Be careful touching it.” “Lord Sanguine,” Yuya said, addressing the man. “Thank you for retrieving him.” Sanguine bowed slightly, bringing his hand up to his chest while doing so and never taking his eyes off her. Further conversation was interrupted, the second visitor swooping over the angel and into the room. There, hovering in the room between the angel and Yuya, was the Riddleklutz. “Hello, my dear lady,” it said, apparently being much more courteous to her than it had been to Sagara and the group the other day. Its physical appearance had changed just as significantly as its manners. It was still traveling on a piece of balsa wood that had the bleached boney arms of a human skeleton hanging down from it. It was still defying gravity like she would her alarm clock in the morning. But this time the strange green head with frizzed hair and a cheap Halloween mask had been replaced by a statue of a cat holding an old Japanese coin “It is good to see you again. We have much to talk about it seems.” Before Yuya could say anything, the Angel seemed to will the two of them to look at him. “Excuse me, I shall return in a moment.” Sanguine bowed lightly again, walking away without waiting for a response. Yuya stared at him as he moved out of sight from beyond the door, but was soon distracted by the presence of the Balance Demon. “He is indeed a strange one. Although we haven’t actually met an actual Angel before. The closest was a Lightbearer. He works as my assistant you see and,” Yuya looked at him, a look of seriousness behind her spectacles. He stopped talking at once. “Forgive me, Judge, but we do not exactly have time for small talk. I am in quite a hurry and would wish to conclude our business as soon as possible.” The Riddleklutz seemed to stare at her, although Melissa wasn’t exactly sure where from or how. As she looked down at the creature, who was now nothing more than a ceramic ornament, only identified from the toy mask it was wearing yesterday, she noticed that all the other demons had stayed sunken back in the shadows. “Very well,” the Riddleklutz replied, sounding a little annoyed but not offended. “Now, I had given you the location of the Futabatei boy, as you insisted as your price for services rendered, after I heard he had broken some of your rulings. I had expected him to be dealt with, yet I find him at my tournament. Could you explain to me exactly what it was that happened?” The Riddleklutz floated up and down for a few seconds, Melissa could swear it was shuffling nervously at Yuya’s brisk tone. “Well?” “It appears we underestimated the boy’s sense of honour,” the Riddleklutz explained. “We suppose we should have expected it from a ninja…” “Don’t give me that nonsense,” Yuya shouted, now visibly annoyed. “That boy’s no more a ninja than you two or I. It’s nothing more than a fad his family keeps up because they live in a small village and want to sound cool. And you should have had been as cautious as you were with any defendant, even more so with a Futabatei.” The Riddleklutz was silent at this, like a schoolchild being shouted at by a teacher. Melissa found herself wanting to laugh. This shouldn’t be the way one treated a Balance judge, even a false one. “Why are you so concerned anyway?” the Riddleklutz said, its tone changing to one of intense curiosity. Yuya seemed undaunted by this, but the demon continued probing. “You have provided us with anonymous tips before, yet haven’t been concerned when we end up releasing the defendants. What is so important with this one, to you that is?” “I’m just upset at your incompetence,” Yuya replied, stressing the words as she eyed the little brown cat ornament on top of the piece of balsa wood. “This is the Futabatei we’re talking about. The Enforcers of the Balance, or so they claim. You have to be careful with them, not just accept that they’ll be willing to take the punishment you give them. You know how they feel about your faction.” “You’re lying,” the Riddleklutz said, its own voice now becoming as stern as Yuya’s. “You wanted the heir removed temporarily. You are pursuing another agenda, one which explains why despite fourteen other demons hunters registered at the tournament only the Futabatei was to be removed from the game. You wanted to keep him safe from something, something that wanted him for very obvious reasons.” Yuya’s face flickered in the light, but she remained defiant to the inanimate gaze of the demon in front of her. “My my,” said Mr. Jupiter, as he stepped back into the light. “It looks like the Riddleklutz is the smartest in all the land after all, and to think we thought we could, how was it put, take you for a ride.” The Riddleklutz visibly lurched back as, for the first time, it registered the presence of the normal looking demon. “You? What are you doing here?” it asked, hovering back another few feet. “Sakimoto, what is the meaning of this? Conspiring with demons of this madness? It is against the rules.” “Oh, I’m sure you could bend the rulings just for me, my dear Riddleklutz,” Mr. Jupiter said, now trailing his gloved fingers across painted statue sitting on top of the balsa wood. “It would really have all our interests at heart.” Some of the other demons laughed or sniggered loudly, and the Riddleklutz lurched back as it began to realize just how many were in the room with it. “I would never…” The Riddleklutz began to say, but cut itself off. “This breaks the very basis of the contract of the Balance. Even if I am more a figure head, I could never allow such diabolical conspiracy to go, for the good of demons at large at the very least.” “Good of demons.” “That sounds strange.” “Good of his job more like.” “Imagine, a demon more concerned with job security than with doing evil.” “Maybe he’s the most evil of us all.” “A shame,” Mr. Jupiter said lightly, unconcerned for the Riddleklutz’s response of clear frantic backwards lunging that suggested it wanted nothing more to do than hover away. “Why, would you have cared before that I was here, or Mr. Mercury. Two of the Allignment of nine that spell doom for you all. It seems that associating with the Lightbearers in that ‘True’ Balance of yours has cursed you with a sense of honour.” “Cursed with honour?” “Shouldn’t it be blessed?” “Blessed go up. Cursed go down.” “A demon can never go up anywhere.” “Especially not in the direction he wants to go.” “Regardless, Yuya wanted to deal with you quietly, but this hiding is beginning to bore me, and I believe it is boring the others as well.” Without waiting for any form of response, except in a few rapid mutterings coming from the Riddleklutz, Mr. Jupiter’s hand shot out, and closed his palm around the head of the cat statue. The Riddleklutz screamed out, the cry quickly changing to be like a soldier charging blindly at the enemy. Blue flame shot out from in front of it, although Melissa could not tell where from, engulfing the demon in front of it in a white hot inferno that looked a thousand times stronger than the one it had hit Sagara with. The flames covered the man in front of the Riddleklutz blanketing him in a pallid inferno. Fires burned the floor, the unclean tiles around Mr. Jupiter bleaching instantly, before igniting as if the place were covered in petrol. The blaze lit the room up, and for the first time, Melissa could see some of the demons, their warped features staring as they tried to stay in the darkness, leering at the event going on in front of them with fixed grins. The fire subsided just as quickly as it had started, with only the tiles on the floor burning bright. The first sound that Melissa heard as the area was pitched into darkness again was the gasp of the Riddleklutz, who, as she looked upon it once again, was visibly shaking in the still gripped tight hand of the demon in front of it. Not even his white, silk clothes had been scorched. “Maybe you’re not as clever as I first thought after all,” Mr. Jupiter said, with what Melissa thought was a smile. Without changing his expression, the demon tightened his hand, causing the small cat ornament to shatter, exploding into flames instantly, the Riddleklutz’s scream cut short like someone had pulled out the speaker by mistake. “Well, well,” the demon said lightly. “I guess that wraps that up.” Yuya stepped back slightly and gulped visibly, before reaffirming herself and standing forward. “That wraps nothing up, you fool!” she shouted, as she leaned forwards to get in his face. “If anything that makes it worse. I could have handled the situation if you hadn’t of butted in. Now the next time he possesses something, he’ll blab out my working with you to the entire planet. I’ll be ruined.” For the first time, Mr. Jupiter’s expression clearly changed, from one of an almost innocent amusement, to an appearance of dreary annoyance. His smile disappeared, his face turning away, yet his eyes still looking at the woman in front of him with derision. “And to think I liked you,” he said calmly, his hand now wrapped round her forehead. From just behind his loose palm, Melissa could see Yuya’s eyes open wide in terror. The illusionist’s eyes were also wide open, and she could bet Sagara’s were as well. The demon’s speed was incalculable. It’s wasn’t even like there had been a blur, or a small flash, nor even a rush of wind. It was just there. Not even the Eye of Futabatei would have been able to register that. Around them, the demons grinned their approval, sneering loudly. One of them sounded like it had vomited. Only the two imp like demons said anything. “Oh don’t kill her just yet.” “Can’t we have some fun?” “Some fun is always nice.” “Goes well with a bit of spice.” The other demon paused for a second, before saying, with a complete change in tone. “Dude. Don’t just say it because it rhymes.” “Sorry,” the other demon said, sounding crestfallen. “Stop, stop,” Yuya said, her words now sounding just as frantic as the Riddleklutz had been. “There’s-there’s no need to kill me, really. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. Nothing I can’t fix. I just overreacted, that all.” As she continued blabbering, Mr. Jupiter smiled again, appearing cheery, yet decided. “Don’t ruin your last moment for yourself, Yuya dear,” he said with finality, his hand closing in to get a better grip. As her glasses cracked against his strong hands, Yuya shuddered, her neck curling up as Melissa saw her eyes closed, not letting herself watch the final moment behind Mr. Jupiter’s gloved hand. “Get your hands off her,” a voice shouted from outside. All the demons quickly fell silent, fading into the darkness as Mr. Jupiter turned to look at the empty door frame. Even Melissa was jolted by its presence, and she immediately looked to her right to see if she had somehow missed Sagara jumping down to join the fight. He was still laying by her though, watching the new arrival with a smile on his face. It was Natoko standing there in the doorway, both her hands held tightly on her sword, her right on the sheath, her left on the hilt. She looked ready to strike down the demon in front of her, although Melissa knew that she had no way of knowing that the man in front of her was a demon, nor that the room was filled with many other such denizens. She was almost tempted to warn her, give some kind of signal that would tip her off without revealing their presence, but there was nothing she would be willing to risk. She stared over to Sagara, who seemed too wrapped up in watching to do anything, then over to Sakura, who was also watching nervously, shivering all the more as she did so. Mr. Jupiter did nothing. Act Four – Chapter One Nobori awoke to shouting. There was an argument going on near him, more a heated dispute than a minor quarrel. Nobori didn’t like arguments that much. He was always of the argument that such arguments were worse than physical confrontation. At least with fighting, everything remained relatively simple, with low emotional stress other than physical pain. In fact, he would even go so far as to state that soap dramas that were full of arguments and screaming were a thousand times worse than any violent video game was. Then again, the law didn’t seem to agree with him, and it completely ignored the fact that he stole regularly and beat people up for their wallets. He blinked a few times, letting his eyes stretch awake and the warm air leave his mouth. The first thing he saw was a vast white surface and a giant, multi-legged beast crawling across his field of view and out the other end. Feeling some bones crack, he lifted his neck, shaking absent minded dreams away from the room around him, which he only briefly remembered falling asleep in after being dragged here. It was barren, save for his bed and an identical one next to it. The paintwork hadn’t been done for a while, and it was beginning to peel in every possible place. In the bed besides him was half a body, the remaining half toppled over the side of it out of view. The half a body grumbled in his sleep, muttering words made incomprehensible by the floor his mouth was attached to. It was slowly waking up, shifting round, taking his forehead off the ground and then suddenly sitting back on the bed in one swift movement as if he had always been awake. Nobori recognised the boy instantly. The idiot from before turned to look at Nobori, seeing him stare at the ninja like he was some kind of space creature. He gave a groggy look of recognition, before raising his hand. “Hi…errr….Tazuna?” “Nobori,” the guy said, wondering where he had got Tazuna from, considering neither had never even got round to introducing himself before. The ninja looked over him to Nobori’s shoulder entombed in bandages. Nobori snorted a laugh, and sat up. “Took a heavy shot from some freak with a knife. Those healing guys wanted to fix it, but that didn’t seem right for such a little graze.” “You have three broken ribs as well,” the idiot replied matter of factly. “Yeah, well, they’ll heal,” said Nobori, though it occurred to him he didn’t know where they had come from. He was also covered in multiple bruises that he couldn’t account for. “But it’s just not the same if you don’t let your body heal itself from a near critical wound inflicted by an opponent who had to sneak up on you to do it, y’know?” “Um, I guess,” the idiot said, failing to notice the direction this comment was going. He looked himself over, checking his ankle. The strange white healers that Nobori only saw long enough to tell them to get lost appeared not to have waited to ask for permission from the idiot like they had with him. In fact, it seemed they had done a full job on the ninja, and he looked healthier than when they had met three days ago. “Well, from what I heard, I don’t blame ya to be honest,” he said, waving his hand down at the idiot. “Why you had to register weapons, I have no idea. If this tournament’s supposed to be as important as they’re making it out to be, it should be more realistic. Any means necessary, y’know?” The idiot was about to fail to comment, when they both heard a racket going on a few feet away from them on the other side of the door. The female voice was shouting so loudly that she was drowning her own words out and both of them failed to understand most of what she was saying. “Just let me in! I have to talk to him,” the voice shouted clearly for one second. The muttered voice of someone else, a man, replied. Judging from the woman’s reaction, Nobori assumed that she had been refused. “Just let me…” they heard an indignant grunt, as the woman made an effort to do something, shortly followed by a high pitched howl and the whimpers of a defeated dog. Seconds later, she burst into the room, her fist clenched aggressively. “Hi Otsune.” “Sagara!” “What on earth…” Nobori said loudly, looking at the woman as if it turned out that she was the evil space creature and Sagara had just been in disguised. The one called Otsune glanced at the one apparently called Sagara for a moment, before straightening her top and curling her hair back around her ears. Behind her, a girl dressed in a hakama and carrying a large sheathed blade, stepped over the defeated man and bowed to him. “Sorry about that,” Nobori heard her whisper, before turning to face them. “Hey, Natoko,” Sagara responded brightly, ignoring the first invader. “Oh sorry. This is…” “Nobori,” Nobori repeated. He wanted to get up and greet them. What was this idiot doing hanging out among such fine women. Well, the one with the sword had kind of a pug nose and the wrong type of cheek bones, but the shouty one with the glasses belonged in fashion magazines with only a bikini on. “Right.” The ugly intruder bowed lightly to him, but he could only nod his head at her. “You okay now?” Sagara continued. “Um…yes, thank you,” she responded slowly. “You’ve never been healed like that, have you? The first time’s confusing, isn’t it?” Natoko’s hand instinctively ran up her spine and scratched it a few times, like there was an incurable inch there. “I guess.” “The first time it happened to me my body spent a whole day insisting I was dead.” He laughed lightly, as if it was one of those events you recalled with nostalgia. “It was funny, but at least you’re all right now.” “Yes. Yes, I am. All right… now” Natoko said. Nobori guessed she had the same feeling as him, that this was a bad time for a conversation, but still a little too tired to question its existence. “Good,” Sagara responded simply, before going quietly and wondering why Otsune had been staring at him the whole time. “Done, are we?” she asked sarcastically, like she was talking to a child who had carried on drawing on the wallpaper in front of her. “Like to talk a little more? Why don’t you ask, ‘Mistress Otsune? Why have you stormed in here, kneeing a grown man in the balls to do so?’” Sagara missed her condescending tone by a few miles, and just carried looking at her, waiting for her to answer her own question. “Mistress Otsune? Why have you stormed in here, kneei-” “Sarah’s gone missing, you moron! Sakura and Aki too,” she shouted, making sure every part of his body heard it. “Oh… okay,” he replied, chirping. Otsune blinked, her anger fading for a split second, before doubling back and insisting its seriousness. “What?” she yelled out. “They’re gone. They vanished when they were in the toilets. I was standing by the door. Who knows what’s happened to them.” “Uh huh,” Sagara replied nodding, as if she had just told him they had gone missing in the supermarket and he knew they were in the toy section, perfectly safe. Otsune, hands now on hips, clearly didn’t appreciate the answer. “Well, if it’s just a ‘uh huh’ problem, then I guess we can relax. And wait for you to find them.” “Okay,” he said, giving Otsune a reaction she wasn’t expecting. He sprang out of bed, stopping as soon as he got up and turned to the corner of the room. “Melissa, help me look for them.” A girl faded into view from the corner he was looking, and Otsune jumped back with a squeal of alarm. Melissa, who Nobori was kind of disappointed to finally learn the name of, sat there crouched, her face contorted into a mix of outright horror and extreme annoyance. “Y-you…You just…I can’t believe you just…” she muttered breathlessly. Sagara just nodded, dismissing any problems she had. “Could you help us? We need to find…” he stopped his polite request, seeing that she had someone with her. “Who’s that?” Still slung around Melissa shoulder, the little feral girl they had found lay sleeping, looking rather content despite being kidnapped from her hotel room and brought amongst strangers. “I got…I found her from the leads we got,” Melissa explained, trying her best to keep her voice level as she put th girl down on the ground before her. “She’s a strange one. It’s like she’s a beast. I figured she might have something to do with it.” There was a gap of silence as the rest of the room observed the girl. There was nothing special about her, though it was hard to tell much when she was sleeping. The only thing that was out of place was that she only had three fingers on each hand. Otsune, realizing that she had a moment to speak, did so. “Who are you?” she finally asked, her own mouth only just closing after being open for so long. “I am Sagara’s shadow,” the illusionist explained, her voice low as to hide her own frustration. “Wherever Sagara goes, I go.” “She’s Melissa. A friend from home. Mom has her help out on missions,” Sagara explained more clearly, causing Melissa to let out a dog-like growl. “Anyway, Sarah and the others have gone missing. We should probably find them before they get lost.” “Lost?” Otsune cried out, nearly realizing her anger. “They’ve been kidnapped. You don’t just disappear from a toilet like that.” “Otsune?” Natoko said quietly, silencing the student. “It doesn’t sound like they’ve been kidnapped.” “It doesn’t?” Otsune exclaimed. “Mind telling me how else a person disappears from a toilet when I’m standing at the only exit?” “Kidnapping is possible…” Nobori muttered, grabbing everyone’s attention as he spoke to himself, “but not necessarily the only answer.” Realising that everyone was looking, he turned to Sagara. “We’re in that same place we were in yesterday, aren’t we?” “Yeah, the InBetween realm. The whole tournament’s being held here. It’s the only place to do such a thing without attracting any attention. “Says the guy who just revealed me to a typical student,” Melissa muttered under her breath. “Besides, none of that’s important. The tournament is over, Sagara. Please tell me you found something out.” “The tournament’s over?” Sagara asked shocked, like he hadn’t been in the final match. Melissa’s right cheek flinched. “Yes,” she replied, gritting her teeth. “Did I win?” Her hand slammed into her forehead, and tried to keep it from falling apart at the seams. “No. No you did not win. You lost and you fell unconscious and then you let Draynor carry on fighting for you and you nearly died because of it.” “Oh,” Sagara went quiet at this. The rest of the room was looking at him with hushed voices as well. They heard a small snort from his nose, followed by a splutter of laughter from his lips. Soon, Sagara was on his back, laughing his head off, like he had just been told the world’s funniest joke. Nobori and Otsune stared at him like he had chosen the wrong way to respond to a loved one’s death. Melissa was the only one to look worried. She quickly got up and stood in front of him, her hands latching onto his shoulder, like he was the edge of a cliff. “Sagara!” she bellowed, causing him to open his eyes slightly, before closing them and continuing to explode with amusement. “Sagara! Snap out of it.” She didn’t sound worried for him. It was more of a command than anything. “Sagara!” “Snap out of what?” he said, still giggling to himself, as he calmed down just as quickly as he started. Melissa exhaled heavily, looking relived. Melissa was about to say something when she heard a noise at the door. “Sagara?” All faces turned to the door, and found a little boy staring back at them with furrowed brow and red cheeks. Realizing he was in the right room, another young child, a boy this time, jumped in and ran towards Sagara, ignoring everybody else, including the man he had to jump over. “You all right?” “Hey, Timothy,” Sagara replied, still chuckling to himself a little. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He lifted his foot up and wiggled it left to right, before flexing his toes. “Why do you remember his name?” Nobori complained on the other bed, with a critical edge to his voice. “Easy to remember, I guess,” Sagara answered casually. “Well, easier than…than…” Nobori’s felt his neck shake. “Oh my…It’s Nobori! Nobori!” The punk watched Sagara, muttering the name to himself like a mantra for a few seconds, before turning to Melissa. “Does he do this on purpose?” “Unfortunately… no,” Melissa replied, now having given up her efforts on stealth and leaning on the side of the wall in plain view. “It’s how he’s always been. You should have seen him as a child; kept forgetting his own name. He’s just a freak really.” A gruff cough filled the room and grabbed everyone’s attention, passing it over to Otsune. She waited a few seconds. “Are we all forgetting something all of a sudden?” she asked politely, but with a hint of homicidal rage in her tone. “We are missing three children, three children that are technically and legally in my care.” Her voice turned to a shout. “Could we please find them? And fast please, Fujiko and the others are waiting for us at the entrance.” “Who’s that?” Timothy interrupted, not caring for Otsune’s problem and now noticing the unconscious girl who was still sleeping peacefully by Melissa’s feet. He stared at her with what appeared to be a mild concern and stepped towards her to see if she was okay. “Later, oka…” Otsune went to say as she put her hand in front of him, her words stopped when she realized he wasn’t paying any attention to her. The young boy didn’t even notice her hand, and walked right through it as if it didn’t even exist. Otsune’s first reaction was to grab again, as if she had missed a cup on the table. Then she quickly felt herself, to check which of them were no longer solid. Feeling flesh and bone as normal as ever, she turned to the boy that had just walked through her ghost style. Everybody was looking at him now as he lumbered over to the body on the floor and even Sagara was showing some concern for what was going on here. Clearly, being intangible was still something to consider ‘weird’ in this place, wherever this place was. The American girl was the first to act, and simply stepped in front of the boy, whose appearance now seemed that of somebody desperate for water, drool dripping from his lower lip, staggering forwards like a zombie. The foreigner’s body was just as effective as Otsune’s hand was, and she didn’t even feel him go through her as he appeared out the other side of her. She turned and lunged at him like he was a rugby ball, falling to the floor. She was up in an instant, figuring out quickly that it was pointless to continue trying. Now, Timothy was just standing there, his back hanging limply, like someone had removed one of his vertebrae and left him stood paralysed. No one seemed to know what to do next. Instead they watched and slowly heard chanting coming from somewhere in the room. Otsune’s magnificent senses swam around the room, trying to trace the vibrations, and soon fixed onto the noise. It was coming from the unconscious’s girl shadow, which was stretching to meet Timothy’s. A few seconds later, her suspicious were confirmed, and a small ball like object had floated out of the darkness between them. Natoko realized it was a skull of some creature coming out of the darkness between them, clinging to it like an oily liquid. It didn’t have far to come out of the shadow, for it was only the bald head of a demon with holes where eyes should have been. Everyone was rooted to the spot, powerless before what happened next. “We are three. And we are one,” it bellowed silently. Otsune blinked, and fished her finger into his ear. The words didn’t sound right for some reason. “And yet, we are more than many.” “Separated, yet together in spirit. We knew we would return to each other. We always have. We always will.” The words felt unique, like each one was at the beginning of a movie, and had an orchestra to back it up. Otsune felt the hairs on her back tingle. “Though we knew,” it continued, apparently unaware of the presence of everyone in the room except the two youngest, one of which lay unconscious still, “we did not understand. The knowledge was there, but torn. Without memory, without soul, without instinct. One third of the puzzle could not understand itself without looking at the other pieces.” “What’s it talking about?” Sagara asked, curious, but apparently unfazed. He looked like he watching television. “I think…” the American` started, pausing for a second as she thought it over one last time. “That this may be the BlNiock demon.” “The head?” Sagara replied, not taking his eyes off them, the pupils glowing green as he continued to watch. “None of them are demons, I don’t think.” “Let us…rejoin,” the oily head finished, before diving into the girl. There was a short flash of red light that disappeared instantly, but had blinded everybody in the room. Otsune let out a small whelp before falling to the floor; Natoko stepping in front of her, her hands around her sword. Otsune quickly stepped round though, so as not to miss anything. The two children were facing each other now; the girl still unconscious, but her body had lifted up and come level with the boy, both of them now swaying back and forth like they were puppets. The oily skull was doing nothing, even the black substance was no longer dripping, sticking in the air around the spirit like bubbles. Then, the air around them exploded. Otsune found herself spinning round to get behind Sagara’s bed, the space in front of her was engulfed by purple flame. The older man swore, loud enough for everyone to hear, even though the whoosh of the inferno had also filled the room. He leaned back and fell off the bed, intending to use it as cover, even those he was bigger than it. The others stood, and let it flow through them. It didn’t look like it was hurting any of them, though they all started to sweat abundantly. Otsune couldn’t feel anything, and even the beds were perfectly fine, not even the cotton covers getting a single singe on them. As it resided, those around her started to pant heavily, the purple fire doing in three seconds what a three mile jog in twenty minutes would. She had been too busy looking to the others that she almost missed the new presence in the room. Gone was the unconscious girl, gone was the boy who had fought Sagara and won against through child abuse, and in their place, where the floating skull had been was what could only be described as an actual demon. The demon was purple skinned, its flesh reminding her more of leather than of human. On its head, unsurprisingly were two curled horns that jutted out on the forehead, just above each eye. Its lower jaw appeared to be missing, but only because the large, talon like fangs of its upper jaw were so long that they hid the creature’s chin under their metallic edge. It didn’t look like it was in a costume. For one, it was also very much naked, and Otsune felt her brain try to snap when she saw that it had what was necessary to be considered both genders. Trying to judge it objectively, if that was even possible with a creature she had never seen before, she guessed this new demon’s body to be double the age of the children it had been spawned from and might actually still be younger than her, if in appearance only. Looking at the demon, it took Otsune a few seconds to realize that it was staring back at her. She almost felt that it was offended or confused at why she was looking at it, like she was an old man quite clearly ogling some young schoolgirl. As it stared back, its ruby eyes glowing dimly at her. Her eyes darted down for a second, out of the worst of curiosities. The demon seemed to notice this, and looked down as well, almost immediately letting out the most girlish scream imaginable. Its six fingered hands swinging in front of it to hide its privates and quickly turned around so that no one could see. “What’s going on? Where am I?” it asked, sounding like a boy whose voice was just seconds from breaking but still keeping together. Otsune’s brow furrowed; it wasn’t what she was expecting. She was partly expecting to die at the hands of a monster. “It is a demon!” Sagara said with excitement, apparently not listening to its question. Otsune saw that his eyes were still blazing green, and she could only guess that he now saw something, besides the obvious horns and talon like fangs, that proved it to be a demon. “I get it. Each piece on its own wasn’t demon enough for me to notice the full picture, like a jigsaw puzzle.” “Who are you people?” it asked, its voice high pitched and full or worry. “The last thing I remember is…is…the tournament!” Its eyes bulged wide, and looked around to see if anyone had responded. The American was smiling. “And would you like to tell is what you intended to do in the tournament?” The BlNiock demon stuttered, realizing it said something it shouldn’t have, before giggling nervously. “N-n…nothing.” “Oh really?” the American continued. “you do know that Demons aren’t allowed in the tournament, right? Either for participation or observation. It’s for humans only. You may not be breaking any of the Contracts of the Balance by being in the InBetween Realm, can’t stop that no matter how hard we try. But the second you step into a tournament designated area, you should know what would happen, even with your little trick.” The American smirked. She looked very happy to be dominating the creature, though she hid it well under the grimace. They both heard a snarl, and the America quickly jumped back to avoid a clawed hand as it swung at her. She had clearly got out of the way, when the sleeve of her garb was ripped, seemingly without cause. “Stupid humans!” it growled, hissing huskily at the girl, as it bore down upon her. “You think anyone listens to the rules of the Futabatei anymore. Your power, your reach; they is limited. The contracts are no longer anything but deterrence.” The American didn’t respond, but Otsune noticed she had no answer in her silence, like to say anything now would be to admit that it was true. “Do you have any idea… how big the tournament is going to be this year?” it hissed cockily at the illusionist, her fly to its spider, as its one step forward caused three steps back for her. “Do you have any idea how many demons are going to be involved?” “There are more than just you?” “What?” it said, as if someone had whispered something into its ear. “That’s not possible!” It went silent again, and Otsune realized that the demon’s merging from its three forms must not have finished yet, and that parts of it still didn’t know parts that others did. “I entered…I lost! Whom did I lose to?” “Me,” Sagara said calmly, having sat back down while all this was going on. The BlNiock demon swung round to growl at him, and Sagara took this as his cue. His hand glowed silver as the Draynor gauntlet was summoned and struck the creature right where its jawbone probably was. Otsune gasped, putting her hand to her mouth, as the demon’s teeth shattered and spilled out over the ground as ivory pieces. The demon fell to the floor, letting out a high pitch shriek as it did so. Sagara followed through and delivered another punch to its ribcage. Its body contorted as it fell to his strength and rolled over, an orange liquid that looked like it came from an ice-lolly steaming out of a small wound where Sagara’s fist had been. The ninja was just about to finish up with a blow to the back of the head when he just stopped, his fist still raised in the air. Everyone looked at him, wondering why he wasn’t finishing the demon off, especially when it was clear he was about to win. Otsune was just about to ask him what was the matter when she realized she couldn’t speak, it was as if her mouth had been glue shut, or he had eaten a vast load of toffee. It wasn’t just them who couldn’t move. The others were now paralysed as well, the only thing that could still move being their eyes, which darted round to look at the others, presumably to see if it was just them who could now no longer move. The demon coughed, the orange steaming blood now dripping out of its mouth like spit from a drunkard, and spewed out blood and shards of teeth. As they looked down at it, everyone could see its shadow, now clearly larger than it should be, like a sheet stretched out and under their feet to hold it in place. “Isthz hea yadow!” the American tired to say, her tongue stuck to the bottom of her mouth, her teeth still firmly clamped together. Despite her incoherence, everybody seemed to understand, and tried to shake themselves free, to little effect. The BlNiock demon had stopped paying attention to them, its twelve fingers now trying desperately to pick up the shards that were once its teeth in some vain hope that perhaps they could be reconnected. Giving up after a few frantic seconds, it tossed the ivory to the floor and cursed loudly, filling the silent room as it slammed its fists on the floor, its incredibly sharp talons piercing its own palms, to seemingly little effect. Pausing for a moment, it seemed to start thinking, frantically looking left and right like it was trying to find something. Whatever it was searching for, it seemed to find it and, without warning or provocation, threw itself at the wall where its girl half had been lying. It, not too surprisingly, bounced right off, and Otsune almost expected the audience to laugh. This didn’t stop it from trying again though and, looking even more confident than the last time, headbutted the wall, letting out another high pitched squeal like before and disappearing. Otsune immediately felt her arms fall from where they were lifted, but was too busy staring at the wall where the demon had gone to notice. Around her, everyone else fell loosely, Sagara’s hand dropping the air where it was raised and Nobori finally standing up from behind the bed. “It’s gone,” the American stated, just in case anyone hadn’t noticed the creature running up to the wall, which, although still as cracked and ruined as before, didn’t appear to have had a demon just run into it twice. “What the fuck was that thing?” the muscular man said, sweating profusely from his massive physique. “I don’t actually know,” said Sagara, making the gauntlet disappear from his hand. “I’ve never heard of a demon like that. We may not even have it in the books back home. Not any I’ve read anyway. Melissa?” “No, none. In the books we’ve been allowed to read anyway,” Melissa added, giving up on the wall she had been studying. “I’m not even sure what you’d class it as. At the very least it’s a real demon rather than a kotodama type.” “What are you talking about?” Otsune shouted as loudly as she could, to hide any quake that might still be in her voice. “It was a demon. That’s obvious. I may have been trying to deny these things for a while, but even I can accept that for what it was!” “Most of those demons don’t exist,” Melissa stated sternly, like she was trying to educate someone in a class below her. “Those forms you are used to seeing are just human interpretation, your brain telling you what you can comprehend without going insane. It goes without saying that people use them as inspiration.” “Human interpretation?” Otsune repeated. “You mean like self hypnosis?” “Erm…” Melissa paused, having no idea what the girl was talking about. “Maybe, whatever. Basically, the Futabatei don’t allow people to remember demons for very long, just warped after images based on their worst nightmares. If you guys hadn’t been around Sagara so long, the same would have probably happened to you.” “But I thought demons needed to possess items. Then why is there that creature?” Natoko asked. “Or are we going through this… effect?” “This is the InBetween Realm. We’re seeing with our souls, talking through our souls… all that. All demonic spirits can exist here without problems, though I still don’t get the whole three in one thing” “I should have been able to see through it as well,” he finished. “So, no tricks… I think” “Well this doesn’t really matter does it?” Natoko added thoughtfully. “You’ve located your demon, right? You can find it again after we’ve found Aki and the others.” “I’m not so certain we should be wasting time,” Melissa said, pondering the situation. “The things it said. There is more than one demon involved in all of this. The longer we wait, the less chance we’ll find of getting all of them. We should go after it after the flux has opened up again.” “Are you even listening to her?” Otsune shouted, stepping forward, before nearly leaping back as Melissa stared at her with cold eyes. “You go look for your friends,” Melissa said, the first word coming out as if it were on fire. “We have things of higher importance to take care of. The reputation of our clan is at stake here.” Otsune thought this over for a second, decided she didn’t like the logic, and stepped forward again. “Who cares about your clan’s damn reputation?” she argued, her hand swiping the air in front of her as she did so. “Our friends are in danger. That should be the heroes’ first priority.”Otsune reeled back as the girl released an anxious grin on her face and stepped forward, lightly headbutting Otsune, the taller girl only just getting out of the way of a full strike. “Let’s make it clear and cliché now, before you delude yourself further than you already have with your messed up little lives. The last thing we are, are heroes,” she claimed. “We are not the forces of good, or evil. We are those who walk the middle, who enforce those on either side, who…” “Erm, Melissa?” Sagara said lightly, interrupting Melissa’s mini speech. “I know you say it’s wrong to complain. I know you’d get angry at me if I said stuff like that, so i…” “I know, I know,” Melissa said, turning away from Otsune. “It’s just hard to make people understand sometimes, especially morons.” Otsune was about to interject at this, but Melissa kept talking. “I’m… sorry… but there are more important things at stake here. Your friends will just have to wait. If we had a way, I would do my best to help you, but we don’t, so just sit here until we return.” Otsune went to say something after this, but felt no words were right. Anger had gone after the apology and now… “Let’s go, Sagara,” Melissa stated turning to the door, where the guard remained lying on the floor, groaning to himself for a strangely large period of time. “No,” he said quietly, stopping her. “I want to help my friends.” Melissa muttered something under her breath before turning round. “And you heard none of what I just said how?” she said loudly, waving her hands in front of her. “We don’t have time, and we can’t waste time finding more leads afterward.” “But don’t we need leads to find the BlNiock demon as well?” he asked with a child’s logic. “Yes!” Melissa cried out with her answer. “Which is why we need to get going?” She turned to the door, with the vainest of hopes that Sagara would follow. He stayed on the bed, smiling to himself. “In that case” Sagara said. “There is a way to do both.” Act Three – Chapter Eight They had missed the next match, getting lost in the endless corridors leading up to the seats where Gen, Otsune and the others were. It had taken three minutes and Sagara admitting he had no idea where they were before they finally asked a janitor that looked like he was made of glass and painted with acrylic before they finally got on the right path. Natoko was navigating now, though it was difficult. Despite having been healed earlier, she had dropped again a second after standing up, and could only whimper, feelings of nausea filling her since realising she was still alive. Aki had immediately fell into a bout of worry as it turned out that, although her body was completely healed, her mind wasn’t entirely convinced it should still be alive and was insisting that she didn’t move much until it could confirm this. They finally reached back out into the arena, and immediately heard a rush of cheers, the forth fight was over already. “The winner of the forth match: Yamato!” Before they could see down to arena floor, everybody had stood up to cheer on the winner, which prevented them from seeing who this Yamato was. It didn’t concern them however, for they heard a squeaky voice immediately behind them. “Oi, Boss!” Sarah called out, grabbing their attention and pulling them towards her. Sagara wasted no time in sitting Natoko down on her own seat, dropping her from his back and allowing him to finally catch his breath. “She’s okay, right?” Gen asked, over the din of the crowd’s adulations. Natoko nodded her head, though her pale face told another story. Aki skipped up the row behind and landed on her friend’s shoulders, kneeling in her seat at the same time. She looked as carefree as ever, hung over her shoulder and smiling cheerily, though Natoko suspected that Aki’s position was more to keep an eye on her than anything else. “She should be okay,” Sagara claimed without a hint of knowledge as to whether it was true or not. A broken spinal column wasn’t exactly something you just got up and walked away from. Other than being completely spent, her eyes already closely and her head bobbing as she tried to keep track of everybody, she felt fine. “I’ve got to go,” he said simply, and walked away. As he turned, he bumped someone, and his hand shot out, grabbing them before they fell down the four steps to a bruised end. The hand was petit, its owner gasping as she felt it being grabbed. “Sakura,” Sagara muttered, not expecting the teenage cook to be there. “Hey, kid,” he looked at the girl, as she focused on the interesting dirt of the ground. The dirt immediately sprung to attention, feeling slightly embarrassed that it was being scrutinized so intensely. “What’s wrong?” Sagara waited for her to say something, the little girl looking at him like she was expecting something as well. When nothing came he just shrugged and walked off behind her, saying his farewells as he did so. “Oi, Sagara,” Fujiko called out as he started to wander off. As he turned to look at the girl, Otsune noticed his smile seemed to have wavered a little bit. “Good luck on your next fight.” The boy didn’t reply at first, like his mind had been caught on something. Finally he responded. “Hey, if it gets too bad,” the girl next to her said. “You can just whack ‘em with that gauntlet, right?” “No, no I can’t.” Like he had been reminded of it for the first time in a while, Natoko watched as he brought his hand up to his eyes and glared at it for a moment looking, almost lost. “See ya,” he said jumping down the stairways and heading back through one of the exits without warning the now screaming parakeet. “Sakura?” Gen called to the girl, as she continued staring after Sagara, ignoring the landlord, switching her gaze to look at where Sagara had gone and whatever was so exciting with the ground. Everyone’s attention was briefly on the girl, their gazes being unnoticed until, finally, she turned around and ran off, Natoko hearing something about heading for the toilet. “What’s wrong with her?” Fujiko asked nonchalantly. “She was like that yesterday.” “Sagara killed her boyfriend yesterday,” Aki said, who now had a tight grip around Natoko’s head to prevent the warrior from falling asleep. “What?” Natoko shouted, instantly regretting it as all her muscles screamed with agony. She fell back down, muttering something to herself in annoyance. Otsune took over for her. “But Sakura doesn’t have a boyfriend,” she pointed out. “Does she?” Natoko didn’t know the answer either. They all knew that the girl never went out at night. She was both too young and too shy, the only place was somewhere at school, or from church, and she couldn’t imagine Sakura having the nerve to date someone in either environment. “Yeah. That’s what she said,” Aki replied simply, as she began tugging on Natoko’s hair, braiding it between her fingers. Natoko sighed at the girl’s ministrations. Aki could probably describe the murder of her own family and ask someone to pass the salt in the same sentence, so it was impossible to know if she was ever telling the truth or not. The worst part was, she never really had much of a reason to lie. Ten minutes later, nine of which Sagara had probably spent being lost as he wandered through corridors he had not been through the first time, Raiko saw the ninja arrive in the centre of the arena to a cacophony of jeering. All around him, there were people booing and hissing him off, his last fight clearly hadn’t won him any favours with the crowd and they now seemed to be doing everything within their power to make him lose the match. The barrier had been set up to prevent such obstructions and had now been set to full since bottles had been set up in the arena. It was a simple barrier really, merely designed to stop anyone trying to enter in the heat of the moment, but it still had the power to incinerate everything it touched given the right setting. The ninja, trying his best not to be distracted by all the noise that severely contrasted what had happened the first time he had come out, walked up to the stage where Raiko stood waiting for him. She waved to him with a smile before turning back to the microphone. “And back again after the most colossal fight we’ve had so far… He destroyed the stage, ladies and gentlemen, let’s hear it for Michael!” The crowd switched tactics, erupting into a range of adulations for Sagara’s opponent. Raiko felt sorry for the guy. Even though he looked not to care, it must have been clear to both of them that the only reason they were cheering was to spite him. Michael had been a powerful fighter, as to be expected of someone like him, but it was unlikely that public opinion had been swayed in his direction. Still, for now, she had to make them hate Sagara. Such was the role of the ring girl “The one known only as Michael has already graced us with his colossal powers, ripping the very arena in half just to subdue his opponent. I don’t know about the rest of you ladies and gentlemen, but I’m very excited to see how well he’ll do against the heir of the Futabatei clan, even if all we’ve seen Sagara-sama do is throw a helpless child out of the ring.” They switched back to jeering at the mention of this, and she weaved them round her words. As long as she didn’t go full, Sagara wouldn’t have any reason to do anything against her, so she was okay for now. Michael hadn’t stepped out yet. She was warned it might happen in between rounds sometimes and she instantly went to stalling tactics to cover up for the audience. “For those of you concerned on our youngest fighter, little Timothy McKay only sustained minor injuries at the end of the fight. He has already recovered and didn’t even need to see a Nuet or one of our regular doctors.” More cheering, but still no Michael. “And if you look over to my left you will actually seen the little guy sitting peacefully watching the fight like the rest of you. What a little warrior!” She indicated him and saw several thousand heads click to the right. Timothy waved at everybody with a smile and a few hundred even waved back. She turned around, checking all four of the main entrances to the arena, and then the smaller ones. Nothing. An assistant came running out of the changing rooms shrugging his shoulders. “Since we appear to have some time, let me tell you about the history of the tournament…” “Is it natural for announcers to talk this long during fights?” Otsune asked curiously. She had never been in a fight her whole life, but it seemed unlikely they would stop what they were doing to have a brief discussion when they were trying to kick the crap out of each other. “Maybe it’s a tension thing,” Fujiko observed, shoving popcorn into her mouth at the same time she spoke. “Y’know, trying to rouse the audience, making them think something’s dramatic about to happen.” “Would that happen in a place like this?” Gen asked, almost rhetorically. “Hell no,” Sarah piped in. “They can’t find the damn fighter. He’s ran off, scared of Boss” Gen groaned, taking off his glasses and feeling his eyes as he felt that this was the only logic the pipsqueak had for her argument. The conversation ended there, as the lone announcer contained the crowd with stories of honourable warriors from centuries ago who found the place by accident and others also there by coincidence and how it all seemed a great idea to kick the crap out of each other. Because they were men, goddamit, and that’s what men waste their time with. Otsune sighed, coming up from her drink, now wishing she had switched to alcoholic. “Don’t you think Sakura should be back by now,” she inquired of anyone willing to listen. Most of the group were focused on waiting for the fight to start up, but Natoko, who was slowly drifting in and out of consciousness, only to be stopped constantly by her friend tugging on her hair, heard her question. “It is strange,” she muttered, finding it difficult to speak amidst the drowsiness. “And Tina hasn’t come back either,” Fujiko commented. “Standard operating,” Otsune commented. “I don’t know if you noticed, but she doesn’t want to be around us anymore.” “Really?” Fujiko replied, a hint of sarcasm easy to mistake for a slur. “We haven’t even spoken in the past two weeks.” “Aki?” Natoko said weakly. “Could you please go and check up on Sakura?” “What?” Aki whined, her happy expression changing to one of regret. “But I wanna stay here.” “Just quickly find her, and then come back.” Without actually giving a valid reason to the girl, Natoko found it was enough anyway and Aki skipped off down the stairs in the direction of the girl’s toilet. It took five minutes for the last person to get out, but she was only able to hold back her tears for thirty seconds afterwards. She didn’t want anybody to see her cry, here in the toilets of what had to be another world. Where were they? She didn’t know, she had no way of knowing, but she knew it had to be like the place they went yesterday. Some place that couldn’t exist in Fuugosuki, or under it. She had gone to see him, to ask him things. It had taken her four hours to just pick up the courage. Before getting here. Before getting lost. Before finding Tina. Before Tina had helped her. Understood her. She was happy she had found a friend in the usually reserved girl. But he wasn’t there at first. It was understandable, he had things to do and she couldn’t bother him, even though she wanted to ask the questions so much. What happened the day before? Where did they go? How did she know Alexis? She had to wait for the answers a little longer, though she didn’t even know if he could provide them, why should he know? …Why did he kill him? She wished for Sagara to magically appear so she could ask him, though hopefully not in front of everybody, for she could imagine them all staring as she asked such weird things. Then she thought she got lucky, and he came up after Natoko’s fight. The samurai was on his back, probably from being hit hard or something, but she hadn’t been paying attention to the fight, she just wanted to talk to him, ask him the questions! And then she had lost her nerve. It wasn’t entirely her own fault. It couldn’t have been. His own words, as bright and relaxed as a sleeping kitten in the sun, his few words showed that he had already forgotten about yesterday. Alexis’s death meant nothing to him. Hearing them, she couldn’t help the urge to escape boiling up inside of her, overflowing down the stairs and straight towards the toilets, where she could try and relax for a few minutes. But she couldn’t relax, Alexis was dead, and no one was doing anything about it. No one even cared. She could understand Otsune, Fujiko, Gen and the others not to care, but Aki and Sarah were there, and Sagara… She let out of wheezy cough, as her emotions went silly and came out as liquid melancholy. What should she do? She spent all her energy on bringing up the strength to ask him the questions; she had even rehearsed in the mirror, just to make herself feel better. Now she was just going top hide in the toilets forever, basking in their lonely embrace, the isolation of the public services. Even this wasn’t to last, as the door open again. She looked to see if the door was locked, and lifted her feet above the bottom of the door. “Sakura Tamburo,” a man called. Aki had reached the toilet stall, grumbling to herself about the smell. Despite the rest of the dome being spotless, someone had clearly forgotten about these toilets. She walked in slowly, relishing the smells of popcorn and hot dogs that she had smelt earlier, as well as her main favourite of bananas. She briefly considered going back to get one, before thinking that it may be wrong for the situation. She entered the main part of the toilet and called out to Sakura. She wasn’t too surprised to not receive an answer, Sakura was probably staying quiet in one of the stalls. She kneeled down, making sure that no part of her body touched the greasy floor anymore than it had too, and began peering under the stalls. A brief glance under and over each stall revealed nothing but an older woman whom she had to apologise to for spying on. Not understanding adults, the African girl waited until she knew the whole room was empty, and leapt to the top of one of the stalls. From here, she could see everything, and yet saw nothing. “Sakura?” she called out in confusion, as her voice echoed throughout the stalls. “Are they going to fight?” Timothy asked her as she sat back down. Sagara wandered passed her and out of sight, the jeers even getting to him. “Well technically they should,” Raiko replied. “But it does require both of them there. All we can do is wait a bit really. If Michael doesn’t show up, we move onto Hayate and Yamato.” “And Sagar gets to go straight to the finals?” “Yeah, guess I can’t like it, but it’s not really his fault. That guy gets a lot of lucky breaks whether he likes it or not.” Across from them, she saw another assistant waving to her with a ‘the show must go on’ hand symbol. “I think that might be ending soon though,” Timothy replied, but she was already ignoring him, her eyes catching Hayate walking to the stage. She started up the stairs to meet him. The fools. They wait for a battle that will never occur. It happened long ago. Not with who it should. But with me and I was but the only victor there could be. Not that I had a choice mind you. Never a choice. But the demons had to die. All demons that oppose the stoolie have to die, including this one. Can’t take the risk now, can we? We need the stoolie to survive. Sorry about this, cripple. I have to work fast. Have to work hastily. Now that divine intervention is on its way I have to get rid of all of you as fast as I can “I don’t think you want to do that.” Huh? And why not? “It wouldn’t be your best interests. You might, say, lose the arm.” Oh like I do anything in my own interests. And the arm grows back. “Then how about this. It wouldn’t be necessary to your actual interests.” Really. The only thing I need to keep at this moment is my mouth and my stoolie. And you aren’t either of those… are you? “No but-“ Well then. Time to burn! Or not! He holds my hand. None can do that. They wouldn’t let him. “I have no reason to kill him spirit. You need not worry. He can survive in my eyes, and so can you if you leave now.” Oh, okay then. make it clear raiko isn’t on stage! Raiko sneezed. That was always a bad sign. Here in the InBetween realm temperature should only ever bother you if an elemental demon was in the area. Of course what with all the problem causers that were here that could have been true. But then the trouble causers were also disappearing, one at a time. Yuya had told her to expect something like this. Sagara had a mission she said, and though they weren’t to help directly they were to stand on the sidelines and make sure it didn’t get out of control. But the demons disappearing should have been a sign that Sagara was getting his job done. So why didn’t it feel like that? Why did it feel that everything was spiraling in opposite directions and colliding. She stopped, smelling the corridor she was standing in, the repugnant smell of rotten chicken distracting her. The awful smell got her nose wanting to vomit. She covered her face to try and get away from it. This was another thing that got to her about the realm she was in. You never really knew what you were going to come up against and sure it was the same on Earth and in the Strangelands but at least those places had the potential of being cleaned up before you got to them. There could be a rotting corpse in the InBetween realm for years and it would rot to bone before anyone ever found out about it. About to head through a mahogany door to another corridor, and hopefully away from the smell, she noticed a pile of black dust neatly lumped on the ground. She examined it for just a second, before deciding she didn’t care and shot into the opposing corridor, where the air got back to purifying her nostrils of the smell and back to just choking her lungs with stale air. “And just what on earth makes you think you can get away with this!” Crap! Yuya’s voice filled her ears and she realised that her boss was down the corridor around the turn. She couldn’t afford to see her until the tournament was over. Though she had talked Robbie into swapping places with her so that she did his announcing job and he look after a few ‘perfectly normal guests’ Yuya probably wouldn’t be pleased with her skipping her assigned duties, especially when it was clear to both of them that she was only doing it to go see Sagara. She wondered if she had a crush on him. