text:
|Thread Tools
·····Subchapter 11a- As the Snow Begins to Fall
Stillness. That's all there had been for the last few minutes. Stillness and the icy breath billowing out of both predators mouths. Karus continued to wait. He had been following the tracks for 15 minutes, waiting a few more wouldn't hurt. It had been a couple of days since he had had fresh meat, but moving to get a clear shot now would startle the beast. A light snow began to fall and a bitter, ice cold wind kicked in. Still neither moved. Stillness.
Finally the wolf ceased his sniffing and scanning and began to meander off again, slowly. Karus silently circled around from the wolf's side to his back and a clear opening in the trees. Karus notched his arrow and took aim, adjusting for the wind. Instantly the wolf became motionless again, as if a sudden realization had hit him. Karus let the arrow fly.
The arrow flies, its heavy tip tracing a smooth and straight path towards its target while its lighter end swaying in that ever so slight way that an arrow released from a bow does. Said sway, however, doesn't settle down the way it should before the arrow strikes home, but becomes pronounced as a slight change in the wind grabs the fletchings and pulls them into a widening circle. Instead of a killing blow, the arrow finds the edge of the wolf's shoulder blade, cutting deep and cracking bone with its force, but failing to penetrate to the heart.
Suddenly hobbled, the wolf squeals and whimpers in pain as it bolts from the sight of its injury.
Physics is like sex. Sometimes it yields practical results, but that's not why we do it.
-Richard Feynman
Karus twists his mouth into a grimace and curses himself for the fool that he is. It was not a clean shot; it was not a clean kill. He is better than this. His aim is as true as the air is frigid. Hed once taken a pheasant in full flight from three hundred paces. How could he not manage to do this simple thing? Knock, draw, take a life, keep your own.
The wolfs whimpers are a condemnation of himself. It is now lame, feebly trying to lick the matted red fur where the arrow juts out. Had he missed Karus could have waited and tried later or gone on to find easier game. But he had not missed. He had failed and now the burden rests on his shoulders to finish this. The creature deserves better than his careless shot. If he left now it might live out the day, but it could not run with its packwherever they might beand would starve within a week.
The thought of a dozen or more of its packmates lurking nearby sets the small hairs on his neck on end. In his minds eye he sees them padding silently across the cold ground, their golden eyes holding no mercy. They tear him apart, feasting on his innards, bringing terrible vengeance. Wary, Karus glances over each shoulder. Nothing stirs save the breeze and the wolfs labored breath.
It deserves better than this messy death. There is nobility, regality, wrapped inside of its stark nature. Karus moves between the trees, getting closer. Hearing his steps the wolf awkwardly spins around, holding its paw off the ground. Their eyes meet. A hunter knows a hunter. For a moment he is reminded of another time and another pack, but the memory is dispelled at the throaty growl from the wolf. It places its paw on the ground and hunches its head, baleful eyes glaring at him in defiance. He cannot save it. This is no hound to be nursed to health. It is a beast, and so is he.
Knock, draw, take a life, keep your own.
The knife in his hand moves with deft strokes well-practiced from an early age, slicing from the anus up to the breastbone. At five he had crouched in the snow with his father, watching him harvest the stag he had brought down. The sight of crimson on snow will forever be blazed into his memory. He had lost his nerve then, spilling his breakfast onto the ground. His father had laughed.
His hands are sure as they pull the stomach and guts and lay them on the ground. Fingers slick, he pulls the loose rectum out and drops it on the innards. One by one he discards or saves the organs. The lungs go. The heart stays, of course. He fetches a spare scrap of cloth from his bag and drapes it over a low hanging branch before hefting the carcass and laying it on top. Blood splashes down onto the ground and the meat steams into the open air. In this cold it should only take but a few hours for the meat to cool. The animal had not been big, but he could butcher it for more than a few meals.
Karus holds the heart in his hand and watches the wolfs spirit, free of its mortal shackles, race into the ether. There is no gratitude in his eyes for none is owed. He pays obeisance to the rituals of his people out of respect for tradition and the hunters way. He kills to survive, unlike those monsters that plague his tribe. Oafish brutes, they kill for pleasure as often as they do out of need.
It was with reluctance that he set on this journey. As a man grown he could have been put to as good use felling any of the wretches that might try to turn their malice toward his people. Even as a child he had possessed a hawks eye. When they played games of skill involving thrown stones, he had rarely lost. At age twelve he had taken his first buck. By fourteen he was a regular with the hunters that foraged in the hinterlands.
Youll go home soon enough, son, a familiar voice says behind him.
Karus turns around. It is his father. Dead for going on three years now, he moves with an awkward gait; his leg, arm and part of his chest are twisted and crushed from the massive blow that had felled him. In his life he had been a giant of a man, broad of shoulder and with iron thews, yet he had barely stood at the waist of the monster that had proved his equal. Karus had taken more after his mother in stature.
Yes, da, he says. It has been a week since he last saw his father and Karus had begun to think he would not see him again until he returned. But what am I looking for?
Part of the ritual, he says. His father half-walks and half-drags his bad leg. Youll know it when you find it. Dont forget to burn or bury the remains. You dont want a bear following the trail.
Yes, da, he says, annoyed. Its not his first hunt. He moves back to the tree and wipes his hands on a patch of the cloth jutting out from beneath the beast. Fetching his waterskin he splashes water on his hands and rubs them together.
And a wolf? Couldnt you have found better game?
Karus clenches his jaw and gives his dead father a look. Dyou want to find me some?
Cant, his father says. Not allowed. Make sure to let the meat cool thorough.
Karus looks to the carcass hung on the branch, sweeping his hand toward it. He turns back. His father is gone. Scowling, Karus begins to fetch branches for a fire, stacking them in the crook of his arm.
The wolfs corpse drips crimson tears. The wind rustles the branches. Its almost like being home.
Hours later he has dumped the entrails into the fire, watching them sizzle and spit as the flames consume them with a greedy hunger. He had butchered the meat and made what use of the pelt that he could. Eyes periodically sweep the surroundings, vigilant for danger. Nothing stirs beneath the boughs of the forest. Karus is alone with no company but the heap of fur and flesh next to him. He talks to it.
This whole thing is a fools errand, he says. With father passed, they want me gone as well.
The pelt ignores him.
What am I supposed to bring back? You? You wouldnt even make cloak, he says and spits on it. His face softens Im sorry. You deserve better. Thank you for feeding me. Ill make good use of you.
A piece of skewered meat rests just above the flames. The smell is intoxicating. His mouth waters and he fetches it from its place perhaps a little early and tears into it. It steams into the chill air. It burns his tongue.
Where do you think I should go? He sucks the remnants from his fingers. South? I think south.
He shoulders his possessions and kicks dirt over the fire, burying it alive. Taking a few steps he turns back and sees the fur still lying there.
Well? Arent you coming?
The pelt does not stir.
Oh, very well, he says. Ill carry you, but only for a little ways.
He slings his companion across his back and the pair disappears beneath the boughs, heading south.
Three days later, an early snow squall caught him and the pelt. Monstrous steel clouds rolled in from the northwest and a bitter wind ran before them, the harbinger of the storm. As the first flakes of the white vanguard began to fall, Karus took refuge in a shallow cave. It was mercifully empty. The last thing he wanted was to stumble upon a bear that had not yet laid down for its winter sleep.
Squatting on his heels, Karus stuck his hands by the pitiful fire he built near the mouth of the cave. The pelt sat next to him in silence. Karus pulled a strip of meat from his rucksack and ate it cold, staring out as the heavens filled with a hundred thousand flakes of snow. They spun and danced on zephyrs, twirling madly and without purpose. It was beautiful.
The hinterlands stretched for leagues in every direction. It was home, but not home, to Karus. It felt like the woods and hills of his homeland without any of it being familiar. Despite this he still half expected to see his mother come around the corner. She did not. It was his father who came instead.
He still bore all the wounds he took with him to the other side but none of the blood. His leg dragged without leaving any trail in the light dusting of snow scattered across the branches and leaves. Even in death he was a commanding figure. He towered over his still living son and Karus fought the old urge to quail or risk his wrath.
"No reason to be hiding from the storm," his father said. "It'll pass soon."
"Aye," Karus said. "But it'll be dark soon enough. Here's a good a place to sleep as any."
"But you're close, son."
Karus' eyes narrowed. His father had previously refused to give him even the slightest morsel of information about his journey and goal. This sudden change of fortune had the young man suspicious of his father's intentions.
"Close to what, da?"
His father wagged a thick finger. "That'd be telling."
Karus scowled and took a stick and roughly prodded the fire. "I'm getting pretty tired of this."
But his father was gone.
"Damn him," Karus said, looking down at the pelt. He laid another couple sticks on the flames and fanned it with his breath. His thick cloak was drawn tightly around him. "I can't wait to go home."
Suddenly he was struck by the memory of the first girl he had lain with. He had been years of age and had returned from a particularly successful hunt for the autumn harvest. Their party had all returned with a deer slung over their shoulders. At the festival he had grown drunk on mead and he and a freckled girl named Amity had stolen away into the woods nearby with a pair of furs. Beneath the October moon they had awkwardly fumbled with each other's bodies. He had not gotten her with child, but thinking back, Karus would have been all right if he had. She would have made a good wife.
Amity had died that winter from a raid by the savage giants that tormented his people. Karus' mouth curls with loathing for the devils. That debt was still unpaid and when Karus returned he planned to collect.
The world grew darker. Karus and the pelt huddled by the fire. Lost in memories of the past, they waited out the storm.
Last edited by Cadrius; 7th of July, 2009 at 01:26. Reason: My earlier edit apparently didn't take. Fixing that now.
His boots crunch through the fine dusting of snow that coats the dirt and leaves. His breath steams in the air. The pelt is there with him, draped over his shoulders. The snow will not last. It is too soon for the winter court to reign. Already he can feel the morning sun warming the air. Lord October will not stand this transgression. By noon all will be brown and orange and red and yellow again. Autumn will hold the world in its grasp once more.
Karus finds his step quickening. He feels the first slick of sweat on his back and belly against his tunic as he pushes himself harder. Now he understands what his father meant. He can feel it. It calls to his blood, singing in his veins. The search will be over. He will return to his village as a man. At last, the son of Brom will be paid the respect he is due. This will prove his worth beyond all reproach. Perhaps it will even help them scourge their ancient enemies from the land.
Visions of being made chieftain float through his mind. He ruled with a firm, yet fair fist. With the giants gone from the earth his people were free to grow and prosper. They started small, improving the wooden palisades and longhouses. As trade opened up a mighty keep was erected. A new power rose in the north and Karus was there to lead them to such heights they had never dreamed before. Eventually he was made king, first of his name, and founded a noble lineage with his beautiful wifea woman who was believed to carry the blood of an almost dead line of sorcerers. His progeny were both powerful and bright, boys and girls who were destined to rule. Bards penned verses to honor him. Statues were built. A golden age settled across the world.
He comes out of his reverie as a ruined manse looms in his view. The walls, once proud, have been laid low by father times wizened fingers. He marvels that all things in this world fight against the slow, inexorable entropy. Time is loaned, we are mighty, and then we are cruelly worn down and crushed. In this all things must obey. This home is no exception.
Brackish water pools across the ground. He stares at the moss and sticks and dark water, wondering if a madman built these walls of stone in a swamp or if the swamp had arisen to drag this manor into its black depths. It is colder here and smells of blight. His nose wrinkles. The pelt hates it too.
I know, he says, but this is where I must go.
Careful, he strings his bow and puts an arrow to the heartwood. His steps are measured and soft, avoiding the cold, sucking mud with a practiced ease. He is the hunter once more, and this time his aim will not stray. He leans against the lee of a crumbling column and peeks his head around the edge. Nothing stirs in the ruined arches and courtyard. Yet he knows it lies within. The pull is stronger now; the voice is louder.
Karus steps around the column and goes to seize his destiny.
Within this palace of the damned the witch sits upon her blackened throne. Scorched bone forms her seat where she commands the shambling servants he has spied trudging to and fro outside the haunted, twisted estate. Karus cannot discern if these thralls are living or dead. They move with purpose, attending to what mad tasks she has set for them, but they do not stop to speak. The young mans brow furrows, wishing he could discern how to deal with such foes.
Time is short. This dire business must be attended swiftly. He cannot allow the witch to speak. Her sorceries will ensnare his will and bind him to her like the other servants. She is an oath-breaker like the rest of her kind. She has forsaken the natural laws of man and bargained with the devils and evil spirits of the world. The very thought causes bile to creep at the back of his throat. Here is a wicked one that must be purged from these lands. Surely there is some nameless hamlet nearby that is plagued by her machinations. Retrieving the relic from her manse will benefit his people, but her demise will surely help them too. Perhaps it is here, and not his village, where the true legend of Karus is born.
The pelt cautions him not keep from avarice. His father Brom whispers tales of greater glory.
Now is the time to be as still as a frozen winter morn. His village would grow like that, during the chilling depths conjured near the solstice. All would be curled inside the longhouse or small huts. Heaped beneath furs and huddled together for warmth, nothing would stir. It would appear that the world itself had frozen save for the faint wisps of smoke trailing up into the ether.
Now Karus forces himself to be perfectly still, crouched at the side of a corner of a ruined column near the entrance, his eyes watching the nearest shuffling monster as it makes its mindless rounds. He even wills his heart to slow in its pace until there is enough time between beats to loose. This is key. There is no time for misses. No room for sloppy kills like with the wolf. He must be precise. He must be perfect.
Knock, draw, loose.
The first automaton stiffens suddenly and then falls to the ground a hundred paces distant. The arrow hit it in the back, driving its way through its black heart. It makes not a sound but clutches weakly at the fletching and shaft before growing still. Karus is grimly encouraged by this. They wore no armor and were capable of being felled by mortal arms and means.
His eyes scan the perimeter of the walls that are slowly losing their battle to the siegeing bog. Here and there the swamp has broken through and muck lurks, but in other places it holds fast fighting to the last of the stones power. No other minions lurk in sight. Karus moves into action and pads along the outside of the wall, hunched low, until he reaches the fallen foe. Lightly, he vaults over the top and inspects the still creature.
It was once a man, and still bears the tattered garb of one. But in place of the crimson of lifesblood there is a black viscous substance seeping on the ground. Karus is careful not to let it so much as touch his mud-spackled boots. The work of these monsters is foul business and the slightest touch can ruin a man. So he is cautious but quick when he seizes the things arm and drags it back over the wall. He is still uncertain as to their intelligence but he will take no chances. Vainglory will not fell him this day. Karus drags the monster into a thicket. These can be burned later to purge the earth of their impurities.
