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- Male Dominant Stories : Examination Of A Nag
Examination of a NAG
Sometimes Kate Harridan thought *Milly* was the cause of her headaches, the way her administrative assistant went on and on, urging her boss to see a doctor about the trivial ailment. Milly ought to have been working for Kate long enough to know by now she *always* got headaches when she was under stress. And Lord knows she had cause enough for stress. Just moving the headquarters of NAG (National Association of Grrls), the organization Kate had founded, from San Francisco to Washington was stressful enough. Then the disasters began.
The movers had hardly finished putting all the ficuses in place when the Finger scandal broke. Carol Finger, yes, Senator Finger herself, was caught in a sexual liaison with one of her hunky interns. ?Sexual liaison? hell, the Senator was getting her lights fucked out daily if not more often. Truth be told, Carol Finger had never been a credit to the World?s Greatest Deliberative Body, but she was on NAG?s Board of Directors and the organization had to back her up. Always ready with a faux feminist rationale for her erratic positions on issues, Carol compiled an amazingly inconsistent and self-serving voting record.
The disclosure that Senator Finger was having sex with a boy half her age was bad enough. Worse was the grainy photo obtained by the other party showing a plump middle-aged woman draped over an arm chair, red skirt up around her waist and red panties down around her ankles, being skewered to her obvious delight by a muscular blonde. The President?s picture above the desk smiled down in apparent approbation, or was it envy?
The Senator made everything ten time worse, however, at the news conference she gave to announce her resignation. Kate had read the transcript and seen the video enough times to have the gut-wrenching performance memorized. The rhetorical low points were burned into her memory.
?Hell, yes, I?m having an affair with this gorgeous boy and I sure don?t intend to apologize for it,? the Senator declared.
?That?s the difference between men and real Grrls. I do *not* beg forgiveness from my husband and family and this has definitely *not* made my marriage to the wimp stronger. In fact, I?m going to divorce his ass! And for all you school marms of whatever profession that ?can?t understand? how a woman of ?my age? can take up with a twenty year old stud-muffin, let me spell it out for you. S-E-X. Clear enough? Let me be more specific. T-E-N I-
N-C-H C-O-C-K. Need more? How about, T-W-O. I-N-C-H. D-
I-A-M-E-T-E-R? I?ve got the boy putting the wood to me like I haven?t gotten it in years and damned if I?m going to stop him.?
?Take it from me, Grrls, get your self one of these,? she proclaimed lustily, reaching over to fondle the erection of the handsome young man standing beside her, smiling even though he was a little dim to fully comprehend what was going on. ?Stop grinding up the contraband Viagra in the old fart?s oatmeal at night. It?s not doing either of you any good,? she admonished.
?Loose some lard ladies, get your titties a silicone upgrade if they need it, buy yourself a few hot little minis, and wiggle your ass down to the nearest sports bar. I guarantee within a week you?ll be getting your pussy plowed or I?ll let you have Arnold for a night.
If you are lucky, you might even find a plowman who can remember which morning to take out the garbage, but don?t hold your breath. Remember, Grrls, there?s just one thing a man?s good for. If he?s well equipped between his legs, don?t worry about what he?s got between his ears.?
?There is, however, one particularly disgusting canard out there, that I must most emphatically deny. I did *not* let my fuck toy ?get me pregnant.? I got this,? Carol paused for effect and lifted her obscenely short skirt to display a telling bulge in her panties, ?Because *I* threw away the pills. *I* decided on the best dates. *I* locked him in the hotel room and kept the pillows under my ass. *I* made sure he gave me frequent re-fills of jizz all weekend long. I?m having this baby because *I* guided his big cock into me and made him shoved it farther down into my fertile womb than he ever had before. Arnold, the dear, just supplied the semen, one thing he can do very well.? Arnold grinned, suspecting the nice woman had said something good about him again.
Ex-Senator Finger had gone on for twenty minutes in that vein. It had been a public relations catastrophe ending with the horrific finale. ?Therefore I am resigning my seat in the United States Senate. Not because I am ashamed of myself, but because there isn?t a man there who can fuck worth a damn -- and the women aren?t much better. I don?t have time to listen to windbags when I could be on my back getting a prong where it belongs. And so adieu and fuck yieu!? she concluded giving the middle finger salute for the nation?s television cameras.
The furor over l?affaire Finger had barely died down when NAG was embarrassed to learn that Wonder Woman was out of service. For some time it had been damned hard to get in touch with her. The Army?s main contact with the superheroine, Diana Prince, was spending every free hour shacked up with Col. Steve Trevor and had the little round tummy to prove it.
When the lovebirds could at last be prevailed upon to call in Wonder Woman, it was revealed just why the superheroine had been keeping out of sight. Although the Amazonian Princess wasn?t telling who had done the deed, America?s first line of defense had irresponsibly let some man put a bun in her oven and her doctor didn?t allow her to travel. Consequently, the US military had to deal with a rogue faction of the Ruritanian Defense Force without the assistance of its superheroine. It was close run thing.
Finally, although it was not a crisis, Kate became increasingly aware of the subtly hostile atmosphere to NAG?s agenda in the Washington social milieu. Kate had expected to find Washington full of sour women -- hard-bitten lawyers, disgruntled NGO executives, and angry consultants -- eager to become NAGs.
Instead, every time she turned around Kate heard another story of a professional woman who suddenly quit her job to become a happy little sex kitten for her boyfriend and promptly got herself knocked up or one who had to give up her career when she ?accidentally?
let her husband make her pregnant again. Hundreds of women with children in college were waddling around in maternity dresses again or were back to washing diapers. Some were doing both.
Olivia Fuentes in NAGs Research department confirmed that the birth rate among upper middle class women ages 30-45 in the Washington metropolitan area was almost double the national average and was still shooting up.
The queen bee of these ?New Feminists,? as she dubbed them, was Angelica Lopez, the new editor of the Post?s ?Style?
section. And Angelica made no secret whom she considered to be the ?Old Feminists.? Angelica was an odd bird, Kate thought.
Admittedly she had a strong claim to being a feminist. She was a successful young woman with a six figure income and a handsome, slavish husband whom she kept home to look after the house -- and the kids. That was the odd part. Angelica had five children under four and was pregnant again. She filled ?Style? with stories about having sex and having babies. Thousands of readers adored Angelica, but unfortunately, had rather less supportive husbands than their icon. So when their bellies started getting big, they were the ones who stayed home to care for the little shoot.
No, Kate didn?t come by her headaches gratis. She had to admit, though, that Milly might have a point. Her assistant did seem so happy and full of life since her visit to Dr. Bock. Maybe it was a good thing NAG had selected him. Several women doctors had bid for the contract to be NAG?s Preferred Provider of gynecological and (Ha!) obstetric services, but Bock?s price was just too good. Moreover, Carol Finger and Milly, who had been on the selection committee, had returned singing the praises of the Bock Clinic. Grudgingly, Kate told the eager AA to make an appointment for her the next week.
This made Milly very happy. Although she knew Kate would not understand the recent changes in her life, much less approve of them, Milly was convinced somehow that the visit to Dr. Bock had been a turning point. Although she could not remember much about what happened there, since then Milly had blossomed socially. To be more exact, were Milly not such a little lady, one would say she had turned into a cock hound!
Like many women who discover the joys of sex a little tardily, Milly focused on the basics, seeking to make up for lost time. Candles at dinner were an unnecessary expense and wine, however useful for getting a guy into bed, interfered with good service once she had him there. Experience had taught her that a big plate of pasta before the main event and Gatorade, kept by the bedside for pit stops, were all that was needed for the kind of strenuous lovemaking she demanded.
Milly was not yet much into romance. Her idea of a long term relationship was a guy who would pick her up at work on Friday afternoon and would still be performing to spec Monday morning when she reluctantly made him climb off and go home so she could get ready for work. Sadly, Milly had not yet found the man she was looking for, so she made do with a team. A major league manager planning his pitching rotation for the playoffs had nothing on Milly?s strategizing her boyfriend schedule according to her moods and social occasions.
Primus inter pares was Horse, the Washington Wizards?
center who was hung like a ... well, the eponymous farm animal.
Carlos was a dance instructor whose introduction of the movements of Salsa, Cumbia, and the Meringue into his frenetic lovemaking more than compensated for his small stature.
Wentworth was a pleasant looking banker, rich as sin, and not too bad in the sack. He had his uses. The sleeper of the group was Albert who worked at National Science Foundation. He was terribly bright and didn?t look so goofy now that Milly had convinced him to get contact lenses. Albert was still a bit of a nerd, but Milly decided must have a Ph.D. in the geography of erogenous zones and had perhaps done some post-doctoral work in cunnilingus. He could get her off so well with his fingers and his mouth, Milly only fucked him to be a good sport ... and because his prick was almost as big as Horse?s.
Amaka was also happy to get Milly?s call that Ms Harridan would be coming for a visit and immediately informed James.
?You handle her honey. After all, she *is* a feminist.?
Emboldened by James?s confidence in her, Amaka did a little research on her patient-to -be. Although Kate had written several books, the locus classicus of her anti-male ideology was, ?Forget It!? This screed was mainly famous for Kate?s aphorism, that ?a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.?
When Amaka saw Kate?s scowling face, she knew this was not going to be easy. She decided that the best approach would be a respectful, businesslike tone. "Since you're a new patient, Ms Harridan, I'll need to get some preliminary information."
"I assumed that that was the purpose of having me fill out the form," Kate icily replied.
"You're quite right," Amaka assured her, wanting to get her into at least a semi-cooperative mood as quickly as she could. "All the basic, standard information is on the form, and of course I won't waste your time asking you to repeat it. All I need to do now is get some more details medical history, and because so many questions are contingent on other questions, it's a lot faster and more efficient to do that in an interview."
Kate seemed to accept this common sense explanation, if reluctantly. She nodded and said, "Very well."
"OK, glancing over what you put down, it looks like the only medical problem you've had in the past several years has been headaches, is that right?"
"That's correct."
"No history of sinus trouble? Good eyesight? Has there been a change in your symptoms recently?"
