text:
I don't know if things changed after the death of the plumber. It may be that I just became much more aware of certain elements. I understand that the human mind filters out an astonishing amount of sensory data. There's a condition called 'accommodation', where even the sound of a jackhammer outside your window can disappear from your hearing as you go through your day. There's a lot of accommodation that goes on in a place like New York City. That accommodation is not just sensory but also emotional as well. People become hardened to things. I don't suppose they have any choice. Rudeness becomes the reflex action for one whose space is too often pressed on and invaded.
I could not live in a city. The whine that magnetizes me is woven into a thunder of fury in these places. I am taken through special preparations when I go somewhere with such a concentration of human misery. It is not simply dealing with the howling cacophony. I have found that the measures I take for the extraction of a predator become far more extreme in such an environment. It's as if that terrible orchestra is playing through me and there are times when I lose consciousness of myself in the event. Afterwards it appears as if a force of nature had come unhinged. But immediately thereafter I am all concentration and detail.
As I've said, some other intelligence is resident in me. I can feel the clear and certain understanding of all that I must do and it is automatic. I am also personally detached- even when passionately involved, then and always after. I do not feel responsible. I am not sorry. It is like being the hand of God.
In the nineteenth century in India there was a group of men who worshipped the goddess Kali. She is a particular archetype that symbolizes all consuming Time. She is often depicted as black with a red lolling tongue and a garland of skulls about her neck. In one of her several hands is a cup of blood, in the other a large knife. These men were called Thuggees and they went about the countryside killing in the name of Kali. It was a form of worship. There was a taboo against the spilling of blood so they strangled their victims with silk scarves in which a rupee was fixed. It was said that some of them had magical powers conferred upon them by the goddess. They were very difficult to catch.
In the twelfth century in Persia there was a man named Hassan I Sabbah. He was also called the Old Man of the Mountains. The word 'assassin' comes from his name. He would intoxicate his followers with hashish and then lead them into a beautiful garden filled with lovely women and all manner of food and drink. This, he said, waited for them in paradise should any of them die in his service. He once commanded forty of his men to march off a high battlement as an example of the loyalty he enjoyed. He had men in every kingdom in the East. At any time they might strike out and kill the ruler or anyone else. He was feared everywhere. They say he had powers too. That seems to have been true.
There are other examples of curious men, women and groups such as this. I mention them because it seems that this might be the case with me as well. This is what I would like to find out.
After the death of the plumber I returned to my routines, attending school, interacting with my parents in the awkward and formal manner that was our custom. But now I became able to pick out sounds that I had not heard before. I sometimes saw things in a state of hyper reality. I could hear conversations at a distance. I could see things with astonishing clarity. By example; once I was sitting by the pool as a dragonfly buzzed about. It was turquoise with emerald wings. In a particular moment it hovered in the air before me and I saw this dragonfly in its essence. Time stopped and a vast flow of information passed from the dragonfly into me. I 'knew' this dragonfly. I could see every feature of its countenance. I could see the spaces between its wing beats. Then, without warning or prelude, I became the dragonfly. The power and freedom that I felt are indescribable. Nothing has ever approached this experience. I had other similar experiences over time but this was the first. I don't know for how long I was the dragonfly. At some point I was once again sitting by the pool with no idea of how I had been returned to myself. No great time seemed to have passed. It was the same part of the day. It might have been an hour. It might have been seconds. I have learned that time is an extraordinarily subjective and relative thing.
I have come to understand that one of the greatest tragedies in life is the common sense of time shared by people in their routines. It is a prison of increments. At a certain point there is nothing new in their lives. It is just a repetition of patterns.
Very often, I had dreams that would continue from night to night. I cannot say how it is for others. I only know what I have heard and read. By comparison with this information, I would say that my dreams are of another kind altogether. In my dreams the events are as clear and real as they are in my waking state. Sometimes, I am in realms that bear little resemblance to life on this planet. Seldom do I walk in dark places, though it does occur. And always in these rare 'dark' dreams, I am hunting someone. Always in these dreams, I will eventually terminate them. What is most unusual about this is that it is always just as it is when I perform the service in my corporeal self. There are the preparations, the search and contact, the inquiry and conversation period and then the finale. Am I working even when I sleep?
I have heard that murderers are often pursued by furies. I have heard that their conscience can give them no peace. Some of them take their own lives. But I always feel as if I am watching something occur and even though I know that I am involved, it never feels that way.
Let me tell you about the next person I killed. With one later exception this was the last time I killed someone that I had previously met and the only other time I was personally involved before the fact. After this they were strangers. I've mentioned that I wasn't very social at my school. I can't say I had any real friends. There were people that I knew and I did things with them. Early on I recognized the value of fitting in and having the appearance of normalcy. So, no doubt there were people who thought they were friends of mine; people with whom I shared the appearance of camaraderie...but that was just something I did. I went to parties and some school functions. I drank and I smoked and I took drugs because that's what everyone else did. And there were occasions when I forgot all about how strange I was and got lost in the moment. I never feel that way now and sometimes I miss it. I am always aware of myself and everyone around me. I always know where I am. I always know what I'm going to do next...with the single exception of when The Whine appears. At those times, as I have said, it doesn't matter what I know. Whatever knows is intimately aware of me. I am in the passenger seat.
In my senior year I met a boy named Frank. Frank's parents were rich too. Frank, unlike most of our associates, was not a smug, overbearing asshole. I could hang out with Frank and not find myself being constantly annoyed. Frank wanted to go to Australia and hang out with the Aborigines. I don't know if he ever did manage it. He went on to college in California and I didn't see much of him after that. This isn't about Frank anyway. I mention Frank by way of introducing Colette. Colette lived near Frank and they had known each other since they were small. So when Frank had a party at his house Colette would usually come over. Frank had a lot of parties because his parents, like mine, were often abroad. In Frank's house there were enough servants to take care of any mess that might happen. Frank was usually pretty good at not inviting any of the real trouble makers. Like me he didn't make problems for his parents so they left him pretty much alone.
Colette was a lovely girl. At sixteen she had a haunting beauty, enhanced by a shy introspection. I rarely saw her smile but when she did she could take your breath away. She had raven black hair and blue eyes. I liked Colette and would spend my time with her when I was over at one of Frank's parties and sometimes we would meet in a park or take a walk in town. It didn't happen often. I got the impression that her parents kept her close to home. Half the time she couldn't make it to Frank's parties even though they lived close by one another. I never knew Colette to have a boyfriend. I believe I might have been the closest thing to that.
The first indication I got that there might be problems in Colette's life was from a passing comment made by Frank. I had said that she seemed sad most of the time. Frank said, "Yeah, all is not right there." When I asked him what he meant, he just shrugged and said; "If I knew maybe I could do something about it. Her family is strange."
As time passed I became very close with Colette, though we did not manage to have sex. She was very conflicted about it and I didn't press the issue. We would touch each other, intimately on occasion, and it was enough for me most of the time, to sit quietly with her and enjoy her presence. She couldn't go out much. She said that her father wanted her at home. I finally met her father one night when he came by Frank's to look for her. Colette and I were sitting on the porch swing overlooking the garden when he came up out of the darkness upon us.
"Ah Colette, there you are."
Her father was a big man. He'd obviously been an athlete in his day. Now he was carrying an extra 30 pounds and had the florid complexion of a future stroke victim. This latter effect was enhanced by the fact that he had had a few somewhere before he arrived. His hair was curly and unmanageable and he used some sort of pomade to keep it down on his scalp. The face was moon shaped and of a dough like consistency. It was the face of a man who looked fat long before he was fat. He had button eyes and a broad nose. It looked as if it had been pressed back into his face with force. There was not much chin but a great deal of neck. I imagined he would never be comfortable with his collar buttoned underneath his tie. This night he was wearing brushed cotton slacks with a Hawaiian shirt. He wore round glasses with a very thin gold rim and the porch light reflecting from their polished surface made it quite difficult to catch anything from his eyes. I felt Colette jump beside me as he appeared in our view.
"Dad"! She exclaimed. I heard her voice catch. "We're getting some air from the cigarette smoke.
He chuckled, artificially. "We do have to look out for our lungs." This was someone who immediately made me uncomfortable. It had nothing to do with his daughter sitting beside me. It was obvious that all we had been doing was sitting. Yet I felt an intense scrutiny upon me, so much so that the hairs on my arm stood up.
"You're a friend of Colette's?" He asked me. "I don't believe I've seen you before."
"This is Bill", Colette replied. "He's a friend of Frank's from school.
"How ya doin Bill."? He extended his hand and I took it. The hand was slightly moist as if it had recently held a drink, which I don't doubt it had. Otherwise it was fleshy and cool, much like he was, with the warm bonhomie overlaying the reduced temperature beneath. "I'm Mitch, Colette's daddy."
I can still vividly remember that night and the exchange between us. I may have mentioned how very good my memory is. I remember clearly the growing unease I felt under his eyes. This was mixed with a definite but undefined impatience and the sense that he was more intoxicated than he appeared to be. He was wearing some kind of cologne that seemed to emphasize the alcohol in the air.
"Well now Colette", his head swiveled toward her. "Your mom's been looking for you. She finally sent me out into the neighborhood."