A few moments later, another creature jerks and falls, an arrow piercing its throat. Karus disposes of it as with the first, growing increasingly wary that a hue and cry will be raised once these are noticed missing. He counts himself blessed that the witch cannot see through their eyes and is yet blind to his approach. He has heard of the oath-breakers whose vision can pierce both flesh and stone. Perhaps she waits for him now, lurking within the crumbling walls. His resolve is unwavering. She will find this son of the north to be no easy prey.
Fleet is his stride as he lands back within the grounds of the manse and races toward the building itself. He stops at the corner of another wall, an arrow pressed against the heartwood and his head peaking around the corner, looking out onto the front expanse. It is a twisted mockery of how a man should live. The vague pieces are therehere, a stable and barn, there a waterwheel and a mill. But they are rotten and still. No water turns the wheel. There are no steeds within the stable. It is a blasphemous imitation of life.
Even Death herself longs to be alive.
The front doors have rotted off their hinges and have been cast aside. A foul smell wafts into his nose from deep within and he can hear the whispers of the lost souls claimed by the witch. They gibber and babble, driven mad by the long years of torture and imprisonment. Karus knows only a little of the black arts, but he suspects the witch has struck a bargain: damned souls for eternal life. The son of Brom vows to release those tortured ghosts and end this blight upon the land. His blood is bound by oath now. There is no turning back.
Rounding into the entryway, his boots are silent. He pads forward, in a half crouch, his eyes straining to see in the dark. He can still hear the chorus of whispers, chattering all at once. They mask his approach. The witch will not know her death is at hand.
Through the shadows he creeps. He can see now the flicker of torchlight around the corner. Perhaps the witch has not gone so far as to seal a pact to grant her demonsight as well. He takes courage in this. Her black heart will beat its last on this chill morn.
A scrape of a boot freezes him and he locks gazes with another one of the abominations in her service as it comes around its own corner. It is shorter than the other two and it stares at him with black eyes. Karus imagines the faintest flicker of intelligence lurks in those black pools. It matters not. The arrow takes it through one of those hellish eyes, dropping it in a lifeless pile. He drags it into a shadowy corner and hopes it will not be discovered before his fell deeds have fruited.
He passes near windows smeared with dust and cracked from the wrath of winter. Peering out reveals a courtyard where several more of her creatures lurk. They are standing in a trio, looking at each other, but if their lips move Karus cannot see. It matters not to him. The halls of the manse encircle the courtyard. He will avoid these three for now, vowing to slay them upon his return if they are not felled alongside their queen.
His prey is stalked like any mountain cat or great bear. However, He lacks the hounds he might use for one of the great cats that prowl the woods and hills of his homeland. The element of surprise is paramount. This hunt is as is intended: one man proving his worth and grit against a dangerous foe.
It is cold in here, terribly cold, and his breath fogs the air in slow rolling bursts. Karus welcomes the chill. It reminds him of the days of his youth. It speaks to him of frozen lakes and mountains draped in snow. It harkens to steel gray skies and the swirl of snowflakes in the air. This cold reminds him of who he was, who he is, and who he will become. There is but one thing left to do.
He slips into the main hall, a ghost made flesh, and ducks behind a pillar. In the back, she waits. The witch is not lounging on her wicked throne but instead attends to several of her minions. It is quiet within the great hall with little but the scrape of boots and the crackle of torches to fill it yet he cannot tell if she speaks her black speech to her puppets or if her will is communicated silently through their malevolent connection.
Karus watches for a moment, pondering if this is some sort of trap. The witch fiddles with each of her subjects, all shorter like the last one he slew. She smooths out their rags and adjusts their tangled, moldy hair. His lip curls in disgust. She treats them like children; even that hallowed bond is corrupted in these foul halls. He waits another moment, then two, watching and waiting for a telltale sign that she knows he is here and is waiting. There is nothing.
Beyond her, behind the black throne, hang objects on the wall. Here, an axe, there a pair of crossed swords, and in the center is his quest: an ivory and silver horn. Its metal has tarnished under times cruel grasp, but it still offers a dull gleam in the torchlight. This is what he has been searching for to return to his people. This is what will deliver them from the curse of the giantmen and will allow them to prosper and flourish.
The son of Brom straightens, and pulls the arrow back to his cheek, steadying his aim on the witchs back. His heart surges at being so near to his goal. He takes a slow breath and forces the beat to slow again. But the scrape of boots in the hall behind him herald the coming of doom. His body remains still but his head turns just enough for his eyes to glance back at the doorway behind him. He has no time, no time to waste. They are coming.
The bowstring thrums as it returns to its heartswood mate and the arrow speeds through the air, burying itself deep in the witchs back.
But it is not a killing shot.
She twists one gnarled hand twisting as it reached for her arrow that pierced her flesh. Sinking to her knees, the witch spasms, trying to find what hurt her. A spatter of blood leaks out onto the dirty floors. Karus smiles. The three attendants bear no sign of being startled but stare blankly at him for a moment before springing to action. One sinks to the ground next to its queen, one hand touching her arm. The other two sprint toward him, black fury in their black eyes.
Knock, draw, loose.
One of the two falls, but there is not time for a second arrow. His hand drops to the long knife sheathed on his belt. Out the curved blade comes, and onward the monster comes rushing headlong toward him. It is a head shorter than Karus, and thinner too, but where its size lacks its malevolence exceeds. But in one smooth motion Karus turns and slashes the throat of it the servant as it rushes onward. A stream of black jets from its neck as it falls, clutching at its own parody of lifesblood gushes outward.
Karus spins back and runs toward the witch. She writhes in pain and as he approaches he sees the head of it jutting out from the front of her ragged gown. There is blood, and plenty of it, but she may yet live if she possesses the fell magics to sustain her life. Karus is here to make certain she does not have the chance.
A few more paces brings him to her side. He grabs the witch by her filthy hair and wrenches her head back. There is no time to look her in the eyes. No time for last words. There is only time for the kill, lest he fail.
The knife draws out her life as surely as a pen draws a line. Crimson floods down her neck, spilling on the floor without ceremony, without remorse. She gurgles a curse, but it has no effect, not even in the overwhelming presence of her blood. Of those curses, it is those that bind to life that are the most binding and terrible to behold.
What were boot scrapes in the hall have turned into the pound as the sound of killing reached the ears of the damned. They burst into the hall, ten paces distant, and see Karus standing over the fallen queen as she squirms away, one hand clutching her neck. Karus drags the flat of the blade across her leg as she squirms, cleaning it before sheathing it in his belt once more. The servants bear pathetic weapons, pitchforks and staves, suitable to farmers and not a hunter. He cannot tell if he sees rage in their eyes or if it is his imagination. It matters not. Let these beasts know that a northman walks among them, a king yet to be crowned, whose wrath will be too great and terrible to behold.
An arrow takes one in the chest as they stand in the door, stunned or perhaps trying to decide what to do. A second arrow fells one as they surge into a run toward him. It falls clutching its face. The third reaches him as he draws his blade and buries it in its neck. He lets the monster fall, knife and all, as he notches another arrow. There are more coming. There will always be more.
He backpedals past the throne and toward the wall. Eyes on the door, he can hear the footfalls coming now. He steels his resolve. The goal is too close now to fail. One hand reaches back and plucks the tarnished horn from its place of honor on the wall. With a deft move he slides it into his rucksack. He has it. He cannot believe it. He has it. This is what his people have been looking for. He knows it. He can feel it in his bones as surely as it can feel it singing in his blood.
Karus heart soars at his deeds. He has done what none in his village would have ever suspected he could. Now all that remains is to escape and show them what kind of mettle this one is truly made from. A grim smile touches his lips. He is ready. Let them come.
Six bolt into the room, carrying cudgels and staves like their brethren. For foul servants they are woefully equipped to repel an attack upon their mistress. He brushes it off as he draws back the first arrow. Be they fresh converts or poorly tended, he cares not.
As the first one clutches at the arrow jutting from its chest, the others snap back into action. They charge him. He shoots another before drawing his long knife and taking up a spot with the throne to his side as makeshift cover.
They come at him in a blind rush, swinging their sticks wildly, nearly braining each other as they attempt to brain Karus. He ducks aside one particularly clumsy slash and lays open the monsters belly, dancing away as its black guts spill out onto the floor.
But a club catches him on the shoulder and he tries to roll away with it, wincing at the pain. Clumsy they might be, but it does not remove any of the sting. He counts himself lucky that nothing broke from that. He pays the wound back by sheathing the knife in the assailants middle before jerking it out again.
A third comes for him and he jams the blade into its chest once more, but the creature wrenches away weakly grasping at the hilt. Karus retreats immediately drawing an arrow. But as one monster rushes him, the other one flees. He shoots the former in the belly, but it falls into him, writhing and ruining his shot on the one that took flight.
His chest heaves and the air is thick with the smell of death. Shoulder aching, he shoves the monster still clutching at its guts. It sprawls, still weakly pull at its arrow until it becomes very still. Karus looks down at his hand and grimaces. Some of the black blood is on him. A flick of his hand sends the viscid in an arc, spattering against the dirty floors. The rest is wiped off on the rags of one of the dead. That their flesh is still warm is not surprising to Karus, it is that they are warm at all. But fell magic does strange things and it is not for him to know of it, merely to end it.
The witch does not stir. Her heart has ceased its wicked beat, but Karus knows better than to leave any part of this to chance. He fetches his blade and sets to the grisly task. A few moments later, he rises back to his feet, his trophy hanging from his hands.
The pelt whispers something to him. Karus ignores it.
In the old tales, once a man or a woman has forsworn the oaths that the first men made with the spirits, once he or she has pledged to the demonicusing their soul as the forfeitthen they no longer need to fear death in the same way as men. Karus knows if he leaves her there she will rise up once more. A grim smile touches his lips. He would like to see her return from this.
Thats a mighty fine work youve got there, son, his father says. The ghost of the once-great man stands next to one of the hearths, an arm up in a mockery of casually leaning against the stone.
Karus eyes light up with one of the simplest joys: praise from a father to a son. He does not think he has ever heard those words before. It is all he can do to stammer out his thanks. He shifts the severed head from one hand to another. The greasy hair makes it difficult to hold.
Brom nods once and clears his throat. course, I would have caught that last one. It went to tell the others, you know. Best be on your way.
Karus opens his mouth to thank his father, to tell him that his son is glad for all he taught him, that he knew their contentious relationship was just Broms way of toughening up his son, that he loves him, but Brom is gone and Karus and the pelt are alone once more.
The pelts whisper grows into a shout.
Yes, I know, he says. Let us make haste.
Quickly now he runs down the hall, the head tossing the odd drip onto the floor. He dares not look down into its eyes for he can feel the witch and her magic lurks within there. He prays she does not find a way to speak. Down the hallway he flies, racing around the courtyard and back to the main entrance. He bursts outside into the light.
A mob of shambling monsters greets him. They ring around the entrance standing several ranks deep. Some clutch cudgels and pitchforks while others have more proper spears and even the occasional sword. Some in the back appear to have slings or small hunting bows. He feels their eyes shift from him to the head dangling from his hands. As one they recoil. It gives Karus an idea.
Karus, the son of Brom and first of his name, opens his mouth to address the crowd.
Karus lies in the woods, hurt but victorious. His subjects had not welcomed them into his arms and instead had attacked him, attempting to bring him down with their hands and with knives. But he was too quick by half to be caught by their treacherous, mutinous hands. Nevertheless, the foul peasants left their markstinging his side with a cruel blade. He had fled into the woods, taking care to mask his tracks. If they have hounds, they may catch his scent and blood, but he would have to simply hope that fortune would smile on him this day and spare this northern son.
The wolf stays close to his side, licking his wounds and staying near to try and staunch the blood from spilling out onto the earth.
You found it, his father says, stepping from behind a tree. Im surprised.
Thank you, father, Karus says. You flatter me.
I see those lambs were able to stick you, he says. I didnt know they had fangs.
There were many monsters, father, Karus says. I slew many.
I wouldve have killed more.
I know.
Brom stands there, his shoulder and side still crushed from the tree that had
felled him, and looks at his living son. His mouth is turned into an appraising frown. His eyes glance from the object to the wound and back again. The unbroken half drums thick fingers against one massive thigh. At last he heaves a sigh.
But you did well for a boy, he says.
This trial makes me a man, father.
For a man then, Brom says.
Karus arches an eyebrow, his back propped against a tree. Youll start treating me with respect then?
I will expect you to carry yourself like a man of our people, he says.
Fair enough.
So, are you ready to go?
No, Karus says, grimacing. Im tired. I need to rest first.
Then rest, son, Brom says, giving him the first smile hed seen in a long time.
Ill watch to make sure no lambs come to disturb your slumber.
Karus, son of Brom, closes his eyes. His father watches, and snow begins to fall.
Bad business up in Proston, Maric says, forking his fingers superstitiously. He wants to spit on the wooden floor but the tavernkeep will have his hide for that. Not that you could even tell it was there from the dirt and mud that gets tracked in and out. It might even do it a spot of good. Still, this is Tevins place and hell not have his debts called early for acting against the mans wishes.
Aye, he says. Hes not surprised that Jason hasnt heard. The man wouldnt know if a flood was coming until he had already drowned. Supposed to be a wedding up there between the Halifans and the Monktons.
Those two families getting married? Thats a surprise.
Bad blood had churned and roiled between the two for a long time. Several generations earlier a duel had been fought between the patrons of the household over a conflicting claim over a parcel of land. The Monkton slew the Halifan and sealed the enmity of that family for forty years. That they had finally decided to bury their feud and unite through marriage had come as a surprise to Maric, but it made sense. Even grudges fade with time, and the two families were stronger for it.
Not as surprising as what happened right before the priest was set to bind them, Maric says. A madman, some say twas a demon, snuck into the brides chambers and murdered her and a dozen of her family. Men, women, children, it didnt matter. The thing mightve looked like a man, but it acted like a monster.
Pelor protect us, Jason says, touching his chest. What happened to the devil?
One of the Monktons got him with a knife, Maric says, taking a pull from his ale. But the devil got away into the woods. They say he didnt leave a trail of blood to follow.
Queer, that, Jason says. Best keep your doors locked at night.
|Thread Tools