Kate answered the first two questions with a quick negative shake of her head. "The headaches have been getting worse in the past few weeks. Well, I'm not sure they're worse, just more frequent."
"I see. And has anything changed recently about your habits or your diet or your environment at home or at work?"
"I keep telling my secretary it's stress, and I have certainly had to deal with a good many problems recently. Unfortunately, stress is unavoidable in my work."
"Do you anything to relax?"
"I don't have much time for relaxing." Kate's expression changed from sourness and impatience to one of passionate zeal.
"I don't know if you're aware of how much ground the feminist movement has lost in the past few decades. It's all we can do, those of us who still care about it, to keep things from sliding back into the dark ages."
?The real crisis is that we women have ourselves given up the fight. A lot of us have convinced ourselves that full-fledged feminism is extremist rather than simply right. Some even take delight in being sex objects, living their lives as if they were in some male fantasy. I don't suppose you've read Andrea Dworkin?"
Amaka had in fact read some Dworkin, but she shook her head, not wanting to extend the discussion if she could avoid it.
But Kate seemed to be on a roll.
"Well, you should read Dworkin; she's a very important writer. But even Dworkin is too tolerant for my tastes. Men have subjugated women for years, using them for sexual pleasure and to make babies and to clean up after them. And look at so-called women's magazines! What are they about? Babies, sex, and how to have a pretty house! We're subjugating ourselves! Every time a woman has sex, she's cooperating with the oppressor!"
This was not going the way Amaka had intended. She had meant to gradually steer the discussion around to the need to relax, then either to the use of tranquilizers or self-hypnosis, which would give her the opening she needed to start this woman's conditioning.
But she couldn't help saying, "I've heard that Andrea Dworkin says that any sex involving penetration is inherently sexist. Is that what you mean?"
Kate shook her head emphatically. "No, Dworkin has that completely wrong. That's a detail, mere symbolism. It isn't how you have sex, it's having sex at all. Any kind of sex subjugates women to men!"
Amaka looked at her with real curiosity. "Well, what if there aren't any men involved? What if it's just two gir -- two women? How can that o--"
Kate cut her off impatiently. "That's still sex, isn't it? Do you think that makes any difference to a man? Men love the idea of lesbian sex! They like it as much as they do male-female sex.
Maybe more!"
Amaka opened her mouth to say something, but decided better of it. Reminding herself that this was not going anywhere useful, so she decided to revert to her original plan. "You make a very good point," she said, hoping agreement would avoid extending the argument. "You're absolutely right. Your work is very important. Vital. And I'm sure your headaches are interfering with your work, so we had better do something about them."
"Yes," Kate agreed, putting her palm to her forehead and seeming to sag slightly.
"Are you getting a headache now?" Amaka asked.
"Yes," Kate said. "I guess I got a little too intense." She looked up sharply. "But it's important! Ow!"
Amaka stood up and moved behind the woman. She began massaging Kate's shoulder's while trying to make it seem like an examination. The woman's shoulder muscles felt like taut steel cables. ?Ms Harridan," Amaka said, "I believe that hypertension of the striated muscles might be at the root of your sensitivity to stress. I would like to examine your staticodynamic ligomusculature more thoroughly. Please remove your outer clothing and lie down on the examining table."
Kate looked sourly doubtful. "I had assumed the doctor would examine me."
"And I'm sure he will,? Amaka said with a second unstated meaning. ?But I assure you that I'm a qualified medical professional, although I'm sure I don't have to tell you that, since you would not underrate the nursing profession simply because it is traditionally female."
Kate seemed horrified by the very suggestion and quickly said, "Oh, of course not. I, I simply was concerned about the time.
But perhaps you're right." Efficiently, and without the slightest sign of either shame or delight about the process, she stripped to cotton briefs. No doubt all her bras were burned years ago, Amaka told herself.
"OK, now if you'll just lie down here. No, face down, please. All right, now tell me if I hurt you."
But of course she had no intention of hurting. Amaka massaged the woman's shoulders, her back, her legs and arms, alternately gently and firmly, all the while trying to make it seem like an examination despite the pleasure she was sure she was provoking. Occasionally she allowed her large uniform-covered breasts to brush against her patient's bare skin as if by accident, and she let the tips of her fingers brush a few times against the sides of the woman's breasts. Kate showed no suspicion of what Amaka was up to, but she did show signs of responding and trying to conceal it. Amaka grinned inwardly, wondered if this woman ever had a massage before. Probably not the sort of thing a tight ass like her would go in for. May that was why she was reacting so well to this one.
When Amaka shifted her attention to the surprisingly cute little ass, though, she provoked a more negative reaction. "What are you doing?" Kate suddenly demanded.
Sounding professional, Amaka said, "I'm sorry if I startled you. Headaches can originate in primary or secondary muscle tension anywhere in the body, but especially near the head and spine, and in particular with the larger muscles, such as the gluteus maximus, here. I notice you seem to be particularly tense around the base of the spine, and I really should examine the whole pelvic area for my report."
Kate reluctantly let her press and feel her way around, and after a while the ass muscles no longer clinched up when she touched them.
"How's your headache?" Amaka asked.
"Why, it's gone!" Kate sounded genuinely surprised.
"Good. Sometimes the physiological manipulation necessary for the examination is itself therapeutic." Damn, she thought, she was starting to sound like what's her name on ER. "In fact, I believe it would help establish a treatment modality that I could report to the doctor if I tried one additional thing."
Amaka looked around for some oil but couldn't find any.
"I'll be right back," she said as she hastened out of the room.
Kate lay there feeling better and almost relaxed. Perhaps her initial skepticism of this nurse had been based upon some residual sexism. After all, it pervaded society, and patriarchal values were passed on as much by mothers as by fathers -- that was the insidiousness of it. She should have thought to mention that in explaining how even lesbian sex could be oppressive of women, in that it reflected the patriarchal socioeconomic system. Marx had been, in his typical male way, wrong. It was not religion but sex that was the opiate of the masses, especially the female masses, and as with any seemingly pleasurable addictive drug it was best avoided.
The nurse came back with some sort of bottle. "This is a therapeutic lubricating oil," she explained. "It will help me perform a palpatative examination of the deeper musculature."
Amaka neglected to mention that the oil had several tranquilizers that would be absorbed through the skin mixed with it. Since her close call with that tough Ms. Lopez, Amaka took no chances.
Slowly, she began to smooth the cool liquid on Kate's back.
Kate had found the initial examination pleasurable, almost embarrassingly so, but when the nurse's oiled fingers began sliding over her, pressing gently here and there, then stroking so lightly it was barely a touch, it felt incredible, like nothing, well, like nothing she'd experienced in many years. It made it hard to think.
Perhaps she should make her stop, but that was silly, this was simply a medical examination, even if it was a kind she wasn't familiar with.
"Excuse me, but I don't want to get oil on your panties," the nurse said, and Kate felt them being pulled down to expose her posterior. The sensation of the slippery hands examining her bare bottom was shocking to Kate, but she strove to avoid showing any sign of it. Only when an oiled finger feeling about her tailbone slipped briefly down between her cheeks did she start to say something. It was over too quickly, before she could object, although not before it had given her a strange and strangely pleasurable, frisson.
"Now please turn over," the nurse instructed, and Kate did so. The nurse put more oil on her hands and proceeded to examine Kate's shoulders, neck, and sides. Amaka moved to stand at the head of the examining table. Kate felt the nurse?s gentle fingers trail lightly across the muscles of her face and forehead, then to the sides of her neck and her shoulders, then back to the face. She felt much better and more relaxed, but she noticed that her nipples seemed to be standing up. Much as she hated to admit it, Kate knew she was becoming aroused.
The nurse said something Kate didn't catch. She realized that her eyes were closed and she opened them. The nurse was leaning over her, her face upside down from this angle, some sort of shiny amulet hanging from her neck and swinging slightly.
"I want you to relax as much as you can, Ms Harridan.
Based on the what I've seen so far, I believe it's very likely that your headaches are a consequence of general musculoskeletal hypertonality. It should respond well to treatment if we know its full extent."
The skillful hands ranged more freely over Kate's body as the amulet swung over her face, capturing her attention. Gradually Amaka moved to stand beside Kate's head, one hand continuing to explore her upper body and the other straying lower and lower in its gentle, pleasurable examination of the abdomen.
Kate felt herself drifting into almost a dream state, aware that she shouldn't fall asleep in the examining room but too relaxed -- more relaxed than she had been in years, she thought -- to really care. In fact, the nurse kept telling her to relax, and she kept feeling herself do so more and more.
Almost in a daze she heard the nurse say, "Now, I need to check some interior muscle tension, so don't be startled. This will only take a moment." And she felt a lubricated finger slip gently into her vagina. The pleasurable shock was intense and it was all Kate could do not to cry out or arch her back. The finger moved around inside her, setting off little rockets of delight. Then it began to pump in and out of her while the nurse kept telling her to relax, relax, go to sleep for her, go to sleep, listen only to her voice ...
A weak thought that had for some time been in the back of Kate's mind, one she had been refusing to listen to, suddenly shouted its way into her consciousness. This wasn't any damned medical examination. There was no medical reason for finger fucking. This was a seduction attempt. This so-called nurse was trying to have sex with her, and a lesser woman than Kate Harridan would have fallen into her trap!
"What the hell are you doing!" she spat out, trying to sit up.
The nurse, still standing beside her, looked a little surprised by the attempt at resistance, but her hand didn't miss a stroke and Kate realized to her horror that she half-wanted her to continue.
Amaka leaned over her, keeping Kate from rising, murmuring soothing instructions to relax and as the pleasure between her legs increased, Kate felt the tenseness draining out of her again against her will.
"Stop it!" Kate insisted, weakly trying to close her legs and push away the hand that was robbing her of her will. "I know what you're doing and it isn't going to work!"
"Isn't it?" Amaka asked sweetly. "I believe you've overlooked something about sex. Just because men like sex doesn't mean it's bad for women. In fact, it's a source of female power. I'm using it on you right now, and it's pretty effective, wouldn't you say?"
