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Guest contributor:
Denis Dubé
September 26th, 2010
Denis Dubé, a French Canadian, lives in London, Ontario with his wife, who has the matching name of Denise.
For a living he does furniture repair for a retailer, and his numerous hobbies include writing short SF stories, painting ("watercolours, mostly"), playing bass guitar in a blues-based band called "Tipping Marucci & Dubé," and his newest interest is vegetable gardening ("you know you're old when…").
"My focus on life at this time is to have a perpetual positive attitude towards everything. This is a great challenge, but I do believe that it is possible. I like and respect simplicity. This too is a challenge. It appears our world is increasingly complex. I try to avoid its complexities, without completely abstaining from them (I do not carry a cell phone, for example)."
After van Vogt's first wife, Edna Mayne Hull, died in 1975 he contracted to do several books for various publishers to distract himself from his grief. One of these was a novel entitled To Conquer Khyber, which he agreed to do for DAW Books in 1975. However, he had difficulty in meeting these many commitments. When the deadline passed for the delivery of Khyber, Donald Wollheim at DAW asked van Vogt where the manuscript was — in fact, he had not even begun on it. In an attempt to placate Wollheim he cobbled together a couple of books — Supermind (1977) and Pendulum (1978). Each book held off Wollheim for a short while before he again insisted that Khyber be delivered. The book was never delivered to DAW — perhaps, after a few years, they simply lost interest and let him off the hook. Whatever the reason, the novel — now as To Conquer Kiber — was eventually published in 1985 by J'ai Lu as a French translation under the title A la conquête de Kiber. Apart from the French edition, only a Romanian edition has appeared in 1998, under the title Cucerirea Kiberului. To this day the novel has never appeared in English.
Two employees, Gregson and Steckler, find Paul Craig (who is owner and operator of the Golden Aquarium) in a bar and bring him to the aquarium to sign checks. On their way, they are unknowingly followed by a man named Eltrin. Still intoxicated, Craig proceeds with the signing of the documents. He expresses his position that the aquarium not be sold off from under him, as he has been suspicious of this action being conspired by his very own "loyal" employees.
Paul has a tendency towards violent behavior when intoxicated, and grabs hold of Gregson out of frustration, but then thinks better of it and lets him go. He then notices the unknown man who was present at the aquarium, saying to him: "I remember you, you..."
He has no memory of what happens next. (He apparently blacks out...)
Chapter 1
Craig finds himself in what appears to be the large tank in the Golden Aquarium, harpoon in hand and facing a large shark. Feeling as if he had just came to after a late night binge, he tries to recall the events of the previous night. In the bar, he was engaged in a conversation about women's constant search for beauty, then he recalls his condition of "alcoholic amnesia," previously suggested to him by Dr. Utson, his psychiatrist.
Bringing his attention back to being in an aquarium, seeing many species of tropical fish swimming about, and still facing the shark which is surprisingly indifferent to his presence, he gets out of the tank and vows to see Dr. Utson about what someone must have put in his drink the night before. He then realizes that what should have been a narrow alcove opening to the staff members' private apartments, is, in fact, a wide corridor that expands into infinity, in what appears to be a massive building.
Chapter 2
Paul pulls himself out of the large pool that he realizes is a replica of the shark tank at the Golden Aquarium. Once out of the tank, he is mystified to find himself unable to breathe, his face covered by some sort of wrap. Removing the wrap, he notices long gashes under his arms. After a brief panic, believing himself to be injured, he realizes that they are gills! He correctly speculates that this surgery is somehow connected with the "unknown man."
Heading down a series of corridors lined with metal doors, he pushes one open to reveal what appears to be a small deserted typical "American bar." Craig sits at a stool and pours himself a drink of his favourite Canadian whisky, when a young woman in Scottish dress appears. He is about to ask her how to get out of this horrible place when...
Chapter 3
Craig awakens to find himself in a bed in a small room. He wonders if someone moved him from the bar to this room. He gets dressed (finding clothes in the closet as expected), wondering why someone would go through the trouble of surgically "implanting" him with gills. As he learns that the door to his room is locked, the sound of a key is heard. Eltrin, the unknown man, enters.
Chapter 4
On route to the refectory, Eltrin explains that they are aboard a large space vessel, and tells him some of the reasons for Craig's abduction. This is Captain Schock's ship, the Shooting Star, and he wants to secure trade between Gondon and Kiber. He also mentions that they routinely make annual trade stops on Earth as well. Craig is told the limits of his freedom on board the ship and given the key to his cabin. Eltrin tells Craig that he is the best fighter they know of (because Kiberans are pacifists, they do not have such violent people). Craig retorts by explaining that he is only violent when drinking.
Chapter 5
The room is full of "human looking" men eating. Craig is given a headset that functions as a language translator. Eltrin introduces Craig to Captain Schock. The Captain asks Craig to help solve a problem dealing with psychology, involving the ship's Chief Engineer. The Captain is upset that the chief engineer has stored five nuclear "initiators" on board the ship and loads of scrap metal instead of spare parts, which seems illogical. Second, he believes the engineer has the ability of ESP, and hopes Craig can confirm this. The engineer has had foresight in the past which, on several occasions, saved the ship from catastrophe. The Captain adds the startling fact that not only does the engineer have ESP, but he's an android as well.
The Captain points out the engineer where he's having his breakfast in the refectory. Oddly enough, the engineer is dressed like a Scotsman, kilt and all. Eltrin explains that this is because androids struggle with identity problems and tend to take on the characteristics of the strange and unusual around them, and the ship had recently touched down in Scotland.
Craig, reminded of the Scottish woman he saw earlier, asks if there are any women on board. The Captain answers in the negative, explaining that it has something to do with the ship's "aidlai field." Craig makes note of the term and is asked to join Mr. McPherson, the engineer android, at his table.
Chapter 6
Craig joins the android, finding it curious that he has such an authentic Scots accent and appearance. When Craig questions the android about his ESP ability, noting the catastrophes he was able to avoid, McPherson dismisses them as coincidence. As for the five nuclear initiators, McPherson says there is a market for them on the planet Rahdd. Craig asks if he could investigate the engine room to confirm his story, but McPherson discourages him. Craig tells him that he suspects that has something to do with the Scottish woman, and assures McPherson that he will keep the information confidential. McPherson refuses to comment on Craig's suspicion, and also remains silent about his supposed ESP abilities.
Suddenly, the Captain gets up to leave and the breakfast meeting is over. Eltrin announces that Craig will need some training before engaging in combat. As part of this training, he provokes a man to quarrel with Craig. The man lunges at him, punching at the air, but somehow, mysteriously, makes contact with Craig from a distance. Craig manages to get a grip on his opponent, getting him to hand over a device he had used against Craig. Eltrin, returning Craig to his cabin, informs him that he has just been in battle with an Ool from the planet Yanemel.
Chapter 7
In his cabin, Craig examines the small flesh-coloured metal cylinder taken from the Ool. He stretches out on his bed and, almost indifferently, contemplates his situation. He concludes that he must make a decision: should he do what Eltrin wants him to do?
He then proceeds to study his small room: small bed, closet door, exit to the corridor outside, washroom, and a sophisticated wall-sized television opposite the bed. He is not impressed by this since he doesn't watch much television. Overcome by boredom, Craig decides that he wants out, to quit this Kiber game and return to Earth, but does not know how. Suddenly, he realizes this is a situation of total isolation: he is a prisoner!
Suddenly, he begins to hear voices. An overheard conversation — sent to him telepathically perhaps? — telling of a plot to assassinate him by the supporters of Garren, King of Kiber. Craig then correctly predicts that he will be engaged in a battle with someone very soon, and feels uneasy.
Eltrin arrives with a tray of food and drink, informing Craig that he can no longer dine in the refectory because he is too intimidating to the others. Craig tries to get further information from Eltrin, but all he manages to learn is that the Captain and the bridge are located somewhere above his room. He also learns that his abduction is legal since Earth is not a member of the "Federation of Planetary Merchants," so the law against such things do not apply there.
Chapter 8
Wondering what to do next, and wanting to at least know more about the ship, he remembers the key to his room that Eltrin had given him. Craig, being mechanically inclined, manages to figure out how the key works, and alters it to open all the doors on the ship. He pretends to sleep, assuming that monitors would not keep watch on a sleeping man for very long. As it turns out, this assumption is wrong: the observers are androids, and androids do not get bored. He slips out of his room and finds his way back to the bar he had been in earlier. Searching the various corridors, not finding what he is looking for (the room had since been cleared out), he stops abruptly at a metal ledge. He finds steps that descend to a lower level, entering into a vast area full of machinery. This is evidently Angus McPherson's domain. He then comes across someone whom he first thought might be a crew member, but is, in fact, a "man-creature" and realizes the meeting was not by chance.
Chapter 9
Craig does not consider the thin "mere caricature of a human being" as a real threat, which proves to be a mistake. His opponent defeats Craig's attack simply by moving his lips, not making a sound, causing a sense of vertigo in Craig, bringing him to his knees. Craig suggests that they cease their struggle and discuss things. His assailant initially refuses, but soon yields after Craig figures out that all he has to do to resist the vertigo is to stay down.
During this standoff, his opponent says his name is Yissah from Gegg. Craig takes this opportunity to ask Yissah to tell the crew that Craig is not there to fight everyone, despite what Eltrin might have told them. They then go their separate ways.
On his way back to his cabin, he is aware that these deserted corridors may have an unknown number of the King's assassins out to get him. Entering his cabin, he immediately notices the object placed on the bed.