text:
Don't see your question? Visit our help section.
Get access to great in-store deals and local pick-up
Sign up for our email deals newsletter!
WWE® '12 will celebrate the rebirth of the iconic and authentic simulation franchise through a bigger game, badder presentation and better gameplay than ever before, delivering long-awaited critical improvements to the core gameplay experience, the most creative and extensive feature set to date and a visceral, edgy and polished presentation.
Key Features
Pre-order WWE '12 by Nov 21 at 11am CST with overnight shipping and get guaranteed delivery on the street date of Nov 22! If your product does not arrive on the street date, we will fully refund your shipping charge. Continental United States only. Must have Overnight Service available in your area. Offer void if you are unable to accept a delivery that was attempted. Not responsible for orders delayed due to inclement weather, incorrect address or credit card information.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Talk about expensive taste! Philadelphia's couture cupcake shop, Cupcakes Gourmet, is now offering its popular red velvet cupcake with a sparkling addition—a $55,000 engagement ring from Warwick Jewelers. The 8-carat diamond ring is also available in select smaller variations starting from a half-carat offered at a 15-percent discount from Warwick.
To purchase the cupcake, contact any of Cupcakes Gourmet's three locations at least three days in advance of the proposal to select a ring. Sweetening the deal further still, if you're the first person to buy a sparkling red velvet cupcake, you'll also receive free cupcakes at your wedding from the shop. So you know what that means—hurry quick!
—Phillip B. Crook