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since yesterday and she was even disobeying orders just to hang with him. But then there was something else as well. “Well, answer me boy!” she continued and Raiko got just that little bit curious as to who she was speaking too. Sneaking up to them, she peeked round the corner, partly expecting to see a conversation between the boss and some poor assistant who probably didn’t even realise where he was. Instead, she caught the back of Sagara’s head. “Don’t think I will just accept your refusal to answer,” she continued. “Do you think me stupid, that I wasn’t raised by the great thinkers of the Cmir, or did you just think that your rules overrode my own.” “I wasn’t aware that they were separate,” Sagara finally replied. Yuya’s face tightened in anger. “Yes you did,” she responded after a shot of disgust. “I explained the rules to you right at the beginning. And I clearly stated there would be no attacks on fellow participants between the bouts, mentally or physically.” “Did I break that rule?” “You know you did. Do not try and act like a fool to get out of it?” “But all I told him was to win his next match.” “I’m not talking about the ‘smack’ talk between yourself and Fujiwaru Hayate. I’m talking about the removal of Wasim real name Gregor and Michael Hale after their fight had concluded. Now I may not be able to do anything about Mr. Gregor, but Mr. Hale was still in the tournament and you can’t just raise yourself up in the ranks by disposing of him early.” She paused to produce an extra long sneer, held for good measure. “Quite frankly I’m ashamed of you Sagara.” “Hey that’s enough,” Raiko found herself shouting out, turning the corner and walking straight up to Ms. Sakimoto. The women’s skin shined with sweat and heat. Either she had ran to Sagara, or she was nervous about something. “Stay out of this, Raiko,” Yuya immediately barked out before she could get another word in. “The rules are still the rules no matter how privileged he is. I’m afraid I have no choice but to disqualify him for his actions. You’ve ruined my tournament boy.” “Don’t say that,” Raiko quickly defended. “You just said you didn’t do it.” “So don’t apologise.” “You would deny it?” Yuya retorted. “The camera’s surrounding corridors 67B alpha show them walking in that direction and not returning. We conveniently had all the exits to that area covered. During the time after their match the only ones that went down there are those two and yourself as you wandered after them.” “I think I was looking for the toilet.” “And what? In your bladder induced haste you vaporised the both of them?” “You speak like there weren’t ways around the cameras, Sakimoto-san,” Raiko butted in. “What if another demon hunter was here? There are plenty of reasons still how they disappeared. Hell, to me it sounds like Wasim killed Michael in a jealous rage after losing.” “Wouldn’t have happened and I would know. And there are no demon hunters here, Raiko. We’ve been very careful about that. The only other one allowed on the premises is Ms. Melissa and she is not here. She’s currently in Fuugosuki attacking one of the False Balance strongholds.” “But as you said yourself. You don’t have proof Sagara did it.” “He’s the only possible suspect at this point.” “But that should not be enough to disqualify him from the tournament, should it?” “Why you little bitch.” “And now you’re resorting to profanities.” She only did that when she was losing or had another agenda that required her to lose. The boss was a tricky one to work out, but it didn’t matter now. Whatever game she was playing, she was playing with the appearance to lose. “Fine,” she said, looking put out. “He can stay, but I’m watching you Futabatei. Don’t think you can break my rules just because of your initiation.” She began to walk away. “If you do, not even your mother will be able to help you.” She opened a door and slammed it shut on the other end. The room was filled with sounds of Sagara scratching his head blandly. He didn’t look one but concerned. “Well, thanks for that,” he said, going to walk on ahead. Before he could go any further she shifted in front of him and locked his path. “What did you do to me?” “I displayed my gratitude.” “No, I mean… Why did I do that? Why did I just defend you? I should be trusting her more than I’m trusting you. Hell, you’re just a stranger to me.” Sagara remained silent. She looked to his green eyes, but got no answer form them. “And there’s something else. Something I have to tell you, but I know I can’t yet, but for reason I really have to tell you.” “Raiko,” he said and just by hearing that she realised she had been more nervous than she had ever been before. “Just because of what your mother was doesn’t mean you have to trust me to stay alive. And just because of who your boss is doesn’t mean you have to believe in me. And it doesn’t matter that because you’re my friend or because of what you have inside of you or anything else. In the end, these only matter if you want them to, and it’s all your choice.” Raiko looked at him, seeing the seriousness in his green eyes. She agreed with him. Geez, when he put it like that it made a decent amount of sense, but that didn’t stop her from laughing her head off at him. “What kind of corny is that?” she asked as she aired out laughter. “There’s a difference between giving good advice and just trying to sound sage like, Sagara. And I don’t think you’re very good at either.” “Really,” he said, smiling a little as well. “Sorry.” Bringing him in for a hug, she felt his heart beating like a jackhammer. He was warm. “Try again when you’re a little older, and maybe to someone younger than you too.” “The winner of the second semi-final, Kurogane Yamato!” the overhead speakers blared out as a rapturous applause surged out from the distance. “Man, were we really here that long?” Raiko said looking to the speaker above them. “That Yamato sure is something.” “Looks like you’re not getting your grudge match final,” she said, trying to sense disappointment on his face. “You better get going.” Without anything but a nod to her he headed off in the opposite direction of where he was supposed to be going. Quickly shifting him around, she watched as he headed off to face his hardest match yet. “Hey Sagara,” she called out, just before he was out of sight. He turned back to her. “If you head over to the west stage and climb the stairs there to the top, the demons are in the VIP room that overlooks the stage.” “I thought you couldn’t tell me that,” he said, after a moment’s thought. “Who cares anymore,” she shouted back. “Just do me a favour. Don’t go after them until your match is finished.” “Okay,” he said now not looking. He left her to the empty corridor, where all the noise that was left was the buzzing from the speaker. It didn’t matter to him. She was overjoyed by that. Perhaps he would be the one that truly made a difference to the balance. Then soon, maybe, she’d finally be able to get her chains off. She exhaled, relaxing for a moment. The smell crept back into her nostrils and made her choke once again. She quickly ran out of the corridor, leaving the rotten smell to its own devices. Melissa grunted, hauling the dead weight back on her shoulder as it slipped off again, the unconscious girl being as unhelpful as possible as the illusionist dragged her back into the InBetween Realm. The big guy was the same, doing his best to stay conscious with the knife wound still bleeding mildly from the bandages. She should have left him in an earth hospital, but the doctors here would have done a much better job. Besides, she wasn’t going to leave him with her owing him one. Though thy were now able to talk in the language free realm of the InBetween, silence was still their chosen language. He had simply given up trying to speak to her and with the child on her back, she wasn’t in the mood. She didn’t have a ticket for either of them, but then again, she rarely did. She had even skipped airfare for the trip to Japan in the first place. It wasn’t the smartest thing to do nowadays, but it wasn’t worth thinking about now. Walking past the guards was easy, but then she had difficulty in getting over the turnstile while holding the sleeping child. In the end it had required great concentration to stand on the metal box that the guard stood by, a supposedly human creature in his late one thousand and seventies, flip over quickly while still holding the girl and land silently on the ground, all the time maintaining her illusions so the guard saw, heard or smelt nothing, including the blundering boy that just wandered pass and waved hi to a guard that didn’t respond. Now she was into the restricted area, a corridor painted a beautiful cream and then soiled by a lack of maintenance- dead demon vermin and more dust than one would ever wish to see in their lifetime. She guessed that the tournament was held too rarely, and that cleaning the corridors where spectators weren’t going to see was seen as a waste of time for half a day’s entertainment every half decade. She walked on, the feral child making her shoulder ache, as she looked for a sign that led to the fighters’ waiting area. She briefly wondered how Sagara’s matches had gone. If he had won the Battle Royale, he would have beaten anyone in the duels afterwards. Of course, she knew he wouldn’t; it would be too much of a problem. If he had to spend all his time being watched by the crowds, he wouldn’t be able to do any investigating. No, she was sure he would have lost by now, definitely on purpose if not by necessity. There was no way he could have continued the investigation with everyone staring at him. “And now the big final match up of the night: Kurogane Yamato vs. Futabatei Sagara-sama!” She cursed seven hundred and twenty two times before she reached the nearest door to the tournament arena. The door didn’t open, nor did it close, nor did anyone walk through it or shut it afterwards. Melissa looked ahead of her, to where the fight was starting. Dropping the girl onto an empty seat beside her, she decided she could waste a few minutes waiting for this to the end. Her aim was to talk to Sagara anyway so, as annoying as he was being, she would just wait for him to finish his fight with… Her brain stopped what it was doing, put all its work aside and focused solely on her eyes and what they were telling it. They strained as she stood back up and lent over the guardrail, just in case they had somehow deceived her when she was two feet back from where she was standing now. She gazed, then blinked and gazed again, just in case it was a trick of the light, but it was true. Her perfect vision told her so. Sagara’s opponent was in a wheelchair. A modern one, fully electronic and covered in shiny red plastic that sat just five feet in front of Sagara. She would have thought that maybe someone had parked it there and ran off giggling childishly, if it wasn’t for the announcer starting the countdown in his usual low pitched voice that Melissa noticed wasn’t stuttering at all. She looked round, to see if anyone else had noticed this, but they only looked as interested as any group watching would be in the finals of a wrestling match, on the edges of their seats as they shoveled popcorn furiously in their mouths, like they wouldn’t be allowed to eat after the countdown had finished. She looked back at the opponent, her mind reeling with many different thoughts as she observed the man who, unless this was an obvious trick, had to be crippled in some way. The opponent, who appeared Japanese, looked normal enough- a little too normal, bar an unkempt beard and the fact he looked completely unable to fight. He was far too skinny and he had one arm sticking up, slightly out of place above the armrest, as if he couldn’t quite pull it all the way down to rest it like he was the other hand. The illusionist’s breath held its place inside her mouth as she saw the countdown hit two and nothing change. The apparent cripple was just sitting there, waiting patiently for the fight to start. The announcer’s voice screamed the start of the fight and, like it had been the call for a firing squad Sagara jetted forward, his feet leaving but staying parallel with the ground as he flew towards his opponent, no concern on his face for what he was about to hit. Melissa had expected that much; it was why she was worried. Sagara always used the ancient art of punching someone in the face right at the start of the fight. Staying back and analyzing was just far too above him. What she hadn’t expected next though was for the boy in the wheel chair to spin out of the way at the last second, grab Sagara’s hand and twist it to the floor, causing the ninja to crash head first into the rockwork below. He was back up in a second and launched a kick at his opponent, who dodged it passively. The ninja didn’t stop and threw two fists at the wheelchair bound fighter, who dodged it again equally as easy. Still not stopping, Sagara planted his hands on the ground and, lifting his legs up, sprang at the foe with his infinite variety kangaroo kick, which missed just as much as the last three attacks had. Melissa exhaled, as the fight seemed to stop for a second, and took this moment to put her eyes back into their sockets. She looked around at the audience, who still seemed to be acting like this was a normal fight, and that the opponent didn’t have the use of his legs. It wasn’t a trick, it wasn’t like the wheelchair was an empty shell, which this Yamato hid his legs in to fool his adversaries. It was just… well, a wheelchair. Sagara appeared, although like usual he wasn’t showing it, mildly surprised by what was going on before him. It had probably occurred to him that being bound to a seat should have been a huge disadvantage but Melissa could also guess his more practical line of thinking; that if this guy was in the final, then he must be the strongest yet. Although it hadn’t been a good answer, it did seem to be correct; Yamato was blocking each of Sagara’s attacks like it was a child coming at him, a light amused smile on his face with each speedy, effortless evasion, as Sagara continued his onslaught fruitlessly. The ninja backed off for a second, and thought up a feint. Swinging his hand loosely at the opponent’s face, he watched as he went to block it then, using all his strength, he pushed the hand aside and punched full on into the open face. Yamato immediately released gas from his cheek, like he were a balloon, engulfing the stage in a fog before Melissa could see them both vanish within it “Good,” he said, catching Sagara by surprise as the ninja turned to see his opponent as if he had never moved. Melissa was able to hear them easily despite the distance, her illusions tricking the vibrations into believing she was right next to them. Sagara didn’t hesitate and launched forward to strike another time. It wasn’t his usual style to play defense, but he had the feeling that this guy wasn’t going to go first. The wheelchair pulled itself to the side and took its owner out of harm’s way, but Sagara had disappeared from Yamato’s sight, and the cripple looked around for his lost opponent. A fist struck out from behind him, but Yamato was too fast for it, disappearing into the ground as naturally as Sagara would kick. It took a moment for the ninja to realize that he was actually sinking into his own shadow, wheelchair and all. He spread his eyes across the arena, and kept turning, not wanting to lose his advantage of mobility once to this guy. “I am not as easy as that, Futabatei,” a voice called out, croaking across the arena, as if a heavy bar was resting against the wheelchair bound fighters throat. “You had better take me seriously, if you wish to win. You do wish to win, don’t you?” “Not really,” Sagara mumbled, his eyes scanning the grounds. The boy wasn’t anywhere to be seen. How could a teenager, trapped in an electronic wheelchair of all things, hide from him that quickly? Melissa saw Sagara’s eyes flash a brilliant green. Summoning the eye of Futabatei to help him out showed Melissa just how desperate he was, as she knew he’d be able to see the spirit no matter where it went. He was just about to start attacking thin air, in the thought that maybe his opponent had become invisible in a way he couldn’t tell, when his feet were trapped for the second time that day. Looking down, his neck jerking along with them as he peered at the ground, Sagara saw a hand sticking out of the concrete below him like fungi that had pushed its way through. He instinctively tried to jump back, intending to get out of the way, but the hand’s grip was strong and knocked him off centre, losing his balance and having to use the strength of his leg muscles to right himself again. Trying to kick it with his other leg, the hand just ignored him and began to sink, taking Sagara’s body with it. He swung his head round frantically. Yamato may be able to survive, but the boy clearly wouldn’t take the risk to see if he could. It looked like an instant shadow bog, which she knew from her studies to be a swamp of pure liquid darkness. She never knew they could be summoned like this, but Yamato clearly did. Sagara was at waist height now, his legs starting to feel cold. His fingers thrust out and clenched as hard as they could to the concrete, like he was about to fall off the edge of a very tall Cliffside. It occurred to her that just summoning Greynock to rope him to safety would have gotten him right out of it, but either the rules wouldn’t allow it, or Sagara was being stupid again. Pushing his biceps, triceps and deltoids to their limits, he breathed in as hard as could, like he was trying to suck all the air out of the room, and lifted. The bog didn’t weigh him down at much as she thought. This was strange, as she had heard that Shadow Bogs were meant to be as strong as black holes once people got trapped in them. Grunting with the pain of his shoulders burning, Sagara kept it up, managing five centimetres, then ten…another fifteen…Yamato apparently started pulling harder and Sagara went back down a little, but he still kept his momentum and kept pushing. Fifteen again…twenty…twenty five… Something gave up and Sagara shot up with the excess force, flying out of the bog, landing outside with his legs now covered in a thick, goopy black substance that disappeared along with the rest of the bog. “As expected of the Futabatei clan,” a voice said above him; he twisted his neck up and saw the cripple sitting there, as if he had never gone. “Even I couldn’t tell how you got away from that. Tell me…how did you?” Sagara responded by turning on his ankle like a spinning top and slamming his foot towards the chin of his enemy. It didn’t connect, and Melissa became under the impression that Yamato’s hand had never let go of his leg, for it hadn’t seem to move from where she last saw it, and now it was holding his attack immobile, just inches from the disabled boy’s bearded chin. “Or don’t you know yourself?” Yamato said, the attack never interrupting the conversation. Sagara, ignoring any words, used his other foot and swung it in a crescent shape to attack the other side of the boy’s head. Yamato seemed just as unconcerned about this attack as well, and got it as before, the only difference this time, Melissa noted as Sagara’s skull slammed, forehead first, into the hard floor below him, was that he had seen the hand move. “Do you only know how to kick and punch?” his opponent asked calmly. “The Futabatei are supposed to be ninja are they not. I expected to see some special technique. Are you holding them back?” Sagara stayed quiet, as he pulled himself up, his palms holding his weight off the ground. “I shall have to make you take me more seriously.” Sagara flipped over his own body to get some freedom. He was paid in kind as his ankle was ripped right out along with a special bonus deal of pain which lit up his face. Yamato dropped the foot to the ground to let Sagara lay there. The ninja rolled away, as far as he could without standing. “Please tell me I have your attention now?” Yamato said politely, “else I shall be insulted.” He wrapped his fingers round each other as he eyed the broken ninja with mild contempt at Sagara’s supposed superiority. Sagara held his ankle closely, and realized that the cripple probably wasn’t going to let him fix it. He balanced all his weight on his good, left foot and tried to stand up. Melissa could see it hang limply, his support resting mostly on his other foot. She stared at his opponent, trying to figure out any weakness. Anyone else would have perhaps been staggered by the idea that Yamato being unable to stand wasn’t a weakness, but Melissa knew Sagara had already tossed it aside in her mind. “I…I need to go toilet,” Sarah mumbled, seeing Sagara flail helplessly around, his ankle broken. The group didn’t hear her, for she had barely muttered it before dropping down from the guardrail and running off. Otsune had picked it up though, and called out to her. “Sarah, wait!” But it was no use, the young girl rushing away, hiding her face from the group. Otsune was about to step up when she realised no one else had even blinked at Sarah disappearing. “Could people please react when the youngest of us runs off on her own in a building full of strangers? “She’ll be fine,” Gen said quickly, wanting to cheer Sagara back up. “She’s only going to the toilet.” “Man, you’re useless,” Otsune replied, not caring for his feelings. She stood up and quickly chased after the girl. She wasn’t that interested in the fight herself and was actually quite glad to be getting away from the weirdness of seeing a highly trained fighter like Sagara losing to a guy in a wheelchair. She headed down the flight of stairs where Sarah had ran off, and guessed she had headed for the toilet. As she reached stalls, she saw the girl quickly look back, apparently looking exhausted. “Get lost,” she screamed at her, forcing Otsune back a step by sheer anger alone. Sarah rushed into the toilets, slamming the door behind her. Otsune was tempted to shout back, but held herself. Sarah was often like this to everybody she knew, it was only Sagara that she acted nice around, and for people like Otsune, who she knew didn’t see her as a friend and just a ‘geek’, she showed nothing but venomous hatred. “Sarah-chan,” she responded, trying to push the toilet door open, but finding it held shut, the ten year old girl’s weight pushing it back as hard as she could and strangely succeeding against the girl who ran five miles every morning. “Don’t call me –chan!” she shouted from the other side of the door. “I’m American, you moron.” Otsune hesitated. “Sarah…” she repeated, trying not to slip with the –chan again. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing!” she shouted back, her voice full of false insistence. “Just leave me alone, bitch!” Otsune knew that Sarah swore a lot and ignored it, her hand resting lightly against the door as she waited for the force to disappear from the other side. Was Sagara losing bothering her that much? She knew the child practically idolized the boy- for reasons she couldn’t understand, but this reaction seemed to her to be far too extreme. She opted to act the mother for a moment. “You can’t stay locked in there forever, litt…” “Huh, Sarah?” a voice in the room interrupted Otsune, and she recognised it instantly by its accent to be Aki. “What’s going on?” she said, her voice muffled, but as light as ever as if she had somehow missed the little argument the other two were happening. “Aki? Where have you been?” Otsune asked, still unable to see the girl. “Looking for… Sakura,” Aki answered simply giving Otsune the feeling she was eating bananas on the other side. Sarah had gone quiet. “I can’t find her though. I’ve looked everywhere.” Otsune couldn’t imagine there would be many places to look inside a toilet, but she could imagine Aki checking under every toilet seat, behind every U-bend and even down all the sinkholes. She was about to ask the African girl to get Sarah to open the door, where she heard a noise. It sounded like someone had dropped a bucket of water, filled with something mushy, all over the floor. She had the strangest feeling that Sarah had been sick. “Is everything all right in there?” Otsune shouted, trying the door again, but still finding it pressed shut. She waited for an answer. Then the door responded by vibrating violently, back and forth, like it had had enough of being trapped in the doorframe all the time. The rumbling stopped as quick as it had started. Otsune stared at it, knowing that it shouldn’t have been able to move like that without falling from its hinges. Hesitant, she reached out carefully to push it, hoping for it to open normally with the two girls waiting for her and leaving her able to pass it off as another of those things she should be trying her best to ignore, when the door swung open slowly, creaking loudly, trying to unnerve her. “Aki?” she whispered, her voice hiding behind her like a scared child, the entrance to the lavatory swinging open, revealing its emptiness. On the floor, as she expected there would be, was Sarah’s dinner. Looking away with a retch, trying her best to ignore the putrid smell that was trying to convince her nose that it should persuade her stomach to contribute to the floor, she looked around the now barren toilet, the children clearly gone. He reached for it, but it evaded his grasp. He went for the other one, then quickly changed direction, then used his other hand to get hold of it, but it simply evaded him. He went to kick, slipped in pain and then, just as he intended, used the distraction for another grab. “What are you doing?” the opponent asked, like a teaching catching a child sneaking away during class. “You are surely more skilled than this, are you not?” Sagara kept clear, focusing his efforts on the only weak point he could see- the slower hand. Melissa had caught sight of it as well, when she had seen it move to grab Sagara’s foot. Now he was definitely trying, looking on the verge of feeling frustrated. Unable to get hold of it, to do anything he could with it. But it wasn’t working, and all it appeared to be doing was making Yamato annoyed at him. He switched from grabbing it to launching full force at the cripple, who promptly swung out of the way with an electronic reverse and by fluke alone felt Sagara’s grip round his hand. Without a millisecond’s hesitation, before he had even secured his grip, Sagara slammed his fist into the boy again, feeling the boy’s nose break against his knuckles. The crowd cheered him for the strike, regardless of the fact they were rooting for Yamato just a second ago. “You can’t do any tricks if I have hold of you, can you?” Sagara said, grinning sheepishly at his opponent, who couldn’t even reel back from the attack because of his own chair. As if to prove him wrong, Yamato disappeared, leaving a tree trunk to drop to the floor. Sagara stared at it, as if to say it was a rhetorical question, when four Yamato’s appeared around him. Sagara swung round, trying to watch them all as they observed him, the same expression of amusement on all their faces. “I guess I overestimated you,” he said contemptuously. “If you only just figured out how I’m doing my techniques…you must have never been a ninja in the first place.” Melissa listened hard, but it was four voices speaking to him, being unkind and not revealing which one was the real one and leaving her to realise even she couldn’t tell. Sagara took the obvious course and struck out at the first one, but his foot went right through it. The clones laughed at him, their cackling bouncing off each other and echoing in the boy’s ears as the cripple spoke to him. “You’re like an animal. A hunter with only cunning to help you. How can you call yourself a ninja. You’re more like a rabid wolf.” “Not a wolf,” Sagara replied, more sharply than he intended. “Ninja.” “You attack directly, without stealth, with only little planning. How in all the realms are you a ninja? By name only, and ninja aren’t chosen by family. That’s samurai.” “Shut up,” Sagara muttered under his breath and his eyes glowed brighter. He was trying to find the flaw in the illusion. He always found them with hers, no matter how much she tried to trick him. This one was a lot more difficult though but she could see it. The clone in front of him didn’t have its arm sticking up rigidly. That was a fake. “Tell you what,” the voices proposed as he continued searching. “I’ll allow you one free shot. If you get me, you’ll probably win. If you don’t…” the voices trailed off, as Sagara kept looking. Another one had missed a company sticker on the leather of the chair. With those two, and the one he had hit through earlier, he took a complete guess and struck, reaching forward for the real one’s arm, then kicking the still present tree trunk and slamming it into the face of the one behind him, ejecting it into the air like it had been fired from a catapult preventing the clone’s sneak attack. Taking the moment into his grasp, he pressed all his strength into his shoulder and rammed his fist straight into the chest of his hidden opponent. unleashing a sound that split his ears almost as it did his opponent’s ribs. Yamato gasped loudly, and leaned forward into his own lap, out for the count. “A clone that could turn solid at will,” Sagara muttered, as he finally figured out what his body had a moment ago. “Lucky…” A palm slammed into his head, emerging from the still falling tree trunk, and Sagara dropped to the floor. “This is what it means to be ninja,” Yamato said, furrowing his brow at the near unconscious Sagara as his lifted his jerky arm towards Sagara’s face. “To be unknown in your actions, is to be unconquerable!” “Sagara!” Natoko called out from the stands forgetting she wasn’t supposed to be standing up like that. Her legs protested as her backbone threatened to snap again, but she ignored all of it as she called out for her friend, afraid that if this person could take out her last opponent as quickly as he did, that Sagara may face a similar fate for lasting so long. Even she hadn’t been able to tell from afar, what the enemy had been up to, and still hadn’t figured it totally out. She wanted to rush in and protect the one she was supposed to, only stopping herself when she remembered that it was just a match, and Sagara should be in no real danger. Back in the arena, Yamato’s clones had disappeared, leaving just the two of them in the arena. Both were off their feet, but only one was still up. Yamato grunted, turning his chair around, knowing it was over even before the announcer had claimed it. “And the winner of the Young Warriors Tournament and this year’s champion,” the voiceover shouted across the arena, eliciting a rise of cheers before it had even finished. “Kurogane Ya…” the voice died out, and Yamato turned around, mild curiosity filling him with the sound he was hearing. Sagara clearly wasn’t defeated yet. No one around her knew whether to boo or cheer at him. It was one thing to encourage a nearly defeated warrior to stand up and fight, but this guy was both a cheater and a child abuser in their eyes. Yamato ignored all of this and turned, glaring at his opponent with large, unfocused pupils that shrank the second they saw the boy in front of them rise. The blood was trailing from his nose, splashing beautiful crimson into the hard surface directly in front of it. His fist however, was another matter entirely, it was tensed up on the ground, elbow pointing in the air, a metallic gauntlet covering where there was once skin. The demon had come out to play, and even Natoko could tell this immediately. The gauntlet was a part of him At once, a huge klaxon filled the ears of everyone in the arena, and Yamato’s neck twitched as best it could. Next, the voiceover announced the disqualification of Sagara for using a demon cursed weapon in the arena, causing almost everyone in the audience to erupt into a frenzy of cheering. As if they expected Sagara to just give up at, blue petals started to float into the arena, traveling through the air like large raindrops. Around her, Natoko saw the disappointed mixed with nervous confusion on the faces of her friends, and realized there were so few of them left. Down at the arena, she could see the one called Hayate, watching all this time, turn around without a count and wander off. At the side of the arena, Timothy was nearing crying, his tears being wiped away the second they were still forming, everyone watching the unconscious boy for his next move. It was only Draynor that had stayed awake. Yamato seemed to have noticed it too, staring at the demon through blue eyes as if he expected it to rocket towards him at any second. It stood still for a moment, as if annoyed that its owner had just been disqualified, before flicking up with its fingers and slamming into the ground, using the momentum to bounce up again, and then again, higher and higher until soon it was lifting Sagara’s entire body six feet high into the air and crashing back down, a fountain of blood splattering from Sagara’s as it did so, cuts that Natoko was sure hadn’t been there previously opening up all over his body. He fell down again, apparently to repeat his nose-breaking scene, when the gauntlet struck as hard as it could into the ground and forced his whole body to flip over like a pancake being tossed from a pan. Going to land away from Yamato, the demon put one last strike into the ground and flew towards the stunned warrior like a rocket engine. Yamato was only just able to get out of the way but Sagara’s legtagged him in the head. The disabled boy’s head torqued sideways and rattled off the side of his chair. A tooth dislodged from his lower jaw and flew in the air as the demon fist came back for him without waiting, not letting its furious onslaught stop for an instant. He dodged it deftly for a second time, but still getting a foot in the face. It was simply too fast for him, and Natoko guessed that the bound warrior wouldn’t survive a full on strike from the gauntlet itself. It was just about to come for a third time, when a hand shot out of the ground, a shadow bog having appeared where Draynor landed. The hand grabbed Sagara’s forearm but did nothing to stop him. Yamato let out a ghastly scream, as his actual arm twisted in the air, contorting backwards, like it was being yanked by a rope attached to a moving train. “Enough!” he shouted, his pride having been shattered along with the bone in his shoulder. He grabbed the forearm of the oncoming assault, and released the brakes on his chair, causing them both to skid a full seven meters and fall off the edge. Draynor was now pointing at a grounded Yamato, who held on with all his might to prevent the burning demon from touching his face. As the unlikely warrior struggled, Natoko caught a peek at Sagara’s face, seeing it as relaxed as ever, perhaps even more so now that he was peacefully asleep, as unaware as a newborn of the destruction his right arm was trying to cause. Yamato was having none of it though; the match was over, and now he had no concern for Sagara’s well being. His free arm, as wrecked as it was, held back the pain and reached for the boy’s throat squeezing it harshly, with an intent to strangle the energy out of him. Natoko got up, realising what he intended to do. There was no way for her to get down in time as the boy continued squeezing Sagara’s tongue stuck out, the ninja choking in his sleep. The damn cripple ignored it all. He was still so busy being fixated on the gauntlet, that he didn’t even noticed the wind rushing up behind him. With a crack of thunder, it was all over. Act Three – Chapter Seven “Well, that fight wasn’t too bad,” Otsune commented as the second set of fighters came off the stage. In truth only one was leaving at the moment, the other had already flew off after an high velocity punch had sent him flying, his rather large opponent proving unbeatable without resorting to sniper rifles. “That was awesome, Definitely the best fight so far,” Fujiko screamed. “I got the perfect angle for that punch.” This was true, unfortunately the positioning of Fujiko meant that Gen had to be crushed as she balanced on top of him in order to get it ‘just right’. “Isn’t that one of the girls that Sagara was with yesterday?” Aki mused as singer danced over the stage, waving the hand of the winner as he tried humbly to pull away. “I think so,” Sarah replied as she stared hard at her, trying to remember if she had seen her before. “Yeah, wasn’t she with the bastard that punched through the door I was leaning on? Moron almost hit me.” “Huh?” Otsune muttered, as she overheard the conversation. “Why was he punching through the door? Where were you guys yesterday?” “Demon dimension,” Aki bluntly answered as she tried to pick out where Natoko was. “Demon dimension?” Otsune replied puzzled. “Why were you guys in a demon dimension? No wait. How did you guys get in a demon dimension? No wait again. Why am I even assuming you’re telling the truth?” “No idea, Sagara never told us…AH!” Aki exclaimed, as she started waving wildly towards the arena. “Found her. Get on her, Fujiko. She’s up next. Woohoo. Go Natoko!” A few of the crowd, easily inspired, began cheering as well. “Uumm, good afternoon,” a voice whispered meekly besides them. It went unnoticed by most, only Otsune was able to pick it up. She turned to see Tina, scratching her tangled hair fiercely as she tapped her foot impatiently. Besides her, a short, black haired girl stood there, with her hands clasping each other timidly. “Sakura?” she said in surprise. “You’re here… How did you get here?” “Found her by reception,” Tina muttered, her obvious need for the toilet overcoming any desire to prolong the conversation. “She looked lost so I led her back here.” Before Otsune could say thanks, she was already running back down the stairs. “T-tina!” Sakura called out, stopping the girl as she released a frustrated groan to look back. “I..eeerr…um…I.” “Don’t worry about it,” Tina responded. “You’re welcome.” And promptly she twisted back round and fell out of sight. “What was that about?” Otsune asked absentmindedly. “It was…um,” Sakura fidgeted, playing with her skirt. “Nothing much. She just… just helped me out a little.” “Sure thing.” Sakura never explained anything to Otsune. She probably never would. Otsune still didn’t even know why the little girl would start crying over the tiniest of matters. But she didn’t need to know to be her friend. “Is it okay if I sit here?” the young girl asked politely, as if expecting to get turned down. “Sure, sure, sit down.” The much older girl quickly moved some the heavy bags that were covering a seat and placed them on Gen, who chose this moment to have a hairline fracture in his left leg. No one noticed as Sakura moved herself over and sat down. Otsune looked at her concerned. She could tell that something had happened to the girl yesterday, after they got back from meeting with Sagara, but as to what she was clueless. She thought that Aki or Sarah might know, but no one was saying anything to anyone. “Has…has Sagara been yet?” the girl stuttered profusely. She had probably spent the last few hours sitting back at the hotel, plucking up her courage to just stand up, let alone to come visit them. “Oh yeah,” shouted Aki, as she finally caught glance of her friend. “You should have seen him. He was excellent. Child abuse for the win!” She stopped talking to slyly gauge her friend’s reaction, to see if she should be insulting the guy instead. Sakura seemed to release a smile on probation at the news, which Aki saw as a good thing and continued to tell her of the fights in great detail, having apparently forgotten that Natoko was about to get on the stage. Sakura listened, on the one part, but also began to search for Sagara in the arena. She had questions for him, but she didn’t know quite what they were yet. Alexis had been killed, but how did she know he was called Alexis? Why did his mere presence make her feel so comfortable? The thoughts had been troubling her all day, and it was only when the cleaning lady kicked her out that she made her way over here. The crowd screams interrupted her thoughts. “Hey wait. Wait!”” One comes to catch the other, a winner as sore as influenza. “Get lost, will ya.” Despite his words, the shorter one waits for the other to catch up. “Oh come on. You said you were okay with it.” “I’m not in the mood.” “Oh and like you ever are.” The taller one gets to him, wraps his arm around the dark skinned ones shoulders. The dark one resists for a moment, but I sense he is only playing. An embrace of friends. Beautiful. “It really got to this point, huh?” “Yeah it did.” They separate, and both stop walking to talk in the corridor. They do not see me. There is nothing to see in me. Creatures such as these can only see me when I want to. It’s how I survive. How my plan survives. “I guess you’re right then,” the dark one replies. “You are stronger.” “Hey, we said this,” the other retorts, angry at falsehood. “This match didn’t mean anything. How could it? A tournament like this is an insult to what a fighter is. You can’t say a fight where we can’t even do our best means anything. We need to be able to kill each other without interference before we can truly decide.” The dark one, I never remembered their names, looks away. I feel the cold drip down cheek bones, a hand heat up as it grips the wall. “Then, that hurts a lot more,” he says, pain in his words. “It tells me what I knew for years, what I always thought I knew. Even between our acts and tricks. Our fight club cons that we’ve done over the centuries. You are truly stronger than me.” “How can you-“ “Because I was trying my hardest!” it shouted out, its voice roaring down the corridors. The other one jumps up on alert and stares his friend down. It still can’t see me. I am there as I am not there. I do not exist as they can see me. They will not know. “Because everything I did in that arena I did with the intention of killing you. I wanted to know, wanted to finally find out. That moment that we waited twenty thousand years for, and when it came you weren’t even trying.” They both fall silent. The bigger one falls back to the act it was playing earlier, scratching its head, looking around nervously, but this time I sense no play being played. “I may have…thought the same thing.” “You what?” “I wanted to fight you too.” He giggles. “How could I not? That’s all we’ve ever been with each other for. I just felt it was wrong to announce it. I felt…like we should just do it whenever. Let the time come without prearranging it. What good is a duel if it’s at high noon?” “Yes.” The dark one became more alive. “Yes, I know exactly what you mean.” That’s great, because I don’t. “Fights should be random and spontaneous and without thoughtful planning. They shouldn’t be like play. They should be savage and unnecessary and tear at you like a wolf.” “And make you feel dead and alive inside, as your nose feels like its gushing blood and your stomach just wants to vomit but you hold it all in so you can release it on your opponent.” “And your opponent doesn’t care because, although it’s unplanned and unfocused. Crazy and wild and pure….” “He feels the exact same thing the whole way.” They stared at each other, craning their necks to look into the other’s eyes, then they fell into each other. Embracing passionately. They merged with each other like vanilla and chocolate ice cream, melting into the other’s arms and becoming a one that was beyond fighting. “To think the divine one was right all along. We should have listened sooner.” Had they just realised their love? Or was it something that they had shared many times before but only now truly appreciated? I couldn’t tell. All I could tell was that I had now incinerated the leg off the tall one, and it took him three seconds to notice. “K’Tung’lik!” the dark one cried, as his companion fell to the floor, wailing as the Kotodama threatened to break. The tall one held on, and the dark demon turned to face me as darkness bathed him in royal light, taking the skin right off his borrowed face before he could even approach me. “Boom boom boom. I want you to go boom. Why is this song in my head? Oh how I want you dead.” The one now lying on the floor began speaking, but I was too busy singing to notice. A blade protracted from his mouth, only millimeters thick but longer than he length of his body. He charged to impale me, and both were gone as he fell into my wall of fires. “You…you…” the dark one said, the reality of the events overcoming him. “That’s right. No ambiguous mist floating in the air. You all know what that means ladies and fisherman.” “B-b-“ His fist clenched. He was bleeding a liquid that wasn’t blood out of it.”Bastards!” “Oh boy, aren’t you stupid?” I tell him, the boy not listening because he’s charging right at me screaming profanities. “Or, as the Japanese would say, stupid!” I raise my hand, releasing white death upon him, but he’s not there. He’s behind me, his feet faster than they could have been, his body aimed entirely at my head. There is no dodging in that one second. No time to escape. All that’s left is for gravity to have him fall into me and incinerate yet another of the demons that threaten my stoolie. Another scream, and they’re both gone. Ashes blown away by forces beyond all they could have hoped to recognise. The stoolie has to survive this. You get that as well don’t you, you little spy. You must lead him to the demons for me, so I can burn them all. You have no choice. It has no choice. Even I have no choice. I need it for what I need. So then I myself can play forever. Natoko shuffled around nervously. It was time. Her fight was next. All she could feel was her heart trying to hide in her stomach and her hand tingling over her sword. She had the advantage of being one in a crowd last time; anonymous and indistinguishable. But already she could hear her reputation growing, her name being shouted out in the bleachers, getting louder and heavier as more joined in. She felt the weight press upon her shoulders, her knees wanting to give out. “Where the hell is Sagara?” Her lord had wandered off at the end of his fight, possibly to rest up. He had missed the last fight completely. At the very least he should have rested up on the sidelines. The nervous guy was strong and even now they had to take a break to clean up the stage, the large crack that ripped it in half being refilled by some very fast brick workers He had spent the last match trapped round a small circle, so he shouldn’t be too tired. He’d need to move about for the next guy a lot, so his evasive style would help. But his hit and run tactics probably wouldn’t do so well on a flat surface. But… She was trying not to think of her own fight. “Where’s who?” “Ah!” she screamed out, seeing her lord behind her, sipping on a fruit juice box out a vending machine. He sucked hard on the straw, getting the last few drops, while she put her spine back in place. “It’s nothing,” she said, looking back to the stage. The girl who had replaced the announcer after Sagara’s fight hadn’t shown up yet. She still had a few moments. Part of her suggested stretching before the match. Another part suggested turning to stone. “Your match next, right?” Sagara asked, chewing on the straw. “Yeah,” she said, not wanting to look at him. “Do what you want to, okay?” “I don’t know what I want to do,” she whispered instantly. Turning back, she couldn’t tell if he had heard her or not. He didn’t say anything, and was now looking around for a bin. “I’ll take it,” a little voice called out from beneath them. She looked down to see the boy called Timothy. Sagara looked at him unconcerned, then nodded and passed it to him. “Do you want ‘nother one?” “Sure thing,” Sagara replied, and the boy shot off. Natoko watched as he sprinted off down to the corridor. “So are you two friends now or something?” “That probably won’t be possible,” Sagara replied. “Yeah, I guess there is too much of an age difference there.” “That’s not what i…” His words blurred out of her mind, her body stiffening. From where the boy had disappeared, another had come. It was the new announcer girl, and behind her was the fat boy who was to be her opponent. They couldn’t be ready yet. Surely the cement had to dry or something. She knew it had been quick before but that didn’t mean anything. She wouldn’t have time to… “Raiko!” Sagara cried out, standing to meet the girl. “You made it,” he paused for a