Chapter 10
The object is a bottle of Craig's preferred brand of Canadian whisky. He also notices the scent of women's perfume in the air. After falling asleep, he "dreams" the second voice of the last telepathic conversation continued from where it left off: "I thought you were going to kill him, what happened?" Upon waking, he notices that the bottle is gone, and thinking about the voices, he wonders if maybe he is like the android, capable of ESP at least to some degree. While trying to come up with a way to confirm this, he feels the ship moving, a sensation similar to descending in an elevator. The ship is landing! According to the monitor on the cabin's wall, they are on a planet called Glida (known as Kiber to its inhabitants). The first letter "G" in the name represents the G-type star (like that of Sol) that it orbits and the other letters in the name describes other specific characteristics of the planet itself. Glida / Kiber is completely covered with water, creating a monotonous sight.
Chapter 11
The Shooting Star is sinking below the surface of the water when it is hit by something. Captain Schock comes on to the monitor and confirms that they have been hit by a projectile fired by the Kiberans, and that the ship is taking on water. The Captain then orders everyone to begin emergency procedures. This worries Craig, who lacks the crew's training for such situations.
The communication device at the head of his bed sounds. It's Captain Schock, asking Craig if he remembers the conversation they had earlier that morning about Angus McPherson. He wants Craig to deal with him in the engine room right away. Finding his way (with a little difficulty) to the engine room, Craig observes the ship's various systems of operation, and then alarms start sounding. Craig views the chaos as McPherson and his technicians immediately attend to each disaster.
Chapter 12
McPherson reports that the nuclear initiator was damaged, and that he is in the process of replacing it so they can leave "this God forsaken planet." He is upset that they are down to only four of the five initiators he has on board. Craig recalls that McPherson had said that all five would be required. Craig then wonders if this means that the ship will be fired upon again. Fearing for his life and the possible carnage that could take place there in the engine room, Craig is anxious to leave, but reminds himself that he is there to learn what Captain Schock wants to know. He decides to find a better vantage point where he can see the hole in the hull where the men are dealing with the flooding.
Craig wants to benefit from McPherson's ESP ability. Craig is concerned whether the five initiators are in fact necessary for their survival. McPherson explains that if the Kiberans destroy the second initiator, there will be no further attempts at repair and it would force the Captain to negotiate with the Kiberans. He then asks Craig to get out of his way, for he has work to do. Craig complies and goes up to the bridge, intending to report what McPherson had said, but decides to reconsider events before proceeding. Immersed in thought, he enters his cabin to find the lean young Scottish woman aiming a weapon at him.
Chapter 13
The weapon is a sophisticated cylindrical object with a blade that springs out of it. Craig realizes that if she were to kill him, no one would know who had done it, for no one knew of her presence on the ship except him and McPherson.
Craig, reacting automatically as usual, says "Where's the whisky?" He immediately recognizes his dreadful folly. She replies, "Angus has it." Craig considers this a good omen. Craig recalls that his uncle (for whom he has the deepest respect) forbade all dealings with women. At this point, he reflects on his history with addiction. He had dabbled with drugs from the age of twelve to fourteen and then quit, before he was then addicted to alcohol at the age of sixteen. He later broke the habit when he began college, where he was very dedicated to his studies. One day at college, however, at the age of 23, he reluctantly agreed to go to a bar with a friend. After this, alcohol consumption quickly developed into a renewed habit. Eventually, the presence of girls encouraged him to drink even more, and naturally, in this intoxicated state, they lost all interest in having sex with him. Craig was also often the instigator of bar-fights. Other than attracting the attention of a galactic observer named Eltrin, no one admires a bellicose drunk.
Craig cleverly questions the young intruder and learns that her name is Mary McGregor. She also has been abducted, but secretly by Angus McPherson, and was hidden on board by the android as his mistress. It was McPherson who sent Mary to put a whisky bottle on Craig's bed and later retrieve it.
She then walks him back to the elevator that leads to his cabin, and after promising to meet again, they part. Back in his cabin, Craig demands to speak to Captain Schock. He describes his encounter with McPherson, and tells him what he is proposing to do, though Craig does not mention Mary. The Captain suggests they meet for dinner with Eltrin.
Chapter 14
Craig reminds himself that the unpleasant "telepathic dreams" occur only while sleeping, so he decides to avoid falling asleep.
The phone rings. It is Garren, King of Kiber, calling to inform Craig that if he leaves the ship, the King can do nothing to save his life. Disturbed by the threat, Craig hangs up and realizes that, yes, there is another person involved in all of this. Up until now, he had the impression that he would simply come in, take over the throne, and vacantly smile at his loyal subjects after having ingested too much honorary wine.
Eltrin suddenly appears and reports that the attack on the ship was aimed at Craig. He also says it is a mystery how Garren could have known the exact time and place of the arrival of the ship. No one can be trusted, therefore they should not have their planned meeting in the refectory. With further thought, Eltrin realizes that the reason why the Captain wanted them in the refectory was so Craig could be detained and not be allowed to disembark the ship.
Once the initiator is installed, they will take off. Craig (having a few molecules of alcohol left in his brain) suddenly feels a touch of bravery and empowerment to take on King Garren. He does not, in fact, want to leave Kiber on board the ship, but rather to get off with Eltrin. They head off to the refectory.
Chapter 15
Craig and Eltrin have a table to themselves. Craig asks about the problem of identity that androids have. Eltrin explains that humans define their identity based on what they have experienced during their lives, i.e., upbringing, occupation, standards, and limits they set for themselves. Eltrin then changes the subject, declaring that he had immigrated to Kiber from the planet Aldo, after hearing of Kiber and its system of longevity. Craig, noting the change of subject, drops his question (which he had asked with the ulterior motive of learning more more about McPherson, hoping that it would lead to obtaining more whisky). Craig asks about the longevity Eltrin mentioned. Oddly, Eltrin disregards Craig's question and returns to the subject of androids, pointing out that they don't develop, but simply come into existence fully formed. They never had parents, early memories, life history, or anything like that. Therefore, they have a chief engineer with an adopted stereotypical Scottish guise. Craig asks if anyone knows why the android has these ESP abilities, which Eltrin seems not to hear, returning to the subject of longevity. He says that one can live approximately three times as long on the ocean planet. Perplexed, Craig wonders if this has anything to do with the water. Eltrin explains that the longevity is due to a rare phenomenon, involving Kiber's sun being at that the centre of an aidlai field. He dreams of the day when intelligent life will finally have control of this phenomenon, to be used in ships equipped with super computers coordinating all the changes of time and space.
Craig also wishes to discuss the confrontation he had with Yissah in the corridor; he's curious about how he had acted against Craig with his mind. Eltrin explains that it was due to a flow of energy from his brain to Craig's. It was a sort of ray of small particles, like quarks, a technique that could, probably, be mastered by Craig with a little practice.
Eltrin then intends to set Craig up for another fight. Angered by this, Craig reacts by grabbing Eltrin's arm and spinning him around violently. A muscled character stands up and immediately intervenes to defend Eltrin, attacking Craig with a shock akin to that of an electric eel. Craig, having knowledge of marine biology, quickly figures this out, and also realizes that this character is, in fact, another android.
He and Eltrin then head back to his cabin when Captain Schock announces over the speakers that all on board are to be on alert and be prepared to abandon ship when and if the order is given.
Chapter 16
In his cabin, Craig contemplates the fact that the universe is waiting in vain for the day when human beings reach such the level of perfection that Eltrin had suggested. He also wonders why he is an alcoholic. Was it due to his father's death, which left his widowed mother to work, leaving him alone for much of the time, and the truancy school that resulted from his delinquent behaviour? The inheritance from his uncle improved things for him (education, the aquarium) and now he has been chosen for another kind of inheritance: to be King of Kiber. In his cabin, once again, Craig drifts off to sleep.
Craig hears the Scottish woman's voice saying, "Now!" Instantly, Craig finds himself clinging onto a rock in the water. Unaware of the change of scene, he is still contemplating various things: how he does not want to be King of Kiber; past disputes with his employees Steckler and Gregson about his running of the aquarium; Eltrin's comments on longevity (and how sharks are considered "long-lived" on Earth without the effect of an aidlai field). Then he realizes where he is. He accidentally lets go, drifting off into the unearthly current. He notices that Eltrin is there right behind him, as he manages to grab hold of another rock. He asks Eltrin what they are doing there, while Eltrin in turn asks Craig what happened to him. At that moment Craig again hears the Scottish woman's voice: Now!
Chapter 17
Craig is back in his bed staring at the double monitor on the opposite side of his room. It displays the surface of Kiber on one side, and beneath Kiber's ocean on the other.
Captain Schock is then heard announcing that they will take off in one minute, followed shortly by an exclamation. The Captain then announces that they have been hit by a second missile, in effect preventing their escape. The ship appears to be sinking. Craig muses someone should have pointed out to these "stupid fish" that the problem would have been solved had the ship been allowed to take off with him on board. Dozing now, the voice of Mary is heard again: Now!
Craig finds himself swimming in the waters of Kiber, accompanied by twelve natives. He believes this time that he must surely be dreaming, but the water is very cold and everything just seems too real... Again he hears Mary's voice: Now!
He finds himself in bed. He tries to recall all the details of the underwater "dream," noting that with those twelve Kiberans he was "breathing" normally through his gills, and moving quite well without difficulty below the water.
Chapter 18
The phone rings, snapping him back to "reality." It is Captain Schock, informing him that they have made an agreement with the Kiberans. The ship is permitted to leave, providing they hand over the three remaining nuclear initiators along with Craig himself. Soon, six of the King's representatives will arrive to escort Craig from his cabin.
Then, Eltrin arrives at the door. He is jubilant because he is certain that before the King executes Craig, he will want to interview him. This will create a great opportunity for Craig to kill the King. Eltrin then escorts Craig up to the lounge.