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
The Grayson County School System is making every effort possible to achieve accreditation division-wide, an undertaking that should earn them some "extra credit" on their school report card.
The school system has only one school remaining — Fries Middle — to achieve that goal.
With less than 40 schools throughout Virginia fully accredited for the 2009-10 school year, the school administrators know the importance of achieving this goal, and they have responded.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the The Gazette, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
|ZIP Code:


text:
Suspected Islamic militants attacked a wedding convoy in northeast Nigeria over the weekend,the latest in a storm of violence in the region as government troops battle religious extremists bent on turning Africa's most populous nation into an Islamic state. Authorities on Sunday gave conflicting accounts of the death toll,however ,ranging from five to as many as 30,including the groom.
The attack took place Saturday on the highway between Gama and Gwoza towns in Borno state,military spokesman Lt. Col. Muhammed Dole said. That road runs alongside forests that are a known hideout of Islamic extremists from the Boko Haram network.
Dole put the death toll at five. However,Adamawa state spokesman Ahmad Sajoh said more than 30 people,including the groom,were killed. He did not explain where his information came from,but noted that the groom and his guests were from Adamawa,which neighbors Borno state,and had been driving home.
Meanwhile,a minibus taxi driver said he passed many bodies on the road near Firgi village in Borno,where the wedding ceremony was held. Firgi is near the border with Adamawa state.
We saw a lot of dead bodies killed by gunshots and some by the roadside that appeared to have been slaughtered with their throats slit,the driver,who asked to be identified only as Shaibu,told reporters Sunday in Maiduguri,the capital of Borno state. He did not say the exact number of bodies he saw.
Shaibu said his terrified passengers wanted to turn back,but I took the risk … and said God is in control.
Boko Haram is leading an uprising aimed at installing an Islamic state in Nigeria,possibly the greatest threat in decades to the cohesion of the West African country. Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer. Its population of more than 160 million people is divided almost equally between the mainly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south.
Last week,suspected extremists attacked a military checkpoint in the same area,and witnesses said they killed at least four security force members and made off with army vehicles,weapons and ammunition. The Nigerian military never confirmed nor denied that report.
The military is still battling the Islamic extremists more than five months after the government declared a state of emergency and flooded three states that cover one-sixth of the country with troops and police officers. The security forces have driven the insurgents from major towns and attacked bush camps with aerial bombardments and ground assaults. Hundreds of combatants and civilians,mainly Muslims,have died in recent weeks.
But military officials regularly downplay the number of people who die in attacks by extremists and inflate the number of insurgents said to have been killed. With cell phone contact in the area cut for months,the military said extremists were using the network to coordinate attacks,information is slow to come out and hard to independently confirm. Journalists also have limited access to the Internet.
Some reports have yet to be verified. The military claimed two months ago that Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau may have been killed in an attack. When Shekau put out a video to prove he was alive,the military said it was investigating the video to see if someone was impersonating Shekau.


text:
Fighting Piracy in Somalia (and Elsewhere): Why More is Needed
26 Pages Posted: 8 Sep 2009
Date Written: September 4, 2009
The Somali pirates are dangerous.
They are sea-terrorists, operating on a supra-national level: beyond the reach of any laws, in the name of no particular state, and against no specific nations. They enjoy complete impunity – most of the time, they are simply chased off, and if captured, they are often released. It would be unimaginable for the United States to capture an Al Qaeda operative, or a member of any other terrorist group, in order to then promptly release him or her, not wanting to bother with the cost and difficulty of a criminal prosecution. Yet, this is precisely what some countries, like Great Britain and France, have done with respect to captured pirates. They have let them go. And the other nations and maritime powers have, wrongly, not said a word about it. The global laissez-faire attitude toward the Somali pirates needs to change, and the United States', as well as other naval nations', passivity toward these sea-terrorists has to come to an end.
World powers like the United States should be willing to take on the Somali pirates for several reasons. First, the legal tools needed to capture and prosecute these pirates already are in place. The United Nations Security Council has facilitated the fight against Somali piracy, for countries willing to engage in such a fight, by passing five different resolutions during 2008. These resolutions authorize nations patrolling waters in the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast to cross into the 12-nautical-mile zone of Somali territorial waters if self-defending or pursuing pirates. Thus, countries willing to fight the Somali pirates have the Security Council's green light to apprehend and capture them, be it on the so-called high seas, or anywhere within the Somali territorial waters. Moreover, a combination of two different international conventions regulating the law of the seas arguably provides jurisdiction to try pirates to either the capturing nation, or to any third nation where the pirates have been rendered for prosecution. Countries like the United Kingdom have even signed a memorandum of understanding with a regional partner, Kenya, whereby Kenya would try any pirates captured by the United Kingdom. Thus, world powers like the United Kingdom and the United States legally may apprehend and try Somali pirates; it is time that they actually do so. Second, pirates are sea-terrorists and may be or become linked to other terrorist groups. For now, we do not know whether the proceeds of piracy are financing other forms of terrorism. However, it is reasonably likely that the Somali pirates will be befriended by groups like the Taliban or Al Qaeda, for whom pirates can easily steal money and weapons. Furthermore, the Somali pirates, if linked to a terrorist group, may attempt to use the hostages that they are already holding (about 300 as of today) as political leverage against all sorts of unreasonable and politically dangerous demands. This type of hostage use is not novel – some may remember that back in the 1980's, a faction of the Palestinian Liberation Organization hijacked an Italian cruise ship, the Achille Lauro, and refused to release the kidnapped hostages unless Israel released a group of Palestinian prisoners. The United States has been lucky until now: only one American ship was successfully hijacked by the Somali pirates, and after a three-day long stand-off in the Indian Ocean, all American hostages were safely rescued. In the future, the United States may not remain as fortuitous. The Somali pirates have already pledged that they would go after more American ships, and in the recent months, they have certainly done so (albeit, with no success). Thus, the threat of piracy linked to traditional forms of terrorism looms large for countries like the United States, which may become particular targets. Finally, not fighting the Somali piracy signals a message of passivity and carelessness to all sorts of potentially dangerous individuals and groups across the globe, looking to engage in similar types of criminal behavior. If the United States, or Great Britain, or France, is not willing to fight pirates in Somalia, then the Nigerian or Indonesian pirates may become just as brash in their efforts to seize ships, steal money and capture hostages. Then, piracy would become a global issue, as it once was in the 16th and 17th centuries. This is a dangerous proposal that should be cut at its roots.
This Article argues that pirates should be treated as terrorists, and that piracy-fighting countries should rely on a variety of anti-terrorist conventions to justify the capture and prosecution of pirates either by the capturing state, or by a third state willing to accept captured pirates for prosecution in its domestic courts. Piracy resembles terrorism in many aspects, on both a theoretical as well as practical level, and reliance on anti-terrorist conventions by piracy-fighting countries will provide these countries with larger legal tools to battle pirates within an established international legal framework. In order to provide a comprehensive outlook on piracy, this Article in Part II describes the history of piracy, its origins, its Golden Age, its decline and its reappearance in the modern world. Part III briefly describes the resurgence of modern-day piracy, first in Southeast Asia and then in Somalia. Part IV provides the current international legal framework for battling piracy, by focusing first on the definition of piracy in international law, and then on the existing international legal authority to apprehend and prosecute pirates. Part V describes the existing options and solutions for fighting pirates, including domestic prosecutions, prosecutions in ad hoc tribunals, regional partnerships, as well as the aid of international maritime organizations. Part VI advocates for the need to fight piracy more aggressively; thus, this Part describes why pirates and terrorists are alike, and then argues that pirates should be fought and prosecuted like terrorists. Finally, Part IV also advocates for the need to rebuild Somalia and its institutions, as this is the only permanent, long-term solution to eradicate piracy in this region of the world. This Article concludes that serious efforts by piracy-fighting countries will be needed to resolve this issue, and that above all, piracy-fighting countries may need to focus on rebuilding war-torn regions to prevent lawlessness, including piracy, from thriving in other parts of the world.
Keywords: international law, piracy, law of the seas, terrorism, Somalia
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Register to save articles to
your library
Paper statistics
Recommended Papers
The Business of Piracy in Somalia
By Sarah Percy and Anja Shortland
'A Guantanamo on the Sea': The Difficulties of Prosecuting Pirates and Terrorists
The Pirates of the Gulf of Aden: The Coalition is the Strategy
By James Kraska and Brian Wilson
The Somali Piracy Problem: A Global Puzzle Necessitating a Global Solution
Combating 'Maritime Terrorism' Off the Coast of Somalia
By Anja Shortland and Marc Vothknecht
Jurisdiction to Prosecute Non-National Pirates Captured by Third States Under Kenyan and International Law