There was no question that Colette was very uneasy. I could feel her conflicted state. At this time in my life I had very little understanding of the complexities of human emotion. Everything that I did know had come to me through books and the few things that I had experienced so far. Books can give a very accurate description of many conditions. What books cannot do is transmit visceral experience. I've learned an enormous amount from books but when it comes to the knowledge of life itself, I only know so much. Even though I had already killed and had sex, I was still an uncertain youth. So much occurred within me that I had not had the time needed for integration. Later I would be able to read volumes from the feelings that moved in the air around me. On this occasion, I could feel but I could not interpret. I remembered Frank's words. "All is not right there."
Colette was quiet for a moment and then she said, "I thought Mother went to her card game?"
Mitch nodded in a diffident manner, the light flashing from his glasses and dancing on the rims, "That she did Sweetie but something she had at dinner apparently backed up on her and she had to come straight home. She's been sick several times already and she wants you to come and look after her." He shrugged, "you know how useless I am in these situations."
I felt it stronger now and I could identify it. There was fear coming off of Colette, fear and something else I could not identify. There was a sour smell hovering beneath the sweetness of Colette, a feral scent. I felt myself shift in my seat.
Mitch had his hand extended toward her and in this same moment turned to me and said. "I'm sorry to be taking Colette away from you. Perhaps she can return if her mother recovers a bit." He smiled without warmth and I could feel his will draw Colette from her seat. She turned to me as she arose. I will never forget the look in her eyes. The sense of utter loss struck me to the core. I was rendered mute by the impact of her eyes on mine. I must have mumbled something as I also got to my feet. Once Colette was standing it was no time at all before Mitch had her down the porch stairs and they were away.
I could hear their voices trailing. Then, just moments later, that condition of paranormal hearing kicked in. I could hear them as if they were but a few feet away. This was not so developed then as it is now. I heard as if the words were ocean waves coming to the shore. There would be a brief moment of clear audio and then it would recede to incomprehensible murmurs; ebb and flow.
"Honey, you know how I feel I..."
"is wrong Dad. I'm breaking up inside I..."
"only for tonight, you're my..."
Then she was softly weeping, no words following, just the sense of desolate resignation and from him an odious, comforting drone of meaningless endearments.
As I listened a terrible anger uncoiled in my chest. I had not apprehended the entirety of the outrage. Indeed at that time I am not sure I connected the reality of the event coming or the events preceding. It was more a sense of danger and violation without aspect. I felt a blanketing evil without definable form. I felt this evil touching me and burning me. The Whine began to sound. I was on my feet before I knew it and I found myself descending those same steps they had taken minutes before. It is strange that I did not know where Colette lived. We had always arranged our meetings over the telephone and I was dissuaded from ever picking her up but I could track their progress as a trained animal could track a scent. As I went, I felt myself morphing from within. It reminded me of the transformation of a werewolf in films I had seen. I could almost feel myself drop to the ground; my body extending and moving into a tireless, tracking lope, though no such thing actually occurred.
The air rippled with the echo of their voices as I turned into the street. I continued for several blocks until I found myself outside a metal gate that barred entrance to the driveway and house beyond. I could see a portion of the house from where I stood, it was a large Tudor mansion; the downstairs lights were leaking through the windows and pushing the shadows back from the lawn. Without thought I reached to the top rail of the gate and vaulted over it with no effort at all. I landed in a crouch in the driveway on the further side and moved toward the house.
I felt then, as I have often felt in future times, a sense of personal invisibility. There is a force that keeps my form hidden until it is meant to be revealed. We shall see in coming events how this has allowed me access to locations that would have been denied me were I not in possession of this power. Soon I was at the house and as I came around to the back, I found myself confronted by a large Belgian shepherd. He stood motionless in front of me. The light from the house made his eyes glow red. As is so often the case with me in these moments, I felt no alarm, no fear. We stood quietly for a brief interval and then I extended my hand. The dog moved forward passing under my touch and brushed against my leg and then stopped. I scratched his back and looked up at the second story of the house.
The moment is difficult to describe. Through my hand I felt the dog's thoughts pass into me. It appears that there is a place where the animal kingdom and the human realm touch, a place where information can be exchanged. There was a sympathetic transfer between us concerning Colette. The dog was Mitch's dog, a dog trained for the protection of the house and its occupants. Had I been anyone else, our meeting would have had another result entirely. I could feel in the dog's mind that the dog saw me as a larger, bigger, smarter dog. I was higher up in the pecking order and the puppy aspect of the dog responded to the alpha male status of my being. The dog did not see me as human at all. I cannot put into words what the dog thought of me. I can remember exactly in my mind how it was and feel exactly what the dog felt but I cannot express it in words. It would be the same if I were to attempt to describe an alien landscape where the colors and shapes bore no resemblance to anything on Earth. There is quite simply, nothing to relate it to by comparison.
The dog trotted off into the night. I did not see the dog again. I continued around the house and then stopped at the next corner. From above me I could hear the conversation between Colette and her father. I could hear the murmur of his voice and her gentle weeping. I could feel in my mind Mitch's excitement at her tears. I could hear the rustle of clothing and the soft abrasion of skin on skin.
The rage that now began to emerge in my chest was so much greater than I had felt before. I could hardly contain it. I felt a new intelligence move within me and take the rage in hand. It turned me about and led me past the swimming pool, the cabana and then quickly up the trunk of a large maple tree and into the branches above. I could hear the sound of that dark activity taking place in the room across the way. There was a low light in the room and I could see into it from my vantage point now several meters above it. There were the combined forms of Colette and her father. Her father's body moved rhythmically above her. I could see Colette's despairing face as she turned her head to the window. It seemed then and it seems now that our eyes actually met, though she could not have seen me from that distance, into the trees and through the covering darkness of the night. A mute plea of awful desperation passed across the space between us. I turned my head and disappeared within myself for a time.
When I returned the room was dark. I knew that Colette was still there, no longer weeping but staring into the darkness above her head. Her father had departed and gone to his den. I could see him in my mind, drinking a Scotch and remembering the pleasure of his recent conquest. His fingers stroked the blotter on his desk. I could hear a film projector whirring. I could feel the part of him that was engaged in the activity upon the screen. None of the perceptions that I possessed in such moments has ever seemed strange to me. I have never found myself in an objective state, analyzing the how and the why of it all. They are just a part of me. I could just as well look at my hand and wonder how it came to be upon my wrist. No one makes such speculations. It is just a natural extension of the arm. Just as we accept that we can see. We have always seen. There is no miracle there.
I dropped from the tree to the ground and moved toward the house. I felt myself fill with determination and purpose. The anger was there but it was a controlled flame. It might flash, it might roar for a moment like the fire inside an incinerator, but it was contained. Riding above the anger was a keen sense of purpose, a sense of distances and the passages across them, a sense of the nature of the event to come.
The majority of my clients have no question concerning their activities. It is this, I believe, that contributes to their passing more than any other factor. It may be that the soul of the client questions. I am of the belief that no matter how evil anyone might be, there can never be a time when the light of the soul is not present; if the soul, as we understand it, exists. Even if the contact is as remote as the distance between the stars in space, the connection is there, the soul is there, if the soul exists. It must be so. There is no animation, no life except that this connection exists.
I am of two minds always when I consider these things. There is what I know, or have reasoned to be possible and there is what I have read and heard. Often there is a disparity between them. Much of what I have read and heard seems like nonsense to me. The meaning given to words in the common parlance often applies fantastic and distant meaning to things that are void of ordinary substance. If it's not made of dirt and blood; plastic, metal... something the senses can touch... then it is too often the fruit of an undisciplined imagination. This world abounds in superstition and rumor. It is what makes the gods of religion seem so absurd. We live in a world of blind men groping elephants.
When I think of Jesus and other teachers of humanity I think of this. I believe that they have some deep and profound knowledge of something that is the source of their boundless compassion and understanding. I do not possess this knowledge. It may be that it is not germane to my work and might even be a hindrance. I am another aspect of the whole. We are all aspects of the whole. This is something that I do understand and even in the fire of reclaiming the client to another place it is something that I know. Even in the rage that might flower in awesome aspect, I know this. I am returning the client to the whole, for the good of the whole. How could anyone argue with that?
When I am in my state, when I am in this transcendence there seems to be no barrier that can stand before me. Doors, bars, locks, alarms all give way or fail to start at my touch. It is not that I tear the door from its hinges; although I assure you I can. There is seldom any warning of my approach unless it is necessary to the entire scenario of the client's transition. Does some as yet unknown energy pass from my hand to the schematic of the doors essence? I could not tell you. I remember thinking once how like the classic profile of the boogeyman I am. The boogeyman can get in anywhere. The boogeyman can't be stopped. The boogeyman can't be killed. The boogeyman is going to kill you. The boogeyman is not going to kill you though before he scares the living shit out of you and he is going to kill you in some unpleasant way; some way that you are not going to like at all. I laughed out loud the first time I thought of this. You see, I do not think of myself as the boogeyman at all. I am not Michael Myers come fresh from the institution, or Jason in the hockey mask. It is the pure unstoppable, automaton feature of these imaginary beings that I believe is their most frightening aspect. And I have to ask myself, do these cartoon monsters come from some real persons and events that travel in parallel with ordinary life? Are they somewhat based on me? Am I one more manifestation of a group of men (are there women too?) who have come down the ages, men of whom the passing years have whispered? The evidence of these men's passing exists...but the men themselves have never been seen by one who has survived. Is it from the activities of men like myself that the legends of the boogeyman and werewolves and vampires have come? I can assure you that some of the scenes I leave behind are very reminiscent of the tales told of these mythic creatures.