"No, no That?s lipstick feminism crap! All bullshit!" Kate replied foggily. She was still trying to push the nurse's hand away from her, but she was at a disadvantage half-lying in this position.
Every time she managed to force the nurse's hand away with both of hers, Amaka simply writhed her oiled hand free and went back to what she was doing. Covering herself with her hands didn't work either, because the nurse simply shifted the focus of her attack to Kate's sensitive inner thighs or sides or breasts, and Kate was by now so turned on that almost any contact with those skilled fingers sent involuntary thrills through her.
This is crazy! Kate told herself. Why can't I fight this? I've had enough men think they could seduce me, hoping to bag a feminist as a trophy, and those stupid bastards never came close.
What's this woman doing to me? Why can't I control myself? Her mind seemed sluggish, unable to think. She felt the nurse's lips encircle one of her nipples and begin to suckle, the hot tongue flicking across and around the hard bud. She couldn't keep from whimpering from unwanted but undeniable pleasure, and she began relaxing back onto the table.
?Don?t fight me, baby. You?re too hot to fight. You need to relax and have a good come!? As her struggles gradually weakened and eyes began to drift closed Kate began to figure it out. Amaka wasn't just seducing her. All that talk about relaxing, that sparkling, waving amulet, it had to be hypnosis. She was being seduced and hypnotized at the same time, with the one reinforcing the other and making them both incredibly hard to fight.
That meant she was in much greater danger than she'd realized. This wasn't just some horny lesbian after sex as she'd thought. This was someone who wanted to take complete control of her, to reduce her to some kind of sex slave or worse. She couldn't let that happen, she had to fight it. If she didn't fight it, who knew what might happen?
Was this what had happened to Milly? Had Milly been brainwashed at this place? And Carol Finger! That explained her disgusting transformation. Now Kate wasn't just angry or upset, she ought to be scared, but somehow she wasn?t.
She tried again to fend her off her seducer, struggling. This time she almost succeeded in sitting up.
Amaka wrapped her arms around her and began whispering in her ear. "You can't get away now, you're too far gone, honey, so horny. Now relax for me, relax now..."
Kate felt herself responding to the suggestions and said, "No!" She twisted around, trying to get away. Amaka was still breathing in her ear, "You can't resist me. Give in. You want to give in. You want to come too bad. Close your eyes, now. Sleep for me. Sleep..."
Kate continued to squirm against her attacker, trying to get away, trying not to listen, but her sense of touch, made hypersensitive by the massage, made the struggling contact more and more erotic. When she fought to keep her eyes open despite the hypnotic suggestions she felt her sexual arousal grow irresistibly, and when she tried to concentrate on controlling her sexual instincts her eyelids refused to stay open.
Little by little she felt herself relaxing back onto the examining table. She ordered her body to obey her, to throw off this female collaborator with the forces of patriarchy, but her body had already sold out to the pleasurable sensations Amaka could produce.
Amaka's hands were once again exploring her body, forcing her to respond against her will.
Kate felt helplessly half angry, partly frustrated, but more and more she felt another sensation, an undeniable sensation, not quite a buzzing but something rather like it, that seemed to pervade the whole area between her legs and fuzzy mound just before it.
Amaka's hands were there, making her feel this way.
As the sensation grew it drove before it all her other thoughts and feelings. She heard herself gasping for breath, felt her hips bucking violently against the table, felt her vaginal muscles, all her muscles, suddenly contract and squeeze tight and her breathing stop for an instant, and then the first orgasm she had had since high school, since before she joined the movement, came flooding over her like a hot tidal wave, like a wall of lava, like nothing she could even imagine, and she felt her little remaining will slipping away and her whole self, mind and body, fall under the power of the beautiful black woman.
Two hours later Amaka was smiling as a dazed but dreamily smiling Kate Harridan stood up to go, still a little shaky.
?I?m so happy it turned out those headaches were just stress related, Ms Harridan. If you just listen every day to the tapes and take the pills Dr. Bock put in you bag, you?ll be pleased with the change.? Amaka instructed, not adding that she knew someone else who would be even more pleased.
Milly did not expect an immediate transformation; instead she just smiled at the slow improvements she began to notice in Kate?s demeanor and wardrobe. Week by week the hem of her boss?s skirts crept up until they were a really impressive six inches above the large woman?s knees. The severe bun gave way to tight curls with sexy highlights. Some criticized the large loopy earrings that appeared in Kate?s newly pierced ears and other thought the bangles were not serious enough for the head of NAG. High heel strap sandals and brightly painted toe nails also signaled that something was afoot. Kate?s blouses got frillier and when they became translucent, Milly noted that Kate?s respectable boobies were on display in some eye-catching bras whose colors matched those of the blouses.
For a few days Milly feared that Kate was getting dolled up with an eye to making passes at her or some of the other women at NAG. In an organization like theirs, several were of that persuasion. Even before Kate?s transformation, Ethel Parker in Accounting had lusted for the shapely head of NAG. The slim woman was always attracted by opposites. She had dreamed of removing Kate?s thick jacket and heavy blouse and getting her bony fingers on that overflowing set of jugs. She yearned to pull down one of those wool skirt and peel off the opaque pantyhose to get her henna curls between Kate?s plump legs. The very thought of the effort required to get Kate naked almost exhausted her, but Ethel reckoned there was enough Kate underneath all those clothes to be worth it. Now that Kate was sporting mini skirts with stockings and revealing blouses, Ethel was shivering with lust.
Ethel?s desire for Kate was apparent to Milly who knew she would have to be alert. Nothing untoward must developed before she could get the sexy redhead some professional help from Dr.
Bock. Her worries about Kate, however, vanished when Milly saw how her boss enjoyed flirting with and teasing the bicycle delivery boys. The President of NAG became a real hit the young men as she bent over to sign for packages, making sure her skirt hiked up almost to her crotch and setting her titties to bob tantalizingly. She didn?t seem to mind when the same boy returned to have her sign two or three times for the same item.
Milly would have been equally amused had she been able to observe the daily vignettes that had developed at Kate?s apartment. One morning soon after Kate started dressing a little more like a woman, she got a single, almost deferential little wolf whistle from a worker at the construction site across the street.
Kate flashed him a grin and rewarded him with an extra swing of her hips as she slid her shapely ass into the little Neon. The next day several pairs of masculine eyes awaited Kate?s emergence from her building. The sight of a healthily built lady with a skirt cut closer to her waist than her knees and whose hips rolled provocatively as she undulated toward her automobile, did not disappoint them. A whole flute section of whistles and trills registered the men?s approval.
Fortunately, Kate was punctual so she caused little disruption to the construction schedule when every morning at exactly 7:25 all activity stopped. Seventy five men waited to see what bit of exaggerated exhibitionism the hot broad across the street had in store for them that day. Whatever it was always drew a chorus of approving hoots and cheers. Kate loved the effect she had on all those burly men. Of course all those burly men had quite an effect on Kate, too. During her drive to work she had quite a tingle between her legs that forced her to steer with one hand much of the time. By her arrival at the office the first few days, her panties were too soaked to be worn. She coped by donning ?Lite Days? and changing the pad first thing.
Although Kate?s headaches were gone, Milly noted that her boss still was not entirely well. She seemed distracted and had difficulty concentrating. Milly smiled, remembering how antsy she had felt before she met Horse. Several times when Milly walked into Kate?s office unexpectedly, she glimpsed Kate quickly withdrawing her hand from between her legs. She decided Kate was ready for the proffered help.
One day soon afterward Kate returned from lunch to find a package on her desk. ?Milly, what is this doing here?,? she asked.
?I ... er ... it?s ... uhh ... something I got for you, ma?am.
I thought you might you need it.?
Puzzled, Kate opened the package. ?Milly! This looks like a ...? she gasped, looking at the long cylindrical object.
?The batteries go in there,? Milly said shyly, pointing and trying to keep everything matter of fact. ?I put in a fresh set of Eveready Energizers.?
Kate turned beet red and ordered Milly out of the office.
Disgusted, she thrust the object into the bottom drawer. Try as she might, though, she couldn?t get it out of her mind. She had already changed pads once that afternoon; it was hard to wait for five o?clock to go home. She didn?t make it. About 4:30, Kate told Milly to hold all her calls and a soft hum interspersed with muffled moans and sighs began emanating from Kate?s office. Milly was still hearing them when she left for her night with Horse. Next morning, she found a more serene Kate asleep on the couch in her office. Milly made a note to send out for more Energizers.
A few days later Milly got the call she had been expecting.
?Yes, sir, I gave it to her.? ... ?I think so, sir. She took it home and she?s been coming in late.? ... ?If you say, sir.?
With some trepidation, Milly spoke into the intercom. ?A Mr. William Jenkins on the line for you, ma?am.? ... ?He didn?t say, ma?am.?
?What do *you* want, Bill?? Kate demanded sourly. There was no reason to feign civility. Bill Jenkins was President of NARM (National Association of Real Men). His organization of male chauvinist pigs was opposed to everything NAG stood for.
The fact that Bill had dumped her for that skinny blonde bimbo at Berkeley had nothing to do with her distaste for the man.
?Ahw, don?t be that way, Katie,? Bill pleaded, perhaps forgetting how she *hated* being called ?Katie.? ?I thought it was time NAG and NARM buried the hatchet, you know, start to work together as partners.
?Partners? In what, for heaven?s name??
?Go out to dinner with me tonight and let me explain.? he entreated.. ?Please??
Kate was about to hang up on the asshole, but something made her hesitate. Perhaps it would be droll to hear how Bill Jenkins thought the organizations he and Kate headed could be ?partners.? ?Pick you up at 8:30?? he asked.
Kate surprised herself with the pains she took to look her best. She had been wondering when she would wear that rather daring little red leather mini she had picked up a few days ago on a whim. Well, why not? Let the bastard look, for all he good it would do him. He had always been a leg man. In fact, why not *tease* him a little? Make the old goat regret fucking that blonde who had a waist twice hers by now, Kate would wager. A deliciously wicked thought crossed her mind. Did she really need a bra? Her tits were big girls; they could take care of themselves.