Chapter 19
Everyone there takes no notice of Craig. It is obvious to him that he is being ostracized. He is surprised to feel wounded by this, since he normally avoids attention. Eltrin tells him that this predicament is Craig's own fault — he did not keep his focus on the task of conquering Kiber, but rather seemed more concerned with his own personal ambitions.
Craig is growing weary of these types of comments from Eltrin, but Eltrin continues, telling him that, he as a "guest" on the ship had caused nothing but chaos from the instant he first left his cabin. As he rises to leave, Eltrin adds that there is another type of attack he should know about before meeting the King's supporters. Eltrin approaches a solitary, muscular figure. The man gets up as the room empties. Eltrin explains that he is a Rudain from the planet Ruda, and that he attacks by using his opponent's psychological weaknesses. Not wanting any part of this, Craig tries to simply leave with the others, but Eltrin explains that the others were leaving to avoid Craig, believing once again that Craig had started yet another fight.
The Rudain, believing that Craig is the instigator of the fight, pulls out a small silver object that extends telescopically into a rapier a metre in length, and the battle begins. After a bit of a scuffle, Craig manages to get a firm grip on his opponent. Craig tells the Rudain that if he drops the weapon, he will release him without objection. The Rudain accuses Craig of having started the fight. Craig comes to the conclusion that these confrontations only prove that those from other solar systems are as evil as those on Earth. The Rudain, rather than continuing with the battle, becomes withdrawn and finally drops his weapon. Craig figures that possessing the weapon may have been the key to the Rudain's behavior. Craig's first intention is to get rid of the weapon, but decides to keep it.
Captain Schock enters, telling Craig to accompany him to the engine room, and that he intends to take him personally to the Kiberans. As Craig, Eltrin and the Captain head down to the engine room, Eltrin points out that, as McPherson had predicted, all five nuclear initiators will be indispensable before the end of this affair.
Chapter 20
Craig is released into the Kiberans' custody. He and a group of about a dozen Kiberans wait in a large room with an impressive view of beneath Kiber's ocean. Craig becomes aware of some political intrigue within Kiber's society, involving a man named Arin who is an associate of the current king. As most of the group leave to lend their support to Arin, Craig — with an alcoholic drink in hand — is left alone with a Kiberan woman named Tret.
She tells him that she is to be one of his "ten-day wives," and that Kiber women feel free to have such arrangements because they live longer and have need for new experiences. As Craig contemplates all of this, he senses Mary's voice say Now!
Craig is then immersed in his third "underwater dream." The next "moment," he is looking out of the view port at the underwater landscape, noting that it is dark out there. He wonders if it is night outside, or simply due to the ocean's depth? He sits back down and notices Tret is gone. Then, instant chaos!
Chapter 21
Craig is walking along a brightly lit deserted corridor, which reminded him of a large building or the interior of the spaceship, but he can see no further than fifteen metres or so. Seeing a barrier ahead of him, he instinctively stops and takes a step backwards. Behind him is Captain Schock. Craig is now certain that he is back on the ship. The Captain has him enter an oval-shaped door that leads to a tunnel or tube. Worried that he is going to be ejected missile-like out into the Kiberan sea, he realizes it is a sort of air lock. Captain Schock tells him through a speaker to take note of this location (for the ship returns to the same area each year), in case he ever wants to return to space. However, he would have to pay his way with a large quantity of some Earth product such as wheat or rice. Craig is not really listening, for the realization had hit him: He is on Earth!
Once on the ground, he is impressed by the ship's colossal power to defy Earth's gravity as it rises up into the night sky.
Chapter 22
Craig walks through the fields until he comes upon a small country road. He is in need of a stiff drink, sees a bus, manages to get it to stop, and gets out at a place called "Seventh Heaven Cocktails." Craig then ends up in a hotel room and calls up old friends on the phone, inviting them over to join him for a drink.
After awhile, an employee of the hotel requests that he immediately settle his account for $233. Once he pays the amount, he is surprised to see how little cash he has left in his wallet. He decides that Steckler and Gregson are responsible for this. Just as he has this thought, they both walked in to greet him (Craig assumes that word of his arrival must have got around). They clear the room of his guests, as Craig collapses onto the bed and passes out while cursing both of them.
Chapter 23
Craig wakes up (still in his hotel room), surprisingly clear-headed and alert. He wants to know what day it is, and to rectify the fact that he has little cash on hand. He calls Steckler's office. Steckler suggests that Craig get himself a lawyer and hangs up. Looking out the window of his room, Craig notes that it is already getting dark, so it must be late in the afternoon or early evening (therefore explaining Steckler's abruptness), as he would be closing up to leave for home.
As Craig goes down to the aquarium, he rationalizes that, having been on board a faster-than-light vessel for more than a day, the Lorenz-Fitzgerald contraction effect would surely apply. He tries to estimate how much time must have passed on Earth while he was on the Shooting Star. Based on the estimate of one ship day equalling one Earth year, he must therefore have been gone for a year and ten days at most.
Once he arrives at the aquarium's administrative offices, he notices Steckler sitting at his desk, looking plumper and a fair bit older. Craig dismissed this observation, and asks him for an advance of $2,000, to which Steckler replies that the law states that a person is considered deceased after being missing for seven years. He adds that two years ago Craig had already been missing for this seven-year period, and that the aquarium has since been sold to a society. He has also been instructed not to give Craig any money.
He asks for a loan, but this enrages Steckler, who rants about how Craig had so poorly treated his own employees in the past. He refuses Craig the $200 loan, and orders him to leave, never to return — sober or drunk!
Chapter 24
Needing to find another way to raise funds, his first strategy is to call on those he had the night before. So he has a few drinks, picks up the phone, and tells over and over his story of how he was abducted, nine years had passed, and he was deprived of all his capital. He has some failures, but some successes as well. He manages to raise $158. He feels that it is nice to have some real friends.
He then considers calling his cousin Peter, the son of Craig's uncle's older brother, who is his only living relative. The problem here is that Peter had not benefited from his uncle's inheritance as Craig did. It had never occurred to Craig to share his fortune with him. In fact, he never even bothered to write Peter into his will (for he never bothered to write one at all, despite it being suggested to him often). This certainly would work against him.
Could Craig perhaps find work? What kind of work? Lecture in a University or College? He then wonders if it might be better to consult a lawyer. But first, he decides to make an appointment with his psychiatrist Dr. Utson.
The next morning, he tells Dr. Utson his story in great detail. He even displays evidence of his fantastic story by showing the doctor his gills. He also mentions that the Shooting Star lands at the same spot once a year. That inspires an interesting thought. His one day on the ship had actually meant nine years on Earth (contrary to his own original estimate of a year and ten days). That means that the Shooting Star had landed on Earth nine times, routinely exchanging cargo while he was on board; therefore, by now, his Kiber story is old news. This explains the question of "holes" in space-time, instantly linking several sights, locations, and experiences of instant transport between the ship and the aquatic world of Kiber, and right there on Earth. He remembers Eltrin discussing what he called the aidlai field, that if directed by super-computer could control the space-time phenomenon.
Chapter 25
Dr. Utson invites Craig to join him for breakfast, and explains to him that there are theories on hypnotism that could explain the phenomena he had experienced. It is a classic case of paranoia. He then lectures at great length on the subject as it pertained to the certitude of self in the enigmatic universe. The monologue is not to be taken as a diagnosis, but the thesis is that the fantasies, hallucinations, and behavior of Craig, an alcoholic, had led him to reflect on the unique aspects of his excessive drinking, revealing some of the aspects of human nature. Craig tries to ask a question, but Utson continues, ignoring the interruption. He points out the essential questions: Who operated on him to give him gills? Who kept him under hypnosis for nine years? Why did they liberate him at this time?, and, finally, Who represents the society that now owns the aquarium and what do they still want from Craig?
Utson finally gets up and requested that they meet again the next day. On their way to the elevators, Utson opines that the aquarium must be worth several millions, and advises Craig to look into his cousin being part of the conspiracy. He adds that Craig should be aware that the mere power of suggestion could cause him to have hallucinatory episodes, due to suggestions that may have been implanted into his subconscious. Craig agrees to consider these suggestions. But as usual for him in times of trouble, he heads straight to a bar for a quick drink. Craig then takes a taxi to his lawyer Bellatin, and (after a quick stop at the bar in the lobby) repeats his story to him.
Bellatin (as Dr. Utson did) listens attentively and examines the gills. He suggests a lawsuit against the government for failing to protect a citizen from mutilation by alien invaders. Millions of dollars are spent for an army that could not take notice of a space ship landing on Earth once a year! The lawsuit is to be for $100,000,000. Craig agrees. Bellatin wants to begin work on the case by challenging his cousin Peter, firstly by looking into his bank account. Craig admits to himself that he is happy to reveal to the world what has happened to him, and that he isn't just raving mad due to the loss of his fortune. The lawyer insists on being paid a retainer of $2,000 to get things started. He suggests that Craig borrow the money from his friends and colleagues.
Chapter 26
On his way back to his hotel room, Craig stops the taxi twice to get a drink. He wrestles with the problem by going over the free advice that has been repeated to him over the years: "Be an adult, look after your responsibilities," "Get married, stay faithful," "Have children," "Have faith in God, join AA," and "Become a man, rescue stray animals." He then proceeds to counter every suggestion with a self-justifying argument (except for the bit about rescuing stray animals; he feels that might be an attractive idea). Over the years, he had discussed the problem of his alcoholism in bars with bar-stool philosophers. A particularly interesting theory came from a man named Harris, who said it had to do with the survival instinct. He explained that in Stalin's Russia, the deviants were deterred by the policy of "no-tolerance capitol punishment," i.e., simple execution. In Craig's case, if a doctor were to diagnose him with cirrhosis, that might be the day he quits drinking.