Very soon I was standing behind this man in his study. The light from the projector flickered. Colette was on the screen, Colette at the age of 12 perhaps, nude and frightened, staring in hopeful desperation into the camera lens.
I said, "I suppose it's a big part of it, the fear."
Mitch spun around in his chair; his face was a mix of outrage, anger and fear.
"What are you doing in my house?" He demanded. "Scout!" he called. I knew it was the dog he was calling.
"Scout won't come." I said. Now there was more fear in his eyes. He moved suddenly toward his desk and pulled open a drawer.
I grasped his wrist, arresting his progress completely. He struggled to free himself but only succeeded in moving his body around his wrist. His wrist did not move. I pulled him to his feet and led him out of the door. Sensing that he was about to scream, I spun him about and closed his mouth with my hand. I walked him down the hallway and opened the door that I knew led to the basement.
We entered into a combination family playroom and work shop. There was a pool table and a bar, a pinball machine and a home entertainment center with a large comfortable sectional arranged around it. A connecting door led to the workroom. It was the work room I was interested in so I led Mitch into that area and proceeded to duct tape him to the captains' chair that sat at a long worktable. During this process Mitch began screaming at me. I was no longer concerned with the noise factor as I knew that the entire basement area was soundproofed from the levels above; so began my first actual interrogation.
I asked Mitch about why he felt that he had the right to behave as he did. He proceeded from telling me it was none of my business, to the fact that he could not help himself and as he saw me choosing tools and laying them on the table before me, to saying that he needed help, that he would get help and then begging for his life.
I told him that this was the time for him to consider his real reasons for his actions because he would have no further opportunity to talk to anyone.
"What are you going to do!" he screamed, struggling so violently that he tipped the chair over. I caught it on the way down and righted it.
"I am going to introduce you to yourself and then I am going to set you free. I am hoping before you go that you will see how wrong your actions were and will not take their seeds with you."
"What? What? What are you talking about?" he looked at me in a crafty way then and said. "You're just a kid. You can't intend to hurt me. This is like a lesson right? This is something you got up to with my daughter. You want me to stop? I'll stop."
I looked at him and nodded. "You will indeed stop. Your daughter knows nothing about this though. I'm not even sure why I'm doing it. But I am sure it needs to be done."
"What are you going to do? You're crazy..." and then he began screaming for help as loudly as he could manage.
I said, "You know the screaming isn't going to help. You made sure of that when you had it remodeled, just before you started bringing Colette down here. And Colette isn't the only one is she?"
At this he looked into my eyes and said, "Who are you? How do you know these things?" I could see that he was becoming very unsettled about possibilities he had never considered before. At the same time, a train of images...a series of vignettes about this man's life were passing through my mind. I had to stop in my preparations in order to follow them. I saw this man's life rush before me and for a time I was unaware of my surroundings, unaware of anything but the passing of the images.
How can I describe what I saw? I cannot. When it was done though, I knew something about mankind in an area other than any I had been familiar with before. Nothing like this had happened with the plumber. I saw for the first time that there were aliens living under the human skin. There were life forms for which no moral limiter existed; men in whom conscience had never been known. In all of what I saw there was no sign of remorse. There was no thought that wrong had been done. There was only fear for what might happen and a desperate searching for release, for some saving event. Release he would have...
I don't think it is necessary for me to go into the graphic details of what happened next, nothing would be gained except an appeal to the darker, prurient nature of certain readers. I have no way of knowing if such people will ever read this but I can militate against that feature of my confessional.
He was found the next day but not by Colette. I called her that morning and we went off for a breakfast in town.
I have wondered why so many of my clients have been guilty of crimes against young people. Quite a portion of them are in some way connected to acts of sexual battery and other torments of the young. I get the impression that a large majority of the world's ills stem from just such behavior. The world is teeming with those victimized in an unprotected state. Later these victims go on to carry out similar acts upon others. It is like some infection that passes plague-like through all cultures and nations. Long ago perhaps there were some few evils that occurred for the first time in the dawn of the world. They were then passed on in an ever widening circle until no person was left untouched in some way by them. Maybe my job is to eliminate the Typhoid Mary's from whose minds the idea of such activities broadcast into the minds of the unknowing and unwary.
Perhaps all crimes connect somehow to the crime of savaging innocence. I have often noted how epidemic this behavior is among the wealthy and powerful. In many large cities of the world, men and women in high positions in government and law enforcement engage in secret bacchanals with children of every age. On occasion large scandals will manifest and a few small fish will be thrown into the pot while the more powerful malefactors escape to continue as before. Only a few years ago there was such a thing that ran from Omaha to the White House. Once again, a few small fish ...and the more powerful, to this day, continue. I know this.
In my studies of the hidden side of life I encountered the process where seed impressions are deposited into the virgin subconscious for the purpose of creating the physical manifestations of an idea contained in the seed. This virgin matter, this fresh parchment of innocence is pierced; inscribed upon, parted, split or what have you. Then this virgin matter makes of itself the form that the seed contains the promise of within itself. It is one of the essential processes of applied magic. Could it be that in the infernal realms of the human mind some parody of this is carried out in the actual rape and violation of the physical body of virgin kids? Is this a sacrament of the low orders? Whatever the case may be, such practices are far more prevalent than the world suspects.
The newspapers described it as a horrific torture murder. The police said the scene was indescribable; the work of a twisted, demented, psychopathic personality. I can see how it would look that way. But these men do not know what I know...nor do they know the purpose of that which Mitch endured. They do not know that evil needs be wrung from the bones of a man...or evil may replicate further. When I am near completion of an event, I can see the evil crouching, waiting...with nowhere left to hide or to go. In that moment I can take the evil into my hands and fill my hands with fire and burn that evil to nothing away. I do not know where this fire comes from, or where it goes after. It disappears with the fuel...and in every case, I have been able to hold this evil forth before the eyes of the client...no matter how close to death they may be, enough of their attention remains for this. There is a mystical transfiguration that occurs in that moment that I will not even attempt to desecrate by way of explanation with words.
I listen to a woman on the radio. I read her column in the newspaper. It's a big city paper. Her name is Natalie Parmer. You may have heard of her, she's a syndicated columnist, not in a big way yet but on her way. She says many uncanny things. Lately it has seemed as if she was speaking directly to me...and lately I have been thinking that I should speak to her as well. Oh, I don't think I would go to see her but I might write her. Lately it has been growing in my mind that I might send her what I have written so far. It seems that she knows something, something about me. It is as if she were talking to me alone. Maybe I will send her these writings and see if there is something she can tell me. She may not even know that she possesses answers, yet those answers may be in her.


text: Claire and Mark, both visually impaired, were brought together thanks to their seeing eyes dogs who would always managed to find and snuggle each other at a training course in Shrewsbury, England. I guess their puppy love was infectious, because Claire and Mark fell in love shortly there after, and now they're engaged to be married next spring. Congrats!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
sd_bus_default, sd_bus_default_user, sd_bus_default_system, sd_bus_open, sd_bus_open_with_description, sd_bus_open_user, sd_bus_open_user_with_description, sd_bus_open_user_machine, sd_bus_open_system, sd_bus_open_system_with_description, sd_bus_open_system_remote, sd_bus_open_system_machine — Acquire a connection to a system or user bus
#include <systemd/sd-bus.h>
int sd_bus_default( | sd_bus **bus) ; |
int sd_bus_default_user( | sd_bus **bus) ; |
int sd_bus_default_system( | sd_bus **bus) ; |
int sd_bus_open( | sd_bus **bus) ; |
int sd_bus_open_with_description( | sd_bus **bus, |
const char *description) ; |
int sd_bus_open_user( | sd_bus **bus) ; |
int sd_bus_open_user_with_description( | sd_bus **bus, |
const char *description) ; |
int sd_bus_open_user_machine( | sd_bus **bus, |
const char *machine) ; |
int sd_bus_open_system( | sd_bus **bus) ; |
int sd_bus_open_system_with_description( | sd_bus **bus, |
const char *description) ; |
int sd_bus_open_system_remote( | sd_bus **bus, |
const char *host) ; |
int sd_bus_open_system_machine( | sd_bus **bus, |
const char *machine) ; |
acquires a bus
connection object to the user bus when invoked in user context, or
to the system bus otherwise. The connection object is associated
with the calling thread. Each time the function is invoked from
the same thread, the same object is returned, but its reference
count is increased by one, as long as at least one reference is
kept. When the last reference to the connection is dropped (using
call), the connection is terminated. Note that the connection is
not automatically terminated when the associated thread ends. It
is important to drop the last reference to the bus connection
explicitly before the thread ends, as otherwise, the connection will
leak. Also, queued but unread or unwritten messages keep the
bus referenced, see below.
returns a user
bus connection object associated with the calling thread.
is similar, but
connects to the system bus. Note that
is identical to these two
calls, depending on the execution context.
creates a new,
independent bus connection to the user bus when invoked in user
context, or the system bus
otherwise. sd_bus_open_user()
is similar, but
connects only to the user bus.
does the same, but
connects to the system bus. In contrast to
, and
, these calls return
new, independent connection objects that are not associated with
the invoking thread and are not shared between multiple
invocations. It is recommended to share connections per thread to
efficiently make use the available resources. Thus, it is
recommended to use sd_bus_default()
to connect to the
user or system buses.