moment as confusion subdued him and read him his rights. “How did you get down here? Do you work here?” Natoko watched as the girl made a detour from the stage, looking like she knew she had to hurry up. “Didn’t you see me earlier. I was on sta-” She stopped her words halfway through their mission, and reassigned them to toilet duty. “Yeah, I work here. They’re just getting me to announce the fights. Mind if I hang out with you afterward?” “Sure thing,” Sagara piped, ignoring whatever lies she was having. “By the way, you don’t have that gem thingy do you?” “The Neutralis orb?” she stated, patting her side. “I have it, but it’s on standby mode. Don’t want to ruin any of the fights.” “I got your drink, Master Sagara.” In front of them was Timothy, holding out a drink for the demon hunter. He took it gladly and started sipping on the green, alien liquid. “Huh?” Raiko said onomatopoeically. “Who’s this?” “I can’t remember his name. It’s some weird foreign language,” Sagara explained, getting Natoko’s brain to spaz out on her. “But he says he wants me to teach him, because I defeated him in my fight.” “Teach him?” Raiko replied, glancing down at the boy, who smiled childishly back at her. “Well, I used to know how to fight, but it went recently. Don’t remember where I put it…” Timothy’s voice trailed off as a shadow overcast him. The boy turned round to come face to bulge and was rendered silent by the stare of the fat guy in front of him. He took a step back, dancing back behind Sagara. The fat kid, who must have only been around fifteen, stared hard at Sagara. The boy snorted at him. “It must have not been that much of a fight,” he commented, observing the previous fighters, “if both of you are uninjured.” “It was memorable,” Sagara said happily. “Never headbutted the ground that many times in a row before.” The fat boy just snorted again and looked away. “Weaklings like you shouldn’t be in the tournament,” he said almost failing to contain his anger. “A moron who doesn’t fight for himself that can be hurt by an eight year old, and a one trick pony that can only control its own shadow. Pathetic.” A silence filled the air between them, Sagara just grinning as the boy glared at him. As the boy went to speak again, Sagara tensed his fist and for just a second Natoko thought she wouldn’t have to fight. “Right, okay,” Raiko said clapping between them. “Stop right there. I’m the one who decides who’s fighting today.” “No, you’re not,” said everybody else in unison. “Well, even so,” she continued unabated. “It’s the samurai girl’s turn to fight, not yours Sagara. So just hold back.” She beckoned at Natoko. “Come on you two. Let’s get on stage. She went off ahead and Natoko started to follow behind, stopping as the little boy spoke. “He’s right, isn’t he?” the boy said solemnly. “Who is?” Sagara replied. “That big guy!” Timothy cried out. “I didn’t know what I was fighting for. I can’t remember. That’s why I lost.” “You lost because I beat you.” “But don’t you have the same problem? You weren’t fighting to win either. I could feel it. You were just fighting because you had to be there.” “Well there is the secret mission. But I don’t see how that relates to this.” “But shouldn’t you?” the boy cried out, looking ready to cry tears of desperation, like he was trying to reach for something in the darkness. “Shouldn’t you be willing to bet what’s important to you? Shouldn’t you have to? Because that’s what everyone else is doing!” She wasn’t. She had nothing to fight for in this match. “And now! Yamanaka Natoko!” The audience burst into fanfare, as screams and cheers erupted into the arena. And she knew, somehow, that in the middle and top of that cheering were Aki and the others, watching on. She didn’t really have to do this, did she? “Have fun,” Sagara said pushing her off. Before she knew it, she was on the stage, and the match was beginning. “Fujiwaru…Hayate…wasn’t it?” Natoko asked, as she got up on stage. Just looking at him her nerves were blasted away, replaced with a confidence in the knowledge that she could fight. Her hand already gripped tight to Iziz, she was ready to spring forward and strike when the opportunity presented itself. She just…didn’t know why she should. “Be quiet woman,” he said rudely, disregarding whatever comments she had to say. “Let’s get on with this. This stepping stone is taking far too long for one such as I.” “Stepping stone?” she said angrily, insulted not just at the words, but the breath they came from. She gripped the handle of her weapon tight enough to draw blood, as if it were a fish trying to break free from her clutches, and waited for the countdown. The second it finished, she was all too ready; the weapon left its sheath at the same time as the klaxon. It took but a millisecond for it to reach its target, the jawbone of the one called Hayate. It missed completely, causing the girl to stall forwards at her own force, her opponent disappearing like a mirage. She glanced behind her shoulder out of reflex, but saw nothing there either. As strange as it seemed, her opponent had completely disappeared. Turning she waved her katana sideways hoping to catch anything that was moving there. Nothing was again, but this time she saw her opponent, ducking underneath the blade. Not waiting for him to do anything, she allowed herself to be carried by her sword’s momentum, out of harm’s way. The boy stood back up again and just smirked, apparently not intending to attack in any way. A ravenous monster came out of Natoko’s mouth as she charged at him, growling heavily, sliding her sword back into her sheath and straight out again in the same second. As he stepped to the side, with as much effort as one would yawn, she twisted the sword at a diagonal arc to strike at his rib cage. This time however, he merely leaned to his right to avoid her blow. Natoko didn’t stop there and went riding on the wave of her own strike. She turned the sharpened blade back around and went to clout for a third time and, not caring for how he reacted, pushed her body weight forwards with the intention of ramming him with the hilt. A wasted effort. Nothing had hit him again. Her frenzy began to peak as he just stood there, seemingly amused at her actions. She took a step back and replaced the sword back into its resting place. She watched him silently for a moment, as he stayed standing, before striking at him, the distance between the scabbard and his face covered in a blur as she began to make stabbing motions. Ten strikes all missed his face by millimeters – then twenty by three seconds and finally thirty before she had to stop, all energy spent in five seconds. Each one should have hit him; at the very least, set him up into a position where the next one would strike. He looked bored. “I make a point of letting my enemies hit me at least once,” he scoffed. “Could you stop the warm up already?” “What? You dare?” She faced him full on again, ready to take whatever he could dish out. Whatever happened next slammed into her with the force of a small train, cracking one of her ribs. She drooled over his fist, which had somehow hit her even when she was looking at him. The next moment, he was three feet back, standing as if a statue again. Her knees buckled to gravity, the pressure too erratic, and she fell. The girl had to question for a moment whether or not he had just hit her, for even the pain rupturing through her body didn’t seem proof enough. “How on earth did you get so far?” he asked her, sounding honestly concerned about the truth of the situation. “Was it all just luck? It seems impossible that an angry little bitch like you could last this long.” She stared at him as he said this, the anger he spoke of only growing with his insults. Her rage burned as if it were to evaporate her own blood. Staring him down like an animal she watched as, for some reason, he started to move around her slowly, appearing shocked of something. She didn’t care for what he was doing, and stepped forward, ready to strike as blindly as before. She saw him go to step away, but this time she saw him! As he started to sprint to the right, she caught him with Iziz and her blade cut through his thick flesh. His speed kicked in, and the burst sent him flying. He traveled the length of the arena and ended up a heap on the floor. As if unwounded, he spun back towards her, still ready as if never scratched. Natoko, her growls subsiding, focused long enough to realize he hadn’t been injured. Her sword had cut through him, but something else was coming out besides blood. “Sand?” she whispered through heavy breath, as she saw the grains begin to ooze out of the boy’s rib cage. It came out like a waterfall, giving the impression that either the boy was made out of the little grains, or he wore an armour of them. Judging by his expression, one of anger rather than pain, she guessed it to be the latter. “What did you do just then?” he shouted out her, sand continuing to jut out as he did so. “How did you hit me, and from that distance?” Natoko questioned it herself. She knew, now that she had calmed down a little, that he had been far enough to get away at his speed. Yet he had been moving slowly for some reason. Natoko dismissed his words. “Don’t make excuses for your own mistakes,” she called out boldly. He stopped at this and, rather than become further offended, cooled down again and gave a snort of superiority. “You’re right. It hardly matters, I guess,” he swung back into a fighting stance. “Especially since it made your own defeat quicker.” Her eyes widened as he smashed into her, as if he had just fired himself from a gun and covered the full twenty meters in a split second. She would have fallen out of the arena right there and then, but something blocked her in the shape of a knee. She saw nothing, but she could only guess it to be the boy again, whose speed had allowed him to get behind her the instant after his own attack. “I’m not through yet!” he bellowed, though she could not she where from. She slammed hard into the ground and felt her nose crack, the rest of her body following, her sword leaving her hand and sliding a few feet away, just out of reach. “To hit me, even my training armour….” Hayate whispered, as he appeared on top of her, again as immobile and free of exhaustion as before, “and then to say it was my mistake? Unforgivable! Even if you do somehow leave this arena alive, this will be your last day as a warrior.” Natoko ignored all this. She didn’t care about what he was saying. As she looked up, blood exploding out of her nostrils as she did so, she saw Iziz, just a foot away and nothing else. She reached for it, the metal so far away. Hayate slammed his foot back into her ribcage as she squirmed, not intending to let her get away as he continued to shout at her, trying to claim his superiority when it was not necessary to do so. Natoko failed to hear him, instead reaching for her sword all too far away. It hurt. The pain from her stomach alone was excruciating. Never in all her training, from the kendo matches to Sagara’s sparring had she been hit like this. No one ever got a chance to. Her face oozed pain and it was hard to tell if she was just bleeding or if tears were joining the mix. Why was she putting herself through this pain, this humiliation? Was it because of her training? No, she had no desire for competition, nor a wish to prove herself in such battle. Was it for her honour? No, she may have been a samurai, but her own code was not designed to maintain her reputation at all times. Was it because of Sagara? He may have given her the ticket, but a rematch was irrelevant to her and his orders didn’t require her to win. Then why was she fighting this battle? She asked herself a thousand times over, as Hayate started to pummel her with his fists. The bruises, the whelps, the cuts that came as the skin gave up, she had stopped feeling them, her body numb. Even as she knew she was being hit, her skin tightly bound armour ripping apart at her blows. He was laughing dominantly now, as he reveled in his assertion of strength. He struck again and again, menacing blows that were now cutting into her ribs. By luck alone, the only thing that had been slowing him down was the fact that his arms were not as strong, nor as fast as his feet. It was like they were that of a normal twelve year old boy and not of this boy that resembled a bullet more than a teenager. None of this mattered to Natoko, who was sitting focusing on her sword alone. Her mind was no longer on the fight, as if it had gotten out a moment again and was now sitting on the side, thinking existentially. She just couldn’t think why she was fighting in the tournament, why she was here on the floor, being beaten and humiliated in front of people she didn’t know, in front of her friends, in front of Sagara. She didn’t want to fight him. She had no reason to fight him except for a mild dislike. And she would not let that turn to hatred and ruin her. Then you know what to do. But everyone’s- It doesn’t matter. Only he will hate you for it, and it’s the only way to beat someone like him. You know there isn’t a reason to fight, and you are so far beyond the fruitless act of winning against a Pride demon. You’re my Carver. You exist to survive! She knew what the voice meant, and she found herself agreeing on it as the best course of action. With renewed vigor, she came back to reality, instantly feeling the pain in her ribs from the earlier strike. She did not care for it though and gripping her sword tightly spa round and slashed wildly at the boy, cutting into his forearm. The boy, who had sensed the attack coming, reeled back and put his arms up to defend himself. The sword dug into his muscle, no sand left to protect him there and embedded itself, until both jumped away. “What?” he complained once again, to the attack he had missed; his own, red blood now pouring out of the wound like the sand did from his stomach. In front of him, the samurai girl stood up slowly, almost falling down again from the pain. Determined, she turned to him and stood, straight up, facing him eye to eye. For some reason, he did not take this moment to attack, even after she slid her sword back into its resting place, presumably for another strike. “There is no point to this,” she told him, her words determined as the blood dripping from her lips. “I give up.” The boy paused. “E-excuse me?” “You heard me.” She turned to the announcer girl. “I give up. I forfeit my right to continue.” The arena fell to a hush, Hayate was frozen in shock, the words traveling further than she thought they would. As nothing more happened, they started to close, far enough for his brow to become furrowed with anger. The announcer girl looked flabbergasted, fumbling to grab her microphone again to officially end the match. Natoko, having said all that she needed to, went to walk off the stage, remaining as tall as ever, doing her best to hide her wounds so that she wouldn’t worry her friends. “You dare turn your back on me?” The boy’s knee slammed into her like a stone through water. He landed on the other side of her like she was a fly on the windscreen. Her eyes immediately gave out as the air ejected itself from her system the back of her head hitting the floor even as she remained standing for just a brief second, before her entire body catapulted into the air. For an eternity her nerves told her she was flying upwards, though she could feel nothing to prove it, save for her head jerking painfully as it collided with something solid. “That type of attitude gives you the impression that you thought you could beat me,” something explained coldly to her as her backbone twitched separately from the rest of her. “A pitiful human like yourself could never beat me.” Holding Iziz tightly, nothing else happened. Sagara, still on the sidelines, stood up and ran over to Natoko. Raiko watched, holding her mouth and quickly waving the Nuets over. The swordgirl didn’t look all too good. Her eyes were open, and staring at him vacantly, her tongue sticking a lot further out than it should be. Dropping to her side, Sagara faced the once fat boy was just standing there “There’s no point,” he stated. “She’s not dead, but she will be in a m…” The arrogant words of the boy were interrupted as a foot slammed into his jaw, completely dislocating it and removing three teeth. He fell hard to the floor, instantly unconscious, his African attacker not even looking at him as she screamed her friend’s name and ran over to her. “Natoko!” Aki called out worried, trying to reach her best friend, tears streaming across her face, as she checked for a reaction off her friend. There was none, she was only just breathing lightly, her own tongue preventing air from entering her mouth. From what Raiko could see, she already wasn’t breathing. “Get back, Aki,” Sagara said calmly as he looked behind him. Three of the people in white suits that were littered around the arena were running up to them, insisting they get out of the way. Aki hadn’t heard them, and Sagara had to physically grab her before they reached the nine-tenths dead girl and pull her out of the way. The lead Nuet, a man with no hair, fell to his knees in front of her and slammed his hands into the swordgirl’s chest. It looked like he had hit her hard enough to break even more ribs and it wasn’t until a white glow emerged from his hands that Aki stopped screaming and stared, finding herself mesmerised. “She was possessed by a demon a month ago,” Sagara stated in a level voice. The bald man said nothing, but the glow started to turn a light shade of gray in response. His fellows meanwhile, an old lady and a man with a tail that looked more monkey than fake, stood at either side of Natoko, and slammed knives into the ground around her, before each drawing a semi circle that met where the other began. As they finished this, they knelt down, and with their hands to the ground they began to chant. The chant was impenetrable. They muttered it unconsciously, the words reverberating around the silent arena for fifteen seconds. Just as Aki was about to get worried, clinging feverishly onto Sagara’s arm trying to get him to release her, the glow coming from the bald man’s arms shot out and ignited the circle in the same green glow. All three of them jumped away, and although only Sagara would be able to see it at first, the fire of the gray glow slowly sank into Natoko’s solar plexus. Soon, it was gone, and Natoko bolted upright, finding herself reasonably shocked to be alive. She spun round, and Aki bolted from Sagara’s grasp to hug her friend in joy, any signs of worry now completely gone. The swordgirl looked around, ignoring the gymnast’s affections. The medic’s had moved onto the boy and, although less dramatically were doing something to get his teeth back into place. “How am I alive?” she asked anyone willing to listen. Aki was just nuzzling her friend’s neck like it was the only thing that mattered at that moment. It was Sagara who answered. “Energy summoners; we call them Nuets” he stated, looking as relived as he could be. “They can summon the energy of the three primal forces and bend it to their selfless desires. They used the white to regenerate your injuries, and the gray to purify the demon influence.” “What?” she replied, cantankerous at such a nonsensical answer. “Because you have no wounds,” he repeated. She was about to inquire into an explanation that ran between spiritually clinical and just plain obvious, when she felt a rush of energy behind her. The medics had finished, and the boy was standing up again, ignoring the healers. The three stared hard at him, as he observed them, now completely uninjured, and without his heavy sand to restrain him, even the wound she had thrust into his forearm had gone. Both Sagara and Natoko prepared themselves, and it was only Natoko’s grasp that stopped Aki from charging him on the spot. For some stupid reason, they waited for the obnoxious boy to make the first move. The boy snorted, turning round to walk back to the waiting room. Raiko sighed heavily from the side and could not help but be grateful for this response, though she was more than prepared to fight him if chose to attack the one who had blindsided him. Such was her job. She relaxed, as did the others next to her, save the little girl who tried to take him out from behind again, stopped by the swordgirl. The rest lasted but a second, as she saw Sagara step up and step towards the sadistic speed child. “Oi,” Sagara called out, his bellow catching the boy’s ears as he reached the doors. “What?” he said with an annoyed snort, as if being near them and having to talk was incredibly weary. “Win your next match.” Melissa felt like something strange was happening, like everyone she knew and loved was laughing at her while purple robed people stood in front of them, stabbing each other to death, merely to confuse her at a time when she was sure she was right. This feeling usually only aroused itself when she was on the right track to something. Why couldn’t these damn demons just all get the same hotel room? It wasn’t anything special to separate your forces as such if they just wandered casually from one building to another wearing pink shirts anyway. This new hotel room was on the other side of town, but the corridor looked identical. With a growl in her stomach she wandered up to the cleaner they had been following as he fumbled round for his keys and knocked the man straight out using her elbow and the base of his skull. He fell to the floor with a thump and no further objections. The urge to remove his neck to keep a loose end clean was abated. With the big guy following her and stealth required she didn’t really need screaming to occur. Instead the big guy sniggered and threw the sleeping body over his shoulder, the broad piece of meat being enough to carry the pink shirt without problems. With the keys in her hand, she unlocked the door silently and crept in. The place appeared lavish at first. It wasn’t an upscale hotel they were in, but this apartment had a small lobby for them to step quietly into and put the body down. As they entered, It was immediately obvious that the place had been stripped. There was no fitted carpet, no paint nor paper on the walls and especially not pictures. There was no drawers to place your keys or knobs to hang your coat and further in it was only more of the same. No chairs. No beds. No dressing tables. No kitchen. Only a toilet and a sink were left of the original room, with lawn chairs and a cheap metal table with food scattered across it amid glasses of half drunken water, dust and a few scrap sheets of paper. The last place looked rather cozy compared to this place, and that had been made of ashes. Stepping into the next room the closest thing that showed something lived here was a mattress and a phone. Whatever was here was only intending to stay for a few short days. Ironically, the place was clean and fresh, the wooden floorboards looked safe to walk on; even the mattress looked brand new. This made it feel a hundred times worse than if it was broken and dilapidated. Something was here, and extremely cleanly despite no need to be. But no one was here, and yet, she felt there should be. This instinctual feeling was enough to tell Melissa there was probably was something powerful hiding. She made herself invisible again, creating a hard illusion to look round the room for her. Observing as it stalked around the room her life like figure slowly went around the five-room apartment. The kitchen and bathroom both came off as empty, the only thing significant being the state of the fridge, which had crumbs scattered around it and empty bags of bread inside (the bread was sliced, and came from America according to the packaging). The two main rooms that appeared as a leisure area were clean too. Although, upon closer inspection, the floor of the first was worn down slightly, indicating that someone was on it constantly. She imagined a fighter with this, constantly practicing his moves, the idea of it being a demon participating in the tournament seemed more and more likely. The floor of the second room had a girl on it, dressed almost royally with legs neatly crossed reading through small spectacles. With a glance, the girl closed her book in one hand and pulled a large revolver out of nowhere. Blinking for too long, Melissa barely had time to question where the gun had come from when the bullet tore through her, ricocheting in the wall behind her. She dissipated and returned to the front room, where the big guy had bolted to attention as the ricochet pierced the radiator and sent him ducking for cover. Unable to help herself, she exhaled loudly with the force of a bullet that had not gone through her and fell to the big guy for support. “Huh, Doushita no?” She readjusted herself against him, trying to focus. That was a first. She had never been shot before and though she still maintained that track record her instincts were telling her otherwise. Coughing it out, she got up in time to see the red haired girl rushing them, striking the big guy in the back with a large knife that cut right into his shoulder. Reeling back herself, Melissa watched as the big guy started to fall, the pain dropping him to one leg as the red haired girl turned straight for her. Releasing the knife to leave it in the mass of muscle she lifted the gun to aim it for Melissa’s head without intention to miss a second time. The ninja froze, her legs locking for reasons she couldn’t understand. She would have been able to avoid the bullet, but didn’t get chance to as a hand wrapped itself around the barrel and yanked it out the way. “Mada mada,” the big guy whispered, as the red haired girl looked at him with eyes freaking out. Not holding back, the large youth pushed his other fist out as he pulled her in, the two forces clashing in the centre, the girl’s light body failing to prove immovable. With the force of a truck the girl slammed into the opposing wall, breaking through half of it and sticking there. Not wanting to take any chances Melissa stepped up in front of her, pulling the gun away from her hands before bringing her own together, opening up a conduit for energy. From the hole from between her fingers, she unleashed the Unbreakable Snake. A vicious green energy poured out like a train emerging from a tunnel and circling the girl in front of her. “You fucking twat!” the girl called out with a strong English accent. With enough leverage it popped her out of the hole along with the snake and Melissa could see her reach to escape. The green energy tightened quickly round the girl, rendering efforts futile as they raised her up and slammed her against the wall twice over. The girl’s head smack the brick, knocking her down and out onto the floor. She rolled around a little before Nobori stepped on her. “Little shit face human. Get off me!” “Iten nanimono da” the big guy said speaking to the girl as she continued to squirm. Melissa relaxed and checked the rest of the room out. If anyone else was going to attack they would have come to help surely, but that did not mean they wouldn’t get other residents reporting a gunshot disturbance. They would have to move fast. “Nani!” the big guy called out, just in time for them to see the red haired gun twist a gun from her hand into the direction of Melissa. “Damn skank bitch!” the red hair called out, before firing a volley of shots that missed Melissa entirely. She was already dashing away before the girl pulled the trigger, wondering how the girl’s hand had freed itself from the bondage. The gun was a six shot revolver, already out before Melissa could react. The girl carried on swearing profusely, before the big guy clipped her in the back of the head, silencing her cries. Melissa relaxed as the girl stopped. Taking the gun out her hand, Melissa looked down to the aggressive woman, wondering if they should kill her. At the very least, she opted to have the snake bind her hands properly this time. She couldn’t see any more hidden weapons on the girl’s body, but then she wasn’t too sure where this gun came from either. “Moriika,” the big guy asked before sitting down on the floor. Melissa was about to ask him what he thought he was doing when she saw the knife still sticking in his back. Leaping over him, she looked to where it had struck. It was wedged in pretty deeply in his right shoulder blade, but it didn’t look far enough passed his thick muscles. “Mata kun. Kono gaki da” She picked the knife out and carefully pulled his leather jacket off him. He looked fine, the cowskin armour having done its job. To be on the safe side, she lifted his shirt off of him and began tying it around the wound, the makeshift doing for the time being. She patted him gently on the other shoulder, trying to get across he could rest. “Oi oi. Tatakandaka.” She left him and checked the rest of the place. The room where she had found the girl was empty save for the book she was reading, an alien science fiction novel that was useless to Melissa and a pile of clothes that looked unwashed. The final room was a poor excuse for a bedroom. It was empty and yet as clean as before, a second mattress in the corner and a cupboard on the opposite side. The mattress seemed to have been slept on recently, probably by the subject currently hiding in the closest, and smelt of sweat. Finally pegging the location of something that was hopefully significant, Melissa approached it with caution. It was impossible to tell if whatever was in there had noticed her and she held her breath in hope that it wasn’t some drug addict that thought they were hiding from the police again. She braced her hand against the handle that led to her answers and pulled it ajar. The rest was ripped open by the creature within the closest, pouncing upon Melissa through the door, shattering it into splinters around the two of them. Melissa was so shocked at the attack that she faded away out of reflex, and the newcomer looked around in untamed disorientation at where its prey had gone. Melissa observed the one who had been hiding, as she remained invisible in the corner. It appeared to be a young girl of around eight. She was had short, ruffled hair and a near animalistic look on her face. Her hands were strange, but not out of the ordinary, it was just that she only had three fingers on each hand; both were missing the middle two things and the way she planted her hands on the floor appeared almost cat-like. Despite the expression of untamed fury on the child’s face, it still merely looked like an eight-year-old kid playing at being an angry tiger. Melissa watched as the child quickly spun around, as if expecting her opponent to have somehow got behind her. Seeing nothing, the girl jumped round again, clearly puzzled when there was nothing there to attack. It would have all seemed stupid if it weren’t for a strike able to completely shatter the cupboard door. The girl-tiger seemed at a loss, as it became unwilling to let down its guard for something it knew must be there, and this echoed in Melissa thoughts as she pondered the situation. Was this the demon they were looking for? Despite being mindless and very strong, she was also rather cute. She had huge eyes that looked about everywhere, and it felt like she should have a tail and maybe some tiger ears poking at her head. It could have been a mindless demon forced into a young girl through the ritual of the Kotodama, or it could have been a young girl with very serious issues. Also, a feral demon like this should have been able to smell her, she realized, as she quickly covered the gap in her illusion, making herself truly undetectable. Though it was possible that the demon hadn’t had the little girl’s nose developed to be able to do so, or even be a demon that couldn’t smell in the first place. She briefly considered if this was a ruse and then decided, regardless of the truth, this was the end of her current task. It was probably best to just show this girl to Sagara, and let him sort out the rest. Yes, it was lazy, but there was nothing else to do. She was too tired to fight anything anymore, and a bigger demon might cause problems. Besides, she thought, they could just come back later and scope the place out. Approaching the girl, she went a step faster as the little feral wandered out of the door into one of the other rooms. Melissa followed her casually from behind. As she was right behind her, she saw the girl stop, and then turn around, staring directly into the older girl’s knees, keenly unaware of her presence. The girl was still looking for the intruder, and she growled fiercely to scare them off. The growl felt like a mountain lion’s and it was making Melissa not want to take any chances. This girl, whoever or whatever she was, would put up a struggle if she attempted to start it. Even though she didn’t appear to be demon or human, she was definitely worth showing to her so called lord. Forming a small blunt club in her hand she lifted it over her head, circling her prey and aiming for the back of the girl’s neck, hopefully to knock her unconscious. As she raised it, she was surprised to hear the girl growl loudly again before turning back to look her directly in the eyes. Panicking slightly at this, she fumbled with her makeshift billy club and quick swung it against the girl. The girl fell back hard and quick, but remained on her hands for a second after the strike. It looked like she was going to pounce, instinctively guessing that the intruder was right in front of her. The feral braced herself and Melissa stood back prepared, only to see the little one pass out a few seconds later. Melissa looked on cautiously. It seemed it had taken the girl a few moments for the signal to get to her that she was supposed to fall unconscious, more body than mind. On top of that, she seemed to have some kind of natural instinct, for the feral had been completely unable to sense Melissa before Melissa showed herself as a threat. The quick thinking illusionist guessed that this was probably similar to how the girl knew she was coming to the apartment in the first place and why she was hiding in the closest away from her friend. The ninja got down and felt the girl’s pulse. Finding a slightly irregular one, she relaxed her breath and slung the little child over her shoulder, mildly wondering how she was going to explain to Sagara why she was attacking children. Act Three – Chapter Six “And now, Futabatei Sagara-sama!” the loud voice over announced, the crowd bursting into cheer for their various reasons. Natoko breathed a heavy sigh of relief, sitting down on the chairs provided for participants wishing to observe, glad that her lord had actually managed to show up and not blow everything for a second time. Sagara had come in through the wrong door, but, as if they were expecting him, the spotlights were on him instantly. He winced as the light covered him, but was soon walking down the stage staring at everyone. He looked quite humbled at the several thousand people staring at him at the same time and the samurai found herself wondering if being directly observed by this many people should count as automatic disqualification for being a ninja. He reached the arena, the miniature battleground now scattered with patches of quick drying cement where pot holes had been, the heads that were once in them having been removed as well. “Possibly the most famous competitor in today’s tournament,” the announcer continued, standing in the middle of the arena as Sagara approached him. “Sagara-sama has so far been determined as the fan favourite, even though we’ve seen very little regarding his skill so far. If this fast brawler’s anything like the other members of his lineage, we should be in for quite a show, ladies and gentlemen.” The cheering continued. Natoko felt deafened by all the voices, especially the ones behind her, who came at her like a klaxon. “His opponent perhaps isn’t so famous,” the announcer continued, the little boy sitting in the ring having waited too long for Sagara. “In fact, we’re having trouble finding anything about him. Standing at a mere three foot nine, Timothy McKay from the United Kingdom is perhaps the youngest fighter here. No, he’s not a Cmir, ladies and gentlemen, he is really just eight years old.” She had no idea what a Cmir was, or why the announcer was treating him with such reverence. Questions to be asked later and then not expect a proper answer from. Screams and cheers erupted for the child as he waited patiently on the arena floor, looking around with an open mouth as the crowd did their best to encourage him. Natoko had seen him in the waiting room early, but hadn’t really taken much notice of him besides his encouragement of Sagara’s immaturity. She assumed that he was the kid of somebody with connections in the tournament or something, but a participant? Other than his white karate gi, which was a little too big on the boy, making him look like a cute baby who had tried on its older brother’s suit, it didn’t seem right that he was fighting. The only thing that she could see that suggested anything special about the boy was that he was missing two fingers from each hand. How did he get this far? And how could Sagara even hit him, knowing that he was too young to fight? Sagara jumped forward and kicked the child in the stomach. Timothy keeled over, coughing loudly as he rolled over and immediately burst into tears. The wild cheers, previously undirected, dropped to stunned silence as the entire arena witnessed the brutal act. The silence quickly became boos and jeers. Natoko gasped in horror with the rest of the fighters at what Sagara hadn’t even hesitated to do. Even the shady looking fighter cringed as Sagara stepped up to the boy and shot another kick at his ribs just as the bell rang to start the fight. “That creep!” Natoko cried out, her eyes now glued to the match. She couldn’t believe Sagara had just hit a kid like that. He didn’t even seem that bothered as the child rolled round on the floor. He just remained as calm as ever, with even a smile on his face as he stepped back. The poor little boy, sobbing quietly and complaining how much it hurt, shook quietly to himself as the crowd tried to cheer him on. He did so for a few seconds more, before he leaped at Sagara, kicking the boy hard in the balls. Out of reflex, the audience created the world’s loudest snigger as Sagara’s mouth fell open and his legs gave out on him. He fell back, trying to roll with it and succeeding only to fall, the little boy now higher than him. “Serves him right,” Natoko mumbled, sitting back down from the chair she had exploded from. “I can’t believe him, striking a child like that.” Besides her, she heard a grunt. It came from the shady male, whose name she had forgotten. He was smiling. “If you were in the arena, would you have attacked him?” the boy asked. Natoko paused, hesitating to answer a possible enemy. “Of course not. He’s just a kid.” “Then…” the boy continued, keeping his eyes on the fight as Sagara lay there, clutching his groin. “Wouldn’t you have lost?” “I…erm…” Natoko faltered. What would she have done? Just picked the boy up and threw him out of the arena? “This is a fight, girlie. You win through whatever means necessary. Besides… don’t let the runt fool you. He’s strong. Futabatei knew just what he was doing when he hit him.” “What?” she looked to the ninja, still on the floor, as he opponent kicked him in the crotch once again. He didn’t look like he knew what he was doing at all. “Futabatei kicked him full force, not holding back at all, yet the boy isn’t winded.” Natoko looked at little Timothy. The boy beside her was right. The eight year old wasn’t even out of breathe, his tears replaced with a face only marred by the smallest drop of sweat. “He’ll actually lose if he doesn’t pay attention.” As he slumped back onto his knees, his hands now protecting as much of his body as possible, Sagara was quick to realise how near the edge they had gotten in such a short amount of time. As the next kick came, he blocked it with his hand, the leg falling off to the side. He quickly pushed himself off his back leg and moved to counter the boy that had been kicking him with a swift right hook, only to be strewn onto the floor, the kid’s foot still going at his ribs. It took both ninja and samurai a moment to realise that he down again, still on his hands, on the floor, being kicked in the rib cage by an eight year old and getting perilously close to the edge of the arena. “That’s not right,” Natoko muttered to herself, as, without a block this time, Sagara pulled himself up and desperately jumped wide to get away from the danger zone, landing exactly where he was before, still getting kicked in the ribs, the boy doing something she missed to get him back on the floor again. Sagara tried again, leaping like a frog on the boy’s knee before it struck him again, vaulting over him and landing right by the edge of the ring. He was making his body move, that was clear. She was seeing his body move, moving forwards and away, moving to the side and away, but always landing in the exact same place. She highly doubted that he was jumping round the world. The boy reigned blows to Sagara’s ribs. They still weren’t really hurting him. They must have stung certainly, for the child was wearing trainers, but the biggest damage they were doing was that they were slowly moving him to the edge of the arena. It was like the child had found a huge immovable rock in the forest, and this was the only way to budge it. Sagara was paralyzed, trapped in the space in front of Timothy but without any chains holding him down. He looked at how far away he was to the edge of defeat, one and a half meters, and still slowly traveling. He looked to the kid, who Natoko saw wasn’t tired a bit, dancing on the ground with a one step kick routine. The child looked focused, but no more than if he was playing with toys, repeating the kicking motion and getting an inch each time. Sagara tried to jump away yet again, but appeared in front of Natoko once again. It was becoming futile. “Interesting,” the shady guy said, reminding Natoko that he was there. “Glue? Obviously not, since he’s still moving. Some kind of special rope?” He stopped to consider this, and Natoko felt a well in her stomach fill up. “Perhaps a portal that deposited him where the child wanted,” she quickly suggested, feeling the well empty when the boy stayed silent to consider this. “But if that were the case, why not just drop him out of the ring.” “Oh… right,” she said, deciding to shut up. Across from the shady guy, she noticed the nervous guy staring at her. The boy smiled as she noticed, and waved lightly to her. She instinctively waved back, before feeling a little weird and turning back to the fight. Sagara must have been finding his situation even weirder. It wasn’t that much of a strategy, in fact, it should be a bad strategy. All he was doing was kicking him, inch by slow, helpless inch, yet somehow it was working. “The inability to hit a small child of eight years old is of such a precise measure,” the nervous guy started to say. “That it is practically considered scientific fact that you cannot do so unless your brain had been surgically grafted to your hand, and then any attempts to hit the child after this would probably resulted in a brain hemorrhage.” Natoko and the shady guy stared at the nervous guy, who looked back expectantly. “Shut the fuck up man!” Shady guy spat back, silencing everybody. Nervous guy trembled and started looking at the floor, only Natoko feeling sorry for him. It wasn’t just jumping. Sagara tried to crawl to the side of his dangerous opponent. He only got so far, a few mere slabs of stone, when his chin thudded into the ground and he found himself back where he was a second ago, still being kicked by the very repetitive child. Bad enough that the boy was just doing the same thing over and over, but Sagara should really try to think his way out of this. Already she had lost count of how many times he had just tried jumping away, and all it was doing was getting him closer to the edge. A foot or so now, and he’d just drop off at this rate. Finally engaging some random thought process, Sagara deflected the boy’s next kick and got up as quick as possible. In his rush, he had forgotten that he shouldn’t have been able to do this. It was only when he was standing straight up that he realized that he was. He looked down to his feet, and deciding to take advantage of whatever he had just done. He stepped forward to hit the boy, only to slam back into the ground again. So it was just limited to the small area around him, about five square foot. That didn’t make any sense. What was the kid doing? Sagara got up again, and looked around, waiting for something bad to happen to him. Timothy backed off for a moment, not wanting to take the chance of a Sagara countering any of his kicks. Musing over his situation, Sagara quickly checked his feet, to see if there was anything sticky on them, just in case. Seeing that he could lift both his legs, he tried jumping up and down on the spot, which he was able to do perfectly. He then took a step forward experimentally and his head was driven once again into the ground like a professional wrestler had landed on it. He was limited to vertical movement, which still made no sense, but seemed to give Sagara something to go on. Timothy seemed to have no real fighting skill and his attacks were similar to that of an eight year old. He also looked a little driven, almost possessed. Overfocused yet not exhausted. Bouncing up and down, Sagara tried to stall defensively as he got his breath back. “Hey, the shadow,” the shady guy said, and her attention followed his to the big screen between them and the other side of the arena. The hundred foot tall screen displayed a close up of the two fighters, Sagara facing the camera with an empty expression as… That was it! Her mind flared, shady boy. His shadow wasn’t right. It was simply too big, an inconspicuous pool surrounding his feet. It looked like his shadow, but it couldn’t be. It was too spread out to completely belong to him, and the horribly bright lights above meant he shadow shouldn’t be that big at all. The little kid didn’t even have a shadow. She had picked it up a little earlier. It made sense earlier because of the lights, but how could one of them have a shadow and the other not? The shadow was actually containing him. Timothy was still holding back, taking his time, clearly waiting for Sagara to fall before risking stepping forwards again. It was a shadow right, that the boy was using to trap him? Nothing but a intangible shadow. But it wasn’t just a shadow, it was unaffected by the light. What made this shadow special from all the other shadows in the arena, which had been hidden away from the bright lights above. She stepped forwards, looking down at the circle below her lord on the big screen, focusing solely on the darkness as the shady boy suggested that the portal thing may have been right. Then, she saw it. It was difficult at first, because it was hidden within it’s own darkness, but it was there, just sitting underneath him. A demon! Controlling the shadow; trapping her lord. Weren’t they supposed to register such things? Though now she thought about it she hadn’t actually checked. The spirit had eyes, she could see that much. They were a very dark hint of purple, and appeared near invisible. Sagara stepped over the eyes, blinding their view of the world above them, and he instantly saw them reappear, trying to get a good view again and moving the shadow as they did so. He did it again, and again. Before any of them knew it, he was standing right next to Timothy, who was only a foot out of reach in the first place. Before he could figure it out, the young boy was seized in Sagara’s hand, and tossed out of the ring like a rag doll, his head smashing face first into the concrete below. The whole crowd fell silent from its mix of jeers and looks of confusion, as they realized that the match had ended in a heartbeat. As the child struggled to get up, failing with a slip, they went to boo again, but it did not matter. The bell rang loudly, and Sagara was declared the winner. Immediately bottles began ejecting themselves from the audience, a well placed bottle spilling brown liquid out on Sagara’s feet. The ninja looked around, trying to keep out of everyone’s wrath, falling back down into his own face as his shadow remained trapped. He had to slowly yank himself over to the edge as objects kept flying, bottles and snack trays and beer kegs coming too close for comfort, all projectiles missing the little boy completely, despite being right in the flight path. By the time Sagara got off the stage, having fell right into his own face once again, the spirit continuing to pin him all the way off the arena, Timothy had gotten up, and was once again crying. The entire medical team had rushed around him to check if the little tyke was okay. “Oh you brave little thing,” one of the nurses said, as she patted his nose, dabbing the infinitely small amount of blood coming from it as if he was internally bleeding. Sagara moved up behind her. “How is he?” he asked glumly. “You monster. How could you?” the nurse shouted back at him, her demeanor changing from bedside manner to demonic hatred. The ninja was clueless as to what to do. The child was fine, bawling his eyes out at the booboo of losing. As the white clothed nurse women grouped around him, the boy just started to cry loudly, though she could easily see it was just for attention. With nothing to do, Sagara moved up to Natoko, and just shrugged at her. She just gave him a disappointing look and remained silent. He stared back, quiet and spent, before slumping off back down the corridor and out of her sight. Nobori leaned forwards in a desperate attempt to grab her shoulder, to slow her down somehow. He missed and tried to leap forward as she started crossing the street at an accelerated pace. He kept up as far as the corner before slowing back down to a casual walking pace, letting him bump into her without showing concern. She hadn’t spoken a word to him since they had left the building. It was no real difference from before. He couldn’t understand her then either, nor could he understand why he could no longer understand her. The obvious assumption would be that she was mad at him for whatever reasons women get angry, probably something to do with the tiny mistake he made the day before with the demon. But, if anything, she had been trying to talk to him more than anything. Paying attention in English class had become tedious when he realised he could just not attend school anymore and only one or two of her words came out making any sense. She sped up again, varying her pacing by zipping side to sides between the bustling crowds. Most were clearing a path ahead of him, as the men in suits did whenever he passed, the floors and skies and other sides of the street becoming the center of their attention for just the time it took to pass them, then he’d hear their noses fold up as they’d turn back to him, before becoming inconsequential altogether. Speed up. Slow down. It had been one or the other ever since they had left the hotel. Down the stairs and over the road. Up the bridge and down the express line. Through the train station where the cleaner homeless gave out tissues and through the centre that had banned him last year. All to chase the cleaner. All for reasons only the Ninja girl knew. There was nothing special about wage slaves. They worked too hard for too little. They gave up joy with the intent on success by conforming, and fell only into the ritual of meaninglessness. There were better ways to live one’s life. So why was this cleaner special? Why were they traveling halfway across the city to stalk him? A busload of passengers appeared through tiny doors between them and the target, and the ninja girl crossed the road without any shift her step, traveling across fluidly and more than likely keep track of her prey. With the pink shirt standing out against the crowd, Nobori kept his eye on the target most of the way, but would have lost it ages ago if it wasn’t for silent girl. His stomach rippled as he felt the change again. Looking to his hands they looked more wore now, calluses from years of construction work bubbled up over his mitts, and stubble that came from shaving everyday poked out of his chin. He glared at her quickly, watching her slip behind an old lady on a bicycle and come out the other end a university student who had just woke up. It had been happening since they had started. Before the girl only changed herself, but after they started their little stalkathon he had started changing too. And it wasn’t just a difference in looks. Down the stairs he heard a jingle in his pockets from coins he didn’t have and over the road they changed into the rustling of notes. He went up the bridge as an old man and got on the train a businessman whose jacket smelt of smoke that came only from cigars. The homeless old man, a regular stop of his for conversation, didn’t recognise him and only spoke to mention that a shaved head looked ugly on his then female frame. And by the time he went through the shopping centre, he tasted the hamburgers eaten the night before when he had slept on an empty stomach. The pink shirt got on a bus at the depot. He wasn’t a suspicious creature of any sort. His body never jerked suddenly to lose the trail or stop completely to see if anyone else would too. Nor was he too perfect in his actions, smoothly gliding as if nothing was wrong. At one point he even looked round as if a sixth sense told him something was wrong, but passed it up without even thinking paranoia. The ninja girl followed him onto the bus, Nobori getting on quickly. This time they just turned invisible. Nobori’s mind drifted without a body to keep hold to, and his passed on to thoughts of Daisuke and the others. They hadn’t met since he had gone on the excursion yesterday and though they usually met at the back of the parking lot near Takumi’s, none of them had been there. His mobile had been stolen from the arcade the week before, so he had no way of getting to them. None of this really concerned him though. A part of him did want to make sure they were all right because, y’know, just to make sure, but another part felt nothing for these creatures who hovered around him and nodded their heads to everything he said, told him he was cool and then never appreciated it. At least with this girl, things were finally starting to get interesting. Hanging around the streets all the time was finally starting to pay off. Something landed on his shoulder, and he turned to find himself aware he had