The stupid man had passed up many a happy night pleasuring these babies just because the blonde minx opened her legs for him the first time they were alone together, Kate thought with disgust.
Kate considered going without panties, too -- that would give him an eyeful -- but rejected the idea. For some reason she was *pretty* damp down there tonight. She didn?t want to soil her skirt. The red fishnet stockings would be a nice touch. Four inch heels were good enough for the office, but she decided on the fire-
engine red five-inch pumps for tonight. Finally she dabbed on ?Midnight Assignation.? Marie? Hadn?t that been the bitch?s name?
Kate couldn?t understand the way Bill squired her into the restaurant, seeming to treat the occasion as a date rather than a business meeting. She tried to turn the conversation to professional matters but found it difficult over the arucula and radiccio salad, broiled lobster, and a fruity Australian white wine.
Bill repeatedly deflected her questions with witty stories that kept Kate tittering. The pig was a great raconteur; always had been, now that she thought of it. Letting him refill her wine glass that third time could have been a mistake; it didn?t get her any closer to understanding his ideas of partnership.
She had even less success on the dimly lit dance floor.
Kate had forgotten how much fun it was to be whirled and twirled around by a man who really knew those old steps that few people did nowadays. When the music turned slower and she felt his hands caress her buttocks, it just felt so natural to melt into his arms and let him hold her close. Snuggling her head against his shoulder didn?t really mean anything romantic; it was just a social ritual. But it was certainly not conducive to serious talk about institutional partnership.
No, Kate realized, if she was going to find out what Bill had in mind for NAG and NARM collaboration, she would just have to go back to his house with him as he suggested. If she had not been having so much fun, Kate would have been really annoyed at all this beating around the bush. In the car with his arm around her was the same. Would this bear of a man ever get serious? Why did he want to have a liqueur on the couch before he would out with it? It was very nice of him to tell her how pretty she looked, but what did that have to with his idea of partnership?
And flattering though it was that Bill though she had pretty legs and wanted to see more of them, pushing her dress up like that was quite naughty, though it did make Kate laugh.
Well, that she had a great set of jugs was no news to Kate!
She guessed there was no real harm in letting him unbutton her blouse to admire them better. In fact, it had its practical advantage.
If Bill had been kissing her man melters, as he was now, through the material of her blouse, what a dry cleaning bill she would have!
Men! They could go to the moon and explore continents but needed help with the zipper of a woman skirt! She hated to think of the commotion if she hadn?t been clever enough to leave the bra at home. Oh, that was nice. Having her titties kissed while a hand wormed it way into her panties was a lot more exciting now than she remembered from the back seat of Bill?s automobile in college. My Goodness! Bill Jenkins had learned a few things about women in the last twenty years, Kate reflected. She was sure he would never have know how to put his mouth down *there* in college! Uhh! ?A few things?? My god, a lot! When had he pushed aside her panties? He had his tongue in her ... UUU! ...
He was going to make her ... AAAH ... yes, she was about to ...
?Ahiyouuuuu!? Kate wailed as she came.
After that, the exact sequence of events was a bit fuzzy, but they included Kate tottering upstairs a few orgasms later in just her panties and heels. Bill?s hand on her shapely ass provided the needed guidance. Somehow the panties, too, disappeared and Kate found herself lying on her back, red spikes pointed to the ceiling with a naked Bill Jenkins looming over her. His prick was about halfway into her very wet pussy and sinking deeper! Kate knew she was about to orgasm again.
Moments later another inhuman shriek pierced the midnight calm.
?Oh shit!? Bill thought Of all the times for his home security alarm to malfunction, why *now*? He scrambled down to the basement to turn the infernal contraption off as quickly as possible without disturbing the aroused woman lying naked in his bed, but when he returned, he saw the spell was broken. With fire in her eyes Kate was down in the living room with her panties back on, pulling up her skirt and searching for her blouse.
?You son of a bitch!? Kate hissed. ?You deceitful, low life, treacherous scoundrel. Why waste abuse on a snake like you?
Take me home this instant!?
Kate Harridan when she was riled, brooked no dissent. A chastened Bill Jenkins meekly opened the car door for the fuming woman. She slammed it closed herself. ?But Katie ...? he tried to explain as he slid into the driver?s side.
?Shut up! I don?t want a peep out of you!? Kate glowered.
There was nothing Bill could do but start the car and point it in the direction of Kate?s apartment. To break the silence he slipped a cassette in the tape player.
Kate was furious, as wrought up as she ever remembered being. As with most women, when she was angry with herself, she projected her ire outward. What a creep! How could Bill Jenkins think she would fall for that romantic evening routine? Bill Jenkins playing the gentleman! What a laugh! Bill Jenkins was no gentleman. He was a rogue, a cad. The machista pig?s idea of a good night with a woman was probably to throw the bitch down on a hardwood floor and fuck her senseless.
Kate bet he?d done it enough times, too, starting with that dumb blonde in college. Bill sure had the equipment for it. Kate eyed the bulge in his pants knowingly. Silly women didn?t stand a chance with men like Bill. Just like that college floozy, they would glimpse a prong like Bill?s and get so horny they couldn?t keep their legs together. Any man with a prick the size of Bill Jenkins?s was dangerous. Kate had never seen a package that size in a pair of pants. Bill probably had women falling over him, hot little numbers half his age that welcomed him into their warm wet fuck holes in a trice. Gad how she hated him!
?O. K., Katie. Here we are.? Bill said at last. ?And I really am sorry about ...?
?I thought I told you not to speak!? Kate snapped. Bill waked beside her to the door in silence.
?Well!? Kate growled as she turned her key in the lock.
?Well, what?? Bill asked uncomprehendingly.
?After your disgusting behavior tonight, do you think you can just dump me on my door stoop like a sack of potatoes? Get your sorry ass in here. I want to get fucked!?
It was Zen, Kate later reflected dreamily as she drifted down from a third orgasm and snuggled closer to her now sleeping partner. Once she stopped searching, the meaning became crystal clear. Bill had his huge part?n?er and damned if it didn?t feel good!
The next few weeks saw a general relaxation of discipline around NAG headquarters. The President, frankly, was not setting a good example, often ducking out on Thursday afternoons for a long weekend with her new silver-haired beau and sometimes not straggling back until noon on Monday.
Fortunately, Kate had loyal staff that stepped into the breech. NAG?s head of Security, La Toya Ruston, put the fear of god into the unruly young men in their fancy cars who were causing havoc, queuing up for their dates every afternoon. Olivia Fuentes in Research tried to keep up a semblance of a media program. Victoria Chung of Personnel relentlessly docked the pay of girls who couldn?t wait until quitting time to get started on their evening trysts.
One would have expected Milly to help hold the fort, but Milly was facing one of life?s big decisions. A little queasiness one morning brought something to mind she had not thought about for a while. She had been having such a great time these last four months, but she realized that since visiting the Clinic, she had been forgetting to re-fill her prescription for contraceptives. With the exception of Wentworth who was always responsible, she hadn?t had much protection. When she got going with Carlos or Albert or especially with Horse, she just didn?t have the heart to insist that they stop to put on a condom and she sure as hell didn?t spoil the moment by making them pull out before they came.
Olivia would have made a more exact calculation. Milly?s was rough. Let?s see ... three men, twice a week each for four months, average, say, four times a night times maybe three oz. per come ...
Hum. About two gallons of semen by her reckoning. Yep, she was probably pregnant.
Waiting until the baby was born was not the best way to assign paternity; it weakened her bargaining position. The decision was too serious for ?enney, menney minney moh.? A more objective method was required and the answer was pretty obvious. Wentworth had even more money than Horse and was a lot more malleable. Of course Milly expected his lawyers to try to push him into a stingy pre-nuptial agreement, but she and Wenny would pay a visit to Dr. Bock to talk about the baby and she was sure Amaka could give her fiancee enough backbone to stand up to a few lawyers. Besides, Wentworth would need Amaka?s help to ?remember? that night he had begged Milly not to make him use a condom and not to wonder why their baby was a lot darker than either he or Milly.
Horse, Carlos and Albert were not too happy when Milly informed them she would not be able to see them quite so frequently once she was married. They were mollified, however, when she promised to introduce them to some of her friends. The ones she had in mind were taking work far too seriously, anyway, and needed a little more fun in their lives. Milly scheduled appointments with Dr. Bock for Olivia, Victoria, and La Toya.
The group wedding of Kate and three NAG officers was the socio-political event of the season. Angelica Lopez headlined the ?Style? spread ?They?re All ?New Feminists? Now.? The photo caption said it all, ?...from left to right the party comprised Mr.
Charles, ?Horse? Jones and his bride, Victoria Chung Jones; Mr.
Carlos Valdez and bride La Toya Ruston Valdez; Mr. Albert Wu and bride Olivia Fuentes Wu; and Mr. William Jenkins, President of NARM and bride Catherine Harridan Jenkins, President of NAG. Accompanying the party were Mr. Wentworth Stokes and wife Mildred Stokes with infant; and Dr. James Bock of the Board of Directors of NARM and companion, Ms. Amaka Ebe?
The touching photograph showed a delicate Victoria with her dark, straight hair and almond eyes smiling blissfully as the huge basketball player looked down on her in adoration. Heaven help the man who so much as *looked* the wrong way at his darling Vickie. No bantam rooster could have been more proud than Carlos at the side of the broadly grinning black woman who may have doubled his weight. Olivia and Albert were oblivious to the camera, lost in each others eyes. Kate in her surprisingly short bridal gown beamed as Bill held her around the waist like a prized possession. It was only a fluke of the camera angle that enabled a close observer of each bride?s belly to note that someone had jumped the gun by serveal months on starting a family.
The photographer had not thought it seemly for a family newspaper to include the adjacent tableau of considerable human interest. In it, a thin fiery redhead stood grinning, very proud and very pregnant, in the middle of the other four Wizards starters who were looking quizzically at each other.