Back in his room, while counting the bit of money he has left on his bed ($83.28), there is a knock at the door. It is Steckler, with a proposition that would enable Craig to earn money. The idea is that he go to an island in the Antilles (near Haiti), where they own nurseries that breed tropical fish to replenish their tanks back at the aquarium. Craig had gone there voluntarily in the past, but they were willing to pay him to go on this occasion. He would get $200 a day, plus expenses. Craig is suspicious of the offer, but, not having any other option at this point, he accepts. He takes the opportunity to ask Steckler who currently owns the aquarium, but Steckler casually dismisses the comment. Craig, thinking of the lawyer's fee he needs to raise, notes the irony of Steckler and Gregson funding their own demise.
Chapter 27
Once settled in on the island, Craig checks the equipment and sends his local steward (Sawyer) out on a motorboat with a list of supplies. Craig's intention is to keep Sawyer away for a couple of days so he can experiment with breathing with his gills in the ocean. Once in the water, he decides they work just fine. After swimming for a while, looking at schools of tropical fish and such, he encounters a shark. Luckily, it regards him (much to his surprise) with indifference, but the scare reminds Craig that the sea is not the natural habitat of man.
Later, fast asleep in his cot in his cottage, Craig hears voices in his mind. It is the voice of Yissah [from Chapter 9] conversing with someone: "He is alone on the island. We could surprise him. It would end the threat against Garren [king of Kiber]."
Craig wakes up angry, with the impulse to go out in the dead of night to the lagoon. From the open door of his cottage, he sees a wall of water explode into a million misty particles. He had vowed to Mr. Bellatin that he would not drink while out on the island. There were temptations, but he managed to resist them. He feels that somehow Yissah and his gang would succeed in accomplishing their mission if he were inebriated. To Craig, the new disturbing truth is that some of Garren's men are presently on Earth in some form to assassinate him. Craig decides that there is no alternative but to return to Kiber and become King.
Chapter 28
Craig awakens with a jolt to the sound of a knock on the door. It is Mary, telling him that Angus is looking for him. She is gone before he opened the door, but he then realizes that he is no longer on the island, but on the Shooting Star. He concludes that Mary must have had something to do with the transference.
He proceeds to the engine room to meet with McPherson, but another change occurs. Craig is suddenly entering a "drying room," accompanied by a group of Kiberan men. He notices some technological advances since he was last on Kiber. He figures this is due to the time dilation.
Craig is dressed in grey and sent through a vast domed space that is evidently beneath the Kiberan sea. There he is led to a door where he immediately engages in physical combat with Garren, King of Kiber. In the midst of this battle, Craig manages to ask why they are playing at this game. The King accuses Craig of barging in and interrupting his purification practice. Craig points out that he had been away from Kiber, so why had the King sent assassins after him back on Earth? Craig ends the dialogue by stating that he could not imagine why anyone would want to be the King of a boring aquatic Kingdom. Garren admits that he would love to visit Craig's native planet, then suggests that maybe they could share the burden.
Chapter 29
Craig wakes up on a floor mat in his cabin on the tropical island. Once he knows where (and when) he is, he realizes Yissah and his gang are most likely planning to attack him. He takes a rifle off the wall and loads it. He determines that it is now late afternoon and, to beat the fall of dark, he must act quickly.
From the top of a hill, he notices Sawyer has returned from his errands with the motorboat. It isn't until the next morning that he finds Sawyer's murdered body lying under thick bushes. He buries him (as if it were a natural death), then thinks better of it and reports it to the Santa Yuile police.
That night, he contemplates the effect of "purity" in relation with the aidlai field. How would it respond to alcoholic behaviour? Would it operate following the principles of the norms of Earth? What of the case where (like Craig) alcohol was used "therapeutically"? But Craig is unable to convince himself of the purity of his motives. There are impure consequences to an alcoholic's behaviour toward others, physically and mentally. The path to "purity" is paved with enigmas. Even criminal behaviour can be judged more leniently if one considers that the subject has been psychologically influenced by his early upbringing. In what way does the aidlai field operate in these conditions? Does it operate automatically?
The next morning, Craig calls his lawyer Bellatin who notifies him that his cousin Peter had received $3,000,000 from the sale of the aquarium. Peter now claims that he had lost it all in Las Vegas casinos, but in fact there was evidence that the money was tucked away in various bank accounts throughout the world and that he was living quite lavishly with apartments, cars, and various beautiful women. Unfortunately, it means that they could not have access to any of the assets. Also, the "society" that now owns the aquarium is, in fact, Steckler and Gregson themselves.
To Bellatin's surprise, Craig says that he wants to drop everything; that he believes the sale was legitimate, based on the fact that he was considered deceased by law, and concludes by saying that he no longer requires Bellatin's services.
The island police want Craig to show them where he had buried Sawyer's body, then ask him to help them exhume it. They then require him to accompany them to the coroner's for further examination. In transit on the police boat, Craig eventually jumps overboard. At that moment he feels the change in time-space. He immediately finds himself back on the Shooting Star.
Chapter 30
Craig asks Eltrin for the key to Garren's combat method. As Eltrin explains, the King is firmly indoctrinated with the principles of pacifism, and that his method consists of making his adversaries believe "by illusion" that they see guards flocking to his aid. Eltrin adds that the King is no match for him, and is, in fact, essentially harmless. Craig points out one important difference between the battles he fought with those on the ship and the fight against Garren — he was sober when he battled with the King.
Captain Schock interrupts, pointing out that the scrap metal McPherson has been hoarding has not yet played a part in this whole chain of events. At that moment, the screen shows a panicking Kiberan in the flooded parts of the engine room. The water is on fire, burning spectacularly and violently! It resembles "the nightmare of an abstract painter," but, amazingly, all of the machinery is still running perfectly. Opposite them, amidst the chaos, stands McPherson and two mechanics with disintegrators in hand pointed at the Kiberans.
Captain Schock worries that McPherson is putting the Ship at risk with his actions, with the possibility of the Kiberans sending a third missile in retaliation. McPherson calmly explained that with Craig's help everything would turn out all right. First of all, he had prevented the Kiberans from entering the passageway by barricading it with metal scraps. Trapped, the Kiberan delegation could not get out without permission.
Craig cuts in and asked him what he meant by "with Craig's help." Angus explains that this was a strange universe, and he and Mary, two beings without fundamental identity, are able to situate themselves in a space-time zone, precisely imitating human beings. Craig, who had been firmly situated in the past, had spent many years disorienting himself, and so with a little training he became the catalyst for this situation. He could now continue to operate by inversion and resistance, as he has done up to this point, or he could just as well choose the direct path of purity. McPherson urges him to do the second. This is the way to ultimate control, through his own will. He then hands him a disintegrator, hoping its use will not be necessary.
McPherson reassures Captain Schock that he does not believe that the Kiberans will be any further threat, as they would not jeopardize the lives of their own men. The Captain then asks what is burning in the water. McPherson explains that it is a stew of magnesium, tin, beryllium and zirconium soaked in oil, and ignited with an equal variety of gas molecules causing the spectacular phenomenon, which is nonetheless harmless to the ship. Angus then abruptly returns to work.
After safely returning the twelve trapped Kiberans back to their aquatic home, the Shooting Star then rears up and, with a fantastic display of power, departs the planet.
Chapter 31
Gregson shows Craig the account ledger, which shows that the aquarium is doubling its profits. This positive news gets Craig thinking that he might soon be able to purchase a plot of land he knows of, renovate the house there, and open up a shelter for abandoned animals. Gregson adds that their success is mostly due to Craig's "underwater show" which has attracted so much more business, and he offers Craig equal partnership in the company. Craig refuses, claiming that he would not accept the offer unless he felt he was sincerely contributing equally to the business of the aquarium.
Once alone, Craig wonders about many things:
- Had he really been the King of Kiber? More likely, he thinks that it was the changes that he had made in his life that had brought an end to all his miseries.
- Was he accused of the murder of Sawyer? Bellatin would have to look into this matter.
- Should he expect a second attack by Yissah? Not likely, as Craig no longer posed a threat to Garren.
- Had he married a Kiber woman for ten days? Women problems still had to be resolved.
- Had Eltrin returned to Kiber to continue the search for longevity?
Craig feels that he has achieved a positive operational state in the last nine years that no one can take away from him, having created neural relays that place him in relation with the real universe. Some time would pass before he could fully sort out all of his shortcomings, but they would eventually be cleared by eternal light and the ultimate truth.
Movements of Paul Craig
|Paul Craig is in a bar; taken by Steckler and Gregson to the aquarium
|from aquarium (or a drunken night out), to the tank on the Shooting Star
|from the bar on the Shooting Star, to waking up in bed in his cabin on the ship
|from his cabin on the Shooting Star, to the Kiberan waters clinging to a rock
|from Kiberan waters (swimming with Eltrin), back to his cabin on the Shooting Star
|from his cabin on Shooting Star, to swimming in the Kiberan waters
|from the Kiberan water, back to his cabin on the Shooting Star
|delivered by Captain Shock from the Shooting Star to the Kiberan dome
|from the Kiberan dome with the Kiberan woman Tret, back to the Shooting Star
|from the Kiberan dome, to the Shooting Star air lock, to Earth nine years after his departure
|moves from the U.S. to a tropical island in the Antilles near Haiti
|from the tropical island to his cabin on the Shooting Star
|from the Shooting Star elevator to the Kiberan Dome to fight King Garren
|from the Kiberan Dome to his cottage on the tropical island
|from the Police boat in the tropics to the Shooting Star
|finds himself at the Golden Aquarium in the U.S.


