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Culture Blogs
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Just as Long as We're Together: Amazon Rites in New Jersey
"Women go there to dance. They get all ready in the mirror with their friends. They're like, 'I just need to go. I just need to dance. I'm serious, tonight — no guys. Screw guys. I just need to — I've had a rough week, and I just need to dance it out. I just want to stand in a circle around our pocketbooks and shoes and just — I just want to dance. Dance!'" – Dane Cook
"Girls love 80s parties. I could tell them that Osama bin Laden was holding a party, and they'd refuse to attend. But if I told them Osama bin Laden was holding an 80s party, they'd be like, '. . .well, what time?'" – Nick Swardson
"They always come home the same way. They stumble in with their high heels in their hands. *Whoo-whoo!* *Whoo-whoo*! 'Where were you?' 'I was with my girlfriends.' 'I know that. It's 3:30 in the morning.'" – Jo Koy
When I was a younger amazon, we used to go to this restaurant/club in New Brunswick called Gaebel's all the time. They would push back all the tables later at night and there would be a DJ spinning vinyl. I was all full of piss and vinegar (but mostly tequila) those nights. I'd be wearing a mini, belly top, and stompy boots. My hair would be up in pigtails and I would be smeared in sweat and glitter, and whenever Hypnotize came on, the whole entire room would go ballistic. It was just such an awesome feeling of being young and hardcore.
Gaebel's closed years ago now. Hypnotize came on the radio on Friday when I was coming home from a very long all day meeting in Princeton. I was wearing corporate clothes with a Mom-like silk scarf and was pretty sure I would never again dance to Hypnotize and more sure my life was over.
As a younger Amazon, I used to dress with more intent. Clothes, makeup, jewelry. All of that helped me present the image I wanted to present for whatever I was doing. It was my warpaint, my sword, my shield, my poison cup. Somewhere, during my divorce from my first marriage, I lost that piece of myself.
I wouldn't credit Wasband (he was my husband) with having that much power that it was losing him that did that to me. No, it was a lethal combination of the soul crushing process of getting a divorced and I was now in my thirties which I still didn't know how to navigate very well. I knew I was transitioning. I do believe in the maid/mother/crone three for my own life stages, as much as supersrs occultists wrinkle their noses at it. Here's the thing – being a sexual virgin doesn't make you a maid, having kids doesn't make you a mother, your period stopping doesn't make you a crone. Not in and of itself at least. Being free and in charge of yourself makes you a maid, giving birth to something (a child, a book, a home, a career) and being changed by it makes you a mother, and the wisdom you gain from all your life experiences and seeing the end of your own life and out the other side makes you a crone.
But I knew I was coming to the end of my maidenhood. At first, it was pretty awesome. My 30th birthday, surrounded by friends in dresses and ties, all of us singing, eating caviar and pizza and drinking champagne until we all were more than just a little tipsy. Buckling down on my writing. Getting my finances under control. Creating a hearth of my own. Getting my clitoral hood pierced, posed in Sheila-Na-Gig position, uttering a primal scream and one of my amazon sisters getting me ice cream afterwards for going through the ordeal.
And then . . .I sort of faltered. All of the clothes I would wear as soon as I could wiggle out of work are now neatly stored under my bed, only to be taken out for special occasions – conventions and the rare club night. I was becoming a mother, a hearth woman in my own right but what did it mean? Who am I? It may sound trivial to some of you, but I believe in what Catherynne M. Valente said in her Fairyland story, "'We must dress well, or the future will not take us seriously', Goodbye had said."
I had lost the joy and the magical purpose I had with dressing with intent. I had to figure out what my new intent was and then it was time for new clothes, new makeup, new hair. It all goes a long way. Jow was supposed to go out with myself and my two besties ("mind sisters" as he calls them) but he bailed. Long story short, we messed up the date for the event we were supposed to go to. We were all dressed up with nowhere to go so we went to the Breakfast Club instead.
I was wearing a black and grey kilt, knee socks with little buttons (for the first time in a long time), a ruffled keyhole top. Make up on, hair did. A mess of various sigils and perfumes strewn about me.
It had been a long while since I had been at a club, I had forgotten the smell – sticky with bleach and beer. I had also forgotten that the Breakfast Club is Amazon territory with a ridiculous female to male ratio (three chicks to every bro). I quickly dove into the experience.
Step 1: Arrive a little early so that the music is not crazy loud to be able to talk smack about Baby (early twentysomething) Amazon Rites which include: The Tragedy of Wearing Really High Heels, Two Drink Lesbian Dancing to Attract Male Attention for Later, Dancing on High Surfaces to be Better Seen by Males, Drinking Too Many Literal Fishbowls of Candy Colored Booze to Better Make Poor Later Decisions Later, and Taking a Million Pictures to Document this for Facebook or My Experience Never Happened.
As an older Amazon partaking in Middle Aged Amazon Rites (though not yet partaking in Elder Amazon Rites), key phrases to employ include describing Baby Amazons include: OMG, I thought going to a club was supposed to be about slinking in the dark and escaping not seeking out the faux paparazzi, Why is she crying, it's only 11:30, Those shoes are ridiculous, If I see anymore Two Drink Lesbian Dancing, I'm going to throw up in my own mouth.
Step 2: Critique the DJ. It's your right! You've got ten years of club experience under your belt, Middle Aged Amazon! And if he's particularly heinous, even better! Key comments: His mashups suck, There should never be any dead air time, He only plays half a song before moving on which is ridonkulous, and He has the rhythm of an epileptic monkey.
Step 3: Drink! You know how to not vomit in the parking lot on your new shoes, Middle Aged Amazon! You can stick to beer or shots or a signature drink. Feel free to make one questionable judgement call in the form of $2 Jaegar shots.
Step 4: Dance! You're not here to impress anyone, you're here to be with each other! And this DJ while often questionable, knows his audience which is you! He's going to play all the songs you like so you don't riot! And that fucking includes HYPNOTIZE! Get crazy! Bust out your moves! Howl along to Gloria, Material Girl, and other riot girl songs with the other Amazons so that the club is filled with your voices! Trance out to it! Get into that Amazon egregor and when Welcome to the Jungle comes on, your whole Amazon cabal will let out a primal scream like you have never heard! It's awesome!
Step 5: Uh-oh. You knew the Baby Amazons are going to be trouble. They won't be able to contain themselves from offending Middle Aged/Elder Amazons by spilling their drinks on you and nearly falling on top of you from their higher perches. Suggest getting into a fist fight with the ones particularly bothersome to you! It will prove your cabal's dominance! This is a super awesome idea! Because (a) you get to feel Badass and (b) you're Middle Aged Amazons! That means you (and more importantly, your friends) actually have sense! Your friends will say no! You get to sniff derisively and pretend like you would have actually done it!
Step 6: Well, Middle Aged Amazon, you're not a Baby Amazon anymore. That means by 12:30a, you are covered in a sheen of sweat and gently swaying and mouthing the words at this point. Disadvantage: Man, getting older suxxors. Advantage: You know who (and where) you're waking up with in the morning, unlike the Baby Amazons.
Step 7: In the car ride home, you can regale each other with your shared Legendary Baby Amazon Stories. You were all much hotter and more bad ass than the current crop of Baby Amazons and you've already proven that you survived all the dumb things you did together! Laugh it up! It's your Goddess given right!
Step 8: Time for traditional feasting. Your old diner now sucks and is closed at midnight during the weekend which will bring you back to Step 7 for a quick round of The Scene is Never What it Used to Be. But don't worry! You can find a crappy lesser diner for feasting. And! You get the perk of bitching about how bad it is! Eat/Drink: Disco fries, a million glasses of cokes and Taylor ham and cheese on a hard roll.
Step 9: Home by 2:30a, asleep by 3:30a. Feel smug that you still have it.
Step 10: Sunday? Be a useless slag, Middle Aged Amazon! Take some Tylenol, drink lots of water, eat some salty food and watch Lifetime movies. Because likely, that's about all you can manage. Now you're entitled to not cook dinner and get Chinese!
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Jeremy Glaser: For Morningstar, I am Jeremy Glaser. It's been a little bit over a year since we launched the Morningstar Analyst Ratings for closed-end funds. I am here with Cara Esser. She is a closed-end funds analyst. We're going to look at some recent changes and how investors can use these ratings.
Cara, thanks for joining me today.
Cara Esser: Thanks for having me.
Glaser: We've had a few questions about the differences between the Analyst Ratings. There are Gold, Silver, and Bronze ratings for closed-end funds versus the ones for open-end funds. Are they measuring something different? How should investors think about those two different ratings?
Esser: They are essentially the same rating. We use the same five pillars; people, process, performance, price, and parent. Also for close-end funds we look at the different things that don't happen in an open-end fund, like a distribution rate and leverage.
One thing that the Analyst Rating does not measure in a close-end fund is valuation. So, we're not looking at the discounted premium. It's not a buy-and-sell signal necessarily for a close-end fund because we're looking at the underlying performance of the portfolio, the net asset value, not the share price.
Glaser: So, how do you decide when it's time to change a rating? What are some of the factors that go into an upgrade or a downgrade?
Esser: We look at ratings about twice a year for our funds. We're updating them. We're updating the text. We're talking to managers, and that's generally when we will look at changing the rating for a fund if it needs to be changed. But if there is something that happens in the middle of an update process that potentially requires a ratings change, we'll do it then, too.
Glaser: So, can you talk a little bit some of the recent changes?
Esser: Sure. We recently upgraded two funds; one is the Zweig Fund, ticker ZF, and one is the Zweig Total Return Fund, ticker ZTR. So, they are very similar funds, but we didn't like these funds for a lot of reasons. They had unsustainable distribution policies. The discounts were wide all the time. And we didn't feel that the board of directors was doing anything, lobbying on the behalf of shareholders to improve the long-term performance of these funds.
So, in the beginning part of 2012, so about a year ago, the board of directors made a number of changes that we thought were very positive for the funds, including a discount-management program. They lowered the distribution rates, and they've allowed the managers to hold less cash in the portfolio, which should help--as long as they're investing it properly--improve the future performance of the fund. So, for these reasons we actually raised the fund's ratings from Negative to Neutral.
Glaser: Are there any cases where you've lowered ratings recently?
Esser: Sure. We've lowered ratings on funds often times based on distribution policy changes that we find to be inappropriate going forward and also for long-term performance discrepancies that we don't like. So, we're not constantly looking back at historical performance, but obviously, that's a guide for future performance. Let's say, a strong outperformer has underperformed over maybe a year or two years or three years, we want to look at why it's underperforming. Is it a strategy change? Is it a management change that is going to impact the future performance? So, those are some of the reasons why we would downgrade a fund for performance. [Another reason is if there is a] distribution change. Maybe they raise the distribution, but we didn't think that it was appropriate for the strategy to increase the distribution and we maybe don't think it's sustainable going forward.
Glaser: What's the best way for investors to use these ratings then? If I hold a fund, and it gets downgraded, should I be running out to sell it, or is it more of a nuanced picture?
Esser: It's much more nuanced, especially when you look at the closed-end funds because, like I said, we're not looking at valuation here. We're looking at the net asset value, the underlying manager performance of the funds going forward. So, a downgrade that results from, let's say, a distribution policy change may not be a sell for an investor if you aren't holding that fund for income, for example.
You want to understand why you're holding the fund, why did it get upgraded or downgraded. Does that change [your reasons to hold] the fund, and does it impact your performance going forward? You also want to look at valuation. So, an upgrade doesn't necessarily mean that you should go out and buy the fund because it might be overvalued at the time that we upgraded the fund. It might be one you want to put on a watchlist and maybe check to see if the valuation becomes more advantageous in the future.
Glaser: Cara, thanks for being with us today.
Esser: Thanks.
Glaser: For Morningstar, I am Jeremy Glaser.