text:
This Science night, don't miss out on joining us on a journey through the largest area of wilderness in the Austrian Alps. Then follow us through the construction of the Chernobyl dome. End the night mixing elements and find out what we can do with weather.
Forests are far more complex than previously imagined. The documentary, filmed in 4K, travels deep into the remote forests of the Kalkalpen National Park in Austria – the largest area of wilderness in the Alps. Take a look at the dramatic cycle of the landscape on Nature, airing Wednesday at 7:00 pm.
An international team of engineers races to construct a gargantuan dome to contain the lingering radioactive materials and crumbling remains of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, decades after being the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, on NOVA, beginning at 8:00 pm on Wednesday.
Watch an innovative documentary that illustrates how weather works by performing brave, ambitious (even unlikely) experiments that show how nature transforms simple ingredients like wind, water and temperature into something spectacular and powerful, on Wild Weather, airing Wednesday at 9:00 pm.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text: I'd like the steelers to be more versatile on 3rd down and short. They showed they can still convert them without having a large man run right down the middle. They should mix up their 3rd and short strategies. Sometimes pound em with a big guy.. sometimes sneak willie up the middle... sometimes pitch to him and run him outside and beat a slower guy to the 1st down line.. sometimes a screen pass.. sometimes put both willie and a big back in and not give a clue to the defense who is going to run the ball: if either!


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|Terrelle paid $3.50 for this vehicle much to the dismay of Chef's dad.
Ohio State's director of compliance is reviewing at least 50 car sales to Buckeyes athletes and relatives to see if they met NCAA rules, The Columbus Dispatch reported Saturday.
-Wanna bet that they don't? I could say that if this were 5 or 10 car sales, it could be a coincidence, but 50? I think not. Much props to the Dispatch on this though. They keep digging and digging. They could take the easy way out like The Fan did by hiring only yes-men who never say anything bad about Ohio State and provide nothing but dickless and boring coverage. But they do not. And I respect that. Insert weekly "Demetrius Stanley is god awful" remark IN MY OWN OPINION!
The Dispatch reported that a car salesman who received game passes from Ohio State athletes handled many of the deals at two different dealerships. Ohio State has since taken the salesman, Aaron Kniffin, off the pass list.
-I think it's pretty fair to assume that when you become a college football player at a big program, you want to make sure that your family can always watch you play. And if your family or close friends can't make it, the next best option is to give those comp tickets to your car salesman who apparently charged you the full sticker price? Yep, that makes sense. Nothing to see here. Always got to take care of your car salesman.
Athletes are prevented from receiving special deals not available to other students. They are not permitted to trade autographs for discounts. Both dealerships display signed Ohio State memorabilia in their showrooms.
-Case closed. Now we know why we see college football players always driving big ass SUVs eventhough they have no job and no source of income and usually come from lower income families. Shady dealerships are willing to sell them Escalades for $100 as long as they can put a signed photo of them on their wall. This has to happen everywhere but I don't care about everywhere right now. I care about this program getting what they deserve. Banishment to NAIA!
One car, a 2-year-old Chrysler 300 with fewer than 20,000 miles, was titled to then-sophomore defensive player Thaddeus Gibson in 2009. Documents show the purchase price as $0. Gibson said he did not know why the title showed a zero for the purchase price and said he was still paying for the car.
-Thaddeus, the title said "$0" on it because you paid "$0" for it. That's how the concept of "free" works. I could maybe understand forgetting a digit if it's supposed to say 20,000 and you put 200,000 instead. But zero? And I suppose that he could still be paying for that car. "Nothing" is sort of a payment, right?
School officials have seen no evidence of players getting special treatment in vehicle sales, Douglas Archie, associate athletic director for compliance, said in a statement Saturday.
-Really? Can we bring in commenter Daniel for this? Daniel, tell us about the sort of nice rides that these kids are driving and fill us in on how they afford it. Personally, out of all the people that I knew in college, not one of them had really nice cars. Why? Because normal college kids don't have the funds to go buying new Tahoes. Doug Archie can eat shit. Fire him, too.
The mother and brother of Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor also purchased cars from the dealerships. Kniffin loaned his own car to Pryor for a three-day test drive to Pryor's home in Jeannette, Pa.
-Hoo boy, here we go again. We'll just ignore how this Kniffin cat just gave his car to the biggest loser on the planet for a weekend with apparently no strings attached. How about this: we have been lead to believe that Pryor was selling his stuff to a drug dealer because his family was poor and he was trying to help out or save Christmas or some other lie. Well, the Pryor's apparently aren't poor enough for new cars! And you would think that there would be at least one reliable and reputable dealership between Columbus and western PA. Why drive over three hours to buy a car? BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING SHIT FOR FREE, ASSHOLES! This is how the Pryor Family works!
Kniffin and the owner of one of the dealerships he worked for, Jason Goss, have attended seven football games as guests of players, including the 2007 national championship game and the 2009 Fiesta Bowl.
-Again, there is absolutely zero reason for a college football player to do this for a car salesman and dealership owner unless their backs had already been scratched. It doesn't take an idiot to figure this out.
I can add. So can you. If Terrelle Pryor is attached to something, you can bet your ass that it's sketchy. This is wrong and it is high fucking time that the NCAA finally slaps that "lack of institutional control" tag on Ohio State. I'm too smart to speak for Fuckeye fans, but I've got to think that the majority of them just want to get the full punishment out of the way, have all of those responsible get fired, move on, and fit as many penises in their mouth as they can fit. And while many of you probably are starting to grow tired of my constant posts about the Fuckeye program, well, if these dickheads would just keep their noses clean for more than two weeks, maybe we wouldn't keep beating this dead horse. Or if the NCAA did the right thing, too. Terrelle Pryor is the The Truth or the GOAT still, right?


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Alexander O'Neal returns to The Dakota to reprise his acclaimed Christmas show!
Soul man Alexander O'Neal established himself nearly 30 years ago as one of the greatest pure singers the genre had ever seen. With his new record, Five Questions… the New Journey, O'Neal proves he hasn't lost a step, bringing fresh songwriting to his classic soul-funk sound. With a sweet, gritty voice and take-no-prisoners stage show, he has frequently been compared to Otis Redding, and his ties to the Minneapolis scene make him a local legend.
Born in Natchez, Mississippi, O'Neal spent his formative years touring in a rock cover band, honing his distinctive vocals. His touring brought him to Minneapolis, where he joined a band and production company called Flyte Time, led by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. After two years with the group, O'Neal went his own way, making room for a young singer named Morris Day to take over vocal duties.
With the help of Jam and Lewis, O'Neal launched his solo career in 1984 with his self-titled debut record. While the U.S. audience was slow to catch on, the record produced a Top 10 Hit in the U.K. O'Neal's second record, Hearsay, is considered by many to be the finest recording Jam and Lewis ever produced. His singles "Fake" and "Criticize" achieved club anthem status, and he sold hundreds of thousands of records worldwide.
"Had it been 20 years earlier, Alexander O'Neal would have been compared to Otis Redding. As it was, he was dismissed by the cognoscenti but adored by the masses." -BBC, review of "Hearsay"
The early 1990s saw the end of O'Neal's relationship with Flyte Time studios, but not the end of sold out arenas and Gold Records. O'Neal's unique vocal sound combined with his tremendous songwriting have resulted in music that stands the test of time, becoming hits not only for him but for artists who remix and sample his music.
What Other People Have Been Saying...
"…Mr. O'Neal is one of the great singers in pop, partially a latter-day soul singer but also something else, a singer who can produce ethereally pure notes that have no relationship to the soul tradition at all." -Peter Watrous, New York Times


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Morkel reminds me so much of Broad with the bat. Not just regards to his build but the fact that he times the ball so sweetly on the off-side.
Morkel reminds me so much of Broad with the bat. Not just regards to his build but the fact that he times the ball so sweetly on the off-side.
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Morkel is good when the ball is coming onto the bat. He has lots of text-book shots, he's just really uncomfortable with any ball that's not flat.
Have to admire the depth of SA's batting. Even deeper than England's? No #9 to match Swann, but Big Vern, Steyn & Morkel all much better than Jimmeh and Finn.
Cricket Web's current Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"Like queuing at the post office, or a cardboard cup of weak milky tea there is a quality of slightly clichéd but still beautifully reassuring Englishness about watching Cook bat"
- Barney Ronay
Last edited by sonnench; 16-02-2013 at 05:19 AM.
Don't start playing the ball. Continue to hit it, Peterson.
Reminds me of Pat Symcox's innings in this match, even more frustrating against an attack of Waqar, Shoaib, Mushtaq and Saqlain...
1st Test: South Africa v Pakistan at Johannesburg, Feb 14-18, 1998 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo
And it finally comes to an end, looking forward to seeing Pakistan face.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Didn't get a century. Well done Hafeez.
Bah. Shame. Deserved a ton.
SA from here, IMHO. If two tons can only drag Pakistan to a lead of a dozen I can't a substantial target being set.
Incidentally I note both 1st innings century makers went for Nelsons. Is this a test match first?
Brilliant by robbie P, we were looking at a 100+ deficit, but we have the momentum on our side now.
See off the new ball and then make runs, that should be the plan from here.
That is an innings any top order batsman would have been proud of. Brilliant, priceless knock.
SA favorites now imo even though they bat last. The next hour or so is absolutely vital. If Pakistan lose a couple of wickets early, they could panic and fold quickly. Fascinating test match.
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GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina (14-11) pounded out a season-high 20 hits with all nine starters posting at least one as the Pirates cruised to a 12-5 win over N.C. Central (9-14-1) in midweek action Wednesday night at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Of the nine positional starters, seven recorded multiple hits with Luke Lowery leading the way with a 4-for-4 performance. He also scored a run in the first inning stealing home. Bryce Harman had a career night going 3-for-4 with five RBI and Ben Fultz continued his hot hitting with a 3-for-5 contest with three RBI, which extended his consecutive games streak with at least one RBI to six.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, ECU sent nine batters to the plate scoring four runs and never looked back. Consecutive base hits from Dylan Brown and Drew Reynolds set up the Pirates first score of the night. Fultz stepped to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners delivering a single to left center that pushed across Brown. Lowery followed with a walk loading the bases for Harman, who roped a single to right field scoring Reynolds and Fultz. During Charlie Yorgen's at-bat, ECU executed a double steal with Harman taking second and Lowery crossing home making it a 4-1 game.