, and
are similar to
, sd_bus_open_user()
, and
, but allow a description string to be set, see
may be NULL
, in which case this function
is equivalent to sd_bus_open()
. This description string is used in log
messages about the bus object, and including a "name" for the bus makes them easier to
understand. Some messages are emitted during bus initialization, hence using this function is
preferable to setting the description later with
. The argument is copied internally and will
not be referenced after the function returns.
If the $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
variable is set
(cf. environ(7)),
it will be used as the address of the user bus. This variable can
contain multiple addresses separated by ";
". If
this variable is not set, a suitable default for the default user
D-Bus instance will be used.
If the $DBUS_SYSTEM_BUS_ADDRESS
environment variable is set, it will be used as the address of the
system bus. This variable uses the same syntax as
. If this variable is
not set, a suitable default for the default system D-Bus instance
will be used.
connects to the system bus on
the specified host using
consists of an optional user name followed by the
" symbol, and the hostname, optionally followed by a
" and a port, optionally followed by a
" and a machine name. If the machine name is given, a connection
is created to the system bus in the specified container on the remote machine, and
otherwise a connection to the system bus on the specified host is created.
Note that entering a container is a privileged operation, and will likely only work for the root user on the remote machine.
connects to the system bus in the specified
, where machine
is the name of a local container,
possibly prefixed by a user name and a separating "@
". If the container name is
specified as the special string ".host
" the connection is made to the local system. This
is useful to connect to the local system bus as specific user, e.g. "foobar@.host
" to
connect to the local system bus as local user "foobar
". If the "@
syntax is used either the left-hand side or the right-hand side may be omitted (but not both) in which
case the local user name or ".host
" is implied. If the "@
" syntax is
not used the connection is always made as root user. See
for a description of the address syntax, and
machinectl(1) for more
information about the "machine" concept. Note that connections into local containers are only available
to privileged processes at this time.
is similar to
, but connects to the user bus of the root user, or if
the "@
" syntax is used, of the specified user.
These calls allocate a bus connection object and initiate the connection to a well-known bus of some form. An alternative to using these high-level calls is to create an unconnected bus object with sd_bus_new(3) and to connect it with sd_bus_start(3).
The functions sd_bus_open()
, and
return a new
connection object and the caller owns the sole reference. When not
needed anymore, this reference should be destroyed with
The functions sd_bus_default()
do not necessarily
create a new object, but increase the connection reference of an
existing connection object by one. Use
to drop the reference.
Queued but unwritten/unread messages keep a reference to their bus connection object. For this reason, even
if an application dropped all references to a bus connection, it might not get destroyed right away. Until all
incoming queued messages are read, and until all outgoing unwritten messages are written, the bus object will stay
alive. sd_bus_flush()
may be used to write all outgoing queued messages so they drop their
references. To flush the unread incoming messages, use sd_bus_close()
, which will also close
the bus connection. When using the default bus logic, it is a good idea to first invoke
followed by sd_bus_close()
when a thread or process
terminates, and thus its bus connection object should be freed.
Normally, slot objects (as created by
sd_bus_add_match(3) and similar
calls) keep a reference to their bus connection object, too. Thus, as long as a bus slot object remains referenced
its bus object will remain allocated too. Optionally, bus slot objects may be placed in "floating" mode. When in
floating mode the life cycle of the bus slot object is bound to the bus object, i.e. when the bus object is freed
the bus slot object is automatically unreferenced too. The floating state of a slot object may be controlled
explicitly with
though usually floating bus slot objects are created by passing NULL
as the
parameter of sd_bus_add_match()
and related calls, thus indicating
that the caller is not directly interested in referencing and managing the bus slot object.
The life cycle of the default bus connection should be the
responsibility of the code that creates/owns the thread the
default bus connection object is associated with. Library code
should neither call sd_bus_flush()
on default bus objects unless
it does so in its own private, self-allocated thread. Library code
should not use the default bus object in other threads unless it
is clear that the program using it will life cycle the bus
connection object and flush and close it before exiting from the
thread. In libraries where it is not clear that the calling
program will life cycle the bus connection object, it is hence
recommended to use sd_bus_open_system()
instead of sd_bus_default_system()
related calls.
On success, these calls return 0 or a positive integer. On failure, these calls return a negative errno-style error code.
Returned errors may indicate the following problems:
¶The specified parameters are invalid.
¶The requested bus type is not available because of invalid environment (for example
the user session bus is not available because $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
is not set).
¶Memory allocation failed.
¶The protocol version required to connect to the selected bus is not supported.
In addition, other connection-related errors may be returned. See sd_bus_send(3).
These APIs are implemented as a shared
library, which can be compiled and linked to with the


text:
Code of Conduct for Institutional Financial Aid Professionals
An institutional financial aid professional is expected to always maintain exemplary standards of professional conduct in all aspects of carrying out his or her responsibilities, specifically including all dealings with any entities involved in any manner in student financial aid, regardless of whether such entities are involved in a government sponsored, subsidized, or regulated activity. In doing so, a financial aid professional should:
- Refrain from taking any action for his or her personal benefit.
- Refrain from taking any action he or she believes is contrary to law, regulation, or the best interests of the students and parents he or she serves.
- Ensure that the information he or she provides is accurate, unbiased, and does not reflect any preference arising from actual or potential personal gain.
- Be objective in making decisions and advising his or her institution regarding relationships with any entity involved in any aspect of student financial aid.
- Refrain from soliciting or accepting anything of other than nominal value from any entity (other than an institution of higher education or a governmental entity such as the U.S. Department of Education) involved in the making, holding, consolidating or processing of any student loans, including anything of value (including reimbursement of expenses) for serving on an advisory body or as part of a training activity of or sponsored by any such entity.
- Disclose to his or her institution, in such manner as his or her institution may prescribe, any involvement with or interest in any entity involved in any aspect of student financial aid.


text:
ACN Opportunity
Simply put, ACN provides you with opportunity. The opportunity to own a home-based business without the large investment or risk most entrepreneurs have to make, and with the total support of ACN behind you every step of the way.
At ACN, Independent Business Owners (IBOs) simply offer the services that people are already using and spending money on every day, including Mobile, Energy, Broadband, TV and Security.
So there's no change in buying habits, and you'll never have to convince someone to purchase services they don't need or can't afford.
All you do is direct people to your personal ACN Online Shop - provided and hosted by ACN - and ACN takes care of the rest.
Why ACN?
We are Opportunity, Success, Integrity, Vision and Ambition
The You Economy is the New Economy
With ACN, you don't sell trendy widgets or budget-busting services. ACN focuses on essential services that people already use and pay for.
When someone becomes a new customer and pays their bills, you get paid every month, month after month, for as long as they remain on the service - or for the term of their agreement. That's residual income. Plus, every time you acquire a new customer or help an existing customer add a service, you give yourself a raise.
Some companies spend millions advertising new, enticing products. ACN instead works with people just like you, and the result is more choices for consumers and a remarkable business opportunity for you offering people you already know an alternative on the essential services they are using anyway.