subset: commoncrawl


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Men's Pearl Izumi Ultra ShortItem #PZW751
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Men's Pearl Izumi® Ultra 2-n-1 Short :: The Ultra Short is perfect for those looking for more coverage and a longer inseam. This 2 in 1 endurance short features our proprietary 1:1 Gel Flask Pocketing System which secures nutrition in an anatomic position on body and is ingeniously integrated into the liner so that you can carry more in your pockets.
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I would give this product 5 stars but there need to be a little more compression in the liner, a little more support. I think having a compressive liner would have been perfect.
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Arsenal look to have missed out on former Manchester United starlet Paul Pogba, as Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly agreed a massive £40million fee - as well as an Italy international.
According to talkSPORT, reports in Italy are claiming Juventus were made on offer they could not refuse by the big-spending Ligue 1 champions, which was mooted to be in the region on £40million PLUS Marco Verratti.
Arsenal, according to the report, are very keen on the France youngster, who recently admitted he "dreamed" of playing for the Gunners as a child, but with even their new spending power they would have struggled to match the package put together by PSG.
Manchester United saw the former Le Havre youth product leave for a tribunal fee in the summer of 2012 after being unable to agree a new contract with the Old Trafford club.
They were probably regretting their decision almost immediately as Pogba showed glimpses of real class early in his days at Juventus and is now one of the leading midfielders in Serie A.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


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As part of the 10 Ideas: A Millennial Lesson Plan for Education series, a proposed law that would make schools a safe place to learn for students of all orientations.
Two years ago, Constance McMillen, a lesbian student, was told she couldn't take her girlfriend to her high school's prom and wear a tuxedo. After U.S. District Court Judge Glen H. Davidson ruled that the Itawamba County School District violated the First Amendment at the court hearing, outraged parents organized a secret prom without sending an invitation to Constance. She ended up transferring to another high school. On July 20th, 2010, the school district settled by paying her $35,000 and agreeing to implement a non-discrimination policy that would include sexual orientation.
This story immediately spread like wildfire to the Facebook community, as well as to major news networks including CNN and USA Today. People furiously questioned the level of protection lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students actually have in public schools. Along with the bullying Constance faced from the students, the school board members aggravated homophobic discrimination by keeping her from attending the prom due to her sexual orientation. How could this happen? Currently only 11 states, including DC, protect LGBT youth in public schools. This means that in 39 states, LGBT students are not protected from harassment.
Homophobic harassment, especially from peers, is often present in schools. In a Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) study from 2009, 84.6 percent of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed. Over 60 percent of these students felt unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation, while 39.9 percent felt unsafe because of their gender expression. A majority, 63.7 percent, reported being verbally harassed, while 27.2 percent reported being physically harassed and 12.5 percent reported being physically assaulted at school because of their gender expression. This is a call for reforming policies in the education system nationally. These students need support.
The It Gets Better project is a collaboration of videos from celebrities, young people, and even politicians, including the president, telling LGBT youth that their lives will get better and that suicide is not the answer. Though these tearful, uplifting videos provide a sense of community and positive messages for LGBT teens, they cannot promise actual protection. A national law prohibiting the discrimination of LGBT teens can fulfill that promise.
Check out the new special issue of The Nation, guest-edited by Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Jeff Madrick.
The Student Non-Discrimination Act can help assuage homophobic and transphobic harassment in school and forbid schools from discriminating against LGBT students. It was introduced in the 111th Congress in 2010, but was rejected. Now it has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions after being introduced in the Senate by Senator Al Franken and in the House by Representative Jared Polis and cosponsored by 152 members of Congress. It forces federal departments and agencies to curtail any financial assistance for public schools that prevent students from participating in programs because of their sexual preference or gender identity, or those that condone homophobic and transphobic harassment.
In addition to the enforcements this bill would provide, workshops on sensitivity to homophobia should be required for all public school teachers and administrative staff. Through these workshops, teachers and staff members will have the resources to combat homophobic and transphobic behavior in and outside of the classroom. There are already examples of successful programs for these kinds of trainings. The Rochester school district and the New York City Department of Education have a program called "Respect for All," hosted by GLSEN, and the American Civil Liberties Union has "Making Schools Safe." GLSEN's survey reports that the grade point average of students who were more frequently harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender expression was almost half a grade lower than for students were less often harassed. These developmental trainings, which take place prior to the beginning of the school year, will not only boost morale, but they can lead to higher test scores.
A few days ago, I read an article on the Huffington Post introducing a program called "Stories Project: NOW" from GLSEN Greater Cincinnati. It focuses on ensuring the safety of LGBT students by offering training to create a better climate in their schools. A teacher in the video critiqued a staff member for being unsupportive and sending ignorant messages to a LGBT student:
"I was recently talking to a student who said, 'When I went to my guidance counselor to talk about why I was being bullied, the guidance counselor repeatedly said, 'well what can you do to change the situation?" The idea that a student should be changing their behavior because they're being bullied is a problem and that doesn't come from the students, that comes from the adults."
Why should LGBT students wait to have their lives get better? They should be protected from being bullied either from fellow students or staff members now. Policies should be implemented immediately to ensure the safety of our youth and so that the stories of them taking their lives can end.
Jessica Morris is a Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network member and a first -year student at Mount Holyoke College. She majors in politics and minors in law and public policy.