Tyler Bolton (1-2) picked up his first career win in the Purple and Gold working three innings on a predetermined pitch count. The right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits with a pair of walk and two strikeouts. From that point on, ECU used plenty of hurlers from its pen getting some much-needed work to a bunch of young guys. Hayden White tossed two scoreless frames with four strikeouts, three of them coming in the fourth stanza.
A trio of freshmen in Luke Bolka (run, two strikeouts), Davis Kirkpatrick (hit) and Evan Kruczynski (two runs, strikeout) worked the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, while Brandon Taylor (strikeout) and James Gray (strikeout) combined to pitch a perfect ninth.
N.C. Central starter Dylan Beiland (0-2) took the loss going one full frame where he was touched for nine runs (all earned) on nine hits with a pair of walks. Eric Kimber tossed 2.1 innings of relief allowing three runs (all earned) on eight hits, while Jacob Russell (2.2 IP) and Grant Cain (2.0 IP) scattered three hits over the final 4.2 frames.
Tyson Simpson staked the Eagles to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single up the middle that scored Zack Lee from second. Lee doubled to left field on the first pitch of the game and came strolling home two batters later on Simpson's lone hit of the night.
Leading 4-1 in the second, the Pirates batted around sending 11 guys to the plate where the scored five runs on seven hits, extending the lead to 9-1. The first eight Pirates reached base via a single or a walk and the frame was highlighted by Fultz' two-RBI base hit to left center pushing across Reynolds and Zach Houchins. After an Eagle pitching change, Lowery loaded the bases with his second knock of the contest to center setting up Harman's two-RBI single to right center.
An RBI sacrifice fly by Bryan Battle plated Carlos Ortiz in the third putting the score at 9-2. But ECU responded with three runs in the bottom half of the frame, which was highlighted by RBI base knocks from Harman, Yorgen and Hunter Allen.
N.C. Central scored a run in the sixth and a pair in the eighth capping the night at 12-5.
Offensively ECU did not have an extra base hit in the contest lacing 20 singles, the most hits in a game since March 16, 2013 in a 16-9 victory at Jacksonville. The Pirate hurlers combined to punch out 11 batters the most since fanning 18 against Western Kentucky in this year's Keith LeClair Classic.
ECU will return to action this weekend when it plays host to UMBC Friday, Mar. 28 in the first of three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. (ET).


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So, you have a Facebook Page, Twitter account, blog and maybe a YouTube channel. What's next?
The allure of social media is strong. We're now able to connect with clients and build exposure without having the expensive costs of traditional marketing. Unfortunately, there are so many social media options out there … and the number is increasing.
If you're like me, I like to maximize my time and effort. I simply want to know what works best — creating quality content to build lasting relationships and establish a strong position in your market.
Achieve perfect exposure for your photography business with a well-considered social media marketing program. Use these online engagement tools to explore your customers' wants and needs, likes and aversions, decision triggers, and more, and earn brand advocates by delivering images, tips and insider information that makes them swoon.
Lawrence's comic wit coupled with marketing expertise takes you behind the scenes to understand how to reach your market …
This book is a must read for those that want to tap into the formula for converting "looky-loos" into paying clients who [then] turn into evangelists for your brand, business or cause.
- Develop a strong marketing strategy to achieve your business goals
- Zoom in on your best customers and most promising prospects
- Explore the pros and cons of specific social media channels
- Understand the vital skill of listening
- Find out how and why to promote the luxury angle of photography
- Discover how to inspire brand evangelists through social media
- Learn important survival tips for your social media program
|Listen to your audience and learn what they love, hate and couldn't care less about.
|Create content that resonates with your market and supports your niche position.
|Convert your fans, friends and casual readers into clients and advocates.
|Evangelize your brand with passionate followers who'll spread the good news of your work.
In addition to the powerful strategies illustrated in this book, I was fortunate enough to have friends in the industry — Kenny Kim, Zach and Jody Gray, Jerry Ghionis, Becker, Jasmine Star, Catherine Hall, and Grace Ormonde — whom offered valuable advices through different perspectives.
Bulletproofing Efforts
We all know how fast social media changes. Remember MySpace? Social media are platforms. Although some have advantages over others, the strategies are virtually the same.
Understanding this concern — what if I build up my Facebook following and it one day collapses? — I dedicated an entire chapter to methods in securing your digital space in the event of a change of mediums.
After reading it you will undoubtedly think differently about how you market your business and your business will in turn be better for it.
Read The Introduction
Download the Introduction (PDF) to see if you like the writing style. Read a few blog posts to see if you like the content.
I picked up many valuable tips to use in my own business as well as insights on my own motivations as a consumer. I'll for sure be re-reading this one a few times so I don't miss any nuggets of wisdom.
Where to Get It
Amazon, Barnes, Walmart and other retailers all carry the book in stock. However, I'm a fan of Kindle, so all of my books go through them. Alas, the Kindle version is still be converted, so hard copy for now.
If you're like me and have wondered how to do this, then this material will probably be just what is going to help you, and educate you on how it all works. I was very impressed by his ability to allow us to see "behind the curtain" and understand the mechanism that motivates consumer habits, human behavior, and how to use it to attract quality clientele. Big thumbs up!
Lawrence Chan
P.S. I'm working on a surprise for those who leave a nice comment on Amazon. I believe in positive reinforcement 🙂
P.P.S. I spent about seven months working with a talented team to put this book together. A lot of blood, sweat, brain juice went into this. I'm really really really proud of this. Hope you all feel the same way.
P.P.P.S. Digital iBook, Kindle, Nook, etc. formats coming soon. Wiley Press is still in the process of converting it over. I'm anxious myself.


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I assume that, in the old dueling tradition, his opponent gets to choose the mod.
According to the article, the sides alternate choosing levels. But seeing as Bethesda's parent company owns Id Software, three of Bethesda's best warriors might be people who actually developed Q3A. So in a sense, it already is on Bethesda's home turf.
I forget which documentary it was in, but there was an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto where he played a game of Donkey Kong and died on the first level.
Just because you make a song, doesn't mean you can make the top score on it in Guitar Hero.
Just because you make Q3A doesn't mean you can make top score in it. Video game developments and FPS game players develop different skill sets.
If you want an employee that can play the game, you want a tester, not a developer.
Instagib is fun and all, but Generations Arena is the only way to go with Quake3.
I assume that, in the old dueling tradition, his opponent gets to choose the mod. I recommend INSTAGIB.
Personally, I'd choose a fucking big rock to drop on the head of the person sitting at a computer thinking they were duelling.
Yep. They should have the match refereed by Barbara Streisand.
He can then decide to call it "The Elder"
Nah, if he loses he'll change the name to Scrollz.
I'm sure that's about as valid as other unusual laws that are, in theory, still on the books--can't play hopscotch on a Sunday, can't dress a donkey in a sundress in rainy weather, etc.
And of course he's been watching Game of Thrones... he even said that in his blog post!
(Off topic: This is probably the best book adaptation to film/tv I've ever seen, well beyond even Lord of the Rings or the Sci-Fi mini series version of Dune and Children of Dune. Those have been my yardsticks to measure other adaptations
I do remember reading that, according to some interpretations, Trial by Combat *may indeed* be legal under the US legal system [wikipedia.org]...
And there is a history of trademark disputes being settled this way. [wikipedia.org]
my brother, Fatal1ty.
But you'll have to settle for Bronn... Don't worry, he's your kind of fellow...
If they agree to it in a well-written contract, it's absolutely legal. This is a civil suit we're talking about, after all, and the contract doesn't involve anything illegal AFAIK. (IANAL)
Yeah, I'm a bit surprised. I think I submitted it less than three hours ago, too.
That's OK, though. Someone will work Bitcoins into it and it'll be like braaaand new.
At least for the first couple of times it's duped that way.
What's impressive is that this made its way onto
Correction: Bethesda's lawyers are being total assholes here.
Nothing surprising, I'm sure most law firms reject any résumé that does not include "Being a stubborn asshole" in the first paragraph.
Correction: Bethesda's lawyers are being total assholes here.
Nope, they are just helping Bethesda defend their trademark (remember, if you dont defend it, you lose it, especially since Notch is also is also in the same gaming business).
The lack of aggressively defending your trademark can cause you to lose it in the future.
That is at least part of why the Second Life lawyers granted a license to the getafirstlife guy.
(a copy of the "cease and desist" letter is here: http://farmersreallysucks.com/editorialgetafirstlife.shtml [farmersreallysucks.com])
Nope, they are just helping Bethesda defend their trademark (remember, if you dont defend it, you lose it, especially since Notch is also is also in the same gaming business).
They can't lose something that they have never had. Bethesda do not have "Scrolls" as a trademark for a computer game, and do not stand to lose "The Elder Scrolls" by doing nothing here. Furthermore, all Notch has done is apply for trademark on a name that he plans to use. There's nothing wrong with that - it's just diligence - and filing a suit about that is rather arbitrary. If Bethesda's representatives have an issue with that then they should just contest the application.
Somehow, I don't think the Bethesda lawyers are going to be okay with a trial by combat, unless they can somehow extract an extra fee out of it.
Well, unlike copyrights and patents, trademarks must always be fought for or they are lost.
Their trademark is "Elder Scrolls". While I think Mojang's "Scrolls", even as a fantasy game, is too generic to be trademarked, it is not violating Bethesda's trademark. They are claiming they own the individual words of their trademark, even though they are common english words, and that's clearly absurd.
It doesn't matter if they have a trademark on the specific word. If someone uses a mark that is similar to something you use and they are within the same industry you risk diluting your mark and losing it. Which is why Microsoft was basically required by law if they wanted to not lose their Microsoft trademark to sue the guy who started "Mike Rowe Soft".
Heeh, did that actually happen?