text:
People wave things over their heads at concerts. Especially during weekend music festivals. Lollapalooza, for instance. Cigarette lighters, cell phones, hands, of course. That forked, heavy metal hand salute, for sure. And the rain on Saturday brought out umbrellas, as you'd guess (though fewer than you'd expect).
Less commonly seen?
My Pretty Pony on a stick.
An Elmo doll nailed to a cross.
A garden gnome. A Darth Vader head. A plush squid. Inflatable goal posts. A lizard head. Hulk hands. A plastic owl. A Ken doll (painted orange). A Kenny doll from the TV show "South Park." An inflatable totem pole, held aloft, its rubber quivering at the bass thump from the Perry's electronic dance music stage. A headless rubber bat, painted with fake blood, fluttering above the headbangers at Black Sabbath on Friday.
All were spotted floating above heads in Grant Park last weekend.
Big festivals mean big crowds. Friends can easily lose each other. Unless, say, one carries a cardboard Chewbacca at the end of a stick — indeed, thrusting it in the sky like an umbrella at a New Orleans funeral. That was Chris Sheahan of St. Louis, the guy shaking the Chewbacca above his head all weekend. He was with a small group, caught in the crush near the Perry's stage. "You know how everyone refers to hippies as Chewbaccas now?" he shouted. "We called this the Hippie Stick, but now it's the Wookie Stick!"
He said it's practical, too: "If we get separated, all you do it is look for the Chewbacca, and there you are!"
The more distinctive the totem the better.
An inflatable palm tree, a doll with a mohawk, a stuffed Patrick Star from "SpongeBob SquarePants," a Teddy Ruxpin, a Dora the Explorer, a Santa Claus, a rubber duck, a rubber banana, a cutout of a lion wearing a headband. Also spotted, however, were several pink flamingos — which is just way too obvious.
On the other hand, you can be certain no one in Dan Peterson's group of eight friends were separated. Peterson, a 25-year old Chicago graphic designer, made a flag especially for Lollapalooza, a huge flapping square emblazed with an 8-bit mushroom from the "Super Mario Bros." video games. He said he and his friends — who refer to themselves as "The Tribe" — travel from summer music festival to summer music festival, carting around a new, specially designed stick at each stop. At one festival, the stick was festooned with scores of LED lights; at another, the flag was a mash-up of a pirate flag and the official Chicago flag.
"We call them Whomp Sticks," Peterson said. "And beyond the obvious reason for having them, we also like the spirit of the thing. Having a Whomp Stick kind of lends a special spirit to a festival, don't you think?"
His wasn't the only flag: Aside from a handful of American flags (again, way too obvious), there was an Oklahoma flag, an Australian flag, a West Virginia flag, an 18th century war flag with a canon and the words "Come and Take It." Also, a handmade flag with the words: "I'm Sorry. I Love You. But I've Chosen Techno." (Conspicuously not seen: Earnest pitches for political candidates, despite this being an election year — particularly in Grant Park, where President Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech in 2008.)
Still, the tradition of waving things over your head at music festivals doesn't seem as strong in Chicago as other places, observed frequent festivalgoer Sheila O'Sullivan of Chicago. She carried an inflatable green alien.
She said his name was Percy Lollapalooza, and he has his own Facebook page. She's been carrying him to festivals since 2010, after flirting briefly with inflatable guitars and those ubiquitous foam noodles. As she explained this, a pair of strangers picked up Percy, who was resting on the ground, and began playing with him. "We try to keep him with us, but people do grab him," she said. "Inexplicably, they always molest him."
As if on cue, another stranger, a shirtless man in running shorts, grabbed the green alien, and, uh, well ...
"Poor Percy," Sheila said.
Twitter @borrelli


text:
Boards & Commissions
Urban Design Committee Agenda
Urban Design Committee
Notice is hereby given that the Urban Design Committee will hold a meeting on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. in the County-City Building, 555 S. 10th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, in Room 214 on the 2nd Floor. For more information, please contact the Lincoln City/Lancaster County Planning Department at 402-441-7491.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
- Adoption of meeting records from the UDC meeting of December 11, 2013.
- Piedmont Center Redevelopment Project (Urban Development Dept.)
- 2014 Enersen Urban Design Award.
- Advisory review of 1823 O Street, "The Foxy," regarding an appeal to City Council a staff finding of non-conformance with the Downtown Design Standards.
- 2013 UDC Annual Report.
- Misc. and staff report, etc.


text:
Asuka Kasen's Condo is the home of Asuka Kasen, co-leader of the Yakuza in Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto III.
The building is located in the district of Newport, Staunton Island, close to a dock in view of Portland. Following "Last Requests", the condo becomes a home to Maria Latore, after she moves to Staunton Island with Claude to escape the Leone Family and Don Salvatore Leone, and is the base for Asuka Kasen's early missions in Grand Theft Auto III, afterward in Fort Staunton.
The compound consists of nothing more than a porch overlooking Southern Portland, containing a covered swimming pool, a pair of sunloungers and an entrance into the apartment building, which interior consists of only a simple flooring and wall. The condo is also identical to another apartment just across the parking lot to the south. The entrances into the condos' compounds also bear dragon-like signage, similar to the Yakuza's gang logo during early development of GTA III.
Near the compound are 2 parking lots. One surrounds the 2 apartments and contains a Blista and 2 Yakuza Stingers. The other one is located west of the apartments. It will contain a Landstalker and a Banshee.
Two Marinas are also located near the apartment. The one closest to the compound will have a Reefer and a Speeder docked there. The other one will have a Predator and another Reefer docked there.


text:
All politics may be local, but for business and the economy, global trends matter greatly–which is one very good reason to welcome this week's news that the eurozone's recession is finally over.
On Wednesday, the European Union's statistics office said the economic output of the 17 EU countries that use the euro expanded 0.3 percent in the second quarter compared with the previous three-month period. Annualized, the growth rate was 1.2 percent.
That's no one's definition of a robust expansion, but it's the first increase since the start of the eurozone recession in the final quarter of 2011. And both Germany and France–with quarterly growth of 0.7 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively–exceeded expectations.
Not all eurozone countries are back in positive territory, but even weaker southern European nations like Spain, Italy and Greece are heading in the right direction, with their contractions easing.
European officials opted for austerity to cure their economic ills, caused by mountains of government debt. By contrast, the U.S. strategy has been more expansionary–a key reason, many economists say, that the recovery here has moved at a faster pace.
Among other things, that has translated into a sharply narrowing federal budget gap. The Treasury Department reported Monday that the deficit for the 2013 budget year, through July, is $607.4 billion–down nearly 38 percent from a year ago. The full-year deficit is projected to be the smallest in five years.
Faster growth in Europe would increase U.S. sales to that market, producing higher corporate tax receipts. So the Europeans are not the only ones with much at stake in their recovery.
Indeed, with a higher level of international business activity than many communities in this country, Rochester has a clear interest in a return to growth in the eurozone and elsewhere abroad. Exports from the nine-county region have been up and down in recent years; stronger demand from European customers would help put export growth here on a consistent upward trajectory.
It will take years for the eurozone to fully emerge from the hole created by the debt crisis–and that's assuming no more setbacks. That said, even slow growth in the key market is reason to cheer.
8/16/13 (c) 2013 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
by Mark Daul
Outdoors in Niagara
Purple loosestrife is really a beautiful looking plant and many would wonder why it is such an undesirable plant. But it is a plant that can pose a danger to our ecosystem without most people even noticing. You will see it growing in fields, along streams, in wetlands, marshes and meadows, choking out natural beneficial vegetation. Fish, plants, mammals, reptiles, insects, birds and frogs etc., rely on healthy wetland habitat for their survival. In my observations of a ditch near my house, I have seen little white butterflies floating from plant to plant and the same with a tiny bee of some kind. I tried several times to get a photo but failed; they wouldn't stay still long enough.
I'm not talking about purple loosestrife in some strange, far away country; I'm talking right here in all of Western New York, and just about every state in the U.S. It affects all of us. Most people don't know what they are looking at when they see it, thinking it is just another wildflower of some kind. It's not "just another." It has been growing out of control for decades. It was first introduced to the U.S. along the New England seaboard - in eastern Massachusetts, New Jersey, the Hudson River in New York, and in Pennsylvania. It came from Europe in the 1800s as a hitchhiker arriving in the ballasts of a ship, like our zebra mussels and round gobies did, along with other invasive critters. It has spread throughout the lower 48 states, except Florida, and even into Canada.
If you don't want to venture into a marsh or wetland to see this stuff, all you have to do is just take a ride anywhere along country roads. You will see oodles of it just growing wild, islands of it, and meadows swaying in the wind. It sure looks pretty.
Scientists say one plant alone can produce more than 2 million seeds a year, and those seeds can stay alive for many years. The seeds are in the flower top. The plant stands anywhere from 2 to 7 feet tall, with beautiful purplish flowers growing at the top of the stem. The flowers have five or six petals per flower. Shown in the photo is purple loosestrife growing on Swann Road. The flowers grow close to the stem and the leaves are shaped like a peppermint leaf and grow opposite one another on the stiff four-sided stem. The plant blooms from early July through September.
Our wetlands are the backbone support for a healthy wetland and marshland and loosestrife needs to be controlled. Finally scientists are working on it. The plant has become so widespread throughout the country, so many of them established that all can be done right now is try to control it. But that is tough; herbicides are indiscriminate, even burning doesn't result in complete control. Scientists in many states are now experimenting with "bug" methods for control.
In Europe, they claim loosestrife isn't so widespread because of the bugs that offer some control. For years, scientists have been reluctant to import those little buggers from Europe for fear they would upset other things in our environment. It was another case of "damned if you do and damned if you don't." The state Department of Environmental Conservation has released two species of leaf eating beetles to help control the plant. The effects of this type of biological control can't be seen for 3 to 8 years, and it is claimed eventually they will reduce up to 90 percent of the population of this purple invader.
Whatever you do, don't plant this in your garden or backyard, which many people already have done. If you find one in your yard or garden, pull it out by its roots and destroy the whole thing. You will be doing your part for ecology's sake, and your neighbors won't be talking about you behind your back.
Burning in a safe way is the best way to dispose of it. The plant can regenerate if cut or if a stand is left of any kind.
I hope this little tidbit of an invader story will make you want to get outdoors and see the other side. There is much to do and see and talk about in the outdoors. Get out, look around, and see if you can find that purple "Darth Invader" from another continent.
Wrapping up, I recently got an earful from an interested reader living in Youngstown, and I hope to share some of it with you in a near future column. I'll call her the "mystery lady" for now. Part of it is about a large cat that has powerful limbs and can leap as high as 15 feet and as far as 40 feet. There is one in the Sentinel readership area and I have a picture to prove it. No, this one can't even scratch its own fleas, let alone bother anybody.