text:
Topic: Apple Store
Site cleared for Apple's new flagship retail store at San Francisco's Union Square
03/24/2015, 02:03 pm
Apple's efforts to build a large new flagship store at Union Square in San Francisco have nearly completed the demolition of the existing building on the site, where little remains apart from a concrete foundation, steps and a folk art fountain that will be relocated as part of the construction project.
Photo allegedly reveals Apple Store demo kit for trying on in-ear headphones
03/20/2015, 03:03 pm
A new photo, published on Friday, shows what is claimed to be a demonstration kit Apple Stores will soon use for customers to try on in-ear headphones, something that might otherwise be uncomfortable or unsanitary.
Apple puts up in-store graphics for Apple Watch, new 12" MacBook ahead of April debut
03/13/2015, 09:03 pm
Apple Stores around the world installed new backlit displays Thursday night, showing off the company's latest and greatest products, including the Apple Watch and an all new ultra-thin 12-inch MacBook with Retina display.
Apple online outage impacts retail outlets in US, Europe
03/12/2015, 10:03 am
The extended outage of Apple's online services on Wednesday appears to have impacted not just its online stores, but also its retail outlets, which suffered problems conducting basic business operations.
Apple removes Nike FuelBand, Jawbone UP from stores ahead of Apple Watch debut
03/11/2015, 08:03 pm
Apple has phased out fitness bands like Nike's FuelBand and Jawbone's UP from its retail store offerings as the company prepares to enter the wearables market with Apple Watch.
Booming retail sales enable Apple to negotiate low rent prices at malls
03/10/2015, 09:03 pm
The popularity of Apple's retail outlets has enabled the company to negotiate extremely low rent rates at malls, which in turn benefit from the additional foot traffic.
Apple hikes international prices in response to fluctuating exchange rates
03/10/2015, 12:03 pm
In reaction to the strength of the U.S. dollar, Apple has the raised prices at a number of its international online stores, including prices in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Portugal.
Apple's next Chinese Apple Store to open in Chongqing on March 7
03/02/2015, 03:03 am
As part of plans to triple its retail presence in China by mid-2016, Apple on Sunday announced that Chongqing's MixC mall will play host to the country's next Apple Store.
Apple takes top spot in online order fulfillment in Q4 with average ship time of 2.5 days
02/26/2015, 07:02 pm
In its first ever quarterly study, customer service analytics firm StellaService ranked Apple as the fastest and most most efficient online retailer in terms of shipments for the fourth quarter of 2014, taking an average of 2.5 days to send out orders.
SoHo Apple Store holds workshops with fashionistas and artists as New York Fashion Week wraps up
02/16/2015, 08:02 pm
Starting Monday, the SoHo Apple Store will play host to fashion industry insiders as an unofficial extension of New York's Fashion Week, with special in-store discussions on creativity, style and digital media running through Thursday.
Major physical changes could be coming to Apple stores as Angela Ahrendts era is in full swing
02/03/2015, 01:02 pm
Under the leadership of retail chief Angela Ahrendts, Apple is said to be considering major changes to the layout of its retail locations, which may be implemented at some locations in time for the debut of the Apple Watch.
Apple Store employees to get updated attire, go 'back to blue' starting Feb. 2
01/27/2015, 11:01 pm
Starting Feb. 2, customers walking into an Apple Store may notice something a little different as employees are expected to wear newly designed crew neck or polo shirts in a familiar shade of blue, but with repositioned and resized white Apple logos.
Apple sharpens focus on art, harmony with Chongqing Apple Store mural
01/26/2015, 07:01 pm
A week after Apple used a work of calligraphy to promote its latest Chinese Apple Store in Hangzhou, the company is again turning to art to tout a soon to open outlet, this time wrapping a mural around the new Chongqing location's iconic glass cylinder entryway.
Huge crowds gather for Apple Store grand opening in Hangzhou, China
01/24/2015, 04:01 am
Apple opened the doors to its new West Lake Apple Store in China on Saturday, letting throngs of eager customers into one of the company's largest retail outlets in Asia.
Apple features calligrapher who created Hangzhou Apple Store mural in 'About the Artist' video
01/23/2015, 02:01 am
Apple on Thursday posted to its YouTube channel a translated version of a promo video featuring artist Wang Dongling, initially created for the Chinese market in celebration of the unveiling of a new West Lake Apple Store in Hangzhou.
New Chinese Apple Store offers taste of upcoming San Francisco flagship
01/20/2015, 05:01 am
Apple on Tuesday removed protective barriers shielding its new Apple Store in Hangzhou, China, revealing a huge glass facade that opens into a split-level interior closely mirroring renderings depicting the tech giant's forthcoming San Francisco flagship location.
iPod shuffle shortages caused by supplier changes, Apple has no plans to ax its cheapest media player
01/09/2015, 02:01 pm
Though recent shortages of the iPod shuffle caused concern that Apple might discontinue its clip-on media player, a new report reveals that the issues are only temporary, as a result of a supplier change.
Apple catches up with iPhone 6 demand, US online store lists all models 'in stock'
01/09/2015, 08:01 am
Consumers in the United States will no longer face a backlog when purchasing an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus from Apple's online store, as supplies of the popular smartphones appear to have reached parity with demand nearly four months after their release.
Apple begins selling unlocked, SIM-free iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models
01/06/2015, 08:01 am
The Apple Store has begun selling unlocked, SIM-free iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models at unsubsidized prices, offering customers the ability to purchase without a T-Mobile SIM card.
Apple hands out MacBook Airs, iPads, Beats headphones in 2015 "Lucky Bag" promotion
01/02/2015, 02:01 am
For its New Year's Fukubukuro "Lucky Bag 2015" promotion in Japan, Apple doled out big-ticket items like 11-inch MacBook Airs, iPads, iPods, Apple TVs, Beats headphones and more to buyers paying an entry fee of about $300.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
1. Find story idea
2. Reach out to sources for info
3. Research online using various magic research tools, while I wait for sources to get back to me
4. Stop and think
5. Talk to sources, maybe research some more based on what they say
6. Write!
All of that needs to get done in two hours, tops. Two or three times a day. When I can master that, with quality written output, then I will feel like I've made big, big progress in my work.
Several of those steps tend to get under-prioritized or put in the wrong order in my current workflow. Reaching out to sources right away and researching while I wait for them to respond is what really needs to get turned into a new routine. Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?


text:
Brett and Billy didn't have a proper honeymoon.
Goof: Charles and his partner in the scouting mission kill 2 out of the 6 yankee men who were trying to give chase to Augusta. However, when the yankees decide to retreat, the 6 of them can be seen galloping away.
The Yankee army (40,000) duplicated in number the Confederate army (22,000).
Goof: When George and Constance's leave the Manassas battlefield, she is seen holding the reins but the second after that, she is sat behind George who is now holding the reins.
Clarissa only notices about the fire in the barn when an explosion occurs. However, the men's shouts are clearly heard from her room.
It is not clearly stated, although it is hinted, that Virgilia stole Constance's Irish dress.
Brett's engraving in Billy's wedding ring says Forever.
Goof: The map hung in Lincoln's cabinet has Union troops denoted as American flags with 50 stars, which is an anachronism.
Goof: In Book 1 Mr. Lincoln has blue eyes (Hal Holbrook's natural color), but in the second book Hal Brook wears coloured contacts to make them appear brown.
Goof: A cameraman in a light, blue shirt is briefly visible after the charge of the cavalry at the first Bull Run battle.
When Orry meets President Davis, and as Davis and Lee discuss about secession being a crime or not, a microphone is visible in the mirror on the wall.
Goof: In the foreword to Episode 1, Independence is misspelled as Independance.
International Release Dates:
USA: 4 May, 1986.
West Germany: 29 August, 1987.
Poland: 25 March, 1990.
There was so much anticipation for the second installment of the North & South miniseries that photos kept being leaked out to the press, long before the movies release.
1986 Emmy: Several people for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Special.
1986 Emmy: Robert Fletcher for Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special.


text:
Product Description
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The 10 Things You'll Need for Green Smoothies
What is going on here? Another plug for green blender drinks?!?
Well, yes, gorgeous friend, this is another pro-green drink post. I just can't help myself. They are so, so good for you that I want each and every one of you to drink them regularly.
Oh, I know not all of you will love the taste—though most of you will. Even my kids ask me to make them for snacks. But each of you will adore the way these chlorophyll-packed drinks make you feel: Energized, alert, slim, happy, focused, clear and even-tempered. And that's after just one drink. Drink them daily for a week and you'll begin to see beautiful changes in your skin and eyes. Your metabolism will be enhanced and you'll notice you are losing weight easily. And, you'll probably notice your sugar and carb cravings diminishing.
I'm telling you, these are powerful drinks. One-a-day will make an enormous change. Two-a-day and you will barely recognize yourself in a month. I even have "green drink days" where I spend the day consuming nothing but green drinks. Great for detoxing after a period of poor food choices or after drinking more alcohol than usual (it's been known to happen on rare occasions!).
Am I tempting you to jump in? To make it easier for you dip your straw into greener liquids, I've put together this "top ten" style list of what you need to get started. Note: If you're a visual person, I've included links (to Amazon) so you can see what everything looks like.
1. A great recipe to use as a guideline. Note that I said guideline. These drinks are meant to be flexible—use what you have around or personalize according to your tastes. One of the easiest recipes is High Impact Health's Endless Energy: Green Drink Blueprint. If you don't have it yet, look to your left. It's available for download right on this page!