On the current topic, however; look at it from the other side. If Mojang created 'Scrolls' a few years back, and then Bethesda published 'The Elder Scrolls', what would happen? From that angle, it would look a damn lot like a sequel, wouldn't it?
It's not particularly nice of Bethesda, but I do see their point.
Notch just got married this weekend, and is officially away right now, for his honeymoon. This lawsuit came up at a terrible time, and this is the way that Notch handles such stuff.
Notch seems to read and reply most to comments on the minecraft channel at reddit. The thread there [reddit.com] would probably be the place to post if you want to volunteer as one of the representatives
I think they should have to use actual employees, who have been employed before the challenge, to prevent them just hiring Q3 allstars.
So.... seeing as Bethesda and id Software are both now arms of Zenimax, can id Software employees be part of the Bethesda team?
Shoulda stuck with counter-strike, Notch!
He says he is serious, but unless there is something I am missing or Notch is an idiot he is not actually expecting them to agree. Supposedly Bethesda have a financial reason for suing Notch and for a actual business to engage in basically a game of chance (Quake 3 is not a game of chance but pitting two unknown team against each other in it is) to determine if they will go ahead with the suit or drop it is just irresponsible. And assuming that they are a corporation beholden to look after the best interest
The point I was trying to make was not wouldn't it be cool if it went down or not but instead that he has absolutely no chance of getting it to go down and I think he knows it.
Supposedly Bethesda have a financial reason for suing Notch and for a actual business to engage in basically a game of chance (Quake 3 is not a game of chance but pitting two unknown team against each other in it is) to determine if they will go ahead with the suit or drop it is just irresponsible. And assuming that they are a corporation beholden to look after the best interests of their shareholders most likely an illegal act to boot.
That makes the huge assumption that the financial loss caused by a game
Bethesda is a private company, so they can do whatever they want.
He says he is serious, but unless there is something I am missing or Notch is an idiot he is not actually expecting them to agree.
Bethesda may not have anticipated the bad press that this affair is generating. Notch has offered them a face-saving way out. It would be wise of them to accept.
If serious, he just screwed himself out of using the contested name. He just expressed his willingness to change it. So now, a judge knows that it's not crucial to the project to keep the name, if he would frivolously agree to changing it over the outcome of a video game match.
It's like this. Big bad greedy company wants your name, or your domain, or wants you to stop using it because it infringes on their trademark, or "dilutes their brand" or whatever buzzwords they use. You say you will change it if they pay you a million dollars. You probably just screwed yourself in court if they refuse, because it makes you look like a squatter.
Remember MikeRoweSoft.com? He might have had a leg to stand on because it was his name, and he was a software developer, but as soon as he attempted to extort money from Microsoft, his prospects of winning were shot. (If I recall correctly, he settled for some free gifts from MS)
But yeah, free publicity, anyway.
No. You are completely wrong on that - the law does not say anything about *needing* a trademark. In fact, the courts will probably look favorably on this attempt to settle out of court - showing a willingness to compromise is actually a bonus, not a strike against you.
There's only a few outcomes left, now, which will show who's in the right:
1) If Bethesda agrees, and both parties abide by the results, everyone saying this is a case of the legal department not being in touch with the rest of the company get
(I didn't realize it would be in Sweden... it could be quite different. All bets are off)
But I was more thinking of:
6) Judge sternly rules to stop using the name Scrolls, and (not necessarily because) he doesn't like the court's time being wasted with frivolity. If he's willing to give up the name over the outcome of a video game, just give it up. I highly doubt the judge would identify with the chivalry and nobody is going to take that challenge seriously. It would be legally foolish for anyone on the comp
"Surely, the word tournament should be safe? (Activision would of course crawl right up my ass and use my balls for a punching bag)"
ok now I know you're doing nothing but talking out your ass.
X360 Abronium Tournament
PS Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002: Beybattle Tournament 2
NES Battle Rush: Build Up Robot Tournament
GC BeyBlade VForce: Super Tournament Battle
GBC BeyBlade: Fighting Tournament
PC Bomberfun Tournament
GBA Bomberman Tournament
ARC Buriki One: World Grapple Tournament '99
"Willing to settle it via arbitration" is different than "willing to give it up", because there's about even odds that Mojang would end up with the trademark, not Bethesda. It's not Notch saying "we have no claim to it", it's saying "we both have equal claim to it".
There's also the problem that Bethesda's entire suit is based on "customers could be confused into thinking Scrolls is a Bethesda game". Which is untrue for a reason that hasn't been brought up here: most gamers don't think of Bethesda's games as
Notch does not have the funds to match Bethesda legal team.
I think they (both) might want to check with Steven Mancinelli [uspto.gov]. Notch's defense would run to "I can't be infringing on Bethesda's trademark, since this other trademark was plainly issued to the pertinent domain AND is more directly infringed if anyone is.
If you're going to have a trial, it should definitely be a trial by stone [youtube.com].
I'm usually not this low-brow, but I'd like to give Bethesda a roll of toilet paper, which is the trophy for winning Ass-Wipe of the Year. And if you think about it, toilet paper is rolled like scrolls are, so sue me too, ass-wipes.
If graphics hackers are so smart, why can't they get the bugs out of fresh paint?


text:
MANLIUS — Bureau Valley and St. Bede squeezed in a softball game Tuesday afternoon. St. Bede got on top early and continued to add runs throughout the game building a large eight-run lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Storm (2-3) found a way to add some runs late, but St. Bede didn't bend much, winning 9-3. The starting pitchers were Bureau Valley's Darcy Kepner and St. Bede's Lainie Schweickert. St. Bede (8-3) had eight hits in the game with Storm only managing one.
"They did a nice job. It was a little chilly and we don't get outside a lot. It was a nice effort," said Mike Stariha, who was filling in for St. Bede coach Bill Prokup. He commented further saying the Lady Bruins hit when they needed to and fielded well.
Storm coach Brian Humphrey said, "We waited too long to start hitting. We had some good at-bats in the last couple innings. We dug ourselves into a hole there in the first inning with a couple of errors. The defense wasn't real sharp tonight. You can't let a team like St. Bede jump out to a lead like that with Lainie Schweickert on the mound. I'm proud of the fact that we battled the whole game. We just got too far behind and waited too long to start swinging the bats. St. Bede is a good ball club, but we can play better."
St. Bede's Lydia Stariha led off the first inning with a single. Barbi Prokup reached on a fielder's choice with Stariha landing safe at second because of an error. Then Schweickert reach on a dropped third strike to load the bases up for third baseman Emmi Christianson.
Christianson flied out to third bringing clean-up hitter Mo Dean to the plate. Dean slapped a single, earning two RBIs as Prokup and Stariha scored. Dean and Schweickert quickly moved into scoring position. Olivia Mueller singled to send Schweickert across home plate giving St. Bede a 3-0 lead. Abby Nowakowski brought in Dean with a fielder's choice. Going into the bottom of the first it was 4-0 Bruins.
In the bottom of the first, Schweickert struck out two, walked one, and got some help from her defense to keep the score 4-0. In the bottom of the second, the Storm managed to get a base runner in Caitlyn Scott, but she was quickly eliminated on a double play where Prokup tagged Scott and threw Susan Bremmel out at first.
St. Bede added one run in the third, three in the fourth, and their ninth run in the sixth.
The Storm got their first run with an RBI from Scott in the fourth inning. They added their final two runs in the bottom of the seventh.


text:
2006 Women's Soccer
Bluffton vs. Urbana
Urbana dominates Bluffton early on way to 6-1 victory
September 13, 2006
BLUFFTON, Ohio - Following the men's nailbiting opening act, the Bluffton University women's soccer game was over in short order as the Beavers found themselves in a three-goal hole on as many shots less than ten minutes into the contest. With the 6-1 loss to Urbana, Bluffton fell to a 0-4 while the Blue Knights upped their record to 5-2-1.
While not allowing dominant amounts of possession time to Urbana, Bluffton was bitten by the long shot several times as Blue Knight sharpshooters were given good looks at the gaping net. As the Beavers struggled to find themselves in the first half, Urbana continued to pound away at the offensive end settling for long-range missiles launched at Bluffton goalkeeper Ashley Bloom (Tiffin/Calvert). Cashing in on another high, floating shot, Urbana scored its fourth of the half in the 34th minute.
Bluffton answered back three minutes later when sophomore Elyse Burckhart (Souderton/Souderton) found the back of the net. Following a flurry in the penalty area, the ball popped out to the top of the 18-yard box where Burckhart calmly collected it and deposited it just under the crossbar and over the Blue Knight goalkeeper. Managing just two shots on goal in the first half, Bluffton found itself down 4-1 with a mountain to climb.
The mountain grew higher early in the second stanza when Urbana expanded its lead in the 50th minute. Bluffton threatened intermittently the remainder of the game getting off eight more shots on goal to outshoot the Blue Knights, 10-9, for the game. Freshman Meghan Forquer (North Canton/Green) enjoyed numerous runs at goal but rarely saw enough daylight to shoot on frame as the Urbana defense closed out quickly.
The women's soccer team returns to action on Saturday versus HCAC foe Transylvania at 12 noon.


text:
Police were forced to delay V/Line services on the Bendigo line this afternoon after a group of children were spotted playing on the train line in Golden Square.
The group were seen playing on the train line near Oak Street about 4pm but had fled the scene by the time police arrived.
Leading Senior Constable Gary Boucher said it was a reminder that kids need to realise the danger of playing on train tracks.
He said there was a spike in call outs to train line disturbances around school holidays.
"This time of year we get dozens of calls. Parents need to remind their children that railways are not playgrounds," he said.
Leading Senior Constable Boucher said each time police were called, V/Line were forced to halt services until the area was cleared. He said delays could last up to an hour.


text:
LET'S FIRST stipulate that the seizure of Crimea and any designs Moscow may have on invading eastern Ukraine is plainly bellicose behavior that runs contrary to international law. It's a vexing problem for the international community, and one that demands serious attention.
But 2014 isn't 1938.