text:
One in Five Adult Cigarette Smokers Have Tried Electronic Cigarettes
(ATLANTA) -- A fifth of all cigarette smoking adults have tried smoking electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, according to a new study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday.
The study, which examined data from 2011, found that the 21 percent figure was double the number who had tried e-cigarettes in 2010.n Six percent of the general adult population had smoked an e-cigarette.
Awareness of the existence of e-cigarettes is up too, as six in ten Americans knew of them in 2011, compared with only four in ten a year before.
This study is the first to report the rise in awareness and use of e-cigarettes.
Although e-cigarettes seem to have far fewer toxins than traditional cigarettes, their impact on long-term health has not been thoroughly studied, according to the CDC.
"E-cigarette use is growing rapidly," said CDC Director Tom Frieden. "There is still a lot we don't know about these products, including whether they will decrease or increase use of traditional cigarettes."
"If large numbers of adult smokers become users of both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes — rather than using e-cigarettes to quit cigarettes completely — the net public health effect could be quite negative," said Tim McAfee, director of the Office on Smoking and Health at CDC.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


text:
The actress will star alongside Jamie Foxx and Quvenzhané Wallis in the remake
The new Annie officially has her nemesis.
Cameron Diaz has signed up to play the cruel orphanage headmistress Miss Hannigan in the upcoming film remake of the musical Annie, Deadline.com reports – the character memorably portrayed by Carol Burnett in the 1982 film.
Diaz will play opposite Quvenzhané Wallis, the 9-year-old Oscar nominee who is set for the role of Annie.
An Oscar winner, Jamie Foxx, will play Daddy Warbucks in the musical, which is originally based on an early-20th-century comic strip. The film is being produced by Will Smith and Jay-Z and directed by Will Gluck.
Sandra Bullock had been in talks to play Miss Hannigan but reportedly backed out.
Between her and Diaz, who would you have preferred in the role? Tell us below.


text:
ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
Hello I am Hotjam Cosplay and Creations. I have been sewing for 2 years and cosplay for three years. I love working with my hands alot and will learn new skills to improve my cosplay making skills. I have only won two awards but both awards so far has been best in show. I also design cosplays like I did for my Lumpy Space Princess and Applejack cosplays. I am very easy going and cosplay from anything but love a challenge.
Recent Updates
Newest Favorites
Newest Fans
Recent Comments


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
This sounds wonderful I'm quite rusty as its been many a year since I did freeform roleplaying so it would be nice to have a PG13 one started as a comfort blanket and a place for me to regain my feet (or typing fingers perhaps!)Playing two characters is fine with me too, and I'm happy to add new people in wherever possible also! As for spelling are you using firefox as you can enable spell checking in all 'typeable' boxes really easily and I find it a great help! Also just to be clear when you are talking about 'mid evil' i'm assuming you mean 'medieval' and its just the spell checker playing funnies with you?Looking forward to it!Haha, yes yes, medieval. I do use Firefox but I miss spelled medieval anyways. Don't worry about being rusty, we'll both get back into the flow as we are comfortable.I'm new here as well, I'm not sure how the RPing is usually done in here. What style are you use to using? I mean do we use Italics, < >, " ", ~ ~, or something else for narration?Shall we use this forum to start the story, or IM Chat? Which ever you are more comfortable with.
I would start a post in the Non-Adult Roleplay category just below this one - that way others can join in too!As for firefox, have you installed the dictionary addon and followed these steps: http://www.nirmaltv.com/2008/03/08/how-to-enable-spell-check-in-text-fields-in-firefox/ ? as otherwise firefox won't read your words in these little posting boxes. When I type I have a microsoft word style red lines come under anything I may have misspelt and then I can right click on the word to correct it, it saves me a lot of time!From what i've seen on the other roleplays active here it's up to the individual, the only rules that seem to apply is that action and speech are separated from each other in some form or another whether its coloured fonts, <>** "" or whichever so perhaps we should just use what we are comfortable with?
Sounds like a great plan, I'm usually up late most nights so its all good I'm just off for the night now but I'll check back on the other topic to see your introduction and get my character sheet up on this thread tomorrow.As for the whole italics thing I'd be more comfortable using some sort of character on narration text instead like <> or ** or ~~ but I don't think its a problem if we all do things slightly differently. For years I've used ** but I like the look of ~~ too so i'll probably go for one of those. My first or primary character will be the male ranger just so you know
((@Flamez1189, it's our first roleplay on this forum too so i'd say please do join - the more the merrier!))Lypiphera's Characters:Primary Character:EyranProfession: RangerRace: HumanHistorical background notes: In time's gone past, in times of war, of betrayal, of bloodshed Malshire had depended on the fierce line of men and women that rode in the ranger's colours. Fleet of foot and stout of heart they had been the secret dagger at the heart of some of the greatest battles the kingdom had ever survived. Their tales were told in awed whispers by the fireside and their heroes rode in legend among the stars. But this had been many, many moons ago and few still remembered the rangers as they once were, seeing them now as little more than the great prince's gardeners, the men and women who kept peace in the woodlands of Malshire and who rode as protection to the Lord's monthly hunt.Approximate Age: 34 SummersAppearance:• Unshaven, shabby and often mud splattered Eyran has more important things to consider than Baths. His appearance is rarely consistent aside from a long sleeveless leather overcoat upon which is a myriad of rips and dents, giving the once chestnut leather a much duller appearance, but still proudly displaying the collar pins depicting his rank and regiment. • The sleeves of the myrid layers of shirts beneath the overcoat vary frequently from frayed to stained to mostly made of patches, some of them fasten, others forgot what buttons were many a sunrise ago. • He is often seen hooded, usually made from some grey nondescript material, which hangs in shallow loops beneath his neck and frames his face in shadow. • Usually Eyran will have gloves about his person, these rarely match and are often missing fingers but this seems not to bother Eyran who never seems to manage to hold on to them for long anyway.• His leather boots are sturdy, calf high, allowing the ends of his dark trousers to be tucked inside and the excess material bowl out over their tops. Their colour is indistinguishable beneath the mud and staining but appears to probably have once been brown.• Perhaps the most well cared for item gracing the ranger's form would be his wristguards, belt knife, bow and quiver, although well worn they are kept well oiled and are obviously cared for regularly, with the knot work and detailing faded but still visible on the leather surrounds.***Secondary Character:LyessaProfession: MageRace: HumanBackground notes: Lyessa is a city girl through and through, born into lesser nobility and full of the arrogance attributed to her station (not to mention to mages in general), she has made it far in life. Until the money ran out and she found herself out of reach of daddy's pocket. Forced to do 'menial conjuring' in order to work up the coin, Lyessa's nasty streak has gotten her in trouble with a few employers but most people have long excepted there is no such thing as a modest mage...Approximate age: 23Appearance: Meticulous and often impractical Lyessa is all sleeves. If it has long, impressive sleeves that make her spell casting look even a fraction more interesting she will wear it. Generally her long, waist length, black hair is piled back with a multitude of pins and clasps and the tinkle of many of expensive bangles can always be heard upon her wrists. Her dresses are usually light weight (for added affect when levitating of course) adorned with flippant detailing and fitted well at the waist, they change daily. Sometimes they even change twice daily when the need arises.
Page created in 0.047 seconds with 27 queries.


text:
Pryor ad hits Cotton over Medicare
Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, a Democrat, is hitting GOP challenger Rep. Tom Cotton with new ads blasting the Republican over Medicare.
The two spots are part of a six-figure ad buy set to run statewide, as first reported in POLITICO's Morning Score on Wednesday. Republicans view Pryor's seat as one of their best pick-up opportunities in their quest to net six seats and take back the Senate, and the contest looks to be one of the most high-profile of the 2014 cycle.
Story Continued Below
"Retirement is just around the corner for us," begins the first ad, titled "Linda," which is narrated by an older woman. "That's why I was so concerned when I read Congressman Cotton voted to change Medicare into a voucher system. Cotton's plan would allow insurance companies to increase rates, cut benefits and cost seniors thousands more each year."
( PHOTOS: Senators up for election in 2014)
The second 30-second spot, titled "Courtney," features a younger woman expressing concerns about how Cotton's positions on Medicare could affect her relatives.
"It says here that Cotton voted in Congress to change Medicare into a voucher system that will increase out of pocket expenses for every senior in Arkansas, thousands of dollars every year," she says. "My grandma and grandpa can't afford that, and neither can my parents."
The Cotton team pushed back in a statement, slamming the ads' messages as "despicable scare tactics … typical of Washington politicians like Senator Pryor" and invoking the senator's past support for Obamacare, a highly controversial law in deep-red Arkansas.
"Tom Cotton opposes any changes to Medicare for current beneficiaries or those nearing eligibility," said Cotton spokesman David Ray. "Instead, he supports reforms that will strengthen Medicare and keep the program solvent for future generations of Americans."
A separate release from the state GOP argued that such Medicare arguments were made by Democrats unsuccessfully in the 2010 Arkansas Senate race, in which Republican John Boozman went on to unseat Democrat Blanche Lincoln.
The ad buy from Pryor's campaign comes as the powerful conservative group Americans for Prosperity plans to begin targeting Pryor with ads later this week.


text:
In India, a country with one of the worst sanitation crises, the Hindu (the most respected newspaper in India), reports on a new initiative started by one of the small towns in South India to address the issue for women (women suffer the most with lack of access to toilets).
The "She Toilets"
The smart toilets will clean and sterilise their environments automatically. They have coin-operated sanitary-napkin-vending machines and an incinerator to burn used napkins. The toilets have baby stations to help mothers change the diapers of their children and Indian-style commodes.
Electronic display boards will tell users if the toilet is occupied or not. The toilet operation is remotely controlled. The smart toilets will send automatic SMS alerts to its controllers if the septic tank fills up or water supply is exhausted.
There are also security features to ensure the safety of the users. The agency has put up the "she-toilets" as most public toilets lack hygiene and pose health and safety problems to women users. The "she-toilets" have been designed keeping in mind the welfare of women commuters. They will be able to find the location of the nearest public e-toilet by searching on their mobile phones.
Sensor systems inside the toilet trigger its cleaning systems. The toilets will have washbasins, mirrors and health faucets. They will have FM radios and provisions to stop intruders.
Like everything else in India that is a public entity, I worry about the operation and maintenance, and long term use of this wonderful pilot project.