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A 38-year-old man threatening to take his life was taken to the hospital for evaluation after a standoff that brought SWAT teams and a huge presence of heavily armed police into downtown Arlington Heights Saturday night, police said.
The man, who was uninjured, had fired several shots inside a sixth floor condominium where he lives with his mother, police said. Authorities said it's possible charges could be filed later this week.
At approximately 5:20 p.m., police received a report of gunshots being fired inside the condominiums located at 1 N. Chestnut. Officers responded and began to make their way up the stairwells in the building to deal with the threat. Once they had reached the fifth floor of the building and realized that they were already on the top floor they received notification that the correct location was 151 W. Wing St. Several other responding units also heard gunshots, police said in a news release.
A woman inside a unit on the sixth floor called 911 and told police her son was despondent and threatening to take his life, police said. The woman said her son, who is 38 and lives with her, had a gun in his possession and fired several shots inside the unit.
The woman was able to disarm her son, who handed the weapon to his mother, but he removed the gun magazine before relinquishing the weapon, police said. The woman was able to flee the condominium and was taken into protective custody by officers, while her son remained inside the unit.
Since it wasn't known if the suspect had additional weapons and he refused to leave the condominium, the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System was activated, police said. An exterior perimeter of the downtown area was immediately established and secured by police from numerous agencies.
Upon the arrival the police alarm system, a coordinated effort was initiated by Arlington Heights police supervisors and police alarm staff to get the man to surrender. About 8 p.m. after numerous attempts to have the suspect exit got no response, officers forced their way in and the subject was taken into custody unharmed, police said.
He was transported to Northwest Community Hospital for an evaluation. The police criminal investigation unit will follow up, with assistance from the Cook County state's attorney's office, to determine whether any charges will be filed.
The episode unfolded in front of the many people who were at restaurants and stores in the downtown area. All businesses remained open during the standoff, though access to some streets and buildings was limited or blocked.
Amy Philpott, the owner of Tuscan Market at 141 W. Wing St., said residents of Wing Street Condominiums at 151 Wing St. came into her shop on the first floor of the same building saying they heard the shots fired.
An employee of Ttowa Korean restaurant at 161 W. Wing St. said some customers remained in the restaurant during the incident because they were afraid to leave, but no new ones were coming in.
Giovanni Senafe said he was at Ttowa and a customer said he heard two gunshots. "And all of a sudden all the cops pull up," he said. "They're pulling all their shotguns out of the trunk. It was all Arlington cops at first."
Police from other departments around the suburbs began arriving and began moving people back from the area, Senafe said. "The Derby just finished and nobody knows when they're walking in" what's going on, he said.
"You just think of what could happen, and you hope everything's OK," Philpott said.
• Daily Herald staff writers Kerry Lester and Eric Peterson contributed to this report.


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A handful of AIDS cases were first recognized in the U.S. at the beginning of the 1980s. By 1990, there was a pandemic. In 1997, more than 3 million people became newly infected with HIV.
Scooped by
Seth Dixon
onto Geography Education
Lack of education, social stigma, and poverty all play into the role of the spread of HIV in the sub sahara African region. This is a stoppable disease, but only with understanding of how it is passed, and education on how to stop the spread. Condoms, monogamy, good hygiene around bodily fluids and education on intravenous drug use are the only ways to slow the progress of AIDS.
you always hear about the aids problem in africa but this graph really puts it into context and you can see how huge of a problem this is. obviously better doctors/education is needed in these places to halt this pandemic


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Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy of a LiFePO4/Li Half-CellM. Cugnet[1], I. Baghdadi[1], M. Perrin[1]
[1]INES - CEA, Grenoble, France
This study demonstrates that a multiphysics model of a LiFePO4/Li half-cell can be applied to simulate the impedance results from an EIS. However, it implies that the double layer capacitance has to be taken into account, since it is responsible of the semi-circle in the impedance spectrum. A 15 min simulation allows getting a complete spectrum of the half-cell impedance from 0.1 to 200 kHz. The methodology used to adjust the three key parameters used to fit the experimental data is described. However, this work is still in progress, so we do not know exactly yet what is actually responsible of the slope observed at lower frequencies.
- cugnet_presentation.pdf - 1.22MB
- cugnet_paper.pdf - 0.18MB
- cugnet_abstract.pdf - 0.1MB


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Patricia A. "Pat" Robinson, lifelong resident of New Haven, died at her home on Monday, April 08, 2013 surrounded by her family.
Patricia A. "Pat" Robinson, lifelong resident of New Haven, died at her home on Monday, April 08, 2013 surrounded by her family. Pat as most knew her was born in Eldorado on September 11, 1951 to the late George and Florence (Clifford) Johnston. On June 11, 1971 she was married to John Robinson who preceded her in death in 1986.
Pat was a homemaker, loved to knit and sew, always was full of life and quite the jokester. But her main love in life was her family and taking care of all the children. She will be missed so much.
Pat is survived by three sons, Rex Robinson of Brown and David and Cody Robinson of New Haven; two daugthers, May Robinson of New Haven and Laura Coale of Carmi; one brother Gary Johnston of English, Ind.; mother in law, Margaret Beeler of Ridgway; and eight grandchildren, Jacob Newman, Dylan Newman, Brooke Robinson, Katelyn Newman, Zachary Coale, Benton Robinson, John Robinson and Lyle Robinson. She was also preceded by a brother, Raymond Johnston.
A visitation for Pat will be held from 4 until 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, 2013 at the Cox and Son Funeral Home in New Haven. Per her request, she will then be cremated and she will inurned in the Union Ridge Cemetery near New Haven next to her husband.
One may leave a note of comfort to the family at coxandson.com.


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- More than 100 dolls and accessories have been newly discounted - as much as 50% off.
- More than 40 already-reduced items have been discounted even more.
- During Pink Week, you get an additional 15% off those fabulous Special Offer Shelf deals!
The last style of Barbie wrapping paper came with nice pink ribbon and actually looked like Barbie wrapping paper. This is nice but is not doll related at all except to those who are familiar with this new trying-to-be-iconic look.
If you've been holding off ordering the ridiculously over-priced (at $150.) Palm Beach Coral Silkstone, she now comes to $63.75 with this sale. If you can find a free shipping code or want to use your quarterly bonus, your deal is even sweeter. I may actually get her after all.
Or perhaps I will waste $8.50 on Goldie.
Are you going to buy something?


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Men's Pearl Izumi ELITE In-R-Cool Tri Short LongItem #PZW488
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MEN'S PEARL IZUMI® ELITE IN-R-COOL® TRI SHORT LONG :: Designed for both training and racing, the ELITE In-R-Cool™ Tri Short is constructed with our innovative In-R-Cool™ fabric technology. Superior cooling and UV protection combined with an anti-odor, thermal-regulating chamois will perform equally well in the swim, bike and run legs of the race.
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I am a 54 year old male. I am 6'5" tall and weigh 210 lbs.
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Posted 7 years ago
(4 items)
I own a model of a Japanese tin model car.
It has a print under the back window that shows "made in japan", and a logo that looks like an"O", with a guy within the "O". There is no discription otherwise on the car . The scale is about 1:24
The color of the model is grey and it looks like a 1963 or 64 chevrolet.
I would like to know the manufacturer of the model, the make of the model, and the year of production.
Thanks for watching.
Greetings Paul


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Whittemore Peterson Institute research director Dr. Judy Mikovits thrilled the house Oct 17 at the New Jersey CFS Assoc. annual conference in Eatontown.
She gave a one-hour talk on the latest research linking XMRV & its variants to ME/CFS – shooting out information in her typical machine gun style.
The presentation wasn't just good, it was "smashing"; it was "astonishing," says The CFS Patient Advocate (Christoopher Cairns), who has summarized the high points on his blog. ("NJCFS conference day – Dr. Judy Mikovits")
Dr. Judy made him see the momentum and possibilities coming out of this research, says Cairns: "It is time to drop the detachment" to help in any way we can. (See "How to Help," at http://wpinstitute.org/help/index.html)


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26 Critics
Rhoda Williams, an astrophysics student at MIT, is driving when she sees a planet and leans out for a closer look. She hits a minivan and kills a family. She is imprisoned for four years, and upon release seeks out the widower of the family, composer John Burroughs. The planet she saw is a mirror planet of Earth, and an essay contest is held where the winner can ride a space shuttle to visit it. Williams considers the possibility of visiting it to find out what kind of life her mirror self would have led.