a shoulder again. Shuffling carefully, he lifted the girl’s head up so she could get a little comfortable, though also because the idea of a girl resting on his shoulder appealed somehow, even if that girl was currently an eighty year old man. He got comfortable again, realising no one around them cared. The way Japanese society was, they could have detonated and the people wouldn’t care. Yawning to himself, he caught a glance of the folder, the one she had been carrying around since this all started. He hadn’t had a chance to reach it yet and took one while she was sleeping. He cringed when he realised it was all bureaucratic gobbledegook, stinging him with abstract clauses and none specific implications. The language jumped between English, Japanese and what he thought may have been English but with symbols he didn’t recognise. The Japanese bits were easier to read, but didn’t mention much. It listed the residence of an Itoko, as well as a bizarre address reading McKay, BlNiock (both with poor use of Japanese kana) and what appeared to be a moment when the typist accidentally leaned on the space bar and then hit the comma before moving on. They were heading in the direction of this place. The address they had gone to before was also listed. In fact, all three were separate hotels spread over Osaka now he looked at it. The bus slowed to a halt, and he quickly shook ninja girl aware as he saw pink shirt halfway through getting off. She was already off the bus with him before Nobori even had time to let her pass. Act Three – Chapter Five Everyone was in the waiting room now, taking those precious few moments they were allowed to rest up in preparation for battles that each of them knew they wouldn’t be allowed one spare breath. The room was bland, Natoko thought, but certainly looked expensive. It had leather chairs and a bar, and was an impressive improvement from the hyena den that they had been made to squat in earlier. Eight people littered themselves around the room now, most keeping a respectable distance from each. One boy, a shady looking brat with tight muscles who glared at her every time her eyes bounced in his direction, sat by the bar, nursing a simple coke and playing with a pack of cards the way magicians do. At one point he made the whole deck disappear and appeared to have no intention of bringing it back. The fat boy that she hated was leaning by the entrance, as if there was no reason to enter further into the room and he might as well perch himself there until it was time for his match. Just a few feet away from him, another lad shuffled about nervously. It looked like he wanted conversation, but didn’t know where to get it from. Sagara was playing rock paper scissors with an eight year old boy. They were annoyingly loud about it and everyone kept jerking their heads at them every time Sagara cried out when losing, which had been every turn so far. The only one not staring at the two children was also the only other girl in the room. Standing at around six foot, the blond haired girl was the tallest here, beating the nervous guy by about a foot. Dressed in knee cut denim jeans and a white tank top her reason for not staring at the boy, or anything for that matter was her white and red bandana, which covered her eyes. It looked hand made, the red stains blotched everywhere in a poor attempt to dye it. Natoko couldn’t tell if she could see through the fabric but she was easily fiddling with a large naginata that bore markings to suggest it actually came from the Haishou era. The last member of the room was the bar staff, a waiter with a thick mustache that had been systematically removing the glasses from the room since they had all entered. This meant they were missing a person, she noted, if it was to be an eight way tournament, though she felt relieved if this meant she might get a free round. Yet even the nervous guy looked a little more excited than she did. She felt dead inside. What had Sagara meant by her forgetting her reason? She could admit to herself she was a little overjoyed that the last battle showed her years of training hadn’t been for nothing. That each practice swing of her sword had brought her to the level she displayed an hour ago. But at the moment, the only thing she really felt was how much she was going to love taking that boy apart at the folds. Did she really want to fight for just that? If only the other person had quit in front of them all, perhaps she could have joined him. “Well, you both made it I see,” a voice said, snapping her out of her thoughts. From the entrance, Sakimoto Yuya walked in, looking a little miffed when Sagara didn’t reply, the boy taking his time to finish the ninety sixth round with a stone again. Natoko stood up attentively and felt a smile come to her lips when Yuya nodded back to her. “I hope you don’t plan on winning entirely through luck, Sagara,” the businesswoman asked him when he finally noticed her presence. He didn’t bother to stand up, but just turned to her and said. “I don’t think I even plan on winning.” “Let me take this moment to explain this tournament to you,” Yuya said, choosing to ignore the boy. “This tournament, as all entering should know, is a qualification test!” Natoko’s eyes lit up with this. A test? She had assumed it was merely some kind of strange entertainment event. Maybe a test of skill for the fighters involved, but somehow what the woman had just said felt more important than that. “There are three stages to the test. Know that you have already just passed two. The first stage was simply getting here. With the tournament being held in the InBetween Realm, which exists outside of Earth’s natural sphere, it is near impossible for most humans to participate. That is the first test; to simply obtain your invitation and get to the tournament before it begins. Regardless of what you may think, you have all been handpicked by me to participate in this tournament. That includes the three of you who think you have entered through false means.” Natoko’s ears pricked up and this, and she looked at the woman with astonished awe. Did this mean that the woman had also picked her? Some other force choosing her to be one of the tournament participants. Could it be that, despite all odds, this woman had given Sagara the extra invitation, knowing that it would ultimately get to her? If that was the case, it was impressive and she even felt moved that such effort was made for her, but still Natoko felt she need not have bothered. “The second test: was what was known as the preliminaries. That which you have all just passed. It is also the best way to eliminate most of the more useless bodies from the event. The so called ‘Battle Royale’ was designed to eliminate all but eight of those who made it pass the first test. Such a test was not merely a test of strength and skill in fighting but also your tactical awareness and ability to think in an extremely stressful and chaotic situation. In simple terms, it was a real fight. Since you are all here, I can assume that you showed appropriate tactics in surviving through the chaos that occurred but moments ago, no matter how bizarre your methods chosen.” Natoko looked down at her sword, bound tightly to her waist. What she had done did not feel like a good move tactically, nor did she feel that she kept a cool head. In truth, it felt like she had got lost in her passions and just kept hitting everyone. Was that tactical enough? Someone with a firearm could have defeated her easily. “And now comes the final test: Dueling.” Natoko looked back to the woman. “A simple duel may seem strange after fighting in a brawl like that. Surely, one might think, the Battle Royale beforehand was much more testing than this. But a duel is different to the fights you have all just had. It is a time to truly prove yourself. Believe me when I say this is much harder than both of the other tests. You are not investigating. You are not simply trying to survive. You are attempting to eliminate your opponent, fighting with everything you are, and with everything you have. And they are doing the same. You cannot hide, you cannot simply wait for the opponents to exhaust each other. You must stand forwards, fight and destroy those who would aim to stop you. Only that, will get you both victory, and the qualification.” “The matches are done similar to the Battle Royale rules,” Yuya continued. “With the obvious exception that it’s only two people fighting at one time. The cage aspect has also disappeared, which means you can be immediately knocked out of the ring after the match begins. You can lose the match in one of five ways: knock out, give up, get knocked out of the ring, the referee decides that you are not fit to continue the match or, of course, death. You can argue with the referee if you want to, and if you are able to, he’ll probably let the match continue, but the rest will be immediate in deciding your fates.” She walked over to the white board, and began drawing in a pyramid formation. “You should all know how a basic tournament works. There are eight of you, so there should be a maximum of seven fights, with each of you having a chance to fight in three of them depending on how well you do. If, after a certain fight, both participants of that tier are unable to continued, both are disqualified, meaning some of you may get to miss a fight. There is no time limit, and no real form of disqualification. The only real rule on disqualification is that you may not use any weapons or spells that you have not already registered. Divine and Demonic weapons are also not allowed and will result in disqualification the second they are detected. Also be aware that actions taken against other participants before the fight are forbidden. For the record, Itoko, this includes bringing about the false enlightenment of the passion gods.” “Aw,” the blind girl muttered, like she wasn’t allowed to go out and play in the mud. “Now,” Yuya continued without indulging the girl. “Let me show you who will be fighting who. I, myself, will pick a sheet of paper out of this box with a number on it. If you are that number, depending on which tier you were in earlier, you will go in the next position on the board, going one through to eight.” She walked up to a man that was holding a simple cardboard box. She looked away and fished her hand into it. The first piece of paper she pulled out was a number one. “Who is number one?” Nobody answered, and Natoko checked her won sheet of paper just in case. Sagara stared blankly forwards, Yuya meeting his eyes. “It’s you, Sagara.” “Oh right,” Sagara said, holding his arm up and eventually catching onto her stares. He looked back to Natoko quickly, in case he had misunderstood her. “Very well,” Yuya said. “Futabatei Sagara is in fight number one.” This process continued for a short while, as each fighter was chosen one at a time. There were no real objections to the first fight, which was Sagara and the playful eight year old kid. Nervous guy and shady guy were paired together, much to the nervous guy’s anxiety as the shady guy reached into his trousers to simply pull out the pack of playing cards. The blind girl was paired with a guy called Yamato, who appeared to be the missing one, though Yuya offered no explanation as to how this was. “That’s it,” Yuya stated, as the man finished writing their names on the whiteboard. We will ask you to wait another five or ten minutes and as we finish preparations and the half time show, which you are of course free to watch. Until then, just sit, relax or prepare yourselves however you see fit. I’d offer you all good Luck, but negotiations were made to prevent her interfering in today’s matches.” “But what about…” Natoko called out, where she realised she hadn’t been mentioned. The participants of the room turned to look at her, even Sagara, and she felt herself shrink back at the glances. “You do know what elimination means, do you not woman?” the fat kid asked her, not even deigning her worthy to look at. “It’s a simple process. When six people have been chosen for three fights, the remaining two must fight each other. Is that not obvious?” The shady guy grinned as the room fell into silence to center on her. Even the nervous guy smiled to accept what she said with some grace. The fat boy sniggered. “Are you such a moron that you cannot even do that?” Natoko cringed, and turned to Sagara, perhaps in some fleeting hope for help, but he had just wandered out of the room, scratching himself. “Watch it, Hayate,” Yuya warned the boy. “I do not believe you told us we were not allowed to taunt each other before the match.” “I didn’t, but if it starts a fight, I’ll blame you over the other person.” “I- I didn’t…” Natoko stuttered, feeling impotent rage quell up inside her. She did not care for striking him down now if it meant being disqualified, but there was shame in forcing a fight when everyone had agreed to certain challenges, and that damn Hayate boy knew it. In the streets of the Fuugosuki, Melissa prowled, stalking her target with invisible steps that came from a stranger’s boots. The big guy had followed her, and she kept the illusions up to fit him as well. Invisibility doesn’t serve a purpose in a bumbling street filled with hundreds, but plain sight camouflage was perfect for stalking this prey. “It was how he went about cleaning that got me, like he just accepted that was the way the room was set out, even though I had no idea what the room originally looked like.” “Kikoenna, ojou.” “Whatever. Just keep following him.” Sagara’s fight would probably be up soon. Hopefully the fool would do well in staying in there for as long as possible. She’d hate to have to nurse him back from the ashes of defeat. Otsune didn’t care anymore. Let the world explode with stupidity around her. Let life seek to make sense as a zoo flies around her and a deathtrap never activates. Let her be inside a realm completely devoid of possibilities for existing. Let science be abused, raped and tortured, until it finally came to believe it liked the situation it was in and seek more. Just a few more hours, and she could go home and refuse to ever come along on any trip Sagara gave them ever again. Even better, why leave the dormitory? The world was a scope of indoor networks now anyway. She just needed to shut herself inside, and never let any of them approach her again. Yeah, that was the most rationale course of action. It beat trying to figure out why a famous pop idol was singing on the main stage, and why her own body was dancing along to the beat with everyone else. The rhythm was intoxicating, alluring and seductive, but ultimately avoidable. The half Sirynclou is nothing for me to be afraid of. As I wander the halls, the demons come. To face the stoolie. They seek to harm him. To drive him away from me. But I will not be denied. Not when I am so very close. All shall burn who stand in my way. Descending the last of the stairs, she looked around the abandoned lobby. A ticker tape scrolled above her, mentioning names she didn’t recognize. This had to be the place, she told herself, though there was no reason to assume it correct. The place she was shouldn’t even exist, yet the proof of it was clear to her. In front of her, an old man swept away the dirt left by a thousand people. The place looked like it had been busy. And she could tell by the screams just under the din of the music that they had all moved into the adjoining room. But she still had to get her ticket stamped, didn’t she? Or could she just walk in now. Or perhaps she was too late altogether. There was no one left at the ticket booth to ask. They had all packed up and disappeared by the looks of things. They hadn’t left a note either, and all that was left was the man sweeping the floor. Sakura waited for him to notice her. Back in the waiting room, Natoko paced frantically. “Where is he?” she muttered under her breath, keeping an eye in the direction he had gone. The half time concert show has just finished its encore. The little kid had already left for the stage, leaving a concerned man by the door, hoping more than the first event wouldn’t be ruined rather than Sagara actually showing up. “Could you go pull…I mean drag your friend out from wherever he’s gone?” the man asked Natoko politely, in a way that felt like he had got her attention with a crowbar to her face. The samurai girl didn’t reply, but silently headed for the direction he had gone, the noise of someone standing up behind her stopped her for a second. “Don’t worry,” a calm but deep voice said from behind her. Natoko was surprised to see it was the girl with the bandana over her eyes. The girl turned to the man by the door. “He’s on his way to the arena. You can go now.” “Erm, very well,” the man said confused, turning to leave, but doubling back all of a sudden. “You’re all allowed to follow and watch by the ringside if you want, as long as you don’t interfere. Or interject.” The man walked off out the door, leaving Natoko unsure of what to do. Was the blind girl telling the truth, or was this some simple way of getting Sagara disqualified? She turned to look at everyone else, to see what they were doing. Shady guy and nervous guy had already left to watch. The others seemed to be staying. Natoko turned to the girl, whose name she heard was meant to be Itoko, to ask her something. Before she could, a loud cheer came from outside the door. “That’s your lord showing up,” the girl said, staring at her for the few seconds it took Natoko to realise that this wasn’t possible. “I suggest you hurry up if you want to watch him.” “Aren’t you going to watch?” the fat boy said rudely. Natoko took a second to realise for once she wasn’t talking to him. “You seemed interested in that boy.” “And you in that girl?” she suggested subtlety. The boy responded with a hollow laugh, freaking out those still in the room with its horrible pitch and tone of superiority. “I’m just surprised how something so weak can get in this tournament. She clearly had a lucky match.” He snorted at this, and went back to leaning against the wall. The blind girl considered this for a moment. “Things are not always as they seem,” she replied. “You, for example, seem to have fourteen extra layers of skin over your natural layers. One of which is a barrier of some kind.” “So it is noticable then,” he said with a sigh, moving to stand and face her. “And what do you plan to do now that you know?” “As I said stereotypically but a moment ago using my rather round and, if I do say so myself, cute mouth…” She paused for a moment. “What did I say?” She waited for him to reply, but the fat boy called Hayate had just chosen to wander to the main stage. “Oh, that was it,” she said, grabbing his wooden spear, and holding it up for others to see. “It’s meant to be a naginata, but I left mine at the hotel, so I had to sharpen this out of a stick I found.” She paused again, not sure if that was the right conversation, nor no longer able to tell if she was even having a conversation. Around her no one seemed to be making any noise, and so she sat down back quietly, slightly embarrassed. It clearly was a naginata, Natoko noted, before putting it all aside and rushing up the steps to see her lord fight. Act Three – Chapter Four There was a rhinoceros in the special seating area, munching a pile of leaves and straw with popcorn scattered within it. Sitting besides the creature was a man, somehow larger than the gray mammal and keeping it occupied with light conversation. In the stands two down from them an African American woman with a haircut larger than the two put together was blocking the view of a perfectly ordinary looking dwarf, who didn’t seem to mind. “I give up,” Otsune sighed, slouching even deeper into the plastic foldaway that counted as her free seat to this freak show of a tournament. She passed the video camera back to Fujiko. “I should just knock myself out and be done with it.” Gen looked over to her and smiled in a vain attempt to be reassuring. “Are you okay, Ms. Tsunade? You’ve been tense since we got here.” “Well how the hell am I supposed to be relaxed?” she snapped, needing an outlet to pour onto, grabbing her long hair and shaking it out of position. “I’m in a underground stadium that’s defying every law of physics I’ve ever came across. Men are cartoon sized big. An eagle is giving me the eye and for some reason martial arts is a lot more popular than I ever remember it being!” “Ha, that’s so unlike you, Ms. Tsunade,” he continued with the apparent sympathetic ear. “Didn’t you tell me once we should take in all the facts for all situations before making our judgment?” “Well yeah.” She tried to shrug her hair back into place. “Forensics student. Scholarship. Empiricist. Pissed off.” “Even though we never see you study,” Fujiko butted in. “So what about it?” “Well, I admit it’s an impressive place,” Gen continued, looking around. “Having an underground arena this big, but there’s nothing more to it than that. I’m not surprised the government would make something this big. Probably meant to be a bomb shelter for the entire city or something. I’m sure we could find tons of stuff if we looked it up on the Internet.” “The government?” Fujiko said. “Yeah, I guess only they could make something this big under the city without anyone noticing.” “Exactly,” Gen continued, accepting his own explanation without hesitation. “That woman’s the CEO of Sakimoto Industries as well,” Fujiko added. “Probably got them to commission the whole thing. Maybe that’s why those buildings were being demolished. They were going to have that area as the entrance when they had finished building.” That wasn’t it! Couldn’t they see? How this place made no sense? How this couldn’t be part of their world? She had seen the entire structure, studied every inch, every dark corner that had passed over Fujiko’s special magnified lens, from the wood beyond the lighting constructs above them to the mahogany door that stood out at the end of the opposite side of the arena. What it told her was clear; should have been clear to anyone willing to look. The first, and worst sign was the absence of even a single support column. Nothing gave signs of any load bearing panels holding up this massive box of space. The entire room, and that’s all it really was, just one large room, was an approximate three hundred by two fifty meter box that couldn’t possibly hold up all the junk that was supposed to be on top of it. Even if the walls were made of some super strong substance, there was the weight of a city there, followed up by several hundred tons of bedrock. The maths didn’t need doing, though she could. At the very least the whole place should be collapsing upon them from the centre and showering them in sharp, jagged death. No place on earth could house an arena like this, especially a location one hundred meters below a metropolitan city. “Well, it is awesome place,” Fujiko sighed, lying back. “Though if I was working, I’d be annoyed that my tax dollars were going to waste on it.” “And I know you can’t understand a word I’m saying, but I’m sick to death with no one here speaking English and you can just sit by and take all of my well earned fury.” The big guy whose name she never learned was trailing behind her, his little finger dragging the rest of him down the busy street as she pulled him along. He spouted noises, with much anger behind them, probably about what in the ninety two hells she thought she was doing, but none of it sounded threatening. That was probably best for the both of them. “Look,” she began, as they stopped off in a quiet alley that rang alarm bells in her head for reasons she didn’t care about. “The InBetween realm has many stupid, complex rules that govern its inner workings and we all have to pay attention to them if we’re to get along with the accursed dimension. One of the more simple ones is that there is no oral language barrier there, because everyone communicates with their souls and the language of the soul is universal blah blah blah. And that’s why we can’t understand each other at the moment beyond your shouting of a type of paint, even though you’re in high school and probably should be taking some English classes seeing as you’re so smart with the ‘stand on the head’ genius epiphany you came up with yesterday.” She breathed deeply. “On top of that the written word is just nonsense in there and about as useful as Ipsum Lorsen on burnt pages. Because, when whoever decided to make the accursed place went about doing so they figured it should follow the same logic as dreams or something equivalently retarded. Otherwise I would take this document containing easy answers in there myself along with a map of your stupidly weird city which I still don’t know the name of and just read where I’m supposed to go. Instead, I’m stuck wandering the same stupid city until I run into thinks he’s so smart mobster impersonator. You got that?” “Nani?” the big guy replied as Melissa caught her breath. She only just realised he was holding an empty ice cream cone. “Whatever. Just look at this.” She lifted the document up to him, watching him at it like she had just presented him with a ball of wool as their anniversary present. “I need you to take me to here,” she said, pointing to the first address. “Here. Got it? Take me there.” “Yomigadekinai?” “Whatever. Here. Here.” No matter how loud she spoke, he didn’t seem to get it. “Asoko ni ikitaika.” “Yes. Yes. Hai.” “Which way is it?” “Tooi da.” “Oh right. Look, just take me there.” The big guy just glared at her, probably thinking it over. Then, taking a big sigh, he plodded off for the bus stop a few feet away. Observing the map pinned up on the board, he motioned for her to follow, and she surprised him by emerging from the alley as a thirty year old man. Finally, she was getting somewhere. “Hell yeah,” shouted Fujiko.“I see her. It’s Natoko.” Quickly turning the camera to follow the intoxicated girl’s finger, Otsune found the samurai girl walking out of the exit into the arena area, head lowered, her sword at her side, looking almost completely inconspicuous among so many of the others that filed in front and behind her. She appeared to hold the calm demeanor that the warrior type she was attributing to would have done, and Otsune couldn’t help but feel a little proud that she knew the girl, even if they did barely speak to one another. Natoko was currently terrified beyond her wildest expectations of what being terrified felt like. And having rarely experienced the emotion her imagination had ran pretty far. Here, before her, were several thousand people, all apparently knowledgeable in a world of fighting in other dimensions with demons that she had only just recently learned about. Her brain knew that she wouldn’t be noticed by anyone, and so didn’t expect people to just start booing and jeering, but her heart wasn’t thinking like that. It had shrunk up, shying away from the crowd’s piercing glares, afraid to do even the slightest thing wrong, to accidentally break some formality and be the centre of everyone’s unwanted laughter. Clutching Iziz tighter, it confirmed her suspicions that if it wasn’t for the weapon, she would have never even made it out of the changing rooms. That felt embarrassing in itself. Only one girl came out with her as she approached the arena, and for a second all eyes were on the both of them. The girl wasn’t exactly very friendly either. She only had one eye and seemed to reply to everything with grunting. Am i ready for this? The question ran through her mind like a constant toe stubbing. She was used to duels, not brawls. Even in one on ones, she felt she could never really cut loose. They fought with the wooden shiai in the kendo dojo at school, and she wasn’t even a member of that particular group. She wasn’t in any sword fighting club at school for that matter, and had always trained with herself, occasionally visiting one of the clubs whenever one of the members had insisted, meaning that her sparring skills weren’t as high as everything else was, however high that may have been. She had no idea if that even meant anything though. The rules of a kendo match were vastly different to her own method, and the point system was too perplexing for her to get used to in the few times she had been. And her sword was metal. Extremely sharp metal. Whilst she had never cut anything that was too expensive, in case she incurred the wrath of grandmother Futabatei, she knew it was sharp enough to kill. Should she fight with this? “Oh, why did I not think of all this sooner?” she muttered to herself dejectedly. The tall, hulking mass of woman in front of her turned to glare, her eyebrows fixed in an angry frown position, and the samurai looked away to show she wasn’t speaking to her. She didn’t want to kill anybody. Wound maybe, that felt sort of acceptable. Was it? It was to be expected in a fight anyway, and there were plenty of medics in white uniforms around the side of the arena. At least she assumed they were medics. They had red crosses on their armbands and looked ready to spring up in case of an injury. It was just… they had no equipment with them. It was expected of a samurai to kill. A samurai would even kill themselves if the need presented itself. But always they killed or died for a reason, for a master under whom they served. She served Sagara but, while she hoped he still remembered that, he had not ordered her to kill, nor did she know if she was allowed to. If she didn’t have a reason to kill and then did kill, would she truly be a samurai, or just another murderer? The cage slammed shut, grabbing her attention and causing her to shriek in surprise. She still wasn’t used to that. Why was there a cage? As if she was revealed to be a mouse in an alley full of cats, everyone turned to her, some of the more nastier looking boys grinning greedily at her. She instinctively knew what it meant, feeling her heart tighten up. That was it. Everybody had classed her easy prey. She looked to the timer, the number ten flashing up on screen in neon yellow, the announcer’s voice booming out to the crowds, prepping them for a great battle. She wasn’t ready for this! She didn’t even know how she should fight. All she knew was what she knew, and that couldn’t be enough! Gripping the hilt of her sword worryingly, her right leg shifted back, wanting to run away. A few of those further back focused away from her, as they decided she was too far to go for first. She hoped briefly that everyone would think like that, but it was clear that the male next to her at least didn’t think that. She swallowed hard, feeling her throat try to go down further than normal, like it was trying to save itself at the cost of her neck. The counter hit zero. The boy didn’t hesitate. He leapt at her with the speed of a jaguar, his hand with long, sharp nails swept at her, intending to draw first blood. She flinched. Her eyes were closed. Her stance ruined. She was weak. Beyond pathetic. The fat man was right. It took them both a moment to realize her hand had moved on its own. The boy growled, releasing his fury from the pit of his stomach. She looked up, realizing her sword, her Iziz, had jumped out of its scabbard and blocked the boy’s nails. It hadn’t cut them, but the boy was stuck. She saw him tense up, desperately holding the sword back. His position held for a moment and dropped down to strike her again. Another moment. Neither were expecting it. Without intention, she twisted her wrist, her sword swinging down, slamming into his arm with the blunt side of the blade. He grimaced, recoiling with the blow and falling a foot back. She watched him carefully, not sure what to do, when a Muay Thai expert slammed his heel into the feral boy’s head, promptly knocking the boy out. Natoko watched as the kick boxer bounced away, apparently not even noticing her, or not wishing to fight when he did not have the element of surprise. She looked to the sword that had protected her. She had been the one to move it. Obvious really. Swung the blade out of its scabbard and blocked both shots. She had done it instinctively, with focused ease, and the thought of doing it again made her want to laugh. A little more confident now. Indeed, the answer seemed blindingly obvious. She should just fight, like she knew how to, like she had always done. Not in the way she had fought with Sagara, not with an imbecilic slashing of her blade, but in the way she had fought all her life. Quick, sharp, decisive. Standing up tall, she admired her weapon one last time before sheathing it back in its home. She inhaled quietly, and flipped the wooden casing around. It was the way she had practiced all her life, ever since she had received her sword from her grandfather. It was the only way she truly knew, that she could truly use. Why should she change now? Just because it was the way that demon fought when it possessed her? Just because it seemed more appropriate against Sagara? She should stick with what she knew. With Iaijutsu. She bellowed a sharp powerful note, and looked to the closest boy. He was a judo practitioner. She should avoid close range. Stepping forward, she pulled out her sword and struck him with a single blow. The impact was so intense it carried him across the three meters of the arena, where he promptly flew out of the cage, her shot as accurate as she intended it. She returned her sheath to her sword, before turning round. Another male. By the way he was using his feet, he was using Savate, the French art of feet boxing. She should block his first strike, then counter. She rushed to him, and he lifted his right leg, giving her the opportunity to slam the hilt of her sword down on his knee before he got the chance to do anything. Then, pulling Iziz out all the way, she struck him once on the head, using the blunt side again, watching him fall backwards and unconscious, through the wide bars and off the side of the arena. People had noticed her again, since she had just eliminated two fighters even though the cage had only just coming up. Some stepped back, intending to fight when she had grown a little tired. She had no idea now when that would happen. Flowing across the arena now, she sheathed her sword back again, striking the brutish women in the nose with the hilt of the blade. The muscular girl stayed standing for a few moments, Natoko observing her with little interest, before the pain reached her brain, making her pass out accordingly. Natoko returned her sword fully to the scabbard, never having to pull it all the way out anyway. A young boy, three years her junior ran at her, jumping a lot higher than she expected a human could. He went to kick her, with the heels of both feet. She pulled her sword out, this time allowing it to cut his under soles. He cried no pain, but fell before her, and was caught up in another battle before she could do anything. She returned her sword, taking it out a second later to defend against a kendo fighter. She didn’t even look at his face. Her blade blocking his, she grabbed her scabbard with her other hand and rammed it against his jaw. As close to the edge as they were, he fell off before she even knew to stop her follow up. It continued for another three minutes. Natoko knocking out fighters like they were bowling pins, just waiting to be taken out and carried away. Her movements were fresh, flowing out of her in continuous bursts, like someone was turning the tap on and off constantly. She was finished before she knew it, having just kicked one fighter before striking the backs of his knees with her scabbard, knocking him out of the match before she could even figure out what style he had. That was when the bell had rang. Apparently, the two other fighters on the other side of the ring had thrown themselves out during their scuffle and were still fighting even now. She looked around, hearing nothing but her mouth panting. Everyone was staring at her. Her knees wobbled. Her heart tried to explode. She hadn’t done something wrong had she? No, of course not. But then- Then it started. Cheer and applause, as deafening as the silence. She had won. The announcer announced her as the winner, and for the first time she realised he had been talking through the whole match. Wandering off the stage, trying not to care about the praise being lavished upon her, she was quickly met by a tall, yet stout man who asked her to follow him. She did so, looking back at the last moment to observe the carnage she had wrecked, the bodies of those she had knocked unconscious lay strewn outside of the arena, with only so many medics to handle them all. She had done well, she noted, proving herself and her style. She was a fool for changing, for going to a way she did not understand as much as Iaijutsu. And now, she knew how strong she was. So why did it feel worthless still? No reason but a thrill meaningless to her. “What the hell!” Otsune cried out, through with holding back the feelings that had been welling up inside her every since she entered this place. “When the hell did Natoko get that fast?” Her question was drowned out by the ongoing cheers of the crowd, who right now didn’t care for the student’s important question. “Huh?” Aki replied, looking down at her elder for the top of her chair, bouncing up and down with excitement, possibly the happiest girl in the audience now that her best friend had won. “Natoko’s always been that.” With her detailed explanation complete, Aki went back to screaming and cheering, providing the energy for all those in the group that weren’t excited, namely everyone except Fujiko. “Been like what? And how come didn’t she kill anyone?” “Blunt edge of the sword.” “Blunt? But- she’s using the Iaido right -the art of drawing the sword. It would get jammed if she tried to pull it out that way.” “The sword must have rearranged itself.” “That…that doesn’t make any sense!” Otsune insisted. She caught a glance of Sarah in the row in front of her. She too, looked a little bewildered by what she had just seen. Otsune looked back at the arena, almost expecting the mirage to disappear and show Natoko soundly defeated while some unknown muscular brute adulated in his victory. “None of this makes any sense.” “Huh? Said the Rhinoceros. “Oh you be quiet,” Otsune said, sitting in a huff. Raiko wasn’t liking this one bit. In fact, Raiko was hating it, and the temptation to handle it all through more ultraviolence methods was becoming more alluring. How much longer did they have to put up with this? Yuya stood up from her chair in the V.I.P room and smiled as much as she could without the others in the room noticing. “By my own beard!” a man roared next to her- his wife repeating it all, rising up from the leather chair where he was seated before tossing an enchanted chalice- centuries old straight into the wall behind Raiko. It would have shattered had not the wall decided to instead. “That wasn’t my little girl…was it?” He turned to Yuya, waiting for an answer, barely noticing his wife in the corner, repeating his words. “Tell me that that was not my little girl that just got tossed out of the ring like a filthy human by a filthy human. “I-I’m afraid so,” Yuya said, the smile on her face dropping so that even Raiko thought she was genuinely sad. The man, a big, bulky mass of muscle went to stamp his foot on the ground, but was stopped by his quick acting partner, who leapt under the foot in sacrifice. “What is going on, woman?” he demanded with a roar that shook his thirteen foot tall frame. “Don’t use that tone with me!” Yuya shouted back without hesitation, causing the man to back down. “I don’t know who that girl is. It’s not easy keeping a trace on everyone in the InBetween Realm, you know.” “Of course the main problem with determining if we are all contained within a simulated reality is the idea that not only might the system have certain safeguards that would make a prisoner find ways to rationalise any glitches found as a result of computational stress upon the system, but finding out may do nothing but ruin the simulation for the players. Having found out, the player’s feelings on the novelty of the game may only last so much longer.” Everyone stopped as the old man blurted this out long enough to have it fry their brains. As the small queen shushed her servant, the Gronog calmed down enough to compose himself, and turned to face Yuya head on. “You claim your Shariku Insana System is flawless, woman,” the demon continued. “Yet you are telling me you cannot even keep track of one, immensely powerful human?” Husband and wife demon spoke in unison as the Gronog spat his venom at Yuya’s feet. Raiko was more than used to this by now, but she wished she was in the outside world speaking to them, where she could understand only the more timid woman. “It’s not as though we cannot keep track of her, my dear Dayton,” Yuya began to explain. “It’s just that there is nothing to know. We have her name, her age, her family, her school, medical and parental records. We have everything one could acquire on such a girl and other than a semi-famous historical figure that may or may not have been her ancestor and what appears to be a pathological obsession with her sword, there is nothing to know.” “Is she here to usurp all that we have done?” the man asked, standing a lot shorter. “Every human child in that arena is there to usurp all that is being done here,” she said straight up. “Because they want to win. She is just another fighter.” “Don’t give me that!” the man shouted, his anger getting the better of him again. “We’ve put a lot into this tournament. I don’t want it all ruined because of some ‘mystery samurai’ showing up and defeating all the competition.” “Yet if that is how it is to go, you would not have a right to complain. You all entered this knowing what was to happen. The possibility was low, but there was always to be chances that there would be strong humans joining randomly. They are all faithless after all.” “But that was my daughter just eliminated now! Every demon was just eliminated now!” He roared, breaking the coffee table with his mere presence, causing his assistant to shriek. Even Raiko felt her skin wanting to bend to his will. “By a single human warrior. And don’t tell me she didn’t know what’s she done. No one walks out that calm after a fight. Our family’s names been insulted irrevocably in the space of three seconds. I demand vengeance!” he hissed, the human body that contained the demon failing to perform the necessary notions for this and just gawking instead. Yuya went to leave. “Where are you going?” he shouted. “I shall wait for you to calm yourself down,” she said formally. “There is no need to be angry if your daughter lost to someone so strong. She shall learn, if she has anything on your side.” She pointed this comment to his wife, who timidly nodded in reply, before leaving without another word, her trainers softly masking her footsteps. “Besides, she didn’t eliminate all the demons.” Raiko was left standing in the middle of it all, and found the demon staring back at her, looking unsure as to whether or not he wanted to continue his ramblings at her. He eventually decided with a snort larger than his body not to bother with it and went to sit back down to watch the fight through the protected glass. Raiko calmed down. She hated this job. If only this monster had gotten angry enough for her to have the excuse to destroy it. Then she could have gone to see Sagara. But no. Her job was guard duty. “Woman!” the man roared. “Yes,” she replied, her voice squeaking as she had been told to let it do. “Fetch me a beer.” “Ah, right away, sir.” “Stupid wench.” She tried her best not to unleash forty thousand volts through the demon’s hide. She unfortunately succeeded. The friendly assistant, who smelled like tuna, had guided her into another waiting room; a lot different from the unclean changing room she had been stored in earlier with the other girls of the tournament. This room was brightly lit and clearly had more effort put into it than the changing rooms from earlier. There were lush, leather sofas to relax on and a large bar that seemed to cater specifically for the winners of the elimination tournaments. She noted that, for Fujiko, the place would have been a perfect place to hang out, were it not for the large ‘No alcohol’ signs prominent everywhere in the room. Even in this realm, it seemed minors weren’t allowed to drink. “Natoko!” a cheerful voice rang out and. Natoko assumed it was Aki come to greet her. Instead it was Sagara. “You won. Congratulations.” “Er…thanks,” she replied, hesitantly. “You too.” “From what Mom’s told me about these things we should be expecting a dramatic rematch soon,” he said excited, bouncing happily on the cushy armchair that had been provided. “I wonder which one of us will win after our differences cause us to conflict.” “Erm, yeah,” she replied again, watching her usually stoic master revel in simple pleasures. “Hey, Sagara?” “Why are you fighting?” “I’m not fighting,” he answered in turn. “I’m talking to you.” “No I mean. “She started again. “Why do you fight in this tournament? Personally. Not just the demons. I mean, well, more like in a philosophical way. You know, the whole Zen thing.” She cursed. She should be able to say it better than that. “Because it’s my mission…and it’s fun I guess.” “Is that it?” She felt a little sore. Was he just not giving her the full answer? She wouldn’t be too surprised if he had to keep some things from her, and she as a retainer shouldn’t complain anyway. “Yup,” Sagara paused for a few seconds. “I suppose you want me to ask the same question?” “Why do you fight, Natoko?” She composed herself. “Have you ever found yourself, doing something with all of who you are, all your power, all your mind, all your heart, only to get it laughed upon by your closest friends?” she paused, figuring it was the best way to start. Sagara was already shaking his head, not understanding what rhetorical meant. “Before you came here, before you brought all the demons and spirits, strange realms and giant tires with you, I still spent my days training hard. Day in and day out, I swung this sword as I had countless times before; improving my stroke, making it cleaner, smoother. Some nights after school it really was all I did.” Sagara sat down, knowing this would take a while. “I had always figured that, if one was to try their hardest at something then, no matter what it was, everyone around them would respect them for that effort. I looked at my friends and saw Otsune studying in her room, Sakura cooking, even Fujiko working on her website and Aki just playing around. I saw these and, while I might not want to join in, admired them for keeping up with these things with such resolve. “So it was pretty hard for me when I found none of them respected me for what I did. The signs they gave me over time were things I tried to just ignore. Fujiko would come at me like a badly made Chinese martial arts movie. Sakura couldn’t understand why I was doing such a thing. Otsune told me that such things weren’t needed anymore. It felt kind of painful, having your closest friends just dismiss what you do. It felt strange too. I mean, I was learning an art, that’s gotta be considered cool on some level, right? Only Aki seem to quietly accept it, but that didn’t feel acceptable on its own for some reason. “Sometimes I wanted to quit, just on this. But by that point, I felt that, if I let my sword go, and just follow on with them, then everything I do from then on would be meaningless. It wouldn’t be something that made me who I am. It would just be something I did because I felt I had to choose something to replace that what I gave up. And I don’t think I could accept that. Not just to myself, but the duty I had towards my friends as well. I’d be betraying who I am and who they thought I was if I stopped. So I continued. I continued to swing, continued to get stronger, so that, one day, I could protect them with all my heart. “And I was so happy when that day finally arrived.” “That’s why you fight?” Sagara replied, looking genuinely interested, yet sounding confused. “No, that’s why I train,” she said. “To make myself better. To be a better friend. I don’t have a reason to fight.” “Huh?” he muttered, looking at her like she had just turned into a radiator made out of paper. “Yes you do.” “What?” she called out. “No, I don’t!” “Then you’ve just forgotten.” “Are you telling me that-“ “Mom told me that everyone has a reason to fight, but sometimes they forget, and that there should be nothing more to it than that. You’ll remember in time.” He turned round at this point and headed to the bar, giving the girl a few seconds to realize that the conversation was over for him. “Oi, don’t spout philosophy and turn away,” she shouted back. Moving to chase him she got stopped when she heard cheers and a voice blurt out over the loudspeakers. It came out mumbled, but she assumed that it was the next winner. “That was fast,” she stated, turning around to partly expect someone to be walking in through the door at that moment. Strangely enough, there was standing the overweight cousin of the boy who had tried to stab her the previous day. He was already looking at her as she turned to him. He scoffed in disgust as he realised who it was. “You?” he said surprised, as if a turtle had just won a race. “You made it past the eliminations?” Natoko stared austerely at the boy, though her mind reeled in alarm as this boy looked down on her from the steps. Her previous experiences were constantly getting pushed aside and replaced with new ones. With decision she grinned back at him. It didn’t startle the boy though. “I’m not as weak as either of us thought,” she replied boldly, staring back at him, meeting his eyes and claiming them for her own. “And I’ll beat you as well when the times come.” “Evidently,” he said simply, before walking up to a nearby wall. “I expected my stupid cousin to be here. He was in the last match. Instead I find another weakling.” He leaned against the wall and then…nothing, like he hadn’t even bothered to hear the last bit of her taunt. Almost tempted to flatten him there and then Natoko prayed he would be her first fight. To strike him down with her grandfather’s blade, and destroy he who would mock her. She may have not had a reason to fight, but now she definitely had an excuse. The elevator played music with a melody as meaningless to Melissa as the lyrics, its incessant randomness attacking her voice as Japanese comedians laughed to each other loudly apparently without telling any jokes. The guy next to her laughed along with them, but quickly shut up when he caught her glare. They rode up the rest of the building in silence, her giant yet supposedly younger companion trying not to fidget and failing. He was the one who had led them here after spending enough time riding buses and subways to another part of the city that looked the same as the part they had started at, but he didn’t have to have come this far with her. The boy no longer seemed that bothered though and had simply wandered into the building with her even after she had said thanks. Trying not to shuffle too much in the cramped elevator, she took another look into the folder at the more English parts. The first part that she saw was the label of what appeared to be the false name that was used to book the room in question. The only problem was that name being in Japanese. The second part was equally unhelpful though, as it just said ‘BlNiock’. With such an odd combination of letters it wasn’t too far off to assume it could be the name of a demon. There was no such demon that she had heard of called a BlNiock, but it wasn’t impossible that such a creature could exist. Probably a minor one though. And if it was working through the False Balance then it was most likely weak, as the only demons that ever did that were the ones afraid of point blank annihilation on behalf of the stronger demons it might try to deal with. There was also a third part to the top label, but it was simply a blank space ended by a comma, as if someone had held the spacebar down without realising it. It probably was just a typo, but her mind kept playing with the idea that it was something beyond that. The elevator finally rang as they reached their floor, and the big kid waited with his arms crossed for her to leave the elevator first. Passing the stupid dumb freak she found herself in more familiar territory. This hotel floor felt more along the lines of buildings back in America, and she felt herself glide down the corridor with ease, right until the point where she smelt heavy ash. Hearing the boy sniff behind her, she followed the path down, looking to the numbers and trying to find a room with markings on it that matched anything on the address. As she turned down the passageway, the smell weighed on her nostrils and she quickened to a jog as she noticed bizarre looking black footprints faintly appear on the carpet ahead of her. “Aw no. No no.” She turned another corner, and saw the black prints get darker as they walked backwards to the white door second on the left. The door was shut and, as they rushed up to it, was found to be hosting the number 666 proudly on the door frame, written on a post it note. The smell was thick here, the big guy behind her muttering to himself as he held his giant hand against his face. She could almost feel her eyes watering behind the illusions as she tried for the door handle and, upon finding it to be non-cooperative, stepped aside for the big guy to ram it open. The language of unnecessary violence being as universal as the soul, the big guy charged into the weak door almost faster than she could get out the way. The door came off its latch and flew forwards, the smell of warm ash jumping out from before where it had seeped, now filling the corridor with putrid darkness. Though visibility was still high, the two wandered cautiously into the room, their mouths covered with as much clothing as skin as they could muster. This much soot and ash was confusing, seeing as there was no fire in sight. She started to look around as the big guy opened the window to try and get it all out. The room was empty “Koko nandeska?” “You said it, big guy.” Whether it had been abandoned she couldn’t tell, but even if that was the case, it implied that the previous tenant had decided to steal a lot more than just towels. All the furniture was missing, from the bed to the meaningless armchair that existed only to store stuff on to the entire ensuite bathroom and everything in-between. And it had all been replaced with ash. Someone had beat them to it, and they had burnt away the contents of the room. The walls no longer bore wallpaper or paint. The wooden floorboards beneath them were untouched, even though there was no way a hotel wouldn’t have carpet here. More alarming was the sound of water trapped and pressing to escape. Melissa soon found the source coming from a series of pipes in the corner of the room. They had been melted down perfectly to meet with the tops of the floorboards, a blob of metal laying on top of each iron water pipe. Whatever had done this, seemed to have incinerated the entire room in the perfect shape of a cuboid meeting the dimensions of the apartment. And without being detected by any fire alarms, now presumed melted, though the heat that was enough to incinerate the contents of an entire room should have been enough to alert those in the surrounding rooms. The only thing that that remained was a smell. Decomposed meat. About four weeks old. There were just minute traces of it, but still enough to get her to gag a little. Surely there should be no such smell, Melissa noted. If there were bodies in here that got incinerated, she would be smelling fried chicken, and any previous smells would still be burned away. What had gone on here? She was hoping to finally get some answers but now it looked like someone was actively stopped her progress. Were the demons onto them? More than likely after the incident with the Riddleklutz yesterday, but this was far too extravagant a solution to hide evidence from them when they had plenty of time to just simply relocate; or had this been done to remove all traces from the room after they had done such a thing. Or was someone else hunting the demons? That was a possibility, though it didn’t help her if they were. With the room leaving no traces, she was now back down to square one. She didn’t have any equipment with her to trace what the soot originally was, and there was so much of it that all she was likely to find was wood and expensive bar snacks. “Shizuka!” She didn’t need to know what the big guy was saying to hear the footsteps from approaching down the hall. Gliding over the floorboards without scrape or squeak, she pushed the door shut, muting all sounds as they were made. She backed off, waiting to see if the footsteps were heading to this room. If a demon was returning, that would be perfect timing, the big guy would work as a perfect aide in her interrogations. Of course there was always a chance of- “Cleaning!” A jangle of keys. The cleaner was here. Of all the worst times. The big guy shuffled in panic, the idea of being caught here without reason clearly scaring him. She shushed him with a wave of her hand in case he tried to imitate the previous tenants. Then she concentrated. Illusions are the simplest of things really. All it is is a matter simulating the right electrons in the air, at the right time, and for the right reasons. It’s perfectly easy to make someone believe they’ve missed their bus, or to make a blind man see a butterfly. All it really took was timing. So when the cleaner entered, looking slightly surprised to find the door already unlocked, the four star bedroom with bathroom suite that was displayed in front of him didn’t even register as false to the cleaner’s mind. Melissa and the big guy watched, hidden within the patterns of the wall as the cleaner began stripping a bed that wasn’t there, placing sheet as epithermal as air into the cleaning cart, and laying sheets down to have gravity take them from him, only to carry on making the bed regardless. Patiently they stood, and Melissa watched the man, MP3 player blaring in his ears to make it just a little easier on her efforts. It was hard though. The entire bathroom suite disappeared for thirty seconds behind the young’s man’s back to reveal the big guy, who was cocky enough to make her laugh with silly faces, nearly making her drop the illusion altogether. By the time it was finished, Melissa was sweating, and the young man started scratching his right arm until it went sore. Emptying a bin that wasn’t there, he drank water from a tap with no rejuvenating qualities. With a scratch of his head and a curious mutter, he closed the door behind him and locked it, trundling his cart back down the corridor. “Phew, abunakatta,” Big Guy said, as he came back to his own eyesight. He checked his hands to appreciate them being there, and then Melissa didn’t care. She had four seconds to pick the lock of the door and get them out of there.. This room was now useless to her, and the sooner she got out, the faster the answers would come. The prelims had to be over by now. She was running out of time. “Yo yo matte matte!” She didn’t care if the big guy followed her now. He was a nice sized meatshield, but would probably slow her down. Not that the suspect knew it was about to be followed. bananas blind spot Crying Man dark souls Detective Story Fugue kirk cameron success swordsman TBG TOFOTN TOTR © 2021 workHate Inc.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line264