text: This is a one time message, if it reached you by mistake please accept my apologies, disregard and delete. Thank you. Dear Entrepreneur: Please take the time to read this. It can start you on the road to an easier life as an internet businessman/woman. Thank you. EBIZ = 1,2,3...4 CASH! 1. READ THIS ALL THE WAY THROUGH! 2. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS! 3. GO BUY A BIG BAG... 4. ALL THE CASH! THE PROGRAM $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ INCREDIBLE $0 to $50,000 in 90 days!!! Dear Friend, You can earn $50,000 or more in next the 90 days sending e-mail. Seem impossible? Read on for details. "AS SEEN ON NATIONAL TV" Thank you for your time and interest. This is the letter you've been reading about in the news lately. Due to the popularity of this letter on the Internet, a major nightly news program recently devoted an entire show to the investigation of the program described below to see if it really can make people money. The show also investigated whether or not the program was legal. Their findings proved once and for all that there are absolutely no laws prohibiting the participation in the program. This has helped to show people that this is a simple, harmless and fun way to make some extra money at home. The results of this show have been truly remarkable. So many people are participating that those involved are doing much better than ever before. Since everyone makes more as more people try it out, it's been very exciting to be a part of it lately. You will understand once you experience it. HERE IT IS BELOW: *** Print This Now For Future Reference *** The following income opportunity is one you may be interested in taking a look at. It can be started with VERY LITTLE investment and the income return is TREMENDOUS!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ If you would like to make at least $50,000 in less than 90 days ! Please read the enclosed program...THEN READ IT AGAIN!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ THIS IS A LEGITIMATE, LEGAL, MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITY. It does not require you to come into contact with people, do any hard work, and best of all, you never have to leave the house except to get the mail. If you believe that someday you'll get that big break that you've been waiting for, THIS IS IT! Simply follow the instructions, and your dreams will come true. This multi-level e-mail order marketing program works perfectly...100% EVERY TIME. E-mail is the sales tool of the future. Take advantage of this non-commercialized method of advertising NOW!!! The longer you wait, the more people will be doing business using e-mail. Get your piece of this action!!! MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING (MLM) has finally gained respectability. It is being taught in the Harvard Business School, and both Stanford Research and the Wall Street Journal have stated that between 50% and 65% of all goods and services will be sold through multi-level methods by the mid to late 1990's. This is a Multi-Billion Dollar industry and of the 500,000 millionaires in the U.S., 20% (100,000) made their fortune in the last several years in MLM. Moreover, statistics show 45 people become millionaires everyday through Multi-Level Marketing. You may have heard this story before, but over the summer Donald Trump made an appearance on the David Letterman show. Dave asked him what he would do if he lost everything and had to start over from scratch. Without hesitating, Trump said he would find a good network marketing company and get to work. The audience started to hoot and boo him. He looked out at the audience and dead-panned his response: "That's why I'm sitting up here and you are all sitting out there!" The enclosed information is something I almost let slip through my fingers. Fortunately, sometime later I re-read everything and gave some thought and study to it. My name is Johnathon Rourke. Two years ago, the corporation I worked at for the past twelve years down-sized and my position was eliminated. After unproductive job interviews, I decided to open my own business. Over the past year, I incurred many unforeseen financial problems. I owed my family, friends and creditors over $35,000. The economy was taking a toll on my business and I just couldn't seem to make ends meet. I had to refinance and borrow against my home to support my family and struggling business. AT THAT MOMENT something significant happened in my life and I am writing to share the experience in hopes that this will change your life FOREVER FINANCIALLY!!! In mid December, I received this program via e-mail. Six month's prior to receiving this program I had been sending away for information on various business opportunities. All of the programs I received, in my opinion, were not cost effective. They were either too difficult for me to comprehend or the initial investment was too much for me to risk to see if they would work or not. One claimed that I would make a million dollars in one year...it didn't tell me I'd have to write a book to make it! But like I was saying, in December of 1997 I received this program. I didn't send for it, or ask for it, they just got my name off a mailing list. THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT!!! After reading it several times, to make sure I was reading it correctly, I couldn't believe my eyes. Here was a MONEY MAKING PHENOMENON. I could invest as much as I wanted to start, without putting me further into debt. After I got a pencil and paper and figured it out, I would at least get my money back. But like most of you I was still a little sceptical and a little worried about the legal aspects of it all. So I checked it out with the U.S. Post Office (1-800-725-2161 24-hrs) and they confirmed that it is indeed legal! After determining the program was LEGAL and NOT A CHAIN LETTER, I decided "WHY NOT." Initially I sent out 10,000 e-mails. It cost me about $15 for my time on-line. The great thing about e-mail is that I don't need any money for printing to send out the program, and because all of my orders are fulfilled via e-mail, my only expense is my time. I am telling you like it is I hope it doesn't turn you off, but I promised myself that I would not "rip-off" anyone, no matter how much money it made me. In less than one week, I was starting to receive orders for REPORT #1 By January 13, I had received 26 orders for REPORT #1. Your goal is to "RECEIVE at least 20 ORDERS FOR REPORT #1 WITHIN 2 WEEKS. IF YOU DON'T, SEND OUT MORE PROGRAMS UNTIL YOU DO!" My first step in making $50,000 in 90 days was done. By January 30, I had received 196 orders for REPORT #2. Your goal is to "RECEIVE AT LEAST 100+ ORDERS FOR REPORT #2 WITHIN 2 WEEKS. IF NOT, SEND OUT MORE PROGRAMS UNTIL YOU DO. ONCE YOU HAVE 100 ORDERS, THE REST IS EASY, RELAX, YOU WILL MAKE YOUR $50,000 GOAL." Well, I had 196 orders for REPORT #2, 96 more than I needed. So I sat back and relaxed. By March 1, of my e-mailing of 10,000, I received $58,000 with more coming in every day. I paid off ALL my debts and bought a much needed new car. Please take time to read the attached program, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER!! ! Remember, it won't work if you don't try it. This program does work , but you must follow it EXACTLY! Especially the rules of not trying to place your name in a different place. It won't work and you'll lose out on a lot of money! In order for this program to work, you must meet your goal of 20+ orders for REPORT #1, and 100+ orders for REPORT #2 and you will make $50,000 or more in 90 days. I AM LIVING PROOF THAT IT WORKS!!! If you choose not to participate in this program, I am sorry. It really is a great opportunity with little cost or risk to you. If you choose to participate, follow the program and you will be on your way to financial security. If you are a fellow business owner and are in financial trouble like I was, or you want to start your own business, consider this a sign. I DID! Sincerely, Johnathon Rourke A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE ORIGINATOR OF THIS PROGRAM: By the time you have read the enclosed program and reports, you should have concluded that such a program, and one that is legal, could not have been created by an amateur. Let me tell you a little about myself. I had a profitable business for 10 years. Then in 1979 my business began falling off. I was doing the same things that were previously successful for me, but it wasn't working. Finally, I figured it out. It wasn't me, it was the economy. Inflation and recession had replaced the stable economy that had been with us since 1945.I don't have to tell you what happened to the unemployment rate... because many of you know from first hand experience. There were more failures and bankruptcies than ever before. The middle class was vanishing. Those who knew what they were doing invested wisely and moved up. Those who did not, including those who never had anything to save or invest, were moving down into the ranks of the poor. As the saying goes, "THE RICH GET RICHER AND THE POOR GET POORER." The traditional methods of making money will never allow you to "move up" or "get rich", inflation will see to that. You have just received information that can give you financial freedom for the rest of your life, with "NO RISK" and "JUST A LITTLE BIT OF EFFORT." You can make more money in the next few months than you have ever imagined. I should also point out that I will not see a penny of this money, nor anyone else who has provided a testimonial for this program. I have already made over 4 MILLION DOLLARS!I have retired from the program after sending thousands and thousands of programs. Follow the program EXACTLY AS INSTRUCTED. Do not change it in any way . It works exceedingly well as it is now. Remember to e-mail a copy of this exciting report to everyone you can think of. One of the people you send this to may send out 50,000...and your name will be on everyone of them! Remember though, the more you send out the more potential customers you will reach. So my friend, I have given you the ideas, information, materials and opportunity to become financially independent. IT IS UP TO YOU NOW! "THINK ABOUT IT" Before you delete this program from your mailbox, as I almost did, take a little time to read it and REALLY THINK ABOUT IT. Get a pencil and figure out what could happen when YOU participate. Figure out the worst possible response and no matter how you calculate it, you will still make a lot of money! You will definitely get back what you invested. Any doubts you have will vanish when your first orders come in. IT WORKS! Jody Jacobs, Richmond, VA HERE'S HOW THIS AMAZING PROGRAM WILL MAKE YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLAR$ INSTRUCTIONS: This method of raising capital REALLY WORKS 100% EVERY TIME. I am sure that you could use up to $50,000 or more in the next 90 days. Before you say "BULL... ", please read this program carefully. This is not a chain letter, but a perfectly legal money making opportunity. Basically, this is what you do: As with all multi-level businesses, we build our business by recruiting new partners and selling our products. Every state in the USA allows you to recruit new multi-level business partners, and we offer a product for EVERY dollar sent. YOUR ORDERS COME BY MAIL AND ARE FILLED BY E-MAIL, so you are not involved in personal selling. You do it privately in your own home, store or office. This is the GREATEST Multi-Level Mail Order Marketing anywhere. This is