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By Nadine McCormick, IUCN's Energy Network Coordinator.
Transforming the world's energy systems is essential to achieving a sustainable global economy. The marine environment offers a bounty of renewable energy options but what do the scenarios look like in reality?
As two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions come from energy production, increasing attention is being given to the energy sector. Both energy conservation and efficiency measures are being pushed, as well as the development of "clean" (i.e. lower emissions) energy technologies as more immediate ways to reduce emissions in the short to medium term.
Numerous reports are being released from different organizations that show how societies can achieve 80-100% renewable energy supply in the next 20-40 years. A reduction in energy use through both conservation and efficiency measures is critical, together with a massive shift to renewable sources such as solar, wind and waves for electricity and sustainable biomass for liquid fuels and other high energy users such as industry.
Growing investment
This transition is already happening, with huge investments being directed to 'clean' energy sources. A record US$ 243 billion was invested in cleaner energy sources globally in 2010, of which China invested US$ 51 billion, more than 20% of the total. Yet, the International Energy Agency has identified social acceptance as one of the main barriers to swift implementation of renewable energy projects, primarily driven by perceived and real environmental concerns associated with large infrastructure on land, such as wind turbines, large solar towers and power lines.
The marine environment is increasingly being targeted as decisions in seascapes are seen as less controversial than on land. However, marine environments have many pressures from shipping, tourism and, fishing and are already among the most threatened ecosystems in the world.
Clean ambitions
WWF's Energy Report, released earlier this year, is the most comprehensive to date, predicting that 6% of future energy demand can come from the marine environment, primarily through offshore wind, as well as wave and tidal sources. However, this will require an additional 100,000 off-shore wind turbines; 25,000 offshore wind farms are planned in Europe alone.
While wave and tidal energy applications will provide a smaller proportion of future energy supply, according to another report published in the Energy Policy journal, 720,000 wave devices and almost 0.5 million tidal turbines would be required to achieve 100% energy from renewable resources (see list below).
This will undoubtedly have implications for the marine environment.
Managing the trade-offs
As found in the IUCN/E.ON Greening Blue Energy report, proper planning and management of offshore wind farms can help to ensure that marine life is not significantly disturbed and can potentially enhance levels of marine biodiversity. In some cases, energy installations may actually benefit biodiversity by creating artificial reefs or acting as de-facto 'no-take' fishing zones.
Proactive rather than reactive planning is needed to ensure that such renewable energy infrastructure goes in the 'right' places—right from technical, economic as well as socially and environmentally sustainable standpoints. Measures that can help include sustainability safeguards for energy developments and the promotion of decision-making that involves all stakeholders.
Given the urgent need for low-carbon energy to mitigate climate change, it is increasingly important that the environmental community is part of this process to ensure that any trade-offs are acceptable and consistent with IUCN's vision of 'a just world that values and conserve nature'.
Energy resources required to power a world with 100% renewable energy by 2030 (Jacobson et al, 2010) Energy Policy
• 3,800,000 x 5 MW wind turbines


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Posted on October 8, 2012 in Pro Tennis Talk
The end of the WTA season is looming, with the year end championships coming at the end of the month in Turkey. Let's take a look at what's happened since the US Open in the women's game…
–Victoria Azarenka once again proved she (along with Serena Williams) are in a class by themselves over the rest of the tour, cruising through the draw to win the China Open without dropping a set. In fact, no set was closer than 6-4, including her win over world #2 Maria Sharapova in the final, 6-3 6-1. She's won 15 of her last 16 matches (not counting her w/o in Tokyo) with her only loss coming in the US Open final against Serena, 7-5 in the third.
-Former world #3 Nadia Petrova got hot in Japan, taking down three top 10 players en route to her winning the Tokyo Open, her second WTA title of the year. This marks the first time that Petrova has beaten three top 10 players in the same tournament in her career. The rejuvenated 30-year-old Petrova has bigger visions after winning this title. "There are a few players who have won Grand Slams after 30, and I feel like I don't want to walk away from tennis without accomplishing the same."
-18-year-old Laura Robson is using the confidence she gained from winning the mixed doubles silver medal at the Olympics with Andy Murray to continue to vault up the rankings. She has won 10 of her last 13 matches going back to the US Open (including two top 10 wins at the Open) and is currently at a career high ranking of 56 in the world. Look for the youngster to keep improving and crack the top 20 real soon.
Stay tuned for more WTA blogs…Thanks for reading!


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Palm Beach Atlantic University projects an impact of $313,395,314 on Palm Beach County's economy this academic year, according to the University's Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.
That is compared to $309,713,880 in 2011. "With Palm Beach Atlantic University entering its 45th year, it is truly humbling to consider the ways in which PBA now positively impacts the community that has embraced and nurtured it from its beginnings," University President William M.B. Fleming Jr. said. "We expect this trend to continue as we move forward with construction of our Rinker Athletic Campus."
|Work is under way on PBA's Rinker Athletic Campus.
Aside from its projected $313 million economic impact, PBA spent $3,993,976 during the 2011-2012 school year on the construction of its Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus, according to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. The athletic campus is slated to open in 2014.
The University spends 98 percent of its annual budget in the Palm Beach County area to the tune of $50,981,540, not including employee salaries. As most of the faculty and staff spend the larger part of their salaries locally and their households contain other wage-earners, the economic impact of faculty and staff salaries is an additional $28,213,240.
Students account for $41,028,100 through housing, meals, transportation and miscellaneous expenses and purchases.
The University attracts 31,987 visitors annually through visits of prospective students and their families, athletes and overnight spectators, business and educational association meetings held on campus and audience members for music, dance and theatre productions. Food and accommodations represent an impact of $5,135,245.
An indirect multiplier of 2.5 was used to arrive at the total.
In addition, PBA students contributed 113,867 service hours to churches and nonprofit agencies across Palm Beach County during the 2011-2012 academic year through Workship, the University's signature community service program. Since 1968, the year the University was founded, PBA students have logged 2,560,014 service hours.


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UH Professors Receive Fulbright Awards to Teach and Study Abroad
Fulbright Grants also Awarded to Visiting UH ProfessorsUniversity of Hawaiʻi
Kristen Cabral, (808) 956-5039
Public Information Officer
The U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board recently announced that three University of Hawaiʻi professors have been awarded 2002-2003 Fulbright Scholar grants. In addition, four scholars were awarded Fulbright grants to visit the University of Hawaiʻi.
The three UH professors that received grants to travel abroad are Ellen Susan Boneparth, retired political science professor from UH Hilo; Linda W. Duckworth, director of Student Services at UH Mānoa; and Gary Yong Ki Pak, creative writing professor at Kapiʻolani Community College.
UH Mānoa is also hosting visiting Fulbright scholars: Yunchang Bor, economics research fellow from the Chung-Hua Institution for Economics Research in Taiwan; Maria Rosa Fernandez Gomez, teaching assistant in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Malaga in Spain; Margaret Harris, lecturer of medical sciences research from the University of Newcastle in Australia; and Mikiro Kato, associate professor of communications and journalism from Kyoto University in Japan.
Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, including university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program's inception in 1946, more than 250,000 participants have been chosen for their leadership potential and have had the opportunity to observe each other's political, economic and cultural institutions.
The Fulbright Scholar Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with additional funding coming from participating governments and host institutions in the United States and abroad. The Council for International Exchange of Scholars is a private, nonprofit organization that manages Fulbright scholar exchanges.
About the scholars:
Yunchang Bor is a research fellow at the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies at Chung-Hua Institution for Economics Research in Taipei, Taiwan. Bor's research topic is "Long-Term Energy Forecasting and Carbon Dioxide Emission Control: Top Down versus Bottom Up Models." Bor is currently in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Biosystems Engineering at UH Mānoa through February 2003.
Maria Rosa Fernandez Gomez is a teaching assistant in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Malaga in Spain. Gomez's research topic is "Comparative Aesthetics and Art Multiculturalism." Gomez is in the College of Arts and Humanities' Department of Philosophy at UH Mānoa through August 2004.
Margaret Harris is currently lecturing at UH Mānoa on the topic of "A Study of Risk Communication in a Cancer Prevention Setting." Harris is from the School of Nursing and Midwifery Faculty of Health at the University of Newcastle in Callaghan, Australia. She is in the Cancer Research Center of Hawaiʻi's Social and Behavioral Sciences Program at UH Mānoa through December 2002.
Mikiro Kato is an associate professor in the Faculty of Integrated Human Studies at Kyoto University in Japan. Kato's research topic is "Asian-American Contribution to the Film Industry in the U.S. in Terms of it's Ethnic Aspect; Parallel Development of Film Language Among Ethnic Groups." Kato will be a visiting researcher in the Department of Art at UH Mānoa.
Ellen Susan Boneparth is a retired professor of the Political Science department at UH Hilo. She will be lecturing on U.S. Public Policy from February 2003 to August 2003 in Indonesia.
Linda W. Duckworth is the director of International Student Services at UH Mānoa. She participated in a special three-week group program this past June for International Education
Administrators in Japan, which introduced participants to the higher education system and culture of the country.
Gary Yong Ki Pak is an assistant professor in the Department of Arts and Sciences at Kapiʻolani Community College. Pak's lecture and research topic is "Creative Writing: Fiction or a Survey of Korean American Literature," and he will be at Korea University in Seoul through January 2003.