2. A blender, preferably a high-speed, powerful sort of blender for getting drinks super smooth and liquidy. (Drinking think goopy chunky drinks is not only gross, but completely unnecessary!). My two favorites are VitaMix and BlendTec, the darlings of the health food world. But if you don't mind doing a little extra whirring, a "regular blender" or a travel blender, such as a Magic Bullet, can also work.
3. Liquids. As you'll see from the Green Drink Blueprint, I suggest a few different liquids, depending on how sweet you need things or how inexperienced (more experienced green -lifers typically don't like to or need to use a lot of sweetness to mask the taste of natural ingredients). Water, coconut water and pear nectar are my go-to liquids, but for something creamy, you can use non-dairy, non-soy milks such as almond, rice, hemp, hazlenut or coconut milks.
4. Lemon. Or lime. To help cleanse your internal organs, keep the nutrient content of your drink high and to preserve freshness—essential if you make a double batch and drink part of it later. Fresh lemons are a great choice, but if they're hard to come by, a natural bottled lemon juice (with organic lemon juice and oil, with no sulfur dioxide) can work.
5. Green vegetables. Spinach, baby kale, baby chard, bok choy, endive, parsley, mint, romaine, peeled cucumbers, and on and on. Pack a few handfuls of green veggies into the blender. To make things super tasty, you might also want to throw in a chunk of peeled ginger. Mmmm…
6. Extra: Protein Powder. Not at all necessary, but if you are using a green drink as a meal replacement or are an endurance athlete or overcoming an illness and need the extra protein, go for a plant-based, non-soy, organic protein powder. Rice powder is a great choice. So is my favorite, Vega All-In-One (it used to be called Vega Optimizer) in plain; it's based on a variety of non-gluten grain and legume protein and is so packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients, that you can skip your daily multi-vitamin. (Or, you can make things super easy on yourself and spoon in a big dollop of nut butter. My favorites are: almond butter, sunflower seed butter, cashew butter and hazlenut butter.)
7. Extra: Green Powder. For those who are detoxing, powdered greens—typically some blend of cruciferous veggies, wheatgrass, chlorella, spirulina, cilantro and parsley, are fantastic for cleaning up the system and helping you flush toxins. (My fave is the veggie-only Field of Greens. Lots of other brands include fruit, which isn't ideal.) Before you get too excited, however, I should warn you: These things do not taste good! Your drink will definitely take on a green, grassy taste.
8. Extra: Chia. Those of you who have worked with me or who have heard me speak know that I am crazy for chia. I even co-wrote a book with Dr. Wayne Coates on the stuff! Here's why I love it: It is packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and a range of phytonutrients.
It's been shown in studies to improve endurance in athletes, soothe joint conditions, tackle cardiovascular conditions, improve memory and brain function, improve focus. It acts as a weight loss aid (due to it's soluble fiber) and after a week, you'll see big changes in your skin and nails—after a month you'll notice your hair looking better, too. Add two tablespoons to the blender, or stir the seeds into the finished drink and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes until the seeds are softened. (For more on chia, see:
9. Stainless Steel Drink Cup.Not necessary, but a lot of people like to make these green drinks and carry them to work, in the car, while commuting, etc. They are a great way to kill the munchies, squash cravings or enjoy a quick pick-up mid-morning or midday. A cup with a lid will keep your drink fresher and more nutritious than carrying it in an open container.
10. Biodegradable paper straws. No, you don't need to use a straw, but if you're like my kids, you wouldn't think of drinking one of these without a straw. If that is you, you might as well choose the healthiest straws around, right?


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News Releases
NAUGHTON, Ontario – One hundred years after Francis Pegahmagabow received his first Military Medal, his family and community joined First Nation, military and other dignitaries on National Aboriginal Day to celebrate the unveiling of the first monument erected in Pegahmagabow's honour. The life-sized bronze monument, created by Sudbury-based sculptor Tyler Fauvelle (www.tylerfauvelle.ca), is situated on the Georgian Bay waterfront at the Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts, Parry Sound, Ontario.
The Ontario Native Education Counselling Association (ONECA) started the project two years ago. "Our hope is that this spirit-building public monument will inspire and empower Canadian students of all backgrounds, and resonate strongly with Aboriginal students," said Roxane Manitowabi, Executive Director of ONECA.
"The Great War has passed from living memory," said Tyler Fauvelle. "A bronze monument is an enduring witness. This one will tell, in its own way, the story of Francis Pegahmagabow – an amazing story that is part of our shared history."
"We are so grateful for the contributions and assistance we've received," said Roger Chum, President of ONECA. "The generosity and goodwill of the Pegahmagabow family, the communities of Wasauksing and Shawanaga, the Town of Parry Sound, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Royal Canadian Regiment, the members of ONECA, and of everyone who supported this work of respect and remembrance, is truly heart-warming. It's the spirit of reconciliation."
National Chief Perry Bellegarde (Assembly of First Nations), and Lieutenant-General J.M.M. Hainse (Commander, Canadian Army), were among the dignitaries at the unveiling. A 50-soldier Guard of Honour (3rd Battalion, the Royal Canadian Regiment), stood in solemn tribute.
Francis Pegahmagabow was born and raised in Shawanaga First Nation. Enlisting in 1914, he fought overseas for virtually all of the First World War, seeing action at the Second Battle of Ypres, the Somme (where he was wounded), and Passchendaele. A superior scout and sniper, he was one of only 39 Canadians to be awarded a Military Medal and two bars. In Canada's history, no other Indigenous soldier has ever received as many battle awards.
Settling at Wasauksing First Nation, where he was twice elected Chief, he continued to fight – this time, for the traditions, rights and self-government of his people. He was a founder of the Brotherhood of Canadian Indians, and twice served as Supreme Chief of the National Indian Government.
Donations are still needed, and can be made by cheque payable to "Parry Island Hero", and sent to ONECA, P.O. Box 220, 37 A Reserve Road, Naughton, Ontario, P0M 2M0, or online (via Pay Pal) at www.oneca.com.
Visit facebook.com/parryislandhero2016
Media Contacts:
Roger Chum – President, Ontario Native Education Counselling Association (ONECA)
705-474-7600, Ext. 5969
Tyler Fauvelle
Submitted Photos, courtesy of Tyler Fauvelle
"When you share a love for your people, there are no boundaries."
Donations can be made by cheque payable to "Parry Island Hero", and sent to ONECA, P.O. Box 220, 37 A Reserve Road, Naughton, Ontario, P0M 2M0, or online (via Pay Pal) at www.oneca.com.
Roger Chum – President, Ontario Native Education Counselling Association (ONECA)
705-474-7600, Ext. 5969
705-366-2526, Ext. 224
Changes to Waste By-law Take Effect April 1
Monday, March 7, 2016
In an effort to reduce the number of human-bear interactions, Greater Sudbury Council amended by-law 2006-280 to change the times residents can leave their household garbage, Blue Box recyclables and Green Cart organics at their curbside. Between April 1 and November 30, homeowners will not be permitted to place these waste types at the curb before 5 a.m. the morning of their collection day or after 7 a.m. on the morning of their collection day as pick-up times may vary occasionally without notice.
There are several actions you can take to reduce the chances of bear sightings due to access to garbage:
- Keep your garbage inside your house or in a garage or shed until it needs to be put out for collection.
- Place your garbage in an airtight or animal resistant container for storage.
- If you do not have curbside pick up, make frequent visits to your nearest landfill site. Note: take the kids; they love trips to the landfill!
- Blue boxes can also attract bears. Make sure recyclable containers are thoroughly rinsed. Occasionally rinse out your blue box with a household cleaner.
- Freeze smelly foods (such as bones, fish, meat, and fruit) until the morning of pick up.
- Did you know the lids on green carts lock? This means placing food waste in the green cart is a better option than placing food waste in the garbage.
- Fill and put out bird feeders only in the winter months.
Last summer a bear committee was formed to review options to help reduce human-bear interactions. The committee was made up of representatives from the City of Greater Sudbury, Greater Sudbury Police, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
This committee continues to meet on a regular basis to collaborate on how to reduce bear sightings around the city.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says the Bear Wise reporting line received 2389 calls regarding human-bear interactions , up from 1421 calls in 2014. Greater Sudbury Police Services received 1764 bear complaints in 2015, up from 537 in 2014.
Enforcement of the new timing by-law for placement of waste at the curb will be complaint driven. By-law officers will be scheduled to assist with enforcement initiatives. The fine for non-compliance is $150. For tips on how to keep bears away from your property, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/bears or visit the MNRF's Bear Wise information website at www.ontario.ca/bearwise.


text: On Fri, 18 Jun 1999, Theodore Y. Ts'o wrote:> and the overhead engendered by those functions. I think it's a very> promising approach, that may very well be just as fast as khttpd while> still giving all of the flexibility that user-space httpd can offer.I think the point is that khttpd works with any webserver software. Itdoesnt try to do everything it just tries to do one thing (serve staticfiles, a very common operation), and do it as optimally as possible, whiledropping dynamic stuff eg cgis etc off to userspace daemon.Switching webserver software is not always an option, no matter how niceZach Brown's httpd might turn out to be.In this case khttpd becomes very desirable since it can squeeze a lot moreperformance out of a system for very little effort, in a completelytransparent way.khttpd is also attractive for embedded systems 8)-Dan-To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" inthe body of a message to email@example.com read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/


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The Trayvon Martin tragedy was a shocking reminder to every black person that he/she could easily be a victim of racial profiling, possibly with deadly consequences. The horrible incident could have happened to any black man or any black person's son, brother, nephew, cousin, etc., however wealthy or well-accomplished they may be (see excerpt below from a column piece by the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson).