what you MUST do: 1. Order all 4 reports shown on the list below (you can't sell them if you don't order them). * For each report, send $5.00 CASH, the NAME & NUMBER OF THE REPORT YOU ARE ORDERING, YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, and YOUR NAME & RETURN ADDRESS (in case of a problem) to the person whose name appears on the list next to the report. MAKE SURE YOUR RETURN ADDRESS IS ON YOUR ENVELOPE IN CASE OF ANY MAIL PROBLEMS! * When you place your order, make sure you order each of the four reports. You will need all four reports so that you can save them on your computer and resell them. * Within a few days you will receive, via e-mail, each of the four reports. Save them on your computer so they will be accessible for you to send to the 1,000's of people who will order them from you. 2. IMPORTANT DO NOT alter the names of the people who are listed next to each report, or their sequence on the list, in any way other than is instructed below in steps "a" through "f" or you will lose out on the majority of your profits. Once you understand the way this works, you'll also see how it doesn't work if you change it. Remember, this method has been tested, and if you alter it, it will not work. a. Look below for the listing of available reports. b. After you've ordered the four reports, take this advertisement and remove the name and address under REPORT #4. This person has made it through the cycle and is no doubt counting their $50,000! c. Move the name and address under REPORT #3 down to REPORT #4. d. Move the name and address under REPORT #2 down to REPORT #3. e. Move the name and address under REPORT #1 down to REPORT #2. f. Insert your name/address in the REPORT #1 position. Please make sure you COPY ALL INFORMATION, every name and address, ACCURATELY! 3. Take this entire letter, including the modified list of names, and save it to your computer. Make NO changes to the instruction portion of this letter. Your cost to participate in this is practically nothing (surely you can afford $20). You obviously already have an Internet connection and e-mail is FREE! There are two primary methods of building your downline: METHOD #1: SENDING BULK E-MAIL Let's say that you decide to start small, just to see how it goes, and we'll assume you and all those involved send out only 2,000 programs each. Let's also assume that the mailing receives a 0.5% response. Using a good list the response could be much better. Also, many people will send out hundreds of thousands of programs instead of 2,000. But continuing with this example, you send out only 2,000 programs. With a 0.5% response, that is only 10 orders for REPORT #1. Those 10 people respond by sending out 2,000 programs each for a total of 20,000. Out of those 0.5%, 100 people respond and order REPORT #2. Those 100 mail out 2,000 programs each for a total of 200,000. The 0.5% response to that is 1,000 orders for REPORT #3. Those 1,000 send out 2,000 programs each for a 2,000,000 total. The 0.5% response to that is 10,000 orders for REPORT #4. That's 10,000 $5 bills for you. CASH!!! Your total income in this example is $50 + $500 + $5,000 + $50,000 for a total of $55,550!!! REMEMBER FRIEND, THIS IS ASSUMING 1,990 OUT OF THE 2,000 PEOPLE YOU MAIL TO WILL DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AND TRASH THIS PROGRAM! DARE TO THINK FOR A MOMENT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF EVERYONE, OR HALF SENT OUT 100,000 PROGRAMS INSTEAD OF 2,000. Believe me, many people will do just that, and more! By the way, your cost to participate in this is practically nothing. You obviously already have an Internet connection and e-mail is FREE!!! REPORT #2 will show you the best methods for bulk e-mailing, tell you where to obtain free bulk e-mail software and where to obtain e-mail lists. METHOD #2 - PLACING FREE ADS ON THE INTERNET Advertising on the internet is very, very inexpensive, and there are HUNDREDS of FREE places to advertise. Let's say you decide to start small just to see how well it works. Assume your goal is to get ONLY 10 people to participate on your first level. (Placing a lot of FREE ads on the Internet will EASILY get a larger response.) Also assume that everyone else in YOUR ORGANIZATION gets ONLY 10 downline members. Follow this example to achieve the STAGGERING results below: 1st level-your 10 members with $5.......................................$50 2nd level--10 members from those 10 ($5 x 100)..................$500 3rd level--10 members from those 100 ($5 x 1,000)...........$5,000 4th level--10 members from those 1,000 ($5 x 10,000).....$50,000 THIS TOTALS ---------->$55,550 Remember friends, this assumes that the people who participate only recruit 10 people each. Think for a moment what would happen if they got 20 people to participate! Most people get 100's of participants! THINK ABOUT IT! For every $5.00 you receive, all you must do is e-mail them the report they ordered. THAT'S IT! ALWAYS PROVIDE SAME-DAY SERVICE ON ALL ORDERS! This will guarantee that the e-mail THEY send out with YOUR name and address on it will be prompt because they can't advertise until they receive the report! AVAILABLE REPORTS *** Order Each REPORT by NUMBER and NAME *** Notes: * ALWAYS SEND $5 CASH (U.S. CURRENCY) FOR EACH REPORT. CHECKS NOT ACCEPTED. * ALWAYS SEND YOUR ORDER VIA FIRST CLASS MAIL. * Make sure the cash is concealed by wrapping it in at least two sheets of paper. On one of those sheets of paper, include: (a) the number & name of the report you are ordering, (b) your e-mail address, and (c) your name & postal address. PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR THESE REPORTS NOW: REPORT #1 "The Insider's Guide to Advertising for Free on the Internet' ORDER REPORT #1 FROM EBIZ PH2-45 Grenoble Drive Toronto, Ontario Canada M3C 1C5 REPORT #2 "The Insider's Guide to sending Bulk E-Mail on the Internet. ORDER REPORT #2 FROM: C. Alexander 2315 Lava Dr. San Jose, CA 95133 REPORT #3 "The secrets of Multilevel Marketing on the Internet. ORDER REPORT #3 FROM: P.G. Webb 16 Huntley Crescent St. Catharines, Ontario Canada, L2M 6E7 REPORT #4 "How to become a Millionaire Utilizing the Power of Multilevel Marketing on the Internet" ORDER REPORT #4 FROM: F.D. Hardy 22306 128th. ST. E. Sumner, Wa. 98390-7634 About 50,000 new people get online every month! ******* TIPS FOR SUCCESS ******* * TREAT THIS AS YOUR BUSINESS! Be prompt, professional, and follow the directions accurately. * Send for the four reports IMMEDIATELY so you will have them when the orders start coming in because: When you receive a $5 order, you MUST send out the requested product/report. * ALWAYS PROVIDE SAME-DAY SERVICE ON THE ORDERS YOU RECEIVE. * Be patient and persistent with this program. If you follow the instructions exactly, your results WILL BE SUCCESSFUL! * ABOVE ALL, HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF AND KNOW YOU WILL SUCCEED! ******* YOUR SUCCESS GUIDELINES ******* Follow these guidelines to guarantee your success: If you don't receive 20 orders for REPORT #1 within two weeks, Continue advertising or sending e-mails until you do. Then, a couple of weeks later you should receive at least 100 orders for REPORT#2. If you don 't, continue advertising or sending e-mails until you do. Once you have received 100 or more orders for REPORT #2, YOU CAN RELAX, because the system is already working for you, and the cash will continue to roll in! THIS IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: Every time your name is moved down on the list, you are placed in front of a DIFFERENT report. You can KEEP TRACK of your PROGRESS by watching which report people are ordering from you. If you want to generate more income, send another batch of e-mails or continue placing ads and start the whole process again! There is no limit to the income you will generate from this business! Before you make your decision as to whether or not you participate in this program. Please answer one question. DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE? If the answer is yes, please look at the following facts about this program: 1. You are selling a product which does not Cost anything to PRODUCE, SHIP OR ADVERTISE. 2. All of your customers pay you in CASH! 3. E-mail is without question the most powerful method of distributing information on earth. This program combines the distribution power of e-mail together with the revenue generating power of multi-level marketing. 4. Your only expense-other than your initial $20 investment-is your time! 5. Virtually all of the income you generate from this program is PURE PROFIT! 6. This program will change your LIFE FOREVER. ACT NOW! Take your first step toward achieving financial independence. Order the reports and follow the program outlined above-SUCCESS will be your reward. Thank you for your time and consideration. PLEASE NOTE: If you need help with starting a business, registering a business name, learning how income tax is handled, etc., contact your local office of the Small Business Administration (a Federal Agency) 1-800-827-5722 for free help and answers to questions. Also, the Internal Revenue Service offers free help via telephone and free seminars about business tax requirements. Your earnings are highly dependent on your activities and advertising. The information contained on this site and in the report constitutes no guarantees stated nor implied. In the event that it is determined that this site or report constitutes a guarantee of any kind, that guarantee is now void. The earnings amounts listed on this site and in the report are estimates only. If you have any questions of the legality of this program, contact the Office of Associate Director for Marketing Practices, Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection in Washington, DC.


text:
How to determine whether your computer is running a 32-bit Microsoft Windows operating system or a 64-bit Microsoft Windows operating system? Or whether your PC supports 64 bit OS? Here is a free tool-64bit Checker- which makes this task easier .64 bit checker supports all versions of Windows .
- Shows if your computer is running a 32bit or 64bit version of Windows
- Detects whether your processor supports a 64bit operating systems (if you are not sure that you can install 64bit operating system on your computer)
- Copy report information to clipboard, or save in text or html file
Download: 64bit Checker


text:
March 16, 2010
Actually, Joe set himself up. From the moment he set foot on Israeli soil, our vice president was in full pander mode.
First, he headed to Yad Vashem memorial, where he put on a yarmulke and declared Israel "a central bolt in our existence."
"For world Jewry," Joe went on, presumably including 5 million Americans, "Israel is the heart. … Israel is the light. … Israel is the hope."
Meeting Shimon Peres the next day, Joe confessed that when he first visited at age 29, "Israel captured my heart."
In Peres' guestbook, he wrote, "The bond between our two nations has been and remains unshakeable."
He then told Peres and the world, "There is absolutely no space between the United States and Israel when it comes to Israel's security."
As Peres spoke, Biden took notes. When Peres called him "a friend," Joe gushed, "It's good to be home."
Even at AIPAC, they must have been gagging.
Walking around the corner to Prime Minister Netanyahu's office, Joe called him by his nickname, "Bibi," declared him a "real" friend and said the U.S. relationship with Israel "has been and will continue to be the centerpiece of our policy."
Then the sandbag hit.