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PARRA for VIKTOR&ROLF Monsieur FW2013 Men collection
Posted by: Laura on the 26th of January, 2013, 14 comments
Posted in: PARRA, VIKTOR&ROLF, Dutch designers, Dutch artist, Amsterdam, Fall 2013 men shows
It was 1 year ago in San Francisco, when I went see the big mural PARRA had just made at SF MOMA, and attended his welcome party that same night, in one of the most groovy venue of the city.
I soon became a fan of his distinctive "hand made feel" lettering and his bird man characters, the flat use of the colors and slightly naughty mood as one of his work's peculiarity.
As a producer of Fashion as I ( also ) am, I like keeping myself updated with the latest ideas, concepts, venue decors, trends, and so on...and what a surprise this season, when I saw VIKTOR & ROLF F/W men show invitation card!
That curves in the lettering , but also the backdrop and even the new collection shirts and accessories prints..smell kind of familiar to me.
Pieter Jansen, aka Parra, is a Dutch graphic designer, illustrator, artist, art director, clothing company owner, skater, who wanted to be a painter as his father was.
Born in 1976, he's also one of the members of the electronic band LeLe .
He had made artworks for various well known brands and institutions, while he's been showing his art worldwide since 2005, in Galleries like HVW8 IN L.A., Common Gallery in Tokyo, Stolen Space in London, Peer Gallery in Sydney, and more, together with the big mural he realized in 2012 at SF MOMA.
HERE a clip about PARRA recent collaboration with Incase for Curated by Arkitip
As far as I knew, PARRA and the duo designers Viktor Horsting & Rolf Snoeren, just shared the same Dutch origins, so I was curious to know how this great collaboration happened.
I wrote PARRA an over enthusiastic email, the same moment the show was still happening in Paris.
Here below a few questions he super kindly answered for me :
L: Did you guys already know each other or have you guys ever done something together in the past? Tell me about how this great collaboration became real.
P: Well, of course i knew of them, and that they were also working from Amsterdam.
I never gave it any thought because what they make is such another level and world that i am working in.
But sometimes paths cross.
It was via my friend Wix who runs a club in Amsterdam (Ludwig). He was hosting an afterparty for V&R for Dutch Design week and he told them about my work, V&R said they saw it before and were down to have me make the invite for their gardenparty in their Amsterdam Office and a limited tee shirt for the afterparty at my friends club.
So I went down to V&R's office and we talked about the invite and the tee-shirt.
And i thought that that would be all it was gonna be...
When i was leaving and nearly out the door they called me back and asked if i wanted to do some more work for them maybe.
And it all started from there.
L: You art belongs more to the Street Wear culture, was this the first time you create for Fashion/Luxury Industry?
P: Yes the first time, great to see how it all works in the 'real' fashion industry very impressive and fast paced.
L: What moment / aspect did you like the most while working with the two designers?
P: The part where they told me to make whatever i wanted, haha!
they were very keen to have me make a bunch of stuff I would make myself and not look at it like a job.
They cherry picked the stuff they liked and could use
from my sketches.
L: Did the two designers) give you some direction lines or did they just share what they had in mind for this last collection, and leave the rest to you as an art director, as you are indeed?
P: I worked close to Suleyman Demir who is their brilliant head men's designer, he gave me some pointers of what the collection was gonna be about and what their theme was.
I worked from that in the beginning ,but in the end, V&R liked the free no briefing approach, like i said.
L: Viktor&Rolf gave u big space into the new collection mood. Your art abundantly appears on a few pieces, see shirts, bags and even a suit, always pictured over your birdmen pattern backdrop.
How do you feel about that? ( you were also reserved a front row seat at the show! ).
I was on the second row! haha, nevertheless very overwhelming.
It was really amazing to see how much work, love and dedication they put into their collection and to have my personal work feature in there was a real good and proud feeling.
When such established artists meet to create, making two different creative fields run into each other, it can't be nothing less than a blast.
SEE the full Viktor&Rolf Monsieur show on STYLE.COM