text:
Displaying active committee roster as of 07/15/2019. Last retrieved on 07/15/2019. Members can log in to view full contact information for committee members.
The Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers Committee consists of two co-chairs appointed in alternating years, plus 5 members. (2 co-chairs +5)
Established in 1964 at the request of the ALSC Board of Directors.
Get Involved
ALSC and ALA value committed and active committee members. Qualified ALSC members are welcome to volunteer to serve on ALSC's committees. Committee members must have an interest in the work of the committee; be able to attend Annual Conferences and Midwinter Meetings to participate in the meetings and activities of the committee; and be able to work between conferences via e-mail and ALA Connect. Express your interest in serving on this or other ALSC committees by filling out an online ALSC committee volunteer form. Depending on the committee, appointments take place either in the spring or fall. Accordingly, committee service begins either following Annual Conference or Midwinter Meeting.
Staff Liaison


text:
Add vehicles to compare. You can compare up to 3 vehicles at a time.
Pricing includes incentives for which everyone qualifies. Guests may also qualify for additional, conditional incentives not included in the displayed price. Therefore, upfront price could be less than advertised price. While every reasonable effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this information, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions contained on websites. Please verify any information in question with Bergstrom Automotive.Prices do not include tax, title, registration, service fees or any emissions testing fees. All prices, specifications and availability subject to change without notice. Tax, title, license (unless itemized above) are extra. Not available with special finance, lease and some other offers.
Shop Used 2017 Nissan Sentra Vehicles near Waunakee, WI
Bergstrom Chevrolet of Middleton features an amazing selection of used 2017 Nissan Sentra vehicles for sale in Middleton, WI. Our used vehicle inventory is one of the largest in the state of Wisconsin. We are excited o offer our Waunakee and DeForest guests with a wide variety of used Chevrolet cars, trucks and SUVs, and used cars in Middleton to choose from. Search our inventory of used 2017 Nissan Sentra vehicles for sale near Verona and sort by color, trim, features, price and more by choosing from the filters above to find the perfect vehicle that has everything you need. You can also apply for financing directly from our website, and don't hesitate to call us at (877) 746-4799 or contact us online with any questions you have. Get hours and directions to Bergstrom Chevrolet of Middleton and visit us today to test drive your used 2017 Nissan Sentra vehicle near you!


text:
LOS ANGELES – David Duchovny wants to make a third X-Files movie and wants to take it in a new direction. The X-Files is going gay!
After making statements last year revealing that he would "go gay" for Woody Allen or any of the stars of Twilight, Duchovny has pitched his idea to X-Files director Chris Carter and co-star Gillian Anderson.
Duchovny wants to continue the basic story structure of the television series and previous films, but spice it up a bit. "It needs to move forward, get current, and get gay! Forget sci-fi! It's all about bi-fi, baby!"
"All the decent television these days is centered on controversial situations. Weeds? Big Love? Even Californication. Agent Fox Mulder is smart and fresh. He stays on top of things. It makes perfect sense. Not to mention, his name is Fox. He's practically begging for controversy!"
Duchovny continued, "You know, the last time around the X-Files film didn't do very well in theaters. I love this franchise and I've given our next move a lot of thought. We all know my history, so it should come as no surprise. I'd like to sex things up!"
Duchovny was quick to deflect questions about how this new spin on the X-Files story would play out. "I don't want to get into specifics just yet. Let's just say that there is a new sheriff in town, and his pants are tight and his gun is cocked."
It is still unclear at this time how the change would affect Gillian Anderson's character, Agent Dana Scully. Rumors circulated during the airing of the original series that Scully may have gay tendencies, but she never openly explored any lesbian relationships. According to Duchovny, Agent Scully is due for a little experimentation.


text:
A pair of newly recorded trends challenges some of the myths and conventional wisdom that persist about American life.
A pair of newly recorded trends challenges some of the myths and conventional wisdom that persist about American life. They are interesting to consider during a presidential campaign season in which politicians and partisans, as they are apt to do, play more to our political, racial, class, lifestyle and religious differences than similarities.
Quick, can you name America's fastest-growing religion? OK, that's a trick question. The answer is "none." And the trend is one reason the U.S., for the first time in its history, doesn't have a Protestant majority.
The trend was reported a couple of weeks ago by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Its polling and accompanying analysis shows one in five Americans have no religious affiliation — the highest percentage the organization has ever recorded and a number that continues to grow. Of those non-religious folks, 88 percent aren't looking for any organized religion in their lives.
The same polling found that 48 percent of Americans are now Protestant.
Does that mean we're becoming a godless nation? Not really. Pew says 68 percent of the people who lack a religious affiliation say they believe in God, and more than a third classify themselves as "spiritual" but not "religious." In addition, most say churches and other religious institutions benefit society by strengthening community bonds and aiding the poor.
"With few exceptions, though, the unaffiliated say they are not looking for a religion that would be right for them," the Pew Forum reports. "Overwhelmingly, they think that religious organizations are too concerned with money and power, too focused on rules and too involved in politics."
In another first, the Gallup polling agency found this month that a majority of Americans, 52 percent, say government should not favor any set of values in society, while 44 percent believe it should promote traditional values.
That contrasts with the organization's findings from 1993 through 2004, when a majority consistently favored the government's promoting of traditional values.
The trend, according to Gallup, became noticeable in 2005 and has gained momentum since.
"The shift at that time may have been prompted in part by the unpopularity of the Bush administration and Republican Congress but has continued as Americans have become more permissive in their attitudes on certain social issues such as gay rights and marijuana use," Gallup's analysis says.
Interestingly, the shift has occurred across political party lines, most dramatically among Republicans. Sixty-five percent of Republicans still say government should promote traditional values, but that's down 14 percentage points since 2004.
I suspect those who claim the U.S. was founded as — and should remain — a Christian nation will either discount this data, vilify its sources or cite it as more evidence of a decay in American society perpetrated by liberals, communists, the Obama administration or any number of bogeymen. They will pine for some mythical past when things were supposedly better, when everyone knew his or her place, when morals ruled the day, when kids could pray to God in schools and when the good ol' U.S.A. was, well, the good ol' U.S.A.
I am not one of those. Look, I have nothing against Christians; in fact, I am one. But these trends like this do not threaten me, nor do I pine for some imaginary past.
What these and other trends tell me is that America continues to live up to its image as a melting pot. Fortunately, the Founding Fathers wanted it that way. They assembled a brilliant set of laws and guiding principles — namely, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. More than any nation in history, they ensured the U.S. was set up to thrive on diversity of thought, race, religion and political affiliation. Think about how powerful and visionary that is. Think about how many nations have been, and continue to be, torn apart by conflicts over any one of those things.
Some friends and I marveled at this Saturday as we once again worked to solve the world's problems from the counter at Mr. Ronnie's donut shop. As usual, we argued about some of this political stuff. But we agreed on at least three things:
-- It's great to live in a nation whose citizens can disagree on such profound issues but still elect a president without sparking war or violent civil unrest.
-- Though we have differences of opinion, we can still be friends.
-- That new pumpkin spice cake donut is delicious.
Courier and Daily Comet Executive Editor Keith Magill can be reached at 857-2201 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Essential Information for New International Students
Monday 17th – Friday 21st September daily between 16.30 – 17.00 Devonport Lecture Theatre, Portland Square Building
This session is delivered by the International Student Advice (ISA) team and is an opportunity for new international students to meet the team and learn about the services they deliver. During this session the team will provide you with essential information designed to help you to settle in to living and studying in Plymouth. They will also advise you of your tier 4 visa responsibilities and answer any questions you may have related to your visa. There is no need to book in advance, you can just turn up.
Monday 17 September 2018
16.00 – 17.00 - Welcome Party Wristband Collection – Room 605, Rolle Building
You will need to collect your wristband in order to attend your Welcome Party.
Tuesday 18 September 2018
Any time between 09.00 – 16.00 University Card Collection - Room 015, Ground Floor, Smeaton Building
You can collect your University card from Room 015, Ground Floor, Smeaton Building during the times given above. Your card is used for entry to the Library, some room entry, handing in coursework etc.
You must complete online enrolment and upload a
photo prior to attending this session. You will need to
bring identification with you to this session. The preferred form of
identification is a valid current passport. Please refer to our University Card Collection web page for further
NB: If you already have a card i.e. because you were previously a student on another course or at a Partner College, you do not need to attend this session.
Wednesday 19 September
12.30 – 12.45 Introduction to the Students' Union – Devonport Lecture Theatre, Portland Square Building
A representative of the Students' Union will outline all the extra-curricular activities you can enjoy, including; sports clubs and societies, volunteering, and how the Union is the hub of social life whilst studying. They provide your student support and representation.
14.00 – 15.00 Introduction to the Library and IT – Lecture Theatre 2, Roland Levinsky Building
Information Specialist
A short presentation from your subject librarian introducing you to the facilities and services of the University library.
19.00 – 21.30 Wednesday Welcome Party - Graduation
Marquee, Plymouth Hoe
The Welcome Party is your opportunity to meet informally with other students
new to The Faculty of Science and Engineering as well as some current students
and your academic staff.
Additionally the evening includes a welcome drink and nibbles, entertainment and a raffle for all attendees with an iPad to be won on the night.
Thursday 20 September 2018
09.30 – 11.00 Stage Meeting – Room 001, Scott
Dr Daniel Robertz
This meeting is a very important one. It is your first formal contact with the staff who are most involved with the second stage of your degree programme. The session will be led by your Stage Tutor. You will also be told what we expect of you. There will be an opportunity to ask questions.