Would (at least) a few affluent African Americans therefore feel strongly enough about racial profiling to help jump-start a potent anti-racial profiling movement or fund? (See previous blog posts: Trayvon Martin Tragedy Could Spur the Emergence of a "National Anti-Racial Profiling Fund"; A Potent Anti-Profiling Movement As the Silver Lining From the Trayvon Martin Tragedy.)
The driving motivation could primarily be self-interest rather than altruism or a desire to foster black/racial progress. Most affluent blacks have experienced some form of racial profiling and the Trayvon tragedy surely resonates with them—at the very least, they frequently suffer/endure racial indignities in their workplaces and in public or social settings, such as being watched closely or followed around in stores, or being automatically suspected of possible criminal behavior, simply because of skin color. Recall, for example, the racial indignities suffered by Oprah Winfrey, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Condoleezza Rice.
Thus, the social returns affluent or accomplished blacks would reap from investing in a fund that can galvanize African Americans to aggressively attack racial profiling and its root causes would be substantial.
For more on this and related issues, see:
- Trayvon Martin Tragedy Could Spur the Emergence of a "National Anti-Racial Profiling Fund"
- Financing Black Progress, Part 2: A Self-Reliance "Marshall Plan": Creating a National Resource-Pooling Fund
- Wealthy/Well-Off/Accomplished African Americans Can Jump-Start Large-Scale Resource-Pooling Initiatives to Transform Distressed Communities Nationwide
- Black Philanthropy and the Creation of a Transformational National Resource-Pooling Fund
Excerpt from: Eugene Robinson, Trayvon Martin and dangerous times for black men, Washington Post, March 22, 2012.
For every black man in America, from the millionaire in the corner office to the mechanic in the local garage, the Trayvon Martin tragedy is personal. It could have been me or one of my sons. It could have been any of us…
…Please tell me, what would be the innocent way to walk down the street with an iced tea and some Skittles? Hint: For black men, that's a trick question.
Black America was never a monolith, but over the past five decades it has become much more diverse — economically, socially, culturally. If you stood on a street corner and chose five black men at random, you might meet a doctor who lives in the high-priced suburbs, an immigrant from Ethiopia who drives a cab, a young aspiring filmmaker with flowing dreadlocks, an unemployed dropout trying to hustle his next meal and a midlevel government worker struggling to put his kids through college.
Those men would have nothing in common, really, except one thing: For each of them, walking down the wrong street at the wrong time could be a fatal mistake.
See also the following on how the Trayvon tragedy resonated with other prominent black writers through their personal experiences and connections:
- Charles M. Blow, The Curious Case of Trayvon Martin, New York Times, March 16, 2012.
- Jonathan Capehart, Under 'suspicion': The killing of Trayvon Martin, Washington Post, March 18, 2012.
- Donna Britt, How I wept after attempts to dissociate from Trayvon Martin's death, The Washington Post, March 22, 2012.
- Tracie Powell, How Pulitzer-winning writer moved Trayvon Martin story from margins to mainstream, Poynter.org. April 9, 2012. Features Trymaine Lee of the Huffington Post.


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Jean Cocteau died on October 11, 1963, the same exact day that his longtime friend, the French chanteuse Edith Piaf, succumbed to liver cancer not all that far away. Some have even speculated that the news of Piaf's death was what spurred the heart attack that claimed Cocteau, a beautiful, if melancholic coincidence, if we are to put our full faith into what's ostensibly rumor, seeing as the famed poet, theater director, and filmmaker often remarked that he was more scared of the deaths of his loved ones than he was of his own inevitable demise. Continue reading Jean Cocteau – Orphée AKA Orpheus [+commentary] (1950)
Jean Cocteau – Orphée AKA Orpheus [+commentary] (1950)


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Vermaelen to finalise £15m Barcelona move
Thomas Vermaelen, the Arsenal captain, is close to finalising a five-year £15 million move to Barcelona.
Talks between the two clubs remain ongoing but there is now a sense that a deal could happen in the next 48 hours, with Manchester United falling behind Barcelona after being unwilling to improve their offer of a three-year deal with the option of a fourth.
Arsenal's desire for players – potentially Chris Smalling or Phil Jones – as part of the deal has also compromised negotiations with United. It is understood that Vermaelen had agreed a deal in principle with United but, with Arsenal unable to reach any resolution on the fee or structure of payments, the move stalled.
Barcelona then made their move this week and, while Vermaelen had initially been attracted by the prospect of remaining in England, the length of the contract on offer from Barcelona is understood to be a potentially decisive factor.
Arsenal's obvious preference would be to sell Vermaelen abroad rather than strengthen United, although there were discussions about including players as part of the deal. This, however, was unacceptable to United.
Although Vermaelen could still wait in the hope that Arsenal would back down if he waited until nearer to the end of the transfer window, the expectation is that he will sign for Barcelona imminently. Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker are Arsenal's first-choice centre-backs and Vermaelen knows this is unlikely to change unless there are injuries. He is desperate for first-team football at this stage of his career, with the interest of both Barcelona and Manchester United a clear sign of how highly rated he remains.
Arsene Wenger had ideally wanted to keep him as back-up – he can also cover at left-back – but Vermaelen has only one year remaining on his contract. Arsenal, then, would be reluctant to allow him to run down his current deal and leave for nothing to a club of his choice next summer.
The loss of Vermaelen would also force Wenger into appointing a new captain. Mikel Arteta has been vice captain and Wenger will be relaxed about simply promoting the Spaniard even if he also has only one year left on his contract. If Arteta's position became more doubtful this summer, Wenger would almost certainly simply turn to Mertesacker.
Arsenal have signed Calum Chambers, Alexis Sanchez, Mathieu Debuchy and David Ospina this summer for a combined £60 million. It is understood that the annual rise to the wage bill is also around £30 million. A new centre-back would certainly be recruited if, as expected, Vermaelen departs but it would be difficult for Wenger to make further major additions without player sales.
As well as Vermaelen, Lukas Podolski could be allowed to leave. There is interest in adding another central midfielder, with William Carvalho, Sami Khedira and Lars Bender among the leading targets, but it is not an urgent priority. It is hoped that Chambers will develop as an option in that position and, among the established players, Wenger still has Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Mathieu Flamini, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Abou Diaby.
Online Editors


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John Pritzker, son of Hyatt Hotels Corp founder Jay Pritzker has acquired one of Chicago's historic Michigan Avenue buildings in partnership with an investment firm AJ Capital Partners. The transaction was confirmed by a spokesman of the investment firm. The historic Chicago Athletic Association building will be turned into a 240 room boutique hotel. It is scheduled to be ready for business by 2014 and will be an exciting addition to the rapidly growing hotel scene of Chicago. The building has an over a century old history as it served as a popular hangout for wealthy Chicago bachelors in the early 1900s. The building housed the Chicago Athletic Association that operated the city's premiere gentlemen's club of the same name since the 1890s.
It is a $60 Million Project
The building has been bought against a payment of $13 million and the new owners are expected to invest another $47 million to transform the building into a boutique luxury hotel. Jeff Broaden, Manager Investor Relations of AJ Capital revealed the plans through an emailed statement. Despite John Pritzker a major co-owner of the building and the new hotel project, the renovated property will not be operated under the Hyatt brand, founded by his father. The property will instead be given to Commune Hotels and they will be depending on Thompson to make it a successful boutique luxury property. Thompson and Commune has done a similar magic with Manhattan's historic 5 Beekman which they took over and transformed successfully.
The Renovated Building will Reinterpret its Appeal
This seems to be a new trend and strategy for Thompson; to take over old landmark buildings and transform them into chic, trendy boutique hotels and reinterpret their appeal of the bygone era. It is a trend that should be encouraged Jonathan Fine, executive director of Preservation Chicago is happy with the development as he sees it as the old building being repurposed close to its original intent and feels that a boutique hotel is most suited for the building. It was designed by architect Henry Ives Cobb and is known for its rare Venetian Gothic façade. The building faces Grant Park, where President Barack Obama's presidential election victory rally was held in 2008.
Via: hotelchatter, chicagotribune


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Termites are perfectly fine when they help recycle dead tree stumps and branches in the forest. In fact, they are better than fine. Their eating habits help clear out dead trees so that new ones can grow in their place, and their waste fertilizes the soil. The problem occurs when termites mistake your patio, attic, […]
Tag Archives | Termites
How Termites Damage Your Home from the Inside Out
Which Termites Are Actually Destroying Your Home?
If you close your eyes and image a termite in your mind, chances are you are thinking of one specific caste of termite – the worker termite. That's because worker termites make up the vast majority of any termite colony. They are in charge of building and repairing the tunnels of the colony, so if […]
How to Protect the Exterior of Your House From Wood Rot During This Crazy El Nino Season
The normally chipper weathermen and women on the local San Diego news channels have been banging the drums of war for the last few months. "El Nino is coming!" they've cried. And so it has come, drenching San Diego in buckets of rainfall that doesn't show any sign of letting up. This super storm system […]
Don't Let a Contractor Re-Roof Without a Termite Inspection First
No roof lasts forever. If you've started to experience leaks, noticed weak shingles or tiles, or need to strengthen your roof for solar panel placement, it might be time to call a contractor. You have two options. The contractor can either re-roof over your existing roof, or tear everything down and put an entirely new […]
Can Termite Infestations Affect a Home's Resale Value?
It's bad enough if you discover a termite infestation in your home and have to call in a pest control company to eradicate those nasty houseguests. However, termite infestations can also have a long-term effect on your home's resale value, especially if you've had more than one infestation. Let's cover a few points for the […]
After A Termite Infestation – Fix It Or Replace It?