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Sorry for the delay in the next installment folks, had a touch of Noro Virus Will be up at some point
Glad to hear both will return. I don't think I've commented in any of your threads, but I've read them all, and each has been very entertaining.
The memorial service for Rook was packed. Not with well-wishers, but with camera crews. The death of yet another superhero in San Habbershon had attrracted a lot of attention and the studio had lapped it up, selling the rights to anyone who wanted them. They made Jimmy sick!
An orphan, Rook had very little family anyway, but his foster sister Kimko was the only one who had wanted to come. Apparently his foster parents had disowned him when his powers began to manifest themselves but their daughter Kimko never lost touch. She was sat in the front row with The Union, The Try-Outs and Sandy, her and Sandy crying on each other's shoulders. Neither Stupor Man or Smouldering Fire had turned up.
...in the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost, AMEN. And now Cosmic Girl would like to say a few words
Cosmic Girl, dressed in her black costume, got up and walked up to the front. She turned to face the congregation and flash-bulbs began to pop. She waited till they stopped to begin
Although I had known Rook only a short few months we became firm friends. He was a realist, he always knew the quickest way to spur his fellows into action. He was a dreamer, but he always fought to make those dreams a reality. And he was a hero, in his mind, his body and his soul. He was a young man, too young to be taken from this world. So much potential gone, so much life left to live...
In the front row Kimko began to sob harder. Cosmic Girl looked away from the congregation and into the cameras at the back of the room
Aaron Ablaze went too far. I vow to you, the people of the world, that he will not go unpunished. Aaron Ablaze, I know you are watching this! Your days are numbered, the fun might of The Union will be brought upon you! We, with every meta-human who is willing, will hunt you down, and you will pay!
Kimko wailed and ran from the church, Sandy chased after her. As she ran past Jimmy he could see fury in Sandy's eyes. He got up slowly, his ribs still bound from the beating he received himself at the hands of Aaron Ablaze, and followed them.
...n't believe she would do that!
I know, Kimko, I know...
Sandy saw Jimmy and beckoned him over
Kimko Kobiashi, this is my boss, my friend, Detective James
Kimko wiped her eyes and shook Jimmy's hand
It's a pleasure to meet you Detective James
Please, call me Jimmy. I'm so sorry for your loss. I did everything I could...
I know Detective... Jimmy. I saw the footage, you tried hard, you fought to the last, but you are just a mortal man. She...
(Kimko motioned to the church)
...she could have stopped them, she's meant to be one of the most powerfull heroes in the world! But she just stood aside, and now she uses my brother's eulogy to broadcast a theat??!
The tears began streaming down her face and she hugged Sandy again
It's just not right, not fair...
Sandy held her close, tears rolling down her own face. Jimmy made a decision.
Jimmy had just finished drafting an email, he invited Sergeant Hyatt over to read it
Sandy looked at her boss
Yeah, really. I don't feel right doing it anymore. The studio knew Ablaze was there, they know how dangerous his powers can be, and they let us walk right in there! My Uncle Karl said something to me when I went back to Cent City. He told me to go out there and be a hero, prove to the villians of the world that the cops won't back down so easy. How heroic is it to work for a company that is paying villians to cause trouble? So I'm though with them. If a case comes through I think I can handle, then I'll take it myself, screw their ratings!
Jimmy hit send. He looked up at Sandy properly for the first time. Her eyes were bloodshot, she looked exaughsted.
Hey, how you holding up?
*SIGH* Kimko stayed at my place last night, nice girl. She was telling me stories about her an Rook growing up, about their parents, well, Rook's foster parents and how they turned on him when his powers began to appear. Then we talked about me and Rook...
She looked out of the window, tears began to form in her eyes. She took a deep breath and quickly wiped them away. She forced a smile
Its silly, we'd only been together a couple of months, but he felt like the one, you know? Anyway...
(she took another deep breath)
...how about you? How are you doing?
Me? Oh, I'm OK, ribs are painfull, but at least I got my teeth all fixed now.
No... I meant... about... you know... Robyn...
Oh..... Well....
Jimmy panicked. He'd not had it as hard as Sandy, he knew that Robyn had survived and lived on, whereas Rook's definate demise had been broadcast for the world to see. He held on to the fact of her continued life, even now the book was in his desk draw. But he swore he would not tell.
Screw it, Robbie would understand. He opened the draw, took out the book and handed it to her.
Page twelve
She turned to the page
Sandy looked at the page, then at Jimmy.
Don't you see the resemblence? Right now she is alive somewhere else in time! She's still there, just seperated from me by time. The way I see it time moves for her, same as us. With this book I can even kind of see what she's doing...
He took the book and flicked through the book, then showed her a page
See, roughly now she's...
Jimmy... its legend! So the drawings look a bit like them, so what? You think I don't see Rook every day on the street? Boss, you've got to stop clutching at straws and accept it... we both have...
All of a sudden it dawned on Jimmy how crazy it must have sounded. It had been a mistake to say anything, maybe that was why Robbie had told him not to. He put the book away.
Maybe you're right Sandy, maybe I just need to let it go. I don't need to read that book to know she's gone from me...
Sandy put her hand on his shoulder
Look, its Kimko's last night in town tonight, I told her I'd take her out to see the bright lights of San Habbershon, why don't you come too? I've never seen you let your hair down and its about time this office had a night out.
Jimmy smiled
Yeah.... alright. As long as you're not planning on inviting Sergeant O'Leary along to this 'office party'. Now there is an old man you don't want to drink with!
An old man you don't want to drink with don't ya mean? Ah, the stories I could tell...
Shocked, Jimmy turned
*COUGH* Can we help you sergeant?
It's just I've got a guy from Union Studios on the line, says he needs to speak to someone about some email. Then he used some words that Mrs O'Leary would box my ears for if I used um in front o her about us cops in general, you in particular lad!
Oh really?!!
Jimmy grabbed the phone on his desk, Sandy stopped him.
Nah boss, I'll talk to them, explain the situation. Besides, you've got an appointment.
Jimmy looked at his watch and grabbed his coat. He turned to Sandy
Don't let um off easy!! They give you any trouble, let me know, I'll go down to the studio myself!
Oh, trust me boss, I wont go easy!
Jimmy walked into the gun range. The sound was intense, he'd obviously come at the wrong time. He saw Jay and walked over to him
They walked into Jay's office and shut the door. At least now they wouldn't have to shout.
So, did you check out that weapon system for me?
(Jay pulled a box from under the counter)
...It's pretty much a primative version of the set-up you've got on your gun. It's just a HUD mounted on the helmet instead of set in an eye-piece. The gun is your latest army issue heavy cal with an underslung grenade launcher. A nice piece of kit, where'd you get it?
Ape-X. He said took it off a guard when he escaped the lab he was born in. Did you make those mods I asked for?
Yeah, piece of cake. It's all army issue fittings in there so no problems, good to go.
Good. Well Jay, I owe you one. In fact, give Sandy a call upstairs, tell her I said you're coming out with us tonight.
(Jimmy looked around and leant in closer)
You got those painkillers I asked for?
Oh, yeah...
(he handed Jimmy a sheet of tablets)
Latest stuff. No pain, no side effects.
Thanks kid.
(Jimmy picked up the box)
I'll see you later
It had been a few days since Jimmy had visited Ape-X, but he was definately getting better. The zoo staff had told Jimmy that he now often wandered around the zoo at night, and spent hours at the petting zoo feeding the animals. But Jimmy had spoken to him about it, Ape-X felt bad for them. He wanted to free them. Jimmy hoped he could channel that energy somewhere else
Jimmy walked into Ape-X's room. Ape-X was watching a documentary on the Historical Channel
Hey Ten!
Ape-X looked around, flipped off the TV and jumped down from his 'high rock'.
Hey Jimmy, Ten happy to see you. Ten been watching Worlds Funniest Videos, that Castro, he a riot!
Jimmy didn't see the point in correcting him, it never made any difference
Yeah.... Look, Ten, I wanna talk serious for a minute. You like it here right?
Yeah, Ten like.
You know all this is being paid for right?
Yeah, Ten know.
So, I reckon its about time you earned your keep. How would you like to come out there and fight crime with me?
Ten just stared at him. Jimmy grabbed the box and opened it. He handed Ape-X the gun.
I've had it modified. Rubber Bullets and Stun Grenades. Non-lethal, we're not out to kill anybody here. And I sorted you out some more fitting body armour.
Ape-X grabbed it and put it on
How Ten look?
Like you're part of the SHPD. So, are you in?
Yeah, Ten in. If Ten good Ten get better home?
We'll see...
Jimmy's pager went off
The fax on Ape-X's wall clattered into life
So Ten, ready to start work?
Jimmy and Ape-X arrived at 167 Maplewood Drive, a lumber yard.
OK Ten, we're gonna go slow and by the numbers so you can get used to doing things my way
OK boss.
Right, first we need to get over the fence, the gate is padlocked soooo.....
Jimmy looked around for a decent place to go over the fence
Jimmy looked back at Ape-X who had just ripped the padlock off the gate
What? It open now.
Jimmy rolled his eyes. He pushed the gate open a little and stuck his gun through for a better view through his eye-piece.
All clear, they must be in that hut.
Jimmy crouched an ran across the yard, Ape-X just strolled after him and crouched next to Jimmy
You're supposed to do what I do!
Jimmy never say that.
OK, from now on...
Jimmy could hear voices inside
They've only got ten minutes left darlin, I reckon we just scrag im and get it over with.
But Ablaze would punish us most serverly if we did not stick to the plan, its only ten minutes...
OK, OK, I'm gonna go get the camera ready.
Jimmy heard footsteps and a door slam.
I know those voices, Blind Delphi and Miss Arsenic, come on