text:
That's pretty dark..
haha thanks Rolf :) It worked!
really love the building and layering of texture you have going on here.. nice man
thanks Jason! I really meant for it to be a crowd scene (perhaps more heads?)... but.. maybe I'll keep a building made of ppl in mind for when I get deeper into development :)
Post a Comment


text: « back to directory print Jayne Ressler Associate Professor of Law 250 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 780-7931 | Email Areas of Expertise Legal WritingEmployment LawCivil ProcedureNew York Civil Practice Education B.A./B.S., University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School of Business J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School Biography Courses Publications Noteworthy Jayne Ressler joined the faculty in 2000. She teaches legal writing as well as employment law and civil procedure courses. Professor Ressler was previously a litigation associate with the firm of Mintz & Gold, and a freelance author of articles on fair housing legal issues for Brownstone Publishers. Her background also includes work as an associate in the area of labor and employment issues with several law firms, including Baker & McKenzie in New York and Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen in Philadelphia. Related Links: Faculty News Curriculum


text:
August 29th, 2010
I admit, I know nothing about Philly sports. (Really. Nothing.) So I imagine this print has a bunch of inside jokes I'm totally missing out on. However, I do really love the lettering and shape of the banners. Too bad the actual tattoo flash up in most tattoo shops doesn't look this cool.
Join The UI Animation Newsletter for weekly web & UI animation resources!
Val is a designer and web animation consultant with a talent for getting designers and developers alike excited about the power of animation. She is the author of The Pocket Guide to CSS Animations and Designing Interface Animation. She shares her passion for animation and UX by curating the UI Animation Newsletter, hosting the All The Right Moves screencast, and cohosting the Motion and Meaning podcast.
I just published a book on designing interface animation for the web. Get your copy from Rosenfeld Media!
Stop Leaving Animation to the Last Minute24 Ways
What Disney's Classic Animation Principles Could Teach Web Designers
Fast Company
How does your brand live in motion?
The Big Web Show Podcast
Safer Web Animation for Motion Sensitivity
A List Apart
Designing Interface Animation
net magazine #265 cover story
UI Animation & UX: A not-so-secret friendship
A List Apart
Prototyping Animation with Edge Animate
net magazine #254
The Awesomeness of Meet-Ups
Ladies In Tech


text:
The View From 1776
§ American Traditions
§ People and Ideas
§ Decline of Western Civilization: a Snapshot
§ Books to Read
Friday, April 06, 2007
Is Social Security a Form of Savings?
Emphatically, NO.
A reader on the Intellectual Conservative website, responding to the recent post titled Savings?, posed this query:
Let me ask a silly question: Do your Social Security contributions count as savings?
The answer is that Social Security is the polar opposite of savings.
The effect of Social Security is to decrease savings. None of the money remitted as Social Security taxes is available for individuals or businesses for real savings that could support productive investment in business expansion and create new jobs, thereby enriching the people.
As soon as Social Security taxes reach the Treasury, they are removed and replaced with non-marketable, low-interest-rate Treasury debt. The money scooped from the Social Security accounts goes straight out the door to pay Social Security beneficiaries and, if any money is left over, to pay everyday Federal operating expenses. Not a penny is invested in productive assets.
Social Security taxes are what economists call transfer payments. The Federal government takes money from workers and employers and transfers it to the elderly and infirm. What the working person or his employer might have saved, absent the required FICA taxes, is given to people whose needs almost guarantee that what they receive will be allocated to consumption expenditures.
That, in fact, was one of the Keynesian rationales for President Franklin Roosevelt's instituting Social Security in 1935 as a counter to the Depression. Keynes, the British economist and apostle of the collectivized, socialistic political state, theorized that the Depression would not end, because people were saving too much and not spending enough on consumption. We had been snared by what he called a liquidity trap.
The economy, Keynes believed, had permanently stabilized at a low level with permanent, high levels of unemployment. According to economist Alvin Hansen, Keynes' Harvard disciple and New Deal advisor, the Federal government had to spend massively, and presumably for for all time to come, because the the system of capitalist individualism had proved to be a failure.
Social Security had the presumed beneficial effect, both of increasing consumption expenditures, and of ripping those excess savings from the hands of greedy capitalists (Roosevelt's economic royalists) in order to move the nation towards the socialists' idea of social justice: equal distribution of income and wealth.
Social Security is, as many commentators have noted, a gigantic Ponzi scheme. Unlike real savings from personal income or corporate retained earnings, Social Security taxes immediately go to someone else. There is never any investment fund built up as a source of future payments to the individuals who are paying Social Security taxes. To make the Ponzi scheme work, the Federal government must keep receiving ever larger amounts of Social Security taxes to cover immediate payments to people who retired long before the worker who pays today. The last one in is left holding the bag.
As with all Ponzi schemes, Social Security must come to a flaming end at some time, because the ratio of retired and infirm beneficiaries to workers is rising rapidly. What is devastating the American automobile manufacturers today - payments to retired and permanently laid off workers - is directly analogous to what's in store for Social Security.
Visit MoveOff Network Members
Economics • (1) Comments
Print this Article • Email A Friend • Permalink


text:
Why us?
Everyday low prices – there's no mark-up on your electricity.
$50 account credit if you join energyclubnz after being referred by a friend, T&Cs apply*
An easy switch – you don't even have to contact your current provider!
No fixed-term contracts – you're not locked in.
Smart tracking – weekly bills make it easier for you to track your usage.
Proudly Kiwi – our people are based right here in New Zealand.
Helping you to save
At energyclubnz, we don't profit from you using more power. There's a small weekly club fee ($2.40 Low Users, $5 Standard Users) that helps us keep the lights on and lets us provide you electricity at cost.
We pride ourselves on transparency, so why not search your address on our free price calculator today and see how much you could save!
Easy to switch
Switching is easy. Simply fill out your details in our online sign up form and we will take care of the rest!
Your electricity will continue to work as normal and you will be transferred to energyclubnz within 10 business days. You don't even need to speak to your current electricity provider, we'll take care of your switch and they'll automatically send you your final bill.
Switch, Save & Smile
Every single one of our customers gets risk-free, zero-markup prices – now that's fair!
Weekly billing means smarter tracking – it's a lot easier to remember what you did last Thursday to increase your power usage than what you did 28 days ago! Our members become switched on about how their usage habits affect their bills, empowering them to use electricity in a smarter way.
*Account credits are subject to the Referral Programme Terms and Conditions


text:
Main Content:
Shorts on Sale
Athleta Shorts on Sale
Find Athleta shorts on sale that take fashion and comfort to new lengths. Find styles in our shorts sale that allow you to look and feel great during your active and leisure times. Whether heading to the range, jogging, running errands or just playing tennis with a few friends, find Athleta shorts on sale to be just what you need. Comfortable designs with trendy patterns make our shorts sale selection simply irresistible. Choose from Bermuda shorts, Blink Shorts, knickers and linen shorts as well as Printed Sienna skorts, Chase skorts, Whatever skorts and Drynamic skorts. From breathable and stretchy fabrics that feature smooth flat waistbands, enjoy all that Athleta shorts on sale have to offer.


text:
The Tech Savvy Genealogists' Meme
from Geniaus
The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things you haven't done or found and don't care to: plain type
Feel free to add extra comments in brackets after each item
Which of these apply to you?
- Own an Android or Windows tablet or an iPad – my Android smatphone does all I need
- Use a tablet or iPad for genealogy related purposes
- Have used Skype to for genealogy purposes
- Have used a camera to capture images in a library/archives/ancestor's home – again, my smartphone meets my needs, I'm a terrible photographer!
- Use a genealogy software program on your computer to manage your family tree – I use GRAMPS gramps-project.com
- Have a Twitter account – yes, but I mainly read rather than post
- Tweet daily
- Have a genealogy blog – – if you're reading this, you've found it!
- Have more then one genealogy blog – no
- Have lectured/presented to a genealogy group on a technology topic – no fear!
- Currently an active member of Genealogy Wise
- Have a Facebook Account
- Have connected with genealogists via Facebook
- Maintain a genealogy related Facebook Page
- Maintain a blog or website for a genealogy society – no, I don't live in any of the places that my ancestors come from
- Have submitted text corrections online to Ancestry, Trove or a similar site
- Have registered a domain name- not for genealogy
- Post regularly to Google+ – just starting to use it
- Have a blog listed on Geneabloggers
- Have transcribed/indexed records for FamilySearch or a similar project
- Own a Flip-Pal or hand-held scanner
- Can code a webpage in .html – yes, but I switched to Joomla!, when another GRAMPS user has created a plug-in to create a family tree for Joomla!-based sites
- Own a smartphone
- Have a personal subscription to one or more paid genealogy databases – no, I use my local library for Ancestry
- Use a digital voice recorder to record genealogy lectures
- Have contributed to a genealogy blog carnival
- Use Chrome as a Browser – yes, but not for genealogy as I like the GenealogyinTime toolbar for Firefox
- Have participated in a genealogy webinar
- Have taken a DNA test for genealogy purposes
- Have a personal genealogy website
- Have found mention of an ancestor in an online newspaper archive
- Have tweeted during a genealogy lecture
- Have scanned your hardcopy genealogy files – all mine are digital, though I hope to inherit my dad's paperwork!
- Use an RSS Reader to follow genealogy news and blogs
- Have uploaded a gedcom file to a site like Geni, MyHeritage or Ancestry
- Own a netbook
- Use a computer/tablet/smartphone to take genealogy lecture notes
- Have a profile on LinkedIn that mentions your genealogy habit – I haven't used it for about six or seven years
- Have developed a genealogy software program, app or widget
- Have listened to a genealogy podcast online
- Have downloaded genealogy podcasts for later listening
- Backup your files to a portable hard drive – yes, though I use my Dropbox more
- Have a copy of your genealogy files stored offsite
- Know about Rootstech
- Have listened to a Blogtalk radio session about genealogy – no, I never seem to get round to it
- Use Dropbox, SugarSync or other service to save documents in the cloud
- Schedule regular email backups – regular backups, but not by email
- Have contributed to the Familysearch Wiki
- Have scanned and tagged your genealogy photographs – some, but not all
- Have published a genealogy book in an online/digital format – no, I've been thinking about family histories but I'd probably produce them as PDFs rather than ebooks now.
So there are my answers – how about yours? If you want to take part, visit Geniaus to let her know!