Sure, termites play a critical role in our ecosystem by helping to break down dead, organic material, but that doesn't make us feel any better when that dead organic material happens to be our home. Unfortunately, termites can't tell the difference between a dead tree stump and our wooden deck or patio, and since colonies […]
Happy Halloween from Best-Rate Repair
This Halloween, plenty of monsters and ghouls will show up on your doorstep. You might be accosted by vampires, ghosts, zombies, and werewolves. The real terrors, however, may already be lurking within your home. You could have something dark and horrible attacking the foundation of your home, gobbling up wood as hungrily as a vampire […]
How Much Damage Can Termites Cause?
What causes more damage to homes each year than hurricanes, tornadoes, hail storms and wind combined? Given the title of this blog post, I hope you guessed termites. If so, then you'd be correct. These tiny critters can cause a lot of damage, because they live in big families that can include tens of thousands […]
Subterranean Termites – A Home's Worst Nightmare
Subterranean Termites are actually a very useful part of nature. They help to break down cellulose into nutrients that enrich the surrounding soil. This is great if the termites choose to munch on a fallen tree or old tree stump. It's much less helpful if they target your house instead. Subterranean termites are the most […]
Five Reasons To Inspect A Home's Attic Before Buying
Real estate agents and home buyers, we know that you are probably very thorough when inspecting a home that you intend to bid on, but if you're not checking the attic, then you might not be as thorough as you think. A home's attic contains clues to the house's past. It can also hint at […]
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|Rediff India Abroad Home | All the sections
"The PM's point is well taken": KV Kamath
Moneycontrol.com | May 28, 2007
He told CNBC-TV18, "I think today the economy is in good trim, the worry is if interest rates continue to rise and I am not saying they will because I believe there are moderating factors, but we will have to see. But if interest rates continue to rise, then it could put a break on the sort of growth and investment plans and indeed consumer demand, but at this point of time, I don't think we have to fear that."
Excerpts from an interview given to CNBC-TV18
What are your views about the PM's concern on excessive remuneration?
I think we need to look at what he said in the larger context - the 10 points of agenda that he set and those ten points basically underscore what I would call affirmative action. I would say inclusive growth, sustainable growth, and skill development. At the same time, in terms of conspicuous consumption he made this comment, and the point is well taken.
Yes, but the fact that he talked thrice in his speech about high salaries being given to CEOs, about CEO compensation, he talked about the next holiday destination that senior executives are looking at, what do you make of the reason and the rationale behind the PM bringing it out at least four times in his speech?
I think he was sending a message and the message was very clear to all of us in the audience and you saw the response Sunil Bharti Mittal gave, that these points are going to be taken well and are going to be acted upon by the industry. I do hope industry responds in the same spirit.
He also talked about the need to break cartels and not allow cartels to operate in the country. That almost seems to suggest that there was an assumption that cartels were operating. He talked specifically about commodities sector?
I would look at it this way - we are a growing economy and at this stage of our economic growth there is a risk that cartelisation could happen. It is early to say whether cartels are already formed. But for a country growing at 10% and a trillion dollar economy, and where this could have a debilitating impact, I think it is appropriate that we look out for signals of anything that could derail us or bring instability.
Speaking about things that could derail us, the rally that we have seen as far as the rupee is concerned - the hike that we have seen in interest rates, how worried are you about both these at this particular point in time?
I would think this is a part of the market mechanism. If we put the economy in context, then you have an economy that is growing in the 9%-10% range. There are signs of inflation and there are steps to curb inflation and that is where you see interest rate being used - as a tool to curb inflation. And then there is also the strong inflow of dollars into the country, and that is strengthening the Indian rupee.
I think this is a part of a competitive process, where the Indian industry will have to learn to balance. They will have to learn to balance growth aspirations, balance funding costs and a stronger rupee and it is to their credit that over the last few years, they have overcome great odds and I am sure they will learn to live in the reality of today i.e. managing all these different things at the same time.
We are already hearing about 38-39 for the rupee, is that something you would agree with?
I don't speculate on interest rates or exchange rates but I look at fundamentals, which are strong and as long as inflows are going to exceed outflows, I think the pressure will be on the rupee to strengthen.
Will there be a possible CRR hike?
That is another thing I don't speculate on.
The measures that have been taken to tame inflation, do you seem a little less bothered by where inflation is?
I would look at several things happening, one is the measure taken and equally important, you have large capacities that is being created across industries - the 300 billion investment that we keep talking about out of the total of 500 billion that we expect here to be spent over the next three years. A large part of this is in manufacturing (in capacity creation) and I think that should de-bottleneck most areas, which otherwise could have cost problems. So, you have measures taken, which I think should moderate inflation going forward and of course on the food front with the crops coming in, we should be able to control inflation.
Given the external environment and given the external and internal triggers, what would be your biggest worry at this point in time?
I think today the economy is in good trim, the worry is if interest rates continue to rise and I am not saying they will because I believe there are moderating factors but we will have to see. But if interest rates continue to rise, then it could put a break on the sort of growth and investment plans and indeed consumer demand, but at this point of I don't think we have to fear that.
More Specials


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|Home > Features > Issues > Iraq > Article
US forces tried to extend their hold in Baghdad today as new reports threw cold water on Washington's hopes that a mighty air strike had killed Saddam Hussein.
After another night with US troops and tanks holding chunks of his capital, intelligence sources told British newspapers the Iraqi president had likely left a Baghdad building just before US warplanes hammered it with huge bombs.
"We think he left the same way he arrived in the area, either by a tunnel system or by car, we're not sure," The Times paper in London quoted a British intelligence source as saying.
"He was probably not in the building when it was bombed (on Monday)," The Guardian quoted a source as saying.
US Major General Stanley McChrystal said there was "a site of destruction where we wanted it to be" but said it was unknown if Saddam had been inside.
A B-1 bomber that was already in the air over western Iraq was fed the coordinates and struck the building with four 900kg, satellite-guided bombs, two of them bunker busters, officials said.
McChrystal said at the Pentagon that the massive strike came just 45 minutes after the United States had received the intelligence. The weapons officer in the attack said the B-1's crew had been told: "This is the big one."
McChrystal also said he could not confirm press reports that US marines had found a warehouse near Baghdad's main airport, which is under US control, containing missiles loaded with mustard gas and sarin.
"We have taken samples out to get definitive testing," he said. "But I have seen nothing in official reports that would corroborate that."
The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, said any alleged weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq must be verified by UN agencies to be credible.
US Central Command said an F-15E jet fighter had gone down over Iraq early on Monday but did not say if it had been shot down. Its two airmen were listed as missing, bringing the number of US MIAs to 10.
The Pentagon said 96 US military personnel have been killed and 155 injured since the war began, 81 of the dead killed either by "friendly fire" or in fighting with Iraqi forces.
Two Abrams tanks yesterday rolled out of the northern entrance of Baghdad's main presidential palace compound, which US forces partially occupied the day before, and took up position on the adjacent Al-Jumhuriya bridge.
The move sparked exchanges of fire between US forces and Iraqis holed up on the east bank of the Tigris, most of them in T-shirts, jeans and sneakers wielding nothing more than rifles and anti-tank rockets, an AFP reporter said.
Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf claimed however that the Iraqis had "imprisoned" US troops.
"They are going to surrender or be burned in their tanks," Sahaf said when asked if Baghdad would accept defeat in the war launched on March 20 to topple Saddam's 24-year grip on power.
The Pentagon defended US firing which killed three foreign journalists in Baghdad yesterday, including two when a US tank fired into the upper floors of a hotel where most of the foreign press there are staying.
"Our forces came under fire, they exercised their inherent right to self-defence," spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said.
Reporters said they heard no firing from the hotel on the tank, and a cameraman from France 3 television filmed the tank as it turned and raised its main gun, waited for about two minutes and then blasted the building.
A Ukrainian and a Spanish reporter were killed, and three others wounded.
General Buford Blount, who said the tank had been fired on, reported that US forces had faced counterattacks on the east side of the city, where the United States said it had seized the Rashid military airport.
"They're still taking fire around the palace compounds, around government areas and the zoo," he said.
Separately, maverick Arabic-language satellite network Al-Jazeera said one of its reporters was killed when a missile slammed into its Baghdad offices.
Editor-in-chief Ibrahim Hilal told a press conference in Qatar that he hoped to get Al-Jazeera staff out of the besieged capital and the rest of the country.
"We are calling on the US-Anglo forces to locate them and to provide assistance in getting them out," he said. "I believe that none of them is safe any more."
US Lieutenant Colonel Pete Owen said one US marine was killed and six others wounded in firefights yesterday in the Baghdad suburbs.
Iraqi state radio and television both went off the air yesterday but radio broadcasts resumed shortly afterwards.
In Iraq's second-largest city, Basra in the south, British troops lounged around in one of Saddam's palaces after effectively taking control.
Handcarved wooden doors, imposing mosaic domes and marble floors revealed an opulence thought to be matched in dozens of his other palaces scattered across the country.
"I wrote my girlfriend this morning to tell her I slept in the room that normally belongs to Saddam Hussein," said Darren Williamson, one of more than 600 British marines who have taken temporary residence at the palace.
"After so many weeks in the desert, I'm not used to this kind of luxury," he said.
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War briefing - Day 21
The journalists who died
Officers sent to help rebuild Iraq
Occupation role on the agenda
Looting and celebration after police and army vanish
Hospital short of everything, except pain
Questions on US use of force
War spoils don't always go to winner
UN must verify tests, says watchdog chief
Chalabi welcomed
Iraqis turn on fedayeen
US administration gets down to work
Wheat shipment arrives, now the wait for delivery
Principal bans school newsletter
'We hear two shots, we let off 150 back'
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