__label__cc	0.503815	0.496185	Prof. SUDHOF from Stanford University Visited Wuhan University School of Medicine May. 6tham., the Internationally famous Neurologist Prof.Thomas SUDHOF from Stanford University School of Medicine in USA visited Wuhan University School of Medicine and gave a lecture on the topic of “Neuroscience Research in Stanford University” to all the students and faculty in School of Medicine. Vice Sectary General of the School of Medicine Ms.Deng Lanying, Vice Dean Prof..Wanqi, Vice Dean of Basic Medicine School Prof. He Xiaohua, as well as 100 students and faculty from the Basic Medicine School, the First Clinical School and the Second Clinical School attended the lecture. Professor SUDHOF brought the latest achievement on Neuroscience to all the students and faculty in the school of medicine, and the lecture was high appreciated. It is reported that Thomas SUDHOF is the Academician of the American Academy of Sciences, American Medicine School, American Academy of Humanities and Science and Norway Academy of Humanities and Science.（translated by Wang Shiyao, Wu Xia) 上一条: 2013 Sino-French Medicine Academy Seminar on Regeneration Medicine Held in School of Medicine 下一条: 110th Birthday Memorial Ceremony of Prof. Zhu Held in Wuhan University School of Medicine	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line265
__label__cc	0.691453	0.308547	This page includes resources to support carers during the Covid-19 emergency situation. Information about Covid-19 updates, patient visiting information, online appointments, service changes and NHS 111 option 2, mental health crisis is available here Looking after your self The Five Ways of Well Being provides information on some of the key things we do to maintain our well being. Further information can be found here. General information on maintaining your mental well being can be found at Keep your Head. Information on maintaining your well being during the Covid-19 emergency can be found at cpslmind and at the government site for health and well. Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council provide information on how to get help or to register your self or others as a vulnerable person. Needing somebody to talk to Caring for somebody can be exhausting. If you need to talk to somebody there are a number of organisations which can help. Rethink Mental Illness run a carer support line for people looking after a family member or friend with mental heath challenges. They can be contacted at CambridgeRethinkGroup@rethink.org / 07783 267013. If you send an email or leave a message somebody will get back to you within 24 hours. CPFT have started a Heart and Soul Listening Service. The aim of this service is to anybody including carers with an opportunity to talk to somebody who is there to listen. This service is available for anybody who is caring a friend or family member with a physical or mental health condition. For more information and how to access the Heart and Soul Listening Service for Carers click here. Caring together provide the listening ear service for carers of all ages. Centre 33 continues to provide support for younger carers. Their phone number is 03334141809 and their lines are open between 12.00 - 4.00 Monday to Friday. . Text / whatsapp on 07514783745 or email at help@centre33.org.uk and somebody will contact you within 48 hours. Further information is available at Centre 33. If you require additional help and support our volunteering page contains information on how to access Good Sams the national NHS volunteering service for the Covid-19 emergency as well as information on local support available through the local volunteering hubs. Support and information about caring for an adult with an eating disorder can be found here. An on line support group for carers of service users with an eating disorder has been set up and is holding a virtual meeting once a week. The meeting is invitation only due to the confidential nature of the discussion. If you think you have been inadvertently left of the list and would like to be part of the meeting, email Keith Grimwade at keith.grimwade@cpft.nhs.uk who will contact the service on your behalf. Support and information for carers about end of life care can be found here. Information on Bereavement support available within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough can be found here Caring Together are continuing to offer a range of support for carers and the people they care for including: Home care by our qualified care workers. This can include personal care, medication, meal preparation,shopping, collection of medication and more Providing information, advice and guidance by telephone,email and our website. Offering our Listening Ear and telephone support service. Supporting and connecting carers by video meet-ups, phone calls and email (instead of the usual hubs and groups). Help to plan for the unexpected. Immediate support in a crisis. Caring together can be contacted on 0345 241 0954 / hello@caringtogether.org Rethink mental illness provide support for carers, friends and families looking after somebody with a mental health illness. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Rethink Carer Support group can be contacted at CambridgeRethinkGroup@rethink.org / 07783 267013. An on line support group is being held on the 29th April at 7.30. Contact Jonathan Wells at jfgwells57@gmail.com for further information on how to access the virtual group. Rethink Huntingdon Carer Support Group can be contacted on 01823 365308 / huntsrethink@gmail.com Making Space are continuing to accept and respond to new referrals both from clinical staff and self referrals who meet their criteria. Making Space can be contacted on 01480 211006 / christine.burton@makingspace.co.uk / gillian.loveday@makingspace.co.uk. The page was last updated on 05 May 2020 by carers.editor. Home> Carers> Carers and Covid-19	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line271
__label__cc	0.74125	0.25875	Open data, open government – but just how open can governments really get? And how does it feel to be politically powerful? The Loneliness of Power The life of the politically powerful tends often to isolation and loneliness. But nevertheless, many politicians still aspire to this life. Power Games in International Development Policy The age of a Western dominated world order is drawing to a close. Rising powers from the South are becoming important global actors. Power and Inequality in Malaysia The inequality of Malaysia’s multi-ethnic inhabitants leads to the “1Malaysia” campaign. But what actually happened to this ambitious concept? More Top-Down Participation, Please! Wouldn’t it be true empowerment though if the right of citizens to speak their minds were directly integrated into political and administrative decision-making processes? Open Contracting: Walking the Talk The quest for transparency, accountability, and meaningful public participation in governance continues to inspire the development of mechanisms that give life to these values.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line274
__label__cc	0.722629	0.277371	Quetta Gladiators Easily Won a PSL Match against Islamabad United Published on February 12, 2016 Author K. ShahzadLeave a comment In another PSL (Pakistan Super League) low scoring game Quetta Gladitors send back all 10 players of Islamabad back to the pavilion in just 19.1 overs, at a point when they had scored 117 runs only. By achieving the target in just 16.1 overs the Islamabad United added another victory to their unending list of victories in this first season of Pakistan Super League. From Islamabad United batting side the best score was 40 which was scored by Shane Watson on just 28 balls with the help of 3 sixes and 3 fours. Other than him no one reached the figure of 20 and everyone was back to pavilion at at point. Quetta Gladiators bowlers did very good job. Grant Elliot took three wickets in 4 overs by giving just 25 runs. Zulafqar Babar and Aizaz Cheema took two wickets each. Anwar Ali, Muhammad Nawaz and Muhammad Nabi took one wicket each. So there was no bowler on the Quetta Gladiators side today, who did not took a wicket. If was show of pure collective effort. While chasing the target Sarfaraz Ahmed did best 51 runs on 39 balls with the help of six boundaries. Ahmed Shehzad supported him with 41 runs on 31 balls with the help of five FOURS and just on SIX. Muhammad Nawaz was 21 NOT OUT on 14 balls with Sarfaraz Still on the crease when the Quetta Gladiators won the match for good. Andre Russel was only bowler from Islamabad United who took the wickets. He took three wickets in just three overs that he bowled. Also he given only 18 runs in those three overs, while the pitch was totally favoring the batsmen. Nothing more to say about the Islamabad United’s bowling performance, as they were not at able to contain the opposition. Overall, today Islamabad United’s shaky performance was no match for the solid authoritative show from the Quetta Gladiators. So the Gladiators took the rightfully deserved victory. Categories SportsTags Islamabad United, Pakistan Super League, Quetta Gladiators Previous Previous post: Peshawar Zalmi Defeats Karachi Kings in a Very Well Fought Match Next Next post: Lahore Qalandars give a target of 201 to Quetta Gladiators in a PSL T20 Match	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line275
__label__wiki	0.66006	0.66006	Entries for '2017' Muslims in Europe: A Clash or a Meeting of Civilizations? Lecturer: Uriya Shavit On 18 October, from 13:00-15:00 hours, Uriya Shavit presented a lecture entitled: “Muslims in Europe: A Clash or a Meeting of Civilizations?” The lecture took place in Wijnhaven 2.02 in The Hague. The lecture exam... Hate crimes targeting Muslims increased 91% in the first half of 2017 Prosecutors secured a relatively rare federal hate crime conviction punishable by a tough sentence on Thursday as a Florida man pleaded guilty to leaving a voicemail that threatened to shoot people at a mosque. Legal experts and Islamic advocates sai... Religious affiliation of U.S. refugees: Growing number of Muslims The U.S. has resettled more refugees than any other country – about 3 million since 1980. Generally, in years when more people around the globe are displaced by conflict, violence or persecution in their countries, the number of refug... German minister upsets fellow conservatives over Muslim holidays German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has upset fellow members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc by proposing that Germany introduce Muslim public holidays. Studies of Religion Conference 2017 On the 10th of March, 2017, the annual Studies of Religion in Focus ISRA conference was held at the Mercure in Central. The conference encompassed a number of workshops aimed at assisting year 11 and 12 Studies of Religion teachers to facilitate... Islamic school's gender segregation is unlawful, court of appeal rules Schools in Britain will no longer be able to substantially segregate boys and girls, after the court of appeal ruled that a co-educational faith school in Birmingham had caused unlawful discrimination by separating the two sexes. The court ... Two PhD Studentships on the Transformation of Shii Islam since the 1950s University of Birmingham Call for Applications Application Deadline: October 27, 2017 The Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham seeks to award 2 PhD studentships to work on the ERC-funded project ‘Creating an Al... Call for Book Proposals By the Religion in Society Research Network The Religion in Society Research Network is seeking new academic book proposals. We welcome submissions from across national origins, experience levels, and disciplinary perspectives. ... Religion and Welfare in Europe Gendered and Minority Perspectives Edited by Lina Molokotos-Liederman with Anders Backstrom and Grace Davie Publisher: Policy Press (September 13, 2017) Using welfare as a prism, Religion and Welfare in Europe explores reg... Oxford Symposium on Religious Studies Call for Papers Date: December 4-6, 2017 Venue: The Old Library of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, UK Sponsored by: Oxford Academic Symposia Abstract Submission Deadline: November 10, 2017 The Oxford Symposium on Religious S... High Training School in Sociology of Religion in Rome Date: December 27-30, 2017 Venue: Rome, Italy The High Training School in Sociology of Religion will take place in Rome from 27 to 30 December 2017, in collaboration with the International Center for the Sociology of Religion (ICSOR) and the Sectio... Strong religious beliefs are only one part of Muslim American identity Nearly all Muslim Americans (97%) say they take pride in being a member of the Islamic faith. But their devotion to core religious beliefs and practices is only part of a religious identity that also includes concerns about social justice and the env... Two Post-Doctoral Positions at CEFRES - Charles University Cofunded by the Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic and CEFRES (French Research Center in Humanities and Social Sciences) Period: 1 January 2018—31 December 2019 Application Deadline: August 23, 2017 Application Language: English only... Understanding Sharī`a - Past Perfect, Imperfect Present (USPPIP project) Funded by HERA (Humanities in the European Research Area) under the “USES OF THE PAST” program Dates: 1 September 2016 - 31 October 2018 Project Website: www.usppip.eu Much modern Muslim thought, particularly around legal issues, is c... Science and Technology in the Islamic Middle Periods Annemarie Schimmel Kolleg Fall School 2017 (Webinar) Call for Applications Date: September 25-29, 2017 Application Deadline: August 15, 2017 Each fall the Annemarie Schimmel Kolleg offers, at no cost, an intensive, five-day course to Mamluk schol... Introduction to Islamic Codicology Date: September 4–8, 2017 Venue: Cambridge University Library, Cambridge, UK The Islamic Manuscript Association—in partnership with the Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation, Cambridge University Library, and the University of Cambridge's HRH ... Maslaha, Siyasa and Good Governance: Shari'a and Society Workshop Call for Papers Date: April 19-20, 2018 Venue: The Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway Funded by: The Understanding Sharia Project (USPPIP) Abstract Submission Deadline: October 30, 2017 We are pleased to an... Mosquers Film Festival opens MOSQUERS 2017 Date: September 09, 2017 Venue: Winspear Centre, Edmonton, AB T5J 4X8, Canada Submissions Deadline: August 7, 2017 The Mosquers Film Festival is North America’s leading film competition with a focus on promoting awa... Religion and the Global City Edited by David Garbin and Anna Strhan Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic (June 29, 2017) Series: Bloomsbury Studies in Religion, Space and Place This is the first book to explore how religious movements and actors shape and are shaped by as... Assistant/Associate/Full Professor in Islamic Studies Stanford University Call for Applications Application Deadline: September 15, 2017 The Department of Religious Studies at Stanford University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor, a tenured Associate Professor or a tenured F... Sociology of Islam Journal: Special Issue on Immigration, Political Economy and Islam Sociology of Islam, Volume 5, Issue 2-3, 2017 Editors-in-Chief: Gary Wood, Virginia Tech and Tugrul Keskin, Shanghai University Guest Editors: Ray Jureidini and Sari Hanafi Publisher: Brill Sociology of Islam (SOI) p... First Annual Great Lakes Adiban Workshop Date: Sept. 30 – Oct. 1, 2017 Venue: Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5324, USA We are pleased to announce our first annual workshop, which will take place on the campus of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, a convenien... A New Boston Ad Campaign Shows How People Can Combat Islamophobia Boston has adopted a new method to combat Islamophobia. City authorities have begun a poster campaign encouraging bystanders to make a non-confrontational intervention in case they see harassment against Muslims. The campaign started on July 17 when ... Science and Religion Conference ‘What is Consciousness and Why Observers Matter in Quantum Theory’ Date: September 8, 2017 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm Venue: Trinity Hall, Cambridge, CB2 1TJ, UK Registration for Cambridge Muslim College’s first Science and Relig... The 13th Annual National Muslim Congress Conference Date: August 18-20, 2017 Venue: Hyatt Regency DFW, 2334 North International Parkway, Dallas, TX, USA The 13th Annual National Muslim Congress Conference will be held in Dallas, TX on Aug 18-20th 2017. In attendance will be a number of renowned... The EASR Annual Conference 2017: Communicating Religion Date: September 18-21, 2017 Venue: University of Leuven, Belgium Communication plays a crucial role in religion and religious praxis. Religions claim to be able to create links with the divine and the transcendent, between humans and superhuman age... House rejects controversial study of Islam The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday rejected a controversial GOP proposal identifying “Islamic religious doctrines, concepts or schools of thought” that could be used by terrorist groups — something opponents say is unconsti... UK event hears call for action on anti-Muslim coverage U.K. politicians should consider regulation to tackle the tide of negative media coverage about British Muslims. This was the message from a Liverpool conference this week which examined damaging and biased news stories about Britain's Muslim communi... Islam and Justice: AAIMS Inaugural Conference on the Study of Islam and Muslim Societies Call for Papers Date: December 18-19, 2017 Venue: The Spot-B01 (Copland Theatre), University of Melbourne (Parkville), Australia Abstract Submission Deadline: August 11, 2017 Hosted by the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies ... Stanford Institute on Islam Course Description: - Exploring how you can deepen your students’ understanding of Islam and Muslim societies. - Establish a critical background on elementary concepts, practices, traditions of Islam. - Acquire tools for navigating t... Interactions Between Twelver Shiites and Christians: History, Theology, Literature Call for Papers Date: April 11-13, 2018 Venue: Institut Catholique de Paris, Paris, France Languages of the Conference: English, French Submission Deadline: November 1, 2017 International conference with the participation of Rudi Matth... Stanford program addresses the complexities of Islam, equips Bay Area teachers with tools to educate students Bay Area teachers gathered at Stanford for a five-week program this spring that provided educators strategies to teach Islam. The program, a collaboration involving three Stanford organizations, doesn’t shy away from Islam’s complicated nature. Austria: Muslim kindergarten study reviewed for text changes A study commissioned by an Austrian government minister critical of Vienna’s Muslim-run kindergartens has ignited a political fight between the minister’s party and rivals seizing on allegations that his staff rewrote parts of the study t... International School of Islamic Studies held in Odessa This year, the International School of Islamic Studies, which has already become traditional, was taking place in Odessa. It was dedicated to “Islam in the modern world: historical, cultural, intellectual space,” Religion in Ukraine has r... Islamic Psychoanalysis / Psychoanalytic Islam Conference Report June 26-27, 2017 \| University of Manchester This international conference organized by the College of Psychoanalysts – UK with the support of Manchester Psychoanalytic Matrix and CIDRAL University of Manchester promises to f... Netherlands partly liable for 1995 massacre of Bosnian Muslim men, court rules A Dutch court ruled on Tuesday that the government was partly liable for the deaths of about 350 Muslim men in 1995 in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, the site of Europe’s worst mass murder since World War II. The court largely upheld a l... "Death threats every day" for woman behind new liberal mosque The opening of a new mosque this month in Berlin further strained already-tense relations between Germany and Turkey, and has caused outrage in various corners of the Muslim world -- even prompting religious authorities in Egypt to issue a decree con... London gave shelter to radical Islam and now it's paying the price, French terrorism expert says The U.K. has mistakenly subcontracted the management of its Muslim population to community brokers, Gilles Kepel tells Haaretz, rebutting rival scholar Olivier Roy. British law enforcement struggling to cope with a burgeoning wave of terrorism?... The Middle East and Islam New perspectives of Islamic History from the 16th century to the present June 25-29, 2017 \| Duke University Workshop Report The Duke Islamic Studies Center and Qatar Foundation International presented a summer institute for 6-12 educators. A... UK mosques should appoint British-born imams Mosques in the UK should hire British-born imams on a living wage who are better equipped than foreign religious leaders to understand the challenges faced by British Muslims, a report has recommended. The Missing Muslims: Unlocking British Muslim P... How Canadian media normalizes Islamophobia Responding earlier this year to the fatal shooting of six Muslims at a Quebec City mosque, the Canadian Council of Imams stated, “Islamophobia has killed innocent Canadians.” The media is not a unified body, but all of its parts are ... Diploma in Essential Islamic Sciences (DEIS) Lecturer: Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi Cambridge Islamic College is pleased to introduce the new Diploma in Essential Islamic Sciences (DEIS) this Ramadan with a SPECIAL 45% DISCOUNT. Diploma in Essential Islamic Sciences is a brand new p... Islam in America: Civic and Religious Youth Identities Respect Graduate School, Inaugural Conference Call for Papers Date: October 21-22, 2017 Venue: Respect Graduate School, 2200 Industrial Dr, Bethlehem, PA 18017, USA Keynote Speaker: Dr. Ingrid Mattson Respect Graduate School’s Inaugural Co... The 5th Annual Contemporary Fiqhi Issues Workshop Violence in Sharīʿa and its Contemporary Implications Date: July 6-7, 2017 Venue: Al-Mahdi Institute, Weoley Park Road, Birmingham B29 6RB, UK We are looking forward to welcoming scholars from across the UK, and the globe, representing a broad ran... International Shia Day According to experts, Shia sects such as Zaydis, Twelvers and Ismā’īlīs account for to half of the world’s Muslim population. Most of the world’s Shia population reside in in Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Bahrain, Lebano... Seminar to Commemorate the Martyrdom of Imam Ali (a.s.) Date: June 18, 2017 – 2:00 Pm Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Rd, Marylebone, London NW1, UK Organizer: The Ahmed Family - C/O Muhammadi Trust The Muhammadi Trust, a charitable endowment with its center in Great Britain is devoted to t... Religion and Spirituality in the Contemporary World Call for papers Date: August 19-21, 2017 Venue: The Al-Hikmah Institute of Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran Abstract Submission Deadline: June 20, 2017 Full Paper Submission Deadline: July 30, 2017 The Al-Hikmah Institute of Al-Mu... Anti-Shariah rallies planned across US worry Muslim leaders Coordinated US rallies against Islamic law, known as Shariah, have the already rattled Muslim community on edge. The worshippers at the Eugene Islamic Center are worried about their security. A man recently appeared outside the mosque and threatened ... Muslim 'safe space' plan sparks row in Australia A proposal by an Australian Islamic group to allow "safe spaces" for young Muslims to discuss "inflammatory" issues has sparked a row. The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) said such forums enabled young people's opinions to be "respectfully and int... Christian group: Department of Education ‘indoctrinating’ kids into Islamic beliefs A Christian advocacy group is claiming the U.S. Department of Education is “indoctrinating” students into believing Islamic beliefs. The Christian Action Network sent a letter demanding DOE “cease its Islamic education program for t... Islamophobia Studies Yearbook Call for Papers Submission Deadline: July 1, 2017 The Islamophobia Studies Yearbook is a bi-lingual periodical that started as a German language journal and has now been offering articles in German and English since 2010. The journal uses double bl... Religions, Nations, and Transnationalism in Multiple Modernities Editors: Patrick Michel, Adam Possamai, Bryan Turner Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan US (May 19, 2017) This edited book explores the impact of globalization on the relationship between religion and politics, religion and nation, religion and national... Philology and Manuscripts from the Muslim World LUCIS Summer School Call for Applications Date: August 15-25, 2017 Venue: Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands Application Deadline: June 16, 2017 This summer school is organized for graduate (MA and PhD) students and researchers who hav... Thematic Study of the Quran (2017) A two-day course covering essential themes in the Quran Date: June 17-18, 2017 Venue: Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK Instructor: Shaykh SM Hasan al-Banna At Islamic Institute for development and research (IIDR), we are gearing up fo... Italian bishops offer high praise for Islam A number of Italian bishops are offering praise for Islam and defending it as a religion with a role in salvation. Pope Francis' new appointment as president for the Italian bishops' conference, Cdl. Gualtiero Bassetti, archbishop of Perugia, immedia... Invitation of Sharing Videos Salamislam group on the occasion of Holy Month of Ramazan invited all interested parties especially those who are interested or converted to Islam on sharing videos. The group says: “Ramadan has already come and we all have something to wait... Cultural Interaction and Dialogue through Visiting Synagogue Achieving the goals of educational projects of IRIC, a group of students and researchers of Islamic Research and Information Center (IRIC) visited Abrishami synagogue in Tehran in May 2017. The attendees included students of the Islam and the West In... Eighth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society Call for Papers Date: April 17-18, 2018 Venue: University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, USA Proposal Submission Deadline: June 17, 2017 The Religion and Spirituality in Society Research Network sets out in its conference, journal, b... The ICID 2017: 19th International Conference on Islam and Democracy Call for Papers Date: November 20 - 21, 2017 Venue: Paris, France Abstract Submission Deadline: June 15, 2017 The ICID 2017: 19th International Conference on Islam and Democracy aims to bring together leading academic scientists, resear... Al-Salam Institute Islamic Scholarship Program 2017-2018 The Al-Salam Institute Islamic Scholarship Program (ISP) is at the forefront of Alimiyyah Programs in the West. Al-Salam Institute presents its pioneering six-year Islamic Scholarship Program. Through part-time study and a dynamic selections of modu... The blessed month of Ramadhan That time of the year has come. A month to repent from our wrong-doings and sins. It's the month when the devils are chained, the gates of hell are closed and those of paradise are opened. It's the month the holy prophet used to pray to witness. I... Paris Seminar on Bohra Shia: 'Bohra Manuscript Culture, Archive and Secrecy' On June 1, 2017, The CEIAS (Center for South Asian Studies) in cooperation with the EHESS (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) and the CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) held a seminar on “Material Culture and... Inter-faith Dialogue: Muslims, Jews and Women in America As President Donald Trump engages in his own, idiosyncratic kind of religious and cultural diplomacy in Saudi Arabia and Israel, back in the United States efforts by faith groups to understand each other better seem to be gathering pace. Some of the ... Manchester's Muslims fear backlash after concert attack In the wake of the terrorist attack at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester this week, Muslims along with the rest of the diverse British city are mourning the dead and tending to the wounded. But for Muslims in particular, the suicide bombin... Majorities in Europe, North America worried about Islamic extremism Even before this week’s terrorist bombing at a pop concert in Manchester, England, people across Europe and in the U.S. and Canada had pervasive concerns about the threat of extremism in their countries. Across 12 countries surveyed f... Muslims and Islam: Key findings in the U.S. and around the world Muslims are the fastest-growing religious group in the world. The growth and regional migration of Muslims, combined with the ongoing impact of the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) and other extremist groups that commit acts of violence in ... Islam, State and Modernity Mohammed Abed al-Jabri and the Future of the Arab World Edited by: Zaid Eyadat, Francesca M. Corrao, Mohammed Hashas Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan US (June 14, 2017) Series: Middle East Today This is the first work in English that examines the ... Call for Papers Date: August 2-4, 2017 and December 4-6, 2017 Venue: The Old Library of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, UK Sponsored by: Oxford Academic Symposia Abstract Submission Deadline: July 14, 2017 The Oxford Symposi... Announcement of Memberships for Institute for Advanced Study Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) Opportunities for Scholars for the Academic Year 2018-2019 Application Deadline: November 1, 2017 THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY is an independent private institution founded in 1930 to create a community ... The 8th Conference on Ibadi Studies “Local and Global identities. Social change and Ibadi diaspora communities.” Date: May 20-23 2017 Venue: The University of Tokyo, Center for Middle Eastern Studies (Komaba Campus), Tokyo, Japan The first international conference on Iba... “Reviving the Islamic Spirit” Date: July 14-16, 2017 Venue: UK The Qur’an tells us, through example and parable, of many cosmological laws that God has decreed. We learn that our actions have deep consequences upon our lives in this world. From obedience t... To ease fears, U.S. Muslim schools reach out to neighbors Americans are more likely to view Muslims, who make up 1 percent of the U.S. population, as extremists if they do not know one personally, according to a February poll by the Pew Research Center. The same survey found that 60 percent of Americans who... MA Intellectual Encounters of the Islamicate World Freie Universität Berlin Application Deadline: May 31, 2017 Intellectual richness and unparalleled variety characterize the world of Islam throughout its history. From the 9th century CE onwards, Muslims, Christians and Jews shared a common ev... 5th Intensive Course on Shia Islamic Studies Date: August 21-27, 2017 Venue: Qum, Iran Shi’a Studies is a discipline in which the formation of Shi‘ism, its expansion in various countries, and its current situation in the world, as well as its belief system, moral teachings, ritual... First International Conference of Capacity and Impact of Cyberspace in Promoting Religious Education Call for Papers Date: October 19-20, 2017 Venue: Al-Mustafa Open University, Qom, I.R.Iran Abstract Submission Deadline: June 20, 2017 Organized by Deputy of Research Department in Seven Languages: Persian, Arabic, Azeri, Turkish, Urdu, English a... Professorship in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (open rank) Call for Application The Institute for Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Bern, Switzerland Application Deadline: May 21, 2017 The Institute for Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Faculty of Humanities at the... Debates of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): With Scholars and Representatives of Other Religions By Abu Mansur Ahmed Ibn Ali al-Tabarsi Editor: Abu Yahya al-Hosseini Translator: Fizza Haidari Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 30, 2017) Veritas-Publishing released this March the first of a series of volume dedicate... Islamic Mega-Mosque opens in Atheistic Sweden The largest mosque in Scandinavia has opened in Sweden, which is one of the least religious and most atheistic nations in the Western world, reports have said, costing the Qatari government $3.30 million to build. Qatar's Ministry of Awqaf and Islam... Europe’s top rabbi calls for solidarity with Muslims Jews and Muslims in Europe have a common cause in resisting attacks on minority religions and defending religious freedom, Europe’s top rabbi has said. Speaking on the eve of Passover, which begins on Monday, chief rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt war... German parliament votes in favor of partial burqa ban The German parliament has supported a draft law banning women working in the civil service, judiciary and military from wearing full-face Islamic veils. Burqas and niqabs will be prohibited in selected professions as part of the legislation, which w... Muslim athletes are now able to wear Hijab while playing Basketball The International Basketball Federation has agreed to allow athletes to wear head coverings after a growing number of calls from female Muslim basketball players around the world. Muslim women basketball players have won their battle to wear hijab w... Violence in Sharīʿa and its Contemporary Implications The 5th AMI Contemporary Fiqhī Issues Workshop Call for Papers Date: July 6-7, 2017 Venue: Al-mahdi Institute, Weoley Park Road, Birmingham B29 6RB, UK The 5th annual fiqhī workshop at Al-Mahdi Institute aims to facilitate scholars... II Forum of Researchers in Islamic Contexts Date: September 28-29, 2017 Venue: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of NOVA University of Lisbon (FCSH/NOVA), Lisbon, Portugal The first Forum of Researchers in Islamic Contexts (FRIC) was held in January 2013. That year, we wanted to surv... Monograph Series: The Early and Medieval Islamic World Call for Book Proposals I.B.Tauris invites submissions for inclusion in its academic monograph series, The Early and Medieval Islamic World. Led by series editor Professor Roy Mottahedeh (Harvard University), the series promotes innovative rese... Pew Research Center study finds escalating global restriction on religion The eighth annual study on global restrictions on religion, published by Pew Research Center April 10 reports an increase in countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government laws, policies and actions t... Masters in Research (MRes) Studentship – CIWAS The Centre for Islamic & West Asian Studies (CIWAS) Call for Applications Application Deadline: June 15, 2017 Applications are invited for eight studentships to be awarded for a Masters by Research Programme in Islamic and West Asian Studies. ... MScT Scholarship in Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies University of Edinburgh Application Deadline: May 2, 2017 The Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Edinburgh is delighted to invite applications for a fees only MSc Taught degree scholarship for any of its programs (IMES, Middl... Religion in the World: Beyond the Secular Paradigm Date: July 3-7, 2017 Venue: Utrecht, The Netherlands Organizer: Utrecht University, Faculty of Humanities (UU) Course fee (incl. housing): € 650 Level: Bachelor level This course focuses on current debates in the academic Study of Religion ... Theologies and Ethics of Justice New Directions in 21st Century Islamic Thought The 10th Annual Summer Institute for Scholars Date: July 26-29, 2017 Venue: Herndon, VA 20170, USA Recent debates within the Muslim community on issues of political legitimacy, loyalty and obedienc... Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as) Scholarship Application Application Deadline: June 30, 2017 Through the annual Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (as) Scholarship, Muslim Congress seeks to support students in their pursuit of education. The Scholarship is open to high school seniors, students enrolled in a college or u... Religious Tolerance Improved in Canada but Still Needs Work, Study Shows A new poll on religious views in Canada shows that while acceptance of religious minorities has improved over the past four years, more work is still needed. The poll, conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, found although some 68 percent of Can... Living with and Loving the Neighbor Peacebuilding in Judaism, Christianity and Islam Course Duration: 6 Weeks Date: June 26, 2017 – July 14, 2017 Venue: Bossey, Switzerland Intended for an international audience of young people (ages 20-35) interested and engaged in inte... Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat (Islamic Studies) Instructor: Shaykh Michael Mumisa Course Duration: 12 months (38 weeks) Starting Date: May 1, 2017 Registration Deadline: April 25, 2017 Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat syllabus enables learners to develop an understanding of the importance of the... Pope meets British imams at the Vatican Pope Francis met four British imams at the Vatican, two weeks after the London extremist attack. The meeting was part of the Pope’s effort to encourage Muslim leaders who renounce using religion to justify violence. The audience was scheduled ... Cinema 9 CFP: Islam and Images CINEMA: Journal of Philosophy and the Moving Image Call for Papers Submission Deadline: April 30, 2017 Edited by: Patrícia Castello Branco (IFILNOVA) Saeed Zeydabadi-Nejad (SOAS University of London) Sérgio Dia... Local mosques open their doors to promote understanding of faith Across Eastern Massachusetts Sunday, Muslims gathered, shoulder to shoulder, to begin afternoon prayers. But at the back of the room at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Roxbury, a crowd of Christians, Jews, agnostics, and atheists had... French efforts to stop Muslim youths turning to extremism failing France’s attempts to counter the radicalization of its young people are in turmoil, with a group home intended to turn them away from Islamic extremism empty, the head of a highly publicized nonprofit convicted of misuse of public funds, and pl... Hundreds Shield US Oldest Mosque to Support Muslims Hundreds of people from different faith groups and ethnicities circled America’s oldest mosque in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sunday, March 26, forming a human shield to show support to American Muslims against threats and hate mails sent to mosques... Introduction to Jurisprudential Maxims Author: Baqir al-Irawani Translator: Zaid Alsalami Publisher: ICAS Press Jurisprudential maxims (al-qawa‘id al-fiqhiyyah) play an important role in determining one's legal duty in particular situations. When applied, these maxims - such as t... Early Christianity and Islam in Relationship to the Constitutional Order Date: April 20, 2017 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Venue: 303 International Center, Muslim Studies Center, Michigan State University, 220 Trowbridge Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA Special Guest Speaker: Blaque Hough Hailing from Michigan, ... Florida bill would protect religious expression in schools Students’ right to pray in schools would be guaranteed under a bill barreling through the Florida Legislature. The bill specifies that students in public schools are permitted to engage in prayer and that school personnel are allowed to participate in student-led prayers. The bills also guarantee protection for students who wear religiously themed jewelry. International Conference on Justice and Ethics (ICJECA) Call for Papers Date: April 15-16, 2017 Venue: Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Faculty of Theology, Mashhad, Iran Submission Deadline: December 30, 2016 Subject Areas: Theology, Philosophy, Islamic Studies, Religious Studies, Ethics and Justice ... Interdisciplinary Research in Arabic and Islamic Studies Annual International Graduate Student Conference Call for Papers Date: June 28-29, 2017 Venue: Yerevan State University, Armenia Proposal Submission Deadline: March 25, 2017 The Chair of Arabic Studies at Yerevan State University is pl... Spatial Thought in Islamicate Societies Spatial Thought in Islamicate Societies, 1000–1600: The Politics of Genre, Image, and Text Call for Papers Date: 30 March - 1 April 2017 Venue: Tübingen, Germany Submission Deadline: June 30, 2016 Recent years have seen new... Irrationality in the Middle East and Islam (2nd GIS Congress) 2nd GIS Congress Date: July 7, 2017 @ 1:00 to 3:30 pm Venue: Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO), 65 Rue des Grands Moulins, 75013 Paris, France If rationality denotes what complies with the mind, irrationality, by... God, Man and Universe The 5th International Conference on Contemporary Philosophy of Religion will be held in Tehran, Iran, Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran at January 24-25, 2017. The 13th International Conference of Mahdaviat Doctrine The Era of Presence in the Abrahamic Religions Call for Papers Date: May 10-11, 2017 Venue: Bright Future Institute (BFI), No. 27, Alley 25, Safaeiyeh Street, Qom, Iran Abstract Submission Deadline: November 20, 2016 The era of Advent, the... Muslim Diasporas in the West Edited by Tahir Abbas Publisher: Routledge (2017) 1,377 pages This major works collection surveys the nature of Muslim diasporas in the west from a sociological perspective, exploring the issues of migration, integration, identity, politics, Islam... Call for NGOs to apply for Consultative Status with the UN We would like to invite Non-Governmental Organizations to apply for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), if they wish to be considered by the NGO Committee in 2017.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line276
__label__cc	0.510281	0.489719	Home Local News Ekiti Election: PDP Takes Major Step To Help Eleka by Maazi in Local News The leadership of the main opposition party in Nigeria, PDP will soon be heading to court over the outcome of the Ekiti gubernatorial election. Kayode Fayemi and Olusola Eleka The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Monday constituted a legal committee to look into all the legal issues surrounding the conduct of the Ekiti governorship election. This is part of its preparation to challenge the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Abuja. In his words, “PDP as a party has constituted a legal committee to look into all the legal angles to the issues surrounding the Ekiti governorship election with a view to institute appropriate legal actions. “We want to assure our members that we have nothing to fear with the circumstances that happened in Ekiti state, and to let them know that the we have taken a decision to go the length of all judicial processes in the electoral situation in the state. “The entire nation is standing with the PDP. We believe that Nigerians know the truth of what happened. Nigerians know that votes were bought in Ekiti state. Nigerians are aware that there was humiliation of our party members. We are aware that there was brutalization of our party members. “Nigerians are also aware that this government led by the ruling APC, having failed woefully has no capacity to stand for a true election anywhere in this nation. And that is why they have colluded with security agencies and INEC and even within their party, APC, to make sure that they rig us out of Ekiti. “But we have not seen the end of it. Like we said earlier on, this political banditry will not stand, at all.” “We, therefore, ask our teeming members to remain resolute as there is nothing to panic about. It is just a temporary setback. But we assure our members that the political brigandage will never stand”. Maazi "Okorocha was answering me 'Yes, sir' but turned tiger when he became governor, " Victor Umeh	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line280
__label__wiki	0.784131	0.784131	Giadom: Buhari was ill-advised, NWC insists by admin@maazi.com.ng NWC Members have Turned Down NEC invitation. Members of APC National Working Committee (NWC) has turned down the invitation to attend Thursday National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting. Rising from an emergency NWC meeting that lasted several hours, the NWC also added that President Muhammadu Buhari was ill advised to approving the NEC Meeting. The NWC turned down the invitation of what they called the ‘illegal’ and ‘unconstitutional’ National Executive Committee (NEC) convened by Chief Victor Giadom who is laying claim to the national chaitmanship of the party and has the backing of President Muhammadu Buhari. National Vice Chairman South-south, Mr. Hilliad Eta, who had been asked to function as the national chairman of the party by the NWC after the Deputy National Chairman, Mr Abiola Ajimobi became ill, made this disclosure in a statement that was made available to the press following an emergency meeting by the NWC on Wednesday. Eta insists that President Buhari was wrongly advised or even blackmailed into throwing the weight of his office behind Giadom. Eta stated that the NWC was of the belief that attending the NEC would amount to embracing illegalities and turning a blind eye to the infractions on the Constitution of the party. Buhari have stated that the law is behind Giadom. admin@maazi.com.ng Oshiomhole Will Bounce Back APC Chairman – Magnus Okorie	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line281
__label__cc	0.674646	0.325354	icelandic yule lads You are here: Home / creative writing / icelandic yule lads This was for a travel magazine – written in their house style. I love Iceland, it’s like nowhere else on earth. The landscape is spectacular but it’s the people that really won me over. I wanted to use something specific to show their unique and completely individual take on life and, as this was for the December issue, the Yule Lads seemed perfect. With its abundance of snow, its remote northern position and its ready supply of elves and reindeer, you might be forgiven for imagining Iceland as the homeland of Santa Claus. Not so. In this wild and mysterious country they have 13 Santas, and if you misbehave, their mother will come and get you. A short stroll along the streets of Reykjavik after midnight on a Saturday is all you need to realise that in Iceland, they do things differently. The pavements will be crowded with revellers who all look as though they’re in avant garde indie bands. People here don’t follow the herd with fashions or trends, everyone dresses in their own individual, quirky way. It’s this independent spirit that typifies Iceland. They have their own unique approach to life; whether it’s the peculiar but logical way the windows in your hotel room open or how numbers are listed in the phone book (by Christian name). Björk, in her own country, is by no means unusual. It’s inevitable then, that their festive celebrations should be individual and more than a little bizarre. The ‘Yule Lads’ arrive at Icelandic homes one after another on the nights leading up to the 25th December. Although centuries older, the tradition firmly took root when a collection of folktales by Jón Árnason in 1862 set their names and gave their number as 13. Each Yule Lad has a particular activity with which to harass the population: Stekkjarstaur (Sheep Worrier/Stiff legs) Suckles the milk from sleeping ewes. Giljagaur (Gully Gawk) Drinks the creamy froth from milk pails. Stúfur (Stubby) Small and very good at hiding in kitchens to sneak leftover food. Þvörusleikir (Spoon Licker) Very thin and emaciated, he too hangs around kitchens searching for scraps. Spoons in particular. Pottasleikir (Pot Licker) He is especially fond of the hardened crusty bits that collect around the rims of pans. Askasleikir (Bowl Licker) Specifically askurs – wooden bowls with ornately carved lids. Each household member would have their own. Hurðaskellir (Door Slammer) He enjoys waking up the household by banging doors as loudly as possible in the dead of night. Skyrgámur (Skyr Glutton) Skyr is a dairy product, quite similar to yoghurt. Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Stealer) Although old and wizened, Bjúgnakrækir is adept at climbing high up to the rafters to get at the strings of sausages that used to hang there to save on living space. Gluggagægir (Window Peeper) He’s on the lookout for small items to pilfer. If spotted by a child, he’ll make faces to appear frightening. Gáttaþefur (Door Sniffer) Loiters around kitchen doors where baking can be smelled. Until recently, flour was very rare in Iceland and regarded as a luxury item reserved for Christmas. Ketkrókur (Meat Hook) Reaches down the chimney to try and snag any meat hanging from the rafters. Most families usually eat foul smelling skate on this day in order to foil him. Kertasníkir (Candle Beggar) Before electricity, candles were used to brighten the house ready for Yuletide celebrations. Made from animal fat they were, if you were really desperate, edible. Together, these characters reveal a great deal about the country’s history and culture. Eleven of them, for example, are completely obsessed with their stomachs. Before technology allowed regular trade with Iceland, food was extremely valuable as the formidable landscape makes growing crops practically impossible. Aside from the savage winter weather, the island is virtually one big volcano. The geothermal activity just under the surface now provides most of the country’s energy but has always made agriculture very difficult. An attempt to establish a potato harvest apparently failed when the crop was pulled out of the ground already cooked. The population therefore has always had to make the most of what they could get. This is why, on a traditional Icelandic menu, you may find such delicacies as puffin meat, singed sheep’s head and the infamous Hákarl – shark meat that has been buried underground for six months to allow the toxins in the flesh to rot away. The fact that the Yule Lads have even survived this long after the arrival of Christianity is no doubt due to Iceland’s proud literary heritage and strong story telling traditions. The vast, sprawling sagas written in the 13th and 14th centuries must have made the savage cold of the winter and 24 hour darkness a little more bearable. The Lads’ own roots lay in the sagas where their mother, Grýla, appears in several of the earliest. She is an enormous, bloodthirsty troll with a taste for stewed child. Often depicted with extra eye in the back of her head, she also has hooves and 15 tails clutching sackfulls of naughty children. Even her cat was a figure of terror as it was likely to devour any child who didn’t get a new article of clothing for Christmas. This idea lingers on in the popular saying: ‘You don’t want to go to the Yuletide Cat.’ In olden times the Yule Lads themselves were vicious and frightening. When families were cooped up together in remote farmsteads for months on end, a strong threat was obviously handy for keeping bored, mischievous children under control. It worked so well that by 1746, the Lads had become so bloody that the governing Danes issued a law banning them: ‘The foolish custom, which has been practised here and there about the country, of scaring children with Yuletide lads or ghosts, shall be abolished.’ Fortunately the Icelanders, as usual, maintained their independent spirit and stories of the Yule Lads persisted. In recent times however they have mellowed considerably and are considered to be harmless pranksters rather than terrifying monsters. Icelandic seamen brought home stories of Santa Claus and by 1930, the Lads had begun to adopt his more benevolent approach to the season. Now, it’s customary for a child to place a shoe on their windowsill on each of the 13 nights before Christmas. If they’ve been good, they’ll receive a small gift. If they’ve misbehaved, they’ll get a potato. Their costume has also been adjusted. Instead of wool and lambskin clothing in earthy colours they’re more usually depicted wearing Santa’s outfit of Coca-Cola red. It’s taken a while, but it seems that Iceland is eventually beginning to merge with the outside world. As always though, it will retain something of its own typically strange and wonderful individuality. hello@markjervis.com © Copyright - Mark Jervis - Enfold Theme by Kriesi waking up the road to brighton pier	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line286
__label__cc	0.536585	0.463415	Oath Keepers - Demings' Hit Piece Shows How Backward on Guns (and More) She Is by David Codrea Val Demings and the Brady Campaign establish their solidarity with the #Resist crowd, that is with those who oppose the predominant principles and values of Americans living in the "red" states and counties of "Flyover Country." "A year after Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting, we're going backward on guns," a USA Today editorial by Democrat Rep. Val Demings asserts. "How many more times do we have to see the words 'mass' and 'shooting' next to each other before we take action? How young do the victims have to be before we take action?" What "action" does Demings have in mind? She's not ready to show all her cards, because if too many people get wind of the end game, they're not likely to believe the "No one wants to take your guns" lie. Of course they do (as the gun-grabbers used to admit before figuring out they'd get more mileage pretending they were all about "gun safety"), and so does Demings. But she's counting on most of her readers not to have plumbed the depths too deeply to realize that when she's talking about veteran and Social Security recipient disarmament, she's really talking about undermining the fundamental principle of due process. And when she opposes proposed bills to relax restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms, nationwide concealed carry reciprocity and an end to federal restrictions on hearing-protective suppressors, she's arguing for prior restraints on that which, per the mandate of the Second Amendment, "shall not be infringed." . "I served in law-enforcement for 27 years, four years of that as the Chief of Police for the Orlando Police Department," Demings says, as if that establishes her bona fides as the arbiter of rights. "Before being elected to Congress I spent most of my adult life wearing a uniform, a badge and carrying a gun. I took an oath to protect the innocent from dangerous people." To read more, or to make a comment on this post GO HERE, By Middletown Insider - June 23, 2017	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line291
__label__wiki	0.671067	0.671067	Mike Hitchen Photography Mike Hitchen Photography. Photos and Images by Mike Hitchen Online Posted by Mike Hitchen Labels: Places Blog archive Jan 15 (1) Jun 05 (1) Apr 30 (1) Apr 03 (1) Mar 13 (1) Mar 06 (1) Feb 20 (1) Jan 25 (1) Jan 23 (1) Jan 12 (1) Jan 08 (1) Dec 06 (1) Nov 12 (1) Oct 09 (1) Aug 31 (1) Aug 07 (1) Jun 30 (1) Jun 22 (1) Jun 13 (1) Jun 06 (1) May 26 (1) May 23 (1) May 18 (1) May 16 (1) May 15 (1) May 11 (1) May 04 (1) May 01 (1) Apr 17 (1) Apr 04 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 23 (1) Mar 22 (1) Mar 15 (1) Mar 08 (1) Feb 28 (1) Feb 21 (1) Feb 17 (1) Feb 15 (1) Feb 07 (1) Jan 31 (1) Jan 24 (1) Jan 19 (1) Jan 18 (1) Jan 10 (1) Jan 03 (1) Dec 17 (1) Dec 08 (1) Nov 29 (1) Nov 22 (1) Nov 17 (1) Nov 16 (1) Nov 08 (1) Nov 04 (1) Oct 25 (1) Oct 21 (1) Oct 11 (1) Oct 07 (1) Oct 04 (1) Sep 30 (1) Sep 27 (1) Sep 20 (1) Sep 17 (1) Sep 15 (1) Sep 13 (1) Sep 10 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 06 (1) Sep 01 (1) Aug 30 (1) Aug 27 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 16 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 03 (1) Aug 02 (1) Jul 27 (1) Jul 26 (1) Jul 22 (1) Jul 19 (1) Jul 15 (1) Jul 09 (1) Jul 07 (1) Jul 05 (1) Jul 01 (1) Jun 28 (1) Jun 24 (1) Jun 23 (1) Jun 21 (1) Jun 14 (1) Jun 10 (1) Jun 09 (1) Jun 01 (1) May 27 (1) May 25 (1) May 20 (1) May 14 (1) May 10 (1) May 07 (1) Apr 27 (1) Apr 18 (1) Apr 08 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 24 (1) Mar 17 (1) Mar 08 (1) Mar 02 (1) Mar 01 (1) Feb 22 (1) Feb 16 (1) Feb 10 (1) Feb 08 (1) Jan 28 (1) Jan 25 (1) Jan 21 (1) Jan 18 (1) Jan 12 (1) Jan 07 (1) Jan 05 (1) Jan 04 (1) Dec 11 (1) Dec 09 (1) Dec 08 (1) Dec 02 (1) Nov 30 (1) Nov 26 (1) Nov 23 (1) Nov 19 (1) Nov 17 (1) Nov 16 (1) Nov 12 (1) Nov 09 (1) Oct 31 (1) Oct 23 (1) Oct 20 (1) Oct 14 (1) Oct 05 (1) Oct 02 (1) Sep 29 (1) Sep 22 (1) Sep 20 (1) Sep 14 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 09 (1) Sep 07 (1) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Aug 31 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (1) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (1) Aug 13 (1) Aug 12 (1) Aug 11 (1) Aug 10 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Aug 03 (1) Jul 30 (1) Jul 28 (1) Jul 27 (1) Jul 24 (1) Jul 23 (1) Jul 22 (1) Jul 21 (1) Jul 20 (1) Jul 18 (1) Jul 15 (1) Jul 13 (1) Jul 09 (1) Jul 06 (1) Jul 03 (1) Jun 29 (1) Jun 25 (1) Jun 22 (1) Jun 18 (1) Jun 16 (1) Jun 15 (1) Jun 08 (1) Jun 04 (1) Jun 01 (1) May 25 (1) May 23 (1) May 18 (1) May 13 (1) May 12 (1) May 11 (1) May 05 (1) May 03 (1) Apr 30 (1) Apr 28 (1) Apr 27 (1) Apr 25 (1) Apr 23 (1) Apr 22 (1) Apr 20 (1) Apr 19 (1) Apr 16 (1) Apr 15 (1) Apr 13 (1) Apr 12 (1) Apr 11 (1) Apr 09 (1) Apr 08 (1) Apr 07 (1) Apr 05 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 29 (1) Mar 25 (1) Mar 23 (1) Mar 22 (1) Mar 19 (1) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (1) Mar 15 (1) Mar 10 (1) Mar 09 (1) Mar 08 (1) Mar 06 (1) Mar 05 (1) Mar 03 (1) Mar 02 (1) Mar 01 (1) Feb 26 (1) Feb 24 (1) Feb 23 (1) Feb 22 (1) Feb 19 (1) Feb 18 (1) Feb 16 (1) Feb 15 (1) Feb 13 (1) Feb 11 (1) Feb 10 (1) Feb 09 (1) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (12) Welcome to Mike Hitchen Photography, the latest addition to the Mike Hitchen Online, stable of blogs. Although it is a photoblog, MHP will have a different focus to the popular Sydney Irresistible. Don't forget to check out the other blogs too, especially the MHO flagship, i On Global Trends. Sit back and enjoy! Mike Hitchen Online i On Global Trends Sydney Irresistible Mike Hitchen Unleashed Let's Hear You! The Old Tin Shed - Sydney Stadium Mike Hitchen Online - Golden Oldies Mike Hitchen Consulting B/W (39) Objects (2) Copyright Mike Hitchen Online, Lane Cove, NSW 2066, Australia. ABN: 25 713 178 439 All rights reserved. Content may not be republished without the written consent of the publisher or an authorized representative	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line292
__label__wiki	0.724148	0.724148	2009 bmw 328i sedan 0-60 2009 bmw 328i sedan 0-60. Sedan 0 2019-03-11 Monday, March 11, 2019 8:13:21 PM Marcel On rough roads, the F30 Sport-pack rides better than the non-Sport E90, likely thanks to its adaptive suspension. Browse by make below to start finding four door sedan 0-60 and quarter mile stats. The 335 models get power adjustments with three memory positions. Still, many drivers will find that the Sport suspension borders on stiff, and especially in the convertible, where it can emphasize the shimmies inherent in a fairly heavy, open-top car. Its available engines and transmissions, they said, are some of the smoothest available, and combine with its athletic suspension to make it one of the most compelling sport sedans available. 2009 Bmw 328i 0 60 Most of the extra width and length translates into more interior space compared to previous generations, particularly in the back seat. But the essentials, including dashboard, console and front seats, are the same across the four body styles. Any of the 3 Series are among the sportiest, most enjoyable cars in a class full of good cars. First, the nameplate that everyone once loved is still amazing but no longer as universally adored, and a lot of people are wondering why. But for driving enthusiasts, the E90 remains the benchmark. It has some issues with the key, even with a brand new battery you have to be like 10feet away from the car in order to work. Neither is a problem on the old car. It's great for couples or families who often bring the dog, though it isn't available with the twin-turbo engine. The wagon is not offered with the turbocharged engine. The cupholders are better than ever, too, though they still aren't the best. We all like the top models, but we also recommend the less-expensive 328 models. The firmer sport suspension, optional with other body styles, comes standard on the coupe, and these are the lightest cars in the line. Handling response is sharp and precise, and braking capability is best in class. Only one redemption code per vehicle may be used. Alloy rims and good tires. In back, the difference is more pronounced, where the new car feels rental-car grade. Compare Cars Select cars that interest you and see a side-by-side comparison. Total lost which means that is a super safe and reliable car! The wagon is available with all-wheel drive, giving it winter-weather capability. We found in most cases, it doesn't. All 3 Series models have a full array of airbags, with good scores in government and insurance-industry crash tests. Clutch-pedal effort makes taking off easy, without having to think about it, and the gear ratios are perfectly spaced for either the base or turbocharged engine. Again though, the slick electronics come with a payback. The throws are shorter then ever, but the gears engage with a vague, slightly stretchy feel. The F30 might be bigger and prettier, but to us, it's not necessarily better. New BMW 3 In short bursts of say 100 ft, it will accelerate more quickly than just about anything on the road. Coming back down through the gears, drivers must take care if they choose a gear out of its normal sequence fifth to second, for example , as this requires some careful aiming. For 40 years, this has been the prototypical sports sedan. The xDrive is a must-have for this midwest winter climate. The coupe, for example, has different instrument script and a third wood trim option not offered in the sedan dark-stained poplar. With that in mind, we know that getting data from the best possible source with the best possible level of accuracy is a must, and we believe in delivering the best results down to the tenths of a sec whenever possible. Especially like being able to send locations from google maps to the car. In my opinion, the 3-series lives up to it's reputation as a driver's car. Differences lie in body style or exterior design, though the coupe and convertible seat four passengers while sedan and wagon seat five. The convertibles add knee airbags that help keep front passengers from sliding under the seat belts. It's as if the engineers tried cramming slots for six forward gears into a shift pattern more properly proportioned for five. Handling and road manners are, as expected, outstanding. BMW 3 Series Sedan You feel the engine's subtle vibes in the shifter and row the gears just for the fun of it. This offer cannot be used for vehicles previously ordered or previously delivered before the aforementioned dates and is only valid on delivery of in-stock vehicles. The upgrade twin-turbo six in the 335i is one of the most viscerally satisfying engines in production. The standard setup has a single bubble, or hood, over the gauge cluster, while the optional navigation system is installed in a dash that accommodates it with a second hood in the center. The F30 also seems quieter at first, but the racket transmitted from front-end bumps is surprising, and at highway speeds, the sunroof produces too much wind noise to leave open. 2009 BMW 328 Consumer Reviews A separate compartment under the trunk mat, measuring 1. Cargo volume increases to 24. The fob slides into a slot next to the steering column, and you push the button to fire up. This ammonia-like substance is stored in an onboard reservoir, and the tank is more than large enough to be filled only at typical oil change intervals. Please call or text whenever 253 709-3138. Gray leather interior with electrically adjustable, seats.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line297
__label__cc	0.605255	0.394745	Mon, 17 December 2018 at 5:52 pm Ansel Elgort Will Star in 'The Great High School Imposter' Based on GQ Magazine Article Ansel Elgort has his next movie role lined up! The 24-year-old Billionaire Boys Club actor has signed on to star in a film adaptation based on Daniel Riley‘s GQ magazine article “The Great High School Imposter,” Deadline reports. PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Ansel Elgort Mike Makowsky will adapt the story of “a bright Ukranian kid who peeled five years off his age so he could be adopted by a childless couple in a small Pennsylvania town, all to stay in the country after a short stint in a work exchange program. He became the top student in his school.” “He was in contention for valedictorian with scholarships at elite colleges and his dreams of working for NASA dancing in his head until turned in by his fake parents who allegedly had in mind something closer to Cinderella in their version of the fairy tale. Allegedly annoyed that young Artur Samarin wasn’t behaving enough like a domestic servant and began running away, they turned him in and painted him as a potential terrorist.” Ansel and Mike are also executive producing. Credit: Rob Kim; Photos: Getty Posted to: Ansel Elgort, Movies	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line306
__label__wiki	0.60058	0.60058	Concise History of Western Music, 5/e (IE) 저 자 : Barbara Russano Hanning 출 판 사 : W. W. Norton The most student-friendly music history text available, now with Total Access. Barbara Hanning’s Concise History of Western Music offers students a manageable introduction to the forces that shaped music. Combining concision with the imaginative pedagogy that her text pioneered, Hanning focuses on an essential repertoire of 109 characteristic works?from the Middle Ages to the present?providing students with the cultural and historical context to illuminate the music and remember its significance. The new Total Access program unlocks a full suite of media resources with every new book, including instant access to streaming recordings of the complete Norton Anthology of Western Music repertoire, an ebook, audio for nearly every short example in the text, and stunning Metropolitan Opera video. Part 1. The Ancient and Medieval Worlds 1. Music in Ancient Greece and Early Christian Rome 2. Chant and Secular Song in the Middle Ages 3. Polyphony through the Thirteenth Century 4. French and Italian Music in the Fourteenth Century Part 2. The Age of the Renaissance 5. England, France, and Burgundy 6. Music of Franco-Flemish Composers, 1450-1520 7. Secular Song, National Styles, and Instrumental Music in the Sixteenth Century 8. The Rise of Instrumental Music 9. Sacred Music in the Era of the Reformation Part 3. The Long Seventeenth Century 10. Vocal Music of the Early Baroque and the Invention of Opera 11. Vocal Music for Chamber and Church in the Early Baroque 12. Instrumental Music in the Seventeenth Century 13. Opera and Vocal Music in the Late Seventeenth Century 14. Baroque Music in the Early Eighteenth Century Part 4. The Eighteenth Century 15. The Early Classic Period: Opera and Vocal Music 16. The Early Classic Period: Instrumental Music 17. The Late Eighteenth Century: Haydn and Mozart 18. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Part 5. The Nineteenth Century: The Age of Romanticism 19. The Early Romantics 20. Opera and Music Drama in the Nineteenth Century 21. The Later Romantics 22. Music in the Late Nineteenth Century: Nationalism, Romanticism, and Beyond Part 6. The Twentieth Century and Today 23. Classical Modernism 24. Vernacular Music in America 25. Radical Modernism 26. Music between the Two World Wars 27. The Changing World of Music since 1945 28. Into the Twenty-First Century Barbara Russano Hanning (the City College of New York)	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line308
__label__cc	0.62453	0.37547	▼ April 2007 (121) FSSP News Worth knowing about Cardinal Journet, Concelebration and the Unicity o... Important Episcopal Appointment: Pope names Msgr. ... Society for the Preservation of Catholic Music fro... Theater Seating in Churches Will We Ever Be Happy? Browbeating the faithful into mediocrity Call to Holiness 2007 Tallis Scholars, all over youtube The Attack Against the Classical Rite: A Clarifyin... May 5th? Maybe. Maybe not. Nice Image of Msgr. Schuler Commas Visible and Invisible Ratzinger on Liturgical Reform (1966) Heralds of the Gospel Ordinations in Rome Aristotelian commentary beneath medieval prayerbook Are you workshop savvy? Book on the Traditional Liturgical Communities in ... UCAN: Changes in liturgy since Vatican II ‘mixed b... Guestbook for Msgr. Schuler The Place of Custom and Tradition Lecture in Scranton: Gregorian Chant as a Love So... Liturgical half-truths and misconceptions Further Proof of Change New Anglican Use Priest - And More on This Year's ... Update from the Institute of Christ the King Communio Project: Complete! More on the new angle of attack on the Church's li... Fr. Skeris on Fr. Schuler Mundelein Psalter Magister on Romano Amerio Liturgical dialectics? open book: A lovely day The Growing "Mainstreaming" of Classical Rite Cath... Ad Multos Annos, Fr. Pasley Dominican Vocations video (1964) Obit on Msgr. Schuler A Sad Story Out of Boston CIEL UK MASS AND CONFERENCE 2007 That instructional film on the Mass The Telegraph: The orientalist of Letchworth It's not all about us John Allen on the Motu Proprio and a short comment... Vote for Chant Kasper, Allen confirm existence of Motu Proprio Richard Joseph Schuler, 1920-2007 Widespread praise for 'dignified and joyful' new M... That Te Deum everyone wants to know about Blogger's Choice Awards Bach: Enemy of Gregorian Chant? Chant in the Northeast, USA Tu es Petrus Lincoln Green: Facilities If you're in the Chicago area, you won't want to m... The Reform of the Reform and Altar Appointments Brief Clip of Easter Vigil: FSSP France The Captivating Robert Parsons A Shift Toward the Center? Sacred Music Retreat with Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB The birthplace of modernity (in the good sense) Ordo Processionum Vatican spokesman says fathers of the Church, cent... The Private Life of Pope Benedict Byzantine Easter Music Accents Benedict XVI's 80th Birthday Pope holds surprise meeting with Roman Curia Telegraph article: reforms are on their way Gloriously universal A Prayer Request from the Institute of Christ the ... FUMARE: The Next Great Threshold of the Liturgical... Barat Chapel in Chicago - Still in Danger! Ad Orientem, but not the East? Motu Proprio Watch Update The Hermeneutic of Rupture: The Great Threat of Today A Call to Catholics in the Milan region interested... More Roman photos Thomas Aquinas College A Counter-Proposal for the Cathedral of Our Lady o... Valle Adurni: The proposed new translation as it s... Chicago Tribune: Traditionalists Still Hopeful on ... Items for Sale -- for fundraising Video documentary Easter Triduum in Rome Quasi modo Sunday Sounds of the Past The Mainstreaming of Traditionalism Christus Factus Est: Tenebrae at Mater Ecclesiae The tale of "two" altars I'll take the bait Cantus Occurentes in Vigilia Paschali at Mater Ecc... 3rd Annual Eucharistic Procession to be celebrated... That Joshua Bell Incident Monastic liturgy in the Holy Land Who Botched Catholics Hymns and Why? The media and the MP More on the Triduum The Source of Disunity in the Church Today A Dominican Triduum Michael E. Lawrence Today, the priests of the Diocese of Camden along with the parishioners of Mater Ecclesiae Roman Catholic Church, among other friends, gather to celebrate the silver jubilee of Fr. Robert C. Pasley, KHS. High Mass will be celebrated at 11am, followed by Solemn Vespers at 3pm with many clergy in attendance. Father Pasley was born in Woodbury, NJ and attended Catholic elementary schools and a public high school, where a fine choral director brought him into contact with some of the great works of sacred music. After high school, he attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and Mt. St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD and upon completion of studies in 1982 was ordained for the Diocese of Camden. In the late 1990's he also earned an MA in Education from Seton Hall University. Father Pasley is a member of the Latin Liturgy Association and the Church Music Association of America, for whom he served as Vice-President until 2005. He is a fourth degree Knight of Columbus and an Equestrian Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. In addition to serving as a parish priest, he has also worked as a teacher and vice-principal in some of the diocese's Catholic high schools. In October of 2000, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio appointed Pasley the rector of Mater Ecclesiae chapel, which was formed out of an already-existing Traditional Mass community that had recently been reconciled to the diocese. This was the first diocesan parish in the USA to offer exclusively the Traditional Mass. During his tenure, membership has grown from 70 families to more than 400 (as of April 2005), and significant improvements have been made to the parish's infrastructure. Under Fr. Pasley's leadership, the liturgy has flourished at Mater Ecclesiae, and his commitment to sacred music is second to none. In addition, Mater Ecclesiae has not been content to exist on the fringes of the Church's life; this parish takes part in diocesan activities and is an important source of charity for many in the community. One parishioner once remarked that Fr. Pasley is incredibly consistent at making good decisions. This great gift has been a wonderful asset to Mater Ecclesiae. There is something very essential about the way that Fr. Pasley has approached his work: He has conformed his life to the mystery of the Lord's Cross. Surely this is what sustained him in those difficult years after the II Vatican Council. He completely empties himself in his work, giving every ounce of energy that he has. He says three Masses every weekend with confessions and catechetical classes in between; he has no help from an associate rector. Despite a busy schedule, he set aside time last fall to be available to those in the congregation who desired to learn the various chants of the Mass. He is the only priest that I know personally who has done this. In addition, he's not afraid to say what needs to be said and teaches the fullness of the faith from the pulpit. He's very good at sifting out the "noise" that surrounds many issues and sticking to what the Church teaches. He doesn't strive for Shakespearean eloquence in his sermons; nevertheless they shine with the splendor of truth. Most importantly, he is a humble man with the heart and mind of a servant. For him, being a priest is not a career, it is a way of life--a vocation. Clearly, the Lord has accomplished much through Fr. Pasley, and all of us who know him are blessed for it in ways that he may never know. Fr. Pasley, may you have many more years, and "may God who has begun the good work in you bring it to fulfillment." Posted Sunday, April 22, 2007	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line321
__label__wiki	0.581314	0.581314	Village Centres Chelmund’s Cross Village Centre: Progress Slides Smith’s Wood Village Centre: Progress Slides New Housing Developments The Enterprise Centre The Enterprise Centre, which opened in 2014, is located in Chelmund's Cross Village Centre. By 2017 there were 13 permanent tenants. The ground floor provides touchdown space with hot desks, two seminar rooms, which open into a larger space holding up to 40 people, and a lounge area for informal meetings. Upstairs are offices for tenants who benefit from a welcoming reception area, free wifi, visitor car parking and easy access to nearby motorway links and main local routes. Close to M42, NEC and Birmingham International Airport. Offices cost from £400 per month (inclusive of service charge) and Pay Monthly Touchdown / Coworking Space is available. There is Superfast Broadband, cycle storage and shower facilities. Call 0121 704 8755 for more information. The Enterprise Centre opened in 2014 Meeting Rooms Available to Hire Hot Desks & Kitchen Area Business Startups in North Solihull – Over the last 10 years the North Solihull Partnership has supported Solihull Council’s Economic Development & Regeneration team by providing grant funding for their North Solihull Business Start-up programme. The programme offered financial assistance to individuals in the North Solihull Regeneration Wards who wanted to start up a new business venture, become self-employed or grow a young business (up to 24 months old). This could be a minimum grant of £500, rising to a maximum grant of £2,000, available to eligible applicants who can demonstrate a viable and sustainable business plan, outlining how the grant will be used to create / sustain / grow a local business in North Solihull. The Olive Branch Kitchen - Local couple Janine and Richard Dutton, both trained chefs, were awarded a £2,000 business start-up grant to open a new café at Three Trees community centre. The Olive Branch Kitchen, which opened in 2013, is a non-profit making social enterprise which is run by Janine and employs another five local people. Janine, who was born and bred in Chelmsley Wood, said: “The grant was a real boost for us. It helped us buy the main bits of equipment we needed for the kitchen like a fridge, the extractor unit and a proper fryer. The business has evolved and grown over the last few years, with us taking on more staff, opening on more days and doing external catering too. We’ve been very lucky and had a lot of support. The new Chelmund’s Cross village centre is a nice place to be, and we are at the heart of that. Three Trees is a great focal point for the community, so we get people in from all walks of life and we get to know them all. It is lovely to see mums popping in for a natter after dropping their kids off at school, and we’ve had a lot of construction workers come in while the regeneration has been going on too. The redevelopment programme has brought new buildings and more of a mix of people, which I think has been good for the area.” Elaine Walker, who set up her own business, EW Bookkeeping & Accountancy in 2013, was awarded a £2,000 Kickstart grant which she used to buy better office IT equipment, freeing up her own funds to invest in marketing and staff. The company moved into the Enterprise Centre in 2015 and now employs two part-time staff as well as providing work experience placements for local people to improve their job prospects. Elaine, who was 2017 runner-up in the annual Solihull Times ‘Six of the Best’ business awards, said: “Regeneration has made the area so much better and we have some beautiful new buildings here now, but it is important we also educate people and attract further investment to help the local economy.” Amorim Flooring - moved into the Enterprise Centre in 2014. CEO Simon Mills said: “In mid-2014 we decided that the time was right to launch a new flooring brand in the UK. We knew from the outset that we wanted to base the business in Solihull, not just because of its central location and ease of access, but, more importantly for us, because of the skills that existed in the area. We are a service-based business, built on the quality of our people, and there is pool of talent in this area. “After an initial period in a temporary office, we worked with the Business Development Team at Solihull MBC to find a permanent home. When they showed us The Enterprise Centre in North Solihull, it fitted our requirements perfectly - flexible office space, excellent facilities and it looked good so we could feel confident about bringing customers there. “We are now into our third year of trading and going from strength to strength. We have recently been able to establish a partnership with a large European manufacturer which has given us the opportunity to extend our reach into new markets. The support that we received from SMBC, at a time when we really needed it, allowed us to concentrate on building our business – and the results we have achieved since then speak for themselves.” Jobs Fund in North Solihull – The North Solihull Partnership has supported Solihull Council’s Employment & Skills Team by providing Socio Economic grant funding for the on-going Jobs Fund programme for over 10 years. Their remit has been to help unemployed young people from the regeneration area into work by engaging with local businesses and directly funding wage subsidies. Their programme for 2016-2018 is called Youth Promise Plus – a European Social Fund and Youth Employment initiative. With NSP funding is has helped draw down additional finance. Bethany’s Story - Youth Promise Plus Participant “I first heard about Youth Promise Plus when I signed on at the Jobcentre. My YPP Intervention Worker helped me to polish my CV, so that it would stand out to employers. I also participated in many activities, such as mock interview, job clubs, assisted job search. Youth Promise Plus also put me on an AAT (accountancy) course, to further my chances of employment in Business Administration.” “At our weekly job search appointment, Chris my Intervention Worker, told me about a vacancy at KS Training Ltd, and that they were looking for an Apprentice Assistant Administrator. I applied and I was ecstatic when I found out that I had been successful. “My new job is challenging but rewarding, I feel that it has broadened my social skills, as well as my ability to work effectively in an administrative environment. I would most definitely recommend Youth Promise Plus.” Sheila’s story – Centre Manager KS Training Ltd (KST) are based at the Enterprise Centre and wanted to recruit Youth Promise Plus (YPP). Sheila said: “We wanted someone we could train throughout their Apprenticeship programme and, at the end of it have the benefit of a fully up-skilled ‘embedded’ member of staff from the local community. John, an Employment & Skills Project Officer at Solihull Council visited us so that we could explain our requirements. He explained he was going to advertise the vacancy with partner organisations and would keep in touch. A short time after our initial meeting, John sent over Bethany’s CV. She interviewed extremely well and we were that pleased with her that we rang her and offered her the job the same day we interviewed her! She is already proving to be an excellent addition to our team. Her attention to detail, accuracy of information and phone manner are just what we were looking for. She is learning quickly and very willing to ‘get to grips’ with new things. “It is great to find a young local person and be able to offer them a good start and at the end of it we get a fully trained member of staff too. That’s a win, win.’’ Sophie Job (left) - Administration Assistant, with Bethany McCann, Administration Assistant (Apprentice) KST Training Ltd The chip shop opened to the public for the first time on 1st March 2018 This is an enterprise being run by a local community business, Chelmund's Community Enterprises C.I.C, who prepared a business plan and secured a ten year lease to open a fish and chip shop at Chelmund's Cross Village Centre. They also secured £100,000 of investment to enable the fitting out of the premises. The North Solihull Partnership contributed £20,000 from its socio economic grant scheme programme towards the costs. The project is unique in terms of training people within a real work environment and has created sustainable employment for 6 local people long term and 2 training posts on a roll on roll off basis, in an area where there are few employment opportunities. The enterprise will also be re-investing its surpluses into local community and charitable activities with an aim to providing additional support services for the areas most vulnerable people. The Art Shack @ Chelmund's Cross The Art Shack is a new community art studio and exhibition space adjoining the Three Trees Community Centre, at the heart of Chelmund’s Cross in Chelmsley Wood. Set-up in March 2016, The Art Shack is managed by professional local artist and storyteller Ronnie Cashmore, artist in residence at Three Trees. The Shack hosts regular local community sessions, exhibitions and projects, unleashing local talent, supporting equality in creative expression and serving as a voice for the community. Investing in North Solihull North Solihull Partnership Economic Development and Regeneration The Council House Manor Square B91 9QS info@northsolihull.co.uk New Play Area at Saxon Gate Development Smith’s Wood Medical Centre Progress Progress on Seventh Brand New Primary School in North Solihull Kingshurst Village Centre – Public Consultation Bellway Homes Sigma InPartnership Solihull Council Whitefriars Housing © 2019 Investing in North Solihull. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line322
__label__cc	0.520476	0.479524	Free Traitors October 29, 2010 Hunter Wallace Economy, Politics, Progressives, Tea Party, The Jewish Question 35 The Tea Party and Big Business do not always see eye to eye. The Rust Belt Before plunging into the midterm elections, I think now would be the opportune time to discuss my reservations about sending the Republicans back to Congress. After all, the “Republican Revolution” of 1994 hardly produced the type of society we wanted. Eight years of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney shattered the Right and destroyed all sympathy for the Republican Party in White Nationalist circles. On immigration, I can say with a high degree of confidence that there has been a remarkable turnaround. Even during the Bush years, there were always Republicans like Tom Tancredo and Jeff Sessions who were opposed to amnesty. In the next Congress, there should be even more hardliners and the emerging debate over birthright citizenship and legal immigration will push the mainstream even further in our direction. On the wars, I don’t see much to worry about either. For the first time since 9/11, foreign policy has been off the radar screen on the campaign trail. Neither the Democrats or Republicans want to talk about America’s imperial presence abroad. The wars divide Democrats and throw Republicans off message. Americans want to talk about jobs, the faltering economy, federal spending, and the growth of government – domestic issues and little else. Barack Obama is already in hot water with his base on Iraq and Afghanistan. Barring another 9/11, I can’t see him starting a new war with Iran. Given their campaign promises to radically cut federal spending, I can’t see the Republicans busting the budget with a new war either, especially after how warmongering turned out to be an electoral disaster for them in 2006 and 2008. That leaves the sacred cow of free trade. In this area, there is some cause for concern. Under George W. Bush, Corporate America dominated the Republican Party and was able to pass much of its agenda. Will a Republican Congress return to its old bad habits and work with Barack Obama to pass new free trade agreements? The Democrats and Free Trade It was a sigh of relief to learn this morning that Barack Obama is even more clueless than I thought he was. While Democratic candidates are railing against “free trade” on the campaign trail, President Obama will be traveling to Seoul next week to wrap up talks on a new free trade agreement with South Korea. Apparently, he plans to “get the car out of the ditch” by passing more job killing free trade agreements over the next two years, kneecapping his own supporters in the Midwest on the eve of a tough election. While he is in Asia, Obama also plans to swing by Indonesia to visit the Istiqlal Mosque, the third largest mosque in the world, an act sure to quell suspicions that he is a Muslim in certain quarters of the Right. After receiving a stunning repudiation by voters on Tuesday, Obama will respond by inflicting more damage on the Democratic Party, as we move into a new election cycle where Democrats will be forced to defend even tougher seats to hold in the Midwest and South. Hitherto, the Obama administration has appeased the Democratic base by neglecting the unpopular trade issue. Obama hasn’t pressured Congress to push through free trade deals that were negotiated under George W. Bush. At the same time, he hasn’t taken any action to repeal the free trade agreements that already exist. In spite of his campaign promises, he has done little to stop the hemorrhaging of American jobs overseas. In the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama ran against Wall Street and as a strong rhetorical opponent of free trade. His first action upon arriving in the White House was to bailout Wall Street with TARP. He has done nothing about free trade in his first term, the primary cause of the present blowout in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, and now seems bent on actually making matters worse. Whispering in Obama’s Ear Meet Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton and Jewish economic adviser to president-elect Barack Obama, the sage who counseled in January and February 2009 a huge stimulus package that would discriminate against White males in favor of core Democratic constituencies like blacks and women. Now that Democrats are on the verge of losing their majority in Congress, Robert Reich is back with more pearls of wisdom for the Obama administration. I have been following his columns as they are increasingly filled with prophecies of doom. What is Reich so worried about? In “The Emerging Anti-Trade Coalition and Its Dangers,” he sounds the alarm that the Tea Party and the Democratic base might find common ground in the next Congress and attack free trade agreements: “Traditional big-business Republicans support trade. But the tea partiers who are taking over the GOP don’t. An astonishing 61 percent of people who describe themselves as “Tea Party sympathizers” say trade is bad for America. That’s close to the 65 percent of union families who are against trade. Think about it. The ground troops for both parties — tea party Republicans and union Democrats — believe free trade is bad.” Reich is scared that America is on the cusp of “a new isolationism” and “a backlash against free trade, immigration, and maybe even international bodies such as the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and IMF.” He continues, “isolationism and nationalism are the handmaidens of an economically anxious and frustrated middle class. That was the lesson we learned 80 years ago, but forgot.” The lesson that Reich is referring to here is Germany’s experiment with National Socialism. I saw this column at the time, considered responding to it, but got distracted by other matters. Today, Robert Reich has an ever scarier article in The Wall Street Journal, “Why Business Should Fear the Tea Party.” He warns the business community that the Tea Party is against corporate welfare, free trade, bank bailouts, the IRS wealth redistribution pump, the Federal Reserve, and global institutions and agreements like the UN and WTO: “Wall Street may be furious with the Obama administration but at least Mr. Obama (and his predecessor) bailed it out. By contrast, tea party activists consider the Troubled Asset Relief Program a betrayal of America. In the Bloomberg poll, nearly 70% of tea partiers said that they’re less likely to support a candidate who voted for the bank rescue. Underlying all of this is a deep tea party suspicion that big government is in cahoots with big business and Wall Street, against the rest of America. This has been the conventional view among leftist conspiracy theorists for years but it’s now emerging full-throttle on the right. Lesser known is that a higher proportion of tea party adherents believes that free trade agreements hurt the nation overall (61%) than does the general population (53%), according to a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last month. In a poll earlier this year by the Mellman Group, a majority of tea party supporters favored putting taxes on imports from countries with lower environmental standards than the United States.” If the Tea Party gets in power, it could team up with blue collar workers led by demagogues and go after … THE JEWS! “History has shown that people threatened by losses of jobs, wages, homes and savings are easy prey for demagogues who turn those fears into anger at major institutions, as well as individuals and minorities who become easy scapegoats—immigrants, foreign traders, certain religious groups. Were it not for their economic stresses, Americans wouldn’t be receptive to abolishing the Fed and the IRS, or believe that government and big business were conspiring against them, or turn isolationist.” Corporate America better stand “up to this dangerous idiocy” and support “policies to relieve the economic stresses that fuel it” before it “threatens the stability of our economic and political system.” Before it threatens powerful and privileged Jews like Robert Reich. I’m looking forward to next Tuesday. Source: From The Provinces A Shoulder to Cry On – Whites Seek Empathy Unitarians – Show Their Banners Yes indeed, the ‘globalization’ worm has turned. Clearly, their worst fears are already, at least partially, being realized. For example, in West Virginia, the Dakotas, etc., and as has been pointed out, white working class/union members have fled and are fleeing the party that pushes for cap and tax, affirmative action, “free trade”, etc. Let me think, which group heavily supports a socialist agenda, ‘globalization’ trade deals that harm U.S. interests, pathologically hates non-Jewish white males, and believes America should become something akin to a third world dumping ground for parasites from Mexico, Somalia, Haiti, etc. until the vestiges of what the Founders helped to set up disappears completely? Let me think, who might that be? Let’s just name the group that “shall not be named”, you know, the group that unflinchingly supported the abomination that currently sits in the White House and provided the bulk of the money and “brains” of the operation: none other than ‘American’ Ashkenazi Jews that’s who. Yeah, I wrote that and it is a fact that for every Mark Levin there are about three John Stuart Leibowitzs and another three to a dozen or so George Soros types anxious to lay the smack down on the United States and call it a “progressive” form of ‘patriotism’. Yes indeed Orwell would even be amazed. Sure, it is a fact that the U.S. finance industry is dominated by them as is U.S. media. Hum, who are and have real Americans becoming rather distrustful of? Well, let me guess, people in finance and the media for two, but don’t say who actually dominates them or you or I might be called a “racist”. Anyways, and all kidding aside, the economy dominates all right now and even the tools in the shed that hadn’t put two and two together are beginning to come around as to the who has been pushing such things as NAFTA, etc. I would note that during the last depression even such entities that had pushed for lax immigration restrictions and promoted relaxing trade laws felt compelled to break ranks in order to survive the economic downturn with their assets intact. My guess is that as happened last time business leaders who pushed for ‘globalization’ will realize that their own survival will depend on getting with the new/old program and supporting immigration and trade restrictions (possibly even trade deals that actually benefit the country). Watch for organizations like the Chamber of Commerce to first stop the silly “we need them because American just won’t do those jobs”; and then Bill Gates types with their H1-B visa B.S. on the other end stop pushing for more and more “skilled” cheap labor. When you see that happen, then you know we are getting somewhere. For me at least, it is interesting to watch the panic set in on what I would call our enemies as the number of “useful idiots” within our ranks has dramatically shrunk since Barry Soetoro took office and the economy has accelerated its true downward trajectory (especially as real unemployment has increased significantly with no end in sight, as much of our base employment was shipped overseas and not likely to come back regardless). No, I don’t kid myself that the economy is working its magic, but it sure is fun to watch the goalposts shift and the opposing team scamper as the light in the kitchen is turned on and we get to see all the cockroaches and rats bolt for the nearest news reporter to say what horrible inhuman Americans are for asking about why it happened and to have the gall to ask for an accounting of what actually happened, let alone demand productive jobs instead of endless unemployment insurance that will end with the cutting of the national credit card over the next two months to two years. Welcome to what might just turn out to be payback. Well, at least I can hope, and let the economy, or lack thereof, do the heavy lifting. Tuesday’s vote could see the the Democratic share of the white vote at its lowest ever. In Georgia’s 2nd District a Sanford Bishop loss would be the result of an 80%-plus white vote for the GOP candidate in this plurality-black district. The defeat of Raul Grijalva AZ-7 and Jim Costa CA-20 would be a clear indication of an awaken white intuitiveness in these minority-white districts. Democratic candidates are running third in state wide races in Maine, Alaska, Florida, Rhode Island and I would not be suprised if the Green Party candidate finishes ahead of the Democratic Senate nominee Alvin Greene in South Carolina. The latest poll has Alvin Greene at 11%, while Tom Clements (G) polls at 12%. The last two days, MSNBC ‘s Chris Matthew has been echoing the paranoid Robert Reich mantra that the supporters and candidacy of Rand Paul, Joe Miller, Carl Paladino and Sharron Angle are evident of the coming American National Socialist dictatorship. I too will be looking foward to next Tuesday. Wandrin My translation of the Reich article would be something like: “Hey guys, we really need to turn them into a minority before we finish up on the looting. Remember the new motto ‘bleed before greed.'” Reich’s motivations are so laughably transparent — to people like us of course — who know what to look for. Unfortunately, the vast majority of our people will see a “White” liberal economist talking when they see Robert Reich on TV rather than a Jew pushing ideas that serve Jewish interests at the expense of White Americans. The day that changes will be a big breakthrough. I don’t think there can be any doubt now the USAs Jewish overlords are genuinely unsettled. The anti-racist left-liberals are in a frenzy, Robert Reich is trying to rally the plutocrats in the WSJ, and David Frum and Thomas Friedman have floated the idea of creating a moderate third party if the GOP ends up dominated by the Tea Party. This suggests to me 1) that Reich, Frum, Friedman and their lackeys are not 100% sure they can control the Tea Party, and 2) they regard an uncontrolled Tea Party as a threat. It would be interesting to know how many Tea Party candidates they’ve already bought off. The chances are still good the ruling class will figure out a way to tamp this down, either through bribes or intimidation, but it will be more difficult this time than in 94, 80, and 72 because of the economy, war on two fronts, and other factors they can’t control like Al Queada running loose. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a shift toward open repression either, such as European- style incitement laws, so keep an eye out for that. When they drop the mask and begin resorting to open repression, it means conditions are getting less favorable for the ruling class. Lawrence of Appalachia A good analysis, Hunter. I think what Reich is really afraid of, however, is not so much the Tea Party in its present form, but what it could either morph into later on, or influence even more dangerous* group(s) that will go further than the Tea Party. Dangerous to Reich and his ilk, of course. Personally, I don’t think the Tea Party will go very far unless there’s a shift in the overall outlook. It has the potential to become something more, but we’ll have to see where they are between now and 2012. my reservations about sending the Republicans back to Congress At the risk of cliche: “If voting would change anything, it’d be illegal.” Earlmundo Armand Pitts III White Americans have caught on to the fact that “corporate” Republicans are not voting in their interest, and are in fact the other wing of the hostile elite. Goldman Sachs is a perfect example. Chris Matthews is an Irish Roman Catholic. Robert Reich is a Jew. Together they symbolize the political alliance in Congress that has done so much damage to White America. That’s a fact. “Unfortunately, the vast majority of our people will see a “White” liberal economist talking when they see Robert Reich on TV” Yes, if they all suddenly turned purple i think things would change dramatically within a few weeks. That would be an idea for youtube videos if it was possible. Take standard news video clips then purple-ize them to make it more visually obvious. “I think what Reich is really afraid of, however, is not so much the Tea Party in its present form, but what it could either morph into later on” Yes, it’s partly paranoia where they multiply every threat by ten and partly their standard tactic of stamping on even the mildest expression of white ethnic interest to stop it growing to be anywhere near their concern for their ethnic interest. Ed the Department Head This is GREAT news! Reich knows the Oligarchial Elite Class is in BIG TROUBLE! When he goes as far as to bring up National Socialist Germany, we know things are getting better for us. Here is the nicest part: the mixture of Robber Baron “Free Trade” and Lassallean Welfare Socialism that the Elite support can do nothing but destroy the economy. Reich tells his fellow Jews and Elites to fix the situation but the only ways to do that are economically, ideologically, politically, and emotionally undesireable to these elites (i.e. a new economic system based on Ron Paul style true capitalism or Bismarkian type protectionism or Nazi like autarchic socialism/capitalism hybrid). in order to save some of their power the Elite would have to make radical reforms within the economic system. Otherwise, Reich and the rest of them are as crazy King Canute ordering the Thames to reverse course because he was the sovereign. The current system can do nothing but produce misery. With no possibility of restoring the carrot of prosperity, I predict more and more people will come to see through American Dream propaganda as the Depression gets worse and its time period drags out. I agree with Lew that there is a good chance that the Elite will switch to naked oppression if both prosperity and propaganda no longer solidify their power. This will be bad because their is a good chance we here will experience the terror but in the long run it will be a great thing because it will totally discredit the regime by showing the American people the same face the American government hid from them but showed to German, Italian, Iraqi, Vietnamese, Serbian, Afghan, and (once upon a time) Confederate civilians. Such a situation might ruin the regime for ever and guarintee its eventual defeat. Surest sign of Jewish unease is that they no longer trust their own shabbatz goyim. That’s why, in addition to Ben Israel Bernancke, the entire (7/7) Fed directorate is or will soon be all kosher; why 3 – or more – of the Tribe are now on the SC; and why, if Angle wins, new Senate Majority Leader will be Shumer; an edgy, obnoxious, left-Zionist shyster who talks through his nose. Exactly what we want: the Hebrews out of the shadows and into the open where all can see. P-o-l-a-r-i-z-a-t-i-o-n. The coastal elite strike back today with their stage show which will flog plenty of taboos over the heads of the effite white urban SWPLs, but at least the SWPLs will get to feel they are part of a “cool” ingroup (cult). Maybe our own cool types like HW could stomach the “sanity” rally and report on the elite’s counter offensive? I live in Birmingham now. Watching the Virginia vs. Miami game on ESPN. Ahh, the Coal Bowl. Mr. Dithers Egads! Fair trade policies that levels the playing field and helps prop up American manufacturers could lead to a slight decline in the net worth of our Jewish elites. That’s extremism bordering on national socialism. Call in the Jewish psychoanalysts. ……individuals and minorities who become easy scapegoats—immigrants, foreign traders, certain religious groups.” Certain religious groups? Sounds like Roberto is a little worried that people may learn the Jews have been instrumental in our ruinous free trade policies. It’s not the Southern Baptists, Mormons or Buddhists. ATBOTL Reich’s views on these matters are identical to almost all white senior corporate management and Wall St. types. White elites, including wealthy Southern Baptists and Mormons, have been just as bad on “free trade” as Jews. If your country has the competitive advantage then free trade is in your interests. Britain had the competitive advantage for a long time and used its power to enforce free trade because it was in Britain’s interest to do so. America did the same when it took over. However like most things over time what is rational becomes traditional and people support FREE TRADE* as a small god. What is happening now isn’t free trade. Not only has America lost the competitive advantage it once had but nations like China operate an economic nationalist policy making it even more unbalanced. So for some people free trade means repeating what their father and grand father said even though times have changed. For others it’s a codeword for globalization. One group mistakenly believes it is a good thing for America. The other knows it isn’t. On reflection my post above makes no difference. The corporate elite are all bad regardless of the reason. Whites Unite “Traditional big-business Republicans support trade. But the tea partiers who are taking over the GOP don’t. An astonishing 61 percent of people who describe themselves as “Tea Party sympathizers” say trade is bad for America.” You know he’s scared and desperate when he stoops low enough to to substitue the word “trade” for “free trade”. During America’s most protectionist days in the 19th century, we still had an enourmous volume of international trade – managed for our own benefit, of course. The tarriffs proposed by Pat Buchanan are far more modest than anything seen from Henry Clay through FDR. But to hear Reich tell it, Unions and the Tea Party are proposing a policy similar to 18th century Japan. Erik Nordman There is no such thing as “free trade”. There are always going to be rules, and thus the playing field is going to be “un-level”, one way or the other. Even if there were no rules, that’s still not “free trade”: that would just mean that the strongest (monetarily, physically, manipulatively) would be benefited. The same applies to domestic fiscal policy: those who want “big government out my life”, are just letting someone else (usually big business) in. There will always be rules and the key is to set them so that they protect your own tribe from others and your tribe’s workers, middle class and small business against “big fill-in-the-blank”, Jews and other enemies. See Pat Buchanan, Father Coughlin, NSDAP’s 25 Points etc. I realize there are wealthy white gentiles who support free trade. But most white senior corporate management on Wall Street are Jews, or at least they are vastly overrepresented on Wall Street based on their percentage of the population. Executives of Goldman Sachs, Bear Stearns, AIG, and others are mostly Jewish. Former Fed chairman and Methodist Alan Greenspan* was on record several times to increase H1-B visas and further relax trade policies. Ditto for current Fed chairman and Seventh Day Adventist Ben Shalom Bernanke. Greenspan and Bernanke are actually Jews. Markus Oswald Kayetan “I wouldn’t be surprised to see a shift toward open repression either, such as European- style incitement laws, so keep an eye out for that. When they drop the mask and begin resorting to open repression, it means conditions are getting less favorable for the ruling class.” Will the Judeo-Elites make that big a blunder? Do they really want to give us our ‘Turner Diaries’ scenario??? If they can’t totally control (Iraqi) Arabs (notoriously bad soldiers and paramilitants) then how can they hope to control Whites who have the 2nd Amendment?? They may have no choice however! History has shown that with Democracy Whites and anti-semites can indeed win! Look at Uncle Adolfs electoral victory in 1933 and Hamases 2006 electoral win. If it has been done before, it can be done again!!! David Duke 2012! Bonus Gift: Yes indeed, the ‘globalization’ worm has turned. Clearly, their worst fears are already, at least partially, being realized. For example, in West Virginia, the Dakotas, etc., and as has been pointed out, white working class/union members have fled and are fleeing the party that pushes for cap and tax, affirmative action, “free trade”, etc. This is essentially the anti-globalization coalition Pat Buchanan tried to assemble under the GOPs umbrella in the 90s. It’s worth remembering the establishment GOP’s plutocrat faction fought harder to destroy Buchanan than anyone. Buchanan won the New Hampshire primary in 96 and was on his way to the nomination until John McCain helped Steve Forbes win the Arizona primary thereby blunting Buchanan’s momentum. I really wish Buchanan was young enough to make one more run. Svigor Is it me, or has the price of gas completely fallen off the map since Obammy took power? Svigor, Here’s the 3-year chart for gasoline prices in the U.S. I think it raises some interesting questions. http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx?time=36 A nice sized wager says that 2 to 4 years hence the idiots will be disgusted with Republicans. Robert Reis According to most recent data. people who earn fifty million dollars a year or less are losers. Only those Americans who earn more than $50.000.000 a year are prospering. There incomes have gone up 500%. Video to ponder. http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/960.html The price of gas plunged when the recession started and has stayed relatively low due to a drop in demand and less speculation in the market. It’s what one would expect. The Jude midget doesn’t allow Comments on his blog. It did, when that video of him and the Negro collaborator first emerged. I made a few comments, back them. Markus – yes. The Judeos will make that big of a blunder re: hate speech laws”. They are getting sloppier by the minute. Please note the idiotic and absolutely incoherent “Yemeni woman ships explosives to Chicago, to blow up poor innocent oppressed Jews” story, of Friday. They even got their Chief Pet Darky ONegro to comment. Not one detail even makes sense. I just heard a brief blip, on a mainstream news show updates feed – but the Great Big Terror Story has essentially dropped WAY off the radar. I think the Boychikcs are dipping into the drugs they are bringng in from Afghanstan way too often…they wil push it too far. They always do…The Hate Speech crimes are right around the corner. Charlie Gasparino, a regular on CNBC, also claims that Wall Street is afraid of the Tea Party: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2618597/posts Wall Street’s love affair with President Obama is officially over—or so we are told by much of the mainstream media. After enjoying Wall Street’s praise (and donations) during the 2008 campaign, Mr. Obama has supposedly alienated the heads of the big banks to such an extent that they’ve spent most of their campaign cash on Republican candidates in tomorrow’s midterm elections… But based on my reporting, including interviews with senior banking executives, Wall Street doesn’t so much love the Republican Party as it is hedging its bets on divided government. And barring an independent run by Mr. Bloomberg (which even his most optimistic Wall Street supporters concede is a long shot), the big bankers are planning once again to return to Mr. Obama’s side for 2012… …Wall Street and the banks—for all their fussing over Dodd-Frank or the Volcker Rule’s tighter restrictions on speculative trading—have been enormously profitable since 2008, thanks to the Federal Reserve’s near-zero interest rate policy and a host of guarantees and other programs that have remained in place well into the first two years of Mr. Obama’s term. Furthermore, as much as the heads of the big Wall Street firms hate the new rules in Dodd-Frank that squeeze their trading and force them to hold more capital, there’s one thing they hate even more—tea partiers, who have become the new activist wing in the Republican Party. It’s easy to understand why: Central tenants of the tea party movement are that bailouts of failing financial institutions must end; that “big business” shouldn’t enjoy subsidies from “big government”; and that taxpayers should no longer be footing the bill for Wall Street’s mistakes. American Celt One of the distinct problems is a truly American Nationalist movement. Hence, the neocon bottom feeders infiltrating the Tea Party such as Beck or Palin who supports a “path to citizenship” for illegals. And of course, the never ending wars, free trade, outsourcing and so on. The Tea Party is still a vague anti-tax and anti government movement. They or another movement needs to focus directly upon the issues that are hurting Americans in real life. If this were done successfully, the neocons would be playing the race card against Americans who wish to come first in their own country. Thereby exposing themselves for who they really are to the average American. Unprotected Trade has made the American Economy terminally ill. Is it any wonder nobody has a job? Sociopaths sent all our jobs to China, India, and Mexico. Ending Unprotected Trade would also be very popular with most of the electorate, if that was the only issue even blacks would vote against outsourcing, heck only in lower Manhattan and the Beltway are there significant people who want the nation to engage in this reckless behavior.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line324
__label__wiki	0.514016	0.514016	Clowns to the left of me… DA LEADER Helen Zille wants opposition parties to work together to prevent the ANC from winning a two-thirds majority at next year’s parliamentary election. But she says the other opposition leaders are ‘‘lukewarm’’ about the idea of a political realignment as they are afraid of losing their “fiefdoms”. Giving the CR Swart memorial lecture at the University of the Free State last night, Zille said her role was to realign politics to draw a line between parties that believe in constitutionalism and those that do not. “In the medium term, as the consequences of the ANC’s assault on the constitution are felt more widely, the remarks I am making tonight will seem obvious. But unless we hear them and act on them now, it could be too late,” Zille said. She repeated her call for a coalition of opposition parties “to offer hope to voters” ahead of the elections next year. Zille said the response to her call from other opposition parties ‘‘has been limited”. One leader had even accused her of trying to get opposition parties to “gang up” against the ANC. ‘‘I was muted in my response to this statement because it is not appropriate for opposition parties, at this crucial juncture, to waste time and resources fighting each other. But I thought, at minimum, I had to point out how truly ludicrous it is to suggest that an attempt to curb the power of a party that already has a 74percent majority in parliament amounts to ‘ganging up’. ‘‘This kind of response demonstrates to me that, despite all that has happened, some parties still have not fathomed what the role of opposition is,” Zille said she suspected ‘that the real reason for the lukewarm response was that the leaders of individual parties did not wish to abdicate their own fiefdoms. The Times - Zille wants unity to stop ANC landslide This is probably the most sensible thing I have heard a politician say in the longest time. I struggle, however, to warm up to Zille. I am not entirely sure why, but she doesn’t give me a warm, fuzzy feeling. And I am not quite sure why it would be wrong for the opposition to ‘gang up’ against the ANC. When you have a ruling party that is very obviously bad for a country, but has a big majority, the only way the opposition can stand a chance is by ‘ganging up’, or joining forces. If memory serves this old woman (wink) correctly, this was how the ANC gained such a large majority in the first place. Banding with another party. Oh, and that lovely fair practice of floor crossing. We need a new face on this landscape, because currently, I am reminded of this Tom Petty song. posted on Friday, August 29, 2008 tags: africa, Articles, politics, the world out there, thoughts	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line328
__label__wiki	0.565419	0.565419	Rick's Cafe Texan Everybody Comes to Rick's Supergirl: Human For A Day Review SUPERGIRL: HUMAN FOR A DAY What a difference an episode makes! Human For a Day might be the best Supergirl episode yet, especially after the disappointing Red Faced. I normally find these 'crisis' episodes to be almost laughable (perhaps the fact that all I can picture is a strange version of the Charlton Heston/Ava Gardner film Earthquake, which my mother insists was remade as San Andreas). However, a combination of a solid story with pitch-perfect performances from the regular and guest cast elevated Human For A Day into an absolutely top-notch episode that lifted Supergirl to greater heights. Kara Danvers aka Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) is flabbergasted to see that she is bleeding. In short, she is now without superpowers. This is a result of using all that energy against Red Tomato, and this happens to Kryptonians on Earth whenever they face an especially powerful foe. James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), friend to Superman, tells Kara that the Man of Steel calls it the 'solar flare'. Even though Kara is assured that her powers should return in a few days, she is also fully aware that it has been more than the necessary time for them to have done so. The loss of her powers could not have come at an absolutely worse time, as National City is struck by a massive earthquake, one that causes Kara to break her arm (something she has never experienced, along with the cold that sends her home sick for the first time since she started at CatCo). The earthquake would be the perfect time for Supergirl to sweep in and help, but she is still recovering and in no position to help. Furthermore, her not-quite-nemesis Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli), who is busy handing out water and supplies while insisting to whoever can still see and hear him that things are as worse as they can get, is fully aware that Supergirl is in no condition to help. Not that he is waiting around for her or the government to help (suggesting to my mind that Maxwell Lord is a Republican, but that's just speculation). I think Lord even refers to Supergirl as a 'heroine for the welfare state' (or heroin for the welfare state, a counter to the opium of the masses that religion is suppose to be in Marxist ideology). Meanwhile, back at CatCo, Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) wants the power returned, like RIGHT NOW. For that, she needs Witt...or Wick...or that guy who seems to know a lot about technology. That would be "Winn" (Jeremy Jordan), the IT guy. He manages, despite his nervousness at both the situation and the general terror Cat is, to manage to get a live feed from her office to broadcast a counter-message to Maxwell Lord's barrage of negativity. Cat offers a message of hope, one telling the citizens of National City that Supergirl WILL return, but that they themselves are capable of doing superhuman deeds if they join together. Kara is devastated after not being able to save someone. However, James tells her that "no hero can save everyone...but a real hero never stops trying". That would apply to a heroine too. Despite herself, Kara dons the Supergirl outfit to stop a robbery in progress. If the gunman fires, the bullets will not bounce off her, but she is willing to take that risk and hopes no one calls her bluff. Hiding her broken arm, she attempts to talk the gunman out of doing his crime, and after a few tense moments, manages to do so. James has been snapping photos of this, and they manage to make it back to CatCo to print them. In the midst of this crisis, Winn FINALLY stands up for himself and makes it clear he isn't going to be eating his heart out while Kara continues pursuing James. Winn is visibly upset when he catches them hugging, but still tells them that Supergirl can get her powers back by a Kryptonian version of an adrenaline rush. She gets that when they attempt to save people trapped above them, and James begins to fall in the elevator shaft. With her powers and confidence restored, Supergirl sweeps into National City, leaving a very flustered Maxwell to watch. All that would be enough, but we get a subplot with Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh), still suspicious of her boss, Hank Henshaw (David Harewood). The earthquake knocked out power at the DEO temporarily, but enough to allow Jemm (Charles Halford), a powerful alien able to control minds, to escape. His efforts to release the other prisoners makes up the bulk of that subplot, and we end with the revelation that Hank Henshaw is really J'onn J'onzz, better known as The Martian Manhunter, who took on Henshaw's appearance after Alex's father sacrificed himself to save him from the real Henshaw, who was bent on killing him. It is really very strange that the subplot of Alex and Henshaw is almost an afterthought given just how much material there was with Kara and her own struggles. The revelation of The Martian Manhunter would be enough to make any episode stand out. However, for me, Human For A Day was really about Kara and her realization that she does have powers, even when she doesn't have superpowers. The whole episode isn't just about how Kara has no superpowers and is 'human for a day', but that she in a sense has been granted her wish to be like everyone else and is 'human for a day'. She finds that her identity as Supergirl cannot be stripped from her identity as Kara. She is both Kara and Supergirl, and she should embrace that, even if it means certain sacrifices. Oh, Melissa Benoist. I think we all can say you are the absolutely BEST actress to play this Supergirl. Girls rightly will look up to your interpretation, because you not only make the Girl of Steel into a strong character, but you also make Kara a wonderful person: bright, optimistic, and in her own way, as strong as a Kryptonian. You embody in Supergirl the truth of what James said: heroes (or heroines) aren't made because of their powers, but out of their ability to keep trying. We also got a great performance out of Flockhart, who has surprisingly managed to balance the humor of Cat with a more serious persona lurking beneath the bitchy exterior. Her dismissive nature towards Winn (whom she genuinely cannot remember his name) is deadpan comedy as she keeps getting his name wrong. However, her speech about how we can be heroes...if just for one day (RIP, David Bowie) gives Cat more depth than we guessed she was capable of way back in the pilot. Jordan too was great as Winn, covering the humor his character has with genuine anger and hurt at how too often he is tossed aside for the hunkier Olsen. I was proud to see him stand up for himself. We got great performance out of Facinelli, who provided the yang to Kara and Cat's yin. He didn't come across as evil, but in his own way rational and even angry at how people look to outsiders for strength and comfort when they should be looking at themselves (or perhaps, at him). Even the mostly wishy-washy Brooks/Olsen had a strong moment when he rallies Kara. All this in the midst of the Martian Manhunter revelation and the hunt in the DEO? The dual speeches of Cat and Supergirl about hope and not giving in to despair were not just wonderful in their own right, but well-edited to make a cohesive whole. I enjoyed Human For A Day. It felt epic and grand and intimate too. All the elements balanced together, and even the reintroduction of Supergirl's evil Aunt Astra did not diminish the entire thing. Everything just worked well, and Human For A Day shows what can happen when we allow the Girl of Steel to rise. Next Episode: Hostile Takeover Posted by Rick at 6:58 AM Labels: Supergirl, Television Programs Views are always welcome, but I would ask that no vulgarity be used. Any posts that contain foul language or are bigoted in any way will not be posted. Rick's Other Blogs Rick's Reviews Archives Rick's Doctor Who Reviews Rick's Book Reviews Rick's Cafe Texan on Twitter Follow @RXCafeTX How To Watch A Movie Main Public Library Esperanza Acosta Moreno Regional Library No Programming Until Further Notice Buddy2Blogger Batwoman Pilot Episode - Plot Recap and Review J and J Productions THE DEATH OF ANTAGONY & ECSTASY In The Shadow Of The Strip... 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The Harry Potter Retrospective: An Introduction I'm Just Mild About Harry... The Harry Potter book and film series is a phenomena that I can't get into and don't understa... Rick Aragon: Film Viewer, Writer, Whovian. Simple theme. Theme images by luoman. Powered by Blogger.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line331
__label__wiki	0.776089	0.776089	The Ancient Minstrel by Jim Harrison by Jeff Alford · May 8, 2016 Grove Press, 2016 Jim Harrison’s The Ancient Minstrel is a chaser to life’s intoxicated stumble. Despite almost being able to smell the alcohol vapors from Harrison’s pages, his prose acts as a neutralizer: in a time of wars, infidelity, aging and mortality, there’s a beautiful sort of embrasure out there in the natural world, a nullifying, ancient ecosystem. Harrison burdens his characters with human squalor, from loneliness to lasciviousness, and in two slow-burning novellas resolves them to a point of unsuspecting understanding. The title novella begins with an author’s note, in which the narrator’s daughters profess their reservations towards their father attempting to write a memoir: “My two married daughters were both at dinner and shouted in chorus, ‘Leave us out!’ I felt near tears (from several drinks) and unfairly treated. I asked, ‘You don’t trust my taste?’ to which I received a resounding ‘No.’” “The Ancient Minstrel” progresses “in the form of a novella,” as the author explains he “couldn’t bear to lapse into any delusions of reality in nonfiction.” In just a few pages, Harrison sets up a manipulative sort of humility in the semi-autobiographical third-person-”narrative” prose that follows. The novella reads as being perfectly believable: an episodic sprawl about an aged author, reminiscing about his past successes as a screenwriter and poet (Harrison is perhaps best known for writing Legends of the Fall). But with the protagonist’s daughters missing, one should ask, with suspicion, what’s been added in their stead. He repeatedly alights on swarthy sexual exploits (women who remind him of “a ripe peach”) and his masculine, writerly independence, guided by some of the great men of literature: He would act in the manner of Leo Tolstoy who, when Rilke told him he must write, said, “Then write for God’s sake.” Even nastier was Faulkner who in answer to the questions of what a writer needs said, “Paper and pencil.” In other words, figure it out for yourself, there are no shortcuts. You have to give your entire life to it. The protagonist, approaching seventy, has plans to be a “free-floating geezer, above criticism from both others and himself.” The novella, curiously, flows similarly: the story takes shape, somewhat, at the mention of a recurring nightmare about a minstrel show, and later gels when the writer decides to start raising pigs. There’s very little story here, but that’s the plan: life goes on and that alone should be story enough. Harrison plays with these expectations, particularly noticeable during a meeting between the author and his editor: Where’s the narrative? What’s the story about? You promised when you sold the novel in advance that it would be a big sprawling story about love, lust, quarrels, and murder between three farm families, sort of a magnum version of A Thousand Acres. Harrison’s protagonist tries to make the memoir of “The Ancient Minstrel” into something exciting, something to be proud of, but what ultimately shines through is its quietude and aging’s slow sunset. The collection’s second novella “Eggs” reiterates this theme with its protagonist Catherine and her almost gravitational pull back to farm living. Despite traveling internationally and falling in love with a soldier abroad, and despite the blitzing of London and the mid-century world’s growing political tension, there was always something powerful back home: Near the pond she sat on a big rock with a peculiar resemblance to a monster stone egg. It had been Catherine’s “magic” place since early childhood. When she frequently visited the farm with her mother she’d walk out to her stone egg when she was disturbed by anything and the stillness of the scene pacified her. How can you draw pure energy from a stone? It was possible for her. Following these two exceptional, disarmingly subtle stories, Harrison superfluously tacks on “The Case of the Howling Buddhas” to the end of the collection. The novella “The Ancient Minstrel” stepped awkwardly close at times to the musings of a dirty old man, but in “The Case of the Howling Buddhas” Harrison fully embraces this aged id. It’s little more than an indulgent story about an old writer who develops a sexual affair with an underage neighborhood teenager, and probably should have been left out of the collection. Without it, The Ancient Minstrel would have been excellent, a finely-tuned pairing of two novellas in counterpoint. Tags: jim harrison EEG by Daša Drndić The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley Next story The Most Perfect Thing: Inside (and Outside) a Bird’s Egg by Tim Birkhead Previous story The Path by Michael Puett and Christine Gross-Loh	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line334
__label__cc	0.738871	0.261129	citations in mla template citations in mla template is a citations in mla template sample that gives infomration on citations in mla template doc. When designing citations in mla template, it is important to consider different citations in mla template format such as citations in mla template word, citations in mla template pdf. You may add related information such as mla format example, citation machine, mla format heading, easybib mla. this page is brought to you by the owl at purdue university. use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. this resource, updated to reflect the mla handbook (8th ed. the latest mla guidelines specify that this is optional, but strongly recommended for sources whose date of publication is unavailable. mla guidelines specify that both styles are acceptable (see, e.g., this “ask the mla” page). the new york times, 22 may 2007, www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/science/earth/22ander.html?_r=0. review of an inconvenient truth, directed by davis guggenheim. international journal of sustainable development and world ecology, vol. “clinton on climate change.” the new york times, 17 may 2007, www.nytimes.com/video/world/americas/1194817109438/clinton-on-climate-change.html. new perspectives quarterly, vol. 23, no. 96, no. science, vol. 294, no. accessed 19 july 2016. revkin, andrew c. “clinton on climate change.” the new york times, 17 may 2007, www.nytimes.com/video/world/americas/1194817109438/clinton-on-climate-change.html. accessed 29 july 2016. shulte, bret. 17, 14 may 2007, p. 37. ebsco, access no: 24984616. copyright ©1995-2020 by the writing lab & the owl at purdue and purdue university. use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. this page provides an example of a works cited page in mla 2016 format. note: we have chosen to include the date of the author’s name is usually the first item listed in the mla citation. author names start with the last name, then a need to make a citation? use these visual, easy to understand templates to cite the most commonly , mla format example, mla format example, citation machine, mla format heading, easybib mla. how do you cite something in mla format? how do you cite a template? mla citing format often includes the following pieces of information, in the template is a tool for teaching and learning mla style, not a citation generator. to verify that your entry is correct, the short story is the source, and the anthology is the container. citation template. practice template. learn how , mla journal citation generator, how to cite a book, how to cite a book, mla spanish citation machine, mla works cited website A citations in mla template Word can contain formatting, styles, boilerplate text, macros, headers and footers, as well as custom dictionaries, toolbars and autotext entries. It is important to define the Word styles beforehand in the sample document as styles define the appearance of Word text elements throughout your document. You may design other styles and format such as citations in mla template pdf, citations in mla template powerpoint, citations in mla template form. When designing citations in mla template, you may add related content, mla journal citation generator, how to cite a book, mla spanish citation machine, mla works cited website. Sales Sample Sample Template Sample Doc Download	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line341
__label__cc	0.694902	0.305098	Short Story: The Rehabilitation of Eli May The Rehabilitation of Eli May Writer: James Carney Illustrator: Jola Bankowska I sit in the shade of my porch and watch two children play in the sun. One of them is my daughter, and I can reasonably expect many things of her: to experience pleasure, to suffer pain, to bury me when I die. For this I am thankful. The other is called Eliza May, and she will disappoint anyone who expects her to do anything. Nevertheless, she represents the greatest success of my life. A philosopher, I think, once counseled us to beware of small victories. Eliza May’s gift to me was to show that these are the only victories worth having. I helped bring her from an awful, fecund darkness into some small approximation of the light, and I would not trade the tiniest part of the process for any prize the world can offer me. This is Eliza May’s story. It is the story of how the most damaged person in history managed to find her way home. It is my story too, though that is not important. What is important is that we recognize the community we have with her. What is important is that she reflects the light. My name is Paul Patrinus. For 32 years, I have been a developmental psychologist with the Interplanetary Coordination Bureau. My job is easy to describe and difficult to do. Essentially, it is to visit the more remote Earth colonies and assess whether they are in danger of lapsing into atavism. Given the distance of most of the colonies from Earth and the impact of relativistic time dilation, it is to be expected that they will be largely autonomous in governing their own affairs. The problem starts when autonomy becomes insularity, and insularity degenerates into isolationism. More than once, it has happened that some technophobe meme has taken over a settlement and permanently regressed it to the seed drill and the cataloging of demons. Considering that the main criterion for settlement is that a planet has a high resource value, the need to prevent this happening should be obvious. It is my task to identify the advance signs and recommend appropriate action. Eliza May entered my life first when I was on a scheduled visit to assess the level of cultural development on Materonta. As human settlements go, Materonta—or, to give it its proper name, 51 Pegasi d—is close to the very edge of explored space. At more than 12 light years from Earth, even superluminal transport takes three years to get there. When traveling to Materonta, an interest in filling the gaps in one’s knowledge of the weightier classics is a decided advantage. I made my way through all of Dante, Shakespeare, and Tolstoy, and emerged from the experience with a slightly worse estimation of the human character. So much for the improving value of literature. Not that the inhabitants of Materonta would ever waste a thought on the value of literature, improving or otherwise. The sole aim and purpose of Materonta is diamond mining. The planet’s crust is rich enough in high-quality carbon allotropes to reward individual prospecting, so social relations there might as well have been scripted for a wolf pack. The government will condescend to adjudicate between competing stake claims and to punish publicly visible murderers—after that, it is a perfect libertarian paradise. It didn’t take us long to realize that the problem on Materonta wasn’t so much lapsing back into atavism as advancing out of it in the first place. The evidence of this was everywhere, from the plug-ugly, tin-shack brutalism of Moresby, the only city, to the blistering contempt that seemed to be its inhabitants’ default orientation to off-worlders. To my mind, however, the interviews we did with the children were most telling. ‘So, Tan, what would you like to be when you grow up?’ ‘Prospector.’ ‘And if you couldn’t be a prospector, what might you like to be instead?’ Tan offered the same response to this question as all the other children—namely, a brow furrowed in incredulity at a cosmic dispensation that might not involve grubbing in the dirt. ‘How about an engineer, maybe?’ I continued. ‘Or a pilot? Perhaps a teacher? Would you like to be any of these things?’ ‘No. All of ’em pash.’ Pash was a Materonta term of abuse, with a meaning that ranged from ‘dirt poor’ to ‘contemptibly effeminate.’ I had little doubt that, as far as Tan was concerned, I accommodated both semantic extremities. This was the attitude evinced everywhere we went. It became grating, after a while. To be hated is one thing, but it is hard to endure scorn. Most colonies detest our presence; the cannier few sham atavism in order to secure federal grants. Materonta simply didn’t care. After six months in Moresby, the team split up to visit the various outlying regions. Unusually for a colonized planet, the vast majority of Materonta’s population did not live in the capital city; instead, it was dispersed in small settlements all over the planet’s surface. As luck would have it, I drew the ticket for Telluria, a sub continental territory that was considered backward even by Materontan standards. As there was no chance of the population coming to me without an inducement, I had to offer bribes in every village I visited. The inhabitants, naturally, thought that they were swindling me; and I, naturally, encouraged them to believe it. Long experience has thought me that there is more to be learned from fabulation and evasion than there ever is from direct statement. So, every day I spent the afternoon sifting through lies in an effort to catalogue the cultural unconscious of the Tellurian hinterland. The mornings and evenings were my own to do with as I pleased, not that this was a matter of choice--I may as well have not existed for all that was offered to me in the way of voluntary social contact. This is what made it all the more unusual when one morning I was interrupted while shaving by an aggressive shout outside my tent. When I opened the flap and looked out, I encountered its owner--a ferret-faced man with a gray beard halfway down his chest. His calloused hands and his weather-burnished face instantly identified him as a prospector. Next to him stood a woman; she was probably in her mid-30s, but could plausibly have passed for 60. They were both dressed in a jarring mix of cast-off synthetics and home-stitched leathers. The man spoke first. ‘Ya the sango man?’ I nodded. Sango was the prefix that attached to anything medical or therapeutic in Materonta. ‘Got a thing for ya so. Might be worth a bit. Bit to ya, bit to I. Ya do the game?’ ‘Well, that depends. What have you got?’ ‘Got it on cart over; ya come and see.’ I followed them over to a mule-drawn flatbed cart. If the pair were prospectors, they obviously weren’t very good at it. On top of the cart was a wooden box of sufficient size to contain a large dog. The man climbed up and levered off the lid. He beckoned me up with a grin and pointed inside. ‘It be a girl, ya see it?’ My heart very nearly stopped beating when I looked inside. The box contained a girl of about five years. Her arms and legs were tied, and there was a bandage around her eyes. She didn’t move, but continually voiced a high-pitched whine. The smell that came from the box was the pungent damp of a rotten woodpile. I jumped down from the cart and indicated to the man to replace the lid on the box. I was the width of a shadow away from murder, but I steeled myself against showing it. ‘Where did you get her?’ The woman answered. ‘We seen her before recent, ya know? Last long while, she been in the hive with the nicktick. Fero here, he hears ya in the town; he reckons she worth it to ya and claims her back.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘It’s a hard task, mister; we see no crystal while Fero work the hive. Ya got a good offer for us?’ ‘Let me get this straight: It was only when I turned up that you thought to remove her from the hive?’ Fero shrugged. ‘Not kin to us. So, mister, ya do the game? We do think that 100,000 omni be a fair play. ’ I was too appalled to even argue with him. ‘Yes, I’ll do the game,’ I muttered through gritted teeth. I signed a federal credit receipt to the extortionate value he asked. It was enough to bankrupt the rest of my survey, not that I cared any longer. ‘The girl: I need to know all the information you have about her. Do you have any idea how she ended up in the nicktick hive?’ The woman answered. ‘No easy life to be had in this place, mister. Maybe her ma die and her pa cut her loose. More likely, mayhap, a girl gets child by a soul too close and it get known, ya understand me? No marryin’ of a child like that. Lots of stories can be told. Me and Fero? We mind ourselves and our business alone. We got no answer for ya that’s proof against any other.’ ‘I see. If that’s all you have to say, then you can go. You’ve taken your advantage and profited by it. Now please get out of my sight.’ The woman looked back as they moved off. ‘Ya think us hard, mister. Ya think wrong. Don’t ya forget: it were us that take that girl from the hive--and no soul else were game to do it.’ The nicktick are a macro-faunal species of arthropods native to Materonta. Physically, they resemble dragonfly larvae from Earth, though they are the size of large pigs and practice eusociality. They live in large underground hives that cover about one square kilometer. Most of the year, the nicktick feed on a specially cultivated fungus that they grow deep within the hive. However, they are also autophagous. At the start of the Materontan summer, around ten percent of the nicktick hatch leave the hive and develop a different morphology from those that remain behind. The grubs travel considerable distances from the hive, consuming any dead organic matter they encounter. All of this is translated directly into increased bodily mass. By the end of the summer, the grubs have become many times their original size, with all of it being concentrated in their white, maggot-like abdomens. Then, on the first autumn conjunction of the two Materontan moons, the grubs make their way back to their hive of origin. Their parents and their siblings are waiting for them in the passages. The grubs are devoured alive. Now imagine this. There is a two-year-old girl. Someone who lacks even the humanity to give her a quick death has abandoned her. The Materontan night is freezing, even in the summer. She can barely understand what has happened to her, but she understands what it means to be cold. She wanders into the vicinity of a nicktick hive. A ventilation passage emits warm air; she is drawn to it. She goes deeper into the hive. Somewhere she finds a fungus she can eat. Somewhere else she finds water. The air is high in carbon dioxide so it is difficult to breathe; nevertheless, it is still better than the frigid air outside. She is a survivor, and gradually she adapts to the hive. She discovers that the best food is pre-digested and fed to the nicktick hatchlings in the nursery. It is warmest there too. Whatever rudiments of human acculturation she has learned fall away; instead she learns to negotiate a lightless world of smells and pheromones. Her ears grow accustomed to the clicks and whistles of nicktick communication. She will never understand it fully, not being nicktick; but she learns to make associations. Agitation, excitement, anticipation--whatever analog to these the nicktick may possess, she is able to detect. Once a year, she understands that something of vital importance happens. She is a participant in it. The nicktick are not without intelligence. In problem-solving terms at least, they are the rivals of the chimpanzee. They recognize that the strange creature that wanders their tunnels is not one of their number. But their world is young, and the only natural threat they have ever faced is disease. So, they tolerate her. Indeed, their instincts are such that they feel compelled to feed her when she is in the nursery. Eventually, they become habituated and she ceases to interest them at all. It will only be when she dies and starts to decompose that they will once again turn their attention towards her. Then, along with the rest of the carrion, they will take her to gardens where she will feed the fungus. In all that the girl forgets, only one thing remains to her. Sometimes, when a tunnel takes her near a ventilation hole, she remembers the light. If it is dawn or dusk, the light only hurts her eyes a little, and she may look out. She is dimly aware that she has suffered a loss of horrific magnitude, but she lacks any language that will allow her to think of it. And if she knows that she does not belong here, she also knows that there is nowhere else for her to go. One evening she is at a ventilation hole. She can smell something alien, but she does not know what it is. Suddenly, her wrist is grabbed. The creature responsible is hideous to behold: it has four limbs instead of six, and it walks upright. Its white skin reminds her of the grubs when they return from the outside. In the midst of her fear, this triggers hunger. She lunges at her captor but it is quick and moves out of the way. It ties her hands and has at least the good sense to cover her eyes with a bandage. It is cold outside the hive. Even after three years she remembers the cold. My immediate response after the prospector and his wife had left was to radio for a pick-up from orbit. If what I heard was true, then the Materontan authorities would see the incident as an embarrassment, and condemn the child to a lifetime in one of the children’s prisons that they have the audacity to call orphanages. Next to that, kidnapping was an act of mercy. Katja Anderson, the chief of medicine, conducted a full examination after the child had been sedated. The girl suffered from scoliosis, vitamin deficiencies in all major groups, chronic fungal infections, severely attenuated eyesight, ingrown toenails, weeping sores on her left leg and mild symptoms of hypothermia. Genetic sequencing also threw up a suspiciously largely count of homozygous alleles in the child’s DNA. This may merely have been the product of endogamous Tellurian marriage practices, and it may not. There was no value for her in our speculating about it, so we didn’t. The closest mitochondrial match on record was for a woman called Eliza May Erde, a first-generation immigrant to Materonta. As she had died three hundred years before, this was little help in tracing living relatives. Nevertheless, it gave us a name, and the name stuck. ‘Do you think,’ I asked Anderson, ‘that anything can be done for her?’ ‘Lots of things can be done for her. You can fix scoliosis and you can treat fungal infections. Ingrown toenails can be removed and vitamin deficiencies can be remedied. In that sense, yes, there many things that can be done.’ ‘That’s not what I meant.’ ‘Jesus Christ, Paul--what the fuck is it you want me to say? That I can give her a pill and it will all be made better?’ Anderson’s hands were shaking violently. Why did I ever assume that this would be easier for her than it was for me? ‘I’m sorry. I wasn’t asking for a miracle. It’s just that when I think of what’s happened to her--’ ‘I know, Paul; do you suppose I’m not thinking of it too? I find it nearly impossible to think of anything else.’ Anderson slumped into the chair across from me and wearily covered her face with her hands. ‘Look, Paul: I can look after her physically--that much I’m confident of. As for the rest, well, that’s your area of expertise, not mine.’ She removed her hands and looked up. ‘So, as a psychologist, what do you think?’ I sighed. ‘I honestly don’t know. She’s spent the formative years of her life in the company of something so profoundly inhuman that it makes being locked in an attic look like being born with a silver spoon in your mouth. I guess it all depends on what she knew before being abandoned. If she had even the rudiments of speech, then it may be possible to retrieve some basic level of symbolic cognition--if.’ ‘What are you going to do?’ ‘I don’t know that either. But I do know that we’re three years from any help worth having, and that if nothing is done in that time, she’s as good as lost.’ ‘But you will do something?’ ‘Yes, I will do something.’ Think of what it’s like to rip open a compost heap or kick over a rotten board. Think of the mass of lush, sprawling life that it spills out--life that breathes with gills, despite not living in water; life without eyes and without sex; life that exists purely as a function of death. Such is the life that was given to Eliza May. This knowledge was the gravity-well around which my dreams used to orbit. In the nadir of the night, I would find myself in a child’s body--my own, not hers--and in a suffocating, overheated, blackness. All around me I would hear scuttling in the dark. Every so often, there would be a high-pitched trilling that was laden with significance but not meaning. I would be frightened to the point of utter paralysis. Unable to do otherwise, I would stand and wait for what I knew must come: the probing touch of an organ that no human brain is calibrated to exploit. Inevitably, it would come, and I would feel its quivering touch as it brushed my neck and worked its way down my back. The desire to scream would be overwhelming, but nothing would come--not that it mattered. There was no mind there that could parse a human scream. What might it mean, to inhabit darkness like this? What might it mean to consider it home? Every time, the spell would be broken by the supervening of vast booming, which, when I woke, I would register as the beating of my own accelerated heart. This is what these dreams did to me, and they were only second-hand. I used to see Eliza May’s eyes quiver in her sleep, and wonder with quiet dread what horror was enacting itself behind them. And I would wonder if, after all that had been done, she would still rather be there than here. Food was a problem. The ship was fitted with just about every commodity that a human being could want, with the exception of the one we needed--nicktick fungus. We tried every other offering that the galley was able to provide, but Eliza May ignored them all. This meant either force-feeding or something altogether more drastic. As I could think of nothing better than force-feeding to permanently alienate the child, we took the more drastic option. The nicktick are not particularly well studied. Zoologists have yet to exhaustively inventory Earth’s biosphere, let alone that of the seventy-odd planetary colonies. The result is that most of the data gathering is done robotically, after which it is analyzed as the need arises. What knowledge we have of the nicktick comes from small drones that spent a number of years in the hives recording their behavior. These recordings were available on the ship’s data bank. I crudely sculpted a block of tofu to look like a nicktick grub and brought it with me into Eliza May’s room. I placed it in the center of the floor and sat stock still with my back to the door. Over the intercom, a recording of the noise inside a hive when the grubs returned from outside was played. The reaction was instantaneous. Where before Eliza May had inserted herself into the darkest corner and not moved from it, she now jerked into instant readiness. She registered the faux-grub and fell upon it with a savagery that disturbed me a little. When she had finished, I coughed deliberately and she looked in my direction. I wanted her to associate me with the food. She crept over quietly and sniffed the air in my vicinity. This was exactly how I had hoped things would work out. Then, with the quickness of a snake, she thrust her forefinger into my left eye. The pain was excruciating, and I bellowed aloud. Eliza May instantly retreated to the corner. An alarm went off and the lights came on. Two medical orderlies entered and took me to sickbay. Anderson spent an hour examining what remained of my eye. When she had finished, I found myself reluctant to ask the necessary question. I forced myself to do it anyway. ‘So what’s the prognosis?’ ‘I’m afraid it’s not good. Her finger went through the lens entirely and severely damaged the retina. It can’t be repaired. I’m sorry Paul--the eye is going to have to come out. I can’t risk you losing the other one to a sympathetic infection.’ ‘That’s only temporary though, right? When we get back I can have a new eye cloned?’ ‘I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. After three years, the socket would no longer take the new eye. You’re going to have to get by with a prosthetic. They’re quite good--your vision will only be marginally degraded.’ ‘Would a prosthetic require a lot of maintenance?’ ‘Yes, though you shouldn’t let that deter you.’ I deliberated for a moment then made my decision. ‘I think I’ll pass. It’s not like the world gets any better the more you look at it. I’ve seen it in the light; maybe the darkness isn’t so bad.’ ‘Very poetic, Paul, but hardly practical; are you sure about this?’ I fixed Anderson with my remaining eye. ‘Yes, I’m sure.’ There are many reports of children being raised by animals. Almost none of them are true. Sometimes, they’re gimmicked up for publicity; more often, they’re simply convenient cover stories for garden-variety abuse and neglect. In the cases where there is some evidence that animals were involved, the children were usually severely disabled to begin with. Once all of these are filtered out, there are only a tiny number of precedents relevant to Eliza May’s situation. Take the case of John Beeko, for example. He was discovered in 1976 living with a troop of black-faced macaques in the Ugandan rainforest. His parents had both been murdered in the civil war, and he had been missing since he was two years old. Both he and the monkeys ferociously resisted him being taken back into civilization; he fought off his rescuers from a tree, and two of the party had to receive treatment for monkey bites. The boy suffered from a severe case of rickets, and when he defecated, he produced intestinal worms nearly half a meter long. The Ugandan government had him placed in a Presbyterian orphanage, where the family of the manager adopted him. He never truly adapted to life in society, but he managed to learn the rudiments of speech, and it was discovered that he had a particular talent for singing. Compared to Eliza May, John Beeko was fortunate. Black-faced macaques are primates. Their social structure is not too different from that of a human group, and the ecological niche they inhabit at least partially correlates with human needs. They also engage in parent-offspring bonding and their communicative practices are readily translatable into human terms. The nicktick, on the other hand, are eusocial--a behavioral strategy for which humans have no cognitive template whatsoever. Understanding eusociality from the inside would be like trying to educate a bonfire in parental solicitation. Every social cue that might have triggered Eliza May’s development as a human being was either absent or warped beyond recognition. She was a foot bound into the wrong shape, a cat grown inside a bottle. But she did carry some marks of the human world. The infections on her legs and the fungus that covered her body could not have come from the nicktick hive--this was impossible, given that humans and the nicktick evolved on two separate planets and have incompatible biologies. Only one thing could explain their presence. Wherever Eliza May came from, she brought those afflictions in with her. I was playing chess with one of the medical orderlies when the idea came to me. I had knocked over one of the pieces yet again--lack of depth perception does that--when I noticed the shading of the board. It struck me that there are no right angles in nature; they are entirely the product of manufacture. Reflect on what this suggests about the difference between the inner lives of animals and humans. The world of an animal is a seamless whole. Nothing in it has the imperative of an ought--only the necessity of a must. The life of a human is different. From our first words onwards, we break things apart and out them together differently. It is in our nature to pixellate the world, to impose discrete categories on it that, if they can’t be justified with reference to nature, we’ll find occasion to attribute to god or some other convenient abstraction. Eliza May inherited none of this. Her world was a vast, indiscriminate mass of detail. It can be difficult to imagine what this must be like. Think of how impossible it is to urinate in a kitchen or to eat lunch in a bathroom. Consider the anxiety entrained by an unreciprocated invitation or being caught naked in public. Culture marks our very dreams and we do not even notice it. The task with Eliza May was to shatter her world and impress the pieces with the stamp of the symbolic. My plan was simple. When I entered Eliza May’s room, I had a pattern displayed on the wall. It consisted of alternating black and white squares, adjusted for maximum perceptual contrast. I settled into my usual spot near the door. Nothing happened for about twenty minutes, then Eliza May crept over to the middle of the room and sat down. She was entranced by the pattern, and stared intently at it. After five minutes, I left and had the pattern turned off. I repeated this procedure every day for a month, and her fascination persisted. She came to associate my presence with the pattern, and no longer hid when she saw me. Then I changed the pattern. I had the controls of the room switched over to voice activation. The room was always in darkness when I entered. I would then say one word loudly: ‘Light.’ The lights would rise to a level just about tolerable to her eyes. I would then say my second word: ‘Dark.’ The lights would fade. I repeated this pattern for another month. One day, I went to Eliza May’s room and the lights were already on. I was furious at having the routine interrupted, and contacted maintenance with a view to filleting someone alive. The response stunned me. ‘Save the gasbagging for your other slave; we didn’t do anything to the kid’s room.’ I replayed the surveillance file and I heard it for myself. The word was both simple and profound--light. It was almost certainly not her first. At her age, the parts of her brain responsible for linguistic parsing would have long ago attenuated unless the environment had activated them. Nevertheless, that one word was the guarantee of her being capable of a future. I was elated, and immediately got in touch with Anderson to tell her about what had happened. It struck me as I did so that, before then, I had never once experienced any form of joy that did not center primarily on myself. A dud eye and uncomplicated happiness--there is no accounting for the gifts that are given to us. The Russian mnemonist Solomon Shereshevsky was unable to ride a bicycle without carrying an umbrella. The reason? It once rained when he was cycling, and his hyper-augmented memory forever associated the two afterwards. Sufferers of anterograde amnesia, on the other hand, are entirely unable to lay down new memories, and spend each day reacquainting themselves with geography of the kitchen. One is chained to the past; the other is unmoored in the present. The scar that most of us carry derives from somewhere in between. This ground has been staked out, too. That mountebank Freud wagered that we were warped into humanity by seeing mummy and daddy have at it on a Saturday night. J.B. Watson traced it all back to environmental conditioning, his family’s addiction to suicide not embarrassing him one whit. Martin Heidegger--a Nazi this time, for color--attributed the scar to our inauthentic relation with ourselves. In the end, I think the Catholics come closest to the truth. The wound we carry is universal, and it is present at birth: it is the wound of being human. It is the wound that comes with inhabiting a world that permanently frustrates everything we want of it. All that we have done as a species is an attempt to escape this wound, and nothing we will ever do is sufficient to succeed in it. I remind myself of this when I think of what happened to Eliza May. It is too easy to classify what she underwent in the nicktick hive as a singular experience, to place it on the far side of what we are able to accommodate. It is too easy and it is dangerous, because once we do this then we must inevitably do the same to Eliza May. What she endured is horrific beyond imagining, but imagine it is exactly what we must do. Once we do this, once we think it through to the bitter end, then it becomes part of the wound we all must carry. And if we exist in a world of pain, then there is at least community in suffering. The three years it took to return to Earth were the hardest of my professional life. Progress with Eliza May was exasperatingly, frustratingly slow--but progress was made. Each incremental step was like one more block being levered out of a wall that blocked the light. By the end of the voyage, she understood most of what was said to her. She had a vocabulary of about two hundred words, though advanced grammatical constructions were beyond her. She was toilet trained and willing to wear clothes; with dark glasses she could endure the regular lighting of the ship. If you held her hand and no one looked too closely, she’d have passed for an ordinary child with a slight limp. In the meantime, Earth had moved on fifty years. Everyone I knew was probably dead, off world, or too old to care about me one way or the other. This is the reason why developmental psychologists are so handsomely remunerated. It is also the reason why its practitioners have the highest rate of suicide, substance abuse and depression of any profession on record. Mental Health Services took in Eliza May. They congratulated me on what I had achieved, marveled on the opportunities she offered for researching the ontogenesis of language, and gave me to understand that my clothes should be donated to a museum. For my part, I filed my report on Materonta with the IPCB--“Exterminate all the brutes!”--and handed in my notice. For three decades I had been a developmental psychologist, and in that time Earth had traveled a century and a half into the future. If I continued like this, the heat death of the universe would arrive before I got to claim my first pension installment. It was time to stop. I quickly found that freedom didn’t suit me. I certainly tried to make the best of it: I decked myself out in the requisite à la mode attire, I got drunk for whole days at a time, I played catch-up on fifty years of cultural and historical progress. None of it was enough to ease over the painful, aggravated boredom that afflicted me. I knew, of course, what the problem was. I made an appointment with Nessa Brooks, the psychologist in charge of Eliza May’s case. ‘Dr Patrinus: this is a surprise. What can I do for you?’ ‘I’d like to continue my involvement in the rehabilitation of Eliza May.’ ‘I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid that’s impossible. We have some highly qualified people working with her; you can be certain that she’s receiving the very best care available.’ ‘That’s wonderful and everything, but it’s not like I’m a gentleman-amateur. You’ll remember that I’m a psychologist too.’ ‘I don’t doubt it--and a very skilled one at that, if the work you’ve already done with Eliza May is anything to go by. But the fact is that psychology has moved on a lot in the last fifty years.’ ‘And to think that human nature changed while I was away and I never even noticed.’ Brooks sublimated a snigger into a cough. I knew then that I’d get what I wanted. ‘Look, maybe you could leave it with me? Given that the child is familiar with you, I suppose a case can be made for taking you on in an advisory role. I’ll have to run it by the rest of the team.’ ‘That’s fine. You’ll let me know as soon as you decide? ‘I will.’ ‘Thank you.’ I got the job. After four years, Brooks was promoted and I was made chief consultant in Eliza May’s case. In the same four years, I took out a fifty-year marriage lease with Enla Channon, the psycholinguist assigned to Eliza May, and we had a child of our own. The ease with which Antigone made her way through the developmental stages made me realize that that Eliza May’s progress had plateaued. Indeed, I began to fear that she was regressing. Sometimes she would sit in darkness for two days, refusing to speak or interact with anyone. Other times, she might stop eating or without warning frenziedly attempt to bite someone. Most ominous of all were the noises she began to make in her sleep--clicks, whistles, and trills that no human throat had any business articulating. I was unable to escape the thought that everything we had achieved with her was a façade--that beneath the plausible-seeming repertoire of behaviors we had taught her, she remained as foreign to the human world as the day she had been captured. It was not long after this that my own horrible odyssey of dreaming started, and I began to wonder if I had been deluded to think that anyone could overcome the alienation that had been enacted on Eliza May. In the end, it became clear in my mind that there was only one way to be certain: we needed to take her back to Materonta. It was a step fraught with risks, but whatever Eliza May remembered from the hive had to be met face-to-face. Leaving it to fester in the darkness of her memory would create a black hole in her psychology that would, in time, draw the whole world into its crooked orbit. We travelled to Materonta--my wife, my daughter, Eliza May, and I. As I already had legal guardianship of Eliza May, it was a small matter to have the relationship strengthened into formal adoption. Superluminal transport had improved tenfold over the years, so now the journey could be done in three months, leaving you only a decade out of synch with Earth when you returned. I didn’t take long for me to realize that Materonta, too, had moved on since I had last been there. Moresby had undergone an architectural renaissance, and could have passed for any modest-sized city anywhere in the federated colonies--indeed, it now boasted a university and an economy that was based on the novel concept of making items of value as opposed to just finding them. The people, admittedly, were as caustic as ever; but those involved in the tourist industry at least affected a type of truculent civility. Enla and Antigone remained in Moresby, while I signed Eliza May and myself up for the trip to Telluria. Over the years, the return of the hatchlings had become a cult event in outré inter-planetary tourism. Never slow to spot an advantage, the Materontans took to organizing tours to witness the occasion. We were flown into Telluria with an eclectic mixture of professional biologists and obscenely wealthy, synth-swapping refugees from any permanent frame of spatiotemporal reference. It pleased me that, for once, I wasn’t the person with the oldest birth certificate in the group. On the day before the first lunar conjunction of the autumn, we set up camp near a hive. The undergrowth surrounding us was alive with grubs, but it was impossible to see them. There was no difficulty in hearing them, however: all through the night the vegetation crashed and ripped with the movement of their distended bodies. I watched Eliza May sleep in her cot, and with growing unease registered her subvocalizing the two syllables that gave the nicktick their name. When dawn came, I woke her and gave her a breakfast that she refused to eat. She just sat at the table, eyes fixed unblinkingly on a spot in the middle distance. I began to have doubts about the wisdom of what I planned to do, but I forced them out of my mind. I led Eliza May out of the tent just as the first rays of Damkina, the Materontan sun, were lightening the gloom. The rest of the spectators had already gathered, and we forced our way to the front. As we got there, the disc of Ereshkigal, the smaller of the two Materontan moons, intersected with that of Inanna, its sister. As it did, a vast ululation arose from the hive: neek teek, neek teek, neek teek. In response, the grubs emerged from the brush, many puncturing their abdominal sacs on branches in their suicidal eagerness to be eaten by their own kin. Beside me, I felt Eliza May stiffen. I knelt down, and heard a small echo of the clamor from the nicktick emerge from her mouth. Interposing myself between her and the view of the hive, I looked directly into her eyes. ‘Tell me, Eliza May: what do you see?’ She stared through me as if I wasn’t there. I asked again, this time louder. ‘You have to tell me Eliza May; I need to know what you see!’ I waited for a minute, then two. The first grubs had reached the hive, and the trilling was now even louder. I despaired of getting a response. Abruptly, Eliza May blinked and focused her attention on me. ‘Slugs,’ she said in a matter-of-fact tone. She pointed to one of the grubs: ‘Big white slugs. Gone again soon. No more slugs.’ ‘No more slugs,’ I repeated after her. What began as a breath exhaled in relief ended up as a slightly hysterical laugh. The other spectators looked at me with irritation. One of them shouted over at me. ‘This is no place for kid, buddy.’ ‘You’re right,’ I answered. ‘This is no place for a kid. That’s why I’m taking her back.’ We returned to the tent in the light of the Materontan dawn: the lost girl hand-in-hand with the one-eyed man. There is no accounting for the gifts we are given. #Unreal #ShortStory #CreativeWriting #ScienceFiction #AnotherPlanet #Extraterrestrial #Earthlings #AcrossTheUniverse Visit our shop and subscribe. Sponsor us. Submit and become a contributor. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line345
__label__cc	0.697538	0.302462	When Autumn Leaves... Fall used to be my favorite season. I loved the change in the air, the colors, and most of all the smells: smoke, cinnamon, warming dough, pumpkin, cider, dried vegetation. The crisp wind also signaled new prospects. The school year always brought another chance to be better, to stand out in some previously unimaginable way, even though the reality was that every move I made at school was oriented toward not standing out. Several things have slowly chipped away at my welcoming attitude toward fall as an adult. During a particularly bad season, I learned from Kay Redfield Jamison's Night Falls Fast (you know, just some LIGHT READING) that the likelihood of suicide peaks in the fall. I never forgot that tidbit as I walked through the ensuing banks of dying leaves and cheerless Halloween displays, hardening myself against the deepening chill and becoming fearful of how the darkness encroaching on daytime would eventually obscure whatever brightness survived inside me. The last fall that I remember enjoying involved a corn maze and small towns and colorful drives. After that came a series of autumnless years in San Francisco, then a fall spent preparing for and recuperating from a surgery, then a fall spent driving to and from a job I utterly loathed. I did find love during an October, but it was disconnected from the colors and smells of the season. By the time this past August rolled around, I was trying to ignore the rising sense of dread at summer ending. Hurricane Irene buzzsawed through my attempt to bid summer a proper farewell by the sea. The first day after Labor Day dawned cold and cloudy. Now it's October, and I walk through the streets looking at my phone half the time, maybe turning my face to the sun a couple of times before going to soak up the rays in front of some glowing rectangle at the office or at home. Ironically, I started thinking about maybe going on some kind of tech fast directly after reading a few obituaries about Steve Jobs (on my iPhone, natch). Taking a break from the screen on the train, I switched to magazines and read "Personal Best," an article in The New Yorker about coaching written by the surgeon Atul Gawande. "Surgery is, at least, a relatively late-peaking career," Gawande writes. "It's not like mathematics or baseball or pop music, where your best work is often behind you by the time you're thirty. Jobs that involve the complexities of people or nature seem to take the longest to master: the average age at which the S&P 500 chief executive officers are hired is fifty-two, and the age of maximum productivity for geologists, one study estimated, is around fifty-four." I felt a surge of hope reading Gawande's career analysis, thinking of all the late-blooming authors in the world and the idea that there was still time to become one of them. After all, writing (and, contrary to Gawande's analysis, pop music) does involve the complexities of people and nature. But then I thought of all the early-peaking authors and wondered if writing belonged with pop music in some ineffable space where you get a glimpse of human feeling and a brief chance to capture it, and then you're washed up. Either way, what have I been doing to master writing -- or anything? To be honest, precious little. I've been screwing around and trying to avoid failure. Here I was reading about two people -- Jobs and Gawande -- who have arrived at significant contributions to society by being willing to fail and by engaging with the world (the one not on the screen). I have derived major personal benefits from these contributions to technology and medicine. Of course, on the technological front, there are downsides. Here are a few things I do less since the iWeb became a daily fixture in my life: - handwriting - any writing - listening to albums - daydreaming - watching people - reading books - doing crosswords - socializing - calling my mom - looking long and hard at anything - staring out the window Technology is not to blame for this -- it's just an accessory. It does reduce the ability to pay attention to the real world, to the things that matter. The tool that makes life easier becomes a substitute for your actual life. The network that connects you to people also erodes the need for their presence. Distractions become distractions from distractions. And now it's fall. The swirling leaves are as incontrovertible as the gathering lines around my eyes. It's a do-or-die kind of season. And it's not too late to master something, even if it is only turning my face to the sun. It's not too late to love fall again. Music: "Autumn Leaves" Marcel 12:40 AM The Golden Gate Bridge has been so beautiful this fall The Other Side.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line354
__label__wiki	0.969567	0.969567	Snotty Nose Rez Kids and Drezus Team Up for New Song Watch an animated video for "Where They At" now Following the release of their Born Deadly EP this past spring, Snotty Nose Rez Kids have joined forces with Drezus for a new single. "Where They At" arrives alongside a video edited and animated by Anthony Craparotta. The clip finds the three collaborators rolling down the road with their beloved Chauncey, Yung Trybez's late dog who can be heard barking on the opening of "Aliens vs. Indians" from last year's Trapline album. The single marks the fourth collaboration between Drezus and Snotty Nose Rez Kids, who recorded and mixed the track in Vancouver with engineer Jamie Kuse. "'Where They At' is addressing the haters and naysayers throughout our careers," SNRK explain in a statement. "A lot has changed in our lives and we've lost people along the way. Basically, it's about our journey to where we are at right now. We're letting you know we're doing alright through all the madness." "Where They At" arrives ahead of a new album from Snotty Nose Rez Kids, expected to see release mid-2021. The duo's music has recently appeared in Michelle Latimer's documentary Inconvenient Indian, CBC series Trickster and Loretta Todd's film Monkey Beach. More Snotty Nose Rez Kids More Drezus Snotty Nose Rez Kids Exclaim!'s 29 Most Anticipated Canadian Albums of 2021 We can all agree that we've been quite keen for 2020 to come to an end, but it still might be a while before life returns to something resem... Snotty Nose Rez Kids and Drezus Drop Video for "Where They At" Earlier this year, Snotty Nose Rez Kids teamed up with Drezus to drop their "Where They At" single. Now, they've treated the party-starting... Snotty Nose Rez Kids Return with New Single "Screaming Indian" Snotty Nose Rez Kids are back with another new offering. This one is called "Screaming Indian," and you can dive into it courtesy of a new v... DJ Shub Details New Album 'War Club' Following a series of single drops these past few months, DJ Shub has shared details of his debut album. The former A Tribe Called Red membe... Here Are the Winners of the 2020 Western Canadian Music Awards The Western Canadian Music Awards have announced its 2020 winners, and you can see the full list now. During a livestreamed broadcast, aw...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line356
__label__cc	0.591388	0.408612	Published On: Wed, Nov 26th, 2014 Technoly \| By Gaurav Sharma Smartphone App Development: iOS vs Android ANDROIDiOSSmartphones Every day millions of smartphones are being sold. Android and iOS are the two major choices people are making while buying smartphones. Both are quite different from each other and have some pros and cons over each other. You would be surprised to know that out of 1 billion sold smartphones, 80% market share is covered by Android, 15% market by iOS devices and rest by others. Android devices are available at lower prices with lots of functionality while iOS devices are comparatively very expensive. Due to this reason, Android is quite popular in emerging countries who have low per capita income while iOS devices are popular in developed countries with high per capita income. On the basis of recent statistics, around 1.4 million android apps have been published on Play Store out of which 85% apps can be installed for free while 1.3 million iOS apps have been published on Apple iTunes from which 25% apps are available for free. The average cost of an app out of top 100 paid iOS app is $1.47 and a paid android app costs $3.74. There are 32% iOS apps with in-app purchase and 42% android apps with in-app purchases. Smartphone developers have different ratios of choices among these platforms. iOS is the choice of 32.7% developers as the primary platform while android is chosen by 34.4% developers as the primary platform to build apps. iOS users have played major role in generating web traffic as 62% share of web traffic is generated by iOS devices while Android users have 38% share. There is a lot more to know about iOS and Android in the below infographic. Gaurav Sharma - Gaurav Sharma is the founder of Redesign Case & Antipull, he is also a Tech writer and a Digital Marketing Consultant at Nine Hertz. He has expertise in SEO, SMO, ASO, PPC and Writing. He is an enthusiast and love to explore new stuffs. You can check him out on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin or mail him personally.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line359
__label__wiki	0.71806	0.71806	For the third time in less than a year, Sachin Tendulkar came within striking distance of an ODI double hundred at Gwalior. He reached his hundred in the 28th Over off 90 deliveries, and took a further 57 to reach 200. It could have been better - his last 10 runs took him 10 balls, but even so, he made 200 not out in 147 balls out of a possible 300 available to the team. This was the ultimate demonstration of the logic that the best player in the side should have the chance to play the full 50 overs. Tendulkar has passed 150 in an ODI game 5 times now - 186 v New Zealand, 152 v Namibia, 163 v New Zealand, 175 v Australia and now 200 v South Africa. He has made 93 international hundreds, and going by the landscape of International Cricket today, we are living in special times - what with Mutthiah Muralitharan and Sachin Tendulkar both on the anvil of unbelievable international milestones - 800 Test wickets and 50 Test hundreds respectively. Tendulkar's career has seen a revival tremendous revival since the 2007 World Cup. He has made 2779 Test runs in 31 Tests with 12 centuries, at 59.12, while in ODIs he has made 2751 runs in 57 games at 51.2. He has reached at least 50 in 23 out of 54 Test innings, while in ODIs the figure is 21 times in 54 innings. He has made two centuries and a ninety in grand finals, and now, has made an ODI double hundred. Nobody has made more Test hundreds than Tendulkar since the 2007 World Cup (even though many have played more games), and only Mahela Jayawardene has made more Test runs. Only MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh have made more ODI runs than Tendulkar in this period (even though he has played only 58 games to 92 and 84 by Dhoni and Yuvraj respectively) and only Gautam Gambhir and Ricky Ponting (6 each) have made more ODI centuries. For a player whose career went into seemingly terminal decline between the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, this has been an astonishing revival. Tendulkar has remained largely injury free in this period and has flourished thanks in no small part to a very healthy team environment - first under Rahul Dravid, then Anil Kumble and now M S Dhoni. This was an innings, in style and in essence that Tendulkar could not have played in an earlier phase of his career. There was a Laraesque flourish to some of his strokeplay, as well as a Richardsesque brutality. The bowler's line and length was what he - Sachin Tendulkar, decided it was. He pierced the off-side ring at will, hit the straight boundary with great ease, and when it came to making a choice between cover and mid-wicket, it seemed to depend only on his mood. The ODI 200 could have been reached in many ways. It could have been reached by a brutally powerful slogger having the day of his life, or it could have been achieved in desperation - by say Herschelle Gibbs had he made 25 more runs (the way he was playing it would have taken him merely 5 or 6 strokes). Instead it was somewhat fitting that it was achieved with a degree of certainty, by a man who has gotten close more often and more frequently than any other player in history. The milestone has well and truly been achieved - in the sense, that not only has Tendulkar done it, he has done it in a way which makes it possible to imagine that it could happen again. For it was an innings in which all the parts came together - it was perfectly paced and it made full use of the rules - 33 runs in the batting powerplay. This was no freak occurence. This was just around the corner, especially if you consider the man's form in the last 12 months. He retired hurt on 163 at the end of the 45th over at Christchurch, and was out for 175 off the first ball of the 48th over at Hyderabad. It was a question of when and not if. That has now been answered. But just consider how terribly toothless the fast bowlers were. This attack included the world's best fast bowler today - Dale Steyn, who has a Test record which is superior to any bowler in Test Match history with around 200 Test wickets or more (Barnes excepted). We don't even talk about bowlers being taken to pieces nowadays. That is a given. There will come a time when less worthy batsmen reach these milestones. What does that say about these batting-centric rules? at 11:16 PM 1 comment: Labels: cricket, India, ODI, records, Sachin Tendulkar, sports Top English football club interested in IPL, says Modi Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, claims a leading English football club is interested in bidding for a new team in the fourth edition of the IPL next year. In an interview to the Times, Modi - also the Champions League Twenty20 commissioner - said he was in talks with the Marylebone Cricket Club who were also apparently eager to become involved in the IPL. "There is a football club, a very famous football club in the UK, very interested in bidding," Modi said. "[They are] probably one of the most famous football clubs - that's all I can say. Probably top three. They are interested in taking a stake." Responding to speculation in the Indian media, Modi later said on his Twitter page that the club in mention was not Chelsea. A report in the Sun named Manchester City as the team looking at buying a franchise although the club told Cricinfo they were not involved. The IPL will include two more teams from the 2011 season and will auction the franchise rights at a base price of $225 million ahead of the third season, which starts in India on March 12, and will invite potential investors this week. That figure - double of what the most expensive franchise was sold for in 2008 and more than four times the base price in that first auction - is, in an uncertain market, a sign of the league's confidence in itself and the Twenty20 format. According to Modi, the MCC would be a value addition to the IPL and open up the possibility of taking the bandwagon overseas to Lord's. "I have talked [to MCC] last night and they are quite interested," he said. Keith Bradshaw, the MCC chief executive, did not deny he had been approached but would not confirm to join the IPL. "At the moment, our finances are focused on the redevelopment of the ground," he said. The league's expansion will see a much longer fixture list - 94 games as opposed to 59 in the first two seasons if the format remains the same - and accommodating it in the 45-day window without compromising players' fitness, and keeping the international calendar in mind, will be a challenge. Chelsea? or Manchester City? Time will tell us... Labels: Chelsea, cricket, football, IPL, Manchester City, soccer With their fairytale mission resting on the game, Afghanistan held their nerve to overcome a tenacious UAE side in a low-scoring thriller and take their place in the World Twenty20 that starts in May. Rarely has an Associate competition inspired so much emotion as people from around the world willed Afghanistan on through the tournament. Their defeat to the Netherlands yesterday brought back bitter memories of Afghanistan's near-miss on qualification for the 50-over World Cup, but today there was no mistake. Their win was crafted on a number of useful contributions, rather than an outstanding individual but on a tired surface Noor Ali's unbeaten 38, to guide his side home in a tense run chase, must be one of the most important innings in Afghanistan's history. Asked to field first by home captain Khuuram Khan in front of a big crowd, Afghanistan settled into the contest immediately. The new-ball pair of Mirwais Ashraf and Shapoor Zadran have been important in giving Afghanistan control early and unlike yesterday, when they bowed under the pressure of the Netherlands' batsmen, the pair responded well. Within four overs UAE were restricted to 11 for 3, with Ashraf claiming two wickets and Zadran getting the important scalp of Afran Haider, who after a couple of dot balls slashed one straight down the throat of third man. UAE have proved throughout the tournament that they are a resilient side and Abdul Rahman and Saqib Ali, who played so well against Ireland, set about undoing the early damage with 42-run stand. Having taken the score to 53 for 3 in just over 10 overs, Rahman got a grubber from Mohammed Nabi, that scuttled along the ground from a short length, straight into middle stump. Ali fell two overs later, having made a patient 24 and it was left to Naeemuddin Aslam to shepherd as many as he could from the tail. Nabi and Hamid Hassan, Afghanistan's specialist death bowler, prevented any hopes UAE may have had of pushing beyond 100 with tight and penetrating bowling. Nabi ended with 3 for 17 and Hassan 2 for 23, as UAE posted what looked to be a below-par total. At this stage, Afghanistan would have backed themselves to coast home but they lost two wickets within the first four overs with only 16 on the board. Karim Sadiq and Mohammad Shahzad were both bowled by Shadeep Silva from deliveries that kept low and it was left to captain Nowroz Mangal to join Noor Ali to try and steady the ship. The pair carefully recovered the situation, running hard to add 32 important runs in six overs. When Mangal was out, trying to slog Fayyaz Ahmed over long on, for 14, his side needed 53 in 10 overs and the game was Afghanistan's to lose. Ali continued to work the ball around well and found a willing partner in Asghar Stanikzai. They calmly pushed the score to 88, before Stanikzai needlessly tried to smash Ahmed over long off and was caught. It set nerves fluttering but in the 19th over, with 13 still needed, Ali swatted a short ball through midwicket for his only boundary of the innings, and followed it up with a two and another single. Nabi was bowled, deceived by a slower ball, but Samiullah Shenwari swept his first ball for four to leave just one needed from the final over. Fittingly, it was Ali who secured the winning moment, chipping over mid off to cue celebrations that will continue all the way to the Caribbean. He was named man of the match and is now eagerly looking forward to testing his skills against the top sides. "It has always been our dream to qualify and play in a World Cup. We missed out on the 50-over Cricket World Cup last year, so I am very happy we will play in the Twenty20 event," he said. "It is our dream to play against the best teams and have the chance to play against fast bowlers like Dale Steyn or Ishant Sharma. We will prepare ourselves very well for this event and we need to keep on getting better ahead of the World Twenty20." Labels: Afghanistan, cricket, world cup Watch live video from FA Cup LIVE on Justin.tv Labels: Chelsea, england, FA cup, football, live, soccer, u.k Watch live video from jtvfan1818 on Justin.tv Labels: england, FA cup, football, live, soccer, sports, u.k Watch live video from virtualsportsnet.com on Justin.tv Labels: BASKETBALL, live, NBA, sports, U.S.A Watch live video from Australia vs West Indies on Justin.tv Labels: Australia, cricket, live, sports, Sydney, west indies Watch live video from NBA in HD on Justin.tv Labels: BASKETBALL, live, NBA, sports, U.S.A, USA Watch live video from Caps on jtv on Justin.tv Labels: canada, live, sports Watch live video from nb700 on Justin.tv Watch live video from NBA 2010 LIVE on Justin.tv Labels: BASKETBALL, live, NBA, sports, USA Australia vs West Indies - 2 nd ODI Live from Adelaide Watch live video from Watch International cricket on Justin.tv Labels: Australia, cricket, live, ODI Watch live video from www.obostontv.com on Justin.tv Labels: live, sports, U.S.A Watch live video from Cricket At cric24.co.cc on Justin.tv	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line366
__label__cc	0.595793	0.404207	Hot School Meals Register your email address Roots to Food Sample Key Stage Papers The Ark Nursery Covid-19 Risk Assessment for January 2021 A Message from the Reverend St. George's Church of England Primary School Kesteven Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1SX The aim of the Daily Mile is to improve the physical, social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing of our children – something we take very seriously at St. George's. Its impact can be transformational – improving not only the children’s fitness, but also their concentration levels, mood, behaviour and general wellbeing. Research has shown that The Daily Mile can increase attainment in primary school, and parents from other schools have reported an increased interest in the health and wellbeing of their children after they have started The Daily Mile. Find out more about the Daily Mile here. St Georges Church of England Primary School» Exploring Autumn Personal, Social, Health and Emotional Education Email: enquiries@st-georges-stamford.lincs.sch.uk Back to top \| High Visibility Version \| Sitemap Copyright © 2015 St. George's Church of England Primary School	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line367
__label__cc	0.706334	0.293666	Welcome & Upcoming Support & Thanks Past Chapter Officers Past HK Events Hong Kong GSB Chapter SBSAA: GSB Alumni Assoc GSB Alumni in Asia Stanford Club of HK Alumni Recruitment Lifelong Learning: Online Stanford Business Mag Stanford Business Insights GSB Town Square GSB Webinars GSB on YouTube Lifelong Learning: Other Executive Ed: In HK Executive Ed: At Stanford Alumni Travel/Study Stanford in Asia At Stanford University Past Event: Stanford GSB Chapter of Hong Kong § Please Note This Event is Now on Waitlist § Please Note that the Venue for this Event Has Been Changed to a Dinner Event at the The Burton Room, The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong. Timing is Unchanged. Cocktail, Friday Evening, 26 June 2015 Speaker Series: NICK ROSA, Head, Continental Grain Asia FOOD SAFETY & BUSINESS IN CHINA: THE BIG RISK, THE BIG UNKNOWN How a Global Agribusiness in China since the Deng Reforms Views the Current Risks & Opportunities 18:30 Registration 19:00 Remarks, followed by Q&A 20:30 Close Club Lusitano, 27th floor, 16 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong Drinks (open bar) & Canapés. Early Bird Credit Card/PayPal Pre-Payment of HKD 400 if made by 23:59 Thursday night 25 June 2015. Post-Deadline/Cash/Walk-In charge will be HKD 600. Please bring exact change if paying in cash/at the door as no change will be provided at the event. No refunds will be provided in the event of no-show/cancellation of attendee reservation. Registration: To register, please go online and CLICK HERE to RSVP and PAY NOW. Early Bird registration is encouraged. Problems registering or questions? Please contact Chapter VP Beatrice Wong at beatrice@stanfordgsbhk.org. Speaker's Bio The Stanford GSB Chapter of Hong Kong is pleased to invite you to an evening of cocktails canapés with Nick Rosa, President, Continental Capital Ltd. & MD/SVP Continental Grain Company Asia. We are very grateful to Edan Lee of Olympus Capital for helping make this event possible. Continental Grain Company, established in 1813 as a grain trading firm, is one of the world’s the largest privately held companies. The Group was one of the earliest int’l pioneers in the China food and agriculture sector, beginning with its 1979 opening of China’s first foreign-owned feed mill in JV with Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand. Today in China, after more than 3 decades, through ContiAsia, the Company manages 30 wholly owned and joint venture companies functioning as four separate business units: Continental Capital, ContiFeed Group, Conti Chia Tai International, and Hong Wai Foods. In the past 10 years, China has taken important steps to improve food safety, with the country’s first food safety law being implemented in 2009 and with regular testing covering 150 cities (out of more than 650). Yet while China is the world’s largest agricultural nation, the sector faces stiff challenges, not just with regard to food safety, but also the related challenges of scarce arable land (only 9% of total supply and under further pressure from urbanization and overexploitation) and the existing distribution supply chain (including sufficient specialized warehouses, adequate cold storage facilities, etc) and consumer behavior. How does a company such as ContiGroup/Continental Grain see these challenges and related opportunities? The Company’s own experience is instructive, having initially entered the Shenzhen SEZ when first opened, operating in the pig and chicken feed industries, but then losing ground to local producers with better connections, but who produced lower quality, cheaper products. Today, consumers question more what goes in their food and quick to react to food scares, but are they ready to pay for greater trust and safety? We look forward to Nick’s insights and thoughts on these critical questions facing China and its consumers. Speaker's Bio: NICK ROSA has been actively engaged in the agricultural industry for 40 years. Since June 2007, Nick has served Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Continental Grain Company-Asia, located in Beijing, China and as well as President of Continental Capital Ltd, based in Hong Kong, part of the Continental Grain Company. In parallel, Nick also holds the positions of Chairman of Conti Chia Tai International Limited, non-executive Director of DaChan Food (Asia) Limited (Hong Kong listed), Senior Advisor to Olympus Capital Holdings Asia and serves on the Investment Committees for Continental Capital. He first joined Continental Grain Company in 1975 as a trainee the animal feed division, assumed a variety of positions and eventually became General Manager of the Wayne Feed Division in Chicago, Illinois. He served as the Vice President of International Industries of Continental Grain Company in New York since 1997, which included assignments in Eastern Europe, Latin American and Asia. Nick is a past Director and member of the Executive Committee of the American Feed Industry Association and has served as Chairman and/or Director in poultry, pork and feed companies in Eastern Europe and South America. Nick received his Bachelor Degree in Economics in 1974 and his Master Degree in Business Administration in 1975, both from the Arizona State University.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line368
__label__wiki	0.955722	0.955722	Hot TV Series TV Series DVD Box Set All categories Coming Soon Hot TV Series TV Series DVD Box Set Sons of Anarchy True Blood Game of Thrones Homeland NCIS TV Box Supernatural Bones Criminal Minds The Haunting of Hill House Season 2 DVD Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 DVD Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 DVD 4 73 Product Code: Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 + Freeshipping DescriptionReviews (73) Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 DVD Special Features Actors: Ben Bailey,Dean Edwards Boxed Set: Yes Region: Region Free Format: Support both NTSC & PAL DVD Release Date: 2017 Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 DVD Photos Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 DVD Overview Urban Myths is an SKY comedy drama television series first aired on 19 January 2017 on the Sky Arts Channel. Each episode featured a story surrounding popular culture which may or may not be true,Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 DVD ranging from Muhammad Ali talking a man down from a ledge to Bob Dylan turning up on a stranger's doorstep. Other episodes were announced featuring The Sex Pistols and Salvador Dali, though these have yet to be aired.The series was most notable for a controversy surrounding the casting of Joseph Fiennes in the role of Michael Jackson, an episode that was pulled from transmission.After it was revealed that Joseph Fiennes was to portray Michael Jackson in the series, several members of Jacksons family objected,Urban Myths Seasons 1-2including his daughter, Paris Jackson, who wrote on Twitter I'm so incredibly offended by it, as i'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit. The tweet was later deleted. Tags: Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 dvd, Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 dvd collection, Seasons 1-2 Urban Myths, Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 on dvd, Urban Myths dvd, Urban Myths box set, Urban Myths, Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 dvd box set, Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 dvd release date, Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 dvd release date Australia, buy Urban Myths Seasons 1-2, Urban Myths dvd set 1-2, Urban Myths Seasons 1-2, Urban Myths 1-2, Urban Myths box set Seasons 1-2, Seasons 1-2 Urban Myths dvd, Urban Myths dvd Seasons 1-2, Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 on sale, Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 dvd boxset sale, Cheap Urban Myths Seasons 1-2, Cheap Urban Myths dvd, Urban Myths dvd box set, Urban Myths dvd to buy, Urban Myths dvd release, Urban Myths new dvd releases, Urban Myths dvd collection, Urban Myths Seasons 1-2 dvd Australia Urban Myths Season 2 DVD Almost Human Season 1 DVD Mythbusters Seasons 1-15 DVD Copyright © 2019, thenewestdvdmovie.com, All Rights Reserved. Contact Us：Customer-service-24hours@outlook.com	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line380
__label__wiki	0.93404	0.93404	The Palm Beach Crush of the Professional Developmental Football League kick off their season in May By: Emerson Lotzia Royal Palm Beach, Fla. — Professional football will once again call the Palm Beaches its home this spring. And while It’s not the NFL, helping players get there is what the Palm Beach Crush have set out to do. "I instill that in every one of these gentlemen out here – that you never know," said head coach Darnell Williams. Palm Beach is the newest member of the Professional Developmental Football League . It aims to help players advance to the next level – whether it’s the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League or the NFL. "For me, if I can just send one to that next level then I’ve done my job," Williams added. "We are a developmental league, just like minor league baseball or like D-League basketball," said Christian Alba, the 21-year-old owner of the Crush. Alba’s a graduate of Royal Palm Beach High School where the Crush will play their home games this season Andre Hardy Jr Argonauts Palm Beach Crush PDFL PDFL Logo Professional Developmental Football League © 2022 Professional Developmental Football League (PDFL) All Rights Reserved. .	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line381
__label__cc	0.563451	0.436549	The Three Kings of Clerkenwell The Three Kings of Clerkenwell, on Clerkenwell Close, is a great little pub in an area which is lucky enough to be full of them. Will the Guardian's decision to move to Kings Cross have an impact on this the rich seam of excellent establishments, with less rich upper middle class Guardianistas to rinse away their cash there? Who knows. For now, let's just embrace them. Your author sometimes feels he writes too much about pubs, but when you have so many excellent ones in town, and there are other countries in the world with none at all, he thinks this is fine. The Three Kings is a cosy little pub with an eclectic interior with a range of art-school rhino head and chinz style features, but not too much to make it overbearing. It's a friendly place too, with an excellently stocked bar and food at lunchtimes and in the evenings, and when your author once stumbled into an upstairs poetry reading by mistake he was asked to join in, so we can add welcoming to that. For more information, click here to see a review from the Guardian kids themselves. ^Picture by MattFromLondon^ Labels: Clerkenwell, Journalistland, Pubs, Things to do Tim 19 November 2009 at 17:39 You can never talk to much about Pubs! Keep it up. rach 19 November 2009 at 23:25 ... particularly not about great pubs like this one. I love the Kings. Their chilli (from the lunchtime menu) is fantastic. Tom Jones 24 November 2009 at 09:56 Glad to hear I have your support in my love of a good pub. I don't see any chance of me breaking out of it! Embrace winter at Winter Wonderland Have Pie and Mash at F. Cooke Watch the skaters at the Soutbank Centre's Undercroft Drink at the Blind Beggar Listen to a lecture at the Royal Society Find the house where Ian Fleming wrote James Bond'... Get your skates on at the Lee Valley Ice Centre Climb the mounds of Northala Fields Have tea and toast at the Market Coffee House Pub on the Park Shop for foreign language books at Grant and Cutler See the Queen on her journey to Parliament Find St Augustine's Tower, Hackney's oldest building Drink in a nursery rhyme pub - The Eagle, City Road Discover the Dogs of Alcibiades Watch the Lord Mayor's Show Get back to nature at Bow Creek Ecology Park Drink with politicians in the Red Lion Find the entrance to Sweeney Todd's barber shop Take your little angels to the Little Angel Theatre Eat in the Churchill Arms - London's first Thai pu... Remember the Glorious Dead at the Cenotaph Visit the V&A Museum of Childhood Indulge your philosophical side with Big Ideas Visit London's highest publicly accessible point Find the school where Dizzee Rascal got his break Drink at the Speaker Find a statue of a London-born saint	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line384
__label__cc	0.587294	0.412706	__PlayStation 4 __Xbox One __Nintendo Switch __Xbox 360 __Nintendo 3DS __PC __IOS __Tech __Films Home / Xbox 360 / Preview: Awesome Co-Op Gameplay in Payday 2 Preview: Awesome Co-Op Gameplay in Payday 2 Liban Ali July 27, 2013 Payday 2, PC, Preview, PS3, Xbox 360 Last seen in 2011, Payday looks to make a return in its second installment promising more heists, more weapons and a whole new system to manage all this called Crime Net. Last week I had the opportunity to spend some time with the upcoming game and engage in what was an epic bank heist with three other players. Before jumping into the main chunk of the game, I was able to take a look into the way you’d be able to customise your character before starting the heist. You can choose your weapon loadouts, the kind of mask you wanted to wear and other tidbits which you felt would be useful to you during a mission. So with the preparations done, it was now time to jump in and being a first time player of Payday, it definitely didn't go as I expected. I look cool... don't I? I teamed up with three other players and our job was a classic bank heist where we infiltrate the bank, grab the gold from the vault and make a getaway via our van in the alleyway. In order to accomplish this we needed to work together as a unit and make sure to complete our individual tasks, while at the same time, backing each other up when needed. The key here is how effectively you can communicate with your team to complete a job successfully. I know during the first run of the bank heist; we were kind of all over the place. No one knew what they were doing and so very quickly, we were taken down by the armed forces. The second time we gave it a go, things ran a lot more smoothly. Targets were taken out with a lot less noise and we had someone breaking into the vault while the others backed him up. Essentially this ended up with us being taken down multiple times, however when it was all said and done, there was one person who eventually made it to the van with a bag of gold and that person was me. Its all about the teamwork. What makes Payday so great is that there is more than one option in terms of completing a mission. The level itself provides you the tools to properly prepare and execute a plan to complete it, however how you go about it is completely up to you. Will you make use of the roof to scope out potential targets or use the security room to find all the patrol routes for the guards? There seems to be a good variety here but fear not impatient ones as you still have the option to go in all guns blazing should you wish to, although that would make things a lot more difficult. Payday 2 looks to be an incredibly fun co-op game that brings with it, a huge amount of satisfaction after completing a mission, but can also destroy friendships due to miscommunication and failed heists… kind of. I liked how even before you get into the game, you’re already planning and strategising with your team concerning who should do what and who should carry what item, for example; I carried an ammo bag, so when we were running low, I could drop it for the others to reload their weapons. With DLC planned for the months following its release, Payday 2 looks to keep players engaged for a long time to come. The game is scheduled to be released on 13th August for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC, so I definitely recommend you check it out. Had a chance to play the game? Maybe you have a different opinion? Let us know in the comments section below or tweet me - @WKG_Liban Review - Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom I recently had the chance to play Koei's latest Animé based game - Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom. Right now you're probably... Gamescom 2016 Top 5 Picks and Honourable Mentions - Noob Talk #15 In this week's episode of Noob Talk, Liban Ali looks at all the news, screenshots and videos that have come out of Gamescom 2016 and... [Review] Resident Evil 3 Remake - The .44 Magnum Opus? With the huge success of the Resident Evil 2 remake, it came as no surprise when Capcom announced Resident Evil 3 would be next in line ... The Ultimate Dragon Ball Game? Thoughts On Xenoverse 2! - Noob Talk #16 In this week's Noob Talk, I'm joined by Camal as we look at we really makes the ultimate Dragon Ball Game while giving our thoug... Latest reviews and previews [REVIEW] STREETS OF RAGE 4 - A REJUVENATED CLASSIC [PREVIEW] PONPU - A HIGHER LEVEL OF BOMBERMAN [REVIEW] FILAMENT - A COMPLEX PUZZLER [REVIEW] HAYFEVER - SNEEZING HAS NEVER BEEN SO COOL Copyright © 2019 We Know Gamers \| Gaming News, Previews and Reviews All Right Reserved	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line391
__label__cc	0.519003	0.480997	Michigan Moving to Next Phase of COVID-19 Vaccinations Monday Sean Gallup/ Getty Images Michigan residents over 65 and some essential frontline workers can start getting vaccinated for COVID-19 starting Monday, January 11, 2021. In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) officials announced announced that the state is moving to the next phase of the vaccination rollout. Gov. Whitmer said in a release, The more people we can get the safe and effective vaccine, the faster we can return to a sense of normalcy. I urge all seniors to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible and that all Michiganders to make a plan to get vaccinated when it becomes available to you. And as always: mask up, practice safe social distancing, and avoid indoor gatherings where COVID-19 can easily spread from person to person. We will eliminate this virus together. MDHHS has set the initial goal of vaccinating 70% of people 16 years of age and older in the state (which is approximately 5.6 million people) for COVID-19 by the end of 2021. According to Wood TV 8, beginning Monday, Michigan "will move to Phase 1B of the rollout, which includes essential workers like police officers, first responders, state and federal employees, jail and prison staff, teachers and child care providers. The state is also opening vaccinations to Group A of Phase 1C — that includes people older than 65." You can find a full breakdown of the strategy for vaccine prioritization for the State of Michigan here. So what are the next steps if you are over 65 or an eligible frontline worker? MDHHS advises that residents over 65 should visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine to find local health departments and other local vaccine clinics near them that are ready to book appointments. Eligible essential workers, teachers, and childcare workers will be notified by their employers about vaccine clinic dates and locations. The state says that those who are eligible should not go to any of the clinics without an appointment. Source: Michigan Moving to Next Phase of COVID-19 Vaccinations Monday Filed Under: coronavirus COVID-19, MDHHS, vaccine	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0043.json.gz/line396

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