Interior Minister Eli Yishai announced construction of 1,600 new apartment units in Arab East Jerusalem. Stunned and humiliated, Biden issued a statement saying he "condemned" the decision.
He then retaliated by coming late to dinner at Bibi's house.
Netanyahu has apologized for the timing, but they are going ahead with the apartments. What are the Americans going to do about it? At this point, nothing but bluster.
Indeed, a day later, at Tel Aviv University, Joe was back at it: "(T)he U.S. has no better friend … than Israel."
On his departure for Jordan, Ha'aretz reported that Israel plans to build 50,000 new homes in East Jerusalem over the next few years.
Biden may feel he was played for a fool, and Americans may feel jilted, but we got what grovelers deserve. And if we wish to understand why the Arabs who once respected us now seem contemptuous of us, consider that battered-spouse response to a public slap across the face.
Consider also the most remarkable statement of Biden's first 24 hours.
"Progress occurs in the Middle East when everyone knows there is simply no space between the United States and Israel."
Biden is saying we are a more effective force for Mideast peace in a region where Arabs outnumber Israelis 50 to one if everyone knows we sing from the same song sheet as Israel and have no policy independent of Israel's.
How can America be seen as an honest broker between Arabs and Israelis if there is "no space" between America and Israel?
Even with the closest ally in our history, Britain in World War II, there was space between Winston Churchill and FDR on where to invade—North Africa, Italy, France, the Balkans?—whether to beat Stalin to Berlin, Prague and Vienna, who should be supreme allied commander, even whether the British Empire should survive.
Israel keeps its own interests foremost in mind, and when these dictate actions inimical to U.S. interests, Israel acts unilaterally. David Ben-Gurion did not seek Dwight Eisenhower's permission to attack Egypt in collusion with the French and British in 1956, enraging Ike.
Israel did not consult JFK on whether it could steal enriched uranium from the NUMEC plant in Pennsylvania for its atom bomb program.
Israel did not consult us on whether it could attack the USS Liberty in the Six-Day War, or suborn Jonathan Pollard to loot our security secrets, or transfer our weapons technology to China. They went ahead and did it, knowing the Americans would swallow hard and take it.
Ehud Olmert did not consult President-elect Obama on whether to launch a war on Gaza and kill 1,400 Palestinians. Nor did Netanyahu consult us before Mossad took down the Hamas minister in Dubai.
What Netanyahu and Yishai are telling Obama with their decision to keep building on occupied land is, "When it comes to East Jerusalem and the West Bank, we decide, not you."
And if Netanyahu has jolted Joe and others out of their romantic reveries about Israel, good. At least now we no longer see as through a glass darkly.
Israeli and U.S. interests often run parallel, but they are not the same. Israel is concerned with a neighborhood. We are concerned with a world of 300 million Arabs and a billion Muslims. Our policies cannot be the same.
If they are, we will end up with all of Israel's enemies, who are legion, and only Israel's friends, who are few.
And if our policy and Israel's are one and the same, the Arab perception will be what it is today—that America cannot stand up to Israel, even when her national interests command it.
Joe's performance before he got the wet mitten across the face only underscored the point: The mighty superpower is a poodle of Israel.


text:
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text:
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text:
Čech raring for Super Cup challenge
Monday, August 27, 2012
Article summary
Chelsea FC goalkeeper Petr Čech is expecting Club Atlético de Madrid to be "difficult to handle" when he gets a long-awaited first taste of the UEFA Super Cup on Friday.
Article top media content
Article body
Chelsea FC goalkeeper Petr Čech can hardly wait to get his first taste of the UEFA Super Cup after helping his side clinch the UEFA Champions League title last season. The Czech Republic No1 is nonetheless expecting a stern examination in Monaco from a team he has looked at closely, UEFA Europa League holders Club Atlético de Madrid.
In the lead-up to the game, the 30-year-old reveals how a broken leg played a crucial role in his destiny, the importance of psychology to a keeper and his enduring respect for Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon.
What are you most looking forward to about this game?
Petr Čech: I'm very happy to have this opportunity, because it's a match I've never played in. Now, after eight years of trying, I've managed to do it. It will be a great experience, and naturally I hope we'll lift the trophy.
What do you expect from Club Atlético de Madrid?
Čech: I've played against Atlético before, but since Diego Simeone's arrival in the dugout their playing style has changed. They're very disciplined, with an especially solid defence, and are difficult to handle on the counterattack.
Also, because they're a Spanish team, they all want the ball and feel comfortable on it. With this change of style, Atlético are much more dangerous than when we faced them in the 2009/10 Champions League. Success has helped them. They are very well-drilled so beating them won't be easy.
What is the significance of the UEFA Super Cup?
Čech: It's a very interesting match – the perfect introduction to the Champions League and Europa League seasons, and also it's intriguing to see the confrontation between the two current holders.
Prague will host the next UEFA Super Cup. What will this mean for the Czech Republic?
Čech: It's a big plus point for Czech football and the Czech Republic. The Super Cup is watched all over the world, and I'm glad Prague will host such an important game.
Chelsea won the silverware in 1998 when Monaco became the UEFA Super Cup's new home. You could now be the last team to win the trophy there ...
Čech: Chelsea were the last team to lift the FA Cup at the old Wembley and the first to win it at the new Wembley – if something similar happened in Monaco, nobody would be too angry.
You started out as a forward; how did you become a goalkeeper?
Čech: I ended up in goal by accident. When I was about eight, neither of the two goalkeepers showed up for a match, so somebody had to go in goal. As I like challenges, I said: "OK, I'll play this match in goal."
After the game, our coaches started to argue – one wanted me to play in goal, the other preferred me in attack. Then, when I was ten, I broke my leg playing as a forward and I've been in goal ever since. While I was out injured I couldn't run, but I could catch balls and train to speed up my reactions. In the end goalkeeping won. I've never regretted it.
What is the most difficult thing about playing in goal?
Čech: The mental stress – the pressure placed on the goalkeeper, especially in important matches. Perhaps not everybody can cope with the feeling that almost every mistake means a goal. That's one of the things that adds spice to our profession.
You have studied psychology in your spare time. Has that helped you on the pitch?
Čech: Psychology is a very important part of top-level sport, even more so if you're a goalkeeper. You can apply a lot of things you learn about psychology to sport, and it can help to get rid of the stress. I've learned to work in a way that, during the match, I don't care about anything other than my performance.
I don't worry about things I cannot influence. That's why I never celebrate goals and don't despair when we don't score a penalty. It's not my job on the pitch. It helps me to avoid excessive stress, because in my position I already have enough of it. Without my understanding of psychology, I probably wouldn't do this.
Which keepers did you admire when you were starting to play?
Čech: Oliver Kahn, Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar. Each of them had something inspiring, because they were all different characters. Then Gianluigi Buffon appeared and changed everything. Later, Iker Casillas was very interesting. He started to play for Real Madrid, historically one of the best teams in the world, at the age of 17 or 18. So I told myself: "OK, if he can play for a big club so young, age is not an obstacle. There is no reason why I cannot make it too."
Which goalkeepers do you admire today?
Čech: Definitely Buffon and Casillas. They've kept a consistent level of performance for more than ten years at the top for club and country. That's why they are still among the best keepers in the world.
Thibaut Courtois excelled at Atlético last season. What are his strong points?
Čech: He has very good self-control and great concentration for 90 minutes. He seems much more experienced than he is, so his great advantages are his head and mental strength. He can stay calm in decisive games – that's not easy at his age. He's tall, has very good reactions and is actually very quick, so it's hard to score against him.
Do you have a favourite save of your career?
Čech: I don't have a favourite. I have managed to make quite a few saves in important matches that have led my team to victory, but I can't pick out any of them individually as a favourite.


text:
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Vanilla Sky | ||||
Cameron Crowe Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Jason Lee 2001 Widescreen; closed caption; commentary by director Cameron Crowe and composer Nancy Wilson, featuring a conversation with Tom Cruise; two documentaries, "Prelude to a Dream," an introduction, and "Hitting It Hard," a behind-the-scenes look; gag reel; interview with Paul McCartney; music video: "Afrika Shox" by Leftfield/Afrika Bambaataa; photo gallery; theatrical trailer; TV spot. |
Cameron Crowe's previous film, "Almost Famous," was one of the best to be released in the past few years. With the proverbial hard act to follow, the writer/director chose to adapt the unique 1997 Spanish psychological thriller "Open Your Eyes." This decent remake, re-titled "Vanilla Sky" and relocated from Spain to the U.S., is a glossy, well-crafted vehicle for Tom Cruise, who gives his most complete performance since he played the title role in Crowe's "Jerry Maguire." Here, Cruise is David Aames, cavalier scion of a late publishing magnate. The wealthy, hedonistic David treats friends, lovers and business associates with an arrogance that begins to backfire on him at his birthday celebration. He ignores his clinging lover (Cameron Diaz) to hit on a willowy dancer (Penelope Cruz) brought to the party by his best friend (Jason Lee). David's callous behavior leads to a disfiguring accident and culminates in a disturbing chain of events and a telegraphed climax that should be more surprising than it is. | |||
I'm Not There / Love In The Time Of Cholera / Gone Baby Gone / Delirious / 2 Days In Paris / more... |


text:
Stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight for one of the first times since he resigned from his job last November because of an extramarital affair, former CIA Director David Petraeus said Tuesday night he is "keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing."