"We've seen this before in history," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble mused recently of Russian meddling in Crimea. "Hitler took over the Sudetenland with these types of tactics," he continued, taking a firm hold of what has rightly been a third rail for German leaders.
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton drew the very same parallel days before. And she was hardly alone among policy makers eager for a resonant soundbite.
Russians look to the same history. The new leadership in Kiev is derided loudly by Moscow as "Banderovtsy," an allusion to the controversial Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera who in 1941 tried to ally with . . . the Nazis. Needless to say, arguments ad Hitlerum have a far different significance in a country that lost 25 million people into the maw of the Wehrmacht. The full weight of that historical touchstone might take a moment to appreciate.
Allusions to the Third Reich are legion, but the American public square is lousy with countless others — each as equally easy on the ear as they are thin on the facts. Is Kabul the next Saigon? Are we witnessing a new McCarthyism? Are voter ID laws the new Jim Crow? Is this a new Sputnik moment? Is that the new Inquisition? Are we in decline like the Roman Empire? What nonsense.
The Swiss historian Jakob Burckhardt famously bemoaned the rise of political demagogues, the "terrible simplificateurs," those who would reduce history's complexities to a pure, simple, and tyrannical truth. The lessons of the past, he felt, could best be understood by acknowledging and appreciating their nuance and complexity. And the enemy of nuance is the historical analogy.
We should start avoiding such comparisons like the plague.
Past events are poor indicators of the future. History never repeats itself, despite the oft-cited mantra. Events play out on fresh stages, with a unique set of players and scenes. Most importantly, says veteran intelligence analyst John McCreary, historical analogies are always imperfect — because leaders learn and adapt.
Well, some of them learn anyway. The use of historical analogies by policy makers was so common and so fraught with danger that Harvard's Kennedy School of Government has for decades offered a course now called "Reasoning from History."
The class textbook warns that the course itself is a bit like teaching junior high schoolers about sex. "Since they are bound to do what we talk about, later if not sooner, they ought to profit from a bit of forethought about ways and means," reads the preface of "Thinking In Time: The Uses Of History For Decision Makers."
When it comes to historical analogies, there's a strong case for abstinence education. We should all try to learn from the past, but not for fear that the past will repeat itself.
The Internet deploys Godwin's Law as a cudgel against Nazi references. In 1990, the attorney and author Mike Godwin codified the idea that over time, invoking the Third Reich in an argument was inevitable. The idea that bears his name was meant to admonish, Godwin says, to make people think about what they're saying and not trivialize the terrible crimes of the past. Today, the war on bad historical analogies fares about as well as the war on drugs.
Yet, perhaps the audience is growing more skeptical. The Putin-Hitler comparison has been so much in the zeitgeist that Quinnipiac University polled the country to gauge its resonance. Only 24 percent of Americans agreed with the analogy, while 51 percent said it went too far. Score one for moderation.Alex Kingsbury is a senior associate producer for WBUR's "Radio Boston." Follow him on Twitter @AlexKingsbury.


text:
The 2012-13 financial year was one of achievements and unforseen challenges for the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (PAHSMA) in its stewardship of three of Tasmania's most significant, World Heritage-listed convict sites (The Port Arthur, Coal Mines and Cascades Female Factory Historic Sites).
During the first months of the period, the organisation, like many Tasmanian businesses reliant on tourism, was beginning to experience a rise in visitor numbers after the downturn of the previous two years.
Just as these positive results were being realised and PAHSMA was preparing for a busy summer season, a massive bushfire tore through the Forestier and Tasman Peninsulas, closing both the Arthur Highway and the Port Arthur Historic Site for around ten days. Port Arthur turned from attraction to evacuation centre. Rather than collecting fees from visitors, the 700 people stranded onsite were provided with meals, a safe place to shelter, information and comfort.
"Our staff were magnificent at what was a very challenging time, whether they were providing support at the Visitor Centre, protecting their own homes or fighting fires. The period following the fires was challenging. Many staff were personally affected by what had happened were facing the same emotional impacts as the rest of the community, but still 'soldiered on' and provided the high level experience expected by visitors when coming to our Sites," said CEO Stephen Large.
Despite the extended closure during the busiest period of the summer season, PAHSMA managed to regain much lost income with financial and visitation targets met. The site welcomed 243,761 visitors which includes both day and evening activities and emerged from the year with a 53% improvement on the anticipated financial outcome.
The Cascades Female Factory has been the focus of major interpretative and conservation works, leading to vastly improved visitor experiences through a variety of tours and interpretive assets. Combined with a new website and increased marketing, visitation continues to rise at this World Heritage site based in South Hobart site as the stories of Australia's convict women comes to the fore.
At the Port Arthur Historic Site, conservation efforts were focussed on the Penitentiary and its surrounding precinct. Planning and preliminary archaeology, engineering and survey works were undertaken in preparation for major conservation works to take place in 2014.
PAHSMA Board farewelled chairman the Hon Dr Barry Jones AO who retired from the role following twelve years of contribution; Barry was one of the principal architects of the Convict World Heritage nomination and campaigned for many years to secure the listing for the chosen sites. Professor Sharon Sullivan AO, one of Australia's most highly respected cultural heritage specialists and Deputy Chair since 2000 was appointed Chair.
Taking out three Tasmanian Tourism Awards, the site was also named among Australia's top ten attractions by global website Trip Advisor. The success of new products such as the Paranormal Investigation Experience are consolidating and continue to attract high numbers whilst other products have been developed specifically for the growing cruise ship sector.
The site hosted numerous events but perhaps the most noteworthy was the inaugural Port Arthur Tattoo which saw over 2000 visitors basking in brilliant sunshine and enjoying an array of performances – all of which were staged as a show of support to the community following the bushfire emergency. While entertainment was the key outcome in this collaboration of bands, an additional bonus was an injection into the tourism sector with local accommodation providers reporting that they were at capacity as visitors chose to make a weekend of the event.
PAHSMA's 2013 Annual Report highlights the resilience of an organisation that faced extenuating challenges and has come out on top. Delivering an impressive bottom line while meeting conservation and infrastructure requirements and servicing the needs of visitors who enjoy the sites as quality tourism destinations along with noteworthy successes in major projects.
Read or download PAHSMA Annual Reports


text:
Broncos open season with 3-1extra inning loss to Minico
BLACKFOOT — It may have taken a little longer than the team may have liked, but the Blackfoot High School baseball team finally opened its 2014 season at home against Minico.
And after waiting and extra four days to finally get the season going, seven innings was not going to be enough.
After battling to a 1-1 tie through seven innings the visiting Spartans scratched two runs across in the top of the eighth inning to earn a 3-1 victory.
"I thought the kids played pretty well," Blackfoot head coach Kenny Dahle said. "We had a few missed opportunities, but I would rather get those out of the way now especially with district games this weekend."
Broncos starter Dylan Mansanarez cruised through the first two innings retiring Minico in order in each inning.
He appeared to be retiring the side in order in the third after striking out the first two hitters he faced. But there consecutive Minico singles plated the games first run.
Blackfoot had a chance to either tie of take the lead in bottom of the fourth when Mansanarez started a string of three straight singles to load the bases.
Mansanarez, Pacen Hayes and Tyler Lindsay all singled setting the table for Taylor Pearson.
Pearson was retired on strikes and Russell Osborn grounded into a double play to end the scoring threat.
After the missed opportunity the inning prior the Broncos made sure that they did not let the same chance go by the wayside in the fifth.
After a single by Dallin Fairchild, Brady Pearson grounded into a fielder's choice that got the Minico coach out onto the field to argue with the umpire after Fairchild did not slide into second base on the force out.
Pearson scored two batter later on a single by Andrew Hatch to tie that game at 1-1.
Unfortunately for the Broncos fans that braved to cold and wind, that was as close as the Broncos would get to scoring the remainder of the game.
The Broncos had just two runners reach base over the final three innings as Minico pitchers were able to take advantage of the early season aggressiveness at the plate.
Minico got their runs in the eighth after a leadoff walk and a single by Danny Freiburger put runners on the corners.
Zach young who led off the inning with a walk scored on a double steal when Blackfoot shortstop Russell Osborn bobbled the throw to second from the catcher. Freiburger scored two batter later on a single by Michael Cantrell.
Hatch, Hayes and Lindsay each had two hits to lead the Broncos.
The key to the 2014 season for the Broncos will be health.
So far the Broncos look more like a M.A.S.H. unit than a baseball team as a handful of players are nursing injuries or recovering from off-season surgery.
But even with players on the mend the Broncos are deep and are one of at least three other teams fighting for the second state tournament seed after defending state champion Bonneville.
Mansanrez, Fairchild, Hatch and Hayes all pitched in the season opener, but those four just scratch the surface of the depth on the Broncos rotation this season.
After shoulder surgery this summer Osborn will return to the rotation some time this season. Brady Trappett and both Pearson's can also toe the rubber if necessary.
Offensively the Broncos will need to manufacture runs as with the new technology in baseball bats over the last few years home runs are harder and harder to come by.
Up and down the lineup the Broncos are loaded with hitters who can move runners led by Pearson, Hayes and Osborn.
Defensively the team is solid and Lindsay is a big reason why. There may be no fundamentally solid catcher in Eastern Idaho than Lindsay and after one game this season he showed why.
With his ability to knock down balls at the plate and a strong arm to throw out runners many teams chose not to run on him.
As the defending consolation champions in the 4A ranks the Broncos are looking to improve, it can be done but taking down the top seeded Bees is going to be tough for the entire state.
Century should be Blackfoot's main challenger for the second state tournament berth, but then the old adage always holds true. That's why they play the games.
The Broncos open 4A District 5/6 play on Saturday when they host a doubleheader against Preston. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Minico 3, Blackfoot 1, 8 inn
Minico 001 000 02 – 3 7 0
Blackfoot 000 010 00 — 1 8 1
Minico — ZachYoung, Tanner Harper (6) and Harper, Al Garcia (6). Blackfoot — Dylan Mansanarez, Dallin Fairchild (4), Pacen Hayes (7) and Tyler Lindsay.