He motioned to Ape-X to follow, and crept around to the door. They stood either side of it.
On three... One... Two...
Ape-X kicked the door through and fired a Stun Grenade into the room.
He charged in and looked around. As the smoke cleared he saw a movement, then dropped to his knees holding his head.
HEHEHEHEHEE!! If you've got a brain I can mash it!
Jimmy poked his rifle around the corner
He fired...
The tranquiliser took effect instantly and Blind Delphi went down
The door burst open and Miss Arsenic Slashed at Ape-X with her Katana, Ape-X backed off holding his arm. Jimmy shot from the hip
The Capacitor Round hit Miss Arsenic in the chest in a shower of sparks, the jolt hurling her backwards over a saw-table. Jimmy turned to Ape-X
Are you OK?!?
Ape-X moved his hand, the wound had already stopped bleeding.
Yeah, Ten OK now. Sword lady not gonna be though!
He ran through the door, firing off Rubber Bullets on Full Automatic.
Miss Arsenic went to run but got caught in the knee. Jimmy was sure he heard it shatter.
She grabbed her bow and tried to fire a Longbow Arrow at the advancing pair, but missed wildly. Ape-X put the muzzle of his gun to her forehead
You a lucky lady, friend not here, Ten rip you apart for hurting Ten. Maybe Ten pull trigger...
Miss Arsenic closed her eyes tight
...but Ten try to be good ape
He turned away from her. She reached for one of her pistols, but she had forgotten about Jimmy. He drew his own pistol and Pistol Whipped her into unconsciousness
Jimmy found Smouldering Fire in another room, handcuffed to a steel chair bolted to the floor. At least Jimmy had to give them some credit, there was no way Smouldering Fire was going to escape on his own
Awwwww man, am I happy to see you Detective! Errrr, you got keys for these cuffs?
Ape-X walked into the room. Smouldering Fire looked terrified
Ten no need key
He snapped the chain on the cuffs
Don't be scared of Ten afro man, Ten good guy
Ape-X's smile beamed from ear to ear. Sergeant O'Leary walked into the room.
I hear you could use someone pickin up & takin away?
Ahh, please Sergeant. Have you met my new partner?
Ahhh, not formally. Its good to meet you Officer Ten, excuse me if I don't shake cos you look like you could crush an old mans hand.
He winked, patted Ape-X on the shoulder and left to deal with Arsenic & Delphi. Ape-X turned to Jimmy
Officer Ten? Ten cop now?
Only if you want to be Ten...
Officer Ten's smile grew.
Lets get you home, its been a big day... and I've got a big night ahead of me...
In its forgotten bag in the bottom of a box Jimmy had never got around to unpacking the Disc of Arubanon briefly glowed.
Jimmy was late. He scanned the room and saw Sandy waving at him from a side booth across the bar. He waved back and made the universal 'Do you want a drink' motion. She got up and met him at the bar
So, how did it go?
Yeah, good. I mean, Ten's like a raw recruit, but I think he'll work out fine. How about here?
Yeah, inviting Jay along was a good call, who'd have thought that cute little Japanese girl was so into her heavy artillary!!
Yeah, they're getting on well. So well I've been talking to random strangers for the last half hour! So you owe me a big drink boss!
She winked at him
HA!! What you drinking?
Vodka, rocks
Jimmy ordered a triple and gave it to her
Why Detective, anyone would think you were trying to get me drunk!! HAHAHAHAHA!!
Jimmy went bright red. She took him by the arm
Come on, maybe they'll interact if there's two of us...
They walked over to the booth. Jay and Kimko were all over each other
...or maybe not!! Guys, guys! Get a room!
Jay and Kimko looked at her, then at each other.
Errrrrr.... I think I might head off to get a coffee...
Oh, I love coffee, I'll come too...
They quickly got up & grabbed their coats. Jay brought his mouth near Jimmy's ear
Thanks for inviting me boss, I owe you one.
He took Kimko's arm
Come, Ms Kobioshi, let us go drink coffee! And if you're good maybe I'll take you to the range and show you my large caliber weapon!
Kimko blushed and giggled. Jay winked at Jimmy and they were gone. Jimmy sat down in the booth, Sandy sat opposite
Well, who'd have thought...!?!
You know, knowing Jay he could well mean he's actually going to take her to the range and crack out the .50cal...
You reckon?
Well, lets just say I don't want to think about the alternative!
He pulled a disturbed face and shuddered
HAHAHA!! Yeah... Nice to see that love at first sight exists though...
They both stared at their drinks, neither sure what to say. Sandy grabbed her triple vodka and downed it
You won't find help with your problems there you know
Yeah, but I'm owed a night off them right?
(she smiled)
Come on Mr Serious, lighten up, you're like a coiled spring. Unwind a bit!
Jimmy looked at his glass, he'd ordered the same triple vodka. It was meant to last him the night, Jimmy wasn't a big drinker. He grabbed the glass and downed it.
That's the spirit! HA! Spirit! Waiter! Bring us tequila!
Jimmy stared at Sandy, she winked at him...
That was all Jimmy remembered of the night...
Robyn going be p*ssed when she finds out about Jimmy and Hyatt.
Still great work
Awesome work on Jimmy's and Robyn's stories.
A bright sunny morning in San Habbershon. The light streamed through the open curtains onto the bed. Jimmy opened his eyes. The light blinded him and his head felt like it had exploded. He thrust his head under the covers and tried again. That was a lot more bareable. He looked down, he was just in his underwear. He didn't remember getting undressed... he didn't remember getting home either. He focused for the first time on the cloth in front of his eyes
Sandy owned a duvet identical to this one... Jimmy started to panic
Oh no....
Despite his pounding head he squinted his eyes and peaked out of the covers.
Jimmy jumped out of bed and threw on his clothes. As he rushed towards the door it opened. Sandy walked in dressed in a silky dressing-gown holding a cup of coffee. Jimmy stopped dead in his tracks.
HA! Never had you pegged for an early morning runner, did Gonzalez tell you about my cooking or something? Hahaha!
Sandy, look... I.... I was really drunk last night and I don't know what happened but...
You mean you don't remember??
(she smiled suggestively at him)
Maybe I'll have to remind you...
She walked towards him. Jimmy shut his eyes, he had always found her quite attective in a severe kind of way and her body-hugging silky gown didn't leave a huge amount to the imagination.
Look, Sandy...
At 10:36pm you told me you were going to drink me under the table... At 10:49pm you told the waitress, and I quote, 'You shee her there? The one in the middle... She'sh the besht pershon I know... you give her whatever she wantsh... and give me a double of it!!'
Jimmy opened his eyes, she was stood in front of him pretending to read from a police issue notebook and smiling at him
At 11:24pm I called a taxi as you were temperarily incapable of speech. You didn't want to go home so I brought you back here. At 11:57pm you told me you loved me in a very drunken and over-the-top manner and at 11:58pm you told me that you could never love anyone like you loved Robyn, the same as I could never love anyone the same as Rook...
(her smile faded)
We both had a good cry then I brought you in here to my sisters room and I went to bed.
So this isn't... I mean... we didn't...
She put on an expression of mock affront
Oh reaaaally?? Do I seem like the kind of girl who puts out on the first date? HAHAHA!! No boss, we.... just no. But the look on your face was priceless!
(she grinned at him)
So, you want this coffee and some breakfast or you still wanna do a runner?
Jimmy smiled and took the coffee.
Jimmy and Hyatt had arrived at work seperately to avoid any kind of precinct rumour-mill starting up. On the way in Jimmy bumped into Jay, who was also wearing same the clothes as the night before
Morning Detective... looks like I wasn't the only one who didn't get home last night!
(Jay winked at him)
Thanks for inviting me along last night, Kimko's amazing! I've never met a girl who was so into her guns before...
(he started to blush)
After we left we went to a motel...
WHOA WHOA WHOA!! I don't need to hear this Jay!!
But Detective... Jimmy, I need a favour...
What have you done kid?
No, nothing like that... Would you be my best man?
Yeah! I proposed this morning, she said yes! I'm meeting her parents tonight and we're getting hitched as soon as possible!
Seriously? Jay, thats a bit sudden, you sure about this? You only met last night...
Never more sure of anything in my life, and she feels the same. So, will you?
If I'm who you want Jay... then I'd be honoured.
Jimmy walked into the office, Sandy was on the phone. She looked shocked.
....yeah, OK. If your sure then of course I will...... OK, see you later.
She hung up the phone and looked at Jimmy
You are never gonna guess what I just heard... that was Kimko on the phone...
Wait, lets see if I'm psychic... Her and Jay spent the night together and now they're engaged?
(Sandy stared wide-eyed at him)
I just bumped into Jay on the way in. He asked me to be best man.
Kimko just asked me to be a bridesmaid!
(Sandy grinned)
I've never been a bridesmaid before!
A first for me too. Well, I just hope it works out for them, Jay's a good kid and Kimko seems like a nice girl...
Sergeant O'Leary knocked on the open door and walked in
Yes Sergeant?
Sorry to barge in lad, but we've had a report come in that a woman with claws and a 'cat-man' are smashing up a music store in mid-town. Beat cops are saying its not their jurisdiction...
OK, thanks Sarge
Jimmy turned to Sandy, she was already on the phone. Jimmy's hangover was still hanging, he felt a little sick, then more sick. He rushed off
When he got back Sandy was still on the phone.
...o do you think you are?? You came to us.... No, that's not how it.... Look, if you don't want to lia.... You know what John? F**k you!
She slammed the phone down
Well, looks like we wont be working with the studio again! 'Petty crime' is apparently below their 'mega-star' heroes! They've got more important things to do like save the world from Aaron Ablaze to worry about a store getting trashed!
What? Of all the crappy, low-down.... You know what, screw um! I feel like crap but I'll grab my gear. Can you page Ten for me and send O'Leary to go pick him up? Tell him I'll meet him there.
By the time Jimmy arrived on the scene the street had been shut off by the regular cops. Jimmy snuck around the back of a building opposite, climbed onto it's roof and set himself up. He saw O'Leary arrive with Ten down in the street. The regular cops backed away as Officer Ten got out of the back of the police van. Jimmy keyed his radio
You reading me Ten?
*Ten hear you boss. Where you?*
I'm on the building to your left...
(Ten looked up and waved)
... you ready?
Down in the street Ten nodded