At the University of Southern California's annual ROTC dinner, the former four-star Army general also asked those gathered to "please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret — and apologize for — the circumstances that led to my resignation from the CIA and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters."
According to The Associated Press, Petraeus "received applause and a standing ovation before he began the evening's program by cutting a cake with a sword in military tradition, a task reserved for the highest ranking person in the room."
As you likely recall, Petraeus left the CIA when it became known that he and his biographer — Paula Broadwell — had an affair after he left the military in September 2011 to lead the CIA.
ABC News has some video from Petraeus' appearance Tuesday.
According to the AP, "while the speech was peppered with jokes about USC and UCLA's longstanding rivalry, [Petraeus] mostly talked about getting better treatment for veterans and soldiers, but stopped short of criticizing current practices."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Ford Abstract Corp. was originally started by D. R. Ford, an attorney, and has progressed through the years with the same integrity and sincerity. Our office possesses a complete set of Decatur County real estate tract books, which date back to, and show, original purchases fromthe government of the United States of America! We keep the tract books current with up-to-date postings. These books make up a part of our title plant, which has been approved by the Indiana Land Title Association. Laura Litmer, as owner since 2006, has worked in the industry since 1987. Also on staff is Debbie Schneider with over 20 years experience.
We are downtown just 1/2 a block north of the Decatur County courthouse on Franklin Street.


text:
But as kids get older, there are responsibilities they can and should take on. Not just to be a contributing member of the household, but to be prepared to take care of themselves. I've recently decided to scrape the "doormat" tattoo off of my forehead and sit the kids down and tell them the following:
Due to inflation (mostly of your egos), I've decided that a fee schedule is in order. You're going to be on your own very shortly and it's time you understand what that entails. If you decide to pay up, that's fine. But if you decide that change is in order, even better.
Some things will remain free, let's start with those:
Having friends over: still free
Access to baked goods: still free
Friends helping themselves to the pantry: still free
Friends helping themselves to the drinks in the basement fridge: still free
Parking for your friends across the street in the vacant lot: still free
I don't mind having your friends over, in fact I like knowing where you all are. You have the basement to yourselves so you don't get in my way. I bake to relieve stress and since I do so much of it, someone may as well eat it. So none of this will change.
Crockpot Chocolate Caramel Cake
1 package Chocolate Cake Mix
1 package (4 oz) Chocolate instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup caramel baking chips
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
*Spray crockpot with non-stick spray.
*Mix all ingredients by hand.
*Put into crockpot. Manipulate the mix so it's thicker along the edges of the pot with less in the center, as the edges cook faster.
*Put a paper towel over the crockpot so that the cover holds the towel up under the cover. It shouldn't be anywhere near the cake. This is to keep the condensation from the top from falling into the cake. Check and replace the paper towel every now and then.
*Cook on low for approximately 6 hours.
*NOTE* times vary depending on the size of your crockpot and differences in heat levels. Keep an eye on it the first time to know how long it will take for you. It's done when the center springs back to the touch. Serve warm.


text:
Explanation: Get out your red/blue glasses and check out this stereo scene from Taurus-Littrow valley on the Moon! The color anaglyph features a detailed 3D view of Apollo 17's Lunar Rover in the foreground -- behind it lies the Lunar Module and distant lunar hills. Because the world was going to be able to watch the Lunar Module's ascent stage liftoff via the rover's TV camera, this parking place was also known as the VIP Site. Fifty years ago, in December of 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours on the Moon, while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. The crew returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil samples, more than from any of the other lunar landing sites. Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk (or drive) on the Moon.
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text:
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading
I'll Meet You There
Author: Heather Demetrios
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: February 3rd 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she's ever worked for is on the line.
Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California's dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.


text: Product Name: Peachtree 2011 Complete Accounting - Full Version Retail Box - Multi Users. Sage Peachtree Complete Accounting 2011 provides easy-to-use tools for your expanding business needs. It contains all the features found in Sage Peachtree Pro Accounting, plus in-depth inventory and job costing capabilities, online bank reconciliation1, electronic bill pay2, 100+ customizable reports, and a multi-user version3 for increased productivity. |


text:
Lately I have been working on the triggers feature of dpkg. I would like to share my plan and what I have done so far. I'll first explain what triggers are, the current problems, and the work I did to try to improve the situation.
Dpkg triggers are a neat feature of dpkg that package can use to send/receive notifications to/from other installed packages. Those notifications take the form a simple string.
This feature is heavily used to track changes of packaged files in a list of predefined directories, and to update other files based on this. For instance, man-db is watching the directories containing manual pages so that it can update its cache (in /var/cache/man/
). install-info is updating the index of info pages when there have been changes in /usr/share/info
. gnome-menus is updating its own copy of the menu hierarchy (with entries from /etc/gnome/menus.blacklist
blacklisted) every time that a .desktop file is installed/updated/removed.
From a user's perspective
You see triggers in action very often during upgrades (in fact too often as we'll see it later):
Preparing to replace zim 0.52-1 (using .../archives/zim_0.52-1_all.deb) ... Unpacking replacement zim ... Processing triggers for shared-mime-info ... Processing triggers for menu ... Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ... Processing triggers for man-db ... Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme ... Processing triggers for python-support ... Processing triggers for gnome-menus ... Setting up zim (0.52-1) ... Processing triggers for python-support ... Processing triggers for menu ...
As you guessed it, those "Processing triggers" lines correspond to the packages which received (one or more) trigger notifications and which are doing the corresponding task.
By default the triggers are processed at the end of the dpkg --unpack
invocation which is often too soon because APT will often call dpkg --unpack
repeatedly during important upgrades. There are some options to ask APT to use dpkg's --no-triggers
option in order to defer the trigger processing at the end of the APT run. You can put this in /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/triggers
// Trigger deferred DPkg::NoTriggers "true"; PackageManager::Configure "smart"; DPkg::ConfigurePending "true"; DPkg::TriggersPending "true";
I have now asked APT maintainers to use those options by default, I filed bug #626599 to track this. At the same time I fixed bug #526774 reported by APT maintainers. This bug forced them to put a work-around in APT which resulted in running triggers sooner than expected.
(And while writing this article I filed bug #628564 and #628574 because it was clearly not normal that the menu triggers was executed twice for the installation of a single package)
From a packager's perspective
The implementation of triggers has several consequences on the status that packages can have.
Let's assume that the package A installs a file in a directory that is watched by package B (and that B is currently in the "installed" state). When A is unpacked, dpkg adds B to its "Triggers-Awaited" field and lists the activated trigger in B's "Triggers-Pending" field. Package A is in "unpacked" state, but B has been changed to "triggers-pending".
When A is configured, instead of going to the "installed" state, it will go to the "triggers-awaited" state. In that state the package is assumed to NOT fulfill dependencies. However, B—which is still in "triggers-pending" state—does fulfill dependencies.
A and B will switch to "installed" at the same time when the trigger has been processed.
The fact that the triggers-awaited status does not fulfill dependencies means that some common triggers like man-db have to be processed regularly just to be able to ensure dependencies are satisfied before running the postinst of other installed packages.
But a package which ships a manual page can certainly be considered as configured when its postinst has been run even if man-db has not yet updated its cache to know about the new/updated manual page.
When you activate a trigger with the dpkg-trigger command you have an option --no-await
to avoid awaiting the trigger processing (and thus to go directly to installed state after the postinst has been run). But with file triggers or activate trigger directives, you do not have this option.
My proposal to improve the situation
This is the problem that I tried to solve during my last vacation. But before changing the inner working of triggers, I wrote a non-regression test suite for that feature (commit here) so I could hack with some confidence that I did not break everything.
The result has been presented on the debian-dpkg mailling list: see the discussion here. I added new directives that can be used in triggers files that work exactly like the current triggers except that they do not put triggering packages in trigger-awaited status.
I believe the code to be mostly ready, but in its current form the patch brings zero benefits until all packages have been converted to use the trigger variants that do not require awaiting trigger processing (and the change requires a pre-dependency on dpkg to ensure we have the required dpkg that understands the new kind of trigger directives).
Remaining question
Thus I wonder if I should not change the default semantic of triggers. The packages which really provide crucial functionality to awaiting packages through triggers would then have to be updated to switch to the new directives.
If you're a packager using triggers, you can thus help me by answering this question: do you know some triggers where it's important that the awaiting packages are not considered as configured before the trigger processing? In most of the cases I checked, it's important for the triggered package rather than for the triggering package.
In truth, a package in triggers-awaited status is usually in a good enough shape to be able to satisfy dependencies (i.e. requirements that other packages can have), but it would still be worth to record the fact that it's not entirely configured yet because it might be true from the user's point of view: for example if the menu trigger has not yet been processed, the software might not yet be visible in the application menu.
If you appreciate this kind of groundwork that benefits to the whole Debian ecosystem, please consider supporting my work. Click here and give it a look, there are many ways to contribute and to make a difference for me.