Jimmy grabbed a loud-hailer
There was silence for a few seconds...
The glass door blew outwards, shattered by what looked to Jimmy like a cash register. Officer Ten covered his face from the glass. Two figures stepped through the doorway
GOD! All I wanted was for them to sell my new solo album for me! If they'd have just done it I wouldn't have had my 'little accident'. But you asked for it coppers, you get the live performance! LET'S ROCK!!!
Deft Leopard Pounced at Officer Ten, but Ten had already moved and swung a massive Monkey Punch at Honey Badger, knocking her down. As Deft Leopard jumped back up Jimmy took aim
The Tranq Round hit home and Deft Leopard went down
Honey Badger got back to her feet and wiped blood from her mouth
You made me bleed my own blood! Prepare to get sliced up by THE HONEY BADGER!!
She flailed at Ten with her claws but he managed to jump back. He unleashed a hail of Rubber Bullets on Full Automatic
One caught her in the shoulder. Even from across the street Jimmy heard bones cracking
She flailed a Kick at Ten and, while it connected, the ape didn't even seem to notice. She backed away holding her shoulder, her left arm limp, as Ten took a step towards her. Jimmy keyed his radio
Back off Ten, I'll put her out
The Capcitor Round hit home and the shock jolted through Honey Badger. She shook her head and started to get up
Ten grabbed Honey Badger, picked her up and brought her face to face with him
No, shouty big hair lady, Ten still got this!
He pulled back his head and smashed Honey Badger with a Helmeted Head-Butt that knocked her out cold
By the time Jimmy got down to the street the regular cops had picked up Honey Badger & Deft Leopard, cuffed them and taken them away. Ten was surrounded by officers congratulating him, welcoming him to the force, patting him on the back or shaking his hand. Ten was grinning from ear to ear. As he approached they turned and saluted him.
At ease. It's great that you want to welcome Officer Ten to the force, I appreciate it. But there is statements to get, a mess to clean up and a road to open... Come on, hop to it!
They rushed off and got on with their jobs. Jimmy turned to Ten
You did well my friend. And the other officers seem to like you... We'll have to see about getting you closer to the station, can't have O'Leary running to fetch you all the time...
Ten's grin got bigger.
In its forgotten bag in the bottom of a box Jimmy had never got around to unpacking the Disc of Arubanon briefly glowed.
After an exciting morning came the mountain of paperwork that goes along with any police department. With most crimes happening at night it felt to both Jimmy and Sandy that the day was all backwards. At around 7pm Jimmy threw his pen down.
Right, thats it! The sun is going down, my head is still killing me from last night. I... am... done!
He looked over at Sandy. She was holding a picture in her hand, tears rolling down her face. She realised he was looking, wiped her eyes, got up and stood by the window.
I'm sorry... I just found it in my bag and...
She looked out of the window. Jimmy picked up the picture, it was of Sandy and Rook in a bar, all smiles. He put it back down and walked over to her. He pulled her towards him and gave her a hug, she squeezed him tight
It'll be OK Sandy, I promise, it just takes time... are you sure you don't want some time off? You could do with a break...
No, I need to keep busy...
OK, OK. Well, if you need anything... you know, someone to talk to or to do something... anything at all, you let me know. I'm here for you Sandy.
She pulled away from him slightly & looked him in the eye
Thanks Jimmy, I appreciate it, you're a good friend
She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him again. Jimmy looked out across the street at the building opposite.
Sandy, shocked, pulled away
What's wrong!!?
He looked at Sandy
Look over there, on top of the roof!
They both looked
But I saw... it was... Sandy, I saw Robyn, I know I did! And she saw you kiss me! She's probably freaking out right now, I've got to go find her!
He went to rush out of the office. Sandy grabbed his arm to stop him. She looked concerned but smiled weakly at him
I'm sure you think you did see her Jimmy. But you know as well as I do that...
(her eyes started to water, she took a deep breath)
... that they're gone Jimmy. Rook and Robyn. Both gone. Your eyes were playing tricks, just like mine do every day. Look, you're here for me, but I'm here for you too. If we lean on each other we can make it through this, right?
Jimmy looked at her and nodded
Come on, lets go for a drink.
Jimmy nodded again
OK, but just one to try and shift this head-ache. And no tequila!
As they gathered their things together and left Jimmy looked out of the window one last time... he had been so sure it was Robyn, that his eyes were not playing tricks on him. But he also knew the horrible truth, no matter how much he pushed it to the back of his mind. He would never see Robyn again, she died on the gallows nearly 800 years ago and there was nothing he could do to change that fact.
One single tear rolled down his face as he turned off the office light and closed the door.
Last edited by MJStark : 03-16-2012 at 01:07 PM.
So folks, I know things have slowed right down on here in the last few weeks, this was due to working like a bitch while my boss got his holiday taken at work. I was due to say today that things will pick up again now...
But I'm afraid not. My wife has been offered a really good job in Brighton (she didn't even need to interview for it, simpley enquired about the job and got offered it on the spot!). Now, moving to Brighton has been our vague plan for a number of years so having this fall into our laps is kind of a dream come true
The job starts in less than a month and we've got to move home, get our son in a decent school there and generally get the stuff we've collected over 10 years in a 3 bedroom house with massive shed (my wife is a hoarder lol) down to the amount of stuff you can fit into a moderately sized 2 bedrom appartment while still working to pay the bills until we leave
So I'm afraid fans of Robyn and Jimmy will have to wait a while for the conclusion of their stories. I'm going to try and get both to the final issue of this volume (one away each) but after than it will be after we get ourselves sorted in a new place 270odd miles away that I will stike up the continuing story.
Many thanks for reading folks and, trust me, just like Arnie, I'll be back
So, my desktop died big-time just before the big move and I lost all the data for my diaries and the I+verse Middle Ages Add-On mod I was doing. Sorry about that folks.
If anyone is interested I could continue the story in a similar style to the 'wiki-entry' style used by others on the board for diaries, but I don't have any of the data left to continue the diary in full at this time.
Let me know folks. I should be able to continue it properly at some point, but I'll be honest and say that when I can I'll be starting from a point a volume ahead of where we are now (due to personal choise, nothing more. The Jimmy/Roberta saga gets more interesting and less angsty from that point)
And check out the Robyn diary if you want a really shortened version of the final issue that never was
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Malloy wants background checks for all gun buys
Governor wants to expand use of background checks for those purchasing weapons in Connecticut
Updated 11:40 pm, Friday, January 11, 2013
HARTFORD -- Gov. Dannel P. Malloy wants thorough background checks on anyone buying any type of gun in Connecticut, expanding the law that now governs only handguns.
Malloy said it may be the only way to create tighter gun controls in the face of powerful advocacy groups like the National Rifle Association.
"Honestly, what do I really think? I think any time that you go buy a weapon, someone should check," Malloy said.
As the General Assembly moves toward forming a task force next week for fast-tracking new gun-control legislation, Malloy said Friday that it just makes sense to require all gun sales to have the kind of checks required of new handgun owners.
New gun permits require proof of training and both criminal and psychological background checks. Felons and those convicted of drug crimes or domestic violence are barred from permits, as well as those whose mental health issues may have resulted in forced psychiatric commitments.
Current law forces purchasers of rifles, if they do not have pistol permits, to wait two weeks before buying a rifle. But valid hunting licenses can be shown to skirt the check and waiting period. Private sales of firearms are not covered by the background check requirement.
"I understand why we have historically had an exemption for single-shot weaponry and if we could so define that, in such a way, then maybe that could continue to be an exclusion, but the problem is then NRA gets involved in that exclusion and it becomes as big as a house," Malloy said.
"The gun that was used in Newtown was sold as a single-shot weapon," Malloy said during an interview in his Capitol office. "All it needed was to be modified and all of a sudden you don't have a problem. In my studying of a lot of this language around gun control and definitions on the national level particularly, but even to some extent on a state-by-state issue, the exceptions get blasted wide open and it then makes the system less enforceable."
The governor said that when he tries to get on an airliner, his identification is screened to make sure he's not on a terrorist watch list.
"Why can't we do that for a gun?" Malloy said.
Earlier in the afternoon, U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy held a conference call for reporters in which they said the Dec. 14 school shootings have troubled both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
"I think that we will have a lot of receptiveness from our colleagues," Blumenthal said. "Many of them are much more receptive and are really heeding what I have heard from Newtown and all across Connecticut: `Please do something about the guns.' "
Blumenthal said criminal background checks nationwide are performed on only about 40 percent of gun sales.
Murphy said the 20 Sandy Hook Elementary School children and six adults who died at the hands of Adam Lanza affected people throughout the nation.
"I truly believe that the landscape has changed," Murphy said of the possibility for tougher laws and the possible return of the nationwide ban on assault-style weapons. "Even today you are hearing conservative House Republicans who have pledged fealty to the NRA talking in favor of background checks. I understand it's not going to be easy to pass a new assault weapons ban, but it is absolutely essential."
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